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megidonitram · 1 month

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Everyone's Running From Something (ch. 4)

A Baldur's Gate 3 University Professor AU

Rating: M

Quick Summary: Astarion and Gale are two University English professors precariously mentoring a troubled 19-year-old and falling in love.

💖Main Pairing : BloodWeave,(Astarion/Gale) 💕Side Pairings: Shadowheart/Nocturne, Karlach/Dammon, Wyll/The Dark Urge, Tav/Tav 💔Past Pairings: Gale/Mystra, Astarion/Sebastian, Astarion/Tav

<=Previous Chapter | Master List | Ao3 | Next Chapter =>

**Please see Master List Entry for Full Content Warnings**

⏰Chapter Warning⏰ None

The all-hands meeting for the beginning of the semester went the same way every all-hands meeting at the beginning of semesters go. Every professor and TA in a humanities field got squeezed into a conference room that wasn’t quite big enough, had a powered sugar donut or a couple cubes of assorted melon with half a Styrofoam cup of burnt coffee, and listened to the departmental dean give an un-rousing speech about being on the same page with the other departments. Then he talked at nauseam about school policies and ran a quick training session over a new time-tracking software that would be implemented in 3 weeks’ time.

Gale scribbled down notes on a big yellow legal pad and tried to ignore Jen and Astarion, making faces at each other as he wrote. He’d been in academia long enough to know they’d both be crying to him in a few weeks when they messed up their timecards.

As the meeting drew to a close, a dapper man with slicked-back chestnut hair and a car salesman smile stepped into the room. Astarion went stiff like a cat puffing up to defend itself. The dapper man just gave him a plasticky, knowing smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The dean perked up a bit as he noticed the man lingering in the back of the room. “Raphael, what a pleasant surprise! I had no idea you would be joining us,” he exclaimed, “We were just finishing up. Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to impart to our humanities faculty?”

“Oh, nothing so important,” Raphael said, and suddenly Gale understood why Astarion was so on edge. Everything about the man oozed with a disingenuous charm that made Gale’s hair stand on end. “I just realized I forgot to send out a notice about the upcoming donor gala the next coming Friday. I realized you were all in a meeting right now, so I thought I’d pop in and remind you in person.”

Raphael’s eyes landed directly on Astarion as he spoke his next sentence. “There is a reasonable expectation that faculty attend these events.” Out of the corner of his eye, Gale saw Astarion’s expression go steely. “After all, we want to show up and show out for the people who allow us to do so much.”

“Of Course!” The dean chirped. “I know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The meeting adjourned, and Astarion immediately made a break for the door. Gale hurriedly gathered his things in one arm, instinctually following after the only person in the room he really knew, like a baby duck.

Raphael stepped into Astarion’s path before he could get out of the meeting room. “Ah, we meet again, Dr. Ancunín!” Raphael’s voice dripped with sugary contempt. “I will see you at the donor gala, won’t I?”

“Perhaps. Are you thinking about calling in that favor I owe you?” Astarion’s voice was clipped, his face unnervingly blank.

“I think I’d like to wait on that a little longer, but I would like you there in case I change my mind.” Before Astarion could respond, Raphael’s gaze slid off him and onto- “Dr. Dekarios! Wonderful to see you. Are you settling in well?” He reached out a hand to him.

Gale stuffed his legal pad into his work so he could shake Raphael’s hand. “Exceptionally well!” he replied. “Everyone’s done their utmost to make me feel very welcome!”

“Oh, you don’t have to fib on your new colleagues’ account, Dr. Dekarios. I’m more than familiar with how surly certain members of the English department can get.” Raphael laughed congenially, but Astarion shot him a poisonous look.

“I’m not lying to you, sir,” Gale replied. “Astarion’s been nothing but professional.”

“Well, perhaps he’s going a bit soft.” There was a flash of something dangerous behind his eyes. He turned to Astarion. “I shall see you next Friday.” It was a command more than a farewell, but he walked away all the same.

Astarion muttered under his breath. Gale didn’t catch what he said but could make an educated guess. Astarion exhaled a deep breath like he was equalizing pressure.

He turned to Gale and said, “Thank you.”

Gale blinked. “Of course.”

Astarion opened his mouth to say something else, but the words couldn’t or wouldn’t form.

Shadowheart stepped in between them, too concerned with responding to a text message to notice the weird tension. “Karlach wants to get drinks.” She said. “She got stuck in traffic and doesn’t want to drive all the way down here for nothing.”

“Roveer’s?” Astarion asked, a very weary resignation in his voice.

“Yes, probably.”

“Nothing like running into your students at a sports bar a week before classes start…” Astarion grumbled. “Fine. Let me finish here, and I’ll meet you there in, oh… 15 minutes.” He turned to Gale. “Are you coming?”

“To the office?”

Astarion gave him a perplexed look. “To the bar.” He clarified. “You should take the opportunity to meet Karlach.”

Gale could feel himself going bright red as Shadowheart snickered. “Right. Yes. I would love to.” He replied.

“I’ll let Karlach know you’re coming. She’ll be thrilled.” Shadowheart replied, giving Gale a warm smile. “I’ll go lock up. See you in a bit.”

“Come on then.” Astarion replied, nodding for Gale to follow him.

***

The all-hand meeting was on the third floor, so by the time they’d returned to the basement and back up a floor to leave, Gale was starting to fear his knees wouldn’t survive the week- let alone the semester. “There has to be an elevator in this building.” Gale huffed and puffed as he hoofed it up the last flight of stairs. He didn’t want his new colleague’s first impression of him to be of him on his hands and knees wheezing. “I can’t take much more of this…”

“There is, but personally I don’t like chancing it unless I really don’t want to be in a meeting.” Astarion slowed to a stop at the top of the stairs to wait for him. He didn’t seem any worse for wear, but he also seemed much trimmer than Gale was- or at the very least, his shirt accentuated the pleasing nip of his waist. Gale wondered if Astarion was a swimmer. “A history adjunct got stuck in it overnight a few years past, and it still reeks a little bit when it gets hot enough.”

Gale laughed, but Astarion very pointedly did not.

The conversation lulled a little bit.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Gale asked.

“That entirely depends on what you want to ask.” Astarion stepped into the hallway, taking a moment to slip into his grey wool peacoat before they ventured outside.

“Raphael, is he always…”

“Such an ass?” Astarion finished his thought. Gale wouldn’t have used such a strong word, but Astarion had gotten the spirit of the question right, at least. “He’s usually much worse.”

“Oh?”

“He’s a glorified middleman with too much power and time on his hands.” Astarion scoffed. “He enjoys putting things in people’s way and watching them try to wriggle their way out of problems he created. My advice is to deal with him as little as possible.”

“Is he who you went to talk to earlier?”

Astarion gave him a poisonous look that only confirmed Gale’s suspicion.

They walked across campus in uneasy silence. The bitterly cold wind whipped and whistled, tossing the last remnants of fall leaves across the concourse. The few student residents who’d gotten in that morning had either decided to hold up in their rooms or were enjoying their free time in more exciting corners of town. Gale found himself wondering what Xenia was doing... He hoped she wasn’t all alone in an empty dorm.

“Does Xenia have many friends?” Gale asked as they approached a crosswalk leading to the block of shops across from campus.

“Hm?” Astarion tapped the pedestrian-call button, which commanded them to ‘wait!’ in a mechanical voice. “I think she probably has more friends than she realizes she does. Kids like her tend to think they’re alone in everything.”

“Poor kid… Seems like she’s been through enough.” Gale sighed. There was something heartbreaking in the phrase ‘kids like her.’ It was sad to think that there were more 19-year-olds out there carrying emotional burdens far too heavy for their age- sadder still to think that if there weren’t, then Xenia would be alone.

“She’ll figure herself out eventually. She’s not like…” Astarion paused, seemingly a little shocked by what he was about to say. He leveled a wary glance at Gale. “She’s not a quitter, I mean.”

“I’m sure she’s not. I just hope she doesn’t run herself ragged.” The walk light flashed, and they hurried across the street.

***

They were comedically out of place in Roveer’s Roadhouse. A group of grown adults in Oxford dress crowding around a sticky Bud-Lit branded high top surrounded by a bevy of flatscreen monitors playing every sports broadcast under the sun. Shadowheart was already nursing a syrupy cocktail out of a chipped margarita glass.

An extremely tall woman with a red tipped mohawk and smiling eyes bounded over to Gale and clapped a firmly friendly hand on his shoulder. “You’re the new Adjunct, I take it?” She asked. “I’m Karlach, Professor Cliffgate, if you’re nasty.”

“Gale Dekarios.” He reached out to shake her hand. She fist-bumped him instead, and Gale got a glimpse of a nasty burn scar peeking out from the sleeve of her jacket. “It’s a pleasure!”

“Aw, I have a great-aunt named Gale!” Karlach replied.

“I get that a lot…” Gale sighed. “I like your hair!”

“Thanks!” Karlach tussled her own hair. “Told my kiddos they could pick what color I dyed it if they all passed their benchmarks.”

“Does Balduran give benchmarks?”

“Oh, no. Teaching university is my side gig,” Karlach replied. “I’m actually a full-time middle school teacher.”

A spindly girl with bleach-blonde hair pulled into space buns sidled up to the table, clutching a notepad. “Can I take your order?” She seemed quite put upon being asked to do actual work on a slow day.

“Vodka Soda,” Astarion replied, holding his ID out to the server.

She took it and dropped it in her apron, jotted something down on her notepad, and turned to Gale with an expectant look.

“I’ll, uh, take a Corona,” Gale replied. He’d never ordered a Corona in his life, but it seemed like an acceptable ‘getting drinks with colleagues’ kind of an order.

The server stood there staring at him a moment long before she asked, “ID?”

“Oh, um…” Gale patted for his wallet and realized he left it in his desk drawer. “I didn’t realize I would need it…”

“You didn’t realize you’d need an ID at a college bar?” Astarion asked dryly as he turned to the server. “Just put it on my tab.”

The server nodded and walked away without asking if they needed anything else.

“Wow Gale, just one day on the job, and you’re already bumming free drinks off the department chair.” Shadowheart teased. She took a sip of her drink crinkling her nose at the taste.

Gale flustered. “I-I was going to pay with my phone, I swear! I wasn’t planning this.”

“Relax. We’re not so underpaid that I can’t afford to buy you one beer.” Astarion rolled his eyes. “You can return the favor when you get your first paycheck.”

Gale blushed. “Alright.”

The server brought them their drinks without another word, then plopped down at the end of the bar to scroll on her phone. Gale pushed the lime through the neck of his beer bottle and watched it fizz as it sank to the bottom of the dubiously golden liquid.

“So, did I miss anything important at the all-hands?” Karlach asked idly, stirring her bourbon and coke.

“You know you didn’t,” Shadowheart replied. “We’re changing timecard systems, and Raphael and Astarion are in another one of their weird power struggles-there, I saved you an hour and a half.”

Karlach’s eyes lit up, and she turned towards Astarion. “Before the semester even starts?” There was a conspiratorial glee in her voice. “What the fuck could he have possibly done this time?”

“Why spoil the mood by ruminating on that rat bastard?” Astarion said. He picked the lemon slice out of his drink and laid it on a napkin. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Fair.” Karlach shrugged. She turned back to Gale and fixed him with a warm smile. “So, Gale, what brings you to the wonderful world of higher education?”

Gale had thought a lot about what he would tell people when they asked him why he wanted to teach college. He’d written little speeches in the shower about the joys of teaching language and the satisfaction of helping students reach their goal, but sitting in a group of other English professors, that suddenly all felt very trite.

“I was a public librarian, but I had to step away from my last position when I got divorced.” He admitted. “I found a job at a community college teaching database management, and I realized I’d just always missed teaching.” He took a long pull of his beer. The sour of the lime battled with the bitterness of the beer on his tongue.

“Library science might be a harder industry to break into than academia. It must have been tough to leave that behind.” Astarion mused.

“I do miss it terribly sometimes… but my ex helped me get into graduate school and got me my first library job. If I stayed, I would never be able to make anything that was truly mine.” Gale sighed. He could see the wheels spinning in Shadowheart’s head as she tried to figure out his age.

“You talk like you’re as old as this bag of bone,” Karlach pointed a thumb at Astarion, who glared daggers at her. “But there’s no way you’re that old.”

“I’m 35.” Gale clarified.

“That’s a little bit older than I thought, but still nowhere near as old as Astarion,” Shadowheart said.

“You are barely two years younger than me.” Astarion snapped.

“Barely a decade older than Gale, too.” Shadowheart shot back.

Astarion rolled his eyes and muttered something into his drink. “Did you go to get your master’s straight out of undergrad?” he asked.

“Yes, why?”

Astarion shrugged. “That’s just quite young to be with someone that well-established in their field.”

“Oh, we didn’t get together until I graduated.” That wasn’t entirely true. They didn’t get together publicly until he graduated. He didn’t know why he was still defending Mystra. It wasn’t like any of his new colleagues would ever meet her.

“I wasn’t trying to imply anything…” Astarion lied.

“Of course not.”

They both took a sip of their drink, holding awkward eye contact.

“Well, here’s to making something for yourself then,” Shadowheart said, holding her drink out to Gale for a cheers.

Gale clinked the neck of his beer bottle against her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

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rosesparkles-4 · 11 months

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A "humans are space orcs au" idea I had for Hogwarts legacy (would be a Sebastian Sallow x reader)

Basically there's one human (reader/mc) who was abducted by an intergalactic gang (the ashwinders) and eventually they're rescued by an alien crew made up of Sebastian, Ominis, Poppy, Natty, Garreth, and Amit. Bonding ensues! Also humans are terrifying to the rest of the galaxy, comes with the trope. Eventually they take MC to Hogwarts (school that specializes in teaching species from all over the galaxy), where instead of the professors being able to help them get home, the headmaster won't authorize the journey to earth. Far too risky (he doesn't want to waste the money involved on a human). So instead, he compromises and lets them attend Hogwarts, now eventually they'll get their flying license and go home themself.

Sebastian:

He's technically the captain of the ship, it's for a school assignment involving exploring the rest of the galaxy

Ominis actually does more of the captain duties tbh, but Sebastian is the best at flying so he gets the title. (Ominis can fly thanks to tech accomodations similar to his canon universe wand that detects what's around him, he can connect to the ship and steer it like that.) Sebastian also has better grades, so that helps.

His species is very lizard like, cold-blooded and some of the scales on his body change color with his emotions (replacing his freckles from canon). Mc jokes he's a chameleon, Sebastian doesn't get it.

He falls in love. HARD. At first, he was ready to tear MC apart to defend his crew, but when they quickly learn humans aren't heartless killers? He lets his shields down. Then when MC officially joins the school and gets assigned to his ship? He's done for. They already started bonding on the journey to the school, but now that he's spending more time with the reader it's evolved into something more.

Unfortunately, this makes him dread their eventual return to earth, where their memories will be wiped upon arrival and he'll never see MC again. While there are protections in place for abducted humans, most governments force a memory wipe to keep it under wraps. The tension between earth and the rest of the galaxy is already unstable.

Until then though, he's chosen to spend as much time as he can with MC while secretly searching the galaxy for a cure for his dying sister

Ominis:

The one who actually runs the ship tbh

Had a heart attack when Poppy brought a rescued human on board

He's only ever heard of humans being terrible awful beasts, and he avoids MC for a while.

Until he catches them crying bc homesickness be a bitch, and when he goes to comfort them he holds their hand. Oh. They're soft.

Surprise surprise, the gaunt family is royalty on planet full of snake-like aliens. He hates them here for reasons I will delv into in a later post.

Still just as mischievous as Sebastian, they both play pranks on everyone

Is actually the most angry at Black's refusal to send MC home right away. He'd miss them of course, but he knows how much MC longs for earth.

Amit:

Had to break it to Poppy that humans are not beasts, and are in fact people. She was disappointed.

Is almost fluent in English, loves that the MC can teach him more.

Actually gave them a translator to understand the rest of the ship, but it's uncomfortable so they're making an effort to learn the SUL (standard universal language) while they all try to learn English.

Was the biggest advocate for them when Sebastian initially ordered MC to be locked up. Dragged him to the cell to witness her depressed when it got bad enough and forced him to realize that MC was just a person who was lost, and he was not helping. (Sebastian still feels guilty for his behavior long after, he felt like a monster)

Please tell Amit everything about earth. He's working on a book to hopefully sway the public opinion and open up more peaceful communications with Earth.

Still deciding what kind of alien he'd be, I am open to suggestions!

Poppy:

Beasts specialist, was initially tearing apart and Ashwinder camp when she rescues MC

Next to Amit, she's the quickest to warm up to MC, talking about Earth's wildlife was an easy conversation starter once they could understand each other.

Poppy is also undecided, I am open to suggestions about her alien species too.

Once MC gets equipped with a blaster they go after ashwinders together with Natty, it's a great bonding experience.

She knows what it's like to be an outsider, so MC often turns to Poppy when she needs to vent about feeling alone.

Natty:

As soon as she has her first conversation with MC she drops her guard. Instant besties, she can tell MC is a good person. Clearly all the rumors about humans must be fake.

Alien species is based on gazelles! She can run super fast (duh), but her antlers actually have levitation abilities (similar to her wandless casting in canon)

Helps MC catch up on school work, she's been the new kid before and knows what it's like

Her father was murdered by Ashwinders in this AU, it's why she's so eager to take them down even before meeting MC.

Garreth:

His will be quick I'm getting tired lol

He's a scientist! Closest thing the ship has to a doctor. While he experiments in his free time, he's learned no to do it when patching up friends (his aunt would kill him)

Please let him study humans. Please. He wants to know about your anatomy and what you can take.

