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galacticwildfire · 6 months

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Fire Meet Gasoline | Poe Dameron

Three

Poe Dameron x Solo Original Character

Hope Solo’s haunted by the night the temple burned. Having gone rogue she hunts the First Order in search of answers until a fateful encounter with Poe Dameron brings her back to the Resistance and Leia puts her daughter under his command to find Luke Skywalker.

Word count: 10k

Tags/warnings: simp poe, exhausted leia, (those may as well be permanent tags), the meet cute, Poe giving oc an existential crisis with his jawline alone, flirting, attempted x-wing race, ego's, rizzpoe, resistance command having a panic attack, mentions of war crimes/systematic kidnapping and indoctrination of children, trauma, first half is sexual tension second half is angst. Leia trying her best to be a good parent to a traumatised child. They will make up I promise.

All my stories are written for adults with adult themes, I use appropriate tags but read at your discretion.

A/N: I have three chapters of the prequel published on ao3/wattpad. the story kicks off properly in this chapter.

Hope

By late afternoon the hanger's quiet enough that I can work on my x-wing in peace, which thankfully hasn't been repurposed. Although Mom knows if she ever gave my x-wing to anyone I'd probably blow it up out of spite, and she knows this because I'd threatened as much.

Major Brance ducks in and out of the entrance several times in the hours that pass as I run maintenance, as if ensuring he isn't hallucinating and looking disappointed each time he realises he isn't, speaking with greater levels of panic into his comm each time.

"We had six months of peace after she left and then Dameron was recruited. Now there's two of them," I hear him ranting as he exits the hanger again, thinking I'm out of earshot. "Two of them!"

I can't help but smile to myself a little in intrigue, finding myself growing increasingly curious about this commander who seems to give Brance the same headache as I do. That might just be enough for me to overlook his rank. Almost.

His ship sits on the other side of the hanger, the orange and black paint noticeably standing out from the rest, and I'm chuckling to myself in satisfaction at noticing the paint's been touched up since I called it beaten up. Although now mine is the one that needs a touch up by comparison.

The next time Brance comes in Statura accompanies him and gives me an awkward wave from across the hanger before pulling Brance back out, thankfully that's the last time I see them.

"Gee R2, you'd think they weren't happy to see me," I remark as I get to work installing the new parts after finishing general maintenance and he beeps at me. "Alright maybe I'm enjoying it a little."

At least my infamy's still feared by high command, even if that doesn't extend to a commander who should very well know exactly who I am. All things considered I should be more concerned by the thought that Mom could arrive here at any moment, but I can put off that anxiety for a little longer.

My hands are stained with soot and engine oil, but my mind seems to quieten as I tinker. Something I always thought came from my father, until my grandmother's surviving handmaidens told me it also came from my grandfather, among other things. Thankfully with the years I've found some level of acceptance with that fact, even if the memories sharpened with Ben taking the mantle Vader left behind. At least Lando can share my humour at calling him Grandpa Vader even if Mom looked like she wanted to hit me over the head the first time she heard it. And every time afterwards. Turns out dark humour only goes so far.

My mind's focused on the adjustments to the thrusters, transferring over the parts I'd taken off my N-1 at the lakehouse so the modifications are similar, making it far faster than ties and any other navy starfighter. Faster than any other x-wings on base as well. I was tempted to get R2 to pilot the N-1 here for me but considering what I've been using it for I thought it best it stays in storage on Naboo. I'd forgotten how old these x-wings are in comparison to the newer models of ships, my N-1 was average in comparison to the models I grew up flying, but still newer than these. So while some of these parts might be a little overpowered for my neglected x-wing I can make them work, it'll make it highly illegal, but fast.

Just how I was taught.

At least I don't have to pay to replace the proton torpedo I'd used up now, it might have been a bit overkill considering they're generally used to attack larger capital ships or freighters but I'd always wondered what would happen if I shot them into a bunch of tie-fighters and now I know.

I'm quite content working while talking to R2 until a now slightly familiar voice calls out to me in the empty hanger.

"Need any help up there?"

"No," I answer automatically, too caught up in what I'm doing to take any real notice. R2 chides me for being rude like he isn't worse and I realise Threepio's yet to talk my ear off which means he must be with Mom, wherever she is. "But since you're offering toss me up a wrench will you?"

He chucks it up and I catch it before tightening the last bolt and only then do I recognise the voice. Suppressing a smile I look down and see him standing back, trying to figure out what I'm doing. "Problem? Because I can tell you those parts have too much kick for a T-70."

"That's the point," I reply, swinging my legs over the edge of my ship so I can take him in and find that he immediately recognises me from the stunned look that crosses his face, the look in his eye leaving me pleasantly surprised after all the wary stares of the afternoon. Although I'm more surprised by the immediate effect his face has on me now that I can see it properly. I don't expect to like it as much as I do, pegging him as the type that's ridiculously handsome and knows it, although it's certainly not without reason. "Once I'm done my baby's going to have more engine power than any of the newer models, might need some reinforcements but I'll make it work."

He shakes his head, grinning up at me with white teeth that stand out against the shadow of a beard on his certainly well-chiselled face that reminds me of the statues that adorn Naboo's art museums, but it's his dark eyes that take my attention as he studies the engine and my other modifications, recognising them with equal surprise and respect. "You know those mods are illegal right? The type you can only find in blackmarkets in the Outer Rims."

"I should know since that's where I found them, but considering this is faster than any of the New Republic's ships, and yours, I don't have to worry about that do I?" I smirk a little too proudly and find myself saying. "I see you gave the General my regards."

He looks at my ship and then to his with the slightest jealousy after mine had outrun his in the field and I just smirk to myself from my ship.

"I did," he says, something about the look in his eye drawing me in. He still doesn't realise I'm her daughter, that much is clear, and so I play coy. "I told you I could put you in touch didn't I? But just a warning, we might be a paramilitary but she doesn't like us breaking too many New Republic regulations."

Oh, he has no idea and I can't help but tease "If you're going to report me for breaking regulations don't bother because she's already given up on me."

"I take it the two of you have some history then?" he gathers and despite the curiosity in his eyes he still doesn't put it together, which means Mom has definitely lied to the Resistance about where I've been for a commander to have no idea who I could be, but I shouldn't expect anything else by now.

"Let's just say I've done some work for the Resistance, had some disagreements and ended up where you found me," I explain simply, revealing just enough. When I'm used to everyone knowing my name it's almost nice to be a mystery. "So illegal modifications will be the least of her worries."

He makes a surprised sound, running a hand through the almost black curls atop his head. "The General must like you then to let you get away with this type of stuff." He looks me over with slightly nervous eyes before putting on a charming smile. "You must have been stationed on the Raddus because I know I would've definitely remembered meeting you before."

A self-satisfied smile comes to my face at his attempt at flirting and find myself amused, but more surprised by the fact that I don't actually mind it. "I've been on this base far longer than you have commander, you're the one who's new here."

"General recruited me a few months back from the Republic Fleet," he says and my eyes narrow now, wondering how the hell a new recruit could possibly be made a commander when I never was after years of service. But I swear behind his self-confidence there's a sincerity to his words as he says "You know, if you were new to base I was going to offer to show you around."

"Really?" I say, leaning forward from the edge of my ship in intrigue, giving him my full attention as I look him up and down. Somehow only finding more things to like much to my own surprise considering I've never been the type to be partial to a flyboy, or much to men in general.

"What can I say?" he shrugs but the look in his eyes is a little less carefree than what he's trying to portray as he returns the gesture, tongue running over the seam of his lips as he takes me in. Leaving his intentions maybe a little less innocent than his sincerity. "You're a hell of a pilot, one of the best I've ever seen. You left an impression to say the least."

I can't help but feel warmth come to my face at the look in his eyes that I've never quite seen in anyone else's and turn my head, not knowing whether to be frustrated he's actually having an effect on me or flattered I have a commander standing here flirting with me, but I do like the attention. As for flattery well... that's something I've always received little of.

So maybe I'm being a little bit of an asshole, but I genuinely don't know how to do anything but rebuff him considering it's second nature by now. "What was your name again?"

I remember it, but I want to see how he reacts to his ego being bruised. Somehow he's not put off and just challenges "You know now I think of it you still haven't given me yours."

Wanting to get a little closer I hop down from my ship to find that he has half a foot on me, maybe a little more although it's not exactly hard when I inherited my mother's height. His face is closer now and somehow even more striking up close much to my frustration, a problem I've never had before or at least not to this degree. The sudden proximity leaves me a little more bashful than I'd anticipated but I may as well enjoy the moment considering it'll be over once he learns my name, for a multitude of reasons.

"You can call me Captain," I state. I might have had that title stripped away with every other privilege I had when I was grounded but if she wants me back she's going to have to make compromises.

"Captain?" he repeats back in surprise but respects it. "Alright Captain..." he trails off for a moment, considering his options but inevitably deciding to go with one of the riskier ones. "How long have you been away from base for?"

"Almost a year," I answer, curious to see if that leads him down any trail of thought but he doesn't seem to be using his head to think, although unfortunately for me that face makes up for it. He's older, late twenties, a man who clearly takes pride in his appearance judging by his hair. Again, he has good reason too and even more unfortunately I'm too susceptible to that damn face.

"Then let me give you a tour of the new and improved facilities," he begins before changing tactics, his voice deepening slightly as he leans closer. "Or I could take you out to a spot just outside base with a clear view of a constellation I think you'd like, and maybe by the time we make our way back you'll like me enough to be on a first name basis." His eyes are kind, but there's a mischief behind them that draws me right in. "If that's alright with you?"

It takes me a moment to register what he's saying let alone asking, and when I do I'm convinced that surely I've misheard him or definitely misinterpreted his words. But his interest is something I definitely I haven't misread, intentions are another matter, but this... this was the last thing I'd prepared myself for when I returned to base. I've had passes made at me sure, but certainly never this.

It leaves me speechless for a moment longer than I'd like, but I manage to quickly regain myself and my dignity. I've been back here for five minutes and I'm blushing over some flyboy's pickup line, a flyboy who holds the rank I'd sought for longer than he's been a part of the Resistance.

Oh no this, whatever it is I'm feeling, this won't do.

"Alright commander," I say, making sure whatever happens next is on my terms. "I'll consider it, but first how about you show me what you've got and finish what we started in the field."

"What I've got?" he repeats as I look at the x-wings. "Sweetheart you're speaking to one of the best pilots in the galaxy."

"Sweetheart?" I repeat and actually laugh knowing it didn't end well for the last guy that tried to call me that, and he momentarily panics before seeing the glint in my eye, only more determined to put him in his place before I can consider maybe, just maybe, taking him up on his offer. "Alright then flyboy, get that ass in an x-wing and prove it."

He's tempted, tongue running across the seam of his lips as he leans down and crosses his arms over his chest. "As much as I'd love to do that, I don't want to get put on probation in my first few months and neither should you."

I whistle, taking pleasure in taunting him. "I got the big ego part right but I didn't take you for a pussy."

Now I've got him. "Oh no, I'm not a pussy."

I look down at his astromech who beeps at him knowing it's a bad idea, just as R2 gives me a beep of warning to not get myself in trouble but I've already made up my mind and so I look back up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

His dark eyes are locked onto mine with determination and I find a spark in them that's the same as mine. "Really."

Knowing I must have some effect on him I tilt my chin up, smirking as I challenge "Prove it."

I must look like a hot mess after hours of maintenance with my braid falling out and the top of my white blouse unbuttoned and stained with oil, my body's covered in engine grease wiped off my palms and smells like it, but he seems to like that.

And I definitely like his face.

Maybe I was right in coming back to base after all.

"Alright," he agrees, physically closer than I've let anyone come to me in a long time. "But you'll lose."

"Fifty credits," I bet knowing I've certainly returned a lot richer from my exploits, even if most of it's gone into my ship and weapons, and he doubles it.

"Hundred."

"One fifty," I challenge to raise the stakes and see that same restless excitement in his eyes. Pilots, people who live on risks and rushes of adrenaline, they're a disaster waiting to happen when it comes to gambling. "You on?"

"How about this, I win and you let me show you around base," he says, the glint in his eye proving to me he might be more of a worthy opponent than I'd originally taken him for. "You win and you're the one who gets to show me around."

He knows he's got me there, and I'm shaking my head with a stupid smile on my face knowing it too. It's a win-win situation for him although I'm curious to see if it would be the same for me, silently cursing how something in his eyes makes me electric. He might be a flyboy but he's one smooth bastard and I've got to get him back. "Alright then hotshot, first one to circumnavigate the planet's atmosphere and land back here wins."

"Atmosphere?" he repeats, knowing atmospheric flying in one of the more dangerous thrills a pilot could partake in, but he only grins back at me with that spark in his eye. "You're on."

"Let's see what you've got then commander," I say, waiting for him to realise he's screwed with the work I've done on my ship but again, he's thinking with anything but his head, and I tease "Then we'll see about me showing you around."

I'm not the only one with a stupid smile on my face and his eyes follow me as I walk back to my ship. Maybe I'm guilty when it comes to liking the attention, I've had my fair share of it not that I've ever entertained it, but none have ever looked like him or had that spark in their eye. I go to pull the ladder over, considering using the force to leap up might give him a little bit of a shock, and hear him call out "Need a foot up?"

"Piss off," I laugh and he flashes a teasing grin at me that only feeds my own determination. "You know you're going to lose right?"

"Don't worry I'll go easy," he promises as if he's doing me a favour.

I raise an eyebrow, not afraid to pull a dirty card to throw him off his game. "Because I'm a girl?"

"Oh no, no, no," he quickly corrects with a nervous laugh, his momentary panic only confirming that he isn't that type of flyboy. There shouldn't be any of them on base considering who the General is but you never know, I mean she did marry one after all. But still, I find an awful amusement in how quickly he refutes it. "Women are just as capable in a cockpit I can promise you that, but as damn good as you are you haven't seen me in action yet."

"Because I'd taken care of all the action before your slow ass ship could get there," I reply and he's all the more ready to try to show me up and my ego meets his as I smirk. "Don't worry I'll go easy."

The droids beep at each other in question as to whether or not they should get involved as he takes on the challenge, jumping up into his x-wing and I climb into mine, only for another ship to suddenly appear in the atmosphere as our droids get into their respective astromech ports. I blink in confusion at the ship, only to sense her before I begin to register who the ship belongs to. "Shit."

He looks at me as to ask if I'm ready to take off and he flashes a confused look as I give him the fall back gesture and shrink back into the cockpit as the ship lands, seeing the same look of panic on his face when he realises who's caught us.

I'm wearing a guilty smile as Mom comes out of the ship, walking with purpose but stopping in her tracks the moment she senses me, whatever emotion fills her face is quickly replaced with exasperation as she looks up at me, and then to the commander, shaking her head at us both.

"Get out of those x-wings."

The commander panics as we both climb out of the x-wings and I come to stand in front of Mom for the first time in almost a year. She wears the familiar expression of frustration, but thankfully I still see the fondness amongst it. I open my mouth but find myself lost for words as I suddenly clam up.

"General," Poe stammers beside me. "I was just-"

"I'm not blaming you, Commander," she sighs and turns her head towards me. "I know my daughter has a habit of causing trouble."

He does a double take, one I've seen often when the men on base have realised they've attempted to chat up the General's daughter. Although none have admittedly been as successful as him. "Daughter?"

Mom just gives a slight shake of her head as she sighs, as if she hadn't expected anything else. "Commander Dameron meet-"

"Hope Solo," I say shaking his limp hand, he's stunned as I meet his eye and for just a moment I see the faintest flicker of recognition amongst the pure mortification. "General's daughter."

"Unfortunately for my sanity," Mom remarks and shakes her head at me as Brance rushes into the hanger to meet her only to go unignored as she asks "Did you seriously try to drag my newest commander into an x-wing race?"

Brance looks between the commander and I at those words and suddenly seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown as he marches back out of the hanger as quickly as he came. Again, Mom looks as if she hadn't expected anything else.

"Maybe," I admit as Poe scratches his head, clearly more than a little blindsided. She looks at my x-wing, mechanically literate enough to realise the parts I've put in aren't cheap or legal and I try to smile and exploit the big eyes that seem to work on everyone else but her. "Miss me?"

She raises her eyebrows in warning and I quickly shut up.

"Commander, considering you've already become acquainted with my daughter you can be gracious enough to escort her to intelligence where she will hand over the information she has on the First Order outpost she destroyed before Snap could gather data on it," she says, barely reigning in her frustration with me but it's the disappointment in her voice that stings. "Then you'll meet me in my office, Hope."

"Yes General," we both say in unison and she shakes her head as walks past out of the hanger, leaving the commander and I standing there in shared awkwardness. While I feel guilty he's purely mortified, and I actually feel slightly bad now.

It's silent until he breaks it. "I'd say you were trying to set me up if she wasn't so happy to see you."

"Yeah," I say, his sarcasm being nothing but truthful. "Won't lie, I was hoping for a warmer welcome back but it could have been worse."

He looks at me now with his own eyebrows raised, standing there in a state of barely constrained panic. "It could have been worse? Worse for you you mean?"

I look at him in surprise. "A flyboy who actually cares what his commanding officers think of him, how rare."

"When my commanding officers are war heroes, yeah I care," he says defensively, incredulous that I don't share that sentiment. The tension between us is just as thick as it was moments ago but different now.

"Well commander, you'll come to learn your heroes are quite human," I assure him, knowing how every person on base reveres my mother, which is fair as she deserves every bit of it, but their reverence for Luke and my father is less justifiable. "Legends are often disappointing."

If I'm the last hope for my family then I'm only proof of that.

He looks at me now how they all do when I don't live up to the expectations they have of their heroes, little do they know their own heroes don't even live up to them.

But my own reputation? Well I can certainly live up to that.

He takes me in more carefully now, with equal caution and curiosity, but also with the slightest bit of wonder in his eye as he says "So, you're Hope Solo."

"That's me," I say, shrugging my shoulders despite knowing the weight my name carries. "Am I missing some grand reputation I'm meant to be living up to?"

From the way he stammers I know I am and it usually falls into two categories, a Jedi or a political scandal. My reputation as a pilot clearly isn't as prominent as I'd like it to be despite my stint as a racer.

"Well," he begins and I can tell he's not quite sure what to make of me. "I- you aren't what I expected."

I'm intrigued now as I take him in, sensing nerves beneath that cocky exterior. "And what did you expect?"

I don't miss the way his eyes skim over me and so I return the favour, somehow still quite liking what I see despite his fleeting defensiveness. "Well-" he coughs to try to cover himself. "Not you."

That's an answer I don't quite mind and I laugh under my breath. "Acceptable."

"So," he continues, keeping a respectable distance from me as we continue through the base, suddenly taking a very different approach towards me now he knows I'm the General's daughter. A fact that inevitably scares off anyone who looks at me how he did, although I can't quite say anyone has, not like that at least. "How did the General's daughter end up rogue in the Outer Rims?"

"That's quite the story," I say, realising what I did must have stayed classified outside of high command. "And not a pretty one."

"Alright," he says, he doesn't push but asks "So what did you do here before that?"

That's the question.

"Well I'm the General's daughter," I say, repeating what everyone else does with some embellishments. "Best damn pilot here, but considering I prefer blasters to negotiating they tend to keep me out of the loop."

He raises an eyebrow, a glint of almost childlike excitement in his eye as he asks "Not a lightsaber?"

And there's that one final legacy that Luke left me when he went into exile, that of the last Jedi. When the news of the temple's destruction broke they all looked to the supposed sole survivor for answers, but some looked at me as a suspect. The Jedi Killers grandaughter being the only survivor of a fire that killed all of the Jedi... that's one other legacy I've been left with.

But he only looks at me with an awestruck curiosity, not too dissimilar to how I'd look at Luke and the other students before I'd started my training, back when the Jedi were still mysterious to me. I can't quite remember anyone looking at me that way however, not until now.

"Oh I've got my lightsaber but I've been frequently reminded that it isn't a good look for the Resistance to use it for combat," I explain as we walk through the hanger towards intelligence, not quite sure why I'm still speaking to him when I'm about to get torn to shreds by my own mother but he's listening and perhaps I don't mind the sound of his voice. "And then there's the fact we aren't meant to engage the enemy first."

"That's a big one," he says keeping his tone light, playful even, but I can feel a mutual frustration there. "Something tells me that's part of it?"

"I might have gotten a bit carried away once or twice," I admit, something tells me with an ego like his he has as well, but not to the severity I did. "But there's nothing like practice."

He meets me in the middle there. "As frustrating as it is not being able to engage the Resistance is better when it comes to action than the Navy, I can promise you that."

"Yes but be warned commander, a little too much action and you'll get yourself grounded," I say with a bitter edge to my voice. "I would know."

"Too much action or insubordination?" he asks in amusement and if his face wasn't enough to take a liking to him that's sealed it.

"Well there's no point committing insubordination if there's no action," I remark and he laughs, something tells me he's no stranger to it either.

"I like the way you think but I'm glad I'm not your commander."

"I prefer to work alone so rest assured you won't have to deal with me," I say as we reach intelligence but something in his eyes tempts me against my better judgement, strikes a boldness in me I had never quite realised was there until now. "Unless you want to?"

But as expected he's suddenly hesitant. It's typically seen as disrespectful to even look at your superior's daughter that way and well no one wants to disrespect the general, but it's a little late for him to pretend like he wasn't quite interested just a few minutes ago.

He quickly becomes nervous, trying to laugh it off before not so subtly changing the subject. "So uh- I guess I will be then if you're going to be flying?"

"I will be," I state as he clams up, putting on his friendliest face and the gives me an awkward thumbs up of all things before guiding me inside the command centre. Usually I wouldn't care, usually I'd laugh when I'd watch them suddenly clam up, but it seems this one's left an impression, for better or for worse.

Brance stands there as we enter the room and hesitates at the sight of us. "The General said you had some reconnaissance data about First Order patrols?" he swallows and I can't recall what I did to make him like this, but he's in charge of intelligence. He knows exactly what I've been doing. "Around Tatooine I presume?"

There's judgment in his voice upon mentioning Tatooine, but Brance's judgment's only a fraction of what I'm about to get from Mom.

"Well, I don't exactly have it," I say looking at R2 but he's hardly been collecting any. "I saw an outpost and I blew it up, twenty four tie's in total including the ones this commander saw me take down, three squadrons, not much else to say." I turn to the commander now, since these patrols should be his area of jurisdiction, but mostly because I don't like to walk away without the last word. "But if you'd like a report on all the First Order outposts I've cleared in the outer rims you can come and find me."

Poe stops and blinks at me in slight alarm. "Cleared?"

