#protect herself while he searches desperately for it without finding it ever

[norrizzandpia]

i am Politely Asking for the lando post-race imagine you mentioned 👀👀👀

Your guys’ wish is my command 🤭

All He Needed Was Her (LN4)

Summary: Following the Vegas ‘23 crash, Y/n and Adam find Lando in his hospital bed, yearning for the comfort of his girlfriend’s touch.

Warnings: a panic attack, inferences of death, Lando crashing

Note: that crash was so hard to watch and i still have not recovered

Silence encompassed the space around her, her mind sick with the images of Lando’s crash. What she thought could potentially be his first race win had turned into her worst nightmare as Lando’s car laid smashed against the protecting fences. Her mouth stayed agape as she listened to her boyfriend’s broken “I’m ok,” followed by concerning whimpers and groans. Her eyes frantically searched the room, the faces of his loved ones burned into her brain with their watery eyes and panicked looks. She couldn’t bear the tension within the space, the expressions of the people around her like he had died. The room closed in on her quickly, allowing for no space to breathe or get out of the anxiety filling her lungs. She felt trapped, a panic attack coming on inevitably when she saw the way his hand shook, his arms trying to push himself out of the car yet failing continuously.

She shoved the headset off her ears, shutting out the taunting sounds, before throwing herself into the crowd behind her and pushing them to the side as she tried desperately to claw herself out. She couldn’t turn her head back to see the screens, not even when applauding emitted and a good sign emerged. Y/n reached the door, her hand grasping the handle and hesitating. A large hand grasping her shoulder called her back, willing her to open her eyes and see the survival of her love. When she turned around, her eyes looking up, she was met with the soft look of Adam, Lando’s father.

No matter how comforting he was trying to be, his bloodshot eyes reminded her of the risks her boyfriend took, the chances of him not getting out of that car after a race.

It was too much.

Her heart beat out of her chest and she struggled to find air, her impending anxiety surely, gradually, painfully encroaching her being.

Adam, being familiar with the anxiety attacks his son got, saw the signs, opening the door behind her quickly and shoving her into the empty hallway. His hands landed on her biceps, gripping them as he shook her gently.

“Y/n?” His voice was distant and Y/n wanted to run toward it, however nothing was ever that easy.

He tried again, “Y/n, breathe with me.”

Her mind understood, her lungs expanding shortly as he began to inhale. Tears seeped through the crack of her lips, adding to the drowning she felt she was enduring.

She blubbered and sobbed as she tried to follow his pattern, proving difficult when suffocation seemed probable.

Nevertheless, Adam’s determination triumphed, her mind slowing down as her body caught up.

He looked at her with pity as she came down, his eyes swimming in a certain sympathy she didn’t recognize. This was deeper, he was seeing the pain she was bearing, relating to it because of the exact connection they both nurtured with the boy.

His hands left her arms, stilling at his sides as he began to coax her toward his driver’s room, “How about you rest for a while? That seemed really bad.”

She shook her head immediately, “No, I need to be awake for Lando. What if he needs to go to the hospital?”

Adam closed his eyes as he nudged her into the small room, “Then, I will come wake you. But, for now, he’s going to go to the circuit’s medical center and there’s nothing we can do. It’s best if you allow yourself to relax after that.”

She knew he was right, more so because he sounded exactly like his son. When she had these horrid experiences, Lando was right beside her immediately, gently leading her to any surface where she could lie down. He knew exactly how to make it go away, she never expected to have to do it without him or because of him. He was consistently advocating for her rest after an attack, something that always helped her recover more quickly.

That memory, those habitual instances, persuaded her to give in to Adam’s pleas. He smiled at her as she brought a blanket over her body, Lando’s scent encompassing her body.

“I promise I’ll be back when I have updates.”

She nodded, trusting him like she had for the past few years, “Okay, thank you.”

He closed the door with a nod, the dark haunting her enough to close her eyes and lean into the quiet, peaceful embrace of sleep.

—

She was awoken by shaking, more specifically Adam’s hands shaking her upper body.

“Y/n, wake up.” He whispered, his words guiding her back to the world.

Her eyes fluttered open, “Yeah?”

He seemed stoic, rigid and stressed, something that made Y/n truly wake up, “Lando’s at the hospital. They said we can meet him there.”

She shot up from her laid down position, “What?! The hospital?! Is he okay?!”

His father sighed beside her, getting up and showing how antsy he was to move when he lingered by the door, “I don’t know.”

—

The pair burst through the doors of the hospital, launching themselves at the nurses who sat behind the desk. Their words mixed together as they sputtered out his name, occupation, and situation. This proved to be inefficient because the women looked back at them blankly.

Y/n tried again, “We are here to see Lando Norris. He is a Formula 1 driver and he was involved in an accident.”

It dawns on the employee and her head tilts slightly, “I can’t give out information on him because of his status and occupation. I am sorry. Unless you can prove you are family to him then I can’t give you anything.”

Adam’s hand flew to his pocket, whipping out his wallet and showing her his identification, proving his blood relation to Lando. Y/n watched with a heavy heart as she realized she had nothing to show, she wasn’t family. She was crushed as she realized he would be able to go on to see their boy without her.

When the woman gave him the room number, she gave it to him on paper so as to deter anyone overhearing, he bolted. He was right at the door that led to another hallway when he stopped and turned around, motions for Y/n to follow him.

“I need to see your proof of family relations.” The nurse beside her said expectantly whilst Adam moved back over to the desk.

She shook her head, “I’m his girlfriend. I don’t have proof of blood relations.”

The nurse shrugged, “Then, I’m sorry, I can’t have you go through.”

Y/n opened her mouth to fight back, but Adam interrupted her, “No, she has to. I’ve just shown you I’m his father, take my word for it. Please. My son needs her right now.”

The nurse seemed to be at a crossroads as her gaze flickered between Adam and Y/n. Finally, she nodded curtly and the two were running throughout the building. Down different hallways within the floor, they quickly reached his room. Without thinking, Adam charged in, a strong wave of emotion hitting him when he saw his son wrapped up in a hospital bed.

“Lando,” He sighed, arms falling around Lando’s body as he squeezed him softly, careful with him.

“Hi, dad. Thank you for coming. I’m sorry if I scared you.” He mumbled into his shoulder, hand laying loosely over the back of his father.

Y/n watched from the corner, tears pricking the sides of her eyes at the sight of him. She watched as they pulled back, Lando’s eyes meeting hers and softening with relief before Adam was coughing and excusing himself from the room.

When they were left alone, she walked slowly to him. She stood in front of him for a moment, both individuals taking in the other after the traumatic time apart. When he had had enough of not holding her in his arms, Lando reached out and pulled her closer to his body, arms linking around her hips as he stuffed his face into her chest. She breathed out as her hands tangled in his hair, both of them memorizing the way the other calmed them in such a state.

He clung to her, breathing steady as she whispered sweet, quiet words of love and encouragement to him.

“Sit with me?” He asked with a low volume, pulling back slightly and looking up at her.

She could never say no to his deep green eyes, “Always.”

He shifted to the side as she slid in next to him. She watched the way his eyes lingered over her lap. Chuckling, Y/n sat further against the wall, “Lay your head on my lap, baby.”

He smiled at her brightly, a childlike grin as he shuffled down and set his curly hair over her pants.

A silence passed before she was whispering again, “I love you so much. It was so scary seeing you crash today and I just could not live a life without you. I love you, Lan. You’ve ruined my life for the better. There’s no way I could ever go a day without you.”

He nodded below her, “I can’t either. I kept asking for you when I was at the circuit after the crash, but they kept telling me I couldn’t have any visitors with the impact I had just endured. I was so angry, all I wanted was you. I’ve been like a sitting duck as I stared at the wall and waited for you to arrive. But, now that you’re here, I already feel like I’m getting better. That’s your impact on me. I love you too, love. Being without you for that was worse than the crash itself.”

She looked down at him, leaning over to kiss his temple. When he felt the pressure, he turned his head. She had been pulling back, but got the hint when he looked up at her expectantly. He giggled as she leaned back down, meeting his lips with her own in an intimate, soft kiss.

When they pulled back, she watched his eyes slowly close when she began massaging his scalp and tugging gently at his brown hair. He moaned quietly at the feeling, stroking his hand over her leg as she comforted him with just her presence.

He buried his face further into her lap, breathing her in. By the change of angle, she lost sight of his face, only relying on the monitor to tell her he had fallen asleep when it evened out, reaching a rhythm.

Only then did Adam return, smiling lightly at his sleeping son laying in the lap of his girlfriend. Truly the sweetest sight, he thought, something he would’ve taken a picture of had Y/n been asleep as well.

He sat in the chair beside them, cocking his head at her.

“Thank you.”

The two words caused Y/n’s eyebrows to draw together, confusion etched into her face, “For what?”

Adam sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “For being there for him. Not just now, but all the time. He’s always put everyone else first. He’s always made it the biggest priority to make others feel good when he wasn’t at all. Cisca and I always wished for someone to come along and take care of him right back. Turns out our wishing wasn’t in vain. Here you are and he’s finally understanding what it’s like to be loved that way.”

Y/n stared at him for a moment, eyes averting back to her sleeping boyfriend strewn across her lap, before choking out, “Thank you, Adam. That means the world from you.”

“Just speaking the truth.” He shrugged, leaning back in his chair before kicking his legs up toward the end of the bed. He watched her lean her head back, scumming to sleep just like Lando, her hands still buried in his hair.

That was when he took the picture, sending it to the Norris Family group chat, it including Y/n, and assuring the members of Lando’s wellness.

Adam (2:35 AM)

Image Attachment

Adam (2:35 AM)

Lando’s okay! Don’t worry! All he needed was some medication to calm his nerves and Y/n 🧡

#mclaren #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #f1 fic #lando norris x reader #lando norris imagine #lando norris fanfic #lando norris fluff #lando norris imagines #mclaren formula 1 #lando norris fanfiction #lando norris fic #lando x reader #lando imagine #lando norris #lando norris x you #lando norris edit #las vegas gp 2023

[onskepa]

Can I get a Mother Mo'at x female human reader.

Where Mo'at found the reader when she was a baby. Then Mo'at I dunno does some sort of ritual for the reader to be able to breath on Pandora without using a mask.

I think it would be kinda wholesome to see Mo'at treating the reader as if she were her own child 🥺

Neytiri probably being the overprotective big sister over the reader, especially since she is human.

Imagine Jake's reaction to seeing the reader on Pandora and breathing without a mask or an avatar as if it's normal-

I just imagine Neytiri dragging the reader with her while she has to teach Jake and the reader laughs at Jake when he does something wrong.

I MOTHERFUCKING LOVE YOU!! YES!! HERE IT IS!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!

Stxeli series

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

A daughter for a daughter

Mo'at wasn't herself after the death of her first born daughter. Sylwanin. Her daughter was truly a wonderful na'vi, one with so much potential. Yet the sky people took that away from her.

After her death, mo'at forbade all na'vi from getting anywhere near hell's gate or any sky demon for that matter. For months she wouldn't let neytiri do anything outside of the territory, in fear she lose her only other child too.

Eytukan tried his best to coax and ease his mate's inner wounds. Yet he himself suffers from the lose of his child. He may be leader, but he too, is a father. To see his sweet child be born and grow, hopes and wonder's of what Sylwanin was to become. Yet they took her from that.

Mo'at needed to clear her head one day. And left to go beyond the clan's territory to search for herbs and other materials for medicine. It was to clear her head, but nothing was working. She prays to Eywa every day and night, she doesn't question her great mother's reasons, but desire this inner wound to ease.

Suddenly, a woodsprites appeared, not just one, nor two, not even three!! but many slowly make their way towards mo'at. She gasps and carefully looks and listen. Trying to understand the message Eywa is bestowing on her. The seeds began to make a line, a trail, they wanted her to follow, so she did.

As she moves, she began to notice the seeds were leading her to hell's gate. Daring not to question, she slowly moves forward, making sure the sky demons dont notice her. Luckly, night approaches so the ecosystem disguised her well. Still following the woodsprites, they led her to a window of a tall building. She peaked inside and saw a baby who was crying its little heart out. She was amazed by how tiny the baby was. Must be only a few days old.

She looked around in the room, and didnt see any other sky demon attending to the baby. She may not not much of sky demons customs but she is sure they dont leave their little ones unattended.

The baby cried for long minutes, it tugged mo'at's heart. How is it that no demon has come to attend the baby? Where is the mother? Mo'at desperately wanted to help the baby. Its cried wailed deep into her soul. She now understands what Eywa is telling her. If no one will take care of the baby. Then she will.

With a half baked plan, she looked around to search of the only human she can ever trust, Dr. Grace Augustine. Much to Grace's surprise and delight, she approached mo'at, and much to her great surprise, mo'at wished to enter hell's gate. Grace didnt know any better, only that she missed speaking to the Tsahik.

Using Grace's trust, mo'at made sure to mesmerize every single route of hell's gate and pin point every possible exist. When suddenly her ears picked up the familiar cries of the baby. Grace didnt look, so Mo'at quickly left to find the baby. Basically busting through the door, she entered the tiny room where the baby layed. Carefully picking it up, she sees under the blanket. It was a baby girl. The cutest baby girl she ever seen. Her little cries died down, and snuggled against mo'at. Her mother instincts kicked in, the sudden feeling to protect the baby. She softly kissed her tiny head and made sure to wrap the baby securely against her chest. Quietly, and by miracle of Eywa, she managed to leave hell's gate undiscovered and heads back to her clan.

