#if you ask me any simple sum and you catch me off guard with it i'll start crying lmaooo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

not-me-simping-for-blasty · 3 years

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bakugou thoughts pt 2001847471 :)))

- if u go to the park, and somebody is like, walking their dog n the animal barks at y’all??? bakugou is barking back. mans full on squares up, n barks at the dog until it backs off

- he rarely gets into shows/series, but when he finds one he likes, he’ll only watch the first few episodes and then make u watch the rest with him. he’ll always say sum “if i dont watch with you, then i gotta make extra time for your needy ass. ‘m prioritizing my fuckin’ time. it doesn’t mean anything, shut up.” ...... he’s lying. it does mean something. it means he wants to share the things he likes with u

- pls he’s so smart, and generally pretty aware, but sometimes he’ll just do something so duMb. like, u kno that thing that happens sometimes with hair?? like, when it sticks to ur fingers and no matter what u do, u can’t get it off?? bakugou is literally breaking his wrist a foot away from u, shaking his hand back and forth and cursing soooo loudly. u just gotta go up to him and gently remove the hair from him like “oh honey- no.”

- peanut gallery comments. lots of them. mans will sit fully dead silent, not talking for the whOle day, but the second u do something embarrassing?? like trip??? suddenly he has a LOT to say ..... smh men

- animals just always like him. its absolutely unexplainable bc he’s so loud n moves super suddenly,,, but the amount of street animals that follow him home is ridiculous. srsly. sometkmes he even has other people’s pets trying to follow him home

- respects absolutely no one n that somehow strangely makes him the most respectful u’ve ever seen??? like- he hates everyone the exact same so u won’t ever catch bakugou in an act of discrimmination

- he can’t draw at all but if u asked him to draw something, it’ll be the same skull every single time. it’s a good skull, but it’s soooo obvious he learned how to draw it from a tutorial in the midst of his emo phase

- will fully make fun of others for baby-talking around their s/o, n then just fully go home n look at you like “tired.” “hungry.” “kiss.”...... like okay baby man, maybe try putting a full sentence together before u start trying to run your mouth. hypocrite.

- probably sleeps like the dead. contrary to popular belief, i absolutely do not believe he’s up at every single noise. man’s could sleep thru an explosion, im sure of it. that being said tho, it’s probably actually hard for him to turn his brain off n fall asleep. he prob goes to bed so “early” bc he has to wind down for a good hr or two until he’s ready to actually sleep

- he’s got a vendetta against salespeople. like, if his phone rings with some bullshit about a product? if somebody, god forbid, tries to walk up to your door? fully frothing at the mouth annoyed. will chew out any employee who’s too underpaid not to listen to him

- eats like an absolute animal. no rlly, its bad. holds his spoon with a fist and digs at his meal like its the gold rush. the worst table manners you’ve ever seen rlly

- he gets sorts antsy if he sits for too long, so he’s always off doing random shit. like, u’ll look out the window n he’s just like, raking the .3 leaves from ur driveway, probably trying to guess where the wind will be so they wont blow back

- ik this with my heart and soul okay,,, bakugou has never had a conversation with u that wasnt from exactly .2 meters away. like,, if he’s comfortable, then he’s just close all the time. like he’s waving his hands around and yelling and you just have to take his face in ur hands and go “im literally right here. ily but pls tone it down for the sake of my hearing.”

- very much guard dog behavior when y’all go out. absolutely will not leave ur side for even a second, like, at a bar or during a concert. even if u go to the bathroom he’s like, leaning against the wall and waiting right outside the door

- gets absolutely bitchy about your phone blowing up while you’re hanging out. its not that he’s suspicious that ur, like, cheating on him, it’s just that he doesnt understand why u’d even leave ur phone on in the first place since he always has his turned off when ur around. if he gets annoyed enough he’ll fully take the phone out of ur hands, say sum “yeah, you don’t fuckin’ need this anymore. you’re done with this.” n toss it across the room while he kisses u senseless

- tbh his ultimate love language is 100% playfighting. v much would go heart eyes if u even seemed like u might try n wrestle him. obvi u dont win, but his favorite is how u laugh while he pins ur hands above ur head

- he sneers at other angry people. will fully, fully sit there like “jesus christ, they need to calm the hell down. annoying as shit- fuckin’ loud too.” ....... -i. who’s gonna tell him

- silent conversations with ur eyes. no rlly. if y’all are with friends and somebody says something questionable, bakugou is immeadiately turning to u, eyes hardly even shifting but u just know he’s hurling insults in his head

- he doesnt realize his own strength sometimes. like- he knows he’s strong, but if u ever open a door n ur like “woah, careful, this is heavier than it looks” bakugou is .2 steps behind u practically ripping the damn thing off it’s hinges. he’ll look at it, huffing like he doesn’f even understand the issue

- he rlly likes when u call him by his name. pet names are fine, but he srsly is super soft for the simple stuff. like when u look over at him, all excited, smile wide like “hey katsuki, u gotta see this! c’mere!”

- his road rage is severe. no rlly. bakugou drives like every day is a race n he’s one win away from going formula one. you’re pretty sure that the only reason he passed his license test is bc the instuctor was too terrified to tell him no

- bakugou probably does that thing where if you’re sitting on the counter top, watching him cook, he’ll stand between ur legs. hands on ur thighs or resting on ur hips while you tell him about your day

- can’t explain this one, but he doesnt kill spiders. he takes them outside. says sum “they eat ticks, idiot. what- you actually want a fuckin’ blood disease? Hah? ‘m not gonna kill it. motherfucker’s gotta earn his keep before dyin’ just like the rest of us.” while he v gently picks the spider up into his hand and walks it outside

- ik that his one cheat food is sugary cereal. like, he’s a health freak, but the one thing he can’t help but make a concession for is sugary cereal on the weekends

- he’ll sometimes get in this over-stimulated mood where everything pisses him off, n the only thing u can do is leave him alone. u learn this quick bc his anger doesn’t discrimminate and if u push him even after he tells u what’s up?? pls bakugou will lash tf out. at u. like, ik y’all like to write it but that whole “it’s okay- it’s just me. just look at me.” thing does not work with him,,, u literally gonna get merc’d if u try

- he’s probably a guy who’s gonna be super big on passing touches. like he drops his hand on ur head when he passes, or bumps his shoulder into urs when he laughs. no footsies tho. too sappy even for him- pls if u tried to initate that he’d crush ur toes under the table aHAHAHA

- feeds every street cat he comes across. is probably super fond of the ones with a bunch of scratches/scars on them. he’d die if u knew, but one time u caught him feeding a scratched up calico n going “bet u beat his stupid ass, right? that’s my girl. we always win, huh?”

—/—

surprise suprise,, my brain rlly never shuts the hell up about this man

#bakugou katsuki #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugou #bakugou x reader #bnha fic #mha bakugou #bakugou headcannon #bakugou hcs #mha headcannons #mha hcs

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skylarmoon71 · 2 years

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Eobard Thawne (Flash) - Chapter 7

Barry’s words struck a chord. You knew he was just upset, but was he right. Were you actually a monster? You had to be if you were even considering being with someone like Eobard. You hated this.

Just a week ago your life was simple. Now it’s all over the place. You were afraid to go back to Star Labs, because if Barry were to ever look at you like a monster, you weren’t sure you’d be able to recover from that.

Dropping back on your bed, you close your eyes. You just need a little bit of peace. Just a moment.

“You think he’ll like it?”

“Of course he will. It’s from you.” Smiling, you press a kiss to your husband’s cheek. He mirrors the look you wear.

“Thank you (Y/N).” You raise a brow.

“For what, picking out the present?”

He shook his head.

“No, for seeing past my darkness.”

You blink, touching your cheeks, stunned at the wetness you feel. You were crying again. This time for a different reason.

“Eobard..”

Your feet have a mind of their own, because you rise, heading straight for Star Labs. In your haste, you nearly crash into Caitlin. You catch her shoulders and she jumps.

“(Y/N)!!”

She looks relieved to see you, and now that she’s steady you release. You know she’s about to ask if you’re okay, but before she has a chance to bombard you with her concern, Barry struts from around the corner. His head lifts, about to call out to Caitlin, but he pauses upon seeing you.

He doesn’t even have a chance to say your name. You rush into his arms, hugging him.

“I’m sorry Barry!”

He’s the one that should be apologizing. You’d done nothing wrong. If anything, he should have learned from you. You’re the one in a tough situation. You wanted to see the best part of people. When had he lost sight of that?

