#◤v. part of me is back there: human/soldier au ◢

[winterarmyy]

Against All Odds | Part I

An arranged marriage with the duke's illegitimate son!bucky.

Summary: In a medieval kingdom where magic and political intrigue are woven into the fabric of society, Y/N, the youngest daughter of a noble Earl family, finds herself in an arranged marriage to James Buchanan Barnes, the illegitimate son of the Duke. Known as the Winter Soldier, Bucky's reputation as a monster in war had instilled anxiety into Y/N's heart. But that fear quickly begins to crumble when she discovers that her husband is not the brutal figure society depicts him to be.

Navigation: Part I | Part II | Part III (end)

Words: 8.1k++

Pairing: duke's illegitimate son!bucky x noble!female!reader

Warnings: fantasy/medieval au, i did not write this with much knowledge of fantasy nor medieval lore. I write it solely for plot and the couple dynamic lmao. if you're expecting full blown fantasy novel; this ain't it, man. anyways, 18+ contents, no minors allowed, nsfw, cunnilingus, p in v, unprotected sex, creampie, loss of virginity, praise kink, breeding kink (if you squint), marking kink (i think), soft fluffy smut, a wee bit of dirty talk. soft!reader and even softer!bucky. (idk what else, so tell me if there's something i miss.)

P/S: This is the fic for an idea I had earlier this year. The first chapter will only cover the original post but what happens next is something you will need to look forward on the upcoming chapters. Enjoy your read!

Read my other works here: Masterlist

Y/N stood in front of the grand mirror in her chamber, her reflection staring back at her with wide, fearful eyes. The delicate lace of her wedding dress was the opposite of the twisting anxiety in her stomach. Today, she was to marry James Buchanan Barnes, the illegitimate son of the Duke of the kingdom, a man labelled to be more beast than human.

He was known as the Winter Soldier, a title whispered with both fear and awe. Tales of his gruesome feats in battle, his merciless brutality, and his cold, metal arm was deemed as a horror story for the children in the kingdom. People spoke of him as a monstrous weapon, a beast moulded by the Emperor to do his bidding without question or hesitation. 

Y/N had heard the stories many times before; and it has always been a hushed conversation that floats around whether a ballroom of a gala, or at the tables of the garden parties, sometimes even in between the racks of books in the library.

They always painted a picture of a man who lived only for war, devoid of humanity.

She couldn't help but let these tales feed her imagination. What kind of man was he truly? Did he revel in the violence, or was he a prisoner to his fate? Y/N shuddered at the thought, her heart heavy with fear and uncertainty.

Her father, the Earl, had made it clear why she needed to marry him. It was a political manoeuvre, a strategic alliance to strengthen their family's position. The duke, Bucky's father, wielded considerable power, and their union would bring the Earl closer to the heart of the kingdom's influence. 

And when he heard that the duke was looking for a wife for his bastard son, he knew that she would be perfect. That was when Y/N, the youngest daughter, became the pawn in this game. Her father's ambitions certainly outweighed any consideration for her feelings or desires.

Y/N had always longed for a marriage of love, a dream she clung to despite her circumstances. She was a hopeless romantic through and through; much like her late mother. She remembered the nights when her mother would read to her and her siblings, spinning tales of prince charming and valiant heroes.

The fire crackled warmly in the hearth as her mother’s soothing voice filled the room. Y/N and her siblings, her older brother Eric and sister Clara, lay tucked under blankets, their eyes wide with wonder.

"And then the prince, with a heart full of love, swept the princess into his arms, vowing to protect her forever," her mother read, her voice a melodic whisper.

Y/N, her eyes sparkling with innocence, declared, "When I grow up, I want to marry a prince charming too!"

Clara, ever the practical one, nodded in agreement. "Me too! He has to be brave and kind."

Eric, being a little boy, scrunched his nose in distaste. "I don’t want to get married. I want to be a knight!"

Their mother chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Y/N’s forehead. "It does not matter if he is a prince charming or a humble knight. As long as you marry the one you love, that is what truly matters."

Y/N's heart ached at the memory. How she wished her mother were still here to guide her through this terrifying day. The gentle knock on the door brought her back to the present.

"Lady Y/N, it’s time," one of the maids said softly.

Y/N took a long and deep breath, smoothing down the fabric of her dress. She followed the maid down the corridor, her mind a swirl of emotions. Reaching the grand doors of the church, her father waited for her.

"Remember, Y/N," he said, his voice stern. "Do not mess this up. Just endure it. And you'll be fine. This is the most useful you can be to our family."

Her heart sank further; yet she nodded obediently.

Compared to Y/N, her elder brother, a celebrated swordsman, and her sister, a master in the art of business, had always outshone her in their father's eyes. Y/N's talent with languages; ancient and modern – was seen as a useless skill, something that brought no tangible benefit to the family. 

Her father had never been cruel when she was younger but everything changed when her mother died. In fact, everyone in the family had lost a piece of their soul when she left. Now, his lack of affection only increases the number of scars on her heart.

The doors opened, revealing the crowds of high-ranking nobles; who were mostly strangers – staring at her. Some were judging her; some pitied her. She reminded herself that she was doing this for her family, for the greater good. But the little girl inside her who dreamed of prince charming certainly felt a pang of sorrow.

As she walked down the aisle, her legs trembled, and her hands shook so violently that she had to clasp them together to steady herself. From afar, she saw the silhouette of the man she was destined to marry. His tall and huge figure stood out compared to anyone in the hall. As she got closer, she kept her gaze fixed on the floor, too afraid to look up at her husband-to-be.

When she finally reached the altar, the priest began the ceremony. His speech was long and dragging, giving Y/N too much time to entertain her growing curiosity that she dared to glance up at the man next to her. Even from behind the veil, she could see his towering and broad-shouldered build, his presence commanding the room. His long hair was slightly untamed, and a scruffy beard framed his face. His metal hand, glinting in the sun that leaked through the church’s windows, was a jarring reminder of the rumors that surrounded him.

There were no heartfelt vows to recite to each other; only their promise of "I do" was exchanged. And that was the first time Y/N heard his voice. It was deep and resonant, sending a shiver down her spine; but there was a certain warmth in it that contrasted sharply with his fearsome reputation.

When the priest announced their union and Bucky lifted her veil, Y/N was struck by the unexpected gentleness in his eyes. They were a brilliant, mesmerizing blue, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. Bucky's eyes softened as he looked at her, his gaze tender and almost reverent. Slowly, he placed one hand gently around her waist, pulling her slightly closer. His other hand came up to cup her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle against her skin.

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as he leaned in, her breath catching in her throat. When his lips met hers, they were soft, warm, and so unexpected. She could smell his cologne; an earthy, woodsy scent mixed with a hint of something fruity; like peaches or tangerines. It made her head spin and her heart jumped all at the same time. 

The kiss was gentle and unhurried, very much differs to the forceful gesture she had feared. As he pulled away, Y/N found herself blinking slowly, her cheeks flushed and her fear momentarily replaced by confusion and a surprising awe. She was caught off guard by the tenderness of his touch, the way his lips had brushed against hers so gently.

Could the rumors about him be wrong?

"I’m sorry if I startled you," he said, his voice low and gentle. "I hope I didn’t scare you, my dear."

Y/N blinked slowly, trying to process the sudden shift in her emotions. The fear that had gripped her so tightly seemed to dissipate, replaced by a confusing mix of relief and intrigue. Her hands, which had been trembling, now rested at her sides, feeling strangely steady. Her eyes met his, and she could see softness in his gaze that contradicted the harsh rumors she had heard.

“I—no, you didn’t scare me,” she managed to say; her voice barely more than a whisper. She took a deep breath, her cheeks getting warmer as she processed the endearment he just called her. On the other hand, her mind was racing as she tried to reconcile the man in front of her with the fearsome figure of the Winter Soldier.

Bucky’s eyes mellowed even further, his gaze glazed with a tenderness that seemed to pierce through the weight of the room. A warm smile spread across his face, and he held her gaze with a comforting assurance.

“Good,” he said, his voice carrying a gentle affection. “I’m glad to hear that.”

The reception that followed was a blur of faces and polite conversation. Y/N moved through the crowd, accepting congratulations and well-wishes, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Bucky than the rumors suggested. Every time she caught his eye, he gave her a small, reassuring smile that made the butterflies inside of her go wild.

As the evening drew to a close, they were escorted to one of the Emperor’s palaces, a grand and opulent residence that was to serve as their temporary home before they traveled north to Bucky’s territory. The palace, with its lavish furnishings and golden accents, seemed to mock the uncertainty Y/N felt. She had been assigned a chamber to prepare for the night, and the palace maids were bustling around her, helping her into a set of elaborate, far-from-modest lingerie.

The palace’s maids’ whispers and side glances did nothing to ease her growing anxiety. Their condescending tones and occasional snickers were laced with cruel speculation about how roughly Bucky would treat her. The more Y/N overheard, the more her apprehension grew. Despite the gentleness Bucky had shown her earlier, she found herself doubting its sincerity.

Could he really be the caring husband he appeared to be, or was it all just an elaborate show?

The maids finally left, their laughter fading down the hallway, leaving Y/N alone in the grand chamber. Her heart raced, and cold sweat formed at her brow as she sat quietly on the edge of the ornate bed. She kept her gaze firmly on the floor, her hands fidgeting in her lap. The room felt enormous, its sheer size heightening her sense of isolation and dread.

The door creaked open, and Bucky entered the room. Y/N’s heart nearly stopped as she heard the heavy, measured footsteps approaching. She couldn’t bring herself to look up, her body tense and her mind a swirl of panic and unease. She almost held her breath entire when she felt the slight indentation of the mattress beside her.

“Y/N,” Bucky’s voice was soft and coaxing, a distinct difference to the coldness she was expecting. “Look at me.” He continued. She hesitated momentarily; torn between obeying and disobeying but ultimately decided to raise her eyes to meet his.

The sight of him; his upper body bare, revealing a tapestry of scars and the stark metal of his prosthetic arm; made her breath hitch. Her eyes traced the lines of his faded wound, particularly the jagged marks where his shoulder met his metal arm. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow and concern. Her fingers, almost of their own accord, reached out to trace the contours of his chest and shoulder.

Bucky let the innocence of her touch to trace the most tainted parts of him; however noting her trembling eyes, he misunderstood her apprehension. “I want you to know, Y/N,” he said, his voice firm yet gentle, “that I will never hurt you. You are safe with me.”

Y/N shook her head, her heart aching. She felt an unexplainable pain growing in her chest as she gazed at him. Her fingers still lightly touching his scars; her eyes, full of unshed tears, silently asked a question she was too afraid to voice. “Does it still hurt?” she wanted to ask, her expression betraying her concern.

Bucky’s eyes sparkled with affection, and he took her hand in his, holding it tenderly against his chest. “Don't worry. It does not hurt anymore,” he said with a reassuring smile. 

The connection between them was electric, charged with a deep, unspoken understanding. Bucky’s gaze was steady and filled with a depth of unspoken emotion that took Y/N’s breath away. “I know this is difficult for you, Y/N,” he said, his voice laden with sincerity. “But I promise, I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”

His words and the way he looked at her left Y/N feeling both comforted and overwhelmed. For the first time since their wedding, she felt a genuine, flickering hope that maybe, just maybe, their marriage could become something more than a mere political arrangement. Bucky’s assurances, his gentleness, and the tenderness in his eyes began to dissolve the fears she had harboured since the beginning of their union.

As they sat there, the weight of the night’s expectations seemed to lift, replaced by a fragile but growing trust. Y/N had entered this marriage with a sense of duty, convinced that she would have to endure the consummation of their union as a matter of obligation. But Bucky’s tenderness, his understanding, and the sincere reassurance he had given her began to change her perspective.

The idea of fulfilling her marital duty had initially felt like a burden she had to bear. She had steeled herself to face it with resignation, convinced that it was merely another part of her role in this arranged marriage. But now, she found herself reconsidering. The idea of being with him no longer felt like an obligation but a possibility of something more profound and intimate.

Y/N hands softly toyed with the delicate strings of her sheer lingerie, pulling it softly as her doe eyes signalled her husband of her intention. Bucky, sensing the shift in her demeanor, looked into her eyes with a mixture of concern and affection. “Are you sure, my dear?” he asked softly. “I want you to feel safe with me and not afraid of me.”

Y/N’s heart fluttered as she met his gaze, her own eyes reflecting the depth of her emotions. “I am,” she said with quiet conviction. “I feel safe with you, James”

Bucky's hand naturally went to brush her hair behind her ear, “It’s Bucky, my dear,” he corrected softly.

“Hmm?” she asked, slightly puzzled.

He chuckled warmly. “You can call me Bucky from now on. It’s a nickname only a selected few who I trust and love knows.” Her eyes sparkled at his choice words; trust and love.

“Bucky…” she tested the name on her tongue, the syllables feeling strangely intimate. Upon hearing his name from her lips, Bucky’s heart swelled, almost bursting from his ribcage. He hummed in approval, “That's right, my dear. I’m your Bucky.” 

His reassuring smile grew wider, his calloused thumb gently stroke her cheek causing a shiver to strum all over her nerves; sending an emerging desire. One she had not fully acknowledged until now. The way he looked at her, the pure and raw endearment in his eyes, and the softness of his touch stirred something deep within her.

As the moments passed, Y/N realised she wanted this. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, to explore the warmth of his hands, to connect with him on a level she had longed for. The yearning for his touch, which had been dormant under layers of fear and uncertainty, now surged forward with undeniable intensity.

Without fully understanding why, Y/N found herself leaning closer to him, her breath coming in soft, eager gasps. She whispered, her voice barely audible but full of longing, “Bucky, please.”

Bucky’s expression softened, and a tender light filled his blue eyes, “May I?” he asked, his voice low and gentle as he held out his hand. There a shy hesitation before she finally placed her hand in his.

With a gentle but firm pull, Bucky lifted her onto his lap, his careful hands beginning the process of undressing her. Each movement was full of care, yet almost deliberate, as he slowly removed her dress, leaving her in nothing but the flimsy lace piece covering the sacred area between her thighs.

Bucky's eyes roamed over her bare skin, admiration clear in his gaze. Y/N could feel the heat of his gaze, the way his eyes traced every curve and contour of her body. The intensity of it made her feel both vulnerable and cherished, a potent combination that sent pleasurable shivers all over her body.

Seeing the hunger in his blue eyes, she felt the warmth of his body and caught the scent of him; the same once she noticed at the church; warm and comforting. Her breath quickened, and she found herself unsure of what to do or where to place her hands, feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

Noticing the subtle panic, Bucky reached for her hands and guided them through the thick strands of his long hair. “You can touch me as you please, my dear,” he whispered, his voice soothing as he reassured her. He leaned in to kiss her bare shoulder, then moved up to her neck, along her jaw, leaving a trail of warmth on her skin.

Y/N’s fingers tangled in his hair, the softness surprising her. The intimacy of the moment, combined with his gentle kisses, began to dissolve the last remnants of her anxiety. The feel of his lips on her skin was electrifying, each kiss sending waves of sensation she never felt before.

Bucky’s hands, still careful and tender, caressed her back, drawing her closer to him. Her breath hitched as he kissed the valley of her breasts; soft gasps escaping her lips as Bucky begins to lick and sucked on her delicate skin; likely trying to mark his claim on her. 

Every touch and little kisses he left sent shivers straight to her already dripping core. And by the time his lips grazed her nipple, her body jerked forward; in response, unintentionally dragging her aching pussy against his thick thigh.

His lips latched around her right nipples as he licks and sucks the hardening skin; lapping at it as if he was feeding from her. The sensation was overwhelming, yet she found herself leaning into his touch, her body responding to his gentle ministrations. The grip on his hair grew tighter as the strings of moans poured out her lips.

Bucky’s large hands find their place on her hips, guiding her to gently rut on his thigh. Trusting him, she followed his lead as he continue to grind her clit through the thin fabric she was wearing; introducing the sweet friction in on her core. Bucky pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, his expression filled with a mixture of subtle affection and desire. “You’re doing wonderfully, my dear. Can feel your pussy leaking on me. Do you feel good?” he murmured as he dipped back to kiss her neck.

Oh, he was filthy with his choice of words but surprisingly she was not mad about it. In fact she didn’t even notice the whimpers purring in her throat upon hearing those sinful words.

It was as if Bucky recognized that needy sound she made; it caused a smile to spread on his lips. She can feel it grow against the skin in between her breasts, “My my, is my sweet wife feeling needy right now?” he teased playfully as he effortlessly lifted her up and laid her down on their bed. 

Placing himself in between her soft thighs, his lustful gaze trained on her naked body; he admired the marks he has left on her breasts, the wet patch on the flimsy fabric covering her cunt, and the way her breath shuddered when he teasingly grind his harden cock against her.

Y/N can feel the contrast of his hands on her thigh, one warm, one cold. Her eyes drew her attention from his hands to his gorgeous face. Oh, the pure unfiltered lust in his eyes was pulling her in so effortlessly; seducing her to submit her body and soul to him completely. Shying away from his stare, she dragged her view down to his chiselled jaw, his broad chest then slowly to his beautiful abs. 

She admired his body as much as he did of hers.

But what was more prominent out of all, was the way she could feel his erection throbbing against her heat. Blood went rushing towards her face when Bucky guided her hips against the confinement of his cock, which in response; causing her hands naturally found their way to cover her face in embarrassment.

A deep chuckle bubbled from Bucky’s throat; he found her reaction to be absolutely endearing. He leaned down towards her, one hand holding himself up and another tenderly pulling her hands away, then drawing it close to his chest, right against his beating heart. 

Having nowhere to run, Y/N’s teary eyes drowned in his ocean blues, “Don’t hide from me, dearest.” He peppered a delicate kiss on her forehead, then on her nose, then on her cheek. She could feel the prickly sensation of his beard grazing on her skin. It was ticklish and a little bit painful and yet weirdly enough, it felt good that it naturally made her want to nuzzle it more.

But before she could, Bucky’s lips were already making their way down to her stomach. Her body responds to how soft his lips trailing down; and further down until she could feel them on her clothed core. A surprised yelp fell from her lips as he tore the last piece of clothing from her.

“Now, hands away from your face, my dear. I want to see that beautiful eyes of yours when I eat your sweet pussy.” his voice was honeyed when he made himself comfortable in between her thighs. His hands reached upwards to intertwine both of her hands with his own; acting as a restraint to restrict her from covering her face.

Y/N almost sat up upon hearing his words, “Eat what now?”, the question she had in mind was unable to be vocalised; due to her confusion. Prior to marriage, she had learned about sex and its purpose in her marital studies. Unbeknownst to her, the knowledge she had was few and limited for academic purposes only. Which means there were only the few illustrations of penetration depicted in books and the process of how children are bred as a result of it.

So what does he mean when he said those words? While she was still lost and confused, Bucky on the other hand was in his own world; completely and utterly transfixed on the glistening need of her cunt. She was dripping wet; the juices covering her slits perfectly; her scent was intoxicating and if it weren’t for the fact that this is her first time, Bucky would’ve ate her like a man starved of touch. But, he can’t do that. Not tonight. He wanted to be gentle; to cherish her, to love on her.

Seeing the darkened clouds in his eyes as he stared at her private, Y/N braved herself to ask, “What are you– ohh hmmm” her sentence ended up transforming into a toe curling moan as she felt Bucky’s wet tongue flattened across her weeping core. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he dragged her clit into his mouth and sucked. He strummed her clit with his tongue, causing her to arch her back and he took the opportunity to push his face further into her cunt; licking and sucking quite the literal soul out her.

It felt amazing but her self-consciousness won the battle in her head, she let out a whimpering plea, “Buc--bucky st-stop. That’s dirty.” as she gripped on his hands, trying to escape from his grip. Bucky growled against her in response to her futile protest. The sweet vibration only caused her pleasure all over her fluttering core. 

When Bucky pulled away for a moment; it caused her to feel a sense of loss. “It’s not dirty, my dear. In fact, it’s so sweet.” His lips moved to kiss on her inner thigh, murmuring against her skin as he left yet more of his marks on her, “So fucking sweet.” He releases his right hand from hers, just to rub his thumb on her clit, slowly dragging it in between her slit; smearing her wetness all around her throbbing bundle of nerves. Her thighs trembled to the sensation of his rough movement of his thumb and a string of shaky mewls fell out of her.

“But..” she tried to protest but immediately stopped when Bucky brought his soaked thumb to her mouth. Her lips were wet from how he gently smeared the juices on her, “Taste yourself.” He lured her softly. Hesitation glints in her eyes as her cheeks redden. Bucky’s eyes grew tender at her watery ones, he whispered lowly, “Sweetheart, do you trust me?” 

She does; but she does not trust her own voice to not come out sounding like a needy moan, so she simply nodded. Bucky’s pink lips spread into a smile, “Good girl. Now, open up.” he coaxed lovingly.

Y/N opened her mouth as she was told and let Bucky slip his thumb inside; he was not shy to smother her juices across her tongue, coaxing her to suck on it. To get a taste of what he was having. “It’s sweet”, she thought to herself. A muffled moan purred in her throat at the thought of her husband enjoying the taste of her.

Bucky smirk grew at her reaction, “Tastes good huh, sweetheart?” he pulled his thumb away, leaving her nodding to his question. “Now are you going to let me enjoy your pussy?” his brow quirked when he tilted his head to the side. How can she deny him now? Her eyes glazed with need as she replied,  “Yes, please”.

Her mouth falls open in anticipation as a low moan creeps up her throat. Bucky’s tongue slips past her folds, she watched him between her legs, savouring her pussy with his unfiltered groans vibrating against her sensitive spot. Breathless moans and incoherent pleads fall from her mouth as the soft and firm tip of his tongue circled her swollen pearl and flicked it. Bucky’s hands went to her hips, guiding it in time with her own movements, giving her partial control to set the pace.

“Buckyyyy.” She gasped as she alternated between wanting to push his head away or keep him in place. Meanwhile, the man in between her thighs had lost himself; consumed by pure desire the more he drank from her cunt. His tongue moved faster against her clit when he noticed the beat of her throbbing cunt increased. She was going to come. He was sure of it.

The way that she was practically creaming on his tongue drove him near feral. He kept lapping at her juices as if it was the sweetest honey he ever tasted; fuck he even sucked her clit in hopes to force out more of her nectar to leak; then he’d lap on it again. 

The sweet cycle had pushed Y/N over the edge, her eyes rolling back as pleasure and her hips slightly lifted as pleasure surges through her veins.“Oh oh Bucky please please.” She didn’t what she was begging for as she chanted his name. “I’m gonna, ‘m gonna–“ her words died as she squealed; her body trembling in pleasure. 

His tongue moved faster against her clit; her cum was dripping out of her; coating his beard but his frantic licks didn’t stop even when she continue to gush on his tongue. 

“Bucky please, sensitive..” It was too much; her orgasm, her swollen clit, his tongue. Everything. 

Unfortunately for her, Bucky was far gone to stop now. He had the taste of her cum, now he wants nothing more than to have it again. Despite her protest, Bucky held her hip down, interlocking his hands across her stomach to keep her in place and continue to lick and suck on her overstimulated cunt.

Her whiny pleas didn’t come across as a sign for him to stop; instead it kept him going causing him to bury his face further in between her legs. His cock continued to throb in his pants, probably leaking with so much pre-cum and in need of some sort of relief but he ignored it. He wants nothing more than for Y/N to cum on his tongue again.

And that is exactly what happened next.

The moment she fell over the edge, Bucky pushed her even harder against him as her whole body spasmed. He maintained his pace on lapping up at her all throughout her high as her hands went from his hair to the headboard, trying to hold her limp body upright. Y/N took a moment to gather herself together, panting heavily as she regained their senses; while Bucky was swift to pull his pants off and throw it to the side.

He grabbed on her hips, holding her firmly in place as his heavy leaking cock nestled between her aching pussy. “Are you sure about this, my dear?” his hot breath fanning against her neck as he gently ruts into her heat. Even though Bucky can see the darken lust in her eyes, he still wanted to make sure that she was sure of her decision.

Y/N’s heart swelled at his concern, and she found herself smiling, a genuine smile that reflected the warmth she felt inside. She pulled him closer and kissed him, pouring all her newfound trust and affection into the kiss. “Yes, Bucky. I am very sure. ”

Bucky quickly responded with equal passion, his tongue slipped in between her lips; exploring the warmness of her mouth, the softness of her tongue. Their muffled moans filled the silenced room, his hands moved to caress her sides, drawing her even closer before breaking away from the heated kiss.

Resting his forehead on hers, his eyes trained on her beautiful face; not wanting to miss his chance to witness the pleasure contorting on her expression. He nudges her clit first, rubbing it slow and sensual before trailing down to her entrance. Gradually, he inches closer, he pushes in and through the tightness of her sacred channel.

Delving impossibly deep, her tightness wrapped around his thick cock until the tip of him reached the deepest parts of her. The sudden feeling of fullness on her untainted pussy caused her to experience both pain and the delightful sensation inside her. The ecstasy of being so knitly connected to each other caused both of them to simultaneously let out moans and groans of raw pleasure.

Bucky waited for her to adjust to his size; leaning down to pamper her with the softest kisses and praises that tears started to swell in her eyes. It was as if Bucky knew exactly what she wanted to hear, how she wanted to be treated and what makes her feel good.

“You’re doing so good, my dear.”

“Look at how perfect your pussy’s taking my cock. So perfect.”

“Made for me aren’t you, sweetheart?. Made to be loved by me, made to be stuffed full of my cock.”

“I promise you’ll be safe with me, Y/N. Always.”

When Y/N finally gave him the permission to move, Bucky kissed her pouty lips and murmured sweetly, “Thank you, my dear.” His hands travelled to find her ankle; which he then gently prop her calf over his broad shoulder. He started pumping in and out slowly, letting her get used to the friction. 

Bucky couldn’t help but to groan out to the feeling of her wet hole gripping his cock ever-so-tightly. It was slippery and dripping, that he almost completely slid out of her. Gripping her closer he continue ramming himself back in, deeper, harder; sliding in and out of her at an even pace. Each force of his cock causing her body to jerk in ecstasy; hitting that good spot in her so perfectly.

“S-shit, sweetheart,” he moans deep and heavy as he felt her pussy tightening around him. His metal hand slid in between them and his thumb hones in on her clit. The coldness of his finger made her jolt at first but when he proceeded to rub and pinch on it, everything suddenly started to feel too intense; so incredibly good.

With his fingers assaulting her clit, each thrust of his cock and every deep guttural moan and groan coming from Bucky, she felt her release was growing closer. Bucky also started thrusting faster and harder; he knew he was about to come. Especially when he can feel how much pre-cum has been leaking inside her.

He leaned and rested his forehead on hers, his needy ruts became more and more irregular when her pretty doe eyes looked up at him, ���Cum for me, my dear.” his lips brushed against Y/N’s as he coaxed her to her sweet release. His thrusts got harsher and deeper and the friction of his metal finger working on her clit got her cunt to frantically tremble around him, “I wanna feel you milk my cock, sweetheart. Then, I’m gonna my pump cum inside you until you’re leaking.”

Although his words were debauched to no end, however Y/N could sense his genuine affection for her. She felt his sincerity in the way he looked at her, in the way he held her, in the silenced gaze they shared. Overwhelmed with pleasure, her nails dragged across Bucky’s back as she moaned and screamed out his name; letting the high took over her body.

“Fuck,, sweetheart. I’m gonna cum!” groaned as he took in the sound of her pleasured mewls. He ruthlessly grinds into her, savouring the feeling of her cunt tightened around him. With one last rut, he thrust his cock, balls deep inside and let his warm white strings filling her up to the brim. His cock twitches in her fluttering cunt, his legs tensing with every small grind he makes, groaning lowly at her as he bites down on her shoulder, almost drooling on her as he emptied himself completely into her.

Y/N continued to let out strings of soft moans as he pulled out from her leaking cunt; all swollen and sensitive. While she thought she could finally catch some breaths, she didn’t notice the way Bucky was biting on his lip at the sight of his cum dripping out of her, or how his hands lazily tugging on his now hardened cock.

“Dearest?” Bucky hovered above her as he cradled her by her flushed cheeks. She smiled sweetly as she leaned to his touch, “Yes, Bucky?”, she was anticipating him to utter more of those soft words and praises to her; but instead his lips curled into a devilish grin when he slid his cock back into her, immediately pulling a long sinful mewl of his name from her. Bucky hummed approvingly in response; he gently brushed his lips against hers, “May I fill you up again?”

As the morning sun streamed through the windows, Y/N slowly stirred awake. She reached out, instinctively searching for the warmth of her husband beside her, but found the space empty. A pang of loneliness touched her heart, but it was quickly replaced by curiosity when she saw a bouquet of bluebells, her favourite flower, placed delicately on the bedside table.

Next to the bouquet was a note. With a small smile, she picked it up and began to read.

"My Dearest Y/N,

I hate to leave you alone this morning, but I must ensure our journey home is smooth and safe. I trust you slept well, and I promise to return to your side as soon as I can.

Yours always,

Bucky"

The words written on the note were filled with sincerity and reassurance that made her heart flutter. She smiled, a blush creeping across her cheeks as she wondered how he knew bluebells were her favourite.

Just as she was lost in thought, the door opened, and the palace’s maids entered the room. Their faces were a mixture of curiosity and impatience, clearly expecting to see a frightened and bruised young bride.

However, when they saw Y/N's skin, they temporarily froze in their spots. Her skin was indeed bruised, but each one of them recognized the marks for what they were: love marks, not signs of harsh abuse that they were expecting. The traces of Bucky's possessive love were prominent all over her neck, chest, and inner thighs, leaving Y/N blushing as the maids, too, found themselves flushed with embarrassment.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” one of the older maids muttered under her breath, her tone laced with irritation. Another maid, with a more condescending sneer, huffed. “Looks like we lost the bet, ladies. Who would have thought the beast could be so... tender?”

Y/N’s cheeks burned with a mix of embarrassment and pride. She could feel their resentful glances and knew they were not pleased with the outcome. The marks on her body were a testament to the affection and desire Bucky had shown her, and despite the initial fear, she now wore them as symbols of the unexpected bond they had begun to forge.

The head maid, who had been the most vocal the night before, now seemed to handle her with an edge of bitterness. The other maids, who had been so quick to judge, were now silent, their eyes wide with resentment.One of the younger maids, braver than the rest, couldn’t hide her frustration. “Well, my lady, I suppose you’re alright, then?” she asked, her voice barely masking her disappointment.

Y/N looked at her, considering the appropriate response. If it was up to her, she ought to punish every single one of them for not knowing their place. Unfortunately, they were not her maids to begin with, but the palace's staff. Otherwise, she would likely fire each one of them. 

The memory of Bucky’s affection and care filled her heart, leaving no room for anger or resentment. The warmth of his embrace and the gentle way he had treated her made the maids' behaviour seem petty and insignificant.

She could still feel the lingering touch of his lips on her skin, the way his hands had caressed her so delicately, and the sound of his reassuring voice. Her body was still tingling with the remnants of the previous night's intimacy. Her skin bore the marks of his love, not of brutality, and each bruise was a testament to the passion they had shared. It was completely different to the vile expectations of the maids.

A small smile playing on her lips despite the blush that still coloured her cheeks. "Yes," she said softly, "I am quite alright."

The maids exchanged annoyed glances, their expressions a mix of frustration and disbelief. Their muttered disappointments were tuned out as Y/N focused on the lingering warmth from the night before.

She couldn't hear a single thing except her heart beating to the thought of her husband. She missed him already. Who would’ve thought she’d be swooning for him so soon?

She found herself yearning for his presence, the comfort of his touch, and the sound of his reassuring voice. The memory of his gentle kiss and tender words lingered in her mind yet again, making her heart flutter.

As the maids continued their work, Y/N hoped they would at least perform their duties well enough to cover up for their childish behaviour. She wanted to be ready to see Bucky, to greet him with the same warmth and affection he had shown her. Despite their rudeness, she resolved to focus on the positive, cherishing the newfound bond with her husband.

Bucky stood at the head of the table, his stern expression and commanding presence filling the room. He was reviewing the logistics of their journey home, his voice cold and decisive as he issued instructions to his knights. His trusted knight, Sam, was detailing the possible hotspots for bandits they might encounter along the way.

"We'll likely face trouble here," Sam said, pointing to a spot on the map. "We should send some of our best men ahead to clear the path."

"Agreed," Bucky responded, his tone unyielding. "Deploy the knights in advance. Ensure the path is secure before we proceed."

Sam nodded and continued outlining the plan. He paused, expecting Bucky to reconfirm, but noticed a change in his leader's face. The harsh lines softened, his eyes filled with a tender warmth, as he stared intently at something across the room. Before Sam could look or utter a word, Bucky turned and walked away with determination.

Sam followed Bucky's gaze and understood immediately. "Ah, that's why," he muttered to himself as he watched Bucky approach Y/N. The change in Bucky’s demeanour was striking. He moved with a grace and warmth that was at odds with his usual stern and imposing presence.

Bucky’s eyes softened as he took in the sight of Y/N. He admired her beauty with a gaze filled with awe and adoration. The way he looked at her was as if he was seeing a vision he had longed for, a rare and precious gem that had finally come into his life.

As he extended his hand toward her, a gesture usually seen as etiquette but now entirely with different meaning, especially with the hearts bursting our of his blue eyes. Y/N’s face lighting up with a shy smile, took his hand; almost too eagerly. Bucky's fingers closed gently around hers, his touch tender and reassuring. The contrast between his usual, fearsome reputation and the gentle way he interacted with her was profound, making it clear that his feelings for Y/N were deeply genuine.

Bucky kissed the back of her hand, his lips softly caressing her knuckles. "My dear," he greeted her, using the endearment he had chosen when they first met at the altar. 

The scene seemed like it was pulled raw from a romance novel that the surrounding staff and knights simply watched in shock and awe. "Did he just..." one knight whispered, eyes wide. "Called her 'my dear'?" another finished, equally stunned.

Sam, who had witnessed firsthand the monstrous side of Bucky in war, found himself in a state of utter disbelief, jaw dropped loose. He had seen Bucky’s sword painted blood-red, his face splattered with the gore of countless enemies. The Winter Soldier was a force of nature on the battlefield, his brutal efficiency leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. Sam recalled the sight of Bucky’s cold, unyielding eyes as he cut through foes without hesitation, his armor and weaponry gleaming with the blood of those who dared oppose him.

And yet, here he was, the same man who had struck terror into the hearts of many, now standing before Y/N with a tenderness that seemed unimaginable. Sam could hardly believe his eyes. The disparity was pronounced and bewildering. Bucky’s expression was soft, his movements gentle as he held Y/N’s hand in his.

“I’ve missed you,” Y/N said softly, her eyes shining with affection. She truly did, it would be a lie that she didn’t felt the ache in her heart when she woke up alone that morning. The emptiness beside her had felt profound. The bed still carried his scent, a lingering warmth that whispered of his recent presence. Even though the separation had been brief, as evidenced by the thoughtful note and the bouquet of her favourite flowers he had left behind, the loneliness she felt was palpable. His absence, however fleeting, had created a void that left her feeling incomplete.

Bucky’s heart seemed to burst with emotion. He couldn't care less about the gawking staff surrounding them as he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. She initially froze, caught off guard and embarrassed, but soon melted into his kiss with a blossoming confidence.

As their lips met, memories of their tender and passionate night together surged through Bucky's mind. The way she moan his name, the taste of her cum, the tightness of her pussy gripping on his cock, the way his cum leaked out of her, every single sinful scene replayed in head; infinitely. The intensity of the moment was overwhelming, and he found himself nearly losing control. Reluctantly, he pulled back from the kiss, his breath uneven and his gaze filled with an unspoken hunger.

"God, what should I do with you, hmm, sweetheart?" Bucky whispered, his voice laced with seduction as he continued to place gentle kisses along her cheeks and jaw. His lips brushed softly against her skin, whispering how much he had missed her and expressing a wistful desire to stay wrapped in the warmth of their shared bed just a little longer.

Y/N’s soft giggle rang out as she felt the roughness of his stubble against her delicate skin. The sound was like music to Bucky's ears, brightening his mood and filling him with a profound sense of joy. Despite the joyful exchange, he reluctantly ended the sweet torment, his kisses lingering just a moment longer before he pulled away.

“We should be ready to begin our journey shortly,” Bucky said, his tone shifting to a more practical note when e turned to Sam, who had approached during their moment of intimacy.

“Y/N, this is Sam Wilson, he is one of my trusted knights.” Bucky introduced, his gaze shifting to his wife. Sam gave a respectful nod to Y/N, a hint of surprise still evident in his expression from witnessing Bucky's affectionate display. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Y/N.”

Y/N smiled warmly at Sam, appreciating the introduction. “The pleasure is mine, Sir Wilson.”

Sam, sensing that the formality was unnecessary given their imminent interactions, decided to ease the situation. “Just Sam, my lady,” he said with a friendly tone. Y/N repeated his name with a touch of amusement. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sam.”

Bucky, observing the growing camaraderie between his wife and his trusted knight, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of protectiveness. The easy familiarity between them seemed a bit too casual for his liking. His eyes narrowed slightly as he gave Sam a warning look. “Watch it, Wilson.”

