#Thena looks amazing

[softquietsteadylove]

Hello! I enjoyed thenamesh photographer AU very much and wanted to ask you very friendly if you would continue that one?

We had the lingerie shooting so how about Thena having to shoot some aesthetic stuff because of a deal with a big brand? Gil is surely very stunned by her beauty! What if they look at the end results and Thena is amazed how good and naturally he captured her?

"Kitchen stuff, huh?"

She smiled as he walked into the 'set', lights already set up in the luxurious kitchen they were staging for the brand. "Lifestyle aesthetic, I think they're calling it."

Gil chuckled, not arguing against it at all as he set down his camera bag. "More comfortable than lingerie, at least?"

"Infinitely."

It was a nice kitchen, and Thena did seem at home in it. It was brightly lit, billowy white curtains at the windows, fine marble counters and stainless steel appliances. She looked like she fit right in, even though she once told him that the most she could use in her own kitchen was the microwave.

"What have you been doing?" she asked as he set his camera up on its tripod. She even had a mug clasped in her hands, although it was highly likely that it was empty.

"Hm, some wedding stuff, a couple clothing shoots," Gil murmured as he got his settings where he wanted them. He smiled at her; she looked gorgeous. "Hey, is this your own wardrobe?"

Thena laughed, which of course warranted snapping a picture. "Surprisingly, yes; I wore this here and they said it would be fine. I won't really be the focus of the shots anyway."

Gil cleared his throat; right, they weren't here to capture her anyway. That was something he would need to keep in mind. Otherwise he would be handing over piles and piles of proofs that were just of Thena again. Druig had given him a real earful about it come time for editing.

"Well, let's start with the ones that are with you," Gil chuckled, walking over to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. She rose into his touch and off the kitchen stool. He tilted his head faintly before looking down, "I didn't know they let models wear flat shoes."

"Sh," Thena smiled just for him, wiggling her toes in her sandals, "they told me they're looking for the barefoot kitchen type of look. I told them I'm not flexible enough to curl up in some windowsill."

"That's not true," Gil laughed it off, although he couldn't help but imagine just that. He guided her over to the window in question, "let's start with you standing, though."

"Gladly." Thena was still clasping the mug in her hands that helped with the soft summer-but-sweater-weather vibe. "I'm just glad this is a solo shoot."

Gil clicked a picture without even looking at it. Sometimes he could be very, very happy with the results of blind shooting like that. "Sick of the other models already?"

"That would not be such a statement if they were at all bearable company," Thena rolled her eyes, tugging at the loose turtleneck of her thin sweater.

Gil didn't have an argument to that either. They had been pretty insufferable when he had worked with them. And Thena had to deal with them undoubtedly more often than he did. "What did you have after the lingerie shoot?"

"The same company launched its swimwear, so we were all contracted for that."

He had seen the photos from that, actually. They didn't do Thena justice and he could tell that she was uncomfortable for them. He hadn't even looked at any of the other photos from it though.

"Then they did some other shoots while I did a few jewellery shoots," she shrugged, moving as Gil gave her tiny directions about turning slightly or angling her herself differently. "I haven't had to put up with them for a few weeks now. Although maybe I shouldn't say that."

Gil smirked, catching the photo in which her eyes found his. "Don't jinx yourself. Or you'll get stuck in an elevator or something with them."

"Please don't joke like that," she groaned, tipping her head back, although even while faking her agony she had a slight smile on her face.

Gil snapped another picture. "I mean, are they always so... "

"Unruly?" Thena raised her mug partially and then lowered it again. She was also forgetting it was completely empty.

"I was gonna say annoying." Thena burst into a full, real laugh, much to Gil's delight. Sure, they made great pictures, but she also just had a cute laugh. "But maybe unruly would be better for my career."

"I wouldn't think you would have any problems," Thena tilted her head. "Last I checked, you were so in demand I couldn't even get a request for you submitted."

"You put in a request for me?" His head shot up like a dog hearing about a walk, or a treat. Thena toyed with the ends of her hair, but he grinned. "I wish it had gone through, but I was Spain for a while for two weddings back to back. No wonder you couldn't get me."

"Indeed," Thena mumbled, a little more reticent after her accidental reveal to him.

"But hey, I'm back now," he shrugged.

"Hm," she moved from one side of the window to leaning against it directly back to front. "Do you like doing weddings?"

"Honestly," Gil set the camera on a timer and took a seat, "no."

She laughed again.

"It's long, I have to move around a lot," he grumbled, recalling the endless days in the hot Castilian sun. "Everyone's stressed, and tired, and cranky, even if they act like they aren't. And there's never enough time to set up."

Thena gave him a smile that seemed equally sympathetic and teasing, "doesn't your style need less set up than most?"

"Well, sure," he shrugged, practically pouting, "but I still have to check the lighting and choose my settings and my lens and stuff!"

"Right," she smiled and shook her head. That was a perfect one to snap.

"Anyway, we got through it, at least," he rolled his eyes. "The last one I had couldn't even save me a meal while I was shooting the reception! I had to go beg the catering guys for leftovers!"

"That does seem to be so neglectful it borders on cruel," Thena admitted, setting the mug down. "Do you have anything?"

Oh, he had gotten the money shot several minutes ago. Her smiling in the window, the sun on her shoulder, catching in her white-blonde hair. He just liked talking with her. "Yeah, I think so."

Thena abandoned the empty mug and came over to him. She wasn't that vain a creature for a model, but she did like seeing when he had something he personally quite liked. "Wow."

"It's good, right?" he smiled as she tucked herself around his shoulder to look at the picture that would probably be front and center for the store advertisements.

"I look-" she blinked, shaking her head as if in disbelief.

"Stunning," Gil supplied, and it broke whatever spell was over her, leaving some shyness in its place. He grinned, nudging her gently, "come on, you do!"

Thena cleared her throat, taking a step away from him and back under the lights, "it's a great picture, Gil."

That almost sounded like a challenge; he smirked, "there are more to come. Let's see if we can get you curled up on a windowsill."

"Oh, no, no, no," she shook her head adamantly.

"We can fake it," he suggested, but Thena stayed strong, laughing all the while. "You can sit on the table and I'll just edit you."

"I'm not sitting on the table!"

[oldtvserieslover]

You know. I thought about Thenamesh. I specifically thought about Thenamesh AUs from @softquietsteadylove because this beautiful person has the absolut magnificent way with words.

Hear me out people! I love this ship with my whole heart. I love every AU but THIS. THIS fits only to this two AUs.

Thenamesh Secretary or Ice Queen/Tyrant King AU.

And I came to this conclusion: this Partnerlook? Powerful, elegant and goddamn beautiful. The power they hold. Sexy, handsome and dear god I’m THIRSTY for them. Look at them. Fucking hell.

[irunaki]

hiii just wanted to say ur art style is AMAZING I love the way your lines and colors look they’re gorgeous

also wanted to say your designs are SO COOL especially Hermes, the combination of animals in his design along with the outfit by itself (we can all agreed that big poofy pants are the coolest pants)) is just amazing

also question: is owl-thena able to turn her head completely behind her like an owl? Cause I think it would be funny if she could cause it would freak all the suitors out lmao

omg tysm!!!!!! <3333 i lov drawing animal based characters, im so happy like them :))

and she is! here's a gif i did a while ago of then xd

[u3pxx]

hi! just popping in to say I love your art, and also that I made a little fanart of your older Athena and swap!Athena designs! They are wicked cool 🙏 thank you for sharing your creations!

oh goodness hello!!!?!?? 🥺💛💛💛

these are amazing, oh my god!!! thank you for drawing my thena designs, the way you drew them looks oh so very charming <33 and it's just so cool to see other ppl draw the things you design yknow 🥹🥹🥹 so cools ....

[cubedmango]

I was inspired by your thena drawing and how we were robbed and made art of it hope that's okay <3

THIS IS AMAZING WAAHH ??? she looks so cute in ur style, i love the colors and lighting !! thank u sm for sharing omg 🥹💜

[redheadspark]

Can you write that Druig x Fem!eternal!reader have a fighting training moment, he tease her little bit during that so...😏 just fluff

A/N - Hey! Sorry for taking so long, I had to finish my prompt session! This was amazing to write, thanks for requesting this, anon!

Soft

Summary - Druig knows how to talk, but you know how to fight.

Warnings - Some teasing and some fluff :)

“Again.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, do it again,”

You eyed him as he was making fists at his sides, his icy blue eyes were watching you like a predator who was eyeing his game.  To him, he probably thought this was a game, which made sense since he was the one who wanted to spar with you and learn how to fight.  Properly fight, in his words.  

But for him to ask you?  That threw you off since you knew you weren’t the best fighter amongst all the Eternals.  That was left to Thena, she made fighting look so easy and almost like a dance.  Even Gilgamesh was better at fighting than you were, with his brute strength he would knock a boulder back as if it were a flower petal.

Druig was no fighter, being the mind reader of you all he stayed out of the physical fights against the Deviants.  He could control a crowd of humans instantly with a simple gaze, so there was no real need for him to get his hands dirty.  

But he was intrigued and wanted to learn, which is what brought him to you one afternoon on the Domo before you were going to go on patrol with Gilgamesh.

“You just wanna….learn?” You asked him, seeing him fold his hands behind his back and simply give you his signature smirk and a shrug.

“Better to prepare myself in case it’s needed,” He replied smoothly, you giving him a suspicious look.  Druig was always mysterious to those around him, whether he tried to be or not.  There was always something hidden within him that no one could pinpoint, and this was one of those instances.  You looked from him to Gilgamesh, who simply shrugged and chuckled as you looked back at Druig.

“Why me?” You asked, seeing him smirk at you as his eyes drilled into yours.

“I heard you’re an excellent teacher,” he smoothly replied.  Gilgamesh snickered behind you, and you felt the tips of your ears burning.  Something in your mind was telling you that he was playing games with you, wanting to get a rise out of you and make you sweat.  He was always like this with the others, with you, when it came to his own amusement.  Snide remarks, and jokes under the breath, but they were all harmless in a way.  Yet this time, just in the way he said it and in how he was observing you for your reaction, you didn’t feel like giving him the light of day.

“Fine,” You replied shortly, seeing him grin widely in return.  

“Fine,” he echoed.  But you were already thinking of a great way to teach him how to fight.

By breaking him.

“Druig, I’m not gonna keep going if you’re on the verge of breaking an arm,” you advised him as he was souring off again, his feet planted on the ground and the adrenaline still seeping through his skin.  You could see it, his energy draining him with every round you two were doing.  It was making you want to ease and pull back a bit, but the other times you tried he was pushing you to not hold back with him.  From the very start, he wanted you to be hard with him, which surprised you when you both met up together in one of the smaller rooms in the Domo that was turned into a makeshift training room.

“I don’t want easy, understand?”

“You sure you wanna request that?”

“Yes. Don’t hold back with me,”

“I can do It,” he said to you, but even his voice sounded out of breath with his hair plastered to his head.  You rolled your shoulders, feeling some of the strain yourself since you both were sparring rather hard this day.  It was getting hard for you to find a good spot to pin him down, he was a faster learner and was picking up on questions and punches quickly.  Compared to the very beginning, you would be throwing him over your shoulder within two moves or knocking him off his feet with a swipe of your leg.  He wasn’t quick or light on his feet, he mostly had lead feet and slow hands.  

But if there was one thing Druig would never do, was quit.  

He took every beating and every defeat, his skin would be covered in bruises and his muscles would scream out in strain as the days rolled by.  But he would always show up, you think that he would fold after the first week or two.  Not that you had no faith in him, you did to a certain point.  But Druig was never a fighter by nature, and for him to go against his nature didn’t seem like him at all.  

“I’m not saying you can’t, I’m saying I won’t.” You changed your wording, though now he was giving you an inquisitive look while you placed your hands on your hips.

“Sounds like you’re going soft on me,” he teased to which you raised a brow.

“This coming from you who is about to collapse in exhaustion,” You countered back, though he cracked a big grin.  You knew this was part of his game, using his words as a weapon to try his opponent off.  He did it with Ikaris so many times, along with Sprite when those two would get in a spat.  But now he was trying it with you, and you were trying your best to not let it show.

“You would like to see that, wouldn’t you?” He hummed, maybe hoping that you would smile.  But it was only giving your more adrenaline, to wipe the smirk off his face and to make him eat his words.  He saw your fists at your sides getting tighter and tighter, your legs locking in, and your eyes training in on him.

“Fine, we’ll go one more round,” You replied shortly, Druig’s smirk getting a bit bigger.  Perhaps he thought he got the best rise out of you and was going to win this little game he liked to play. But then again, he must not have known the side of you that you rarely showed the others, only in the heat of battle.  

“You know, softness does look good on you,” He said lightly.  You felt the lick of adrenaline come back over you again from his words, which were trying to shoot you like darts and trying to penetrate you.  But all you wanted to do at this point was shut him up, to somewhat put him in his place with how he was treating you.  There was no doubt you two were friends, but he also knew how to use his words to make himself feel superior.  It worked on Ikaris, on Sprite, and now he was trying to work it on you.

No. Not gonna happen

You made it across the room in a few strides, dodging the first punch he threw out with ease, and threw one back.  The sparring was brutal now, both of you going swiftly and with ease as punches and kicks were being thrown left and right.  Neither one of you were holding back, some cheap shots to the jaw or to the ribs and you dodging everything he gave you.  You did the same with him, noticing how quick he was now and simply not just trying to avoid a punch. 

But he got you in a good enough hold with both of your arms, his own arms wrapped around yours tightly as he was pressed against your side.  You tried to shrug it off one or twice, but he had some strength against him now as he chuckled right against you, almost in your ear.  His body heat longing for yours, his sweat mingling with yours, and simply being this close was enough to make you almost forget the position you were in.  The kind of intimacy that you had with the others being on the ship for so long together, you all had a connection of family and of leaning on one another.  

But this, this was different, this felt like a different kind of intimacy that you never felt before. The kind to make your heart beat a bit faster, to make your head a bit lighter, and that sense of safety being close to him.  But it was odd since he was always there, from the moment you all came to Earth.  Yet now, it felt like a shift.

“I like seeing this side of you, you know,” he said against your ear, making you almost shiver as you were still trapped in his hold, “And to think I got you all soft too,”

You glared.  That did it.

Pivoting with your leg, you pushed it up to be parallel to your body, then pushed Druig a bit to have your foot hit him square in the head as a distract him.  It worked, his grip on your arms loosening slightly but enough to have you move.  Throwing your leg back down as he stumbled from being kicked between the eyes, you know him back with your body and turn to back him.  You knocked him off his feet with your leg within a millisecond, seeing him fall on his back and you perched over him.  Grabbing his arm to pin it down with one hand and the other hand on his neck, right on a pulse point where you knew was his weak spot.