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who should be sorry.” He rubs your back, and you hold on tighter. Deep down, you just want everything to be okay.

~~~

“So let me get this straight, Cisco had a vision and the only way to save Eobard is for (Y/N) to teach him how to love again?” Joe is trying to see if he understands what’s going on.

“Seems like something from a novel.” He says.

“I’m not exactly jumping for joy either. But we’re all he has. I can’t say for sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive all he’s done. But if there is a chance to change him for the better, then we have to try.”

“And you’re okay with this?” Joe asks.

“Ummm, I guess so. I’m not really sure. I want to help, and this seems like the only way.”

“Do you care about him?” Harry’s question catches you off guard.

“I…”

Hell, you had no idea what you felt for him. You’d only know him for a sum of twelve days. Two of those you spent wondering if he wanted to run his vibrating hand through your chest. Barry counters the question.

“Right now let’s just focus on Eobard,” You offer Barry an appreciative smile.

“So how exactly do we turn a supervillain good? Hate to break it to you, but I don’t know how I feel about him walking around here with his speed. “ Cisco has a point.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.” Caitlin has a tablet in her hands, and she pulls up the information on the screens.

“I’ve been checking his speed since that blackout. You won’t believe this.” When she displays his vitals, Barry looks on in awe.

“His negative speed force is..”

“Its disappearing.” She states.

“I’m not sure what happened the last time you both were together, but I think your speed somehow has started to cancel out his negative energy. It’s changing.”

You can’t say that you expected that.

“He’s changing.” Barry concludes. Caitlin nods.

“From what I can tell, this time tomorrow, his negative speed will be gone. He’ll be using the same system as any other speedster. Barry I think this could actually work. We may be able to make him good again.” He doesn’t want to get his hopes up, but this looks like a step in the right direction.

“I think it’ll take a lot more than that though. I went in there this morning and he was just looking at me. Like a lion looks at its next meal.” Cisco makes clawing gestures, and you can’t help but laugh.

“Maybe he has a crush on you.”

“That’s not even remotely funny.” Cisco responds to your snark remark.

“Let’s just pace ourselves.” Barry advised.

This is going to be a change for everyone.

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cheri-translates · 3 years

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[CN] S2 Gavin and MC in Chapter 11 (Part Two)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers from Season 2 🍒

Part one: here

On this cold and damp night, the roads of Loveland City are desolate.

Only one lane of bars in the city centre continues to have a hubbub of voices, and young people sway and shuttle back and forth the street.

Standing at the entrance of a luxury private club, I take a deep breath. According to the information I have, there’s an eye-witness to one of the assassinations here.

Based on the leads, the other party is highly likely to appear at this luxury private club, and could perhaps be an important witness to clear my name as a suspect.

I’ve discussed a few contracts here in the capacity of Nox. As such, the staff nod at me politely, and bring me into the room.

Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door politely.

The moment I open the door, the conversations within the room quieten down in succession.

Eyes sweeping the surroundings, I’m slightly startled. The ceiling light sways and illuminates everything clearly.

This place is even larger than I imagined. The interior decor is extremely luxurious, and even comes off overly spacious.

People of various styles are gathered in different places of the room, which is brimming with an atmosphere of pleasure and merriment. There’s self-absorbed singing, the scent of alcohol and smoke suffusing wantonly in the air.

Someone sees me entering. Lifting his head, he whistles at me. The man sitting beside him sways his beer lazily.

??: Be careful, that’s Nox from Black Swan. Not everyone dares to toy with her.

While speaking, his eyes flit towards the deepest part of the room, and he arches his brows bemusedly.

??: Officer Gavin, does this count as the police catching an unlucky criminal?

Before I can react to what he means, the other person laughs aloud, holding up the microphone and carrying on the conversation.

??: In that case, Officer Gavin will be wiping us all out tonight~

With this, wanton chortles ring out in the room.

Despite what was said, everyone continues lazing around in their original positions. There is absolutely no fear in their eyes - there’s even a hint of arrogance hidden in them.

Following their gazes, I stare at the end of the room - Gavin’s here too.

Gavin’s wearing a simple black jacket, and is casually leaning against a sofa.

He holds a bottle of wine indifferently, crossing a leg over the other in the shadows, neon lights making his sharp features clear.

Those around him maintain a certain distance, as though showing him a degree of trust, yet unconsciously staying away.

As though not expecting that I’d appear here, he lifts his head to look at me, his gaze bringing with it an icy alienation and lack of familiarity.

I put on a shocked expression, giving him a nod. Then, I take a deep breath quietly.

Most of the people here are difficult to read, and I can’t give the game away.

Composing myself, I sit on a sofa not far from Gavin.

Seeing me seated, he turns his wrist slightly. The beer bottle shakes, akin to a greeting.

??: Officer Gavin has a wide circle. He even knows someone from Black Swan.

Gavin doesn’t even look at him, bringing the beer to his lips indolently.

Gavin: Do I need to give you a report on who I know?

The man isn’t annoyed at all, and laughs along with others.

??: You should have told us that someone from Black Swan was coming. We bros could have made some preparations.

Gavin: Prepare what? To give her a salute? Anyway, I’m unfamiliar with Nox from Black Swan. The reason for her appearance here has nothing to do with me.

Gavin sways the bottle of beer in his hand, his guarded expression sweeping across my face, faint mockery laced in his tone.

Gavin: I’m not interested in what you’re doing here. You can get out now.

Hearing Gavin’s words, I feign experience as I pick up the bottle of beer in front of me, taking a shallow sip.

MC: I’m looking for someone, and won’t take much of everyone’s time.

I stare directly at the blonde man at a corner of the room.

MC: Old Pi, right? I have some things to ask you.

The man whose name was called doesn’t show any acknowledgement. Gavin snorts.

I turn towards the sound. Gavin isn’t looking at me. His gaze is fixed to the front, light from the screen illuminating the coldness in his eyes.

Gavin: Looking for someone isn’t a problem. But it’s my gathering today. Miss Nox isn’t showing due respect by dampening one’s spirits the moment she enters.

MC: Since it’s Officer Gavin’s gathering, it’s naturally not good to cause too much trouble. Old Pi just needs to answer my questions, and I'd leave immediately.

Gavin: I've never met someone who bosses people around like you.

MC: You have now.

Gavin doesn’t respond, but simply laughs softly. However, the room has quietened down at this point, and everyone seems to be watching the scene before them with rapt attention.

One man sees that things are taking a bad turn, and smiles as he mediates the situation.

Man: Why don’t the two of you have a private chat? After all, the aura of two tycoons is too powerful, and we normal people can’t really handle it.

The others immediately make sounds of agreement.

I nod, shooting Gavin a smile.

MC: Sure, I’m very wiling to speak to Officer Gavin in private.

Gavin looks at me thoughtfully. After a long time, he finally stands up.

Gavin: Everyone, continue.

I follow behind Gavin, leaving the room and entering another. When passing by the window, I take special notice of the building opposite the club--

Within the dark blue glass building, I know that a pair of eyes hidden in the darkness are observing us silently.

Staff: The two of you can talk over here. No one will bother you.

I grin as I watch the staff leave. Once he closes the door, I slump onto the sofa like a deflated rubber ball.

MC: Gavin, how was my performance just now?

I lift my head to look at Gavin. That aura of “strangers beware” has already been kept away. Hearing my question, he smiles.

Gavin: You did very well.

MC: Gavin, how did you confirm that Old Pi was the eye-witness for the third assassination incident?

Gavin: I have my ways. This person is enough to clear you from suspicion.

MC: Did you put in a lot of effort for this?

Gavin: It’s a trivial matter, don’t worry. Now that you’ve cast off suspicion, what follows will be the main task.

On the day I gave my report to STF, Gavin asked for assistance. We decided on a series of connected plans, and today’s performance is just one of them.

As for the others... as I recall them, Gavin stands up.

Gavin: It’s almost time to head back.

I nod, preparing to follow him. However, Gavin suddenly turns his head.

Gavin: Don’t drink anymore.

Gavin and I head back to the original room. The moment he steps out of the door, he reverts to his earlier state.

Gavin: Since you’re looking for him, ask him yourself. Whether he’s willing to depends on him.

After saying this, he glances at Old Pi, then sits down indolently, not looking at him again.

Old Pi walks to a bar counter in a quieter area, waving his hand and signalling that I should go over.

Old Pi: Since Officer Gavin has shown you respect, how could I not know what to do?

I walk over to him and sit down, and he starts chattering away endlessly.

Old Pi: I heard that Nox from Black Swan is pretty incredible. I didn’t think she’d be so incredible that even Officer Gavin would be persuaded. Go on, what can I do for you?

MC: Someone said that you witnessed the third Evol assassination incident. I want to ask you about the situation back then.

Old Pi says that he can’t really remember what happened, so MC uses her Evol to read his memories

During the third assassination incident, he was hiding in a corner and witnessed what happened. MC guesses that he didn’t want any trouble, which is why he didn’t bring it up

MC offers him money to be a witness. While Old Pi initially worries about his safety, MC reassures him that Black Swan can protect him. Old Pi writes his desired sum in her hand, and she agrees

Before MC leaves:

I stand up, looking at Gavin who is not far off.

MC: Many thanks to Officer Gavin.

Gavin: A piece of advice for you. Don’t investigate unnecessary matters.

MC: That will depend on the boundaries of “unnecessary”.

Without waiting for his response, I leave the club without even turning my head.

After MC leaves, there’s a small discussion in the club where it’s hinted that Gavin has been looking for an old criminal police officer, whether dead or alive

I spend the next few days organising the evidence and actively curating the testimony Old Pi has given to me.

On the day I receive Gavin’s phone call, I'm still combing through the testimony, hoping for it to be absolutely foolproof.

Gavin has arranged to meet me at an unfinished building. Setting down the things on hand, I arrive punctually.

Everything’s proceeding according to our plan.

The unfinished building is empty, and a piercingly cold breeze scatters recklessly. I shiver, and spot Gavin on the roof.

I move closer towards him playfully.

MC: Even if Captain Gavin wanted to protect a spy, he didn’t have to invite her to such a place to talk, right?

But Gavin turns around, staring at me coldly.

Gavin: What did you see in that person’s memories?

His expression is hidden in the afterglow of the setting sun. Together, the abrupt alienation and the cold wind bring me a stinging pain.

MC: Gavin, did something happen?

He doesn’t respond. His gaze seems to tell me that before I give him a reply, he won’t give me any.

MC: ...I saw what happened during an assassination. Old Pi’s an eye-witness of the third assassination incident. I have sufficient proof to show that I wasn’t there at the time. In other words, I have more concrete evidence to prove that I'm not involved in the Evol assassinations.

Gavin frowns, and it seems he hasn’t heard the answer he wanted to hear.

Gavin: That’s all?

MC: Is there anything else?

Gavin doesn’t respond to my question, and grows contemplative.

I can’t help but take a step closer to him. However, he once again puts distance between us without batting an eyelid.

MC: Gavin. Are you hiding another investigation from me, or is there something concealed behind the Evol assassinations? I could help you if you need it.

Gavin: It’s the complete opposite.

Gavin: The reason why I called you here is to make it clear. Since you’ve cleared your name as a suspect, stay away from this matter. From today onwards, the assassination incidents have nothing to do you with you. Next time, you don’t need to do anything else.

His expression is resolute, as though he wants to push me far away.

MC: No matter what it is, I can help. I don't want you to get involved in danger alone.

Gavin: There’s nothing you can help with.

MC: Why... do you not trust me?

My mouth is agape, and I’m not sure what to say. All I can feel is my eyes stinging from the wind.

When he sees me like this, he sighs. But what he says is still incredibly saddening.

Gavin: I really want to trust you. But I can’t. I promise that everything will be resolved. Sometimes, it’s safest not to know anything.

It’s as though my heart has been wound tight, making it a little difficult for me to breathe.

MC: Are you going to shoulder everything on your own again? I can help you! Why don’t you believe that I can help you!

Gavin turns and walks to the side of the roof, staring into the distance at the dusk of Loveland City.

I follow him, walking to his side, and looking afar off. The dusk of Loveland City is bustling and harmonious. The dirty undercurrents simply surge in places that can’t be seen.

MC: At your side, I won’t face any danger, right?

Gavin turns his head, giving me a prolonged gaze, and is silent for a very long time.

He takes a step backwards quietly, and I turn around to face him incomprehensibly.

Gavin’s expression is cool. The light casts a distorted shadow on his face.

He reaches out, giving me a light push.

I stop breathing. It’s as though the world has suddenly turned upside down, and the sound of wind at my ear grows even louder.

Gavin: I’m the greatest danger.

The passing wind brings Gavin’s voice to my ear. The loneliness in his voice brings a wave of anguish to my heart.

He stuffs his hand into his pocket in a suppressed and restrained manner, akin to the final gust of cold wind in spring.

The blood-like dusk is behind Gavin, and it looks as though its drowning him.

I reach out to him. Everything in my view overlaps with the hand which he has hidden in his pocket.

If I were to be just a little closer, I could hold his hand.

Just a little.

Gavin: This is just a warning. Stop investigating.

I struggle to look at Gavin for the last time. But before I have the time to see anything, weightlessness takes over.

All that’s left in the world is the sound of wind.

Many images of Gavin’s face flash across my mind--

When he’s smiling. When he’s calm. When he’s quiet. When he’s tired. When he’s asleep.

One after another, Gavin’s face appears before my eyes, vivid and real.

He’s a normal person too. He experiences pain, gets tired, feels sad, and feels anger.

There’s clearly an easier path right in front of him. There’s light, fresh flowers, and applause.

But he chose a different path. He chose to act cautiously at every step, chose to carefully guard against every dash from the darkness.

He chose to carry the death of the director, the death of Yang Ping, and all the innocent and silent deaths of those in the assassination incident, and perhaps many more people’s silences, by himself.

As compared to light, darkness is always one step ahead. It hibernates, waiting for light to arrive.

He’s determined to find the truth for this group of people. Even if this path is deep and lonely, he’ll continue walking without wavering.

The weightlessness of the descent encases my entire body, and the coldness of the wind stings my skin.

I struggle to keep my eyes open, but can only see the ginkgo pendant fluttering in the wind on the wrist of my outstretched hand.

I suddenly recall that autumn day from a very, very long time ago, when I first saw ginkgo leaves dancing, the entire sky of yellow flying freely in the clear air.

But today, the blood-coloured dusk has entrapped that youth.

He’s all alone, walking towards his conviction, proud and forthright.

I don’t want, neither will I allow, such a Gavin to be alone, fighting this war alone.

The scenery speeds past, and I can’t see the surroundings clearly.

Clenching my fists tightly, I continue looking in Gavin’s direction stubbornly.

But at the last second of my fall, a layer of wind gradually spreads around me, quietly catching me.

This gust of wind gathers at my back, bringing me to the ground gently.

I’m lying in the wind, falling slowly to the ground.

Yes. This is just a warning.

I lift my head towards the roof of the building, and can vaguely see a figure there.

That figure seems to be looking at me too, woeful yet resolute, for a very, very long time.

I close my eyes, standing up quietly.

I walk to a small alley at the side, pretending to be fatigued as I lean against the wall and recall everything that just happened, afraid that I had left something out.

The city lights are unable to reach the depths of this alley. Lifting my head, I seem to see the stars which are covered by the neon lights.

I hope that my performance today was sufficiently realistic, and can allow the plan Gavin had talked to me about that day in STF to proceed.

After all, this is most important, second phase of our plan.

Here, there’s a flashback to the meeting Gavin and MC had in STF, where he explains that he’s been investing a “New Year’s Eve Change Incident” that occurred four years ago

That incident involved a majority of Evolvers who staged a riot, and had to be suppressed

Gavin suspects that there’s more to the “New Year’s Eve Change Incident”, because it’s incredibly difficult to find the people related to the incident

During the hospital hostage situation, there was finally a substantial development, but the person is still deciding if Gavin is worth trusting

That person is an old criminal police officer who participated in the “New Year’s Eve Change Incident”, and many people are hunting him down - either to find out the truth, or to silence him

He guesses that this incident is actually a scandal involving STF and those who are on an even higher level

Gavin has been investigating privately, but acknowledges that it’s only a matter of time before someone notices

And here’s a big reveal that I hope I can explain clearly enough: Gavin has already met the old police officer. It happened in the scene from Part One when the random guy in the alley spoke to him. And the reason why the officer even decided to meet Gavin was probably because of what he saw during the hospital hostage situation (he was the guy who offered the crying girl a tissue)

What Gavin plans to do is to investigate this matter more openly to pique the attention of the people behind the incident, and get them to think that he’s still looking for the old police officer

And Gavin needs MC to be the blind spot

Gavin plans to step down from his duties for three months. All the attention will be focused on him, and MC will be able to act without worry

Gavin’s task for MC is to cooperate with him. When the people behind the incident no longer has their eyes on MC, she has to leave a USB flash drive at the location that he tells her to, because he won’t meet the old police officer again to ensure his safety

Understanding his logic, I can’t help but applaud.

MC: That’s incredible. It’s just like a scene from a detective novel! Everyone thought that the time of death was in the morning, but the murder actually took place in the afternoon. So the murderer had a perfect alibi.

Gavin: Even though we’re the detectives, this analogy isn’t bad.

I stretch out my hand solemnly. Gavin pauses for a moment. With a turn of his wrist, he grips the USB drive back into his hand.

Gavin: Have you given it proper thought? After this, it means you’ll be roped into this matter with me.

MC: It’s a little late for Captain Gavin to say this now.

I put on a relaxed smile, wanting to reach out to take the USB drive in his hand.

When I touch his palm, I realise that Gavin, whose hands have always been steady, are actually trembling slightly.

When my hand draws closer, he holds it gently.

Gavin: But I’ll worry about you.

MC: But if I let you face everything on your own, I’d be even more worried. No matter how dangerous or difficult it is, I’ll face it all with you.

Gavin simply looks at me fixedly. I understand what he’s thinking, and return his stare seriously.

MC: As compared to keeping me out of the matter, knowing my movements at all times makes you feel more at ease, right?

Gavin: You’re right. After all, Nox from Black Swan knows how to keep herself busy.

He finally releases a sigh, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He releases my hand, and turns his gaze elsewhere.

Gavin: [sighs] Also, with you around, the performance for the other party will have the most persuasive effect.

MC: Why? Is it because our positions will be opposite when investigating this matter?

MC: ...or is it because it’s most unlikely for the STF to work with Black Swan?

Gavin: Neither. It’s because the other party definitely knows me inside out.

He looks at me again, his gaze shining.

MC: ...huh?

A little confused, I stare at him. Under my gaze, the tips of Gavin’s ears redden slightly, and his eyes avert to the side subconsciously.

Seeing such a Gavin, I’m even more confused. I can’t help but stand up from the office chair, walking to him and meeting his gaze.

He looks at me, the red hue spreading from the tips of his ears to the corners of his eyes.

Gavin: Cough. Under these circumstances, the person I’d want to involve least in this matter...

Gavin: Without a doubt, that person would definitely be you.

When he finishes speaking, he gives me a gentle pull, leaning his forehead against the roof of my head.

The tips of our fingers are incredibly close. Gavin’s hands are at his side. He simply stands in front of me, but doesn’t let me see his face at this present moment.

Gavin: After this, we won’t meet for a very long time. So, give me a little more courage.

[ back to the present ]

Gavin’s worried expression seems to linger in front of my eyes. I understand that this decision is incredibly difficult for him.

I can’t let him and his trust down. No matter what, I have to cooperate with Gavin and complete this sham performance.

Returning to my senses, I adjust my breathing in the alley, settling my heart rate, and once again step into the unfinished building.

Gavin has already left.

From the perspective of the person keeping watch on Gavin, Gavin’s private meeting with me today was to protect me in the form of a warning.

Because the other party has a sufficient understanding of Gavin, he would guess that Gavin’s cold attitude was meant to frighten me and push me away.

But he wouldn’t have guessed that this was all a performance that Gavin and I had arranged in advance.

They’ve underestimated the mutual trust between Gavin and I.

After the curtains have fallen on this performance, the other party will have a mistaken judgement--

That I’ve been removed from Gavin’s plan, and that he’s continuing the investigations on his own.

This way, I can convey information to Gavin in secret.

But today, I decide to add a solo to this performance.

After running back to the unfinished building, only the evening breeze flutters on the empty platform.

I pretend to be searching for Gavin, glancing at the residential building opposite.

I release a dejected sigh, so that the hidden person watching me in the darkness can see how upset I am.

...I just hope that my acting isn’t too exaggerated.

At the end, my shoulders are slumped as I leave the roof.

My phone rings in the empty building. I answer the call, and Zehn’s anixious voice drifts from the receiver.

Zehn: Boss, the eye-witness we saw at the club two days ago has been taken away by Gavin.

MC: Got it. Find a way to get him back. I want know what exactly Gavin’s up to.

Zehn: Understood.

I end the call, letting out a sigh.

Since I don’t know if my phone calls are being eavesdropped, I didn’t tell anyone about this matter.

Over the next duration, I’ll have to play the part of someone trying her best to chase after Gavin’s footsteps.

As a bait in this act, I’ll lead the other party to a completely different path from the goal.

I also have to continue playing the role of a suspect involved in the assassination incident, and a boss managing the various tasks of a media company--

There are many other things waiting for me to get done.

I have to find an opportune time to send Gavin’s USB drive.

At the same time, I have to continue investigating the information left behind by the deceased director - to see if Evol can lead to pathological changes in Evolvers. In other words, whether there’s a relationship between Evol and pathological changes.

And whether the mess of information is merely a gap or critical details related to the Hunter Game.

There are many things to do, but my heart is surprisingly very calm, and filled with motivation.

Gavin is walking down his path, and I naturally want to become the person who can stand beside him.

My footsteps become more determined, and my heart continually silently thinks about, and hopes--

That Gavin may be safe.

Gavin’s Post: While doing a thorough cleanup at home, I found a CD I used to hear frequently in middle school.

MC: Did you also like this singer last time?

Gavin: Not really. I just heard it being broadcasted in school often.

Gavin’s Post: While doing a thorough cleanup at home, I found a CD I used to hear frequently in middle school.

MC: Is today’s playlist a nostalgic style?

Gavin: Mm, I recalled some things from the past.

Gavin’s Post: While doing a thorough cleanup at home, I found a CD I used to hear frequently in middle school.

MC: Keep it properly as a memento!

Gavin: Things that are truly worth remembering will never be forgotten, and won’t require these things.

Cheri’s Thoughts: There are so many issues with this chapter that I don’t know where to begin... T^T

Papergames wrote S2 Gavin to be so mentally fragile that his conviction was wavered just because of two bullets (which he, the Special Operations Team, or the STF could have stopped...).

Back in S1, his conviction wavered because he was indirectly contributing to the deaths of Evolvers, his Evol was going berserk, he could no longer protect the girl he loved, and even injured her accidentally.

I expected that one reason for his conviction to waver in S2 would be because his feelings for MC conflicted with his sense of justice. But clearly, this isn’t the case (unless Papergames is setting us up for another twist) because Gavin is more than willing to work with MC.

Also, what happened to never putting her in danger LOL

S1 Gavin would never rope MC into a dangerous mission possibly involving the “other side” that has no qualms about resorting to violence to achieve their ends???

I’m happy that Gavin trusts her, but it just progressed too quickly that I don’t know how to feel about it...

💙 Support the cafe by dropping by the tip jar!

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc gavin

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hoseokslefteyebrow · 3 years

Text

“ Don't worry, you're safe now.” || Homicidal Lui

Pairing : Yandere! Homicidal Lui X Reader

Genre : Fluff, Angst, Yandere

Summary : In which insane meets broken.

Wordcount: 2k lol

WARNINGS : Yandere ;), someone dies but it's not very gore or sum, he's already insane, but in here he loses even more sanity, abusive household.

Headcanon

Aight so to start it off, you didn't know Lui before he developed Sully

Or knew him in general, that you didn't either

You met Lui in a very odd way.

You met him at the drugstore, simply because you needed toothpaste and he needed whatever.

At this moment Lui was Lui, not Sully who tended to take over control more than what was supposed to.

You had accidentally bumped into him in one of the aisles, and unlike most people who'd stop to stare at his face, you simply apologized and went on with your life.

This of course is the most normal action for basically every humane person, but for someone who was looked down upon due to his facial features and his silence, it was the start of something..

That might be growing into one big disease.

How Sully met you was in the most stereotypical way, he had simply come to kill you, not knowing who you are.

Sully had never been very picky on who to kill, he simply broke in, outed his frustration, and left.

That was the original plan with you too, at least for Sully's part.

Until he was straddling you, knife pressed to your throat, and realized you were actually very much awake.

You weren't screaming at him to get off, yet he could see the fear in your eyes.

Maybe it was because his hand was on your mouth, and so he decided to play a little.

And so took his hand off, yet you still didn't scream.

After a moment of doing nothing, he sat back, rather calmly, placing his full weight on your body and looked at you curiously.

Much to his confusion, you didn't really react, just keeping eye contact, fear filling up your irises even more

" Ar- aren't you g-going to kill, me?" You ask him in a shaking voice, unable to keep yourself from stuttering.

By the sound of your voice, Sully switches forcefully into Lui, and you can only watch in fear and confusion what's happening around you.

Because it does look rather terrifying, a man first sneaks into your house, and is suddenly at you with a blade in your neck, and as you speak, he throws himself off you, and is now holding his head in his hands, blade fallen to the ground with a loud sound.

You flinch as the unknown male to you also drops to the ground, mumbling to himself.

The sound of his knees hitting the ground must've been loud, because soon after the hallway lamp is turned on, and you hear the sound of footsteps approaching.

And then you're shaking Lui, and you're telling him to hurry up and leave, apologizing along with it.

By the sound of even more in your stuttering voice, even Sully becomes quiet.

And so Lui actually takes the moment to study you.

Now with the dull light from the hallway, you appear to be injured.

He's not sure how bad it is, but there's blue and purple spots dancing all over your skin.

Underneath your thin white shirt, he can even spot a very nasty black one, and suddenly he spots the scars on your arms too.

He's brought back to the scene in front of him when your voice has turned into panic as someone tries to open the door to your room.

He doesn't even process what he's doing before he's pushing his knife, which he had picked up from the ground, into your hands.

" You need it more than us."

And then he's gone, trough the window into the streets.

You flinch when your father opens the door, knowing what you're in for.

He returns to your room the next night, not sure as to why himself.

He's left disappointed when your room is empty, tough his knife, which he had left behind, is clean and on the pillow, on top of a paper.

Upon picking it up, he realizes it's a note.

' I'm not sure if you'll ever come back, but here's the knife you left behind, you told me I'd need it, but I really don't.'

He looks around the room, spotting a pen in the corner on the ground, and decides to write you back.

' what's your name?'

The next night he returns again, hoping he'd get an answer.

Instead, he's met by an empty bedroom once again.

He doesn't know why, or how, but for the first time in a while, he feels disappointment spread in his chest

Due to Lui feeling a little down, Sully's easily able to take over, and he walks them into the forest.

Sully doesn't know why either, but suddenly he's in a part of the forest they're not familiar with.

And then he hears the sound of a twig breaking behind him, and he's turning around.

He's shocked to find you standing there.

He can see the fear in your eyes, but is surprised to see that there's less of it than last time he saw you.

Your posture is also relaxed, and then he realizes, you're not afraid of him.

He's not sure on how to feel by that.

" My name's Y/N." You tell him dryly.

He's blinking, not sure what you mean, before he's stumbling again, switching back to Lui by the sound of your voice.

" I'm- I'm Lui, he was Sully." Lui stutters.

You turn your head at him in curiosity.

" He? Is there a voice in your head?" You ask him, tough it doesn't sound like you're mocking him, simply asking him a question.

" Ah, no. I have a split persona." He tells you, somewhat awkwardly.

" What's that like?" You ask him.

By that simple question alone, you've made him feel human, like a guy his age.

Sully doesn't like it one bit, this feeling you're giving the both of them.

The three of you end up meeting near the forest for the next few weeks.

Over those weeks, Lui and Sully get to know you better.

And get to know Lui too, tough Sully keeps himself shadowed.

He's always in the back of Lui's mind, of course, whenever you're around, Lui feels like Sully's just, closer.

He doesn't know why, and he's worried about that.

It's not until you don't show up unannounced like usual, that Sully makes an appearance again.

She might not want to see us today, Sully, maybe we should give her space. Lui tells his other persona.

She's ours, Lui, can't you see that? And we can just call it a visit, she can tell us off if she wants. Sully tells Lui, who's still not into the idea.

We're going. And with that he takes control.

Once they arrive, Sully's happy to have taken control over the situation.

The moment he hears your voice he freezes.

The sound of it isn't melodic and relaxed, instead, it's trembling and weak.

Sully doesn't like it.

He originally didn't plan to intervene, but when the sound of something breaking reaches his ears, he's quick to check it out.

