#Especially since next chapter ideas would follow current-stuff

[captainkurosolaire]

X4 ~ Therapy

Reference ~ Mending Past ~ ♪"Transgender"♪

Fidgeting callous digits drew together, coral incense diffuser carried a eucalyptus scent to tranquil nerves being judder, open nasal-ways passages to breathe palpably again. The bold standing in the seat never felt this got anymore untroubled. Plunged-seeking for help from a dearest hearty found himself comfortable to confine in. Instinctively airing out, grievances, pain bottled within, wasn’t natural. It was attempting to relearn or change nature altogether. Kinsmen would call this act by being here, a sign of definitive weakness. They’d shun him even further, mocking his stake as a man, calling his pride pitiful… Artificially determined by underachievers of our society. However to expose your vulnerabilities, requires unprecedented power. Grit against that lingering, nagging feeling when your entire existence wants to crawl away. Is contesting against what’s supposed to be ‘nature.’ Upon this lounge seat, he was never-braver. A pirate-chasing after the grandest treasure, all forget-to-often, Tormented inner seas to navigate and master; Self-discovery! If someone were to acquire all the wealth in that… One must have to wonder, where’d they stand? Perhaps higher… Of a place not-yet charted to the fullest.

Sweat drenched palms, his throat gulped and dried before, “Ugh, this feels like I’m on a casting-couch n’ th’ local Red-Light District, tryna’ get some virgin hole’s stretched this Sennight.” Doing what often did to everyone who came in-contact, crudely buried and joked it away. Mocking his own feelings-until it was numb, displacing their noise. Throwing a popcorn-shrimp into his mouth with snacks on display, Council was also his Chef aboard too. Across from patient, a kind-hearted, Sea Roe and motherly-like maiden, giving a small-giggle at his remark, “It’s okay. We can wait for you to lax, this isn’t something we need to force open. There’s no-fires, here Cap’n. You’re safe, waves outdoors from us, under that sail-breeze accompanied.” She stumbled-across him when concerned, after nearly-dying from experimenting on narcotics and mixing strong-rum together one-night. Without her keen-observance the Sea Maiden didn’t notice his eyes incoherently devoid of sense, that faithful-Sun. She would’ve been too-late. Suffering more scars-than physically the canvas conveyed on him. Early on taking a mantle. Faltering when it came to multiple Crews. Incurring, mutinies, several enemies, known. Or lurking within depths of the unknown. Bounties that became steep from his escapades of fearlessness. Always targets at his back the moment he donned the inherited Tricorn Hat. From fallen Cap’n who founded this Goldbrand. Inside that-wee-bit part of us that holds us back ushering, whispering like a conniving parasite. Crept-in, saying to flee, run-away. Holding us back from growth-ushering and flourishing. It often won. Looking for any way to get-off-the-hook, from achieving anything, may lead to either happiness or deemed-fortune. Important to often resist that insignificant-part. To combat this requires a shout of frustration, and committing to your declared steps to truly heal. “What would ye’ like t’ ask?” Nerves turned to stone, a deep-inhale taken and exhalation followed. Amusement, candle-lit her visage, before an earnest-smile followed, “We’ll start discussing, what brings you thrill, fulfillment? You’ve a coffer of stories, Captain. They’re written not just upon but through you. Acquiring a healthy outlet to release them may help you astutely, or give room to castaway and relinquish unnecessary weight.” She had an ease sharing empathic attributes. Every emotion someone underwent was her own. Devilishly uprooted, a no-good expression of debauchery collected his features, “Ye sure about that? I could go-listing many pleasurable affairs with vivid details. Can’t say none of those experiences weren't a thrill. Worth th’ voyage my partners I’d bet could vouch fellow sentiments.” Looking to stir-up or shake, but she didn’t waver. Expecting to have her roll-her-eyes, give up on him before starting, hopelessly. As many before-her claimed to be ears. Was obvious she would’ve listened to anything. Nothing could deter her aid, cradled around him knowing just his actual hurt. This what a true-friend exhibited; a Crew? Uncanny, selfishness often was prime here, a believed-necessity. Expect everyone with a knife-of-betrayal equipped Loyalty, if held, resided the strongest-currency. Not glinted gold nor silver.

Bested by her with a pout, seriousness followed his features loosened actually thinking of what her words asked. “I guess seeing dreams realized ov’ others. Particularly my mateys anymore is enough satisfaction. I’ve held many wonders upon this realm. I scoured formerly n’ my shade, claiming Voidal Relics, t’ lost treasures left forgotten and barren. Every-time, I felt further from complete. Would-think with the infamy and power I was collecting, even the fortune I had. There’s no way I wouldn’t feel a sense of freedom sought or grandness. Regardless a gap waged between. Acquiring those ambitious endeavors took extreme sacrifices, not always on my account. I asked much ov’ my fellows. Two-men on the crew who were lovers had much to still-live on and found eachother in my stead, recently-wed, n’ they willingly chased after these materialistic-gains, fer me…  One voyage, required t’ see a difference-make against a War of the Depths that came t’ our shores. Despite their commitment to each other that adventure was seen-through by them. It’d prove the last-moment they shared together. One of them became corrupted, tainted by a relic’s influence, consumed ov’ ration, and killed their own heart; the very partner.” Broke-down and strings inside holding his composure, snapped. Quivering in his voice to encounter realization, “W-what, kind of Cap’n does that? I kept getting my hearties killed! Thwarting away futures not my claim t’ take. Cause of selfishness, greed, to prevent others from having all th’ cards n’ their own coffer? What th’ HELL was th’ justification!? They should still be together…” Balling his fist, nails-delving into his palm until bled. She wrote notes on her clip-board before setting it down. Unknowingly a part of her… Slumbering was strictly-involved in that War of the Depths. Reincarnation of the very-prime-foe. Even beyond both their known. Captain felt it instinctively during their meeting. Soon washed away the notion and mistrusted his own instinct. Because it wasn’t all-true. She demonstrated a whole difference to the advisory, formerly named Siren among Sirens in mythos, who orchestrated and owned an Empire at Depths of the Rohtano. Calmly and understanding from his perspective, “Cap’n we can’t carry everything outside us and blame our shoulders for not staying upright, otherwise we anchor and quickly follow-pursuit of the dead. You said it yourself they willingly followed and saw crucially a mission you-mentioned for that War? What would’ve happened if they didn’t? I’ve to bet more lives lost; War unfortunately is that, there’s no real-fortune any side attains. Always loss-occurs. Think they would-agree that was in-vain? Would they-be any happier or rested souls, knowing their Captain they shared who guided them to another foremost, sabotaged and chained himself because of their behalf? Your survival has a lot of guilt, it’s harmful.” Lowering herself to extend the reach of voice, it never once, impacted a sense of thought or deep-truth to reflect in. Frustration was being quelled, she further descended down to pull him from shallow-bellows of torment. 

As-if her spirit was diving to rescue him, where misery and sorrow; drowns their victims. She attempted to explain with insightful unfathomable wisdom, “Perception carries and decides our reality. Instead of seeing your failure, think of victory. You won in some semblance a War, a tremendous feat; prevailing over it. Every-breath you take on carries extra-life of every fallen hearty you said goodbye, departed to those early sea-bed graves. Look what’ve you achieved, how you’ve mustered courageously, standing against that Past. You’re able to discern; what’s wrong or is containing your gravity. Wallowing is dangerous, making people stuck in-limbo, devouring the Future and preventing a Present from ever-leaving unwelcome shadows. One foot of yours seems to be stuck on shore. While another contemplates a leap to the tides. I’m not saying to forget. I’m saying to swim with your knowledge and experience, forward, forward, forgiving forward.” Her words didn’t instantaneously make a difference, but they were making-brief dents. Never-valuing or understood forgiveness especially towards one-self. Wasn't it easier to quickly throw down the hatch a few-pints of bottomless ale, hasten numbness? No-one wanted to confront-this, or themselves. Burdened with confronting our own burdens. Pain happens when caring. In-the-deep the rulers residing; sharks swam in this manner. Forward, never deterring. It’s all they knew, otherwise they lose breathing, resulting in death. Yet they reigned and exhibited lessons. Captain felt a lighter-sense of him wasn’t an instantaneous recovery but a progressive, steadied one. “Thanks Slafhota, I’ll see ye’ n’ Seven Sun’s same time, aye?” For first-session, it already felt like a right-step towards entering that tide becoming a king of his depth.

[agoddamn]

It's tempting to stick Mashita into the traditional dom/aggressive/asshole yaoi role opposite Yashiki's soft-heartedness (it's an explicit argument they had in the game, after all) but I offer the counterpoint that Mashita is a walking disaster. Any suggestion of him having his shit together is merely an illusion because he's standing next to a man currently getting manipulated and gaslit by My-Size Murder Barbie.

The decisions this dude makes...!

The investigating a case after being fired part, that's not crazy. That's standard fictional character behavior. It is a bit interesting, though, because Mashita has a cold case he's willing to put his life and sanity on the line for and it's not the Hanahiko case. It's the Shimi-O case. Just, narratively-- it's interesting that he goes from "I'm willing to throw my life away for this case" to "I'm willing to throw my life away for this case but for real this time." It suggests he's already living recklessly by the time he gets cursed.

And one more thing--he isn't running the private eye business when you meet him. He's instead listed as unemployed. He gets the detective business running after getting his curse cleared up. He's not digging into the Hanahiko case for anything more than his own satisfaction.

The real interesting things start when he sticks around for chapter 2. He has no idea he's going to be lead to the Honey Bee case when he makes the decision to stay. He says something suggesting that he believed following the paranormal with Yashiki would lead him there, but that feels very much like an excuse to me since he has no reason to believe that.

And in particular, why did Mary have him stay? With the knowledge that her "fates entwined" bullshit was indeed bullshit, why would she want Mashita to stay? Pure practicality, needing someone to be able to leave the house and drip-feed information to Yashiki? I just don't think so. I think she made his staying useful to her, but I genuinely think Mashita must have asked to stay. "Mary nagged him into it" cannot explain the litany of insane shit he subsequently does.

Showing up in the nick of time to save Yashiki? Not terribly crazy. Showing up in the nick of time to save him with a gun? Deranged.

Ok, look. I'm strongly inclined to think Mashita was not carrying the gun on him during the Hanahiko case for two reasons. First is that he never brings it up during the Hanahiko case even when in mortal danger. Also, getting caught for trespassing at the school would be much less serious than getting caught trespassing while carrying an illegal gun. Second is that he pulls it out of a paper bag instead of a holster. Nobody who is actively using or carrying a gun is gonna store it in a paper bag. He has a gun, but he doesn't have a holster.

It's clearly his own gun. He's clearly got Complicated Feelings about it judging by how quick he is to try and hand it off to Yashiki; cops don't do that, especially not a cop in a culture where bearing a gun is a huge, solemn responsibility.

And yet! He does it anyway! He goes home, digs his gun out from the bottom of his grimy dresser, and tries to give it to a man with no firearms experience.

You could argue that Yashiki doesn't accept the gun going by how your items all reset at the end of the chapter and how Mashita is still the one to use it in the Shimi-O boss fight, but just the going to Yashiki with the full intent of giving him his gun is deranged.

So he does all this shit, and then, once he shuffles offscreen, gets his life together! He actually starts that detective business he was spitballing before! He gets his life together because of Yashiki and then tries to get Yashiki to share the business he started because they met! That's like a fucking marriage proposal!

And that's not even getting into the DLC case where he bitches the whole time about being dragged into paranormal stuff (again while inviting Yashiki to work with him) and then turns around and reveals he was off researching the Masquerade case for you the whole time.

This man is a tsundere tire fire who looks like an insomniac coat hanger.

[something-tofightfor]

2023 Summer Kiss Prompt #10: Dieter Bravo - A Kiss While Baking

Writing this made me realize how much I miss Locked Down Dieter. This takes place after the chapter I'm currently working on (it's like ... 70% done) ... and it's motivated me to get back to them.

Thank you for requesting this, @jessthebaker - I think I went a little off from the direction you'd anticipated, but I hope you still like it!

No real rating or warnings - but it *is* Dieter, so be aware of his habits.

Word Count: 1,672

You heard him before you saw him. The sound of his voice - low but frustrated - carried from the kitchen to the hallway where you stood. 

“Dieter?” One hand trailing along the wall as you peeked through the open entryway, you grinned at the sight. “Are you … cooking?” 

“Mmmhmm.” He grunted the agreement out without turning to look at you, the set of his broad shoulders determined. “Well… I’m trying to bake, anyway.” Scanning the countertop while crossing the wide-open space, you reached up when you stepped behind him, your hand pressed to the center of his back. 

“What are you making?” 

“Brownies.” He paused, sliding a mixing bowl across the counter to rest in front of him. “Or, they were supposed to be brownies. I think I fucked up and missed a step because this doesn’t look right.” He turned his head toward you, scowling. “I was going to make them and have them waiting for when you got here, but then I got distracted.” 

“I don’t blame you. You had a lot to do last week before you came to see me.” Leaning in, you kissed his cheek. “Can I help? I’m not sure what you’ve already done, but …” Pointing with one finger, you cleared your throat. “I don’t know this recipe, but if you’re already mixing wet and dry, the eggs should probably be out of their shells.” 

He swore, reaching up and rubbing at his forehead. Without saying anything else, he stepped to the side, making room for you. “This is my grandmother’s recipe, and I’ve made it too many times to count, but…” He trailed off, the man’s fingers deftly cracking eggs against the side of the bowl before he split the shells, the contents dropping in with the other mixture. “But today I’m a little … out of it.” 

“The holidays are always harder.” Nudging him with your elbow, you began to grease the pan, sneaking looks at him while you worked. “Especially for you, since you’re trying to wrap up a bunch of stuff in the next couple days and you’ve got a girlfriend that kept you awake really late last night.” 

“Yeah. How dare she.” He huffed out a quiet laugh. “I kinda miss last year, y’know?” He set the spoon down, brushing stray flour from his palms. “When all we had to worry about was whether or not Gunther was going to get pissed that we weren’t following his rules.” You laughed, setting the paper towel that you’d used down, too. 

“It seems like we’ve known each other so much longer than we have, Dieter. If you would have told me last Christmas that we’d be here now, in your kitchen, making brownies together, I wouldn’t … I would have wanted it to be true, but never thought that it could have been.” 

“First of all,” he started, reaching past you for a bag of chocolate chips. “While you’re here, this is your kitchen, too.” He dumped half of the bag into the bowl, paused and then shrugged, dumping in more. Why am I not surprised? “Second of all, if I remember right, last Christmas was when this picked up between us, and  that was about when I started picturing you here.” 

That admission shocked you, but instead of making a comment about it - even as a joke - you stayed quiet. If that’s true then … we wasted so much damn time between then and now. 

 He’d fit into your family’s holiday celebrations with ease - the man charming them just like he charmed so many people he came into contact with on a daily basis. Even though his visit was short, he’d won them over easily, none of your family batting an eye when you’d mentioned that in the new year, you were thinking about exploring the idea of spending more time in California. It’s because I’m already gone so much. It wouldn’t be any different for them.

“Pass me that spatula.” He used his chin to gesture toward the utensil, one hand under the bowl of batter, the other steadying it. “Or, nevermind. Just hold onto it for a second.” Fingers closing around the wooden handle, you waited to see what he’d do next. 

Dieter poured the batter with precision, splitting it between the two greased pans. He focused on what he was doing, the tip of his tongue poking out from between his lips - and you smiled at the sight, eyes flicking down from his face to his hands and then back up. “I could get used to seeing you in a kitchen, Dieter. How’d you hide this for so long?”

“If you move out here, you’d be able to get used to it.” He glanced over, smirking. “And I have a reputation to uphold. Can’t just let everyone know I’m not as inept at taking care of myself as it might seem.” You laughed quietly, turning your body so that you could rest your hip against the counter. When he took the spatula from you and used it to scrape the sides of the bowl, you focused on the flex of his fingers and the way his wrist moved with each motion. I am the luckiest fucking - “Wanna lick?” 

He held the utensil up, one eyebrow raised. “Oh, you’re one of those.” Rolling your eyes, you cocked your head to the side. “Bet you eat raw cookie dough, too.”

“Fuck yeah, I do.” He grinned, extending his tongue to clean one side of the rubber off. “They have that eggless shit now, and it’s supposed to be safe. But it doesn’t taste the same.” He held it out to you again and you took it, fingers closing around his. “Best part of baking is licking the spoon clean, and the most exciting part is the looming threat of food poisoning or Salmonella or whatever the fuck it -”

“Well then, Dieter… guess we’re both gonna risk it. Good thing I’m here for two and a half weeks.” You closed your eyes at the taste of the chocolate as it coated your tongue, groaning as you got your first taste of the rich flavor. “Wait a minute, is there cinnamon in these? I didn’t see you -”

“If I told you then I would have to kill you.” He winked, reaching for your wrist and closing his fingers  around it. “This recipe is a secret. The only way I can give it to you is if you were to become a Bravo.” Oh. Oh, shit. It was the first time he’d brought that up - even casually - and based on his reaction - the slight twist of his lips and a raised eyebrow - you realized that you must not have been able to hide yours. “Do you like it?” 

“I do.” You set the spatula down into the sink, wiping your hand off on your denim-covered thigh. “And I’m no stranger to carefully guarded family recipes, so I get it.” Your heart was pounding despite your voice remaining steady. “I can’t wait to taste them when they’re baked. You put so many chocolate chips in there, they’re going to be gooey and -”

“Her recipe actually calls for walnuts. But since I can’t eat ‘em, she’d…” He swallowed hard, the joking tone replaced with a serious one. “She’d make me my own batch - first, before she made the other one, and replace the nuts with extra chocolate. So now I do the same.” 

Your chest tightened at his admission - and like so many of the other tiny truths Dieter had gifted you with over the months you’d known him, that one hit hard.  “I’m glad you had people to care for you like that as a kid, Dieter. It’s the small things, right? Those are the ones we rememb-” 

He cut you off when he leaned in to kiss you, Dieter’s lips sealing over yours with a practiced ease that not even all the time you’d spent apart could change. You kissed him back, arms going around his neck to hold him close - and when Dieter sighed against your lips, his tongue trailing over them with purpose, you knew that he agreed with you. He pulled back first, the smile still on his lips though it was lazy. “Got some chocolate right… there.” 

He reached out as he spoke, thumb swiping over the corner of your lip and then toward the center, where he pushed it between them. You cleaned it off, focused on the way Dieter’s eyes darkened at the suction - and when you smiled around the digit, he gave you one in return.

“Fucking tease.” Shaking his head back and forth, Dieter moved to step back, but you didn’t let him. “What?” 

“You didn’t put anything into the oven yet, so we wouldn’t have to worry about them burning…” Leaving things open - and the opportunity for him to make the decision - you waited, fingers laced together behind his neck. 

It didn’t take him long to choose, Dieter’s grin growing and his hands dropping back to your hips. He took a step backward and pulled you with him, never looking away from your face. “You’re a bad influence, and coming from me that’s saying a lot..” But you’re not saying no. 

“I’m about to be a worse one.” He stopped moving, hands tightening against your body. “When I saw you baking, I figured you’d be making pot brownies or something, but -”

“Oh, that’s a different recipe.” He wrinkled his nose. “She’d come back just to kill me if I did that to her brownies, so I never have.” He leaned closer, resting his forehead against yours. “But the ones from the dispensary around the corner are much better than anything I’ve ever made. They know their shit. We’ll order some later, if you want. I’m sure they’re wondering why they haven’t heard from me in a while.” 

You laughed at that, Dieter sliding one hand away and then taking yours, palms pressed together. “Sounds good, Dieter. Whatever you want.” As long as it’s me.

—

[erisismywaifu25]

Free Until Dawn

Before we start, a few bullet point facts to get out of the way:

•Jake and Bella are the same age (Bella is still older) and Seth and A.J. are a year younger than them

•In this Twilight fanfic universe, vamps and wolves who were changed before they turned 18 continue to age until they reach 18 cause I said so

•Jasper served in the Union

•My idioms or comparisons may suck but sometimes the only way for me to get a point across is to be extremely descriptive

•This story follows both the movies and books and may switch between the book’s timeline and the movies

•Proofread but not perfect

Also this story is Seth Clearwater x OC (?) Cullen based on my friend who requested this slow-burn fic, cause there are almost no Seth fanfics (the disrespect😤✊🏻). All chapters are named after Florence+the Machine songs cause me and my bestie love her stuff.

Word count: 9491

Without further ado…Chapter 4 of Shake It Out

——————————

     “You going to play fair this time?” Alice asked as she stretch her left arm across her chest while standing at second base.

     Emmett scoffed, twisting his back only a few away from Alice, “I always play fair.” The striped baseball cap was secured by him for emphasis.

     As it thundered around them, seven out of the eight vampires were currently preparing for a game of baseball patiently, on some parts, awaiting Bella and Edward’s arrival following the Cullen's official introduction to her. Lucky for Bella, she was about to witness a sacred tradition in the Cullen household that started years before A.J. was around. It was something each vastly different personality could enjoy and gave each of them a chance to use their physically enhanced abilities to their full capacity. 

     Nine days after A.J. joined the rest of her family in Forks, Edward decided a baseball game was just what A.J. needed. The idea for a baseball game to ease A.J. into the new family dynamic, came to Edward after he caught A.J. reminiscing about a game-saving catch from her human years. Later that day, he approached Carlisle and proposed a game the next time it stormed, and naturally, Carlisle and everyone else eagerly agreed. So on the ninth day, when the forecast called for a thunderstorm and delivered, the Cullens played a heated baseball game. 

     During A.J.’s first game of baseball with the Cullens, the newborn broke out from the remainder of the barrier she had built up after her transformation. Being a part of the winning team, with star pitcher Alice, definitely aided A.J. in feeling like her old self. Easily the last ‘strike’ of her barrier, especially since striving to win and typically doing so, had encapsulated her human years. Along with the fun on that day, Emmett saw an opportunity to ensure he would always be on the winning team and jumped on the bandwagon; claiming the title ‘A.J.’s Coach’ after witnessing her skilled third-basemen skills.  

     “Nu-uh,” Alice exclaimed and placed her hands on dark leggings, “You totally lied about that ‘foul ball’.”

     “I didn’t lie about the foul ball you hit.” the younger of the two Cullens smirked, “Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of, Alice. You’re just a crappy hitter.”

     Alice gasped and smacked his shoulder, “At least I can pitch without taking someone’s head out!” she defended herself.

     Emmett snickered before a smug smirk crept onto his alabaster skin, “Can’t help it, Wonderland. I’m jacked like Hercules!” he kissed both of his biceps after flexing underneath his navy blue tracksuit.

     “Alright, alright, alright,” Jasper called out as he strutted towards the bickering siblings, “No fraternizing with the enemy.” 

     The Texan placed a hand upon Alice’s narrow shoulders which dawned a white baseball vest, and gently guided her away from Emmett with a baseball bat in his other hand.

     By first base, a groan came from Rosalie that was bending down by the waist and holding her calves to stretch. The couple and Emmett, who were conglomerating near home base, turned their attention to her.

     “You’ve watched ‘Dazed and Confused’ too many times.” the tall blonde gracefully swung her torso up to stand straight.

     “No such thang’, Rosie.” A.J. quipped while flashing next to Rosalie with a moderately sized pink boom box in her sleeve-covered arms, “We Texans support each other.”

     A.J. met eyes with Jasper’s, a mischievous glint in both their eyes to match their smirks. A silent conversation transpired between the Texans, much to the others' despair before they both resumed what they had been doing.

      The youngest Hale gave Rosalie a friendly pat on the back and clicked her tongue before jogging off toward the right side of home plate where Esme and Carlisle were chatting. Her black backpack bounced off of her back as the wind pushed against the buttoned pinstripe shirt, which was similar to Carlisle’s, which was tucked into her black leggings. On her feet was a pair of hot pink socks that peeked out of the same dusty white sneakers she always wore when participating in any outdoor activity - provided an extra bounce to her step. 

     A ‘bleh’ left A.J. when Carlisle and Esme shared a sweet kiss just as she walked past them. 

     “I think I feel my teeth rottin’.” the girl swiped her tongue across her top set of teeth.

     The lovers parted with a chortle from each and turned their attention to their youngest child. 

     “You know, Angel,” Esme sang as A.J. set the boom box down after kneeling a few feet away from them, “You might find yourself falling for someone like your father and I have for each other.” 

     A.J. shook her head as four of her siblings snapped their attention to their conversation.

     “Absolutely not,” Emmett commented with a small frown.

     Alice rolled her eyes at the overprotective brute, “Dating is normal and healthy; especially for developing teenagers.” she spoke with her arms crossed.

     Rosalie stared at Alice, “She’s going to have to wait, regardless, Alice. There aren’t exactly sixteen-year-old vampires roaming around here, and we don’t need another reason for the Volturi to be on our backs.”

