#Phoenix Lectures

[hannahbarberra162]

Mating Call, Part 2 (Marco x Reader, dubcon, Monster Marco)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The first part

Summary: The World Government has worked hard to obfuscate an interesting fact about Zoan Devil Fruits since the Void Century. In order for a Zoan Devil Fruit to be awakened, the Zoan user must find and claim their mate in accordance with their nature.

Zoan fruit users are driven to find their mates, seeking someone to fill the gnawing need within them, even if they don't recognize it themselves.

~

Thank you to @gouraminnow for reading the rough draft! There's another thank you at the end to avoid chapter spoilers :3

~

You startled awake as a sharp cry pierced through the early morning light, sitting straight up and scanning the area. Your nervous system was on full alert as you quickly looked for the emergency, the instinct ingrained in you after your years in medical school and residency. After a moment, you relaxed as you remembered you were in a cave with the Phoenix. Right, right. Kidnapped by stupid pirates and trapped with the world’s most temperamental fiery bird.

You yawned and stretched, awake for the day. Unfortunately you wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now but maybe you’d be able to catch a nap later. You were still resting against the body of the Phoenix, which was more singed on its wings than it had been the day before. You leaned your head back against the Phoenix like it was an armchair. It out a small chirp, almost like a coo.

“You woke me up, you didn’t tell me I have to move yet. You gonna die and be reborn, huh? You better not die on me for real - then your buddies will kill me and I have tickets to see Soul King live in a few months. So just remember to be reborn from the ashes, and all will be well. Hell, I’ll take you with me if you get me out of here,” you said to the Phoenix. Using its flank for support, you stood up to see what Thatch had left for you to eat. You were desperate for some coffee but you wouldn’t get your hopes up. Walking towards the stone slab, you were arrested in your path by the Phoenix’s beak pushing you towards the back of the cave.

“H-hey, wait! I want - I’m hungry!” you pleaded with the Phoenix. It didn’t answer but continued to corral you behind itself. As you got a closer sight of the sharp beak, your jovial tone dropped as you remembered you were dealing with an apex predator. It was getting annoying being moved around like a piece on a chess board but you weren’t going to protest as long as you could see snapped femurs by the far wall.

“P-please! I just need some water,” you begged the bird.  The Phoenix made a sound like a chuff as it pushed you further from your goal. It moved you to the back of the cave and stood up onto its long legs, the razor sharp talons at the end of its feet on full display. Now that it was standing, it took up the majority of the cave only leaving you a few feet for yourself.

Now that it stood up you could see more bones piled behind where it had been sitting, cementing your decision to let it do whatever it wanted without protest. 

Despite the clear danger it presented you, you couldn’t help but admire its long golden tail in the morning light, the golden circles gleaming like coins as it fanned out behind the Phoenix. You tried to shift yourself to a slightly more comfortable position but the Phoenix puffed up, as if offended. It raised its foot, its sharpened talons inches from your face. You were technically a Marine, but you weren’t courageous like the fighting units - you screamed and screwed your eyes shut, awaiting your death like so many before you. 

But it never came.

After a few moments of silence, you opened your eyes a sliver, you found the Phoenix’s foot wrapped around you, its talons close to your side as it curled its toes around you to keep you in place. Despite the proximity of its razor sharp claws to your skin, it hadn’t sliced or mained you in any way. Instead, it had taken one of the canteens in its beak and was dangling by the strap above your head, waiting for you to open your eyes. If you could guess the expression of the Phoenix, you would have said it was amused.

“Oh, um. Thank you?” you said, reaching for the canteen held high above your head. The Phoenix dipped its head down, handing you the water bottle. You grabbed it with shaking fingers before unscrewing the cap. You chugged from the metal container, suddenly realizing how parched you were. You drank until the canteen was empty, the Phoenix dipping its head once more to take the empty container from your hand. 

Now that your thirst was slaked you relaxed in the grasp of talon that was still wrapped around your body. The Phoenix churred and looked at you, as if asking a question. You gave it a look before trying to guess what it was asking.

“Nah, I don’t need food just yet. Not really a breakfast person. I’ll get some later,” you said as you rolled your head on your neck. The Phoenix squawked in reply, making you startle in its grasp. “Or, um, I’ll ask you for some food?” you surmised, scared to upset the giant flaming bird. It trilled softly and started to unclench you from its grasp. It could understand you, so maybe Marco was in there somewhere even if he wasn’t coming out just yet. You waited until the claw completely opened before you moved, scootching a little beyond the now relaxed talons. It was clear that the Phoenix was running the show; you were just a monkey in its circus.

The rest of the morning wasn’t particularly eventful, and even relaxing in parts. It wasn’t like there was anything to do in the cave so you spent an hour or so observing the Phoenix. You doubted that many had the opportunity to do so, particularly not vets. The Phoenix wasn’t like any other bird you’d ever seen - it seemed to be a composite of the best features of many kinds of birds. It had the sharp, hooked beak of a bird of prey, its call like a songbird, the beautiful plumage of a parrot, and the body of water fowl. It was an interesting combination and his features blended together seamlessly, its features in harmony. 

After a while of sitting in the cave, you started to get bored. You tried to go to the entrance, but were caught by the back of your shirt when you got too close to the platform that sat at the beginning of the cave. A stern look from the Phoenix cemented that it didn’t want you leaving. 

“Please? I just want to sit in the sun. I can’t escape - where would I go?” you pouted. You really weren’t going to try, there wouldn’t be a point. The pirates had taken their boat and you had no doubt that the Phoenix would find you and gobble you up if you disobeyed. 

The Phoenix trilled softly, which you took for acquiescence. You gave it a bright smile as thanks before slowly walked towards the patch of sun at the entrance to the cave, sitting in the center to warm yourself up. Its eyes remained trained on you as you continued doing nothing but this time feeling the breeze off the ocean. It seemed that the Phoenix didn't mind if you were sitting by the main entrance to the cave but it didn’t want you to leave. It was sometimes difficult to guess what the Phoenix was feeling or thinking but it was able to make this pretty clear.

Sitting in the sun was warmer but still uninteresting. You were trying to find ways to pass the time - so you began cleaning. Yes, it was a cave full of bones and soot and dirt - but you were used to the bones and you preferred a tidy environment, thank you very much. You spent some time organizing the supplies Thatch brought before deciding to sweep. You’d seen bones under the Phoenix too - you’d want to clean those out as well, if he let you.

After a while you realized you were humming to an old, familiar song - the first one that had turned you on to the Soul King, actually. There wasn’t anyone around besides the Phoenix, who was watching you with amusement. So despite your fear of public singing, you started singing “Binks’s Sake” as you picked up various human bones and threw them into a pile. Some were kind of interesting and you idly wondered who had been there before you and if someone new would be looking at your own bones soon.  

After a few more minutes of soft singing, you paused and silently examined a particularly long femur - only to hear the Phoenix trilling back to you. You spun in surprise to face the Phoenix, who continued to watch you clean. The Phoenix's call was harmonious, almost lulling, as it continued the song you’d been singing. It cooed the last few notes you’d sung, as if asking you to continue.

“Oh, um. OK. I just - I don’t normally sing for anyone,” you stammered, a blush rising on your cheeks. You hadn’t thought it was listening that closely to what you were singing. The Phoenix repeated the notes again - it obviously wanted to continue.

“Alright, I’ll, um, I’ll try,” you hedged, picking up the femur again. You started the song at the beginning, the Phoenix joining along with you in perfect harmony. It wasn’t that you were good at harmonizing, it was. A smile had the corners of your mouth quirking upward as it continued the lilting tune. The two of you sang together until the end of the song, the Phoenix rewarding you by chirping loudly after the conclusion of the last note. 

For the first time in your life, you didn’t feel self conscious singing in front of another being. You could think of a few reasons way. First of all, your audience was a giant bird. Secondly, it was probably going to kill and eat you in the next few days. Thirdly, Marco didn’t seem to be any closer to coming out or communicating with you, so really, what was the harm?

You spent quite a while happily singing with the Phoenix while you continued to work. It has an impressive ability to mimic, understand, and improvise. By early afternoon you’d run through your repertoire and taught it nearly all the Soul King songs you could remember. It had shuffled around as you cleaned and sang, allowing you to clean the edges of the cave and standing up to allow you to clean under it. Sweeping took a long while since you had to kind of whip the debris out with some leftover sacks instead of having a proper broom, but it didn't seem to mind. You cleaned as quickly as you could while under it, you didn't want to be squished to death accidentally. It had also made you take breaks for snacks, taking away your "broom" and handing you food and water like before. You ate the hard bread and cheese while continuing to hum "New World."

After you were done, you wiped your sweaty forehead on the back of your arm, taking stock of the now cleaner cave. It looked much better and now you could be eaten alive in peace. A squawk had your eyes snapping to the Phoenix, who was not enjoying the early afternoon. It had been docile while you were cleaning and singing but now if you were to guess it's feelings, it was agitated.

The Phoenix wing’s were nearly all singed now, the char working its way from the tips towards its mantle. It was an interesting phenomenon, the embers glowing a deep blue rather than the orange-red of normal fire. You frowned and approached it slowly, as if it was the spooked animal and not you. It was going to go through a rebirth cycle sooner rather than later, you thought, based on the rapid progression of its body turning to embers. The embers had spread exponentially, reaching its mantle under your watchful eye.

“Hm, I know this is a part of your life cycle, but I can’t imagine it feels that great,” you said sympathetically. Even though it was a gigantic mythical creature and also a billion Beri pirate, your heart couldn’t help but feel empathy for the poor bird. You stuck out your bottom lip as your fingers twitched to touch it. You weren’t sure if it would hurt you or not, so you kept away. The Phoenix tilted its head with curiosity and slowly spread its wing so you could get a closer look.

“Are you safe for me to touch?” you asked, your fingers raised again. It nodded and you extended your hand to touch the tip of a primary feather, where it had been singed the longest. Touching the glowing embers was a surreal experience - the sensation didn’t match the concrete features you could see with your eyes. The embers felt like touching a tingly cobweb, or a fog so thick you could reach out and grab it. But there was also a firm wing under your hand, the feathers not unlike those you’d seen before in a much smaller form. It was more ethereal than the solid form you’d rested against the night before.

“You really are a very interesting bird, I hope you know. Of course, your plumage is gorgeous, but the amalgamation of the best of the bird world isn’t something I’ve seen before, not to mention all the mythological features. I would love to study you for an extended period of time,” you remarked. The Phoenix looked proud and ruffled its feathers for you, pulling a giggle from your mouth.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t let it get to your head,” you said with a roll of your eyes. There wasn’t much to do after cleaning, so you sat back down near the mouth of the cave. After another half an hour or so watching the far off waves, you stood up and dusted your pants off. You were going to treat this like a vacation, you thought. A weird, deadly, mythical vacation that you did not sign up for, but a vacation nonetheless.

