#I was not kidding about how I’d repeatedly scream that they’re babies because they ARE

[terrahlee-cup]

Sleep-deprived NLW reactions part two be upon thee @raphaelesbian

“Were you raised in a barn.” Yeah, he probably was. Ah this entire text chain, gremlins.

Raph and Leo don’t drive each other nutso challenge: impossible. Love these two so much oh my gosh. One day they will figure out how communication works probably.

The fact that Karai seems so ‘normal’ is incredibly concerning if the Shredder wants to try and trick them at some point.

Oh gosh the cameras. They’re all used to it being Raph they’re watching out for the way they all relax because he’s there just- augh. Raph not entirely getting why they’d want to keep an eye on Karai because he was the one on the other side before too hoo boy. He wants to just jump in and fix it since he understands Karai’s side of this, but his brothers don’t want to repeatedly confront her like with Raph so they’re much more hesitant to act. Raph’s frustration is completely understandable and so is his brothers’ fear of making the same mistakes again and I am in pain.

Oh fucking hell what’s in the box YUP LOVELY GOOD MHM. Uh- hey children- kiddos your brother’s checked the fuck out over there you should probably check on him? Raph shutting down on them isn’t going to help bud-

Whoop here’s Karai time for everything to get much worse. Raph’s brothers immediately going into protect mode when he’s frozen my heart I can’t- the Shredder is pissed Raph got away isn’t he, holy shit.

Oof, both Raph and Leo are technically right to some extent here. They really can’t just keep Raph in the lair, but waking up to not even a text letting them know he was going to be with Casey would have been freaky. They’re all so traumatized AND THEY’RE BABIES FUCK-

Why does he still have the tekkō-kagi why did no-one take that from him that is nOT GOOD. TAKE THE WEAPON THAT THE KID KEEPS STARING AT AWAY FROM HIM PLEASE.

[dinjoyer]

The idea of Dante being a dad is so underrated that I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and write out some headcanons AHAHEM (plz feel free to add onto these if u want to! I’d be ever so grateful to be able to read more dadnte stuff :))

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO:

- he doesn’t think he’s worthy of being anyone’s father. Even if the kid(s) is/are his bio kid(s), he’s still hesitant to assume any parental role. Mostly because he’s worried he A) would be a terrible dad and B) would put the kid(s) in danger by virtue of his own reputation (I mean the Devil May Cry gets broken into like every other day). Eventually, he’d take up the mantle as a father (remembering his own issues with Sparda would’ve probably pushed him to), but he’d still be terrified of fucking up.

- On that note, though, he’s actually a very responsible parent. Like does all the research and everything; baby proofs the shop even if it draws away from his grunge and swag vibe Ksjfjgjjgn

- He buys those stupid embarrassing kid clothes that say stuff like “daddy’s little devil” KWJDJFJFJ

- When they’re small, he sleeps with the kid(s) lying on his chest. Lady yells at Dante that it’s unsafe and he needs to get a crib, but he waves her off that he can’t afford one (he can; he just prefers having his kid(s) close to him, especially when they’re that young. And there’s no real hazard to them; Dante’s senses are so absurdly attune if they slipped off his chest he’d catch them far before anything dangerous happened).

- Similarly, Dante keeps the kid(s) near him in the office. He says it’s because “the ladies like seeing such (a) cute kid(s)”. Again, he doesn’t like being far from them (and who can blame him, considering how dangerous his line of work is).

- he has two rules for his child(ren): “don’t be an asshole and don’t do anything stupid”. If they do something stupid, he’ll try to help them as best as he can. If they do something asshole-y, they’re on their own.

- He’s one of those parents that makes an effort to embarrass you (lovingly). Like. Drops his kid(s) off at school blasting his dad rock and screaming “HEY KIDDO I LOVE YOU SAY IT BACK-“

- When Dante thinks no one is around he’ll sing/hum to his kid(s). Lady and Trish absolutely have footage of this that they black mail him with 💀 But, really, it’s one of the only guaranteed ways he can get them to sleep.

- HE TELLS HIS KID(S) STORIES ABOUT HIM AND VERGIL AND ITS ADORABLE AND HEARTBREAKING ESPECIALLY WHEN THE KID(S) WILL REENACT HIS STORIES-

- If he has to go on a long trip for you know, killing demons, he’ll always leave the kid(s) with something to remember him by (like a stuffie or something). When they get a little older he’ll start leaving notes around the house (I’m imagining stuff like “hey kiddo, don’t eat all the pizza before I get back! Love ya -D” on the refrigerator KDJFJV) before he leaves so he can still be there for them. Lady and Morrison are the certified babysitters (not Trish. Trish was born in the underworld; she has no idea how to take care of a human or mostly human child 💀)

- EXHAUSTED 24/7. Literally his doppelgänger move is his life saver; poor guy’s a single dad who can barely afford to keep the lights on, you already know he’s stressed tf out KDJFJFN.

- If his kid(s) asked for a pet, Dante refuse immediately and repeatedly. They get the pet. *insert dad and the dog meme*

- Dante is so fucking protective of his kid(s). Like would fight anyone that messed with them. He doesn’t, of course (most of the time), and instead teaches them self-defense and conflict resolution skills. The last thing he wants is his kid(s) to end up like him or his brother— where they have to resort to fighting more often than not.

- Whenever he’s mournful over the loss of his parents he’ll immediately check up on/go play with his kid(s). Dante doesn’t want them to know abandonment or the feeling of having to grow up faster like he does.

- If Dante’s kid(s) are adopted he’ll tell them from an early age that he’s different, and there are things he can do that they can’t— but that doesn’t mean they’re any less of a family.

- His kid(s) absolutely adore his different abilities. They’ll always ask him to DT and fly them around and stuff. Dante acts annoyed about it, but secretly he loves how happy his child(ren) get(s) from him just doing some tricks.

- Dante teaches them guitar. Just. Yeah.

- Dante is surprisingly good at Just Dance and that raises some,,, questions about his past

- Actually he’s good at like practically every game that doesn’t require logic (twister and tag and hide and seek and such). His kid(s) is/are 100% fed up with it, but Dante and his superhuman ass can’t help it 💀💀💀

- He finally has a mostly stable income (he’ll prolly take up a second job because I can’t imagine he’d completely throw away his empathetic tendencies that lead him to refusing pay from most of his clients) because Dante feels like he finally has a reason to take care of himself (being that he has someone else to take care of). He’ll prolly try quitting alcohol for the same reason.

- All in all, being a dad would be a very healing thing for Dante, I feel. And he’d be good at it too-- at least better than Vergil has been MDNFV. He would try his damndest to provide for his kid(s) and stop the generational trauma the Sparda family’s been cursed with. Just. SKDJVJV I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS OKAY 😭😭 thank you for reading this mess! If you have any other headcanons for Dad!Dante PLEASE LET ME KNOW I will HAPPILY scream about them with you.

[darkmulti]

Firstly, just wanna say that I LOVE UR WORK I FAN READ IT FOR HOURS ON END! U HAVE AMAZING TALENT. Also I was wondering if it was ok, to ask for a Yandere BTS royalty headcon of them impregnating you (Even by force if you tell them you don’t want to have a child)

This is not edited so I apologize for any mistakes.

Thank u bb🥰

Edit: WTF I DONT KNOW WHY THE NAMJOON ONE GOT DELETED😭 I’m gonna kill tumblr. 

⚠️: NON CON! Yandere!BTS, slapping

Seokjin always used a condom. You didn’t want to spend the rest of your life with him, you simply had each other for your sexual needs. Jin on the other hand was falling for you. He tried to make it obvious but you were still oblivious. It was another night with him. He was in between your legs, doing the dirty. He wasn’t wearing a condom on purpose. You were too needy to even realize. It felt so good because he was repeatedly hitting your gspot. You didn’t realize until hot fluid filled you up. You gasp and immediately take him out of you. “Jin! You’re suppose to wear a condom! I-I’m probably pregnant. No! My moms gonna kill me!” Before you could freak out even more, Jin hugged you and calmed you down. “Your mother won’t freak out when she finds out that the baby’s father is the king.”

Yoongi always gets what he wants. His parents arranged a marriage with some random chick. After hearing about the news, you were a little heartbroken but also relieved. Yoongi has been angrier than usual. He’s been taking that anger out on you for some reason. Yelling at you, aggressive sex, being extra possessive. The man you once loved whole heartedly has turned into a scary monster. Yoongi on the other hand was even more frustrated. He wanted to marry you not some random chick. The only way he could escape out of this marriage is if he gets you pregnant. He didn’t waste anymore time. He ran to your house and explained the situation. You look at him in disbelief. “Yoongi, I want you to be happy with your wife. It’s okay. Don’t worry about me. Your wife will also make you very happy and give you children. You’ll fall in love again.” He looked at you with a bizarre expression on his face. “Are you hearing yourself? You’re just gonna give up on us just like that? Did I ever mean anything to you?” You sigh, “of course you did. But I can’t interfere with your marriage. Your parents hold a lot of power. They can kill my family. I can’t let that happen.” Yoongi was pissed off. You didn’t seem to be sad. Was he just a toy for you? Yoongi didn’t care if you didn’t want to be with him. To save himself from this marriage, he forcefully took you. You tried to crawl away but he pulled you back and slapped your ass. “I’m getting married to you! You’re gonna have my children and we’ll be a happy family.”

Hoseok never forced anything on you. That’s not how his mom raised him. Yes, the husband has power over his wife but after learning what his mother had been through, he hated other men. Hoseok was a gentlemen. The husband every girl wanted. You were his lucky wife. He never brought up having a family, but you didn’t mind. You accidentally made Hoseok jealous by talking to one of his friends. After the event, you both arrived at your shared room and he was all up on you. He wasn’t screaming or anything. He was being possessive. “Have you forgotten who you belong to? Mmh? Let me remind you.” Usually, Hoseok is a soft dom. But tonight he became a hard dom. He had you screaming and crying his name out of pleasure. He kept reminding you that he was going to “pound his babies into your swollen pussy.”

Jimin: You didn’t want kids. They were annoying. You never told Jimin though. You knew that he adored children and you being his wife would have to give him some eventually. But you couldn’t face reality. You were afraid that you wouldn’t have a connection with your kid. You had a rough childhood which is why you did not want kids. You’re traumatized. Jimin was out, seeing how the city was doing. Since he will become king soon, he wants to learn how to improve everyone’s life style. While he was out, a rumour started going around. Apparently you cheated on him with another man. Jimin had noticed that you became distant from him but he still trusted you. But now there are people saying that you’re cheating on him. It all made sense to him now. He rushed back home and didn’t hold back. He yelled at you then slapped you without letting you explain yourself. He ripped your dress off you covered your mouth before taking you. “You fucking slut, I’ll show you who you belong to!” Every time he came in you, you cried harder. “P-please Jimin, I don’t want kids.” He held onto your jaw and looked you right in the eyes. “Too bad.”

Taehyung has been very vocal about wanting kids. You - his arranged wife - weren’t ready for kids. Especially not his kids. Taehyung wasn’t a gentlemen. Well, in front of his mother and family, he was. But behind the scenes he was aggressive with you. He wanted a typical, wife worships husband marriage. You were getting ready for bed when he walked in. He helped you take your necklace off and fixed your hair. His arms wrap around your waist and he placed his chin on your shoulder. “Don’t you think we should start a family?” You quietly whisper a “no” and avoid eye contact with him. “Why not? They’re gonna think that you have an infertility issue. My mother will flip and I’ll have to marry another girl who can get pregnant.” You turn around and face him. “Then marry another girl! I’d rather die than have your baby.” Taehyung slapped you. He picked you up and threw you on the bed. “Why can’t you just obey me for once?! I want a child. You’re gonna give me a child.” You did struggle under him. You kicked, cried, begged, screamed but nothing worked. You didn’t get out of his grip in time. He was already cumming in you. He didn’t stop until he felt confident that you were pregnant. The following week you experienced morning sickness and your period being late, confirming that you were pregnant.

Jungkook: He kidnapped you and kept you locked up in the basement of his palace. He was an arrogant prince and you had every right to call him out. You made him look like a fool and he was angered by it. The following night he kidnapped you and showed you who’s in control. Jungkook could destroy your life in a blink of an eye so you had to obey him for the sake of your parents. After being his doll for god knows how long, he brought you upstairs to his bedroom and had unprotected sex with you. You were too scared and weak to defend yourself. But you did warn him that you might get pregnant. He had the most aggressive sex with you to the point where you couldn’t do it anymore. You cried into the pillow and begged him to stop. His cum was overflowing in you. “Please, I’m gonna get p-pregnant.” Little did you know, that’s exactly what he wanted.

[let-them-read-fics]

Winner Takes All

Drum roll please....🥁.... I'm very happy to present to you: the return of Gamer Jisoo and her infamous Pikachu hat. I know I know, very exciting.

Pairing: Jisoo x Fem!Reader

Word Count: ~ 4,479

Warnings / Misc. -- Fluff Galore, A Few Curse Words

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: First off I'd like to thank you guys for the love on my other gaming fic; seeing you enjoy my work really encourages me. With that being said, I should note that I don't know much about gaming conventions -- I apologize if I get some details wrong in this writing. I hope you enjoy it regardless. Happy reading!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

“Lisa, I’m scared! What if she tackles me? You know how she can get when she’s excited…”

The throaty chuckle that leaves the maknae works to calm you down, and you find yourself smiling despite the nerves. “The girls and I will be there to keep you safe, don’t worry. Jisoo-monster can’t hurt you.” 

