#suddenly regreting all my life decisions that lead me to this.....

[monicahar]

“one thing you want for christmas?”

in which you inquire about their wish for the long-awaited day.

—includes all my faves; kazuha, xiao, candace, cyno, scaramouche/wanderer, heizou, shenhe, hu tao, ayato, kaveh, yelan (bonus: alhaitham, ei, tighnari, nilou, yae miko, ganyu, keqing, ayaka, thoma)

—gender neutral reader, fluff, established relationships, rather sus with yelan's. p.s. let's just pretend all of teyvat celebrates xmas lol

“for you to stay by my side.”

# xiao has seen it all. from the monsters he had slain, to the cries of desperate mortals, to the quietude of his solitude, to the grief of the aftermath of it all, to the hushed whispers of his last bits of sanity, all leading up to the gentle sways of the breeze passing the inn, enveloping you both in a rather serene atmosphere as you stare at each other's gaze, yours one of anticipation for his answer, and his of silent contemplation. when honest words akin to a silent plea for you to never leave him leave his lips—his sharp eyes immediately soften at the reddening of your cheeks in response.

# kazuha is nothing but a humble man. he does not seek wealth, nor fame, nor anything trivial that concerns his title as the lone descendant of a noble clan, or as the inspiring individual who directly went against the narukami ogosho's blade of lighting. he only wants two things—peace and tranquillity. luckily for him, those abstracts are found in you, being the embodiment of his real home no matter where you travel. kazuha firmly believes that he belongs by your side, and he hopes that you think the same should you agree to take him up on his wish.

# candace was more than ready to answer your question, which pleasantly surprised you. with how firm she is with her beliefs of being a descendant of the renowned scarlet king with the protection of aaru village, you would've thought she'd wish for the safety of her fellow people or something...she agrees with this sentiment with a chuckle of her own. “you're right. but me ensuring the healthy being of my village is a given. i simply wished that you staying as my partner...would also be a given too.”

# cyno, the general mahamantra outright admits this within a beat of his heart. he's sure this wish of his would have drawbacks on your part—considering his frightening reputation, but he knows, and is certain that you're willing to take it on for his sake. he trusts you with his whole being that you were ready to commit yourself to him just as much as he is to you. his resilience doesn't waver a bit when you come off surprised by his sudden cheesy advance, it only strengthens his resolve to remain with you for the rest of his life...or in other words...“since it's christmas...[name], will you merry me?” (💀)

“you.”

# wanderer thinks this whole thing is silly. christmas is silly. merely wishing is silly. your question is silly. and his answer is also silly—but it held absolute truth, no matter how much he denied. it was rather stupid to ask for something that was already his, but he couldn't help it when the words erupted from his throat before he could even think about it. truthfully, there's nothing he wants in this world more than you. you are his heart. you are his human. you are his lover. you are his everything. he embarrassingly sputters for an insult when you suddenly laugh at his immediate response to your innocent question, your hearty giggles filling the silence of the room you've both resided in. something inside his chest flutters when you say 'likewise' so sweetly. he doesn't regret saying it that much now.

# shenhe was never this certain before. back then she'd always have doubts when it comes to making her own decisions, no matter how miniscule, or important it may be. is she supposed to be with humans? or with the adepti? this deer is looking at her quite weirdly, should she kill it? this person did terrible things unintentionally, should she hold them accountable? is she even in a position to decide such a thing? why are you making her feel weird things, should she confront you? all these random questions make up her past self, so now, in this present, can you be hers, faithfully and truthfully? forevermore, even? you have the power to grant this wish of hers, what will you do with it?

# kaveh is brutally honest when it comes to you. with how he's snuggling up to you like you're a sole lit torch within a raging blizzard upon uttering that one, three lettered word, now isn't an exception it seems. “i want you. only [name].” his voice is muffled onto your chest with a content sigh, resulting into a smile creeping up on your face at his display of affection. caressing his blonde locks, you mutter that you're already his, and remain that way forevermore. though the peaceful moment doesn't last long when you hear alhaitham on the other side of the house puking his insides out.

“a kiss, perhaps.”

# hu tao is a cheeky one. knowing her, she would very much rather die than passing up an opportunity to tease you. which is probably why she's now making kissy faces towards you in public, making loud bilabial clicks to further emphasize on her want for that kiss she requested of you. she's living for your blushing state right now. how cute you are! just makes her wanna pinch your cheeks and bite them! but right now, she has one goal. a raging conquest—to feel your lips against her own!

# ayato is also very cheeky when it comes to his dearest. that annoying knowing smirk of his plastered onto his face as you slowly process his response. he has no need for extravagant gifts when he has nearly every trinket or item at his fingertips as a wealthy noble clan head and his position as one of the tri-commissioners, so he'll use this to his advantage and pick up your lips in the process. he's been rather depraved of your attention lately with how busy he was with the preparation of christmas arriving in inazuma, but now that everything is set in motion, he wants to spend this small vacation with you and your lips in the meantime.

# yelan is incredibly flirtatious when she's alone with you. lingering touches that rile you up in silence, hushed whispers against your reddened ears, hot breaths mingling together from the close proximity she initiated...mhm, she's merciless. she'd have to hold herself back from full-on making out with you when you become shy from her intense gaze, averting your eyes as an attempt to calm your nerves. (she would ask for more than a kiss honestly, but we gotta keep it pg here so a long, long smooch it is.)

# heizou, yet another cheeky punk. you're really considering on giving his head a light hit for him to finally stop this little game of his. “ten kisses! that's all.” and after you're done pecking and littering his face with kisses, he'll just smile innocently and say “alright, ten more!” and he repeats it again, and again, and again, and again until you finally snap as you purposely bite his cheek under the pretense of giving another kiss. he just yelps and rubs the spot, pouting towards you afterwards as an attempt to charm you out of your irritated stance. “oh, come on, just another 10 more! it's the last, i promise!“ he then proceeds to say he'll return the kisses tenfold...whatever that means.

BONUS ! ! ! — “oh, how about a [insert random object]?”

# alhaitham would ask for some random nerdy book that he hadn't enough time in his schedule to buy. boooo no romance at all🙄

# ei would ask for dango. or a kiss. it's sweet either way, she says.

# tighnari would ask you to shut up. honestly, i have no idea. I wanted to put him in the “stay by my side” but he's too snarky for such cheesy stuff so maybeeee he'd ask for a type of essential oil for his tail or sumn.

# nilou would ask for a dance with you—under the moonlight amidst lotus flowers and flowing waters, right when the clock strikes twelve and christmas day warmly welcomes you both.

# yae miko had the potential to go into the kiss section, but she would definitely take advantage of this question of yours to make you do even more silly things. she can get your kisses anytime and anywhere anyways.

# ganyu would ask for a date! she got some time off granted by the qixing themselves, and she wants to spend it eating qingxins with you. (bear the bitterness, will you?)

# keqing would ask for a morax plushie. she didn't indulge you in her secret of being a huge fangirl for nothing. 😾

# thoma is the type of guy to let you decide your gift for him instead. not too expensive though! he dislikes you spending too much money for him. he'd gift you a knitted scarf as well. :') such a lovely man.

# ayaka would not ask for a gift. she would gift you instead with a fan that matches hers!

@muchendrafts i have included your beloved ei, thoma and ayato. enjoy your gift, along with many other readers! i also have an ayato oneshot in the works, but i couldn't finish it in time so i hope you'll fare with this, for now atleast!

#scaramouche x reader #wanderer x reader #kunikuzushi x reader #kazuha x reader #xiao x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact headcanons #genshin drabbles #genshin impact x reader #cyno x reader #tighnari x reader #heizou x reader #kaveh x reader #alhaitham x reader #shenhe x reader #yelan x reader #ayaka x reader #keqing x reader #ganyu x reader #hu tao x reader #yae miko x reader #nilou x reader #har❗fiction #candace x reader #gixrsecretsanta2022

[flaneur001]

I’m gonna go ahead and say it, Whitney has me whipped. And after lurking here and finding so little fics about them, I decided to take matters into my own hands lol. So here it is~

CW- themes of self hate, cursing/swearing, it’s sfw but mildly suggestive

Boyfriend! Whitney x GN Reader

Silent Confessions

His eyes opened by a fraction, blue orbs adjusting to the street light filtering in through the window in the small, stuffy room. He blinked rapidly, as if only now remembering how he ended up here. Whitney gently shifted in the small creaky bed, the worse for wear sheets covering your half naked body rode down with his movements.

You whined a little, flailing your arms around in an attempt to pull the boy closer, further entangling your limbs, under the sheets.

“Stop moving” you mumbled nosing along the crook of his neck. The sound of his steady pulse against your face gave you a sense of security, and a feeling of familiarity. A feeling that you were growing dangerously attached to, “l’m cold” you managed to whisper. Even half asleep you could practically see, no, feel him roll his eyes.

“You’re getting way too comfortable with me, aren’t you little one… ordering me around now, huh?” he murmured as he shifted in the cramped space, easily scooping you up and placing you atop him, as he pulled the old blanket over both of your forms. Despite his rough tone, his hands were gentle, like always. His chin came to rest on your head, strong arms holding your waist like a lifeline, and you found yourself unconsciously matching your breathing with his, secretly loving the way both of your chests touched when they rose and fell in tandem.

A beat of silence passed. Both of you said nothing, just listened to the sound of your combined breathing dancing in the dark. Whitney rubbed soothing circles on your back, slender fingers inching down to find the words written in black permanent marker near your left hip.

A small frown creased his forehead. His blue eyes caught the words emblazoned on your skin, reflected into the mirror of the dilapidated armoire. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he kept staring at the reflection transfixed.

He saw the way your legs wrapped around his waist, how your head rested on his chest, and those damned words that he himself wrote, sat there on your body, mocking him.It was all too intimate, and suddenly he regretted letting his guard down. Regretted letting you drag him to this dump of a place.

It was somewhere he had sworn not to enter. He had been here with his lackeys before. But he never stayed long. Those fleeting glimpses into your life were enough to sate his curiosity. Of this weird fixation he held about you. He hated that he was almost obsessed about knowing what you did after school, where you lived, whom you hung out with.

But when you finally humored his stupid request and took him to your crusty old orphanage, that small shy smile you wore when you showed him your bedroom, tore at his heart in a way that he simply couldn’t comprehend. He felt nauseated at the idea of defiling you in a place you felt safe in. Promising to himself that he will not ruin this little haven that you called home.

Yet here he was bathing in the after effects of his selfish decisions. No he wasn’t selfish. He was downright greedy. Eagerly taking everything that you so naively offered. That’s how your relationship had always been. Him taking incessantly and you giving immeasurably.

He heaved out a shuddering breath, willing his eyes to move from the reflection. He looked around the small quarters in a desperate attempt to divert his thoughts away from the dangerous chasm that they were leading him to.

You will never be enough for them

He clenched his eyes shut trying to drown out the annoying voice.

They are too kind for a pathetic human like you. You will simply drag them down.

“Shut.Up” he ground out, his grip tightening unconsciously around you. You winced in your sleep and Whitney blanched. He instantly loosened his grip and pressed a soft kiss to your hair as a silent apology.

He could hear the birds chirrup in the distance. Cold air found its way through a draft in the window to tickle his skin. The dawn was approaching. He gently rolled over and placed you in the centre of the bed, carefully tucking you in as he slipped out of the covers silently.

Despite his solemn mood, a small smile crept up his face at the beautifully disheveled state you presented. Hair all mussed up, lips swollen legs sticking out from underneath his white shirt that covered your chest. Unable to stop himself he leaned down and caught your lips in a soft kiss, tasting those feathery dreams that he dared not see with open eyes.

He roved a hand though his blond hair, moving the fringe aside to get a good look at your face.

“So trusting. Letting your guard down around me” he laughed bitterly. Unbidden his eyes flitted to the words on your left hip and he looked away quickly before he started thinking too deeply about it.

It was an impulse. Yes. That’s exactly what it was. You both were intoxicated and he was so lost in the way you pleasured him, that he simply didn’t think before he wrote.

He stood to his full height and walked towards the door of the small room. He better slip out before that shady bitch Bailey found him.

Hovering a little by the door, he hesitated before stalking to your desk and grabbing a sheet of paper. “Screw it” he whispered taking a pen and quickly scribbling a note before he could talk himself out of it.

“You can keep the shirt. It looks better on you ;)”

He folded the small note and placed it beside your head, proudly sauntering outside your room shirtless. He didn’t look back, as he left you slumbering. Leaving nothing but his shirt and the words behind that he was too afraid to say to you.

And surely, you were in for a surprise when you would wake up and see “I love you” resting on your hip in his messy penmanship instead of the usual “Whitney’s toy”

#ashe writes #my words #short fiction #degrees of lewdity #whitney the bully #boyfriend whitney #fluff #dol fanfic #whitney dol #dol headcanons #I don’t own the art posted here #gender neutral reader #Whitney makes me feel things basbssz #hehe #whitney brainrot #degrees of lewdity fic #not proofread

[sturnsgirl]

GHOSTBUSTERS!

M.STURNIOLO

IN WHICH- Y/n wants to go to a haunted hotel but ends up regretting her decision

WARNINGS- use of y/n,fluff,pet names (mama,ma,princess,baby,ect.) ,haunted things idk

A/N- This is kinda butt sorry guys also my bday tmmr chatttt!

I was scrolling through my phone on instagram looking at haunted areas for fun and to maybe see if Matt would be down to go together?

I was scrolling for not too long before one area in general catches my eye 'driskill hotel'. This was the one. I looked more in it to see what it was about. '98 spirits roam this hotel'. 'most active spir-' 'the story of-'.

Just as I go to save this, Matt walks in the room setting his keys down exhausted from fliming and mettings all day.

"Hey baby." he says walking up to the bed where i lay

"Hey My love!! oh my okay so look. just listen! okay i was scrolling on instagram looking at haunted places and i was thinking what if-" his eyes widening while smiling and giggling at my enthusiasm but cutting me off before i finish.

"Dont even ask me to go there." He chuckles sitting next to me.

"But Matt! pleaseeeeee" i beg sitting up to him grabbing my wrist leading his hands to my waist sitting me on his lap, my back against his chest.

"Baby are you out of your mind?" He laughs

"It would be so fun!! pleaseee" I plead looking at the pictures on my phone.

"Y/n no!" He says in a joking disbelief.

"Mattt!! please there will be a tour guide and everything just plea-"

"Okay! fine." He chuckles resting his head on my shoulder nuzzling in the crook of my neck.

"REALLY?!" I say turning around to face him

"Mhmm" He says smiling

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU I LOVE YOU" I basically shout hugging him now straddling him (not like that..)

"I love you too" he says hugging me back giggling.

I leap from excitement scheduling an appointment for our tour.

"Okay! tommorow at 7pm." i say proudly.

"You got a reservation already?" he says shocked chuckling.

"yup!" i smile widely.

"Your insane" He chuckles.

I giggle at his reply laying down on his chest as we both lay down getting ready for bed, the excitment for tommorow not leaving my body.

Matt scrolls through his phone for a few minutes before we both fall asleep with eachother. Matt puts his phone down pulling the covers over him and I kissing my forehead before whispering to me.

"Goodnight sweet girl, I love you" Knowing im fast asleep he still does the smallest but cutest things ever.

NEXT DAY

I wake up at around 1 p.m still on Matts chest to see he's awake on his phone making sure his volume was low enough for him to hear but also to not wake me up.

"Good Afternoon sleepy head" He says still in his morning voice.

"Hey baby" i say in a raspy tone rubbing my eyes while placing a kiss onto matts chest. "Hey dont forget we have that hotel to visit todayyy!!" I say fully waking up just by remebering what we will be doing.

As a young girl i always liked scary things and horror. I could handle horror. I mean certain things.. Maybe just through a screen. Never in real life..Shit.

The thought now made my excitment into nervousness.

"Im gonna go get ready." i say getting up off matts chest into my closet, grabbing a towel and walking into the bathroom. Its as if everything was starting to bother me now. I feel a cold sudden gust of wind as i walk into the bathroom and shut the door. Its nothing. I go to turn on the shower and hang my towel up, undressing infront of the mirror which im not looking at at the moment. I lift my shirt up and as soon as its off i look up into the mirror. A black shadow by me. I jump turning around but nothing.

Its just my imagination. Im just scared. and i was 100%.

