#a tale of crowns chapter 11 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

1uckygold · 2 years

Text

Changing One's Tune (15)

Summary: Hybrids have always been known to humanity after scientist decided to test the limits of the animal genetics on humans. Now the world uses them as adoptable companions, which is why a group of friends found their way at a Hybrid Shelter. Though one trip turns into an ugly fight involving Yoongi to walk away—But what happens when that same male finds a cat hybrid that is scared out of her mind with a dark past. Who said that dark past was over?

~Pairing: Min Yoongi (BTS) | Suga x Hybrid f! Reader

~Genre: Angst & Fluff, Hybrid au

~Word Count: 3.6K

~Tag List: @tanumiki @yummiethedragoon2 @llcalumllhoodll @darkmangoo @kurochan3 @wooya1224 @lilacdreams-00 @fangirl125reader @halesandy @aviwasabi21 @mrcleanheichou @loveyoongles @queenthorin1 @rosquilleta @a-golden-sunflower-vol-6 @sockie-the-dumbass @jipwark02 @malewife-supremacy @tinyoonsblog @becomingbts @lenafarn @ultralillylove @deathkat657 @janeelizabeth1216 @sumzysworld @beach-bitch-bitch-beach @agustdjoon @ironrosestylist @d-noona @matchat3a @zae007live @friendlywraith @bangtannie7 @bangtanswrld @marieebarbzz8 @quokkahideout @that-author @honeybxes @kim-jias-den @loner0907 @artgukk @jaiuneamesolitaiire @readers-posts @chieftoadturkeynickel @matchat3a @almosttoopizza @pb-n-jujuu @sinceritythatcouldntbedelivered @btsiguess-kpop @kisskissshutmydoor @adeptiixiao @avadakabra93 @khjcoo @kimahjung98 @murkydoesnotloveyou @bbl32 @fluffy-canada-pancakes @schokoshaker @theonethatlikeskpop @yoursoontobestepmom @purplewinterluv @rosiepetalss

Part: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 16 / More Chapters Soon...

That damn thing was there to torture you, wasn’t it?

Wild eyes narrowed, tail swishing as your ears twitched from the ticking sound… The big numbers staring right into your very soul—Ugh! Can time move any slower?!

Whining, you slumped further onto the carpet ground—You spent nearly all of December with the boy’s family, having come back into the city just last night. Although it was quite nerve wrecking, you managed to let your guard down more. It felt like a big weight has been lifted and for the first time, you’ve felt… Free.

And that’s exactly why you couldn’t stop thinking about your Christmas gift—Today being the day you’ll finally receive it.

The only problem? It was still too early, and the appointment wasn’t until another hour as you glared at Yoongi’s new wall-clock, watching the third handle tick by. A snicker fallin’ from your delicate lips seeing the clock was in the shape of a familiar record design, exactly the one Hoseok gifted him. During that time, while he smiled, you knew Yoongi was secretly too excited about hanging it up—Your guess was correct, considering that was the first thing he did when coming home.

Normally, right now, you’d be sleeping next to the man in question while transformed… Dozing off in a ball of fur as your tail smacked his face—But how could you sleep in a time like this? Knowing this was the exact day you’ll get adopted, officially! The thought had you squealing in delight, rolling on the ground with your favorite blanket. Feline eyes darting out the window to see the first morning sunrise, snowflakes lightly flyin’ in the wind.

Winter was still ongoing, but not as strong… Remembering two days ago Taehyung skipping in excitement among the snow when seeing a few purple crocus sprouting, the tiger hybrid telling of a tale how it was a sign of good-luck. The flower ‘celebrating the coming forth of springtime’ and how it represented ‘new beginnings’. You didn’t even have the heart to prevent him from plucking the flowers as he made a small crocus crown for the both of you.

Sighing, your attention flew back to the clock—What the hell? You jumped in pure shock seeing how it was well past an hour. A tightness building up in your throat, fearing that maybe it was too late to make it for the appointment. What if it was…

No.

Nothing was going to stop yourself from getting adopted today by Yoongi—There are some people that complain about adoption for hybrids, you hear them whispering among themselves whenever going out with Yoongi as they point at your proudly-displayed collar. But they don’t understand… In this world, you can’t just be a stray-hybrid.

You’d need an owner... Friend, to live the freedom a hybrid can live without the fear of being sheltered or worse.