The scene in that greets him makes the already burning fire rage on even worse.

Because a few meters away from him, at the other end of the hallway is where you are cowering in front of an older man, who's got a broken bottle in his hand, glass shards around the two of you, and your arms in front of you to protect you from, what must've been, the blow which the whiskey bottle had given you.

Sully's not the only one who's seeing red.

Kill him.

It's Lui who's giving out the command this time, to end this man's life.

But then you see him and you're quick to run to him and pull him away from the scene.

Sully blushes at the contact your skin makes with his.

" I'm sorry you had to see that. Are you okay?" You ask him tenderly.

He blinks at you.

You were the one who received the blow, there's a thin trail of blood trailing down your arm, and you're standing in shorts in cold weather, yet you're asking him if he's okay?¿

" Who was that fucker?" He asks instead, not even bothered to ask if you're okay.

Because he knows, no matter what your answer is, you're not.

" My father. But, it's not his fault. He- he was drunk." You tell him softly, truly not meaning your abusive father any harm.

" Tch." Sully doesn't even say anything before he shrugs his jacket off and unceremoniously dumps it on top of your head.

" Wear it. It's cold." He tells you, acting like some kind of low budget tsundere.

" So you're Sully?" You ask him.

That catches him off guard.

" How did someone as dumb as you know?" He asks you.

" I'm not dumb. And Lui usually blushes a lot more." You tell him, putting his jacket on.

Sully's lowkey impressed by the answer, and your attitude.

And so you finally get to know him too.

It takes a lot of convincing, but at the end of the day, your father lives.

Over the next few days, you grow even closer with the two of them.

And subconsciously, Sully becomes a little too fond of you.

It's during the daytime one day when Sully and Lui talk about this feeling both of them have for you.

It doesn't take a long conversation, and they decide to confess to you that night.

However, they're left disappointed, and angry, as you turn them down.

Lui thinks it's because of his scars, while Sully thinks you're feeling too bound down by your father.

The real reason ( and the one you've told them) is that it's because you simply don't like him that way.

The next few nights they don't show up, which leaves you disappointed.

You're not aware of the big, bloody mess you've created.

After a few toughs , Sully comes with a suggestion to make an end to your misery, and to free you from your father's abusive hold, permanently.

Lui is at first against this, after all, you did tell him to not do that, but after some persuasion of Sully, he's in too.

That night, they show up at your house, greeting you by stepping in trough the window.

You're not the first house they're 'visiting' that night, and so you start to cry when you see him all bloodied up, sharp eyes telling you that he's nit here for a visit.

Your first tough is that he's come to kill you, because you turned him down of course.

However, as he spots the tears escaping your eyes, he's quick to come to your side and hush you.

" Don't worry sweetheart, we've come to free you."

And then he's walking into the hallway, and moving to another room.

You're quick to understand his intentions.

He's come to kill your father.

The first two rooms he checks out are a fail, one being the bathroom and one being a study.

However, Sully is annoyed when you stand in his way, trying to avoid his kill.

You're a little stronger than you look, and manage to keep him off the other male in the room for a while.

While Sully initially did not want to hurt you, he decides against his own decisions, and knocks you out with the hilt of his knife.

You hear him mutter something along the lines of " Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

When you wake up again, you're placed on an uncommon bed, Lui, or Sully, at your side, softly looking over you with a crazed look in their eyes and a sickly sweet smile.

" Don't worry, we're safe now."

A/N: Tell me what you think about this writing style, and what I can write better ;). Also, Creepypasta requests are still open.

#creepypasta #creepypasta x reader #yandere creepypasta #creepypasta one shot #homicidal liu #homicidal lui x reader #yandere x reader

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writer-k-pop · 3 years

Text

Gambler

하지만 내 다른 부분은 사람들을 여기 두고 갈 수 없어. But the other part of me can’t leave the people here.

Description: A meeting to con Rowan Moore, a powerful and corrupt city leader, accomplished by Gang Leader Jeonghan and his crew. Which includes you and your crush (per se), Vernon. [Italicized parts are flashbacks of sorts] {Uh, honestly, not really sure how to describe this one. Only thing I can say is that it’s inspired by the complexity of “Six of Crows” and the aesthetic of Monsta X’s music video for “Gambler” hence the title.} Warnings: Swearing, mentions of a bombing, some suggestive comments (both negative and proper suggestive) Genre: idk what do genre this as... pure fiction (?), GangMember!Vernon x Fem!Reader Word Count: 5.7k

Seventeen Masterlist | Masterlists

You step up to the dealer's stool on one side of the poker table in a secluded corner of second floor of Jeonghan's casino, Obsidian. Picking up a brand new deck of cards, you break the seal and let the cards fall out into your hands. Your skin ignites as the smooth cards slide against your hands and the edges of each make themselves known to you.

"I'm not playing if she's dealing the cards." Rowan Moore glowers at you and your jaw clenches against the slew of words you want to spit at him. But you know better than to risk blowing the whole plan so you set down the deck of cards and wait for further instructions from Jeonghan.

You look to your left and hold Moore's gaze even as it goes from cold to ice cold. It is the gaze of one of the most corrupt men in the city. It's the gaze that got him where he is. If it were anyone else standing where you are, they would've felt a winter storm rush up their spine. But you are used to this type of malice. It's kind of a usual occurrence.

The others at the table, Jihoon, Soonyoung, Seungcheol, and Jeonghan, keep their expressions unreadable and their gazes on Moore. Except for Vernon who sits in between Soonyoung and Seungcheol. You could feel his eyes watching you but you don't turn towards him.

"We are having a business meeting." Jeonghan says, unwavering as Moore moves his gaze to him, "Business meetings in my casino are conducted at the tables and that means I decide who deals. And tonight, she deals." He finishes with a nod towards you as a signal for you to pick up the cards.

As you pick up the deck again, Moore stays quiet but lets out a frustrated puff of air.

"Get me a glass of the good stuff, would you, darling?" Moore leans back in his chair and asks one of the other waitresses with a voice dripping with demeaning acid that makes your stomach twist.

You look over at Vernon, finally, and he gives his eyebrow a small quirk. Silently asking if everything is okay. A small head tilt and offering him the deck to split is enough of an answer for him.

"What are we playing with only $10 chips?" Moore questions Jeonghan, leaning forward to rest his forearms behind his wall of poker chips and staring at Jeonghan who sits on the opposite end of the table from him. Effectively to your immediate right.

Straightening out the deck, you know the answer before Jeonghan answers Moore's question. All of this is part of the plan Jeonghan devised the minute he received word that Moore wanted to meet with him about a 'common enemy.'

"Here's the plan." Jeonghan spreads out a floor plan of Obsidian on the table in front of Seungcheol, Soonyoung, Jihoon, Vernon, Seungkwan, Dino, and you. "Moore owes me a large sum of money that he has no intention of paying back. We'll play him, listen to whatever he has to say, and steal his money as he walks out of Obsidian."

Seungkwan lifts a finger, "Isn't that the whole point of a gambling game?"

Jeonghan doesn't answer the younger one, only gives a sizable smirk.

"Right, right, there's more to this..." Seungkwan grumbles under his breath, "Be nice if you would clue us in on the masterplan."

You throw Seungkwan a disapproving look but Jeonghan just ignores the comment completely.

"What are we playing?" Soonyoung questions, intrigued from the second the word 'money' came out of Jeonghan's mouth.

"Hold 'Em." Jeonghan states, watching the others expressions for any negative changes.

"Where are we playing?" Jihoon probes further into the plan that Jeonghan has locked away in his mind.

Jeonghan shifts and points to one of the poker rooms in the back of the casino. "Allure."

"Who plays and who guards?" Vernon speaks up from next to you.

"Seungcheol, Soonyoung, Jihoon, you and I will play." Jeonghan lists off the characters, "Dino and Seungkwan will guard. Plus the regulars on the perimeters."

"And me?" You ask, crossing your arms over your chest, confused as to why he didn't mention you yet you are part of the meeting.

When Jeonghan answers, an excited shiver runs through your body but you don't miss how Vernon's body freezes at his words.

"You deal."

"Hold 'Em." Jeonghan answers Moore and you slide the dealer button to Seungcheol.

"Isn't that a little too simple for our minds?" Moore chuckles but it's not a true laugh.

"For you and I, yes." Jeonghan offers a smile, "But these other players aren't as complex as we are." He raises his eyebrows to see if Moore will challenge his choice and throws two of his poker chips in front of his pile.

You reach out and sweep the chips towards you as Moore tosses four at you for the big blind. The chips scatter across the table and out of the corner of your eye, you catch Vernon's fist clenching tightly. But having to ignore the specific jab at you, you sweep up the chips before dealing each player two cards.

The first round finishes quickly with Soonyoung (somehow) winning the pot. Now that the game has been established as 'fair,' it's time to move to the next step: conning Moore.

"You want her to rig the game?" Dino questions with confusion, "Can she even do that?"

You and Vernon cover up your scoffs with throat clearing and coughing.

Jeonghan smiles a little too wickedly, "Little secret for you newer boys. (y/n) can count cards like nobody's business and her sleight of hand is invisible even to me. It's the reason she's banned from playing in any of my casinos or clubs."

"It's also the reason I got hooked into his crew." You offered some extra information.

"You didn't have to stay after the first." Jeonghan quickly reminds you before giving you instructions to follow as the table's dealer, "Let the first game play out like any other dealer would let it. Following the first game, you will let us win a few, then Moore. Push and pull him. Entice him, (y/n)." He meets your gaze with eyes weighed down by the importance of his words, "Keep him at the table. Keep his focus on his luck."

"For what?" You ask, confused with what Jeonghan had planned.

But instead of hearing an answer from Jeonghan, Dino speaks up.

"A chance to sneak a hand into his suit pocket."

The second game starts and you watch the decided signs of each member on your side to tell you what cards they have. A system you each created together to make sure Moore wouldn't catch on. It was tested through the first game too and Moore still hasn't caught on, even though his eyes seem to wander around the table restlessly. After counting and switching the cards as you please, the second round has Seungcheol leaning forward to sweep up the pile of chips to his spot.

You eye Moore as you hand him his cards for the third round. This round you give to him.

The next game is also given to Moore.

"Now that we have a few games under our belt." Jeonghan speaks up as he rearranges his chip stacks to stand at the same height. "Let's discuss what you wanted to discuss."

Moore sighs, arranging his newly gained chips onto his stacks. His cockiness is starting to show. You catch the glint in his eye that shows he's confident he's figured out how to bluff out the other players.

'Early celebrator.' You think to yourself as you give Soonyoung the dealer button.

"Victor Huffman." Moore says the name with so much disgust it makes you wonder if he has swallowed acid.

At the mention of another powerful man, and another enemy, Jeonghan lets the corner of his cards snap onto the table and his eyes snap up to meet Moore's in the same second.

"What about him?" Jeonghan nearly growls out the question while Vernon and Seungcheol throw out the small and big blinds, respectively. You know that he and Huffman have a particularly nasty history but you don't know the details. No one does. It's one of the many things Jeonghan keeps under lock and key, in a bunker, 200 feet below his skin.

Your eyes flicker to Vernon and his eyes widen just the slightest, silently calling Moore a maniac for even speaking that name in Jeonghan's casino and presence. To cover up the smile threatening to appear, you lower your head slightly and deal three cards into the community hold in the center of the table.

"I want you to damage him." Moore says casually, ignoring the thick tension that he boiled up. "Take out a chunk of his men, give his finances a gut punch. Just something that will keep him quiet for a few months."

"And what would I receive in return?" Jeonghan asks, peeking at his cards again and though he is leaning back in his chair, you can tell his body is rigid against the emotions raging inside of him.

"I will pay you." Moore answers, "A sum a little more than the worth of the job."

"I fold." Jihoon breathes out and slides his cards towards you.

Wordlessly, you sweep up the cards and add them to the discard pile, intently listening to the conversation around you.

"I'll raise 6." Soonyoung says with a confident pout and slides out 6 chips in a stack. That is Soonyoung, always playing the high risks.

"Call." Vernon places his bet after a look at his cards.

Seungcheol, without taking his eyes off of Moore, simply slides his 6 chips into the center.

"You will excuse me if I don't trust your estimation of what this job'll cost me." Jeonghan comments and places his bet forward.

Moore lets out an empty chuckle that bounces around in your head. "You're smart not to." He states and slides his bet forward. "But I anticipated your doubt. And as much as I hate to admit it, I need Huffman down more than I need my money." He says while you discard a card before flipping a fourth into the community hold. "A contract for 800 million dollars."

The room goes silent. Jihoon eyes Moore up and down trying to distinguish if he's lying. Jeonghan is also trying to figure that out but he holds Moore's gaze, searching for the answer in his eyes. Soonyoung stares at his chips with wide eyes, Seungcheol looks between Jeonghan and Moore, and Vernon just simply slides his cards to you.

You give Vernon a confused look and he just shakes his head. He's folding.

"800 million." Jeonghan repeats the amount and breaks the silence. "For that amount, you want us to do more than something. You want somethings." He emphasizes the plural.

Moore smirks.

"Sir, your bet?" You refrain from using Soonyoung's name to keep your relationship with the men at the table unknown.

"You have a lovely voice." Moore comments, taking a tangent and a moment to look you up and down. "I wouldn't mind you calling me that someday." He sneers and your body tenses at what he's implying. Again, not new stuff but your body still reacts to it.

"Watch how you talk to my staff." Jeonghan spits out and throws his bet onto the table after Seungcheol.

Vernon has a look of murder in his eyes as he glares down Moore. You know he cares for you and though at times, some say it's more than normal, you know you care for him on the same level. But neither of you have had the guts to say or do anything about it.

Moore inhales and continues like his comment didn't happen. "I need you to take out half of his corn hold and a third of his cotton hold." He reveals to Jeonghan as you continue with the game. Dealing and taking cards.

"What's the time frame?" Jeonghan wonders, tapping his finger on his cards methodically.

"I need it done in a month." Moore says and Vernon jumps to his feet.

"Are you insane?" He asks, increduously.

Vernon and Jeonghan meet gazes for a second but it's only in confirmation that Jeonghan's plan is progressing.

"How are we going to get close enough?" Seungkwan asks. "Like great. Dino found out where he hides this master key but what good is it if we don't know how to get close to him. He only lets women and booze get close to that hairy chest of his."

"No." Vernon says in a low voice.

"No?" Jeonghan repeats his word with slight amusement in his tone.

"You are not letting (y/n) anywhere near Moore." Vernon explains and a sad smile reaches your lips.

You don't want to be the one to seduce Moore but you know if Jeonghan asked, you would be preparing for the role in a heartbeat.

Jeonghan rolls his eyes, "(y/n)'s not seducing him. She's dealing. And no woman's seducing him." He comments, "One of you is going to get close." He eyes the males around the table.

"How?" Seungcheol asks.

"We'll instigate his rage." Jeonghan says, "He's got a sensitive temper when it comes to two things and two things only: terms of his deals and his gambling games. After the first few games, one of you will challenge him on everything he says, get him annoyed, pissed, irritated. That will fuel his agitation to losing hand after hand to the same person." He gives a look between you and Vernon. "And that person, I've decided, will be Vernon."

Vernon's first outburst is a sign to you to give Vernon the winning hand for the majority of the games. Or force Moore to fold on the rounds that Vernon doesn't win to keep the winning 'random.'

"You're going to let your man talk to me like that?" Moore lazily blinks towards Jeonghan, trying to damp down the igniting ember.

Jeonghan makes a show of shoving a hand in his pocket for emphasis on his words, "He's my demolition guy so if you want me to take this job, like I know you need us to, you will let him say whatever he pleases." Then he looks at Vernon, "But for now, I want to see how this game plays out. I'll raise 20." He states and slides a large stack of chips into the center. Vernon silently sits back down but not without channeling all the anger within himself to send Moore a glare that could cut through diamond.

"Call." Moore smirks, his love for gambling pushing forward.

For the rest of the game, Jeonghan stays mostly quiet as he ponders the details of what Moore is asking, only speaking to call out his bets.

Seungcheol wins the fifth round with a four of a kind.

The next game is won by Vernon and he also wins the next round. Along with Vernon's occasional snide comments, you can tell Moore is getting frustrated at his terrible luck. It's not a secret that Moore gets cocky when he plays because he claims he can read people and their ticks so he knows how to outplay any bluff. But tonight, his tricks won't work.

As you deal the 8th round, Jeonghan leans forward and rests his forearms on the edge of the table.

"A month?" He clarifies with Moore.

"A month." Moore nods as he takes his cards into his hands.

Jeonghan then turns to Vernon, "Is it possible?"

"If you want a spectacle, yes." Vernon answers, his voice retaining an edge. "If you want it done quietly, no."

Moore sighs, glancing at his cards and purses his lips, "I don't care how it's done. I just need it done and done within a month."

"What happens after a month?" Soonyoung asks the question that's been the elephant in the room since Moore first mentioned the timeline.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Moore smirks and throws in his bet.

"I'll do it." Jeonghan says and Moore's smirk grows wider. "Send over the contract in the morning."

"Glad to do business with you, J." Moore says and Jeonghan's eye gives the smallest of twitches at the nickname. So small that only you are able to catch it.

Turning back to the game at play, Moore's voice is more cheerful to hide his frustration at losing his money as he says, "Now that business is settled, shall we play a few more rounds for fun?"

Jeonghan gives a very fake, yet very believable, smile, "We've got nowhere else to be."

Jihoon wins that game and you watch carefully as Moore takes a deep breath to calm himself against the blow of another loss.

For the 9th game, you let Moore think he's winning the pot without a doubt, but the real winner ends up being Jeonghan.

By now, Moore's stack of chips are the lowest at the table and he doesn't have many games left in him.

"You might as well give up now, Moore." Vernon says, voice brute with amusement and pride as he rearranges his stacks of chips just for dramatic effect.

Through gritted teeth, Moore answers, "You never know how the tides can change."

"Or they'll swallow you whole." Vernon banters back nonchalantly with a touch of boredom. Another effort to push Moore's buttons. Dismiss him in front of others, especially other powerful people. In this case, Jeonghan.

Moore swallows hard and his hand curls into a tight fist. He's going to explode soon and you know it. Everyone at the table knows it. You see Jihoon, Soonyoung, and Seungcheol all shift slightly in their seats in preparation of the moment Moore explodes.

"What are we doing when he eventually explodes?" Soonyoung asks.

"Create enough confusion for Vernon to slide his hand in, grab and replace the key, and back out." Jeonghan says.

"That's (y/n)'s area of expertise." Seungkwan counters but you and Jeonghan answer him at the same time.

"I'm dealing."

"She's dealing."

And for once, you are kind of happy to not be in the center of one of Jeonghan's masterplans.

As everyone peeks at their cards, Vernon takes a couple glances at Moore's tight expression before commenting, "Luck still out of your grasp, Moore?" He chuckles in amusement, eyes actually lighting up at the cards that you deliberately gave to him.

"Be careful of the words you speak, kid." Moore spits and glowers at Vernon who ignores the gaze and just shrugs.

"What lie will you tell the wife this time when you come home without a large sum of money?" Vernon questions, tilting his head to the side and watching his chips as he tosses them onto the table. "Will you come clean about the gambling? Or will you lie and say it was spent on the pleasure houses down the street? Which will only break poor Verna's heart even more."

"You dickwad." Moore grunts, slams his cards onto the table, and rises to his feet. "Keep my wife's name out of your disgusting, immature mouth." He quickly stalks over to Vernon and Vernon is quick to his feet to meet the large body of Rowan Moore.

But he's not angry enough to require Jihoon, Soonyoung, and Seungcheol to step in and create the needed chaos. You look to Jeonghan with concern that the plan won't work. But this is Jeonghan's plan, he has back up plans upon back up plans upon back up plans.

Jeonghan closes his eyes and gives you a tiny nod, accompanied with a tinier smile just before Vernon gives the final blow needed.

"Why are you telling me this?" Vernon asks with curiosity, sitting in Jeonghan's office alone.

"We need Moore angry enough to make Seungcheol, Soonyoung, and Jihoon's intervention realistic." Jeonghan explains leaning back in his chair.

"So I'll use the information to pull that anger out of him." Vernon concludes.

Jeonghan gives him a smile and a snapped finger gun. "Precisely."

"What do you think Verna will do with the divorce papers when she finds out you broke your promise to her?" Vernon asks, staring hard at Moore's face. "What will you do when she leaves you?"

In a split second, Moore slaps Vernon across the face and you inhale sharply as Vernon's head snaps to the right. Seungcheol and Soonyoung push back Moore while Jihoon positions himself in front of Vernon in order to keep Vernon back.

A menacing chuckle comes from Vernon's mouth as he rubs the cheek that was hit. "You hit like a girl. I'm guessing much like your daughter."

You flinch at the unexpected mention of Moore's daughter. Jeonghan tries to keep women and children out of his conversations but women, more often than not, are men's trigger point. It's rare, though, that he'd allow the mentioning of children.

In a second, Vernon pushes past Jihoon as Moore 'easily' pushes past Soonyoung and Seungcheol (more like they let him pass by with feigned weakness but also believable enough strength). His eyes blinded by rage, he doesn't stop to consider what he's doing. Vernon and Moore tousle with each other, hands flying everywhere. Soonyoung, Jihoon, and Seungcheol's hands join in, trying to 'restrain' the two arguers.

Anybody would've have missed the moment Vernon slipped his hand into Moore's blazer pocket then slipped back out and into his own pocket. But you were the one who taught Vernon the sleight of hand he would need and you are watching so you see the move with crystal clear clarity.

Once the real key is placed in Vernon's pocket, you move onto your role: diffusing and ending the game play.

"Gentlemen!" You yell with the authority of cancelling out any money won or lost. The five men stop their frenzied hand fight and look to you. Jeonghan just lazily looks up from his crossed arms. "If you would untangle yourselves and collect your chips. My table is now closed since you decided to make such a scene." You scold them with a scowl of disgust that's mainly directed at Moore.

Moore immediately untangles himself from the others and faces you. "I apologize. If you will, just a few more games." He bargains. "I will pay you the extra."

You shake your head and step down from the stool, "I've already closed." You tell him then add, "And if you're thinking of looking for another dealer, the casino's dealers have already been sent home. Tonight’s a special holiday for us, you see."

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Soonyoung scrunches his face up in confusion, "We don't have holidays."

"Moore doesn't know that." You answer for Jeonghan before turning to the man himself, "What holiday are we observing?" You ask.

Jeonghan meets your eyes with a soft gaze, "The anniversary of Obsidian's bombing."

He doesn't finish the sentence but your mind does.

"My first job with Jeonghan and the only one he failed."

The reason you stayed with Jeonghan even though he shredded your debt to him in the aftermath of the bombing.

"What kind of boss sends his income home on a money making night?" Moore laughs as if the whole day is a joke to him. His laugh only makes you want to drive a knife into his chest.

"The kind that knows the damage your partner caused to my innocent patrons." Jeonghan rises to his feet and stares down Moore hard.

Moore swallows under Jeonghan's gaze. If Moore's gaze was ice cold earlier, Jeonghan's, right now, is burning so cold that you're pretty sure he's giving dry ice a run for its money.

"Is it already that night of the year?" Moore asks you through a tight voice.

You look down at your watch, "In 20 minutes, it will be the exact minute." You inform him and Moore's demeanor falls a little.

He reaches up to pat the left side of his chest and you hold your breath incase he finds anything amiss. But with a satisfied sigh, he feels the decoy and lowers his hands back to his sides.

"Another day, I will return to win back my money." He vows to Jeonghan before he looks at Vernon. "And keep my wife's name out of your god forsaken mouth."

"With pleasure." Vernon responds with disgust, his cheek still red from the slap he received.

Moore scoops up his tray of chips and leaves the room. His guards undoubtedly joining him the second he steps outside the room.

Seungkwan and Dino enter the room as the waitress and waiter assigned to the room leave and for a moment there is a moment of anticipating silence. Then Vernon slowly slides the key out of his pocket and hands it to Jeonghan.

Soonyoung shouts in happiness and hugs Jihoon who tries his best to escape the tight embrace. "We got the key!" He says cheerfully and Seungkwan and Dino high five each other.

Jeonghan just looks down at the key in his hand and smiles. The electronic key that will give him access to every single one of Moore's financial accounts.

"Tomorrow we'll move the money around and you each will have your share." Jeonghan announces to the room and pockets the key.

"What about the job for Moore?" Jihoon asks, successfully escaping Soonyoung's arms.

Jeonghan's lips quirk upward, "Oh, we'll do it. But we won't be doing it out of obligation to a contract. I'd also like to see Huffman on his knees for a change." He says in a voice that resembles a snake, cunning and scary.

This reminder of how ruthless and scary Jeonghan can be is the only thing that sends a shiver up your spine.

Jeonghan walks towards the door with Seungcheol behind him. As Seungcheol opens the door for him, he pauses and turns back.

"Not a word of any of this." He says and the threat is unspoken. It doesn't need to be spoken. It's understood on a bone chilling level what will happen if anyone talks about the jobs you do.

You all nod your heads gravely and Jeonghan exits the room, Seungcheol following him out the door.

Tugging at your stiff tie, you step away from the table and head towards the door. "I'll see you weirdos later." You tell the others and go in search for a few cans of beer and the solitude of the roof.

You raid the kitchen and pluck three beers from one of the many fridges before finding your way to the rooftop. Pushing open the heavy door, you welcome the dark of the night and the glow from the city around you. As you turn towards your normal spot, you're surprised to see a silhouette of a man against the city lights.

Recognizing the person, you inch forward, confused, "Vernon?" You call out his name and he turns toward you.

"Hey." Vernon answers you. In the dim light and shadow displayed on his face, you can see his cheek is still red but not as angry of a red as before.

"How's your cheek?" You ask, grimacing at the memory of having to watch the assault and setting the beers on the ledge.

He lightly touches his cheek, "It'll be sore and red for a while but I think the reward will be worth it." He comments.

"Here." You hand him one of the still cold beers. He stares at the beer in confusion and you roll your eyes before pressing the substitute ice pack to his cheek. "It'll help it."

"Right." He breathes out and brings his hand up to replace yours in holding the beer in place.

Below you, the city is bustling with sane people leaving the clubs and casinos, taking their loses in stride. Each building shines with the lights of a many tiny spotlights, casting out the moonlight before it can even get close to the ground.

"Three beer night?" Vernon questions you, eyeing the two beers left on the ledge.

"You try standing the whole night with a stick stiff suit and a tie noosed around your neck." You sass at him.

"You didn't seem uncomfortable." Vernon chuckles, as you open a beer and take a large chug of it.

You grimace as the alcohol slithers down your throat, "I'm good at faking it." You tell him. "You did good, sleighting Moore." You compliment his handiwork. "If you keep learning, you could get pretty good."

Vernon lowers his beer can from his cheek in thought, "Nah, I think I'll leave that to you. I didn't like how I couldn't see what I was doing." He holds out his hand and flexes it before opening his can, "I can see the pieces being connected when I work up a demolition explosive. Sleight of hand takes that away." Then he shivers, "Oh, no thank you."

You laugh and Vernon looks over at you, loving the way your laugh makes yours eyes squint and your cheeks bunch up.

"Alright, you stick with demolition." You tell him. "Besides, if you took over my role, I may have to leave and find a new boss to sleight for." You joke but Vernon's face falls at the mention of you leaving.

"When you get your share, will you leave?" He asks, facing back towards the street. He doesn't want you to leave but he's also heard you speak of the possibility over the last few days.

You sigh, both hands clasping the beer can, "I don't know yet." You say, facing the city lights like he is. "Part of me thinks it's time to leave, that I've paid my debt. But the other part of me can't leave the people here."

Vernon chuckles softly, "Everyone would miss you." He pauses for a second before continuing, "I would miss you."

"I wouldn't leave right away." You say and lean you head against his shoulder, "I still have to stay for the Huffman job. But it might be my last."

"Is there anything that would make you stay?" Vernon wonders, afraid to move and have your touch leave his skin.

You study the sky for a second before answering, "I don't know."

"Is there anything I could do that would make you stay?" He reiterates his previous question. In his voice, he tries to make you understand how much he doesn't want you to leave. That he'd do almost anything for you to stay.

"I don't know if anyone could do anything that would make me stay." You tell him and sit up to take another sip.

"Jeonghan could." Vernon grumbled under his breath.

Your ears perk up and you're not sure you head him correctly, "What?"

"Uh, n-nothing." He stutters and avoids meeting your eyes.

You gasp as you realize you had heard him correctly, "You're jealous!" You accuse and point a finger at him.

“I am not." Vernon defends himself, stepping back.

"Yes, you are!" Your fluttering heart makes giggles bubble into your throat.

"Seriously, I'm not." He repeats, holding up his hands but you read the jealousy on his face like the front page of the morning news paper.

"Demolition Vernon is jealous?" You say, unable to keep the giggles at bay. "Jealous of Jeonghan?"

At the name, Vernon steps forward and covers your mouth with his free hand.

"Don't say his name and that word together." He says lowly, "Do you want me to die?" He questions you with a quirked eyebrow.

You look between his eyes and reach up to lower his hand from your mouth, which comes away easily.

"He wouldn't kill you. Maybe disfigure you in some way, but not kill." You say, softly, realizing how serious this situation actually is, "As much as he hates to admit it, he needs every single one of us for any and all jobs he pulls. And he's not about to waste time looking for and training another just because of a word."

"Why did you stay with Jeonghan?" Vernon asks, not moving away, his face inches from yours.