"Cleared," I confirm and leave him to put together what I mean as I dismiss myself with a sly smile. "Commander." I nod my head to Brance who's turned pale. "Major."

Both their eyes follow me as I leave the room, forcing myself to keep a straight face as I willingly send myself to the interrogation chamber.

The encounter still plays on my mind as I wait to speak with Mom, it's almost a welcome distraction from what's waiting for me. But it's hard not to dwell when it's left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I'd once joked to Lando that no one would be brave enough to take a chance on me with who my family is, little did I know then just how true it would be, and that was before the entire galaxy found out I'm the heir of Darth Vader himself. In the public's eyes Mom was never a Jedi, she as far as they know can't wield the force. They could throw every accusation of treason and conspiracy against her but that, the claims of being a danger to society because of our blood was reserved for me and Luke and Ben.

Not to mention I've become the sister of a pretender.

But he's not the one accused of being the Jedi Killer, how can he be when much like Anakin Skywalker the galaxy believes he died with the rest of the Jedi. Like Luke he left me to bear those accusations alone. To carry this name that's only gotten heavier with each passing day.

But for a moment I liked being a mystery, and I liked it even more when he still looked at me with awe instead of apprehension after learning my name. Poe Dameron. I hate to say it but unlike the other flyboys that come through here I actually like this one.

Wait.

"Are you fucking serious," I whisper under my breath in irony into the empty space of Mom's office and remember where I've heard his name.

It was just days before everything went to hell. I'd travelled to Theron to be with Dad after I'd gotten myself expelled from university after a rather dramatic display that I'm still quite proud of. Lando and I sat watching the Five Saber's races when a man had caught my attention in the stands below, or if memory serves me the force had drawn my attention to him. Not that it would have mattered to Lando, all Lando saw was his niece staring at some guy.

"Oh no, now I know for a fact pretty boy down there's too old for you," Lando had laughed.

I'd just reminded him about how much older Dad was than Mom when they met and he laughed with me while trying to hush me. I don't know how the conversation had descended into what it had, with me expressing to him my juvenile worries no one would ever want to take a chance on me with who I was. Perhaps now I don't care about something as silly as love, I've experienced enough of it to know how it ends, but back then I did, what sixteen year old doesn't? He tried to ease my worries, giving me the sort of pep talk only an uncle can give, Mom had echoed similar statements not long after but Lando's words stuck with me over the years.

I'd thought that had been the end of it until I'd sat in the cantina as Lando went to the bar and I watched the same man introduce himself. Growing up with war heroes for parents, especially Han Solo, I was never a stranger to having aspiring pilots wanting to meet their heroes and so I'd watched from a distance as they spoke, happily out of sight.

"General Calrissian," Poe Dameron had said shaking his hand. "It's an honour."

"General?" I heard Lando repeat in amusement. "No one's called me that in a long time."

"You fought with my parents on Endor," he'd said and I'd been slightly more interested.

"Wait don't tell me, I know that face," Lando had said and laughed in realisation. "You're Kes and Shara's boy aren't you?"

He'd given his name "Poe Dameron."

I'd recognised his parents names, particularly his mother's since she'd defended Naboo during Operation Cinder. More than anything I just remember being confused by the strange nagging I felt, almost as if I knew him, or rather that I would know him. It seems my intuition was correct.

All things considered, that day is something I'd all but forgotten about until now and it leaves me unsettled. Nothing good ever comes when the force starts throwing these coincidences at me, or rather as it seems wrapping up loose ends. There was more to the conversation I struggle to recall, conversations about the navy and whatnot, but I do remember them talking about his mother.

As an aspiring pilot I'd taken an interest in the women who flew such as her and Hera Syndulla. Dad would often feign offence when I'd beg Mom to be able to come with her to meetings with General Syndulla since they'd had a friendly rivalry back in the day. Although Hera never abandoned her kid despite him being force sensitive so I know who I like more. Wherever he is I'm sure he's glad he was grown up by the time Luke began taking students, with Ben's age group having been the oldest ones he trained. The youngest however... that still pains me to think about.

I'd disappeared before Lando could introduce us, so at least some of my anonymity remains intact. While I'm vaguely familiar with him, all he knows of me would be reputation and that's how I prefer to be known.

Although the force isn't finished with me yet, the lingering tension from the last time I sat in this office still remains, bringing back other more uncomfortable memories.

"What do you mean I'm grounded!" I raged at her after coming back from what I thought was a successful mission. "I did everything you asked me to-"

"I sent you to run reconnaissance not to engage!" she yelled, as beside herself with anger as I'd ever seen her. "Instead you used the force to interrogate an officer and not just that, you engaged an entire squadron of stormtroopers with a lightsaber-"

"And I took them out!" I reminded her, proud of my accomplishment even if she was horrified, or at least proud in the moment.

"And potentially started a war!" she snapped and slammed her hand down on the table. "What is the one rule I ask you to follow, the only damn rule that matters!"

Still I didn't care. "How are we meant to stop them if we can't fight them-"

"We stop them through these missions you think are pointless, through collecting data and using it to secure whatever funding we can get from the very few allies we have in the senate," she tried to make me understand and she grit out "Hope, we do not have the numbers or the facilities to enter into a war. The Rebellion was thousands strong, we have less than a hundred and the Resistance cannot afford to lose the only Jedi we have because she decided to go rogue and take matters into her own hands with the very weapon that should never be used for such violence."

Those words rubbed me the wrong way "So that's my role, the one symbolic Jedi. Not a pilot, not a fighter, not even your daughter-"

"Don't go there," she warned, the mother-daughter relationship we'd finally forged during the scandal with Vader having worn away with every disagreement over strategy. "I am speaking to you as your general, not your mother, and it's time you learned the difference. Which is why you aren't just stripped of your rank, you are grounded until you can pull your head in and not endanger this entire resistance on a whim. You tortured a man Hope." The way she looked at me made me sick. "You used the force to torture a man like-" she cut herself off but we both knew damn well who she was comparing me to. "For someone who can see the past you sure as hell don't know how to learn from it."

"He mentioned Ben," I ground out and she couldn't meet my eye. "He's calling himself Kylo Ren and has made himself the First Order's enforcer. Did you think I was going to let that officer go without finding out everything I could about what my brothers been doing!"

"I'm more concerned about what you've done," she said, terribly pale. "Saving those children at whatever cost, that I could excuse, that I would have even promoted you for. But the carnage you left behind and giving the First Order grounds to attack us I can't excuse. Using the force for that- as the last person with any authority to tell you how the force should be used... I am disgusted Hope."

But not as disgusted as I was at what I'd seen. "He was dragging children screaming from their homes-"

"And what intelligence did you torture out of him?" she asks me and that's when I clamped my mouth shut. "You could have asked where they were to be taken, how many, where their battalion is stationed, but no. You weren't just reckless you were selfish. If you were going to take your anger out regardless you could have given us something useful instead of chasing after Snoke. Tell me how did you rationalise the thought that a low ranking officer would know where either of them are?" I opened my mouth but she cut me off sharply. "Every single member of high command across all of our stations has petitioned for your demotion and an official court martial which has never happened before in the entirety of this organisation. They want you not just grounded permanently but banned from any Resistance operations and frankly I agree."

I gaped at her, betrayed. Command could believe whatever they wanted, but this was my own mother. "You think I'm dangerous?"

"I think you have been nothing but angry and spiteful these past years," she confessed to me as I stood there with tears burning in my eyes. "I understand you went through something horrific, I understand why you're acting out, but right now I can't trust that-"

"I won't end up like Ben?" She still couldn't meet my eye and I felt more betrayed by her in that moment than I ever did when I discovered the truth about Vader. "You think I'm like him?" But I knew there was something else. "No, you don't think I'm like Ben. You think I'm like him. Your father."

There was a bite to her voice. "Don't call him my father and don't you dare think for even a moment I would believe you could become what he did."

"Then why?" I whispered, tears of anger wetting my cheeks. "Why don't you trust me?"

"Because as of this moment you are too unstable to be trusted with important missions, or any mission for that matter," she said carefully, but the words hurt just as much. "I can't protect you from the law if you decide to let darkness take control, which is why you have to work where I can keep an eye on you. I want you to go to Hosnian Prime to work with the few allies we have left in the senate, Varish will look after you. You spent years being educated for a career in politics and I gave you your title so you could take my place in the senate. If I can't trust you in the field then that is your assignment."

I shook my head. "No." She was leaning over her desk, head hung in distress. "If you won't let me fight then I'm not staying here."

"Hope," she argued. "Please for once in your life think before storming out."

"I have," I said. "If you don't trust me then I'm going to find the one person who does." She looked up in fear, and I knew what she assumed. "Not him, Dad."

She sighed. "Honey, your father-"

"Is out there," I said, tired of failing to live up to her expectations. "And if I'm too much like him for you, or any other man in this damn family, then I'm going to find him!"

I'd stormed out with hot tears running down my cheeks, now I sit here cold as she enters the room and sits down across from me without a word, neither of us knowing what to say until I break the silence.

"Am I being court-martialed?"

"No," she answers shortly, her voice difficult to read.

"Lando convinced me to come home," I say, unable to calm the defensive tone in my voice. "I was hoping for a warmer welcome considering the speech he gave about how much you've missed me, how worried you've been."

"I was worried," she says, struggling to hold back her frustration. "I was worried sick that you were hurt or out of your mind but no, I find you the same as ever going off to race x-wings whilst I've been in the core worlds doing the job I'd asked you to do." I just shake my head to try to fight off the guilt and look away until she relents and asks "Did you find Han?"

"No, but Lando will keep looking," I answer stiffly and get to business. "He said you had a mission for me."

She nods, but if I thought she was going to let the past be the past I was wrong. "We will get to that, but now enough time has passed I hope we can speak honestly now about what happened so let me begin by saying what you did horrified me Hope. My barely nineteen year old daughter torturing an enemy officer and committing a massacre beyond what was necessary to protect those children. Even after they were off the planet you went back to finish the job to ensure there was no one living to testify to what you did. You committed a war crime, several I might add."

Against my better judgement I retort. "Legally it's not a war crime if we aren't technically at war."

She shakes her head, having not expected any different. "A cold war is still a war and it's only getting worse."

"Which is why-"

"Why you've been hunting the First Order for sport?" she finishes and I'm glad Snap gave me a warning. "Commander Dameron told me all about your encounter before you decided to come back and try to- what- what the hell were you even doing?"

I put it simply. "Trying to prove a point."

She just sighs and puts her head in her hands. "Hope you've been back five minutes and you're already giving me a headache."

"You asked me to come back," I remind her, wishing I'd stayed gone. "Sent Lando to beg me to come back-"

"Yes because you're my daughter and I love you despite how infuriatingly stupid you've been," she says bluntly and pure anger suddenly fills her eyes. "Working for Boba Fett?"

Shit.

Despite my panic I hold my ground. "He pays well."

"He pays well?" she repeats. "I should think so considering the money he got from giving your father over to Jabba the Hutt."

"Well that's his own fault for making shitty deals and not following through," I say, knowing well enough by now how it works. "You say I don't learn from the past but he's the one repeating it."

"And you should be smarter than to get into the same mess for the sake of spiting him," she lectures. "Because that's why you did it in the first place isn't it? To spite your father and when he didn't come back to drag you off Tatooine you decided to take the credits and take your anger out on tie fighters."

I remain unremorseful. "Would you rather me use a lightsaber?"

I'd almost forgotten that like myself, she gives as good as she gets but it's a comparison that doesn't phase me anymore. "Like Vader did?"

"I was once told Anakin Skywalker was a war criminal," I say, remembering that history lesson on the Clone Wars after years of Luke making our grandfather out to be the ultimate hero in Ben's eyes. "It only seems right I continue his legacy."

She does not like that answer. "Alright then I was wrong, you haven't matured enough to take on this mission."

She gets up to leave and I relent "Wait, Mom." She looks at me expectantly and we've been through this enough times I know what she wants to hear. "I'm sorry."

She still waits. "For?"

"For being a smartass about committing a war crime, no matter how justified it was, and running away for a year," I say and watch her inhale deeply to keep herself calm. "And for being a smartass now."

She sits back down and leans back in her chair. "A year Hope. I would have thought being gone that long running around the Outer Rims would have matured you at least slightly."

I actually scoff. "You really thought that after being married to Dad?"

"For one single minute can you not be a smartass," she pleads and raises her index finger. "Just one."

I wisely keep my mouth shut and nod, knowing it won't last.

"Long enough has passed I believe I can convince command you've grown up and have seen the error of your mistakes," she begins, moving to negotiations. "Now we both know that's a load of crap but if you want to get back in the field they need to believe it. I might be the General but there is only so much I can do to help you because I can't be seen giving my daughter or any member of this Resistance special treatment. While you've been gone I've done my best to try to rebuild your reputation for the day you inevitably came back, most of the base believes you've been studying politics on Naboo and completing your education."

I scoff in offence and suddenly it all makes sense why a commander would see someone pull off what I did and never even think of my name. "That's the best lie you could come up with, that I willingly went back to university after they expelled me for arguing with that old Imperial bitch?"

"Yes," she states and my frustration only grows, that I'm only known as the spoiled princess sent off to Naboo instead of what I've worked hard to become.

"So you discredit the fact I'm the best pilot in the Resistance so everyone believes I'm just some spoiled princess playing politics at some prissy university to the point your shiny new flyboy can't even realise who I must be and thinks he's actually better than I am?" Her eyebrows shoot up at that remark. "That's your solution to rebuilding my reputation? By utterly falsifying it and discrediting the one thing I've worked hard to be." I stick a finger into my chest as I grit out "I started flying when I was a child, I begged and pleaded to join the starfighter corps when I was just twelve years old and have spent my entire life working damn hard to be the pilot that I am. It's bad enough everyone just dismisses me as being Han Solo's daughter when I'm a better pilot than he ever was, but for no one to even recognise me as a pilot and just think I'm off prancing around Naboo-" I have to cut myself short. "How could you do that?"

She sees I'm genuinely hurt but remains firm in her decision. "How do you think they'd take it if I said you were running around with pirates and hunting the First Order on some mad vendetta?"

"They'd think I was actually doing something worthwhile," I say and she blinks at me incredulously. "You might think I've been acting like an idiot but I've been smart about it."

She's unimpressed and bites back. "Words right out of your father's mouth."

"I made sure even if people pieced together I was the one in that starfighter they couldn't do anything about it because I was being legally contracted to defend a system from an unwelcome force, hell I had an invitation to the bounty hunters guild that I didn't accept because I knew it would be a bad look for the Resistance and for you. But I've been damn good at what I've been doing and I'm not going to apologise for it."

"Congratulations," she deadpans. "In trying to piss off your father you've become him, running away from your family for the thrill of making credits and blowing things up."

That finally shuts me up, Vader I can take being compared to, but not him. Not when I know she looks at me and sees him more than anyone else. She suddenly looks remorseful and reaches for my hand.

"Hope, you are my daughter and I love you more than you could ever know," she says and I wasn't prepared for those words, looking away as I force back tears. "But you need to realise your actions have consequences, if your father's situation isn't evidence of that I don't know what is. Luck inevitably runs out."

"It hasn't for you."

Her eyes are sad. "It ran out a long time ago, but yours hasn't. Not yet." I don't expect the ache when she reaches for my face and forcing back tears has not felt this hard in a long time. "You've grown up."

"Yeah well, that happens," I say curtly and she withdraws her hand. "I know you think I ran off like Dad did but you didn't give me a choice."

"You had a choice and you made it," she says gently, the love in her voice only making it worse. "But now I need you to own up to it and make better ones."

"If you want me to be ashamed of what I've done and apologise for it I won't," I say and finally she listens. "I did make my choices, and don't think I wouldn't make them again."

"Alright," she says upon seeing this won't go the way she wants. "Do you want to hear the truth?"

Believing there's nothing left she could say to hurt me I shrug. "Shoot."

"I never believed it when I was told the Skywalker blood ran strong in you, but I should have. When Sola and my mother's handmaidens told me you reminded them of my father I didn't listen. When Luke warned me dark things would come of your training I should have listened but I didn't and you were nearly killed as a consequence."

"Mom-" I immediately whisper at her blaming herself.

"I knew something was wrong between you and Ben, I knew something was wrong with him, but I sent you back to Ossus with him regardless," she says as if Ben gave her a choice in the matter. He'd taken me as his apprentice, and his eyes his authority overuled our own mother's. "Days later everything was gone. Ben, Luke, eventually Han. Everything was lost in that fire except for you." Her voice breaks. "I have tried in every way I know how to help you Hope, but you aren't helping me. It is a fact that you share many similarities with your grandfather, more than Ben ever did. Everyone who's ever lived to know both of you has said as much. I am aware of the darkness that's clung to you ever since you discovered what he became and I want to help you Hope, but I need you to let me."

My throat's tight. I've always shrugged off the comparisons, but they've never come so strongly from my own mother, the one person in the galaxy who has the most cause to despise him. Yet in my travels I've only found more people who've confirmed what I've tried to deny for years. "So that's why you can't stand me, because I take after him?"

She shakes her head in disbelief that that's the conclusion I'd come to, voice incredulous as she whispers "No, Hope that's not what I'm trying to tell you."

"Do you have any idea how long I spent trying to live up to you?" I ask her, remembering now just why I ran. "Trying to live up to a perfect hero but no matter how hard I try I'm told time and time again that I'm my father's daughter, or worse that I take after Anakin Skywalker. Never you, never Padmé Amidala, only ever them." Frustrated tears burn in my eyes that she truly can't fathom. "I don't want to hear that, I don't want to live up to anyone's legacy. I've spent years training to make my own path, I've spent another year out there in the Outer Rims not even recognising myself in the mirror trying to make a name for myself just to have all these powerful people look at me and tell me I'm just like a man I never knew. Desperate for validation, living up to a self-imposed prophecy, the one to restore balance and save us all only to lead the slaughter. Or worse that I'm like the father who abandoned me."

She quickly becomes unnerved at the cynical laughter that escapes me along with the tears. "Hope-"

"I don't want that, I just want my family but I can't have that," I say with a barely contained primordial rage burning in me. "All because of a voice in Ben's head." She's deadly quiet as I finally look her in the eye. "So if killing stormtroopers is as close as I can get to killing Snoke then that's what I'm going to do."

For the first time I sense a deep fear within her and she again reaches for my hand only for me to sharply pull it away. "I need you to listen to me."

"No!" I yell, a trembling mess as I slam my hand down on the desk. "I need you to listen to me when I say that if I can get my hands on Snoke I can end this! Or if I can just find Ben I know I could bring him back or convince him to turn on Snoke, but to do that I need to get my hands on these First Order officers and-"

"And you'll what, torture information out of them?"

The answer's simple in my mind. "Why not?"

"Because it's torture hope!" she yells. "For the love of-, you are not going to be torturing anyone for information. I know how much you loved your brother, I know how close you were and you are not the only one who wants him back." There's tears in both our eyes now. "But you are simply not prepared to take on Snoke."

"Luke took on the Emperor didn't he?" I retort. "He convinced Vader to turn on him and so will Ben. I know him better than you ever did Mom as much as you hate to hear that. I know he was screwed in the head and delusional, hell I know that better than you ever could and I have permanent scars to remind me of it every day!" There's nothing but pain in her eyes. "But everything he did was to protect me as twisted as it was and he would never let Snoke do to me what he's done to him. I know if I bring him back we will destroy Snoke."

She tries to steer me away from the subject, to de-escalate, to distract me from the spiral I'm heading down. "Someday yes, but for now I need you focused on proving to the senate what the First Order is truly doing so we can prepare. I promise you the day will come when you can use your saber but until then we need to build up the Resistance before starting a war we can't win and you are only one person. We need the support of the New Republic and the senate-"

"When are you going to realise we need to damn what the senate says and go after them ourselves?" I exclaim and it's then I fess up. "Do you have any idea how many of those bastards I've killed before they could gain a foothold in the Outer Rims?" Her face turns to stone. "How many outposts I've destroyed-"

"I don't want to know," she says hoarsely. "I don't want to know how many people you've killed or how many outposts you've blown up. I just want you to do what I'm asking you to do."

"What are you so afraid of?" I ask her at a complete loss. "I am capable-"

"You are too capable and you know it which makes you dangerous," she states factually and years worth of anger finally comes out. "You think you're smarter than everyone else in the room, but you're not. You think you are better and that you know better but you don't and it's past time you heard it. You don't do what is asked of you, you either go too far or disobey. You have always been all or nothing Hope. You run away for a year and now come back asking for me to trust you but I can't. You're impulsive and rash and not in the way we need. You don't think before acting and still refuse to do what is asked of you. You always have and I had hoped you could be mature enough to sit down so we could both apologise and move forward so I could give you this very important mission but no, you're too defensive and too defiant to even listen to me without interpreting me trying to get through to you as an attack!" Her voice breaks and for one of the very few times in my life I see tears running down her face. Three times I've seen it, but never solely because of me. "I love you, but I cannot trust you when you're like this."

Her words hurt, they're true, but they still hurt.

No, they don't just hurt, they tear me apart and I've never craved to be back in my bedroom on Hosnian Prime so badly. Back when I was still a child, back when I was still young enough if I cried I knew someone would come to comfort me, whether it was her or Dad, or most often Ben. Back before everything went to hell, and I can't stop the tears from coming now.

She goes to take my hand again but I pull it away, shaking my head as I stumble back out of my chair away from her, my flight response taking over. "Hope!" she calls out as I head for the door. "Wait-"

I'm already out the door and halfway to the hanger when I slam into Poe Dameron as I round a corner, he catches my arm and goes to ask if I'm alright but I pull it free, not stopping to make conversation as I rush to find R2 so we can leave.

For good this time.

#poe dameron #poe dameron x solo!oc #poe dameron fanfiction #poe dameron x oc #sequel trilogy #poe dameron x original character #solo original character #skywalker original character #solo!oc #poe dameron x solo original character #star wars fanfiction #star wars original character #sequel trilogy fanfiction #poe dameron x f!oc #poe dameron x female original character

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hinatastinygiant · 1 year

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30 | Sepia

CONTENT WARNING! MAIN CHARACTER SUICIDE!

Pairing: Bokuto x Fem!Reader

Escapism Masterlist

The following morning you wake up in a hot flash. You can feel your entire body sweating as though you were just being burned alive. You sit up from where you lay on the couch and look over at Bokuto. However, he isn’t there. You quickly wipe your blurry eyes and look around the room. He’s nowhere to be seen.

When you stand up, you let your blanket fall to the ground carelessly. Then, as you walk to the door, you realize it’s no longer snowing. In fact, it doesn’t look like it has been snowing at all. There’s not even a dusting on the ground.

