#I imagine Al would be a bit of a jerk when he's anxious like he was when talking to Genie about the third wish in the first movie

[goldbrick-and-diamond]

Aladdin really should have been more careful, considering that the last time Jasmine asked to take a walk with him in the garden was when she was actually Mozenrath in disguise. He was already a bit on edge, but the thought didn't occur to him until they were already walking. Though he startled a few times in preparation for the worst, the worst didn't come, and he found himself set down on the edge of the fountain.

His eyes went wide for a few seconds as he stared at Rajah, trying to figure out what was wrong before he remembered that Rajah wasn't actually sick. Al hung his head. Maybe he really did need to relax.

“...Sure. I'll try.”

He could try, but it was hard when someone could sneak up on them while using the bubbling sound of the fountain as a cover. They could attack from behind and disrupt Jasmine's beautiful voice, and… No, what was he thinking? Things were… Things were okay. Jasmine was here with him, and she was alive and warm, unlike the body he remembered so vividly like he did with his… mother's body…

Aladdin raised his head up slightly, looking to Jasmine before looking back down and pulling her closer for him to embrace. There was something he wanted to discuss with her about… all of that, but now… now might not be the moment.

@iftomorrowww

Aladdin groaned as he woke up in the same uncomfortable position that he had fallen asleep in; against the wall of the treasury, hiding from the officials who would no doubt want to help him plan the wedding that was barely a week away. In truth, to say that they were helping to “plan” would be an overstatement when it came to Aladdin's portion. It was more so that the officials would tell him what to do, and then Jasmine would explain it in a way that would be a bit more memorable, and then Iago would explain it in a self-aggrandizing way that Genie would translate, then Jasmine would explain it again... Aladdin was good at thinking on his feet, but there was… a lot of history behind everything he was supposed to say and do, and barely any of it seemed to stick with him. Of course, his lack of sleep could have had something to do with it.

When the month of the wedding arrived, Aladdin found himself plagued with doubts and nightmares that made it impossible to get more than a few hours of sleep each night. Falling asleep meant dreaming of what failures he may bring upon Agrabah as the future Sultan, and staying awake meant remembering the feel of Jasmine's broken body after the Ethereal condemned the kingdom. The damage was reversed, and Jasmine was saved, but he still remembered how still her body was in death. She looked barely any different in life as she did in death, and he had held her just like he had held his mother when she… when…

Aladdin sat up in a hurry after hearing the sounds of footsteps drawing near. Being seen in a moment of weakness was certainly one of the last things he wanted, and it'd be just his luck should the guards come in and accuse him of stealing from the treasury. The true source of the noise, though, was someone that Aladdin honestly wasn't expecting.

“J- Jasmine?” Aladdin slowly rose to his feet, his face turning slightly red at the fact that his fiance had caught him in a vulnerable moment. “I thought… I thought you were meeting with the ambassadors.”

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Not just a soft princess - Azula x female reader imagine: Part Two

You arrive at the fire nation and things do not go as Azula planned, mainly because she didn’t expect to be putting her own neck on the line to protect you from her father...but that’s exactly what she finds herself doing more and more. 

Part one here

Part three here

Part four here

Part five here

Part six here

Your POV

The ship landed just as the sun was rising and you expected to be shown to a room to sleep but instead Azula started towards the palace and gestured for you to follow. The dai li were sent down another corridor and you hesitated but Azula called your name sharply and so you turned away. You had no idea where Azula was taking you, all you heard her say was “he will want to see her” to two guards who hastily got out of her way. You were so angry and scared you didn’t take in the grand decor or extravagant wealth of the fire nation. You just followed Azula as you went further into the belly of the beast. When you got closer Azula dismissed everyone apart from you but one person didn’t leave. Her brother Zuko stayed and Azula narrowed her eyes. She yanked him to the side and they argued in whispers but eventually Azula won. You wondered if she ever lost....Zuko turned back the way you’d come and disappeared around a corner. Azula carried on walking without saying anything and anxious not to be left behind you hurried after her. You finally reached a huge throne room lined with fire and gaped. "Father" Azula said sprawling on the floor in a bow. The figure in the fire turned and looked at you both before fixing it’s eyes on you. Azula shot you a look but you made no attempt to move "you said nothing about bowing, i am still princess of the earth kingdom". Azula narrowed her eyes when suddenly the figure moved out of the fire. Fire lord Ozai loomed before you and glanced over you “so this is the princess" Ozai said coming to stand right infront of you. He lifted your chin with his hand and stared in your eyes harshly. "You are now our ally so i will excuse this lapse in judgement just this once...but in the future you will bow to me and only me. We are allies but i your king, do you understand?". He jerked his hand away but you didn’t let you chin drop, the fire lord glared at you but you matched his eye defiantly. You saw Azula watching anxiously so eventually looked away "yes fire lord Ozai" and lowered your head. "Good" Ozai replied. You doubted you had a choice. “You will rest and prepare for tonight”. “What’s tonight?” you asked and Ozai smirked cruelly “why our victory party of course”.

Azula’s POV

After you left Azula stayed, anxious to hear her father’s praises but they never came. “She is your responsibility” he said simply and Azula looked up “the princess?”. “Well who else?” he snapped “it was stupid bringing her here, you should’ve killed her when you could”. “I couldn’t...there’s no way the city would’ve allowed it, they would not have surrendered if we harmed her, the only way to assure victory was with her help”. “She is not broken and that is a problem” Ozai glared “it will be your job to break her, if you fail or if she causes even a whiff of treachery....you will face the consequence” he glared “yes?”. Azula bowed her head “yes father”. Her father made a noise and swept past her, stepping on her sleeve as he passed. Azula frowned wiping away the dirt and stood up. If you were her responsibility then she had to make sure you behaved, she had work to do.

Your POV

You were led through another maze of corridors until you were eventually released into your room. As prison cells went it was beautiful. Large and tastefully decorated you found yourself admiring the room when suddenly the door was thrown open. Servants brought in boxes and boxes of supplies and you frowned “what is all this?”. “Clothes” Azula said appearing “you need to look nice for the firelord’s presentation tonight, the servants will choose what you are to wear and help you to get ready”. “Because I am incapable of doing that myself?” you asked and Azula glared. “Because this is too important an alliance to fail, you have no idea about fire nation customs or our traditions so if I were you i’d take every slither of help I could get...”. Azula backed away from you and went to leave but you weren’t done. “The dai li, where have you sent them? Tell me or I won’t go near any of these outfits”. Azula rolled her eyes “I have taken some for my personal protection but others will be deployed however I see fit”. You shook your head worried for the guards that had left their families because you said to. “I want to have some with me, I want them to be alternated regularly so I might make sure they are being treated well”. Azula glared “you are not in the position to bargain with me”. “Am I not?” you asked “you’re smart but you know if anything happens to me...if word gets back to the dai li or to Ba Sing Sei....your alliance falls away, what would your father think of that?”. You’d picked up on Azula’s fear of her father and felt bad using it on her but given what she’d done to your people you thought it fair. The servants all paused at the mention of Ozai and looked at you with obvious astonishment you’d dare test the princess but you didn’t care. If you were so important as Azula claimed she couldn’t touch you. With visible effort Azula’s shoulders lowered and she met your eyes. “I will see to it you always have a guard of four and they will rotate monthly, now is that all?” she asked sarcastically. You nodded your head and Azula strode from the room pushing over a servant that couldn’t get out of her way fast enough.

You unsurprisingly couldn’t rest and the ball came quicker than you expected. Before you knew it you were poked and prodded into a traditional earth kingdom dress nobody even wore anymore and thrust into the middle of the fire nation nobility. You were forced to sit by the firelord’s side for the duration of a large feast where he basically paraded you around as a trophy. He claimed you were allies working to strengthen your kingdom but you were a prisoner. Pretending to not be livid was hard and you took solace hoping your people were safe at least. That’s all that mattered.

Azula’s POV

"I feel sorry for her" Ty Lee sighed watching you “she looks so...awkward”. Azula glanced over to you and realised her friend was right. Despite looking every bit the beautiful exotic princess with a wide smile on your face your eyes were betraying you. You were miserable. “Well duh” Mai replied “do you think she’s happy to be here?”. The nobles had all certainly taken to you but Azula guessed that hadn’t helped. You were dressed in traditional earth kingdom clothes and primped like a delicate thing to sit in a display case. Azula noted you did look radiant and beautiful but you had been just as stunning when she first saw you in trousers and a loose tunic only that’d hadn’t looked half as forced. This, with your hair twisted up into an odd position and a corset squeezing you into a ridiculous shape, didn’t look like you at all...just a basic princess of the earth nation.

