#IT WAS IN FACT HER MOTHER HOLDING THE TASEE

[ultimatestellar]

OH UR GONNA BE SO HAPPY WHEN U LEARN ABT THE TRANSLATIONS FOR THE CELL OF THE TASER SCENE

hey milgram fans. i wanted to talk about the apartment number of amane’s family.

you might be thinking, ‘what could be so special about this? it’s just an apartment number.’

well, considering that even in yuno’s first trial video that she had a symbol on her bag that referred to abortion, meaning that milgram doesn’t skimp on tiny details, i wanted to introduce you all to ‘goroawase’; japanese word play revolving around the pronunciation of numbers.

i tried brute forcing all potential pronunciations of 4, 0, and 3, in that order… and I think I got a hit that might be useful.

4 can be pronounced ‘Shi,’ homonymous for ‘death,’ 0 can be pronounced ‘ma,’ and 3 can be pronounced ‘za.’

死マザー (Shimazaa), using the English loan word for ‘Mother,’ can be equated to ‘Dead/Death (of) Mother’

and considering how we know that her father is away, and the hand that held the taser against amane looked feminine…

i think we may be able to take that as a clue it may have been her mother she killed.

also, side note: another notable ‘403’ is that it’s an error code. may also have some meaning.

[toxictigertonic]

Glad to see that my mad ramblings are entertaining this corner of the outlast community, I will continue to talk until I've juiced the smooth ball of gum I call a brain of all its flavor. Pspsps Franco fans hiiii tell me what I should draw him doing/wearing pleaaaase.

Today's headcanons are: How are the prime assets when it comes to board/card games?

COYLE

- Do not play games with this man unless you want to have the least fun of your life.

- He has the rule book out on the table as you're playing so he can read them off at any point.

- In fact I know that fucker memorizes game rules and starts fighting people if they don't play by them.

- "WE GOT LAWS AROUND HERE! WE GOT FUCKING LAWS!" "Leland calm down we're playing uno..."

- If he catches someone cheating he's hopping the table, there's a crime in progress and he's about to be SUCH a good cop.

- Play monopoly with him to experience The Thrill of being tased over fake money.

- If you use a +4 on this man in Uno he will scream until you show him your hand to make SURE you're not lying about not having any other cards to use. He'll also pout about you using it in general.

- The sorest loser ever, genuinely. Somehow worse than Franco. And Franco is a baby man with a gun.

- It should be a rule that he's not allowed to play cards with Franco but Phyllis is stubborn and wants them to get along. It never ends well.

- Gets far too giddy playing Mousetrap.

MOTHER GOOSEBERRY

- Forces Leland and Franco into game nights. They can't say no or they'll upset her, thereby upsetting Futterman, thereby risking their lives to The Goose.

- Has a massive collection of card games and board games, take your pick.

- And she knows how to play all of them, mind you. She has the rules memorized as well but doesn't have an electric stick up her ass like somebody we know.

- LOVES Candyland and Parcheesi. The brighter and more colorful the board the more she finds it adorable.

- Futterman eats pieces when Phyllis is losing. Don't turn around he's a hungry little guy.

- He got caught eating pieces once and had to wear the Bag of Shame for multiple game nights afterwards.

- Futterman also is allowed to play the games, somehow always wins in the end. Leland is suspicious of him cheating (but isn't willing to face drill wrath to investigate)

- Have I mentioned that Futterman will call both Franco and Leland awful names when he's losing? Because he does. Has made both of them cry before. Game night had to end early and Phyllis felt very bad.

- Not a sore loser per se, but will ask to play again until she wins. Futterman will stare whoever down until they agree to another round.

- If you don't help her put away the board or cards she's holding a grudge. And if pieces are missing you BETTER help find them, even if it means shaking them out of Futterman's mouth.

FRANCO

- Play silly games, win silly prizes. I'm saying if you try to beat him at cards (and you're not a fellow prime asset or someone whose lap he wants access to) you're getting shot in the foot.

- He's required to turn in Lupara at the beginning of game nights now after he tried to take Coyle's shin off. He only gives Lupara up bc Phyllis asks so nicely (and because he's a simp lol).

- Really good at cards, but still cheats. Mainly to fuck with Coyle. He'll take any opportunity to piss that man off.

- Sometimes wants to play solitaire like an adult, other times he's playing candyland with Phyllis having the time of his life.

- If it's a game with unique pieces you BETTER let him pick his piece first or he's throwing a tantrum.

- If Leland's winning he'll kick him under the table then say he was imagining things. Leland is THIS 👌 close to starting a fight.

- He lets Phyllis win to get on her good side. Doesn't matter the game, he'll let her win. Gets pissy when she wins naturally though.

- He always tries to gamble when they play anything. Coyle does not approve of gambling. Have I mentioned these two want each other dead?

- Phyllis complimented him on being really good at shuffling a deck of cards and he rode that high for weeks.

- Very good at convincing the others that it's his turn if they've lost track of who goes next. Doesn't matter if he just went, he will get to go again.

- Likes to play card matching games by himself when he doesn't wanna think about the game too hard. Phyllis sometimes sits with him and plays too. Futterman calls them both stupid if they fuck up.

I love how much Franco and Leland hate each other I want them to fist fight ❤️. Lock them in a room together and whoever crawls out at the end wins. No weapons just two bald bastards.

[yanderes-galore]

Platonic Yandere Mother Miranda (RE8: Village) with tourist!darling who looks like her Eva is delusional enough to think darling is her daughter come again. Darling got the spirit too! Got caught kicking down lycans after spraying them with a pepper spray/or tased them with a taser.

Sure! I haven't written for Mother Miranda before so I hope I get her character right.

Yandere! Platonic! Mother Miranda with Tourist! Darling

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Delusional yandere, Beliefs of reincarnation, Kidnapping, Forced family dynamic, Stalking, Kidnapping, Human experimentation, Brainwashing, Manipulation, Violence, Overprotective behavior, Murder.

Mother Miranda seems delusional and desperate in canon.

You can almost feel bad for her, a mother who's still in mourning.

She just wants her daughter back... a tragic fate for such a character.

But she's still a very twisted woman.

She's even willing to kidnap babies to get her daughter back.

You are a tourist who wanted to check out the village... yet perhaps fate is what truly brought you here.

That's how Miranda feels...

Clearly you must have been brought to her somehow, right?

Once you step foot in the mountainous eastern village, a mistake on your part, Miranda has the ability to know where you are.

You may not be one with the mold yet Miranda's interest is piqued.

Miranda can shapeshift with her powers and commune with the mold, safe to say she'd stalk you while you try to investigate the village.

You may not be her young Eva from long ago... but she senses something about you.

In her delusional state, Miranda may think you are her child reborn.

It's been around one hundred years... now here you are, a young yet mature women standing in her village.

There's no coincidence... humans normally never make it around here.

Yet you seem so capable in such a harsh environment.

Once Miranda gets the feeling that you and Eva must share some sort of spiritual connection... she almost never takes her eyes off you.

Mother Miranda would actually love your spirit, too!

She likes the fact you can fend for yourself against the monsters she's created.

Part of her wants to believe Eva would've behaved the same if she matured like you.

The issue with you being older than a baby or small child is your... well... indoctrination that Miranda's planning.

Simple manipulation won't fool you.

No, Miranda knows you are smart due to watching you so closely.

That's one of the things she likes about you.

You'll be a wonderful daughter for her... she'll promise to be a wonderful mother, too.

Miranda most likely has to abduct you from the village to get anywhere with making you her daughter.

Which she knows will take time...

But you can adapt, can't you?

You give her a hard time and try to kill every lycan she sends at you, which makes her impressed.

You will be worthy of her.

Although... she'll probably shapeshift into something to lure you somewhere then kidnap you.

You may be smart... but Miranda can still outsmart you.

Most of this obsession would be Miranda trying to rewire your mind into thinking you're her daughter.

She'll try to brainwash you into thinking you're Eva... soon you may even forget your old name.

Compared to the other lords Miranda treats you lovingly, often calling you Eva affectionately and holding you tightly.

She's so delusional she may not even bother using your actual name.

You're a new person now... embrace your new role.

Miranda likes your fighting spirit but it tends to get in the way when she's trying to train you as her new daughter.

You obviously think she's crazy, calling you by a name you don't recognize and trying to tell you she's your mother.

Fight all you want... Miranda has ways of forcing you to calm down.

Eventually she'll want to use mold and the Cadou parasite to control you and meld you into this role she picked out for you.

She feels making you one with the mold will be the only way she can fully make you Eva.

Her love for you is one-sided.

You want to get as far away as you can from here, entering this village was a mistake you couldn't afford.

Meanwhile, Miranda only comforts you while she prepares you for your little operation.

"My dear sweet Eva... this is where you belong. After this is all over... we can be a family. We can finally be with each other again!"

The "best" case scenario is you survive the implantation of the Cadou parasite and come out fine.

If not a little mutated with the mold.

Once this is done, Miranda will begin to treat you like her daughter.

You'll be dressed in similar attire and cared for more than the other lords were.

Your home will become the village and you'll be mind controlled to think Miranda is your mother.

She has that power due to controlling the mold.

If you resist her then she'll simply remove the thought of rebellion.

You'll be completely under her control... made to be a replica of her daughter.

She gives you a room, she gives you her love, it's all you ever need.

You're treated as her baby crow.

A bird meant to stay in her nest forever... or until she's killed in some way.

Miranda is relieved that she has her Eva again....

It's been too long.

She's been mourning for way too long.

Now she finally has you... her daughter... once again in her arms.

If anyone tried to hurt you, an outsider or one of the lords perhaps, Miranda will remove them.

As your mama crow, Miranda doesn't mind tearing apart foes until they're a bloody paste across the ground.

She may tear out their eyes, she'll even dismember them if she has to.

They wouldn't even make a good lycan in her eyes.

Miranda is protective of her baby crow.

In fact, apart from calling you Eva, she may even call you bird related names like little crow.

You're never going to leave the village, in fact why would you?

Miranda, your mother, always feeds thoughts of how cozy it is in the village.

Why would you leave?

You've got everything you need here in your nest....

You just need to listen to your mother.

She knows best, little crow.

[misswitchbella]

Tw:gore ps nika is 25 and yueri is 33

⚠️this is fiction kids!⚠️

A short creepypasta story

Nika looked around the alleyway. “YOU!” A voice appeared. A wicked smile across beneath her Mask her face the person pulls her hair nika pushed them away before everything turns black she finally gained consciousness as she causally washes off the blood from a near by river. She washes off the blood from her gun and knives. And the body near her “no one cuts my pinche hair pendejo!” she said pissed off as she started to slowly cut the head off with her knife while a stream of blood poured into the water as it became apart of the stream. She started dismembering the body from ears to the toes. She stole a few dollars the guy had as well as a credit card. She took out the eyes and brains or what was left of the brains causally. “So you killed someone again?” Yueri said “yeah pretty much now I have to burn the pendejo. Maybe send a little something for the family” nika responded “you got the address?” Yueri questioned “not yet” nika said a smirk appeared on her face. “So? What did this one do?” Yueri asked folding his arms “I don’t want to talk about it” nika said “ok” yueri responded. They both shaped as they heard a creek to a scream nika jumped to attack knife in hand only to get tased her body slammed to the ground as yueri grabbed his bat with rusty nails . He whacked the way he once did years ago before it all went to shit. A face appeared his darling Lyna Richards guilt ran throughout his body only for him to snap out of it . He continued to visioned visioned him hitting a baseball as he swing the memory transition to now blood splattered through out area while the body slammed onto the ground. “Shit” nika said getting up weakly from being tased “ya good nika?” Yueri said holding out a hand for nika “yeah pendejo” nika told him as yueri pulls her up. “Wanna rob this one?” Nika asked as she picked pocketed this one “Slender don’t pay us shit might aswell” yueri said . Meanwhile she pulled out 40$ out of the pocket of the stranger they just murdered. “Man fuck all them bitches. Don’t they know not to fuck around” yueri said crossing his arms “didn’t you sweet precious Lyna do that shit?” Nika said mocking him “at least I’m not the one who was abandoned by their friends and got picked up by slender” yueri said as a comeback “at least I don’t grave rob my dead girlfriends grave only to dance with her corpse like a maniac” nika said with a sassy tone “nika we are both maniacs!” Yueri said “and that different you’d do the same” yueri said mad at the fact nika was talking crap about him and Lyna “it’s been like what 17 YEARS! Yueri imma tell what you tell the others GET OVER IT!!!!” Nika said in a rude tone of voice “then you get over the fact that you don’t remember shit. That ya only remember that your momma used to cut your damn hair off as punishment and give you an ass whopping!….” Yueri said folding his arms “not everyone lived a good life unlike you at least I had a reason to murder my mom” nika said mad at yueri “sorry then!” yueri said sarcastically as he cleans his bat. “How dose it feel knowing you fucked up your relationship with the only family member you have left?” Nika said “I ain’t talking about her” yueri responded “come on yueri? You said I remind you of her!” Nika said “ I said drop it!” Yueri said getting mad “why you afraid to talk about your sister Izumi?” Nika said while yueri stayed silent “ok fine” nika said as they both dismembered the body. Soon after nika got in the car with yueri. It was silent as they took off their masks while driving with two body parts in the back a toe and a brain. They both stopped by and dropped them off at the houses. Their took out a cigarette out aswell at a lighter to light the cigarette. Yueris face was hard as concrete. “I treated you like family when the other didn’t don’t do that shit to me ever again” yueri said calmly “ok dickface” nika said “my mother said that I was domed to be a failure little did I know she was right” nika said as she pulled a vape from her pocket from her ripped pants. “Slenderman needs us” yueri said as they drive off for a mission.

[cloud9in]

You’re the only one who’s writing poppy x mc fics sooo, i have a request “ bea is a bad girl (like in a gang) in high school and also went jail couple of times for getting in trouble in high school senior year poppy was new transfer student and after 2 months bea join back school and met poppy bea and they just click yk like a connection slowly they started dating and in school everyone was shocked to see bea in a relationship ( bad girl and new girl) poppy is always worried about bea and few days before graduation bea got hurt really bad and poppy gives bea 2 options that she has to choose between her or her this (gang).. bea didn’t say anything to her so poppy left, after 2/3 years they met in college bea was a different person but so does poppy they become enemies (no one knows why they hate each other) one day they were arguing and poppy shout at her and says why you're back and bea put her hand on her cheek and smile and say i am here to win you back because i love you 😬

Promises (Poppy x MC)

Part 1/?

Can i just say I'm absolutely invested in this plot? You've got me hooked on my own story, as hectic as my life is, this is enjoyable to write. I hope you like it as well @iamsimpforpoppy

Word count: 1.8k (i got carried away)

“You know what to do Jackson, same old shit.”

“Yeah but it feels like a movie every damn time”, Bea responds confidently as she unbuckles her seatbelt. She sports a black mask with a yellow bandana, a vivacious color worn by only the Southside Spades, a notorious street gang who were known for robbery, and occasional blood.

Bea found herself wrapped up in the world of gangs when she turned sixteen. But before that the brunette would assist in transporting goods, also known as hardcore drugs. There was plenty enough to go around so Bea could indulge in any she wanted. Drugs didn’t give her the high she craved though, instead it was the thrilling game of cat and mouse with the cops.

Every now and then she’d get thrown in the slammer overnight. But this particular evening earns her one year in the NY State Penitentiary. See, the cops never gathered significant evidence to build a case against her, even though she was well aware of Detective Steinhelm who had some sick obsession with her. Following her everywhere, until Bea confronted her directly after noticing the same black sedan parked a street down from her house.

But she played the game right, and nothing ever led back to her. Until now.

“Where’s the money Bradley? I feel like I’ve been kissing your ass all week, the boss needs it now.”

A skinny blonde boy who looks like he had better days grunts in annoyance, “You’ll get your money...I’m just a little short right now.”

“Time’s up Ken doll, you know Carter will have your head for this.”

“Maybe he doesn’t have to know. Maybe this can be between us…”, Bradley strides carefully towards the blonde, a disturbing grin on his face which screams junkie. “Back the hell up now.”

Bea pulled her knife out with ease and pointed it towards him. She didn’t plan on actually using it. Murder was way out her budget for a simple money pickup but she knew that it would scare the boy easily. Except he kicked the blade out of her hold which prompted it to screech across the concrete before coming to a stop. Before Bea could think her fists reacted as she intercepted a punch that aimed straight for her jaw. She twists Bradley’s arm and he falls on his knees in pain. With his back to her, she kicks him down until he’s flat on his stomach.