It was time to smoke and chill the fuck out.

Reaching into your pocket, you grabbed the baggy you’d gotten back from Fire Fist and pulled it out. Shaking it, you saw you had a decent amount, but if you’d known you’d be taken hostage you would have brought more. Regardless you didn’t have any papers to roll with and there wasn’t any paper in the items Thatch had left behind.

But there were apples.

You hastily started making an apple bong after grabbing a small knife off the table, your hands moving with practiced muscle memory. It didn’t take long for the bong to take shape, looking not too bad for not having made one in over a decade. Filling the top with weed, you looked around for something to light it with, already knowing what you’d have to use.

“Light me up,” you demanded of the Phoenix, holding out your apple. It snorted and averted its head. You huffed, annoyed that now it wasn’t interested in helping you.

“I know you can, I don’t think all those people were healed to death,” you snarked pointedly. The Phoenix chuffed but remained unconvinced, curling its neck to rest its head on its body. Fuck that, the stupid bird would help you get high one way or another, you weren’t gonna let it ignore you.

“Oh, you don’t think you can make a fire this small? Is that why you won’t? Too difficult?” you questioned, making your eyes as wide as they would go. The only way you’d ever gotten Rob Lucci to see you was by encouraging his competitive side, talking loudly about how Jabra’s health was absolutely perfect, how no one could be in better shape by measurable metrics. Maybe a similar idea would work for the Phoenix - or maybe it was just the weakness of the male ego.

The Phoenix’s head whipped to you and trilled as if in affront. It took in a deep breath and blinked slowly before extending its wing to you. At the very end of the tip of its wing was a tiny red ember, perfect for lighting up. 

“Thank fuck,” you sighed with relief, touching the bowl to the bud before taking a deep inhale from your homemade bong. You took a few more deep rips, smoking from an apple not as smooth of an experience as you 2,000 Beri bong, but you’d also had worse. Wanted posters did not make good rolling papers. The Phoenix cooed and closed its eyes slowly, which you guessed was its method of rolling its eyes.

“If you wanna lecture me that smoking is bad for my health, save your breath. You’re a doctor too and based on the pictures I’ve seen of Marco there’s no way he doesn’t smoke,” you said, blowing a cloud of smoke from your mouth. 

“You want some?” you asked the Phoenix, who was watching you again. It tilted its head as if in interest. “Not sure he gives any to you,” you mused, turning the apple in your hands. The Phoenix made a clicking sound, as if it was now impatient. 

“Jeez, ok. I’ll um, hmmm. I’m not sure how to - I’ll shotgun you,” you declared decisively, more confident now that you weren’t as stressed. “I’ll inhale some and exhale it to you,” you explained. The Phoenix lowered its head as if you were doing it a favor and waited. You took the biggest hit you could manage from the apple, held it in for a moment, and gently blew the smoke into the Phoenix’s face, trying to aim for where you saw its nostrils were. They weren’t easy to see, but you prided yourself on being a good vet. You’d get that bird high, no matter what. Maybe it would chill the bird out as well, or help it feel a little more comfortable while it burned. It was an interesting thought - maybe you'd do research on the effects of weed on Zoan devil fruit users - with a lot of hands on experimentation.

The Phoenix gave you a contemplative look but didn’t move back to its former position, so it must have liked it enough. You repeated the process a few more times before smoking your fill. You got up to put the apple back on the table and meandered back into the cave. Making a bold move, you ambled up to the Phoenix and sat down with you back against it, not unlike how you’d slept the night before. You didn’t say anything and neither did it, as you felt every one of your muscles finally relax after…only one day of tension. How the fuck were you going to last until Thatch and Ace came back?

The thought flitted by as you started watching the transition of the Phoenix from its normal plumage to its singed form. Watching the waves of fire on the Phoenix was hypnotic, it reminded you of watching wind running through fields of wheat. There was no doubt in your mind that it was burning faster than ever. If you had to guess, it would be completely charred by late afternoon or early evening. You laid your head back on the Phoenix and closed your eyes.

Life on the Grand Line was an adventure.

You ended up taking a short nap on the Phoenix. It didn’t wake you this time, you realized as you rubbed your eyes, coming to after what felt like hours. After you woke up, it shook itself out and sidled to the front of the cave. You watched with interest - if the Phoenix left, maybe you’d have a chance for escape or at least a few minutes to yourself. The Phoenix turned to you and put its massive beak in front of your face, snapping it once. You shivered as the sharp edges of its mouth loomed in front of you while the Phoenix gave you a withering look. The message was clear - it was going to leave, but you were supposed to stay put. 

“Alright, alright. I got it - I’ll be here,” you said, waving it off. You’d grown more comfortable with the bird, you didn’t think it was going to bite your head off over a little sass - it hadn’t been turned off by your sparkling personality yet. The Phoenix closed its eyes into a half lidded expression, almost seeming to smile. It lept off the edge of the cave, diving down below. You weren’t worried exactly, but you did peer over the lip of the cave just in case - only to see the Phoenix soaring upwards, its gaze trained on you.

You’d never seen anything so breathtaking.

It flew in circles while tracking you with its eyes, as if to make sure you were watching. It didn’t need to though, you couldn’t have taken your eyes off of it if you tried. Its blue flickering flames mesmerized you as it glided through the sky, its teal plumage a beacon of pure beauty. The blazing teal was accompanied by sooty black smoke that came off its charred wings and body, giving an ominous aura to the already threatening animal. By now the overwhelming majority of the bird was charred, perhaps exacerbated by its flight.

You watched it soar lazily through the sky, wishing not for the first time that you could soar among the clouds. You sighed dreamily as it did a loop in the sky before returning in front of the cave. What a life that would be, you thought, to be able to fly away from any of your problems - no limits as you soared through the air, your only limitations your physical ability…you wished you had your paints with you to capture its beauty.

Turning in a circle back towards you, the Phoenix flapped its massive wings rapidly as it gracefully landed, the soot from its flight making you cough as it blew in your direction. The Phoenix’s head immediately dipped to your own, inspecting you closely with its unnerving teal eyes.

“I’m good, I’m good. Just a lot of smoke in the air,” you said, covering your mouth while you coughed. The less time you spent in the wings of the Phoenix the better - you wanted to avoid whatever protective instincts were activating within it. 

Which didn’t prove to be possible since just a short while later, the Phoenix fed you dinner handing you rations from what Thatch had left. Unfortunately, unlike breakfast when it handed you the entire pouch of water, this time it would hand you only a piece of food or the skein of water with its beak and take it back when you were done drinking. The Phoenix would only pass you more food when you’d finished chewing the last bite, making the feeding process much longer. Even though it was annoying, you were thankful it wasn’t feeding you like a baby bird at the very least. 

You watched as the sun set over the waters, enjoying the lovely evening as the Phoenix kept offering you more food. It kind of reminded you of how animals would eat a lot before scarcity, or a time when they’d have to use a lot of energy. But maybe it just didn’t know how much a small human would eat, you thought with a shrug. Marco himself was seven feet tall or something like that and Zoan devil fruit users had to eat a ton to maintain their energy and forms.

After you’d finished eating and staved off the Phoenix from force feeding you anything else, it slowly limped farther back into the cave. It's drooping wings and shuffling gait showed its lethargy. By now there remained only one bright blue spot on its body, just over where its heart would be. The rest of the bird looked like a living ember, but instead of a pulsing red, teal was emanating from within the sooty, cracked flesh. It was disconcerting to see the embers glow and burn brighter as the bird breathed, sooty layers growing by the second over its body. The Phoenix settled itself into the farthest back corner of the cave, curling in on itself as its fire continued to burn out. 

Your mind shrieked that you were in danger but the vet in you had you slowly approaching the Phoenix with your hands up. Its piercing gaze watched you approach but didn’t stop you, closing its eyes as you reached out to put a hand on its charred body like you had earlier in the day. Logically you knew it would be fine, this was its natural cycle that it had completed many times as per Thatch. But you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting to help. You laid your forehead on its body as you ran your hands over it, trying to offer it some kind of comfort in a trying time. It trilled softly but after a few minutes it gently shooed you away with its now charred beak, giving you space for once. You frowned as you went to go sit by the entrance to the cave, feeling impotent as you watched an animal in pain.

You sat down as far away as you could while still inside the cave to mull over recent events. Sitting in the still warm evening sun, you tried to rifle through your memory about Zoan Devil Fruits to see if there was something you could do to help. You were forgetting something key, something big, you were sure of it. Something to do with transformations and awakenings…

A burst of flames and a high pitched shriek had you gasping and looking back at the Phoenix. Instead of the nearly dead embers you’d been patiently watching before, there was now a full house size pyre in the back of the cave. The pragmatist in you was worried for potential cave collapse or the more likely outcome that you'd be burned alive, but realistically the fire wasn’t even hot at close range. A huge explosion of blue fire had you shielding your eyes with your arm, unable to bear witness to the Phoenix as it changed forms.  

As you took cover it finally dawned on you, the realization striking you like lightning. A mate. That’s what allowed Zoan users to awaken their fruits - they needed to find their one true mate. That's why Zoan users had one of the lowest rates of awakening - the mate had to be compatible for both the Zoan and human sides. You’d skimmed over that section in the texts, disinterested in the process of their mate finding and only in the results of awakening. Your mouth hung open as the blue fire raged inside the cave, the flames now lapping only a few feet away.

The Phoenix wanted to mate you.

Scrambling to your feet, you made a mad dash for the exit of the cave in an attempt to flee before the Phoenix caught you. Maybe it would be vulnerable or weak during its transition time and you’d be able to make a hasty getaway. You weren’t going to be the mate to the Phoenix or Marco or anyone else in there. A bright blue wing suddenly sealed off your exit from the cave. You squeaked as you skid to a halt and fell down on your butt, scraping your hands against the rough floor of the cave. The Phoenix peered down at you as flames lept from its body to your own, your scrapes immediately healed. 

“Why do you run, little mate?” a curious voice wondered inside your head. It didn’t take a genius to know that it was coming from the Phoenix, even if hearing the deep sonorous voice without your ears was disconcerting. It was glorious in its new form, no longer black and charred, but a deep, vibrant blue from head to talon. It blazed continuously, pulsing with vitality as you cringed backwards from the stunning display. There was no doubt in your mind that it was stronger than before, but you didn't want to find out by how much. Even you with your lack of fighting training could feel the raw power ebbing off the beast.

“Y-you can talk?” you asked, trying to buy yourself time and space away from the creature. 

“I can do that and much more, mate,” it murmured seductively, watching you with half lidded eyes. It was folding its wing slowly back to its body, and you along with it.

“I’m not your mate, we’re not compatible like that,” you bluffed, raising your arms to protect your face.

