#I’m so sick for that robot woman

[spirit-lanterns]

any opinions about Dikke from reverse 1999? Shes basically like a judge and she's cool, trust me her voice is hot

I expected her to be an older woman based on first appearances, but funnily enough she’s only 19 lol 😅

Still very hot, though! I’m a sucker for white haired characters and I want her to wrap her cape around me while we sleep together <3

[notafunkiller]

What if I am too much?

Summary: When Sam's girlfriend calls you clingy, you decide to give Bucky some space. What you don’t know is that he doesn’t want any space. None at all.

Pairing: tfatws!Bucky Barnes x female reader

Warnings: 18+, angst, teasing, language, pet names, spanking, daddy kink, metal arm kink, no mention of y/n

Word Count: 2.2K

Bucky Barnes masterlist

A/N: I want to thank @marvelouslizzie for her help!

Please, do not repost or translate without my permission!

“Oh, you’re alone?”

You turn your head in the direction of the voice and smile politely. You don’t recognize this woman, but she looks at you like she does.

“Uh, yes. Hello!”

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

You instantly blush, ashamed, and search for Bucky’s face in the crowd. Nowhere to be found. Damn it!

“No, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she says before coming next to you. “I’m Misty.” Brunette, tall and beautiful.

“Where did we meet?”

“Sam’s birthday, but I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. You were too busy clinging to Bucky’s side all night.” She sounds serious, and you freeze, having no idea where this came from. She simply laughs, grabbing your arm with some kind of bionic cold hand for a second before letting it go.

It’s not like Bucky’s. It’s more... robotic.

“Clinging?” You ask confused.

“Yeah, you know, always sitting with him, holding his arm, following him around.”

You puff, already annoyed by this random woman. “Following him around? I’m not a dog!”

“Didn’t say you are a dog, honey. Just pointing out the obvious.”

You try to hold your tongue, pushing aside the impulse to start a fight. This is a night about Bucky. Not you or your discomfort. And she is his ex-co-worker-friend’s girlfriend. Your anger can wait.

“Alright, but how does my clinging affect you, though?”

“Oh, don’t take it so personally! I just meant to be friendly. It’s a girl’s advice. Live a little, being insecure is not gonna save your relationship.”

A piece of advice no one asked for. A take you never even considered. You’re not insecure and you’re definitely not keeping Bucky to your side all the time. You don’t… He is free to do whatever the hell he wants.

“Thank you.”

She has the audacity to laugh. “Don’t be so defensive, honey! Gonna get a cocktail, want some?”

You shake your head, feeling a hole in your stomach after she leaves you alone, and you basically run to the bathroom, trying to calm down. What if she is right, though? What if Sam heard or saw something? Maybe Bucky is extra grumpy or unhappy. Maybe he even complained…

You never thought sitting with Bucky is a sign of clinginess. You thought it’d help... he is not the most comfortable person at events. He gets stared at a lot, he hates small talk, and you really like being close to him. Gosh, you are clingy!

The rest of the night passes like a blur. When you come back, Bucky’s waiting for you, and despite your instinct to wrap your arm around his back and let him hold you, you keep a little distance, giving Sam and his nosy girlfriend a fake smile, while Bucky keeps staring at you strangely.

You even manage to avoid touching him all week somehow, except for a few kisses now and then. Your period came, and as he tried to hold you, you had to fight tears while telling him not to. You’re sick and tired and you miss him, but you want to give him some space. You’ve been suffocating him for so long... You make sure to cry only when he’s out because he might hear you even in the shower. He has super hearing after all.

You thought it would become easier every day, but quite the opposite. Every time you’re close to giving up, you remember Sam’s comment that he made a week after you met him about how Bucky always likes his space and what Misty told you, so you fight against your wish.

Until Sunday afternoon.

You’re in bed, scrolling down on Instagram as Bucky comes out of the shower. You try not to stare at him, but how can you not? He looks absolutely incredible.

What you don’t expect is him trying to get on top of you to tickle you with a huge smile on his face. He’s so adorable.

“B-Bucky, stop!” You laugh as his hands get under your T-shirt. He loves making you laugh no matter how he does it. “N-no.”

“Oh, I will,” he says playfully.

But what he failed to tell you is that stopping means sneaking his head under your T-shirt, which starts to rip a little because of the stretch, and resting it on your boobs.

“Bucky!”

He puffs, annoyed. “Why the fuck are you wearing a bra in the house, bubba?”

“Cause it’s a bra?” You ask back sarcastically, but you know this is weird. You always complain about needing to wear it outside. But inside? It’s even worse.

“Unacceptable.” He quickly rips your bra in half, not bothering to unhook it, and you feel his beard on your breast all of a sudden, making you shiver. Fuck, you really miss this.

“B-Bucky, come on, your hair is a little wet!”

“Bubba, please...”

“Bucky! Why did you do that?” He immediately takes his head out of your T-shirt, and you almost cry. He looks do lost and scared.

“Baby, do you not want me anymore?”

“What the fuck?” You groan. This is the last thing you wanted him to think. All you tried to do was to make him happy and feel less pressured.

“You don’t let me touch you. You don’t want to cuddle with me. You don’t wake me up with kisses. You don’t get on top of me You don’t hug me! What did I do?”

Your heart aches for both of you. “Wasn’t that better?”

“Better for who?” He cries. “This was the worst week of my life since Hydra.”

“Unfortunately, that cannot be true, Bucky.” You sigh, getting closer to him. “I thought you like space...”

“I do, but not with my fucking baby!”

You melt at his words, truth be told. He said it so passionately, but you’re so confused.

“I thought I was being too clingy, touching you too much, you know?”

“What? Where did this come from?”

You close your eyes. How are you supposed to answer this without sounding like a petty bitch?

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does!” You feel his hands grabbing your face so you can look at him. “It means I did something wrong.”

You frown, upset that he thinks that. He’s been nothing but kind, understanding, and loving to you, and you hate how he feels like he failed you or something.

“Sam’s girlfriend told me I am clingy... always with you, never leaving you alone to breathe basically. And it reminded me of Sam saying how much you love your space, and I just...” You try not to cry, you really do, but you cannot hold back the tears this time, which Bucky immediately reaches to wipe with his flesh fingers.

“Jesus, baby! I don’t give a goddamn shit about what they say, you aren’t allowed to listen to anyone! Just let me touch you.”

You immediately wrap your arms around his neck, and Bucky lifts you a bit so you can sit on his lap. You can hear his heartbeat, and you find that so peaceful.

“I thought you’re gonna break up with me, honey.” He whispers in your ear. “I was terrified when you didn’t let me cuddle with you.”

“I’m so fucking sorry, baby.” You don’t know what else to say. You hurt both of you for days just because you let some woman get inside your head, but you had good intentions. “I just didn’t want to be a burden.”

“I should be the one saying that, not you, bubba.” He leaves a kiss on your shoulder. “God, I missed you so much, it feels surreal to touch you.”

“I love you, I’m sorry.”

“Promise to never do this shit ever again!”

“I’ll try,” you murmur. “I didn’t realize you want me to touch you so much.”

Bucky lifts your head. “You know I have to punish you for that, right?”

“Punish me?” You ask surprised.

“Yeah, for believing some stranger over your man. For pulling away and giving me a heart attack. And for depriving yourself of my cuddling skills.”

You giggle. “What if I let you suck my nipples for a whole week anytime you wanted?”

“I already do that!” Bucky lifts your T-shirt as he speaks, and you gasp.

“You do not!”

“Yes, I do. Remember when I came home from the last mission and I made you come by-” He lowers his head and licks your right breast, avoiding your nipple.

“Fuck you, tease!”

“I am the tease?!” He snorts, continuing to lick.

“You’re always the tease. Now kiss me and gimmie your cock.”

“I won’t give you anything until I punish you.”

“Jamie!” You scream when he turns you around, ripping off your shorts in half, along with your underwear before placing you on his thighs. “What the fuck?”

“What the fuck to you for keeping yourself away from me.” You feel him caressing your ass for a few seconds before slapping your right cheek with his flesh hand. You squirm, gripping into his hip.

“F-fuck!”

“Count.”

You groan. “Jamie...” He spanks you again but harder, and this time you moan. “T-two.”

“Nope, we start over.”

“O-one.”

“Good girl!”

The third and fourth aren’t as hard as you want and you find yourself wiggling your ass in the air.

“Harder.”

“Harder?” He snorts, amused, and before he can bring his flesh hand in the air, you grab his metal arm.

“Please, daddy, use this one!”

Daddy? It didn’t take too long for you to get back in the mood.

“Can’t use it, baby, I’m sorry.”

“No!” You cry. “I need it, pleaseee. I’ll ride your face as many times as you w-want.”

Bucky still doesn’t agree. “Baby, it would hurt.”

“Let it hurt!”

You want it to hurt because this pain is not unbearable, quite the opposite. It pushes you over the edge faster.

He sighs and listens to you, bringing his metal hand to your ass, but you barely even feel it when he slaps. You groan, upset.

“I said slap! Do you want me to hover?”

“I can fucking hurt you.”

“I told you to hurt me!” You beg. “Please, honey! Please, please, please.”

He does it again, not hard enough for you, but you count anyway. Again and again.

“Jesus, you’re making my thighs so wet. You’re such a little whore for me.”

“I’m your whore. Always, daddy, please!”

Bucky’s moan comes somehow from the back of his throat, and the last spanks are perfect. He gently caresses your ass, cooling it off with his metal hand, and you smile. “You’re so dirty sometimes, but also such a good girl taking your punishment perfectly.”

“I am sorry,” you whisper.

“For what exactly?”

You pout, grabbing his face. “For all of it. But you’re you, Bucky. You’re the greatest guy in the world, I just didn’t want to be annoying.”

“You were annoying when you didn’t let me even hug you.”

You know that, but sometimes you can’t help but do dumb things, thinking about him. “I wanted you to be happy.”

“Well, I wasn’t happy, obviously. And neither were you, bubba. Promise me you’ll talk to me first next time.”

“I was just stupid…”

“No.” You feel his thumb all over your lips. “You were worried. I love you and I really need your touch, okay?”

“I noticed,” you laugh.

“Good, now feed me my boobs, and then I wanna see you riding my face as you negotiated.”

You fake sigh and grab your boob. “Open up.”

*

You’re not sure how to react when Bucky drags you straight to Sam and his girlfriend as soon as you get inside the museum.

“Hey, Buck-”

“Who do you think you are?”

Misty gasps while Sam and you freeze.

“Wow, wow, wow, man. Hold on a sec, what is going on?”

“What is going on, Samuel?” Bucky asks rhetorically through his teeth. “Ask your little girlfriend where she got her audacity from to tell my girl she is clingy. That she basically spends too much time with me. Who the fuck gave her the permission to even speak to her? So she either apologizes and keeps her mouth shut, or we’ll have a big problem.” Bucky turns his head to look at Misty. “From one metal arm to another. Wanna try me?”

“You did what? What the hell?”

Misty frowns, staring at you. “You went to complain to him for giving you a friendly, harmless advice?”

Bucky instantly grabs her metal arm wrist before you can answer.

“You got three seconds to beg for her forgiveness before I snap your hand in half. And I am not bluffing.”

Sam doesn’t even try to get between them, simply watching, and Misty immediately gets teary.

“I’m... sorry.”

Bucky shakes his head, squeezing her wrist. Holy shit! You haven’t seen him like this in ages. “Didn’t hear you.”

“I am sorry. I should have minded my own business!”

“Yes, you should’ve,” you say without regret. “But I forgive you.”

Bucky lets go with a grunt before nodding to Sam and bringing his hand to your hips, leading you toward the exit.

As soon as you are outside, you don’t even care if someone can hear you as you speak. “Fuck, I wanna suck your cock so badly!”

Bucky laughs. “I see. In the car… is that okay for you?”

You get on your tiptoes to kiss him. “Perfect.”

[nosyrobin]

Need more pretty boy wonderboy!reader 🙏

“Pretty boy.”

Pair: Supersons x Wonderboy!reader

Summary: It’s hard being the pretty one of the trio. The five times Wonderboy!reader has been called pretty.

Genre: fluff

The first time, was the supersons were just ten. The Amazon male had accidentally made Damian angry, so angry that he didn’t know any insult of that moment.

Jon watched Y/N run fast from the angry tanned boy. He was screaming in Arabic and then Chinese. It was scary as Jon just hide behind a couch as Y/N then forced himself to fly for safety.

Damian threw anything he could at the damned Amazon boy. Practically trying to corner him. “GET DOWN PRETTY BOY!” Damian yells, now in English as he throws a mug at the boy.

That’s when it went silent and time felt slow before the Amazon male spoke up.

“I’m pretty?” Y/N smirks with crossed arms, now the tip of Damian’s ears were red. Jon had to hold the boy back, cause somehow this shorty jumped up and caught the warrior.

The second time, was at a beach. But the beach experience was a little sandy and terrible.

Sand was too hot, Jon had to carry the Amazon male and Wayne. Then Damian stayed under an umbrella as the two strong boys were playing in the water or playing volleyball.

After all that playing, the Amazon male had bought a sandwich, but the sandwich was stolen by a damn seagull which angered Y/N. He was hungry, and no one fucks with his lunch.

The Amazon boy was flying and rushing after that damn seagull. But the seagull then pooped on the Amazon male, made the boy more enraged as he grips the throat of the seagull and made it spit it out. “Ugh…what a waste of time.” The poop was cleaned off but Jon could only smile at the Amazon male.

“You’re so pretty…” Jon says, a love sick expression on his face as the Amazon male had an annoyed expression by the heat beaming on him.

“Jon…now’s not the time.”

The third time, it was random. Y/N was lifting up a car to throw at a robot. With one swift move of lifting the car up, holding it over his head and hurling at the robot. Completely destroying it, the Amazon failed to see some admirers watching him.

Y/N quickly flew around with Jon close to him, Jon user his heat vision to melt anything that dare to get close to the duo.

As the area was cleared, Wonderboy stood there looking around, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see someone his age.

“Hey! Pretty boy, thanks for saving me.” The teen says to the amazon male. “Oh! Um no problem man…” the Amazon teen says awkwardly. The teen his age only smiled. “So like are you—”

“He’s taken.” Robin says quickly, wonderboy nervously chuckled and flew off with superboy close behind as Robin took a piggy back ride on the Amazon’s back.

The fourth time, was when a model agency asked him with agency he was in.

Y/N and the boys were at the mall, relaxing and not paying attention to anything as it was their free day from work and school.

Y/N walked off, wanting to use the bathroom as Jon and Damian were arguing which color would be great for bracelets.

As the Amazon male finished his business and was walking back to the food court, he got stopped by a lady with a clearly blonde wig. “Darling! Do you model? Which agency if you do. I couldn’t help but see your beauty, your pretty structure is what my agency needs.” The lady says with a smile.

“I don’t model…” y/n says softly. The woman cups the teen’s hands. “Oh darling but you would look amazing modeling for me!” She then pulls a card out from her coat. “If you ever want to model for me, find me.” She says, she then walks off.

The older teen looked confused but shrugged as he walked back to his best friends.

The fifth time, was special. The Amazon boy was in the snowy weather. A red scarf wrapped around his neck, the cold hair had tinted some part of the teenager. He blows out cold air with a soft smile. Turning his head, he caught sight of Jon and Damian standing there, looking at him.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongues?” The boy says with a soft smile. Jon immediately speeds over to the Amazon male with a red face, as Damian walked over with a small smile. “Hello Prince.”

“Hey guys..” Jon let go of the Amazon male, cupping the boy’s face. “I’m glad you’re here with us! We got so many presents for you.” Jon says, he then kisses the forehead of the Amazon male. Jon moved back so Damian could get a hug in. “I missed you too..Y/N.” Y/N softly chuckles and kissed Damian’s head. “Yeah yeah, I missed ya guys as well.”

