#But trust me in like 5 hours once I go back to sleep and wake up again. I'm gonna be the funniest bitch in the planet about this

[priconstella]

!

[jjmaybankswifeyx]

don’t play with me princess

zach justice x fem!reader

warnings • smutty smut smut, zach : daddy, kissing, use of yn, pet names, oral sex, flirting, angst, jealous zach, swearing , 18+

summary: you went on dropouts after being friends for years and him begging you for ages to come the podcast , you finally give in and things kick off.

*Do not copy my work*

*zach has his own place in this*

you were messaging zach all last night about the podcast, what time to come etc he was being so sweet telling you he’s gunna be with you the whole time but knowing zach he will probably bully you for it tomorrow on the podcast “i’ll be fine” you mumbled before dozing off to sleep.

you wake up at 11:06 to zach phoning you making sure your awake as you always sleep in, unfortunately you had just woke up and had an hour to get ready and leave as you had to be there for 12:30 and it takes 20 minutes to get there “yea you just woke me up” you say rolling out of bed “good can’t have my star guest not come” he says, you hang up the phone starting to get ready doing a natural look as you didn’t have time nor effort to do a glam look, once you finished your makeup you chose your outfit then left.

you got there about 5 minutes before the pod started saying hi to everyone “omg yn” alyssa shouts across the room running towards you engulfing you in a big hug “alyssa ahh i missed you so much” you say with a massive smile “alright alyssa she’s mine calm down” zach says appearing around the corner with a smug little smirk on his face “oh shut up zach” turning around to face alyssa again and walking into the studio.

“hello welcome or welcome back to dropouts today we have an extra special guest, my girlfriend yn y/l/n” looking at u in shock “oh you wish” looking at the mic “i do i really do, so yn” your quick to answer as your nervous as what hes gunna say “yes zach” already dreading the question “how have you been” relieved with this you start to smile “yea it’s been great honestly i’ve started my own clothing line and makeup and it’s going great!” smiling knowing how far you’ve come “wow that’s great! any boys recently ?” jared says adding to the convo “oh jared you know” you say winking at him before you both start bursting into laughter, you look over at zach and he looks like he’s burning a hole into your brain, he looks mad ? you chime in “no guys i’m jk don’t clip that” you say with a nervous laugh zach still does not look impressed until he spits out “oh yn you wouldn’t even kiss jared on the cheek never mind do the devils tango with him” smirking you reply “oh and how would you know that” he stares at you for a second “okay guys if your not subscribed to the patreon you get a 7 day free trial, you get extra bits from these podcasts also you get them earlier plus extra videos like the drunk episodes when we get me and some other people drunk and try spill some secrets” you just look at him unimpressed as he carries on.

by now your on the subject of sex and relationships jared talking about this girl he is going out with tonight and how he would love to have something with her as theyd been speaking for months “yea jared i think you just gotta go for it, no woman wants a man who takes their time, and they don’t want to beg for it either ” you say giving him a woman’s perspective “oh yn you were begging for it last night” zach says smirking earning an oh and oh shit from jared and alyssa you just completely gobsmacked on what this man just said to you “oh please like i would go to you for that your probably not even as good as you make out zach, actually alyssa can you relate to this a man always says he knows what he’s doing yet he can’t get it in the right hole” jared and alyssa start laughing hesring a very quiet yes from alyssa as zach says “oh trust me i know what i’m doing” you didn’t look impressed “hm ye still don’t believe it sorry zach” he’d had enough at this point he wanted to throw you over his shoulder, take you upstairs and prove it while you were screaming out his name “don’t play with me princess”, jared just gasped and alyssa just started laughing you however just turned over and said “of course i’m gunna mess with you other wise your gunna wind me up so” looking over at him letting your eyes drop for a mere second you saw him readjusting himself seeing a massive bulge in his pants looking up with him smirking at you.

alyssa and jared start having a conversation about something i’m not sure what i was zoned out thinking about what zach said and his bulge until you were pulled out by zach coming closer to you wanting to whisper something “i’m gunna fuck you so hard after this your not gunna be able to even speak and say i didn’t know what u was doing, you understand me gorgeous?” you nod while backing away just smiling jared and alyssa obviously caught on “um guys what you saying over there” knowing you were caught until zach chimes in “oh i was just asking yn about something i heard about her clothing line and it’s true but not able to say sorry. it’s a secret” you sigh knowing zach just saved your ass and his.

after 1 hour of you and zachs glances you started you flirt with jared to get a reaction out of zach, must say he contained himself pretty well until the pod finished you said your goodbyes to jared and alyssa claiming you were gunna hang out with zach for a while as you haven’t seen eachother in months they believed it obviously as it is true you did miss him but you needed him now, as soon as they walked out that door you said “so you gunna prove it to me or what?” walking over to him looking up batting your eye lashes without a word he smashes his lips into yours quietly letting out little moans and gasps as he picks you up taking you to his room he throws you on the bed hovering over you “hm you look so good today” moaning while he’s kissing your neck “you too baby, wanted to have my way with you since i first met you” you moan against his touch not knowing this as you thought you guys were just friends with the occasional flirt “take your clothes off princess wanna see you” he says throwing his shirt some where across the room, after hearing those words you have never done something quicker you were lying there naked while zack still had his jeans on he slowly started kissing down your stomach reaching down to your bare dripping pussy “this wet already baby? hm someone’s needy” saying with a grin before you could answer he dived into your pussy sucking your clit making you scream out in pleasure “hm zach more baby please” he starts to pump his fingers in and out of you sucking and licking your clit, you could hear his tiny little moans and the vibrations coming off, “could jared eat your pretty pussy like this baby?” he says hint of jealousy in his voice you shake your head unable to focus “words princess” he says picking up his pace “no! daddy you do it better than anybody” you say about to come until he stops what he’s doing and looks up at you “what did you just call me?” you now are very embarrassed yet the words come out you couldn’t stop it “d-daddy” he smiles looking at you “fuck princess i cannot do this i need to be in you” you sigh then spreading your legs for him as he unbuckles his belt letting the cold air hit your core “fuck gorgeous such a good girl for daddy” he says slipping into you, he’s massive so much bigger than you thought “fuck daddy your huge” that just gives him a boost and he starts picking up the pace, “oh baby you don’t how long i’ve wanted to do this” he says moaning in your ear “me too daddy needed your cock for so long hmm” screaming without a care who heard you “your mine princess” you moan at the words nesrly making you cum alone “all yours daddy” you say trying to fight for breathe “what princess didn’t quite hear you?” ramming into harder and deeper “i’m yours daddy all yours!!” shouting even louder before he utters “good girl” as his thrusts get sloppy “where do you want me beautiful” without even thinking you say “in me daddy i’m on the pill” he does a couple more thrusts before you both are cumming the hardest you ever have, nobody has ever made you feel this way and you loved it, he pulls out of you now all cocky “that prove it to you huh” saying all confident “wasn’t even that good” you say smirking “hm i wish i could believe that but your moans and words say different gorgeous” he says before getting something to clean you both up.

as you were laying there he says “i meant it you know” you look up at him confused “your mine now, not letting you go” you just kiss him as you fall asleep tangled up together.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I hope you enjoyed leave me things to write in my inbox 🤍🦭🌟

[futfemfantasies]

Unexpected meetings - Katrina Gorry x Morgan!reader

Prompt #20 - Alex Morgan little sister (5 years younger) - dating ___. Alex finds you two making out after a national team friendly - USA vs ___. Alex ‘threatens’ ___.

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

2018

The smaller body in your arms started to turn, which causes you to slowly wake from your peaceful sleep. You look into Katrina's brown eyes and melt instantly. Wordlessly, you both lean forward and envelope each others lips in a soft kiss. Katrina's small hands wandered up your sleep shirt, tracing the outline of your abs as you both continued to kiss. A loud siren like alarm blasts through the room, causing you two to jump apart before laughing.

"I told you to change that babe"

Katrina laughs as she sits up and stretches, showing off her muscular back that makes you drool.

Just as you open your mouth to speak, you hear a loud banging on the door.

"Y/N/N get your ass up! You're late to breakfast"

Your lovely older sister yells through the door.

"Okay I'll be down in 10"

"Make it 5 or I'll bench today"

You roll your eyes at the lame threat, knowing she can't actually do that.

A text is quickly sent out to the group chat of the entire team excluding your sister saying you need them to distract Alex to sneak a girl out. Thankfully, no comments were made apart from the usual Sonnett and Kelley but you choose to ignore them most of the time.

You got ready in your training gear while Katrina quickly found her Matildas clothes around the room. You walk up to Katrina and wrap your arms around her waist tightly, so she can't leave. You lightly kiss her jaw and trail down her neck. She moans slightly but realises you both need to go.

"C'mon babe, we need to go"

Katrina says trying to get out of your grip.

"Just let me hold you longer"

You mumble into her.

Your cuddle session by your phone ringing to say you have a text.

Kelley: We have Al distracted, get the girl out now!

"Right let's go baby"

You put on your slides and grab the keycard, as well as your phone before racing out the door.

In the elevator, you once again hold Katrina in your arms and sigh into her hair. Katrina turns around and kisses you quickly before the doors open. As they open, you see the meeting slash breakfast room door shut and you know this is your chance. You both walk hand in hand across the foyer and out the front entrance, letting out a breath of relief. You bid Katrina a goodbye and that you'll see her later. You watched her walk back to the hotel, which was only next door, so you know she's safe.

Short stack 💘: stop watching me you creeper...

y/n/n 🦋: just wanted to make sure you are safe baby 🥺

short stack 💘: aww, well you are forgiven. i love you 😘

y/n/n🦋: i love you more, see you later sunshine xx 🥰

Walking back into the hotel, a part of you felt gone but at least she was only next door. You look up from your phone to see your sister standing there with her arms crossed and eyebrows tightly knitted together. Kelley along with a few other of your friends were behind Alex mouthing 'im sorry' as they couldn't keep her in the room. You just hoped she didn't see who you were with.

“What were you doing that made everyone attempt to keep me in the room?”

“Nothing Al, don’t worry”

Attempting to push past her, Al grabs your wrist causing you to turn around.

“We don’t need any distractions y/n/n”

“Trust me Al, she’s far from a distraction”

You say pulling your arm away and walking into the meal room.

After breakfast you all have a few hours before leaving for the game so you decide to have a shower and attempt to relax until the game. You hear a bang on your door and you know you have to go. With your kit bag in hand, you put your headphones on and grab your phone before walking out to the bus.

The bus ride to the stadium was quiet. No one dared to come near you are they knew when you had either earphones or headphones on not to bother you. You arrived at the stadium and noticed the Australian bus just arrived as well. You look behind you slightly and locked eyes with Katrina before giving her a wink. Alex pushes you forward slightly as a silent way of telling you to hurry up and you give her a glare no one wants to receive.

After the national anthems have been sung and the coin tossed, the game was ready to begin. You stand in position, alongside your sister up front, and put your game face on. Sam Kerr kicks the ball off and now it’s game time, until the 22nd minute when your own girlfriend scores a rocket from outside the box. You hung your head in shame and walked back to position. The whole game is a cat and mouse situation with no one really getting close enough to shoot. You spot Lindsey with the ball and you weave past Emily and Alanna into an open gap and call for the ball. You move around the players and look up to see a perfect distance between you and the goal. The next thing you know the fans are cheering, drums being hit and your teammates jumping on your and smacking your head. After the next few minutes of extra time, the whistle is blown and the game ends in a one all draw.

You shake the hands of your friends in the Australian team until you get to one in particular, who you were saving for last. You wrap Katrina up in your arms and stay like that for a few minutes taking in the time you have together, even though you play for the same club team.

“You played so well out there bubs. I’m proud of you. That goal was amazing”

“I’m proud of you too speedy. Can we swap jerseys?”

You nod and start to take off your jersey.

Katrina’s jersey just fits in your tall build, while yours looks like a dress on her. You get called over by Christen and you bid your goodbyes to Katrina. You get back to the locker room and you know you’re not going to see her for a few weeks so you just need to see her one last time.

y/n/n 🦋: meet me in the hallway xx 😉

short stack 💘: 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

You throw your tee on and slides before walking out of the dressing room to meet your ever so sexy girlfriend leaning up against the wall. Grabbing her hand and checking no one from either team followed, you both move to a more secluded area around the corner. You two wasted no time and smashed your lips on each others. Your hands going just under Katrina's jersey, resting on her hips, while hers are playing with the baby hairs on the back of your head. Just as you go to move you knee between Katrina's legs, you hear someone clear their throat. The two of you pull apart to see your sister standing there, arms crossed and a face not impressed.

"So this is who you were sneaking out this morning"

"Al listen I-"

You started but got cut off immediately.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me. I thought we told each other everything y/n/n"

"Trust me Al I wanted to tell you bu-"

"I can't be here right now. And you"

Alex directs her attention to Katrina.

"If you even think about hurting a single hair on her body, you better watch out"

Alex walks away and you want to break down in tears. Katrina pulls you in a tight hug and you start apologising for your sisters behaviour, since she's never done it to any of your exes before.

"Hey you have nothing to apologise for. You've done nothing wrong. You're okay"

You physically relax in Katrina's arms and you pull your head out of her shoulder and see Christen and Tobin walking towards you.

"Hey Kat, I'm guessing it went well with Alex then?"

Christen asks and you give her a look that Tobin laughs at.

"Well we're leaving in about 15 minutes so if you want a shower, I'd go now"

You nod and the pair walk off and you feel Katrina tug on your hand to face her.

"Everything's going to be okay. Just let her calm down and talk to her back at the hotel. I'm literally just next door okay?"

Katrina leans up to kiss your cheek ever so lightly, making you blush slightly

"I love you so much"

"I love you too but more when you're less smelly now go shower"

You both walk to your respective locker rooms when you look back and blow Katrina a kiss. Meanwhile in the locker room, you walk in and Alex comes over, hugging your side.

"I'm sorry y/n/n, I just don't wanna see you hurt"

"She's not going to hurt me, I promise. You can calm down with the protective older sister vibe too. I honestly think I'm going to marry her one day"

Alex smiles for the first time since the full time whistle was blown and pulls you into her famous bear hugs.

“I’m just happy you’re happy bug”

2023

liked by samanthakerr20, alexmorgan, stephcatley, mackenziearnold, katrinagorry10 and 84,963 others

itsyn25: 26.05.23 ~ i asked my best friend to marry me and she said yes. i can't wait to spend forever with you my love 🥰🥺

view all 10,485 comments...

alexmorgan: OMG YAY! I just told Charlie and she hasn't stopped jumping and screaming... love and miss you all 💘

itsyn25: maybe that means you both need to visit...

kyracooneyx: yay mums are getting married 😊

christenpress: i'm so happy for you bestie xx 🥺😊

katrinagorry10: i can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you ❤️

[madebycloud]

Cozy

jenna ortega x reader — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

summary: rainy morning breakfast with your girlfriend (requested by anon) warnings/themes: fluff, rainy morning, breakfast err words: 0.6k

The rain's been lashing the windows all night. You roll over in the cozy little cove you've created with the blankets and pillows around you. The early morning chill is too strong for the warmth of your bed.

Suddenly, you receive a notification on your phone. You slide from the warmth of your bed and move over to the bedside table, picking up your phone and checking the notifications.

Nothing but spam and promotional messages. You sigh, returning the phone to the nightstand.

You sat up, stretching your arms and scratching your hair. You took your time to wake up, feeling the laziness seep into your bones. The idea of getting up made you want to just crawl back under the blankets.

The woman next to you is still sleeping. You reach out and wrap your arm around her waist, pulling her close to you and placing a string of kisses across her shoulder.

She mumbles something you can't quiet hear, but her body shifts underneath your touch, and she rolls over to face you. Her eyes are half-closed, but her smile is bright as she touches your cheek and pulls you in for a long, lingering kiss. 

“Morning,” you mumble once the lips finally part. She giggles before laying her head against your neck.

“What time is it?” she asks, her voice still raspy.

“I dunno, 7 something...?” you reply, unsure of the actual hour but confident enough that it's early morning.

You give her a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up to start your daily routine. You washed your face, brushed your teeth, and dressed in comfortable, warm clothing.

When you were done, you found her still in bed, her body curled up like a cat behind the cozy sheets.