I hop into the shower closing my eyes as the warm water hits my cold bare skin. The though of someone or something watching me suddenly coming to mind. I shoot my eyes open. Nothing as expected.

After i shower i dry off wrapping my towel around my freezing body walking back into my room where matt layed on my bed.

I hadn't noticed but my face was pale and i looked as if i had just seen a ghost.

"Woah.. hey ma are you okay?.." matt asks worridly getting up and coming toward my frozen still body.

"i-uh.. yeah? why?" I say as quick as i can

"you look like you just saw a ghost baby." He says worridley

Ghost. Ghost. Ghost. Spirits. Haunted. Tour.

"Wha-oh yeah..no im fine!" I say clearing out of my thoughts.

"o..okay." he says suspiciously

I go to get ready wearing White jeans,my brown fresh love hoodie,and my brown dunks. I put on some jewlery,do my hair and my makeup before matt and i head to his house so he can get ready.

3:37 P.M

We arrive at the triplets house heading up to matts room while he steps in the bathroom to shower i go into chris' room since Nick was at madis house.

I get to Chris' door and knock three times before hearing chris say

"come in!"

I walk into his room, hes playing fortnite with one ear out of his headset looking at who just walked in his door.

"Oh wsg twinn" He says looking back at his P.c

"Nothing just waiting for matt to come out the shower" i say plopping down on his bed getting on my phone to maybe ease my nerves.

4:32

Matt walks into chris' room wearing an outfit that matches mine. A brown T-shirt,a white long sleeve under,and white jeans.

"Hey Chris." he says going up to dap up his brother before coming up to me

"Hey baby, you ready?" He asks standing at the side of the bed

"Y..Yeah" I say hesitantly.

"Where are you guys going?" Chris asks

"Some haunted hotel she wanted to visit." Matt replies

"What hotel dude I heard about this crazy haunted one called like the Driskill hotel or sumn. heard that shits scary" Chris says

My heart sunk and the color from my face probably disappeared.

"Oh yeah thats the one" Matt says

"Damn. Good luck" Chris chuckled.

"Shut the fuck up loser, C'mon ma" He says

5:00

We get into the car driving to the place which is an hour away from us.

Matts driving with one hand as his other hand holds mine. Im zoned out. Its quiet.My legs bouncing.

"Alright sweetheart theres clearly something bothering you. what is it?" Matt says bringing me back to reality.

"What? No..Im fine. Just.. a little nervous about this..you know." I say nervously chuckling

"Its okay ma. You'll be fine, I'll be with you the whole time okay?" He says reassuringly squeezing my hand.

"Okay.." I reply.

We arrive to the area at 6:00pm having an hour left before our tour starts.

"Hey baby wanna go get food? we still have an hour left." Matt says in a soft tone stopping at a red light.

"Yeah." i mumble.

we decided to get fast food considering we only had an hour left so we didnt have many options.

6:52pm

We had finished eating and talking which had calmed my nerves down a little but i was still scared. i had been in my thoughts so long that i didnt even realize we were here or matt calling my name.

"Y/nnn? hellooo?" matt says stretching out his words.

"Oh-uh Yeah? sorry" i reply quickly

"We're here mama" He says exiting the car going around to open my door

"c'mon princess" He says opening my door and grabbing my hand leading me out the car.

We walk into the hotel the chills run down my spine as if all warm air turned into frozen air. I could almost feel the color of my skin drop from how scared i was.

our tour guide walks up to us greeting us before showing me and matt around. I made sure to stay by matts side the whole time holding his hand,arm,shoulders touching, just anything. i didnt want to lose him from my sight nor did i want myself lost from his.

As we walk around to the 5th floor of the hotel i saw a figure run by the hall causing me to ghasp and let out a small shout.

"SHIT! WHAT WAS THAT?" I ghasp, my heart racing 50 miles a second.

"Woah woah baby what was what?" Matt says moving his arm to the small of my back making me turn into him going into his chest wrapping his arms around me.

"There was- I saw something!" I manage

"This is the most haunted floor honey so you might have." the tour guide says.

"c'mon baby its okay i got you okay?" Matt says wrapping his arm around my waist puling me close to him.

We had walked for about an hour now going around the whole hotel before the tour guide speaks up.

"These elevators are known to malfunction al the time but there is one thing we always do on tours and that is have our guest play the Elevator Game." she says

"Oh whats that?" matt says with ease

"its known that if you enter an elevator and say 'take me to another world' then press a series of buttons in a certain order then on the last floor before the lobby a spirit enters the elevator with you and instead of the elevator going back down to the lobby it will go up into another world." she explains.

"you want to sweetheart?" matt asks me.

"y-yeah" i said hesitant.

"alright then! so your gonna press the numbers in this order which is 2,6,8,2,5 then back to lobby okay?" our guide says.

"mhm" me an matt say in unision.

I was terrified but im the one who wanted to do this and i didnt want to ruin the fun. Me and matt had stepped into the elevator before matt had spoken the words "please take me to another worls, i may regret saying that but whatever" he says before pressing the button 2.

I had been shaking and biting my nails and matt had clearly noticed.

"Okay princess whats up?" He asks me pulling me to a distance putting both his hand on my hips.

"Its embarrassing but im scared matt." i say to him shyly

"oh mama its okay" he says pulling me into his chest kissing my head "watch honey we're gonna go back to the lobby and go home after" he says comforting me.

"okay baby thank you..sorry too" i reply

"No y/n/n dont be its okay ma" he says holding us chest to chest.

After we had done all level we pressed the lobby button hoping that it would actually go to lobby which it did calming all my nerves knowing we were finally leaving.

Once we get back from the elevator we thank out tour guide and walk to the car getting in.

"You okay mama?" matt asks putting his hand on my thigh rubbing his thumb ever so lightyly on it.

"yeah love thank you" i smile at him as he turns the car on and drives home.

"i love you Matt" I say

"I love you too pretty girl."

#chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo #sturniolo smut #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo x reader #ghostbusters #ghost #sam and colby #sturniolo fluff #fluff #comfort #cute #birthday

[quillandink333]

The Other’s Choice • Pt. 1

Credit to @winterxisxcomingx for the beautiful banner ♡︎

SPOILERS FOR HAZBIN HOTEL ~ Read ahead at your own risk!

Faced with the harsh reality of Heaven’s steadfast opposition, the angel of joy is forced to make a drastic decision with gruesome consequences, but luckily she isn’t alone for long.

WARNINGS: Abrahamic imagery (obviously), pseudocest, assault, extreme heights, hunger

Part I • Part II • Part III

An eternity seemed to have passed since Emily had taken the irreversible dive from Heaven and begun her journey through Purgatory before finally manifesting in Hell’s scarlet sky. And yet there was such a long distance left between her and the ground that she still couldn’t make out a single thing happening down below. Her stomach was achingly empty—how many days had it been? It was impossible to know without the light of the sun to let her.

Her windswept hair obscuring her vision as she fell, she reflected on the moments leading up to this. They’d done it! Now even Sera couldn’t deny the reality proven by the unrelenting efforts of the Hazbin Hotel. Yet to Emily’s fury, the old hag was still too stubborn to allow word of it to get out even among the archangels.

The newly redeemed sinner, whose name she’d learnt was Sir Pentious, had appeared suddenly in Chastity Palace, somehow becoming the first human soul in history to bypass Saint Peter and the pearly gates. While the senior seraph didn’t take well to his arrival, the younger was over the moon, wasting no time befriending him and giving him the grand tour of his new, and rightful, home above the clouds. The conversations she’d shared with him were not only groundbreaking but deeply upsetting. The upsetting part, however, wasn’t the story of his noble sacrifice nor was it Adam’s brutal and shameless acts of fascism, but the fact that she couldn’t share any of it with the rest of Heaven.

Faced with this, she’d done the only other thing she could have. If there was no way for her to serve the sinners’ worthy cause in Heaven, she would simply have to leave. And so she would, but first, she’d penned a note to her elder.

Word Count: 0.8k

“I hereby vow never to return until the right changes have been made. This is not my choice, it is my duty. Thank you for protecting me, Sera. Goodbye.”

She’d never been so cold and blunt to anyone in all her aeons of life; it had destroyed her to write it, but soon regret would serve no purpose to her anymore. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and stepped with resolve toward the edge of the rainbow bridge. She closed her eyes.

Out of nowhere, all the world came to a screeching halt, the jarring loss of momentum causing her heart to nearly leap out her throat.

“I got ya.’”

A few seconds earlier, Lucifer had looked up through the glass walls of his new suite at the hotel just in time to see what could only be likened to a falling star.

Without thinking, he’d bolted into action, racing to catch the little one right as she’d started to descend past the city skyline. She could’ve been shish-kebabbed by the spire of a skyscraper if he’d taken any longer to spot her.

His heart was pounding after his miles-long sprint through the air. “You alright?”

Emily ogled up at her saviour with wide eyes, failing to realise he’d asked her a question for a good several seconds. “Y-Yes. Uh…thank you.” He didn’t look much like a demon, dressed in white from top to bottom with strawberry blond hair and a warm red gaze. If she didn’t know better, she would think this gleaming, six-winged stranger was a seraph like herself.

“You’ve fallen,” he inferred with frantic eyes and a heavy heart. “What happened?”

But her attention was already fixated elsewhere. As the angel of joy, she possessed a divine gift that let her feel the emotions of others as if they were her own. Down below, there were people on the streets, and every last one of them was miserable. It was so much worse than she could’ve imagined. There truly wasn’t an ounce of joy to be found here. She watched as one of the wretched souls was violently defiled by another before her eyes, their cries of terror ringing in her ears clear as day. The latter’s hand clenched around the former’s neck, and suddenly she couldn’t get a breath in, a scream trapped in her throat as she could do nothing but watch. She felt sick.

Lucifer sensed her rising panic and held her closer. “Hey, look at me, you’re okay,” he urged, cradling the poor, lost princess in one arm while cupping her colourless face in his free hand. She met his gaze, her own filled with the all-consuming fear she’d had the privilege of never knowing until now. She looked like a deer in the headlights, her expression like an arrow straight to his once broken and unfeeling heart. “C’mon. Let’s get you inside where it’s safe.”

Her frail arms clung to him with a vicelike grip as she nodded and tearfully hid her face in his shoulder. At once, he set his sights on Pride Castle and took off soaring.

#my writing #applewings #pride and joy #prideandjoy #pride & joy #pride&joy #lucily #lucifer x emily #emily x lucifer #lucifer morningstar #lucifer magne #lucifer hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel lucifer #emily the seraph #emily the seraphim #emily hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel emily #hazbin hotel #quillcifer 🍎🪶

[miukki960]

Okay, so I just finished Love for Love's Sake and..... I have so many thoughts. I could wax poetic for hours about how much I loved the show, but right now what I really want to talk about is my theory on the ending and the whole concept of the "game."

Please bare with me as I don't make posts like this (or any at all for that matter) often. Please forgive me if it's incoherent, my thoughts tend to run faster than my fingers can type lol.

Here we go!

First, who is the author sunbae? I think he's the embodiment of death. When Myungha wished on the shooting star for 1. Someone to care for him and love him and 2. To disappear,he was wearing what I'm pretty sure is the same outfit as when we first see him in the bar back in episode 1. This leads me to believe Death heard his wish, so when Myungha decides to end his life and regrets his decision in the last moment, Death decides to give him a chance to change his fate.

So he creates the "game" based on a novel he supposedly wrote. I believe this is a false memory he gives to Myungha so he will willingly play the game and try to change his fate. Which leads me to my second point...

Myungha is the author. The show did a very good job at keeping this subtle at the beginning. We as an audience are led to believe he is simply transported into the videogmae world and is at the mercy of the dating sim, but they show us multiple times that that's not the case.

Once, when Myungha mentions that the missions are written in his handwriting, a second time when we get a flashback of him actually writing these missions in a notebook at the bar, and a final time when we see him pen the shows Ultimate Mission using the Author's Pen, "Please make Cha Yeowoon Happy."

I started to get the idea that Myungha was the author back in the first few episodes when we started to see the side missions. Every mission he got screamed to me "this mission is actually for you, not Yeowoon." What was the first thing he did when he was supposed to get Yeowoon more friends? He befriended Kyunghoon himself. Save 3,000,000 won? For himself. Get Yeowoon followers? Using HIS Instagram. Which leads to point number three....

The game Myungha is sent to is actually a reenactment of his senior year of high school. All the characters he meets are actual people in his earlier life, his grandma, Kyunghoon, Sangwon. But in his original "playthrough" he didn't bother to befriend or interact with them, so they went about their lives unaffected, and he forgot they existed. I say all this with the exception of Cha Yeowoon.

Cha Yeowoon is a mirrored reflection of Myungha created by Death and inserted into the game. Myungha said himself at the beginning that Yeowoon was his favorite character because he reminds him of himself. Later on, we learn that their backgrounds are almost identical too. Yeowoon lost his mother, has an absent runaway father, and was raised by his grandmother. Myungha has a dead father, absent runaway mother, and is being raised by his grandmother. So at the beginning when Death asks Myungha if he will change Yeowoon's fate and rewrite his story, he's really talking about Myungha.

Adding to this, I also noticed something rather spectacular narratively in the second half of the show. The whole show, we watched Myungha try and (mostly) succeed at making Yeowoon happy. But suddenly I realized, as we watched him get happier and happier, Myungha was falling deeper and deeper into a sadness rivaling how we saw Yeowoon in the beginning. We stopped seeing the calculations of Yeowoon's affection level, and instead saw error messages and system malfunctions, representing Myungha's emotional state.

Which begs the ultimate question on everyone's minds to be answered. If the whole point of sending Myungha back to his 19yo self and giving him Yeowoon was to get him to love himself and be happy, why were the system malfunctions so devastatingly awful and cruel? Answer: because Myungha is the author, and he's depressed and self-destructive.

He begins to feel happy with the changes he's made, he sees Yeowoon happier and he feels like he's succeeding, yet the countdown message to his death still appears. It's ominous and impending and a constant reminder that he's failing. So as the author, he tries to revert back to factory settings by getting rid of the major changes to his life, Yeowoon and his grandmother. The two people who love him most, and the two people he thinks he deserves the least.

Sangwon said it the best. Myungha's main issue is that he refuses to receive love, both from others and himself. Which is why he fails the game and dies a second time. He followed the missions for Yeowoon and refused to let them break down his own walls like they were ment to.

But Death does see the change in him through Yeowoon. Being Myungha's mirror, Yeowoon represents the change that was supposed to happen to Myungha. So when Myungha (the him he hates) deletes himself in order to make Yeowoon (the him he loves) happy ("please make Cha Yeowoon happy"), Yeowoon is able to go full-meta, breaking through the game and rewriting the mission to "Please make Tae Myungha happy."

Thus saving Myungha and allowing him a third chance at a happy life, where he receives just as much love as he gives.

Don't ask me about the "he comes back disjointed from Yeowoon's timeline" thing bc I don't understand it narratively but it sure does make for a visually pleasing ending.

#love for love's sake #love supremacy zone #text #text post #long post #kbl #korean bl #tae myung ha #cha yeowoon

[armpirate]

Soundleasure | Choi San || CH. 11

Pairings: Soft!San x fem!reader || Strangers to lovers, fake dating

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, online sex, ghosting

Warnings: inexperienced!San, fem!reader, masturbation, online sex, camboy, first times.

Summary: You can do whatever you please and be whoever you want on the Internet. And San knew that a little bit too well.

After finally following all the signs the universe was throwing at him, he started living a double life that no one was aware of. Everyone in his daily life knew him as Choi San, the reserved and quiet boy who wouldn't raise his voice, and would barely communicate with anyone outside of his comfort group. But only a few knew him as Soundleasure, the man with a sexy voice and a filthy mind that had their toes curling just with his narrations.

He never thought of the possibility of those two lives ever meeting, he had always tried for them to follow a parallel route and had always played safe to keep his friends from ever suspecting that side even existed. But his plans will start to crumble when he gets a little too close with one of his subscribers and she invades his real-self and altergo's universes without being able to stop it.

Y/n will not only help him to keep his secret from his circle, but will also show him there's more of Soundleasure in him than he'd like to admit. 

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Aprox. time of reading: 16 minutes

While the teacher was still going on on a topic he didn't pay attention to, San thought on how to reschedule his evening so he'd have time to record the content for the video and study after he met Y/n.