“You’re awake. Good,” you hear a familiar voice call to you. When you turn around you see your mother standing by the entrance to your living room.

“Mom? I thought you and Akujin were away. And where’s Bokuto? Did you kick him out?”

“What? Aku and I have been here the whole time. You’re the one who just showed up. It’s not even winter break yet. I thought you were sick,” she responds as she walks toward you with a cup in her hands. “Here, take this. It’s tea. I was going to drink it but you look like you just saw a ghost.”

“I’m so confused,” you shake your head as you accept the drink. “What’s going on?”

“I think something happened at school,” another voice chimes in. It’s your mother’s girlfriend. “You know, we can talk about it if you want, Y/N. We don’t always have to meet in the office.”

“Office? What’re you talking about?”

“Y/N, did you forget about what we talked about last week? You really lost it once Bokuto’s grandpa passed away. Akujin kindly offered to talk to you. She’s a very good therapist.”

“Therapist?”

“I’ll let you two be,” your mother smiles at her girlfriend before walking out of the room.

“Now, Y/N, can you tell me what happened? Was it the dream again?” Akujin asks as she sits down on the couch.

“What dream?” you ask before taking a small sip from your teacup.

“The one you were telling me about last time. About your friend, Bokuto. I think you’re bottling up a lot of important feelings, Y/N.”

You quietly sit down on the opposite side of the couch as you attempt to process everything that Akujin is telling you. Therapist. Dream about Bokuto. You ‘lost it’ after Grandpa died?

“How long ago did he die?” you quietly ask her.

“About two weeks ago,” she answers calmly. “Did you forget?”

“No,” you shake your head. “I think I just lost track of the time. Is Bokuto still seeing her?”

“Yes. He and Aimi seem very happy together,” she nods.

“And she works with him at the diner. They stay there together until closing. He makes her food. Then they go back to his place,” you think aloud, no longer talking to Akujin.

“That is correct,” she responds anyway. “But they still haven’t made it official. It’s not too late if you still talk to him. That is what Colbie tells you, isn’t it?”

“Colbie?” you think to yourself.

“Yes, the pretty girl you’re friends with. She’s your roommate.”

“Phoebe?” you whisper.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nothing,” you shake your head. “You’re right about Colbie. She always wants what’s best for me.”

“She was really worried when you were getting all those drugs from that addict friend of yours,” she then scoffs.

“Kuroo,” you both say at the same time.

“Fuck.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Akujin continues to ask you. “Did you hit your head or something? You didn’t take any more drugs from him, I hope.”

“No,” you shake your head. “I don’t think so.”

“Good. Now how about you and I take a trip to the diner. It might be good to see Bokuto and finally talk to him. You haven’t spoken a word to him since his grandfather passed away and you don’t want it to look as though you don’t care.”

“Of course I care!” you gasp as though she had just accused you of being a serial murderer. “Bokuto’s grandpa was like my own. But I don’t want to go with you. I can do it by myself.”

“Y/N, I don’t think it’s a very good idea for you to be driving alone,” she tells you softly as she reaches her hand out to your knee.

“Oh, fuck you, Akujin. You may be my fucking therapist and my mother’s girlfriend, for now, but I’d rather kill myself than let you boss me around. I know how to fucking drive.”

“Then make sure you know where you’re going. Your mother won’t be too happy if you ruin her car by getting into an accident.”

You scoff as you stand up from the couch, and as you walk away, you stick your middle finger up at her. “Fucking bitch,” you whisper as you grab your car key. “I can do it on my own, thank you very fucking much.”

As you get into your car, still muttering to yourself about how much your hate your mother’s new fling, you put the key into the ignition and back out of the driveway.

When you get to the diner and step inside, Marlene greets you rather quietly, as if she’s not sure whether to let you in or not.

“I’m here to see Bo. Is he around any…” you begin as your eyes wander the diner until you find him. Near the back. Kissing the girl who works with him at the diner. Aimi.

Just then, from behind, a man wraps his arm around you. All you can feel is his tall slender body, so, thinking it’s Kuroo, you turn around and smile. But much to your dissatisfaction, it’s Caden.

“Hey, baby, what’re you doing here?” he asks sweetly. “I thought we were going to meet up later but you said you were busy…”

“That’s ‘cause I am,” you scoff as you push him away from you.

And though he continues to make a scene, you manage to break yourself away. That is, until your eyes land on Bokuto, watching you from across the diner.

Your whole body breaks out in a sweat. You can feel your head begin to spin as though you’re about to pass out. You can see him start to walk over but, instead of confronting him, you stumble out of the diner.

When you get into your car, you find it harder and harder to breathe. Tears stream down your face as you continue to hyperventilate. Your brain screams at you, trying to pull you into a hundred different directions until you can’t take it any longer.

Hidden in the glove compartment in front of your passenger seat, you grab a small plastic bag of pills. You dump the whole thing in your hand and grab your water bottle nearby.

Then, through blurry eyes, you gaze upon the diner for one last time. As the pills enter your throat, you swallow hard. Perhaps it’s better this way, than in your dream. Or illusion. Or whatever Akujin will call it. Maybe the forensic pathologist will say it was a simple overdose. An accident. Maybe on purpose. Either way, you don’t care.

Maybe now you can escape back to that dream, the one where Bokuto promised he’ll always be beside you, and you’ll never have to worry about a therapist, or an ex-boyfriend, or even another woman in the picture ever again.

THE END

Escapism Masterlist

Taglist: @alientee

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thatyamiguy-blog · 1 year

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Disturb at own risk (Ben 10)

After a summer of being trapped in the RV around Ben and gramps, who while she loved and had enjoyed saving the world with, Gwen Tennyson was excited to be back home. Not just because she had missed her parents, or that she was excited for the start of the school year, But also because she had a interesting way of relaxing and indulging herself and it was one that hadn't been a option in the closed off confines of the rust bucket. Left to her own devices so to speak after having spent hours talking with her parents and playing a few board games, Gwen was almost shaking with delight as she wiggled out of her pants and then her undies, bending down and tugging out her secret delight from it's hiding spot under her bed: A package of extra thick white and pink diapers, called little stinkers. Because you see, Gwen a true blue, chin drooling goo goo gaga diaper girl who could waste away hours in her huggies and crapping herself. Of course while she delighted in the feeling of the diapers, and doubly so when wet and triple so when stinky.. She was also smart enough how life ruining it could be for her if her pervy little squishy diaper fun time got out and took great care to keep it a secret, even taking medications to tone down the smell of her BM's. 'Yeah, doubt I'd be getting looked at by all these private schools and the like if they knew I relax by going all durrr and pooping myself.' Gwen thought with a blush, She had opened the package now and was taking one out, wondering not for the first time just what was it about diapers she liked so much, but like always the need to be a big dumb diaper baby for a few hours ended the mental debate and soon she was sprinkling baby powder on and getting ready for a afternoon of padded fun.

Ben was already missing hero life, since Grandpa Max had made it clear he wasn't going to be able to get away with going hero as much as he had during the summer AND when you add in he'd gotten in for for 'somehow' forgetting he'd been suppose to do book reports and the like to help make up his grades (Technically He shouldn't of passed but his parents had come up with the extra school work over the summer deal) "You would think what with keeping Ghostfreak from turning everyone into monsters I would get a bye on having to a read stupid book but nooooo.." Ben grumbled, kicking a rock on his way over to Gwen's house. the only way he was going to get all of the backlogged work done was going to be with Gwen's help, his parents and Gwen's knew it and while they didn't know what Gwen was doing, her parents who had come over for a visit had told Ben they were sure she'd be glad to help him. 'yeah, after she makes fun of me. we both know she'll wanna lord over how much smarter she is being a little miss perfect.' Ben thought and huffed as he let himself into his aunt and uncles house, having been given the spare key. Little did Ben know he was about to find out that Gwen wasn't so perfect after all though he'd never have a chance to tell anyone and be believed.

It wasn't long after Gwen had gotten her diapie on that she felt the need to go, since she never knew exactly for sure how long she would have the house to herself before diapering up she would always 'pre-game' so to speak and take laxatives so that she could be a mush tush baby in short order. She had already wet herself, giggling as she posed in front of her mirror and pointing a finger at herself so the reflection pointed back. "You, are a big dumb diaper wetting toddler! Now let's make it even better!" she giggled and turned around, looking over her shoulder so she could watch and she dropped into a semi squat. bearing down and grunting, it wouldn't take more then a loud brassy fart or two before her efforts were rewarded and a large lump started to form in the back of her diaper, growing and making the room fill with the soft crackle as her mostly silently movement expanded the diaper. "Mppph~ fuck yeah.. Poop that diaper you big dumb-" Gwen was groaning, then her door opened up and Ben was standing there smirking. "BABY!" he finished, smirking and then laughing and pointing. "Oh my god, little miss perfect is a pamper packer!" "B-Ben! Get out!" Gwen yelled, trying to stop herself but atlas, her bowels weren't finished and she frozen in place as she proved what a super duper diaper pooper she was, more lumps filling out the diaper and making it discolor and sag. If it wasn't for the fact that Ben was watching her crap herself Gwen would of been proud of the load she was making, but somehow being watched robbed her sense of joy. go figure. "Oh wow, Look at that! you're really doing a number on your huggies huh BABY Gwen?" Ben snickered, coming over and then slapping a hand on her mush tush, making Gwen screw up her face and cry out. No stranger to mushing her stinky butt or bouncing in her load, she was taken back by how kinda NICE it felt to get her stinky rump spanked by someone else. 'Ok, file that away for anther time.. have to ignore that for now and-' Gwen was thinking when Ben swatted her butt for a second time. Her eyes rolled back and she got a goofy smile on her face, biting her lower lip as she trembled, and failed to keep a low moan of delight back. "..are..you..Oh man! this just get better and better! stinky baby Gwen wikes having her smelly diapies spanked!" Ben roared with laughter, swatting away at her behind now as she finished up. "I can't wait to tell everyone about this! oh, I should get pictures! OH!! I know I'll just have you do all my homework from now on and in return I'll swat your shit swelled diap-" Ben was saying when suddenly a pink energy field surrounded him and held him up in the air. a flustered and shaking Gwen turned around, her ruined diaper plastered to her ass but she gave a weak but evil smile. "Yeah about that.." She said, willing her composure back. "...Is it too late to say I can pretend this never happened?" Ben asked with a squeak. "WAY too late."

Ben found himself with think to think and reflect on his actions as he was pinned to a wall by Gwen's magic, the back of his undies having been pulled up and tugged over his head so he could suffer a painful wedgie and his mouth stuffed with a pair of her socks (Clean thankfully) while Gwen went and cleaned up. He was positioned in stuck a way that using the omimatrix was out of the question and as he heard the shower running all he could do was hope that Gwen would calm down and they could just have a good laugh about this. Or hey, maybe she would take him up on the offer to tease and spank her for homework, it could happened! 'yeah, and I could grow a second head and start a career doing duets with myself. but best possible endgame is she just erases my memory.' Ben thought, squirming and ironically feeling his own bladder filling up from fear. 'Oh yeah, that'll be great..you already pissed her off, let's make a puddle on her carpet and see how much that helps' he thought to himself sarcastically. The shower turned off and as Gwen made her way back, Ben could only hope and pray that maybe she would just live and let live.

All cleaned up though annoyed her diaper butt time had been drastically reduced because of Ben, Gwen had gone over several punishments/ways of keeping him from blurting out her fetish. most of them involved some over the top violence which she knew would be a HUGE no no, she couldn't just cripple or kill Ben, that wold be wrong. 'I guess I could just erase the memory from him or..Or..' and Gwen smiled to herself as she came in, smirking at the restrained Ben. "Having fun wedgie boy?" she asked, and listened to his muffled attempts to talk. "Oh really? well seems like a pity to let you down now.. but I will..well after I take care of our little issue." Gwen said, coming over and having her spell book out. Ben whimpered and thrashed about, clearly scared. "Relax doofus, I'm not going to hurt anything but your pride, and in the process maybe help you become a better student and hero." Gwen said cheerfully, her statement making Ben pause and look at her in confusion. "I'm going to turn you back into a toddler, and remove the omiatrix from you and claim it for myself. everyone will just remember that there was a series of female aliens who saved the day. You'll still be you though with a bad case of baby babble and well, who's going to believe a widdle 2 and a half year old when he goes on about how I'm a diaper girl..or that he's a big boy who turns into aliens? It'll just sound like you were watching TV and wanted to be like the heroes you saw on them." Gwen said and smiled, stroking Ben's cheek as he started to struggle and cry. "Hey hey..it's not going to be all bad Ben...I'm going to make it so you'll enjoy your stinky diapers just as much as I do, after all I'm not a monster. Just a witch." Gwen said and then pulled the socks out of Ben's mouth. "Any last worlds before I return you to huggies and sleeping in a crib?" "GWEN PLEASE I'M SORRY!! I WON'T TELL ANYONE PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!!" Ben cried out, crying and hysterical and wetting himself, making Gwen step back. "I should be mad at you for the puddle..butttt considering what I'm about to do, I think that makes us even." She said and then there was a flash of pink light.

Ben sat up, looking around and his vision was all distorted for a second. rubbing his eyes and tossing a blanket off of himself he realized he must of blacked out and been put to Bed, Gwen had clearly just been trying to scare him. Or at least that's what he thought till he pulled his fists away from his eyes and noted how TINY there were, that his watch was gone, and that he was in a power ranger themed pull up that was bloated with pee. Looking around his room he was growing more and more horrified as he found himself not only in crib, but his room had been turned into a little boys nursery! Slowly getting to his feet and knowing his baby fat, Ben wobbled over to crib bars, the mattress too soft and making walking a challenge but Ben had already made up his mind, he was NOT going to fucking crawl! Shaking the bars (As if that would help) he called out, yelling for his Mom, or his dad..or really anyone, wincing at how babyish his voice sounded and whining as he couldn't get the words to come out right.. basically able to cry for 'mama' or 'dada' and getting out the name 'Gwen' and words 'diaper' and 'pooper'...everything else was just gibberish. even as he stood there, ranting away a weird sensation started to take hold of Ben, and he trailed off confused as to what he was feeling even as he squatted down and his butt started to feel warm, it wouldn't be till the smell hit his nose that he would clue in, yelling out even as the door to his new nursery opened up and his mom was coming in. "POOPIE! BEN POOPIE!" he cried out, howling and farting, tears welling up in his eyes even as a shudder went though him, the smell aside, this was starting to feel kinda nice. "Whew! I'll say you are! I guess that settles the debate over trying to potty train you yet, that was your last pull-up." His mom said, waving a hand and laughing going and opening a window. "I buh daba ba guh Gwen nwa me poopie!" Ben whined, trying to explain to his mother what had happened but of course all he got was a patronizing grin from her and she came over, patting his head and then the back of his pull-up as it was drooping big time from the weight of his load. "Uh huh..really? amazing!" she giggled and then pulled him up. "I was gonna wait for you to finish but I don't think that pull-up has much life left in it, and you don't wanna make a stinky mess all over your bed right?" she asked, cooing and then making silly faces. Despite himself Ben giggled and clapped, shaking his head no.

One humiliating trip over the training potty and then a change into a thick massive diaper, and Ben was carried downstairs trying to hide himself in his mother's shoulder/chest, embarrassed that he was in just a diaper since it was nice and warm in the house. It would of been bad enough being seen by his dad like this, though he was convinced that just like mom he would also think Ben hadn't grown up yet, It was the OTHER voices he had heard as he was being brought down that had made him all shy. Uncle Frank's loud booming voice, then teasing voice of Aunt Natalie and the worse of all: Gwen's voice! "So guess who was right and who was wrong about Ben being ready to potty train?" Ben's mom asked as came into view of the living room where everyone was. "Hmm well since Ben's in a diaper..and squirming..I'm gonna say..You!" His dad said, smirking and wagging his eyebrows playfully. The comment was enough to make little Ben giggle despite himself, pulling away from his moms shirt to flash a smile. "..heh, your not man enough to try and put this butt back in diapers." His mom said, setting Ben down on his feet and giving his butt a pat. "Go play with Gwen! he was saying your name over and over in the nursery." "Was he now?" Gwen said, scooting her butt off the couch and holding her arms open, a big smile on her face that undoublty looked warm and friendly to the adults..but to little Ben it looked like a crocodile inviting it's prey in. He shook his head no and babbled away again, tugging on his mom's pant leg and pointing at Gwen, getting her name out every so often, as everyone chuckled. "Yes Ben, that's your cousin Gwen. I know. Go play." Mom said, giving his rump anther pat. Letting out a big huff, Ben's eyes suddenly lit up as he scanned the room and saw some coloring books and crayons. Sure he couldn't talk right, but he could totally write out a message! toddling over as fast as his little legs would let him, a effort not helped by the bulky diaper and more then once he almost fell over, Ben made his way over and yanked out the coloring book and the crayons, flashing Gwen a big toothy smile. One that she returned with a slight smirk. "Oh, do you wanna make me a pretty picture Benny? You KNOW I love your art!" Gushed Gwen. 'ok..she's not worried worried..what does she know that I don't.' Ben thought then looked down at the cover of the book. it had some generic super heroes on it, fighting likewise a generic villain but what worried Ben was he couldn't make out the words on the cover. Opening the book up Ben plopped on his butt, flipping though the pages and seeing that he couldn't read ANY of the text in the book, it looked like just gibberish to him and also..man did he apparently stink at staying in the lines. whining and slamming the book shut Ben tossed the crayons towards Gwen and was huffing and sniffling, on the voice of a toddler tantrum. "Whoa hey little man! we do NOT throw things!" His dad said, going to get up. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's got him all worked up!" His mom added. "hey it's ok, I bet I know what he wants, but he's upset about it because he failed potty training." Gwen said, smiling and getting up and scooting over to Ben on her hands and knees then plopping herself down close, snatching him up and into her lap. "Somebody wants his favorite cousin to give him a ba-ba of milk doesn't he?" She coo'ed and tickled his chin. despite that being the last thing int he world Ben wanted right now, his babyish instincts kicked in and he was gurgling and cooing, laughing and nodding his head yes.

It was a ironic hell for Gwen of all people as she rocked the little guy in her arms. she had meant to make Ben just helpless and unable to blab her secret,.. but now as she saw the freedom he had to waddle around in diapers with them on display, and him being expected to use them, well she felt jealous. 'Look at that massive diaper! I just wanted him babied! I didn't know Uncle Carl and Aunt Sandra went mega diapers!' Gwen mentally huffed, playing with Ben while waiting on aunt Sandra to make the ba-ba of warm milk. she was tracing a finger on his tummy and clearly Ben had been a SUPER ticklish toddler from the way he was giggling and squirming, even though every so often he was able to hit her with a look of anger, it was clear he was all there. 'Well if he gets to wear a big old diaper and poop himself whenever he wants, I'm gonna help out! I can live the dream though him!' Gwen thought and only Ben would notice the light pinkish glow as Gwen traced a few symbols onto his tummy, the adults for the most part had gone back to ignoring them. Ben went to go and cry out, to get help somehow (not that he would of been able to) but it was too late anyways as aunt Sandra was back and handed Gwen the bottle of warm milk, the last thing needed to trigger the little spell she had just placed on lil Ben. "Bottoms up!" She coo'ed and popped the nipple in his mouth and smiled as his nurse urge overrode his common sense and he started to suckle.

Ben knew that nothing good could come of the spell on his tummy tum, but he was just helpless to do anything about it. thinking about it the worst that Gwen could really do with everyone in the room was making him crap himself and well, he wasn't the best at reading people but he had a feeling that Gwen was actually jelly of his diaper butt status. the idea amused him and as the warm milk dulled his already less then brilliant mind he came up with a ultimate revenge plan: he was gonna take all the big smelly diaper poops she wished she could and rub it in her face (Figuratively not literately.) Suckling down the milk as fast as he could and feeling the urge to go building up(only because it was being magically induced, from now on it would be clear he'd have no control over it till he potty trained, if he'd even be able to) Ben pushed the bottle out of his mouth when it was have drained and whined, baby babble and Gwen's name. "Gwen, he needs to be burped." Aunt Natalie said. "oh, ok!" Gwen said and lifted him up, getting his head over a shoulder and patting his back. it actually felt really nice and Ben was quickly losing his hate for this new form if he could get this kind of attention, but he still had a revenge plan to enact and had to do it at least once. Letting out a massive belch that got comments of 'nice one!' from the men in the room, he pushed back again Gwen with all the power in his tiny arms till he could lock eyes with her, then pulled back in so he could give her cheek a drooly smooch even as all hell broke loose in the seat of his diapers. "Wow, as much as he went earlier and he still has more in him!?" his mom chuckled. "I'll take him from you Gwen." "N-No that's ok." Gwen said, blushing now and he could feel her hand on his mush tush. "Clearly he wants me right now, right Ben?" Ben giggled and nodded, puffing out his cheeks as he helped the poopie escape out into his diaper and made a load that comparatively, put Gwen's to shame.

In the aftermath Ben and Gwen semi patched things up, she couldn't undo the spell so Ben WAS stuck like that but she did manage to make it so she could understand him at least and earned the title of his number one favorite babysitter. Of course if either of their parents had know such babysitting session was filled with both of them diapered and drinking from baby bottles and having poop off's, they would of come to a end, or at least had a babysitter for both of them, like that nice Julie girl who had moved in down the block..

The end?

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countlessrealities · 1 year

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@misstantabismuses sent: 📂 + Summer towards Rick (I need her to roast his crush on Silco XD) & 📂 + Rick towards Morty and Summer (retaliation time, maybe concerning their dynamic with Jinx) Multimuse grape vine - Send 📂 for Muse A to comment something about a current thread of Muse B’s

Summer casually shrugs, but there's a sly tingle in her green eyes. Oh, this is going to be fun. It's not every day that she gets a free pass to gossip about Rick of all people. Even if, truth to be told, she usually makes her passes when she really wants to, consequences be damn.

"I've seen Grandpa Rick embarrassing himself, like, a lot. I mean, he's an alcoholic mad scientist with little to no shame, so it's pretty easy to catch him doing weird stuff," she begins, a little knowing grin curling her lips. "Morty and I could, like, tell so many stories...Especially from the time when he's drunk."

She might or might not have a secret folder with pictures and videos she can use for blackmail.

"But him around his new friend? That's a whole new level of embarrassing. Like that one time he got wasted, kissed the guy and then ended up getting kicked out because he said all the wrong things? That's an epic fail if I've ever seen one."

She isn't even exaggerating. She has seen Rick making a fool of himself or being cringe when flirting with people, but the way he acts around Silco is almost new.

