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#they had sheer heart attack too and i almost got it instead. but figured i liked my favorites on Q2 more than my favorites on SHA
spoipage · 1 year
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bought a Queen II record today and man. the songs on the black side all blend together so well. despite my player's shitty speakers it sounds much better this way. maybe they blend together digitally, too, but its never something i noticed until now. hearing them seamlessly change from one to another makes me appreciate the album itself a bit more, though its not like i needed that to like the album. Queen II is probably one of my favorites regardless
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phoenixiancrystallist · 10 months
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Well, I was going to write more fanfic, but the cat took over my lap again lol
Part of me thinks I should clean up my desk and set that up with my desktop and get an actually comfortable/usable office chair so I can have room for kitty cats on the lap and still have a keyboard in front of me, but something tells me he'd figure out how to get in the way of that, too :P
Ah, well. Have a self-insert-plus-OC fight scene below the cut, because I want to share it and I can ;D
Now armed, Bobbi was back on the road, that much more prepared to face whatever the fuck this terrifying new world had to throw at her.
Did you guess zombies? Because it was zombies.
"How the fuck did they sneak up behind me?!"
"Less complaining, more running!"
Bobbi almost said something on reflex. Instead, she saved her breath for making her escape. It only took seconds before her lungs and muscles started burning. Still, she ran as fast as she could for far longer than she thought she was capable of. Something to be said for adrenaline and survival instincts.
The zombies were faster, but most of them didn't care to give chase. Or they were too zombified to notice. Bobbi wasn't about to bitch if only about half a dozen out of twenty wanted to follow her.
One got way too close and she turned, sword leading so she could lop its head off. The fact that she succeeded was the biggest miracle of the day. But that attack cost her, and another zombie jumped in from the side—only to get caught in an intricate silver latticework that held it in place. Bobbi squared up, both hands gripping the hilt of her sword, and when the latticework dropped the zombie, she cut that one's head off, too.
"Excellent team work!" the bracelet said, the glow of satisfaction rich in her voice. Two more zombies rushed in from either side, and Bobbi turned to the faster one, blade up between it and her. It raked at her with golden claws, tore down her arm and made her bite back a scream. Through sheer force of will, she held onto her sword and cut the zombie's arm off, then kicked it as hard as she could in its chest.
It fell back, and that silver latticework from before formed into a spear that pierced it through the heart. Bobbi turned to the zombie behind her, swung her sword so the blade cut into the zombie's arm—wrong angle to cut it off, but it didn't get her and that's what mattered.
It shambled past, gave Bobbi enough time to brace herself and go on the offensive. She cut across its back, and by some miracle it stumbled enough that she could reach its head and neck for another decapitation.
How many was that?
"You've an opening; run!"
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roxyfoxgamer150 · 2 years
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Mirabel with the ability to summon different types of dragons ranging from friendly to terrifying to evil to even zombie dragons
The summons are affected by her emotions and happen at random because of that
She doesn’t get a door because the Casita couldn’t think of a room that would work properly for her and due to how random the dragons appearing no one has figured out it is her gift yet
Just imagine the sheer chaos of it all
HELL YES!!! WE NEED A DRAGON SUMMONER MIRABEL!
Imagine if she BEFRIENDED ONE THOUGH
Observer Mirabel, looking up, concerned: Hey uh- other me. Watcha got there?
Mirabel, whos infront of several dragons, ranging from size and strength, just sitting ontop of a powerful zombie dragon: A coffee. *sips coffee.*
Depending on her mood, dragons will appear without knowing.
(She also has dragon parts lmao)
If she feels happy, a happy dragon wpuld appear, being friendly to everyone.
If she's angry, then an angry dragon would appear, snapping at everyone.
If she feels mischevious to cause chaos, an (almost) evil dragon would cause small chaos like pranks
But if she's being bullied and kicked to the point she bleeds? I think everyone would know someone will be targeted by ALL dragons, but it hasn't happened yet.
One time she wanted to hang out with Isabela but couldn't because she can't hang out with "Señora Perfecta", so she summoned a beautiful touch-starved dragon without knowing
The dragon's color was white, its wings and tail were beautiful. It had blue eyes.
It went near Isabela and promptly scared her to the point she sprouted an aspen flower.
(In the distance, Mirabel somehow felt that Isabela was looking at her, only to see no Isabela at all)
The dragon was so happy it wanted to hang out with Isabela, not play, just hang out and do stuff together unlike Mirabel and Isa.
It got to the point the dragon is often expected to be beside Isabela every time she goes out, everyone thinks she's worthy lmao.
From then on, the Madrigals even had dragon companions except for Mirabel. Which made Alma further believed that she is idk, not worthy or smthn.
But they didn't realize that what their dragon companion feels, Mirabel also feels it but it confuses her.
One day she was very happy and energetic, she finally finished a project, and she drank 2 cups of coffee. She accidentally summoned multiple colored dragons that were different types.
The Madrigals had to deal with many hyperactive dragons, even their dragon companions were more active that day.
It gave Bruno a heart attack when he realized there was a freaking small dragon in the walls too, one that was the size of the rats. It had deep brown scales on it's lower half while it had green scales on it's upper half.
When the movie happened, she and some of the dragons that were with her saw multiple falling shingles instead. When she told abuela that the house was cracking, she didn't believe her and said that she was just jealous that she didn't have a gift and a dragon companion.
All of the people (except the madrigals) saw the dragons disbelief in their faces, clearly pointing at the rooftop with their claws and making cracking sounds with their wings.
When they walked away, the dragons that were with Mirabel face-clawed (face palmed), one was even patting Mirabel's back in sadness. The townfolks noticed it. Isabela's white dragon practically shook her head in disappointment towards Alma, sad that her creator was ignored for real this time.
They never noticed the fact Mirabel could understand dragons though.
The movie still happened normally, just some random dragons with Mirabel.
Forward to the end of the movie in this AU, when the house began to collapse, when Mirabel grabbed the candle, Casita made her tumble to the floor.
Julieta screamed for her daughter, only to see her eyes glow yellow and become reptile like a dragons. Her daughter had horns sprouting out of her head while she fell down.
"MAMA! PAPA!"
The tower fell on her. They all screamed for her, her parents the loudest.
All of their dragon companions disappeared, becoming flaming dust while running towards Mirabel.
Julieta found her like in the movie, but one of her eye was reptile-like.
Time skip, when everyone got their gifts, Mirabel suddenly sneezed fire infront of everyone.
"Oh, wait does this mean I was the one summoning the dragons!? Even the evil AND zombie ones!?"
The dragons appeared once she thought about them, although she now has their memories instead of feelings only.
The dragons she summoned hugged her like a human and it scared her. She was more awkward when the dragons started crying though.
Luisa and Dolores cried and hugged her once they realized the cute dragon companions they have were from Mirabel herself.
Boom, done, time to sleep. I lack sleep. I sleep 5-6 hours a day only lol
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marauderundercover · 3 years
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Taking Chances Ch. 2 Finding Out (Family/Friends)
Prev 
AO3
@maribat-bdbwm
“Mari!” Adrien yells, running past Batman to sweep her up in a hug. Marinette’s face instantly heats up, but she buries herself into the hug. After all, it’s not every day she faces a supervillain determined to kill her with a dangerous weapon...without her suit, anyway.
“I’m okay. I’m okay.” Marinette reassures him, relishing in the comfort. A cleared throat makes her jump back and look at Batman who, despite clearing his throat and cutting off the most amazing hug ever, has no emotions on his face. Whatsoever. Cause that’s not intimidating or anything.
“The police will need your statement, Miss Dupain Cheng.” Batman says. Marinette nods, squeaking when Adrien reaches down and entwines his fingers with hers. Following Batman’s directions to the awaiting police, Marinette feels nerves flood her systerm as she sees the sheer number of officers on the other side of the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she feels Adrien squeeze her hand. Shooting him a thankful smile, Marinette uses her unattached hand to open the door and step out into the mess of personnel. A man with a mustache and square glasses steps forward immediately, his hand extended.
“Hello Miss Dupain Cheng. I’m Commissioner Jim Gordon. We were in communication with Batman while he was inside so we heard some of what happened. Would you be comfortable telling us what happened? We can get you checked over by paramedics first, if you want.” Commissioner Gordon says.
“Oh, no, no. I’m fine. I don’t-” She starts to say, but a gruff voice cuts her off.
“She should be examined immediately, Gordon. She may have inhaled smoke from the smoke bombs due to proximity. She also could have burns to her face or ears from Joker’s gun. He shot it and then proceeded to prod her with it.” Batman says, the last part of his ‘report’ slightly more gruff than the first. Was he…..worried about her? Marinette shakes that thought off almost immediately. Why would Batman be worried about her? Wait, was he really going to make her see the paramedics when all she wanted to do was talk to the officers so she could get back to the trip?
“I assure you, Monsieur Batman, Monsieur Gordon, I don’t need to see the paramedics. I’m a little shaky, but that’s all. I mean, I was held at gunpoint. I think shaky is appropriate, non?” Marinette asks, flashing the two a bright smile. Gordon raises an eyebrow and glances at Batman who shakes his head stiffly.
“She gets examined.” He says, leaving no room for questions as he pulls his grappling hook (?!?!) out and retreats to the rooftop.
“You heard the man. We can talk as you’re examined, if you’d prefer. I’m sure you just want to put this whole business behind you.” Commissioner Gordon says kindly. Marinette sighs in relief and nods, smiling again at the man. Hopefully this would be taken care of quickly. --- Bruce Wayne was slightly panicking, though he would never admit it. When reports of the Joker being spotted at the Gotham City Museum of Modern Art first rolled in, he assumed his biggest challenge would be keeping Jason from murdering the clown. He did not expect to see a small girl being held at gunpoint. A girl who looked like a strange mix between his mother, and someone else. But he couldn’t place his- of course. Memories flood his mind as he thinks back to the woman who was so clearly related to the small girl. Bridgette Le. A woman that he, at one time, thought he would be able to spend the rest of his life with. Until she left Gotham and cut off all contact between the two. Oh god. She wouldn’t….would she? --- “I don’t understand why that older paramedic looked like she’d seen a ghost.” Marinette says with a pout as she continues working on the embroidery for a jacket for Jagged. Design never sleeps.
“What d’ya mean?” Adrien asks from his nest of blankets on her bed. Marinette tries to focus on keeping her blush down. Apparently, the attack at the museum had scared Adrien more than her, though she imagined he was scared on her behalf. But she couldn’t quite understand why...nevertheless, he had become attached at her hip and hadn’t left her side since they got back to the hotel. Even though all she really wanted was a little alone time to talk to Tikki. Especially about the chance of the Miraculous Cure working here. Maybe if she was in the battle…
“Didn’t you notice? He was fine til he looked into my eyes and then he got super pale. He looked like he was going to say something, but Monsieur Gordon stopped him before he could.” Marinette recounts, remembering the way the paramedic had to switch out since his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
“I didn’t notice that. That’s weird. Anything else happen like that today?” Adrien asks, finally sitting up and giving her his full attention. Marinette pauses her stitching and purses her lips as she runs the days events back through her head. The paramedic. Batman. Joker. Arriving late to the museum. The cab ride. Being left at the hotel. Coffee-
“Well,” Marinette starts, furrowing her eyebrows as she tries to rationalize the man’s actions in addition to the actions of the paramedic. But something wasn’t adding up. “There was my cab ride to the museum.”
“What happened? Was someone creepy? I can fight them for you!” Adrien offers, a little too cheery. Marinette freezes as she studies his face, searching for something. Adrien had been off all day. More protective than he’d been in awhile. And the few times Lila had spoken, he had scowled at her instead of ignored her. Was he finally coming around to the idea that the high road would not work with Lila? Pushing those thoughts off for another time, Marinette shakes her head.
“No, no. Nothing like that. But as I was leaving, he called me Miss Wayne.” Marinette admits, not expecting Adrien’s uncontrollable laughter.
“He, you, oh my god!” He laughs, clutching his sides. Marinette’s eyebrows furrow in confusion as she sets the jacket down on the desk.
“What?” She asks, completely and totally frustrated with the situation. Adrien laughs for another minute before calming down, wiping tears from his eyes and shooting her a blinding smile. Not his model smile. An actual smile that warms her heart and her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry Mari. It’s just, I think he was referring to the fact that you look like the typical kid Bruce Wayne adopts.” Adrien says and Marinette’s blood freezes.
“Did you say Bruce Wayne?” Marinette asks and Adrien nods, his previous mirth wiped from his face.
“Yeah, Mari, are you okay?” He asks. Marinette nods, then shakes her head, then groans and throws up her arms in frustration.
“I don’t know! I just- you remember how I told you I’m adopted?” She asks. Adrien nods, then stops. A look of mixed terror and awe flooding his face.
“Oh god, Mari. You never told me the name. Your birth father-”
“His name is Bruce Wayne. But there’s gotta be hundreds if not thousands of Bruce Waynes in the US right?” Marinette asks, even as her hope in that idea dwindles.
“The US? He’s confirmed from the US?” Adrien asks, already pulling out his phone.
“Yes. Adrien, what are you doing?” She asks, suddenly worried as she jumps onto the bed next to him, desperately trying to see his phone.
“I’m googling Bruce Wayne and Bridgette Le as a combined search. Wayne is one of the most prominent figures in Gotham, all of his previous relationships have photographic evidence. Except for whoever the mother of his youngest is. But that’s probably because he wasn’t in the country at that time.” Adrien says, typing away furiously on his phone. Marinette’s eyebrow quirks up in amusement.
“Since when were you a master researcher?” She asks with a grin.
“Since one of my best friends found out she’s adopted and it could be the man who hosts the only palatable high society parties. Seriously. And they’d be much better if you were there and-holy shit. Your bio mom looks just like you!” Adrien exclaims, turning the phone to her. Marinette inhales deeply and thanks whatever power there is that she’s not in Paris right now. The emotions running over her at an indescribable speed...not all of them are positive. And they’re all overwhelming as she looks at a picture that very clearly shows her bio mom with Bruce Wayne. As in the Gotham Bruce Wayne. Not a different unknown Bruce Wayne across the country somewhere. Nope. A man who is apparently prominent enough that Monsieur Agreste makes his son go to the man’s parties.
“I don’t suppose she just had a type for men named Bruce Wayne?” Marinette says weakly. This was not what she expected. --- This was exactly what he expected. Looking at the birth records for one Marinette Le, where he’s noted as the father. Though why he wasn’t notified before the girl’s custody was signed over to Sabine Cheng, he’ll never understand. His jaw clenches as he continues reading, eyes scanning over Bridgette’s death certificate before glancing back at Marinette’s birth certificate. A daughter. He had a daughter. Another child that he would never be able to hold when they were small. Another child that grew up without him. Another child that he didn’t meet until they were already a person. Someone with their own experiences individual from his own, someone that may not even know he had found them. And that he wanted nothing more than to get to know someone who was brave enough to stand between the Joker and her friends. Someone who was determined not to let what should have been the most traumatic experience in her life be a set back. He had a daughter. And he wanted to meet her.
***
Next
Note, my headcannon is that the paramedic that panicked did so because he was one of the first responders the night that the Waynes were murdered. And while she looks a lot like her birth mom, Marinette also definitely has Martha Wayne’s eyes and the paramedic could NOT deal. Also, let me know if you want tagged!
Tag List: @jjmjjktth
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melodyofthevoid · 2 years
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Zib turns into a dragon for some reason and he finds little dragon children in a medieval world and has a knight boyfriend
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You bastard you knew I did this already. *sigh* fine.
Fine, you can have it.
Honestly I'll dig up the snippets you insatiable heathen. (affectionate).
Now to make sure I actually send the right one...
Twim ran a hand along the deep gashes in the ground, letting out a sigh. There were perks to his helpful nature, his desire to go above and beyond to provide for others. Then there were times like this where he really wished he were a worse person.
He should not have agreed to track down a dragon on his own, but here he was, deep in the middle of nowhere with more abundant clues coming by the minute that the woods held more life than the tranquil scene implied. But it was strange, many of the reports indicated that this dragon was at the very least somewhat intelligent. Why then were there so many clear signs of occupation?
Was this a trap?
Oh gods this was absolutely a trap.
Twim slowly drew his sword, creeping forward through the brush. A branch snapped, directing his attention to the noise, coming from a thick bush. He steadied his breathing, readying for an attack. At the very least he’d go down fighting. The rustling grew louder, spiking Twim’s heart rate with each oncoming step.
A small rabbit jumped from the bush, making Twim laugh. Honestly he spent too much time worrying.
“Hey little guy,” Twim knelt down, holding out a hand for the animal to sniff, “you frightened me a bit. Almost thought you were a dragon of all things…”
“I don’t believe that I’m that small, but I appreciate the effort.”
“What-“
Before Twim could finish his thought, something heavy collided with the back of his head, and in a flash of white it all went black.
The knight came to painfully, vision swimming with sparks and colors. The warmth of the midday sun had left, the air much cooler. He stuck a hand out underneath him, expecting grass and dirt, but finding stone instead. More details filled in as Twim tried to focus on the area around him, dark stone and stalagmites lining the floor, the glitter of what appeared to be glass shining in the little light that filtered through. Dread pooled in his stomach as he reached for his sword, only to find it missing.
“So, you’re the poor sap they sent out to kill me?”
Twim jumped, turning to yell at his captor before falling short, the words dying in his mouth. He’d expected a… well. A dragon. A beast. This was… almost human. The creature resembled a man, bipedal, two arms, a head, hair, but he (Twim at least assumed he was a he), was just as inhuman. His skin was lined with deep purple scales in vein-like patterns, pair of black wings, with bright violet membranes stretched behind him, a tail laced with spines lashed and writhed behind him. Almost hidden by hair, but not quite, a crown of horns rose, and a lazy smile revealed sharpened fangs, spiking Twim’s heart into overdrive once more.
“What, no witty quips? No threats? Cat got your tongue, oh brave knight?”
No thoughts came to his mind, sheer panicked adrenaline clouding any rational thought. Though how much help rational thought would be when faced with a dragon was dubious at best. So Twim went with what he did whenever he was at a loss.
“I- uh- hello?“
The menace faded slightly from the dragon’s expression, replaced by bewilderment.
“Hello. That’s what you’re going with?”
Twim flushed, “Well it doesn’t hurt to be polite…”
The laugh he got in return was almost mocking, but there was a levity to it that at least made Twim think he wasn’t going to be immediately eviscerated. Which was a plus. He’d like to keep his organs intact today.
“I suppose that it doesn’t. Most people would either run and scream or try to attack, but you didn’t. I’ll admit I’m curious.”