He didn't know why he rejected her at first the previous day, because he was dying to find the tiniest excuse to see her again. She offered it to him, and he rejected it without giving it a second thought. Not only that, but he also saw the way her glance turned sadder after his first refusal, letting disappointment take over it.

San didn't care how pathetic he'd seem sending her a text later to take back his decision, he didn't care how desperate he could seem by later saying he wanted to do it. He'd do many things like that just to hear her excited voice and her shy "Thank you" again.

He was so dumb for ever thinking of giving up the only chance he had.

When his phone buzzed, he couldn't help but smile at the idea of Y/n texting him to remind him about the plan they had. Although that smile suddenly turned into an annoying huff when he saw who it was.

Soulmate: Do you have something to do later?

San: Yes.

San: And can you stop changing your name on my phone??

Soulmate: It's better this way. It fits me more

San rolled his eyes before he changed his name back to the one he was saved as, before he touched his phone without his consent.

Woo: What are you going to do?

He hesitated on being straightforward with the answer. For his friends, Y/n and him were pretty much still together, it was nothing weird to keep treating her as his girlfriend with them.

San: I have plans with Y/n

Woo: Uhhhh

Woo: San and Y/n, sitting in a tree, KISSING

Probably he had known his friend for way too long, because he could clearly hear his voice singing that line while he read the text.

Woo: First comes love

Woo: Then comes marriage

San: What do you need?

He interrupted him, knowing Wooyoung would go on with the song lyrics if he didn't stop him.

Woo: My charger broke, can you buy me one?

San: Sure. Do you want me to bring it to your office?

Woo: Nahh, no worries

Woo: I'll borrow one from someone

Woo: Thank you!

And along with that text, the gif of a cute puppy sending kisses appeared on his screen right after.

Typical Wooyoung.

As the moment to see her got closer, his anxiety levels increased as well. He felt uneasy, nervous, unable to pre-plan all the possible scenarios that would lead after meeting Y/n. And, for a quick moment while he was on the bus to the mall, he was regretting ever telling her he'd agree on doing any of that. It was so ironic how he suddenly contradicted all the positive thoughts he could only think about not even two hours back.

Y/n: I'm waiting by the font

She let him know. San was aware she only did it to let him know where he was supposed to head as soon as he arrived at CambridgeSide, but that text added more pressure to the fact that he was just a few steps from facing her.

He was only a few minutes away, the fountain was right at the entrance and the bus stop wasn't that far away, but he for sure made it seem that it was further than it actually was. Whenever he took a step forward, he reconsidered what he was doing and took two steps back -he could tell those people around him thought he was crazy.

Y/n: I know it might seem like it, but I don't bite

How could he tell her that he actually wanted her to bite him, and suck him... and do everything she pleased to him.

Confused by her text, San lifted his eyes from his phone, catching a hand waving in the air not that far from where he was, aware that Y/n had been witnessing his weird walk and inner fight that kept making its way out of his mind.

—Ignore what you saw, please —he first said, as soon as he stopped in front of her.

—Why? —she giggled, standing up from the bench she was sitting at— I think it was cute.

She actually couldn't remember the last time a man was so nervous to meet up with her. She was so used to that toxic masculinity, as they tried to show off how confident they were, that seeing San struggling to meet up with her was kind of endearing.

—Did you come straight from class? —she pointed out, aware of his computer backpack hanging on his shoulder.

—Oh... yeah —he nodded, holding onto the strap.

—You should've told me. I'd have told you to meet up later.

By the way she was dressed, completely opposite to the laid back outfit she wore on Saturday night, he could tell she also came straight from her workplace.

—You also came straight from work —he noticed, pointing at the black briefcase that hung on her shoulder—. We should've met up later for you, not because of me. I usually take one hour to get home anyway.

Y/n giggled silently at his response, looking away just to get back to her neutral personality before she said something stupid or, even worse, blushed in front of him.

—I usually stay a bit longer in the office —she informed—, so technically speaking, it's the same. Let's not worry about that, then.

She made it so easy. She made everything so natural and light, that he wondered what was that thing that always made him doubt on whether to meet up with her or not.

—Why did we meet up here? —San finally asked, looking at the big "CS" sign on the top window of the building.

—Hmm, you agreed on faking the relationship in front of my dad —San nodded, encouraging her to continue—. I thought that maybe you'd need a bit of... tuning.

—Tuning? —he frowned.

She genuinely loved his style. San already gave the perfect college boyfriend with his gray hoodies and oversized t-shirts, but if she wanted her father to leave her alone with that whole thing, she needed a bit of help to turn him into the man that would go through the first filter in front of her father's eyes.

—What's wrong with me?

—Nothing —she answered fast—. You're fine.

Maybe a little bit too much.

—But you look like you're still in the first year of college, and I need you to look like you know what taxes are —she excused herself—. I knew if I told you I would do this, you wouldn't have agreed.

Although she wasn't exactly right. He probably would've hesitated a bit more at the idea of the var being a bit higher, but he probably would've ended up in the right same spot in front of her.

—It'll be just the outfit for the dinner —she added—. You won't have to pay for anything. I'll buy it for you, and you can keep everything.

—I guess that's right.

Her smile widened at his answer, squirming in excitement before her hand reached for his wrist over the fabric of his hoodie, dragging him inside the mall.

San didn't quite remember when was the last time he bought any clothes for himself, he was sure the hoodie he was wearing at that moment was part of his closet during his high school years. The only difference was that it looked a bit smaller than when he bought it back then.

They walked past several shops, although Y/n didn't even look at a single one of them. They moved all the way to one of the shops on the second floor, as if she had the whole route settled and nothing would manage to divert her from it.

As soon as they stepped inside, San could tell there was a huge difference in the vibe that store had in comparison to the others they walked past. There was barely anyone inside, except for the two assistants and the three suited middle-aged men looking around some of the hangers. The clothes were perfectly carved on the white tables, there wasn't a single wrinkle on either of them.

San followed her around the shop, while she looked through all the clothes that could convince her and, at the same time, fit him. Out of curiosity, he looked at the tag of one of the white shirts she had left back on the hanger before she continued with her search.

Three hundred bucks for a simple white shirt?

—Why don't we buy those clothes somewhere else? —he suggested— I'd rather you not have to sell a kidney for them.

She simply scoffed, finally lifting one of the dark blue shirts to his torso, checking the color with his skin.

—It's not like I can't afford it.

She left the shirt back to where it was, sighing.

Money wasn't a problem for her. Even after she gave up on half of her salary to keep two of her employees on her payroll, she still managed to save up some money. Unless it came to the repair of her car, which she knew would take her a few months of savings to be able to confront it.

—Still... there are shirts in other shops for fifteen dollars.

His comment almost got cut off by how close her hand was to his neck when she lifted another shirt, almost allowing him to feel the warmth of her body. Looking down at her was another big mistake, she was closer than expected, and he could almost feel his brain struggling to work out properly.

—My father would be able to tell straight away the shirt is fifteen dollars —she commented—. He's quite sensitive to fabrics and quality —she grimaced as she mentioned it—. I think this one would look good on you.

—That's why you didn't just tell me to buy formal clothes by myself?

—Ding ding ding —her fingertip hit gently the top of her nose as she momentarily turned to him—. If you're going to wear expensive clothes to fake to be my boyfriend, it's just fair I'm the one paying for them.

He continued following her around the shop, carrying the few things she kept picking up, along with two pairs of shoes.

As he zipped his pants and slid the belt through the thin spaces at the hip, he felt so strange. The pants were comfortable, and the fabric felt the nicest he had ever worn, but for some reason it didn't feel like him.

The curtain suddenly opened a bit, enough for Y/n to peek through it to see how it was going inside, causing San to jump and try to hide his exposed torso with the unbuttoned shirt.

—It's nothing I haven't seen already —she giggled at his slightly blushed cheeks.

She had seen further than just his torso in 4K on her screen, a few too many times since they started speaking, and he had been taking way too long inside the dressing room for her to think he could've needed help.

—If it makes you uncomfortable, I can wait outside though. I just wanted to check everything was alright.

—No, it's okay —he stopped her—. But come inside, the curtain is half opened.

After being aware, Y/n moved inside the wide dressing room he was at, closing the curtain behind her. Looking at him through the reflection, and admiring that new style on him, she was able to see how attractive that man actually was. He was already attractive, she liked his small details and how undercover all of his features went by his simple clothes. That style, and black as a color suited him in a way she didn't expect it would.

It was like his personality changed completely, and she could tell by the way his fingers moved up through his torso as he buttoned the shirt.

—If you stick it too inside, it'll be uncomfortable for you —Y/n mentioned, seeing the way his muscles started marking under the tight fabric of the shirt.

Her hands lowered to the edge of his pants, making him freeze on the spot as her fingers gently caressed his skin over his clothes while pulling the shirt up. When she looked up over his shoulder to check out his reflection in the mirror, their eyes finally met. Only then, hooked by those innocent and eager eyes, she was aware of how close she actually was, with her arms wrapped around him while her hands were still on his lower torso.

It was a gentle and simple touch with no further intentions, but somehow the environment got heavier once their eyes met. He didn't have to think of anything, he didn't need to come up with any fake scenarios, because the warmth of her body on his back was already doing all the work, feeling that familiar throb in a certain part of his body.

—Can you leave?

Y/n shortly frowned, looking up to him and having San looking down at her to reiterate how badly he needed her to get out of there before things turned worse.

—Please.

Before he could even finish pronouncing the word, her hands were already away from him and she stepped outside of the dressing room, assuring him she'd be waiting for him outside. San peeked through the curtain to make sure she was walking down the corridor, disappearing at the first turn to go back to the main shop.

He needed to get rid of the problem he was starting to have before it got worse.

—Okay. Disgusting things —his back was resting against the wall, while his head was thrown back as if that would help to eliminate every trace of proximity from her body.

When Y/n saw him again, she could tell he looked more relieved in comparison to how he looked when he was in the dressing room. Even the subtle tan of his skin disappeared for a moment back there.

—Is everything alright? —she finally asked.

—Yeah, it's just...

—It's okay —she rushed to say, when she realized how he was struggling to explain himself.

She crossed a limit, and San was too nice to tell her until it made him so nervous that he was forced to tell her to leave. She understood it.

He didn't dare to explain further, and confess she managed to bring out a side of him he didn't know existed. He didn't want to say out loud that he could go crazy with just a soft touch of her fingers.

—It'll be four hundred sixty five.

San squirmed at the price, making Y/n giggle at his reaction before she paid for the clothes with her credit card. She handed him the paper bag filled with his clothes and shoes, while she chatted with the assistant about one of the colognes on the shelves behind him.

—Yeah, my father went crazy looking for it —she commented—. I bet he'd love to know he won't have to order it online. Thank you so much —she smiled wide, attempting to step back.

—Thank you. Have a nice day —the young male answered back.

San followed her from behind, walking a bit faster to get to walk next to her as they exited the small shop. Right when he was about to speak, her ringtone blasted, getting her attention before he could even attempt to have it.

—I'm sorry. I really need to pick this one.

—Sure. I have to buy something, so I'll meet you up here when I'm done.

—Okay.

Before picking up the call, she waited for San to be far enough so he wouldn't be able to hear the call she was about to have. It wasn't like she felt like hiding it from anyone, but it just felt too complex to explain it at that moment.

—Miss Y/n? —a female voice asked from the other side.

She didn't really need her to tell where she was calling from. The number was saved, and it popped way too many times in the past two years for her not to recognize it.

—Yes. That's me —she sighed.

—Good afternoon, hope everything is going well. I'm Rebecca, from MST Clinic.

Y/n already knew that.

—I was calling to remind you there were a few tests pending from the biannual revision.

—Oh, shit —she muttered—. Sorry. I completely forgot.

—It's alright. We're here to remind you —despite not seeing her, Y/n could tell the lady was smiling just by her voice alone—. There was no date set, so I'm wondering if you have any preference...

—Next Wednesday could be?

She tried to remember whether she had any meeting scheduled or not, sure that she probably had nothing important for that day -and she'd probably be able to skip whatever came up.

—Wednesday... Eleven in the morning? —she suggested.

—Sure.

—I'd also like to ask: how have you been feeling? Has there been anything bothering you, any problems? Is your mobility correct?

—Hmm yes, for now. Since the last incident, I haven't had any problems.

—Have you adapted well to medication?

Considering she had been taking it for almost two years, it was quite obvious she adapted well to it. But she held back from letting out that harsh comment.

—Yeah, everything's fine.

—Okay, then —the woman sighed—. We'll see you on Wednesday. Have a nice day!

—Have a nice day you too.

Y/n took a quick look around, remembering how San mentioned he'd leave to buy something and come back shortly after, so she took the time to sit lean back on the crystal railing while she checked her phone -mainly concentrating on her emails and chats.

She lost track of how much time she stayed there, and how much time she spent there, but she lifted her head when she thought she had been there for a little bit too long.

And still no sign of San.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, thinking it could be him telling her to meet up somewhere else, or announcing he left, but a sigh of disappointment showed off when she saw her father on the screen.

—Where are you? I was going to invite you to eat something. Jennifer told me she didn't see you leaving for lunch today.

—Well, I'm on my way to have lunch right now —she sighed.

—By yourself? Send me the location and we'll eat together.

She was well aware her father had already eaten, but he was still offering to have lunch twice just so he'd eat, too.

—I'm not alone —she answered.

—Who are you with?

—My boyfriend —she rushed to say.

—That's great! Then send me the location so I can finally meet him.

—No.

—No? —a loud sigh came through the speaker— Why not?

—You'll scare him off. And he isn't ready to meet you.

—I'm eating no one —he tried to sound calm—. It'll be quick. It's either today, or this weekend. I'm just saying that, if it's on the weekend, it'll be just the three of us. You choose.

Which also meant he wouldn't hold back with some comments or questions.

—You shouldn't eat so much. What about a coffee instead? —she tried to negotiate.

—Deal —she felt relieved at her father giving in.

—I'm in CambridgeSide. See you at six, alright? At six —she remarked, hoping he wouldn't show up earlier.

And she agreed on meeting up with him when she had no idea where San was, she was the dumbest.

For a quick moment she thought that he possibly gave in to his instincts and left without telling her anything, although that thought disappeared when she saw him approaching her from afar. With one small difference.

At first she thought it was just the distance, then she wondered if he probably styled it differently while he went to do what he had to do. But the closer he was to her, the clearer it was that his hair looked shorter.

—I gotta go —she hung up at her father, unable to look away from him—. Your hair —she pointed out.

After he came out of one of the shops with Wooyoung's charger, he walked past a hair salon -not even taking two seconds to step back and stand outside of it. He wasn't sure at first, but there was something deep inside in him that was telling him to just do it. His hair wasn't a crazy length, just enough for it to be a headache to style it something, and to be forced to part his bangs because they'd get over his eyes if he didn't. It was a hairstyle that didn't fit with the clothes Y/n had bought for him, nor with the idea of the man her father wanted to meet.

A shorter hairstyle would probably work better.

—What?

—It looks good —she nodded, finally smiling.

—Ah, by the way —San started—. I'll pay for the clothes.

While he came up with several scenarios for the moment where he met a man he didn't even know the appearance of, the thought of Y/n paying for the bag that was resting over the small coffee table of the hair salon made him feel guilty. He got to the conclusion that the best thing he could do was to pay for all of the things that were in there.

—No, why? —she suddenly stopped, looking at him— I already told you it's my responsibility. Take it as a repayment?

—For what?

—You paid back my subscription —she reminded him—. And now I'm doing the same for you.

—Still...

—If you feel so bad, buy me something to eat —she interrupted him—. I haven't eaten all day, and I'm starving.

And she thought it'd also be a nice way to settle his role in front of her dad.

—You haven't eaten all day?

—No, I've been too busy to think about food —her head tilted to the side.

She had told him before how her stomach would completely go non-existent whenever her mind was focused on something, only able to feel hunger whenever she felt completely disconnected and in peace.

—You should've said it as soon as we met —he complained—. Let's go to eat something right now.

She wondered if it'd be a good idea to tell him then about what was going to happen, but then she thought that he'd probably get so nervous that he wouldn't take a single bite of his food.

She definitely couldn't tell him if she wanted him to enjoy a lunch he had been waiting for all day. 