You shake your head as you grab the tickets, stuffing them in your pocket and mentally preparing yourself for the surprise. Lisa takes your hand and drags you out the door in a rush, her happiness plain to see.

~~~

The sounds of your foot falls against the linoleum work in tandem with the beating of your heart, and you do your best to conceal your grin. The last thing you want to do is give the plan away at the last second. 

Upon opening the door, you find the other 3 girls sprawled out on the floor in various positions, bodies exhausted from dance practice. So much for protecting you. 

“Where were you guys? We were starting to get worried.”

When you take too long to reply, Jennie raises up onto her elbows, narrowing her eyes. “Y/N…”

Shit. You’re toast. The girls’ eyes search the two of you quizzically while your brain goes into overdrive in an attempt to find a believable excuse. Everyone knows you’re a bad liar, and you’ve just been caught in the act.

“LisawashelpingmewithasurpriseforJisoo.”

The words leave your lips in a rush, but your girlfriend doesn’t miss her name being thrown in there at the end. Her eyes dart up to yours, and she perks up.

“OYE! What was that?” 

Releasing a sigh, you repeat yourself. “Lisa was helping me with a surprise for you.”

Jisoo’s stupid smirk from across the room makes you giggle, and you roll your eyes. She stands up and walks over, wrapping her arms around you. 

"A surprise, huh?" She asks cutely, her eyes shining even brighter than usual as she raises her eyebrows repeatedly like a dork. Both of your smiles widen as you nod at her, allowing your hands to run through her mussed hair. Seeing her so excited makes everything worth it, and you know you'd spend every dollar to your name in order to keep her as happy as this; she deserves nothing less. 

As she leans in to press a kiss against your lips, her hands work their way down to your hips, resting there. Too caught up in the moment, you fail to realize that her fingers have hooked their way into your pockets. 

Her lips vibrate against yours as she lets out a confused mumble, her fingertips brushing over the foreign material. She gets the jump on you, quickly snatching the tickets from your jeans, and you watch her face as she reads them.

Every moment that passes feels like an eternity, the air void of any sound as you and the girls wait to see her reaction. She's still just staring at them, running a finger across the material as she rereads the info printed there. A pang of insecurity runs through you at her continuous silence, and you can't help but speak up.

"I know they're not the premium access ones, but we still get to--"

"They're absolutely perfect, Y/N. I don't know what to say." Her voice is gentle and quiet, and your heart softens at how precious she looks right now. 

"You didn't have to do all of this for me." She says, unbelieving that she deserves such a gift. Determined to remind her of how much she means to you, you cup her cheek and coax her into looking into your eyes. 

"After everything you do for me, this is the least I could do, baby. You're worth every bit of it and then some. I can't wait to take you." 

She pulls you up against her again, wrapping her arms around your shoulders as she whispers words of gratitude and praise into your ear. 

A minute later she pulls away to give everyone in the room a warning. 

"Prepare yourselves -- incoming scream in 3...2...1…"

Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé all scramble to the farthest corner of the room, tripping and sliding the entire way while you just cover your ears and laugh. They look like characters out of an episode of Scooby Doo. 

"AHHHH I love them!" She suddenly shouts, throwing her hands up into the air triumphantly as she does a little happy dance with the tickets. Her joy is contagious, and soon the rest of you are all bouncing around with her in celebration. 

-----

"Ready, my love?" 

Upon poking your head into Jisoo's room, you find her sitting at her vanity, smoothing out her hair before she puts on her signature Pikachu hat. 

"Just a minute." She responds, sending you a soft smile through the mirror. You lean against the door frame to admire her until she's done, studying how elegant she looks while doing even the simplest thing. How you managed to get so lucky is beyond you, but you thank your lucky stars for her every day. 

Once she's finished, she turns around in her chair to get a good look at you. A light pattern of blush rises to her cheeks at the way you're looking at her, head over heels and hopelessly devoted. A grin tugs at her lips as she approaches you, dusting off your shoulders and fixing your shirt just like a married couple would. 

"I'm so in love with you." 

Jisoo's heart speeds up at your words, still getting just as giddy as it did the first time you confessed to her. She bats her eyelashes and looks at you as if you hold the key to the universe. 

"No way! Me too; I'm pretty great, aren't I?" She plays, making you roll your eyes and laugh. Of course she has to mess with you in the middle of a serious moment. 

"I'm kidding. I love you more and more every day, Y/N." She says, taking your hands within her own as she loops them around her waist. Her eyes meet yours again, and she leans in to kiss your cheek. 

"Now come on or we'll be late. I can't wait to school you!" She says, sticking her tongue out at you. 

"Oh you are so going down. Just don't cry when I beat you." You retort, mocking her as you pout and make your lip tremble. 

She playfully pushes you out the door, cackling as you almost fall. You say goodbye to the girls, making sure to give them all big hugs before leaving the dorm. 

----

The convention center is bigger than you had ever imagined it'd be. Past the security line at the entrance, the space opens up immensely with two large hallways sprawling off on either side of the main performance room. High ceilings tower overhead, their support beams decorated with various posters and guides. Some staff members sit at a long line of tables to greet guests and offer information about the scheduled events. 

"Good afternoon, ladies. How're you doing today?" One of them asks as you approach.

"Good, thank you. And you?" Jisoo says, smiling excitedly. 

"I'm doing just fine. Is there anything I can help you with?" The woman is kind; you like her. 

"Do you by chance have a map?" You inquire.

She nods, reaching underneath the table to fish the complimentary guide out of one of the boxes. 

"Here you go." 

"Thank you very much. I think this is all we need; have a great day!" You cheerily reply, bowing your head to show gratitude. 

"You're welcome. Come back if you have any more questions; we hope you two enjoy your experience with us!" She sends you one last smile as you step out of line and allow the next guest to take your place. 

After scanning your eyes across the busy area, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all that's going on, you spot some tables near the large front windows of one of the expo halls. 

You direct Jisoo's attention to them, and you swiftly make your way over there. 

"Be cool -- I snuck us in some snacks because everything here is overpriced as hell." 

You whisper to her, stealing a glance around the two of you before opening your coat like some sort of drug dealer. She lets out a little giggle as she eyes the assortment of candies and food you brought, saying: "You smart." 

"Alright, let's plan out our route."

She nods in agreement, pulling a chair up next to yours so you both can look at the map. 

Various fandoms have booths and rooms set up throughout the building -- everything from movies and tv shows, to any video game you can think of. Because of the scope of experiences offered, the tickets weren't easy to come by: you had to pay a pretty penny to even get the "cheap" option. Nevertheless, that's the last thing on your mind as you notice how happy Jisoo is right now. Her eyes dart across the paper, taking in all of the different sections and committing them to memory. 

"I heard that the Harry Potter wing has butterbeer…" you start, nudging her shoulder with a smile. 

She lights up at this, quickly deciding that you should start your trip there. "Okay, let's begin with it. Then we can check out some of the other movie franchises in that hall, and come over to the video games after." 

You glance down at your phone to check the time before adding, "That'll work out perfectly. Overwatch and PUBG are having major tournaments later, so we'll be there in time." 

She stands up to snatch a pen from one of the nearby help stands, and returns to her seat soon after. A scribbling noise can be heard as she circles the different places you want to go, adding stars beside the ones you guys are most excited for. 

"Done!" She declares, placing the cap back on the pen and setting it to the side. 

"Lead the way, pretty girl." You purr, grinning at the way her eyes turn into those famous little crescents as she smiles. She slips her hand into yours, interlocking your fingers as the two of you begin your journey.

----

"Y/N IT'S SO ADORABLE!" She yells, pointing to one of the Animal Crossing plushies that adorns the table in front of you. You push the brim of your newly-purchased Star Wars hat out of the way so you can get a better look at what she's talking about.

"Awww." You coo, reaching into your pocket to grab your wallet without hesitation. After buying it for her, you have her stand by one of the latest posters so you can have a mini photoshoot. 

"You're so beautiful." 

She loses focus on posing for the camera now, her eyes shifting from the lens to your own. You nearly melt from the look of pure adoration she's sending you, and she takes that as her opportunity to compliment you back. 

"And you're the cutest thing ever." You hide behind your hands, shielding your blushing cheeks from further scrutiny. 

"Stop it." You command, feeling her arms snake around your waist as she approaches you. 

"Never," she starts, pulling your hands away so she can pepper kisses across your face. "I'll spend every day reminding you how precious you are." 

"Ya know, my heart really can't take all of this love. I'm surprised it hasn't burst yet." 

"Well it'll just have to get used to it." She declares, nodding curtly with a final look of determination taking over her features. 

"I'm in love with a dork, everyone." You say to an imaginary audience, taking a step back as you motion to Jisoo. She slaps your shoulder playfully before dragging you to the next booth.

---

For the past 2 and half hours, the two of you have hit up just about every spot you intended to. You've accumulated bagfuls of bracelets, necklaces, shirts, and other memorabilia from nearly every shop you visited, and the thought makes you happy. Jisoo can decorate the dorm with her figurines and merch, and she'll be reminded of today every time she sees them. 

"The big Overwatch match is about to start, so we can check it out until the PUBG one begins, if you want." 

"Okay, but can you help me put this necklace on before we go?" 

You nod in affirmation, taking her over to a nearby bench to set your things down and help her. She scoots up next to you and pulls her hair to the side as you fasten the small clip behind her neck. The piece matches yours, and you grin as her fingers come up to toy with the material. 

She spins around to face you as she expresses her thanks, quickly moving on to rant about the tournaments. She giggles eagerly, mind completely wrapped up with thoughts of the games as she gushes about the things she's looking forward to.

You're doing your best -- honestly, you really are -- but Jisoo's lips look so kissable right now that you can't help but lose focus. They purse and pout as she rambles on, and you do your best not to stare. 

You fail miserably, though -- after finding that your eyes have been nearly glued to her lips for the past 5 minutes, your gaze always dropping back down to those heart shaped pillows, Jisoo smirks. The sight makes you weak in the knees but you try not to show it.

"Awww, does somebody want a kiss?" She teases, making kissy noises at you while you blush and look away. 

"Yeah, and what about it?" You challenge, turning back to her. 

Content with how much she's teased you (for now), she rests a hand on the back of your neck as she draws you in closer to her body. Her other hand rests on your thigh, rubbing small circles onto the material of your pants. The moment is innocent enough at first, but the combination of her soft lips against yours and her ministrations on your leg soon makes your blood pressure rise. 

Feeling the stares of other guests passing by, you decide to pull away. She chases your lips, though, pressing one more peck to them before looking into your eyes. 

Your pupils are blown wide; your lips a little darker now, and Jisoo pats herself on the back. You're artwork to her, and she loves to see what she's capable of doing to you. 

"If you keep looking at me like that then we’re gonna miss a big portion of this match.” You say lowly, just loud enough for her to hear. Her eyebrows raise in surprise at what your words imply, and her lips settle in their famous heart pose. 

"Come on then, let's go inside." She says, tugging you up along with her. You guys will have plenty of time for that, later; for now, the most important thing is the event.

-------

Upon entering the spacious room, your ears are filled with theme music being played over the speakers. Chatter from fellow fans can be heard as well, and you take a moment to look around. 

Countless rows of chairs stretch out in front of you, all neatly lined up towards the large stage across the room. A vast majority of them are already taken, but you happen to spot 2 empty ones in what appears to be the 4th row.

"Come on, let's grab those seats." You say, pulling her from her geeked-out stupor. She continues to gape at the layout of the room as you lead her to the chairs, her eyes wide in wonder. Large projectors on either side of the stage take turns displaying pictures of the starting players from both teams. Multicolored lights also shine at various points throughout the room, moving about in predetermined patterns and motions as they cycle. 

Within 10 minutes, the elite players make their entrance, sending the room wild. Introductions are made, and they all take their seats at the different computers lined up on stage. 

"How's everyone doing?" The MC's strong voice booms into the microphone, echoing loudly across the performance hall. The crowd shouts its response and you laugh at how loud Jisoo bellows out her own. 

"We have an amazing set for you here tonight. Teams from across the world have flown in to compete for the 150,000 dollar cash prize, as well as the title of Overwatch league champions!"

The teams clap along at this, some pumping themselves up for the match while others try to appear cocky and unaffected. 

"Our first teams, hailing from the US and Australia, are beyond excited to be here. Let's give them a hand!" He steps back to allow the cameras to get the best possible view of the gamers, and the footage is cast onto big banners hanging from the ceiling. Now everyone, regardless of how far back they're sitting, are able to see them well. 

After the MC interacts with the crowd a little more and some of the players speak to their supporters, the match begins.

Jisoo is never very far from you, always close enough to point out certain things that she notices and comment on their techniques. She's like a sponge, soaking in the different ways to improve her own skills. As much as you love video games yourself, it's hard to pay attention to the game when she looks so unbelievably happy. 

Many rounds later, after the winners are announced, you cross your fingers and take a deep breath. There's one final thing that you didn't tell Jisoo about earlier...

"Now, it's time for what you've all been waiting for! We'll be selecting 3 audience members to join us on stage and play against one another. Let's see who wants a spot!"

The MC shouts cheerily with that million dollar smile plastered onto his face. It's easy to see that he loves his job, and you've enjoyed watching him interact with everyone tonight. 

The large crowd erupts at this and you have to fight to contain your knowing smile. You really have a knack for surprises.

"Jisoo, baby, stand over here. I think you'll be able to get their attention better." 

A subtle nod passes between you and the event organizer you met with earlier, and he says something into his headset. Thankfully Jisoo hadn't questioned why your previous "bathroom break" took 10 minutes, and you were able to make an arrangement with the staff. 

"Pick me!"

"OVER HERE!" 

"I can beat 'em!"

Various shouts and whistles sound out around the venue, all the hopeful candidates vying for the MC's attention. He leans down to listen to his assistant when she taps on his shoulder, informing him of your plan. With a smile slowly spreading across his lips, he looks in your direction and his eyes lock with yours. "Alright, everyone. Who thinks they've got what it takes?" He asks, walking down the stage stairs until he's face to face with the sizable audience. The cameras track his every move as he slowly walks up the large center aisle, some people clapping and reaching to high five him. "The three people I select will compete in a free-for-all for first place. The winner gets 200 dollars and a t-shirt signed by our league champions." His announcement spurs the crowd on even more, somehow, and they cheer at such a great prize. "You, with the Call of Duty shirt!" He calls into the mic, pointing to a teenage boy who looks like he's about to pass out from being noticed. He joins the MC, and together they make their slow voyage towards the back of the room. 

"You, miss, with the Smite hat!" The young woman celebrates with her friend, and you smile as you watch them do a special handshake on the jumbo screen. 

Now, with two enthusiastic players in tow, the MC ambles his way back up to the front. He tries not to make it obvious that he already knows who the final pick is, and thankfully he's a skilled actor. He knows just how to keep the crowd excited and make them think they still stand a chance. 

"Yes, yes, I see that you're all eager to show your talents. But earning this final spot will take some convincing. Quick, everyone strike an epic player pose!" 

Collective shuffling from the audience sounds out in waves as people scoot their chairs out of the way to make room for their stances. Jisoo, however, takes a different approach: with a steadying hand on your shoulder, she places one foot on each of your seats and stands proudly. One of her hands sits on her hip while the other rests an invisible gun on her shoulder. She glances at the MC with a raised brow and steely look in her eye.

Damn, she's good. After seeing how well she's doing right now, you doubt that she even needed your help in the first place. That makes you feel a little better about rigging the results, so it's a true win-win. 

"Pikachu hat, it's your time to shine!" He laughs, motioning for her to come over. In an instant, her previously cool demeanor crumbles and she's left looking like a giddy little girl. She gives you a sweet hug before walking over to the trio. 

-----

After introducing themselves to the room, the 3 hopefuls all sit down next to each other. You can see them eyeing the winners that have gathered around to cheer them on, more star struck than competitive in that moment. Well, at least the other two are: after allowing herself a minute to geek out, Gamer Jisoo™️ takes over and a serious aura befalls your girlfriend. She cracks her knuckles before getting comfortable in her seat, and she steals a glance at you. Her cheek tugs up ever so slightly, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips. 

You make a heart with your hands and blow her a kiss, and she winks at you in return. 

"Let's give them some encouragement!" 

The crowd sounds off once more, and the three of them wish each other luck.

--

It's not a new discovery that your girlfriend is gorgeous, but something about how focused she is is so attractive. She's already taken down at least 5 other players, completely wiping the floor with them while barely batting an eye. Within a few more minutes, only Jisoo and Amelia, the other female audience member, remain. 

"It's neck and neck as our last two competitors face off in the final stretch of the game."

The MC looks genuinely invested following his announcement, and you can almost see the inner 5 year old in him popping out. That's something that you love so much about video games: they can really bring the inner child out of anyone and distract them from life's stressors.

Jisoo's tongue darts out of her mouth, tracing over her lips in concentration as she considers her next move. You can practically see the wheels turning as her eyes dance across the screen, watching the movements of her enemy with the utmost focus.

Poor Amelia seems to be sweating buckets beside Jisoo; the pressure must really be getting to her. She looks intimidated, but she doesn't back down from the challenge. 

And then, it stops. Jisoo fires one final, calculated shot, taking her opponent down within a second. 

In what feels like slow motion, your eyebrows shoot up to your forehead in surprise and you stand up with a shout. You raise your arms above your head, screaming her name as you celebrate and cheer. You're the first thing she looks to once she realizes she's won, and that simple fact makes your heart grow 10 sizes. She smiles adorably as she observes you, grinning even deeper as confetti shoots out of the canons and onto the stage. She raises her head to watch it flutter down, shimmering in the lights as it rides the swirling air currents.

She's proud of herself, and so are you. 

The same event organizer from before approaches you, informing you that you have the all-clear to go greet Jisoo on stage. And that you do: you race towards the stairs, practically flying up them and into her waiting arms. You pick her up and spin her around, getting lost in the feeling of her giggles vibrating against you. 

"You did amazing, baby." You say, taking note of how the curve of her jaw is highlighted by the stage lights. 

"Thank you, Y/N. For everything. Today has been amazing." 

The MC grins at you approvingly, happy to see you guys so ecstatic. Ever the altruist, Jisoo makes sure to go shake hands with her opponents and raise their spirits before coming back to talk to the crowd. 

Once the man has her attention again, he says, "Congratulations, Jisoo. How does it feel to win?"

"It feels great! I have to thank my beautiful girlfriend, though; she's the reason we're even here today." She says humbly, reaching over to squish your cheek. 

A chorus of "ooh's" and "ahhh's" leaves the crowd, all of them gushing at how cute the two of you are. You spot yourself on the jumbo screen and blush with embarrassment. 

His assistant returns with the cash and shirt promised to the winner, and she holds it up for the cameras. The fresh signatures gleam in the light, some of them written with glitter markers while others are in traditional sharpie. 

"Here you go! Enjoy!" He cheers again, motioning for the audience to join him. Everyone does, and Jisoo clutches the material close to her chest triumphantly. The two of you watch everyone send their praise, and she rests her head on your shoulder to fully soak in the moment. 

You eventually exit the stage, waving to all of them as you take your leave. 

With the event now over, you head back to your seat to gather up your belongings and head to the PUBG panel.