“W-well you could’ve killed me when I was unconscious, but you didn’t. So- so I figured that I could at least… try?”
Twim’s captor hummed, “I think I like you, so “sir knight”, do you have a name?”
“T-Twim. May I ask your name?”
“Zib,” amber eyes looked Twim up and down again, “You don’t strike me as much of a fighter, what brings you here? If you really aren’t planning on killing me I would like to know why.”
“I was just supposed to be tracking you… the locals were getting a bit upset with the loss of livestock so they asked for help. I didn’t really expect to uh- well. Find you.”
“And now you have, so what do you plan to do?”
That made Twim pause. What would he do now? It wasn’t like he could just hand Zib over, Zib was a person, just as much as anyone else. Sure he had wings and fangs but who cared? He was also rather handsome but that was besides the point. He couldn’t exactly bring him back in handcuffs, they’d kill him. Twim couldn’t… he couldn’t live with himself.
“Well, I don’t want to turn you in, but those farmers need their flocks. It wouldn’t be right to-“
Zib let out a snarl, flaring his wings out.
“Excuse me for needing to survive, Twim. Most people aren’t exactly lining up to trade food with someone like me.”
“What if… what if they traded with me?”
“Excuse me, what?”
The gears started turning in Twim’s mind, connecting the dots of what could charitably be called a plan. This could work.
“Yeah! I mean, I work in the capital but I could, I don’t know, transfer somewhere else, somewhere quieter. I could buy food and supplies for you there, and you’d never have to go hungry again!”
Zib’s tail swished slightly against the ground, a blush spreading across Zib’s cheeks. Gods why did the dragon have to be cute- He was a dragon. Still, Twim wanted to see that blush again as soon as humanly possible.
“You… you would do that? For me? I don’t understand.”
“What can I say, I like to be helpful. Obviously you don’t have to or anything this probably sounds really suspicious-“
“I could… have food… real food… do you think I could have one of those little… what are they called, they have the white covering, sometimes fruit…”
“Cakes?”
“Cakes! Yes! Could I eat one of those?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Yes!”
Conversation turned to the logistics, and Twim for once, couldn’t help but be glad he was helping. It would be worth it. He hoped.
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bakugoukatsukiswife · 4 years
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You’re Mine
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A/N: NONE OF Y’ALL COME FOR ME FOR THIS HEADER THING LMAO. I really wanted to use it for this fic cause it involves a jealous Bakugou haha. I’m very proud of this fic so I hope you guys enjoy!
Pairing: Bakugou x f!reader
Words: 3,404
Warnings: Choking, hair pulling, degradation, spanking, quirk use. Rough sex. Smut. 
Tags: @smol-enby​ @myherowritings​ @lordexplosionsextra​ 
You and Bakugou had a very loving relationship, even though he was constantly busy as a pro hero, he still made time for you. He was pretty stubborn and could have you boiling with sheer frustration at how he acted, with his cocky attitude that hadn’t really changed since high school. As much as you loved being with him though and admired how attentive he was to you, there were times when he could really drive you up the wall with how he acted. You two butted heads frequently, he was an asshole but you loved him and couldn’t imagine a future without him. You knew he cared about you, from the way he would cook you dinner on his days off when you had a long day at work or just craved his cooking in general; him staying in bed to cuddle you for a few more minutes when you begged him not to leave, having movie nights with you in matching pjs even though you knew matching pjs were not his thing. He did these things cause he loved you, you knew that. Or did you? 
Him being the famous pro hero Ground Zero took up a lot of his time. From press conferences, to working overtime and everything in between, you guys barely had time to slow down and enjoy each other’s presence like you used to. By the time you had picked out matching pjs and popped popcorn for movie night, Bakugou would be passed out on the couch. You tried your best to not be upset about it, you knew that Bakugou was working his hardest to keep Japan safe. But there was always a little voice in the back of your head telling you different. Bakugou went from whistling in appreciation when you would walk by him in a cute outfit to barely acknowledging your presence when you came in from work and he was playing video games with Kiri and Kaminari. 
“Babe?” You questioned and Bakugou’s red eyes that were always a comfort focused on you-for a brief second. 
“Hmm?” Bakugou questioned as his attention went back to the game. 
“Want to watch a movie together?” You questioned hopefully and Bakugou nodded. 
“Yeah let me finish this match up and then we can, baby.” Bakugou answered and you sat down on the couch, a smile spreading across your face. Finally, after weeks you and your boyfriend would be able to have some quality time together. 
One match turned into three. You stalked off to the bedroom-not that Katsuki would have noticed. You passed out shortly after laying down, and woke back up around 2 in the morning, heart sinking slightly when you heard Bakugou still playing games. You heard your phone chime and looked to see that you had a notification from Izuku Midoriya and you smiled to yourself as you looked at the text. You and Izuku had always been close friends since you two were kids; in UA you both drifted apart as you strived to become the best heroes you could and you started dating Bakugou at the time as well. You and Izuku still talked from time to time, but it was in passing. You needed someone to vent to about how you had been feeling about Katsuki though and besides Mina, you knew Izuku was always there to listen to your troubles even if you two had drifted. 
Izuku was sweet like that. 
Anger subsided, you made plans to go out to grab a bite to eat with him tomorrow and just catch up before passing back out. Not like Bakugou was going to come to bed, anyway. 
You woke up the next morning and pulled out a cute sundress, admiring it in the mirror before changing into it. You went to the bathroom and fixed up your appearance before pausing. Why were you getting dressed up? This was just a casual bite to eat, that’s all. You slipped some shoes on, faintly smelling breakfast wafting from the kitchen just before Bakugou stepped in the bedroom. He had on sweatpants that hung low on his hips, a happy trail disappearing in the sweats and your eyes trailed up his muscular form to look at his handsome face that you loved so much. He took in your outfit and cocked a brow. 
“You going somewhere?” He asked, coming over to you to wrap his arms around you. 
“Mhmm, I’m going to go out and eat with a friend,” you say, making sure to not mention the friend was Izuku Midoriya. Bakugou would go feral at that. 
“Oh well I made breakfast to make up for last night. I’m sorry, the boys wouldn’t leave me alone about playing a game.” Bakugou apologized and you could tell he was sincere as he placed a kiss on your cheek. Guilt panged in your stomach but you quickly willed it away. Why were you feeling bad? He was the one who wasn’t paying attention to you, you knew if you brought this up to him too, he would just get upset. 
“Mhmm. If I wasn’t going to eat, I would eat what you made. It smells delicious.” You said as you gave Bakugou a kiss before leaving the house to go out to eat with Izuku. You weren’t doing anything wrong, just going to see an old friend. That Bakugou absolutely hated. 
You arrived at the cafe, seeing Izuku’s bright green hair from the window and you smiled. You stepped out, the comforting smell of coffee and pastries calming you as you stepped inside to greet the man. His eyes meet yours and he quickly stands up to wrap you in a hug. 
“(Y/N), it’s so good to see you.” Izuku says and your heart warms at his soft voice in your ear before he pulls away. You both sit down in the booth before he hands you a drink and you realize that it’s your favorite coffee drink-he had never forgotten. 
Bakugou clicked his tongue as he looked down at his third unread text he had sent you as he walked into the break room where Kaminari and Kirishima were. 
“Hey man, I thought you took today off to spend the day with (Y/N).” Kirishima said and Bakugou shrugged as he adjusted his hero gear. 
“I did but she went out to eat, so I came here to make a little extra cash.” Bakugou said but what Kaminari said next made his blood freeze. 
“Oh yeah, Mina told me she was going out to eat with Izuku today.” Denki said and Kirishima’s eyes widened when Bakugou slammed his locker shut, his hands gripping at the metal tightly. 
“She what?” Bakugou growled as he turned around, his eyes glowing like fire and the heroes stepped back-both were all too familiar with the hothead and his temper. “She went out to eat with Deku?” Bakugou spat out, his eyes dark as he gripped his phone tightly. It’s not like he cared that you were out with a guy, hell you went out on “dates” with Kirishima and Kaminari all the time. But this was Izuku, and he knew that the nerd had feelings for you. Anyone could. You were Katsuki’s, and the fact that you went out to see the stupid nerd had his blood boiling. He stepped away to call you, and after the second attempt you finally picked up the phone. 
“Why the hell are you out with Deku?” He asked, not caring if he could be heard through the line. 
“Because, I can.” You shot back and Bakugou’s grip on his phone tightened. 
“I took off work so we could spend time together-.” Bakugou started but you cut him off with a laugh. 
“Oh really? Cause that’s the first time you’ve put any effort into doing anything in our relationship lately. I’m tired of you not treating me like you used to, Katsuki.” You said and Bakugou’s stomach twisted. You never said his first name unless it was serious, you always called him babe or Suki. What he wouldn’t give to hear that right now instead. 
“(Y/N)...” Bakugou started but you stopped him with a sigh. 
“I really don’t want to do this over the phone Katsuki. It’s my fault for not saying anything about this sooner. We can talk more when I get home,” you said before hanging up. Bakugou looked at his phone, guilt coursing through him. Fuck he really messed up. 
“U-uh is everything okay, (Y/N)?” Izuku asked and you nodded, a small smile on your face. 
“Yeah, just had to take care of that. I’m good.” You lied, your stomach twisting with nerves. Time passed by for hours but felt like minutes as you and Izuku continued to talk, both of you trading stories of how hero work has kept you guys busy. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket and you noticed it was Kirishima. 
“Hey Kiri, what’s up?” You asked him, hearing as Kirishima shushed Denki in the background. 
“Hey (Y/N)! Um… we wanted to let you know that Bakugou got hit with a quirk today and he had to go home early. We figured we would call and let you know cause it’s not something anyone can really treat except you,” Kirishima finished off awkwardly and you cocked your head. 
“What do you mean?” You asked and Kirishima chuckled as he coughed awkwardly. 
“Well the idiot was blowing off steam after your phone call with him and he rushed headfirst into an attack. It was a sex quirk. We don’t know how long it will last and medicine won’t really help it,” Kirishima said and you could tell he was scratching the back of his neck awkwardly like he always did when he was nervous. 
“O-oh. Okay, I can take care of that.. I guess.” You said before hanging up the phone, a blush on your cheeks. It’s not like you and Bakugou didn’t have sex… the sex you guys did have was mind-blowing. But you guys hadn’t had proper sex in a few weeks-almost months, and you didn’t really expect to be having it because he had been hit with a sex quirk. 
“I’m so sorry Izuku, but I have to go home. Katsuki got… injured on the job.” You said and Izuku’s eyes widened as he waved his hands in understanding. 
“Oh no! I totally understand. Let me know how he’s feeling later, okay?” Izuku said before giving you a hug goodbye. 
You went to your car and your heart pounded in your throat when you saw that you had a few calls and texts you had missed from Bakugou. 
Angry baby 7:49 PM
(Y/N), I need you to come home. Now. 
Angry baby: 7:50 PM
(Y/N), I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’m sorry. Just come home. Need you. 
You quickly pulled out of the parking lot, heart hammering in your chest as you made it to the house and noticed Bakugou’s car parked rather carelessly in the driveway. You got out and made your way inside, darkness embracing you as you shut the door. 
“Katsuki?” You call out, seeing faint light in the bedroom. You walk into the bedroom, jumping when the door shuts behind you but before you can react properly, you’re pressed against the wall and fiery red eyes meet yours. 
You gasp when Katsuki’s hand threads into your hair, fingers gripping at the locks as he pulls. Hard. You let out a small whimper as his other hand comes to grip your jaw, pointer and thumb coaxing your lips apart. 
“You,” Bakugou pants out, his breath fanning against your face as he looks down at you. “You are in so much trouble, baby girl.” You can feel how hard he is, the fabric of his sweatpants straining to keep his cock contained as he presses open mouthed kisses to your neck. 
“K-Katsuki, I-ah!” you start, a cry escaping your mouth as your thoughts are turned to mush when Bakugou bites down on your neck. His hand that is still in your hair tugs slightly as he sucks at the inflamed skin. A growl rumbles from his throat as he picks you up, carrying you as if you weigh nothing. 
“No talking. You’ve been bad and I’m going to punish that slutty pussy of yours,” Bakugou says, his voice dropping an octave lower as he grabs the front of your dress. The room fills with the sound of fabric ripping as he tears the dress off of you. You start to protest but you take a better look at Bakugou and see that his body is glistening with sweat, his breathing seems to be slightly labored and guilt floods your system. Sure, Bakugou can rush headfirst into things, but it’s only really when he is really upset. You not talking to him about things and expressing your feelings caused a rift between you. You wanted things to work out between you and Katsuki. 
You felt as Katsuki’s rough yet gentle hands traveled down to your underwear, his thumb rubbing circles on your clit. You let out a moan as your back arched slightly at Bakugou’s hands on you. He removed your underwear before kneeling down to admire your soaked cunt. 
“I know this quirk is making me want to fuck your brains out right now, but I really want to eat this pretty pussy out first.” He said, his lips going to leave marks on your thigh and your hands automatically went to his unruly blonde hair. A groan left his mouth when you tugged slightly and he made quick work of his tongue. Lewd noises of him licking, slurping and biting filled the air as he inserted two fingers into your tight hole. You started to move your hips against Katsuki, your clit dragging along his tongue deliciously as he finger-fucked your cunt, causing your walls to clench around his digits. 
“K-Katsuki.. I’m fixing to c-cum.” You manage to squeak out and Katsuki lets out a chuckle. 
“That’s it, baby. Cum all over my face.” Bakugou says as he dives back in, his tongue flicking at the small bundle of nerves. Your orgasm washes over you in waves and you moan as you ride it out, your slick coating Bakugou’s chin and mouth as his red eyes meet yours, a smirk forming on his face. 
He lifts up to give himself a few pumps to coat his dick with his pre as he wipes your slick off his face, using his dick to gently tap at your entrance before pushing inside. A moan escapes the both of you as Bakugou hovers over you, his lips going to latch at the skin of your neck as he starts to thrust inside of you. 
“I’m not going to hold back, just know that right now.” Bakugou growls in your ear before hooking your legs around his waist with one hand while the other goes to wrap around your neck like it was made for your throat-almost like a necklace. He squeezes slightly, drawing out a choked moan from you before he slips two fingers in your mouth, digits pressing your tongue down to keep your mouth open. 
“Keep that pretty little mouth of yours open,” Bakugou says before he purses his lips, slowly allowing his saliva to fall from his lips and into your mouth. You let out a whine as his spit hits your tongue and his cock drags along your walls when you clench. 
“Fuck baby,” Bakugou moans, his teeth latching on your skin again as his thrusts get faster, harder. “You’re going to take this cock like the filthy slut you are. You like this cock going deep inside? Yeah, deep inside that tight little hole of yours.” Bakugou growls as his fingers stay on your tongue, causing drool to seep at the corners of your mouth. His teeth dig into your skin and you let out a whine. “I’m marking you fucking everywhere. You’re fucking mine. All mine,” Bakugou’s voice drops lower, almost feral as he picks up the pace even faster. You feel your toes curl into the sheets as his dick kisses the sweet spot inside of you; sending you towards your second orgasm. You clench around him as you moan out his name, your juices coating his cock as you release a second time that night. Bakugou’s hips stutter as he lets out a groan, shooting out hot ropes of cum to paint your walls white. 
He pulls out of you and motions for you to flip over. He cocks his head and raises an eyebrow when your eyes widen. 
“Oh, you thought we were done? We’re nowhere near done, princess.” Bakugou chuckles before grabbing your hips and flipping you over. His hands grip at your hips, fingers leaving indents as he wraps a hand around your waist; prodding his cockhead at your enterance before slipping inside smoothly. A moan leaves his lips as you move back against him, his lips leaving kisses along your back. 
“Fuck, (Y/N). You feel fucking amazing, shit.” He moans out, his free hand going to tangle in your hair again and pull slightly. You let out a whimper when you feel a heat course through you at Bakugou licking a stripe from your neck up to your ear. “You’re all mine,” he growls out, and you feel as his fingers dig sharper into your waist as he thrusts into you. “No one can fuck you as good as I can. You were made for me and only me. I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk for weeks.” 
Your body shudders in pleasure at his words alone as he continues to move inside of you. The sounds of Bakugou’s growls and your whimpers fill the room as he keeps fucking you and you feel absolutely full. You hear a sudden smack before your brain registers that Bakugou has spanked you. 
“Again, please Katsuki,” you whine and Bakugou smirks, you can feel it on your neck. 
“Oh? You want me to spank that cute ass of yours again?” He teases, his tone slightly amused. 
“Yes! Please Katsuki. Use your quirk…” you mumble out, making him chuckle as he cocks his head. 
“Hmm? Couldn’t hear you over the sound of me fucking you. What was that?” He teased and you felt your face heat up. 
“Use your quirk on my ass, please!” You blurted out. That was all he needed to hear before you heard the small pops of Bakugou’s quirk being used, his hand connecting with your ass. You let out a sound between a yelp and a moan and Bakugou did it again. 
“You’re such a filthy girl for wanting me to use my quirk on you. Such a filthy, naughty girl.” Bakugou said before spanking your ass again. It stung, but it was a pleasant feeling. 
“Fuck. Katsuki… I’m about to….” You whimper before letting out a choked moan when Katsuki slaps your ass again, causing your orgasm to wash over you once more as you fall forward on your elbows to keep your spent body up. Katsuki grips your hips again as he moves faster into you, strings of curses leaving his mouth as he cums again. His cum slowly starts to seep out of you and onto the sheets, making Bakugou smirk as he pushes it back inside with his fingers. 
“You look so pretty filled with my cum, baby.” Bakugou says as he gets off the bed, coming back to you with aloe vera and a washcloth. You notice his eyes aren’t glazed over anymore and he seems to be back to normal again. Thank goodness. He cleans you off and gently applies the aloe vera to your ass before climbing back into bed with you, gently wrapping you up in his arms. 
“(Y/N)... I’m so sorry I haven’t been as attentive. You’re my everything and I’ll continue to prove that to you everyday to make up for these past few weeks. I love you.” Katsuki says softly as he looks into your eyes, his red eyes sincere and you feel your heart soar. 
“I love you too, Katsuki.” You say happily as he presses a kiss to your forehead before wrapping you up in his arms.