Shaking your head, a smile broke out when yelping as you slipped in the hallway before getting right back up and bursting into Yoongi’s room—It was dark and although harder to see without your night vision, it was nearly impossible to miss the big lump on the bed that snored softly.

So, you pounced.

“Yoongi… Yoongi, wake up!” You shouted, nudging the man as a groan escaped from underneath the covers as you continuously jumped on Yoongi. Frowning at the nonexistent movement, you tried pullin’ the blankets away only for a squeal to leave your lips. A rough shake practically pushing you off the bed with a huff—Alright… That’s it!

Peeking up from the other side as you sat on the floor, anyone would’ve expected the bed to catch fire at the harsh glare you were giving when needing to climb back up. “Yoongi,” You hissed, pulling at the blanket once more as Yoongi’s face showed, his facial expression scrunching at the lost of warmth. Calculating, you smirked almost evilly when soft jet-black hair had gracefully fallen upon his forehead.

Tail flickering in mischief, you grabbed a handful and yanked… Yoongi cussing and hissing in a faint whisper, eyes immediately snapping open with an icy-glare before softening to see you and not one of the guys he believed—Then again, if he saw Jungkook, Yoongi doesn’t think he’d even be able to say no… Kick him, yes, but not no.

“And what do you think your doing kitten?” Yoongi grumbled, voice coming off in a low and hoarse tone, a shiver running down your spine and tail standing puffy/tall in alarm at the affect that was going through you. Ears perking with a slight twitch feeling a lazy, but innocent gesture of his hand resting on your leg—Your eyes widen, this was new, weird, and… something else.

“A-Adoption… Adoption day,” You muttered, feeling the sudden confidence lessen as your face felt extremely hot… Tail instinctively reaching over to hide your bashful expression. The sight had Yoongi confused for a split second, only to scramble up in a sitting position when realizing what was said.

“Oh shit! What time is it—”

“Yah Yoongi, we just let ourselves in. Are you almost ready to—” A new presence broke into the room, attention turning to see Seokjin standing at the entrance of the bedroom door… Water spilling from his mouth like a waterfall—From his perspective, it might’ve appeared like Yoongi, and you were in a compromising potion from how his hand was lazily draped on your leg and unconsciously slidin’ to your thigh during the movement. The fluffy covers being the one to cover the true aspect of the position you both were closed-in.

It sure didn’t help the fact that your face was red as a freshly-bloomed rose, or how Yoongi’s hair was a bed-mess.

“Sorry!!”

Embarrassment filled within, gaping in pure horror while Yoongi was still half-asleep to fully comprehend what was going on that had Seokjin slamming the bedroom door. Although an idea slowly started forming once argument was heard outside, the doorknob rattling as if they were fighting to open it or not.

“I just want to see Y/N—” Jungkook whined, the other hybrid boys whimpering in response… The bunny hybrid, surprisingly, being stronger than all seven of them combined as he practically burst through the room. Each hybrid tripping over one another as they fell to the ground, Namjoon hesitantly peeking inside as well only to instantly turn to leave with a nope seeing your position. “Ugh, Y/N are you—Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!!”

“Listen, it’s not what you perverts think!” Yoongi shouted, lightbulb finally going off on what everyone seemed embarrassed about. Jimin snickering, a sly smirk gracing his handsome features while Taehyung looked in clueless confusion… Hoseok didn’t waste time to run out with apologies fallin’ like a marathon. Though Jungkook stared with mixed emotions from confusion, embarrassment, to apologetic and finally devious.

“Hyung! How dare you take advantage of our Y/N like this? Shame on you,” Jungkook spat, grinning when Jimin burst out laughin’ as the fox slapped his back in a fit. The bunny hybrid tutting, jumping to his feet and rushing to lift you off the bed, dashing out as he went to tell the others. Yoongi complaining to himself how wrong they were, huffing as he slumped against his dashboard.

“You know Yoongi, if you wanted to play,” Jimin teased, showing off his canines… Crawling on the bed in a sinful manner as he tilted Yoongi’s head up by the chin with an evil glint. Red-fox tail swaying around them in a captivating way for a predator about to attack their prey. “We’ve always have operation… I’ll be the doctor.”

“Shut up,” Yoongi rolled his eyes, shoving Jimin off the bed as the fox landed with a thump. Jimin’s laugh echoing throughout the silent room causing Taehyung to giggle at his contagious personality, despite not knowing what was going on still. “Get out so I can get dressed.”

