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cauliflowercounty · 2 months

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Knives Dance (Part I)

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x fem!Reader

After years of writing *literally nothing,* I never expected bald Austin Butler to inspire me again :)

Life does wonderful things sometimes. Feyd Rautha is a fucking snack. And whoops it looks like I invented a planet and a culture :/

Summary: You're the daughter of the Duke of the House of Ronen, and your father and Vladimir Harkonnen have arranged a marriage between you and Feyd-Rautha to join your two houses. When the House of Harkonnen pays a visit to your planet, Feyd discovers something unforeseen within himself during an assassination attempt…

Reader: she/her pronouns

Warnings: innuendo/suggestive content, attempted assassination, blood, violence, multiple murders

Word Count: 4.2k

Part I | Part II | Part III

The hydraulics whirr as the black metal ramp of the Harkonnen vessel opens downward onto the stone landing pad on planet Youra and hits the ground with a low thunk. Feyd follows his uncle as he floats out of the vessel toward the doors of the Youran citadel, which is nestled in the center of a towering mountain covered in dense forest. Through the canopy, he sees the flickering lights from within the treehouses that adorn the forest cover.

The fortress itself is bathed in a warm, yellow glow from the round floating lanterns that surround it. As they hover, they seem to spiral upwards in a concentric spiral and extend their reach up into the night sky. A line of Youran soldiers flank the walkway, dressed in ceremonial garb of earthy, brown leathers with teal accents and intricate geometric patterns. As the Harkonnens pass, the soldiers bow their heads to them, allowing the carved silver helmets to shine in the evening light.

The environment here could not be further from that of Giedi Prime with its cold, industrial landscape devoid of color and the stench of sulfur and gas. The jungle air here is saccharine and floral on Feyd’s tongue. He feels the brush of the evening breeze flowing past him out toward the sea from the surrounding jungle. As he breathes in, he notices the richness of the air, imbued with the essence of all the flora that have made Youra a treasure trove for natural resources and experimental medicines, reminding him why he and his uncle have arrived on this planet.

The endeavor to secure spice on Arrakis had not gone as smoothly as the Harkonnens had hoped, especially with constant Fremen attacks sabotaging their forces and Rabban’s pitiful attempt at countermeasures. The current state of their operation and the number of soldiers they were losing daily called for acquiring a new tactical advantage. As much as they hated to admit it, they would have been foolish not to seek one out.

The advantage lay on Youra, the planet of island rainforests and the home of the minor House of Ronen, where an uncountable number of plant and animal species flourished, supplying the population with life-saving natural compounds the renowned scientists had been extracting from nature and developing for centuries. Through this arranged marriage, the wealth of chemical knowledge and access to the raw materials would become House Harkonnen’s. Feyd could begin to taste his ascension to power. This was simply the next step necessary to turn the tides of this conflict on Arrakis, which would inevitably end in him assuming the title of Baron if not Emperor.

With a low rumble, the double doors in front of Feyd open to reveal your father and yourself. Laying eyes on you for the first time, Feyd stops in place, his heavy black boots almost stuck on the ground. When the conversation of an arranged marriage came up with his uncle, he was beyond apathetic, knowing that this would be a political move in which he had no obligation to have any investment. The woman would become his wife only by title. To his astonishment, he is entranced by your beauty, to the point of speechlessness. He almost completely ignores your father’s greeting and speech about the union of your two houses. You are radiant with your skin that glows in the light, unlike that of the Harkonnen women he is used to seeing. You look into his eyes, and he feels almost locked in, the rest of the world fading until all he sees is you.

“Welcome to our home, na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen,” you say to him, not breaking eye contact from underneath your headdress. Your striking eyes bore deep into his soul. It’s almost as if they’re calling to him. What’s most interesting to Feyd is that they don’t seem to contain a hint of fear or apprehension. He is used to making those around him crumple under the weight of their own terror with his mere presence so he can exploit those emotions and manipulate them as his own personal playthings. In defiance of his reputation, you seem undeterred by him staring straight at you. As your eyes glimmer in the lamplight, he feels his breath almost catch as they taunt him, draw him. Snapping himself out of the trance, a smirk forms on his lips, remembering how his uncle taught him to behave. He forces himself to relish the thought of toying with your apparent resolve.

As he looks down, he eyes your lavish, floor-length regalia. The same deep brown and teal that your father and the soldiers wear decorates the patterns on your cloak. He notices lines of gold thread woven into your hair, an appropriate show of the natural resources of your planet.

Strange, he thinks. The cloak is rather large and heavy. Despite matching the designs of the other Youran garb, it seems out of place to be a traditional outfit for the aristocracy of a rainforest civilization where the warm and humid conditions should prove inhospitable for cloaks of this nature.

The delicate, meek flower he was expecting to relish picking apart with ease you are not. He’s figured out you're a woman with something you’re intent on hiding from him. You’ve put on this front either bravely or stupidly, and Feyd-Rautha will peel back every layer one calculated move at a time until you are finally entirely his.

He steps forward and reaches down to take your hand in his. “My betrothed…” he whispers to you, his voice low and gravelly. “We finally meet, Little One. I must say you look exquisite. I expected nothing less.” He brings your fingers up to his lips and brushes his lips across them before pressing firm a kiss on the back of your hand His uncle seems most disgusted by Feyd’s tenderness, but Feyd keeps his gaze on you through hooded eyes, knowing that the first move in any game is imperative to the success of his endeavor. He sees yours flicker for a moment as your body tenses listening to his praise. He’s got you right where he wants you.

–

Dinner is filled with monotonous diplomacy, tiresome pleasantries, and planning of the wedding to take place on Giedi Prime, but Feyd hasn’t let his attention break from you. It’s as if the kiss he planted on your hand was the catalyst for the first crack in the wall you’ve put up, and now he’s waiting for the perfect moment to make his next move.

All of dinner he’s watched as you attentively listened to his uncle and your father exchange words and eat your dinner. He hasn’t failed to notice how your eyes dart over to look at him through your lashes. With every gesture you make and every word you say, he feels unequivocally enraptured. As much as he’s tried to suppress his emotions and stay faithful to his uncle’s teachings, grounded in violence and viciousness, his mind starts to wander.

He wonders what must it be like to have your touch flutter across his chest when he watches you delicately grasp your water goblet. When you fold your lips around your cup to drink, he imagines what they must feel like on his skin if you were to drag them down his neck tantalizingly slow. What if you were close enough to him to have your breath fan out across his skin as your lips caressed his? What must it be like to hold your softness in his hands? The very idea makes his breath hitch.

Of the many thoughts he has as he watches you, many of them becoming increasingly lewd as dinner continues, one remains in his head: if he is this captured by just your face and gaze, basking in the light of what you’re concealing under your cloak, must be heaven adjacent.

His desire to use you and leverage your own will against you is being chipped away little by little. Feyd’s hardened persona that his uncle helped construct is withering with every second he spends in your presence. The notion is nearly frightening to Feyd, but with every single glance and gesture, his heart, which may have turned to stone long ago, is beginning to accept it.

Feyd rips his attention away from you as your father stands to thank the Harkonnens once again for coming. “I shall have my servants show you where you shall be staying,” your father announces as he rises from his seat. “I have arranged for our head researchers to show you what progress we have had in our synthetic undertakings as of late. I guarantee you will be very interested in what they have to offer.”

As you stand, he notices how your hands pull together the front seam of your cloak, preventing it from opening. Curious.

You bid him goodnight and turn away to head to your quarters as a Youran servant beckons him to the guest wing. That night, Feyd cannot rest as he lays awake in bed in the opulent guest suite, images of you running through his head, and he almost smiles thinking about when you say his name so sweetly.

“Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.”

–

The next day, Feyd sees little of you. In the morning, he makes his way to your quarters only to be informed by a servant at your door that you have already departed for the day. When he asks where you have gone, the servant provides a murky response about your duties as Lady of the House and wedding preparations, which he as her betrothed would “surely understand.” Just as he decides he will find you himself, he is seized by his uncle as to meet the Youran ministers of culture, science, and development to learn about their acquisition.

Feyd cannot deny that your homeworld is impressive. It’s steeped in centuries of exploration and inquiry with unmatched record-keeping of not only science but tradition, too. The ceilings are vaulted and adorned with gold. The walls of the citadel are covered in elaborate murals painted on with vibrant colors or carved into the surfaces. Some depict traditional folktales, gods, and ceremonies while those opposite them describe the evolutionary lines of species, a true testament to Youra’s modernity and dedication to preserving your peoples’ history in living memory. If only he knew which mural decorates the wall concealing you.