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ragingbookdragon · 3 years
Text
The Four Corpsmen And Their Cheerleader
Lanternsis x Lanternfamily One-Shot
Word Count: 1.3K Warnings: Explicit Language
Author's Note: I am obsessed with the Blue Lanterns you guys. Like they're legit my favorites. And since blue and green rings work best with one another...here's a story of that happening! Enjoy! -Thorne
**********************************************************************
The guys were at their wits end against the troop of Yellow Lanterns; which wasn’t a common occurrence—being at their wits end that is, Yellow Lantern attacks were actually fairly common. Kyle winced as another barrage of yellow energy blasts hit the construct he’d formed; the eyes of the other two Lanterns turned to him.
“You good, Kyle?” Guy asked, pressing his own hand to the construct to pour power into it.
He nodded, though the strain was evident on his face. “Yeah, I’m good.” He shut his eyes and forced another surge of power into the construct, keeping it up and around them. “Have a plan yet, John?”
Their leader shot a quick glance from the side. “Hal’s keeping them busy at the moment, but his fly-boy distractions are only going to last for so long.” He looked at them. “We need to—”
“Coming in hot!” They all looked towards their rings at the voice and then Hal darted over the side, grunting when a yellow flash shot him in the side. He sunk down the construct wall. “Okay,” he breathed out in shock. “New plan because distraction’s gone out the window as of now.” He glanced at Guy. “Kick their asses?”
Guy snorted, cracking his fists. “Thought you’d never ask, Jordan.” His green eyes fell on John. “Any big speeches before we go in?”
John merely grinned but before he could speak, a scream pierced from behind the construct wall, and everyone shot each other confused glances because no one had moved or formed a new construct besides the wall guarding them. Kyle warned them as he dropped the barrier and they all saw a blue figure darting between the yellow suited Lanterns.
A nova of aqua shot out from the mysterious person as they flew towards them and they rose, the blue cape billowing around them as they cheekily grinned, “I thought we agreed that the four corpsmen needed a cheerleader?”
Hal matched their smirk. “(Y/N)! What are you doing here!”
She merely raised her hand and cool aura surrounded them as their rings recharged, powers surging to the highest levels without overpowering them. “Well, it seems I’m bailing my big brother and his best friends out of trouble.” (Y/N) turned and raised her hands, surrounding her own body with an aura. “Leave now or face the four corpsmen and a Blue Lantern!”
The fear-wielders practically hissed at her, and she tipped her chin up. “Corpsmen! To me!”
“We’ve so gotta talk about you thinking you’re bigger than us,” Kyle griped, even as he flew to her right just as she’d ordered; she snorted as Hal took her left, Guy and John on either side of the other two men.
“Please, I don’t think, Kyle.” She winked at him. “I hope.” Reaching down, she took Kyle and Hal’s hands. “Mind if I borrow some power?”
They merely smiled in return, and she shut her eyes, drawing deep from the well of hope inside her. She let the power flow evenly between the men holding her hands who in turn took Guy and John’s hands, letting the power even between the five of them.
“In fearful day, in raging night, with strong hearts full, our souls ignite…” The Green Lanterns beside her joined in on the oath, all speaking in unison, mighty and powerful. “When all seems lost in the War of Light, look to the stars—” (Y/N) opened her eyes and they glowed a beautiful blue. “For hope burns bright!”
The cosmos seemed to still as the power exploded from their bodies, and they watched as strong green and blue arcs echoed outwards. The Yellow Lanterns across the expanse of space screamed as the waves hit them and soon, they were turning around and fleeing.
Satisfied that their enemy had been defeated, she let go of their hands and rose a few feet up and away from them, a mile-long grin on her face. “Now that that’s over with…how about we go back to Coast City and hit a bar?”
Each of them smiled and nodded at the idea, when suddenly Kyle pointed. “(Y/N) look out!”
She barely had time to spin around when the space around her warped and a Yellow Lantern came into sight. A gasp escaped her as they thrust out the construct blade in their hand into her gut and she bent forward. The men around her shouted and instantly the enemy was being yanked off her, probably being pummeled into a pulp, but all she was concerned about was the fizzling blade that disappeared from her gut.
Someone put their hand against her stomach, and she collapsed into their arms, realizing it was Kyle. “Hey, I’ve got you,” he worried, pressing tight to her abdomen. “You’re going to be okay, (Y/N).”
“Don’t get blood on your suit,” she joked, and he frowned at her, concentrating hard to heal the wound.
“Don’t make me laugh right now. This is serious.” He gazed into her eyes, whispering, “I can’t lose you.”
(Y/N) took his hand and forced him to look into her eyes. “Kyle Rayner, you needn’t be afraid when I’m here. Even if I’m wounded.” She smiled and leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. “Fear is merely the belief of imminent demise.” She shut her eyes and exhaled, the pulsing blue aura coming again as they held each other. “Hope, however, is the belief of imminent success. And I will always believe that.”
The aura was blinding and even the other men had to shield their eyes as it grew brighter and brighter, lasting for what seemed like forever, then it faded and (Y/N) stood before them, healed, as if she’d never experienced the wound—though her suit was new.
A deep blue, off the shoulder, long-sleeved dress/leotard that parted down the middle of her chest and back, turning sheer as it flowed down at her hips. Her gloves had morphed too, now a silver ring around her middle as the white sleeve stretched up her arm; her boots differed too, no longer closed around her feet. Instead, a silver ring was around her second toe, sapphires on the silver chain that wrapped around her ankle and calves. Her head was adorned with a silver and sapphire diadem, and around her neck was a silver band, and in the center was the symbol for the Blue Lanterns, growing bright as the day she received her ring.
(Y/N) opened her eyes and smiled, holding out her hand to Kyle. “Beloved.”
He matched her smile and pulled her into a hug, lifting her in the air—well, the space around them—and breathed, “(Y/N), you look like a goddess.”
“I’m your goddess,” she murmured, placing her hands on his shoulders.
They seemed to be lost in their own little world of love and devotion, and Guy blinked, looking over at John. “It’s so sweet, I almost don’t want to warn them that Hal here is about to blow his afterburner.” John cracked a toothy grin as Hal exploded in anger.
“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE FUCK I’M LOOKING AT! BECAUSE IF IT’S ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS AND MY PRECIOUS BABY SISTER I’M LEGITIMATELY GOING TO COMMIT MURDER! QUIT FUCKING LAUGHING GUY! IT’S NOT FUCKING FUNNY, YOU DICK! WAIT! DID YOU FUCKING KNOW ABOUT THIS!”
John rested his hand on Hal’s shoulder. “Hal…everyone knows about Kyle and (Y/N).”
“WHAT?!”
“Yeah, why do you think the two of them always ‘patrol’ together?” Guy asked.
“WELL, I DON’T KNOW! MAYBE BECAUSE OUR RINGS WORK BEST IN THE PRESENCE OF A BLUE RING, GUY! AND MAYBE I JUST ASSUMED THEY WERE SUPPORTING AND ENCOURAGING EACH OTHER!”
Guy snorted. “Yeah, ‘encouraging’. More like fuck—”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP! KYLE YOU’RE DEAD!”
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teawaffles · 3 years
Text
Albert’s Drinking Contest: Chapter 3 / End
Note: Some language.
“G-Goddammit……”
“No way, how……?”
Roughly twenty minutes had passed.
And with their glasses in hand, Moran and Louis were both gasping in agony.
Once the match had resumed, the three participants had attacked their glasses, consuming drink after drink like a surging tide. Now that Louis had been saved the trouble of approaching the other two time and again to fill their glasses, the rate at which the wine now entered them had seen a remarkable jump.
Although Louis was not a strong drinker to begin with, his sheer determination to prevail had allowed him to keep pace with his veteran opponents: at this point, he’d already downed a comparable portion of wine.
However, even mental willpower had its limits. Back when he’d consumed his twentieth glass, the intoxication had hit Louis like a brick, and a wave of dizziness swamped him. From then on, Louis had placed his spectacles on the table, and repeatedly rubbed the inner corners of his eyes in a bid to chase away that sense of vertigo.
Now, Louis was attempting his thirtieth glass of wine since he’d entered the match. In other words, Moran and Albert had already drunk an astonishing 51 glasses.
Even as they moaned like spirits of the dead, both Louis and Moran tried to fill their glasses for the next round; but the hands that held those glasses kept trembling, and wine spilled onto the table many times over.
“——This is truly an excellent wine. With this flavour, I can enjoy myself twice as much.”
On the other hand, Albert was still in perfect shape.
Having long finished preparing his next glass, Albert looked at his two opponents, barely able to hold their own glasses, as if watching them from on high.
Despite having consumed an extraordinary quantity of alcohol, he was still unperturbed, and enjoying the taste of the wine. With unfocused eyes, Louis turned to look at his oldest brother.
“Ha, haha — as expected of you, nii-sama.”
In the face of this overwhelming presence, his own powerlessness seemed almost hilarious in comparison, and he chuckled as if he’d given up.
“This isn’t, the time to be, laughing, Louis……”
Moran thumped his back, in an effort to coax some life back into him. But that gesture was much too weak, and looked as though he was simply trying to soothe a badly drunk man.
Yet perhaps that move had worked, for then, Louis knocked back his entire glass. Following suit, both Moran and Albert drained their glasses too.
“Well then, we’ve finally reached the thirtieth glass.”
Watching the three of them, William announced the tally with dispassion. But at this point, it wasn’t clear if his voice had even reached Louis and Moran.
Having reached a nice round number, it seemed Louis was starting to loosen up. With the last ounces of his strength, he turned his head, and looked at Moran beside him.
“Mr Moran. My apologies, but it looks like, this is my end……”
“Wha…… Oi, hang in there, Louis!”
But his desperate plea went unanswered. The moment Louis uttered those final words, just like Fred, he slumped onto the table.
“L-Louis……”
Half-dazed, Moran mumbled the name of the fallen — and William swiftly appeared by his brother’s side.
“You’ll catch a cold if you fall asleep here, Louis.”
Gently, he tucked the blanket he’d prepared around Louis’s shoulders.
Albert looked on in concern.
“William, is Louis alright?” he asked.
“Yeah, it seems he’s just asleep for now.”
“…………”
The two brothers looked on at their youngest sibling, now keeled over; but even as Moran too fretted over his condition, a sense of admiration and gratitude towards the man had grown within him. Despite being drawn into the match, Louis had pressed on and fought alongside him to get this far. If Moran himself hadn’t been so sozzled, he would even have wanted to give the man a huge round of applause.
However, even those ardent emotions dwindled with time. For Moran was now back to square one — as the only player standing up to Albert — and that lonesome despair weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Here was an opponent so tough, that even someone who’d joined halfway had been no match for him.
That raw power sent a chill down Moran’s back. Desperately trying to hold his vision steady, he glared at Albert.
“……How the hell are you still alive?”
Through his hazy consciousness, Moran barely managed to utter that one phrase. Although it’d come from his own lips, to him, it sounded as if it’d been said by someone else far away.
Albert shifted his gaze from Louis to Moran.
“It’s not so surprising, is it? I just genuinely enjoy drinking wine, Colonel.”
“This is no longer in the realm of ‘enjoyment’, innit……”
Perhaps his inebriation had finally tipped over into delirium: at that moment, the sight of Albert lounging with a glass in hand looked almost like that of the devil.
And finally, that time had come.
“Oh, shit——”
In his final moments, with every last ounce of strength he had within him, Moran uttered that cheap curse.
And in an instant, as if someone had flipped a switch — he blacked out. Like a marionette whose strings had been cut, he collapsed onto the table in front of Albert, and began to snore loudly.
“Looks like…… it’s settled, then.”
Watching the sleeping figures of Fred, Louis, and now Moran, William announced the end of the match.
And thus, on this memorable night, the drinking contest had ended in complete victory for the preternaturally strong Albert.
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“……Mm?”
Around thirty minutes after that, Fred — who’d been the first to drop out — opened his bleary eyes.
Blinking, he slowly sat up, and saw Moran and Louis fast asleep in a row beside him, with blankets wrapped around their shoulders. Why Louis too?, he thought; but seeing that sight before him, at the very least, he somehow understood that the match was over.
Perhaps it was inevitable, but it had ended in a crushing defeat for Moran, Louis and him.
“Good morning, Fred; though the sun hasn’t risen yet.”
Someone called out to him from the side — by reflex, Fred’s gaze snapped toward the voice, and he saw William smiling gently at him, seated in the same spot from earlier. Beside him was Albert.
“……How long has it been?”
Since he already knew how the match had turned out, for now, still a little groggy, Fred enquired as to how long he’d been unconscious.
“It’s been around thirty minutes since the end of the match. So that makes it around two hours since you passed out,” said William. “It’s past midnight now.”
That voice had a somewhat comforting note to it, as if he was worried for Fred, who’d just awakened from the depths of drunkenness.
Then Albert — who was still enjoying his wine — spoke up in concern.
“Still, the colonel has done this time and again without learning his lesson. Even though wine is a luxury to be savoured and enjoyed.”
“Although you’ve beaten him every time, it seems that argument has yet to persuade him otherwise.”
Looking at Albert, who seemed to be functioning perfectly despite everything, William shrugged in amazement.
Fred had no clue as to how exactly how much wine Albert had ended up drinking; but from the wryness of William’s smile, he could at least tell that it was an amount beyond an ordinary person’s imagination.
Once again, Fred reflected on how it’d been a mistake in itself to challenge this monster to a fight.
“Although Moran seems to have given it his all this time around, as I thought: he was no match for you, nii-san.”
As if narrating Fred’s thoughts, William looked back on the outcome of the battle. Then, Albert picked up a bottle that still contained some liquor.
“Won’t you join me for a bit, William? Just to enjoy the wine.”
Despite having consumed a copious amount of alcohol, Albert was still game for more. But William waved a hand in refusal.
“I won’t. Anyway, I already had my fill over dinner.”
“That’s a pity; now that it’s just the two of us, I’d wanted to discuss its flavour at length with you.”
Saying that, Albert tilted his glass, and gently brought it to his lips. That gesture looked almost as if it’d been calculated down to the millimetre — the atmosphere surrounding him truly befitted that of a British aristocrat.
“…………”
William, the pivotal intellect of their organisation, and Albert, who was speaking to him.
Gazing vacantly at the two men, a thought suddenly struck Fred.
——How did this man come to be what he was today?
Albert had been born and raised as a noble — in this stratified society, he was considered part of the upper class.
But despite the position bestowed upon him by his birth, he had not sunk into the degenerate practices of the nobility; instead, his heart ached for the twisted nature of their country, and he wished to overturn it from its very foundations.
And the catalyst for all that, had been the two brothers he’d picked up.
Rather than indulging in their social positions and means, the Moriarty brothers instead refined their intellect and abilities with unyielding force of will, thus turning themselves into the “Lord of Crime” — an existence working in the shadows of Britain’s underworld.
Fred looked at Louis, asleep to his side, and then at William and Albert, who were engaged in conversation.
It was almost as if they’d been destined to meet.
——Could I, too, get closer to them?
Despite not being related by blood, Albert saw William and Louis as his brothers — the bonds between them were strong. In that case, perhaps Fred’s relationship with them could become even closer than what it was now.
Secretly, that thought blossomed in Fred’s heart.
“Well then, it’s getting late, so we should call it a night. Seeing as they’re asleep, what should we do with Louis and the colonel?”
Paying no heed to Fred’s longing gaze, Albert drained the last of his wine, and calmly got to his feet. Remaining seated, William spoke.
“Since they’re so soundly asleep, I’d hate to rouse them; let’s leave them be a while longer.”
“I see. Then I shall remain as well.”
Listening in to their conversation, all of a sudden, Fred remembered the important agreement that’d been made at the start of the match.
Nervously, he asked after Albert.
“Um, since I’ve lost, I suppose the forfeit will fall on me too……?”
Simply owing to the fact that he’d participated in the drinking contest, as one of the defeated parties, Fred had resigned himself to accepting the loser’s penalty.
However, Albert smiled.
“Aah, no need to worry about that. As you know, this match is a personal matter between the colonel and myself; I’m sorry you got caught up in it.”
“N-no, you don’t have to apologise. Even though it was a rather sudden turn of events, it was still my own decision to participate.”
At that unexpected apology, Fred waved both hands weakly. But Albert kept up that elegant smile of his as he continued.
“You don’t have to concern yourself with the forfeit. Well, even if I were fine with him doing it, the colonel would just be a right bother; so I’d be grateful if you could just tidy up the glasses we’ve used tonight.”
“T-Thank you very much.”
Having expected a bigger penalty, Fred was grateful for Albert’s magnanimity. In his heart, he heaved a sigh of relief, and proceeded to clear the glasses.
As he did so, Albert turned to look at Louis, who was still fast asleep.
“And since Louis was also caught up in this, I’ll exempt him as well.”
Then his focus shifted to Moran, who was slumped beside Louis.
“……Instead, I suppose I’ll have to give the colonel a proper punishment.”
“…………”
Although his voice had been calm, a disquieting feeling lingered around those words. Hearing that, even the agile Fred had unwittingly stopped in his tracks.
In place of Fred, whose face had paled, William asked after Albert with a wry smile.
“Nii-san, exactly what kind of punishment will you be giving him?”
Albert’s tone remained calm as always.
“Let’s keep that a secret for now. But no matter what it’ll be, I’m sure all of you can look forward to it.”
Saying that, Albert smiled. It was elegant to a fault.
“…………”
As he took the empty glasses, Fred looked at the sleeping Moran.
He’d set up this contest of his own accord: he had it coming for him. And yet, as Fred thought about what lay in store tomorrow for the man he saw as an older brother, he couldn’t help but feel a little sorry.
Just like this, the night to commemorate the founding of MI6, had drawn to a close.
T/N: …Do I really want to know what Albert’s gonna make him do? (ohoho)
Translator’s notes
Drinking capacities
I thought I’d summarise their relative strengths at drinking :3 From weakest to strongest:
Fred (<20 glasses)
Louis (30)
Moran (52)
Albert (52, and then some)
Though William didn’t participate in the end (aww), I would think he’s on par with Louis, and maybe even a bit stronger too.
The illustration
The illustration shows Moran slumped on a tiny coffee table of sorts; but I’m wondering where Louis and Fred are, since they were described as being asleep on the table beside Moran... Perhaps this is an incongruity between the story and the illustration?
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kittydemon9000 · 3 years
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Okay so once again, 3 am thoughts have gifted me with yet another au. It is by no means original but screw it: SmithSwap
The only things I’m switching is their ages, so now Nya is the older one, but it. Gets. Fun.
For specifics, as of the Pilots/S1 Nya is 15 and Kai is 11, because I want bebe kai
Now, prior to Wu showing up, it’s pretty much the same as canon only with roles reversed. Nya mostly runs the shop while Kai is trying to everything he can to make things easier for his big sister, and I mean everything. The only one Nya doesn’t stop him from doing is cooking because Kai is the better chef, though neither can figure out why. Nya also likes to tell Kai stories of their parents since he can’t remember them too well, much to his disappointment.