#armpirate #choi san smut #choisansmut #ateez #ateezfanfic #ateezff #ateezimagines #ateezsmut #ateezxreader #atiny #choi #choisan #choisanateez #choisanfanfic #choisanxreader #ff #onlinesex #reader #readerinsert #san #sanateez #sanxreader #smut

[lightspringrain]

Start of Something Wonderful

Notes: you can also find this story on A03. This short story is based of a mini comic I created a while ago. AmberOwl24 inspired me to write out what lead up to images in the comic. This story was edited AmberOwl24 (@eclec-tech)

AmberOwl24 also wrote out the first part this story! You can check it out on A03.

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

Tech jogged on the outskirts of lower Pabu. The sky was orange and deep purple as it set. He was slightly out of breath and recalculated the possibilities of where Phee might be in his head. She said she would be in the area and the only bottleneck he hadn’t checked was the bridge. In a matter of seconds, he was there on the bridge, overlooking the estuary leading to the sea below. The smell of salt and marsh filled his senses as he deeply inhaled. Tech’s breath suddenly escaped him as he saw her. There she was, calmly walking up to him. Tech had seen Phee many times since they decided to stay and recover on Pabu. Each time grew a little more nerve-wracking.

From a distance, Hunter leaned on a nearby wall of a house. He was a little concerned when Tech suddenly left when they were talking, lost in thought. Tech was prepared for anything when it came to war, but civilian life was another matter. Tech was never really open about his feelings, though he probably felt more than any of his brothers. So, Tech being vulnerable to him brought out a protective side to Hunter. Still Hunter slightly smiled as he watched, hearing everything with his heightened senses. Dusk had arrived and gone. A full moon was out and lantern lights filled the streets. The bridge Tech and Phee were on had curtain lights on one of its sides while the other had the view of the sea.

“Phee, do you have a moment?” Tech blurted out as he involuntarily talked with his hands.

“Anytime, Brown Eyes.” Phee smiled at him and held back a chuckle as she watched him shift his body. His big brown eyes looked at the ground for a moment. Tech’s fair skin gave him away as he slightly blushed. He looked back at her and took a breath before he spoke.

“Recent events have me pondering about life… how short it can be. How sudden things can change. Especially for a clone such as myself.” There was confidence yet sorrow in his voice. He kept on shifting, feeling the anxiety in his body, unable to meet Phee’s gaze. Phee now knew this was a sign of how highly uncomfortable and painful the physical reactions to overwhelming emotions were for him. However, she respected his decision to push through it. So she gave him space.

“If I miss this opportunity… If I can not make this decision and all that comes after.” He looked Phee square in the eyes, which Phee knew was a difficult thing to do. However, there was a determination there she had not seen before.

“I will regret it forever.”

“What decision?” Phee gently asked.

“Phee Genoa. Will you be my partner for the rest of my days?” There was only certainty in his voice.

“Will you marry me?” Tech searched her face for an answer. Phee's face was neutral at first but a smile quickly broke it. “I thought I would have had to ask you first!” she said with a light chuckle. She saw that Tech was still holding his breath.

“Yes!” she said, placing her hand on Tech’s shoulder. They looked at each other with longing eyes. Tech jumped as he remembered something. He unlatched a pouch on his bicep and grabbed something within.

“I hope these are suitable,” he said with an outstretched hand. In his palm sat two gold rings. They were perfectly rounded and polished to a high degree. They looked simple but Phee knew Tech poured every ounce of care and skill when making them.

“I picked out gold since it will match with your hairbands and-”

“Tech, they are perfect,” Phee said while excitedly grabbing Tech’s hand. She quickly put on her ring and admired it. Tech very timidly put his ring on over his glove, the realization of it all slowly sinking in. Phee gently grabbed Tech’s chin and leaned in. Their kiss was slow and passionate, it was electric but gentle. Without warning, Tech suddenly picked up Phee and twirled her around. Phee laughed in excitement and slight fear.

This caught Hunter off guard and he unconsciously yelled, “Tech, put her down!”

“I can not. I am too elated with joy!”

“You better be, Brown Eyes.” Hunter could hear the smile in their voices let alone see it. He relaxed as he watched the two lovers twirl amongst the shimmering lights.

Tech finally put Phee down. She rested on his chest, and leaned her head in his neck. They leaned in for another electric kiss as they turned to watch the moonlight dance on the sea.

They could feel the heat of their blood rushing to their faces. They could feel the cool breeze coming off the sea. They could feel the warmth of the lights surrounding them. For a moment in time, there was no empire, no evil doctors, no near death experiences, and no war. Just a budding love about to start something wonderful.

#tbb fanart #tbb #thebadbatch #star wars #star wars fanart #the bad batch fanart #star wars tbb #the bad batch tech #art #illustration #fanfic #the bad batch fanfiction #fanfiction #fanart #sw tbb fanfic #tbb tech #tbb hunter #tbb phee #techphee #ao3 fanfic #ao3fic #the bad batch phee #tech x phee

[mimisempai]

I don't want to be alone anymore

Summary

After Mobius discovers that Loki knows about his past, it's time for Loki to recount the events that led him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Notes

Finally, Loki can be free of his burden and experience the comfort he deserves.

On Ao3

Rating G - 1576 words

Mobius conjured the time door that would take him home, and before crossing it, he turned one last time to look at Don's house. What had once been his home, but which he couldn't remember.

He had no regrets. 

To regret this life would be to give less value to the one he'd had so far, and he didn't want to go there.

He hadn't dared to talk to Loki about it yet, just as Loki hadn't talked to him about what had led him to this decision. 

They still had so much to discuss.

Mobius crossed the time door, made it disappear, closed his Tempad and put it in the safe where he kept it.

He climbed the stairs to the ground floor and went into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

"Are Don, Kevin and Sean okay?"

Loki's voice behind him startled him and stopped him in his tracks. 

He slowly turned to see him leaning against the doorframe of the patio, arms crossed, looking at him kindly.

Then, realizing what Loki had just said, Mobius asked, "How do you know that?"

Loki stepped forward and, pointing to the refrigerator and his planner, said quietly, "You wrote down where you were going.

Mobius shook his head, "Not that, how do you know who I was going to see and more importantly, what do you know about them?"

Loki lost his smile and replied sheepishly, "That's part of what I haven't been able to tell you yet."

Mobius sighed and replied, "I understand," then turned to continue preparing his cup of coffee. He wanted to be patient, but at the same time he was tired of all the secrets. After being lied to for so long, he was as fed up with people keeping secrets from him as he was of keeping secrets from them. 

But he also didn't want to push Loki.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and Loki said quietly, "Mobius, I think it's time I talk to you about this."

Mobius turned to him and replied gently, "Don't force yourself on my account."

Loki shook his head, "It's not just for you, it's for me too, I can't take these secrets anymore. Secrets have almost broken me in the past, and I've kept them for so long."

Mobius nodded and, after preparing a second cup for Loki, took his hand and led him to the sofa where they both sat down.

Mobius took a sip of coffee and waited.

"It all started when Victor disintegrated, leading to a chain of events that culminated in the destruction of the entire TVA..."

Loki told Mobius everything from the beginning, and Mobius listened, occasionally letting out a few words of astonishment or amusement.

"What? Casey escaped from Alcatraz?!"

"B15 was a pediatrician, of course I'm not surprised."

"O.B., science fiction writer and scientist, not too far from reality after all!"

Loki told him all about it, all about going back and forth in time, all about failing again and again despite having centuries to learn.

"No matter what I did, you all disappeared again and again. Until..."

Loki had to stop, the emotion so overwhelming that he was no longer able to speak. It was the first time he had stopped to think back over the course of events, and for the first time he realized the magnitude of what he had been through.

He'd really seen them disappear in front of his eyes hundreds of times, helpless, never able to change things no matter what he did.

Suddenly, Mobius' hands rested gently on his and his voice, soothing as always, said softly, "It's all right, Loki. Take your time. You have plenty of it now. You don't have to tell me everything all at once. I realize now that this is a lot."

Then one of his hands came to rest on his cheek, and Loki immediately leaned into it. Mobius stroked his cheek with his thumb and said with undeniable admiration in his voice, "You're just so amazing, you know. I don't mean to sound condescending, but Loki, I'm so proud of you."

Loki couldn't stop a tear from rolling down his cheek, and Mobius wiped it away with his thumb. He felt so relieved and soothed by Mobius' simple words, he had needed words of encouragement so badly all these centuries, but he never had anyone to talk to about it. He couldn't. And he'd felt so alone, finding his friends only to lose them again and again. 

Seeing Mobius looking at him with such admiration and concern on his face, he realized that the man had been his motivation all along, his driving force. 

Until the very end.

He wanted to tell him, so he turned his head into Mobius' hand, kissed the palm before taking it in his own and continued, "You were the one who made it possible for me to know what I had to do and to accept it."

Mobius asked, confused, "Me?"

Loki, his throat tightening slightly as he knew this would be as difficult for him as it would be for Mobius, nodded and told him about their last meeting before Loki sacrificed himself.

"And as I held your hand in mine and watched you disintegrate before my eyes, do you know what I thought, Mobius?"

Mobius, his eyes glistening with tears, shook his head, unable to speak.

Loki's voice trembled slightly as he replied, "That I loved you so much and that I could never tell you that. But that because I loved you, I was willing to do what I had to do. I knew I would carry this burden for you."

After wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Loki continued, "When I appeared in front of you, just before you saw me come down the stairs, I looked at you all one last time.  I knew it would be the last, I knew I couldn't say anything, that I wouldn't have time. And you know the rest."

Mobius cupped Loki's face in his hands and said in a hoarse voice, "My brave god, so brave. I'll say it again, but I'm so proud of you. You can't imagine how much I love you right now. So much. You could have taken the easy way out, killing Sylvie or taking the place of the One Who Remains, but you chose the hard way. So that never again will the people of the TVA have to choose between the life of one and the life of 5,000. So that everyone has the freedom to live their own lives, to make their own choices, and to accept the consequences, whatever they may be. You're amazing. So, so amazing."

Mobius leaned forward and pressed his lips to Loki's in a tender kiss, filled with all the love he felt for the god. 

When they pulled apart to catch their breath, Loki said to him, "Mobius, I did it, but it was hard, so hard. I didn't want to... I didn't want to..." 

Mobius wrapped his arms around Loki and held him to his chest, whispering into his hair, "Shh, it's okay, Loki. It's okay."

Loki shook his head against Mobius' chest, his voice just a whisper as he breathed, broken, "I didn't want to be alone. I don't want to be alone."

The sobs that Loki finally let out broke Mobius' heart. He wrapped his arms around him and held him close, murmuring words of comfort over and over until the god calmed down.

“Do you believe you deserve to be alone?”

“I don’t know.”

What a long time it had been since Mobius had asked Loki that in the timecell. He murmured against the black hair as he soothingly stroked his back, "You don't have to be alone, Loki."

Loki loosened his grip on Mobius to look at him and said, "But I have to go back, I cannot and will not run away from this responsibility. And even if the elder Loki and others help me carry this burden, I don't know how long I'll be gone, and I can't ask you to..."

He paused and shook his head.

Mobius asked him gently, "What can't you ask of me?"

"I can't ask you to wait for me indefinitely."

Mobius smiled gently at him and asked again, "And why can't you?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair to you, because I can't offer you freedom and then bind you to me again. Because it would be selfish."

Mobius sought Loki's gaze and, eyes locked with his, said in a clear, determined voice, "What if this is what I want? To bind myself to you. Don't you think I can wait for you?"

"Mobius, that's not what-"

Mobius interrupted, "Because I do. I'm willing to wait for you for centuries if I'm sure I'll end up spending eternity with you. How could that be selfish of you when you've done the most selfless thing I know for all of us?"

His brave God would never be alone again.

"I don't want to be alone."

"Where do I belong?"

Loki had just told him about it.

The last time Loki had said that, he'd been abandoned.

Left alone with his grief.

But Mobius wouldn't go away. 

He wouldn't turn his back on Loki. 

He belonged to Mobius. 

Mobius belonged to him.

Their love had grown and transcended all times, so time would not separate them.

Never again.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story 🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Timeless Growing love : here (After season 2)

Lokius masterlist : here

#lokius fics #lokius #loki series #loki #mobius m. mobius #moki #wowki #loki x mobius #fluff #mobius m mobius #time husbands #timefrost #mobius x loki #loki season 2 #loki mobius #mobius loki #post season 2

[themculibrary]

Daniel Sousa/Daisy Johnson Masterlist

all we do is drive. (ao3) - romantashas M, 30k

Summary: Daisy has missed the open road. She used to always love taking her van out and just driving. Los Angeles was where she liked to stick around, but she would always go on these road trips just because she wanted to explore somewhere new.

She's always liked running away from things.

It was different, having someone with her.

-

In which Daisy Johnson helps Daniel Sousa explore the modern world by taking him on a cross-country road trip in a van. Post-Finale road trip AU with MCU tie-ins.

A Miracle Starts With a Beat of a Heart (ao3) - samanthaswishes T, 202k

Summary: The team's trip to space and the almost end of the world changed their lives in more ways than they could count. However, no one expected the change that was going to happen in Daisy's life. What if Kasius had planned on using Daisy to breed more inhumans? The team comes together to help her while Daisy finds a new kind of love. One she never could have imagined happening, but turned out to be a miracle.

Takes place from post-season 5/pre-season 6 to post-series finale.

A Week After Death (ao3) - manoutoftimeandquake T, 15k

Summary: An explosion in an alien junkyard sends Daisy, Sousa and Kora back in time to meet some people from Sousa's past.

Edge of Tonight (ao3) - Letmebecomeataboo G, 38k

Summary:  1946, New York City

Daniel Sousa is an agent, working for the SSR in New York. When the search for wanted fugitive Howard Stark comes to a stand still, a new agent named Daisy Johnson is sent from the Los Angeles office to help. Now, on top of trying to figure out where Stark is, Daniel suddenly has to fight with his feelings for the mysterious and beautiful new agent.

Field Test (ao3) - Luckyfishy E, 7k

Summary: After 7X09 in the Lighthouse but before all hell breaks loose so before the events of 7x10. Daisy and Sousa get in a workout but also work each other up ... leading to the inevitable smutty goodness.

One Year Later (ao3) - marvelsquake T, 64k

Summary: Set right after the series finale's 'one year later' part where Daisy stares into space with Sousa and Kora.

Inspired by the 'anatomy analysis' bit Jemma says to Daisy.

Orchestrating History (ao3) - TheSovereigntyofReality G, 11k

Summary: In 1955, Daniel Sousa allegedly died at HYDRA's hands and became the first fallen S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent.

In truth, Coulson's team saved him and faked his death.

Due to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s policy with enhanced, they may come to regret that decision.

Reclaim (ao3) - StillTryingToWrite T, 232k

Summary: It is an instinctual reaction, at this point, wanting them to like her, to want her. It is the same feeling she used to get when she was younger, before she knew better. So if she shows the parts of herself she thinks they will like and keeps the rest buried, it is just easier for everyone that way. But she tries not to think about any of this yet. For now, she just gazes out the window, and enjoys the view, looking out at her future adventures.

-Daisy’s story following the course of the entire series. A collection of missing scenes during and between episodes, flashbacks to pre-series, and Daisy’s perspective on canon events.

religion's in your lips, the altar is my hips (ao3) - mssimmonsfitz E, 17k

Summary: Daisy and Daniel decide to...experiment.

stars that have people names (ao3) - rianparker (orphan_account) G, 1k

Summary: Stargazing isn't normally Daisy's idea of a fun date night, but there's no doubt in Daniel's mind she'll love it tonight.

Stay (ao3) - SteeleHoltingOn E, 150k

Summary: Not everyone knew she could feel heartbeats. Sousa’s sped up every time he looked her way.

His reaction wasn’t particularly unusual, and Daisy was an expert at fending off unwanted advances. But that was just it: Sousa hadn’t actually made any advances, and if he did, Daisy wasn’t sure she’d ward them off.

Her heartbeat, it seemed, liked to match tempo with his.

want you (to unravel me) (ao3) - IzzieBee M, 21k

Summary: Daisy never wanted to be rescued, by anyone. She never wanted to owe someone that debt, but especially not to a handsome WWII Vet, traveling through time. Daniel, who was brave and decent, and kind of funny, and who she could easily depend on, which was way too dangerous to consider.

OR

Daisy really wasn't ready for Daniel Sousa.

Where I Need To Be (ao3) - JennaGreen T, 180k

Summary: This is set from Episode 7x03 onwards and follows the story of Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa, and how their relationship has been developing throughout this amazing season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! This story mostly follows canon but is interspersed with missing moments between Daisy and Sousa that I imagine could have happened off-screen.