"Have you seen how clumsy he gets? Usually Grandpa manages to be charming even when he's being, like, the total opposite, but with Silco he just humiliates himself at times." She chuckles behind her hand. "I've never seen him putting his foot in his mouth so many times in a row. Or, like, making up so many lame excuses to go back to Zaun. Or how hard he tries to show off when he's around the guy." Cue to an eyeroll. "He really can't see that he's coming off as annoying and not enticing."

Her grandfather isn't great with social cues and the fact that he doesn't give a damn about being proper doesn't help. However, it turns out, at times he can't really read the room even when he's actively trying. That explains where Morty got his social skills. Or, rather, lack of.

"And the best thing? He thinks that he's, like, being smooth and all, and that no one knows that he wants in the guy's pants." She huffs. "But instead is super obvious. Even Morty can tell. And I'm pretty sure Silco has to know too, by now, since Grandpa hasn't been subtle at all. I guess he just decided to ignore it to spare them both further embarrassment."

Still, she's been wondering how long it will be before Silco gets fed up with Rick's attempts at flirting and wooing him and tells him to cut it out. Probably not long, if the scientist gets too bold or too insistent.

Great, it seems like Summer just had the time of her life laughing at him on main. He'd tell her that she's a real bitch, but she'd probably take it as a compliment.

"Y-Yeah, sure, have fun mocking me. L-Like I give a shit about anyone's opinion," he claims with a dismissive scoff. "S-She and Morty shouldn't be the ones to talk w-with the little ganging up they've been doing. A-Always getting in fuckin' trouble with the loony firecracker. Sum-Sum forgets quickly how...that I am the one w-who has gotten them out of some reeeeaaaal sticky situations."

His grandkids can take care of themselves, but he'd never pass the chance to scold them for every false step. No matter how hypocritical it might come off.

"An-And have you seen how they act around Jinx? T-They say I embarrass myself, b-but I know exactly what I'm doing. T-Them? Like hell they do," he goes on and his irritated frown is slowly replaced by a smug smirk. "M-Morty looks like a fuckin' lost puppy around her. H-He barks up at Sevika an-and shit, but then he goes hiding behind Jinx. H-He obviously wants to impress her, b-but he's also intimidate, s-so he keeps switching between w-wanting to look cool and being latme. N-Now that is fuckin' embarrassing, i-if you ask me."

Oh yeah, two can play that game.

"An-And Summer? S-She goes around saying that I have a fuckin' crush or-or whatever, b-but she should really shut the fuck up. I-I mean, she is the one crushing. D-Did you see that kiss? L-Like she didn't even have to guts to make it a proper one. S-She kissed Jinx's cheek an-and then called it a 'friendly thank you'." A snort. "F-Fuckin' lame. J-Just like her brother. S-She should be grateful tha-that Jinx isn't great at picking up that stuff, b-because she's failing at being slick. I-It's not courting, i-it's a goddamn comedy show."

#[ ic :: Summer ]#[ ic :: c137 Rick ]#misstantabismuses #[[ gotta love how ruthless Summer can be xD ]]#[[ she just exposed Rick without hesitation xD ]]#[[ also I used that small thread we did as reference ]]#[[ since we currently have no active threads with Rick & Silco ]]#[[ Rick was a jerk about her and Morty but ]]#[[ tbh them being friends with Jinx isn't as embarrassing ]]#[[ so he loses this race even if he wouldn't admit it x3 ]]#[[ even if he managed to throw in a jab at Summer's crush xD ]]

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kaen-ace-of-diamonds · 1 year

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The Emperor

Word Count: 1500+ (oneshot)

[AO3]

Genre: Family/Angst

Characters: Su-won, Yu-hon

Summary: Eventually, Su-won had had to accept that he was never going to be his father’s son.

Written for @akayonatarotzine

~0~

The first memory that Su-won can recall is being taught sternly not to introduce himself to people with a friendly, “Hello! My name is Su-won!”

Such an open and casual address was unbecoming for someone of his blood, he had been informed. The proper thing for him to say was, “I am Su-won, son of Prince Yu-hon.”

Not “Prince Su-won” either, mind. He was of the noblest blood in all Kouka, true, and would always be called by a title of honor and respect. But only a son of the king and a potential heir to the throne would be permitted to call himself a prince. For anyone else to do so would be as presumptuous and insulting as a commoner who brazenly crowned himself king.

“Never mind it, son,” his father would mutter. “How meaningful it is to be called Prince ebbs and flows like the ocean. I hold the title of General with far greater pride, for it is one I earned and kept for myself. What I gained from it came from my own blood, sweat, and strength, and not by anyone else’s favor.”

His father had delivered this speech many times before his death; to no one but his son would Yu-hon speak this much or this baldly. Su-won was four the first time he had been audience to it, sitting on the short stone wall of the royal training court as night darkened around them.

“So you don’t mind that Grandpa Ju-nam didn’t name you king?”

Yu-hon stopped in mid-swing of his sword, turning to look at his son with a spark of irritation in his eyes. “What? Who told you that?”

Su-won glanced to the side, idly kicking his small legs, precise voices and faces floating through his mind. “People. They spread rumors, when things don’t go the way they think they’re supposed to.”

After another moment of unimpressed glaring, Yu-hon returned to his drills. “People like that know nothing. Let their words roll off your back, son, they’re unworthy of your consideration. And Su-won?”

“Yes, Father?”

“To you, it’s His Majesty or King Ju-nam. Show respect. Now...pay attention.” Yu-hon paused. “I have come to terms with the fact that my only son and heir will never be king. But that does not mean you will be passed over, or forgotten. No country lives and dies by its king alone. You will become a warrior, and the pride of Kouka, just like your father before you.”

Yu-hon was not a particularly clever or thoughtful person. He was like a mountain turned into a man, stern and cold and unmoved. As far as his feelings went, Su-won was no different than the rest of Kouka: he admired Yu-hon to distraction, loved him with every inch of his heart, and wished to share in the blessing that the gods must certainly have given him, to become such a powerful hero.

However, Su-won had what nobody else would ever gain: Yu-hon’s blood, and his attention. Yong-hi had made clear that she wished to have no more children, very soon after Su-won’s birth; he had not learned this from either of his parents and he often wondered whether he had somehow been the cause. Yu-hon could never seem to deny his wife her wishes, and hadn’t said a word of his own thoughts on the matter of siring more sons. He made up for it by resting all of his hopes and dreams on Su-won’s shoulders, and Su-won was more than willing to accept the burden.

To that end, he was willing to follow his father anywhere, in anything. The first real sword he held had been Yu-hon’s, at his age, and he learned its art quickly. (It never quite felt as home in his hand as his father said it should, but he figured that that didn’t matter.) He was permitted to sit on the sidelines at some of the war meetings, provided he promised only to listen. He learned to ride at his side, on the colt of his prized war stallion, no less.

“Look well on our kingdom, Su-won,” Yu-hon said. The bluffs around Kuuto were his favorite place to take his son riding, for the views they could appreciate from their edges. “It will never be yours to rule over. But it will be yours to protect, with everything you have.”

Su-won nodded. His love for other people so easily blended together with love for his kingdom. “Yes, Father.”

“I understand you’ve already made some connections within Kuuto?” Yu-hon turned to his son with a smirk. “Ju-do told me about that little adventure you had in its underbelly, with Mun-deok’s boy and little Yona.”

Su-won giggled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “We didn’t mean for it to get out of hand. Yona had never seen the castle town before and — ”

“Yes, we must obey the will of our rulers,” Yu-hon cut him off, and Su-won did not pipe back up to correct him. “But I heard Mun-deok’s boy showed you up with his power. I won’t have that, Su-won. You must stand above all other men, in strength and stature. Understand?”

“Yes, Father.”

Su-won did not argue to defend the value of his own contribution; keeping that knowledge quietly to himself felt like enough. But at his age, he was still accepting his father’s word as law, and took it for granted that Yu-hon’s encapsulation of power was the superior one. The mountain was emotionless, and could not be dictated to. Nor could it be moved or defied, or pierced by a sword...

...Or so he had thought.

Until the day he died, Su-won was sure he’d never forget how it sounded when his father’s body was run through, all the breath leaving it in one awful gasp, and collapsed like a stringless puppet to the floor. He didn’t remember what King Il’s face had looked like: blank, like an executioner’s? Angry, like one provoked into abandoning his most closely held principles? Sorrowful, like...well, a man who’d just slaughtered his only brother like an animal? He didn’t know and he didn’t care.

Su-won had been sure he would be next. Not only had he been careless in running and hiding, too panicked to think clearly, but what would be the point of killing a prince and general and not getting rid of his heirs, too? It had been a week of holing up in their manor before he’d realized that the sword really wasn’t coming down on him, too.

Then once he’d got that through his head...what was he to do? The mountain had crumbled before him, everything that his father was destroyed by one quick movement of a blade. Su-won could barely comprehend it. The only thing he had known for sure was that he could not — could never — allow the same to happen to him.

And he knew now how to ensure that.

He was never going to be his father’s son, not in the way that the kingdom and Yu-hon himself had expected him to be. He could not be the mountain, for that was far more fallible than it looked even if it had suited him. He had instead dedicated his life to the opposite approach.

The first time he had seen his uncle Il after the murder, he had thrown on a bright smile and run to give him a hug. He doted on Yona, genuinely; once he killed her father, there was no guarantee she’d never find out about what he’d done, and he wished to enjoy what time with her he had left. With his father and teacher gone, he focused on gleaning as much as he could about strategy and combat from his friendships with Hak and Ju-do. And he flexed his fingers a little more every day on the unseen strings that set Kuuto in motion when he played at them.

Rather than the mountain, Su-won was the water that wore down the stone, the wind that cut through the skin and froze to the bone, the shadow that traveled everywhere so it could see and know all.

Grown now, after ten years of setting everything necessary for his coup in motion, Su-won considered that. He sat alone in his room as the night dragged on, unable to sleep, idly cradling a sword in his hands.

“Father,” he murmured so softly that he barely heard himself. “I’m sorry to tell you that you were wrong. I was never going to be like you. Had you lived...I fear I would have disappointed you with our differences. You truly did wish for the crown, and never got it. I still care nothing for it, for its own sake, and yet...”

In twenty-four hours, Il would be dead, and Su-won would be king. He would rule in his own way, not in any imitation of his father’s one brute-force approach. And he would use every breath of life he had left to forge Kouka into the greatest empire in the world.

#i haven't kept up with akayona since 192 and i don't feel like spoiling myself #so if this doesn't line up with canon don't tell me #akatsuki no yona #su won #yu hon #kaen's fics

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thefamousloner · 3 months

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Life currently sucks

1/24/24

So life is kicking my behind. My grandpa got sick right before Christmas and he passed away two weeks ago. Literally happened the first week of the semester so now I don’t want to do any schoolwork or go. I’m barely focusing on work. Definitely haven’t been taking care of myself. Idk what to do with myself at this point.

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cybermoonmoon · 10 months

Text

(This story based on a notion by my dear radio pal Peter Cedric 'Rocky' Smith...no relation I know of. He mused what he would do if he woke up and it was the 1930′s again. So I put myself in his position. The trick is to protect the timeline...or try to...good grief!)

"Clips"

“Back and forth and forth and back.” Put another way...NYC the 125th Street subway platform. It's January 26th, 1937. The ‘A’ rain pulling in wakes me. I’m a science fiction fan so I know what’s happened. Fuck! I’m near 90 years in the past! Serious temporal disorientations. I wander my great grandmother’s hood for days maybe weeks. Think a speedball whiskey crash. FDR is President Dick Tracy is on da radio and it's the Great Bleeping Depression. Best time to appear. I can get lost in this chaos.

I end up in a Salvation Army soup kitchen. Looking for possibilities I tell them I went to a Negro college and could tutor. Tutors white only but with a lucky connection I get a half-time gig at the local library...as a porter. It’s 1937. With the job I get a small room. Do ganja recovery from my temporal displacement and make plans.

Winter passes. In summer I notice a small Harlem machine shop. Just the right size. I introduce myself to the owner. Seems a decent guy. I later hear he’s in the closet. I tell him its cool love is love and don’t worry about it. Anyway, I put an idea to him. A small item that everyone uses that he could very cheaply make. ...and sell. Desperate times so he's game. I show him my designs...paperclips. I was thinking Velcro but too game changing.

No copies from the future. Rather blends of types any of which ‘could’ have been designed in the 30′s. Strips of metal and cheap tools are all that's needed...history is safe. We haggle over details become partners...sort of and get to it. Business slow but they’re cheap look cool so catch on. Towards da Holidays orders is coming in through the ‘gawddamned’ windows to paraphrase Holden Caufield. Whose book I hope isn't butterflied away.

The machine shop is now our office/factory. Slowly we hire more help. I insist on gender equality. My pal thinks it nuts but goes along. Planting seeds. Orders from locals later direct to business. Sure there was problems. Corrupt cops, mob run unions 30's racism but fuck it life is fun. This as I become more accumulated to pre-digital industrial America.

1939 the Board of Education gives us commissions later bulk orders. This via the 'WPA'...google it. Orders from other City departments follow. Mayor Laguardia aka ‘The Little Flower” ...my grandma spoke well of him. Well, he’s throwing FDR’s cash around to help small businesses. First time the government ever really helped me, and I had to go near 90 years into the bleeping past to get it. Figures.

Which reminds me. I'm from the future which means I saw several post-war recessions. Lesson one: Don’t expand before ya ready. My pal wanted to open two large tooling and fabrication shops with a zillion employees. I talked him down to 15 and one medium shop. Smart because the bubble burst...we stayed in business and happily banged along issuing paychecks. An upside I saw the Great Harlem Artistic Rennaissance in person. I also organized the first poetry slam. ...I hoped history wouldn't notice.

Still, war is coming. This is a world with Hitler and Stalin running around loose. Did I mention our own Nazis and a powerful Klan? Anyway, in my only suit...double breasted like grandpa wore. I angle for federal orders. Thanks to patronizing liberalism...hey what works works. I get a few small nibbles Then all hell breaks loose. December 9th, 1941. War comes two days late thanks to my temporal shenanigans.

Uncle Sam is kicking the crap out of that Nazi fuck Hitler and his pal Tojo. And is doing it with our flexible rust-less paperclips. Did I mention our Army is integrated we already have the fucking B-29 and the P-80 jet fighter...all these five years early. All because of the butterfly effect of cheap rust-less paper clips and two smart queer colored guys...one from the 21st century. Fuck da timeline...in for a penny in for a pound.” I finagled a meeting with that Einstein guy and tells him about microprocessors. Stay tuned.

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or-something-better · 1 year

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August 21, 2022

Dean

in the armory with Sam and Mary check these out mom opening up the secret door to a lot of the old secret stash of weapons from the men of letters

Patience

sitting at the table with some of the other girls

Sam

The Men of Letters had an extensive collection of just about everything you can think of. No reason weapons should be any different.

Ellen

talking over cases with Charlie and Patience hey did you guys see this one. Maybe a zombie... oops wait never mind. Just tide pods again. Smh

Charlie

sitting at the table with my laptop not a lot of anything right now… bath salts… stupid kids and pranks

Mary

looks at the weapons this is quite a collection

Dean

Then there's this one. One of the most badass pieces I’ve found so far pulling a gun off the rack but we haven’t figured it out yet or found anything on it

Mary

It looks like something your grandpa used

Patience

Time pods AGAIN

Sam

It's old for sure, but so far still a mystery

Alex

Walk in with Henry hey guys guess what

Mary

There might be something in his journal

Dean

Pretty sure its older than grandpa. We've been through his journal alot

Mary

Probably. But it looks like something he had

Charlie

sighs anything in that newspaper??

Ellen

Hey Alex! What are yall up to?

Patience

looking at Alex what s up

Henry

puts my bags on the table along with a flyer there's this new dance club I even grab the flyer too

Dean

No I know which one your talking about and that one wasn’t to this capacity

Charlie

I smile as Alex and Henry come in what?

Alex

There is a new dance club we should go there

Sam

Slaps Dean on the shoulder As you can see, Dean is in his element right here

Henry

passes the flyer over I grabbed the flyer

Mary

I agree

Patience

laughing at the mention of a new night club really

Ellen

I shoot glance at Patience ooh really?

Charlie

I pick up the flyer and look around at the others what do you say? Not much else happening?

Alex

Yep Smiles giggle

Dean

looks at Sam yeah what dont I know? Just wish we could figure this bad boy out

Mary

Sure

Patience

I'm game

Patience

Maybe I can dance some of this fat away

Ellen

Yeah. Sure. I’m bringing my gun. grabs my sig saur and tucks it in my jeans

Dean

Lets head back to the map room i think the others are trying to find something to do heads back to the map room seeing everyone hey guys! What's up?

Charlie

I think we could use a night off…. I’m gonna go get ready! heads off to my room to change

Sam

A night off?

Mary

Okay.

Patience

I'm going to wear my new jeans

Charlie

Henry found a club pausing on my way to my room everything is quiet… so why not?

Dean

What about a night off?

Sam

Some new Club Henry found

Dean

Cool why not. Let’s go get ready head to my room using my DNA to open the door

Sam

You might be able to persuade me to tag along, because I enjoy spending time with you guys… but there’s no way I’m going to go dancing. Just isn’t my thing.

Henry

I don't know what to wear though. I had never been to a club before fiddles with my sleeves

Ellen

in the kitchen pouring myself a whiskey club huh. I say to myself this will be great for the youngins

Dean

run upstairs searching through my closet for the perfect outfit. I can join ya sam I doubt I will be doing any dancing either but it still sounds fun!

Patience

heading to my room to shower and change

Dean

find my outfit grabbing a shower and spraying some cologne I head back out to the group

Mary

looks in my room but doesn't have any nice dresses

Henry

decides to just wear my normal clothes

Crowley

I sit in a random office sipping Craig and glancing over at Lucifer Things seem to be going very well Lucifer. perhaps sharing wasn't an awful idea.

Lucifer

Told you it wouldn't. Things look pretty great actually. I kick my feet up onto the table

Ruby

Pushing myself up with my hands, wincing at the bandaged left one, I grab a file and take it over to Crowley and Lucifer, tossing it on the table between them. It's folded open to show the latest figures.

Mary

goes back to the group after my shower

Crowley

I arch a brow and shove the feet off to annoy him What did you do to your arm Ruby? I open the file and whistle in surprise These numbers are better than I've ever seen them, even after becoming King. The Karen initiative has really been helping.

Lucifer

I scowl at Crowley, tempted to lash out for a second. But I reign in my temper and just snatch the paper right out of his hands Of course it has- I told you it would. I smirk Oh boy... do I have a lot to teach you. Besides, I've got a lot of lost time to make up for. Ruby? Be a doll and uh... Go do some more advertising for us huh? We've got some business to attend to.

Ruby

Thinking to myself it's a very good thing neither of them can read my mind, I thankfully take my leave of them.

Crowley

I scoff and snatch the paper back so I can keep reading You are a menace

Lucifer

Menace to you, or society? You know what. I'll take both.

Crowley

Being a menace to society is useful to us. Now, what do you have for us?

Lucifer

Oh you're gonna love this one... So.. picture this....

Sam

I change into a clean pair of jeans and a shirt that’s actually a shirt-shirt, not just my usual worn flannel. This one has buttons even! Coming out of my room, it’s funny to me to see all the dressing up that’s gone on. Wow, you guys all clean up really good.

Mary

walks out in a dress I found

Patience

walking back to where everyone is at showing off my new jeans

Charlie

heading back to the main room I’ve put on a short black skirt and green top I could say the same for you Sammy!

Alex

Finishing get ready and red dress and went downstairs and meet the team in main room

Charlie

But if we’re going dancing I need some food first…

Ellen

coming out of the kitchen with my whiskey to the others

Henry

I didn't know what to wear I don't even own anything nice looking fiddle with my hoodie sleeves so I’m just going to wear my everyday clothed

Sam

What, this old thing? said with my best Southern Accent and a chuckle

Dean

wearing a button down with the top 3 buttons undone and a nice pair of jeans. Willing to do the shirt but sure as hell not the dress pants if I dont have to we ready? Everyone looks good

Alex

Thank you Dean

Sam

You driving tonight?

Ellen

Where do you wanna eat Charlie?

Charlie

We can take my car too! And I think maybe just something quick at the drive thru Ellen I haven’t had a night out in forever!

Dean

Of course but this isn’t how we normally do things so this is gonna make for an interesting night I think

Sam

We can take my car too, I’ll be happy to drive.

Mary

walks into the room

Patience

As long as I can get a salad

Alex

I can’t wait I am excited Walking to Charlie

Ellen

Sounds good.

Dean

Where we going?

Charlie

So who’s with me? holding up my keys

Henry

I can go with Sam gets up and hands dean the flyer here's the address

Dean

Who’s riding with me?

Sam

I'll just follow after you

Mary

I'll go with you Dean

Sam

Sure Henry, come on... anyone else?

Ellen

I'll ride with Charlie

Dean

Ok anyone else riding with me?

Charlie

Shotgun is yours grins

Alex

I with you Smiles

Ellen

smiles back great

Alex

Get in Charlie car back seat

Patience

Can I ride to Charlie

Dean

Ok guess just me and mom

Charlie

heading out to the car I start it and wait for Dean to lead the way sure pay! Still got one more seat for you!

Sam

Out at the Charger, I climb in and start it up.

Mary

goes to the car with Dean

Dean

I dont know where yall wanna eat

Henry

gets in the front seat of Sam car

Dean

heading out to the impala

Patience

getting in the back of Charlie's car thank you

Sam

I smile over at Henry Always glad to have you as my copilot Henry

Mary

follows Dean that was your dad's car. Wasn't it?

Dean

start the impala waiting for Mary to get in you already knew that mom

Alex

I can’t wait to partyyyyyy!

Henry

It's more funer riding with you. You have better taste in music buckles up and switches the music on

Mary

gets in I just was asking

Dean

But you already knew we had dads car

Charlie

the car running, I put it in gear and follow Dean and Sam to the club

Dean

head to the address of the club on the flyer

Sam

I agree with the music part I pull out and follow behind Dean, not really sure I know exactly where this club is.

Dean

I find the club looking at the building as I pull into the parking lot and park

Mary

What don't I know since I was just brought back

Sam

I park beside the Impala and chuckle Well, this is it. Hope you have fun out there tonight. When I get out of the car, I’m surprised to see Ruby across the street. Ruby?

Charlie

parking beside Sam I get out and look around while finishing my chicken nuggets

Ruby

I hang up one more sign and hearing my name called, I look over and see Sam! Shit! I leave quickly so he can't ask me anything!

Sam

I’m even more surprised when she looks over at me startled and then runs the other way. Ruby, wait! I follow after her wondering what the hell is going on.