“What is it exactly that you plan on doing now Bradley?” The blonde boy struggles under Bea’s foot but manages to reach around and slash at her ankle with a surprise shiv. Bea yelps in pain before kicking his head, rendering him unconscious.

“Stupid idiot. Had to make this harder than it should’ve been.”

Bea eventually finds the stash of money hidden under his mattress, an amateur hiding place at best. She congratulated herself for another job accomplished (kinda) and headed home. What the seventeen year old didn’t expect was the repulsive sound of a siren filling her ears as she stepped out onto her driveway. Her blood rushed to her head when she spotted Detective Steinhelm among the police officers surrounding her and retorts, “oh come on. I thought I told them about you harassing me. What do you want? Back here to strip search me again?”

The older woman only watches the blonde in eerie silence before smiling and gesturing to a police officer. “Beatriz Jackson you have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law-”

“What the actual fuck!” Bea yanks her arms out of the officers reach which initiates a struggle for dominance. This was nothing new to her, but it still felt sickening. Like she was some pet.

“You have the right to have a lawyer present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you if you so desire.” Detective Steinhelm finishes speaking and approaches the still scuffling blonde, “if you keep resisting I will tase you myself.”

Bea bites back the urge to headbutt the old hag right in her stupid face but she didn’t need any extra charges, for whatever the hell it was she was being charged for.

“Tell me why the fuck I am being arrested and I’ll calm down.”

That’s when Bea notices a familiar (bruised up) face from earlier. His smirk was enough to eat at her skin and she felt burning hot rage.

“Your blood was found at the scene of Mr. Denbroughs assault. You are being arrested in the case of second degree assault with intent to hurt someone with a deadly weapon.”

***

Bea only got one year in prison due to her kickass lawyer Ina Kingsley who played the minor card at every opportunity given. She also pointed out the fact that the knife wasn’t bloodstained, and Bradley never had any stab wounds so there is no proof the weapon was ever used against him. And it technically wasn’t. Good thing she didn’t bring a gun instead.

She did miss her 18th birthday though. And a few months of her senior year. But that’s what summer classes were for right?

All eyes were on the blonde when she returned, and whispers spread throughout the school about a certain new girl. Bea paid no mind to the fingers that pointed in her direction but the newcomer did manage to catch her attention, and pretty quick at that.

“Hey Jackson, how was solitary confinement?”

“I heard they make you use the bathroom right through the tiny food slot.”

Bea rolls her eyes and pelts a piece of not-so-fresh bread right at Ford’s head. The other people at the table join in on the laughter and Bea shakes her head and smiles, “it was Juvie you dumbass, and they made us sit in a circle together every Thursday like we were in an AA meeting.

“That’s jail for babies, goldilocks here wouldn’t last a minute in a real prison”, Carter joins them at the table with a cocky smirk, yet his eyes soften when landing on Bea. She shares a similar look with him knowing they’ll have a real conversation later. Because they definitely didn’t get to have that when Bea was getting dragged away to the police station in cuffs, and every event after that.

“It’s our girl’s first day out, we have to celebrate. And it’s not like she’s on probation...right Bea?”

“I do have a curfew, and I’m on juvenile probation so…when we partying?” The crew laughs as Bea shrugs. Her mother will deal with it. Zoey scoots in next to the blonde and wraps her arm around her shoulder in a side hug. “So glad to have you back Bea, and we are not risking you breaking parole so let’s just go to a sport’s bar tonight.”

Bea nods her head in agreement as the first warning bell goes off and everyone starts to clean up. Zoey taps on her arm and points towards one of the farther tables where a lone figure sits, wiping her hands with a napkin. All Bea saw were blonde tresses until she turned and they made brief eye contact.

“She’s the new girl, Poppy Min Sinclair. Rumor is she’s got a rich white daddy. You should totally invite her to the party.”

“And why would I do that?”

Zoey squints her eyes and leans in closer, her hands under chin in thought, “she seems like the broody type, you two would click.” She laughs at Bea’s comical expression but the blonde can’t bother to look in her direction, she’s way too wrapped up in what little the stranger a few tables away had to offer. She would sit on that thought, Bea was not one to shy away from anything.

***

The two became friends quicker than anyone could think.

One day after school, Poppy’s car wouldn’t start. It just didn’t comply. You would think she’d be poised and call her mechanic to come fix it, but instead the blonde slumped against the driver’s side window and let out a visibly frustrated, high-pitched yelp. Bea watched her pace around the car and even...kick?...the front bumper with her heels in efforts to wake it up.

“You know I may be wrong but I think that only makes it worse..” She approaches the helpless blonde with a small grin. Poppy’s persistence amazed her though, she’s never seen anyone determined to beat a car up. An expensive one at that.

“I hope you have some idea how to fix it, unless you’re here to waste my time and ask me on a date.”

Woah.

Okay that definitely threw Bea on a whim. She lets out a sharp laugh and bites her lips in amusement. She strolls towards the front of her car, holding Poppy’s gaze the whole way. She liked that the blonde didn’t avert her eyes. “And if I did? We couldn’t take your car of course, it’s obviously impaired.”

Poppy smiles and turns to look at Bea properly. She checks out every inch of her with no visible shame. An assessment so to say, and she likes what she sees.

“It’s your lucky day Poppy, I happen to know a thing or three about cars, and I desperately want to get this thing working so we can go on that date.” She winks playfully but god does she mean it. Bea silently prayed that the blonde wouldn’t take it the wrong way, but she knew she won when Poppy didn't protest, instead getting comfortable under some shade and holding her hand out, “the stage is all yours Jackson.”

***

“So what you’re trying to tell me is that I can’t jump over this obvious not-so-protected fence?”

“Judging by the sign right next to it that says...oh wow who would’ve thought, “DO NOT ENTER”, I don’t think so”, Poppy deadpans. It didn’t phase Bea of course because she was already halfway up the fence when the blonde turned away from the sign. The girl had a point to prove, maybe not a valid one, but still a point.

Poppy pinches her eyebrows in exasperation before looking back up to a nonchalant Bea swinging her legs from the top of the fence. She winks down at the blonde, “join me?”

Poppy didn’t expect to be climbing fences with a charismatic girl who had the same color hair as her when she moved schools, but she found herself embracing every moment of it. Although the trip up there was a struggle and some.

“I swear to god there’s a wire in my ass.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“And we’re both going to end up in the hospital. Get. me. Down.”

Bea tries to hold in her laughter the whole way down but lets it loose when she sees Poppy still up there, partly hovering in the air. “Pops...I’ll catch you, don't worry. Climb down slowly.” She doesn’t. But Bea had her feet planted and ready because any moment with the sassy blonde was unpredictable.  And she loved it. Especially because she had Poppy engulfed in her arms and they were so close their noses touched.

Bea promised herself she’d kiss the girl next time.

***

“You’re...in a gang?”

Bea felt a clasp of cold air enter her lungs as she stared ahead. It wasn’t like she could hide it from Poppy. She has a reputation, and word has gotten around about the two getting close. This was just like that one time at the end of sophomore year where Bea met Kelly Hall, a beautiful girl with golden rimmed glasses. Unfortunately she only could imagine what could’ve been after whispers ended up right on the doorstep of Kelly’s parents, and she suddenly changed her number, and switched out of every class she had with Bea.

The blonde didn’t want to entertain the thought of Poppy doing the same, but this was a lifestyle she chose.

“I mean...how?”

Bea sighs and turns to look at her, “I fell into the wrong crowd. Or maybe it’s the right one because I never found a true home until I met them. They’re family, I wouldn’t expect you to get it though and I understand if you want to distance-”

“I of all people know what it’s like to not fit in Jackson. You’ve found people who make you feel safe. Maybe I don’t agree with the troubles that come with being in a gang but I don’t know the whole story.”

“Do you want to?”

Poppy wraps her arms around Bea’s and lays her head on her shoulder, “I want to know that you won’t get yourself hurt but I know that’s nearly impossible.”

Bea exhales slowly, not knowing what to say. She knew that this would upset Poppy but her acceptance meant more. She didn’t know what this would mean for the two of them, if there was a “them”, but she felt more encouraged to share more of her other life with the blonde.

“Just promise me one thing Jackson.”

“Yeah?”

Poppy’s voice comes out softer than expected, and Bea ingests every emotion that comes with it, “Promise me you won’t ever put yourself in a position where you have to choose between me or the gang.”

Bea finds her hand in the space where their thighs touched and latches onto it like a lifebuoy,

“I promise.”

***

“I just remembered something Poppy.”

“What, that you have half a brain cell? I thought that was established Jackson.”

Bea launches a pillow that (purposely) misses Poppy’s head by an inch. If she actually hit her and frizzed up her locks then she’d never hear, or see..or walk again.

“I’m being serious. I just remembered this too, we never went on that car date we talked about.”

Poppy squints her eyes in confusion, but was fully aware of what Bea was referring to. “You mean the first time we met?”

The blonde smiles to herself as she replayed that day in her head over and over again. She couldn’t decide if Bea’s openly flirty behavior is what drew her in or if it was her ability to fix any of her possessions with ease. And for free.

Bea pulls Poppy up by her hands until her back is against the lockers. Another perfect opportunity for the blonde to make do of that promise she made to herself, but something told her to wait just a bit longer. “So what do you say? Poppy Min Sinclair, will you go on a date with me?”

Poppy rolls her eyes playfully, pulling Bea in closer by the collar of her letterman, “now who’s being dramatic?”

“I didn’t hear a no”

“I think you know what the answer is.”

That night Zoey helped Bea prep for her first date with the girl that she could say she was almost in love with. The taller girl brushed some dust off of Bea’s jacket and planted her hands on her shoulders, “remember Jackson, give her the ride of her life. And I mean that in every way possible.”

Thanks Zoe.

Bea watched Poppy drive up in front of her house and something inside her mind couldn’t deny the pang her heart let out when she saw Poppy smile the way she did.

Bea took control of the driving and told Poppy to recline her seat and enjoy the ride, with her seatbelt on of course. Safe sacrifices. They cruised through an empty highway blasting Poppy’s spotify playlist named “Rich Bitch Songs” because that was their ideal perfect date. It’s amazing that the two could even come to an agreement, but here we are.

She watched the beautiful blonde sing her lungs out and couldn’t help but mirror her joy, taking her hands off the steering wheel. The pump of adrenaline prompts a new excitement in the air and Poppy wraps Bea into a secure hug, her hair flying wildly with the wind. Bea slows the car down but the rapid beating of her heart made it seem they were going 100 miles per second.

“I feel so alive Jackson.”

Bea stared at the girl in the passenger seat with a look that could only be described as love.

“You make me feel alive.”

Poppy kept talking and Bea found a way to focus on both the road and the blonde next to her. Because when you truly enjoy something, you’ll find a way to keep experiencing it. And Bea enjoyed hearing Poppy’s voice, she loved everything about her.

“I feel like kissing you.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

“...Nothing. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”

They kiss when Bea pulls over.  A hot feeling consumes them like fire when their tongues collide and Bea plants her hands around Poppy’s hips, pushing her back into her seat until she’s on top. The windows easily start to fog up in reaction to the heat, and not once did they take their hands off each other.

Promise 1/2 kept

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

End Note: This chapter was to build their relationship, more angst incoming. BIG THANKS to @somewillwin for letting me use Jackson <3333

Taglist: @samanthadalton @somewillwin @clowneryme @baexpoppy @poppysmc @doey-eyes8 @veenast @straightlikewetspaghetti @phoennixxsblog @a-ghost-girl

[7-wonders]

Circling the Drain

Summary: It's a race against time...wait, why do people say that? It's not a race against some outside force, it's a race against a crazed back-from-the-dead mafioso with a vengeance.

Word Count: 3454

A/N: I tried something a little different for this chapter in terms of formatting, mainly because there was so much I wanted to fit in different POVS. Uhhhhh let me know your thoughts and like, comments and reblogs make my world go round. ALSO that second gif is exactly how I imagine a certain scene (you'll know it when you read it).

Warnings: Very torture heavy chapter. Blood, torture methods, guns, knives, kidnappings, talk of death. You should probably go pet some puppies or kittens after you read this.

Previous chapters of Memento Mori: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Duncan

It’s difficult to know how much time has passed since Duncan was last outside of this small concrete room. There’s no windows to let light in, no clocks to denote the hour, and no sort of schedule that he can catch on to. Although, even if there were a schedule, he would be too delirious from sleep deprivation to realize that there was one. The only thing that Duncan can count on is the unending torture at the hands of his uncle.

All of the crisis training in the world wouldn’t have prepared him for the physical and mental torture that he’s been put through. Though he doesn’t know it, it’s been almost seventy-two hours of this absolute hell, of Bill beating him black and blue, taunting him, slowly ripping out fingernails one by one (somehow, he still has six, though one of the six is just barely hanging on), refusing to let him sleep, and tasing him back to consciousness whenever he tries to close his eyes. This most recent time, the throbbing of his head had begged him enough to where he finally closed his eyes, only to be jolted up with a rush of electricity running through his body and seizing his muscles.

“You still think you’re getting out of it that easy, huh? That you can fall asleep and bide your time until you’re ‘rescued?’” Bill chuckles. “No, it’s not that easy.”

“Just kill me already, if that’s what you’re planning on,” Duncan says through clenched teeth, glaring up at Bill through the one eye that’s not completely swollen shut.

“Is that what you want? You want me to kill you?” His obviously-fake concern would enough to make bile rise in Duncan’s throat, if he had actually had anything left in his stomach.

“You want me to beg for it, don’t you?”

“I guess I underestimated you. Turns out you do have some sort of critical thinking skills.”

Duncan defiantly turns his head, refusing to give Bill what he wants. Realizing this, Bill begins to walk towards the door. As he does, going to flick off the single light bulb in this place, Duncan’s chest tightens in anticipation of the claustrophobia he’ll surely begin to feel (most likely a side-effect of what he’s gone through, considering he’s never been scared of dark spaces before) and he scrambles to stall him. “So why are you keeping me alive?”

Bill stops for a moment before slowly turning around. “I already told you.”

“No, I know that you want revenge. But what’s your plan? Why waste your time? Surely you’ll at least give me the honor of knowing what I’m dying for?”

His jaw clenches, not pleased with that last question, but he doesn’t hit Duncan. Yet. “I’m taking back what’s mine, and then some.”

“And you think Mom’s going to be okay with that?”

“Your poor mother is going to be more than okay with that when she finds out that the Coven killed her only child.”

Slowly, it dawns on Duncan. “You’re the one that’s been killing people in the Coven’s style and leaving them in our territory?”

“Of course I am!” Bill holds his arms out as if to say ‘tah-dah!’ “Cordelia Goode would never be so bold as to do that! But after I kill you, drain you of your blood, cut your tongue out, dump you in the Potomac, and reappear into society, people won’t care about that little fact. Especially after I reveal that it was the Coven that prompted me to fake my own death and go into hiding for years.”

“How long were you planning this?”

“About a year before you stabbed me, when I realized that you were far too…” he grits his teeth, “charismatic to not end up with the family business eventually. That’s why I always made sure that the police and paramedics were well-paid, just in case the day ever came that I needed them to lie on my behalf.”

“You have it all planned then, so why not just do it and kill me now?”

“Well, there are a couple of minor issues I still need to work out.” Bill glances at Duncan slyly. “Such as what to do with that girlfriend of yours.”

In a flash, Duncan sees red. He lunges, forgetting the fact that he’s chained to the radiator and can only go so far until his ankle is jerked violently and he falls back to the ground. “You leave her alone, she’s done nothing wrong!”

“You’re right, she hasn’t, but (Y/N) knows too much.”

Duncan’s heart skips a beat when he realizes that Bill (predictably) knows more than he should.

“I’m thinking a suicide? It’s very believable, what with the grieving girlfriend and all.” Bill steps forward and, ever so slowly, places his foot on one of Duncan’s hands. “Maybe she slits her wrists in the bath? It’s very easy to overpower someone when they’re vulnerable. Or perhaps she overdoses? That’s not my preferred method, though, far too much room for someone to survive an overdose. Tell me, Duncan, how would you prefer that she die?” With each possible method, Bill continues to lay more pressure on Duncan’s hand until Duncan is moaning in pain.

“Don’t...hurt her,” Duncan pants.