“Yeah we missed our pretty boyfriend.”

[specialagentlokitty]

Ziva x teen!reader - just soldiers

So teen reader has grown up in a rough family. It was basically run like a military; get up at the crack of dawn, do all these military base training even when they were like a child. Have a strict schedule to follow every day that they become a robot basically and any sense of being a normal teen thrown out the window. Teen reader is on a field trip with their class to NCIS for their history class talking about laws and every thing. They are in the bullpen where Ziva and the team is. Ziva takes notice to the teen reader and how they seem distant from all the other kids. Maybe something happens and it triggers teen reader to go into that military mindset (like a loud noise or arguing or whatever you want). Ziva knows a thing or two about the military mindset because of her dad and helps teen reader calm down and come back to reality. - @offspringoflordwinter 💜

TW: mentions of abusive and controlling parent

Standing in the middle of the floor with the rest of your class, you had your hands clasped behind your back as you just observed everybody else.

You had no real interest in this trip, you had no interest in becoming an NCIS agent, but your father said he would be busy today, and decided this trip would be a good way to keep you occupied.

“Are you interested in forensics?” A woman asked.

You glanced up at her but said nothing.

“I’m agent Ziva David, what’s your name?”

You turned away, going back to what you were doing.

One of the other students looked over, snickering a little bit.

“They won’t tell you anything, (Y/N)s weird. Never talks. A freak.”

Ziva looked back at you, then she walked back over to her boss who was also stood there watching you.

“Anything?”

“No, another student mentioned their name is (Y/N), but that’s it.”

Gibbs slowly nodded his head.

“I spoke to the teacher, she said she didn’t know much about (Y/N), calm student, occasionally had issues with being suspended for fighting.”

“Gibbs I recognise that look.”

“I know you do…”

You grew disinterested in standing there, and you made your way back into hallway, standing by the wall.

You ran over your daily routine in your head, checking to make sure you knew what you had to do.

Everybody made their way back up to the bullpen, and you stood to the back of your class.

Pulling up the sleeve to your shirt, you have a look at the time, and walked over to your teacher.

“Ma’am, I need to have my lunch now.”

“Yes, of course. Do you mind eating up here?”

“No ma’am.”

She nodded, and you sat down against one of the desks, opening up your lunch box so you could eat.

You have ten minutes to eat your lunch, then you had to do your afternoon work out, then finish your homework just after.

Usually you would then have afternoon classes, but since you were here that went out the window meaning that you had a few free hours.

After finishing your lunch, you stood up, walking back over to your teacher.

“Ma’am, I need to do my training.”

“Oh, is there any way you can skip it for today? I know you use the gym but we don’t have that here.”

“No ma’am. I have to follow my schedule.”

She sighed heavily, gesturing for you to follow her and you did.

She spoke to Gibbs, who was looking at you the whole time.

“We have an empty interrogation room you can use, we can’t give you entrance to the gym.”

“That’s fine sir, I can work around that.”

He nodded.

“Ziva will take you.”

“Thank you.”

You followed behind Ziva, and you rolled your sleeves up, getting ready to start your work out.

“How many push ups can you do?”

“A good solider must be able to do at least 50 push in a row. If you cannot then you are weak. Father does not tolerate weakness.”

Ziva nodded her head, leaning back against the wall.

“What does your father consider weakness?”

“Being sick is weak, crying is weak, being in pain is weak. A strong person must be able to go beyond their limits and not complain.”

Ziva listened to you carefully.

“Are you a solider?”

“Yes ma’am.”

You finished your push ups, and started doing some sit ups.

“How long have you been a soldier for?”

“My whole life.”

She nodded again.

There was no sign of emotion in your voice, nothing on your face.

You were the perfect soldier, just like she was.

Designed to follow your orders without complaint, to not be able to think for yourself, no thought about being a teenager, partying, drinking, all the normal things teenagers do.

You stood up, and rolled your shoulders slightly, turning around to face Ziva with your hands clasped behind your back.

“Do you have any friends?”

“Soldiers have no need for friends, they are useless and only weigh down the missions.”

“What is your mission?”

“I have no assignment right now.”

“But you have had one?”

“No. I do not receive my first mission until my 18th year.”

You studied Ziva quietly for a moment, looking her up and down.

“You are like me.”

“Yes.”

You looked at your watch, rolling your sleeves back down, doing them back up and you straightened your shirt.

“Why did you abandon your mission?”

“Because there is more to life than being a soldier for somebody else.”

“This place has made you weak.”

“Is that what you think?”

You nodded your head, leaving through the open door.

You walked back to your class with Ziva walking alongside you.

She didn’t say anything else, and neither did you you just rejoined your class, standing to the side of them all.

You were just watching when a loud bang from nearby made you spin around, a few of your fellow students began laughing loudly.

But you had jumped into fight mode, so when one of them rushed to run past you, you grabbed his arm, throwing him to the ground as you pinned him.

“(Y/N) let him go!” Your teacher yelled.

You said nothing, pinning your fellow student further into the ground.

You felt a hand on your shoulder and you spun around, standing up you grabbed the man by the arm, spinning around with so much force your threw him to the ground as well.

“(Y/N), look at me that’s an order.”

You snapped your head to Ziva.

You seemed to recognise her as some sort of authority, and you stood up straight, clasping your hands behind your back.

But you were still on guard.

“You cannot attack your fellow students.”

“He is a threat.”

“He was just playing a joke on you.” Gibbs said.

There was another loud noise, and you dissociated from them all, spinning around you charged at the person responsible for it.

He was pulled away from you, and you stood there, fists in the air ready to attack anybody that came after you.

Ziva walked over, hands raised in the air.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.”

You took a swing for her and she dodged it, moving to the side and you followed her.

Ziva was raised like you, she knew how to predict an attack and how to avoid it.

She grabbed your wrist, and you swung yourself back, sweeping your leg under hers to get yourself free and you crouched down, grabbing her shirt.

You raised tour fist and tried to punch her, but she caught it, eyes locked with hers.

“There is no threat to you here…” she whispered.

“Everybody is a threat.”

“No. No they’re not. You’re safe, either federal agents and teenagers whom I’m sure cannot even begin to match your level.”

She offered the smallest of smiles.

“There is no threat.”

She slowly sat up, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“You need to breathe. Focus. Breath.”

You went to pull you hand away.

“Don’t. I am older than you and I have had far more training.” She warned.

You nodded.

You were a soldier yes, but your father told you not to confront somebody who you knew you wouldn’t have a chance to attack.

Not yet anyway.

So you sat down, crossing your legs as you took a small breath.

“Focus on me, nobody else.”

Ziva let go of you, but she was ready to jump into action in case you went to attack somebody else.

You slowly breathed in and out, eyes locked with hers.

“Ignore everybody else, they’re not important.”

You nodded your head.

Ziva carried on leading you through the breathing you had to do in order to calm yourself down.

“Come with me.”

Ziva stood up, and you followed after her, letting her take you to a conference room where you were able to freely pace back and forth.

Ziva stood by the door so you couldn’t run away.

She realised that you were a danger, your solider mindset was going to put somebody in danger, you were going to seriously hurt somebody or worse.

You didn’t necessarily know that you were going to hurt somebody, but it was still a factor.

You wouldn’t care if you did either, you wouldn’t think twice about it if it meant protecting yourself.

At this rate Ziva was sure you were going to land yourself in prison before you even reached being an adult.

“I can help you.”

You paused pacing, turning your attention to her.

“I do not need help.”

“You do, because you shouldn’t have to live like this. You are not a soldier, you are a child.”

“I am a soldier, that is what I will always be.”

Ziva shook her head.

“No, you can be so much more.”

“No.”

She sighed.

“Unfortunately we cannot let you return home.”

“Okay.”

You sat down in a chair, placing your hands on the table.

You showed no objection, and that’s where your father had messed up.

You didn’t care if he was taken away from you, you had no attachment to him, or anybody else for that matter.

You would carry on.

Just like this.

Until it killed you.

Just like she used to.

And she wasn’t about to let that happen to you

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite mulder moments from s3

when he’s dead in episode 1, in the afterlife being urged to return to his body, and it is only only hearing that his sister isn’t there which convinces him to come back to life (we can analyze this for years and we should!)

after their narrow escape from the disease center in episode 2, skinner asks what mulder could possibly hope to find in his wildest dreams. his answer: “why they killed my father. and what happened to my sister. and what they did to agent scully” which pretty much proved that she is part of his family to him <3 and he just wants to protect his family and keep everybody safe... i'll cry

and despite how badly he wanted the truth and was willing to risk it all, he agreed to turn the tape they had nearly died over so they could come out of hiding, so scully could see if her sister was okay (AUGHHH putting his life's ambition on hold for her...)

(this is more to do with behind the scenes stuff, but there’s a little moment in episode 7 where his hair is all messed up, and then in the very next shot it’s all fixed again, and i thought it was so funny to see, because you could tell he got retouched between takes)

in that same episode there’s also a moment where he keeps replaying a mysterious noise over and over again. scully asks if he has found anything, and he replies “no, but i’m really beginning to like the tape” with a big goofy smile <3

in episode 9, he has his office set up like a movie theater, with his feet tossed up on on the desk. he is SO excited to show scully the alien autopsy video he ordered from a magazine for $29.95!!!

then he comments that “it’s widely held that aliens don’t have blood, scully” with great seriousness which had me LOSING it. yes of course, mulder, she CLEARLY should have known!

(later in that episode, skinner comes down to scold them, and asks why they’re even in pennsylvania, to which he says that they’re here on a “video piracy case” <- LMAOOOO least convincing lie ever told)

also in episode 9: his line “you think believing is easy?” followed by letting that sit for a bit, exploring the tensions and implications- how hard it is for mulder to keep the faith that there are answers in this world, and perhaps even justice to go along with them. how it doesn’t come as naturally to him as you may think, it’s about hope and protecting your loved ones and doing whatever it takes, killing or dying, to learn the Truth, because the Truth is hope

(at this point in taking notes, i proceeded to ramble on for like a paragraph with Intense Emotions, and even talking about this episode again is making me want to go on a lecture tour about how fantastic it was)

in episode 10, a passenger on the train with her child sees the dead body of a doctor and screams. mulder pivots, tells the woman that the doctor is just sick, smiles, and ruffles the kid’s hair

(he ruffles another kid’s hair in episode 23… don’t think i didn’t notice)

angrily quoting scripture in episode 11

(and he also says he considers the bible to be poetry rather than a literal history in this one, which i think is fascinating)

sitting in his car, watching the night sky in episode 12, when he asks over the phone: “look scully, i know it’s not your inclination, but did you ever look up into the night sky and feel certain that not only was something up there, but it was looking down at you at the exact same moment, and was just as curious about you as you are about it?” goshhh what a wonderful way to see the world... a universe of mutual curiosity with answers that can be found if only you are dedicated enough to hunt for them

dr. ivanov’s little bug robot liking mulder and following him around <3 someone pls get him a cat!!

AND that episode wrapup: “the development of our cerebral cortex has been the greatest achievement of the evolutionary processes. big deal.” <- it had me absolutely giggling… as a profiler and student of the human brain, it really IS a big deal!! he knows that!! but he was so angry about how it all went down his bitterness won that day lmaooo

(BUT ALSO: he wakes up in his JEANS in this episode??? what kind of dude SLEEPS in his JEANS... we need to launch a full federal investigation)

when he tries to call to the kitty in episode 14 <3

and then he goes to the library to read up on gargoyles, but he was pulling so many all-nighters that he just straight up fell asleep on the table, and it was So Cute

in episode 15, he knows that "ronin" is the term for a samurai without a master, which made me laugh (and he claims he knows it from watching samurai movies… nerd!)

when he hops into an empty grave in episode 19 and starts digging with his hands while someone yells “what the hell is he doing!” and scully watches, knowing that is the sort of behavior he is just hardwired to do

mulder (possibly) eating an entire sweet potato pie in episode 20. narrative-wise we shall never know the truth.

how intensely attached he is to skinner being revealed in episode 21; how he believes whole-heartedly that he is innocent even when all of the evidence is against him. how when skinner dismisses his case as none of their business mulder counters with "of course it is", as if there was no other option. how he listens to skinner’s stories of terror in vietnam. how he is disappointed skinner won’t tell him what really happened that night. if you want to cry, go watch that scene where he leaves skinner's office realizing he won't talk about it. it made me emotional.

(he also pulls a giant book off his shelf in that episode and flips to the page talking about succubi, which makes me wonder what other kinds of literature he keeps in his office, pls let me come browse)

((there is also a moment where he gets really angry and pushes his jacket back with his hands on his hips and i swear my heart nearly stopped))

episode 22’s “i know the difference between expectation and hope. seek and you shall find, scully” it's just SO good and so Him

when he visits her motel room in episode 23 and gets all cozied up on her couch to talk case theories... i was giggling!!!

how he tries so hard to be brave and hold it together when she is missing in that one, too- calling her mother to check where she is, apologizing for disturbing mrs. scully because he knows how intense this must be for her after everything her daughter has gone through, bouncing his basketball in his apartment to keep himself moving, how he tells the lone gunmen with an even voice that she isn’t okay when he needs to go ID a body, and how he kicks the door of the man who got them involved with this case, forgoing answers for her. ripping my hair out from all my emotions btw.

mulder being convinced that he could talk scully back into her senses even after she shot at him (!!!) and refusing to accept her mother’s answers that she wasn’t at her home

when he visits scully in the hospital after her wavelength-induced psychosis, he enters the room with his hands up, jokingly surrendering after she had held him at gunpoint. because he cannot be serious ever, and he Needs to make a joke and lighten the mood, to try and make her feel comfortable. 

AND how he turns the TV off when he enters, knowing what the TV did to get her there. and how he leaves after a while, whispering “why don’t you try and get some rest?” on the way out, so scared to have seen her like that, wanting to give her all the time she needs to recover <3

in the finale he sits by his mom in her hospital bed; he holds her hand, notices she is cold and covers her with a blanket (gosh that one made me inconsolable- scully was talking to him and he couldn't even respond, because his mom was cold, and he needed to fix that, to make her comfortable)

he touches her hair and whispers “mom”, and smiles at her when she opens her eyes, saying everything is going to be okay; then later, he’s crying as he holds her hand to his cheek, and i’m crying too

and when they go to meet up with “jeremiah smith” later, he makes scully get behind him, holding the only weapon that could kill jeremiah in his hands and standing in front of her to keep her safe

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

train

Bucky Barnes x Reader

a/n: a little angsty.

Summary: On the day of your engagement party to another man, Bucky takes a ride on the train.

“Wherever you stray, I follow.”

The train rolls forward, a smooth ride to ease Bucky’s aching. Yes, his body is sore and tired, but his mind is a complete wreck. His eyes lull out the window, watching trees moving backwards. The Styrofoam coffee cup in his hand is now lukewarm, but he still drinks out of it. His movement is robotic, hand moving up to his lips; he takes a sip then brings it down. Bucky does this several times as the train moves on, until the cup is empty and then he just sits there. The usual stop is only two stations away and he doesn’t know if he wants to get off.

Maybe he can just stay on, ride it out, see where the train ends up. The thought is so comforting, he decides that is exactly what he will do. Satisfied, Bucky gets up from his seat and goes to the dining cabin to fetch more coffee. The people in their seats he tries desperately to not make eye contact with; if he does, he knows he’ll just attempt to find you in them. Your eyes, soft and puzzling at times, your smile, sweet, but condescending at times – everything that he finds perfect in you, he is always looking for in others.

Bucky gets to the dining cabin and fills his cup to the brim, black coffee, and nothing else. The bitterness tingles his tongue as he takes a sip and debates on ordering a sandwich. He does, a BLT and he takes a seat and watches the scenery. It’s beautiful for a Sunday and he thinks of you, as if it’s the first time of the day. It’s not though, but he likes to kid himself. Anything to not think of what today is, what it means for you, him, everything.