Dean

get out of the car as I see Sam go after ruby

Ellen

getting out of Charlie’s car. Patience and I go up to see the flyer Ruby was posting and noticed it's the safe flyer that Henry and Alex brought back to the bunker for the club were going to. wonder what this about huh Patience? looking at Patience

Patience

looking up at Ellen with a puzzled look on my face what the hell

Mary

gets out of the car who is that he's going after

Charlie

watching Sam take off I turn to the group am I the only one that noticed the bandages on her hand?

Sam

I watched Ruby turn at the corner, but when I made it there myself, she was nowhere to be seen. I looked up and down both streets, still not understanding what was going on or why she felt she had to run from me. This was just really out of character for her. I walk back to join the others. I wasn’t able to find Ruby. Something just really feels wrong to me about this.

Dean

Nope I saw it wonder what the hell happened? Um that was Ruby you’ve met her too

Mary

Oh. She looked like she's hurt

Charlie

Well that seems strange… I’ve never known her to avoid you, Sam…

Henry

Ruby the demon working a real job? looks at the flyer can monsters have normal jobs?

Sam

Yeah, me either. Gives Henry a stern look, but doesn't comment

Dean

What the hell is really going on…

Mary

looks at the flyer maybe this is why Points at the flyer

Charlie

I think we need to find out….

Sam

No idea Dean

Patience

I agree

Alex

Ruby good but she won’t hurt them

Dean

Definitely

Sam

Yeah, I’m for going back to the Bunker. Wasn’t interested in the club scene anyway.

Patience

thinking a vision sure would come in handy about now

Dean

How we gonna find anything out that way?

Henry

What was that look you just gave me? I just want one night to be normal sighs and heads back to the car

Ellen

putting my arm around Henry I promise we'll give you a normal night kid. kinda happy we're not "clubbing" tonight

Mary

pulls the flyer and follows

Sam

Gets back in the car next to Henry You know Ruby's not a monster, right?

Dean

a little disappointed we arent clubbing tonight was hoping for a drink but get back in the car

Charlie

We won’t have any fun worrying about ruby… let’s go girls. getting back in the car

Ellen

getting back in the car with the other girls

Henry

Aren't demons monsters though? buckles and closes my eyes for a nap

Mary

I'll get some beers out like a bartender at the bunker Dean.

Charlie

once everyone is in, I start the car and head back

Patience

getting back in the car

Sam

Sighs Yeah, I suppose most of them are... drives back to the Bunker

Mary

gets in the car

Crowley

Inside the bar I sit at a table of swanky business men watching them sight a contract while glancing surprised over at the piano. I'm honestly caught off guard by the Devil playing one. A Fiddle maybe, but not a piano.

Lucifer

My fingers fly over the piano keys, the sound of the music nearly magical. For a moment relaxing and enjoying myself-- it looks like plenty of the 'guests' are enjoying it too. I even hum along now and then. Ignoring Crowley doing what Crowley does best-- running his mouth

Ruby

Quickly heading inside to get lost in the crowd, I look around at the people getting drunk and high, having no idea what's in store for them. This isn't a bar, it's a soul collection pit! Heading over to Lucifer, I raise my voice and tell him Team Freewill is outside.

Lucifer

I almost can't believe my ears, and strike a horribly off key chord Damn it... What the hell?!

Crowley

I stand and walk over, holding the finished contact What do you mean those denim wrapped nightmares are on their way here?

Ruby

I try warning Lucifer about how smart the team is, but I see it falls on deaf ears and I pay the price.

Lucifer

I quickly strike out at Ruby, furious that they're coming to crash my party You completely underestimated who you teamed up with! Willingly or not-- unbelievable. Now I've got to clean up the mess... I need a moment to think... I storm off still seething

Crowley

I hold my hand out to help her up looking on edge He still underestimates them. If you want, I can try and help you find a way out of this whole mess.

Dean

pull up to the bunker and head inside and grab a beer before going to the map table and sitting kicking my feet up waiting for Sam so we can look for info on the club

Charlie

I pull into the bunker behind the boys and head inside- unable to take my mind off of ruby. What kind of trouble was she in that she couldn’t ask us for help… or wasn’t willing to risk us

Mary

goes inside and grabs a beer

Sam

I park just a few minutes behind the others.

Henry

slumps into the couch disappointed. Pulls out my daggers and flips them Can we have one night where it's not work

Sam

Back at the Bunker I’m feeling a little guilty about making a big deal about Ruby running off and ruining everyone’s fun night out. Maybe it really was nothing. After changing into a more comfortable set of old clothes, I sit down at the map table and open my laptop. It was time to do a little research into the new club in town.

Alex

Walk in and sit next to dean sigh

Charlie

heading inside I go straight to my laptop to research this new club

Patience

walks inside having a seat at the table

Alex

Yep but this is life what we all sign up for

Ellen

trying to reassure the 2 its ok guys. I promise you both that we'll have non-working day soon.

Dean

Anything interesting Sammy? as I take a drink of my beer

Sam

Not so far

Charlie

having found the club website I point to the screen and read “a nightlife experience like none before”

Mary

It will be okay. We may have found work instead of fun. But we can have a fun day every now and then

Dean

Yeah bullshit! What could be so thrilling?

Sam

Pulling up the same page that Charlie was talking about, I read further into it. Guys, listen to this part of the ad here… “you’ll come out more successful, more wealthy or with whatever it is you desire most.” Sound familiar? It certainly did to me Damn it.

Charlie

Uh oh…. You don’t think….???

Dean

Sounds like their making deals

Henry

We shouldn't go in overhearing from my spot

Sam

Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I try again to reach Ruby. The call goes to voice mail. Ruby.. call me back when you get this… please I end the call and sit back in the chair thinking a minute. Anyone else interested in going back with me to check that club out for ourselves?

Mary

I'm in

Ellen

Yeah we should.

Dean

I’m so in let’s go bust these bitches out and find out who’s making the deals

Patience

I'm in

Charlie

Kind of our duty now, isn’t it? Let me go put on some jeans…. heading to my room I change quickly and meet them back at the table

Alex

I am in Srand up and went go change and came back

Sam

This time before leaving I grab my go bag.

Charlie

grabbing my go bag and my keys let’s go

Henry

grabs my bag and gets into same car again Sams

Dean

grab my duffle and go outside and throw it in the car

Mary

gets my bag and follows

Ellen

follows the others to the cars

Patience

following the rest to the cars

Mary

goes to the Impala

Lucifer

Hopeful music will help calm me back down, I'm back at the piano soon enough playing again. The music gradually gets a little more upbeat, and I'm flashing charming grins left and right. Flirting comes pretty easily, and occasionally there's an interruption in the piano playing.

At one point, a tall brunette joins me on the piano bench, giggling and playing a few notes. I share a few notes and a few chuckles and send her back off giggling again. I sing alongside another, snagging her from her date with a smug expression and have a brief sing along. Keeping myself and the others occupied with drink and song

Crowley

I glance around the room and check that Lucifer is distracted before snagging Ruby to a backroom Well, this is Cozy.

Ruby

Following behind Crowley, I discreetly go to the storeroom behind the bar, hoping Lucifer is preoccupied enough.

Crowley

Alright, we need to get you out of this. Any ideas for escape?

Ruby

"We have to get out of here! How do you hide from the devil? We can't just walk out, he'd be on us in a minute!"

Crowley

Well at least you aren't stupid. I roll my eyes glancing back at the door. I wasn't actually hating this but did need to avoid being seen by the Winchesters.

Ruby

"Wait! There is a spell I learned long ago that would allow me to make a clone of myself, making someone else look like me! What if I did that for both of us? We could use a couple in the bar!"

Crowley

I smirk impressed My My. You're much smarter than you look.

Ruby

Giving him a scathing look, I start a list

Sam

Parked at the club once again, I get out of the car and lean against the car watching from across the street. Dean, notice anything odd about the line of people waiting to get inside?

Henry

gets out and looks around everyone seems desperate

Dean

park and get out yeah poor desperate junkies

Sam

Yeah, they don’t look like the usual club crowd.

Patience

standing outside the club looking for a way in

Charlie

walking up beside the boys I point out a young woman who looks like she is on her last legs they kind of seem…. Desperate…. Don’t you think?

Ellen

getting out of the car

Dean

Maybe we should go talk to these losers and find out what they are getting themselves into

Charlie

I’m going to see if I can help find a way in…. heading behind the bar

Mary

looks at some of the people they look like people who have nothing left in a sense

Sam

I agree Crossing the street, I walk down the line as if I’m there to take a spot at the back.

Patience

talking with one girl but getting nowhere with this I move on to another

Henry

I will come and help you follows Charlie maybe there's a back door?

Alex

Good idea back door

Charlie

Usually is in these places… let’s hope we can find one unlocked….

Dean

walk with you

Alex

Agree

Sam

I stop a couple of times to try and start up a conversation with those waiting in line, with general questions like Have you been in line long? and Have you been here before? Without fail no one seemed interested in speaking to me at all, they just seemed uncomfortable and a couple actually turn or seemed to shy away from me.

Mary

talks to some people but gets nothing from any of them

Charlie

trying one of the windows first I find it’s barred and no way to remove them

Charlie

Henry check that window over there will you? The one to the basement

Patience

with Charlie Henry and Alex trying to find a way in

Ellen

heading to some people to start asking questions not getting anywhere with anyone I look down at Sam who doesn't seem to be having any luck either I shake my head at him.

Sam

I can see Dean and Ellen also trying to engage with a few of the people in line. When Dean looks over at me, I just shake my head ‘no’ to let him know I’d gotten a whole lotta nothing.

Henry

Ok breaks off the wood on the window. Trying to open it but it's lock it's locked

Alex

Try to open door lock

Dean

try to talk to a few who seem resilient to talk to us i ask. Few questions not getting anything but they can’t wait to get inside. I look at Sam who shakes his head

Charlie

frustrated sigh if only I had brought a tool kit!!

Ellen

walking up to Sam I see Dean coming as well maybe head to the back see if we see anything there?

Sam

Following along around the back of the building.

Dean

Fuck! heading back to Sam

Mary

remembers the flyer and looks at the back of it Sam, there's a clue who is the "host" on the flyer

Charlie

still checking windows with no luck

Dean

Let’s go heading around the back

Ellen

getting to back of the building we see the rest of the team

Alex

Found the door unlocked that was too easy Look over Charlie! Guys!

Sam

I see Alex find an unlocked door and reach over and touch Dean's arm. Doesn’t that seem too easy? When do we ever have that kind of luck?

Patience

gearing up I head to backup with the others after Dean

Mary

goes with the rest

Ellen

seems a little hinky I think to myself

Henry

looks at Alex someone must have forgotten to lock the door or their waiting for someone to get back

Dean

Well that’s a risk I’m willing to take opening the door i rush inside

Sam

Dean! As usual my brother just goes off half-cocked and without any kind of plan. I look at the others and just sort of throw my hands up in the air. Nothing we can do about it now, guess we’re going in. I check to make sure that my gun and demon blade a securely in my pockets, and then follow Rambo into the building.

Charlie

Dean! Wait!! deep sigh grabbing my gear ready or not….

Mary

heads inside after him

Ellen

Dammit Dean! we go in after him

Alex

Walk inside follow

Henry

follows after everyone can dean ever think with his head for once? sighs and hopes dean doesn't get us in a trap

Patience

curious as to what we're getting into here following the rest of the team

Crowley

I slip back into the store room holding a bag containing the last of what Ruby needs This better work. He WILL kill us.

Ruby

"Remember, they will only look like us. No powers, memories or anything, so we're going to have to move quickly before Lucifer notices we've left!" I let Crowley put the ingredients in as I call them off. "Sage, purselane, camomile, vervain, black pepper..."

Crowley

Well then you better hurry up I snark and pour in a little too much vervain.

Ruby

Once everything is ready, I light a match and toss it in, lighting everything up.

Charlie

all of the patrons in the club now look like Crowley and Ruby

Lucifer

I'm trying to enjoy myself, vibing to the music with a nice buzz going. Plenty of attention, plenty of women and even a few men flirting with me. My mood is sky-high as I grab a pretty blonde who'd been flirting with me by the waist. I lean in real close to kiss her on the cheek.... and all of a sudden I'm holding a doppleganger of Crowley?!?!

Immediately I shove the guest off of me and ignore the thud when she (?) hits the ground. Doesn't take a genius to see what's happening as the club is now full of Crowleys and Ruby’s, and I see red. Are you kidding m-- Worthless.. fucking.. DEMONS!!! I start snarling and shouting, enraged by the betrayal, and begin exploding clones and splattering the place with blood and viscera

Charlie

making my way through a dark hallway lined with doors, I let out the breath I was holding and whisper we have no idea what we are facing… but let’s check some doors…

Sam

Once inside I wasn’t expecting such a long dark hallway to nowhere. Both sides of the hall are lined with doors. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I walk up to a door on the right and open it slowly, only to find what looked like a janitors closet full of supplies. Nothing… I whisper to the others and keep going.

Dean

I head through the dark hall trying to find my way to the club as I open one door finding old gambling machines and casino stuff, I close it and open another door finding old stage equipment and close it and continue down the hall

Ellen

going down the dark corridor there's doors everywhere. I pull one open to check inside but there was is chained up vampire named Edward Apparently Luci and crowley have made plans I think to myself nothing here. I tell the team

Patience

opening a door in this long dark hallway full of nothing but doors. I open one door after another not finding anything useful I'm not finding anything here what about the rest of you?

Charlie

checking the third one on the right I open it and find what looks like a brothel—slamming the door shut I hope no one noticed

Charlie

Nothing here!

Mary

looks around the hall finding a door. Opens it to find a broom nothing

Alex

Open door there kitchen and close door no

Dean

I walk farther ahead of the team finding a room full of torture devices and other things yeah NOPE Although some could be fun.....

Charlie

finally nearing the end of the hall I take one door and ask Henry to try the other

Henry

keeps walking till my gut feels the right door. Walks up to a door this feels right. Opens the door and finds ruby and everyone else guys

Ruby

Double checking the burned herbs, I see there was too much vervain! "Crowley you idiot! Do you know what you've done?!" I hear Lucifer in the club!

Dean

close the door and continue further down

Charlie

opening my door I find a group of flying monkeys

Sam

Rushing back over to Henry, I’m really glad to see Ruby, but also not thrilled at the company she’s with.

Lucifer

Shouting at the top of my lungs through the whole damn place ONE. FUCKING. JOB. YOU TWO HAD ONE JOB--DUMBASSES! I SWEAR TO... WHEN I FIND THE TWO OF YOU I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU, RESURRECT YOU, AND MURDER YOU AGAIN! RINSE AND FUCKING REPEAT!

Charlie

hearing ruby I turn around and run to the room

Sam

I can see what looks like fear in Ruby’s eyes, and that actually stops me cold for a second. Things have got to be pretty damn bad for a 700 year old demon to be afraid. Noticing the bandage on her hand, my shock turns to anger. What’s going on here Ruby? I turn my unhappiness towards Crowley hand and yell Someone better start talking pretty quickly here.

Mary

hears Henry did you find anything

Crowley

I shoot a side glance at Ruby. Were going to die and this is all her fault. Just had to bring Lucifer back and then double cross him.

Henry

I found the demons who is always the cause of trouble

Charlie

What’s going on here? giving Crowley a look

Mary

goes to him

Dean

stop when I hear the commotion behind me but at the same time still wanting to find the damn club

Ruby

You son of a bitch, and you know who your mother is!

Sam

What's going on?!!

Crowley

Son of a witch actually. But I'm not getting killed because you want to play both sides. The words are a hiss and I push pass her.

Ruby

Crowley and Lucifer have been using the club for soul collecting!

Henry

Figures hell needs more souls anyways

Patience

looks for a bathroom because the fucking yes I about to go right through me

Lucifer

Still madder than hell, I suddenly sense team free will nearby and I start cursing under my breath. Fine.. apparently if I want something done right I'll have to do it myself. I pace back over to my piano and smooth out my button up to wait for them to show up.

Patience

tea

Dean

Are we gonna stand here all damn night or are we gonna fix this damn problem?

Mary

I agree with Dean

Crowley

I'm a demon. I never claimed to be anything else. But now we're going to die.

Sam

THIS time we need an actual plan Dean!

Ellen

We need arch angel cuffs.

Charlie

I’m with Sam… this could have been very bad….

Alex

Yes!

Henry

I can do a sneak attack!

Crowley

I can go get them if you'd like.

Dean

That’s fine get a damn plan then so we can do this!

Sam

Every time we've ever gone up against Lucifer, when has it NOT been Bad?

Charlie

It’s going to take all of us to pull anything off with lucifer….

Dean

Like hell you will! Your ass isn’t going out of my damn sight! This is low even for you and you pulled ruby into it!

Lucifer

Rock music starts blaring over speakers out of nowhere

Charlie

nodding in agreement with Sam but a demon would be faster…

Lucifer

Setting the mood. A little ambience if you will

Ruby

Looks at the coward Crowley. "I'll do it!"

Sam

Agreeing totally with Dean on keeping Crowley in eye sight, I turn to Ruby. Yeah, Ruby. That’s a good idea… you go

Patience

sneaking in behind the stage with Henry and Alex

Lucifer

Queen starts playing we will rock you- followed up by bohemian rhapsody

Dean

Shit you better not fail us either

Crowley

I hold my hands up in defeat Fine, Fine.

Charlie

Well… looking in my bag I’ve got some fire crackers and light snares in here…. I can set off some distractions?

Mary

Agreed

Alex

Follow patience went behind stages

Sam

I'll help, we're going to need to divide his attention

Charlie

flares not snares

Dean

We can set off some distractions as well

Ellen

Hand me some Charlie. You can be on one side ill go on the other and we can throw them.

Charlie

passing out some firecrackers, flashlights and LEDs and flares let’s do this

Mary

Yeah

Dean

I can find a way to distract Luci so somebody can get the cuffs on him maybe?

Charlie

Let’s hope Ruby is quick… where is the main room of the bar Crowley?

Dean

I think I found a door down there

Lucifer

Starts blaring ACDC 'are you ready' over the speakers

Charlie

Then we should stay low, until we’re ready to be seen. I’m sure Ruby will let us know when she’s made the handoff to Henry….

Ruby

Popping back, I toss the cuffs to Henry. I get caught up on the plan, and proceed to create more illusions in the club. I make several monkeys to run all over.

Ellen

hearing all the music he sounds like he's in a great mood.

Sam

Just before we get started with the plan, I grab Ruby by the arm and hold her back a second You just keep as far away from Lucifer as you can, alright?

Lucifer

Get confused sort of angry at the monkeys

Mary

helps try to distract Luci

Charlie

I make my way to a corner and set off the first flare

Dean

Mom come with me?

Mary

Sure

Henry

catches the cuffs while watches Lucifer from afar knowing I can use my telekinesis to my advantage he seems fun to hang out with. Maybe I can befriended him. No no, I need to focus on capturing him. But still, I can give him a cookie I hope he likes cookies thinks to myself

Charlie

I light up some fire crackers and throw them to the middle of the room

Ruby

Absolutely

Ellen

I go the other and start setting off the fire crackers

Lucifer

Start dancing, waiting for the show to start

Sam

I nod and let her go Let’s do this… I head into the main club, bent on chaos and needing to burn off some anger. At the first table with just woman, I step close and without a word, wipe all of their drinks and personal items on top of the table, off onto the floor. Then just keep on walking.

Dean

I enter through a door and slide into the room where Luci is hey prick! You having fucking fun yet?

Mary

goes with Dean to help distract Luci

Ruby

Right with you!

Charlie

I set off the rainbow LEDs like strobe lights to make it harder to see who is who or where we are

Ellen

I light the flare Charlie gave me

Sam

Lighting a flare, I shoot sparks across several tables and the throw it towards the stage.

Mary SPN

follows

Lucifer

Oh so we're doing this the fun way? Roll my eyes as I notice more than one I’m having a blast dean- how about you? Send a blast of power his way to knock him in the wall- immediately distracted by sparks What the..

Charlie

lighting another flare I toss it, catching Luci’s hair on fire

Ruby

😄

Dean

throw a flare at your head as I hit a wall and get back up a bit sore fuck off bitch! lighting a firecracker throwing it your way

Mary

tries to distract Luci

Crowley

I slip into the main room and am torn about if I should help Team Free Will, or try and regain my good standing with Lucifer. If I should succumb to my nature.

Lucifer

Why are there... Rainbow strobe lights? Why didn’t I think of that.. I snarl and whirl around, trying to pat my hair and take out the fire I know I'm hot headed but damn! Get enraged and send out a powerful shockwave to try and knock everyone back

Charlie

knocked back for a moment I signal to all to go big—-time was now before he was too angry

Sam

I stumble back then regain my footing and light another flare

Dean

get knocked back but then run towards Luci while he’s distracted and light another firecracker and throw it as I watch it fall in your shirt bullseye bitch!

Charlie

lighting another flare and a string of firecrackers hey Luciiii I’m hooommmeee!!!

Mary

gets knocked back and tries to help

Ellen

getting knocked back start to throw more fire crackers his way

Crowley

I swallow my pride and grab a vodka bottle and stuff a towel in it Hey Luci, catch this! I light it with a fire ball and throw it into Lucifers hands

Patience

watching all the fireworks

Dean

Mom take the other side and distract him with flares

Mary

does as asked

Charlie

setting off more LEDs and firecrackers

Lucifer

Who knew you were all a psycho group of pyros?! I immediately disappear from my spot, leaving the flares to go off where I was. I spot Mary and smirk. This should make a good point. I reappear behind her- one hand on her neck and the other poised to snap my fingers HEY DEANO- wanna say goodbye to mommy?

Ellen

pours myself a whiskey then throws the glass that way

Sam

Seeing Lucifer MOM!

Dean

run at Luci as he grabs Luci MOM NOOOO I kick you hard in your gut ninja style

Henry

hearing dean scream like a scared girl I put the cuffs on Lucifer with telekinesis hey big meanie you're going to the time-out room. But do you want a cookie I can share

Mary

tries to regain my breath

Sam

no way I can get close enough to stop him from this far away

Lucifer

I barely flinch, and toss Dean off me, but suddenly when I got to smite, there’s cuffs on me. What the fu... Did YOU do that?! What did- take these off me now!!

Charlie

seeing the cuffs go on Lucifer I take a breath of relief

Lucifer

proceeds to have toddler sized tantrum

Mary

tries regaining my breath

Ellen

whew, takes another shot of whiskey

Lucifer

TAKE THESE DAMN THINGS OFF ME

Sam

Makes it to her side You okay?

Ruby

Stands back near the exit watching it all, knowing somehow Lucifer will get free and there will be hell to pay, with me at the head if the line.