Him and Amit fight often, but it's a playful rivalry.

Also helps you study along with Natty, Amit, and Sebastian. You lucked out with this crew lol they're all nerds in their own way.

Is a cat like alien species

#sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow #ominis gaunt #natsai onai #poppy sweeting #amit thakkar #garreth weasley

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theteasetwrites · 2 years

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The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 86: American Dreaming

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: sexuality (not smut, but sexy lol), mild swearing ❧ Word Count: 6k

❧ In This Chapter: You finally come face-to-face with the governor's son, who doesn't impress you much, and an offer from Carol to watch the kids for the night gives you and Daryl an opportunity to have a real first date in the Commonwealth.

❧ A/N: Okay, this WAS going to be a smut chapter, but I got a little too caught up in the fluff so the smut will be continued in the next chapter! For now, there's just a tad bit of teasing in this chapter. Reader also meets Sebastian for the first time which was fun because she doesn't take his shit and I love that for her.

The Commonwealth Library was… different from any library you ever worked at. Maybe because it was public, and you always worked at university libraries, or maybe because it had everything a normal library from back in the day would have had, and you had all but forgotten that such amenities even existed.

Though the internet that existed at the Commonwealth was not like it was before, it was enough to facilitate the ease of information through computers, of which there were many at the library.

Computers, printers, xerox machines, microfilm and microfiche readers… It was overwhelming for you, and knowing that one day you’d return home, where such technology was much more limited due to the more modest power grid.

Three weeks of working in a very official library, however, was, you had to admit, a breath of fresh air, and the collection was impressive. Whoever had curated this library had clearly raided various historical and governmental sites in Washington D.C., considering important historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were on full display in hermetically-sealed glass boxes, with constant security guards (stormtroopers in Commonwealth Army uniforms, of course) standing by to defend the once precious artifacts of human civilization.

Even beyond that, the library was impressive.

The building was intricate, and certainly had once been in a library before the world fell. It was built in the style of Georgian architecture with clear Greco-Roman influences, and the dark wood paneling with intricate details was a cherry on top in terms of sophistication.

The place was huge, with tall, open ceilings stretching up to the third floor, and high, regal paned windows that you only knew must’ve been a pain to clean. They overlooked a lush, green courtyard around which the rest of the building wrapped, and in the center of that courtyard was a grand fountain with none other than a statue of the great Miss Pamela Milton’s father as the centerpiece amidst delicate streams of crystal clear water.

For all its grandeur, it was first and foremost a place of learning, you thought. Though your responsibilities were much more menial than they once had been, you supposed your job was much less stressful than what it was in the old world, and at least you had the pleasure of getting to know the other citizens of the Commonwealth.

“After Many a Summer Dies the Swan,” you said, scanning the barcode on the back of the old book you recognized quite well. The patron nodded, a young man in his late teens, you surmised, bespectacled and reminiscent of what you might’ve called back in the day a “nerd.”

“I read this in college,” you said. “It’s about…” You looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember the plot. “This crazy scientist trying to figure out how to stop the aging process or something, right?”

“Yeah,” said the young man, eagerly grinning at the book in your hands. “I’ve actually read it before. I love Huxley’s work, ever since I read Brave New World last year. Can’t get it out of my head.”

“Mmm,” you hummed in reminiscence of the familiar novel. “I guess the world was getting kind of close to that before it all ended.”

“I wouldn’t remember,” the young man shrugged. “I was pretty small. But I know a lot of people high up want to see it become just like it was. Kind of wild to think about, if the world was so messed up.”

You nodded in agreement, and closed the dusty book before sliding it across the counter into the man’s hands. “The world’s always going to be messed up in one way or another, I guess. Just a different kind of messed up.”

From behind the young man came an impatient throat clearing, bringing to your attention that someone was in line behind the man.

“It’s due on November fifteenth,” you said with a genuine smile, happy to have had even the smallest conversation with someone new. “Enjoy rereading it.”

“Thanks, ma’am,” said the young man, who seemed eager to scurry off when he realized who was behind him.

You didn’t know him, on account of never seeing him before, but he had an air of entitlement around him that seemed to intrigue the other patrons sitting at their desks and browsing through the stacks nearby. Some bickered quietly amongst each other, and others tried to avoid eye contact with the man, who appeared to be in his mid to late twenties.

“Hi,” he said, smiling with the misplaced confidence that probably would have been better suited to a man with a less punchable looking face. “I’m having trouble finding a book.”

Ah, yes, one of your favorite tasks. You loved the challenge of tracking down books for those who couldn’t navigate the call number system themselves, or just had no idea where to look when it appeared the book in question was missing. It could’ve been a multitude of places, perhaps on a refile shelf or on a book truck just waiting to be reshelved and returned to the appropriate destination.

“Okay,” you said. “Do you have the call number?”

He pulled a small sheet of paper from his coat pocket and slid the note towards you.

“JC 329… Did you look in the stacks?”

He scoffed and raised an eyebrow, obviously annoyed and impatient with your questioning. “Of course I did, it wasn’t there. Jesus, this is a library, how are we supposed to read shit if the books aren’t where they’re supposed to be?”

You swallowed hard, taken aback by the sudden aggression in his voice. Perhaps you hadn’t dealt with disgruntled patrons in years, but it still felt inordinately uncomfortable.

“Okay, I’ll be right back, I’m just going to check the back, see if it’s in processing.”

You searched high and low on the prep shelves and the prep trucks for the call number, double checking and checking again to make sure it really wasn’t there.

Upon returning to the front desk, the man was clearly disappointed that you were still empty handed. “New plan,” you said, “I’ll check the database, see where the book is according to that, okay?”

He rolled his eyes and held his chin upon the desk as he blew a deep breath. “Go on,” he said. “But hurry up, I’ve got things to do today.”

Asshole, you thought. So do I. I’ve got better things to do than waiting on little pricks like you, and I certainly don’t get paid enough for it.

You flashed a fake smile, reminiscent of the lifeless, painted-on grins on Barbie dolls. “No problem,” you said, typing quickly on the chunky keyboard.

“Oh, that’s why we couldn’t find it,” you said, still trying to hang onto your carefully crafted, ultra-feminine and sickly sweet customer service voice. “Someone’s already checked it out. That’s not super common but it happens. There’s nothing we can do right now but I can put the book on hold for you when it returns, and call you in to pick it up. Does that sound all right?”

He shook his head and scoffed with that annoying little smile of his that you were frankly getting tired of looking at. “Listen, sweetheart,” he said, immediately sending you into bitchy librarian mode, “I need you to expedite that book for me, call the asshole who’s got it and tell ‘em a very important patron needs it. Can you do that for me?”

You scoffed and almost burst out into disbelieving laughter, but instead you just looked at him in awe. No one had ever asked such a thing in all your years of dealing with patrons, even the particularly rude ones.

“No,” you said simply. “I can’t do that. You’ll just have to wait until it’s returned. It’d be one thing if it were past its due date, but it’s not.”

His face tightened and he leaned forward, causing you to lean back and away from his rather weasel-like face. “Do you have any idea who I am, lady?” he asked. “My mother can put your ass on the streets for looking at me the wrong way, so I really don’t have the patience for this kind of attitude.”

You did laugh this time, letting out a snort and covering your mouth when you realized he wasn’t joking. “Oh,” you said, composing yourself again. “Momma’s boy, huh? Okay, well, I’ll get right on that. I’ll phone the patron and let him know there’s a little boy here throwing a tantrum over a public library book. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

He snarled and straightened to his full height, which wasn’t any taller than you. “You’re gonna regret that,” he said. “No one talks to me like that.”

You shrugged. “I just did. Unless you have some other business here, there’s not much else I can help you with. Goodbye.”

Tired of dealing with the petulant man, you placed a BE BACK SOON sign upon the desk and retreated to the back, ignoring whatever words he had to say to you as you turned your back to him.

Immediately upon entering the access services department, one of your co-workers, Ginger, walked up to you, frantically wringing her hands and looking wide-eyed at you. “Do you have any idea who that was?” she whispered shakily.

You furrowed your brow and laughed. “Um, yeah, some guy who pissed me off. Why?”

She shook her head and pulled you close by the arm, looking around as if to make sure no one heard. “That’s Sebastian Milton,” she said. “You know, Pamela Milton’s son?”

“Ohhh,” you said, nodding your head in realization. That was the same little shit who’d been teasing Daryl lately, giving him condescending little orders and generally being an ass. “Guess I ruined my chances of getting invited to the masquerade ball, huh?”

Ginger shook her head again, clearly much more serious about this than you were. “You can’t talk to the Miltons like that, or anyone on their level like that.”

“Well, he was being rude,” you defended. “I went half of my life letting people like that walk all over me, Ginger. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction, I don’t care whose kid he is. Besides, no harm done.”

Ginger looks aghast. “You really don’t get it, do you? Sebastian can do anything he wants around here. He’s done it for years. Even just a little thing like that can put you on his shitlist, and you don’t want to be on his shitlist.”

You scoffed, and waved your hand, dismissing Ginger’s concerns. “What, he’s going to put a hit on me or something?”

In fact, he probably did have the ability to do such a thing, but you weren’t scared of him. You’d been hunted by worse things and worse people to be scared of a sniveling prep school kid.

“Just be careful,” she said. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Back in the dingy dorm room you called home, you were helping Judith with her science homework while Robin and RJ read their short story assigned to them from class that day. Dog chewed on a bone in the corner, gnawing on the marrow and whimpering every once in a while when he felt he wasn’t getting the attention he deserved.

“Mommy?” asked Robin, looking up from her book. “Can we take Dog for a walk? I think he needs enrichment.”

You rolled your eyes in amusement at the child’s use of the new word she’d learned from her advanced vocabulary workbook. “I’m helping Judith with her homework right now, sweetie.”

“RJ and me can go,” said Robin, intent on being independent for once.

Perhaps if you were still in Alexandria, surrounded by people you knew well and trusted, but the Commonwealth was so much bigger, and two six-year-olds out on their own in a world they didn’t know very well seemed like a recipe for disaster, and the idea of anything happening to them sent your heart rate through the roof. “After we’re done with Judith’s homework, okay?”

“Okay,” pouted Robin, returning to her reading as you helped Judith understand the basics of the water cycle.

Minutes later, a knock came at the door, and Robin eagerly jumped up to answer it (with your permission, of course).

“Oh, hi Aunt Carol,” Robin said, projecting her tiny, lilted voice in an attempt to seem more mature.

“Well, hello there, Miss Dixon,” said Carol, who seemed to be holding a box of cookies from Elodie’s in her hands.

“Are those cookies?” asked RJ with a gasp, letting his book fall to the floor before running over to Carol.

Judith raised an eyebrow at you. “Guess reading time’s over, huh?”

“Mhm,” you said, rising to your feet to greet Carol, who was now handing out one pumpkin-shaped sugar cookie to each six-year-old. “Exactly what they need—sugar,” you said with a laugh. “What do you say, children?”

Robin chewed her cookie before speaking, as she knew it was impolite to speak with her mouth open. “Thank you, Aunt Carol,” the two children sang out, not quite insync with each other.

“I was going to say it, Momma, I swear,” insisted Robin.

You gently tugged on her messy braid, done in a hurry by a very stressed out Daryl before he left for work that morning. “I know, honey.”

“You’re welcome,” Carol chuckled. “Hey, I’m gonna steal your mom for a second. (Y/N), come out to the hallway with me?”

You sat the box of cookies Carol handed to you on the small bedside table Daryl had fished out of the trash a while back, then turned to the younger children, knowing Judith had enough self-control and a good sense of delayed gratification.

“No more until I get back, cookie monsters.” You turned back to Judith, sitting cross-legged on her sleeping pad as she continued her work. “Hold down the fort?”

“Mhm,” hummed Judith.

“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” you said, gently closing the door and keeping a watchful eye on the children as long as you could until they couldn’t be seen anymore. Maybe you were a little overprotective at times, but especially in this dilapidated tenement building, you hated to leave them alone, even just for a few minutes. “What’s up?”

Carol folded her arms over her chest and let out a chuckle. “Well, mother goose, just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Fine,” you said. “I mean, given the circumstances.” You gestured to the surrounding hallway, grimy and shaking with the heavy footsteps of the tenants upstairs. “Daryl says we might get that apartment in a few weeks. His training’s going pretty well.”

Everyone else from your group had gotten new apartments since arriving, except for your household and Rosita’s, probably because she and Daryl were still in basic training.

“It comes with furniture and all that,” you said. “It has a bathroom and a kitchen… Three bedrooms.”

You practically sighed in pleasure at the idea of having a room to yourself, somewhere away from the children for just a while.

“Getting tired of the one room thing, huh?”

“Well, it’s good for keeping an eye on the kids, but I don’t think Daryl and I have spent more than twenty minutes alone together since we got here. I miss our private time, you know?”

Carol seemed to have an idea forming as she developed that intrigued look upon her face.

“How about I take the kids tonight?” she said. “I’ll take ‘em back to my place and we can bake and watch movies or something.”

You blinked in disbelief. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. I’m their favorite aunt, after all.”

“Oh, but what about school tomorrow?” you asked frantically, suddenly trying to arrange the children’s schedule in your head. “Do you want to take them to school? You don’t have to, I can pick them up and take them, or Daryl can, or—”

“(Y/N),” she laughed, holding your shoulders firmly in her hands. “I will take them to school. Why don’t you just have a nice night with Daryl, huh? Maybe go out to eat or something, like a real date.”

Oh, that sounds nice, you thought.

“Are you sure?” you asked. “I mean, thank you, but—”

Carol rolled her eyes and gently pushed past you, opening the door and calling out to the kids. “Come on, you guys. Grab your backpacks. Sleepover at Aunt Carol’s tonight.”

Robin looked curiously at you behind Carol, as if to ask your permission.

“Go on,” you sighed. “Pack some jammies and a fresh change of clothes. Oh, and your toothbrushes and your floss.”

RJ wasted no time in jumping up from his bean bag chair and slinging the other children their bags.

“Why are we staying at Aunt Carol’s?” asked Robin, always so curious.

“Well,” you began to say, but Carol beat you to it.

“It’s date night,” said Carol. “You remember date night, right?”

Robin blushed and giggled as she shoved her favorite denim overalls into her bag. “Oh,” she said. “Alone time for Mommy and Daddy, so they can kiss and stuff.”

“Ew!” exclaimed RJ, grimacing at the idea of his aunt and uncle kissing. “That’s disgusting.”

You scoffed at the children, slightly blushing now yourself.

“Can we bring Dog?” asked Robin, causing Dog’s ears to perk up at the mention of his name. “He wants to go for a walk.”

“Just take his food and water bowls. And keep him on his leash until you get to Aunt Carol’s,” you said, and with a kiss upon each of their heads (including Dog’s), you sent them off with their aunt, though not before you spoke to her one last time.

“Easy on the sugar,” you whispered. “RJ will be bouncing off the walls and Robin will start talking a mile a minute.”

Carol laughed. “I’d love to see that,” she said.

“And make sure they’re all in bed by nine,” you said. Carol had never taken care of the kids by herself before, so it seemed only natural to give her the rundown. “Robin can only sleep with a nightlight so if you have something like that it would be great. Oh, and sometimes she gets these little night terrors, and she’s been sleepwalking a lot more lately. Just make sure she doesn’t hurt herself. If she can’t get to sleep we usually give her a warm glass of milk and that knocks her out. Um, I think that’s it…”

Carol laughed and shook her head. “Stop worrying,” she said. “They’re going to be just fine. Enjoy your alone time with Daryl. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of kissing and stuff to do.”

Indeed, you spent the remainder of time before Daryl came home beautifying yourself as best you could, draping yourself in the blush pink wrap dress you brought from Alexandria and dolling yourself up with the minimal bits of makeup you made room in your bag for.

Not that Daryl ever cared about that kind of thing, of course. He’d find you just as beautiful even if you were covered in walker blood or caked in mud, but you always felt the most beautiful in pretty, delicate dresses, with the soft tickles of fabric upon your bare legs, and the feeling of confidence that measly piece of fabric could give you.

Plus, Daryl loved seeing you in your dresses, knowing just how happy they made you.

When he came through the door, his eyes immediately darted around the room, looking in every direction for his little ones (and his dog).

“Where are the kids?” he asked, a slight sense of urgency in his voice, though he knew if you were here, they were probably all right wherever they were.

You stood up from your sleeping pad where you sat updating your journal and crossed over to him with a skip in your step and a sweet smile on your face.

“Spending the night at Aunt Carol’s,” you said, bringing your hands up to knead his tense shoulders. “It’s just us tonight… All night.”

Your hands trailed up the curve of his neck and cupped his cheeks to bring his lips to yours, chapped and worn from exposure, but still so soft and welcoming as always.

His lips parted for you shortly, taking in your tongue and letting it soak up his with your sweet saliva. His strong hands fit like a puzzle piece above your hips, pulling you closer to his body until you sunk your entire body weight into him, sending him stumbling backwards a few steps until he caught himself with a laugh.

“Jesus, woman,” he mumbled, now holding your face and caressing the apple of your cheek with his thumb. “Gimme a second to breathe, huh, angel? Had a bad day.”

Your shoulders slumped in sadness. If anyone deserved a good day, it was him, and those seemed in short supply lately.

“What happened?” you asked, guiding him over to your sleeping pad and pushing his shoulders down until he sat cross-legged upon the firm mat. You quickly sat yourself next to him and maneuvered his head until it rested upon your breast, while your arms snaked around his back and held him against you. “Mercer again?”

“Mmm,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and embracing your warmth around him, and that sweet smell of rose and lilac with a hint of gentle citrus that always lingered about you. “Tellin’ ya, he’s got it out for me.”