ANYWAY, Wu shows up, Kai gets upset he’s insulting his sister’s work, then Skulkin show up. Kai does get snatched, much to Nya worry and canon continues.
Okay but also tiny spinoff, it also would’ve been hilarious if Nya still got kidnapped because then when the guys meet Kai they’d be like “who is this sassy lost child?”
So then while Nya’s training, I’m actually going to say what happened when Kai is captured.
You see, a side affect of being really freaking old is that your perception of time changes, specifically how long periods seem shorter. Garmadon decided that because of the prophecy it would be best to snatch the Master of Fire, who he thought would be Ray.
So you can imagine his surprise when his Skulkin bring in a kicking, screaming 11 year old child.
He is, understandably, not happy and very confused.
He sends the Skulkin away and tries his best talking with Kai. Like, as little malice as he can in a gentle voice, and he actually learns a few things. 1) both Ray and Maya went missing years ago, 2) these kids have no idea about anything regarding the Elemental Masters, 3) Kai’s sister has been raising him since their parents went missing, and she’s only four years older than him
Understandably, he is concerned, but also sees this as an opportunity. If he raises the Master of Fire to be loyal to him, then he’ll never want to fulfill his role in the prophecy, thus ensuring his victory. also he really misses lloyd and now when he returns he’ll have two kids!!! how amazing is that
So yeah Kai’s stay in the Underworld isn’t that bad. This Garmadon guy is pretty nice, tells him awesome stories about his parents, teaches him a bunch of things(mostly how to fight), and really just acts like the paternal figure he never had(Garmadad is canon, no matter what form you can fight me on this). The only part that sucks in Samukai, but he’s just a jerk and Garmadon makes sure he’ll never actually do anything to hurt him. He does miss Nya a lot though.
Anyway back with Nya and the guys.
They don’t actually know the exact reason why she was here at the beginning. All they know was that Wu originally left for the Master of Fire and came back with her instead. They know she has a brother, but aren’t quite sure how he falls into it.
They learn her full story the night they’re heading to the Temple of Fire, at which when they’re winding down Zane brings up how she never actually told them how she met Wu.
They are very concerned when they find out the whole story and swear they’ll help her get him back, which is nice.
Then she sees Kai But Actually Garmadon, follows, and bam Sword of Fire time. She isn’t able to fully use it, but she’s able to get a few sparks. However, things then start to take a turn for the worst.
Kai is actually here, very confused why Garmadon’s having him tied to the ceiling, but hey Nya’s here! But then oh no he then realizes that Garmadon is the bad guy, which gets him upset and more then a little betrayed.
Seeing him hurt his sister, the one of raised him, actually has Kai pick up the sword and use his powers. Under normal circumstances, it probably wouldn’t have been bigger than a few sparks, however Kai has his big sister in danger, dealing with the betrayal of an almost father figure, holding the Sword of Fire, and being surrounded by his element.
So yeah. Not that small of a fire.
The guys and Wu are actually able to to witness the truly incredible fire blast he lets out from the camp, put two and two together, and start heading over. Wu didn’t follow Nya…..because plot and was the able to help them fight off the Skulkin.
Anyway, it’s more than enough to dissipate the shadows, however it also wakes up the dragon. Garmadon, who is sort of panicking because That Was Not Supposed To Happen, ends up scooping up an unconscious Kai and the Sword and retreating to the underworld, leaving behind a very pissed Nya and an equally pissed Fire Dragon.
But yeah, Nya deals with the dragon, they get the other ones and head to the Underworld with Wu this time, and he’s actually the reason they’re able to get past all the Skulkin. 
But yeah, Samukai gets vaporized and Garmadon about to leave when a feverish Kai makes his way in and begs Garmadon to not do it and that they can fix things.
And Garmadon….actually pauses for a second and you can see the conflict in his eyes before he shakes his head and says “there’s no going back for me” and walks through. Kai then collapses and the end up heading back home.
As for what’s up with Kai, who would’ve guessed tapping into a kind of power you aren’t supposed to have access to yet in a high stress situation would be bad for the body. He has a really bad fever but he’s fine after a few days.
The few month timeskip in between the Pilots and S1 is mostly spent training Kai, so they have quite a bit less free time. However when S1 starts and Kai hears about Lord Garmadon, he actually wants to check it out himself first.
So yeah, he meets Lloyd by himself and it actually doesn’t go that badly. Kai actually buys some candy for them to share and they leave the town, and Kai actually starts talking with him. Eventually the topic comes up about Garmadon and Kai gives a rough basis about how he sort of got kidnapped, and then his work in progress plan of making him good again. Lloyd is completely down with seeing his dad again and says how they could probably get his dads attention if their got their own evil army.
And because they’re both stupid kids, neither of which have had parents before, Kai thinks it’s a great idea.
So yeah. That’s why they find the Serpentine here.
Ofc, it isn’t a right away type thing. It takes them about a month before they find the Hypnobrai Tomb, and Kai just plays off all his time spent out as him having made a friend, which they can’t exactly argue with.
Ofc, canon still happens and when Kai was busy training Lloyd ended up finding the tomb and releasing the Serpentine, and they do their regular Canon Nonsense. 
However, Kai is not too happy about the whole Attack Villages things and after a bit comes clean to the ninja about their original plan. They very much aren’t happy, but admit his heart was in the right place and they doubt he’d pull something like this again.
Fast-forward a bit more, Kai is mostly chill with Zane’s “weirdness” and unfortunately stays home when the Hypnobrai burn down the Monestary. It’s only because the dragons were able to get out and protect him that he was still alive. Nya’s actually the one who yells at Zane this time around because again. Kai almost died, but it’s all cool later and they find the Bounty :D
Anyway, Canon again continues. Kai is still really good with the dragons and is a little upset they need to leave. He also gets along really well with Ed and Edna. Then when Lloyd joins Kai is a little….well he doesn’t hate him but he does spend a while avoiding him.
Eventually Nya has enough of their dancing around each other and locks them both in the same room so they can talk it out. Turns out the reason Kai was avoiding him was because Lloyd’s betrayal really hurt since they were supposed to do it to find Garmadon, not hurt people. They have a tearful apology, then Kai learns how much of a jerk the Serpentine were and is like “the next time I see any I’ll protect you, since you’re like my little brother and as a big brother it’s my job to keep you safe”
Now it’s Samurai Time :)
You see, this time around Kai has double reasons for being the Samurai. 1) Yeah, he hates being left behind and wants to be involved but also 2) he wants to keep his big sister and big brothers safe
So yeah, that happens. He does think it’s pretty funny when they keep trying and failing to one up him though.
But then :) He gets captured with Lloyd :)))
So yeah, that sucks but it only gets worse because while Kai was able to “summon” his Samurai Mech, he had to send it off to get the ninja away. So that sucks.
Garmadon eventually shows up to help since the Serpentine stole both his kids, much to Nya’s chagrin.
Then comes the freaking Volcano Scene and this one is from Nya when she rescues Kai, then has to choose between Lloyd or the Fangblade. She ends up unlocking her True Potential by essentially leaving behind all negative feels she had for Lloyd and accepting him under her protection just like she did Kai.
The sheer torrent of water easily cools all the lava and thoroughly soaks them. But hey, even Kai has to admit being wet is better than being burnt alive. Also when the ninja start wondering aloud why the Samurai didn’t help Kai bashfully admits he was the Samurai, and this thoroughly impresses the ninja since Kai is like, 12 at this point.
Uhhhh, S2 isn’t too different. Kai is super happy that the dragons are back and is easily Ultra’s favorite. He isn’t hit with either Garms spell nor the Tomorrows Tea, but is there to comfort Lloyd and says that even though he got hit with some magic stuff Kai is still going to protect him since he’s still his older brother. On the Dark Island Kai is heartbroken Nya got corrupted and swears he’ll help fix her. When Garmadon gets purified Kai looses his shit and gets so excited since let’s goooooo not only is his dad not evil anymore they can go out in public together :DDDD
S3, also not too different. During the whole Love Triangle nonsense Kai’s just sitting there so confused. Also Pixal joins team Kai’s Older Siblings. Him getting captured was just him being at the wrong place wrong time. He has a really fun time time in space though, which was nice.
But uh. Then Zane hecking dies, which hits everyone really hard, especially Kai. Only this time, Nya ends up taking Kai back to Ignacia and opens up the forge again, pretty much cutting all contact with the other ninja, Wu and Garmadon. While it might’ve been boring and lonely, at least in Ignacia they were safe. 
Kai is…honestly really miserable, but hides it well. He can barely get up some mornings, but does so anyway since he’s desperately trying to act like things are normal, despite how Nya doesn’t talk very much. He misses the other ninja a lot, even Pixal despite not knowing her for very long, but doesn’t want to tell Nya since again, trying to make things normal again. Nya also doesn’t let him out of the house too often, only really if she’s there to watch him.
This routine goes on for about two months, until Lloyd shows up to try and get everyone back together. And Nya.....Nya doesn’t like that.
She and Lloyd end up having a bit of a passive aggressive argument that is progressively getting louder until Kai just. Snaps.
He yells at them to stop fighting, how they’re acting so horribly and that he wished things could go back to normal, how Zane wouldn’t want this and that he’d be disappointed in them.
The two visibly flinch.
Then Kai realizes exactly what he just said and who he said it to. And he runs.
Nya and Lloyd both spend some time in silence, mulling over what Kai just said because he was right. Zane would hate what’s become of the team and how they separated.
Nya ends up being the one to break the silence, asking Lloyd where and when to meet.
When Kai doesn’t return from the woods, she ends up leaving a note before she leaves, explaining where she’s going and how she’s sorry.
Meanwhile, Kai is having a slight breakdown in a Tree Base he made years ago.
But yeah, fast forward a bit and Kai’s getting ready to sneak onto Chen’s Island, but in a slightly different way than canon. Instead he takes a slightly experimental ship that’s basically a smaller Bounty which he calls the Destiny’s Wish. Think of the comparison like a Car vs a Go Cart. Comfortably, it can fit 2 people long term, but for quick trips can carry as many as 10, but it’ll be a tight fit and the Wish might have some trouble flying.
So yeah, he’s on his own and he doesn’t arrive until a few hours before the EMs all get dropped from the plane. Shade is actually the one to find him first, but has a moment of pause since Literal Child and gives Kai enough time to kick him into a tree and run. The whole chase actually lasts about two hours but unfortunately Kai isn’t able to get back to the Wish and gets caught.
Now for the fun part :)
So all the EMs(and I do mean all because he wanted to “thank them for their contribution”) are in the throne room, their powers snatched, when Chen said aloud “But it is such a shame that we don’t have the Master of Fire, the we’d be able to complete the spell.” and for the briefest second the Ninja Fam are relieved but then Chen does a whole “SIKE, WE GOT HIM” and has some of the guards bring Kai out.
The Ninja are, understandably, freaking out. The EMs kinda are too since Child but only a little bit and it’s not personal
But then just as Chen’s about to snatch his fire, Kai starts saying how Chen cheated since Kai never got to play in a match. Chen refutes it since His Game His Rules but then Kai says that age old statement to get siblings to do Stupid Shit: “What are you, scared?”
Chen is not scared, thank you very much. And you know what, since you’re so confident fine, you now get your own challenge!
So yeah, now Kai has his own challenge.
What is it you might ask?
A vertical obstacle course with a time limit. If Kai doesn’t grab the Jade Blade, the exit closes.
Not that bad you might think. After all, Kai’s been training with the ninja for the past year, he’s probably got this in the bag.
Yeah welllllllll, a little bird told might have told Chen that a certain Master of Fire couldn’t swim.....so he uses Nya’s power to gradually fill up the room and forcing him up.
Surprise surprise, it was rigged against him. I’m talking platforms having false bottoms, ladders being oiled, high pressure water jets to knock him off, the works.
Kai is so close to making it. So close..... but Chen can’t have that happen now can he :)
So yeah, Kai ends up falling in and Nya almost drags all the EMs into the water trying to get him.
Luckily it’s at that moment Lloyd bursts in with Garmadon, frees the EMs and gets Chen’s staff. The EMs bust out and just as Nya’s about to dive in the whole thing starts draining, like an enormous whirlpool.
You see Chen actually thought ahead and realized that “hey, if the kid dies he’ll loose his power” so he made a plan that when Kai was going to fall in, he would use one of the tubes that shot water but in verse and suck him in. Luckily he was able to pull it off before the gem was smashed because if not MMM.
So yeh, Kai is now captured, but still on the island. Skylor reluctantly copies his powers(she got sort of close with Nya and this is the little brother she was gushing about), and Anacondrai happens. However, the two are able to escape, Skylor’s actually able to figure out the Summon Dragon thing, and then they head back to the main group.
Then comes the inevitable question of “how did you get here anyway?” and then Kai shows them The Wish. He actually ends up flying back with Garmadon before all the EMs learn how to Summon Dragon so they can warn people about the ensuing danger.
So yeah, they head out, the Pythor thing happens, canon then Sad because Garm still needs to do the whole sacrifice thing D:
That one hits Lloyd and Kai really hard, but they both use each other for comfort so it isn’t as bad as it could’ve been.
But yeah, this is getting long so tbc for a part 2 :DDD
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thedragonnerd · 3 years
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Ficlet: Betrayal
(Inspired by this lovely anon)
Namaari has never seen Raya so still.
She’s used to Raya being full of energy and tightly coiled reactions, running around finding things to do, people to spar with, or adventures to get lost within. Even at dinner, Raya cannot be motionless, instead jostling her leg or bumping shoulders with Namaari, and Council meetings are a lost cause when it comes to hoping Raya will sit quietly through the entire meeting without finding some reason to escape early.
But now she lies still, her eyes closed and her lips pale and drained of blood. Namaari keeps her eyes fixated on Raya’s breathing, where the slight up-and-down of her chest is the only thing that proves Raya is still alive.
The doctor has said that if she can survive the night, she will be much more likely to make a full recovery. Yet when Namaari places her palm on Raya’s cheek, the skin is cold to touch. Her other hand clutches onto Raya’s fingers, and she tries to share her strength through sheer determination, attempting to manifest Raya’s recovery into existence with her willpower.
-
‘Maari, are you almost dooone?’ Raya asks with a whine, her lips pouting dramatically as she flops down into the chair opposite Namaari’s desk. ‘I’ve been waiting for ages already.’
Namaari lowers her paperwork for a moment, peering across at Raya with a small smile on her face. Raya hates to sit and wait in her office, and the fact that she has been quietly reading for so long already shows her willingness to let Namaari work for the afternoon.
‘I’m sorry, dep la,’ she says with a sigh, wishing she could escape and spend time sparring with Raya instead, as she had promised. Duty always seems to call, however. ‘I have to finish signing off on these policies, and I’m only half-way finished.’
Raya groans, her head lowering to the desk until her forehead is resting on the table.
‘Why don’t you go and find something to do?’ Namaari suggests, recognising Raya will only get more and more restless from here on. Raya turns her head slightly, so she can peek at Namaari’s face through her hair.
‘Are you sure?’ she asks. ‘I don’t want to leave you alone with this tedious work.’
‘Absolutely,’ Namaari reassures her with a smile. ‘Go and have fun, and I’ll join you later.’
‘Great, I’ll go find someone to spar with for a while,’ Raya jumps up enthusiastically. ‘And if you haven’t reappeared in two hours from now, I’m going to come back and drag you outside. You need a break yourself too.’
She rounds the desk, grabbing Namaari’s face with both her hands, and kisses her deeply for a moment. Then she flees out the door with a backwards wave, Namaari watching her retreating figure with a smile.
Namaari throws herself into the paperwork with more vigour, determined to get it done so she can join Raya. She doesn’t even notice the two hours passing, so wrapped up in reading policy articles on fishing.
Raya never shows.
-
Virana comes to sit with her when the hour is nearing midnight, her arm resting around Namaari’s shoulders as they wait in silence.
‘I sent word to Chief Benja,’ she says softly after a while. Namaari nods, but says nothing else. Benja has trusted them – trusted her – to keep Raya safe during her visits to Fang. And yet here they are, Namaari without a scratch on her, whilst Raya fights for her life in the darkness. Would he ever be able to forgive them, if Raya dies? Would it cause a war between their lands?
Would Namaari ever be able to forgive herself?
‘I wasn’t even there to protect her, Ma,’ she chokes, unable to keep the tears from leaking out. The guilt is suffocating.
-
‘Raya?’ she calls, walking briskly through the palace. Dusk is beginning to move in; she feels bad for working so long without realising where the time went. Clearly, Raya also got distracted by her activities. Often when one (or better, both) of them are sparring, it draws a crowd of eager onlookers, so perhaps tonight Raya has decided to teach a lesson to anyone who wants to challenge her fighting abilities.
However, it’s been long enough that she’s also slightly concerned, especially when she sees most of the usual sparring partner culprits back in the palace, doing their guard duties or otherwise.
Still, her best assumption is that Raya will still be at the training grounds, so she hurries outside and makes her way over to the large open area.
‘Raya?’ she calls again, not seeing anyone moving in the evening light. It seems quiet…too quiet.
And then she sees a shape on the ground.
‘Raya, what-?’ she cries, racing forwards and dropping to her knees. Raya is lying still and pale on the ground, and it takes a moment for Namaari to realize the earth surrounding her is stained dark red from blood.
‘Raya…Raya, wake up,’ she pleads, one shaking hand sliding under Raya’s shoulders and cradling her close to her body, the other pressing down hard on the stab wound in her abdomen. The blood seeps through her fingers, trickling down her wrist as she desperately tries to stop it.
‘Somebody help!’ she screams into the night.
-
Ma leaves her at some point in the early hours of the morning, kissing her forehead before heading off to sleep. She doesn’t even try to ask Namaari to get some rest, knows that she won’t. Not tonight.
Not long after, there is a soft knock at the door, and General Atitaya peers into the room.
‘Princess Namaari?’ she asks quietly. ‘I can relieve you of your post if you wish to retire for the night. Keep watch over her, for you?’
It’s a wasted offer, and Namaari is already shaking her head before the other woman finishes speaking.
‘No thank you,’ she says, her eyes never leaving Raya’s face. ‘Her attacker is still out there, and I’m not going to leave her until they are apprehended.’
Besides Raya’s injuries, that is the worst part of this attack – that it must have been carried out by a Fang citizen, who has now willingly betrayed both their land and, on a more personal level, Namaari herself. She has dedicated her life to protecting her people, and the realization that one of her own could have done this leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, and anger in her veins.