You swallow and keep your gaze on his eyes, though you're tempted to peek at his lips. "Jeonghan and I both blame ourselves for the bombing that happened here. We both missed things that we shouldn't have missed. And because of our mistakes, people died." You explain, flashes of the terror replaying in your mind. "Jeonghan shredded my debt that night but I couldn't leave until I corrected the wrong I made."

"Have you corrected it yet?" He asks in a near whisper and a hand loops around your waist.

"I don't know yet." You answer through the pounding of your heart.

He is this close to you. This close to being yours.

"When will you know?" He questions, inching closer, eyes still locked onto yours.

You blink, "Someday." You are barely able to speak the word.

The corner of Vernon's mouth twitches, "So that means you'd stay until that day."

Unable to speak because of his closeness, you just nod once.

"Then that means I can give you a reason to stay once that day comes." He states and before you can answer, his lips crash onto yours.

You both drop your beer cans, ignoring as they collide with the ground and spill around your feet. Kissing him back with the emotions that are finally being set free, you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him closer. He does the same with his arms around you waist.

When you pull away, you're still pressed against each other and out of breath. But the sparkle in his eyes is all you can focus on.

The bright excitement that you've only seen when he finishes a complex explosive. A bubble of pride swells your heart that you're the only person who's able to pull that brightness out of him.

"Just one reason?" You question his earlier statement and tilting your head to the side.

Vernon lets out an amused puff of air, "I can give you several reasons to stay, if you want." He says before kissing you again.

"These better be some very good reasons if I'm to give up a lifetime of lazy days and millions of dollars." You tell him and play with his tie.

He presses you closer to his chest and lets his lips graze yours, "Oh, they will be very, very good reasons, (y/n). Don't you doubt that."

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usagi-mitsu · 3 years

Text

Prompt #14 Commend

Speaking about ones feelings is hard. In some cases, it‘s harder. But this conversation had been long overdue - and had not gotten easier with time…

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast // #ffxivwrite2021

Prompt #14 Commend

A continuation of Prompt #8 Friable.

Leaving the spoils of Shia‘s day out in the field behind, the two of them looked for a quiet room. Yes. Everybody was aware of the tensions between them. That did not mean they needed to hear them arguing. Or whatever else might occur.

G‘raha for one hoped they might clear the air. It had been abundantly clear that they needed to talk. Be it how she acted around him or much more, how she tried to avoid his company all together. He had been taken by surprise when she had showed up the day prior, asking if he could lend her an ear or both. That she initiated it was a heaven-sent – he had no idea how to start the conversation to begin with. And he had seemingly even less of an idea about how to have it. Which had ended with her shoving a chair and storming out on him. Half the Rising Stones witnessed it as he had tried to follow, to reason. But that had only enraged her further. She had then been gone for another day and a half. Had Thancred not told him she was back, G‘Raha wouldn‘t have noticed for probably another day or so.

They finally found a quiet space in the back of their headquarters. The front still was a tavern after all and the insides where they resided now had belonged to it, serving as guestbooks and conference areas of sort. But with Mor Dhona not exactly having been a tourist attraction or a centre of commerce (at least not before the Scions arrived), the owner of the tavern gladly offered the space to Minfilla, when she asked.

The rooms walls had been hidden behind bookshelves, with a couch in the back. Where there should have been a pool table though, they found just a simple wooden desk with two chairs. It did feel a bit like they were about to interrogate each other.

Shia knew how to remedy that though. Her eyes searched and found one of the shelves, where she pulled out a thick book.

„Whisky?“

Opening it, the insides revealed not the contents of „The Ishgardian-Limsan Sex and Cook Book and How to Raise Morbols“, but two glasses and a bottle filled with a golden liquid.

G‘Raha simply nodded.

„Do I want to know how you know about this?“

She grinned while pouring. „Thancred and I have had our arguments over the years. This is one of the things we agree on and whenever either of us needs some me-time or if we have to discuss things and such, we get this. And then we discuss. Or just drink. It depends on the topic. And the one having the last of it, has to replace the bottle. It‘s quite the convenient arrangement.“

„I can tell.“

A careful sniff on the glass almost curled his nose hair backwards. This was strong stuff.

„To us,“ Shia sat down and raised her drink. He joined her at the table, clinking his glass to hers.

„To us.“

For a minute they were just silent. The taste of the whisky had caught G‘raha off of his guard – even though he had thoroughly taken in it‘s scent before. He needed that minute to stop coughing.

„You know you are not supposed to inhale this, right? It‘s for drinking.“

The grin in Shia‘s voice was hard to overhear.

„Please don‘t mind me,“ he replied the moment he could catch his breath, „I‘m just the one with the body that hasn‘t had any alcohol in months.“

„I‘m sorry,“ Shia amended, „I promise to consider my words more carefully from now on … well. At least for this conversation.“

And they were back on topic.

„I‘m sorry for yesterday. I had hoped to speak to you about this much earlier, but I never had the courage to do so.“ Shia kept her voice as quiet and controlled as she could, even though the thought of speaking her thoughts out loud made her want to scream and run away. Running away from her problems though had never solved them. Or it had at least that one time when they were running from the brass blades and-

She shook her head. Stay on topic!

G‘Raha seemingly hadn‘t noticed her thoughts trailing off. „Thank you for initiating. I realise that this is not an easy conversation and I commend you for starting it. I would like to apologise for not being in the right mindset yesterday. This could have gone far better.“

„It wasn‘t your fault alone. As I mentioned before, my ego is brittle and you managed to hit some spots that I was hoping you would not. Then again… you were right and I should not have reacted like this.“

„Your ego is not brittle,“ he deliberately took another sip from his glass, „if it was, I highly doubt people like Lolorito or Varis zos Galvus would still be walking this earth.“

„You forget that Varis has kicked the bucked a few weeks ago.“

„Not by your hand.“

„But I would have loved to be the one to do it.“

„You should tell Zenos whenever you next meet him.“

Shia cackled. „Yes. I‘ll say „how dare you kill your father and not letting me do it“! And he might even apologise before trying to kill me – again.“

„You just occupy a very special place in his hear. He adores you, or so I have heard.“

„He is a homicidal maniac with a tendency to gut people, overthrow empires and burn countries to the ground but sure. Let‘s say he adores me. Perhaps I should ask him for a ring and a ceremony of eternal bonding and then we have a „Kill Jill“ style fight on our wedding night. Might end this whole world ending business early.“

„And what about Fandaniel?“

„He can be our target practice instead of having a cake?“

„Sounds lovely.“

„Yeah…“

The two of them fell silent once more.

Shia was the one bring them back to their previous conversation topic.

„Right. So. If I may, I would like to just… I would like to just say what‘s been on my mind? If that is ok? It‘s a lot and I know we don‘t have all the time in the world and we-„

„Shia,“ G‘Raha leaned forward. Very gently he took her hand in his. „We will take all the time we need to get this right. All that matters is the outcome, alright?“

She nodded.

And finally spilled it all.

What she had felt for him when they had been researching the Crystal Tower. How she felt when he decided to lock himself away. How Haurchefant and the Scions had helped her get him off of her mind.

About the feelings she had been hiding form a certain Lord Commander and how she had hoped to finally be over him, when he „decided“ to just barge back into her life and rescue her from the battlefield.

About her fear and dread as the Scions, her closest and possibly only real friends in this world, slipped away one after another with no cure or solution in sight.

Her anger and hatred towards the Crystal Exarch, as he was the one responsible for her fears and worries.

How she came to care about him against her own better judgement.

How it hurt when he tried to safe her, only for him to get abducted by her fiercest enemy. She told him about the relief and happiness at his return.

What that night in the pendants truly meant to her.

And about the hurt and anger at his refusal to be together with her, when he had clearly stated that he felt just the same.

How afraid of loosing him she was once more, when she saw him half encased in crystal. And how it broke her heart to see him die then and there atop the tower.

About her reservations before merging his memories with his younger body.

And finally about how all of this hurt. That it hurt so much, she still wasn‘t able to think clearly about it all.

„You were gone. Then you were back. Then you pushed me away. And then you almost died, actually died and now you are back and now you continuously follow me on my missions – you reenacted our very first meeting, Raha! I just… I just can‘t. And it‘s not like this is the only thing on my mind: I‘m still helping out at the Bozjan southern front. The fourth imperial legion is a nightmare to deal with. And don‘t let me get started with Gaius‘ family troubles-“

„Gaius as in… van Baelsar?“ G‘Raha had not dared interrupt her until now, but this one thing he needed confirmed.

„The one and only.“

„I would like to hear more about that when we have finished this conversation, if you don‘t mind. It sounds… interesting.“

„I‘ll tell you all about it – afterwards.“ Shia groaned and hid her face in her hands. „So… to sum it up… these last few weeks, months have been an emotional roller coaster for me. I love you. I want to love you. But I don‘t know what you feel and you have not exactly been forthcoming about it. To distract myself I jumped into work and just… I didn’t want to think about this. I really didn‘t. I still don‘t want to. Having this conversation is overdue, but I‘m so afraid of what comes next. I‘m so afraid, Raha. And then again I‘m not even sure if I should like you! You are the one responsible for almost loosing my best friends – my family! And you almost killed yourself with your plan and-“

Her last words were drowned out by a sob and to G’Rahas horror she began to cry.

„And… and all of that on top of us having to save the world.“

Her last words were almost inaudible. Thick tears rolled form her baby blue eyes while she kept on sobbing uncontrollably.

G‘Raha wasn‘t sure what to do, but he followed his instincts. He was quicker on his feet than he thought he could be and had his arms around her within the blink of an eye.

And for a few minutes they just stood there, arm in arm with Shia sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.

After everything she had just told him, after having to bottle all of this up, it wasn‘t really a surprise to him. Had she ever allowed herself to be vulnerable with anyone before? Like this? Not just speaking about her worries for the politics and battles fo the world. But also about her worries, feelings, hopes and dreams?

„I‘m here,“ he whispered, „I‘m here Shia. Iti‘s ok. I‘m here.“ It was all he could do: Reassuring her, that she was not alone. That she did not need to suffer on her own. That it would be ok.

Shia gripped him tighter and only let go after what felt like an eternity.

„I‘m sorry…“ she sniffed and looked at him. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks puffy and red. She had probably worn at least some mascara, which now outlined that path of her tears across her face to her chin.

„No… I‘m sorry. I can‘t really take the blame for all the things that happened in the world, but at least for my part in it… yet…“ he took a deep breath and tightened his hold around her, „to be frank, I think I would do it all again if I had to.“

She nodded, still sniffling.

„The world depended on it. And I would not be here, if you hadn‘t done it… So being mad about that is actually a bit stupid.“

„It is by no means stupid.“

„Let‘s just agree on that. But…“ Shia looked up, brows furrowed, „where do we go from here?“

They were still locked in a tight embrace. His shoulder wet with her tears and her eyes seemingly ready to spill over once again at a moments notice.

The two of them exchanged uncertain glances. A moment went by. And then another. Until G‘raha gently let go.

„I cannot say that I am good at any of this,“ he confessed, „but how about we start where everything should start? Right at the beginning?“

Shia must have looked more than confused, but he smiled and grabbed her hand.

„My name is G‘Raha Tia. I am over 300 years old and have lived through at least one apocalypse. My body though belongs to the 24 years old me from this timeline – did I mention I‘m from another time and another dimension?“

Shia giggled.

„I am now a member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. It is my wish to support them in their every endeavour to protect the interests of this star. My idol is the Warrior of Light, a fierce fighter committed to the protection of their star. Fighting alongside them is my dearest wish.“

He paused.

„And whom do I have the pleasure with?“

It took her a moment to respond. But when she finally did, she did so with a smile.

„I‘m Shia Tamriel, Warrior of Light and resident trouble maker. But you can call me Shia.“

„It‘s a pleasure.“

It would be a new beginning. A fresh start. And finally, they would continue on together.

A continuation of Prompt #8 Friable.

Shia knew how to remedy that though. Her eyes searched and found one of the shelves, where she pulled out a thick book.

„Whisky?“

Opening it, the insides revealed not the contents of „The Ishgardian-Limsan Sex and Cook Book and How to Raise Morbols“, but two glasses and a bottle filled with a golden liquid.

G‘Raha simply nodded.

„Do I want to know how you know about this?“

„I can tell.“

A careful sniff on the glass almost curled his nose hair backwards. This was strong stuff.

„To us,“ Shia sat down and raised her drink. He joined her at the table, clinking his glass to hers.

„To us.“

„You know you are not supposed to inhale this, right? It‘s for drinking.“

The grin in Shia‘s voice was hard to overhear.

„Please don‘t mind me,“ he replied the moment he could catch his breath, „I‘m just the one with the body that hasn‘t had any alcohol in months.“

„I‘m sorry,“ Shia amended, „I promise to consider my words more carefully from now on … well. At least for this conversation.“

And they were back on topic.

She shook her head. Stay on topic!

„Your ego is not brittle,“ he deliberately took another sip from his glass, „if it was, I highly doubt people like Lolorito or Varis zos Galvus would still be walking this earth.“

„You forget that Varis has kicked the bucked a few weeks ago.“

„Not by your hand.“

„But I would have loved to be the one to do it.“

„You should tell Zenos whenever you next meet him.“

Shia cackled. „Yes. I‘ll say „how dare you kill your father and not letting me do it“! And he might even apologise before trying to kill me – again.“

„You just occupy a very special place in his hear. He adores you, or so I have heard.“

„And what about Fandaniel?“

„He can be our target practice instead of having a cake?“

„Sounds lovely.“

„Yeah…“

The two of them fell silent once more.

Shia was the one bring them back to their previous conversation topic.

„Right. So. If I may, I would like to just… I would like to just say what‘s been on my mind? If that is ok? It‘s a lot and I know we don‘t have all the time in the world and we-„

„Shia,“ G‘Raha leaned forward. Very gently he took her hand in his. „We will take all the time we need to get this right. All that matters is the outcome, alright?“

She nodded.

And finally spilled it all.

What she had felt for him when they had been researching the Crystal Tower. How she felt when he decided to lock himself away. How Haurchefant and the Scions had helped her get him off of her mind.

About her fear and dread as the Scions, her closest and possibly only real friends in this world, slipped away one after another with no cure or solution in sight.

Her anger and hatred towards the Crystal Exarch, as he was the one responsible for her fears and worries.

How she came to care about him against her own better judgement.

How it hurt when he tried to safe her, only for him to get abducted by her fiercest enemy. She told him about the relief and happiness at his return.

What that night in the pendants truly meant to her.

And about the hurt and anger at his refusal to be together with her, when he had clearly stated that he felt just the same.

How afraid of loosing him she was once more, when she saw him half encased in crystal. And how it broke her heart to see him die then and there atop the tower.

About her reservations before merging his memories with his younger body.

And finally about how all of this hurt. That it hurt so much, she still wasn‘t able to think clearly about it all.

„Gaius as in… van Baelsar?“ G‘Raha had not dared interrupt her until now, but this one thing he needed confirmed.

„The one and only.“

„I would like to hear more about that when we have finished this conversation, if you don‘t mind. It sounds… interesting.“

Her last words were drowned out by a sob and to G’Rahas horror she began to cry.

„And… and all of that on top of us having to save the world.“

Her last words were almost inaudible. Thick tears rolled form her baby blue eyes while she kept on sobbing uncontrollably.

G‘Raha wasn‘t sure what to do, but he followed his instincts. He was quicker on his feet than he thought he could be and had his arms around her within the blink of an eye.

And for a few minutes they just stood there, arm in arm with Shia sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.

Shia gripped him tighter and only let go after what felt like an eternity.

She nodded, still sniffling.

„The world depended on it. And I would not be here, if you hadn‘t done it… So being mad about that is actually a bit stupid.“

„It is by no means stupid.“

„Let‘s just agree on that. But…“ Shia looked up, brows furrowed, „where do we go from here?“

They were still locked in a tight embrace. His shoulder wet with her tears and her eyes seemingly ready to spill over once again at a moments notice.

The two of them exchanged uncertain glances. A moment went by. And then another. Until G‘raha gently let go.

„I cannot say that I am good at any of this,“ he confessed, „but how about we start where everything should start? Right at the beginning?“

Shia must have looked more than confused, but he smiled and grabbed her hand.

Shia giggled.

He paused.

„And whom do I have the pleasure with?“

It took her a moment to respond. But when she finally did, she did so with a smile.

„I‘m Shia Tamriel, Warrior of Light and resident trouble maker. But you can call me Shia.“

„It‘s a pleasure.“

It would be a new beginning. A fresh start. And finally, they would continue on together.

#Ffxivwrite2021 #Shia Tamriel #G‘Raha Tia #G‘Raha Tia x WoL #Shia x G‘Raha #Relationship talk #Angst?#opening up #Spoilers up to 5.5

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ladyloptr · 3 years

Text

•Part-Time•

Request: twt@LUSTFORLOKI. To sum up this one, Reader is a college student who took a part-time job in the Avengers tower as a sort of housekeeper/maid/butler. Steve, for all of his self-righteousness, doesn’t know how to treat a housekeeper/maid properly in the 21st century. Thankfully, Loki shows up, and as usual, has a plan for everything. (I’m such a Steve-anti. Poor Steve.)Lots of angst, some fluff.

Fandom: MCU AU

Pairing: Loki x College!Reader.

Warnings: Angst, Abuse, Violence. OOC Steve, Major Steve bashing, so any Steve-stans, please look away.

{————}

You need this job.

That’s the only reason why you’re here, and why you tolerate some of the insanity that you’re forced to endure.

You saw the advertisement on the internet, it was hard to miss. Big, bright and attention grabbing, just like your employer, Tony Stark. He was looking for a butler basically, but also sort of a housekeeper. Someone to help keep the tower in order, but also to help the Avengers if they ever needed anything.

Surprisingly, for all of his melodrama, egotism and childishness, Tony Stark is a great boss, and his wife, Pepper, is an even better boss. They’re both always pleasant to you, they pay you well, they pay you on time, they’re never rude (despite Tony’s jokes sometimes being a little-uncalled for), and they never really ask much from you.

Sure, your job is to help keep the 90-something tower “in order”, but you, interestingly enough, don’t do much cleaning. As Tony once said “I have people I pay to do all of that.” Your job is mostly centered on making sure that Tony’s physical files are organized, that the training room has all of the practice weapons properly locked up, and to make sure that the kitchen and main lounge/living room isn’t a hot-mess-express.

So, the only thing you really ever have to clean up is the kitchen, and on occasion, the living room. The Avengers don’t typically leave behind much of a mess.

Really, the insanity isn’t Tony, or Pepper, or cleaning, or the pay, it’s helping the Avengers when they “need something”.

Oh-correction. The insanity is helping Steve Rogers when he “needs something”.

The Avengers are all grown ass adult superheroes (minus Peter), and you’re a college student taking a part-time job so that you can take care of yourself. Most of them find it uncomfortable to ask you to do meager things for them, so they mostly ignore you, and do things for themselves like functional members of society.

Except for Steve Rogers.

You are unsure of what you did, but the moment you started working here, he’s been nothing but cold and mean to you. He asks you to bring him a drink, to bring him a snack, to bring him a napkin, to bring him his breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s gotten ridiculous. He’ll even ask you to make sure his bedroom is neat after he wakes up, and to make sure his bathroom is cleaned every few days.

This is behavior you expected from the Asgardian princes, Thor and Loki, but definitely not from Captain fucking America.

Then again, as Captain America, perhaps his behavior rightfully represents what a lot of Americans are; entitled.

(I’m American also, lol, no hate plz.)

He’s nothing like what he was supposed to be. On camera he was gentlemanly, kindhearted and appreciative. It was a shock to you when you found that Loki, of all the people in the tower, acts more like Captain America, than Captain America.

Which was truly bewildering to you at first. Just think about it for a moment...

The guy who tried to take over the whole world and enslave mankind is the one who greets you with a smile everyday, and offers to make you tea on Saturday and Sunday mornings (which are the only mornings you can work-you got those 7am college classes, RIP). He even helps you with your studies, homework and college essays if you find yourself falling behind. It took some time to get used to his kind gestures, which sometimes bewildered even Thor at times.

While Loki got familiar with you, your relationship with Steve Rogers, on the other hand, ended up only getting worse.

It turned abusive, sometimes violent, and the only reason you never went to Tony is because you know that the two are close friends and coworkers. You could go to the other Avengers, but you’re sure that their relationship to Steve is similar, as well.

Bucky Barnes is another person you know is close with Steve. Those two go way back-before you were even born.

One day, you were careless in leaving your house. It was a Saturday morning, you were tired and you hadn’t noticed that both of your arms had begun to bruise from Steve’s super soldier strength.

He had hit you a few times in anger yesterday. You can’t really recall why.

“What are those on your arms?” Loki asks, within seconds of seeing you. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing.” You say.

“I’m The God of Lies, my dear, you’ll have to do better than that.” Loki says, looking over your arms, carefully. “Is someone harming you?”

“No. I fell.”

“Try again.” Loki challenges, looking up at you sternly.

“I’m fine.”

“Who is harming you?” He asks, narrowing his eyes. “Is it someone in here?”

“Loki...”

“Is it an Avenger?”

Loki catches the subtle change in your eyes, the spark of fear that lit up when he asked whether or not it was an Avenger.

He growls. “Who is it?”

“Loki, please, I don’t want to talk about it.” You plead, getting rather uncomfortable now. “Can we just... play chess or something?”

Loki frowns at you for a while, before sighing in defeat. “Fine, alright.”

He doesn’t bring it up for the rest of the day.

You make sure to wear long sleeves to cover the bruises on your arms for the next couple of days, at least until the bruising goes down.

“What did I tell you about leaving my bedroom a mess?” Steve demands. “It’s a simple request. I’m not asking you to teach a dog to sing.”

Steve has decided to now confront you in an empty hallway about not tidying up his room yesterday.

“I’m sorry...” You mutter. “...Tony wanted me with him all day yesterday.”

“You couldn’t have come do it before you left? You just went home knowing my bedroom is a mess?” Steve asks, quickly getting upset.

“Tony clocked me out himself, so I was already off shift. Besides, it’s not like you can’t clean your bedroom yourself.” You answer.

Wrong answer, apparently.

He grabbed your arm and held it in a bruising grip, once again reminding you that he’s no ordinary human.

You let out a whimper and try to pull away, which proves no use. You’re not surprised when he slaps you. You’re surprised by how a super soldier serum can make a simple slap so painful. You’re even more surprised when your nose starts bleeding.

He must’ve inadvertently popped a blood vessel or something.

He raises his hand again, and you close your eyes, prepared for a punch or something worse, but it never comes. You open your eyes and see Steve looking at something behind you. You turn around and see Loki standing at the other end of the hall, his hands behind his back, an indifferent look on his face, but his eyes tell a different story.

You’ve known Loki long enough to realize that if you want to know his true emotions, you read his eyes, not his face. He’s a master at using his face to guard his true feelings.

And his eyes currently hold a barely contained storm of rage inside of them.

“I apologize for... interrupting...” Loki barely managed to keep his voice steady. “But dinner is ready, and I was wondering if (Y/N) would be joining us tonight.”

You nod, frantically. Steve releases your arm, and you rush over to Loki’s side.

“Loki Laufeyson, master of perfect timing, always ready to save the day.”

“Actually.” Loki corrects. “It’s Loki Odinson, master of sorcery, always ready to put ignorant Midgardians in their place.” He smiles a very unpleasant smile. “But yes... I suppose you’re also somewhat correct.”

“No one will believe you.” Steve says.

“Perhaps you’re correct.” Loki drones. “I am not here to hold a conversation with you, however, I am here to take (Y/N) to dinner.”

Steve snorts derisively, and walks by Loki, intentionally bumping shoulders with him.

Well, Steve was bumped, Loki didn’t move even a centimeter.

“Might want to clean her up first.” Steve says, as he retreats. “Wouldn’t want everyone to think you were beating up on her before dinner.”

Loki clenches his jaw. You look away, nervous about what he’s going to say.

You’re startled when he tilts your face up by your chin, and then slowly uses his seidr to heal any damage Steve has dealt you, including the bruises on your arms. He checks you over multiple times, making sure you aren’t still hurt.

Once he’s finished, he takes both of your hands and makes eye contact with you. He’s still upset, but the anger has tapered down to a manageable level.

“How did you know he was hurting me just now?” You ask, in a hushed tone.

“The same day I inquired about your bruises, I forged a... connection of sorts.” Loki explains. “Today, I felt that you were in danger, so I went looking for you. I have a similar connection with Thor, otherwise that oaf would’ve perished long ago.”

You nod, it makes sense, somewhat. You blush as he kisses your cheek and then your forehead.

“I am sorry.” Loki squeezes your hands, gently. “I wish I had noticed earlier. I would’ve killed him in that moment, would it not result in me being casted back to Asgard. The last thing I want, is for you to be left here to deal with all of this on your own.”

“Well... there’s nothing we can do about it now...” You murmur.

“I believe that to be untrue...” Loki’s eyes slowly shift up to the security cameras. “...Rogers appears to have forgotten about the many eyes this tower has.”

Your eyes widen. “The security cameras...!”

Loki smirks. “Stark will review the footage if you ask him to. I could accompany you to his lab tonight after dinner, if you so wish.”

“Yes, I’d love that.” You wrap your arms around Loki as tight as you possibly can. “Thank you!”

“You’re most certainly welcome.” Loki chuckles. “Time to cook up a scandal...”

A/N: SORRY STEVE STANS, I TAKE ALL REQUESTS, NO REQUESTS LEFT BEHIND.

Also, I wrote this while struggling with depression (it’s been two weeks, and it seems to not be improving, and this crap can last as long as a couple of months, so I wrote it anyway. Better than waiting a few months to finally get on this), and I’m not sure if y’all have noticed, but my storytelling feels weird in this one. My ability to produce a thorough, flowing storyline appears to be sort of hindered right now. I’ll try to update it if I can.

#loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #loki x female reader #loki fluff #reader angst

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xtrash-writing-trashx420 · 3 years

Text

Cheeky Minx || John Shelby x OC

//Welcoming the New Recruit//

"Makenna Aoife MacTavish, A.K.A. Makenna Muldoon; Duchess of Glenbrook, Aged 23

Served at the Somme as a field nurse and,"

The man before me takes a pause and looks up at me in faux surprise, as if the information on the paper he's gawking at isn't exactly why he's come seeking me out, and then continues in an almost condescending manner;

"Hm... and soforth was awarded title as Duchess and Sole Proprietor of Glenbrook Estates and Enterprises in Boston for her acts of valor.," He pauses again to throw down the file he was reading and light himself a cigarette.

I take in every detail, knowing that this meeting can end up only one of two ways, and assess the scenario. Tilting my head slightly and leaning back into the armchair in front of his desk, I cross my legs; his eyes glance from his ministrations with the box of matches he's holding and zip down to my left thigh where one strip of honeyed milk lies perfectly exposed between my black leather garter holster and my thigh-high nylon stockings.

I see the slight glint of mirth cross his steel blue eyes as he catches my not-so-subtle warning and continues to light his cigarette. I watch as he pulls his drag, the way his fingers just barely drape the stick of tobacco between them without effort, the way his eyes study mine, the way his free hand keeps switching between his knee and the top of the desk.

'A gangster like this doesn't get nervous over one woman with a snubnose purse pistol... Who is he waiting for?'

"I'll take one, while your at it." He smirks at this, and goes to hand me the one he's smoking. It's my turn to smirk, as I nod to his pack.

"A new one, if you don't mind." He raises his eyebrow, but nevertheless, complies. As I lean forward to take the cigarette, he lights another match and lights it for me, leaning over his desk so I don't have to.

'A gentlemanly gangster, not too hard on the eyes either.,' I admit to myself, studying his sharp features and piercing eyes.

Finally, after what seems like ages of simply sitting across and analyzing eachother, he continues.

"You're titled Duchess of Glenbrook but the common people call you Miss Kenna. You have 15 bars, 2 breeders farms, a horse track and 27 plots of real estate, and that's just in London alone. Glenbrook Estates is what, a mansion? And it says here you have 3 vacation homes as well." He scoffs and throws the file down on his desk.

"Well, let's get on with it, Mr. Shelby, as you well know, I'm a busy woman.," My voice is far too suave for my liking, but the situation calls for a little theater. "I would assume you called me here for a reason, this is hardly the place for a business meeting with someone of my status."

I sound like a proper posh cunt, and it seems as if he's taking the bait as he groans out a sigh and leans back into his chair. He lifts a hand to rub his temples, and then slams his fist on his desk in a motion so fast and loud, I was almost startled.

Almost.

He seems unfazed my lack of reaction, and continues on.

"Let's not pretend like you don't know what I want. You have influence all over, spies everywhere, and a very high standing. Everyone knows who you are. Nothing happens without you knowing about it.-"

"-As if I don't already know that-" I snappily interject.

"And I want your men, and your cooperation when we take over London. You're the most untouchable woman in all of North America. If you tell someone not to fuck with us, they won't. And those that do, you have ways of making it so they never existed."

I frown, sinking into the armchair infront of his desk once more and taking a long drag of my smoke.

"I see."

For the next few minutes we simply stare at eachother while we finish off our smokes, picking, analyzing, contemplating. Finally, after he offers me the crystal ashtray to put out, I appraise him and ask one simple question.

"What do you want from me?"