By following morning, every na'vi knew of Mo'at bringing home a human child. Many dare not to voice their concerns, as they would be silenced by Eytukan. But even he is confused. For last night, while looking for her, he saw her run as fast as she could, not to their shared hammock, but to the tree of souls. He went after her to see if she was alright but to his shocked, he saw her place the a human baby down by the base of the roots. There, mo'at saw him, and asked to join her in prayer. A prayer to save the child. As she didnt think her plan through. Their native air was toxic for fully grown humans, she didnt think how it would affect the baby.

So that is what they did. Praying to Eywa in hopes to bless the baby girl to breathe their air. By sunrise, the baby was giggled and looked at the na'vi in wonder.

Mo'at and Eytukan explained to the clan that the child is a gift from Eywa. For she was born to be with them. Human body but na'vi at heart.

Neytiri was a bit perplexed by the news. But had come to her own conclusion, the humans took away a na'vi daughter, so its only fair that the na'vi takes away a human daughter.

They given her the blessed name Stxeli. And she fitted right in with the others, neytiri loved her new sister. Became rather protective of her. And much to her surprise, Tsu'tey had come to accept the new born. Would be there for the little one whenever he can, and would often play with her. Mo'at felt her inner soul be at peace, and healed from the dark past.

At every given chance, mo'at, neytiri and Eytukan would tell their young one of their older sister, Sylwanin, so that her memories be never forgotten.

True that Stxeli cant do everything a na'vi can, but she makes up for it in her skills at weaving and music. She did not need to hunt, or tame a banshee, she is fine how she is. Never felt like an outsider.

However, when Jake Sully arrived to the clan, he was shocked to see a human amongst the na'vi, a human who can breathe their air. Stxeli didnt trust jake not one bit. And would keep her distance from him. But when it came to neytiri training him, she and tsu'tey would watch him fail and laugh together.

But much like neytiri, jake warmed up to her, and would give him tips on how to better his skills. Demonstrate her own skills flawlessly.

Jake would report of to Grace of the Omaticaya human, and how its strange she is accepted. Grace knew who he was talking about. Despite all these years, she still turned a blind eye of what happened that night. And would go on like nothing happened. So long as she get still interact with the tribe, the incident would forever be with her under her very last breathe.

Stxeli = gift

Thank you so much for this request! I loved writing it!

#avatar #na'vi x reader #na'vi avatar #avatar the way of water #na'vi x human #jake sully #mo'at #neytiri #jake x neytiri #eytukan #omatikaya #omaticaya clan #mo'at x reader #eytukan x reader #neytiri x reader #jake x reader #grace augustine #rda

[marinawolf]

Always You (Supercorp)- Chapter 2

by marinawolf

An angsty and somewhat painful follow up to the kiss and the betrayal. After a month of no contact, and a downward spiral on Kara's part, Kara and Lena finally see each other, but Lex Luthor has more tricks up his sleeve.

Kara had been spiralling for weeks. She couldn't eat or sleep, and every day felt like a never-ending cycle of pain and guilt. She had betrayed Lena's trust, and even though she knew that she had done what she had to do to protect her, the weight of that decision was crushing her.

Kara had started drinking heavily, scoring vials of potent alcohol from an alien artefact dealer, not caring about the danger it posed to herself. She felt like she was slowly losing her grip on reality, and nothing seemed to matter anymore. Her Supergirl shifts became a distraction, and she threw herself into every scenario without a care for her own safety. She knew, logically, that this was self destructive behaviour but she couldn't bring herself to care. She just needed to forget those blue-green eyes, to drown herself in alcohol and violence.

Work itself was a nightmare. Everyday she hoped to see Lena at Catco, but everyday she was disappointed. It seemed that Catco's new boss was making herself scarce, and only Kara knew why.

---

After another workday came and went without a word from Lena, Kara walked to an alley next to the building and took off her clothes, exposing the suit she wore underneath at all times. She emerged from the alley as Supergirl. When she saw no emergencies requiring her assistance, she immediately went in search of Drogo, a human with a unique talent of procuring alcohol that could inebriate Kara.

She flew to the bar Drogo hid out in and casually strolled through the door. The aliens who frequented the place had grown accustomed to her presence, and a delicate understanding was formed. She wanted to get wasted, and as long as they didn't do anything shady, she had no reason to harm them.

"Supergirl, you look enchanting this evening." Drogo smirked at her from his corner booth, his table covered in strange items he had come to sell to the bar's clientele.

"What do you have for me?" she asked, impatiently. She desperately wanted to sink into the buzzing nothingness of intoxication.

"Ah, so not up for a conversation, eh? I'm rather delightful, you know." He grinned, "and handsome". Kara rolled her eyes, and gestured at the table. 

"Okay, okay," he said, reaching across the table for a vial of glowing blue liquid before handing it to her. Drogo never took payment from her, and only asked for one favour in return, still to be determined. Kara had taken the deal, not caring about the consequences.

"What is it?" she asked, her hands closing around the vial.

"Remember my policy? No questions, Supergirl. Take it or leave it. Just know, it'll get you wasted."

Kara shrugged, popped off the cork and threw back the liquid. It burned going down her throat and almost immediately, she felt a mellow buzz settle over her mind. Her limbs felt loose and she smiled. She stationed herself at one of the booths, ready to get comfortable with greasy bar food when Alex's voice buzzed in her ears.

"Kara, there's a situation at the Folio Building. Looks like an alien picking a fight with drunk college kids."

Kara stood up, praying to Rao that she wouldn't fall over.

"I'm on it" she slurred into the receiver. She walked out of the bar slowly, her vision a blur, cursing Drogo for not warning her that this one was the most potent she had ever had. Every step felt like she was moving through water and she had to constantly force herself to focus on the present. She took off in the general direction of the Folio building, a known hang out spot for college kids. Flying while drunk was a strange experience, and Kara was secretly glad that there wasn't much in the way of traffic in the air. 

Once she reached the area, it didn't take her long to find the commotion. A group of drunk people stood on the sidewalk, cowering away from a kid with flames in his hands. The kid laughed manically and threw columns of flames wildly.

Kara squinted, trying to focus her vision and saw that the flames emanated from a pair of gloves and that the kid was human. She groaned. She would need to speak to Drogo, to find out how all this dangerous alien tech was falling into the hands of college kids.

She flew down and landed in front of the kid, losing her balance slightly.

The kid smiled at her.

"Lex told me to expect you, Supergirl. You're even prettier in person so I'm really sorry to have to do this."

The flames in his hands went out and he pulled out a gun with a glowing green chamber. Kara recoiled. Kryptonite.

So Lex Luthor was getting college kids to do his dirty work now?

Kara didn't know why he was suddenly so desperate to kill her, but she knew she'd have to deal with Lex. He was becoming too troublesome and she was concerned. Not for her own safety, but for Lena's. She knew that he would use anyone to as a means to an end. Even his own sister. 

Lena, Kara thought, stupid Lena. Those stupid blue-green eyes. Those stupidly soft lips. Kara's mind drifted away from the confrontation at hand, all thanks to the magical liquid Drogo had given her. She could barely focus on her surroundings.

She was suddenly brought back to reality by a stinging pain on her palm, and she looked down to see that the kid had shot her with a kryptonite bullet. Luckily, it only grazed her palm, but it made her angry. She lunged at him, grabbing a glove and ripping it off his hands. His eyes widened in fear and he tried to shoot at her again. She moved out of the way just in time and tried to grab the gun. She lost her footing, and tumbled to the ground, taking the kid with her. She heard another bang, and saw a glowing crater just next to her head. He had barely missed this time.

Suddenly, the kid was pulled off her by an angry Alex. Alex disarmed him quickly and placed him in cuffs before turning her furious glare onto Kara.

"Are you drunk?" she demanded. "There is a live feed of you falling over your own feet all over the internet!" Kara's ears buzzed and she knew that if she opened her mouth now, she'd be sick. Alex scoffed at her, and pulled her up to her feet.

"I wanna go home," she slurred, pushing Alex away.

"We're going to the DEO. What the hell is wrong with you?' Alex hissed. 

Kara stopped fighting Alex and silently followed her to the black vehicle parked across the street, ignoring the murmuring crowds. She entered the vehicle and closed her eyes.

--

"What in the hell were you thinking, Kara? Firstly, since when do you get drunk? How do you even get drunk? Secondly, why the hell would you get drunk and try to fight? You should have said something!"

Alex was furious, and she paced across her office in long strides, only stopping to glare at Kara.

"Thirdly," Kara murmured.

"What?"

"You asked three questions. So you should have said 'thirdly'". She smirked at Alex.

Alex stopped and groaned, running a hand over her face.

"Look, I know that Lena was your best friend and her finding out wasn't...ideal. But Kara, you have to get through this. You can't go putting yourself in danger! You and Lena will make up and you'll be friends again. Just give it time, okay?"

If only Alex knew what had transpired between Kara and Lena. How Kara had inadvertently broke Lena's heart, how Lena Luthor was not one to forgive. She wanted to tell Alex but knew that it would only complicate things.

"I know," Kara said, faking a small smile, "I'm sorry. I won't do it again, Alex".

Alex sighed.

"Fine. But we're not done talking about this. Get some rest"

Kara nodded and Alex left the room, satisfied. Kara lay down on Alex's couch and closed her eyes.

As the alcohol wore off, all she could see were piercing blue eyes and the tears in them. 

--

That weekend, Kara saw Lena across the room at a Catco event. Lena was forced to be present as the media was there, and they wanted the new CEO to give a speech on Catco's new directions. 

Kara hadn't intended to run into Lena but then their eyes locked from across the room, and Kara's world stopped. She felt a surge of emotions - hope, love, fear, and regret - all flooding through her at once. The only thing she could see was Lena, in her exquisite gown. For a moment, Lena's professional demeanour dropped and Kara could see the pain on her features. But just as quickly, Lena's eyes flicked away from her, as if she wasn't even there. The rejection was like a punch in the gut, and Kara felt her heart break all over again.

She turned around to leave when an explosion rocked through the room, sending glass flying everywhere. Kara took cover behind a pillar, and ripped off her clothes to expose her suit. She rounded the corner to the source of the explosion and froze.

Lex Luthor stood there, his long coat flapping in the wind. In his hands he had a gun, and it was pointed at Lena Luthor's head.

Kara saw the fear in Lena's eyes and tried to reach them, but Lex stopped her by cocking the gun.

"Nuh uh, Supergirl. Don't come near me unless you want to see your bestie's brain all over the floor." He leaned towards Lena and planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead, "Sorry, sis. I really don't want to kill you so let's hope that your friend is smart."

Fear, anger, and desperation flooded Kara's system, causing her to feel paralyzed for a moment. But then, a sense of determination took over. Lena was all that mattered and she had to do whatever necessary to keep her safe.

"What do you want, Lex?" she asked, her voice determined.

"Oh, nothing much, really," he smiled, "just something small. I want you to try out your present! But first, everyone get out!"

He shouted at the crowd and in their terror, they reacted immediately, clearing out the room.

Lex laughed and pointed at a contraption standing near the broken windows. A pod, big enough to fit Supergirl.

"Go on," he said, eyes manically wide, "get in."

Kara knew that the pod was probably lined with Kryptonite but she had no choice. She took a step towards it.

"Kara, don't!" Lena shouted, and for a moment, Kara's heart leapt. Hearing her name fall from Lena's lips after all this time was magical, even if they were in a perilous situation, "Let him shoot me. Get out of here, please!"

Lex pressed the gun into Lena's temple angrily, causing Lena to cry out.

"Tut tut, sister," he sneered, "you wouldn't want your brother's plans to go awry now, would you? We Luthors have to stick together."

He pressed the gun harder into Lena's temple and Kara heard Lena gasp in pain.

"Stop it, Lex," Kara said, her voice even, "I'll do what you want. Just let her go."

Lex smiled, pulling the gun away from Lena but still keeping it trained on her.

"Who knew," he laughed, "that you would be the key to killing Supergirl, Lena?"

"You bastard," Lena spat, "You'd better kill me because if you do anything to her, I will hunt you down for the rest of my life."

Lena's threats were unnecessary as Kara had already stepped towards the pod. She turned to look at Lena. She knew that Lex was capable of killing Lena to cause her pain, and she couldn't let that happen. With a heavy heart, she stepped into the pod.

Lena screamed out for her, anguish clouding her features, but Kara ignored her pleas. 

Lex Luthor stood smugly outside the pod, holding a remote control in his other hand. As the glass sealed over Kara, could only bring herself to utter one word, "Lena". She hoped that Lena knew what she meant- I'm sorry. I love you. 

Kara felt the cold metal of the kryptonite pod against her skin. She closed her eyes, waiting for its inevitable finality. "Supergirl is about to become a bit different," Lex sneered, before pressing a button on the remote.

Kara braced herself for the familiar pain that always accompanied exposure to the green mineral. But to her surprise, the kryptonite begin to glow red instead of green, and a wave of confusion washed over her. She realized that this was Lex's plan all along - to use red Kryptonite. Kara would turn against herself and all that she loved. She would turn into a monster. It was worse than death.

Kara's heart raced as she felt a dark energy coursing through her veins, her thoughts became clouded with anger and aggression. She felt herself losing control, the darkness taking over her mind and body. She tried to fight it, to hold onto the goodness and light that have always defined her, but it was like grasping at smoke. 

Through the haze of her rage, Kara caught a glimpse of Lena's face, and her heart ached with a sudden sense of loss. She knew she had to fight this, to break free of Lex's grasp and protect the woman she loved from his manipulations. But in that moment, it felt like an impossible task. The darkness threatened to consume her completely, and as she slipped nto it, Kara wondered if she'll ever be able to find her way back to the light.

But in that darkness, she saw something - a pair of piercing blue-green eyes.

Lena.

And she memorised it, an anchor to help her find her way back.