Azula watched as her father leant in to say something to you and you flinched away repulsed. You were still smiling but it was very clear you detested him. Her father either didn’t notice or didn’t care and he kept his close proximity to you. Azula thought it unwise for her father to keep pushing you, she wasn’t sure how long it’d be before you earth bent his chair away from you for coming close to you. Azula supposed that would be bad for appearances so made her way to her father. “Father” she said bowing “may I make a suggestion?”. Ozai nodded and she moved closer. “Perhaps if y/n could move around the room...people could see her better and it would look like more of an alliance, I could show her around if you liked?” she whispered. Ozai thought before nodding “yes that is a good idea”. Azula nodded and went to step towards you when Ozai cut her off “Zuko” he said turning to his son further down the table. Zuko jumped up and rushed over “yes father?”. “Y/n wishes to stretch her legs, take her for a walk around the room, give her a whole tour of the palace if you wish just make sure everyone sees the two of you together” he said pointedly. Zuko lowered his eyes and nodded “yes father”. You had evidently overheard and stood up as soon as Zuko looked at you. You rushed away from Ozai so quickly Zuko followed you in a daze.

Mai’s POV

Azula returned to Mai and Ty lee and she she evidently noticed Mai’s expression. “I didn’t mean for that to happen...”. “No, I knew it was only a matter of time before your father put his plan in place” Mai sighed. There were already chatters about you and Mai knew Ozai was anxious to assimilate you into the fire nation. An obvious and simple way would be to link your blood line to theirs and given you were only one year younger, you and Zuko seemed the obvious option. “I told you that won’t happen” Azula said sharply “she’s a princess she won’t be sold off like cattle”. “You sure about that?” Mai asked as the whole room followed you and Zuko with their eyes, whispers breaking out everywhere. Mai wasn’t so sure Azula was right this time. A marriage would so neatly tie up this whole business, any children you had would have claim to both the fire and earth nation meaning the fire nation could legitimately take over half the four nations. With you help Ozai wouldn’t even have to wipe the earth kingdom out, he’d more than double his population and reach an insane amount of power. Mai couldn’t see how he would resist that and so watched you warily.

Your POV

You’d only been in the fire nation a day but you were painfully aware of Ozai’s plan for you and so you were wary of Azula’s brother but honestly he seemed just as scared as you. He led you outside in silence, past all the people who muttered just loud enough for you to hear. He stopped at a balcony in full view of them all and silence settled. You were aware he probably also knew what his father had planned and were pleased he also seemed opposed to it. “So...how do you like the fire nation?” he asked awkwardly and you paused. “I honestly don’t know what to make of it, I haven’t been let out of my room all day so I haven’t had much chance to look around”. Zuko looked at you awkwardly “ow”. “Ow” you agreed and silence settled. Finally Zuko sighed “look I have to mention it...I know what my father has planned as do you...but I didn’t ask him for it and I won’t be speeding up the process I can assure you...er no offence”. You smiled surprised at his honesty “none taken, it’s a relief to hear you say that...no offence”. Zuko smiled dryly and silence settled again. You were confused by what Zuko had said though, why was he acting like he didn’t have a say? You were a prisoner but he was a prince, why didn’t he just tell his father no? “Not to sound rude but can’t you do something about it?” you asked suddenly and Zuko jumped. “Me? what makes you think I can do anything?”. “Well you’re the first born and the future king! Can’t you...refuse or something?”. Zuko laughed “things must’ve worked differently in your kingdom but here...lets just say speaking out against my father isn’t an option”. You frowned disheartened and Zuko touched his scar nervously before sighing “we should move around, my father wants them to see you...”. Zuko led you back into the party and you felt like a show dog being paraded around. You followed him dutifully until Azula appeared. “Princess Y/n” she said nodding to you “brother” she said sharply to Zuko “father has retired”. Zuko looked up and sure enough Ozai’s throne was empty. “He has?”. “Clearly” Azula snapped before turning to you “all he asked is that you stay at the party until the end but that does not mean you have to spend it with my brother, I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone” Azula smirked. You smiled without meaning to but immediately felt bad for Zuko. The prince scoffed and barged past his sister most unimpressed and Azula laughed. “Not the most charismatic” she told you “but then we can’t all be so lucky to be blessed with people skills”. “You have people skills?” you asked and Azula narrowed her eyes, “just because I wasn’t trained to be a pretty smiley princess like you doesn’t mean I can’t handle people, i’m very good at getting what i want...you’re proof of that”. “Me?” you asked confused and Azula smirked “do you think you’d be here if I didn’t want you here?” and walked away leaving you confused.

1 week later

You soon realised you’d been premature to complain about your treatment on your first day in the fire nation. The day after the party you were awoken early and forced to dress and show your face around the fire nation nobles. Then you were drilled incessantly by some twin women about everything fire nation. The correct titles to use, who you must bow to, how you must style your hair....the list was endless and the women cruel and harsh. Your days were spent being prodded around by them, your evenings been paraded around whatever formal event was being thrown and the fire nation seemed to have an endless amount of events to prove their honour and pride. You soon caught on that the events were merely a way for Ozai to force you and Zuko in proximity to one another and so in response you tried avoiding the prince as much as was humanly possible. In truth you had nothing against Zuko, he seemed fine but you didn’t want to encourage any more contractual alliances, a marriage least of all. The only good thing about the situation was Zuko wasn’t the only fire nation royalty around. Strangely Princess Azula had been...helpful in that respect. Anywhere Zuko could go so could Azula, so anytime Ozai demanded Zuko go somewhere just so he could force you to do the same, Azula would also show up. So what would’ve turned into a date was just a royal outing. Even tonight, the fire lord had purposefully attempted to seat you and Zuko at the centre of the table. Azula had swiftly placed herself in the centre instead, both of you blocked by her and you found it rather entertaining. She was definitely the brains of the fire nation and for whatever reason she did not support a union between you and her brother.

Azula was oddly the member of the royal family you saw the most. On your “royal outings” you and Zuko largely ignored one another and with Azula and Zuko not getting on, it would be the two of you trading quips or light insults at one another all day. She’d also regularly appear in your schooling sessions too and when she did the women were a lot nicer to you. They obviously wanted to impress the princess and needed you to do that so went from shrieking furies to kind old women. You began to look forward to Azula’s visits in your lessons and found her presence oddly comforting in certain situations, like the formal events. Nobody dared approach you when Azula was next to you and it was refreshing. In her presence you were protected from the stares and rude behaviour of the fire nation nobels who had gotten bolder with their behaviour to you. Zuko would just look away but Azula would directly challenge anyone who showed you disrespect. She claimed it was because disrespect to you was disrespect to the fire lord but you weren’t so sure...there was something oddly endearing deep down in the princess. You didn’t see it often but when you did...you liked it.

But Azula wasn’t often vulnerable and you more often saw the harsher side of her, especially if she was in a bad mood and particularly if you were too. The two of you would clash and after a hard day of training you suspected the same could happen tonight. You’d had a bad day from being summonded to oversee the contract of your alliance you had no control over to the painful dress you’d been placed in tonight but the worst bit was Azula hadn’t shown up to your training session like she did every week and your teachers had taken it out on you. So you were already slightly miffed at her when she sidled up beside you in the throne room.

You were stood watching the other nobles lost in thought and clear confusion showed on your face. "What’s wrong with you...never been to a party before?" Azula asked. "Not one like this" you admitted and glanced at Azula. You were annoyed to see she looked nice (as always) but she was constantly dressed so formally. You hadn’t once seen her in normal clothing and it seemed as if the fire nation lived in formal wear. “So what’s with the face?” Azula asked jolting you out of your theory. "Is there no dancing in the fire nation? I’ve been here over a week and not once has anyone danced at any of these things" you said dismissively and Azula smirked "you like to dance?". You shrugged "my uncle loved it as did Bosco...it was infectious everyone would get up and dance too" you smiled at the memory "but here nobody seems to do much smiling or laughing…do you know how?". Azula narrowed her eyes "maybe if your city focused less of bears and parties it wouldn’t be ours now". You’d provoked her with your comment but you hadn’t meant to make her so angry. You’d learnt her temper could be far more fragile than your own but you were sick of appeasing it. She needed some to snap back at her and you’d give it her. You sighed deeply and glared "don’t pretend you won on merit alone you got lucky...the avatar gone, long feng over thrown, it wasn’t all your talent that won you the city and what was the point of it all anyway? Even with my city the fire nation’s still a miserable place. Nobody here seems happy or to like each other. That’s probably why you focus so much on other nations but what happens when you've conquered the world and you’re all left to your unhappy selves? At least we were happy on our own could the fire nation say the same?".