As the picture of your world’s history becomes clearer, the air of mystery surrounding you only grows. Not once has he heard talk of you after his interaction with that servant, but throughout the day he has sensed hushed whispers that are almost certainly about him instead. As he passes soldiers, some of them almost seem to leer at his presence.

A few times, he thinks he can almost see the hem of your cape disappear around corners, but when he goes to investigate, there is nobody there. The anger he expected to have inside him due to your avoidance is nowhere to be seen, and only a burning intrigue remains.

“What a little enigma my wife is,” he thinks to himself when he enters the banquet hall for dinner as the last ray of sunlight fades from the windows as the sun dips below the horizon.

Almost on cue, the doors to the hall open again and to his gratification, it is you. He stands up from his seat and walks over to you. He cannot deny his own inclination when you smile at him softly, putting him at ease.

“Good evening, Na-Baron,” you greet as he stops in front of you. Your dulcet tones go straight to his heart, causing it to skip a beat. “I hope I’ve not kept you waiting long.”

“Not at all.” He takes your hands in his once again, running his thumb along the back of them and savoring the feeling of your soft skin. This time when his heart swells, he lets it happen, surrendering himself to your charm. “I would wait an eternity for you,” he says, realizing you enjoy it when he romances you.

“You don’t strike me as a man who likes to be kept waiting,” you reply, looking up into his eyes. “I am surprised you are not frustrated with me.”

“I make exceptions,” he replies, noticing how your lips curl into a small smile. “… for when it truly matters. Since you’ve been absent all day, tell me, Little One, what have you been doing while you were hiding from me all day?”

You let out a gentle exhale. “I assumed you might be curious about that,” you say to him, as you clasp his hands in yours, beginning to tug him backwards to the doors. “Would you join me outside before we eat, Na-Baron? I have something I want to show you that I’ve been working on in preparation for our marriage.”

Allowing you to lead him, he follows you as you pull him through the halls of the fortress. He senses the answers to the questions he’s been asking himself are within his grasp. You both head outdoors and descend a grand staircase toward a courtyard nestled in the center of the fortress that overlooks the ocean that is now a murky midnight blue.

The nighttime lanterns light the way once again, and you both continue into the courtyard which is unlike anything he’s ever seen before. The ground seems to be a single sheet of rust colored stone that is marbled with shards shimmery metals. The slab has massive circles cut into it spaced in a perfect grid. Inside the circle is a golden pool of luminescent water. Tall, half moon shaped walls cradle each pool with glyphs and carvings etched into them.

“What is this place?” he asks you, basking in the light emanating from all of the pools that surround the both of you as you continue down the center aisle.

“This is my favorite place in the castle,” you explain. “It’s where we keep one of every species our researchers are currently studying. The rock wall above the pools describes each evolutionary line and the discoveries about it we’ve made. There’s one I want to show you if you would allow me.”

He nods as you bring him to a pool whose accompanying slab remains blank. Looking down into the water, he spots a single indigo fish with long, delicate fins that trail behind it in the water. He watches as it circles the pool. It slows and shudders momentarily. A single incandescent scale breaks off and floats to the bottom of the pool. You kneel to gather the scale from the bottom, holding it so that he can see how the light flickers off its surface.

“Does it intrigue you?” he hears you ask, and he nods in return as something he thought he lost long ago begins to emerge inside of him: his sense of wonder.

“I have never seen such a creature. Would you tell me about it?”

“It would be my pleasure,” you grin. “This fish was discovered on an archipelago on the other side of the planet. I’ve been studying this fish with our most expert researchers. The pools it lives in almost disappear during the dry season, but we’ve found that they survive to the wet season because of their scales somehow. My father doesn’t know any of this. He still thinks we know nothing of this creature.”

“It’s marvelous,” he whispers to you, eyeing the small bubbles floating to the top of the water from the fish’s gills.

“I wanted to show you this fish because this is at the heart of our culture on Youra. Our people are on a constant mission to learn and discover, so we can help and care for those we hold dearest. With our marriage, the House of Harkonnen will be a part of that endeavor. I’m showing you this fish because when the fish shed their scales at the beginning of the wet season, they contain a high concentration of a novel compound that allows living things to retain water.”

He sees you fidget with your own hands as you explain. You’re nervous, he realizes.

“We have been able to extract it from the scales they drop,” you say with a slight waiver in your voice. Here you are bearing your hard work and dedication, your soul to him. Your vulnerability is evident. Before you were so confident with your gaze and now your eyes never stay on him for more than a fraction of a moment. If you were anyone else, he would have taken full advantage the opportunity to leverage your weakness, but he cannot bring himself to do so. “This knowledge is my gift to you na-Baron. I have been aware of your endeavors on Arrakis. I realize you may not be as invested in this arrangement as we are, but I wanted to give you this to mark the beginning of what is to come… I don’t expect you to do anything in return. Only wanted to communicate my intentions.”

His heart quivers as his mind darts back to the countless times his uncle has “gifted” things to him as rewards for doing his bidding. The concubines, armor, and weapons all fall to the wayside; now they’re all tainted in Feyd's mind by his uncle's conniving ways. They were never gifts in earnest, always being transactional or part of another of his uncle’s Machiavellian schemes. Never in his life had he been given something so thoughtful, something intended to truly protect him. The previous notions he had before of possessing you are bitter on his tongue. Now, he could never and the shame he feels for maybe the first time in years begins to burn into his psyche.

“Na-Baron,” you plead, bringing him out of his own thoughts. “Say something, please.”

“Thank you,” he finally says, taking your hands in his and giving them a squeeze. “I am grateful for your generosity, my little flower.”

Your eyes well up with tears and you let out a relieved sigh before your emotions bubble out of you. “You cannot fathom how happy I am to hear you say those words,” you say, bringing your hands to his again. “I was so worried about showing you this!”

Right when he opens his mouth to respond, his instincts as a warrior kick in as he hears the soft whistle of something flying through the air towards the both of you. In a flash, he’s grabbed you by your shoulder to force you to your knees as you let out a bewildered yelp. The sound lights his veins on fire and fills him with rage.

Against the blank stone slab of the fish’s pool he sees it: a green splatter of a sinister substance that drips down the stone in long tendrils. Below, the shattered remains of a poisoned dart sinking into the water. You’ve seen it, too. He swivels himself around in the direction the arrow came from. A hooded figure is emerging from behind another one of the stone walls, a serrated dagger in hand, poised to strike you down. Feyd reprimands himself for leaving his weapons behind in his room in the name of diplomacy, but he’s prepared to fight empty handed to protect you and punish your assailant.

Before he realizes, you’ve shed your cloak, allowing it to drop to the floor behind you and Feyd can finally see what you’ve been hiding. You’re wearing a sage green dress with a bodice plated in iron that’s been secured to in place with intricate leather straps and golden loops that wrap deliciously around your figure. The symmetric slits in your dress that extend almost to your hips reveal your garters where two silver daggers that curve into formidable hooks are secured to your outer thighs.

As soon as he realizes you’re armed, you’ve already grasped the leather wrapped handles of your weapons and drawn them from your thighs with a flourish, launching yourself at your attacker. The ground reverberates with your power, and your blades ring out as they clash with your opponent’s. The man grunts upon impact and with a vigorous push, you knock his weapon upwards and away from you as you swipe at his face with the other hand. When he stumbles backwards, his face covering is swept to the side.

“Ozran!” you growl as the man regains his composure. “What is the meaning of this? Traitor!”

“I could say the same for you, Lady Ronen, revealing our secrets to that Harkonnen!” Ozran snarls at you, his eyes wild as he begins swiping sloppily at your head, which you dodge with ease. Feyd knows the man is getting desperate. Ozran is quickly realizing running away would have been the best option after his poisoned arrow missed.

Ozran attempts to shake off his regret by hurling himself at you, trying to recover the situation now that he’s committed to one-on-one combat with you. “I will not stand by and have the rewards of our peoples’ work reaped by them. Without a daughter to marry off, our intelligence will remain ours, and I will protect it to the end, even if that means killing you.”