#supercorp #lena luthor #kara danvers #supergirl #kara x lena #supercorp fanfic #kara zor el #fanfic #kara danvers x lena luthor #archive of our own #supercorp smut #supercorp endgame #supercorp fic #supercorp fluff #red k kara x lena #red kryptonite

[anniemika]

Just the two of us

Eren Jaeger x Mikasa Ackerman

…..

“I love you.”

He’s choking. His throat burns from the alcoholic drink he just chugged down, and even though he tries to maintain some kind of composure while doing his best not to die from lack of breathing, it’s still unbelievably hard.

His mind’s not working properly. It repeats the sentence over and over, and still, it can’t quite comprehend what the words’ actual meanings are. Maybe he didn’t hear her correctly. It’s pretty crowded, the music’s loud, and Jean and Connie can’t talk to anyone without yelling because of their intoxicated state. So, it must be that.

One thing his brain’s insisting on is not looking at her. It sends him the same signals it does when there’s danger surrounding him, and because of his military life, those signals have become as quick as lightning, and yet, they couldn’t detect her and how close she’s sitting next to him. Never mind her slurpy voice and the sweet mix of her rosey smell with the tinge of alcohol.

But his heart says otherwise. So, when he finally stops choking, his head is turning towards her. And god, what a mistake it is.

“What?” The last letter of the word gets lost somewhere along the way because he’s seeing her up close and dear god, she’s the most beautiful thing in the whole world. With her flushed cheeks and big butterfly lashes, her white skin looking like the softest cotton that he wants to touch so desperately, but refrains himself from. It’s torture, it’s always been, ever since he found out he only had 8 years left to live and the realaziton that one day she would be living her life without him became a reality.

Eren’s known all kinds of pain and sorrow throughout his short life, but the greatest one yet has to be the fact that he’ll never get the chance to grow old with Mikasa. He was going to have to leave her, it was going to happen soon, and it wasn’t going to be by choice.

And still, right here, right now, in this crowded and chaotic moment, Mikasa's words cut through all the noise and chaos, reaching deep into his very soul. The weight of her confession hits him like a tidal wave, crashing against the walls he had built to protect himself from the pain of their inevitable separation.

His mind races, trying again and again to process the significance of her words. Does she truly mean it? Does she understand the gravity of what she's saying? Or is it just the alcohol talking, clouding her judgment and leading her to say things she may regret later?

“I- I said that,” she hiccups, her voice soft and vulnerable. Readjusting herself, she leans in even closer, her eyes searching his for a response, “I love you.”

He gulps, his heart threatening to burst inside his rib cage. It’s true. It must be true. This means the future is not set in stone. She said it twice. She has to mean it, she must mean it-

“And not just as family, but as..”, he notices her cheeks have gotten so red, it would’ve been alarming if he didn’t know how shy of a person she was. She struggles to find the words she so desperately wants to express, and Eren can see that.

“As a.. lover.” She finally stammers, her voice barely audible above the surrounding noise.

Eren's breath catches in his throat, his mind reeling. A lover. The words hang in the air, heavy with the untold emotions they’ve been hiding for years.

A mix of disbelief and overwhelming joy floods Eren's senses. He reaches out, gently cupping her flushed cheek, his thumb brushing against her soft skin.

“Mikasa,” his voice has a sense of urgency that catches her off guard, “Come with me.”

Her pretty brows scrunch in response, “Huh?”

He decides there is no time for an explanation. He grabs her by the hand, helping her up, then leads her outside, while she struggles to keep up with his pace.

“Eren, where are we going?” But she doesn’t get a response. Eren's grip tightens around Mikasa's hand as they rush through the hundreds of tents, their surroundings becoming a blur. He doesn't have the words to explain, but his actions speak volumes. There is an urgency in his movements, a determination to create a space where they can be alone, away from prying eyes and distractions.

Finally, they arrive at a quiet park overlooking the sea, where only the sound of crashing waves fills the air. Eren stops abruptly, turning to face Mikasa, who looks back at him with a perplexed look on her face.

A heart beat later, Eren closes the remaining distance between them, his lips pressing against Mikasa's with a hastiness that takes her breath away. Mikasa's initial shock gives way to a wave of longing and surrender, her hands instinctively finding their place on Eren's broad shoulders. Their bodies press against each other, fitting together like two halves of a whole, as if they were always meant to be this close.

The world around them fades into insignificance, leaving only the intoxicating bliss of this moment. A moment that should’ve happened long ago.

As their lips finally part, they remain locked in a breathless embrace, their foreheads resting against each other. With his eyes still closed, Eren finds the strength to whisper, “I didn’t want this to happen in front of everyone.” He pulls her even closer, “I wanted it to be just the two of us.”

Mikasa can only nod, too overwhelmed by what just happened between them. When they lock their eyes, determination burns brightly within Eren’s greens.

“I want to be with you. I want us to-“, he finds it difficult to put into words all that he feels, all that he wants, but he knows that Mikasa understands. She always understood him, even when he couldn’t find the right words to express himself.

“I just… I love you too, Mikasa.” Eren finally finds the courage to say them, the same words she had effortlessly spoken moments before. The words that had been nestled inside his heart ever since they first met, and now, he couldn't hold them back any longer.

Mikasa never notices the tears falling down her cheeks as she stares at the man in front of her almost in disbelief.

“Hey.. don’t cry.” He gently swipes his thumb across her cheekbone to gather her tears, “It’s okay.”

She tries to find her breath, looking up at his beautiful eyes, and then it hits her. This is actually happening between them. A radiant smile spreads across her face, lighting it up. . “I’m just.. I’m happy.” She wraps her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. “Oh, Eren, I’m so happy!”

He buries his face into the crook of her neck, before whispering, “Me too.”

Time seems to stay still. They both know that this moment would forever be etched in their memories, a turning point in both of their lives.

After a while, Mikasa pulls away to look at his face again, “I’m sorry.. I didn’t meant to confuse earlier-“

Knowing what she’s about to say, he stops her in her tracks, “Shh, hey, no apologies. You’ve always been braver than me.”

She quickly shakes her head, “There’s no one braver than you.”

He gives her a small chuckle, then plants a soft kiss on her cheek, “Yes, there is. You proved it tonight. You shared your feelings with me.”

Mikasa’s cheeks flush apple red as she hides her face in his chest. She can’t believe this is real. And yet, as she clings to him, she realizes it couldn’t be more true. She presses her cheek against his rushed heartbeat, and if it was possible to die of joy, she thinks it might happen to her any second.

“Mikasa?”

His voice breaks her thoughts, causing her heart to skip a beat.

“Will you run away with me?”

…..

I just needed to write something for them. It’s probably not the best but I felt the need to write something a bit lighter given all the heartbreak we’ve been put through that last couple of days. I have never felt the raw emotions I’ve felt for this couple with any other characters in fiction. I’m thinking about writing some cabin content soon, btw. Hope you like this little thing. Bye❤️🗝️🧣

#eremika #eremika fluff #attack on Titan #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #eren x mikasa #eren jaeger x mikasa ackerman

[sincerely-sofie]

The """"villain""""Twig!AU is making me go insane over what would happen. I haven't hyperfixated on something so much, so quickly in years. I need to give my 2 cents or I just might implode

(Tw: self hatred, suicide implications, Death, Caps lock)

Twig would think of herself as an irredeemable monster for indirectly hurting her friends. she would probably think that, because Darkrai made people have nightmares because of malice, (while not knowing its just a thing he can accidentally do without realizing it.) she would think that on some level that she WANTED to hurt the people closest to her. Her self loathing would get SO much worse. BUT she CAN'T be self destructive because she wouldn't want anyone else to be cursed with this power. She would spiral even further. She wants to die, but she knows she can't from age because of Celebi. She would hate herself even more for even thinking of finding someone to put her out of her misery. She loves her friends to a fault. She wants to be with them, but she thinks that she's inherently evil. It wouldn't help that she would not be able to practice controlling her powers in isolation, give that nightmare aura invariably needs someone else to practice with.

Everyone in her friend group, the Guild, heck, maybe even team skull, would desperately search for her. Combing every place they can think of. Searching every mystery dungeon, forest, mountain, cave, even going under the sea to search. But it's no use. One by one all of them would give up and accept that she is missing. Maybe forever. Except Kip. He would never stop searching for her. He's madly in love with her and knows her better than anyone else. All he wants to do is tell her that he still loves her, and that he would endure any nightmare, no matter how awful, just so he could wake up next to her. And that they would figure out how to control her powers together. But he can't. Maybe he evolves from the constant stress and work put in searching for her. He can't accept that she's gone. He CANNOT live without seeing her one last time. But no matter how much he tries, he can't find her. All of his effort, YEARS of searching with no results. He would either fall into an intense depression, rarely eating or getting out of bed, or die in an accident during an expedition. His thoughts for the last who-knows-how-many-decades have almost entirely been about Twig. And that doesn't change during his last breath.

Grovyle would possibly take it the worst out of all her friend. She was the ONE person he SWORE to protect, and he SCREWED IT UP! HE COULDN'T HAVE DONE ANY WORSE! He would consider himself an utter failure on every conceivable level. It doesn't help that his old savior complex habits resurface worse than ever. He doesn't want anyone to worry about him. He needs to be strong. He always puts on a mask whenever he's around others. He denies everything when someone confronts him about obviously not doing well. Whenever he's alone, he wishes he could just, dissappear. But that would mean someone else would wonder what happened to him. So he can't do that. As a result, he becomes more distant from everyone. His friendships fade because he's never genuine. He runs away whenever he begins to get too emotional. And denies that he is doing such a thing.

Dusknoir would be incredibly distraught by this. He hurt Twig before, who's to say he hadn't done hurt her again? She didn't even say goodbye to anyone, least of all him, why would she even care about him? And now all he wants is to beg her for forgiveness. Completely unaware of the fact that she had already forgiven him for his betrayal a long time ago. He has no idea that she would be appalled that he would want her to forgive him when she would be the one begging for his forgiveness for hurting him and "being evil". Both of them recieve no closure for this. And both of them live without knowing that the other wishes they would ask for forgiveness.

Celebi would become more reserved than ever. She learned that; not only could a legend be killed, but also what happens to the person that kills them. She would consider her powers to see the future and the past a curse. One that only she can bear. She becomes so much less adventurous and adverse to risk. Whenever the other Celebi's ask her why she looks so glum, she quickly changes the subject. She can't have them know. It would destroy them. She would consider all of this her fault as well. If only she knew what would happen, she could have stopped it. If she had been more responsible, she could have had Twig live her life, and all of this would have been avoided. But she can't change it now, because if she were to try and go back in time, another Celebi might come to this timeline and learn what happened. Then they would tell the others, and then they would talk, and she would be solely responsible for ruining the lives of infinite Celebi's. It would all have been her fault. She shoos any celebi that arrives in her timeline out of there. Her relationship with Dialga crumbles as a result of how often she threatens other Celebis to tell him that they are interfering with other timeliness. Eventually, the other Celebi's start avoiding her altogether. "If she's gonna be so mean, then we just wont talk to her" they reason. She's alone, her friendships are ruined, the only people that can relate to her hate her. But they are all safe. That's the only thing that matters now.

Cressalia would take some time, but eventually she finds out what would happen. She would feel responsible for being the one that got Twig cursed with this power, but also she would try to police Twig the same way she tried to control Darkrai. "She must be doing this on purpose". Perhaps Cressalia is the catalyst that made Twig leave in the first place. By trying to help her in Cressalia's own special way, by guilt tripping them while assuming they know what they're doing. It's only after her experience with the Snivy that she realizes what she has done. And now she did EXACTLY what she did to darkrai. To someone who never wanted or asked for this power. She would want to seek forgiveness, but Twig doesn't sleep. She doesn't know where she is. This guilt would eat away at her, leaving her a shell of her former self.

I love a good (fictional) tragedy, because all of this is no-ones fault in particular. Celebi thought legends couldn't be killed and didn't take any precautions in the possibility of that happening, Cresselia thought she was doing the right thing, both before and after Darkrai's death. Twig, Kip, Grovyle and Dusknoir couldn't have known that any of this would happen. It was the perfect storm and set of circumstances that caused this. The most tragic part of all of this, is that by trying to protect everyone, Twig hurts them more than she would have if she had simply stayed. If she didn't have a tendency to put the well-being of others over her own, she could have lead a much happier life, with some pain at the start. Rather than being in pain forever, while unknowingly causing so much more suffering. Ignorance is often bliss, but it is a curse in this.

I dunno how in character all of this is, (Personally, I think my interpretation of Celebi is a bit iffy, she probably would have known that legends can be killed, seen this future, and taken steps to prevent all this from happening) But my brain latched on to the implications of this AU like a steel trap and would not let go until I wrote this down

Thank you for continuing to make art Sophie! I love this suffering more than you probably realize. (Genuine)

Okay so like. When you said you were gathering your thoughts I was so excited. But I would have never DREAMED of this amazing ask.

This is such an interesting continuation of the AU’s premise! It really drives home the irony of Twig’s belief that she makes things worse for those around her, and that her friends would be happier if they never saw her again— Twig is the heart of the main cast. She’s keeping everyone from going off the deep end with just her presence.

I don’t know what to say other than GOOD GLORY do we ever need a tag for this AU because I’m getting attached to it 😭

#HNGHGHHH THIS IS STUNNING #I’M IN LOVE WITH THIS #so many fun ideas!! #I really need to explain Kip and his ‘crush’ on Twig #I’ve never talked about it and I think it’s going to make people laugh once they have the details #alrighty here’s a tag for this thing: #Mortality Exchange AU #sofie answers asks #pmd2 #pmd eos #pmd #pmd explorers #pmd sky #pokémon mystery dungeon #the present is a gift au #pokemon mystery dungeon

[the-girl-in-the-high-castle]

What I find interesting is how all the characters end up in a completely different place than where they started. That’s what I call good storytelling, when it’s all about the characters.