      The Cullens stilled. Faces dropping, bodies tensing, and minds swirling with guilt. The words Rosalie were the same as they always were; spitting out insults or malign words aimed towards Edward and Bella’s relationship. Though, this time, her words held a different meaning for the group. Reminding them all A.J. couldn’t have what they wanted her to; what they all wished she could.

     A normal life.

     Having been changed at the youngest age of fifteen in the Olympic Coven, she had even less time to have lived as a human. Too quickly was she thrown into this world; too quickly had she been forced out of the other. They all knew she loved her family dearly, and they shared the sentiment, but they were aware of her desire to ‘be’ a teenager again; to live a normal adolescence. They desired the same for her. Rosalie most of all. Despite a few apprehensions about A.J. dating, the choice being stripped from her makes it a bit harder to play the role of an ‘overprotective and gruff’ family member.

     A.J., having her back turned to the brooding vampires, knew what they were all thinking and could feel the tension in the atmosphere. She often thinks of the same thing - she craves it. Not necessarily romance, but at least the choice to.  More often than not, she chooses not to share her thoughts on it, except for a few times when Edward caught her thinking about it or her and Rosalie’s late-night talks. Unfortunately, ignoring them only made the thoughts and desires stronger. The fact of the underlying doom of immortality is that every choice you’d thought you’d gain - every decision you’d thought you’d get to make twice, gets ripped away from you in a few short moments.

     A.J. shook her shoulders as if a chill ran over her, and unzipped the small compartment on the front of her backpack once she set it in front of her. 

     “Listen,” she broke the silence as she pulled out a CD case with four men sitting around a table on the cover, “they’d have to be a very special person for me to consider datin’ - I mean, I’m hot…and got standards.”

     Her unspoken mission of raising the mood was a success as a plethora of smiles, and an eye roll or two made its way around.

     “Oh no! Guys, where’d the sky go?” Emmett feigned a look of fear as he peered up at the sky with a hand as a shield, “Oh, never mind, it’s just A.J.’s big-ass head.”

     A.J.’s mouth dropped at her brother's words just as she finished placing the CD in the correct compartment, and twisted her torso while in a squatted position.

     Rosalie sent a glare toward Emmett before saying, “There’s nothing wrong with confidence.” her eyes softened when she turned to A.J. from afar.

     

     “It’s hot on you, babe,” Emmett explained, his body language matching his whiny tone, “Not on A.J.”

     A.J. snorted, along with Alice, and the other Cullens gave Emmett a look of confusion at his choice of words.

     “I sure hope it’s not hot on me,” A.J. spoke with a flabbergasted tone as she fumbled with buttons on her boombox.

     Emmett physically faltered, “I-I-you guys know I didn’t mean it like that.”

     Jasper quirked an eyebrow up, “Oh, really, dearest brother? Then by all means, please elaborate your eloquent words.” he spoke with one hand still on Alice’s shoulder and the other twirling the metal bat.

     Emmett frowned, “I was trying to compliment my wife and insult A.J. at the same time, which proved to be more difficult than expected.”

     “Seems you really are only brawn.” Jasper teased further, an almost sinister smirk across his face.

     “Hey!” Rosalie barked out with a harsh expression, “I may be on your team, but I won’t hesitate to hurt you.”

     Emmett’s demeanor changed instantly to smugness at Rosalie coming to his defense. The smirk on Jasper’s face didn’t move, instead, it seemed to grow wider at Rosalie’s threat; as if he were daring her to touch him. He dropped his arm from Alice’s shoulders and dipped it into his pocket.

     “I’d like to see you try, yank.” the Texan leaned back as he pointed the baseball bat at her.

     At the sight of Rosalie beginning to stomp forward, Carlisle thought it best to speak up.

     “Rose,” the eldest vampire warned, arm tucked under his wife’s white jacket and around her waist.

     The irritated blonde’s head snapped toward Carlisle’s so fast it was a miracle it didn’t break.

     “What?” She spat, annoyed at Jasper and Carlisle.

     Carlisle gave her one of his hopeful smiles, “Let’s try to have a nice day.”

     “That goes for you too, Jasper,” Esme paused before switching her gaze to a smug Emmett, “And you.”

     “W-what-I,” Emmett fumbled over his words, “I’m a victim of defamation! I’m innocent here.”

     Jasper lowered the bat to the ground and settled his weight on it.

     “Yer’ ‘bout as innocent-,”

     A.J. drowned out the bickering behind her, engrossed in her boom box and getting it to work. The recurring problem, which she insisted was easily fixable and did not require a new one, was that the CD she put in would spin for a few seconds before coming to a stop. She grew more agitated as she repeated the process of taking the CD out, exhaling on it as she would on a cold window, gently wiping it off on her black leggings, then placing it back in the compartment, and pressing play - only to have to repeat the process. After another failed attempt, A.J. took an unsatisfying deep breath before forcefully exhaling through her nose. 

     “Shit.” A.J. huffed to herself, thankful no one could hear her over the bickering.

     “Ya know, ever since the fall of New Year’s Eve of ‘08, my boom box ain’t never played the same.” A.J. thought aloud to anyone who would listen.

     Rosalie was heading up the field and across to A.J.’s side instantaneously; always being willing to help her baby sister. It helped that she was the most skilled mechanic out of the Cullen Coven; her confidence in cars crossed over to most things technical…except t.v.s, though she was always looking to expand her knowledge. In her own time.

     “Did you put fresh batteries in?” Rosalie inquired once she reached A.J.

     A.J. observed Rosalie squatting down next to her, out of her peripheral vision.

     “Yes, I put fresh batteries in,” A.J. snarked out without thinking.

     The tone she used earned the young vampire a warning look from Rosalie, who stared her sister down. A.J. shut her eyes and turned away for a moment, before returning her gaze to Rosalie.

     “Sorry, that w’n’t directed at you,” she earnestly apologized, “This damn thang’ is pissin’ me off.” she gestured vigorously at the malfunctioning boombox with pinched brows.

     Rosalie ushered a ‘thank you’ in response before examining the portable stereo further.

     As the two Hale girls inspected the boombox and the other Cullens chatted amongst themselves, a silver jeep pulled toward the wide-open field. Its wheels tracked through the soft ground, leaving a muddy trail behind it and on the black tires. 

     Esme and Alice both grinned excitedly at the arrival of the new couple and Carlisle smiled softly, not outwardly matching their level of excitement. Emmett and Jasper were too busy misconducting themselves to turn their attention to the car as it was pulled into park a bit away from the others. From beside her, A.J. felt Rosalie tense up. Well aware of Rosalie’s opinion on all of this, she knew her attitude could turn fast and possibly ruin what was supposed to be some family fun time. 

     Esme and Carlisle shared a look before both turning back to give Rosalie an encouraging smile. Rosalie, who held the look of distaste she always held when Bella was in mind, gave them nothing promising in return. With a cheesy grin and painfully raised eyebrows, A.J. shot her parents a double thumbs up. The couple chuckled at her behavior and returned her thumbs up and smile, at a lesser volume. 

     The eldest Hale sister turned her attention to A.J. after observing Carlisle and Esme’s reactions, to find her sister still in the over-the-top position. In a blink, the newborn now sat with a dramatized frown and slowly raised her left hand to rest on her no-longer beating heart. Her head shook in a defeated manner, in hope that her big sister would crack a smile at her ludicrous behavior. Fortunately for A.J., in a move so minuscule only the trained eye would notice, the right corner of Rosalie's lips raised ever so slightly. Victoriously, A.J. beamed; savoring the lightened presence and softened gaze of her bitter sister.

     During this transaction, Edward stepped out of the driver's side door and walked around the silver Jeep he arrived in. His gaunt hand opened the passenger-side door, and out stepped Bella in a rugged, brown jacket with her brown hair in a ponytail covered by a baseball cap that mimicked Emmett’s, only being worn the right way around. Her shoulders were hunched as she was within herself in a way that completely contradicted the way Edward delved into himself; usually. Today, however, Edward seemed more withdrawn than usual. Previous teasing didn’t aid in reducing his nerves at all, and the fact of the constant threat this brought to Bella and his family, well, it added up.

     The couple shared the same social awkwardness, but Bella carried herself in a way that lacked confidence and made her appear fragile. Whereas during most occasions for Edward, he exuded confidence, some even say arrogance; at least that’s what A.J. had heard from her sibling's school gossip and teasing. For the unusual pair, however, it seemed to work quite well for them.

    While A.J. observed her brother and his new girlfriend, Rosalie had found what she believed to be ‘the sweet spot’ on the pink boom box. With a loud ‘thump’ that nearly made A.J. jump out of her skin and attracted the others' attention, the CD in it began spinning fast. A.J. beamed at her sister, who she considered a hero at the moment, and flicked her head between the boom box and her at a lightning-fast speed. A.J. excitedly placed her index finger onto the ‘play’ atop the boom box and pressed it without hesitation. Music blared from the speakers, bass instantly filling the chests of the two vampires who sat in front of it.

     “WHOO!” A.J. cheered and fell back onto her butt.

     Emmett thrust his fist into the air, “HELL YEAH!” he yelled.

     “YEAH!” Jasper joined with a playfully stern face and copied Emmett’s action with the bat.

     From an awkward angle, the ecstatic newborn wrapped her strong arms around Rosalie’s midsection, nearly toppling the elder Hale over. 

     “Thank you!” the girl squealed while Rosalie gained her balance back.

     Rosalie smiled brightly as she hugged A.J. back, “No problem, just stop letting people touch your stuff.”

     “I tried to stop Emmett from recreating that scene from ‘Say Anything’.” Edward called out from the Jeep where he and Bella just finished a conversation.

     “Aw, come on,” Emmett whined with a smile, “It was Valentine's Day! I had to do something for my babe. After 72 years together, you gotta’ keep it fresh.”

     The burly Cullen winked at Rosalie, who didn’t spare a glance at her husband, leaving him dejected as she marched her way to Carlisle who was only a few feet away from her. Carlisle had retrieved the second baseball bat from a long white and blue that also contained extra gloves and umpire gear and was resting his weight upon it. He greeted Rosalie with a close-lipped smile and opened his mouth to ask her but was quickly stopped by her palm flying up in front of him as she stomped by.

     A.J. could feel the anger radiating off of her sister, even without a special power and her being across the field now. She knew it was a miracle for Rosalie to even be here, with her previous plan of leaving to avoid the game and Bella all together. Without a doubt, A.J. knew it would get better once the game started, the others thought so as well, especially since her demeanor was quite bright beforehand the new couple arrived.

     “So that’s how you’ve managed to keep her.” Edward teased Emmett as he and Bella reached home plate.

     Emmett flashed next to Edward, causing Bella to jump, and wrapped a thick arm around his brother’s shoulders, which were covered by a button-up baseball jersey.

    Edward gave the younger vampire a look, already knowing what he was about to say. 

     “Emmett, that’s revolting,” Edward grimaced and pulled himself from Emmett’s grip.

     “What?” Emmett furrowed his dark brows, “I was just gonna remind you that I’m not the one who thought sparkling was a dealbreaker.” he decided to keep his previous thought to himself.

     A few of the Cullen ‘children’ laughed at Emmett’s remark, despite it being at Edward’s expense. His joke, as expected, did not sit well with Edward who was glaring at his brother.

    A.J. glanced up at Jasper messing with a baseball bat, “Oo! That’s awkward.” 

     The girl sucked a breath through her bunny-like teeth while beginning to read through the tracklist on the back of her CD case.

     A half-hearted grin slowly spread its way onto Edward’s face and his right flew up to swipe his mouth.

     “You know, Emmett,” his arm was now around Emmett’s shoulders, “I think you're just scared of your team losing.”

     “Not unless you plan on throwing the game,” Emmett smirked with crossed arms.

     Edward’s shit-eating look was stolen by Emmett. His head snapped over to Esme, asking a silent question, but easily found the answer by using his gift.

     “Rosalie and Alice wanted to be on a team this time,” Esme explained nonetheless while grabbing umpire gear out of the baseball bag, “We’re team ‘Wonder Woman’!”

     Edward furrowed his brows, “Jasper’s on your team.” His inquiry was disguised as a statement.

     “It’s an honor to be on a team named after comics’  finest heroine,” Jasper answered for himself as he practiced his batting stance to the side of Carlisle and Rosalie.

     Edward looked to Emmett, “And we are…MVP?” a look of dissatisfaction was on his face.

     “I was vouchin’ fer the Cheetahs, personally,” A.J. spoke up, “You know, Wonder Woman’s nemesis and all.” she clicked the skip button at the top of the boom box.

     Esme smiled at her children’s banter and pushed her way toward Bella with a black baseball glove and chest protector. Bella met her gaze with a close-lipped smile and hesitantly took the glove when the Cullen matriarch extended it to her.

     “Glad you’re here,” Esme wrapped an arm around Bella, “We need an umpire,” she stated while leading the girl to home base.

     Emmett waltzed past them, “She thinks we cheat.” he continued heading down the field.

     “I know you cheat.” Esme taunted as Emmett tossed a baseball between his hands.

     A.J. tsked, “Y’all love to say that ‘cause our team happens to always win.” she goaded while placing her ‘Muse’ CD back into the small compartment of her backpack.

     “What about last time,” Rosalie asked with a sarcastic tone from her spot near second base.

     Bella glanced at the brooding woman, “What happened last time?” she switched her gaze to Esme as they parked themselves at home base. 

     “Here, slip your jacket off for a moment, sweetie,” Esme instructed kindly, “Last time we all played, which was…,”

     “March 30,” Alice answered from the pitcher’s mound.

     Esme thanked Alice with a smile, “Thank you. Anyway, Carlisle continuously struck out during the first inning, resulting in team ‘VIP’ having five fewer runs than team ‘Great Batsy’.” 

     During her explanation, Esme slipped the black chest protector over Bella’s neck. 

     “Crying, Bella,” A.J. scooted her bottom to face Bella, “I was cryin’ and I don’t even have tears.”

     Carlisle smiled sheepishly, “In my defense, I had a lot on my mind.”

     A.J. didn’t miss the subtle embarrassment that showed on Edward’s face nor the looks her siblings gave him.

     “No excuse, sir,” A.J. threw a finger up, “We’re winners, and I expect ya ta act like it!” 

     Her behavior earned a chuckle from Carlisle and an exclamation of agreement from Emmett. 

     As this went on. Esme adjusted the chest guard causing Bella to blink at the sudden movement but eventually helped Esme settle it on her torso. Once it was resting on her shoulders, Edward snaked behind Bella and adjusted the straps across her upper back. Esme then stepped away to give the new lovers some space. Her pallid face held a warm expression at the sight of the ‘son’ she had grown most fond of, finally finding happiness in love. 

     The sweet moment was soon ruined as Bella was jerked back by the force Edward unconsciously used. A crease formed between Esme’s dark eyebrows as she frowned at the  uncomfortable scene in front of her. She sent a small smile; whether it was a warning to be mindful or encouragement was unknown; and stepped away from the couple to help the others in setting up.

     “Sorry,” Edward’s hands faltered on the straps, “Last time I did this was back when A.J. had first joined us.” he secured the chest guard on Bella’s back.

     Bella nodded, still holding her brown jacket on her arm. The sleeves of her white shirt twisted as Edward’s hand snaked around her to lift the brown jacket off of her right arm.

     “It’s okay,” she swallowed as Edward prepared her coat to assist it on, “How long ago was that?”

     “Why does it matter?” Rosalie snarked out with crossed arms and a hip popped out.

     Edward paused in helping Bella put her jacket back on to give a warning look to the blonde.

     Carlisle’s lips pressed into a straight line, “Rose,” he warned.

     Bella looked back at Edward before back at Rosalie.

     “It doesn’t, I was just curious.” Bella answered honestly.

     “And it’s a perfectly valid question,” A.J. spoke up.

     Rosalie’s eye roll could practically be heard by the others.

     A.J. briefly glanced back at those behind her, “If we’re goin’ off the day I actually moved here, then…,” she trailed off while calculating.

     “A.J.’s lived here since last August.” Carlisle answered for her.

     Bella nodded as she consecutively pushed her arms through the sleeves of her jacket as Edward finished helping her by hiking the coat up until it was entirely back on. 

     “It’s a little tight,” Bella stated with tight lips as she rolled her shoulders.

     The jacket she wore barely fit over the padding of the chest guard thrown onto her. Her arm movement was restricted, but she supposed it was better to have stiff arms than a shattered sternum. 

     Loud guitar suddenly blared from A.J.’s boombox, the owner of it now swaggering over to home plate. She snatched up a black glove lined with hot pink from the gear bag on her way over.

     “Sorry, Bella-rella,” A.J. approached the uncomfortable human, “It’s either have no protection ‘gainst my lethal pitches and get soaked down to your knickers, or have protection from such pitches buuut still get soaked - ‘cause-uh-do you smell that?”

     A.J. threw her arm around Bella’s padded shoulders and thoroughly inhaled with her nose pointed toward the sky. 

     “It’s gon’ rain.” A.J. rasped out while gradually lowering her head.

     Emmett grinned from over by third base, “It’s gon rain!” he repeated.

     “IT’S GON’ RAIN!” A.J. shouted before patting Bella on the back and jogging to the pitcher's mound.

     Esme chuckled next to Carlisle before turning to her husband.

     Her hands pressed his chest, “Alright, enough chitter-chatter, Bella didn’t come here to talk. Let’s play some baseball!” 

     Esme patted Carlisle’s chest, signaling him and the remaining Cullens not in place, to assume their positions on the field.

     A.J. eyed Alice as she approached the pitcher’s mound, “You’re gonna’ have to move.” A.J. jutted her left thumb toward home plate.

     Alice furrowed her brows, “And why is that?”

     Rosalie frowned as Carlisle her way, “Yeah, why is that? The team I’m on lost last time.”

     “We know,” Emmett stated, “We decided, however, that we wanna play the field first… and so A.J. can pitch first.”

     Rosalie rolled her topaz eyes once again while Alice agreed to their decision and they both jogged back to home plate. The remaining two members of team ‘Wonder Woman’ had yet to move from their previous spots at home plate and waited for the others to get into position.

     “Keep an eye on Emmett, alright,” Edward spoke into Bella’s ear with a smile.

     Emmett frowned, “Hey, we’re on the same team!” 

     His fist slammed into his gloved left hand, clearly itching for the game to start.

     “That doesn’t change your track record.” Edward retorted after flashing over to second base as Carlisle jogged to first.

     With the baseball gripped tightly in her right hand, A.J. swung her arm toward Jasper at home plate, who was also preparing.

     “Careful, Eddie,” A.J. warned, “Might start ta’ think you're a snitch.”

     Edward chortled, “How can one be a snitch in baseball?”

     A.J. craned her neck to look at him, “Uh, I don’t know, mind reader.” she squinted suspiciously at him.

     Emmett glanced between before a look of realization spread across his pallid face.

      “Ohhh, yeah, I see what you’re gettin’ at, Aje,” Emmett smirked while eyeing Edward, “You’re gonna listen to our team's thoughts and then sabotage us.”

     Edward paused and blinked, words escaping him. One weakness he would never admit, even if he was being tortured, is the effect Emmett and A.J. have to completely and utterly bamboozle him. Once the shock of Emmett’s accusation wore off, Edward peeled his eyes open and met Bella’s brown ones. She held an amused expression, her eyes asking a question Edward couldn’t hear. He sent her a silent shrug as an answer whilst A.J. and Emmett continued their rant.

     “Alright,” Carlisle’s call silenced Emmett and A.J., “I’m sure Edward is not planning a betrayal, and even if he was-,”

     “Which I’m not.” Edward chimed in.

     “I know,” Carlisle spoke in his mind with an apologetic look, “Even if he was, I think we’d still manage to win. Even without Rose on our team.” 

     A smug smile spread across Carlisle’s lips, as a chorus of ‘Oo’s’ blended with the breeze that blew his striped scarf.

     “Let’s go then,” A.J. spun on her heel to face home plate, “Jasper.” she nodded.

     Jasper nodded back, preparing his stance.

     “Angel.” he smiled at her, eyes filled with determination.

     In an instant, A.J. propelled her right arm forward. The ball flew from her hand and headed straight to Jasper. The bat he held swung out and away from his shoulder, his torso and legs twisting to enhance the force he hit with. With a loud crack of thunder, the ball collided with the bat and launched high into the sky. Unfortunately for Jasper, the ball headed into the air directly above A.J., who leaped up what seemed like five-hundred feet to Bella, and caught the ball with ease in her gloved hand. A.J. landed on her feet with a thud, sufficiently stopping Jasper from running just as he dropped the bat.

     Bella glanced up at Esme from her squatted position a little ways behind Jasper as laughs or winces echoed through the air. The speed at which the Cullens play made it difficult for her to decipher anything, let alone the baseball knowledge she lacked. She briefly wished she would’ve paid more attention to her step-father’s career now. Answering her silent question, Esme nodded to her with a grimace.

     “Out.” Bella called.

     “Oh-ho-ho, Mr. Whitlock,” A.J. called in a nasally British accent, “How it seems your strategy has grown weak.” her smile grew at the sound of Emmett’s snicker.

     Alice watched as her husband tracked back to join her and Rosalie on the sidelines, frown on his face but posture still perfect. Jasper handed her the bat as he passed her and continued until he was next to Rosalie.

     “It’s okay, Jazzy,” Alice cooed, “It was only your first bat.” she gave him an assuring smile as she approached the plate.

     A.J. grinned at Alice as the older vampire settled into batting position. A strike of lightning in the distance lit the grey sky and was quickly followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Bella jumped in her skin at the unexpected volume which only heightened her stress levels. Having noticed the jump, Esme raised a hand that had been resting on her knee and placed it on Bella’s padded shoulder. She gave the girl a squeeze and a gentle smile as Bella craned her neck to meet Esme’s gaze.

     “Hey, batta’-batta’, hey, batta’-batta’, swang~,” A.J. mimicked exuberantly swinging an imaginary bat.

    A smile spread onto Alice’s face upon hearing the song, “I got ta just do my thang~.” she happily sang back.

     “Enough singing,” Emmett yelled, “Get on with the game!” he eagerly threw his fist into his gloved hand.

     A.J. frowned as she twisted her head back, “Let us enjoy ourselves!”

     “Clearly someone can’t dance.” Alice smirked teasingly still in her batting stance.

     Emmett’s hands paused with an almost offended look on his face. Those spectating were either watching thoroughly entertained, or less than amused and wanting to continue with this close game.

     “Oh, I can dance,” Emmett answered nonchalantly, “Tell ‘em, babe.”

     Thunder cracked around them as all eyes zoned in on Rosalie, awaiting an answer.  A smile slowly grew on her diamond-like jaw as if a pleasant memory was filling her mind.

     “Oh, he can dance,” her declaration rewarded her a wink from her doting husband.

     A.J. stuck her tongue out, “Bleh,” she faked a gag as her torso rag-dolled.

     Esme chuckled at her reaction from her hunched-over position behind Bella.

      “Alright, ‘nough talk, let’s get back to the game.” Esme clapped her hands together right as it thundered.

     Carlisle nodded at his wife, “Impeccable timing.” he smiled at her.

     She quirked a short eyebrow up at him with a smirk, “Thank you.” 

     Returning her attention back to the game, A.J. peered up at the sky as if she was waiting for something. Her eyes fluttered shut as she forcefully inhaled for an exaggerated amount of time. Bella furrowed her brows at A.J.’s action, briefly glancing up at Esme again. 

     “She’s waiting for the thunder,” Esme answered without taking her eyes off the scene in front of her.

     “She technically don’t have to,” Jasper chimed in, “As long as we’re playing during a storm, we don’t have to wait for a ‘loud sound’.”

     A.J. lowered her head, “I like the dramatics. Sue me!”

     Before Bella could blink, the ball was flying at Alice. With another loud crack of both thunder and the bat and ball colliding, Alice dropped the bat and dashed toward first base. The ball flew past A.J.’s left side and headed to Emmett who immediately jumped into action. He shot into the air, left arm extended above him, with the ball directed at him. As Alice reached first base, the ball grazed the top of Emmett’s gloved hand and continued into the forest behind them. 

     Edward darted back into the forest as Alice approached second base. His topaz eyes bounced rapidly around the trees and brush until he spotted the baseball. Edward then snatched the ball off the ground and threw it to Emmett through the trees, who was anticipating the throw. Emmett hurled his body to the left and roughly landed at third base when Alice stepped on it.

 ��   A chorus of ‘whoos’ and hollers sounded from home plate as Alice bounced victoriously on third base. Emmett scoffed as he rolled onto his knees before hopping up while Edward came flashing back from the woods. 

     “Lucky shot,” Emmett commented as he stood next to Alice.