Feyd hears you tisk at his pitiful attempt at your life as your heel makes contact with his nose. Blood gushes from his nostrils and drips down his chin in thick droplets. He staggers back and loses his footing as you drive your blades into him, your footsteps smearing his blood on the floor as you move. Ozran’s hope drains from his eyes, and he coughs as you pull your knives back, his blood spilling onto the stone floor from the gaping hole in his body. He drops his weapon and it clatters on the ground beside him.

“Too bad you couldn’t get close enough to actually do any damage,” you say sweetly to him as he wheezes. “You were never a man worthy of battle. I’m surprised you even worked up the courage to merely attempt to kill me.”

“D-don’t worry, dear Lady,” he sneers as his knees hit the floor. “There are more of us who don’t appreciate our leaders betraying our ideals. They will avenge me, and you will join me in death.” With that, his body crumples in the pool of his own blood. Drawing his last breath, Feyd sees Ozran’s consciousness fade. From the shadows and behind the other stone walls, he senses more figures lurking.

“Na-Baron!” you call, as you throw Feyd your second knife, which he catches with a flick of his wrist as you pick up Ozran’s weapon. Your dagger is robust and extraordinarily crafted, truly a weapon worthy of your status Feyd thinks. With that, he joins you in battle when Ozran’s allies pounce, eager to avenge their fallen comrade. One by one, he cuts the treasonous soldiers down with you by his side, slashing their throats, stabbing them in their backs, hearing their bones break, and tendons tear. It’s exhilarating, fighting not just for you, but with you in perfect synchronization.

When the last one falls, their mangled bodies are piled around you. He looks at you with complete admiration in his eyes. Without a second thought, he pulls you close with desperation. Cradling your face in his free hand, he kisses you roughly and swipes his tongue across your bottom lip, tasting the familiar tang of iron. As you kiss him back with a fervor that makes his senses sing, he uses his other arm to pull you close, if he’s worried that you will join the souls of the dead around you and leave this world, something he can’t bear to think of now.

Reluctantly, you both break away from the kiss, resting your foreheads against one another. Your breaths are thick and heaving. You look down at his dominant hand, which still holds your second dagger.

“Are you going to kill me now, Na-Baron?” you ask as you look up at him, and he instinctively throws the knife away, letting it clatter on the floor. He shakes his head.

“I never anticipated my betrothed to have such prowess in battle,” he whispers lowly, returning his hand to your body. He drags his fingers across the places where the straps of your dress make indentations in your skin, making you shiver at his touch. His grip on your waist tightens when he palms your supple skin. You hum a sigh of satisfaction that is almost music to Feyd’s ears, and he could listen to it all day. “Watching you cut down each of them… What a lovely surprise it was… You are truly an unexpected paragon, my dear.”

“Unexpected…” you chuckle, blushing at his flattery. “May I ask another question of you?”

“Of course,” he replies, peering down at you with an ardent stare.

“Before coming here, were you aware there are many dangerous things in the rainforest, Na-Baron?” He nods. “Then why would you assume I am not one of them?”

“Clever girl,” he grins, pressing another kiss on your forehead.

“From now on, my blades will fight for you, Feyd-Rautha.”

“And mine for you, my love,” he replies as he dips his lips back down to yours. What a fool he was before, anticipating so little from his future wife. Now he knows better. He realizes who you really are, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough.

Thank you for reading!

Knives Dance Part II OUT NOW!

Let me know if you want to be added to my Feyd tag list

Taglist:

@austinbutlerslovers

#dune 2 #dune part two #dune part 2 #feyd rautha x reader #feyd rautha #feyd x reader #feyd x you #x reader #austin butler

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snotbuggle · 4 months

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request! echo & fives being badass arc troopers together!

The twins! Along with some pre arc trooper babes. I swear I love them so much. We didn’t get to see much of them as arc troopers but in the citadel arc I noticed that they worked so smoothly and in sync together. Like we see clones operate well together but the twins were really two sides of the same coin. Anyways! Loved drawing these fools <3

P. S. Sorry this took so long to get done

Here’s the rules for anyone else who wants to ask for something (x)

#‘fools’ is meant in a friendly connotation #seriously I love them #star wars #star wars the clone wars #tcw #domino twins #arc trooper echo #arc trooper fives #tcw echo #tcw fives

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ferrstappen · 1 year

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Hello! So while I’m procrastinating and ignoring the book in front of me, I got this quick idea and I hope you like it! Remember you can send me ideas or prompts to write blurbs 💘

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x fem!reader

Warnings: maybe a swear word and nsfw mentioned if you squint.

AirPods and princess George (Charles Leclerc blurb)

Charles was playfully rolling his eyes at you and Joris the entire walk from the gate to the flight taking you to Miami, neither of you could contain the laughter of seeing your boyfriend trying to pick up his AirPods with a couple of tweezers like he was playing Operation.

Whenever your or Joris calmed down, images of Charles trying to pick up the dirty case between the tiny space was enough to bring the tears back to your face while clutching your stomach.

“It’s not that funny, it could’ve happened to any of you!” Charles playfully complained while placing his carry-on bag on the overhead compartment.

“Sweetheart, if it happened to me I would’ve cried, but kept my dignity and buy a new pair. I know you can afford them Mr. Ferrari,” you teased him as he accommodated your carry-on bag. “Window or aisle, babe?” You asked him, leaving the teasing aside.

“Aisle please, you know I like to pretend it’s my side of the bed,” he said accommodating his belongings on the big first class pod, carefully pulling down the partition separating both of your seats.

“I don’t think we’re going to sleep much, though. It’s pretty early,”

“I know, but I was thinking we could catch this new show I downloaded, Citadel I think?” He said and you smiled, leaving a shy peck on his lips, knowing that even if it was first class, people were watching and could easily snap pictures. Fans knew you were Charles’ girlfriend, but he was constantly protecting your privacy and keeping everything between the both of you.

And his jpg Instagram account, of course.

“Hey, i’m right behind you so don’t you dare on joining the mile high club or whatever,” Joris warned the both you as he adjusted his eye mask, ready to wake up when they already were in Miami.

“What makes you think we haven’t joined the club already?” You retorted, followed by a gagging sound from Joris, and a blushing Charles who placed his hand very low on your back.

A few hours passed and while the series that Charles downloaded was good, he failed to notice it only had two episodes, leaving you with only the in-flight catalogue and unstable wifi.

Charles noticed you yawning and eyes fighting to stay open, so he called the flight attendant to help him turn the seat into a very comfortable bed, doing the same on his seat as Charles placed his arm under your neck and your head found its natural place on his shoulder, with your hand draped on his waist.

Suddenly, your arm was moving and no, it wasn’t because of the plane, it was being moved by something shaking. As you came to your senses, noticing the cabin lights were turned off, you also became aware of your boyfriend trying to suppress his laugh while looking at his phone.

“What’s so funny?” You asked him nuzzling into his side, his arm instinctively tightening around your shoulders.

His green eyes were shining even under the dark lighting of the cabin, “sorry, bebe, did I wake you?” He asked leaving a kiss on your hair.

You stirred on his arms, “no, it’s fine. Now tell me what’s so funny”

This time Charles couldn’t hold back his giggles, but still careful not to disturb the other passengers, but his low giggles music to your ears. “Look, its a meme of me playing Operation with the tweezers” he put the phone in front of your face.

“Baby, I told you that’s exactly what it looked like when you were pulling them,” you joined him with the quiet laughter, but then he found something even funnier.

He snorted.

“Charles!” You laughed just by seeing the reaction of your boyfriend, who couldn’t contain his laughter while clutching his stomach, but still aware of the sleeping passengers close to you.

Even Joris who both of you were sure was snoring while wearing the most ridiculous eye mask and special compression socks.

“Babe, I mean look at this!” He again placed his phone in front of your eyes, and you had to admit it was pretty funny. “It’s Max and George! Ah, I think I’m crying”

And you quietly laughed, but saved the sound of his carefree giggles and disheveled hair, but with his arm never letting go of you.

#charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc fluff #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x female reader #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc blurb #f1 fic #f1 x you

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milkywayes · 7 months

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just… thinking about the tragedy of shepard and garrus. their relationship evolves as we watch - from mentor and mentee, to trusted friends, to supportive partners. the field between them evens out. walls are broken down. thresholds are crossed. she goes from ‘the best humanity has to offer’ to disavowed shadow operative to the tip of the spear in a probably-unwinnable war. he goes from eager-to-prove-himself hotshot to disillusioned outlaw to what’s probably the second most important person in the hierarchy.

it’s such a long way to come. there’s so much to get through to end up where they are.

and both of them only really come into power once it’s already almost too late to do anything with it. everyone else is also facing extinction but these two feel the weight of all those lives so acutely because of the positions they’ve been given.

but if they’re in love. if they go through all of that and fall in love in the process. if they open their hearts while everything around them is literally about to end forever. if he’s the glue holding her together and she’s the only hope he can still believe in. then they’re building their partnership in a graveyard. they both know, this might be all they get. this is probably it. and everyone else - they have it bad, but there’s just a unique tragedy here with shepard and her love interest in that she will save the galaxy, but chances are, she cannot save herself and that means she also cannot save the one who loves her more than anyone else.

these two people working tirelessly to stave off the end of everything, the weight of the galaxy on their shoulders and only each other to lean against, and they’re the ones who pay the price to end the war. they come all this way only for her to give up everything, and for him lose the only guiding light he’s ever had - at best, for a time, and at worst, forever. he might put the plaque on the memorial wall or he might not, but either way their sacrifice is so fucking heavy.

he holds her together until the end and she’ll use it to shatter herself on the citadel. she’s his guiding light and it’ll go out when the path ahead of him is at its least clear, its most daunting.

the war is won, but they’re the ones who lose, and it makes me insane just to think about.

#this post is sponsored by that-wildwolf’s fic update. jeeeesus #shepard x garrus #mass effect #shakarian #text #in part this also applies to other LIs obviously but garrus is my ballpark #and just something about their gradual growth into equals #their very specific dynamic #and then the way it plays out #is just the saddest thing i’ve ever seen.#milky.txt

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hidden-poet · 4 months

Text

S. lands on top

summary: Coriolanus returns home to the Capital with two women from district 12 plaguing his mind. One a (presumed) dead mystery but another well within his reach.

warnings: unco, dark!Coriolanus, possessive!Corirlanus, Dark themes, mentions of death, punishments not fun-ishments, she/her pronouns, kidnapping, violence. lucy-grey slander (I love her).

unedited.

Next chapter

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Coriolanus strides through the citadel.

His pace was quick and egger to reach its destination of Dr Gaul's playroom.

He passes a line of Peace keepers without a glace, and they don't bother him. Now knowing the face of the youngest game maker ever.

He yanks open the door, and walks down her long corridor of horrors to were she sat at her operating table, digging into a screaming creature.

He slams his piece of paper down on the desk beside her, and she eyes its curiously.

"The work I've done today" he explains. The crunch paper read the headline; the 11th hunger games: problems and solutions. And that was all.

She goes back to her work after a quick glance.

"congratulations".

"You need to do something about it" he throws his hands up frustrated and begins to pace, "i can't think. I sit in that room all day staring at paper".

He refers to his quite lavish and large office as a room. The Spoils of the Capital no longer foreign to him.

"A lobotomy perhaps?". Dr Gaul continues her work uninterested in the boys issues.

"Don't you want me to be the best I can be? Elevate the Hunger games to be something that the Capital people cheer and look froward to?"

"You would not be standing in front of me if i thought otherwise" Dr Gaul remarks.

"then help me. He stops his pacing to look at her.

"What would you have me do, Mr Snow?"

"Give me a letter of transit out of district 12"

"i thought you said you killed Lucy-grey"

"I did".

he is pretty sure he did. Even if the bullet never made fatal impact, she would never survive the infection let alone the elements of the forest.

'There was another. A young girl who would wash my peace keeper uniform."

"My!' the irradiate old women coo'd, "What a lover boy you truly are"

Enthralled by his request, Dr Gaul spins out of her chair and goes to retrieve the paper from her writings desk.

"A simple girl hinders you from completing your work? a district girl no less. Does she know this?"

"I've never even spoken to her" he admits.

Dr Gual lets out a loud laugh as she flicks her pen to her signature.

"You are more like me than you like to claim. You have your pets and I have mine" she walks over, holding the yellow piece of paper in her hands.

'Dare i say mine are more useful, but after all you are just a man"

Coriolanus reaches for it but she pulls it back.

"And man, when they are truly focused are the most dangerous things on the planet".

He doesn't shy away from her stare. It holds no horror for him any longer. Rather he challenges it. He had his fathers eyes. Cold, deep and unrelenting to opposition.

He wins another round and she pushes the paper into his hands. He gives no thank you as he turns back to the door.

'let's hope this one survives you".

Her words still him by the door, but he had no time to dwell. He had a train to catch, peace keepers to organize, and a girl to bring home.

---------

Mabel had just gotten home for the day. Had just set down her satchel and begin to make her way to the kitchen to help prepare dinner when peace keeps knocked down her door. Her complaints of the wet weather now seeming immaterial as they flooded the small house, turning its residents up against the wall.

She calls out to her father as he is violently shoved to his knees.

"That's the girl. the young one" a peace keeper nodded in her direction. Another turns, heading down the hall for you.

"RUN!" Her father demands and Mabel takes off through the back door. She runs through the pouring rain past her village to the backing forest were she knew she could hide.

Branches mark her face up as she pushes through the thickness. She couldn't stop, hearing numerus foot steps chasing her. She dodges and weaves hopping to lose them enough so she could hide.

A shot is fired, offering her a lull in the marching as their commander reprimanded them.

"unharmed! Unharmed! you imbecile! capital orders".

She jumps over a large fallen log and nestles herself as far as she could under it. The mud sloshes underneath her, weighing her knee length grey dress down while the rest of the mud smeared over her bare legs. The rain keeps pelting down which help to wash away her foot prints.

She wondered what she did to gain capital attention. Enough Capital attention that they would want her unharmed and not shot at first sight.

"little girl" she heard the same voice that reprimanded the others call out to her, "come out. We are not going to hurt you unless you make us".

Living in the districts all her life she knew that was a life. She clamps her hands over her mouth to quieten her heavy breathing, as she listens to their walking footsteps.

"If not for you" the voice continues, "Then for your family. They'll hang if you make this too hard on us".

Her family. She was powerless to protect them if she ran. She was powerless now, but provocation was the last thing Peace keepers needed to make good on a threat.

So she came out. A peace Keeper had just been to her left, above her. If he wasn't stupid he would have found her anyway.

he raised his gun to her and called out to the others.

"There's a good girl" The shrieking voice was placed to a little man. Short in statue and round. He had bushy eyebrows that nearly hit his helmet and a large flat nose.

"cuff her"

The peace keeper lowered his gun to do so.

"What have I done?" she asks as she is lead back through the forest with a tight grip on her arm.

"capital business. But you can add running away from Peace keepers and resisting arrest to the list".

"I haven't done anything. You can't do this" Mabel pleads. It was correct. She was an outstanding citizen of district 12. She worked more than she played.

'Take it up with the capital" The little man huffed.

She is led through the peering eyes of the village back to her home where a large Capital issued van was waiting. Upon seeing the retrieving group, half the peace keepers loaded themselves back up onto the wooden panels on the side ready for deployment.

The peace Keepers that pushed their guns into the back of her mum and dad's head relent as well. It was late and this mission had interpreted their dinner time.

She could see her father throw his arms over her mother keeping the old women from fighting a Peace Keeper. It would only get them all killed.

she was pushed to the van. not even allowed a goodbye. A peace keeper in the back of the van positioned himself to lift her up. He squatted down and held out his arms to lift. She was going to make it easy for him by stepping up upon outer frame but a voice lit the fire once more.

"Mabel!".

She froze. She knew that little voice from a crowd of a hundred.

her little sister had returned home from sewing school to see her being loaded up into a peace keeper van.

"Livy go to Mrs Flexures house. Go!".

She protested, choosing to run through a crowd of big men.

A Peace keeper caught her and lifted her up into his arms like a flailing fish.

"let her go" Mabel screams. She tries to make her way to her sister but is stopped by the Goblin caption.

Mabel was normally a outstanding citizen but hearing her sister screaming, she bit down on the captions hand.

He shouted as her teeth sunk, releasing her from his hold. She pulls against hands and sounds of the reserved peace keepers exiting the van to get to her sister.

She is stopped but it didn't matter, Livy was dropped in case the Peacekeeper needed both hands.

A fellow neighbor had ran out and grabbed her taking her into the safety of his home.

Mabel felt her heart beat back to life as her sister left harms way.

She smiles as she sees the backhand from the caption come down upon her. Her family was safe, it didn't matter if she wasn't.

The rain had eased up but left the ground with pools of red mud. Without her hands to catch herself, Mabel fell face first into one.