Henry

I have telekinesis and I'm the perfect of the lord . You can ask dad that but dad is too busy so the time out room it is

Mary

I will be once I catch my breath again

Dean

I fly back but seeing the cuffs on you I run up to you super fish flying hitting you in the face that’s for my mom BITCH! kick you knocking you to your knees

Lucifer

Time out room?! What is this- I'm not a child, you can't just throw me in 'time out'!!

Crowley

I walk up to Lucifer and dust off his shoulders Don't worry. The dungeon in the Bunker is cozy. You get plenty of alone time.

Charlie

Well not yet… first we need you to turn this place back to normal

Lucifer

Hit the ground with a bloody nose Wow, okay. Rude. Growl at Crowley and glare daggers

Dean

Acting like a little bitch with your temper tantrum time out in the dungeon sounds great!

Sam

You should be used to getting locked away by now

Charlie

I’m sure Gabe will be happy to deal with you when he gets home….

Lucifer

Okay first of all, out of bounds Bunk- buddy.

Henry

Dungeon with a trap that you can’t escape. But you aren’t behaving so no cookie for you

Dean

punch you in the face again shut the fuck up!

Lucifer

I just wanted to have a little fun, but no... Fine. Snaps the place back to normal and sneers

Mary

tries to get my breath back still

Lucifer

Hey, I think.. I deserve cookies at the very LEAST. After you PSYCHOS tried to blow me up with discount fireworks.

Charlie

Thank you… now dean…can you get him back to bunker without trying to kill him?

Lucifer

You're sending me back with the temperamental Ken doll? Seriously?

Crowley

I shoot a look at Lucifer and smile sheepishly

Alex

Smiles

Ellen

goes to help Mary get up and out to the cars

Lucifer

Oh you better watch your step. I'm already counting how many pigs I can get for you.

Dean

No guarantees come on bitch grabbing you by the seat of your pants and throw you over my shoulders like a ragdoll and carry you to the impala throwing you in the trunk and slamming the door hitting your head

Mary

tries to breathe

Henry

I'm going to tell my dad about this goes to get inside Sam’s car

Charlie

Ladies? Shall we? holding up my keys I’m ready for a drink

Lucifer

HEY! EASY ON THE GOODS! curses from the trunk of the Impala

Ellen

Yup! I yell back to Charlie. Holding onto Mary

Dean

What was that? open the trunk slamming it down on your head again

Patience

looks to Charlie yes ma'am

Lucifer

WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE-- shut off my the trunk slamming my head and cursing louder

Ruby

Taking advantage of the melee, I pop out needing to get out of here.

Sam

Looking around for Ruby, I don't see her anywhere. Damn it Following Dean and Lucifer out, I get ready to escort the Impala back to the Bunker

Crowley

I hear the starting price is 3

Charlie

getting in my car I start it up homeward bound

Mary

weakly breathing Thanks

Dean

I jump in the car and once Mary is in I head back to the bunker

Mary

looks out the window

Ellen

Of course honey. Exciting night huh? helps her sit in the front seat of Charlie's car

Mary

nods

Charlie

Let’s get you home to rest

Ellen

hops in the front seat of deans car

Lucifer

Still banging on the trunk because still tantruming

Dean

once back to the bunker I get out and open the trunk grabbing. Lucifer and drag him out of the trunk slamming you to the ground then pick you up leading you inside

Crowley

I pat the trunk sympathetically

Patience

climbing in the car with Charlie

Dean

Oops sorry about that Luci

Lucifer

HONESTLY. Did no one ever tell you to be gentle?

Ellen

back at the bunker with Dean, watching him handle Luci like a rag doll

Charlie

pulling into the bunker let’s get Mary inside to rest, and then I think I need a beer.

Crowley

No, they really don't. Sorry

Lucifer

Is nobody gonna step in? Really? Okay this is just... honestly I was just having a good time and I'm feeling so attacked right now.

Dean

Nope why the hell would I be to the devil? dragging you into the bunker and down the steps making sure you bounce hard on every step

Crowley

I follow squirrel down invisibly

Mary

watches while trying to catch my breath

Lucifer

GONNA REMEMBER THIS THE NEXT TIME IVE GOT YOUR MOM IN A DEATH GRIP BUD.

Dean

at the bottom i grab you by your feet dragging you through the halls bouncing your head off the walls on the way. To the dungeon and throw you into the wall before chaining you

Lucifer

cursing in every language known and not known to man

Crowley

I watch Lucifer and Dean contemplating what would benefit me most

Lucifer

sensing Crowley nearby and death glaring in his general direction even if it looks like thin air

Dean

Have fun I can’t wait till Gabe gets ahold of your ass!

Lucifer

I DIDNT DO ANYTHING WRONG!

Mary

goes to the kitchen

Dean

Riiiiight gaining innocent souls.... Turning ruby evil again....well trying to but it backfired

Crowley

roll my eyes and crouch taking out a knife and makes the tinniest scratch in the paint

Lucifer

I was just playing club owner for a little bit and enjoying the fine delights humanity supposedly offers-- so what if a few people were willing to sell their souls. Grown adults. Making their own decisions.

Dean

Dude he has archangel cuffs on but I will let Gabe known your helping his ass too

Lucifer

Also YOU GUYS came and crashed my party and attacked ME. Just defended myself.

Dean

Protecting people is what we do dumbass! Family business

Lucifer

Mhmm, and how many people did you protect storming in there tossing fireworks left and right setting the place ablaze. Just saying...

Dean

Considering you already killed innocent people cloned as ruby and CROWLEY With your little temper tantrum rage

Lucifer

And you guys lit the place up trying to get me. So.. bye to anybody left in there I guess.

Dean

Fireworks and flares didn’t kill anyone dumbass

Lucifer

All I'm saying is. If you guys left well enough alone, nobody would have died. I shrug nobody was forcing anyone to sign contracts before you guys showed up. Actually half of the deals probably would have left them better off than they were before.

Dean

Yeah and it’s a dangerous game and they would all die in 10 years we know how the game works

Ellen

goes down to get dean. dean let's go! Time to eat!

Lucifer

Oh you especially right?

Ruby

You could be right

Dean

hearing enough from you I real back and punch you hard slamming your head off the wall

Lucifer

Course I'm right. I shout with a bloody nose and smile, but I'm still conscious at least oooh, did I hit a nerve dean? Imagine someone stopped you making your deal. Yeah no hell, but I wonder where Sammy would be...

……………………………………………….

1. Sam and Dean are in the armory showing Mary the collection left behind by the men of letters specifically an odd looking gun that they hadn’t found the origin of yet. Ellen, Charlie and patience are at the table talking while researching cases. Henry and Alex come in from shopping and mention a new dance club that has opened in town, and maybe the team should take a night off to check it out. They start talking about it at the table and soon are joined by Sam, Dean and Mary who join in and they all agree to get ready and go dancing.

2. Crowley, lucifer and Ruby are sitting in an office talking about how good business has been in collecting souls. Ruby is nursing an injured hand, but walks up and places a file on the desk showing their recent numbers. Crowley whistles and comments on how in all his years as king it’s never been this good. Lucifer smiles and says he has much to teach them. All those years in the cage he had missed out on the fun. He had to make up for lost time. He sends ruby on a mission to go do some more advertising, while the men tended to business. Ruby scowls but says nothing as she does what she’s told.

3. The team has gotten dressed and are making plans for a fun night out. Sam and Dean comment about how this was not how they normally did things. Mary says some downtime is just as important as the hunts. Everyone else agrees. They decide who is going in what car (Sam, Dean and Charlie will all drive) and head out to the garage and drive to town. Once they find parking, Sam sees ruby hanging up signs and calls out to her. Ruby gasps and runs. Sam gives chase, while patience and Ellen go check out the signs. (It’s an advertisement for the dance club) Henry wonders why Ruby is working a real job, Alex says ruby is good and wouldn’t hurt them. Charlie comments on her bandaged hand as Sam comes back saying he couldn’t find her. They decide they need to look into it a bit further and Henry sighs, after the prophet ordeal he was hoping to be normal for just a day. Ellen promises a Henry night as soon as this is over. They all agree and head home.

4. Inside the bar, Crowley is chatting up guests and signing deals left and right with a foolish grin on his face, while lucifer is playing the piano. Ruby appears amongst the crowd, disgusted at what this place was, a soul collection pit. She thinks of all these poor people, drunk and drugged with no idea of what they’re getting into, and heads over to the piano to tell lucifer she saw team free will outside. Lucifer swears and Crowley overhears him and rushes to find out what is happening. Ruby warns of their intelligence and lucifer strikes her, and says she is underestimating who she has partnered up with, Willingly or not. Lucifer storms off to come up with a plan, and Crowley helps ruby up. He’s also a bit nervous knowing what the team is capable of and offers to help ruby come up with a plan to get out.

5. Back at the bunker Henry comes in and slumps on the couch, disappointed that a fun night turned into work. Alex agrees with him, but reminds him this is the life they’d signed up for. Mary and Ellen try to comfort the two while Sam, Dean and Charlie are trying to research some information on the new club. After a few minutes Charlie finds a website without a lot of information, but the ads promise an experience like never before which Dean scoffs at. Sam reads a bit further as the ad says you’ll come out more successful, more wealthy or with whatever it is you desire most…. Dean pays attention then saying it sounds like a soul deal. Henry has overheard this and comments that maybe it’s best they didn’t go in after all. Sam tries to reach out to ruby but she ignores his calls, so they head out to investigate the club again.

6. Inside the club, lucifer is back on the piano and charming all of his guests. He flirts with a few random ladies and while he is distracted Crowley and Ruby sneak off to the store room behind the bar. (Lucifer you can free run yourself with guests or sing—whatever comes to mind) once they’re out of earshot Crowley and Ruby start planning a way to get out without lucifer noticing. They come up with several ideas and Crowley shoots them all down, saying luci is too smart for that. Then ruby remembers a spell she learned long ago that would allow her to turn a couple patrons into their clones. Crowley grins saying she was much smarter than she looked and asked what she needed from him.

7. The team is back outside the club, they’re watching the line up and realize that many of the patrons are either desperate or destitute. (Free run trying to talk to some guests here) dean, Sam and Ellen head to the lineup to question some guests while Henry, Patience, Alex , and Charlie start looking for a way inside. Not getting much useful information from the patrons Sam, Dean and Ellen go around the back and find the others just as Alex finds an unlocked door. Sam warns that it seems too easy, and Dean says that’s a chance they’ll have to take. And he rushes inside, Charlie tries to stop him and Sam swears saying they have no choice now. Everyone gears up and heads in after dean.

8. Crowley comes back into the store room with the last of the ingredients Ruby needs for the spell. Ruby reminds Crowley that the clones won’t have their powers or their knowledge so they’d have to move quickly. Crowley snarks at ruby telling her to hurry before lucifer noticed they were gone. Ruby begins the spell and Crowley gets impatient and dumps in too much vervain, Ruby doesn’t notice and completes the spell and suddenly the club is full of Crowley and ruby’s! Lucifer looks around and sees it and he gets angry and begins to smite them one by one as he curses the “worthless demons” that betrayed him.

9. The team is walking through a dark hallway with several doors, they keep trying them as they look for a way inside the club (each person should open the door and see something that isn’t useful) until finally Henry opens a door and finds ruby and Crowley. Ruby has realized the mistake of her spell at this time and lucifer can be heard bellowing all through the club. Sam sees the fear in rubys eyes and the bandaged hand and yells at her saying now is the time to come clean. Crowley tries to place all the blame on ruby who immediately shuts him down and fills the team in on what Crowley and lucifer have built here. Lucifer, sensing the team nearby, goes back to his piano and waits for their appearance.

10. The team makes a plan to trap lucifer. Ellen says they’ll need the archangel cuffs and Crowley offers to get them. Dean gives him a look and says that he’s not getting out of their sights today. Crowley backs down and ruby offers to help. Sam says that’s a good idea and sends her on her way. Patience, Alex and Henry will sneak in from behind the stage, while Charlie, Ellen, Mary , Sam and Dean make plans to cause havoc all over the room. Ruby will use magic to cause some additional illusions as well. Ruby pops back and they set their plan into motion. (Don’t move too fast, give Luci some time to respond and cause his own chaos too) lucifer is just about to smite Mary and dean screams out—just then henry uses his telekinesis and gets the cuffs on Luci. Luci curses and knows his plan is done. They take him back to the bunker after making him return the club to normal, threatening him with Gabe if he doesn’t comply. Lucifer does as he’s told and they take him back to bunker and put him in the dungeon for safekeeping until Gabe came back.

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100yearoldcomics · 1 year

Text

August 6, 1922 The Gumps by Sid Smith

TOP PANEL [ID: Chester Gump drives a large truck weighted down with a load of gold coins, a shovel sticking out of the pile, some coins falling out the back onto the road. On the side of the truck is painted, "Chester Bim Gump, Inc." A sign in front of the truck points the way, showing that he's driving "To the Bank." /end]

MAIN COMIC [ID: Andy Gump hands an overjoyed Chester a rake and a large wicket basket. They stand in the doorway of the shed in the Gumps' backyard. /end] Andy: Come on now, Chester. My little Rockefeller. Roll up your sleeves. Get busy if you want to earn that pony. If you work three hours raking up the yard, I'll give you 75¢. Then you'll only need $69.00 even. I just want you to get started saving money. You'll be surprised how fast it will pile up. You'll be riding around in that pony cart before you know it. If you just keep it up, you'll be as rich as Uncle Bim when you're my age. [INFLATION GUIDE: In 2022 dollars, Andy's offering Chester $13.25 to rake the yard - leaving him about $1,219 shy of his dream pony. /end]

[ID: A shoeless Chester happily rakes up the leaves around the yard and places them into the basket. /end] Chester: Gee, I'm gonna make money. I'm gonna be rich. I'm not going to waste my time like lazy boys do. I wish there were more work days in the week and it didn't get dark so early so I could do more work.

[ID: Chester stands proudly beside a pile of leaves, leaning on the upright rake. /end] Chester: I'm not going to stop till I get a million billion trillion dollars.

[ID: Chester leans the rake against the side of the house and sits on a box underneath a window, happily daydreaming. /end] Chester: Then I can get all the food I want for my pony. I'll get myself a cowboy outfit. A Mexican saddle with all hand carved leather. The highest priced saddle I can buy.

[ID: Chester fills a cup with water from a hand-pump well in the yard. /end] Chester: And I'll get silver spurs and a nice Lariat. Then I'll go out West and be a cow boy. I'll catch buffaloes alive.

[ID: Chester sits on the wooden platform underneath the well, happily leaning back with his hands clasped around his knee. /end] Chester: Gee, I wish I had that pony now. I'd take every little boy and girl in the neighborhood out riding. I'm not going to be stingy with my pony. And when school starts, I'll ride him to school every day and hitch him outside.

[ID: Chester lies on his stomach in the grass, kicking his feet in the air while he stares lovingly at a flower. He ignores the leaves scattered on the grass behind him. /end] Chester: I'm gonna name him Gip. Take him to all the fairs and get the first prizes. Think of all the blue ribbons I'll get. We'll have our pictures in all the papers.

[ID: Chester sits happily on a wide, flat rock beside a tree in a corner of the yard. /end] Chester: I'm gonna teach him tricks. Teach him how to count and walk on his hind legs and all kinds of things. And I'll give a show out in the back yard. Charge 10¢ admission. I'll save that, too, and buy a tent. [INFLATION GUIDE: That'd be about $1.75 admission now. /end]

[ID: Chester lies laughing on the grass. In the foreground, the leaves still lie piled up beside the basket. /end] Chester: Then I can go on the road and have a big show. Won't Grandpa and Grandma be surprised to see me come to Bloomington? I'll let them in for nothing and give them passes for all their friends.

[ID: Chester lies back gleefully in the grass, crossing his legs and closing his eyes as he rests his head on his arms. /end] Chester: I'll have swell bills posted all over town a month ahead. I'll have pictures of myself on my pony, with a big cowboy hat on and a swell rifle shooting glass balls out of the air and lassoing wild horses.

[ID: Andy unhappily finds Andy sleeping in the grass. He startles the boy awake. /end] Andy: Come on! Come on!! HEY!

[ID: Andy watches over Chester as the boy frantically goes back to his yard work. /end] Andy: At that rate, by the time you earn that pony, you won't need a pony and cart. You'd better be saving up for a cane and spectacles. An ear trumpet and a set of false teeth. You've got about as much chance of ever getting to the top that way as you would have rowing over Niagara Falls. Up stream. Caption: With the quarter his father gave him last week and the 75¢ he earned today, Chester is well on the way to earn that pony. Only $69.00 to go. [INFLATION GUIDE: To fill in the one figure I haven't already translated, Andy gave Chester around $4.50 last week. /end]

#newspaper comics #vintage #history #1922 #the gumps #transcript available #1920s #yard work #chores #raking leaves #autumn #allowance

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goblinselfshippr · 2 years

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please elaborate on the horse hate and fear?? i am actually very interested/g

Absolutely anon! I don’t know what the actual tw would be, but there are mentions of horses hurting people (they were okay) and impractical ways horses hurt themselves. The tl;dr is they are intimidating and can be assholes. This is mega long, but you get the chance to read about my first ever story/cryptid creation

So first you need to know that my mom’s family owns a huge farm in the middle of nowhere. It used to have cows and chickens and a few crops. The chickens are still there, but when the last of their cows passed on the uncle that inherited the land said he always wanted horses. Apparently my great grandpa was of a similar opinion of horses as me, and never allowed horses on the farm. A secondary confession: if I were to grab out my childhood scrapbook right now, the first page would be of me riding a horse and having a grand old time. The fear had not been instilled in me yet.

For as long as I’ve been alive there have only ever been chickens and horses (I think they had two cows for a little while but I was really young). Lemme tell yall. Horses are assholes. Up until age eight I believed in “the morning dinosaur” that would eat you if you were awake/out of your room before a certain time. Apparently my parents had no idea that I lived in fear of the morning dinosaur, as no one had ever said anything close to the story.

“But Goblin! That has nothing to do with horses!”

Oh but it does. Upon finding a drawing of said morning dinosaur, we concluded that it was actually my aunt‘s horse. who we lived with for maybe a year when I was two ish. at 8:30 every morning her horse would stick his big head in through her kitchen window, demand to be fed special breakfast BY HAND or throw a temper tantrum. Aunt recalls a few times he mistook my blonde hair for hay and some light nibbling/jostling was endured. I had created an entire mythology on a long necked t-rex like creature based on a hazy memory of getting my ponytail yanked by a horse (I think his name was Pecan or Chestnut, do not fully remember). I vividly remember my cousins daring each other to jump one of the corral fences, did not understand why they all started running shortly after we all hopped the fence, and had to get yanked up by an uncle because apparently one of the horses in that pen was just an absolute dickhead. He would (and did) trample anyone that entered his pen like a bull, and I remember several times older family members getting their shit rocked by that horse. My mom and myself have also gotten bit, swung by our hair too many times to count.

Completely not related to actually witnessing horses being dicks, but their eyes unsettle me. They’re like sideways slits and my brain says e v i l. Goats have the same eyes, and yk what? I trust goats less than horses. Second: horses are HUGE. And I’ve been short my whole life which makes them only that much bigger in proportion. I don’t actually know anything about measuring horses in “hands” or what the hell a “wither” is, but I absolutely can say that my uncles are around 6ft tall and those horses were taller when they stood up on their back legs at a plastic bag.

Which brings me to why horses just also irritate me. Dude what kind of evolutionary failure causes horses to break their legs so easily? Oh no!! A predator! Better break all my legs so it can get me faster!! Bro,, Eohippus, wtf were you THINKING?? What kind of creature will roundhouse kick you in the face, and then freak out at a plastic baggie so much that it breaks its legs and twists its stomach? Which is also A Thing. Usually it can right itself.

Horses are cool from afar, but I refuse to come within biting distance.

#goblinrambles #goblinanswers #goblin rants abt horses #im sorry if you like horses #you are valid but I will not come near them

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kissesandcream · 3 years

Text

a smol sibling.,

w/ xiao, kaeya, & venti

— • request from anon : being the trio’s younger sibling! (separately)

xiao p1 || kaeya p1 || gn ! sibling ! reader || headcanon format || 1.5k words

; masterlist.,

; a / n - i’ve done xiao and kaeya before, but i had some more ideas so i’m making some more! links above if you’d like to read the others <3

xiao .,

• the other hcs i made for him where general, but here anon specified a younger sibling, so i’ll do that!

• he’s that sibling who’ll pretend ur the most annoying thing on the planet but would do anything for u so much as you ask

• “xiao when u come back could i have some glaze lilies” “get them yourself im the vigilant yaksha not a flower picker🙄” mhm then why did u literally wipe out qingce village’s flower population hm xiao 🤨

• teaches u how to fight!! but he’s not teaching he’s “helping you discover things yourself so you can be a functional person”

• it takes way too much effort to get this man to admit he loves you but you know it as much as he does so it’s okay <3

• cloud retainer has so much dirt on him it’s crazy. if you ever need some blackmail material head over to hers. also you can find some embarassing pictures she’s got a heckton

• verr goldet takes care of u a lot too, xiao’s a great brother and all but he lacks in this department called self care

• idk if you’re mortal or adeptus or half adeptus but if you need to eat and do basic body functions he does not got u covered

• mans would try to raise u on almond tofu until verr goldet bought out a food pyramid and explained about these things called nutrients

• he also doesn’t understand how important sleep is so,,, “xiao i’m gonna stay up” “yeah sure whatever” passing out two days later “y/N WHAT’S WRONG-”

• yeah verr goldet and the innkeeper guy give him a guide to basic survival talk and all through it he’s glaring at you like why did you never tell me you needed human things to live >:(

• now that he knows you need sleep, he makes u sleep at 8 pm every night like a grandpa!! good luck trying to get him to stop!!

• are these getting too guardian-like and less sibling-like??? 😭 but that’s the vibes he gives yk!! ur over protective adeptus parent-brother who has no clue how u work but wants to try to understand a little

• in the game u can tell how much more open he gets wit the traveller as friendship levels progress, and if you’ve maxed it out he’d basically do anything for you and would want you to trouble him than yourself

• and he’ll probably be closer with you than he’ll ever be with traveller since you’re siblings and whatnot, so it would make sense that he looks out for you more than your typical older brother yk

• plays the flute for you!! if he hears u humming a tune under your breath he’ll find it and learn it to play for u

• he may not fully understand how relationships work but he’s trying his best for u <3

kaeya .,

• my other kaeya hcs were in relation to you being close / living with diluc, but these will be more general and central towards kaeya!