Namaari doesn’t even notice Atitaya leave. Her two swords sit close, ready to reach in an instant if someone dares to try and attack Raya again, and she leans forwards, tension running through her muscles as she continues her vigil.
The rest of the night is quiet, with no-one else disturbing them besides the doctor, who checks on Raya sporadically.
And then, just as the warm rays of the sun begin to filter through the window, Namaari hears a sound.
‘Raya?’ she calls, up on her feet instantly and leaning over the bed.
Raya shifts her head slightly, emitting a slight groan, and then her eyes flutter open.
-
‘Maari, come back to bed,’ Raya grumbles, her voice filled with the scratchy tone Namaari only hears in the morning. She laughs softly at the sight before her: Raya’s disgruntled face peering out from beneath the covers, her hair in a massively tangled mess around her face, and her mouth turned down slightly in the corners as she sees Namaari already up and dressed.
‘I have a lot of work to do today,’ Namaari says apologetically, although she does take a moment to bend down and give Raya a proper kiss good morning. ‘Hours of paperwork that you’ll just find boring.’
Raya wrinkles her nose at this, and burrows deeper into the bed, dragging Namaari down with her, a tight grasp on her wrist.
‘Tell you what,’ Namaari continues, attempting not to faceplant into the bedcovers thanks to Raya’s pulling. ‘If you let me go now, I’ll try to get the work done as quickly as possible, and then we can go spar together this afternoon.’
‘Fiiine,’ comes Raya’s voice from the depths of the bed. ‘Go do your boring work. I’ll bring food and my own amazing company later. And after, you owe me a fight.’
-
She finds her in the barn, tying a heavily-laden bag to her serlot.
‘Atitaya,’ she calls, and the General spins around quickly, hand moving towards her weapon before she sees who it is and deliberately relaxes her stance.
‘Princess,’ she greets, head bowing in the appropriate manner.
‘You’ll be pleased to hear that Raya has woken up,’ Namaari continues, her voice deceptively light in comparison to the blood roaring through her veins. ‘Interestingly, she’s also able to identify her attacker.’
They stare at each other for a moment, neither willing to be the first one to flinch. Then Atitaya drops her gaze to the ground, and although Namaari had believe Raya instantly when she said the name, the confirmation still hits her like a stab to the heart.
‘Ati…Ati, why?’ she whispers, and this time she can’t help her voice shaking as she tries to hold back the horror and the tears. ‘We grew up together. I trusted you with my life – with HER life. How could you betray me like this?’
Atitaya’s expression darkens at this, and Namaari sees her mouth twist into an ugly grimace.
‘Because you betrayed us first, Namaari,’ she snaps, fists clenching. ‘You bring the Princess of our enemy into our land, into our palace. You trust her with all of Fang, share all our secrets. She is your greatest vulnerability, a threat to our people, and if I did nothing, I thought she would bring death to our doorstep.’
‘Raya isn’t a threat to us,’ Namaari counters. ‘She isn’t a spy; Heart isn’t our enemy. We aren’t at war any more, Atitaya. We haven’t been for a long time. The only person who risked changing that was you.’
Atitaya raises her chin in defiance.
‘I did what I thought was right for our people, no matter the sacrifice. Just like you used to be willing to do.’
Namaari always thought her anger ran hot, a passionate burst of emotion that drove her in fights. But in reality, her rage runs through her body like a chill, and her mind feels separate from her body as a deadly calm settles over her.
‘I should kill you where you stand,’ she says softly. ‘If Raya had died, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.’
For the first time, apprehension flutters across Atitaya’s face.
‘You’re lucky that Raya is more forgiving than I am,’ Namaari finishes, and then whistles loudly. At once, the barn is filled with soldiers, all training their weapons on their former General.
Namaari turns and walks away, refusing to look over her shoulder as voices ordering Atitaya to surrender filter up around her.
She doesn’t want to waste another minute here – she has Raya waiting for her, and she’s promised to entertain her through her mandatory bed rest, duties be damned. After all, Raya doesn’t like to be still for too long.
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Bookends
(This story was originally written for and published in the DeanCas Anthology back in 2018. )
Word Count: 2223 Rating: General ao3 link
Cas pulls as close to the door as he can, checking the rearview mirror to make sure he isn’t blocking traffic as he waits for Dean to get out of the car. Before heading inside, Dean ducks his head back in to smile at him. “I’ll get us some coffee.”
Instead of driving away, Cas stays there, watching until Dean pulls open the diner door. Leaning heavily on his cane, he shuffles more than walks, his bow-legged gait made stiff by the arthritis that wracks his joints. Cas waits until he’s safely inside, then pulls past the open handicapped space Dean stubbornly refuses to use, and finds an empty parking spot.
Cas’s car is boxy and utilitarian, and Dean often proclaims that he wouldn’t be caught dead behind the wheel of something so ugly. Cas plays along because giving up driving had been Dean’s toughest concession to age, but as his vision deteriorated and his reflexes slowed, it had become an unavoidable sacrifice. With replacement parts for the Impala harder and harder to come by, Dean had finally agreed to keep her stored safely away in their garage. Cas knew it pained him to see her shrouded under a tarp, her motor idle and useless, but Dean would rather enshrine her in pristine condition than risk one more run-in with a light pole or curb.
With his ugly car parked, Cas crosses the lot to join Dean inside. While he’s aged as well, aged to the point that nobody questions the two of them together, he’s been spared many of the maladies that Dean’s combat-wrecked body has endured, and he moves with relative ease. The best they can figure is that the grace he’d had on and off over the years left his body with a certain resilience to the passage of time. Cas can’t cure Dean as he once could, can’t ease the aches or slow the aging process, but he can use his own comparatively good health and mobility to take care of him.
Inside, Cas navigates past the hostess stand to find Dean at their usual booth, chatting with their usual waitress. The two of them go to this diner religiously each Sunday morning, where the pews are scuffed burgundy vinyl booths and the altar is the breakfast buffet with the generous senior discount. As always, Dean has maneuvered himself across the bench seat to make room for Cas to sit beside him. His cane rests against the wall in easy reach, the simple carved wooden handle belying the fact that the base unscrews to reveal a bayonet-like tip. It’s never been wielded as a weapon (although Dean uses it, still sheathed, to poke at aggressive pigeons who muscle in around their favorite park bench), but that potential made it “badass” enough to overcome Dean’s resistance to using it.
To Sam’s everlasting chagrin, Dean has kept all of his hair, and it’s turned a stunning silver. The crinkles around his eyes have deepened, meeting the roadmap of lines that cross his face. His shoulders are stooped, his joints are stiff, and Cas thinks he’s never been more beautiful. After so many seemingly certain ends, so many years assuming Dean would die young and bloodied, the fact that he’s living out a full, lengthy life is an unparallelled blessing. Cas marvels at the gift of days that have unfolded into decades, granting them time he never dreamed they’d have together here on earth.
As Cas settles into the booth, he smiles and greets their waitress.
“Two for the buffet?” she confirms as she pours their coffee. Cas doesn’t even have to check to know that she’ll leave Dean’s at a little more than half-full so he can lift it without the tremor in his hands sloshing it over the brim.
They drink their coffee quietly, simply enjoying the ritual of being here. Dean peers at the laminated card that lists the specials, even though he never orders off the menu.
“Shall I?” When Dean nods, Cas gets to his feet. “Any requests?”
“You know what I like,” Dean says, leaning over to swat at Cas’s butt.
Picking up two plates from the warmer, Cas slides them along the metal counter, filling them in tandem as he traverses the buffet. Pancakes are too difficult for Dean to get on a fork, but the crisp waffles are good. Bacon he can pick up and eat, and Cas uses the tongs to place precisely two strips on his plate. If Dean wants more, he can get up and get it himself.
Dean can argue with Cas’s choices, but they’d had a hell of a scare a few years back. Cas will never forget the look on Dean’s face when their phone rang in the middle of the night, alerting them that Sam had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. They’d rushed there themselves, Cas driving in silence, knowing that nothing short of seeing Sam with his own two eyes could reassure Dean. Thankfully, it had been a mild heart attack and, after spending a few days in the hospital, the discharge plan called for cardiac rehab and an appointment with a nutritionist. With Sam’s release imminent, Dean had relaxed enough to crow at the irony. “Don’t either of you try to tell me what to eat ever again. Mr. Organic Produce is the one lying in the hospital bed while my pork-rind-fueled ticker is going strong.”
Still pale, Sam’s brow furrowed with resignation. “I’m beginning to think you can’t die.”
Dean jabbed a finger in his direction. “You don’t get to go first. We have a deal.”
“Yes, sir.” Sam lifted the hand without the IV in a mock salute.
“That’s more like it,” Dean said. “Speaking of which, I need a snack.”
Cas helped him up and they walked to the elevator that would take them to the cafeteria. As they waited for it to arrive, Dean pulled Cas into a hug. Cas left a hand on his shoulder when they stepped apart again. “All right?”
Dean nodded, his green eyes shining with tears. “I’m glad you’re here.” Cas started to respond, to remind him that there was nowhere else he would be, but Dean cut him off. “I know you know. But I wanted to say it anyhow.”
Cas noticed a change after that. Dean was still the same stubborn mule Cas had fallen in love with, but he gradually became more willing to let Cas help. And somehow, Cas loved him even more for it. He loved seeing the slow-blossoming acceptance that came when Dean stopped seeing Cas’s help as a sign of weakness.
Now, standing in front of the steaming trays of food, Cas considers what else to add to their plates. He bypasses the cauldron of oatmeal (they eat that at home most mornings) and continues along the buffet. There’s a tremendous satisfaction in being allowed to care for this man who has done so much for so many and asked for so little in return. In fact, Dean has now embraced this new role so fully—no longer questioning what he deserves, or grudgingly accepting help, but full-on enjoyment of being doted on—that Cas has to be careful he doesn’t get lazy. There’s nothing Cas would rather do than settle Dean in front of a sunny window, snug in the recliner for Cas to wait on like a pampered cat, but he knows that sort of inactivity would do Dean’s joints and his heart no favors. So he watches Dean’s diet and insists on them taking slow walks after breakfast when his energy is highest.
Their neighborhood is a mix of young and old and everyone knows the two Mr. Winchesters who circle the block on days when the weather permits. The kids on bikes and scooters know to give them a wide berth, their parents warning them that the old men need the entire sidewalk, but they call out their hellos as they go by. They’re friendly with everyone except the woman who lives on the corner. Dean is convinced she’s a demon, but Cas suspects his distrust of her stems more from the fact that she seems immune to his charm. (Whatever the reason, he’s had to talk Dean out of chalking a devil’s trap inside her mailbox more than once.) They chat with their neighbors about the weather and the score of last night’s ballgame, and it’s so painfully normal that Cas sometimes feels his throat tighten up at the wonder of it all.
When Cas returns to their booth, Dean examines his plate. “They outta bacon?”
Cas cuts the waffle into manageable pieces and peels the wrapper from the muffin before sliding Dean’s plate over. “You know the deal.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dean says. “You just like to look at my ass when I get up.”
They eat in congenial silence with Dean methodically working his way around his plate, eating everything heartily, even the fruit. Sitting next to him, Cas can easily scoop up any bites that miss his mouth, plucking them from Dean’s lap or his shirt.
“You two good?” The waitress asks when she comes to refill their coffees. “Need anything?”
Dean swallows the bite of muffin he’s working on, and rests his hand on top of Cas’s. “I’ve got everything I need right here. An actual angel, this one.”
She nods agreeably. “I can almost see his halo.”
Cas has learned that an old man can say just about anything and receive an indulgent smile in return. When Dean references angels or demons or the apocalypse, people assume he’s speaking in metaphor and they’ll nod pleasantly. Sometimes he’ll do it purely for effect, telling rambling tales from their past for the sheer enjoyment of being able to speak openly. He can’t always keep the details straight, but Cas is there to remind him. Some days, though, he seems to lose where he is in time, and there’s nothing Cas can do for that. Cas has taken to keeping a watchful eye on him in the late afternoons when he likes to doze on the couch with their one-eyed black cat curled up on his chest. Cas stays close in case he wakes from his nap agitated, calling for Cas, wanting to know where Sam is. Cas helps him to sit up as the cat springs down and scurries away.
“Don’t go,” he says again and again, and Cas takes him in his arms, assuring Dean that he’s here and reminding him that Sam is safe at his own home. He holds him until Dean shakily dismisses it all as just a bad dream.
The unfairness of it overwhelms Cas, and each time he’s left filled with wrath. These final years should be spent in well-earned peace, but instead Dean seems cursed with reliving his most frightening memories, traumatized anew by old, familiar fears. If Dean’s mind is destined to slip, why can’t it be toward blissful forgetting? What Dean has endured goes beyond what any human should; to ask him to bear it again is nothing short of cruel. But it’s a torture chamber created in his own mind, and all Cas can do is sit helplessly by, doing his best to ground Dean and bring him back to the present.
Cas looks at Dean’s empty plate. “Did you want to get some more?”
“Nah.” He’s full and happy and it’s time for their walk.
The waitress arrives to clear their plates. As he does every week, Dean asks if she needs to see his ID for the senior discount. As she does every week, she pretends to consider it before leaving the check. “You boys take your time.”
“Tip her well,” Dean says, leaning in to supervise Cas as he signs the bill.
“I always do,” Cas assures him.
When they’re ready to leave, Cas stands next to the banquette, waiting for Dean to retrieve his cane and slide himself to the edge. Using a combination of the cane and Cas’s extended arm, Dean hoists himself upright, groaning a little. Cas keeps a firm hold on him until he’s steady on his feet. Dean still dresses in layers, but these days it’s because he gets chilled easily. He favors heavy knit cardigans and as long as Cas gets the zipper started for him he can tug it up or down as needed. Cas checks him for crumbs then together they walk through the other tables crowded with families. They continue by the hostess station where a woman is wiping down menus. “See you next week,” she calls as they pass.
Cas steps forward to push open the door, and stands holding it. “Watch your step,” he says as he always does, pointing toward the raised metal threshold of the doorway.
Using his cane to steady himself, Dean shuffles his way over it, then stops to lay his hand on Cas’s cheek. His knuckles are gnarled, the skin of his palm is dry and warm, and Cas feels the same flare of awe go through him as he has since the moment he first found this glorious soul in the depths of hell.
“I am the luckiest man who has ever lived,” Dean says.
Cas kisses his palm, then takes his arm to help him on his way.
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Text
Fated Epilogue
Epilogue
Ares x reader
Word Count: 2041
Summary: Time skip to Zag running around trying to fix everything; then he gets a weird message from Ares.
The affair known to most of the Underworld’s population as The Confusion of Zagreus started as most things in his life did, on a run through the place as he tested the defenses against an escaping entity for what felt like the thousandth time. He’d had Ares’ vial with him, so naturally he’d gotten a fair few of the war god’s boons. Nothing too unusual, right? That’s what he thought right up until Ares said the most curious thing.
“When next you see Thanatos, tell him that his sister wants him to visit more.”
Sister? Zagreus wondered. Than doesn’t speak to his . . . Wait, Nemesis . . . But why would Lord Ares have messages from her?
When he mentioned it to his lover, Thanatos just chuckled. “I suppose it has been a while since I last saw her,” was all he had to say on the matter.
And that set the trend that continued for a while. He’d get a message from Ares to Than, pass it on, and get some cryptic non-answer in return. It was absolutely maddening. Even when he asked others, all they had to say was that it wasn’t any of his business, which was fair, but that didn’t aid his curiosity.
Finally, all that started changing when he managed to squeeze a drop of information out of Than when he asked, “So why does Ares see your sister more than you?” while they were dining together one evening.
And without really thinking, Death Incarnate reflexively replied, “Because she lives with him in Thrace instead of here.” Of course, immediately after that, Thanatos realized what he’d just admitted and promptly clammed up, but it was something at least.
Then Demeter let slip something else in one of her messages after he’d accepted several of Ares’ boons yet again. “Ares is aiding you when you get injured, is he? I’d be surprised if Nemesis didn’t have a hand in that sort of attack.”
And that set him thinking. Revenge was her area of expertise, after all. And many of Ares’ such boons were noticeably more powerful in dealing direct damage instead of causing various other effects. Could Than’s sister have been indirectly aiding him through Ares all this time?
Then came another piece of knowledge, this one from his mother upon inquiring why Thanatos and Lord Ares seemed to be so close. 
“Well War and Death were always bound to meet frequently just from their natures, I suppose, but it could also have been because of that mess where he saved poor Thanatos from being chained in a box. I’d wager that was a big help to making their friendship grow.” Before he could ask just what that was about, she continued, “Though it could have also started back when Lord Ares almost passed away, too. I remember Thanatos being quite concerned for both him and Nemesis during all that.”
“What do you mean Lord Ares almost died? He’s an Olympian!”
“He is, but the day Hermes found him was a day that stoked fear in the heart of every Olympian,” Persephone said gravely. “They all worried about Ares’ fate despite how they regularly ridicule the man, because if he could die that meant any of them could.”
Zagreus suddenly found his mouth extremely dry and couldn’t form a response.
“Yes, that was definitely the start of their friendship now that I think on it. It was very kind of Thanatos to linger without threatening the poor dears. From what I heard, he was very calm during the whole affair even in the face of such shocking news.”
“Yes, I suppose learning even the great Olympians might die would be quite dramatic,” he murmured, shoulders sagging.
“No, that’s not--ah! You don’t know, do you?”
He perked back up. “Know what, Mother?” he prompted innocently.
She smiled kindly as she patted his forearm. “It’s not my place to tell you if they haven’t already; I’d forgotten how much they value their privacy when they can get it.”
Who is ‘they’? Zagreus wanted to scream while yanking his hair out. Thanatos and his sister? Her and Ares? Thanatos and Ares?? But he didn’t. Instead, he just smiled stiffly and nodded.
It wasn’t until he managed to broker a peace between the Chthonic gods and the Olympians that he finally got answers.
~
There was a party you were supposed to be preparing for, but you were having a hard time working up the gumption to move from your current position. Because of said celebration, you and your husband--how you’d never tire of calling him that--had arranged your schedules so that they aligned, which of course was the reason you found yourself lying in bed perpendicular to the man, using one arm as a pillow under your head on his chest while the other hand played with his hair.
His gleaming red eyes flicked over to the open, brightly illuminated window where sheer white curtains swayed softly in the breeze. “We really should be dressing; I have a feeling your brother-in-law wants to meet us sooner rather than later.”
“Yes, but it’s so rare that we get time like this to ourselves.”