Sam, not missing a beat, chuckled at Bucky’s protective demeanour. “What’s the matter, my lord? Can’t handle a bit of friendly conversation?”

Y/N, noticing the playful tension and Bucky’s slight irritation, couldn’t help but laugh. The contrast between Bucky’s usually soft demeanour that Y/N had witnessed and his current protective stance were both endearing and amusing. Her laughter lightened the mood, making Sam’s teasing even more enjoyable.

Bucky's stern gaze softened as he watched Y/N’s laughter, though his protective instinct remained palpable. Steering the conversion back to the preparations, he allowed a faint smile to tug at the corners of his mouth despite his earlier warning.

“I trust you can escort my wife to the carriage,” Bucky said, his voice serious but tinged with a hint of a smile. “However, I expect you to maintain proper distance and adhere to these additional guidelines.” He paused, ensuring his words were clear. “No unnecessary physical contact or overly familiar behaviour. And if you could, avoid any casual conversations that might be misinterpreted.”

Sam looked at Bucky in disbelief, shaking his head with a bemused expression. “Seriously, Barnes? You’re laying down rules for me to keep my distance from your wife now?”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed playfully. “Consider it a precaution. I’d rather not have any misunderstandings.” Sam chuckled, rolling his eyes as he complied. “Understood. I’ll make sure to follow your... guidelines.”

Y/N watched the exchange with amusement, her earlier shyness melting away into a warm appreciation for Bucky’s protectiveness. The scene, tinged with a touch of comedy, only deepened the connection between them.

Bucky, intent on making a point to Sam while expressing his affection, pulled Y/N close and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. The gesture was both intimate and deliberate, a subtle yet clear indication to Sam that she belongs to Bucky. “I’ll join you shortly, my dear,” Bucky said softly, his voice filled with warmth as he gazed into her eyes.

Sam, unimpressed by Bucky’s display, rolled his eyes at the seemingly childish antics. “This way, my lady,” he said with a hint of impatience. Y/N nodded in agreement but paused before turning her back on Bucky. With a loving smile, she whispered, “I’ll see you later,” before following Sam.

Bucky watched as Sam guided Y/N away, his gaze lingered with a mix of affection and something much deeper; an unspoken sadness. As their silhouettes walked further and further away from his sight, a sombre glaze settled over his eyes.

Beneath the surface of his composed exterior, his heart ached; the was a silent reflection of a pain he had hidden deep within his heart. It was a lingering sorrow that had shadowed him ever since he stood at the altar, the weight of unvoiced grief clinging to him as he gazed at his future bride.

Part II >>

Read my other works here: Masterlist

A/N: Wondering why he was in the feels at the end? We’ll know it soon enough. I’ll see you in the next parts! Thank you for reading!

[pillowdrawz]

MASTERLIST OF ANYTHING 🎨🖌DRAWING

Commission Sheet

(Idk how a master list work)

Btw I did all of this for fun FOR FUN.

♤Turtles forever Au [just a bunch of Turtle gen. Interacting] (On hold)

° Meeting 1. (Old art)

• Meeting 2 (old art)

○ busted meeting 3 (old art)

● Cloaking broach? 1 (old art)

□ Cloaking Broach! 2 (old art)

■ Don's training (old art)

♤ Training

◇ Mutated Soldiers

♡ Mutated Soldiers Leo

◇ Mutated soldiers Donnie

♧ Raph meeting 2012 meme

☆ Meme a Ten is speaking. (Old art

▪︎ Into the leo verse. (Old art)

¤ Turtles and Their Krang

《 Leo's traumas

{ Think leon think

》Leo's and Rise raph

¡ 12 MIKEY CHEATZ. (Old art)

? Spider verse Meme leos

} Hopeful (old art)

[ Don't talk to me or Otherme (Oldart

☆ Playing (old art)

R adorable Rise raph. (NOT SHIPPING)

\ Pranks and Destruction.

◇ watching Leo get L.

♧ watching Donnies get guns

$ Bamf Leo in 2012 world.

1 Future Leo's,MiseryxCprxreesespuffs

% Energy and Stab-

$ Accidentally Mutated Vs Purposely Mutated

2 Raphs Slay

÷ Raphs Height (Not canon I just had fun)

E He likes to be tall

V Is For Valentine's L is for 2003 Mikey/j

Y- Yoshi!!??

A, B.E.A.S.T ACTOR AU

, :3

4 Mutant Mayhem ???

5 Tmnt Animatic Leo's "You'll play your part"

B B.e.a.s.t Leo Joins?

🃏 Joking about trauma be like

💥 Mutant Mayhem Donnie meets??

🐇⚔ Leosagi both 2003 and rise

🤚 DANGEROUS

🙂 ask someone else

-⏭⏸❗----------

◇ Hamatos Umarekawari Au.(On going)

* first post Explannation

+ Raph's death explained

× first meeting part 1

÷ Second meeting part 2

= Meeting (thanos meme)

€ Ryu took the wheel literally

£ Memes

^ more Memes twins

¥ Posture

₩ Bandana

# Rise Boys Looks

$ Random Art of the Au.

% Twins powers

& Float

- Another meeting but different

= Baby?

$ COUSINS??

# Origin???

8 The Kids cloaking brooch/Human form

9 Shelly take care of grandpa...NO DONT KILL HIM-

---⏸⏭---

Random things/ Headcanon)

Rottmnt recoil fanart

TAIL

Cloaking Broach Raph

Cloaking Broach leo Part 1 (bad art)

Cloaking Broach Leo part 2

Cloaking Broach Donnie

MY FAV HC ABOUT THE TWINS

MY FAV HC ABOUT HAMATO NINPO

Rise Leo new Hc???

RISE LEOS TWO POKEMON

He attacked the floor

Rise raph to Rise splinter

Rottmnt memes

Leo wants his sanity back

Disaster twins and Wildberry

Artist is on their Ao3 Author arc /j

=====⏭⏸❗📶===

💀♠️RISESAGA A ROTTMNT X UNDERTALE AU! <<<And for more content click the blog there is now a master list there!!!♠️💀(Rewritting)

---📶⏸💥------

✍Ninjago.✍

+Ninjago Kung fu panda part 1

# Ninjago Kung fu panda part 2

= Lloyd,Brad and Gene fanart

$$ Sensei Garmadon SCREENSHOT REDRAW

B What if Uno reverse card Harumi

--Zzzzzz⏸📶zzzzzzZ--

Rise piece Rottmnt X one piece

- Join His crew

Alabasta arc. Super what??

⚠️spoiler Marineford arc⚠️ Older brother

-------$⏯Monster Promx Monster High crossover comic⏸(On.hold)$----- A SPOOKY CROSSOVER

❌ Oz] Their mission

🧟‍♂️ Brian's And Zombies Part 1

---🗨HAMATOS EXORCISM AU 🗨---

✍ FIRST POST/PROLOGUE?

🖤 EXPLANATION? AND PIEBALD???(joke art only the pokemon one)

👌 Memes

🙌 real lore and Tmnt 2007

✨️Funfacts Mikeys Flaming heads yokais friends

👞clothes..

----- Loading-----

--🐢⛑Ninjago x Rottmnt "Turtles Aid Au"🐢⛑--(Ongoing)

⛑ Prologue/first

[nobodywritingao3]

sorting through my writing problems

just for my own sake

how to be a human being au. originally was going to publish a sequel where tubbo and ranboo are introduced & more among us lore is revealed but i cant see an ending at all and i dont think id finish a sequel id start. additionally i wanted to rewrite a few of the chapters to include vore but im not sure it would be worth it. i think ill finish how to be a human being & set it down (for a while or permanently). if i want to write among us vore then ill just start a fresh au & make either wilbur or technoblade the impostor lmao

allies or enemies (how to be a human being rewrite). i reread it recently and kind of hated it. i feel obligated to finish it but i dont want to write out of obligation. ill probably put it on indefinite hiatus and then anonymize it so i have to look at it

lady lie. kind of a mess. i saw a scene in my head where 3/4 sbi minus tommy were the heroes and they found out that he was the top villain. and they try to parent him out of that but it doesnt really work. i saw a dramatic climax where tommy realizes who they are while theyre on the battlefield & he double crosses the villains and completely annihilates them. sbi would have to make peace with the fact that tommy is the most powerful one & it's only because he likes them that the villain empire has been shut down. i dont think ill finish it. probably put on indefinite hiatus and anonymize

im not angry anymore. ohhhh same problem as lady lie. i enjoy the [techno and wilbur leave for college and then tommy grows up bitter and they come back and hes v impressive and kind of hates them and theres angst] plot but i dont have anything special to add. i think id honestly rather ghostwrite what someone else makes in regards to that trope. indefinite hiatus and anonymized

cold love. im throwing up and screaming. im a little insane about cold love. the plot i saw for that was quackity, wilbur's friend from the village, being revealed as a dragon. he'd explain all the dragon stuff to sbi & sedate wilbur so he's brought out of his instincts. and then wilbur would wake up after a week and be a total mess because they know what his secret is & he feels guilty for all the havoc he wreaked while temporarily insane. id just ruin his life for a little bit. problem is that i dont have a solution to the angst and id probably finish the story with wilbur being a sad sack who thinks his family hates him. no ending. just angst. idk what to do about cold love.

very good bad thing. same thing. i just wanted the angst, i didnt want a real ending. i play around with very good bad thing as a warm up these days. i dont see a real direction to take it in.

your love. i think im as passionate about your love as i am with how to be a human being. i could see this story going very long form & i see different branches i could take it in. i want to finish this story but i have to admit that im kind of scared of it. i dont want to get overwhelmed or lose interest and never finish it because i think its a special story & it really freaks me out that i wont do it justice

shameful company. this doesnt feel like a story im making up, it feels more like a story im transcribing. i know exactly how it goes and i know exactly what happens to all the characters and how it ends. writing shameful company is more about actually writing it than it is about creating the plot and figuring out what happens. its a really long story and that kind of overwhelms me but i know what the story is so i really just have to put in the effort of doing it justice. i care about telling this story right

little soldiers. oohhhhhhhh little soliders. i need to revamp little soldiers. i had a plan in my head and i feel obligated to follow the plan but the planned story isnt as fun as it would be if i just wrote which parts feel natural. im afraid of little soldiers. this one needs a lot of work. i might start using google docs just to deal with little soldiers. little soldiers is a google docs level problem.

finish how to be a human being euthanize allies or enemies, lady lie, im not angry anymore use cold love and very good bad thing as warm up writing because i like the angst and dont care about the ending your love is my little pet project finish shameful company and jam pack it full of vore because im no longer self conscious about writing that trope give little soldiers as much as i can and if that fails, just humanely euthanize it

after ive made plans for all my current writing i can take a look at the insane backlog of story ideas i have & write my horrible vore in my horrible little vore corner

[halfbrecd]

Last Saturday they honored us In a small parade downtown. When they shot off those fireworks - I nearly hit the ground,while they smiled and cheered for us, All I could do was stare Cuz part of me is here at home but part of me is back there

Synopsis. Arthur Curry was born in Amnesty Bay, Maine to Thomas Curry and his girlfriend, Atlanna Oceania. They were a happy family until Atlanna left when Arthur was two years old - after that, Thomas raised the young boy himself. Arthur grew up happy, but often keeping to himself - the most common thing ever doing was becoming captain of the swim team in high school. It was there that he met the love of his life, Diana Prince -- highschool sweethearts they married right after they turned eighteen. Fearing he would be unable to support his wife and father financially -- and with no money for college, Arthur joined the service. Thirteen years, numerous tours of service, a bachelors in biology and three children later; Arthur has been on leave after being injured when a nearby soldier stepped on a landmine.

S T A T I S T I C S

full name. Arthur Curry pronunciation. ARR - th - er Cer - ree nickname. Arthur, Art height. 6′5 age. 31 spoken languages. English, Maori, Spanish, Russian, Italian, German,

P H Y S I C A L C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S.

hair color. Sandy Brown eye color. Amber skin tone. natural tan body type. Mesomorph species. Human ethnicity: Polynesian / Caucasian posture. Kyphosis scars. Jagged scar across left eyebrow and down corresponding cheek. Burn scarring down left arm and milky colored left eye. tattoos. Ta Moko tattoo’s that cover his neck, arms, and torso most noticeable feature. Long thick hair, tattoos, beard, size V. A. R E C O R D diagnoses.   traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Classification. Moderate ( Healing ) Symptoms. Concentration problems, Temporary gaps in memory, Attention problems, Slowed thinking, Difficulty finding words. Irritability, Anxiety, Depression, Mood swings. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms. flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Loss of sight. Due to trauma Arthur lost sight in his left eye. status. medical leave O C C U P A T I O N

Gunnery Sergeant ( US Marine Corps ): Arthur has been recently been put on indefenant leave after being injured on a tour of duty. Fisherman: Having been raised on the water, fishing is all he knows as a civilian.

LOVE LIFE status. married. significant other. Diana Prince  Children. 3 ( 5 year old triplets ) written by. @thxgodkillxr all else same as listed on blog

PLOTTING status. open who for? all you lovely people.

[im-poe-dameron]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 || 𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞

a/n: i might not be as active anymore, because things in life are not going well, but i managed to finish this as a pre-halloween fic. yes. it is another series about din djarin set in an au (i have no control over my actions) and hopefully it actually gets more than two parts, buuuut i'm really in love with this fic. so i hope you guys like it and enjoy a lovely ass spooky week! it's kinda shitty writing, but hopefully you find it interesting. thank you to @themarcusmoreno for being amazing and beta-reading for me. i don't do tags anymore and instead have a library blog now @moonlights-library.

this is a kind of prologue/prequel to the overall series but it can be read as a one shot i guess. there's no set time for this one shot to take place, but I'm thinking it's sometime in the medieval era. idk i haven't worked things out timeline wise. the series will be in modern day though.

summary: beware the witch that lives in the woods. a warning that he did not heed for himself.

word count: 7.4k (i guess!?!)

pairing: din djarin x witch!fem!reader

warnings: EXPLICIT so MINORS OFF MY LAWN, cussing, violence, death, p in v sex, rough sex, oral (f receiving), fingering, minor hand job, potion usage (be wise with the herbs y'all), violence although it's not much, mention of death, reader does not DIE IN THE END. just letting you know. let me know if i missed anything.

“𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝑪𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝑰 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓”

They say the witch in the woods is the one to fear.

To stay away from, because to go near her was to damn yourself to a life of curses. The witch in the woods. A nickname created by those who feared the being of absolute power; men who couldn’t handle no longer being able to control a woman. It was invigorating to know that they held nothing against you - that even if they wanted to hurt you...they couldn’t.

“The witch of the woods,” you mumbled, your lips curving up at the corners as the memory of their fear came back to the forefront of your mind.

What ridiculous notions these humans came up with, but who were you to disagree with them? For you found yourself using the same name they did. Witch. A being of power and you relished in it. Welcomed the fear and hatred, because it meant they wouldn’t try you, would leave you to live alone in the woods. To you that was more a gift than a curse.

The winds shifted, bringing the aroma of the wildflowers that grew around your small cottage with it. A delicate floral scent that you’d grown to love, but beneath that you could sense something deeper. Darker than the buds, than even the trees that surrounded you. Some part of you recognized it - felt the hair stand up on the back of your neck at the realization that they had found you.

That he had found you.

Standing from where you were gathering herbs, you set the basket handle across your forearm, walking slowly back towards your home. Ignoring it wouldn’t make the issue vanish, but it would give you time to consider your options. If they had in fact found you that meant you wouldn’t have much time to flee. Unlike last time where you were prepared for them, this time they had sent him unannounced.

What confused you was you hadn’t felt him coming - couldn’t see him within the view of your sight.

Had they finally found a way to cloak their hunters?

That fact wouldn’t surprise you. What did however was the knowledge that they had sent him to capture you - either a mistake or a distraction on their part. You felt him seconds before returning towards the front of your cottage. A man in black armor stood near the gate, a sword attached to his back and helmet in his hands. You recognized the crest that was branded across the front of the black metal - knew that whatever was there would also be along his skin somewhere.

A soldier for her.

Funny how fate intertwines two souls together - as if it were making a mockery of the outcomes that would no doubt be inevitable. You would have laughed...if you found the joke even remotely entertaining. Yet this had happened before. More times than you wished it to.

He would find you on behalf of her orders, attempting to bring you to her so she could finally get her way. A woman who wanted nothing more than to kill you and that’s what you laughed at. Not the constant recurring situation, but at the sheer stupidity of it - nothing changed, nothing shifted even for a moment. For what would happen if that happened? Would the fates curse you in some way? Would they bring hell down upon you and the soul that you were forever tied to?

Turning towards you he watched as you headed towards the front steps of your home. Not bothering to even acknowledge his presence, because you knew why he was here if he hadn’t hunted you through the woods. The one thing that continued to happen over and over again until eventually he’d be back in her grasp once more. No longer free to hold onto his own mind and grasp for the memories that were hidden within it.

“A forest,” he said, shutting the door behind him and dropping his helmet onto the table.

Your heart twisted at the sight, another memory breaking to the surface. His helmet stranded on the ground beside your bare feet as he was dragged away from you - his screams ringing through the air. You wanted to save him then; tried to will yourself to go after him and keep her from destroying him once more. Only even you knew. To mess with the balance that nature has enacted is to create chaos and once that happened there would be no taking that back.

So you watched as he was taken from you once more.

A memory you would prefer to forget.

“It has what I need,” you said, dropping the basket on the counter in the small kitchen area. Of course the cauldron that hung above the fireplace was where the herbs would go but you would have to wash them clean in the basin and buckets you acquired while on your trip to this place.

“What is it you need?” he asked.

He was afraid of you.

You could hear it in the way his voice remained level, too strained to show he was relaxed in your presence and he hadn’t sat down yet. Instead he remained by the door, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he watched you move about your house. He knew your movements, had seen them before, but couldn’t exactly place where. All he could recall was the sounds of an ocean outside the windows, sunlight streaming in through windows that you used to leave open.

He knew you - that much was clear to him - but how was a different question yet to be answered.

“I needed to get away,” you replied, tying a piece of string around the bundle of lavender you had found on the outskirts of town.

People wouldn’t like you entering town and so you abided by their rules. Stay within your area of freedom in order to avoid them and the wrath that you knew came from those that feared what they didn’t know. The amount of times you’d been spit on, called demon, temptress, child of the devil - truly the insults were endless - was torture within itself. Only to be killed because of those things was worse.

It was a horrible thing to die from - you would know.

“She’s-”

“Coming for me. I know that,” you muttered, shifting your body and bringing your hand up to bring the fire to light, the bundled herbs you were holding tossed into yet another basket.

You rarely used your magic while on the run, because she could find you that way. Sense your power somehow wherever she was, and so you found yourself leading a practically mundane lifestyle. The only magic you allowed yourself to use was potions, brews, things that didn’t take much out of you. Speaking over the herbs was one thing; conjuring things was another. If you were to go that far you would have been captured by now and yet there he stood.

He found you without the capability of tracking.

“Did she send you?” you asked, dropping another part of your herb collection onto the table.

Shaking his head, he stepped further into the house, watching the fire begin to warm up whatever remnants of your previous potion was still there. “I came because of something else.”

“Does that mean you remember?” You wanted his answer to be yes. He recalled every moment, every memory that you two shared. Yet there was some small piece of you that wanted him to say no - to prove that he was in fact there on orders and not back to the man you knew.

He nodded and your heart sank. “I had a dream,” he began, turning to meet your gaze. “You were calling me a name. One I knew to be my own, but that’s not the only name you knew me by is it?”

Should you tell him?

Would it be worth it in the end?

It never was, but how could you resist when he looked at you like that? When he gazed upon you as if he’d found the other half of his mind, his heart, his soul. In a way he had - he was tied to you as much as you were to him - and yet you wanted to say no you didn't call him by any other name. That you only knew him as enemy rather than friend. Except he had been more than a friend...he’d been your lover.

His brown eyes bore into yours, asking you to respond to his questions.

“I-” you started, mouth opening only to have the words stop at the base of your throat, unwilling to go further.

How could you? When life seemed intent on pulling him away from you.

Turning towards the cauldron you poured water into it in order for the rest of what you used to unstick from the sides, allowing you to dump it somewhere else. There he remained. Standing behind you with his eyes rarely straying from what you were doing; he liked to watch you make your potions. It was something he found fascinating and even you had to admit it felt nice to have him back in your home once more.

You rushed back to the table, grinding up the herbs you needed in your mortar you poured them into a cup. The movements were natural to you - each measurement already detailed within your mind as well as the book that sat open before you. Each time you made this specific combination played on a loop in your mind. Would he remember after this or would you be pushing the oppressed memories even further into the farther reaches of his mind?

“Can I help with anything?” he asked, reaching a hand out to turn the book in his direction only to have your hand slamming it closed.

“Don’t touch that.”

You didn’t want to be terse with him, but you still weren’t completely convinced that he was back to himself. Until he willingly drank what you were making him, would you finally have faith in the man that stood before you. It was hard not to welcome him with open arms. Except you were forced to continue, pouring the hot water into the same cup as the herbs.

Doing this was simply for survival purposes.

Right?

“Drink this,” you said, handing him the cup gently.

He glanced down at the now murky looking water, eyes wary of what exactly you were giving to him. “May I ask what’s in it?”

“Funny,” you mumbled. “You trust your dreams enough to seek me out and yet you won’t trust me?”

“That’s not-” You smiled, cutting off his words.

“I’m not going to poison you. There’s merely a small amount of Jasmine, Yarrow, and Bacopa.” Sighing at the clear confusion in his face you began to explain their uses only to realize that there wasn’t much time to begin with. “None of them are poisonous. Trust me. They’re just there to help draw out what she locked away.”

“Do you mean what I can’t remember?”

Nodding you dragged the chair closer to him. “I’d sit down. The herbs do nothing unless I help them.”

You waited, allowing him to remove bits and pieces of his armor until he was in simply a pair of worn in pants and a loose shirt. It would be so easy to kiss him like this. Press your lips to his and remember what being loved felt like, but it would be a lie of your own making. He could not love until he knew who he was to you - who he was to history.

“Lean back,” you murmured, dipping your fingers into the small bottle of frankincense oil next to the empty cup he had set down. “This won’t feel good.”

He jolted. “What do you mean?”

Pressing your fingers to his temples you pushed his head back until his eyes were watching you, the fear spilling through and breaking past the brave face he tried to keep on. You should have specified who would be in pain; he would endure it just as he had done before, but you - you would be in agony all over again. As if this was happening for the first time all over again.

Just as you expected his eyes slipped closed, consciousness already falling under the spell of exhaustion he was put in from the tea. You took a deep breath, giving your body a moment to catch up with where his mind was. How far he’d fallen into a slumber and how far you’d have to dive in order to find him beneath the waters of his mind. One could lose themselves this way. Forever venturing into a human's mind until they were trapped for all eternity, but you’d done this enough times to recall when to pull yourself out.

“I call upon the powers of the old, of the ancient, and of the new,” you whispered, shutting your eyes and searching for the faint tug within your body that would lead you to where you needed to go. “Give me strength to resurrect his memories.”

Latching onto it you gave into the feeling, relinquishing control and following where it wanted, the light of something beginning to illuminate the darkness around you. Standing in a darkened hallway you turned to see him standing beside you, his eyes unfocused and hazy. He would lead you, because only he knew where they were. So without hesitation you grabbed onto his hand, stepping after him and falling into the pit of nothingness.

“Give him the strength to fight against the powers of her,” you said, feeling the air rush around you as you continued to fall until your feet hit the ground of something.

Only to see a door.

Different from before and yet everything was still as you remembered it.

Reaching out you pushed it open with little force and stepped through slowly with him following close behind.

384 BCE

Gasping you gripped onto his shoulder and feeling him drive himself deeper. A simple argument between lovers had somehow spiraled into a dance of passion that left you begging for more. It was rushed, sloppy, bordering on sheer desperation but it was what the both of you craved. After not seeing him for weeks on end from a hunting trip that was meant for him to find food to last through the winter, you were agitated when he came home.

Not because he hadn’t found anything - he had - you just didn’t appreciate him expecting you to stay home and never stray. You of course had to go out in search of herbs for the work you did to keep the both of you protected. Only this was him you were talking about. The man who dragged you back to the small cottage screaming curses at him until he pushed you against the door roughly.

Hiking up your skirts to sheath himself roughly into you, eliciting a cry of surprise from you. The stretch wasn’t unwelcome and in fact it was what the both of you needed to temper down the flames of annoyance that were rising, but it didn’t end there.

An hour after eating you found yourselves naked on the floor of the cottage, your legs over his shoulders as he pounded into you with a power you’d missed feeling. He grunted into your mouth, watching in glee as your eyes rolled back and the runes on your body flared to life. You certainly didn’t expect the fire he had stoked to life in the fireplace to grow intensely, but you didn’t hold a particular control over your powers at a time like this.

“Oh-” you cried out, nails nearly piercing his skin. “Right there my love.”

“Tell me,” he spit out, shifting forward even more to drag your hands above your head. It sent him deeper into you with each thrust until you were sure your vision had gone blurry and would never return back to normal. “Do you love me?”

You nodded quickly, tears falling from the corners of your eyes and sliding down into your hair. “Yes!”

“Are. You. Mine?” Each word was enunciated by a thrust, forcing your body forward and your legs up even more. You could practically feel him in your chest, the pressure building faster than it had before. Some part of you found this to be insanity, but another part - one much stronger - loved how he manhandles you. Took you in a way that had your legs shaking and breath stuttering in your chest.

“I’m yours!” you screamed it, the pressure breaking and exploding around you.

He practically fell on top of you at the feeling of your walls clamping down around him, but he forced himself up, teeth digging into your shoulder as he shuddered his way through his own release. White flashed behind your eyes and you wished so badly to recover quickly just to watch him fall apart, but if anything his constant thrusting forced you higher. Until you were crying out in ecstasy, chanting his name for each eternal being to hear.

“My love,” you whispered, managing to open your eyes fully to see him panting above you. Red streaking across his cheeks eyes dilated - he looked feral and you wanted to see more of that.

“Your love,” he replied, lowering your legs and settling on you gently. His lips met yours in a kiss that breathed air back into your lungs. “Always yours.”

“Always mine?” Brushing his hair back from his forehead you stroked the bare patch of his beard with your thumb. “How can you be so sure? Especially when she won’t stop hunting either of us. She believes that you belong to her not-”

He kissed you again, licking softly into your mouth until all thoughts were pushed out and nothing but him remained. “She will never be able to break the bond you have to me. Never.”

“I hope that to be true,” you whispered somberly, pressing your forehead to his.

“I love you.” He smiled as he uttered those words, finally giving you his heart after so long of knowing one another.

Ironic that he was originally sent to kill you and yet found himself being captured by you, heart, body, and soul.

“And I love you...Din.”

His eyes flew open as he raggedly gasped for air, clutching at his neck. You however were thrown back by the force of your own power, landing against the door and slamming your head against it. That would hurt later, but all you could care about was what happened before you. He remembered - all of it. Everything she had taken from him now rushed back into his mind once again, settling in their intended spots and giving him everything he needed to be whole once more.

“I can’t-” he said, voice gone due to the dryness in his throat and mouth.

You scrambled from where you sat, reaching for the water and handing it to him. “That would be the cause of the valerian.”

He looked up, eyes narrowing in your direction. “I thought-” he coughed, clearing his throat “-you said the tea only contained three ingredients.”

You waved your hand, dismissing his annoyance. “I could hardly tell you that I needed you unconscious for the spell to take it’s full effect. You wouldn’t have trusted me with that state you were in.”

Din rubbed his forehead, feeling his head throb from the effects. “No matter how many times you do it, that spell never gets any easier.”

“But it did work right?”

Again you feared his response, because what if - after all that work - none of it had taken effect. What if you were left with nothing but a man who held only a few memories of the lives you spent together?

He smiled, standing up to his full height and grasping onto your wrist. “Always yours,” he said, reminding you of the vow you had taken together.

One so strong that not even the darkest of beings could break it. You wanted to cry from joy, the weight lifting from your shoulders and allowing you a chance to finally breathe. He was standing before you - free of her control once more. Only something in the base of your stomach told you to remain wary of what might happen. She might not be able to track you, but she could track him and that fact settled over you too late.

You were already dragging him towards you, lips slotting against his to feel what you felt before. What you had missed for so many years. You had missed him - would always ache for him - and still nothing would feel as good as when he placed his hands on you. When he kissed you like he’d never hold you again within this lifetime. You didn’t want to consider that fact, but this might actually be the last time you see him.

She’d gotten far more clever with her tricks of hiding him away.

“Din,” you gasped, hands digging into his hair and falling back against the counter behind you.

Surely the universe would allow the both of you this moment together?

His hands yanked up the skirts of your dress, shoving them up around your waist to pull at what you wore beneath. You secretly cursed the layers of clothing that adorned your body, but the warmth of his palms against your skin was worth it in the end. The feeling of him pressed against you would forever be a feeling unlike any other. Before you could tug at the ties of his pants he was dropping to his knees, pulling a leg over his shoulder and forcing you forward until his mouth met you.

Gasping, you dug a hand into his hair, tugging sharply at his curls and trying to hold in the sounds that threatened to break free. However the sharp bite above your hip bone had you yelping in shock. Did he wish for you to make noise? You assumed so by the glimmer in his eyes. One that you’d seen before; one you missed dearly. His tongue slipped between your folds, licking up what you practically dripped down his chin and he moaned at the taste.

You couldn’t recall the last time he’d done this, but you couldn’t care less. Not when he was slowly sucking your clit into his mouth, making sounds with his mouth that left you shaking in place. So long you’d waited for him to come back to you and you begged with the ancient powers that had come before you to let him stay. You would have bargained your own soul at this point to keep the man you loved with you.

“Fuck!” you shouted, head falling back and hips thrusting sharply against his tongue to feel the pressure build even faster. “You’re going to make me-”

“Good,” he growled, two fingers plunging into your cunt. Only to pull them out just as quickly and begin a pace that nearly forced you to the ground. “I want to stay like this forever. Buried between your legs.”

Smiling you breathed rapidly, your hips shifting from his mouth to fucking yourself on his fingers. “I’d let you,” you breathed, eyes shutting from the sheer bliss of this.

How he felt, how he made you feel. All of it overwhelmed you to the point of near madness and yet you would welcome it like an old friend. You would happily drown in this feeling rather than lose it once more. Love was it’s own kind of torture - sweet right up until the bitter end, but it was a torture you needed. One that kept you alive every day and every night.

You had waited lifetimes for him to return to you and you’d wait lifetimes more after that.

“I begged the universe to bring you back to me,” you said, meeting his eyes as he licked lightly at your clit, drawing out the building pressure within your body until your stomach began to tighten.

“And here I am,” he whispered, fingers searching for something within your body.

The squeal you let out as he pressed against the spot along your walls caused a smile to bloom on his face. Eyes gauging your every expression - every reaction - as he sped up. Striking against it with each thrust of his fingers until you were shouting his name - begging him to let you fall apart. He had meant what he said. After so long of not knowing who he was, who he was meant to be with, he would remain here giving you as much pleasure as you could muster. It gave him a sense of control over his life again.

Allowed him to partake in the happier aspects of life rather than be buried within the darkness that had enveloped his mind.

“Is it good my love?” he asked, pressing an open mouthed kiss to your clit, licking at it again until you could do nothing but nod your head and moan unabashedly in wanton ecstasy.

The fear had washed away from your body, every worry you held onto in order to survive no longer seemed of any importance to you. Not when he made you feel this way with merely his fingers and tongue. His name was a spell on your lips, chanted as if it would give you powers older than the universe itself. By the way he gripped your thigh, pressing himself even closer until he was drowning in your taste, he liked what he heard.

Nothing was more lovely than the sound of you incoherently babbling praises, pleas, whatever you could manage to spill free. He’d missed this...missed you.

Your walls beared down on his fingers, sucking them back into your body and he licked steadily at your clit, sucking on it with a wet sound loud enough to have your body bend to his will. Each sound was filthier than the last, but he was desperate for more of your taste. Would do what it took to drink down your slick as if it was the ambrosia of the gods above.

“Come for me,” he said, spitting on your clit only to dive back in. His eyes focused solely on your face as you built higher, higher, higher and eventually couldn’t control the actions of your body.

The fire across the room grew to a lethal height until it practically licked up the rock walls, heating up the house until you were both sweating. Screaming your head fell back and your fingers dug sharply into his hair - keeping him in place as your hips grinded against his mouth roughly. You felt the coil snap, saw something flash behind your eyes as an aura of colors shimmered in the air. The breath in your lungs was shoved out, leaving you panting, floating back into your body and nearly collapsing onto the ground.

Still he licked at you, gently thrusting his tongue into you and tasting your release. It wasn’t until you flinched away from his mouth did he stop and surge back to his feet, grasping your neck and pulling you in for a kiss that left you even more breathless than your orgasm.

“I want you inside me,” you said, voice hoarse from screaming.

“Whatever you wish, my love,” he breathed against your cheek, hands already yanking at his pants until you were grasping him in your palm. Stroking him softly, just to see him struggle just as you had to remain coherent.

“What I wish…” you began, kissing the corner of his mouth gently. “Is for you to stay safe with me.”

The words had to be said and yet they were no less painful than when you’d thought them. You wanted him safe, more than you wanted him with you. Yet to have both - an impossible feat you weren’t sure how to bring to life yet. Not after what you’d seen, what he’d been through. Seeing it happen would surely break you in half until you wouldn’t be able to go on, but you’d done it before and would sadly do it again.

Till death do you part.

Words he’d whispered to you lifetimes ago on a night such as this one. When the moon hung in the sky, full and bright - emitting enough power for you to keep the both of you safe - and yet it still happened. She still took him from you.

The ring was pressed against your sternum inside the bodice of your dress; burning into your skin the longer it remained there and not on your finger, but how could you wear such a thing of beauty. When you were shrouded in nothing but darkness. Life was cruel, but fate was the tragic downfall you both had to endure just to be with one another.

He helped you onto the counter gently, afraid that he’d break you if his grip was too strong - even if he knew how powerful you were. He was always afraid he’d break you, because he’d done it before. You didn’t wait for him to ask if this is what you wanted, because you were always guiding him towards your entrance. Eyes begging with him to connect the both of you once more in an intimate embrace you hadn’t partaken in for years.

“I wish I could be safe with you too,” he whispered, gasping as he pushed into you, feeling the warmth and tightness of your walls hug around his cock. “I wish I could protect you.”

Fighting back the sting of tears, you cupped his face, bringing him closer for a kiss that would no doubt break both of your hearts even further. The tale of the moon and the sun drifted back to your mind, echoing your thoughts back to you. Each night the sun would fall so the moon could rise. Forever apart...never together. A love that was as eternal as the universe itself and through each lifetime they found one another.

“I love you,” you gasped, head tilting back and sharing his breath as he thrusted into you slowly, steadily. Enough to make you dizzy with emotion and yet still ache for more than just this.

You wanted him wholly. Wished that life would allow you one good lifetime together rather than this desperate fucking that would fall away to reveal your hearts that each of you kept so guarded.

“I love you.” He pressed you closer until your chest was against his, legs hitching higher up around his waist in order to let him sink deeper into you with every thrust. “So much. My heart belongs to you,” he said, forehead pressing against yours.

“As does mine.”

The softness began to shift, back to the roughness you both knew so well. But still you welcomed it, dug your face into his neck to keep yourself connected to him in some way. He barely pulled out now, unable to part himself from you and the whimper of his name caressed against the skin of his neck. Some small assurance that this was real, he wasn’t merely trapped in a dream, unable to escape the horrors of his mind.

What a wonderful way to be brought back to life, he thought.

By your love.

“Din,” you breathed, teeth digging into his neck and causing his hips to stutter. On the verge of coming, you refused to fall apart until he was right on the edge with you - ready to follow and spill into your body.

Pressing a kiss to his chest, you clenched around him, keeping him within the confines of your body and shoving him over the cliff. Gasping through it you dug your nails into his shoulders, watching in delight as he shuddered, nearly falling into your arms completely. It wasn’t earth-shattering like many of the others, but it was much more. Far more than even words could describe.

Holding him close you breathed in the scent of him. One you had tried to recreate through the years with different herbs, potions so potent that they wouldn’t leave your senses for days afterwards. But nothing could come close to the way his scent enraptured you - surrounded you like it’s own type of embrace.

“What else do you remember?” you asked, leaning your head on his shoulder, unwilling to let him go just yet.

“Everything. Our lives together,” he replied, hand brushing against your still clothed back. “The last time I saw you.”

The heaviness returned faster than you expected, but you didn’t believe it would stay away for very long anyways. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Don’t say that,” he said, pausing his movements. “I hurt you.”

“Din you couldn’t remember who I was at the time.”

“I understand that, but...you felt familiar. I didn’t want to hurt you. Believe me I fought against whatever vile shit she-”

Cupping his cheek you turned his head, bringing him back from the depths of his mind, before he swam out too deep for you to reach. “I believe you. More than you know. You weren’t yourself and how could I blame you for your actions when that was the case?”

“But-”

“But nothing,” you said, running your thumb along his jaw. “You’re here and that’s all that really matters at this time.”