• kaeya fits literally every older brother trope that exists. the brother who’s always got ur back? you got it. the brother who keeps secrets you don’t know about from you? heck yeah. the annoying brother who makes u do his chores for him? maybe a little too much.

• pls he (lovingly) shoves all of his small tasks onto u it’s infuriating but you can’t even say no bc then he gets all dramatic

• “y/n 😩 you’re abandonning your dear brother like this 😩 how could you 😩 i didn’t know you were so cruel 😩” sir shut up <3

• since he’s a people person everyone knows u very well too, heck all the senior citizens probably voted u as second best in law after him or smth idk man

• hanging out with best boy bennett!! he canonically sees kaeya as an older brother too so y’all def go on little adventures together <3

• ur one of the only people who have ever looked under his eyepatch, diluc and crepus being the only other two

• sometimes he forgets to take it off when he goes to bed and it leaves a bruise bc it’s pretty tight, so he let’s you change it for him

• “i can do this myself, you know” well he can but you both know he likes it better when you’re there

• does not allow your closet to be anything less than exquisite, you’ve got a bunch of scarfs like his whether you like it for not

• makes u buy his wine from diluc for him bc every time he goes to the tavern diluc raises the price tenfold just for him

• he’s that sibling who will rile you up on purpose just for the fun of it. i have a cousin who used to do that when he was younger and it was annoying but he still adores me sm so i don’t mind <3

• besides even if he does get on ur nerves amber’s got ur back- you can rant to her about him for hours on end and she’ll add with her experiences with kaeya’s bullying

• what are siblings if not for sibling rivalry, yes he picks on u constantly but he also picks u up when you’re feeling low <3

venti .,

• oh my gods he would be sO FUN

• the two of you are the bane of diluc’s existence, venti loops u into his winery pilfering plans a lot

• venti pulls the archon card if the two of you get caught by him idk what excuse you’ve got but it better be good 😭

• no way the god of wind and song’s sibling doesn’t love music- even if you’re tone deaf, or hard of hearing, music is about the pleasure it brings and he’ll bring it to you

• you guys go wind gliding a lot of the time too!! y’all don’t even need gliders you’ve got the power of anemo 😎

• he’s that cool brother who’s only rule is that you do whatever you want to do, life is too short for regrets so live in the moment and be spontaneous!

• even though he’s older he seems much younger than you at heart 😭 will wine if you don’t do something for him it’s hilarious

• you’ve got other things to do and he’s just “but hanging out!!!” and ur like “but work!!!”

• it’s very hard to be productive with him around, he will distract u with something as mundane as an apple- it’s not his fault tho bb just has a poor attention span 😭

• he’s very clingy, if you’re together he’ll link your elbows like everyone did in sixth grade, and in turn u can kick him in the kneecaps when he does stupid things

• he’s the ceo of stupid things so u get to kick him a lot, it’s a mutal symbiotic relationship we love to see it <33

• my brain is dead and i can’t english rn but. his vibes yk he’s so fun to be around, he gives out surprisingly killer advice too

• i have this man’s teapot lines plastered on my wall bc they help me deal with stuff, so if you’re ever down you can always, always, always go to him and he’ll have the exact things to say

• if it’s words, he has them, if it’s silence you need he’ll lend you his shoulder; but there was never an instance he doesn’t leave you better than before

• you haven’t seen his archon side a lot, since he doesn’t show it all that much, but it’s so far from venti it’s a little scary; but in a sort of admiring way yk

• you guys visit zhongli sometimes, and it’s a free real estate for blackmail material bc of how terrified venti is of him

• zhongli is like that long lost uncle who visits once a year, and you’re his favorite child so he gives you candy and picks on venti for not taking good enough care of you

• “i’m their sibling not their parent” “you’re older have some responsibility >:(”

• if you ever get drunk he will hear about it and will come all the way from liyue to i will have order venti’s head, regardless of whether he was the cause of you being drunk or not

• that about wraps it up! im sure i could think of more but my brain is sorta dead rn so this will have to suffice 😭 i can’t think of a closing statement sO i hope u enjoyed!! bye bye!! <3

#; gargoyle scriptures #xiao x reader #kaeya x reader #venti x reader #xiao headcanons #kaeya headcanons #venti headcanons #genshin x reader #genshin headcanons #xiao scenarios #kaeya scenarios #venti scenarios #genshin scenarios #xiao #kaeya alberich #venti #genshin impact

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xokiddo · 2 years

Text

Ocean Eyes

» Armin Arlert/AFAB Reader. Modern era.

» Content warnings: None. Lots of fluff, more fluff, and topped with some kisses.

» Summary: At the age of 5, you meet a blonde boy who doesn't speak the same language as you. When you take him to see the ocean, you become instant friends, despite the language barrier.

At the age of 22, you happen to run into the man who you've been thinking about all those years. You return to your spot by the sea, and you fall hopelessly in love with one another.

» Word count: 6.5k

» Read on AO3, or below the cut.

Author's Note: Okay, honesty hour: this is inspired by the Camping episode of Bluey. If you have about 7 minutes and a desire to cry, watch that episode. It hits me beautifully in the feels. If you can spot the quote I snuck in here, then please message me so we can cry together lol Anyway, here's a childhood friends-to-lovers remix. The numbers you'll see in the headers is your (reader's) age. If y'all have corrections on the German, please feel free to let me know! I tried to mostly be simple with the German simply because I don't know the language fluently. I couldn't help myself though - foreign language Armin? *swoon* Have 6k of fluff! ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

Ocean Eyes

You come to your grandparent’s home every summer. Your mother - a schoolteacher - will get the summer off, and she would help your grandparents in those months, giving you free reign to do you wished. You would sit on the old sofa while your Grandma read to you, you would play in the front yard while your Grandpa watched from a rocking chair on the patio, and then there was your favorite pastime: running down to the shore.

The house was about a mile away, and your mother didn’t mind you going on your own as long as you were back by dinnertime, so you took every chance you could to play in the sand or walk to put your feet in the water.

Like today.

You’re heading toward the shore - about a mile away, and you’re halfway there - when you come across the neighborhood playground where you have spent many days at, and you spot a lone boy is sitting on the swingset while he reads. His blonde hair falls at his chin, and he gnaws on his lip as he reads.

When you pass by, he lifts his head and perks up instantly. You aren’t startled, since you were looking at him anyway, and he calls to you.

“Hallo!”

You stop walking and wave with a bright smile. “Hi!”

He gives a nervous smile in return, getting off the swing and shutting his book, heading toward you on the sidewalk. He says something, but it sounds like gibberish, and you tilt your head in confusion.

“What?”

The boy hesitates, but he comes up to you still, and he’s about your height. You’re small for a 5 year-old, and you wonder if he’s 5, too. He hugs the book to his chest with one hand and taps his chin with the index finger of the other.

“Help?” he says with a heavy accent. You nod, and he seems slightly more at ease. He says something, but it’s not in English. When you make an apologetic expression, he furrows his brow and taps his chin, deep in thought for a moment before he tries again.

“Ah—ocean? Where?”

Understanding hits you, and you beam at him. “I’m going there now! I’ll take you!”

His eyebrows pull together, clearly not understanding what you’re saying, but you grab his hand not holding the book. You set back off in the direction you were heading, and he relaxes when he seems to understand that you’re taking him to the ocean.

“Oh! I should tell you my name…” You think aloud before telling him your name.

You look sideways at him, and he gives you a shy smile. “Ich heiße Armin.”

The pair of you walk in general silence, but you don’t have to walk too far. When you hear the water, both of your footsteps quicken, and you’re practically running when the sidewalk turns to wooden decking, a path of wood leading you over the grass and to the sand, where the shoreline extends both ways as far as the eye can see.

When your feet hit the sand, you kick off your sandals, but Armin is too stunned to do the same.

You stand, hand in hand, and he’s staring at the ocean with wide eyes and red cheeks. His hold on your hand tightens, and you suddenly want to show him everything you know about the ocean.

“Take off your shoes,” you tell him.

His bright eyes shift to you, and he frowns, not understanding.

You point at his shoes, and then your bare feet. “Take them off,” you repeat, and you wiggle your toes for emphasis. “The sand is soft here.”

Armin nods, slipping off his own sandals, and he lets out a small gasp when he feels the soft sand.

Pleased, you pull at his hand again, leading him directly to the water. He tenses, but trusts you, pausing to place his book on top of his shoes before letting you lead him to the water. You can’t read the title - the word looks fake, but maybe it’s in the language he speaks. You only bring him far enough so that your feet get wet when the water rises up to your ankles before withdrawing, and you stop walking.

He looks down and his smile is so wide you can’t help but do the same.

“The water is my favorite,” you tell him.

His gaze rises to you, and even though he doesn’t understand, he squeezes your hand again.

“Where are you from?” You ask, and he shakes his head to show he doesn’t know what you’re saying. You sigh before you look at your feet again. You lower into a squat and point at the little, tiny shelled creatures that burrow back into the sand when the water recedes. “Those are sand fleas.”

Armin mirrors your posture, blue eyes honed in on where you point. “Sand fleas?” he repeats.

You nod. “They tickle your feet when the water comes up. See?” The water washes back over your feet, and they move around both of your feet only to hide again.

Armin’s eyes widen, and you giggle. He says something, and you get a devilish idea.

You splash him lightly.

He flinches, exclaiming something, and you laugh before breaking into a run. After a moment of hesitation, he chases you, shouting in a language you don’t understand. You don’t have to look back to know that he’s smiling, because he’s cackling when he catches up to you, throwing his arms around your middle to slow you down.

You play until dusk.

The pair of you don’t understand one another past a few simple words and phrases, but that’s all you need to decide that he’s now one of your favorite people.

Your mom comes to find you, worry painted across her features that falls away when she sees that you’ve made a new friend.

“Honey, it’s dinner time. You should come home - who’s your new friend?” she asks.

“This is Armin,” you tell her, and Armin freezes up. He looks between you and your mother, perhaps growing anxious that he doesn’t know what’s being said. “He was playing by himself at the playground.”

Your mom softens at that, and her kind gaze slides to him. Before she can speak, another voice interjects.

“Armin!”

An older man - he looks like your Grandpa’s age - is walking over, and Armin waves. They exchange words in that funny language, and Armin says your name. The man approaches, and offers his hand to your mom.

“Hallo,” he says. “Nice to meet you.” His voice is thick with an accent, like Armin’s, but much deeper. He turns to Armin and says more words, and Armin seems disappointed. The man looks at you and your mom and just says, “Time to eat.”

Seeing as it’s time for everyone to leave, you and Armin look at each other. “Will I see you in the morning?”

“Tomorrow? Again?” He asks, and you nod with a smile. Before he can leave, you pull him into a tight hug, and he immediately reciprocates.

“Bye, Armin,” you say while you squeeze him.

“Auf wiedersehen,” he says quietly.

With another wave, you both go to your separate homes. On the walk home, you tell your mom all about this boy who speaks in a different language, but how you showed him the ocean and sand fleas and how to build a sand castle.

You meet again the next day at the same spot - and the day after that, and the day after that, all through summer.

Every day, Armin brings a book that has words in English and in German (turns out you know one word in German, and that’s gesundheit) because that’s what language he speaks. You learn enough to talk to him in very, very easy German, and he learns just as simple English, allowing you to have small, slow conversations.

You learn that his last name is Alert. He likes the color blue. He reads really well, and you ask him to read you stories - even the ones in German, because there’s usually pictures so you can sort of get what he’s saying. He likes to eat fruit, especially strawberries.

You soak up every fact about your friend.

Ultimately, there’s some afternoons where the book is abandoned while you run around and play, not needing words to communicate.

“Hey, Armin.”

“Hm?”

He’s scanning the shoreline for sea shells, trying to find the prettiest ones. You tried to teach him a tongue twister about sea shells earlier in the day, but you both devolved into fits of laughter before he could ever manage to say it properly.

“We’ll be friends forever, right?”

Armin lifts his head to look at you, trying to figure out the meaning of your words. “Friends forever?”

“Yeah. For a long, long time.” You hold your hands apart while you talk to emphasize how long you want to be friends.

He smiles and blushes. “Yes.”

You hold out a hand, fingers curled into a fist except for your pinky. “Pinky promise?”

“Eh?”

“Pinky promise,” you repeat, and you beckon him over. He comes to you, and he holds up his pinky in the same manner, though he waits for further explanation. “It’s a promise that you can’t ever, never break.”

He squints, taking a moment to process, and then he nods in understanding. “Pinky promise.”

Grinning from ear-to-ear, you link your pinkies together, and he meets your gaze as he smiles.

One day, near the end of summer, you run down to the shore to meet Armin.

He’s not there.

You wait, and wait, and wait.

He never arrives.

You go home and cry to your mother, who holds you and tells you that he probably went home to Germany.

“But I wanted to keep being friends with him!” You wipe your cheeks with your palms.

Your mom rubs your back comfortingly. “Well, look - sometimes special people comes into our lives, stay a little bit, and then they have to go.”

“But…that’s sad.”

“It is, but the bit where he was here was happy, wasn’t it?”

You think about her question, and your heart beats extra hard in your chest when you think about all the days spent on the beach with Armin. “Yeah. We played almost every day!”

She chuckles. “Well, maybe that makes it all worth it?”

You’re about to ask if you’ll ever see him again, but your Grandpa interrupts with a cup of hot chocolate and the promise of your pick of a movie to ease your sadness.

You still visit your grandparents every summer.

They get older and less mobile, but they’re sharp as nails otherwise.

When you’re not helping around the house, you sneak away to the shore, hoping to see that blonde boy with a book again.

He’s never there.

Your grandmother passes away one cold, grey winter.

As you deal with grief, your mom doesn’t hesitate to let you go hide at your spot by the water.

You’ve lost hope of finding Armin there, but you hug yourself as you stand with your feet in the water, your black dress whipping around your knees with the breeze. Goosebumps erupt across your skin, and you shiver, but you focus on the biting cold water washing over your feet.

It’s not summer, but you wonder what he’s up to, and if he even thinks of you anymore.

A piece of you has considered trying to look him up, maybe try to find any social media, but what would that do? What if he doesn’t have any? Or worse - he does, but then he doesn’t remember you? Doesn’t care?

A pang shoots into your heart, making your chest tighten, and you shiver when another gust of wind cuts through you.

You’ve clung to the idea of Armin, hoping to find that sweet, young boy out here with his wide eyes and warm smile. Perhaps he’s growing into a man, like you’re budding into a woman, and he’s thriving wherever he is, now.

Without you.

A strong wave crashes into the sand, and when it withdraws from the shore, you stumble forward with the weight of the water pulling you along.

Even though you’ve cried endlessly today, fresh tears sting at your eyes and roll down your cheeks, falling into the sea.

Maybe, one day, they’ll find their way to Armin at another coast across the world.

College has been a rollercoaster of an experience.

Needless to say, you’re thankful that you’re almost done.

You’re attending the college that’s in the same town as your Grandpa, which also helps you save on the cost of a dorm - why room on your own when you can live with him for free? - and you’re in your last semester. The end is in sight, and the first day jitters have long since passed as you walk the halls to your last class of the day. 3:45pm classes are always hit-or-miss, but this course named Stellar Astronomy seems promising, and you hope that the professor opts for an easy first-day reading of the syllabus before dismissing everyone early.

You walk in after double checking the room number on your cell phone, and find that you’re early.

Like, the second person in the room early.

The classroom is fairly large, and you opt to sit on the far side of the room. You bury your nose in social media, trying to kill time before class begins. The room fills in around you, but you pay the other students no mind until the professor calls for class to start.

The professor - a sweet woman named Dr. Ral - begins with an introduction about herself and the course, what to expect, and a reading of the syllabus.

Only an hour into the two-hour runtime, she announce that she’s wrapping up early with roll call.

“Considering it’s the first day, I know you all must have a lot to do as you settle in,” she says with mild amusement. “So, I’m simply calling names, and this will ensure you’re not dropped from the class. Once I say your name, let me know I’ve got it right - or correct me if I pronounce it wrong - and then you’re free to head out.”

Everyone quietly gathers their items together before she starts off. There’s a few names at the start, with one person already skipping out, and you wait patiently for your name to be called when she says it.

“Armin Alert.”

You freeze in your chair.

“Here!”

You can’t tell if it’s the same accent that you remember so well, but your scanning the room as a blonde man stands up, his back to you and he slings a backpack over his shoulder. He exits the room and panic seizes you, and you’re suddenly beyond antsy to run out.

Time moves at a snail’s pace, and you’re practically jumping from your seat when Dr. Ral only gets your first name out.

“Present!” You nearly shout as you sprint from the room. There’s an amused “Have a good day!” that she calls after you, but you don’t hear her as you bust through the door into the empty hallway. You pick a direction and hustle, hoping that he’s heading to the parking lot.

No such luck.

When you get outside, there’s no sign of him.

No, no, no!

You head to the far side of campus, closest to the water, hoping he’s there.

He’s not.

An idea surges into your head: you’re only a block away from the shore. Part of the allure of this campus is the waterfront location, and hope fills you, renewing your spirit.

Kicking off your shoes, you pick them up and break into a sprint.

You run through the parking lot, down the sidewalk for a block, and to the wooden bridge that connects the concrete to the sand. The decking is hot under your bare feet, but you don’t care, ignoring the sting with each step when the shore comes into view—

Please be there, Armin.

—and it’s deserted.

As your feet sink into the sand, you deflate, disappointment flooding you. The distant caws of the seagulls and whistle of the breeze sound hollow with how empty this area is. Tossing aside your shoes, and then dropping your bag in the sand with a muffled thud, an urge to sob lodges in your throat. In an effort to suppress the creeping emotions, you walk toward the water, hoping the sea will make your sorrow ebb.

You can hear the air pass through the tall reeds in the grass behind you, near the wooden decking, a low whisper over the water that creeps over the sand before pulling back to the sea. You flex your toes in the wet sand, burying your feet with the small motions, before shifting forward two steps. The water now reaches your ankles, and you sigh.

"Excuse me?"

You whip your head around at that voice - that same, deep, slightly accented voice - and he's there.

Armin.

No longer the small boy he once was, he now stands tall as a man, blonde hair cut shorter with a fringe that falls across his forehead, broad shoulders, lean muscle from what you can see with his arms on display in his fitted t-shirt. His eyes, though - his eyes remain the same bright, oceanic blue that you remembered so vividly. He's standing near your bag, his own over his shoulders, shoes in hand, and he's staring openly at you in quiet awe as he says your name carefully. It takes you a whole minute to realize he's asking if it's you and you nod, your heart pounding as you regard one another anxiously.

"Is it really you?" Armin breaks the silence with the worried question, and you nod again, breaking into a smile that he mirrors immediately.

"Yeah," you tell him, and he beams at you.

He drops his bag and shoes unceremoniously into the sand, and before you can move, he's hurrying toward you-without rolling his jeans up, you notice - and he scoops you up into a tight but fond embrace. You reciprocate, and you're reminded instantly of the bear hugs you'd give each other as children that summer, so long ago. Only now, he's bigger than you and apparently can lift you up with ease, and you kick your wet feet in the air when he does so.

"I can't believe it," he whispers as he places you back on your feet, though his arms don't loosen around you yet. "I - This feels like a dream.”

"You're telling me." You pull back a few inches, and he places his hands on your biceps, your own on his shoulders. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again,” you admit quietly.

Hurt flashes in his eyes, but he nods in understanding anyway. "I know. I.." He squeezes your arms once, gently. "I knew it was a risk to come here.”

Warmth blooms across your chest, and you smile so widely you may cry. "But you're here."

Armin's cheeks fill with color, and he nods. "I am.”

You learn all about what Armin has been doing these years - but you first are keen to know what happened that summer.

“You just…left,” you trail off, sitting across from Armin at a nearby coffee shop.

He turns his cup slowly, brow furrowed in thought. “I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, the day before?”

Armin reluctantly meets your eyes, guilt filling his own. He sighs, and his shoulders slump. “I didn’t know we were leaving. Opa was sick, and we had to cut the holiday short. I wanted to find you, to tell you - maybe we could have been friends in letters - but I didn’t get the chance.”

Your jaw falls open, and you’re left with an uncertainty about how to continue the conversation. You try to recover, and you ask, “How’s your grandfather doing now?”

“Oh, he’s great, now.” Armin seems to relax as he replies. “He had some heart stuff going on back then, but he’s good now - just old.”

“That’s good.” Under the table, you shift your feet, but you bump Armin’s with your own. If he’s bothered, he doesn’t show it. “I’m - honestly, I’m just happy that you’re back, even if it’s just for the semester.”

His eyes are brilliant as he beams at you, the corners of his eyes crinkling with how wide his smile is. “I’m trying to stay as long as I can.”

Your foot is nudged, and you realize that he’s placed his against yours, leaving it there.

Oh.

Oh, no.

Heart racing, you begin to realize that you’re already in too deep as you regard Armin. You ask about his studies, and you try to focus enough to answer, but you keep getting drawn back to how his voice lifts with certain topics and how his voice sounds almost musical and how his damn eyes look like the ocean.

You exchange phone numbers with a promise to text upon arriving at home when you part that night. You’ve walked him back to campus, since he’s staying in one of the dorms with other students in study abroad programs, and your feet hurt from walking so much but it’s a welcome reminder of the day spent with Armin.

He hugs you so tightly he squeezes the air from your lungs, but you don’t mind since his arms are comforting around you.

“I’ll see you in class Wednesday?” he asks.

“Why not tomorrow? We can get lunch,” you suggest, speaking into his chest as you both refuse to let go. You can heart the accelerated beat of his heart.

He’s still holding onto you when he says, “Lunch is good.”

Eventually, you pry yourself from his arms, cheeks aching from smiling so much.

“Good night,” you say quietly.

“Bis morgen,” he murmurs, and your stomach flips as he bids you farewell in German.

Oh, you are truly, truly fucked.

You’re barely in the door at home when you send a text to him.

I’m home safe. I hope you have a good night. I’m still so shocked about everything, but I’m so, so happy!

There’s a mere few seconds before Armin is replying.

I still feel like I’m dreaming.

You almost don’t do it, but you send a heart emoji to him before you can chicken out. When he sends one back, you have to bite your cheek to keep from squealing and waking your Grandpa upstairs.

The following day, as you’re leaving to meet Armin, you’re stopped by your grandfather.

“Where are you going, Little Lady?” he asks you, cocking an eyebrow.

You fidget, but there’s no reason to be dishonest.

“I’m meeting a friend. Armin - do you remember him?”

Your Grandpa breaks into a grin, his eyes glittering. “That German boy! Yes! He’s finally come back?”

You nod, giving a brief explanation of yesterday’s events before you see the time on your watch.