You laughed and kissed his hair. “No he doesn’t, baby. Apparently he’s like that with everyone. Harsh. I know it’s hard to deal with, especially since you’ve been so spoiled by your sweet, compassionate, loving wife for so long.”

He grimaced and grunted somewhere between agreement and playfulness. “Yeah… They take Dog with ‘em, too?”

You rolled your eyes and lifted his head up to face you. “Yes, Daryl. Everyone’s fine. What, you want me to go pick them up?”

“Nah,” he said rather quickly. “Nah, just… She know about the sleepwalkin’? And how she needs ‘er nightlight? Milk for when she can’t sleep?”

“Yes!” you laughed. “She knows, I told her. She’s taking them to school tomorrow, too. Is that okay with you, muffin?”

He rolled his eyes at the pet name. “S’fine… So, uh… we gonna do somethin’?”

His fingertip trailed absentmindedly up your bare arm, and played with the sleeve of your dress when he reached your shoulder.

“Mmm,” you hummed at his playful touch. “What do you wanna do, cutie pie?”

He shrugged and quirked his lip. “I’m hungry,” he said.

You raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to lick his lips, rubbing his chest over his filthy black thermal shirt all the while. “Oh, really?” you whispered against his mouth. “I’ve got something you can eat.”

You took his hand and reached it down to cup your mound, but when he broke out into a chuckle, you looked at him in utter confusion. “What?” you asked with a smile.

“I mean I’m really hungry, woman,” he said. “Could use a burger or somethin’.”

You bit your lip in an attempt to hold back your wide smile. “Let’s go on a date,” you said. “That little diner downtown…” Your smile faltered when Daryl began shaking his head. “Oh, pleeease, baby?”

“Too much money,” he said. “Money we don’t got.”

You frowned and pouted as you slowly reached your hand out to scratch his chin, which he had no choice but to let happen, since he loved the feeling so much.

“Please, Daryl?” you asked sweetly. “Only way you’re getting a burger is if we go to that diner. Besides, it’s not that expensive, and we’ve got enough money on our spending cards. I’ll pay for it, I just want to have a real date. Please?”

He closed his eyes and groaned, somewhere between reluctant acceptance and pleasure. Opening one eye to look at you, his nose scrunched up in adorable faux annoyance at your pouty, doe-eyed face, though he could never really be annoyed at you.

“Fine,” he finally said, causing you to gasp and throw your arms around him, nearly knocking him back.

“Oh, thank you,” you laughed, and pulled away to kiss his lips firmly. Looking up and down his body, you realized he was in desperate need of a wardrobe change if you were going to go out. “Why don’t you take a shower and change, hm?”

He bit his lip as he looked you over, himself realizing how much effort you’d put into your appearance for him. It was always so cute back at home when things were stable enough for you and him to have your little “date nights,” with you dragging out the iron and ironing board to smooth out the wrinkles in your favorite dress at the moment, then meticulously doing your hair until you found it suitable for Daryl’s approval, even though he wouldn’t care if your head was shaved.

Yes, he knew he needed to try to look half as put-together as you did.

“Okay,” he said. “Be right back.”

He emerged from the bathroom with his hair blown dry, looking much fluffier and less greasy than it had in a long time, and his face fresh and clear from the cleansing heat of the shower. His wardrobe, though, stunned you.

He’d finally put on that light blue linen button-up with quarter-length sleeves you’d gotten him, and it fit him so well. Well, it might’ve been a little small around his chest and shoulders, where most shirts tended to hug his broad upper frame, but to you, the conforming of the fabric to his body only reminded you once again of just how much you wanted him, especially with your hormones running wild from the presence of a little human growing in your belly.

Of course, he wore his dark blue jeans and his brown boots, but it wouldn't have been your Daryl if he wore anything else.

“Aw,” you cooed, holding your hands on either side of your face and shaking your head at how great he looked. “You look so good!”

You skipped over to him and twirled him around, much to his embarrassment as he huffed and puffed with each little giggle you made. Of course, you did take the opportunity to admire his ass while you were modeling him.

“You done lookin’ at my ass, girl?” he asked over his shoulder

You smirked and turned him back around, eager to look at his face once again. As you expected, his eyes shone like two brilliant, electric sapphires, and the cool toned highlights in his deep brown hair that seemed to darken with age were more prominent, complimenting his light olive skin tone.

“I told you the blue would bring out your eyes,” you said, playing with the lapels of his shirt. “You’re so handsome. You know, you should let me buy you clothes more often. I have great taste.”

He shrugged his shoulders and circled his arms in an attempt to loosen the shirt around his chest. “It’s tight,” he said.

You frowned and stepped back to see if he looked too constrained in his shirt. “Is it uncomfortable? I can take it back, get a bigger size.” Of course, you rather liked how tight it was on him, but his comfort was more important to you than the pleasure you got from looking at his bulky build.

“Nah,” he said, realizing how much it meant to you that he liked his shirt. He smiled and gazed at you with a softness in his eyes that immediately soothed you. “It’s perfect.”

You got lost in his eyes for a moment, then realized he needed one more thing to complete the look. “Oh, your vest,” you said, turning to the coat hanger on the wall to pluck the leather garment from its hanger. “Can’t forget the vest.”

You smoothed out the familiar piece of outerwear, each crease of the worn black fabric reminding you that this old vest had been with Daryl since the very beginning, and it had seen everything you had seen. Daryl without his vest was still Daryl, but you did love his vest, and how uniquely him it was.

Not to mention Robin’s wing she’d painted on some months back, which only increased the value of the vintage vest Daryl had picked up at a pawn shop in the middle of nowhere, Georgia.

“Thanks,” he said, and his sentence was punctuated by the roar of his stomach.

“Was that your stomach?” you laughed. “Oh, poor baby. You really are hungry.”

He scoffed and began pulling you towards the door. “I could eat a horse,” he said, and the two of you were off to the diner, walking hand-in-hand, per your request.

It felt strange sitting across from Daryl in a restaurant, ordering food and drinking from a strawberry milkshake for two (though Daryl ordered a beer, too).

You watched in amusement as Daryl took a bite out of his burger, which tasted different from anything he’d tried to barbecue at Robin’s birthday parties.

“Good?” you asked, but you knew by his grunts and little groans of pleasure that it must’ve been pretty good.

“Mhm,” he mumbled with his mouth full. “Yours good?”

You looked down at your grilled cheese sandwich and side of fries, the only vegetarian option on the menu that wasn’t a house salad.

“It’s very good…” You furrowed your brow and reached forward to wipe the globs of ketchup and mustard out of the sparse beard hairs around his mouth as he licked his fingers of the grease from his burger. “Messy, huh?”

Daryl shook his head and picked up his napkin to get the excess out of his beard. “(Y/N),” he said, still sloppily chewing his food and eliciting a great deal of amusement from you, “it ain’t a real burger unless you got half of it on your face ‘fore you’ve even finished it.”

“Sure,” you laughed. “Hey, this is a real date, like in the old world.”

He chewed another bite of his burger and looked at you with a curious glance, this time finishing his bite before speaking. “Yeah,” he said. “‘Cept a woman like you’d never look my way in the old world.”

You chewed the last bite of one half of your sandwich and threw a playful shove at his shoulder. “Stop,” you said. “You know that’s not true. If I saw you walking down the street before all this, I’d say, ‘hey, who’s that cute, slightly scruffy-looking, guy with the amazing arms and—’”

He tilted his head and gave you that famous mock glare he often gave when you were about to go on and on about how attractive he was.

“My point is,” you continued, “I’d watch you stuff your face with a burger even if the world never ended. Besides, none of that matters now, anyway.”

Daryl’s eyes drifted across the crowded diner, watching the much more adapted citizens of the Commonwealth chowing down on their burgers and various other American diner fare. He spotted in particular a disgruntled customer arguing with the waitress about the check, demanding to receive a discounted price on a less than satisfactory meal.

“It matters here,” he said. “World’s just like how it used to be.”

You followed his gaze and watched the customer fork over his spending card with a few curses directed towards the waitress, and a promise that he’d never return to this establishment again, and that his hard-earned cash was better spent elsewhere.

“Why do ya think they wanna have money again?” Daryl asked. “Our group was doin’ just fine without it. Think it causes more problems than anything else.”

You turned back to face him with a shrug. “Maybe just to feel like things are normal,” you said. “Money, government, social hierarchy… American dream. Reminds us we’re human, different from the dead. I mean, I don’t agree with it, but maybe it’s just what keeps them going here.”

“They’re tryin’ to make it like the old world,” he said. “Don’t get why they ain’t just tryin’ to make a new one. That’s the only way… Learn from the past, build a better future, different from before. Better than before.”

You broke out into a little laugh, taking a dainty sip of your shared milkshake.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” you said. “Just love it when you’re like this.”

He narrowed his eyes with a hint of playfulness behind his slight suspicion. “Like what?”

“Optimistic,” you said, returning your lips to the straw.

“Pfft,” he scoffed, leaning forward and taking his straw in his mouth, causing you to laugh at the corniness of your position—sitting across from each other, drinking from straws in the same pink milkshake in an Americana-themed diner from the fifties. He nudged his nose against yours, making you snort and accidentally blow through your straw, sending a splash of the milkshake up into his face.

“Agh!”

“Oh,” you said, turning serious as you started wiping your face with your napkin and pulling a few more from the dispenser to wipe his face, too. “Sorry, sweetie.” You threw way too many napkins at his face, standing up in your chair to clean him up as you broke out into an unstoppable laughter.

He shook his head, himself graced with a face-splitting smile that formed into a gradual laughter. “Ain’t funny,” he laughed, the sound of which was so pure and boyish and perhaps unlike any laughter you’d heard from him before. “Got milkshake in my eyes, woman.”

“Sorry,” you laughed. “I didn’t mean it.”

He let out a snort of his own as he continued wiping his face, still chuckling under his breath until the laughter died down. “Guess our first date ain’t goin’ so good, huh?”

You sat back down in your chair and straightened out your dress, and suddenly, at the sight of him licking the milkshake from his lips, you felt a little too turned on to keep your hands, or feet, away from him.

“Oh, I think it’s going great,” you said, biting your lip as you watched him lick his. “And it’s only just started.”

You slipped your right foot from your heel and ventured to lift the edge of his jeans with your toes, rubbing his calf as you bent forward a little to (hopefully) show off your cleavage. Though you held his eye contact for a moment, he seemed entranced by your chest, letting his gaze sink down to the tight line formed by your plump, slightly engorged breasts pressed together underneath your dress. If there was one thing he couldn’t resist, especially when you were pregnant, it was those two perfect, soft globes that always fit so wonderfully in his hands.

He couldn’t even feel your foot rubbing his knee now, but he certainly felt the tightness in his pants, and a strain just begging to be satiated. You knew the redness in his face meant he was holding something back, so you relieved him for a moment by pulling your foot from his jeans and dragging it to his crotch for just a light rub of his hard-on.

Daryl’s eyes widened as he looked around the diner in a frantic motion, still trying to keep his cool but quite clearly losing it.

“H-hey,” he drawled rather loudly to the waitress passing by. “C-can we get the check? Now? Soon as possible, please.”

The waitress looked terrified of Daryl, his face now beginning to drip with sweat and his hair rustled from his own nervous actions, all while you still delicately teased his crotch with your bare foot over his jeans.

You reluctantly removed your foot and cleared your throat, calling the waitress’s attention to you, the slightly more put-together of the two at the moment. “At your earliest convenience,” you said politely to the young woman.

As soon as she left, you smirked and shook your head in amusement at Daryl’s impatience. “Should we go back to my place?” you asked.

He scoffed and wiped his brow of the sweat that had accumulated there. “Thought ya never sleep with a guy on the first date, not even if he’s cute.”

Daryl’s ability to quote you from ten years ago never failed to impress you. “Mmm,” you hummed in agreement. “Well, I just have a good feeling about you, Daryl Dixon.”

Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs of any kind are always appreciated!

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jaalismyhusband · 3 years

Text

Took you long enough

Title: Took you long enough

Pairings: Sebastian Stan x f!reader

Warnings: angst with a happy ending, explicit language, age gap, corruption kink if you squint

Wordcount: 2.9k

Masterlist

To say that these past few months have been stressful is an understatement. You were an aspiring actress and somehow landed a pretty big role in a movie. It already had some famous names attached to it and you were quite intimidated to star along the other actors. But nonetheless, you put on your big girl pants and took the opportunity. Caught in a loop of constant stress, memorizing the lines, filming the scenes, promoting the movie, you had only so much time to really appreciate what was going on. It was only after the first month of filming you realized what the hell was actually happening.

Your co-star Sebastian Stan has helped you a lot with handling everything. You remember, when you found out he was starring in the movie as well, you almost passed out. Getting to know him was such a surreal experience. Although you had a big crush on him, you stayed respectful towards him and you two became rather close friends.

To be honest, the more you got to know him, the more you liked him. And this time it wasn’t just a platonic crush. You tried to fight it, but your struggles were fruitless. You had it bad for your best friend. Acting on your feelings was not an option however. It was no secret that no woman occupied his bedroom for more than one night. You knew it was bad news to fall for him, yet you couldn’t help yourself. You liked how he didn’t pretend, but actually listened to you. How he seemed to remember even the little details you mentioned to him. How protective he was of you from the day you met, especially while defending you when people called you “the new kid” - the nickname stuck with you during the whole period of filming, much to your dislike. You knew they meant well when they called you that nickname, trying to make you feel like a part of the group. You were much younger than most of the cast, but you didn’t think of yourself as a child anymore. It seemed impossible to convince others of that, though.

Only a few people respected you enough not to use that nickname - one of them being Sebastian. At times you thought he didn’t see you as a kid with the way he treated you and you were naïve enough to get your hopes up. That was a mistake, you thought, as you watched the interview Sebastian had done earlier that day. He was asked about the cast members. You anxiously waited for your name to be mentioned, palms sweating as you guessed what he would say about you.

“What about Y/N? You seem close, not to mention how often you are spotted together.” The interviewer raised his brow, as he waited for an answer.

Sebastian smiled widely as he answered: “Yeah, we are really close. She’s like a little sister I never had, you know?”

Your heart clenched painfully, as you stopped the video. You just had to accept that it would never work. How could you be so stupid to think he’d actually like you, when he had so many women at his feet, begging to be noticed by him. You were thankful you were his friend - that had to be enough. It wasn’t, though. No matter what you told yourself, you always ended up thinking about him in inappropriate ways.

The door on your trailer opened and revealed happy Sebastian with take out.

“Hey, I thought to bring you some food, since it’s going to be a long day today.” He smiled at you as he sat down next to you on the couch, handing you your food.

“Thanks.” You smiled back. You didn’t waste time and dug in, only now realizing how hungry you were. He seemed to know you better than you knew yourself.

Sebastian broke the comfortable silence: “Hey, so, I want to ask you for advice.” Did he seem nervous? No, you thought as you hinted him to ask away.

“There’s this woman, that I like. I shouldn’t, but something about her is so intriguing, I can’t help it. And I don’t know what to do,” he confessed.

“I can’t believe you are asking me for an advice on how to pick up women. You getting rusty, old man?” You joked, as his face fell in disappointment.

“I’m serious, Y/N. I think I’m ready to go all the way with her. But she’s not really – uhm, how to put it – available. That’s why I’m so nervous about it,” he sighed, as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Right, sorry. But still, I think you’re perfectly fine. Just ask her out. She’d be stupid to reject you,” you spoke sincerely.

“Thanks, I’ll go for it then.”

The rest of the lunch was enjoyed in silence.

Few days have passed and your mood seem to only decrease as the time went on. You secretly hoped Sebastian was talking about you and that he would ask you out later. But this was your life, not a romcom. Your hopes were crushed, when you asked Sebastian about it and he confirmed what seemed like your worst nightmare.

“She said yes!” he exclaimed excitedly and you gave him a hug to hide the mixture of unpleasant emotions plastered on your face.

“I’m so happy for you,” and you were, truly. As long as he was happy, you would be too. But why did it hurt so much anyway?

Ever since then, you just weren’t your ever smiling self. What you were was a millennial and you did what millennials knew best – repressed your emotions. Stuffed them deep inside your soul where nobody could acknowledge them, not even you.

The days seemed repetitive. You were exhausted from putting up a show not only when you were filming, but now also when you were in a company of your friends. Luckily, there was only one scene to film and then a much needed vacation awaited.

“CUT!” screamed the director. “What the hell Y/N?! This is the seventh take and you still can’t get it right.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll get it this time, I swear,” you apologized and immediately took your spot, wanting nothing more, than to finish this scene, go home and curl up in bed while watching your favourite show.

Today was just one of those days, when it seemed like the whole universe conspired against you. First, your alarm didn’t go off, which resulted in being late on your last day. Your hands were shaking by the time you got to the set and you managed to knock over the cup of coffee, just barely missing your costume. Not to mention how anxious you were, since you were purposely avoiding Sebastian. You only missed him more and yet, you couldn’t stand being in his presence. It hurt not being able to look into his eyes. This all held you back from giving a flawless performance in front of the camera, which only frustrated you even more.

“We believe in you, kid. Breathe, focus. Action!” You were truly thankful for the support, as you finally got the scene right.

“And cut! We got it! Ok, that’s it, guys. It’s been pleasure to work with you all. As you may have heard, there will be an afterparty, if you will, tonight. Please, do come! Till then have a great day everyone!” Finished the director and people started to clap. There has been a heavy boulder of a rock lifted from your shoulders as you realized this was it. You quickly said your goodbyes to everyone, eager to go home and hide.

“Y/N! Wait!” you were on your way out when you heard your name being called. You sighed and put on a smile, before you faced Sebastian.