“We are fated mates - we are compatible in all ways. Put down your arms. I would not harm you, especially not when I’ve waited so long to find you,” it scoffed as it folded you against its body. You tried pressing your hands against its chest to create some space but the creature was pure muscle and wasn’t giving you an inch to wriggle away.

“The v-vessel? Marco? He’s in there? Can he come out?” you asked, now cringing away as the Phoenix’s beak came close to your neck. Since being reborn it had changed to a smaller size - you guessed it was around 10 ft tall now - but that was still almost double your own height.

“Such a smart mate, you don’t need me to tell you, hm? Of course he’s here - he pretends he is unhappy about this outcome but he is as pleased as I. it bothers him that you were taken against your will, but it was not I who stole you, yes? The vessel enjoys the same pastimes and finds you both physically appealing as well as mentally stimulating. He cannot emerge now, not until I am sated, but he agrees that you are a perfect mate for us,” the Phoenix replied.

Fucking great. Marco, a Whitebeard Commander you’d never met, liked you back. Amazing, the perfect meetcute, you thought sarcastically. Your mind snapped back to attention as the Phoenix closed the gap between you, its head dipping down to look you in the eyes.

“I’m - I’m sorry, I don’t - I don’t want to be your m-mate,” you hesitated, the fear clogging your throat making it hard to get the words out.

“Then why did you participate in the courting, dear mate?” it purred, smugness radiating from it. “You cleaned and prepared our nest, slept on my body, were fed by my hands, sang your sweet warbles with me, shared your wares, even came to me in my time of need. One might mistake that for affection, no?”

“I - I…” you didn’t really have a reply. You had done those things, willingly even. You just didn’t think it would end by being mated to a mythological creature.

“You observed my transformation hasten with your arrival - I even waited to claim you until I took a smaller form so as not to hurt you. Do not worry, you will be unharmed, save for the claiming. But I cannot wait much longer - I grow rabid for you.” It husked, moving its head back once more. It took a step backwards, creating a small amount of space between you. The Phoenix was toying with you, you realized with a start, it already had the outcome set in its mind.

“Now we begin the ritual,” it said, gently pushing you onto the stone floor of the cave with a wing. You fell onto your hands and knees and quickly turned to face it. You tried to crawl backwards as it loomed over you. Your breath came quickly, as a cold sweat ran down your back.

“Wh-what ritual?” you asked, not bothering to keep the panic from your tone. It took a step closer, closing the gap between you. Your back hit the cave wall - there was no where else to go. Looming over you, it leaned down to press its forehead against your own like you'd done earlier, fiery blue blazing in your peripheral vision.

“The ritual so that I may Awaken.”

Thank you to @sordidmusings for the idea that if they hold off on the claiming until after the transformation, they're super rabid for the mate.

Taglist: @mfreedomstuff @rebeccawinters @ratchetprime211 @starsandshht @unknown-y-person @radiantnico @starrlo0ver

[ceaselessims]

my overthinking about the magnus protocol and sam jones new song has lead me to reading more 300 page journal studies on isaac newton than college chemistry ever did

[length-of-edward]

REALLY, Phoenix?? That’s coming from YOU of all people?

[brodorokihousuke]

Love how people still use VHS tapes and flip phones, and their lecture halls look like this... sure

[dullahandyke]

going back to last night's aa3 thoughts, it's baffling to me that that game isnt more controversial in the fandom. aa fandom's rampant refusal to play the games aside, i feel like aa3 is in the upper echelon along with aa1 and aa4 in popular perception and like! that's weird! yeah it's been around for the better part of 2 decades so it's just indisputably In the popular conscience in a way that aa5 and aa6 aren't (not that aa5+6 dont fuck up their rep well enough for themselves) but like. the abrupt shift to romance is weirddd godot is a weirdddd prosecutor hell the fucking LOCALISATION is weirdddd!! fuckin 'amateur bimbo' 'my hemorrhoids are doing the harlem shake' game! why dont people spotlight how weird this game is!!! i like this game but it is weird!!

[professorsparklepants]

*shakes the ace attorney series* which one of you bitches can I genderbend

[malibuzz]

Me Mountaga Tall, Le Phoenix : l’itinéraire d’un homme en avance sur son temps !

  À travers une plume engagée et une mémoire politique restaurée, le livre « Me Mountaga Tall : Le Phoenix » dévoile le parcours d’un homme qui, tel un guide visionnaire, a traversé les flammes de l’histoire malienne. La cérémonie de lancement officiel aura lieu le samedi 19 avril 2025 au Centre International de Conférences de Bamako (CICB) à partir de 9h30. Un hommage littéraire à une figure…

[onemillennialquilter]

QuiltCon is her here!!

[teamdays]

I don’t think there’s any point in fighting my impulse tiering for main story wxs events at this point so it’s probably better to just start planning my big tiers/pulls while keeping every other event until then in mind. Ideally I’d love 500 or higher (300 or higher really) for all main events but that’s not really cost effective so I think keeping top 1k minimum is more reasonable (and top 5k for mixed events with them as the focus but I can usually get there with just natural energy anyway)

[xhazzz]

Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader

Bouquets & Barbecues

warnings: none, more of Jake being a sweetheart

summary: just Maverick being a little over protecting with his daughter and Jake being cute as always

a/n: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LENGUAGE so feel free to correct me if there’s anything wrong :)

masterlist || requests are open

For the end of summer and to take a break from work worries, Dad had organized a barbecue in our backyard, inviting everyone: the Dagger Squad, Penny and Amelia, and even Hondo and Cyclone. Everyone was supposed to bring snacks and drinks, while Dad took charge of the meat. But he seemed to have gotten a little carried away, buying enough to feed every football team on the coast.

“Dad, are you feeding the Daggers or the entire Arctic Circle?” I asked as I arrived in the backyard with the cooler.

“Have you seen how those guys eat?” Dad replied, firing up the grill. “Just Rooster and Hangman alone will eat half of this. Speaking of Hangman…”

“Dad,” I sighed, placing my hands on my hips, “I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m too old for this.”

“No matter how old you are, you’ll always be my little girl,” Dad said, walking over and kissing my forehead. “Seresin better never hurt you, or I’ll have six confirmed kills in the air.”

“I think he got the message after all the extra drills you’ve made him do on base.”

“After seeing him make out with my daughter on my front porch, can you blame me?” he added, shaking his head. “I still need to have a serious talk with him.”

“Stop, Dad,” I replied, covering my face with my hand in embarrassment.

He just laughed as I walked back into the house. Moments later, I heard the doorbell. The gang was starting to arrive.

“I’m here!” Rooster shouted, barging in like he owned the place, with Phoenix and Payback right behind him.

“Come on in, guys. Dad’s out back,” I said, giving Nat a quick hug and putting the drinks in the fridge. “He bought enough meat to last us all fall.”

“Your old man promised to host the best barbecue of the summer,” Payback said, accepting a beer Rooster handed him.

We all headed to the backyard, and it quickly started filling up. Everyone had arrived—except Jake. I was starting to feel nervous, knowing it was only a matter of time before Rooster and Dad started teasing me.

“Punctuality doesn’t seem to be his strong suit,” Dad commented, handing me a plate of sausages.

“Come on, Dad, it’s just a regular Saturday, not a base training session,” I replied, pretending not to care. Hangman better show up soon.

“You’re wrong, sweetheart. It’s not just any Saturday,” Dad said, pulling up a chair and sitting beside me. “It’s the first time I’ve invited everyone to eat at my house. And if I’m not mistaken, Hangman is dating his trainer’s daughter.”

“I told you he’s just another idiot,” Rooster chimed in, sitting on my other side and trapping me between the two pilots.

“You too?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

“I’m just making sure no one breaks Baby Mav’s heart,” he replied in a baby voice, pinching my cheeks.

“Get off me,” I laughed, playfully pushing him away. Just then, the doorbell rang. Saved by the bell.

I rushed to the door and found Jake on the other side, flashing his charming smile. He was wearing khaki shorts, a casual navy blue shirt, his signature aviator sunglasses, and his hair was slightly messier than usual—no gel today.

“Hey, you, Seresin,” I greeted him with a quick kiss. “You had me worried. I thought you weren’t coming, and I’d have to endure Dad and Rooster lecturing me all afternoon.”

“I’d never stand you up, darling,” he said, placing one hand on my waist and pulling me closer. I noticed his other hand was behind his back, and next to him was a small cooler, likely filled with beer. “I was just running late picking these up for you.”

From behind his back, he revealed a beautiful bouquet of gardenias and lilies in various shades.

“They’re gorgeous,” I said, taking them in my hands. “Thank you, honey. You didn’t have to.”

This time, he placed both hands on my hips, rubbing them affectionately, and pulled me into a tender yet passionate kiss. We were interrupted by a fake cough behind me.

“Watch those hands, Seresin,” Dad said, standing there with Rooster, both wearing their overprotective hawk stares.

“You’re late, Bagman,” Rooster added, stepping forward to grab the cooler from the ground.

“Damn, Chicken, you’re annoying even off duty,” Jake sighed, shaking his head and guiding me inside the house, his hand never leaving my waist while he used the other to close the door. As we walked through the kitchen, I quickly placed the flowers in a vase with fresh water.

“Thanks for the invite, Mav,” Jake said, smiling politely.

“All pilots are welcome here,” Dad replied with a nod toward the backyard, “but how you treat my daughter will determine how welcome you really are. Don’t forget who’s in charge.”

“You have my word, Mav. I only have the best intentions…” Jake started, but I quickly cut him off.

“Enough, both of you. This is so embarrassing,” I muttered, shaking my head at them. “Let’s just eat before the food gets cold.”

“Lead the way, my lady,” Jake said with a tight-lipped smile, walking behind me while Dad chuckled, crossing his arms.

[dirtyvulture]

Pandora's Box - Part 2

Tomb Raider!Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Enchantress!Reader

18+ only, read at your own risk

Summary: Natasha has spent years hunting the elusive Pandora’s Box, which many say doesn’t even exist. What happens when she not only finds it, but accidentally unleashes the sinister force hiding within?

Word count: 2338

Image from @sapphosclosefriend

AN: I was feeling sad today so I finished the chapter, please enjoy! 😭

Click here to read Part 1.

Natasha drags her dirty boots across the clean linoleum floor–she knows Steve will lecture her on cleanliness, but she’s too tired to care. It had been almost 24 hours since her visit to Latvia, and after she emerged from the cave, she boarded the first flight back to New York. She hadn’t even informed her team she was returning home, and they both leaped up in surprise when she knocks the door open.

“Nat! What are you doing here?” Steve asks, coming over to help with her duffel bag. 

She holds it to her chest, away from him. Without saying anything, she reaches in and pulls out a jacket folded into a square. She unfurls it, revealing a scarf that she carefully unwinds from the box.

“What is that?” Clint asks.

“Pandora’s Box,” Natasha announces, a note of pride in her voice despite her exhaustion of crossing multiple time zones and not sleeping for a second on the plane. “I found it in Latvia, just like I said I would.”