"I love you." She says, causing you to pause your movements and look up at her. 

"I love you more." You tease, pulling her in close as you plant a kiss to her temple. She hooks an arm around your neck once you finish grabbing the bags, walking out into the expo hall again. 

"So, since you're rich now, can we go to the arcade on the second floor?" 

"Um, duh. Next mission: Beat Y/N. PUBG can wait." 

You grin cheekily at her confidence before pulling out of her embrace. 

"Race you there!" You shout, laughing as you take off towards the elevator, giving yourself a major head start. 

"Cheater!" She yells, giggling as she chases after you. 

[katnissmellarkkk]

Andddd here’s my chappy three thoughts 🥳🥳🥳

Hmmm Katniss saying that her mother has a dress made of velvet is actually really interesting because it shows that Mrs. Everdeen Lily-Rose really was well-er off before she married Katniss’ father Hunter.

Or did she get the velvet dress from Maysilee? Oh well, who knows.

Aww, Katniss’ nervous habit of touching soft things repeatedly to soothe herself 🤧🤧.

“Crying is not an option. There will be more cameras at the train station.” — someone tell that to Peeta 🤣🤣🤣.

Okay I gotta stop picking on Primmers, I know but like. How small is she that she sits on Katniss’ lap like a toddler but then in the following year is the same height as her? Doesn’t matter I know but still I wonder.

Okay so Mrs. E is the doctor for the people of the Seam? Idk I never thought about this but who does people like Peeta or Madge or Delly go to if they’re sick or hurt? Is there a still running apothecary shop that Katniss never mentions? Are her grandparents still running the family biz?

Also okay, I gotta stop having so many thoughts on all the lil details I know but like. Katniss says here she’s familiar with the herbs her mother doesn’t grow on her own so like a). Katniss is more of a healer than she leads on because no average person knows what kind of plant is medicinal and b). Her mother is just growing herbs and Katniss never mentions it again in the whole series? Or I just missed it.

Okay imma move on from this one singular paragraph but Gale and her made a pact a year ago that they’ll supply each other’s family with game if they were to be reaped... I’m feeling like their close friendship is probably only one year old then? Idk. Just my interpretation.

Honestly I love Katniss getting mad at her mom here.

She’s sixteen, for God’s sake, of course she’s angry at what her mother’s illness put her through.

Also I lowkey like that her mother got mad back because that lady in the movies had zero personality.

“Boys who are two to three times my size.” She sounds so little, omg 🥺🥺🥺.

“I don’t care if we’re rich, I just really want you to come home” 🤧🤧🤧😩😩😩😩 okay Primmers, you got me here.

“the Peacekeeper is at the door, signaling our time is up, and we're all hugging one another so hard it hurts and all I'm saying is ‘I love you. I love you both.’ And they're saying it back...” this is so sad leave me be 😫😫😫😫

Katniss is burying her face in a pillow to block out her emotions this is too much for me 🥵🥵🥵

Omg I forgot Peeta’s father visits Katniss 😅

Why does he visit Katniss?

She describes Peeta’s father as a “big, broad-shouldered man.” And then describes Peeta as stocky. Idk the comparison of the two descriptions has always led me to think Peeta is gonna be a big dude when he grows up like his father. This made no sense and had zero correlation but I thought, so I said it, no regrets

Oh he brought her cookies 🤧

WAIT WAIT WAIT. I just had a new thought, y’all. What if instead of the baker bringing cookies being a thing he does for all tributes, what if he’s bringing the cookies because Peeta asked him to, because he made them and wants to give them to Katniss and knows she’ll never accept / trust them coming from her competition? What if that’s the real reason the baker visited her in the first place? Because Peeta asked him to? This was such a shipper comment but idc, no regrets, remember?

Omg Peeta’s father is just mute 🤣🤣🤣

Between an abusive, angry mother and a mute for a father, the Mellark brothers must have had a fairytale of a childhood 😅😅😅😅.

But seriously #PoorPeetaMyBaby

Aww Peeta’s father is gonna help keep Prim alive 😭

Omg I just remembered he’s her mother’s ex boyfriend. Haidon Mellark, as I named him in my fics.

That one fic where he was thought to be Prim’s real father is just playing now in my head, rent free.

But does Katniss not realize that he may be offering to help Prim as a favor to her? Like she claims Prim is just so wonderful people adore her but there’s like zero evidence in the text that make her endearing? Okay I need to turn this bus around, I need to find a love for Primmy Deen.

Madge is not one for preamble apparently. No “hi, how are you? I’m sorry you’re gonna die? What will your last meal be?” Just right to “here, wear this family heirloom of mine, k thanks.”

I like that Madge had to kiss her cheek for Katniss to realize they were friends 😅😅😅.

I remember always loving her and Gale’s hug here. I’ve always felt like it was platonic, but especially when I first read the books and had zero preference one way or another for Gale or Peeta, I really liked how she said even with nothing romantic between them, “when he opens his arms, I don’t hesitate to go to him” or something I’m paraphrasing ok I’m lazy

Also though, this is the first time they’ve ever hugged? Idk why that surprises me? It shouldn’t because where is a hug gonna fit into a hunting trip 😅🤣😂 “I just caught a deer!” “let’s celebrate with a hug!”

I like that Katniss remembers how her father even failed to make a good bow sometimes. Random, I know.

I like that the Capitol weren’t entertained by the people freezing to deaths because it wasn’t bloody enough 🤭🙃

“How different can it be [to kill a human vs an animal]?” She’s about to find out, Gale 🥺. And when she comes back you won’t understand 🙄😔

What did Gale want to say before the Peacekeepers dragged him away?

I used to think it was a confession of love but I’m actually sure it wasn’t now? Just the wording “remember I-“ doesn’t sound like it, considering he never confessed anything prior to her coming home.

I’m assuming now he was just gonna give her some more advice to stay alive 🤷🏼‍♀️. Clearly if it were relevant it would have made its way to the others books.

Aww, she’s never been inside a car before 😭😭. I didn’t even know they had cars in this universe but okay.

I notice though how she says “In the Seam, we travel on foot.” So is Peeta just riding his trolly down the street every day with the other merchants then? 🤣

Peeta just openly crying on camera 😅😢.

I like how Katniss is like “ooo is this an act to get sponsors?” when in reality Peeta’s like “no, I’m just a soft and genuine boy ™️”

Omg I just realized this totally goes along with Peeta’s thing later on “I want to die as myself”

He’s refusing to hold back his emotions because he thinks he’s doomed to die and he’s already refusing to pretend to be or feel something ingenious.

But a Johanna mention in book 1 chapter 3 woohoo 🥳🥳🥳 also Katniss comparing Jo and Peeta is kind of like foreshadowing of their shared torture in book 3.

Omg she just called Peeta broad-shouldered and strong. 🥰🥰🥰 my headcanon for his post-canon body is confirmed

Also why does Katniss keep allotting his strength to carrying bread trays around? Are they heavy? Why have I never once heard of people who carry bread trays being strong? I always thought Peeta was really strong because he learned to fight in order to defend himself against his mother but that’s probably wrong.

But if a mother is abusive, it can lead to one of the kids being physically violent as well and we know Peeta isn’t but he has two older brothers I’m gonna cut myself off now but I think we all smelled what I just stepped in.

Also I just find it so fascinating now how she regards herself vs Peeta here.

When talking about herself, she says, “The competition will be far beyond my abilities. [...] Oh, there'll be people like me, too. People to weed out before the real fun begins.” But when she talks about Peeta, she immediately says, “It would take an awful lot of weeping to convince anyone to overlook him.”

It’s just funny how she discounted herself right from the start but thought he was a real contender and then come to find out, Peeta believes it’s the exact opposite 😂🙃. They’re both so stupid I can’t even take it.

Wait did they actually give the location of the Capitol and the location of District Twelve in today’s world? And I just overlooked it? Brb I’m gonna go to google maps right quick.

Okay so basically what I gathered is the Capitol is probably in New Mexico and District Twelve is somewhere between Kentucky and Alabama. Irrelevant I know. But just a reminder now to everyone that Katniss and Peeta are literally speaking, crying and screaming in thick, backwoods southern accents.

It’s literally so sad how everything for Katniss is about food. Like every motive she has, every action she does is about preventing starvation ever again. 🤧🤧🤧

First mockingjay mention 🤭🤭.

“My father was particularly fond of mockingjays” 😭😭😭 I bet he was 😭😭😭😭

We always go on and on about how Katniss is a mockingjay or her children are mockingjays but Katniss herself here says mockingjays represent her father imma cry, y’all 😫😫😫😫

“It’s like having a piece of my father with me, protecting me” shut up shut up shut up shut up

Awww, Katniss has never had food like this before 😔😔😔

Neither has Peeta 🤧🤧

Katniss disliking the way Effie put the two kids from the year before down and so began to eat like a pig just to prove her point, is so her. And the beginning of her fighting for the underdog.

Omg the Rue introduction 🥺🥺🥺

Bahahahaha the commenters calling District Twelve backwards but charming 😅😅😅 they really are the hillbilly district

Peeta’s unexpected laugh 🥺🥺🥺 I love you, baby

“He was drunk. He’s drunk every year.” “Every day.” Katniss and Peeta are already finishing each other’s sentiments and teaming up to get on Effie’s nerves I love them so much 😍

Oh my God, Effie, you selfish jerk. They’re kids having fun for like one second, no need to throw in their faces they’re gonna die if the drunk won’t help them. I’d forgotten why I don’t really like the book version of her. I actually prefer her as comedic relief in the movies.

I actually just realized I really dislike Effie Trinket, I hope they never speak to her again Post-Mockingjay. Idc how you’re raised you don’t need to treat teenagers who are sentenced to a probable death badly just because they laughed at you 🙄🙄🙄😡😡😡😡. They didn’t even really laugh at her, she’s just annoying and awful, we don’t stan Effie in this household.

Okay, that’s all for my thoughts on chapter three! Until next time, y’all ! If anyone actually read this long mess of a post.

[cuntwrap--supreme]

My mom has gotten so bad with alcohol that I don't know what to do. I knew she was drinking a lot from my siblings that still live there, but my adult sister just called me at nearly 5am crying her eyes out because she got into the airport only a few hours ago and my mom picked her up drunk as fuck, insisting my sister not drive because she's been awake for over 24 hours right now. And there's no arguing with my mom that doesn't result in her actively trying to kill herself, so my sister had to just fucking go along with it and hope she didn't die. And now that they're home and have been for a few hours, it's so bad my mom can barely talk. I heard her calling to my sister (because she was just screaming for no good reason), and it sounded more like baby babble than noises an adult human should be making. I'm so fucking upset by this. She'd promised me she'd been getting better, but I guess it's been like this every night and my sister has just been dealing with it. Or my kid siblings, and they're 13 and 15 and that's so fucking unfair to them. And I told her this when we talked much earlier in the night and her words were, and I quote, "I'm getting so fucking tired of people telling me to think about my children - what about me?" As if this is some new thought that's crossed her brain and every single action I've seen her make since two-thousand-fucking-four wasn't for her. She let her ex abuse me for like ten years because smoking crack with him was more fun than protecting her kid (and this started when I was 7). The guy she's currently upset over (they broke up 10 fucking months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!) repeatedly grabbed my now 15 year old sister's boobs - when she was 12!!!!! - and my mom let that slide. She lets my brother do nothing but play on his computer and he's failed both 6th and 7th grade, but she lets him continue on to the next grade because it's easier - the kid has literally no idea what's going on in his classes because all he does is play video games to help him avoid how fucked up my mom is. And I would gladly take custody of my kid siblings, but my mom told me that, if I ever took them from her, she'd "open up her veins in front of me," because I'd taken all she has left. Do you know how fucking hard that is to hear? I can't help my mom because she'll kill herself if I make her lose her job for a mental health break, and she'll kill herself if I try to take away the children she still needs to be caring for. I'm fucking over it. As bad as this might sound, I don't even really care any more. I don't. Except for when she's endangering my siblings, and I'm at the point where I'm about to say fuck all the advice you can find on how to deal with alcoholics, I'm about to come at her with so much rage that she'll want to stay in the mental hospital for good. Get her out of my goddamn hair and let me try to salvage what's left of the kids' psyches. Get them in therapy or something so they have a chance at not being fucked up as adults like my sister and I are. She acts like no one notices she's doing this, too, but my sister said everyone at the airport (where my mom works) was staring tonight and we're giving my sister looks as if to say "do you need help?" So her whole family knows, the people she works with know, and I'm about to call my grandma (who I'm not on speaking terms with because she said we need to push my youngest sister's sexual assault under the rug) and have her try to talk some sense into my mom, because if there's one thing my grandma is good at it's bullying people into doing what she wants.

I don't know what the fuck to do, but I have a feeling it's going to have to be violent and will result in my mom never letting me see my siblings again. I have a feeling I'm going to have to call some sort of emergency services on her, where hopefully they can force her to get help because she clearly doesn't want help. She'll say she doesn't want to die, then try to kill herself ten seconds later. She's not ok, but she won't admit that to herself for long enough to get help that isn't from a bottle of liquor. I also work with a bunch of girls who live in a halfway house, and I know a couple of them are recovering alcoholics, so I might ask them how they got to the stable places they're in now. I can't handle this any more, though. So I'll drive all the way to her house tomorrow for the sole purpose of what I anticipate will be a verbal bitch slapping. I can't see it going any other way, because she's only ever responded to kindness by taking advantage of it or manipulating the person being nice to her.

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

(A piece of my urban fantasy au, where Izuku is half dragon)

Gran Torino made it out to Roppongi the morning after Izuku was brought home. He had his own key to Toshinori's agency apartment (and for all his bluster, and inability to properly communicate his feelings with his former student, receiving the key had still given him a lump in his throat.) When he let himself in, he found Toshinori in the kitchen, heating up water in a pot. A sheaf of papers sat on the counter beside him, and he squinted at it while carefully measuring powder into a tiny bottle. 

"You're early, sensei," Toshinori yawned.

He really must've been tired. Not even a hint of trepidation!

"I don't hear any screaming," Sorahiko said gruffly as he tugged off his boots. 

Toshinori nodded and mixed the bottle as best he could. It looked a little lumpy, but he hoped the formula would dissolve before it was time to feed the baby. 

"He's sleeping now," he said, yawning again, "But he should be up in the next ten minutes or so to eat. I set an alarm."

So it was a boy. Drat. That meant Sorahiko owed Toshinori money. 

[[MORE]]

"So is it a bird or what?" Sorahiko asked, trudging into the kitchen. 

Toshinori stared at him blankly for a moment. "He," he finally said. "He looks about like any other human. Apparently because he imprinted on me and Inko and not, like, a seagull."

"Huh?"

A door opened on the other side of the cozy livingroom. A drowsy woman wearing an oversized housecoat shuffled out and around the corner of the massive blue couch where Toshinori had crashed the night before. This involved nearly tripping over the blanket he'd left haphazardly on the floor. The woman scowled at the offending pile of cloth and kicked it aside. She didn't seem to realize they had company. 

"Hey," Toshinori called softly. "Sorry, did we wake you up?"

"Mmn. No," the woman groaned. "C'mere. Gotta show you something."

Immediately, Toshinori set down the bottle. "What is it? Is Izuku okay?"

Inko waved him off sleepily. "S'fine. Just look, okay? He's being real cute."

Toshinori followed Inko into the nursery and found Izuku wide awake in his bassinet. He was staring intently in the direction of his blue star curtains, although he couldn't actually see that far away yet. His tiny pink tongue poked out of his lips repeatedly, like a little snake. A tiny squeak left him, then he seemed to sense the adults. He swiveled his head around, tongue still sticking out between little rosebud lips.

"Oh, that is very cute," Toshinori whispered. 

Carefully, he lifted the newborn from his bassinet and gingerly settled him in the crook of his arm. That was still terrifying, and Toshinori had a feeling that he'd never really get over how fragile his baby was compared to him. Was it even safe for someone his size to hold someone so delicate?

"I'm gonna feed him," he whispered, "Go ahead and go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when I leave for work, okay?"

"Cool," Inko yawned. "Lemme know if you need help."

She paused and elbowed him. "Hey Toshi."

"Hm?"

"No dragon dreams." Inko held up two fingers in a victory sign. 

That made for the first night in four months. 

Toshinori blinked, then broke into a wide grin. "No dragon dreams!" he whispered back, high-fiving Inko.

Toshinori inched out of the room and shut the door behind him. Gran Torino was waiting expectantly in the living room. Toshinori did a double take when he saw the bottle already on the coffee table.

"So, um, this is Izuku," Toshinori said as he took a seat on the couch. 

With one hand, he snagged a c-shaped pillow from the floor and set it over his legs. When he had settled Izuku on the boppy, he shifted to let Sorahiko see him better.

"Look, Izuku, that's, uhhhh...that's...Grand...pa...I guess?"

Sorahiko pretended not to hear the "grandpa" introduction. 

If he admitted that he appreciated it, it would simultaneously mean admitting he was old, and that was just not happening. 

"He's already got freckles?" he asked, "He ain't even seen the sun yet!"

The spots did kind of look like freckles, but the doctor had assured them that they were just birthmarks. Tiny, symmetrical clusters of stars marked each round cheek. The markings were so small that they could only be recognized as stars under a magnifying glass. 

"They're birthmarks," Toshinori explained. "They're supposed to fade as he gets older."

Sorahiko made a noncommittal grunt in response. He shuffled closer and examined the child carefully. The tips of the baby's ears were just the tiniest bit pointed, and his pupils seemed to narrow like a cat's as he approached. Aside from that, he greatly resembled the woman Toshinori had been dating. 

If he hadn't been in the know about the dreams and the bizarre imprint-markings business, Sorahiko might've thought that Toshinori's girlfriend literally was the absent mother of the egg. Or rather, the hatchling. 

"You're really serious about raising this kid as your own?" he asked.

"He is my own," Toshinori answered. "I know it sounds weird. I can't explain it. I just know that in this world or any other, he's my baby."

There was a grim look in Sorahiko's eyes. Something almost haunted.

"You know he's gonna have a target on his back. Probably already has one. And your girlfriend? Midoriya is in danger, too. Symbol of Peace or not, you won't always be present to protect them. You sure you want to do this?"

Are you sure you can survive if what happened to Nana happens to you?

That was what he was really asking. When Toshinori realized this, the spike of anger he'd felt faded as quickly as it had come. Gran Torino was trying to look out for him, even if his method was gruff.

"I will do this," Toshinori said quietly. "Inko and I...we don't love each other yet, or rather, we love each other, but not romantically right now. But we're friends. Pretty good friends, I'd be willing to say. And whatever Izuku did when he imprinted on us, it's like it tied us together. We're a family now, and family takes care of family."

Izuku began to fuss in that thin little cry, rapidly turning red as if he'd just realized that being outside his egg meant no automatic food supply. Toshinori adjusted his position and clucked his tongue.

"Oh! It's okay, it's okay, I didn't forget to feed you!"

He kissed the baby's brow and took a moment to just breathe in the new-baby smell that still clung to his skin.

"Okay, little one, okay." He reached out and grabbed the bottle from the table, testing a drop on his wrist like the pamphlet said. "Daddy knows, Daddy knows. Bottle's coming."

It took a few tries to find the best position to feed him in. Toshinori shrugged sheepishly at his former teacher, who was watching him incredulously. 

"It's trial and error," he mumbled. "The pamphlet didn't say what to do when your baby is only as big as your hand."

Sorahiko snorted. "That's a normal-sized baby. You're just a giant."

Toshinori cracked a tired grin. "Yeah...you're probably right."

[ask-the-riders]

iiiiiiii have no idea what to call this

It's basically a snippet of back toward when War first became a rider and how her relationship with Death was, and then in comparison, a snippet of her future, to show how much her relationship with him has improved

The bit that takes place in the future may be very mildly suggestive, because Pest is... well, Pest

"DAMNIT, I SAID I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" War screeched angrily, her sockets clouded with wars as she thrashed, blindly trying to fight off the reaper who'd come to her aid. Her struggling continued, despite the several busted ribs, numerous cuts and large bruises, and her all but shattered sternum, and Death let out a deep sigh, his magic holding the glitch in place.

At this rate, she'd end up only hurting herself further. Being the newest addition to the team, he couldn't risk losing her already. Staying back just out of arms reach, he spoke, "Hey, listen to me, War. You need to stop struggling so much. With the shape you're in, you stand the chance of making it even worse. If you hold still for me, I can heal you."