Bill finally removes his foot, giving Duncan a moment to breathe before he stomps on his hand, digging the toe of his shoe in until Duncan is screaming and Bill is sure his hand is broken. “I think she’ll jump into the Potomac with a weight tied around her ankle. The poeticism--her drowning in the same river that your body will be found in--is something that’s just too good to pass up.”

“I’ll kill you. I swear to God, I’ll kill you again and make sure that it sticks this time.” Tears are streaming down Duncan’s face, though whether that’s from the physical or emotional agony he’s in, he can’t be sure.

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Bill smiles, walking to the light switch and flicking it off. “I’ll be back in a bit, and then our final act can finally begin.”

This time, Duncan doesn’t stop him before he leaves, barely letting the door close before his willpower crumbles and he begins to sob. Cradling his injured hand, he has to force himself to look at the now-mangled fingers. He gasps, attempting to straighten them out, but they refuse to even twitch in response. It’s now that Duncan realizes that the true torture is waiting. His mind and body shattered, he now has to be at the mercy of Bill Shepherd before he can finally die. He’s never wished for death before, but now, he feels a pang in his heart for every one of his victims that have had to wait, broken and bruised, for Duncan to kill them.

You

“Does this location have any significance to you?” Cordelia asks Annette, pointing to an address hastily written down on a scrap of paper. The address corresponds to a building, fairly nondescript, but obviously holding some sort of significance.

“No, it doesn’t.” Annette shakes her head.

“That’s because this is the location of the first school that I opened here in D.C. Bastard’s really going all in on trying to frame me for everything he’s done.”

(Y/N), who had previously been dozing off on Langdon’s lap (Langdon had already made her swear not to tell anybody or else he would kill her in her dreams like Freddy Kreuger), sits straight up at this moment. “What makes you think he’s there?” she asks.

“This car.” Cordelia pulls another paper out from the folder she had brought with her, this one a picture of a Mercedes E-Class. “It’s been back and forth from Umbra to the old school numerous times in the past two days. License plates are registered back to Umbra.”

“So it’s definitely Bill, then.”

“I’m not typically a betting woman, but I would put money on this. Surveillance indicates that this car has been parked in front of the Goode Academy for six straight hours now.”

(Y/N) doesn’t know much about hostage situations, but she has to assume that Bill being where Duncan is held captive for an extended amount of time means nothing good.

“We need to move now, then,” Annette says. There’s no question behind her voice; she’s going to get her son.

“Yes. Your team?”

“Myself, Langdon, and (Y/N).”

Cordelia glances warily at (Y/N). “Do you have combat experience?”

“Duncan trained me to fight, and also did some weapons training with me,” (Y/N) says.

“That’s good enough.” (Y/N) tries not to be offended. “I have myself, Madison, Misty, and Mallory.”

“We’re going?” Mallory, a brunette wearing a gold headband, says.

“I need my best girls, and you three have proven yourselves.”

“Alright then, let’s go.” Annette grabs a key from around her neck and unlocks what you thought to be a closet door, opening it to reveal a weapons cache large enough to rival a small government’s. “Stock up.”

“Which gun are you most comfortable with?” Langdon asks (Y/N), the two standing side-by-side after everybody else has had their turn.

“Uh, I don’t really know the names. It’s a handgun, and it’s black.”

“Probably a Springfield, then.” Langdon hands (Y/N) a gun that looks similar to ones that she’s handled before. “It’s already loaded.”

“Thanks.” She glances at Langdon after holstering her own weapon, watching as he selects numerous guns of different sizes. “What if we’re too late?”

“We won’t be.”

“But you heard what Cordelia said. Bill’s been there for six straight hours now. He could have--”

“You’re right, he could have,” Langdon interrupts. “But we can’t go in there assuming that the worst outcome has come true. We have to have hope. If nothing else, there’s always hope.”

“I have hope.”

“Good, because I do, too.” Langdon grabs a knife from the weapons closet, twirling the tip of the blade on his index finger. “Now let’s go get Duncan back.”

Duncan

Bill stands before Duncan, twirling the tip of a knife on his index finger. “I’ve held onto this for six years now. Do you recognize it?”

Of course Duncan recognizes the knife that he stabbed his uncle with. In his dreams, he can still feel the cool leather handle gripped tightly in his palm.

“It’s something of a treasure to me, although it certainly didn’t seem like it at first. I’ve come to recognize the significance of holding the thing that almost killed me, and I like to keep it as a reminder.” Bill holds the knife out to Duncan, knowing he’s too weak to fight him for it. “See that on the blade? Why don’t you read it for me?”

Cursive lettering is engraved on the blade, though it was not there when the knife had been in Duncan’s possession. “Memento mori,” Duncan mutters, trying to remember his Latin lessons from high school.

“It was an extremely popular phrase during the medieval period, specifically when it came to funerals. ‘Remember you must die.’ It’s a warning, a reminder. That’s what this knife has become to me, a reminder of the inevitability of death. It also reminds me that I’ve survived death before, and I’ll surely survive it again.”

“Quite the sense of humor,” Duncan remarks dryly.

Bill shrugs, bending down to Duncan’s level. “A little gauche, perhaps, but I enjoy the significance of the phrase.”

Duncan’s about to ask him what the point of this is when Bill shows him by shoving the knife into his abdomen. Duncan grunts in pain, gritting his teeth and glaring at him. “Of course you’re going to stab me just like I stabbed you.”

“Do you know how I managed to survive?” Bill asks.

“I’ve tried not to think about it much.”

“I survived,” Bill continues, “because you were too stupid to realize that you needed to pull the knife out. What do all of the medical professionals say when training civilians on dealing with stabbings? ‘Don’t remove the weapon.’ That’s the only thing keeping them from bleeding out, and it’s what kept me from bleeding out.”

“I had assumed I severed your abdominal aorta, what with all the blood.”

“Exactly, ‘assumed.’” Bill digs the knife around to watch the way that Duncan tries not to scream before pulling it out and watching as blood begins to pour out of the wound. For every beat of Duncan’s frantic heart, trying to pump blood to the source of the injury in an attempt to clot it, more blood pulses out. “Never assume things, my boy.”

Though his head is starting to spin, Duncan finds just enough rage to spit at Bill. “Go to hell.”

“From the looks of it, you’ll be there long before me,” he says almost gleefully before pulling out a gun and shooting him in the thigh. This time, Duncan openly screams. “Just wanted to make sure you actually die, if the stabbing wasn’t enough.” Bill’s extremely nonchalant, as if he’s discussing the nuances of the Nationals rather than talking about murder.

Bill grabs a key and unlocks the chain from around Duncan’s leg, knowing that he won’t have the strength to escape. “I’ll be back in half an hour to check on you.”

“Fuck you,” Duncan responds, but Bill’s already gone.

Duncan moans in pain as he stares at his wounds, feeling the stickiness of blood beginning to pool under him. Lifting a shaky hand, he presses it to his abdomen to try and slow the bleeding. As he swallows deeply, realizing that he very likely is going to die shortly, he thinks about a number of things, mainly regrets.

He wishes that he had realized earlier that his mom was just as much Bill’s victim as he was.

He wishes that he appreciated Michael more for the brother he had been to him.

He wishes that he had told (Y/N) that he loved her more often.

But most especially, Duncan wishes that he had just put a bullet in Bill’s head that night instead of stabbing him. Then, he wouldn’t be feeling this intense cold begin to settle in his bones as he’s forced to slowly die on the concrete floor of a basement. Facing the Grim Reaper head-on is not nearly as dramatic as he thought it would be.

You

Watching the Coven, Langdon, and Annette taking out the defectors is not nearly as dramatic as (Y/N) thought it would be. Wisely, they had requested that she stay behind until the perimeter was secured. It’s much quieter, and a lot less bloody; as it turns out, members of organized crime do have consciences, and chose to subdue those not directly a threat. After Langdon finishes tying those who had remained loyal to Bill together, Cordelia motions for (Y/N) to follow the group into the old school.

The proud sign that once declared this building the Goode Academy now lies in the dirt of the overgrown lawn. The doors are open, solely because the rusted hinges make it impossible for them to remain closed against a gentle breeze. The further that they make it inside, the more frantic (Y/N) is. She knows that they’re close to Duncan, she just doesn’t know what state they’ll find Duncan in. Before they can make it too far with Cordelia as their guide, Bill appears. Instead of holding a machine gun, which is kind of what (Y/N) had expected, he has a concerned look on his face.

“Annette, thank god you’re here! I know this must be confusing to you, but when I heard that Duncan was missing, I knew that I needed to save him from the bitches that had sent me into hiding years ago.”

Confusion blankets (Y/N)’s mind as she tries to figure out what’s going on, but Annette doesn’t feel the same. “Cut the shit, Bill. I know what you’ve been doing.”

Bill laughs. “You’re going to let Cordelia Goode manipulate you into believing her, after she tried to kill me?”

“You’re an idiot. You think I don’t smell the blood in the air?” Annette laughs viciously, a verbal slap in the face. “Where’s my son?”

Like a switch was flipped, the worry on Bill’s face falls into contempt. “You’ve always been too emotional for your own good, Annette.”

“‘Family over everything,’” Annette quotes. “Remember that? What happened to that?”

“That died the day that that--that mistake came back from boarding school and decided that our business, the empire we built from the ground up, was his birthright.”

“You never were good at sharing, were you?”

The siblings stare at each other for a moment before Bill sighs. “You could have just been complicit, but no. Guess I’ll have to think on the fly, then.” He pulls out a gun and cocks the hammer back.

Before he can fire, Madison and Mallory appear from behind him, having snuck into the back. Madison knocks the gun out of his hand, the weapon firing into the ceiling, as Mallory socks him in the face and drives him to his knees. Both women force his hands behind him, holding him still as Cordelia walks up to him.

“The door to the basement is in the kitchen, hidden behind the left wall of the pantry,” Cordelia says to the group.

(Y/N)’s off, moving as fast as she can while maneuvering through the unfamiliar house. “Wait, you can’t do this. Annette, you aren’t really going to let the Coven, of all people, do this to me?” Bill pleads.

“I can actually, and I will. After all,” Annette turns to Cordelia, “we have a deal.”

In the kitchen, (Y/N) throws open the pantry door, pushing and shoving and pulling at the left wall before it finally opens to reveal a set of stairs.

“Girls?” Annette calls just before she reaches the door. “Make it painful.”

(Y/N) runs down the stairs, hands scrambling along the wall until she comes across a light switch. Flicking it on, her eyes look around the room until she sees a lifeless figure on the floor that’s surrounded by a pool of blood. A cry is ripped from her chest as she falls to her knees beside Duncan, hands hovering above him as she tries to figure out what to do first.

He’s pale, scarily so, and he’s breathing so shallowly that she can’t tell he’s breathing at first. Somehow, with all the blood, he’s still breathing. All (Y/N) can focus on is the fact that he’s still alive (later, she’ll wonder how she didn’t even flinch at all of the injuries and the blood, oh, the blood) as she rips her shirt off and presses it firmly against the wound on his stomach, calling his name over and over again in increasing levels of desperation.

From behind her, she can hear Annette scream and yell for Langdon to call an ambulance. She can feel the presence of somebody next to her as they catalogue where Duncan’s hurt, but she can’t bring herself to look away from Duncan’s face. His perfect face, that she’s kissed over and over a thousand times and has taken immense pleasure in watching a blush rise to the surface. His perfect face that she’s now slapping to try and get him to at least show some sort of response.

“You don’t get to die like this,” she tells him, hoping that he’ll somehow manage to hear her. “You said that you didn’t want to be the reason I suffered, but look at you now, making me suffer. Don’t keep me suffering like this!”

Slowly, and just barely, his eyes crack open just enough that (Y/N) can see a hint of blue. His lips move, saying something without audible sound, and she brings her head down to his to try and catch what he’s saying.

“An angel.” She finally makes out what his reverent whisper is over the wail of the incoming ambulances, and laughs brokenly as her head falls onto his chest in relief.

//

@sammythankyou @girlycakepops @ultragibbycentralworld @ajokeformur-ray @nana15774 @queencocoakimmie @lichellaw @grim-adventures58 @dandycandy75 @trimbooohgodplsnoooo @everything-is-awesomesauce @michaellangdon @jimmlangdon @omgsuperstarg @queenie435 @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @kahhlo @storminmytwistedmind @1-800-bitchcraft @langdonslove @born-on-stgeorges-day @xavierplympton @michaelsapostle @venusxxlangdon @wroteclassicaly @idespac @tcc-gizmachine @dyns33 @hexqueensupreme @hecatemacbeth7 @youngandfleeting @lambofcairo @myluciferiscody @anacerta @ladyren33 @ladyrindt @dark-mei-rose @sojournmichael @blakewaterxx @9layerdevilfoodcake @angelicmichael @takingback-thecrown @etherealsxnder

[barnesandco]

Third Time Lucky (Expanded)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Kissing

A/N: I wanted to expand the original drabble, but I’m leaving the original up as it is instead of editing it bc it’s smol and I like it. 

The first time she kisses Bucky, it's an accident.

He, along with Earth's mightiest heroes, is helping her move into the apartment she bought because she wanted her own space. An escape, a personal sanctuary, away from the Compound. 

Not away from Bucky, though, never away from him. Much like him, she's quiet, still hesitant, only four months in as an Avenger. Her calm demeanor occasionally interrupted by bouts of laughter at his dry remarks, usually aimed at Sam. Bucky finds himself speaking more in an attempt to elicit that magical sound, not knowing that she's managed to bring him out of the shell he's been in since he left Hydra. In a number of weeks, she's unwittingly and effortlessly accomplished what they've all been working at for months - Steve's incessant mothering, listening to Sam at the VA, his therapy sessions, Shuri's cheerful video-calls, hours and hours in the gym to work out all that anguish. She hasn’t fixed him, and she isn’t trying to. But she’s made him comfortable, and that’s all any of them were asking for.

She can't remove his pain, nor he hers, but they've established a silent companionship; alone together. She prepares his coffee in the mornings, accepting a quirk of his lips in return. Breakfast passes with him pretending to read her newspaper upside down - he's actually studying the movement of her lower lip as she chews at it thoughtfully. 

On the days they don't have missions, or meetings, or meet-and-greets, they'll spend the whole day on opposite ends of the breakfast nook. Surrounded by history books and a laptop - all Bucky's - and cocooned by her blankets and the scent of the flowers that grow in her vicinity when she's at ease. And she is, around him at least. His gentle, inaudible movements now useful for something other than assassination. Tranquility only broken by someone in the kitchen - mostly Sam for lunch, or Wanda, teaching Vision. The bustle of the Avengers filtered out between the tapping of her nails against her phone, and his pencil scratching against half-full notebooks. Peace is a rare thing for a soldier, and yet, here she is giving him some that soothes his very bones.

All of this without apparent affection, other than a fond look when he laughs at a meme she shows him, or the urge to hold his hand when his forehead wrinkles at a particularly nasty detail in the books before him. Averse to touch, after the kinds they've experienced. 

Until now, and it’s a thoughtless, subconscious action that finally introduces Bucky’s skin to the feel of hers, the feel of her lips, actually, and it’s electrifying.

He holds the door for her on his way out to pick up more of her stuff, and she absently pecks him on the cheek in thanks, despite the box full of books straining her arms. She moves forward quickly, not knowing that the soldier now cannot, the split-second sensation like being tased, and the current runs from his face to his feet, stopping his heart momentarily.

The first time she kisses Bucky, he's left standing in the doorway, rowdy sounds from his teammates playing in the background as he tries to calm the furious blush painting his face.

---

The second time she kisses Bucky, she's flirting. 

They've been dancing around whatever the hell this is for months, and she’s sick of it. Growing closer was inevitable, a predetermined destination with the course they were taking, but she didn’t think that getting addicted to the scent of his cologne was a prerequisite for becoming attracted to Bucky Barnes. Which she is. Hopelessly, ridiculously, unfairly attracted. As a consequence of their growing friendship, she’s become more familiar with him, providing excessive material for the Bucky-involved part of her brain to think about. The cool metal of his left arm around her shoulders, the way his nose scrunches up when he laughs. The sound resonates through the room and then through her heart as if it’s an empty cavern, even though it feels so, so full when she’s close to him.

