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jasmines-library · 1 month

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Hello!! I was hoping I could request for a Winchester sister reader that's taking care of the brothers when they're sick? Maybe making chicken noodle soup for them and stuff! Just something cute, I just need some comfort 🥹 Thank you if you take my request! 🫶

Noodle Soup

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Note: Sorry its a little short, I wanted to get some spn out for you all tonight because its been a hot minute since I wrote for spn and I’m ashamed

Word Count: 1k

⛧ SPN MASTERLIST ⛧

⛤⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽⛧☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⛤

You never thought you would ever say this, but the infamous Dean Winchester was sick. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he would ever say it. Not out loud at least, but this morning, he could hardly drag himself out of bed and he was hit with a migraine and blocked sinuses that completely threw him off balance.

It put him in a bad mood as he tried to make his way to the kitchen, grumbling something about how he was fine. He was betrayed by the dry cough that left him heaving and leaning heavily on the side of the counter. You considered getting up many times as you watched him from the kitchen table as you scanned the papers for any possible hunts, but you knew his foul mood would more than likely end in an argument that you didn’t want to be involved in. What finally made you push your chair out from the table to put a stop to Dean’s antics was when he was fumbling around with a pan and dropped it on the floor with a clatter.

“Alright. That’s it. ” You linked an arm around him, pulling him away from the counter.

“Get the hell off me, Y/N.” Dean tried to push you away. “I’m fine.”

“Dean.” You gave him a look, narrowing your eyes at him stubbornly. “You can barely stand straight.”

He tried to turn back to the kitchen. “Piss off.”

You took his arm and dragged him back to the sofa. He sank back into it with a cough.

“Stay put.”

Your brother rolled his eyes and grumbled, but made no attempt to stand.

Sighing in content, you made your way back to the kitchen to make a start on breakfast when you heard another set of lumbering footsteps echoing through the bunker.

“I swear to god, Dean-” You started, making your way out of the kitchen only to come face to face with a very gruff-looking Sam. His hair was tousled and his eyes had dark shadows beneath them.

“Sammy?” You frowned.

“Hey y/n/n” He greeted. His voice was hoarse and scratchy, as if someone had replaced it with sandpaper. Perhaps it was not just one set of coughs and sneezes that kept you up last night.

“You too, huh?” You asked as he plonked himself on a stool in the kitchen.

Although less stubborn than his older brother, Sam still hesitated for a moment before sighing.

“Yep. I think we must have picked it up at the bar on the last hunt.”

It made sense. The two of them had gone out to the bar the other nights while you scouted out the local town. You weren’t sick, so it seemed to add up.

Sam groaned, rubbing his temples to try and ease the pressure.

“Why don’t you go and join Dean? I’ll bring some food out in a bit.”

Nodding, Sammy took his leave, stumbling back to his brother.

“Alrighty…” You balanced two bowls of steaming soup in your hands and you pushed open the door with your foot.

Your brothers didn’t seem to have improved much since this morning. Stubbornly as ever they both sat bundled up in blankets on the couch, wallowing in their own self pity and watching whatever they could find on the TV to keep themselves entertained. In the meantime, you were making sure that they were well cared for: making sure their temperatures didn’t get too high, or handing them painkillers to help with the headache. It was only fair, they had spent countless hours looking after you in the past when you were ill.

That was why you found yourself in the kitchen nursing a bowl of chicken noodle soup. It was your mother’s recipe; something that John had stashed away at the back of his journal. You could see why: it was the perfect remedy for a day like this.

Handing a bowl to both of your brothers, you watched as they sipped the steaming liquid and twisted the noodles around on a fork. Glad to see that they could stomach food, you went back into the kitchen to grab your own bowl. Your two brothers had sprawled themselves out across the length of the sofa, so you took a seat on the floor with your head leaning against Sam’s legs.

“Thank you.” Dean said as you took your seat.

“It’s not a problem.” You told him.

“We should be the ones taking care of you.” Dean continued.

You frowned, deepening the creases on your forehead. “Says who?”

Dean faltered. “Us.”

“Let me take care of you for once.”

The three of you stayed there for the rest of the day, talking and watching films through half lidded eyes and checking that your brothers were feeling okay. But, a few hours and a mountain of tissues later, they had finally drifted off to sleep.

⛤⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽⛧☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⛤

SPN TAGS:

@defonotashleyr @aestheticdaisies @xxrougefangxx

@hell-o-kittys @inlovewhithafairytale @harleycao

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#supernatural x reader #spn x reader #Sam Winchester #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester x sister reader #Dean Winchester #Dean Winchester x Reader #dean winchester x sister reader #sick fic #comfort #fluff #spn #spn fanfic

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suashii · 11 days

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hellooo. hope your days is going lovely and that this gives you some inspo! 💕 katsuki + childhood friends and there's only one bed

hello hello~ thanks for the suggestion! very cute scenario so i hope u like the outcome! :)) writing warmups if u wanna request!

getting caught up in a mission prefectures away from home means having to spend the night in a hotel—much to bakugo’s dismay. you don’t blame him, you prefer sleeping in your own bed too, but after such a taxing fight, all you really care about is getting to relax for the rest of the night—even if that rest and relaxation is in a hotel.

you’re barely able to hold your arm up to swipe the key card that will allow you into your room. a beep sounds in the hall and you use the same hand to turn the doorknob. upon inspection, it’s a nice accommodation.

there’s just one thing…

as soon as you see the singular mattress with its headboard against the wall, you know your companion is going to have something to say about it. his heavy footsteps trail behind you and the moment you can no longer make them out, his voice fills the brief silence. “what the hell?”

you roll your eyes and drop the bag of items you picked up on the way at your feet. there should be enough in there to get you through the night and tomorrow morning before you’re able to head back home.

in all honesty, you didn’t mean to book a single bed but it’s been a long, exhausting day and you jumped at the first option presented to you by the hotel staff. she must have assumed the two of you were together—partners in more than the hero sense.

“chill out, dynamight.” your use of his hero name earns you an unimpressed look that’s makes you grin. you stretch your arms above your head and let out a satisfied groan. “it’s no big deal.”

he clicks his tongue in annoyance. “i’m not sleeping in a bed with you.”

you’d be offended if you hadn’t been subject to his snide remarks for practically all your life.

“look, if you wanna go all the way back downstairs and argue with that poor woman about room availability, be my guest.” you have no intention of doing that, choosing instead to slip off the gloves of your costume. “but i am getting ready for bed.”

he seems to think it over for a moment before begrudgingly setting his gauntlets on the desk. whether he admits it or not, you’ve always been his voice of reason.

the two of you quietly take turns using the bathroom to freshen up. you’re already comfortable on your chosen side of the mattress when bakugo emerges from the bathroom, donned in the touristy pajama pants you picked out for him.

you have the matching shirt.

he makes his way over to the bed and there’s a jesting comment on the tip of your tongue about how dramatic he was earlier, insisting he wouldn’t sleep beside you. though, it never makes it past your lips because instead of joining you, the man grabs the pillow and plops them on the floor.

you frown. “seriously dude?”

he shoots you a look that all but says: i already told you.

“just get in the bed. i don’t wanna hear you complain about how sore you are in the morning.”

your words don’t have the convincing effect you hoped they would. you try a different approach.

“i’ll stay on my side,” you tell him and hold up three fingers, “scout’s honor.”

bakugo highly doubts that you’ll stick to your word—he’s seen how you sleep on the occasion that you two share a room with two separate beds. still, the thought of waking up even more stiff and uncomfortable than he already is almost makes him shiver. and it’ll only be for a few hours.

“fine,” he agrees, bending down to pick up the pillow and replace it on the bed. he peels back the blanket and situates himself beside you, making an effort to leave as much space as possible between you and him. he turns to you. “just be sure to stay over there.”

you snort at how serious his expression is. “aw, is katsuki afraid of catching my cooties?”

he lays down so his back is facing you. with that and the darkness of the room, there’s no way you can see the rose hue blooming on his cheeks.

“shut up and go to sleep.”

#unedited so sorry for any mistakes!!#this scenario is just #so Katsuki lol #i love a childhood friend situation w him #bc then you can poke fun and talk shit with no consequence lol #big bonus is his harboring unspoken feelings hehe #bakugo x reader

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simp999 · 2 months

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Ahem. Since my last request was a fumble, could I ask for a more platonic x reader where the reader is in their mid teens? They are pretty good at fighting, and almost never complain under any circumstances, but one day they come down with an illness that was worse than any other sickness they had ever had before. They try to tough it out, but end up breaking down in an isolated corner because they can’t take it anymore. Idk, after that I was just hoping for a Medic-centric comfort story.

Medic, Engineer, Sniper x Sick! Teen! Reader

Wc: 0.7k

A/N: No worries my guy!! Thank you for requesting!! I changed a few things up a bit and chose a few characters, I hope that cool- and I hope this isn't too short! I think I might start doing shorter fics from now on

Masterlist

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Your head throbbed and pounded as your clothes became more drenched with sweat by the minute. But you had to live up to their expectations, you had to continue making them proud. You heaved as you dragged one foot in front of the other, doing your best to drag your compound bow to the respawn room after cleaning it the night before, preparing for today’s battle. You had woken up like this- pain filling every inch of your body and barely able to walk on your own without the aid of the walls surrounding you.

You had managed to make it just barely into the game room before immediately collapsing to the cold, hard floor. The last thing you heard was a few shouts and hurried footsteps, along with the sound of your bow clattering to the floor.

You woke up in the lab’s bed, drenched even more. You felt somebody wiping a stray hair that was sticking to your forehead away, then it went to check your temperature. The action was cut short when they noticed your eyes flutter open, quickly beginning to ask you lots of questions. Your eyes darted and your brows furrowed as you tried to make sense of his words that seemed to mesh together. The lights being so bright and everything seeming so loud wasn’t helping. Medic quickly took note and did everything in his power to ease any pain or annoyances. He dimmed the lights, and only allowed two mercs to stay in the waiting area. You felt a nice cold, wet cloth on your forehead, calming you immediately. He spoke with a much softer tone, asking you questions slowly. He was still a bit panicked- this had never happened to you before.

You had been with the mercs nearly a year now, replacing Scout as the youngest. Despite him being pissy at first, you were now closer than ever with a sibling-like dynamic. It was nice being the teen of the group, almost feeling like you had nine scary dads protecting you; but it also had its downsides, mostly stemming from the fact that you’re still all cold-blooded killers. Which meant the expectation was that you could do great in battle, or so you assumed. You placed all these high bards for yourself, always wanting to make the mercs proud. Some were harder to please than others, such as Spy compared to Pyro who would often clap and grow excited at any little thing you managed. Soldier was the hardest on you out of them all, seeing that you had lots of potential at such a young age. There’s a reason you’re here. Medic and Engineer often had to remind him that you were still a teen.

You did your best to never complain, even when you felt like you were too exhausted to keep doing pushups or run around the base for the 100th time. You had placed the expectation that you had to keep up with the grown men on your shoulders, and you’d gotten used to it.

“Did something happen?”

You tried to speak, but your voice was caught in your throat. It burned. You lightly shook your head, and it felt like it was spinning.

Medic’s brows knit with worry as he studied you, deciding to allow the two other mercs in for support in aiding you. Even just for moral support for yourself. With the sweetest Texan accent, one of them spoke;

“Awh, Honeybee, ya shoulda told us ya weren’t feelin’ well, sugar.”

The other one nodded and he adjusted his sunnies, continuing to wipe a clothe over your prized bow. He knew you did your best to take great care of it, so he opted to do it himself.

“Mhmm. Worried ‘bout ya, Roo.”

Engie listened to Medic’s every word- from getting you water to removing or adding a blanket, while Sniper- despite not being a big fan of physical contact, allowed himself to hold your hand in his with a very loose grip, running his thumb soothingly over the back of your hand. He rarely whispered small nothings to you, reassuring you.

“You're gonna be okay, bunny. You’ll be okay. We’re here for ya.”

Mar. 6. 24

#tf2 x reader #medic x reader #sniper x reader #engineer x reader #tf2 medic #tf2 sniper #tf2 engineer #tf2 medic x reader #tf2 sniper x reader #tf2 engineer x reader #tf2 oneshot #tf2 drabble #fanfic #tf2 fanfic

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yardsards · 1 year

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if i could change one thing about the owl house, i'd change the main point of conflict in clouds on the horizon from "odalia's okay with genocide, alador isn't" to "alador is willing to listen to his children, odalia isn't"

first off, i'd make it so that odalia *didn't* know what the draining spell actually did. her knowingly participating in genocide just serves to overshadow her pre-established abusiveness, and feels like the writers didn't trust the audience to understand that she was Bad and deserved to be cut out of her family's lives on the basis of abuse alone.