War growled and narrowed her sockets defiantly, "What will it take for you to understand that I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP?!" Death scoffed, "War, cut the bullshit, will ya? When I got here, you were on the ground, almost unable to move. You were nearly screaming in agony, and you were bawling your eyes out." The female rider growled again in irritation, and at her silence, he continued, "Just let me heal you... please. After that, we can go home. I won't tell anyone what happened here, since I know how adamant you are about not letting anyone see you like that."

The glitch refused to answer, huffing and crossing her arms over her chest. Suddenly being reminded of her nearly shattered sternum, her sockets widened and she bit back a pained cry. Squeezing her sockets shut and trying to force back her tears, her figure began to glitch and she seemed to deflate, her voice a broken mumble, "Fine... You're probably gonna do it anyway, so just hurry up and get it over with."

Death rolled his visible eye light, carefully moving closer and beginning to heal her injuries. Once finished, his magic released her, and much to Death's surprise, she collapsed, clearly trembling as she attempted to get back up. The reaper's scythe vanished into thin air and he hoisted her up into his arms without warning, paying no mind as her cheekbones immediately flushed bright blue and she yelped.

Processing what was happening, she squirmed and made a face, "What are you doing?! I can walk fine on my own, I don't need you!" Death arched a brow bone and opened a portal, "Uh huh, sure. We're just gonna ignore how you collapsed the second my magic let go of you, aren't we?" War instinctively clung to his robes, on high alert as they passed through the portal, now in a hallway back at their home.

Still unable to see, War shifted, clearly uneasy as she heard a door open. Death carried her into another room, and a door closed. She was set down on some hard surface and she furrowed her brow bones in confusion. As she heard the bath suddenly turn on, water pouring into the tub at a rapid speed, her sockets widened again and she froze up. Oh god. He wasn't gonna try to bathe her, was he?

Apparently, the answer was yes.

As she felt her scarf be removed, followed by her satchel, she attempted to shove him back, "Hey, hey, hey, hold on a damn minute! There's no way in hell you're undressing me, creep!" His grip was firm yet gentle as he pulled her shoes off, dropping them on the bathroom floor. Ignoring her concerns, he hummed, "War, come on. Seriously. You were badly injured and even after being healed, you still look pretty gross. You don't have the strength to stand, so therefore, you probably can't do this by yourself either."

He began to tug at her shirt and she screamed, her figure glitching wildly, "GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF ME, DEATH." The elder rider let out a deep sigh in mild aggravation, "Oh come on, knock it off, War. I'm not doing this to be a creep. For God's sake, I've basically been with you since you were a kid. I've seen you grow up. I'm not doing this for any reason other than to help you."

The glitch continued struggling and the reaper hissed, "War, don't make me use magic. If I have to use magic to make you sit still, you won't like it." Scowling as she slapped his hand away, War snapped, "I'm not gonna like it either way, now get the fuck away from me, you cradle robber!" Death felt one of his sockets twitch and he pinched the bridge of his nose, "War, you don't have the strength to do this by yourself. You need help. It's either gonna be me, Famine, or Pestilence. Take your pick."

The female rider fell silent and he pressed on, "Between the two of us, I get the feeling Pest would love to see you naked. Fam's a little different, but I can't promise that he won't stare, too." War remained silent, her glitching visibly growing worse. She continued to hesitate, and as Death began to tug at her shirt again, she offered no resistance, nor did she make any effort to make the task easier for him.

As soon as he finished stripping her of her clothes, he lifted her again, carrying her toward the tub and gently lowering her into the warm water. The instant his touch was gone, War curled in on herself, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them as tight as she could. Death backed up a bit to give her some space, and he was unable to shake the guilt that began to gnaw at his soul as she hid her face, trying to muffle her voice as she let out a broken sob.

He tried to remind himself that he'd only been trying to help her, but in watching her tremble and sob the way she was, he began to question himself. Just... what was the point of all that? Why did he do something after she repeatedly told him no?... Was he really even helping?

He reached out, his fingertips brushing over her arm, "War, I-" At the contact, the female rider jerked back as if she'd been burnt, and she screamed, "GET AWAY FROM ME, BASTARD! JUST GET THE HELL AWAY, AND DON'T FUCKING COME BACK." His shoulders sank and he murmured a soft apology, silent as he exited the bathroom.

She... hated him, by the sounds of it. Then again, he couldn't blame her. There wasn't a single person he'd met that didn't fear or hate him. Even he wasn't a fan of himself, after all.

It'd been a while since then, and at the current point in time, War was lounging on the living room sofa, curled up to her soulmate and completely at ease with her head lying on his shoulder. He'd wrapped an arm around her waist, his hand gently resting on her swollen belly, and she didn't appear to mind, only making a face as she felt their unborn child shifting inside her. Having also felt the movement of their baby, Pest's sockets momentarily widened in surprise, before he sighed, his expression softening as he affectionately nuzzled War's head, pressing a soft kiss to her skull and humming softly, his cheekbones dusting a faint shade of green, "Well someone seems just as energetic as ever."

War playfully scoffed, arching a brow bone at him, "Yeah? And whose fault is that, I wonder." Pestilence chuckled softly, rolling his eye lights, "Mmn... Definitely not mine." His soulmate made another face and she very slowly sat up, just enough to be comfortable as she rested a hand on her belly, softly rubbing as she teased, "Oh shut up, Pest. You know how much they love their daddy already... Always rolling around and practically doing gymnastics in there whenever you touch me." Pestilence snickered, suggestively wiggling a brow bone at her and purring, "Well damn. Looks like I'm not the only one who likes it when my hands are on you. I mean... I already knew you loved it, but the kid?"

War's cheekbones flushed a bright shade of blue and she flicked her tongue at him, "...Pervert." He laughed softly again, scooting closer to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. As he slid a hand beneath her shirt to touch her ecto body directly, the baby could be felt moving again. Pestilence blinked, taking a moment to process what just happened before a grin slowly stretched across his face and he leaned down, gently laying his head on her belly as he sighed softly, visibly content. His cheekbones dusted a soft shade of green as he murmured faintly, "Hey there, kiddo... It's your dad. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. You and your mom, both... You really are our little miracle, y'know that?..."

As he continued softly speaking to the baby, War's expression softened and she smiled to herself, affectionately caressing the top of his skull. Man... The baby wasn't even born yet, and he'd already showered them with so much love. He'd be amazing father, and she didn't doubt that for even a single moment.

Despite the sound of a door opening and closing, followed by the air growing cold, the pair of soulmates were completely at ease, both enamored by their unborn child. Death began to make his way across the room, briefly pausing to glance at them and smile slightly, shaking his head. Well aware of his presence, War attempted to glance back at him over her shoulder and the back of the couch, calling out to him, "Hey Death, c'mere for a second." The reaper paused again, arching a brow bone, "What for?"

War hummed, "The baby's pretty active right now. I wanted you to come feel it." Death stopped, briefly stealing a wide eyed, surprised glance in her direction. He cleared his throat, "I, uh... I don't think that's a good idea." This response caused War's brow bones to furrow in confusion and concern, "What? Why?" The god of death let out a deep sigh, his smile almost turning sad, "My touch, War. I don't wanna kill your baby. I'd never want that to happen, not ever." The female rider gently nudged Pest's shoulder and he sat up, already understanding the gesture. War called out to Death again, "I think it'd be ok, though. They're born from two members of the group, both of which are immune to your touch." The god shook his head again and began to walk, heading for the hallway that led to his room, "I don't wanna risk anything, ok? I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to the baby."

War narrowed her sockets, grunting as she pushed herself up from the couch. She began to follow the reaper, frowning as she watched him, "Why are you so worried? If your touch kills babies, then how the hell is Mortem not dead? You and Connie had him before she was even part of this group, and he's fine, D. Morty's fine." Death's saddened smile shifted into a frown and he froze in place, "I was hesitant to touch him, War. Connie was persistent though, and I couldn't say no to her. I loved her, and every time she looked even a little sad when I refused to hold him, it made me feel so, so very guilty. I warned her what could happen, and she... she kept insisting..."

His body jolted in surprise as War wrapped her arms around him from behind, laying her head on his back and making a soft sound of acknowledgement, "Yeah?... Tell me how both of you reacted when you held him for the first time... How happy and relieved were you, Death?" The reaper was silent for a moment, his voice noticeably softer than before, "I... Connie was just... over the moon excited. She had these big stars in her sockets, and she was smiling, almost in tears. She kept hugging me, kissing my face... saying how proud she was of me. When I saw that my touch hadn't turned my son to dust, I was so relieved. I was so relieved that I cried, War. It was hard for me to put him down after that... All I wanted was to keep him close to me."

War nodded, her voice a low mumble, "I know... You're a good dad, Death. Everyone here can see that, too. Especially when you're with Morty. That boy loves you so much, y'know that? I know you'd never let anything happen to him." She paused, releasing the reaper from her grasp. As she slipped around in front of him and gently took one of his hands, tugging it toward her belly, she continued, offering him a slight smile and hoping to give some reassurance, "Which is why I trust you with this... Despite your job and what you do, you're a good person. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't trust you as much as I do, you know that, right?"

Death slowly nodded, his body tensing as she gently pressed his open palm to her stomach. In response to the new touch, the baby did a flip, dragging a startled noise from it's mother, all while Death's sockets widened and he stared. As his frame began to relax again, he very gently stroked her stomach with his thumb, his cheekbones dusting a faint shade of sky blue. Her own cheekbones becoming a soft shade of it's respective deep blue, she smiled, fighting back an amused snort as the unborn infant kicked at the elder rider's hand, "Pfft. What'd I tell ya? Everything's fine, see?... The baby's ok, and if I didn't know any better, I'd even say they liked you."

Death glanced back up at War's face, his blush darkening the smallest bit as he absentmindedly began to pick at her shirt, his voice coming out smaller than intended, "...Can I? Please?... I'm curious if I can see them yet." Despite her own blush darkening as well, the female rider rolled her eye lights, feigning annoyance, "Yeah, yeah. Go for it, D." Death couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, his hands moving to very gently push her shirt up over her belly. Peering at the deep blue ecto with an obvious interest, the reaper very gently touched her again, both hands on her stomach now. War watched him, staying silent throughout her ever increasing embarrassment as he tilted his head, almost giddy as the baby lightly kicked at one of his hands again.

Her gaze shifted downward and she drew in a soft breath as she watched the darker colored mass inside her shift. As a tiny hand outstretched to press against her belly, her sockets widened and she felt tears prick at her eyes; this... this was really happening. She was really pregnant. She was really going to be a mom. Pestilence was really going to be a dad.

Also seeing the tiny hand, Death's own eyes widened and he stared in awe, at a loss for words. As Pest appeared behind War, he gently gripped her hips and pressed closer to her, wearing a small smile as he watched Death attempt to delicately poke at the baby through her stomach, as if testing to see what it'd do next. Noticing how his soulmate had become teary eyed, Pest let out a soft sigh, pressing a soft kiss to her jaw.

Not wanting to see his lady love crying, he figured it was time for a distraction. He began to slowly slide his hands up her sides, his soft smile turning mischievous; and what better distraction to provide than grabbing her a little? He delivered a soft squeeze to her chest and murmured something to her, earning a startled yelp as her blush visibly darkened. Her sockets began to cloud with wars and she suddenly whirled around, practically seething in an effort to hide how flustered she was, "DAMNIT PEST, NOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHERS!" Completely unapologetic, Pestilence chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, his cheekbones tinted green, "Oops, my bad." War growled in irritation, narrowing her eyes at him. Before she had the chance to spit out a string of expletives, her body jerked in surprise and glitched as another set of arms wrapped around her excitedly.

Recognizing the familiar feeling of the other female rider's ecto pressing against her, War let out a deep sigh, "Hey there, Connie. I suppose you're here to feel the baby move too?" In response, Conquest continued hugging her, giving her a soft squeeze before pulling back and smiling slightly, "I'd like that, yes. If you're uncomfortable though, that's alright." War shook her head, her cheekbones still stained bright blue, "Nah, it's fine. Go ahead, I guess."

Conquest grinned widely, visibly glowing with excitement as she gently placed her hands on War's stomach. War glanced at Pestilence again, making a face, "Well, you might as well go see it Fam and Ret feel like doing this too, Pest. It'd at least give you something to do that doesn't involve getting handsy with me." Her soulmate shamelessly blew a kiss at her and made a sound of acknowledgement, "Awe, c'mon babe. Y'know you love it when I'm handsy." War's blush darkened even further and she shot him a half-hearted glare; laughing softly, he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and began to make his way out of the room. Watching him leave, War let out a faint sigh; she had no clue what she was getting into when she'd agreed to start a family with him, but as the days progressed, she was getting a better and better idea.

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Quarantine fun times and tickles; Joe Mazzello x reader

*Author’s note*

As many of us in the BoRhap fandom know from Joe’s recent video, I couldn’t help but make a fanfic inspired from that video that just makes me smile from ear to ear. In light of these dark times, esp. when states or countries are officially going on FULL lockdown isolation. But I hope in light of the events going on in the world, this fic gives you guys some fluffy feels. Just side note I DO NOT OWN any of the shows mentioned here, they belong to their owners and stations.

Taglist:

@psychosupernatural​

@plethora-of-things​

@waddles03​

@queendeakyy​

@geek-and-proud​

@simonedk​

@kairosfreddie​

@soy-guey​

@ixchel-9275​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

__________________________________________________________

With this whole Corona quarantine putting everyone in isolation, I was thankful that my boyfriend of over 3 years Joe Mazzello was home again.  He was doing some film with my favorite childhood actress Ashley Tisdale (of course he wouldn’t tell me the name of the project, just something having to do with ducks and them up in a farm).  But now the project has been put on hold and now Joe and I were stuck at home just doing whatever.

I was currently sitting down in the living room watching the Ridiculousness weekend marathon that MTV is doing every weekend in order to keep everyone inside.  The show was one of my guilty pleasures cause it’s the only show on MTV I watch.  

Yeah they do some of the gross stuff like puking or farts, but they also do some really funny, epic or cute videos (and those are what I love).

I just saw a video of a man trying to leap up on a trashcan and he managed to successfully jump up on top of it and not fall through.  But when his friend tried to do the same trick, his feet went right through the lid and he as well as the trashcan fell over and he slammed his back right on the concrete.

“Ohh! Ow! He is not Elf material.”

“Too much weight.” Both Steelo and Channel said and I nodded in agreement.  

“Definitely too much weight. That guy was definitely not Elf material. Too much force on his knees when he did the jump.” It was then I heard the muffled shouts of my boyfriend coming up from our room.  “Oh dear, he’s at it again.”

I forced myself off the couch and walked up the stairs and as I got closer to the bedroom, I heard Joe’s voice proclaimed.

“CAN’T TELL THE DIFFERENCE CAN YAH?! I’ll just wear this to auditions. Perfect. THANKS FOR NOTHING!!!” I opened the door and I said.

“Have you finally cracked under the pressure of quarantine again Joey?”

“Baby no I’m making a Youtube video for my channel.” He answered.

“Oh shit I’m sorry.”

“Hey no swearing missy! This is a family show! Folks I’d like to introduce you to someone you know, my lovely lady (y/n). Yeah everybody there’s my gorgeous girl right there.” He turned his camera right at me and I shyly ducked my face into my hands and gave the camera a wave.

“Please tell me you aren’t live streaming right now.”

“Nah I’m just gonna upload it later on.” He set the camera back down and I sat down on the bed and said.

“What’s got you to upset this time? I could hear you screaming from downstairs.”

“Not intentionally mad. Just—tell me and be honest. Do I really look like this stuffed animal broccoli thing?” he held up the bigger sized stuffed broccoli with the smiley face. “Cause a fan said this reminds them of me in Bohemian Rhapsody. And I thought the whole purpose of being a stan was to be nice to them. This qualifies as unattractive.”

He held it up to his face so that I could see if there was a resemblance between the two.  I put on my thinking face and stroked my imaginary beard before I deducted.

“Wow…..they’re right I can hardly tell the difference.”

“R-Really? You too? My god you—see even my own girlfriend turned against me! THANK YOU!!” he cried out.  I shook my head at my silly man before he deeply exhaled and said. “You know what, you deserve a broccoli punch.”

“Oh no!”

“Oh yeah.” He said with a quick nod and had an evil look on his face.

“Joe I love you but I swear to god if you do this there will be no more texting Ben in the group chats for a month.”

“I normally would act all dramatic and plead and beg for you not to do that. But I feel too betrayed to succumb to that.” He grabbed the bigger sized broccoli and I quickly raced out of the room.

But Joe quickly intercepted me and threw me over his shoulder.  I shrieked and repeatedly punched his back.

“Joseph Francis Mazzello III you put me down this minute! Put me down or you will suffer the consequences!” he flipped me over onto the bed and got on top of me.  He grabbed both my wrists and held them up over my head before changing his grip from both hands to just one holding my wrists together.

Then with no warning or even a chance to have me take back my statement, Joe went ahead and gave me one of his infamous ‘broccoli punches’.

“Joe! JOE WAHAHAHAHIHEHEHT! NOOO!!!”

“Nope you must suffer a broccoli punch. Each accounting for your age.”

“WHAT!? YOU’LL DO THIS ALL DAY THEN!!! YOU COUNT SLOW!!!”

“Oh-ho another insult? Well then I’d say we double them then.”

“NOOOOO!! OKAY! OKAY! OKAY I’M SORRY! UNCLE! UNCLE!” He stopped and his face hovered over mine.

“You gonna surrender?”

“Yes.”

“And you take back what you said about me looking like that gross vegetable?”

“Can I just say one thing?”

“If it’s negative, you’re gonna get raspberries on your tummy for five straight minutes. No stopping.” I cupped his face and said.

“The only thing that’s similar between you guys, besides the top head of it when you had the floofy wig, is that both of you have this wide, dazzling, adorable smile.” He looked down at me with an unreadable expression.

But then a split second later, he leaned down and captured my lips with his.  I stroked his scruffy cheek and kissed him back with a little more passion.  I softly moaned as I moved my hand through his messy auburn hair.  His kisses then moved up and down the right side of my neck, getting around my sweet spot (cause I’m more sensitive on the right side of my neck than my left. And Joe LOVES to exploit that).

I felt his hand go under my shirt slowly sliding up as he continued to kiss up and down my neck.  I exhaled a moan and that’s when my attention was sent right to the camera that was still recording.

“Wait. Wait Joe, Joey, Joey!” I said snapping out of it trying to get him off of me.

“What?” he groaned impatiently.

“The camera’s still recording.” I said to him. He turned towards it and made one of those goofy surprise noises he sometimes makes as he quickly raced over towards it and shut it off.  I giggled in embarrassment. “Oh thank god you were not live streaming.”

“Yeah. But on one hand we could relive that moment forever and ever.”

“And on another note, you and I would be jobless.” I sassed him back.

“Good point. Plus I don’t want any perverts looking at your body. The only one allowed to do that is me.” I chuckled and rolled my eyes as him as I threw the smaller broccoli stuffy at him. “Rude much babe!”

“Then stop saying silly stuff!” I said.  ���Other than that, let me see what else the fans have given you.”

“Oh well I know how much you like Russian nesting dolls, so I got this custom made Bohemian Rhapsody nesting doll.” He then showed me what a fan had made him.

“Oh my god.” We sat there on the bed and I held it in my hands. “Of course Rami being the main display, let’s see whose next.” I opened it up and there was Gwilym in his Oscar’s suit.

“You got your Gwilym, my buddy.”

“Yep one of your lovers.” I teased.

“Hey, you know you’re my number 1.”

“Really? I thought that was Ben Cardy.”

“Well—” I shoved his shoulder. “I’m kidding! It’s you. It’s always been you, it’s always gonna be you.” I smiled at him before turning back to the nesting doll.  Next was Ben in his Oscar white suit, wearing his shades and his lips pursed in that “Ooo” fashion.  “And finally you have…..” I opened it up and the smallest doll was my baby Joey.