Right now, she’s very close to him, as they're dancing, metaphorical situation having manifested itself in real life. Surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. employees at the office party, Billie Holiday on the Stark sound system, courtesy of Steve’s unwanted wingmanning. He doesn’t need the wingmanning; does just fine on his own. Took him a while to loosen up, but even he - forties boy that he is - knows the tension between them is palpable. Uses it to his advantage, loves making her shy away, and loves it even more when she responds to his 9mm shots at her with a .950 JDJ. In fact, he's about to tell her her skin glows in the fairy lights when Sam - cockblock that he is, vodka-drunk off his ass, asks to cut in, and bows so low he almost falls at her feet. 

She giggles and then gives Bucky an apologetic look, before the innocence gives way to something more, and she stands on her tiptoes to murmur in his ear. His hands automatically fall to her waist when she holds his shoulders to steady herself.

“Sorry, Buck. Thanks for the dance.” It’s a millisecond exchange, over just as Sam straightens up, rolling his eyes when she winks at Bucky, and pulls away from his hold.

The second time she kisses Bucky, he's left in the middle of the dance floor, rubbing the spot where his jaw meets his neck, just below his ear. Wondering if the whisper against his skin is a phantom feeling, or if she actually nipped him with his teeth in goodbye. 

---

The third time she kisses Bucky, it's to interrupt his tirade at her recklessness. He had been grounded for this mission, and she was on a self-destructive streak because she blamed herself for the injury responsible for his obligatory bedrest. Three gunshot wounds and a shattered arm. He could have died. She knows this all too well, having spent a consecutive 36 hours at his bedside thinking of nothing but his absence. 

They’ve just gotten back from another mission, where she went after the ringleader of the illegal weapons manufacturing they had gone to shut down. Normally, that’s their aim. However, when you disconnect your coms, and go in without backup to kill, instead of arrest, a powerful, well-protected man, it is very much a problem. She could have died, and he’s thankful that she didn’t, but presently the gratitude has been pushed back as the anger and fear elbows it’s way forward. 

The team waits awkwardly for the argument to end from the next room so they can have their well-earned meal. 

“Well, someone needs to get laid.” 

“Tony!” Bruce hisses furiously, and the others erupt into discussion, Steve doing his best to disguise the smirk on his face. Silently, he agrees, as the battle of wills rages on.

Not much of a battle, really; Bucky's yelling his face off as hers gets more and more tense until the rubber-band finally snaps. 

“Are you out of your mind? Do you still not underst-” She grabs him by the face, pushing her mouth to his, all tongue and teeth and flesh. It's inelegant and angry, and this is not how she imagined it would be, but it doesn't matter because it's him. It's Bucky, and he's holding her by the waist, as well as he can with his arm in a sling, uncomfortably pinched between them. She doesn't care, focuses instead on the feel of his hair in her hands. The deep groan that she feels rumble from his chest where it's pressed to hers when her nails scrape against the nape of his neck. His tongue, warm and wanton, learning hers thoroughly, attentively. The gentlemanly Brooklyn boy, both corrupted and saved by the tinge of copper on her lips, and the beating rhythm of her pulse under his hand on her neck. 

“I can’t lose you. Not you.” Bucky says against her mouth. Chest heaving, she nuzzles her nose to his, shuts her eyes, and breathes him in.

The third time she kisses Bucky, he's left out of breath and with a raging hard-on, metal fist cracking the counter behind her. They pant against each other, lips rasping against one another, foreheads bumping. She kisses him until she finally, finally, loses count.

Taglist: @suz-123 @mermaidxatxheart @buckyreaderrecs @shield-agent78 @corneliabarnes @kentuckybarnes

[singledarkshade]

Accidental Hostages

Part Six (Part One, Part Two,  Part Three,  Part Four and Part Five) Amanda Waller, Director of Argus, stood and walked round to the man standing across from her.

“I admit,” she said as she faced him, “I expected you to come back after Miranda died.”

Rip shrugged, “I had responsibilities.”

“And yet here you are,” Waller smiled.

He frowned at her, “By necessity only,” as she continued to smile at him, Rip’s annoyance turned to anger as realisation set in, “You set me up.”

Innocence covered her face, “I have no idea what you mean.”

“I wondered,” Rip said as he paced, “How Nora and Gideon knew about the information at that office. It’s not something Nora’s father would have told her about. That they were there at the same time I was, convenient except I had no idea who they were until just before Gideon tased me.”

“Unlike you to be caught off-guard,” Waller noted amused.

Rip frowned, “I only see shows about talking animals these days, I’d not seen the news in weeks. And then,” he picked up his train of thought again, “The information that clears them was not hard to find. It should have taken me days, not a few hours.”

“You always were the best, Rip,” Waller noted, “Perhaps you underestimated yourself.”

Shaking his head annoyed, Rip replied, “This is the best chance Argus have had to get not only Thawne but Darhk.”

Waller nodded, “I needed the one person who knew both cases better than anyone else does or could ever know within the time frame we have.”

“You could have just asked me,” Rip noted.

“And you would have said no,” Waller reminded him, “You have ‘the child’ to care for these days.”

Anger filled Rip and he clamped down in it as best he could as he forced out, “His name is Jonas and he is the son of Miranda, who you always claimed to be your friend.”

Waller stared at him in silence.

“Except you refuse to acknowledge him because you feel she abandoned you for me,” Rip continued to push back.

Waller folded her arms, “She was one of the best agents Argus ever trained. But you wanted out and got her pregnant so she would leave with you.”

Rip shook his head, “So you put two innocent women in the line of fire to make me come back here? It wasn’t what either of us were taught.”

“And you know everything about that,” Waller snapped.

“Well,” Rip shrugged as he reminded her, “I was raised by the woman who trained all of us, so I know much more than you do.”

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Waller returned to her desk, “Nora Darhk isn’t exactly an innocent, is she? Considering her father and his business…”

“Except she has never accepted any money since she left home and started her own business with Miss Ryder,” Rip reminded her, “We can’t hold sins of the father against the child.”

Waller chuckled darkly, “And that is something you know all about, ‘Oliver Twist’.”

“If you want to do that analogy,” Rip leaned against the wall, she’d never said this to his face before, but he’d heard it every so often, “Druce wasn’t my father, and you should use the ‘Artful Dodger’, that’s a lot more accurate.”

Her mouth twisted in annoyance.

“You set it up so I would get pulled into this,” Rip noted, “I’m here and I’m going after Thawne, so what else do you want?”

Waller folded her arms across her chest, “To make sure you follow all protocols for this mission and don’t go on some kind of vigilante quest. You do have history of that.”

“I know the rules, I know the regulations. In fact I trained half of this department,” Rip stated, before he gave her a fake smile, “So, nice to see you Amanda. Go away and let us do our job.”

As he started out the office, Rip paused and turned back, “I was offered your job. Two days later Miranda told me she was pregnant, and that she didn’t want to raise our baby here. She wanted to leave, and I wanted to be with her,” starting out again he threw over his shoulder, “Good to see you again, Director.”

                                 *********************************************

 Gideon was pacing nervously as Nora and Ray sat waiting for Rip to appear again. His insistence they stay in this room had scared them all, and now they were waiting for him to come back.

“Rip will be back soon,” Ray told them, “There probably isn’t anything to worry about.”

“Then why did he tell us not to move from this room?” Gideon demanded, “When we’ve been able to move freely since we got here.”

The door opened and Sara walked in.

“What’s going on?” Gideon demanded.

Sara paused in surprise at the forceful question, before she replied, “The Director is in the building, and Rip just doesn’t want to put you in her path.”

They looked at one another confused and Ray asked, “Why?

Wincing slightly Sara replied, “She and Rip don’t get along very well. I don’t know why, I only joined after Waller transferred to Argus HQ.”

“The way he spoke it was like he expected someone to come running through the place with a weapon,” Nora said softly.

Sara shrugged, “He’s protecting you. It’s what Rip does. He protects the people he cares about and keeping you out of the way of Director Waller is protecting you.”

“Why?” Gideon asked softly, “Surely she’s in charge of the agency, isn’t she the one who gave him access to everything to help us?”

Grimacing Sara replied, “You’d have to ask Rip.”

“Ask me what?”

They all turned as Rip walked into the room.

“Is everything alright?” Gideon demanded sharply.

Rip nodded, “Sorry about earlier. Director Waller and I have history that I didn’t know if it would remain in the office.”

Frowning slightly, Gideon asked, “So what now?”

“Hopefully, she hopped back on her broom and has left us alone to do what we need to,” Rip replied with a tight smile.

Everyone in the room shared a surprised look at his words but Rip didn’t give any of them a chance to ask.

“Sara,” he turned to the blonde, “Get a team together, we’re going out. I will join you in the briefing room in a few minutes.”

Nodding she left the room, a small smirk on her face.

Rip turned to the three people all staring at him, “Apologies for worrying you all but Director Waller and I have never seen eye to eye on many things. I didn’t want any of you getting in her path. Or the line of fire.”

Gideon walked over to him and punched his shoulder, “You scared us half to death.”

Catching Gideon’s hand, Rip whispered, “I’m sorry,” he looked over at Nora and Ray, “I am. Now, Gideon found us a lead which we’re going to follow.”

“How good is this lead?” Nora asked softly.

Rip smiled, “It’s a good one but I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

Nora nodded.

“The reason I was given access to everything, Nora,” Rip said, “Is because I was, and still am, the authority on Thawne and your father. I know all their tricks, all their faithful henchmen and most of their bases. I am going to do everything in my power to find your father. I promise.”

                                 *********************************************

 Rip motioned Sara forward as they headed towards the apartment Mark Mardon was currently hiding out in. Despite the payments he got from Thawne, Mardon lived in a dump that was covered in graffiti and smelled faintly of marijuana.

“This is a great place,” Sara murmured over the radio, “Do you think they have any vacancies?”

“Mardon’s place is bound to be free for a while after we visit,” Rip replied, “But I’d make sure it has a good view first.”

She glanced round and flashed him a grin before taking up position on one side of the door. Taking his place, across from her Rip nodded. Sara slid the small ‘smoke bomb’ under the door. She tugged the string and they listened to the small explosion before the smoke appeared beneath the door.

They could hear banging inside, sliding on their masks Rip kicked the door open and he let Sara take point. He’d been out for four years, so knew it was best to let Sara go take the lead in the mission.

He remembered when she’d joined, rebellious daughter of a cop, trained in martial arts but had no discipline. She pushed back at every opportunity, argued with him but had turned into one of the top agents.

Although Rip had been out of the agency, his mother still had connections and let him know just how good his final trainee had become.

 Sara marched Mark Mardon into the interrogation room, pushed him into the chair and smiled smugly at him.

“You know,” she said, “I always thought working for someone like Thawne would get you a better place to stay but that apartment, not the greatest place in the world.”

Mardon stared at her.

“Although the amount of drugs we found explains why you went for the cheap accommodation,” Sara continued.

“I want a lawyer,” Mardon stated.

Sara laughed, “We’re not that kind of organisation. You don’t get lawyers here, not until we’ve got the information we need, and we hand you over to the police.”

He stared at her, anger in his eyes before he looked away.

“Think about that while I go get myself some coffee,” Sara told him, before she left and joined Rip in the observation room.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“He’s not going to talk,” Sara said, “But you already know that.”

Rip nodded, “He’s been through the system enough times. Not to mention he’s still high as a kite. We need another angle.”

Sara smirked as she caught up with his thinking, “We need something to push him.”

“And he has worked for both of them in the past,” Rip nodded.

 Nora was confused when Rip appeared suddenly while she tried to read in the library.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“Where’s Ray and Gideon?” he asked, making her grimace annoyed he hadn’t answered her question.

Nora shrugged, “Ray was asked to help fix some things and Gideon went back to the job you gave her.”

“I need your help,” Rip told her.

“My help?” Nora laughed slightly, “What can I do?”

Rip winced and took her hand, “Mark Mardon. We have him in an interrogation room downstairs, but he won’t talk to us.”

“What can I do?” Nora asked again confused.

“You play Damian Darhk’s daughter,” Rip told her, “To the extent someone who knows your father would expect.”

Nora stared at him before she nodded, “If it helps find my father, okay.”

[dopescotlandwarrior]

The Dancer-Epilogue

                        Special thanks to @statell​ for your help and wisdom

Previous chapters on AO3

Epilogue

Jamie spent every evening with Claire and Brian, enjoying family dinners, outings as the weather warmed up, and he held Claire in his arms before he went home. Try as he might, his upbringing prevented him from sleeping with Claire, at least to Brian’s knowledge, before they were married. Most nights they would make passionate love while Brian slept and came close to being caught only once in the first three months.

Several deals were struck after the fateful day at the bookstore. Those included a timeout for discussing what had come to pass during their separation. A date was set like a business meeting eight weeks in the future. On that day they met at the bookstore and shut themselves away from the world until all the facts had been heard and all questions answered.

Jamie started with the events after Claire left his home, heartbroken, and drove back to Edinburgh. He described his despair at seeing the photos of Jenny’s beating, arriving at the hospital in such a state he was tased, handcuffed, and arrested, twice. He was kept in jail for three days each time. The third time he went to the hospital he remained calm and learned she had been moved to an undisclosed place. He spoke about disinheriting his sister and having no contact before or after her trial. She was still in prison but would have a parole hearing in the coming year that he would not participate in. Lallybroch was boarded up and Jenny’s animals sold. She would live there upon her release unless she violated the rules of the court.

Jamie was promoted to Germany, as he expected and functioned at a low level for two years trying to find his joy again. On a trip to Edinburgh, he met Geneva Dunsany. After a long-distance relationship, she demanded marriage or else. He just felt dead inside. A letter was given to John at the Edinburgh store to be forwarded to Jamie. John could only say the pretty woman had red hair. The letter stated that Geneva was one of the drunk friends who participated in death threats against Claire the night of the beating, showing her support for Jenny. Geneva was put on the next flight to Edinburgh and never seen again.

Just before he lost his mind completely, he resigned his position that he had worked so hard for, endured so many lonely years for.

“I hired a private detective to find ye but ye just vanished. I knew ye were alive, somewhere, because I would feel the difference in the world if ye were not. I bought a used bookstore, renamed it and put the classics room in first thing so I could see yer name on the outside and the inside every day. I thought ye might come back to London someday and wanted to put the stores everywhere so ye would see one and go inside. It felt like ye were workin with me, seein yer name every day. It made me feel better. I brought John back to London and put him in charge of the new stores once they were up and running. So, now I am CEO of a growin chain of upscale used bookstores because of you. On yer birthday, every year, I spent the day in the classics room, my Sassenach’s heart, and I read until the store closed, always with..." Jamie's head dropped and he took a deep breath, "a fresh bouquet in yer honor love.”

Claire sat on his lap and hugged him, hearing his tears for his heartbroken existence.

“Thank you, Jamie.”

They kissed for a bit and Jamie held her arms panting. “It’s yer turn lass.”

Claire explained she was in Egypt before she knew what was happening. Her friends Madu and Kamilah were from wealthy families in Cairo and Jadda, Madu’s father, arranged everything. Madu later told her the surgeon that removed her spleen told him about the pregnancy, but they expected she would lose the baby. In Cairo, she didn’t eat or awaken for many months so she was fed by a stomach tube. Madu forced her to listen and wake up, telling her about the baby that had continued to grow while she slept month after month. She explained the painful journey back to the living and how Madu’s family was always there to encourage her. Jaddati, Madu’s mother, started calling her abnataya, the Egyptian word for daughter. When Brian was born the whole family was eager to care for him and his Jadda and Jaddati fell in love with him, as did Madu.

“It was a special time for me, being held into a family because I never had one. Madu, Brian, and I were inseparable. I tried so hard to love him romantically and my failure to do so was as painful for me as it was for him. Without warning, Madu dropped to the floor one night when an aneurysm ruptured. He was dead before anyone could reach for a phone to call emergency. He was my best friend, my savior, and my family. I miss him every day."

Jamie lifted Claire to her feet and pulled her into his lap where he held her while she cried for her amazing friend. He realized Brian was too young to remember, but he knew all about Madu and felt sadness at his passing.

“Yer an incredible person Sassenach. Madu will live on in Brian’s heart because ye shared yer memory of this special man.”

Claire sat down in her chair again, ready to continue. She told Jamie about Geillis and how devoted to each other they had been. How they cried when Claire called after two years and were now besties again with regular visits to London.

”The house we live in was arranged by Jadda, I think he bought it so we would have a decent place to live. Right after we moved in I couldn’t find Brian and I panicked until I opened the front door and there he was, standing near the curb of our street. He told me Habbi, told him to stand there and wait for me. Habbi is Madu. I had Brian baptized when we returned to London, Geillis is his Godmother and Madu his spirit Godfather. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I canna think of two better people in the entire world love.”