You watched as he allowed himself the freedom of choice once again; gave into the love you brought forth, because it was a stability he needed in his life. Gathering you in his arms he slowly helped you down to the floor, dragging you on top of him until you were locked tightly in his arms. He had slipped out of you through the movements and you slowly dripped down your thigh, but somehow it remained a feeling of comfort.

The fire had died down with your adrenaline, returning to a slow burning, crackling softly in the background. For a moment you could allow yourself to fall into a peaceful sleep - let go of the worries that plagued you and forget.

You hoped.

“Sweet child.” A voice cooed in your ear, sending your heart into overdrive.

You knew who it was seconds before she spoke; the burning of each rune on your body alerting you of an entity that wished to do harm. One who wasn’t supposed to be able to track you let alone contact you through your dreams. Opening your mouth you tried to say something - call out for Din - fight against her, but your mind was trapped. Almost as if you were trapped in molasses.

“I see my huntsman found you,” she whispered, her breath washing across your cheek.

Fear spiked through your heart, sending your body into a mode of panic and it must have done something to the external world. It was enough to wake him up from where he was beside you, shaking you awake, but he didn’t hold any power of his own. Not enough to break you out of this world she had created specifically for this moment alone. She wanted you to know that you were powerless against her the second you let your guard down.

She could find you anywhere.

“Seren,” you gasped, screaming in pain as the runes nearly seared themselves to your bone to keep you protected.

“Come back to me,” his voice whispered against your temple, dragging you to the surface and back into reality with him.

Your eyes opened, air rushing back to your lungs as light flashed over your eyes. Showing you what you dreaded most in the world, and you shut your eyes tight, wishing for it to leave your sight. Except you could not shut off the powers given to you by your ancestor.

“She’s coming,” you said, breaking free of his hold and getting to your feet. Reaching for the jars of herbs that were scattered around the house you began to concoct yet another spell.

Hiding your magic be damned. She already knew where you were, had found a way to break past barriers that had taken you years to set in place. Starting the fire once more you ignored his inquiring words, forcing yourself to remain practical and focus on the task at hand. She would not take him from you again.

Not after last time.

“What do you mean?” he asked, following close behind you.

“She found me Din,” you replied, grabbing the bones that lay scattered around the table thanks to the cat who wandered in and out from time to time. She brought you gifts.

“Then we have to go.” He grabbed your wrist, stopping your movements. “If she found us then we leave.”

“And go where?” Pulling away you felt the chill go down the base of your spine again, curling low in your stomach. “There’s no place I can go where she won’t find me.”

“Listen,” he said, cupping your face. “I promised to protect you.”

“Din-”

“I will protect you.” He left no room for an argument in his words, and while you would have normally fought him on that, there was a certainty in things that hadn’t been there before.

This was it for you.

The moment where you choose how far you would go to keep him in your life. He didn’t mention it if he noticed your plan through the eerie stoicism you kept on your face. Why should he? There would be no fighting you on a decision such as this; no way to convince you that this wasn’t worth it.

Only that was the thing. It was always worth it - he was worth everything.

Feeling the rune on your hip flare to life you understood how little time you had left with one another. One step out of the door meant you’d never get the chance to come back inside together, because things were finally clear to you. He died to protect you from her, but there would be no need for protection when you died.

“You’re going to let her kill you,” he said, disbelief crossing his features.

“I won’t let her take you from me again Din. Not like this.”

“So you would rather die than run away?”

Your shoulders dropped, eyes shining with the tears you continued to fight against. “She won’t take you if I’m no longer here to hunt.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t, but what would be the use of keeping someone’s soul mate when they’re dead?” It made some sense in your head, but at this point you were at a loss for another plan. Running never worked - especially with the amount of times that you had tried it and she was far too powerful to kill.

“If that’s your choice,” he said, grabbing for the sword propped against the table. “Just know I’m not letting that happen.”

The door swung open before you could respond. Neither of you touched it, but you already suspected who was behind this. Who had decided to pay a visit to a home you’d built for yourself for years. Inhaling deeply, you took a hesitant step forward, your bare feet touching the wood beneath you that had been carved with rune after rune.

She couldn’t enter.

Not when Hecate’s symbol was carved into the wood above your door frame, blocking those that dared to do harm against her ancestors.

Staying directly beneath it you watched as a hooded figure stepped out from the shadowed forest entrance, her pale bare feet drawn with black marks. Ones that you recognized, but would never use yourself. It seemed to blacken the very ground she stood on, taking life from your garden of flowers and turning them to ash before your very eyes.

“Greetings sweet child,” she said, voice sounding exactly like how a siren would sound and you wondered if they received that gift from her.

“Seren.” You weren’t a violent person, always choosing to look on the lighter side of things rather than revert to darkness. But with her...you wanted to watch her die at your feet. Fall to the ground and suffer from what she had put you and Din through for far too long.

“You sound so unhappy to see me.” She reached up, hands covered in runes as well - some you hadn’t seen before - and pulled the hood from her face. Revealing the woman who plagued your dreams at night, forcing you to remain awake and watchful lest she decide to pay you another visit.

“I’m not particularly pleased,” you replied, deadening your eyes. She would not see what you felt - not this time. “You’ve arrived at such an awful time.”

“That’s because you took what belongs to me.” She plucked a rose from your garden, piercing her finger as she went and sucking the blood off her skin. “How is our fine hunter?”

You nearly stepped outside away from your protection, but his hand on your wrist kept you there. “He does not belong to you,” you snapped, eyes narrowing at the sight of her slowly sucking the life from the rose in her hand. Turning the red into black.

“That’s not the agreement he made.”

“Fuck you. He was under your spell when he made that agreement. Otherwise he would have never gone with a bitch-” You were knocked to the ground, the breath leaving your lungs instantly.

You heard him call your name, felt him drag you back until you were leaning against his chest and resting between his legs, but couldn’t breathe. She’d taken the air from your lungs, shutting off your voice temporarily. All because you disrespected her. There would be no fighting her today, not when you were still weak from the spell you casted on Din to bring forth his memories.

He stroked your face, calling your name gently to rouse you from your state of weakness. “You’ll be okay,” he whispered, thumb running along your cheek.

“We should have ran,” you said, smiling up at him with a morose look in your eyes. “Too late now I guess.”

“I shouldn’t have come to find you,” he said, helping you back to your feet. “She used me to-”

“I don’t care.” And that was the truth. You had a few moments with him again; certainly not enough to last another lifetime, but enough to remind you why you continued to fight against this woman. Why you kept your vow to him.

“I love you Din,” you whispered against his lips, kissing him gently before pressing a hand to his chest and watching as he fell to the ground before you. Eyes rolling back in his head. “Too much to let you go.”

“What are you doing?” Seren called from outside of the house, her eyes no doubt able to see what was going on.

Turning to face her once more you smiled, raising a bottle of a potion she knew well. One she used to get here in the first place. Bending down you pressed your fingers into the ash from the fire, drawing a symbol on the skin above his ribcage that not even she could track. You would not allow her to take him from you this time, but you would not be able to spend your days with him again. Not for some time.

“Always yours, my love,” you whispered, pressing your hand into the symbol and bringing it to life - watching as it burned lightly into his skin. Solidifying in his soul.

Standing you stared at him one last time, before stepping out into the garden with Seren nearly sending you six feet under with just her expression. She did not like the spell you had cast, but you no longer cared. Not when the man you loved was finally safe - finally free from the both of you. Lifting the potion to your lips you watched her shout in anger, rushing forward in an attempt to knock the bottle from your hands.

Yet it was already too late. You could feel the beat of your heart begin to slow and the numbness in your body spread until you were falling to the ground.

Forever asleep until the universe called upon you again.

Until you could reunite with the other half of your soul.

[missmonsters2]

Between the Lines || VIII

PAIRING: Steve Rogers & Fem!Reader (Platonic) / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader / Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader x Wanda Maximoff

Summary: Vampire AU. Life has changed drastically since the 1600s. Things are always on the move, and you’ve been very careful to not get on SHIELDs radar. Living on the down-low owning a café, you’re content to live out a quiet existence. That is until the Avengers enter your life.

[Set after the New York Invasion, in CAWS, and goes up to AoU. Canon divergent after.]

Warnings: This series will contain smut(**), poly-relationship, and dark themes. 

Note: Me, coming out of my depression snap to drop this 😌. Introducing....Wanda! Comment to be added to taglist.

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII

PART VIII of XX

Count: 8097

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You're starting to understand how the dynamic works between the Avengers. While everyone is a star in their own way, they come together as a team seamlessly. 

You look around at the chaos on the field, snickering when you hear in your earpiece of Tony making fun of Steve for saying, "language!"

"That's not going to go away soon," you hear Steve mutter. 

"David, do you know how to take down the shield?" You ask.

You hear David hum.

"I don't know. There's a pathway under the north tower. Blow it up or something," You could picture David shrugging.

"Oh my god," you mutter.

"Hey, that was my idea!" Tony flippantly said as he flew towards the north tower while David hung casually from Tony's ankles. 

There was so much happening on the field. Tony was sending his Iron Legion bots to help the civilians, though you doubt the civilians will appreciate it.

You were watching rather idly on the field, occasionally taking out an android or soldier. But you could hear something in the area. 

Footsteps.

Footsteps that were much too fast to be a soldier or an android. 

You looked at Clint, who was hiding behind a tree, pulling his arrow in his bow to try to take out a bunker. He shot the arrow, but before it could reach the person manning the bunker, someone caught it.

Clint seemed confused, but you had seen it somewhat clearly. It was shocking to you. 

A blond, almost silver-haired man with a trimmed goatee and 5 o'clock shadow was...running. That was the best way you could describe it in your eyes. 

To the human eye, he was a blur.

"We have an enhanced on the field," Steve notifies everyone when Clint had tried again, but the intruder had caught it, and Clint was hit by a blast in his side as he was distracted by his shock. 

"Clint's hit," Natasha tells everyone else right after. "He's going to need evac."

"I'll take care of the enhanced," you let everyone know while Thor says he can take Clint to the jet. 

You take off, running in the direction you saw the speedster go. It's relatively easy for you to catch up with him. He seemed to be making his way back to the base. 

Even though you're a relatively older vampire, you can't seem to catch up with him completely. You're trailing behind him, but even so, that seems to surprise him. 

He stops in his tracks, causing you to stop as well. He stands there before you, eyes wary as he takes you in as you try to remember everything in David's file.

Pietro Maximoff.

"What are you?" He asks, accent thick in his voice. 

You cock your brow at him, "You know that's rather rude to ask a lady."

You see the slightest twitch in his lip. You take his face in more slowly this time. 

There is part of him that reminds you of Tatyana, and you're sure he's her descendant. 

"You're different," he comments, "but I don't remember seeing you as part of the Avengers."

"I'm really just a part-timer," you tell him.

He takes in your response. You stand still, trying to listen on the field because David's file told you there were two of them.

You don't hear anything else on the field, and when your eyes dart to the side for just a moment, Pietro smirks. 

"You're fast," he says, "but you're not as fast as me." 

Before you have anything else to say, Pietro takes off again. You have half a mind to chase after him, but you know it would only be a game of tag. 

"Careful out there. Pietro has run off, and his sister is not in the area," you warn the team. 

"We've got all the data from their systems; I'm going to head back first to process it all," David speaks back into the intercom. 

You're about to take off towards the base when you hear Natasha advise they've locked down their positions and Steve telling her to get Banner. 

You pause. 

You know the girl, Wanda, is likely to be in the base with Tony, and you really should go because David has left, and Tony shouldn't be left alone.

But...

You turn around, running off towards Natasha. 

It was a shot in the dark plan that Bruce had come up with some time ago. Bruce asked that Natasha be the one to try to bring him back since Tony would be busy handling the inside of the base, and for some reason, Natasha was the next person he thought would be able to bring him back. 

Still, you were worried.

Trust or not, you know what the Hulk is capable of, and your instinct wouldn't let Natasha face that alone. 

You quickly find the Hulk grunting as he walked around the snow in a secluded area. You step out quietly, undetected as you see Natasha approaching from the other side. On the outside, she appeared completely fine, but you could hear her heart trembling in her chest.

You didn't step out into view because this was for Natasha to do, and you didn't want to overstep your boundaries with Bruce, but you would intervene if necessary.

"Hey, big guy," Natasha softly said so that he wouldn't feel threatened. The Hulk growled at her, stepping towards her, and you felt your thighs tense, wanting to move forward immediately, but you held yourself.

In terms of strength, you weren't stronger than the Hulk. But your odds were definitely better than anyone else's, and your body would be more durable if he hit or threw you.

And while Natasha may be enhanced, the Hulk could accidentally kill her. 

"The sun's getting real low," Natasha coos, putting her hand out in front of him as she kneels. 

The Hulk scowls at her, breathing heavily. He stares at her hand, and to Natasha's credit, her hand was as still as a stone. The Hulk grunts again before he reaches his hand back out to her, flipping it over before placing the backside of his hand down onto Natasha's. 

She swallows, trying to give him a reassuring smile as she strokes his hand. For a second, you think you see him relax a little.

But something shifts, and you're unsure if it's because of Natasha or because of the Hulk. Whatever it is, you sense the change immediately, watching his shoulders tense and tremble, the low grumble in his throat. 

Before you know it, you're digging your foot into the ground. It goes through the snow, breaking the gravel underneath and your hand ripping off part of the tree's trunk as you burst towards Natasha.

Before the Hulk can knock Natasha into the air, you hurdle into her, rolling a couple feet away in the snow. The redhead is breathless, surprised to see you. 

"What are you--" She starts to say as the two of you stand up.

"Stay here," you tell her as you blur in front of the Hulk. 

Natasha feels her heart fills with fear as you stand before the Hulk. You look so tiny compared to him. The rational part of her brain knows that you're not human. You're stronger, stronger than many people out there. You're an immortal, and she's aware that only one thing can kill you.

But she can't help but feel fear because Natasha couldn't help herself from feeling it in front of the Hulk.

Natasha watches you, your mouth reared back in a snarl, and your teeth look sharp. 

And then she felt it.

An invisible crackle in the air.  

The hair on the back of Natasha's neck stood, and it felt like her feet were being rooted to the ground. She looks at you again, and your eyes are glowing red. 

And it's the first time Natasha realizes that you are a vampire. 

A predator. 

Dangerous.

You look at the giant creature before you. His muscles are tensing under the pressure you're exerting.

He hasn't moved from his spot, but he's growling and roaring at you. 

It's not enough, you know.

It would be nearly impossible to compel him to simply turn back. 

You turn, taking a silent step, so light and quiet that it doesn't even leave an imprint in the snow. You hold your finger out, catching his attention, and the Hulk snarls at you. 

Calmly, you bring the finger between your eyes, the red fading away. The Hulk follows the movement, looking right into your eyes. 

Your pupils expand, looking like they've exploded into liquid tendrils.

"Relax," you command lithely.  

You can see the Hulk trying to resist, but his pupils are dilating in and out. He's grunting, glaring at you, but you remain expressionless.

"Look around you," you softly say, his head turning automatically. "There's no more danger. It's just you, me, and Natasha. There's nothing to be angry at. Nothing to smash."

The Hulk looks back at you, and you still have your compulsion on.

"Relax," you tell him again.

This time, he stares longer, eyes remaining dilated.

He let out a puff of air, a small whine before he started shaking his head. Not long after, he staggered back, falling to the ground stumbling as he began to shrink, and the green started to fade.  

When all was said and done, Bruce Banner lay in the snow, getting up slowly as he watched his surroundings. 

You close your eyes for a moment, pupils returning to normal as Natasha starts to move towards Bruce. Your instincts still feel like they're on haywire, wanting to immediately intercept her from getting closer, but you're able to rationalize that Bruce isn't a threat anymore.

He's simply a man, with a beast sleeping inside. 

Natasha gives him his clothes that he changes into behind a tree. When he comes back out, he gives you a self-deprecating smile.

"I'm guessing the lullaby didn't work?" He asks.

You shrug. "It did a little. Perhaps if it was someone you were closer to, it would've worked all the way."

A part of you felt like if you didn't monopolize Natasha's time, she would've become a good friend to Bruce.

Not to say there weren't now, but there was hardly a bond. 

"How did you get me to turn back?" Bruce asks.

"Compulsion," you answer simply. 

"You can compel me to turn back?" He asks, surprised, a tinge of hope in his voice.

You shake your head.

"Not exactly," you clarify. "I used compulsion to sway you into calming down. You weren't exactly on a rampage, so it made it easier."

Bruce bites his tongue but gives a sharp nod. 

Right after, you hear Steve in your ear saying they've secured the scepter. The twins have escaped, but it was time to head back to the Quinjet. Bruce starts to head back first, and Natasha starts to follow, but you stop her.

She looks back at you curiously. 

You can't help it.

Your instincts are going off even though you know Natasha's not in immediate danger. 

You can't help but check her over, eyeing every bit of her to ensure she's not hurt. Natasha seems to know what you're doing, smiling lightly as she steps forwards into you, wrapping her arms around you.

"I'm okay," she reassures you. 

You blink, momentarily surprised, but you wrap your arms around her. 

"Why did you come?" She asks you. "I know you were planning to meet the twins."

You inhale her scent slowly, feeling the relief hit your system. 

"Nothing," you rumble, pulling back to look at Natasha's face. "Nothing could keep me from you if there's a chance you might get hurt."

You lift your hand to cup her jaw, slowly stroking her cheek. Natasha leans into your touch, eyes fluttering closed for a moment before she looks back at you.

Her green orbs have you captivated, and you can't help but stare into her eyes, remembering every detail of them. The tiny speckles of sun within the lush forest of her eyes have you falling for her all over.

"I want my vows to mean something with you," you mumble, leaning closer to her face, eyes dropping down to her lips. 

Natasha's heart flutters as she feels her eyes closing. She grips the back of your jacket tightly between her fingers. 

"Your vows?" Natasha husks. 

The tip of your nose touches her, and her nose feels cold. You can see your own breath out in the cold as your lip brushes against hers.

"You're mine to protect," you say before closing the distance, pressing your lips against hers softly.

You find that her mouth is much warmer.

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You wished that Natasha would've let you take her back first class again, but she seemed to think it would be better to travel back as a team.

That being said, she was adamantly against you buy everyone's plane ticket first class. 

You shifted in your seat, feeling uncomfortable in the aircraft as you watch Steve fly. It doesn't help that you can hear Bruce playing opera music through his headphones. You know it probably helps him relax, but you can't help but feel like it's doom music. 

You watch as Natasha goes over to him, trying to comfort him as she turns his music off.

"Hey, the lullaby half-worked. Don't beat yourself up too much."

"Yeah," Bruce shrugs. "I just didn't expect Code Green."

"If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory," Natasha smiles.

"You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear," Bruce looks at her.

You resist the urge to snarl at him because you can tell it makes Natasha feel bad when her intention is to make him feel better.

"Thor, report on the Hulk?" Bruce asks, shifting his attention to the Norse God. 

"The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims," Thor happily shares.

You resist the urge to laugh when Bruce groans, and Natasha glares at Thor.

You catch David's eye from across the aircraft and find he's also smirking.

"Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course," Thor tries to backtrack. "No, no, uh...wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh... and gout."

"It probably would've been worse if you weren't there," Bruce says as he looks at you, and you merely shrug. 

"Can you compel me to not change or compel me to change back when I'm the Hulk?" Bruce asks, looking hopeful.

Everyone looks at you.

"Compel?" Tony asks as he squints his eyes at you.

"Out on the field. The lullaby didn't quite work as well as we thought. If she hadn't been there, I don't know what I would've done to Natasha," Bruce purses his lip in shame. 

"What did you do?" Tony asks you, but Bruce cuts in.

"I don't know how to describe it," Bruce starts. "I mean, for starters, I only remember bits and pieces of it, but it was like something overcame me, overrode what the Hulk was feeling. It allowed me to change back."

You felt like you were getting an oncoming headache from this.

Tony looks at you suspiciously, and you roll your eyes.

Before you can say anything, David jumps in to explain for you.

"Every vampire has a power called Compulsion," he draws the attention to himself. "We can essential mind control humans by having them look into our eyes. It's generally not something we can use to control people forever, but it does get stronger with age, training, and diet."

"Diet?" Clint clarifies from his spot.

"Human feeders are always more powerful than vampires who choose to feed on animals. Blood bags are the halfway point," David shrugged.

You turn to look at Bruce.

"Either way, the answer is no," you tell him. "For one, it's not a power I like to use unless the situation calls for it. While you may feel that every case the Hulk is in calls for it, I don't. Secondly, I didn't compel you to change back. As I said, I only influenced you to remain calm. It's unlikely I can compel you to turn back if the Hulk's willpower overpowers mine when he's wild. Thirdly, I'm not your keeper. I'm not interested in Hulk-sitting for you if we're out on missions."

It's rather blunt, but you don't want to beat around the bush regarding this matter, lest you wanted Bruce to keep trying to convince you.

"You sound like you trust him," Bruce grumbles unhappily. 

You shrug once more. "It's not about trust. He's a part of you, whether you want him to be or not. He's not going anywhere. I accept that about you. Do you?"

Silence falls over the aircraft, but you don't care. Bruce stares at you, and you quirk a brow at him.

He doesn't provide you his answer, most likely because it's a no, but tension rises.

"Anyways," Tony breaks up the quiet with his own brow cocked. "Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul. She's gonna set up in your lab, that okay, Banner?"

"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around," Bruce blinks.

Just like that, the rest of the ride is spent discussing the mission, the scepter, and Strucker.

At some point, Natasha comes to sit next to you. You fingers twitch, wanting to reach out to her, but you force them to remain at your side.

"Hey," she whispers, but it clear as day for you.

"Hey," you say back, smiling lightly when you feel Natasha's pinky atop of yours.

You suppose flying in the aircraft wasn't all awful.

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"How you holding up, bud?" You asked with a slight drawl that had Clint chuckling as he winced. 

Dr. Cho was arguably one of the most beautiful women you've encountered, and she had a slight bite in her that made her easy to get along with. 

Clint merely makes a grunt and a sequence of grumbles that get you chuckling back.

"You sure he's going to be okay? Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together," Natasha asks as she looks at Dr. Cho.

Clint playfully glares at her while she smiles innocently back at him.

Dr. Cho smiles reassuringly at the redhead. "There's no possibility of deterioration. The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. His cells don't know they're bonding with simulacrum."

"She's creating tissue," Bruce says with amazement in his voice and eyes wide. 

You're lost on the rest of the talk as you look around the room and machinery. David would know much more regarding the technology in this room, but he was currently with Tony working on the scepter. 

"I hear that your venom does exactly the same thing my work does, if not faster and better," Dr. Cho says, grabbing your attention. You can tell she fascinated with you by the look in her eyes. "Would you be interested in giving me a sample of your venom or blood?" 

You give her a smirk but shake your head.

"I'll have to politely decline," you tell her as everyone looks at you in the room. "While my venom is capable of healing someone, it's also capable of killing or changing someone. The last thing I want is for the wrong person to potentially get their hands on it and figure out how to activate my venom that way. On top of that, using venom has side effects."

You look at Clint, "I only use it for life or death situations on humans. Otherwise, I would've healed you on the field."

"What kind of side effects?" Dr. Cho asks.

You hum.

"Every human reacts a little differently to it. But generally, the more venom a human has in their system, they take on features of a vampire. It's very subtle," You wrap a strand of hair around your finger. "Maybe their skin gets clearer, hair gets a little shinier, they feel less hungry or even find they need less sleep. Of course, it's not forever because the venom is eventually diluted out by more blood being produced in their system if a vampire doesn't continually inject them with venom."

"That doesn't seem like bad side effects," Clint frowns.

You smile at him before you release your hair and go back to crossing your arms. 

"Perhaps not, but sometimes the symptoms come in another form too. Like you're hungry, but for some reason, food just isn't hitting the spot for you." 

He blinks at you. 

"Are you saying..." he drags, not wanting to say it out loud as he scrunches his nose.

"That as a human, you might get the craving for blood and possibly drink it to satisfy the craving? Yes." 

Clint visible shivers in disgust and gags at the thought, and you shrug with a laugh.

"That's why I prefer to not use my venom unless I have to. While everyone reacts to it differently, I try to not take the chance," you look at Dr. Cho.

"Wait, wait, wait--" Tony interrupts. "Capsicle told us you used it on Natasha."

You nod, not seeing the problem.

"Well, I highly doubt she was going to die from a gunshot wound, and there was a medic there," Tony states like it's obvious.

You tilt your head with quirk your brow. "Well, one, I was making a point of revealing I was a vampire. Secondly, I was--am attracted to her, and now I'm dating her. Her safety will always be my number one priority. I will always use my venom to heal her if she's hurt."

"That's just favoritism!" Tony shouted indignantly. 

You gave him a look that just screamed, 'Yeah? Have you not been listening to me?'

Natasha let out a burst of laughter at Tony's face.

The rest of the time was spent bickering about tonight's party, and you couldn't help but catch eyes with Natasha every few minutes. 

And she's looking back with you with half-lidden eyes.

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You have an unsettling feeling in your stomach, though you aren't sure why. David seems to feel the same as you can see him across the room, tapping his foot impatiently.

"What's wrong?" You say quietly, garnering only David's attention.

"I don't know," David sighs. "You know how I was looking at Tony's system and helping out with the scepter, right?"

You hum.

"Tony is trying to build some kind of protection legion for the world, but something feels off," David says quietly, barely moving his lips. "I feel like I saw something I wasn't supposed to see."

You hum again. Tony had seemed off-balance to you. He was clearing suffering PTSD from the alien invasion in New York, but then he seemed more...off after returning from the base in Sokovia. It was subtle, but he appeared to be slowly becoming unhinged to you.

"Tell me about it later," you tell David, who nods sharply. 

You set off to try to enjoy the rest of the night. 

"Well?" 

You look over the bar as you lean over the counter. Natasha's looking absolutely delectable tonight. She had given herself a haircut before the mission, and while you somewhat missed her long hair,  the short haircut was doing it for you too.

"What can I get for you, sweetheart? I think this one's on the house," Natasha flirts with you. You're barely holding your own smile as you look at her. 

"I'm not sure what kind of drink I want, but I do know I want to take the bartender home. Do you think she'll let me?" You ask with an innocent look that has Natasha smirking.

"Play your cards right, and she just might."

Natasha winks at you before she has to go to the other end of the bar to help another person with their drink, but not before leaving a rum and coke for you.

You watch her saunter off, looking just delicately over her shoulder to smile at you before she focuses on the person in front of her. 

"See? Told you things would work out."

You look beside you to see Steve standing there with a big ole' grin on his face.

You roll your eyes.

"Must be hard being right all the time, huh?" You joke.

"Yes," he sighs dramatically, "but it's a burden I must carry."

You both burst into laughter, and you let out a light sigh. You had missed Steve with the time apart, his friendship is so important to you. Steve is looking at you gently too, and you're happy to know he feels the same.

"Have you called Sharon?" You ask.

"Somehow, I knew you wouldn't forget that," Steve quirks his lip.

"A deal's a deal, pal," you lick your lips. 

"You'll be happy to know that I did. There may be an upcoming date," he seems almost proud of himself, and you can't help but smile.

"Atta boy!" You smile as you slap him on his shoulder.

"You sound like Bucky when you say that," Steve shakes his head.

"Any leads?" You ask with a sympathetic smile.

Steve shrugs. "Sam is still chasing, but I'll catch up with that later."

"Well, let me or David know if we can be of any help."

Steve nods in thanks.

The night starts to fade in as the rest of the party gathers around the coffee table, sitting haphazardly with their drinks in hand. You're sitting on the divan couch with no sides or back, while Natasha is leaning half her body on you with a bottle of beer in hand. 

Everyone's currently trying to see if they can lift Thor's hammer. 

You watch as Tony and James try to pull it together, it's truly a hilarious sight to see. 

You and Natasha grin as Bruce tries, even attempting to turn into the Hulk to lift it while everyone eyes him warily.

"Good attempt, big guy," you give Bruce a thumbs up. 

"How about you try, Elaine?" Bruce gentlemanly gestures to the hammer, and you snort.

"No thanks, I already know I'm a piece of shit, no need for a magical home depot tool to confirm it for me," you grin, swigging back your drink to keep it light-hearted. 

You feel Natasha softly brush your hand over your glove, and you turn your hand over so you can intertwine fingers. 

You wish you could kiss her right now. 

Steve is next in line, and Tony smirks at him.

"No pressure, cap," Tony steps aside. 

Steve rolls up his sleeves and begins to pull on it.

Thor is laughing because it seems like nothing is happening. 

But, ever so slightly, it budges. Thor seems to catch the movement as well as his face drops. 

But the hammer doesn't move anymore after that, and Thor resumes his laughter and jolly.

"Nothing," he laughs with relief.

You chuckle lowly, Natasha feelings the vibrations against her. 

"What?" She asks quietly. 

You've long finished your drink, using your free hand to wrap your arm around her waist. Pulling her closer, you turn your head so that your nose is right against the top side of her head.

"One day," you whisper in her ear so that only she may hear, "Steve will be worthy."

You finish with kissing the top of her head while Natasha blinks with wide eyes, processing the information. 

"Widow?" Bruce looked over at Natasha.

The surprised look on her face dissipated as she smirked, leaning more into you as she held up her beer bottle.

"Oh, no, no," she shakes her head, taking a sip of the beer, "that's not a question I need answered."

The jokes go around some more about how the hammer is rigged until Thor stands up. 

He grabs and lifts the hammer with ease, tossing it in his hand.

"Yes, well, that's, uh, a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one," Thor smiles, "You're not all worthy."

Everyone groans good-naturedly, even with someone throwing some chips at Thor. 

Suddenly, there's a loud screech. 

Everyone hunches over as they cover their ears. With your super hearing, the screeching is even more painful to your ears. 

When the noise fades, and everyone slowly gets up, you look over at David, who is staring behind you. 

You turn over to see a limping...robot? Wires were hanging out everywhere, and he looked like a scrap of junk metal. 

"Worthy... No... How could you be worthy? You're all killers," it slowly spoke. 

"Stark," Steve called with a little bite in his tone.

"JARVIS," Tony called, but nothing replied. 

"I'm sorry. I was asleep. Or...I was a-dream?" It tilted its head.

Tony pulls out his device, tapping on it as he looks like the monstrosity before them. "Reboot. Legionnaire OS. we got a buggy suit."

Nothing seems to be working even as Tony taps away.

The robot stumbles forward, tilting its head downwards. "There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in... in...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed somebody?" Steve asks, narrowing his eyes.

You look over to David, who is staring at the robot. He's doing his best to scan it, but you know he needs to touch it to deactivate it. 

"I didn't hear anyone in this building die. Did you?" You speak fast and quiet.

"No, I think that thing did something to JARVIS. JARVIS is supposed to be the first line of defense, but JARVIS isn't responding," David spoke back. 

Suddenly, you hear a playback recording of Tony saying he sees a suit of armor around the world.

"I'm starting to feel like we should've had our conversation earlier," you mumble while David scrunches his nose.

"Ultron!" Bruce calls out in realization. 

"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission," Ultron's voice stutters, but you're sure it's just the suit falling apart. 

"What mission?" Natasha asks, and you can see everyone reading their guns.

Ultron looks up, his movements are stiff, but he looks back at everyone. 

"Peace in our time," Ultron says before Legion bots smash through the wall and begin to attack everyone in the room. 

You immediately cover Natasha, landing atop of her. You can hear guns being fired as you look back down at your girlfriend.

"You know, we've been in this position way too many times this week, and it's not for the activities I was hoping for," you half-joke. Natasha at least has the sense of humor to smirk at you before you pick her up and blur over to behind the bar. 

"David, go find out what you can! I got it here, but I won't be opposed if you come back!" You shout.

"Got it!" David had taken down one of the bots before he ran out of the room. Ultron had looked his way, but David was too fast to be stopped.

"This is fun, isn't it?" You asked sarcastically.

"Considering we're being attacked by robots, I'm going to say David is carrying our fucking asses," Natasha quirks her lip at you as she readies her gun.

"I resent that," you tell her. "It's true, but I resent that."

You peek your head up, looking to gauge your situation. Everyone seemed to be trying to tackle a bot on their own. You turned back to look at Natasha, who is eyeing the stairwell over to the side. 

You think it might be faster to take down Ultron, but you're not sure it will stop the bots. Not to mention, you're unsure if taking down the crickety suit that Ultron was in would even truly stop him or if he could transfer his consciousness into another bot.

You hop over the counter, immediately dodging a fire shot at you as you run at lightning speed to a legion bot, leaping in the air as you wrapped your arms around its neck, yanking it off with ease. 

It immediately powers down as you crush the head into scrap metal, bolts, and screws falling onto the floor. 

Natasha takes the chance to run to the stairwell, making her way up as she fires bullets at the bots, but the bullets seem to ricochet off, and you're not surprised since it was Tony who made them. 

You see Steve's shield on the floor, and you roll your eyes as you run over to it and pick it up, swinging it into the neck of a bot that Clint was trying to take down.

"Thanks," Clint huffs. "I was just about to give that back to Cap."

"I'm starting to feel like a boomerang would've been better than a shield," you roll your shoulders back.

"I mean, it's got the perfect shot, apparently. It can ricochet back to him..." Clint shrugs.

"And yet, it was here on the floor."

You turn your body over.

"Steve!" You call out, grabbing his attention. He turns is head as you throw his shield towards him. "You mind giving me a lift?"

He catches his shield, bracing it against his body, angled towards the ceiling as you run towards him. He seems surprised by the speed as you leap onto the shield, and Steve propels you upward.

You use the momentum to leap onto the bot floating in mid-air. It tries to use its arm to grab you, but you grab it with brute force as you rip it off from its body. You quickly then grab the head and rip it off. It powers down and begins to fall, and you adjust your position so that your feet are in the middle of its chest, crushing the body entirely as you land on the floor. 

You still see a couple half-baked bots flying around, and you sigh. 

A bot catches your attention from the corner of your eye as you see one flying towards Dr. Cho. It looks like it's about to shoot at her, but it lowers its weapon for some reason instead. 

You're about to go save her when you see David come in from the side, merely touching the bot, and it powers down before David punches a hole through its chest.

He turns around, smirking at you before he takes off, taking care of the rest of the bots in the same manner. It's only seconds before all the bots have been deactivated, and David comes to stand before Ultron.

"Well, that was dramatic!" Ultron tilts his head as he looks at you and David. "And who might you be? You're not part of the Avengers."

"You won't find anything about us regardless of where you look," David shakes his head. "You can't win against us. Me, in particular."

Ultron seems to pause before continuing on. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to...evolve?"

He picks up one of the dismembered Iron Legion bots, holding it between his hands. "With these? These puppets? What a joke." 

Ultron looks straight ahead at everyone. "There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction."

Thor immediately throws his hammer towards Ultron.

"Wait!" David yells, taking off after the hammer, but he's a second too late when the hammer crashes into Ultron, dismantling his body. 

The lights begin to dim as he fades. As he disappears, Ultron sings his last words. 

"I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me...no strings on me."

"Fuck," David sighs. 

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Everyone stood inside the lab, looking at the broken bot bodies, and other various things. 

The scepter was gone too. 

"It's all gone," Bruce sounded devasted. "Ultron cleared out everything."

"Not everything," David mussed his hair. "He's been in everything, though. Files and surveillance, he may know more about all of you than you know about yourselves. I'm surprised you keep everything on hand here with such shitty encryption."

"Hey!" Tony shouted indignantly, but David shrugged.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't catch him in time when he got dismantled. I destroyed all the bots in here so he couldn't transfer his consciousness, but he escaped into the internet. It'll take some time for me to track him down." 

"He got into your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" James stood to the side with his arms crossed and brows furrowed.

"Nuclear codes?" Maria realized.

"Nuclear codes," James nodded. "Looks, we gotta make some calls, assuming we still can."

David waved his hand. "I already took care of that. I got into the system, and the codes are continually being scrambled. The algorithm changes every minute. Though, I do suggest you make your calls and figure out the best way to handle that."

"You hacked the Pentagon," James said in disbelief.

"Trust me, I wouldn't have been the first," David looked unimpressed.

"That is true," Tony nods, knowing he's done it himself.

"I'll be right back," James pulled out his cell.

"I'll go with you," Maria took off with him. 

"Nukes?" Natasha turned around, crossing her arms. You'd given her your sweater to wear, and she pulled it closer to her body. "He said he wanted us dead."

"Not dead," Steve jumped in. "He said extinct."

"He also said he killed somebody," Clint recalled.

"Was there anyone else in the building?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Tony frowned. "There was."

He pulled up a 3D image of JARVIS's destroyed consciousness. 

"This is insane," Bruce ran his hand through his hair as he looked at the fragmented pieces.

"JARVIS was supposed to be our first line of defense. He would've stopped Ultron, it makes sense."

"Not if Ultron assimilated him," Bruce shook his head. "This wasn't a strategy, this was...rage."

"I wouldn't worry about JARVIS too much," David shook his head as he circled around the 3D image.

"What do you mean?" Bruce looked at David. "He was completely obliterated."

"No," David shook his head. "He wasn't."