“Hi, I’ve tried to call you, but you weren’t picking up. You’ve been distant lately. Have you been avoiding me?” He accused.

“No! No, I uh… My phone has been malfunctioning these days, I’m getting it repaired soon,” you weren’t proud of yourself for lying to him, but you weren’t ready to tell him the truth just yet.

“Are you coming to the afterparty?” It was obvious he didn’t buy your white lie, but decided not to ponder on it.

“Oh, I don’t think I am. I’ve had an extraordinarily shitty day and I don’t wanna be a party pooper.” You immediately gave him a list of excuses.

“Yeah, yeah, quit it, queen. I’ll pick you up at 7.” He left you no space to argue and just walked away. You shook your head in disbelief and made your way home.

“Finally,” you exhaled a big breath once you collapsed on your bed. Sleep was an alluring way how to avoid your problems. So, you did the reasonable thing and took a nap.

You woke up right as the sun was setting. You still hadn’t decided if you were going to go to that stupid get together or not. You knew it would be a nice change of pace, to let go for one night. Afterall, it was a celebration of the hard work the cast had done. On the other hand, Sebastian would be there. And now that you thought about it, he would probably bring that woman, he asked out earlier. You weren’t ready to see Sebastian all lovey dovey with someone else, god no.

But this was also the chance to see him for the last time. You weren’t sure if he would keep hanging out with you after the movie was done. Tears stung in your eyes as you realized that he would probably cut ties with you. Sure, you would call each other once a week, then once a month, then only on holidays and then he would eventually stop calling you whatsoever. You were going to lose him. You were so sure of it. The tears were now streaming freely down your cheeks as you hyperventilated. All of those emotions that were supposed to stay stored away came at you at once, demanding to be experienced, to be felt.

You couldn’t calm down and there was only one person who was able to soothe you. Your best friend from high school. Due to your career you two weren’t hanging out as often as you’d like, but your bond hadn’t suffered because of that. You dialled her number after you blew your nose, so you were able to somewhat form words.

“Hi, Y/N! Oh my god, it’s been so long since we’ve actually talked!” You sobbed even harder when you heard her enthusiastic voice.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” she pleaded, as you tried to calm yourself enough to talk.

“Today has just been such a shitshow,” you cried out. You told her all about your day, but the topic soon enough changed to the real reason why you were crying – Sebastian.

“You know what’s the worst thing? I love him. So fucking much. And I know he doesn’t feel the same. He sees me as his little sister. SISTER. No way he would be attracted to someone he considers a sibling. Oh, and have I mentioned that now he’s suddenly had a change of heart and stopped sleeping with random women because he mEt SoMEoNe sPeCiaL?” you mocked him, “I just can’t. I know that I did this to myself and it’s not his fault, but fuck! I can’t even tell him how I feel, because there is only one scenario to this – him ending our friendship because of it. I don’t know if I’m ready to lose him completely.” You kept on rambling as your supportive friend listened, offering you her kind words here and there.

Soon after she apologized profusely, as she explained her break was over and she had to get back to work. You assured her it was okay and that you were thankful she found some time to listen to you pour you broken heart out through the phone. She ended the call by reminding you that she loved you and hung up.

You sighed and blew your nose again. You stood up from your bed, taking the used tissues with you.

“Fuck.” You stopped dead in your tracks, feeling like a deer in front of a headlights. There stood a very shocked Sebastian.

“How did you get here?”

“I came to pick you up, remember? Front door was unlocked, so I let myself in. You didn’t respond when I called your name. I looked for you and found you here, crying,” his voice cracked at his last words: “I have never seen you cry before.” He seemed truly sad, but you were too frightened to notice.

“How much of it did you hear?”

“Everything.” He exhaled and you struggled to meet his gaze. You huffed, storming out of your bedroom, leaving him behind. You just wanted to disappear right on the spot and avoid this confrontation.

You almost ran to the kitchen, throwing the tissues to the bin. You hoped this was all just a bad dream and that in fact Sebastian wasn’t here, but all that convincing was futile once you turned around and saw him sitting in your kitchen. There was a tense silence, as none of you knew what to say next. The air grew heavy, suffocating you.

“So,” Sebastian cleared his throat, “you like me?” To which you only nodded, as you leaned on the counter.

“Why?” he asked. You laughed at that, the sound so alien to you because of all the crying.

“You were nice to me from the first day. You gave me a chance to get to know you. Once we started hanging out I just, I don’t know. I like how you talked to me, like I wasn’t just the new kid. You actually listened to what I had to say. You made me feel special, Seb. Not to mention, you look like a fucking Greek god,” he chuckled at that.

“Weren’t you discouraged by my age? Or the fact that ‘I slept with random women’?” he asked, using your words against you.

“Well, I can’t blame you for that. And I can’t blame those women either. And your age never bothered me. In fact, it’s just another thing about you that turns me on.” You realized too late what you were about to say and just said it. Your eyes widened and your face heated up, as you tried to shrink your existence and hide from Sebastian’s piercing gaze.

“I turn you on?” Sebastian asked, amused by how embarrassed you were. He stood up and walked up to you. You shied away, but he trapped you in between his arms against the counter, so you wouldn’t run.

“I’d like your advice on something,” he started as he looked you straight in the eyes, “There’s this girl I’ve befriended. She’s really young and innocent, like an angel. I think I liked her right from the start, but I knew I wasn’t good for her. And yet, I can’t help but be attracted to her. I’ve tried to forget, but all those meaningless nights and faceless women couldn’t fill the void. Couldn’t erase the feelings she brought up in me every time I thought of her, saw her, touched her. I think about her almost every night. About how I’d hold her, kiss her, make her moan my name.” You squirmed under his gaze, but he paid no mind as he continued his monologue: “I fantasize about deflowering her, turning her into a mess, while I transform her into my greedy whore. The image makes me painfully hard. And now, I have a chance to make her mine. What do you say, doll? Should I go for it?” You gasped at his confession and only weakly nodded.

His lips met yours in a desperate kiss. It was all tongue and teeth. He wasn’t gentle with you by any means, not that you wanted him to be. His hands pulled you impossibly close, as they squeezed your ass, making you moan into the kiss. You both had to stop and take a breath, your foreheads connecting as you panted.

“I made her up, you know,” spoke Sebastian softly.

“What?”

“The woman. She doesn’t exist. It was you who I’ve been talking about, but then I chickened out.”

“Why?” you were curious and anxious at the same time to hear his answer.

“You called me an old man! I thought you would be creeped out!” he got defensive.

“That was a joke, Seb,” you laughed, “Why did you tell me that she accepted?”

He awkwardly scratched his neck, as he mumbled: “I didn’t want to disappoint you, that your advice hadn’t worked.” You just burst out laughing at that. Sebastian didn’t like that, as he faked getting offended and hurt, which only caused to make you cry-laugh. You finally calmed down, after a while, only now seeing how Sebastian was watching you the whole time. He gently wiped the tears away with the pad of his thumb, as he held your face.

“I love you, Seb,” it felt good to finally say it out loud. You were absolutely lovestruck and at this point you didn’t care.

“Took you long enough,” you rolled your eyes at him, as he smirked.

“I love you too, doll.”

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan ff #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan x you #rpf #fanfiction #sebastian stan fanfic

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alirhi · 3 years

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This is oddly fun lol

Let's see how many of these I can churn out before I get distracted or need a break! (pff. like I need an excuse to watch the show again. Despite its flaws, I really, really love TFATWS, guys)

Without further ado, let's get down to it!

Episode 2: The Star-Spangled Man

I'm pretty sure I'm on record when it comes to my undying hate for John Walker, yes? So obviously, Bucky's grumpiness 100% stays 😂

I'm not really a fan of how much emphasis they put on the shield. I can see it as a catalyst for Bucky to go confront Sam, yes, but he wouldn't keep going "shield shield shield" like a broken record. Bucky has consistently been shown to be an empathetic man. I can't believe for a second that he'd be barking at Sam about having no right to give up the shield; he'd ask why. Sam's got shit to do, so he'd get impatient and not answer.

"Why'd you give up so easily? If you were overwhelmed, I could've helped you-" "You've been ignoring me. Like now, how you're ignoring me walking away from you." "Well, you weren't texting me about this." "You think I needed your permission?!" "No, but I was right there with Steve while he was learning what it meant to be Cap. I wouldn't mind helping you get used to-" "Then go teach him." A vague gesture toward the "Cap is back" posters. Bucky makes a face. "Steve passed the mantle to you. You fought with him. You earned it. That little shit didn't." "What do you want me to do about it?" "Just tell me why, Sam. I mean it. I just wanna understand." "Not now, Buck. I've got shit to do. You see me heading for a plane right now, right?" "This is important!" "So is this." Sam tells him about the Flag Smashers, we get our silly Big Three/Gandalf conversation.

I'm sorry, but that whole jumping from the plane scene is funny as hell, and I love all the nods they added in to jokes from the press tours that brought us this show in the first place (like ripping the sleeve off his jacket lol). I don't think I'd change a single thing from the Big Three convo to Bucky joining Sam in the warehouse.

"You're doing the staring thing again." "You're staring at your watch," Bucky points out. He knows it's linked to Redwing, he's just pointing out how dumb that line is in that situation. They're there for recon lol. They're meant to be looking around.

I don't...particularly care about the other common gripe here? Meaning, "Bucky's a civilian, so why is he allowed to randomly jump in on a military mission?" Bucky's also known in this universe as an Avenger, just like Sam, so I don't think anyone would really bat an eye at him joining. Also, I have my own agenda related to Bucky's apparent freedom to walk in and out of military/government things.

What does bug me (as funny as it is) is Bucky's animosity toward Redwing. Again... Bucky is a certified nerd. Always has been. If anything, he'd be fascinated by Redwing and Sam would constantly have to slap him away because he's leaning in too close trying to see the tiny watch monitor. "I don't trust Redwing" is just old man griping "I don't trust your newfangled technology" and that... that's not Bucky.

And that "we're not assassins" dig, and then laughing when Bucky gets upset? That's not Sam. Both of these men have shown a remarkable amount of empathy, and Sam has a background in helping traumatized vets. If he cared enough about Bucky to be texting him after Steve left, he'd care enough not to make callous jokes about his time as The Winter Soldier, whether he knows the full story or not.

The fight on top of moving trucks looks cool, but makes no logical sense. I keep trying to think of a way to explain this from a story perspective, rather than a lazy "it looks cool!" filmmaking one, and I'm coming up blank. Anyone with half a brain would have pulled over, had the fight, and then taken off. It was a fun sequence, though... Eh. I'll leave it.

When Karli breaks Redwing, Bucky doesn't say "I always wanted to do that." Again, it's funny - I love the jabs about that stupid robo bird XD - but not Bucky. In my version, he smirks and says "You're so gonna regret that."

"You were kinda getting your asses kicked before we got there." Is immediately followed by Bucky staring him down and asking, "And... how did that fight end for you?" Sam adds, "I don't see them in custody. Are-are they following in a van?" He looks around, sarcastically searching for another vehicle. Walker and Hoskins grimace at each other, grudgingly conceding that point.

credit to @dailycelebs

Seeing Walker, and having to listen to his stupid pro-government rhetoric, makes Bucky think about Steve. When we cut from the Flag Smashers back to Bucky and Sam and the closeup of Bucky's pensive face, we hear 1940s Steve angrily telling 1940s Bucky about how the higher ups in the army had already written off the POWs and were going to leave them to die. "I love our country, Buck," he laments, "but what do I do when I'm not too sure anymore about the people who run it?"

"What you always do," is young Bucky's answer, "stand for what's right, not who's in power."

Perfect lead-in to the conversation about handling things themselves.

When Sam meets Isaiah, and hears his story, not only is he horrified and heartsick for him, but he also begins to see Bucky in a new light. He's seeing Bucky's face, the way he tries to hide his emotions and not make this conversation about him, and he's putting things together. He's still upset at being out of the loop, but he's seeing more of the situation than just "omg black super soldier". When Bucky says "he'd already been through enough," Sam asks quietly, "like you?"

The racist cop comes back before Bucky can answer, to arrest him for missing his appointment with Raynor.

ngl guys, I was so moved by the difference in how that cop treated Sam (before knowing he's Important) vs how he treated Bucky (knowing that the government views him as a violent, if pardoned, criminal). He approaches Sam with his hand on his gun, eager to defend Bucky; "is this guy bothering you?" Just because they're having a heated conversation. Then, when he sees that there's a warrant for Bucky, he approaches timidly, apologizes, treats him gently and politely. By "moved," btw, I don't mean "it was so sweet." I mean "this is fucking sick, and very, very realistic." White cops see a white guy and treat him with respect regardless of his actual criminal record, while being openly hostile towards an innocent black man without even knowing who he is, just because he's black. Moments like this made me applaud Spellman.

"You, too, Sam - That wasn't a request" is Sam's first sign that there's something off about Raynor.

Look, again... The couples therapy banter is funny because Sebastian and Anthony are funny, but that scene, from a storytelling and a mental health standpoint, is atrocious. Without some underlying reason behind her actions, Raynor is just a pointlessly terrible therapist.

Rather than insulting Bucky from the outset, Sam is angry with Raynor for violating Bucky's privacy by not only introducing herself as his therapist, but forcing a "couples" session without her patient's consent. With his background pre-Avenging, he knows this shit shouldn't fly. He immediately points out how unprofessional she's being.

Raynor doesn't bother listening - the fuck does she care, really? She shrugs and casually admits it's "slightly unprofessional" but proceeds anyway.

"Whatever's eating at him?" Sam scoffs. "Did you really just say that to a WWII veteran and the world's longest-serving POW with complex PTSD? Did I hear that right? I've had, maybe, like five conversations with this man since we met, and even I know he's been through some shit and-" "Sam," Bucky tries to interrupt, looking uncomfortable. With his crushing guilt, he has an easier time dealing with insults than someone coming to his defense. "No," Sam snaps. "If the HIPAA Slayer over here wants to drag me into this, she's damn well gonna hear what I have to say!" He turns back to Raynor and demands, "Is this how you've been treating him this whole time? Downplaying what he's been through and making a grown-ass man sound like a sulking teenager?" Raynor keeps her cool, but barely. Visibly frustrated and annoyed, she ignores Sam's tirade and tries to force the conversation back onto the track she wants it on. Bucky's embarrassed and doesn't know how to react to any of this, so he still makes that little "he would talk less" jab. Sam, seeing that he's not going to get anywhere with him until they're away from this bitch, glowers and plays along. We get our silly/angry banter.

After their argument with Walker, Sam finally confronts Bucky about what really happened to him.

"He meant HYDRA; HYDRA used to be my people." "Were they?" Sam asks, stopping him and looking him in the eye, not letting him look away or deflect. "Steve was under the impression that they were your captors. I was under the impression that the Wakandans spent two years deprogramming you so no one could use you the way HYDRA did ever again." "I-" Startled, not expecting that, Bucky stutters a little and admits, "Yeah, I... That's true, I guess." "You guess?" "Does it matter? Sam rolls his eyes. "I dunno, does it matter that you were a slave for most of the 20th century?" "I doubt it matters much to my victims." "HYDRA's victims," Sam corrects firmly. "Just like you." Bucky fidgets; he doesn't know what to do or say. No one since Steve has even so much as insinuated that Bucky wasn't 100% culpable for what he did while under HYDRA control. "Look," Sam sighs, "I don't particularly like you. I don't hate you, but I'm not your biggest fan." "...Thanks?" "I just need you to know where I stand-" "Yeah, got it-" "-So you know I'm not biased like Steve when I say you had no choice. I don't know your story, but I know no one flips on a dime from docile and plagued with guilt to an unstoppable killing machine and back without some serious psychological damage behind that. I'm not saying you're an innocent little bunny, but I don't think you're a monster." "Thanks," Bucky croaks, more sincerely this time, and a bit choked up. He clears his throat and looks distinctly uncomfortable as he grumbles, "but to catch these guys, we may need to talk to a monster." Sam cringes. "I was afraid you'd say that."

#sebastian stan #anthony mackie #tfatws #tfatws critical #fan ramblings #show rewrite #if i'd written it #episode 2

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extremelyblackandwhite · 4 years

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i wanna know what love is - 22

Pairing: rockstar! sebastian stan x writer!reader

Warnings: sexual themes

A/N: happy easter and happy passover. to celebrate i’m posting two chapters today. let me know what you think lovelies . enjoy xx 💕💕

Last Chapter // Next Chapter

- I know you and my brother were smoking outside. - Y/N said as he closed the door to their room. He froze in place, would she be mad at him? In his defence, he would’ve done everything to leave that situation which was even worse when they got back. Y/N’s mother managed to diffuse it out for his luck, but he was 100% sure her grandfather did not like him.

- Bunny, I can explain. - he was ready to weave an apology, but instead of seeing a very mad Y/N, she just placed her hands on his shoulders, head slightly tilted to the side. - Are you not mad?

- No, I think it was best for you.

- I don’t think your grandfather enjoys my presence. - he grabbed her hands in his, caressing her palm with his thumb.

- My grandfather doesn’t like anyone. Why do you think I don’t come here a lot? - she got out of her shoes, leading him to her very small bed. Sebastian was not very upset by the size of the bed, the smaller the bed, the more cuddles he could get and he always adored cuddling, specially if he got to sleep with her in his arms. - I’m sorry about him. He can be a very traditional man. Everyone in his family has gone to really good universities.

- I can see. - he remembered seeing memorabilia from various ivy leagues from Brown to Darmouth. - If you don’t mind me asking, how come your family is this wealthy? I thought your great grandfather wrote for the New Yorker?