“It’s your turn,” she whispered.

Jamie realized that Claire was spent emotionally. He led her to his office and turned out the lights before pulling her into his arms to lay next to him on the couch. She could hear his Gaelic speech through his chest and found great comfort there.

They hugged in silence for a while until Jamie gave her every reason to change course and draw that line between them again.

“Sassenach, love, will ye marry me?”

Claire’s head lifted abruptly to look at him and her mouth slowly smiled as he watched the answer play across her face.

“C’mon lass, dinna say no to yer soulmate," he teased. "I figure you will be my partner in the bookstores and bring yer magic to the enterprise. We can open a new store each year and Brian will see the world living short term in each location. When he starts school, we take off for cities near and far in the summer, like a three-month vacation every year. Do ye know anythin about a website?”

“Whoa Sassenach, tears? Dinna break my heart love.”

“I have a new job at the cultural center, one Sunday each month, we dance exhibition and I am the lead belly dancer. It’s in Madu’s memory I want to dance Jamie. How do you feel about that?”

She watched his eyes and saw him go into his head, still smiling, she waited and worried. When he looked at her several minutes later his skin had a rosy glow and his eyes sparkled.

“This means I get to keep both of ye Sassenach.”

“I suppose it does” she giggled.

************************** “Ma'am?”

Claire pushed her sunglasses up her nose and handed Geillis her drink. She thanked the waiter and handed him a tip before laying back on her lounge. The girls were treated to a spa day compliments of Jamie and it was a slice of heaven for both of them.

“Mmm, what a fantastic buzz and a beautiful spa. Remind me to thank Jamie. What is up with your weird drinks Claire? That looks like bubbles in water for Christ's sake.”

“It is club soda, on the rocks. Why you ask? Because I can’t have alcohol for the next year. I’ll have to give up belly dancing before long also.”

Geillis rolled her head toward Claire and pulled her sunglasses down. “What?”

Geillis’s eyes grew wide and she sat up looking at her best friend. “Are ye sayin ye got a bairn in there again?”

“Almost positive. That’s what happens when the love of your life shows up and you’re not on birth control. Please, not a word at home. I am telling Jamie tonight right after Brian goes to bed and before he goes home of course.”

“Thank heavens he can stay at yer house after tomorrow.”

Claire was on pins and needles through dinner while Geillis chatted on and on with Jamie and Brian. She needed to calm down and excused herself from dinner. Sitting alone on her bed, she remembered a sadness so deep and a country so foreign, it stole her reason to live. Now her life was so full of blessings it was hard to feel connected to that person anymore.

When Jamie came in, he pulled her into his arms and just hugged her.

“What is it, love? Are ye havin second thoughts?”

She shook her head and pulled him down to the bed to lay next to her. They could hear Brian and Geillis laughing in the kitchen and felt no need to rush.

Jamie watched her face, waiting. He felt his heart rate shoot up as her eyes locked on his.

“The three of us won’t be going to Florida next month. We are actually a family of four now.”

She pulled his hand to her abdomen as the tears were squeezing out the side of her eyes. She watched Jamie’s face go from confused to enlightened and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he tried to swallow.

“Is there …a bairn… comin …lass?” His voice was a croaked whisper like he was afraid to say it out loud.

Claire nodded her head and Jamie exhaled the breath he was holding as his smile grew. He kissed her long and hard followed by dozens of kisses on her face with I love you’s in between until Claire was panting for breath and laughing.

Jamie kissed his bride after a civil ceremony with Geillis standing for Claire and Brian standing as Jamie’s best man. He pressed his forehead against hers and felt she had gifted him with a second chance at life. He was so grateful for her strength to survive, her heart to forgive, and the joy they made together.

Five hundred and thirty-five miles north a prisoner held court while her underlings brought her food and cigarettes. Jenny smiled at her hard-won position in the unit and daydreamed about returning home after so many years.

But that is another story.

It is my privilege to write for this fandom. I love you guys for the encouraging comments and for reading.

[weaselle]

Ladies, Gentlemen, and All ... I bring you word from my younger brother:

“I rarely come on facebook anymore, but these are exceptional times we find ourselves in. It is even rarer that I comment, but I’ve had a few conversations with friends and family that surprised them, and I have seen some behavior from people here that has surprised me, and I have seen enough that I cannot be quiet. Many of the people I’ve spoken with do not know what Qualified Immunity is.

Starting in 1967, the Supreme Court created a privilege for public officials that allowed them to dismiss trials in which they had violated a citizens statutory or constitutional rights. Originally this was very narrowly construed, requiring that the officials were acting in good faith, and that they were exercising their powers reasonably. For the last 40 years, police officers, and the lawyers that have represented them in court have worked to expand Qualified Immunity. 

It has allowed police officers to:

Steal money from people

Sic dogs on people attempting to surrender by sitting down with their hands up.

Drag a mother out of her car and tase her in front of her child

And yes, murder black people.

A second thing I have seen people surprised to find out is the nature of the contracts that police unions negotiate. Usually every 4-6 years, the police union renegotiated it’s contract with the city it’s in and includes riders like:

Expunging and limiting what can be put on an officers disciplinary record

Limiting the disciplinary actions that a city and it’s citizens can take against officers who have engaged in misconduct

Limiting the investigations that can be done into misbehaving officers

Requiring that the city pay for complaints brought against individual officers (instead of the officers themselves paying for their abuses of power)

I mention these two things because I think it’s important to understand that they didn’t happen on their own. Police officers fought for this. They fought to remove the systems we have of holding them accountable. They fought to be able to get away with killing black people. They are fighting for that right now.

 But any person that wants to make that argument cannot do so directly. They have to change the subject. They have to make us talk about something else, like looting or riots, and not the fact that the police have fought for almost half a century to build up legal protections for themselves so that they can kill black people.

I want to point out one more thing. In Santa Cruz CA, the police took a knee with protestors and there is no rioting. In Camden NJ, the police joined in marches with protestors and there is no looting. In Flint MI, the police met with protestors and talked, and listened, and there is no civil unrest.

In Louisville, the police have destroyed medical supplies and there is rioting. In New York the police have trampled protestors under hoof and tire and there is looting. In Minneapolis the police have enlisted the US military in the branch of the National Guard to help them fire weapons at people on their own porches, and there is civil unrest. 

It’s an insignificantly small fringe that wants the looting and rioting, and one that the cops have the power to stop any time they want. We know how, they are making a conscious decision not to.

It is a distraction from the singular question of the moment: “Should the police be able to murder black people?” If you are talking about the looting or the rioting, or posting pictures of burnt buildings and blaming the protestors, you are providing your answer to this question. You have every right to hold any opinion you chose, but you should ask yourself why you do not have the courage to answer the question directly.

If you want to know more about QI: 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/05/30/police-george-floyd-qualified-immunity-supreme-court-column/5283349002/If you want to know more about police union contracts: https://www.joincampaignzero.org/contracts

If you know the answer to the question, join an organized protest, donate to a bail fund or a group fighting QI, write your mayor or city council, volunteer for a campaign to elect a new DA. We can fix this, but are going to have to help each other through some terrible times to get there.“

I have always been proud of my brother, today I am especially so. My family is intelligent, capable, passionate, socially responsible... and we stand in support of these protests, in support of black communities and individuals. We pledge our voice, and our action. I urge everyone to do the same. 

If you are white, as we are, listen to what black communities and leadership say is needed. Do not chase a desire for revolt born of your own quarrels over how this country is failing you, this is not that fight. Ask what is needed, follow the lead of those targeted by this deadly racism. 

Lives are at stake, what kind of people we are as a nation hangs in the balance. There is not a middle ground here; this is not a fence that can be sat upon, but one that must be dismantled. 

[whump-my-dear-watson]

Um hi here's the fic I promised in which Malcolm gets stabbed instead of Jin! Sorry for the slow update, I had to convince myself to post this. Tagging all who asked, and thanks to all for supporting! ♥

(I actually loved writing this but it's low key a mess lol I change prospective a lot because I really wanted to capture each character’s version of the events while still keeping the story going. Anyway,,,enjoy!)

Title: Life and Lacerations

Fandom: Prodigal Son

Character: Malcolm Bright

Words Count: 2k

Author: me! lol I’m also @prodigal-sons 

Warnings: uh spoiler warning for 1x07 of Prodigal Son, blood, stabbing, hospital

Malcolm’s face was twisted in agony, he could tell from this experience he wouldn’t sleep for a week. Watching his sister on her warpath to prove something of herself and of Martin, it wasn’t a pretty sight. Especially when he was the brunt end of their conversation.

He knew Ains had good intentions, she was mad at Martin for messing up his life, but there was definitely something else there.

Frustrated with how things were turning out Malcolm took a step from the situation, just in time for Ainsley to finally break their father.

Martin the silent surgeon was terrifying, but Martin unhinged was something else completely.

Malcolm couldn’t help but flinch at his outburst.

“Jin, let’s get a shot of his bookshelf. All the knowledge in the world and yet the surgeon still can’t figure out how to be a parent.”

Dr. Whitley scoffed at the remark, restraining himself from having another outburst. 

While Jin was distracted taping the other side of the room, Malcolm and Ainsely’s head turned towards the door and the distant clanking that was coming through it. 

It was almost too late when Malcolm saw the flash of Tevin’s face, already through the second door.

“Watch out!” Malcolm hollered, but Tevin was already almost upon Ainsley. 

Malcolm used all of her force to push his sister out of the way of the crazed man's path, once again placing himself in dangers way, but at this point that was nothing new to him, although Gabrielle wouldn't want to hear him say that. 

Tevin's weapon was flying madly until it found its way into Malcolm's side, he was unable to hold in the gasp that it pulled out of him. 

Malcolm staggered back, farther into the room. He was sure he had heard his sister scream and he could only pray that Tevin didn't get her too. 

David had already tased the assailant, but it was too late. Malcolm kept retreating farther into the room until he rammed into the side wall, the panic in his eyes clear that he was unaware Tevin was no longer a threat. 

Malcolm's head moved from side to side taking in the sudden rush of people around him, his sister kneeling on the ground next to him.

Malcolm leaned further into the wall as if etching his back into the plaster. 

"I'm fine," he insisted through his pain-filled haze. 

"Malcolm!" Ainsley cried again, her head spiraling out of control with worry.

"Stay calm. Swat and paramedics are on their way." David's soothing presence seemed too set the tone, but no one knew what to do. Except for the doctor in the room.

Martin was silent. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was not supposed to be Malcolm. He was not a bad father. He may have orchestrated this whole event that led to Malcolm bleeding out on the floor in front of him, but no. He was not a bad father. 

Malcolm should not have done that. 

Tevin should not have done that. 

Martine stayed silent, the same line running through his head. I am not a bad father. I am not a bad father. I am not a bad father.

Malcolm winced in pain and took his hand off his abdomen for a moment to take a look at his wound, his hand dripped in his own blood that seeped through his jacket. 

At least his jacket most have slowed Tevin's momentum some, but nothing could distract Malcolm from the incessant pain.

He had found that it was much harder to convince people that he was okay when he had a constant flow of blood staining the carpet beneath him.

"Malcolm, what do we do?" Ainsley said, holding his hand for support.

Malcolm would tell her to relax, that he was just fine. Just very happy that it wasn't her that was laying here, but he was no longer able to form any cohering words, only pained moans escaped his lips.

"He's dying." 

All heads turned to see the speaker, Martin. 

He was faced towards his bookshelf, away from the chaos. 

"He won't live to see the ambulance arrive," Martin said deadpan, one would wonder how he could say such a thing about family and be so unfeeling, but one would wonder many things about Dr. Martin Whitley.

Ainsley let out a panicked sob at her father's words and turned to Jin's embrace as he tried to console her. 

Ainsley couldn’t help but think that Malcolm was right, this was a bad idea. She may have gotten a bonus at work, but Malcolm's price was he might die? 

She never knew just how much worry she could hold for someone until she saw her brother fading in and out of consciousness, knowing that it was all her fault.

He never would have been here if not for her. 

"Why don't you do something then?!" she yelled at her father through a tear-stained face. 

Martin shook his head. This was all wrong. Tevin was supposed to stab Jin so that his lung collapsed and he would have to perform the procedure. 

Now that it was Malcolm he had no clue where to start, they would have too let him look at him but convincing them too do that...might be a little more difficult. 

 Malcolm had fully slumped against the wall now his hand fell loosely in Ainsley's grip. 

"No, no, no, no!" Ainsley pulled Malcolm closer too her, not caring about his blood getting everywhere. "Malcolm you gotta stay with me. I may not say it enough, but. I love you and I really need you. Okay? Stay with me,"

The room was silent besides Ainsley's words of comfort.

"That won't help." Once again, Martin from the background. 

"Mere words cannot save Malcolm now, if you don't want him to die before help arrives, I suggest you let me have a look at him. 

David moved to place himself in front of Martin, blocking off his view of his son. 

Jin was already jumping to his feet in protest but one voice rose above the others. 

"Okay."

Ainsley's voice was small but confident, she would do anything to protect her brother. But it had to happen quick, his pale face was draining of color by the second. 

"If you hurt him at all…" Ainsley's warned.

"Who do you think I am? I'm his father." Martin said before pulling his restrains as far as they would go, ushering the able-bodied to slide Malcolm over so he could work on him.

It didn't take long, with what equipment that was made available and the unperceived location if the wound, he was quite proud of himself for the work that he ended up doing. 

He had to be proud of something. He couldn't focus long on the sight of Malcolm laying on the floor, fresh bandaging already soaked in blood, laboring just to breathe normally. 

As soon as he had finished David and Jin had, as gently as they could, pulled Malcolm away from the Doctor, as if he was still in the risk of doing something. 

The darkened room still flashed with the red light from the alarms, a constant reminder of the high tense situation. 

Malcolm’s eyes fluttered open to see the faces of Ainsley and JIn above him, at first he was just numb, but the more he spent awake the more the pain grew.

Malcolm was used to pain. He had lived in it his whole life, he had learned to manage pain from a young age and maybe that was the reason his body refused to let him pass out band gain momentary relief. 

His vision floated in and out of focus, he soon found himself gasping for air, but he didn’t have to struggle long. A clear mask was placed over his face and Malcolm was able to take a large breath, and for once he was craving sleep. 

The paramedic’s loaded him onto a stretcher looking over what Martin had done, although not saying it out loud, he had, in fact, saved Malcolm’s life. 

Ainsley continued to hold his hand through everything until they had to tear him away for surgery. 

Jessica was waiting with Ainsley, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk with her mother. She would just get more and more blame about how she should’ve listened to her. Ainsley was sick of never living up to her mother’s expectations. She had made a mistake, she didn’t want to relive it in conversation for the rest of her life. 

The Doctor came out and asked for Malcolm’s family. Ainsley felt her heart beating in her stomach. He was going to be okay. Right? 

“Mr.Bright suffered a laceration to his left abdomen, surgery was touch and go, but I have confidence in a full recovery.”

Ainsley could hear Jessica’s sigh of relief from behind her, she turned earnestly to the doctor. “Can we see him?” 

“I’m afraid that he’s still unconscious. I’ll allow one visitor at a time,” he said before turning to talk to another doctor. 

Ainsley turned to her mother, “I’ll go.” 

“I don’t think so, honey. I think Malcolm would like to see his mother when he wakes, not the orchestrator of his near-death.”

Ainsley couldn’t help but recoil at her mother’s harsh words. 

“Well, what makes you think he’d like to see you? What good of a mother have you been to him recently?” Ainley exploded, only realizing in the past few hours she had accused both of her parents of being bad at parenting. 

Jessica looked as though she had been slapped but before she could get a word in, Ainsley spotted Lt. Gil Arroyo bursting through the doors. 

“Then neither of us goes in first.” she rushed to meet Gil and direct him to Malcolm’s room. Sparing a glare to her mother as she went. 

The two Whitley women took a seat opposite of each other in the waiting room, each refusing to admit their outburst was because they were just terrified for Malcolm. 

***

Malcolm awoke to the ever-familiar hum of the heart monitor. His limbs felt like they were filled with sand and his every movement as if in a dense soup. 

“Hey kid,” Gil said down to him, trying to resist any sort of feeling that seeing the kid so pale against the white sheets invoked in him. “That was pretty stupid.”

“How’s Ains?” Malcolm said through his scratchy throat. 