     Alice looked up at him with a smug look, “That was pure skill, Emmett.”

     “Damn right it was,” Jasper called out with his arms crossed.

     The Cullens continued an epic game of baseball, one that was far too fast for the human eye to properly view. Bella struggled to see anything but the aftermath chatter and positions after the end of a run. Thankfully for her sake, Esme or another member of team ‘Wonder Woman’ was there to help her with the calls; disregarding Rosalie. 

     The Cullens had made it to the third inning, in record time thanks to their enhanced abilities. Team ’MVP’ was currently three runs ahead of team ‘Wonder Woman’. Jasper had redeemed himself and hit a home run, Alice was currently at second base, Esme resided by Bella and awaited her turn, and Rosalie was currently up to bat. Team ‘MVP’ were positioned the same way as before and eager to continue.

     “You ready?” A.J. nodded at her sister as they both readied themselves.

     Rosalie crouched into position, “As ever.”

     A.J. drew back her right arm before swinging it forward and putting her weight on her front leg. The baseball flew toward Rosalie before another crack echoed through the field and throughout the surrounding forest. Rosalie dropped the bat, pushed off of home plate, and sprinted down the field. The baseball was heading between second and third base, where Edward and Emmett were positioned on either base. 

     Alice sprinted past Edward and Emmett who were distracted by the fast-approaching ball. As the pixie-like vampire passed by third base and Rosalie reached first, Emmett and Edward jumped simultaneously with their arms outstretched and ready to catch the ball. Unfortunately, the duo collided with each other in a loud ‘thwack’ and the two members of team ‘Wonder Woman’ managed to reach home plate. The women secured two more runs for their team and caused a total wipeout for the opposite team that resulted in Edward and Emmett splayed out on the grass and the baseball deep in the forest.

     Alice skidded to stop a few feet away from home plate and Rosalie followed by sliding across the grass and onto home plate. Amidst the cheers of the successful team, Jasper ran to Alice and picked her up into a spinning hug; squeals of laughter leaving the victorious woman. With a grin, Esme extended her arm down to Rosalie who grabbed it with a smirk and hopped up. 

     “That’s how we do it!” Esme high-fived Rosalie once she was standing.

     Bella nodded from her squatted position, “Yeah, that was a good play.” 

     Rosalie glared down at the girl, “You couldn’t even see it.” she spat.

     Esme’s smile turned to a frown, “Rose.” she warned.

     “What? It’s true.” Rosalie defended.

     “Well, I mean, she’s right,” Bella said, “I-I couldn’t see it, but-,”

     “Alright, how ‘bout we turn our attention to the real issue ‘ere,” A.J. interrupted the three, “Which is betrayal!”

     A.J. thrust her finger in the direction of a chuckling Emmett and Edward who had just stood up.

     Edward, having already heard what she was about to say, ceased his laughter.

     “A.J., are you really pushing this?” Edward groaned.

     A.J. fought back a smile, “Oh, yes, indeed I am pushin’ this, traitor!”

     Emmett stared at Edward, “Oh, yeah. It is a bit strange that the mind reader Edward didn’t read in my mind that I was gonna jump for the ball.” a smirk spread across his short jaw.

     “Exactly!” A.J. eagerly agreed with a stomp, “He sabotaged us so the loser team would have a chance!”

     Rosalie crossed her arms, “I think we have a chance regardless of Edward’s treachery.”

     “I’m-I am not a traitor. I did not even think of reading anyone’s mind, because I was focused on the game.” Edward let out a flabbergasted laugh.

     Emmett adjusted his stance and crossed his arms.

     “Exactly what a traitor would say,” Emmett stated.

     

     Edward’s tongue darted across his pristine white teeth as he grinned in annoyance, “I think the only one you should be accusing of ’treachery’ is Alice.”

     A smirk spread across Edward’s lips at his words. 

     “What!” Alice’s hands fell onto her hips.

     Her eyebrows knitted together underneath her navy blue cap at the sudden accusation. A crack of thunder sounded around them as if Alice herself conjured it up with her voice. The babbling duo, Emmett and A.J., observed Alice before staring at Edward and then meeting each other’s gaze. Skeptical looks were painted upon their pale faces as the wind picked up around them. The rest of the Cullens and Bella were left awaiting their next move, wondering if Edward’s distraction worked or not.

     The accusing pair busted out in chuckles and giggles, ripping Edward’s hopeful look off of his face. 

     Emmett turned his head to a dejected Edward.

     “Alice wouldn’t have the time to see our moves,” Emmett stated matter-of-factly.

     A.J. nodded, “Yeah, plus, she ain’t on our team.”

     Emmett and A.J. smirked at each other as if they just deduced the most abstruse mystery in history. A snort could be heard coming from Hale ‘twins’ by home plate, though that did nothing to deter the growing confidence of A.J. and Emmett.

     Edward chuckled out in confusion, eyes darting around those who stood throughout the field. His mouth opened and closed, struggling between the option of a logical defense or leaving the whole ordeal to rest. Staying silent seemed like the best option, considering logic fell upon deaf ears when it came to Emmett and A.J., but ultimately Edward decided to play the ‘call on the parent’ card.

     “Carlisle,” Edward pleaded to the man who was standing near first base.

     Edward motioned to his ‘attackers’, hoping the wise man’s words would bring some sense to the situation. Carlisle looked upon his son with tight lips and one hand over the other resting in front of his body. A glint of amusement shone in Carlisle’s golden eyes from the scene he silently observed, much to Edward’s dismay. 

     “Emmett, A.J.,” Carlisle spoke, “Edward isn’t a traitor-,”

     The wind picked up around them and quieted Carlisle as a fog emerged from the enclosing forest. A gasp fell from Alice’s lips while her arms fell from her hips to her sides. Her eyes had seemingly glazed over, hinting at the vision she was having. As if in slow motion, Edward stared at her before peering over at the forest behind them just as Alice’s vision ended. The rest of the Olympic Coven’s eyes turned toward the forest, whether it be from their own acute hearing or sensing the seriousness of Alice’s vision.

     “Stop!” Alice yelled desperately as it thundered around them.

     Edward was across the field and next to Bella at a moment's notice, the rest similarly hustling about. With her eyes still peering past the bare trees, A.J. felt an arm grip her left bicep tightly. Her eyes flicked over to see Emmett pulling her toward the rest of their family, Carlisle on her other side. Their eyes held a look of worry as they flashed over together.

     A.J. flickered her gaze between them as they joined the rest at home plate, to which Edward was pulling Bella toward the Jeep as Alice spoke quickly. A.J. stared at her family with knitted brows, clearly missing a vital piece of information, though she heard words of getting Bella out of here and nomadic vampires hearing their baseball game. 

    “Nomad vampires?”

     Panic fell upon A.J., concentrated in her chest, as memories filled her mind. She swore she could feel teeth tearing into her skin again, the excruciatingly slow loss of blood, her vision blurring, the taste of iron mixed with mud cutting off her breathing; choking her as water filled her lungs. Squeezing her eyes shut,  A.J. attempted to combat the rising terror with logical thoughts.

     “I’m a vampire now too.”

     “They can’t hurt me.”

     “I ain’t food anymore.”

     “They might be vegans like us.”

     “No, they ain’t. They’re the ‘predator’ on the news.”

     Unfortunately for her, the thoughts weren’t anything but a mere hindrance, to what she knew was illogical fear. 

     “It is illogical, right?” A.J. questioned herself amidst the chaos growing around her and the sudden absence of music.

     Before she could freak herself out more, a wave of peace washed over her and drowned out the fear in her chest. A moment after, two hands came to rest on her shoulders, which she deduced to be Jasper’s as everyone else was in her line of sight.

     Her head snapped up, the bottom of her messy braided pigtails bouncing with the movement. A.J. was met with an assuring smile from Jasper, who squeezed her strong shoulders.

     “Everythang’s gonna be alright.” Jasper reassured her as he guided her to stand in the back with Bella.

     A.J.’s pigtails bounced again as she nodded furiously, “Yeah, I know.”

     With another squeeze and a close-lipped smile, Jasper parted from his sister and hurried over to Emmett who stood waiting at the far right end of the line of vampires.

     “Get your hair down.” Edward ordered Bella with a pinched expression.

     Bella momentarily froze and stared at Edward with a bewildered look, before hesitantly pulling the hair tie from her mousy brown hair. 

     Rosalie turned around with a scowl, “Like that’ll help, I can smell her from across the field.”

     With one last look, Rosalie turned back to face the oncoming threat with the others. Carlisle moved to stand tall in the front as everyone else gathered around. They formed a ‘wall’ in front of Bella, her being the obvious vulnerable human here, and A.J. as she had been pushed to the back by Jasper. 

     “I shouldn’t have brought you here, I’m so sorry,” Edward shook his head as Bella pressed him for an answer, “Just be quiet and stand behind me.”

     Bella clung to Edward’s side as he stepped toward the others but stayed just behind them with Bella. The youngest Cullen moved to Bella’s other side, matching the body language of her family. Past the line her family created in front of the three, A.J.’s copper eyes fell upon three figures emerging from the woods. 

     In the front, passing through the growing fog, was a dark-skinned man with long locks, an orange leather jacket atop his bare torso, and a pair of dark, lined pants. To his right, was a woman with curly ginger hair and a long fur shawl that blew in the wind as they tracked forward; a confident smirk carved into her alabaster skin added to her alluring appearance. Lastly, the most menacing of them all was a man who stood to the left of them; his blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail that enhanced his dark, hooded eyes. The one characteristic that united them was the piercing ruby color of their eyes, which reminded A.J. of her own a couple of months ago.

     The young vampire hurriedly untucked her pinstripe jersey from her leggings all the while keeping her eyes trained ahead. With her enhanced speed, she threw open the buttons of her shirt, leaving her with just a baby blue tank top adorning her torso.

     “Here,” A.J. spoke to Bella, snapping the girl out of her frozen state.

     The human turned her head to face the newborn vampire and her eyes followed consecutively. Her gaze fell upon A.J.’s worried face as the taller of the two threw her jersey around Bella and placed it on her shoulders. Bella briefly unlatched herself from Edward for the jersey to encase her shoulders and arms.

     A.J. adjusted the jersey on Bella, “It’s not much, but I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t wash it last time we played so it’s…oh shit.” 

     A.J.’s ramblings were cut short as the trio of vampires was now standing still a few feet away from the group. With her enhanced hearing, she heard Bella’s heartbeat pick up next to her and prayed that the oncoming threat wouldn’t notice amidst the storm.

   ��  The frontman raised his right hand in a fluid motion, and in it was the homerun ball Rosalie hit. His pristine teeth contrasted against his dark skin as he flashed an inviting smile. A.J. couldn’t help but appreciate his good looks despite the tense situation. His shorter stature and medium build were carried casually, in a way that let you know he was confident and felt no need to compensate. The exposed torso revealed by his unbuttoned green-tinted vest and jacket showcased his toned upper body. He was undeniably tantalizing and attractive, though A.J. supposed that’s what made him dangerous.

     “I believe this belongs to you,” The vampire remarked before flicking his wrist and sending the ball toward Carlisle.

     Carlisle caught it with ease, an unreadable expression on his face. 

     “Thank you.” a friendly smile appeared on Carlisle’s face.

     A.J. shifted her weight before stepping over to stand next to Esme. Sensing her daughter moving next to her, Esme instinctively reached for the girl’s bicep before snaking her arm around A.J.’s. and pulling her close. Esme flicked her eyes to A.J.’s arm upon meeting bare skin, curious as to what happened to her jersey. In response, she received a simple smile and her daughter’s cold left hand on hers.

     “I am Laurant,” the stranger spoke again, “And this is Victoria and James.”

     A.J.’s gaze lingered on Victoria, her voluminous curls framing her soft features. Her presence intrigued the young vampire more and more as she studied her face and body language. It was almost feline, the way she moved, her minuscule movements were elegant and smooth. Once again, it was clear how her looks could be a weapon.

     James, however, did nothing but frighten A.J. Everything about the vampire screamed dangerous and to stay away. He, unlike his coven-mates, did possess the same alluring appearance or body language. The ways his eyes seemed to stare into your soul along with his tall stature reminded A.J. of the tales of Slender Man she’d heard some classmates talk about before she was turned. His weapon, without a doubt, was intimidation.

     “I’m Carlisle,” the Cullen patriarch gestured to the others standing beside him, “This is my family.”

     

     “I like your shawl,” A.J. spoke and nodded to the one draped around Victoria.

     Instantly, she felt all eyes on her and Esme pull her tighter to her side. The girl shrugged it off, thinking to herself that flattery is usually the best way to smooth things out. 

     Victoria eyed A.J., taking in her appearance having paid more attention to everyone else.

     “Thank you,” Victoria smiled, “I like your top. It’s a good color on you.” her words seemingly rolled off of her tongue.

     A.J. returned the smile, “I know, right.” she let out a stiff chuckle.

     Flattery certainly worked for herself as her apprehensive mood lessened from the compliment.

     “Yes, well, I’m afraid your hunting activities have caused something of a mess for us.” Carlisle brought the attention back to him.

     Laurant’s dark eyebrows raised as his ruby eyes widen ever so slightly.

     “Our apologies,” he spoke earnestly, “We did not realize the territory had been claimed.”

     His apology seemed almost empathetic according to A.J.’s ears. Regardless of whether or not she had been swayed by his being, she almost took his apology to heart if it had not been for the guard she desperately held onto.

     Carlisle nodded, “We maintain a permanent residence nearby.”

     Laurant twisted his neck to face James who was peering past Carlisle and Esme at Edward. A.J. unconsciously hardened her eyes in anticipation of what the nomad may do, having a hard time relaxing in his menacing presence. She feared what he may attempt to do to her family and wondered just how capable his coven could be against the Cullens.

     “Really?” Laurant’s smooth voice held a tone of disbelief, “Well we won’t be a problem anymore. We were just passing through” His gaze returned to Carlisle.

     

    “The humans were tracking us, but we led them east,” Victoria announced, “You should be safe,” she spoke the last part in a hushed tone as she leaned her head forward for emphasis.

     Carlisle nodded, “Excellent.”

     A.J. caught the reluctant smile on her father’s face. It was one she’d seen him use on a woman who had struck up a conversation with him on one of A.J.’s earlier excursions to ease her back into society. She recalled the woman’s tone being rather flirty as she rang them up at the register.

     Laurant glanced around at the Cullens.

     “So,” he pressed, “Could you use three extra players?”

     One by one the Cullen’s eyes fell upon Carlisle, awaiting his response. His gaze never left Laurant as he silently considered the best option.

     Laurant smiled, “Oh, come on, just one game.”

     Carlisle let out a quick sigh before smiling, “Sure, why not. A few of us were leaving - you can take their place.”

      A.J. crane her neck to glance back at Edward and Bella. Edward’s hardened gaze seemed almost frightened as he glared ahead at James. The fear on his face didn’t come from a fear of his own well-being but Bella’s. A.J. knew that was the only thing on his mind, getting Bella away from here and keeping her safe. 

     “Why didn’t you just flash her to the car? You had time.” A.J. thought to Edward who only briefly spared her a glance.

     Deciding to let it be, A.J.’s eyes moved to Bella who stood with her mouth slightly agape and still clung to Edward. The young vampire knew the human’s fear well and sympathized with her, especially since it was unknown how long Bella would be forced to endure this.

     “We’ll bat first.”

     A.J.’s turned around in time to see Carlisle toss the ball to Laurant, but Victoria flashed her pale hand up in time to catch it.

     “I’m the one with a wicked curve ball.” The smirk permanently edged into Victoria’s face grew wider.

     The atmosphere grew lighter at her remark as the Cullen's spirit slowly returned.

     “Oh, well I think we can handle that.” Jasper egged her on which earned a confident smirk from Emmett and A.J.

     Laurant sang out an ‘oh’ at the banter, body swaying with anticipation as he clapped.

     A.J. leaned her torso forward, “I’m a bit of’a star pitcher myself.” she eyed Victoria with a smile while Esme began to pull her toward the others as they retreated back.

     “We shall see,” Victoria spoke as both she and Laurant spun around to head down the field.

     Though his coven-mates were moving to prepare for the expected game, James stayed stationary with his animalistic gaze set on Edward and Bella. His head tilted to the side as he further inspected his ‘prey’, but Bella kept her gaze set on Edward. Her arm was wrapped around his as she waited for him to move though he stayed in an intimidation contest with James. Finally and with one last look, James turned on his heel and began to find his spot on the field. Bella let herself breathe as they were almost off the hook, but she relaxed too soon. Just as she and Edward began turning, the wind blew against their backs which pushed her scent straight toward James. 

     James’s neck twisted as he inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering shut as he faced the couple again.

     He exhaled and smiled, “You brought a snack.” 

     The predatory vampire lunged forward in a hunched manner, ready to pounce on his prey. Edward pushed Bella back and jumped to action as well, all but A.J. following suit, including James’s coven-mates. The young vampire swiped her jersey off of Bella’s shoulders and swiftly threw it on as she moved to stand in front of Bella. The girl’s copper eyes glared at the trio in front of them, her fear manifesting into courage. She and Bella suddenly stumbled back as Esme pushed A.J. farther away from danger. Perhaps that was where her courage came from; an unconscious understanding that her family wouldn’t allow any harm to come to her.

     “A human,” Laurant questioned as the tension grew.

    “The girl’s with us.” Carlisle stated with a calm voice, “I think it’s best if you leave.” his eyes stayed trained on James.

     Laurant nodded, “I can see the game is over. We’ll go now.” he held his palms open and facing the ground as he slowly backed away.

     Once again, James lingered, this time with Victoria by his side, who seemed eager to kill for him. Laurant glanced at James questioningly, his patience running thin for such antics.

     “James.” Laurant called out.

     With a growl and one last look, James’s posture straightened as he turned away from the Cullens. Victoria followed with a hiss and joined James to which they wrapped an arm around each other and stalked away. Laurant led them as he walked backward before gradually spinning around to walk straight.

     A.J. watched as Edward slowly raised from his hunched state, deep in thought…or what she assumed was James’s.

     “Get Bella out of here.” Carlisle ushered as he placed a hand on Edward’s shoulder, “Go.”

     The eldest Cullen then pushed Edward back toward where Bella and A.J. resided. A.J. quickly flashed to the side and gave her brother an encouraging smile to which she received a nod. As Edward rushed Bella to the jeep, the Cullens quickly gathered what they had come here  with.

      “W-wait, what ‘appens now?” A.J. asked as Carlisle wrapped an arm around her shoulder and placed his right hand protectively on her other.

     “We go home.” Carlisle answered and began to lead her away in the direction of home.

     A.J. stared at him as the others caught up with them, “Then what?”

     Carlisle looked down and gave his daughter a close-lipped smile as Esme flashed to her other side.

     “Let’s just get home first.” he told her.

     A.J. nodded and turned her gaze forward before stopping dead in her tracks and craning her neck to look around Carlisle.

     “Wait, my stuff!” she called out.

     “Don’t worry, we got it.” Rosalie answered as she slugged A.J.’s backpack around her shoulders and Emmett cradled the girl’s boom box.

     A.J. nodded again, “Thank you.” she let her gaze fall forward.

     The girl bit her tongue in anticipation of what was going to happen. The courage she had gained left her once she heard the wheels of the silver Jeep skid away in the mud. Dread replaced it as the primary emotion in most of the vampires present. Her thoughts were far too jumbled and rapid for her to calm herself down as Carlisle began to pick up speed. One thing that remained clear in her mind as she started to run, was her family staying safe. Though, she had no clue how she'd do it.

[all-mirth-no-matter]

So I pretty consistently watched DW through Nine, Ten, and Eleven. I started watching Twelve, and then fell off like near the end of his first season. Then I watched a few episodes with Twelve and Bill, but again fell off. Then watched almost all of Thirteen’s first season except the last special, then jumped back in and watched her last two episodes in prep for these 60th specials.

And really, I’ve always wanted to go back through and watch the whole thing. Even back through Eleven’s since aside from a few episodes I pretty much only ran through his seasons once. But obviously motivation hasn’t been there for me to sit down and do it, and I kind of found all the little bits that I’ve learned through the years about the Gallifrey stuff a little daunting to try and get my head ready to wrap around.

Here’s the thing though. Fourteen’s emotional breakdown in this second special, talking about the Flux (which I have no idea what that’s about) and timeless child and idk even what else make me so want to go back and watch so badly, just so I can fully understand and appreciate these scenes and emotions.

And honestly I can’t think of a time I was watching a new regen’s season or special and thought that.

One of the aspects of the regens (especially when it’s a new show runner) that I’ve always been a little sad over is that there’s very little reference to the Doctor(s) they were before, and especially the companions and events they went through. I get that they want to distinguish these new chapters as their own, and that the Doctor is not the same Doctor as they were before. But it just feels like such an amputation and makes me so sad.

Like don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon that David specifically is back to have this adventure with Donna. But it would just make me swoon to see another of the Doctor’s faces speak with the same love for their former companions. Another example of this is in Thirteen’s last episode with the classic companions, we just got a bite of Thirteen’s face with them before it switched to their personal Doctor’s faces (which again, I’m more excited as a fan watching knowing these are actors who are so excited to work together again and that we’re so lucky to still have these actors appearing, than as a follower of the story seeing the current Doctor with their old friends).

Anyway, that’s not my point here. My point is that the carry over of story and influence of previous Doctor(s) emotions/thoughts/feelings is something that I adore and it motivates me to go back and learn more and get the whole story. Because if RTD is giving us this for just the specials, I look forward to his approach for the next Doctor and season so much!

[yourlocalartsonist]

MONTLY MFIP UPDATE

8/13 | Month 1 | Next Month

Hey hey hey folks! Been a while, I know but we’re here now! If you’re wondering “what the fuck is this” basically I decided to take notes from my bestie @yosajaeofficial and do monthly updates for MFIP the way they do em for their story JMC so it doesn’t look like I’m dead :D (BTW Please go check out the Jayce Myles Comics, it’s gonna be a rise comic and hasn’t debuted yet but Jae’s been working super hard on it and I guarantee if you guys like MFIP, then you’ll love the JMC too so give em a follow to stay updated~)

Anywhizzle, I know I don’t update often but truth be told, I don’t usually have much publishable material. Most of the MFIP related artwork I do are usually things I can’t reveal till future chapters. They’re lore-significant and would be kinda spoilerish if I posted them before the chapters are ready so womp womp on me. All the other art I do are either for different stories, sketches, or just not things I really wanna publish at least as their own posts. I do, however, wanna show I’m not speaking out my ass so I’mma show a few of em here actually :3

First one’s like one of my favorite things ever even if it’s pretty simple. I just wanted to explore Salena’s dynamics with some of the villains and sketch em out for funsies but only got as far as Meatsweats and Kendra. Still one of the funniest shit to me ESPECIALLY the random ass beef Salena and Meatsweats have. It came out of fucking nowhere but both have accepted it as just their dynamic now. Funfact, it wasn’t even planned; I accidentally made Meatsweats the villain for chapters 1 and 3 and decided “fuck it, the bond is funny” so now they’re mortal enemies for no reason other than pure coincidence💀✨

Wanted to show this one because it’s cute and I love it. It’s one of my more recent sketches (hence the brush being changed) I did on a day I wasn’t really feeling too well and kinda craved Raph’s big-brother comfort. I might go in and actually finish this one ngl cuz it’s just really sweet to me

SPOILER!

I also wanted to show a sneak peek at one of the chapter artworks that I mentioned earlier I cannot post yet. I’m not revealing any of the context or what chapter it’s from, but trust me y’all are in for a ride🤭✨✨✨

Alrighty, so that’s all I have for the art section. It’s not all though since I do wanna talk about the actual chapter progress itself in this next section

So, all y’all know the last chapter posted was chapter 9 and the one I’m working on currently is chapter 10. It’s got 19 pages so far in the docs but still kinda near the beginning. Chapter 9 was HUGE for me to write and I kinda think it’s the longest chapter I’ve written in general even including chapters from other stories I’ve written in the past so it really put me through a trip. I’m really happy and proud with how it turned out but it did burn me out a little so I’ve spent most of my summer break resting and regaining my energy. I’ve dabbled into other projects, other stories, AUs, etc. A lot of it was self-indulgent stuff which may still be posted on a separate account but it does mean I wasn’t progressing much with MFIP itself. I never abandoned it though or even properly stepped away from it tbh, it stayed in my mind and I kept having ideas that I added to my notes or just random brainrot I liked expanding on. It also gave me a chance to approach chapter 10 with a new lens cuz it had to be mentally reworked a few times to properly convey what I wanted it to. It’s still not fully figured out but it’s planned out in my head enough for me to ball it when writing the actual chapter itself as usual

I’ve also been working on some oneshots too! They’re kinda optional treats for anyone who wants to read em. They do have significance in the story but it’s not gonna leave you completely lost about the lore or anything if you choose not to read them. I’ll be posting at least the first one soon, I’m not sure yet cuz the order is indeed important for the timeline sake. But anywho, expect to see some of that as fun bonus content!