(also it. kinda doesn't make sense why she'd be okay with it? like she is greedy and short-sighted. but the draining spell would negatively impact her personally, and while the idea of her being so distracted by greed that she acts against her own interests is extremely neat and an apt commentary on real billionaires, it's just,,, a big stretch.)

instead, i'd have her dismiss the truth with "i'm not going to put such a good business deal in jeopardy because of some unfounded suspicions" and "i trust the emperor far more than i trust a bunch of children"

next, i'd replace the scene where king talks to alador. while it was a really nice scene that revealed more about alador's situation and kinda laid the groundwork for king being helpful in the next episode, it's not the best way for alador to learn about the draining spell in my version of the episode. because in that scene, alador believes king is a coven scout -an authority figure- so trusting what he says about the day of unity is not any kind of challenge for alador.

instead, i'd make it so that *emira and edric* are the ones who tell him about the draining spell (maybe king helped the twins escape? that gives him a purpose within the episode and there's a fun parallel with him freeing the collector later).

i don't think the twins were deliberately looking for alador, but they saw him sitting out there as they broke out and they had two choices: sneak past him and continue trying to stop things themselves, or talk to him. and they don't quite trust alador to listen and do the right thing, but amity seemed so convinced when she told them he'd listen, and they trust *her*, so they decide to talk to him.

and he listens and promises to put a stop to it. and he tells them to go find safety, and emira is like "but shouldn't we stay and help/make sure amity is safe" and alador tells her that it should have never been her responsibility to handle everything (i am starving for her whole parentified older sister thing to get addressed can you tell) and promises that he's going to do better for all of them, and apologizes for being so negligent -and Maybe explains a bit of why he was like that and what odalia did to him (if i could fit it in without it being clunky and keeping it clear that it's an explanation not a full excuse)

so the twins go to take shelter at hexside (no more "wtf did he just leave them in gay baby jail???" that we had in canon) and alador and king go confront odalia/save amity like in canon

and then in that confrontation, perhaps alador brings up the abuse and overwork (since it maybe wouldn't come up in my rewritten scene w him and the twins like it did in canon's scene w him and king). and the general vibe w him confronting her is less "this is the final straw" and more "i should have done this years ago"

and overall i'd want the episode to keep the "he is also a domestic abuse victim and, at times, messed up because he was acting out of fear and trying to protect them" that it introduced in the canon version of the episode (i know some people have criticized the show's choice to make him a victim too and while i can understand some of their reasons i overall liked the concept so it stays) while keeping in mind the "sometimes he messed up because he was trying to do what was 'best' for his kids whilst ignoring what the kids actually wanted/needed" that they established in reaching out

#eliot posts #toh #the owl house #alador blight #odalia blight #emira blight #don't get me wrong i did overall love clouds on the horizon #but at the same time... i could Fix It #long post #abuse mention #genocide mention #i talked about this possible alternate episode with @pandoratheprocrastinator #tho they're also doing their own episode rewrite ideas which are for more extensive than mine lol

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theyhavetakenovermylife · 4 months

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Mischief in the Sewers (Fluff)

1987!Raphael x reader

A/N: I felt for some 1987 stuff, so here you go. They lucky wheel decided is should be Raph❤️

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Warnings: Maybe spelling.

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The sewers of New York City were always an interesting place, filled with mystery and dangers, lurking in the dark corners for those who weren’t observant. But for you, it was like a second home. Some days it actually was your home. As Raphael's significant other, you spent a lot of time with him and his brothers, in the safety of the lair, getting up to whatever the two of you could think of. And with a boyfriend like Raphael, that was a lot of different things.

One evening, you lounged on your boyfriend’s bed, reading one of the many comic books he and his brothers had laying about. It didn’t take long before you noticed that Raphael seemed a bit more restless than usual. His usually gruff demeanor was replaced by a subtle restlessness, and you couldn't resist the urge to find out what was on his inside his pretty head. The way his legs bounced against the floor as he turned the sai in his hand.

"Hey, Raph", you called out, catching his attention as he sharpened his sais. "What's eating at you? You seem a bit off tonight", you said, scouting closer to him.

He grunted, avoiding eye contact, opting instead to focus on his sais. "Nothing, just... I dunno, bored or something".

A mischievous glint sparked in your eyes as an idea formed. "Bored, huh?”, you asked, leaning into his field of view. It was one of those gestures that you did, that always forced a smile upon his face. “Well, I think I have just the thing to cure your boredom".

Raphael raised an eyebrow, intrigued, a small smile present on his face. "Yeah? What's that?"

You flashed a mischievous smile and nodded towards the open circular entrance to his room. "How about a little sparring match? Winner gets bragging rights and, I don't know, maybe a victory pizza?"

Raphael's eyes lit up at the mention of pizza, and he smirked. His shoulders falling back, his leg relaxing, and his body language becoming more open. "You're on, (Y/N). But don't think I'll go easy on ya".

“As if you ever do”, you teased, before jumping from the bed and out the bedroom, with the red clad turtle on your heels. “Yet I win everytime!”

—

The two of you engaged in a lively and playful sparring session, the clashing of weapons echoing in the sewer. Your laughter and giggling rang out through the lair, loud enough for the rest of the sewer residents to hear. Interrupting Leonardo in his meditation, Master Splinter in his soap opera, Donatello in his lab, and Michelangelo from his nap. But neither you or Raphael cared, finding yourselves locked in a dance-like sparring session, your stomachs and cheeks almost hurting from all that smiling and laughter.

After a particularly close move, you found yourselves face to face, both breathing heavily. Raphael's smirk faded into a genuine smile as he looked at you, admiration in his eyes.

"You're something else, (Y/N)", he admitted.

You grinned back, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Not too shabby yourself, Raphie".

As the sparring match came to an end, you both collapsed onto the training mats, laughing and catching your breath. To say that the match came to an end because of exhaustion was not quite right. It was due to the aching in your muscles from all the laughing you had caused each other, leading both of you to fall over on the mats, holding your stomachs.

Raphael glanced at you, a softness in his eyes that you hadn't seen before. "Thanks for this, (Y/N). I needed a good fight".

You nudged him playfully, rolling on to your side, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling yourself close to him. "Anytime, Raph".

He chuckled, moving his own arms so they were around your waist. Raphael leaned in, his eyes locking onto yours, and he planted a soft kiss on your forehead. "I love you, (Y/N)".

Your heart fluttered at his words, and you wrapped your arms around him, savoring the warmth of the moment. "I love you too, Raph. Always".

You smiled at each other for a moment, before Raph once more leaned in, placing a kiss on your lips, which you happily reciprocated. It felt amazing to be laying there in each other’s arms, feeling the rest of the world fading away, with only your soft lips against each other-.

“Come on, guy! Not in dojo!”, Leo’s exacerbated voice sounded from the entrance, forcing you and Raph to pull from each other, a small blush creeping upon your cheeks.

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scribble-dribble-writes · 10 months

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Stronger together

---

<<Part 1

Part 2 to 'Don't make me choose'

Pairing: Miguel o'hara x reader

Word count: 800

Tags: @itzmeme @miatjie @juneonhoth

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You slumped against a broken metal shelter on some roof. The world glowing around you with a goulish green hue as faint sirens haunted the far distance. Earth-42 wasn’t paradise, it was the opposite, without a guardian in this realm, crime was raging and rampant.

But this was where you tracked Miles to last before the little red dot that kept tab on him faded. Now you were stranded, not sure of how any of this could help in preventing what was to come. Instead you were hungry, tired, soaked wet by the rain and there was no other alternative to survive here. The battle within your mind was that, you only knew one number by heart.

Tapping the device in your hands as you thought through the outcome, you took the jump, to make the call and waited as it beeped searching for a connection. You prepared your mind in that moment, for the possibility that he wasn’t going to pick up or that he would deem you deserved this to confidently abandon you here as a form of punishment.

Two beeps in, the line was active, his voice cracking through as he called your name repeatedly, his tone soaked with worry.

“Can you hear me?”, the line stabilized and you held the device close to you, as though it was an extension of him.

“Are you al-alright?”, the connection was a bit sketchy as he asked you but before you could respond,

“Yes.”, you said desperately.

“Are you hurt?”, he bombarded you with questions, without waiting to hear your reply and it only made it more clearer that he had been trying to search for you without a clue as to where you had vanished. In the state you were in, it cut loose within you everything you had held back, when you were out here thinking of the worst, he was there desperate to get you back.

“Where are you?”, he continued.

“I’m sorry.”, was all that you could utter before you broke down into sobs.

“I’m sorry, Miguel. I was foolish.”, you rambled only to hear silence from the other end.

“Hey.”, he interrupted you, his voice tender and soft.

“I was at fault too.”, he sighed.

“I lost sight of us and our pledge to carry the responsibility of being a hero, succumbing to the fear of the past “, he explained, not a hint of anger in his voice.

“Where are you?”, he asked again.

“I’ll come get you.”, he said it with a sweetness that you realized when you were longing to get back home, you were just wanting to get back to him.

“Earth-42.”, you answered and there was a pique in interest as he mumbled.

“Earth-42? How did you track him there?”, he asked, you could practically hear the gears turn in his head as he tried to connect everything together.

“The transporter maps us to our universe based on our spider bite.”, you began to explain but he jumped in following your train of thought.

“and he was bit by an anomaly which in turns masks his genetic makeup when scanned.”, he finished your sentence and you couldn’t help but smile. He understood the way you worked and that could not be replaced with anyone else.

“Clever as always.”, he remarked but you could sense the smile with which he said it.

“My power is running down and I don’t know how long I can stay put here, this world is –

The whizz of the dimension portal startled you as it opened near where you were and in the pouring rain your heart skipped a beat as you saw his silhouette step out, his head moving from side to side as he scouted for you.

He called for you and you didn’t wait, springing up from where you hid to run to him.

You wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tight that he huffed bracing your impact. But the moment he felt your warmth, he held you close, placing his cheek on the top of your head, not worried about the rain or anything else.

“Te extrañé.”, he spoke into your ear.

“You're not angry with me?”, you mumbled into his chest to hear the soft reverb of his laugh.

“We’ve got to help him, Miguel.”, you said slowly and he nodded taking in the state of the world around, he brushed away the strands of hair that stuck to your face. He was making it clear now, that you ranked higher than those worries.

“I can’t stay mad at you for long.”, he tilted your chin up to see him and when your eyes locked, you knew that wherever you stood, with him, it was paradise. Even on earth-42.

“We’ll figure it out together.”, he gave you a knowing smile.

“Like we always do.”, he held your gaze, as if that was the core rule his universe operated on.

You were certain you would find a way to save Miles’s father, because when you and Miguel stood together, nothing could stand in your way.

“Now let’s go home.”, his hand slipped to yours and you wrapped your fingers around his.

#miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel x reader #miguel ohara #miguel o'hara #miguel spiderverse #miguel spiderman #miguel o'hara fluff #miguel o hara #miguel o'hara fanfiction #spiderman 2099

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amywritesthings · 10 months

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silver underground. / chapter 10.

( Read on AO3 )

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x F!Reader (Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin)

Word Count: 4K

Summary: Day 163 - also known as the day the world changed

Warnings: dual pov, mentions of sensuality, bloodshed, graphic violence, titan deaths, peril, cliffhanger

Previous Chapter. / Next Chapter. | Masterlist.

CHAPTER 10.

Don’t leave me.

He wouldn’t.

He’d never.

Whether you remember that past conversation with him or not, Levi promised it would be the one thing you could rely on. He intends to stand by his word.

As a Scout, as a friend, as whatever the hell the two of you became between the darkness of morning until the disappearance of day—

Yet reassurances go so far.

He’s only a man, flesh and blood.

He cannot will your memories to return — believe him, he has tried.

Fuck, he has tried.

No matter how hard he stares when you aren't looking, or how vast a distance he creates between the two of you, the world you once knew doesn’t seem to be returning any faster. There are glimpses as wide as slivers about inside jokes, hopeful hypotheticals — a secret language.

Yet you’re remembering the bad well before the good.

Given the trauma, it makes sense.

The way Hange explains the fractal mess of your mind, bad before good makes sense, but it doesn’t make this shit any easier.

This shit — going at a pace that not only comforts you but protects him.

And he failed at that pace so hard that he doesn’t know what to do except demand your immediate replacement here on the first watch.

Levi cannot see your departure, but he hears the ODM gear wheeze to life as you finally — finally — obey a direct order. The sound echoes through the quiet of night, leaving the captain to revel in his own heavy breath.

You listened.

Thank fuck, you actually listened.

If only you hadn’t pushed.

(If only he could have found the tact in yesterday’s spat rather than drowning in his own panic.)

All things considered, he has managed to handle your return to the Levi Squad with grace — minding his time, allowing you to learn your environment and grow as this new person.

Because that is what you are: new.

New and brilliant, yet just as determined and formidable as you’d always been.

But you aren’t her, not really. You share the same eyes, the same nose, the same smile, the same face; you have similar hands, similar stances, similar voices; you are identical, in every sense of the word.

You even kiss the same.

It’s a torturous realization he’s going to have to live with for the rest of his life.

His lips still feel electric, face hot from the fingernail scrapes on his cheeks. His hands keep flexing like they’ll be able to reach for you again.

It’s all he wants. It’s all he can think about.

If you hadn’t listened, if you’d pushed further — pulled his hair, pressed your chest into his, whimpered his name — he would’ve lost his mind.

Arguably he has lost his mind b ecause, when you kissed him back, the world was right-side up. Levi could swear he was right where everything left off. Having you in his arms again felt so goddamn good .

You fit like you never left.

Like your muscle memory held onto him, absorbed him, when your mind slipped away.

(How badly has he fucked up?)

“You didn’t need a second pair of eyes.”

The words rip him clear from his spiraling thoughts. Levi lifts his chin when his second-in-command of the squad meets the proverbial hornet’s nest.

Waiting.

Uncertain.

Levi gently shakes his head. “No. I didn’t.”

“Then why did James ask me to join you?” Eld asks as if afraid to poke too hastily.

Levi keeps his back turned.

“I didn’t want her to feel like she’s isolated with only me,” the shorter man says, lying through his teeth. “She already feels like a freak. I don’t need to constantly babysit her. She can take the second watch with Oluo.”

Eld sighs, gently. “He’s going to talk her ear off.”

“She’s not afraid to tell him to shut up,” Levi reassures. “She’s still James.”

For a moment, Eld stays quiet. Levi’s thankful he does.

The second-in-command Scout shifts, walking across the flattened branch with apprehension.

“This feels a lot like last time, huh?”

Finally Levi turns his chin towards the sound of a twig breaking under a heel.