You head to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, determined to make something special today. You start the coffee maker and read through the many recipes on your phone, hoping to find one that's quick, easy, and delicious enough to satisfy both your cravings and your taste buds.

Then you see it: those fluffy, mouth watering pancakes with sliced strawberries and maple syrup. It's like they were made for you and your taste buds.

“Ahh, that's the one”, you tell yourself, grabbing the ingredients in a flash to start cooking. Your fingers move fast and effectively as you beat up the batter, and before you know it, you've had a flawlessly golden, fluffy batch of pancakes created precisely the way you want them.

While your cakes are cooking, hands wrap around you from behind, and you turn to see your girlfriend.

“That smells delicious,” she says to you, her eyes focused on the cooking pancakes. You kiss her lips gently before turning back to the pancakes.

“Trust me, babe, you're about to partake in a culinary masterpiece crafted by none other than the 5-star chef.”

“Sorry to disturb the master chef,” she says, before she sits down at the counter, resting her legs in a cross and tilting her head to watch you cook. “What are you cooking?”

“Obviously, a five-star meal.”

Finally, the pancakes are done, and they are served on a dish with some additional maple syrup on top, as if you were an actual 5-star chef. Breakfast in hand, you set it down on the small table. Jenna follows you and sits down on the couch next to you, resting her head on your shoulder.

You sip from your coffee, tuning into the local news broadcast on TV. They're reporting the weather, which is rainy outside. You take a mouthful of the crisp, syrup-coated pancake—the sweetness of the strawberries and the richness of the syrup complement each other perfectly, and it's the perfect way to start your day. 

With a smile on your face and the pleasure of a job well done, you lean in to kiss her.

It's going to be another one of those days where you have too much stuff to do and not enough time to do it all. Eh, at least you can count on your amazing morning kisses to make it worth it.

[onskepa]

Sorry about what I writed earlier at my request you can delete my request but can I suggest to write a story with mother Neytiri and spider Gwen reader where she user to be abused by skypeople for her powers before she met Neytiri who took her under her wing and you can create the rest yourself because I am curios how you will end it:) but of course only if you want to.

Oooooooooooohhh spider man back to back! I love it! Okie, I have a lose idea for this. I type as I go. Hope you like it!

P.S: reader will also be able to breathe pandora air!

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

Ghostly bruises

Spiders are scary creatures. Multiple legs and multiple eyes. Small yet strong. Never underestimate their size. Many carry venom and that is enough to take down anything. Their webs to lure in prey, create a home for themselves. Their eyes to see in many directions and legs to crawl faster. 

Many underestimate what they can do. What they're capable of. When push comes to shove, spiders will attack. And when they attack, you better hope that you make it out alive. They may be small, harmless, but a spider does what it does best. Lure you into their web and trap you to meet your demise. 

Your pov

“HEY! GET UP BUG!” 

Damn it. Damn it all. I just want at least 1 hour of sleep. Is that too much to ask? Apparently not for these people. 

I don't really have a choice. I should be grateful that they didn't pour cold water to wake me up. So that is something. 

Putting on that skin tight suit I wear, I get ready for another mission. 

The suit, while tight in every way, was one the few comforts I have. Personally designed it to my liking. I'm just glad they did not force me to wear what they wanted me to wear. 

Wearing all my favorite colors, and a hoodie as a plus. 

I make my way to general Ardmore. That old cranky woman. How is she not retired is beyond me. 

“Rise and shine bug, got a new mission for you” she tells me. There is always a new mission. Once I'm done with one, she quickly gives me another, leaving very little to no room for rest. Even my advanced stamina needs to recharge! 

“What is it this time?” I ask, as patient as I can. 

“An import train will be passing the valley in the south in 15 hours. If you don't know already, there is a cave the train has to pass through. Clever blues hide in the dark to amish. Your job is to cover any holes, edges, corners, and nooks with your webs. You have 10 hours to get it done. We don't want any surprises” 

Is she serious?

“10 hours? Do you have any idea how large that cave is? I will be dry within 5!” I argue. 

Ardmore just rolls her eyes, that bitch. 

“Not my problem. Get to it, now” 

“Now hold on there-AAARRGGHH!!” I felt that familiar electrical hit on my back. Falling on my side, I see her goons got that shock stick. They continue to shock me, my sides, neck, hip. They love to torment me. 

“Get up bug, I don't want you wasting time” 

“Y-yes ma’am” I said weakly. 

I hate sounding weak. It only enforces their view on me. A bug, a mere insect they can step on. 

Third pov 

There was a tip given from the science guys that a train would pass through the starlight cave. Within a few hours it would pass but the steam the train releases would damage the nocturne creatures living in that cave. They were rare creatures as their way of life is rather fragile. Anything can easily ruin their environment and their lives. 

Neytiri took the stand to lead a group of warriors to protect the cave and set up traps before the train would even make an appearance. Neytiri was not afraid, she would trample down any machine or demon that dares to hurt her planet. 

This mission would be no different. 

Norm said they had only a limited time to set up defense areas and traps. So no time is to be wasted. 

So neytiri goes with some trusted warriors. 

Upon arriving at the cave, there was already the sight of sky demons. Lying low, neytiri and the other na’vi would silently scatter as they took aim at the entrance of the cave. 

From what they can see, 6 humans were guarding the entrance, from time to time turning around to talk to someone that was inside. So there were more. Its fine. 

Neytiri has taken down hundreds within minutes. This would be nothing. 

“HEY BUG! GO FASTER ON THOSE WEBS!” one of the humans shouted. 

Two of them muttered to each other, grinning in a sickening way. Then two of the 6 guards went inside the cave while pulling out two electrical rods. 

Neytiri hates those rods. She has been hit with those once, never again does she want to feel that painful experience. Seeing them again, she wonders who will be receiving the end of those shocks. 

Shaking her head, she signals the other na’vi to strike. 

Pulling back her bow, neytiri takes aim, and like a silent rain, all arrows landed perfectly onto their targets. Good, 4 down, few more to go. 

Signaling the other warriors to go inside the cave, Neytiri runs towards the entrance. She notices there is a small light blue flickering light deep in the cave. Along with evil laughter and someone screaming. They sounded to be in so much pain. Not wasting another second neytiri and the other na’vi ran further into the cave and saw a horrific sight. 

The two humans use their electrical rods to shock and torture a young person. They laugh as they poke the person around. Clearlying enjoying the person's suffering. 

“STOP IT!! STOP IT!!!” It sounded like a young girl. Her voice cracking, trying to get away from the two humans but they only get closer. 

“COME ON BUG! GET BACK TO WORK!” one of them shouts, aiming for her wrists. 

Her whole body shakes, unable to say any words of protest. 

Neytiri couldn't handle to hear the painful screams anymore, letting out a war cry she aimed right at the heart of the human who brings pain to the young girl. With one swift move, the arrow went right through, making the first human fall to the side, bleeding out. 

The second human didnt react in time as one of the other na’vi shot their arrow through the human’s head, an instant kill. 

The rods fell from their grips, neytiri kicks them away. 

“See if there are anymore” she says, the other na’vi comply and scatter for any more humans. 

Looking down at poor girl, neytiri oddly couldn't help but feel terrible for her. Looking at her body frame, she looks to be very young. 

The girl was in a fetal position, her arms sprawled out, her wrists having terrible bruises. And not just the wrist, her face filled with scars and more bruises. Neytiri can tell she went through some terrible things. 

“Mawey…” she whispers, reaching down to touch the girl but hears a whisper. 

“Please….no more….I cant…” was all the girl said before she passed out. 

Neytiri looks at her, after witnessing what the other humans have done, she cant let the girl be alone. Who knows what she has been through, and what more she could go through if more humans come soon. So making a quick decision, neytiri gently picks up the girl, cradling her like she would with her other children. 

“Neytiri, there are no more but we noticed something” one of the na’vi returns to report to neytiri. 

“What is it?” she asks. 

“There are white strands on the other end of the cave. They feel a bit sticky, and light. Almost like the kinglor silk, but different. We don't know what it is or what animal could cause it”. 

Neytiri wants to take the girl back to the village, but there is a goal to meet. 

“Come, we will return to the village for more help” she says 

Your pov 

I woke up strangely on something soft. Like cotton. No one screamed to wake me up. I felt well rested. Scanning my area, it looks like Im in a tent. I can see the sunlight peaking in, unfamiliar smells I never smelled before. Most of all, its noisy, but not a bad noisy. I can hear distant animals, vague chatter, leaves brushing against each other. 

Clearly, I'm not at the RDA base. 

I dont remember what happened, just that I was webbing one side of the cave and then- 

Oh. 

Thats right. 

Steve and Greg were torturing me again. Using the rods to poke at me. They must have been that bored if guarding the entrance to the cave was easy. 

That still doesnt explain how I am here. 

“Oh good, you are awake, I was worried” 

A female voice spoke, slow english words but with a heavy accent. 

I turned to see a na’vi. Oh my god. 

She was so tall! Like really, really tall! 

“Its alright, I am not going to hurt you. My name is neytiri” the na’vi tells me. Keeping a distance between us. 

Is this really happening right now? 

Third pov 

Neytiri really didn't understand why she brought the young human into her village. After explaining to her mother what she witnessed, mo’at believed it was good that neytiri saved the young girl. They know humans don't treat their own kind well. 

Yet neytiri can't help but feel slightly skeptical about the girl. When the girl was passed out, she observed the girl in great detail. From the odd clothing she was wearing which almost looked like a second skin, to her mask, her stature, everything. 

Using herbal medicines, thankfully the nasty bruises were fading but her complexion seemed pale, not a healthy pale. As if she hasn't been exposed to the outside world that much. 

So many questions neytiri wants to ask, some no doubt would be sensitive to ask the young girl. She can wait, for now she just wants to treat the girl, no mattering why the need to do it. 

Is it her motherly instincts perhaps? 

Neytiri worries for her children a lot, especially her youngest. Maybe it is projection as her husband would say. Who knows, what she does know is that the girl is safe from those who harmed her. 

Your pov

“Are you feeling alright?” the na’vi asks me. 

I guess I didnt respond fast enough, still trying to process what I am looking at. 

“I…um…wait, you speak english?” I ask. 

The na’vi nods, smiling a bit. 

“Yes, I know how to speak it. I was taught very young” 

I honestly don't know much about na'vi. I have only seen a handful and most exposure I get is from the newly awakened recom avatars. 

“W-why am I here?” I hesitantly ask. Hoping she doesn't end me or hurt me any further. 

“I saw you getting hurt, they laughed at your pain. I had to stop it” she tells me. 

Looking down at my hands, remembering the cave. 

Wait, the cave! 

Quickly I got up, walking a bit wobbly towards her. She has to know! 

“A train! There will be a large train machine going through the cave! Its going to carry a lot of weapons and other things!!” I said rather a bit fast. 

She holds me tightly so that I dont fall, seeing the comparison of my arm to her hand, she can easily pick me up like a doll if she wanted to. 

“Yes, we know. Thank you for telling me. We will put traps to stop it from going” 

I shake my head, “no no, they will surround the train with shooters! They wanted me to also set traps and cover the cave! They don't want anything to interrupt it! Please! I don't know how much time has passed but its going to arrive soon!” I plead. 

Urgency was all I felt and thought of. Ardmor would kill me if she knew I was spilling their plans to the na’vi. At this point, I dont care, if the na’vi can stop the train, it would piss off ardmore, something I would love to see. 

“Cover? What do you mean cover?” the na’vi asks. 

Oh god, do I tell her? I already confessed a big chunk. 

“D-dont…dont freak out ok? I can do this….I raise my wrist, aiming at the tent pole and shot out a web string. 

Third pov 

Neytiri has never seen any human do that. Ever. 

It was the same thing the warriors found in the cave. And it comes out of her arms?? 

“I have…powers. I can shoot these things called webs. They are strong, sticky, and durable. I can do things no human can. At the cave, the RDA wanted me to use my webs to make traps and clear the way for the train” the girl explains. 

Neytiri slowly nods, taking in this newfound information. 

In her conclusion, the humans were using her like a tool. What happened at the cave, clearly the girl isnt saying a whole lot more. They probably dont see her as an equal in their species. 

“I hated doing it….please dont take me back! Please, I can help! I can show you what more I can do but please dont send me to the others!” the girl begs. Tears ready to fall from her eyes. 

“Sshhh….its alright, I won't sent you anywhere you dont like” neytiri comforts the girl. Bringing her in for a tight embrace. She is so small, so thin. Do they starve her? Restrict her food access? 

“You are safe here. I won't make you do things you dont like. My home can be your new home if you like” neytiri offers. 

The girl looks up at her, hope twinkling in her eyes. 

“R-really?” 

Third pov

“This is ghost. I have my eyes on the target, they are closing in” the young girl whispers into her mic. Observing RDA soldiers walking through the forest.

She stands upside down from a tall tree branch, a web sling already out stretched to move to the next tree.

“They are making their way to the spot” she reports. She swings to the other tree, landing with no sound. Eagerly she sees the soldiers walking right into her trap.

6 soldiers walking on foot, 10 in their new AMP suits.

Easy.

One of the soldiers stepped on the trigger, the ground they stood on was false as a camouflage cover moved to reveal spikes at the bottom. The soldiers fell into their deaths. Arrows began to fly towards the amp suits just as they were shooting at random.

She can see her fellow na’vi moving around in the foliage to avoid the bullets. That is her cue.

Swinging around in circles, the girl shoots at the glass windows and the guns. Covering their vision and aim. But she does more, carefully she aims her webs at the foot of the amp suits so that they dont move, some tripping themselves.

“GO GO GO!” she shouts, the na’vi aims their arrows at the windows of the suits, going straight through the humans that were inside. While a lot, the fight lasted a few minutes with her and the na’vi winning this fight.

Landing down, the girl looks for anything salvageable to bring back home.

“Well done my daughter”

Smiling, the girl turns to her mother, neytiri.

“Thank you my child, however I would prefer if you just stayed home,” neytiri says as she places a kiss on the girls head.

“Im fine mom, besides, with my webs, we took them down way faster. Plus, no one got shot. Less injures and more success”

While that was true, neytiri knows some raids or fights remind her daughter of her past.

“I understand, but I cannot help but worry for you. Those machines almost got you” she tells.

“Almost, but I am fast”

Chuckling, neytiri holds her daughter close, “yes, you are very fast my love”

The girl happily basks in her mothers embrace. She likes this, being held, it never gets old. Since that day, the girl loves physical affection, her new mother proves abundance and never rejects her.

Life has been easy for her, enjoyable and makes her look forward to tomorrow. Yes, the girl would sometimes think back on her past. The things she went through, at times she can feel the phantom pains from her tortures. Would rub her arms or face where the bruises used to be. But its less now.

The girl loves her new life and is forever thankful of her mother saving her. Having a new family, love, a home, it is all she ever wanted. To hell with Ardmore and her plans with the RDA. The girl for sure cant wait to see that old hag and rub it on her face. That she is more than a tool, than a bug. Ghost is more than Ardmore can ever know.

Aaaaaaaaand that is all for this one! Hopefully I managed to get as much gwen personality as I can. Kinda tricky ngl, but either way, I kinda struggled how to end it but I hope you all enjoyed! Until next time! See ya!

[audrey-carr1]

The Heiress and the Lady of the House (part 5)

A/N: I finally updated! Yay!

word count: 3.3k+

warnings: fem!reader, Hettyxreader, some kissing and other things but no smut

Want to read on AO3?

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |

The morning of NYE

Hetty was always the first one to wake. She says she enjoys watching the sunrise and seeing the sunlight enter the room to illuminate my beauty. I am always the last one to fall asleep, naturally as I am the one running the business, but also because I wanted to be sure Hetty slept. More than once, I have heard Hetty talk about how she does not sleep well or at all. Since she has begun to sleep in my bed, she has slept very peacefully. As she enjoys watching me sleep in the morning, I love to watch her sleep in the evenings. Her face relaxed and free from anxieties. Often times I find myself twirling her hair between my fingers. Sometimes I would have to keep myself from laughing when Hetty would begin to snore softly.

Now Hetty and I lay cuddled in bed enjoying the peace of the morning. Almost an hour ago, I had set up the Wii for the ghosts that were awake to play Just Dance. It was not a game I thought they would enjoy, but they took it up very quickly. I, along with everyone else, was surprised to find that Thor was very good at the game often getting 5 stars on his first try on every song. 