Now that the chapter update’s done, I did wanna talk more to you guys about writing and the story itself. I know I’ve become incredibly slow at updating the story but I do wanna reassure you guys that I still love MFIP and have a lot of passion for it, as well as working on it as hard as I can. The reason these chapters take longer is ironically because of that. I used to be able to pump out a chapter within a few weeks but those were the REALLY early days. My chapters grew to be much longer than I ever thought they’d be and they’re filled to the brim with important details and crucial moments that I can’t take out or rush without it feeling sloppy and lacking. The quality’s also increased thanks to my wonderful team editing the chapters for any typos or continuity errors and working on MFIP with as much passion as I am but that means they need to be given enough time to do their jobs properly. My love for MFIP is greater than it’s ever been and that’s saying something cuz I was quite obsessed since day one. But since there’s so much to do and I wanna be able to make the quality worthwhile, it takes me much longer to complete chapters. On top of that, there’s obviously life stuff going on too. I still have to focus on college and study for it, especially since I’m majoring in physics, and I have to take care of my mom a lot since she’s a breast cancer survivor (officially been a decade now🦾) so we got A LOOOOOOT of doctor appointments every month. It’s just our normal. I do wish there was a way I could work faster or increase the amount of hours in a day but hey, at least we’re all waiting together. I can promise you this much: if I ever decide to drop the story—which I believe is VERY HIGHLY UNLIKELY—I’ll be sure to let y’all know. I won’t ghost or randomly delete it out of nowhere someday. As far as I’m aware, I have full intent to keep this story going and keep communication clear between us :3

But yea, all in all, I think that’s all from me for this month’s update!

I hope this was a satisfying update to read (and to know the story ain’t abandoned—) and I hope next month I’ll have some cool things to show too. Maybe I’ll consider showing a written WIP next month? I’m not too sure since I usually like keeping my chapters a surprise till they’re fully done but I’ll consider it depending on how far the chapter is. For now though, I must bid y’all farewell! I’ll still be here to answer asks or do fun tag games and maybe post here and there if I have something. If ya made it this far, thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of your day everyone. Love ya guyssss🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

ROTTMNT: Moths Fly In Packs

[alpydk]

THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT MY FELLOW WRITERS

this is a super fun tag prompt list, thanks @orangekittyenergy

tagging: @sofancydancy and @senualothbrok

Right, let's see how this goes.

Last book I read: Pride and Prejudice. Had never read it before but the whole Tim Downie cameo got me doing it. Then watched the BBC series with a friend and we swooned something major over Colin Firth. I've picked up some other books since then but just haven't found the motivation to get through them. Looking at Dark Tower book 5 as well for the last year...

Greatest literary inspiration: I'm honestly not sure. My partner is the real reader of the two of us. I've enjoyed Dark Tower, The Witcher Series (Honestly still in love with Cahir from them), and Leaves of Grass is my poetry go-to. But inspiration, going to be silly but the Hardcore series by Andy Remic (RIP), is such a great series of books. They're not the most literary genius type books but the action is cool, I love the characters. They make me want to write cool shit too.

Things in my current fandom I want to read but I don't want to write:

Smut. Honestly, my abilities with writing smut are limited. I have no patience for flowery language (yeah I write poetry but I know what I mean.) but it means when it comes to writing my own smut it is very matter-of-fact and lacks what I'm looking for. I'm also very picky about my smut due to an annoying logical brain. If you say someone moves their arm and then they move something else I see that and if I can't follow it directly I'm just going to put it down.

You can recognise my writing by:

Lots of short prose-type sentences. I like the effect of repetition and I especially like writing in a more personal talking type way. I especially love to monologue so if anyone does recognise my writing it's probably from these things. I especially love writing anything angst, it's so therapeutic and I love being able to draw out emotions from other people. I can do this with sweet fluff stuff too but angst really is more enjoyable.

My most controversial take ( current fandom):

I hate the word folds. (Not fandom relations but still.) Makes me think of a packed ham sandwich.

Fandom-related though - Astarion fans can get pretty feral over their views of his character. I get it, Gale fans are the same but I've left groups over the rabidness.

Current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut): Currently about a 4 but it can vary depending on the hour and the inspiration. I completed the Nana story and now feel a little lost as to what the next project will be. Ideas are escaping me.

Top three favourite tropes: The whole "enemy to lovers" thing. I mean this in a 2 people who argue and fall in love, not as in the real enemies to lovers.

Star-crossed lovers, especially if they really are both doomed. Astarion/Karlach if she is going to burn up. I love that tragic acceptance. Give me more of that.

I like a loveable rogue too. Hook from OUAT.

Share a random frustration: AU fiction losing characterisations. Once your fiction hits a point where you could replace the characters with any other from any other series I'm going to stop reading it. Great, you want X to be sub, but if he wouldn't actually act that way in canon, why are you even using him as a character? It's AU, fine but then make it OC or use another fandom. Don't force me to read through 13 chapters of semi-ok stuff just to destroy the characters so you can fulfil the soap opera-esque drama that gets you the hits. I get it's difficult but this is my pet peeve. Rant over...

[stardusthuntress]

EnigmaTech - Ch. 4

My Tech Lives AU! (see prior chapters for summary)

Chapter 4 - A New Perspective

Tech x female!reader (pronouns only)

Word count: ~8.3k 

Chapter Summary: Picking up right where we left off, the lost 3 and the regs now freed from that creep, Hemlock, are in need of a chance to heal. And, as Tech would say, the human body is fascinating, and especially puzzling when driven by the emotion center instead of the logic center.

Also, Tech may or may not end up shirtless at one point! Kinda needs a warning of it's own, hehe! <3 I recommend referring to the following fan art pieces by @amorfista (here and here) and @lightspringrain (1; 2; 3) and @bruh-myguy-what (here) and so many more, but these were the ones that have been on my mind lately!!! <3 love you guys!!!

TW: mentions of Tech's injuries again. I'm not a fan of the way shows show a character getting injured and then in the next episode they're fine. It's just so unrealistic. So, Tech is gonna be recovering for another chapter or two beyond this. It won't be gruesome tho. No descriptions of grossness. Just mentions of where Tech's mods are.

A/N: I am not a medic, nor do I know a damn thing about medical treatment! Nothing gross. Nothing angsty. A touch of jealosy, but that's it. Tech figuring out what the fuck it means to flirt. Reader's callsign still used intermittently.

It's been so long since I've added to this story! I've been so busy. Lift took a turn I did not expect, but I think it's actually gonna be a good change! Just needed some time to figure out what to do with the curveball. I've had most of this chapter pretty much ready to go for a while tho, so it's time to release this to the world! Doing my best to getting back into writing these, I miss writing so much!

Tech dividers: @/djarrex

“Tech, let’s give those meds a few more minutes under observation to bring your system back to a somewhat normal level before we do anything else, just to make sure you’re stable. Okay?” Spitfire checks in with her patient. 

“Yes. That is an excellent idea. I will inform you if I perceive any changes in my current state of being. Perhaps it will provide adequate time for my brothers to receive medical attention as well?” 

“Certainly,” she nods, beckoning Wrecker over. “Wreck, the left shoulder?!? Again???!!! Your poor left shoulder, Big Guy! That’s at least the third time you’ve taken a hit to your left shoulder since the Empire became a thing!” 

“Tech told me once that it’s better that it’s my left rather than my right because I’m right handed.” Wrecker’s voice is quiet. 

Spitfire sighs, “He’s correct there, but either way, less hits to any of you at all would be ideal. Let’s get you patched up, Big Guy.” 

“Awwww, no I hate medical stuff. Do we have to?” 

“Yes, we want it to heal. It will be over before you know it. Tech and Crosshair are getting patched up too. I won’t do anything that might hurt if I don’t have to, I promise.” She pats his arm, trying to reassure the large man with touch as well as words. 

Tech didn’t remember seeing Wrecker take a hit to his shoulder, but he’s glad someone noticed. 

She has finally managed to sit Wrecker down and has started rummaging through the med pack Echo got out to use on Tech and Cross. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Wrecker fretting. 

“You remind me of another trooper I once worked with, Big Guy,” she starts, “I was working with the 104th at the time. The man’s name was Numbskull.” 

“Hah! how’d he get a name like that?” Wrecker asks. The room is quiet, all the men listening to her voice in an attempt to keep their minds off of the horrors they found within the walls of Hemlock’s facility. 

“By doing the same thing you do, Goofball! He took so many hits to his shoulder that he eventually lost all the feeling in his arm.” 

“His whole arm?” Wrecker seems stuck somewhere between amusement and worry. 

“Mmhmm. After enough hits to the pressure points and the spaces between the gaps in his armour, he said all he felt was a tingling in the back of his skull when the doc tried the good old pinch test.” 

“Where you pinch his arm to see if he can still feel it?” Once Wrecker started trying to think his way through the story, his worry began to fade.

“Exactly, all he felt was a little tingle in the base of his skull. And then eventually he lost all the feeling in his arm completely. But he could still use the arm like normal, he just couldn’t feel it.” 

“That doesn’t sound so bad. I’d rather not feel any pain.” Wrecker’s shoulders relax. 

Tech and Echo laughed, exchanging glances beside her, as she continued her work on Wrecker. The idea isn’t so bad to them either, a numb Wrecker would certainly be a lot easier to deal with during medical exams, thats for sure. 

She smiled. Her story was working, distracting and calming not just Wrecker, but all the boys, while she patched them up, but she was only getting started. 

“There was this one day where Numbskull was fighting a battle down a seppie hallway. The boys had managed to take out the main power generator, so the whole base was running on backup power. Now, this base was enormous! Definitely ended up a lot bigger than the Seppies intended it to be. So much so, that the entire base was really struggling to function on backup power. Doors would only half open and then get stuck, and blast doors could easily be pried back open without much effort. Battle was going surprisingly well. Turned out they were trying to empty the base anyway, probably because it got too big and was only good as a diversion anymore, so it was just a skeleton crew there. And Numbskull’s squad was one of the ones assigned to work their way through the hallways and clear out any droids they found.” 

She pauses to glance around the room at their faces to see if they want to hear the story before continuing, “Just his luck, Numbskull managed to find a room chock full of fully functional B1’s. Now, Numbskull liked to wield 2 blasters, one in each hand, like Tech over here.” 

Tech smiles, surprised she was aware since he had clearly not been doing that during today’s escape. 

“Numbskull’s preferred tactic was to plant himself in the middle of the driods and extend his arms in a T-pose so he could take down droids on either side at the same time, or so he claimed.” She demonstrated with her body: holding a pretend blaster in each hand, one outstretched on either side of her, pointing 180 degrees away from each other. “He thought that was the most fun way to take the droids down. After a while it kinda became his signature move.” 

By this point, all the men are engaged in the story, various expressions of amusement on their faces and in their stance and posture, not paying much attention to the medical checkups she and Echo were conducting. Even Omega was listening from Hunter’s lap, and Hunter seemed relieved that she was so entrenched in the story and was getting a little of her mojo back. She’d grown rather quiet since their return to the ship. Meanwhile Hunter conducted a discrete medical scan of his little girl with one hand while the other comfortingly petted her hair. 

“I was working with the Commander in the control room when the call came in. Numbskull’s squad had managed to draw the B1’s into the hallway, and Numbskull planted himself right in the middle of all the droids and pulled his signature move,” She’s laughing a bit as she tells the story. “The men were laughing so hard they could barely call it in. Turns out, Numbskull hadn’t noticed the blast doors closing, he’d been so focused on one blaster, he forgot to look back over his other shoulder at his numb arm too. You know how the blast doors close in a spiral so the last spot to close up is right in the center? Well, by the time he remembered to look at his other hand, his numb hand, his arm was stuck. The blast doors had closed around his wrist. It was a good thing the whole base was only functioning on low power, or it would have just taken his whole hand clean off and he wouldn’t have noticed a thing. In the end, he was fine, just some minor bruising. That was the day his squad knew they’d picked the right name for him.” 

Wrecker howled with laughter, and the rest of the room wasn’t far behind. 

“You should have seen the Commander’s face when the squad finally stopped laughing enough to tell him what had happened and that Numbskull was stuck and in need of an extraction.” 

Echo paused, halfway through a procedure for Crosshair, earning a glare from his patient as he turned towards the woman, “Wait, did you say you were working with the 104th?” 

“Yup!” She confirmed. 

“That was the Wolffepack?!” Echo’s disbelief echoes in the small room. 

“Yup!” she was laughing too. “So you know how Wolffe never smiles, and definitely never laughs?” 

“Yeah…?” Echo’s disbelief has turned to skepticism, but it’s quickly fading, she knows too much about Wolffe for this to be completely made up. 

“That was the closest that man has ever come to a laugh that I have ever witnessed. He could not believe the dumb shit his men had gotten into. He just stood there looking pained and staring into a corner for a second (though I think he was focusing all his effort on not laughing), before snorting in annoyance (or laugh that broke through his composure) and leaving the room. He told us later he had to ‘borrow Master Plo’s saber to get Numbskull out’. The control room was still on a holo-call with them when the second bout of uncontrollable laughter that came through the comms a few minutes later turned out to be the squad’s reaction to the way Wolffe just walked in and stood there, glaring at Numbskull’s arm for a solid minute, muttering something about ‘my circus, my monkeys’ and ‘definitely my idiots’ before he ignited the saber and took the doors outta commission.” 

Wrecker laughed again, loud and proud, and clearly relaxed. 

“All done, Big Guy!” she patted Wrecker’s uninjured shoulder, and he got up and walked to the cockpit. Omega jumped up and went with him, Hunter’s favorite soft blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders.  

Tech looked around the room. Spitfire had clearly done that to relax more than just Wrecker. His whole family (Omega was right) had clearly enjoyed the story. 

Echo declared Crosshair done, and he stood to leave the room. He’d been so tortured, he wasn’t exactly up for walking on his own yet, and she let him put a hand on her shoulder for balance. She discretely helped him up and passed him off to Hunter who was standing at the ready for him. But before Crosshair let go of her shoulder, he gave it a quick squeeze of thanks, and a barely noticeable nod. He too had appreciated the distraction. 

Echo joins her as they begin a scan of Tech’s injuries. 

Still laughing softly to himself Echo shook his head in disbelief, “I still can’t believe that’s a Wolffepack story,” he snorted, pinching his nose. “Does Rex know this one?” 

“Na. Never found the time to tell him. And somehow I don’t see Wolffe ever wanting to tell him that one either. But I sure hope he learns the story someday!” She had moved to helping Echo patch up Tech. 

Tech notices how easily she and Echo converse, not to mention the indicators of a shared history that seems to go back to Echo’s 501st days. Tech wishes he had something like that to help him figure out what to say to this brilliant Mandalorian woman. Tech lets his mind drift a bit as they continue their tests and scans, realizing this is only the second time in his life he’s felt this way about someone. 

Eye’s still glazed over, he begins to subconsciously turn towards the woman whenever she says something, but hardly reacts at all to anything Echo says. 

“Uhh,” Echo looks over at her, “I think this part will go a lot faster with two hands.” He holds out the next patch Tech will need. 

She smiles and takes it, “You don’t need my help, but since you’d rather I do this, I will.” She laughs, which makes Echo smile back. He always did love the sound of her laughter. 

Echo smirked, glanced between her and Tech, and left the room. 

Tech felt his own logic replaced by a sudden bashfulness, his mind nearly as blurry as his vision, but this time he gets the feeling the haze in his mind is from emotions rather than an unstable body in an environment designed to keep it off kilter. But he realizes her story was meant as more than just a way to calm them all down. She also liked it when her actions and words had many meanings, much like he did. She’d just given him a conversation starter. 

“Thank you,” he muttered, unable to look at her as she finished patching him up. “For calming down the whole… family with a story. You’ve no idea how much they needed that. Wrecker can be quite the handful during medical exams.” 

She laughs and nods, “Oh, I know.” 

It’s not long before they arrive at the medical facility. 

Medics determine that whether or not Tech needs a replacement eye is TBD, he needs to heal a bit first and they need to run a few more tests. So they send him back to his family and the Marauder. 

In the meantime, they are quite overwhelmed removing the chips from the hundreds of clones now roaming the hidden medical facility. To help process them all, Rex volunteers those who have previously had their chips removed and the Mandalorian to aid the processing. 

Naturally, she volunteers to help as much as she can. They assign her to work with Echo to monitor Tech’s state of health, and give her rotations of state of health checks for the other new rescues before and after chip removal, usually during Tech’s more intensive medical checkups with a real doctor. 

This also means she needs to be more familiar with the specifics of Tech’s injuries. Back on the Marauder, she, Tech, and Echo set about constructing more detailed notes about every new mod now adorning Tech. 

“I’m going to need you to take off your shirt for the next part so I can see the mods the medics mentioned on your torso, maybe add some fresh bacta and replace the bandages, you know the drill,” 

Tech obliges without question. It is a logical request, she is only doing her job and intends to help him to the best of her ability as he adjusts to life with his newly modified body. 

However, he finds himself sitting on the hem of his shirt. So, to make it easier, he simply stands up to take it off. 

She turns back around, having just traded out instruments in her hands, doesn’t realize that he stood up to remove his shirt, and nearly faceplants into his bare chest. 

Not that she’s complaining. 

She does everything she can to NOT visibly react beyond simple and expected surprise, but boy is that hard! Tech is ripped. The man has very chiseled muscles. Clearly, Wrecker and Hunter weren’t the only ones hitting the gym frequently. It made sense, they are military men after all. Being in good shape was a logical choice for war. Getting a lot of exercise was a given anyways, and was common amongst the battle-hardened Mandalorians she was used to as well. But somehow, all that had slipped her mind, until Tech took off the tops of his blacks, that is. 

She blushed and hoped her little inhale when she turned around and came face to face with his chest wasn’t audible. She does her best to concentrate on her work, but it’s hard given how attractive and intelligent this man is. 

Wrecker grins at Echo from the doorway. Her reaction wasn’t lost on him. 

Echo takes this as their cue to excuse themselves and return to the others in the cockpit. 

“Oop, sorry! Didn’t realize you stood up!” Is all she says. Fortunately, without his goggles, it wasn’t likely that Tech would notice if her cheeks were heating up. Unless he touched her face, which he had no reason to do, so nothing to worry about, right? 

“Ah, my apologies. You switched out tools more quickly than I anticipated,” Tech tried to look down at the blurry shape he knew was her. 

To verify that the medbay station has not shifted - since it’s not like he can just look at the wheels to see if it is locked in place - Tech turns slightly and leans to place a hand on the medbay station he had been seated at. 

Realizing only too late that she’s still in his personal space, she quickly attempts to shuffle back to a reasonable distance for two new acquaintances, only to find herself dodging his shoulder as he turns to place a hand on the pad. 

Tech freezes when his shoulder brushes past soft hair. He can hear her shuffling around quite close. “Oh, forgive me, I should have warned you I needed to locate my seat, so that you knew not to start yet. Now that I am once again seated, you may begin.” 

How sweet of him to assume she was simply eager to continue on with the state of health check. Of course that’s all it was. She tried to convince herself she had not just gotten distracted by his abs. 

Thankfully, Echo and Wrecker had returned to the cockpit with everyone else, so no one was there to witness the full extent of her embarrassment. As such, there’s nothing much that can be done except to plow on though the medical exams, so that’s what she does. 

Her hands are, once again, cold. So, she rubs them together in an attempt to warm them up before she begins. 

“I take it your extremities are usually cold?” Tech inquires. 

“Yeah, sorry. Not so great when I’m acting as a medic instead of a warrior.” Tech notes that this is the first time her voice has sounded a little shy. 

Following the sounds of her, he reaches out for her hands, and takes them in his. 

His touch is gentle, soft. Surprised that he reached for her hand at all, she is shocked into silence. 

“That hardly qualifies as cold. You may begin, if you are ready,” Tech states. 

“You know it will feel colder on the skin that is usually hidden beneath your blacks and your armor,” she points out, partially on autopilot, still trying to process the face that Tech just took her hands in his and that he just gave her permission to touch him. 

“Yes. I am prepared,” Tech assures her. 

“Alright, here goes,” she shrugs off her feelings as best as she can. 

Gentle fingers examine the lines between machine and man, searching for bruises and tender spots in the hopes that the internal damage is minimal and was well patched up. 

Tech is amazed by how gentle this woman’s touch is. There are moments when he is barely even aware that her fingers still rest on him. 

And he quite likes having her hands on his chest and arms. He’s never enjoyed touch so much, nor had he ever liked touch directly on his skin so much before. In fact, he usually didn’t like it. He’d been trained to wear blacks and gloves whenever he did anything - building things, warfare, even when typing. He didn’t like things on his skin. His blacks provided a welcome barrier between him and the strange textures of the world around him. 

Hunter had often placed a hand on his shoulder, and he’d noticed Captain Rex did the same. Even during medical assessments, the Kaminoans only touched the clones if it was absolutely necessary. Clone medics were a different story, many used touch to reassure stressed and pained brothers, but Echo, the medic of the 99th, knew Tech didn’t like touch. 

Wrecker’s touch often annoyed him though. Wrecker often forgot how strong he was, and roughhousing wasn’t uncommon around him. Tech didn’t like it when Wrecker would shove his shoulder, but Wrecker meant well, so Tech didn’t say anything about it anymore. 

But then she had touched him. And it was like she had known he was repulsed by, and unfamiliar with touch, so she kept her touches as light and barely-there as possible. As she works on a panel on his shoulder, her palm rests on his pec. 

Tech quietly revels in it, resisting the urge to place his hand upon hers and hold it there flat against his chest for a moment. Was this why Wrecker and Hunter liked touch? No, it couldn’t be. Her touch was not like any other being Tech had ever come into contact with, pun intended. She was special, but he barely knew anything about her. He could barely even see her… and though physical attraction had never been important to Tech before, he found himself aching just to know her face. It hadn’t helped that Echo had made a point to describe her as cute when he introduced her to Crosshair. He wondered what Echo considered cute… if only he could see, then he might understand the comment. 

Fixated on his ability to see, or rather lack thereof, Tech’s mind begins to spiral. He’s so used to being able to see the world around him, and so much of what he does depends on it, a few hours of blindness felt like an eternity. 

Much of what Tech did depended on his ability to see, but now he’s going to have to learn alternatives just to live. 

He can get a walking stick, or a guide massiff, though it’s not likely Hunter will allow the latter. They don’t need one more mouth to feed. Normally, he would just build a robotic one, but he can’t safely construct anything if he can’t see what he is doing. Gonky could help a bit as a proxy guide-massif, but there is a lot he can’t do, and he’s slow, Tech needed fast. 

Speaking of speed, would he ever be able to run again? It’s hard to move quickly if you aren’t aware of your environment. He wouldn’t be much help on missions if he can’t move quickly… and he definitely wouldn’t be able to fight with just his hearing to rely on. 

Now Tech wished he had the force. He’d heard tell of Jedi who learned to see through the force, but that wasn’t in the cards for a mere clone. The Kaminoans seemed certain that the ability to wield the force could not be cloned, and as far as Tech was aware there was no reason NOT to trust their knowledge there. After all, cloning was their expertise. 

As she continues with the health check, she notices his demeanor falling again - he’s so used to being able to see the world around him. 

In an effort to both cheer him up and bring in their other resident expert in modifications to living beings, she calls Echo back into the room. As it stands, they do have a lot of similar mods now. She asks Echo a few questions about various attachments now adorning Tech as they run diagnostics and make sure everything is interfacing with Tech’s own body in ways that won’t do more damage than good. 

As they work, they place Tech’s fingers on each mod so he can “see” it, warning him of buttons and asking questions about what he can control. 

“Echo, does this data port look familiar to you?” She is working on a mod behind Tech’s ear at the base of his skull. 

Tech lifts his hand from his lap “Show me.” 

She obliges and gently places his fingers on the port. Meanwhile her fingers drift off the metal and settle ever so gently on Tech’s own skin, remaining near the piece she is working on. 

Tech twitches. 

She quickly pulls her hand away. “Sorry, I know my hands got cold again.” 

“It is quite alright, I was simply not expecting it,” Tech just hopes she misses the blush on his cheeks. He’s doing everything he can to keep his heart rate down too. He’d quite enjoyed her touch actually. Gentle and soft, despite the well-calloused fingers from years of working on wiring and machinery and armor. 

But it wasn’t just that. Tech was learning all sorts of things about the human body he had never even considered before today. One of which, is that there seems to be an erogenous zone just beneath the ear. Right where her fingers had so gently brushed. The softness of her touch had sent a spark through his veins and a shiver down his spine. Truth be told, that was why Tech had flinched, not the temperature of her hands. But he needed more data, not to mention time, in order to prove whether it was simply the long-lasting effect of whatever drugs Hemlock had used on Tech, before he even came close to admitting the real reason why to anyone. 