“What do you mean? Speak your mind, Jinn.”

“As in the forest, the expedition…” Eld trails off, his chin to the clouds. “Kinda like we’re right back where we started. I want to be optimistic and say it’s a second chance, but it feels more like a do-over — right?”

Levi chooses not to agree.

His silence does that for him.

“What was that all about?”

Although Petra’s voice is monotone, the sound of it startles you.

Oluo is sleeping, dead to the world. Gunther has taken to relieving himself somewhere in the forest.

It’s just the two women of the squad at base camp, but you would argue that you’re not here — not really. Not beyond your body as you huddle close to the fire.

The tingle of his lips pushed against yours lingers long after you’ve departed. There is a haze in your brain that takes over the fog of your amnesia, settling on a feeling beyond all else: warmth.

Lying to Petra is probably your easiest route.

Telling her that you nearly went fist-to-fist with the Captain could make sense, given the spars at the castle, except you can’t do it.

Over and over you replay the event of him shouting in your face, how you egged it on so seamlessly — then it all blanks.

All you can think about is his lips.

You’d rather sport a shiner from disobedience.

Anything is better than the pink of your lips, the lines on his face.

Mistakes. All of it.

(Right?)

“We fought,” you provide just as flat.

“I know,” she says. “I heard.”

Fear turns your blood cold.

“You used to do that a lot.”

You lift your gaze to study the glow of green on her back from her cloak as she packs up food rations and shovels them into a satchel.

“Argue to the brink of a fist fight,” she clarifies. “With Captain Levi.”

When you say nothing, she cranes her chin over her shoulder. Although she doesn’t smile, her tone turns melodic. Cheery, like there’s something funny between the lines.

“In the past, you two had a knack for disagreeing. You didn’t mind getting in his face. I’ve never seen Levi get so openly angry. It’s a wonder he never punished you, but I think it's because you both... well, you grew up together. You remember that, right?”

So fighting was a common occurrence.

(Did he always end his argument with a kiss?)

"Yeah, I remember that," you hoarsely answer.

Her shoulders drop with relief. "Okay, thank God."

You squeeze the fist at your side. “So how much of the fight did you hear?”

“Don’t worry,” she assures, poking the dying embers with a stick. “I didn’t eavesdrop the specifics. All I could hear was Levi shouting, then it got really quiet. But…”

Petra trails off, her eyes flickering over to yours.

“...is everything okay?”

She can’t know.

None of them can.

You nod. “Yeah. Just… told the captain I was mad I didn’t get to take down any titans. He wasn’t a fan of me questioning direct orders, and I told him that I wasn’t a fan of his need to stick me on the sidelines.”

Not completely a lie, but not wholly the truth.

“I could tell you were pretty frustrated back there. But, hey, we all know you’re still a badass, James,” Petra reassures with a smile. “I think he’s just being extra careful, all things considered.”

Don’t shut me out.

Won’t.

Don’t leave me.

Never.

“Yeah,” you agree, vocal chords taut. “All things considered.”

Fingers curl softly around your bicep, shaking you awake.

You breathe new life into your body, panicked when you see the stoic expression of Gunther peering down at you.

“You good, kid?”

“Yeah,” you murmur, quick to press your palm into the earth beneath your aching body. You push, hard, to sit up. “What time is it?”

“I let you sleep in a little longer,” he mumbles as he holds up your pack, "since it’s been a little while. We’re venturing out in fifteen minutes.”

“Okay,” you tell him. “Thanks. Give me a sec, I’ll help with cleaning up.”

“Don’t worry about it. I took care of your horse and mine. All you have to do is get yourself together so we can continue onward.”

"I'm... thank you, Gunther."

Unlike Levi on the first leg of the expedition, Gunther speaks with empathy. As if he somehow knows something is wrong, haywire, and you dislike the lingering feeling of uselessness that seems to follow you in a constellation tying you to the rest of the team.

You want to be valuable, but they won’t let you.

You want to be part of the squad, but they’re too scared.

You’ve remembered enough of the end — finding yourself in a freefall to the ground, the roar of a titan just out of reach hoping to snatch and swallow you whole —

Enough to know why they’re acting this way.

Because it’s the same forest.

The scent of the morning dew peppered along the weeds on the ground clued your senses to it. You recognized the sensation in the middle of your slumber after the second watch, but consciousness drives the confirmation home:

Everyone’s on edge because of what happened last time.

(You’re not a liability. You can do this.)

By the time you gather your pack, brush the accumulated dirt from your uniform and stand, you see him: Levi Ackerman’s back is turned to you, tending to the black stallion at the edge of camp. He gently runs a palm over its mane, gentle and sincere.

You find yourself yearning to call for him.

You can’t.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty’s joined us!” Oluo calls with a hefty chuckle.

You turn just in time to watch the smug older man walk past you towards his horse.

“It’s her first mission back, Oluo,” Petra reminds sharply while pulling her pack over her shoulder. “Leave her alone.”

Oluo snorts as he mounts his horse at the back of the formation, straddling the saddle. “Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t get stuck with the silent treatment last night.”

“It’s only because you’re a terrible conversationalist, Oluo,” you force yourself to jest, pushing out of the twilight that last night’s problem has set you in.

Eld whistles low. Gunther snorts. Petra can’t help but grin.

“Terrible conver— I’m— I’ll have you know, I am a wonderful conversationalist,” he argues back in a sputter.

“To what, the birds?” you ask flatly, making your way to your horse. The animal bristles as if it means to huff in amusement.

“You used to think I was wonderful,” Oluo remarks.

“When?” Petra chortles as she hops onto her horse, the last to join. “Was she asleep?”

That earns an open-mouthed laugh from Gunther. “Even then, she used to make earplugs to block out all of Oluo’s hot air — or, as he’s calling it, conversation.”

“Oh, sure, pick on poor Oluo,” the older man grumbles.

“Did I actually make earplugs?” you ask, trotting your horse into yesterday’s diamond formation. Eld and Levi have already assumed the same positions as before. They remain silent.

“Yeah!” Petra answers. “You used to really rag on Oluo back in the day.”

“It hurt my feelings,” Oluo adds.

“Oh, please,” Gunther snorts. “You were thrilled a woman was paying attention to you.”

“Are you implying I receive zero attention from women, Gunther?”

“There weren't any implications, Oluo,” Gunther reassures with utter sincerity.

Petra squeaks with amusement, round eyes peering over at you.

Oluo’s face falls a second later in realization.

“Hey—!”

“Oi. We’re moving out.”

Levi’s voice cuts the banter, causing the four of you to momentarily stop the chatter. Simultaneously your heads turn to view Humanity’s Strongest as he cranes his chin over his shoulder.

“Stick close to each other. Be alert.”

“Yes, sir,” the four of you reply together.

With that, Levi Squad departs.

In the early hours of the morning, the forest is beautiful. Shades of green fill your surroundings, blocking out the rest of the world. Birds chirp happily and cast shimmering shadows on the earth beneath the charging horses’ hooves.

It’s easy to forget the chaos and carnage of the world here.

As if there won’t be buildings in ruins at the end of this curved forest, dilapidated and rotting away with the newly grown vines of the environment. As if there aren’t stories of torn-apart families and lifetimes of trauma burnt into the very roots of the weeds and flowers that flourish where human feet used to walk.

You once believed coming to the surface was the ticket to paradise.

You would have given anything to feel the sun on your face, the shade from overgrown leaves, the scent of fresh air.

Briefly you stare at the back of Levi’s head as his dark hair bounces with the movements of his horse.

“You’re worried about going up there?”

“You can’t really want to spend the rest of your life down here, right?”

(Was the surface any better than what the Underground offered below?)

“Hey!” A voice rips you out of your mind, and you see Oluo grinning behind you. “You’re spacing out after getting the most sleep out of all of us?”

“I was just thinking about how Gunther’s right!” you quickly recover, and Gunther outright chortles at your abrupt insult. “When’s the last time you had a girlfriend, Oluo? It had to have finally happened during the time I was out, right?”

The question makes Petra tilt her chin to the sky with a giggle.

“Oi!” Oluo scowls. “Don’t you lecture me about a lack of dating life, Miss Amnesia.”

“Remember that one time James dared Oluo to ask that really nice Trost barmaid for dinner?” Petra chirps, riding alongside you.

“If you can call it that,” Gunther reminds. “Guy couldn’t even say hello to the poor woman.”

“Froze up,” Petra gravely agrees.

“Almost gave her the wrong name,” Gunther adds, deepening his voice. “Greetings, beautiful, my name is Levi—”

“I did not!” Oluo shrieks, causing Levi to sharply turn his head at his name.

“What?”

“Nothing, Captain!” Oluo recovers, waiting for the man to turn back around before he leans over his horse to seethe back at Gunther. “Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

“Did you end up asking her out?” you jump in, readjusting your grip on the reigns.

“Oh, you’ve seriously got a memory problem.”

“I think it’s been very established that I do.”

“Because I know your ass would delightfully recall that you were the reason I got rejected,” Oluo says with a sharpness.

“Me?” you ask.

“Yeah, you,” he grumbles. “Pretended to be my goddamn wife.”

“You’re joking.”

“Caused a whole scene,” Gunther mocks in a grave voice.

Petra grins with a nod. “You put on a pretty great show, Lieutenant.”

“I would have only intervened if I knew your attitude was scaring her, so you must have done something stupid, Oluo,” you tease.

“It was not my attitude that scared her away. It was you.” Oluo groans, waving a hand carelessly to the wind. “And if you—”

Something thick enters the atmosphere of Levi Squad’s formation.

Something large waiting between two large trees.

Something grinning.

Tall. Thirteen meters, give or take.

(The biggest titan you’ve seen in the wild to date.)

And it doesn't hesitate to strike.

Helplessly you watch the abnormal titan’s hand reach for Oluo’s torso, forcing him to abruptly detach from his horse.

Its pinky finger narrowly misses Oluo’s cape.

The sharp whizz of his ignited ODM gear fills the air as he departs from the group, suddenly trapezing through the trees. The abnormal, distracted by the fast-paced movement, follows swiftly after the Scout.

“Oluo!”

You whip your attention behind you, calling out to your attacked colleague with concern. The titan continues to follow close behind, swiping mindlessly with both fists to catch him. Oluo twirls expertly through the air as clouds of gas exhaust trail his movements.

In and out, left and right, he disappears and reappears through the thick trees lining the forest grounds.

“Captain Levi! Should we go back for Oluo?” Petra yelps at your side, attention square on Levi.

“He’ll be fine!” Levi shouts in return. “Stick to the plan and get to the clearing.”

Except he’s not paying attention to what’s happening behind the horses.

No one is but you.

You see Oluo reappear, slashing at a titan eager to feed. And—

Shit.

Two on the left — seven and ten meters.

One on the right — just shy of nine meters.

Three more join the original abnormal as if they're drawn to the prospect of fresh meat, flanking Oluo’s efforts.

“He’s not alone!” you shout, letting go of the reigns of your horse. “He needs—”

You can’t think beyond the word help.

Before anyone can say anything, before Levi can give his next order, you curl your fingers into the mane of your horse’s neck for stability. Both feet swiftly unlatch themselves at your sides as you hop to a stance, perching you into a stance on the saddle.

Help the team.

Help Oluo.

Your boot shifts, planting firmly on the unstable leather beneath.

Eld is the first to notice you’ve risen. His eyes round with confusion, then instant recognition.

“James, wait—!”

The blond-haired man reaches behind him, leaning back on his horse, as if he can catch your attention — or your leg.

Anything to keep you from doing exactly it is you’re angling yourself to do against the Captain’s orders.

(Too late.)

In an instant your ODM gear ignites for the first time in the wild. You fly off the back of your horse and into the air, weightless in the whipping breeze. Each of your spears connect with the bark of tree trunks as momentum propels you into the sky.

Detach, reattach. Detach, reattach.

Everything is second nature.

You spin upside-down and swing back towards Oluo and the four titans. Metal clinks when the blades at your hips connect with their sheaths, and you extend the swords to your sides.

You’re not taking any chances.

“I’m coming, Oluo!” you shout, calling to your squad member.

Oluo yells incoherently, slicing the arm of the seven-meter titan clean off its limb. He manages to escape the jaws of another titan, the nine-meter, as it rams its head into him, chomping with abandon. An exhaust trail follows his narrow escape.

Zipping between branches, you hold your breath when the nape of the nine-meter titan’s neck comes into clear view.

Up until now, you have yet to strike one in the wild.

Cardboard training only goes so far.

Now or never.

You strike once, slicing across skin.

Blood sprays all over your white uniform and face.

The nine-meter titan stops dead in its tracks and tumbles straight to the forest floor. Its body shakes the very foundation of the trees surrounding you. The steam of its decaying corpse quickly fills the air.

Flying straight through the steam with your arms crossed over your chest, you use the momentum to reattach to a nearby tree trunk and swing around it, angling you in the direction of the seven-meter without its left arm.

“James?!” you hear the gasping shout of Oluo. “What the hell are you—”

“Keep distracting that one!” you shout back. “I got you covered, just give me an opening.”

You can do this.

Oluo continues flying in the same direction, creating a pocket opportunity for you to strike.

You raise your swords over your head, the blades steaming from evaporating titan blood.

Act.

Don’t think.

You shout, cutting into the right arm of the titan, leaving it armless. It howls, flailing a limbless torso as jaws chomp for any meal. Your gear latches onto a tree, whipping your body in a vertical semi-circle to return to the fight.

In a shout of frustration, you slice.

Its nape explodes with molten blood, ceasing all movement of the gargantuan.

“Holy shit, James!” Oluo shouts, perching himself against a tree trunk. His fingertips hold him in place, allowing him precious pause to catch his breath. “You really are back!”