Your Heartbeat On The Highline(Once In Twenty Lifetimes) (ao3) - doctorsimmonswilson T, 40k

Summary: He’s a man out of time and she’s an orphaned superhero. They’ve just got to figure out what to do next, after the mission is over.

[aka Daisy and Daniel’s story post finale]

you've got that power (over me). (ao3) - romantashas M, 71k

Summary: "It's you," Daniel whispers. He's in awe, looking at Quake. She steps back away from him. "Let me help you," he says, reaching out toward her injured arm slowly.

Daniel only gets a moment more to admire her glowing eyes and her purple hair before she turns and runs away, her hand slipping out of his.

-

In which the superheroes of the Marvelverse actually try to keep their identities a secret and Daniel Sousa is determined to figure out who is behind the mysterious Quake mask. Superhero AU with MCU tie-ins.

#themuclibrary #mcu #marvel #masterlists #daniel sousa #daisy johnson #dousy #dousy masterlist #f/m

[cannedbeefaroni]

Why Didn’t You Stop Me? (Edward Nashton x Reader) (Angst)

This is part 1/2. Part 2 heavily contains smut. Read part 2 here

Summary: (Y/N) takes on a villainous altar ego after a severe mental break that leads to murder. An old friend pays a visit after seeing what she’s been getting up to.

Content: VAGUE DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND MURDER, BREAKING AND ENTERING, VAGUE MENTION OF A SHARP WEAPON DRAWING BLOOD, VAGUE MENTION OF ABUSE/CHILD ABUSE, DEPRESSION, PARANOIA, SELF LOATHING, CODEPENDENCY, (Y/N) CRIES A LOT

(Y/N) is referred to as she/her

I look for a picture of you to

Keep in my pocket

But I can’t seem to find one

Where you look how I remember

How long has it been since (Y/N) was in love? She’d be lying if she said she couldn’t remember, but she preferred to not think about it too much. The last person she was with fell off the face of the earth one day and left her wondering what she did wrong. Yes, she wanted a new partner, but after everything that’s happened to her, she has more to think about. 

She killed a man. Plain and simple. 

If her childhood and adolescent trauma weren’t enough, now she had another reason to seek psychiatric help. No one knew she did it. She had no idea how she got that lucky, but she didn’t know whether to be relieved or ashamed. She felt bad, but did she regret what she did? No. Fucker had it coming. She couldn’t count how many times she had called CPS on him. They never did anything. He was beating the shit out of his wife and kids. Even when she reported him to her boss, they did nothing. She saw the beatings in real time. She stalked him for weeks. Hell, she even recorded it. But when she came forth with evidence, she was the one charged for recording his family without permission. This world was corrupt. She had to do something.

It wasn’t her fault she was there that night, throwing out a broken paper cutter machine; and there he was, walking through the pitch black alleyway. She had a massive blade. She didn’t know if there was a higher being, but she believed she was there for a reason. She had no choice. She had to slice his fucking head off. Sure, maybe dismembering the body, and arranging the body parts and organs into a well designed display for the bastard cops to see was too far. But maybe she was just elated, finally feeling like she was on earth for a reason. 

Ever since that night she decided she was done pretending to be like everyone else. She became cold and isolated to everyone she knew, and became a complete shut-in; except for when she’d go out at night. Finally being freed from her own mental shackles, she decided to finally pursue what she really loved: art. The idea of her being an artist was shot down so many times in her early life, she never even considered it in adulthood. But now, she could use it as a weapon. She’d go around rich neighborhoods and important figures' houses to destroy them. She’d graffiti, smash windows, throw rotten eggs, and do whatever vile things she could think of to their property. 

Tonight, she was on her way home from a night out. She wore a painter’s filtration mask to keep her identity hidden. She stumbled around, exhausted. She was a mess; physically and emotionally. All of her thoughts were assaulting her head, and she sat on the ground on the sidewalk to compose herself, if only a little. She pulled a spraypaint can out of her bag, staring at the label. She wondered how people managed to get high off aerosol containers. If she could figure out how to do it, maybe it would help her feel less shitty. After pulling her mask down, she instantly regretted her decision as she spray painted the inside of her nose; and possibly her trachea, windpipe, and lungs. So, she threw the can aside and decided to just curl up and sob. 

Suddenly, she heard the footsteps of an approaching figure, and jolted up. They sounded close, but when she turned around, she saw a figure directly behind her back. She froze in terror, as they appeared to be some kind of masked thug. In this city, those were a dime a dozen, but she had been really good so far at avoiding them. She stared for a moment before realizing her mask off, and this stranger had seen her entire face. She bolted as fast as she could down the street. No idea where to go, but she just had to run. Not bothering to even look behind, she ran into a subway and hopped on a random train that was about to depart. She sighed a breath of relief as she realized that person hadn’t followed her on. 

She spent the rest of the night on various trains, trying to find her way home. If that creepy person had been following her, they must have gotten sick of her spending all night going nowhere. When she finally got back to her apartment, she threw herself onto her couch, filthy and decrepit. She didn’t care what day or time it was, she just wanted to sleep forever. Maybe dream about a better life for a few hours. 

Days passed as she returned to her usual routine, which only consisted of going to work for nothing but a paycheck, and sleeping. She held off on the nights out for a bit after becoming increasingly paranoid. She wondered if maybe she should quit and pursue a normal life; maybe settle down and marry somebody so she won't have to be so alone. She thought back to her past relationships of disappointments, especially the last one before she gave up on love. Everything was going so well, but he just disappeared without saying a word. She thought maybe he died, and somehow his death wasn’t on record. But the conclusion she couldn’t help but arrive at was that he abandoned her. She’d rather die than ever have to experience that feeling ever again. 

Every time she left the house she got the uneasy feeling that someone was following her, but she chalked it up to her paranoia. She couldn’t help but think that masked thug from the other night was stalking her. She thought about it constantly, and wondered what they could possibly want with her. She worried they were somehow related to the guy she killed, and they’re now out to get her. Sitting in the break room at her job, she stared at the wood grain on the table, going through horrifying possible scenarios in her head. Everyone else in the room ignored her, watching the news on the television. Randomly, she looked up at the screen, wondering what was catching their interest.

News anchors were discussing some new criminal whose picture was on the left of the screen. It was all too familiar. The freaky green mask with glasses atop, and wide eyes with impossibly dilated pupils. He was the one who saw her. And he’s apparently a major threat to society. She couldn’t even pay attention to the broadcast as she lost her shit internally. 

Was this her punishment? Was she going to die?

Days passed of intense paranoia. Every step she took outside the house felt like a countdown to her demise. She could barely function at her job and almost completely lost her appetite. She couldn’t understand why she was so afraid to die. Maybe she’d rather have her own say in how she leaves the world. She beat herself up over not foreseeing this: being entangled with dangerous people. There was never a chance she could just discreetly become a criminal without ever having to pay a price. 

In the middle of the night, she laid on her bed over the covers, just to stare at the ceiling. Not much went through her head, only vague dark ideas. She was exhausted beyond belief, wishing she could just fall asleep for once and not lay awake for hours. She tried reading, drawing, even just scrolling mindlessly on her phone, but she couldn’t focus on anything. 

Suddenly, she heard fumbling outside her window. 

She laid, completely frozen in place. Her apartment window had a fire escape, and it sounded like someone was climbing it. She wanted to scream and cry, but her body remained dormant. As the sounds grew louder, she slowly dragged herself out of bed, checking if the window was locked. Figuring a window wouldn’t stop them, she creeped over to a cabinet to retrieve a large kitchen knife. It was dull from use, but she figured it could still work to some extent. 

She wondered if it were best to just leave her apartment, but before she could think about it she heard the window lock click.

A person was crawling inside, caught behind the curtains. She held the knife tightly as she held her breath, shaking violently. As he got mostly inside, she finally mustered up the courage to attack, running to the figure and plunging the knife against their back. Her stabbing was too weak, and it ended up only plunging through the coat and cutting along their skin, eliciting a deep,  guttural scream. She screamed as well, mortified at what they might have planned for her. She jumped backward, trying to get as far away as she could.

The figure stood up, holding their bleeding shoulder, hunched over. As (Y/N) suspected, it was the same masked thug from that night. They stared into her eyes with the same dilated pupils, making her wonder if they were high on something, or were just naturally that scary. She held her knife, waiting for their next move as they stood panting in pain.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH,” they yelled, voice muffled. 

“WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?” She screamed back, nearly shrieking as she tried to make herself scarier. 

“Trust me, you already know who I am,” they sneered. “I’m someone you forgot a LONG time ago. But don't worry, I’m certain you’ve heard of me now.” Their voice fluctuated between screaming and quiet jeering. They lifted themself up, towering over her. 

“Y-you’re some criminal from the news… I guess? A killer?” She engaged with him out of morbid curiosity, but she knew it was stupid to do. For some reason, there was something deep inside her wanting to know more about this person. 

“Playing dumb gets you nowhere, sweetie. Everyone’s heard of The Riddler by now…” 

“Uh… okay… w-was that what you called yourself?” she asked. She genuinely thought she never heard that name before. That news broadcast she saw once was a blur in her memory.

“I forgot how dumb you were…” he scoffed. “Another pretty face with no brain behind it. Typical.”

“W-why are you calling me pretty?” she understood him calling her dumb, but the pretty part confused her. She felt embarrassed getting flustered at the backhanded compliment. 

“Because, darling, ever since I saw you that night, I couldn’t help but wonder: what was a pretty girl doing out on the streets in the middle of the night, huffing paint?” He slowly paced closer to her, laughing.

Every part of (Y/N)’s head was telling her to run out of the apartment and get help, but for some reason she was captivated by his presence. Even though she knew this man was dangerous, him speaking the word ‘pretty’ rang through her ears and drove her insane. Besides that, she worried that making a run for it would only put her in more danger if he could catch her; so she ended up staying in place, allowing him to get ever so slightly closer.

“You’re not one to judge what I do.” she responded coldly. 

“It takes one to know one, sweetheart. I know you’re doing bad things. You can’t hide it from me. I’ve seen you smash windows, and paint beautiful murals of death and decay on those disgusting bourgeois mansions. You need to stop acting innocent.”

She couldn’t tell whether he was tearing her down or praising her. She hung on every positive word he used toward her, even though she felt incredibly patronized. 

“I’m not like you…” she chewed on her lip, face growing hotter from either anger or embarrassment. 

“I know you think you’re better than me. You look at me and feel grateful that you’re not as disgusting. You’re just as bad. You’re fucked up but you won’t even admit it. You’d rather play businesswoman all day and keep your dirty secrets in the shadows like a liar.” he circled around her, spitting out the words cruelly.

“I’m horrible…” her voice cracked, staring at the floor as tears pooled in her eyes.

“Oh great, now you admit it and feel sorry for yourself. It’s pathetic. You don’t even know you could have it so much worse. Why don’t you go run to your boyfriend and cry about how terrible you feel?”

“What…? I-I don’t even have a boyfriend!” she snapped, confused at where that even came from.

“Please, you could easily get one if you wanted. It doesn't matter,” he scoffed. 

“I’ve been trying for six years!” she screamed. A dead silence rang out. “I tried so hard… b-but ever since my last boyfriend just… disappeared… I can’t move on. I want him back… I want him back so bad. But it doesn’t matter if he came back, he’d never want me again... I’ve ruined myself. I’m a monster. No one will ever want me again!” She whined desperately and heaved. She dropped the knife to the floor and covered her face with her hands. 

“What did you do?” he spoke after moments of silence.

“I can’t say,” she rubbed her puffy eyes. 

“You’re becoming like me, aren’t you?” 

“No! I won’t, I can’t! I don’t wanna do it ever again!” she cried out. 

“I can tell you killed someone just by how you’re reacting, sweetheart.” 

“DON’T FUCKING CALL ME THAT,” she shrieked as she punched him across the face, knocking his glasses off his masked face.

He fell backwards, grabbing his nose as he groaned. Once he got up, he stared at her intensely for a few moments. She buried her face back into her hands and sobbed heavily.

“Hey, look at me,” he demanded. She picked her head up and wiped her eyes. He pulled off his mask and dropped it on the floor. She stared for a minute as tears ran down her face. 

“Eddie- Edward.” she croaked. “But… why?” 

“I could ask the same to you.”

“Oh, Eddie…” she approached him slowly, reaching her hand to his face as he stood motionless. Back when they were together, she always worried about him hurting himself; doing things that’d he regret. He was almost never happy, and his trauma got in the way of almost every aspect of his life. She thought back to all the times she wished she could’ve helped him, but she didn’t know how because she was also broken. “I wish I could’ve saved you… I'm sorry…”

Her shaky hand cupped his sweaty cheek as her thumb caressed his face. She wept as she stared into his cold eyes. 

“(Y/N)… you were my angel. I never loved anyone like I loved you. I thought you deserve someone better, that's why I left. But… look where we are now.” he spoke somberly, resting his face against her hand. “I never wanted you to sink to my level… I thought you would have moved on and had a family by now.” 

“I can’t…” she cried. “I tried but I just couldn’t love anyone else. You’re the one I want to be with. If I’m going to be a monster-” she choked on her sobs. She sniffed deeply and wiped her tears and snot. “I want to at least be a monster with you.” 

“Sweetheart… I’m not the same man you fell in love with…”

“Please, let me try to love you again. I missed you so much. I needed you.” she sobbed. 

Edward grabbed her arms firmly and pulled her close into a tight hug. It didn’t feel like it used to, between the layers of dirty clothes and thick gloves. Despite the smell and the roughness of his coat, she held onto him for dear life. She wailed into his shoulder as tears stained it. 

At this point, there was nothing to do. Neither of them had any idea of what would come of this. Even trying to imagine what the next day would look like was impossible. (Y/N) couldn’t help imagining leaving everything behind with Edward so they could finally live peaceful lives together. The thought only made her more sad. She hadn’t a clue what he even thought of her now. She didn’t even know how she felt about him anymore.

Part 2 (smut)

#the riddler x reader #the riddler #edward nashton x reader #edward nashton #paul dano riddler

[lovelycassy]

Me or the city?

Summary: you live in a world where there is a villain and a hero. You happen to be dating the hero, Harry Potter. But when the Villain, Draco Malfoy, kidnaps you, Harry has to make an important decision.

Pairing: Harry x Reader, future Draco x Reader

House and blood status are unnecessary

Word count: 767

Warning(s): mentions of a knife, mention of blood and a curse word too if you squint, also not proofread, lmk if I missed anything!

a/n: I saw this video by @imaginereads4 on tiktok that's like the summary. Credits to them for this fic. But this is also inspired by the saying "a hero sacrifices you for the world, but a villain sacrifices the world for you". Anyways enjoy!

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It's 6pm and you were currently in the kitchen cooking dinner, while waiting for your boyfriend to come home. He was taking a while because the Villain decided to attack the city today, and because your boyfriend is the hero of the city, he has to go and save everyone.

*timeskip to 3 hrs later*

What's taking so long? You wondered and started to worry because usually he would be finished by 8:30pm the latest. But its currently 9pm.

But then out of nowhere you smelled something weird, and started to feel dizzy. As you were about to pass out, you noticed a mop of blonde hair come into your view before everything went black. (IDK ABT HOW KIDNAPING WORKS OK)

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You wake up with a slight headache and looked around to recognize where you are. But the place feels unfamiliar. You tried to break free but come to a realization that you are currently tied to a chair.

Suddenly the door opened and the person who came in was your boyfriend's worst enemy, Draco Malfoy (aka the city's Villain like duh). As he walked through the door some of his henchmen followed holding your boyfriend, Harry.

"Harry!" You cried. "What's happening right now??"

Draco turned to you and said "what's happening right now darling, is that me and your lovely boyfriend here talked and we decided that he has to make an important decision today. Don't you, Potter?"

"Fuck you Malfoy" Harry spat at Draco.

"What is it then?" You said, slightly getting nervous.

Draco let out a cold chuckle before putting a pocket knife at your neck.

"We've talked about this Potter, dozens of times. Yet you don't decide. So now that I have your little girlfriend here, I think you will need to choose. Her or the city?"

You quickly turned to look at Harry slightly cutting your neck in the process and saw his mind racing. Trying to think of a way to save both you and the city at the same time.

"Time is ticking Potter" Draco said, pushing the knife a little further to your neck, but not enough for you to bleed.