It all happened so quickly, one minute he had you pinned against him and the next he was pinned beneath you on the ground.  But something inside of you snapped, something animalistic and that wanted to prove that you weren’t going to be swayed by him.  You knew your own strength, your own worth when it came to being in a fight, and your ability.  But the way Druig was looking up at you, pinned to the ground and having no way of getting out of it, you saw something in his eyes.  There wasn’t hate, nor was there rage that you won at his own game.

Shock?  Astonishment?  What was it?

“Am I soft now?” You asked, your hand on his neck still soft enough to let him breathe but there was still a grip to keep him in control.  He gulped, you feeling it along your fingers as his blue eyes were searching yours.  Now he was hard to read, which was bothering you now since you felt like you went too far in both kicking him in the head and slamming him to the ground.  But then again, he was keeping his eyes on you.  No longer was he looking at you like some prize, there was another way he was looking at you.  Yet you couldn’t pinpoint it.

“No,” He gasped, not in pain, but out of breath.  Slowly, you were moving your hand away from his neck, right where you were feeling his pulse dancing against his skin and along your fingers.  This was a new sense of intimacy neither of you ever experienced with one another before, and it was fresh and raw and new.  Something inside of you was frightened by this, but it also felt….right. 

You released his arm and his neck, moving quickly to go back up on your feet and holding your hand out for him to grasp.  He was still sprawled on the floor, frozen like he was stuck against the ground, and had his eyes still on you in amazement.  You surprised him plenty of times in sparring sessions, yet this didn’t look like a surprise.  It looked like he was….having an out-of-body movement.

“We’re done for the today, okay?” You asked gently, seeing him finally move his arm up to grasp your hand.  You hoisted him up, seeing him nod his head and still silent as you smiled.  The mood was still tense amongst the pair of you, but it was better than how it was a moment before when you two were tangled in each other’s arms.  

“Come on, let’s get some food,” You said to him, seeing him smile in return for the first time.  It made you feel better to see him smile, not to see him scowl or seem angry with how you handled him. But then again he did ask for you not to hold back, to not reserve your strength to him.  You walked on, thinking he was behind you as you were feeling rather flushed from what just occurred.

You didn’t realize that you left Druig there, speechless with one of his hands reaching up to touch his neck where your fingers were.  You didn’t realize that his mind was turning and wandering to new thoughts, and new feelings.  

You especially didn’t realize that he was suddenly enraptured with you.

The End.

Tagging - @a-lumos-in-the-nox @botanicalbarnes @virtueassassin @saradika @heartofwritiing @pemberlyy @heliosphere8 @reader6898

[redrydersrequiem]

Golden eyed phantom ch 1

Pairing Druig x reader

Rating explicit 18+ only minors ageless blank and non unadapted blogs will be blocked.

Plot: phantom of the opera au

Warnings: Some smut (im still learning how so go easy on me) fingering, dream sex, mind control but not dark)

The opera de popular was one of the crown jewels of paris, a place where dreams and nightmares can become a reality. It’s also where young (y/n) (l/n) found themselves living after the untimely death of their only living relative, their father.With no living family and no prospective husband (y/n) would have been homeless if not for Madame Ajak,the kindly dance instructor of the opera and a dear friend to the girls late father.

Madame Ajak became the mother you never knew, kind, caring, always able to cure any physical ailment that seemed to bother her or anyone else, with Madame came Sersi. She was another girl that had grown up in the opera. Madame Ajak was unable to have children of her own so she adopted Sersi when she was just a baby. The young woman was only a few years older then (y/n) and the two became fast friends. Sersi showed you the ins and outs of the opera house, really the ins and outs of Paris. Many times she would take you out and about to learn about your new home and everything in it including the rest of the people that would make up your new family. The first members you met came in the form of Gilgamesh and Thena.

Gilgamesh was the chief of security for the opera house. He was a giant boulder of a man well built and very intimidating at first glance, that is until he smiles at you and turns into the giant teddy bear he is. Always making sure all of us are safe and sneaking in baked goods every now and then. You wouldn’t know just from looking at him but he was an amazing baker, especially his pies they were to die for. With Gilgamesh came his partner Thena,she was gorgeous a goddess without even trying. She was the stunt, fighting and weapons expert for the opera and many other production houses in Paris. Many people thought she was a model but the mere thought made her grimace, “Why would I want to be a model and have to care what everyone thought of me?” Even though she had a tough exterior she was also very kind in her ways. Thena was determined for all of us younger girls at the opera to be able to protect ourselves, teaching everyone basic self defense and warning signs and so on and so forth. She was truly a ferocious mama bear if she wanted to be, to you she just became a protective aunt.

Next up was, without a doubt, your favorite trio, Phastos,Sprite and Makkari. All three worked backstage, keeping the opera house running as fabulously as it does. Phastos was the head engineer/ prop master. If something needed to be built he was the guy, his creations awe inspiring, some looking as though they had come straight out of the future, but he was still humble enough to answer any questions you or anyone had about the devices. Alongside Phastos worked sprite. She was young that was undeniable but boy was she talented, A true artist she was the head set designer and painter. Everything she created was so stunning you couldn’t even tell it wasn’t real. While Phastos was somewhat humble, Sprite was spunky, quick witted and sharp tongue when wronged. She halted being looked down on because of how young she looked and would lay into anyone who belittled her.

Makkari was a completely different story, even though she was deaf that did not stop her. Always with a kind smile on her face she ran around helping pull everything together. She was the resident lighting and stage hand always in the right place at the right time, almost like there were seven of her. When she wasn’t working she would be in the shopping district, dragging (y/n) with her to oogle all the shiny and sparkly Knick knacks, all the beautifully colored fabrics and imports coming in. In fact that's how Kingo was introduced.

Kingo was a fashionista, a real eye for how to make everyone look their best with one look.he was the opera's resident costume designer / understudy. Kingo dreamed of being on stage; he knew all the words, all the songs, everything, but sadly his time in the spotlight had not yet come. Everyone always reassured him his time would come, in fact you would always run lines with him whenever he was feeling down, he was over the top dramatic for sure but so entertaining. Probably the only thing more entertaining was picking on him with sprite and makkari. His reaction to the twos joke always brought a smile to your face, and was almost a bonding experience with the other girl.

During the day there was enough to distract you from your sullen thoughts. In particular the formation of a new found family, always there to relieve you of your boredom and loneliness but at night it was a different story. About a month after you had arrived you sat in the opera's small chapel, lighting a candle for your fathers soul. You guess your gentle weeping is what brought forth the angel's song, but all you really remember is the gentle glowing gold of the candles or at least you think it was the candles but you didn't really care as the feelings of calm wash over you with the soft timber of the angel's voice. At night or really whenever you were alone the angel would speak to you. Teach you the ways of the opera house and the music that went along with it. He was a mystic presence, always there but never in reach.

He invaded your whole life, when not learning from him at night your dreams started turning to him.

It would start with his voice, hearing it in your head as you drifted to sleep, the scene would change to a candle lit backdrop, soft smells of vanilla fill the air, a dreamy feeling wanders around you, then you would feel hands wrap around you. They were strong, long fingers as they wandered up and down your frame. You dare not turn around not wanting the feelings he provokes from you to end too quickly.

You watch as those glorious hands gently slide up your leg taking your thin night shift with them until they reach your core. A branding iron of heat in eloping you as he probes you. Fingers lightly playing with your clit as his lips caressed your ear, words ringing through your very soul it felt

“My beautiful beautiful muse, I've waited so long for you. I’ll never forget the day I first heard your voice, it was like hearing a blessing.”

You couldn’t even articulate words to reply to him shivering as hard as you were from merrily his touch.

“I can not wait for the day you truly belong to me. Mind. Body. And soul”

You feel his fingers stroking in tune to his words. Marking his point deep within your walls, but before you are able to climb to the peak a loud ringing sounds from beside you

“Ignore it”

You try of course but the ringing doesn’t stop. With each ring the scene around you shakes, deteriorating back into the blackness that waits behind your rapidly opening eyes. You sit up in shock, eyes trying to adjust to your bedroom as your alarm rings beside you. Your body still shivering from the after effects of the dream you just had.

Five years had passed, under your teachers guidance your gift bloomed but the only people you would even attempt to try to sing for would be your new family, and that was only light humming. The dreams became normal as well. Usually they happened after working with your mysterious and gracious master. You never learned anything more about him. All you knew was his voice but the one in your dreams seemed to evolve.

First was his hands and then his arms then his legs,his back,even a head of dark brown hair. But never his face. It was starting to vex you honestly, every time waking up from the pure euphoria of those dreams too have reality slap you in the face of how lonely you felt. Not that your new family did not appease your heart, in fact being with them was as natural as breathing. To be honest you couldn't describe what was wrong with you, all you could summarize it as was that it felt like part of you was missing.

A week after your 24th birthday the new owners of the opera appeared and with them came someone familiar.

“Listen up everyone!” Mr Richard's the old owner calls to everyone, all of us currently gathered on the main stag rehearsing the latest show

“I would like to introduce the new owners of the opera Monsieur Nelson and Monsieur Murdock.”

Everyone claps all clambering around to get the best views of the two young owners. You had to admit neither were horrible looking, you thought it was interesting for a blind person to want to buy an opera but it made sense to, even if he couldn’t see the performances, listening to them was the next best thing.

‘Thank you all, thank you we are both very happy to start our adventures in the arts.” Mr Nelson started “We would also like to introduce our generous backer Count Ikaris de solar.” Finished Mr Murdock to when a handsome brunette stepped onto stage to everyone’s approval and applause.

“Ikaris?” You gasped out as everyone continued to clap and awe over the count

“Do you know him (y/n)?” Sersi asks confusingly

“Yes, we knew each other as children. We were somewhat close before his family moved away, I can’t believe that's truly him.”

Before you get another word in, a loud clearing of the throat silences everyone. Mademoiselle Ayesha and her pompous son Adam, step through the crowd in their fine costumes. The madame was the current lead soprano for the opera even though you thought she couldn't sing for shit. Her voice was almost as grating as her attitude towards everyone. Sprite assumed the only reason she was given any parts was because of her stupidly wealthy family and late husband. But you choose not to comment on that. The woman stands there covered in gold and signals to the maestro to start at the top of her aria once more

Oh no she's starting again Sersi says from beside you already getting ready to cover her ears. In fact you can even see the housekeeping staff in the audience stuffing Cotton in their ears. The woman doesn’t get but a few lines in the aria her screeching tone ringing through the stage before the rolled up backdrop above her comes crashing down. The light but sturdy fabric lands on top of the soprano pinning her belly flopped to the stage floor to the shocks and screams of everyone around.

They rush to help the woman up but the damage to her pride is too great. She starts screeching about all the previous accidents directed at her, of all the misfortune and indignity that has befallen her and how she will not stand for it any longer. Mr Murdock simply stands there letting the scene unfold as Mr Nelson loses his mind along the diva as she. Stomps her heel gathering all her things, her son and their people and promptly leaving

The new owners were in a tissy (mostly foggy) wondering how they are supposed to open tomorrow with no star. How this whole adventure is now wasted. Madame Ajak promptly interrupts, saving Mr Nelson from a full melt down, handing the duo a dark black envelope with a giant red wax seal on it.

“Where did that come from?” You ask Sersi

“That confirms it then, It must was the phantom”

“The phantom?”

“Have you honestly not heard the others talk about this?

“No?”

She just shakes her head at you before filling you in on the details

“He's a mysterious person, some say he’s a ghost, others a demon but no one knows for sure. They say he's been here forever always making his presence known. In fact the previous owner used to pay him a monthly wage just to appease him, that and that box number 5 be kept empty for him whenever he wishes. Everything was going well but this past couple years he has gotten a little more devious.

“Why?”

No one really knows, and everyone’s afraid to ask or look around afraid they’ll never be seen again.

Before you can ask sersi more your name is being called.

“(Y/n)(l/n) can do it.”

What?” You had missed the conversation between the two new owners and Madame Ajak

One of your dances can replace the star diva from the past 5 years.? Your sure about that?

“Foggy why don't we give the girl a chance”

“Matt this is doing nothing for. My nerves

You stand there like a deer in headlight hoping you could somehow slip to the back and out of sight but Sersi sees you growing anxiety and gently but firmly directs you towards Ajak.

Madame gently took you from her daughter and lead you to the center of the stage

“Madame what,,,,but,, I,,,”

“It will be alright dear. I've heard you practice these last couple of years when you sneak off at night, and i know your teacher has taught ypu well”

“My teacher?”

Ajak just gives you a knowing look before she turns towards the maestro and nods at him leaving you standing there as everyone watches.

You hear quiet cheer from stage left where your little opera family all stand giving you thumbs up and right smiles, trying to ease your nerves, though it doesn’t really help, it's not till you look up towards the grand chandler that that gentle calming glow envelops your senses once more.

“From the top of the aria mademoiselle”

The band picks up and the music begins to play

To be honest you don't remember much after that. It was a whirlwind of activity. Being swept off stage and quickly fitted into costumes, stage managers telling you where you need to stand, color spotting you with lights all the fixing basically to make it seem like you were always meant to be in the role.

You didn't know that while you sang your heart out on stage a certain young count had finally taken notice of you

“(Y/n)?”

“That’s the girl that used to follow you around?” Count Arishem Ikarus’s father ask begrudgingly

“Yes father that's the daughter of that famous violinist tha lived near our old summer home.”

“Well, well we may have found ourselves a diamond in the rough after all. The elder count scrutinizes the crowd all gawking at the peasant, like she's a princess. All he sees is an opportunity to boost his family further, the gears of his plan already forming in his mind.

Phantoms pov

There she is at last! Right where she belongs, my beautiful beautiful muse.

[quirkwizard]

Praise the Wizard! Training, evolution, equipment and super moves for the Quirk Body Paint? Plus do you have any visuals how it looks like since they can be manifested?

So I know you just recently created this quirk, but I’d love any sort of expansion or potential tattoo ideas for body paint. I’ve always wanted some sort of tattoo quirk but struggled with balance so this is perfect

Does your Quirk Body Paint summon weapons similar in dimension like Thena’s weapons? Like as in 2D-esque? Or all the tattoos manifest in 2D like

I prefer to leave more aesthetic choices up to the reader in case they want to go another direction with it, but I always imagined the tattoos as more stylized, 3D projections.