Azula’s POV

You turned and strode away before Azula could reply and she slammed her drink down in response. How dare you get the last word! It angered Azula so much she tried looking for you to continue the argument but couldn’t seem to find you. She was sure you’d disappeared on purpose and that made her even angrier. You were so spirited and had such a sharp tongue, it matched hers and that infuriated her. She had to admit you were similar to her in many respects and that made her both interested and agitated by you. "Princess Azula" a servant called and Azula snapped "what?" she yelled and the man cowered "your father wishes to speak to you and your brother...before the contract signing with princess y/n tomorrow". Azula straightened and ignored the people looking at her. She made her way to Ozai’s throne room and was annoyed to see she was the last one there. "Ah finally" her father called and Azula resisted the urge to point out if he’d have told her earlier she’d have been on time. "The contract is all drawn up, we will present it to y/n tomorrow. AIl the agreed terms are there plus an added clause for us". "What sort of clause?" Zuko asked and Ozai glanced at him "a clause that ensures y/n will always be of use to us". Azula found said clause and tensed, the clause basically signed your life over to the fire lord, he could use you however he saw fit. This meant Ozai could do whatever he wanted to you and it would be part of your alliance. Azula knew exactly what her father had in mind and he was stood across from her. Zuko looked at Azula confused as she stared at him and Zuko went to say something before she looked away. "It all seems to be in order why don’t i take it to her tonight?". Ozai shook his head "no it needs to be overseen by officials so there can be no question of it’s legitimacy". "We have a room full of them, i can get it sorted for you by tonight why wait for tomorrow?". Ozai frowned before nodding "why not" and handed it to her. Azula nodded in relief and clutched the document to her chest "i will return for you to sign it after y/n has" and she set out to find you.

1 hour later

Two dai li agents and two fire nation nobles gathered as your witnesses. You and Azula stood beside one another as she explained the terms to you. Hearing her voice made you angry again so you just sighed "give it here". Azula paused "but i haven’t finished". "I don’t care i know what we agreed to and i know the fire nation is stubborn so you obviously put it all in there, i read it before i don’t need to read it now". Azula shrugged and handed it over. You signed it and managed not to flinch as you saw your name printed on the line. "Done" you said "i’m officially fire nation property". Azula didn’t reply, she stared at the contract her mind clearly elsewhere. "Azula?" you asked and she looked at you "what?". "I was saying...never mind, can i leave?". Azula nodded her head "yes" and she sushed from the room.

That night

You were still moping in your room unable to get any sleep when you heard yelling. Your room was annoyingly close to the firelord’s and so you could hear when he was in a mood and that was often. However this one seemed particularly bad. You heard many feet running past your room to his study and frowned. You opened your down and called to one of your guards “what’s going on with the fire lord?”. The guard frowned "i shouldn’t say princess". "Is it bad?" you asked as doors slammed shaking the palace "can you tell me that at least?". The man frowned and you looked at him, he was one of your dai li, a man named Guomir that you had known since you were a child. “Guomir please?” you asked. You kept your gaze on him and he eventually sighed rolling his eyes “okay but don’t tell anyone I told you”. You smirked and gestured for the him to come into your room. He shut the door and turned to you “If the rumours are to be believed it is in relation to your treaty". "What" you cried "but i haven’t done anything, i signed exactly where they told me to". "There was a hidden clause it seems and fire lord Ozai thinks you betrayed him over it". "Hidden clause?" you asked "but i didn’t even write the contract!". "Yes but he thinks you have wormed your way to those who did, it has ruined his plans for you". "What clause is it?". "A marriage clause, it prevents your marriage to the prince of the fire nation permanently".

You were called to the throne room an hour later despite the time and you walked in with your head held high. You saw the two officiates who had been there when you signed the contract and neither of them dared to meet your eye. They stood close to the princess Azula terrified and you were sure they both figured you were doomed and you supposed you were. You’d been summoned so abruptly you knew this wouldn’t be good but you surprisingly weren’t scared. You kept your head up as a few more people appeared in the room and then the doors were sealed shut. The fire lord entered and you managed not to jump as he slammed the door. "Lets not waste time, do you wish to confess?" Ozai barked at you. You stared at him and shook your head "i had no part of this, i signed where you told me to sign". "So you expect me to believe as the only person to gain from this you didn’t do it?". "She didn’t" someone spoke up and you froze. "I added it" Azula said simply. There was silence and then suddenly Ozai reacted. “Leave us” he yelled and you saw Azula flinch despite her brave face. The men filled from the room leaving you, Azula and Ozai. "Azula! You know what this marriage could’ve done, why did you do this?". "Because y/n is more use to us than as Zuko’s wife, she is a princess and we have her loyalty, we don’t need to hand too". Ozai rolled his eyes "but whoever else she marries has claim to the earth empire that could sway her loyalties. A marriage would’ve fixed that". "No it never would’ve ensure her loyalty and actually could’ve resulted in the opposite. The earth kingdom would know her and Zuko didn’t fall in love within a week, they’d see you were selling her off like cattle and we could’ve lost the city. We have her contractual word, we do not need anything else". “If she ever shows questionable loyalty” Ozai yelled in Azula’s face “I won’t just banish you, your fate won’t be that kind...do you understand?”. “Yes father” Azula said and she stared at the ground. Ozai pushed her and stormed from the room. You watched as Azula unclenched her fists and her hands shook in fear. She was terrified of her father and she risked his wrath for what possible reason?

You intended to find out but Azula didn’t seem keen on sticking around. “Azula” you called but she strode from the room following her father. Nobody telling you not to, you rushed after her calling her name. You caught her arm and she pushed you away “leave me alone I saved you what else do you want from me?”.  "An explanation, why did you do it?" you asked angrily "what do you want in return". "In return?" Azula asked confused and you nodded "well you don’t strike me as a person who does anything without expecting something in return. You must want payment". Azula’s angry expression relaxed and she looked at you "you're right i don't act for no reason but i do not expect payment actually". Your jaw dropped and it took you a few seconds to form a sentence "but....why?". Azula smiled and went to walk away. "No” you said grabbing her arm “please don’t...you’re the reason i’m here but you’re also the only one who acknowledges me and not just as someone to sell off...just tell me why you did it”. Azula brushed your hands off her and carried on walking. You sighed in defeat when suddenly she looked back “are you coming or not?”. You smirked and rushed after her.

Azula led you around the palace grounds and you stared like a tourist. You’d not been allowed free reign of the palace and so this was the most you’d seen of it. You were happy to walk in silence but Azula seemed to want to answer your last question. "I don’t agree with arranged marriages" she said suddenly "my father’s first attempt to arrange one for me was when i was 12, he said he would wait a few years of course but he was still planning it all out" she spat "so i made him a deal, if i finished at the academy with the best record anyone had ever seen, beating any man or woman who came before, he would postpone his plans. He agreed smugly and i smashed every single record ever set in this nation" Azula grinned "he never brought up the marriage again". You laughed "that’s amazing...how did you do it?". "I guess i’m just the best the fire nation has ever seen" Azula boasted and you found yourself agreeing "you must be...that or you’re the most determined one to ever exist. Either way that’s impressive". Azula stared at you as you said that making you blush at her smirk. "I know" she replied and you realised you’d reached the corridor of your apartments "it is late you should retire”. You nodded your head unable to meet her eye and Azula smiled “goodnight princess". She bowed never taking her eyes off you until she had to and when she did you felt cold. The princess may be hard to read but she was making things interesting. She was quickly becoming your favourite thing about this damn nation and something told you that wouldn’t be changing any time soon...

-----

[olivetreehugger]

SnK Scouts/Veterans as Health Care Workers

Note: features Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Levi, Erwin and Hange. A part two to my “SnK Warriors as HCWs” post found here. warning: mentions of blood, trauma, gore (it’s healthcare). Also, I know Hange is nb, I headcanon them as female, so I will be using she/her pronouns. 

Eren: this boy is definitely too involved in everything and has too many people depending on him at once to not be a nurse. The kid barely passed the NCLEX but that didn’t stop him from applying to every trauma center within a 25 mile radius of him. He got hired as a night shift trauma ICU nurse  and he frequently picks up shifts in the ER. He wears the cheapest scrubs he can find, often stained with ink in the pockets area. He isn’t a shitty nurse per se but there are tasks that still need to be done at the end of his shift and he gives a crappy report that’s missing too many details. Nurses hate picking up his patients, it’s always a mess. His charting is really spotty and he gets called into the manager’s office all the time to fix it. 

Still, he tries really hard to improve his time management and skills. He wants to be like his friends Mikasa and Reiner, who are the best nurses he knows. He wants to be involved in the traumatic cases and emergencies because he wants to learn as much as he possibly can. He’s really good at wound care, for some reason (hint hint). He’s kinda cocky sometimes too, which can be troublesome when Dr. Galliard is working. People know to steer clear of those two when they’re both  in the ER. Also, Eren always has a black cloud around him; whenever he works it’s gonna be a hella busy day in the hospital. Lots of emergency surgeries, intubations, codes and deaths. He’ll always jump in to help you if your patient is crashing, though, no matter how busy he is. 