The praise makes you feel good. In the moment, you feel closer to the person you lost — she was once so far away, but here?

You’re useful.

(You’re not holding the Scouts back. You are a Scout.)

You attach to a tree on the other side of the path, grinning through the dissolving blood. “Did you see anymore?”

Oluo curtly nods. “We still have two to take care of, but unfortunately I think I saw more running this way in the east.”

“Shit, really?”

“Yeah.”

You instinctively whip your attention to where Oluo points and steel your nerves.

More.

So it’s a feeding frenzy.

“Okay, then we worry about taking one each.”

“What about the Captain?”

“He’ll soon realize something’s up and come back, I’m sure of it!”

Except you’re not sure why you’re so confident he will. He told Petra to stick with the plan. He’ll return when he realizes Oluo hasn’t come back quickly.

(Or that you’re still out there.)

Guilt lines your gut, but you choose to ignore it.

“C’mon, before they make us their morning snack,” you say, pushing with both feet to propel you from the tree trunk.

You both zip through the trees, targeting the nine- and ten-meter titans searching the forest for the two of you. Everything feels like it’s entirely too fast yet completely in slow motion. It feels… like you’ve done this your entire life.

It’s just as natural as it is to throw a punch. To breathe.

Taking down titans doesn’t feel impossible.

You detach from a tree as you flip backwards, avoiding the jaws of the nine-meter titan in a swoop under its legs. It grabs at nothing, frenzied for the kill.

Oluo flies past you, climbing higher with each swing. You follow suit, flying up, up, up, until you abruptly attach to the nearest tree once more and fly straight past its ear.

Its brown eyes track your sudden movement into its peripheral, staring straight into you.

Oluo seizes the moment.

He slices the nape of its neck while it’s preoccupied. Its mouth opens wide instinctually, as if it hopes to capture its final meal, before tumbling forward.

Something at your hip tugs sharp, rocking your entire body.

The right grapple hook of your ODM gear is compromised by the falling titan’s wrist, latching onto the wire to break its fall before its demise.

Shit.

Abruptly the mechanism gives under the weight of the titan’s body weight, not quite yet weightless in death, causing the taut wire to strain.

The jerk of its movement takes the wind clear from your lungs.

The grapple hook wavers its grip on the tree trunk, creating the perform storm.

Everything around you happens in slow motion — the fluidity of Oluo’s body through the air, the sweeping limb of the slain titan, the glittering sunlight peeking just above the leaves.

You take a singular breath.

Your eyes widen.

The equipment snaps nine meters high off the forest floor.

Gravity catches up to your mortal mistake and soon the world feels that much smaller. You watch as your fingers flex higher to grab a nearby branch as if it’ll help, but it’s too late.

Flying backwards.

Weightless.

Your mouth is open and you should be screaming, but you can’t remember how.

Branches fly past your peripheral as you stare straight ahead at the light.

You want to move, but there’s no time.

You’re falling faster than you can fix your gear.

Then a silhouette eclipses the sun. The entity speeds straight towards you, the trail of gas following straight behind.

A voice shouts your name.

It’s guttural, echoing with desperation.

(Fear.)

“James!”

Levi Ackerman calls to you as he speeds through the trees at an otherworldly pace. His arms press expertly to his sides to fall faster, his emerald coat billowing behind in an angelic halo. As he nears, you can make out the whites of his widened eyes.

Instinctively, your hand reaches for him—

A certain sort of deja vu—

Then it hits.

Why did you do it?

Do what?

You gave me a second chance.

Because where you go, I follow.

author's note: i apologize for leaving you all on a cliffhanger as i run off on my holiday, but the next time we meet... i think we're ready to finally go back in time, don't you?

tag list: @lazylizzy3 @notgoodforlife @sad-darksoul @dailydoseof-love @maliakealoha @nube55 @kateastrophies @blinkingsuns @gomigami @voidszoro @tanyeonn

#snk #levi ackerman #aot #attack on titan #shingeki no kyoujin fanfiction #shingeki no kyoujin #levi ackerman x female reader #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman x reader #aot fanfiction #aot spoilers #aot fanfic

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lets-try-some-writing · 8 months

Text

Small Mercies

An alternate take on the Artificial Prime AU where instead of Orion Pax dying and being replaced, he does indeed gain the Matrix and lead the Autobots. However Bumblebee is not so fortunate and does not survive his run in with Megatron. The loss is devastating and very nearly kills Optimus from grief. So in desperation Ratchet builds a different set of lies and gives his Prime back his sparkling... albeit not the same one he lost.

Link to Artificial Prime AU here.

Fake Bumblebee au where he is an AI and knows he is an AI, totally devoted to his duty. He doesn't care what happens to him, only that he must keep Optimus happy. With time he gains feelings and emotions and genuinely cares, problems come with it. Optimus knows he is an AI and loves him all the same, teaching B-127 what it means to be alive.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

The battle for Tyger Pax was brutal, so much so that Optimus had even forbidden Bumblebee from being anywhere near the center of the battlefield. It was selfish, but the Prime refused to risk losing his only sparkling. Unfortunately Bumblebee saw a chance to try and end Megatron before it was too late, and he took that change with little regard for his own safety.

It was his last mistake.

Megatron showed no mercy, and before anyone could stop it, the warlord tore out Bumblebee's throat, leaving him to bleed out on the battlefield. By the time Optimus felt his bond to his one and only sparkling shatter, it was far too late to do anything. All the Prime could do was rage and curse the stars as he tore through his foes with wild abandon, desperate to bring down the wrath of Primus upon the one who slaughtered his little warrior. Megatron had not and never will feel the amount of terror he did that grim cycle when Optimus was willing to harm his own allies just to get to him with the intent of tearing him apart piece by agonizing piece. He retreated without a second thought and Optimus clutched the body of his dear sparkling to his chassis, silent tears falling from his optics as his systems heaved and tried to cool but to no avail.

What remained of Bumblebee was swiftly brought to Ratchet who did not even need to run a scan to know that the scout was deceased. What little, albeit vain hope Optimus had of somehow having his son restored to him was destroyed, and in that moment, he lost a part of himself along with it. Bumblebee's death was known amongst the Autobots, but not a spark spoke of the loss anywhere near Optimus. The Prime spiraled and threw himself into his war, his plans swiftly becoming more brutal and his efforts targeted more so at making Megatron hurt rather than their actual goal of victory. Ultra Magnus, Prowl, Jazz, and Ironhide did what they could to course correct and keep things running properly. But with the loss of Bumblebee burning so hotly in Optimus's processors and spark, if he wasn't attempting to find the most brutal way to obtain victory for the Autobots on the battlefield, he was grieving alone in his quarters.

It wasn't healthy, and in less than a stellar cycle Optimus was already looking weaker and wearier from long cycles without recharge and a general apathy towards fueling. The Autobots did what they could to try and help him, but he wasn't listening. Without Bumblebee he was absolutely spark broken and none could do a thing to assist. It couldn't go on, Optimus would perish if it was allowed to continue. Ratchet couldn't stand to watch his friend fall so far, nor could he endure seeing the Autobots begin to falter. Thus after much moral consideration, Ratchet began to plan and prepare a way to save his friend and leader's life before the Autobots crumbled alongside him.

It was taboo in every sense of the word. Constructing sentient AI out of a cold construct was the sort of thing the Quintessons did, but there was simply no other choice. Optimus needed his sparkling back and collecting a proper spark to put into a protoform for him would only lead to unneeded variables. Even if the newspark was given Bumblebee's memory, it was simply cruel at that point to both the grieving Sire and the newspark with the burden of another identity on their shoulders. It was kinder to make something fake, something that could be programmed and controlled until Optimus was well enough for the machine to be shut down. A fake could be managed, manipulated, and handled to perform perfectly. A real living Cybertronian was dangerous for Optimus's already very fragile state.

There was no other choice, or so Ratchet told himself.

It was a slow work, one that Ratchet took his time completing simply because he needed it to be perfect. Optimus led the Autobots ever onward even as he deteriorated and while they had success, the moment the Prime fell, so would their momentum. All the while Ratchet worked dutifully, first crafting a protoform from Bumblebee's CNA and making adjustments as needed. His creation was not allowed to fall as Bumblebee had. The machine needed to be hardy and unlikely to falter, and thus it was crafted specifically to self repair and continue to function so long as its power core remained undamaged. It was a perfect machine, one Ratchet crafted for war but modeled to be able to receive care since Optimus so desperately wanted to continue to play the role of Sire.

A gentle and delicate face only barely hinting at maturity, a sturdy and armored frame designed specifically to show as a youngling, wide optics made to help induce parental protocols with faux innocence, and so much more. All subtle methods to ensure that the fake was as close to Bumblebee as possible while still fulfilling its purpose. The frame took a vorn to perfect and to instill the proper hardware, but once it was prepared, Ratchet began the second part of the process in the creation of an AI. It was a delicate process that took a great deal of time due to all the programming involved. The most difficult part was uploading Bumblebee's memory files which by that point had begun to corrupt. Ratchet had to fill in blanks in some places and took great care to instill in the AI its design.

Its sole goal was to keep Optimus safe and happy. That was its function. It was to listen to him in all things save for when Optimus's safety came first and was to replicate Bumblebee's behavior to the best of its ability. It was to know what it was and act accordingly. The AI was going to be well aware of the fact that it was not living and would therefore assess its situation with that knowledge. Better that it be damaged than a real Cybertronian. It had a mission, it had memory, and with some additional work from Ratchet, it had combat and spy protocols installed alongside some datapacks with information on effective acting. It was going to be perfect, especially since it would not have the inhibitions of an actual newspark when it came to its identity. It would be what Optimus wanted and needed, and to Ratchet, that was all it was required to do.

As such, two vorns after Bumblebee was killed and laid to rest, Ratchet turned on B-127's power core and uploaded its AI to its frame. The AI uploaded seamlessly and within mere Kliks, the replacement for Bumblebee was ready and prepared to act. It quickly put on a pleasant smile, and walking beside Ratchet down the halls, it was brought before the war room. Upon entry, all within froze at the familiar face and the distinct lack of a spark signature from the being that took the form of Bumblebee. All were horrified, all that is save for Optimus who merely seemed hopeful, no matter the truth of the situation.

Ratchet: This is B-127, a cold constructed sentient AI assistant I designed to aid you, Optimus.

B-127: It is good to see you, Optimus! I am sorry I could not come to you sooner! It took time for my creation process to be completed!

Ratchet: It has Bumblebee's likeness and memory. It is my hope that it will bring you comfort until this grief passes.

Jazz: You made a sentient AI...

Prowl: Have you lost your processors Ratchet!? This is against all protocols and could even warrant being brought before a court-!

Optimus: What is your name little one?

B-127: My numerical designation is B-127 in order to not impose on the memory of my predecessor, but you can call me whatever you would like!

Optimus: I understand. I am glad you have come to me Bee.

Not a spark dared to so much as twitch as Optimus drew the young machine in for a hug that was quickly returned. There was no real emotion from B-127, but Optimus looked somewhat at peace. Both knew what they had was fake, but neither noted it. B-127 had a mission to complete, and Optimus had someone to care for again, a youngling who looked like the son he lost.

The introduction of B-127 to the Autobots went... poorly to say the least. Ratchet being his creator was kept secret for his own safety and B-127 remained by Optimus's side at all times when physically possible. Ratchet quickly came to keep to himself, no longer well liked amongst those who knew he was B-127's maker. The troops were not told everything, only that B-127 was a sentient AI created to assist Optimus and stabilize him. He was treated as a tool by most, usually pushed aside and mocked the odd times he was away from Optimus. That did not bother B-127 in the slightest, not even when he was hit hard enough to kill an average mech by other soldiers under the guise of an 'accident' during training. Jazz avoided him like the plague, as did many of the other members of Optimus's inner circle. None wanted to associate with the thing that was a haunting reminder of what the Quintessons attempted to turn Cybertronians into through indoctrination and physical alteration.

Against the better judgement of everyone else, Optimus did not just tolerate B-127 or treat him as a unique walking memorial to his son, nor was he even upset about the whole thing. Bumblebee was dead, that much was certain and Optimus could accept that even if it destroyed him. B-127 was NOT Bumblebee, but he didn't need to be. B-127 was in Optimus's mind, not a replacement, but rather a legacy. He had not ordered B-127 to be created, nor was he happy about Ratchet doing so simply because of the ramifications, but he was pleased to have something left of what he held most dear. B-127 was a gift from Primus, a sparkling that had yet to learn what it meant to be one. Thus Optimus took it upon himself to care for B-127 as he would any well forged Cybertronian, much to the distress of every Autobot who was certain he was losing his mind.

Whatever the case, B-127 was tolerated and Optimus continued leading the war effort. Ratchet kept to himself and performed maintenance when required but otherwise tried to ensure his interactions with B-127 were kept to a minimum.

Bit by bit Optimus grew more stable and slowly through care, B-127 changed. His mission was simple, his duty was meant to be without complication. He was to protect Optimus, a part of his function he completed by fighting alongside the Prime on the battlefield, much to Megatron's horror the first time they met. The first time B-127 felt much of anything beyond the preprogrammed duty he was instilled with was during that meeting. Bumblebee's memories gave him fear, but also anger and sorrow. Megatron killed the one who B-127 was based upon, and for whatever strange reason he could not comprehend, he fought more aggressively that cycle and did not understand why until that same aggression toward those who tried to harm him in training. Just because he was hardier than the average mech did not make him a training dummy. He served Optimus Prime, he could not afford to be damaged beyond what was required to protect the one he was assigned to.