"Give me the thing" The goblin looking man demanded. A hand held contraption similar to the one the medics used to give them their shot was handed over.

she screamed and kicked at him, wiggling her way backwards on the ground. Unsure of what he had planned to give her. She doubted it was a vaccinee against measles.

he scuffled with her, pulling up the cap of her sleave and releasing the medicine into her arm.

It took effect almost immediately. Her vision began to blur and head rang only for the moment it took for her to be lifted and placed upon the vans floor among the booted feet. She could see one mans loosened shoe laces before darkness over took her.

-----------

Coriolanus waits at the train station. Hiding from the rain inside the door frame of the carriage. His eyes rake across the platform. He was getting impatience.

he had half expected by the time he made the journey they would of had her waiting for him. Instead he was left to wait in the cold. It had remined him too much of lucy-grey.

He had tried to remain seated in the warmth of the carriage, but he was far to restless to be bothered by servants trying to please him. He didn't want cake. He didn't want a hot beverage. He didn't want their hands over him giving him a massage.

he wanted to take his girl and be on his way.

But he remembered what district 12 was like. A collection of useless no hopers. He would be glad to finally turn his back on the place for good. With Mabel by his side there would be nothing keeping him from erasing his history here all together.

He pulls his gloved tighter on his wrist, and closes his red large coat higher to his throat. District 12 only ever swayed between the extremes.

He had remembered how hot it was the day he and lucy grey set path to their new home.

Sweat had rolled down his neck to his back. His t-shirt clinging unkindly to him. He was carrying all the heavy things while Lucy-grey wondered before him, unbothered by weight.

He took it as a punishment. It allowed weak people to drag him down, as this weight now did.

"I've been thinking" He swats a mosquito on his neck, "It ain't only us who can tie the murder to me and you".

lucy-Grey spun around to him.

"that girl. The one who helped us escape after they found the bodies."

She had looked at him for a second while ushering him and Lucy-Grey out a side entrance. he remembered the spark that ran through him after finally being seen by her. He tore free from Lucy-grey's hand less she think he wasn't avaliable. But he doubt she saw it from how fast she closed the door. Her sweet voice telling peace keepers they had gone the other way.

"who? Mabel?".

Mabel. He finally had a name. He asked around the compound but no one knew. She washed and ironed uniforms, who cared what her name was. But he did, and he finally had it as he fled from her.

" we should turn back around and get her. Make sure she doesn't talk. Even if they don't find the guns, word of mouth's all they need to come after us".

"nu-uh Mabel wouldn't rat us out. Peace keeps would have caught us Covey foke long before they did if it hadn't been for her and her secret hiding places."

Secret hiding places? was that why she was so difficult to find when he had patrolling duty. He must have swapped ten or twelve times trying to find her amongst the sections.

"You said it yourself people are tortured for information here. We should get to her before they do".

Life in the woods with him wouldn't be too different from life in the districts for her. He would try and make it comfortable. Going fishing every morning for her, and brining back his game from hunting. They would settle down and have a fine little life. Lucy-Grey would find her baring in the woods and go her own way.

"You my man, Coriolanus?" She asks. Her voice was full of anger and questioning.

Not even remotely. He was her victor , she was his pawn. Still, she was his only hope of getting as far as he needed to go so he nestles up against her and takes her thumb between his forefinger and thumb.

"Of course I am".

He kisses her to avoid suspicion but it lacks any true passion.

It seemed to satisfy none the less.

"She won't tell and even if she does we'll be too far gone for them to catch us".

He pulls away, sour, and continues to lead their journey to the cabin. They would rest tonight and make ground tomorrow.

he spoused in the dead of the night it could be Mabel beneath him and not lucy grey. He could put meat on her bones to give her a fuller figures like Mabel's. Ensure that Lucy-grey keeps her long hair and perhaps convince her to put it back in a braid like Mabel kept hers.

In day light so long as Lucy-grey was not directly in his eye sight he could pretend that it was Mabel's hand he clung to.

he had resolved himself to a life of pretend by the time they reached the cabin. Only to find the key to his freedom underneath the floor boards.

He picks up the gun tenderly, eyeing it as if it would disappear.

'What is it?' Lucy-grey asks.

He turns around and shows her. She must have known she was done before Coriolanus did. she made a quick escape to go get Katniss while Coriolanus was still distracted by his freedom.

He had made a comment about rain and she had made one back but he wasn't sure that exacts. He had them which means he didn't have to give up his Mabel.

Unless Lucy-grey blind with jealousy turned him in. His eyes flick to the door. She had served her purpose but now had to be eliminated for his future.

he follows his champion into the woods. Calling out for her. She was a killer, but so was he.

"Lucy-Grey!" He calls, looking for any source of colour he could find.

He saw a pop of orange in the distance and headed for it. It was his mothers scarf. he huffs and puffs as he picks it up, Mabel wouldn't treat his mothers things like this.

A snake jumps out as he lifts it before it runs away to quick for Coriolanus to get a good look at it to see if it was poisons or not.

He lets out a wicked laugh. he was going to feel bad for killing her. It was not her fault she was in love, but now the only thing he would feel is satisfaction.

He punches the ground as the pain pluses up his arm.

"Was that poisonousness? are you tryin to kill me?' he calls out once more, "Lucy-Grey! I said are- you- trying -to- kill- me?'

he picks up his gun once more and begins to hunt. He needed to kill her fast so he could get back to the medical Centre. It wouldn't do to die just as he is winning.

Singing could be heard and he whips in its direction before the mocking jays picked it up. Soft footed he follows, pushing down large bush with his gun.

he must have spooked her as she took of running gaining his attention. He fired a shot, and he could see her stumble, possibly hit, but she kept running.

He took off after her, his heavy pointed gun slowing him down. he pushes through the forest to where he expected her to be laying and begging for her life but finds the spot empty.

She was there, he suspects bending down to pick up her earring, but now lost to the sounds of the forest and damn mocking jays.

He lets off the camber into the sky hopping to kill some of the birds to quiten the sound. He ran out of bullets before he could make a difference.

It didn't matter she wouldn't survive out here on her own, and she would be too smart to show her face in district 12 again with the mayor and now officer Coriolanus looking out for her. When he returned to base he could explain to commander Hoff that he followed a rebel into the forest where he was attacked by the snake. He would suggest that a fence be put up around the district so no other lesser peace keeper would die, and no better rebel could make it their base.

Then he would find where Mabel lived, and take her away with him.

The idea fueled his movements as he packed up the guns and sunk them in the water. But as he let go for them to sink, he realized all the holes in his plan.

Even if he could convince her to come to the station with him by a gun in her side, subdued with threats to her family. How would he convince Commander Hoff to let her on the train. Could he somehow sneak her on the train past the people. Would they allow him to bring a luggage so large to officer training. And even if he managed to get her to district 2 how would he keep her a secret.

No. He had to leave her. Wait until he plowed through officer training and got back to the Capital. From there he could figure out how to bring her to him.

It was a delight when Dr Gaul called him back to the Capital instead. He had wanted to angle himself into a higher position, perhaps finish university, before he made his move. But thoughts of her marrying, giving up what was his, plagued his mind.

He wasn't regretful as he stood out in the cold. It wasn't a lie when he told Dr Gaul she was effecting his work. It was hard to stay focused in University, and in his apprenticeship. The districts married young never knowing how much time they truly had left.

It was a dangerous place and Mabel was in habit of offering a helping hand to crook and traitors. It was best that she took her place beside him now. He would just have to learn how to juggle yet another thing.

he wouldn't have much time for her between work, university, the steep climb to the top, and keeping favor with the Plinths as they doted on him as a son. But Tigress and Grandma'am would keep her company within the walls of the Snow penthouse.

He still lived with them. kept under his watchful eye and protection. He could now offer them a life that the head of the Snow household should be able to offer. The least they could do was look after his girl while he was away.

He straightened up as a small commander and a handful of peace keepers make their way across the platform.

A large peace keeper carried a small girl in his arms. She was unconscious. Not what he had asked, but perhaps made it easier on all parties.

He jumps down from the carriage as they near. He could see her cheek was swollen and busied. Her brown hair stuck together with mud and twigs. Her skin is dirty, bare and covered in goosebumps from the cold.

Still he considered her beautiful.

"give her to me" He demanded, readying his arms to take her. Mabel is slipped into them. She dirties his suit but he doesn't mind.