His hand found the one you’d been carding through his hair and brought it to his lips to kiss. “You and I have an eternity full of moments like this ahead of us; we can spare an evening for the boy.”
You huffed dramatically. “Let it never be said that you’re not a man of your word.” A sigh left your lips, but still you pried yourself out of bed without further complaint. “Are we doing full regalia or casual?” When there was no answer, you glanced back to see that he was transfixed by the sight of your naked form heading towards the shared closet. “Ares!” you laughed, snapping his attention back to reality.
“Darling, I take it all back; you must come back to bed at once. There’s a rather pressing matter that needs your attention at once.”
Now, you rolled your eyes. “Well that pressing matter can wait until we return. Are we doing armor or not?”
From there, there were a lot of kisses, gropes, and laughter between that moment and being fully clothed--in light leather greaves and cloth chitons rather than the usual full armor, after all, Ares so hated to be unprotected or unarmed--but neither of you were really complaining.
“Boys!” Ares called down the hallway with you tucked under his arm.
Two heads of wild silver hair just like their father’s appeared from the same doorway. “Yes, Father?” they chorused.
“We’re leaving. I trust you can manage things until our return?”
“Of course, Father.” And then they were gone from sight, their snickering still echoing in their absence.
Ares chuckled as he shook his head. “Little terrors, the both of them.”
Though they weren’t yours, you’d grown to love both of the twins the moment you met them. With Aphrodite being so absent in their lives, you’d taken up the role of ‘mother figure’ quickly, and the two were practically your own by now. “Well, to be fair, one of them is Panic.” 
~
You were unsurprised at the Olympian turnout at the party; most arrived near the time when you did, but none stayed particularly long. As fond as they were of Zagreus in theory, their detest of the Underworld would always be greater. Only Ares and Demeter attended from the mountain and stayed past the pleasantries and feast. Otherwise, it was entirely the subjects of the House of Hades that were present. Fortunately, they seemed to be enjoying themselves nonetheless judging from the way Meg and Dusa had quickly roped you and Ares into conversation.
Zagreus hadn’t seemed to notice your arrival yet--too wrapped up in getting to know his mother and grandmother, you assumed--but you caught sight of Hades glaring at Ares every now and then. Every time you caught him, the harsh threat he’d delivered to Ares rang through your ears once more. 
“Set foot outside this house, boy, and you shall find yourself in a fate worse than death.” Neither of you were surprised by the warning. He was, after all, still angry about the whole ‘bursting into the Underworld without permission to save Thanatos’ fiasco.
Eventually, you and Ares found yourselves alone for a moment once Achilles and Patroclus excused themselves. You tugged the glass from his fingers to steal a sip of his ambrosia, something that’d been quite hard to find the last time you’d visited. You didn’t want a full glass, and Ares never complained about sharing.
He pressed a kiss to your temple, clearly worried about you partaking in a drink you’d never really managed to develop a taste for. “Are you alright?” he asked quietly. The drinking coupled with the knowledge of how much you hated being dragged to these things had likely set him on edge.
“I’m fine,” you assured him with a genuine smile. “These are my family, remember? Much nicer to be around than yours.”
“That’s quite true,” he murmured. No doubt, he was remembering when he and Aphrodite had been paraded around and humiliated as the entertainment at one of his family’s gatherings. His gaze flickered up as he noticed something before you did: Zagreus approaching at last. “And there’s the man of the hour!” he greeted warmly. It was hard to mistake the boy for any other given his attire was his family’s colors and the way he absolutely looked like a mix of his parents.
“Lord Ares!” Zag’s face was alight with happiness. “I’m glad you were able to make it; it’s an honor to meet you properly.” His eyes shifted to you. “You must be Than’s lovely sister I’ve heard very little about.”
You laughed lightly. You like this kid already. “I suppose that’s me, yes.”
“Frankly, I’m amazed I haven’t seen you around the House before now,” he probed curiously.
You decided to indulge him; it was a celebration in his honor after all. “I pop by to visit Mother and Hypnos from time to time, but I see Than enough that lingering isn’t worth it. I’ve gathered that you’re usually gone from the House as much as he is.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” he chuckled. “Makes sense you wouldn’t just lurk around when you put it like that.”
“Have to budget that precious time off somehow.””
“Plus, it’s sort of my fault that she resides in Thrace since I stole her all those years ago,” Ares teased.
“Stole her, sir?” Oh, how the poor boy looked so confused at those words. You were willing to bet his mind was just running back over Persephone’s situation and comparing it to yours.
Your brows furrowed. “Zag, has no one told you about Ares and I?”
“No!” his voice was laughing but had a manic edge to it. “Everyone keeps hinting at there being something going on with you two, but no one wants to clue me in! I’ve tried to respect your privacy by not asking directly, but it’s driving me crazy!”
“Oh, for Father’s sake.” Ares rolled his eyes. “I’m going to have a word with your brother about this,” he announced as he started pulling away from you.
“Wait! You’re not mad at Than are you?” Zagreus fretted. “Because I’d hate to cause strife between you because of my own curiosity, and--”
“Relax, Zag,” you soothed.
“Thanatos is the only being I would ever call my friend outside of her,” he gestured toward you. “I thought it went without saying that he didn’t have to keep secrets from you for my benefit, but apparently that isn’t the case. I’m simply going to tell him that. I’ll be right back, my darling.” With a kiss to your temple, he stalked over to where Than was loitering with his sleeping brother at the edge of the room.
When you looked back at Zagreus, he was staring at you absolutely slack-jawed, probably at Ares’ display of affection. “Blood and darkness, my Lady,” he managed to wheeze, “what is going on?”
You snorted a little, amused slightly by his turmoil. “Zagreus, Ares is my Fated. He’s my husband.”
His eyes went a little crossed as he realized it was just that simple. “Oh, is that all?!”
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themurphyzone · 3 years
Text
PatB Oneshot: Poor Unfortunate Soul
Summary: Brain doesn’t think Pinky would be a very good villain. Pinky decides to prove him wrong (but mostly he wants Denny's).
AN: I’ll be honest, Dark Pinky isn’t for me. So how to compromise writing a villainous Pinky with normal Pinky? Well...you’ll see. 
AO3 Link
Pinky gasped at the TV, crumbs of popcorn falling out of his mouth. Brain stopped chewing and looked away from the screen, unable to stomach the scene of Lupin and Sirius forcing Pettigrew out of rat form as he attempted to flee the Shrieking Shack. 
No matter how many times he’d seen Prisoner of Azkaban, Brain always found it uncomfortable to watch Pettigrew transform into a pathetic, sniveling human who acted like he hadn’t sold his own friends out to a homicidal madman.  
Sure, Voldemort was the villain while Umbridge was the personification of government corruption, but there was just something downright insidious about Pettigrew. 
Pinky’s eyes were blown wide open as Pettigrew pitifully tried to plead his case. The simpleton was always so surprised about this plot twist no matter how many times he’d seen this movie.
The more he pondered, perhaps Pinky was the exact reason he found Pettigrew worse than the larger threats of the Harry Potter world. The man played into the worst of rodent stereotypes with his cowardly and backstabbing nature.
But Pinky?
Not a single disloyal bone in his body. It was a lesson Brain had taken to heart after his disastrous second birthday. Pinky was far too sweet and simple to even think about betrayal. 
Tears flowed down Pinky’s face as Lupin transformed into an emaciated werewolf, so Brain discreetly nudged a pack of Kleenexes his way. Pinky flashed him a grateful, wobbly smile, then reached for a tissue and blew his nose. 
Pinky always cried at this part. And while Brain found the scene emotionally gut-punching too, he considered himself above displays of crying during movies. 
Mufasa’s death didn’t count. Dirt always lodged in his lacrimal ducts whenever he watched that scene. That was all.
Brain’s fists clenched as the cowardly Pettigrew abandoned everyone to die. 
Though his escape was an essential plot point for the rest of the series, Brain wished the protagonists could’ve caught Pettigrew and delivered justice for betraying those who called him a friend.
He knew how the movie played out, but Pinky acted like he was watching it all for the very first time. Sometimes, watching Pinky when he didn’t care what happened on-screen was much more interesting. Especially when Pinky insisted on not skipping Order of the Phoenix. 
Pinky hugged his knees, tail draped tightly around him as the Dementors attacked Harry and Sirius. The rest of the movie would be loaded with those undead abominations. Brain had learned from unfortunate experience that Pinky would have nightmares if he didn’t cut off the fear before it took root in his subconscious. 
Slowly, Brain moved towards Pinky, careful not to make a sound lest Pinky catch him in the act. He took a deep breath to steel his resolve, placing a hesitant hand on Pinky’s back. 
Pinky turned to look at him. 
“Eyes on the screen,” Brain commanded. It was easier to do this when Pinky wasn’t watching him. 
Pinky obeyed, humming softly as Brain patted soft fur. A long, flowing tail wrapped around a crooked one. Pinky sat up a little straighter. 
The Dementors wouldn’t haunt Pinky’s dreams tonight. Not as long as Brain had something to say about it.   
o-o-o-o-o
“-and I’m so happy Sirius and Buckbeak got away! D’you think I could ride a hippogriff? Why are they called hippos when they’re not hippos anyway? I don’t think wizards know their animals very well, Brain.” Pinky’s chatter continued into the ungodly hours of the morning. Only the people unfortunate enough to work early morning shifts on Saturday would be awake at this time.
Brain rolled onto his stomach, covering his ears with his pillow to block out all the extraneous noise. One con about taking nights off from world domination was that his body just didn’t want to sleep even when he was tired, and Pinky’s exuberance only amplified the issue. 
“Troz! Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite out of the Harry Potter movies. But my favorites are also Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber and Goblet...oh! And Order has Luna Lovegood of course! Love her! What’s your favorite, Brain?” Pinky asked. “Ooh, you shouldn’t lay like that. You need to breathe!” 
The pillow was completely ineffective as a sound buffer. Brain was sorely tempted to keep up his current position out of pure spite, but he had to give up and lay on his side so he wouldn’t suffocate.
“No favorite. Hippogriffs are fictional. Hippo is Greek for horse and does not refer to a hippopotamus in this context. You think cows cluck and chickens moo, Pinky. Now go to sleep,” Brain sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. 
Perhaps he could trick his exhausted mind into believing Pinky wasn’t there if he couldn’t be seen. 
He had an urge to stay awake though. If his subconscious latched onto hippopotamuses, he’d just have that nightmare with the rich hippo couple and Rockefeller baby all over again. He shuddered at that memory. The pain and humiliation from that hippo-sized booster shot had been oddly vivid. 
“Okay. G’night, Brain.” The bed shifted as Pinky flopped onto his back. 
All was quiet. 
Brain curled into a more comfortable position, ready to drift off to a dream world where he was an emperor on a golden throne, Pinky was dressed in royal finery while leading a resounding chorus of We are the World, and all knelt before their authority. 
“Brain?” 
And there went the dream. 
“What?” Brain snapped. Part of him wanted to knock Pinky out himself, but that would require moving his arms. He didn’t want to move out of his current position.
“Just pondering. Poit,” Pinky yawned. “Before sleep ponderings. Those kinds are the best, Brain. Cause they get weird and tangerine-y. Bet you get those too.” 
It was true. When his plans weren’t derived from Pinky’s inane ramblings or current events, they were often the product of pre-sleep thoughts. While he wrote down all he could remember afterwards, the plans pulled from those tangents tended to be the craziest and illogical in hindsight. 
He tried not to rely on them too much, but if his conqueror’s block was high or creativity levels were low, he didn’t have much choice.
“Yes,” Brain confirmed. 
But his curt answer wasn’t enough to deter Pinky. 
“Cause I was pondering about villains,” Pinky said. “Like Pettigrew. Cause what if I had something that makes me a villain?”
As much as Brain wanted to dismiss the idea of a villainous Pinky due to the sheer absurdity of the concept, he supposed it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility either. 
But Pinky as a villain? A mouse who gave up his soul for the sake of Brain’s desires and argued against promoting harmful cigarettes to children? 
It was just ludicrous. 
“Pinky, you lack many prerequisites for proper villainy,” Brain said. “Except for the dramatics. That’s the only trait you have in common.” 
“Oh. Well, I could certainly try,” Pinky replied. 
Yes, and someday pigs would evolve and develop flight capabilities. 
If he were in a clearer state of mind, he would’ve argued out of obstinance. But right now, it was incredibly early on a Saturday morning and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Discussions on villainy and world domination could wait a few hours. 
“If you can prove me wrong, you can select the next restaurant we’ll go to,” Brain yawned.  
Pinky rarely got to choose the restaurant, given Brain’s sophisticated palate, but at this point he was willing to try anything to get Pinky off his back. 
Then Pinky went from figuratively being on his back to pressing against it, his tail curling around Brain’s. Pinky’s jaw rested against the back of Brain’s head. The added pressure released a tenseness around Brain’s shoulders, one that he’d been previously unaware of. 
“Denny’s,” Pinky murmured, nuzzling the back of Brain’s ear. The sensitive appendage flicked. Nobody was around to witness that involuntary reflex, so Brain let it pass. “A Grand Slam with pancakes and syrup and bacon n’ eggs…” 
Within seconds, Pinky was out like a light. He wouldn’t remember this conversation, too busy thinking with his stomach instead of properly pondering with that fluffball of a mind. 
With Pinky’s warm fur against his back and soft narfs against his ear, Brain’s thoughts gently trickled away and yielded to peaceful sleep. 
o-o-o-o-o
Though it was probably noon by now, Brain still didn’t want to open his eyes. Why bother? No scientists to pester them, no leftover plans or materials to hide away so they wouldn’t be discovered, no tedious mazes to run on Saturday. 
Pinky had gotten up sometime before him, and the space beside him was empty, giving Brain room to stretch out in whatever way he liked.  
Then he heard a harsh scraping noise, like someone was dragging something heavy across the counter. That wasn’t unusual for Pinky if an object caught his short attention span for some inane reason. 
However, there was also the sound of laughter accompanying the noise. Pinky was giggly and bubbly to a fault, but this brand of laughter was different. 
Almost malevolent. 
A chill ran up his spine, but Brain ignored the feeling. Pinky’s evil laugh was still firmly in Saturday morning cartoon villain territory, he told himself. 
Even if he sounded a little too good at being evil. 
Apparently, Pinky had remembered the bet after all. 
Brain slowly opened his eyes, about to find Pinky and tell him to knock it off, only to find that it was much darker than it should be for daytime. But it wasn’t dark enough to impede his vision. When he looked up, he found a sheet had been pulled over the entire cage. He couldn’t see anything outside the cage.  
Pinky being secretive would surely spell disaster.  And it hadn’t been there last night, so Pinky was the only culprit. 
The wheel stood empty, a fresh oil can beside it. Brain rubbed his eyes, partly to wake himself up and partly out of disbelief. He was normally a light sleeper, but if he hadn’t heard Pinky maintain his wheel at all, then he must’ve had a deeper sleep than he thought.
He climbed out of bed and marched towards the unlatched cage door, though the corner of the sheet was pulled over it. He would’ve swept it aside, but an unopened cup of Rice Krispies with a half-empty bottle of milk, napkin, and spoon conspicuously placed next to the door gave him pause from leaving the cage. 
His stomach growled. 
“Well played, Pinky,” Brain admitted. A breakfast barricade to delay him? It was rather creative, not that he’d ever let Pinky know. 
The Rice Krispies made satisfactory snap, crackle, and pop noises as Brain poured the milk inside. Then he scarfed down the cereal, half-expecting Pinky to come in and drag him outside for whatever he planned. 
But Pinky seemed content to let him eat first. 
Once he finished eating, he dragged the empty cereal cup and milk bottle behind him. But even his simple two-step plan of throwing his current load into the garbage and finding Pinky were laid to waste the moment he set foot outside the cage. 
For Pinky had unleashed his inner interior designer and completely transformed the room in such a short timeframe.
Large, sweeping blackout curtains covered the windows, even the skylight. According to the digital clock atop the TV, it was 12:30 in the afternoon. But if Brain didn’t know any better, he would’ve believed it was midnight. 
No wonder he’d been so inclined to sleep in. 
Long strands of Christmas lights hung on each dark blue wall, which was otherwise untransformed. Other than the digital clock, they were the only available light source. But rather than their usual festive association, the unblinking reds, greens, and blues lent a rather ominous, otherworldly quality to the room.  
Brain dispelled the fear. It was irrational when he’d traversed the dark lab at night a million times before. 
Perhaps he was focusing too hard on dumping the leftover milk into the sink. With absolute concentration, he pushed the empty cup and bottle over the counter’s edge and into the garbage can below. 
As he backed away from the edge, he saw a large mixing bowl with a stepladder set by it. Wisps of steam rose from the inside of the bowl. This must’ve been the source of the scraping sound he’d heard earlier. Curious, Brain climbed the stepladder and peered inside. 
It was just warm water though. 
He tried not to feel too disappointed. But even if it was mundane right now, surely it had to be here for a reason, right?
Or Pinky didn’t have any reason at all and he just wanted to fill a mixing bowl with boiled water. Both options were possibilities.
As he continued his search for Pinky, he walked past rows upon rows of test tubes filled with brightly colored substances. Electric green, dreadful purple, deceptively calm cerulean…
He wasn’t sure what kind of chemistry experiments they were running, but he wished someone had enough sense to label the test tubes.
Beakers and tubing distorted his reflection, a prickling sensation traveling down his spine and forcing his fur to stand on end. He smoothed it down so he didn’t bear a passing resemblance to a cotton ball. The slightly colder than normal temperature wasn’t helping. 
The distortion was simply a natural refraction of light passing through liquids. That’s all. There was no reason to get worked up over natural phenomena.
That didn’t stop him from leaping back when a wide, smiling human face suddenly appeared as he navigated a sea of flasks. 
His heart threatened to leap out of his chest, his breaths growing heavier.  
There weren’t any humans in the lab right now, he reminded himself. And the smiling face was frozen and unmoving. It wasn’t real. 
Brain cautiously poked his head around the flask, keeping it as a buffer between himself and the unknown threat. 
Against the wall, several of Pinky’s Barbie and Ken dolls sat in a row. The one whose face appeared on the flask was on the far left, her blonde hair in a ponytail. All of the dolls were in colorful swimwear. One of the Ken dolls had a pair of sunglasses perched on his head. 
The dolls were normal. No creepy alterations or missing body parts. 
But as Brain approached and inspected the dolls closely, their positioning seemed...odd.