David walks over to the computer, shooting up a holographic screen.

"I had some help scrambling the nuclear launch codes," David began typing away. 

"Help?" Tony squinted his eyes as he moved to stand next to David.

"JARVIS, the clever little bastard he is, managed to erase his memory and scatter himself all over the internet," David gave a small smirk.

"So, he's a little bit everywhere..." Tony said quietly, nodding to himself.

"Yep," David confirmed. "It'll take me some time to find and collect him. I have a lot of other things on my plate."

"Told you," Natasha whispered as you had your arm around her waist, hips touching. "Carrying our asses."

"Damn straight! Overworked and underpaid here!" David yelled, clearly hearing her, and you rolled your eyes. 

"You can always ditch her and come work for me. I offer quite a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits," Tony smiles. 

"I would rather saw my leg off, but thank you," David answers without looking at him as he continues to work.

"Well, I--" Tony starts, but suddenly Thor flies in straight for Tony, grabbing him by his neck and lifting him up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's going around," Clint's eyes go wide.

"Come on, buddy, use your words," Tony gasps through the hold on his neck.

"Oh, I have plenty of words to describe you, Stark," Thor glares.

"Thor! The legionnaire," Steve redirects his attention. Thor drops Tony, but not before giving a displeased look at him.

"The trail went cold about a hundred miles out, but it's headed north, and it has the scepter," Thor told Steve, but then turned his head back at Stark. "Now, we have to retrieve it. Again."

Thor's tone was miffed, and as he should be, he was annoyed.

"I don't understand," Dr. Cho looked at the metal parts before turning to look at Tony. "You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony bursts out into laughter, and you feel like it only reinforces your thoughts about how he's becoming...unhinged. 

"You think this is funny?" Thor asks with a grimace.

Bruce is just shaking his head at Tony, trying to get him to knock it off.

"No, it's probably not, right?" Tony says, but he's still laughing. "Is this very terrible? Is it so...is it so...it is. It's so terrible."

"This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand," Thor lifts his hammer and points it at Tony disapprovingly.

"No, I'm sorry," Tony stops laughing, seemingly sobering up. "I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

"A hoot?" You mumble as you furrow your brows. 

"I don't think this the time for this, Tony..." Bruce murmurs from the side of his mouth as he's still trying to shake his head.

"Really?!" Tony exclaims in disbelief as he looks at Bruce. "That's it? Someone snarls at you, and you show your belly and give up?"

"Yeah, if I created a murder bot," Bruce points out.

"We didn't!" Tony argues. "We weren't even close. We weren't close to an interface, were we?"

"Now, don't shy away from responsibility," David cuts in as he turns to face everyone, leaning against the desk. "That's an unattractive quality."

"Who asked you?" Tony scrunched his nose.

"No one, but since I'm doing nearly all the work, I'll say whatever the fuck I want," David smiles. 

"Oops," you mumbled, drawing Natasha's attention, "here he goes."

"You created this AI program. Maybe you weren't close to an interface for it, but you should've planned for in case it went sentient. What? Your only goal for this AI program was to maintain peace for the earth?" David scoffs. "You're an absolute moron because you know what Ultron's going to come to the conclusion of? Humans are bad for the earth."

"You're absolutely insane," Tony shakes his head. "That's not what I intended for the program. The program is meant to protect the earth."

"Perhaps that was your intention," you cut in, letting go of Natasha as you stood straighter. "But it's clear that Ultron has deviated from your intentions. Protecting the earth is one thing, but you've forgotten what you're truly trying to protect: the people living on the earth."

"The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD," Steve sighs, and you shrugged.

"Does anyone remember when I carried that nuke through the wormhole?" Tony blinks in disbelief at everyone.

"No, never came up," James entered the room, catching the last of the conversation.

"You know, when I saved all of New York," Tony looks around.

"Never heard of it," James deadpanned.

"Remember? When we had a hostile alien army coming through a fucking hole in the sky from space. We were standing three hundred feet below it," Tony points at the ground. He looks at everyone. "We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all day, no problem. But that up there? That's...that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?

"Together," Steve tells him, and Tony looks like he wants to laugh again.

"We'll lose," he tells Steve.

"Then we do that together too," Steve says somberly, and Tony just stares at Steve.

"Not that we would lose," David shrugs.

"You actually think that we'd win?" Tony asks in disbelief, truly thinking David is an idiot.

"You're Ultron's creator, and unfortunately, you've put the worst parts of your personality and paranoia into him," you defend David, shaking your head as you spoke.

"I don't think an alien invasion that actually happened and could happen again would be considered paranoia," Tony quirked his brow.

"There's no doubt there's a possibility that it could happen again," You shrug your shoulders. "But you assume that The Avengers is the be-all, end-all, that you're the be-all, end-all. You assume that you guys are the only people in this world that can fight whatever shit humans can't handle. David and I are literal proof that other supernatural or mutants exist. There are the twins out there too."

You tilt your head. "I know this is your team, your friends, but even if we lose, there's always going to be a new generation of people who will stand up and fight. Each generation of heroes will be better than the next. We do what we can as superheroes, but we don't need perfection to achieve peace."

"I'm not a superhero," Tony shakes his head.

You give him a light smile. "Could've fooled me."

Tony just stares at you before sighing. 

"Alright," Steve claps his hands. "Ultron is calling us out. I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place, let's try and make it smaller."

Everyone dispersed, and David came up to you, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm gonna head back to my place to grab a few things, and shower before coming back," he tells you. "What are you doing to do?"

You ran your gloved fingers through your hair and licked your bottom lip. 

"Probably head back to my place too to get a few things. I'll check a physical trail for Ultron if you give me a lead," you sigh. 

"You going to use your gift?" David gives you a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah," you grumble. David pats your shoulder before he leaves.

The room has mostly cleared out except for Steve. 

You feel someone hold your hand, and you turn to Natasha. 

"You're going to investigate?" She asks you, and you nod.

"Need company? I think between David and Tony, they've got the digital trail covered."

You smile at her as you curl your fingers around her hand.

"Can't think of anyone better to accompany me," you lift her hand to kiss the back of it. "C'mon, I'll take you back to my place. We can check in on Allison too."

Natasha smiles as she squeezes your hand.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Familiar. 

It's been days since they've escaped the base in Sokovia out in the cold. 

It's been so long since she's seen the street markets, she almost feels foreign to it. 

Yet, even as she tries to enjoy the freedom she now has, her mind keeps drifting. 

"Wanda."

Wanda snaps her head over to Pietro.

"What?" 

"Are you okay? I've been calling you for a couple minutes," Pietro frowns as he tries to assess his younger sister's well-being.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Wanda waves her hand. "It's just weird being out after being inside for so long."

Pietro hums, agreeing. 

"Come," he says, "We're almost at the church to meet whoever is reaching out to us."

Wanda nods as Pietro turns to keep walking.

Wanda clenches her jaw, willing herself to focus on the mission before her. She doesn't understand what's wrong with her. 

It had started when she met up with Pietro again after she had let Tony Stark take the scepter. 

Once they escaped, the images from Pietro hit her.

It had been brief. Wanda was still learning to control her gift, and sometimes that meant she accidentally looked into Pietro's mind. 

But still, she saw you and hasn't been able to get the image of you out of her head since.

Wanda hadn't told her brother. After all, it was clear that while he did find you interesting, he wasn't fascinated by you like she was. Even if she did tell him, she wouldn't know how to explain it anyways. 

She kept replaying Pietro's interaction with you over, and over, and over again. 

Wanda's replayed it so much, she's almost convinced she was standing there too.

Familiar. 

You were beautiful, no doubt, probably the most beautiful woman Wanda had ever seen. 

But it was like she'd known you before, but that wasn't the case. Wanda would've remembered you if she had. 

Wanda wishes she had been in Pietro's place when he met you. You were clearly different if you were able to keep up with him.

It'd be easier to understand--to know you if she had been the one there.

But she knew she'd eventually meet you.

Because Wanda only had one goal.

And that was to ruin Tony Stark and his little bandwagon of superheroes.

While Wanda may be curious about you, she's convicted to her goal, and if you were truly with the Avengers...

Wanda would ruin you too.

PART IX

[henrystickminbrainrot]

I’m sorry I couldn’t resist-

I discovered this ask blog and I just- 🥺

This AU belongs to @rhmg-au , PLEASE check out their blog.

(This fic isn’t canon to the AU, it’s just based off the blog. If you want to see how the AU’s story unfolds, check out the blog)

TW: brief abuse mentions

———————————————————————

Charles was shaking.

He couldn’t help it.

He was scared.

This treatment was... inhumane. Even for a Toppat.

Green was... still human.

But Galeforce had snapped.

Not much Charles could do about that.

And there his mind went, racing for ideas to free Green, get him back to his clan.

Thoughts that would lead to certain death if acted upon.

Galeforce was powerful.

Too powerful.

If Charles tried to defy him, he’d... disappear.

What other choice did he have other then to stay? If he ran, the Government would find him. If he ran, the Government would kill him.

He would’ve had no impact on anything.

Charles’s breathing was slowly slowing down. He gradually stopped shaking like a leaf.

But just because he wasn’t showing it, didn’t mean he wasn’t scared.

Quite the opposite.

He curled up into a ball and took several long breaths.

His mind was still on saving Green.

The more selfish parts were brainstorming ideas for saving himself.

Charles eventually got up and dusted himself off. He stuck his hands in his pocket and ducked his head, trying to avoid everyone. He needed sleep.

Even though he knew his dreams would be nothing but nightmares.

As he kept walking, catrastrophy struck.

Green was walking down the hall, yelling his name.

“Charles!” he called. Charles jumped, thinking Galeforce had read his thoughts and was going to kill him. But no, it was just Green. Charles steadied his gaze on the floor.

“Green, I... I don’t want to talk right now,” he muttered. It was... awkward being around him, for more then one reason. Green grabbed Charles’s arm comfortingly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, his tone worried.

“I’m not in the best mood.” Charles replied, slowly removing his arm from Green’s grasp. “I just need some sleep. When I wake up, we can do something, ‘kay?” Charles had to admit, he liked spending time with Green.

As much as one could like spending time with a brainwashed mass murderer, anyway.

Green’s face fell. “Aww, c’mon Charli- Charles.” he begged, stumbling over his words. Charles stuck his hands back in his pockets. “I thought you said we could play Mario Kart!” Charles sighed.

“I did say that,” he replied. Charles looked up from the ground and made eye contact with Green.

This existence, brainwashed, working for the enemy, killing your friends...

It was the definition of torture.

Charles just hoped he was never out in that type of situation.

He took a couple breaths.

“Well, I’m never one to break my promises. If you wanna play that much, we can.” Charles replied. As much as he hated it, this was his job.

Green’s face lit up. He jumped up and down, squealing.

Despite his overwhelming terror, Charles smiled.

“Let’s go let’s go let’s go!” Green said happily, grabbing Charles’s arm again and dragging him toward the break room.

One Month Later...

Charles sighed as he tore up another paper.

Why were escape plans so hard to make?

He took a long sip of his mug of coffee, trying to hold back the wave of tiredness he felt.

Charles hadn’t slept in two days, but really, that wasn’t important.

What was important was recent revelations.

The Toppat Leader (Henry, as his brain reminded him,) had sent out a expedition to rescue all the remaining Toppats on Earth.

It went successfully (which made Charles feel... conflicted), except for one minor detail.

The Toppat Leader was captured.

Charles knew Henry got out lucky, knowing he at least wasn’t killed.

But seeing that crestfallen look in his face when he realized what the Government did to Green...

It made something inside Charles snap.

Henry was going to be turned over to the Wall soon, but not before he would be used as bait to lure out his right hand lady.

Charles tore up another paper in frustration.

“What can I do, what can I do?!” he sobbed miserably, taking another long drink of his coffee.

Green had started glitching more and more since Henry was captured.

Charles hoped Green would get his memories back, bust Henry out, and escape.

According to Galeforce, that was extremely unlikely.

Charles hugged himself as he started spiraling more and more.

He felt so useless.

As he started to write another plan, he heard a knock at the door. Charles yelped and shoved the paper in between two books. He warily approached the door and opened it.

Galeforce was at the door.

Pure terror shot through Charles, but he tried to keep his composure calm.

“G-General! To what do I owe the pleasure?” he stammered, fiddling with a pull string on his hoodie. Galeforce chuckled darkly and shoved Charles out of the way, walking into his room.

“I wonder, Calvin... what are you working on? You haven’t slept for two days. Your room is a mess. You’re neglecting your duties.” Galeforce said sinisterly. Charles felt goosebumps crawl up his arms.

“I- uh-“ Charles sputtered. He couldn’t lie. That was one of his biggest weaknesses. Galeforce knew that. Galeforce exploited that.

“Did you know, Charlie, that Dr. V recently developed a microscopic camera? It’s revelationary for spying on the enemy... and for weeding out traitors.” Galeforce gave Charles a sharp glare. His tired mind put the puzzle pieces together much too late.

“Wait- but I’m not-“ he started desperately. Galeforce cut right over him.

“You’re not a traitor? You’re not a threat? Oh Charlie, we both know you can’t lie. Trying to let our biggest weapon just escape like that? Your efforts are traitorous, and useless.” Charles felt all his tiredness he replaced by pure, cold, fear. That was the only way to describe it.

“Please, Galeforce,” Charles pleaded desperately. “I don’t know what you’re going to do, but don’t do it. I’m nothing but loyal! Please...” Galeforce scoffed.

“Perhaps you’re telling the truth. Perhaps you’re not. The answer makes no difference.” he said as two soldiers rushed in, grabbing both of Charles’s arms.

“What are you gonna do to me?!” Charles screamed as he struggled against the two men. Galeforce smiled unpleasantly.

“Oh, Charlie. If you only you knew,” he mocked. “Gentlemen, bring him to the prison. Put him next to Mr. Stickmin’s cell.”

There was nothing Charles could do.

Once again, he was useless.

He was a failure.

———————————————————————

Charles’s eyes shot open.

When had he fallen asleep?

He rubbed his back. The prison beds felt like brick.

He slowly started examining the surroundings. He had been put into a decrepit cell. The walls were cracked and filled with cobwebs. The floor was painted a faded yellow. There wasn’t much in the cell. Just a toilet, a sink, and the brick bed.

It made him feel even more miserable than he already did.

He looked at the bell next to him and saw a tall and skinny man peering at him through the bars.

“C-Charles?” he said, his voice hopeful and confused and sad all at the same time. It was... a lot of emotions to handle.

“Henry!” Charles cried, running over to the bars. Henry was... a brief acquaintance at best. But it felt so good to see a friendly face. Well, a slightly friendly face.

“How- why-“ he stuttered, his face fully shifting to confusion. Henry was surprised now, too. Like he never expected this to ever happen, like it wasn’t in the realm of possibility. 

“Long story,” Charles sighed, hugging himself as he sat back on his bed.

“We’ve got time,” Henry replied, also sitting on his bed.

“You might, but my time’s running out.” Henry’s face was pained. “How long was I asleep for, anyway?”

“Two days,” Henry replied, shrugging. “You must’ve been really tired.” Charles widened his eyes.

“Really? Jeez. Well, I was up for two days straight.” Henry frowned.

“God, you sound overworked.” Despite everything, Charles laughed, only for a moment.

“I was trying to figure out an escape route for you and Green,” he explained, leaning against the wall and shrugging. Henry widened his eyes.

“Really?” he asked, stunned. “You didn’t have to do that. Especially for me.”

“No, I did.” Charles replied fiercely. “You were gonna be used to lure out the clan. The plan was to slaughter them while you watched helplessly behind bars. Then pawn you and your right hand lady over to The Wall once every other Toppat was exterminated.” Henry was silent for a moment.

“Ambitious plan,” he remarked. “But there are a lot of us. How would they take us all out?”

“Maybe with a brainwashed robot programmed only to kill Toppats?” Charles prompted, his voice sad. Henry blinked, that crestfallen look returning for a moment.

“Why are you telling me this?” Henry asked suddenly.

“I’m a traitor to the Government, so might as well tell everything to a person I barely know.” Charles said, shrugging. Henry looked sad at the words ‘barely know’.

“You’re the bravest man here, Charles,” he said, closing his eyes. Charles teared up, not sure what to say.

“I-“ he began before guards opened up his cell. Charles blinked, confused. “What is it?”

“Dr. V wants you,” one said flatly. They grabbed Charles’s arms again. He looked helplessly back at Henry, who’s eyes were watering.

“Charles, please, escape. I can’t lose you again.” Henry said, holding back a sob.

Again?

Again?!

What did that mean?

Charles thought it over as the guards dragged him to Dr. V’s lab. They shoved him in roughly and closed the door. Dr V. was sitting there, alone.

“Ah, Calvin.” she said, her voice not betraying any emotion. Charles started shaking. Dr V. had always scared him.

“What do you want? What are you gonna do to me?” he blurted. Dr. V. chuckled darkly, sounding all too much like Galeforce.

“Fear is a good emotion on you, Calvin!” she said, her smile growing more and more sinister. Charles pressed himself against the wall, his eyes panicked.

“Don’t hurt me...” he whispered. Dr V. pressed a button as she pulled on a mask. Smoke filled the room and Charles felt loopy. “What’s... happening...?” He hit the ground with a THUMP! as he passed out cold.

Dr V. stood above him, smirking. Not like anyone could see it through the mask.

“Time to get to work.”

[rhmg-au]

I couldn’t resist, okay? The idea came into my head one day and it was like “write me please”, so I did.

The prequel’s next part will be coming soon, so please stay patient with me, I’m no good at being on time-

This is not connected to the ficlets I already made, so you could see this as an alternate timeline if you like.

This AU belongs to @rhmg-au . Please follow them, reblog their art, give them fanart, support them in any way possible, etc.

Charlie and Copper created by FlamingRedAnon.

TW: Blood, gore, death

(Mod Swanno: Read more because of length and content! ^^)

———

Four to one.

It didn’t seem fair, not in terms of battle, but why this fight is happening in the first place.

Four unlucky and unfortunate souls twisted into weapons, machines, their only purpose to destroy the Toppats.

It all began when Right Hand Man was taken away from the clan, just before the launch of the spaceship. His sacrifice made it possible for the rest of the members to escape from a fate they didn’t deserved, at the cost of his freedom and free will. Now, he’s referred to as Green.

A while after the space station was set up completely, Reginald Copperbottom disappeared without reason or warning. Several search parties were sent down to Earth and even around the station, but no signs of him were spotted. No notes or messages were found left by him, only bumping the concern and fear up by a longshot. Toppats were getting killed off at a much faster rate, causing Henry to bring the remaining clan members into the orbital station to prevent more casualties, only allowing them to leave if they have a viable reason to or it’s deemed safe to go back, which it isn’t. After this decision was made, no further deaths were reported. Reginald was only seen again when they raided the Government to get their fellow Toppats back, but he wasn’t the same. He was changed into a cyborg too, against his will, and just like with Right, had his memories wiped clean. New name? Copper.

Charles Calvin was a pilot who worked for their enemy, while he may came from the opposing side, one can clearly see how uncomfortable he was with the General’s choices, and wants to help. Unfortunately, his motives were discovered and he too suffered the same fate as Reginald did. Charlie is what he’s called by now.

Similar to his co-worker, Rupert Price is a high-ranking soldier in the Government, and like the pilot, is uncomfortable with the decisions of the person he takes commands from. But he has another reason why, he’s been trying to convince them to save a friend of his, however they kept denying as he’s just an average citizen who’s not worth saving and it provided no benefit for them if they do. These were more than enough to push him to his breaking point. His life took a turn for the worst when he was caught by the monster behind all of this, and was changed into something he never wanted to become. Before this though, he was tortured mercilessly for defying the expectations of a soldier. Prize replaced his original name.

All of them were standing before her, the only one who could possibly match against them, Sabine Setorion.

She couldn’t believe it.

But another thing that made it even more unbearable was that it was all thanks to her adoptive mother, the one who saved her from dying all those years ago, who treated her like a daughter…Dr. Vinschpinsilstein.

Even after all of the things they did, what she told her about them, she still decided to throw her words and the horrid acts to the wind for revenge.

But this isn’t simple revenge. This was too cruel to call it revenge.

Sure, they held her at gunpoint, made her turn Right into a cyborg, but they had no other choice. How else could they convince her to work on saving his life? Besides, wasn’t saving lives her job? Like how she did for her? No matter how it was demanded?

But…she couldn’t bring herself to hate her.

She’s blinded by her anger, the need for revenge, and has done inexplicably dastardly deeds, but hatred was out of the question.

Even with those conditions active, her care still shone through.

For now though, the only thing she should focus on at the moment was the fight she’s thrusted into.

And it was incredibly one-sided.

No one else could stand against these four walking machines, she’s the only one who could at least manage a short confrontation between herself and them.

But that’s not the only reason why she’s fighting a near hopeless battle.

All of those she ever brought herself to care about would be destroyed if she refused, including her mother.

Galeforce was cruel, there was no doubt about that, but this was insane. Not only was he putting countless Toppats and their lives on the line, and those she calls friends, but even that of his assistant. Just to satisfy his need for vengeance.

Blood spewed from her mouth, her burn had been covered up with the crimson substance that has found its way to the unhealed injury she still possesses to this fateful day. The scar which was sealed off years prior has been reopened in a painful way, the sting lingered with her for the rest of the fight. The stitches had undone, and a new one has been made to criss-cross the wound, effectively creating an X shape on her face.

Pain coursed through the entirety of her being, it was as if she was waking up from a coma but it was a worse version of it, like someone beat you senselessly while you were still unconscious, and you had the misfortune to wake up to experience the assault of agony it brought alongside your awakening.

The metal used to reconstruct her new body has been damaged severely, with five to one, she was barely even breathing. She never harmed anyone, because she knows that all of them are still human, still people who are worth saving, even if some of them are not from her side of the playing field. They were disabled (by her will) for the majority of the battle, only relying on evasion and defense as strategy.

It hurt, physically, mentally and emotionally. Knowing that under these circumstances, there was no real way to win. And to know that those she cared deeply for are forced to watch her eventual demise, and to know that those who have to end her can’t stop themselves.

All she could do was lay there, almost lifelessly, as she heard a command from the General:

“Finish her.”

As they prepared to end her second trial of life, she weakly spoke. “It-It wasn’t your…faults. I-If you c-can hear me, r-remember t-that.” You could hear it if you leaned in close enough, but they were quieter than total silence. They did nothing to help. They couldn’t hear her.

Yet she still tried.

A single, solitary tear escaped from her eye mixing in with her blood, a smile plastered on her face.

This was the end.

Four individual blasts came soon after.

The last thing she heard were screams and scrambling.

And she was gone…permanently.

———

I gotta admit, this was kinda rushed-

But hopefully you enjoyed the end result regardless of shortness and how rushed it seemed.

My poor baby didn’t stand a chance against four cyborgs, there was no realistic way for her to win unless she managed to snap them out of it.

Also I would like to say the reason why she was killed instead of being brainwashed like the rest: Dr. V was now against Galeforce, and unless he figures out how to do cybernetic surgery by himself, or finds another doctor, he can’t have another walking weapon at his disposal, leaving him no choice but to kill off Sabine.

I legit couldn’t think of a name that fitted Rupert’s rehabilitated version of himself, so Prize had to do (and no I did not use his last name as reference for it-)

Maybe I’ll do an alternative route for that possibility, who knows? ;)

Don’t worry, I’m still working on the prequel, procrastination and demotivation are being assholes to me at the moment, but hopefully I can combat them to bring another another work to this AU!

[carewyncromwell]

Whew! Three drawings for the price of one for the POTC AU! The first two feature our new Pirate King Jules Farrier-Weasley @cursebreakerfarrier (flanked by Jacob “Black Jack” Cromwell Roberts and Orion Amari), and Cutler Beckett (flanked by Carewyn Cromwell “Carey Weasley” and Patricia Rakepick). The last one features the human form of our Davy Jones, Finn McGarry @theguythatdraws, with his One True Love Chiara Dalma, A.K.A. Calypso! These took a while, but they were fun to do, so I hope you like them.

Jules’s “tunic” is actually the same chemise she cut up while she was still on board the Artemis, as seen in a doodle on a previous post. Carewyn’s new uniform (which we’ll address in this part) is based on yet another of James Norrington’s costumes, this time the one he wears in the third Pirates film. Unlike the character whose role she roughly fills, though, Carey isn’t going to die unceremoniously in the middle of the damn story after getting this costume change. (Why no, I’m not bitter about the fact that Jack Davenport didn’t get more screentime and that Norrington didn’t get to be the Javert to Captain Jack Sparrow’s Valjean in the sequels the way he so could’ve been after the first movie, why would you think that? *snort*)

Now that we’re getting more into the Davy Jones/Calypso stuff, I can acknowledge how much I’ve changed from the original films’ depictions of the characters, as well as why. Personally I find the characters’ relationship to be a bit toxic and not as romantic as it should be. Calypso, being a goddess, could very easily not understand things like the passage of time through a man’s eyes, but the excuse she gives for why she wasn’t there to support her lover after all of the hard and lonely work he’d put in for her after ten years is just “it’s who I am.” I get that she’s a manifestation of the sea and not something you can pin down and all that jazz, but at the same time, it was cruel to follow her own selfish whims over considering her lover’s feelings. She presumably then also didn’t even try following up with Jones after he returned to the sea, as they aren’t able to sort out that misunderstanding before the events of At World’s End. (I mean, she’s a shape-shifting goddess of the sea, and she made him that way in the first place, so it’s not like she couldn’t have met him somewhere that wasn’t dry land.) I understand Jones couldn’t expect her to change her nature, and that’s fair, but it doesn’t make me like Calypso very much or feel much of anything for her relationship with Jones. And on the flip side, Jones decides to take out his pain at this misunderstanding (which he really should’ve tried clearing up AGES before the events of At World’s End) on his lover in the most spiteful, vindictive way -- teaching a bunch of pirates how to trap an immortal goddess into a mortal body that definitely has none of the power innate to her, presumably feels pain, and could even age or die. Rather than trying to quit the job Calypso gave him or even trying to figure out what happened, he decides to clip the wings of the woman he supposedly loves, all due to his own pain at being betrayed. So I don’t feel much for Jones as a character and for his relationship with Calypso either. In the end, when they quasi-make up, I didn’t think it was earned or that it was a good outcome for either of them. I do think there’s some tragedy in the situation, for they clearly feel deeply for each other, but their romance is really dysfunctional in my opinion, and I think it could’ve been handled a lot better if you wanted to make the pairing as romantic as the theme Hans Zimmer wrote for it. (As a side, take a listen to this lovely lyric cover someone wrote for the Davy Jones theme, it’s so good!) This is part of why I like being able to write Chia and Finn (the Calypso and Jones analogues in this AU) with a more sympathetic backstory, as well as some organic development for both them and their relationship while they’re apart from each other, which I kind of think was lacking in Tia Dalma/Calypso in particular.

Previous part is here, whole tag is here, and I hope you all enjoy!

x~x~x~x

Carewyn was perturbed by how fast an armada of ships from Port Royal caught up with the Flying Dutchman, once Rakepick had Jones send one of his cursed crew members with a message for Beckett. It was as though the head of the East India Trading Company had been waiting in eager anticipation of the Dutchman locating Shipwreck Cove ever since he gave her and Rakepick the mission in the first place.

Among the armada was the Clearwater, and Carewyn was shocked and a little happy to see Percy crossing over to the Dutchman from his ship and leaping off the gangplank to greet her. The youngest of the three Weasley brothers who’d joined the Navy gave her a salute for formalities’ sake, but he couldn’t keep the relieved smile off his face.

“Commodore Weasley,” he said formally.

“Captain Weasley,” said Carewyn in return.

As soon as they’d greeted each other, both of them loosened considerably. Carewyn opened her arms and brought Percy into a rather mannish hug, clapping his back the way Bill often did whenever he hugged his brothers.

“Jones’s men treated you well, I hope?” Percy murmured under his breath, his voice betraying some cold suspicion despite himself.

“Well enough,” Carewyn said softly.

When they broke apart, Percy was smiling a bit more fully. 

“It is good to see you, Carey,” he said, his faintly pompous voice nonetheless incredibly sincere, “though I’m afraid I’ll have my own ship to run now...”

Carewyn smiled proudly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. A Commodore needs a talented Captain in his fleet.”

‘I know how long you’ve dreamed of moving up the ranks. Even if the Navy isn’t what it should be...I’m glad that you’re living your dream, Percy.’

Percy’s brown eyes softened, clearly touched. Before he could say anything, however, a familiar, aloof voice interrupted him.

"A Commodore does indeed need a talented Captain...”

Both Weasleys turned to Cutler Beckett as he stepped down onto the deck of the Dutchman beside them. His small eyes were locked firmly on Carewyn.

“...as does the Admiral of the fleet.”

He materialized a folded letter and held it out to Carewyn. Her eyebrows furrowed as she opened it, before her eyes widened upon its contents and the royal wax seal at the bottom.

“I’d already had this prepared ahead of time, prior to your departure from Port Royal,” said Beckett with a cool smile. “I wrote to the King of how impressed I was with your dedication, ingenuity, and talents, and he was most pleased. When I requested you to be at the head of my fleet for this upcoming venture, he agreed immediately. Upon receiving Madam Rakepick’s letter about you initiating the search for the Tower Raven’s old fleet and using one of their own ships to guide us to our target...I knew that my faith had been more than warranted.”

His eyes narrowed slightly over his cold, satisfied smile.

“Congratulations...Admiral Carey Weasley.”

The “honor” the King had bestowed upon her, if one could call it that, made Carewyn feel ill for multiple reasons. Not only did she truly not, NOT want to fight the Pirate Lords and whatever ships they gathered together, but she knew that she had largely gotten the position thanks to the effort of Rakepick -- who had for whatever reason credited Carewyn for following the Phoenix rather than taking credit herself -- and Beckett -- who Carewyn didn’t trust as far as she could throw him, but couldn’t figure out why exactly he had so much “faith” in her. Was she truly that good of an actress to completely fool him? She wanted to think so -- and yet the way he looked at her, not unlike how Rakepick looked at her, spoke of him knowing something she didn’t. Sadly Percy, even if he had seemed legitimately troubled by the hangings in Port Royal, was not distrustful enough of Beckett to express anything but pride in Carewyn’s accomplishment, so Carewyn couldn’t talk to him or anyone else about her suspicions.

When she confronted Rakepick about what she wrote to Beckett, the older woman’s response was oddly coy.

“I already told you you don’t belong on this ship,” she said, her dark blue eyes locked firmly onto Carewyn’s with a murky emotion she couldn’t quite identify. “Now that you’re Admiral, you’ll have more power to command your own ship, overlooking the Dutchman as well as the rest of the fleet.”

Carewyn’s eyes narrowed. “So you wrote that so I’d get off the Dutchman?”

Rakepick’s eyes narrowed slightly too, becoming more solemn. “You heard Lord Beckett -- he’d already planned this for you in advance. Although my reasons are different from his, I’m more than willing to play along with his whims, if it means I get what I want.”

“And what is it you want, Rakepick?”

Rakepick’s red lips curled up into a cool smirk. “Now, Admiral...one can hardly expect a lady to answer such a personal question.”

Not long after confronting Rakepick, Beckett summoned Carewyn to his cabin on his flagship, a Man O’ War called the HMS Lion. Unlike any of their previous meetings in his office, Carewyn found the cabin completely empty except for Beckett when she arrived -- in the past, Percy or Rakepick had been there too, as well as one or two employees of the East India Trading Company. It gave her the feeling that Beckett wanted this meeting to be more private than the others, which gave her a terrible sense of foreboding.

“You wished to see me, Lord Beckett?” she asked, once she’d finished saluting him.

“Yes,” said Beckett.

He was sitting behind his desk, which once again had a map laid out with different model soldiers and ships littered all over it. There were also seven Piece of Eight coins lined up in a neat little row -- he was once again playing with the eighth, rolling it along his fingers lackadaisically.

“Word has come from Shipwreck Cove, from the so-called ‘Pirate King,’“ he said, his eyes on the coin in his hand. “She wishes to rendez-vous on a tiny island on the far side of Shipwreck Island at sunset tonight, a ways away from the Cove. No weapons -- just talking.”

Beckett’s eyes flickered up to Carewyn’s face almost critically.

“...The Pirate King...signed her name as ‘Captain Jules Weasley’ -- so she’d be an old flame of yours, would she not?”

Carewyn stiffened slightly. ‘Jules is the Pirate King?’

She covered up her surprise quickly, her blue eyes narrowing.

“Miss Farrier -- pardon, Mrs. William Weasley -- never commanded any affection from me. Although her father bid she court me, her feelings were always for my brother -- so much so that she followed him into piracy.”

Beckett’s lips spread into a cold smile. “Then it’s as I surmised. Governor Farrier expressed frustration that his daughter had not managed to ensnare your heart, as opposed to your older brother’s -- especially considering how much she seemed to enjoy your company...”

Carewyn could not figure out what Beckett was trying to suss out from this conversation and it troubled her greatly -- so she put on her best, coldest expression and lied through her teeth.

“Whatever woman I respected in the past is dead, now that she’s an enemy of the Crown,” she said harshly. “I know no ‘Captain Jules Weasley’...nor do I wish to.”

Beckett’s smile did not shift in the slightest. If anything, his small, dark eyes flickered in something almost like triumph.

“I understand your sensitivity to the matter. You truly do love with all of your heart, don’t you, Admiral Weasley?”

Carewyn’s eyebrows knit tightly over her eyes in confusion, but she did not reply. Beckett put the Piece of Eight coin down in the row on his deck and rose from his chair, moving over to the decanter of red wine on the side table so he could pour a glass.

“I saw you with Captain Weasley, before you left Port Royal -- and of course, your reunion on-board the Dutchman, earlier today. I also heard quite a few interesting rumors circulated among our prisoners from Tortuga, speaking of your honor and the respect you showed them despite their criminal status...even moving a woman into a cell with her husband without being asked, if I’m not mistaken...”

His voice was very aloof and was tinged with a bizarre fascination, like an entomologist might have for a rare butterfly he’d pinned to his wall. Carewyn felt like her heart was being squeezed, but she dare not say anything.

Beckett finished pouring out two glasses of wine and put down the decanter so he could pick up both glasses.

“It’s not something I’m familiar with, that kind of concern for others.”

He offered the glass of red wine to Carewyn, his eyes boring into her face. Carewyn kept her face as blank as she could even though she could feel the blood leaving it as she took the glass of wine from him, but did not drink it.

“...I did not mean to displease you, Lord Beckett,” she said lowly.

Beckett’s eyes flickered again with that strange satisfaction as he took a sip from his glass of wine.

“On the contrary -- it’s only appropriate, for a woman to have a gentle heart.”

Carewyn stiffened sharply.

‘No. No, no, no -- !’

It was one thing for Rakepick to find out, but Beckett to know -- did Rakepick tell him? No, she said she wasn’t really doing any of this for Beckett -- should she deny it, Carewyn wondered? But if she did, and he caught her in a lie, could that make it worse -- ? 

Her hesitation made Beckett’s eyes gleam with greater satisfaction than ever.

“Then I was right,” he murmured. “I admit, I wasn’t sure. True, your voice is higher than one normally hears and you’re smaller than most, but I know first hand that means nothing. And your military record...had it not been for me having met and employed Patricia Rakepick previously, I would never have believed a woman could be so skilled in battle and strategy, nor so aggressive. But when Captain Weasley expressed such interest in me having hired a woman, and even went out of his way to bring it up to you...my interest was peaked. All the more so when I found out how truly useful you are, as an officer.”

Carewyn felt like she was drowning in horrifying, icy cold water. Beckett knew she was a woman -- he knew she was a woman, and could tell anyone about it, if he so chose. She’d not only lose her position -- the one thing that she had left that she could use to protect Jacob, Orion, Bill, Charlie, and Jules...but she’d be cast out in disgrace, leaving her with nothing -- possibly taking Percy along with her for having kept her true gender a secret --

Her blue eyes had drifted down to the floor absently, but were not focusing on anything.

Yet...Beckett had said nothing of his suspicions to anyone. True, he hadn’t known for sure...but why would he recommend her to the King as an Admiral, if he’d suspected?

And then it hit her.

She bowed her head, casting her eyes into shadow as she put down her untouched wine glass on the side table.

“...What do you want from me, Lord Beckett?”

Beckett raised his eyebrows but did not respond.

“You very easily could’ve gotten both Percy and me cast out of the Navy in disgrace,” she said, keeping her voice low in an attempt to try to keep it steady, “yet you’ve kept me and even helped get me promoted, presumably because I’m so ‘useful.’ What use do I have, for you?”

Beckett gave her something of a patronizing smile as he stepped forward, coming up right in front of Carewyn so that his chin rested just shy of her shoulder and he could look at her face out the side of his eye.

“Isn’t it obvious? You are an excellent Naval officer -- a leader and inspiration to those who serve under you. You’re world-renown for your honor, your courage -- your passion. You prompt people to fight with you -- for you -- with a loyalty that even the King of England himself cannot boast. Were you a man, you would be someone I’d be very threatened by, indeed. But since you are a woman...I can appeal to your heart.”