Maura starts with trying to convince herself she isn’t crazy, trying to never let emotions cloud her judgement and never letting things get to her. She ends up almost broken, drained, on her knees crying, begging Sebastian to bring Eyk back, ultimately doing whatever Daniel tells her in order to wake up. 

Eyk starts being an authority to everyone on the ship, never letting anyone question his decisions (except Maura, he’s into that😏). He’s not answering to anyone and actually does what he wants and thinks is right. He ends up losing him mind, surrendering his authority, desperately searching for answers and never really getting any.  

Angel and Lucien start on the same page, as wolves, dominant compared to their partners. Angel taking everything he wants, doing anything he wants without fear, while Ramiro remains in his shadow, Lucien keeping Clemence in the same spot with his anger and pride. They both end up dying. Angel’s last words being “I’m scared” and Lucien surrendering to his fate he thought he could escape. While Ramiro and Clemence step in, expend their borders and start being a vital part in the most important events on the ship. Jerome starts as suspicious to everyone, everyone always trying to keep him on a leash. Ends up being one of the people Clemence, Olek and Eyk relay on and someone who steps in to save the day.

Olek start off as no one. Keeps his head down and is trying to not get involved in anything. But his sense of justice, kindness and loyalty brings him to a point where he, just like Jerome, ends up being a hero, and ultimately Eyk’s right hand man. Ling Yi starts as someone on a leash, being controlled like a bird in a cage, not allowed to have dreams. Ends up doing whatever she wants, against everyone’s decisions.

Tove starts off as someone always having to fight for herself, as being the pillar of sanity in her family in spite of everything she’s been through. None of them ever there to protect her when she needed it, but her protecting herself and being the reason that controls her family’s desperate actions. She ends up finally experiencing how it feels like when someone fights for her for a change when Franz of all people sacrifices himself in order to protect and save her. Finally someone to put her first. 

Virginia starts off as dominant and controlling, using other people for her own gain. She ends up afraid, begging and depending on kindness of others. 

#1899 netflix #1899 #maura franklin #eyk larsen #angel #ramiro #lucien #clemence #jerome #olek #ling yi #tove #virginia wilson #anyway i'm rambling about this show again #I REGRET NOTHING #because i'm obsessed

[sapporo-division]

Relationship: Family - Iwao Masuda

Kenta Masuda (50 years old) — Iwao’s father. He is the person whom Iwao loathes the most because of how he was violently abusive to him and his mom in the past. The family have lived in the slums where their home was a small apartment though his dad’s decent job is working as office worker with enough money for food, water, and shelter to survive but he selfishly spending most of their savings on gambling and alcohol. Kenta claims himself to be a devoted husband is nothing but a facade just to get respect by his work colleagues and his true nature was being an asshole and has uncontrolled temper. Eventually his dad finally decided to divorce his wife, stating she was useless and finds another woman. He abandoned her and Iwao while bringing the family savings they saved. Iwao cut ties with Kenta and wouldn’t care less about his new found life.

Mei Masuda (44 years old) — Iwao’s mother. She’s sweet and kind-hearted woman whom only Iwao loved so dearly rather than his dad. He’s usually the one went to protect and aided her after being constantly abused by his dad but despite that, she endured all those verbal and physical abuses she was been afflicted ever since Iwao was born. Of course she’s weary of her husband’s abusive actions, wanting to divorce him as soon as possible but the father has household authority over her which she cannot leave the family unless she has to obey his orders. Without lending some money to her after he left, she handed Iwao in her brother’s care, Fukuda and lived with him in the time being while she’s in a job search to support their house living. Eventually, she found a job but she had to dedicate herself full time and which was far away from home so she decided she have to live separately from Iwao. Over time, he haven’t had heard or had contact with her mom for past few years and started to suspect she went missing and went on investigate himself.

Fukuda Tadashi (39 years old) — Iwao’s uncle and Mei’s younger brother. He is an electronic engineer and a hacker who assist Iwao to investigate Mei behind the scene, sending leak information to him although they haven’t got any clues over time and suspect she was involved with Chuohku. Fukuda knew deep down his brother-in-law, wasn’t a nice man to begin with before their marriage but he couldn’t bring himself to tell his sister from her blind happiness. Ever since she went missing, he went to a desperate needs to find her. He doesn’t appear quite often and nor his teammates knew about his uncle yet.

#hypmic #hypmic oc #hypnosis mic #hypnosis mic oc #oc division #sapporo division #polar knights #iwao masuda #family member #relationships

[dontmindifidontt]

EARLY MORNINGS AND OVERTIME | Nanami Kento x Reader JJK fanfic | Chapter 14: At Last (FINAL CHAPTER)

Pairing: Nanami Kento x Reader (fem, first person pov) Word count: 5347 Fic Summary: A smutty fic in which Nanami Kento brightens up the mundane, flour-dusted life a college dropout working in a bakery.   Chapter Summary: After seemingly walking into a trap, our baker must find a way to get herself free. No smut warnings this chapter.

Read on AO3. Masterlist. | Previous Chapter  |

This isn’t good. This isn’t fucking good. I look around frantically, searching for the source of the noise but there’s nothing to be seen. Even with the help of my glasses I quickly threw on, I still can’t see whatever is steadily closing in on me.

How could I have led myself into a trap like this? I ended up doing the exact thing I was afraid of… I ended things with Nanami because I didn’t want this exact scenario to happen.

Then again, if he’s not here to witness what happens next, I guess I succeeded in at least part of my goal in separating myself from him. He may never know what happened to me but hopefully he’ll assume I just ghosted him and lived the rest of my life in safety - not that I met whatever terrible end I’m about to meet.

He can’t ever know I ended up like this… the thought of him being devastated brings me to the brink of sobs. I clutch my hand to my mouth instinctively, holding back tears or vomit or screams - at this point I could hardly tell.

But I have to focus if I want even the slimmest chance of walking out of here. Ever since I spent a week of training at the cabin with Nanami I’ve been keeping a small slicing knife from work sheathed on my leg. I’d normally use it for cutting precise layers of cake to carefully stack atop each other. Now, I can only hope it’ll be enough to thwart whatever intelligent cursed spirit has been stalking me in this alley. I know I need to exorcise it to make this cat-and-mouse game end once and for all, but I don’t know if I’m even capable of that right now. And without Nanami in the picture to help me learn… I try not to think about what that means for my likely short future.

Something crashes against a dumpster across the alley again, snapping me out of my daze. Three rodents quickly scurry out from underneath the heap of trash as if they’ve been spooked.

I need to remember every single piece of training Nanami taught me. We never made it to close combat, but hopefully I can prevent the curse from getting close enough to try.

Pulling the short but sharp slicing knife from its sheath with shaky hands, I raise it up chest-height in a protective stance. Elbow bent straight ahead, forearm parallel with my chest, palm facing down… I grip the hilt of it as hard as I can while my eyes desperately scan the street for a clear view of the circling cursed spirit.

I slowly turn in a tight circle, subconsciously stepping off the sidewalk and into the empty road. I’d rather be in an open road than stand too close to the nearby building and risk having my back to the wall without means to escape. I already feel vulnerable enough as it is, I don’t need to make myself an easier target.

A snuffling, gasping sound snaps my attention to another narrow alley down the desolate road. I’m officially not alone.

My eyes widen as I attempt to make out the figure peeking out from around the side of the building. The first thing I notice are the claw-tipped dark green hands covered in spores and scratch marks. The skin covering this being is scaly yet blemished with golf ball-sized lumps as if it’s filled with air bubbles vying to break the surface.

Just the upper half of its head is peeking out, but I can see all I need to see in order to know I should be very, very afraid. There are no recognizable features in any place you would expect them to be on a person’s head. Three rounded eyes dot its face in a triangle-shaped pattern: two spread apart on each side and one at the top. Each eye’s pupil is spinning in a different direction, yet I can somehow feel all of its attention on me. Even from this front-facing view I can see its neck protruding from its head. Instead of being located at the base, it sprouts upward from the back of its head. It seems to curve downward towards the rest of its body, as if the head and body are connected by a bent straw. There is no mouth or nose to be seen, but I don’t doubt there are terrifying rows of sharp teeth lining its gums.

A flicker of light catches my eye, and I quickly shoot my glance back to the space in front of me. I began shaking so much that the thin streak of sunlight peeking through the clouds reflected off my knife like a mirror. I give a half sigh of relief to know I caused the flicker myself and swiftly bring my eyes back to the alley to focus on the threat at hand.

It’s empty. There’s no hands, no glimpse of a head. No curse to be seen at the edge of the alley anymore.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit. How could I take my eyes off it for even a second?! Now I nee-

Pure panic takes over every cell of my body. In the brief second since I looked away, the curse quickly advanced in my direction and is now blocking my entire field of view. It’s so close I can smell the rancid odor leaking from its skin - a mixture of garbage and spoiled milk.

If I didn’t already know I was being hunted by a curse I would have never believed that this horrifying-looking creature is the same type of being as the flyhead. There are absolutely no similarities between the borderline innocent-looking flyheads and what appears before me.

I was right about the teeth: they’re razor-sharp and there’s rows upon rows of them. But I was wrong to expect they’d be found on its head. Instead, there’s a grinning, teeth-filled mouth on each long limb: towards the end of each forearm and ankle. They’re positioned as if made for kicking or striking its victim while simultaneously biting down on its flesh. It’s a design of nightmares.

Before I can gulp down my sheer terror, a shrill, cackling laugh begins to bubble up out of all four mouths of the cursed spirit. It’s ear-piercing and nearly causes me to drop my knife while reaching for my ears. I’m gripping the sides of my head when the laugh turns into a scream that unexpectedly launches me backward, as if blown by an invisible wind.

I hit the ground in an instant, landing with a backwards somersault. I thankfully avoid an injury to my head due to my hands still being tightly gripped to the sides of it. I shuffle backwards hastily, scuttling my palms and feet on the hard pavement.

After collecting my bearings, I reposition the knife in my hand into a throwing position - there’s no way this will do me any good up close. If I want to have any chance of making it out of here, it seems I’ll need to rely on my good aim to hit at least one eye on the terrifying creature and run.

Steadying my breathing, I rise up on my feet and lift my arm above my head, ready to launch the knife that’s already become slick with sweat in my palm.

The curse hasn’t even moved from the same spot in the road, although that terrifying and haunting cackle has begun to bubble up out of its mouths again.

I train my eyes to the mouth on its left ankle… it seems like the target I’m most likely to hit.

With a deep inhale, I remember the hours of practice I spent aiming my throwing knives at the cabin with Nanami. How he made me hit the same target on a far away tree trunk over and over again. Until I learned how to still hit my target even with distractions. With the way he distracted me.How he took his time slowly lifting his hand up my thigh until he cupped me aching between my legs.

The maniacal cackle of the curse snaps me out of my memory of Nanami. If this throw doesn’t work, if it doesn’t give me a chance to run and get away safely, I’m at least glad I got to spend just a second in my mind with a fond memory of Nanami. I don’t want to die without at least the briefest moment of peace that only he can bring me.

Flexing the muscles of my arm, I grip the knife even tighter and throw. It sails through the air faster than any practice throw I’ve done, and looks to be exactly on track to hit the ankle-mouth I aimed for. I ready myself to run once I see it hit its mark.

Still soaring, the knife is just inches away from the now eerily-silent curse when it suddenly darts away in a flash to dodge the weapon. Without warning the curse once again materializes beside me in an instant, this time on my left. Again, I see each of its mouths open wide and scream, blasting me off my feet in the process. I fly through the air for barely a second before hitting the wall of the building I previously stepped away from. The force knocks the air out of me and snaps my head to the side hard enough to see stars. I’m unable to break my fall to the ground and cry out at the pain of my legs folding as I hit the pavement.

Every fiber of my being feels unbearable with pain and shock, but I can’t let myself stay down and vulnerable to attack. I attempt to scramble back up to my feet as fast as possible so I can reorient myself and decide what to do next. Panting, my eyes dart around in search for the curse but it’s nowhere to be found.

If I was panicking before I’m absolutely frozen in fear now. The curse is nowhere to be seen and I’m now weapon-less. Shaking, my eyes continue to scan every inch of the road in front of me desperate to s-

Without warning I hear the third shriek and feel the blasting wind of the curse knocking me completely off my feet - this time landing further down the road. There’s no doubt in my mind I must have broken or at least dislocated one of my arms now. The pain is past the point of ignoring and tears are silently filling and falling out the corners of my eyes. I instinctively wipe one away and realize why the curse took me completely off guard - my glasses are gone.

Disoriented and confused, I look back to where I was first thrown against the hard exterior of the building. There on the ground, shattered and bent, are the one thing that allowed me to see curses and have a fighting chance out of getting here alive: my glasses.

A sob tears out of me at the sight of them completely destroyed and unusable. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms over the top of my head in a panicked fetal position. I’m done for. Absolutely done for. And I didn’t even stand a chance. Or save Nanami any of the heartbreak - I’ll still getting killed by this goddamn curse even after all the terrible things I said to break up with him. I should have known this plan would have never worked.

I hear the guttural cackling of the curse return and realize this must be the end for me. If this is how I go, I can’t do it cowering on the ground. Using my one good arm, I press my palm to the pavement and slowly begin to rise to my feet so I can at least prove to myself I’m still strong enough to die standing.

Each vertebrae in my back feels battered and bruised as I extend it to stand. Before I reach my full height, I’m nearly knocked back down for another reason. The curse hasn’t attacked, but it must have been aiming to, because before I can even hear a shriek I see the familiar, strong body I’ve come to love so goddamn much dive in front of me. Nanami found me. He came back to me. Even after all I said.