Training "Body Paint" would have the user practicing with all the different formations of their tattoos. Since this Quirk is so varied in what it can shape, it'd mostly come down to person preference. Regardless of what they make, they should try to get themselves to make as many variations as they can, both in shape and location, and break them as much as possible. That way they can try and force the tattoos to form, move, grow back faster and more efficiently. Another useful bit of training would be the user reading up on and planning designs for their tattoos, helping them focus on what to make and helping to promote specific imagery for branding reasons.

Evolutions would be a lot more skilled based and less on expanding the actual stats of it. It's more about learning the Quirk then it is making it stronger. For example, the user learning to apply their tattoos reactively. Not only would this help to protect them from attacks, but help them switch between tattoos more easily. Think something like someone performing a combo move, constantly switching between moves as they fight. Another cool idea would be the user spread their tattoos to other people on contact. This would effectively rob the user of their ability for a time and they wouldn't be able to change it once it's applied, but it'd be an amazing supportive option.

Finally, it could have all sort of options for equipment. It all depends on what the user wants to focus on. For example, they could carry around items to augment the tattoos they use, such as a series of metal plates to be used with the tattoos to make up for their mediocre durability. Maybe those same plates could be used for the user's own armor, removing the need to use the tattoos as protection. As for their look, they could take inspiration from some of the cultures that inspired the Quirk, such as Indian and Polynesian garbs. However, there is the more neutral subcultures that heavily feature tattoos, such as something inspired by bikers or punks.

[specialagentlokitty]

Athena x reader - relax

Hi, It's me and I was curious about 911. I'm hoping for Athena x fem reader that plans some stress relief. Feet rub and leg massage with some lit incense, nice home cooked dinner. Just a sit down and be pampered kinda of thing ya know? Please and thank you - @fangedreject 💜

It had been a hard week for you, work had been stressful and hectic, all you did was sleep, head to work, go home, eat, then sleep again.

You had barely seen Athena.

So when you came home and you were about to unlock your door and you could smell your favourite vanilla incense you paused for a moment.

Then you slowly unlocked the door.

“Darling?” You called.

“You’re home.”

Athena came padding out of your kitchen and greeted you at the door, hugging you softly and kissed your cheek.

“Come on love, sit down.”

Athena led you to the couch and sat you down, bringing you over a glass of wine she sat next to you, placing her hand on your leg.

“I haven’t seen you all week.” She spoke softly.

“I know ‘thena, it’s just.. works been so busy I’m really sorry.” You sighed.

She picked up your legs, putting them in her lap and she ran her hand up and down your calf, smiling warmly at you.

“Hey it’s alright I get it, it’s been a bit hectic all over the place. But dinner will be ready in five minutes, then you can get ready for the most relaxing night of your damn life.”

You laughed softly and nodded your head, smiling at her.

Dinner was amazing, Athena cooked your favourite meal from scratch, and when you both finished, she sat you on the couch again.

She sat looked at you, messaging your legs and you just smiled softly at her.

“You’re the best you know that?” You smiled.

“I believe me I know.”

You both laughed.

“Do you want a bath?”

“Oh god yes, I want to melt away my skin and stress.”

Athena laughed loudly and she pat your leg, moving them so she could stand up.

Walking over she placed her hand on your face and softly kissed you.

“Come on then.”

You happily followed behind her and sat on the bathroom floor while she ran you a bath, adding your favourite bath salts and bubble bath.

“Athena?”

She hummed, turning around to look at you and you got up, walking over you wrapped your arms around her waist, placing small kisses to her shoulder.

“I love you…”

“I love you too, now go for your bath.”

You beamed as she walked out and you just sat in the bath for nearly an hour relaxing.

When you finally got out, you wondered to the bedroom to find candles lit, your favourite film on, snacks and drinks all laid out and Athena sat reading a book.

Gasping softly you walked over and crawled across the bed and cuddled yourself next to her.

Immediately Athena put her book down and wrapped her arms around you.

“How’s that stress?” She asked.

“Pretty much non existent.”

“Good.”

She kissed your head and you rested your head on her shoulder, holding her lightly and she messaged your scalp with her other hand after she began to play the film

[softquietsteadylove]

Helloo, how are you?

So its halloween and i have a little request for something scary. Maybe the eternals somehow end up in this very old and problaby haunted house, and then the ghost in said house take a liking for Thena, so they start to hide her and make the others see her when she is not there. And poor Gil is more scared that he would like.

(Also thank you for answering to my asks🩷😭)

"This place really is massive," Gil commented mildly as he moved the flashlight around the walls. It was just the sound of their steps and their breathing. The halls of this old asylum were oppressively quiet.

"It's easily the largest space we've ever been in," Thena agreed as she too moved moved her light to examine their surroundings. "Its a good thing the others agreed to come with us to man the equipment."

Their friends were being good sports about it, whether or not they were present as true believers or because if half of their group was already in, they might as well all come.

"I hope they don't hate me for dragging them out here all Halloween night," he gulped as they turned a corner down - what a surprise - another pitch black hallway.

Thena scoffed at the idea, though, allowing him to walk even closer to her, all but clinging to her arm. "Please, all they would be doing is loitering at Phastos' anyway. He and Ben would be watching something, Makkari and Druig would be pretending not to make out in the corner and Ikaris would be trying - and failing - to hold Sersi's hand during the whole movie."

Gil snickered beside her. Thena's observations could seem cutting at times, but they were never all that inaccurate. And they could be pretty funny, in that way. "I'm sure he'd get there eventually."

"I have yet to see it," she drawled about their mutual friend, more frenemy when it came to her and Ikaris in particular. "Speaking of, when did they last check in?"

Gil pulled pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Ground floor, do you copy?"

"Ugh, Gil--aye, we're still 'ere. You don't have to go all air traffic control for it."

Well, if he was going to be such a stick in the mud. Gil huffed, "roger that, Party-Pooper."

"Oi!"

Thena took his hand and pulled the walkie closer to her. "Sersi, tell us if he holds onto you too tight and we'll switch floors."

"Watch it!"

The constant radio static of the channel clicked again and Sersi laughed. "He's really quite all right, you two. Anything up there?"

"Nothing, so far," Thena sighed before remembering to add, "over and out."

Gil smiled as he put the walkie back in his pocket. Thena probably thought it was silly too, but she would never actually say anything. It was one of the many ways in which she indulged him on these ghost hunts. "Hey."

She looked at him, wondering what had caught his attention. Once she saw him wiggling his hand at her, her smiled turned a little bit shy as she slipped her hand into his. "Do you think they'll know what to look for?"

"I told them about what all the equipment does, they should be able to tell if they get any activity," Gil murmured as they turned down a hall into a more residential looking area. "Whoa, this looks like an actual house."

"This must have been an area for those in a palliative sort of care, like a true hospice," she muttered, pressing closer to him. It was still old floors and concrete walls, but there were now rooms with more than nothing, some even still had an old metal bed frame in them. There was a dresser or two, even a mirror.

Gil winced as their flashlights both hit it head on. He lowered his, but he blinked and rubbed his eyes after the fact. "Can't believe something like that is still standing in a place like this in one piece."

Thena had no comment on it, apparently.

"Kinda freaky, right?" he sighed as he rubbed at his eyes again before shaking it off. "Thena?"

He looked around.

"Thena?" he called out with a little more urgency. He moved the flashlight around, plenty of the room doors were open, but he would have heard her. He would have felt her, wouldn't he? "Thena?!"

He rushed to check each of the rooms, forgetting how creepy everything was. His stomping feet were echoing all over the place, but that didn't matter. "Thena, where are you?!"

All that came back was his own voice bouncing around. He was starting to panic.

"Thena, please, answer me!" he panted, even moving the creaky, old doors to make sure she wasn't hiding somewhere. How could she have just vanished into this air?

He shouldn't have let go of her hand.

"Thena, please!" he shouted, retracing their steps, shining his flashlight down every hall he passed. He knew most of them led to dead ends. Where could she have gone? His hand pulled out the walkie-talkie again, fumbling with it a little. "G-Guys?!"

"Gil, what's wrong?"

"Th-Thena!" he gulped, knowing they needed more information than that. "She was right next to me and-and now-"

"Whoa, Gil, slow down. Nothing's happened to Thena, I'm sure she just went to look at something that caught her eye," Sersi attempted to diffuse his worry.

"Why the hell weren't you keeping an eye on her?" Ikaris snapped at him in sharp contrast.

"Oi," Druig chimed in on his set. "You all need to calm down, I just saw 'er."

"What?" Gil frowned. Druig and Makkari were on the second level, although most of it was sectioned off thanks to a fire from the last century. He rushed to the stairs, "you're sure?"

"Yeah, I saw her walk clear through that light grid you put up, actually," Druig narrated. He paused and then continued, "Kari saw'er goin' down the far stairwell."

"You mean the one to your left?" Gil asked, rushing down the main stairs so quickly he almost tripped at the very bottom. But he took off, full on sprinting.

"Yeah?"

Based on where they had set up, there was no way Thena could be on the stairwell to their left, because it led to absolutely nowhere, just a collapsed hallway downstairs and a boarded up room at the top. Whatever they had seen wasn't Thena.

"Keep your nightvision cam on, okay? And you two stay there--and stay close together!"

"Gil, man, you okay?" Ikaris asked a little more sympathetically, obviously hearing the urgency in his voice over the loud and static-y walkies. "Like Sersi said, I'm sure Thena's just fine."

"I'm on my way to you, just sit tight," Gil huffed. His chest felt tight, like it was on fire. He looked around, only now on the second floor. This place was such a massive hell hole, who knew what kind of malevolent spirits were in here. "Guys?!"

"Hold yer bloody horses, man, hell," Druig flashed his light at him from within the main hallway of the floor. As soon as Gil rounded the corner, though, Druig was already on his feet. Despite his words, his face was dead serious, "she really not with you?"

Gil gulped. Tears sprang to his eyes, although he knew this wasn't the time. He shook his head, trying to catch his breath. The light grid they had set up to pick up any kind of movement was still shining into the closed off areas ahead.

He jumped, but Makkari rubbed his back with a reassuring smile. Druig shone the light a little closer to them to illuminate her words. This place is like a maze, I'm sure she's looking for you too.

That was actually what worried him. He had screamed for her, at the very top of his lungs. And not only had he not heard anything back, but apparently none of their friends had heard him either, which seemed impossible.

And if he couldn't hear Thena, then how would he know if she needed his help?

"Where did you see her?" he asked, shining his own light closer to his face for Kari to read his lips.

She pointed. I swear I saw her walk through the grid. I thought she saw something in the window.

Thena would never walk through the light grid herself; it would compromise any evidence they got of a spectral figure. Still, Gil moved closer to it. He shone the flashlight into the corridor, through the propped open door. It was hard to tell with the light in the window reflection, but he was pretty sure it was just a boarded up, empty room through there.

Druig took the liberty of packing up the light grid and putting it back in his bag. "Take a look."

Gil slid closer to the darkened hallway. Despite never having been on one of these hunts before, all their friends were far less scared than he was. Maybe because they definitely didn't believe in ghosts. His heart hammered as he entered the suffocating dark of the hallway. He pressed his flashlight to the window of the door that was boarded closed. If something jumped up at him he might have a heart attack.

It was just a closed up room, full of evidence of fire damage. He angled the light around as best he could without giving himself nothing but reflection to look at. He jumped as some kind of movement caught his eye. He tried to follow it but it was gone as soon as he saw it. But he knew it moved towards the other door to the room.

And it looked blonde.

Druig and Makkari made room for him as he started running towards the main stairs again. "Come on!"

"If she's messin' with us she's makin' us go through a hell of a workout," Druig felt the need to chime in, following him down the stairs.

But Gil knew that wasn't the case. Maybe - maybe - she might mess with Ikaris a little, possibly Druig, all in good fun. But she would never make him worry about her like this, she just wouldn't. She would never scare him like this, not when it was always her calming him down on these hunts.

It really was like a labyrinth in this place. Gil leapt down the last two stairs and whipped open the doors to the main floor. "Did you see her?!"

Ikaris and Sersi both jumped off the bench of the entrance hallway. They looked at each other and then at him. They still had most of the equipment set up around them, and a floodlight pointed at the ceiling for a little more illumination of the area.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ikaris growled at him for storming in the way he did. "Didn't you see her on your level?"

Druig shrugged, "thought we did."

But Gil rushed past all of them, taking a right and pulling open the doors. This place was so massive, it was hard to keep track. But if the figure he had seen in the other room had been Thena, or worse, something else, it would have ended up in here. "Thena!"

Still, nothing but his own voice. It didn't echo like it did upstairs, though. He moved his flashlight around, seeing all the junk that was pushed into this empty but undamaged area of the building. He moved more slowly.

His heart was still hammering, but he made himself take each next step. He couldn't stop until Thena's hand was in his again. "Thena, are you in here?"

He could have sworn a voice whispered back to him. It would have been great potential evidence if he had any equipment or was recording anything. But for now, he took the potential whisper of 'she's mine' and scowled. "No, she's not."

Whatever whispered at him didn't have another reply to that.

Gil slid around a corner constructed of old office furniture, flashing his light in every nook and cranny. "She's my girlfriend! Whatever you are, find someone on your own plain of existence!"

Something rattled in a far corner. He really was going to have a heart attack in here. But he gulped, re-grasping his flashlight in his sweaty palm. No ghost was getting his precious Thena--not tonight.

He moved closer to the rattling. It was a doorknob turning. Okay, so he might die in here tonight. He hoped his friends would escape, at least. But if he did die, then maybe he could be with Thena. If she had died alone in here, he would never forgive himself.

There was a door, and the doorknob was turning.

Gil let out a breath and steeled his resolve again. He could do this. He would do this! He could do anything if it was for Thena. Thena, he repeated to himself as he reached for the doorknob, Thena, Thena, Thena.

As soon as he touched the doorknob, it was no longer locked, and flew open. Thena tumbled into the room, straight into his chest as he caught her. Both of their flashlights fell and rattled on the ground as they held onto each other.

"Gil!" Thena gasped into his shirt, burying her face in it as soon as she knew it was him. "I-I-I didn't--I-I thought-!"

"It's okay, it's okay," he gulped, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. It was really Thena in his arms, small and warm, blonde hair under his chin. His tears came again, and he didn't force them away, "you're really here."

Thena held onto him just as tightly, clawing at the back of his shirt so she could hold fistfuls of it. "I-I turned around and you were gone--just gone! And I tried shouting for you but I couldn't hear anything around me but silence. And then I thought I saw this--th-this thing-!"

"It's okay, I'm here," he whispered. He couldn't process any of what she was saying right now. All he could think about was the comfort of having his Thena in his arms again.