"tell the Conductor we are ready to go".

With his strength he hauls them both up into the private carriage. He takes her to the booth and lays her down so her feet were by the window and her head was resting on his thigh.

He shoves off her gloves so he could unbutton his coat and rest the soft material over her. It was warm in the cabin but he could feel a slight shake of her soaked body.

The train takes off and pushes him slightly back into his seat from the force. Once it gained a steady pace, the servants rose from their compartments and entered the cabin to serve coffee and cake.

They left him at his request, and remained drinking coffee and eating treats with one hand while the other laid upon Mabel's shoulder.

He was sure once they reached home he would get a lot of good work done. It would be early morning by the time the train reached the station. By the time he got her home, tigress and Grandma'am would surely be awake and having breakfast.

Grandma'am would be no bother. From a young age she allowed Coriolanus to do as he pleased. But Tigress would inundate him with questions and demands. He wondered if she would still be sleeping at this point in time. he hoped she would. Feilding question from two angry women at once might be too much for him to bare.

Until that point he allowed himself to enjoy this time. He was sure it would be some time before he got Mabel quiet again. The silence allowed him to plan his week. Summer break was coming up which meant he all his assignments were due. The Pliniths had wanted him to come vacation with them but now that wasn't a possibility. He would have to make up a story of Grandma'am ill health.

He could see the sun peeking up, and knew they must be close. Going into a tunnel being surrounded by vast nothingness and emerging through the city Centre, Coriolanus knew he had gotten away with it. He had the money, the power, and now the girl. All that was left was presidency, and that was ever so fast flying into his reach with the help of Dr Gaul.

The train stops and announces its arrival. he picks her up, wrapped in his coat and jumps off the train before the servants could position the ramp.

he ignores their warm wishes and heads straight to his chaffeur waiting outside of the station. He again ignores any form of greeting as he enters into the car. The driver closes the door he was holding open, asking as he sat back in the drivers seat if home was the destination.

A simple yes and the car took off.

he held Mabel on his lap as they drove home. He could see the driver look back in his mirror and Coriolanus wanted to put the divider up between them but didn't want to take his hands off his Mabel to do so.

It wasn't a long drive home, and he found himself barking at his driver to hurry up and open his door. Despite what was awaiting for him at home.

With the elevator now restored, he didn't have to carry her up flights of stairs. It was too early for the residents to be up and heading to work but the quicker he got Mabel inside the more secure he felt that when time came he could sell her as a unknown recluse heiress without too much trouble.

His keys were in his pocket which he couldn't reach without letting her go. Instead his shoes kick the bottom of the door and tigress is quick to answer.

'Coryo! oh my god"

He pushes past her, heading across the room to where Grandma'am sat at the breakfast table.

'What happened? is she alright". Tigress follows him to where he stood.

"She looks district!" Grandma'am muttered with disgust.

Tigress Places her hand across Mable's forehead to check for fever. She had always done it to Coriolanus as a child.

He shifts her away from Tigress's touch. He wanted to be the one that looked after her, and if Tigress felt even a slight fever he would never be able to shoo her away.

"What happened?" she asked again, peering over his shoulder to the thankfully still unconscious girl.

"Let me put her down first, Tigress" Coriolanus demanded.

he walked past Grandma'am at the table who had resumed eating her breakfast, to his room. He kicks the door closed behind him and lies Mable on his bed.

She had dried but so had the mud. It cacked her dress and along her legs. She would need a good bath and Coriolanus would need new bed sheets but for the moment he settled for retrieving a warm wash cloth from his bathroom and rubbing the dirt from her face.

She stirred a little, and he thought for a second she would wake up to see him hovering over her with a rag in his hand. But she didn't.

He thought about kissing her after seeing her deep state, but she was covered in dirt. He wasn't entirely sure that his lips would even meet skin.

It was a good thing too. He had enough to explain to Tigress who would have busted into his room at the exact moment.

"Who is she?" Tigress whispered.

Coriolanus ignored her and began to take off Mabel's muddy boots. His long fingers undid the laces and pulled the shoe, throwing them across the room.

'Coriolanus!'

He strode over and took Tigress arm leading her back to the living room. He leaves the door open so he could hear if Mabel woke.

"She'll be staying with us for a while"

the rest of her life.

"Why?" a valid question that Coriolanus couldn't truthfully answer.

"I saved her. They were going to kill her in the districts" not a whole lie.

"But why bring her here? is she hurt?". Good hearted Tigress was going to be dreadfully upset when she found out the truth.

"She'll be staying here. And I need you, Tigress to be friend's with her. Look after her while i am away".

"I don't understand" She begins but is cut off.

"You don't need to understand. You just need to do as your told. Haven't I been good to you? Didn't I bring us from ruin to give you everything you deserved?".

"Yes, Coriolanus, but-"

"Do this for me, Tigress" he begs.

She looks up to him and sees her little cousin. Her darling, little cousin who she would do anything for.

"Okay, Coriolanus".

He kisses her cheek and lets her go.

"Coriolanus" his Grandma'am exclaimed, "You're clothes are filthy".

-------

Mabel wakes with a fright. She springs her body up upon the soft bed and panics. She could see high, well built buildings out of the window against blue skies. They had taken her to the capital.

She looks around the room to see the door wide open. She sprints to it running out and down the hall. Her bare feet slapping against the ground.

She skids along the floor to a halt having seen the three high members of society.

Coriolanus could only have thought of two worse times she could have woken up. He was hopping to get a few more hours to take his weekly meeting with Dr Gual and return home to complete his next assignment.

But she stood now in front of him with wild eyes. The Snows had taken to having tea in the living room.

Coriolanus dropped his cup down and rose to speak to her but she took it as a sign of aggression and lunged to take a cheese knife off the table.

Grandma'am shrieked at the sight.

'I don't want to hurt you" Mabel spoke.

"You don't need to. You're safe" Tigress consoles

"Where am I?" the girl asked in a hard voice.

'The capital" Coriolanus answered. It was the first thing he had ever said to her.

"I know that. Where in the Capital. The prison?".

"Take a look around you. Not much of a prison". Coriolanus takes a step froward and Mabel holds out her cheese knife.

The Avoxes had left the platter to enjoy as they drank their tea. Now Coriolanus wished he had thrown the board out after them.

"is that were I am heading?" .

Coriolanus doesn't answer but takes a step forwards.

"For heavens sake, Coriolanus. Stop, You're scaring the poor girl" Tigress rose also to regain her cousin but he was too far out to reach to grab without causing the girl to act rash.

"Coriolanus" his name sounded heavenly from her lips, "you take another step and i promise I'll dig this knife into your stomach".

"I am not going to hurt you" he promises.

'I might hurt you" Mabel retorts.

"Get her, Coriolanus!" grandma'am urges and he shudders at himself loosing what remained of his good guy image.

"You're not going to the Capital prison. Just give me the knife and we can have a cup of tea and talk about this".

He holds out his hand expectedly but she keeps grip of it.

"If not for the prison. What am I here for?"

That was a question he could not answer in front of his cousin and grandma.

He points to the kitchen area as if some one was there, 'Get her" he yells to no one.

Mabel stupidly looks giving Coriolanus a chance to get close enough to pin her to the wall. He lays his forearm against her chest, keeping her flat against the wall, using his other hand to clamp down upon her fingers, repeatedly hitting her hand against the wall until she lost grip of the knife.

He kicks it backwards across the floor. He can hear Tigress calling out to him and Grandam'am cheering.

But the fight wasn't beaten out of her yet. His proximity allowed her to bite down on his shoulder. Her bruised cheek no longer a concern or mystery for him.

He groans throwing her to the floor, where he promptly picked her up again before she could catch her breath. He wraps his arms around hers and pulls her to her feet, pushing behind her back to his room.

She kicks and wails in his arms, but she was a starving district girl and he was a well built man. He gets her there with little trouble and throws her to the ground over the doors threshold. She is hardly on her feet before he locked the door.

Tigress had followed him. He didn't notice until her hand went flat against the wooden door. Pressing against the noise of mabel's banging.

"You can't leave her like this".

"She made the choice. I was happy to leave her in the living room with you".

he takes tigress back to the living room once more pushing on the small of her back.

'i am late already. Make sure Grandma'am doesn't call any peace keepers, while i am gone".

"where are you going?" Tigress wraps herself around his arm as he walks to the door.