He only continued to change from that point onward as Optimus made it a point to teach him things and speak to him as if he were a living being. The Prime would ask his opinions, to which B-127 would shoot back a response Bumblebee would have presented. Often Optimus smiled somewhat sadly but nodded at his offered words. Optimus also took the time to show B-127 things that he might find to be of interest, usually leading B-127 to contemplate whether or not it matched one of Bumblebee's fascinations and work from there. He was meant to make Optimus happy, so if he found a response to be the most likely to create that outcome, that is what he gave. But even still, slowly he changed. His responses grew less stale and he started to expand his opinions on things, even offering tactical advice when brought in alongside Optimus in meetings. His efforts were usually met with apprehension, but he was intelligent and learned more with every passing cycle.

B-127 was unsure when he began to feel genuine affection toward Optimus or when emotions began to be part of his existence. However by the time the Allspark was sent away, he came to adore the hugs he received from Optimus, he loved to watch the stars, he learned to see past the prejudice his fellow Autobots had toward him and even found himself feeling as though he were one of them. He never forgot what he was or what his purpose was, but when with those he trusted, B-127 found it easier to be something akin to a living being. Optimus treated him well, Ratchet was kind enough, and the others treated him as a fellow soldier after the shock of his existence wore off.

He was a machine with no spark or even Cybertronian biology. He was a lookalike, a fake, and yet he enjoyed living and he was fond of those he fought alongside. He was not real, merely a mess of code and mixed metal, despite that, he wanted to and often found himself musing on what it would be like if he were naturally forged. It wasn't right, he knew in his code he was supposed to be loyal and focused, but the thoughts came all the same, and when voiced, Optimus encouraged them.

B-127 was meant to be a small mercy, a way to soften the blow of Bumblebee's death and to be deactivated once Optimus was himself again.

He dreaded that cycle more with every passing vorn.

#transformers #maccadam #transformers prime #bumblebee #ratchet #optimus prime #autobots #war time cybertron #megatron #alternate universe #AI Bumblebee #secret identities #(not so secret but still-)

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originalficsyt · 9 months

Text

Eren Tells You His Plan to Destroy The World

——————

word count: 1k

warnings: none

click here to listen on YouTube

As you entered the dimly lit jail cell, a sense of anxiousness filled the air. You were here not as a friend, but as the person closest to Eren, chosen by Hange Zoë, the current Commander of the Scout Regiment, to fulfill a critical task.

She believed that you, out of everyone, had the best chance of getting information from Eren, given your past closeness.

The memories of your bond with Eren flooded your mind as you faced him. From the early days of your childhood, you had been inseparable, forming a connection that surpassed mere friendship.

You shared hopes, dreams, and a desire to explore the world beyond the towering walls.

The two of you would spend hours talking about your aspirations, exploring the outskirts of the Shiganshina District, sharing made up stories of distant lands, and imagining what would be beyond the Titans' grasp.

Those moments of joy and laughter had created memories that were etched into your heart, and you cherished the times you spent together.

As you grew older, your bond with Eren only deepened. After surviving through the terrors of Titans destroying Wall Maria, you both vowed to become scouts and eliminate Titans.

You faced the brutal reality of that mission, standing side by side against the relentless horrors threatening humanity's survival. In those moments of fear and uncertainty, your closeness served as a source of strength and comfort.

But as time passed, something changed in Eren. The Eren you once knew seemed to be slipping away, replaced by someone who is distant.

You walked closer to his cell, but he didn’t acknowledge your presence, his eyes were locked on the reflecting image of himself in the mirror.

You looked at him, searching for traces of the boy you once knew, you couldn't help but wonder if your past closeness could bridge the gap between you two.

Could the strength of your friendship reach through the darkness that consumed him and remind him of the dreams you once shared together?

“I know why you’re here.” Eren said as his eyes met yours, and in that moment, you saw the weight of the world etched upon his face. Of course he knew why you were here, you wanted information just like everyone else.

And he knew that the information he held was too sensitive to be overheard by the guards outside.

Without another word, Eren activated his newfound powers, surrounding you in an alternate world shielded from prying eyes and ears.

In this ethereal realm, the outside world seemed to fade away, leaving only you and Eren in an isolated cocoon of existence. The air crackled with an otherworldly energy, and the guards' voices became muffled whispers.

In the isolated realm of the alternate world, Eren began to reveal his plan. He trusted you.

"Eldians have suffered for generations, hunted like animals, blamed for sins they didn't commit," Eren said, his eyes heavy with the weight of his people's history. "I saw a future where our enemies would never stop coming for us, where Paradis would be crushed under the weight of their hatred."

He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing, "I couldn't stand by and watch it happen. So, I decided to fight back. To use my power to protect our home and our people."

“That’s why you forced us to attack.” You said barely holding it together.

"I've inherited the memories of the past, the truth behind the walls, and the atrocities committed against Eldians," Eren explained, his voice laced with bitterness. "It's a never-ending cycle of violence, and I have to break it, even if it means becoming a monster in the eyes of the world."

His revelations left you speechless, the enormity of his plan sinking in. The sacrifice he was willing to make, the darkness he would have to embrace, it was all too much to comprehend.

"I know it's a heavy burden to bear," Eren said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "But there’s no other way. I have to protect the people I care about. And I can’t let you all suffer because of the world's hatred anymore."

His words struck a chord in your heart. Eren had always been fiercely protective of those he loved, and now you understood the depths of his resolve.

"But at what cost?" you whispered, your voice choked with emotion. "You’re really going to kill millions of people?"

Eren's gaze softened a bit as he heard the fear in your voice. But he quickly regained his composure. "If I don’t protect our people, no one will. This is the only way.”

As the weight of the moment settled upon your shoulders, Eren turned to you, his eyes searching for something – a sign or a glimmer of hope.

"Are you with me?" he asked.

Your heart wavered between the loyalty you once shared and the devastating consequences of his plan. The choice before you was monumental, and you knew that it would alter the course of your life and the world as you knew it.

"I... I need time to process everything," you replied, completely uncertain and taken back by his question.

Eren simply nodded, accepting your response, his eyes reflecting both understanding and a glimmer of hope.

With each passing moment, your understanding of Eren's transformation deepened. You saw how much he had changed since the time you were close, and you realized that the burden he bore had taken a toll on him.

As the alternate world dissolved around you, reality crashed back in, and you were left alone with your thoughts. The guards' voices returned, and the sense of responsibility weighed heavily on your heart.

The path ahead was fraught with complexities, and you knew that your choice would shape the future for both the world and yourself. With a deep breath, you are prepared to face the consequences of your decision, whatever it may be.

As you turned to leave Eren faced the mirror once more and seemingly began talking to himself.

After reporting back that Eren didn't reveal anything, you couldn't shake the weight of the burden he had shared with you. That night you couldn’t sleep as the haunting question replayed in your mind over and over again: are you with him or not?

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travlersjoy444 · 2 years

Text

Just Another Night (Hunter/The Golden Guard x reader)

I'm trying my hand at plotless fluff for this one- I know, it isn't my usual, but I wanted to try something new :)

Trigger Warnings: Physical touch? Like nothing more than hugs though

Word Count: 3k

*******

He returned with a broken ankle. Obviously, it had been a tough mission, but Hunter was careful and diligent most of the time- so I was a bit shocked when he knocked on my door with a limp and a grimace.

“Jeez, you’ve really messed up this time, Blondie,” I snorted as I let him in, but softened as he winced.

“I know, I know…Belos already lectured me. I’m on probation.” He heaved a sigh.

Aw, that meant he couldn’t join me on scouting missions.

“Did he say for how long?” I frowned, sitting next to him at my table.

“No…” Hunter said, resting head on his hand. “He just said to stay off my feet and be more careful- replacing me is too much of a hassle right now.”

Hunter was an invaluable member of the coven, so it truly would be tough to replace him. Although he was currently a basic scout, he was in training to eventually be the next in a long line of elite witches- The Golden Guards. I wasn’t honestly sure why he was qualified for the position, but I had faith in him.

“So after being told to stay off your feet, you chose to lug yourself to the other side of the castle to visit me. Wonderful planning skills.” I deadpanned.

He shrugged. “My room was getting boring, and you’re interesting. My planning skills are great.”

I held up my hands in mock defeat. “Fair point, although I’m not sure how interesting I’ll be tonight- my main plan is paperwork and caffeinated tea.”

He pursed his lips. “Right, I forgot. Lilith gives you paperwork- is it fun?” He asked, genuinely curious.

I scoffed. “If you like rules and strict guidelines, then yeah. It’s a blast.”

His eyes lit up, and I remembered it was my best friend I was talking to- despite his rough-and-tough appearance, he loved rules and strictness. And while I wasn’t fond all the orders, I was always cheered up by his strange enthusiasm for work. It made it feel more bearable.

“That is interesting! What’s it about?”

I shrugged. “Mindscapes. I think Lilith calls it paperwork so that I don’t feel patronized, but it’s definitely more like schoolwork than paperwork.”

I guess it made sense. I left Hexside early to join the Emperor’s Coven, and I was being trained by all the coven heads due to my academic talent….well, I certainly wasn’t a great student, with average grades and too many missing assignments, but I was talented in magic and had more creativity than I knew what to do with. I suppose Belos didn’t want it to go to waste on basic combat…That’s the closest thing to an answer as to why that I had. And I had a funny feeling questions weren’t welcome.

“Ooh, I know a lot about mindscapes!” Hunter grinned, flipping through the pages. “ They’re really cool, and-” His excitement faded. “I’m being boring. I’m sorry.” He sighed, slumping over again.

“You aren’t boring, Hunter.” I said firmly, putting a hand on his shoulder. He grabbed it, squeezing lightly. “Your information is interesting, no matter what the adults say- and that’s coming from someone who gets bored easily.” I continued.

“...Thanks, (Y/N).” He murmured, smiling lightly.

I gently let go of his hand and rose from my chair to make some tea.

Hunter and I had been close friends for what felt like forever, but the physical intimacy was fairly new. Holding hands and sitting back-to-back… The most recent was my accidental habit of leaning my head on his shoulder on long sleepless nights spent on missions- it wasn’t intentional, but it had sorta stuck. I tried not to think about it too often- it felt like the sort of thing I would ruin with my overthinking. It felt delicate, like something that would shatter if either of us dared mention it.

So I ignored my brain and focused on stirring the herbs into the water for our teas.

Three shakes of brahmn leaves harvested on the waning crescent…hibyrne bark ground by the rays of the solar eclipse…common fool’s nightshade…

I handed him the tea/elixir to help heal his ankle a bit, or at least speed up its recovery.

“Oh, you didn’t have to make an elixir!” He said, surprised.

“I want your ankle to get better! And plus, it actually tastes good unlike the stuff you get from the infirmary. It’s more of a slow healing substance, so I don’t need to add as much snakeroot.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“Snakeroot makes it taste bad.” I clarified.

“Cool,” He took a sip of the elixir, leaning back into the chair. There was a moment of silence before he leaned forward again, a sudden bout of worry in his face. “Do you think Belos is mad at me?”

I frowned at the change of subject. “Why would he be?”

Hunter took another sip of the drink before answering, “Well…he said I was reckless. That he doesn’t want to replace me, but might end up having to if I contiue making stupid choices….I-I don’t know.”

“Well…I doubt he is. If anything, he just sounds worried…or guilt trippy, but probably worried. I’m sure you can just sweet-talk your way out of it- you always do.”

He choked on the elixir. “I do not!” He coughed incredulously.

I snorted. “Really. What about ‘(Y/N), can you help me stack these books? You’re better at it than I am…” I said, pitching my voice up and pouting in an admittedly un-Hunter-like way.

He huffed, trying to look offended, but his smile told me otherwise.

“Ooh! Or ‘(Y/N), I have an important assessment today….would you mind coming to watch? I’ll do better with you there.’ And of course, ‘(Y/N)-”

He shrugged, slightly flustered. “Okay, so I sweet-talk you. But you’re different!”

“How am I different?” I laughed, enjoying his reaction.

“Because-you let me, you like it! You love feeling like you’re helping me.” He accused, failing to mask his own laughter.

I smiled, sipping my tea. “Hmm. I guess you might have a point there.”

“I do? -I mean- Pfft. Of course I do.”

I chuckled as he stumbled over his words. “But seriously. I doubt Belos is mad at you. It was an accident, right?”

“Yeah…but it was inconvenient. And now I’m on probation….” He rested his head on the table gloomily.

“For how long- like, a few months? That’ll be over before you know it.” I said, falsely cheerful.

“(Y/N)....” He said, fixing me with a ‘seriously’ expression.

I slumped onto the cold table with him, meeting his eyes.

“Yeah, you’re right. It sucks, I just want you to feel better.” I smiled ruefully.

“I’ll absolutely lose my mind locked up alone for three months.” He mumbled.

I took his hand beneath the table. “You’ll get through it. And besides, you won’t be alone….and you’ve already left your room.”

He squeezed my hand, smiling lightly as if to say ‘Maybe it won’t be so bad if we’re together.’

I squeezed back to say ‘I’ll stick with you, I promise.’

He hauled himself up, not letting go of my hand as he collapsed onto my bed.

“I guess there’s just…a lot in my head…it’s kinda selfish.”

I sat next to him on the bed. “I’ll humor you, go on.” I chuckled. He laughed with me, before growing more serious.

“Titan, I don’t want to bore you, but….I’m just sick of being in the way, you know?”

I nodded sympathetically. As some of the youngest people in the coven, Hunter and I were often treated like nuisances and idiots. Having grown up with a more solid foundation, I didn’t internalize it the way Hunter did, but it even got to be a bit much for me.

He shrugged, leaning on my shoulder as he continued. “It feels like everyone just wants me to grow up already…to stop needing help, and to just…get things on the first try. I don’t want to be a problem, I just want to help…but maybe I’m annoying.