“She’s good. Scared out of her mind for you though. Stuck with your mom outside.”

Malcolm’s body shook as he laughed, “Stuck with our mother? So worse off than me then.”

Gil’s face twisted into a smile, not just at Malcolm’s joke, but the fact that he was joking at all. 

Malcolm’s gaze fell onto Gil settling into the chair next to his bedside. He shuttered to think about what Gil would have done if he had been stabbed anywhere more vital, but he would have done it again in a heartbeat to protect Ainsley.

Malcolm had chosen who his family is, and no matter what... he would stick by them. 

~tags~

@shadow-warren-whump, @marvelmisha, @he-s-brighter-than-my-future, @give-me-malcolm-and-whump, @joey8song, @captainlavellan, @suchprettylittlelies, @syutasan, @gigi-raven, @trekkie-in-space, @fangirl31415, @malcolm-brightly, @vlightning95, @0idril0, @gpetreman, @dixie-pixie

[moonlit-imagines]

DCEU Masterlist

(Updated Immediately)

Justice League

Headcanons

Computer Intelligence - Justice League x reader

Reader works as the Justice League’s computer intelligence and designer.

Adrian Chase/Vigilante

Gif Imagines

BFF - Adrian Chase x reader

Reader gives Adrian a matching BFF necklace.

Mask - Adrian Chase x reader

Adrian sees reader wearing the Vigilante mask.

Tackled - Adrian Chase x reader

Adrian tackles reader in order to save their life.

Headcanons

Partners in Crime - Adrian Chase x reader

Adrian and reader are vigilante partners in crime.

Drabbles + Oneshots

First Time For Everything - Adrian Chase x reader

Reader has to take matters into their own hands when Adrian, their boyfriend, can no longer hold his own.

Arthur Curry/Aquaman

Gif Imagines

Axe - Arthur Curry x reader

Arthur is slightly intimidated by reader and their giant axe.

Swimming - Arthur Curry x reader

Arthur takes reader, his s/o, swimming.

Barry Allen/Flash

Gif Imagines

Flashpoint - Barry Allen x Wayne!reader

In Barry’s accidental alternate timeline adventure, he meets reader, a recognizable version of his timeline’s reader. Child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al-Ghūl.

Billy Batson/Shazam

Gif Imagines

Trick or Treat - Billy Batson/Freddy Freeman x reader

Reader, Billy, and Freddy go trick-or-treating.

Headcanons

Older Sibling - Billy Batson x sibling!reader

Reader is Billy’s older sibling.

Drabbles + Oneshots

Superman - Billy Batson x reader

Billy lands in the yard of his best friend, reader, after sustaining serious injuries in battle. (Superman - Five for Fighting)

Zap - Billy Batson x foster sibling!reader

Billy and Freddy return to the foster home late at night, raising suspicion from reader, their foster sibling, because Billy is still in Shazam mode.

Text Messages

Our Plans - Billy Batson x reader

Billy texts reader to ask them on a date.

Bruce Wayne/Batman

Gif Imagines

Clark’s Twin - Bruce Wayne x Kent!reader

Bruce falls in love with reader, Clark Kent’s twin.

Cowl - Bruce Wayne x reader

Reader puts on the Batman cowl against Bruce’s wishes.

Old Recruit - Bruce Wayne x child!reader

Bruce tries to convince reader, his child, to become his sidekick again.

Wayne Gala - Bruce Wayne x child!reader

Reader, Bruce’s child, helps host the Wayne Gala.

Cassandra Cain/Black Bat

Text Messages

Reconnecting - Cassandra Cain x reader

Cassandra and reader make contact again after being separated in the foster system years ago, possibly having feelings for one another.

Christopher Smith/Peacemaker

Gif Imagines

Taser - Christopher Smith x reader

Reader tases Chris after he makes an inappropriate comment.

Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher II

Gif Imagines

Protect Seb - Cleo Cazo x reader

Cleo asks reader, her teammate, to protect Sebastian the rat.

Son - Cleo Cazo x reader

Cleo and reader introduce their young son to Robert.

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Gif Imagines

Coming Out - Diana Prince x bisexual!child!reader

Reader comes out as bisexual to their mother, Diana.

Injury - Diana Prince x sibling!reader

Reader, Diana’s sibling, tries to hide their injuries from their sister.

Spar - Diana Prince x reader

Diana and reader have a sparring match.

Headcanons

Child - Diana Prince x child!reader

Reader is Diana’s child being raised in the 80’s.

Drabbles + Oneshots

Single Parent AU - Diana Prince x reader

Reader’s daughter gets lost in a crowd, but Diana comes to the rescue and meets a lovely single parent.

Dinah Lance/Black Canary

Headcanons

Dating - Dinah Lance x fem!reader

Reader and Dinah are dating.

Drabbles + Oneshots

Been a While - Dinah Lance x reader

Reader calls in their ex-girlfriend, Dinah, for help with a serious threat, trying to hide the fact they just got their ass kicked.

Twist and Shout - Dinah Lance x reader

Dinah and reader, her s/o, share a peaceful night in their apartment, watching TV and listening to music together, even dancing. (Twist and Shout - The Beatles)

Emilia Harcourt

Gif Imagines

Barstool - Emilia Harcourt x reader

Reader pushes Peacemaker off his barstool so they can sit next to Harcourt.

Freddy Freeman

Gif Imagines

Trick or Treat - Freddy Freeman/Billy Batson x reader

Reader, Billy, and Freddy go trick-or-treating.

Drabbles + Oneshots

Spare Hugs - Freddy Freeman x foster sibling!reader

Reader struggles in their foster home, doing reckless things and lying while their foster brother, Freddy, worries and looks out for them.

Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn

Gif Imagines

Back at Them - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley shoots someone for reader.

Bad Hair Day - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley offers to fix reader’s hair when it gets damaged during a fight.

Bar Buddies - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley asks reader to be her valentine after her breakup.

Birthday - Harley Quinn x reader

Harkey crashes reader’s birthday party only to find out it’s family only.

BOP - Harley Quinn x reader

The Birds of Prey attempt to recruit reader.

Bruce the Hyena - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley gets jealous of reader when Bruce the hyena takes a liking to them.

Comfort Squad - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley comforts her new Task Force X teammate when they seem nervous on a mission.

Drunk Love - Harley Quinn x reader

Reader tells Harley they love her for the first time while drunk.

Menor-Antlers - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley introduces reader to her holiday traditions.

Suicide Squad - Harley Quinn x Kyle!reader

Reader, Selina Kyle’s daughter, joins the Suicide Squad and surprises her Aunt Harley.

Take a Chance On Me - Harley Quinn x reader

After Harley announces her breakup through the art of destruction, reader tries to win her over.

Tattoo - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley gives reader a tattoo.

Welcome to the Squad - Harley Quinn x sibling!reader

Harley discovers her sibling is apart of the Suicide Squad.

Drabbles + Oneshots

Ain’t It Fun - Harley Quinn x batkid!reader

Reader, a batkid, somewhat snaps and breaks some major laws in the presence of Harley, prompting the clown to recruit them. (Ain’t It Fun - Paramore)

Art Deco - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley’s been admiring reader, a dancer at the Black Mask club, for some time now and finally gets a chance to take them out. (Art Deco - Lana Del Rey)

Ask Me Nicely - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley takes a liking to reader, the teller at the bank she’s robbing, and assures them that all is well between the two.

Clowning Around - Harley Quinn x reader

For Halloween, Harley’s s/o, reader, decides to surprise her by dressing up as, well, Harley.

Echooo - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley meets reader on a night of exploration after wandering into an abandoned building.

Grand Illusion - Harley Quinn x reader

Harley visits the circus and admires the star of the opening act, reader, the magician who can’t keep the clown off their mind. (Grand Illusion - Styx)

Rewrite the Stars - Harley Quinn x reader

Reader, a former Joker henchperson, and Harley break free of his grip and go off on their own, growing closer as Harley confides in them. (Rewrite the Stars - Zac Efron, Zendaya)

Helena Bertinelli/Huntress

Headcanons

Huntress’s protégé - Helena Bertinelli x trainee!reader

Reader is Helena’s protégé and dating Tim Drake.

Mary Bromfield/Mary Marvel

Gif Imagines

College Visit - Mary Bromfield x reader

Reader gets a visit from their girlfriend, Mary, while away at college.

Rick Flag

Gif Imagines

Comfort Mission - Rick Flag x reader

Reader, Rick’s s/o, comforts him after a stressful mission.

Death Notice - Rick Flag x reader

Amanda Waller calls reader, Rick’s s/o, to give them bad new about his recent mission.

Robert Dubois/Bloodsport

Gif Imagines

Dubois Jr. - Robert Dubois x child!reader

Reader, Dubois’ child, is sent to Belle Reve and considered for Task Force X, much to their father’s dismay.

Roman Sionis/Black Mask + Mr. Victor Zsasz

Gif Imagines

Cookies - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

Reader bakes cookies with their adoptive dads, Roman and Vic.

Crime Bosses - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

Reader discovers that their adoptive dads, Roman and Vic, are criminals.

Gunfight - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

Reader, Vic and Roman’s kid, halts a gunfight between them and the Joker.

Meeting Your S/O - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

Roman and Vic, reader’s adoptive dads, meet their s/o.

Drabbles + Oneshots

Dear Theodosia - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

Roman and Vic, reader’s adoptive dads, look forward to the future of their child, especially pertaining to the “family business.” (Dear Theodosia - Hamilton Soundtrack)

You’ll Be Back - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

After discovering the truth about their adoptive dads’ business, reader packs up and leaves their home, leaving one parent doubtful and the other terrified. (You’ll Be Back - Hamilton Soundtrack)

You’ve Got the Wrong Guy! - Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz x child!reader

Victor mistakenly kidnaps the wrong kid, which leads him and Roman to adopt reader.

Series

Next of Kin (P) (1) (2) - Birds of Prey x Sionis-Zsasz!reader

Reader is taken care of well by their adoptive dads, Roman and Vic, so revenge was most certainly on the table when the Birds of Prey kill their parents.

Steve Trevor

Gif Imagines

Love Back Home - Steve Trevor x reader

Steve tells Diana about reader, his s/o back at home, while fighting during the War.

[doerunners]

tiger breeze :)

How I feel about this character

Okay, anyone with eyes knows I fucking adore Tiger Breeze. She is so fun and sexy and perfect and I wish she was real so I could ask her out and marry her. My soft spot for tough girls who refuse to show weakness becomes more and more apparent with each and every passing day. I think she is arguably the most underrated of the tribe leaders- personality-wise at least. We’ve already had the discussion of how she is one of the prettiest cats in Threeclans. Tiger Breeze is so fun and dynamic and I love how the tribe’s customs and lore is used so well in favor of her character. Seeing her during the spring, watching her kick ass and take names? It makes me so happy. She is so powerful and perfect. Anyways.

Tiger Breeze has gone through So Much Fucked Up Shit and taken on so many burdens that nobody else was willing to put the effort in for. She was the only spring cat to step up and take in Hollow when all was lost, when she was being torn apart by her own tribe after losing the home she’d been born and raised in. For moons and moons and moons, she was starving, being berated, blamed, betrayed. And she still held on, still nursing Hollow as they all starved, as the leaders bickered and fought over how to proceed. She lost connection to the ancestors, she lost everything. And still she remained strong. 

Two to-bes leave, the biggest “fuck you” any cat could have given their home. And she didn’t forget. And when they returned, well fed, groomed, having found some better place than the tribe, insisting they’re the tribe’s saviors? After watching her tribemates starve, watching them flea-infested, unable to move, get hit by cars and starve to death? After she’s held on so long, stayed strong, continued to fight tooth and nail to keep the cats she’s responsible alive? They’re the heroes? She puts them in their place fast. She rewards Aspen and Spark, examples of what those traitors should have been. That’ll show em.

She leads her tribe after them. They don’t get to run away and feast endlessly, leaping into the arms of these ‘Clan cats.’ No. If they’re going to live life without a care, so is the tribe. She fights, she puts herself at risk, inserting herself amongst the leaders, not asking them, Telling Them that the territory they’ve settled on is theirs now. She claims a new home for her tribe.

So she settles in. She’s done her job. Hollow is grown up, the Tribe has a home now. She’s done her job. She can relax. And then suddenly her nieces are in her lap and they’re her problem now. Great. She’s expected to be the mom of her brother’s dead boyfriend, a role she neither wanted nor asked for. Cool.

I could go on but its 12:30 and I have class tomorrow. My point is? Tiger Breeze’s whole life is practically dedicated to cleaning up the messes of everyone else and she deserves a break.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Tiger/Kink. I really shocked you with this one, huh Maya? Anyways- hear me out. I think there’s so much potential here just because they’re both so similar to one another, and yet their morals are so different. Tiger Breeze, since birth, has been raised to be a good caretaker. She’s had this stereotype to fill with being a passive, docile, loving, empathetic kit lover, never given room to grow outside that. She was raised under the expectation that she’d be cared for, she wouldn’t need to raise a paw to feed herself or protect herself. She found salvation by rebelling and makes a point of showing herself off, reminding others around her that she is not a force to be reckoned with- she’s not a doormat and any cat who thinks otherwise will have hell to pay. However, when it comes to being a spring cat, she feels awkward, out of place, like she’s not where she’s supposed to be. She’s so focused on being tough and strong that she feels out of place in a position so vulnerable as raising children- especially in the cases of Firefly and Butterfly, where the role of “mother” has been so unceremoniously forced upon her, a role she has no desire to claim. Tiger Breeze’s tough demeanor comes from being separated from motherhood. Kinktail? From birth, she’s been raised to be a fierce and loyal warrior. Her mentor was tough and demanding, and Kinktail worked hard to prove herself a loyal FogClan warrior. She had to learn everything, taking on so many different roles as FogClan warriors are expected. Where Tribe cats take on one specific role for the good of the many, FogClan cats take on all roles for the sake of self-preservation. Kinktail has been raised under the expectation she would be facing the world relatively on her own. Kinktail embraced this, loyal FogClan warrior to a T- only raising kits because it was the expectation to give back to her clan and add to its population. But, no father in the picture, the threat of traitors, FogClan changing so drastically through her pregnancy and her time as a nursery queen? Motherhood wasn’t an obligation- it quickly morphed into her identity. Her loyalty only began to shift as something more important entered her life. Kinktail’s tough demeanor was forged from motherhood. Both of them are strong, closed off mollies well regarded for their fierce, tough attitudes, but for entirely different reasons. As a result, I think them merging, Kinktail teaching Tiger Breeze to embrace motherhood without compromising her strength and Tiger Breeze teaching Kinktail to be less unhealthily reliant on motherhood, teaching her to move on from the dark parts of motherhood that haunt Kinktail? I think there’s SO much room for growth and depth there.Tiger/Feather. Okay. If Sketch somehow manages to steal Tiger Breeze from my grubby little fingers, I think there’s potential for a fun opposites-attract type thing with these two. Feather is the embodiment of friendliness and kindness, Tiger Breeze is the embodiment of “lmao why the Fuck are you looking at me” and seeing those two personalities merge together would be hilarious

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Ok these are gonna be shorter bc I’m starting to lose steam here.

Tiger&Butterfly and Tiger&Firefly. Ugh. The complex relationship these three have? SO fun and interesting and cool to watch. I hope that someday, as Firefly and Butterfly get older, sentient enough to realize how fucked up the situation they, Tiger, and Fading all had? They gain a close relationship with her where Tiger has a soft spot for them, protects them and spoils them ever so slightly, and Firefly and Butterfly can count on their aunt Tiger Breeze to be there for advice, to yell at people who fuck with them, so on and so forth. I really wanna see how they turn out once they’re teens/adults, and Tiger gets a little more separation from responsibility over them.

Fading&Tiger. Everyone knows what a soft spot I have for sibling relationships, especially ones as complex as this. I hope that, someday, when Fading gets to overcome the trauma he went through and gets a little more aware of how fucked that situation was/is, they can someday have a heart to heart and find some sort of middle ground/some respect for one another, even if it’s from a distance. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Tiger Breeze isn’t as bad a caretaker as everyone says she is. There, I said it. Is she a perfect caretaker? Would she be on the cover of “World’s Best Moms” magazine? Absolutely not. But I also firmly believe that Tiger Breeze does what she believes is right by those in her care, and even if sometimes her view of what’s right for them is a little bit skewed, I think she does care about those she looks after and does what she thinks they’ll need to grow up strong. She’s just a bit of a believer in tough love. 