“Don’t get shy now. We’ve all seen you—”

“Jimin, I swear to fuckin’ god!!”

A transformed tiger and fox practically threw themselves out the room, barreling into each other as objects flew out in the hall—Yips, yelps, growls, and howls being heard all around as the ones in the living flinched knowing Yoongi got to them.

You were actually here; You couldn’t believe it… Eyes widening in delight seeing the hybrid shelter sign. Namjoon and Yoongi chuckled at your excitement, fixing your jacket and bucket hat to make the other hybrids inside more comfortable—Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok bundled up already, gaining the stamp of approval from Seokjin that the four were good to head inside.

“Alright, alright. I’m good!” You insisted, smiling and jumping out of their grasp in a sprint, catching up with the rest of the boys—However, it turned out to be a huge mistake going forward.

Staggering back, you winced, letting out a caterwaul from all the different exotic scents that hit your nose in full force. A hand slapping over your face… God, it felt like you wanted to vomit at the intensity. Pathetic whimpers escaped, tears forming as everything became a blurry mess—How did all the pack of hybrids handle this here?!

A gentle hand touched your lower back, the action making you flinch and tense.

“Shh… It’s okay,” Yoongi—His voice immediately cutting through the fog, an arm draping over your shoulder that brought you closer. The music producer not caring about the tickle against his chin that your ears were doing, waiting patiently for you to calm down before making sudden movements. Your nose twitching, inhaling Yoongi’s familiar cologne and vanilla scent. “What happened? You were just excited two seconds ago kitten.”

“Shut up,” You muttered, a shaky laugh bubbling out at the teasing tone—Yoongi had known exactly what happened… He’s experienced it multiple times with Jungkook. But rather than discussing it, Yoongi did what was a normal occurrence to show he cared and formed the situation into a joking manner. Wishing to ease your discomfort, he took off his black mask and adjusted it on yourself.

The filtered-cloth didn’t get rid of the smells completely but dimmed it enough were it was tolerable, helping your overwhelmed state. Namjoon—with such a gentleness—instructing for you to take a couple of deep breaths.

Wild green eyes, that were glowin’ slightly, snapped open to see Jungkook in a similar situation. The tall-bunny practically buried in Hoseok’s hair, cotton tail rustling among his oversized t-shit with the sound of feet thumping against the floor—Hoseok’s scent being the only one strong enough to keep Jungkook sane… Everyone else, except you, had a too strong of cologne, pheromones, or just had a flowery scent that he hated.

Yoongi led you toward the front desk, where no one was in sight, and rang the bell. Your tail flickering in an anxious manner as a woman (Finally) came out from the back with a clipboard.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” She smiled, nearly stunned to see about eight of you waiting in the lobby—Her eyes widening at Jungkook’s trembling form… Instinctively rummaging through the drawers and handing Seokjin a brand-new facial mask for the bunny. Something that was always kept handy in case hybrids were sensitive to smells.

The sight had you awing—You could practically feel a “mother’s caring nature” vibe from this woman.

“We’re here to see Sujin… We have a meeting with him,” Yoongi explained, the lady humming in understanding, not minding the near cold exterior he was unconsciously giving. Her fingers going straight to work, the computer granting access to the much-needed information.

“Ah yes, here we are! For Mr. and Mrs. Min…” She trailed; snickers being heard in the background that caused Yoongi to turn with a glare—The guys straightened as they tried to act casual, shaking shoulders giving them away, along with their mischievous smiles twitchin’ to break out. “Sujin will be with you all soon! He’s currently finishing up with a couple that came in earlier… Lovely people, so sad what happened to them.”

Frowning, everyone cocked their heads to the side at the extra comment—Curiosity filling them on what had happened. Although before the guys could question it, a door opened, your ears perking underneath the hat… You recognized that scent, yes, he was at the hospital!

“Ah. Yoongi, Namjoon, and Seokjin! It’s good to see you three again, along with your hybrids,” Sujin greeted, smiling warmly with a shake of their hands. Although, you’ve noticed the man taking one glance at you in suspicion before gesturing everyone to follow—Yet one step in his office had you wincing, Yoongi staring at you in concern before hesitantly giving Sujin his attention.