Even though she rarely played with them, the only person Thor could not beat was Hetty. She was always just a couple of points ahead. I had never seen Hetty enjoy herself more than when she finally got the hang of the game. At first, she complained that the music was horrible, but over time I have heard her humming the lyrics to the songs. Ofcourse I would never tell her this, this was a moment I’d keep to myself. 

“Have I told you how beautiful you are? Especially in the morning,” Hetty says placing a kiss on my forehead.

“Every morning since we’ve been together, but I will not tire of hearing it,” I say placing a kiss on her lips. Hetty greedily accepts the gesture. 

“Get up here,” Hetty says in a sultry voice as she moves to lay on her back and brings me on top of her to straddle her. 

“Hetty, everyone is up they could hear,” I say sitting up. My hands lay on her chest, and her hands began to caress my upper thighs.

“Well, maybe you should work on being more quiet,” Hetty teases. Hetty takes a moment to marvel at your beauty. Your positioning on the bed allows the light to cast around you almost like you have a halo around your body. “My personal angel” Hetty muses to herself. 

My giggles turn into whimpers, and soon my whimpers into soft moans.

“Quiet remember,” Hetty whispers in my ear, her grip on my thighs tightening. I nod biting my lip to keep silent. 

One of her hands continues its journey up your thigh and getting closer to the place I wanted…no, needed it most. 

“(Y/n), can you touch the Wii remotes again?” I hear Trevor ask through the door.

Hetty’s hand stops abruptly, and I slump against her in defeat. “Oh, so close,” I sigh to myself.

I sigh outwardly and Hetty chuckles, “You are going to have to give those boys a curfew on that game machine. No gaming hours that could interrupt our morning activities,” Hetty says letting me go, so I can get up. 

I quickly wrap myself in my silk robe, and look for my slippers which I quickly find near the door.

“Is this what parenting feels like?” I ask

“Honestly, I haven’t the slightest idea. I let the nanny take care of that aspect,” Hetty says waving off the question. 

I laugh as I slide on my slippers, “I love them, but I am almost at my wit's end being called. I’m about to push Riley or Nadine down the stairs so they can see everyone too.”

“That wouldn’t be the worst idea, how about Nadine?” Hetty asks a bit too eagerly. 

“Behave, Hetty. She is still my friend,” I reply

Hetty smirks to herself and turns to lie on her side. 

“Hurry back,” She says waving me away.

“Trust me I’m trying to,” I say leaving the room. 

I head towards the room with the Wii, and I’m met with Pete and Trevor waiting for me. I could almost laugh at the picture. 

“Oh, good morning!” You hear Pete say, “We hope you weren’t sleeping,”

“No she and Hetty were trying to get it on,” Trevor says making a gesture. 

“Trevor!” I say swatting his arm. I try to keep from laughing, as I blush from being found out. 

“What am I lying?” Trevor defends himself, “Honestly I do not blame them, Hetty and I-”

“Please spare me the details of what you and my girlfriend used to do,” I interrupt.

“Girlfriend? You two are using titles now?” Trevor asks. A grin spreads across before laughing, I even hear Pete chuckle a little bit. Trevor enjoys being able to tease you about something. 

“Oh no, I mean…where are those stupid remotes,” I say scanning the room. I spot the remotes on the couch. I grab them and give them to Pete and Trevor. Before leaving the room I touch the rest of the Wii remotes in case the other ghosts wake up and decide to play.

“ Hopefully that’ll buy me an hour...if we’re quick,” I tell myself.

 I hurry back to my room turning the sign on my door to do not disturb before entering. 

“Took you long enough,” Hetty says in mock boredom. 

“You are very impatient this morning,” I say crossing my arms. 

“I come from a time period of sexual repression, and of the 130 years I have been dead it was not until year 126 that I discovered my own sensuality via broken washing machine,” Hetty says in an unamused tone, “I have a lot of time to make up for.”

“Washing machine?” I ask. 

“Yes, a washing machine. Now lover, if you could please,” Hetty gestures for me to come back to bed. 

“Well since you asked so nicely,” I say untying my robe. 

I discard the robe at the door leaving me in my silk nightgown. Sauntering over to Hetty I try to keep a serious face, but I cannot help the smile that threatens to break. I reach the bed, and Hetty grabs a hold of my waist.

“Even when you are being silly, you make it sexy,” Hetty says, beginning to pepper my chest with kisses and making her way up to my neck. While I try to focus on the moment, I cannot help but think about what Trevor had said earlier. 

Hetty helps me back onto the bed and moves me to straddle her lap once more. Her lips resume their kissing but this time on my neck. I feel her teeth graze against my skin, but my mind is elsewhere. I barely offer an auditory acknowledgment of the gesture.

“Darling, when I said you had to be quiet, I did not mean statute silent,” Hetty mumbles against my skin noticing my lack of enthusiasm. 

“I am sorry Hetty, I’m just not in the mood anymore,” I say climbing off of her.

“What?! Why?!” Hetty whinged. 

 “I mean what happened? Is something wrong?” Hetty quickly corrects herself and sits up in bed trying to fight the pout forming on her lips. 

“When I left to go fix the remote situation. Trevor said something, and actually…do not worry about it. Forget I even said anything, I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast,” You close the door to the bathroom.

Hetty sits on the bed in disbelief. She hears the shower start to run, and she knows that the moment is ruined beyond repair. 

“I’m going to kill him,” Hetty says leaving the room on a mission, “Oh, Trevor!”

------

The rest of the morning and into the early afternoon goes by quickly as we all prepare the house for our New Year’s celebration. After a while, I head upstairs to take a nap. I tell Alberta that if they need anything to wake me up, and she sends me on my way telling me not to worry. 

“Hetty have you noticed (y/n), lately?” Flower asks. 

“I tend to notice her a lot,” Hetty says not knowing where Flower could be going with her impending line of questioning. 

“No like her complexion, she looks a little…different,”

“I hate to brag, but I might have something to do with that new glow she has been sporting,” Hetty smirks to herself. 

“No, Hetty not like that. She looks a bit pale and she has been more tired than usual. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed,” Flower says.

“Well it is the wintertime, and Sam and Jay always say they lose so much color in the winter. Maybe her trip to the beach will bring her back to life. Do not worry you’re pretty little head about,” Hetty says beginning to get worried herself. How could she not have noticed these changes, and she sleeps right next to you? 

“Worry about what?” Flower asks. 

——————-

Still thinking about what Flower said, Hetty begins to get even more worried and sets out to find you. After searching what seems to be the entire house, she finds you still asleep in your room. Hetty smiles softly to herself at the sight and comes over to brush your hair from your face. Hetty does notice that you do look a bit pale, but she tries to tell herself that it is due to the change in season. Hetty places a kiss on your forehead and leaves the room. Hetty wonders if she can get Alberta to ask the Alexa a couple of questions about your symptoms.

When I wake up from my nap, I groan and hold my head in my hands. I feel as if my head were about to split in two. I take a couple of steadying breaths before standing on my feet and going to the bathroom. I  rifle through the medicine cabinet to find some kind of medicinal relief. I gulp down a couple of pain pills with a glass of water, and I press the cold glass to my chest, now feeling a bit overheated. 

“I better not be getting sick,” I say out loud. I refill the glass and gulp down the rest of the water before heading downstairs. 

I am surprised to find that the entire house is quiet. I look around the house, and I finally find the ghosts huddled around the Alexa. 

“Hey guys, why so sneaky?” I ask the room. Everyone jumps at the sound of your voice not expecting you to be awake. 

“Nothing, we just wanted to settle a debate,” Alberta quickly says. 

“A debate? A debate about what?” My eyebrow quirks up as I cross my arms. I knew they were up to something, but I could not tell what. 

“If hotdog is just hotdog or if hotdog disguised as a sandwich,” Thor says quickly. Everyone looks at him, and he just shrugs. 

“Well, what did you find out?” I ask, playing along. 

“How about instead of quizzing us, we figure out how we are going to throw this New Year’s Eve party that you keep talking about,” Hetty says emerging from the group and to my side. 

“But Hetty,” I begin to say. 

“Ah ah ah, as Lady of the house, I demand we talk of party plans,” Hetty leaves the room, and I am sure I am expected to be behind her. 

“Is she always this bossy?” I ask them slowly making my way to the door.

Everyone nods while Trevor says, “In ways you can’t even imagine.”

“Shut up Trevor,” You hear Hetty say from the hallway.

-------

New Year’s morning

Hetty and I try to finish what we started yesterday morning, and we are off to a good start. The room is filled with soft sighs and moans. 

“My nape, kiss my nape,” Hetty begs. 

I do as told, and she arches her neck to allow me a tiny bit more access. I begin to urge Hetty onto her back. As soon as her head hits the pillows we hear my name being called…again. Hetty curses under her breath while I offer an apologetic look. Once again I do the same routine of adjusting my gown, tightening my robe, and putting on my slippers. 

“I’m getting blocked by ghosts, this has to be my worst nightmare,” Hetty groans. 

“Just imagine how Jay feels,” I laugh knowing this has likely happened to him on more than one occasion. 

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I say standing on my feet. I push myself off of the bed, and I bring a hand to my head to ward off the dizzy spell that just came on. The other hand grabbed the footboard of the bed. I stand still for a moment hoping that the room will stop spinning for one moment. 

“Darling, are you alright?” Hetty asks sitting up, ”(Y/n)!”

I try to answer her, but instead, I feel my knees collapse and I hit the ground.

——————-

I groan as I open my eyes, my head throbbing just a bit. I’m thankful the curtains are drawn to keep any bright light from entering the room. The only source of light comes from my desk lamp.

“Finally, you are awake. There is a glass of water next to your bed, dear. On your nightstand,” Hetty says softly. 

Without looking in her direction, I gulp the glass of water in one go. I set the glass back down on the nightstand, and I slowly sit up in bed against the pillows slowly.

“Maybe we need to convince Sam and Jay to add an extension to the house,” Hetty suggests. 

“I would still be called, Hetty,” I say holding out my hands. Hetty smiles to herself and comes over to me. 

“Well need to figure out how to extend this power of yours. I very much would like to have some interrupted time with you. As well as moments where you are not fainting because of what I assume is stress,” She says. 

“Hetty, you have plenty of uninterrupted time with me,”  I say adjusting my position a little. 

“Next time you are called, you are not answering,” Hetty says sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. She helps move the pillows to make me more comfortable. 

“Is that an order from the Lady of the House?” I ask.

“Yes, it is, and it would be wise for the heiress to heed that order,” Hetty replies 

“Hetty what if it’s an emergency?” I ask.

“Well Sam and Jay are back for a while, they will figure it out,” Hetty responds. 

We sit in silence for a moment before I speak up again.

“You are fretting dear,” I say. 

I see Hetty squint in disapproval, and I know I have hit a sore spot.

“You are having night terrors, you barely have an appetite, you are pale, and now you are fainting,” Hetty points out.

“Hetty I always have night terrors, some nights are just better than others. As for my appetite, I am just not hungry all the time. It just happens,” I brush of Hetty’s concern hoping that she would drop the subject soon. Then I remember this is Hetty, we will not be dropping this anytime soon. 

“I hope you know that I do not believe you. Even more so since you still have yet to explain the fainting,” Hetty says standing up. 

“Point proven,” I say to myself.

“It was one time! What can I say? I fall for your beauty every day,” I say hoping to lighten the mood. 

“This is serious!” Hetty declares.

“Fine. What is it that you would like me to do?” I ask crossing my arms. 

Hetty does the same, “I want you to go see a doctor.”

“Fine,” I say a bit exasperated. I’m in no mood to keep this going back and forth.

“You aren’t going to argue about it?” Hetty says a bit taken aback. 

“I would not call this an argument. Do you want to argue about it?” I questioned with a raised eyebrow. 

“No, you just have a stubborn streak. Therefore, I was expecting you to fight back a little,” Hetty says, her hand cradling my chin. She tilts my head up to meet her gaze. 

“Well, we could argue, as you say, or we could kiss which could lead to some other things. I think a little love may be the best medicine I can get,” I prompted.

Hetty laughs brushing my lips with her thumb before getting up and leaving the room. 

“What? So no kiss?” I sputtered. 

—-----

Over the next week, my headache does not get any better. Now that Sam and Jay have returned, I do not have to worry about being up and ready to work as much. After hearing of my condition, Riley and Nadine were more than happy to help cover my hours. 

Now I mainly lay in bed, and Hetty stays with me tending to my every need however she can. It is mainly her telling Sam that I need something, and then Sam bringing what was requested to me. 

“You seem to have quite the motherly instincts,” I say. 

“And if you tell anyone, I’ll cut your tongue out,” Hetty says. She continues to brush my hair.

“You wouldn’t, you like my tongue,” I say sticking my tongue out.

“Oh great, now you’ve gone delirious,” Hetty says no doubt rolling her eyes. Her arms wrap around me and sink back into her. I close my eyes, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in her arms.

“When do you have your appointment?” Hetty asks.

“Early tomorrow morning, Riley and Nadine are going to take me,” I respond.

Hetty hums in response. 

“I am worried about you,” Hetty says quietly. If I weren’t so close to her, I probably would not have heard it.

“I know,” I say.

“I do not want to lose you,” Hetty says. Her voice is a bit thick, and I can tell she is fighting back tears.

“You won't,” I replied kissing her hand, “I promise,”

————————

The next morning, I wake up feeling slightly better than in previous days. I find it unusual that Hetty is not awake with me, but I let her rest. She was probably up fretting over me all night anyway. I get ready, and before leaving I leave a kiss on Hetty’s head. I whisper an “I love you,” and smile when I get soft snores in response. I quietly leave the room, and head down the stairs. 

Riley already has my coat in hand ready for me to put it on. I slip into it, and Nadine helps to adjust the collar. 

“You two are acting like I’m dying or something,” You whisper trying to lighten the mood. 

They barely crack a smile, and I scoff. 

“Guys I am fine. We are going to get me checked out, and they are going tell me I am fine, and then we will come back and live a life so good it could be a sit-com,” I say, “Now let’s go before everyone else wakes up and looks at me like I am going off to war and never coming home,”

That causes a snort to leave Riley and Nadine to laugh softly. 

Riley offers to drive, and Nadine lets me sit in the back so I can sleep if I want to. The car starts, and I try to ignore the uneasy feeling that appears. I've had this feeling before, like a panic attack, but it feels way stronger this time. Instead of the usual impending sense of doom, I have an overwhelming sense that something horrible is about to happen.

“I’m fine,” I assure myself.

I take a steady breath, to calm myself.

As the car moves closer to the gate, I feel a build-up of energy. Almost like static electricity all over my body. My body begins to feel pulled almost as if I am being split in two different directions.

Then everything goes black.

-END-

[notoneopinion]

10 Ways I Soothe Anxiety

Hello. I have anxiety.

I have anxiety, but I have also managed to somehow keep a pretty good life for myself through it all. Getting out of bed when you have a paralysing fear of the world is not an easy task, but there are a few things I have found that make it that little bit easier, life that little bit smoother. And because we certainly don't gatekeep here, I thought I'd share the ten main ways I soothe anxiety. Basically, ten things I do to switch off and remove myself from my brain.

1. Turn your phone off.

An obvious one, but probably one of the most important. It's insane how clogged a person's brain will get when they spend their day glued to a phone screen. For me, it's not even just social media that sets me off, though that is a massive trigger for me and many other people; it's the phone in general. I could be playing Angry Birds for twenty-four hours and still finish the day feeling gross and anxious and guilty. The screen itself just makes me feel groggy, which in turn leaves me feeling anxious by the time I'm getting into bed that night. There are some days I will wake up, and just turn my phone off completely - usually days when I know I'm going to be at home all day, but still. That extended break from screen time is a life saver.

2. Fidget toys.

Okay, so I may also have autism.

But!!!! Fidget toys are miracle workers for all kinds of mental illnesses and uncomfortable feelings, so don't think you can't invest in some just because you're not on the spectrum. Fidget toys are literally made to soothe anxiety, so get yourself some!! I have one called a Tangle that I keep on me at all times, and I just mess with it in my pocket when I'm in a social situation and I don't know what to do with my hands, or I start feeling a little overwhelmed. It brings my fight or flight right down. I don't know the science behind it, but I honestly don't even care. Give me fidget toys, or give me death.