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon.

I wish Tiger Breeze would fall in love. I’ll be the first person to admit a romantic interest a. should not be necessary for a cat’s storyline, b. should not be used as a means of “fixing” or “changing a cat (especially “for the better”) but I think Tiger Breeze, in particular, would be a really fun cat to see slip up with her feelings. So much of Tiger Breeze’s character is formed around the fact that she’s independent, she’s a bad bitch, she always knows what’s best, she’s being held back by the other cats around her, so on and so forth. Constantly, to her, she’s being forced to fall to a lesser standard because other cats won’t stop latching onto her when all she wants is to be alone. And it’s for that reason I’d love to see her finally deal with her, herself, holding her back because she feels herself starting to get attached to another cat. I want to see her lose her train of thought because she saw her crush out of the corner of her eye, I want to see her up giving the gathering announcements and pause just for a split second because she saw the cat’s eyes staring up at her, their attention fully on her. I want to see her lash out and tase this cat as some half-hearted way to distance herself from them- all because she blames them for how her mind has slowly been being taken over by thoughts of them. Maybe I’m just a stupid fucking romantic but there’s nothing that I love more than seeing strong cats fall victim to their own feelings.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Dabi x Insecure!Fem!S/O

She always wished to become a Hero, but because of her Quirk, she was always put down by her classmates and friends, so she lost most of her faith in herself, but at the same time, her dreams never died. This came from when she was young, when All Might saved her from a horrible villain with a really scary Quirk and since then, she saw him as her role model.

 Don’t worry, little one! It’s alright now! Why? Because I’m here! All Might!” the #1 Hero said confidently, striking a pose. “M-Mister All Might...? Do you think I...I could be a Hero too? Everyone says m-my Quirk is stupid and boring b-but...! I-I really think I could help people with it!” the little girl stuttered, looking up at her role model in hope, tears flooding her eyes. “What is your Quirk, young one?” All Might asked, kneeling in front of her. “I-I can heal my friends’ wounds! One day Yuri tripped and scrapped her knee and I put my hands above her injury a-and it just vanished!” she exclaimed in glee. “That is a very useful skill, young one! When you grow older, you can enroll in U.A. Academy for the Hero course. After all, everyone needs a Healer in their team!” he beamed, ruffling her hair. “Th-Then, if you ever need help, I could save you?! I can be a Hero too?!” the little girl was grinning so much by now that her cheeks started hurting. “Yes, you can become a Hero! And I’m looking forward to working with you, young...! Uh...” he continued, realising he doesn’t actually know her name.  “Y/N! I’m Y/N and I promise to work very hard and become a Hero so I can save people who need it!” young Y/N yelled, jumping up and down, until her mother came to pick her up, thanking the Pro Hero from the bottom of her heart, but he only shook his head saying it’s no problem and that he’s happy he got to meet a little one with such brimming potential.

The problem was that for those classmates of hers all throughout middle-school and surprisingly even later, in Highschool, her Quirk was just incredibly lame and boring. Nothing flashy or noticeable that would make her stand out from the rest of the Heroes. So clearly, that meant she wouldn't become a significant Hero or anywhere close to that. What was worse, along with the Quirk bullying, the more popular were jealous of her amazing intellect, so like any middle-school, kids kept trash-talking, taunting and putting her down with every occasion they got, especially when it came to the obvious body-shaming for no apparent reason other than being mean. The girl, in all actuality, was average thin, normal curves, a pretty face, nice hair colour, nothing wrong or inaesthetic about her, but like any bullying, she started believing their words and put them at heart, that poor unfortunate soul. Now, here she was, last year of Highschool at U.A. and having earned a full internship at a highly renowned Hero Emergency-Hospital and she only had to go through the exams, and all was well. 

The problem, as far as it goes, was that her mother, her only relative, was killed in a shooting and now she was left alone with no support of any kind, which only led her to further succumb to her darkness. Her only way of saving herself was by going out at night, only a lonely hill, watching over the city lights and listening to music, occasionally crying her sorrows away, until she'd get back on her feet and start again the next day with full strength.

This night was the same for her, pulling her hoodie close to her and muttering the lyrics of "Come as you are" by Nirvana softly, looking up at the stars, absent-minded. Tonight, however, things changed and for the girl, it was the beginning of a completely new world. 

 "Yo!" she heard, as a stranger pulled away one of her earphones and looked at her with a mock-grin. "Wh-Who are you? Don't you know it's rude to disturb people? Or, even worse, take out their earphones?" she said, looking at him with her usual irked resting bitch face. "You're a fun one, aren't you?" He muttered, putting in the earphone. "Oh, lookie, the pretty girl has a nice tase in music." "I'm not pretty. But yes, I know I've got a nice music taste. I mean...Who doesn't like Nirvana?" she said as a matter of fact, looking down. "Hmmm...I think I heard a couple of shitheads dissing them some time ago." the stranger trailed, putting his hand on his chin, as if he was pensive, sitting down next to her. "Heh. People forgot how amazing the music from the 80′s and 90′s was...Eh, that's a pity. At least there're still some people out there who appreciate quality music". The bluenette sighed, fidgeting with her earphones, a little trick she learnt as a way to cope with her anxieties. "So, you come here often, pretty girl?" the weird-looking stranger asked, leaning his head on his fist.  "Stop calling me that, it doesn't suit me. And why do you ask? Planning in kidnapping me or something?" She mumbled, an amused breath escaping her lips as he startef chuckling. "Only if you want me to, Pretty Girl that I'll address as such until I find out her real name." The stranger smirked, looking at her with piqued interest. "You first. It's only common courtesy, if you ask me." Y/N huffed, looking away "Of course, of course, how could I forget the courtesies. Name's Dabi. Now it's your turn, princess." he chuckled, expecting an answer. 

Instead, the girl just laughed softly, got up, dusting herself and turned around, waving at him lazily, saying a simple "Laters, stalker!" . Dabi tried to call out for her, shocked to see her leave, but it only made his interest in her sky-rocket. He needed to see more of her, to hear and learn more about her. He was caught in her web and damn was he up for a challenge. Truth be told, the next day this brunet stranger with mermerising shiny blue eyes was the only thing that ran through her head, which somehow made it easy for her to ignore all the snarky comments or how uncomfortable she felt wearing a short skirt, even if her legs were covered more or less by the black stockings. 

She made her way out of the U.A. Academy, briefly hearing the rude comments and tuning them out, hurrying to get back home, when again, a voice calls out for her, calling her ‘Princess’, and with a surprised look, she glanced at the trees in the park she was passing by and spots the guy with major skin injuries waving at her lazily, jumping down from a tree branch, the characteristic smirk still plastered on his face.

"Oh, look at that, it's stalker boy again. What brings you here?" the bluenette asked mockingly, looking in the exact opposite direction, biting her lip, trying to make sure nobody was around to see her. "I had to find out the name of the pretty girl who likes nice music, right?" he smirked, leaning on the tree in a cool, macho way. "Yes, totally something a normal person would do, y'know?" the girl said amused, trying to stop herself from smiling at the one who calls himself Dabi.   But before he could say anything, a group of girls could be heard pretty close to their location. Recognising the voices, Y/N tensed up and tried to hide somewhere, but a pitch "HEY, QUIRKLESS!" , which only made the girl try to move faster, facepalming. "What are you doing here, Quirkless? Urgh, you're wearing a skirt and a short-sleeves shirt, nonetheless. What, you think showing your body like is gonna make people like you? Fat chance, much like you." They sneered at their highschool mate. "It's our uniform. I can't wear anything else at school." She mumbled, holding her hands together tightly, trying to control her emotions. "You're useless, remember that. You are never gonna be a Hero so just give up!" The bullies laughed at her in a mocking way, but the bluenette only gritted her teeth, not wanting to retort to violence. "My Quirk is not useless and I am going to become a Hero! All Might said I have potential and I'm going to go by that until the day I die!" the girl said with much conviction, stomping away from the troublesome squad. "Is that what your mother said too before she died?!" one of then yelled, which only made made her go away faster, tears threatening to escape her eyes, as the topic of her mother was a very sensitive one still. She could feel her heart being stomped on with each second she could still hear their annoying, taunting laughs, not even realising the stream of tears flowing down her porcelain tears as she got into an empty alley and seeing herself alone, she allowed herself to slide down a wall and hug her knees, crying as she got flashbacks of when her mother jumped in front of her to save her from the bullet and died in her arms, telling her to stay strong and happy. But how could she be happy when she was all alone in such a cruel world?

“Don’t tell me you actually listen to their yaps, Pretty Girl.” the same voice of the brunet man was suddenly heard in the alley, making the girl glare at him through the tears, clearly pissed off. “What the hell is your problem?! Can’t you just leave me alone?!” she yelled at him, feeling fire surging through her veins. “Calm down, babes. All I’m saying is that they suck and you don’t. Take it as you want.” he shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. “Oh, really? Because the way you said it was quite patronising and invalidating!” she sneered at him, which only made him chuckle. “Nahh, nothing like that, don’t worry. I mean, for you, I can be anything you want, but the last thing I can imagine you’d want is some guy making sex jokes to make you laugh. Oh, hold on-” he faked being surprised at what he just said and looked away, sheepishly, making the girl laugh softly. “Well, guess that guy was successful, somehow” she muttered, hiding her smiling face on her knees. “Oh, look, Pretty Girl can laugh! How cute~.” he teased her, poking her cheek, which she only slapped away, making him smirk amused. “Why do you keep calling me pet names, damn it? They aren’t even true, anyways.” she asked with a pout. “Because, babes, if I don’t call you pet names, what am I supposed to call you?” he asked, crouching to he level, raising an eyebrow at her, challenging her. “Well...You could start by calling me yours...?” she whispered shyly, barely looking up to face him, hiding the small blush on her face, not believing that SHE just said that. “No waaaaay you said that. No way the cute, innocent, little toots just shamelessly flirted with a stranger like that.” he grinned in satisfaction getting dangerously close to her face, making her yelp in surprise and glue herself to the wall, avoiding looking at him. “I said nothing! You must have hearing problems or something! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she refuted, biting her lip. “Well, I guess I won’t have who to listen to Nirvana with anymore...That’s a pity. Can’t be helped, I guess.” he shrugged, mocking disappointment and raising to his feet, turning around to leave.

But before he could even make another step, his jacket got grabbed and his motion stopped, as he chuckled darkly, knowing full well that he wasn’t the only one interested in the other.

“I...I have a playlist for that on my phone...If you want...” she mumbled, looking away as if it wasn’t that big of a deal, but Dabi new better, helping her on her feet and walking with her around, listening together to Nirvana and Guns’n’Roses, sharing earbuds and singing the lyrics together.

It was probably the most beautiful and memorable night for the both of them as the light of the moon was guarding over them, making sure nothing disturbs the two who just seemed so happy.

Many weeks passed and they kept meeting up in secret, the girl still teasing him, not wanting to tell him her name, claiming that it will ruin they air of mystery surrounding her, so he just continues to call her stupidly cheesy pet names that she fake-hates, but in all actuality, make her feel very good.

Since she was one of the very few students with a Healing Quirk, she had to go everywhere on the field when activities happened, and today was a special test for the Seniors of U.A. Academy where they had to fight the teachers and she was to be there to heal everyone in that whole mayhem, without anyone being “killed”, be it ‘Hero’ or ‘Villain’.

This was a fun game they played at U.A., but it didn’t last long for a mysterious Nomu attack took place where the ‘Heroes’ aka the Students’ side was placed and it was needless to say that none of them managed to beat the mighty beast, only making the girl run from person to person to heal them, until she completely exhausted herself. Despite the basic hand-to-hand combat that she had to learn in order to save herself if needed, there was nothing protecting her, since her Quirk was in no way offensive.

She noticed the Nomu approaching the place where most of the injured students lay, trying to catch their breath, including the mean bullies who kept teasing her endlessly, but this was a life or death situation and she put aside the differences and with her last efforts, created a big water bubble that rained on them, healing their wounds, as she yelled at them to run away and get the teachers since they were no match for the beast that even made All Might sweat.

The leader of the bullies, the girl who was once her friend, Yuri, tripped on her way, and despite having been mentally tortured by the girl for so many years, Y/N’s heart just couldn’t bear seeing her in pain, so she jumped in front of her to protect her from the monster, which took her by the neck and threw her on the other side of the field, as she heard Yuri’s frantic voice calling out her name in desperation and fear.

It was clear that now that she sees her old friend in real pain, about to die after protecting her spurred her memories and emotions enough to realise that she never hated her, but was jealous of her...However, she never wanted to see her in pain...Or worse, dead.

Y/N used all her strength to raise a bit, and crawl on her knees to see the situation at hand, but when she saw the Nomu looking at Yuri again, she started yelling at it, throwing rocks at it, trying to get its attention so the girl could make her escape.

He took the bait as she screamed to Yuri to take everyone and run away to get help, but her words were interrupted half-way as the monster picked her up by the neck of her costume and slammed her on the ground, creating a crater. It took every ounce of power she had not to faint or cry from the pain, when she heard a low, dark voice booming around...Voice that she recognised immediately.

“You stupid beast, did Shigaraki put you up to this? Well then, you’re welcomed to leave, this is my territory now...Oh? You’re not leaving yet? Very well then...I’ll just have to cremate you...Burn you to ashes and scatter them away.” he said threateningly at the monster in front of him as she crouched to pick Y/N up from the crater and place her in a safer place. “Don’t fight it...The teachers are on their way...” she muttered, coughing blood and trembling in pain. “Don’t talk, you’ll just get worse. Nobody can get away with touching my girl.” he said in a stern voice as he got up, preparing his blue flames. “I can help you...I can empower your flames, if your body can take it...” she tried to speak, grabbing his leg in a way to give him her life essence and power. “Give me your best shot, babes. I’m treating you tonight.” he smirked as he could already feel a strong energy going through him. “Mhhh that’s hot...And I didn’t mean your flames. Show them who’s the boss, love~!” as she focused on sending him steady power energies in a way that it wouldn’t overwhelm him, he only chuckled darkly as she flirted with him even now, in such a poor state.

He was revenge-driven.

The brilliant blue flames engulfed every inch of the monstruosity, which tried to escape and fight back, but it was to no avail, as it started crumbling on the ground, ashes falling and scattering away, the threat easily gone.

“How pathetic. It takes all the 3rd years to just get injured by that weirdo, but only one hot guy to burn it to crisps.” the girl chuckled from the ground, looking up at him, smiling, releasing his leg. “Didn’t know I could do that. Must be the power exchange or somethin’...Hey, are you feelin’ okay?” he shrugged, but as soon as she saw her face paling, he caught her in his arms, getting slightly worried. “Urgh, yeah, don’t worry...I just overused my Quirk that’s all...Nothing I can’t handle.” she smiled at him reassuringly. “Take it easy, babe. I said I’m treating you to dinner, better don’t faint on me.” he muttered, but she only put her arms around his neck, kissing him softly. “Y/N.” she whispered in his ear, making him look at her with a victorious smirk. “Y/N~?” he repeated in a seductive voice. “Unless you still want to call me yours or other pet names. It’s up to you...Babes.” she winked at him as he lifted her up bridal style. “And it only took about a month to-” Dabi tried to say, but was cut off by a girly voice, uncharacteristically meek. “Hey Quirkl-...I-I mean...Y/N...Uhm...Are you okay?” Yuri muttered, looking at the ground. “Uh...Yeah, I guess I am. That is, if Dabi likes the taste of blood. And you? You almost got attacked by that thing.” she said, looking bored at the girl. “Oh, I’m alright, thanks to you...Uh...So yeah...Thank you for saving me...I-...I guess you’re not so bad, after all...For a Quirkless, that is.” she stammered, trying to sound tough. “Well, this Quirkless just saved your life so I guess maybe you should stop using that stupid name when you address me. Now go to the teachers, you’re wasting time.” Y/N yawned, dismissing her quickly. “Do you...Want to get back to how we were? When we were friends and all-” but she was cut off by a strong negative reply. “You’ve been bullying me since middle-school and you think we can be friends again? No. I saved you because I swore an oath to aid people in need. I didn’t save YOU, Yuri. I saved a human’s life. That’s all.” she muttered with an air of superiority, looking at her from above, as she turned her full attention to the brunet man she called ‘hers’. “Ramen and soda? Sounds like the perfect date, hm~?” Dabi asked, leaving the place, just in case the Heroes arrived. “We don’t even need candles to make it romantic. You’re just THAT lit~.” she winked at him, making him chuckle at her lame but adorable flirt attempts. “Can’t imagine many pubs wanting to have a human torch randomly throwing fire here and there.” he stated, looking at her, leaning his head slightly to the side. “Who said anything about a pub? There’s a 24/7 shop next to my house. Can’t miss it~.” she grinned, making him stop mid-way. “Toots, I almost don’t recognise you. You amaze me~.” he chuckles at her, which only made her kiss him again. “Hope you like the taste of metal, cause my last Iron Maiden CD just broke yesterday.” she laughed at her horrible joke, poking his cheek. “Then I can only hope you have some very good movies, babe.”  he mumbled, kissing her forehead and enjoying the way home in a comfortable silence, her snuggled to his chest, finally feeling safe and at peace in his arms.