“You opened it,” Clint says, crouching down behind his desk and eyeing the box in Natasha’s hands.

“Well, I dropped it, actually.”

“That’s even worse.”

“It’s empty,” Natasha says, opening the box for emphasis and even Steve flinches away. “Oh, get a grip, you two. See? There’s nothing in it now, and there was nothing in it when I found it.”

Steve is the braver one and comes forward for a closer inspection. 

“But,” Natasha goes on, “something odd did happen when I dropped the box.”

“How did you drop the box?” Steve asks, holding the box in his hands and looking at the carvings on the outside.

“I accidentally set off a booby trap I had avoided on my way to it. Some arrows came out of the wall and one of them grazed my leg, so I lost my balance,” she explains. “When the box hit the ground, there was this flash of light–”

“It was probably your headlamp,” Steve says.

“And a voice–”

“All in your head,” Steve cuts off, and Natasha glares at him to be quiet.

“It was another woman’s voice, with an accent I’ve never heard before. She said ‘Enchantress.’”

Clint’s eyes, barely visible over the edge of his desk, grow wide.

“And I felt her touch my cheek. And that was it,” Natasha says.

“Maybe the Enchantress was in the box? And now you’ve set her free?” Steve guesses.

“Potentially.” Natasha shrugs, acknowledging the ridiculousness of the situation. She isn’t even sure what to do with the box now. Maybe she would send it to some colleagues at the university for testing. But as ordinary and plain as the box was, she couldn’t help but feel it truly had been a vessel for something more.

“Keep an eye on the news, Steve. If anything anywhere in the world starts happening without explanation, we can blame it on the Enchantress.”

“Yes, ma’am.” For once, Steve doesn’t argue.

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

A week later, Natasha sits and stares at the corkboard on the wall between her and Steve’s desk. Following her instruction, Steve had printed out news headliners and clipped front pages of newspapers and tacked them to the board. On Sunday, there was one article. Now, seven days later, Natasha couldn’t even see the brown cork anymore behind all the pages.

Phoenix, Arizona: Two dead in apparent landmine explosion 

Major earthquake recorded in Qatar, dozens injured

Series of mysterious fires plague Russian military bases

Japanese police engage in multiple deadly shootouts with armed citizens

“Are we just slapping everyday world events on the board now?” Clint teases. 

“Steve’s the one that picked them out,” Natasha says, and she is wholly satisfied with her teammate’s work. Despite his disbelief in many of her cases, he always understood his assignments perfectly and never failed to deliver a good work product. 

“What’s so special about the shootings in Japan?” Clint asks.

“Guns are illegal for any citizen to own there.”

“So? If people want to get their hands on one so badly, they’ll find a way.”

“That’s true,” Natasha says, “But what about the landmine in Arizona? I mean, sure there’s a lot of desert, but it’s also one of the most populated cities in America. There’s no reason for landmines to be hidden there, and if someone planted it recently, out of all the weapons we now have access to, why choose that one?”

“Okay, that one’s a little hard to explain,” Clint admits. “But you know how crazy people can be–”

“Qatar is so far away from any major fault line, scientists have said it’s almost physically impossible for any earthquake to happen there,” Natasha says. Clint looks stumped now. “Steve even went as far as to compile a list of the victims.” She presents him with a piece of paper from her desk. “They’re all of either Sokovian or Russian origin.”

Clint takes a moment to read the paper. “So, we think these attacks and natural disasters aren’t so random?” Natasha shakes her head. “Why do you think these groups are being targeted?”

It had stumped Natasha at first, until she looked back into one of the stories surrounding the Enchantress’s origins. “The Enchantress is from Slorenia. When the War of 1624 happened, many Slorenians fled to the nearby countries for asylum. Supposedly, her and her family went to Sokovia, but they were not welcomed there, and life was even harder for them as immigrants. And then Russia invaded Sokovia and…” Natasha trails off, sadness filling her. “Her family is said to have died in the war; it’s not known with certainty if she did too, but either way, it’s the perfect beginnings of a revenge arc.”

“So you think the Enchantress is getting revenge for her and/or her family’s deaths in the modern day?” Clint says.

“Yep.”

“If that’s the case, why not just target Russia? Or Sokovia? The events here are just scattered all over the place.” He waves a hand across the corkboard.

“She’s going after the descendants,” Natasha whispers with startling clarity. “Those who are directly related to the Russian soldiers, or the Sokovian people that ostracized her family.”

Clint is quiet.

“Now, I’m not sure how the family trees trace back, that’s centuries of life, but do we know anyone in our immediate vicinity from those countries?” Natasha asks.

“The Maximoffs,” Clint says. A twin brother and sister, who immigrated from Sokovia in their youth, now serving as a track and field coach and history professor respectively. 

“We need to find them. And warn them.” Natasha grabs her leather jacket from her chair. 

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

Clint arranges for them to meet the Maximoffs at a coffee shop not too far from the campus. He did not divulge the reason for their meeting, only that it was urgent business and they needed to come immediately. 

Natasha arrives at the coffee shop first, while Clint hangs back at the office to finish up some paperwork and fill Steve in. She orders a black coffee for herself, then sits on a stool by the large window overlooking the quiet street.

“Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?”

Natasha startles out of her thoughts and looks over her shoulder. Standing next to her, holding a coffee cup, is the most beautiful woman she’s ever seen in her life. You’re dressed in a white button-up and white slacks, a crescent moon pendant resting in the hollow of your throat. The steam from your cup swirls around your face and Natasha suddenly feels so small and inadequate in your presence.

“Is anyone sitting here?” you repeat when Natasha is too frozen to speak.

“Oh, uh, no! I’m…I’m waiting for some friends, but…um, they’re not here yet,” she stammers. “Please, h-have a seat.” She cringes at how pleading she sounds.

“Thanks. I won’t be long.” You take a seat, crossing one leg over the other. Natasha doesn’t even notice that the coffee shop is almost entirely deserted and that you’ve still chosen to sit next to her. Your fingers cover up the name written on your cup, but Natasha can see it ends with the letter “S.”

“Do you come here often?” Natasha asks, wanting to hold your attention for as long as she can.

“No, this is my first time. I’m new to the area.” You sip your drink and Natasha watches the moon resting on your throat rise and fall with your swallow. 

“Will you be working at the university?” Natasha asks, trying to shake herself out of her hypnosis. “Because that’s where I am.”

You shake your head. “Just…passing through.”

“Well, if you ever want someone to show you around, I’d be more than happy to,” Natasha says. You laugh and lean forward, your hand brushing over Natasha’s thigh. The touch is electric and for a moment Natasha wishes she had worn shorts instead of jeans.

“You’re a pretty little thing, and very sweet to offer that,” you say, withdrawing your hand. “What do you do at the university?”

“Archaeology.” Natasha puffs her chest out, as if it’s the sexiest study one could partake in. “I get to travel the world and look for artifacts many people don’t think even exist. And sometimes I find them, and sometimes they’re not always what people think they are.”

“Have you found anything exciting recently?” You gaze into her eyes and Natasha fears she’s going to fall off her stool. 

“Um, well, I uh, actually just got back from Latvia and I–”

“I’m so sorry,” you interrupt, looking down at your phone buzzing in your hand. “I have to go, but it was nice talking to you.” You get up and touch her shoulders as you walk by, and Natasha is so dumbstruck she doesn’t even think to ask for your number. She mournfully watches you leave your coffee cup on the trash can before you open the door for Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. 

“Over here!” Natasha calls. She collects her black coffee from the counter and joins the two at a table. “Thanks for responding to Clint’s message so fast. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other,” she says. 

“Is everything okay?” Wanda asks. “It looked like you were limping.”

“I cut my leg on my last outing, but it’s fine,” Natasha dismisses. “Look, I need to be quick, because I think you both might be in danger.” Wanda and Pietro look alarmed. “I was just in Latvia, looking for Pandora’s Box. Have you heard of it?”

Wanda nods, while Pietro looks lost. “It’s an artifact said to contain the soul of the Enchantress,” Wanda explains. “The most commonly accepted lore of the Enchantress is that she was a woman from Slorenia, who developed mythical powers after her family died in Sokovia during the War of 1624.”

“And Natasha, you found this artifact?” Pietro asks.

“Yes. And I opened it.”

Wanda gasps. “Why would you–”

“Okay, okay, I dropped it, but yes, I technically opened the box and now–”

“You think the Enchantress is coming after us?” Pietro chuckles. “We did not kill her family.”

“No, but your ancestors may have. Or mistreated them so badly, the Enchantress still felt they were responsible in some way,” Natasha says.

“I’m going to get a drink, would you like something, Wanda?” Pietro announces, standing up and Natasha is frustrated he’s not taking this seriously.

“Just a vanilla latte please,” she says, and Pietro wanders off to the counter.

“I’m not making this up, Wanda,” Natasha pleads. “I came back from Latvia a week ago, where I found the box, and the strangest things have been happening all over the world. A land mine killed two people in Arizona. Arizona! And Qatar just had a six-point-six earthquake recorded, when they’re nowhere near a fault line–”

“I’m sorry, Natasha. You sound like you might need some more rest after your trip,” Wanda says, shaking her head. “Pandora’s Box is literally just a myth. There’s no real evidence that–”

There is a loud screech and the two women look towards the front window of the coffee shop. A gray car jumps the curb and comes hurtling off the road, probably over 50 miles per hour, and smashes into the front window. Natasha reaches across the table and slams Wanda’s head down as hundreds of jagged glass shards go flying above them. She hears screams and a small explosion when the car collides with the counter, plowing right through it. The car comes to a thundering halt when its hood crumples against the back brick wall, the tires still spinning angrily but finding no traction.

Natasha sits up as dust swirls around them, grabbing Wanda and checking if she’s all right. 

“Pietro? Where’s Pietro?” Wanda coughs.

Natasha stares at the pile of rubble where the counter and Pietro were. There is a pair of gray Adidas shoes with green highlights sitting atop the dirt. 

“Pietro! Pietro!” Wanda starts screaming.

Natasha grabs onto Wanda’s jacket before she can throw herself at the car. From her angle, it doesn’t look like there’s even a driver in the vehicle, but she can’t be sure. Outside the coffee shop, people are running up the sidewalk to assess the damage. Natasha already hears a siren in the distance.

Across the street, Natasha sees you standing there and smiling, your hands tucked casually in your pockets. A wave of uneasiness washes over her and she wants to run over to you, but she can’t leave Wanda alone.  

“Come on. We need to get out of here,” Natasha says, but Wanda is hysterical, pushing and slapping at her while she screams and cries. But Natasha is stronger and practically picks her up, marching her out of the remains of the coffee shop. When Natasha looks back to where you had been standing, and you’ve suddenly vanished.

They pass the trash can by the door, still intact, with the cup you left on top. Natasha pauses to get a closer look at the name scrawled on the paper sleeve: “ENCHANTRESS.”