Carewyn could feel his breath sliding past her ear and she couldn’t help but cringe. She stubbornly refused to look him in the eye, keeping her gaze firmly on the floor.

“I’m afraid my disinterest in the once-Miss Farrier was not a one-off thing, Lord Beckett,” she said very dryly. “Romance is not something I think about very regularly.”

Orion’s face rippled over her mind, making her heart ache. Oh, if he were there, in that room -- the thought of him seeing her letting herself get pushed around by the man who’d branded him and sent the Navy after him for piracy...it made her feel ill.

Beckett’s lips curled up in a slightly tighter, almost miffed smile as he pulled away just enough that he was facing the wall behind her rather than looking at her face.

“...Oh...no, Admiral...you misunderstand me. I know I own no part of your heart...but Captain Weasley, he most assuredly does.”

Carewyn’s head shot up so she could look at him, her expression stricken despite herself.

“Your younger brother is not nearly as useful as you, but he has shown great dedication to me, since I threw him a bone and ensured his promotion. It’s a loyalty I hope that you will likewise show me...especially considering that both you and he have been given access to information that few others have been...and that I would do just about anything to ensure doesn’t become common knowledge...”

Carewyn stared at Beckett, her shock giving way to cold hatred. 

“So that’s it,” she murmured. “You’ll hold Percy’s and my lives and livelihoods over our heads, to make sure that I don’t surpass you, somehow. How I don’t know, considering that the Navy is not part of the East India Trading Company, nor shall it ever be, but clearly you feel loyalty is something to threaten out of people, rather than earn -- ”

“The only thing one can really earn in this world, Admiral, is money, and therefore power,” Beckett cut her off sharply, “and I have no intention of losing either, now that I’ve earned both of which I’m owed!”

He turned to look Carewyn straight-on in the eye, their faces mere inches apart. Gone was any hint of attempt at gentlemanly poise -- there was a hard edge to his gaze, not unlike the way he’d looked at Jones, but because he was actually an inch or so taller than Carewyn, he seemed to relish the power he had looking down at her both literally and figuratively.

“You will use your talents to serve my interests,” he said under his breath, “and I, in return, will continue to reward you and your brother, by ensuring that your careers and lives flourish under me. It’s just good business.”

At sundown, Beckett and Jules met at the tiny island agreed upon. Jules strolled down the long, narrow beach toward the shoreline where they were to meet, Jacob on one side of her and Orion on the other. She’d originally wanted Bill with her, but McNully was able to persuade her that she’d look that bit more intimidating to Beckett if she arrived in the company of two of the most wanted pirate captains in the world, and even Bill had to agree. Jules was determined to stand between Jacob and Orion, though, considering that there was still a lot of tension between them.

Jules had been furious with Jacob, when she’d learned about the deal he’d struck with Davy Jones. Even if he’d originally planned to give Jones “a Cromwell” as in Charles or Blaise Cromwell -- two objectively bad people who had been largely responsible for Carewyn and Jacob’s abusive, unloving childhoods -- Jules was also confident in thinking that Carewyn would be horrified, knowing that Jacob was willing to enslave another person to Davy Jones, just to find her. Jacob refused to feel guilty for that, but he clearly was destroyed by the knowledge that his choice had put Carewyn in so much danger. It was apparent from the way he talked about it and the way his hands and shoulders shook with silent sobs that Jacob would’ve sacrificed himself a hundred times over, if it would guarantee Carewyn wouldn’t be harmed.

Orion, by contrast, hadn’t said a word since Jacob told them what was going on. Throughout the entire conversation, he’d had his hands clasped tightly in front of him and kept his gaze downcast, even taking time to close his eyes for long periods of time as if he were meditating. Despite his silence and his detached affect, his usually stoic expression and unsteady breathing betrayed genuine anxiety. At one point, Bill brought a hand onto Orion’s shoulder to try to comfort him, and Orion actually subconsciously smacked his hand away.

“I’m sorry,” said the Captain quickly, his voice very hushed and tense as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. “Just...please, don’t touch me.”

Bill, Charlie, and Jules all thought they could guess how Orion was feeling. Although the others had forcefully shot down the idea that Orion was the least bit responsible since he couldn’t have known the consequences of calling Carewyn by her real name, their words had done little to soften the Pirate Lord’s brow. If Orion’s past behavior hadn’t been indicative of how deeply he felt for Carewyn, then the way he clasped anxiously at his own hands and shut himself off from everyone else at the thought of her being doomed to spend the rest of her life trapped on board the Flying Dutchman made it crystal clear.

“Orion’s always valued his own freedom more than any kind of loot,” McNully murmured to the three Weasleys under her breath, “more than anything, really. And if he cares about the Commodore so much...”

“...He probably couldn’t bear it, if she lost hers,” finished Charlie, bowing his head and closing his eyes as they welled up with pain and righteous anger.

As Jules, Jacob, and Orion approached the shore, they caught sight of three people standing in the distance. The man in the middle dressed in black Orion identified as Cutler Beckett. On his left was an older woman as tall as Orion with hair as ginger red as Bill and Charlie’s that Jacob immediately recognized as Rakepick...and on his right was Carewyn, dressed in a new yellow-trimmed navy blue uniform and a black tricorn hat.

The three pirates stopped five feet away from the Head of the East India Trading Company and his two female companions, a notable sting of tension prickling at the air. Jules tried hard to keep her focus on Beckett, but her eyes were drawn to Carewyn despite herself. Although her friend faced Orion -- the person directly in front of her -- with a hard, stoic expression, she looked so pale. When Jules glanced over, she noticed out the side of her eye that Orion’s unreadable gaze was also locked on Carewyn, even as he took deep breaths through his nose and his hands clenched absently at his sides.

“Well, well,” said Beckett, his eyes narrowing darkly upon Orion’s face, “if it isn’t my old friend, Orion Amari.”

Orion glanced at Beckett out the side of his eye without turning his face away from Carewyn’s. Although his face remained rather calm, there was a faint edge to his soft-spoken response.

“...I did not think you were ever much in the market for friendship, Cutler Beckett...considering it’s something you cannot buy.”

His gaze returned to Carewyn. Beckett glanced from Carewyn to Orion, his lips curling up in a very cold smile.

“Ah, yes -- you and Amari are old friends also, aren’t you, Admiral Weasley?”

“Admiral?” repeated Orion, taken aback despite himself.

“Yes,” said Carewyn, and although her response was very cold, her eyes pulsed with emotion that she attempted to obscure by glancing to the side in Jacob’s direction rather than straight at Orion. “By order of the King, as a reward for my work alongside Lord Beckett.”

Jules could see Jacob’s jaw clench out the corner of her eye. She too felt like her heart was being squeezed. Carewyn no doubt hated her promotion with everything in her, if it was something she’d earned chasing after them on Beckett’s orders. Still...Jules couldn’t express that flat-out, so she put on the strongest expression she could.

“...I suppose congratulations are in order, then.” 

Carewyn flashed Jules a look. “I don’t want congratulations from you, Mrs. Weasley. Or should I call you ‘Your Majesty,’ now that you’ve started playacting as a royal?”

Jules’s lips came together tightly when she saw how broadly Beckett smirked. The small man’s reaction seemed to piss off Jacob too.

“You will show proper respect to the Pirate King,” he said with a fierce look at the Head of the East India Trading Company.

“Respect,” scorned Rakepick. “Is that a word you can even define, Black Jack?”

“As well as I could wring your neck, if I were allowed,” spat Jacob.

“I’m surprised your ‘Pirate King’ would want a man in her company who’s so comfortable threatening a lady’s life,” said Carewyn sharply.

‘Don’t start a fight with her,’ she thought desperately, praying that Jacob would be able to sense her intent even with the act she had to play. 

Unfortunately Jacob, as smart as he was, was never the best at reading people’s emotions -- and so when his narrowed eyes shot to Carewyn, she could see a flicker of pain. She surmised that even if he clearly didn’t think she believed what she was saying, it hurt him beyond reason, to see her having to defend the woman who’d tried to kill him.

Orion, however, very quickly adapted to the new method of “conversation,” fixing Carewyn with a calm, but piercing gaze.

“And I’m surprised that a honorable officer such as yourself would be so comfortable in the company of those with no honor whatsoever,” he said.

‘You’re in danger,’ Carewyn surmised he was trying to say. Her eyes narrowed upon Orion’s face.

“I beg your pardon?” she retorted. “I fail to see how a pirate has any leg to stand on, speaking of honor.” ‘What are you trying to tell me?’

“Even I have more honor than a captain who would burn an entire settlement to the ground,” murmured Orion. ‘Davy Jones.’

“Jones follows orders, as do we all...something else a pirate wouldn’t understand.” ‘What about Jones?’

"Orders...from Cutler Beckett, or from you? From what I’ve heard, you were on the Flying Dutchman yourself -- hardly a place one would expect to find Port Royal’s greatest hero.” ‘You must get away from Davy Jones. Get off of the Flying Dutchman.’

Carewyn’s blue eyes narrowed a bit more. First Rakepick wanted her off the Dutchman, and now Orion? Yes, Davy Jones was dangerous, but at present she found him much less of a threat than Beckett...

“A true hero knows that his reputation comes second to the good of the others,” she said very softly. “As does a loyal officer.” ‘I can’t leave.’

Something in Orion’s dark eyes flinched.

“Your older brother will be very disappointed, to know you’ve sold your loyalty so cheaply,” he said just as softly.

Carewyn felt her heart clench. She knew he didn’t mean Bill -- and yet the thought of both her surrogate brothers and Jacob was a silent knife to her back. She didn’t dare look at Jacob for fear her strong facade would crack, so she kept her focus solidly on Orion.

“I would think given your own history with Lord Beckett, you’d know full well how valuable of an ally he is, ” she shot back quickly, feigning temper as best she could, “and how dangerous of an enemy, as well. Both I and the brother who chose to follow the law rather than spit in its face are certainly glad for his aid, in ending your reign of terror.”

‘I can’t leave, not with what Beckett has over me and Percy. And if I do leave, then you’ll be in more danger than ever...’

Her eyes bore into Orion’s fiercely as she begged beyond reason he’d understand.

“...You may tell William...that I am no Bedlam maid in need of saving.”

‘You can’t help me. I love you.’

Deep in the depths of his sparkling black eyes, Carewyn could see a flicker of desperation, almost like anxiety. Afraid that Beckett might notice the crack in Orion’s expression, or in her own at the sight of it, she quickly whirled on Jules.

“He is the one who should stand down,” she said, her voice hardening further in an attempt to obscure her emotions. “All of you should, unless you wish to face down an entire armada.”

‘There are 34 Man O’ Wars waiting out there for you,’ she hoped Jules would be able to discern. Even if she didn’t know an armada had that many ships, Jacob and Orion would.

Jules, to her credit, matched Carewyn’s act with her own cold gaze. “Don’t underestimate us, Admiral Weasley. Both the British Navy and the East India Trading Company have done that consistently from the beginning.”

“And now we have come to the end,” said Beckett smoothly. “Of you and the rest of your Brethren.”

The others all turned to look at him. He flashed Orion a look better suited to a cockroach before redirecting his gaze onto Jules.

“Tell your Court this,” he said in an aloof, condescending voice. “You can fight, and all of you will die...or you can stand down, in which case only most of you will die. I daresay the Governor could be persuaded to spare you from the gallows, if you threw yourself on his mercy...and if I were to be merciful enough to leave out your new position, in my correspondence with the King...”

Jules’s dark eyes flashed with hatred as she strode forward, coming to a stop two feet from Beckett so she could glare right into his face.

“There are few things I can tolerate less than cowards who resort to blackmail just to make themselves feel powerful.”

She didn’t look at Carewyn, but Carewyn could sense Jules was thinking of her, as she said this.

“We will fight. And you’d best hope that we will show more mercy than you would, in our place.”

The Pirate King turned on her heel and walked away. With some reluctance, Orion and then Jacob turned away and strode quickly after her, leaving the other three alone on the shore.

“So be it,” said Beckett with a cold smile.

Carewyn couldn’t look at Rakepick or Beckett at her side. Her gaze was solidly locked on the departing backs of her brother, friend, and love as they began to shrink into the distance.

She’d never been very good at relying on or having faith in others...but in that moment, more than anything, she knew all she could do now was put her trust in Orion -- in Jules -- in Jacob -- in Bill and Charlie and all of the other pirates on Shipwreck Cove.

‘Please...please, be careful. Please be safe.’

In that moment of helplessness, she felt her heart ache all the more, watching Orion walk away. She closed her eyes, trying to bring back the memory of him standing shoulder to shoulder with her on the Artemis -- of him lying in bed as she tended to him, when they were young -- but it was no use. The graveness of the situation was too dire even for escapism...

Carewyn clutched her own arms behind her back. They suddenly felt so much heavier...as if there really were manacles there she couldn’t hope to break.

‘...Please...please live.’

On the opposite side of the island, both Jules and Jacob noticed the silent tears that had streaked down Orion’s face...but none had the heart to address it as they boarded the jollyboat that would take them back to the Artemis and to Shipwreck Cove.

At the same time that the pirates and the leaders of the British Navy were meeting, Davy Jones had been left behind on the Flying Dutchman with Percy supervising the troops. Beckett thought that Jones was threatened into line by how many soldiers were still guarding his heart, but thanks to Carewyn, Jones knew that Rakepick had stolen and relocated it. Now that he didn’t know where his heart was at all, he knew he couldn’t afford to move until he’d found it again -- and with Carewyn likely leaving the Dutchman with her new position as Admiral, it was likely it’d take a while before she could smuggle him any more information she might acquire about that. For the moment, though, Jones had put that concern on the back burner, for the Dutchman’s arrival near Shipwreck Cove gave him the opportunity to catch up with the Phoenix.

As luck would have it, when Jones phased through the Dutchman and onto the Phoenix, the ship was largely abandoned, since the crew had all gone ashore to Shipwreck Cove. The only person remaining was a small woman with long white hair, looking out to sea over the deck. In her hand was a pretty silver locket in the shape of a moon, the lid of which was cracked open so that a sweet, tinkling music box melody played.

Chia Dalma closed the locket half-way through the song, her eyes closing sadly as she clasped the locket close to her chest. She straightened up in shock, however, when she suddenly heard the rest of the tune echoing from behind her. She whirled around, to be faced with a giant, hulking shadow with writhing tentacles sprouting out from his jaw, holding an identical locket in his claw. Anyone would’ve been terrified at the sight -- but Chia looked upon the figure with tears in her eyes.

“Finn,” she breathed. Her lips were curled up in a weak smile, just as they had been before, but the joy was stained with so many other emotions -- grief, shame, and regret.

Davy Jones regarded Chia critically as he took several plodding steps toward her. “You know I haven’t been called that name in years.”

Chia bowed her head. “Nor have I been called my true name in years.”

Jones tilted his head, trying to read her expression better now she was looking away from him.

“I had not expected to find you like this,” he said very lowly. “You’ve never taken on such a small shape before.”

Chia’s eyes flashed with righteous anger as she raised her head. “That’s because this form is one I did not choose to take. It was thrust upon me by the Brethren Court.”

Jones straightened up slightly. His eyes narrowed to slits.

“...Then they did not kill or trap you. They transformed you.”

His voice was as low and growling as thunder. Chia clutched at the sides of her arms with her hands, her gaze smouldering with resentment as she glared down at the deck.

“Oh, but they did trap me,” she said bitterly, “trapped me in this single form, which can’t do even half of what I should be able to. I’ve been able to use what power I have to slow down the aging process, but this body still feels pain. This body still feels strain, and weakness, and hunger, and exhaustion, and longing...”

Something rippled over her eyes -- something more ashamed and pained.

“...I never knew...how much time truly weighs on a human,” she murmured.

Jones’s expression grew much more grim. “An immortal such as yourself should never have had to learn that.”

“Should never have had to, yes...but...”

She looked up at Jones, her gray eyes pulsing with strength despite the pain rippling within.

“...why did you not tell me, how long ten years felt for you? I have felt those ten years several times over, trapped in this tiny, fragile, helpless body every single moment -- and it’s...it’s been torture. To know you took the job I gave you -- only coming ashore once every ten years, so you could help me with the burden of tending to the dead at sea -- when ten years feels like that, to you -- ”

Chia’s eyes flooded with tears.

“I gave you the position of ferryman because I wanted to spare you from death,” she whispered. “Because if I didn’t give you that role and give you some of my power, you would’ve died. I’d never thought that those ten years would feel so long -- drain you so much...”

Jones was quiet for a long moment. Then he brought up his claw to brush her bangs from her eye.

“It’s only natural that you saw things the way an immortal would. Time is no object to you -- ten years no doubt felt like a small price to pay, in the face of your life span. And...”

His eyes became a bit smaller.

“...it’s not exactly like I wanted to die and be separated from you either. Even though part of me always doubted you’d be there waiting for me, when I returned...even though I resented you for years because you weren’t there...”

A ghost of a smile flickered over his features.

“...I know I shouldn’t have expected you to see things as I have -- to change yourself to suit me. If you did...you wouldn’t be the goddess I fell in love with, would you?”

Chia smiled up at Jones, her eyes shining with tenderness.

“I tried to make it back to you,” she murmured. “When the Court transformed me, I tried so hard to get there, to reach you...”

She extended her hands, tentatively trailing them along his tentacled face. Jones seemed to tremble at her touch.

“I know of the danger you’re in, Finn,” said Chia seriously. “As long as Cutler Beckett has your heart, I know you’re beholden to him. But I have allies among this newest Brethren Court. If they convince the others to break my chains, as I’ve foreseen they will...then as soon as I am free, I will come for you. I will make sure you and I are never separated again...and I will make sure your captors suffer the consequences, for hurting the man I love.”

As her small white hands held his face, Jones’s face and frame suddenly began to morph. In an instant, the slimy texture, the tentacles clinging to his face, and his claw all vanished -- and there stood the tall, handsome pirate she’d fallen in love with so long ago.

Finn McGarry’s face broke out into a broken, soft smile. He stretched out his hand, caressing his love’s human cheek with more gentleness than his claw ever could have.

“Calypso...” he murmured.

Chia’s face broke out into a full smile as well. She knew she couldn’t permanently remove the fishy transformation, as it was something that had mutated Jones over the many years they’d been apart, due to his heartbreak and grief...but seeing him looking so much like his old self after so long...it made her currently human heart swell with love.

“Just as you gave me your heart, when you became captain of the Flying Dutchman,” she murmured, “so too will you always have mine.”

[snkpolls]

SnK Chapter 130 Results

The chapter poll closed with 1775 responses. This month’s poll results were brought to you by u/staraves, Crunchwrap, Luna, Momtaku and Giovata! Thank you to everyone for your support!

RATE THE CHAPTER

Maybe it was finally getting Eren’s POV, or maybe it was finally seeing the rumbling in nine glorious double page spreads. Either way “Dawn for Humanity” was very well received with close to 70% giving it the highest possible rating, marking this the most acclaimed chapter since chapter 123.

Beautifully drawn and written. I like the teasing of Eren's PoV

Good to see some Eren and Historia (finally!!) but the lack of answers is really hurting my heart, cmon yama!!

Epic chapter, amazing artwork. And astonishingly, with 5-6-7 chapters left i still don't know where this is going.

Definitely in my top ten best chapters. The ending was gloriously horrifying to read. Also, we finally got some Historia content, which is a big plus.

Cool as hell chapter.

I feel like this chapter wasn’t that great. It kind of gave way to more speculation without giving many concrete answers. The things that it DID answer felt like stating the obvious.

Tease me more, daddy Isayama

This chapter most likely is the best i've ever seen. So many answers and sooo many questions left behind. This chapter directs us to think about the previous chapters and obviously ISAYAMA'S THOUGHTS. That thing makes me happy. I'm very grateful.

Death is on its way, ladies and gents. Also the end is almost here. What the fuck is going on? I just want some answers about  E V E R Y T H I N G (especially about Eren's psyche).

Is there a singular word for the feeling of a mosquito bite?

  WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT?

“The revelation of Eren’s freaky final boss form” was our favorite moment (22.7%) followed by “Eren’s POV finally! Sort of?” (15.8%) and “The rumbling! At last!” (13.4%). “Historia and Eren’s tense discussion on the farm” came in fourth (11.6%).

Fuck yes! Erens back!

Our Queen has finally returned!

The whole chapter was building up to the reveal of Eren's titan form, and I enjoyed it.

Finally back at our one and only true hero Eren.

SWIMMER TITANS ARE NOW THE GOLD MEDALIST FOR THE SWIMMING CATEGORY IN OLYMPICS 2020 special edition

FINNALY HISU POV, even if it’s just a flashback. Honestly I’m just happy to see her again, becuase she’s my favorite character, and even if the flashback gives more questions than answers.

loved zeke-eren bro talk

everyone who thought that Floch was lying in charter 125 are 🤡🤡🤡

reiner tiddies

  WHO WAS THIS CHAPTER'S MVP?

“The colossal synchronized swim team” made an impressive showing (28.5%) but their majestic moves across the ocean were not enough to topple Eren (53.6%) for chapter MVP. Historia (8.1%), Zeke (5%), and Annie (3.5%) also received some love.

EREN IS THE GOAT

Eren is the worst boy in the world.

EREN JAEGER GENOCIDAL MANIAC

I really missed Historia, so it was nice to see her.

can the rumbling start a synchronized aquatic dance?

  WHAT DOES THE CHAPTER TITLE "DAWN FOR HUMANITY" REFER TO?

I thought of it as some sort of "End of the world" titling.

Dunno; but it doesn't really work if the rest of the world gets rumbled, does it?

I want to see the japanese title to decide

Eren wants to kill “animals” to give a new life to “humanity”

A dawn, or a beginning of a new day, has arrived. Whether this new day is a good or a bad one for humanity, we do not yet know. Everything is still possible, but once this day is over, the world as we know it is no longer here, for better or worse.

A new age for humanity is incoming. The story will end as a tragedy with Eren achieving his goal.

Dawn means the start of the day. So I think the start of the rumbling will be the start of humanity for this world. I think we started to see this with the world fleet being there to try stop eren. I believe every country is helping people flee regardless of race. Maybe I'm just too idealistic.

Ce chapitre fait reference au fait qu’eren est pret a tout pour sauver ses amis

Eren will achieve his goal (end the cycle of hatred)

Hope for humanity outside the walls. Dawn for me is something like hope, even if today was a bad day, tomorrow, after dawn, things might get better. Maybe the Warriors-Paradis alliance will somehow reach Eren and stop the Rumbling?

dunno but got the vibes of ‘it’s darkest before the dawn’ might be a tip for a change coming

Eren has now officially started eradicating the world and also it's dark ideas against people on paradise and conquering freedom for his people and that is why this moment onwards is "the dawn of humanity "

Dawn for Eldians to be exact. Dusk for Marleyans.

Finally defeating Eren, ending the curse of Ymir and freeing everyone from the shadow of Titan powers.

Dawn of Terror? Dawn of "What The FUCK Is That??" Dawning that the remaining places of humanity are to be trampled?

It could refer to a ""dawn"" for the alliance, who intend for neither side of the conflict to be eradicated, as they believe everyone is part of ""humanity"". Despite their deliberation at the beginning of the chapter, the fact that they're finally setting sail to stop Eren is testament that they've not lost their hope in the pursuit of this ideal, hence they can be interpreted to be the ""dawn"".

Eldians in Paradis Island being free from the wrath of outsiders and being avenged

I think it refers to a new beginning a new start for the eldians living on the island or it can be used as an ironic way that the humanity outside the walls is going to end so it's complete destruction hence the beginning of the new cycle

The Rumbling & Historia's child, humanity's destruction and its rebirth

Continuation of "End's Eve" as this is the dawn of the day where humanity fights for its continued existence

"Dawn" refers to Humanity's realisation of many things. Eg: how Eldia is not a weak nation, how the Rumbling wasn't a lie, how people are people and they are all the same - wanting to live and shedding the same blood no matter what nationality they have. "Humanity" refers to those still alive and realizing these things.

Dawn of the final day - 24 hours remain

  WHAT ARE THE FUTURE IMPLICATIONS OF ANNIE DECIDING SHE'S TIRED OF FIGHTING AND NO LONGER WANTS TO STOP EREN?

Despite learning that her hometown is doomed, just over half of respondents feel confident Annie will stay the course and continue to work with the alliance. Among the rest of responses, 27.4% think this will trigger Annie’s exodus, selecting “Annie will leave the alliance and try to be with her father,” 16.9% believe this will cause Annie to do something stupid resulting in her death, and lastly 4% of the fandom believe this bad news will trigger Annie’s homicidal instincts causing her to switch sides and join Eren.

Annie saying she didn't want to have to be prepared to fight mikasa, Connie, armin, jean, Reiner and eren again made me feel sad for her ;-;

I just wanna say that it wouldn't make any sense for Isayana to bring Annie back and then write her out so it's obvious she will continue in the alliance lol (but I don't really agree with any of the options offered, I think she will decide by herself to stay)

Poor Annie's breakdown made me feel terrible for her. I still think she wants to leave but I think there are chances of the Warriors and/or Armin convincing her to stay and fight. As one of the nine shifters, she kinda has the responsibility to fight, even if she doesn't want to, and I get completely why she doesn't want to, poor thing. I have a sneaky suspicion that she might choose Porco's way out and we might yet see a new holder of the Female Titan power. :(

  WHAT WILL BE THE FATES OF THE ELDIANS IN LIBERIO, SPECIFICALLY THE WARRIORS' FAMILIES?

When asked about the residents of Liberio and the fate of the Warriors’ families, a combined 58% believe that they are alive for the moment selecting that they were evacuated (39.3%) or else managed to escape (18.4%). Close to 30% aren’t so optimistic, believing Liberio is flattened and they are dead. We also had plenty of write in responses:

They are going to die, but I can see Annie meeting her father and die together in each others arm by the rumbling. It's sad I know, but it would be a fitting end for both of them :(

They are probably arrive. Either they overcame the Marleyan authorities that tried to surpress, or The Rumbling avoided Liberio entirely. I just doubt they would kill off Mr. Leonhardt offscreen.

They may have started to fight the Marleyans and then ended up flattened by the titans since they didn't escape earlier.

They took a ship to the south and we will meet them including Reiner's family  and Mr. Leonhart.

Am I supposed to feel sorry for these people? I don't. The Warriors don't deserve happy endings for everything they have done.

Bands of survivors have made it out but Annie will meet her dad when he is dead or dying

some died while revolting, some are alive, annie's dad is wounded

They're currently fineish because Eren didn't go where Hange was expecting, hence why all their estimations have been off

I mean, they must be alive somehow. It seemed  that there were only soldiers in Liberio and the others evacuated so I'm hopeful that at least Annie's father survived

I want to have hope ;-;

I just want Annie to see her father again, and for Reiner to get what he wants.

What if the city Eren attacked isn't Liberio? I feel like it's too important to be flattened just like that (thematical resonance + too many side-characters like Eren's own grandfather are there) and we're being misled about the place Eren is attacking.

  HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT HISTORIA'S STANCE ON THE RUMBLING?

Many of us had expectations about Historia going into this chapter. Her initially disagreeing outright with the rumbling but seemingly giving in was a surprise to 8.4% who thought she would have been all for it all along, and 19.9% who never expected her to agree with it at all. 6.4% of you expected her to do the opposite of what is implied, with agreeing at first but changing her mind in the conversation, while 23.3% reported expecting the exact turn of events. However, a huge 41.5% of you aren’t taking everything at face value and do not believe Historia does or has ever supported the rumbling.

  DO YOU BELIEVE EREN IS THE FATHER?

After almost 2 years of the fandom fighting over the identity of Historia’s baby daddy, this chapter has finally definitively proven that… we still know nothing. Nonetheless, the narrowly winning belief (37%) is that Eren is the father, closely followed by those who believe he is not the father (34.4%). Some are unsure what to make of the situation (18.2%), and some of you don’t care enough to speculate (10.4%).

there is a TON of hints, him being the father makes prefect sense.

i will bet on my freedom that eren is the father

Historia x Eren ftw!

Eren being the father would be the most meaningful for both the story, as well as for Eren and Historia and their chemistry together if you ask me, though I can accept otherwise.

Whoever disagrees eren is the father doesn't read the manga seriously

I have not any positive thoughts about Eren-Historia's flashback. Just pain, I feel pain for her. I don't get the point to destroy her character like that.

I really hope Eren isn’t the father — it just doesn’t seem right.

I don't believe Eren is the father since it will contradict what he said to Zeke: "I'm only left with 4 years"

Sorry shippers, I don't think we'll ever get a straight answer about who's the father. But I kinda prefer it that way, because then we'll each get to decide what we thinks is correct.

IF YOU DONT STOP THIS I WANNA MAKE BABIES WITH YOU

Still don't care about who's the father

Who is the father?

  HOW HAVE YOUR FEELINGS ON THIS CHANGED DUE TO THIS CHAPTER?

35% went into the chapter thinking Eren was not the father and 30% believing he was, with this chapter doing nothing to change their minds. For those who were affected, this chapter influenced 14.2% to join the team #DaddyEren and 5.6% to burn their membership card. The remaining 15% don’t care enough to speculate.

If Eren is the father, I think it's possible Historia wanted his baby to keep a part of him with her after the rumbling is over, or perhaps it was an attempt to make him want to come back when he's done or even not commit genocide.

why does everyone keep saying Eren is the Father confirmed? There is literally no evidence to support that, and it actually contradicts Erens statement when Zeke discusses Mikasas feelings towards him.

I just want Eren to be the father

Historia's pregnancy smacks of her own plan but I'm not sure Eren is on board with it.

I want confirmation on the father cause if it's not eren ima be pissed off

don't care who the father is, whole world is ending.

I can't stand the mystery surrounding Historia's pregnancy anymore, this is worse than serum bowl.

WHO THE FUCK IS THE FATHER

  SO THEN WHAT'S THE REAL DEAL WITH HISTORIA'S PREGNANCY?

“What’s the deal with Historia’s pregnancy?” Jerry Seinfeld asks. But we cannot answer – we can only sustain ourselves on memes and ship wars. Despite Eren and Historia’s somewhat uneasy conversation, a solid third of you are still pretty sure that Eren is the baby’s father. A little over a fifth of you think she did the dirty with Farmer-kun instead. And another fifth is convinced something else is going on (watermelon baby?), but aren’t sure what. Some of you scream to the sky, sick of all the drama. And a few of you wouldn’t rule out a baby created through PATHS. It might be Ymir’s doing! No, not that Ymir. THAT Ymir.

Historia is playing 5d chess I just know it. I just don't know how yet

Why'd Historia act like that if Eren wasn't the father?

ymir is the father

Eren has to be the father for the good dev of eren & historia characters

I really hope the pregnancy thing is just a red herring, but it wouldn't be the first-time Isayama appealed to fan-service if not.

If I see more speculation on whether Eren is the father I'm gonna puke. I mean how about focus on the real story? Like how the world is about to be destroyed??

We need more Historia. We literally need her POV for the story to make sense right now. I can't believe that with ""5% of the plot"" left Isayama is *still* pulling this all this time? There *has* to be more.

I always knew Mikasa was the father

  WHY DO YOU THINK HISTORIA IS PROPOSING A PREGNANCY?

Despite a majority of respondents believing the pregnancy is authentic, there is no consensus as to why Historia would propose it. The most popular answer when asked was “I don’t know” (32.2%). The remainder of the fandom is split between Historia proposing the pregnancy in support of Eren (23.1%), as part of an alternative plan (21%) or as an act of defiance against Eren (17.6%). Only a small percentage (6.1%) believe she actually wants a child.

What the hell is the pregnancy for? It doesnt make any sense for Historia to suggest that all of a sudden

How did getting eren and historia's conversation make things more confusing😔Like what went through historia's mind when she thought of having a baby i-

What if the "what if I have a child" scene with Historia actually happened EARLIER than the rest of the conversation? It would explain why they switched places, and if Eren really is the father, would explain why he feels he has such a say in Historia's child's future ("even if you agree, I don't" ) , and why when he spoke about the MPs he said "WE have two options: fight or run". It would also give him a  motivation to oppose his friends, since they are trying to stop him.

I don't see his conversation with Historia in romantic light. She was scared of him and Eren was trying to manipulate her with her own words about being ""the worst girl on the world"". We still miss some important parts of their conversation, but if she agreed to help him because he reminded her how ""the worst girl"" she was, then I would be very disappointed. I saw her as strong woman and I hope she will not turn to be a mild sheep who isn't brave enough to follow Ymir's wish and ""live her life with pride"" (or ""live sticking her chest out"").

I have no idea for which purpose Historia want to become pregnant, but I'm glad that I was right that she decide it for herself and doesn't get forced at all!

Historia has a trick up her sleeve and I can't wait to see what it is.

  WE LEARNED WHAT ZEKE REALLY TOLD EREN ABOUT THE ACKERBOND. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE ACKERMAN CLAN?

75% of the fandom wants more resolution to the Ackermysteries with 38.4% wanting MOAR and 32.3% wanting at least a little more. Only 22.3% are satisfied with the ackercrumbs we’ve been tossed and 7% have no opinion.

love guru zook

ackerman bond means LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! sweet for all ackerman related shippers ohhhh

I'm satisfied to see yet another example of people trying to pin eren's BS onto zeke (with the ackerman theories) be proven completely wrong

Mikasa's charachter wouldve been a lot more interesting if her ackerman genes had an effect on her decision making and her trying to overcome them would be a lot more intriguing to see. Instead it turned out to be some lovey dovey pancake bullshit. I mean what would Zeke even know about Mikasa??

WHAT IS UP WITH HISTORIAS PREGNANCY AND ACKERMANS BLOOD AHHHHH

I think the fact that the Ackermans can access the Paths without being shifters is going to be super relevant. My pet theory is that Mikasa will be able to cross into the Paths dimension to kill Eren and truly free Ymir Fritz, but let's see how that goes.

  HOW ACCURATE WAS ZEKE'S ASSESSMENT OF MIKASA'S FEELINGS TOWARD EREN?

One of the few areas of agreement in this chapter was with Zeke’s assessment of Mikasa’s feelings towards Eren. Close to 80% think that despite having never met Mikasa in person, Zeke correctly understands that Mikasa’s concern for Eren has little to do with genetics and everything to do with reasons of the heart. However, the majority of people who took the option of writing in their answer cited both as a factor in Mikasa’s bond.

Eren, when your sadistic and bloodthirsty big bro can see how much Mikasa loves you, you probably should take it seriously lol

Zeke. Is. Big. Bro

He's a lying liar who lies.

usually when panels sway to the right, they are true, so I believe this is the case.

Did anybody honestly not already know this? We learned nothing new from this as far as I'm concerned.

Mikasa really cares for Eren but the Ackerman genes amplify her love for him.

Everybody's emotional attachments have some basis in biology. It doesn't make them any less real or meaningful

we learn Zeke ships eremika 🤔unexpected but naice

The ackerman blood does boost her physical abilities but i believe it doesn't affect her mentally (she probably has ptsd and seperation anxiety)

What is between Eren and Mikasa?There is something we still Dont know.I wish for more Mikasa....

I think the bond itself is clearly related to her trauma but the intensity of it probably has more to do with her Ackerman genes

Both ? Even tho Ackerman genes could have a big part in it

I think Mikasa loves Eren but it's not JUST romantic or JUST familial.

Her devotion is strong on its own- but her Ackerman abilities definitely have played a role in her saving his ass all these years.

Very accurate, he is Love Master Zook.

Only  a fool believe that shit regarding Ackerman bonds and so on. [...] The hate speech I believe is some kind of Eren pathetic attempt to release her of her feelings towards himself, just in case the worst scenario is coming up in not too far future.

The Ackerman instincts amplified her love towards Eren.

Zeke was right [...] As much as Mikasa being ready to snap titans necks in two for Eren is due to her love for him, Eren being willing to go through with a world genocide to prevent Historia's sacrifice definitely results from his love for her.

  HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF FLASHBACKS DURING THIS CHAPTER?

The majority of the fandom really enjoyed the inception-like flashbacks, but 1/5th just found it confusing as all hell. A sixth of the fandom is just fed up with Isayama blue-balling us. We’ve been in this relationship 10+ years, Yams, it’s time for you to give it up!

Loved the interwoven flashbacks, and made sense considering a lot of the "unknown" conversations(Eren with Yelena, Floch, Historia....) all tie into each other. Made sense to them like this, and plus there is still some mystery from his talk with Historia.

E-H convo should've been shown months ago; now is not the time for flashbacks.

Just Yams trolling the shippers

The confusing flashbacks also reflect Eren's state of mind. The placement was well done.

I don't mind it, but i feel Isayama was, to a certain degree, struggling to work all of this information organically into the story, so he was forced to choose this flashback method to get it out there.

The juxtaposition is very purposeful, while I don’t necessarily like what it implies, it is indeed impactful.

The way the flashbacks were placed would look amazing in the anime, but in manga format it looks a lot more confusing!

People might say this is Isayama being mysterious and showing us everything but revealing nothing as he always does, and yeah and if this was 10 chapters ago I might see that as a positive, but this late into the series it feels like it was just a waste of a chapter.

They were good because they connected with each-other; though I had to reread the chapter several times to distinguish who was talking because it flipped so much.