'i have to met with Doctor Gaul" he explains to Tigress, "leave her there. I'll get out as quick as I can, until I do Just leave her to kick and scream. She dangerous, Tigress. Do not try and open that door".

The only key to his room hangs on his key chain but tigress was a innovative women.

"She's only a girl" Tigress counteracts.

"A district girl!' grandma'am yells.

he turns to meet her gaze.

"I'll be home as soon as I can" He looks in his cousins eyes for defiance, "Can i trust you?".

"Of course" her loyalty lied with him.

"The door remains locked until I get home then".

He shrugs off her hold as he puts on one of his old coats, and runs out the building with dirty clothes on.

-----

"You're nearly an half an hour late, Mr Snow".

Dr Gaul was in the same position as yesterday. Digging into a poor animal, trying to manufacture it as it screams.

"I know". The driver who was weary after waiting all day and night yesterday was not on top of his game in getting Coriolanus here.

She eyes his dirty clothes under his coat. Nothing left unnoticed in her presence.

'i take it you got your girl after you left me yesterday"

"i did"

''And i take it she wasn't all that happy to see you".

Coriolanus felt slightly upset that she didn't seem to remember him from his peace keeping days. To be fair, it was Lucy-grey she was focused on. She loved music and dancing, coming to every gig and staying at the front the whole night while Coriolanus watched from the back. Maybe it was for the best. He could present himself as a new man.

"She was ecstatic".

Dr Gaul put down after tools, and the animal stop squealing dead.

"So that's happy blood soaking through your shirt"

Coriolanus looks to his injured shoulder to see it leaking blood. Her biting wasn't a warning.

he huffs out and squeezes his eyes shut annoyed.

"Give me todays assignment. I'll do it at home".

Dr Gaul rises from her chair and pushes his coat and shirt aside to examine the bite wound. He stands still and allows her to.

"No assignment today. You look like you've got your hands quite full".

She places a hand on his bit shoulder and he drops it away in pain.

Dr Gaul begins one of her horrid laughs.

"this one might survive you after all".

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

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#coriolanus snow #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #dark!coriolanus snow #tigris snow #hunger games #lucy gray baird

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carbone14 · 5 months

Text

Tigre I Ausf.E S21 de la 2e division SS Das Reich sur le champ de bataille de Prokhorovka – Bataille de Koursk (Opération Citadelle pour les allemands) – Union soviétique – 12 juillet 1943

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lychgate · 4 months

Note

Echo brain comic?? My beloved?

this one's pretty new and id like to in the least get some segments drawn up if i can

i went balls deep in depth about my personal ideas of Echo's structure and how it works, it has much more writing rn then art lemme get some snippets:

tech and echo begin digging around in his wiring as echo's health has lately began to decline rapidly. Blood transfusions are becoming daily, exhaustion occurs much quicker, and newest to the issues are these seemingly random seizures. They've attempted many outside options at remedying the problem but it was becoming urgently clear that the only way to get answers would be to open up his system and understand exactly how his body operates from the inside out. Echo is mostly on edge because he fears finding the answer that is he's just doomed to die soon, and that his body was in no way sustainable outside of that fridge. He fears the idea of dying so much that he has manic considerations of being put back in some sort of stasis chamber. Death, which he never feared prior to the citadel, but now he's come to be you know uhhh quite traumatized from it. But he also hates the idea of that fridge!! caught between two terrible options, wowie here ill add some more breakdown of that in a read more if anyone is interested in paragraphs of bullshit:

as for a brief descriptor on the shit on his head and body, from this paragraph:

Tech: these rivets across your skull are not simple ports one can just plug into. They're a very unique structure, containing an extremely delicate, but long system of thin metallic fibers wiring throughout your brain. These 'rivets' then act as anchors to those metal fibers, which then respond to very specific electric signals that we can access at the nodes on the surface here. If the signals sent are not exact. Well. Echo: yeah I get it I get it.

and some write up on how Tech begins to diagnose the problem:

Eventually Tech will find his way into deeper functions of the brain, finding shortcuts that were already developed by the Techno Union scientists for the sake of their own equipment likely. Categorized sections for monitoring all sorts of chemicals and levels within Echo's body, most of which were left on an automatic function to regulate.

Tech begins to understand that the key issue is that this program, and these automatic functions, were fitted for exactly the stasis chamber Echo had been put in, and if they want to begin fixing Echos phsyical body, he would have to start going in and coding line for line, functions that pertain to the body on a sustainability outside that fridge. Some functions were completely turned off, being that Echo was getting fed certain synthesized chemicals thru the machine, his brain had to be telling itself NOT to produce said things naturally.

But it's all very finicky work that requires continuous maintenance and updates, not much unlike a patch update to any other computer program, except this is Echo's life. It's an impossible amount of code to do in any short time frame, and so Tech will begin splicing lines of code from similar organic droids with systems of similar complexity.

They handle these sessions once per week, giving time for Echo's body to catch up and adjust. At first he begins feeling some nausea, his heart rate starts rising, but he insists something feels good about it and urges Tech to keep going. Echo begins to feel warmth back in his body, his mood increases, after about a month hair begins to grow again, muscle mass fills in what once was skeletal limbs, nail beds regain a lively shine. Besides a few errors in updates like over producing a chemical or small bouts of insomnia, everything seems On Course.

and then:

So now we get into the meat of the drama, which is a lot of Echo mania and identity issues:

By this point Tech has outfitted much easier screw on parts so they can go in and out of this program faster (the set up previously was hours of work) so pulling that up he theorizes that he will have to do more then just reverse programs that the Techno Union set up. Tech now believes he'll have to create NEW systems, as the old program appears to be getting corrupted from all of Tech's editing. The seizures are, at this point to their best guess, coming from this. That parts of his brain are literally crashing, and soon he's going to start having more serious issues like bro is gonna just have a massive stroke at some point. Tech points that out all regular voice and Echo is just 'great im back in the mental swamp' Now that Echo's learned that he has corrupted files eating away at his brain, and that the chance of having a massive stroke is like inevitable, he's back to feeling like anxious shit. It doesn't help that this will take Tech a lot of time to figure out. Truthfully he's putting as much effort as he can into it, but this is when Echo begins to get Really mentally unwell. He's both worrying and also trying NOT to worry out of fear that it's going to complicate the program even more. Echo begins to have identity issues, coming to rely more on the mechanics then the organics that make him. He doesn't feel like a human with robot parts anymore, he feels like a robot with human parts.

and it keeps going like there's parts where echo is begging Tech to up programs on dopamine generation and Tech has to turn him down cause that would just be creating an addiction problem, situations where Echo starts trying to mess with his own brain, situations where he tries to kill Tech, its a lot of rambling but im not a writer, like i can't write for shit and I'd like to try and draw it instead

#my art #tbb #tbb echo

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playitagin · 10 months

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1943-Battle of Kursk

German forces begin a massive offensive against the Soviet Union at the Battle of Kursk, also known as Operation Citadel.

#Jul.5.1943 #Operation Citadel #Battle of Kursk #World War II #German-Soviet war #eastern front #history today

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internetskiff · 7 months

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I'm such a sucker for the Citadel and how it changes over the course of Half Life 2 and it's episodes. I'd argue it's almost like a character going through it's own arc, in a way. The Citadel is (quite literally) a massive organism, a parasite planted into the soil by an unseen force from the skies, spreading it's cords to consolidate it's power over City 17. It's the Combine embodied in a single towering, shrieking and hateful monolith. It's cold and clinical voice decides the fate of entire city blocks. This is the thing that ordered the slaughter of an entire apartment block simply because Freeman happened to go through it. In it's eyes, Freeman is a cancer that must be eradicated as soon as possible.

And it fails. Time and time again Freeman slips away from the Combine Soldiers - the Citadel's Killer T Cells. And all it can do is ramp up the intensity with which it tries to destroy him, ravaging City 17 first, before eventually resorting to tearing itself apart in the hopes it's final dying shriek will bring the full might of the Combine down onto earth.

The Combine love to incorporate biology into technology. The massive translucent veins strung about the Citadel's entire structure have already been brought up a lot, but I've never seen anyone bring up the Reactor. It's like the nucleus of a cell. Or a heart, one beating out of control as the body housing it rapidly deteriorates. This isn't something Freeman caused - this is the Combine's attempt at retaliation. This is the Citadel destroying itself in hopes it can bring Freeman down with it. The Citadel is gradually leaking radiation into it's own body as it's reactor slowly breaks down it's own containment - all culminating in one final blast that would hopefully cleanse City 17 and the surrounding environment of all life.