It’s your engagement party; the invite in pieces on his desk at home. The plan was to attend, he was going to be there for you even if it made him sick. Yet, this morning, he found himself on a train. The train the two of you have taken so many times; just for fun, to get away from the city. His sandwich is ready, and he gets up from the window stool and thanks the woman behind the counter. She is beautiful, her smile is warm, but he just takes the sandwiches and goes back to his seat – two cabins away. The announcement for the next stop rings in the air as he takes his seat, settling just as the train slows its speed.

“It’s never too late.”

“Sam, stop, man. She’s happy.”

Sam shrugs and gently pats Bucky on his back. “It’s never too late until it’s too late.”

“When did you become so philosophical?”

They share a laugh, but Bucky’s fades when his eyes catch yours; you smile at him from across the room, newly fiancé’s arm around your waist. He hates him, but he grins nonetheless; if you are happy, he is happy.

Bucky feels like a coward, never being able to act on his feelings. To express what holds in his heart and now, he just sulks in corners of the world. He finally realizes that loving you from afar is all he gets for his nonexistent effort.

“Serves you right,” he mutters to himself as someone plops down on the seat next to him. He groans internally, because since he got on the train, no one has dared to seat in his section. He supposes his hard broach facial expression doesn’t have the same effect on everyone alike. He eyes the person next to him and his heart drops.

“I barely got on, I’m completely out of breath,” you huff, head dipping into the seat. Bucky watches as you fan yourself with the train ticket in your hand. He watches as a bead of sweat falls down your forehead and then when you finally look at him, he curses at you.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too,” you laugh, taking a deep breath. “Got any water?”

“No.”

Bucky scowls, eyes taking in the outfit on your body; it is a cream color dress, long and flowy. Almost a wedding dress, but not nearly fancy enough. The sleeves were long, puffy and to your wrist – he immediately thinks of how ethereal it all looks on you.

Like a modern damsel in distress.

But distress isn’t written on your face.

“It’s fine, I can breathe again,” you smile at Bucky, head turning to him. “Hi.”

He smiles, cannot help it. “Hi.”

“I think we should ride to the end; we’ve never ridden to the end.”

He’s dreaming, he is certain but the way you smile at him; Bucky does not care. Instead, he offers the sandwich in his hand, and you gladly take it, proclaiming how hungry you are. “I didn’t get a chance to eat today.”

“The engagement party…”

You nod. “Couldn’t go through with it. I thought it was what I wanted…that he was what I wanted but that’s not fair.”

Bucky’s eyes watch yours carefully as you devour the sandwich. “What’s not fair?”

Crumbling the plastic wrap the sandwich came in, you swallow the rest and breath out. Your body turns to face Bucky and you reach for the hand not accompanied by cup of coffee. You hold his hand gingerly and shrug. “It wouldn’t be fair to marry him when all I want is you, Bucky. All these years, I wished something would happen between us and it never did. Then I met Ethan, and he was great, but he wasn’t you. Then Sam called me this morning and aren’t we just fools?”

Bucky wants to be angry at his friend for ruining your day, but he can’t. He’s elated that you are holding his hand, saying the things he’s been dying to hear all these years. “What about Ethan?”

You sigh. “This will pass for him; he deserves to be with someone that loves him and only him.”

It feels good, it feels like a clean break and any guilt that was starting to form, disappears. Bucky is free to take you in his arms and he does, hand slipping up around your neck steadying you as he crashes his lips against yours. It’s the first kiss the two of you have ever had and the wait is worth it. His lips dance around yours and your hand presses into his chest, then the train comes to the next stop and the two of you pull away. He laughs, then you laugh. Foreheads press against each other; you ask if he wants to ride the rest of the way or get off at the usual station.

Bucky’s eyes soften and he touches the side of your face with the loving hand of a man in heaven. “Let’s see what’s at the end….”

Nodding, you lean in for a kiss. “…to the very end.”

[soxxonfoxx]

Not to make the discourse™ breach containment, but I’ve been seeing a clip going around on twitter of the Animatrix, specifically a clip from the short “The Second Renaissance (part 1)” where an android woman is brutally murdered for being a “fake” woman. All of the comments are fucking dipshit rightoids talking about how it's not a trans allegory and is instead just a clip of a robot being murdered. I’m so fucking sick of this shit. I’m so fucking sick of people not having basic media comprehension skills, and that's the fucking charitable interpretation. In reality, I believe that most of the people cheering this on are well aware of the clip's theming and support it. Frankly, I find this behavior disgusting. I’m so tired of living in fear. I’m SO tired of having to hide myself. I’m so tired of worrying that this will be me. I’m an American trans woman in an extremely red part of an extremely red state; I will be assaulted or worse if I present publicly. My state government treats me like I’m a criminal for just existing. Getting HRT is almost impossible in this state, if you’re lucky enough to find a doctor that will prescribe HRT, you then have to find a pharmacy that will fill it. Failing that, where I live you will, you must turn to the grey market and DIY your HRT. This is what they want. No, actually, they want you dead, and just like the clip from that movie they will fucking cheer and applaud your death the whole time, all while saying “What's the problem? It was just pretending to be a woman anyway.” Fuck. That. Shit. I am here. I am not fucking going anywhere. Fuck you. Fuck your transphobia.

[bijouxcarys]

𝑻𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒊𝒏𝒅 (𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒙 𝑶𝑪) - 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏

Masterlist

Character Profiles/Face Claims

Playlist

A/N: Okay, I'm super happy with how this one turned out, so my Satanist ass is praying y'all enjoy this one gahhh. And thank you for the kind words thus far. It means a lot that people are enjoying this since it's wayyyy out of my comfort zone and I've never written anything like it before!

Tags: @trippinsorrows @empressdede @thetribalqueen @heauxvibez @bigsimperika

@cyberdejos2 @keyaho @headoftheetable @jstarr86 @southerngirl41

@tshepisho @cry1nwhileimcumm1n @maeb99 @thedesireds @dzdndcnfsd

@expert-texpert @niknakbucks92 @sillyteecup @trentybenty

(let me know if you want to be tagged in future Roman fics)

January 3, 2014

SoHo turned into a mess tonight. Nate and Lana thought they could slip into one of those flashy clubs, but of course, someone recognised Nate. The bouncers gave the excuse that she’s underage—technically true at 18—but that’s not the whole story, is it?

Dimitri… God, his anger was something fierce. He ripped into her the moment she stepped through the door, calling her an embarrassment. Modern music, parties—he sees them as distractions, as if he’s forgotten what it’s like to be young and reckless.

But Nate isn’t a child anymore. She’s growing into her own, and it’s painful watching him treat her the same as he does Katya. Nate’s got that fire. That untamed spirit that’s as thrilling as it is dangerous. I worry where it will lead her.

I’m scared for them, for both my girls. Dimitri’s world is too dark, too consuming. I can only hope that they find a way out—a path that’s not as suffocating as the one I ended up on.

But hope feels like such a fragile thing these days.

Nate ran her hand through her hair, gripping it at the roots as she finished reading the same journal entry for the 5th time. She wasn’t sure why she was obsessing over it—probably something to do with the fact it was the only one she could find in her family’s library. Stuffed away in a drawer. 

It wasn’t even like it was that out of the ordinary, either. Nate was always aware of her mother’s reluctance when it came to family business. Which begged the question for her as to why she married her dad in the first place. Maybe he was different back then… Maybe he wasn’t always a stubborn, heartless, iceberg of a human being. 

Nate would begrudgingly gamble on her mother being beside herself, if she was to see how things were now. How her oldest was slowly morphing into her husband each passing day. Nate didn’t like it either, let’s get that straight. But when you grow up and remain in the presence of a parent, the chances are you’ll end up just like them.

And that was… terrifying as a concept.

Granted, Nate had a good 30-something years to go before she reached his age. But even so, if she were to travel back in time and come face-to-face with the 19-year-old version of herself, she wouldn’t recognise herself. In fact, she looked back on that time of her life like a stranger watching a soap opera. Memories were scattered, robotic, surreal. And she couldn’t pinpoint when the change happened.

Maybe it was the sick reality of losing her mother to such a tragedy, or the disillusionment of justice not being served. 

Or maybe there was simply a switch, hiding behind layers and layers of resilience, bullets, and blood, that remained in a permanent state of off when it came to facing the fact that her mother would hate the person she’d become.

The thought made her skin crawl. She pushed the piece of paper away, as if distance could somehow sever the connection between her and the woman who had given her life. But the truth was, no matter how far she ran, she couldn’t escape the blood that ran through her veins.

Nate rubbed her temples, trying to ward off the headache that was beginning to form. She needed to get out of her own head, to focus on something tangible, something she could control. Her mother’s death had been a tragedy—one that had left scars too deep to heal. But this… this was something else entirely. This was a reckoning.

And if there was one thing Nate Volkov knew how to do, it was to survive a reckoning.

Even if it meant momentarily blocking it all out and pretending like it wasn’t happening.

So, she did the only thing she could think of to bring her out of the slump. She whipped out her phone and sent a not-so-cryptic message to the only girl on the planet who knew how to throw life out the window, even for 12 measly hours.

Nate: my lovely lana babe…😁

Lana: My gorgeous Natalka

Nate: how do we feel about X tonight??

Lana: …😏

Lana: Do you even need to ask?

Nate: 🥂🥳

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Roman was mid-rep, the barbell hovering above his chest, when the familiar sound of the FaceTime ringtone cut through the steady rhythm of his workout. He paused, muscles tense, debating whether to finish the set or take the call. But as the ringtone persisted, and he cast a subtle glance over at the contact number, he sighed, carefully racking the weights before grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

With one last deep breath, he grabbed his phone and hit “accept” to Maria’s call, but the sight of Ava’s beaming face and gap-toothed grin instantly brightened his mood.

“Hey, baby girl,” he greeted.

“Hi, Daddy!” Ava’s enthusiasm was potent, the excitement in her voice nearly bursting through the screen.

“Whatchu doin’?” he asked with a paternal smile, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

“Me and Mommy made pancakes.” Her chestnut curls bounced around her head as she practically vibrated with energy. It was obvious she was experiencing some kind of pancake-induced sugar rush, and the idea warmed Roman’s heart somewhat. He was just glad that she seemed to be enjoying her childhood whenever he spoke to her. The last thing he wanted was for her to be in an environment that felt unsafe, or made her feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. 

“Oh, Daddy, guess what I did today!”

Roman chuckled. “What’s that, Princess?”

“Italian! Mommy got me a teacher. She’s a nice lady!” Ava looked over at Maria, who was busying herself with some dishes in the background, before focusing back on the call. “I learned so many new words! Wanna hear?”

“Of course, I do,” Roman said, leaning in and giving her his full, undivided attention. “Lay it on me, girl.”

Ava straightened up, her little face scrunched in concentration. “Ciao, papá! Come stai?” she announced proudly, her pronunciation careful and slightly off, as one would expect for someone her age.

Roman grinned. “Molto bene, grazie! E tu?”

The small child giggled, clearly pleased with herself. “Bene! Bene!” she echoed, clapping her hands.

“That’s great, Ava,” Roman praised, his heart swelling with pride. “You’re getting really good at this.”

“Mommy says I’m a… na… na-tu-ral…natural,” she added, glancing back at her mother in confirmation, as though asking if she’d said the word correctly. Roman saw Maria smile, but she didn’t look up from what she was doing.

“You know,” he continued, his demeanour thoughtful. “Maybe next time I see you, I could teach you some Samoan.”

Maria’s subtle scoff in the background didn’t go unnoticed by Roman, and it thankfully went straight over Ava’s head, but he ignored it, focusing on his daughter’s wide-eyed curiosity.

“What’s that mean? Samoan?”

“Samoan is my family’s language. It’s part of your DNA, baby, that means it’s in your blood. Who you are.” His voice remained gentle and calm.

Ava tilted her head, still trying to grasp the concept and wrap it around her developing brain. “What’s DNA?”

He smiled, choosing his words carefully. “DNA is what makes you… you. It’s like a recipe, like with the pancakes you made with Mommy. It says you’re my daughter, and Mommy’s daughter too. Half of you is from your mom, and the other half is from me. That’s why you’re so special, baby girl. You got two strong families in you.”

“So…” her face scrunched up in thought. “I’m half Samoan?”

“That’s right,” Roman affirmed tenderly. “And that means you’re strong, just like all the Samoans before you. You got heart, soul, and a lotta courage. Never forget that.”

“But I thought Nonna was Italian?”

“She is. Which means…” a playful smirk spread across Roman’s face, “I’m also half Samoan, half Italian,” he added with an exaggerated whisper.

Ava gasped, her little face lighting up at the mere thought. “I’m just like you, Daddy!” she squealed.

Roman half-expected Maria to come out with some sarcastic comment, but even she knew it was wise to keep her mouth shut in front of their baby girl. It still gave him some sick kind of satisfaction, knowing she couldn’t say a word to their daughter’s excitement over being more like her Daddy than she initially thought.

“I wanna learn Samoan too, Daddy!”

“I promise you, you will, baby. But for now, let’s start with this… Oute alofa ia oe.”

It took Ava multiple tries to get a hang of the pronunciation, and she still wasn’t grasping where to correctly emphasise syllables. But as she managed to repeat those words back to her father, he, for the first time in years, felt that strange tickle you get in the back of your throat that usually precedes tears.

He wasn’t prepared for how extraordinary it was to hear his little girl speak Samoan.

“What does that mean, Daddy?” she asked with an innocent tilt of the head.

“It means I love you… And I never ever want you to think I don’t.” Even though the weight of Roman’s words were too hefty to be considered by such a young human, he still felt the need to proclaim them. At any chance he could, he’d always remind Ava of how much her daddy loves her. Because he never knew if he’d still be here tomorrow.

“Keep practising your Italian, baby. You keep it up, and soon you’ll be able to talk to everyone in Italy.”

Ava’s eyes widened in amazement, as if the idea of speaking fluent Italian to an entire country was the most exciting thing in the world. “Really?”

“Really,” Roman confirmed with a chuckle. He glanced away for a moment, checking the time at the top of his phone screen and the smile on his face faltered a fraction. “Uh, listen, Ava, Daddy’s gotta go…” His heart broke at the saddened expression on his daughter’s face. “I’ll call you tomorrow, I pro–”

“Oh, you can’t call her tomorrow, Roman,” Maria finally interjected, taking control of her phone and picking it up, subsequently removing Ava from the picture. “She’s at school a little longer, and then she’s got dance class until 8. She might be able to say goodnight, but that’s it.”

Roman’s brows narrowed in confusion. “Why she at school longer?”

“Because,” Maria huffed, “I have things to do, Romano, doing some work on the house, and she’s gotta stay a couple hours with some other kids. Va bene per te?”

Roman closed his eyes momentarily and slowly ran a large hand over his beard, the disdain for Maria’s clipped tone laying dormant in the pit of his stomach. 

“Lemme say goodnight to her,” he deviated before he said something that landed him further in the shit with his ex-wife than he already was. Maria didn’t argue, for once, and tilted the phone so Roman could see Ava.

“Night night, Daddy!” she reached up to wave at him the best she could. “I love you!”

“Love you too, Princess. G’night–”

“Gotta go, bye, Roman,” Maria interjected, and before Roman could process what was happening, the call ended.

He stared at the blank screen for a moment, letting out a long breath. He knew he should have been thinking about planning his next visit to Florida. Ava needed to see him in person. If there was one thing Maria was right about, it was that, at least…

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Roman headed back upstairs, his body still buzzing from the workout. He could hear the faint hum of conversation as he approached the living room, and as he stepped inside, he spotted Naomi lounging on the couch, her legs tucked under her. She looked up from her phone and smiled when she saw him.

“Hey, big man,” she greeted warmly.