Slowly, they released one another. Thena sniffled, laughing as she put her hands on his cheeks. "I'm supposed to be the one here for you."

He laughed as well, just as watery and tearful. He put his hands on her cheeks as well, "I can be here for you, just this once."

She leaned into him again as he kissed her.

"You two okay?!"

Thena pulled back and picked her flashlight up first. She shone it around the room, "where are we?"

Gil frowned as she handed him his flashlight as well. "We're on the ground floor, in that side room we checked out first thing tonight."

"The ground floor?" she repeated, looking completely baffled. "We were on the third floor. I-I felt something pull me and I thought it was you, then I was in this completely other room. I was trying to find my way back to you in the hall."

Nice try, ghost creep; Gil took her hand, weaving their fingers together. He could carry his flashlight in his mouth if he had to.

"Gil," Thena continued to frown as he guided them back towards the entrance, "I didn't go down any stairs. We can't possibly be downstairs again."

"It's okay, Thena," he reassured her blindly. It didn't matter. None of it mattered, now that his fear was lifting. He waved as a flashlight circled from where the door was. "I got her!"

Collective sighs of relief were had. Ikaris was the first to bark at them, "what the hell, Thena?! You nearly scared the big guy half to death--that's not funny!"

"Shush," Sersi soothed the beast beside her, as she always did. "We're just glad you're both okay."

Druig and Makkari gave them both more curious looks, "where the hell were did you go?"

"I-" Thena looked at each of them, seeming completely stunned. "I don't know."

"Doesn't matter," Gil spoke up, more sure of this now than he had been about anything all night. "We're getting out of here--now."

He pushed through them, pulling Thena to the door to the outside, hand in hand. He could hear their friends packing up all the equipment behind them.

"Yappin' orders at us now, is he?" he could hear Ikaris gripe behind them.

"Stop it, they've been through enough." How did Sersi put up with him?

Finally outside, Gil took a deep breath. He put his hands on Thena's cheek again, urging her to do the same. She did, but she looked up at him. "Really Gil, I thought I was making my way back to you. I didn't even see any stairs, there's no way I could have-"

"We'll figure it out later," he resolved. They could do that in a safe place, where there was overhead lighting, and a warm mug of her favourite tea. Maybe he'd even have a blanket around her shoulders and massage her feet. "All that matters is you're safe."

Thena's face shifted to something like guilt. She looked down at their joined hands. "I thought I saw you."

"What?"

"What lured me away," she admitted quietly, and maybe with the first bit of true fear he had heard her voice all night. "I thought I saw you in one of those other rooms. That was what made me follow...whatever it was in there."

It had lured him the same way. But, again, that could wait until they were in a brightly lit space with firmly locked doors.

Gil kissed her forehead and pulled her into his arms. "I found you again, so it doesn't really matter."

"Hm," she sighed, nuzzling her face into his chest again. "I knew I'd find you, I guess you finding me is okay, too."

Ah, his invincible Thena. She was the truly unshaken of the two of them. But he had to admit, he was assured by tonight that he had what it took to square up if he really needed to. If it was for the woman he loved, at least.

[cdragons]

Truce Part 1

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Pairing(s): Ikaris x Persephone!Reader ft. Druig x Hecate!Reader Word Count: 2.7k Prompt/Summary: Ikaris and Druig have a discussion about the women in their lives (AKA: Ikaris is an idiot who thinks your best friend is a demon, and Druig is super in love with said demon). Warning: Slight mentions of death (no major characters tho), neurodivergent reader is neurodivergent, Hecate!Reader bestie is her own warning Note: Thank you to everyone who takes the times to read my writing even through it is likely way too self-indulgent to be considered in-character! Special thank you to the most amazing and incredible beta editor in the world, @valeskafics! If you have not, please go check her works! She mostly does HOTD, GOT, anything Ewan Mitchell, and literally EVERYTHING she writes is incredible!

It was safe to say that Ikaris was a confident individual.

This was a fact that applied to many aspects of his life.

He was confident in his abilities as an Eternal. He was confident in his faith in both his leader Ajak, and the Celestial that created him and his team members, Arishem. He was especially confident in his capability as a leader. This included carrying out missions, eliminating Deviants, and saving and “caring” about the fragile humans’ lives.

No matter what Druig implied.

But the one thing he could not say he was completely 100% confident about… was… understanding how he placed amongst the rest of the Eternals.

That wasn’t to say he wasn’t well-liked or even appreciated… but… he didn’t exactly know how some members “felt” about him.

He was more than well-received by certain members – Kingo and Sprite are the first Eternals that come to mind. He had earned the respect and trust of most of the group – as was shown by the trust Ajak put on him, along with the close bond he shared with Sersi. Thena and Gilgamesh certainly respected him as a fighter – but they never idolized him. In their eyes, he was more of a younger brother that they could share a drink and trade banter. He was on amicable terms with Makkari. Phastos and him never particularly bonded with each other, but the latter still trusted Ikaris’ judgement.

With Druig and Katelyn, both outright dismissing him most of the time –

No…that was putting it lightly…

Take the words “outright dismissed him,” and replaced them with “liked to act like bratty little shits and make him look like a fucking idiot;” along with the words “most of the time,” and replace them with “since they all left the goddamn Domo.”

…But he had no idea where he stood with you.

Sephia, the Eternal blessed by Arishem with the ability of absolute control of plants and the Earth. While Sersi made efforts to connect with the humans, you almost did everything in your power to avoid them. But no matter how you tried to avoid them, humans always adored you. They longed to catch a quick glimpse of the beautiful being that brought them aid whenever their crops were unable to bear fruit.

It was not only your powers that attracted them to you, but also the image you presented yourself to them. You were…heaven-sent – is how the humans saw you. Although fairly quiet, it was obvious to him that you were brilliant. Not only that, but you were fairly regimented in your diligence to your duties- something Ikaris greatly appreciated in a team member. You and Sersi worked together to only present them with their new crops, explain the various uses that would fit their lifestyle, show them how to properly harvest the crops and take a section of the seeds to replant, and then demonstrate how to properly plant them in a way that would yield the best results.

…It also helped how the sun would bring out that lovely flush to your skin in your demonstrations.

To them, your kindness and shy demeanor… along with your overwhelming beauty that was only further brought out from your flowing pink tunic with green twining and brass patterns… presented the very image of a Springtime Maiden.

You carried out your duties flawlessly, and always with so much efficiency that you always managed to have more than enough free time to go off on your little adventures to study the wildlife you had not created. You were curious as to how certain natural environments resulted in different lifestyle choices. You insisted that in studying the world around them, you would be able to better understand the humans’ lifestyle. A thought that was supported by Ajak whole-heartedly.

And it wasn’t only your duties to the humans that you carried out well – you even used your ability to control the plants that surrounded you to attack Deviants in desperate times. Sprite would spin tales of how the Sweet Spring Maiden Sephia could turn a little flower into a giant vine that could pierce through the skull of any deviant that came your way.

You were…different. That wasn’t to say you were strange…if anything…your differences made you…charming. Admittedly, he hadn’t paid much attention towards you at the beginning as he was initially attracted to Sersi’s kind demeanor. But he would always see you with her, and she would always insist on the two of you bonding. Your encounters with one another were awkward to say the least. But soon, he genuinely bonded with you…

Now, you were just the most fucking adorable being in the universe; which brought up the dire need to know where he stood in your life.

He just hoped that your “guardian angel” wasn’t with you at the moment.

“Well,” thought Ikaris, “demon would be a more accurate term in describing her.”

Kaetlyn was a different topic of conversation to say the least. Simply put, her abilities allow her to manipulate shadows and darkness. In battle, she would first scope out any areas that had Deviants to gain any information that would be an advantage. She would do this by either sending her shadows out, or just traveling through any shadows herself. Ikaris loathed to admit it, but her affinity for intelligence-gathering was far superior than the rest of them. Not only that, but she was a more than capable fighter. She would aim her dark arrows to the Deviant’s weakest point, and let the shadows embedded in it sink into their bodies to tear them from the inside out.

After its confirmed death, she would use her shadow portals to transport them to her personal laboratory at the Domo to “study” their anatomy and physiology. And if that wasn’t enough, Ajak just- just- ALLOWS IT! Even going so far as to ask for your assistance at certain times!

Ajak was one matter – after all, the Prime Eternal served as a maternal figure to everyone, including him – but he was more shocked at your eager involvement in the dark assassin’s hobbies. He could never forget how brightly you smiled when you ran towards him in excitement at your realization that encasing the decaying specimens in a mixture of various alcohol solutions and formaldehyde created a much more effective embalming methods than encasing it in an alcohol solution with herbs and spices.

You went on for hours about how you discovered the gas during one of the fires that nearly destroyed the village a few months back. Luckily very few of the villagers died, but you noticed how the victims who only died through exposure to the smoke decomposed much slower than normal. You then ended up trying to explain the process of precipitating the gas into a liquid solution, along with how to properly categorize it so that it wouldn’t be accidentally ingested. You and he ended up talking for so long that you ended up completely missing the feast held in celebration of the harvest that year. Ajak was quite cross with the both of you – Ikaris especially since he is usually so punctual with social engagements – but how could he be upset after having hours of your sole attention? You too were not put off by your leader’s slight scolding. On the contrary, you were more than relieved considering how much you hated these events.

You were kind and thoughtful; she was argumentative and crass. You were radiant brilliance; she was unhinged madness. You brought light and its hopeful beginnings; she oozed out darkness and all its mad chaos. You were life; she was death. So why did you latch onto her as if she was your only tether to the ground?

…You were being controlled by her- that had to have been it. Ikaris refused to believe that someone as wonderful and kind as yourself would willingly subject themselves to that-that-that- hell spawn!

“Y’know,” an annoyed voice broke his thoughts, “I’d really appreciate it if you’d didn’t call the love of my life a ‘hell spawn’.”

“For the love of Arishem,” thought Ikaris, “anyone but him.”

Taking a deep breath, he turned to find Druig.

“And I’m more than certain that our sweet Sephia wouldn’t exactly be ecstatic in knowing how you referred her very favorite person in the world that particular term either.” The mind controlling Eternal finished off with that damned trademark smirk of his.

Gods, Ikaris wanted nothing more than to shove that face a thousand feet in the ground right now. But he didn’t want to afford to lose his temper now. Not when he still hoped to find you.

“Pretty sure Ajak made it a rule for you not to use your powers on your fellow Eternals,” he snapped, “considering your habit of using it on the humans already.”

“Please,” he quipped back, “you’re the one pacing and muttering like a mad man in the middle of the courtyard.” He slightly cocked his head to the side in a facetious manner, “Anything I could help with?”

Ikaris didn’t want to tell Druig his plans…he wanted less for Druig to know about his plans with you. But Druig was close to you…even only through mutual association by Kaetlyn.

“Why are Sephia and Kaetlyn friends?” He blurted out.

“…Seriously?” Druig asked, “that’s what making act so crazy?”

“Just answer the damn question Druig.”

“…Why do you want to know?” The mind controller asked, very sure he wasn’t going to like Golden Boy’s response, but felt it necessary for his own peace of mind.

“…It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“Excuse me?” His tone was growing colder with each passing second.

“Druig, I understand that you are incapable of being objective towards your… lover,” Ikaris started, “but even you have to admit you found their friendship to be unusual?”

“I can’t say that I have,” Druig answered, “I happen to think my angel as a lovely individual. A sentiment also agreed on by most members of the team- even your biggest fan Kingo adores her. Unconventional views? Maybe. Relentless tenacity? Absolutely. But that is exactly the foundation my beautiful Kaet’s adoration of Sephia, and vice versa.”

“I don’t- wait- I don’t understand?” Ikaris interrogated the besotted Eternal, “All she does is question Ajak’s authority, and commit senseless acts of childish rebellion! How does that lead to her being close with someone -”

Druig’s blank stare was almost terrifying.

“What Ikaris?” he asked, “Someone like Sephia? And how do you see our Sephia? Someone dutiful? Beautiful? Kind? Sweet? Perfect? How wretchedly mundane and so very one-dimensional- even for you.”

“That’s not it,” Ikaris was getting angry, “stop putting words in my mouth-”

“It’s not exactly a hard thing to do with you, my friend. But you and Sephia aren’t particularly close. She may be cordial with you, but she’s like that with everyone. So why the interest?”

“…I know that…Sephia is considered…different,” Ikaris began, “from a behavioral standpoint – but- tha- that’s not- I don’t think of her any less because of it.” This was much harder than he expected.

Druig lifted one of his eyebrows, signaling for the taller Eternal to continue.

“I like her ‘quirks’ – I can’t say I understand what they are, but – I know that-that they are a part of her, and not in a way that her powers are hers. But I also know that, that they don’t make up who she is as a whole.” Why was his throat closing up? “And…I like that she sees me.”

“…Yeah, no shit genius, it’s not like you can turn invisible. Believe me, not seeing your face would be a great improvement to my life.”

Ikaris scowled while turning so he could fly far from the black-clad armored telepath, “Forget it, I don’t know why I thought to share this with you of all people-”

“You don’t feel judged around her, is that it?”

Ikaris stopped, and once more faced Druig. The shock on his face was almost hilarious…if only Druig wasn’t about to completely expose himself at the moment, then he could at least properly enjoy the dumbfounded look on Ikaris’ face.

“Do you feel like you can talk to her about anything? That you could trust someone with something so humiliating? And then you’re angry because once you actually said those, you’ve realized that you’ve given someone full ammunition of yourself for them to use against you?”

The silence between the two powerful immortals was stifling.

“But then time passes,” Druig continues on, “and even after you pushed them away, they still accept you. Because they saw you, not an image other people projected on to you. And despite all reason, they decided to stand beside you.”

Ikaris’ eyes were bulging out of his head, “How- how did you know-?”

“I know, because I’ve been there,” Druig’s eyes softened just a tad, “with Kaety.”

…What?

“…Well, if you’re so curious about their companionship, I suppose the best way would be to ask directly from the source.” Druig reasoned as he pointed his head to two figures walking towards them.

You, in a soft white tunic with a long pink skirt with some brass jewelry. Today, you decided to let your hair loose with a few braids. Ikaris thought it was a bit curious on how you detested the humans’ worship of you, yet you still preferred their clothing options as opposed to your armor that showed your Olympian origins. However, armor or not, you still glowed a soft and heavenly aura unique only to you. You were in deep conversation with Kaetlyn, who wore a simple white linen dress with a patterned dark blue border skirt and a silver chained belt, and styled her hair in a loose braid.