Mikasa: she’s a prodigy. She was a straight ‘A’ student in nursing school, got a perfect 75 on the NCLEX and was immediately hired to the trauma ICU after doing a short internship there. She worked night shift for a year but her sleep schedule was so so fucked she started having night terrors, so she switched to day shift. Eren still calls her a traitor for it :/. She keeps trying to get him to switch over but he just hisses at her and threatens to chug a case of Monster energy drinks. She hasn’t given upon him yet, though.

This girl’s work ethic is beyond measure. She comes in exactly at 6:30 am, looks up her patients, takes report, gives a great update to the doctors when they round, and provides impeccable care to her patients. She knows exactly which treatments the doctors will order before they even speak. She’s incredible at inserting IVs--everyone in the hospital knows Mikasa Ackerman can put an 18g in a 90  yr old lady’s arm AND get blood return (just trust me, it’s flipping impossible). She has great skill when it comes to emergency situations and is a big believer in team work. If she notices your patient’s crashing and you don’t know what to do, she’ll calmly coach you and save your patient, too. All before lunch time. 

It doesn’t take Mikasa long to be promoted to charge nurse. When she’s in charge all the reports, paperwork and audits are completed before shift change. She divides the patient assignments really well and is very fair to the new grads. All around she’s an incredible nurse and leader on her unit, but don’t be fooled. If it’s been a rough day, Mikasa will get in her car and sob so loud her throat goes raw. A lot of people depend on her and working in a trauma ICU is really, really demanding. A lot of patients are demanding, rude and busy. She has a lot of trouble with stress management and is thinking of cutting her hours down so she can catch a break. Someone please hug her <3

Armin: for some reason my brain is just SCREAMING respiratory therapist. Like, I imagine this beautiful blond boy in gray scrubs (the color for RT’s in my hospital) going around helping intubate patients, giving nebulizer treatments and doing blood gases. I can just see him huffing and puffing when the attending doctor is overzealous about weaning vent support. -“Why are we changing the patient to pressure support? do you see how tachypneic he is on volume control?”

-“are you gonna put in the order? if not, your patient’s gonna be on PRVC all day, I’m not changing it without an order”

-“Doc, the patient looks like crap and their blood gas looks like death...oh, you still wanna extubate? ok, well I’m gonna leave the ventilator in here just in case. better yet, let me call a pastor in here, too.”

This kid is sassy af and he knows it. He’s smart af too, knows everything there is to know about the lungs and respiratory care. Knows every ventilator mode better than most doctors. Will certainly tell a resident off for ordering the wrong type of inhaler for a patient. He’s so damn intelligent that he even made the ice queen Annie melt like a popsicle. 

 He has no chill when it comes to his patients and even less chill (like -4078875874670) when a doctor gets in his way. For this reason, Armin has recently been toying with the idea of going to PA school so he can have a little more autonomy. He works al over the hospital, usually frequenting the trauma, CV, and medical ICU. The nurses there love him. 

Jean: Jeannie boy. Baby. Sweetie. He’s also a nurse. He is strictly dayshift and trauma. When he first started, he thought he’d do a year in the ICU and then go to CRNA school. He didn’t want to be around sickly patients with hopes and dreams and fears--it was too icky for him. But, over time, he learned that he LOVED trauma. Jean loves the controlled chaos that comes with the ugly, bloody messes that roll in through the ICU’s doors. He always gears up for trauma season (summer time) by bringing Dunkin Donuts iced coffee for everyone on the unit (day and night shift because he’s a supportive king). He gets really good at dealing with arrogant trauma residents and ortho docs who think they’re hot shit. When Jean sees a resident yelling at a nurse, he jumps in and threatens to have their license revoked. He will dig under their skin and page them incessantly throughout the day, too, just to get back at them. Jean is not a fan of lateral violence in the workplace, no sir. 

He always, always makes sure every room is stocked and new bags are hanging for the next shift. He has a thing where if things aren’t properly organized on the unit his brain just spazzes. He’s on the unit council and education committee because he also loves to teach the new grads. He also doubles as charge nurse, when management can’t be there (there can be one or more charge nurses amongst the staff, they usually work different days, though) He and Mikasa work so well together, teaming up to get tasks done, coding patients, running them down to get scanned, etc. People joke they’re the mom and dad of the unit. It makes them both blush <3 (Eren doesn’t like it, lol)

Jean loves to see patients healing from horrendous injuries, he’s constantly cracking jokes with the awake patients to try to make them feel better, and he’s really good at calming anxious family members down. Our boy just makes such good connections with people. He’s the guy you call when your confused patient is one second away from ripping his breathing tube out. He can convince the most restless, agitated patient to chill out. He’s got the voice for it. Also people love his mullet. It looks great. 

Connie: I really didn’t know at first but I feel like Connie would make a great physical therapist. He’s got great energy, he’s funny and I could see him dancing to Earth, Wind & Fire in front of his patients to hype them up for therapy. He’d be very sweet with them 

Sasha: I’m sick and tired of the food jokes, quite honestly. She’s more than that. In my mind, she’s an occupational therapist, helping disabled patients learn to feed, dress and clean themselves again. She works directly with Connie as they round on all their patients in the hospital, they make a great team!  She’s extremely patient and would make a very good nurse, but is unsure of where life is taking her. That is until she meets Niccolo the dietician in the cafeteria, and she falls hard. He encourages her to follow her heart and she does!  

Levi: Hm. This one stumped me. Levi is a bit...cold. It’s not like he has incredible social skills. He’s meticulous and focused and kinda mean? He reminds me of an anesthesiologist, tbh. Like he’ll sedate the shit outta you for surgery, makes sure you don’t die on the table, and then drops you off to the unit as fast as he can. He never takes off his mask while in the hospital and he scrubs maybe four times before surgery. He is very good at medication calculations and knows everything about nerve blocks, intubation, pain medication and sedation. He can look at a person and just KNOW what kind of sedative to give and how much. Your blood pressure will never bottom out while he’s there, he’ll warn the surgeon and immediately get that norepinephrine started.

 If Zeke is the one operating, Levi is on his ass to finish up the surgery ASAP and to not linger, because Zeke takes his time and ignores the tele monitor alarming in the background. After surgery, this 5′2 demon will scream at the 6′ resident about the importance of blood pressure management and sedation in neurosurgical patients. Levi plays no games and he also just really hates Zeke lol

He seems like a jerk but genuinely cares about getting his peeps through surgery. His favorite surgeon to work with is Hange Zoe, because she’s brilliant and fast, but also cognizant of her patient’s hemodynamics. Levi likes taking trauma cases as long as it’s with her. When he drops a patient off to the trauma ICU or goes there to intubate, he makes sure Jean or Mikasa are there because he knows everything is gonna go smoothly. He trusts them a lot. He likes Armin, too and even let him intubate a few times. On his breaks, he’s drinking tea and reading a Williams & Sonoma catalog or scrolling through cleaning Tik Tok lol.

Erwin: This man. This beautiful and hunky beefcake. Omg. I HC him as someone who went to nursing school, became a charge nurse on the trauma unit back in the early 2000′s and fell in love with it. Erwin would eventually fall in love with leadership and educating, too. He went back to school and earned his Doctorate of Nursing Practice (a practice doctorate). He managed the trauma unit for ten years before his brilliant leadership skills and wicked smart brain got him elected as the Director of Trauma Surgery recently. He is the first person with a nursing degree and DNP to ever accomplish this, so it’s very controversial. A lot of toxic doctors threaten to leave the hospital for this (because they’re assholes), but Erwin threatens to fire them in response and it usually shuts them up. 

He often holds lectures in the hospital auditorium. With a mind and voice like his, people are so drawn in by him. He advocates for nursing staff, for reimbursement when continuing their education, better staffing, parking, etc. He makes nice with doctors and gets them to sign petitions for the nurses to get these things. He’s a bit manipulative He’s also a fantastic manager and director, he’s really good at negotiating things. The nurses and residents all love him because he rounds on every ICU frequently, brings food, and asks them how he can help. He can be a bit daunting because of his height and deep voice but once he starts talking to you, you just get sucked in. All around an absolute king. 