Unbenounced to Tech, Echo had noticed. Echo knew knew what it looked like when Tech flinched when he was startled. And the way Tech has straightened up instead of shifting away like he usually did looked a hell of a lot more like an aroused shiver to him. So a mind like Tech’s could be aroused after all. But Echo also needed solid proof before he’d believe it. And he was standing next to a very attractive woman. Afterall, the man was a Domino. So, naturally, there was one way to get more information quickly. He would flirt with her as the conversation continued, and watch Tech’s reaction. 

“I wish I could see the port,” Tech’s voice is quiet, “I cannot quite tell what it is with just touch.” 

“Yeah, it’s quite a small port and it’s recessed into the panel a bit.” Echo answers, no hint of mischief in his tone. Fives and Rex hadn’t nicknamed him ‘silver tongue’ for nothing. 

“Hmm, I swear I’ve seen a cable with that end on it around here somewhere…” Her thought trails off as she looks around. “Any chance you remember where we should look to find a plethora of cables we could try, Tech?” 

“If I could see my surroundings, I could probably think of the many places I keep assorted cables, but I do not know how things have been reorganized or shifted around since I was last on the ship…” Tech’s voice trails off with a sigh. 

The room falls quiet for a moment. Tech can hear them rummaging around. He never thought losing the ability to see would affect him so much. In fact, he never really thought about losing his sight at all. His mind was not made to process emotions well, in point of fact it was made with the intent of avoiding the cumbersome ordeal of emotions so that logic would drive him in stressful situations. But even the Kaminoans couldn’t remove all the human pieces, so Tech still had emotions… he slouched forward, resting his elbows on his knees and hung his head. 

Just a glimpse would be all he would need. He hadn’t realized just how dependent on sight his life was. No matter what happened, whether they were able to get him a prosthetic eye, like Wreckers, or whether they could not, he would make a point of learning how to cope in a world where he could not see, just in case. But for now, he was living in a world of VERY blurry shapes. He sighed heavily. 

“I know,” her voice piped up from right beside Tech. He hadn’t realized she was still right next to him. He turned towards her, though it wasn’t like he could SEE her. He suppressed another sigh. And felt a light touch rest on his shoulder where a soft, very familiar material was draped over his arm; his blacks. He reached up for his shirt and she placed it in his hand. 

“I know. It’s hard to lose a sense that you had previously depended on so much. We will find a way to get some of your sight back. We can also find other ways so you don’t have to feel so dependent on seeing the world around you, if that would help?” 

Tech nodded, “Thank you,” he replied quietly, placing a hand over hers on his shoulder. “And, for the record, your hands are not that cold.” 

“Oh,” her voice took on a teasing tone, “so they are a little cold, huh?” She nudged him with the hint of a laugh in the air between them. 

He let out a little chuckle too. Tech found himself unknowingly leaning into her touch a bit. He couldn’t see, but he could feel - touch as well as emotions. He’d learned that much from his interactions today. 

But the happiness on his features quickly faded, the weight of his current predicament too great to allow simple distractions to last for long. 

“Maybe you don’t need to see it or touch it to figure this out. What do you feel?” Her voice dragged his wandering mind back to the real world. 

“WhAt?” Tech’s heart raced. Had she already figured out he liked her touch? Had he been that obvious? Internally, Tech went into panic mode. Externally, he did his best to keep his cool, like he always did. 

“Can you access the port and tell us what kind of data it is programmed to receive?” She asked. 

“Ah, excellent idea,” he replied, cool and nonchalant. Of course that was what she had meant, Tech’s panic subsided. He put his shirt back on and took a moment to search for the device driver in his operating system. 

“It seems to be set up to take in all media types: text files, binary files, audio and video files, a wide variety of map files, anything a typical datapad can handle.” 

“WAIT!” Her voice was laced with a revelation. 

Tech jumped at the excitement in her voice, and he could hear Echo stop his rummaging. He had likely stopped to turn and look at her. 

“What is it, Gorgeous?” A teasing smirk graced Echo’s features as he looks at her, watching Tech in his peripheral vision, knowing full well Tech can’t see the look on his face, “another useful factoid on the tip of your tongue?” 

She laughed. Tech wished he could tell if she had also smiled at Echo or not. She likely had. It was a fairly common reaction when someone was flir—Wait! Was Echo flirting with her? Tech found himself getting angry. Illogical, he barely knew her! But he did like her touch, as well as her demeanor, not to mention her wit! She was kind, gentle, and had so far proven to be his equal in mind. She had, as Hunter described it, been the one to sift through Tech’s notes and make sense of them, and figured out he was still alive. He felt like he owed her his life as much as he owed it to his brothers. 

And yet the way Echo had called her ‘gorgeous’, and the ease with which they communicated in half-formed sentences while searching the room, as well as the shared experiences implied by the story earlier, would suggest they had known each other for quite a while. 

We’re they partners? And if so, in what sense of the word? Had he finally found his equal in mind, the kind of person he’d finally allowed himself to dream of having as a partner, only to discover that her heart had already been given away to someone else? Tech desperately hoped that was not the case. Though, if it was, Echo was a lucky man indeed. 

Tech was lost in his thoughts, his mind racing away in a split second, missing that he had not hidden the pinch of his brow when Echo called her ‘Gorgeous’. Echo took it to mean that Tech was upset that he couldn’t even see her face. 

“Video files! Tech! You brilliant man! You already solved it!” She exclaimed. 

“Pardon?” Tech was confused. He wasn’t holding anything. He hadn’t been fiddling with anything had he? 

“Where are the goggles?” He could hear her excitedly shuffling around him. 

“Goggles won't do much, I’d need ey—“ he stopped, realizing exactly where she was going with this. “My recording device! Do you think you could make it into a prosthetic eye? I could provide instructions, if need be.” 

“First, let’s just see if this is gonna work. Ah HA! Here they are! Echo, do you remember where we put the cable for them?” 

“Yeah. That I kept safe. It’s over here,” Echo’s footsteps walked past Tech, towards Echo’s special spot where he kept his important belongings. So that much had stayed constant during Tech’s leave of absence. 

“Okay,” she started, again at Tech’s side. “I repaired your recording device, and Echo made sure there’s no trace of the Empire’s meddling left on it. So, in theory, all we have to do is plug it in. Tell me if something doesn’t feel right, and we will unplug immediately and start a diagnostic. Okay?” 

“Excellent,” Tech replied. “However, if anything goes wrong, I suggest you have a mild sedative on hand to knock me out, and a set of cuffs ready just in case the Empire tries to take my mind back.” 

She sighed, Tech felt a new touch on his shoulder. Definitely her touch, but not like a touch he’d felt before. Echo could be heard retrieving the necessary preparations in the background, while Tech sorted out this new feeling. Then her hair brushed his bicep. She was resting her forehead on his shoulder! She laughed quietly. 

“You really do think of everything don’t you?” She’d said it quietly, so quietly it was likely that Echo couldn't hear exactly what she had said. 

“It is wise to be prepared,” Tech could feel his finger rising to accentuate his point, automatically. 

“Yes, but I seriously hope we don’t have to use them,” she muttered quietly, to him alone.  

“As do I,” He agreed. 

Echo returned with the cable and Tech’s suggested in-case-of’s. 

Tech sat there, waiting. Nervousness painting his features. He might be able to see again, momentarily! And if he did, would it be enough to make him useful again until he could teach himself alternative methods? Would it be enough to allow him to continue to participate in their chaotic lifestyle? Questions danced around his mind. But he took a deep breath and refocused himself on the here and now, on the senses he could still use. 

He could tell that she now stood side-by-side with Echo. Echo in front of Tech, while she returned to her post at Tech’s side. He tilted his head to give her better access to the data port there. 

“Let me take the remaining fragments out of the lenses. Maker, why didn’t we do that ages ago? Why did we let this sit here with shards of transparisteel in it?” She muttered. 

Tech noted that she seemed nervous too, though he was not sure why. He could hear the pieces entering the waste receptacle as she removed them one by one. Tech waited patiently, doing his best not to tap his foot. He needed to stim, but he didn’t want it to come across as impatience. 

“It’s okay if you need to stim, Tech,” she must have noticed what he was doing. “I understand this is a big moment, if you need to move to process it, don’t stop on my account.” 

Tech let a small smile cross his features, as he let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding. “Thank you,” he said to the floor. He took a deep breath to let his nerves around her out - it was actually sort of helpful that he couldn't see her yet, it became significantly easier to let go when he was only vaguely aware of her presence - and allowed his foot to resume its rhythmic tapping. 

“Alright, you ready?” She asked. 

Tech nodded. “Ready when you are.”

“I’m going to put your goggles on you first, over the bandages.They’re gonna be very loose though, we don’t need it creating more injuries while these heal. You adjust them as needed so it feels comfortable, then when you’re ready, I’ll plug it in. I don’t know how it’s going to interface with your operating system, but I bet Echo can give you some tips on that if he hasn’t already. He’s standing right in front of you so he will be the first thing you see. Okay?” 

“Understood.” Tech held as still as he could, his anticipation palpable. 

“Here goes. Goggles going on…” 

He felt the band slip over his head, and reached up to adjust it as she had suggested. His fingers brushed over hers. He felt that new spark again, racing from the point of contact between their hands to his core. But right now he was too excited to see again. He pushed the spark to the side, hoping he would have time to focus on that later. 

“Ready to receive data,” he told her, closing his one good eye to avoid the juxtaposition of one blurry and one clear image confusing his brain. 

“Plugging in… there.” 

She and Echo watched the red light on the side of Tech’s goggles blink to life, and then go a steady red. 

Tech remained still for a moment. 

She and Echo exchanged hopeful glances. 

Then, Tech’s brows rose and his chin lifted, pointing the camera up, towards Echo’s face. 

“Hello, Echo,” Tech chirped, relieved to have some sight to work with again. Though this new perspective - from the side of his face - would take some getting used to. 

For the first time in a while, Echo smiled. “Hello Tech! Good to have you back, ol’ buddy!” 

Tech looked slowly down at his lap, and raised his hands, getting adjusted to the side-shifted perspective. 

Next to Tech, she giggled. “Oh you brilliant mind, you!” And she pressed a quick kiss to Tech’s temple. 

As heat rose to the surface of Tech’s cheeks, he was suddenly struck by the fact that he still hadn’t seen her face. He didn’t know why that made him nervous though. 

Echo laughed. Her surprise kiss to Tech had caught even him off guard. 

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t even think about it, I just did it. Was that okay? I’m sorry if I overstepped!” She babbled. 

Tech opened his mouth to answer, but found his mind vacant of any coherent sentences. It was all he could do to try to refocus on his surroundings to ground himself once again. 

So he focused on Echo, who was still standing in front of him. It had been a while since Tech had seen Echo laugh like this. And their reactions would clearly indicate that Echo and Spitfire were clearly not ‘together’ as his brothers would say. But the nerves quickly took over Tech’s mind again as he realized she had withdrawn her touch from him while she waited for his answer. He did his best to reacquire his ability to speak. 

“It is quite alright. I do not mind,” Tech replied. Odds were, he was not hiding the warmth in his face now. He had completely lost control of it. Oh well, at least it was appropriate in such a situation. And it gave him an excuse to look at her. 

Slowly, so that his new perspective wouldn’t make his stomach spin like his head currently was from her kiss, he turned to look at her, hoping his naturally emotionless exterior would swoop in and save him from further embarrassment. 

But it seemed his subconscious wanted to make him suffer today. It took extra effort to hide his reaction. Echo was right. She was gorgeous. Tech had known she was smart, at least as intelligent as he was if he had to wager a guess. He was well aware that he liked the gentleness of her touch. And he had known that she had a pretty voice, and an even prettier laugh. But she was also very physically attractive. Especially with the flustered expression currently adorning her face as she bit her lip and looked nervously at him. 

Once again, Tech didn’t have words, he just looked at her. He didn’t know what he expected, all he knew was that her natural beauty threw him off guard. 

Beside them, Echo was trying to contain his laughter; though admittedly, he wasn’t trying that hard. 

“Brother, you’re staring,” Echo chortled, shaking Tech’s shoulder to snap him out of it. 

Tech started and snapped his gaze back to Echo. Too fast. He could feel the nausea rising in his gut. He tried to close his eyes and then remembered his real eye was closed and this new ‘eye’ didn’t have eyelids. He got the feeling his face was likely draining of color. 

“You okay?” Concern laced her voice. 

“Unplug,” Tech managed, swallowing hard, “please.” 

She hurriedly unplugged the device. “What’s up, everything okay?” 

Tech sat still and breathed for a moment. Well, all things considered, it does make sense that a new point of view would be disorienting. However, since they had decided so quickly to try this, it was not an outcome he had yet thought through. 

One more swallow and a long deep breath and he was ready to speak again. “Yes. Thank you for unplugging quickly. The point of view of my recording device is a little too far to one side. I moved too quickly, and became disoriented and slightly nauseous.” 

Next to Tech, Echo was not even bothering to hold in his laughter anymore. 

Hunter appeared in the doorway, the laughter having drawn his attention from the cockpit, as Echo piped up, “Of all the things I thought might happen when we got out your goggles, ‘Tech getting distracted by a beautiful woman, and then allowing his own jumpiness to make himself sick’ was certainly not on the list.” He laughed harder, “I can’t wait to tell Rex this story.” Now Hunter was laughing too. 

Tech’s cheeks blazed with heat. 

“Are you sure it wasn’t the fact that I’m NOT actually attractive that made him sick, Echo?” 

The room fell silent. 

“WHAT!” Hunter and Echo’s voices suddenly filled the ship’s hold, reverberating off the durasteel walls. 

“Why would you think that?” Hunter asked. 

“Don’t coddle me Hunter, I’m used to it.” 

Hunter and Echo sat there fishing for words like fish out of water. Their mouths opened and closed, but no sound came out. 

Tech could hear only silence in answer. That was not okay. Why weren’t his brother’s saying something? No matter, Tech would do his best to remedy the issue. 

“Then allow me to put your concerns to rest,” Tech butted in, “For I AM certain that it was my startled reaction to Echo bringing me out of my reverie. I was indeed distracted by your beauty. I have rarely ever encountered an individual of your caliber. I must admit, while the first thing I noticed about you was your voice, it was your mind that truly caught my attention. But now that I have seen your face, I can confirm that you are indeed quite a stunning woman as well.” 

She spluttered for a moment, struggling to find words of any sort. “I… well… umm……… thank you, Tech. That’s… that’s very sweet of you.” She rested her hand on his shoulder again, and this time Tech happily reached up and placed his over hers. 

“He’s right, you know. I don’t call just anyone Gorgeous,” Echo flirted. Tech could hear Echo moving towards her, and desperately wished he could see what they were doing. But wait, that could work! Though he didn’t quite know why he was so desperate to keep Echo from flirting with her - was this jealousy? All he knew was that he was going to act on it regardless. 

“Will you, um,” Tech pointed to the side of his head. “I would like to see the rest of my brothers now,” he finished while she reconnected the cord. “We will have to find ways to do this differently in the future, but for now, at least I am not totally in the dark.” 

Off to the side now, Echo chuckled quietly to himself. So he had been proven right. Tech was already quite taken with her. 

“I’ll go get the others then,” Echo volunteered to give them a moment to themselves, already heading towards the cockpit. 

Tech sat still for a moment, and she watched the light blink and go steady again. And then Tech’s hand reached to the side, towards her. She knew he could not see her where she was standing, but it surprised her when he found her hand and gently pulled her in front of him, so he could look up at her again. 

“Yes.” Tech said, eyes wide. “You are indeed quite attractive, My Dear. Now, if only I could quantify that for you to prove it.” He smirked, “perhaps I can, though it will take time and deliberation to develop a good system. You are not something that can be taken lightly.” 

The surprise on her face pleased him. But his emotions were becoming very confusing for his analytical mind. He felt a rush at having so successfully complimented her on his first try. But he also felt nervous that he wouldn’t be able to best that compliment. And he felt ‘screwed’ as Wrecker would describe it… there was no way to avoid falling for this woman. But somehow, knowing that he was fated to fall for her was… thrilling? Emotions were complicated… and not at all logical… and so rarely ever came one at a time anymore. but alas, those were issues for later, he reminded himself again. Right now, he wanted to see his brothers, and sister! 

“My Dear,” he practically purred, he could see Hunter raising his eyebrows at him in the doorway behind her, “Would you help me to stand up slowly so that I can look my brothers in the eye when I greet them?” 

“You might want to wait on that one,” Hunter was now leaning against the wall just outside the main room, looking over his shoulder towards the copilot's seat as a blur of blonde dashed out ahead of Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair. 

The woman stepped aside as the blonde dart zipped in for a hug. 

“Tech! I still can’t believe you’re alive!” Her voice was muffled as she refused to raise her head from his chest to speak. “Echo said you can sorta see now?” She uncurled herself from his chest and backed up so she could see his face. “Ooooh! Are you using the recording device on your goggles as your new eyes?” She asked. She seemed impressed. 

“Indeed. Good observation, Omega.” 

“COOL!” 

Tech couldn’t help but smile. Behind her, Hunter’s grin was the biggest of them all. Though Wrecker’s teary one might surpass that quickly. 

“Tech!” Wrecker blubbered from over Omega’s shoulder, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you outta the railcar fast enough. If I had, maybe you wouldn't be dealing with this now.” 

“Wrecker, there was nothing you could have done. But it does not matter. I am here now, and we are finding solutions, just like we always do.” Tech’s voice was matter of fact, as always, but in a way meant to reassure Wrecker. 

Wrecker’s tears subsided a bit, and he tilted his head to the side, realizing he was standing directly in front of Tech, but Tech’s new eye was off to one side. By tilting his head, he could more directly look his brother in the ‘eye’ so to speak. “Is it… like normal… or is it… offset?” He asked. 

His observation impressed Tech. 

“It is offset. So much so, that if I move too much or too quickly it will make me feel nauseated.” Tech explained. 

“So, no sudden movements?” Wrecker tucked his arms in, resisting the urge to hug his brother. 

“Correct.” 

“That’s why you were laughing earlier, right?” Hunter asked Echo. 

“Yeah,” Echo answered, taking the opportunity to fill Wrecker in, “he made himself woozy when I startled him because he got distracted by her.” Echo used his thumb to gesture at Spitfire. 

Wrecker smiled, and had been about to further Tech’s embarrassment when Crosshair stepped forward, and for a moment the room fell silent. 

“It does not look like they treated you well, Crosshair.” Tech observed. 

“You could say that,” Crosshair drawled.  

“I wish there was more I could have done to prevent that,” Tech spoke up again. “I was connected to the main system at the base, but it seems Hemlock did his research well, and learned what not to do from our mission to break Echo out of the Techno Union’s control. I suspect Spitfire already told you as much… In short, the effect on my end was that I could see you two, but I could do nothing to protect you.” 

Crosshair shrugged and looked away. He was surprised that Tech still wanted to protect him. After they all kept their blasters trained on him while he rescued Omega from the sinking wreckage on Kamino, he had thought he’d lost their trust forever. 

“However, I could access your record,” that earned a side eye from Crosshair as Tech continued. “I am sorry about Mayday. Though I am proud he was our brother too. I would have acted much the same as you, had I been there in your stead.” 

Crosshair retreated into himself, jaw clenched, but nodded subtly. 

The other’s exchanged glances, that name was new to them. Omega opened her mouth, questions on the tip of her tongue, but Hunter shook his head, and she fell silent, understanding that that meant that Crosshair was clearly not ready to talk about it. 

“Have you received the medical attention you need since returning to the ship?” Tech inquired. 

Crosshair nodded, doing his best not to show how grateful he was that Tech had diverted the topic at hand, but Tech’s observational nature noticed every detail. 

“Echo made me his nurse!” Wrecker chimed in. “Don’t feel bad waking me up for anything Cross, I’ve got ya!” 

Tech let a half smile sit on his lips. He was back home with his brothers and sister again. Everything was going to be okay. And there was a highly intelligent, highly attractive woman, whom he was willing to believe was flirting with him, if her sudden kiss to his temple earlier was anything to go off of.

Please don’t steal my work! I pour my heart into these so if you like it please reblog to share instead of reposting it!

taglist: @bambambunny @amorfista @originalcollectionartistry (I hope I got everyone, and if I messed up and added someone who wasn't supposed to be on the taglist, dm me and I'll fix it!)

[johannwolfgangvongoethe]

organizing care + being a legal guardian + struggle tweeting irl

enstars thought collection below. i dont know how we got here.

anyway, so this is a post where i talk about my vague ideas on whats up with kanames health and care situation. like, legally speaking.

(spoilers for everything surrounding kaname, obbligato specifically)

basically. i am an avid tatsumi and himeru enjoyer and healthcare business and law is? my hobby? idk if you can call this a hobby? so i have been absolutely obsessing over every little throwaway line we get about how kanames long-term care is organized. because depending on who is currently responsible on paper... that could really influence a lot, right!!! since right now kaname is unable to make health decisions for himself.

we all know (ore-)himeru is going through a lot and the possibility of an added responsibility and financial burden of a guardianship on him is something that is very interesting to me.

point of the post so this post isnt much about existing laws (as they are extremely complicated, even if youre native to a region and language), i mostly want to discuss what we know and the possibilities and the mental burden of carrying legal responsibility on top of internal emotions (grief, guilt, loneliness, despair and hopelessness, possessiveness even, and whatever else himeru has going on).

its smth that strongly gnaws on you. i think everyone who ever had to apply for care/benefits will know how horrible of a process it is.

boring health stuff i tried to look up japanese law surrounding how long-term payment and guardianship is organized and who qualifies for both. i am german so obviously most of my knowledge only concerns the legal situation here, unfortunately. i am Assuming enstars just follows the laws of irl japan and as such at least a considerable chunk of financial burdens should be lifted by the countries mandatory insurance.(70%) BUT the long-term intensive care situation for people under the age of 40 is murky (relevant long-term care laws exist for the elderly and aim to provide financial relief. but idk how theyd handle the case of a teenager, especially one that, we can assume, used to be in the foster system. the jpn foster system is its own can of worms) no surprise, disability/care related payment plans for young people, esp those who have never been employed or paid into insurance, are always like. ridiculously convoluted. sometimes nonexistent. so who knows which laws specifically affect kaname here.

(ore-)himeru mentions him still being at a hospital (in romantic? date chapter 5) so that is a vital clue that this has not been outsourced to some other care facility. so i wonder... how expensive is this currently. must be intense. i am just willing to bet his legal guardian (will get to this in a second) has to make financial efforts, on top of the papers and forms and emotional burden that such an arrangement brings with itself. additionally, its somewhat obvious but ill specify it anyways: we are talking about a full-time in-patient situation. (ore-)himeru mentions the circumstances of kanames current health in chapter 1 of the epilogue of obbligato. (while not fully comatose, kaname is not lucid. he does some vocalizing sometimes but communication is not possible.)

so. HiMERU and all that makes you wonder... are the himerus connected via guardianship. we know from obbligato that kanames mothers is dead, he grew up alone (the tojo family not being in the picture, apparently), and while their father is alive, he was not in a position to care for either of them himself, health-wise. (and financially, i am willing to bet) so, responsibility would just jump to the next relative; that being the adult brother. young adult who barely made it back to the country! but working and adult and insured nonetheless, therefore qualifying.

i would assume (ore-)himeru did not need to step up/wasnt really in the picture either (at least health system databases might not have been aware of him) but he visits him in the hospital. even before that, he attempted to become at least somewhat involved in kanames life by his rough attempts to coach him. and most of all, you know how much kaname means to him. i am just going to assume he claimed him.

and like, thats a shit situation for someone in their early 20s (or however old he is). that would be horrible for anyone in a more stable situation at a more established age.

the emotional baggage of it all. not only have you just met your half brother and just gotten around to the idea of having family, you instantly get it taken from you again. the loss and grief and guilt must be unimaginable.

(ore-)himeru has.... unbelievable issues when it comes to... his attempts to prepare what he thinks would be an ideal life for kaname. whether in hope of one day handing it over or just as a sad tribute to what could have been or an attempt to keep “himeru”, the artistic vision, alive. however much of this is happening in what percentage and on what conscious level.

so to the urge to make “himeru” famous, this would add the absolute need to make himeru famous as a source of steady good income. of course (ore-)himeru is desperate to do well out of pride and love but financially and on paper he would be responsible for two people, adding to the pressure to be as successful as possible.