3. Model making, eg Legos, 3D puzzles.

Legos and 3D puzzles are another thing that has changed the game for me when it comes to anxiety. Like fidget toys, they are the perfect way to keep your hands busy, but they have the added bonus of keeping your mind busy, too. These are, of course, more of a relaxation technique, something you come home to after a stressful day rather than something to eliminate anxiety on the spot, but we'll take what we can get. These also keep you relaxed and distracted for hours, because there is hours worth of work to be put into them. Plus, they're very addictive - once you start on a Lego set, or a puzzle, you don't want to stop until it's finished. I've sat for eleven hours straight doing a Lego set just because I wanted to see the finished product as soon as possible, and during those eleven hours, my anxiety was non-existent. I was just enjoying myself the entire time.

4. Have a nap.

Very self explanatory, and yet controversial???

But genuinely, just go to sleep??? If you're having a gruesome day, and your mind is bullying you, and you're exhausted, just lay down and go to sleep. Fuck what other people say. There is nothing wrong with clocking out from the horrors of the real world for a few hours. As long as you get back up, all refreshed and ready to tackle another day, who cares??

5. Talk to a loved one.

I am very blessed that I can put this on the list. I know this can be a very difficult coping mechanism for a lot of people - trust me, I know. Growing up, my anxiety was my own, and not once did it ever occur to me to share that problem with anyone else. However, after meeting the right people, and understanding that nobody is going to be annoyed about hearing my problems, talking to people became one of the best and most useful coping mechanisms I've got. It can be as simple as sending your best friend a text telling them how you're feeling, or you can go all out and sit your Mum down with a cup of tea and bawl your eyes out. Getting those feelings out will give you a physical relief as well as a mental relief; the weight you've been carrying, a weight you probably don't even notice any more, will be gone in a matter of minutes. I promise you.

6. Exercise.

I know. I was shocked too. All those scientists that told us exercise and moving your body is good for your mental health were right. Bastards.

Just go on a walk. That's what I mean when I say 'exercise.' If you want to go to the gym and lift weights, or run a marathon, you go right ahead. More power to you. But by 'exercise' I just mean. . . move your body. Take the dog on a walk! Walk to the shop instead of driving! Get a bike! The tiniest bit of movement in a day can do wonders, whether we want to admit it or not.

7. Blast happy, sing-in-the-car music.

There's a playlist of Spotify that I highly recommend when it comes to wanting to escape reality and just have a good time. It's literally called Songs to Sing in the Car, and it's one of those playlists Spotify make themselves, just full of songs that you can sing at the top of your lungs, or blast through your headphones, and just have a real good time for a little while. I know it's easy sometimes to just go straight to that playlist full of sad songs that you can relate to in that moment, but try and go for a different approach - go find old bangers that you used to jump around to as a kid. It's a breath of fresh air.

8. Do chores.

Two in one baby!

A good chunk of the time, our anxiety is stemming from our to-do list, even if we're not thinking about it. All around us is evidence of all the unfinished tasks we've got to do, and that can really stress you out. Personally, whenever I'm anxious, I become almost camotose; I will just sit on the sofa and stare at the wall, feeling everything all at once. However, I've found that using this time to do little tasks around the house actually makes me feel better. I'm not saying I go and do a full massive clean; I might push myself just a bit to wash one or two dishes, or the whole sink if I can manage it. I'll hoover the living room floor. I'll go upstairs and put my clothes away. Just tiny jobs, only as much as I can push myself to do. A lot of the time, one job turns into two, and then two turns to three, and soon my house is spotless, and you know what they say - clean space, clear mind!

9. Take up knitting/ crocheting.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I only discovered this as a coping mechanism when I was suffering from really bad insomnia and I couldn't sleep; I somehow found myself watching YouTube tutorials on knitting, and I was overcome with this intense urge to learn. It was literally one in the morning, and I drove to my Mum's house (dragged my fiance out of bed to come with me, too, sorry babe <3) and grabbed knitting needles and some yarn. I was up knitting for about an hour, and I felt so relaxed that I actually managed to go to sleep! For the first time in days! So not only can you make really cute clothes and nick-nacks and learn a new skill, you're also relaxing that anxious brain of yours for a little bit.

10. Have a good cry.

Yeah. Just this.

[ash-says]

How to tackle Fragmented Sleep/ Sleep disruptions :

This post is inspired and geared to help @thisisneededfmr .

Also to every one of those who are going through similar issues. It becomes extremely taxing when you can't sleep peacefully at night. You keep on waking up in between after some hours if not then suddenly you are half asleep which according to me is even more annoying. Being an insomniac or nightmares can make this condition even worse.

Sleep fragmentation can be described as frequent interruption or disruption in the normal sleep cycle. It can cause various chronic health issues as well as have repercussions on mental health.

Ways to tackle Fragmented Sleep:

1) Develop a sleep schedule:

Instead of being a night owl jump into your bed and try to sleep. It will be difficult at first but slowly and steadily you might fall asleep. Count numbers?? Try to sleep at the same time everyday. Because once it becomes a habit you will automatically feel sleepy.

2) Avoid Caffeine or any foods that result in hyperactivity:

Coffee is infamous for making you feel nervous and jittery. So avoid it before bedtime hours. Any kind of foods that result in a hyperactive nervous system cancel them out.

3) Practice relaxation techniques:

Listen to calming music, do breath work, meditate, read a nice book before you fall asleep. This might help in calming your nerves.

4) Exercise regularly and do yoga before sleeping:

The benefits of exercise are well known to us. I don't want to waste my time in convincing you about it. There are some specific yoga asanas you can do before sleeping and trust me it works like wonders. One of my friends when I used to live in a dorm made us do it and the sleep after that was just a chef's kiss.

5) Limit screen time before bed:

The radiations emitted by the phone or electronic devices disturb your sleep cycle. So try not to use your phone before you fall asleep. In fact at my home this is a rule we never sleep with the phones near us. They are kept at a great distance so that the quality of sleep is not disturbed.

6) Try not to do work or other activities in bed:

I read it somewhere on Tumblr long back please if anyone knows the blog kindly tag them in comments so I can give the reference here. It stated that you should only use your bed for sleeping as it will automatically signal your brain to sleep once you are in there.

7) Address your mental issues:

Most of the time sleep fragmentation is caused by psychological problems. Is there something you are trying to escape from? Or are you in a stressful environment? Depression? Anxiety? Adhd?etc you get my point right. Try to fix those issues. Your problem might be arising from there. Who knows.

8) Check your medicines if you are on any:

Literally!!! I am not kidding. It's really serious. Some medicines put your nervous system in hyperactive mode resulting in fragmented sleep. Check with your doctor and share these things with them. If the problem has started after you started the dosage maybe it's responsible for it.

From here the suggestions are based on personal experience with no scientific data to back it up. Use your own discernment.

9) Hug someone or something and sleep:

This works for me sometimes. If there's someone you are close to then try asking them if they would be okay to sleep while hugging you or holding you close. It's therapeutic. Plus it helps in relaxing the adrenaline in your body and brings you out of the survival mode.

10) Sleep in an open space:

Sometimes our bodies are not able to relax in a confined place. It's part of a phase especially if you have trauma related to closed areas. It can be triggering for your body and your brain might wake you up in between to look for danger. So sleeping in an open space like a balcony or something might work.

11) Keep a knife under your pillow:

I know this sounds ridiculous but it's a belief in our culture that doing it solves sleep related issues. Especially if you are having nightmares. And even if it doesn't work you have a knife to swing if someone attacks you in case. It's cool.

12) See a doctor:

When nothing of the above helps and even your own techniques that you might know it's high time you take professional help. It's not something you should ignore.

Being stated all that I really wish you a GOOD NIGHT SLEEP and pray that you overcome these issues. There are a lot of underlying causes that result in sleep fragmentation but the main one being Stress, Trauma, Emotional distress,etc.

So find a friend and vent it out if you are going through any negative state of mind. If you don't have anyone my ask box is always open. Drop a message and I will try to reach out to you as soon as I can.

Reminder: You are doing great given the circumstances. So keep fighting on and don't let anything have power over you.

[dark-is-d3ad]

Hey, moving thing, but with an angsty twist? What if that mission from part 1 went really-really wrong?