Hange: This character reminds me of a trauma surgeon and intensivist (ICU doctor) we have, Dr. Omi. A great surgeon, really really smart, but takes absolutely NO bullshit. She will yell at you if you freeze during intubating. She wants you to recite every step before you take it, otherwise she’ll take the tube from you and do it herself. In surgery, she’s the same way. She wants you to learn, but by her standards. If she asks a question, you better know the answer or fess up right away, she doesn’t like the “uhms” of uncertainty as you try to search for a shitty response. Either you know it or you don’t. And if you don’t, she’ll teach you. Yeah she can be rough around the edges, but she’s got a big heart. She loves her trauma team. She buys them breakfast and gives them funny personalized gifts. One time, she bought an apply tree for Mikasa and brought it to her car at the end of a shift. Mikasa forgot to plant it and it died in her backseat. Hange will sometimes ask, “Mikasa, how’s your apple tree growing?” and Mikasa will lie through her teeth. “It’s growing!” Fess up, Mikasa. Those google search apple trees are starting to look familiar.

All around Hange loves to work and teach. She is a wonderful trauma surgeon and has saved tons of lives.  

[katie-writes24]

I’m Not Scared

Pairing: Vampire!Alexander Hamilton x reader

Warnings: SMUT, oral sex, Language, mentions of blood, vamp feeding, and soft Alex :)

HAPPY SPOOKY SEASON!! I wanted to put this out earlier but I got distracted. So, I was totally inspired by @spilledkauffie work, and their spooky fics are A M A Z I N G!!! And Vampire Alex just gives me lots of feels! So check them out, and you know the drill! Give me feedback please, and let me know if you want to be tagged! Enjoy ya spooky kids!

Her eyes were constantly on Alexander, watching his every move and waiting to see if something was out of the ordinary. How could she not have known? How didn’t she see it? Even now, there was no given sign of him being out of the ordinary.

“You’re staring again,” Y/N blinked out of her trance to see him standing behind the counter smirking, dipping his tea bag in his mug. She shifted on the couch, feeling shy that she was caught.

“Sorry,” Y/N hugged her legs against her chest. She just wasn’t used to the new information she acquired, not knowing if she should act different or not. “I’m just...still in shock I guess.”

“I get it,” Alexander rounded the counter and stood behind the couch, giving her a sad smile. “I’m sorry if I freaked you out or made you uncomfortable or scared you-”

“You didn’t scare me,” Y/N said quickly, that’s the last thing she wanted him to think. She could never be scared of him, she trusted him with her life, even if she knew that he could now end her life in a split second if he wanted to. “I’m not scared, I’m rather...curious, if anything.”

Alexander paused and raised a brow. He looked her up and down and bit the inside of his cheek. Tension was thick in the air, Y/N swallowed nervously.

“What are you curious about?” Alexander sipped from his mug and Y/N thought about his question. She was curious about a lot of things: about how old he really was, if her silver bracelet ever hurt him when they were holding hands, if he can smell how nervous she is right now. Because she might not be scared, but she was a little anxious. She knew that he must of craved her blood when they were close, she just was nervous if it would affect her, or what if it went wrong and changed her?

“Have you ever bitten someone?” Now that it was out in the open, Y/N felt her heart rate speed up. Alexander shifted his feet as he scratched the back of his neck.

“I have, but I never turned them,” He seemed to frown at that, and Y/N raised a questioning brow. Alexander sighed and put his mug down on the table, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. “I only...I’ve only ever bitten them for feeding...”

At his tone, she noticed the vampire looked...guilty. Looking at how he caved into himself, Y/N realized that he was actually afraid of telling her his dark secret because he was afraid she would judge her.

“Have you...how have you gotten your feeding when we were...?” Y/N couldn’t even begin to imagine who he has bitten, if it was his past lovers or close friends or just random innocents on the streets.

“I, uh...you know, John used to help me out,” Alexander looked at the floor and bit his lip as he spoke slowly. “He understood that I needed it, but I couldn’t ask him that all the time. I only ever asked when...when I really needed it.”

“But you could die without it right?”

“I could, but...I’ve gotten my way around it, trust me,” His tone dropped again, and it made her heart pang with guilt, knowing that she wasn’t there when he needed her.

She scooted across the couch and held his hand firmly in hers, causing him to look up at her with wet eyes. “Alexander, I’ll never judge you, you know that? Never.”

“Y/N, I’ve done terrible things. Cruel things, things that one should never imagine. I can’t put you through something like that.”

“So, what? You’re gonna leave me? After all this time?” Y/N could feel her nerves act up again, this time for a totally different reason. The thought of him leaving her made her stomach swirl.

“No, love, no,” His hands cupped her face and made her tilt her head up to look him in the eyes. “But I can’t ask you to be there everytime, I can’t put you through that, I care for you too much.”

She bit her lip and shook her head. She wasn’t going to make him suffer if it would only cost her a little pain.

“When was the last time you had it?”

Alexander scoffed and looked away, only for Y/N to grip his chin and make him look back at her. A few moments later he sighed, “Almost a week.”

“Let me do this for you, please? I know you need it, I can’t sit back and watch you ache, Alex!”

“It’ll hurt, and I might not be able to control myself, Y/N. What if...what if I can’t stop?” Alexander would never forgive himself if he changed her or worse...

“I trust you,” Y/N gave him a reassuring smile. “I’ve trusted you with my life before I knew, and I trust you now. Just take what you need, don’t worry about me.” Even thought it was scary to think of it, she wouldn’t deny him anymore.

“Are you sure? Like absolutely sure?” Alexander clutched the hand that was holding his face and frowned.

“Alex, please,” She sounded tired, and maybe it was the sense that he was repeating the same thing over and over again, but he couldn’t help it. This wasn’t just asking if he could kiss her and then have regrets later, this wasn’t asking to borrow twenty dollars and pay her back later, it wasn’t that simple. Even if she didn’t think it was a big deal, this would change their relationship, he knew it would.

As she nodded once more, he took a deep breath. Reaching out, Alexander grabbed the back of her legs and moved her so she was laying across the couch, head propped on a pillow. As he hovered over her, he noticed how strong her scent was getting, how her heart rate picked up. He looked into Y/N’s eyes and found no fear or discomfort. That was a good sign, at least.

“Wait,” Y/N put her hand against his chest as he started to lean toward her neck. Alexander drew back with wide eyes, afraid that she was having second thoughts, afraid that she wouldn’t go through with it and that he made her uncomfortable.

Instead, Y/N grabbed his face in both hands and lowered him into a deep kiss, one that made him whine. Her lips were full of promise, and as she sucked on his lower lip, he couldn’t help but run his hand through her hair and clutch the back of her head.

When Y/N finally pulled back, Alexander didn’t stop there. He trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her jaw, her throat and finally into the crook of her neck. He felt her tense up as he kissed the exact spot he knew the blood was strongest.

“Just try to relax, love,” Alexander kissed the spot a few more times, trying to get her body to not be so stiff. When her shoulders slumped, he felt his fangs draw out and he punctured into her neck.

Y/N cried out sharply, grabbing onto her boyfriend’s shoulder and scrunching up her face in pain. It was immensely painful, that was her first thought. She could feel the sharp fangs dig into her flesh, she could feel her blood being sucked out of her viens. It was draining.

Meanwhile, Alexander bathed in the fresh taste, moaning softly as his body fit into its normal state again. It was a fresh feeling. However, he could tell that Y/N was hurting, as her whole body stiffened and her cries were nonstop. He did his best to comfort her; he caressed her cheek with his thumb, wrapped his other arm around her back, anything to make her feel safe.

Only moments later, Y/N was getting used to the feeling, it not being as painful at first. Don’t get her wrong, she still winced, but now it was rather, in a way...nice? Alexander’s soft suction in her neck made her lift her hips up, getting some friction against the denim along his hips. She could hear him whine softly at the movement.

Alexander was going too long, he knew that. But he couldn’t stop; it was refreshing, new blood. But when Y/N kept grinding her hips against his leg, he knew that there were other tasks that he had to handle. He slowed down, releasing his fangs before licking generously at the wound.

When he pulled back, Y/N gasped. His eyes were now dark red, piercing and lustful. She also couldn’t ignore the blood all around his mouth and chin, traces even leading down his cheeks. Before she could comment he was slicing his own wrist, making Y/N jolt in shock.

“Here,” He shoved his arm towards her and she gave him a confused stare. “Trust me, drink it. It’ll help.”

Swallowing hard, she leaned forward and sucked on the dark liquid forming on his wrist. The taste wasn’t very pleasant, metallic strong and unfamiliar. As she sucked, she could feel her body starting to heal, gaining back its previous loss of fluid.

Alexander pulled back moments later, shushing her when she whined. She had no doubt her face was in the same shape his was. He must of known because he quickly went into the kitchen, coming back with paper towels and handed one to his girlfriend. They both wiped their faces clean and looked at each other hesitantly.

“So, how was it? Did I hurt you? Was it...?” He trailed off and scratched the back of his neck nervously. While he was more concerned with her state, she couldn’t stop the trembling between her thighs.

“Alex, please trust me when I say that I was fine, I am fine, and I need you right now.”

Despite the wide eyes, he didn’t waste anytime.