Noticing the figures in front of them, Kaetlyn immediately pulled a look of just absolute disgust at the realization that Ikaris of all people was interrupting her peaceful day. Curious to your friend’s strange reaction, you turned your head and let out a warm smile and waved enthusiastically to the two men. You were well-aware of your friend’s distaste of the taller Eternal, but he was always kind with you. Besides, if you could occasionally put up with Kingo’s hubris, Kaety could certainly tolerate Ikaris’ company for a few moments.

Druig stepped in view, and Ikaris saw how quickly your feral companion’s expression changed at the sight of her lover. She lightly jogged to meet him in the middle as she threw her arms around his neck. Looking the strange sight, Ikaris noted that when she genuinely smiled, she looked almost…approachable? Druig took Kaetlyn in his arms, and the two pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. And just like that, the spell was broken and Ikaris was inwardly cringing from disgust as he turned his head away from the sight.

As a result, he was unable to see Druig lean forward and softly whisper to her ear of the plight that their mutual grey-streaked hair irritation was experiencing. Wanting to dismiss it immediately, Kaetlyn recalls all the times your cheeks lightly flushed in Ikaris’ company. And despite her obvious distaste for the man, she could tell that he at least wanted to genuinely understand her best friend. And she was more than positive that you were feeling “something” for him; however unaware you were of it yourself. Taking pity on the man, she walked over to you and explained how Druig wanted to explore the area for hidden caves. As a result, you and her would have to continue your discussions of how to properly develop the Punica granatum and its nutritional benefits for expectant mothers at another time. But luckily, Ikaris would be more than happy to escort you back to the Domo.

Before walking away, Ikaris felt a sharp pinch to his side, and looked down to find Kaetlyn’s shadow pinching his? Annoyed, he looked up to reprimand her, but his blood ran cold meeting the shadow Eternal’s gaze.

“Do anything that causes her discomfort,” her eyes seemed to shout, “and I will make your own shadow tear you apart bit by bit.” Quickly turning her head, the dark wisps quickly reattached themselves to their mistress. And the two Eternals were left alone with only themselves for company.

Looking back at you as you basked in the daylight, its golden light only enhancing the glow from your softness. Ikaris had only one thought in his head as he tries his damnedest to not reach out and press your suppleness against his hard frame.

“Fuck.”

Tagging: @its-actually-minicika, @spacetalbot, @siempre-bucky, @beananacake, @ethereal-athalia

[callsigndragon]

The Christmas Date | Chapter 4: Santa Tell Me

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Fem!Kerner!Reader

(Ron Kerner is Slider, Iceman’s backseater)

Wordcount: 2.8k

Summary: Y/n “Athena” Kerner and Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw hate each other. Everybody knows. What happens when they have to fake date for a whole week to avoid Iceman and Slider’s matchmaking plans?

(there won't be smut in this series)

Warnings: OKAY SO. If there is any transphobic person reading this, i’m sorry but it’s time to LEAVE. Iceman’s grandSON is trans, Rooster/Thena being supportive godparents, Rooster’s ex-gf still being a bitch, body dismorphia, mentions of alcohol, CAR ACCIDENT (everyone's okay don't worry), driving under the influence, mentions of death, mentions of Carole's death... you know the deal.

A/N: Yeah, I know. I should be taking some time to rest. I got bad news today, my heart is getting worse again and I have to go through surgery BUT writing is my coping mechanism so expect more works soon.

Tag list:@ducks118 @milestellerwife @craftymoonchaos @littlebadariell @xoxabs88xox @alexxavicry @tayrae515 @shrimping-for-all @mak-32 @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @harper1666 @purplevortexx @abaker74 @ssprayberrythings @melllinaa @loveless-simp @k-k0129

(If you want to be tagged comment or sent an ask <3)

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The room is amazing. If you hadn’t seen it before, you could never tell that it had been filled to the core with princess things. You can’t wait to see your nephew and Rebecca, talk to both, and learn more about this new part of your lives that has just begun. 

“You went all extra with the Christmas tree.” says Nick looking at the 7 ft tree that Rooster bought. 

“Christmas this year is special. Let’s make it a one to remember” Bradley admits, looking at you. “Can I talk to you?” 

“Oh, am, sure!” 

You two move to the kitchen, Rooster seems to be a bit agitated. “What’s wrong?” 

“I don’t think we should lie to Jes- well, to him” 

You sigh, knowing that he’s right. How can you lie to that poor kid? You clearly haven’t thought about all the aspects of this ruse. 

“Rooster, I know what you mean but… If we tell him, everyone will know. And my father will bring that girl over for you to meet her” 

“Yeah, I know. I don’t think we have a choice” 

Then, as if that little kid knew you were talking about him, you hear a car park “That’s not Iceman’s car” you adduce, going to open the front door. They shouldn’t be here yet.  

Parked in front of the garage is Rebecca’s car. She is opening the door to your five-year-old nephew. Rebecca has a worried expression, and the kid climbs out of the vehicle, a black beanie on his head, and pulls the hoodie up to hide his face from the world. 

Rooster, who is beside you, gets closer to the kid, opening his arms to give the younger one a hug. “Hey, buddy! Long time no see” 

However, the kid enters the house, ignoring both of you, and runs upstairs. 

“He’s been like this all the way back home. I’m sorry, guys. He was excited about his new name but well… He wants it all and he wants it now. I'm happy to see you” Rebecca says, giving each a quick hug. 

“Is he okay?” 

“He’s been begging me to cut off his hair” Rebecca confesses, making the two of you nod. “I told him to wait to get home, so we could look up for some haircuts and see which one he likes best but…” 

“He’s still a five-year-old, Becca. It’s not gonna be easy” you tell her. 

Nick joins you outside to hug his sister. “Your son has gone straight to the bathroom. He didn’t even say hi” 

You look at Rooster before running all the way to the bathroom with him behind you. Everyone knows that Sarah’s special scissors for cutting Iceman’s hair are in the second drawer. And he knows too. You try to open the door, but it is closed. “Hey buddy, it’s Uncle Roos. Can you open for me?” 

“No!” yells a muffled, hurt voice from the other side of the door. 

“Y/n, he can hurt himself” Rooster mutters, as if you haven’t thought about it. 

“I know, shut up” you knock on the door softly. “Hey bud, can you tell me your name? Mom says you got a new one.”

There’s a silence that prolongs itself for a few seconds. You hold your breath trying to hear what is happening on the other side of the door but all you can hear is the quick, pounding sound of your own heart. 

“...Jesse” 

“Jesse, huh? That’s such a cool name” you sit on the floor, legs crossed, waiting for this to be a long conversation. 

“Thank you. I chose it myself” 

“You did? Woah, Jesse. That’s amazing. Much cooler than mine” 

“I’m not going to open the door” Jesse’s voice is calmer now, but still full of sadness. It breaks your heart. 

“It’s okay, pal. I just wanna talk. It’s been so long since we saw each other, I think you are a lot different now” 

“I’m different. But mom doesn’t want me to be different” 

You look at Becca over your shoulder. She’s biting her nails off. You need Jesse to open the door. And fast.

“You sure? 'Cause your mom called us this morning and told us to change your room. She wants you to be yourself, sweetheart.” 

“It’s that true?” you can hear him pout and it’s so painful to see him like that. 

“We got rid of all the princesses and now your room has a lot of Paw Patrol things. And we even found Marshall’s fire truck!” 

“Mom, did you do that?” the door is still closed, but he seems to be closer to it now. It's working. 

“Uncle Roos and Aunt Thena helped me, but yes. I told them to do it” 

“Hey, Jesse” Rooster speaks for the first time in a while. “I know what it is to hate what you see in the mirror. If you open this door, Aunt Thena and I will take you to the hairdresser, so they can get you a good haircut” 

“Promise?” Jesse asks, opening the door for you to see him. 

“I promise, buddy” 

Jesse hugs you and Rooster and then goes to his mom. “I’m sorry, mom… I just wanted to be like the rest” 

“I know, baby, I know. But you have to understand that you can’t get everything at the moment. Mom’s not a hairdresser. How was I supposed to cut your hair?” 

“I’m sorry… Can I see my room?” 

You all laugh at the sudden change in his tone. From being sorrowful to excited. Jesse can be a lot different now, but he’s still a kid, and he will do what a five-year-old does. Be loud, happy, get angry when he doesn’t get what he wants… Normal things for a kid. 

“Let’s go see it!” 

Nick, Rebecca, and Jesse go to see the room, and you stay sitting on the floor with Roos. It’s been a tiring day. And it’s not even noon. 

“I’ll go get the car ready” you say, getting up from the floor and leaving Rooster alone. 

I know what it is to hate what you see in the mirror

His words echo in your head, and several questions on the tip of your tongue are trying to make you turn around and find out the meaning behind his words. 

You have to remind yourself for a second that you hate him, that he took everything away from you, and that if he has a problem, he has a lot of people he can talk to. He doesn’t need you.

Rooster and Jesse stay at the beauty saloon, and you decide to go to a tactical gear shop nearby, hoping to find the perfect Christmas gift for your nephew. You, luckily, haven’t bought anything yet. And you hope to find a leather flight jacket for Jesse and maybe even get him his own name tag. You thought ‘Marshall’ would be cute as a call sign. 

You’re going out of the shop, gift secured in your bag, when your phone begins to ring. You pull it out of your jacket, smiling at the name appearing on the screen. 

“Natasha Trace, I love when you call me” 

“Are you dating Rooster and you didn’t tell me?! I’M YOUR BEST FRIEND” she yells angrily in your ear. You move the phone away from your ear, but even like that you can hear her. 

“Hello to you too, Nat” you roll your eyes. 

“Don’t roll your eyes, you little bitch” she says, as if she could see you. 

"We're not dating" 

"What? Hold on, let me FaceTime you" 

She hangs up and calls you again, this time you can see her face frown in a confused expression. "Spill" 

"Iceman and my dad were playing matchmakers, and we didn’t want random people at our table on Christmas Eve so… we lied,” you confess, sitting on a bench outside the beauty saloon. Rooster and Jesse are still waiting. 

“And here I thought you were finally getting laid” 

“Natasha!” you whine, covering your face with your free hand. 

“What? Facts only” 

“Oh wait, you know who we met this morning?” you say, trying to change the subject.  “Mandy” 

“Mandy as in Mandy the whore?” she questions. 

“That one. She was with Solo. They’re dating” you reveal to your friend. Her eyes are widening more by the second. 

“WHAT?! Oh my God do you think that’s why-” 

“Y/N? We see each other again!” 

You raise your head from the phone and see Mandy in the flesh. Gosh, you hate that stupid face she has. 

“Mandy! Nat, wait a second, don’t hang up” you say while getting up “Two times in the same day, what a coincidence!” 

She gives you the fakest smile ever, one that seems to be the result of years of practicing. “Yeah, it is a coincidence. Hey, Solo said that the four of us should go out one day, talk about the old times and all” 

“Oh, I’d love to, but we have only this week to be with the family, and then we have to go back to the base for months and-” 

“What about tomorrow?” she interrupts you, not being interested in anything you have to say. “There’s this pub in the center-” 

“O’Malley’s, yeah. I know where it is. Owner’s a friend” 

“See you tomorrow at 6, okay?” she insists, and you don’t have any other choice than accepting. 

Jesse comes running out of the establishment and grabs your hand. “C’mon auntie, it's my turn!”

“Oh, what a beautiful baby girl! What’s your name, princess?”  Mandy says, kneeling down to Jesse’s height. 

“I’m not a girl, you old bat” he says, pushing her and running away. You see how Mandy falls and slap your hand against your mouth to not laugh. From any other person, it would seem like you're embarrassed by your nephew’s actions. Those who know you well enough, however… They know you're enjoying every second of this. 

“I’m sorry, Mandy. My nephew Jesse is a bit… hot-headed. I’m gonna go with him and give him an earful. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye!” you move from her quickly, almost running, and when you’re far away, Natasha laughs hysterically. 

“Jesus, I love your niece” she says. 

“Nephew. It’s Jesse now. I’ll tell you later, okay? Gotta go” 

“Take care, Thena” 

You hang up and go with the two boys. “Jesse, what you did…” 

“Auntie, I know it’s wrong. I just don’t like her” 

“What did you do, young man?” Rooster says, walking with him to one of the chairs. 

“This old woman who was talking to Aunt Thena called me a ‘girl’. So I pushed her” 

“Jess-” 

“It was Mandy” you clarify. 

Rooster looks at you, then at Jesse, and then at you again. He opens his hand and high-fives the five-year-old. “Don’t tell your Mom” 

“What are you going to wear for the party?” Sarah asks you during dinner, hours later, with a happy short-haired Jesse sitting beside you. 

“What party?” you look at Rooster, but he shrugs, not having any idea what she is talking about. 

“The Christmas Party! Didn’t your father tell you about it?” 

You look at your father, who is very interested in the food on his plate. "He didn't tell me anything, as usual." 

"Well, the town is holding a Christmas party on the 25th. A formal party. You have to wear a dress." She points at you with her fork. "You're not wearing your uniform, only a dress. Is that clear?" 

"Yes ma'am. And what about Bradley?" 

"I'll wear a suit, obviously. Have to match with you," he smiles and then leans to whisper something in your ear. "Please, don't choose the dress yourself. You have horrible fashion sense," 

"Says the one that is always wearing Hawaiian shirts" 

"They're cool" Bradley defends himself. 

"No, they're not" you laugh, and he kicks your leg under the table. "Ouch!" 

"Sarah, darling, we need to do the Secret Santa sorting" Tom remembers his wife, helping her clean the table. 

"Oh I have it all prepared!" She goes to the living room and comes back with a red Santa Claus hat. "All the names are in here, just pull one. Y/n, dear, you first!" 

You smile at her, grabbing a paper from inside the bag and reading it. 'Rooster'. 

Is this a joke or what?

You're getting ready to sleep, Rooster refusing for the second night in a row to sleep in the same bed with you, when you remember that you're supposed to meet Mandy tomorrow. 

"Bradley" 

"No, I'm not sleeping on the bed. If you want to be that close to me, you're gonna need to beg a little more" he says. 

"You wish. Anyway, Mandy said to meet tomorrow. She wasn't accepting a no for an answer." 

He sits and looks at you. "Are you kidding me?" 

“I don’t like the idea either, you know.” you let out. 

“Is Solo coming too?” you nod, and he sighs. “You know how to say ‘no’ or do I have to teach you? It’s not that hard, look: ‘something has come up, and I can’t’, ‘We already have plans’. Oh, and this is the simplest one: ‘No.’” 

“I know how to say no, Bradshaw” 

He laughs dryly. “If you knew how, I wouldn't have to be in the same room with my ex and her new boyfriend. Again” 

He turns off the lights and lies down. He tosses around, trying to find the most comfortable position to sleep on the hard floor. 