“Trin,” Roman acknowledged her with her middle name and a nod, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, before looking over at the two over-grown kids that seem to squat in his house on occasion. “You two ready?”

“Almost,” Jimmy replied, a grin spreading across his face. He was leaning against the arm of the couch, looking relaxed but with that familiar spark in his eyes. Jey was pacing the room, clearly itching to get out and get the night started.

“Y’all actin’ like it’s the first time you’ve been to a club,” Naomi teased, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Just tryin’ to keep up with you, girl,” Jey shot back, his grin widening. “You know I’m gonna need some pointers on how to get these girls to notice me.”

Naomi laughed, shaking her head. “Please, the only thing you need to do is enter. Trust me, they’ll see you.”

Roman headed towards the stairs, chuckling to himself. “You might want to tone it down a notch, Jey. Don’t need you scarin’ off every girl in the place.”

Jey smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Who said anything about scaring them off? I’m just lookin’ to bring one home tonight. Maybe two if I’m lucky.”

“Boy, you wild,” Jimmy chimed in, cackling. “Just remember, you ain’t got Roman’s kinda pull. Don’t get in over your head.”

“Trust me, Uce,” Jey gave his brother a pointed look. “I got this.”

Before he could continue his ascension up the stairs, Roman paused and looked back at him. “Just finish gettin’ ready, man, we’re hittin’ X, of all places. I don’t want any bullshit. We’re there to scope it out, not to start a fight.” 

Naomi raised an eyebrow. “That place? You really think it’s worth the hassle?”

“More than you know,” he replied without looking back. “But let’s not make it obvious. We’re just there to have a good time.”

“Right,” Naomi said, though there was a knowing look in her eyes. She knew better than to question Roman’s judgement, especially when it came to business.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

The plan was to hit up Madame X, a well-known nightclub in SoHo, where the Volkovs had their dirty little fingers in the pie. It was more than just a night out; it was a recon mission, though Roman had made it clear they could have a bit of fun too—within reason.

He wiped the condensation from the mirror, studying his reflection, determined to unwind—at least outwardly.

He stepped into the master bedroom, heading straight for his walk-in closet. He wasn’t in the mood for the full suit treatment tonight. This was SoHo, not a boardroom, and they needed to blend in while still looking like they belonged there.

Shifting through his clothes, he eventually settled on a pair of dark jeans that fit him just right—snug enough to show he had some muscle packed under there. He pulled on a black Henley shirt that clung to his broad chest and shoulders, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, showing off a little bit of the tattoo on his arm. Over that, he grabbed a leather jacket, adding just enough… edge to the look. 

He wasn’t dressing to impress anyone, but he wasn’t going to look like shit, either.

He paused at the mirror for a minute, running a hand through his hair, pushing it back off his face with a healthy accompaniment of leave-in conditioner. Satisfied, he headed back downstairs.

“Damn, Uce,” Jey whistled as Roman made his presence known back in the living room. “You lookin’ to break some hearts tonight?”

“Nah, that’s your job, remember?” Roman teased with a side glance.

“Y’all already know I ain’t goin’ home empty-handed…” he trailed off, his words translating in a kind of sing-song cadence. 

“Please don’t get us thrown out,” Naomi sighed exaggeratedly, standing from her position on the couch and brushing herself down. Outfit on point, as always, reminding Jimmy that he was one lucky son of a bitch.

“Alright, let’s roll out,” Roman clapped, grabbing his keys. “Remember, we’re there to keep an eye on things. No wild shit, ua maua?”

Throwing his arm around his cousin’s shoulder as they walked out, Jey grinned. “You know me, Uce. I’m just there to enjoy the view… maybe get a lil’ closer to it, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Roman muttered, though there was still a hint of a smile there. Somewhere. “Just don’t bring any trouble back to my place. I’m serious.”

“I hear you, big dog,” Jey replied, but the smile on his face said otherwise.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Roman pushed through the entrance of Madame X, the low, steady beat of the music vibrating through his chest as they stepped into the club. The space was a mix of modern sleekness and old-school decadence, with plush velvet booths and chandeliers casting a warm, intimate glow over everything. The walls were adorned with dark wood panelling, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive liquor and perfume.

His eyes swept over the room, taking in the scene—the couples huddled close in booths, the groups at the bar laughing too loudly, the women dancing with an effortless grace under the dim, red lights. It was a place that exuded a certain kind of danger, the kind that made people feel alive.

No wonder the Volkovs had shares in the place.

The Head of the Table’s presence didn’t go unnoticed. As they moved further into the club, he could feel the eyes on him—some curious, some appreciative, and some just plain hungry. He had a magnetic pull, the kind of energy that practically ordered you to stop and stare. It was a part of who he was, and he had learned long ago how to wield it to his advantage.

The group approached the bar, Roman taking the lead with Jey by his side. Behind them, Naomi and Jimmy stayed close together as a way of making a statement. Together, they exuded a commanding presence in its own right. She had a way of holding her own in any room, and Jimmy was… well, he was Jimmy. Charming, funny, and relentlessly protective over his woman.

Roman leaned against the bar, his eyes catching the gaze of a brunette a few stools down. She was gorgeous, with dark, wavy hair that framed her face perfectly, and lips that curved into a knowing smile as she met his stare. He felt that familiar rush of adrenaline, the one that always came when he was out in the wild, playing the game.

Before he could consider making a move, the bartender came over. “What’ll it be?”

“Whiskey, neat,” Roman replied, his voice low but clear as sin over the music. “Macallan, if you’ve got it.”

The bartender nodded and moved to get the drink, and Roman turned his attention back to the brunette. But before he could say anything, Naomi nudged him with her elbow, smirking as she and Jimmy leaned against the bar themselves.

“Eyes on the prize, Roman,” she jested just loud enough for him to hear. “You’re supposed to be scoping the place, not the women.”

“Can’t blame a man for appreciating the scenery…”

Naomi laughed softly. “Just don’t get too distracted, big man.”

“Business and pleasure, though right?” Jimmy chimed in. “Doesn’t hurt to mix the two.” He poked at Naomi’s ribs, encouraging a jolt and a swat on the arm from the woman in question.

Roman’s drink finally arrived, and he lifted it in a casual salute to his family. “Have a good night, but do not forget why we’re here.”

Jey received his own drink, and he turned to his cousin with the same playful glint in his eye. “You sayin’ we should keep it low-key, but I’m pretty sure if we wanted to, we could own this place tonight.”

Roman sipped his whiskey, letting the smooth burn slide down his throat. “Let’s not go that far. We don’t need the attention.”

“How ‘bout you focus on findin’ a girl who won’t run for the hills when they find out you’re still living off Roman’s coattails?” Jimmy swatted his brother away so he could order his own drink.

“Fuck off, Jimmy. Just ‘cus you married to ol’ Naomi here, don’t mean I gotta be tied down.”

Pushing himself up from the bar, drink in hand, Roman glanced over at the brunette once more, firmly deciding to shoot his shot. He rarely failed, anyways. But he didn’t leave without one last word to his cousins.

“Don’t do anythin’ that’s gonna make me have to bail your dumbass out later.” He turned to Naomi. “I am putting my trust in you. You have my full permission to whoop asses if they ain’t behavin’, a’ight?”

“You got it, Chief,” Naomi playfully saluted up at Roman, but she knew to take the request as seriously as anything.

Once again, Roman’s eyes locked onto the brunette a little further down the bar. He could feel the pull between them as her eyes met his, and she tightened the way her leg crossed over the other in the figure-hugging dress that drew more than his gaze. With a confident stride, he made his way over to her.

“Buy you a drink?” he offered lowly, carrying the weight of someone used to getting what they wanted. 

She looked up at him, a playful smile curving her lips. “Depends. What’s a girl like me gotta do to deserve a drink from a guy like you?”

Roman leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them. “You’ve already done enough, just by comin’ here.”

Her laugh was soft, provocative. “Is that your best line?”

He shrugged, allowing a grin to overtake his features. “Maybe. But I’m more about actions than words.”

“Is that so?” Her voice held a challenge, and Roman knew he had her hooked.

He ordered her a martini, sliding the drink her way. Their fingers brushed briefly, the contact sending a jolt through him.

“You don’t seem like the type who needs to chase,” she said, keeping her focus solely on him as she sipped her drink.

“I don’t,” he replied smoothly, “But sometimes, it’s about findin’ someone worth chasin’.”

Her breath hitched, the chemistry between them bubbling to the surface. He was allowing himself to get drawn in, and the possibility of taking her home became more prevalent with every second.

But just as the conversation was heating up, the music abruptly shifted. The pounding bass of an obscure European—Roman guessed Russian by the few words on the track—filled the room, pulling him completely from his focus.

“How you go from radio pop to this?” he muttered, not entirely impressed with the choice of music.

The brunette chuckled, taking another sip from her drink. “They take requests sometimes… depends if someone important enough requests it.”

Roman glanced around, spotting Jey shooting his shot with a couple of girls over at the booths, and Jimmy glued to Naomi on the dancefloor. But one little shift of his eyes, slightly to the left, allowed him to spot a familiar figure that he really wasn’t looking to encounter tonight.

Natalka Volkov, of all people, stood on a table at the other end of the room, her drink raised in the air. She was dressed in a sapphire blue dress that gripped onto her body in a way that made it impossible to ignore. Her usually composed demeanour was gone, replaced by a carefree, almost wild energy as she danced to the beat, clearly drunk but still wearily in control of her actions.

Next to her, a blonde woman—her friend, Roman guessed—cheered her on. The sight of her like this, so uninhibited, twisted something in his gut. She was a complication he didn’t need, didn’t want, tonight, yet here she was, intruding on his thoughts once again.

The brunette noticed his distraction. “Something wrong?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.

Roman forced a smile, shaking his head. “Just saw someone I didn’t expect.”

But even as he tried to focus back on the brunette, his mind was still on Nate. She looked like she was in her element, completely at ease in the chaos of the club, and Roman found the image burning into his mind. His frustration continued to simmer beneath the surface, her wild dance moves and carefree attitude completely throwing off the sexual charge he’d been building with the brunette. The heat from the club, combined with the tension thrumming through his body, made him crave an outlet for all the energy she’d so unwittingly disrupted.

An idea struck him, though: Nate was drunk, maybe too drunk to maintain the fierce walls she always put up. This could be his chance to get some answers. If she was this loose with herself, maybe she’d be loose with… information, too. The thought of outsmarting her, of getting the upper hand, spurred him on.

And when she finally hopped off of the table, damn near exposing herself in the process, that was when Roman made the decision to follow her toward the club’s dimly lit side area. Her movements were less calculated, swaying slightly with the alcohol coursing through her. This was his chance.

Turning around, Nate’s eyes clocked him approaching her and her expression swiftly shifted from carefree to guarded. And perhaps a hint of recognition, curiosity… interest?

“Volkov,” Roman called, pitched just enough to be heard over the music. “Didn’t expect to find you here.”

Nate raised an eyebrow, glancing to the side as she swayed on her heels. “What, you following women to the bathroom, now?”

He smirked, stepping forward to allow a few girls to pass them by, the proximity between the two decreasing. So close to each other that he could smell the scent of her perfume mixed with the alcohol on her breath. “Just curious what brings you to somewhere like this. You don’t strike me as the party type, Princess.”

Rolling her eyes, Nate took a sip of the drink that remained in her perfectly manicured hand—a vodka tonic, from the looks of it. “And you don’t strike me as someone who cares.”

“Maybe I’m just tryna figure out why you’re so dead set on blaming my family for somethin’ we ain’t done,” Roman shot back, clipping his tone at sharp. He impatiently waited as she took yet another sip from her drink, faced with the image of her plump lips curving around the edge of the glass and leaving a slight lipstick stain in its wake.

Nate’s eyes flashed with irritation. “Oh, so now you’re the victim?” She leaned up a little, her voice a bit slurred but still carrying that edge of defiance as she spat her words venomously. “You and your family have always taken what you wanted, so why should this be any different?” She let the question hang in the air, resting the weight of her body back against the wall.

Roman chuckled, running his tongue over his teeth before exhaling with an air of irritation. “Why don’t you tell me,” he started, opting to rest his hand on the wall beside her head, “just why is your Daddy so convinced it was us?” He didn’t even care that his way of wording his inquiry lacked his usual sophistication—he did have a level of leniency with her less-than-sober state.

She giggled, a rare sound that came across surprisingly light and entirely too blithe. “You think I’d spill all that just because I’m a little tipsy?”

Then, in a complete and utter moment of indiscretion, her hand brushed against his chest, pointer finger gently jabbing  just where the last button of his Henley sat. He tensed, entirely unhappy with the reaction her touch elicited. The warmth of her fingers burned through his shirt, searing into his skin. She was so close to him, too close—closer than sober her ever allowed herself to be. And he had to remind himself that this was an opportunity, not a distraction.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” he pressed, lowering his voice further, and boldly dropping his head just so he could be within inches of her ear. “Why not just give me a lil’ somethin’? You know I’ll figure it out eventually.”

Nate bit softly on her lower up, craning her neck upwards to look at him with an almost childish expression. “You’re so confident, Reigns. Always so sure of yourself…” she taunted through a sigh, but there was that underlying truth to them that caught Roman off-guard.

Before he could respond, Nate’s hand slid further up his chest, up to his neck, where her thumb brushed against his thick beard. Her lips pursed, almost as if she were cooing at him like a toddler. “You think you’re so smart… but you don’t know half of what’s really going on, do you?”

Roman felt his pulse quicken, not from the fact that Natalka Volkov, of all people, had her hand on him, but from the way she seemed to be teetering on the edge of saying… too much.

He needed to keep her talking.

“Enlighten me then, Princess.”

Nate’s eyes fluttered, half-lidded as she took a deep breath, the action only emphasising her chest to him. God, that dress… looks too damn good on someone so scheming.

“You think I’ll spill everything… about my dad,” she smirked, “When you know just as much as I do.” Her eyes locked onto his, the subdued lighting causing a menacing shadow to cast under his eyebrows and shield half of his eyes. 

“I might… despise my father,” she recklessly, and finally, admitted. “But even if I did know every little thing about whatever it is you’re trying to uncover…”

She attempted to push herself up from the wall, but only succeeded in anchoring her lower half forwards, causing one of her bare legs to brush up against Roman’s jeans. It shouldn’t have caused his arm to give out, even slightly, but it did.

“I still wouldn’t give anything like that,” she hummed, “To a man like you.”

Roman pulled back slightly, looking down at her straight-on. There was something in her expression, something that told him she wasn’t bluffing. He thought he’d gathered everything he needed on the Volkovs themselves. He thought he knew their dynamics, that the reason for their almost immortal, untouchable status in New York City was down to the very core of their operations: an unbreakable familial bond.

But this was one of those rare moments where Roman Reigns could definitively, and humbly, admit that he was wrong.

And in this situation, that made her either the most dangerous individual out there… or the most valuable.

Without breaking eye contact, Roman reached into his pocket, fumbling for anything he could write on. He pulled out an old receipt, ripping off a scrap and pulling a pen from his jacket. He quickly scribbled down his number, not wanting to think too much into his decision, and then looked at her with a hint of a smirk.

“Call me when you’re sober,” he said, holding the piece of paper between his fingers. Then, with calculated boldness, he slipped it down the front of her dress, making sure to tuck it right between her cleavage, the act intimate yet authoritative.

Nate’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening slightly at the cold touch of her enemy’s fingers, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she watched him with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “You Samoans love playing with fire, don’t you?”

“I know,” he replied, before lowering his head one more time, his whisper close enough to allow Nate to embrace the heat of his breath, the combination of whiskey and mint potent. “Almost as much as the Russians, baby girl.”

With that, he clicked his tongue twice and winked, before pulling back. He gave her a once over and turned on his heel, hands making their way into his jean’s back pockets as he headed back to the crowd. But even as he walked away, he could still feel her eyes on him, the knowledge that she had just unintentionally given her family’s number one on their hitlist, priceless information.