He shouts at me to run while winding up his arm to deal a strong blow to the now invisible curse with his weapon. I can hear the impact despite not having my glasses on to see the actual strike to the curse. I’m thankful to hear a horrific yelp from the curse after Nanami’s weapon makes contact, but Nanami doesn’t seem to be relieved or at ease from the looks of his body language. He’s immediately readying his weapon again, running to the side at an impossibly fast pace to strike his weapon again. This time, it looks to have been a defensive hit, as though the curse was already recovered from whatever damage his first hit did.

“I said RUN!” Nanami barks breathlessly without looking in my direction. I realize I’ve remained wide-eyed where I once stood, though now I’m back to a seated position since getting knocked over by Nanami’s defensive dive in front of me. The short but strong burst of energy that coursed through me to stand up earlier is now gone, and I’m afraid I don’t even have it in me to run at this point.

Just as I debate crawling in a desperate attempt to find cover, I see Nanami get thrown aside as if the curse just picked him up by the shoulder and tossed him like a doll. He’s able to land on his feet in crouch much more deftly than I did, but it’s still obvious he’s hurt.

I must have gasped aloud in the process because Nanami once again shouts at me to get out of here, this time barely getting the words out without a sputtering cough. I can tell he’s hurt - probably worse than he’s even letting show.

I’m in no condition to help him though, am I? No weapon, no strength, not to mention zero ability to even see the enemy we’re up against. All I have is myself. But I can’t fail him again today.

If this curse truly has the upper hand and I’m not able to escape my fate afterall, I have to at least use the last tool I have left: myself. I can distract this curse with myself. This way, I’m not failing Nanami by lying to him about wanting to break up or worse, by dying in a way he thinks is his fault. I can choose to get up and walk back towards Nanami and this invisible curse blindly, meeting my fate and showing Nanami its not his fault. Then, he’ll have the chance to use this distraction as opportunity to get away and save himself.

It doesn’t take me long to decide on what I have to do. If I’m being honest with myself, I’m not really distraught at the fact I’m willing to sacrifice myself to a horrendous monster. Not the possible pain, or suffering. Rather, the only thing that’s upsetting me is knowing that this means my time with Nanami is really over for good.

I take a deep breath to muster the courage to stand just as Nanami is knocked to the ground again. He’s been striking the curse time and time again, and yet it isn’t preventing him from being overpowered.

He still hasn’t gotten up yet… I know it’s time for me to do what I have to do. And hopefully spare his life in the process. I hope he can forgive me.

“Here, over here!” I shout the words as loud as I can despite the cramped feeling in my lungs. I’m pushing myself off the ground and onto my feet as quickly as I can, though it feels like it takes me an entirety to get upright. As I stand at my full height, I raise my one good arm and flail it aimlessly - unsure where the curse is located but drawing attention to myself nonetheless.

I have to take one last look at Nanami, to tell him what he needs to do.

Swallowing air and fighting back tears, I turn my head to his direction and force out the words in one quick sentence: “I didn’t mean what I said.. You have the chance to get away now.. I’m sorry-”

Just as Nanami’s eyes widen and jaw drops in understanding, I feel a giant, scaly body tackle mine to the ground and everything goes black.

…….......................................………

The afterworld, or heaven, or wherever I am right now feels nice. Calm. It feels… serene. I’m not scared or nursing any broken bones back to health. I’m not even sad about leaving Nanami - because he’s here.

By “here” I mean the nondescript Parisian bakery Nanami was referring to when describing our imagined proposal story. I’m living out that day, here in the bakery and the park with him. The bread we pick out tastes more delicious than anything I’ve ever had, and the champagne he pops for us once I say yes and slip on the ring tastes like stars in a glass. All of my senses are heightened here in the most pleasurable way. And everything looks more beautiful - including Nanami. He looks happier than I’ve ever seen him, and so carefree. I’ve never seen him this at ease. Maybe it’s be-

The sense that my body is rolling uncontrollably is confusing at first but quickly shocks me with alertness. My ears are ringing, my clothes are tattered, and my lungs are burning from a lack of oxygen. I’m alive…? At least barely it seems.

Getting tackled by the cursed spirit must have knocked me out. I’ve never experienced any type of dream state like that before. I can’t waste time dwelling on it though since I’m now back in the fray. I expect to hear scuffling feet and heavy breathing and clashing of weapons, but there’s none of that. It’s totally silent.

I’m finally able to fully open my eyes and reorient myself to my surroundings. I’m still here on the same road since I was tackled, but that doesn’t help the confusion.

I’m on high alert in case the curse pounces on me once again, but I don’t hear its cackling laugh or pointed claws or anything. I don’t hear anything. Even Nanami…

A new level of fear sinks in as I spot Nanami. My voice is so hoarse that the shocked cry I involuntarily make doesn’t quite come out. I lurch forward on all four aching limbs, desperately trying to propel myself closer and get to the collapsed, non-moving body across the narrow roadway.

My brain and body barely feel connected or functional - all I can think and see and do and feel is try to get to him. In what feels like days I’m able to drag myself over to him and throw myself on top of him. He’s on his side with his back to me, so I have to drape myself over his shoulder to see his face and check to see if he’s breathing or conscious.

His eyes are open, his chest is repeatedly rising with shaky breaths, and he’s… alive. I garble out another cry at the relief and shock. He’s alive and yet he’s still here unmoving and probably gravely injured.

I lick my lips to attempt to speak, but before I can utter a word he slowly drags his eyes to the side and turns his head towards me. He looks almost catatonic without expression, but the moment he turns enough to see my face he’s overcome with a look of sheer relief and sadness.

“I thought… I thought…” the words are barely coming out, but I know exactly what Nanami means when he says it.

“I’m alright, I’m here,” I respond - trying to convince both him and myself I’m still alive. There’s so many things I need to tell him… but first, I need to know if we’re still in danger. I have no idea if the curse is still around or if he managed to exorcise it. Clearly he didn’t run away as I had planned. “Is… did you exorcise it?” I’m practically shaking with nerves at the prospect of having to continue facing this thing.

Nanami still can’t quite form any words, but I know things are going to be okay when I see him nod slowly. I practically collapse against him, wrapping him in my arms once again and sobbing into his chest to hear that we’re not being hunted anymore. I can tell he’s crying too because I feel the shake of his chest.

We continue to hold each other, exhausted, in this heap for a moment until all the words I need to say to him come flooding back.

“I’m sorry,” I start to spurt out while slowly raising myself to a seated position. “I’m sorry for everything. I thought I could fix things and save you by telling you we were done and then when that failed I thought I could save you by buying you time and sacrificing myself in the process and that didn’t-” I’m cut off when Nanami manages to pull himself up as well and promptly leans in to kiss me mid sentence. He envelops my mouth and slowly works his tongue past my lips and it feels like he’s kissing me like its the last time. It really almost was.

He only pulls back to say, “I didn’t mean what I said either. About not being able to picture us together for the long term. I can picture it, clear as day… and that’s why I was so scared. I said I couldn’t promise a lifelong commitment because I was scared a situation like this would interrupt that commitment. And it almost did-”

“Stop,” I cut him off, tears still brimming in my eyes as I hold his face. “It didn’t. I tried to do the same thing and predict the future but it didn’t work. Of course my plan didn’t work. I thought that whatever curse was threatening you with taunts to hurt me would see us break up and wouldn’t be able to use me as a pawn anymore. But of course that wouldn’t work. Abruptly breaking up doesn’t change the fact that you would still be devastated if I got hurt… The curse would still get its revenge against you, breakup or not…” How could I have been so clueless? I start to beat myself up but realize I did the same thing as Nanami - the fear prevented me from thinking clearly. Also, part of me starts to feel an overwhelming surge of heartbreaking love for Nanami. He still cares so deeply for me no matter what, even after all I said. I thought I could release him from the trap of my fate, but now I realize those fears weren’t my fate - no one else decides my fate but me. I’m strong enough, (I’ve been taught well,) and risks don’t scare me anymore.

“We can’t predict the future,” I continue on, “and I won’t let you sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of my perceived safety. And I won’t let myself do it either. We owe that to each other and ourselves. I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t want to be with you because your life and work is so risky - I only said that because I foolishly thought I’d be saving you the heartbreak.” If the situation wasn’t so dire I might even laugh at the irony of how we’ve nearly killed one another in our clueless attempts to save each other.

‘If you can’t promise me a future that has you safe in it, then I never want to see you again.’ My past words haunts me. How I thought hearing this would be easier on him than taking our chances getting hurt in the future is now a mystery to me. Now, I don’t care about a promised future, I just want to start my future with him at my side.

“We can’t control what dangerous, shitty situations are going to come our way whether we’re together or not - so why deny ourselves the chance to at least be happy in the meantime?”

Nanami looks at me with such genuine, emotional longing that I nearly start crying all over again. I can tell he has a million words to get out as well but is still so shocked by my near-death that it’s difficult to speak. “We… we can move away from here. Leave the city where cursed energy is higher and go further out of town.”

“Yes!” I completely agree without question. I can tell he never wants to experience this scenario again, and I don’t blame him. And, I want him to be safe. I want to see him be carefree and at ease the way I did in my dream. “What about the cabin? We can go there as soon as we get healed and figure it out from there. I’ll go anywhere with you.”

His eyes seem to spark back to life a bit at the suggestion. He starts to smile and nods in agreement before kissing me again. It feels impossible to pull myself away again, but making sure he’s physically okay is more important right now. I start to scan over his body, looking for broken bones or bloodstains. Apart from the same road rash I’m sporting, he doesn’t seem to be in as bad of shape as I thought. Still, we both will need help to heal. “We need to get to a hospital-”

He raises his hand to stop me and explain that he has a colleague who can help us. He’s able to reach for his phone and call them right away.

We continue to sit side by side, waiting for one of his jujutsu peers to pick us up so we can be healed. I’m not sure what that entails but I trust him.

Just as a black sedan begins to pull up to the curb, Nanami turns to me again before standing. “Seeing you hurt like that… and thinking you were gone, I…” he chokes up, unable to finish the sentence. He gulps and inhales before starting again, “I need to know I’m doing all I can to protect you and prevent that from happening ever again.” Another inhale. “I’ve always hated jujutsu sorcery, and now more so than ever. It can’t… it won’t be a part of my life again.”

I stare, confused, at his face. He looks determined and decided.

“I have the ability to see and sense curses still, that’s not going to change… but I’m choosing to distance myself from jujutsu.” We’re both standing now as the car pulls up, and he looks deep into my eyes as he reaches to open the door for me and says, “What’s important to me now is making a commitment to truly enjoy a restful life… with you.”

My response comes as easily as loving him does, “I like the sound of that.”

………….......................................................……….

Two Months Later

Packing up all our belongings from the cabin is an odd feeling. Not odd in a bad way, but odd in a too good way. Nanami and I have spent the time to heal our wounds physically and emotionally. Seeing me collapse took a toll on Nanami that was hard to shake. Thankfully, stepping away from the city and its overflow of cursed energy was the right move.

Now, we can spend the warm afternoons drinking tea on the small table in the backyard, and spend the chilly evenings snuggling in bed with the windows cracked. This is the first time we’ve really felt peaceful together.

The only reason we’re packing to leave is because Nanami bought us a place of our own! It’s even further out of town and on a bigger piece of land, so we really get the chance to tuck ourselves away in our own little world. I cannot wait to finish packing the car and making the drive over there this afternoon. I plan to surprise Nanami by growing a garden in the yard with all sorts of different herbs and veggies. That way I can experiment with cooking new types of savory breads and pastries for him to try.

With the last of my small bags in hand (Nanami wouldn’t let me carry out any of the heavier ones,) I pull the front door of the cabin shut behind me and walk out to the car. Nanami is there loading up the open trunk with the larger boxes, and smiles as soon as he catches sight of me.

I give him a quick kiss as soon as I step up close to him, and he puts his hand on my back before quickly moving it under the bag’s strap on my shoulder. He swiftly lifts the bag off my shoulder and places it gently in the trunk. I can’t help but smile at the simple kindness he shows me every day without even thinking twice about it.

“We’re just about ready to go,” he lets me know while shifting some of the boxes in the trunk to make room for the remainders. “I just need to move one more thing back here - can you hand me that container to your right?”

I look to the stack of boxes he’s referring to and grab the small open container from the top of the stack. There’s an envelope peeking out addressed to me. Holding it between my fingers, I turn back to Nanami and ask what it’s for.

“Open and take a look,” he replies with a sly yet innocent smile.

Curious, I pull open the envelope and reach inside for its contents: two small pieces of paper. I hold them in my hand and keep reading them over and over again, unable to believe my eyes.

Inside the envelope are two tickets for a flight to Paris.

....

After much deliberation I decided on making this a happily ever after afterall <3333 our fave worker bees deserve it fr :’( THNK U all for coming along this journey with me - it’s the first fic i’ve ever published and there were times i never thought i’d be able to finish it. writers block gets so real. but its my love for these characters and stories that motivates me to stay creative and i love them for that:)

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#jjk fanfic #jujutsu kaisen nanami #nanami kento fanfic #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #jjk #kento nanami #nanami kento #nanami jjk

[eusuntgratie]

🔀 tanger and flower

i'm sorry for the SIGNIFICANT delay, nonnie! also, vero inserted herself; i hope that's okay.

Girl Talk popping up in my spotify in the year of our lord 2023? alright.

read on ao3 | send me a 🔀 & a ship and i'll shuffle a playlist and write you a little somethin'

Marc-André’s pleasantly drunk, still floating from the cup win as much as the cocktail of champagne and beer and god knows what else he’s consumed since that last save. He still can’t believe it. He can see every play, every save, every shot, play behind his eyes every time he closes them. Can still feel the cup in his hands. It feels like it must’ve happened to someone else.