It was only a matter of seconds before Alexander’s head was between her legs. She reached her hand back to grip the arm of the couch as he sucked slightly on her clit. He tongue suddenly thrusted into her folds and it made Y/N jerk up.

“Alex, fuck...” She moaned as he hummed against her mound. His hands were wrapped around her thighs in a bruising grip, but she didn’t mind, not when he was swirling his tongue like he was.

“Ohh, I’m close- Al!” He added two fingers and Y/N was lifting her hips up to meet his thrusts. Her free hand held onto the top of his head as he lapped at her pussy, shaking his head back and forth as if to go any deeper.

“Come for me, sweetheart.” Alexander spoke against her wetness, and she let out a shaky breath. It only took one more hard thrust of his fingers and a strong suck to her clit and she was falling over the edge, wrapping her legs around his waist, letting out a loud moan.

When she came down from her high, she went completely limp, the adrenaline from before finally coming down. As he body sunk against the couch, Alexander laid across her, noticeably kissing the wound he had made earlier.

“I really didn’t scare you?” He whispered, giving one last kiss before looking up at Y/N carefully.

She only grabbed the back of his head in her hands, smiling up at him. “You could never scare me, Alexander. That’s a promise.”

He sighed before nodding, kissing her deeply on the lips. When he pulled back, he smiled, “Thank you for doing this.”

“Of course, love,” Y/N kissed the tip of his nose and scratched his scalp. “Besides, if what just happened will always happen after your feeding, I’ll never complain.”

Alexander smirked before reaching behind him to grab the pillow, smacking it against her. Y/N laughed, and that was a sound he’d never grow tired of.

Let me know if you wanna be tagged!!!

@dontblinkumightmiss @companionjones @notebookgirl30 @tinywhim @biafbunny

[owl-with-a-pen]

This one has been on my mind for awhile. Perhaps one where brainy has to go away and he leaves Nia in charge of the D.E.O, I can imagine she wouldn’t be the best and crack under pressure haha. Love your stories 💜

- This might be a little different to what you imagined, but I thought I’d set this with Nia heading a mission instead of the whole of the DEO. To add even more tension, I’ve set this scene somewhere post 5x10, so Nia and Brainy are on rocky ground. Thanks for the prompt! x

When Brainy had first proposed Nia take charge of a DEO operation, she’d laughed it off pretty easily. 

It was only when his was response was to stare at her, one brow raised in confusion, that her face fell.

“Wait,” Nia said, clearing her throat awkwardly. “You’re serious?”

“Undoubtedly so,” Brainy said, narrowing his eyes. “Did I- did I phrase that in a comedic manner?”

Nia blinked. “No. No, you – you sounded serious. I just, I’m finding it hard to believe.” She gestured at herself. “Me? You want me to run a DEO mission? As in, control your agents?”

“That is what leading a mission pertains, yes.”

Okay, now he was being sarcastic. Although, Nia had to admit that it was becoming increasingly harder to tell ever since the whole inhibitor thing. Honestly, Nia hadn’t known what to think when Brainy had summoned her to the DEO that afternoon. On all accounts, he’d been doing everything in his power to evade her ever since their break-up.

A part of her hadn’t wanted to come. She was a vigilante, and though Supergirl had ties with the DEO, considering recent tensions, Dreamer tried to avoid the organisation where she could. There were people on the streets that didn’t trust the DEO for a variety of reasons, even in this new-Earth hellscape where everyone had been brainwashed into loving Lex Luthor. There were humans and aliens alike out there that were still dubious of Lex’s agenda and, who could blame them? They were right.

Nia could have pretended that was the only reason for her apprehension, but who was she kidding? Seeing that text from Brainy, asking her to see him after literal months of radio silence, didn’t sit well with her. She still got a lump in her throat anytime she saw his name pop up on her phone, and felt a crazy surge of butterflies in her stomach whenever he turned up in person after an alien altercation, even if it was alongside his legion of DEO personnel.

It shouldn’t have been this hard, but it was, and she knew why. Despite Brainy’s attempts at acting cold and detached around her, there was still something so incredibly warm behind his eyes, something he was fighting hard to keep hidden from her.

Why the hell he was doing it, Nia didn’t know, and she shouldn’t have cared. Letting it eat her alive like this wasn’t helping anyone. If he didn’t want to be with her after what had happened… then, she had to accept that.

Even though she hated it. Even though she couldn’t help but question whether encouraging Brainy to ditch his inhibitors had been the right call at all. She didn’t think she’d seen a real smile touch his lips since that night at Al’s bar. Didn’t think she’d seen anything other than a deadened exhaustion on his face since he’d stood inches from her in her apartment and torn her heart in two.

Now, whenever Brainy opened his mouth, it was only the Director of the DEO who spoke. Not her best friend. Not her-

No. Not her boyfriend. Not anymore.

She’d pushed that all aside to come here, but now she was really beginning to regret that decision.

“Why me?” Nia asked finally, folding her arms.

Brainy mirrored her stance, lifting his chin. “I calculated a ninety-six percent success rate with your leadership on this mission. The alien we are looking for has psychic abilities closely matching the signature of Naltorian dream energy. Thus – dreaming of our target should be incredibly easy for you.” He shrugged. “Your other powers will prove proficient in the field, too. You can protect and guide my agents better than anyone within this organisation.”

“Wow, Brainy,” Nia said stiffly. “That nearly sounded like a compliment.”

“It is a fact,” Brainy said, although for just a second, Nia was certain she could detect a tremble behind those words. Brainy swallowed quickly, as though to cover himself, before lowering his voice. “Will you do it?”

“Of course,” Nia said immediately. “If I can protect these people, then of course I’ll do it. I’ll always help you—the, um, the DEO, I mean. I- I’m happy to help.” Nia could feel her face beginning to warm all over again. She winced. “You know what I meant,” she muttered.

“I do,” Brainy said, although something in his tone suggested that he wasn’t referring to her promise about the DEO, either.

Nia elected to ignore it. Instead, she rolled her shoulders, straightening her back. “Okay, then,” she said, curling her hands into fists. “When do we start?”

                                                         ______

In the next thirty minutes, Nia found herself packed away in a DEO-issued  vehicle alongside half a dozen field agents. The rest of her team were in the van tailing directly behind them. Every agent was decked out in unmarked uniforms, bullet proof vests, helmets, plus a full inventory of energy guns shared out amongst them.

In her costume - no helmet, no vest and certainly no guns - Nia suddenly felt seriously underdressed. She flexed her hands a few times, staring down at her gloves. She had to remember why Brainy had asked her to do this. She didn’t need fancy energy guns. Her abilities were her energy, and they were necessary to bring this alien in safely. She could do this.

It didn’t matter that she didn’t remember any of these agents’ names, or that the sense of camaraderie in the small space was pretty much non-existent, she just had to be a leader.

If Kara could take charge in times of crisis, then so could she. The only thing stopping Nia was the anxious knot balling inside of her stomach.

You can protect and guide my agents, Brainy’s voice reminded her. It wasn’t exactly the motivational speech she’d been hoping for, but under the circumstances, she’d take what she could get. Even still, she couldn’t help but wish Brainy had come on this mission with her.

But, oh no, he was the Director now. And he had other matters to attend to.

At least, that was the excuse he’d given her.

“Did you hear me?”

Nia’s head jerked up, right into the no-nonsense, stone-faced expression of the DEO agent sat opposite her. She realised belatedly that the van had stopped some time ago, and that her fellow passengers sat closest to the door had already started climbing out.

“I said we’re here,” the agent said, jerking his chin towards the door.

“Oh,” Nia said, shifting from her seat. “Great.”

Yeah. Not exactly the all-powerful words of a full-fledged leader. She gritted her teeth, straightening up as soon as she’d jumped out of the car.

“Alright, Nia,” she muttered to herself. “Your time to shine. Don’t screw it up.”

She marched out to the agents grouping up outside the two stationary vehicles. They’d parked in what could be best described as a cement graveyard; nothing but dilapidated buildings for miles – perfect squatting grounds. It was exactly where Nia had dreamt that their target would be hiding out.

“Okay,” Nia said, trying to put as much power behind her voice that she could muster. She’d stopped just a few feet ahead of her audience. The moment that she spoke, every set of eyes had turned to her. Some of them… more dubiously than others. Mostly, though, they seemed to be waiting on her instruction.

Which… which would be great, if she even knew where to start.

Normally, Super Friend patrols were comprised of, like, three or four people at most. And even then, they usually ended up splitting up throughout the night.  But, there were so many agents in front of her now, all here for just one alien. If a dozen DEO agents went in there at once, there was no way they wouldn’t end up spooking their target.  

God, vigilante work was way stealthier than this.

“So,” Nia said, clenching her jaw. “Plan of action, we need to find this alien. So, um, split up?”