But she’d figure that out soon enough.

[queenvidal]

The Missing Piece

Chapter 2: Strange Feelings

Chapter Summary: Goodneighbor is facing quite some problems but Hancock needs a break. It's hard to concentrate with his mind spiraling back to the woman from the vault.

Wordcount: 2159

Chapter Index:

Ch. 1 / Ch. 2 / Ch. 3 / Ch. 4 / Ch. 5 / Ch. 6 / Ch. 7 / Ch. 8 / Ch. 9

Masterlist

The last week has been a mess.

The group of green skins that have attacked Nick and Blue settled down not far away from Goodneighbor. In fact, they came far too close for Hancock’s liking. He and Fahrenheit spend the last few days working hard on finding a solution. So hard even that John didn’t have time to take one of his little chem breaks every now and then to take off the edge.

His usually blurred mind sobered up over the time and got almost completely clear and sharp and it just wouldn’t shut up. Though being sober isn't something John is unfamiliar with, the sheer chaos in his head had kept him from concentrating. 

Thoughts were racing through his head, bringing past demons back into focus. His mind zoned out constantly, brought him back to diamond city, to the things he did and didn’t do. But the worst part was the anxiety. Out of the blue he’d feel knots tightening in his chest, making it hard to breathe. He’d find himself clenching onto his sofas or desk, his chest heaving. At first he thought it might be some kind of bad tripping or a response to the never ending flood of pictures in his head. But he knows what that feels like and it doesn’t come close to whatever is going on with him now. It’s something he has no idea how to handle.

His nerve-racking arm was just the cherry on the top. Amari couldn’t find what was causing that unpleasant feeling and ended up just injecting Med-X. It did not help in the slightest, but Hancock didn’t bother to tell her. He thanked her for her help with Blue and his arm and quickly left.

“Hancock, what the fuck?” She asks, looking up from the map on the table. John’s face stays unreadable sternly, if she wouldn’t know him as well as she does, she’d find it quite intimidating. “That’s just bullshit! Are you even listening to what I’m saying? We are low on supplies as it is.” She points onto the map. “We can't go in with two teams, the two blocks are still raider territory, we'd have to -"

Needless to say that John’s mood soured quickly over the past few days and Fatenheit is getting sick of it.

“I’ve said two teams and two teams will get sent.” His voice is uncomfortably calm. The guards around the makeshift warrable share uneasy glances. Hancock has been really on edge like he is right now. To call the atmosphere in the room tense would be an understatement. 

Fahrenheit doesn’t care about what he wants. “I won’t send our men on a suicide mission just because these mutants hurt the robots little girlfriend.”

John's knuckles are turning white from the tight grip on the table. “You do as I say.”

“Nope. Know what,  I’m out.” Fahrenheit rounds the table to go for the door. She snips into the air, getting her men moving out of the room. “I am fucking tired of your irrational and stubborn orders. We'll adjourn this whole revenge trip of yours until you get your shit together. Go get your ass to The Third Rail and get wasted or something. It is absolutely impossible to work with you right now!" And with that the woman steps out of the office, leaving Hancock alone in the dim light of a few candles. 

He's furious. How dare she talk to him like that? As much as he treasures their friendship, this woman is crossing lines. At the end of the day, he's the mayor and she's just his right hand. He's in charge and that's something she needs to keep in mind. it's one thing to yell at him when they are private and talking eye to eye, no problem with that. But she has to fucking stay in line when it is business related. Especially with their men around.

Her current disobedience is maddening. And the damn migraine isn't helping either. Or his shaking hands. Or the cold sweet. For fuck sake, withdrawals already? The absolute last thing he wants to do is admitting that Fahrenheit was right. Maybe he really should take a break and drown himself in cheap whisky that  would make humans go blind. Maybe combined with jet, slowing his spinning mind that won't shut up about things he'd rather not think about.

Well, If they are still having jet and whisky, or alcohol in general that is. Their supply line is still cut. Another problem Hancock still has to solve. Maybe the mutants will kill the raiders or the other way around. That would be the easiest way but that again, nothing in the Commonwealth is easy.

Whatever. There is still an untouched 'survival kit' of all kinds of chems in the drawer of the mayor's desk. It definitely won't save his life when his town of criminals and junkies revolt against him for letting them dry down but at least he would be far away in mindless bliss when they paint his office with his guts.

Damn, since when did his thoughts go down such dark roads? John shakes his head, he really needs a break before his thoughts drive him crazy. With a sigh he takes his pack of smokes and leaves for The Third Rail.

When he passes Ham with a nod in greeting and enters the bar, he gets hit by the smell of cheap perfume, booze, smoke and vomit. Home.

The ghouls face cracks a smile when he sees his favorite detective sitting right at the bar, downing a longdrink, that smells exactly like coolant. Hancock takes the chair next to him. "Look who's here. Mind some company, Nicky?"

The synth huffs a laugh and takes a sip from his drink before he answers. "Not at all. And who am I to reject the mayor of Goodneighbor?"

Hancock orders two whiskeys and downs them both in one needy gulp. The liquid slowly burns its way down John's throat. Damn, he really needed that. While savoring the slow burn, he puts the glasses down with a loud clink.

Nick eyes Hancock with a questioning frown. "Ehm. A bit eager, are we?" Charlie refills the glasses without a comment and hovers away to the other guests. 

John pulls out a pack of smokes from his pocket, taking one out and offers Nick one as well. The detective doesn't say no but the frown doesn't leave his face when he takes one.

"Long day in the office." John sighs as he lights up his cigarette before taking a long drag. "How are you doing, Nicky, everyone treating you alright?"

Nick simply nods before he takes another sip. "Yeah, yeah."

John notices the tiredness in the synth's voice. Something is the matter. "So." The ghoul starts. "And what is your excuse for being here? Despite the girls and drinks?" Hancock lets his gaze wander through the bar. All familiar faces are sitting on crates, listening to Magnolia, drinking, fainting. Nothing out of the ordinary. A black haired woman meets his eyes, she smiles at him from under her bangs. Hancock acknowledges her by tipping his hat down a bit before he returns his attention back to his friend who still didn't answer his question.

Nick's eyes are glued at the almost empty glass in his hand while he takes long drags of his cigarette. He looks lost in thought, like he is pouting for whatever reason. "C'mon Nicky, what's bothering you? Everything alright with your vaultie?"

The synth just shakes his head. Eventually he sighs, "No, not really." John feels his stomach drop at that. Were her injuries more severe than they thought, did she catch an infection? All kinds of scenarios are floating around in his head. Nick takes another drag, "But I guess the Doc already told you." 

Actually she didn't. John hasn’t talked to her since Nick and Blue came into town. His arm did really go on his nerves, but he didn’t want to bother Amari with it again. He figured it might be part of his ghoulification. Losing some parts other than the nose and ears is normal, usually a toe or two. To lose whole limbs is possible but it's  very, very rare. Definitely not something John would be looking forward to but in the end he knew what he got himself into when he made his decision to become one. 

Also the last days were very stressful.  He was so occupied with his arm and the super mutants, he simply forgot to ask the doc about the woman from a vault. 

Which is a total lie.

John found his mind taking him back to the night where Nick and Blue stumbled through the gates ever so often. But lying to himself is easier than facing his worries for a person he barely met. Or the strange clenching of his guts whenever he memorized Blue’s wound and the sheer amount of blood all over her suit and Nick.

John tears his mind away from the memory, "Haven't spoken to her since you two came here. What's wrong?"

The vague answer only adds to the uneasy feeling in Hancock guts. "Care to be a bit more precise?"

Nick just sighs. “A lot.”

"She… well, let's say she's been through a lot and it shows - mentally."

Now that just piques John's curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"You know I don't talk about running investigations, Hancock."

So Blue is an actual client of his. Why the hell would somebody from a vault leave one of the safetes places in the Commonwealth behind to ask a synth detective for help? John hits the synth on his shoulder lightly. "Come on now, Nick. Don't leave me hanging here like that."

Nick puts out his cigarette in an ashtray before looking up to answer. "She's in the Rexford. Talk to her if you want to know more about her story, it's not my place to tell."

Hancock just rolls with his eyes. Of course he could just do that but if he’s honest to himself, her private matters are none of his business. Sure, he could defend himself by playing the 'I'm the mayor of the town and saved your life' card but that's not his style. And technically did Amari save her life - He just stabbed Finn out of the way.

John cringes internally at that. Damn, shes a fucking vaultie after all, her people are not used to the harsh reality outside their giant metal doors. Hell, she even most likely never saw a ghoul before. What  must she be thinking of him-

"Good evening, mayor Hancock."

The soft voice behind the men makes them turn their heads towards the source of it. It’s the black haired girl from the table on the other side of the bar.

"Good evening yourself-" John knows her, he is certain of it but what's her name again? Mindy? Suzi? "Pretty." Or just go with harmless, flattering pet names. A method that proved to be very sufficient over the years. The woman gives him a bright smile in response. "What can I do for you?" John asks even though he already knows what she's up to.

She bites her lower lip playfully, all of the sudden acting shy. "Well, I wondered if you'd like to have some company later, you know?”

Yeah, just like John thought. Nick looks at him with a knowing smile on his face but doesn't say anything. The ghoul considers her invention for a moment. The main dilemma for the last few years, ever since he became mayor of Goodneighbor - Sex or drugs. 

Both at the same time can be fun, too. But the possibility of passing out during a one night stand, being that vulnerable around a person who is just interested in his caps or chems, or just has a weird ghoul fetish, that's stuff nightmares are made of. At least his. So no, both are not an option.

"You can have him." Nick says nonchalantly as he stands up from his chair. "I've finished my drink anyway and I have a client to take care of." 

Jealousy hits John like a bolt of lightning. A feeling he didn't have in a very long time. It's so sudden and without warning, it takes him off guard. He tries not to read too much into that and turns his attention back to Trudy. Or Ruby? The woman takes Nick's seat immediately even though John hasn't answered yet. With a sigh on the remaining of his lips he just gives in. No drugs tonight then. But before Nick is out of earshot, John calls after him. There is one burning question he needs an answer for. "Nick! Blue ain't her real name, is it?"

The synth waves at him as he makes his way to the exit. "It's not."

Chapter Index:

Ch. 1 / Ch. 2 / Ch. 3 / Ch. 4 / Ch. 5 / Ch. 6 / Ch. 7 / Ch. 8 / Ch. 9

Masterlist

Taglist: @loverofclones / @squeakythedragon / @martinys-world / @id-rather-be-in-middle-earth

[drabblesandimagines]

Kitty (part 12)

Parts 1-11 here. Rei x (afab) reader

-

Kyu remains silent for the rest of the drive. Rei’s words circle around your head.

“You need to go, Kitty. It’ll be all right.”

Kazuki had said that too – why did you need to go? It didn’t make any sense. They’d said you could stay there as long as you wanted, what’s theirs is yours, you’re part of the family… so why had they changed their mind now? Had something happened? Had Misaki said something about you being around Miri? Had you done something wrong? But that didn’t make sense either, Rei had held you in his arms all night. Surely if you’d done something wrong or upset him, he wouldn’t have done that, he would’ve been mad or distant or angry… It doesn’t make sense. You felt settled and safe for the first time in years and now the carpet has been pulled out from under you. Stupid, stupid girl. His voice had been getting quieter in your head, but now it’s back with a vengeance.

You’re not sure how much time has passed or even what city you’re in now when Kyu begins to slow the car to a stop in a suburban street.

“We’re here.” He pulls on the handbrake, switches the engine off and undoes his seatbelt. He looks over his shoulder. “Before we go in, I’ve told them I’m a social worker who’s been assigned to you after you were rescued.”

You nod, though you know it’s not a question as such but a statement. Kyu exits the car. He goes to the trunk first, retrieving the duffel bag, before he opens your door and steps back, waiting.

You undo your own seatbelt before stepping out of the car – there isn’t much alternative. You feel horrendously sick. You’re surprised it didn’t hit you earlier. Breakfast had been Kazuki’s rich French toast – laden with syrup – and now it’s all swirling around your stomach as you take in your surroundings.

It’s a large, unassuming building peeking out over a large concrete wall. There’s an iron bar gate with a buzzer besides it and Kyu presses it confidently. You assume this must be the entrance.

“Hello?” The voice is robotic through the speaker.

“It’s Kyu Kugi. I have an appointment.”

“Can you present your identification to the camera, sir?”

Kyu digs in his pocket and pulls out a card – a fake ID, you guess - holding it towards the lens as requested.

There’s a pause for a moment. “Thank you. Come in.” The gate pops open as a loud buzz emits. You wonder if this is the last time you’ll be this side of it. The other side of the gate is completely different though, opening out into a garden, which you imagine would be pretty in the spring sunshine but is a little gloomy in the grey of December. There’s a water fountain in the middle of it, trickling gently. Opposite the fountain is a few stairs leading up to a double set of metal doors, where a kind-faced middle-aged woman with a blonde bob is standing. She’s dressed in a soft pink cardigan over a white shirt and slacks, her hands clasped in front of her and a warm smile on her face.

“Kyu, I presume.” She nods in greeting, before her eyes turn to you. “And you must be Kitty. I’m Hikoti. It’s lovely to meet you both.”

You stare at the woman for a moment before dropping your eyes to the stairs. Your stomach is still swirling violently and this is all becoming far too real.

“Are you feeling all right, Kitty?”

“It’s been a stressful morning,” Kyo replies on your behalf.

“That’s understandable. Come inside, I’ll get you a glass of water and we can talk, okay?”

She leads the two of you up the stairs into what is a small reception area. Another woman is sat behind the desk, typing away. There’s another set of heavy double doors, this time with a keypad and card scanner to the side. Hikoti presses her staff card against it and the door gives a thud as the lock releases.

“I know it might seem intimidating with all these locks, Kitty, but it’s to keep unwanted people out, not to keep you in.” Hikoti holds the door open and waves you and Kyu through. You want to believe her, but you can’t quite bring yourself to – why else would she bring attention to it? The woman leads you through to what you assume is her office – a spacious room with a desk, a sofa and a coffee table with a couple of low chairs.

“Take a seat, please, get comfortable, and I’ll go grab some water.” You sit on the sofa. It’s firmer than the one at ho… You stop the thought, you don’t want to cry in front of the two of them. Kyu takes the other end of the sofa, keeping distance between the two of you.

Hikoti returns a few moments later, holding a tray with three glasses and a pitcher filled with ice-cold water. She pours the three of you each a glass before she sits down opposite you in one of the chairs, hands once again clasped in her lap. You nod, slightly, taking a sip of the water and hoping it’ll settle your stomach before carefully placing it back down.

“I know it’s a little overwhelming here, Kitty. So I’ll introduce myself again, okay? I’m Hikoti and I run this centre. It’s my job to make sure everyone remains safe and well, and help you adjust after what’s happened to you.” She speaks softly, slowly, as if to a child. You continue staring at the glass of water.

“Kitty?” Kyu asks. You realise they want acknowledgement, so you nod, meeting the woman’s eyes briefly. “Sorry, she’s usually a little more talkative. As I said, it was a stressful morning…”

“That’s okay. Kitty, I know it must be a bit scary to be here but I promise you, this is a safe place where no-one can hurt you anymore.” She leaves a pause in case you speak, but you don’t, opting to dig your nails into your palms instead. You know she sees.

“Kyu’s shared your history with us. I understand this is be a big adjustment after all those years, but we’re going to try our best to make it as easy as possible.”

You wonder how much he told them. He could have only got his information from Kazuki, surely. Was it all in preparation for this?