And even when it's dead, it's carcass charred and splintered open, it still poses a threat to the resistance. The Superportal looms over humanity's head as one final echo of the power the Citadel once held over them. At this point, humanity was as good as dead in the Combine's eyes. The moment the Superportal blossomed open and the first Dropship came through, everyone's fate would be sealed. And even though it's body is dead, it's voice somehow survived, continuing to command the stranded remnants of the Combine's skeleton crew in order to ensure the Superportal could reach maturity. It kept raising the stakes until it completely destroyed itself. It's sort of sad the Citadel basically takes it's leave from the story in Episode 2. Even if a third installment were to happen, the Citadel simply can't play a role anymore - it's arc is finished, leaving behind nothing but a ruined city and chunks of red hot radioactive metal. It really shows how the Combine truly operates - it doesn't give, it only takes, and what it can't take it burns to the ground.

#half life #half life 2 #hl #hl2 #the citadel #the combine #universal union #rambling

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thedarlingdearestdead · 6 months

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Calling for back up:

Summary: During a battle you and Anakin are split up from the troops and you get injured! Anakin gets so worried that he calls for back-up?! The man is down bad...

Warnings: None - some violence and gore?

Word count: 1,550

“Everyone fall back! We need to create a defensive line around the citadel's entrance. Everyone except you. You stay with me.” You rolled your eyes but separated yourself from the clones and other Jedi. Anakin had a proclivity towards favouritism, and no patience for subtlety. And ever since… well… He liked to keep you close.

Anakin pulled you aside into a more secluded corridor. The sounds of blaster fire and the shouts of soldiers faded into the background, and you were left in the relative calm of the citadel's inner halls.

"Anakin, what's going on?" you asked, your tone laced with curiosity. You were accustomed to his sporadic nature and… unpredictability (recklessness), but this felt different.

He turned to you with a focused expression. "There's something about this situation that doesn't add up. The Separatists' attack was too well-timed, too precise. I have a feeling there's more to it than meets the eye.”

You nodded, understanding his concern. The Force had a way of speaking to Anakin, and he had learned to heed its warnings. "What do you want to do?”

Anakin's gaze bore into yours, his blue eyes reflecting determination. "We need to investigate. We'll find out who's behind this, and why they targeted this citadel. It could be more than just a strategic location.”

Without hesitation, you followed him deeper into the citadel, moving with a stealth that only Jedi could master. Your lightsabers were at the ready, their hum resonating through the corridors as you navigated the labyrinthine structure. At some point his free hand had gripped yours, he kept you behind him, used this point of contact to communicate with you, squeezing when he heard something, felt something. Brushing it when it was safe. There was a familiar intimacy and easy feeling between you two despite the dire circumstances. It was nice when he touched you, usually it was reserved for behind closed doors. Though the two of you were alone, it made you blush that he would dare. But after a moment it felt normal, so natural as it always was when he held you.

"We're getting closer," Anakin whispered, his eyes locked onto the chamber's entrance. You could feel the tension in the air, a growing sense of urgency.

A dark chamber loomed before you, a silent enigma waiting to be unveiled. Anakin and you moved as one, a seamless blend of your senses and skills, lightsabers ready to respond to any threat that might emerge.

There was something lurking beneath the surface, something that had prompted Anakin to want to travel in here alone. One of his bad feelings no doubt. He squeezed your hand suddenly. Anakin's blue eyes were fixed on the entrance. As he sensed the approach of an unknown figure, he gestured for you to stay hidden in the shadows and released you, his lightsaber concealed but at the ready, you prepared yourself similarly.

The lights in the hall flickered to a blinding brightness, and the doors either side of the room sprung open. This was not an attack on you but seemed to be some sort of emergency system operating remotely. Anakin looked back at you confused, but got his answer when a large group of stately looking figures came rushing into the chamber. It was the trade federation! They must have thought they were safe in this citadel, must have been meeting or hiding here. You grinned slightly that your forces had shaken them, and shuffled further backwards to avoid their notice.

As the figures rushed into the chamber, their panic and confusion were palpable. Anakin and you remained concealed in the shadows, watching as the unfolding events provided an unexpected opportunity for you to gather valuable information.

The representatives were shouting orders to one another, their holographic devices and data pads filled with what was likely sensitive information. They seemed unaware of your presence, the shadows providing effective cover. But they were also flanked with droids, it was a matter o time before you would be revealed.

Anakin was well-versed in their trade language and could understand their chatter, which might contain crucial information about their motives for the attack and their connections to the Sith Lord. He seemed to be thinking hard. As you both listened, you couldn't help but wonder why the Trade Federation had infiltrated the citadel in the first place. This was not a rich planet, nor was it important politically.

But you didn’t get a chance to finish that thought before they spotted you. It began shouts and droid fire, which you and your partner could easily dodge and deflect with your lightsaber blades. But heavier artillery was moving in behind the group, and you and Anakin were against a wall. Or so you thought, Anakin had been clever enough to notice the door panel which freed you into an attached hallway. He grabbed your hand once again, pulling your hand and the door closed behind you. He slashed at the control switch to disable the lock before turning back to you.

Somewhere in the fire, probably during your retreat you hadn’t covered your back, and now in the stillness of this temporary safety you were feeling the consequences, it seemed you had turned away at the wrong moment. You had allowed a blaster to get through to you.

Your hands go to your lower stomach, where a mark had forced itself through, they come back covered in blood. Anakin blanched and rushed to your side.

“Ok Y/N, take my arm… or just fall on me that’s fine.” Anakin swayed only slightly as the full weight of your body slumped onto his side. He sighed and prayed to the force he could get you to safety and complete this mission for the order. Though if he were honest he would easily forsake the mission if it meant your life. That would not be ideal however. He propped you up against his shoulder, barely conscious, and did a quick evaluation of the situation. He would not leave you here to pursue the federation leaders, but he could not let them escape.

Your wound would probably not be fatal, by his reckoning it had not truly damaged your organs, and he had seen you survive much worse. But he would not take his chances. He did something then that he was loathe to do. He called for help.

For once in his life, he actually picked up his holo-communicator and pressed the red button, saved only for the worst of emergencies. He communicated the gathering of those figures, he sent off your coordinates, he felt through the force to find Obi Wan, or any of the other generals on the planet. He sent them the full force of his panic.

Because you were looking very pale, and the pounding on the door was only growing louder. “Hey are you with me?” He said, your head had been bent forward, eyes closed in pain. He lifted your cheek with his spare hand and felt a huge rush of relief when he met your gaze.

“I’m here. Anakin, we have to move.”

“Can you do that for me?”

You tried to straighten up but only increased your hold on him, his muscled flexed around your waist and held you firmly. “I think so.”

It was only a matter of time before the Trade Federation broke through. You could hear the sounds of blaster fire and droids clanking in the background, the chaos of battle raging on. Together, you and Anakin moved down the hallway, his eyes scanned down each turn and empty room on your way out, he was watching, listening, waiting for something. His mind was racing as he considered his options. He could sense that Obi Wan and the others were getting closer, but he didn't know if they would arrive in time to save you.

When sounds of heightened fighting reached your ears you looked over and him and saw his face a vision of relief. Did he… Call for back-up?

With the knowledge that the battle would be won for the Republic forces, Anakin hooked his lightsaber back onto his belt, stopped walking for a moment and scooped you up. Flinching when he heard your barely concealed moan of pain. Your robes had become sickly with blood, he prayed that he could get you out of the building, find a medic, get off this forsaken planet.

Anakin sprinted towards a nearby transport, his feet pounding the pavement as he moved with incredible speed. He ran with you in his arms, his heart pounding in his chest.

Later, as the ship took off, with Anakin panting but holding fast to your hand, you on a stretcher with a million droids bustling around with syringes and blood bags, the levity of his actions hit home.

A man so adverse to any kind of help, aid, direction, had dropped all of his pride for the sake of your life. He had abandoned his mission, his role, his duty, to get you to safety. While the loyalty of the Jedi order was strong, you weren’t sure you would get such treatment from any of your other colleagues.

And as Anakin saw you there, pale as death but alive… Alive because of him. He knew he would do it again.

#star wars fanfiction #star wars prequels #anakin x reader #clone wars #star wars fandom #anakin skywalker x reader #anakin skywalker #star wars #star wars anakin #anakin skywalker x you #anakin skywalker x female reader

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