There was a certain smell in the air… Something that had you wanting to hide, but it was mixed with other scents that you couldn’t recognize it—Maybe you were just overthinking, after all, there are a ton of predator hybrids here.

A windshield laugh had you snapping back to reality, finding Seokjin red in the face from whatever Sujin said. They were making small talk… The sight had you scrunching up your nose—Either a dumb or brilliant idea came to mind, gently tugging for Yoongi’s attention as you excused yourself for the “bathroom”.

Taking a deep breath, you quietly got up as the guys continued and left through a door that wasn’t entered before. Eyes widening seeing the long hallway that had multiple doors, but with a wider one at the end.

Something inside wanted you to explore, but another was whispering how this wasn’t a good idea and to go sit back in the safety length of the guys—You can guess what side won, your feline instincts forcing you to walk toward the door… It helped that the closer you got, the more hybrid scents seem to fade.

You don’t know what you expected, but it sure wasn’t to find hybrids on either side of glass panels—Hamsters, bunnies, sugar gliders, and so on… All going about in a playful manner, some hanging out inside or running back and forth through the open doors that lead outside.

Despite them in the Rodentia and Leporids family, you stiffened when all their attention was directed at you with calculating eyes—They knew what kind of hybrid you were, but something about how tense you were didn’t seem to scare them. Most felines walked like the world was their kingdom, but you appeared as if you’ve barely belonged on the runway. It was an odd sight for them to say the least.

Coughing, you straightened up and headed to the next room—The Felidae family…

“Well aren’t you cute,” A voice broke the silent walk, grabbing your attention to see a cougar hybrid. A grin upon her face and tail swishing in nothing but mischief… She was older than you and came off like a big sister than anything. “Are you lost?”

“No. I’m waiting for my…” You hesitantly trailed, flickin’ your collar as the hybrid seemed to understand with a nod. Not at all resentful that you had someone to leave with. In fact, the feline seemed to relax in almost a relief that you weren’t wandering around by yourself—That’s where it started, not being long until the cougar had you laughing, giving stories on the multiple pranks she pulled until Yoongi came for you.

“Darlin’ look! A lost little kitty-cat.”

Your whole body turned to stone, eyes widening as you stopped breathing for a moment. The cougar hybrid sensed your distress and change of mood… Eyes narrowing and growlin’ behind you—No… Please no… Please.

…” I’m sorry if you don’t mind us asking. That lady earlier had mentioned you were with a couple earlier—What happened to them?” Namjoon questioned, calming the boys down as Sujin eyes sadden. The shelter owner giving a tight smile as he looked anywhere but at them.

“Oh them… It hurts thinking about it, but about a year ago, this lovely couple actually lost their hybrid—Apparently there was an incident in their neighborhood and hybrid poachers broke into their home. The couple fought tooth and nail to protect their little one but… God, it’s awful evening thinking about it. The two barely were able to step in here, unsure if they were even ready to reminisce and care for another hybrid,” Sujin muttered, shaking his head to rid of the horrid images that currently ran through his mind. The story had Taehyung, Hoseok, Jungkook, and Jimin shaking, while the other three guys stared with a solemn expression. “…I pray that Y/N is at least resting in peace.”

Yoongi’s head snapped up, jumping out of his chair as it fell to the ground from the sheer force—Sujin’s eyes widening seeing an odd look upon his face… On everyone’s faces.

“What was their hybrid’s name again?”

Everything felt like slow motion for you, scrambling and slipping across the hallway floor as hybrids noticed your fearful state—Their calls as they all banged on the glass panel were mute to your ears, the pounding of your heart being the only music that was actually heard.

You’ve barged into the last door, coming face-to-face with multiple canines that jumped to their feet at your sudden entrance. Their curious eyes watching you twist around, shrugging off as much layers you could to free your tail and ears. It felt like you couldn’t breathe!

“Here kitty-kitty~ We’ve been so worried about you…”

…” Hurry the hell up!!” Yoongi shouted; fist clenched in pure white as Sujin frantically pulled up a file on his computer as the four hybrids glared at him with a predatory glint.

“I can’t control the speed of the internet!!” Sujin snapped, slamming the monitor in stupid hopes that it would speed up the loading process as it tried retrieving the information that was filled out for the last client as they did a background search. Eyes darting away from the computer screen in sheer worry hearing faint barking, roars, and growls in the background—Every hybrid starting a sudden ruckus.