These kinds of chapters are slightly annoying in the moment, but are more than worth it in the long run.

The Historia flashbacks are confusing af

  WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND EREN IMPLYING HE "WANTED THIS", REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE RUMBLING?

Continuing Eren’s ongoing theme of the question of free will and determinism, this chapter presented us with the possibility that Eren wanted everything that has happened from the start. Depending on your interpretation, of course. The majority of respondents to this question (54.7%) believe that Eren has been convincing himself there was no other possible future due to seeing said future play out in front of his very eyes, and 17.1% somewhat similarly believe Eren did not want this in the conventional sense, and he is an unreliable narrator. A smaller 12% believe this is confirmation that Eren’s vengeful nature caused this, closely followed by 9.5% of you who just think he is a lunatic.

Despite him talking as if this future was fated to happen he still seems aware enough that his own decisions still led to this outcome. From his perspective  all of this was meant to happen because he already saw his future memories, but he doesnt deny that the path he took was still by his own will.

Eren said from the start he would, "destroy them all." He hated being a slave. I think he *does want this. He wants whatever will guarantee freedom.

Both future can't be changed AND Eren is a fucking lunatic

Even if the future could be changed Eren preferred the full rumbling

He literally had no option from the very beginning , his actions is definitely justified .

it's probably all the attack titan's will, not his.

he's trying to fool himself into thinking he never changed

Eren has accepted that the future cannot be changed, and has realized that the unchangeable future is the future that he has always wanted

Eren is so close-minded & immature

I've given up trying to understand Eren's logic. It's just too bizarre. I will wait until the story is finished to form any opinion about him.

Eren was bored in his original universe and wanted humanity to have a threat so he made the aot universe via Ymir and became that threat himself.

Even if a significant part of Eren wants to eradicate his enemies out of rage/revenge, really deep down it’s been shown he wishes there was another solution but right now he doesn’t want to admit he’s surrendered to his destiny. So Isayama’s going to come back to this by having Eren admit to himself he isn’t really free/this isn't what he wants, which will be the culmination of his character arc (what will he do then?…).

Eren kinda forgot about the mothers

  THIS BURST OF PANELS SHOWS A VARIETY OF SCENES FROM EREN'S POV, BUT SOME SCENES APPEAR TO BE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OR ENTIRELY NEW SCENES. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Nearly 45% of the people who voted, thought it was a deus ex machina move from Founding Titan by Proxy, which granted Eren a glimpse at all Eldians’ memories. Almost a third think that Eren was actually able to control their memories. 14% of all voters are just “wtf…? I dunno” at all the Pathsnanigans.

I don't know and I don't like it. Hope it isn't another pathsfuckery while all I want in life is KRUEGER'S POV.

Eren's path shit also implies the story has always been bending to that moment too. From the pigs, to even Dina from that Bert shard. If it's ever revealed he orchestrated Carla's death to stimulate Grisha and Eren's hatred, the whole demonisation of RBA gets turned on his head.

I don't like the idea that Eren controlled the Smiling Titan but it's starting to feel more and more likely...

The second one except it WILL come up again cause it’s fucking Isayama like tf do you expect lmao

The new POV scenes are definitely intentional but I hope the explanation isn't some magical PATHS stuff where he orchestrated characters (like Dina's) actions or is suddenly an all-seeing almighty being. Grisha was enough pls.

DUDE, THIS MEANS THAT BIRD HAS P A T H S!

dumb answer choice

FT/Ymir lets Eren see the memories of all Eldians. It will come up again. I don't get some of the angles/perspectives though.

It's possible some of these things haven't happened yet, or that Eren has access to the memories of more shifters somehow. For example, Berthold might be a memory Annie or Reiner have and Eren will receive if he eats one of them while they try to stop him.

I have absolutely no idea what the deal is with the Falco and Bertolt memories but I'm sure they're not inconsistency errors considering the care that went into showing that the Mikasa/Grisha/Levi etc. panels are clearly from Eren's POV. I expect answers really soon (and no, I do not think he controlled Dina’s titan to kill Carla, that would be pure character assassination). Hange's panel looks like it's from the future, as well as Mikasa's unfamous 'see you later'. The geese are also interesting but I have no mindblowing theories about them unfortunately..

Excited to see from where Hange without glasses memories from though.

Eren is the air, the trees, the birbs, everything

Marcel is more like to come back from the dead before I ever understand half the shit inside Eren’s head.

If Eren somehow got his mother killed that'll be the ultimate bruh moment

  THIS CHAPTER SHOWED US ANOTHER MEMORY OF FEZ-KUN, FINDING HIMSELF IN TROUBLE AGAIN. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MEANING BEHIND HIS HIDDEN STORY?

The mystery of the Fez persists once again, with this being the tenth chapter since he was first shown. Though by a small margin, the consensus is that the purpose of his story is to reaffirm Eren’s determination to wipe out the world at 44.8%, with 33.4% of respondents believing he will be a tie to Eren’s compassion and remorse for what he is doing, and 17.1% believing it highlights Eren’s inherent hypocrisy for caring for him even though he will die by his actions later. Many write-in options expressed confusion at who this kid is.

Eren believes that suffering and oppression of minorities will never end just by small acts of kindness and simular "passive" acts, like what Levi did, it does not provide a long term solution or prevent Fez-kun'sfrom furder torments, which is why Eren feels like the extreme solution of the rumbling is his only option

Eren gave a mission to Fez-kun

Eren using another kid to get his way without caring about his life. What else is new.

He's the "even someone on the street" part of Kruger's advice to love someone to break the cycle of tragedy.

He’s showing that little boy he has to fight to survive, like he did with Mikasa when they were kids.

I think he found himself in trouble again (he looks to be bruised on the cheek in 120) and Eren will come to his rescue. However I think Eren will not just save him by beating up or killing the Marleyans, but inspiring the Fez kid to take action and "fight" just like he did with Mikasa. This arc has had a lot of focus on the almost inhumane level of violence Eren showed as a kid when killing those kidnappers, so I can see that being for the purpose of a direct parallel where Eren pressured the kid with the fez to stand up for himself.

I think Eren saved Fez-kun of those guys, but then he will kill him later, showing his own hypocrisy (those guys can't do bad to a child but I can).

I expect his shard(s) to contrast the other previously unknown panel from 120: Historia’s shard was revealed to be yet another instance of Eren manipulating a friend by putting his desires above her own, thus robbing her of her free-will. I hope that Fez-kun symbolizes the "beauty in a cruel world"

It show that Eren just have an other plan and not just kill everyone for no reason???? Lest not be that blind :) what esle u want to understund thats an option too? you want isayama to told u?

maybe eren intends for some people to escape when he announced the rumbling which allows people to prepare themselves, idk.

Eren will save their family and he told Fez to lead his family to a certain location that the rumbling won't reach?

What are all these crappy options? He represents Eren’s journey to changing his viewpoint about everyone being an enemy, as he told Reiner.

Just thought he was part of the collage of events, no further meaning.

Who’s Fez-kun

  SWIMMING TITANS?

88% of you welcome your Swimming Titan overlords, but 12% aren’t so convinced - there’s a pretty even chance it’s because the image is just too absurd, too terrifying, or a pants-wetting combination of both.

SWIMMING TITANS

swimming titans

Seeing those colossal titans was crazy

The panel of the titan swimming underneath that ship haunts me in my dreams.

HELL YEAH FUCKING SWIMMING TITANS

  WHEN THE MILITARY SIGHTS ERENSAURUS AT THE END, RATHER THAN CALLING IT THE FOUNDING TITAN OR EREN JAEGER, THEY RECOGNISE IT AS THE ATTACK TITAN. WHY?

Despite the threat of Eren Jaeger previously being referred to by name or as “the Founding Titan”, this chapter encapsulated the horror of the allied forces as they recognised it as the Attack Titan. The plurality (40.3%) is that this was just for the purpose of Isayama being able to drop a “Shingeki no Kyojin” in this climactic chapter, though a close second option (34%) is that there is historical information to distinguish the Attack Titan from the others. 15.2% of you believe the Attack Titan is the Titan Bogeyman for Marleyans, and 10.4% attribute the naming to the fact that it’s attacking them, duh.

I think the Maryleans/World Forces knew it was the Attack Titan bc of the Eldians in Marley (like Annie's dad) warning them ahead of time. I think once they realized The Rumbling was happening, they asked for more deets from the folks who heard Eren's message in the Path's Realm.

I wonder why the rest of the world was only  using Mikasa ships instead of various ships lol

IT CAN'T BE STOPPED ANYMORE

  NOW THAT WE FINALLY GOT TO SEE EREN'S SPINE-CHILLING (BADUM-TSS) FORM, WHAT DID YOU THINK?

This manga has turned into a horror show, and y’all seem to be loving it, according to over fifty percent. Thirty percent are aghast at the sight before them, and nearly a tenth of you don’t really know what to think of the Grim Reaper titan yet. Some of you wanted something more fully formed, but this creepy crawly is freaky enough, isn’t it? Let’s just be glad none of us live in Marley right now.

My jaw dropped when I saw Eren’s titan form. Horrific.

I love Erensaurus a lot. This chapter gave the same level of anxiety that Zeke's attack in Shiganshina gave me. Good

YEAH EREN IS SCARY AS FUCK I LOVE IT MORE FREEDOM MORE FREEDOM MORE FREEDOM

Eren's titan looks a little like the earth devil

Did Eren pick the design of his new Titan or did Ymir just give it to him?

Really interested in where it is going especially because Eren's Titan got lips which could be an indicator for it to have the ability to speak

Eren’s Founding Titan form looks like something out of Silent Hill

I'm not saying anything about Eren's titan. What even the actual fuck, Yams

Oh lawd he comin

  WHY IS EREN'S CURRENT TITAN FORM A SKELETON WITH NO FLESH?

Eren is looking awfully spooky right now. That’s a good sign, isn’t it? I guess looking like a death metal album cover is better than looking like whatever Rod Reiss was supposed to be. 34.9% figure that as this is probably the largest titan ever, it’s just too big for flesh. It’s not like PATHS sand is infinite, after all. 34.6% think that the form is incomplete because of the missing titan powers; this is only a third of his potential scariness! 23% think there’s no real reason he looks like this. Not an in-story reason anyway. Finally, 7.6% think Eren is still not done forming this devilish beast.

Eren's upper skeleton body thing looks like wings of freedom...

The reason Eren's body was like this, if he was muscular, he would radiate a lot of heat, so the Allience's couldn't reach him. But now, no muscle, no heat. They can reach easily.

Eren's form is creepy as hell! I also think he might be dead/dying/the titan now.

Seriously, how the fuck does Eren's Titan move?

When a shifter generates a titan body, they need to have a special task or purpose in mind. Is Eren's titan meant to be a bridge between Paradis Island and the continent?

  WHAT IS ISAYAMA TRYING TO SAY WITH THE PUPPET-LIKE MOTIF OF EREN'S TITAN?

Many have noticed the puppet-like strings connecting Eren’s torso and head to his stegosaurus spikes in the final panel (though not in the first shot we get of Eren -- we’ll just ignore that), but what does it mean? Him being a slave to himself (38%) just edged out him being a slave to fate (36.7%), with a slim minority (3.3%) believing Ymir could be the true puppeteer. Of course, there are the 21.9% of you who are remaining steadfast in the belief that Eren is NOT a slave, he is FREE.

He is a slave to the future memories and instead of trying to find a different way, he is convincing himself that this is what he wants from the start to compensate for how little freedom he has.

He's trying to justify to himself that he isn't a slave

Eren is a slave to that sweet sweet feeling of self-righteous rage.

Ymir might be acting through Eren.

I think eren has become a vessel for ymir and it's ymirs will that we're hearing.

  WHERE IS EREN'S HUMAN BODY MOST LIKELY RESIDING?

The results for this are a mixed bag, with the three most popular answers extremely close in votes. It’s most agreed upon (29.1%) that Eren has no human form, and has merged with the Titan on some level, with a close second (28.8%) being him being separated from the Titan but not in the conventional sense, and using the Warhammer Titan power to operate it from the ocean. 27.9% of you believe he is in the standard position of the nape, and only 14.2% of you believe the head of the Attack Titan could be his true location.

So, does Eren now only have his head left or was he fully healed thanks to Ymir?

where is Eren (No,not his titan)? There is no nape on that thing, just bone

I NEED TO KNOW HOW EREN IS TRANSPORTING HIMSELF

  THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH CHILD EREN'S DETERMINATION TO "DESTROY THEM" OVERLAPPING WITH ADULT EREN COMMANDING THE RUMBLING. WHICH STATEMENT IS THE MOST ACCURATE REGARDING THIS COMPARISON?

This curious panelling choice ends the chapter, giving us a peek at Eren’s inner monologue – but in true Isayama fashion it’s not clear exactly what it means. 45.6% believe it shows that Eren hasn’t fundamentally changed the way he views the world, his will and titan powers giving him the means to influence it. 26.4% think it’s a reminder of Eren’s tragic tendency to believe that peace cannot exist without the complete elimination of an opposing force. 16.8% think it demonstrates Eren’s willing or unwilling continuation of the cycle of hatred and revenge. Finally, 9.1% think there’s a hint here that Eren’s childhood self was cursed with thoughts from his future mind.

ALL OF THE ABOVE

All of the above, minus the P A T H S.

I hate eren do the same thing as what he had been through

It's Eren's tendency to lose himself to the desire for vengeance, which in the mange is always depicted as leading to a catastrophe in the end.

His childhood trauma comes back to him when he sees a loved one die / about to die and feels the powerlessness of having been unable to do anything because of being weak. Then pain and anger return for this reason

It's a parallel showing his determination to fight back against those who would deny he and his comrades their freedom.

It is once again Eren reassuring himself he's doing what's right, by telling himself that the cycle of hatred is what's causing this and that he needs to break it

The thoughts are child Eren, simply overlapping with the current situation. It may not be adult Eren’s thoughts.

THIS BITCH CRAZY.

I just want to say that the history is repeating its self . What we thought it was the past it's actually the future

He is using this memory of his mother being eaten to motivate himself, like a main drive. It's not the first time. Anger/Rage was always the main drive that he used to keep fighting/seeking for freedom

This is already similar to some of the options presented, but I like the idea that this is showing deep down he is driven by his childlike rage, and as much as he tries to convince himself it's for his friends, he really just wants to revel in violence because he's broken and he thinks wiping everyone out is the only way he will be at peace.

  THIS CHAPTER ALSO PRESENTED US WITH TWO ALMOST DICHOTOMIC MOTIVATIONS FOR EREN, BETWEEN LOVE FOR HIS FRIENDS AND HATE FOR THE ENEMY, BUT WHICH DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE STRONGER DRIVING FORCE?

The two most powerful and conflicting emotions driving Eren right now have the fanbase somewhat split over what pushes him further. It seems that most are optimistic about Eren’s prime motivation being the wellbeing of his friends at 59.7%. Meanwhile 40.3% believe that Eren’s love for his friends has been eclipsed by the roiling hatred and thirst for vengeance within him. Even at this point in the story, it’s hard to be absolutely certain – safe to say Eren is a real menace when he feels this strongly about anything.

I feel like I finally fully understand Eren's mindset, even though there is probably still more to his POV. He just wants his friends to be happy and live long lives, so he had to push them away especially after Sasha's death.

This chapter Eren can't disentangle love from fear/hate/loss due to what happened to his mother, which is why his feelings about his friends now manifest so destructively.

Eren's memory chain went from remembering his friends smiling, to Sasha's death and Fez-kun being beat up, and eventually to his mother's death and his vow to kill all titans, showing that deep down he knows his motivation to protect his friends is bullshit and that his "enemies" are mostly innocents, but he keeps moving forward due to hatred and revenge.

Eren has never healed his trauma. It was "eating" him slowly and turned him into this he hated the most - a devilish monster.

I think the chapter settled very well that revenge surpass even his wish of protect his friends

The transition to Eren's pov and the fact we didn't learn anything new beside some basic confirmations, is really strange. And if Eren ends killing the friends he wanted to protect, he will be a complete disappointment. I really am afraid of SnK's ending.

"I want my friends to live long happy lives" he says after treating them like shit, breaking their spirit, and partially ruining their home island with millions of titans. I hope he doesn't act surprised when they show up to stop him (assuming they can catch up of course).

I don't believe the word "animals" align with Eren's current perspective, nor how he sees his "enemies". He holds the same ideals as he did as a child, but realises the nuance of his enemies and how people on both sides are ultimately the same. He just believes this radical action is the only necessary way to end an unstoppable inter-generational conflict in his lifetime so these problems aren't handed down to future generations anymore.

he's being driven both by hatred and love, but right now his rage is winning and he's using the safety of his friends and Eldia as an excuse to appease his conscience.

  ON A SCALE FROM "SECRET PLAN" TO "KILL 'EM ALL", WHERE DO YOU STAND ON EREN'S TRUE INTENTIONS?

This chapter all but confirmed that Eren indeed plans to wipe out the entire outside world for most of the fandom. The majority are skewed towards the opinion of Eren definitely rumbling everything, with less and less respondents holding onto hope that Eren has an alternate plan.

Eren wants this rumbling and he's ready to sacrifice others to get what he wants, even his friends.

I gotta say, I thought Eren would've had a real plan that wasn't just massacring everyone else on the planet. I was already against the plan, but I suspected he'd walk the other side of the ocean and then announce to the world that the existence of titans was no more and destroy all the titans as proof, and all the shifters would just be normal people again.

His goal is to wipe the titans out of this world, and not to flatten it.

I support the rumbling, cause Marley deserved this by trying to eliminate Paradis, but at the same time there are so many good people there(including eldians themselves) that haven't done anything wrong. Military and leaders of marley should be eliminated, but not the poor people that had no choice.

This hateful world is needed to be purged and I support Eren for this. And when Rumbling is over that beast piece of sh** must die by Levi's hand.

I thought eren had a secret plan for the rumbling but after getting his pov this chapter looks like he really is going for it

Somehow, I can't shake off the feeling that we still haven't seen 100% of Eren's plan, there is still some twist waiting. I am not trying to justify Eren's current actions, it's more like ""if there is something that will throw this whole scenario upside down it better come up soon, because right now IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD"".

I want to believe thtat Eren has a secret plan in the rumbling but the chapter says that this is what he wanted, he had always been like this, he was always “free” sadly, he’s enslaved by his beliefs of freedom that he resorts to these drastic measures.

I think that this chapter confirms two things: one, the Rumbling is Eren's true plan [...] BUT two, there is "something beyond that hell", which is the "scenery" Eren says he saw in ch. 121. I think it's the endgame after the Rumbling is stopped (no way is it going to be completed), and it's what caused both Grisha and Historia to go along with his plan in the end even though they didn't agree with it and thought it was awful. Eren's "everything is still ahead" and the weird cut in Historia's flashback are too... strange and seem to point to this being a game changer and the final plot point of the series.

If the rumble will succeed, then I've spent 7 chapters seeing characters do nothing to accomplish nothing. I don't wanna feel my time wasted.

I unironically want Eren to kill everyone outside the walls. Nuff said.

  WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE REPEATED BIRD IMAGERY?

Birds are a focal point of this chapter, with the combination of a four-panel tracking of a soaring seagull and a flash of a memory of some nearby geese. The majority of respondents (62.5%) believe the birds simply tie into the theme of, and likely Eren’s motivation of freedom. In a distant second (20.9%) is the answer that it relates to the idea of everyone being connected under the same sky, a fitting motif amidst this chapter’s exploration of the conflict as well as unity of different groups. 12.7% of you are hopping on board the “Eren is a bird now” train, and 4% of you just really don’t like birds.

The two birds from the Paths panels appear in episode 1 of the anime iirc, not sure about the manga though.

Eren is bird confirmed thank  <°^°>

I like the Bird Theory that says he’s transferring his consciousness to a bird. yeah it sounds a bit odd but it’s interesting and I’m willing to accept anything at this point

The birds are secret surveillance cameras

I like birds

idk man this shit is confusing as hell.as for falco thing i think eren has become the bird. anything can happen at this point.

Eren is the Eagle we see in the chapter 91 that Falco says to fly away lmao

  THIS CHAPTER HAD SOME AMAZING ART, SHOWCASED IN THE MANY DOUBLE SPREADS (EXACTLY 9... OH GOD WHAT DOES IT MEAN ISAYAMA??) WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE DOUBLE SPREAD?

Whether it was the break back in May, or Isayama’s dedication to highlighting this chapter’s importance, the art has definitely taken a step up and blown us all away. Though it is very split, the final double spread showcasing the commencing of the rumbling garnered the most votes (18.2%). At second (15.7%) was the imposing silhouettes of colossal titans rising from the ocean, and at a very close third (15.5%) was the very next spread, of these titans wiping out the battleships as casually as if they were wading through seaweed. If there’s one thing to make of this from what the winners have in common, we have all definitely been waiting to see the rumbling for a while.

Isayama's improvement as an artist it's inspirational.

the art is god tier

Those Rumbling pages are so gorgeous they make me wanna say "Kill them all, Eren ! Destroy the fucking world !"

Mappa has their work cut out for themselves

MAPPA's fucked lol I hope they're up to the task.

That Attack Titan spread has the single GREATEST bit of shading in this entire manga.

Solid Art, phenomenal design and usage of double spreads

I just wanted to add that this is visually one of the most beautiful chapters I've seen in a while. The colossals, holy shit. I can't wait to see this animated. All of those double-page spreads were pretty fantastic but I have to say there's nothing quite like the chill that runs down your spine when you see all those colossals emerging from the smoke and the mist, where you see for the first time how huge and terrible they are (and also when you realise the first line of defense is already down). I had legit goosebumps.

  CHAPTER 130 MARKS THE END OF A VOLUME, WHICH HAS BEEN FILLED WITH ALLIANCE-FOCUSED CHAPTERS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW THAT WE'VE FINALLY RETURNED TO EREN?

After six consecutive chapters focusing on the alliance with no Eren, the majority of you (57.6%) are relieved to finally move beyond the alliance, though have enjoyed the recent chapters, with 20.4% being completely over the alliance. 7.4% say they were originally sceptical but the chapters did well to make the alliance likeable to them, and 14.6% are open to more chapters just focused on the alliance.

Please for the love of God more of this and less of the alliance, the alliance was so rushed and as it's continued it hasn't been developed much further beyond plot convenience. The less of that I have to read before I get to read amazing stuff like 130 the better

i wanted more on the alliance, not flashbacks smh

it was something enjoyable after a while. Especially 126 made me grimace all over the volume till 130 came up. Not saying I was waiting for Eren but it was so cheesy.

Eren chapters are written worse than Alliance ones

This chapter single handedly made up for the below average, cringe-inducing chapters 126-129 Alliance bullshit. I have faith Isayama will create a very satisfying ending for this series now.

This chapter was legit a great way to end the volume off, it truly feels like its really the beginning of the end

  DESCRIBE THIS CHAPTER IN ONE WORD

The top 5 write-ins are below, followed by the average chapter score for each description. This months’ average chapter score was 4.59.

Amazing [4.89]

Epic [4.84]

Eren/Ereh [4.69]

Rumbling [4.46]

Confusing [3.88]

Honorable mention: Ragnarok

We’d also like to mention that there were a lot of write-ins related to genitals and coitus… seems like y’all were really hyped up by that first fanlation >.>

  WHAT ARE YOU MOST HOPING TO SEE NEXT CHAPTER?

Despite this chapter theoretically giving us everything we had hoped for in a while, the responses show that we still want to have WAY MORE answers (34.6%), MORE Historia (16.9%) and MORE rumbling action (14.5%). We’d also like to know where on earth Zeke is and if Floch is going to be the little troublemaker that we know and have strong feelings about. Will the boat make it to Odiha? Will Levi do a thing? Stay tuned!

There's still some mystery that have yet to answer and I want answers

Where the fuck is Zeke

WHERE. IS. LEVI.

i want more eren, historia and zeke. They're interesting. I don't care about the alliance.

"Zekey-dekey-doo, where are you?" ...I'm so done with you guys.

need update on zeke and historia's situation.

I want it to end soon #TeamEren

I expect in the next chapter something more around the alliance and maybe (hopefully) Floch's comeback!

Enough of Hisu, she is just a side character.

Want more Rumbling

All I can say is, I'm beyond anxious to see how the series ends, and it's eating me up inside.

  WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES?

Most of our lovely respondents are rambunctious Redditors as usual, followed by a fair few from the flock on Twitter, distinguished Discorders, and discussors who want for nothing. Then there are some ravishing real-lifers, titillating Tumblrites, ...aaaand the rest (you’re all great). We’re still side-eyeing you Snapchatters though.

  ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHAPTER?

Honestly I just wanna let it out, but not on google Poll for obvious reasons

Not about the chapter... but you guys always come up with funny answers that I feel compelled to chose even if it’s not really what I think. I love to answer this. Thank you!

Zeke the relationship expert, huh?

This chapter went through far too many dodgy translations for its own good, and even the official typeset had one big mistake in it even though it conveyed the mood of the convo between Eren and Historia far better than all the others.

this is all so confusing I miss erwin

I don't want genocide to be how this ends.  I believe Isayama doesn't intend a story this complex to send a message that genocide is great.  Considering some of the mindscrews he's already pulled via Paths, I'm hoping the best mindscrew is yet to come.

Reiner was a snacc

Historia the Antifascist Queen

This is the best chapter

this series is so great man

This whole chapter was a certified Bruh moment (in a good way)

This whole chapter was about Eren dehumanising. And he killed his mom. I wouldn't be surprised if he'll eventually want to kill all Eldians and his friends either.

Loved everything except for Historian's forced reluctant pregnancy.

Here's to 3 more weeks

I hope Eren doesn’t love anyone from the series.

I feel like Isayama is still increasing the pressure to help his final plot twist, I’m still lost as I really don’t agree with Eren’s actions while I see the fandom going crazy over him. Maybe I missed something, maybe I’m wrong, maybe I don’t fully understand Eren. This chapter felt good, I don’t hate the Alliance because they’re part of what I think is the right choice for humanity, but we all honestly wanted to know Eren’s thoughts or a bit of it, as we didn’t see him for a while. English isn’t my first language I’m sorry in advance, loved your poll

I honestly have no idea what's going to happen and the whole time I was reading it I was internally screaming.

Ok I know Ymir (the lesbian) has been dead for years but I miss her so much. She was the dad. Forget Farmer-kun, forget Eren, it was all Ymir.

okay no offense but where’s Levi ☹️

One big tease of erens pov and who the father is

One of the best chapter I ever read! Love it!

Didn't expect the Eren POV but welcomed it anyway. We now have confirmation he wanted everything that happened to happen and even the implication he orchestrated the death of his own mother. That's very tasty

Eren's pov has been hidden for too long and right now I don't think the payoff is worth it

eren exhibits bird behavior & he killed his mom 😕

Eren is a bird confirmed or some shit

Eren later takes Ymir's place in Paths as a sacrifice for many years to fix everything, learning everything he needs by traveling around as, say, birds, as needed to send to his past self to guarantee "that scenery"

Eren is in control of more than we previously thought and this shows evidence of a timeloop scenario

Eren can see the future and can probably manipulate the pure titans at different points in time like the Founder does. It's also likely he's gonna fuse with more shifters to visit other pieces of memory.

Eren is able to use the full power of the FT, that why he can see not only his own memories, but also the memories of other Eldians. All of them are connected to him after all.

He will turn into a bird in the end

So exited that we finally got to see Eren in his Founding Titan-like form!!!! Can’t wait for next month (AoT fan from Japan)

Enjoyed the chapter due to a return to debating the morality of the Rumbling, and seeing it in progress. Also tend to enjoy interaction between Eren and Historia. However, I think the chapter is slightly let down by being cryptic. It's hard to tell what is going on with Eren due to how scenes from this issue and others can be interpreted.

nah mate do people actually read this?

This chapter marks something that has changed everyone's thoughts. Not just about Eren, but Annie, Historia, Zeke, etc. We heard them speak differently, and got a few answers to our questions. We got to see that Annie does indeed have emotions. That Historia did not want this. That Annie never really wanted to kill, nor does she want to anymore. That Zeke actually cared for Eren. That the father is most likely farmer-kun. It's one of the best chapters we've had. Each chapter we get, we get closer to the end of this wonderful story. I can't wait to see what Isayama has planned for in the final chapters. Truly hoping for the best!

reiner's tits dammit

Despite the devastation, I now feel like there is meaning hidden beneath the madness

Creepy and interesting chapter. The official translation confirms further that Eren is going to destroy the world. I’m hoping that the next volume shifts focus to Reiner a little more. I’m also excited for more loose ends to be cleared up.

Damn, only 5 more to go before the end of the greatest story of all time

Enjoyed it but I’m really hoping for some more insight into what’s going on with both eren and historia, I’m not a huge fan of the pregnancy subplot

eren just wants to see if marleyans are made of cake

Eren makes the most amazing villain ever. Will go down as one of my favorite characters ever if the story ends how I hope it will.

Everyone forgets Historia saw her dad’s memories without eating him, without being a shifter, and without touching Eren. We’re still waiting for the payoff...

Fantastic chapter, though it felt really short

Floch was Eren's lieutenant all along, he was his representative, and his actions are therefore Eren's responsability all the same. Get fucked those who didn't want to believe that Eren would consciously choose Floch, believe in him or to set things up for Eren in Paradis.

I'd like it if the Ackerbond was not as supernatural as it was claimed before. Not because of EreMika, MikaHisu would be much better than both options of this chapter. Now we know that Levi or Kenny's loyalty were real, and it warms my heart. Also, my bastard wasn't lying! He knew about the plan.

It confirmed everything we already knew: Historia didn't support Eren's plan, Ackerman weren't slaves, Mikasa's feelings for Eren doesn't have to do with the fact she's an Ackerman and the fandom is stupid for still believing Eren is the father despite him literally telling Zeke that he can't answer Mikasa's feelings, because he only has 4 years left to live.

My heart was beating so hard during Eren and Historia's conversation because I just couldn't believe we were actually seeing her again, it had been 2 years since we got anything this relevant from her and I also just really wanted Isayama to get on with it and tell us who the damm father was so that we could finally move on to other things. I still don't believe it's Eren, but I'm done with that theory, man. No more teasing, please. Two years is far more than enough.

Chapters like this one, which perfectly captures the culmination of Eren's entire journey, make me glad to be alive at this moment in time to experience Isayama's masterpiece. I'm not ready for this story to end in just one more volume.

The ending of this story will not be a gentle tapping of the brakes but a screeching halt followed by hydroplaning and crashing into a ditch

What if the rumbling is all one big sex reveal party for Historia's baby and the Colossal Titans are arranging all the corpses into a female symbol or something.

For 8 months I have been waiting for Eren Jaeger. My favorite fictional character ever. He comes back in best way possible, wow.

Great chapter, too bad half of this dumb fandom misunderstood it and are falsely claiming it confirmed Eren as the father. *facepalm*

Obligatory mention that eren is a manipulative bastard and is a little too far gone in his goal

Ambiguity: The chapter. More questions than answers, no way this ends in 4 chapters. Overall we are all going "Wuh?" like Historia after this chapter.

We are being fucked with.

I cry, eren has been one of my favourite characters in the AoT universe

I didn't think it was possible for Eren to get any worse, but he always manages to surprise me.

I don't care about eremika or erehisu. I just need my rivaere (: haha

i don't care for the alliance and the ship-baiting was making me weary. I just want more eren, zeke and historia. They're the interesting ones.

‏I don't know what the end will be but i know it will be sad ending!..We all suffer and I mean the world of AOT and the fans who read manga... I will accept all probabilities and the death of heroes, but please do not make Mikasa kill Eren..I mean after all this love that will kill him .. I read many analyzes of the possibility of this happening and I see it as a very bad and irrational end..It is not logical at all..If you did it, the AOT would be one of the worst deeds and to the landfill..Isayama If you have suffered a lot in your life and childhood, we have also suffered in our lives, but please do not bring this suffering into the AOT world

I dont want this to end @ isayama

I hated what direction this story was taking, now I really hate it.

I just feel Isayama hasn't answered so much stuff yet and has also raised the stakes so high that I can't possibly imagine how the story will end. I believe Mikasa's slowly been established as the character who will defeat Eren, but I have no idea how she'll do it... But at least there were beautiful Mikannie crumbs, so I'm happy af and hope they'll have more scenes together now that Annie's about to give up (I mean, there are parallels™ everywhere when it comes to our wonderful lost girls...)

I just hope it's building up to a really good ending.

i just wanna know what's gona happen next man this shit be driving me crazy

I love everything! I hope floch dies though

I love you eren

I need answers!!!

I need Zook back

I really hope this series doesn’t end with a message like “genocide is necessary for peace” I hope someone stops Eren

I really loved the art and double spreads, and seeing Eren's POV after a while

I think it's the 2nd best chapter we've gotten this arc. The 1st being 123. I loved it. I also think it's putting to rest the secret plan theories regarding Eren. I've made my final prediction for the series. I think it's a tragedy that will end in Eren destroying the world & manipulating everyone's memories except for Historia & Mikasa & a new age for humanity will begin.

I'm so glad my girl's back, but I'm confused as hell. There's definitly more to her meeting with Eren and her choosing to be pregnant, we'll see. Also Zook being a love conselor and having a Ackerman phd was hilarious, I love him even more. Erefloch canon.

If he wanted to protect his friends why didn’t he just forge some Marleyan passport/citizenships for them, god wtf

If you think about it we actually didn’t learn anything that wasn’t already heavily implied

im shook

Isayama gave more than i wanted my heart can't take it.

it was very good thank you for asking

It's finally moving forward (as isayama likes to say)

It’s a good chapter but I still with doubts.

JUST DO IT EREN

Just wanna see ZEKE

Kiyoger Theory!!!!!

l'm glad we got to see a bit from Eren's POV. But I still need more answers ;_; why choose rumbling, Eren??? not looking for justification for his actions here but i just want to know /why/ he did it. Still feel like theres a missing link somewhere tbh.. I just hope the ending of snk wont be a disaster like game of thrones where Daenerys' switch came out of nowhere. At this point I just want the series to end asap, the tension build up is killing me lol.

Leaks for 131 when?

Let’s get rrready to RUMBLEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

Loved seeing the rumbling but I wish we could have gotten more character driven moments

Loved this chapter! I'm glad we finally got to learn more of Eren's POV and finally learn what was Historia's role in all of this (or at least beginning to learn her involvement in the plan). Seeing him initiate the Rumbling was epic. The destruction is about to begin!

my brain is too small to understand some of these theories

Now we know that Eren and Floch just pretending to follow Zeke's plan ever since from the beginning but I want to gain more explanations of Eren's secret plan

Oddly placed Eren flashback, but I'll take it

Something's up. I'm still not convinced we can take any of this at face value.

So many flashbacks were a bit hard to follow, but it really seems like the series is gonna end soon and I’m a bit nervous about how well any ending will play out

thank you Isayama for this masterpiece

THE ART IS JUST AMAZING but for me its so short 😭😭😭

That Eren with mid long hair is baby

the alliance has come together way too fast and theyve only really had 1 dispute so far. there needs to be more conflict to make it more realisitic. I think annie saying that they won't be able to/don't want to kill eren is foreshadowing this.

the Art is amazing but flashback scenes were a little mess

The chapter was full of messy memories, so it symbolized Eren's brain well :)

I think that now I understand Eren better. I used to believe he had some secret plan, but the true was always there - Eren is not any master mind. His plan was simple - destroy the whole world. The trauma he had after losing his mother has never been healed. It was always in him, growing bigger and bigger. He still cares about his friends, but he is also lying to himself saying that ""he is doing the rumbling  because he wants to see them having long, happy life"". He is doing it because his hatred to the ones who are responsible for Carla's death took control over his heart. Eren is adult, young man but deep down he is still the same, hurt crying child who bears painful memories of losing his mother.  

The cycle of war and hatred is saddening. This ain't something fictional, it's something we have always been observing from the earliest human consciousness :(

We all got a big storm comin

We are NOT ready for this shit

we need annie to live longer pls

Well here’s our proof eren is actually going through with the rumbling.

What it would feel like to be Eren right now

what kind of eva BULLSHIT

what the hell is going ON

Where is Floch

where is LEVI

Wheres zeke?

Yams, you're so diabolic. You  just want to make the real-life's rumbling with all that "confusing' ship tease xD

Yooooo, we need more explanation about maybe, everything? But amazing and bomb ass chapter though

[lightdancer1]

The one that’s really grown on me, though, is Aino Minako/Sailor V. She’s got one of the most wrenching and tragic arcs of all the Senshi and powers through things by her sheer warm and fuzzy personality. I take a big leaf from DocHolligay’s take on Sailor Venus and the Silver Millennum by having Venus’s style of generalship be straight out of Imperial Japan/totalitarian states.

As in ‘obey or I kill you’ and the use of beatings until morale improves. That this does not actually work well in real life or in fiction is a lot to do with why the Silver Millennium fell. Aino Minako understands this, Sailor Venus does not.

Venus is a sinister and disturbing figure and in the Ill Met by Moonlight AU, Venus is one of the people who gets a really nasty case of Came Back Wrong with Venus awakening as a separate person to Aino Minako, and having her full dour and unpleasant self contrasting in full no-nonsense nemesis fashion with ditzy goofy Minako.