“You. The heart and soul of the movie.”

“Yep. Me. Inside—of Ben.”

“Ugh gross Joe!” I groaned out.

“Pervert. You’re just as bad as them!” he gestured to the camera.

“You seriously need to think before you speak Joey. Cause I swear…..GAHHH NO NOT AGAIN!!!” he tackled me to the bed and proceeded to tickle my stomach once again.  He even gave the right side of my neck raspberries and ticklish nips.

“Take it back. Take it back.” He ordered me.

“I TAKE IT BACK!! I TAKE IT BAHAHAHACK!!” I proclaimed which made him stop and look down at me. “Why do you always have to tickle me in order to get me to agree with you?”

“Cause it’s fun.” He shrugged nonchalantly.  “And it makes your cuteness factor go way up.” He said as he rose his arm up over his head to show me just how much my cuteness factor is.

“You’re a dork.”

“But I’m your dork. Whom you love and treasure and will never upset because he knows your weakness.” He said as he nuzzled his nose into my neck and squeezed my sides which made me shriek and him chuckle evilly.

“Please Joey no more tickling.” I whined as I pouted up at him.

“Okay no more for today.” He pecked my lips before playfully booped my nose.  We smiled at each other as his nose would gently brush up against mine. “So what shall we do today?”

“You not gonna finish your video for your fan gifts?”

“I’ll finish it later. Besides I’ll need to cut out that brief PG-13 make out session.”

“Yes please do.”

“So since I heard you laughing and groaning downstairs that could only mean you were watching the Ridiculousness marathon. May I join you?”

“You may good sir. Then afterwards we can catch you up on the Marvel movies.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes. I gotta get you on Team Cap before you watch Civil War.”

“Sorry babe, I’m Team Ironman all the way. And I haven’t even watched all of them or in order.”

“Traitor why though!?” I whined.

“Can’t go wrong with RDJ, he’s a legend. How can you turn your back on him? Rami did a freakin movie with him just this year!”

“Yeah but Steve made some good points in the film that you’ll understand. I will convert you to Team Cap by the end.”

“Yeah right.” We got up from the bed as the two of us continued to bicker about who was better Cap or Ironman as we went downstairs and a new episode of Ridiculousness was starting up.

[trensu]

Episode 27: The One where I Want to Punch Basically Every Sect Leader in the Face. Repeatedly. With a Chair.

And we start off back in the rain, AKA OUR ENDLESS TEARS

Wwx is like, do you remember our promise?

And lwj flashbacks TO THEIR LANTERN SCENE FROM THE ONE WHERE LWJ FINALLY SEES THE LIGHT

WE GET TO SEE LWJ’S PRECIOUS BABY FACE AS HE FALLS HEAD OVER HEELS IN THAT FLASHBACK

IT HURTS SO GOOD

Wwx: i wished to stand with justice and live without regrets. But tell me now, who’s strong, who’s weaker? Who’s right and who’s wrong?

Lwj: wei ying! 

Oh god, his voice! HE’S DISTRESSED

Wwx: is this the promise we pledged our lives to keep?

THEY BOTH LOOK SO HEARTBROKEN RN

Oh, look, lwj is doing the deathgrip of gay yearning on bichen again. We haven’t seen that in awhile AND I WISH WE WEREN’T SEEING IT NOW

Okay, but for real, how can lwj look so hurt here when the actor is literally doing nothing with his face??

I know i’ve mentioned that before, BUT C’MON, HOW?? HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK??

Wwx: my only regret is that i didn’t stop the jin clan who took living people as bait

I REGRET YOU NOT TAKING DOWN THE JIN CLAN TOO

WE COULD’VE AVOIDED SO MANY PROBLEMS IF WE’D JUST KILL OFF 90% OF THAT CLAN, OMG

And now wwx is all, i missed my chance to protect wen ning before so now i MUST leave to save him

BC WWX IS THE BEST MOST HONORABLE PERSON IN THE WORLD

Oh no

Oh noooo

He’s pulling out his demon flute. We’re gonna get THAT SCENE

Wwx: lan zhan, if i finally have to fight them, i’d prefer to fight with you

Wwx: if i am doomed to die, at least i can be killed by you. That would be worth it.

HE SAYS THAT BC HE TRUSTS VIRTUOUS LWJ TO STOP HIM IF HE REALLY IS IN THE WRONG

AND I AM SCREAMING IN PAIN RN

BC LOOK AT LWJ’S FACE

HE’S LISTENING TO HIS SOULMATE TELL HIM THAT HE WANTS HIS DEATH TO BE AT HIS HAND

Oh god, he’s doing the bichen deathgrip again

He tears his gaze away from wwx and turns to the side TO LET THEM ALL GO PAST

EYES LOWERED AS HIS HEART BREAKS INTO A MILLION PIECES

HE’S CRYING OH GOD HE’S CRYING

THERE ARE TEARS GOING DOWN HIS FACE, OH GOD WHY IS THIS HAPPENING

HE DIDN’T EVEN CRY WHEN HIS HOME GOT BURNED AND HIS FAMILY WAS MISSING AND/OR DYING

And now he drops his umbrella to the ground AS HE TRIES TO DROWN HIMSELF IN THE RAIN

*HYSTERICAL SOBBING*

THEY PACKED ALL THAT HEARTBREAK INTO THE FIRST 6MIN OF THE EPISODE, WTF, SOMEBODY STAB ME

And after all that emotional torture we get Plot Stuff happening

Blah blah wwx at the burial mounds blah blah sect leader banquet blah blah

Ugh, gross, they’re letting the idiot sect leaders talk again

They’re all blah blah wwx is evil blah blah he murders ppl blah blah we hate him blah blah

SHUT UP YOU BUNCH OF WALKING HUMAN-RIGHTS-VIOLATIONS

This whole part here is so difficult to watch. They’re literally just trash-talking my PRECIOUS SUNSHINE BOY

Jc, lwj, and lxc look visibly uncomfortable with what’s going down and they kind of sort of tried to defend wwx but they didn’t present a united front or hold their ground

Instead they let yao and ouyang run their stupid mouths

Anyway

Here’s little itty bitty bits of almost wangxiantics in the middle of this mess

Jgs: yeah, jc, i know wwx is your trusted bro and all but idk if wwx actually respects your authority. Do something about it, maybe

Lwj: *subtly glares at jgs*

And then everyone joins in on dragging wwx’s name through the mud bc apparently that’s the hot new thing in the cultivator world

If you look closely while this is happening, you can see that lwj legit GRINDS HIS TEETH with how much he’s holding back. MY POOR BB HAVING TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO EVERYONE DISPARAGE HIS SOULMATE

Jgs: wwx totally doesn’t respect you, jc, my bro. Everyone here heard him say how much he thinks you suck or whatever

Lwj: No I didn’t.

OOOOH, LWJ IS ANGRY AS HELL

HE’S OUTRIGHT GLARING AT JGS 

Jgs: what??

Lwj: i never heard wei ying say that, nor did i see him disrespect clan leader jiang

HANGUANG-JUN I LOVE YOU, LOOK AT YOU DEFENDING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, I’M SO PROUD OF YOU 

And ugh, disgusting, jgy steps in to be all “oh, well, wwx said so many awful things that day, who can possibly remember the specifics?”

Lwj visibly swallows here, as if he’s choking back a response, and his lips are all pursed. 

HE’S FURIOUS. HE’S ROILING WITH IMPOTENT ANGER, WHICH IS THE WORST KIND OF ANGER, TBH

That’s all the wangxiantics we get from that terrible awful sect leader banquet

THOSE SECT LEADERS NEED TO GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE

LIKE, A LOT

WITH A CHAIR

OR A TABLE

YOU KNOW WHAT, LET ME JUST TAKE BICHEN AND BEAT THEM ALL WITH IT

OR BETTER, YET, I’LL USE BAXIA. I WON’T EVEN CUT THEM UP. I’LL JUST BEAT THEM WITH THE BROAD PART

*ANGRY YELLING*

Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute! 

This isn’t a wangxiantic

But it is an EPIC MOMENT that should be commemorated.

Because here we get…

*drum roll*

MIANMIAN BEING A BOSS

Jz: blah blah wwx kills our people indiscriminately blah blah

Mm: not indiscriminately

Mm: indiscriminate is not accurate

And everyone around her is like, confused and offended because they’re assholes

Mm: in this specific case, if the overseers did abuse the Wen prisoners and kill wen ning, then what wwx did was not “killing indiscriminately”

Ouyang: nah, the overseers said they never abused/killed anyone

Mm: OF COURSE THEY’D FUCKING SAY THAT. THEY DON’T WANT TO FACE PUNISHMENT, YOU IDIOT

(okay, she didn’t call him an idiot outright or swear, but it was totally there in her tone of voice and also ouyang is an idiot so there)

Mm: you all think you’re so smart and voice your opinions so loudly

Mm: I SECEDE FROM THIS BULLSHIT. FUCK THE JIN CLAN AND YOUR STUPID CLAN POLITICS

And she throws down her jin robes and mARCHES RIGHT OUT OF THAT SHITHOLE WITH HER HEAD HELD HIGH

MIANMIAN PLEASE MARRY ME

Lwj watches her do that and two seconds later follows her out bC HE RECOGNIZES BADASSERY WHEN HE SEES IT (and also she defended the love of his life)

And that badass moment ends

But the banquet of idiots keeps going

The jin clan needs to learn how to shut the fuck up

God, they just go on and on and on

Why are they torturing me like this

OH WAIT, WE’RE OUTSIDE THE BANQUET HALL NOW

We see lwj and mm standing together on a terrace, talking to each other

BUT WE DON’T GET TO HEAR WHAT THEY SAY TO EACH OTHER AND THAT HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY

WHAT DID THEY SAY

TELL MEEEEEEE

Oh, side note to let you all know this direct quote from nmj - “that girl really has a backbone.”

Okay nmj, i’m slightly less angry at you now. I won’t try to beat you with bichen or a table or a chair.

(but now i kinda wish mm would join the nie clan. I think she’d do well there and also i want to see her carry a gigantic saber)

We get some chitchat with the Official Bros™ but idc let’s move on 

(tho i do appreciate the look nmj gives jgy, like, HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME lolol)

Ooooh, now we’re getting lan fam time

ANGRY lan fam time, uh oh.

Lqr: lwj, have you regretted it? I didn’t punish you when you broke into the Forbidden Chamber bc i thought you’d self-reflect 

Lqr: you shouldn’t have gone to qiongqi way and let wwx go. Should you make one mistake after another?

And lwj is kneeling in front of him this whole time with a blank face

Lqr: what’s the use of getting you to memorize the Great Big Book of Lan Fam Rules?? Tell me, what is rule 52?

Lwj: No association with evil

He answers immediately and without any inflection to his voice.

Lqr: did you forget what happened to your father???

AND WE FINALLY GET A REACTION HERE

Lwj practically gasps and lifts his gaze to meet his uncle head-on

Lwj: my mother, she…!

Lqr: hold your tongue!

And just like that, lwj shuts down again; expression flat and gaze lowered

GOD, THIS CLAN HAS HURT HIM SO MUCH THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE

I MEAN, THEY MUST’VE, FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO JUST DISCONNECT LIKE THAT

THAT IS NOT THE BEHAVIOR OF A NORMAL WELL-ADJUSTED PERSON

Basically the entire lan clan needs to go to therapy, like, STAT

Oh, i just noticed, lwj has his fists clenched at his sides. He’s clenching them hard, too. I think they’re trembling a bit, actually…

Lqr: i’ve been taking care of you since you were a kid; you’re like my son.i was strict bc i wanted you to stick to the right path and avoid your father’s tragedy

Lqr: that’s what i wanted to say to you. I hope you choose the right path. You may leave.

Lwj still bows respectfully before taking his leave

And i’m sure y’all are wondering, hey trensu, why did you make us endure that angry lan fam time that hurt us deep in our soul?? That wasn’t wangxiantic at all!

That’s where you're wrong, my friends!

It’s actually SUPER wangxiantic bc lqr kept drawing parallels to lwj’s dad the practically whole time

You know, the dad that married their mother who murdered some guy and had the whole world turn against her. 

(Sound familiar?)

The same mother that dad loved with his entire being and did what he could to keep her safe from the ramifications of her actions? By marrying her? And hiding her in the cloud recesses?

YEAH, HE’S EQUATING WANGXIAN WITH LWJ’S PARENTS’ TRAGIC ROMANCE

Bc, you know, that’s a totally hetero comparison to make lol

Oh, now we get to see our favorite Disaster Het be less of a disaster

We’re not going into detail here bc we’re not here for hetero shenanigans, yuck (actually, i’m apparently weak to Pining Idiots of all kinds bc this whole jzx/jyl scene is giving me tender feelings)

BUT

I do want to add that OMG FOR REAL LWJ AND JZX HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR LOVE LIVES, IT’S FANTASTIC

I NEED 10 MILLION FICS OF THEM COMMISERATING OVER THEIR SHARED DISASTER-NESS

Also, how the HELL did jzx end up being the one who was able to express his intentions clearly? He was all “please don’t go to the burial mounds, stay here with me so i can protect you from all who would want to hurt you”

DAMN IT LWJ, IF YOU’D JUST SAY THAT TO WWX, HE’S UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON. 

YOU CAN’T JUST BE ALL “COME TO GUSU” WITH NO EXPLANATION

Jzx accomplished this before you did, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED.

Huh, okay, i guess i did go into a bit of detail with that hetero nonsense. Oh well.

Now we’re at the burial mounds again with wwx

AND WE SEE A-YUAN PROPERLY FOR THE FIRST TIMEEEEE!!

ANY A-YUAN MOMENT IS BY DEFAULT A WANGXIANTIC, GUYS, TRUST ME.

AAHHHH, WE SEE A-YUAN DO THAT LEG-GRABBY THING HE DOES!!!

HE’S SO CUTE. TOO ADORABLE.

I LOVE YOU A-YUAN

Lol, wwx is all if you don’t let go i’ll plant you like a turnip

And a-yuan plops himself down in the dirt like YOUR THREATS DON’T WORK ON ME, OLD MAN, I LIKE BEING IN THE DIRT

Then he asks wwx for 3 elder brothers and 2 elder sisters, awwww. He thinks wwx can grow them in the garden (like cabbage patch kids!!!)

Plot stuff happens

Blah blah wwx and wq share moment blah blah jc shows up blah blah

Lol

Jc sees that glowing talisman door thing and is like THAT SIGN WON’T STOP ME BC I CAN’T READ

And then whips it down with zidian

Now we get some feelings-laden Yunmeng bros time

A-yuan shows up and leg-grabs jc and it’s ADORABLE

But jc yells at him bc he’s a JERK

Wwx scolds jc and then is a Dad to a-yuan: don’t put your hand in your mouth, you were just touching dirt!

Awww, we get to see jc fight back a smile at this! HE WANTS TO BE AN UNCLE, I JUST KNOW IT.

Plot plot plot stuff happens

More plot stuff happens

And the episode ends with us still in the burial mounds with the yunmeng bros

And you know what, i’m just gonna focus on our BAMF mianmian moment bc quite frankly the rest of the episode either had me in tears of anguish or spitting mad. There was no inbetween. 

I’m gonna end up having blood pressure problems at this rate.

I’m too poor young to have blood pressure problems.

The Jin clan better pay for any medical bills I get because of them, I'm just saying

Return to Masterpost

[chickensarentcheap]

Best Part of Me -Chapter 77

Warnings: none

Tagging: @innerpaperexpertcloud​, @alievans007​, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​

“Easiest way to do this is to park on the east side of the Sultana Kamal Bridge,” Esme instructs,  face emotionless and eyes riveted on the road in front of them.

The closer they get to the city center, the more powerful the anxiety grows; gnawing at her stomach and tying it into knots and painfully tightening her chest. The mere thought of being in Bangladesh itself has been nerve wracking enough, but being minutes from the downtown core and from the single most traumatic event of her life has her body and mind rebelling. Incessant nausea accompanied by a pounding headache; her heart thundering in her chest and sweat gathering at her temples and along the nape of her neck.  She feels light headed and repeatedly wrings her perspiration slicked hands together and bounces her leg up and down. The beginning of the ride had been tolerable, but when weather beaten high rises and smaller, derelict apartments began to appear on the horizon, the situation became far too real. It’s terrifying and puts her already frazzled nerves on high alert, and there’s nothing she wants more than to tell Koen to stop and turn around; go back to the house and get someone else to do the dirty work. To find a way back to Mumbai and her children; wait the situation out and hope  and pray that they can go home sooner rather than later.   But it isn’t that easy. She can’t simply walk away and wash her hands of it. Not when Neysa and Aarev are being held captive and especially not when her own family is being threatened.  There’s not a single escape   that doesn’t involve going directly into town. And unfortunately, the quickest way in -and out- is over that bridge.

“You sure about that?” Koen asks, a frown curving his lips. “Doesn’t seem easy. Or smart for that matter.”

“It’s way too crowded right downtown,” she reasons. “Especially at this time of the day. This is prime market hours. I’ve been here; I know what the streets are like and I know they’re crowded and damn near impossible to navigate in a car.”

“And if shit goes down, we have a hell of a long way back to our ride,” he informs her.

“If shit goes down, it won’t matter where we’re parked. Thirty inches away, thirty feet, thirty yards, thirty miles. If something goes wrong, we won’t make it back to the car no matter how close it is.”

“So how do we get back? If something does fuck up?”

“We don’t. At least not until nightfall. We find somewhere safe to hunker down until things have calmed and we can start moving again. And that’s IF we get that far. You do realize what will happen to us if we’re caught, right? If Asif’s people catch on or the cops figure out we’re connected to Tyler? Chances are, we won’t survive long enough to see the sun go down.”

“Jesus Christ…”

“I know places where we can hide out if we need to. But they’re only good if we can get to them. We have to get into town and be smart and be quick. The longer we’re there, the higher the chance of things going to shit. I learned that the hard way. I don’t want you to learn it too.”

“But if we…”

“You have to listen to me!” Esme snaps, and he blinks at the force in her voice. “I’ve been here before. I know the city and I know the market area and I am telling you that the best thing to do is park on the east side of the bridge. There’s a clearing there; it’s where we got Ovi out. And if you want to get out of this, you’ll learn from my mistakes. Because I made enough of them seven years ago and I don't want to make any now. I have too much to lose and I won’t let you fuck this up!”

Silence descends on the car, and she places an elbow on the ledge of her window and her palm against her forehead. Eyes closed as she battles both increasing nausea and the flood of tears that threaten to escape. It’s all too much; the sunlight glistening of the waters of the Buraganga, the cityscape in the near horizon, the faint outline and expanse of the bridge in the distance, even Amir Asif’s home -still occupied and majestic; looming down river.

“I’m sorry,” her voice trembles. . “I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“That was hardly yelling, kiddo. You’d make a great third wife if you think THAT’S yelling.”

She manages a small laugh. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m just stressed and tired and scared. And this baby has me hormonal as fuck already.”

“You know, that last part could have been prevented had you just told him to roll over and go to sleep,” Koen teases, then drops a hand from the steering wheel and lays it on the back of her neck, gently massaging. “It’s okay, sunshine. I get it. I understand.”

“This place...Dhaka...that bridge...it’s nothing but horrible memories and a lot of suffering and a lot of trauma and nightmares and bullshit. I do NOT want to be here. I don’t even want to be in Bangladesh. Or Mumbai. I just want to be home; with my husband and my kids and my dogs. I want to wake up in the morning to the sound of the ocean and fall asleep to it at night. And I want to sit on my back porch and watch my kids play and hear them giggle and squeal. And I want to cuddle up to my husband knowing he’s safe and sound and that there’s no one out there that wants to hurt him. That’s all I want. And I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

“It’s not. It’s definitely not.”

“I almost lost him to this place once, and I don’t want the second time to be successful. I know I pride myself in being a strong, independent woman, but I can’t lose him. I CAN do this life alone...raise the kids by myself...but I don’t want to. That man is my entire world; he’s my best friend and he’s my lover and he’s my confidant. He’s my ‘person’. And if that makes me weak and pathetic for saying all that, I don’t give a shit. It���s true. I love him in a way I thought I could never love another human being. And I’m not ready to let that go. To let HIM go.”

“It won’t come to that,” Koen assures her. “I’ll see to it. That it doesn’t happen.”

“Tyler showed up at a time in my life when I’d given up on ever trusting a man again. Mark was a terrible person, he destroyed me in every possible way and Tyler came along and he picked up those pieces and put them back together and he never once complained about it. He just did it. In his own way.  He always talks about how I saved him, but he doesn’t realize he did the same thing for me. That he saved me in every possible way a person can be saved. If I'd never met him, I probably wouldn’t even be here. Because I was just as much of a mess as he was and just as ready to give up on everything.”

“I never realized it was that bad. That YOU were that bad.”

“There’s a lot of things people don’t know.  That only Tyler knows. But believe me when I say that I was broken and I was lost and he found me. We found EACH OTHER.  And he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t care how cliche it sounds or who hears me say it. It’s the truth. And I didn’t let Mahajan or Asif’s people take him from me. I didn’t let them the first time, and I won’t let it happen this time either.”

“You’re a tough little shit," Koen praises. “You know that?”

“A tough little shit bawling like a baby in front of you? Yeah, that screams tough.”  She uses the backs of her hands to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Don’t tell Tyler I got like this, okay? He worries enough. He doesn’t need to know about my mental breakdown.”

“Your secret is safe with me, kiddo. But I’m afraid I have some things to say that might make you cry some more.”

“”Oh great! Just what I need; looking like a wreck on the job.”

“Now this is all between me and you, because we both know how embarrassed he gets about feelings and emotions and all of that crap. Just between us, yeah?”

Esme nods.

“First, I have to start off by letting you know that he is wildly and crazily, head over heels,  in love with you. More than he thinks he could ever possibly tell you. So if he doesn’t say it a lot, just know he’s feeling it.  That every time he looks at you, he sees his entire world in front of him. The most beautiful, incredible woman on the planet.”

“He told you that? That came out of his mouth? Was he drunk?”

“Stone cold sober. He does say things WHILE he’s drunk, but those are triple x rated, so…”

Esme laughs. “Of course they are.”

“He is terrified of losing you. Right scared shitless. And he isn’t scared of much and he certainly doesn’t admit what he IS scared of. He doesn't want to do this life without you, and he’s pretty convinced he wouldn’t be able to. I’ve seen women come and go out of his life; mostly one night stands or girls in different places he could go to for getting his rocks off.”

“Nik?”

“Nik meant nothing. He’s not lying when he says that. There wasn’t anything there; at least not for him. And I knew his ex. Sarah. Spent some time with her.”

“”Yeah, I had the pleasure of meeting her. When they shipped him from the hospital here to the one in Sydney.  That was a...pleasant...experience.”