(additionally, while it does not justify (ore-)himeru’s actions, himeru also dodged a public scandal by staying an idol and performing as per usual. there were no news about an idol being beaten and staying unconscious and that by itself provides protection from the public for kaname. especially since his family is infamous to begin with. i wonder how much this would have mattered.)

matching themes? personally as a disabled person, as far as guadianship and custodianship goes, i have a lot of feelings. we all experienced it when we were younger and probably felt powerless in front of our parents sometimes. so experiencing this in your adulthood is GUTTING. yet, it can be absolutely necessary. and while guardians and custodians are often looked down upon, a lot of them are family members with their heart and mind in the right place, who make good decisions for someone they love. it cannot be underestimated how much paperwork and exhausting+annoying communication with your insurance provider goes into it.

so between this and (ore-)himerus behaviour in general i see a lot of matching themes.... mostly control and perseverance and, ofc, a certain flair of being very very condescending towards the person you are supposed to protect. after all, kaname cannot make any decisions right now, not about his health or “himeru”. and perhaps one day maybe his state will change and he will suddenly be more aware of his surroundings and forced to confront what happened without his influence. and he will find that his brother made responsible comprehensible decisions when it comes to his health but, without any need or agreement, took extreme liberties when it comes to his name. they are both important parts of him and (ore-)himeru having that double responsibilty and going wild with it is scary to me. and probably also scary to him. but he is too deep into it at this point.

idk. does any of this make sense. is this interesting. personally, the added layer of pressure and drama is interesting to me. to me its like... it supports all the themes we find in himeru anyway and makes his struggles worse, it just neatly fits into place.

personal related kaname thoughts will the story ever make him more lucid? who knows! i am terrified, personally, of the possibility.

enstars has its fair share of insensitive to offensive writing and i cannot imagine this going well. i cannot imagine them writing this in a way that is respectful and includes a realistic rehab process that restores a realistic amount of physical and neurological functions. especially since... not gonna lie guys. at this point. idk how much quality of life kaname can regain in his current state.

+the added trouble he would get in because (ore-)himeru, essentially, stole his identity is straight up infuriating. i dont think i have to mention this. where do you even start and TRY to live a normal life after this shit.

and thats sad. bc i love kaname dearly. he is an extremely silly, bratty, lovable character to me and i want the best for him so i have these horribly detailed harsh expectations. maybe it will never happen and ngl, that would be perfectly fine with me, too.

disclaimer etc etc i dont know shit about the japanese health system and if you somehow happen to know how intensive long-term care for an underage person that grew up in the foster system would be financed (like, who is responsible??!?!??!?!) please let me know >:) i love learning about health systems. a lot of the stuff i wrote above is just really basic common sense, i just wanted to talk about it.

[danpuff-ao3]

📝 2022 Review

Thanks for the tag @greenmegsnoham 😘 Lotsa good stuff came out of last year!

💌 Most popular fic

Obscene, I think! This was a tough call. Hits, kudos, bookmarks, comments? The ratio of hits to all else?? My brain doesn't like math so let's scratch that last one. But my top for hits and kudos is Obscene and it ranks very high in the other areas so...yeah! Besides, the people love their smut, don't they? Makes me glad! Gave me a lot of trouble to write. I was worried about writing a/b/o for the first time, especially since it was going to be a gift for a friend. It was also written for Kinkuary and I wasn't sure I was going to get it done in time, but indeed I did!

Also I commissioned LuEndland art for it which is very spicy and delicious! (You can see that at the end of the fic!)

💋 My favorite fic

...are y'all ready for me to sob about Contempt again?

Anyway if you're new here, hi, Contempt is my pride and joy, my heart and soul, the best thing I've ever written, and I'm not sure anything will ever top it.

This is THE Snarry for me. The Snarry I always wanted. Snarry as I always envisioned it. Nineteen years of my obsession with this ship. A decade or more of this specific idea; a decade and more of it marinating and spreading and seeping into every part of me. And I spent, what, a month or more in front of Scrivener, pulling out hair and bashing my head into the wall writing this story. This story is built on my bones, written in my blood, blessed by my tears.

This all sounds very dramatic, but it was a very intense process for a very intense story. And it turned out to be everything I hoped and dreamed it would be, and more. This is the story of my loves, the story I always longed for, and it exists now and I created it!!!! How awesome is that???? It still blows my mind, even though it's been seven months since it was posted, eight since it was finished. Their story still haunts my dreams, thus my dedication to its sequel.

Even cooler: there's a podfic (plus cover art!) by the ever talented MrVillain. I also had an embroidery commissioned from onbeinganangel for it!

💣 Most unexpected fic

Orange Blossoms. I was a bit torn and half tempted to pick my dead dove monstrosity In My Veins (In My Blood.) But no, I think it is Orange Blossoms. All I had in mind was my desire to write at least one fic for HP Flowers, and it had to be Snarry. Snarry + flowers for my birthday, just me combining my favorite things all for myself! I was resigned to writing a very short, very simple fic.

Instead, the story grew and become something more. The darkness of war, the sweetness and scariness of romance. The importance of tradition. How far people are willing to go to cling to hope, and faith, and love. It is a story of beauty in the darkness and grimness. All the symbolism I played with, between not only the flowers, but colors and other aspects. So much thought and care went into every detail. It was such a blast to write, and I'm glad the story grew and bloomed the way it did!

📌 Fics for next year

with luck (please wish me luck)

Devotion: companion piece/sequel to Contempt. I did mention that story was still haunting me, right? Yeah. It is.

smile with sweet surprise, chapter 3: it's been like a year since my last update, so yeah. I'm really sticking to that "one chapter a year" nonsense, haha!

Dralbus fic: story I've been trying to write since 2021, but has been an uphill battle with friend drama that followed, and the uncomfortable connections this story has. But I'll be damned if I let those people drive me away from the stories I love. So I will finish this fic full of determination and maybe a smidgeon of pettiness.

Scarry fic: past Snarry, current Scarry, family drama + romance.

Good Daddy: fic I've been writing for way too long that's part of the Yes, Daddy series. All the praise kink!!

Sugar Daddy fic: Harry is Snape's sugar daddy. That's all you need to know.

Christmas fic: sequel to The Christmas Prince.

Project Three of Hearts: mystery poly fic.

More Kinkuary fics?? and Kinktober???

...Snarry Bang? 🙈

......Snarry-a-thon??? 🙈

Oh! Hoggywartyxmas will be revealed soon!!!!

💡 Next fic I plan on writing

Oh who knows. The next thing I intend to work on is making progress in Devotion, but who knows where my muse will lead me on any given day.

Tagging: @fleetingdesires, @bluesundaycake, @onbeinganangel

[gummybear1178]

F-14 (Family of 14) Chapter 3

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 4:

Also on AO3:

Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)

Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!

The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers! Feel free to leave requests and ideas!

Followed Maverick plot but Icemav is a thing, some changes along the way, all set up to show Mav and Ice and their adopted Dagger Squadron kids!

"I already miss you." Mav said softly.

"I miss you too Pete. If I didn't have to be here I wouldn't." Ice promised from the other side of the country.

"You know, for once it's not me causing us to be in separate locations and have to video call. You have to admit that is quiet a feat. Especially, since my current posting has me basically permanently home." Maverick teased.

"That just means you have to deal with what I dealt with for how many years?" Ice gave him a knowing look, "And it means you can't get in trouble while I'm gone."

"I have enough reasons to stay put."

"Good, now I am disappointed we have to postpone our reveal to the Daggers."

"Nah, this will just make it even funnier. I was thinking of inviting them out to the hanger tomorrow."

"Don't you dare let it slip without me there. I have to see the reactions."

"I will do everything in my power to prevent that. However, I think I will leave up our wedding photos. I have plenty of photos up, it will be hard for them to realize that it's my husband in the picture and not just my wingman. Also there are several pictures of me with people at the wedding up, and we are all in uniform."

"Fair point, plus it will just be that much funnier when they realize they literally had our wedding photo out."

"Also, I think I am going to fill Bob in later today, make sure he doesn't give them too much information or theories and make them realize. Feel up to another video call later in which we do a reveal, therefore you get to see the reaction."

"I would be delighted, however that does not take the place of our evening call."

"Never, I love seeing you and talking to you too much."

"Alright, after their debrief today I will hold Bob back under the guise of wanting to discuss some extra WSO stuff. Also, they don't know I know about the current bet so they have no reason to believe that's what it's about."

"Sounds like a plan, the conference won't start til tomorrow morning, so I can answer at any point. You on the other hand need to go start class. You can't get in trouble especially when I'm on the other side of the country."

Maverick nodded with a smile.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

---

"Alright, I think I've corrected yall enough for one day, everyone head out, and don't forget my hanger tomorrow. I sent yall the address. Dismissed." Maverick told his daggers after hours of lecture.

"Bye Mav!" They chorused on their way out.

"Bob, hold back for a second." Maverick ordered as the rest headed out, Bradley still feiging grabbing his stuff in order to hang back.

"Sir?" Bob asked.

"I hear there is a bet going on." Maverick said with the most stern expression he could come up with.

"Yes sir." Bob said, trying his best to keep a professional tone of voice and not let the fear squeak through.

"Well, I have someone who would like to talk to you about that." Maverick said pulling out his phone and pressing the video call button.

Bob's eyes were wide as he feared what was to come next. This was never in his training.

Bradley slowly made his way to the side with his phone filming.

"Lieutenant Floyd, I hear there have been some rumors flying about me?" Iceman answered the phone with his famous cold expression.

Bob's eyes went wider than they thought possible.

"Sir-" Bob wasn't sure what to say.

"Bob, I would like to officially introduce you to my husband, Admiral Tom 'Iceman' Mitchell-Kazansky."

"So I was right?" Bob finally spoke looking over at Rooster.

"Pops, just clarifying you are married to dad right? Which makes Bob's bet correct?" Bradley said with a smirk on his face.

"That is correct Baby Goose."

Bob froze once more, this was far more information than he was expecting, and he wasn't expecting any of it.

"I think you two broke Bob." Maverick laughed.

"You know, so much has just made sense." Bob finally spoke.

"Information tends to do that." Ice said in a dry tone.

Once again Bob learned something new, the admiral was sarcastic. Though that fit with Maverick.

"So, kid, since you are the only one to guess correctly, we are pulling you in on the plan. Also because you knowing could corrupt the plan if we didn't interfere." Maverick informed him.

"What do you need me to do sir?" Bob said, a small mischievous smirk making it's way onto his face.

"Be our Stealth Pilot. Collect information that Bradley doesn't get, report to us, and have fun messing with the narrative. Especially at the hanger tomorrow. We planned on the big reveal being sooner however Ice was called away for a conference, so we have more time to mess with the others."

"I'm in."

"I figured as much. Tomorrow, I need you to both dissuade and encourage the theory that Ice is my husband. No too much either way though. Just don't push the fact we are married too much to the point that they actually figure it out."

"I want to enjoy the shock on their faces, so they better not uncover the truth when I am not there." Ice gave his admiral glare.

"I would be delighted sirs."

"Good, have fun lieutenant."

---

"I'm sorry, you just casually have a P-51, and you never told us about it?" Phoenix asked incredulously.

"I'm show it to you now am I not?" Maverick rolls his eyes.

"Can we fly it?"

"Do you know how to fly it?"

"Well, no..."

"Then you all can take turns being the back seater, how about that?" Maverick offered.

A collection of cheers were heard from the squadron.

"But not all you today, we can do a few every now and then." Maverick amended, there was not time for him to go up and down with all 12 of them today.

The pilots grudgingly agreed.

"Hey Mav, is this who I think it is?" Coyote asks pointed to a series of photos on the wall.

"That would be Goose, Bradley's father."

"Wait, he played the piano too?" Omaha asked.

"Where do you think Bradley got it from? He grew up listening to his dad play. His favorite song to play was 'Great Balls of Fire'. Hints, where Bradley got it from."

A look of understanding crossed Hangman's face.

"So is this baby Pops?" Hangman asked pointing to a photo in the corner.

"Yea, that's a baby Maverick." Bradley laughed.

"And that is a baby Bradley." Maverick pointed to several pictures.

"Guys! Look it's Admiral Kazansky!" Fanboy pointed to a photo of them in their formal uniforms.

Maverick stifled a laugh, they were pointing at what was one of their wedding photos.

"Hey look it's the same photo they have up in the halls at Top Gun!" Payback added.

"That was taken right after our first mission together as wingmen." Maverick explained.

"Can you- Umm..."

"Out with it Fanboy." Maverick rolled his eyes at the sudden timidness of the pilot.

"Can you tell us the story of that day, I mean rumors flew at the academy and flight training, but I'm sure it's changed over the years."

"How about this, you tell me what you've been told, and I'll tell you how close it is." Maverick agreed hesitantly. It wasn't his favorite story to tell, too many things associated with it. Too many close calls and too soon after a close call wasn't just close.

"The main version I've heard, is that you were pulled straight from Top Gun graduation for a mission and you two were like besties, and got sent off and face 5 MiGs at once and you took down 3 and chased the other 2 away."

"It's a close version, but not true. Iceman and I were rivals at Top Gun, and I was the spare for that mission." Maverick explained.

"Was Goose your RIO for that one?" Coyote asked, not realizing the timeline nor the weight of his words.

Maverick froze for a second, his breath leaving him, as Bradley looked down at the floor.

Hangman chose to answer for them thanks to his findings before the mission.

"No, I thought Goose died in a training accident at Top Gun."

"That, was the first mission I flew without Goose." Maverick explained, his voice coming out weaker than it had been.

The squads eyes went wide as they quickly found a new picture to ask about.

Bradley watched his god father closely, he knew no matter how long it had been, Goose's death was a touchy subject for him. It was for Bradley too, but not in the same way. He only remembered the man from stories, videos, and pictures.

They found a large group photo.

"Who are these guys Mav?" Halo asked.

"That, is the Top Gun class of '86. Well at least my class." Maverick explained.

"So do you still keep in contact with the admiral?" Payback asked pointing to the another picture of their wedding, this time of Ice and the Bradley's class of'86 uncles.

"I do, I had a phone call with him last night actually. That photo was actually taken at my wedding. I still keep in contact with most of the guys from my Top Gun class. We do little reunions every now and then." Maverick decided to reveal. It didn't give much away because they were both in uniform as well as there were a several pictures from that day of him with other people also in uniform.

"Wait, when do we get to meet them?" Yale asked.

"Meet who?" Maverick not sure if they meant Ice or the class of '86.

"Whoever you're married too!" Harvard answered.

"Oh, it will be a few days, he got called away to a conference. He has been waiting to meet you guys though."

Bob smirked from the back of the group.

"Hey who is this?" Phoenix asked pointing to another photo.

Quickly leading to story time for a series of other photos.

---

Dagger Group Chat

Fanboy We have new INFO!!! Mavericks HUSBAND is at a conference. Therefore we can knock out Penny and Hondo, because we saw Hondo earlier therefore not at a conference.

Phoenix So all we have left is We haven't met them, Cyclone, and Warlock.

Bob And Admiral Kazansky

Payback Sorry Bobby, but it's definitely not the Admiral, I mean we saw the photo earlier, taken at the wedding, not the groom. If he was married to the Admiral he just would have said that.

Bob I guess that makes sense, but I am standing by my bet

Halo Good, because bets are closed, no changing

Harvard We can also narrow it down if we find out if Cyclone or Warlock left for a conference. Seems like something they would do as the heads of Top Gun. If either are gone tomorrow, then we have our answer.

Hangman Or we establish we just don't know who they are because we have never met them. So if both are there tomorrow, then Phoenix and I win.

Yale Woah Woah Woah, Hangman, don't count your eggs before they've hatched. Your bet is that we don't know of them, we could know of them we just didn't bet on them. Therefore you would be wrong too.

Hangman Fine, we find out officially when we meet them, that work for everyone?

Phoenix As long as it ends with free round for me from everyone, then I don't care when.

Hangman Except me, I would get free rounds too!

Phoenix Yes Hangman, except you.

---

"Ice, you wouldn't believe it, they literally talked about one of our wedding photos and didn't catch on."

"The look on their faces is going to be priceless."

"Are you sure you can't hurry back from your conference?"

"I would if I could, I would do it even if we weren't waiting to do this reveal. I would do it just to come back to you."

"Aww, the ice cube is melting."

"Only for you."

"Sarcastic Iceman might actually kill them though, they still only know stoic Ice Cold Admiral Iceman."

"So, maybe I shouldn't meet them then, we will be down 10 of our best aviators." Ice jokes.

"I said might not would, plus you are a guardian angel you could bring them back to life."

"No I am your guardian angel, and occasionally Bradley's."

"You mean you don't want to do the paper work that would be involved."

"Maverick, I do my paperwork, but that doesn't mean I want extra."

"Fair point, if I didn't have to do my paperwork I never would."

"You do your paperwork last minute anyway!"

"Yea, but I still do it."

Ice glares at him thru the phone.

"I love you too," Maverick smirks. "But seriously, how much longer until you are back? Despite being Iceman you keep the bed very warm, and it is cold now."

"Your personal heater will be back in two days."

Maverick smiled.

---

.

.

.

I hope you guys are enjoying!! Fear not the reveal is coming!! Sorry that this one is a little shorter, they will probably average 2k to 4k in words. Depending on what's in each chapter. I have planned out a lot of what will be happening. Once the reveal occurs it will become more one shots taking place after this focusing on fewer daggers at a time.

If you have any requests or ideas for those one shots let me know! I have my own list but will happily add!

Also I need help picking Ships

Hangman and Rooster or Phoenix and Rooster? I like both, and both can work for this story, or I can leave them relationshipless for now.

Please comment! You guys don't understand the joy I feel when yall comment! Hop you enjoyed!

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

VelvetCardiganBucky’s Recommendations 2021: Week 12 & 13 | March 14th – March 27th

Welcome to weeks 12 & 13 of my recommendations, if you would like to be featured on a future list, I follow the hashtag #VelvetCardiganBucky, message me, tag me in your future works, or reblog this post and link to your story, one-shot, Masterlist, writing challenge, etc.

Be aware some if not most stories and writers on this list are meant to be consumed by an audience of those 18+. My blog is also an 18+ blog.

✨Page breaks are made @firefly-graphics✨

«Last Week

Week 14»

My Masterlist

My Fic Rec List of Mafia/Mob Bucky/Sebastian & Steve/Chris/Andy

Stuff I Posted This Week:

Steve + Bey = 4Ever » Steve Rogers and Bey carved places in each other’s hearts, that no one else could ever replace.

I Hear A Symphony » Bucky Barnes x Mutant!Reader — Reader plays an important song to her for Bucky.

—Formerly The Winter Soldier » “I’m no longer the winter soldier, my name is James Bucky Barnes & you're part of my effort to make amends.”

Lee Bodecker

(Mini) Series:

*Give In by @not-a-great-writer » soft!dark!Lee Bodecker x shy!Reader — She didn’t think she was anything special. So when the intimidating Sheriff takes an interest in her, she can’t help but feel a little unsettled. Her boring life is about to get a little interesting. | This story has to be one of my all time series I’ve ever read, and I know I will weep when it’s over. The chapters are decently sized, you have angst, fluff and smut. I couldn’t ask for more, it’s simply a masterpiece.

Deadbeat Pt. 9 by @the-witty-pen-name » Lee Bodecker x F!Reader — You work at the bar at the edge of town, the Sheriff is going through a divorce and needs to rent a room. | Cole thank you for feeding my current Lee Bodecker obsession after I watched The Devil All The Time, for the time. This story is good and I love soft!Lee, and one where no one dies. At least I hope no one dies...

SamBucky

One-Shots:

Loving You Is Cherry Pie by @river-soul » Sam Wilson x Reader x Bucky Barnes — When Sam Wilson, one of your regulars at the cafe finally asks you out, you’re ecstatic until he tells you he wants his friend to join. When you meet Bucky, you decide it might be worth your while after all. [Allusions to stalking, exhibitionism and explicit sex, 18+] | There is just not enough SamBuck stories out there and we have @river-soul to thank for feeding our love for the boys and giving us some good smut, especially to tide us over till Friday.

Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM by @callmeluna » Sam Wilson x Reader x Bucky Barnes — You are admittedly a handful when you’ve had a few drinks in you. Luckily, your partners Sam and Bucky are more than up for the challenge… maybe. | If you are looking for something to make you laugh, might I suggest reading this? The whole time as I read this I couldn’t get the huge smile off my face, it was that good.

Bucky Barnes

Drabbles:

Matching by @heli0s-writes » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Reader and Bucky are “matchy matchy,” with their belly button rings. | This is adorable as well as very funny.

One-Shots:

Smooth Criminal by @bestofbucky » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Based on a dream @velvetcardiganbucky had. You’re parents told you to never give rides to strangers, but when you notice Bucky Barnes trying to break into your car, you know some strangers aren’t so bad. | Jenny did my dream justice! I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Don’t Over Do It by @whisperlullaby » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your boyfriend is an asshole. Bucky reminds you that you are perfect the way you are. | I can’t describe this anyway other than perfect, that I wish I had a Bucky like this there for me. Trust me you’ll love the ending.

Coming Home to You by @angrythingstarlight » Biker!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your Biker boyfriend is finally home and he’s going to show you how much he missed you. With every inch he has. And you’re going to remember how much he loves you. | It’s not very often you read something that has an alternate ending and when you do you find yourself loving both endings. Both endings are hot, the smut is great, again who couldn’t love Biker!Bucky?

Won’t Let You Go by @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay » Mob!Bucky Barnes x OFC!Kori — Kori met Bucky in one of his clubs, out to get shit-faced with a couple of friends to forget about her worries and maybe take home a guy to further rid herself of her numerous frustrations. Little did she know that the one-night stand with Bucky would turn into so much more than that. | Thank you so much for entering my writing challenge, it means so much. This one-shot is so good, it hit me right the feels and left me falling in love with Kori and Bucky.

Show Me How To Ride by @angrythingstarlight » Beefy Biker!Bucky Barnes x Reader — You’ve been keeping a secret from your biker boyfriend. He is going to get the information out of you one way or the other. | It’s hot and it makes you realize just how much you realize just how much you love Biker!Bucky.

Bubble Baths by @floatingpetals » Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern AU) — Even your boyfriend Bucky, needs to wind down at the end of a stressful with a bubble bath, but he doesn’t want to do it alone. | Okay, so my summary of this sucks but let me just say this is fluffy and smutty all at once. I wish I had Bucky to take a bubbly bath with.

Bad Boy!Bucky Barnes x Shy!Reader by @gagmebucky — in which there’s nowhere to sit and bucky offers his lap—then, subsequently, his cock. (bad boy!bucky x shy!reader, dirty talk, exhibitionism and voyeurism, cockwarming, unprotected sex.) | *chugs water* yeah is it a little hot in here? I probably would have failed class if Bucky had been in my class along with Steve, I wouldn’t have known who to stare at, forget learning the material.

**Greater Good by @fuel-joy » Bucky Barnes x Reader — There is a cure for the zombie outbreak but is it worth the cost. | Grab your tissues, because you are going to need them. Thanks darling for entering my writing challenge and making me feel so many feels with this one.

(Mini) Series:

A Tender Heart ♥️ Pt. 2 by @river-soul » Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader — You’ve been sweet on Bucky since you started working at the compound six months ago. Normally quiet and mild mannered, an unexpired fight with a coworker brings Bucky into your orbit. [A/B/O dynamics, brief mention of bullying and fluff] | If anyone can pull at your heartstrings it’s @river-soul making the beginning of this series look so promising and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Run To You 🪙 Pt. 10 🪙 Pt. 11 🪙 Pt. 12 by @bestofbucky » Mob!Bucky Barnes x Bodyguard!Reader — Mob boss Bucky Barnes hires you to be his bodyguard. | Jenny left me at the edge of my seat, making this such an amazing story, I always look forward to her updates, and so sad that there is only 1 chapter left.

Better than Working sequel to This by @angrythingstarlight » Beefy Biker!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Beefy Biker Bucky shows you all the benefits of working from home. In fact what he has for you is so much better than work. | Sometimes you just need to read something hot to lift your spirits, let this do that.

Stucky

One-Shots:

*Tell Me What You Want by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Steve Rogers x Reader; Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your mob boyfriend, is none other than Steve Rogers and he is willing to get you whatever you wanted, all you have to do is ask. And be careful what you ask for because he’s going to give it to you over and over again. | This is so hot that I highly recommend not reading this anywhere out in public. The smut in this is just *chefs kiss*

(Mini) Series:

Miracle Pt. 2 🥀 Pt. 1 by @heavenhatesme » Soft!Dark!Bucky Barnes x Reader; Soft!Dark!Steve Rogers x Reader — When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and there hasn’t been a baby for almost 18 years, what happens when two certain super soldiers fall for the same woman and accidentally impregnate her? | It’s not tagged as dark, sorry to the writer I tagged it that please forgive me? But I just want to tell everyone heed the tags. I do look forward to reading what happens next. The smut in this is great!