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

AN: Wanda can't catch a break in any of my fics lol 😅

Click here to read Part 3!

Please like, reblog, and comment! Follow for more content. 🥰

[missmarveledsblog]

Fan girl ( Mickey garcia x reader)

summary : when bob is sent from the hard deck to his little sisters sos message well she is not what they expect

warnings : other then shitty friend it's mostly goofy fluffy fun. mutual pining , slight age gap like ten years or less , idiots in love nerdy good fun , dry humping is as smutty as this part goes next part will be more spicy if another part is wanted that is ?

The hard deck well was the hard deck , the place filling up , tag chasers sizing up what  would be their goal for the night as the naval officer done the same.   bob nursed his ginger ale listening to phoenix talking away to him and javy , watching rooster and jake sizing the sea of woman as well as each other like a competition  and listening to fanboy talking about the latest season of some fantasy show he was watching as payback simply asked what he done last night  . that was til the buzzing of his phone pulled from his pocket looking at the string of texts coming up , he knew she was in san diego , they planned to meet up some point  but what he didn’t expect an SOS  and his little sister almost begging him to get her .  He tensed up standing almost spilling his soda . 

“ hey what’s wrong” phoenix asked concerned tone pulling his fellow dagger squads attention. 

“ i gotta go my little sister is in trouble and needs me , shit where are my key” he panicked looking around. 

“ pocket come on” nat took the keys from his pocket placing them in his hand. 

“ hey i’ll pay your tab” she smiled softly as he nodded . 

“ we’ll come too incase “ rooster pulled the nearest to him which happened to be hangman and fanboy . 

Rushing out he was scared shitless afraid of what was going on and what trouble she could of gotten into at a comic book convention . 

The crowd thick ,  eager  fans pushing and shoving dying to  get a touch even a glimpse of the panels and their stars  and usually she was the same . an eager bunny ready to hear the plans and spoilers to a new movie coming .  But now she felt small , tiny as she looked down at her costume , the cosplay she took months perfecting  and yet the whole mood soured by her so called best friend and her weird ass boyfriend . it was honestly so childish and petty but hell her family told her to watch out for that one  and now she was stranded at a convention in san diego the only upside was her brother being stationed here somewhere she was unsure where but honestly the “ i told you so “ lecture would be worth it if it meant she wasn’t left alone in a big place she no idea where she was .   a few  saw her distress eager to help even offering to stay with her while she  text her brother  and if he was coming they would stay til she was safe .  and they did but she eventually told them she was fine making her way out to the entrance knowing her brother was on the way . it really wasn’t her fault and should of seen it coming the whole trip was iffy carrying the bags of her back as she soldiered on to out to the front.  She felt sick and scared and now she was crying outside dressed up while people looked at her like she was some kind of weirdo . 

“ hey sweetcheeks what’s the tears for “ a voice called looking to see a dude coming her way dressed as batman not even a good batman more dollar store kind. 

“ i’m ok i just wanna be alone thank you “ she sniffled moving away .

“ come on don’t be like that  you shouldn’t cry your too hot too cry”  he smiled hand coming to her cheek as she pulled away . “ come on i’m nice guy” he said standing to her closer .

“ stand back “ she snapped only for him to pull her arm harder and her knee to come up hitting him so hard honestly she turned his balls into  a bat cave sending him  groaning to the ground only the dude seemly wasn’t happy to be bested as he pulled her again . 

“ LET HER GO” was all she heard and seen was her brother and three men charging towards her. 

“ fuck off man we’re talking “ the man groaned still trying to push past the pain . 

“ no were are not douche wayne” she stomped on his foot and  grabbing her bags and running to her big brother .   as he went to follow her only for bob to pull her behind him . 

“ i’d walk if i were you these ain’t costumes little boy” the tall blonde smirked as  the man finally caught a look ,   his face draining of any color staring up at the men before him .  walking away muttering something about her being “ a bitch anyway” . 

“ what the hell why you alone where’s annabelle “ bob asked checking her over making sure she wasn’t hurt although her arm was red. 

“ she left me here , her stupid boyfriend kept making sleazy comments and she blamed me after i told him stop  she got my bags and stuff out of her car and they drove off left me here” she sniffled tears filling her eyes. 

“ come on we get you back to mine knew she was a snake “ he gruffed, throwing his coat over her body . 

“ thank you and you guys “ she turned to see his friends all bashful smiled thrown her way . 

“ Did you know bob’s sister was hot” rooster whispered as the two men shook their  heads . 

“ hey baby on board you gonna introduce us to this sweetheart” the blonde called . 

“ hangman  , rooster , fanboy this is my little sister y/n  , y/n this is three of the  seven dagger squad member .. now there come “ he said still pissed she was left stranded and hell annabelle was definitely not gonna be let off with it when he told his other two sisters . she was the baby of the family of course they were protective . 

She sat in the car , she just wanted to get in her pj’s and binge a comfort show but now she was hyper aware of the beautiful ass men in the back seat of  the car . 

“ nice costume darling “ the blonde drawled . 

“ its a cosplay man , right pretty girl..who is it ? “ the mustache man scoffed before a sweet smile turned to her . 

“ Daenerys targaryen “ the one with the kind eyes spoke up.  “ violet eyes “ he explained. 

“  exactly you got that from the white hair and violet eyes most people thought i was Rhaenyra since the whole house of dragons thing “ . 

“ i recognised the clothes from the season one when she was with the dothraki” he spoke up getting more animated as the other two looked completely lost .

“ hey ten point to ..” she paused unsure which one he was but she was guessing who it might be. 

“ fanboy ma’am but mickey is fine” he smiled . 

“ well ten points for mickey “ she giggled . 

“ hey that’s show were they have sex and dragons right” the blonde asked. 

“ yes but it more to it hangman right … i’m bradley “. 

“ he’s right a lot more than sex and dragons but they are cool too i guess” she snorted only for her phone to start buzzing . “ you called mama” she squeaked . 

“ sorry” bob winced although he was on partly sorry . 

“ hey mama … no i’m ok now bobby got me … yeah i’ll stay with him tonight … no mama i haven’t even told him that part” she whined .  

“ told me what?” . 

“ fine i’ll put you on speaker “ she sighed . 

“ bobby baby she can stay with you when she moves there right?” 

“ MAMA im a grown ass woman” she exclaimed .

“ bobby ?” her mother voice called . 

“ of course she can” he nodded . 

“ y’all can hear me right “ she turned to the guys in the back who eagerly nodded.  “ you  know i’m twenty two years old right i ain’t a baby” she called down phone. 

“Thanks bobby “ her mother called.

“Whoops bad signal” she rolled her eyes hanging . 

“ real mature grown up” bob chuckled as he hit the answer button on his car and she groaned face red of course this would happen around the hot guys .

Pulling into bobs  driveway she barely spoke given he was too busy talking to their mom and then it was their dad soon the whole family as she honestly was wondering if the creepy batman was a better choice after all.  She stood stretching out as the guys got out the car too even bob was slightly confused. 

“ can you order pizza bobby i need to shower and wallow for the night maybe watch a movie or two maybe avengers or something”she smiled weakly . 

“Ohh good choice  nat and the guys are on their way “ rooster smiled brightly .

“ oh cool well i’ll go shower” she ran into the house as bob looked into the groupchat . 

“ really hangman “ he rolled his eyes.  “ baby on boards got hot ass sister you gotta see this”  he read the message out . 

“ hey i mean since she gonna be living in san diego it good she has friends right “ he patted his arm heading in the house a swagger on him  ready to  put on his A game .

 “ i won’t let bagman get your sister plus i feel like we had a connection “rooster called as he ran into the WSO  house. 

“ you not going to say anything?” bob look at his friend. 

“ wonder which avenger she like most i like the falcon or winter soldier“ fanboy mused walking with  bob .

It didn’t take long for nat , payback and javy to show up all curious to see how hot said sister was  til she walked out wearing sweats and oversized t-shirt , hair air drying free from the long white wig as she stood seeing more people standing in her brothers living room .  

“ hi i’m nat you must be y/n it nice to meet you “ the dark hair woman stood forward . 

“ nice to meet you too bobby told me all about you .. all of you actually kinda already know all your names “ she chuckled. 

“ yeah well ok come on lets get the movie on “ bob rolled his eyes as she made her way in  her eyes looking to see where to sit and seeing those kind eyes barely looking her eye or trying not to . 

“ mind if i i sit here” she asked pointing to the spot as mickey just smiled the two not even acknowledging the shoving match of the other trying to get the other side til she felt herself bouncing slight. 

“ let watch the revengers huh sweetheart” jake flashed as flirty smile as both her and mickey’s heads shot in his direction . “ if it scary let me know , ill protect ya” he winked . 

“ dude it’s superheroes” rooster rolled his eyes .

“ what one should we watch ohhh maybe timeline order or  we could do mini marathon of them separately although it would only work for some maybe timeline order is best”she mused. 

“ timeline would be better although cause then if we went separately well we would have to watch the series” mickey agreed . 

“  i do need to rewatch the falcon and winter soldier” she nodded . 

“ lets watch that movie” jake nodded. 

“ it’s series no … we could switch and watch different franchise maybe star wars the new acolyte is out “ she mused. 

“ i have yet to watch that i’ve heard mixed review so i’m sort of well waiting to form my own opinion .. if you feeling the superhero vibe we could watch the boys “ he point out as the other were totally lost . 

“ that makes me want to watch supernatural i mean jensen ackles as soldier boy is wow but i do love me some dean winchester” she nodded in agreement. 

“ good omen always makes me wanna watch doctor who obviously david tenant is fantastic but he is my favorite doctor”he chuckled . 

“ oh my god you seeing what i’m seeing “ nat whispered as two nerded out . 

“ unfortunately i do” bob gulped. 

“ can we watch shawshank or something while they figure out well i don’t have a clue what they're even talking about now “ jake head tilted. 

“ i mean i love the last of us the casting is spot on but if they are  sticking to the source material and timeline i am so not looking forward to season two but i am so excited as well “ she sighed .  ( cause same ) 

“ are we invisible to them ?” javy asked looking around the room . 

“ i think that us out of the race “ rooster  chuckled . 

“ are we watching a movie or not” jake asked confused completely and utterly . 

“ oh shit sorry erm we could watch..” 

“ we’re gonna watch shawshank “ bob spoke up saving the whole room from another nerd session .   “ no talking steven king” he added making her mouth close. 

“ i was gonna ask if pizza was coming “ she huffed . 

“ steven king is cool though” mickey whispered making her nod eagerly . 