He’d left Vero chatting with Sid a while ago to go take a piss and then gotten derailed on the way back, getting pulled into a few conversations, a few hugs, and somehow ending up with a half-full bottle of lukewarm champagne in his hand. He’s feeling great.

He can’t find Vero where he left her in the kitchen, so he goes outside to search by the pool. Maybe Sid finally got her in there; he’d been teasing her earlier about it. He hears her laugh before he see her, and his eyes snap to her face. She’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. She’s sprawled in Tanger’s lap, her head thrown back, long brown hair hanging behind her, eyes squeezed shut tight, and her gorgeous mouth split in a huge smile as her laugh echoes across the pool deck.

Tanger’s undoutedly as drunk as he is, but he’s a hand wrapped protectively around her back ensuring she doesn’t tip too far backwards as she laughs. The other is gripping her thigh, the one closest to him. He gets stuck on his way over to them watching the way Kris’s fingers dig into the denim of her jeans to keep her still. Everything’s moving in slow motion when she picks her head up and beams at Kris, catching his terribly bearded cheek in her delicate hand and pulling him close to kiss his cheek.

They look at each other for a beat, and suddenly Marc-André is moving again. If he wasn’t quite so drunk, or quite so desperate to have Vero’s hands on him, or Tanger’s, he would stay where he was and watch them awhile longer. He’s always loved watching beautiful people. But it’s late and he’s drunk and he’s got no idea when enough endorphins will wear off and leave him exhausted, so he crosses the pool deck quickly and stands by Kris’s feet.

“Can’t leave you alone for a minute,” he says teasingly to Vero.

She gives him a sly smile. “Why, darling? Because I’ll end up in a beautiful man’s lap?” she responds in soft, teasing French.

Tanger kisses her cheek and murmurs something he doesn’t quite catch in her ear. His fingers tighten on her thigh.

“Can’t let you have all the fun without me,” he answers.

Tanger looks up at him then. “You’re right. I think you deserve to celebrate.”

Vero watches them both before smiling at him. “Shall I leave you to it then?”

“No, my love,” he answers immediately. “I think maybe we should celebrate together.”

Kris’s eyes darken and Vero bites her lip, and Marc-André’ knows that whatever happens tonight, he’ll never forget it.

#shuffle prompts #grace writes #flowerverotanger #hockey rpf

[anewstartrekfan]

Star Trek Rambles: Lenore Karidian: A Wonderful Subversion

Lenore Karidian is one of the best women Star Trek ever wrote (I say this a someone who has only seen a season and a half of tos) I know not a high bar but legitimately. She had Captain Kirk eating out of the palm of her hand. Even when he was trying to fish from her she managed to turn it around in her favor. I truly believe she never actually gave a shit about Kirk. It was all a means to an end to protect her father. What’s my proof?

Their first little date, about 5 minutes after meeting each other, they ditch a party she was late for, (because she murdered the host), and then lead Kirk down a path, TO WHERE SHE KILLED THE LAST GUY

If you ask me she was luring Kirk there to kill him. How, I’m not sure, but I can assume she had something planned for when they were going to kiss.

Oh but what about their flirting on the enterprise? The scene where Kirk proclaims that women remain women no matter what.

That scene is a farce in terms of the romance and revealing when it comes to Lenore’s beliefs. Kirk is giving her this tour to try and get her guard down so he can get info on her father. However Lenore notices this, calls him out for it, and turns it around on Kirk. Forcing him to answer her questions, like if he is actually human, and if the women on the enterprise are human as well.

“Are you captain? Human?”

“Has the machine changed them? Made them, just people instead of women?”

It’s subtle but she isn’t just fake flirting here. She’s othering Kirk and his crew. Her later attempt on Kirk’s life involves overloading a phaser, which would destroy not only Kirk’s cabin but those around it. Kirk has to call for an emergency evacuation while he desperately searches for it. It’s easy to justify killing the Tarsus 9 because they weren’t human by her father’s standards anyway, but what about Kirk’s crew? She had to other them as well to justify it.

“All this, and power too. Caesar of the stars, and cleopatra to worship you.”

I spoke in a prior blog about how Kodos sees technology as something that has made humanity inhuman. That removed the struggle from life, emphasizing the so called tradition of man shaping his destiny himself without tools. Aka, fascism. Lenore does this as well, and displays a sort of devotion to tradition when she quotes Star light Star bright and talks about how old the stars are. When Kirk insists he’s human, she doesn’t agree with him. Instead she shifts the topic to the women in the crew. When Kirk gives his line about how women will always be women, Lenore again changes the subject. Likening Kirk to Caesar. Stroking his ego, but also it is fitting given she planned to murder him. She likens herself to Cleopatra, a woman who is frequently portrayed as a seductress and blames for Antony’s fall.

Another thing to remember is she got a tour of the whole ship from Kirk. Which is how she was able to track down Riley AND plant the phaser in Kirk’s cabin.

While I can’t prove she was going to kill Kirk in an earlier scene, she absolutely tried to kill him with the overloaded phaser on the enterprise. And what’s key is she attempts this before Kirk confronts her father. So at the end of the scene when she breaks things off with kirk, and is angry at him for just being a tool, I think she’s upset that she didn’t see Kirk was using her as well. She drops the pretenses and says what she actually thinks of him.

“You are like your ship. Powerful, and not human. There is no mercy in you.”

All she sees Kirk as is a threat to her father’s safety. And above all else that is what she cares about. It’s why she has the nervous breakdown at the end. Her father finds out she’s been murdering the survivors of the genocide he committed and he’s heartbroken. She can’t see that her actions doomed her father, and when she kills him only because he protected Kirk, she loses it completely. How could her father ever dare to want to protect Captain Kirk? The inhuman who was going to throw him in jail. Who dared to make her father suffer?

Big picture is she was great. Cunning, ruthless, and a match for Kirk’s wit. She only got caught because Kirk happens to hear her confess to her father. Had Riley not tried to kill Kodos, Kirk would’ve arrested Kodos and let her go free none the wiser.

#star trek tos #james t kirk #Lenore Karidian #star trek analysis #see it’s possible to write good female antagonists and not be sexist #Star Trek #star trek conscience of the king #conscience of the king #taraus iv #Lenore #star trek meta

[myfearless-love]

Swan of the Lake Ch. 3 - Orenda

Summary: While searching for her past filled with mysteries and legends, Emma Nolan loses her present in an unfortunate accident. The man rushing to save her is no prince charming, and he must realize soon enough that the girl, who has no idea who she is, awakens instincts and desires in him that he had long since buried deep within his soul. But who exactly is she? What if her memories come back? Will she remember anything at all?

Words: 3k

Read on: AO3 or FF.net

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prologue II ch. 1 II ch. 2

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Chapter 3: Oredna

Killian is as surprised as she is. He didn't think about what he was saying, and the recognition came with the words. He likes this woman who knows nothing about herself but appears spirited and determined, and who, despite her disorientation and constant blushing, is incomparably bewitching. However, it would have been preferable if he hadn’t revealed this information.

As he straightens up, he adds, "You must have had a bag or something." He needs to distance himself from her for a while. He needs to calm down because she is completely disrupting his routine.

"She wouldn't be the first to appear out of nowhere on the lake," his brother observes.

"What do you mean?" She looks at Liam, her interest piqued. She obviously wants to hear anything that she can relate to and makes her feel less alone. Killian can't blame her; no one would feel any different in her situation.

"A small child was discovered in a boat twenty-four years ago. Nobody knows how the boat got to the middle of the lake after being frozen the day before, but it was there," Liam says, his voice softening into a fairytale-like tone.

Killian recalls that day vividly and has been thinking about it more recently than is healthy. That day and that little girl, without a doubt, changed his life.

"That girl didn't appear out of nowhere, either," he mumbles dryly. "She must have been left there by someone." He refuses to believe the ridiculous legend that the small girl was a fallen star born from the winter and, contrary to popular belief, was one of a kind in terms of beauty. However, it appeared almost magical that the lass was more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen before.

"Brother, you can be quite pessimistic at times."

"No, brother," Killian jokes, "I'm just realistic about life."

He doesn't wait for an answer, and he doesn't want to hear the enigmatic little girl's story, as well as all the fantastic myths surrounding her. Instead, he walks out into the hall and takes his time picking up his boots and jacket. He overhears his brother telling her about January 1st, twenty-four years ago — most likely to reassure the woman, as he knows his brother. Panic nearly broke out in her again, which is not uncommon, but it doesn't help. Anyone in her situation would be perplexed; it must be terrifying for her to think that no one knows anything about her, not even herself - as if a complete stranger is staring back at her in the mirror. Killian can't begin to imagine what Swan is going through right now.

He tastes the name and repeats it several times before deciding he likes it. He hadn't meant for it to stick; he just needed to say something because he was so disappointed that he couldn't find anything in her coat and jeans, and when he looked at her, he realized that his disappointment was nothing compared to her misery. He wanted to help, to give her something more substantial than anonymity, some semblance of hope — which is not typical of him at all, but there's something about this woman that makes his protective instincts kick in. He had no idea he had such instincts, to be honest.

Killian steps outside into the yard. Snow is still falling heavily, and the wind hasn't died down. When he takes a deep breath, it’s like his lungs fill with ice shards rather than air, but he enjoys it. At the very least, he can unwind a little, which he desperately needs right now, even if he isn't happy about it. Swan has an effect on him like no other, and he has no idea how that happened.

He was never the type of man who would lose his mind over a lovely smile, a pair of beautiful eyes, or even a stunning appearance. No, he is the type of man who is always calm and collected and can only be seduced by a woman if he wants to be. He is proud that, while he is unaffected by female practices, his head is not so easily turned - but now, when the situation and fairness would demand that he not notice a woman's allure, he is still rather enamored by her beauty. It's quite perplexing.

He was fortunate to have regained his sobriety by the time she was properly wrapped in towels, his mind not wandering into places it wasn't supposed to. He didn't have a single condemning thought when he later laid her on the couch. No, all he could think about at the time was that she had to be alright.

When she eventually regained consciousness after trying to wake her for quite some time, he felt a profound and fundamental relief he had never felt before. But the dread that had crept into her expression when she realized she had no idea who she was gripped his heart. He knew rum could help her (because there was something in that drink that made it more than just rum, and he knew this from previous experience), so he didn't hesitate. But he didn't realize it wasn't a smart idea to catch her attention.

The way she looked at him, how she reddened, washed away all of his (hardly recovered) sobriety, and scorched through his veins. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before; no woman could ever look at him in such a way that every meaningful thought vanished from his mind into thin air. This completely astounded him. That's why he was a little more stern than necessary, but the remark about her underwear was about something else. He simply wished to keep the lass from sinking as deeply into despair as she had moments before. What made him want to prevent it from happening? He had no idea why he was doing it, but he couldn't help himself.

He's always found that saying something completely unexpected, even shocking, is the most effective way to jolt someone out of a trance. At that moment, he couldn't think of a better one, and he can’t say he’s proud of his solution - making fun of a woman who is on the verge of falling apart is pretty foolish. He has no idea how he would have felt if she hadn't picked up on the joke; it's no coincidence that he prefers to be quiet at other times and isn't in a hurry to console, listen, or reassure anyone. He wasn't born to give grand speeches, and he'd never been forced to speak when he didn't have anything to say until now.

With his hand in his pocket, he walks down to the lake. He didn't notice the cold while rushing for the woman and returning with her, but now he regrets not changing out of his sweatpants. The material nearly freezes to his legs, which is an unpleasant sensation. He arrives at the lake and plans to mark the leak so that no one falls into it while skating or sledding, as well as look for the Swan's bag.

The hints he left behind in the snow are still partially detachable, but he must keep a close eye on them if he wants to detect them. Killian recalls it snowing like that 24 years ago. That's why the mysterious little girl stayed with them for the night; transporting her to the hospital would have been impossible, and his mother didn't want to risk the trip because she appeared to be fine. It's amazing how little one's fate is determined by the circumstances. He would not be who he is today if the snow had not been so heavy and the little girl had not stayed with them for the night.

He'd always wondered what had happened to the little girl, but his brother could only learn (because Killian hadn't been able to stop the questioning years later) that she'd ended up in a number of foster homes. She was eventually adopted by a family. Killian was unable to locate her because data on the adoptive parents couldn’t be obtained.

But he'd like to meet her and thank her, as well as ask her if she remembers the amazing night she stayed with them. When he crept out of his room to see the little girl who was so lovely she couldn't possibly be real.

He sat in one of the armchairs, legs up, chin resting on his knees, and just stared at her in the dim light of the left-on salt lamp. He had no desire for her because he was only thirteen and she was too young for him. Nothing but his genuine curiosity about her drove him.

The girl opened her eyes and looked at him as if she had been awake the whole time. Killian isn't sure how long they stared at each other without saying anything, but it was dawn by the time he returned to his room. He was full of sounds by then, his fingers tingling to touch the piano keys.

From that day forward, he wasn't just a talented little boy who played the piano quite skillfully (practically to make his mother happy), but something more, and although he never attributed the credit to himself, he knows that as soon as he set out to music school with his first composition, his teachers quietly whispered: genius.

Killian never thought of himself in that way; the music coming alive within him was a gift, a miracle that chose him to express himself for some inexplicable and incomprehensible reason. He never took his talent for granted; he studied music history and theory extensively, and while he was never particularly talented in any instrument other than the piano, he tried them all. He composed music with humility, patience, and dedication, grateful to be a part of something bigger than himself. He was content with his life, loved being surrounded by music, and didn't want anything else. No, all he wanted was to surrender to the melodies within him, and he didn't care whether people thought he was an eccentric genius or simply insane. Music was all that mattered; music defined him.