“Are you asking us or telling us?” one of the agents muttered. He was rewarded with a few smiles and poorly disguised snickers.

Frustration flooded Nia’ chest. She opened her mouth, more than prepared to snap out a remark of her own, when another agent raised their voice.

A young woman, maybe only a few years older than Nia. “Normally, we run recon first,” she said helpfully, gesturing out towards the buildings. “To get a lay of the land.”

The look in her eyes clearly expressed that she was less than thrilled about the other agents’ behaviour towards her. Nia’s jaw relaxed a little. “Sounds good,” she said, nearly offering a thumbs up before thinking better of it. Instead, she threw her hands hastily to her hips, offering an impromptu hero stance.

“Is this your first time doing this or something?” the same agent as before asked, this time loud enough to be heard by all of his peers.

Nia bit back the urge to respond.

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the wash of murmurs that followed the agent’s insult.

“Great,” the agent at his side whispered. “No one said we were gonna get stuck with the side-kick.”

“Hey!” Nia snapped, taking a step forward. “I am no one’s side-kick, okay? In fact, I’m your best shot at fighting this enemy. Do you guys even know what you’re up against?” Nia lifted her hands out at her sides, feeling a powerful surge of dream energy crackle from her fingers, curling around her hands in vibrant shades of blue.

Immediately, the agents in front of her straightened their stances, their expressions sobering. Any chatter was cut off outright.

Nia grinned. “Exactly. Your enemy has powers like this.” She clenched her hands, allowing the power to simmer in the centre of her palms before petering out entirely. When she was confident she had everyone’s undivided attention, she narrowed her eyes. “Your Director asked for me to keep you all safe, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. If anyone has a problem with that.” She threw her hand back towards the stationary vans. “Feel free to get your ass back to the DEO and tell Director Dox exactly why you left an active mission with your tail between your legs.”

When no one moved, Nia folded her arms, lifting her chin proudly. She caught the small smile of the female agent from before, and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face.

“Right,” Nia continued. “Now you’ve got that out of your systems, let’s get to business. Recon.” She jerked her head towards the agent who had started the trouble in the first place, narrowing her eyes playfully. “You; take four of your team and go up ahead, scout the exterior of the building for any movement. Remember, there could be civilians out there, so we do this carefully. I expect all your guns to be on stun only and not to be used unless you’re completely certain you have our target in your sites. Got it?”

The agent, who had been gawking at Nia’s hands and very little else, nodded his head. He turned towards a few of his fellow agents, flashing a couple of fancy hand signals which they quickly responded to, flanking him on both sides.

As he brushed past Nia, he paused, glancing at her warily. “You – uh – didn’t get any bad dream senses about this, right?”

Nia rolled her eyes. Now he was taking her seriously. Better late than never. “Trust me,” she said sharply, “you’re fine. Like I said, I’m here to keep you safe.” She stared at him levelly. “All of you safe.”

“Right. Sorry, ma’am,” the agent said, ducking his head as he righted his gun. “It won’t- it won’t happen again.”

Nia only nodded, watching carefully as he headed out with his team to survey the area.

Once most of the agents were out of sight, only then did Nia allow herself a moment to smile.

Maybe she’d never run a DEO mission before, but maybe that didn’t matter. Brainy had said it himself, after all, this mission’s success depended on her.

But, this wasn’t about what Brainy thought. Besides, it certainly didn’t seem like he cared.

Although, maybe…

Nia shook herself. No. Thinking about what he’d said, the way he’d said it would have to wait for another day.

Today, she was gonna be the best team leader the DEO had ever seen.

[yandere-daydreams]

Are you gonna write a special for september the 20th? Or will you and your alien bf be too busy being on the run from the government?

While I had to forego the raid do to my pre-established blood-stealing appointment, I am nothing if not festive. Let us celebrate the idea of freedom together.

“It’s over. It’s finally over.”

You’d lost track of how many years you’d been in this prison, days and nights and hours beginning to blur together after so long. Time seemed like an abstract concept, when you weren’t allowed to see this planet’s sun, remaining in a lab or cell or someplace unspeakable, wherever these fleshy, touchy beings were able to keep you chained down. Part of you couldn’t help but feel pity towards such a race, still believing in silly things like taxes and gravity, but more of you was simply enraged that these rats had the nerve to keep you imprisoned, after only abducting into two of their ‘former presidents’.

But, it was all crashing down, now, the cheers and chants outside like music to your ears. You strained at the chains around your limbs, at the collar around your neck, attempting to get closer to the calls of ‘clap alien cheek’ and ‘I want to see your general’ in the distance. If your guard, your watcher, your supposed friend was going to let you out with his own volition, he didn’t move to do so, his cracked aviator’s in one hand and the other resting on your taunt chain. He’d never stooped to your level before, but he’d abandoned a bit of his pride today, the Agent’s back against the pristine, chrome wall as he crouched.

“It doesn’t have to be,” He mumbled, his voice softer than usual, weaker. You’d learned enough about humans to know he was, as most would say, ‘straight-up not having a good time right now’, but his state only gained so much of your attention, your focus on clawing at your restraints rather than comforting him. “They’ve only found a hole in the first gate. That doesn’t mean they’ll break through.”

You shook your head, letting something out something between a choke and a gasp. “No, no, I have to get-”

“You have to get out.” The interruption was swift, as monotone as it was sudden. The Agent had heard it a thousand times, both upon your arrival and throughout your imprisonment, when he was only an ‘F’ Agent, before he’d earned his ‘B’ and ‘I’. There was a strong jerk on your collar’s tether, pulling you onto your back, knocking the air out of your chest, your head landing at his feet. A leather-clad hand moved towards your cheek, rubbing it over softly before clenching down. Hard.

“You’re always talking about going home, or getting out, or leaving me.” Blunt nails dug into your skin, threatening to break through a layer of scales, but relenting the moment you winced in pain. He didn’t let go, his thumb petting across your cheekbone, stroking you so affectionately, you almost couldn’t stand to listen to the venom dripping from his mouth. “I work so hard to make this place hospitable for you, to make sure you’re not kept in the unlivable conditions the others have to endure, but are you grateful? No, all you talk about is how terrible staying here is.” He paused, his heel making contact with your shoulder, not pressing down but threatening to, all the same. “Would you run off with one of the idiots, out there? Let some kid take you home and dress you up, like a… big tiddy extraterrestrial girlfriend or something?”

You blinked, once, twice. “What’s a tiddy?”

“That’s not important!” With a heavy sigh and a hand raking through his hair, he was standing, letting you scramble onto your knees, kneeling as he paced around the confined space. You’d never seen him like this, so… disheveled, attempting to hold onto his mental stability with deep breaths and quick steps, leaving you to wonder if this would be an appropriate time to use the new phrase you’d learned. A hasty ‘mood’ was already forming on your tongue by the time he continued, his voice just as anxious as his actions. “Do you know what they would do to you? You’d be alone, you’d be abnormal, hunted as a cryptid or dissected in someone’s basement. You know what happened to the last alien who we let out, don’t you?” He grit his teeth, clenching his eyes shut before he could say another word. “People are still trying to find Moth-Man, and they’re not even sure if he exists, yet. Imagine what it would be like if you just… handed yourself over”

“At least I would be free,” You argued, pushing yourself to your feet, stepping as close to him as your chains would allow. He was much taller than you, most humans were, but your teeth were much, much sharper. “I’m trapped here, kept bored and examined and restrained, like a wild animal. I learned to speak your language, I know how to express myself, and if you would help me, I could survive on Earth. Long enough to find my craft, at least.” You shook your head, mimicking the way he seemed to curl into himself, giving your best impression of that drawn-out, exhausted sigh. “I want to go home, Agent. You’re right, I don’t belong here. Which is why I need your help to leave.”

The Agent growled, grabbing your collar, lifting you off your feet as he dragging you up to his height. “Why don’t you get it, I don’t want you to-”

Before he could finish, something happened outside, an explosion followed by the firing of Nerf Guns and screaming, al the things you expected, anticipating, waiting for. For a moment, you let yourself smile at the way the Agent’s features seemed to pale, his mouth falling open momentarily before morphing into a thin, tight frown. Using his free hand, he pressed one of the buttons on the device in his ear, his eyes glazing over as he spoke to someone outside of the room. “Area 51 has been breached, repeat, Area 51 has been breached. Awaiting further instructions.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from going limp, what was left of the resistance in your body leaving with his words. Area 51? What did he mean 51?

The Agent must’ve noticed your confusion, because his scowl quickly turned into the slightest, tiniest hint of a smirk. You were placed back on the floor gently, your captor kneeling as your knees buckled underneath you. “Oh, did someone think they ever had a chance of being rescued?”