“Ah - I’m going to be late - I’ll see you later, Grandpa!”

He gives you a knowing look, but you rush a goodbye hug before running out the door.

You become inseparable once again.

Armin’s constantly coming over, or you go to his dorm, or you’re at the beach - at your spot.

He even calls it our spot, which makes your heart sing.

“I wish I had a camera, back then,” he says one afternoon while he takes a photo on his cell phone. “Hey, come here.”

Your ears are hot, and you shake your head, already knowing what he’s planning. “No, I - “

He grabs your hand and pulls you close to him, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as he taps the flip camera button so both of your faces are visible in the frame. “Come on, pretend you like me.”

You laugh, though not for the reason Armin thinks. You’re thinking to yourself, You have no idea, Armin while you both smile into the camera and he takes the picture. Your cheeks are close together, both of you look so happy that your heart is beating wildly in your chest.

“This is wonderful,” he murmurs, and he sends it to you without you asking.

You favorite the photo on your phone once it’s saved, making a note to print it, later.

Little do you know, while you’re smiling at your phone, Armin is sneaking another photo of you with the ocean behind you.

“Armin.”

“Ja.”

You shift in your seat, staring at him across the table. He’s copying over definitions from a textbook into his notes, and he doesn’t spare you a glance.

“What made you pick this school?” You dare to ask. You watch his hand still its movements, pen hovering over paper. His gaze meets yours, and you almost whither under his intense blue eyes. You don’t, though.

“I hoped you’d be here,” he tells you earnestly, eyes flicking back to his notes when you take in a breath sharply. “And the school has a good marine science program.”

You know the second half is a cheap answer, but you swell at having your hopes confirmed.

After some careful prying while building an elaborate sandcastle, you learn that Armin is, in fact, single. This is a distracting piece of information while he’s in swim shorts, and only swim shorts, his lean muscled torso fully on display. He has abs, and your mind goes entirely empty at the sight for a solid few minutes.

Luckily, Armin is determined to make this sandcastle ornately decorated, so you can focus on placing sea shells in strategic spots while he tells you about his love life - or rather, the lack thereof.

His last relationship was with a girl named Annie who broke his heart when he was 19 after being together for two years.

“She was just…cold,” Armin explains, avoiding your gaze as he carefully pats a wall. “Just told me one day, Ich liebe dich einfach nicht mehr.”

“What does that mean?” You ask cautiously.

You note how Armin’s eyebrows are furrowed, his mouth curved down in a small frown, and his shoulders carry a tension he seems reluctant to divulge. “I just don’t love you anymore.”

At his words, your stomach bottoms out, and you want to embrace him so tightly that he’ll forget about this old heartache.

Since he seems more withdrawn, given the topic, you opt for a middle ground.

You reach across him to place a white shell in the spot he was just patting. “I’m sorry.” After placing the shell, you put your hand on his.

This gets him to look at you, and you note how captivating his eyes are.

“You deserve better,” you tell him softly. “Someone who does love you.”

His eyes widen, the cerulean glassy with threatening tears, but he doesn’t pull away. You squeeze his hand once, and after a beat, he does the same.

You’re the one who lets go first, diverting your attention back to the sandcastle. You work in silence, but you’re now acutely aware of how close you are to him. Neither of you seem to mind, but you wonder if he knows that you wanted to tell him that you can be the person who loves him.

“Hey,” you decide to say instead, glancing at him. He’s already looking at you curiously, a blush across his face. The color deepens when you grin. “Did you ever learn how to say that tongue twister?”

You make another pinky promise, but this time, it’s in his dorm room. You’re sat side-by-side, pressed flush to him with a laptop balanced precariously on both of your laps.

“I don’t do horror movies,” you protest, staring at the title on the screen while your stomach knots.

Armin chuckles, nudging your arm with his. “Well, we’re watching a horror movie, not doing one.”

“Okay, smartass - “

“Look at me, ein Deutscher correcting your English.”

You shoot him an unimpressed expression, but he barks out a laugh and hits play.

You’re only about half an hour into the movie when you flinch so hard that you nearly knock the laptop off of your leg that it’s balanced on.

Without hesitation, Armin puts an arm around you, pulling you impossibly closer to his side. You stiffen, but his hushed words near your ear bring a new anxiety to your body.

“You’re fine,” he whispers. “I got you. We can turn it off.”

“N-No,” you stammer, eyes trained on the laptop screen. If you turn to look at him, you might do something stupid, and you don’t trust yourself.

Armin notices your purposeful avoidance, and he refocuses on the film.

He keeps his arm around you, and you have to keep from humming contently when he idly rubs his thumb back and forth on your side.

He calls you schatz one day, disarming you entirely.

“Schatz.” He’s making dinner in your Grandpa’s kitchen while you study at the table. “Do you like mushrooms? I can’t decide to add them or not.”

You nearly scratch your pen across the entire paper mid-sentence when he calls you schatz.

He’s staring at you when you look up at him, face hot and your surprise probably written across your features. “What?”

“Mushrooms,” he says again, though slowly - you can see the color creeping into his cheeks when he realizes you may know more German than you let on. He knows you took classes in high school, but the college here doesn’t offer the language as a course. Still - while you kept up with it as best as you could without having native speakers around you, it’s daunting to have someone in front of you to point out all of your mistakes. So, you’ve opted to silently enjoy the little phrases Armin lets slip or relish the conversations he has on the phone in German, driving your poor heart into a frenzy every time he does so.

After an elongated silence, you realize he’s still waiting on an answer, and you sit up straighter.

“Ah - sure. Mushrooms are great,” you say a little loudly, and you worry he’s going to call you out on your secret knowledge of German.

He doesn’t, because if he does, he has to acknowledge that he just called you sweetheart.

When he turns back to the stove, you stare at your notes, biting your lip to hold in your elated grin.

Spring gives way to the approaching summer months, making the evenings warmer, the days longer.

You don’t mind, because it gives you more daylight with Armin.

Graduation is approaching, and you avoid the discussion of the semester ending - and thus, Armin going back home to Germany. He still has summer classes before he’s done with university, and then you both have to face reality.

With a month left of this semester, you know that you need to savor every moment you have with him.

He breaks you out of your wandering thoughts with a tap to your forehead. You’re both on the floor of his dorm room, snacks strewn around you for sharing.

“Stop overthinking whatever you’re thinking about,” he chides you. “Unless you want to talk about it.”

You glare at him, but it’s a half-hearted attempt when he just smirks at you.

“Fine,” you huff out. “I - shit, okay. I’m thinking about what’s going to happen when the semester is over.”

Armin softens, his playful demeanor giving way to endearment.

You carry on. “I know you’re going to go home, but then, what happens then? I know we have to gets jobs, but what if this is it - and it’s just like, when we were kids - “

“It won’t be,” he cuts you off. His voice is low, comforting, and full of warmth as he speaks. “We stay friends. I’ll come visit. You can come to Europe, if you want to.”

Your heart pounds at the thought of visiting him in Germany, or the idea of him coming to stay with you, but you’re ultimately blown away by the overarching fact that he would want to go to all those lengths for you.

“But,” he continues, “right now, we eat food and spend time together.”

As if to show you how literal he’s being, he picks up a wrapped sweet and puts it in your hand, curling your fingers over it with his own, but his touch lingers. His hands are warm over yours, and you wonder what it be like to thread your fingers together.

“No tears when I go, either,” he suddenly says, cutting through your thoughts once again. “If you cry, I cry.”

You burst into laughter, and the tension falls away from you. Armin, pleased that he can ease your worries, lets go of your hand, his fingertips brushing over your knuckles as he withdraws.

You print the photo of the two of you.

You print two copies, actually, writing a small message on the back of one. Your copy is stuck onto the corner of your mirror so you see it every day when you get ready.

Armin is already waiting at your spot on the beach when you arrive, photo tucked into your back pocket. He breaks into a blinding smile when he notices you approach, and he pulls you into a hug.

“I have something for you,” you say as you part.

“Yeah?” His gaze drops to your hands, watching you reach into your back pocket.

“It’s not much, really,” you try to dismiss your own efforts bashfully as you hold out the photo to him. “But I figured you might want a physical version.”

He accepts the proffered photo, taking it gingerly between his thumb and forefinger as he holds it up. He flips it over, eyebrows shooting into his bangs when he sees you’ve written on it.

Armin,

You have made this beach infinitely brighter with your presence. Thank you for returning to the US - and thus, returning to me. This time, you can carry this photo back home as a reminder of your time at our spot, together.

With all my love.

You wonder if it’s too much as he stares and stares at your handwriting on the back of the photo when he abruptly grabs your arm and yanks you back into his arms. You don’t hesitate to throw your arms around him in turn, hiding your face in his chest as he buries his in the crook of your neck.

“Thank you,” he chokes out, voice thick with emotion.

You think that if you speak, you’ll cry, so you just get out mhm and hold on tighter.

The pair of you go to the pier, where you can sit on the edge of the wood and let your feet hang over the edge. The drop isn’t far to the water, but it’s enough that the air gusts around you, carrying the scent of salt. The waves break against the wooden posts of the pier, the slow grumble of the rolling water a pleasant backdrop of sound to Armin’s voice. While you swing your feet back and forth, he’s talking about what they went over in one of his classes - something about the hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean - and while you don’t tune out entirely, you do lose focus on what he’s saying.

You’re too busy staring at him - all of him. He’s talking animatedly, gesturing with his hands, and his voice is more accented as he speaks with high energy, smiling broadly. His cheeks have a lovely dusting of pink, but it could be from the warmth of the sun, and his eyes are shining with the reflection of the sea.

“ - and there’s these fish, they light up, it’s called - hey, wait.”

He’s staring at you directly, his smile faltering as he realizes you’re not really listening. Your face burns with the embarrassment of being caught. “Sorry, Armin. Can you repeat that last bit?”

Armin knows better and ignores your request, his brow furrowing slightly. “Are you alright? You look like you’re thinking very deeply.”

The heat in your face spreads to your ears and neck, betraying your attempt at playing it cool. “Of course, I was just a little distracted.”

“By what?” he asks, concern working into his voice.

Your thoughts go blank, and you’re left with only one thing to say: the truth that you’ve been bottling up since you ran into him again.

“I…keep thinking about kissing you.”

His reaction is subtle, but you see the way his eyes go round, how his nostrils flare as he inhales deeply, and the movement of Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

By the time he opens his mouth to speak, you feel dizzy from anticipation and almost miss his question.

“Can I? Kiss you, I mean?” he asks, and you almost can’t hear him over the sound of the water below.

You blink, and you can’t form even a simple yes, so you just nod.

Armin searches your gaze before his eyes lower to your lips, and you lick your lips when he leans in closer. He moves slowly, and his hand is trembling when he cups your cheek. Your eyes fall shut and your heart hammers against your ribs in the mere seconds that pass before his mouth meets yours. You’re both timid, unsure if the other is comfortable, until you lean further into him. He sighs, and with the exhale, his nerves leave him as well. His other hand goes to your thigh - his fingers splay, but he doesn’t inch higher than the middle of your thigh - and you cover it with your own.

You break apart to breathe, but he dives back in before you can properly inhale, so you do so sharply as he kisses you again.

This almost doesn’t feel real, that you’re sitting here with the man who apparently came back to this city with the hope that you might still be here, all these years later.

You don’t know how you didn’t see it sooner.

“You…” Armin murmurs against your lips, thumb brushing over your cheek. “How long did you want to kiss me?”

“Since the first day of class,” you mutter, not caring about how you barely knew him at that point.

He smiles, lips curling up as he kisses you with a tenderness that sends your heart aflutter.

“Honestly.” He pulls back just enough that you can admire the darker flecks of blue in his bright irises. “I wanted to as a kid. I thought you were pretty.”

You gape at him, not sure if he’s messing with you, but by the way he looks sheepish and his face is red, you know he’s not lying. Just as you’re scrambling to find some way to tease him, he pulls you back in, muffling your laughter with a kiss.

Coupled with the backdrop of the ocean and the sound of the waves below, you feel warmth bloom in your core, knowing that here with Armin, you’re home.

#armin arlert x reader #armin arlert x you #german armin arlert #afab reader #reader insert #words by kiddo #fluff #lots of fluff

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mythicalgemwrites · 3 years

Text

Selkie x F! Reader (Linn) Part 1

Sorry for not posting earlier guys! I've been very busy with online classes.

Warnings: mentions of drowning. Pics are not mine, all credits go to the owner!

M! Selkie X F! Reader

Living on an island your whole life has its perks. From the fresh scent of the salty ocean air to the calming sounds of the waves crashing lazily, it never failed to wake you up with a serenity that could be found nowhere else. You had lived alone with your Toller pup for the past couple years, in the house that your grandparents had left for you. You grew up with them, as your parents always had to move from town to town due to their profession. They were both marine biologists and had taken up a job at a top secret research facility when you were 12, so they decided to let you stay with your beloved grandparents. However, on a stormy day a couple years ago, when you were 19, both your grandparents got caught in a storm while they were out fishing, and they never came back. During the funeral, you had found out that in their will, they had stated that you should get the house, in the event of something tragically happening to them.

And that’s how you got the house three years ago. When it became too lonely, you decided to adopt a Toller puppy for company, and you had named him Sam, which was your grandpa’s nickname. He provided good company and unconditional love, which is important in every home. The house had its own dock leading to the beach, so every morning, after your walk, you’d put Sam’s retriever genes to good use and play fetch with him, fetching the ball from the ocean was one of his favorite past times. Whenever you brought him to the beach, you sometimes feared he was going to be the reason why someone almost drowned. To date, you were grateful nothing like that had ever happened, but you sometimes couldn’t brush off that fear. You were a writer, and sometimes, you couldn’t control how far your imagination went, and sometimes, the words you put on paper would be some of your worst fears, if they were to come alive.

As the days go by, and the weather gets chilly, you would often take Sam on a walk to the nearby cove, usually in the warmer months it would be filled with children playing by the beach and in the waters, but as the weather got cooler, it was mostly couples going on romantic walks, or some who preferred the solitude, just came to enjoy the sunset. On this particular day, there weren’t many people by the cove, just a couple strangers. It was around 6:15 when you threw the ball the last time, and waited for Sam to retrieve it. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, fully inhaling the chill autumn air, when you heard a whelp coming from the water. Opening your eyes, you saw Sam caught on a wave, and struggling to get back to you. In a panicked state, you took off into the water, not worrying about the growing current, but more worried about your faithful companion, struggling in grasps of strong waves, at least for a dog his size. As you grab him by his collar, attempting to pull him out, another wave comes crashing into the two of you, causing you to go under. Trying to call for help, and failing, as the water fills your lungs, you stop struggling, knowing it might make your situation worse, however, Sam starts barking, with his head barely above the water.

Suddenly, you could feel yourself being pulled out of the water, and being held against a broad chest by strong arms. Once you reached the water, you looked at your savior, beautiful greenish-blue grey eyes met yours, and you saw a cute familiar face looking back at you. It was Linn, the barista in the cute local café. You had to admit, you’ve always had a crush on him, but from afar. You didn’t know anything about him, except that people claimed that his family had lived on the island for years, centuries even.

He had shaggy brown hair, and small freckles were scattered along his face. With his help, you got up from the ground and called out to Sam. “Are you alright? I saw you getting pulled under and saw your dog barking. Do you want me to call someone?” he asked , in a boyishly deep smooth voice. Gaping like a goldfish out of the water, it took you a few seconds to process what was said. Coughing, you rasped out “ Yes… I’m fine, thank you! My dog , Sam, got caught in the waves, and I tried to get him out.” you started babbling like a lost child. “ Can I call someone to come get you?” He asked again, a hint of concern in his eyes. “ oh, no… no it’s okay, I live alone, well with Sam. There’s no one to call.” you said, trying not to act like a 15 year old who just couldn't help but be nervous around her crush. “I’ll be fine, really, I just need to walk home and dry out. Thanks again for helping!” you exclaimed. Calling Sam to you, the both of you started to walk home. “ Hey! Wait!” you heard Linn calling from behind, “ I’ll walk you home, if that’s okay. It’s getting dark anyway. I’ll see to it that you both get home safe,”. Before you could say anything, you felt him putting his jacket over you, helping with the chill. You didn’t realize you were freezing until he wrapped his jacket around you.

When the three of you reached your home, Sam was happy to be back in the warm embrace of his bed. Standing by the door “ Would you like to come in? Maybe a cup of coffee… or tea or anything else, if you prefer?” quickly giving him the option of whatever he preferred, to make sure you didn't seem ignorant. Sure, he worked as a barista in the local café, but that doesn't mean he loved coffee, right? “ Um, sure! Anything will do,” he said, as he followed you in. Looking around, you kicked yourself in your head, not keeping up to the schedule you set yourself for cleaning up around the cottage. Sure, it was decent, but paper everywhere? A heaping amount of mugs were strewn around your coffee table, as you sat there working on your next work.

Quickly picking them up and moving them to the sink, you filled up the kettle and turned it on to boil. “ There’s tea and coffee in the cabinet above the kettle, feel free to help yourself. I’ll go get dried up,” the words left you, as if you were telling them to an old friend, hoping to not make a fool of yourself anymore, you gave him a sheepish smile and made your way upstairs to your bedroom.

(Linn pov)

I made my way to the cabinet, looking through the various tea blends. Something which would help with the cold temperature would be nice. There in the right corner of the cabinet, was a box of peppermint tea. It would definitely help make her feel better, since she was soaked to the bone. I can’t help but feel a sense of concern for her. This beautiful strong woman that I always encounter in the café I worked in, and possibly have a crush on, I can’t believe I never spoke to her. I’ve always seen her writing in the corner of the café, in her spot, as my coworkers and I have labeled it. She always seems so sure of herself, and always seems ready for anything, but today, out in the water when I saw her struggling, something came over me. I had to save her, felt a sense of protectiveness for her, hence why I offered to walk her home. Taking two bigger than average mugs from the cabinet, I filled them up with the boiling water, after placing a tea bag in each and placing them on the coffee table before the couch. Her dog was in front of the heater, longing for some warmth and hoping to dry off. I heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs.

As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw Sam laying before the heater, trying to get warm. Making my way to the tiny laundry room, I picked up Sam’s towel. Making my way to him, from the corner of my eye I saw Linn, sitting on the couch, two steaming mugs of what seemed to be one of my teas in front of him.

“ I made some peppermint tea, it helps with colds, we don’t want you to catch one now do we?” grinned Linn.

Thanking him, and taking the mug he held one, I sat next to him on the couch. Keeping some distance between us, I asked him if he wanted to use the bathroom to clean up.

“ If you have any spare clothing that might fit, I’d like that! It’s okay if you don’t though!” he nervously exclaimed. “ I do have some spare clothing that belonged to my grandpa, they should fit. Gimme a sec! I’ll go grab ‘em, and a towel too!” I exclaimed, leaving the cozy embrace of the couch.

Making my way to my room, where I kept a spare drawer full of my grandparent’s clothes, I dug out a jumper and a pair of pajama pants which belonged to my grandpa.

When I went down, I saw Linn drying Sam with the towel that I had left by his dog bed, and Sam being the belly rub loving dog he is, happily accepted Linn drying him with the towel, belly rubs being a necessity. Letting out a chuckle at the scene before my eyes, I held out the spare clothes and a fresh towel to Linn.

“ There’s a bathroom two doors left from the stairs upstairs,” I exclaimed, reaching for the doggy towel he left by the couch and chucking it in the laundry room. “Thank you,” he exclaimed, leaving to go to the bathroom.

Once Sam was dry enough, I picked up my mug of tea, making myself comfortable on the couch. Looking out the living room window, rain droplets trickling down the class, I sip on my tea, waiting for my guest to arrive from the bathroom. A couple minutes passed, looking up when I heard soft footsteps heading towards me, I offered Linn a smile and patted down the space next to me on the couch. “ Here, you can leave once the storm stops,” I handed him the mug.

We both sat beside each other, talking about what we remember about my grandparents and how we never spoke to each other when we were younger. Sam sitting at our feet. The dying fire casted a warm allure on his face, illuminating the soft scattered freckles. Hours passed as we enjoyed each other's company over another mug of tea, laughing at all the brief mutual moments that were shared between us. He mentioned that he would always get excited to see me whenever I visited my grandparents by the docks. I didn’t want to admit it, but I always loved to catch a few glimpses of him, whenever he wasn't looking as well.

I laughed at his words, tired but somehow feeling rejuvenated. It had been a long time since I last laughed with someone. It felt good to let go.

His expression of awe paused me mid laughter. He was gazing into my eyes, as I his. For a brief moment, his gaze averted to my lips. Moving his gaze up to my eyes, as soft as a whisper “ May I kiss you?” he asked, a foreign emotion lingered behind his now soft eyes.

Giving him a gentle nod, I felt him place his hand at the nape of my neck. Inhaling a deep breath, his scent which reminded me of the sea with a hint of musky peppermint enveloped my senses.

Linn leaned in, gently bringing my face towards his. He closed his eyes, and for a brief few seconds I admired him until mine shut involuntarily as I felt his lips on mine. After a few seconds, he pulled away, still gazing into my eyes, “ I’ve been wanting to do that for quite a while now,” he said, with a sheepish grin, before kissing me again.

He deepened the kiss a little, giving my bottom lip a light lick before pulling away. “ I regretted not telling you how I felt about you earlier… I did ask permission from your grandpa before he passed. The last thing he said to me was, he’d be happy if you chose me,” he paused for a second, a hint of sadness and regret casting a shadow on his blue eyes. “ I… I need to tell you something. I might … might not be who you expect. And I understand if I’m not who you want,” he stammered. Grunting, “ The rain’s about to stop. I should probably get going,” he said as he started to get up.

Grabbing onto his hand, “ No...don’t! Please… It’s late, you should stay!” I stopped him. “And I’ve had a silly little crush on you too… I just never knew how to tell you” I whispered. He sat next to me, slowly, as if I were made of fine china. That, at any moment, I might crumble. “ You did?” he breathed, his breath close enough that I could feel it on my face.

“ I also know what you are. Grandpa made sure to educate me on myths, and he said some were not myths. I’ve seen you carry your pelt around sometimes,” I closed his hand between mine. “I know you’re a selkie, Linn. I don’t want you to hide that from me.” I breathed, gazing into his eyes. I could catch a glimpse of adoration in them. “Thank you… for not running away, even when you knew what I was,” he sighed. I gazed at his lips, before catching them with mine, a soft peck, to let him know I accepted him for who he is.

#selkie #selkie x reader #merfolk #monster boyfriend #monster romance #monster x human #monster x reader #monster lover #sea creatures #scottish mythology #scottish folklore

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