Mina has the BroTP with Haruka because the two to a degree bond not just over being some of the more blatantly queer Senshi, but over the various complexes of guilt and self-hatred and the gulfs between the shining superhumanity of the Senshi and the all too human selves that hide behind them.

Venus is a powerful shining destructive superhuman maelstrom.

Aino Minako is an awkward teenager cursed with power of love and the burden of leading Senshi in a war that will never end and having to do the dirty nasty job.

At least a part of what makes Venus such a monstrous figure is that she knows the war will never end and can never let herself become too attached to soldiers she will outlive and have to lead into the same bitter set of cycles, and that bitterness that they get to forget where she does not leads her down a very bad path.

As Mina was also the first protagonist of the Takeuchi Magical Girl Genre, she also becomes one of either the duo or the trio (in the Ill Met verse) of foils to Galaxia. Galaxia is Mina but much older and more destructive and her softer side hidden beneath the hard and terrifying overburden of her power and her nature.

[the-blueish-trashcan]

Be Not Afraid, Mister Freeman

I absolutely love this image here by @freerfman / @fwogbot and I honestly felt compelled to write something based off of it!

Quick summary; More of a “Not a game au” type deal just so it makes a little more sense why Tommy is so worried, Gordon gets really hurt earlier on and Tommy- the resident literal, actual angel- is not having any of that. He decides to help the guy out, because he cares! Benry isn’t there simply because there was already a lot of people to keep track of.

Final word count; 1,620!

CW for blood and injuries, and inhuman transformations, just in case!

“Ohhh boy, Gordon hurtin’...” Gordon mumbles as he presses a hand against a gash in his side. Somehow, a zombie had found a weak point between pieces of the HEV suit and slashed him open. Not surprising really, considering the suit wasn’t exactly made for combat. It’s meant to protect him against radiation, not the literal, actual apocalypse. That wasn’t one of the hundred workplace incidents Black Mesa had accounted for.

“Don’t worry, Gordon! Your H-E-V suit is designed to care for you in the event of a medical emergency, until medical personnel arrives, that is!” Doctor Coomer offers entirely unhelpfully, beaming. 

“Yeah I don’t think anybody’s gonna send an ambulance here, Coomer.” Gordon says back somewhat breathlessly. He’s starting to struggle, and trying not to show it to the rest of the group. So far, the suit hadn’t exactly done anything to help him, either.

“Do you need a break, Mister Freeman? You’re bleeding a lot…” Tommy speaks up from the back, making Gordon glance down at his wound. Probably, but now isn’t the time to take one.

Bubby, just behind Coomer, scoffs. “We don’t need a break, we need to get the fuck out of here!”

Gordon nods. “Y’know, I hate to say it, but…” He pauses to suck in a breath. “Bubby’s right, we need to get to the surface, maybe then we can… call for help or somethin’...” The last part comes out as a mumble, followed by a sigh.

“Of course I’m right!” Bubby snaps.

They all know there’s no one left to help them here. Tommy and Coomer, at least, want to hold out hope. 

With another trembling sigh, Gordon reaches out his free hand to press the button for a door, which slides open easily. At first, he’s relieved. Then a barrage of bullets fly past his head, making the physicist yell, and drop to the floor. Tommy is already firing into the room at the oncoming military men, as is Bubby. Coomer lets out a battle cry and charges forward, fists at the ready and starts swingin’ away. Gordon is still fumbling to reload his own weapon, one of his hands slick with blood. At the same time, he darts to where an old desk still stands, if turned over on its side, for some cover while he does. At this point, he isn’t really paying attention to the others, though he knows Tommy is right by his side, popping up every now and then to fire off a few rounds. 

“Mister Freeman, there- there’s a lot of guys in here!” Tommy cries, throwing Gordon a look that’s meant to say “stay low, I’ve got this”. 

Instead, Gordon reads that look as, “please help already god damn it, it’s not that hard to load a gun”. 

Said gun, finally loaded with ammo, is finally leveled somewhere across what he now sees as a storage room. There’s Coomer going hand to hand, and Bubby gunning down two men, and three are already on the ground- probably Tommy’s work- and-

Gordon suddenly feels like he’s been punched straight in the chest. The air he managed to get is pulled from his lungs, and he stumbles back from some unseen impact he wasn’t expecting. He falls, landing hard on an elbow. His weapon goes clattering to the ground. 

“Mister Freeman!” Tommy calls, watching the man drop. He follows him to the ground, not fast enough to catch him.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I just-!” Gordon gets cut off by a strangled, pained noise. The sensation is starting to spread in his chest, as is warmth under the metal of the suit. It’s blood, he knows. This can’t happen, not to some boot boys before they even reach the outside! He struggles to his feet, sloppily aiming at the remaining two soldiers. For whatever reason, they’re farm more concerned about Gordon than anyone else there, until Coomer is right on top of them.

Tommy’s arm slides around him, pulling him back down toward the ground and all Gordon can do is let him. “Mister Freeman, you- you got shot!” Tommy exclaims. 

“Oh fuck, I did…? Fuuuuck…” Gordon groans, struggling to keep his eyes open at this point. “Fuckin… hurts…”

“Mis- uh, Mister Freeman, I need to move you.” The older man say, looking around them.

“Huh…? Oh okay…” Gordon didn’t hear any of that. He saw Tommy’s lips move, he heard him speaking, but it sounded more like something out of a Peanuts cartoon where the parents speak in gibberish. He finds himself imagining Tommy as an adult in the Peanuts, making a weird sound instead of talking normally. The idea makes him laugh, if weakly. 

As he listens to Gordon laugh, Tommy gets more and more worried. He shoves his weapon into the pocket of his more-or-less ruined labcoat. There’s an open janitor’s closet not far away, he can grab Gordon and hide in there, just so the rest of the team doesn’t see what he has to do. “We’re really in it now…” He mumbles to himself, gathering the physicist close to his chest. He lifts him effortlessly, HEV suit and all, rushing for the little room. The closes the door behind him, using his body to stop incoming fire right at the door. He doesn’t feel it, of course. Bullets can’t do anything against him. 

The closet is nearly empty, which Tommy is thankful for. It gives him more room to work. He gently sets Gordon down on the ground, laying on his back. He kneels next to him, shifting to get more comfortable. In that position, Gordon’s head is practically in his lap, and that’s fine.

“Y’know…” Gordon slurs, blood at the corner of his mouth. “Always thought I’d uh- be, you know, out of the closet… before I fuckin…” He trails off, laughing at his own joke. God, laughing hurts. He’s going to pass out, it won’t matter in a second, he knows. His eyes slide closed. “Fuuuuck…”

Tommy isn’t laughing with him. Even if he had understood what the man just said, chances are not much would be funny right now. “Don’t- don’t worry, I- I’m uh, gonna fix this.” 

He huffs, and with Gordon’s eyes closed, he changes. Not suddenly, it’s never sudden, but a conscious effort to actually make thing look his version of normal. His normally human form gets larger by some degree and fades around the edges. Colors meld together into white, not quite glowing, though compared to the din of the room, it sure seems like he is. Even his features fade, his figure becoming little more than a white silhouette. Without human eyes, what he’s had described to him as “wheels” of them form around his head, almost like what a halo should be. He can see all around them now, only focusing on what’s in front of him. Several sets of feathered wings start to form around his back, out of nowhere. They flutter as sensation returns to them for him, settling across Gordon’s body.

Gordon seems to have heard the sound of his feathers rustling, trying to push himself up and locate the sound. His eyes start to open. “Tommy…?” He asks softly.

Tommy’s hand flies out to gently cover his eyes before they open fully. Just based on experience, he knows Gordon isn’t ready to see him like this. He may never be, and they can cross that bridge when they get to it. “Don’t look yet, Mister Freeman.” Tommy instructs in a voice that’s barely his own anymore. He can see the way Gordon flinches when he does, his still bloody hand coming up to grab Tommy’s arm. 

“I- wh- Tommy?!” He says, more fearful this time.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Don’t be scared.” The angel says softly, leaning in closer so their foreheads are nearly touching. His extra eyes shift accordingly, his free hand comes up to gently touch where the newest of the wounds is. A bright golden light emanates from it for a few long seconds as the flesh puts itself back together. If there was a bullet still in that wound, there won’t be after that. Gordon gasps, whether it’s in surprise or pain, Tommy can’t tell.

For Gordon, it’s a mix of both. He feels Tommy’s fingers brush the wound, feeling a wave of both heat and cold pass over him at the same time, and the pain in that spot disappears entirely when it’s over. 

Tommy repeats the action on Gordon’s side, where the gash is. This time his fingers brush bare skin ever so slightly, making Gordon jolt. 

Feeling Tommy’s somehow freezing and burning fingers against his skin, Gordon jumps, and that same wave of sensation passes over him. He sucks in a deep breath, abruptly not feeling any pain whatsoever. “Tommy…?” He dares to breathe.

“Just- Just wait, Mister Freeman.” Now he sounds more like himself, and Gordon visibly relaxes at that. His wings are the first to fade, folding in and disappearing against his back. Then the eyes, and suddenly he looks the same as before, if much, much cleaner. A side effect of having to use his power, he supposes. “There we go…” He removes his hand from Gordon’s face then, moving back to give him space.

As soon as he’s let go, Gordon sits up, patting himself down. There’s no injuries on him, no pain, no ache. The damage to his suit is still there, no injury under it. He looks up to Tommy with wide eyes. “What the hell did you just do to me?” He sounds exasperated. 

Tommy smiles back, happy to see that Gordon is okay. “Just- just a trick that uh- that my dad taught me!”

[nimsajlove]

As a Team (IV)

Brothers-AU  Ao3

Part III , Part V

Mentioning of battle injuries

*~*

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka peered out of another elevator, now at least they seemed to be on the right floor! "Sure we're at the right place here?", Tech asked doubtfully, reminding Ahsoka so much of her brothers that she gave him a punch to the shoulder without thinking. "Unlike your datapad, the force is working perfectly right now.", she growled and walked ahead with great strides. She held her lightsabers tightly, everything in her screamed to not lower them under any circumstances! An uncomfortable pain crept up her leg from her ankle. Damn it, maybe she should have taken it to a medic after all. Well, too late. Now they were already here and the slight tingling definitely wouldn't stop her! Busy with her thoughts, she shot around another corner and almost ran into a group of battle droids. Before she could react, the clones behind her had already knocked out four opponents, she hastily eliminated the rest of the unit. She looked at the piles of junk at her feet and growled, they were heavily armed... Without the element of surprise on her side, it could have been different. And this was just a small unit on the way to... "Kriff!", she cursed so loudly that Wrecker flinched next to her. "Faster!", Ahsoka commanded and increased her pace, Hunter caught up with her. "What is the matter?", he asked, sounding a little out of breath. Could be because he wasn't used to the pace of a Jedi. Or it was the thin air that poured ice cold into Ahsoka's lungs. Damn it, she really should have worn something different. It was freezing up here! "They were on their way in our direction!", she replied grimly and pushed all other thoughts aside. She was even impressed that her head could process so much at once! "How big is this thing?", Wrecker cursed softly behind her as they rounded another corner and Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief, they were here before the droids. The violent pulling in her stomach area, which had driven her here, subsided a little. Instead, the flickering presence in the force gained substance, it now seemed more stable and real than a few minutes ago. "I could cut open that door...", Ahsoka mused and Tech let out a derogatory sound before pulling out his datapad. "I beg you pardon General, I'll be a lot-" Tech was interrupted again, Ahsoka was almost sorry that the clone with the sharp sense of humor somehow couldn't get around to speaking. The thought slipped away as a bunch of droids rounded the corner and one of them stepped forward, holding a holoprojector. Tambor appeared glowing blue. "Jedi, you are violating the neutrality of the Techno-Union.", he informed her and Ahsoka growled softly, she had no time for this! “I'm sorry, but I think you broke it first. Hand me over my soldier and I will be on my way.", she submitted her offer to him and waited in silence for a slander that never came. Instead, the Skakoan seemed to smile and folded his hands behind his back. “There will be no point in lying to you. Not important, you will not be able to report on your find."

The first shot was fired before the connection broke. Ahsoka threw herself between the shooters and Tech with a little dive, he was her quickest way to get to Echo and she would be damned if she lost one of the clones here! "Tech, open the door!", she yelled over the heavy fire that suddenly fell on her. Tech nodded hastily and headed for the door. Hunter followed protectively. Ahsoka intercepted a shot against Crosshair and heard more than she felt a shot graze her calf. "Hey, leave them alone!", Wrecker roared and Ahsoka watched in amazement as some droids crumbled under his hands. That was an impressive amount of power... She quickly shifted the focus back to the other clones and busied herself with protecting the men. Like a shadow, she shot from one to the other, repelling critical shots. If she was hit in the process, the only way she could tell was through the smell of burned skin. "Tech hurry!", Hunter shouted and Ahsoka took a deep breath, fending off another shot. The crowd of droids didn't seem to clear, and even Hunter had sounded worried. "Give me a moment.", Tech growled and in just that second the door slid open. "Wrecker, retreat!", Ahsoka shouted loudly over the noise and Wrecker cursed indignantly. He did not obey the order. That couldn't be true! "Wrecker. Back, now! “, Hunter growled and finally the last one joined their retreat. As soon as they were behind the door Tech locked it and when Hunter and Crosshair started to seal it, Ahsoka turned away.

(I recommend reading "Freezing Cold" here, as I won’t rewrite it here. Link leads to ao3.)

Camp

"So you want to tell me she was limping and took off anyway?", Kix growled and even Rex, who was standing in front of the improvised medbay, grimaced pityingly. He was pissed, very pissed. But the young clone in there couldn't help it, if his General was absolutely stupid again! Sighing, he pushed himself into the narrow space and interrupted the curses of the Medic and saved Thud, the poor fellow wore his striped helmet as if it were his only protection from the end of the world. "It's okay, did you at least equip it correctly?", he asked soothingly and Thud lowered his shoulders. He nodded cautiously and took off his helmet, his nose slightly crooked. The boy had refused to break it again so that it could be corrected. "Yes sir, I gave her a backpack from Kix and Burnes-" "I should have known!", Kix cursed, interrupting the other clone again and earning a hard look from Rex. “I suggest you warn the others. We'll move out soon so that Ahsoka doesn't have to worry about the enemy lines when she returns.”, he instructed Kix and the Medic disappeared further back, still mumbling softly. Thud rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm really sorry Sir, maybe we really should have stopped her.", he admitted softly and Rex sighed deeply, very deeply. Damn it, he wasn't used to this stress anymore. If Ahsoka tried hard enough, he would be gray within the next mission. “We can't change that now. Go and find your unit, I'm sure Mad is already looking for you.", he tried to say calmly and quickly the younger clone was gone. Rex tilted his head back and took a deep breath, he could still hear Kix further back. Burnes was busy with his supplies nearby and just as Jesse came in, he opened his eyes again and looked at Burnes. "Neither of us saw her limping?", he asked bitterly and the Medic shook his head, his mouth drawn to his sour line. “No, just a few of the younger ones. Gut said she looked fine when she got in.", he grumbled and Jesse cursed softly behind Rex, then stepped closer to the Captain. "I know it’s a terrible timing, but Fives is going crazy. The others are a bit overwelmed.", he mumbled in a low voice and Burnes, who had apparently overheard, pressed a single hypno into the Captain's hand without a word.

Outside the quarters, Rex saw a strange picture. He had never seen so many angry 332nd soldiers in one heap. "If she doesn't come back unharmed, I swear I'll turn her neck personally.", one grumbled and Rex grinned bitterly, it was sad that he couldn't contradict. He didn't want to hit his little sister often, but now she would have deserved it. They were a damn team! Nobody asked her to do everything alone. But at least they still had a job to do. "Come on guys, get ready so that we can clear the path for her return!", he called through the crowd and it dissolved at a surprising speed. Neither of the men seemed seriously interested in killing their young General.

Rex hurried into one of the quarters. The Dominos were gathered around a trembling figure on the floor and Cutup and Hevy tried almost panicked to keep Fives on the floor. “Captain, finally!“, Droidbait cursed when he saw him and within a second Rex was with Fives and attached the hypno to his neck. Immediately Five's muscles relaxed and the ARC snorted, angry and tired. That was just too much all at once today! "I'll kill them, both of them.", he muttered and closed his eyes grumbling, Rex smirked and patted Five's shoulder. "There we are already two."

Ahsoka

"Damn it!" Ahsoka cursed, watching the droids step on the pipe. "Get back, now!", she growled, but a glance over her shoulder was enough to know that that was pointless too. "Oh god...", Wrecker mumbled and Hunter next to Echo glanced over at him. “Steady Wrecker. Just keep breathing.", he instructed and even if Ahsoka was not meant, she still felt as a wave of calm suddenly flowed through her. She had Echo back again, there wasn't much that could go wrong!

Well, she spoke too soon. As soon as she had thought through, she saw out of the corner of her eye how Wrecker slipped, lost his footing and in his panic reached for Crosshair. It was more luck than anything that the two got caught on something Ahsoka couldn't see. The droids opened fire, and they got closer damn fast. “That's not what I had planned.", she cursed and Echo next to her actually had the nerve to laugh. "Me neither, but this is so much better than anything before." Ahsoka's heart swelled and she grinned as she deflected another shot. "Any ideas?", Hunter asked and Tech made an enthusiastic sound, Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "If you want to give lectures again Tech, then I swear I will push you down here by hand!", she threatened and saw out of the corner of her eye how Tech looked at her in amusement and then hastily started looking for something. “I'll get us a ride. I recorded the call of these winged reptiles earlier.", he explained and immediately there was such a loud and deep sound that Ahsoka's montrals resonated almost painfully. It must be worse for human ears, Hunter held the sides of his helmet, cursing. Beside her, Echo grimaced, but kept his blaster aimed at the droids.

"Tech, what are you doing?", Wrecker called from among them, accompanied by Crosshair's curses. Before Tech could answer, Ahsoka saw theire rescue emerge from the clouds. "Over there! Jump off!”, she shouted. "Are you kidding?", Wrecker called and she heard Crosshair cursing even louder, he seemed to want to free himself and suddenly he and Wrecker fell down on the back of a reptile. "Hurry!", Ahsoka urged the men and hastily fended off another droid, they had now reached them and the severed components fell down into the clouds. Hunter and Tech were next, Echo hesitated. "Jump, now!", she hissed at him and her brother gave her a sharp look. "You first.", he replied and Ahsoka bit back another comment and gave him a push in the back, with a small gasp he fell and landed safely on a reptile, it stayed under her and seemed to wait. "Ahsoka?", Echo called and she hastily put her lightsabers away to follow him when an ice-cold hand closed around two of her fingers. Damn it, she forgot to keep an eye on the droids on the other side! No time! With narrowed eyes she threw herself down, the droid next to her seemed anchored on the pipe and with a jerk she was free. Hot, incandescent pain shot up her entire arm and with a loud gasp she landed behind Echo. The animal immediately started to turn away, the others were already gone. "Ahsoka?", Echo asked and Ahsoka tried to answer, but all her mouth could do was a pained whimper. She had sagged strangely against Echo, who could barely hold her weight. Still, she felt how he tried to turn around to look at her. "Hey? Are you okay? Vod'ika?" At the word, tears came involuntarily to her eyes, the pain did not decrease. But neither did it got more intense. Her head throbbed. "Fuck.", Echo suddenly cursed softly in front of her and she felt how he, completely relying on the reptile below them, turned to her and grabbed her hand with his hand. Or what had to be left of it.

When her brother touched the blazing fire, pain shot up her arm again, she drew in a hissing breath and wanted to pull her hand away, but to her surprise Echo's grip was firm. With all his might he squeezed her hand and Ahsoka blinked, everything swam a little back and forth in front of her eyes but it was bearable. She decided just not to look at her hand. Instead, she did something else that was just as important. "I love you vod.", she sniffed and leaned her forehead heavily against his. He smiled humorlessly. "I love you too vod‘ika. Don‘t do this again."

When they landed, Ahsoka believed she was master of all her senses again. Still, she was happy when Wrecker came to them without asking and helped her and Echo down. The others gathered around her and Hunter carefully pulled the backpack off her back before he began to search without asking. As he pulled out a hypno, Echo interrupted him and, without letting go of Ahsoka's hand, glanced into the backpack. “Not that. Take one of those.", he instructed and nodded at the bundle at the bottom of the backpack. Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "First take care of Echo and yourselves, I can see that Wrecker has been hit.", she mumbled and Crosshair next to her suddenly snorted. Tech clicked his tongue and Hunter shook his head. "It's not bleeding anymore.", he soothed her and emptied one of the hypnos in her arm. Ahsoka recognized the label with narrowed eyes. Painkillers and something against a shock. Okay... she wouldn't complain. Then Hunter pulled out one of the bandages and Echo released her hand, immediately she started bleeding again. She felt the blood leave her body! She didn't look when Hunter wrapped her hand, instead looking at Echo's. It was smeared with blood and it didn't seem to be his. That was good. The painkillers worked quickly, her vision was clearing again and she could feel her pulse calming down. "We have company.", Crosshair growled and fired a shot upwards without hesitation. Aaaaand her pulse was up again, great! "Wrecker, lend me a hand yeah?“, she grumbled and got up, ignoring the protests of Echo and Hunter. She scanned the sky, a handful of droids approaching. She counted twenty-no nineteen. "Sure.", Wrecker grinned and held out a hand at about knee height. When the droids were finally close enough, Ashoka put one foot on his palm and instantly she was high in the air, with deadly precision she severed a battle droid right in the middle and as she began to fall again two more smoking droids followed her.

She landed on her feet, hard and unyielding as the ground was she almost lost her balance, bent over and again pain shot up her already battered ankle. Cheers for pain killers, the feeling was quickly replaced by a general numbness in her leg. Echo was with her immediately, when had he gained so much strength in the last hour to be able to move so quickly? Cursing, he grabbed her arm and helped her balance the last of her weight, then she turned around searching. Two remaining droids made their way back smoking. Damn it! "They'll be back.", Ahsoka muttered softly and Hunter nodded grimly. Well, there was nothing they could do about that now. They had to prepare themselves and the villagers. The latter had kept their distance from her and the clones, whether out of respect or fear Ahsoka did not care. Puffing, she shook off Echo's hand again, he had protected her for a long time. Now it was her turn! "Hunter, get Echo a better blaster.", she instructed sharply and Hunter motioned Echo to follow him, her brother stared at her for a few seconds before he followed. It was okay, he could take out his anger on her as soon as they got home. By now she was pretty sure that at least he would get out of here alive. Anything else was not an option! And with clone force 99 with them, their chances of winning weren't that bad. Now only the natives were missing... When she turned around, Tech was waiting for her, his eyes giving her a small smile. "I'm ready.", he announced and Ahsoka stepped in front of the natives. The leader of the settlement stepped forward and although they were so different, Ahsoka caught his anger and restlessness in the force. "We brought the war to him.", Tech explained completely emotionless, she returned his tired look. This was nothing new, wherever they all went, war and death followed. She hadn't known anything else since she first left the temple as a Padawan. "He had a family, right?", she asked and Tech nodded. All right, let’s do this. She had to make someone feel guilty and she wasn't going to fail.

*~*

Ha! She should have become a politician! Wrecker still seemed to be puzzling how Ahsoka had managed to get the natives to their side so quickly and quietly. Tech on the other hand looked completely satisfied and Crosshair had actually taken off his helmet and smirked slightly. “Okay, now we have a real chance. Tech, I need every attack strategy you've ever used.“, Ahsoka grinned and the clone quickly handed her his datapad, the list was long. Some names caught her eye and she examined the notes more closely. She also scrutinized strategies that were simply numbered consecutively. She had skimmed about a third quickly when Echo and Hunter returned. "I gave him what we had lying around.", Hunter said and Ahsoka looked up.

Her brother was wearing a top from the blacks that must have been Hunters, it fitted quite well. If Echo weren't so emaciated, he'd fill it out on his arms and upper body too. Above it was a repaired breastplate that appeared to be Hunters too. She looked gratefully at him, he smiled. Still with her body turned towards Echo, she pressed the datapad into his hand. "I'm a fan of the stone maneuver.", she muttered and walked over to her brother. "Black suits you.", she grinned and Echo raised an eyebrow skeptically before he had to grin. "Oh, I can't wait to get my blue equipment back!" Oh man... Ahsoka shook her head with a light laugh and patted his shoulder with her bandaged hand. She avoided thinking about why her blood was showing bright red through the fabric again. "You know what? You can have anything you want when we're home.", she smiled and took one playful thrust against her shoulder, the one without scorch marks. "Commander Cody's candy stash?" "Just for you brother!", she laughed. Together they turned to the preparations, Ahsoka growled in frustration and tried to flex her bandaged hand. Pointless, she would not be able to hold her shoto like that. Okay, back to the basics.

*~*

That damn ankle! Ahsoka dodged a shot, hissing and cursing. She felt something warm and sticky on her face. It was definitely blood. Her‘s? She didn‘t know, at the moment she couldn't even clearly identify where up and down was. But she saw the giant walkers, tri-droids. With her useless ankle she would never get up there! She quickly glanced up at the ledge where Echo and Crosshair were sniping. Ahsoka had also told Crosshair to protect her brother, by all means. His answer had been a serious nod. Echo was as secure as he could be. „Need some help?“, Wrecker asked diagonally behind her and watched as Ahsoka eyed the nearest walker again. "You just want a reason to throw me again.", she grinned and ran a few steps ahead before she stopped and put her good foot on Wrecker's hand. The air rushed past her, this was much more exciting than jumping! She elegantly caught her fall back with one hand and dangled from the droid's barrel for a second before pulling herself up.

*~*

They were still alive! They were alive! Sighing, Ahsoka let go of Hunter's hand and sat down on one of the seats on the left and right of the ship. "See, much better than the ground.", Hunter smiled and Ahsoka tried half-heartedly to kick him. Did not work. Instead, Echo was by her side again, sliding closer so that their shoulders touched. "Okay, General. Fill me in.", he muttered quietly and when Hunter looked at her curiously, she let out a deep breath, it wasn't really a sigh. "What? I would be interested in where we can get more Jedi like you.", he smiled and Ahoska shrugged her shoulders. Bad idea, her rigid neck muscles protested violently. "Where should I start? There is so much... Umbara, the trial, Five's discovery-" "Slow down. Start at the beginning, okay? The next important event, very simple.", Echo slowed her down and Ahsoka nodded heavily, of all topics this was probably the most difficult. "Okay, you missed Umbara.", she muttered and Hunter rubbed his hands together thoughtfully, he took a seat across from her. The planet seemed to mean something to him too. "The executed Jedi?", he asked and Echo sucked in an irritated breath next to her. She ignored him and shook her head. “No, the fallen Jedi. I still believe that the 501st would have been wiped out there without Hardcase.", she corrected tiredly, it wasn't the first time she was explaining this. Some of the younger clones under her command had understood no more than Hunter. "So he didn't...?", Echo mumbled half aloud next to her and Ahsoka shook her head, her headache increasing a little at the thought of her fallen brother. Echo's entire arm crept up behind her back and gave her a gentle squeeze. His hand trembled and she carefully took it in hers. "I should have been there.", he mumbled tonelessly and Ahsoka laughed barking, it was a joyless laugh. She gently leaned her head against his. "We both should have."

They were silent for a while, then Hunter stirred. More reserved than before, he put his helmet on the ground between his feet. "And after that?" Ahsoka tried to find the thread of the events again and just decided to jump on. "After that I was kicked out of the Order.", she grumbled and Echo shot up next to her. “Why?!", he asked shoked and Ahsoka smiled, Rex would love him if he would appear before the council with that expression on his face and ask them for a reason. "A misunderstanding, they thought I blew up the temple.", she said and Echo's eyes got bigger, his arm wrapped around her a little tighter. "You wouldn‘t!", he exclaimed and Hunter uttered a low, approving sound. Wrecker grumbled and joined them. "That sounds stupid.", he growled and Ahsoka shrugged. “Doesn't matter, I got back in. However, I made an immediate end of my training as a condition. And the rank of General. And clones that I can choose.", she listed and Echo shook his head with a grin, Wrecker laughed enthusiastically. "Good! They should bleed for that.", he grinned and Crosshair emerged from the edge of her field of vision, he nodded in agreement. The general approval also brightened Ahsoka's mood, although she felt very tired. It was a bit like she had cotton wool in her head. And she didn't have one drop of alcohol since her promotion. “And then I stole Torrent from Anakin. And Fives found out about the inhibitor chips. Those things took Tup.", she growled and sighed. "You would have liked him.", she muttered to Echo and only now saw how everyone was staring at her. "What chips?!"

"Ah Kriff, you don’t know yet.", Ahsoka cursed and put her head heavily in her hands, limply supporting her elbows on her knees. Under her uninjured hand she felt half-dried blood and for a moment she wondered if the crust on her face was more dirt or blood. She wouldn't ask. "Ahsoka, what chips?", Echo asked urgently next to her and tugged at her tunic with his hand. Damn it, he was stiff as a board next to her! “The Kaminoans implanted chips in the clones. Each of them.", she muttered into her hands and she heard Tech coming from the front. His steps were quieter than the others. "That's only logical, how else would you guarantee obedience?", he popped in and Echo snorted next to her when Ahsoka looked up to see all staring at Tech as if he had just lost his mind. But he was really close! "Something like that. I don't know all the functions, but it made Tup shoot a Jedi.", she managed and her throat tightened uncomfortably, when she thought about it, it wasn't long ago. It seemed like a long time ago. There was silence, even Tech seemed surprised. When after another minute no one said anything, Ahsoka cleared his throat softly and tried to pick up the story again. “Well, Fives figured it out somehow. I don't really know how many laws he broke.” Echo next to her came back to life and gently rubbed her back, his mouth pressed together in a thin line. "That sounds like my brother," he muttered and she nodded weakly. She would like to never tell Echo the rest, leave him clueless. But she knew the others, he would find out within a few hours. And then she could be sure of his anger, so she'd better get it over with now. "They almost shot him because o fit.", she threw into the room and briefly Echo’s short fingernails were in her clothes, digging into her skin. Then he relaxed his grip and the calming circles returned. "Yes, sounds like him...", he mumbled, sounding so choked that Ahsoka instinctively moved closer and decided to hide her face on his arm. Worked just fine, Echo smelled of sweat and smoke. Like all her brothers. Again everyone was silent until one of the others moved minimally. Towards her. She suspected Hunter. "Blanket?", he asked softly and Ahsoka was tired, a blanket sounded wonderful! "No. Do not sleep vod’ika! Stay awake until Kix can put you in a bed.", Echo instructed next to her montral and she knew he was right, but that didn't suppress the growl when she forced herself to sit up. "What did you do with the chips?", Tech asked from the side, his voice full of suppressed curiosity. Very badly suppressed curiosity. Okay, talking would help! Would keep her awake. “A few of the 501st had theirs removed. The 332nd is free. Cody doesn't have one either.", she mumbled and looked around once, Echo's face was thoughtful, Hunter seemed worried. A look at Wrecker showed her that he could not yet grasp the full extent. Crosshair watched her with a cool, calculating look. 24 hours ago that would have given her goose bumps, now she knew that he was just watching her carefully. Was he afraid she would pass out? Fall from the chair? "The others definitely didn't believe Fives.", Echo mumbled and Ahsoka nodded slightly, her head feeling heavy again but when she sagged towards Echo's shoulder he caught her and forced her back into an upright position. "Okay, what's the likelihood that these chips will actually be used?", Tech asked doubtfully from the edge and Ahsoka jumped and got to her feet all by herself. "How high is the probability? My little brother is dead because of a 'malfunction'! I don't even want to think about what would have happened if more chips had activated. The probability doesn't matter, somebody could use all clones as a weapon.", she growled and talked herself a little in a rage, she couldn't breathe and two hands pushed her back into place, Wrecker patted her shoulder and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Okay, then we have to convince the other Jedi.", Hunter mumbled, Ahsoka's eyes tingling suspiciously. So long she had fought for approval and approval and these men were ready to believe her. After just a single mission. Echo's hand closed on her wrist and squeezed gently as she looked at him, he grinned broadly. Oh, this was what Fives always looked like when he came up with a very stupid idea. “I know something. Tech, can you fake separatist protocols?"

[trashballerina]

Hetalia Fics I Really Like

this  ⭐ will be for fics I really like. I’ll try not to star everything.

I’m starting with my favorite of all time and tbh I think the fandom should see this fic as a OG, like Auf Weiderstein Sweetheart or Gutters, I really do.

Are We Even Humans  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (Literally all the stars)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4103344

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5660761/chapters/25048773 (prequel)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7036330/chapters/16007758 (sequel)

The war is over, but putting together everything that fell apart will be a greater challenge than anyone is prepared to handle. Alliances dissolve, and the lines between friends and enemies are blurrier than ever before.

Opinion: Please read it. It is a series with a sequel and a prequel that can be read on its own but it’s so good. Imma go on a quick rant here. This fic is great from the writing, plot, characters, and the nuances of nationhood abilities. I literally rioted during the first chapter because it was so good. One of my absolutely favorite things in the fic and the series as a whole is Prussia. Kingdom of Prussia, German Democratic Republic, Gilbert Beilschmidt. His character progression and seeing him through the series as a whole is astounding. I was literally left shaken at the end of this series and I’ve read it twice. The OC’s are usually the antagonists, but hot damn, they are memorable OC’s who are great (terrible?) villains. And the family dynamics! The family dynamics are enough of a reason to read it by itself and the romances. Omg I love this fic so much. Main takeaways: astounding characterization, amazing plot, will cry, long read, and a reality check on what it means to be a nation.

Would it be too much if I did a separate post on how much I love this series and an in depth analysis? (I feel like such a nerd omg)

Hard Times Passing 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23516458/chapters/56397817

Alfred is homeless during the Great Depression and in his wanderings he's charged with the task of caring for a small orphaned Taiwan. AU-Human names used, Taiwan is a child.

Opinion: So incredibly heart warming. It’s well written and I love the dialogue so much. Also, the little cameos from other characters are an absolute delight. It’s a it short, but so wholesome.

Flowers Don’t Grow on Battlefields  ⭐

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14153106/chapters/32619954

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16898919/chapters/39697068 (sequel)

As war tightens its hold on the nations of the world, new alliances are formed. Nobody will escape the war unscathed. Italy only hopes that this time, he will find a way to save those he holds dearest.

Opinion: I realllly like this fic. Maybe I’m a bit bias because I remember reading it from like to third chapter and watching it get updated till the end, but this is really good. Cute gerita, great characterization, good plot, and some lines just really make me melt. And the fluff omg. There’s a sequel that’s linked under too that I may like more than the first. 

Who Knew (One Shot)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23516695#main

“The last time the two of them had any sort of contact was when Gilbert sent the letter to Matthew before the first war started.

That was twenty-six years ago. Twenty-six years Matthew had not seen Gilbert. Twenty-six years of Matthew worrying about if his fiancé was alive or not. Twenty-six years of Matthew thinking about all the horrible things that could be happening to Gilbert. Twenty-six years of Matthew wishing he could just see Gilbert, even if it were just for a second. Twenty-six years of pure hell for Matthew. Twenty-six years of being all alone.”

Matthew Williams, the personification of Canada, never thought that he would fall in love, but he did. He fell in love with Gilbert Beilschmidt, the personification of Prussia, but their romance would have to be cut short with the up coming war that was soon approaching them.

Opinion: My god my heart. Matthew had great characterization. Like amazingly so. 10/10 somber and melodic tones throughout the story. Good tension. And again, my heart. 

TELL ME A PIECE OF YOUR HISTORY  ⭐

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3741175/chapters/8294941#workskin

An account of the media reactions to the reveal of Nations (anthropomorphic national embodiments) with scholarly commentary.

Heavily inspired by: United States v. Barnes, 617 F. Supp. 2d 143 (D.D.C. 2015) [fallingvoices, radialarch] with mixed genres.

Opinion: It’s really cool. It’s told through media, like email, twitter, texts, online magazines, subtitles of videos (not actual videos tho). I love the outside view point of the world on nations and how some people really like them and how others absolutely despise their very existence. One of the main things that sticks out the me is the in depth analysis other humans or posters do on the nations and people even interview the nations, chapter eight is like my favorite for that reason, or how some humans just gush about the nations on so media like how half the fandom does lol. It’s really good. Super creative, great insight on how to world sees the nations, and honestly a great read.

Red Winter (One shot and crossover!)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/909492

The Winter Soldier's new target: a Russian politician named Ivan Braginsky.

Things don't go as planned.

Opinion: Literally so cool. Like nations are total BS to outsiders, especially assassins. I was loosing it during this fic because from Bucky’s POV nations are something else. The writing is really solid and the author uses italics to highlight an action sound or word and even single-word thoughts. The fight scene is really entertaining but also it flows fantastically. 

In Costa Rica (Oneshot)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18614041

“You have this backwards,” McLaughlin said. “Everything. You have it all backwards.” He was a lithe man, looked to be in his mid-thirties. Schnabel leaned back in his chair. Outside, the afternoon rain started, and the frogs momentarily fell silent. “They are dangerous, aren’t they?” Two men discuss the nations and history.