- My great grandfather married a girl from the Dumas’ family. She had made quite a fortune by herself and then inherited half her parents’ state which was an obnoxious amount of money and property. Since she married into my family, our last name prevailed and we climbed up to America’s elite. - she had little memories of her great grandfather but he’d always tell her and Theo when they were younger about how much he loved his wife despite it all, so Y/N knew the whole story by heart. - Then my grandfather started a printing company which is doing pretty well by itself. And I’m not wealthy, my parents are.

- Aren’t the Dumas’ family related to Hermes? - Y/N nodded. - Are you an Hermes’ heir?

- If everyone dies including the present Dumas’ family and then all my relatives, yes. - she laughed.

They ended up spending the whole night talk and eventually fell off asleep still on their clothes. Sebastian envied the lifestyle she’d left behind but at the same time had to give her kudos for deciding to accept no money from no one and making something of herself without nepotism.

They got woken up by a knock on her door. Y/N raised her head and sleepingly walked to the door, opening it slightly and silently to see her mother already dressed and in a very colourful polka dotted apron.

- It’s cooking time, c’mon Y/N. - she didn’t even gave her time to complain about it, as she dragged her down the stairs and into the kitchen, offering her a cooking apron and telling her to start cutting carrots. - So Sebastian, how serious is it?

- It’s recent, mum. - she continued to peel and cut some carrots.

- I think he’s a very nice young man. - Y/N was not expecting that. Not from her mother who publicly disliked every single person their children had been romantically linked to. - He makes you smile and me and your father had never seen you like that.

- Does dad like him too? - her mother nodded and Y/N felt her heart swell up. Her parents did not just like anyone and it was fairly important they liked him, specially when her grandfather disliked him so badly. - So the Vanderbilts are coming for dinner?

- They’re business partners with your grandfather. It’s not like we can argue with him, you know that.

Sebastian had drifted off to sleep after she left but woke up with another knock on the door. This house was much too polite for him, specially when he grew up with his mother opening the door wide open at very ... unfortunate times. He deeply missed it, nevertheless.

He mumbled something and the door opened to see Theseus peaking him. He lifted his arm to show him a pack of cigarettes and Sebastian understood the message, getting up from bed and following him back to Y/N’s balcony. He had to admit, Y/N must had a pretty good view growing up.

- I think I’ll just make you some company. - he replied sitting on one of the white wooden chairs. - Tom Vanderbilt is coming today, isn’t he?

- I wouldn’t worry. He mostly talks to my dad and granddad, he knows Y/N hates his guts. So, you and Y/N, anything serious?

- She’s a lovely girl.

- Not the question. - he stubbed onto his cigarette. - My father is probably gonna ask you that sometime, you should train your answer.

- She’s the only person who thinks I’m a good person. - he shrugged. - She’s also very feisty.

They remained there for quite a while and Theo even offered Sebastian some of his suits so he could wear them to lunch, which he gladly took. He didn’t want to offend her grandfather anymore than what his existence had. Sebastian and Theo went down the stairs, one going into the living room while Sebastian went to the kitchen where Y/N was helping her mother ice the champagne. She was wearing a pink dress, a very flowy one that looked like she had been taken off a Disney movie.

- Nice suit, darling. - her mother said, walking over to him and fixing his shoulders. - Doesn’t Sebastian look nice, honey?

- Whose suit is that? - she asked and he gave her his typical smirk. - You look very dashing.

- Only for you.

- You two should go to the living room, great some people. - her mother suggested, sending them on their merry way into the living room which was packed full of people. Y/N was never a fan of big lunches, she always find it upsetting to have to pretend to be happy to see people she didn’t really enjoy. Sadly, since she wasn’t around much she was the talk of the town.

- Y/N, dear, you must come and see Tom. - her grandfather came into her eyesight.

- I’m sure Sebastian would love to meet him too. - he would definitely not, but she knew what he was playing at and if she brought Sebastian, his expectations would be brought down. The old man took the couple by the fireplace where Tom and his father were standing.

- Don, you’ve meet my granddaughter before. - he introduced her to Tom’s father. He was a very pudgy man with a love for old scotch. Y/N had met him a few times during her grandfather’s meetings and back when she was dating Tom.

- Y/N, you grow more beautiful every time I see you. - he shock her hand, a weird smile on his face. - You sure have been missed at our dinner table.

- And this is Sebastian Stan, he’s Y/N’s guest. - he introduced Sebastian who shock both men’s hands.

- Guests don’t kiss, grandpa. He’s my partner. - Sebastian had to hold in a laugh as she said that with the most polite yet sharp tone, making the three men stop drinking to stare at both of them. - I’ve heard you got a spot in my grandfather’s business, Thomas. Congratulations.

- Thank you, Y/N. I see you’ve done pretty well by yourself. You’re an intern, aren’t you? - Sebastian disliked him even more due to that comment.

- You two must come fishing with us later. - Mr.Vanderbilt added. - It’s always good to have two more in the bunch.

- I don’t think Sebastian ...

- We would love to go, Mr. Vanderbilt. - Sebastian interrupted her, putting his arm around her waist. - Wouldn’t we, bunny?

- Yes. - she had a confused look on her face. They excused themselves from the group and walked over to a quiet location. - What the fuck, Sebastian!

- What? I love fishing.

- For girls maybe, not for actual fish. - she rolled her eyes. - You just doomed us to an afternoon of disappointment.

- C’mon. - he hugged her, placing a kiss on top of her head. - He was being arrogant.

- I don’t need you to defend my honour.

- I know you don’t, but I still will.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan drabble #sebastian stan one shot #sebastian stan long shot #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan/reader #bucky fanfic #bucky imagine #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes

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shellku · 3 years

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Film Challenge

Okay guys. Finally did it. As requested.

Have you ever left a theater before the movie was over?

Yes. Only once.

If you ever left a theater what was playing: Savages

Craziest (Random) movie you’ve ever seen:

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

“And thanks for all the fish” -Dolphins

Most disturbing film you’ve ever watched:

Crimson Peak

A film you only watched because (Tom Hiddleston ) was in it: Crimson Peak

A minor role (or movie) with a major actor you greatly enjoyed: Sebastian Stan as Jefferson/The Mad Hatter in Once Upon A Time.

A minor role (or movie) with a major actress you greatly enjoyed: Emma Watson as Pauline Fossil in Ballet Shoes

A movie everyone should see at least once: The Princess Bride

A movie you thought everyone has seen but apparently not: Who framed Roger Rabbit?

A movie you’ve tried multiple times to watch but never get through it: Silence if the Lambs

A movie that legitimately surprised you:

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. While it came out in 1980 I didn’t see it until much later obviously. I wasn’t even ten when I watched it the first time, I and was genuinely shocked.

Movie that you enjoy, that surprises people you enjoy: Scream (1996)

A movie you associated with Religion and it turns out that tracks: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

A movie you watched a lot as a kid but your not sure why exactly you watched it so much:

Hook. (And) The Sandlot.

My first movie that made me question my sexualité: The Priâtes of the Caribbean.

Sections

Anime

First Anime: Fruits Basket. Vampire Knight.

Anime I watched with my (brother): Full Metal Alchemist

Anime I tried to get into and couldn’t: D Gray Man

Anime I was surprised I enjoyed: The Neverland Promise. (And) Soul Eater

Anime I always liked (even when it confused people): Black Butler

Anime that makes me cry: Your lie in April

Anime that I love but now makes me sad too: Sword Art Online

Anime I’m just not into: One Piece

One that was recommended that I enjoyed:

Blue Exorcist

One that was recommended that I was ehh on and did not finish: Attack on Titian

One I probably should watch: Pandora Hearts

One I watched Randomly : Castlevania

One that I did not watch until (college) that everyone seems to have watched: Sailor Moon

Cartoons

Cartoons Everyone should see:

- The Peanuts.

- Garfield.

- Scooby Doo.

- Tom and Jerry.

- Pink Panther.

Cartoon I never liked: Spongebob

Cartoon I hate now: Kiayu? Idk. The one with the bald kid that whines a lot. Ugh.

Cartoon I can make myself ‘watch’ with the (niece/nephews): Paw Patrol

Films you would Recommend:

80s: The Breakfast Club

Book Adaption 80s: The Outsiders

Murder Mystery:Murder on the Oriental Express

Jim Henson pick: Labyrinth

(Suicide) Satire:Heathers

Romance: Titanic

‘Horror’ Movie: The Lost boys

Horror Movie: The Nightmare on Elm Street

Spy Flick: Saint (1997)

Mind trips: The Sixth Sense.(1999) Donnie Darko.

Stephen King: The Dark Tower

Stephen King Miniseries: Rose Red

Studio Ghibli: Howls Moving Castle. Or. Kiki’s Delivery Service.

Action Comedy: Miss Congeniality

Adventure Comedy: Jumanji

‘Dark’ Comedy: The Addams Family

Romantic Comedy: Legally Blonde

Tim Burton

Tim Burton Animated: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton Live Action: Edward Scissorhand

Tim Burton Musical: Sweeney Todd

Dreamworks

Favorite Dreamwork’s Film:

Rise of the Guardians (and) How to Train your Dragon

Disney:

Unpopular Recommendations:

The Black Cauldron (and) The Great Mouse Detective

One that is still rather disturbing: Pinocchio

Best Soundtrack (Golden Age): Fantasia

Best Soundtrack (Modern): IDk?!

Classics (Golden) everyone should see at least once: Snow White (and) Bambi.

Wartime Era Pic: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr.Toad

Silver Age or Bronze Age: Both!!!

Disney Renaissance or Post Renaissance: Both! If I absolutely had to choose though, Renaissance.

Moana or Lilo and Stitch: Lilo and Stitch

Frozen or Tangled: Both

Soul or Monsters Inc: Monsters Inc

Toy Story I and 2/ or/ 3 and 4? Toy Story I and 2.

Underrated: Candleshoe

Disney Holiday:

Live Action Halloween - Hocus Pocus

Live Action Halloween Series- Halloweentown

Animated Halloween- Frakenweenie

Live Action Christmas- Miracle on 34th Street (and) Eloise

Animated Christmas- Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas, (and) Winnie the Pooh: A very merry Pooh year.

New: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. (2018)

Disney Reimagined/Live Action:

First that made you rethink the story: Maleficent

Favorite ‘Princess’ Story: Beauty and the Beast

The Surprise: Cruella

The one you worried about but we’re happy with in the end: Lady and the Tramp

The one you worried about but ending up enjoying anyway: Aladdin

The one that was good but you could have done without: The Lion King (which really surprised me!!!I like it but I didn’t love it. Which for me was so strange since I’m a fan of the original and the play.)

The one you had high hopes for and had a mixed reaction too: Mulan. (Ended up really liking it, but I miss Mushu. )

‘Modern’ Shakespeare Adaption:

10 Thing I hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew)

Clueless (Emma)

and

The Lion King Series. (Kid appropriate)

The Lion King: Hamlet

The Lion King 1 1/2: Rosencrantz and Guildenstein

The Lion King 2: Romeo and Juliet

Vampire Pictures:

90s: Interview with a Vampire

2000+: Twilight Series

Tv Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Vampire Action Series: Underworld

Classic: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Dracula with a Twist: Dracula Untold (2014)

Fun Supernatural Flicks :

Witches: The Craft

Male Witches: The Covenant

Fairytale: Red Riding Hood (2011)

Ghost Hunters: Ghostbusters

Multiple Supernatural: Van Helsing (2014)

Werewolf Romance: Blood and Chocolate

Kid Friendly Live Action: Casper

Kid Friendly Animated: Hotel Transylvania

Supernatural Series:

Multi: Supernatural

Animated: Sabrina The Teenage Witch. (And) Scooby Doo.

Witches: Charmed

Fairytale: Once Upon a Time

Darker Fairytale: Grimm

‘Superhero’ Movies:

90s: Batman. (And) The Crow.

Series: Marvel’s Cinematic Universe

Classic Animated: Batman the animated series

Modern Animated: Harley Quinn

Girl Power: Wonder Woman. (and) Birds of Prey.

Something Different: Deadpool

Younger Audiences/Nostalgia: Teen Titans (animated)

Harry Potter

Favorite Film: Idk. Can’t choose honestly.

Least favorite character portrayal: .. Ginny Weasley?

Someone you loved: (so many..) McGonagall

Someone you loved hating: Bellatrix LeStrange

Someone you just hate: Dolores Umbridge

First time you cried: I cried for Sirius and Remus in Prisoner of Azkaban.

First time you jumped: Snakes or Basilisk. Chamber of Secrets. (I think I was 12?)

Someone who was so spot in acting on you can’t see them as anyone else now: Luna Lovegood

Someone who was so good even if the look wasn’t perfect: Emma Granger as Hermione OR Alan Rickman as Severus Snape.

Someone who’s injury hit you harder than the books: Colin Creevy.

Someone who’s death hit you harder than in the books: None. They hit but not as much as the books.

A scene you found just breathtakingly pretty: Christmas at Hogwarts

A scene you found creepy (even when you knew it was coming): Nagini uses a corpse as a mask.

For any Potter heads. Some things that bothered you about the Harry Potter films:

- Where is Charlie Weasley?

- Where is Peeves?

- Where are Neville’s parents?

- The green/blue/brown eye thing. (This is not against Radcliffe. Some special effects could have fixed this easily)

- HarrY DiD YOu PuT YoUR NaMe IN tHe GoBlET of FIRE?! 🔥

- In Sorcerers Stone, Why did you change the snake at the zoos breed??

- “Voldemort” versus “Voldemor”. The silent t.

- Hermione’s. Yule. Ball. Dress. Color. Blue. Not pink. She specifically changed the color.

- Fluffy. Hagrid’s adorable Cerberus was originally bought from a Greek man. Why change it to Irish? I like Ireland but it was a Greek man due to where Cerberus’s initially came from right???

- Harry’s first Weasley sweater color

- Why does Harry only see his parents in the Mirror of Eirsed? Where’s the rest of the family?

- The Underage magic rules aren’t well explained in the movies making the 3rd year summons even more bonkers sounding

- The Patil Twins Yule Ball Outfits. They could have been soooo beautiful. Like this is the Yule Ball! The Twins would have (in my opinion) much more elaborate traditional Indian styled dress robes?? Idk.

- Love Movie Hermione! But some moments take away from Ron. Like when Ron defended her in the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione didn’t know what the slur “Mudblood” meant in the books. Ron had to explain it.

- Dobby needed more screen time. Some stuff Dobby did went to Neville because so many Neville scenes were cut.

- Where’s all the secrecy from the books when communicating with Sirius- “Snuffles”? Something Harry’s godfather insisted on to keep him safe.

- Snape’s title of “The half-blood Prince” is not explained. Neither is it made clear that Severus was also abused horribly at home throughout his childhood. Also that like Harry Dumbledore did nothing to help Severus when he was a student. (Or maybe Tom Riddle when he grew up in an orphanage. I’m sensing a pattern)

- Dumbledore should have still spelled Harry during Dumbledore death scene. No way would Harry just stand there if given the choice.

- Ron was not quite as ‘dumb’ in the books and a lot of his funny moments were cut from the movie. Which makes his jealousy moments all the more unbecoming. He also comes off a bit more arrogant in the movies. (This is not against R Grint. Who is awesome) The movies gave Ron the short end of the stick.

- Weasley/Malfoy Fued. Who else wanted to see Arthur and Lucius have a fist fight in a bookstore? Exactly.

- Albus Dumbledore isn’t all Sunshine and Daisys. He does some really messed up stuff yet no one ever seems to question this.

- Remus was the last Marauder. Yet his and his wife, Tonk’s, deaths are barley acknowledged.

- Also Teddy. Harry’s Godson.

- Harry’s and Ginnys relationship is not built on. It’s just there. Ugh. Heck Movie Ginny isn’t that great. You don’t know much about her except: She’s the only girl in Ron’s family. She’s the youngest Weasley. She’s obsessed with Harry. She’s a good Quidditch player. She has a temper. She was possessed by Riddle’s Dairy when she was eleven. She’s obsessed with Harry.

- Draco is essentially Harry’s antithesis. Where is he in some critical scenes in the movies?

- Where’s the Luna love???? Harry’s pretty rude to her in some scenes.

- There is no S.P.E.W. And Hermione’s more ruthless side is gone.

- The guys hair in The Goblet of Fire. Get a hair cut. Please.

- Some of Molly’s less than Stellar Moments. (Ex. When she believed rumors about Hermione and so treated he coldly. How horrible she was to Fleur. Ect)

- Fleur. Fleur and Bill still get married but the objections to the wedding aren’t as presented in the movies. Not is Molly’s and Ginny’s extreme dislike of Fleur. Or when Arthur apologizes to Fleur. Or really any of Fleurs best moments. The whole courting process is skipped.

- House Elves. The House Elves of Hogwarts.

- Percy Weasley. The ‘betrayal’. The returned Weasley sweater. Him turning to protect his family and fight for Hogwarts at the last minute. All gone. Which involves being forgiven by the Weasley Twins not an hour before Fred dies.

- The connection of the Black sisters. Specifically Adromeda - mother of Tonks. Who is Sirius cousin. Who married Remus Lupin. Tonks and Remus the parents of Teddy.

- Dean Thomas is pretty much gone.

- Rita Skeeter. Illegal Animagus. Hermione kept her in a jar.

- The movies didn’t allow Radcliffe to be sassy and sarcastic enough. Harry Potter is one of the sassiest boys to ever walk through the halls of Hogwarts!

- Harry didn’t fix his wand in the last movie.

- The history of the Marauders.

- The history explaining why Snape could never be comfortable around and trust Remus Lupin.