~~~~~~~

It's been 2 months since my meeting with Thomas Shelby at his gambling den, and 6 days since our last correspondence.

"Pack what you can in a suitcase and my men will come to collect you on Thursday. You're not safe."

No explanation, no reasoning, just that little tidbit over the phone while gunshots rang true and the sounds of men fighting grumbled in the background before he abruptly hung up. And since Thursday had come and gone the day after the call, I had resorted to relieving all of my staff save for my most trusted.

The only ones left on premises were my gate guards, my doormen, and my butler amd personal guard Carleton, who had only worked for me for 2 years but I was rather well aquanted with. We had hit it off rather well, and I considered him more friend than staff. He was a tall, broad shouldered Jewish man with a scruffy, large beard and bright eyes that reminded me of a child's, with a contradictory scowl that would make a grizzly piss himself.

Initially after receiving the warning, I had brushed it off without care. Being hunted was nothing new to me after all, being a woman who had served in the war and in other more internal battles of politics. But this was different.

I remember after the call I had snorted in laughter, summing it up as a joke and continuing on with my day. I had been untouchable, faceless and anonymous since the war. Only the most internal government files and most skilled intelligence organizations even knew what I looked like, let alone my real name. That was what had led me to agree to take up business with Thomas in the first place. But 2 months into business with the bloke and I show up to my race track to find every single one of my employees and horses shot and beat to hell.

Since then, I had taken to locking myself in my art studio with my easels and paints to distract myself; though it did little to nothing to soothe my racing mind. For the millionth time in just that day, I wondered why I wasn't safe, I wondered if Thomas and his Blinders had been picked off by their enemies, I wondered if my name had been let slip by one of his lackies in a braw deal that ended badly. I couldn't understand how I had gone from being untouchable, to going into hiding.

The only constant in each equation was none other than Thomas Shelby, and I made a mental note to tear him a new asshole when I got the chance.

I gave a start, knocked from my thoughts as Carleton entered with my afternoon tea, and my paintbrush skewed off stroke.

"Oh, fuck." I swore crassly, looking around my desk to find the paint I had used on the background to cover my mistake; not noticing my butler's sarcastic and smug grin over my classless use of vulgarity.

"Your tea, and lunch, Miss Muldoon." He presented my tray with grandiose show of putting it on my desk and lifting the cover to reveal my tea and what looked to be ladyfingers and some sort of meat sandwich. I didn't care, I was starving and anxious, so I sat and ate, thankful for the distraction.

"Don't be so smug, Carleton, I'm going mad up here." I complained as I ate, gesturing around me. "That smug bastard Shelby is going to pay for this. I've lived so comfortably until now."

"Speaking of, madam, you received a telegram."

"Oh bother, burn it."

"It seems important, ma'am. It mentions the race track."

At this I lean back to look over at him, he's moved clear halfway across the room to speak, and he's shifting his weight and wringing his hands. I sigh, and wave him on. He reads it out slowly, and I "tsk" in disappointment.

"You haven't been practicing," I chastise him, pulling a "give it here" motion with my fingers and taking the telegraph from him as soon as he's close enough. "Have you even read any of the practice books I've given you?"

"...No, ma'am, it's more difficult when you're not helping."

I glance at him with an incredulous look.

"That's no excuse, and you know it." I say, finally taking a moment to look at and read the telegraph in my hands, but it doesn't matter, because as soon as I go to focus, a gunshot resounds from outside the estate by the gates.

With a start, I get up and run to the window, moving the curtains to get a better view. I hear Carleton move the opposite way, closing the doors behind him as he leaves.

I continue to watch out the window, trying to see whats happening, though not to much success. The large fountain in my front garden is centre view from this room and all I can see behind it is a motorcar at my gate and my gatemen pointing their rifles at it. As I walk along the windows to try to catch a better view, I just barely see an arm come out the window of the motorcar with a piece of paper clutched in their outstretched hand before my gatemen move to unlock the gate and let the car through.

That's all I need to see to know.

The Peaky Blinders are outside my house.