“He thought he was in love with her.  High school sweetheart, mother of his first kid. She treated him like complete shit and they’re both at fault for how that whole thing ended up. But when you came along? When I first met you at the hospital and I talked to him about you? I could tell you were different. That what he was FEELING was different. And I saw how he looked at you; how his whole face just lit up when you walked into the room. The way he’d smile at you and how the whole tone of his voice would change when he talked to you. He had it bad even then; I could tell.”

“Maybe he was still caught in the afterglow of those five days.”

“It was more than that. We all knew it. And I’ve known Tyler a long time; I’ve seen him at his worst. And when you came along, I could see how badly he wanted to change. How much he wanted to be the man you needed him to be. That you deserved. And he worked at it. He STILL works at it. You could have easily walked away after Dhaka. Even with a baby in your belly.”

“I didn’t want to walk away.” Esme says. “I wanted to be with him. I wanted to see if we could make something out of nothing. And we did. We made something so amazing.”

“No way he was letting you go. He knew he had a good thing.  He wasn’t going to fuck that up.”

“We were both a mess. And somehow we’ve managed to not make an even bigger one and not totally screw up our children.”

“Those kids are incredible. They’re beautiful. The best of both of you. And they’re here because you looked past just how messed up their daddy was and you saw the potential in him. He was screwed up, but you still managed to see he was a good person...a good man...under all that. And you gave him a chance. To prove that he mattered. That his life meant something.”

“His life has always meant something to me. And it means everything to his kids. He’s our entire existence. He’s the one that keeps it all together when it feels like it’s falling apart. And it WILL fall apart; if something happens to him. If he doesn’t make it out of here…”

“He will,” Koen insists. “I’ll make sure of it. I’ll make sure he gets out and gets back to you and those littles. I promise.”

She gives a  small, hopeful smile.

“And thank you. For taking care of him like you do. For giving him this life. And for loving him like you do.”

“Your voice…” her voice cracks once more. “...you are going to make me cry again..”

“Some things just need to be said,” he reasons, and runs a palm over the top of her head and down her hair. “Just in case.”

****

“We have a problem.”

It’s difficult to make out what she’s saying; a mixture of poor signal and the near deafening sound of vehicle horns blasting and impatient, flustered yelling of people gathered around her. But there’s no mistaking THAT tone of voice. Fear and worry and a whole lot of anxiety.  He had  just managed to fall asleep -a combination of pure mental exhaustion and another handful of meds- when the phone rang; startling him awake and leaning him disoriented and lightheaded. The extra dose of dilaudid making his head spinning; drowsy despite the nap and sweat beading across his forehead and the back of his neck.  And he grimaces as he sits up on the couch, wincing as he stretches his legs out in front of him and then reaches across his body to rub his shoulder. All those drugs and it STILL persists; that dull, incessant throb deep within the joint and the numbness in his hand.

“What’s wrong? You okay?”

“We parked on the south side of the Sultana Kamal bridge. I figured it was easier to walk in then deal with the traffic and the crowds around the market.”

“Good thinking.” he praises. “Definitely the best way to go. What's the problem?”

“They’ve locked the bridge down. All of the bridges, apparently. They’re not letting anyone through without showing proper ID.”

“You got it, yeah? The one Anil got for you?”

“I do. But that’s not the point. If they’re doing this, they know you’re here. How the hell would they know? We were so careful; coming from the airport.  How do they know you’re here?”

“I have no idea.”

“Someone is feeding these people information. Someone inside. You need to call Anil and let him what’s going on; tell him he needs to figure this out. How are you supposed to do an extraction if you can’t even get into the city? They will kill you on sight, Tyler.”

“I’ll have to figure that out. Is it just the cops?”

“Military too. This is some serious fucking deja vu. As if being on this bridge isn’t bad enough…”

“Are you okay?”

“Not really,” Esme admits. “They have pictures of my husband that they’re comparing to everyone that walks or drives across. So no; I’m not okay.”

“I need you to stay calm. I need you to get over the bridge, get shit done, and get back here safe and sound. I know it sucks; being there on the bridge. But I need you to stay calm. If they see you freaking out, they’ll know something is up. So I need you to settle down.”

“What do we do? If we can’t get out? What do you want us to do? If they lock the city down completely?”

“You call me. You call me and I’ll come and get you. You find somewhere to hide you and I will find a way to get there and get you out.”

“They’ll kill you. If they see you…”

“Better me than you.”

“And if we get caught?”

“Don’t fight them. Let them take you. You fight, they’ll make it worse on you. And if that happens...IF you get caught...I still come get you. Right now, I need you to just relax and get shit done, okay? In and out. No mistakes. Not a single fucking one.”

She gives an uneasy laugh. “No pressure, right?”

“You’ll be alright. You’ve got this. You’ve done this kind of thing hundreds of times.”

“Not when there’s so much at stake, I haven’t. I feel sick. Like really sick.”

“You’re working yourself up. Just try and stay calm. I wish I was there with you; I wish I was the one keeping an eye on you.”

“I wish that too. I’d feel a lot better about all of this if you were here.”

“And it should be me. With you.”

“Koen has things under control. I trust him. Not in the same way I trust or as hard and as deep as I trust you, but…”

“You’re going to be okay. You run into any trouble, you call me. You call me and I’ll get you out.”

“I love you, Tyler. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. You’ve got this. I know you too.”

“I’ll call if I need to,” she promises, and then disconnects the call.

Sighing heavily, he tosses his cell onto the coffee table and then leans forward and places his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.   It’s his worst nightmare; her out on the street without him to keep an eye on her. As much as he trusts Koen and knows his friend would stop at nothing to keep her safe, he also knows Koen’s limits. He hasn’t been on the job that long, and despite his years in the military, he simply doesn’t have the skill level or the experience that Tyler has. And it's hard as hell. Being able to do nothing but sit back and wait while his entire heart is out there walking around, putting itself in danger.

He feels nauseous, and both his head and his heart pound furiously. He squeezes his eyes shut and drops his chin to his chest; attempting to steady himself -and his nerves- with long, slow intakes of breath through constricted lungs. It’s the start of a panic attack; he recognizes the fast, irregular heartbeat and the twisting and knotting in his chest and stomach, the perspiration that dampens his hairline. All he can think of is the worst case scenario; Asif’s people grabbing her and spending days...even weeks...making her beg for mercy and eventually death. Doing disgusting and horrendous things to her; abusing her in ways that will make his nightmares seem tame. And they’ll make sure he witnesses it; whether it be through photographs or videos or even forcing her to call him.

His eyes snap open as he reaches for his cell phone; prepared to call Anil and let him know of the hurdles awaiting him in the city center. Pausing when his eyes fall on the bottle of meds sitting nearby. He’s already tripled the recommended daily dose and it’s not even past noon. But there’s no denying the pain; the throbbing in his shoulder and knee and the gnawing in his stomach. And his hands violently tremble as he reaches for the bottle, resorting to using his teeth to twist off the cap. Feeling shame and guilt as he lets four pills drop into his mouth and then swallows them dry.

****

“Something’s not right,” Esme says, as she drops her cell phone into her bag.

The heat is stifling and the humidity nearly unbearable; the Dhaka sun bright and punishing as it beats down on the pedestrians crammed shoulder to shoulder on the bridge. She refuses to acknowledge her surroundings. Choosing to walk along the curb as opposed to near the railing; keeping her eyes straight ahead and never looking down at the ground or out at the river. It’s still too hard; the memories still so fresh and vivid.  Easily able to recall the exact spot in the cracked and dirty sidewalk when he’d been dying in her arms and she’d resorted to sticking her fingers in his neck to save his life. She can still hear the staccato of gunfire and the cries of the wounded and dying and smell spent lead and spilt gasoline. Still able to see the burnt out shells of cars and trucks and mangled, bloody bodies.

“There’s nothing right about any of this,” Koen grumbles, a hand resting protectively on the small of her back, keeping her half a step in front of him as they make their way to the checkpoint.

“That’s true. But I meant with Tyler. Something isn’t right with him.”

“He seemed fine this morning.”

“He is FAR from fine. Things have gotten so much worse since the night he was jumped. The pain is intense and he’s suffering more and more and I don’t know what else I can do for him, other than forcing him to go to the doctor when we get home.”

“Just keep loving on him like you do and taking care of him. I know he appreciates it; Even if he won’t admit. And Lord knows he’s stressed and he’s worried and he’s got a lot on his mind. Makes sense he’s not himself.”

“It’s more than that. He didn’t sound like himself. He sounded...off. He didn’t sound like Tyler. I KNOW his voice; I know its changes and all the different ways it can sound depending on his mood. And that? I haven’t heard that Tyler in a long time. Since our battle trying to beat Oxy. He almost sounds like he’s on it; he’s groggy and just out of it and his accent is even thicker. It’s hard to explain.”

“He was probably napping. You probably woke him up.”

“No. I know what he sounds like when he first gets up in the morning or when he wakes with the baby. It wasn’t that. I know it wasn’t. It’s weird, right? That I notice those things? The changes in his voice? That must seem weird to you.”

“He’s your husband; You spend that long with someone, you notice things. Even the smallest of them.”

“How come you didn’t stay married?” she asks. “Why didn’t any of your wives work out?”

“Marriage isn’t for everyone, sunshine. I happen to be one of those who can’t be married AND happy. I just can’t. Can’t be tied down like that. I like not having to answer to anyone. Doing what I want, when I want.’

“But did you love either of them?”

“Love is...subjective.”

“Humour is subjective. Love is love. You either feel it or you don’t. So did you? Love either of them? Tyler said he liked the second one. What was her name? Kim? He said she was really nice; that she seemed crazy about you. How come you didn’t hang onto her?”

“She was friends with Sarah. His ex. So once they split up for good, it kind of made things difficult between Kim and I. I know he fucked up...HUGE…but I also know what she was like. I know she was always cheating on him and doing him wrong. A lot of us didn’t even think the kid was his.”

Esme arches a brow. “Really?”

“We had our doubts. For good reason, too. He’s never told you that?”

“No. I guess he’s never felt a reason to. But knowing Tyler, it wouldn’t have mattered to him if Austin wasn’t really his. He would have loved him and taken care of him anyway.”

“That big heart of his is going to be his downfall one day.”

“Nik doubted Millie. Hell. I think Tyler even doubted Millie when I first got pregnant. Which is understandable.; I totally didn’t blame him for questioning it. But her? Even when Millie was a baby and even a toddler, she tried putting it in his head that Millie wasn’t his.”

“Which is bullshit,” Koen says. “I mean look at the kid and look at the father.”

“Right? She looks just like him! There’s no way he could ever deny her. Nik’s been a thorn in my side since day one. And I just…” she grimaces and lays a hand against her stomach. “...oh god...I feel so sick.”

“It’s the heat,” Koen reasons. “You shouldn’t be standing out in it like this.”

“It’s everything. The heat, the noise, all the people, the smell of the water...” she draws the neck of her t-shirt over her mouth and nose. “...this isn’t good.”

He moves his hand up to the back of her neck, keeping her moving forward. And when they reach the front of the line, he rummages through her bag for her ID and presents it -along with his own- to the police officer manning the checkpoint.

“Bandha,” the officer orders in Bengali, motioning for Esme to remove the shirt from her face and the ball cap from her head. “Bandha!”

“Now what’s the point of that?” Koen questions. “She’s clearly not the bloke in the picture you got there. She’s clearly not a bloke at all.”

The officer ignores him, pulling a second picture out from underneath the photo of Tyler. A black and white shot of her from the job in Ireland. When she’d sported short, red hair and glasses. And she feels her stomach jump clear into her throat.

“Look, my wife isn’t feeling well,” Koen explains, as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and draws her tight into his side. “We just found out a few days ago that we’re having a baby; our first. And she hasn’t been having a good go of it and the sun’s making it worse. It's obvious she’s not a bloke and she’s definitely not the girl in that picture. So unless you want her throwing up all over the place…”

“I really do feel sick,” she whimpers. “I need to get somewhere to puke.”

“I know, honey,” he presses a kiss to her temple. “And I’m sure this nice policeman understands.”

The officer looks towards the nearest colleague -likely a higher ranked officer -for help. And receives a nod to allow them to pass.

“Have you seen them?” The first officer inquires, showing the two pictures in her face.

“Haven’t seen them a day in my life,” Koen says, and quickly whisks her away.

****

“That was way too fucking close!” Esme finally allows herself a sigh of relief three blocks later, and tucks her hair back under her baseball hat. “Why the hell would they have a picture of me?”

“Asif’s people aren’t stupid. If they know Tyler’s in town, they also know he’s not dumb enough to show his hand just yet. Guess they figured he’d send you in his place.”

“This is fucked. Way more than I first thought it was. How do they even know Tyler is here? Nathan made the most sense as the mole; he disappears and then shows up out of the blue, being held captive by them? A week and a half later? That makes no sense. They would have let us know if they had him. They take pride in shit like that.”

“So you don’t think it’s him now?”

“I still don’t trust him. Something IS shady about him. But he wouldn’t know that Tyler is here. So there has to be someone else; someone on the inside. Two moles.”

“That’s reaching, don’t you think?”

“It’s the only way any of this makes sense. Nathan was the one who told Mahajan’s man where Tyler was that night and what areas of his body to target. They knew, Koen; they knew to go after his shoulder, knee, AND back. They even went after his neck; right where he was shot and the surgeon had to repair that vein. They knew. And then Nathan takes off and doesn’t show up until a week and a half later?”

“But they have him,” he argues.  “Asif’s people. They have him and they’re fucking him up pretty good.”

“It’s all bullshit. I’m sure of it. And there has to be a way to prove it. Tyler can’t just go in there trusting him. He can’t. There has to be a way to find out Nathan is in on this. We just have to figure out what it is.”

“Whoa...whoa...whoa...you and I don’t need to do shit. We’re doing enough being here.”

“I’m going to ask them to let me see him with my own two eyes. When we find out where he is, I want to go in and see him for myself. I’ll know if he’s lying or not.”

“Are you fucking insane?  You can’t go into something like that. That is not your job.”

“If it prevents Tyler from going in and Nathan backstabbing him? I’ll do it.”

“You think he wants you to? You think he wants you to go in there? Put yourself...and that baby...at risk? He’d never allow that.”

“I don’t need his permission.”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but this is fucked. This is a horrible idea. Let someone else figure it out. This is not up to you. You’re doing enough. MORE than enough.”

“But if I…”

“No more,” he orders. “I won’t hear of this. Not a single word more. You mention it again, I will tell him. Hear me?”

“I hear you. I wont talk about it again. It was just an idea.”

“A stupid ass idea.”

She rolls her eyes.

“So what are we looking for?” he inquires, a hand on her shoulder as her eyes scour the market.

“It’s not WHAT I’m looking for. It’s WHO I’m looking for.  And I’m hoping he’s still here.”

“You want to be a little more specific, or…”

“I met a vendor the first time we were here. He sold handmade jewellery. Tyler got me this…” she holds up her right hand; showing off the simple braided leather and beaded bracelet she sports. “...from him. But he’s way more valuable than just his jewellery. He keeps his ear to the ground. BOTH ears. He was able to find out things for me like that…” she snaps her thumb and index finger together. “...and if he’s still here, I’m hoping he can still help.”

“A lot can change in seven years,” Koen reasons.

“Nothing has changed here. It still looks the same, sounds the same, smells the same. That’s where we stayed,”  she nods towards a rundown hotel across the street. “Third floor, second room. The balcony that has the rug hanging over the railing. THAT hasn’t even changed. I bet the toilet is still broken and I bet they haven’t painted the dirty walls or put in a proper shower head. Nothing’s changed; not a goddamn thing.”

For several minutes she searches the market. Attempting to blend in with the other shoppers; making small talk with both buyers and vendors, picking up various objects and studying them, purchasing  food items for the safe house and small trinkets that would appeal to the kids. Koen sticks close to her side; hand never leaving the small of her back, never speaking yet offering pleasant smiles and nods in greeting.

“Here! Over here!” she suddenly exclaims, grabbing him by the wrist and yanking him behind her. Pausing at a vendor tucked alongside of a busy laundry, nervously rocking back and forth on her heels chewing on her bottom lip as she waits for the owner to finish up with a customer. And she notices the look on the older man’s face when he regards her; his eyes narrowed and head tilted to the side. And she sees the glimmer of recognition. “Do you remember me?” she asks. “I know you’ve seen a lot of people since we met, but…” she removes her head and shakes her hair free. “...do you? When we first met, you commented on my hair. About how long it was and how the sun made the red in it sparkle. Do you remember?”

A bright, wide smile spreads from ear to ear. “My friend!” he gleefully cries, and hurries around the side of the table to warmly embrace her. “You haven’t changed a bit!” He presses a kiss to each cheek. “As beautiful as ever!”

“Thank you. But believe me, I’ve changed a lot. How are you? You look wonderful.  Life’s been treating you kind?”

“It’s been fair to me. I can’t complain. Well I could,  but no one would listen,” he chuckles. “You’re back! In Dhaka?”

“Just for a few days. For work.”

“And your husband? He is still your husband?”

“He is. He is still hanging in there. We have five kids now.”

“Five children! Big family. Last time I saw you, you just had the one. A little girl.”

“Amelia. Millie. She just turned six. And she’s so smart and so beautiful. She looks just like her daddy. They’re back at the hotel; the kids wanted to go swimming and he offered to stay behind to take them.”

“Good guy that one!”

“Yeah, he is. A very good guy.And this is my brother. Kyle.” She lays a hand on Koen’s shoulder. “The one I told you about.”

“The fireman?”

“That’s me,” Koen smiles, abandoning his accent  and shaking the hand offered to him. “Thought I’d keep little sis company.”

“I was wondering if you could help us.” Esme says, and begins admiring and surveying items for sale when she notices curious bystanders watching them intently. “I could really, really, REALLY use your help.”

“With what?”

“I need information. Do you still have an ear to the ground? You still have people you can trust?”

He nods.

“Have you seen the picture floating around? The man everyone is looking for? The mercenary?”

“Looks very much like your husband. I only saw him with a  hat on when he was here though. And sunglasses. So I couldn’t say for sure. I didn’t think it was him. A mercenary? That doesn’t seem like a job for someone like him. He was always so friendly and good to me.”

“His name is Tyler Rake. My husband. And he IS a mercenary. Seven years ago, we came here to find a kid that had been taken by Amir Asif.”

“Mahajan’s kid?”

“That’s why we were here. And we found him and everything went to shit. All that trouble on the bridge? That was us. That was ALL us. And I need your help again. And I’m willing to pay. I’m willing to pay VERY well.”

“What do you need?”

“Amir Asif is dead, but in some ways, he’s very much alive. I know he has people trying to avenge him. Carrying on his business. And they've grabbed friends of ours.”

“A woman and a teenage boy,” the vendor says. “And a mercenary.”

“I work for the people that want them back. I need to get word to Asif’s people that I’m in town and I’m ready to negotiate. That I have access to the money they asked for, but I’d rather talk first. And I need proof of life. For all three.”

The vendor nods slowly.

“Can you do it? Get the word out? To the right people?”

“I can.”

“But will you. Will you do that for me?”

“I will.”

“I need it done right away. As soon as I walk away. It’s important it gets done right away.”  She reaches into her bag and pulls out a pen and small notebook, tossing open the cover and hastily scribbling her cell number. “Tell them to text first. They text with a number that  I or one of my people can call. Tell them we want to talk and start negotiations. ASAP. But  nothing will happen unless we see with our own eyes that everyone is alive. That is the only way they’ll get what they want. Tell them I’m in charge. Not them. And that I’ll give them their money, but I’m NOT giving them the man they want. That’s non negotiable and it’s never going to happen.”  She tears the paper from the notebook, then removes a hundred dollars from her wallet and hands both to the vendor. “Thank you.”

“This is too much!” he exclaims. “Way too much! You are too generous!”

“You deserve way more than that, believe me. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means  to me.”

“At least take something.” he says. “For yourself. Your children. Especially your little girl.”

Selecting three  bracelets -for herself, Millie, and Addie-, she slips her hat back onto her head and bids farewell, giving an appreciative smile and a small wave as other customers approach.   And she grabs  Koen tightly by the hand as they slip into the crowd.