It was six month since her brother rescued her from being stranded in comic con , creepy batman and meeting his friends  who were also her friends even if she was ten years younger than them it still was nice being able to come to a new place and not feel so alone .  going to the hard deck being able to head to a group and not being a loser sitting on her own .  also another thing she loved was being able to be herself especially with mickey probably only one of the group who shared her love for the things of the nerdy side of life .  the two would talk from everything from gaming , anime and comics . most of time the rest of the group left them to it because it was like they were talking another language.  They did like watching it unfold even bob made his peace at thought of his friend and little sister maybe striking up some form of romance . the only thing that was stopping them was well them , both oblivious to the other feelings that even stevie wonder could see .  so maybe a little help would be ok , a little meddling would be helpful and give them the push they needed . 

She was getting ready knowing the dagger squad coming over for a night of gaming  which honestly she didn’t think twice about  knowing it was probably going to be a few games of mario kart  til jake says it not real game like pool or darts when he loses.  She felt a little silly doing her make up and hair nothing major but she like looking nice especially when a certain hot as fuck WSO was going to be there . she couldn’t help the crush that grown , he was well hot , nerdy and a sweetheart she didn’t even stand a chance .  yet anytime she flirted it was falling on deaf ears or unless it was his way of being kind and not out right rejecting her but hey it didn’t help to look right?. 

He was nervous  , like hands sweating as he walked up his fellow WSO porch all because he had a major crush on his little sister . He didn’t even have an excuse the moment he saw her as Daenerys he was  smitten and the more time he spent time and got to know her  that just made him a goner. Never had he connected with someone  so easily  getting to truly be himself yeah payback was his buddy but even he had to tell mickey to talk about something else , y/n didn’t and when she did it was talked about some just along the line of it .    her smile took his breath away , her eyes made him get lost in them  just everything about her had him falling more and more.

Just as he was about to knock bob open the door stepping out looking at the man smiling nervously before walking around as if he was leaving .

“ wait is it not game night?” he checked his phone checking he had the right night unless he conjured the whole thing .

“ please don’t mess up cause hangman said he has dibs “ was all bob said before running to his car and driving off.

“ where’s he going “ she asked standing at front door brows furrowed .

“Think flying finally caught up to the guys i think they forgot tonight i can go if you want” he curse the lame stupid mind of his .

“ i mean or you could say and we could actually play something decent don’t get me wrong the italian plumber is cool but well it nice to play other game with more to em “ she smiled widely .

“ Or hear me out we can actually watch something we like “ .

“ star war marathon ?”

“ star wars “ he confirmed as two ran into the house excitedly .

Working in a team as she got the snacks and drink and he got the movie up and ready internally screaming to calm the fuck down . his hands so sweaty he was would drop the remote out of his hand and the way his heart was beating she had to of heard it . he felt like a nervous teen being in presence of his crush those nerves pulsing through every fiber his body making him shiver at possibly of making a huge fool of him .

“ you ok .. cold here let me get you a blanket “ those eyes filled with concern or worry making him melt like a puddle maybe it was good thing having her doting on him like this and her attention yet that made him notice that was always something he had. He wondered why that was but the though went as fast as it came the moment She sat down putting The blanket On the two of Them only then he notice the light were dimmed god he needed to get his shit together .

Maybe she was too close way to close , he could probably hear how hard her heart was beating or the way her breathing was labored. hopefully the movie would help distract her , let her gather herself . She watched the text coming on mouthing the lines she seen so many before only to hear the mumbling of said words making her head turn to see mickeys mouth moving she couldn't stop it the giggle that spilled from her lips making his cheeks heat up.

“ sorry” he winced .

“ no don't be it cute“ she whispered unaware her world had on him . the whole time she tried and really tried keeping her eyes on the screen but it was hopeless when they would drift and land on mickey . studying every feature on his face those kind eyes , to the chiseled jawline

“ does he know how hot he is” she thought only it seemed she was thinking out loud .

“ does who know?” .

“ em han solo of course” of course her brain would betray her .

“ i think he does” he chuckled . “ really han solo?” he teased .

“ yeah like you're not gonna drool when leia gets in that bikini” she shot back. “ That is my next cosplay idea” she mused only for him to choke on the air and internally thank whatever god there was a blanket was covering in now. “ wow that bad?” she joked .

“ oh quite the opposite i mean jesus you might kill some dude with heatstroke it will that hot “ he absent mindlessly confessed.

“ i think your being too kind” she snorted .

“ i’m being deadly honest hell have you seen yourself you make jake nervous not that he admit it out loud but shit you would send a guy into cardiac arrest” .

“ yeah ok says the hottest guy ever “ she scoffed only to freeze .

“ hottest guy ever ?” he didn't know were this confidence came from but shot was he gonna question it .

“ so hot id give a dude a heart attack ? “ she countered.

“ i stand by what i said “ he turned so he was facing her the movie long forgotten in the background .

“ i stand by what i said” she copied his movement turning to face him , eyes darting to his lips biting her own .

“ can i .. i wanna kiss you so bad right now” he licked hos lips hands itching to touch her skin .

“ i kinda hope you do “ she smiled softly. that was it that was the ok he needed to surge forward pressing his lips on her . every cliche that she read , seen or heard . those things she felt skeptical about made her want to kick herself cause as she felt herself kissing mickey garcia she understood it all , felt it all . those firework , puzzle piece coming to get , lighting her own dark world , nerve coming alive sort of moment , the soft moan that came muffled by each other . his hand nestled at back of her head and other on her hip pulling her closer her hand scratching the back of his neck . hating her lungs and their stupid need for oxygen she pulled back slightly her head pressed again his delighting in the turn about in the night as he couldn't stop like he was addicted between taking breathes plant soft kisses upon her lips . the kiss starting again more heated as she straddled his lap feeling him nipping her lower lip as she gave him the entrance they both needed , that twirl and dance feeling the taste of each in a tango while his hand fell her hips . her skin heated, burning in a desire that only he could quench . the need building in her core needing the friction she ground down that delightful feeling of him growing hard beneath her , hands guiding her movement panting foreheads pressed together eye locked. blown lust filled pupil and lidded eye mirror between the two as groan came from his mouth and whimpers spilled from her . he could feel that winding and tightening feeling that was building like all his sense on her . only her scent filled his nose , only her sounds filled his ears and one her touch was all that matter . he was addicted not knowing how he went so long in life and never feeling this , fuck he felt like he was robbed . in all that both so lost in a bubble of lust it was lost on them the sound of a key in a door not til they heard the “ Hell yeah” that broke the spell , burst that bubble as mickey looked to see the horrified face of some of dagger squad and proud smile on hangmans .

“maybe you should come stay in mine” nat winced turning and leading bob out the door as hangman walked over high fiving his friend as others gave an awkward wave as the front door closed .

“ they're gone” he whispered abd yet her head didnt lift her cheeks were to red at the fact her brother just caught her like a horny teenager dry humping and heavy petting one of his friends well she was definitely never going to live that down .

“ hey come on” he kissed her cheek hand rubbing up her back she let out content hum at the feeling before she sat up .

“ did this a little backwards but i would love take you out …on a date” he smiled shyly .

“ take me out for breakfast but first mickey … take me to bed” she giggled grinding her hips down . her shrieks filled the house with how fast he lift her up fuck it she already got caught might as well go big or go home as he carried her down the hall .

[hannahbarberra162]

Hysteria (Yandere Marco x Reader, Victorian AU, DARK, non-con)

Summary: Marco "The Phoenix" Newgate is intent on making you his wife, regardless of what you think about the matter.

TW: Dark, DEAD DOVE, non con, yandere, misogyny, bad medicine / malpractice. There will be more partners but not in this chapter.

A continuation of a One Shot I wrote - couldn't stop thinking about Victorian Marco. There's also this sexy Detective Marco statue that didn't help me forget Victorian Marco.

“Dear, do be serious for a moment. You already said yes ,” you mother hissed into her teacup while sporting a smile, trying to hide her words from your suitor. Doctor Newgate, or Marco as he asked you to call him, had a benign smile on his face and his eyes half lidded. He was sitting on the settee in your parents parlor, his long legs crossed as he drank his tea. Even though you were sure he could hear, he was granting your parents the social mercy of pretending he couldn’t. 

Mr. Newgate, his father, was sitting in the largest chair in the parlor, smoking a pipe like he was relaxing in his own home. He hadn’t said anything beyond an introduction, allowing Marco to take the lead. He was easily the largest man you’d ever seen in your life, his mere presence making the room seem smaller by comparison. Even though it was your parents house, with Newgate in the room it was like it was his world and you were just living in it. Mr. Newgate hadn’t given you more than a nod but he unnerved you. Not like Marco who scared you, more like the feeling one got when staring at a mountain or the ocean - the feeling of insignificance in the face of something ancient and powerful. 

“Please, give us a moment to speak to our daughter in private. She is joking, you know how these silly young women are,” your father said with a nervous laugh, his hand clapping heavily on your shoulder and gripping tightly. You tried to hide your wince as his hand squeezed bruises already left behind due to your previous refusals. Marco’s eyebrow raised pointedly at your father’s aggression, making your father pale and release his hand from your shoulder. “With your permission of course, Dr. Newgate,” your father stammered as Marco exchanged a glance with his father, who nodded wordlessly. Some kind of communication had passed between them but you didn’t understand what it was. You did feel some sense of satisfaction watching your father wither under Dr. Newgate’s gaze but you knew it wouldn’t save you from the lecture - or worse - you were about to receive in private.

Your father and mother were ultimately selfish, self centered people. Even though you’d told them time and time again that you didn’t like Marco Newgate and that you didn’t want to marry him, they were forcing your hand. They wanted you to marry into wealth and a connected family which would increase their own social standing. You had adamantly refused to marry him and they couldn’t legally force you unless you were declared incompetent in some kind of way. Yes, he was trying to coerce you by force but without a diagnosis of some kind of insanity, you just had to stay strong and refuse. Since you were a woman of society, you didn’t see how that would be possible. You had friends, kept up with the local social scene, and even volunteered in your free time and as such you were able to reject any offer for marriage that you deemed unsatisfactory. And Marco Newgate was unsatisfactory to your tastes.

It was true that he was tall, handsome, wealthy and very intelligent. He was able to move among all echelons of society with ease, switching from speaking casually with tavern goers to speaking with the Emperor himself as a medical advisor on occasion. He was debonair, suave, charming - everything everyone wanted to be. Your girlfriends told you that you were the world's biggest fool for denying his advances.

But you knew that all the glamour and prestige, Marco was a predatory beast. You knew it with all your heart. It felt like no one could see it but you, everyone sang his praises and tittered with joy when he came around. His eyes shined a touch too bright, his smile a bit too wide, his teeth a tad too sharp to convince you of his character of the charismatic doctor. It was like a game to him - he knew that you knew and both of you had your roles to play.  