“That’s it! I’m heading—”

“There!! It’s done—It says that Mr. and Mrs. Hyun owned a feline hybrid (black) that went missing around a year ago on a rainy day. Her name was…”

“Y/N! How we missed you… Now, why don’t you be a good little thing and come home—Oh? What’s this…?” A sickeningly chuckle rang throughout the room, your back against the glass as you sat on the ground in pure terror. Wild eyes staring up at the couple that was a mere inch away (Collar reflecting in the light), banging heard all around as each hybrid tried to break through to defend you. “A collar? You’ve got to be kiddin’.”

“Don’t worry, I know the perfect remedy that will take care of that,” The man sneered, body shaking as you saw the woman open her purse—Your face paled… She was holding a noose like a leash, hand instinctively reaching for your throat in a protective manner.

Then… You screamed, a bloody curdling scream that had the hybrid’s eyes turning into slits as they all transformed—Animal instincts running through their veins and throwing their bodies against the barrier between them, glass starting to slowly crack.

You’ve kicked, clawed, and reached for something to sink your teeth in as you fought to at least transform—It’ll help in multiple ways to bend for an escape… You were, in fact, faster on all fours.

“Nope! We can’t have that now, can we,” A giggle sounded, stepping on your wrist as her heels dug into your skin that had you hissing, already recognizing the signs of what was planned. Your eyes squeezing shut, teeth grinding together in hopes that this was a horrible nightmare.

“Y-You’re not real… You’re not—”

“Oh… Sorry to disappoint, but we are very much real,” They both said in sync, your breath hitching as one of their nasty fingers unclipped your collar to throw across the room—The familiar texture of rope touching your skin replacing the empty space. Although before they had the chance to tighten it like you knew they would… A screech and hiss was heard, their presence disappearing that had you snapping your eyes open.

“Do. Not. Fuckin’. Touch. Her,” Yoongi growled, shoving your old abuser against the wall with a tight grasp upon his shirt—Hoseok, Jimin and Taehyung transformed, all three corning the fearful woman as they showed off their sharp canines while Jungkook simply cracked his knuckles.

Sujin ran off to call security while Namjoon and Seokjin rushed to your aid… Only to back up when you screamed and flinched at their touch as if they just burnt your delicate skin.

Trauma is personal… It does not just disappear.

It’s forever engraved into the depths of your soul.

But…

Yoongi shoved the bastered into the open arms of security, glaring until the two were out of sight until whimpers and screams finally reached his ears. Turning around as Yoongi softened seeing the state you were in, curled up on the floor with the noose still around your neck.

When someone hears the screams.

Entering the pain of torture with a delicate hand…

Can the healing begin.

“Kitten…?” Yoongi whispered unsurely, crouching right next to your form as the crying stopped… Body freezing in place. Your eyes snapped up and through the blurriness you could see the familiar colors of him. The sight had you tearing up once more when Yoongi, with a softness, removed the rope around you—

“Yoongi!! I-I was…” You hiccupped, throwing yourself into his awaiting arms with a soft. Yoongi combing his fingers through your hair, whispering comforting words and humming, placing a gentle kiss among your temples.

And that’s… That is when you can truly be free from the dark past that haunts you.