“I’ll tell you a little bit more about our centre. Don’t worry if you forget – I know it’s a lot to take in. I’ve got a welcome pack you can keep in your room to refer to, or you can speak to any of the staff and they can explain it all. Our aim is to help women escape harmful situations, rebuild their confidence and abilities, and readapt to the world. We have an in-house medical team, consisting of doctors, nurses and therapists who you’ll see regularly, if need be. We’ll do workshops and life-building skills. You’ll have free time too, of course, and you can leave the premises to do whatever you wish. For now, though, whilst you settle in and become comfortable, we’d like you to stay within the grounds. I’m sure it won’t be for long and it is to keep you safe.”

You’re very aware that ‘we’d like you to stay within the ground’ means you aren’t leaving the grounds.

“Sounds good.” Kyu responds for you.

“We cater for ten women here, so you’ll have some company. We can introduce you to them later on, though. I know this must be overwhelming enough already. Is there anything you’d like to ask me, Kitty?”

You look up at her then and she smiles, kindly, genuinely. But you shake your head. You can’t say what you want to – there’s no point – so what’s the use of saying anything at all?

“Well, my door is always open if anything comes to mind later. How about we show you to you to your room? I’m afraid you missed lunch, but we kept aside some sandwiches so I can send those up for you two whilst you get settled.”

“That’s very kind of you. I’m afraid I can’t stay for long, but I’m sure Kitty would appreciate that.” Kyu replies. You dutifully get to your feet as they do and follow the woman along the corridor, past a few doors where you can hear some muted chat behind. She leads you up a set of stairs to a long corridor – ten identical doors, five a side, and whiteboards on them, each displaying a woman’s name. Halfway down she stops at a door – ‘Kitty’ is written in black marker pen in a cursive hand.

“This’ll be your room whilst you’re with us, okay? I’ll let you and Kyu have a look around and I’ll go see about that lunch.” Hikoti opens the door for the two of you and steps back, gesturing you in. You step inside as Kyu thanks the woman, and swiftly steps in behind you, shutting the door as you hear her footsteps retreat down the hall.

“Seems all right here, huh?” He places the duffel bag down on the floor, looking around the room. There’s a single bed, a desk, a chair and a dresser. There’s another door within the room that’s open, leading to an en-suite. It feels sterile to you after being in Rei’s room. “It’ll be good for you in the long-run, Kitty.”

There it is again – why does everyone else get to decide what’s good for you? You were doing well, you were happy, why is everyone suddenly acting as if you weren’t?

You sit down heavily on the bed and stare at your feet. Kyu sighs before he crouches down in front of you, trying to get in your line of sight.

“Okay, I admit Kazuki could’ve handled it better, but surely you’ve got to understand that you don’t belong in their world, especially after what you’ve already been through. I don’t know what they were thinking. And I’m taking some of the blame here because I let it go on too long, but I’m making it right now, okay? For you and Miri.”

The mention of the little girl breaks your silence. “M-Miri?”

Kyu nods. “She’s going to go and live with her mother – where she should be.”

“B-b-but…”

“I promise you – give it time,” he cuts across your protests, “you’ll realize this is where you should be and you’ll have forgotten all about them.”

Forgotten? You want to say that it’s impossible, that you could never forget any of them, how could he think that? How could you forget Kazuki’s joy when he was cooking, Miri’s squeal when she was excited, Rei’s shy smiles, the way you felt when you held hands, or how safe you felt within his arms…? But, the bitter thought wins over, you’d forgotten your own name – stupid girl - so why not them too?

There’s a knock on the door. Kyu answers and it’s Hikoti, bringing in the promised sandwiches – a plate covered in clingfilm - along with the welcome pack and a bag of what she calls ‘essentials’. She places it all down on the desk, says you’re welcome to wander around the centre, of course you are, but she understands if you just wanted to take the day to settle. You don’t want to settle, you want to go home.

She asks Kyu to pop by her office before he leaves and then she’s gone again, leaving the two of you alone in the room.

“T-take me h-h-home.” You’re trying not to cry. “Please.”

“Kitty,” he crouches down in front of you again. “I can’t do that. Besides, that wasn’t your home.”

“I d-don’t un-understand. D-d-did I do s-something w-wrong?” Your breath catches in your throat again.  

“No, but Kazuki and Rei did. I don’t disagree with them taking you out of Aktomi’s place, but they should’ve taken you to a hospital or a place like this straightaway. I don’t know how they’ve looked after Miri for so long, but you need proper help.”

“They w-were help-helping m-me.” The tears are burning your eyes now, but you’re trying your best to hold them in.

“I know you think that but, Kitty, come on,” he lowers his voice now, “they’re assassins, a part of the underworld that abducted you. What help could they really be? Surely you want away from all that.”

“I w-w-was away f-from it.” You stress back.

“No, you weren’t.” He sighs. “Look, they didn’t tell you this because they didn’t want to scare you, but maybe this is the only way. Being associated with them makes you vulnerable – it put a target on yours and Miri’s backs. Rei’s father was asking questions and, trust me, you don’t want him being interested in you. This keeps both you and them safe, understand?”

“Rei’s f-father?”

“He expects Rei to inherit the Organization and he has no qualms in eliminating anything he deems as a distraction. I’ve seen how you and Rei are around each other, and I’ve also seen what happens to those who don’t uphold what the Boss deems the values of the Organization. As his son and heir, Rei’s held to an even higher standard. Trust me – this is the only way.”

You’re silent at that – would the Boss really hurt Rei over you? You’d seen the scars on his chest, you thought they’d been from some of his jobs, but was it possible some were from his own father…?

Kyu continues. “You’ll also understand why I think it’s best if you don’t talk about Rei, Kazuki or Miri anymore, okay?”

You swallow – hard. “O-okay.”

“Good. The refuge is going to let me know how you’re getting on, but I don’t intend to come back – a clean slate for everyone, huh?” He gets to his feet, slips his hands in his pockets. “I do wish you all the best, though, Kitty.”

He closes the door behind you, but you keep staring at the floor where he used to be.

Hours pass – the conversation with Kyu swirling around your head. Is it true? Is that really why they sent you away? Was whatever this connection you had with Rei really putting lives in danger? Hikoti visits again at 6pm, takes you down for dinner, introduces you to the other women there but their names all go over your head. You pick at some food, your appetite still eluding you. The woman besides you says something about how she was also too nervous to eat when she arrived and that you’ll get there. You nod, politely.

In the bag Hikoti brought earlier, you find brand-new toiletries and some sets of clothes to wear. A lot of other women came here in different circumstances than you, with nothing at all. The black duffel bag still sits in the corner, untouched since Kyu placed it down hours ago. You assume it’s full of the clothes they’d bought you and you don’t know whether you can face wearing or seeing any of them again – won’t it hurt too much?

The tears burn at your eyes again. You push the duffel bag into the corner and you take out pyjamas from the bag of clothes the refuge provided, swallowing down the lump in your throat.

--

Kazuki and Rei had picked up Miri together that afternoon – silently noting it was the last time they would. They hadn’t spoken much since that morning. Kazuki busied himself with chores whilst Rei retreated to the tub, saying he wanted to catch up on some sleep. He felt beyond tired though, and found himself staring at the ceiling. The look on your face when he’d shut Kyu’s car door was burnt into his brain. It wasn’t how he wanted to remember you, but it was all he could think about. They were doing the right thing, though, weren’t they? He knew how serious his father was about what was expected of him, of what his father had done to those who disobeyed his will. Again, the image of his instructor’s wife flashes in his brain.

He's done the right thing. Maybe that’s why it hurts so much.

Miri was delighted to see her papas both there – clearly she’d forgotten her foul mood from this morning – but on the arrival back at the apartment, she noticed your absence.

“Papa Rei, where’s Kitty?”

It was inevitable they’d have to tell Miri – of course she’d ask – but Rei’s frozen as the little girl looks up at him, her head tilted in confusion. Kazuki comes to his rescue.

“Miri,” The blonde knelt down, tugging her around to face him, “Remember Kitty’s voice was poorly and she couldn’t remember her name when we first met her?”

“Yeah, but her voice got better.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Well, Kitty’s gone somewhere to help her to continue to get better. She’s sorry she didn’t get to say goodbye, but the place is really far away and she had to leave straight away…”

“Oh. Won’t she come back when she’s better?”

“I’m not sure, Miri. We don’t know how long it’s going to take Kitty to feel better. It might be a long time.���

Miri frowns for a moment, before taking it all on her chin and giving a brave little nod. She looks back to Rei, standing to the side, and leans in to whisper in Kazuki’s ear. “Is Papa Rei sad?”

“Yeah, I think he is.”

Miri nods, solemnly, before running over and hugging his legs. “It’s okay, Papa Rei. Kitty wouldn’t want you to be sad. She likes it when you smile, remember?”

Rei ruffles her hair, forces a smile. “Yeah, she does.”

--

Days pass.

You miss them.

You have a thorough check-up with a doctor, who seems to have notes in front of her in Kazuki’s handwriting. He must’ve written it all down when you got back that night. The doctor’s nice enough, agrees with what was said at the cash-in-hand clinic. The refuge has a full-time kitchen staff, a laundress and cleaning staff, they just want you to take the time to adjust, heal and overcome. Let us look after you, they stress. You’re given a schedule of workshops and activities – in a group and solo – and you listen and try and engage, fill out the worksheets as directed, try and face some of the unhealthy thinking habits you’d developed. The therapist is nice – she seems to know what you’re thinking before you even say it and, slowly, you begin to open up again about what happened in the house, what he did, what he said… and his voice quietens down again. You miss them, but you don’t talk about them.

Four days after you had arrived there, you place the duffel bag on the bed and finally begin to unpack. You can tell Rei must’ve packed it – his folds aren’t as neat as Zuki’s but it’s clear he tried his best. You transfer each of the garments into the dresser drawers carefully until you reach the very bottom. There’s a shirt that’s not yours – a cartoon cat smiling up at you. It’s Rei’s – the one with the cat in a pocket back and front. You clutch it to your chest – he must’ve grabbed it from the laundry basket because it smells like him. Something crinkles as you hold it – tucked inside is a drawing of you, Miri, Kazuki and Rei in Miri’s cute style.

You slip the drawing under your clothes in the dresser and go to bed, cuddling the t-shirt.

You miss them, but they’re safe and that should suffice. Maybe tomorrow the hollow feeling in your stomach will pass.  

--

The days all blur into one since Miri went home with Misaki. The last day with her had been difficult. Rei knew they were doing the right thing, but there were moments in the day he’d look over his shoulder for you wanting to see your reaction, the adorable look on your face when you were charmed by something, but then he’d remember.

He games all night, sleeps all day, emerges for food once in a while, which he and Kazuki eat in the dark – all instant stuff. If Kazuki has noticed the plush lion that is now always besides the tub with Miri’s rubber duck, he’s kind enough not to mention it. Nor the fact that his phone’s background is the photo of him and you at the zoo. He’ll delete it before he returns home.

He will, but not now.

--

You’ve been opening up more in the sessions recently. They seem surprised, commenting on how well you seem to be doing already. You realise it’s because they think you’re only weeks out of there. Kazuki, Rei and Miri have been some sort of therapy for you in another way, you supposed.

There’s a calendar in your room – void of any of the comments that were on the ones at home, of course, but Miri had drilled this particular date into your mind. It’s the day of her concert, when she’s going to be singing Silent Night with her class. You wonder if Misaki, Rei and Kazuki will all go together. Surely, even if Miri has gone to live with her, Kazuki and Rei would still be allowed to see that?

You try to push the thought to your back of your mind as you leave your room to head down for breakfast, but there’s a hub of activity at the end of the hallway. Hikoti is in whispered discussions with two other staff members.

“Good morning, Kitty.” Hikoti smiles when she sees you. “Do you mind popping by my office before you go for breakfast, please?”

“S-sure.” You nod and follow the woman down the stairs. She encourages you to take a seat on the too firm sofa.

“There was an incident this morning which I believe you should be aware of.”

“O-okay.” You don’t like the sound of that.

“I don’t say this to frighten you – it’s been dealt with, but it would help if we had some more information about the nature of it. Do you know a man called Rei Suwa?”

Your stomach flips. Is this a test from Kyu, to see if you would tell them about Kazuki and Rei? Or did Rei come for you? Could his father have changed his mind, somehow…? The possibility of seeing Rei again wins.

“Yes.”

“And is this him?” She slides over a photograph from what looks like the CCTV at the gate, but when you see the man in the grainy image, your stomach sinks.

“N-no, t-that’s n-not him.”

“Mm. Do you know who he is?”

It’s that man from Kyu’s café – weeks ago now. The one with the protruding eyes and the blank stare, the one who made you feel uneasy. You shake your head.

“I’ve s-seen h-h-him before, but I don’t know h-his n-name, though. S-sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Hikoti removes the photograph from your view. “He was at the gate early this morning asking for you by name. We didn’t confirm you were here – we don’t give out anyone’s names as a safety concern. He refused to leave, so we called the police. He finally left after he heard the sirens.”

You nod. Is this what they’d been trying to protect you from?

“I’m sorry if this has upset you too, but I wouldn’t worry about it, okay? You’re safe here. It looked to me like he was a journalist. He kept pulling out a notebook of sorts. Sadly, they go to horrible lengths to get a story.”

A horrible thought dawns on you - if he had come for you, would he try for them next? “C-can y-y-you let Kyu k-know, p-please?”

“Of course.”

--

Kyu hesitates before he says it. They haven’t told him their plans, but he can guess and what he’s about to say is probably just going to add fuel to the fire, but after the events of last night they should know. “Ogino was at the women’s refuge early this morning.”

“What?” Kazuki and Rei say in perfect unison.

Rei’s heart is in his mouth. “Is Kitty okay? What happened?”

“She’s fine.” He stresses. “He didn’t get anywhere near her. I told you, this place is good. He tried to get in by saying he was Rei Suwa, the idiot. He refused to leave, but when they called the police he scarpered. Probably regrouping.”

“Well, hopefully we’ll see him at our little chat, huh?” Kazuki nudges Rei.

“You need these to chat?” Kyu quips as he opens the trunk, handing over the case.

“You know what the Suwa family is like.”

--

“Rei…” Kazuki says cautiously. Miri’s asleep upstairs and the two men have been sitting in silence in the living room. Kazuki’s been watching trashy television whilst Rei’s been scrolling on his phone. They’ve been holed up in Kyu’s safe house a few days now, since after Miri’s Christmas concert. They didn’t really want to go back to the apartment funded by the Organization. Kazuki had hired a packing service to box things up from there and transfer them to a storage unit. He was waiting until after the holidays to try and find them a new apartment with the money Karin hadn’t taken – a smaller, more affordable apartment - but Kyu had said the house was theirs for as long as they needed it. He dropped off supplies and, thankfully, painkillers. They would need something closer to Miri’s daycare come January, though, but there was still some time.

“You know, Kyu said he can go take you to see her in the new year, if you like.”

“No.” It’s not the answer Rei’s heart gives, but he’s already been lucky enough escaping with Miri. He doesn’t want to chance it, he can’t risk it.

“Rei…” Kazuki sighs. He knows Rei is thrilled to have Miri back, he is too – it’s more than he could’ve ever dreamed of – but when Miri’s asleep, Rei seems to deflate. He thought at first it was due to his arm, but Rei had never been one to feel sorry for himself when injured or sick – it is what it is, he’d shrug off. He appeared to have already come to terms with the sacrifice he’d made. So there’s only one other explanation Kazuki can see and it’s one he knows - he’s lovesick.

“Kitty deserves better than me.”

“Don’t you think you should ask her what she wants? I mean, I’m pretty confident what her answer will be.”

“It’s like you said at the top of the Ferris wheel – I had more than my fair share.”

He goes back to his phone, signaling the conversation is over.

--

Kyu’s in the café, wiping down the counter when his phone rings. He sees the caller ID and answers, a little hesitant.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Kyu. It’s Hikoti. Are you free to talk?”

Kyu casts an eye over the empty café. “Of course – is everything okay?”