Yes, their plastic visages displayed smiles as if they were en route to a Miami beach party, but their arms were stretched above their heads or out to the sides in warning. Their legs laid flat against the ground. Duct tape trapped their legs to the ground and wrapped against their torsos, sticking them firmly to the wall and preventing them from falling over. 
An interesting choice for decor, to say the least. 
But enough was enough. Time to find Pinky and force a coherent explanation out of him. 
One of the Barbie's arm pointed to the back of the room, so Brain followed her instruction. It led him straight to Pinky’s dollhouse, and Brain cursed himself for being so taken in with the environment that he’d neglected to check one of Pinky’s favorite toys. 
The pink plastic door was wide open, a deadly invitation into danger. Brain’s ears pricked as a song floated through the air. 
“Things are working out according to my ultimate design,
Soon I’ll have that little rodent and the planet shall be mine!”  
The melody was accompanied by a sinister cackle. 
Brain wanted to barge in and demand Pinky to cease his foolishness immediately, but his fingers curled against the doorframe instead, urging him to heed caution. 
“I can hear you!” Pinky singsonged from behind a section of dollhouse that was curtained off with jingling Mardi Gras beads. “Won’t you come inside so we can talk properly?” 
Brain rolled his eyes, sweeping the bead curtain away. “Pinky, I’m aware of our deal, but this is rather excess-” 
Then his mind registered the scene that lay before him. 
Pinky perched on a stool in front of a mirror as he applied a red coating of lipstick. That wasn’t unusual for him. 
But he was also clad in a backless floor-length dress with thigh-high slits. The dress was dark as night, leaving his shoulders and arms exposed. His fur was dyed a light lavender, save for his messy white tuft, which was gelled so that it stood straight up.
A small seashell necklace sat just above the low cut dress, purple earrings hanging from each ear. Pinky didn’t turn around, blinking coyly at Brain in his reflection, which sported heavy blue eyeshadow. 
He set the lipstick down, and Brain stared at the enchanting movement of manicured, polished red nails as deft fingers picked up a small brush and dipped it into a makeup kit. Then Pinky applied a beauty mark next to his lips.
The next thing out of Brain’s mouth was a very intelligent ‘um’. 
“You shouldn’t lurk in doorways,” Pinky purred, his voice low and sultry. “It’s very rude. Didn’t your mother teach you manners?” 
She didn’t have time to teach him a lot of things, given his kidnapping at an early age, but that wasn’t the point.  
“Why in Ptolemy’s name are you Ursula out of all villains?” Brain asked, once his voice came back. 
At least it explained why Pinky had redecorated the room to resemble an underwater cavern that doubled as a villainous lair. It was an excellent use of space. 
And the Barbies and Kens...those were the stand-ins for the helpless sea polyps.
Pinky must’ve been deriving a lot of satisfaction at seeing that realization dawn on Brain. 
“Why not?” Pinky shrugged. He puckered his lips and kissed his reflection, leaving a red lip-shaped mark behind. “Besides...isn’t there something you’re after? Something you want oh so very much, but haven’t been able to get?” 
Brain scowled. “You know perfectly well that I’m trying to rule the world, Pinky.” 
Pinky snapped his fingers. “And that’s what I can help you with! The only way to get what you want...is to become a human yourself.” 
Well, he’d never considered that before in the pursuit of world domination. There was something about manipulating his genetic code and changing his species that didn’t sit well with him, even though he detested the challenges that came with being a lowly lab mouse.
But it made sense. 
Humans only respected humans. Becoming a member of the dominant species would be an asset for sure! 
But Pinky didn’t have the means to make that happen...right? 
“You don’t know how to manipulate mouse DNA into a human one,” Brain said. 
“Oh my dear, sweet Brain,” Pinky crooned as he stood up, slinking over to Brain. Brain crossed his arms, forcing himself to stare Pinky straight in the eye and not show any signs of yielding. He made a point out of not watching those sashaying hips and tail. “Helping poor, unfortunate mice like yourself is my one passion in life! Why, without it, I’ll have to slink away and become a crazy cat lady! And then who will those poor souls turn to?” 
“A glass of alcohol, I presume,” Brain replied. 
Pinky’s tail came to rest around Brain’s shoulders. The tip tickled Brain’s nose, and he held it away from his face as Pinky pulled him out of the dollhouse and back to the tied up Barbie and Ken dolls. “Maybe, maybe...but a real person they can lean on, I mean. One that knows a little...magic.” 
He flicked his finger at a beaker filled with a lavender substance. The beaker sailed through the air, dumping its contents into the mixing bowl. A purple haze rose from the bowl. 
“That’s telepathy, not-” 
Pinky gently pressed a finger to Brain’s mouth to hush him. “Oh, ye of little faith,” he scolded. “It’s true that I did some rather — how would you phrase this gently — unsavory things before. But I’ve repented! Turned over a new leaf! Seen the light! And now I use my talents for those lonely and miserable enough to seek my services.” 
Then Pinky moved away from Brain, flicking his tail against Brain’s nose to direct his attention to the wall. Pinky wrapped his arm around the Barbie with a red polka-dotted bikini. “You see, Barbie here grew up where she didn’t have much opportunity. Poor girl had to work two jobs to make ends meet, and hardly a cent to show for it! So I offered her a chance to get away from it all...and she took it.” 
Brain gulped as Pinky moved onto the Ken doll next to Barbie. He was awfully convincing, even when the subject in question was inanimate. Pinky played with the ascot around Ken’s neck. “And this young man? Well, he wasn’t having much luck with the ladies. So I gave him a few pointers, maybe a knickknack or two to help speed things along. However…” 
Pinky indicated the tape that bound the dolls to the wall. “I wouldn’t worry about this too much, since you’re a mouse of your word, but sometimes...they couldn’t pay me back in time. So I found a different way to collect their debt.” 
“Yes, I’m sure you have much to gain from restraining children’s toys,” Brain said, tilting his head up to hide his uneasiness. 
They looked less marketable and more like hapless victims wallowing in despair, despite their smiling faces. He chalked it up to the wall’s resemblance to a dimly lit marine cave. 
“Oh, I get some odd complaints every now and then,” Pinky shrugged. “But alas, that’s what happens in this business.” 
He plucked a purple sash from Barbie and wrapped it around his head, fluttering his eyelashes innocently. 
Not that he was fooling Brain. 
But he didn’t have time to process that nonverbal gesture, for Pinky threw the sash around Brain, his tail looping around Brain’s waist. With the sash locking his arms against his sides, he was helplessly corralled to the mixing bowl. He dug his feet into the surface beneath him, but it was no use. Pinky was far stronger than he. 
In physical terms of course. He tried to keep his eyes on Pinky’s face and not his...well, he was a male mouse...he didn’t have...unless he padded...
Stop, Brain. 
A finger slipped under Brain’s chin, tilting his head up. “Not to worry,” Pinky purred, and the room suddenly went from cold to sweltering. “I have your solution right here.” 
To emphasize his point, blue and green test tubes poured their contents into the bowl. The colors melded together, the resulting haze forming a rough image of the world. 
“Here’s the deal. I’ll make a potion that can turn you into a human for three days,” Pinky declared, dragging his finger along Brain’s chin. Now that Pinky’s grip had loosened, Brain ripped the sash out of Pinky’s hands and threw it aside. 
The stroke of Pinky’s finger along Brain’s fur was enticing, and he pushed it away exactly for that reason.  
“Before sunset on the third day, you’ve got to find someone of royal blood,” Pinky said. A golden liquid swirled out of a beaker and formed a crown in the center of the world. It was an image of which Brain had dreamed of for so long. He tried to touch it, but it was far out of reach for him. “Then this charming person has to fall in love with you.” 
That sounded...feasible. Three days was a rather generous deadline. Most of the time, they were on a time crunch between eight to twelve hours.  
Pinky produced a pink felt heart and held it between two fingers. “Then you have to seal your love with a kiss. And not just any old peck on the cheek, but a kiss of true love.” 
A what? 
Brain huffed. Of course this plan would have such a ridiculous stipulation. He’d gotten his hopes up for nothing. 
...and why was he treating this like it was real? 
Because Pinky. 
Yes, that was the only explanation. And not even a rational one. 
“Oh dear, don’t pout so,” Pinky smirked. The expression was fogging up Brain’s mind. “What else is there to seal amour but with true love’s kiss? It’s a tried and true method, after all.” 
He chuckled at his own joke. Brain rolled his eyes. 
“If this certain someone kisses you by sunset on the third day, you’ll have the world permanently. But if they don’t, you turn back into a mouse.” 
Pinky tossed the felt heart into the mixing bowl, the solution emitting a pink puff of smoke. 
“And you belong to me.” 
A dangerous edge crept into Pinky’s tone as he whispered into Brain’s ear, and the appendage fluttered uncontrollably until Brain forcefully snatched it to cease its movement. 
Pinky tossed a hair tie, penny, and eraser nub into the mixing bowl, then leaned against a long pencil case as he awaited Brain’s reply. 
“Suppose I agree to your deal. What then?” Brain asked. 
“Well, there’s the matter of payment,” Pinky admitted. He stretched his lower limbs and tail as he rolled onto his stomach, exposing his long lavender-dyed legs. Brain tried not to watch the motion too closely for fear of hypnotism. “If you want something so badly, something of equal value has to be given. Equivalent exchange, as they say.” 
“And what exactly do you want?” Brain asked, though he knew the answer. 
He’d seen the movie. 
“Your voice.” 
Pinky’s smile was too wide and manic for Brain’s comfort. 
“In other words...” Pinky hummed as he leaned forward, his nose was just an inch away from Brain. “...no more talking, singing, zip!” 
He popped the consonant and mimed zipping his mouth, throwing away an invisible key.  
It was so warm that Brain couldn’t feel his face. 
“Now, now. Don’t be alarmed, Brain.” Pinky stretched luxuriously as he stood up. His tail slinked around Brain’s waist again. “You have your pretty face. And you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of...body language.” 
Pinky’s hip bumped into Brain’s, his leg sliding all the way out of the slit of his dress. He batted his eyelashes and blew a kiss to an invisible audience. 
Brain covered his face, ears flat against his back. He was fine. Just had to think about...something. What was he trying to picture exactly? 
No mathematical formula could save him from the horror that was stupid, sexy Pinky. Curse those mathematical miscreants! They abandoned him in his time of need!
Pinky climbed up and down the stepladder, tossing chemicals and liquids and all sorts of things inside. The bowl rocked back and forth dangerously, bubbles spilling down the sides. 
Brain didn’t dare get close. The inside of the bowl surely were an unholy abomination. 
But that didn’t stop Pinky. 
“Now a dash of zort, a sprinkle of poit! Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble! Fire burn and cauldron bubble!” Pinky cackled, throwing his arms up in the air. “Abracadabra troz! Bibbidi bobbidi narf!” 
The mixture now to his satisfaction, Pinky flicked his finger at a notepad and pen, sending them hurtling towards Brain. 
“Just sign on the dotted line, you poor unfortunate soul,” Pinky said.
Well...playing along couldn’t hurt. Even when there was a biohazard right in front of him. 
And no, the bowl’s contents weren’t the biohazard here. 
Brain took a deep breath and signed his name. 
The moment he finished, the notepad and pen flew out of his hands and into the bowl. 
Pinky wiggled his fingers over the bowl, green smoke rising to the ceiling and seeping past the edges of the blackout curtains to the outside. No smoke detectors went off, though Brain wasn’t surprised. ACME was rather lax on safety protocols. 
“Beluga sevruga, come winds of the Caspian Sea! 
Larengix glaucitis
Et max laryngitis
La voce to me!”
With a wide grin that spread from ear to ear, Pinky climbed down the stepladder and placed one hand on his seashell necklace, the other tickling the base of Brain’s neck. Brain ducked his head instinctively to stop the ticklish sensation, trapping Pinky’s hand under his jaw.
“Now sing.”
It was rare that Pinky commanded. Brain hated taking orders, yet something compelled him to obey.
Those coy blue eyes demanded, so Brain willingly gave.
And he sang.
Though he was hoarse from surprise at first, Pinky’s finger traced the outline of his neck, up his chin, to the corner of his mouth. Brain imagined his voice growing stronger...could see his voice taking physical form, flowing out of him and into Pinky’s seashell necklace.
Pinky doubled over in laughter as an explosion rocked the counter. The bowl sparked and smoked, its base clattering against the surface with loud metallic bangs. 
Brain broke out of his trance as a sludge-like wave with various melted objects slithered down the rim, creeping ever closer. 
He wasn’t taking any chances. 
Grabbing his maniacally howling companion by the arm, Brain quickly bopped him over the head to halt the laughter, then dragged him over to the window for a quick escape. Pinky recovered from the bop and shimmied past the blackout curtain. Brain took a moment to collect the ACME credit card he’d pilfered from an employee several weeks ago, then followed Pinky onto the windowsill. 
Pinky jumped first, safely landing in the bushes below. Holding the credit card above his head, which was no easy feat since the card was about the same size as him, Brain jumped as an explosion rocked the building, and his ears flattened instinctively to shield him from the worst of the noise. 
As predicted, he landed in Pinky’s arms. 
And it was somewhat mortifying now that Pinky’s eyes had gone from coy to blindingly innocent, even with the heavy eyeshadow. Shoving the card between himself and Pinky’s face, Brain climbed out of his arms. 
“Narf! So how’d I do, Brain?” Pinky asked. “Was I convincing?” 
Brain dusted off a bit of lavender dye that had rubbed onto his arm. He hoped it was fur-friendly. “You created a dangerous biohazard, toyed with my perception of reality, and overall you were a flirtatious nuisance.” 
Pinky’s tail stopped wagging. 
“So yes. You were indeed a convincing villain,” Brain said. He tapped the credit card. “And to fulfill the conditions of our original deal, I shall now treat you to Denny’s.” 
He was a mouse of his word. 
“Hoorah!” Pinky cheered. He twirled around in excitement, his black dress swirling around him as he danced all the way to the sidewalk. “Let’s go, Brain! I wanna look at all the lovely pictures on their menu!” 
“You’re going like that?” Brain called after him. Didn’t he want to change out of the Disney villainess ensemble? 
“Well you’re naked! So there!” Pinky stuck his tongue out at him. 
With a sigh, Brain joined his companion on the sidewalk. Pinky skipped over to a patch of white flowers blooming next to the sidewalk, gently cupping the petals and cooing at a ladybug which landed on a blade of grass next to his foot. 
Truly a convincing villain. 
And Brain’s poor unfortunate soul was helpless under his power. 
End AN: I deny selecting Poor Unfortunate Souls over other villain songs specifically for the body language line. You can’t prove anything. 
I HC that Brain would hate Pettigrew more than any other Harry Potter character. I was trying to write a villainous Pinky...somewhere along the way he turned into Pinky Suavo. I don’t get it either XD
There's some folks taking care of the biohazard the mice left behind. Don't worry, the lab's still standing. It's just their problem while the mice get Denny's. 
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@trueblue-escapist this one got long! :) (edit: now on ao3)
It was by sheer fortune that the message arrived while he was dining at Beau and Yasha's home.
They were trying some of the latter's experimental recipes. Fortunately Yasha had progressed very well in the last several months; this was now the fourth meal Caleb had been over for since Beau declared her love's attempts at Empire foods to be reliably nonpoisonous.
He was comfortable, speculating with Beau over her recent visit to Shattengrod. So when Jester began speaking in his head, he almost dropped his fork.
With strained panting—"Caleb, we need some help."
Caleb’s thoughts immediately went to static. He held up a hand as her voice continued, eyes wide, and both Beau and Yasha fell quiet with concern.
"There’s a lot of fishy people and I have, um. One diamond. We’re on the ship. Hope you aren’t busy—"
Abrupt cut-off. No continuation. He shot a look across the table to the other two, and they seemed to instantly read the tension on his face for what it was. They darted from their seats as he replied, "I am with Beau and Yasha. Hang in there, please. We’re coming."
"Sword?" called Yasha from another room.
"Sword. Beau," Caleb shouted, his adrenaline spiking with every second they were still here, "diamonds?"
"One," came her terse response. "I got it."
He stood up. The chair legs screeched against Beau and Yasha’s nice hardwood. Dug a hand through his hair and pulled half of it out of the tie.
Next he slapped his hands together. A strand of amber formed from his pinched thumbs and middle fingers as he drew them apart. Gods, his trembling hands shook the arcane thread. Ten seconds since Jester’s message.
"Essek," Caleb said to the thread, which vibrated with each word. "If you aren’t busy and have the spells. Retrieve Caduceus if you could and bring him to the Nein Heroez. It’s urgent. And diamonds," he added hastily. The thread dissipated.
Yasha and Beau emerged together from the hall with weapons in hand as the reply came: "I will contact Caduceus, then, and keep you updated. Hopefully I can be of aid. Stay safe, Caleb."
Caleb closed his eyes for a single breath and tried to absorb Essek’s soft, controlled caution.
They were coming. They would be okay.
Without needing to look, he held his hands to Yasha and Beau. "Uk’otoa is being an exceptional nuisance."
Beau scowled and said, "I fucking told Fjord to do something with that ball"—and they were off.
***
Jester woke up to what felt like a giant spike piercing through her head, or maybe a handaxe being sunk into her skull—but if it kept going forever instead of happening in an instant. Her stomach felt like a tiny pool of boiling acid that the ship kept rocking back and forth.
She moaned, curling up harder and pressing the heels of her hands to her temples. It didn’t really help, but the pulsing pain eased a little over some time.
"Arty?" she eventually managed.
"I’m so sorry, my dear," murmured his low voice by her ear. "I came as quickly as I could."
"It’s okay. Water?"
She felt a small weasel tongue lick her cheek, then retreat.
After about a minute of measured, careful breathing through the migraine, Jester heard a door crack open and winced from the brighter light now shining in from the hallway.
"Sorry," whispered a familiar voice, and Jester might have started crying at the sound of his Zemnian accent if she wasn’t already teary-eyed from pain.
The door closed, dimming the room again to its singular lantern.
She did her best to uncurl as Caleb set down a bowl and cup on the small table nearby and brought over a chair to her bedside. He reached for his neck, too, and a crimson weasel slipped into his hands.
"Thanks," she said as he returned Sprinkle to her shoulder.
"Of course. Would you like help sitting up?"
"Please."
She had to rest her head on Caleb’s shoulder for a minute when sitting up gave her a rush of a dizzy spell. His hand had rubbed up and down her arm. He smelled like sweat and fish guts and leather.
Eventually Jester had her back against the wall and the cup of water in her hands as she took a careful sip.