“I know… I know. It’s okay,” Yoongi hushed, rockin’ you back and forth.

~~~~

Welcome to the fifteenth chapter of Changing One's Tune! It's been a while... So I decided to add a little angst to the mix. The past resurfaces, but sometimes you need to face it to properly heal.

Likes, Comments, Reblogs, and Follows are very much appreciated if you enjoy the story, its always exciting to know that you like my writing and gives me more motivation to update faster!

See you all soon, Stay Gold! <3

206 notes · View notes

unholyhelsing · 1 year

Text

chapter 11 of a tale of crowns. I'm already stressed.

#atoc #a tale of crowns #atoc chapter 11 #a tale of crowns chapter 11 #interactive fiction

10 notes · View notes

waning-and-waxing · 1 year

Text

they saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make things difficult for X and they RAN with it

#a tale of crowns #atoc #atoc chapter 11 #atoc spoilers #these two think they're hilarious #and they're RIGHT #D thinks they're covering it up by not moving a single facial muscle #but that only makes them more suspicious #dara/delal #rozerîn/rêzan

127 notes · View notes

paigelts05 · 8 months

Text

The Final Containment of William Afton [FNAF, Renegade AU]

https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/The-Final-Containment-of-William-Afton-FNAF-1019973107

Renegade File Server Location: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52491037/chapters/135909397

Published: Feb 11 2024

William Afton is being contained. Permanently.

The truth behind how William was finally contained and kept out of Faz Ent's hands is a story that Fazbear Entertainment frequently dramatises and frequency paints in a fantasy light, but such tales have little effect on either the public opinion, or the individuals involved.

The reality was down to earth and hectic, but Cassie, Cassey, Ness, and Sylvia make a great team.

Cassey and Ness's forced William into the game in order to weaken him, causing him to hide within Princess Quest 4 and get captured by the red king. Cassie and Sylvia solved riddles to find the collectables that the mimic was hiding from them in order to access the arcade and pick up William from the red king in order to take him to Ness in this weakened state. Then, Ness was finally prepared to take on the duty of keeping William Afton contained, acting as a human prison.

And even though Ness and Cassie didn't see eachother in person that day, they knew the other was just as happy as they were to have William contained.

=°•.🌹 Story 🌹.•°=

°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•🌹•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°

Desmond and Cassie had moved all the way across the country to live with Sylvia 'officer Vanessa' Blake in order to escape Fazbear Entertainment.

When a cardboard box that bore Faz Ent insignia arrived in the mail, Desmond felt nauseous; since his daughter's hospital stay after the Ruins incident revealed a chip in the back of her neck, he had known that when Cassie's sleeper side had told him many times that 'they will always find me, no matter where I go' meant that she had known from the start that Faz Ent had some kind of tracker implanted into her before she came into his care, but he never thought they'd actually use it.

As Cassie and Sylvia carefully opened the box, they found a VR headset, a game box, and a note addressed to Desmond.

After seeing the contents, yet before he read the note, he froze in a terrified daze; this was the VR equipment from his old apartment; the exact things that Faz Ent had sent him before: the VR headset, the external casing cracked from him lobbing it across the room, the controllers, hand prints visible where he had held them in a vice grip, and VR training game, that cursed game that had forced him to hand Cassie that mask.

He wanted to run away, he wanted to throw up, he wanted to go somewhere his former employer would never find him. He passed out.

Sylvia had been briefed on his experience with that VR training simulator prior to her discharge from the hospital, as Desmond being used to make the map bot function was a major part of the investigation into what Faz Ent had been doing in the ruins of the megaplex, so she wasn't surprised that he'd pass out at seeing the game again. She had also helped him move out, so she was aware that he had purposefully left all this behind at his old place, aiming for the police to pick it up.

Instead, someone at Faz Ent had sent it to his new home.

After making sure that Desmond was just out cold and nothing more serious, Sylvia and Cassie read the note.

U LN BIR AYEW QGI QUKK EWLS RGUA VYR UR UA VEUWD LBS BIB-CURLK.

RGUA FLNW UA RGW JWT RI GUA WRWEBLK XIBRLUBNWBR.

KWE RGW BWQ OEUBXWAA RLJW RGW XEIQB.

"This looks like a scrambled mess," Sylvia sighed as she looked at the mish-mash of letters on the paper.

Cassie shook her head. "It's encoded with using the keyboard letter to the left of the actual letter. Easy to decode once you know it, but enough to throw someone through a loop. I'll read it." Cassie cleared her throat before continuing, "I am not sure who will read this but it is brief and non-vital. This game is the key to his eternal containment. Let the new princess take the crown."

Some metaphorical gears turned in Sylvia's head as she processed the words as well as some rabbit shaped graffiti-like markings painted on the plastic cover of game box, so an addition made by the sender and not a part of th official print, and her eyes lit up. "I know this is going to scare the shit out of your dad, but I think you need to play the game. I think that Cassey T and my sister need you for something."