Maybe they just put up with me because I’m the next Golden Guard, or because I’m Belos’s nephew, and that’s the only reason why I matter….don’t get me wrong, I’m honored to serve the coven and everyone on the Isles, but sometimes I wonder….what if my future wasn’t set in stone? Would….would that mean I’m useless? Would I…matter to anyone?” He paused to breathe, and I took the opportunity to pull him a little closer. He complied, resting his head on my shoulder.

“Sorry. I’m done whining now.” He chuckled, although there was an air of bitterness in his voice.

I mindlessly messed with his hair as I thought of a response.

“Hmm…well what you call ‘whining’ sounds more to me like a well thought out presentation of your completely understandable insecurities.”

He snorted, but didn’t answer.

I gave a soft sigh, not wanting to say anything untrue, but also not wanting to hurt his feelings or make his insecurity worse…

“Can I say something kinda selfish now?” I began, pulling away from his embrace to make eye contact.

“Of course.” He said, raising an eyebrow.

“I…I hope I’m not one of the people who make you feel like a nuisance, or a kid being managed.” I looked away. “I don’t care, to be entirely honest, about your role in the coven or your role in life. I just want you to be happy, and to understand that the people who matter are the people who care about you, not your job or your title….just something to think about.” I finished, looking back at him.

His eyes were glossy and wide as he stared back, at a loss for words.

Hunter tended to get this way after my compliments or validation- blushy, shy, and struck dumb. As cute as it was, it had grown to remind me of exactly how sad his life was, for affirmations to matter so much to him that he couldn’t even speak afterwards for fear of stuttering…

He slowly put his head back on my shoulder. “Thank you.” He whispered, clasping his elixir tightly.

We sat in silence like that for a little, and I sayed as still as possible in fear of disturbing him. It was soon broken by a yawn. Hunter slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“It’s late, I should head out.” He said, his voice heavy with sleep. He limped towards the door, trying and failing to walk on his busted ankle.

I shook my head. “You’re not getting anywhere on that.”

“Oh no, I guess I’ll just have to stay!” He said robotically, humor glinting in his eyes. “Too bad about that, huh? I didn’t plan this at all.”

I shrugged, knowing full well that I could simply teleport him to his room.

“Hmm, bummer!” I said, imitating his robotic tone. “I mean, if you wanna stick around, I don’t mind having good company.”

He nodded, smiling as he sat at the table again.

“Thanks (Y/N).”

I smiled back. I didn’t want to be alone tonight either. Besides, Hunter had slept here before- many times, especially after hard days of training or particularly tough missions, and neither of us slept very well- On any nights, but particularly on nights when we were curled up in the bed, talking about life and plans and the starry night sky.

Until the stars faded and the sun rose, a daily reminder that we really should stop drinking so much caffeine so late at night- especially with Hunter’s insomnia and generally awful sleeping habits. A stronger friend would force him to sleep, but instead, I stayed up with him. It was more fun that way. But tonight, his ankle was broken. To heal, he needed rest, he needed to sleep. So if he thought it’d be one of our normal sleepovers, he was sorely mistaken.

I checked the clock. “Right. I think it’s time for bed, Blondie.”

He looked up, startled. “What?”

“You’ve gotta sleep to heal your ankle this time.”

“Oh- fine.” He sighed. “I guess that’s true.”

I handed him a linen shirt and the trousers he had forgotten here last time, and he went to the closet to change. When he emerged, he collapsed onto the bed dramatically. I sat next to him on the mattress, waving my hand to turn off the lights.

Although we had done this before, this felt…significant somehow. Like there was something different about actually laying under the covers, close but not quite touching. I turned my back away from him, facing the room to hide from my thoughts.

I didn’t like him like that, I was just protective of our future Golden Guard, I rationalized. He was my friend, and I cared about him, and that was it.

Hunter had been my best friend since I joined the coven practically. Heck, he was one of- if not my only- true friends. He was one of the few people who was willing to listen when I was venting, but also wiling to talk about his life. He was interesting and fun to be around…And on multiple occasions, he’d put himself on the line to save me- like all the times he’s taken the blame for a mission gone wrong. And I was there for him not because I felt bad for him but because I wanted to be there for him.

I looked over to him as he slept.

Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no no no no.

“Oh Titan,” I whispered, feeling dread wash over me.

This meant something.

Hunter means something to me.

A lot, actually.

I tried to close my eyes and sleep, but the dread was making my stomach hurt.

Instead, I crawled out of the bed and reached for my staff. It was time for a long night of flying and getting my mind off of things.

*******

#x reader #the owl house hunter x reader #the owl house x reader #the owl house #the golden guard #golden guard x reader #toh hunter x reader #hunter toh #toh golden guard #toh golden guard x reader

942 notes · View notes

levmada · 2 months

Note

How do you feel about people calling Hanges sacrifice a suicide? They quite literally wanted to live but had a responsibility to carry the scouts forward.

i think it’s just about the most moronic, insipid, dumbass take in the entire fandom, which is saying something.

or i guess every time Hange appeared the people who believe this went to sleep or something.

i give my full thoughts here, but i’ll expand on them.

the idea Hange took the opportunity to commit suicide is SO diametrically opposed to their character in every way. Hange is a SCOUT: they put aside any fear of death or desire for family, a career, or a normal life in general in pursuit of living freely; they not only are willing to face the terror of the Titans but revel in learning about them, and by extension understanding the world around them. if there's ANYTHING which defines a scout—like Hange says also—it's their unyielding desire for a better understanding. in a cruel world such as Hange lives in, this is unfathomably brave.

first, their sense of duty, their responsibility, is heightened tenfold when they become commander. Erwin, who they admired deeply, is who they have to replace, and clearly, the person they consider their closest friend Levi (which is canon) believes in their leadership more than COMMANDER ERWIN. that's a lot of pressure.

((from their perspective, that is. it's unknown whether Levi ever told them his true feelings, but even if he did, they would know Levi believed Erwin was the only one who could help the Scouts save humanity. so it's lose-lose. actually that's worse.))

Hange felt so fucking guilty after the four years. it's clear how tired they were. after the Liberio battle, they felt that Erwin's choice to choose them as his successor was his one and only mistake, that it's their fault the Rumbling got as far as it did; they tell the alliance several times that it's unfair to drag them all into this, and they ask whether they're sure about it because of how the world might see Eldians when it's all over.

it's SO unreasonable for them to do, but their guilt overpowers.

one out of several reasons being, they had to dismiss Flegel and Peaure, when during the uprising arc, Hange was the one who pushed so damn hard for them to fight for the truth, and their own family. suddenly Hange can't tell the truth about where Eren is imprisoned and all of that.

now!! this argument between Hange and Flegel is THE EXACT MIRROR of the argument between Hange, Mikasa, and Jean when they all reunite after the rumbling starts. Jean similar to Flegel is arguing that Paradis will be spared, the Rumbling will give them protection for decades after, and it's the definitive way to guarantee their safety.

"a life as a mouse can still be a hard-fought one."

Hange concedes that they don't have the right to force them to fight, but genocide is wrong, and they won't be convinced otherwise. they admit that they're all here because their idealism was a weakness, and that they're a hypocrite because they wanted to run away with Levi, but they still have that responsibility to their comrades to make their sacrifices worth it.

Hange is wrong about their idealism being weak, and what right they have to ask for the others to fight, but it's their guilt. their weakness now is tangible, but their resolve is just as strong. they know, and believe, in their duty. there is absolutely no amount of hopelessness that could break that determination.

how, both knowing the earnestness of their character and the symbolism of the ghosts appearing here, would they lie or embellish here because they're actually suicidal? they want to stay alive and fight for all their sakes.

when the ghosts appeared to Erwin, he was pouring his heart out to Levi, and it's the same here. in fact their are many similarities between them, Erwin who "committed suicide", which is an erroneous take too, and Hange.

they both felt guilty for their actions and lack of action (the differences in their actions aside). Erwin tells Levi that at times he thought death would be easier, but he didn't want to die; he still fights for his dream. it's most likely been the same for Hange at this point.

he would go on to voluntarily die on Levi's order, and be the first to fall among a hundred new recruits. i mean the meaning can't be lost on anyone right? he pays for his sins with his life, and redeems himself with his death the same way every veteran would go on to do. for taking on their "demonic" roles like Sannes warns Hange of here.

it happens to Levi because of his choice and his moral devolution, and he redeems himself by killing Zeke and playing a major role in making the Scouts' collective dream finally realized; it happens to Nile for living with no regard to anyone but his family by being titanized, and redeems himself by helping Gabi and the Braus family escape during the invasion; etc.

Hange's sin was their willingness to run away. again back to the uprising: Hange argues that w/ the Survey Corps on the run, they hunker down in the cabin to remain safe, because Nick was murdered: "i was naive. it's my fault.'"

again do you see the resemblance? because there's more🥰.

besides their duty, it's Levi's resolve/strength, and their friends, that disproves the bullshit suicide theory.

Levi rebukes them by pointing out that their guilt is making them give up, and that hiding will just get them killed.

in the present, Levi again acts as their support. in the forest, they admit that they want to run away and live with him there. Levi tells them that they can't just keep running and hiding, and likely knowing the responsibility Hange feels to their comrades too, he points out that Hange won't be able to stay out of the action, and Hange agrees: they won't run.

and you want to tell me that Hange's sacrifice is them volunteering to quit, to run away, to die? PFFT.

similarly, their comrades give them strength on both sides of the aisle. both Mikasa and Pieck.

in a cosmic burst of irony, Hange does get to run away from the fight, but that's to keep the alliance safe, and give them the time to fix the plane. just like how they wanted to keep the Survey Corps safe during the uprising, and Levi safe after the explosion.

like what Hange chose to do thanks to Levi's support during the uprising, they're running away and fighting at the same time.

it was their duty as a Scout. it was Levi who helped give them bravery. they felt this sacrifice, for it to be "their turn", was their responsibility because they felt they failed the Scouts both living and dead. Hange didn't want to die!!

if Hange wasn't presented with this opporutunity, they would've fought proudly right beside Levi and the others. no doubt.

they even still have hope that Eren wasn't right. they're admitting defeat today, but even so, they believe peace will prevail one day.

it's the same (Hange would also echo levi's sentiment about the value of fighting if you were going to die anyway too.)

also, maybe it's a reach, but it's telling to me that as Hange comments on accepting defeat, they look just as scared when it's their death. Hange ALWAYS considered their life as belonging to the Survey Corps.

if all of this still isn't good enough, just look at how Hange was accepted by the ghosts of Scouts after their death. this is what drives me CRAZY about the suicide theory - it's completely unfounded!!!!

Erwin and Moblit, whose opinions Hange likely cared about most, are smiling at them, and Erwin puts it plainly. the Scouts are proud of Hange. Hange gave their sacrifices meaning, because now the alliance can catch up to the Rumbling. how can this be because of an intentioned suicide?

something that's pointed to is Hange's expression when saying goodbye for the last time.

they look pained and guilty right? but seriously...? knowing just how far Levi's strength got them, that it gave Hange the bravery, even, to do their sacrifice?? only to leave him alone when they were so close to reaching peace? of course they're upset. of course they feel pained and guilty. they probably even feel awful for feeling awful: this is it, and as perfect as that is, Hange feels awful because they were so close, but they had a job to do; Levi gave them strength, but Levi is alone.

to be succinct, i guess, it’s like this: because Jean wanted to block out what was happening and let the Rumbling happen, does that mean he doesn’t give a fuck about humanity and believed in Eren? NO.

it’s the same thing. because Hange quickly volunteered to do what was sure to kill them, did they not give a fuck about the Scouts and wanted to kill themself? NO.

#aot #hange zoe #hange zoë #hange aot #hanji zoe #hanji zoë #aot hange #aot hanji #hans zoe #hange zöe #snk #aot meta #attack on titan #aot theory #aot season four

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crabonfire · 1 year

Note

Hi! Loved your TF2 “one bed tropes” part 1! So glad you’re back writing too! Your ability to really capture each of the guys’ personalities is fabulously uncanny. You really make them come to life.

I was wondering how you think the mercs would react to their s/o being insecure/jealous that someone out of their age range is flirting with them. That is to say, the s/o is the same age as the merc and the ‘flirter’ is either younger (in the case of Spy or Medic, etc) or older (as for Scout). I hope that made sense!

Thank you!

YOOOOO THANK U SO MUCH 😭😭😭 I APPRICIATE IT thats very nice ahshshdh 😋😋😋 I'm smiling so hard rn ty :)

but yeah totally! I love this idea

Mercs reacting to an upset reader because merc was getting flirted on by someone not their age.

characters: all mercenaries

warnings: none

note: reader gender is not specified!!!

situaaation

You and Merc were at a gathering, just hanging out. You go to get drinks for the both of you, but when you come back you see thay they're being flirted with by a random person. You get a bit upset, and the insecurities start getting to you :(

♡Scout♡

• doesn't catch onto the flirting, because he is not interested in them at all so he just thinks the person flirting is just a real nice person.

• he gets lost in the convo with the person and doesn't even notice you see them together. you don't know what it is but your heart swells, your hands are gripping the glasses but you calm yourself down.

'Man, jealousy is not my colour.'

They talk for a bit until the person has to leave, when you come over and hand him the drink he notices how dry your being.

"Yo, you good toots? Sum' happen?"

"Oh no, I'm uh...good."

He can read you like a book. You never get quiet with him unless something happened.

"Yeah, no, we're not doin' this. C'mon."

He takes you by the hand and leads you both somewhere quieter, his gaze on you is one of concern.

"What happened? Did I do sum'?"

"No no! It's just...I don't know."