Or, Ghost comes back alone. (I promise no one dies, okay? We've had enough of that shit already)

~~~

He doesn't even turn on the lights when he comes in. The flat is cold and messy, somehow feeling empty and full to the brim at the same time, boxes piling like dark ominous towers. Ghost can't help but think that Johnny's stuff is here. And that Johnny's fucking not. And that absence fucking hurts. That opens the way for bone-chilling anxiety to creep in again. It just so happens that Sergeant fucking McTavish caught a bullet. It just so happens he did so because he covered Ghost a little too well. He sits down on the floor, back leaning on the wall.

Then he suddenly gets really angry. "Go home, get some sleep." That's what Price had told him, pretty much forcing him out of the waiting room. They didn't let him in ICU anyway. Sleep, for fuck's sake. As if he could sleep now. He really needs to, though, he hasn't slept for 48 hours. It's probably already messing with his brain at this point.

See, you can get used to people dying, but to an extent. Ghost's afraid to be hopeful. The only thing he knows is that this, if it happens - it will wreck the rest of him up, and he's already fucked up enough. More than enough.

It only takes one Johnny to crumble a mountain of self-restraint, one fucking cheerful attentive guy that you can actually trust. And then you take Johnny away, and that jenga puzzle he was carefully building out of whatever was left of him - it will be so, so wobbly again. Very fucking dangerously so. It might be all it takes for it to fall apart.

"And take a shower," - he remembers. That's a simple order. That he can do. Towels are in there somewhere, deep in those towers of boxes with their shit. He rummages in some, lights still off. It's weird and not efficient, but he just can't force himself to see it all again, that will restart the circle of anxious self-hate. It should've been him. He was supposed to be in Johnny's place, or dead for good.

He finds the towels. And now he needs fucking soap. And it's somehow not there with the rest of bathroom shit. "Soap," his tired brain catches on. He fucking needs Soap, the thought almost sending him into a breakdown yet again.

There he fucking is, looking for soap in their shared flat. Oh, he knows where Soap is. He's out cold in that military hospital, hopefully still kicking.

That sends him into frenzy, and he lets go for once. He pushes the boxes hard, and they fall, loud and awful, and things fall out, and he oh so doesn't care. He proceeds to punch the wall until his knuckles hurt too much to continue. There's blood but not much relief.

That awful mixed overwhelming feeling finally subsides. The flat is now a hot mess, and Simon Riley is a mess too, even more so.

"If I shower and catch some sleep, Price will let me come back," his mind supplies. That sounds good enough, so he does exactly that. He's not good at feelings, but he's a good soldier.

His dreams are repetitive and scary, Soap in all of them. He dies there in a multitude of ways.

He wakes up with a gasp. He's on the floor in the living room, but he was sure he fell asleep in the bedroom, on the mattress. He checks the phone, battery's low, but there's a new message from Price.

"Soap woke up. Come over ASAP."

Something inside him relaxes its hold, and Ghost feels like he breathes properly again.

"On my way," - he replies.

He's out in less than 5.

[sturnstvs]

eras tour - matt sturniolo

summary: matt takes his best friend to the eras tour but maybe a specific song will bring out their true feelings for each other

warnings: use of y/n

requested: no

note: this is part 2 to birthday surprise

after waiting some long months, it was finally may meaning that it was also finally eras tour month. matt was glad that it was finally here so y/n would stop talking about it. he loved his best friend however hearing her talk about a concert 24/7 can be exhausting. it also didn't help that y/n lived with them to, so he couldn't escape it.

y/n decided she wanted to go all out, I mean everyone was. she started making friendship bracelets and planning her and matt's outfits as soon as she got those tickets. she was making bracelets almost everyday, she probably had almost 100, which matt thought was ridiculous but she kept saying that this was important as she was doing it for the "girlhood" part of it. so matt let her. he didn't want to ruin the girls happiness.

it was now may 4th and matt and y/n were on their way to the airport after saying their goodbyes to nick and chris, which took longer then y/n would like. (matt loves his brothers what did you expect?) once they got to the airport they put their bags and such through luggage claim and about a half an hour later they got onto the plane.

(I'm kinda making this up Idk how airports irl work)

the plane ride wasn't too long which matt and y/n were grateful for. they got off the plane quickly grabbing their luggage before getting an uber. after their uber came they got to the hotel not long after.

it was around 7:30 when they finally got to the hotel, so the two were quite hungry as they haven't eaten yet, but y/n and matt thought it would be a good idea to get some dinner and enjoy being in nashville for more then just a concert.

after dinner y/n and matt got back into their hotel laughing at a funny story they heard on the way back from dinner.

"we are so going to have to tell nick that story" y/n giggled

"oh trust me he will definitely want to here that" matt agreed.

"I'm a bit tired I'm going to go get ready for bed" y/n told matt shortly after their laughter had died down

"already? but its only like 10" matt voiced

"yes, I'm very much aware but we have a long day tomorrow" y/n reminded him coming out of the bathroom for a moment still washing her face

"were just going sight seeing and to a concert" matt told her confused

"yeah, a three and a half hour concert, plus we need to wake up early enough to go sight seeing then get back to the hotel to get ready. and we need to leave at like 4:30 to get an uber to get to the venue, and hopefully get merch and watch the openers, which I love gracie by the way so we are not missing that, then her actual concert starts at 8 and we will leave around midnight, so yes matthew we will have a busy day tomorrow, so get some sleep" y/n exclaimed while finishing washing her face, while matt just stood there with a shocked face

"wow, I didn't realize this is going to be literally a whole day" matt voiced

"yeah it is, now let me finish getting ready" y/n finished before shutting the bathroom door

by the time both matt and y/n were done getting ready for bed and in bed it was around 11:30. the two were sharing a bed because they thought it would be better sense there's only two of them, and they slept in each other's bed's all the time anyway.

the next day they woke up at around 7 in the morning to get breakfast. it was wired for matt, he was so used to not sleeping until like 4 or 5 and walking up at like two, but unfortunately they had things to do.

the two ate their breakfast quickly before getting dressed for sight seeing. they toured nashville and the good tourist attractions and had quite a lot of fun. they took pictures and videos to show chris and nick later.

around 2 y/n told them they should leave which matt agreed with. for y/n 2 was already pushing it. the got back to the hotel around 2:30 and y/n was quick to start getting ready.

the girl was in the middle of curling her hair when she threw matt's outfits at him

"what the fuck is this?" matt asked

"your outfit for the concert" y/n shrugged

matt just rolled his eyes in response going to put on his outfit.

y/n finished curling her hair and putting it in a ponytail with a purple bow in it. after her hair was done she did her makeup. which was her simple base with false eyelashes and glitter eye shadow. after her makeup, she quickly went to grab her purple dress in her suitcase before seeing matt sitting on the bed on his phone waiting for her.

"well don't you look handsome" y/n teased slightly meaning it

matt froze hearing y/n's beautiful voice.

"oh thank you" matt responded with a smile

matt was wearing a purple button up with some khaki pants. y/n thought it was simple but good enough for matt.

grabbing her purple dress she put it on quickly as it was already nearing 4. after that she only had a few more things for her and matt.

grabbing nail polish and eyeliner she wrote a thirteen on her and matt's hand. after, she grabbed her sharpie and wrote some lyrics on her arm. if you couldn't already tell speak now was the album y/n was going for.

grabbing her bag of friendship bracelets and her and matt's clear bag to take into the arena they were headed out of the door.

matt and y/n took an uber to the stadium (which took a little longer because of traffic) getting out of the uber they started walking to get in line, well matt waited in line while y/n went to go get some merch from the stand. matt got into the stadium quite quickly and he couldn't help but be impressed by first, the amount of people that were already there and by how big the stage actually was.

y/n got to matt soon after holding merch and having bracelets now all over her arms. y/n had gotten stopped a few times to trade bracelet's with some people that knew her from the internet.

they went through the openers quicky and matt could tell y/n was already having so much fun. once it hit 8 taylor came on stage and the concert started. y/n tried explaining to matt a little bit about everything in the car and showed him a little bit during the concert as well, but she was having too much fun to really show him.

once the end notes to bad blood played y/n started screaming louder knowing that the next set was the surprise songs.

taylor got to the microphone and the whole stadium was cheating excited for what song she was going to play.

"um so I've been planning something for a while, and um you know how I love to plan things, and then you know how I love to surprise you with the things I've been planing, its like, its just something, its my love language with you, you know, I plot, I scheme, I plan and then I get to tell you about it. so, I think rather than me like speaking about it um..." the crowd cheered louder thinking about what she might do while taylor just stood there and let them scream, giggling every once and a while.

y/n started tearing up. if this was what she thought it was, then she couldn't be happier. some people would say she was overreacting but this meant more to her then anyone could imagine.

"I thought I would just show you, so if you would direct your attention to the back big screen, that we have" and with that the words speak now taylor's version available july 7th showed up on the scream and y/n started shouting and bursting into tears. matt was a bit confused but cheered anyway considering this was important. he also filmed y/n's reaction the whole time, going to tease her about it later and probably post it to tiktok to, with y/n's permission of course.

everyone continued cheering, once the cheering slowed down taylor stared singing her first surprise song of the night but not before saying

"speak now comes out July 7th"

as the first words to sparks fly came out of her mouth y/n and matt looked at each other in shock.

this was their song.

"oh my fucking god! this is our song" y/n screamed at matt trying to slow down her tears of joy.

as the song continued matt couldn't help but think maybe this was his chance. his chance to tell y/n how he feels.

"y/n I think this might be the perfect time to say this and If I don't say this right now I might not ever get the courage again. I like you a lot y/n...no scratch that I love you like really love you as more then a friend, and I know you probably don't feel the same way but I needed you to know that" matt confessed while y/n had more tears in her eyes. her makeup was definitely off for the night

putting her arms around matt's neck as the song came to a close y/n smiled.

"I love you as more then a friend to matt" y/n muttered and sealed their lips together with a kiss. a kiss that spoke more words then actual words ever could.

matt and y/n enjoyed the rest of their night together, with a newfound sense of comfort in both of their hearts. man did they have a lot to tell nick and chris about

as they were leaving the stadium once the lights were turned on y/n was checking her phone and saw that someone air dropped a video to her. curiously y/n clicked on the video confused at what it could be.

it was a video of her and matt's whole reaction to sparks fly and their confession. soon after y/n felt a tap on her shoulder.

"you guys are so cute! you 100% deserved that tonight and congratulations" the stranger who took the video said.

y/n thanked the girl before she asked for a picture of her and herself to commemorate the night which she agreed to.

matt never thought that some silly tickets he thought would be a nice gesture for y/n would turn into a full on love confession between them and he couldn't be happier

note: this is not always going to be this taylor swift heavy but I thought it was cute 😊

if you want to be on my taglist comment on that post. you can find it on my pinned post

[linkemon]

Beauty and the Beast (Bakugō Katsuki x Reader) 4

ʙᴀᴋᴜɢᴏ ᴋᴀᴛꜱᴜᴋɪ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴄᴜʀꜱᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʙᴇᴀꜱᴛ. ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄᴀꜱᴛʟᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴏʙᴊᴇᴄᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛꜱ, ʜᴇ ꜱʟᴏᴡʟʏ ʟᴏꜱᴇꜱ ʜᴏᴘᴇ. ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ, [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ], ꜰᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ'ꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴛɪᴍɪᴅᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏᴠᴇʀʜᴀᴜʟ ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀꜱᴛʟᴇ. ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟ ʀᴇʟᴜᴄᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ, ʙᴏʀɴꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ ꜰᴜʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ, ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɢʀᴏᴡꜱ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.

The whole series can be found here. Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 here | 5

Your morning

— Wake up! — A deliberately cheerful voice reached [Reader]'s ears.

With difficulty, she opened her eyelid. The light pouring through the window blinded her for a moment. She blinked, trying to sharpen her view. On the floor, she saw a clock. Kirishima was persistently striking the chimes. The gears inside his belly made terribly screechy sounds. The girl groaned and covered her head with a pillow.

— It's your first day at work! — the Captain of the Guard called out cheerfully.

She responded with only silence. Impatient, Eijirō tugged on a piece of the cover. He couldn’t understand how anyone could sleep through such a wonderful morning. There was no trace of yesterday’s storm. The snow gleamed in the sunlight. He was sure that if he were human, he would go out to train in the brisk and cool air.

— Just half an hour more... — [Reader] pleaded, pulling the fabric toward her.

— How so? — The minute hand spun around the dial indignantly. — That’s very unmanly...

— Unmanly. Yes. I know. Luckily for me, I’m a woman — she cut him off, yawning.

She hid her head under a pile of blankets, savoring the pleasant warmth. She’d have to light more fireplaces to avoid freezing as much as she had the night before. Fortunately, she had plenty of time. She would do it later.

— Let her sleep! — A feather duster swooped into the room. — Can’t you see she’s tired?

— Ochako, you’re an angel — murmured the girl.

Proud of herself, the maid shook her pink feathers triumphantly. That was precisely her job. She always knew what people needed. She missed serving the royal family. Now, however, she could feel, even if only partially, like she was back in those times. She intended to take full advantage of it.

— Out! Now, go! — she hurried her companion. — Anyone in her position would be exhausted. Remember — she added much more quietly — she needs to feel comfortable here or else our plan is ruined...

[Reader] was once again left alone with blissful silence. Unfortunately, dealing with the enchanted inhabitants had awakened her enough that she couldn’t return to the land of dreams. She lay there, pondering her situation. Honestly, she had hoped it would all turn out to be some bizarre, exaggerated nightmare. She desperately wanted to wake up in her own room. By this time, Eri usually slipped under the covers. She did it almost every day. The girl hugged a slightly worn coat. It had helped her fall asleep the night before. It reminded her of her sister. The objects had tried to repair it as best they could. They cut off the bottom part of the fabric. One corner still bore scorch marks but not so severe that she cared.

She wondered what Chisaki was doing now. Was he informing her fiancé that the alliance was off? Had he really returned to the residence to wait a year? She didn’t believe he would give up such a great opportunity so easily. He was a patient man but not that patient. The most logical move would be to retrieve his daughter and the rose as quickly as possible. Under the current circumstances, his only option would be to incite the villagers from the nearby areas against the palace. However, he lacked their trust and the place was surrounded by a dense forest. He would likely try to gain influence and power before attacking. These were just assumptions but she had come to know Overhaul well over the years.

Thoughts of the man she despised so much completely dispelled her attempts to fall back asleep. She got up and reached for the maid's outfit. Her previous one was still drying after her escape yesterday. Reluctantly, she discarded all the ribbons except for the largest one to tie at the waist. She was already enduring the lack of trousers. There was no way she’d wear everything. The most bothersome were the shoes. They were slightly tight and pinched until she broke them in. She looked at her reflection in the water basin Ochako had brought her. She hadn’t seen any mirrors. Actually, now that she thought about it, she hadn’t spotted a single one anywhere so far. She assumed it was probably the king’s doing. If he got rid of works of art because he disliked his appearance, he likely didn’t want to see his reflection either.

She looked around the room. Bored, she decided to pull out the painting she had found under the bed yesterday. Now she had more time to examine the green-haired youth. His face was covered with numerous freckles. He seemed very young. At the bottom of the portrait was a tiny plaque. She must have missed it yesterday because it had blackened with age. Midoriya Izuku — said the inscription. She strained her mind. She felt as if she had heard his name somewhere before. Strangely enough, in two places. Once in the square. Back when she begged on the streets, street plays were performed. She couldn’t recall what this particular one was about but the actors indeed seemed to have a puppet eerily similar to the boy. Later, performances were banned for a long time. It seemed to her that the second time was when Chisaki mentioned Midoriya. At the residence, she overheard many conversations, some more important than others. Could it really be the same person?

— Put it away, will you? — [Reader] flinched at the voice of the feather duster.

— Sure. Sorry for... — the girl began.

— It's nothing. I just don’t want His Highness to see that painting. It’s very important to me — she whispered.

She genuinely seemed to fear it might be taken from her or destroyed. Katsuki must have had exceptionally keen hearing since she was speaking so quietly even now.

— Did you know him? — [Reader] asked, lowering her voice.

She noticed how her interlocutor slightly raised her feathers. She seemed to avoid eye contact. The amber stones embedded in her handle shifted uneasily.

— He was my fiancé. Maybe I’ll tell you more someday but not today... — She turned away.

Something wet dripped onto the floor. The girl could swear it was a tear but it disappeared quickly, swept up by the magnificent tail. She wanted to say something but Gentle and La Brava appeared in the doorway. The inseparable duo greeted her with splashes, bubbling sounds and a cup of tea. She felt strange drinking from something — or rather someone — who was alive. But this part of her new routine she could definitely get used to. The leaves were rich in flavour. They emitted a wonderful aroma that pleasantly tickled her nose. On a cold winter morning, such a drink was worth its weight in gold. It awakened her enough to face the challenges of the day.

She descended the stairs behind the plump teapot, trying to memorize the route. Her footprints were imprinted on the layer of dust in the less-traveled corridors. At one point, she couldn’t hold back a sneeze. The echo carried through the marble walls.

— Do you happen to have a handkerchieee... — Seeing the helpless gazes of the porcelain, she gave up on asking.

She wiped her nose with the end of her sleeve. Not very hygienic but what else could she do? At least she no longer had to search for batiste handkerchiefs and fake sneezes so quiet they seemed non-existent. She was beginning to see the advantages of her new job. Finally, she could throw being a lady to the wind.

On one of the levels, she noticed movement. She peeked over the railing to see the gloomy head of her employer. He didn’t even glance her way.

— Let’s not disturb His Highness — Gentle whistled.

— Let’s not do that — La Brava confirmed.

— Good morning! — [Reader] called out as loudly as she could.