He straightened his back, standing to his full height. Towering over you, sliding on a new pair of flawless sunglasses, dark glass glinting in the artificial lighting of your cell. Your prison. 

“I always knew you’d be safer in Area 52.”

[libraryscarf]

here is the piece i wrote for the @womenmadefullmetal zine, which i was profoundly honored to be included in! please check out their tumblr to see all the amazing art and writing that went into this project. i was asked to write about my best girl, winry, and i’m so excited to share this fic with you guys. <3

turning home

( ao3 / ff.net )

The Rockbell women have always breathed smoke, her grandmother tells her, not long after her parents die, but not soon either. We’re furnaces, you and me, she says. Anything that tries to go through us will need to melt.

Winry tries to swallow the lump of black metal in her throat. It sinks into her stomach, distending her insides, like the stretched belly of a snake after devouring a rabbit. That darkness will dissolve eventually, worn away by the passing years and the Resembool sunlight. But fragments of it will float in her system always, pulsing now and then with the heartbeat of loss. It will coat her lungs with iron. It will spike her blood with steel. It will surface in the blisters on her palms, toughening them like hide.

Winry learns at a young age that grief can serve her, both as her burden and as her armor.

: : :

“You shouldn’t be checking in so often. I’m fine. And even if I weren’t, Den knows who to fetch if I need help.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you calling, child?!”

“Well...I thought you might appreciate an update on how I’m doing.”

“Winry. You don’t think I have my own connections in Rush Valley? I’ve known how you were doing the moment you set foot in that wretched city.”

Winry smiles. The anxious bite in her grandmother’s voice hints that Pinako hasn’t been quite as collected as she likes to profess.

“Several people here have told me stories about you.”

“Of course they have. I’m a legend.”

“So you did attach automail fingers to Mrs. Wheeler’s foot instead of toes.”

“Who told you that?!”

“Mrs. Wheeler. And Mr. Wheeler. And Mr. Garfiel. And--”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake. She thanked me later. Made it easier for her to pick things up.”

Pinako’s laughter crackles over the line, and Winry joins her. If they were together, sharing this evening as they have countless others in that yellow house, she would see the spidery lines around her grandmother’s mouth smooth away, and Pinako would resemble the woman of so many years ago, her eyes bright as beads of mercury.

: : :

She sits on the wide windowsill of her room, one leg swinging over the shoe-beaten, dusty street outside Atelier Garfiel. The workshop is humid, ripe with male armpits whose owners are always traipsing in.

Heat rises from the ground in shimmering waves, and she pulls in a long breath. The air tastes like the burnished insides of a forge; the sun prickles in a glittering sky. Yesterday one of her clients had cracked an egg onto his metal knee to the delight of six local children. The sun above reminds Winry of the yolk: a perfect golden disc surrounded by sizzling white.

She loves it here. It isn’t the same love she feels for the sweeping countryside where she was born, a slow, soft thing layered with complications of old sorrow.

The love she harbors for Rush Valley is quicksilver and octane, a rush of searing air, a keen and yellow energy that wakes in her muscles each morning and blasts wild through her dreams each night. It is a rough town that Winry loves, but it fits her roughened parts, and Rush Valley loves her back.

: : :

“I’m happy you’re settled in. Tell the others hello from me.”

“Mei already said hi when she heard I was calling. Zampano and Jerso, too. Oh, and Ling suggested bringing you here to serve as the official court mechanic. They’ve apparently never had one before, but he said you could name your price.”

Winry’s grin stretches across her face. That sounds so like something Ling would suggest that she can nearly hear it in his voice.

“And Lan Fan’s thoughts?”

“She admires your work, but doubts you’d want to relocate so far just to take care of her arm.”

Winry’s fingers skim the pocked surface of the worktable. She knows every divot, every chip and scar, as though they’re carved in her own skin.

“I’d like to visit Xing,” she admits.

“There’s a lot of murmuring about a railroad across the desert. Goodness knows how long that’ll take—but then you and Granny could both come.”

His voice has changed, even since they last saw each other. Winry presses a knuckle to her mouth, her eyes stinging.

“Will you be happy there?”

“I think so.”

“Good.”

“...Winry?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

She chews her thumbnail, cursing her stupid throat for closing up.

“Don’t be stupid, Al. I’ve no idea what you mean.”

: : :

Wandering down the uneven rows, Winry’s eyes skim the names. She halts in front of two close-set stones, where others have left tokens. Her eyes fall on a wilting sprig of sweet violets and yellow honeysuckle.

She sinks cross-legged to the ground between the graves, her back and knees complaining after so many long nights of work. The violets’ brittle stems crumble under her fingers into fine gray dust.

Her father had adored sweet violets, Winry remembers suddenly. He had yelled in delight upon finding the first clumps of them in the spring, when winter still bared its teeth in the frigid midnights and ghosted the mornings with frost. He would gather handfuls, stuffing his nose into the velvet purple blossoms. Winry’s mother laughed often and openly, but never was it filled with more delight than when her husband doubled over, possessed by a fit of uncontrollable sneezing.

A warm drop slips down her cheek, and she swipes at it viciously. Another drop splashes onto the end of her nose. Then the sky opens, unleashing a violent spring tempest that sends Winry sprinting for cover. The overhang of the groundskeeper’s shed provides the closest thing to shelter and she crowds herself under it, blinking the lukewarm rain out of her eyes.

In her haste to escape the storm, she hardly notices the soft grit of the disintegrating violets in her hand. Following a vague impulse, she holds them up to her nose, inhaling their powdery, dying sweetness.

Then she sneezes.

: : :

“Hey, you actually picked up.”

“Don’t make me regret it.”

Winry’s voice is sharp, camouflaging the way her entire body melts at hearing his voice. A voice that is safe, and healthy, and--as usual--a bit too loud.

“Jeez. Is this a bad time?”

A telling pause.

“Are you crying?”

“No!!”

Her head feels like someone has packed it with wet paper. Ed chuckles ruefully.

“You’re sick.”

“I’m fine.” Her “m” s and “n” s are migrating toward “b” and “d” territory.

“You sound awful.”

“Right, I’m hanging up.”

“Okay, okay! Sorry!”

Slowly, Winry puts her ear to the phone again. And then sneezes on it.

“Maybe...a tiny bit sick,” she admits.

“Stop pulling all-nighters.”

“I don’t have an all-nighter to blame for this. And don’t tell me what to do.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ed says, half-laughing.

The line crackles as he sighs. “You had to take care of me so much. I feel kinda guilty.”

“You were an extremely bad-tempered patient.”

“Well your bedside manner isn’t exactly welcoming!”

Winry hears the veins popping in his neck and forehead. Ed communicates everything of himself through his voice. He could so easily be sitting across from her.

She closes her eyes and imagines he is.

“You know I didn’t really mind,” she says.

A sheepish grunt from Ed’s side. “Is that because you got to boss me around and tell me what to eat and when to sleep?”

“That... was a contributing factor.”

“I knew it!” he crows victoriously. “You’re sadistic. Sick with power.”

“So was that your backwards way of saying, ‘Winry, I’m so sorry I’m not there to nurse you back to health and make up for all the times I was a stubborn jerk’?”

The pause before his answer is just long enough to worry her.

“It would take a hell of a lot more to make up for that.”

Winry’s smile evaporates, her heart twisting.

“Ed...”

“What? I can’t be sincere for a second?”

“It’s not that . I…I just--”

His laugh interrupts her. “You don’t need anyone to take care of you, Winry. You never have.”

“It might be nice, though,” she mumbles. “Once in a while.”

“Consider the hint taken.”

Her chest expands with relief, a warm wave lifting her on its crest.

“Come home soon.”

Ed hesitates. She is hard to lie to, and if he’s smart, he won’t try.

“I’ll hurry.”

Winry believes him.

: : :

When her head aches and her hands are chapped, Winry walks up the hill to the big tree, where an aged swing creaks against its ropes. The valley flows away from her feet in green, rolling swells.

Her mind is busy, though her hands are not.

She thinks of her newest customer: a girl, no older than Ed when he had his surgery, her right hand missing from a farm mishap. Winry had reassured her that with automail, she could still play her fiddle.

She thinks of how Ed mentioned over breakfast how nice a house would look, there at the top of the hill where the foundation of a burned building still lies.

She thinks of Al’s recent visit, when he brought silk and tea and bright, human laughter across the desert.

She thinks of how her daughter reminds her in a thousand half-painful ways of Pinako, asleep now next to her own children.

She thinks of the countless small responsibilities waiting for her at home: an electric motor to tune up, a bruise to kiss and bandage, a shipment invoice to file, a long-overdue call to Paninya, a pie crust to bake.

Winry listens to the birds talking in the branches high above her. She smiles.

Then she turns down the hill, beginning the walk back home.