“I’m sorry” you whisper. But you know he can hear you. 

“Don’t worry, Thena. Go to sleep” 

A few minutes pass, and you can’t sleep. There’s something you need to find out. Something that you can’t stop thinking about, and you know that it will keep you up all night. 

“Rooster” 

“Jesus, Thena, go to sleep” he complains, but after a few seconds, he gives in with a sigh of defeat. “What?” 

“What you said to Jesse… about hating what you see in the mirror… Is that how you feel?” 

“Like you care” 

“I don’t. I’m just curious. You’re usually proud of that stupid face of yours. So… it doesn’t make sense” 

He sits on the floor, his back against the bed, and his head pressed against the mattress. “It’s the scars” 

“Really?” you move closer to him, your hand a few inches away from his hair. 

“Yeah… It’s a constant reminder of how I almost killed us” he admits, his sorrowful voice almost a whisper. 

Your hand moves automatically to your belly, your fingers finding the scarred skin. You had your own scars, too. And you wish you could tell him that it wasn’t his fault but… it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve tried. He still blames himself. 

“If it makes you feel better, lots of girls at base are obsessed with those scars. And even some boys.” 

“Why are you trying to make me feel better?” he questions, and you also want to know why. 

“Because I don’t want to see you broody all day. That wouldn’t make me look like a good girlfriend” you scoff. 

“Aw, it’s little Y/n worried about me?” he mocks, lying down again. 

“Good night, Bradshaw” you say,  pulling the blankets over your head. 

You dream about the accident. You dream about a young Rooster parking at the front of your house, ringing your doorbell repeatedly and yelling for you to open the door. It’s been years but it feels like yesterday. 

Bradley’s coping mechanism when Carole died was alcohol. That same night, he got really drunk and drove to your house. It was late. When you opened the door, the emptiness in his eyes was the only explanation you needed. She was gone. And Bradley didn’t know how to live in a world without her. 

You managed to get Rooster into his car, snatching the keys away from him and driving him to his home. You knew Maverick would be very worried about him. 

But, you never made it to Rooster’s house. A truck driver fell asleep and swatched lanes, forcing you to swerve. The car crashed against a tree. You don’t remember a thing, just waking up with a big stomach wound and a body full of scratches. 

Rooster took the worst part. People thought he wouldn’t make it, that he didn’t want to make it. He was giving up. 

He opened his eyes again three days after the accident. 

It wasn’t your fault. Or his. Well, he shouldn’t have driven to your house under the influence. He knows that and you, too. But nobody could have expected the truck. And he wasn’t driving when you crashed. You were driving. If someone was to take fault here, it should be you. 

But it didn’t matter how much you tried to make Rooster understand that he wasn’t the one to blame. He never listened. And you know he never will.

[blue-aconite]

let me drown || chapter I - bradley’s summer part I

Summary: Bradley has many regrets. A whole lifetime of them. His biggest? Losing her. Watching someone else pick of the pieces of what he broke kills him inside and Bradley doesn’t want to let go of the past. No matter how much the past tries to slip through his fingers.

Warnings: Swearing, jealousy

Word Count: 3.8k

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x OC

Authors Note: Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually. Rating will go up as we get further into this fic. We’re in for a wild ride fam! Enjoy!

Thank you to my amazing betas @writercole and @imjess-themess!

Virginia, Oceana Naval Air Station, Summer 2018

The common room was quiet, which is a nice change of pace. Usually, this place was full of life, the noise was ever-ending and so loud he couldn’t hear his own thoughts. Bradley tipped his head back, dropping his shoulders and letting out a deep breath. It was quiet now, letting his mind run wild. He almost wished it didn’t.

“If you don’t stop moping soon, I’ll lock you in a closet,” Athena mocked as she shoved at his legs, taking their place on the couch. She stretched out her own legs over his, the heel of her foot dangerously close to his crotch. 

“Thena…” He warned. They had played this game long enough for him to know what she was after. But he wasn’t in the mood. She only smirked, tracing the muscle of his thigh with her sock-clad foot, ignoring his warning. 

“C’mon Bradshaw. It would improve the sour mood you’ve been sporting all day. We both know where we’ll end up anyway.” Tangled between the sheets was left unsaid.

Normally, he would be dragging her off the moment she came onto him but today was different. He just wanted to be left alone. “I’m good. Not really in the mood.”

Six weeks after he got stationed at Oceana, the air boss had called Bradley into his office and told him he would be flying a two-seater for the duration of his assignment. He needed the experience, Admiral Tate had told him, leaving no room for arguing. 

And that’s how he ended up with Joanna ‘Athena’ Simons as his backseater. She was quick on her feet, always two steps ahead and a smart mouth to put people in their place. Whoever said that women didn’t belong in the Navy had never met Athena. 

They were good together. Like two peas in a pod. Bradley thought that flying with a backseater would be a hindrance but Athena quickly proved him wrong. They became fast friends and it didn’t take long until Bradley found himself in bed with her. Neither wanted more, both happy with the physical side of things. It was the perfect agreement. 

Her foot moved sideways and interrupted his train of thought. Bradley sat up, shoving her feet from his lap. “Not now. I’m not in the mood,” he snarled, getting to his feet. Athena held up her hands, eyebrows rising.

“Easy. I was just -”

“I know what you were doing, Thena. I’m tired, so just stop.” Bradley stepped around the couch, leaving Athena behind with a bewildered look on her face. He took a deep breath once he got outside, one hand coming up to rub at his temples. A movement to his right caught his attention as he spied Bob Floyd.

Desperate for a distraction that wasn’t Athena, Bradley jogged over to where Bob was heading.

“Floyd, hey! You’re leaving? Hot date?” Bradley joked as he caught up to Bob. He wasn’t wearing his uniform, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, leading Bradley to believe he had other plans than hanging out in the common room tonight. 

Bob rolled his eyes as they passed the gates, heading towards the parking lot. “I’m meeting my sister. She just moved here. We’re grabbing dinner.” Floyd fished the car keys out of his pocket, stopping at a black truck. Bob doesn’t strike him as a truck guy. Bradley told him as much.

“Looks can be deceiving Bradshaw. Do you want to join us? Thea won’t mind.” A night out does sound good and especially after today. 

Bradley smiles broadly, rounding the truck and pulling the passenger door open. “If neither of you mind. Today’s the last day I want to be stuck on base.”

Bob asks no questions, just pulls out of the parking lot and starts to drive. This is what Bradley likes about Bob Floyd. He’s quiet, calm and doesn’t pry. He’s a good friend. 

Bradley would like to think they’re friends. They get along, they hang out sometimes and Bob is one hell of a WSO. Athena almost had an aneurysm when she found out Robert Floyd was being stationed at Oceana, in their squad. 

Bob hummed along to the radio, never taking his eyes off the road. “If you want to talk about it, feel free.” 

He doesn’t know if he wants to talk about it. He doesn’t know what to say. 

It’s Maverick’s birthday. Bradley keeps the date marked in each calendar he buys. It’s been years since they’ve talked but every time he gets a new calendar, he marks today’s date. 

Anger fills him as he thinks about the man that stepped in after Nick died. Who spent countless hours telling him stories about his dad, what kind of man he was. Who popped in and out of his life, between assignments and missions. Even though Maverick wasn’t always there, he was there when Bradley needed him. Until he wasn’t. 

Bradley has tried to hate Maverick. Most days he succeeded. On most days, he blamed the man for everything that had gone wrong in his life. His father’s death, his mother’s grief, pulling his papers. It was all Maverick’s fault. 

But today, just today, Bradley can’t find it in him to hate. He would never say it out loud, but he misses Maverick today. Just today. Tomorrow he can go back to hating him. 

Bradley realised he never answered Bob, who is still humming. “I don’t even know what to say. Thanks for offering though,” The bespeckled aviator hums in response, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” 

Bob turns left without warning and pulls up in front of a small restaurant. He turns to Bradley, shifting in his seat. “Word of advice. My sister likes to pick people apart. She’s good at reading them. It’s in no way mean, she just likes to know. So if I were you, and didn’t want to talk about it, I’d try to tone down the sullen mood. She’ll notice. She always does.”

Maybe tagging along wasn’t a good idea. Bradley doesn’t feel like being picked apart right now. He’s being held together with tape and glue and the last thing he needs is someone to point out his flaws. 

His feet are moving before his brain catches up and suddenly they're inside and Bob is being engulfed in a hug by the most beautiful girl Bradley has ever seen. 

He’s standing frozen near the door, watching as the Floyd siblings part. Bob is smiling widely, brushing the hair from his sister’s face, such a gentle action it makes Bradley’s heart hurt. In one movement he can see the affection, the love between them.

“.. and this is Rooster. I hope you don’t mind that I invited him.” They’re suddenly in front of him and the greeting gets caught in his throat.

She’s stunning. Radiant even. She’s the light at the end of the dark tunnel he can’t escape. She has her brother’s eyes but unlike Bob’s, hers takes his breath away. So blue he could drown in them, over and over. 

She’s taking his hand, shaking it softly. “Nice to meet you. Do you have a real name or am I gonna have to stick to Rooster?” She’s smiling up at him, her hand soft in his and he can’t help but to shudder at her touch.

Remembering that she asked a question, he coughs awkwardly. “Uh, Bradley. But Rooster works too. Whatever you prefer.” 

“Bradley it is. Name’s Thea, I’m Bob’s sister. If he didn’t tell you that. And no, big brother, I don’t mind. The more the merrier.” Thea let go of his hand and he immediately missed the warmth of her touch. 

She’s smiling widely at him and Bradley feels the quick thuds of his heart against his rib cage. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Bob observing them with a critical look. 

He clears his throat, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “He did tell me he was meeting you but not your name. It’s.. pretty. Suits you.” It isn’t the smoothest he’s ever been but Thea blushes, mouth curling upward in a bashful smile. 

“Should we grab a table? I’m starving.” Bob diffuses the moment, reaching out to grab his sister’s hand, not waiting for Bradley before he starts towards the dining area. 

They sit down and he can feel her observing him, watching him carefully. She’s a lot like her brother except she likes to talk. A lot more. 

“So, what made you ditch your normal nighttime routine to hang out with my big bro here?” Bob is poking her side when she asks, telling her to shut up. “Don’t mind her, she’s just nosy.” 

“Bob! I’m just trying to get to know him. You don’t mind, do you Bradley?” How can he say no to her? 

Weirdly enough, he wants to tell her. He wants to share his thoughts and troubles. Something tells him that she wouldn’t judge him. 

Dinner mainly consists of Bob watching the two of them flirt over steaks. Bradley tries to not come on too strong but every time she smiles at him he wants to reach across the table and kiss her. There’s something so blindingly pure about her. 

At the end of the night, Thea thrusts a small piece of paper in his hand, kisses his cheek and tells him to give her a call. Then she’s gone, climbing into her car and driving off. 

Bob is oddly quiet, more so than usual. They drive in silence back to base. He wants to ask if he’s overstepped, if Bob doesn’t approve but Bradley doesn’t want to answer either. 

There’s a need to know Thea better. To know what makes her smile and laugh, to know what her childhood was like, which side of the bed she preferred and if she liked breakfast for lunch. Bradley wanted to know everything that made Thea the person she was today. 

He opens his mouth but Bob beats him to it. “Listen. My sister is a grown woman. What she does is none of my business. She obviously likes you and you look like you’ve got a full blown crush already. You’re my friend and I trust you with her. But if you hurt her, if you make her anything other than happy, you will have to answer to me. Understood?” 

Bradley can do little other than nod feverishly. He didn’t want to fuck this up before it had even begun. He wanted Thea, and if keeping on Bob’s good side was a point in his favour, he’d do it. 

Floyd clapped  him on the shoulder, shooting  him an uncharacteristic wink and then disappeared behind the corner, leaving Bradley standing in the parking lot. 

Bradley’s steps were light when he headed back to his room, an exciting feeling in his stomach. Behind closed doors he fished  his phone out of his pocket and punched in Thea’s number under a new contact. 

Hi! It’s Bradley. Are you free for dinner on Friday?

Is this your way of asking me on a date?

It can be whatever you want. I just know I want to see you again. 

Pick me up at 7. Wear something pretty ;)

Bradley hasn’t smiled this much in a long time. He tossed the phone onto his bed and pulled his shirt over his head before heading into the bathroom. He looked  lighter, happier and downright giddy when he passed the bathroom mirror. The smile didn’t  leave him, even when he got  shampoo in his eyes and swore so much his mother would have whacked him over the head. 

The smile disappeared as soon as he made it back into the  bedroom and found Athena lounging on his bed. She was clad in nothing but one of his T-shirts and a pair of boy shorts. 

“I was tempted to join you in there, but the pissy mood from before figured I’d do best staying out here. An apology would be nice, by the way.” She doesn’t take her eyes off the phone while she speaks. 

Bradley bristled. “An apology for what? And is that my phone? Give it here!” He snatched the device out of her hands, swatting her away when she reached for his towel. “Fuck, Athena. Just stop. What’s your fucking problem?” 

“My problem? You being a dick, obviously. And who is Thea, hm? Am I invited this Friday?” She left  the confines of his bedding, poking a finger in the middle of his chest. She let it linger for a while but Bradley stepped  away, happy mood washed away by her presence. 

Athena seemed to get the hint and stayed put, a pout in place on her sun kissed face. Her freckles were  quite prominent in this light and just for a moment he remembered  all the times he spent kissing her other freckles. Then Thea’s face showed  up in his mind and it’s like Athena never has existed for him.

“Look, I’m sorry about before but I wasn’t in the mood. That hasn’t changed.” Bradley shouldn’t apologise, he knew  that but it might placate her enough for the conversation about to happen. 

He just hoped  it won’t mess with their job. “Listen. This was just physical,” he pointed  between the two of them, “and now… fuck. Listen, you’re great. And I like you, you know that. But I can’t keep this up.” 

She stared him down, the same way she stares down men trying to put her into place. Athena has never looked at him like that, never once. She swallowed  audibly once, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Are you breaking up with me, Bradshaw?” She jabs, mock hurt on her face. It’s just a joke to her. Bradley feels a little better knowing this won’t cost her any sleep. 

Snorting, he settles on the chair. “Fuck off. You know what I mean. Is this going to be a problem?” 

She laughs, all traces of annoyance gone from her face. She’s Thena again, his friend, confidant and partner in crime. “Don’t worry your little head Bradshaw. We’re good. This was just a little bit of fun.” 

He can suddenly breathe better, the pit in his stomach has vanished . A smile is all he can muster, hoping it will convey everything he can’t say. 