Harry turned to you and met your eyes. When you saw the apolegetic ___ in his eyes. You knew what that meant.

"The city" Harry said, with regret in his eyes.

"No, no Harry please!" You cried.

"I'm so sorry y/n, we will see each other in another life I promise. But for now this is the end of our story"

"Let him go, and make sure he goes through the exit instead of wandering around" Draco said, releasing the knife from your neck.

You were practically scared out of your life when you saw Harry exit the room with Draco's henchmen.

What were you going to do now? Will you get shot? Starved? Beaten to death?

You thought all of the possibilities that could happen to you that you didn't realize that Draco already cut the ropes that kept you from moving.

"Get up and follow me" he said coldly, almost halfway through the door.

You quickly follow him in order not to get into more trouble.

This is it, this is the end of my life. He's definitely leading me to the dungeon room. You thought to yourself.

But it was least to say that you were surprised when you entered into a room instead.

The walls had a sage green shade, and the floor were a marble of green and black. And the rest of the room was...green, slytherin green.

"This is where you will be staying in the meanwhile" Draco suddenly spoke.

"Just so I could keep an eye on you. You could be useful...soon"

He didn't wait for an answer and just walked away.

You entered the room then threw yourself on the bed. Before you felt numb about what was happening. But now that you processed everything, you started to cry.

Why the hell would Harry do this to me? Did I do something wrong? We haven't fought recently...right? I thought we were okay... You wondered

You cried for about an hour or two (or just half an hour tbh), thinking about what would happen to you and for the rest of your life.

Draco's pov

I can't believe Potter would actually let go of a girl like her. Anyone would be lucky to even date her. He thought to himself while going to his office.

He sat down and sighed. Hopefully in next few months I could prove to her that I can treat her much better than Potter did.

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If anyone wondered why I was gone for like a month, I was teaching myself how to write smut

#harry potter #harry potter angst #draco malfoy #draco malfoy angst #imagine #x reader

[nyrasbloodyclover]

the great war (aemond targaryen x oc)

masterlist (read the warnings!!)

a/n: aemond is the only momma's boy (ew) i will ever accept

5. the allies

She could barely breathe. The wind was hitting Reila's face in full force as she tried to get up, but she soon realized that might not be the best idea. She was on a dragon. Thousand feet in the air. Tied to a war criminal.

One of the options was to panic and scream, now that she came to her senses, but that would lead her nowhere. For all that Reila knew he could push her off the Vhagar for being annoying.

He needs you alive, she reminded herself, and somehow that sounded like the worst faith she could imagine. He was taking her to King's Landing. Gods help her.

Aemond turned his head, making only his eye patch visible. "Try not to move much or I'll have to explain to my mother why I only brought her your guts."

"I kind of like the idea of that," she returned and forced herself not to regret it. She was stupid for challenging him. He let out a rich laugh that muffled with the sound of wind and she sighed of relief. He was silent, but his hand reached for the rope that tied them together and he pulled it, so it dug even deeper in her skin. 

The saddle was big enough for three so she was able to lie down comfortably without touching him-which was a blessing.  She might collapse if he came any closer that he is now.

She was left alone with her thoughts and she began thinking of her father. Does he know where she is now?  Will he attack King's Landing? Probably not. That would be a foolish decision. What happened to Tully's army? She had no idea.

And that's how the rest of the ride passed-with utter silence that wind seemed to replace.

Then she began to notice the land. And the stone buildings on it. Westeros' capital suddenly appeared beneath them and Reila's anxiety went off the roof. She kept telling herself that she could do it, that there was nothing worse than her life at Riverrun, but now that they are here, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Home sweet home. Don't you think, zoklītsos?" The last word was in High Valyrian which Reila couldn't begin to understand because her knowledge of the language was minimal.

"You are better off not knowing what I think." She responded without a remorse.

"Smart little creature," he mocked, "But hold your tongue in front of my mother. She is lethal when she has to be."

They landed and Aemond Targaryen untied her, then reached for her to help her get down. "I can manage."

"Trust me, you can't."

She looked down, below Vhagar and wanted to take her words back. One wrong step and she could end up splattered across the floor of the dragon pit.

But Reila was stubborn, almost as stubborn as her father and while Aemond looked at her from down below, Reila took the many ropes hanging from Vhagar's back and began to climb down. She grew up in the North. There was no need to climb anywhere. Most of all— dragons, but there is a first time for everything.

Step by step and she was down. Only then she felt her whole body ache. Her legs were sore, her throat hurt and she could barely use her arms. Reila's head was as heavy as a rock from the lack of sleep and she doubted she would get much here.

"Move. The Queen is waiting." He took her by the forearm and pulled her forward. But she swore he sounded satisfied for some reason. Like she passed a test of some kind.

"You are supposed to tie my hands, are you not? I am a prisoner now."

"Prisoner, yes. But not a dangerous one. Now walk or I am giving you to one of the guards. And they won't be as nice." He gripped Reila's arm even tighter and she gritted her teeth. It was going to bruise by tomorrow.

They passed enormous hallway before entering another one. Reila had never been in the King's Landing and she was surprised by it. It was like a labyrinth—at least from the distance. And the castle was twice as big as the one in Winterfell. 

They reached the main hall and then the throne room. The guards opened it and Reila's mouth almost fell on the floor. If the hallways were big...This was enormous. 

Aemond's boots echoed through the room as she followed him, like a good dog. Reila's cheeks flushed at the thought and she bowed her head. It made her mad at herself but there was nothing she could do.

"Aemond, dearest. You were fast," said the gentle female voice. Reila's gaze shot upward and it locked with big brown eyes. The Queen walked towards them.

Aemond hugged his mother which couldn't be more strange, considering her situation, but she kept silent. 

"Oh, our guest is here," said Queen Alicent. "You should've let her bathe at least, Aemond. She needs rest." Reila couldn't decide if her tone was passive aggressive but it made her wonder what in the gods' name was she actually doing here.

"With all due respect, can someone explain why am I here? I was taken against my will and now you call me a guest. Do you maybe have chambers prepared too?" The words were flooding out of her, she couldn't stop them. It was the most she said in days and it felt amazing, like taking a breath of fresh air, but as she was finishing the sentence, she began to regret her choice of words and the tone she used.

Queen just looked at her with amusement, but Aemond was quick to snap back, "With all due respect, you are to consider your next words or I'll have your tongue cut out."

"No, you are not. Remember what I told you and don't act foolish," Alicent's tone was sharp, "Now go call the Council."

With that, Aemond gave her a disapproving look and marched out of the throne room.

"Now, sweetling, I am about to answer some of your questions." She took a step closer.

"But not all of them," Reila noticed.

"Of course not all of them. Listen carefully. You are under my protection because I trust you can do a great job and cooperate with me."

"I am not sure I can help you with anything."

Alicent Hightower reached for her shoulder and Reila flinched. She cursed herself for not being stronger. In control. The Queen frowned in confusion.

Then it looked like she realized. "He was violent, wasn't he?" Reila wanted to ask who was she talking about, but Alicent continued, "I told him to bring you here safely—"

"Oh. It wasn't your son, don't worry." She said, looking down.

Queen's eyes flashed at her and what she gave Reila was a look of sympathy, but she said nothing of it. 

"We know you love your father.  We also know he loves you even more. He would do anything for his firstborn child."

It made Reila stare at her in silence and it felt like Alicent was hitting her face the hardest she could.

"And how is this relevant now? What do you need my help with?"

"Into convincing him to betray Rhaenyra, of course."

Reila felt like she would throw up. Any second now. She sacrificed her body and soul so that they could have some chance in this war and Alicent wanted her to throw all of that away.

"We need to make Rhaenyra vulnerable. If she loses The North..." The Green Queen looked lost in the thoughts. "It would be wise if you do as I say." 

"And if I don't?" She scorned herself to stay calm, think rationally. It was all a game. And she was beginning to play now.

"Then you are becoming a real prisoner. We would have to throw you into one of the cells. Make your father come here and surrender himself."

She stood there, frozen, and thought of her options here. If she disobeyed and rebelled against the Queen it would not end well, she was well aware of that. And it would probably get her father killed. Because he would rather tear down the whole city then bend the knee and betray Queen Rhaenyra.

"What do you say, sweetling?"

She died the night she married her husband and  she became an echo of her past self. Reila was not sure she remembers how it was to be a real human being anymore because she gave away everything that made her one.

"Yes, Your Grace."

She felt bitter taste in her mouth after saying the words, but Alicent looked satisfied enough. The Queen dismissed her immediately and Reila ordered herself to walk. The guard took her forearm and pulled Reila towards her future chambers. She payed no attention to the path they were taking. It all looked the same to her. The hallways, the doors, everything was almost identical. Then a face showed from around the corner. The Usurper himself. Reila felt sick. She wanted to run as far away as she could from him.

"Ah, there you are. The Northern meat, freshly delivered." She didn't take his words to heart. Her husband used her as a piece of meat. This bastard was nothing new. With a wave of his ringed hand he dismissed the guard and that is when Reila realized she isn't so brave after all.

He stepped towards her and she knew this dance all too well. The towering, the caging, the fear spreading from her legs to her chest. It was so familiar, but she still wasn't used to it. "I never played with northern cunts. Are they somehow warmer than the ones we have here?" She could only stand still, frozen in terror as his hand started floating near her body. She was powerless. Wherever she went, people used her and it was so tiring, but she couldn't do anything about it.

When his hand started lifting her skirt she knew there is no coming back. Gods...

"Brother, behave yourself, or I'll tell mother."

Aegon turned his head towards the other madman. "I don't give a fuck. It's not like she already doesn't know."

"Oh, not this. I'll tell her...the other thing." He cocked his head, knowing he overpowered his brother. It took a moment for Aegon to remember what that other thing was, and when he did, his eyes went wide and he almost ran away from them.

A beat of silence passed. She didn't want to thank him. She didn't want even to look him in the eyes. Two guards appeared beside her and Reila walked away.

#hotd #hotd fanfic #aegon targaryen #daemon targaryen #hotd x reader #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x oc #aemond imagine #aemond x reader #prince aemond #aemond stannies #aemond x oc #aemond x y/n

[megs-msdd24]

OMG THE SA FANDOM IS ACTUALLY ALIVE??? could you please make Zerif headcanons🥹? he was always my favorite character but i barely see anyone talking about him

Yes we are very small 😔 BUT WE'RE STILL HERE! Here's some headcanons for you <3 (btw, I wasn't sure what kind of headcanons you were looking for but here's my best guess)

Zerif Headcanons

Before

-Zerif bro. How do I even start this?

-from the start(kid age) he's a very sneaky kid.

-Going by my brain and the information i remember, we're gonna say he's of Amayan and Zhongese descent

-he grew up in a small, poor village that wasn't on the Greencloaks radar (I'm leading into his conqueror days bear with me) so a good chunk of the people had bonding sickness. Zerif watched all these people get sick and go mad. He even watched one person kill their spirit animal to escape.

-So when he isn't blessed with a spirit animal he becomes an aid to the rest of his village

-this is when his crime life begins. He starts to steal little things. Like clothing, food, necessities you know?

-but it slowly grows over time and he starts stealing from the wealthy. He gets caught by one of these nobles and they ship him off to Stetriol.

During

(When I say during, I mean like after Abeke becomes a greencloak)

-So, our friend Zerif is now a conqueror :D

-by the time he meets Shane, he's been wandering in Stetriol for maybe two-ish years?

-skip forward a little bit and he's now a leader among the conquerors

-he's got his little army of kids that go around trying to stop the Greencloaks (Shane and co.)

-He knows he's really working for Kovo but he kinda likes his conqueror buddies and his jackal

-That is, until the Evertree. When he loses his sword in the battle he high-tails it out of there. (Now you see him now you don't 🤷🏾‍♀️) He's not ready to risk his life ok?

-Remember those weeks where that greencloak was chasing him before he found the Wyrm?

-yea, he lost his survival skills. He got too comfy as a conqueror(sorry)

Wyrm Arc

-When he first meets the Wyrm we already know he's disgusted by it. But it's possessed him now so what can he do?

-I feel like the Wyrm basically baited him by telling him that it would give him a lot of power and he wanted what he had as a conqueror back but better.

-He's angry and wants revenge so of course he's gonna do it.

-But as he steals more and more Spirit Animals i feel like there was the itsy bitsy teensy tiniest bit of him that felt wrong about the entire thing

-everytime he doubted the Wyrm would basically increase it's hold on him to whip him back into shape

-by the time he gets to the place of desolation all he's thinking is kill and power.

-When he finally meets the Wyrm face to face he's thinking "what the flip is this scary looking thing"

-but he can't say that so of course he goes "BEAUTIFUL"

-but as the Wyrm seeps into him he's regretting it (probably reflecting on his life decisions too) he's thinking anything would be better than this even going back to his broke little village that's probably long since been destroyed.

-You know how in like books when someone's possessed they can like see but can't do anything? Same goes for him. He's banging on his mental prison walls screaming and cursing but then-he's suddenly back in control of his body

-he's groggy as if waking from a really really long dream but then he gets hit with the pain. He can feel the Wyrm trying to take back control and Abeke screaming at him.

-he doesn't fully understand what she's saying but he gets the gist

-SO, he tosses himself into the lava

-his last thoughts are that "aw man I didn't get to rule anything" but also "finally peace bro"

-and then he's dead 😔

-that's it friend! I hope you like them lmk if u ever want anything changed <3

#zerif #spirit animals headcanons #spirit animals #spirit animals books

[proudfreakmetarusonniku]

Whumptober Day 6: Conditioning and Forced to Hurt Someone Else

My protegeinnit timeline. Tommy is forced to kill Punz for the first time in his necromancy training, and Dream uses his exile conditioning to get him to comply. Warnings for abuse, injury, death, blood, referenced torture and murder, dehumanisation, traumabonding, self victim blaming, manipulation, isolation, imprisonment, and love-bombing.

ao3 link

——

The knife felt like lead in Tommy’s hands.

Heavy and poisonous, he was half convinced his wrists would break from the strain. He felt sick as he looked down at Punz, strapped to a hospital bed and looking bored, and imagined how it’d feel to end a life. It felt wrong, the mere idea of it. He knew what Limbo was like; he didn’t want to put anyone through that fate worse than damnation.

“I know you can do it, Tommy,” Dream said, voice a mix of soothing and threatening, as he observed. “I’ve trained you well, haven’t I?”

Tommy gulped. “I- I mean, yeah, obviously, but…”

“It’s difficult to take a life for the first time? Yeah, it’s like that for us all-“

Punz snorted, rolling his eyes. “Speak for yourself.”

“C‘mon, you know the kid’s not like us.” Dream scolded, like Punz was a silly child. “Play nice.”

“Whatever. Get the little asshole to get this over with. I’m bored.”

Tommy didn’t know why Punz seemed to fucking hate him so much. He was nice, before… everything. Exile. The experiments. Now, he eyed Tommy with barely hidden contempt when Dream was around and completely unhidden rage when he wasn’t. He’d almost expected the man to strike him a few times, not as a punishment like Dream did but out of sheer anger and hatred. But he never did, saying something about how he was lucky to be Dream’s little pet.

Tommy was pretty sure that was meant to be an insult, but he took it in pride. He clearly wasn’t cut out to make decisions for himself, and if he had to be owned, Dream was a pretty cool owner. Even though he technically was one- Tommy couldn’t really disobey him or anything, not unless he wanted to regret it- he mostly just let Tommy chill and hung out with him like Tommy had once done with Wilbur, long ago. And- and, yeah, Tommy would have never ever agreed to the experiments if he had a choice, but it was for the greater good, so it was only fair for Dream to make him do them. Tommy was just a whiny baby.

He didn’t know why Dream put up with him. Useless, stupid, scaredy-cat Tommy, not a big man at all, clearly wasn’t the person to help with delicate magical research. Dream shoulda asked Tubbo or someone. Now, that was someone clever and brave and helpful. Someone who knew what the fuck they were doing. Someone who wasn’t a complete waste of fucking space-

“Tommy?” Dream’s voice was loud, but not cruel. “You’re dreaming awake again.”

Tommy could feel his cheeks flush as he came back to reality. He’d tried so hard to work on that, and Dream was so kind about it, but he hated it so much, so Tommy wasn’t allowed to do it. He’d tried so many ways to fight the static from his mind, from decoupling from his body and becoming nothing at all, but they didn’t seem to work. When he got like that, nothing Dream said or did could help him unless he caught it really early, and even then, it was like delaying the inevitable.