#disney #challenge #film #movie #mcu #Batman #2021 #Harry Potter

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delaneytveit · 4 years

Text

Satellites

Here’s one that I've been sitting on for a while. Lance has been captured and is being tortured by his captures for information. We all know our boy is strong, but just how strong can he be?

TW// torture, death (but not really)

Lance had been missing for the better part of 5 Earth weeks, and to say the team was worried was an understatement. Despite their attempts at tracking the blue paladin, it seemed that not even his armor would be of use.

The team had gathered into the bridge, trying and failing to come up with more ideas to find their friend. Pidge had been in the middle of explaining why tracking the armor wasn’t working when an alarm sounded on the main console.

“Allura?” Hunk hated the way that his fear showed in his voice. Despite knowing that it would likely happen that they would have to do a few missions without Lance, he still didn’t like it. It only made him more anxious knowing that such precious time could have been used to find his best friend. “What is it?”

It wasn’t lost on the paladins the hesitancy that the Princess had taken before responding, her eyes never leaving the small screen in front of her as she no doubt was debating whether or not to announce the castle’s findings to the others.

“Its...We’re receiving a live transmission.” she finally spoke. She had half a mind to ignore it, Voltron may be the defender of the universe, but finding the blue paladin was the top priority. However, she knew that by doing so, she could very well be condemning innocent civilians to death, and she wasn’t sure if she could take much more guilt of that weight. So without a second thought, she accepted the transmission.

Instantly, the large screen at the head of the room lit up. A scene no one was prepared for greeted them painfully. Gasps and a few curses, primarily by Shiro and Hunk, were heard throughout the bridge, as all of their eyes settled on the figure hunched over in a chair. Wires and what Pidge could only guess as electrodes littered his chest, abdomen, and head.The prisoner, their friend, was almost unrecognizable. His chocolate brown hair now reached just below his jaw, drenched in sweat. He was much too skinny, ribs almost entirely exposed, and his once tan skin a deathly pale colour that would make a vampire cringe. Before anymore could be said, a figure appeared before the screen, blocking their view.

“Ah, so good of you to join us paladins, I had thought that our guest here might need a bit more...motivation.” The words were harsh, and Keith hated the sound of amusement that the speaker’s voice carried. This was far from amusing.

“Shall we begin? Hm?” the speaker backed away and stepped towards the seated figure, looking off screen before nodding. “Wake him up.”

The paladins watched as a Galra soldier stepped into frame, a syringe filled with a clear white liquid in hand, before using the other hand to grab the hair of the prisoner. He tilted the head to the side, and pushed the needle of the syringe into the skin of the now exposed neck.

To their horror, the prisoner immediately woke with a start, ocean blue eyes wide and frantic before he leaned forward and expelled what little contents in his stomach he had.

“Starting interrogation session 9,” the voice came from the first speaker. “What is your name?”

Lance scoffed, shaking his head, still hunched over. Though he wouldn’t be for long, as the answer was clearly not what the interrogator wanted. In a split second Lance seized, the electrodes letting lose the electricity into his body.

He knew he probably shouldn’t keep his jaw clenched, but the scream he knew would come from loosening it was not something he wanted his captors to hear. No, he would not give them that satisfaction. The sounds that alluded his mouth anyways was enough. A few ticks later it was over, and he fell forward. “I had hoped that by giving you an audience, you’d be much more willing to cooperate.” the interrogator spoke, fake disappointment dripping from their words. “Let’s try this again shall we? What is your full name?”

At that Lance gracelessly spit on the floor. He slowly tilted his head so his eyes met the interrogator’s “Fuck you.” His voice was hoarse, he almost didn’t even recognize it.

The interrogator wasted no time setting his body alight with more electricity. This continued on for what the paladins felt forever. The interrogator asking the same question, and Lance refusing to answer only to be rewarded with more shocks.

Hunk felt sick to his stomach as he watched his friend be tortured at the hands of this monster. He could hear Pidge beside him begging for Lance to just answer, but he knew his best friend. He knew that Lance would hold out for as long as he could. That Lance would continue to to take this pain, no matter what it did to him, because of his stupid self sacrificing ways. And he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

After the fifth shock, Lance began to lull to the side, his body no longer able to hold itself up. “He can’t take anymore.” Hunk spoke, his voice just a whisper, “His heart.”

“Number Two is right, anymore and he’ll go into cardiac arrest.” Coran shook his head, remembering the the interrogator had said this was the ninth session. Had Lance been subjected to this eight times before? The poor boy. It was a wonder that he was even still alive, let alone composed enough to refuse interrogation in such a way.

The interrogator asked again, this time receiving not even a shake of Lance’s head, before subjecting him not one, but two more rounds of electricity. Coran hated how correct he was, as he watched Lance collapse on himself in the chair.

“No!” Keith slammed his fist on the console, causing the entire room to jump at the outburst.

As if hearing him, the second Galra walked into frame, another syringe in hand and repeated the process he had done a the start of the transmission. The effect a direct mirror to earlier Lance shot up again.

“What did they inject him with?” Hunk already had an idea, but God he wished he was wrong.

“It might be a form of adrenaline.” Pidge piped up, shaking her head . “If that was what they gave him before...” she didn’t want to complete the thought. How often had they been doing this to him? There was no way injecting that much of that kind of hormone as often as they did wouldn’t have some side effects.

“What is your full name, paladin?” the interrogator asked again. This time with more anger, as they were clearly getting annoyed at Lance’s ability to hold out as long as he did. But he could only hold out for so long. Clearly seeing that the shocks were doing nothing, they resorted to more physical forcer. Without missing a beat, the interrogator threw a punch against Lance’s left cheek, the action nearly toppling him over. Then again and again until Lance could do naught but hang his head between his hunched shoulders, The interrogator gripped his hair and pulled back, forcing Lance to lean back, eyes piercing into his before landing another punch straight to Lance’s stomach, the sound making everyone on the bridge wince.

He let go of Lance’s hair just in time for Lance to lean forward and heave for a second time, this time a dangerous red painted the contents.

“Oh..that’s not good.” The whisper was almost too faint for the camera to be picked up, but Keith heard it nonetheless. The lack of concern that the blue paladin’s voice held pissed him off even more. Here he was being beaten, tortured within an inch of his life, and he still thought it was a joke?

It was with the last shock that a Lance finally broke. No longer able to keep himself upright, or his eyes open. The interrogator demanded his full name, and in a whisper he spoke.

“Alejandro Sebastian Serrano.”

#langst #lance serrano #I'm sorry lance #but this needed to be done #I'll make it up to you #I promise #Voltron lives in my mind rent free #i love two blue bois and lance is one of them

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spacecakes20 · 4 years

Text

Begin Again

Chapter 3: Sebastian, Third Time’s a Charm

(Chapter 2)

Sebastian didn’t know what to make of the new farmer. Granted, he had only met her twice, and both times ended so painfully, embarrassingly awkward, that he was sure people could just feel the embarrassment all the way from Calico Desert.

If their awkward first meeting wasn’t bad enough, the second meeting somehow ended up being worse. He felt it was mostly his own fault for being so zoned out, and the look of pure guilt on her face just made him feel even more guilt. And he didn’t even get the chance to apologize and assure her that no, it wasn’t her fault and to please stop looking at him like she’d just kicked a puppy. It was just a bloody nose; he was 50% sure it wasn’t broken. But she had run off before he could even get the words out and that just made him feel even more guilty. How she was able to make him feel guilty when he was the one standing there with a bruised face and a bloody nose, he’d never know.

At this point, he was just hoping the two would never run into each other again just to spare both their pride. Or what little was left of it anyway. It couldn’t be too hard. Avoiding people was practically his specialty. But if it was one thing Sebastian’s learned after living on this earth for the past 23 years was that the universe was a spiteful bitch. Perhaps Sebastian committed some unforgivable crime in his past life. Or maybe the universe just hated him specifically. Ether way, things never seemed to work out in his favor, and he doesn’t really know why he’s so surprised anymore.

They had somehow managed to avoid each other at the Egg Festival. He had thought she didn’t show up, but then later saw her chatting with Elliot and Leah. The three seemed engrossed in whatever they were talking about and were practically ignoring the actual festival. Which was good, because it meant the farmer never noticed him. So far so good, Sebastian had so foolishly thought. He should have known better than to be so optimistic.

The next time they would meet, it would be at the worst festival of the year; the dreaded Flower Dance. It was bad enough that Sebastian was forced into a stuffy and outdated suit that was an obnoxious color of teal, but he was also forced to dance in front of the whole town. Sure, the population of this town was 31, but that was still 31 too many. The number of people that he actually liked being around was 2 on a good day. And even then, he’d never be caught dancing, even around them. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of a choice on the matter.

That day was already off to a wonderful start. Sebastian and his stepdad, Demetrius, got into an argument. He couldn’t quite remember what the argument was even about, but knowing Demetrius and how petty he could be, it could have been about anything. Eventually, his mother had to come and separate the two. So, Sebastian had decided to go out by the lake and cool his head with a smoke. Right as he pulled out his cigarette, a large gust of wind decided now would be the perfect time to make its appearance through the area, making the unsuspecting Sebastian drop his cig into the lake. Which might have been fine had it not been his last fucking one. Needless to say, he was not in a good mood at the moment.

Currently, Sebastian, Sam, and his other friend Abigail were over by the lake. Close enough to still be at the festival but far enough away to escape the chatter. The farmer wasn’t hard to spot. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail to the side, held together with a sunflower clip. Her bright yellow sundress stood out like a sore thumb; especially compared to the other younger residents; the women wearing their lacy white dresses, the men in tight blue tuxedos. Despite sticking out, he’d admit, the dress suited her. It complemented her warm skin and made her vibrant eyes stand out even more if that was at all possible.

“Hey!” Sam shouted from beside Sebastian, making him jump.

“What is it, Sam?” Abigail raised an eyebrow questionably.

“Is that Luna?” Sam pointed across the field at the woman in question.

Sebastian stiffened. He knew where this was going, and he didn’t like it. Before anyone could stop him, Sam cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Hey Luna!”

She must not have heard him, because she continued her conversation she was having with his mother and for a moment Sebastian felt relief. That moment only lasted for a quarter of a second when Sam decided to shout her name even louder. That seemed to have caught the attention of not only her but also half the town. Everyone turned to the source of the shouting. Sebastian wished he could cease to exist, if only for a few minutes. Or an hour. Maybe even a week. Ether way, he really didn’t want to be here.

He saw Luna politely end her conversation with his mother, leaving with a shy wave before making her way over to the trio. He noticed she hadn’t given him eye any contact. Great.

“Hey, Sam.” She greeted him with a small smile.

“Hey, Lu! How are ya?” Sam’s voice normally didn’t grate on Sebastian’s nerves, but he wasn’t in the greatest of moods now.

“I’m alright.” Luna tried to appear nonchalant, but he noticed her shoulders were a little tense. Maybe this was as awkward for her as it was for him. For some reason, he found that thought comforting.

Sam had snaked his arm around Sebastian’s shoulder, “Have you met my buddy Sebastian here?”

Finally, finally, the two gave each other eye contact. If Sam or Abigail noticed the tension, they didn’t say anything.

“Yeah…” Luna trailed off, voice a little higher than before, “We’ve, uh… we’ve met.”

That seemed to have taken Sam by surprise. He whipped his head over to his friend so quickly, Sebastian was surprised he didn’t get whiplash.

“You did?” Sam questioned, “When?”

Luna averted her gaze, looking at a piece of grass like it held the secrets of the universe. Sebastian wished it did, then maybe it could tell him how to get out of this awkward encounter.

Sebastian swallowed, opening his mouth to speak. Maybe he could try to lighten the mood. Don’t say anything stupid. Try to play it cool. “She uh… hit me with a door.” He said the words before he had the time to think of the many different reasons why that was the worst possible thing he could have said. He mentally smacked himself. I could just… drown myself in the lake, right?

But to his surprise—and relief—he was met with the sound of a small amused chuckle. Looking at her face, her brows were raised in surprise, but her lips were upturned in amusement. This smile, though small, was vibrant, making her eyes sparkle. It was much better than that empty smile she had given him at the pier not so long ago.

“I did not!” She defended, then added more sheepishly, “I mean… I kind of… did…”

“What?!” Abigail and Sam said in unison, confused more than anything.

Luna held her hands up defensively, “It was an accident!” Her eyes met his and that look of guilt came rushing back in them. The same look she gave him outside of Pierre’s that made him feel like he kicked a puppy. “I didn’t… break it did I?”

It? Oh! Right! His nose! That’s right.

“Nah…” Sebastian hoped he sounded nonchalant, putting his hands in his pocket with a shrug, “It’s fine. Just bruised.”

“Oh!” Abigail gasped, lips twitching into a smirk, “Is that how you got that bruise?”

Before Sebastian could even answer, Sam interrupted his train of thought by bursting into a fit of laughs.

“Seriously?” Sam wiped a tear from his eye, “Here I thought you might have gotten into a fight or something. Turns out little miss Luna just took you out with a door!”

Abigail joined in with a snort, “Look at the bright side Seb.” She nudged Sebastian with her elbow, “At least now we know your face looks good in purple!” Sam and Abigail joined each other in a chorus of laughs.

“You’re so right!” Sam agreed through his laughter, “Purple is his color!”

It was nice to know his pain amused them so much.

Sebastian took the opportunity to steal a glance at Luna. The young woman was smiling, but it wasn’t vibrant, nor was it empty. It was one of the shy smiles people did when they were unsure of what to say or do but didn’t want to come across as rude by leaving. He could sympathize.

Clearing his throat, he brought Luna’s attention back to him. “Seriously,” He tried to sound convincing, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

He must have sounded more convincing then he thought because she gave him another one of her genuine smiles.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

That seemed to dial back the awkwardness if only for a second. But now they weren’t sure of what to say next, so the uncomfortable silence seemed to drag for what felt like hours. It had only been two minutes.

“So...” Luna was the brave soul who decided to break the quiet, “What’s this flower dance all about?”

That only earned her a groan from Sam, “It’s soooo dumb!” He grumbled, “Basically, it’s a dance—”

“Nooo, really?” Luna gasped in mock surprise, giving Sam a half-smile.

Sam only rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance, “Any-waaay… It sucks. But we all gotta do it anyway.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Abigail pipped in, “‘It’s ‘tradition.’” She made air-quotes with her fingers accompanied by an eye roll.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Sam sighed.

Luna sent them a sympathetic smile.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow curiously, “Are you participating?” Come to think of it, she wasn’t dressed for the occasion.

She shook her head hesitantly, “No? I don’t think so anyway.”

“Do you have a partner?” Abigail asked.

Again, Luna shook her head, “Um, no. I don’t even know the steps.”

“Lucky.” Sam pouted.

“Yeah, I’m kind of jealous too.” Abigail agreed.

Sebastian agreed with a hum. He wished he could trade places with her. But despite his disdain for the Flower Dance, there was one thing he did look forward to. Looking over to Abigail, he couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that graced his lips.

“So, what about you guys?” Luna tilted her head questionably, “Do you have a partner?”

Sam had the nerve to look almost sheepish, “Yeah, I do.” He smiled shyly, eyes drifting off before catching himself, “Oh, but maybe we could dance together next year?”

Luna gave a slight smile before looking over to Sebastian. He avoided her gaze, eyes dropping to the grass below his feet. “What about you?” She asked, “Do you have a partner?”

Sebastian’s eyes subconsciously looked over to Abigail, before averting his gaze to a nearby tree. “Yeah.” He answered, “There’s someone I have in mind.”

Before Luna could even give him an answer, Mayor Lewis called for all the young residents to take their places for the Flower Dance.

Sam gave an exaggerated groan, “That’s our cue.” He said before running off. Before he could get too far, he turned to Luna with a wink and said, “See you on the other side!"

Luna gave a light laugh and shook her head, “Have fun!”

Before his brain could catch him, the words fell out of Sebastian’s mouth before he even realized, “We won’t.” He winced when he realized what he said might have sounded harsh. Turning, he slowly meets Luna’s gaze. He was washed over with relief when he saw she was trying to hold back a laugh. The sparkle in her eyes almost looked mischievous.

“Then,” She responded, “try not to die of embarrassment.”

“No promises.” He said back. Turning, he made his way to the middle of the field where everyone was lined up with their Flower Dance partner. The music started, and Sebastian and Abigail followed the steps they both knew so well, they didn’t even have to think. They’d been partners for this dance since they were teens. Sebastian still remembered how flustered he was the first time they had danced together. If he recalled correctly, she was nervous too. Abigail’s hair was chestnut back then, but the current purple curls felt more suiting for her round face and rosy cheeks.

“New farmer seems nice.” Abigail whispered low enough for only Sebastian to hear, “What do you think?”

He simply shrugged, “I dunno.”

“You don’t think so?” She quirked an eyebrow at him curiously.

“I mean, we haven’t known her very long.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just mad she assaulted you with a door?”

“Ha. Ha.” Sebastian responded dryly.

There was a part in the dance where the men switched sides with their partner in one seamless turn. From this new angel, Sebastian caught sight of the farmer in question. He was surprised to see she was alone. She had distanced herself to the corner of the fence that lined the forest, away from any residents. Even though she was watching the dance, her eyes looked distant. As though her mind were elsewhere. Something about it made her look… lonely. Like she didn’t quite fit in and she knew it. Her bright yellow dress seemed to only accentuate that fact. Sebastian didn’t know why, but he felt a ping of guilt at that realization. It was too late to be Luna’s dance partner now. Even so, he probably wasn’t suited to be her dance partner anyway. She’d probably be more comfortable with Alex or even Sam. Someone who was more outspoken and could carry a conversation. Someone who wouldn’t make the whole thing feel awkward.