Yesterday evening, they had called a truce. Since she might spend, at worst, a year here, it was time to start behaving normally. And what better way to initiate a conversation than with a greeting?

The teapot and cup froze as if expecting the worst. Only after a moment of silence did they dare peek out from under the old rug they had wrapped themselves in. They sighed in relief.

— What a boor — the girl muttered under her breath.

Not responding to a greeting was bad manners. This wasn’t something taught only in etiquette classes. It was common human courtesy.

— What did you say? — A loud, angry voice came from somewhere below the stairs.

The sound of footsteps told her the beast was approaching. She cursed herself inwardly.

— What a boor I am... Your Highness! — [Reader] quickly corrected herself.

She prayed silently that this wouldn’t be the last sentence she ever spoke. The porcelain was trembling so much it clinked. To her delight, the sound of footsteps began to recede once again.

— Never do that again! — Gentle nearly boiled over.

— Definitely not! — La Brava added.

[Reader] placed a hand over her heart. She had really been scared. To think she just wanted to get to know the king better. She definitely wouldn’t try again. She hoped the rest of the day would pass more peacefully. She quickly followed her guides, not looking back.

So she didn’t see the slightly raised corner of Katsuki’s mouth.

— What’s good for some, isn’t good for me, idiot — he remarked, now being on the ground floor. — No morning is good for me...

[jpitha]

Just a Little Further 21

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Fine. I admit it.

The Royal Dawn is a really nice hotel.

And the best part is, after my... demonstration to the Administrative offices today, I didn't have to order the Hotel to give us some rooms! They just offered rooms to us the minute we walked in!

I was given 'The Empress Suite.' I giggled at the name. I wonder if this had something to do with the royal retinue back in the day. Between the opulence, the name, and the theme it feels possible.

It is possible. There was always more than the Throne for you and your retinue. Every Starbase competed to offer you the most luxurious accommodations. After all, if you didn't like them, you could just rest on your starship.

My room - my suite of rooms actually - are easily the nicest place I've slept in my entire life. I made sure Omar, Ava, Um'reli and I each had our own rooms and while I'm glad that they have their own space, I'm too used to being around other people in the close quarters of FarReach or Starbases back home. I rattle around the rooms opening cabinets and drawers until I see it in the corner near a window overlooking the promenade.

They have a bath here!

It's made of some kind of golden flecked white stone, and is carved to look like it was weathered by the wind and water over millions of years. I figure out the taps, and set a bath going.

Once it's finished, I take off my outfit - Ugh, I wish I packed, this is my only clothes unless I use the Nanites to make more - and slip into the bath. It's blissfully relaxing.

I'm laying back in the tub, just floating, and I wish Ava was here with me.

Where did that come from?

I think for a split second about calling her in, but decide against it. I'm sure she'd come running if I called, I'm sure she'd be... enthusiastic about it, but I don't think I'm ready yet. I comfort myself with the thought, and soak for nearly an hour.

After, I dry and climb into the bed naked. I'll deal with clothes tomorrow.

More wild dreams.

My ship, operated and led by my most trusted Builder, Aeche, carries us to her prized Starbase. Built on her order for me, it's beautiful. She takes me on a tour, and we visit all of the highlights. She is especially proud of the transit system, the largest off planet in the Empire.

A team of 10 Builders live and work at the Reach operating in shifts to make sure all the needs of the residents and builders that live here are taken care of. It's one of the most complex Starbases yet and one of the most impressive.

That night, she comes to my rooms while I'm in the bath. She asks to join me, and I accept. For her, this is a culmination of months of jockeying and positioning to catch my eye, it's the realization of a goal years in the making.

For me, it's a fun night. She is easy on the eyes though, I see no harm in keeping her around for a while.

The next day, she leads me to the Throne. The only larger one exists back home on Imperia and I get the impression that this one is smaller only out of courtesy.

Sitting upon the Throne, with a full contingent of Builders behind me, I'm able to instantly take stock of my Empire. Things are going well. There are new reports from the frontier, and I set them to my ship, Worldshaker, so I have something to read while en route to the K'laxi.

This is the last stop before I go see the K'laxi, turn their Gate back on and remind them what the price of insubordination is. Worldshaker is getting reprovisioned and refreshed as the trip is longer than normal and I want to make sure we can stay a while if needed. On my way out, I'll touch the Gate, and commit an upload.

That night, Aeche visits me again, and we have more fun. After, we go to bed and I lay awake thinking about next steps. Aeche sighs and rolls over in her sleep next to me. I stroke her hair gently. Yes, things are going quiet well. It's nice to have some quiet.

I wake up in my bed, alone, in the hotel room, fully myself again. Not only was that the most... idyllic dream I've had yet, it's the first that I felt like it was me doing the things, not some other Empress.

Yes, the Nanites are doing well. You can probably integrate with the Throne if you were to try. It's up to you however. But remember you told The Smell of Soil after Rain to bring everyone today. We should head over there.

Hmm Good point. Okay, let's get up, get dressed, grab everyone and head over. I look over at my outfit from yesterday. It's nice, and it's impressive, but if I'm going to be presenting as Empress to everyone, I need something... more.

I concentrate and think about what would be right. I don't think about specifics, I let the Nanites take my whims into consideration and see what I get. The fog cloud of them surrounds me and my outfit from yesterday and I when they finish I turn and look in the mirror near the bath.

I'm still in royal blue - good, I like that color - but the outfit now is a... strapless ball gown? It's rather severely low cut - I wonder if that's from dreaming about Aeche - and the dress clings on the top half and billows and flows on the lower half and ends in sparking stars and nebulae on a train that flows behind me, rippling gently as if a breeze is blowing it. I check and... yes, it's not touching the ground. That's a neat trick. I'm wearing taller heels than yesterday too, but at least they're comfortable - for now. It's not something that Lieutenant Mullen would ever wear, but it seems... right for Empress Melody The First. I'll roll with it. In deference to who I am, there is a way to mount my rifle on my back. I click it in place and feel complete. I wonder how many Empresses were armed?

Many were. We even have records of a few who would carry a battle rifle with them.

That brings me some happiness. Even after how different we are, there are still some things that I share with Empresses across time.

As I open the door to leave, I see Omar, Ava and Um'reli in the hall already dressed and ready. They turn to see me and Ava and Um'reli both gasp and blush. Omar grins wickedly. "Melody, I have to say that this is the first time since you told us you were an Empress that you look the part. That is an amazing outfit."

I curtsy slightly "Thank you Omar. Did you all sleep well? I have a hunch with the Nanites you had... intense dreams?"

Ava snaps her had up to me. "I did! I dreamt that I was running a Starbase. We were preparing for your visit and I had so much to do, but I knew how to do all of it, and I had a really strong team, and you complimented our readiness when you arrived!"

Um'reli looks at me with an odd expression. "I did too, but... I dreamt I was a human. A Builder. I was operating a Starship, the Sunrunner. We were tasked by you directly to tour the frontier worlds and build a report about how they were doing, if they needed anything and if we thought there was any unrest. We were very proud because you had personally asked for us."

"What about you Omar?" Ava turns and looks at him.

"Yeah, I had a vivid dream. I dreamt that I was a planetary administrator. I ruled over more than a billion people on a world with two suns. One was white and the other was larger and redder. I remember clearly the odd shadows it cast, and how everything had an odd coloration. You had requested an increase in the delivery of Magnesium. We were able to meet the new quota this time, but I was worried that if you had requested to keep the quote high, how we would be able to make it without overworking the miners."

"Wow, so not only did you dream about being a Builder, not only did you dream about being a powerful Builder, but you all were in direct contact with the Empress. I wonder if that's because you received your Nanites from me directly."

"Who knows?" Um'reli looks at all of us. "But I for one am starving. Let's get some breakfast and go back to the Throne. Melody has a performance to give."

We head downstairs and sure enough there is a restaurant attached to the Hotel. We sit down and immediately I ask for a carafe of boiling hot water to be brought. While we wait, I take out my hand grinder and scale and make some coffee. By the time the water arrives, everything is ready. The Mariens who brought me the water is watching curiously as I make the coffee. Soon enough, it's finished, and I take the first sip of coffee in nearly three days.

Ahh, now, I can rule.

"Pardon my asking, Empress, but what is that?" The Mariens points to my beverage.

"It's called coffee. It's the roasted seed of a plant that's native to the planet we lived on. I like to drink an extraction of it made with boiling water. It does have a chemical, called caffeine, that offers a stimulant effect to Hu-Builders, but we've found it to be toxic to other Sapients, like our friends the K'laxi here. You can smell it if you'd like though." I hold out the cup.

The Mariens leans in and gently inhales. They lean back sharply and look at me. "That smells amazing." Their body language expresses wonder. "Truly, the Builders do amazing things. Now, what will you be having for breakfast?"

We order and eat and walk towards the Throne. As we're walking this time, people are not ignoring us. Children wave, people follow us with their eyes. They don't seem to be fearful of us, more respectful this time. As we turn a corner, I see Rapid River Roaring and The Smell of the Ocean. They look worse for wear. Both of them have matted feathers, even a few bare spots. Wild eyed they're looking around. River is clutching a bag of some kind.

Uh oh.

They turn and see me. Relief washes over them and they run up to me "Empress! My Empress!" They both approach me and bow low, head touching the ground. "We have completed your task. We have found Vivvix and Zemmlin and brought them to you."

Ava looks around. "But, where are they?"

I know where they are.

River opens the bag they're carrying.

Inside are most of Vivvix and Zemmlin.

"I see..." I try to not look unsettled. Omar's face darkens and he turns away. Ava look in and nods, satisfied. Um'reli doesn't look in, but she isn't unsettled by this development either.

Well. What's done is done. "I would have preferred they be brought to me alive, but my fault for not specifying that. Where were they?"

"The cowards were hiding in the docks. They were attempting to board another ship and catch up to that traitor, Ottarn. We were able to surprise them, and carried out your order, Empress."

"Yes, I can see that. Er, thank you both for your hard work. Go to High Line and find Starlight on a Moonless Evening. After this presentation, I plan on visiting the ship to assess it for refitting.

They both bow again. "Empress."

Part 22

[mayflora-18]

Fact Drop #2

Sherlock has black-brown hair. When she was in school she had bowl cut bangs and thinner eyes so she was made fun of for being Asian-American (even though she isn’t really Asian-American)

Yellow lab energy

5’3.75”

Wears wireframe aviator glasses when doing paperwork; has a black and silver pair

Favorite toy: grizzly bear plush

Normally prefers violence as a last resort; “Ask first, shoot later” kinda girl but will fight if 💩 goes south

Nik usually keeps her out of the field if he can. If he can’t however then she HAS to either be with him or communicate with him on a regular basis

Incorrect quote #3

Graves: Who’s that?

Nikolai: Her? That’s Sherlock, our resident background investigator.

Graves: Cool, she’s mine now.

Nikolai: The fuck she is!

Graves, hoisting a very confused Sherlock over his shoulder: Try and stop me!

Sherlock, knowing Graves can’t be trusted but he’s got her in a fireman’s carry: Unhand me-

Grizzly bear plush (named Logan) was given to her by Nik as a “signing bonus”. Has another bat plush named Morty that she’s had since childhood and doesn’t leave her desk

Will offer Morty to whoever needs something to hug

Doesn’t receive as much bullying as she thought she would; either because of Nik’s almost constant presence giving her scary dog privileges or because of the slap incident

Has various handmade soft blankets/pillows/plushies

One of the few people that wasn’t afraid of Ghost when she first met him because she loves skulls

She wins him over with jokes

Nikolai’s niece through his little sister ⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️

Has trust issues because of mentor in Army

She has unusually high ESP. Price tested it once by calling her a busybody in his head, and she asks him, “Is that a nice thing to say?”

Lucky to get > 4 four hours of sleep due to insomnia

Reads books to fall asleep

Is a night owl and requires a full pot of coffee to fully wake up and go about her day

Counters everything Nik is (Cory Matthews x Shawn Hunter vibes)

Sherlock is that person that will do parkour to get things off the top shelf and ultimately scare the 💩 out of the taller military men

She’s also the person that will pick you up and carry you away if you’re annoying her or there’s danger

Is less a background investigator and more of Nik’s assistant

Incorrect quote #4

*Nik and Price are having an argument over something ridiculous*

Gaz: Should we do something?

Sherlock: I’m already smoking and laughing. What more do you want?

Tries to avoid operating on the field whenever possible

Visits family when on leave (if she has leave)

Breakfast food and dirty chais are the way to her heart

Sherlock is a believer of what she calls Lightman’s Law: “Every Homo sapien can and should be trusted to lie.” As a result it is very rare for her to approach anyone unfamiliar for the first time with any hostility or distrust

König wants to be friends with Sherlock but doesn’t really know how to approach her. He’s seen her interact with the field operators in Chimera and TF141 and really wants her to be his “mom friend”

Incorrect quote #5:

Random soldier: *talking down to König for some stupid reason*

König: *stopped trying to appease them a while ago and is now hanging his head*

Sherlock: *walking by and sees this* Hey! Are we on a coffee break?

*Random soldier and König both turn to look at her and see that she is irritated by what she sees*

Random soldier, dumbly: I-I don’t drink coffee-

Sherlock: Well then I guess the break is over. Get back to work, thank you!

Random soldier: *bolts out of there, embarrassed*

König:

Sherlock: You’ll get there, sweetie, you just gotta put a little zing into it. *walks away*

König, thinking: I can’t believe I just talked to a woman!

(He didn’t talk at all.)

Makes blankets that are soft enough to tranquilize upon drapery

Avoids conflict but will fight/kill when provoked (hit on, friends in fight, loved ones at gunpoint)

Exercise = morning walk + yoga + powerlift

Can carry grown men like toddlers

Abby Sciuto + Spencer Reid love child energy (ft. Penelope Garcia and Radar) at work

Nik & Sherlock = Grunkle Stan & Mabel Pines energy

High tolerance for extreme temperatures/pain/painkillers/alcohol

Her dad loves her. He just doesn’t know how to cater to her happiness and mental well-being

Loves Halloween so she can jumpscare her second eldest brother

Is capable of shovel talk

[excelsi-or]

summoned (pt. 3)

hey guys! hope you're all doing well :) time feels like it's just slipping away a bit right now. my goal is to finish posting this in the next two weeks. xx

pairing: woozi x fem!reader/fem!OC

w.c. 2.5k

part 1 | part 2

“Human.”

Jihoon stands at her bedside. It’s nearing 11 AM and she’s still sleeping peacefully.

“Human.”

She still doesn’t wake.

“Human.”

She jolts upright, looking around before her eyes settle on him. “What’s going on?” With unseeing eyes, she pats the bedside table for her glasses.

Once they’re on her face, she squints at him. “What is happening?”

Seems the human is awake now.

“Don’t you have work to be going to?”

Her suspicion turns to disbelief. “You woke me because I’m going to be late for a 9-to-5 I don’t have?”

“You have meetings and a home and you don’t have a job?”

“I have a job. Just not one with a set schedule, Mr. Demon. I’m self-employed.” 

That just sounds like she’s made up her job.

While checking her phone, she pushes her glasses to rub sleep from her eyes. He wonders why she continues scrolling as she does this.

When Jihoon doesn’t leave, she eases around him to get to the ensuite, phone still in hand, other hand adjusting her glasses.

Jihoon trails after her, halting when she holds a hand up in his face. Then she shuts the door. Unbothered, he leans against the doorframe, his eyes focused on the wood grain.

“I’m not going to pee until I know you’re in the living room. We can discuss whatever you need to discuss later.”

Despite now being bothered, he complies with the request. Unfortunately, the next portion of his plan requires her help. Jihoon stares at the pile of books he’d gone through over the last few hours since sunrise. When she doesn’t emerge right away, he puts the books away. She has a few books she’s never read before, and while some seemed immature and too romantic for his taste, some of the mystery ones were alright.

All of them kept him wildly entertained until he woke her.

She appears in the doorway dressed in a soft yellow dress, no longer donning glasses and her hair brushed.

“Now, what was so urgent that you needed to wake me…” she stops in her hallway and stares at her door, “... up?” She tilts her head, squinting at her doorway. “Why is my door wide open?”

Jihoon moves to her side to admire his handiwork. “Don’t worry. No one can see inside.”

“But it’s open.”

“No one even knows your door is there.”

“I specifically asked you to take the key if you were going to leave and close my door. Not fuck around with it and make it–why can’t people see inside?”

Jihoon motions for her to follow. At her doorway, she stops. He stands across from her in her hallway.

“How do I know this isn’t some soul sucking exercise?”

Jihoon sighs. “As I told you yesterday, I will only take your soul if you exchange it.”

More squinting. She’s extremely suspicious this morning. “How do I know this isn’t some pain inducing exercise that will force me to want to give you my soul to make the pain stop?”

Impressed at the suggestion, Jihoon crosses his arms. “Are you sure you aren’t a demon? That is a wonderful idea.” He deflates a little. “Unfortunately, I didn’t think of it. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

“You’re a demon. Here because I summoned you and won’t trade my soul for anything. I don’t trust you.” She goes to the kitchen. “Just change my door back to normal, please.”

Annoyed that she won’t appreciate his skill, Jihoon undoes the securities he’d put around her apartment. When he steps back inside, she’s pouring milk over her cereal.

She doesn’t offer him breakfast.

“How do you know I undid everything properly and didn’t actually create that soul sucking door?”

“A feeling.”

Odd answer. “What kind of feeling?”

She glances over at him; the spoon slips out of her mouth. “Just a feeling.” When she sits at the table, her eyes dart to the empty chair across from her, an invitation to join her. “Now, I’m assuming you woke me up because you needed something. Besides my soul, because I’m not giving you that.”

Jihoon suspects that this human is manipulating him, but he can’t work out how she’s doing it. Or why. So, he sits. “Before we discuss, can you do one thing?”

“Which would be?” She continues munching.

“Give me your hand.”

“We agreed no touching.”

“Only this once and I’m asking your permission.”

She’s still hesitant to comply.

Jihoon holds his hand out across the table, palm up. “I just need to check something.”

Her right hand drops into his as she continues eating. She winces at the warmth, but he closes his eyes.

If there was a demon possessing her, he would have known. He was hoping that her passing through the door would exorcise her just in case. And they wouldn’t have to do this. When he pulses a burning heat through her hand, she jolts back in surprise, a curse on her lips.

Her spoon clatters into the bowl. Immediately, she’s up and running cold water over her hand. “What a reminder that I’m an idiot.” Blisters are forming on her palm. On her drawing hand.

“So… now that it seems you’ve decommissioned me for a while,” Jihoon can hear the loud unspoken curse word she puts there, “what the hell do you want?”

Jihoon turns his body her way, unbothered by her change in tone. “I need a human to do some of my bidding for me.”

“That is the worst idea ever. And you’ve reminded me not to do anything you ask.”