(SO this will be a series based off of a slightly Mary-Sue character but it just is part of the story, please don't hate me for it lol. It'll make sense as to why she's this massive standing character later on. She's still a normal ass broad with hormones and issues so its okay lmfao. But anywhoooo, this is basically just a filler character intro to explain why Kenna is around and stuff. John will be in the next chapter, don't worry 😉 also my dumbass didn't proof-read this because its 6:00am and I NEED sleep. )

#john shelby imagine #john shelby x reader #thomas shelby #john shelby #arthur shelby #polly shelby #michael shelby #michael gray #peaky blinders imagine #peaky fucking blinders

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spectrumed · 3 years

Text

9. conversation

(I wrote this after having a few drinks, so I apologise for the occasional digression.)

One time, some years ago, I was at medborgarplatsen in Stockholm. I was about to watch a movie at the cinema there, Filmstaden Söder. I can’t remember the movie, but this was at a time I wanted to prove my worth as a cinephile, so it wasn’t a blockbuster. For those of you who don’t know the way around Stockholm, medborgarplatsen is a square that is pretty close to the heart of the city, some may even argue that it is the heart of the city (though, I wouldn’t.) The name translates to “the citizen’s place,” an example of Swedes’ general commitment to all things egalitarian. Though, nowadays, most citizens can only dream of living in a place as central as medborgarplatsen. Södermalm, the borough in which medborgarplatsen is located, used to be known as quite the working class slum. Though, like with most global cities these days, things have changed. I don’t much like to complain about gentrification, I think it has more to do with governments’ reluctance to build new apartments, preferring instead to stick their heads in the sand and pretend as if population numbers aren’t increasing. Like, sure, I am not asking you to tear down all those old buildings to build new ones that’ll have enough room for more people, all I am asking is for you to expand, build more homes near the city and develop the right kind of infrastructure and public transport that allows for people to not need a car to get around. Cities are supposed to be lived in, they are not history museums! It drives me nuts, all these NIMBYs and their incessant whining and complaining about basic and inevitable societal progress. GAH! JUST BUILD MORE GODDAMMIT!

… I am sorry, I think I happened upon a tangent here divorced from the actual topic I wish to discuss. In any case, I was about to watch a movie at the cinema, and I had an hour or so to spend before it started. I was around people. Naturally, I was uncomfortable. People, you never know what they’re up to. They could be spying on you. They could be recording you. Or worse, they could be entirely indifferent to your presence. It is scary how others treat you, or how they refuse to treat you. It is easier not to be around people. Or well, be around people on the internet. That way you can get some social interaction, without having to be physically present. Being face-to-face with a person, that can go either one of two ways. Either you find a familiar soul, someone you can relate to. Someone you can love. Someone you could imagine spending your life with. Or you find someone that makes you feel icky, someone who makes you want to jump off a cliff. And it is difficult to find a cliff when you’re standing in the middle of a city, at a public square. Not many cliffs are to be found in the middle of cities. You’ve likely experienced the sensation of finding yourself in an uncomfortable situation, one you wish you could escape from, yet knowing that you are stuck. The icy feeling overtaking you. The dread. The profound desire to just do whatever you can to convince whoever is pressuring you to go away and leave you alone. Even if that means paying them money.

A person came up to me looking for charitable donations. Now, I am not a rich man. I certainly don’t spend all day long biddy biddy bum. I am not a wealthy man with a wife looking like a rich man’s wife with a proper double-chin, supervising meals to her heart’s delight. I wish I could give more to charity, but I can’t. I feel very uncertain about my future. I fear for my economic prospects. Don’t ask me for money, I don’t have any to give. There are plenty of filthy rich people in this world, ask them for their charitable donations. Many of them don’t even pay taxes. Surely, they have lots of cash. They stay in their penthouses, worshipping Mammon, and they certainly don't go down any citizens’ squares. What kind of money do you expect to receive from bothering a person like me? I don’t look rich. Or maybe I do. Someone might look at me and think I’m one of those rich kinds of nerds, an internet wiz kid, a programmer who made some website that’s now really famous. In any case, I am not. I am just a lost and confused sheep yearning for a shepherd to guide me.

The person showed me a series of photographs of women being victimised. Some tortured, some beaten up, some exploited. Pakistani women. The person was raising money to help Pakistani women. A noble mission, certainly. What was I supposed to say? Was I supposed to say that “no, I don’t care about Pakistani women” and just walk away? I didn't want the person to think of me as some callous western chauvinist who isn’t willing to spend some of my money to make a real change. I do care. I care very deeply. But, well, I just don’t really have money. Not in that way. Not in a way that can make a difference. Still, if you’ve got a truly burning sense of justice, a desire to see things wrong get fixed, see the righteous win, then you will want any kind of cash donation you can get. I sympathise. I understand that the person showing me the photographs may not have cared to figure out whether I had money or not. I clearly did not look starving (I am fat.) Surely I could afford to make a donation. Even the littlest bit counts. I needed to give. They needed me to give. Just give a little bit. C’mon. Don’t you care about Pakistani women?

I ummed and ahhed for a bit. I felt cautious, nervous, wondering how I could possibly explain my concern for these women while also recognising my lack of being able to really contribute monetarily to help them. Of course, at the moment, my cognitive functions weren’t properly functioning. No, I was stammering, I was overwhelmed, I was suffering a sensory overload. All these people around me, all this noise. I could have given the person asking me for a donation just some coins, a paltry sum, then pretended as if that was enough. But I didn’t. I gave him half of the money that I had on me. Not too much, but a significant amount of Swedish crowns. More than the cinema ticket cost me. Money I wasn’t prepared to spend at that moment. Still, it served the purpose. It made the world around me calm down. It lessened the storm. I don’t want to live in a world of chaos. I want things to be ordered. An ordered world can be understood, it can be categorised. Chaotic agents threaten the peace. Chaos makes me worry I might be exposed. I don’t want anyone knowing just how weird I am, just the kind of freak that I am. I want them to think I am normal. It’s easier to pretend to be normal when everything is calm, when people don’t freak me out.

One of the biggest social mistakes I’ve made is engaging in conversation with a person claiming to need money to take a bus to the dentist. They claimed that they had a dentist appointment, and in fact, it was paid for. They just didn’t have the money to pay for the bus. They needed me to give them just that little bit of money to buy a bus ticket. Simple, right? They were eager to convince me, so they began sticking their finger in their mouth, pointing at the tooth that needed to be pulled out. I told them that they didn’t need to show me, I believed them. But of course, I only said that because they made me feel uncomfortable. Did I believe them? Of course not. The person was clearly just looking for cash, a real scam artist, but I wasn’t socially adept enough to dismiss them. Sure, I can look back on it and think about this or that thing I should've said. Instead I just awkwardly mentioned needing to catch my own bus and that I didn’t have the time to talk. The scam artist followed me, continuing to engage me in conversation. I tried to appear sympathetic, I tried to appear normal, and the person took advantage of that. They needled me. They urged me to pay attention to them, making me feel like a monster if I didn’t. In the end I told them I would get them the money, but instead I ran and stepped on the bus heading back home to my place. They didn’t follow me. Of course they didn’t follow me. They didn’t have a bus ticket.

I came across them later, days later, at the subway. They saw me, tried to get my attention, but I ran into the crowd, hitting the escalator before they could get close. Later I saw them get accosted by security guards, clearly reprimanded for their behaviour, scamming people. Cornering people, telling them lies, then asking for cash. That’s not virtuous behaviour. Still, the security guards could only do so much. Did they stop the person from trying to scam people? Of course not. The person kept on badgering whoever paid them just the littlest bit of attention. Whoever looked kind. Whoever would be inclined towards making charitable donations. I had escaped that one time, but the person was adamant that they wanted me to give them the money they thought they deserved. Whenever I’d take the subway, they’d be there, trying to get my attention. And I kept running. I kept doing my best to avoid them. I felt like a real fool. Why couldn’t I just assert myself, pump up my chest and tell them that I was on to them? I knew the truth, I knew they were a fraud. Yet, I just wanted to avoid it all. I wanted to pretend as if I didn’t know them. That everything was just calm and peaceful, and there wasn’t a storm brewing somewhere nearby. This was everything about being surrounded by people that I hated. This, right here, was the ultimate reason I knew for wanting to become a hermit. Not having to put up with this kind of bullshit.

One time, the last time, the person came up to me, I couldn’t escape. I was waiting for the train. I was about to get to a lecture. The person saw me, and they stood right in front me. I was wearing headphones. I pretended I could not hear them. I pretended I could not even conceive of them, as if my mind were someplace else entirely. I pretended as if I had erased them from existence. They didn’t immediately catch on. They stood in front of me and they began commenting on my appearance. They decided, quite unusually, to congratulate me for my beard. Stating that I looked good with facial hair. Of course, I do. My beard looks amazing. I am not insecure about my beard. I may be insecure about my weight, I may be insecure about some things, but the two things I am not insecure about are my height (I’m 6’2”) and my beard. Still, I refused to acknowledge the scam artist’s existence. Other people waiting for the train were looking at us. They thought it was strange that I just stood there, looking straight ahead ignoring the person standing in front of me. But I did what I needed to do. The scam artist touched me, I still ignored them. Honestly, that is one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever experienced. Their hand on my chest. Them touching me. Still, I didn’t budge. Eventually, they gave up. They went away. I had won. I should’ve felt good about myself, I had come out on top. But I didn’t. I still felt awful. I had hurt their feelings. Why am I so weird, why am I so awkward? I really don’t know how to behave like a normal person.

I think I do better in long conversations with people than in short little chats. You can’t just get a quick impression of me and think you know me. One reason why I don’t think I could ever make for a good one-night stand. Unless you know me, I’m not a real person. I am just a caricature. I don’t feel as if I am really there, as if my presence alone is enough to make me a person. I am only a person through commitment, through being understood by someone else that has the right kind of patience to put up with me. For the most part, only I myself have that kind of patience. That’s why I enjoy my own company. I feel as if I freak out too easily when meeting new people. I feel as if I overwhelm them with information, like as if I am some walking thunderstorm demanding their attention. Yes, that’s the great irony of it all. I say that I struggle to put up with the chaos of others, the wild sea of people swarming the city, yet I am the worst chaotic agent of them all. I am a mess of a person. I am hullabaloo incarnate. And that is why I feel such an incessant need to repress. Don’t press the button that lets open the floodgates. Keep it all bottled up. Keep on being repressed. Keep on staring straight forwards, ignoring that person trying to scam you for money.

Of course that person isn’t reading this blog post. They’re busy trying to find some other sucker to pay for their drug fix, or whatever it is that they need money for. Maybe they’re just trying to pay for rent. In any case, if I had the person here with me, right at this moment, I would tell them… Well, I would yell at them… I would absolutely admonish them… I would... I would… I would probably just ignore them. It is so easy to try and pretend as if you’re more sociable than you actually are. In your head, things seem so easy. Yes, I know what I’d say, I know exactly how to express myself. But in reality, well, things are complex, the overwhelming actuality of it all swamps you. When haven’t you had that idea for the perfect comeback of a line to sling at a person you’re quarrelling with only after the argument is over? When haven’t you had an idea for just the right and proper way to awe another person with your mind and your words. I am sure they will be impressed with me now, if only I say the right things. If only I can act the right way. If only I don’t fuck it up. If only I don’t act like such a dork.

This blog is easy. I get to think about every word I express here. I get to erase sentences I don’t like. That backspace on the keyboard, it’s well-worn with use. Some folks don’t understand how I can be autistic and still be as good with words as I am. This is my second language that I am writing in. I am not some mute little chicken, some gagged little monkey. I know how to express myself, when I get the time. When I get that moment to write, I will write, and I won’t stop until I am done. All my posts I tend to write in one go, late at night when I should be going to bed. When I am in the right mood. When all those synapses in my brain fire the right way. Those moments, they are common, but they aren’t to be summoned just when I need them. They come when they wish to come. I can only be a passenger, going along with my brain, doing whatever it demands. In those other moments, those moments I am standing there, waiting for the train, I may become entirely mute. I may not have a single thing to say. I may look like a real dummy, some real himbo, utterly lost for words. I am not pretending, at those moments. I truly am lost for words. At some times, language is easy. At other times, I don’t even understand how to string a basic sentence together.

I am tired. I am going to go to bed.

#neurodivergent #neurodiversity #autism spectrum disorder #autism #aspergers #mental health

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szallejh · 3 years

Text

First Steps

Blink of an Eye - Part 1

Took me quite a bit to update the next chapter, sorry for that! It’s not that it hasn’t been written yet - I simply wasn’t at home (:

I don’t even know if anyone wants to read this. Anyway! If you do, enjoy ~

- - - -

I sat down on the grass to try and sort out the absolute mess in my head.

After I had closed my eyes and taken a few deep breaths, I realized that I had no other choice but to accept my current situation. Even if this did end up being a dream, or some kind of bad trip, I was at least safe for now. And on the off chance that this was now my new reality, I figured that I didn’t want to endanger my life any more than necessary.

I threw a glance down at my body. What I saw was the typical Asuran body structure: slim shoulders and nothing that appeared to be breasts. From the waist down, it looked to be all sorts of clumsy.

Perhaps it wasn't the most desirable-looking figure compared to human standards, but maybe the male Asura had different definitions of beauty instead?

The thought made me giggle aloud, the strange sound of my new voice catching me off-guard in the moment.

That’s still not my voice! I thought. But with each syllable, the voice grew to be more familiar.

A hum escaped my throat. It's the same as tiring your voice to where it sounds terribly hoarse. It'll reach a point where you can't even remember how your voice sounds in a healthy condition.

Eyes looked down to observe what I was now wearing.

My clothing was very simple. I wore a cream-colored shirt which was corded up to the top and was fitted with blue shoulder pads. The cloth was garnished with pastel blue and pink geometrical figures.

A skirt of similar color sat snug on my waist, the front of it opened to reveal a pair of dark brown pants underneath. The material was comfortable, and soft to the touch. Also sitting around my hips, was a dark wide belt which was equipped with a few smaller bags. Opening one of them had revealed some copper, silver and even a handful of gold pieces.

I lifted up a foot, looking down to see my shoes were made of dark leather and crafted in such a way that allowed my claw-like toes to be freed.

With a raised arm, I spread my digits outward to look at the gloves they were now sporting. The material was in the same color of my shirt, and decorated with blue cubes.

Well, not too bad for a start.

A backpack sat nestled in between my legs, its contents containing a few food supplies, a filled water pouch, and a map. There were also a bunch more items stuffed into it, but I had never seen them before so I had no clue of what each of their purposes could be.

In a side flap was an attached hammer, which was quite impressive and rather heavy. It had the typical-asuran designs too. I reached down to grab hold of it in my hands, figuring it to be a rather suitable fighting weapon.

Wait a moment!

While only virtual and with my keyboard, I had fought many times before. But I had never actually held a real weapon before, and my combat experience was practically non-existent.

This was the real world of Tyria though, and that meant I wouldn’t be able to skip fights completely.

The thought of potentially really hurting someone with this hammer made me feel fairly uncomfortable.

Or rather, I could get hurt in combat myself.

I shoved the thought away and hastily plugged the hammer back into its flap. The sun still stood high in the sky, but I figured that I couldn’t sit on this meadow forever.

First things first, I needed to search for an accommodation for the night. And then I would start working on gaining control of my new life.

With a sigh I stood up, and shouldered the backpack. I kept an eye out for a location that could be proven promising for a night quarter.

Just a few meters beside me was a winding path that led into the landscape. From what I could see, it was leading towards the direction to a few cubic buildings. With a nod, I followed the path, staying attentive and watching the nearby surroundings.

Who knew what dangers hung around this place, searching for prey?

Occasionally there would be bundles of trees outlining the area, the similar-looking foliage granting me some sense of familiarity to my previous world.

On the left side of the path I was walking on, I spotted a small platform hovering in the air. Stony footbridges led towards it, its construct sheltered by three pyramidal frames filled with glittering blue diaphragms in the center.

The closer I came to the platform, the louder I could hear a steady, humming and buzzing noise filling the air around me. I figured its source had to have been the structure's glittery blue middles.

Floating all around the platform were small cubes. Some of them were overgrown with pink and blue plants, a few even covered with vines that were wired to the ground.

Although I had seen this more than once before in-game, it had never made such a majestic impression as much as it did right now.

Slowly I ascended one of the footbridges, unsure if the construction was truly as steady as it looked.

Above I could see two golems standing guard. "Whoa!" I muttered, not wanting to mess with them. Luckily for me, they seemed to be in some kind of standby-mode which was made apparent by their beeping and lack of obvious care when I walked by.

Curious as I was, I reached out to stroke one of the vines growing on the platform with my hand. Startled, I retracted my hand very quickly when it constricted under my touch.

You've never been the one for plants... I thought to myself. I carefully descended the platform, suddenly glad there hadn't been any rain recently to turn the mossy stones into a slippery trap.

To my right was a classic laboratory which appeared to be housing a brisk-looking business. Everywhere I looked were Asura. Their appearances were diverse, and they bustled around while calling numbers and random tidbits of information to each other. If not that, then they were cursing aloud or beckoning to some absurd thing.

I didn’t dare to disturb them in their work, and continued walking towards the center of the town. There was little chance that a lab such as the ones I just saw would offer hotel rooms, which meant I needed to find better options.

Along the way, a few stray Asura and their golems briskly walked past me in a hurry, but none of them seemed to pay much attention to the stranger walking through their settlement. Few gave much greeting, and I kept my head hanging while muttering the occasional 'excelsior'.

While walking along, I started to feel anxious about my ability to find a rightful place in this new world.

How am I going to earn money to live? I asked myself.

I didn’t have the faintest notion of how golems worked, nor did I understand the techniques of something similar. With that lack of knowledge, I assumed most were going to call me the biggest-Skritt brained idiot in all of Tyria.

I sighed.

Perhaps there could be some dirty work that wasn't already completed by the golems around here.

At least I hoped so.

I threw a glance down to the coin pouch around my waist from when I had dropped into this new world. I still had a few gold coins, which meant I could possibly manage to get by for a couple of days. Hopefully by then, a better path would have revealed itself for me.

After walking through the town some more, I finally arrived at the city entrance. It was a big triangle made of stone, its sides both flanked by pillars of light.

Soren Draa, I remembered. At least that meant I was near Rata Sum, the main city of the Asura. And my midsection suddenly felt like it was doing somersaults.

I liked Rata Sum the most out of all other Tyrian cities, thus I couldn’t wait to see this masterpiece of architecture. Not only that, but to see the everyday life of the Asura who lived there with my own eyes.

I just had to walk through a simple portal in Soren Draa and...

I swallowed. What would portal-travelling feel like? I just hoped it wouldn’t feel similar to my previous arrival here…

Awestruck, I passed the light pillars and went through the city gate. A comfy sound originated from the pillars, similar to that of a technical humming. It wasn't loud enough to cause a bother, but it lingered all around.

Soren Draa on its own was a real masterpiece. A city - half built in stone with towers and floating hammocks. There were even hovering cubes that seemed to be planted with trees! Blue lights surrounded me everywhere I looked, and the sounds from the nearby labs assaulted me on all sides.

It was a choir of cries, clanking, beeping, humming, and golem's heavy metal steps echoing loudly on the stone.

I assumed I must have looked quite silly then, standing there with my mouth open and looking around in sheer awe.

Another Asura who had been standing just a few feet away and watching my astonishment finally spoke. "Each time you come to the city, it's a treat to the eyes, isn't it?"

Startled, I forced myself to close my gaping mouth once I realized someone had been watching me.

"Eh... yes. Absolutely fantastic. It's just as amazing as the first time I saw it", I said, staring at the ground to hide the blush ascending my neck.

The Asura shook his head in amusement, and when I finally dared to lift my head, he had long since disappeared back into the bustle.

Huh. Maybe I shouldn’t behave so stupidly next time, if I don’t want to be the main attraction today, I thought, staring towards the area the curious stranger had just been.

I straightened myself out and continued along the street, now attempting to look as inconspicuous as possible. I climbed an impressive amount of stairs, quickly taking notice of a portal at the end of the street which I knew would lead me to Rata Sum.