Finally, after what felt like a millennium, the dance was over. Sebastian didn’t even wait to hear the announcement of the Flower Queen. It would probably be Haley, just like it was last year. And the year before that. He didn’t really care. Just wanted to get home and get out of the tux and into something comfortable asap. And maybe sneak in a nap while he’s at it.

(Chapter 4)

#stardew valley #stardew fanfic #stardew valley sebastian #stardew sebastian #sebastian x farmer

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templeofshame · 4 years

Text

Arcs of Time and Responsibility in The Basket

youtube

or, lots of ideas and uncertainty

After a strange Phil noise, The Basket starts off by establishing two things: its epistolary device of journaling, and time. As is fitting for this choppy, not-quite-linear story, we don't start at the true beginning; sunglasses-Phil has already been writing and observing the Basket for eight years. His routine is established and unemotional (maybe scientific). Every week, he feeds the Basket. No value judgment, no blame.

Through the epistolary device, Phil introduces the concept of an audience, at least in the abstract. Apart from a first-person account of events, his narration addresses some potential (or imagined) reader, for whom the viewer might stand in, but who is not actually the viewer (as opposed to in The Silver Button). (Here, it might be a nod at the fourth wall, but it's not breaking anything.) There's also the question of whether the audience is different for his written words and his spoken; who is he addressing with his frantic "please don't go"? Or "can you feel it spinning faster?" When he says "don't miss me," there aren't a lot of beings left with that possibility; is he talking to the Basket? And then perhaps the most important question: who is actually saying "I am the last being in the universe. I'm sorry for what I've done" (and are they apologizing to the past)? For the first many, many times I watched it, I assumed that the calm voice was that of Phil, as he is being consumed by the Basket. But on my latest watch, it occurred to me that it could be the Basket itself, logically the last being in the universe, having just eaten Phil. But in terms of the arc of responsibility, I think it's more compelling for it to be Phil, apologizing to a universe empty of (non-Basket) life.

Another question I'm not sure about is the role of the sunglasses. The actual first thing that happens is him putting them on, which runs counter to my instinct is to assume they distinguish different characters. But both are feeding the basket, offering narration, and being seen in both calm and "mad" versions. They might mark a difference in time, but in the clearest instance of past-tense narration and that moment being enacted when it was the present, both Phils have sunglasses. So I'm not sure.

But the haziness of the story's timeline seems fitting for a story that includes the consumption of time by the Basket. The moments that seem to reflect the clearest sense of time ("I've been writing this journal for eight years" and "I've been here for thousands of years") seem to be Phil at his most similar, in sunglasses, in color, calm, writing. The visual cues that might place those moments far apart in the timeline are missing, making the timeline feel collapsed into one moment of it all happening, eight years and thousands, the middle of this experiment and the very, very end. Just as the story happens both in a confined room Phil can't escape and on the scale of the universe (and such that the Basket can consume Earth), it happens in specific moments and on the scale of thousands of years of Basket-feeding, all at once.

So, back to responsibility. We start with Phil seeming pretty detached, methodical, but not seeming either proud or guilty. He's just going through the motions of his routine, feeding the Basket little chairs and journaling. For eight years. Maybe the detachment is also boredom. As the Basket gets hungrier and hungrier, there are some Little Shop of Horrors vibes; Phil feeds the Basket what it needs to survive, but what that entails keeps growing in an ominous direction, beyond "small seats." The relationship between Phil and the Basket get more complicated as we go on in other ways, too. With "The Baskets is my friend today," we get on the surface our warmest reference to the Basket... But Phil's tone and eye-intensity reflect that maybe it's more likely that there's some kind of brainwashing happening than that the Basket's just being nice (and "today" implies this isn't usually the case). We learn that Phil is trapped in the room with the Basket (although we don't know how that happened), which shifts the sense of agency. Like time and space, his agency has a sense of paradox to it; he doesn't have the ability to leave the room he's in, but he does have the power to feed time and Earth to the Basket. Trapped with the Basket, it seems that there are very few things he can do, but the ones he has have vast effects that are ultimately destructive.

That kind of vast destructive impact is a definite theme in weird!Phil vids (e.g., Sebastian: Universe Defender, If I Ruled The Internet, Tape 6), and the question of responsibility is often part of that. It's emphasized as a theme in The Basket by the final words, "I'm sorry for what I have done." (And perhaps “don’t miss me” could hold guilt in that he doesn’t deserve to me missed, but by whom?) Far from the detached Phil of the beginning who shows no signs of guilt, we're left with an apology to the void, to the past, or to an uncertain "new beginning." Throughout the video, we see Phil's torment alongside his continued feeding of the Basket. But we don't get any sense of what alternatives are available to him. What would happen if he refused to move on from chairs? Does Phil actually have the power to resist the Basket, and if he'd stopped feeding it, would this destruction be prevented?

The end suggests that at least he believes that he is responsible; not only does he apologize, but he apologizes "for what I have done," not for what's happened or for his inability to stop it, but for actions he has taken. I'll be looking at that more with other videos, the way he imagines himself into situations where he has the power to destroy worlds and universes, and generally, he does. Sometimes casually, sometimes gleefully, but here, where he has arguably the least agency in these choices, his destruction is laden with guilt and regret.

Some things I fully don't understand: The shots of car grills. "My ultimate creation" while holding the globe; is Phil God? The shot of the doll when Phil's feeding time to the Basket (is he taking time from her? Does she die? Also is he vomitting at that point?). Why Earth is spinning faster before it gets eaten.

#weird!phil analysis #honestly i probably could have written a bunch of separate analyses #that would have been more cohesive #if i had done time separately #and maybe audience separately #and then dug into responsibility more #but i think that responsibility really needs to be looked at through a bunch of vids #and i'm planning on analyzing many more #i didn't realize how much this one had in it #until i watched it a million times #the basket #amazingphil #phan meta

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ocean-in-my-rebel-soul · 5 years

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@evesharmony, @dadrunkwriting

“How are you holding up?”

Garrett drags a rough breath in, out, in, out. The world comes back into focus, widening from the narrow spot of floor he’d been staring at, the carpet discolored slightly from years of traffic.

“I’m fine,” Garrett says automatically. The words have fallen from his mouth so often in the past week that they’ve lost all meaning. “Thank you for coming.”

It has been eight days since Leandra finally died, gasping her last breath in Garrett’s arms, and it was all his fault.

They had wrapped her in a shroud donated by Merrill, who knew all too well the sting of losing a family. Isabela and Aveline had washed her; in Marcher tradition, the daughters of the family were responsible, but Bethany had been lost to the Deep Roads, having survived the Blight only to fall to it just an arms’ length away from security. Fenris supplied a wooden trencher filled with soft earth and a measure of Kirkwaller sea salt, to welcome her back to the Marcher lands of her birth. Sebastian gave the invocation and commended her soul to the Maker’s side. With a heavy sigh, Anders had lit and managed the pyre that sent her wherever she would go.

That was a week ago. Garrett couldn’t bring himself to have offered a true wake, or even a public cremation. It broke tradition, sure, but how could he even think of letting people see his mother like that--and all for the sake of ‘it’s always been this way’? It was hard enough to let his friends help with the preparations.

Varric had been instrumental in that, actually. Garrett doesn’t know how, but he had been, and Varric hasn’t said anything specific, and he hasn’t brought himself to ask. Some part of him capable of higher thought will have to ask him about it, eventually. They’ll have to talk about it, but for now…

For now, he simply waits, and exists, and grieves.

“Gare, you in there?” Varric drops into the chair beside him. His big hand pats Garrett’s back and stays there, an anchor in the storm that is the fallout.

Around them, the house is dressed in brilliant red and gold and white. The Amell crest—the big one, pulled out from the patriarch’s room, a commission from his great-grandfather’s tenure as the head of House Amell—hangs somewhat proudly on the wall above the grand stair, buffed to as bright a shine as Orana and Bodahn could manage. Bodahn and Orana had managed the house and readied for the whirlwind week that would come, while Varric helped Garrett take care of the notices to be sent around the city.

And now they were on day three of the bodiless wake, a week-long event. Ostensibly it was a solemn period, spent with the bereaved and filled with stories and memories, but Kirkwall liked to twist everything good that comes to this city; local tradition has made it more of a party and an excuse for excessive food and wine than anything even close to a period of grief.

It is, some part of him acknowledges distantly, a beautiful party.

Per tradition, the doors remain unlocked and open to the public. Friends and neighbors visit and bring their tokens of condolences; the passing of a Lady of the House merits gifts, rich fabrics and trims meant to outfit the bereaved in proper mourning clothes, the stocking of the larder, lines of credit at nearby merchants and guild houses. Hawke thanks each attendee by rote, smiling when he can manage and keeping neutral when he can’t, and directs them to various areas of interest around the house. The additional staff hired specifically for the weeklong wake help Orana and Bodahn serve during the festivities.

“Garrett?”

Varric’s hand slides down Garrett’s arm and loops around his wrist. Garrett jolts back to the present. People linger and laugh in their circles, studying the house with faces of open disdain and curiosity. It’s late enough that the sconces have been lit, and the large windows have had their curtains drawn open to let in the starlight. His gaze sweeps around the room before landing at Varric’s hand.

“Hey,” Varric says quietly. His fingers squeeze around Garrett’s wrist. “Copper for your thoughts?”

Garrett shrugs and tries for a smile. “I think Mother would be upset she’s missed the best party House Amell has thrown in years.” His voice wavers, thick with yet more unshed tears.

Varric stares at him. Garrett can feel it, the heavy weight of Varric’s gaze on his cheek as he avoids meeting his eyes. They sigh, almost in tandem.

Eventually, Varric rises from his seat with a soft groan. He tugs on Garrett’s wrist and, numbly, Garrett follows. It must be time to replay the events once more, to be introduced to another wave of guests and offer hollow responses to equally hollow condolences.

He only realizes Varric has led him to his own bedroom when the door closes behind him.

“What…?”

“You’re looking a little fuzzy around the edges, there, Chuckles,” Varric says. He ushers Garrett to the bed. “Been a long day, and you should probably get some rest.”

“Rest,” Garrett echoes numbly. “Right, right.” He flops backward into the nest his bed has become, not bothering to even open his vest before he did.

A sigh fills the air. Firm hands grab for his vest and start unfastening the buttons. Garrett makes a noise and Varric tuts at him, batting his hands away when Garrett raises them in protest.

“This’ll be a whole lot more comfortable if you get into something that won’t try to strangle you in your sleep, you know.” Varric pulls at the lapels of his vest and Garrett rises again, letting him push the garment from his shoulders. He hums as he tackles Garrett’s shirt next, and loosens the belt at Garrett’s trousers before pulling off his boots.

“There,” Varric says finally. He leans back and eyes his handiwork critically before taking the discarded clothes and tossing them toward the basket of washing near the door. “How do you feel?”

“...adrift,” Garrett admits.

Varric hums and says nothing.

The room slides into darkness. A glance over his shoulder reveals Varric at the bedside table, adjusting the lamp that lay firmly affixed to the wall. Garret wriggles out of his pants and crawls into the snarl of bedsheets and silently begs for time and the earth in general to just… stop.

Garrett stares blankly at the ceiling. His eyes water, but he cannot close them. If he closes his eyes he sees Leandra, pale and pallid, her mouth pulled into a rictus grin. She whispers to him, words garbled through her patchwork throat. If he closes them he sees Bethany and the pooling blackness that clouded her fair skin, until it stole the air from her lungs and the light from her eyes. If he closes them he sees Carver, brash and bold and stoic, the mythic defender who saved their mother only to be swept up into Death’s icy grip.

Oh, Malcolm surely is proud of his firstborn, tasked with saving them all only to fail so spectacularly.

The far edge of the bed dips. Garrett blinks back tears he didn’t realize had shed. Varric props a pillow behind his back and settles, his own shirt half opened in a universal sign of relaxation, a wordless declaration of “we’re not hiding out from our demons, we’re just having a good time and coincidentally are avoiding everyone.” It’s a good look on him, the casualness of it. Varric loosens his own belt as an afterthought before drawing the heavy blanket up to his waist. A book somehow manifests from some unknown place.

“What… what are you doing?” Hawke asks. His brow furrows. Maker, he’s so tired, just so tired of it all. What he wouldn’t give to be able to sleep, uninterrupted by demons and the ghosts of his failure.

Varric looks up. Something like surprise flashes across his face before he pulls on a soft smile, gentler than his near-trademark grin but still just as playful. “What? Did you really think I was gonna leave you like this?” Varric gestures vaguely at Garrett’s inelegant sprawl. “Nah. Figured you might like to hear a story or two. The gossip-mongers from downstairs left a lot to be desired in their tales, don’t you think?”

A moment pauses before Varric sets the book aside and pats the mattress beside him. “C’mere, Gare.”

Garrett shuffles until he’s lying beside him, but Varric directs him further to rest his head on his lap. At Varric’s insistence, he closes his eyes and lets his hands rest neutrally at his belly. Garrett takes a deep breath, holds it as Varric counts to four, and then shakily releases.

“Good,” Varric says softly. His fingers card through Garrett’s hair. “Breathe, just breathe. You can do that for me, Gare, can’t you?”

Garrett bites back a sob. In the morning, whatever spell this is will be broken, and he’ll have to do it all over again, and again, and again, for most of another week. He wasn’t meant for this. Leandra wasn’t meant for this. Leandra wasn’t meant to lose her twins, her babies, within two years of each other in the blooming of their lives. She wasn’t meant to lose her husband, the love of her life, to the sickness that grew fat in his chest.

She wasn’t meant to lose, and she lost everything, and it was all his fault. He could have been faster, more diligent, more attentive. He could have—

Varric’s hand shifts in his shaggy hair in a pattern: one, two, three, pause. One, two, three, pause. Like a waltz, maybe, heard in a beautiful ballroom somewhere. Varric doesn’t stop, just keeps that slow, methodical rhythm as he speaks again.

“Have I ever told you the story of when my brother was convinced that the nug trade would become all the rage with surfacers?” Varric asks. His voice is pitched low, conspiratorial, like it’s a secret, and Garrett shakes his head. “No? Then you’re in for a treat. So once upon a time, there was a stupid dwarf…”

A niggle of familiar warmth steals into Garrett’s chest. He just lets it be, unable--or unwilling--to chase it, and lets Varric’s story distract him from his spiral, however temporary as it might be.

#da drunk writing circle #varric tethras #hawke #varric x hawke #hawke x varric #m!hawke #garrett hawke #tethrahawke #dragon age 2 #da2 #soulrebel writes #prompt fills #reblogs welcome and appreciated! thank you!!#comments and likes are also greatly appreciated!#Thanks for reading!

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ofshampain · 4 years

Text

ANTIGONE “ANNIE” RÓISÍN MAEVE FINNEGAN LAZZARO: AN INTRODUCTION

{ hayley atwell, 39, cis female, she/her } hey, antigone “annie” finnegan lazzaro? good to see you, with all the insanity going on! still working at pinehaven theatre as the artistic director? that’s good. i mean, you’ve been around thirty-nine years, what do you make of this insanity? hey, i heard that people have been saying that you’re into re-reading the books you learned about at school to see if they’re more lovable when you’re not being forced, sculpting the world’s most magnificent sandcastle with your child with a free smile on your lips & making a family for your daughter between stage-hands and actors. you also remind people of the lipstick that almost convinces you your life’s together, the strong desire to finally do something yourself without the help of others, an annotated copy of the theatre’s next play, work-glasses set atop the open pages with a half-finished cold coffee, and pathetic fallacy, which i like. well, stay safe out there and remember to listen to the fog warnings.

TWs: ( amicable ) divorce, referenced parental emotional / physical abuse, depression

antigone isn’t her birth name: she was born aisling ( ash-ling. ) if you ask why she changed it, she’ll tell you it was to stick it to equity: ‘try telling me that’s a name an actor already has,’ with all the anger in her chest ( it wasn’t much; it never has been ) but really, she had to get away from the child who lived in that house with their father. and if you know where to look, the theme of punishment for defending family & particularly the character of creon, it’s almost heartbreaking that that is where — of all the choices she could’ve made — she decided to go: especially when you consider that the character of antigone, in her determined defiance, is an aspiration for annie rather than a reflection. she’s more of an ismene, but she wants to be better. but most people do call her annie, and thus they miss the greek tragedy she was named after.

she truly has all the love in the world. for everyone but herself, that is. she’s never quite mastered the concept of self-love, perhaps because any notion of it was crushed by their father. but she’s very maternal, because she doesn’t want anyone who might need it to go without what rory did for her: if you’re having a rough day, she’ll happily have you over, make you food, and you can vent. backstage at the theatre can oftentimes be a support group — but if you talk to her, you can count on her confidence.

that being said, she’s never gone to actual therapy herself and probably never will, because to her that would mean doing the unthinkable: conceding that she is not, in fact, fine. if she can keep the number of people who see her with tear-stained cheeks in a given week to rory and just about nobody else — especially not her daughter sophia — she thinks she’s got it made.

yeah, she’s definitely got depression.

antigone married sebastian lazzaro, who she met while she was studying literature & drama at the university of maine. it was almost fairytale, how head-over-heels they were. until it wasn’t, of course, but they were happy first. dated for five years, married twelve, and have their little sunshine: twelve year old sophia.

sophia was raised at the pinehaven theatre, annie’s project, and she’s still the artistic director there to this day. but there was always space for sophia in annie’s work, and though she knew it was hard for bash, he could’ve made more of an effort to manage his time.

annie divorced him — bash, to her — not because she didn’t love him. it wasn’t even truly for herself. it made sense to her and to the little voice in her head that she would be... insufficient. it was the fact that her husband’s timetable didn’t make time for their child that really pushed her over the edge. she could see sophia’s hope that her father would be home, that he’d tell her stories from work ( he couldn’t ) being continually crushed. she knew he wasn’t bad, knew his heart was in the right place ( she’s certainly got perspective on bad fathers ) but sophia needed something stable, and it had quickly become apparent to annie that the only way their daughter was going to get that was via a custody arrangement that she could legally hold him to.

she both regrets it, and doesn’t. because after all, it got her what she aimed for: stability for sophia. the only remaining sign of her regret — that she didn’t want it for herself — is that she’s never gotten rid of her last name.

champion cookie maker. if you’ve had a rough day, you’re going to have an annie finnegan lazarro giving you cookies. after all, i don’t make the rules. that’s just the way that she is.