Invisible Ink by @navybrat817 » Bucky Barnes x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader; Bucky Barnes x Reader x Steve Rogers — The owners of the Howling Commandos Tattoo Parlor want to make you their best girl. | I love the idea of tattoo’d Bucky and Steve, but that's because I have a weakness for tattoo’s. So this series is just right up my alley, and the start of it is so good that I know it’s good to be a great one!

Steve Rogers

Drabbles:

Chocolate Milk & Dino Nuggets by @nony-bear » Steve Rogers x Reader — Daddy Steve helps make his little girl feel better after a long week. DDLG THEMES | Had me wishing I had a Steve to make me Dino nuggets after a long day at work. It’s precious folks.

Prompt 4K Drabble Challenge by @sweeterthanthis » Steve Rogers x Reader — “Show me how deep you can take it.” | You’re going to need an ice cold bath after this one.

One-Shots:

A Cruel Tide by @writerwrites » Nomad!Steve Rogers x Reader — A lost hero thinks she needs saving, but this divorcée’s needs were different, fleeting, and then full of attachment. Can they overcome the burdens on their shoulders and keep their word? | Sometimes you want to wrap the reader and Steve in a blanket and protect them while enjoying the smut. This gave me that and more.

Untitled Request by @navybrat817 » Steve Rogers x Reader — Sending Steve a naughty photo while he’s in a meeting leads to punishment that will remind you to never do it again, right? | Hi, I’m just going to drench myself in ice cold water. ✌🏻

(Mini) Series:

*Control Pt. 3 🔐 Pt. 1 🔐 Pt. 2 by @river-soul » dark!Steve Rogers x Reader — When a probationary agent asks you out on a date you learn Steve’s intentions for you have evolved. He doesn’t take kindly to someone touching what’s his. [Noncon, physical violence (biting), grooming behavior and explicit sex, 18+] | Definitely one of my favorite series to read on Tumblr so far, you know it’s dark, and the smut is great. I always look forward to the updates on this one.

*Lipstick and Crayons 🖍 Ch. 4 by @oneoftheprettynerds » Dark Mob!Steve Rogers x Reader — Steve can’t ever repay you for what you did. After meeting you, Steve believes his broken family is the missing piece in the puzzle of your own wrecked one. Indebting the crime lord to you has been the biggest mistake of your life, cause now you can’t get rid of him, no matter what. Loyalty and favours go a long way in the mob. | This story always gets my heart a racing and leaves you with questions as to what is going to happen next. I truly love it and Soft!Dad while being Angry!Mob boss Steve all at the same time, this story just has it all for me.

This Is My Unbecoming by @river-soul » Werewolf!Steve Rogers x Witch!Reader — When the Hydra pack graduates from turning humans to swell their ranks to kidnapping and murdering witches to consolidate power, Steve knows he needs to strike. He makes a deal with a powerful coven leader for a witch of his own in exchange for destroying the rogue pack. [Magical realism, biting, blood, slightly dubious consent and explicit sex, 18+] | Okay this is so good and I would like to thank the teenage mind of @river-soul for creating this! Like seriously thank you. I look forward to reading more!

It’s been a long, long time ☕️ Ch.1 by @mostly-marvel-musings » Steve Rogers x Reader — Steve Rogers – a man who has lost too much finds himself blending into the crowd in attempts to forget his past but revisits familiar places and spends days sketching his heart out. A rainy evening leads him to find shelter in your coffee shop. Is having meaningful conversations over endless cups of coffee with a stranger the key to unlocking a heart that’s lost the will to love? | The prologue tore my heart out, it truly did but the first chapter just puts the pieces back together. I really love this and I’m honestly looking forward to reading what happens next. I can’t thank you enough for entering my writing challenge!

*Not A Team Part: 1 by @shedobewritingalittle » Steve Rogers x Reader — The Reader tries to live a normal life, but her memories won’t leave her alone. Rhodey comes to visit the reader with a proposition. | There aren't a lot of stories out there that have walk on parts with Rhodey in it and I didn’t know how much I missed out on having him in stories till I read this. This was just so well written and the characterization of Rhodey was perfect, how Peyton got the emotions written across, it’s perfect. Read this and have some tissues on hand. I will always love it.

Andy Barber

One-Shots:

Closing Arguments by @river-soul » Andy Barber x Reader — Andy and you are going out for the first time since your daughter’s birth. Anxious about leaving her behind Andy does his best to make you feel better. [Fluff with explicit sex (f recieving), 18+] | So fluffy and sweet!

Keep the Heat by @ozarkthedog » Andy Barber x Reader — Andy fucks you in the coat. | Semi-Short and the smut is oh so good.

(Mini) Series:

Homebound 🏡 Ch. 1 by @fuel-joy » Dark!Andy Barber x Reader — You witness your neighbor kill his wife. You try to gather evidence all from the comfort of your home. | Prepare to be at the edge of your seat with this one, it’s just that good.

One Night by @darkficsyouneveraskedfor » Dark!Andy Barber x Reader — One night changes your entire life. | This is dark and exciting, with tons of angst in it. I love a real good dark!Andy fic and this is it.

Chris Evans

One-Shots:

Mirrors by @cherrychris » Chris Evans x Reader — “wanna know what i see? me owning you and this sweet little pussy” | Sometimes you read things that just blow your mind and this was one of those things.

*Work Party by @harrylovex » Chris Evans x Reader — you get drunk at a work party and chris looks after you… | This is really adorable and probably one of my favorite fluffy Chris Evans one-shots I’ve ever read.

Misc.

One-Shots:

An Act of Kindness by @stargazingfangirl18 » Jake Jensen x Female!Reader — A simple act of kindness seals your fate. | I would like to simply start of by saying that this was my first Jake Jensen fanfiction in years, or maybe my first one, and all I could was where have I been hiding from him? So good and glad I read this and so will you!

*Come Back Safe by @celestialbarnes » Sam Wilson x Reader — based on tfatws, you find out sam’s leaving for a mission, afraid to lose the man you love, you confront him, and he promises you to come back. | So fluffy you’ll want to cuddle it under a blanket fort and wish under a thousand starry night skies for it to come true.

(Mini) Series:

Fiery Friends Pt. 3 🔥 Pt. 4 by @wanderinglunarnights » Johnny Storm x OFC!Sophia Jones — Johnny invites his best friend Sophia to stay with him in his penthouse during quarantine. | I really like this story, because I find myself mentally rooting for Sophia and Johnny, also going you go girl. Looking forward to what is next for this duo.

Ensnared Pt. 2 🔗 Pt. 1 by @stargazingfangirl18 » Ransom Drysdale x Female!Reader; minor Robert Pronge (Mr. Freezy) x Reader — Robert preps you for the handoff to the smooth talking stranger who bought you, but before he lets you go, he wants to have a little fun first. | So good and hot. Honestly I look forward to hopefully finding out what happens between the reader and Ransom.

Made With Love by @ayybtch » Wanda Maximoff x f!Reader + Friends to Lovers — Wanda is an excellent cook but a terrible baker. A rough day leads her to the bakery in the Avengers compound where she meets you, the lead baker. After a dismal attempt at making chocolate chip cookies, you volunteer to help Wanda learn how to bake. Your friendship grows stronger with each successful recipe until the two of you stumble into something even sweeter than baked goods. | This story will constantly have you smiling, sure it’s only 3 chapters so far, but I started off reading it in a bad mood but by the 3rd chapter I was just so sappy and happy. I can’t wait for more!

Without Me by CuttingMyFingersOff » Legolas x OFC!Braigeth — Braigeth was an elf who has nothing but memories of Legolas to help her survive being imprisoned in the walls of Orthanc. That is, until she is able to escape and reunite with him. | I’ve been invested in this since my friend came forward to me with the idea for this story and now that it’s being written, I couldn’t be more excited to read it. I need more Lord of the Rings in my life if I’m being honest.

Forever and Ever More by @syntheticavenger » Dark Alpha!Ransom Drysdale x Omega!Reader — Ransom Drysdale may be Boston’s most eligible Alpha but he has his eyes set on you. With his inheritance hanging in the balance, he won’t take no for an answer, whether you like him or not. | Prepared to go on a Hawaiian EMOTIONAL roller coaster with this story, there are so many times in this story you find yourself picking your jaw up off the floor. I’ve linked you to chapter 9, which has all the previous chapters, listed.

Is A Shout Out To My...

@bluemusickid in celebration of 700 followers is hosting a Holi Celebration Writing Challenge, that is due April 30th, but extension can be given. Any Marvel or MCU characters can be used in addition to Chris Evans and his characters. The theme is Holi and its colors, for better explanation visit the link provided.

@whisperlullaby in celebration of 700 followers is hosting a 700 Followers Challenge, your entries will be due May 5th. The theme is kinks, no RPF, DDLG/MMLG, bathroom related , incest, or under age kinks. This is MCU characters, Sebastian Stan, and Chris Evans characters x OFC or Reader. For more information visit the link provided. Congrats Becca on the 700 followers you deserve it hun!

@stargazingfangirl18 in celebration of 5K followers is hosting a Soft Dark Writing Challenge, which is due May 31st. Don’t let the name fool you, your writing can be soft, dark, or soft!dark, or headcanons about any Chris character. 500 word minimum with no max, but new or be read as a stand alone piece. For more information visit the link provided and be sure to congratulate Siri on her 5K milestone!

@cloudystevie in celebration of 4K followers is hosting a Mob!AU Writing Challenge, that is due on May 30th. You can use Chris Evans and any of his characters he’s played before, as well as make it NSFW or SFW. To learn more about it please visit the link below. Also congratulations Jasmeen on the 4K followers! 💗

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

Writing smut without cringing the whole time? How do you do it.

Writing Smut 101: Overcoming Smut Shame

CONTENT WARNING: NSFW RELATED CONTENT BELOW.

The short answer, nonnie, is: you don’t. 

That is to say, writing smut is always kind of cringe—especially if you’re new to it, or simply “not in the mood” to write. 

But rest assured, feeling embarrassed is completely natural. The trick is learning how to overcome the cringe when it does happen, instead of letting it deter you.

I’m going to break this up into a few sections: 1) Why you might be feeling this way, 2) How I, personally, combat the issue, and 3) Some more tips that might help you get the ball rolling.

1. Why You “Cringe”

It’s important to find the root cause of any form of writer’s block so you can pull the weed out instead of just trimming it back. Smut writer’s block is its own special brand, and generally, the main issue writers have when it comes to smut is stigma.

Speaking openly and honestly about sex, in Western society, is still very much a taboo.

No matter how “progressive” we like to think we are, the inherent shame surrounding pleasure-seeking experiences, and the detailing/consumption of them, has been ground into us since we learned how to understand the concept of gratification.

And I’m not just talking about sexual gratification. This applies to everyday things, as well. Eating, shopping, relaxing (or doing virtually anything in capitalist society that does not directly contribute to capitalism).

So it makes sense that you would feel any amount of embarrassment, awkwardness, or “cringe” when writing smut. It’s something our society teaches us is wrong to want. Unfortunately, that shame translates to writer’s block when we sit down in front of the computer.

A lot of this blockage might stem from not giving ourselves permission to write the thing.

We’re staring at the blank document, knowing we want to write smut, and suddenly the thoughts start streaming in: This feels wrong, is this wrong? What if someone comes in and looks over my shoulder while I’m writing? Am I describing this right? Is this too unrealistic? I have NO idea what I’m doing, and everyone is going to know it.

These are all perfectly normal thoughts, and definitely ones I still have from time to time. But they’re also probably the direct cause of why you feel so blocked. Luckily, I have some bits of advice to give you on how to unblock yourself.

2. How I Combat Smut Block

✦ First, when the intrusive thoughts occur, instead of ruminating on them, think of each one as an impermanent object. You can use any metaphor, but I like to use the imagery of leaves:

Each negative thought is a leaf floating down the river of your mind. If you focus only on the leaf, you’ll exert a lot of energy running to try and keep up with it, consequently miss everything else around you. But if you acknowledge that leaf as a temporary part of the scenery, and let is pass, you can process and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings a whole lot better.

Remember: you are separate from your thoughts. You are not defined by them. The things you think sound stupid might be incredibly exciting to someone else. 

If you can string a sentence together, you can write smut. This is all part of giving yourself permission to write the thing that makes you feel uncomfortable.

✦ Second, I’d suggest giving good thought to how you personally experience embarrassment, how you experience excitement (of the sexual variety), and how those two might sometimes commingle or feel similar.

For me, they are very comparable, like different shades of the same emotion—but there are differences which are important to note. 

If I’m making myself blush from excitement, this is a very good thing for writing smut. It means that what I’m writing feels real enough to evoke something in the reader, even if the reader, like me, knows what’s going to happen.

If I’m making myself cringe, however, it may be time to take a step back and readjust my perspective.

✦ Third, ease yourself into it! Don’t jump straight in the deep end and expect to know how to keep your head above water if you’ve never swum before.

The way I eased myself into smut was first by writing “Steam”—a category of fic I made up because the current vocabulary lacked an efficient term for fics that straddled emotional romance and explicit content. 

Essentially, steam is smut-adjacent but not explicit, and here’s a step-by-step example of how I transitioned myself smoothly from one genre to the next:

I first wrote my fics Wicked Game and You Are (both of which feature either a heavy make out session or teasing + lots of sexual tension) with this “steam” concept in mind.

I wrote the first chapter of Fine Line, which has brief but explicit descriptions of fantasies, framed by a very sexually charged scene.

I released my fic Crashing, which is probably more of a bridge between Steam and Smut, and features soft-focus fingering. Nothing in it is explicit—it focuses more on the emotions than explicit detail—but it’s very clear what is happening.

After I wrote those, I felt just confident enough to make that final stride over the threshold into smut. I wrote my fics Holy, King, and the second chapter of Fine Line all within weeks of each other.

And trust me when I say, once you get the momentum going and receive that validation from people who’ve read your work, it becomes SO much easier to sit down and start writing. 

You just have to finish that first piece.

✦ Finally (and I know I’m going to sound cliche when I say this), just like any other skill, the more you practice the more confident you will feel and the better you will get. 

So practice, practice, practice! 

If you’re nervous about posting smut for the first time, have a trusted friend/mutual Beta read it for you. It’s the online equivalent to someone holding your hand before jumping off the cliff, and works wonders for the nerves.

3. Keep The Smut Rolling

Now that you have some tools to help get you past the blockage of writing smut, here’s how to keep the inspiration flowing.

✦ Start by incorporating smutty fanfiction/erotic fiction into your regular reading rotation- 

Of course AO3 is a fantastic resource for smutty fanfiction. 

If you’re a fan of TFOTA or ACOTAR and want some of my personal fic recs, visit my fic rec masterlist.

In terms of erotic fiction, my personal favourites are anything Anais Nin (specifically Henry & June and Delta of Venus), The Thornchapel series by Sierra Simone, The Godwicks series by Tiffany Reisz, and The Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz.

There are also sites like Literotica and sexstories.com, which play host to explicit short fiction (not fandom based).

✦ Next, I’d recommend having a designated digital space for smutspiration- 

This can be a list of “smutty” words/phrases kept on a separate document on your computer, for those days when you just can’t think of the right way to describe something. 

Or you can create a private side-blog or Pinterest board for your favourite smutty fanart or other kinds of visual smutspiration.

✦ For that matter, try following some smutty/18+ blogs (ONLY IF YOU’RE 18+) here on Tumblr-

Many of them have a plethora of what I like to call “lemony snippets”, a.k.a. short text posts that describe (usually in conversational language) explicit scenarios. 

This is useful because it will normalise the concept of sexual fantasies in your brain, making it less weird for you when you try to come up with ones of your own to write into smut. 

Not to mention, your dash will be rife with inspiration.

✦ I would also suggest checking out 18+ ASMR on YouTube (AGAIN, ONLY IF YOU’RE 18+). 

My favourite account is Professor Cal Official, but Auralescent also has some good content. 

Headphones are highly advisable for this, as their stuff is very dangerous for work.

So, nonnie, I hope this has provided you with at least one helpful tip. Whether you took anything away from this or not, just know that the feelings of embarrassment when it comes to writing smut are entirely normal. And the best way to keep those feelings at bay is to confront them head on. 

-Em 🖤🗡

Writing Advice Masterlist

Writing Masterlist

2K Celebration!

[angry-slytherin]

We Really Like Fluff

a totally incomplete guide to dousy fan fictions that are a must:

according to me, anyway

no idea where to start? looking for a fic you read a year ago? I’ve got you.

help me find the tumblrs of those not tagged (if they have one)!

all we do is drive. (romantashas) @romantashas

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

She's always liked running away from things.

It was different, having someone with her.

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

the first beloved fic by this fandom. completed in august 2020, it strays from canon somewhat at S7E11, but the characterization makes you forget that anything is different at all. truly a masterpiece, and definitely a must-read.

6/17/55 (lazyfish)

6/17/55.

She never thought it would mean 1955.

(Spoilers up to 7.06.)

one shot. soulmate au. beautifully written. it’s only just under 2k words but one of the most popular fan fictions under the tag on ao3. absolutely adorable and you’ll feel your heart flutter for them.

One Year Later (marvelsquake) @marvelsquake

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

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

there are so many amazing “anatomy analysis” fics out there. that is one of those “if you know, you know” things;) this one is really thoroughly written, and marvelsquake took their time to make every detail perfect. really, just excellent.

Stay (SteeleHoltingOn) @steeleholtingon

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

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

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

this one needs little introduction. it has been recced(??) to death, and rightfully so!!! the author is this incredible genius and I love them for giving this to us. it’s over 150k words, so be ready to commit some much deserved time to this excellent character study on both Daisy and Daniel.

Feel Good(I Like It) (enigmaforum)

It's not the the first time she’s felt something for someone since Lincoln but it’s the first time she felt like it had the possibility to actually turn into something. Something Good.

I’ve always loved the title of this fic, but that’s besides the point. enigmaforum is a very talented writer who does plot AND characterization like a pro. definitely an A+ in terms of quality. also part of a series with some other excellent works!

Exposure (agentquakingskye) @blcssqvake on instagram

Dying in a half-second blast of radiation wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

Dying all over again, slowly, because of that half-second of radiation?

That was worse.

okay I lied. we also love angst and this work is angst central. it’s a cancer AU following the finale, but it’s just as happy as it as sad. prepare your tissues, but also prepare for some seriously good writing.

A Week After Death (manoutoftimeandquake) @puddle-of-awesomeness

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

the astro ambassadors sent back in time to meet the AC cast(essentially). such a fun, action-packed, hilarious work. such a classic. go read it now!!

Where I Need To Be (JennaPotter)

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

almost 200k words of absolute beauty. it’s incredibly detailed and excellently written. it’s like reading a published novel!! but with dousy!!

you’ve got that power(over me) (romantashas) @romantashas

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

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

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

yet another classic(I’m definitely misusing that word… it’s deserved by these authors) work by romantashas. the description gives the gist of it, but it’s one of the best dousy AUs out there.

get ready for the shameless self promo…

Your Heartbeat On The Highline(Once In Twenty Lifetimes) (doctorsimmonswilson) @angry-slytherin

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

[aka Daisy and Daniel’s story post finale]

welp… I included my own story. honestly it’s because it is one of the most popular in the tag(I’m sifting through too kudos and top hits). I’m really super proud of it, so read it if you’d like. it’s canon compliant (and extremely fluffy for the most part:)

somebody hurt you(but you’re here by my side) (agentmmayy) @agentmmayy

Daniel doesn't leave Daisy's side, even when she's out of the healing chamber.

very popular, and for good reason. such a sweet, nice fic. I very much enjoyed it and it’s a quicker read than most on this list!

and here’s to the question marks

aka: unfinished works that are beautiful and deserve your attention

want you(to unravel me) (IzzieBee)

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

OR

Daisy really wasn't ready for Daniel Sousa.

sexy, fun, well-written… what more could we ask for? it’s missing the last chapter, but the brunt of the story is there, and it’s satisfying either way.

A Truth Stranger Than Fiction (wordsmithraven)

Daniel Sousa was having the worst day of his life...and he’d lived through a war. Service had always been something he’d understood. Honor. Sacrifice. Duty. He’d just never thought his journey would mean leaving everything he loved behind.

a lot of daisy and daniel getting to know one another… a little bit of season 7 adventure… a whole bunch of fun.

Loving The Journey Together (manoutoftimeandquake) @puddle-of-awesomeness

Moments in the lives of Daisy and Sousa (and Kora) after the end of the team's final mission.

this one is a WIP(being updated currently). manoutoftimeandquake has some amazing snippets/slices of life waiting for you in that work!

it’s in the subtext (eggsaladstain)

Snippets of the relationship between Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa through the words they said and the ones they didn’t.

SO. FREAKING. GOOD. just go read it, okay?

and finally, some links to some authors who’ve written a bunch of amazing stuff.

romantashas

manoutoftimeandquake

enigmaforum

@hecckyeah

lazyfish

hereforthephilindafics

dearemma

seriously, there’s so many more amazing fics in this tag. I didn’t have the energy to include all 800+. these are just some that are most popular and/or deserve your attention.

thank you for taking the time to read through all of this! I hope you’ve found some things to bookmark(or binge-read;)

[foilfreak]

Beauty and Her Beast: Summary and Ch.1

A Salvatore Moreau x Female!FishMutant!oc fic based on this idea I had the other day that a very specific subset of the fanfom went absolutely apeshit for, which I'm here for and decided to act on. I can't make any promises for consistent uploading or even a finishes product by the end of this, but so long as im still interested in working on it, I'll keep working on it, and if im not, then I wont, plain and simple. Anyways, here's the summary and chapter 1, please let me know what you think of the story so far, i hope you all enjoy (you'd better all enjoy), and I can't wait to see you all again for chapter 2. Bye! <333 (Link to ao3 posting will be in comments so check there if you want to read it there instead)

Warning: This fic is rated NSFW and contains graphic depictions of things some people may find disturbing or alarming, including, but not limited to: violence, gore, unhealthy family relationships, Oedipus complexes, gratuitous amount of pornographic literature, ableist language, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, etc. If you are someone who does not enjoy fiction with these elements in them, then I suggest you refrain from reading this, because this fic will have all that, and probably a lot more. So, this is your first and final warning to turn around and go somewhere else if stuff like this just isn't your vibe, because from this point forward, your emotional wellbeing is in your own hands, and I will not be accepting blame if you disregarded my warnings and ended up reading something you didn't like. Idk why I feel compelled to write one of these despite this being Resident Evil fanfic, but I figured I'd cover my ass just in case.

Summary:

Now, I’m sure everyone already knows the ancient tales that tell of a beautiful young woman slowly falling in love with a horrific monstrosity of a man. The pure and true love this innocent beauty comes to feel for him, despite his terrifying appearance, is the key that breaks the cruel and twisted curse under which he’d been kept prisoner. This allows the man behind the monster to not only return to his true human form, but then go on to live his Happily Ever After with the beauty who saved him. Everyone already knows of these tales, as well as the messages behind them, however that is not quite the way this particular tale plays out.

The tale I am about to tell bears many similarities to the one above, however there are also quite a few important differences. For while the original detailed a beauty falling for a monster because of the kind and loving man he was behind his hideous exterior, this is a tale of a beauty, with a few monstrous qualities of her own, falling in love with a kind and loving monster, not at all despite his grotesque appearance, but rather, in part, because of it.

This is a tale, where the Beast still falls for his Beauty first, but the Beauty is the one who will be pursuing her Beast.

Chapter 1: Mother's Gift

Few of those who lived isolated from the outer world, high up in the mountains of Romania, would expect anyone of reasonable sanity to be out traveling in this hellish sort of weather. The wind howling a demonic high pitched tune; snow, sleet, and hail pounding into the ground like an endless shower of bullets from the heavens; and hungry lycans still roaming the area, tirelessly looking for their next meal, would be enough to incentivize even the strongest of mortal men to seek shelter away from the deadly conditions of the outside.

A man by the name of Salvatore Moreau however, one of the 4 lords of this mountain region who lived in the reservoir just past the windmills, did not appear terribly concerned with what other people thought of the traveling conditions. Completely unbothered by the horrifying weather and threat of suddenly being ground into doggy food, the hooded man trudged his way through the dark and barely maintained snow paths. Starting at the reservoir and making his way toward the village, Salvatore moved as quickly as his deformed body would permit, an unusually chipper spring added to his lumbering hobble of a walk.

Mother had a gift for him.

Yes, a truly joyous day it was whenever Mother Miranda called upon him to join her and the other lords for a meeting. Miranda was usually so busy with her experiments that she rarely had time to visit her children outside of these ‘family meetings’ they’d been having recently. However, it would appear as though Mother has come up with a solution of some kind to this problem and wishes to share it with them in person. Whatever this solution is, the mutated man has no idea, as Mother Miranda had been quite vague in her message, however the fact that Salvatore was being given the chance to see his radiant mother AND receive a gift from her, all in one day, was more than enough to make up for how agonizingly lonely he’s been these last few months since winter set in, as well as how agonizing it was for him to walk in this weather.