But seeing the intimidating portal was more than enough to snap me back to the reality that evening was coming, and I still wanted to rest a night before I hurled myself into the next possible adventure.

I glanced up to the sky, noticing that the fair blue color from the afternoon had now been replaced by varying tints of yellows, violets and pinks. The colors painted the clouds in whimsical patterns, and it created a window to look upon the first shining stars of the night.

When did it get this dark?

With another quick look around the area, I observed a pyramidal entrance just to the right. Even from the sliver of a doorway, I could see quite a few tables and chairs littered around inside. Above the entrance was a sign, which tagged the location as a tavern.

I blinked at the words, surprised I was even able to read the Asuran writing. Perhaps I didn't know how to work a golem, but at least I could read a strange new alphabet.

Happy to have finally found a place to stay for the night, I veered to the right to enter the tavern. Compared to the outside, it was far more bustling and busy-looking on the inside. But there were still a few empty tables, which meant there was a very good possibility that there would also be some available rooms as well.

Single-mindedly, I walked straight towards the counter to see a slightly-miffed looking Asura standing behind it. From the glance she threw at me, I wasn't sure if it was unfriendly or just annoyed.

The Asura had brown hair that was tied to a simple knot above her head. Her eyes were a dull-blue color that seemed to lack much expression behind them. But her ears - they were gigantic!

I knew that most Asura had really big ears, but these particular specimens had surpassed anything that I had seen so far. If they didn't extend out as far as they did, then they likely would have reached all the way down to her midsection.

“Excelsior. So, what do you want?” she spoke, her voice far louder than what I had expected from such a tiny body.

What did you expect from someone who works inside a tavern? A place that is almost always incredibly noisy?

I then cleared my throat. “Eh, I... I am searching for an available room tonight. And if that's possible, then maybe something to eat and drink as well."

I was readily made aware of how impolite I must have just sounded, but the Asura behind the bar didn't seem to mind. She toddled over to the wall behind her and took a key from it which was carved with the number 13.

Always a good sign.

She handed me the key. “That'll be a room for one night and one meal, which makes your total three silver.”

Nervous, I fumbled around the inside of my pouch until I was able to find the correct amount of coins before handing them to the innkeeper. She nodded, appearing satisfied before pointing me towards the direction of one of the empty tables. I walked over and sat down, waiting for my meal to arrive. It felt good to be able to sit after all of the tedious walking from today, and I rested my head upon my arms and closed my eyes.

It seemed these upcoming days were going to be incredibly long and possibly just as tiring.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #gw2 fan submission #gw2 writing #blink of an eye

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kat-hawke · 3 years

Text

Kul Tiran Backing

A puddle broke beneath the soles of the Director's boots as she journeyed through the rain across the city of Boralus. Eyes swept across open streets from beneath the hood of the long coat, drops of water cascading off to the sides. The amount of rainfall here stirred up memories of her Gilnean childhood for only a minute before she shifted focus to the upcoming meeting.

"I don't think I've ever seen you nervous," Alyssa chimed across the telepathic link. "Anxious, sure. But nervous—"

"Are you making a point here, or?" Kat interrupted.

"No. Just curious. Why does she make you nervous and not anyone else?"

"It's not her. It's the topic at hand. Doing this puts an unnecessary risk on other financial ventures and our relation, should she decline. Yet, I'm left with little other options to seek funding." Kat admitted as the office came into view across the plaza.

"There's also the matter of what I plan to do. Pad her funding line with my own coin to avoid potential investigations into my financials. She won't like it, I know. To keep that behind her back creates more risk while revealing the matter could turn her away."

"Well, if she doesn't need to know, then why risk it? What she doesn't know won't hurt her." The dagger-bound woman practically shrugged in her tone.

"It could hurt us both. I'll consider your point," Kat sneered.

Drowning out the warlocks reply, she swung the office door open, the bell above the frame emitting the soft chime throughout the space, announcing Kat's arrival to the noblewoman seated at the desk. Pulling back the soaked hood with a smile, the pair commenced with the standard pleasantries. An informal greeting, inquiring on one another's state of wellbeing, and a brief catch-up of the recent Scourge invasion.

"My family is all well and safe, and Stormhollow did not suffer the Scourge. I would consider things well and good." Lady Stalsworth answered as she eased back into the seat, following their courteous handshake.

"Glad t'hear," Kat nodded, swinging one knee over the other as she dropped into the adjacent chair. "Gransonee was spared from the dead risin' again as well. So, no effect on our current arrangements as it stands." She paused for a moment. "Unless, of course, ya' wish fer changes?"

"Unless there are reasons why I should wish for changes, I see no need. Do you?"

The Director shook her head slowly. "None wot-so-eva. Th' profit flows, th' people are happy, and the hamlet has been able t'repair and expand some infrastructure. Most importantly, it keeps Jasper out of m'ear."

Elaianna chuckled in a breath, a faint smile touching the corner of her lips. "You did not write to me about our current business affairs, but rather, a new one if I am to understand your letter correctly?"

The pleasantries were dismissed. Both women preferred to discuss business over the former at every meeting.

"That is correct, yes. While this proposal is of another nature, it bears no effect on the current trade agreemen'." Kat cleared her throat, ignoring a comment from Alyssa as she pulled a ledger from the coat. "I'm sure yer aware of th' current state of the Kingdom, yes?"

"Presuming you mean things such as the King's absence and an ill-chosen replacement on the throne in the meantime? Yes. I cannot say things are any better here, as the Lord Admiral has also gone missing."

"I was referin' more t'the current economic situations." The Director clarified, collecting her hands upon the leather cover of the ledger.

"Aye," the Lady dipped her head in a shallow nod. "Such things come with recent events."

"More-so when on th' tailwinds of a long and costly war," Kat added. "Stormwind is, well t'be blunt, fractured. Th' military cutbacks, coffers empty...surely ya' know wot follows there. Taxes and overexertion. Th' nobles houses are all in a tiff, vyin' fer favors and agreements in exchange fer gold. Sharks, th' lot of 'em."

"I am an affluent woman, but I cannot cease an entire kingdom from going into taxation," Elaianna remarked, weaving her fingers together and studying the Director. "So what favor and agreement are you looking for?"

Kat quickly wet her lips, knowing her discomfort in this proposal was visible to a small degree, and while the dagger-bound woman was silent, Kat knew she was listening. Without further delay, she promptly opened the ledger to her Unit's budget and slid it across to Elaianna.

"I do no' have th' time or patience t'lobby the houses while they are in congress fer fundin', nor would I likely care for th' things they ask in exchange. My Unit is internal affairs, we are no' combat facin', but many believe wot we do is of little value."

"What -do- you do? Especially in times post-war?" Lady Stalsworth inquired, glancing over the ledger.

"Th' same as we would durin' war. We handle issues that extend beyond th' capabilities of the guards; serial killin's, drug cartels, slave rings, th' occasional cults." Kat picked at her nails in her lap, out of the other's view.

"Our latest project has no' been well received by m'peers, and I narrowly dodged havin' the Unit axed with my proposal. With the right resources and time, we could document and categorize these dangerous people's thought processes and mental states. Study them, if you will, and create a possible method t'detect these behaviors before they manifest into somethin' larger. However, with no fundin' or resources, I canno' produce the results needed to keep my Unit from disbandment."

"And you're looking for..." Elaianna asked as she found no estimated total within the ledger.

"Wot eva yer willin' t'give." Kat answered plainly. "I hate t'even ask at all, given our current professional relationship. And I certainly do no' expect charity either."

The Lady nodded again, motioning toward the Director. "Would monthly increments be of use, or were you hoping for a singular lump sum?

"Monthly would be ideal, luv'. A lump sum may create too much of a surplus that others may try to pillage."

"I can commit to supporting your Unit on a monthly basis." Elaianna pushed the ledger back across the desk with her answer.

Inquisitively, Kat stared and collected the ledger, returning the book to her coat as she hesitantly asked, "And in return?"

With a simple shrug, the Lady answered, "I would ask what I would hope you would already do. If you happen upon any knowledge of a threat to Stormhollow or my family, you will let me know so that we might protect our people and ourselves."

A soft hum rattled with Kat's throat. This was something she would have done already, yes. But while Elaianna had never given her a reason to be mistrusted, Kat struggled to believe one would ask only this in return for funding. A thought that Alyssa did little to dismiss.

"That I would already do, yes. Though I will add that if ya' have an issue within Stormhollow that falls within wot m' Unit handles, I would be more than happy t'direct focus there until the matter is resolved."

"Thank you."

Kat lifted her hand, "it is I who owes ya' thanks, twice over."

"Then let us call it a deal." Elaianna smiled, extending her hand over the desk to cement the agreement.

Now at the crossroad of revealing or secreting her intend, Kat's conflicting thoughts churned again as she eyed the offered hand. Forcing her way through, she began to reach but recoiled at the last second.

"Don't do it," Alyssa argued to no avail.

"There is one more thing," Kat muttered, clearing her throat.

"I will pull funds from my personal accounts, those undocumented linked to Gransonee. Doin' so on m'own would draw attention and force m'hand into revealin' th' island and hamlet publicly, which would then force a pledge to the Alliance or vassalage t' a noble house. Against the wishes of its people. I will hide th' funds I sent in the same ledger line as yer own." The Director admitted, letting out a heavy breath as if a weight had been lifted.

"I wanted ya' t'know, rather than keep it hidden from ya' and risk an auditory blowback."

Immediately, Elaianna's lips pursed, and a low hum vibrated behind the displeased expression as the offered hand was withdrawn. The silence which followed lingered uncomfortably between them for a solid minute as Kat held her breath and avoided the Lady's gaze.

"I suspect such will not pose a problem," Elaianna finally spoke, "as it is assisting the Kingdom."

Kat's shoulders dropped as she relaxed and let out her breath.

"I wanted t'be honest and transparent in m'intentions than lead ya' blind and risk everythin'."

"I appreciate that," The Lady smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"Th' consequences will be mine, and only mine t'bear should anythin' happen." Kat offered her hand to complete the transaction with a nod, relieved when Elaianna nodded and took the hand in a firm shake.

"Let us hope such things do not come to be."

Standing to exit, Kat fixed the position of her coat, which had shifted slightly while seated. The hood remained down, as the sound of rainfall beyond the door had ceased during their exchange.

"Light and Shadow keep ya' and yer family, Lady Stalsworth."

"Tides guide you and yours, Lady Hawke."

Resisting the urge to correct and discourage using such a title, Kat resigned to dipping her head and turning towards the door. Quickly leaving the office and taking in the scent of the city after the rain. She knew Alyssa overheard every word and would likely inquire on details but cut the inquisitive warlock off before she had a chance.

"Another time," Kat implored, "I promise. Just give me time."

[ @elaianna, @alyssa-ward ]

[ Relevant: @tristanasneak, @jocelyn-wellson, @myzariel, @nikkithorpe, @lovelydeadlysocialite, @quinn-varden ]

#ic #rp #Trades & Blades #AlyKat #Unit Eight

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amiramorozova · 3 years

Text

Dual Summoner x The darkling pt. 51

Pairing: Dual Summoner Amira Silina x Darkling General Kirigan/Aleksander Morozova

Wordcount: 2100

I tried to process what Nico said, it was true that ever since we left Ravka I'd been sick. I'd summed it up to the foods just making me sick but maybe it wasn't that at all. Shadow was always by my side so when I walked up I went to where Aleksander was. As I walked in I saw he was looking out at the water when he looked back. "Are you ok? You've been sick a lot while we've been out here." Aleksander asked

I walked over to look out at the water with him, Nico had a good point as I recalled Aleksander and Genya both mentioned I was glowing. "Is this vessel heading to find the sea whip?" I asked as I felt him looking at me "yes, that is where we're headed." Aleksander said, "You avoided my question." I hesitated but I looked at him, meeting his gaze "You said I was glowing two weeks ago when I was with you on the skiff. I've been sick here, there for the last two weeks." I said as I sighed and had my hands together behind my back looking out at the water again. "Nico thinks I might be...pregnant." I said

Aleksander made me look at him and he kept his eyes locked with mine "Are you for certain?" Aleksander asked as I nodded. "I thought at first it was just the smell but it's more than that." I said as he started to think. I thought he might consider turning around going back to Ravka as he nodded but I knew him well enough to know we probably were too far right now. "We'll have the two trackers try to find the sea whip and then go from there. If we can't find it now, then we can try to find it another time." Aleksander said

There was a knock as I looked back seeing Genya, she was back in her red kefta as she smiled seeing me. "Hello Amira, I heard you're not feeling well." Genya said as Aleksander didn't even look at her. "Genya, she might be pregnant. Please try to help her and tend to her pet if she needs help with her." Aleksander said

Genya nodded as she motioned for me to come as I looked down beside me. "Come Shadow." I said as I went over to Genya and I heard shadow stay close by. "How did you convince General Kirigan to let you have a dog?" Genya asked, "Well, I kinda saved this pup from her previous owner and Nico paid for her. She's only five months old." I said as Genya was surprised.

I noticed people were looking and a man who I didn't know approached as he showed me some respect. I had my hands behind my back still to keep my wedding ring concealed. "Amira, this is sturmhond. He's the captain of the ship." Genya said as I nodded. "Nice to meet you, apologies for the trouble. It's been a rough past few days." I admitted. "Your not used to sailing the seas, it's common for those not used to it." Sturmhond said as he walked away and I had this feeling he was familiar somehow.

"Where is Alina and Mal?" I asked Genya as we walked, "Mal is locked up and Alina has been put under an induced sleep by a heartrender." Genya said as I sighed. I was the one who had Morozova's first amplifier so why was Alina even involved? I shrugged it off as we kept walking. "Corporaleki red with blue cuffs, how unique." I said pointing out her Kefta as she smiled. "I never liked this color red." Genya said as she kept walking with me. "Maybe I should go blonde?" I laughed a bit knowing Genya never seemed to not amaze me. "I think you look good no matter what you wear or how you look." I assured her

We walked down as I wanted to see Alina when the two Grisha guards were there. "I'm here to see Alina, move aside." I said as they didn't budge at first. "You both know who I am, right?" I asked in a more commanding tone. Genya came down and stood beside me "Make way for the Darkling's wife." Genya said as the two looked surprised before letting me in and when I walked in that's when I saw her laying there unconscious.

"This is ridiculous. She can't be kept under for long, it could kill her." I said as I had no place to do anything. Genya led me away as we went back up, it was close to the week in a half mark as I sat there by the wall with shadow laying by me as Aleksander looked out at the sea. I heard the sound of shackles as I saw Alina. "Where is Mal?" Alina asked, Aleksander sighed as he looked down at me and Shadow before he looked back out at the sea. "You're predictable, you could at least be a little unpredictable like Amira." Aleksander said as he soon turned around. "He's behind you, just look."

Alina looked back as it was obvious she saw Mal, I didn't get why Aleksander was doing this but I didn't want to risk it either. He still wasn't the same since the fold and what had happened. "Had I killed him, would you have pushed yourself out to the sea?" Aleksander asked her as Alina glared at him. "Not unless I took you with me, had that been your answer." Alina said as Aleksander just shook his head. "You're not suicidal Alina, and you don't have the stomach to make a child fatherless." Aleksander said as she seemed to be processing those words before looking at me. I knew not many on this ship knew who I was to him, but I hadn't spoken much to Alina in the time since the fold.

"Do you really even care about her safety?" Alina asked as Aleksander looked at Alina when she asked that question. "I paid a lot to get this whaller out here, but if Amira gets weak or worse I have to think about what is best for her." Aleksander said, "My dream is to free Grisha from being executed, Amira wants the more simple life she hasn't had. While I have tried to keep her wants in mind, this is about the next amplifier that we are going after." Alina didn't seem convinced as she tried to stand up but looked at him. "I don't believe you." Alina said as Aleksander looked at her "If her safety wasn't important, she wouldn't have a tracker and two Grisha as her guards." Then he motioned for them to take her away.

Another week passed, it seemed boring as can be to the point, shadow would lay with me and I would fall asleep sitting against that wall near Aleksander. I probably got the worst sleep being away from him but this wasn't easy as he must have noticed. I felt someone pull me up to my feet as we walked away from there. He always concealed my wedding ring on the whaler but still, he seemed to be thinking as we walked. Shadow kept up with me as I looked over where Mal was seeing even Nico was looking out for this Sea Whip.

"What is the plan if the Sea whip is found?" I asked as we kept walking, he seemed to snap out of his thoughts as he looked at me before he sighed. "Well, I want to give it to you since you have Morozovas stag necklace. They're supposed to be together." Aleksander explained as we kept walking "But, I can't take any risks with you carrying our future Heir." As we walked I kept thinking "What about giving the bracelet to him or her?" I asked knowing that was an option since I didn't feel it was right for me to have another amplifier. "they're supposed to be together Amira, as in same person." Aleksander said. We walked in silence for a little bit of time "But I don't want the sea whip's power, the stag truly belonged with me." I said

Aleksander didn't seem to want to listen to me as we kept walking but I knew he would if I kept insisting. I had to put what Baghra gave me to influence him just as he was trying to influence me. We stopped when people said they spotted something as I got free and went to look standing over by Nico as he pointed that's when I saw it. It was there but as quickly as it appeared it escaped.

I felt lightheaded suddenly and Nico caught me as he put a hand over my head. "Hey Dark General, she's burning up." Nico said. The feeling of being lifted was easy to tell as I tried to stay conscious and felt someone lay me down as I heard Aleksander's voice. "Genya come in here." Aleksander said as she walked in. "Tend to Amira, we might need to head back." Aleksander told her as Genya came in and she wasn't a nursemaid but she was a good friend.

At one point I must have fallen asleep, when I woke up it was sometime later I realized I was still in bed as I looked around to see Genya. "Gen..ya." I said as she came over and gave me some water and I drank it. She checked my head as I still must have been warm but I forced myself to sit up and tried to stand but fell back on the bed. "I don't feel so good." I said as Genya sighed, "If you were catching a cold in Novi zem then it's caught up with you and now we have to make sure you are ok." Genya said

I ended up going back to sleep but occasionally drinking liquids and whatever I could keep down while Genya tended to me. I ended up in a deep sleep before I felt someone pick me up and heard Aleksander's voice. "Bring those two, they'll have to stay with us since Amira has become ill. Her health isn't worth getting the sea whip yet." Aleksander said as I opened my eyes, seeing he was getting in the carriage and laid me down with my head on his lap as I looked up.

"Alek..sander." I said as I was still a bit weak as he looked at me, I saw the man who was behind the monster Alina saw. His look of concern over me and the child so I was going to keep fighting. I closed my eyes on the way as I wasn't asleep but I listened to those within the carriage. "Will she be ok General? It seems that she got sick when we were close to finding the sea whip." Feydor asked as Aleksander ran his fingers through my hair which felt good and comforting knowing it was him. "She's pregnant, Feydor." Aleksander said but the carriage started to move but he hit the top and opened the door "Shadow." Aleksander said as I heard my puppy run in and I opened my eyes as I saw Shadow laying down as he closed the door and knocked for the carriage to move.

"Why are you allowing this dog in the carriage?" Ivan asked, "Shadow is Amira's dog. She wanted her so the dog rides in the carriage." Aleksander said as I looked, seeing Ivan's expression of surprise. I wanted to enjoy it but I fell asleep on the way back to the little palace. When we arrived, I figured many people probably were against him till the heartrenders got involved but I felt the familiar silk sheets as I was laid down, and then he had one of the people come in and tend to me.

A few days passed and I felt better but as I woke up I saw Baghra sitting by me still unharmed and when I went to move my feet I heard a whine as I saw shadow on my feet. "Shadow is..on the bed." I said as I looked over at Baghra who noticed shadow. "is that her name? Other than when Aleksander takes her out to use the bathroom and he feeds her that is where she's laid." Baghra said, "Welcome back to the little palace Amira, now we must take care of you for the rest of year and my grandchild."