"Everyone’s alright," began Caleb, voice still hushed in consideration of her headache. "We took care of them all shortly after you went down, and Fjord was able to heal you a little bit. Essek arrived with Caduceus not long after."
"That’s good."
She closed her eyes and sipped more water. The warm weight of Sprinkle was draped around her neck.
Gods. Jester loved her friends so much.
"Where is everyone? Where’s Fjord?" she asked.
"Out on the deck cleaning up and figuring out what to do next," came the wry response. "Beau gave Fjord a piece of her mind about that orb. Caduceus suggested to try hiding it in the Happy Fun Ball."
"Aw, man. That’s a really good idea."
"Ja. So we are figuring out who will take it in there and where to put it."
She nodded sluggishly, eyes still closed.
"I’m sorry," said Caleb after a long moment. "Do you want to sleep?"
"No. I'm just tired."
That last word came out with a bit more... a bit more than Jester had intended to say it with. She chewed the inside of her cheek and took a sip of water.
She could feel Caleb's gaze on her. "Is it something you would like to talk about?"
The headache continued to pulse in her temples. She stared down into her cup, at the water sloshing side to side from the rocking of the ship. "If you guys are going to Yussa's later, I want to come with. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mama."
"Of course."
Jester breathed in and out and continued, "It's been a year and I think I'm sick of sailing."
"Ah."
"I mean, there's been so many cool things. The Lucidian Ocean is huge. One time we saw a sea horse that was big enough to ride on. And the port cities we've visited have all been beautiful. But most of the time it's just this boat. And less Arty. And Uk'otoa attacking us for the cloven crystal. I can't even prank people whenever I get bored because it's all the same people, and it's way less fun to keep pranking the same people over and over again."
Caleb made a considering noise. She sipped water, chewing the inside of her cheek some more.
Slowly he asked, "Are you... thinking of staying with your mother for a while?"
"Maybe."
Peaceful silence. They listened to the sounds of wood creaking and the ocean undulating. Jester felt the shittiness of her body continue to ease, and she set down the water to take a sniff at the bowl instead. Some stew, still warm.
As she had a cautious taste, Caleb said, "Hey."
She brought down the bowl and looked at him.
"Would you like to see something cool?"
"Of course I would like to see something cool, Caleb."
His smile as she sat up with anticipation and set down the bowl was very welcome—and a pretty cool sight already. But she watched him pull out a piece of wool and rub it between two fingers, and all of a sudden there was a cat in his lap and another cat on his shoulders.
Jester gasped, hands flying to her face. "Are those your cats?"
The smile on his face only got bigger and warmer as he looked down at the illusory one in his lap cleaning its brown-and-white face. "Yes. This one is Gretel, she is still somewhat a kitten. The other one is Mac, which is short for mackerel because he was eating one from a rubbish heap when I found him."
"Oh my god, Caleb, that’s so adorable." She beamed and leaned in to wiggle her fingers at illusion-Gretel, cooing without caring that it wasn’t the real cat.
He rubbed the wool in his hand and illusion-Gretel began to purr loudly.
She could feel the dimples in her cheeks from grinning. "I love them."
"They will both be very glad to hear that and will eagerly exploit your love to make you spoil them."
"Well, of course I’ll spoil them, they’re so perfect."
Caleb’s smile eased into something soft. "Would you like to meet them in person, then? Before you return to the Nein Heroez?"
The excitement welling up inside Jester faltered.
Oh, right.
She twisted her fingers together, fixing her gaze on the blood crusted in the space between them and beneath her nails. "Um. Yeah, I would love to, Caleb. But probably I'm not going to come back here."
No response except a careful inhale.
She picked at a bloodied crease in her palm and continued, "Fjord and I talked a couple weeks ago. It wasn't like an argument or anything, don't worry! We're one hundred and ten per cent still best friends who love each other and everything, you know? But he loves being captain of the Nein Heroez and doesn't really plan on stopping anytime soon. Or doing anything else. And I want to do more. The world's so big, and there's like a dozen other planes I could see, Arty promised he'd show me around the Feywild—"
Caleb's long-fingered hand placed itself on top of her fidgeting ones, and Jester's rambling mouth fell silent. The illusory cats were gone.
"It's fine, Jester," he said. She looked up at his furrowed brow and crooked smile. "I understand."
Deep breath in and out. Jester returned a similar smile. "Yeah."
Seeming reassured, he leaned back in his chair and seemed to look off elsewhere, his brow still furrowed in thought.
In the lull, she took up the bowl of stew again with more relish. The weight of the news she'd been ignoring had lifted from her shoulders, and with it some of her worries. She hadn't known how people would react. The more reasonable voice in her mind figured that everyone would take the relationship change with ease, reminding her of Yasha's advice in Eiselcross a year ago. The louder, more anxious voice had stressed over whether any of them might judge her for being a bad girlfriend.
Apropos of nothing, gaze still a little distant, Caleb said, "Essek and I are in a relationship."
Halfway through a sip of the stew, Jester's mouth fell open. "Really?"
His lips twitched at the squeal in her voice. "Ja."
She smiled, said, "Aw, I'm happy for you two," and returned to her stew to try and stamp down the sudden, strange sense of instability overtaking her. Like her heart found itself stuck in the second between missing the next step down the stairs and falling.
"Thank you. I am telling you this, though, because Essek and I have had... somewhat of a similar conversation." His eyes flickered to meet her startled gaze briefly, and she saw a bittersweet wryness in them. "Neither of us expect the other to be, well. Committed. My whole self, more or less, is dedicated to my home. I want to make it a better place. Essek has very different goals in mind for his future. We love each other, but between my life and his constant vagrancy, it would be unfair to expect us to stay the same. And, you know. I don't have as much time as he does, anyway."
Jester had the bowl of stew in her lap now, unable to stop staring at Caleb. He finally seemed to notice her attention and awkwardly fixed his eyes on a spot of the wall somewhere to her right and up.
In her chest, time started again. Jester's heart safely found the next step instead of taking a tumble down the stairs.
"Thank you, Caleb," she said softly.
He returned to looking at her properly, and the renewed warmth in his expression helped resettle Jester's sense of the world even further. "I'm sure your mother could be much more reassuring."
"Maybe, but it's you."
Caleb went a little pink. The flush was still visible to Jester's eyes in the dim room. Thank the gods that the warmth in her own cheeks would be much harder for him to notice.
That was enough conversation for her at the moment. She shoved the bowl of stew back against her mouth.
(send me a brief widojest prompt!)
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rosalielesbianhale · 4 years
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The human Jacob AU that no one asked for but I can’t  stop thinking about
° The books are the same up to the movie theatre with Mike and Jake (except there are no mentions of Sam’s “gang” because it isn’t a thing, Embry is still hanging out with Jacob and Quil, Jake isn’t afraid he’s next)
° Jacob and Bella have a little laugh at Mike’s expense but make sure he gets home safe.
° Jacob doesn’t get “mono” and drop off the face of the earth, he and Bella just keep getting closer.
° and so, Jacob is with her when she find the meadow and Laurent finds her
° in my version of events Laurent did not decide to suddenly side with Victoria because that makes absolutely no sense. He had no trouble ditching her and James in the first book and has supposedly found a partner in Irina who is friends with the Cullens so why would he be doing Victoria a favour and scouting the area?? make it make sense.
° no, instead, Victoria located him and started asking questions about the Cullens and he, trying to dissuade her from going against them, tells her what he’s learned about them since coming to stay with the Denalis. Alice’s visions, Edward’s mind reading, he lets it all slip in the ernest belief she’ll decide it isn’t worth going after Bella, after all evasion is her heightened power; she should cut her losses and run.
° after talking to Victoria, Laurent decides to warn the Cullens, he has a bad feeling after their talk and suspects she won’t give up so easily.
° he finds the house empty which is peculiar, they seemed so invested in this little human and who do you think he runs across in the meadow but that very human accompanied by a friend.
° he tells her about his talk with Victoria but there is a menacing undertone to everything he says. He is trying not to kill humans for Irena’s sake but as his eyes can attest to, he’s had some slip ups, and, really, she does smell delicious. If she is no longer under the Cullen’s protection then there would really be very little harm in draining her and there’s only one witness to take care off. It might even be a mercy because if Victoria gets her hands on her she would not make it quick, he’d do it as painlessly as possible.
° all of this is said aloud because the reader has no insight into Laurent’s mind otherwise and he seems like a person who’s inclined to give the occasional monologue
° he tells her to run, before he changes his mind
° meanwhile, Jacob is freaking the fuck out. As soon as they reach the road Bella guns it for her truck while Jacob just keeps up a continuous stream of “what the fuck. what the fuck. what the actual fuck. they’re actually fucking vampires? what the fuck. oh, god, dad was right. What The Fuck.”
° after that the whole story comes out, how Jacob was actually the person who helped her figure it out, how she had envisioned spending eternity with Edward and how, now that he’s gone, she hasn’t just been robbed of the person she loves but of what she had come to accept as her future. She has never been able to confide in anyone about the whole story so she tells him everything, right down to what actually happened when she got injured in Phoenix. It’s not like they’re coming back, it doesn’t matter if she tells Jacob.
° Jacob is understandably on overload, Bella drives him home and he says he needs some time.
° this is when Bella starts trying to reach Jacob but he’s unreachable. He’s processing a tremendous amount of information and needs some time away from the madness of Bella’s life.
° Bella starts to get restless. Jacob isn’t talking to her, she feels isolated and she needs to see Edward. She jumps off the cliff.
° I kind of want Sam to be the one who sees her jump and who fishes her out of the water tbh. He doesn’t have Charlie’s number so he calls Jacob’s house.
° Jacob promptly freaks out.
° he brings Bella home, Harry Clearwater has had a heart attack.
° Jacob is frightened for Bella after her jump but he also needs to be there for his dad right now and Seth is so young, Leah seems different after she lost her dad too. He needs to be there for them.
° There’s also the fact that the girl he’s in love with is in love with a vampire but staying away from Bella did not give him the clarity he’d hoped for. It’s still a mess.
° Alice arrives, she doesn’t need blind spots in her visions to go and knock some sense into Bella. Yes, she’s alive this time but she saw her voluntarily jump off a cliff into a raging ocean. Before she left she was a mess talking about how Bella tried to commit suicide and she had to go ensure she wouldn’t attempt it a second time.
° When Jacob rolls up to the house and sees Alice there it feels as though his insides have turned to ice. Are they all back? Is he losing Bella before he ever really got to tell her how he feels?
° Alice leaves to let Bella explain the situation. She tells him only Alice is back and why she came to visit.
° Jacob is a mess, this whole thing is a mess, but he’s left with the feeling that he had when he saw Alice was there. He needs to tell Bella how he feels.
° They have the almost kiss in the kitchen. Jacob is still dumb enough to answer the phone in someone else’s house, he still tells Edward that Charlie’s at the funeral.
° Alice returns, frantic. They have to leave for Volterra. However, Jacob doesn’t basically beg Bella to let Edward kill himself and stay with him. Once he understands that Bella is serious and Edward literally is going to try to get himself killed because he thinks Bella is dead he understands that the only way she can live with herself is if she tries everything she can to stop him from succeeding.
° Instead he is the voice of reason: “Bella, listen to me, Charlie is about to come home to an empty house after burying one of his best friends. He will be beside himself with worry and this note is bullshit, you’re a horrible liar. Tell him you’re staying with Alice tonight because you’re going to Seattle together in the morning, there’s a sale or some shit that she wants to drag you to. Tomorrow night you call him and tell him your car broke down, you have to stay in Seattle while they order the parts for you. It might be a few days. That’ll buy you some time.”
° “And call me when you land or, I don’t know, I might worry too.”
° It feels like tearing his own heart out but he lets her go. He doesn’t beg her to stay.
° The events at Volterra play out the same way they did but Charlie isn’t left to deal with the same amount of shit he was in the original.
° When they return Jacob comes to visit her, she fills him in and, let me tell you, he has a few things to say.
° “I can’t believe you’re just going to get back together with him. Bella he lied to you, manipulated you and left you. His sister can see the god damn future, if you think he didn’t know how this would affect you then you’re wrong. And he still did it. Maybe he’s telling you the truth and he did it because he thought it would be better for you in the long run but he made that decision without you. If you just take him back then you are essentially telling him that was an okay thing for him to do and it just wasn’t.”
° Jacob is so angry at the Cullens and really, what he’s saying isn’t wrong. The angrier he gets the more Bella can feel her own anger flaring to life, it had been buried under the sheer relief of finding Edward alive, the euphoria of being told that he still loves her. Now she feels indignant; how dare he just make this decision for her, how dare he not take into account her own feelings on the matter, how dare he prioritise his own concerns over hers, and how dare the entire family just go along with it. They all left her.
° She drives herself over to the Cullen’s house to have a talk with them. The vote stays the same, the “if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not” part definitely stays in. However, Bella, after having taken the vote has a few choice words for all of them. “You all left me. I have spent months trying to learn to survive without you and it didn’t go all that well. I want to join you, I really do. But I don’t trust you anymore. You all made an enormous decision for me, without my say so. You’ve now made another decision that I was a part of and even though we don’t all agree, we all got a say. It’s going to take time for me to learn to trust you again, in the meantime all I have to say is this: you will never make a decision regarding me without my input again. Never.”
° She also talks to Alice separately, discounting Edward she feels the most hurt by the fact that she would have left her.
° Since Jacob is now the only person outside of the Cullens who she can actually talk to about her life, she tells him about her talk with them, including the vote.
° Jacob has an understandable freakout regarding the fact that Bella has definitively chosen to become a vampire. This is definitely not what he’d thought would happen after he and Bella had their last talk. And because he’s an impulsive teenager he brings Charlie the motorcycle, hoping that Bella will be grounded and get some distance from Edward and maybe even change her mind.
I have a lot of thoughts regarding the continuation of the series but it’s already a mammoth post so idk, i might do a separate post about Eclipse at some point.
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starsfic · 3 years
Text
It’s Not Him
Summary: Red hears a plea.
Notes: I got this idea for @kitkat1003′s possession au late last night and then typed this out. Hope you don’t mind!
-_-
Hurry!
He didn’t bother to move anything aside. Besides the fact that a deep layer of ice covered all the furniture, making it impossible to move anyway, it would take too much time and leave a trail. Instead, Red scooted and crawled around as quickly as he could, trying his best to not leave a trail of melted ice.
Hurry, hurry, hurry!
He practically dove for the cabinet once he saw it. It was barely big enough for him but it was enough for a hiding spot.
Hurryhurryhurryhurry...
Footsteps, out in the hallway.
HURRYHURRYHURRYHURRYHURRY-
One final push and he was inside the cabinet. Quickly, Red managed to squeeze himself in and eased the door back into place best he could. He didn’t bother to close it fully, since the noise would draw attention. Leaving it open would risk him being seen but...
He also needed to see his pursuer.
Within seconds, a boy in a familiar blue jacket entered and Red mentally cursed. It was just his luck that it wasn’t that fake mayor, that it was the last one he ever wanted to see.
“Red! Where are you?”
Shit.
Xiaotian was looking for him. On any other day, this would’ve been fine. But with the increased chill of the room and the fact that some kind of monster was hunting them down, this was very much not fine. Everything in him wanted him to run, get away, but...
It also made him want to step back out. Especially at the little whimper the possessed boy let out. 
But a mental voice- that sounded like the Dragon Girl for some reason- said don’t move.
Right. It wasn’t him.
He just needed to remember that.
“Why are you hiding from me?”
Red could barely remember the number of horror movies he’d seen over his lifetime. In many of them, there would be a person hiding, like him. They would be revealed due to their panicked breathing. With that in mind, he slowed his breaths, trying his best to focus on being silent. But that was kind of hard to focus on, given that Xiaotian was right there, a few lights and a proper angle from seeing him in this stupid cabinet.
And this whole year ever since he had attacked him and his parents, had been too much like a horror movie to risk that.
“Is that you’re scared?”
Oh, Red had moved from being ‘scared’ to ‘pure terror’ right now, thank you very much. Seeing your parents and the city you’d lived in encased in ice, barely escaping the same fate, and figuring out you were some piece in a much bigger game really did that to you. He really wanted to push back deeper into the cabinet, but it was too small and it would draw attention.
So Red stood as frozen as those frozen people did.
“You don’t have to be,” Xiaotian said. And that? That soothing, reassuring tone? It sounded like the Noodle Boy before all this started. The worse part was that it sounded truly sincere- like he was the one saving him instead of the other way around.
“I would never let anything harm you.” Stop talking, because right now all he wanted to do was believe him.
“I just want to keep everyone safe.”
Dragon Girl’s voice, again. Don’t talk. Don’t say a word.
He knew better. Right?
“Once I’m done, everything will be perfect. No pain. No lies. No secrets. Nobody will ever have to be alone again!” And oh gods, if that didn’t make him ache. But something else caught his attention, the grand gesture of his arms as he spoke.
Was it for the frozen people?
Or the thing controlling him.
“We’re all here together. We’re all here for each other. Like a family!” Something odd overcame his face and Red nearly broke the no moving rule. What was that? A twitch- As soon as it came, it disappeared.
Fortunately, Xiaotian had taken a few steps in the wrong direction towards a few of the bigger pieces of furniture in whatever frozen store they were in, fortunately now at a spot that put him at a more difficult angle to see him. A look of disappointment appeared when his search turned up nothing. Standing up, he looked around.
“But we can’t be complete without you, Red. Your parents miss you.” He almost jumped at that, but he managed to dig his nails into his palms, grounding himself. 
Don’t fucking move.
Right. Okay, he needed to focus. Think of a way out of here once he moved on and get back with the others, hopefully without drawing attention. He could do this. He could-
“...I miss you.”
Immediately, his mind went blank.
No.
“I want you here, with me...”
Stop talking.
“So...”
Shut up, shut up, SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP...
“Please...”
It’s not him, it’s not him, don’t you dare move because it’s not him-
“Won’t you please come out?”
Silence. Red fought back tears because of the sheer loneliness in that plead. He could cry later, once he was alone. But, for right now, he needed to stay hidden!
Thankfully, it seemed that Xiaotian had determined he wasn’t there. He turned and Red caught the heartbroken look on his face. He moved, slightly, just wanted to hug him tight. He froze again as he paused, looking around. And then he was gone.
Now safe, Red fell out of the cabinet.
He gagged, stumbling over to a corner to throw up. That whole thing, that felt like something that should’ve been aimed at Xiaojiao or Pigsy. Because his heart felt like it had been torn out of his chest and stomped on.
He just...
He just needed to remember it wasn’t the Noodle Boy. He just needed to keep reminding himself of that.
It’s not him.
It’s not him.
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