Salvatore arrived at the usual meeting site just as the clock struck 8pm, precisely as Mother had instructed. However, much to the hooded man’s confusion, when he turned the handle on the large wooden door to enter the room, he quickly realized that he was currently the only one present. This was especially strange considering that, usually, at least one of his siblings was always present a little earlier than necessary, usually Alcina or Karl, but occasionally Donna with Angie in tow.

Mother had clearly said in her message that she wanted to start the meeting at 8pm sharply, so where on earth is everyone?

“Moreau” Mother Miranda’s voice called out, immediately pushing all thoughts from Salvatore’s brain as her powerful, yet lucious voice echoed against the halls of the room like a choir of angels.

“Y-yes! W-what… is it… M-mother Miranda? I-i-i came to you… j-just like you asked” Salvatore responds, bowing his head in reverence as he slowly crosses the room and approaches the otherworldly woman.

“So you did, though I suppose you coming exactly when I call makes the most sense. You always were the most obedient of my children” the woman remarks with casual disdain, her voice devoid of any sort of motherly affection or tenderness. Despite the clear disgust and disregard with which Miranda regards the hooded man standing before her, her words light Salvatore’s soul ablaze, filling his mangled body with intense feelings of heat and desire that melt his heart of the cold, icy frost that had frozen it over the course of the long winter.

“Y-y-yes, y-yes of c-course, Mother M-Miranda! I-i would… I would do any-anything... for y-you. A-anything you s-say... anything y-you n-need… I’d d-do it... f-for you. W-without question!” The deformed man says, practically getting on his hands and knees and crawling as he neared closer and closer to Miranda, stopping only when he’d arrived just in front of the steps the raven mother stood upon, his gaze trained at the ground as he knelt at her feet, awaiting his fate at his mother’s hands.

“I know you would, Moreau,” Miranda says cooly, gently brushing the palm of her hand against the black fabric that covers the top of Salvatore’s head, “which is why I’ve called you here today; to reward you for your loyalty and service to me thus far.”

Salvatore sinks sharp and jagged teeth into the flesh of his bottom lip, nearly drawing blood as he desperately tries to silence the needy whine that wanted to tear its way from the back of his throat. His body shivered and twitched in unimaginable delight from the sudden tender caress to his sensitive skin. How long had it been since someone had touched him so gently? How long since someone had spoken to him with such kind and soft words. Took the time to gather presents as a reward for years of faithful servitude? How long since someone had loved him like this?

‘Too long’ the disfigured man sighed to himself, reveling in the soft, gentle contact for as long as he is able.

“Moreau. Look at me” Miranda commanded firmly, and despite not wanting his beloved Mother to be forced to bear witness to his hideous face, he complied, lifting his head up and back to allow his gaze to lift from the floor and up at the glowing figure that was his Mother, his beautiful, incredible, intelligent, majestic mother.

The light shining down from above illuminates Miranda from behind. From Salvatore’s perspective on the floor, the light darkens her face and most of her torso and waist, giving a softened, almost ethereal glow around Miranda’s figure. This, along with the rest of her garb, makes Mother Miranda appear even more like the holy woman that Salvatore naively believes she still is. Despite her less than affectionate treatment of him thus far, Salvatore still stared up at the darkened face of Mother Miranda, his eyes shining with reverence, love, desire, and unending devotion.

“Y-yes... Mother?” Salvatore breathed, barely able to speak above a whisper as Miranda stepped away, gesturing for him to follow.

“Are you ready to collect your gift now?” The raven mother asks, speaking more softly than before and even holding her hand out to Salvatore, her pose and appearance mirroring that of a powerful god taking mercy upon her wretched follower, reaching out to reward the years of faithful servitude and worship.

Salvatore, barely able to keep himself calm as he stumbled to his feet, did not grace Mother Miranda’s question with a proper response, instead practically racing to take the woman’s outstretched hand in his own.

“I’m ready Mother… I-I’m ready for... my g-gift now… can I… c-can I have it n-now… p-please?” Salvatore begs, pulling at Miranda’s hand like an overly excited child, seemingly unaware of the disgusted twist of her face when the hooded man’s cold, slimy fingers firmly latched onto hers.

“Of course, my child” Mother Miranda says, pulling her hand back from Salvatore’s and instead placing it along the man’s hunched back, beginning to guide him to wherever it was the raven mother had hidden his gift.

As Salvatore limped next to Mother Miranda, the deformed man couldn’t help but wonder what exactly it was that Mother had gotten for him. Was it a new cloak, to replace the worn one he was currently wearing? Perhaps a new set of romance films so he didn’t have to rewatch the ones he already owned over and over again anymore? Or maybe it was something to help with his digestion?

It would be nice to get his chronic acid reflux under control again.

Regardless of what the gift actually turned out to be however, Salvatore was merely pleased that he was finally getting a chance to spend time with Mother Miranda all by himself for a change.

Maybe, if he was lucky, she’d even agree to hold him, just like she always did back when he was still undergoing cadou treatment.

Oh how wonderful that would be!

[eveningstar1516]

Rise of the Demon King ~ Chapter 7

Rise of the Demon King

Fic: Multi Chapter Paring: MC x Everyone (Mostly Lucifer) Type: Angst with a Happy Ending Total Word Count: 26,758 TW: Major Character Death, Reader gets stabbed with a sword through their chest so..., Abusive Parents, Past Child Abuse, Demon Hunters, Loss of Control Summary: You’ve done it. You’ve finally done it. You’ve managed to anger the demon king. Now you hold your head high as he hands down your sentence. AO3 Portal: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27065362

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Previously:

As he walked through the halls towards his next class, he made a vow to himself to try and feel that unfamiliar emotion until he could name it, then keep feeling it, because, for Satan, it felt like Y/N was right next to them, with their signature smile on their face, proud of him for focusing on a feeling opposite of his wrath. Should he start to feel his wrath taking over, he would picture Y/N, holding his hand, encouraging him to feel that unfamiliar emotion. One he soon learned was called ‘Philia Love’.

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

CHAPTER 7 - Virtue of Loyalty (4265 words)

Our trip to the palace was a quiet one. Michael didn’t seem to want anything to do with me since he flew quite fast and left me behind multiple times as I'd never flown before and flying was extremely difficult. No one offered any assistance so I tucked my wings away, which I managed to figure out how to do after I accidentally did so mid flight, and ran under him. Looking straight ahead after confirming that I was keeping pace with Michael, I spotted the Celestial Palace. My jaw dropped in awe as I ran. The thing was massive! At least 2.5 times the size of Diavolo’s castle and even more decorative. The white walls were adorned with varying shades of golden accents making the palace seem larger than it really was. As I got closer, I learned that it was sitting in the middle of a massive garden that was overflowing with different kinds of celestial plants and trees. Although both the palace and garden seemed to be overflowing with decorations, everything still fit perfectly and was quite pleasing to the eyes.

Approaching the marble steps of the palace as Michael landed in front of me, greeting some gardeners as they stopped and bowed their heads to him. Signalling for them to resume their work, he continued up the steps motioning for me to follow. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I followed him looking as unfazed as possible. Upon entering I found that the outside of the palace does no justice to the massive interior. Abandoning plan to remain as neutral and unfazed as possible, I gazed in absolute awe at the decor, my mouth opening slightly. There were no lighting fixtures as massive windows lined the wall letting in more than enough sunlight through. A massive chandelier was located in the center of the room with golden and silver chains decorating it. The marbled floor also had silver and gold accents as a beautiful floral pattern was outlined. Hearing a chuckle behind me, I turned to see Michael looking at me with a smug smile on his face.

“Well how can you not expect me to be amazed by all this?!” I countered while spinning and gesturing around the room.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Your smug smile said it all Mike” I flashed him a wicked smirk of my own as I called him by the nickname. His face darkened significantly as his tone dropped to what would have been a dangerous level had I not have spent my life with demons. It just didn’t have the same undertones as Devilish.

“Watch yourself child”

Giving him an exaggerated mock bow I responded.

“My humble apologies Sir Michael. I will be sure not to repeat the same error in the future.”

“Very funny.” He scoffed and walked off. I got up and followed him through the palace until we stopped between two massive golden doors to what I assumed to be the throne room. Michael addressed himself and stated that he brought me with him. 2 angels donning Celestial armour opened the doors. Michael walked in with his head slightly bowed and his gaze lowered. I walked looking straight ahead as I subtly took the room in. It wasn’t as big as I expected it to be. A golden carpet leading from the door to the throne was the most extravagant thing in the room. In contrast to the rest of the palace, the throne room was quite modest. Even the throne wasn’t extravagant, built for comfort instead of elegance. God himself looked to be a 6’8 man in his late fifties with chestnut coloured hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a simple white robe with gold accents. His eyes, a light blue colour, were emitting a slight white glow as we approached. Michael stopped a short distance from the throne and kneeled.

“Father, I have brought Y/N on your orders.”

“Thank you my son.” He turned to look at me.

“Y/N, you have caused quite the commotion in the 3 realms.”

I kept my tone playful as a polite smile made itself home on my face as I spoke with God.

“What can I say Father, trouble likes to follow me, wherever I may be.”

“That may be my child, although I am quite confused as to how you ended up here especially as a seraph. In case you didn’t know, that position must be earned here in heaven, so please explain to me, why I shouldn’t forsake you and have you fall to the Devildom?” He raised his right eyebrow and relaxed into his throne as he asked his question.

“Oh make no mistake, I didn’t want to come here in the first place, had I actually had a choice, I would have gone to the Devildom where I belong. Unfortunately, circumstances never seem to be on my side.”

“That still doesn’t explain how you came to be here, in that attire nonetheless.”

“Does it upset you that I come donning Lucifer's clothing and wings? I assure you, I didn’t have a say in my appearance. I am only staying here as long as necessary after all. I still wish to fall and return to my family.”

“Tell me child, how is it that a human finds comfort in the likes of demons rather than angels?”

“Whoever said I didn’t find comfort in angels? I find Simeon and Luke to be quite comforting whenever I get stressed with this whole 3 realms stuff. I just find the darkness of the Devildom more appealing as you and I both know what lurks underneath this “bright” soul of mine.”

“And yet you came here to me, why?”

“I presume you know the details regarding my untimely end?”

“Yes I am, although you weren’t due to perish yet, I do not dictate the souls within the Devildom realm. What of it?”

“I sacrificed myself for the brothers whom I have grown to call family so that they may continue to live despite being ruled by a tyrant whom you rivel for the title of “Devil””

“Watch what you say child! You are still addressing Father and not some random person off the street!” Ignoring Michael, I continued.

“I do not wish to return to the Devildom while it is ruled by King Abandon.”

“Child, I am aware of your relationship to the brothers as well as your loyalty to those you call family. I am also aware of the feelings you have for my eldest son. I ask you, has anyone told you about his duties while he was serving me?”

“Yes, Simeon and his brothers would speak about his time here as the leader of the council. Lucifer himself preferred not to talk about it but he answered my questions whenever I asked. I have also learned his work habits and often aided him whenever an overflow of work had come in due on a short notice.” God seemed to contemplate something. With a thoughtful look on his face, he addressed me.

“I have a proposition for you. You wish to fall and reunite with your family in the Devildom. I do not wish to have you up here, although you do not want to serve King Abandon.”

“That is correct.”

“I will grant your wish on one condition. I will allow you to return to the Devildom after Abandon’s reign is over, on the condition that you take Samael’s position on the council. You are to take over his responsibilities without attempting to sabotage the realm or abuse your power. Should you not be able to meet my expectations, or should you abuse your position, I will cast you out regardless of who is currently ruling the Devildom.”

Michael, who had stayed silent while his Father was speaking, was shocked by God's proposition.

“Father, are you sure this is the right way to go? Y/N doesn’t even belong here. Are you sure trusting them with Samael’s old position is a good idea?”

“Do you disagree with my judgment Michael? Do you believe me incapable of determining Y/N’s fate in my realm?”

Michaels face visibly paled as he realized the implications of his words. Bowing his head in mortification he answered his Father.

“‘O-of course not Father! I just don’t think that Y/N is qualified or ready to lead the council. They are unaware of how the Celestial realm operates and doesn’t have the experience that Samael possessed.”

Scratching his chin, God thought about Michael's words.

“You’re right Michael, you and the rest of the council as well as Simeon and Luke shall serve as their guide during their time here. You are to teach them how we operate and train them as to how to properly fulfill Samael’s role. You are to step down as the leader of the council once they have learned how to fill in the role themselves.”

Not being able to object to his Father's words, Michael agreed, although he tried to hide it, you could see how he clenched his teeth, obviously disapproving the entire idea and his new role as your babysitter.

“How about it Y/N, will you accept my proposal?”

“I have a few conditions of my own I’d like to add. I will accept on the condition that I return as soon as Diavolo is crowned king, no later and that other than the obvious changes that come with falling, no other changes will be made to me. I will follow your rules while I am up here and will serve you as long as it doesn’t result in any harm coming to the Devildom or Earth and their inhabitants. I will fulfill my role as Lucifer’s replacement during my time here, no more, no less.”

“Of course, that goes without saying. I will also add that you are to have no contact with any being outside my realm during your time here. We wouldn’t want anyone coming up here to retrieve you before our deal has ended now would we?”

“No, we wouldn’t. I accept your proposal to be Lucifer’s replacement until the time comes for Diavolo's crowning. Until then, I shall serve you and the council to the best of my abilities.” I stepped closer and kneeled before him as he sealed the deal.

“Alright then, as you are no doubt aware, each angel on my council represents a virtue. You shall as well. While Humility does not suit you quite right, I shall grant you a new virtue. One that could be considered a sin should it be applied incorrectly. I think you’d like that. Rise Y/N, Virtue of Loyalty.”

I rose to my feet as an invisible force caused my wings and halo to appear. They glowed a light blue as whatever magic God was using to tie me to the Celestial realm ran its course. Once the glowing dimmed down, I tucked my wings back in and bowed my head once more towards the being I now served for the time being and exited the throne room, making my way back to the House of Honors with Michael close behind. As we reached the front door, Michael turned me around. A hard and unforgiving expression on his face. A look of outright hatred in his eyes.

“Listen Y/N, just because Father has accepted you into the Celestial realm, doesn’t mean the rest of us have. You are still an outsider and I frankly do not trust anyone who has spent so much time around demons. I will follow Father’s orders in training you, but know this, Y/N, if I so much as suspect you of doing anything to upset the balance in the Celestial realm, if you hurt any of the angels here, I will take matters into my own hands. I will not allow a being as tainted as you to wreak havoc among the angels. Am I understood?”

Meeting his gaze, a smile made its way to my face as I responded.

“I will hold you to that.”

He took one last hard look at me and walked through the door. Left alone on the steps, I thought to myself, ‘Soon my demons, I’ll be back, soon’. I walked to the gardens and spent the next few hours tending to it until dinner.

In the Devildom. After they lost Y/N

As soon as they got home, Mammon went straight to Y/N’s room. How could he let this happen? He was their first damn it! He should have protected them, he should have stopped Lucifer, he should have done something! He entered Y/N’s room and immediately sat on their bed, made messily in their excitement to meet the king. He held their pillow, hugging to his chest as he started crying. Too lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t hear Asmo following him. Upon entering the room and seeing the state his older brother was in, Asmo put aside his own grievances and sat next to Mammon and embraced him, letting him cry on his shoulder. This reminded Asmo of a time in the Celestial realm. They were playing with Levi in the gardens when Levi tried to show off his tree climbing skills. As he was nearing the top, Mammon noticed the branch Levi was climbing looked ready to snap. He tried to warn Levi but was too late as the branch snapped and Levi fell. Mammon wasn’t fast enough to catch him. Levi ended up dislocating a wing and spraining his right shoulder. Asmo remembered walking by Mammon's room that night and heard quiet sobs, he knocked and opened the door revealing Mammon sitting on his bed, hugging his pillow crying. He sat next to his older brother and hugged him, assuring him that it wasn’t his fault and that Levi would be just fine. Coming out of the memory, Asmo did the same now, hugging Mammon and reassuring him that it wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t have stopped Y/N from giving that order and that everything will be ok.

“Will it be though? It just won’t be the same without them.”

“I know. It will be hard, Y/N was our family, but we’ll be there for each other.”

They slept together, holding each other in Y/N’s bed comforting each other until they fell asleep.

Present

It was an ordinary day for Mammon. He had just gotten back from a modelling gig at Majolish and was thinking up ways to spend the money he just earned. He was thinking of treating himself to a night out as he’d also gotten a math test back that day and passed with a 90%! Just as he was thinking about where to go, he felt the pull of a summoning. Mammon opened his eyes to find himself in an old cold basement. He scanned the room noting that the only lighting provided was a small bulb with a pull down string in the middle of the room and 3 small candles near the summoning circle. He found that the room was practically empty save for a thin mattress in a corner and some stairs leading to a door. He then spotted the one who summoned him, a little girl. She looked to be no older than 5. She was wearing stained and ripped overalls, one of the straps was missing. A light pink t-shirt underneath. Her brown hair was relatively short, only reaching her shoulders and was a tangled mess. Upon looking closer, Mammon noticed that she was covered head to toe in bruises and there were deep scratch marks on her arms and legs. He looked at the hastily drawn circle under him and found out that she drew it with some chalked rocks. She held an old summoning book close to her chest. Her big brown eyes looked so scared, yet if he looked closer, he could see what looked to be hope sparkling in the background. He could tell by looking at her that she held vast magical potential. Whoever put her here obviously knew the same.

“A-are you Mammon?” By Diavolo, she sounded so broken, like if he spoke too loud, she would shatter. Kneeling down to her level, Mammon put a soft smile on his face.

“Yes I am. What’s your name?”

“Cynthia”

“Ok Cynthia, what can I help you with.” Mammon doesn’t know what it was about the little girl, but he found himself genuinely wanting to help her. Maybe it was the way they looked at him with hope. Maybe it was because they were just a kid, or maybe, it was because her eyes reminded him of Y/N’s.

“I want to leave. My parents locked me in here. They don’t care about me. They only use me for their spells. Please Mammon, help me. I’ll give you my soul if you want, just please!” Tears came to her eyes as she pleaded with him to help her. Mammon upon hearing what these sorcerers were doing with their daughter, became enraged. He held his hand out to Cynthia with a smile on his face. He took the book from her hands and put it on the ground next to him.

“No, no, no. I won’t take your soul. It’s alright Cynthia, I’ll help ya. Why did you think I’d need your soul to help you?” “That’s what my parents said. They’ve been using me to try and summon you. I heard them arguing about who’s soul they would give to form a pact. Then they decided that they would give you mine.” Mammon didn’t think he could get madder, but by now, he was seeing red. Not only did her parents lock her up, they used her to try and summon him thinking he’d just accept a child’s soul to form a pact with them! Mammon was beyond angry.

“Don’t worry Cynthia, the Great Mammon will take care of your parents! You’ll be out of here in no time.” Sensing his rage Cynthia grabbed onto his legs before he made it to the stairs.

“No, don’t hurt them!” Mammon looked down at the girl in shock.

“Please don’t hurt them. They may have done all these awful things to me but they’re still my mom and dad! I don’t want you to hurt them, just get me out of here!” Mammon looked at the girl like she’d gone crazy. Her parents, who have locked her up in a basement, used her for spells, hell even tried summoning him in exchange for her own soul, she wanted them alive?! He saw how genuine she was being and he couldn’t find the heart to say no to her. Instead, Mammon knelt down to her level and took her hand. Cynthia looked at him with tears threatening to overflow. Mammon brought his other hand to cup her face, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb.

“Ok Cynthia, I won’t hurt them. I am mad at your parents for doing this to you, but if you don’t want me to hurt them, I won’t.” Mammon then brought Cynthia’s right hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it gently. A yellow seal formed on the back of her right hand and a matching pink one on the palm of Mammon's right.

“Now we have a pact Cynthia. I didn’t take your soul, I took your sadness. Did you know that demons could also take emotions to form a pact?”

“N-no. Does this mean you’ll take me far away from here?”

“Yes, and it also means that you won’t ever feel sad again. I know a nice witch who can take care of you. She will teach you how to use and call me with the pact. This way, whenever you’re in trouble, you will be able to summon me without drawing the circle again and I can come protect ya.”

“O-ok.” Mammon then picked Cynthia up and walked up the stairs, kicking the basement door down he walked through the house towards the front door. Before he reached it though, he heard a scream behind him. He noticed that Cynthia tensed considerably in his arms as he set her down, hiding her behind his legs. He turned around coming face to face with a middle aged couple who he preserved to be Cynthia’s parents. Her mom then yelled at Cynthia.

“Cynthia Maxwell Daemon! You come here right this instant!”

“Shut your mouth lady. She doesn't belong to you anymore.”

“Nonsense! She’s my daughter. She is mine to do with what I want!” Mammon's patience was running out. A scowl appeared on his face as he growled out.

“Listen here lady, I’ve got some choice words for you two that I wouldn’t care to say in front of the girl, but the fact that you thought you could summon me and exchange her soul for a pact with you? You're crazy to think I’d ever accept that kind of pact. Now Cynthia and I are leaving and you ain’t ever using her again!”

Cynthia’s parents then realized who they were talking to and their attitudes immediately changed.

“Please forgive us, Lord Mammon. We hadn’t planned for the girl to summon you. We apologize for the inconvenience the child caused you. If you would stay, we could reimburse you for your troubles.” Cynthia’s father bowed his head as he addressed Mammon. Mammon on the other hand outright laughed at that statement. Turning into his demon form he barked out

“You think her summoning me was an inconvenience?! You two are crazier than I thought! Now listen here and listen closely, neither of you are to come near or look for her. None of you are going to use her again. We are leaving and don’t ever bother trying to summon me again. Ya know, you should thank Cynthia. If she didn’t plead with me not to hurt either of you, you’d both be dead. Make no mistake, if either of you try to summon me or if I find you anywhere near her again, I will rip your hearts out and feed you to Cerberus. Kapeesh?” The dark undertones of Mammon’s voice got through to Cynthia’s parents as their faces paled in fear and they quickly agreed. They begged for his forgiveness and promised not to harm Cynthia again if he could just stay awhile. Not bothering with them anymore, Mammon picked Cynthia up and walked out, flying towards the one witch he’d ever trusted. When he landed, he realized that Cynthia was crying.

“Sorry Cyn, I didn’t scare ya, did I?”

“A-a little, but these aren’t scared tears. I’m happy. Thank you for getting me away from them and for letting them live.”

“Of course. The Great Mammon keeps his promises.” Mammon walked up to the door of the small cottage. He knocked and a young witch with long blond hair, green eyes, and freckles answered the door.

“Mammon what a surprise! What brings you here?” She opened the door gesturing for him to come in.

“Sorry, not today Kelly. I’m actually here for her.” Mammon stepped aside, revealing a scared Cynthia behind him.

“Oh my Diavolo! What happened to you, you poor girl?!” Kelly rushed forward cupping Cynthia’s chin as she inspected her body, taking in all the bruises and cuts.

“Kelly, this is Cynthia. She summoned me to save her from her parents. I was wondering if ya could take care of her. I know ya've always wanted a kid, so…”

“Of course! I could never turn someone in need away, especially a girl as cute as her.” She said while pinching Cynthia’s cheeks. Cynthia giggled in response.

“Ok then, Cynthia, Kelly here’s gonna take care of you. I promise that she won’t act like your mom and she will help you learn how to use both your magic and your pact.” Reaching into his pocket, Mammon pulled out the Grimm he’d earned that day. He then put them into Cynthia’s palm.

“Here ya go kid. Now if you ever visit me, you’ll have some money to spend.” Mammon turned to leave when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Cynthia pulling him down to the ground. He crouched down. Cynthia then kissed his cheek, giving him one of the Grimm he’d given her.

“Thank you Mammon.” She then ran behind Kelly’s legs and waved goodbye with a massive smile on her face.

It’s been a couple years since Mammon saved Cynthia. She’d grown to be a strong and skilful sorcerer. He’d visit her often over the years with something in tow for her. Mammon never spent the Grimm that Cynthia gave back to him on that day. Whenever Mammon had a tough time with the numerous witches he’d find himself in debt with, he’d always find his way to her, and she comforted him, never asking for more than his company, something he was more than happy to give. His brothers would always know whenever he went to see her as he’d always come back with a content smile on his face. Deep down, he wished that Y/N could’ve met Cynthia. They would have made great friends as they were the only 2 people who could make him smile like this. Mammon may not have been able to save Y/N, but he swore that he would protect Cynthia, no matter the cost.