But when he awoke the morning after the accident that took his hand, he found only silence. There was no melody, no stray sound, only immeasurable emptiness, and agonizing quietness - and this has plagued him ever since, as his left wrist reminds him every day.

Killian comes to a complete stop. He is so preoccupied with the gaping emptiness that is his soul that he is unaware that he has arrived at the point where the ice has broken beneath Swan. He shakes his head to clear his mind before returning his attention to the lake.

"Impossible," mumbles he.

There is no sign of a leak, not even a break, just fresh snow. He's right where the lake broke, as evidenced by the fact that there's less snow here. He fell a few feet away and knelt right here as he drew the woman out of the water.

"What the devil?" He growls and takes a cautious step. Then another, and another, but he doesn’t hear a thing. The ice is not cracking and appears to be strong and stable. But how did the water freeze so quickly? The fact that it's January 1st isn't a good enough reason, but no other explanation comes to mind.

He sighs and shakes his head, turning his gaze away from the ice, and the air suddenly gets trapped in his lungs. He narrows his eyes as he looks at the tree on the other side, then his eyes widen as he looks back at the ice.

The boat was right here 24 years ago. He knows this because, despite the cold, he came out here and laid down in it after the little girl was taken away. Then there was the next day and the day after that. He just lay there, listening to the melody that was resonating deep within his soul. He believed everything that was said about the girl at the time, including her escape from the world of fairies. He also thought he had received the music directly from her, that melodies had come to life in him as a result of the girl's gift. In fact, he still believes that now - he doesn't know how she gave him the music, but he's certain that it would never have been born within him if it hadn't been for her.

"Are you playing bloody tricks on me?" He directs his rage at the water. "First you give me a girl who gifts me with music, and now that the music is gone you give me one who drives me insane in the most inexplicable and impossible way?"

Yes, he's completely insane. He's having a conversation with a lake. He's raging mad.

He takes another look around, but even if Swan had a bag, the lake has swallowed it along with her memories. Killian is furious at himself for the joy he feels at that. He should be desperate to find that damn bag so he can take her home, give her back to her family, relatives, or friends, and forget about her. But he can't bring himself to feel that way.

He shakes his head resignedly and begins to walk back. He mentally prepares himself to hear Swan's voice again, to see her, her smile, her magnificent pair of emotion-filled eyes, the unpredictability of her features. He needs to fortify himself; he can't let the woman affect him again.

He wouldn't mind if they met under different circumstances; in fact, he'd do anything to get closer to her and then lose himself in passion for one night. But he can't ignore the fact that they didn't meet under other circumstances. It also doesn't help that she has no idea who she is.

By the time he gets home, he's in a bad mood, and his headache has returned with a vengeance. At the very least, that is what will hold his attention, and perhaps he won’t fall under the spell of her smile again.

As he walks down the corridor, his brother is just pulling on his coat. Killian comes to a halt and frowns. To avoid the temptation that Swan represents for him, he plans to withdraw into his room and not return until absolutely necessary.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Mr. Geppetto had called earlier that his child had a fever. He wants me to examine him just in case."

"The snow makes travel difficult. Are you certain it's a good idea?"

His brother smiles cheerfully at him, which makes Killian uncomfortable.

"When it comes to their child, never say no to a parent. Unless they're asking for extra care for something that won't benefit the child."

Making new excuses for his brother to stay is pointless, Killian thinks. So much for his brilliant plan to flee until Swan's situation is resolved.

"Where is she?" He asks, somewhat hesitantly.

"She's taking a bath."

He has to stop his mind from picturing her soaking in a bathtub. Killian's eyes darken, but his brother simply turns away to pick up his hat, so thankfully he doesn’t notice.

"I called Wendy," Liam says, and Killian is trying hard to focus on his brother’s words, "She's not coming home today, she's sleeping at one of her friends because of the snow. She offered the girl her room, which I had already prepared with clean sheets when I told her what had happened. She should sleep after she finishes her bath."

"She still has no memory of anything?"

"Just a few flashes, but nothing serious. Perhaps she just needs to rest." Liam unlocks the door and walks out, then abruptly turns around. "And Killian, please be polite to her."

He growls, "I'm always polite."

In response, his brother raises one of his brows before closing the front door behind him. Killian groans and turns around. His gaze is drawn inadvertently to the closed bathroom door. Fantastic. Swan and him alone, what could possibly go wrong?

.

orenda

(n.) a mystical force present in all people that empowers them to affect the world, or to effect change in their own lives.

#cs ff #captain swan #cs fanfic #ouat #ouat ff #killian jones #emma swan #once upon a time #captain swan ff #Killian x Emma #captain hook #SOTL #my fic

[chockfullofsecrets]

Fjord and 17 for the writing prompt? No pressure tho :)

17. Worst “someone finding out you’re ticklish” experience?

“You okay, man?”

Everything hurts. Fjord doesn’t even bother keeping the whine from his voice. “I think this is it for me, first mate… it’s getting dark…”

“That was, like, seventy sit-ups, come on - I’ve literally seen Jes feeling up your abs, so I know you have them-”

“Tell the others to remember me kindly,” he groans, hiding a grin as Beau scoffs at him. “And tell Veth if she touches my stuff I’ll haunt her from the afterlife.”

That earns him another laugh, this one a little louder as his impromptu drill sergeant stalks over. “Up and at ‘em, sailor, you’ve gotta give me fifty more pushups before breakfast!”

With one arm flung lazily across his face to block the first searching rays of dawn, he’s caught completely off guard as Beau digs her bare toes into his side. “Nnh! - hey -”

He flings his arm down to protect himself, already squirming away from the prodding sensation before he catches the look on Beau’s face. “Ouch,” he rushes out, trying to distract her, “gods, did your teachers kick you like that?”

“Yep.” She somehow manages to pop the last letter while maintaining the biggest leer he’s ever seen. It’s terrifying. “How the fuck have you kept that a secret for so long?”

Fjord eyes her warily. “Somehow, it never came up.” Somehow being a lot of held breaths and stifled coughing while various clerics poke at him. He’s not half as bad as some of the others, anyways, as far as he knows - and maybe he wishes it would come up, sometimes, sitting at the edge of piles of tangled limbs and easy laughter and muffled squeals of protest that never seem to be serious enough to take notice of, but - well. That’s a can of worms he’s not really sure how to start opening.

Beau’s still grinning. “So… pushups or I tell Jester?”

He gapes. “You wouldn’t.”

Beau shrugs. “Don’t have to, if you’re laughing your ass off loud enough to wake her up.” 

She levels ten wriggling fingertips in his direction. Fjord shudders, an involuntary motion starting somewhere around his tailbone and shooting up to prickle at the back of his teeth. “And if I’m not going to get those pushups without some encouragement, then-”

Fuck it, he’s never been good at waiting for things to happen to him. “Yeah?” he jabs, rolling to snatch Beau’s calves and bring her down on top of him before she can retort.

“Fuck,” she yelps. And then, more desperate, as he wriggles a hand into the soft part of her side - “Fuhuhuck!”

He laughs and levers himself up on an elbow, just about ready to declare his victory - and then Beau clamps an arm around him, pushing him down flat as insistent fingers worm between them and onto his stomach, and he can’t stop laughing. 

“Hhhah - ahahha - shit, shit, help-” He wasn’t joking about everything hurting, and even as he does his best to wrestle her off he’s finding his muscles don’t want to help with much except curling up into the fetal position and letting the writhing, helpless feeling dancing under his skin squeeze every last bit of breath out of his lungs. 

“Oh, now you want help? Didn’t seem like you wanted my help with training, asshole,” Beau threatens - but she’s laughing too, almost childish giggles leaking out of her as she crushes him into a bear hug and tickles at his sides.

“Pleheheeese,” Fjord wheezes. “Ow, shit, my face hurts.”

“Fiiine,” Beau complains,finally, a little breathless herself as she rolls off him. Not that it stops her from digging her knuckles painfully into his shoulder. “The pushups aren’t going away, though, we’re just gonna do them tomorrow.”

It’s objectively a bad idea to try and tickle her again in revenge, Fjord thinks. He does it anyway. 

#tickling #critical role #beauregard lionett #fjord #chocfic #asks #snippets - dec2021 worsts

[redladydeath]

(Okay, so this fic has refused to leave my head for the past two weeks, so I decided to just give in and write up my own interpretation of the concept. Check out the original author, they’re cool and are currently doing a “one fic a day” challenge.)

 Emily is a servant in the king’s castle. In her spare time, she studies alchemy, a reviled science. One day, she is caught by her superiors with a book on the topic. They were going to punish her, but the situation catches the attention of the king. He finds Emily’s steadfast belief in the science amusing and, to toy with her, sets her the task of turning straw into gold by sunrise. She isn’t provided with the proper materials and only knows the theory, so she despairs, knowing she’ll die in the morning. Enter the Goblin.

They play out the typical story for a while. On the first night, he asks for her ring; on the second, a lock of her hair; but things take a turn on the third night when he says she no longer has anything he wants. Emily, desperate, must barter, and eventually offers to sleep with him if he’ll perform this final task for her. The Goblin accepts and the two spend the night together. When the king finds her the next morning, asleep naked atop one of the mounds of gold thread, he’s overcome with lust for her and decides to take her as his bride.

Emily’s not particularly happy about becoming queen as she’s now essentially stuck in a gilded cage with a man who almost put her to death, but there’s nothing she can do about it. Eventually, she realizes she’s pregnant, believing it to be the king’s child. When she gives birth to a son, she’s absolutely enamored with him. Harry is the one bright spot in her new life, and she devotes herself utterly to him, regardless of the expectation that she leave his care to the staff.

However, on the night of Harry’s first birthday, just as Emily’s finally lulled him to sleep, the Goblin returns. Emily is confused when he says he’s come to collect as she does not owe him anything and is horrified when he reveals that *he* is Harry’s father and has come to take him to the Other World. Emily refuses to give him up, but the Goblin says he’ll simply take Harry by force then; Emily realizes she’ll have to be clever in order to protect her son. She challenges him to a game, with Harry as the prize, and the Goblin, amused and certain she’ll lose, sets her the task of discovering his true name.

For two straight days, Emily tries and fails to guess the Goblin’s name, much to his amusement. At one point, he attempts to convince her to give up, saying it’d be cruel to keep Harry in a world in which he doesn’t belong. At another, he offers to let her come along to the Goblin Kingdom as well, taking her as his wife and queen and allowing her to raise Harry alongside him. Emily will not budge though.

Eventually, the dawn of the third day arrives and Emily despairs, certain she’s about to lose her son or possibly be dragged along to the Other World with him. However, she receives a visit from a peasant and his young nephew who say they may the information she needs. The two live in the vicinity of an old, abandoned chateau, once inhabited by a rich young nobleman who had a fascination with magic and alchemy. He disappeared without a trace decades ago on the night of his eighteenth birthday and the building has been empty ever since. However, last night, the young peasant boy noticed activity in the chateau and saw a strange green creature entering and leaving it with ease, despite it being locked up tight for years. Emily, putting the pieces together, seizes on the lead and searches feverishly for the name of the man who once owed the chateau.

When the Goblin arrives, smug and ready to claim his prize, Emily decides to toy with him. She guesses incorrect names until the Goblin is giddy with sadistic glee and then offers up one last name: Norman Osborn. The Goblin is apoplectic with shock and rage, screaming at Emily that she cheated and tries to attack her, but ends up getting impaled on… something, idk, I just want to parallel the glider death, and Emily stands victorious, with her son safe in her arms.

 It’s customary for the king/queen of the Goblins to seek out a human spouse; they want their children to be half-human so they can retain their ability to travel between worlds with ease, something pure goblins cannot do, which gives them their elevated status. It’s up to the monarch’s discretion whether they choose to claim their child at a young age, have them be born in the Other World, or leave them in the human world until they’ve matured.

#brainrot brainrot brainrot #redlady speaks #marvel #emily osborn #norman osborn #harry osborn

[daily-rayless]

Horizon AU Part 1

Horizon AU Part 4

Anise

Anise has always known how to survive.

Sacred Songs is a large werak, just west of snowbound Ban-Ur, known for training shamans. Both of her parents are shamans – but minor, far too unimportant ever to convene in Malmstrom. Despite a nominal chieftain, the true leader of their werak is an influential shaman named Mohs, who has struggled all his life to feel the serenity of the Blue Light. The Derangement has made him feel inadequate, paranoid, and as more Banuk leave the faith, he holds on to his subordinate shamans with a rigid grip. In the case of Anise's parents, they remain so desperate to keep his approval that he commands almost every aspect of their lives.

Wanting to bolster his support, Mohs began insisting the children of the werak train as shamans, far earlier than they would be expected to. Anise's parents wanted her to freely choose, but they also feared angering Mohs, and for months they faltered, not wanting to pressure Anise, not wanting to leave Mohs' protection. Feeling herself being drawn into Mohs’ control, doubting the truth of the Blue Light, helpless to save her parents while she remained in the werak, Anise escaped south, down through the Cut. She knows little of the southlands, but she hopes that she first can find a place where she and her family can live peacefully – and then that she can somehow convince her parents to escape too. She knows for the first goal, she may need a good amount of capital and influence – and for the second, she might just need a miracle.

In Pitchcliff, she runs into the Nora Luke and the Oseram Guy. Luke's story of deliberately exiling himself from his homeland strikes a chord with her, but when she hears he's the nephew of a Carja lord, her focus sharpens. She may have heard little of the Carja, and none of it good, but they're said to be filthy rich. She's not exactly sure how to gain some of that wealth, and she doesn't know in her own heart how underhanded she's willing to be to get it, but she knows that attaching herself to Luke's group is the best place to start.

Luke's wounds have healed and he’s ready to continue his search for his twin brother. Guy, growing fonder of him, decides he might as well link up with some of the many Oseram in Meridian. As for Anise, another fighter on a journey is always a big help. They welcome her along.