*****

He doesn’t hear the phone until it’s on the second ring, and he hastily  rinses the soap and shampoo from his body and hair, leaving the water running as he tosses open the door. Wincing and limping as he hurries across the room and grabs the cell from the ledge of the sink. He’d thought a shower - alternating between ice cold and steaming hot- would help alleviate both the fogginess in his brain and the multitude of aches inhabiting his body. But so far it’s done nothing.

“Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.”  Relief rushes through him at the sound of her voice. Much calmer...brighter...than it was the first time around. “We just got back to the car. It didn’t start out too good though.”

He uses his shoulder to hold his phone to his ear and snags a towel from the back of the door, loosely wrapping it around his waist. “What happened?”

“They had my picture. At the checkpoint.”

“What the fuck..”

“It was an old one. From Ireland. When I had glasses and my hair was red and short. I almost passed out, I swear.  And I had my hat on and my shirt over my mouth and nose because the smell of the water was going to make me puke and they were going to make me take both off.”

“Jesus Christ…”

“Koen handled it. He told them I was his wife and that it was pretty obvious that I wasn’t the guy or the girl in the pictures. That I was pregnant and feeling sick and unless they wanted me puking everywhere, they’d let me through.”

“And they bought it?”

“Yup. But that was a close call. Way too close. And then I saw  Farhad. On the way back across the bridge.”

“Did he see you?”

“No. I pretended I needed to tie my shoe and by the time I stood back up, he was past us already. I swear...when I saw him...I have never been that angry in my entire life. I know he was just a kid when he almost killed you, but I was so fucking angry. He’s out there walking around like nothing ever happened and meanwhile he’s caused so many fucking problems! If you run into him, you better end him once and for all.”

He uses a second towel to vigorously rub at his hair as he heads out into the bedroom. “Esme…”

“I mean it, Tyler. I won’t have peace until he’s dead. He’s not a kid anymore. There’s no reason to spare him now.”

“Baby, that’s revenge.”

“And sometimes revenge is needed. And I need it. I need that peace of mind that I haven’t had in seven years. So if you run into him…”

“What’s the chances of that? That I’ll actually run into him?”  He hasn’t told her about Farhad’s involvement in Neysa and Aarav’s capture, or the pain and suffering he’s been inflicting on them.  Nothing good will come of that; it will serve only to stoke that already simmering fury and need for revenge that’s been eating away at her for seven years.

“What’s the chances I’d run into him on the bridge?”

He sighs, then grabs his discarded jeans from the back of the chair by the window.

“That little bastard is still out there, walking around. Look at the damage he’s caused. To you. To me. To us. He shouldn’t get away with that. He deserves to pay for what he did. HE NEEDS to pay.”

“You’re just working yourself up. That’s the let down from the adrenaline talking. Or the hormones. Maybe a mix of both. In an hour you won’t feel this way.”

“I’ve felt this way for seven years. It’s not just going to go away. Not unless I know he’s gone.”

“We’ll talk about this when you get back. Talk. Not fight. There’s no sense getting into it now. Everything else went okay?”

“I got the word out. I don’t think we’ll have to wait very long.”

“You’re fucking amazing. And I love you. So much.”

“I love you too.  I just wanted to let you know that we’re okay. I know you were probably worrying yourself sick. And Koen did a great job. He kept an eye on me; not a single hair on my hair was disturbed.”

“So he lives to see another day.”

“Basically,” she laughs. “I’ll see you soon.”

“You definitely will,” he assures her, then presses END on his cell.

****

“That was pretty fucking intense,” Koen declares, as he guns the ignition and peels out of the clearing, leaving a cloud of dirt and dust in his wake.

“Right? I nearly peed myself a couple of times. You saved my ass on that bridge. And you go to live out one of your fantasies.  You got me to be your wife for a few minutes.”

“I would have preferred a few minutes of something else, if you know what I mean.”

“Well you’ll have to keep dreaming about THAT. I’m a one man woman. You’ll have to live vicariously through him.”

“Lucky bastard,” Koen grumbles.

“He knows it too. But I’m pretty lucky myself. That’s something I should probably tell him more often. Even hard asses  probably like to feel appreciated once in a while.”

“You ask me, you SHOW him how much you appreciate him.”

She smiles at that.

“So that was him? The guy on that bridge. That was Farhad?”

“Yeah,” Esme nods. “That was him. The little prick that shot Tyler in the neck. From behind. A total bitch move.”

“He looks like a little bitch.”

“That kid almost took everything from me before it even started. He’s the reason I can’t let go of that place. The things I saw, the things I had to do? That’s all because of that fucking kid. And I can’t forgive him and I can’t move on; I can’t leave the place behind if he’s still here. I just can’t. What if Tyler did die that day? I would have gone home and found out about Millie and I would have gone through it all by myself.   She never would have known her dad. I wouldn’t even have had a picture to show her. All that I would have had was those five days in Dhaka. Those memories of it. That’s it.”

“But he DIDN'T die,” Koen points out. “He made it. Because of you. If you hadn’t stepped up and put your ass on the line…”

“Don’t do that,” she begs. “Don’t put me on a pedestal. I did what I had to do because I felt he deserved to live. And because selfishly, I wanted more time with him. But I don’t deserve praise and I don’t deserve praise for doing something anyone would have done.”

“Not anyone would have done it and you know that. You saved him. And not just on that bridge, either.”

“I just don’t feel comfortable with it; people thanking me and praising me and thinking so highly of me. Tyler deserved to live and that’s why I did it.  Because he’d more than made up for the mistakes he’d made and he deserved another chance.”

“And not everybody would see it that way, either. Would see HIM that way.”

“Well I saw him that way. I’ll always see him that way. And that’s why I want revenge. For him.”

“You want the  kid to die?”

Esme nods. “And if that makes me a bad person, so be it. But it’ll give me peace. I’ll finally be able to let go of this place. I NEED to let go of it.”

“I’ll do it,” Koen offers. “I’ll take care of the kid. For Tyler. For you.”

“You’d do that? For us?”

“Yeah,” he says. “I would.”

[samsoleil]

9 and 10?

ask game

V I am sending the most fond vibes in your direction I hope they make it there okay!!

10. Your favourite season and why.

Honestly? Either S2 or S11.

Season 2: Sam has psychic powers and Dean is terrified that his brother might actually be bad, but is still ride or die for him. This is where we can see their relationship flourish without the search for John hanging over their heads. But y'know what does hang over their heads? John telling Dean he'll either have to save Sam or kill him, and Sam who is desperate to be saved and willing to be killed. And then!! when Sam dies!!! Dean saves him in the worst possible way!!!! Also, it's visually gorgeous. You've got the high contrast vibes from S1 but slightly less desaturated and you've still got the grainy film texture. An excellent time.

Season 11: Listen. I still think it should have been Chuck sending Sam visions. And I don't particularly care for the B plot. But Sam and Dean peak in this season for the first time since pre-s4 and it was amazing. It's the immediate aftermath of Sam literally unleashing  "a force on the world that could destroy it" to save Dean. Codependency at its peak. And in two mid-season episodes they absolutely nail the S2 energy. I mean, establishing beyond any doubt that Dean loves Sam? And then making him think Sam is dead in the very next episode? Where Sam is also the dictionary definition of BAMF? Not to mention, Sam is just. so understanding of Dean and his messy feelings about Amara. Love that for them.

9. What episodes best encapsulates the brother’s relationship? Does this change throughout the series? Doesn’t have to be the best episode btw.

To answer the second question, the brother’s relationship very obviously changes throughout the show. It’s obviously very codependent from the get go (especially from Sam’s perspective! Literally unendurable), and it varies in toxicity. Some seasons they are very soft! Some seasons I want to shout at Sam to run for the hills and never return. And then there are some episodes in seasons where their relationship is literally awful that are wonderfully tender (like 08x21 when Dean says “You gotta let me take care of you, man”). 

Imo, S1-3 are peak brothers. S4/5 are excellent to watch but not the most tender. S6 is on thin fucking ice. S7-10 are, generally speaking, when I would absolutely be willing to kill a man (Dean), but are still SO compelling because these crazy kids are devoted and have no moral boundaries when it comes to the other. S11 is a return to the good stuff! I haven’t seen the seasons after that but from what I have seen, Sam becomes a Dean apologist and Dean just gets worse. But they’re still codependent, so that’s fine. “You were gonna leave and you weren’t even going to tell me?” and “What about me? Would you trade me?” are baller lines. Sam is a grown man but he’s out here saving the world by being Dean’s baby brother. Iconic of them.

OKAY so. First question. I originally had several episodes per season but I have to limit it to 2, this is going to be too long otherwise. Also, as you well know, I've only watched up to 12x06, so I won't include S12 here. 

Episodes (and explanations) under the cut!

Obviously, both 01x01 Pilot and 15x20 Carry On. Literally the perfect bookends for this show. I don’t need to elaborate.

01x05 Bloody Mary - Has the moment where Dean actually has an emotional conversation with his brother, because he’s switched on to Sam’s emotional needs. He was willing to let Sam blame him for Jess’ death so that Sam didn’t blame himself! And near the end it has the iconic line "You're my brother and I'd die for you." Dean, right? No! It was Sam!! Anyone with any sort of reservations about whether Sam cared about Dean in early S1 can refer to this episode. It’s episode 5!! of the whole show!! and it has that line!!

01x11 Faith - Sam has absolutely no regrets about someone dying to save Dean's life. In retrospect, this episode says a lot about how much Sam loves Dean.

02x01 In My Time of Dying - Sam can sense that Dean is there, either through psychic powers or because they are soulmates. Both are good. Also, Dean is told that he may have to kill Sam, which influences their dynamic for the rest of the show <33

02x21 All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1 - Dean, on his knees in the mud, telling Sam's corpse that it'll be okay and screaming his name. That is all. Also, after thoroughly chewing out a victim earlier in the season for selling his soul to save a loved one, Dean sells his soul to save a loved one. 

03x08 A Very Supernatural Christmas - Sam decorated a Christmas tree with pine air fresheners to give Dean a Christmas. Obsessed.

03x11 Mystery Spot - Dean dies repeatedly, then dies for good for about 6 months, and Sam becomes a ruthless hunter in order to bring him back. Dean spends longer dead in this episode than he actually does at the end of S4.

04x14 Sex and Violence - Dean's siren is literally just a version of Sam that is devoted to Dean and would do anything he says. 

04x22 Lucifer Rising - Bobby coming for Dean's life. The VOICEMAIL!! Dean acting as though them being family is a cure-all and saying he'll beat Sam up, but also apologising. I'll take it. And then, of course, the voicemail Sam hears, which is more or less what Dean said in 04x04, and that being what tips him over the edge. The edge, of course, being killing Lilith to avenge Dean’s death, which has been his quest since the end of S3. Excellent.

05x16 Dark Side of the Moon - Ohoho. This episode. You know why this episode is here.

05x22 Swan Song - Same as the above! Dean who doesn't have a plan, just doesn't want his little brother to die alone. Sam, who fights off the devil himself and (essentially) kills himself to save his brother and the car they call their home. That memory sequence, for me, gave Sam the power not to save the world, but to save his brother. The world was just a bonus.

06x11 Appointment in Samara - "Dean doesn't care about me, he just cares about his little brother, Sammy, burning in hell. He'll kill me to get that other guy back." Dean's anger at himself for screwing up and forfeiting Sam's soul was. a lot. Also, Sam begging for his life and Dean just continuing anyway? Horrific. But very testament to their relationship at this point. Dean wants Sammy back and he WILL kill this other guy to do it.

06x22 The Man Who Knew Too Much - Sam being right about the consequences of having his soul put back in. And "You know me. You know why. I'm not leaving my brother alone out there."

07x03 The Girl Next Door - I was tossing up between this and 07x02 but. this has some flashbacks to past Sam!! Unfortunately, it also has Dean punching Sam for using the Impala, the car they both rely on to get around. And Dean murdering Sam's childhood friend for killing rapists. This isn’t an episode that makes you think “Awh, they’re codependent!”, it’s an episode that makes you send Sam vibes screaming at him to get out.

07x14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie - Ever think that maybe Sam fears clowns because he associates them with being abandoned? Also, nostalgia vs reality.

08x09 Citizen Fang - The voicemail from S4 is still hanging over our heads. Dean asking “Does that sound like the Benny we know?” and Sam replying “I don’t know Benny.” Dean keeping Benny away from Sam because Sam is apparently the one who will kill monsters with no nuance or remorse. But this episode is on the list specifically because of how pivotal the line "Yes, I do – too well. In fact, every relationship I have ever had has gone to crap at some point. But the one thing I can say about Benny – he has never let me down." is in absolutely wrecking Sam's mental health down the road!

08x23 Sacrifice - For obvious reasons! “You know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was? It was how many times I let you down!” and then Dean’s speech of blatant lies. It sounded good, though. Dean really is that devoted, but unfortunately he has amnesia.

09x01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here - Autonomy violation. This is what advanced care directives are for. Dean being so dependent on Sam that he would violate his autonomy and trick him into consenting to possession. Dean will do anything to keep Sam alive, including destroy Sam.

09x16 Blade Runners - The parallels between Colette and Sam are unbearable. “Drop the blade.” Also, Dean becomes SO feral when Sam’s cheek gets cut.

10x19 Book of the Damned - Sam’s speech! “But I can’t do it without my brother. I don’t want to do it without my brother. And if he’s gone, then I don’t….”

10x24 Brother's Keeper - Ahahahahaaa. Sam kneeling down in front of Dean and letting him kill him, if he wants. Dean not doing so. Please do not emulate this relationship in your real human lives.

11x04 Baby - Obvious reasons. Also, the perfect example of how these two communicate. Dean clearly states his opinion so that Sam has something to base his arguments around, and then Sam provides his perspective. That meta about how Dean and Sam communicate and how Sam is the major decision maker opened my eyes. Impeccable takes.

11x16 Safe House - The thing Dean loves being Sam (and Sam being genuinely relieved that it was!!). Sam propping Dean’s sleeping body against the fridge while saying “I got you! Stay with me.” Him cradling Dean in his arms and patting his head and Dean being SO confused but not fighting it.

11x17 Red Meat - Okay, I lied about the 2 per season thing, I just needed all three of these episodes. They are too good to not include. Dean joking to hide how scared he is for Sam? Being willing to let all three of them die just because he thinks Sam is dead? Attempting/committing suicide to try to bring him back? Sam fighting through immense pain to get back to his brother? This episode is so good. They are absolute lunatics (affectionate).

[thanksjro]

Last Stand of the Wreckers, Issue #3: Garrus-9 is Fun for the Whole Family

Noticed a little something as I was reading- in issue #1, Roberts is credited for contributing to the story. However, in issue #2 and on, he’s credited as a writer alongside Roche.

Maybe it’s just a change in the how the credits were being labelled within IDW, because it never seems to stay consistent between series, but that’s still quite the jump. He’s accumulating power much faster than I originally thought. How delightful, and also terrifying.

Getting back to the story, we open up this issue with a flashback: two years ago, Overlord deigned it necessary to reunite Shockwave’s head with his body. Now, this was still nearly a year after he’d first taken over Garrus-9, and Shockwave can’t help but question the wait.

Back when Megatron still had Overlord under him, he had Shockwave slap something called an “Achilles virus” into the guy. This virus made it impossible for Overlord to comprehend any weaknesses Megatron might have- something positively devastating to a tactician as ruthless as Overlord. He, of course, wants the thing removed. Shockwave agrees.

With how many of the IDW universe’s problems this chunky purple fuck is responsible for, I’d honestly be more surprised if helping Overlord DIDN’T help him further his own agenda in some way.

Once Shockwave frees up Overlord’s processors, he’ll be free to go and cause more mayhem, while Overlord keeps doing his thing on Garrus-9. Shockwave, because he’s a smarty-pants, knows what he’s up to- he’s trying to goad Megatron into coming to see him, by way of ultraviolence.

When I was a little kid- we’re talking no more than five- if I wanted my parents to come see me after I’d woken up in the morning, I’d do this god-awful thing where I’d shriek at the top of my lungs repeatedly and then hide under my blankets acting as if I’d been sleeping like a perfect little angel the whole time. This feels a lot like that, except Overlord’s been screaming for three years.

Back in the present, we get a taste of some dramatic irony, by way of Fisitron’s fanboy datalogs.

You’re never going to guess what’s happened.

Since the ping-pong ball Verity was riding in smashed right into where Overlord likes to hang out, it’s looking somewhat grim for them. Not that things are looking any better over here.

Guzzle isn’t much of a team player, it would seem.

Springer’s worried that the others were DOA, but Twin Twist seems to think things are alright.

And he would know, I suppose.

Over in the Pit, Overlord’s greeting his new guests. Rotorstorm tries to break the tension  with a joke. It actually goes over pretty well with Overlord.

Still, it’s a tough crowd.

Back over with Wrecker team A, the boys have just blown up a hallway to buy themselves a little time. Well, Guzzle blew up the hallway, since he’s a tank, but the others were there for moral support.

Things have really hit the fan, and Springer makes the call to split up and look for clues get help. Guzzle and Kup pair up and run for it, which seems appropriately themed, while Twin Twist decides it’s time to break out the alt-mode and dig through the floor so they can get to the Autobot prisoners. Springer’s not too sure about that, seeing as Twin Twist’s hurt, but he says they can take it. Yes, they.

After that painful scene transition, Overlord implores the Wreckers before him to surrender. Perceptor, having a case of terminal bad-ass disease, orders Pyro to keep Verity safe- which he does by stuffing her into his chest?- while he and the others attempt to bare-knuckle box Overlord into submission.

I’m not kidding, he’s just shoving her in there.

While Perceptor and the gang commit suicide, Twin Twist’s just finished drilling, and it’s looking like it’s a bit more of a drop than he was expecting. Luckily, Springer swoops in and catches him before he can take any fall damage.

Both they and Impactor land safely on the floor of an energy reactor, and it looks like they’ve got company.

The company is Kick-Off’s corpse. Guess Overlord kinda sucks at rewarding people.

As Impactor and Springer discuss Kick-Off’s very brief stint as a prison gladiator, Twin Twist makes the horrific discovery that they’ve set off a defense mechanism, and if they don’t get out of there pronto, they’re gonna be robo-toast.

Overlord gets word of these guys running around in the energy reactor as, he kicks Percy and pals’ ass. Repeatedly. Delighted that there are more toys to play with, he makes a prison-wide announcement: anyone who brings him the head of a Wrecker can leave Garrus-9.

I don’t think Percy likes that idea too much.

Without any further ado, Overlord sicks the entire prison populace on the Wreckers. Perceptor, ever the brainiac, buys them a little time by blowing up a fuel tank that managed to survive the ping-pong ball crashing. The Wreckers book it out of the Pit, ready to head for Aequitas. Only one problem- Ironfist is having a breakdown. Perceptor is surprisingly considerate about the whole thing.

Like, this is about as much as anyone could ask for in such a dangerous situation. Of course, Ironfist is a bit too hung up on the complete annihilation of a skull he just witnessed to appreciate Percy’s kindness.

Here’s the thing about fanboys; they have a bit of a habit of putting their heroes on pedestals.

No, the adventuring doesn’t happen until 2012, Ironfist, and you aren’t going to be there for all that.

Seems like Overlord’s presence on Garrus-9 has sort of smashed Ironfist’s dreams of grandeur. Though given the constantly-changing roster, and the fact that Ironfist probably knows more about the Wreckers’ escapades than most, one would think he’d at least be prepared for something this wild to be a possibility.

This whole spouting off attracts Topspin, who berates Ironfist for being a baby. He doesn’t even know why the guy got brought along on this mission, seeing as none of the established Wreckers voted him on. Ironfist is just sort of here. Before we can get into all that though, Perceptor breaks their little squabble up, because we just don’t have time for that right now.

Over with Guzzle and Kup, we’re descending a ladder and reveling in implications, as Guzzle notes how he had a bunch of friends die in a rescue attempt similar to this one. Kup mentions that he hopes the guy being rescued was worth it. Guzzle says that it depends on who you ask.

So we’ve got an angry little tank dude and the old man who’s responsible for several of his friends’ demises, working together, without any other supervision, in an insanely dangerous place filled with murderous Decepticons and high places that don’t follow OSHA regulations. What could possibly go wrong?

Back with Percy and the boys, we finally get the down-low on what Topspin and Twin Twist’s whole deal is. Turns out they’ve got a rare and potentially exploitable manufacturing error- they’ve got branched sparks, which means that their nervous systems overlap to a point where they can feel each other’s pain. This seems like it ought to discourage one from joining the Wreckers, but since when have the Transformers ever been about self-preservation?