Cassie now bore the confused expression. "For what?"

"Remember what Des told us about that game. What is in it. We have reason to suspect that William will take refuge in here, hence these markings as a warning." Sylvia picked up the game box as she spoke and pointed to the rabbit graffiti.

"Yeah, the mimic is also in there. It's the thing that forced my dad to pilot the mask bot to hand me the mask," Cassie replied, "That training sim is the space that that weird short exec guy used to stick GGY, Clone William, and Mimic1 in the code blender so it wouldn't be found out until he downloaded it onto that endo I destroyed. Why would William hide in the same space as something trying so hard to copy and kill him."

"As I said, he's not actually in there yet," Sylvia replied, "I said he will be forced into there."

"Forced in?" Cassie inquired.

"He managed to possess my sister and her dad's ghost has been keeping him in, but she told me she has a plan." Sylvia grinned, "She'd get help from an insider to anonymously mail us what we need, and once the plan is in action, he will be forced to take refuge in there."

"And that insider is me."

A voice that didn't belong to Cassie or Sylvia spoke up, and the duo turned around to see Desmond standing and speaking in a voice that sounded wrong for him.

"I am Alistair. You may already be aware of me from my involvement in the VR environment. I could have shipped this in a blank box, but I needed my brother unconscious to fill you in on the details, as having any kind of paper trail from here on in will stop this plan from working."

"And this plan is…?" Sylvia inquired.

"Take the memories from the hand of the disembodied. Use them as the bait. Take up the mantle and lure the wizard into the witch's trap." Alistair spoke slowly and calmly, as if reciting a story.

"Cryptic," Sylvia grumbled, "Can you tell us anything else?"

"The hand may take up the wand and robes of the destroyed, but it is not wise enough to use it yet," Alistair replied, adding a final piece of information to her story, "it would be dangerous to say any more."

"Got it." Cassie said as she begun to set up the VR equipment.

"I get the gist; take what bad entity 2 has nicked to bait bad entity 1, and we can worry about the fallout later." Sylvia nodded as she begun to help Cassie.

By the time Cassie and Sylvia had set up the VR environment, Alistair had silently left and let Desmond wake back up.

"What's going on?" Desmond wearily mumbled as he pulled himself to his feet.

"We're on a mission," Sylvia answered, "Your sister filled us in on the details."

"That explains the pain…" Desmond grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to soothe a phantom pain. "I'll assume that's why the box was used - so she didn't have to fight me."

Sylvia flinched at how Desmond described the whole possession thing. "… Are you OK?"

Desmond nodded. "Alistair and I don't always get along, but she needed to convey a message I guess, and by the looks of it, an important one."

Cassie nodded as she held the VR headset above her head.

"Time to grab some memories and lure an evil wizard to his death."

Once in the training simulator, Cassie knew that she'd get very little further direction from Cassey and Ness, and no further instruction from Alistair. She also knew that Sylvia was about as much in the loop as she herself was, so she'd have to rely on herself to find these 'memories' that if her interpretation of the mission was correct, the mimic would be hoarding.

If it was Mimic1, Clone William, GGY, or a mix of the three was yet to be discovered, but she knew that with the exception of the GGY component, it would likely see her as a traitor. Her managing to 'kill' clone William back in the VR environment before she could rendezvous with the other Gregory Getters branded her a traitor in his eyes. Her managing to destroy the endo the mimic had been downloaded onto in the real world during the Ruins incident branded her a traitor in Mimic1's eyes. Two thirds of it were likely against her, so she had two choices: appeal to the possible third segment, or the better options.

Allegiance against a common enemy.

With the mimic relegated back to code, and likely a disembodied hand if the mission briefing was being literal, William had gone from being the lesser threat of the two to being the greater threat of the two. With how her sleeper side had managed to drive the mimic back in a bare-fisted brawl back during the Ruins incident, she knew that it knew that she was a capable fighter who is skilled way beyond her years. She could claim a mercenary motive for her actions. Whether it'd beleive such bold-faced bullshit was another question, but she hoped it wouldn't come to that.

She hoped it'd see her as being indistinguishable from any other player. The other better option, and probably the best.

As she loaded into the lobby, she felt as if words were being injected directly into her mind, words that linked back to what Alistair had told her. It felt like someone was giving Sleeper further instruction on what to do, and in turn, Civ instinctively felt as if she knew what to do as well.

She needed to find a way to play Princess Quest 4. That is where Ness would be waiting for her to deliver William to her.

The note in the box had been to tell Cassie that she had to be the one to play the game, likely because of the message Ness wanted to send would only be able to reach someone like her, and Alistair had to deliver the extra details so she would have the preconceived notions necessary to fully understand the even more cryptic message that Ness sent.