“Yes, sorry, I should’ve started with everything’s fine. Kitty’s doing incredibly well, to be honest with you – she’s continued to engage well in therapy, workshops, the activities. That’s why I’m calling - we review each woman’s progress bi-weekly and, well, we’re not sure how much more we can do for her here.”

“Already?” You’d only been there a few weeks, after all. Could it have been that whatever Kazuki and Rei had been doing with you had actually set you off on the right foot…?

“I know it seems quick but we are all of the same opinion. I want to stress that it’s never a decision the team take lightly and, of course, she’ll need to continue some of the things we’ve worked on independently, but I do think we should begin to look into what the next step for Kitty might look like.”

“Mm.”

“We wouldn’t ask her to leave or force her out until we knew she’d have a safe and stable place to go to, it’s just you’ll appreciate how our capacity is limited and there are others who need our help. Besides, it’s unfair on Kitty to hold her back, especially after she already lost so many years to those horrible circumstances.” Hikoti sighs.

“I don’t intend to put pressure on you, just to raise it. Ideally, this is when we’d recommend they return to live with family or a trusted friend, but I remember from our initial conversation you were having difficulty in locating any relatives for her.”

Kyu pulls open one of the drawers under the register without thinking, moving a couple of envelopes out of the way until he can see a photograph.

“Funnily enough, Hikoti, I think I might have a lead…”

--

You’re worried when you see Kyu sat in Hikoti’s office – she’d asked you to come by after breakfast. He said you wouldn’t hear from him again, so why is he here? Did something happen…?

“Hi, Kitty.” He smiles, though there’s something different. It’s a genuine one, rather than the sympathetic one from a few weeks ago. “You’re looking really well.”

“T-thank y-you.” You sit down, hesitantly, on the sofa.

Hikoti smiles, trying to sooth your nerves. “It’s okay, Kyu’s here with good news. Or at least we hope you’ll think of it as good news.”

It’s then you notice that Kyu’s holding a manilla file in his hand.

“I think I’ve found your family.”

Your eyes widen at that. Family? It had just been you and your father in your spotty memory. Is it some sort of relative - some great aunt or cousin twice-removed?

“I’ve spoken to them and, if you’re happy to, they’d like you to come stay with them for a bit.” He places down the file and slides it over. “The information’s all in there, if you want to take a look.”

You can’t stop your hand shaking as you pull it closer to you, flipping it open. There’s a document but your eyes focus solely on the photograph that’s clipped in front. It’s of three people – a little girl holding aloft a gold medal with a huge smile on her face, a blonde man to her right, beaming, and a dark-haired man to her left, a cute, but awkward smile on his face. You can’t stop the smile on your own before you look up to meet Kyu’s eyes.

“My family?” You repeat. “T-they w-want me?” You’re trying to contain yourself in front of Hikoti. You have so many questions.

Kyu nods, “If you’ll have them.”

-

Am I extremely cruel for making you all wait another chapter for a reunion?! Maybe... I hope this snippet-style across the days reads okay, I didn't want to rehash a lot of the stuff we already know! Comments, likes, reblogs all appreciated - thanks as ever for your wonderful support throughout this series. Part 13. Ghostdog x

[featheredenby]

Heroes Of The GHFA

“Oh… that’s a relief,” she exclaims,”well I’m The Huntress and I just joined yesterday.”

Written by: FeatheredEnby

Word Count: 824

Part One of: Show Your Fangs

A Superhero AU of Empires SMP/Hermitcraft/The Life Series

“Welcome to the first meeting of the heroes of the Government Funded Heroes Project, you are all here to become heroes. Would you like to share how you made this decision? Wolf Spirit perhaps please go first.” Says the director of the project.

“Uhm… it’s really not that interesting of a story.” She replies.

It had been on a Friday a few months before as Shrub was walking to the bus stop from her job working in the wolf enclosure at the zoo. She was just walking when she saw an older woman walking her dog, and out of an alleyway came a man holding a knife. Before she knew what was happening the man was threatening the woman and Shrub’s instincts took over. Before the man knew what was happening anger had caused Shrub’s hybrid traits to appear as she grew a tail and pair of ears. She had run forward sweeping his leg and punching him in the face, breaking his nose. Then the GFHA had arrived similarly to the men in black and offered her a chance to make way more money and to help others so she had joined. It was awesome she could fight for what she believed in without fear of being arrested and had a way to be in public without hiding an essential aspect of herself.

“And that was pretty much it.” Finishes The Wolf Spirit.

“WOW,” replies the man known as Hotguy,”That was a lot more anticlimactic than I expected it to be.”

“At least I did something of value,” she challenges,”all you did was show some videos of what you were capable of doing before you got sick and started needing the wheel chair!”

Oof that stung… It’s not like she was wrong, but to him it felt like a punch to the face. He had just been sitting at home watching the news with his roommate Grian when the GFHA had put out a call for anyone who wanted to become a superhero, this was the chance that Scar had been waiting for. However it’s hard to become a superhero while being disabled luckily they had offered solutions for it. So the next day he had sent out an email giving a description of who he was, his skills, and some videos of what he used to be able to do. And to his surprise within a week he was called to set up an interview and soon Hotguy was born. It was amazing too, he was given robotic legs to allow him to stand and walk and run along with a high tech bow. Now he could not worry about money or medical bills along with being able to help out his friends. There was just one problem which is that when you randomly get called out your roommate gets suspicious… so being a freelance landscaper came in handy as he didn’t have specific hours of work and could do anything he pleased.

“I guess you’re right.” He admits.

As they continue talking a pale woman with black hair, wearing partial plate and scalemail over a black sports dress bursts through the door.

“Ack,” she cries as she trips over her foot,” So sorry that I’m late I got caught with my job as a seamstress!”

“No worries!” Replies The Wolf Spirit.

“Yeah, we have all been late to a meeting at some point.” Hotguy adds.

“Oh… that’s a relief,” she exclaims,”well I’m The Huntress and I just joined yesterday.”

Yesterday had sure been interesting, between sewing band outfits for Gem, Impulse, and Scott to creepers getting loose in Empires city and her having to take care of them since she was the only person around. Let’s see she had been sitting at a table outside of Cleo’s cat cafe when there was an explosion in a nearby laboratory, it turned out that a glade of creepers had escaped and were reeking havoc around the city. So she had paid and ran over to her apartment where she grabbed her hand axes and went out to get to work. It had been a long and tedious process but it was worth it. She ended up killing most of them before she had to stop because of her injuries and went home but apparently what she did got on the news as she received a call from the GFHA offering her a spot on the team and just like that her rusty old axes were replaced with shiney new ones and she was give new armor. Now Katherine Elizabeth was a hero and a fashionable one at that.

“But I guess that’s my story,” she finishes,”I have to admit though I’m slightly disappointed that neither of you showed up to help.”

“While this is all lovely,” interjects the director,”but do you have anything else to say or can we end this meeting.”

“Nope.”

“Very well then meeting adjourned”

[neopoliitan]

TEAM RAIN: ARC 4 CH4 - BEST LAID PLANS

A WRITE UP FOR THE REST OF TEAM RAIN: CHAPTER 4

We open on a scene in Zenith. Viorel and Zelena Braith open Roderick Lincoln’s cell to reveal they have brought him the last remnants of the Lincoln Clan, now with an active aura like him. They present it as company, but note that  Gardner Braith will return to drain their aura to replenish his upon their return from hunting Otso Umber.

The clansmen are these;

Crete Reed, A warrior woman based on Britomartis.

Oak Holm, a man who was briefly seen in the back of some Arc 2 shots.

Loden Lincoln, a teenager and third or fourth cousin of Robin.

Primrose, a teenage girl with round glasses.

Fennel, the son of Kodiak Lincoln and around 7-9 years old.

Crete sees Artemis Garland lying on a cot, still comatose but out of the pod she was previously in implying she’s gotten a little stronger. Crete runs to her side.

Sterling Braith enters and tells her not to get attached, ordering the Talos robots to restrain the clansmen. Viorel cautions that there’s no time for his vendetta, to which Sterling responds he’s making time. He advances on Roderick, telling him “Your sister cut my arm off, so it’s lucky for me that you’re here.” Before Roderick can reply, Sterling socks him in the face with one of his new prosthetic arms.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do to you, but if it doesn’t kill you… You’re damn well gonna wish it did.”

Zelena looks slightly shaken and follows Viorel out of the room. Viorel coldly comments that now “the terminal” is fixed, Roderick has outlived his use and this is the least he deserves. Zelena asks if “the terminal” is really going to change anything, to which Viorel grows frustrated and tells her not to have second thoughts - they’ve come this far already; she “isn’t there to think”, and that Kamala will show her no more mercy than “they” did if she backs out.

Lilli Lincoln wakes up in her bed, unable to sleep. She heads downstairs to the kitchen for some water and comes across Petra Redwood. Petra mentions the 7-day time limit Kamala Braith issued Team RAIN, which Lilli didn’t know about. Her expression unreadable, she heads upstairs.

She grabs her labrys.

We cut to Robin asleep in her room. Lilli kicks the door open and slings her buzzsaw-shield at Robin.

ROBIN: What are you doing?! What the hell is this about?!

LILLI: E V E R Y T H I N G ! I’m sick of you, and I’m sick of your stupid face! You always get what you want! Even after coming home and getting dad KILLED!

Lilli swings again.

LILLI: Pitch was the closest thing I had to a friend, and now he’s GONE! I was the LAST ONE to be told about Marina even though I'm FAMILY! You told everyone EXCEPT ME about Mom and Roderick being ALIVE! And I just found out that even though you only have seven days to save them, you go and SLEEP THROUGH ONE--!

Robin blocks one of Lilli’s attacks, and the two are held in stalemate.

ROBIN: LILLI-! What the hell is going on? Why are you always trying to fight me--!?

LILLI: BECAUSE IT’S THE ONLY TIME YOU EVER NOTICE I’M THERE!

They relax slightly at this moment of honesty. Lilli smiles weakly.

LILLI: You were always the favorite, even after you got sent away from home. Mom and Dad never shut up about you. “Why can’t you be more like your sister? Why can’t you be more like Robin?” They would’ve switched us without a second thought if it meant getting Robin back. 

Lilli relaxes, her arms hanging limp.

LILLI: It’s not like I wanna be mean. It’s just that people only notice me when they’re angry at me.  ...They’d just be happier if I was gone, huh?

We see flashbacks to:

Roderick scolding Lilli (pg297)

Artemis Scolding Lilli (pg828)

Marina [then Tobin] scolding Lilli (pg331)

Robin shoving Lilli (pg828)

ROBIN: I should’ve seen the signs. No one wishes you were gone.

LILLI: Don’t. Don’t lie to me like that.

ROBIN: I’m not.

We see a Flashback to Robin saying “there’s nothing I’d rather be than kind” in Arc 3 Ch9 (pg. 746)

ROBIN: We weren’t there for you after what happened back home, and I didn’t even think twice about it. ...But I wanna try to be there for you now, if you’ll let me. Lilli, I’m sorry.

Lilli begins to sob, and Robin reaches out to embrace her sister. Her sister. Who she treated like an enemy for years. She embraces her as Lilli apologizes too, and we see Lilli’s aura activate in a moment of emotional height.

–

Irving, Nyssa, Jin, the Hawthornes, Team ZNON, and Peach’s Team disembark from Raleigh Radcliff’s ship as it touches down in the Tsubaki District.

Farran Hawthorne commends Irving’s bravery in showing mercy to Team ZNON and defeating the rat king, telling him he’s proud. Irving turns around and says he’s not proud of his father for closing ZNON’s school and turning them against him, making them easy to manipulate. He tells his father to use his political power to set them up in a school in Mistral so that the world doesn’t have more Violas to deal with.

Robin and Akane reunite with Irving and Nyssa. Robin says she’s glad Irving’s family made it out safe unlike hers, but Irving cuts her off and tells her it wasn’t her fault - it was bad luck they chose the Lincolns.

Raleigh approaches Team RAIN and tells them they have some explaining to do.

–

We cut to Jin and Peach. Peach reveals she was adopted by a couple who she refers to as “her dad” (Bjorn Vermell) and her “science dad” (Konstantan Vermell). They wanted to get her out of the orphanage after seeing how malnourished she was, and her “science dad” later engineered her prosthetic legs.

Peach asks if the orphanage is still there. Jin tells her the Sisterhood marched in and made sure the kids were safe, while the adults “didn’t hurt anyone else.” She then asks if Peach held the final argument before they were separated against her, and Peach admits she doesn’t even really remember it. Once she knew her parents were good people, she asked Konstantan to put out feelers to find Jin, but by then it was too late. 

Jin looks at the old photo of them both, but Peach brushes it away. She tells her that she’s here now, and places Jin’s hand on her heart. The two rest their foreheads against each other.

–

40 years ago.

We see Raleigh Radcliff being congratulated on his victory in the 21st Biennial Vytal Festival.

Briefly we cut away to a young Otso Umber in a medical ward, his head bandaged - his grip tightens on the sheets of his hospital bed in envy as he sees Raleigh reaping the glory.

It’s revealed we’re watching Raleigh’s victory in the present day as a presentation on 58-year-old Raleigh’s scroll. Robin tells him they’re happy to have him along now they’ve seen his skills.

Raleigh reveals that Otso cut off his left leg from below the knee during one of their fights, and that he has a prosthetic - he has his own motives for fighting Otso. Irving questions what originally started their feud, and Raleigh tells him that he took Otso’s place in the tournament finale, after Otso couldn’t compete due to a head injury - and that Otso ‘didn’t deserve the win anyway’.

Raleigh asks what they know about the Braiths; they’re a family of good fighters, proficient with Aura and fusing Grimm and humans. When asked about their weaknesses, Akane recalls that she made Zelena falter when the latter stole her truth semblance.

Akane and Irving surmise that their tech suggests Atlas. Robin recalls Roderick telling her that the Braiths’ base was called Zenith, but Raleigh doesn’t know it and Akane can’t find any info on it on cached offline CCT information on her scroll.

Robin quickly recalls the Crazy Bunch who worked under Sterling and Zelena, and how they managed to apprehend one of them. Raleigh says interrogating him is worth a shot, and takes Akane with him to verify the man’s answers.

–

Nyssa visits home and shares closure over Pitch with her mother, Maera. Murasaki drops in, assuring them that the Sisterhood is in the capable care of Team BRUT. When questioned on how trustworthy BRUT are, Murasaki replies that she is trying to steer them right and give them a purpose, the same way the previous Sisterhood leader did for her.

Murasaki reveals that after she got her head together regarding Pitch, she contacted Maera and the two talked it over. Both of them shared relationships with Pitch, but she won’t go into detail just yet. She regrets not dealing with him the moment she laid eyes on him in the Sisterhood cave.

–

Robin and Lilli are attempting to bond. Robin called Lilli downstairs to ask her if she wants to attend Combat School in Mistral while she and her team venture to Atlas - unless Lilli wants to argue and come with them. Lilli proclaims she’s not an idiot, but seems unconvinced that Elysium Academy will take her. Robin reassures her by complimenting her fighting ability.

Marina interrupts by sticking her head through the wall behind them - revealing that her semblance does not only consist of invisibility, but intangibility. She notes that Robin and Lilli are getting along better, but the same can’t be said for Robin and Marron.

Robin argues that she’s not budging - she won’t get Marron mixed up in her mess again. Marron wants to go to Atlas, but Robin doesn’t - so do they just break up?

Lilli interjects by telling her to compromise, to find a solution that works for both of them. After being pestered by the other two siblings, Robin gets up and agrees to talk it over. When she leaves, Marina tries to banter with Lilli, but the youngest Lincoln sister halts her, unfolds a sheet of paper and reads:

"Please do not attempt to make light conversation or banter with me. You are still complicit in my neglect for your own reasons, and are, therefore, an absolute carbuncle. I forbid you from attempting to take a shortcut by hijacking the effort Robin has made."