You have to admit, Anise makes a really cute Banuk. She also prevails like no one's business, and that is the Banuk way.

Someone riding an enormous stuffed animal into battle doesn't fly in the Horizon-verse, but I thought using Anise's costume would be a good way to incorporate Tokunaga's design. She has sort of animal ears made from machine components (loosely based on the “bunny ears” you see on some Banuk npcs like Laulai). For a weapon, she's packing a miniaturized stormslinger, which gives her Horizon's equivalent of attack magic, though she's also willing to get close to an enemy and punch them. I did go back and forth some on her color scheme, which in Abyss is pink and white, but the Banuk emphasize blues so much. In the end, I gave her some pink patches on her coat, the overall effect being a little 1991 ski jacket, but I think it works. Anise hasn't truly begun shaman training, so she doesn't have any blue cables embedded into her skin. (But Mohs does. Mohs has a lot, I'm betting. He has a big tall furry hat, and he's one of those shamans who goes around without a shirt. No, I haven't drawn it. I doubt it could compare to whatever you’re imagining.)

Anise's name might work in Horizon with a bit of adjustment. We've yet to meet any tribes that use herb names, but phonetically it's such a simple name that you could easily imagine a character named Anis or Annis or something like that in any number of cultures. Banuk women tend to have names that end in a vowel, so I'd probably edit it further to Anisai or Anisa.

#anise tatlin #tales #tales of the abyss #horizon zero dawn #horizon au

[varyingstorms]

courage and love, the path to freedom from fear - part 3

     when the dark lord rose for the second time and lucius fell out of favour, narcissa was in many ways left to pick up the pieces. she was the one who tried to save draco, she was the one who guided lucius to give up his wand to save them from more punishment, she was the one who relinquished her own wand. she did everything in her power to save her family. 

     save her family from lucius’ decisions. 

     and aye, there’s the rub. all of her life, every lesson she has ever learned has been how to live as a woman, how to live in fear. narcissa had lived her entire life in the shadows, had always been able to influence, but never decide. and it was lucius who had decided to thrust their beliefs into the spotlight, to sacrifice everything on the altar of a madman.

     she realises now, that the dark lord is that, is little more than a madman with a wand. as the blood of innocents flows around her feet, staining her robes while she must force a smile. and she cannot abide that her husband had revelled in it. this wasn’t blood purity and the strengthening of wizard-kind. this was a despot massacring and torturing anyone who opposed him. unbridled destruction at any cost with no regard for anyone else who might be in the way.

     the madness has not merely overtaken her home, but had begun to infect it. darkness that she had long ignored or justified in lucius now bordered on dangerous, even toward his own family. and she was still forced to smile for the crowd, even as she perfected glamour charms and bruise cream behind closed doors. and how was she supposed to protect herself and her son from the dark lord, if she couldn’t even protect him from her own husband?

     and what exactly is she supposed to do? the dark lord has already started using lucius and draco to punish each other, and she’s sure it’s nothing short of a miracle that she hasn’t been included in this. if she were to act in opposition, reveal the reservations she has held for many long years, now firm beliefs - there is no doubt in her mind she and her family would meet a painful, gruesome end. even were she to act in explicit defence of them, she could endanger herself and others. narcissa feels completely bound, both by lucius’ decisions and her own fear.

     by the battle of hogwarts, narcissa is so completely defeated that she has contrived a potion to take should the dark lord win. she runs through the halls and the grounds without so much as her wand, searching desperately for her son before the call comes to go to the forest. she’s not entirely sure which death eater drags her bodily, but she’s sure it’s her resistance that earns her the punishment of checking harry’s body.

     as her feet cross the forest floor, she sees not a black-haired boy, but a blond one. every fibre of her being recalls how she has felt since the moment she learned she was pregnant. holding him in her arms the first time, his first words, the increasingly rare occasions he came to her embrace as he got older. it’s all she can do not to sob as she approaches harry, feeling like all hope is lost, her son is lost.

     the last thing she expects is to find him breathing, and her decision is made in an instant. a decision she has made entirely on her own, an act of courage. admittedly her motivations may be selfish, but she knows in her heart that this is also the greater good, and part of her wants that too. so she turns, slowly, looks the dark lord directly in the eyes. and lies to him.

     courage is like a drug, and a gateway to other emotions she hasn’t ever permitted herself to feel. she feels a sense of true strength as she orders lucius to get his hands off her son as they walk away from the battle. and true strength is a novelty, she has only ever known compliance in fear. now she knows that wasn’t enough, it won’t ever be enough again.

     even as she awaits trial in azkaban, narcissa malfoy finally gets her first taste of freedom.

#headcanons (( narcissa )) #tw: abuse #tw: domestic violence #so this is obviously the climax #and the catalyst #we see the threads unravelling #but also this isn't an excuse #the abuse and the fear isn't an excuse #for her enabling violence #and prejudice #because she's an adult #she made those choices and was conscious of the consequences #but from here #in the next part #we see her actually enacting her redemption #and her learning how to make her own decisions

[marauderundercover]

Taking Chances Ch. 2 Finding Out (Family/Friends)

Prev 

AO3

@maribat-bdbwm

“Mari!” Adrien yells, running past Batman to sweep her up in a hug. Marinette’s face instantly heats up, but she buries herself into the hug. After all, it’s not every day she faces a supervillain determined to kill her with a dangerous weapon...without her suit, anyway.

“I’m okay. I’m okay.” Marinette reassures him, relishing in the comfort. A cleared throat makes her jump back and look at Batman who, despite clearing his throat and cutting off the most amazing hug ever, has no emotions on his face. Whatsoever. Cause that’s not intimidating or anything.

“The police will need your statement, Miss Dupain Cheng.” Batman says. Marinette nods, squeaking when Adrien reaches down and entwines his fingers with hers. Following Batman’s directions to the awaiting police, Marinette feels nerves flood her systerm as she sees the sheer number of officers on the other side of the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she feels Adrien squeeze her hand. Shooting him a thankful smile, Marinette uses her unattached hand to open the door and step out into the mess of personnel. A man with a mustache and square glasses steps forward immediately, his hand extended.

“Hello Miss Dupain Cheng. I’m Commissioner Jim Gordon. We were in communication with Batman while he was inside so we heard some of what happened. Would you be comfortable telling us what happened? We can get you checked over by paramedics first, if you want.” Commissioner Gordon says.

“Oh, no, no. I’m fine. I don’t-” She starts to say, but a gruff voice cuts her off.

“She should be examined immediately, Gordon. She may have inhaled smoke from the smoke bombs due to proximity. She also could have burns to her face or ears from Joker’s gun. He shot it and then proceeded to prod her with it.” Batman says, the last part of his ‘report’ slightly more gruff than the first. Was he…..worried about her? Marinette shakes that thought off almost immediately. Why would Batman be worried about her? Wait, was he really going to make her see the paramedics when all she wanted to do was talk to the officers so she could get back to the trip?

“I assure you, Monsieur Batman, Monsieur Gordon, I don’t need to see the paramedics. I’m a little shaky, but that’s all. I mean, I was held at gunpoint. I think shaky is appropriate, non?” Marinette asks, flashing the two a bright smile. Gordon raises an eyebrow and glances at Batman who shakes his head stiffly.

“She gets examined.” He says, leaving no room for questions as he pulls his grappling hook (?!?!) out and retreats to the rooftop.

“You heard the man. We can talk as you’re examined, if you’d prefer. I’m sure you just want to put this whole business behind you.” Commissioner Gordon says kindly. Marinette sighs in relief and nods, smiling again at the man. Hopefully this would be taken care of quickly. --- Bruce Wayne was slightly panicking, though he would never admit it. When reports of the Joker being spotted at the Gotham City Museum of Modern Art first rolled in, he assumed his biggest challenge would be keeping Jason from murdering the clown. He did not expect to see a small girl being held at gunpoint. A girl who looked like a strange mix between his mother, and someone else. But he couldn’t place his- of course. Memories flood his mind as he thinks back to the woman who was so clearly related to the small girl. Bridgette Le. A woman that he, at one time, thought he would be able to spend the rest of his life with. Until she left Gotham and cut off all contact between the two. Oh god. She wouldn’t….would she? --- “I don’t understand why that older paramedic looked like she’d seen a ghost.” Marinette says with a pout as she continues working on the embroidery for a jacket for Jagged. Design never sleeps.

“What d’ya mean?” Adrien asks from his nest of blankets on her bed. Marinette tries to focus on keeping her blush down. Apparently, the attack at the museum had scared Adrien more than her, though she imagined he was scared on her behalf. But she couldn’t quite understand why...nevertheless, he had become attached at her hip and hadn’t left her side since they got back to the hotel. Even though all she really wanted was a little alone time to talk to Tikki. Especially about the chance of the Miraculous Cure working here. Maybe if she was in the battle…

“Didn’t you notice? He was fine til he looked into my eyes and then he got super pale. He looked like he was going to say something, but Monsieur Gordon stopped him before he could.” Marinette recounts, remembering the way the paramedic had to switch out since his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“I didn’t notice that. That’s weird. Anything else happen like that today?” Adrien asks, finally sitting up and giving her his full attention. Marinette pauses her stitching and purses her lips as she runs the days events back through her head. The paramedic. Batman. Joker. Arriving late to the museum. The cab ride. Being left at the hotel. Coffee-

“Well,” Marinette starts, furrowing her eyebrows as she tries to rationalize the man’s actions in addition to the actions of the paramedic. But something wasn’t adding up. “There was my cab ride to the museum.”

“What happened? Was someone creepy? I can fight them for you!” Adrien offers, a little too cheery. Marinette freezes as she studies his face, searching for something. Adrien had been off all day. More protective than he’d been in awhile. And the few times Lila had spoken, he had scowled at her instead of ignored her. Was he finally coming around to the idea that the high road would not work with Lila? Pushing those thoughts off for another time, Marinette shakes her head.

“No, no. Nothing like that. But as I was leaving, he called me Miss Wayne.” Marinette admits, not expecting Adrien’s uncontrollable laughter.

“He, you, oh my god!” He laughs, clutching his sides. Marinette’s eyebrows furrow in confusion as she sets the jacket down on the desk.

“What?” She asks, completely and totally frustrated with the situation. Adrien laughs for another minute before calming down, wiping tears from his eyes and shooting her a blinding smile. Not his model smile. An actual smile that warms her heart and her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry Mari. It’s just, I think he was referring to the fact that you look like the typical kid Bruce Wayne adopts.” Adrien says and Marinette’s blood freezes.

“Did you say Bruce Wayne?” Marinette asks and Adrien nods, his previous mirth wiped from his face.

“Yeah, Mari, are you okay?” He asks. Marinette nods, then shakes her head, then groans and throws up her arms in frustration.

“I don’t know! I just- you remember how I told you I’m adopted?” She asks. Adrien nods, then stops. A look of mixed terror and awe flooding his face.

“Oh god, Mari. You never told me the name. Your birth father-”

“His name is Bruce Wayne. But there’s gotta be hundreds if not thousands of Bruce Waynes in the US right?” Marinette asks, even as her hope in that idea dwindles.

“The US? He’s confirmed from the US?” Adrien asks, already pulling out his phone.

“Yes. Adrien, what are you doing?” She asks, suddenly worried as she jumps onto the bed next to him, desperately trying to see his phone.

“I’m googling Bruce Wayne and Bridgette Le as a combined search. Wayne is one of the most prominent figures in Gotham, all of his previous relationships have photographic evidence. Except for whoever the mother of his youngest is. But that’s probably because he wasn’t in the country at that time.” Adrien says, typing away furiously on his phone. Marinette’s eyebrow quirks up in amusement.

“Since when were you a master researcher?” She asks with a grin.

“Since one of my best friends found out she’s adopted and it could be the man who hosts the only palatable high society parties. Seriously. And they’d be much better if you were there and-holy shit. Your bio mom looks just like you!” Adrien exclaims, turning the phone to her. Marinette inhales deeply and thanks whatever power there is that she’s not in Paris right now. The emotions running over her at an indescribable speed...not all of them are positive. And they’re all overwhelming as she looks at a picture that very clearly shows her bio mom with Bruce Wayne. As in the Gotham Bruce Wayne. Not a different unknown Bruce Wayne across the country somewhere. Nope. A man who is apparently prominent enough that Monsieur Agreste makes his son go to the man’s parties.

“I don’t suppose she just had a type for men named Bruce Wayne?” Marinette says weakly. This was not what she expected. --- This was exactly what he expected. Looking at the birth records for one Marinette Le, where he’s noted as the father. Though why he wasn’t notified before the girl’s custody was signed over to Sabine Cheng, he’ll never understand. His jaw clenches as he continues reading, eyes scanning over Bridgette’s death certificate before glancing back at Marinette’s birth certificate. A daughter. He had a daughter. Another child that he would never be able to hold when they were small. Another child that grew up without him. Another child that he didn’t meet until they were already a person. Someone with their own experiences individual from his own, someone that may not even know he had found them. And that he wanted nothing more than to get to know someone who was brave enough to stand between the Joker and her friends. Someone who was determined not to let what should have been the most traumatic experience in her life be a set back. He had a daughter. And he wanted to meet her.

***

Next

Note, my headcannon is that the paramedic that panicked did so because he was one of the first responders the night that the Waynes were murdered. And while she looks a lot like her birth mom, Marinette also definitely has Martha Wayne’s eyes and the paramedic could NOT deal. Also, let me know if you want tagged!

Tag List: @jjmjjktth

#maribat bruce wayne #maribat #maribat bio dad bruce #maribat bio dad! bruce wayne month 2021 #mbdbwm2021 #maribat marinette dupain cheng #maribat adrien agreste #day two family/friends