Your parents thought you’d met Marco for the first time when he began courting you, but the truth was that you’d met long before as young adults. You’d been strolling along a country stream one day after having given your governess the slip. Normally you didn’t mind your lessons all that much but the day had been the perfect summer day, the warm sun shining down as a light breeze pushed your hair out of your face. You thought you were alone so you stripped down to your petticoat, a light cotton shift, and left your shoes, heavier dress, and parasol under the shade of a tree. You let down your hair, freeing it from the confines you had to regularly tame it into. The joys of childhood had just passed you now that you were a woman but a part of your soul missed the simple pleasure of being free in body and mind under the summer sun. 

You eventually sat down on the grassy bank, kicking your feet slowly in the cool water. You’d been down this path hundreds of times before and you were well familiar with this portion of the river. Laying back with your arms behind your head against the lush grass you enjoyed watching the clouds roll by in the sky. You watched until your eyes slid closed of their own volition. You weren’t exactly sleeping, you were merely resting under the rich summer sun and enjoying the bounties of life itself.

You felt the sun disappear and you frowned. There hadn’t been that many clouds when you’d last looked, not enough to cover the sun. Opening your eyes had you gasping in fright as you saw a handsome young man leaning over you. His short mop of blonde hair was hanging down as he considered your form. You tried to scramble up but your head jerked back harshly as you realized the man was standing on your loose hair. He was staring at you intensely, his expression somewhere in between interest and amusement. As you crossed your arms over your chest to cover your near nudity you noticed that the silver ferrule of his cane was centimeters from your face. It wasn’t becoming for a young woman to be practically naked and especially not in front of a young man, the situation was making you flush furiously.

“Please sir, you’re standing on my hair,” you said to the young man. He was around your age but you hadn’t met him before nor seen him in society. There were plenty of families coming and going all the time in your city, it was a busy mercantile area. It wasn’t unusual for new members to drop in as the social landscape changed.

“So I am yoi,” the man replied, his gaze never leaving your face as you felt yourself flushing deeper. You’d never been allowed so close to a man you weren’t related to and this was not how you expected it to happen.

“Please sir, would you mind moving?” you asked politely, his strange reply not at all what you were expecting. 

“I would,” he replied, your hair still underneath his leather boot. A teal feather floated down from his coat and he plucked it from the air between two fingers. He was upside down to your vision and you tried to tilt your head as far as you could to get a good look at him.

“I-I’m sorry?” you stammered with a half smile, not understanding the situation that was unfolding. The young man had a gleam in his eye that you didn’t like, something dark and terrible lurking just under the surface.

“I would mind moving. I quite like you trapped beneath me,” the man said with a smile, as if the two of you were discussing the weather. Your smile faded as you understood the reality of the situation. You felt your heart began to race as you thought through your situation. You’d chosen this path due to the low numbers of people who used it for the purpose of evading your governess. Now you were alone with a strange man who seemed perfectly pleased to have you ensnared.

“Ah, Sir -”

“Marco,” he said, tutting at you. He hadn’t moved his hands from the top of his cane but now picked it up and moved it away from your face. Everything about this situation was making you uncomfortable. It was horrible enough to be unprotected with a strange man but something in your gut was telling you to run as fast as far as you could. 

“M-marco, would you please let me up?” you asked, your nipples pebbling under your thin shift. You had no other recourse but to ask politely, you were at his mercy.

“What will you give me?” he asked, now using the ferrule of his cane to tilt your head backward, exposing your neck further. 

“Wha- I - I have some funds in my -” you said as the ferrule dug deeper into the soft underside of your jaw.

“Not funds yoi. Have you been kissed by a man?” he asked, now squatting down on his haunches to get a better look at you. You felt your flush extending far past your collarbones as you answered.

“N-no. I have not.” 

“Then I shall set you free for the price of your first kiss,” Marco stated. He wasn’t asking you or bargaining and you felt like you’d made a deal with the devil. Taking the teal feather, Marco set it behind your ear before he stood up and removed his foot from your hair. You did not hesitate as you burst to your feet and ran as fast as you could away from the strange man. He laughed and slowly took chase, walking leisurely as you ran with your hair flying behind you. As you ran you decided that climbing a tree might be the best bet for losing him as the foliage would obscure you from his sight. You scrabbled up the tree, scraping your knees and arms in the process of trying to climb higher and higher away from this menace. Reaching a large and high branch, you pressed yourself against the trunk and tried to stay out of sight. All you could hear was the beating of your heart in your chest and your panting breath as you covered your mouth with your hand.

“Oh, what a fickle lover you are! To deceive me with such a trick, what a naughty Dove,” Marco said, walking slowly down the path while tapping his cane against passing tree trunks. He stopped underneath the shade of the tree you were in. You quieted yourself even further and prayed that he didn’t know you were above.

“Such naughtiness needs correction yoi. It wouldn’t be seemly for an enchanting lady to run so wild, crushing men’s hearts with her capricious nature. Furthermore a lady should not be climbing trees like a rapscallion, she should be with her husband and attending to his needs,” he intoned as if lecturing you. He sat down at the base of the tree, setting his cane across his large lap. Your dress now clung to you like a second skin from the nervousness you were exuding. Yes, you were safe for now but you were also up a tree with no methods of egress. Distantly you heard the voice of your governess calling for you - you could have cried from the relief you felt washing over you. Her voice rang through the forest, getting louder as she approached where you were.

“So that’s your name then, little Dove? A fitting name for such an exquisite fille. I suppose I will take my leave,” Marco said, still facing away. He looked up in the tree and pierced you with his gaze, skewering you where you stood. You realized he’d known you were there the whole time and was playing with you for his own amusement. There was no longer merriment in his tone, you felt like you were the unlucky fox to his hound, about to be rent to pieces. 

“Your first kiss belongs to me, and myself alone. If I find you have wasted it on another little Dove, I assure you that you will not like the outcome,” he stated, his grip tightening around his cane. You shivered at his vow, delivered like a curse.  Getting up, he dusted off his clothing and resumed walking down the path. Passing your governess, he tipped his head in acknowledgement.

“I believe your errant ward is that way,” Marco said, almost apologetically. “Young women need to be guided with a firm hand, no?”

Shortly after your encounter with Marco, he and his family were introduced in society. You kept your distance from the doctor, never speaking to him outside the bare minimum required for social etiquette. For his part he didn’t try to find you alone or subject you to his whims again. You’d never told anyone of the time you had spent Marco but his lingering, intense stare told you he hadn’t forgotten. There wasn’t anything concrete between you and the handsome doctor - he had forced a pact between you without your consent. And yet you still never kissed a man, choosing instead to heed his warning. He hadn’t threatened you with anything specific and yet the feral look in his eyes told you he held you to his promise. You kept the teal feather and put it in a book, finding it too beautiful to dispose of no matter the origin. The feather never dulled or withered, it almost had a preternatural flame to its color. 

In the past few months you’d been hopeful that Marco had finally forgotten about you or moved on as he hadn’t been seen at parties as much. His new sanitarium was being completed and he was heavily involved in the project. He was not only the head physician on staff but also had raised the majority of the money donated to help those with mental issues. Marco barely spoke about the project before women were opening their pocketbooks, outdoing one another in a bid to catch his attention. You had tried to avoid the gala that had been thrown in his honor but your parents insisted you attend. People started remarking on Marco’s glances being directed your way and your parents wanted you to capitalize it. You tried to make them understand but they insisted on dressing you in your finest (and most revealing) blue gown and sent you on your way. The gown matched the teal feather you’d kept all these years so you tucked it last minute into your hairstyle as an accessory. Feathers were in fashion currently so it wouldn’t be out of place among the flocks of women looking their best. 

After being announced at the ball you quickly headed off to the side, hoping to hide yourself among the people hanging in the wings. Marco came from a large family and there were dozens of men you didn’t recognize circulating among the friends and acquaintances you met regularly. You tried to subtly keep your eyes on Marco, minding where he was at all times to avoid him as best you could while you chatted with those you knew. Somehow, to your dismay, Marco was able to slip your notice several times but didn’t approach you. Throughout the evening you had the sensation of eyes on you but anytime you looked around, there was nothing amiss. Towards the middle of the night you let out a sigh of relief - Marco was about to begin his speech thanking everyone and you’d be able to leave right after. 

Everyone gathered around the dance floor where they would be able to hang on the honeyed words that slipped from Dr. Newgate’s mouth. Like before you stayed towards the back of the crowd, only partially listening as you waited for the speech to conclude in between long rounds of applause. Marco began with the expected remarks, thanking all the generous donations that had been made to the groundbreaking Newgate Sanatorium. Apparently the Emperor himself had donated to Marco’s mental health ward and had given him a private audience to speak to his cause. The Sanatorium would help thousands of people struggling to maintain their psyches using the most cutting edge technologies. Marco would be bringing in medical students and other doctors so as to train the upcoming generation in the newest and most modern ways to treat the mentally injured. You were truly impressed with the services Dr. Newgate would be providing to the community and were glad he'd have the support he needed.

You clapped along with everyone else but were watching the exit to make your escape. Marco then began walking through the crowd as he spoke, the throng parting easily for their hero. “But there is still one thing missing from the Sanatorium,” Marco said, now walking in your direction, his cane tapping gently on the ground as he moved. You remembered that cane well from your younger years and the way it had dug into your skin as if to mark you. Shivering, you tried to back away with the rest of the crowd. Marco’s blue eyes locked in and bore into your own, as if he’d been tracking you the whole time. Your blood ran cold as he continued his approach. People noticed him staring at you and stopped moving out of the way, their bodies serving as a tacit barrier to your egress. Marco stood in front of you as your breath started to come in short bursts, feeling just as stuck as all those years prior.

“Rather, one person. A doctor can work his whole life to help others, but who helps him at the end of a long day? A man needs a wife to have a complete life, to feel like he matters not only in society but in his home as well. Which is why I am proposing marriage to-” Marco continued talking as he bent down on one knee in front of you but you couldn’t hear anything he was saying.

Marco reached into the inner pocket of his suit and pulled out a small velvet box. You could feel your heart beating wildly as he opened it, revealing a large sapphire ring set in gold. You gasped, covering your distraught face with your hands. The guests clapped and cheered, mistaking your shock for approval. Several men whooped loudly, coming to clap Marco on his back. Your vision had narrowed into just the ring, you were unable to look at anything else. Marco took the ring out of the box and gently pried your hand off your face, sliding the ring onto your finger. It was a perfect fit. He stood up, towering over your smaller form once more as he gripped you about the waist with one large hand. His fingers dug into your side keeping you secured to him.

“My betrothed and I will dance together for the first time tonight yoi,” Marco declared with flourish, giving the crowd a large smile. You finally snapped out of your stupor and tried to dislodge his hand subtly but Marco was already guiding you to the dance floor. Putting you into a dancing position, Marco held out his hand and pulled you close to his body, his hand pressing into your back. You placed your hand in his as the music began to play, a slow, romantic song that was perfect for a lover’s waltz.