It was fucking embarrassing how little control Tommy had over his own mind.

“Sorry,” Tommy said quietly, trying his best to pretend to be a person. “I’m trying.”

“I know, little bug. I’ll be so proud of you for doing this, y’know. Don’t you want me to be proud of you?” There was an almost mocking tone to how his voice shifted, suddenly cruelly playful. “After all, remember what it’s like when you really do disappoint me?”

Tommy instinctively flinched, the punishments already playing in his head. Maybe, if it wasn’t too bad, it’d be like Exile, and Dream would mercifully just give him a beating, or a lecture, or lock him in his room for a few days, but Dream couldn’t be that kind nowadays. No, what normally happened was that next time it was his turn to die, Dream would make sure it was as painful, slow, and agonising as fucking possible. Probably leave him in Limbo for a few extra days, too, stewing in the agony. Prick.

Well, that wasn’t really fair. Tommy shouldn’t think that about someone who was practically family, the only person who not only tolerated but adored him. If Dream decided he deserved to be disembowelled or burnt or whatever, then he deserved all of it and worse. Dream was clever, too. He- he was the one who figured out how to bring people back, and he said it was a good thing, so it had to be, even though it didn’t seem good at all. Dream knew best. Dream knew best.

The sweat on Tommy’s palms made holding onto the knife feel like a nigh-impossible task.

“Aww, Tommy, don’t panic. I know you can do it.” Dream was clearly relishing in Tommy’s fear. “Remember, I know best, right? I taught you well. I don’t want to have to start all that again. Unless you want to go back to step one, Tommy. Do you want that? Do you want to go back to Logstedshire?”

“N-no, sir.” Logstedshire was easier, but Logstedshire was also hellish. Every day, the sun beat down and scorched him, and he woke up with water in his lungs. Every day, he did the same thing, comfortingly routine yet painfully constricting. No luxuries, no breaks, nothing. At least here, he was respected. He was a researcher into necromancy, much like Dream and Punz, and his thoughts were important and appreciated. He was given ample free time, a comfortable cell with plenty to do, and Dream got to spend much more time with him now. He even got to own things, which was weird to consider. He wasn’t a defiant exiled child, learning to obey- here, he was a valued protège, a Big Man respected in his own right.

He couldn’t be treated like that helpless child again. He’d rather be poisoned with the most agonising regents, left to starve in a tiny box, anything but being unable to do anything.

“Don’t call me that.” Dream’s voice was so harsh that Tommy flinched violently enough to drop the knife straight on his foot, yelping as it cut through his skin. His eyes widened at that, and his voice turned soft. “You’re not in trouble, it’s just…” He turned away, and shook his head. “Get this over with, okay? And I’ll get you a potion or something, if you do it quickly.”

Tommy scrambled for the knife, unable to stop himself from grinning a bit. It was like the jolt of happiness through his chest back when he was in Exile, and Dream didn’t make him put his stuff in the hole that day- it was something he’d once, stupidly, taken for granted, but Dream had taught him to take joy in.

Dream said that he, Tommy, and Punz all had different roles. Punz was the control group, serving to document the effects of regular revival both in the short and long term. Dream focused mainly on the effects revival had on the necromancer themselves to see if that could aid the pursuit of immortality in any way. And Tommy had the most crucial job of all- testing the extremes. The most agonising deaths, the longest and shortest times in Limbo, the effects on extreme stress afterwards before and after revival. It was miserable as shit, but Tommy took pride in knowing his suffering was helpful, and Dream didn’t hesitate in rewarding him.

Yeah, Tommy was spoiled, he really was. He had his Switch and all the games he could want, books, music, soft blankets, hell, Dream had even got him a kitten (though that was also to test revival on animal species). But no matter how kind, how ridiculously nice Dream was, that wasn’t going to get in the way of the research. Tommy’s pain was a test, something to be studied and not helped, regardless of whether it was a stubbed toe or a missing limb. Any sort of painkiller, any sort of healing, ruined the result, made it unclear how revival impacted his senses and his recovery.

Dream must be really proud of him if he was offering a potion.

The knife still felt wrong in his hand, bloodied and twisted, and it hurt to drag himself to Punz’s side, so much he thought he might not be able to, but he bit his tongue and pushed through the pain.

Punz rolled his eyes at him again. “Finally gonna get it over with? You’re so dramatic.”

Quietly, too focused on being good to speak, he nodded, lifting the knife and dragging it across their throat.

It was not quick, nor was it painless, but it was definitely more so than any of Tommy’s deaths. Punz choked on their own blood, thrashing violently against the restraints on instincts for what felt like forever, until he stilled, letting out a final rattling breath. It was a sickening sight, and Tommy couldn’t help but gag. Yeah, he’d been through worse, but it still looked like it hurt like Hell. Tommy deserved it. Punz didn’t, and now he was in Limbo, the hellish place playing tricks on his mind, and he must be so scared, and-

“There you go,” Dream cooed softly, like he was talking to a small child. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? I’m so proud of you, Tommy.” He ruffled Tommy’s hair gently, and the feeling of comfort sat wrong with the agonising sight of Punz clinging to life, desperately trying to free himself. It felt wrong. So, so wrong.

But there was something so soothing about Dream’s calm voice, his pride in him. It felt safe. It felt like the only good thing in the world. It was like the feeling in his chest he had after he went to Church, the light of the Primes shining down on him, and even though he couldn’t go to Church anymore, he longed for that feeling of being protected by a higher power. And- and Dream, he was practically a God compared to Tommy. Stupid, sickly, weak-hearted Tommy, who needed a firm hand to guide and punish.

He swallowed the bile in his throat and let himself lean into the touch, forcing a smile. After all, Dream was proud of him, and He knew best.

#My writing #ailesswhumptober #c!primeboys #dream smp #abuse tw #injury tw #tw death #blood tw #torture mention tw #Murder mention tw #dehumanisation tw #Victim blaming tw #manipulation tw #lovebombing tw

[ambiguous-sanskars]

Part 3 (final part!) of the prompt fill for the lovely @vijayasena <3 Thank you for all the love and encouragement, writing this has been an adventure!

Read on AO3

“Babai, I can’t do this,” Ram lamented to his uncle in the courtyard of Scott’s mansion. Dusk had fallen, and Ram’s eyes were yet to dry. “I can’t do this anymore. Not to him, not to my Bheema. They’ll kill him, Babai. The governor wants to hang him tomorrow. If I lose him-” Ram choked on his words, struggling to breathe.

“Ram,” Babai tried. “Fifteen years you’ve put towards your goal. Can we afford to take this kind of risk so close to the end?”

“I can’t do this.”

“All the times you’ve sacrificed yourself and your people for this mission- what is different this time, Ram? Why is Bheem different?”

“What will I do,” Ram sobbed into his hands. “What will I do with the weapons, what will I do with victory, if it costs me a friend like him?”

“This isn’t about you, Ram. This fight is bigger than the both of you. It’s bigger than all of us.”

Ram looked up, heartbreak evident in his eyes. “Don’t you see? There is no fight if there’s no one left to fight for. What is a nation, Babai, if not for its people? What is freedom if Malli is locked behind bars? Who am I even fighting for if Bheem is dead?”

Babai crossed his arms, stepping right in front of Ram. “I hear you. I’m not saying what you want to do is wrong. I’m just saying that when you look back on this moment years from now, you should not regret a decision taken in the throes of grief. So dry your tears, and tell me calmly what it is you plan to do.”

All his life, Ram had prided himself on being strong, level-headed, and rational. But he knew that if he ever faltered, his Babai would be right there to set him back on track.

Ram took several deep breaths to calm down. Then he got to his feet. 

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.”

As Ram used Babai as a sounding board to refine his plans for Bheem and Malli’s escape, Sakshi listened closely from around the corner. She’d lived in this mansion for long enough to know how sound traveled and where shadows fell at what hour. It was the easiest thing to find a hiding spot from which to eavesdrop.

As they finished putting together a game plan, Sakshi came up with strategic lies she could feed Scott to lead him astray. The governor had wanted to see her tonight, just to make sure Ram hadn’t had a sudden change of heart before Bheem’s hanging.

Sakshi smirked. In the end, it wasn’t Ram’s betrayal Scott should have feared. It was hers.

Suddenly, Sakshi heard her name, causing her to tune back into the conversation.

“…be the person Sakshi thinks I am,” Ram was saying. “I want to be worthy of her love. And-”

“Ram.”

Ram stopped mid-sentence, frowning at the interruption. “What is it, Babai?”

“Repeat that name.”

“What name?”

“This woman who said she loves you. Whom you love. What was her name?”

“Sakshi.”

No sooner had the word left Ram’s mouth than Babai shushed him, casting a furtive glance around the courtyard. Hidden from view, Sakshi frowned. What was going on?

Then Babai began to speak.

“Sakshi is not who you think she is,” he whispered to Ram. “She is Governor Scott’s right hand. She is a weapon of surveillance and destruction. Her loyalties lie with the British.”

Ram stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Babai, forgive me, but that’s patently insane. She’s a historian.”

“I hear things, Ram. The guards and the servants talk. Sakshi has grown up in this mansion. Scott kidnapped her when she was just a little older than Malli, right after she watched her mother being burned alive.”

“Burned alive?!”

“Sati.”

“Oh.”

“Scott promised her that he would bring a new, civilized future to this land, a future where no woman would be condemned by her own people to die a horrible death, for no crime of her own.”

“And she believed him,” Ram said, horror mounting. 

“She was a child. She wanted justice. She wanted safety. Scott promised her both of those things, things her own community could not - or would not - give her.”

“Babai-”

“Ram, you’ve been an officer in Delhi for over a decade. Sakshi has lived in the mansion this entire time. Why do you think it took you so long to run into her?”

The gears turned in Ram’s head.

“Sakshi isn’t seen unless she wants to be seen. And if she has been watching you, it can only mean one thing.” 

“Governor Scott doesn’t trust me,” Ram realized.

“Yes,” Babai confirmed, “but forget about Scott. If Sakshi wants Bheem out of the way, then he is as good as dead.”

The blood drained from Ram’s face. “She was asking about him. Just yesterday, she asked me where he was.” Ram took his uncle by the shoulders. “New plan. We have to break him out now.”

Sakshi watched the two of them sprint out of the courtyard. Then she slammed her fist into the brick wall, swearing colorfully.

Of all the times for her cover to be blown.

She did some quick calculations. If Ram freed Bheem, then Bheem would immediately try to free Malli, and all of them would most likely be caught.

But if Sakshi freed Malli right now, there was a good chance that they could all get out undetected. 

The only problem with that plan was that she’d miss her meeting with Scott, and he’d come looking for her.

Sakshi paused, tilting her head to the side. Maybe that wasn’t a problem. Maybe it was an opportunity.

She sprinted through the front door of the mansion, rushing right past the torn British flag that no one had bothered to replace. Today, she didn’t need to cover her face. 

When she arrived at Malli’s cell, Sakshi found her sitting hunched over by the bars, tapping on them rhythmically with a twig. Sakshi felt an odd combination of anguish and pride. 

Malli had been through so much at such a young age. The degree of captivity and objectification she’d survived would have driven many an adult to insanity. 

But Malli was an indomitable spirit, Sakshi realized - a force that when imprisoned, would play music on the bars of her cell. The kid would grow up to lead the fight that she’d been made a pawn in. 

Sakshi smiled. Scott never stood a chance.

“Malli,” she said softly. Malli looked up, scrutinizing Sakshi’s face.

“Who?” she asked.

“Your Akka,” Sakshi answered. She placed a hand over her heart. “Remember? Sakshi-akka.”

Malli’s eyes widened in recognition. “Akka! I didn’t see your face last time!”

Sakshi laughed. “Yeah, I was hiding. But I’m not anymore. Are you ready to get out of here?”

“Yes!”

Sakshi pulled a bobby pin out of her own hair and quickly picked the lock. 

“Can you teach me how to do that?” Malli asked in awe.

“Of course,” Sakshi scoffed. “For a smart girl like you? It’s easy.” She took Malli’s hand. “Ok, let’s go. Your Bheem-anna is waiting for you outside.”

Malli set one foot outside the cell and came to a dead stop. 

Sakshi turned around. “Love, what’s wrong? We have to move quickly, come.”

Malli shook her head. She pulled her hand out of Sakshi’s grip. “No. I’m not coming.”

“What? Why?”

Malli blinked back tears. “Akka, it’s okay. I’ll stay here.”

“You will not!”

“I will.”

“Malli-”

“Please, Akka, just go!”

Sakshi got to her knees, tenderly taking Malli’s face in her hands. “Malli, sweetie, it’s okay. Shhhh. Take a breath. There we go.” Sakshi brushed away her tears. “Don’t be scared, love. It’s going to work this time. I’ll get you home.”

“It’s not that,” Malli sniffled. 

“Then what is it?”

“Everyone who tries to help me gets hurt. Amma, Bheem-anna, you…” Malli’s gaze drifted to Sakshi’s gauze-wrapped hand. “It’s okay. I can stay here. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me. I don’t want-” Malli’s voice cracked. “I don’t want them to hurt you or Bheem-anna again.”

Sakshi stood up and turned away, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She was going to kill Scott. She was going to fucking murder him and his wife.

“Akka? Will you please tell Bheem-anna I’m sorry, and that I love him?”

“No,” Sakshi said, feeling Malli’s grief like a physical ache in her chest. She held out a hand to the child. “Whatever you want to tell him, you can tell him yourself.”

Malli hesitated.

“Malli, listen to me. This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault.”

“But-”

“Fine. If you’re not going, I’m not going.” Sakshi crossed the threshold of the cell and sat down.

Malli panicked. “Akka, Scott will find you!”

“Let him.”

“What if he kills you?!”

“Let him.”

“No,” Malli said, seizing Sakshi’s hand. “Come on, Akka, we’re going. Now.”

“Are you sure?” Sakshi raised an eyebrow.

“Akka, get up!”

Sakshi got to her feet, unable to keep the grin off her face. She scooped Malli into her arms. “Look who finally came to their senses.”

Malli giggled through her tears, looping her arms around Sakshi’s neck. Sakshi carried her all the way to the courtyard. Then she put her down and pointed in the direction of the prison cells.

“See that watchtower?”

Malli nodded.

“Run towards that. Your Bheem-anna will find you.”

“What about you, Akka? Aren’t you coming with us?”

“I am. I just need to take care of something first.”

Malli looked worried, but she nodded. She held out her arms to Sakshi. 

Sakshi got down on her knees and embraced Malli, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Go. Don’t look back.”

***

Ram threw open the door of Bheem's cell in a panic. Bheem’s head snapped up at the clatter of the bars. When he caught sight of Ram, he froze.

Ram took a step inside. Bheem tensed, bracing for violence.

Tears welled up in Ram’s eyes. The mere thought that Bheem expected - was prepared, even - for Ram to hurt him immediately brought Ram to his knees.

“With what words shall I beg your forgiveness,” Ram wept. He stared at the ground, unable to look Bheem in the eye. “I have done what no friend, no brother, should ever do. When I look in the mirror, I don’t recognize the person I’ve become.”

Ram took a shaky breath, unable to stop the words as they tumbled out of him. There, on his knees in a damp prison cell in the dead of night, he confessed to Bheem every act of violence he had committed in Scott’s service. He told him what he had never told another soul before - how his family was killed, his father’s last words, the mission he had inherited. 

So enveloped was Ram by his remorse that he did not see Bheem’s eyes widen in understanding. He did not see Bheem’s hands jerk in their restraints as he tried to reach out.

“Tammudu,” Ram whispered the endearment like he was afraid it would burn his tongue. “Tammudu, I do not deserve to be forgiven. But please, find it in your heart to trust me. We don’t have much time. I beg of you, trust me to take you and Malli to safety.”

“An- Annayya,” Bheem’s voice was contorted with pain. Ram looked up to see Bheem straining against his chains with enough force that fresh blood dripped from his wrists.

“Bheema, wait! Let me remove…” Ram trailed off as he dug through his pockets for the key to the cuffs.

The moment one hand was free, Bheem brought it up to cradle Ram’s face, tenderly brushing his fingers over Ram’s bruised jaw and black eye.

Bheem closed his eyes, sending tears streaming down his cheeks.