Who’d have thought that a Hero and a Villain could get along so well~?

[cchellacat]

The Checkout

Love All The Marvel Ships Challenge 

Day Seven ~ Shopping

Bucky/Darcy  Tissue warning.  I’m sorry.

Bucky hated crowds.  It’s why he’s grocery shopping at 3 in the morning in the 24 hour store five blocks from the Tower on a Tuesday night.

The place is quiet, only the cashier at the checkout slumped over the register, head phones over his ears as he bobs his head tiredly to whatever noise passes for music these days.

Although the range of produce to buy has multiplied exponentially since the 40’s he wishes things were simpler, trying to choose a breakfast cereal was a nightmare.  Rice, wheat, oats, chocolate, nuts, honey, sugar frosted?  Puffs, flakes, pillows….  Are they kidding him?  Who needs this much variety?  It’s just cereal.

The bell gives a muted jingle and he looks up and spies an oddly familiar head enter the shop, a riot of wavy curls swept up in a clip.  He’s seen her before.  She works down in the astrophysics labs at the Tower.   Daria or Dacey or something.  He ignores her, the girl’s not a threat, and goes back to searching the cereal.

“Hey there soldier, I know you have a bad ass rep as an assassin, but the cereal didn’t do anything, what’s the problem?”  It’s the girl, she’s peering up at him with tired eyes through rectangular frames.  She has a basket slung over her arm and is filling it to overflowing with a multitude of boxes of pop tarts.

He grunts, hoping she’ll leave him alone, he’s got no interest in talking.

“You know, answering me will be less painless than the cereal-killer jokes I’ll be making tomorrow if I don’t get context for that murder glare.”

He glances back down at her, she’s moved closer and there is the faintest hint of a smile in her eyes.  What the hell is wrong with her, didn’t she read the briefings all the staff in the Tower were made to sign?

“Tough crowd.”  She mutters with a roll of her eyes before reaching across him to grab a bag of muesli.

“Have you got a death wish sweetheart?”                                                            

This time it’s her that glares.

“Okay… One, don’t call me sweetheart and two, no, I’m just trying to be friendly.  Three, if you threaten me like that again I will tase you in the junk.”

He’s caught off guard at the abrupt indignation in her voice.  She’s all of five two and bristling at him with all the menace of a wet kitten.  He sighs internally, taking in the dressing down and reluctantly admitting he deserves it.  His mother would be rolling in her grave if she knew he talked to a lady like that.

“Sorry….  Still not used to being a person again yet.  I wasn’t threatenin’ you I just…  You know who I am right?”

“Well like duh, of course I know who you are.”

“You read the briefing packet on me.?”

“I may have skimmed it, sort of, the last page where I had to sign.”

“I’m dangerous.  You shouldn’t get too close or make any sudden moves around me.”

“What? Like you’re some sort of dinosaur?  And no disrespect, but the only thing in imminent danger seems to be Captain Crunch.”  She looks pointedly at where he’s clutching the cardboard of the box hard enough to have burst through the packaging.  Eyes rolling skyward asking for some patience he puts it back on the shelf and shuffles a few undamaged boxes to the front.

“Chill my dude and tell Darcy what’s the problem.  I’m good at this whole introduction to modern America, I managed to house train Thor for Jane, he hardly ever smashes his cups anymore.”

The image of Thor being smacked on the nose with a new paper and brought to heel by the tiny firecracker beside him makes him chuckle.

“See, you like me already!”  she chirps brightly.

“You’re mad.”  He tells her.

“All the best people are!  Now spill, what has the fearsome Winter Soldier all riled up?”

“Just want some cereal, nothing fancy.  There’s just too much and it’s all…“ He trails off, not sure how to explain his need for something familiar in all the chaos or brightly packaged breakfast goods.

Darcy bends down and grabs a plain white package and hold it’s out to him.

“I figure you’re the sweet and simple type, nothing has changed about the humble cornflake in a century.”

“Thanks, Doll.”  He takes it with relief, something he recognised at least and together they make their way to the checkout.

Being the gentleman he is he offers to carry the five bags she comes out of the store with and she happily agrees, hooking her hand in his elbow companionably as they make their way back.

It was an interesting beginning.

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

“You got the list?”  She’d called him just as he stepped out of the door.

“Got it.”

“Did you remember to take Sam off the list?”  He winces and presses the button for the elevator.

“Sam wasn’t on the list.”

“That’s just mean…”  the lack of sincerity in her tone is comforting.  She and Sam got on about as well as he and Sam, that is to say not at all.  She had Sam running in circles most days trying to work out why shit kept happening to him.  Darcy had Jarvis in her pocket and could count on him for technical support.

“Told you not to get him anything, he’s menace.”

“I ordered him a Make Your Own Cheese kit.”  Bucky draws a blank, make your own cheese?

“What the hell is he gonna do with that?”

“Keep up Tin-man, he’ll make cheese.  Publicly.  In the common kitchen and everyone gets to watch him fail or triumph.  I will be judging the shit out of it.”

He grins at the thought of Darcy winding Sam up with comments while he tries to cook.

“S’not a bad idea.”  The evelvator finally reaches the lobby and he steps out just as she cannon balls into him.  He grins down at her and pockets his phone before kissing her nose.

“Ready to go?”

“Am I ever, we are going to kick Christmas shopping’s ass and be home in time for dinner.”

“Okay, remember the plan?”

“Look as innocent and helpless as possible where appropriate and when not, let you do the not talking till they let us past.”

“You run into trouble, no starting a fight, you’re not allowed to taser people in New York, not even for being assholes.”

“Stupid laws…“  She mutters as he wraps an arm around her waist, guiding her out onto the street, it’s interesting to note that his presence has the desired effect she was looking for, there was a bubble of space around them at least three feet wide.

“I hate the crowds but the best deals are to be had out there and you my glorious Winter Shopper are going to be the best bodyguard/bag carrier I’ve ever had.  Now on a more serious matter, what does Bucky Barnes want for Christmas?”

“All I want for Christmas is you, Doll.”

“You keep saying that I’m going think you mean it.”

“What if I do?”

“Don’t be surprised at me showing up wearing nothing but a bow.”

He nearly runs into a lamp post and she pulls him out of the way just in time.

It’s the way she says it, both cheeky and with a touch of vulnerability that shakes his world.  They’d been friends for a while now, he’d certainly not missed how pretty she was and if this had been before he’d have had her in his bed months ago.  They stop in the middle of the busy street and she tips her head up to look him right in the eye, waiting for him to say something.  His hands cup her elbows and she holds her breath.

It’s like he’s at some fork in the road, two choices in front of him, the one he knows and the one less traveled.  He tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and leans down till his lips graze the tip of it.

“Don’t mind how you wrap yourself up doll, just make sure the bow’s red.”

The way her eyes widen and the blush creeps up her cheeks he’d caught her off guard.  Then it’s his turn as she grabs him by the collar and pulls him into a kiss.  It’s the kiss that changes his life, on a snowy sidewalk in Manhattan.

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

They’d been in the store for what felt like week and there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.  He’s sure in fact, that where they are, is Swedish Hell.  He groans as she tosses another throw and a set of cushions into the trolley he’s pushing.

“Hey, Bucky, what’s left on the list?”

He digs around under some dishes and a set of towels and pulls out the neon pink paper and hands it to her.

“Hmm… looks like we have almost everything, just one more and then we can go”

“Jesus Doll, don’t we have enough already?”

“We need a bed Bucky, we did not think this whole thing through with the new apartment.  Come on, it’ll be fun.  You can test em out till we find the right one!”

Growling under his breath he pinches her side, sending her jumping a mile, right into a security guard that gives her a look for about point five seconds before his glare falls to Bucky who sends his best murder grin.  It’s the guard that apologises to Darcy then and he retreats quickly as she cackles with glee.

It takes them another two hours to find a bed they both like and agree should hold up okay even with his strength and her need to occasionally jump on it.

It’s lying side by side in Ikea that it happens.  One small moment that they can never get back again, a first that came from nowhere.

She’s peering over a pillow at him as they lie on the bed they’ve chosen, he can’t remember now what it was she said that made him laugh, but he remembers her shit eating grin and the way he wiped it off her face with the sort of kiss they usually reserved for the bedroom, but that’s when he says it.

“love you Darcy-girl.”  Her smile lights up the world.

“l love you too babe.”

They’re like a couple of teenagers going through the checkout, whispering and holding hands and kissing.  The cashier gives them an indulgent look and slips a wedding registry booklet into the bag as she helps pack them up.

That night they make love on top of his old mattress on the floor of their new apartment, still high on the declaration of new love.  

“How much do you love me Doll?”

“I love you all the muches and with much muchness.”  She tells him seriously as he kisses her slowly, hands trailing over her skin, mapping all the places he intends to kiss while she sighs into his mouth in happy languor.  Lying there in the dark later, he thinks about the wedding registry and pulls her closer.

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

The list pinned to the fridge also has a plastic bag attached.  At first he doesn’t think anything of it, he’s always happy to go to the store with her so when she texts him to bring the list from the fridge he’s on auto pilot as he grabs it, catching the clear bag in his metal hand as it drops when he tugs the list free.

The double take he then does at the item within makes him feel like the world just tipped sideways for a second.  He stares at the plastic wand in the bag, vaguely recognising it for what it is.  If the two pink lines don’t confirm it, the list she’d asked him to pick up does.

Crib

Changing table

Cloth nappies

Bugaboo stroller

Car seat

Onesies

Sling

It takes him four minutes to get down to the lab where she’s waiting for him, near sick with worry at what his reaction might be.  They hadn’t talked about it, never even thought about it, they’d only been married for six months.

He bursts into the lab and has her in his arms not a second later planting the teariest kiss he’s ever given her on her.

“We’re having a baby.”

“Yeah, we are.”

“Your gonna be the best Ma a kid ever had sweetheart.”

“Shut up and don’t call me sweetheart…  I know you’re gonna be the best dad ever Bucky Barnes”

“We’re having a baby.”

“We’re having a baby.”

It’s the happiest day of his life.

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

“Mr Barnes…   Mr Barnes?”

“Sorry, what was that?”

“Ahh… well if you could choose from the cherry or the mahogany…”  The woman trailed off and tilted the catalogue towards him again.  He flicked a quick eye over the page and scrubbed a hand over his face.

Briefly the thought that Darcy would know what to choose drifted by in his brain.  What a fuckin joke.

“Bucky?”  Steve’s voice was overly cautious and placating.  He really wanted to just punch him in the face.

“M’not make of glass pal.”  The tone was weary and bitter.

“Cherry.”  He tells her shortly and then manages to get through the rest of the choices without Steve making another noise.

Out in the street he lights a cigarette and inhales a deep draw.

“I’ll walk back.”  He tells Steve as the town car draws up.  “Alone.”  He reinforces the order with a brief shove of his friend toward the car.

He walks there unconsciously, or maybe consciously, he really isn’t sure.   There’s nothing very different about the place.  The police tape and the glass had been cleared up and replaced.  The grocery store looks just as it always has.

It was stupid.  The whole thing was stupid.  She’d only popped out to get milk.  He hadn’t even been there. He’d been upstate when it happened.  Training the new recruits for Hill.

When he’d reached the scene her body had already been moved to the morgue.   Some punk kid, high, looking for some easy cash had robbed the store.   She’d been at the checkout with the milk, minding her own damn business but some hero type had tried to stop the kid and the gun went off.  

He’d seen her body, the bullet had went straight through her heart.  From all accounts she’d been dead before she even hit the floor.  By the time the paramedics got there it had been too late to try resuscitating her or even to save the baby.  A daughter, they’d told him when they brought him in to view the body.  Tiny and perfect and beautiful, just like her Ma.

He stands there, looking through the window and remembers her handing him a box of cereal.  It ended where it began, in a store on the corner of East 42nd and Lexington.  His fingers fold around the list in his pocket and he draws it out to look at it again like had had a few dozen times since he took it down off the fridge.

Crib

Changing table

Cloth nappies

Bugaboo stroller

Car seat

Onesies

Sling

He holds the burning end of the cigarette to the corner and watches as the paper turns to ash, then he turns and walks away.  Away from the Tower and away from the life he’d been stupid enough to think he had.  He’s going home.

NEXT

SKIP TO FIX IT

@captain-rogers-beard

[joiedecombat]

Allo! Maia D3, G2. Toshi F4 (or any of the other domestic questions, lmao)

D3: How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

There is no death, there is only the Force.

In a general sense, death holds no dread for Maia. Everything that lives will die eventually; when her time comes, she will (she hopes) become one with the Force as Master Orgus and many others before her have done. There’s nothing scary about that.

In theory.

In practice, well, context is everything.

The very few times she’s been faced with the immediate prospect of her own death - I am thinking most particularly of taking Arcann’s lightsaber through the gut halfway through KotFE, and the endgame of KotET - Maia clung to life with tooth and nail. Because while death itself doesn’t scare her, the thought of dying with work unfinished, with people relying on her to pull through, with evil that will be left to act unchecked if she falls... that’s something she can’t deal with.

She’s got a lot to lose these days. I think if she were faced with a situation where she’s going to die and there is no possible way to save herself - or if the only way to survive would involve doing something against her personal sense of morality - she would fall back on the Jedi Code to comfort herself and try to meet her end with dignity.

How well she’d succeed is a different question.

G2: Who makes up your OC’s family, at least the more important members to them?

FUNNY STORY...

When I made most of my SWTOR characters, I didn’t establish much of any backstory for any of them. Maia especially, as a Jedi, I figured was sent to the Temple at a young enough age that she wouldn’t remember much of anything about her family. It was only well after the fact that it occurred to me that she and my Trooper were close enough in appearance that they could be sisters... and then when I got around to making a Smuggler, the whole concept clicked in my head. One of those BACKSTORY UNLOCKED! moments.

These days I am pretty sure Maia was born on Coruscant and has blood relatives living there. I’m not sure if her parents are still alive, but she has two older sisters, one a soldier in Republic Special Forces (Greeneyes), one an independent starship captain (Raine). Both of them remember the baby sister who was strong enough in the Force that she was handed over to the Jedi as a little girl. 

Maia still doesn’t remember anything much about any of this, though. Her family is the found family she accumulated along the course of her travels: Kira and Doc and Teeseven, Theron, Lana and Koth and Senya. 

One of these days maybe she’ll find out that she has siblings. I kind of suspect that Theron will go digging into records and such sooner or later, if nothing else. But I don’t think her blood relations will ever supersede the bonds she’s forged with her companions.

Also now Satele is her mother-in-law and that’s A LITTLE TERRIFYING. So far to the best of my knowledge she’s been off the grid so Maia hasn’t had to figure out who gets to break the news, but that's a conversation she's definitely not looking forward to having.

F4: How clean are they overall with home upkeep?

Toshi’s pretty good about keeping his living space clean and in order, mostly because right now his living space is his ship and if you don’t pay attention to upkeep you’re asking for an unpleasant death out in the void somewhere.

Also personal cleanliness is important to him, and that extends to his immediate surroundings. He stays pretty tidy, though his system for “putting things away” doesn’t always map to anyone else’s sense of where things ought to be put away.

BONUS F10: Do they engage in any of the arts? How good do you intend them to be? Would they agree they are?

He passes the time composing terrible, horrible, no good, very bad poetry. Seriously, it’s awful. He doesn’t fool himself he’s actually any good, but he still enjoys it. 

Sometimes when he’s been up all night finishing a piece, he wakes Mako up in the wee hours of the morning to recite it to her. 

Somehow she hasn’t actually tased him for doing this. Yet.

Thank you for indulging me, friend ❤️