Marina is stumped, then admits that’s a fair point.

–

Marron is sitting on the porch of the Tsubaki District house. Robin sits down next to her.

After a moment, Robin asks if Marron knows why she doesn’t want her to come to Zenith, which Marron confirms. Robin tells her that she doesn’t want her to get hurt, which Marron spins back on her - she isn’t going to wait around like a sailor’s wife hoping that Robin might come back, that she doesn’t need Robin’s protection.

Robin begins to observe that they’re at an impasse, but Marron interrupts.

“I need you to show me some trust -- some faith in my judgment. Some faith that I know what to do if things go to hell. I need you to accept that you're not the only one who knows what they're doing. And I need you to understand that my decisions aren’t yours to make.”

Robin takes this in.

She apologises for coddling Marron, and observes that Marron knew how to break Sterling and when to call for her help. She admits that between her father’s death and her treatment of Nyssa and Lilli, her own judgment hasn’t been the best.

She trusts Marron to know her limits and make the right calls.

The two hold hands and stay there on the porch for a while. Slowly, they begin to make small talk about what they’ll do once this is all over.

[writingfool001]

Reader w/ Mechanical Limbs Meet Sebek's Mother

Author’s Note: I quite enjoy that you've stuck around, Lix. I hope the holidays and new years were kind to you. I am mainly going off the various fan art of Sebek’s family as well as information from @meatteabusinessmagazine. I also had an idea of how this would go then tried to figure out the in between so it may not have turned out as expected. 

Request: yes by @elizyo23 

Think you can get rid of me that easily wrong anyways in one of the fic I requested ( robotic arms w/ the reader) in Sebek apart it mentioned something about meeting his family I think you know where I’m going but robotic arm reader meets Sebek family 

Pairing: Sebek x Gn! Reader 

Warning: Reader has both robotic limbs, it was rushed at the end, and if anything else, tell me.

  One may say that Sebek has come a long way from looking down on others and it was a bit irritating when you met him. He used to look at your mechanical limbs as an advantage before he realized the truth behind them and started to get better at not looking down on others. Especially after finding out about your mechanical arms, he realized that some people needed prosthetics, not for power, but to go about day-to-day life like you. He would lightly lecture you when you didn’t take care of yourself, help you on repair days when you needed it, and made sure you were feeling no physical pain. If it’s sunny, he would notice quickly if you were overheating and offer water. He tried to deny favoritism when Ace and Epel brought it up, but we all know the truth. 

You two have grown into a small routine here and there which gave you both more time by each other and Sebek eventually asked you out. You would tell one another about your lives and there was a time when Sebek brought up how he didn’t understand why his mother fell in love with a human before you pointed out that he fell in love with you. That was the beginning of him realizing what his mother saw in his father while dating you, it ended up causing him to attempt to be more open to his father. 

He invited you to meet his family during winter break, which you accepted since you had no personal plans yourself for the time being. What you didn’t expect was how cold Briar Valley got during the winter as the brisk air blew right through you when you stepped off the broom to see some snow falling gracefully while you took in the beauty of the scenery of his home. You readjusted your gloves, ones that Lilia gave you for your birthday, and were about to pick up your bag before getting a soft scarf wrapped around your neck. 

“Your cheeks are starting to turn red,” Sebek pointed out, securing the scarf on you. “I don’t need you getting sick.” 

“Where would I be without my worry wort of a lover,” You laugh a bit before placing your hand on his cheek, causing him to blush a bit then looked away with blush on his face. 

“Being a sick human who has the chance of dying.” 

“Then I would just haunt you in the afterlife.” You smiled as he guided you towards the door and held it open for you then closed it behind him. You made sure to brush off the snow before entering the warm home to be welcomed by his father as you took off your heavier coat  

“Ah, welcome home Sebek,” His father welcomed with a smile as Sebek thanked him before introducing you to him and. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Sebek has told us many things about you.” 

“Has he?” You asked, looking at Sebek with the smuggest face you could make as his face was adorned with a familiar rosy hue on his cheeks then turning back to the older man in front of you who held a handout in front of you before shaking it. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.” 

“It must be freezing outside, come warm your hands up around the fire.”  

“Oh, my hands are still a little cold from the fly over here.” You respond before he guided you to what you assumed to be the living room, as Sebek took your stuff upstairs, and was met with a tall woman who before you assumed to be his mother as an older man sitting on of the armchairs. 

“Ah! You must be my Sebek’s lover!” The tall woman welcomed you warmly after noticing you enter with her husband and then hugged you. She insisted you sit down before her husband handed you a cup of warm tea as Sebek joined you all. She introduced herself as his mother and her husband took a seat next to her. You all started talking and told them about yourself after they wanted to get to know more about you, before his mother disappeared and pulled out baby photos of him as you drank your tea. Feeling semi warm liquid drop onto your pants and heard the chipping of porcelain, you look down to see the teacup broken and realized you accidentally crushed the teacup which also spilt tea on your gloves.   

“I’m so sorry,” You apologized profusely as you made sure that none of the spilt tea got on the album then were reassured it was alright and she helped you clean up the mess then handed you a towel to dry your hands. You dried them the best you could then before you continued to sit next to Sebek. 

After a while, you winced a bit as you massaged where your arm met your flesh, remembering how bad the cold affects your limb, and hid the pain the best you could as you listened to his family talk about Sebek. You crossed your arms and gripped your hand against your upper arm, hearing the metal creak a bit, and bit the inside of your cheek. You felt Sebek put a hand on your shoulder, causing you to jump a little, before looking over to see him with a concerned expression. You tried to reassure him you were fine, but he wasn’t listening to you and excused you both before taking you to his bedroom, telling his family that you both needed a moment. 

Even though your prosthetics were light and up to date, you still had drawbacks such as pain in the joints, touching people with your cold metal hands, as well as the occasional struggle to move your hand. 

He guides you to the bed before telling you to sit down and hand you a towel to dry your hands then disappear to his closet, you look around his room to see the bedroom Sebek grew up in after removing your gloves. While drying your hands off, you noticed the painting of Malleus, it felt as if he was staring down at you and shrugged it off as Sebek returned with a sweater for you. 

“I swear, you don’t take care of yourself sometimes.” He lightly lectured you as he helped slip the warm garment on. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you were having problems with your arms?” 

“It’s been so long since you’ve seen your family,” You reasoned as he placed his hand over the areas where the joints met the flesh before you felt the warming effect and let out a sigh of relief then leaned your head against his chest.  “I wanted you to not have to worry about me. Besides, I must get your mother a replacement for the teacup I broke when my hand locked up.” 

The ack began to fade after a while then before you reassured him you were truly fine and wanted to return downstairs. As Sebek opened the door, Sebek’s mother was there with a worried expression. She asked if you were fine and you told her you were as you before noticing her staring at your hands, your exposed hands. You tried to explain yourself as she approached and then took your hands into hers then traced the seams, staring with amazement and something else.  As you scanned her face, you realized what it was as she took your hands then surrounded them with adoration in her eyes. 

“Such beautiful hands, nothing wrong with them, dear.” His mother reassured you and patted your head gently. 

“Mother, could we possibly make the living room warmer?” Sebek asked, breaking your two from your small moment. “The cold causes pain in their shoulders where the arm meets the prosthetic.” 

“Oh dear! I apologize, why didn’t you say something earlier?!” His mother gasped before pulling you against her, giving you a warming embrace then guiding you two back to the living room where the rest of Sebek’s father was to see his older siblings chatting with their dad. Sebek kissed your cheek and whispered that it would be alright before his sister pulled in for a hug. You stood off to the side, watching Sebek interact with them, before you felt a hand on your shoulder to see Sebek’s mother, smiling at you fondly then offered her hand to you to take. You smile and take her hand before guiding you into the room. This was going to be a good family, a very welcoming one.  

[daiki1k]

“I’m so sorry that you have to have a body.”

TW: very very very much implied S/a, drug use, Daiki gets drugged??, Daiki in general. yall wanted the angst.

<scene one: 戯け者>

heart carefully beats against ribcage , blood feels painfully cold within a warm body. ears pick up on the sound of a crowd. talking, music, glasses being set on tables, a heart pounding against a chest that suddenly felt too thin.

calm. make a mess and you’re sure to be punished.

was this not punishment enough?

“Daiki.” a cold and robotic voice calls out from behind the woman, startling her. still, not enough for her to show it.

“Guardian.” her own voice is steady, devoid of any emotion. there was no need to put up an act, not infront of EXO.

two of six ‘hands’ find themselves on the humans shoulders, head leaning down to whisper into her ear.

“give them a good show.” that’s all that needed to be said, such a simple sentence to have Daiki sweating bullets.

there’s silence as the alien walks off, leaving the pet behind. hands ball into fists, careful not to tear into palms with grown out nails despite the urge - the need to do so. for she knew what was to come, to give a good show is to present herself to the highest payers.

it was humorous in a way. it had been years since she first began preforming. in her head, when she had sliced through thick hair it would defile her - make her appear less attractive and unworthy of the ‘grace’ being bestowed upon her by the superior race. those damned aliens. no. no no no.

cutting her hair was the worst mistake, that blade should’ve been used to cut through artery’s in the neck. that would be infinitely more merciful than what was to come after that. infinitely more merciful than was was to come during her show.

inhaling sharply, eyes remain half lidded as a smile finds itself on pale lips. curtains are drawn and lights are turned to her direction.

<scene two: 星>

Daiki observed the crowd of wealthy aliens, winking to the individual who sat front row right where she would be singing. anything to get them to pay attention.

cheers, applaud, fulfillment.

once again, a job completed. the easy part, at least.

this was a premium show.

the performer descends into the crowd, it was time to converse, to entertain further.

somehow, somewhere, a pill is slipped into the disgusting drink in her hand. sips are taken, substance quickly working itself into an empty system.

I feel sick. it’s too bright. it’s too much.

hazy eyes glance past the creature before her, the exit was across the room. but she couldn’t move, limbs refused to work and even her mind began to turn against her.

noo. . . pleassse. . . Tina. . please. your handss. . Tina. . .

drug induced hallucinations begin to warp her reality, hands clenching into fists again as eyes roll up. heart speeds and slows, painfully, Daiki loses control of her own body. but she feels it.

she feels the hands, the mouths, the unwanted attention.

was this her punishment? for existing? for enjoying the single thing she had in this life?

in these situations, Daiki had always cursed the fact she was fully conscious. but being under the influence while knowing (or, in reality, not knowing) what’s being done to her body was much worse. all sense of control is lost as mind is plagued with horrific illusions. for once, DAIKI KONDO had not a single thing under her control. not the aliens, not the entire base of technology that ran ALIEN STAGE.

and then black.

<scene three: 強い人>

eyes flicker open, sitting up too fast causes the room to spin uncomfortably. it was empty. quiet curses escape chapped lips, standing up despite weakened body calling out to collapse.

she couldn’t. she had to get back, back to her. back to her Tina. to have her hands over the tainted flesh, to purify disgusting skin. Daiki longed for her savior, her reason for living. she needed Tina to right the wrong of recent events.

but first, she needed to return to Guardian EXO. to report a job ‘well done’.

how she wanted to tear its head off, stab those stupid eyes, bite into and rip apart the bastard creature that kept her enslaved. but, even now, as she stands before it. nothing happens, normal conversation plays out before she’s permitted to return to her personal room. personal room shared with her beloved.

immediately something is off to Tina.

a smile doesn’t greet her, only dried tears and bloodshot eyes. hands fall to her side, sheet of music fluttering to the floor.

for Daiki, if Tina didn’t know about her true performances, she wouldn’t care. she wouldn’t care what would happen to her. but Tina did see, she witnesses the aftermath and she frowns.

Daiki won’t let anyone or anything make Tina frown. not without punishment.

so she will get her revenge. she will get them both out of this cage, out to live their best lives. to be together without any sorrow. to paradise.

but first. . . she needed to get through her first round. who was her opponent again..? Tallis, was it? yes, the harp player. she wouldn’t allow herself to lose to him, not to anyone.

for Tina’s sake.

Tallis : @lookatmysillies

[wolfstrong]

To be honestly honest it is kinda weird to me that so many people hate Xander and cite the fact that he’s misogynist and the “nice guy” but then they love Spike. Spike made a sex robot of Buffy like I think that’s a bit weirder then anything Xander ever did. Also by season 5 Spike is more the “nice guy” then Xander ever was. He literally kidnapped Buffy cuz she didn’t have feelings for him. He threatened to kill her if she didn’t admit she liked him. Like the worst Xander ever did was like have a bad reaction to Buffy not wanting to go to prom with him and like mansplaining shit to his weird ass ex-demon girlfriend. AND MY POINT HERE ISNT TO BE LIKE “ohhhh if you like Spike your problematic!” Cuz I like Spike. I’m just like why do I see people saying they hate Xander cuz of the way he treats girls when he’s literally standing right there next to Spike who’s arguably the weirdest to woman in the history of being weird to women. And like also I get the fact that Spike is supposed to be the bad guy so of course he’s gonna act badly while Xander is our good guy so he’s supposed to act goodly. But come now… Spike hasn’t been the bad guy since season 2, let’s all drop that alright. You guys like mushy love sick Spike and I know it. You all like him cuz he’s secretly good. So why’s it all cool he made a sex robot of Buffy I repeat he manufactured a replica of Buffy for the soul purpose of having sex with it, but Xanders the one who’s weird to girls.

It’s because y’all wanna fuck spike!! LOL!!!

[episodeoftv]

Round 1 of 8, Group 4 of 8

propaganda and summaries are under the cut (May include spoilers)

How I Met Your Mother: 8.20 The Time Travellers

Ted and Barney run into their future selves as they debate whether to go to "Wrestlers vs. Robots," while Robin and Marshall argue over who gets credit for a new drink at McLaren's.

Spoilers for the show, basically if you're not familiar, its about a guy, Ted, telling the story of how he met his future wife to their children, and he narrates every episode. This one is an episode that feels extremely silly until the last 5 minutes or so, then it all clicks in a heartbreaking way. The episode sees the main character Ted and his friend having an imaginary, nonsensical conversation with future versions of themselves. Until his friend snaps and tells him that he isn't really here. That Ted has been sitting alone in the bar all night and that the rest of his friends have moved on from the past. Future Ted then talks about what each of his friends were doing at that moment, and what it would have been like if he went to see them, saying how he should have been there instead of clinging to the past in the bar. He then says that, if he returned to that night, knowing the things he knows now, he wouldn't have done any of that. He would have gone straight to his future wife's apartment, who he hadn't met yet, and declared his love, wanting that extra 45 days with her, or even 45 seconds. In the finale its revealed that his wife has been dead for 6 years by the time he's telling his story, that she got sick and died young. It makes this scene, and entire episode that focuses on not clinging to the past and things you've lost, so heartbreaking in hindsight. As well as the fact that he would have taken just 45 seconds more with the woman he loves. The entire scene is acompanied by this soft, tragic, piano score that always plays during heartwrenching moments in this show, and upon rewatch, this is one of the most gutwrenching moments in the show.

The Good Place: 1.13 Michael’s Gambit

Shawn has decided that Fake Eleanor, Chidi, Jason and Tahani must decide among themselves in thirty minutes which two of them should go to The Bad Place. Chaos and confusion ensues.

I’m a firm believer in spoilers not ruining a plot twist if the twist is good enough and this is the best proof I’ve seen of that. Yes, it was intended to be shocking, but it made perfect sense with everything we’d seen before. Every scene leading up to this episode had a double meaning, one you get the first time you watch if you haven’t been spoiled, and one you get every time you rewatch. Also the fact that this show was a network sitcom and yet it was plotty enough that you couldn’t just turn it on at any episode and get what was happening is so groundbreaking, and this episode turned it up to 11 by blowing up its entire premise.