“And now you are trapped beneath me once more, little Dove,” Marco said, his calm eyes belying the strength of his gaze. He was an excellent dancer, leading you easily around the empty dance floor as onlookers gossiped behind their hands. 

“I didn’t say yes,” you replied quietly, trying to keep yourself from bolting on the spot.

“Everyone believes you did. You’re wearing my ring,” he said with a light laugh, as if you’d said something funny. “Are you going to defy expectations once more, little Dove? Try another bid for freedom? I haven’t forgotten how you broke your promise to me, and I intend to collect,” Marco said, dipping you backwards. As he brought you back up he gave you a genuine smile, so different from the calculating and sharp one he usually displayed. It was a rare moment of warmth from Marco, the first you could actually remember receiving. Seeing it made you nearly miss a step but Marco corrected you without missing a beat, staying in tune with the orchestra.

“You’re wearing my feather yoi,” he said softly, bringing a finger up to touch your hair. You didn’t want to dissuade his notion and make him angry, especially in front of his brothers and the crowd. His touch made you shiver, this was the first time that he touched you directly.

“I can’t marry you Marco,” you replied, looking up into his eyes. Your will didn’t waver even as you kept your face neutral to avoid a social scandal.

“You will,” Marco said easily, pulling you closer. 

“I won’t,” you said stiffly as the song was hitting its final notes.

“Make your escape then,” Marco said as the song concluded, bringing your hand to his mouth to kiss. You felt the press of his sharp teeth against your skin, like it was the first step in devouring you. “See how far you get, Little Dove.”

Marco had been right thus far. Your parents publicly accepted the proposal and spent their time persuading you in the privacy of their home. No matter what you said, they were determined for you to accept Dr. Newgate’s proposal. The worst part was that there was nothing concrete that you could pinpoint as your reason not to marry Marco. You didn’t want to reveal the encounter you had all those years ago- any suspicion of impropriety would have them marrying you off immediately to avoid disgrace. Beyond that, all you had was a gut feeling, the sense of being captured in the talons of a bird of prey. You had started locking yourself in your room to avoid the circular conversation. That had worked until they took the doorknob off which prevented you from separating yourself any further.

To your dismay you were also unable to get the engagement ring off your finger. When you didn’t have the intention of removing it, the beautiful ring spun easily around your finger and caused no discomfort. But when you tried to take it off you were unable to dislodge it from your finger by any means. It was like it was stuck there permanently - butter, lotion, and oil did nothing to help you guide the ring off your finger. You tried cutting it off with shears or pliers but the ring was seemingly indestructible and immovable. Late at night you marveled at the ring, sweat running down your brow from the effort to remove it, as you wondered what magic Marco had imbued within it that made it unable to be removed. You’d heard of Devil Fruits and their miraculous powers but never in inanimate objects. 

A few days before Marco and his father were set to come over and discuss next steps, your father had began trying to beat you into submission. He wasn’t all that big but he didn’t have to be as he was stronger than you. He said marrying Marco was in your best interest and you were insane if you couldn’t see that. You hadn’t relented even as your shoulders and back ached with the accumulating bruises. He never struck your face or chest, afraid that Dr. Newgate might see the evidence of his “arguments.” You still hadn’t relented, the beatings you were enduring the better option than marrying Marco Newgate. 

Your parents had asked for Marco and his father to visit and confirm the engagement all together, convinced that you wouldn’t be able to say no in front of the formidable men. Your courage hadn’t wavered as you politely but firmly told Mr. Newgate that you were not in a position to accept a marriage proposal from his son. Mr. Newgate wasn’t upset or even surprised by your admission. He simply considered you with cold eyes and puffed on his pipe, neither agreeing or disagreeing. Your parents tried to backpedal your words, leading to your father leading you away from the parlor by your forearm. Bringing you into the sitting room, your father locked the door behind you. Turning to face you, he was purple in the face, his free hand was already balled into a fist.

“Just who do you think you are?” he loudly whispered into your face, spittle hitting your face as he spoke. His hand gripped you tighter on your forearm as he spun you to face him. His fist raised above your head, making you shrink back from the coming hit. You screwed your eyes shut as your father’s grip on you made you cry out in pain. “You will be marrying Dr. Newgate even if I have to -” Suddenly your father’s grip on your arm was gone and he began screaming his own pain. Your eyes flew open as you saw your father’s fist being crushed by Marco’s larger one. Marco wasn’t paying attention to your fathers cries as his eyes poured over your face.

“Please go sit with my father in the parlor, Darling,” you heard Marco’s cold voice cut through that of your father as he begged Marco for mercy. Fleeing the macabre scene you did as he asked and ran back to the parlor, chest heaving as Mr. Newgate sat impassively. His eyes roved over your smaller form and he grunted, tapping his pipe against the side of the chair. Your mother watched the used tobacco fall on her prized carpet but kept her mouth shut as the sounds of your father’s screaming hit a crescendo. 

“Marco’s not one to let go. ‘Twould be better to marry him now Lass,” Mr. Newgate advised you. You didn’t respond as Marco came sauntering down the hall, wiping the silver top of his cane with his handkerchief. It came away bloody as he folded it and replaced it in his jacket pocket. He looked like he had taken a stroll in the garden, not beating your father bloody. You distantly heard your father groaning and your mother locked eyes at Marco. He smiled calmly and nodded, allowing her to leave to tend to him. Marco crossed the room to you, taking your hands in his own.

“Are you injured?” he asked, searching your face. As you shook your head he pushed your sleeves higher on your arms, revealing the ugly bruises left behind. Marco’s lips thinned in displeasure as the pads of his thumbs traced the dark marks. 

“I wish you would have told me sooner. No one hurts my little Dove,” he murmured, bringing your forearm to his mouth for a kiss. You were wary of Marco before but now you were truly scared of what he was capable of with the screams of your father still ringing in your ears.

“Now then, shall we get married this week or next?” Marco asked, kissing the ring on your finger.

Taglist: @mfreedomstuff

[dream-with-a-fever]

not including ginny’s development in order of the phoenix was such a faux pas by the film writers. that book truly sets her up as the perfect future partner for harry, before even showing the romantic side of their relationship. it is critical to their development.

we get so many small but important moments where we see how brilliant she is. how she listens to him and doesn’t pressure him, or lecture him. she just listens. how funny she is, and playful and witty. she’s fun to be around, she makes him laugh, she takes the weight off his shoulders more than once, she’s tough and feisty. she calls him out on his shit when he needs it, which is something most of his friends are unable to do without resulting in silence, yelling or tears, their little shared glances when they find something funny, ginny ready and willing to risk her life to help him, and him being protective (?!!!), not to mention they bicker like an old married couple when they go to the department of mysteries like hello???)

i could go on and on and I WILL some other time

[bat-in-the-machine]

I do love the way Marvel portrays Death as a personification/incarnation. There was a fantastic X-Men story that took place after Jean Grey's death in the Dark Phoenix Saga, where she met Death in the guise of an engineer building an infinite tower and helped him in his work for a time, and Death gave her some perspective on the whole thing. It was PEAK Claremont writing, but I loved it.

(To clarify, I love Chris Claremont's writing, but also someone needed to rein him in a bit from time to time or he got indulgent. This was one of those indulgences.)

Edit: Did some digging hoping to find the issue and while I could not find any images of the story in question, I did find the issue: Classic X-Men #43 (1986). The first story in that issue was a reprint of the death of Jean Grey, the second was the story I'm talking about, entitled "Flights of Angels" and taking place in a realm referred to as The White Hot Room. Classic X-Men was basically this, reprints of important storylines, coupled with new chapters that expanded those storylines.

Cosmic entities!

[nyaagolor]

Ranking the Ace Attorney main cast on whether or not I think they'd be a narc

I was making a more coherent, serious post about the different approaches to justice each of the characters have and how that is shaped by their backstory... and then I realized a funnier question is what they would do if they saw you eating a weed brownie so I made this post instead

Phoenix: In the trilogy era, yes. He trusts people, but believes that trust has to be built on pursuing justice and always accepting the harsh reality. He'd be sad about it, but a narc nonetheless. In his Beanix era he's making his money through "totally legal gambling" and on the hunt for questionably legal evidence so I have no doubt in my mind there's a pot farm under the WAA for supplemental income. He gives up his narc ways and for that I salute him

Apollo: If I were to pick a single member of this cast who is NOT invited to the rotation it would be him. He had zero hesitation throwing Kristoph to the wolves after working for him for years so I know he has absolutely zero qualms about ratting out his friends or coworkers. Loyalty means nothing in the eyes of justice and it means nothing to him. He's a narc.

Athena: She's gonna lecture you and look all sad about it, but she's no snitch. She's been through the rounds with Simon so she gets it. Having to know you hurt her feelings is enough of a punishment in her eyes

Edgeworth: He's not a narc but he IS obsessed with being right, so if you don't immediately fess up with exactly what you're doing he's going to send your stoned ass to the chess dimension and honestly I think that's worse

Franziska: Unfortunately she is a cop. Narc.

Godot: Diego-era yeah he's a narc, but after the coma? I feel like he has better things to worry about, he would just ignore you. He has some soul searching to do and some grief complexes to unlearn he doesn't have the time to be a lil snitch. Post prison I think he's stoned somewhere in Kurain and chillaxing, as is his right

Klavier: Don't let his rockstar attitude fool you he's a narc and extremely annoying about it. The gavinners tour bus is dry as hell and it's all Klavier's fault. Daryan offers him a line and he gets all uppity and says "the only LINE i want you doing is the third line in the prechorus, you keep messing up the syncopation" and that's the end of that discussion

Simon: He's been in prison so he knows what's up. Not a narc. Might glare at you until you share though

Nahyuta: He's a narc and will lecture you so long about it you're tempted to turn yourself in to get out of earshot. He also never forgets and never forgives. Datz is trying to reform him but it isn't going well

Sebastian: Yes, but I think the idea of him having to turn in someone for it would make him cry so they end up comforting him instead. Kay thinks he needs to try a weed brownie

Maya: I want you to look at me and tell me she doesn't smoke weed. Not a narc

Pearl: I think if she found out that her big sister figure smoked weed she would have a heart attack. Def a narc

Trucy: I can say with absolute certainty that if you really wanted weed she could find you a dealer faster than anyone in the cast. Trucy is a magician and has grown up around a variety of people involved with some seedier institutions, she knows better than to snitch. Has not been and will never be a narc

Kay: Will help you shoplift. Not a narc

Gumshoe: A narc on principle, but would feel really bad about it and would probably let you off with a warning if you started crying or acting upset because I think he's a softie. He's not unreasonable

Ema: If you think she has even the tiniest sliver of respect for cops you're lying to yourself. Not a narc and will actively help you evade police out of principle. A homie, honestly

Fulbright: Not only is he a narc but he definitely runs the DARE program at the local highschool and is printed on half the posters they put up in the precinct. I'm also like 80% sure he doesn't actually know how weed works