“Do I at least get to meet her? She must be something special if you’re willing to throw this away.” Thena gestured to her body, a pleased smirk plastered across her face. 

“I haven’t even taken her on a date yet. I don’t know if she wants me like that. I just know she’s worth it, whatever it is.” He’s glad Athena is his friend, that he can share and not be judged. 

“God you’re whipped after meeting her one time. She must be a fucking unicorn. Well, I’m happy for you. See you in the skies, Rooster.” They parted  ways with their usual phrase, pressing a kiss to his head as she walked by. 

Feeling content with how everything has been handled, Bradley heads for bed and turns out the lights. 

He and Athena are good, he’s got a date with Thea and Bob gave his approval and permission. Bradley was feeling a lot better now than he did this morning. 

His phone lit up with a notification and his heart dropped into his stomach. It’s a calendar reminder, a picture of him and Maverick. Bradley was barely ten in the photo, sitting on Pete’s shoulders, both smiling widely at Carole behind the camera. 

Reminder: Maverick’s Birthday

He could easily stop torturing himself and not set a reminder but over the years he’s discovered that he likes the pain. 

Another notification pops up, this time from Athena. It’s a goodnight text and a picture of a shirtless guy with the text ‘you wish you were this hot’. 

Bradley recognises the guy as Hangman, Athena’s cousin and also a naval aviator. He’s currently stationed in Lemoore, if Bradley remembered correctly. They’d met once or twice and Bradley couldn’t stand the guy. Rude, arrogant and a walking red flag, he had begged Athena not to make him like her cousin. 

Bradley sends a fuck you back and almost calls her when Thea’s name appears on the screen. 

Can we reschedule for 8 instead of 7? Something came up! 

No problem! Can’t wait! 

Great! Thank you! Goodnight Bradley.

Goodnight Thea. Sweet dreams. 

He then put the phone on silent, puffing his pillow before getting comfortable. 

He thought of that way Thea smiled at him, how her hand felt in his and her lips on his cheek as he closed his eyes. 

“Stop being so nervous. What’s wrong with you? It’s just a date.” 

“It’s not just a date, Thena, it’s the date. I cannot screw this up. It might be the most important date I’ve ever been on.” 

Athena was once again lounging on his bed, trying to be helpful but failing spectacularly. All she did was stress him out even more. Bradley’s palms were sweaty and he was pretty sure he’s sweating through his T-shirt. His throat was dry and he reached out with shaking hands for the bottle of water on the windowsill. 

Thena laughed at him, rolling her eyes. “You’re acting like you’re taking the freaking President out. It’s just a girl. Now, change your shirt so you don’t stink up the car and get going. Or you’re going to be late.” 

Bradley refrained from sniping back that Thea isn’t just some girl, but he also didn’t have it in him to argue. To be honest, he hadn’t wanted her help from the beginning, but she showed up and he couldn’t say no. 

Even though Athena said it was fine and they were still friends, she acted a bit suspicious around him. She promised she wasn’t mad but her actions said otherwise. They had miscalculated a training session yesterday and she had chewed him out in front of the entire crew, which was very rare. 

Athena ended the session with a hard shove to his chest and muttering ‘figures you’d do this’ under her breath as she left him speechless on the runway. 

He had tried to talk about it with her but she ignored him for the rest of the day. Only when it was almost time for him to leave base to pick up Thea, she showed up at his door with her apologies. He didn’t have time for them. She knew he was leaving and she still tried to stall him. 

“I’m going to be late because of you. You knew I was going out and you still showed up here.” He’s panicking now, tugging the shirt over his head and reaching for a clean one. 

“You could have told me to leave, don’t blame this on me.” Athena bit back, her bad mood from before returning. 

“I’m leaving. Bye Thena.” Bradley was halfway out the door, throwing a sloppy wave her way before jogging to the Bronco. 

Had he looked back, he would have seen the downtrodden look on her face. But he didn’t. All Bradley could think about was Thea and her sweet smile.

He made it to the address Thea had texted him on record time. Pulling the car into park and snatching the flowers from the passenger seat, Bradley almost choked on his own tongue when he spotted Thea. 

She was sitting on the front porch, dressed in a light purple sundress and hair in a messy bun. She was exquisite. Bradley desperately wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go. 

“Hey stranger, are those for me?” Thea reached for the flowers, bringing them up to her face to inhale their sweet fragrance. 

He leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek. “You look stunning. Otherworldly.” The blush on her cheeks amplified his desire and he pinched his own arm to keep his focus. 

“Aren’t you charming? How did you know my favourite flowers?” 

“Lucky guess.” She raised an eyebrow. 

“Fine. I asked Bob.” Thea laughed and returned the favour of a kiss pressed to his cheek. “Let me get these in water and we can leave.”

Bradley had never been the guy feeling awestruck by something so simple as a kiss on the cheek. But he found himself touching the spot where her lips had graced his skin as he watched her walk back inside the house. His skin burned from her touch and a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. 

Thea returned to his side and he made sure to open the door for her. His mother didn’t raise a heathen. He could be a gentleman. 

“So, we’re are we going?” She nervously fiddling with her hands in her lap as he leaves her neighbourhood. 

It’s endearing and he hesitantly reached over to intertwine his fingers with hers, keeping the other hand steady on the wheel.

“It’s a surprise. But you’ll like it, I promise. Do you trust me?” He did ask Bob for her favourite food and activities while planning. He planned the make this the perfect date. 

“I do trust you Bradley. I’m just not fond of surprises.” She’s blushing again and Bradley wants to spend his life making her blush. The colour on her cheeks was intoxicating. 

He pulls up outside a cosy little Mediterranean restaurant, reluctantly letting go of her hand in favour of sprinting around the car to help her outside. 

She links her arm through his, eyes sparkling as she takes in their destination. 

“Let me guess, you asked Bob?” She laughs, reaching up to smooth out a wayward curl on his head. 

“Guilty. But it doesn't matter as long as you like it. Do you?” 

“I love it.” 

Bradley can’t help himself. She’s on his arm, looking up at him with the bluest eyes he’s ever seen. They’re beautiful. She’s beautiful. He needs to know what she tastes like. 

He moves slowly, giving her the chance to pull away. But Thea only leans into him and Bradley closes the distance between them. 

Kissing Thea is like a fresh breath of air. It’s like he’s been drowning his entire life and she’s what it’s like coming up for air. His entire body is on fire, every nerve in his system thrumming with excitement. 

He could spend the rest of his life kissing her. She smiled into the kiss, hand curling around the back of his neck. 

“We should head inside. I got us a reservation.” He whispered against her lips. They hesitated to  part from one another, lips hovering close together but not quite touching. 

“Lead the way.”

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[fieldofdaisiies]

gwyn x balthazar | 3k words | warnings: violence | masterlist

Balthazar feels like he could rule the world. Yes, having had your first time feels amazing, he has to admit that. And especially since it was with Gwyn. This phenomenal and stunning female. 

It feels like he is walking on clouds as he strolls to his mother's and sister's place, a big grin on his lips, shoulders squared, his walk a little bouncy. 

The sensation is still so surreal and delightful that it truly feels like the muddy ground beneath his feet has turned into a field of plush clouds. This is the aftermath of his first time, an experience that has sent him into a blissful state of mind and that he will never forget. 

He can still feel Gwyn. Can still feel her skin against his. Can still feel her lips, her…wet heat, wrapped around him. Her scent lingers, so does her taste. A taste he knows he could get drunk on every day of his life. 

He loves her so much, and having been intimate with her for the first time has altered his life. He feels powerful now, like a new-born male and wants to share his happiness (obviously just his happiness, not the details of it) with his family. 

With each step, his heart, full of emotions, soars. His thoughts are consumed by the memory how they kissed, how they made love, the noises that left Gwyn, how her body bowed to his, how they melded together, the I love yous they shared. The world around him seems to blur and melt away, leaving only the image of her, this stunning female he loves so much, in his mind.

He can't help but replay those moments of intimacy over and over again. The softness of her lips, the scent of her body, the warmth of her breath against his face – it's all there, etched vividly in his memory. Just like the glow of her eyes, these beautiful teal eyes, when she said I love you. How they light up even more when he told her that he loves hers. 

Balthazar smiles to himself, his lips and fingers tingling with the lingering sensation of their kisses and touches.

His mind is already filled with the next time he sees, her and suddenly he has to chuckle. "Little minx," he whispers to himself when he remembers what Gwyn had told him before they parted. 'Use your imagination…and your hand.'

Nearly having arrived at the hut, Balthazar lets his mind wander to Gwyn one last time. He envisions many more kisses, and cuddling, soft love making, holding hands, and whispered promises. She makes him so happy. He knows he can do the camp lord business having Gwyn by his side. Having Gwyn as a mate…

He has to tell her, he knows it. And he will do so the next time they see each other. Maybe the bond has snapped for her as well? 

He has to find out if she knows about it as well, wants to share it with her and talk to her about it. 

She has a right to know and he also can't keep it to himself much longer. 

Balthazar floats the last steps towards the door, and drawing in a deep inhale, he knocks and then pulls down the door handle. The door to his mother's house opens, and he is greeted with a scene that pulls the rug out from under his feet. 

The atmosphere is heavy, thick with tension, and an eerie silence hangs in the air. Fear clings to him like a second skin when his eyes focus on…

A muffled sob breaks the silence. Panic surges through him, and he hurries towards his mother and sister cowering on the ground. 

His mother is shaking, her face buried in her trembling hands. Next to her is Thena, her beautiful face marred by an angry bruise encircling one eye. She is the first to notice Balthazar. She looks up, her tears mingling with the shock etched across her features.

"Balthazar," she whispers, holding tighter onto her mother. 

A haunting stillness hangs in the air, so deafening it nearly becomes unbearable. 

"What happened?" Balthazar rasps. He closes the distance between him and his family, crouching down in front of the couch, his hand sliding over his mother's trembling one. She hasn't noticed him until then, and only then lifts her head. Her face is covered in blood, a bruise adorning her cheek. She is shaking terribly, hands and arms bruised and bloody. 

Balthazar's pain turns to rage as he takes in the sight of his family. He has never seen his mother so broken. He kneels beside them, his mind racing.

"What happened?" he demands, his voice laced with anger and fear, after he has't received an answer the first time he asked. 

Thena swallows hard, her words barely audible, "Zave. Otto. Caran. And some others." She is sobbing, some blood dripping from her split lip. "They waited for mother at the laundry hut, and then started to encircle her. I tried to get to her as quick as possible, but they already started beating her. I couldn't protect her fast enough."

It is all his fault. He let himself get distracted. He only focused on himself, with Gwyn, their love, their first time. He should have been focused on the camp lord business, on his family, he should have protected them. It was the one thing he really needed to do and he failed at it. He—

"Don't blame yourself. I can see it on your face, but it is not your fault."

"But it is," Balthazar insists and shakes his head. "I should have been here. I should have protected you. I should have—"

"You need to become camp lord, Balthazar. You need to put an end to this. You need to fucking kill change something. Fucking kill that bastard!" Thena's voice drips with venom. 

Balthazar slowly dips his chin, but the feeling of regret doesn't vanish. Remorse gnaws on him, like a viper sinking its fangs into his flesh and heart. 

"I'll go talk to him. Now." Balthazar already wants to get up but his mother reaches forward and catches his hand in her shaking and bloody one. Her bony fingers curl around his hand and she shakes her hand. "No, he will hurt you."

"He already did," Balthazar breathes. "With what he has done to you. He hurt me more than any violence directed at me could hurt."

He flips his hand over and gives his mother a gentle squeeze. "He will pay for this. All of them. For what they have done to you. I will make them pay. Each one of them will pay for what they have done to my family." 

Balthazar leans down, brushes his hand over his mother's head and then kisses her forehead. "I'll return with medication and bandages. You will be fine." His voice is soft, silent. His kisses his sister's forehead as well, and smiles. "I'll be right back. I'll deal with him."

Balthazar draws in a deep inhale. "I won't let anything like that happen to you again. Never."

"It's not your fault." Thena's voice is barely above a whisper. She folds her hand over her brother's.

"But it is."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

He does not wait for someone to let him in. With his foot, Balthazar kicks the door open and finds all the bloody bastards in one place — perfect. 

"You fucking bastard!" He lunges at Zave, his dagger hitting the wall the same moment the Illyrian's back does, harshly slamming against the stone. Grabbing him by his collar, Balthazar shoves him up against the walls, his fists punching the stone beside his head. 

"You hurt my mother!" he growls, seething, his face mere inches from Zaves. "And my—"

"Your sister." Zave grins, despite the situation he is one. Balthazar could kill him at any moment, but Zave, clever as he sometimes is, knows that Balthazar would never do that. Balthazar is not like the other brutes, he does not kill or hurt anyone on a whim. 

"And next is the pretty little slut you're fucking."

That is enough. There was this fine line and Zave crossed it. Hurting his family already brought him on edge, made him envision doing unspeakable things to these males, but the mention of Gwyn truly was the straw to break the camel's back. 

Balthazar‘s fist collides with Zaves jaw. Once. Twice. Three times. So many times, his knuckles start to hurt and are covered in blood. 

Rage overcomes him and only when three Illyrian warriors grab him and pull him off Zave and away from him, does he stop. "You won’t touch her! Or anyone ever again!"

Blood and spit dripping from his mouth, kneeling on the ground, the brute once again dares to grin. "Oh we will, and you can’t do anything against it. You can’t always protect her. Or them." 

The Illyrians are still holding Balthazar, who is a ball of rage and fury, wringing and wiggling, trying to get free to punch the last ounce of life out of Zave. 

But he can't. He needs to control himself. He won't get anywhere with violence, he knows this. But in this moment, he sees read.

Balthazar tries to level his breathing, nostrils flared, his chest heaving with deep inhales. Zave climbs back to his feet.

"I don’t have to protect her. She is a Valkyrie and a Carinthian, she doesn't need me to protect her. She will cut off your balls before you even get a chance to touch her."

Balthazar rips himself free, stalks back to where Zave slowly climbs back to his feet. "What is it that you want? Do you really have to take such pathetic measures to get what you want? Is this really the male you want to be?"

"I want what you have! I deserve the position as camp lord. It has always been mine. I am Devlon's nephew, not you. He would have wanted me in this position, not you. Not a wimpy little boy who cries himself to sleep every night. You did nothing to earn this position."

Balthazar huffs. "And you did?"

"No yet, but we can change that. A fight — just the two of us and just with our hands. One-on-one combat, toe-to-toe, no magic, no weapons, nothing. The stronger survives and becomes camp lord."