He gives you a moment to speak,

"You know that...lady you spoke to a bit ago? I don't know why but, the way she spoke to you just sorta made me feel...jealous."

"Jealous? Aw babe, its cute that your jealous but you have nothin' to be jealous of."

"Yeah but...I don't know. She was so confident with you, she was...real pretty too. I just got kinda...worried you know? Like, she could replace me easily. It's stupid- just ignore I said anything."

You smile wearily and awkwardly laugh to move on from the situation and looks away. He frowns, he can feel his heart shattering at your words. He cups your cheek to make you focus on him.

"Y/N, yer the coolest most amazing and awesome person I have ever met. Yer cute, handsome, real pretty too. I'd never even think of replacin' you, got that? Your stuck with me, and I'm stuck with you."

Tears well up in your eyes as you melt into his touch and hold his hand with yours, kissing his palm and smiling softly.

"God, I love you Jer. Thank you, your also the coolest, most awesome, and amazing person I've ever met."

He leans in to kiss your forehead, letting go of your cheek and tightening his hold on your hand.

"You wanna go home and watch some movies at my place?"

"Hell yeah. This place is frickin' boring."

♡Soldier♡

• I know soldier is dense and all, but I can't really see him to be dense towards flirting.

• so you probably don't need to be jealous? Because the moment another person goes up to him to flirt with him he will get very angry.

• "ILL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM TAKEN BY A VERY LOVELY PERSON! AND I AM NOT LOOKING TO BE WITH ANYBODY ELSE OTHER THAN THEM! DO NOT BOTHER ME AGAIN, OR I WILL MAKE YOU GO THROUGH HELL!"

• so..no he's not really someone you need to be jealous of. But, if there were to be a scenario where someone was going over his head and you got jealous, I think he'd find your jealousy quite...attractive?

• he's always been the rough and leader type, so when you take initiative by talking to him later alone about how you felt so aggravated by the person who was flirting with him and how you felt upset, he felt bad but also kind of think its sweet.

of course he will tell you that he belongs to you and only you, going as far as creating you a fake certificate that says your his and he's yours. (it's so sweet) but he will also tell you how cute you are when your jealous. He loves that possessiveness to you!

• I can't say much about jealousy when it comes to the either of you, he doesn't get jealous often.

♡Pyro♡

• he doesn't see the signs of the flirting. because like...boy has major self esteem issues and is taking any form of flirting as a sign of friendship, its a sad way to think but it's also because of the fact he wouldn't think anyone would flirt with him now that he's taken.

• so when he notices you gripping the cups your holding and having a slight frown to your face, he instantly gets worried and ignores the person entirely. He's very attentive to small details, so he knows somethings up.

"Mmhud hhuuhhdhmmahd? Mmhhud hhuuh mmhhuhahh?" (What happened? Are you okay?)

"Yeah-sorry I just...I don't know. That person's flirting with you, ya know?"

"HUUH." (OH.)

he deadass didn't know LMFAOOO like yeah like I said, good at reading tones but he genuinely didn't have any interest in the person so he didn't pay much attention.

"It's silly but...I don't know-forget it. Here, I got us our drinks."

"Hhhuhhh..mmmhuhda." (Oh..okay.)

For the rest of the party he notices your mood has changed from the happy go lucky one before, so when the party gets quiet he leads you over and sits with you outside.

He asks whats wrong and he frowns when he realises that you were upset because you thought he'd leave you for said person. He gives you a tight hug, and pats your back.

"Hhuhda, Hhuhd mmhuhhda mmmhff mmhuhh mmhhuhd huuhm huuud huuhch."

(Y/N, I'd never leave you for some side bitch.)

That made you chuckle a bit, he continued on explaining about how much you mean to him. It was...tooth rottening shit, I'm talking the shit you cry at from Disney movies.

He's honestly confused on why you'd be jealous because in reality HES SCARED of you leaving him. He's never felt such a connection with someone so understanding and sweet like you, it honestly hurts him that you'd even think this way and it stings even more that you don't realise how your perfect for him.

You two go home early and just spend the night cuddling, he let's you talk more about it and that night you two learn more about yourselves.

♡Demoman♡

• this man is not dense. just like soldier, he knows when someone is tryna get with him.

• so I genuinely don't know any scenarios where you'd be jealous because...this man clings onto you like a fucking KOALA.

• he's the one taking the drinks for you, actually.

• I genuinely cannot see you ever needing to be jealous over him, as hard as I try to write nothing comes up in my head LMFAOOO

• he's not easily jealous either, so yall don't really need to worry about anything.

• if someone tries to ask him out, he'd just sling his arm over your shoulder while he talks to them about another topic. Giving them a smug look and even kissing you on the cheek when you have to go and get something.

♡Heavy♡

• When he notices how quiet you get when this random lady in front of the both of you starts flirting and egging him on, he immediately just shuts her up.

• He politely tells her that he is happily taken, holding your hand and asking her to respect that. If she understands and backs away it's fine, but if she starts to side eye you...hold him down cause he'll beat her ass.

• "Are you okay, lisichka?"

"I guess."

He doesn't know why your being quiet, and instead feels like he's the one to blame...like he did something wrong. He's a mature man, so he wouldn't beat around the bush about it.

"Please be honest with me, did I do something Y/N?"

"Oh-no no sorry...its just-" You sigh "I don't know, I sometimes wonder why your with me. Like...you could do better. You know?"

He let's you vent to him for a bit but truth be told he can't help but shake his head in disagreement and grip your hand when he does.

"You are the most wonderful person I have ever met. No words can describe how much I care for you, moya lyubov. Whatever it is you are thinking, I am sorry. But I love you, and not anybody else. If there is person who make you feel like this, I will crush their tiny head. Da?"

"...yea. I... thanks babe."

"Of course. Do not worry, Heavy will never leave your side, lisichka."

• he holds your hand the entire night and glares at anybody who even tries to get close to you, or him.

♡Engineer♡

• like demo, he's not dense in any sense. But I have a feeling for some reason, he'd like to see you jealous. In fact, he'd find it quite cute.

• but at this moment he was enjoying himself too much to realise that the person who was listening to him ramble was actually trying to flirt with him.

• it was a junior engineer, you saw how he smiled at them and something in you sortve broke. They looked so calm, collected, and smart. Honestly speaking, you don't understand much of what Engie usually talks about but you still like hearing about it. But seeing someone who does know, with their stupidly good hair and stupidly attractive self...that made you feel a bit upset.

• Engie had noticed you coming back with the drinks, having that same usual soft smile on his face when he greets you. But he can tell by your strained smile that something is bothering you, how you lightly grip the glass in your hands, he can tell you know, he's not dumb.

It clicks in his head, he takes the drink from you and excuses himself from the junior engineer, asking you if you want to be somewhere quieter. You agree, letting him take the both of you outside.

• "Sugar, are you alright?"

He doesn't even waste time, because he knows you. He knows how easily you downgrade yourself in the face of other people, he knows. You don't say it, but he's been with you long enough to understand what those hating glances you throw at yourself in the mirror mean.

"I...man."

The both if you sit in silence for a bit.

"You don't hafta tell me if ya don't wanna honey bee, I'm not forcin you to."

"Yeah...I'm-I just...I guess I feel a bit weird? I don't know how to explain it. Like, the person you talked to...they were so smart. So...soft spoken, so dignified...It makes me wonder why be with me when you have people like that approaching you."

He frowns, you look away but he keeps that worried stare on you.

"Like-why me? I'm such a dork and there's so much people out there who are better compared to me. I'm just some pathetic person you just so happened to meet."

"Hey-no, don't you dare say that about yourself."

Your attention is back on him now, his face is stern.

"Darlin' you are the sweetest and kindest soul I have ever laid my eyes on. You are perfect in every single aspect, and I could give less of a damn to the people around me. You got that?"

• His tone gets a bit rough, but he means well. You know he does, he always does. You can't help the tears that start to form in your eyes, he quickly notices and wipes them away, cupping your cheek and giving you a caring smile.

"Dontcha ever worry about that ever again alright? I love you, so so much. Nothing anyone says or do will ever change how I think about you. You are perfect."

He hugs you tightly, rubbing circles on your back as he let's you cry.

brb gonna sob I wish he was real

♡Medic♡

• I don't think medic would be the type to like social gatherings (unless its a topic he likes), so he tends to be at quieter places. While your out getting drinks, he sits by a quiet part of the room by himself, waiting for you patiently.

• a girl sits by him, giving him a smile. He returns one too, to be polite of course.

"You come here often?"

Oh boy. Not this.

He didn't wanna be here in the first place and now he has to TALK to people? Cmon Y/N where are you.

"No! Zhis is a social gathering...and it is my first time being here."

"Ah, it's my first time too. My names Angela, you?"

"My coworkers call me Medic."

"Pleasure to meet you Medic."

The convo just goes on, but honestly medic isn't even paying attention at this point. He just wants OUT of this conversation.

• When he sees you back with the drinks in your hand he instantly lights up, getting up from the chair and going to greet you.

"There you are! Sorry it took a while, the ball room is CROWDED."

"Ah, it is alright mein liebe. Now, let's go."

"HUH? Go where?"

He doesn't even say anything else and just walks away with you outside, not even giving you a chance to look at Angela's pissed off face.

• when you both are finally alone, he sighs and chugs the glass of champagne you got him.

"Woahhh there buddy, slow down."

"Zhat was HORRIBLE. Zhe woman I was talking to was so incredibly boring, she went on and ooonnnnn about how she's making a new...'makeup line' the ingredients she told me about are NOT skin friendly. It honestly bothers me how so many morons are at zhis gathering."

He just goes on and on, you have to stop him from breaking the glass of champagne from how much he's gripping it.

"Woah okay okay-lets just go home okay? The people here are kinda annoying. One guy kept on trying to ask for my number even though I told him I was taken."

He stops

"Oh really? And, where is this gentleman?"

"...nevermind. forget I said anything."

"No no, tell me. I just want to meet them."

"Yeah let's get back. It's late."

♡Sniper♡

• nope. no.

• he sees someone walking up to him? Automatically just runs away.

• he is also clinging onto you the entire time, or staying outside to wait for you. No fucking way is he having HUMAN CONVERSATIONS. FUCK THAT SHIT.

• yeah, sorry. He'd probably get jealous of you pretty easily though!

♡Spy♡

• oh now this is interesting.

• this mf would ACTIVELY make you jealous. Like the asshole he is.

• now sadly, this asshole is being a bigger asshole than usual, because he doesn't take into consideration that you are insecure.

• so when he sees you having tears in your eyes, gripping the glasses and having a slight frown when he's jokingly flirting with another person, automatically just drops everything.

• he grabs you by the waist and kisses you, wiping your tears away and cupping your cheek.

"I'm so sorry mon couer, it seems I have went over line. I would never love anyone else, it was merely a terrible joke." He will literally just take you out that night and make out with you. Buying you gifts and taking you to cafes, and repeatedly apologising whenever you think about it.

He doesn't quite understand why your insecure, but he will listen to your rants anyways.

"Ma belle, you are as radiant as the sun, as sweet as sugar, and as delightful as the night sky. I would not trade you for anything or anyone. Nothing can ever separate us, because I have fallen for you. I am forever yours, and you are mine."

corny ahh mf (I want him inside of me)

hi!!

I'm so sorry for...not writing for like a month or more HAHHAHAHAHAHHA shit has been so rough lately. Anyways WOO I'm writing again.

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sofasoap · 1 year

Text

Death, comes easily.

Pairing: Simon " Ghost" Riley x f!Reader/OC ( aka "Mini" MacTavish )

Summary: The threat never stops. Inspired by the piccadilly circus mission.

Warning : Mature theme, Violence, swearing. Angst. open ending ( possible happy ending? if you want. )

A/N : I had this idea while commuting to work, and wrote it within 20 minutes before seeing my first patient. I just had to get it out. So expect lots of mistakes. English isn't my first language. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Turn back now if you don't like it.

Character of Mini MacTavish is from @saltofmercury fic " “The Favorite MacTavish” " which she graciously let me borrow and write bit more expanded universe. Please go read her wonderful story to get bit of background. Thank you for leading me your character.

"masterlist" for more stories to this Mini MacTavish expanded verse.

You woke up with blurred vision and pounding headache.

Blinking rapidly, trying to get a better look at your surrounding. There's carnages everywhere. How did you get here? One minute you were browsing around the for replacement of broken kettle, and the next thing you heard a huge blast, which must have knocked you out.

Something wet start to drip into your eyes, you try to raise your hand to wipe it, and realise you were tied up. Looking down, you have this huge military like vest on you, with wires and what looks like explosives.

Gunshot sounds echoes in the building. More shouting and screaming.

Suddenly you saw four men storming up the staircase, scouting the area.

One of them has a skull face mask on.

"….. Simon." You called out to him, voice hoarse.

Ghost's eye met yours, you see it widen, a flash of fear.

"Mini!!!" Hearing your brother's voice calling out to you, you turn your focus to the other three men, running up towards you.

"What.. what happened?"

" Terrorist attack. They set multiple bombs off around Piccadilly circus." Soap explained as he hovers over you, assessing the situation. " Fucken steaming Jesus." He cursed. Soap is demolition specialist, but disarming bombs are slightly out of his league.

Price and Gaz kneeled down beside you, intense worry shown on their face.

"Bravo 6 to base. Request bomb squad specialist to our location IMMEDIATELY. I repeat, URGENT."

"Captain, there's only FIVE minute timer left on this, we need to get started immediately ourselves." Gaz commented.

"I'll do it." Ghost volunteered. There is no way he is going to stand on the side and do nothing to help you to get out of danger.

Swiftly following instructions relay on by the squad specialist, along with Soap's expertise, the men started dismantling the bomb. Coming up to the last two wires,

" Red or Blue." and you saw all four of the men frowned.