Look at that face. It’s like he knows what the narrative’s gearing up towards.

Perceptor’s found a funny part of the wall, which gives him a pretty good feeling that Aequitas is right behind it. It’s at this point that the others start asking just who the hell Aequitas is, and then Pyro remembers he’s still got Verity trapped inside his chest cavity.

Verity is released from the torso jail, a little banged up and a lot pissed off about being forgotten. She starts saying some rather uncalled-for things about the dead before she catches herself, and we get a bit of an insight into Wrecker ideology.

Perceptor has busted through the wall while Topspin’s explaining the group philosophy, and we finally find what Fortress Maximus’ has been up to while all this has been going down.

The Decepticons have been using ol’ Max here as a lock pick, seeing as he wouldn’t just GIVE Overlord the code to the chamber. Perceptor starts cutting the poor guy out of all the cabling he’s hooked up to, and everyone once again questions just what’s up with Aequitas that the Decepticons want to get to him so badly.

Speaking of Decepticons, they’re collecting in droves in the hallway, just itching to rip off some Wrecker heads for a free ticket out of Garrus-9. Perceptor unhooks Fort Max, passes his limbless, eyeless body off to be carried by the two largest friends at his disposal, and the chamber opens up.

This is about the time that the story catches up with the other team of Wreckers, the guys who were trapped in the energy reactor. Yeah, that branched spark plot point is about to get very relevant.

Dentists are the worst, even in space.

And that’s the end of issue #3.

[lazyunicorn03]

Safe

Jonathan Byers x Harrington! Reader

Warnings: Sexual Harassment and Attempted Kidnapping

A/N: If this topic makes you uncomfortable don’t read please otherwise enjoy. Also like my other stories the reader is adopted.

Y/N’s POV

“‘Cmon, Harrington, we can show ya a good time.” Billy Hargrove and Tommy H. catcall from Billy’s Camero.

“I’d rather not. I’d prefer to keep my dignity. Thank you. Plus I already have a boyfriend.” I say calmly, continuing my walk home. I hear Billy laugh. “You mean Byers? The guy who looks like he’s a second away from going on a killing spree? The kid-“

“You don’t know anything about him. He’s nothing like what everyone says about him. Now would you please just leave me alone.” The car stops but I keep walking. I hear doors slam and footsteps behind me.

Suddenly I feel hands grab me and pull me towards the car. I scream and a hand goes over my mouth. I bite the hand that’s over my mouth. “Son of a bitch!” Tommy lets go of me and Billy pushes me to the ground. “This bitch just bit me.”

Billy grabs me by my hair and pulls my head back. “Dumb bitch. We just wanna show you a good time. Why you gonna go and fuck that up? Huh? You’re just like your brother. Ya know that?” I spit in his face. Billy flinches back and wipes his face with his other hand. He chuckles. “You shouldn’t have done that bitch.”

Billy slaps me. Tears well up in my eyes. Billy pushes me back to the ground and they start to kick me. I close my eyes hoping that it would stop. Suddenly it does. I open my eyes to see Jonathan punching Tommy repeatedly and Steve trying his best to fend Billy off.

“Y/N/N are you okay?” I look to the side to see Will and Nancy looking at me with concern. I nod “I’m fine.” Nancy helps me sit up. Billy and Tommy drive off after they get their asses beat. Steve walks over to us with a busted lip and a bruise starting to form on his left eye.

Jonathan kneels down beside me. “Are you okay, Y/N?” I nod. “I’m fine but are you okay? Look at you you’re bleeding.” He brings his hand up to his cheek then looks at his bleeding knuckles. “Baby. I’m alright I promise.” I hear Will laugh slightly. Everyone turns to him. “What’s so funny?” Steve asks him. “I just think it’s funny how Y/N could be dying and she’ll still be worried about everyone else.” I laugh. It was true. I worry about everyone else.

Jonathan shakes his head and picks me up. “‘Cmon I’m taking you home.” I sigh “I can walk you know.” Jonathan ignores me and continues to walk home.

~Time Skip~

For the last thirty minutes Steve and Jonathan wouldn’t let me do anything but stay in bed. Always asking me if I’m okay or if I needed anything. It was nice at first but now it’s getting annoying.

“Babe do you-“

“For the millionth time I’m fine. No I don’t need anything.” I say, irritated.

Jonathan sits beside me on the bed, I sit up and look at him. He sighs “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re just worr-“

“No I mean I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I should’ve been there. I swear the next time I see them I’ll kill them.”

“Jonathan. Don’t they’re not worth it. I’m safe now that’s all that matters. I’m here with you.”

“Yeah but I-“ I gave him the look that said ‘if you don’t drop this I’ll punch you’. He sighs but drops it.

I lay down and he lays down beside me. I lay my head on his chest, relaxing into him. He kisses my head. “I’m safe with you no matter what. You can’t protect me from everything and that’s okay because I know that you’ll be there no matter what. I love you Jonathan.”

“I love you too baby and I’ll always keep you safe.”

“I’ll keep her safe too.” We hear Steve yell from the kitchen. “Shut up, Steve, you’re ruining the moment!” I yell back. I hear him laugh. “That was the plan little sis.” I roll my eyes and snuggle closer to Jonathan. Yep this is my safe place.

[nev3rfound]

the swan - chp.5: who is she?

nurse, friend, lover, assassin. these are the titles you were known under in his head, something he never wished to share until rumours spread of the swan being out of retirement. 

overview / chapter one / chapter two / chapter three / chapter four / chapter five / chapter six / chapter seven / chapter eight / chapter nine / chapter ten / chapter eleven /  chapter twelve (final chapter)

* writing in italics is past tense *

- collection of writing so far -

Everyone sits down as Tony lets out a heavy sigh, all ready to tell the team about their latest mission concerning his least favourite person in the compound.

“You all know about the Swan by now,” Tony states as he looks around the room as everyone shares glances whilst Steve remains quiet. “or have at least heard of the rumours that they’re back.”

No one is quite sure how long the Swan has been around. Some speculate fifty years, some say ten. It’s unknown whether it’s an organisation or an individual. But whatever they are, they’re dangerous and refuse to stop until they have what they want. In all of their known cases, they’ve never failed.

“The stunt on the bridge was them, right?” Rhodey asks as Tony nods, flicking the screen to show a series of pictures and videos that overlap showing what wasn’t seen by the public.

Steve winces silently at the images; the close-ups of the blood oozing from the bodies and the terror immortalised in their expressions.

“Yeah, and we know now there’s a pattern, hence why Barnes isn’t here,” Tony states as he turns his head, looking straight to Steve who tenses. “because,” Letting out a dramatic sigh Tony reveals a series of pictures from the course of the past twenty years all similar scenes left behind by the Swan. “they want him.” 

Pictures of dead HYDRA agents appear on the screen, each left with a message for another person in the organisation. “So the Swan is killing off HYDRA?” Natasha asks as she leans forward, analysing the pictures as Tony nods. 

“But Bucky never wanted to be apart of HYDRA, he was brainwashed.” Steve comments and Tony sighs. “Are they killing off everyone to do with HYDRA or just those in power?” 

Tony pauses the screen as various pictures of HYDRA agents, operators and directors lay displayed, all marked deceased. “Anyone and everyone. They’ve gone through families, Royalty, villages and children. They don’t give up.” The sentence remains heavy in the air as Steve shifts in his seat. “But we have an identity, it’s a start.” 

“Probably should’ve led with that one,” Sam mutters as he glances over to Steve who keeps a straight face as the news report replays from earlier. 

Everyone watches closely, but as Tony turns to face everyone with blank expressions he lets out a harsh sigh. “Zoom in again for me FRIDAY?” He asks and everyone watches the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, a person in a hood who turns their face up. “And focus on that?” 

Leaning forward Steve crosses his arms. “You’ve gotta be shitting me.” He mutters under his breath, unheard by everyone else in the room as the girl in the file, the one who he had just read about who died because of Bucky was the Swan. 

“We don’t know anything else yet, but we know she’s involved and is most likely our Swan.” Tony continues to talk, but Steve zones out as his mind races back to everything he just read in that file. 

All of the torture you went through, the reason you’re supposedly dead is because of HYDRA and Bucky. You’re alive and Bucky has no idea. 

*

Walking down the corridor, Bucky cannot get you out of his head. After decades of being brainwashed all he wanted were his memories back, but he had no idea they’d be this taunting. 

You weren’t the same when you woke up, Bucky could tell from the second you opened your eyes. 

He reaches out to hold your hand, but you stare at in pure fear as you backed away from him, shaking violently as your eyes lifted to see his. “Hey, it’s me, you’re okay.” He whispers to you through the bars, but you’re not hearing him, only seeing his lips move. 

“What’s happening to me?” You ask as tears stream down your face as dried blood lines your hairline, crimson clinging to the baby hairs. “They, they put something inside of me.” Weakly you lift your arm up, screaming as you touch your head as a wave of electricity surges through you. 

Clinging to the bars, Bucky yells your name as you lie on the ground in fits, shaking until you remain motionless. “They’ve done it,” Rick calls out as Bucky rises to his feet, turning his gaze from you to the man in the small window opposite. “not so tough and undefeatable now, Soldat. They got themselves a new weapon.” 

Since that day you were never the same person, not completely. More often Bucky found himself talking to a shadow of the woman he was falling for, and it was all his fault. 

He watched as you were taken away from the cell, dragged as you were unconscious and remained missing for days on end. You were no longer his Nurse or his toy, you were their new soldier. 

When you were returned to the cell, Bucky could see himself in you. The tired expression that was void of life, the bruises and cuts you didn’t even notice and the silence in your eyes. You sat there as Bucky tried to talk to you, remind you of who you were like you did countless times. He wanted to be there for you in the way he was thankful for. 

On rare occasions you came back, you were able to return for a short while because they wanted you to. It was all part of their plan to unravel their soldat, replace the harsh winter with an elegant swan. 

“I’m scared, Bucky.” Your legs remain close to your chest as you sit alongside his cell, his hand resting on your knees as his thumb rubs your skin softly. “I, I don’t know what they’re making me do when I’m, I’m her.” 

Bucky sighs softly as he lifts his hand up, resting it on your cheek as you turn your face, resting your cheek against the cool bars as Bucky faces you. “I promised you I’d get us out.” He whispers into your lips, his eyes darting from them to your eyes as any hope is vacant. “We’ll get out, Y/n. I can’t let you die in here.” 

“Aren’t you two romantic.” Rick comments with a loud laugh as you hide your face away in your lap whilst Bucky rises to his feet. “Oh come on, like you can do anything in there, Soldat.” He sarcastically remarks as Bucky tightens his fists. 

“Bucky, it’s not worth it.” You mutter and he turns back, seeing you as you smile softly to him before you blink rapidly, your expression changing as your face becomes pale. “Buck, something, somethings wrong.” 

“Happening isn’t it, kid?” Rick asks as a twisted smile crosses his face as you lift your hand up to your nose, blood dripping down as you wipe it, crimson covering your fingertips. 

“What’s happening to her?” Bucky asks as he slams his metal arm against the bars, one bending as Rick remains still, unphased by the action. 

“She’s dying.�� He bluntly states as Bucky turns back, seeing the life leaving your eyes. 

Rushing over Bucky holds his arms through the bars, calling your name repeatedly. He knows they’re watching, but he can’t lose you, not like this, not yet. “Come on, Y/n. Please, please can you hear me?” He yells as you stumble on your feet, reaching up to your head as you cry. 

“It hurts, oh my god it hurts. Make it stop, make it stop!” You scream as you collapse to your knees close to Bucky, reaching out but he seems miles away, his voice a distant echo. “I’m sorry, Bucky. I, I’m sorry.” You mutter as you feel your heart stop, the device in your head sparks out as you hit the ground. 

“Y/n?” Bucky quietly calls out as you stare at him, wide-eyed before him. Shaking his head he falls into the bars. “No, no Y/n, you can’t. I promised.” He whispers to himself as he forces himself to turn away, he can’t stare at you, he can’t. 

“It’s all your fault, Barnes.” Rick chimes in as Bucky turns to see him smiling over at him. “We all know it. She’d be alive if it weren’t for you.” 

When Bucky was permanently changed to the Winter Soldier it was almost a relief to stop feeling. He didn’t have to picture you in his mind, the way you quietly laughed at his jokes or how soft you were in his grip. But importantly he didn’t have to hear the words that never fully left his memory. It’s all your fault, Barnes. Because he knew it was, he allowed himself to get close to you, humanise himself with you. If he hadn’t fallen in love, maybe you could’ve been freed. 

Hitting his fist into the wall, Bucky yells out knowing no one can hear him. 

The wall dents from his fist as he pulls it from the plaster, watching it crumble by his feet as he walks faster toward the gym, out of sight and mind from everyone else once more. 

“Is she still in New York?” Natasha asks as Tony shrugs his shoulders. 

“We don’t know, but I think someone is withholding some info, huh Cap?” Lifting his head up Steve stares at Tony who raises an eyebrow back, watching as Steve tenses in his seat. “You know something, don’t you?” 

Stuttering, Steve stands up. “The Swan is called Y/n, she, she was captured by HYDRA not long after Bucky was.” He sighs as he removes the file from inside of his jacket, letting it slide across the desk as pictures and documents cover the table. “Bucky thinks she’s dead, but like him, she was controlled to become another weapon.” 

Tony picks up her photograph, realising it’s the same girl. “Shit.” Tony mutters as he places the photo down onto the table, glancing back to see the cold-hearted woman on the screen compared to the bright smiled girl photographed. “Barnes doesn’t know, does he?” 

Steve shakes his head in response. “So how do we tell him?” Natasha asks as she reads over some of the pages before closing the file, the memories being all too familiar for her liking. 

“Sooner the better.” Tony states. “FRIDAY, where’s Barnes?” 

A moment of silence follows before FRIDAY answers. “Sargent Barnes is currently heading towards the gym, but I’ve had an intruder alert, in three different locations.” 

Steve glances over to Natasha who runs out of the room whilst Steve heads out to get his shield. “Where exactly, FRIDAY are these intruders?” 

“I’ve only found one, right near Sargent Barnes.” 

Bucky pauses as he reaches the gym, hearing the sound of broken glass. “Steve? That you?” He calls out, but no one responds. 

Automatically Bucky grabs a hold of his knife that he keeps a hold of at all times as it spins in his fingers. 

The sound of broken glass increases from around the corner, and slowly Bucky steps forward before a force hits him across the back forcing him to the ground. “Shit, FRIDAY, alert everyone there’s an intruder!” Bucky yells as he forces the weight off of his back, rising to his feet before holding the knife out in front of him. 

Lifting his head up, he stumbles backwards. “No,” He mutters as he lowers his knife. “that, that’s not possible.” 

Analysing the person before him all Bucky can see is the eyes, the eyes of the woman who he witnessed die before him. “Y/n?” He softly asks as he remains perfectly still whilst you tilt your head, keeping your gun and knife close as you take a step forward. 

“Who the hell is Y/n?” 

taglist (thank you for the endless support on this series)

@callie-bear15 @vgirl10123 @markusstraya @krystallynx @toxic-pineapple @not-jarred-padaleki @tearsforhan@worldofchoices  @hungrymango @puppetofyourdreams @alisa-m-a @musingsofafangirlblog @alecswcrlock @mywinterwolf 

[rodentchild]

Things Family/Friends Say as Prompts Part 10!!

In honor of part 10 being out, here's 100 prompts!!

"I made a pie because I was procrastinating."

"These pants make my ass look great, thank you very much!"

"Well, shit. It seems I've forgotten my pants."

"I find your pettiness to be funny as hell."

*tall person interrupting short person* "That's enough from the peanut gallery."

"He probably thought there was real crack in it."

"I'm getting caffeine so I don't kill people."

"Don't ask a personal question unless you are 100% ready for the answer."

"Look at me. Just because you can fight this alone, it doesn't mean you have to."

"It's not my fault you seem to have lost all rational sense!"

"We're a violent generation, mother!"

"You're a monstrosity." "Yeah, but a sexy monstrosity."

"Why are you covered in glitter?"

"I'm not sure if I'm feeling pride well up inside me, or if it's vomit."

*carries a plush yoda in their backpack* "The force says fuck you."

"I found out that 90% of my coworkers don't know how a fucking clock works."

"Don't ask me if I'm okay, I'm in a constant state of panic."

"Where's my fucking watch!" *flips desk*

"It was 4 bucks at Goodwill, let me live my life!"

"Out of all the people in this room with nerves to push, you choose to tap dance on mine."

"If you're not careful, I will shove a lit firecracker down your pants."

"Wow you are such a gay disaster."

*watches someone do parkour* "What a Chad!"

"I don't know what it is but it smells bad and tastes worse."

"Stop being so hot!"

*singing in Not English* "Wow that song is beautiful." *pterydactyl screech*

"It gave it's body up for science!" "THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN EAT IT!"

*multiple warning alarms going off* "Hell yeah, party time!"

"I wear anything I want! Regardless of weather!"

"My student's opinions don't matter!"

"I'm not doing that, I'd look like one of those thumb people in Spy Kids."

"You're just a problem in general."

"Now hOW IN THE GODDAMN FUCK..."

*talking about coffee* "Get that bitter bean-water out of my face!"

"That man is a national treasure."

"This is about my job, not my looks!"

"You're vibes are rancid."

"Can you come drop me off a new pair of pants, please? I spilt acid on my old ones."

"Let me listen to my punk music, you binary bitch!"

"Let me aggresively love you!!"

"I'm too sick for your bullshit today, so can you just get me some soup and fuck off?"

"It was weird then and it's weird now, so shut up."

"Nothing is binary and everything is gay, you ignorant bitch!"

"I would challenge you to a battle of wits since you think you're so smart, but it's unfair to go against an unarmed opponent."

"Just... Promise me you won't get into any more fights this year?"

"I'm running on 4 hours of sleep and chronic anxiety, so sass me again and see what happens."

*screaming* "What are you doing?" "Self care! It's either this or I go set someone on fire!"

"If you wanted a nice guy, you shouldn't have treated me like a villain."

"Why are you drinking cereal and milk out of a mug?"

"I'm sorry you have a tattoo where?"

"I'm always a slut for mashed potatoes."

"You look terrible. I mean that in the nicest way possible."

"You look real fancy, dare I say 'hobo chic'."

"That is both romantic and disgusting."

"Damn you are the hottest boy in a skirt I've ever seen." "I'm the only boy in a skirt you've ever seen..."

"Life is a rollercoaster and it has no seatbelts, let's fucking go!"

*repeatedly smacking them with a book* "Stop. Being. Such. A. Himbo."

"I probably just saved your life, but there's no need to thank me. You should just start listening to me."

*dramatically throws themself on the couch* "I can and I will be as dramatic as I fucking want, ok?"

"You need to stop! You could die!" "That's the fucking point!" "...Wait what?"

"Get out of my way before I pick you up and throw you across the damn room."

"I feel like a sad sack of shit."

"Let me eat my depression cookies in peace!"

"It's not my fault you're a feral beast."

"Just because I'm dead, it doesn't mean I don't have feelings." (ghost au???)

"Point to a place on the globe and I promise we'll go there after graduation."

"How dare you. You don't have the right to even say his name after the shit you've put him through."

*hiss* “Okay, you are not a cat, now calm down.”

"No more yeeting dirt from the neighbors for your garden."

"I mostly live off coffee and despair."

"I told my students that if they all passed their final, I'd ask you out. I don't think I've ever seen everyone study so hard in my life."

*after getting in a fight at school* "It's not that bad, I'll be fine. You can kill them later."

"It is my God-given right to be a bitch am I'm going to use it."

"Just because God gave you a mouth, doesn't mean you should use it."

"You're just a walking meme, aren't you?"

"Can I get a Hell Yeah?" *southern accent* "HeLl YeAh!"

"Pfft! In what dimension is that true?!"

"Just. Get. Out. Please..."

"Sometimes I wonder if those soulmate tropes in fanfics are real." "... Is this why I caught you writing down full conversations on your arm?"

"This is your plan?" "Yep." "It's incredibly dangerous." "Sounds right." "It could kill you." "Let's hope it doesn't."

"Wanna go play hide-and-seek at IKEA?"

"I'm gonna get drunk and binge watch Scooby Doo. You in?"

"You finally managed to surprise me, you crafty little shit."

"Can you walk?" "No, I think my leg's broken. Can you carry me?"

"I will never be anything but mediocre in this universe."

"You should replace the batteries in those things, they're not working right." "Oh no, my hearing aids work fine. Ignoring you was a conscious decision."

"What are you doing?" "Waiting. I do that."

*said to two men* "Alright girls, calm down. You're both pretty!" "I am so much prettier than him!"

"If you'll excuse me, I drank a 5-hour Energy and now I'm going to chew caffeine gum and explode."

"I'd sacrifice myself for you in a heartbeat."

"Fuck Claire's! We're getting you pierced at a real shop!"

"You're such an ass." "Thank you, it's a natural talent."

"It's only a matter of time before I injure myself on accident."

"Don't say you're sorry, you've done nothing wrong."

*context: age regression as a coping mechanism* "You can be as little as you want, baby. I'll be right here."

"I can tell your anxiety's acting up. Want to squeeze my hand?"

"I'm constantly afraid that my parents will find out I'm lgbtq+, and one day I'll come home from school and my house keys won't work anymore..."

"You're injured way too much, the hospital staff know you by name."

"Yes hi I love you, now give me attention."

"Can you draw on my arm? I like the feeling, and it kinda helps with anxiety..."