5′8″ literature & theatre nerd who spends too long putting her face on in the morning. the annie behind the lipstick and the rest of it is more... tired. you can just see more of her, and that doesn’t fit her goal of seeming okay. she listens to anything & everything, she’s got quite the eclectic spread, so it’s quite likely really that her choice reflects her mood. you just have to know where to look for it. ( her favourite musical is six, in case anyone was wondering. it’s her dream to find a way to put it on in pinehaven, but in the current climate, it seems a little blasé. )

she lives in the house that bash bought for her. she works in the theatre someone helped her set up. and the theme continues — annie wants nothing than to be able to stand up and say i did it myself. annie has a sensitive heart, so that often means people feel protective of her, or like they need to be.

her theme is she used to be mine from waitress thank you for coming to my ted talk. her song for when she’s not coping but trying to: happiness happening by lost witness. amsterdam by daughter is my angsty song for days and... yeah, it fits her too. ‘by the morning i will have grown back.’

enfj-t. hufflepuff.

#pine haven intro

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self-shipper-snowdrop · 4 years

Note

✤ with whoever's on your mind! -Cerise☆︎

@multishippingmadness thank you AAAAAAAAAA- I ran with Sebastian for this one ‘cause I haven’t spoken about my dear in too long now.

✤ - Talk about one of your favourite memories with your f/o.

Honestly, my favourite is a bit more real-life based than in-universe-ship-based, but it’s a story I��m happy to tell so I’m gonna tell it here! Basically, it was the moment when I realized that I loved Sebastian.

I was pretty young, and I’d already documented our decided anniversary, all that. I’d been shipping with him for awhile but was still a tsundere who refused to admit that I had been in love for like three years at that point. But I heard some people talking about the series and bashing him, and I just dove in defending Sebastian before I even knew what I was doing. Saying he wasn’t terrible, he was likeable, “he’s a dorky demon, let him be”, that kind of thing.

But as I stood there defending him I internally wondered why. I told myself I hated him, and that he was just “annoyingly relatable in some ways”, “I only write about owning cats with him because I want a cat but can’t have one”, and “that wedding fic and anniversary didn’t actually mean anything”. Then once the arguement was over I just kinda realized… no, it did mean something. I realized (or rather, accepted) how important he was to me, and that I missed that story, and December 18th was really our day.

It’s my favourite because it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling then whispering ‘I love him’, and it still does thinking about it now. Like I had something wonderful right in front of me and I finally let myself say it out loud ♥︎

A close second was the day I got my first ever plushie of him, but this is getting too long as it is-

#self insert #self ship #romantic; the devil who saved me

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until-theend-oftheline · 5 years

Text

Alone Time Interrupted

Pairing: Sebastian x Reader

Warnings: Violence (accidental but it’s there), Sebastian is lucky you love him. Poor Will. (Just realized these sounds like Seb hurt her - he doesn’t! Not even a little bit!)

Square Filled: Caught Red Handed for @marvelfluffbingo

Word Count: 1600ish

A/N: This is thought part of my LLL universe but as always it can also be read as a stand-alone.

I wanted to do this since the moment I saw the latest One Minute Men vid (Milk part 3) and I finally got around to it with some encouragement from @jewels2876 - completely unscheduled and unplanned fic but inspiration happened.

Betaed by: also by @jewels2876 - thank you, Jules!

***My fics are not to be saved nor posted on any other sites without my express written permission.***

You were practically skipping when you got off the subway. It had been ages since you had a day to yourself. You loved Sebastian and your kids dearly, but there was something to be missed about soaking in the bath with scented candles all around with only your music as a distraction.

You loved being a mom. Your kids were the most amazing little humans in the world and you wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. They were two little balls of energy though and Sebastian was hardly any better. You smiled as you thought of your little family. They made you so incredibly happy. A girl just needed a moment to herself every once in a while.

So when Sebastian had announced he was spending the day shooting for his One Minute Men project, you had quickly called Georgeta and asked if she wanted to spend the morning with her grandson. Of course, she had said yes, so after dropping Isabella off at school, you had gone to Sebastian’s mom’s place to drop off Alexander. Now you skipped towards your apartment, excited for a day alone in the company of your bathtub and fuzzy robe.

As soon as you were home you headed straight for you and Sebastian’s bathroom. You selected a bath bomb he had bought you while he was in Greece filming and turned on the hot water as you stripped down. Candles were lit and your favorite Spotify playlist soon buzzed through the speakers of the room as you lowered yourself into the hot water with a sigh of contentment.

You closed your eyes, letting the music and smells calm your body and soul as you soaked in the hot water. This was heaven, even if a small part of you couldn’t help but wish Sebastian was with you, you also knew his presence would make bath time more fun than relaxing. Today you needed relaxing.

In fact, you were so relaxed you managed to doze off a little before a loud sound from the kitchen made you jump. You sat up straight, not sure if you actually heard anything at first or if it has been part of a dream you couldn’t recall. It wasn’t long before another loud crash sounded from your kitchen and you jumped a little again; instinctively wrapping your arms around your body, you stared down the unlocked bathroom door.

Another bump sounded this time followed by voices you couldn’t clearly make out over the music. Your mind started to panic. Someone was in your apartment. How was that even possible? There was a high tech security system in this building and a guard by the front door.

You quickly decided you couldn’t stay in the bathroom so you quickly, and as quietly as possible, got out of the tub. You wrapped the warm fuzzy robe around you, that you had put on the radiator for comfort as you quickly formed a plan. You had to get out without anyone seeing you. If you could get downstairs to alert the guard, everything would be fine.

You took a few steps towards the door before turning around to grab the bristle bath brush you had hanging in the shower. You weren’t sure what your line of thought was but you did feel a slight bit safer clinging to it; you snuck out of the room then down the hallway towards the main elevator shaft. You knew if you could get into the elevator and close the gate behind you, you’d be safe, you repeated over and over in your mind as you moved as quietly as possible.

“Oh hi Y/N,” a voice sounded behind you. You didn’t think of how familiar it sounded or the fact the man knew your name. You just shrieked, spinning around and swinging the brush as the intruder’s face. It collided with the side of his temple before you had time to stop yourself.

“OUCH! What the hell?” Will, one of Sebastian’s best friends and One Minute Men partner, yelled rubbing the side of his face just as Sebastian and Joe came running into the hallway from the kitchen.

“Ohmygod Will I’m so sorry!” You started apologizing as you realized what you had done, before turning around to face the two men appearing behind you. Embarrassment made your cheeks flush red as you looked from one man to the other, before meeting Sebastian’s eyes.

“Y/N I didn’t think you were home. What hap…” Sebastian started, before the scene in front of him finally clicked in his brain and he doubled over laughing as you and Will both glared at him.

“You… Oh God. Y/N/N… A bathbrush? Really?” Sebastian laughed, as Will grumbled something about you packing quite the punch.

“I thought you were burglars,” you defended yourself, grabbing your robe to wrap it closer around your body, suddenly very aware you were almost naked in front of Sebastian’s friends.

“So you attacked Will with a bath brush?” Sebastian grinned walking up to you, running his hands up and down your arms to calm you even if he was clearly still amused by the entire thing.

“My little slugger,” he teased, causing you to pout but lean into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around you. “I’m sorry we scared you, darling,” he spoke softly and serious this time as he held you close.

“Do you need an ambulance or are we good to continue,” Joe chuckled, directed at Will who was still rubbing the side of his head.

“Shut up,” he grumbled, causing the two other guys to laugh as you peered past Sebastian’s arm towards the kitchen.

“I thought you were filming. What are you doing he…” you started before noting the pots and pans scattered all across your floor. “What the hell did you do to my kitchen?”

You pulled away from Sebastian, heading straight for the disaster area. “Sebastian!”

Sebastian was nervously rubbing the back of his neck as you turned to face him with murder in your eyes and his two friends suddenly seemed to find your floor insanely interesting.

“We were filming this thing where…” Sebastian started but stopped when he saw your raised eyebrows.

“So you’d thought you’d ruin my kitchen?” you accused, crossing your arms over your chest.

“No… I mean. We’ll put everything back when we are done,” Sebastian promised, making your shake your head as you stepped a little closer to him.

“No. You will put it back now and you can go find someone else’s kitchen to torture,” you warned, fighting to keep a straight face as a childish little whine left your partner.

“But Y/N,” Sebastian started again and it was all you could do not to laugh. You loved him and his silly, creative endeavors were part of who he was, but he wasn’t destroying your home over an Instagram video.

“No,” you grabbed the suit jacket he was wearing pulling him a little closer. “I love you Seb, but no.” You could see the fight hadn’t entirely left him so you playfully raised the bath brush still in your hand. “Don’t make me use this thing.”

“We’ll go somewhere else,” Will quickly interrupted, making you and the two other guys laughed.

“Okay,” Sebastian relented, taking the brush from your hand and throwing it on the dresser next to you, before pulling you into his arms. “I really am sorry we scared you,” he muttered, burying his face in your neck.

“Seba,” you giggled at his affections. You weren’t mad at him. This was who he was and none of them had meant to scare you. “I’m getting you all wet.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be the other way around?” Sebastian smirked, pulling back a little to look down and you wiggling his eyebrows. You blushed, burying your face against his chest, trying to contain your laughter as Joe and Will hastily made their escape.

“Okay! You got this Seb. We’ll find somewhere else to film and call you later,” Joe showed Will towards the elevator.

“Yeah rather not have any mental scars to add to the physical one,” Will played, making you blush even harder.

“I’m sorry Will,” you called after the two men, but he just waved you off as the gate closed and the elevator started it’s decent.

“Lesson learned. Don’t scare Y/N,” Will yelled with a chuckle, making both you and Sebastian laugh before your eyes met and his darkened a little as he ran his fingers into the opening of your robe.

“Where were we?” his voice sounded a little lower than usual, sending a shiver through your spine.

“Well I was taking a bath and you were going to clean the mess you made of the kitchen,” you teased him, making Sebastian groan.

“Smartass.” He quickly swept you off your feet, lifting you into his arms, guiding your legs to wrap around his waist. You squealed in surprise but quickly started laughing as he playfully squeezed your ass. He walked you into the living room, clearly deciding the bedroom was too far, before throwing you on the couch making you squeal with laughter again. A laugh that was swallowed with his kiss as he lowered himself down on top of you and you wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him closer.

Your plans of a day relaxing alone might have been interrupted, but if you were completely honest you preferred spending a childfree day in Sebastian’s arms over anything you could do on your own anyway.

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chibimyumi · 5 years

Text

Kuro 148 Summary & Thoughts

その執事、顰笑：消え去ろうと、過ぎ行こうと、身体がお前を呼び覚ます That Butler, Pained Smile: In an Attempt to Disappear, an Attempt to Pass By, My Body Awakens You

Just when the readers were about to despair about how much longer Our!Ciel would stay dumbfound, the previous chapter (147) ended with a spectacular proclamation of war from Earl Ciel Phantomhive to his brother.

The track on which we were set is discontinued in chapter 148, and the readers are brought to Southampton, where we find Soma headed for the harbour. No explanation has been given; the only way we know is because of the narrator-panel stating this fact. It leaves us wondering for what exact reason Soma is departing. Although it is rather safe to assume that he is returning to India now that he has lost both Agni and his ‘best friend’. Little business remains for Soma in England.

En-route, Soma is interrupted by a familiar addressing of his name, “big brother of the curry buns”. The speaker is a young boy who seems rather upset. He tells Soma that the day before he went through the trouble of going to Soma’s place for a bun, but that even though it was Free-Buns-Wednesday, he received none. Regretfully, Soma replies that he can’t ever give out curry buns any more.

The child despairs, and cries at Soma that his mother and infant brother are starving. Without much hesitation, Soma removes a necklace that looks like it could feed a small orphanage, and donates it to the boy. (It sparkles, glistens and gleams, it is shining shimmering and splendid♫!! UGH, I. am. a. magpie.)

Soma’s wealth is canonically even greater than that of Our!Ciel’s, so missing a necklace like this would probably mean little more to him than one of us normal folks missing a penny. Soma however, appears so extremely lost that one may suspect that he might have shown the child the same gesture, even if Soma had been less well-off.

The boy is moved to tears, folds his hands and only barely manages to say his words of gratitude. The mannerisms of the child thanking him painfully reminds Soma of his... (*sobs* no problem, I’ve got this, it’s okay) butler…

(No, I’m not okay, AGONI AND SOBMA!!! ( ﾉД`)ｼｸｼｸ…)

Unfortunately/fortunately, neither Soma nor the readers are given much time to pine away in grief. Not even one page of time is allowed before Soma gets pulled out of his reverie again.

Soma notices how the necklace drew the boy some unwanted attention of three thugs. The thugs in the alley rob the child of jewellery. The mother of the child begs the thugs to return what was supposed to feed her starving children. To no avail, the mother mercilessly gets kicked down by one of the hooligans.

“Charity is only to be expected of me!” “Prince Soma! You have become a magnificent person”

Soma gets another flashback of Agni praising him for his boundless generosity. The thugs seem to be dissatisfied still, and make a wretched appeal to Soma’s bounteousness.

The young prince plainly refuses, explaining that “extending a helping hand to people like them is a complete waste.”

The thugs will swallow none of this warranted insult and decide to gang up on my son Soma and beat him to a pulp. Instead of fighting back, Soma prioritises the protecting of the suitcase which he had been carrying above anything else. This selfless shielding makes the thugs suspect that the content of the suitcase is something of even greater value than the very necklace Soma eagerly gifted the boy.

And little did they know just how right they were. To the thugs’ surprise, the suitcase turns out to contain a modest urn.

“Give Agni back!” Soma commanded.

One of the muggers grows increasingly greedy and makes to shatter the urn (along with my heart 💔 ) for the off-chance that ashes may contain some golden teeth.

“Your butler was very happy”

Soma loses it. He absolutely loses it. Perhaps even Soma did not know what exactly happened, but the readers are left with the child crawling up to his mother, coiling in fear. “Big brother of the curry buns…” the child calls with tears welling up in his eyes.

Blood fills the scene, and we see the three thugs entirely beaten up. It is impossible to tell whether they were killed, but frankly, the only reason I care is because I don’t want my dear son to have a body count on his record… (If he is going to have any, at least let it be Real!Ciel… Does it even count as murder if somebody is dead already? I guess the law books won’t have a page on this specific situation… Law department, someone?)

The boy is still quivering as he looks at his two hands that are now holding the expensive necklace that Soma had retrieved for him. The child looks like he does not know whether to be scared of grateful of Soma, but before he can figure out, the prince has already left.

“I can’t get any salvation even if I whimsically extend a helping hand to others”

“The only thing that comes after a passing gust of joy”

“Is the agony that crashes me onto the ground anew”

“If so, then I don’t need any salvation at all”

“Humans, reality, leads the prince (Soma) to the devil (Kali)…”

As it appears, the power of Kali’s Right Hand has passes onto Soma. The laws of magic in the Kuroshitsuji universe remain mostly unknown, so it is still impossible to tell why this transfer of power is possible, or even what it is supposed to mean. A personal speculation, (though cheesy at best, obvious at worst) is that Soma will take revenge for both Our!Ciel and Agni, using himself as a vessel for the latter as well.

There would be no reason for Toboso-sensei to dedicate one entire chapter to Soma if his return to the main plot was not planned.

Although I sincerely hope that this ‘transfer of power’ will not become a tool to turn Soma into an antagonist, it is a possibility we cannot entirely scratch. After all, the solemn tone in which Soma almost declared his own war gives us reason to think he is heading down a very slippery slope. In the case that he will become an antagonist to Our!Ciel, we can probably expect him to either:

Make an 180, because at this point I don’t see Our!Ciel allowing Sebastian to neutralise Soma entirely. If push comes to shove, we will probably see Sebastian solely defending and blocking any attacks that may come his master’s way. We do not know whether ‘Kali’s Right Hand’ is a simple 1000XP power bestowed upon its owner, or more like a ‘magnifier of existing power by 10x’. But regardless, even if Soma would prove to be less crafty than Agni, Sebastian would definitely get a run for his money. If he turned out to be even stronger than Agni, then I better prepare some popcorn. It would be up to Our!Ciel then, I surmise, to convince Soma that it were not him, but is dead zombie-twin who murdered Agni. I would not blame Soma at all if he would not buy this story. Any way I could think of relaying this information simply sounds too absurd to be taken seriously, after all. “By the way, I had a twin, HIS name was Ciel, but I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive. He is a zombie, and the Undertaker is a reaper.”

Or, die. (Run for Sebas’ money or not)

I personally really do hope that Toboso-sensei won’t give us the Dramatic Irony though. What I hope to see is that Soma decides that he is finally equipped to avenge his dead butler on his own. Keeping my fingers crossed.

#Kuroshitsuji #Black Butler #Kuroshitsuji 148 #Chapter 148 #Spoiler #Spoilers #thoughts and summary #chapter analysis #Soma #Agni #O!Ciel #Toboso Yana #Yana Toboso #G Fantasy #No I don't have the English Chapter don't ask.

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