It's still a little hard to believe. I thought

TagList: @lifeisingrey, @houseoftoomanyfandoms

#general kirigan #aleksander morovoza #alina starvok #dual summoner #Amira Silina #sunsummoner #tidemaker #darkling #Team Darkling #darkling x reader #the darkling #ben barnes #shadow and bone #shadow summoner #shadow and bone fanfiction #Grishaverse #fanfic

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buckysrighthanddoll · 3 years

Text

Weaponized

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: meantions of trauma (SA related), angst, slight pining

Prompt: “If I love you, is that a fact or a weapon?”

Getting into Bucky’s mind was easy. The man was overanalytical and calculated every small detail. You didn’t need to say a word for Bucky to think about you.

Getting into Bucky’s heart, however, was entirely different. He was guarded like Fort Knox; he lined the walls with dozens of troops, and then he had even more waiting on the inside.

You always held sympathy for Bucky. He went through a lot; there was not a single thought in your head that called him a monster. He was brainwashed and had no control over his own actions--there was nothing he could do besides stay alive.

The first time you had any interaction beyond an introduction, it was because Tony put you and him on a case together. Basic recon--eastern Spain. The mission would be a week, but it wasn’t horrific compared to other missions.

Bucky was strict at first. Rigid, even. He never spoke a word unless you talked to him first, and he never let himself go. Well, not until you convinced him to.

“Come on, James, it’s just a drink,” You scoffed, offering him the glass of whiskey.

“Don’t call me James, please,” He responded. That was the thing with Bucky--he was polite, despite everything he wanted to say. “And we’re on a mission. Drinks are not a good idea.”

“You’re a super-soldier,” You pointed out. “I thought you couldn’t even get drunk.”

“I can’t, but you can.”

“Have one drink with me, and I’ll stop,” You bartered. Both of you knew that if Bucky didn’t want to, you wouldn’t make him. But you were hoping that this would loosen him up a bit.

Once the night’s work was done, you both drank some more. You were a lightweight and got tipsy relatively quickly. He was stone-cold sober.

You smiled upon the memory. It was easy to recall him helping you back to the shitty motel room, and it was even easier to remember him helping you to bed.

Things got a bit easier after that mission. It was hard not to when you spend a week alone with someone on a mission. Communication was imperative, and sleeping in the same room with someone else can (and will) bring someone closer together.

You had thought that maybe you were starting to get through to him, but then the mission was over, and you both went back to the tower. Bucky locked himself in his room like he usually did, and you went back to your daily activities.

Bucky came into the kitchen almost nightly. You were also there, although neither of you spoke to each other. You couldn’t sleep at night, so you usually stayed in the kitchen or communal area to catch up on some reading and writing. Bucky would grab some water and sit at the counter, not saying a word.

Both of you would sit in silence, despite your mind thinking of a multitude of questions. You wanted to talk to him like you did on the recon, but that seemed nearly impossible with his walls so high.

Six weeks had passed like this. One night, however, it changed.

“I get nightmares, too,” You said casually. “Not quite as intense, but I still get them.”

Bucky looked taken aback for a fraction of a second. “I’m sorry,” He muttered, looking up from his glass of water.

“You don’t have to apologize, Bucky,” You responded, placing a bookmark and setting your novel down. “I just want to put it out there that if you’d like me to try and help you, I’d like to.”

“But--”

“I’m not just saying it because I feel like I have to,” You interjected. “I’m saying it because I want you to get a good night’s sleep. You’re tired.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“I’m not asking you to spill your deepest fears. I’m asking if I can help you.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive,” You reassured. “Come on.”

Bucky led you back to his room, and then he awkwardly sat on his bed. You placed your book on the nightstand and got under the sheets on the opposite side of him, holding the blankets for him. He rested his head on your chest and put his arms around your torso. You grabbed the book with one hand and played with his hair with the other.

“Would you like me to read to you?” You asked. “It’s a poetry book if that’s okay.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Okay,” You answered, opening the book to some of your favorite poems. You began reading to him, the words flowing freely and gently from your lips. For a fleeting moment, his mind told him that he wanted to drink those words from you as though he was parched.

Coincidentally, it was also the night you began to fall for James Buchanan Barnes.

He fell asleep on your chest, and you put the book down once his breathing evened out. You didn’t want to get up. You wanted to stay here and keep playing with Bucky’s hair, listen to his breath, and feel his heartbeat. He was resting, and it was beautiful.

When Bucky woke up at five in the morning, you were still awake. You had been scared to fall asleep next to another man, but that was a trauma you weren’t ready to dig up. The two of you were in the same position he fell asleep in but was nearly startled to find you still playing with his hair.

He hummed in relief when he noticed you there, burrowing himself deeper into you. It made your heart soar. You had guessed that this would be awkward. After all, you were still in his bed, hand dancing in his hair, and you hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep.

“You haven’t slept,” Bucky said. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. He already knew.

“And you slept like a baby,” You countered, taking the attention off of you. You really didn’t want to admit to this man that you couldn’t share a bed with anybody. It had been nearly a decade.

“Why didn’t you sleep?” He asked groggily. He rolled over and stretched his body, exerting a yawn while he was at it.

“Just couldn’t,” You responded vaguely. “You going on a run?”

“Yeah; are you joining?”

“Another time,” You told him. “I have to get some paperwork done,” You added. Your hope was to avoid suspicion, but you knew that if anybody could read another human being, it was Bucky Barnes.

Lucky enough, he left it alone. You went on your separate ways for the day and repeated the process at night. Of course, he became wary about why you hadn’t been sleeping whenever you stayed the night with him. Even when you had slept together in your bedroom, you didn’t get a wink of sleep.

A month later, you were head over heels for him. It was easy to fall. There were numerous late-night conversations, coffee runs, and morning jogs. There were even more workouts and training sessions. Things were amazing. Bucky was finally starting to let his guard down around you, and the team noticed as well.

Bucky would come to team meals, but only as long as you were there. Steve noticed that he smiled and conversed with everybody he could, but only when he was by your side. You calmed his nerves. You offered him some form of emotional protection. He knew that if he wanted to leave at any point, you would follow him and hang out in his room with him. He fell for you, as well, but he wasn’t able to admit it to himself.

The only person who was worried was Tony. It wasn’t that he was unhappy to see you in brighter moods. He totally adored that. It was the concern of compromising missions because of emotions. Tony didn’t know how you’d be together. Any mission would be dangerous if one of you got hurt or went missing. Emotions could be used as weapons.

Tony pulled each of you aside to talk. It was a simple (yet stern) conversation that summed up to not letting the world know if you were sleeping with each other. If that information got into the wrong hands, the team could be threatened.

Both of you had the same reaction, despite not knowing about each other’s conversation; it was all “nothing is going on between us--we’re friends”.

Tonight was just like any other night. Once everybody decided they were going to bed, you went into Bucky’s room and laid in his bed.

“(Y/N), can I ask you something?” Bucky asked as he slipped on a shirt. You hummed a yes as you looked at him. “How come you never sleep when we do this?”

And there it was. The question you had been avoiding for nearly three months. “Buck, I don’t know if I wanna talk about this.”

“No, we need to,” He pushed. “I feel horrible seeing you with bags under your eyes because you’re not sleeping at night. You’re exhausted when we have to do things with the team. You pass out on any car ride or when we use the quinjet. Doll, you even nod off at debriefings.”

“I can’t sleep in the same bed as anybody,” You muttered, sighing as you gave in. This was Bucky, and as much as you didn’t want him to know, you had to tell him. He was a concerned friend. “I haven’t been able to in ten years.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m not going into it right now. All I can say is that something happened to me when I was with this guy--it happened while I was sleeping. And it happened multiple times. So now whenever I try to fall asleep with someone, I just get the most intense nightmares; and that’s if I can fall asleep at all.”

Bucky didn’t say anything; he just nodded his head and got into bed next to you. He held his arms out to you, which was rare. Typically, you held him so that he could sleep. This time, though, he wanted to let you know that you could let your walls down.

“I wouldn’t wanna sleep beside me, either,” Bucky said after a couple of minutes. “I mean, I don’t even understand how you can put up with my screaming and kicking like you do.”

“That’s easy,” You state before realizing how awkward of a position you put yourself into. You couldn’t just tell him that you loved him. Not now. This wasn’t the right time (but then again, would it ever be the right time?). You quickly thought of something to add. “I like helping you rest better.”

“You need rest, too,” Bucky responded, rubbing his hand up and down your back. He had found that it was a quick way to calm you down--but it was never enough to help you sleep.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried staying awake longer than you. There were nights where neither of you slept because he wanted you to fall asleep first. It never happened.

“I get to rest, but it’s when you go for your run,” You said. You tangled your legs with his, welcoming the warm embrace that this man was offering you.

“I just really care about you, doll. I don’t want you to suffer because you’re helping me.”

The moment shifted. It went from being-a-concerned-friend to there’s-something-much-deeper-here. You looked up at Bucky and found that he was looking right back at you.

“What’s on your mind?” You asked. He looked between your eyes and your lips, furrowing his eyebrows. It was easy to see that he didn’t want to do whatever he was thinking about.

“I--it’s j--well, uh--it’s just that if I--if I said I loved you, I wouldn’t know if that was a fact or a weapon,” Bucky stammered.

“Buck, you’re not a weapon. What we have--” You said, trailing a hand up to his chest and motioning between the two of you. “--is not a weapon.”

“Can I kiss you?” Bucky muttered. Your stomach fluttered at the words, not only because he wanted to kiss you, but because he was so respectful of your boundaries.

“You don’t have to ask me,” You responded. He smiles and ever-so-softly connects your lips. A deep and contented sigh falls from both of you as if your entire lives had led to this moment. The moment when James Buchanan Barnes would hold you in his arms and kiss those celestial lips of yours. The moment when you felt the safest you had in ten years. The moment that tipped you over the edge and into something bigger. Something better.

“I love you,” Bucky says against your lips. He repeats the words, at first testing them out for size; but then he started saying it just because he loved the way you smiled against him and repeated them back to him.

That night, you slept next to Bucky Barnes. The smile on his face when he woke up to your calm breathing and steady heartbeat made everything in his long life worth it. You, he knew, were worth it.

#bucky barnes #winter soldier #bucky barnes x reader #winter soldier x reader #weaponized bucky barnes #bucky barnes fan fiction #bucky barnes fan fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfic #winter soldier fan fiction #winter soldier fan fic #winter soldier fanfic #winter soldier fanfiction #marvel one shot #bucky barnes one shot #winter soldier one shot

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lucarioisinthevoid · 3 years

Note

I don't want to bother you and you likely have better prompts to do, but it would be really fun to see Henry have to deal with both Springtrap and ScrapTrap specifically for potential angst purposes on both ends. Some side characters that would make good filler might be Nightmare and - Maybe Mangle?

(“You likely have better prompts to do”- pal, fam, buddy, this blog has like… ten followers and maybe three askers, and I love every single one of them dearly. I try to bring the prompts out on a “one per day” basis, to ensure they won’t get too long and to show I’m still doing it, so if I don’t put one out, you can feel sure there’s nothing left. Also, good on you for asking for these two! I had a realization about how it’s kinda impossible to die to certain people, like Mr. Hippo- especially since I was just having a great time creating a little game-over interaction and then figured out “wait a minute, that won’t happen, he’s 100% fooled by the lure” So instead I’ll adjust depending on what the ask offers. If it’s a matter of “I wonder if he can survive this”/”I wonder who he’ll die to”, I’ll write that out, but if it’s a “I wonder how he’ll react to that character” Just taking up the Dave™, and only playing to see if I die to Scraptrap, seeing as he DID manage to catch me off guard before. (Also Deedee) Yes. I should have put more thought into the mechanics before. And YES. I already thought up way too much lore for this one-off “time in hell” thing. But y’know how it is. You think or you die. I don’t even think of lore, it just pops into my head, that’s why my stories are so disorganized Anyways, ENJOY! I don’t think the torture this time around is so bad, I basically cut away before anything really bad happens)

It was quiet this time around. But Henry wouldn’t be tricked by it. You’d think that only two animatronics being active would make this night a cakewalk, but the fact that he was faced with two animatronics that… were Dave… He wasn’t looking forward to it. Before he had left the office he had been offered to take some “benefits” along, but… he didn’t want to admit to being concerned. Not to mention that it wouldn’t help him. Maybe the Deedee repel- this one however seemed better preserved for later. After the panic she had put him into, it was probably more appropriate to use it when he truly was in over his head. … oh, he would eat those words later, wouldn’t he? … it hardly mattered. What even WAS she? How did she come here? Why could she simply activate machines like this? Perhaps that was what Satan looked like. At this point he wouldn’t even be surprised. With a sigh he quickly raised the tablet, putting on the generator. It would keep him safe from the lights going out, that was well-worth dealing with the headache inducing noise. Out of morbid curiosity he switched from the main control on the tablet to the vents. ‘Click on nodes to set vent snare’. … christ… a snare…? A snare trap…? That was vicious. Probably very effective though… against anyone but Dave. It was Dave in that suit. It always had been Dave in that suit. After all the fruitless attempts trying to get this stupid suit get possessed, Henry had to come to accept that- Dave’s spirit was already inside and it wasn’t willing to share with anyone. The Springbonnie suit COULD probably have walked by itself if Dave would have wanted it- if Dave would have TRIED for it. … there were a lot of things William could have made happened, if he had just TRIED. Trying to get the bitter taste out of his mouth, Henry grimaced, staring at the screen as Dave moved along the vents. To think that this was the man who looked at him with pity, as if he was something weak and- … to think that he had been the only one witnessing his pathetic death. It hurt in a very special way. Hell, he couldn’t even point out how- WHY it was this bad. Was it the humiliation? Or was it the simple fact that he had died this terrible manner and all he could think about when remembering Dave and his- old life. Old life. … was this even the Dave he knew? Was this William? Or was it merely a manifestation of memories and thoughts, pulled right out of his head? Staring at the screen he watched as Dave approached. Surprisingly, he took the long way around. How peculiar. For some reason he had assumed Dave would make a B-line for the vent entrance, but he was approaching from the entirely different side. Was he assuming he could catch him off-guard? Well- either way, he was almost here. Putting down the monitor, Henry peered into the vent in front of him, trying to catch a glance- The whole room started to shake, together with the awfully loud rattling and screeching from the side. For a few seconds blind panic took ahold in his brain, as it always did when heard this damn noise- then he stumbled over and smashed the right side buttons, causing the doors to that side to snap shut. An inhuman scream ripped through the air. It was Henry’s name but sounding so distorted, so filled with SPITE, that he couldn’t even comprehend at the moment- only a few seconds after he heard it, his brain could decipher it. And when it did, he wished it didn’t. If everyone came from a potential different dimension, he didn’t want to know where THIS creature was coming from and why William had turned out like this. Sure, he had a few ideas… none of them were good though. … in none of those scenarios he would have wanted to meet him. Thankfully he had managed- so he opened the doors back up, falling back into his chair. Alright, alright, unless the demon child showed back up, this should now be easy to handle- Looking up he spotted a withered Springbonnie, with bright white eyes staring down at him from the vents. For a few moments both just stared at each other. Then Henry raised an eyebrow. “… is there any way I can help you?” “Aw shucks! Ya saw me! You’ve always been too good at this!” Smiling brightly Dave looked down at him, not moving any closer to the entrance. “… but who was THAT, Henry?” There was something about the question that made the place go quieter. The animatronics seemed generally vaguely aware of each other and their co-existence beyond the confinements of time and space, so- was Dave trying to trick him? For what purpose though? “… I do not know, Dave. I have not seen this creature yet.” A lie. Shifting his vent opening, Dave tilted his head, still grinning. “Ya don’t know? But don’t you know everything?” The words came with a certain edge to them. Or maybe Henry was simply growing more and more paranoid of the being in the vents. “I know… almost everything. There is a difference, Dave. For example… I do not know why you are inside of a suit like this.” “… yeah, that’s a mystery, ain’t it, Henry?” The air was getting worse, the human’s breath was becoming erratic. “… are you okay, Henry?” Crawling forward Dave tried to get in. “If ya need some help-“ Instantly Henry crushed down the vent door, opening his camera system to resetting the ventilation to ensure he could keep breathing- then he put it down again, opening up the vent once more to a now VERY disgruntled seeming Dave. “The fuck was that for! Why did ya lock me out?!” “I had to take care of urgent business.” “I could have helped.” Moving slightly back, the person inside the animatronic hissed. “You’ve always did this, Henry. You’ve always done this to me.” “With good reason.” Snapping, Henry harshly slapped his hands on the office table, showing his teeth. “I was always right about you. You are not getting to threaten me now, William. You are not getting to play innocent in this place. No. William, I know you would do it.” “Do what?” Equally as aggressive, Davetrap snapped back at him. “You would ensure my death.” “That’s ludicrous! You ensured your OWN death! Maybe if ya would have trusted me more and wouldn’t have used me like some sort of- PAWN, maybe then you wouldn’t have been snacked on by a stupid doggo!” “Nonsense!” Henry hissed. “That is not what I am talking about in either case. It did not matter what I did for you, did it? It never mattered. William, you are not capable of loyalty, you are not capable of putting duty over your selfish, petty desires. For a few moments, for a little, yes, but once the urge becomes too strong, you snap back into your animalistic nature. You needed guidance, but you did not care for it. All you cared for was getting what you wanted. And once someone could offer you more than me, you turned on me.” Bitterly Dave scoffed. “Ya think that and there’s no way to change your mind, is there? Never was. Henry, think about it from my perspective for a moment maybe- if you would have treated me like an actual friend, like an actual equal partner, instead of seeing me as an untamed animal that may turn on ya any given second- maybe then I would have not yearned for someone who did.” “You are not getting around this, you are not getting around betraying me, I gave you a LAST chance and you have-“ “No Henry, YOU are not getting around this.” Coldly Dave snapped at him, stopping him from saying anything further, the icy disgust evident in his words. “You think you can turn anything and everything into a game of ‘give some, get some’. You think you can simmer friendships down to a little spreadsheet of what you’re owed and what you give. Frankly, though, you’re good at it, pal. Even with all the animosity you’ve always harbored for me deep inside of ya, you’ve always ensured I’d get my cut and felt treated well. But the thing is, Henry, and I know ya don’t get it, but there’s more to friendship than just the sum of its parts. There’s more to a partnership than a simple dividin’ of responsibility and benefits. The whole time we were together, you were alone in your head. You thought of me as a little add-on. Were you scared of what I’m capable of? Of losing control? Or were you scared of having someone with you in your head? Somethin’ you’d miss if it ever disappeared? Henry, old friend, I wanted to ask you something, ever since your stupid speech- what did you ACTUALLY want?” “What- what do you mean?” Laying inside of the vent, he made a vague gesture. “Your whole… deal. Immortality and stuff. Why? For what?” “I-“ Yet before he could explain himself, William interrupted him again. “No. I’m not askin’ for what you THINK you did it for. I’m askin’ for what you actually did it for. Because ya can ramble on about a utopia all you like, it doesn’t matter for you, does it? Will it fix you? Building a society of immortals… do you think it’s going to stop you from waking up at night, worryin’ someone might come to kill you? That you’ll be able to see people as people and not as props? That you’re gonna get better if you just live long enough? You’re miserable, Henry. You lived your entire life alone, while surrounded by others and you’d hate immortality, unless you truly believe it’ll give you the chance to change.” “You are speaking NONSENSE!” Heated, the Pink Guy raised his voice at him. “I was doing FINE! Hell, even if not, so what!? My wish to finish humanity and give it its full potential was NOT a selfish one. I am NOT miserable, I am NOT lonely, my plans were impeccable and selfless and you-“ “Henry.” It almost sounded soft. “You need help. Let me in.” At that Henry closed the vent, reset the ventilation and slowly balled his fist, trying to remain as calm as possible. Through the door, Dave’s concerningly calm and certain voice sounded, almost completely muffled. “… eventually you’ll let me in, old friend. I know that. You know that. And it actually doesn’t matter what I say! I wouldn’t even need to convince ya. Because you can’t stand the feelin’ of being stuck. Because you’ll try out everything. Now that you’re immortal, you have nothing to reach for- so you will reach for everything.” The clock chimed. Six AM. Henry stumbled to the saferoom. He had to find a way out of this place. Fast.

#henry miller #Henry in hell #Dave Miller

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