“How could I have ever raised a hand against you in anger? You did everything you could to protect me, and I-” Bheem’s breath caught in his throat. He hid his face in Ram’s chest, clutching at the front of his jacket. “Forgive me, forgive my ignorance. Annayya, I did not know. Please forgive me-”

“Bheema, don’t.” Ram struggled to unlock the second cuff, his vision blurring with new tears. “Don’t apologize. I cannot bear it.”

The lock finally clicked open. As the chain fell to the ground, Ram wrapped his arms around Bheem, holding on as if for dear life.

After a minute, he carded a hand through Bheem’s matted hair.

“I thought I lost you,” Ram confessed, barely above a whisper. Bheem tightened his fists in Ram’s bloodstained jacket, too overcome with emotion to speak. He shook his head where it lay over Ram’s heart.

“Come, Bheema,” Ram said, coaxing Bheem away from him just enough to see his face. “We have to get Malli. We don’t have much time.”

Suddenly, Babai shouted something from outside the cell. A child’s voice responded.

Bheem looked at Ram excitedly. “That’s Malli!”

He stumbled outside, pulling Ram along.

As Bheem gathered the child into his arms, Ram looked around suspiciously. How had Malli escaped?

“Malli,” Ram started, trying not to feel hurt when she looked at him with apprehension. “How did you-”

“Not now,” Babai insisted. “We have to get out of here before the guards realize anything is amiss. Let’s go.”

Malli ran ahead alongside Babai. Bheem followed, his arm slung over Ram’s shoulders for support.

They were almost at the gate when Bheem stopped.

“What is it?” Ram asked urgently.

“Where’s Sakshi-vadina? Shouldn’t we get her? She works here, right? Won’t Scott-”

“Enough, Bheema,” Ram ordered, uncharacteristically firm. He turned away, certain that Bheem would see the fragments of his broken heart in his eyes. “I will never put you in harm’s way again. Not for anything or anyone.”

***

Sakshi returned to her room in the mansion for the last time. She unlatched the iron trunk next to her bed and extracted an ornate bow. She strapped a quiver full of arrows to her back.

When she turned around, she found herself face to face with a livid Scott.

The corners of Sakshi’s mouth curved up in a sinister smile.

“Hello, sir.”

For once in his life, Scott did what any reasonable man would do. He turned and fled.

Sakshi strode after him in pursuit. With her peripheral vision, she noted British troops mobilizing in the courtyard below. One soldier aimed his rifle towards the forest.

Without ever taking her eyes off Scott, Sakshi drew her bow. She listened for the click of the rifle being readied. Then she sent an arrow straight through the soldier’s skull.

All hell broke loose, with soldiers trampling each other to get to cover. Sakshi continued walking after Scott, picking off soldiers one by one on the side every time she passed a window to the courtyard.

Suddenly, someone stepped between Sakshi and Scott. It was Catherine.

“So this is how you repay our years of kindness,” she said, looking down the bridge of her nose at Sakshi. “We should have kept you in a cage, like that girl, Malli.”

Sakshi rolled her eyes. She looked over Catherine’s shoulder just in time to see Scott run around the corner towards the exit. The coward.

“What are you going to do?” Catherine sneered. “A bow is no good at this close a distan-”

Sakshi punched Catherine in the stomach and slung the bow around her neck as she stood doubled over. Then Sakshi pulled, relishing the sound of tracheal rings cracking beneath the bow’s handle.

The governor’s wife slumped to the ground. Sakshi stepped over her lifeless body and forged ahead.

She followed the troops into the forest, taking out anyone who raised a rifle in the direction of Ram, Bheem, Malli, or Babai. Her eyes swept the dark foliage, looking for Scott.

It wasn’t long before she found him. Hidden behind a bush, the governor had his rifle trained on Bheem. Bheem, who was standing directly between Sakshi and her target.

Sakshi cursed under her breath. She lifted her bow, aiming as best as she could. She waited.

A tiny corner of her mind registered the sound of leaves rustling to her right. It tried to warn her. She ignored it.

Bheem lifted his head, and Scott positioned his finger on the trigger. Sakshi pulled the arrow back as far as it would go.

Then several things happened all at once. 

Sakshi released the arrow, which whistled across the clearing and lodged itself in Scott’s throat. The rifle tumbled from Scott’s hand a millisecond before he could pull the trigger.

Unfortunately, on its way to Scott, the arrow grazed Bheem’s earlobe. The wound was small, but if anyone was standing exactly 3 meters to Sakshi’s right, all they would have seen was a near miss of what could easily have been a shot meant to take Bheem’s life. 

Ram was standing 3 meters to Sakshi’s right. As his heart tried to beat out of his chest, he took aim with his own bow.

Seeing that Bheem was safe, Sakshi turned to investigate the sound to her right. What she found was the love of her life standing with his bow drawn, string pulled taut.

“No, wait-”

Ram released the arrow.

Sakshi felt it slam into her chest with the force of a freight train. She stumbled backwards, reaching up to grab the arrow’s shaft.

“Goddamnit, you really just shoot first and ask questions later, huh?” she spat at Ram. She yanked the arrow out of her body with a grunt, crumpling to the ground and propping herself up against a rock.

“Vadina!” Bheem cried, running to her side. He pressed his hands over her wound, desperately trying to stem the bleeding.

Sakshi covered his hand with hers. “Shh, Bheema, it’s okay. Relax. It’s okay.”

“Bheema, get away from her,” Ram ordered. “She wants to kill you.”

“I saved him!” Sakshi shot back, gasping with the effort it took to yell. “Look, Rama.” She pointed shakily towards Scott’s corpse. “I was protecting Bheem. And you. I’ve been protecting you.”

“You work for Scott,” Ram stated without compassion.

Sakshi nodded weakly. “I’m sorry. It’s true that I deceived you. But I never once sold you out to Scott. Even when I knew, I covered for you.”

“When did you-”

“The night after you arrested Bheem. The way you reacted to his name. The way you reacted to my scars. I knew-” Sakshi paused, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. “There was no way you were loyal to the British.”

“But you still went back to Scott.” The coldness in Ram’s voice faltered as doubt crept in. “You were loyal to the British.”

“Even so, I tried to get Malli out of there.”

“Wait,” Ram’s eyes grew wide. “That was you on the ledge. You were the other protector.”

Sakshi nodded.

Ram’s blood turned to ice as he realized what he had done. “But- Sakshi, you- What made you rebel against the British? What changed?”

Sakshi smiled tiredly, looking away to catch Bheem’s gaze. She jerked her chin in Ram’s direction. 

“He has no idea how beautiful he is, does he?”

Bheem sobbed quietly, resting his forehead on Sakshi’s shoulder. Ram panicked.

“Bheema, you need to save her! How can we stop the bleeding? You know the forest. What herbs can-”

“Rama,” Sakshi tried, “there is nothing to be-”

“Don’t tell me there’s nothing to be done! Bheema, please…”

“Annayya,” Bheem whispered, looking at Ram with a love that bordered on hate. “Your aim is never false. When you released this arrow, did you leave room for Vadina to survive?”

“Bheema!”

“No, don’t-” Sakshi struggled to draw a breath. “Don’t yell at him. He’s suffered enough.” She turned to look at Bheem, squeezing his hand where it still lay over her wound. “Bheema, forgive me. Forgive me for taking so long to realize what was right. What needless pain my inaction put you through.”

Bheema shook his head. “Vadina, please don’t, I would endure everything a hundred times over, if only it would change this.”

“I wouldn’t let you.”

A heavy numbness settled over Ram as he watched the two of them converse. His arms felt like lead at his sides. He tried to step towards them, but it was as though his feet were bolted to the ground.

Ram had spent most of his life living through experiences that were worse than death. But nothing had ever hurt like this.

***

Babai held onto Malli’s hand as they ran, trying to put as much space between Malli and the British troops as possible. He knew that Ram and Bheem would be fine; they were fighters. Or so he told himself.

“Babai, please stop,” Malli said, gasping for breath. “Just one second.”

“We have to keep moving, child. We must get to safety. I can carry you if you’re tired.”

“Like Sakshi-akka did.”

“Like- what?” Babai did a double take. “Wait, what?”

Malli sat down on the ground, exhausted. “Sakshi-akka. She’s the one who helped me escape.”

Babai blinked in disbelief. “What? Since when?”

“Since the day Bheem-anna came to the mansion with all the tigers. She carried me all the way up the courtyard wall. She tried to protect me, but Scott broke her hand, and…”

As Malli narrated the events of the past several days, Babai’s face grew ashen.

“She told me how to get to Bheem-anna,” Malli finished. “She said she would come with us.”

“We have to go,” Babai said. He lifted Malli into his arms and sprinted back through the forest. He knew his Ram. He knew that boy never missed a shot. He had to get to Ram before… before…

They were too late. 

“Akka!” Malli wrenched herself out of Babai’s grip and ran to Sakshi’s side. Bheem moved out of the way, still trying in vain to keep pressure on the wound. 

“Akka, who did this?”

“Scott,” Sakshi lied without missing a beat. “The bastard.”

Fire flashed in Malli’s eyes. “Is he dead?”

“Yeah,” Sakshi attempted to laugh and ended up coughing up blood. “He’s dead. He won’t hurt anyone again, love.” She looked at Bheem. “Bheema, take her away from here.”

“No!” Malli dug her nails into the grass as Bheem reached towards her. “Akka, I’m not leaving you!”

“Bheema, take her and go! She’s seen enough death.”

Bheem’s bloodstained hands trembled as he let go of Sakshi and picked up a thrashing and screaming Malli. He carried her a ways into the forest, behind a row of dense foliage. Ram and Sakshi listened as her cries gradually died down, responding to Bheem’s constant stream of quiet assurances. When they could hear nothing but soft sobbing, Ram knelt down next to Sakshi.

“I never got to try your chai recipe,” Sakshi whispered, half-smiling.

Ram tenderly cupped her cheek, flinching at how cold the skin already was. Blood seeped into Sakshi’s lungs, and Ram felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“Let me follow you. Let me die on your pyre. It will be justice.”

“That’s not-” Sakshi’s breath hitched. “That’s not how any of this works.”

Ram’s head dropped to her chest. “I cannot live without you, my love. I cannot.”

It wasn’t even an exaggeration, Ram thought. He could feel the life force draining from his body. He was certain that his heart would stop with Sakshi’s last breath.

“You will not be without love. You have Bheem. You have your country. Is that not enough?”

It’s not, Ram wanted to scream. It’s not, it’s not, it’s not… 

“Don’t go,” he begged instead. “Don’t leave me alone to be haunted by my actions. Who else can I turn to for forgiveness or punishment?”

“You don’t need either of those things. You have done your duty well. And I…” Sakshi tilted Ram’s head up. She waited until he met her eyes. “I am indebted to you.”

Ram looked at her in bewilderment.

“Thank you,” Sakshi said, “For not letting me die a colonizer.”

Ram wasn’t sure how long he sat there, clinging to Sakshi and struggling to breathe through incessant tears. He wasn’t even sure exactly when Sakshi’s heart stopped.

All he knew was that the edges of the sky were beginning to turn grey when Bheem came to get him. How cruel, Ram thought, that the sun would still rise. How cruel that his heart would still beat.

***

2 YEARS LATER

Ram woke up peacefully. He checked his pocket watch; the time showed 4AM.

Only in the past few months had he finally been able to sleep through the night. Only in the past few weeks had he been able to sleep alone.

He stuck his head into the next room. Bheem and Jenny were fast asleep, curled up in each other’s arms. 

Jenny had come after them in the days following their escape, warning them of a bounty that had been declared for their arrest. She’d helped them go underground for a year. Together, they had slowly gathered allies, armed villages, and resumed training.

Ram had seen to it that Malli received a comprehensive education in multiple subjects and languages. She had a real aptitude for art and literature. She could also pick any lock in seconds and reliably beat up someone twice her size, both skills that Ram was sure had been inspired by Sakshi. 

Ram returned to his room and stood, head bowed, in front of a garlanded portrait of the love of his life. 

This had been a gift from Malli - an incredibly detailed charcoal sketch of Sakshi’s face, with just a touch of color from paints that Malli had mixed herself.

The first time Ram had laid eyes on the portrait, he’d cried until he threw up. Malli, understandably, had been alarmed at his reaction, but Bheem had explained to her that such grief and love were as much a blessing as they were suffering.

“Annayya?” came a soft voice from outside his door. Bheem and Jenny entered. Bheem held out a small cup to Ram. “Chai.”

Ram smiled, accepting it gratefully. He gestured towards his cot. “Sit.”

The three of them sat in comfortable silence, sipping chai and looking at the portrait on the wall.

“Is today a difficult day?” Jenny asked. 

“I think so,” Ram acknowledged. He paused. “But we will get through it.”

Jenny leaned her head onto Ram’s shoulder. On Ram’s other side, Bheem reached for his hand.

They would get through it.

#rrr #rrr fanfiction #angst #hurt/comfort #canon divergent #rrr movie #character death

[deancasbigbang]

Title: Nothing Much to Lose

Author: marchember

Artist: Jojo

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Length: 85000

Warnings: undefined

Tags: #Howl’s Moving Castle fusion/AU #more movie than book #characters from the HMC universe #Hatter Dean #Wizard Cas #adventure #bickering #enemies to friends to lovers

Posting Date: October 27, 2022

Summary: Dean’s life as a Hatter is predictable and well-worn, his days filled with taking care the Family Business in the small town where everyone knows him by name. It doesn’t leave much space for adventure or excitement, and that’s fine. He has his job, taking care of his mother’s legacy, his friends, and his genius little brother going places.  All signs points to this being all that the Fate has in store for Dean - until an unexpected nighttime meeting with a mysterious wizard on a run from the law leaves him suddenly involved with precisely the kind of shady magical dealings he’d avoided all his life.  Struggling with an ineffable curse, his familiar life turned suddenly upside down, the search for a remedy leads him straight back to the person who started it all - and who unfortunately seems to be a bit of a dick. And since when things like that even happen to older brothers?

Excerpt: Dean realised his mistake the second the words left his mouth, but it was too late. He saw the soldier’s eyes widen, and his face contort further in a maddened scowl, lips drawn, showing ugly, yellowed teeth. He watched, transfixed, as the guy raised his fist, and managed to think that “drunk, pummelled to death by assholes” was definitely not how he wanted to go, when a low, gravelly voice cut through. “Thats enough.” The soldier stopped mid-motion, frozen. Dean blinked a few times, before taking his eyes off the fist suspended in front of his face. He might’ve had gotten a little cross-eyed.  Quick survey of the scene told him that the other soldier was immobilised as well. Behind him, the tramp stood with his left arm outstretched. He somehow looked decidedly less scrawny and grimy, even despite the dirty longcoat and general unkemptness. His blue eyes almost seemed to glow.  He made a shooing motion and mumbled something unintelligible, causing the soldiers to turn and walk away in complete silence, their moves weirdly stiff and unnatural, then sighed deeply.  “You just had to insert yourself into this situation, didn’t you?” he asked Dean, a displeased scowl on his face. “Typical. Every day in this country there is a thousand injustices and nobody bats an eye, but when I need to be left alone suddenly there are wannabe heroes falling from the sky.” He looked derisively at the staircase behind Dean. “I can’t depend even on human callousness.” “Hey!” Dean reddened, rapidly growing to regret his decision to stand up for the guy. “I could swear ‘thanks’ is the customary phrase when somebody bravely comes to your rescue like that.“ “‘Thanks’?” Dean goggled as the weirdo actually gesticulated the air quotes. “You come in, you interfere with my… activities, pointlessly run your mouth and force me to save you, ruining my plan, and you expect to be thanked?”  “Well, excuse me for wanting to help a down-and-out like you getting the crap beaten out of him-” “It’s a disguise,” he hissed, waving his hand up and down, and huh. If Dean had had any doubts about the guy being a wizard (not that he had any, after the puppeteer show with the soldiers), they’d dissipate right then. With every pass of his hand, the man seemed to wipe off the hobo persona. His clothes got clean and less wrinkly, although the terrible coat remained shapeless, sagging from his shoulders. His dark hair was no longer matted with sweat and grime - now it looked messy, like the guy was carding his hands through it just a minute ago. Dirt and the grubby beard disappeared from his face, leaving behind only a slight five o’clock shadow and a pissed off expression. He even seemed to grow a couple inches. “Not bad,” Dean praised. “I’d lose the coat, though.”

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#dcbb 2022 #fic preview #2022 promo #deancas #destiel