" I ASK RED OR BLUE…. WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S RANDOM!!!" Ghost shouted. He is starting to lose his cool.

" Three minutes left .. " Gaz commented. You starting to sense distress and worry from the men.

Closing your eyes, you whispered out your decision. "Just go boys.. I can't let all you go down with me."

" We can't leave you here. I AM NOT LEAVING YOU HERE." Simon rejected.

" Simon, the kid need their dad," Looking at Soap, Price and Gaz, " And their uncles."

" AND I NEED YOU." You can hear the strain in his voice.

Opening your eyes again, you turn towards your brother. "Johnny. Just go. Look after the kids for us with Emma. Tell the kids I love them. and Ma and Pa too.. Gaz, Uncle Price, Thank you for everything." you whispered.

Price nodded. He made a lot of difficult decision in his life. This will probably the one that will haunt him for rest of his life. After the three of them gave you a quick kiss and hug, they started pulling back. You can hear Soap's anguish cry as they leave the building.

".. You know I love you very much right Simon? A Lot."

" I know love. I know…" He pulled his skull mask off. Tears streaming down his face. Taking a deep breath, he lean in for a kiss as he cut the wire.

#simon riley #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost riley #simon riley x oc #simon riley imagines #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #johnny soap mactavish #captain john price #kyle gaz garrick

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cosmicjoke · 4 months

Note

I love your analysis and how well you understand Levi'e character and I have a question if you don't mind 😊

I had a conversation with one of my friends the other day and we talked about Levi and whether he was suited to be a commander, my friend said that she think he is very stable and she didn't understand why Erwin didn't put Levi as the commander after his death, as Levi's dream died when Erwin did (pay this no mind tho, she is a shipper and can be blinded by that a lot)

I disagreed with her and told her that Levi as a captain makes way more sense given his character and the way he works. Not to mention that Hanji is a perfect replacement in my opinion as they are smart and they suit leading the scouts more. I disagreed with her on the point that Levi's dream died with Erwin because Levi's dream was to free humanity from the Titans and not Erwin but that's beside the point, as I already brought up my friend is a shipper so having these conversations with her can be a headache

Anyway, my question for you is, do you think that Levi should've become Commander after Erwin's death? And what kind of Commander do you think Levi would be? Sorry if you got this question already, I did try looking for it in your blog but couldn't find anything. Have nice day 😊

Hi there, and thank you so much for such an interesting ask! I don't think I've ever been asked specifically about this, as far as I can recall.

Anyway, it's a really good question.

Just to start off with a basic answer, I agree with you that I don't think Levi would be particularly suited to the role of commander, and for the very simple reason that Levi simply cares too much about other people's lives. I think it would be too difficult for him, ultimately, to send other people off to die, even if it was for the so called "greater good". I think Erwin probably understood this about Levi, that it would impede his ability to to make certain judgement calls in the heat of battle. Levi's natural inclination is always going to be to save lives. If left to his own devices, I think that's the direction he would always, generally take. Under Erwin's command, because he trusted in Erwin's judgement more than his own, because he trusted Erwin's judgement above his own instincts, even, he was able to cede his own, natural inclination to Erwin's orders.

But we see, during the battle to retake Wall Maria, when Levi makes the call for Erwin to lead the other scouts in a charge against the Beast Titan, the toll that takes on him. He takes Erwin's burden onto himself in that moment, making the decision to allow all of these soldiers to die in order to give humanity a chance at a future, and in order to free Erwin from the corrupting influence of his own dream, but it costs Levi a LOT. Levi is guilt-ridden by what he's had to do in this moment. When Erwin is giving the orders to the hundred scouts, Levi stands beside him, but he's unable to look at any of the other soldiers. And when he's making his way to Zeke, and watches Erwin and the others charging to their deaths, he tells them with open sorrow that he's sorry. And we see afterward how their deaths continued to haunt him, for years. His emphatic desire to kill Zeke was completely rooted in his need to make sure those men and women didn't die for nothing. He was driven by a desperation to make sure that didn't happen. To make sure they didn't sacrifice their lives for no reason.

Basically, Levi just isn't built for commandership because he's too deeply affected by death. It weighs on him too heavily to ever be a really effective leader. He isn't able to detach himself emotionally the way Erwin was. He becomes too attached, too invested in the lives of other people. His heart is too sensitive for that kind of task.

Now, with that said, it's interesting, because Levi ultimately DOES take on a leadership role in the most pressing and important moments of the story, and IS able to make the call to sacrifice lives in order to save others. He does it in Shinganshina, of course. He does it before then too, during the Uprising Arc, when he's willing to make the call to let Erwin die in order to rescue Eren. He does it in the forest with Zeke, when he kills his own comrades turned titans in order to go after and stop Zeke. And he does it in the Battle of Heaven and Earth, when he makes the call for Mikasa, himself and Pieck to get on Falco's back, knowing they're the only ones left who will be able to stop Eren, knowing that all the others are going to die.

So Levi absolutely can and has taken on a leadership role in the most vital moments, when that's been asked of him. That he's able to do that, despite how deeply it goes against his very nature, is just further testament to his selflessness. Even as it leaves him truly bereft and devastated, it's something he's willing to do, if it means saving more lives.

But I've spoken before about how Levi is also someone who understands the importance of compassion over ideology, and he's someone who lets his heart dictate to him his actions, sometimes over cold logic, and for someone in charge of an entire military branch, that might be considered a detriment.

So on the one hand, I think Levi absolutely can be an effective leader. I think he's someone who can push aside his own, natural inclinations in order to fulfill his duty, if he really believes it's the right thing. But on the other hand, it isn't a role he's naturally suited to at all. He just cares too much about people. He's too attached to other people. Again, I think Erwin understood that, and I think he declined to make Levi the next commander because he knew it would have a devastating affect on him, to be forced into a role where he had to allow people to die, to be the one to make those kinds of decisions, when Levi naturally carries with him such a powerful, emotional connection to other people and their lives. When the thing Levi cares most about is preserving life and protecting life.

And he probably also knew that, eventually, Levi wouldn't be able to make certain calls required of the commander. I remember Isayama said in an interview that Levi was inspired by Rorschach, a character from "The Watchman". If anyone's ever read that comic, or seen the film, they know that Rorschach is a character wholly dictated by his sense of morality. In the end, his former compatriot, Ozymandias, concocts a plan to prevent a global, nuclear holocaust by nuking an entire city of people, killing countless innocents in the process, thus showing the world the true cost of a nuclear war. Rorschach is appalled by this, and is unwilling to keep silent about it, concluding that the truth can't be kept from the world. That people have the right to know. Because of his unwillingness to lie about it, because of his unwillingness to participate in such a manipulation of the masses, because of his unwillingness to compromise his morals, Dr. Manhattan, another of his former compatriots, murders him, in order to uphold the lie and maintain, at least for the time being, a tentative world peace.

I'm sure you can see the parallels here with Levi. Levi isn't someone who can or will compromise what he thinks is right, ever. Whatever he believes, genuinely and in his heart, to be the right thing, that's what he's going to do, every time. We see that manifest in his choice in Shinganshina with the serum. He'll always go with his heart. And being commander, being in a position of power like that, often requires one to compromise their moral beliefs in order to advance a certain agenda. We see it happen with Hange, when she decides to keep certain information about Eren from the public of Paradis, lying about it, when before, the most important thing to her had been getting the truth out to them. Those are the kinds of things Levi, ultimately, wouldn't be able to do.

What it boils down to, in the end, is that Levi is simply too pure of heart to be a good commander.

He can do certain things, make certain hard choices, if he believes it to be the right thing. But if he was ever faced with a situation in which he had to do something that really went against what he felt in his heart was right, he wouldn't be able to do it, and you need to be able to do those things, sometimes, if you're going to have that role.

Anyway, I hope I was able to give a good answer here, and once again, thank you so much for the great ask!

#Levi Ackerman #Erwin Smith #attack on titan #shingkei no kyojin #hange zöe

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the-traveling-poet · 7 months

Text

Goodbye

══════════════════════

Despite all you’ve been through; all the peril, all the grief, all the confusion and the worry; it was time to part ways at long last.

The future of humanity relied on your parting…

══════════════════════

Pairings: Eren x Reader

Warnings: Angst, language, S4, spoilers.

SFW, Angst, xY/N

══════════════════════

A/N: Season 4 spoilers, angst. Just full out depression for Eren and Y/N.

══════════════════════

Y/N clenched her fists resting at her sides on the armrest. The town hall of Marley had filled with the townsfolk to discuss the matters of the Eldians, and so far it had been nothing but frustrating.

Sitting undercover as a fellow Marlians alongside her companions from Paradis, Y/N couldn't help but wonder when all of this hatred she was hearing would finally come to an end. But that's why they were there, of course; to find a way.

Beside her, Commander Hange lightly caressed Y/N's hand to sooth her building frustrations. Shooting the Commander a small grateful smile, Y/N returned her attention back towards the podium where a preacher of sorts stood, ranting and raving about the state of this world.

Y/N shifted uncomfortably. Though the chairs they sat in where of higher quality than the ex-scouts were used to, she couldn't quite feel at ease. Something was wrong. Something had been wrong. Ever since she and her squad had eradicated the threat of titans from their island Paradis five years ago, something seemed to have changed in the very air she breathed. Perhaps it was paranoia, or perhaps it was a sixth sense warning her of a greater obstacle they would have to overcome heading their way.

As the man preached on, Y/N caught a movement slightly behind her off to her left.

Carefully turning her head to investigate, she came face to face with Eren.

The look on his face was unreadable, but the look in his eyes was one Y/N was all too familiar with.

He was determined.

What for, Y/N couldn't tell.

Staring into her eyes, Eren's expression changed, if only for a moment.

She saw pity and conflict swimming through his eyes, perhaps a silent plea.

But just as soon as she saw it, it was gone; replaced with a dead eyed stare.

He looked away with a frown, and began to stand.

No one else has noticed his movements as he strode back up the aisle between the chairs and headed for the hall's main exit.

Y/N was quick to also stand, this time drawing the attention of her close friends Armin and Mikasa, who had been sitting to the right of Eren.

Mikasa was also quick to stand, but a tug on her sleeve from Armin stopped her from moving.

"Eren?..." Mikasa muttered worriedly.

As she passed her, Y/N shot her friend a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll follow after him."

Mikasa nodded, and with that Y/N was out the door after Eren.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Eren!"

Y/N panted, bent over with her hands on her knees as she gathered back her breath.

Finally, she had caught up to him far down the street.

Up ahead, Eren came to a halt, but he never turned to face her.

Realizing he wouldn't, Y/N marched up to where he stood staring thoughtlessly up at the clouds above them.

Once at his side, she remained silent a moment, giving him the time to speak first. Yet once again, he made no move to start anything. Sighing, Y/N took the initiative.

"Eren, where are you going?" she asked quietly.

Finally, with a low sigh, he turned to face her.

After a moment, he replied.

"This is something I have to do. I cant explain myself, and even if I could, I wouldn't. Matters need to be attended to, and I'm the only one who can tend to them."

Y/N was silent, absorbing his words. Oh, how badly she wanted to protest, and how desperately she wished he would turn everything aside just long enough for her to be at his side. With him.

Yet, in a way, she understood. She understood the war had not yet been won; that his war had not yet been won.

Despite her understanding, she couldn't help the selfish side of her for wishing he would just let matters rest.

But for all the years she'd known him, he was never one to settle for anything.

It was something she had always admired about him, even if it had changed him drastically.

Sighing with her eyes cast down to her feet, she made her decision. She would let him go.

That's what you do when you're in love, isn't it? You let them go.

"Then....I guess this is goodbye?" She meekly asked. She was met with more silence. But this time, her train of thought was interrupted by a soft feeling just under her chin. Her gaze shot up, and she was met with Eren's face just inches from her own. Hiding a blush, she raised a brow up at him as he gently held her chin in his hand.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a sad half smile.

"I don't like goodbyes, Y/N. How about...This is us saying "I'll see you soon"?" He softly spoke.

She gasped as tears were starting to well up in her eyes. Deciding it was now or never, she spoke her mind.

"I won't stop you, nor hinder your plans. But please, please come back safely to us."

She hesitated for a moment before continuing. But when she did, this time her eyes shone with the love she had felt growing in her heart for him.

"I guess that's what they say about love, isn't it? When you love someone, you let them go."

Eren's eyes went wide, but slowly his face relaxed once more. Finally, after months, Y/N was graced to see his genuine smile.

One last time.

"You're forgetting a part," he whispered.

"If you love someone, you let them go, yes.

But if they love you, they'll come back to you."

Tears now ran freely down her face. Lunging forward, she tackled him in a hug. Clutching onto his uniform tightly, she let her tears flow. His arms were quick to find purchase at her waist the second she approached him, and he held her just as tightly.

A moment passed before he loosened his hold, and she followed suit.

"Y/N, I have to get going before the others come to drag me back again."

"I know, I know...." Y/N trailed off and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I promise," Eren suddenly whispered.

"You promise?"

"I promise I'll come back to you all. I'll come back to you, Y/N."

Y/N finally gave him a smile of her own, though it wavered through her grief.

The last one she would be giving him for oh so long.

"You'd better keep true to that, Jaeger."

Finally, they fully parted, but not before he leaned in and gave her forehead a tinder kiss.

Both were now blushing, yet neither minded.

Wordlessly, he released her, and she him.

He began to walk away, slower this time. Just before he was out of sight, he turned back one last time, to admire the one he'd always considered his first and only love.

Once he had fully disappeared from sight, Y/N fell to her knees and allowed the sobs to wrack her body.

I will see him again.....I have to....

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