“You haven’t even heard what I’m going to ask of you yet.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll probably be possessed or murdered. Or both. You also ruined my drawing hand.”

“I was checking to see if you were already possessed.”

Frustrated, she finishes her breakfast before returning to her seat. With food, and because she’s usually reasonable, she’s prepared to at least listen. “Explain better.”

Jihoon explains what had happened the night before, excluding his discussion with Seokmin. While he talks, she bandages her hand. He’s mildly impressed at how prepared she seems to be, even having gauze in her kitchen drawers to wrap her hand.

“Are you even listening to me?” Jihoon asks.

She frowns as she tucks the end of the gauze in. “What makes you think that I’m not?”

“Your reaction seems too calm for what I’m telling you.”

She looks him directly in the eye. “You’re telling me that some humans could be possessed by demons and turning the energy of the planet dark. The angels thought the demons were rallying to take over Earth, so they’ve started preparing to bring about the End Days.” Her eyes skim over him. “You appear to be a pretty neutral demon who would be content living on Earth if he could.” She lifts her eyebrows. “That’s the gist, isn’t it?”

Jihoon had noticed that she wanted to say more, but she was reading more into him than he liked. “And you’re not freaked out by it?”

She shrugs. “Disappointed, maybe? That the angels are actually just as set on ruining humankind as demons are. But freaked out? No.” It seems Jihoon needs her to further explain her reaction. “I have a literal demon sitting in my kitchen. One who refuses to leave me alone even though I told you that I am not willing to hand my soul over. And I now realize that possession is taking over my soul without my permission.” A small smile cracks her face. “So, you have the means to take my soul but don’t.” She waves her hand dismissively at his continuous staring. “I have a best friend who believes that aliens are real. This is typical Saturday dinner conversation.”

“Except I’m not talking about imaginary aliens.”

“What? Demons don’t believe in science?”

Jihoon shakes his head in confusion.

“It is statistically impossible that humans are the only living life forms in the universe. Plus, how can you not believe in aliens when you exist?”

“I’m real.”

“What? Angels and demons aren’t told whether aliens exist?”

“Do you get this nonsense from that friend of yours?”

“Insult Hansol one more time and I won’t help you.”

Jihoon’s retort is on his tongue but then hears her words. “You’re going to help me.”

“I’m decommissioned, thanks to you.” She waves her bandaged hand between them. “I gotta fill my time somehow.”

“You are not telling that human anything,” Jihoon argues on their way to meet Hansol at a café.

Jihoon insisted on coming along and she had countered that he could just stay home or go do something else.

“I can’t.” He looked as if he was trying not to sigh. “I have to go with you.”

Something about how being summoned required him to be around her at all times except for in the dead of night. It was why he was able to leave, but had woken her up at 11 AM. As well as needing her help, he’d been getting bored.

“What ridiculous rules,” she scoffed. “Then I’m telling Hansol what you are, because I don’t need him spreading rumours that I have a boyfriend and refuse to tell him about it.”

‘Who cares if he tells your friends a harmless lie?”

“My nosy friends are harmless but annoying. So, Hansol has to know.”

“I’m going to have to exorcise him first.”

“Hansol’s not possessed.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know my friend.”

“Surprisingly, I don’t trust you just as much as you don’t trust me.”

“I think I’m the one in control here, Demon. I’m pretty sure there are other souls for you to take.”

“You only think you’re in control, human.” Jihoon flags another demon across the street. The woman glances at him, nods her head, but doesn’t stop. “I think I have significantly more power.”

“You say this and yet you’re here with a soul you refuse to take.”

“If you really need to share it with other humans who you think will believe you, I require that they be exorcised first.” He holds his hands up to stop her protest. “For your safety and mine.”

There’s suspicion on her face. Which Jihoon understands. But he needs to maintain some semblance of control. For some reason, the human is right; she has an odd amount of power in this situation.

Hansol is sat in the back corner of the café, which Jihoon recognizes must be their favourite spot. He just senses it when he sees her face light up. That could also be from seeing Hansol and the smell of food, but Jihoon doesn’t think so.

They have to weave through chairs and tables to reach him. As she drops her bag onto the floor, she says, “Sol, hold out your left hand.”

Hansol’s brow furrows, but he does as directed. “Why?” The furrow turns to a full-on frown as Jihoon grabs his hand. When their hands flame red, Hansol jumps back.

With a sigh, she pulls Hansol to the café bathroom.

“What the actual fuck was that?” Hansol demands. He stares at his blistering skin. “What did he do to me? What did you do to me?”

She turns the faucet to cold. Then, she shoves his hand under the water while simultaneously explaining the truth about Jihoon.

Hansol blinks at the onslaught of information. He decides to compartmentalize it and process it later. “And my hand?”

She realizes she doesn’t have any clean bandages to wrap his hand in. “He insisted that he exorcise every human I tell.”

Hansol doesn’t even bother to process that information. He nods. “Makes sense.”

She holds up her right bandaged hand. “And he recruited me to do something for him.”

“And wrecked your drawing hand.”

“Hence why I told you to hold out your left.”

“That also makes sense.”

She pats her pockets for her wallet. “Just gonna run next door to get you actual bandages. Stay here.”

Hansol salutes her and she hurries towards the door. Then she feels an uncomfortable pull above her belly button. She looks down at her waist and then feels something over her shoulder. 

Jihoon is there.

With an exasperated look on his face.

“I told you that I can’t leave your side except for in the dead night.”

“Did you do that?”

“No, the summoning that you did did that,” he huffs.

She looks around him at their now unmanned table. “What about Hansol’s things?”

“No one is going to steal anything.”

“How do you know?”

“You can tell whether I’ve rectified your door, yet you can’t tell that the humans here aren’t going to steal your stuff?” This human is a pain in his demon derrière. 

“I told you that was a feeling. I don’t get a feeling for humans. They’re complicated and temporary.”

Jihoon doesn’t have time to unpack that sentence. “So, what do you expect me to do?”

Now, they’re blocking foot traffic at the door, and she seems uninclined to move. Jihoon sighs. He tosses a hand back in the direction of the table and she watches him do it. Satisfied, she leads them out the door.

“How do you actually know? You can’t keep telling me it’s ‘just a feeling’.”

“And you can’t keep assuming it’s because I’m possessed. You’ve already done some magic voodoo ​on me.” The convenience store next door has the bandages she needs and a small washcloth. While Jihoon returns to the table, she pushes back through the washroom door.

Hansol tucks his phone away when she enters. His fingers are turning red, because the water is so cold.

Of course he would follow her directions to a T.

She quickly shuts off the water and uses the washcloth to dab at his blistered hand before wrapping it. “There we go. Now, we match.”

“So many other ways we could be matching besides burned hands by the devil,” Hansol points out.

“Just a demon actually. Not the Devil. And if we could match any other way besides this today, I would have taken it.” She realizes that maybe she should prep Hansol. “Before we go back out there, I warn that he’s a little temperamental, but he doesn’t talk much. Don’t feel intimidated by him. Feel free to leave if you need.” She shrugs as they head back out. “Not that you ever really feel that intimidated by anyone.”

At the table, Jihoon is flipping through her sketchbook. Meaning the demon had gone through her bag to find it and then had the audacity to put it on the table for everyone to see. Out of her periphery, she notices Hansol watching to see how she’ll react. 

She decides to ignore Jihoon.

The demon doesn’t look up when they open their laptops and begin discussing all the projects they’re working on, separately and together. Jihoon actually seems to be analyzing every drawing she’s ever done in that sketchbook.

Four hours, two pots of tea, and a sandwich each later, she and Hansol pack up their things. When Jihoon had started tapping his fingers on the table, clearly bored, she’d tossed a pencil at him to draw in the sketchbook. Ever since, he’s been madly scribbling in it, ignoring every conversation that she and Hansol had had. Even the one when Hansol asked her if she’d heard about the pending alien attack he’d heard about and how he thought it was ridiculous.

She still isn’t clear on whether Hansol actually believes in aliens or if he just brings it up to make her laugh. 

Outside the café, Hansol asks if she’s coming for dinner that night. “Seungkwan won’t shut up about how you don’t visit anymore.”

She snorts. “He knows I’m still working on my solo show.”

“He said that you should come over and work at the house again.”

“And we,” she motions between them, “agreed that we don’t get anything done if Seungkwan’s around.” She shakes her head with a smile and gives Hansol a one-armed hug in goodbye. “I’ll be over around 7, maybe 8? The boys are coming too, yes?”

“Seungkwan’s making it a big ordeal.” Hansol rolls his eyes affectionately. “But everyone said they’d come. Soonyoung hyung wants input on stage design for his next show, and Jeonghan hyung wants to talk about decorations for the wedding.”

Her eyes narrow. “Do I really want to go then?”

“Yah, if you don’t come, Seungkwan will complain for the next week. Do it for me.” Hansol waves a bandaged goodbye. He even smiles at Jihoon, who looks deadpanned back. “See you both later.”

She leads Jihoon back towards home.

“You sure you two aren’t dating?”

She chuckles. “Even demons don’t believe a girl and boy can be friends? I told you that Hansol and I mainly just work together nowadays.”

“He’s in a lot of your photos.”

“He’s my best friend.”

Jihoon’s mind flicks to the photos in her home. He can pick out all the faces, the pictures with all boys. “And are all the boys in your photos going to be at this party?”

She tips her head as she thinks. “Yes, actually.”

“Are you going to tell all of them who I am?”

She’d momentarily forgotten she couldn’t just leave Jihoon at home. “No, absolutely not.”

“So, what are you going to tell them?”

“Well, if I’m being honest, I was hoping I bored you so much today that you’d leave. But seems like that’s not going to happen.” She glances over her shoulder at the demon. She doesn’t remember when he’d changed outfits. It must have been sometime in the café, but he’s in a plain t-shirt and jeans now, a red hat on his head. “So, if you’re coming, I haven’t worked out what I’m going to say.”

“I can’t leave. I told you that there was something we had to do.”

“So you say.”

“And you seem to know more about it than you let on when I told you.”

“What?”

Jihoon waves the sketchbook in the air. “In here. Your sketches.”

“What about them? It’s not as if I’m drawing possessed humans or something.”

“You draw locations.”

“And?”

Jihoon frowns. He doesn’t trust anything this human says.

They stop in a few stores on the way home, and she can hear and feel Jihoon’s growing impatience. However, Jihoon doesn’t seem too aggressive for a demon, so she pushes her luck. They stop in a flower shop to pick up some flowers. She ducks into the bookstore near her apartment to ask the storeowner if anything interesting has come in. When the older woman points to a few new releases, she purchases two. The last stop is a bakery.

“You are seriously toying with me,” Jihoon grumbles under his breath.

“What are you talking about?”

The baker pretends as if he can’t hear the argument brewing, as he packs two-dozen assorted cupcakes.

“Are you trying to bore me into leaving?” Jihoon demands, his voice rising slightly.

She looks over her shoulder and shakes her head. “Not intentionally. Just always like to pop into these stores. And…” She pays for the cupcakes, smiling reassuringly at the baker hoping that it conveys that she’s not in a toxic relationship. “I always bring these cupcakes to Seungkwan’s. The boys love them.”

They go back to the apartment, bickering about different aspects of her life. From where all the women in her life are to why she is in the city alone to her lack of love life.

But she has a reasonable answer for everything.

“Seriously, Mr. Demon, I don’t know what you’re trying to figure out,” she smiles at the young man who holds the apartment door for her, “but my life is fine.”

“In my millennia of existence,” he watches her struggle to press the elevator button, “no one has a fine life. Something is always wrong.”

“But do humans who are satisfied with their lives,” she stops talking when the elevator opens, but there’s no one there, “summon demons to make it better?” She manages to press the button for her floor. “You’re here by accident, so you can leave whenever you please.”

Jihoon has no response to that. He trails after her. While he had been bickering with the human all the way back, Jihoon had also been watching the humans that were passing. If what he thinks is happening is actually happening, then there should have been signs of it. Also, why wasn’t he made aware of the plan, whatever the plan is?

Human possession isn’t frowned upon, far from it. Demons that can integrate and wreak havoc are praised highly. The reason most demons don’t is because the stakes are high. Consequences involve angels. Getting caught by an angel typically means termination, so only the strongest and boldest bother to try human possession. And with Hell crawling with more cowards than Bravehearts, well, it doesn’t happen often. And for all the evil that Jihoon could sense, there wasn’t anything particularly noticeable.

For all intents and purposes, the area seems just like her life: fine. So, why, as he walks into her apartment, does he have a sinking feeling?

He sits on the floor between the couch and the coffee table and splays her sketchbook open. Meanwhile, she disappears into her bedroom to do whatever humans do when they get home. When she returns, she looks similar to how she did when they stepped out the door earlier. She takes a seat across from him. Her back is to the TV and Jihoon doesn’t know why this makes him more comfortable.

The way she studies him makes him uncomfortable, as if she’s reading him more than she’s letting on. “So, what in the world have you been going on about that you refuse to say in front of other humans, Mr. Demon?”

“I just need to reconfirm. You are unafraid,” he pauses to gauge her reaction, “of me.”

“You don’t seem to want the destruction of humankind, so you seem overall alright. Haven’t possessed or really threatened me. If anything, you’ve now just become mildly annoying.”

That bothers him. Annoying. As if he’s a gnat.

“Why?” She tips her head. “Should I be scared?”

Jihoon takes her in. In whatever way she’s reading him, he can easily read more. In the reflection of the TV, he notices his own eyes going from black to green. The human can definitely see it too, though she hasn’t said anything about it. 

“Hm, okay,” he finally says.

She blinks. That hadn’t been the response she was expecting. “Okay what?”

“You’re okay.”

She laughs in disbelief. “For a human, you mean?”

Jihoon nods. “Exactly.”

“Because I’ve decided to not be afraid of you?”

“I don’t like the groveling and the begging. And if they’re not doing that, then they’re demanding. Reasonable humans. I like you guys.”

“Does that include Hansol?”

Jihoon hesitates. “That human is tolerable.”

With a small smile he doesn’t notice, she leans forward and rests her arms on the coffee table. “Well, with that out of the way, what’d you wanna talk about?”

Jihoon immediately turns her sketchbook to face her. He points out the various locations she’d sketched out. At the time, she was working on architectural references. People are her forte, but she’s been wanting to transition to putting people into environments.

She waits for Jihoon to explain before asking her question. “What about them?”

He puts a finger on the sketchbook. “Do you know where exactly these places are?”

“Well, yeah. One of my friends and I went on a drive around the city and out to the suburbs looking for buildings to draw.” She answers the unasked question. “He wanted to photograph some stuff and he has a car.”

“These three,” he now points to an abandoned building, a building that looks a bit like a hospital, and a storefront, “give off…” Jihoon pauses to consider the best way to describe the black smoke coming off these sketches. “Bad energy.”

He cringes internally.

What’s the word he kept hearing in the café?

Vibes.

As if the potential end of humankind and the End Days are just about “vibes”. Hell, Jihoon can’t decide if he prefers the modern age to the last century.

But the human doesn’t cringe. Instead, she’d interpreted his words differently. As an affront on her skill. “You’re saying they suck?”

“No.” Jihoon looks over the sketches again. “Your drawings are actually… quite good,” he mutters. He avoids her eye when she smirks at the compliment. “These three places have bad energy coming off the page. But your other work,” he picks up the sketchbook and thumbs the pages, “nothing. So,” the book lands back on the table open to the original page, “I want to see them.”

“In person?” She takes his impassive expression as a yes. “I can take you to the places, but we’ll need a car.” Her eyebrows rise as an idea strikes. “He posted his photos on his Insta.”

“Insta?” Jihoon repeats.

“Instagram.” She’s on her feet going to her backpack by her desk. “Social media platform, not important.” When she sits back down, she looks at something in her sketchbook. “When did we go?” she mutters.

Jihoon notices the date scribbled in the right corner of each sketch.

He can hear her humming as she searches for whatever she wants to show him.

“Ah! Here!” The phone is then on the table facing him.

Jihoon squints at the screen before realizing he doesn’t need to squint to read what’s on the screen. Bad habits.

“Just swipe to the left to see the other ones. I think the abandoned building is the last photo.”

Her drawings, while not 100% accurate, capture the feeling and the general shapes. She’s simplified them, but Jihoon is impressed that he can associate the sketch and the real life building. His eyes dart to the name of the photographer: xu8.

He decides that can’t be a real name.

From the photos, Jihoon can’t see the evidence of demon activity. But through her sketches, he can. He doesn’t know what that says about the humans who did the work or the medium.

“This xu8 took the photos?”

“His name’s Myungho, but yes. That’s his username.”

Jihoon frowns.

She waves her hand dismissively. “Again, not important.”

“Will this Myungho be at the party tonight?”

“He should be. Do you want to talk to him?”

“Will he have the photos or the camera he used to take these photos with him?”

She reaches for her phone. “I can ask him to bring them.”

“Will he be suspicious?”

“Suspicious? No. Curious, probably. This was three months ago.”

Jihoon already recognizes the signature look of someone ‘texting’: head down, chin nearly to her chest. When she suddenly tosses herp hone behind him on the couch, the demon moves his head to avoid being hit.

“He said he’d bring it.”

Jihoon turns back to her and then back at the phone. “He responded already?”

“Myungho only texts in one worded answers and always has his phone nearby.” She leans back on her palms. “Now, what exactly are we going to tell my friends when you show up?”

part 4

[logically-asexual]

Ladybird

summary:

Cat Noir faces Dream Fairy, an villain that puts sleeping children into a spell so they won’t wake up. Ladybug can’t help him so he has to find someone he trusts to take her place in this battle. If you follow me you can guess who it will be.

Could happen during season 4.

notes:

leave a comment if you want!! just no season 5 spoilers please, i’ve only seen the first half ^-^

Read on AO3

word count: 3,613

Cat Noir smiled as he felt the fresh night air of Paris against his face. It was late and everyone else was asleep, his suit blended into the sky, and no one would tell him what to do. He knew he shouldn’t use his powers for personal reasons, but he hadn’t been able to get any sleep, only tossing and turning in bed for hours. Besides, he had agreed with Ladybug that they would patrol the city once per day, and nobody specified it had to be during daylight hours.

He was about to break his record of leaping over four buildings in one jump when a flashing light in the distance caught his attention, followed by the sound of loud cackling. His expression dropped. So there would be work to do, after all.

He used the repeating flashes to track the villain and follow after them. Once he was close enough, he heard her yell “None of you little brats will be able to interrupt my sleep ever again!” as she shot bright rays of light into every window along the street.

He was able to tackle the person (an exhausted mother, maybe?) while she was distracted, crashing both of them into the sidewalk.

The villain, dressed in an extravagant costume that reminded him of Maleficient, recovered from the hit quickly. “Cat Noir!” she scowled, “You know what time it is? Children like you shouldn’t be roaming the streets! But don’t worry, Dream Fairy will fix that soon.”