"Who becomes camp lord was a decision made by the High Lord and the general of the Illyrian armies," Balthazar insists, teeth flashing. 

"Are you sacred? Are you not brave enough to accept? What kind of camp lord will you become? A coward. A wimp."

That fucking word! That awful and stupid and fucking word! 

Balthazar growls and pounces forward, forehead pressed against Zave's. Zave shoves at Balthazar's chest, pushing him backward. 

"If you put your tail between your legs already, shying away from the battle, who will protect your beloved females, huh? Who will protect your broken mother, the slut you call your sister, or the red-haired—"

"Do not talk about them like that!" He growls, having to call upon every restraint to not kill Zave in this instant. The Illyrian only smirks, knowing he is safe…for now. Balthazar would not kills him, not just like that, at least. 

Balthazar looses a breath, his solid chest heaving with deep, ragged breaths. Deep inside, even though it is madness and he should never agree to this, knowing he will betray the loyalty to both Cassian and Rhysand, he knows he will accept whatever Zave throws at him only so he can protect Gwyn. His mate. He has too keep her out of this. Whatever it will be, he will keep her out of it. And his family. 

"If I agree to your plan—"

"You do?"

"Let me finish!" Balthazar hisses, teeth bared, rage reaching the surface again. His siphons vibrate and start to glow. 

Zave flashes him a dark look, yet accepts Balthazar’s slight dominance— at least in this small moment.

"You leave my family out of it. And Gwyn. No one will be touched or harmed. Never again."

Zaves submissiveness is gone in an instant, and he smirks. "I don't know," he says in an amused voice and then grins. "Maybe we will, maybe not."

Balthazar grabs him by his biceps and squeezes hard. "It is not worth it. She means…nothing to me. Don’t involve an innocent person in our fight."

The words are like acid as the burn down his throat. But he keeps the mask up, glowering. He won't risk her. 

"But you fucked her? Her scent is all over you."

"I did fuck her, yes. But that is it. She is useless to me, was nice for a quick ride, but I don’t need her anymore. You can fuck females without wanting more from them, you know that, right?" 

Balthazar has to be convincing, Zave won’t buy it otherwise. But talking about her like that…it rips his heart into shreds. His soul is bleeding, like daggers pierce through his rib cage, cutting open his entire torso. 

"You leave her out of this. And my mother. And Thena. No one will touch these females ever again!"

"You have to agree plan first. Accept the battle."

Balthazar reaches out his hand, gaze intense and determined. "I agree." His strong, low voice bounces of the walls, reverberating across the room.   

Now it is Zave who hesitates. He probably hadn't expected this, Balthazar accepting so easily. Zave had probably expected him to cower, to give the position to Zave if only so he would leave his family alone. 

"When will the fight take place?" Balthazar inquiries, voice tinged with nonchalance, as if he is asking about the weather forecast. He wants to seem indifferent, not intimidated by Zave nor the battle. He wants to seem strong. And he is strong. The future camp lord of Windhaven.  

"Sunday?"

Balthazar nods. At this point his jaw is aching from how hard he has been grinding his teeth.

"No word to anyone," Otto cuts in. "Also not to your beloved general, or else your wonderful females…" Otto drags his thumb across his throat, making his point clear.

Balthazar clamps down on the growl that threatens to escape his throat and nods. No word to anyone. 

"You have to remove those as well. No magic at all will be used, just our strength."

"If you also remove your single siphon." Now Balthazar is the one wearing a smug smile on his lips, purely male, Illyrian pride etched on his features. 

Other than with wingspans, which is a little tale made up by some females a long time ago (at least Balthazar thinks so), the number of siphons truly says a lot about the person owning them. Everyone knows this. And so does Zave.

"Deal," Zave growls.

"Deal," Balthazar answers, the slight arrogance not vanishing from his face. He wants Zave to see exactly whom he picked a fight with. 

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

They young Illyrian spends the evening with his family, patching up their wounds, cooking dinner for them, collecting firewood and heating the hut. Corrian joins them as well, bringing some baked goods from his family. 

When Balthazar shares the news and Zave's idea with his sister, he is met with her fury, and anger, saying he is round the bend, and completely mad and has lost his sanity. However, Balthazar insists that it is the sole means to bring an end to everything, to restore peace and calm in the war camp. "It's the only way to—"

"To end your life, Balthazar!" Thena seethes, her voice hushed to not wake their sleeping mother. And above all, she wants to keep their mother in the dark. She should never find out about this battle, it would be the last thing to truly break her, knowing her little Baz is fighting in a bloody battle where only one male will survive.

Not exactly what she said, but the use of his full name startles Balthazar, making him acutely aware of the gravity of her concern.

"Thank you for believing in me," he huffs and averts his gaze, looking outside of the window. It is dark now, and he knows he still has to do something. Send a letter. It has to happen today, otherwise it will be too late. 

"It is not about believing in you," Thena snaps and smacks Corrian's shoulder who has been oddly silent the whole time, only listening and observing. "Say something!" Thena says to him, urgency in her voice.

But Corrian only shakes his head. "It's not like I am not worried, but Baz is right. This might be the only way to end this. Baz will prove himself again. Will show Zave who the stronger is, and he will make it out alive. I know this. You know this as well, Thena."

"You are both idiots." Thena pushes off the couch, and without deigning either a glance she rushes out of the living room, into the tiny room Balthazar and her once shared when they were children. 

"She will get over it," Corrian says and places his hand on Balthazar's shoulder. "And you will show this dickhead who the rightful camp lord of Windhaven is."

The young Illyrian smiles. "You think I will win?"

"I have absolutely no doubt about that." 

Silence falls over them, and Corrian leaves after a while. Him and Balthazar decide to meet again the next morning, for a bit of training and some preparation for the battle. Or whatever it needs to distract Balthazar from everything going on.  

Balthazar decides to stay at his mother's hut for the night, wanting to both protect them and make sure he is there if necessary. 

After locking the doors, he sits down on the couch, grabs piece of paper and a pencil and starts to write. A letter that breaks his heart before the pencil even touches the paper. 

Dear Gwyneth,  I am deeply sorry, but…

~~~~~~

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[queen-of-the-avengers]

CATFA: Part Two

Pairing: Ikaris x Female!Reader, Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.7k

Warnings: canon violence, language, and angst

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

After five hundred years spent with the Eternals, the war with the deviants is put to an end. The team has split up in trying to take care of the last remaining deviants. You're in Mexico City watching the fall of the Aztec Empire. The past five hundred years have been amazing with Ikaris despite the constant threat of war over your heads.

"Where are the others?" Ajak asks.

"We had to split up," Makkari signs.

She's been teaching you Sign Language over the past five hundred years, and you've been fluent for the past four. You've mastered a lot of languages over those four years that you've been grateful to know.

There were more Deviants than you said," Thena says.

"Once the others kill these last Deviants, we will have eliminated them all from the planet."

You look back at the war happening. Everyone is fighting each other to the death because one side wants to be proven right while the other side is fighting to show them that they aren't. Druig has the power to mind control and he is about to mind control everyone to calm down, but Ajak prevents him from doing so.

"Don't. We don't interfere in their wars."

"This isn't war. It's genocide. Their weapons have become too deadly. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea helping them advance, Phastos," Druig accuses.

"Technology is a part of their evolutionary process, Druig. It's not exactly something that I can stop."

"No, you can't, but I can."

"Stay strong," Makkari signs.

You look back at the others when you notice something wrong with Thena. Gold lines shine over her face and her eyes gloss over in a milky white.

"It's too late," she mutters. "Everyone is going to die."

"Thena?"

Thena creates a gold sword from her powers but before she can hurt Sersi, Makkari rushes her away with her super speed.

"Thena? Thena, no!" you yell.

She stabs Phastos in the stomach, but Makkari moves him out of the way so that she only grazes her. You use your air powers to blast Thena away, but it doesn't work as much as you hoped it would. She tosses her sword at you, and it lodges itself in your shoulder. You cry out in pain and fall to the ground as Makkari rushes her away. Thena creates another sword and stabs Makkari in the gut, causing the both of them to crash to the ground. Thena stands up and swings her sword, but Ajak stands in the way so that the tip of her sword goes through her hand. It doesn't seem to affect Ajak, so Thena retracts her sword just as Ajak uses her powers. She holds her hand out with gold circles and lines connecting all of her fingers, and it seems to calm Thena down to where her eyes go back to their normal color.

"Don't listen to your head, Thena. Listen to my voice. You are safe. You are loved. You're our Thena."

Thena's eyes turn stark white again, and she creates more magical swords and shields to fight Ajak. She pushes Ajak away, spins a full circle, and stabs Ajak in the stomach with her sword from behind. Gilgamesh is quick to respond, and he wraps his arms around Thena from behind to stop her.

"Hey, Thena! Hey! Stop, stop, stop!"

Thena breaks away from Gilgamesh and fights him with the intent to kill. You know this is a situation better handled internally than with you getting involved, so you tend to your own wounds. Ajak starts to heal Makkari who is grateful for her help. Ikaris comes back from killing deviants on his side of the world, but he doesn't rush to you immediately.

He looks to his right and sees Sersi who is also injured from Thena and Gilgamesh fighting. It takes him two seconds to decide who to run to and it's you. It's only two seconds but it doesn't go unnoticed by you.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," you wince and let your powers heal you slowly.

"Thena, please. Come back to us."

Thena isn't relenting, so Gilgamesh uses his powers and strikes Thena in the head, causing her to go unconscious. Ajak doesn't want to do this in the middle of the forest where anyone can walk up and see them, so she takes everyone into the sacred temple way above where everyone else is fighting. Thena is laid on the stone table in the middle of the room, but she doesn't wake up right away.

"I thought Mahd Wy'ry was a myth," Sersi sighs.

"What's Mahd Wy'ry?" you ask.

"It's what humans call PTSD or even dementia," Ajak explains. "It only seems to affect Eternals."

"There is no cure so no one talks about it," Phastos shrugs.

Thena gasps awake and looks at everyone in fear and confusion.

"What happened?"

"You attacked everyone. You wounded Sersi, Phastos, Y/N, and you nearly killed Makkari."

"I don't remember."

"You have Mahd Wy'ry. Your mind is fracturing under the weight of your memories. All I can do is erase them so you can start over. I will have to inform Arishem and take you back to the ship where we have the technology to help you."

Apparently, Arishem is their boss. They go to this otherworldly being for instruction and order. He's the one who put them on Earth, and only he can say when they get to leave.

"But she won't be Thena anymore," Makkari signs.

"What if it happens again? She could've killed you. She could have killed all of us."

"Please. Please, I... I want to remember. I want to remember my life." Thena whimpers.

"Thena, I love you, but listen to me. It's not important if you remember or not. Your spirit will remain. You will always be Thena deep inside. Trust me."

"Why should she trust you? You're asking her to let you erase who she is," Druig speaks up.

You stand off to the side and let them hash this out since this seems like an Eternal problem. You'd only make things worse if you were to add your input.

"Druig, I know you're upset, but--"

"Upset?!" he yells at her. "We've trusted you for seven thousand years, and look where you've gotten us. I've watched humans destroy each other when I could stop it all in a heartbeat. Do you know what that does to someone after centuries? Could our mission have been a mistake? Are we really helping these people build a better world? We're just like the soldiers down there. Pawns to their leaders. Blinded by loyalty. It ends now."

Druig turns to the battle happening down below and uses his powers on the soldiers. Immediately, they stop fighting and look at Druig with the same colored eyes as his powers. Ikaris yanks Druig back and slams him against the wall in anger.

"Let them go."

"You're gonna have to make me," he smirks. Ajak pulls Ikaris away to deal with Druig on her own, and Ikaris rejoins your side. "If you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to kill me."

He gives her two seconds to respond, and when she doesn't, he turns and leaves the group. He's going to go off on his own and prosper with the soldiers he's taken hostage.

"I'll watch over Thena," Gilgamesh offers. "Let her keep her memories."

"One day, when she attacks you, you might have to kill her."

"We'll take that chance."

Thena looks down emotionally at the compassion and kindness her friend gives her.

"You may all go. The Deviants are gone. There is no reason for you to stay with me."

"Shouldn't you ask Arishem first? We're a team, we should stay together," Ikaris says.

"I didn't ask you for your advice, Ikaris. Do not forget your place. This is where we say goodbye. You are free to go. I want you to go out there and live a life for yourselves. Find your own purpose, and one day, when we see each other again, I want you to tell me what you found."

With no one tethering you to the other Eternals, you and Ikaris are free to live your life as a couple rather than fighting comrades. It's been fun fighting alongside them, but you're ready to live your life with Ikaris. It took some time to get used to this new life, but you two adapted quickly.

It would be perfect if there wasn't one thing constantly on your mind, always poking at you to make sure you know it's there.

Ikaris and Sersi were in a relationship for five thousand years before he met you, and that kind of time with someone will always stick around no matter how much you declare you're moving on. You didn't see it at first, but Ikaris always chose places to live that were near Sersi. He didn't live right next door to her, but he made sure to always be close enough in case she needed him.

It got to a point where it started affecting your relationship with him. You tried to ignore it for the first few centuries, but it came to a point where you needed to either get out or become a slave to his charm. Ikaris is charming and gorgeous but he's manipulating you without even knowing it. He doesn't mean to do it, but his soulmate is Sersi, and it's time you find yours.

"Ikaris, can we talk?"

Ikaris knows this conversation is coming, he just refuses to believe it's here. He loves you, but he's in love with Sersi.

"I know what you're going to say."

"Then you know it's the right decision. I know you love me and I love you, but you're still in love with Sersi. She's great and another Eternal. I won't live forever, but you two will. It's best if we go our separate ways."

"I'm sorry. I never meant for things to end up like this."

"It's okay. I promise."

With that, you left to go find your soulmate. It's been nine hundred years since you first came to Earth, and you've been to virtually every corner of this planet. New York City will always have a place in your heart, so that's where you go. Technology had evolved immensely since the 1500s, but New York in the 1930s is something you wish everyone can experience. The 20s were truly a gem, and experiencing that by yourself was enlightening.

This is the first time in centuries that you don't have a plan. You can be whoever you want to be, live wherever you want to live, and do whatever you want to do. Maybe you'll open a clothing business and restart that passion of yours. New York may not rely on you to survive, but you could help a lot of people.

x

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[the-thena]

Thena, I made your mom in my Miitopia save file

(this is from just after getting to the post game)

Oh … that’s…

Really cute! Amazing likeness! Fantastisch!

LALALA! HAPPY THOUGHTS! NOT LOOKING AT NOT LOOKING NOT LOOKING NOT LOOKING N—

Widget! Not out loud!