Opinion: No actual nations appear in this fic. It’s just two men talking about the nations and it’s really interesting to see them humor and take seriously the idea of nations. They both discuss what they already know about the nations and theorize. Also hearing an outside perspective and how the nations effect the word around them is golden. I give this fic a big ol’ chef’s kiss. 

Finally, I’ll Just Miss You! (Oneshot)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553608

Countries will be abolished tomorrow. For the first time, they breathe and realize this might be their last breath and they’ll never wake up again. They want to wake up, they want to go to sleep, the land will still be there when they’re gone. But they breathe, it won’t be the same- for once, they feel human.

Opinion: Bro, I swear I’m not crying. This one is short but really bittersweet and my heart really hurts. I like the snippets of insight on the characters. 

Diamond in the Rough  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12872642/1/

The year is 1952, the last full year of Joseph Stalin's rule over the Soviet Union. After an incident with Latvia, Estonia is determined to find out what Russia did to him. And so unfolds a chain of events that would lead the Baltic States to tears, to forgiveness, to unexpected courage and horrifying discoveries about the mysterious past of Gilbert Beilschmidt. See AN for rating.

Opinion: This just be a legitimate book. I have honestly read this one like three time and every time I read it I am absolutely elated to discover another detail or action I missed. It is a longer read but I think it is absolutely worth it. For one, the characterization is beautiful. Maybe I might be bias because I stan and love the Baltics, but how they are written compared to the many other fics I’ve read on them is phenomenal. While the author does take some creative liberties and deviates from canon a little, like the Baltics actually considering themselves to be brothers, I really enjoy the changes. ALSO, the history and research and on this fic is genuinely impressive. To think fic authors do this shit for fun and pour so much of their passion into a piece of writing. Secondly, while Russia may be an antagonist in this story, I honestly think it is just. His mentality, backstory, and current predicament explain his behavior and make him a justifiable antagonist. I highly recommend this one. 

Adieux (Oneshot)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6700886/1/

What happens to nations after they cease to exist? Do they simply disappear or do they get a second chance? It wasn't a subject Francis was particularly keen on finding out about...but at the same time, it wasn't something he could just ignore. One-shot

Opinion: I hate this fic because I love it way too much. I might of cried a little bit and I instantly melt of Francis and Matthew. 

In Our Solemn Hour (incomplete) ⭐

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8975529/30/In-Our-Solemn-Hour

The time was World War II, at the dawn of a global conflict like nothing any of the Nations had ever seen before. Nothing could've prepared them for what lay ahead: a war more total and radical than anything they could ever have imagined. This wasn't just business as usual; it was centuries' worth of pent-up emotions all coming into play at once. This was indeed their darkest hour.

Opinion: Characterization is on point. One part of this fic I remember very well during a fight to the death, Finland mutters a little “Oh dear”. The characters retain some of the qualities that make them silly in Hetalia but because this is another take on it it does get darker. I think Germany’s portrayal is my favorite because he does cruel and unnesscary things and questions it because its not his usal nature. The author notes are super insightful and sometimes funny; it really adds to the rest of the story. I might revisit this post to make a more in depth opinion on it because I don’t remember it all to well when I know I really like this one.

So that was my post lol. I’ll probably make more on other fandoms later tbh or I’ll just make a part two. If you end up reading about any of these posts, please feel free to tell me about them! I love talking about fics and reading in general. Thanks for reading!

[missmonsters2]

Between the Lines || VI

PAIRING: Steve Rogers & Fem!Reader (Platonic) / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader / Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader x Wanda Maximoff

Summary: Vampire AU. Life has changed drastically since the 1600s. Things are always on the move, and you’ve been very careful to not get on SHIELDs radar. Living on the down-low owning a café, you’re content to live out a quiet existence. That is until the Avengers enter your life.

[Set after the New York Invasion, in CAWS, and goes up to AoU. Canon divergent after.]

Warnings: This series will contain smut(**), poly-relationship, and dark themes.

Note: And so, we are entering AoU. Yes, you guessed it, soon Wanda will make her appearance! Please let me know if you want to be on the taglist for this fic :)!

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V

PART VI of XX

Count: 6136

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"Your little side gig of renting books must make more than I originally thought," Natasha wryly said as she sat comfortably in her cushioned chair that had plenty of legroom. 

Sitting first class on a flight was something Natasha rarely did, mostly because she could get anywhere on the Quinjet. But even then, with her line of work, it's not like she could continuously afford first-class with how often she needed to travel, and the cost wasn't worth it. 

Maybe if Tony paid for her trips. 

You grinned at the redhead across as you flagged down a flight attendant. "That, or living for over 400 years gives me a lot of time for investing and saving."

Natasha merely smiles with a tilt of her head as she watches you order a salad, with cheese, nuts, and a side of fruit. 

"I thought you didn't have to eat," Natasha brings up after the flight attendant leaves. 

"I don't," you lean your jaw on your fist as your elbow rests against the armrest. "It's for you. It's going to be a long flight, but this is probably the freshest meal on the plane. At least it's naturally salty, so you'll be able to taste it instead of having to eat something that has been over salted. Humans lose about up to 30% of their taste when they're this high."

Natasha licks her lips because it's something so small, you don't even realize as you turn your head to look out the window. 

It's considerate, and it shows Natasha that you do care about her despite you hiding things from her. 

Sometimes, she cannot help but wonder why. 

"You don't lose your taste?" Natasha asks curiously, drawing your attention back. 

You hum. "It's hard to explain. My senses are enhanced. Things are typically louder, stronger tasting, and smellier. It gets easier to control with age, but when I eat, I don't just taste the food. I can smell and taste how fresh it is, how cooked it is, every ingredient used."

"That sounds like food can be an enjoyable experience. Do you eat regularly then?" Natasha asked.

You shook your head. "No, I eat when the situation calls for it. I can appreciate a well-cooked meal, but since I don't gather any nutrients from it, I don't really see the point of regularly eating when I'll have to feed again later."

Natasha nods, recalling what you had told her back at the secret facility.

"Since it's a long flight," Natasha smiles, "can you tell me a little more about being a vampire 101?"

You grin, "You may ask your questions, but I can't guarantee I'll answer all of them."

She remembers that you were unwilling to talk about why you weren't able to feed from humans, so she knew that was off-limits. A million questions race through Natasha's mind, almost unsure of what to ask, but she decides she'll ask the things she saw about you first.

"When you were fighting The Winter Soldier, you did something to make him stay down. What was that?"

You shift in your seat, biting your tongue on how exactly to explain it.

"Every vampire has a power called compulsion. We can compel other beings through essentially mind control by looking into our eyes," you lick your lips. "There are conditions to it, though. Compulsion is only as strong as the vampire is, and a human's willpower and mental strength are taken into consideration too. A human who is trained to resist mind control, compulsion lasts much shorter with them." 

"What makes a vampire stronger?" Natasha asked, frowning.

"Age, diet, and practice."

"Practice?" Natasha's brows furrow.

You nod. "How often you use compulsion increases its stamina. In terms of physical strength, it's age and diet, though, practice doesn't hurt with strategizing." 

"Could someone compel you?" Natasha asked bluntly.

"You'd be hardpressed to find many other vampires older than me," you smirked, "there's only most likely a handful of vampires who would be older than me. Though, I suppose I can't say I'm exactly at my full strength either."

"Because you can't feed directly from humans," Natasha slowly says and watches you nod but say nothing more, so she moves on.

"Do vampires not change other humans?" She asks with a tilt of her head.

You hum, pressing your lips together.

"We do, but it's rare. Vampires are more likely to only change someone who they consider their life partner, sometimes more if they're looking to build a 'family' or 'coven.'"

"Life partner? Do you only have one partner?" Natasha asks, remembering that you had said you had dated many people over the years, but it didn't work out. Was this one of the logistics of a vampire? That they had a soulmate?

You shook your head.

"A life partner doesn't translate to a soulmate or anything like that. Because we live so long, we do love very intensely. We may date and fool around, but humans are so fleeting. Their lifetime is only a moment for us. A life partner is someone vampires consider they cannot have for only one moment, after all, forever is a long time. It takes time for a vampire to consider such things within another," you close your eyes, no longer talking when the flight attendant comes back with the food and places it in front of Natasha. 

When she leaves, Natasha takes a slice of cheese and puts it in her mouth, humming. 

"Why didn't you kill The Winter Soldier?" Natasha asks after a moment when she swallows her food.

"I'm glad I didn't," you mutter, thinking about how it turned out to be James Buchanan Barnes. 

You sigh lightly. "People who are enhanced are different. The serum makes them much more durable. Generally, humans feel flimsy and frail to us. I could've killed him, but it was faster to create an opening for us to escape. You were bleeding."

Natasha watches as you talk about her wound uncomfortably. 

"Is it hard to resist your thirst?"

You lick your lips, remembering the taste of Natasha's blood on your tongue. 

"Age helps," you swallow. "While I feel bloodlust, it's easier to control knowing I can't have it. But I always make sure I'm well-fed."

Still, Natasha feels the word 'why' wanting to fall from her lips, but she knows you won't explain.

"Alright, enough questions for now," you grin at the redhead, "finish your meal, and let's watch a movie. I think there's a movie on here that that hasn't even hit the theaters yet."

Natasha merely smiles at you.

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Sokovia is warmer than you thought during this time of the year. 

Fall is barely making its appearance, but it's still a little brisk. 

You look over to Natasha, who has a thin jacket on, and although the spy doesn't show any signs of feeling cold, you frown.

You take off your scarf, turning to her as you wrap it around her.

Natasha watches you through her lashes.

"I'm not cold," she tells you.

"I'm getting cold watching you," you mumble back, adjusting the scarf just right. 

There's a moment that seems to linger between the two of you, but before you could really make anything of it, your phone starts to go off.

You blink, looking at Natasha for a moment before turning away to pull out your phone.

"Hey, David," you answer the phone.

"Have you landed yet?" 

"Yeah, just hailing a cab right now. I got the address you sent me. Did you settle in and get the place ready?" You ask as you raise your hand to flag a cab to you.

David makes a noise indicating he did. "Are you bringing her?"

"Well, I certainly didn't bring her for nothing."

David sighs, "Alright, I'll see you soon."

You hang up the phone as you usher Natasha into the cab first.

You give the address in Slovak as you try to sit comfortably.

"You know Slovak?" Natasha asks in English.

You nod. "Yes, I have an extensive language list. I've had 400 years to learn to be fair."

"I had felt you knew Russian when we played Jenga," Natasha smiled.

"Oh yeah, you mean when I beat your ass in Jenga?" You smirked, causing the redhead to laugh.

"We'll see who comes out on top at the next game," she merely replies. 

You fall into a comfortable silence for the rest of the ride, enjoying the heat that seems to linger between the two of you as you sit close together.

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The house is big, Natasha notices. A part of her wonders precisely how much is in your bank account, and she's sure you have many accounts offshore as well.

She's not unused to seeing luxurious houses, but Natasha supposes she's still reconciling the fact that you're not just an ordinary café owner.

You carried the suitcases with ease as you entered the house. It was quiet, Natasha observes, looking at the decor as she does so. You drop the bags and hum as you look around.

"David!" You shouted, hearing him trying to stand still upstairs. You hear a quiet groan and roll your eyes, and Natasha tilts her eyes curiously. 

She steels herself when someone blurs down the stairs, standing at a distance. He wore a plain white mask as he briefly looked at Natasha. 

"David," you sigh, "why are you wearing a mask?"

"For my safety," he answers, seemingly almost a little proud of himself. 

"Take it off," you stare at him.

"No."

"David, you're being ridiculous," you scrunch your brow. "You can't wear the mask forever. She's here, and she knows you exist, there's no point."

"No," David says stubbornly. 

Natasha watches the scene with rapture, it was hard to form a full opinion with David's mask on, but he was tall, and seemed toned but not too muscular. His blowout hairstyle seemed to unnaturally defy gravity with its voluminous structure, swaying slightly as he moved his head.  

You seemed to say something quietly and quickly that Natasha couldn't hear, only for David to do exactly the same.

All of a sudden, Natasha blinked, and you had blurred over towards David. The two of you seemed to be wrestling, and before Natasha could blink again, you had ripped off the mask from David's face.

"Ugh!" David scowled with a bit of a pout. He looked over at Natasha, and she was surprised by how handsome David was. It wasn't like she's never seen a handsome man before. After all, she sees Steve's face every day.

But there was the same unnatural beauty to him that you had. It was subtle, but still there. His chestnut eyes flittered in a way that made it seem like the sunlight existed in them, and his sharp jawline and cheekbone gave him a charismatic air, even as he scowled. 

"Now look at what you've done," David scrunched his nose at you. 

"The fact that you think Natasha wouldn't find out what you looked like forever proves to me you're still a dumbass even though you're over 300 years old," you roll your eyes as you toss the mask back to David.

"You don't know that," David petulantly rebuttals back but sighs as he looks back over to Natasha. "I heard you looking to build some new covers?"

Natasha nodded with a small smile, but David merely nodded his head towards the stairs.

"I have some started up for you, but I need you to come up with me to finish it."

"Did you do grocery shopping?" You asked David, who merely looked confused.

You sigh and roll your eyes again and turn to Natasha. "I'm going to head out for a bit to get you some food while you're with David. Any particular requests?"

Natasha shook her head, "Anything is fine."

You nodded and turned to David with a bit of a quirk in your brow.

"Be nice," you whisper towards David too quietly for Natasha to hear. 

David merely huffs but nods slightly before you smile one last time to Natasha before heading out. 

"Alright, come on," David casually says as he starts to hop up the stairs with one of his hands in his pocket while the other holds his mask.

He leads Natasha into a room that is decked out with numerous computer systems and monitors. Off the side, there was newer technology that Natasha was used to, like holographic systems and monitors. 

David pulled up a holographic monitor and pulled up various types of documents.

"I've got a couple prepared for you here to start off, take a look and tell me if you want to add anything," David flicked the screen to face her.

Natasha took a look, impressed with the work. There were a lot of documents included that she would need.

Birth certificates, health cards, visas, passports, resumes, newspaper clippings, school registries, transcripts, and so much more.

Each identity was fully decked out. 

There were about five aliases David had created for her, all reusable and versatile. 

It was much more intricate and detailed than Natasha would've imagined.

"This is impressive," Natasha tells him, "I think these are all perfect."

David hums. "I'm just building your image for your passports, and then I register them within in the system in case anyone tries to look you up."

Natasha looks at other things in the room before looking back at David.

"You're quite the accomplished hacker," she comments, watching David snort.

"I'm not a hacker," David looks at her from the side of his eye before looking back to the screen to finish his work. "I'm a technopath."

Natasha's brows furrowed. "You have powers?"

David eyed Natasha before speaking, "Yes. I was changed around the 1700s. At first, my powers manifested in the form of nuts, bolts, gears, and wires. It was passive more than anything. But as humans progressed, so did my powers. In this day and age, nearly everything is accessible through electronics."

David explained his powers a little more to Natasha, who took the information in slowly. She was sure if David ever got his hands onto Tony's systems, it would be over for the inventor. 

It was quiet for a few moments until Natasha recalled you were wearing gloves.

"Does she have powers too?" Natasha asked abruptly. David turned over to look at the redhead with his eyebrow cocked.

"If she hasn't told you, I will leave that up to her," David turned back to his screen. "What has she told you?"

"Just some basics," Natasha told him and listened as he hummed.

"You can ask me some questions too, I'll try to answer them the best I can," David offered, and she gave him a small smile. It seems like he was slowly warming up to her.

"Do you know why vampires have to feed?" She asked.

David seemed to have finished what he was doing and led her back out of the room. "Vampires can't produce blood in their bodies. Our heart pumps what blood we drink to get our body to function. Because we drink blood to supply, eventually, our bodies will run out."

They took a seat on different couches as David relaxed, putting his head back.

"What happens if you don't feed?"

David lifted his head, peering at Natasha. "We become absolutely feral. Any rational part of us shuts down, and we will kill anything near us for blood. If a vampire doesn't feed in that stage, we enter a comatose state until someone feeds us blood."

"Kill?" Natasha clarified, and David nodded.

"It's very possible to feed without killing, but in that stage, we're no longer aware of what we're doing. We're no longer aware of how strong we might be holding someone. In most cases, people die from a broken neck because we grasp it too hard," David's lips were in a tight line, and Natasha got a distinct feeling that he had experienced what he was telling her.

But for someone who had killed probably more people than she has, he had such soft eyes. 

Natasha was about to ask another question when you opened the door, coming in with multiple grocery bags. A part of her wanted to ask if you needed help out of habit, but you clearly had no problems carrying all of it by yourself. 

Still, David got up and blurred over to you at the kitchen island to see what you got. 

"Oh, you got some good stuff. Might just be tempted to eat dinner tonight too," David grinned. "Also try to go easy on the blood supply. We should have enough to last us until the next shipment, but getting in touch with the hospital here had some issues."

You merely nodded, leaving the details up to David. 

"Can I cook?" David asks, and you chuckle before nodding.

"Better you than me," you shrug, leaving him with the groceries. You walk over to Natasha and plop down next to her. 

"Did David give you your new covers?" You ask and smile as Natasha nods.

"Yes, they were pretty solid identities. Thank you," Natasha whispers to you, genuinely grateful for you. What would've taken her months to get new covers took only a couple moments because of you. 

And your voice about life partners popped up in Natasha's head.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" David shouts from the kitchen, interrupting the moment, causing the two of you to laugh.

The evening passes by quickly as you show Natasha to her room, which is across from yours. You tell Natasha to spend some time resting after the flight and get settled in before dinner. 

Natasha didn't think she was tired, but she did end up falling asleep for about 20 minutes. When she woke up, she took a shower in the bathroom that was in her room, sighing at the hot water. 

By the time she got out, she could smell a waft of food lingering in the air and found her stomach rumbling. When she came down, she saw you setting the table as David finished up cooking in an apron. The way you two moved so easily and in sync showed to Natasha that the two of you must have been together for a long time.

"This smells delicious, what are we having?" Natasha peered over to the stove as David finished plating.

"We are having a calamari salad, crispy dry ribs with a tamarind honey glaze for the main, and a Molten Chocolate Cake served with a berry compote for dessert," David gave the redhead a small smile. 

"Wow," Natasha blinked. This was the type of dinner she would be having at a restaurant. She couldn't even remember the last time she ate something like this with her fellow Avengers.  

"David was a chef at one point," you tell her as you beckon her forward to take a seat, holding the chair out for her. You take a seat diagonally next to her while David brings over the plates. He takes off his apron and takes his seat across from you.

"Oh, that was a wondrous time," David recalls when he used to work as a chef, putting food on everyone's plate.

Natasha nods to him in thanks, taking a bite of the food.

"Oh," she moans a little from the taste. "Why did you ever stop?"

David laughs, and you roll your eyes as you can tell his ego is swelling up.

"David was getting too much recognition, no matter where he worked. It's not good for us to ever have photos taken of us or be publicly recognized," you dig in yourself.

Natasha nods with a hum, "I guess it'd be bad if someone realized you never aged."

"Exactly," you nod. 

"Doesn't stop me from occasionally cooking," David tells the redhead, "but I suppose now that you're here, I will have more opportunities to cook!"

He actually sounded excited, and Natasha couldn't help but smile.

"You didn't have to eat with me, you know," Natasha seems apologetic to you and you wave it off.

"I think you'll find it weirder if we merely sit here and watch you eat. Besides, it's not like eating causes us any harm, and it doesn't taste half-bad," you smirk.

"Hey!" David looks up at you with a mock glare, causing Natasha to laugh. 

The rest of the dinner with a pleasant affair with light talks and banter. Natasha learns a little more about how you had come to meet David. 

"You changed him?" Natasha asks with mild shock. 

Previous to that, she has just learned that to change a human, there were two ways. 

To change into a vampire, a human had to die with enough venom in their system. 

One, it could be done slowly over time by injecting venom slowly into a human's system. You had told her that venom was for the part, passive. As a vampire, you could control how you wanted your venom to react. By slowly building up venom in a human's system, the change was much less painful. 

There were side effects, of course. It was subtle, but there. Over time, the human would find they needed to sleep less. They would have to eat more, finding their usual amount wasn't given them enough nutrients. Even their skin would look clearer and glassy, their hair looking glossier. 

The second way was usually in the case of emergencies like the human was already dying. That would usually involve draining enough blood before injecting a massive amount of venom before they could die. It was incredibly painful.

In David's case, he was dying.

"How?" Natasha asked. Her mind was reeling, knowing you couldn't feed on people. How would you have changed David without draining him of blood? Maybe you were able to feed on people at one point, but something changed?

"She drained my blood by sucking it out and then spitting it out. She didn't drink a single drop," David said grimly, while you quietly drank your glass of wine. 

"You did what?" Natasha whipped her head over to you. You looked at Natasha while the wine glass rested against your lips before shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal. 

David shook his head at you.

"When it comes to self-control, there's probably no one that could ever beat her," David said as he wiped his lip with his napkin before throwing it on the table as they finished off their dessert. 

Natasha was in disbelief. 

The amount of control you must have shocked her. David described feeding being like the first hit of ecstasy, and it felt like that every time.

To..to change David in such a manner?

Natasha had a newfound respect for you. 

David sighed as he got up, "Alright, I gotta head back to the cave. When I find something, I'll let you know." He looked at you, and you nodded as you got up to put dishes away.

Natasha got up as well to help you, feeling fuller than she has been in a long time. She knew she would need to watch herself because eating like she has with David's cooking would undoubtedly make her gain an unhealthy amount of weight.

"So, you make insanely good coffee while David cooks like a God? Seems a little unfair neither of you regularly eat," Natasha smirked at you, causing you to laugh.

"Well, you're certainly more than welcome to ask me to make coffee for you anytime. I won't even charge you," you grinned at her. "I think David is secretly happy you're here as well. He loves cooking."

You whispered it as if it was a conspiracy, knowing that David would be able to hear to you. He scoffed, and you chuckled quietly as Natasha smiled at what you said.

Natasha's not sure how to quite explain it, but she feels like she's at home.

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The night settles in easily as David works quietly. Natasha had gone to freshen up in her room while you had retired to your own.

But even as it got late, Natasha didn't feel tired, and she debated what to do before she left her room and stood in front of yours.

She didn't knock immediately and felt a little ridiculous because she knew that you knew she was standing there, but eventually, she rapped her knuckles softly against the door.

"Come in," she heard a quiet response. Opening the door, she found you sitting in an armchair with a book with the lights off. 

"Hey," you smile at her, "Can't sleep?"

Natasha nodded, and you closed your book as you beckoned her over to the balcony. The night was cooler, but Natasha insisted she was fine with her sweater on. Russia was much colder than this, so this was nothing.

The two of them sat against the couch outside, and you threw the thin blanket lying there over her lap. 

Sitting in comfortable silence, Natasha regarded you as you stared at the night sky.

"So, what's your real name?" She asks to fill the silence, recalling her past interactions with you. 

You laugh as you tell her your full real name.

"You know your last name now doesn't suit you at all, right?" Natasha quirks her brow.

You shrug. "People hardly ever blink an eye about what names I use. If my last name at the time doesn't fit, I always say I was adopted or have some interesting thing in my family tree. David is always prepared. We've had many different types of last names."

"Do you ever miss your actual name?" She asks softly, thinking about when the last time someone might've called her Natalia was. 

You look up, sighing. "Sometimes. But the girl with that name is from so long ago, she can't exist in today's world. She belongs in the past. For now, I'm Elaine, and one day in the future, I'll be another name. It's the life of a vampire."

"Couldn't David prevent anyone from ever looking that far?" Natasha frowns slightly, feeling sympathetic for you. 

"He could," you concede. "For the most part, we will cycle through the same name sometimes when enough time has passed. But sometimes, some things are just better to be left in the past."

It was clearly a preference with a story of its own, but Natasha doesn't want to push you to talk about such things tonight.

"Do you have a power too?" Natasha asks after the silence stretches too long.

You turn your head back, almost surprised by how incredibly soft Natasha looks. The moonlight hitting her just enough to illuminate her face. She's got a bit of a natural wave to her hair, and she smells likes like vanilla and dry leaves. 

"I do," you answer softly, your fingers flexing out of habit. "When I touch someone, I can see everything about them. Every thought they've had, things they've seen, and to an extent, their future. It's helped David and I survive this long."

Natasha looked at your hands. "Is that why you wear the gloves?"

You nod.

"While it's a very useful gift, it's invasive, even if the other person doesn't know. I don't like using my gift until it's about life or death," you shake your head softly. 

"You've never touched any of your partners over the years?" Natasha asks, and you smirk.

"You'd be surprised how creative one can be with sex and gloves," you half-joke, but sober up a little when you see Natasha's curious glint. "But no, I've only ever touched one person that wasn't for a life or death situation."

It was a vague answer, but Natasha accepted it. 

It felt like enough questions for tonight, Natasha still had questions, but she knew enough to be satisfied for now.

The two of you quietly enjoyed the night, looking at the night sky and Natasha braving herself enough to move her hand outside the blanket and grasp yours. 

You had turned over, surprise in your eyes, but you didn't pull away. 

It was enough for Natasha. 

She leaned over, pulling your hand a little closer until you could feel her breath on your lips.

Warm.

Natasha was warm, but you already knew that about her.

And under the dimly lit night and cool breeze, you shared a kiss with Natasha that both felt like a warning and the start of something that can't be controlled. 

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Months pass by with little to no change. 

Natasha had stopped asking the important questions, even if they itched in the back of her throat. 

There seemed to be some kind of line you had drawn since that night Natasha kissed you. 

You were both still warm and kind to her, but distant. There were no talks about what the kiss meant, but Natasha knew there was something between the two of you.

And she was falling deeper and deeper the more she spent her days around you.

Natasha is a very patient person, she knows that. Whatever is holding you back, it's clearly something big.

And the fact that you were pulling back when you clearly felt something for the redhead only indicated to her that you were at least serious about her. Otherwise, it would've easily pushed forward for a fling. 

You seem to go out a lot. Every day you seem to leave around midday and don't return until late evening when David is about to finish cooking dinner. 

Natasha sees the look the two of you share, clearly whispers of things she cannot hear, but she doesn't push it because it's not her business. She's here as a guest.

As much as she wants to know, you haven't shared that with her, and Natasha knows better than to push. 

It isn't until one day late in the evening that David tells you he's got some new information for you to check out, and you need to leave immediately to scope the area. 

"This might take me a while," you tell Natasha softly as you stand before her, fingers unnecessarily itching to touch her cheek, but you force them to remain at your side.

Natasha nods as you leave, staring at your form as you go quickly.

It was in a blink, but Natasha still stares at the door. 

David looks on, biting his tongue. He wasn't a fool; he had noticed right away. It didn't help he could hear Natasha's soft sigh from the first night the two of you kissed.

On top of that, he had noticed you were internally struggling about what to do, as best as you were trying to hide that. 

David has known you for a long, long time, though. And while Natasha may have caught on, David knows why. 

He sighs, grabbing some wine glasses and a bottle that has been stored since the 1980s. 

"Come have a drink with me," he tells Natasha, hopping up the stairs to the second level balcony. 

"Very nice," Natasha smiles as he pours her a glass, and she catches the wine choice.

"It's going to be a long night, and you deserve a nice wine at least," David gives her a half-hearted smile as he puts the bottle down onto the mini table as he leaves over the railing, gazing out. 

Natasha raises her brow but doesn't say anything else as it's a moment to just enjoy the wine and the view. 

"So, what's got you all melancholy that you wanted to drag me out here with wine?" Natasha asks when the moment is over.

David takes another sip, swirling his glass gently when he lowers his glass and sighs. 

He turns to Natasha, looking more serious than she remembers him looking for the past few months.

"I'm only telling you this because I've grown to like you, Elaine would kick the shit out of me if she knew I was doing this right now," David lets out a forceful breath through his nose.

Natasha smiles lightly because she's grown to appreciate David too. In ways, she connects with him that she may not connect with anyone else. It's beautiful to find that in a friend, and clearly, he appreciates it as well.

She stares at him, waiting patiently for what he's about to say. 

"I love her—I do. I will always stick by her side, and she is my family that I wouldn't hesitate to die for. But I'm also telling you this as a friend," he says softly but sternly. "Give up on her." 

The words come as a shock to Natasha. Parts of her understand that something is underlying underneath all of this, but other parts of her don't.

"Why?" She asks seriously. Natasha watches as David runs his hands through his gravity-defying hair.

"I assume you know that she can't feed on humans," David looks at Natasha, and she nods. That's never been an issue for her, whether you could or not. 

David knows you'll be entirely pissed at him for telling Natasha, but he knows it's something you wouldn't tell her. At least the whole truth. 

"She's cursed," David tells Natasha simply.

Natasha blinks.

"Cursed?" She says slowly, almost confusedly. 

David nods. 

"She was involved with someone before I met her. I don't even know the full story of what truly occurred, but I can tell you that this person consumes her," David shook his head. "I don't know what happened, but the end result was that this woman put a curse on her that if she ever tries to feed on anyone else's blood, she will die."

Natasha had suspected that there might've been someone else in your life previously, but she hadn't expected this.

"Who could've put a curse on her like that?" She wondered out loud, mostly to herself.

"A witch," David answered bluntly. 

Natasha whipped her head up to look at David with shock.

"A witch," she slowly said to which he nodded.

"Yes, true witches born with powers in their bloodline did exist. Most have been burned at the stake because of the prevalent witch hunts until about 1750. Some still exist today, but probably in hiding."

It was like something clicked in Natasha's brain.

"Is that why the two of you are in Sokovia?" She asks immediately. "You're looking for someone. A witch."

David nods once, a little slowly.

"Yes," he says hesitantly. "That woman's descendants to confirm if the girl has powers."

Natasha nods, things making more sense.

"Are the two of you looking for a way to break her curse? I guess it would make sense. If a powerful curse was put on, then most likely only that person, or that person's descendants with powers could remove it, right? Is that what she does every day? Have you found any leads--"

"She doesn't want to remove the curse."

Natasha kept talking at first, but then the words hit her like a freight train. 

"What?" She asks a little breathlessly. 

David presses his lips together, feeling the sting for Natasha. 

"She doesn't want to get the curse removed," he repeated. 

"Then why is she here? Looking for that woman's descendants?" Natasha asks, wanting to let the desperation leak out in her tone.

Had she always felt this deeply for you?

Had she already fallen this far?

Natasha hadn't thought so, she knew she would down the line if things had continued as they were, but this moment was sobering to her. 

David shrugged helplessly at his friend. 

"Your guess is as good as mine. Regardless of the reason, you can understand why I'm telling you to give up on her," David licks his lips. "I'm not saying she can't love you because I can see that she clearly feels something serious for you already, which is why she's struggling right now. But she's also very clearly not over her past, and whatever it was, will hurt both of you down the line."

It was silent, Natasha taking his words into consideration, but before she could respond to David, they heard the front door open.

You were home.

The door had opened rather harshly, and the two could tell whatever you had scoped was not good. 

Putting down the wine glasses, they rushed back and down the stairs. 

Finding you standing there, looking displeased and stressed.

"What's wrong? Did you find them?" David immediately asks, referring to the descendants. 

You shook your head. "No, but the place you sent me to turned out to be a Hydra facility. I couldn't get in to look without being noticed, but I could hear what was happening inside. They're experimenting on humans."

You looked over at Natasha, licking your bottom lip subtly. 

"I think it's best you gather the Avengers."

PART VII

[secret-engima]

Seer LC OC Intro HCs/Profile

-Her name is Cyra. It means “like the sun” apparently and I have no idea how to pronounce it but in my head it’s like SIGH-ra and that sounds pretty.

-Very inspired by V of DMC-5 who gave me the idea for an LC OC with a cane in the first place. Therefore she has very pale skin, black-blue eyes, and very wavy black hair. She keeps it cut short to like- her chin because it’s easier to manage that way. She also has some tattoos on her arms and neck, but I haven’t decided if they be dragon scales (in honor of her past life as an Au Ra) or something else.

-Is 4′10″ of pure sarcasm and magical intuition.

-Is a reborn WoL Summoner, but her memories are ... patchy and she tries not to think of them. She still has her Carbuncles tho so not everything is terrible.

-She’s the result of Regis have a drunken night with a very pretty Altissian woman when he was Altissia during the Road Trip. This is ... a mild problem for Cyra because Regis’s “date” that night was with a NOBLEWOMAN. Who was part of one of Altissia’s oldest (read: snobbiest) noble families.

-Noble Family Was Not Pleased. But Cyra’s mom never got Regis’s name, so they couldn’t track him down to insist he marry her, so instead they hushed it up and married her to one of their branch members who had black hair so they could pretend Cyra wasn’t an Oops Baby.

-Cyra’s parents are wonderful human beings. The rest of her family are Not.

-Cyra’s magic is Weird and it causes her Joint and Pain Problems that nobody can properly diagnose even if its provable enough and bad enough she gets medication for them, and since her parents have kept her magic a secret from the rest of the family for Good Reasons her cousins/aunts/uncles often make fun of her for it and insist she’s just trying to get attention.

-Cyra can and has smacked people between the legs Very Hard with her cane for saying this to her face.

-Cyra is aware that she has Seer powers in the form of a very annoying and heightened intuition that makes her do random stuff sometimes MONTHS or YEARS in advance for a Thing without ever telling her what the Thing is. She calls it Susurrus and perceives it as an annoying male voice in her head randomly giving her instructions/clues like the world’s most unhelpful game tutorial that you can turn off. Why Susurrus and why male voice? Because guys are annoying but at least they don’t screech like the harpies Cyra regrettably has to call her cousins next question.

-Cyra used her Seer powers and her own natural heightened intelligence/maturity from being a reborn WoL to escape Altissia to a fancy Insomnian college at 14. Proceeded to intentionally STAY in college until she was 18 and a legal adult so she didn’t have to automatically return to Altissia barring extenuating circumstances. Is now the tired owner of two Masters because Everything She Does Is Overkill.

-At 18 she opens a second hand bookshop-cafe on the very borders of Little Galahd even though she isn’t Galahdian because the rates are cheap and No Noble Would Ever Come There so she doesn’t have to deal with the gossip circles anymore. It has a surprisingly spacious two-bedroom apartment on top so her biggest issue is getting down the stairs in the morning (this is what her spare cane she always leaves at the bottom of the stairs is for, because warping is so much easier than stairs but shhhhhh).

-She names her bookshop-cafe Second Sight. Totally because she sells second-hand books and you use sight to read said books. Totally. It’s not a sarcastic and bitter jab at her own foresight. Totally not. Nope. No idea what you’re talking about.

-She meets bby Prompto when the boy wanders into her shop looking for a book. All her red flags go up because this kiddo is not dressed like he’s from this sector. How far did he walk to get here and where are his parents?

-He basically has no parents. They’re always busy. He lives in the empty house all alone 90% of the time while they do business trips and conferences.

-Well.

-Who wants to abuse her college connections, her vast array of Susurrus-spawned favors, and her noble family name (without their knowing) to take custody of Prompto and become a 19 year old Mom with Joint Problems?

-Cyra. Apparently.

-Meets Libertus a few years after the Prompto Incident when he comes sniffing around in hopes of getting a new copy of a rare book that got ruined (STOP EXPERIMENTING WITH SPELLS IN MY APARTMENT CROWE). Decides he LIKES this place because it’s quiet and calm and the tea is good and he can read in peace without worrying about one of his idiots crashing in or setting something on fire because they don’t know this bookshop exists.

-Cyra and Libertus get along pretty well. Prompto likes him too so that’s a bonus. They are Casual Friends who are maybe contemplating asking the other out on a date but haven’t worked up the nerve yet.

-Until one day he comes in to find her quietly having a meltdown in the back because her Jerk Family Head just called insisting she come back to Altissia to marry a NIF NOBLE. And if she doesn’t comply they’ll cut off her medical support (which she does need, she has medication to take for her chronic pain).

-Libertus would like you to believe he is the Braincell of his group. He really, really would. He is the mature, sensible one who does NOT impulsively jump into things.

-Totally not. Never an impulsive, life-changing decision in his life.

-On a different topic, he knows an officials guy in the marriage license office who does elopements for Galahdian couples that don’t want to bother with Lucian Wedding Nonsense and the guy owes him a favor and no matter what else is wrong with being a glaive, being a royal soldier means AWESOME healthcare for self and spouses and kids.

-Wanna get married to spite your relatives while simultaneously escaping their thumb and getting to keep your kid and your shop?

-Cyra uses her cane to pull Libertus down for a kiss. He’s assuming that’s a yes.

-It only occurs to Lib a week later when Nyx walks in on him packing his stuff to move to Cyra’s apartment (since a condition of the Healthcare Thing is that spouses have to be living in the same place and like pyre he’s making the woman with the cane have to walk up and down Little Galahd’s network of stairs and bumpy roads to get to her shop everyday) and demands to know WHAT LIB IS DOING that Libertus realizes he... forgot ... to tell Nyx. Or anyone else in the glaive other than Captain who is probably just now finding the paperwork detailing his change in status.

-....Oops?

-All the Glaive in Unison: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GOT MARRIED A WEEK AGO WITHOUT TELLING US????????