She pointed her staff at him, which had a green glowing orb at the end. He managed to move out of the way before the magic shot got him. The akuma was surely in that staff, but he needed to wait for Ladybug to destroy it so she could capture and de-evilize it before it flew away. Deciding to stall her as he waited for his partner, he jumped away and ran through the city, the witch close behind him.

He landed on a windowsill and tried to call Ladybug, but she wouldn’t pick up. While he was distracted, it was the villain’s turn to crash into him and send them both falling into the house. He found himself in the middle of his own foyer.

“I smell a little brat lives here!” Dream Fairy turned towards his, well, Adrien’s bedroom door at the top of the stairs. “But he’s not asleep like he should…”

Cat Noir tried to get a hold of her staff, but she was too quick. On the corner of his vision he saw Nathalie struggling with the crutches to run out of her room.

He shielded himself from the rays of light with his own staff, and said “Don’t worry ma’am! I’ve got everything under control!”

Ironically, at that same moment the villain slipped away and made a run for Adrien’s bedroom, only to be faced with Nathalie now blocking the way and swiftly evading every attack, even with her limited mobility.

Cat Noir distracted the woman again and attempted to lead her out of the house. The battle continued, until Tikki was suddenly next to his face holding Ladybug’s earrings. He kept sparring with the villain as he spoke to her.

“Tikki? What’s going on? Where’s Ladybug?”

“We have a problem! My owner is asleep and I couldn’t wake her up! She seems to be under some spell. I tried to find someone else to use her powers today but all our other allies were the same!”

“We need Ladybug to capture the akuma,” he said between strikes, “there’s no way I’m making it without her!”

Wearing the earrings himself wasn’t even an option, he had no experience wearing two miraculous at once, let alone the most powerful ones! He leaped away right before being hit with a magical ray, which gave way for the villain to run back towards the stairs.

Nathalie, still guarding the bedroom door, didn’t waste any time punching Dream Fairy right on the nose, knocking her out. Cat Noir looked at her in awe. He had an idea.

He grabbed Nathalie’s hand and pulled her into her bedroom, with Tikki following after him.

“Nathalie, right? I need your help.”

“Wait—“ she tried to get back out, but Cat Noir stopped her, saying that he had already made sure Adrien would be safe. He was touched by her worry and her eagerness to protect him, but he had no time to waste.

“Nathalie Sancoeur, here’s the miraculous of the ladybug, which grants the power of creation. You will use it for the greater good.” He held eye contact with her and noticed that her stare grew panicked while he spoke. “Once the—“

“Me? No, you don’t want me, I can’t even walk properly!”

“Don’t worry! The suit enhances all physical abilities! And I saw you fighting just now, you’re awesome already! I need someone strong, intelligent, and trustworthy, and—“

“No,” she interrupted, “you don’t want to trust me.”

Nathalie couldn’t believe she was this situation. She knew Gabriel would want her to take this opportunity and finally get what they were both after this whole time. The jewels he so desperately wanted were right in front of her, being handed to her on a silver platter, and she, of all people, would be the one giving them to him. Everything in her knew that she should take advantage of this, even if she had to defeat Gabriel’s akumatized villain first, but there was a voice in the back of her head that forced her to hesitate, only made louder by the kind look on the superhero’s wide green eyes.

“You’re Gabriel Agreste’s executive assistant, right? If he relies on you for his work then you must deserve this honor. You are the most trustworthy person I kno— I mean— here!”

Cat Noir smiled at her, and something in his eyes reminded him of when Adrien was little, begging for her not to tell his mom that he had stolen a cookie from the kitchen, not afraid, but hopeful, because he knew she would cave in eventually. She always did, as she did now.

She would end up disappointing the boy either way, sooner or later. Might as well get something out of it.

She took the pair of earrings, switched them with her own, and attentively listened when Cat Noir explained the basic information about her powers, all of which Nathalie was already aware of, but he didn’t know that. Soon, they were ready.

“Tikki, spots on!”

Her glasses and crutches were gone, leaving only a magic suit and mask behind. Her suit wasn’t very different from the girl’s apart from the fact that the colors on Nathalie’s were inverted. Her hair didn’t change a lot either, with her bun now higher up and two red strands of hair hanging loose next to either side of her face.

“A pleasure to meet you…” Cat Noir waited.

“Ladybird,” she completed. The word felt foreign on her mouth, but it was all that came to mind.

Cat Noir opened the door for her and led the way to the villain, who was now standing from the place on the floor where they had left her.

It took a few minutes to get the hang of her weapon. She was skilled when it came to self defense, but her aim had never been great. She found that her power and her enhanced vision improved it somewhat, once she got familiar with the shape and mass of the object she was throwing. She was able to use it to block the rays from hitting Cat Noir and to distract Dream Fairy, who had forgotten about Adrien and was now giving them her full attention.

Cat Noir insisted on being the one at the front, leading the battle while she supported him any way she could. They knew they had to get to the staff, but Dream Fairy was too agile and avoided them with ease.

Growing frustrated, Cat Noir suggested for her to summon the lucky charm. She followed his instruction and stepped away to call the power. In her hands now was a… a DVD copy of Solitude, with Emilie on the cover. Was this some kind of joke?

The black cat struggled defending himself while she stared at the movie. She remembered that Gabriel had his own copy in the safe behind his wife’s portrait, which gave her an idea. She called for the villain’s attention offering her the miraculous and ran into Gabriel’s office.

Dream Fairy ran after her, trying to hit her with her staff but missing every attempt. Nathalie walked backwards into the room until she was in position right next to the painting.

“Cat Noir, your cataclysm!” As she spoke, the villain attempted to take her apparent distraction as a chance to strike, but was met with a perfectly-timed hit in the face with the frame of the painting. She stumbled backwards before Nathalie slid the DVD case across the floor so the woman slipped on it. “Now!”

In the fall, Dream Fairy let go of her staff, which Cat Noir was able to get mid-air and destroy. As always, the dark butterfly flew out of the object. Nathalie went through the famous following motions, de-evelizing the creature. Then, she picked up the movie and threw it upwards and said, “Miraculous Ladybird!”

Swarms of ladybugs flew all around them, fixing the broken window, the dented frame of the portrait, and the staff, now turned into a flashlight. The disoriented woman who used to be Dream Fairy tried to stand up, but soon lost balance and dropped back to the floor, sleeping peacefully at last.

Ladybird felt relief for the poor woman, who must have been awake for one-too-many nights in a row. Her attention then was brought back to Cat Noir, who was holding up a closed fist at her, offering the victory gesture the heroes always did. She looked down at his hand, the ring on his finger was blinking.

Through his shared vision with the akuma, Gabriel knew that Cat Noir and someone had just defeated his villain in his office before losing contact with them, so he would probably wait a while to come out, to avoid being discovered. Nathalie was on her own. It was now or never.

“Sorry,” she muttered. In a blink, with a flick of her wrist the yo-yo flew around Cat Noir and immobilized him. All tied up, he lost balance and fell over with a soft thud. His alarmed eyes shifted from side to side, but he didn’t get enough time to figure out how to escape before she took the ring from him.

Ladybird took the ring from his hand and wore it in her own, ignoring the green light of his transformation on the edges of her vision. Still looking down at the miraculous, she took a deep breath. She would be clear with the wish, making sure the life that would be taken in exchange wouldn’t be anyone else’s but her own.

“Tikki, Plagg, unif—“

“Nathalie, no!” the boy interrupted.

She finally looked up gasped, stumbling a few steps back. The world froze for a moment, the air in the room suddenly cold enough to make her body tremble as she saw who was laying on the floor in front of her.

“Adrien,” she barely whispered.

“Wh— Why are you doing this?” He appeared to be on the verge of tears, a state she would probably share soon, not yet believing this was real.

“That's… that’s impossible.” Her head turned between him, Emily’s portrait, and the ring on her finger. Not enough air was getting into her lungs, maybe she had hit her head and she was currently the one on the floor and this was all her imagination, product of a concussion. Maybe she had dreamed this entire night and the sound of her alarm clock would wake her up at any moment.

A part of her brain registered a shift in the air behind her. Then, two hands yanking away her earrings fully brought her back to reality. Every last drop of strength left her body along with the magical suit, causing her knees to buckle and she came crashing down. It was as if the exhaustion and pain she had avoided during the fight had accumulated and now she had to take it all back.

Nathalie couldn’t make out the fuming words of the girl who must have been the actual owner of the ladybug miraculous. She could see she was wearing a gray and white costume and sunglasses as she put on her earrings. She argued with the ladybug kwami, and Adrien chimed in a few times. It surprised her to see him standing up, before her mind caught up with the fact that her powers were gone, and so was the yo-yo and the string that had been restraining him.

Nathalie tried to discern more details of the situation but her vision was fogging up and she felt like everything was crumbling around her. She was about to lose consciousness when a bright light forced her back. Ladybug left through the portal she had just opened carrying the de-akumatized person as Adrien ran to Nathalie’s side.

He helped her sit up and explained what he had discussed with the superheroine. She couldn’t understand much of what he said at the beginning, but slowly she was able to take in less shallow breaths and comprehend more of his speech. She gathered some general ideas. He had said that he didn’t tell Ladybug everything that had happened to protect his identity, and that he had asked her to leave them alone and let Adrien and Cat Noir manage things.

Then, she realized he was asking her a question. She blinked at him for a couple seconds before registering the words. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered. She tried to give him proof of her statement and managed to stand up, but she couldn’t bring herself to take a step forward. The shaking of her legs convinced her that she would fall if she tried. “You should get back to bed.”

“Wait.” He moved to stand in front of her, as if he would be the only thing blocking her from leaving the room. “Please tell me, why did you do that?”

She bit her lip. She was in no condition, physical or mental, to have this conversation. What could she say that would reveal just enough to satisfy his curiosity, and not too much to raise any more questions?

A part of the truth should be good enough. “I wanted to make a wish.”

“You know about the wish?”

She swallowed. “Uh, yes. I’ve seen the news, I’ve heard about it.”

The sadness in Adrien’s eyes pierced into her own. This shouldn’t be happening. She should be the one protecting him. Still, his voice was full of kindness. “I know it sounds like an easy solution to any problem, but it’s more complicated than that. The balance of the universe has to be maintained, which means every wish comes with a price. If you wanted to cure your illness someone else would have to fall ill in your place, and that’s… well… it’s not fair.”

Nathalie knew about the price of the wish. He was right. Things were more complicated than they appeared, but she couldn’t explain the real reason why to Adrien. It was neither the moment nor the place. It wasn’t even a job for her to do, it was his father’s. “That’s… not what I wanted,” she muttered. It bothered her that he could think she would do something so selfish.

“It’s okay, I didn’t know that at the beginning either. Now you know you see, it’s better this way.”

As offensive as it was, she would have to let him believe that he guessed the wish she intended to make correctly, and hopefully he would forgive her and not interrogate further.

Adrien smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back, until he extended his hand to her and she remembered today’s discovery.

The ring was in its disguised form, all silver, just like Adrien had worn it the entire time. As she took it off and held it between her index and thumb, it turned back to black and the green paw appeared in the center. She should have known it, and yet not even now could she fully believe it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said, “I do think you’re the most trustworthy person in the world, but we had to keep our identities a secret from everyone. You’re… not going to tell father, are you?”

Memories came to her of all those moments when both Mayura and Hawkmoth had faced the heroes. Focused on their goals and thinking of the superheroes as nothing but obstacles to them, it was easy to attack with no restraint or care for the children behind the masks. Now everything was different. It had been Adrien, all this time. The girl behind the red spotted mask might be infuriating, but she was someone’s daughter, too. Why had it taken all this for her to actually acknowledge it? Was ruining these children’s lives really worth it?

All her experiences up until this point were altered under this new perspective. She wondered if Gabriel would feel the same if he knew. Would he stop if he did? “I… don’t think I can lie to your father.” She had to tell him. What if Hawkmoth chose to fight in person again? What was Nathalie supposed to do then? She closed her fist around the ring. “I also don’t think I could stand to keep watching you get hurt.”

Adrien went on a long speech defending himself, arguing that the suit made him nearly invulnerable, that he and Ladybug always had each other’s backs and always came up with a solution, that he was never more worried about the akumatized villains injuring him than he was about Hawkmoth harming his victims as they were used for his nefarious purposes.

If only he knew, Nathalie thought. If only he knew why his father was doing this. But, as usual, it wasn’t her place to speak, so she just frowned at him, not yet persuaded.

“Please,” he was now begging, “if my father finds out he will never let me out of the house again! I don’t want to be a prisoner for the rest of my life! It’ll be even worse than before I went to school.” He grabbed her from both arms, almost pouting. “I know what I’m doing, just trust me. You don’t have to lie to him, you just have to keep doing everything the same way you did up until today. Please!”

As he dragged on the last word and looked up at her with the same puppy eyes that had convinced her to take the magical earrings earlier, she felt once again cornered. No truth was more universal than the fact that when an Agreste wanted something from her, they would get it. She simply sighed and handed over the ring back to him.

He immediately squeezed the air out of her in a hug, which she returned to the best of her ability. She had promised Emilie that she would protect Adrien, but she never expected that to be such a difficult task. However, that didn’t mean that she would simply give up.

After a minute the boy pulled away. She had been leaning some of her weight on him, so he noticed her effort to stay upright after losing his support. He called for his transformation with a wide smile. Looking into those green eyes now, she couldn’t believe she ever thought they belonged to anyone else but Emilie’s son. He held an arm around her, and carried her back to her bedroom.

Cat Noir thanked her and hugged her one last time before leaving to find Ladybug and explain his version of what had happened earlier. Luckily, all the girl knew was that her kwami had left with the earrings to find a temporal holder and she figured out she would find them at the Agreste Mansion once she followed the villain’s signs of destruction on the streets. She probably assumed Cat Noir had hidden once Nathalie had taken his ring and the secret of his identity was safe.

Nathalie watched from her window as the boy jumped from one rooftop to another, disappearing into the night. Before bed she would delete the footage from the cameras in the house, then she would sleep, and then… that was to be determined.

She would have to think carefully about what she would do about Gabriel now. Adrien didn’t know the scope of the burden he had put on her. She didn’t know how the man would react if he found that his son was Cat Noir, but she was sure that if Gabriel ever found out that she had known Cat Noir’s identity and hadn’t told him, he would be furious. If she was honest, sometimes Nathalie was just as scared of him as Adrien was.

Unfortunately, she had no choice now. The matter was delicate so her actions should be the same. She would have to thread carefully until she could find a solution that hopefully didn’t end with Gabriel losing his mind, Adrien getting hurt, and her being fired. For now, she’d have to act natural, while she pretended her world hadn’t been shattered around her and completely differently rebuilt in a single night.

[liminalpebble]

Sex and Death: Chapter 5, Nightmares

Masterlist link 

Chapter 5: Nightmares

CW: Graphic depiction of violence and death. Minors DNI

Through the wee hours of the morning, a blizzard raged on. The sickly yellow of the streetlights illuminated the torrent of white outside Noura's window, drawing flickering yellow contour lines of light over the otherwise dark room. She slept fitfully, dreaming first of Wallander screaming, which morphed into the deafening screams of dying women. In her nightmares, Noura's mind flicked through the stark details of crime scene photos: blood clotting on black hair, and the unseeing milky film over mahogany irises of dead women who once looked like her.

Noura awoke but was paralyzed in the darkness. The light and shadow from the window and the patterns of snow, now wavering like TV static, began to congeal into the shape of a shadowy man. She heard a rustle from somewhere in the apartment, and couldn't place where it came from, raising a panic inside of her. She had the overwhelming feeling that something was with her, something malignant. It's him. She thought. It's the killer. He's finally come for me. Noura screamed as the shadow came closer.

“Noura!” Magnus was gently shaking her from sleep paralysis to full wakefulness.

“Magnus!” she gasped out. She realized she was shaking. Her face was wet with tears and sweat.

He held her cheek, sitting beside her, “You were screaming.”

She took a few deep breaths and nodded, “Sorry...I'm so sorry Magnus... just nightmares...sleep paralysis.” His curls glowed like a halo in the half-light as he nodded sympathetically. He looked like an angel, she thought.

“Shhh. Shh. It's alright. You're alright, darling. I have those as well. I know they're terrible. These cases will do that to you.”

“I'm so sorry to wake you.”

“Don't worry about that. Hey...look at me. Take a deep breath...exhale longer than the inhale, okay? Like this...”

She met his aquatic eyes, shining through the darkness, matching his slow inhales and exhales as well as she could, staving off hyperventilation. When her breath settled, she sat up and threw her arms around him tightly. “God...Thank you, Magnus. I'm so afraid. I've been so afraid. Every time I go to sleep and it's this over and over...ever since...”

He rubbed comforting circles around her back as she nuzzled into his shoulder. He smelled lovely, like fresh laundry and woody cologne. The cotton of his tee shirt was soft and inviting to her skin. “I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for being here. I feel ridiculous...like a scared child.”

“Don't...please don't. Trust me. I understand,” he said emphatically. “It haunts me too.”

“How...how are you so strong? How do you cope with this all the time?”

He shrugged. “Acting with as much kindness as I can muster, stupid jokes, snarkiness, being an all-around endearing dumbass.”

She sniffed, then let out a little bark of wry laughter. He ran his lovely hand through the black silk of her hair before he settled his arm around her shoulders protectively. Magnus thought how beautiful she looked with her soft face silhouetted gracefully in the faint light. He had never seen fragility in her before today, but he saw it now, and didn't underestimate how special, how intimate that was.

“I...I don't mean to be weird, Magnus, but can you curl up with me here? I just...I don't want to be alone.”

“Not weird at all,” he said gently, soothing. “I was about to suggest the same thing.”

She hesitated, stumbling over the words a little. “It's not...I'm not trying to...”

“I know,” he said with a bemused half-smile. “I understand....come here.”

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