Cassie received the message loud and clear.

She was ready to create the key and do all that was needed to let Ness enact her plan.

"He should be in there…. ETA NOW!" Cassie heard Sylvia yell. She was loud enough to get through the headset, and that's all she needed to hear.

It looked like the game was officially afoot.

She followed many cryptic hints for hours and hours, taking each doll from the disembodied hand that lurked, and after collecting the final doll from Fazerblast 3, a minigame that she was sure was the embodiment of the mimic's own want to eliminate William, if only to take the man's place in the world, she claimed her prize and returned to the main hub where she found the purple Faz-token that had now spawned in.

She knew exactly what to do with it.

After taking it from where it floated, she made her way over to the Princess Quest 4 arcade machine and inserted the coin that it needed to begin.

Taking a deep breath, she begun her part of this journey of leading the princess through the castle, making use of a teleport ability that felt very similar to typical VR movement mechanics.

As she played, she had some time to think: Princess Quest was not a Faz Ent IP. It was solely a Silver Parasol IP. One they released as an app and an arcade machine. It was a monument, a record, and an escape key. The fact a Princess Quest game was in this at all was a sign that Cassey T, Jeremy B, Ness, and Sylvia had managed to scheme their way into getting in on the development of this game.

Ness and Cassey were waiting somewhere on the other side of this game, ready to strike.

Heading deeper and deeper into the castle within the arcade, she noticed something odd.

"That looks like the room I'm in!" She heard herself exclaim as she saw a figure hunched over an arcade machine on the screen.

As she looked up, she saw that the room around her was dark. Looking around more, she saw the princess. An 8-bit sprite, as she expected, but it felt odd, but also as if it was meant to be.

On instinct, she directed the princess towards her and pressed the only interact key she knew of: the attack key.

Everything went white, but she felt nothing from it, and when everything cleared, she was in a place she didn't think the game expected her to be. It was dark, and the only distinguishing feature was the checkerboard floor lit by a golden glow coming from somewhere in front of her. In front of her stood Cassey Tapper, holding the glowing golden sword. Meanwhile, she also saw Cassidy hovering slightly behind the programmer.

Cassie looked around, and finally saw the ghost that had been possessing her hovering nearby as well.

"You must be Charlie," she said.

Charlie just nodded and pointed back towards Cassey.

Cassie nodded back and looked back towards the programmer who was possessed by the one William should not have killed.

"It's going to be up to you; you're going to be able to pick up where we left off." Cassey knelt down and held the sword out in front of her as she spoke, resting the point on the tile.

Cassie instinctively grabbed the hilt, and Cassey placed her hands over the girl's. She noticed that her hands actually looked like her hands, and her arms looked like her arms. It didn't feel like she was in a VR game anymore, but that her soul was somewhere else, temporarily in some kind of secret meeting place. Cassie turned her attention back to the sword; she had never welded such heavy weaponry before, only using knives and at most a machete. A sword, albeit virtual, was new, and even with Cassey holding it steady, it still felt as if it was going to topple, but she didn't panic. She smiled as the golden glow illuminated herself and the room she was in.

Cassey gave one last smile as she let go of the sword, letting Cassie be it's sole bearer, before she stood up and walked into the darkness.

Cassie knew that this was all the help that Cassey and Cassidy were able to provide; William knew them too well. But Cassie? The last time they met was on terms neutral to the both of them; the old man would not suspect a thing.

The screen went white again, and when that too faded, she was back in front of the arcade machine. The princess stood unarmed next to her. The sword was on the arcade's screen, and the words "take it" were below.

As she took the sword, she knew that it was for certain that her encounter with Cassey had not been in this VR world, but had been elsewhere, merely facilitated by the VR equipment. It was most likely that it had been a temporary digital consciousness transfer so that they could meet in secret and Cassey could pass her part of the torch onto her.

And now she was back in VR.

Cassie knew that once this was all said and done, Cassey, Jeremy, and most importantly Ness would have thier hands full with the finer details of William's containment. Whilst Sylvia was a part of that team, she also had the most experience dealing with the components of the mimic, having been involved in the Ruins incident. It was clear that Sylvia would be the bridge that kept the containment of William and the pursuit of erasing the mimic connected, and that from everything that has happened so far, Cassie could tell that Sylvia already knew her role. Why else would everyone at Faz Ent fearfully refer to her with all sorts of words that in some way meant 'Knight'.

The cavalier, the woman-at-arms, the duellist, the chevalier, the knight; all refering to this woman.

They also called her 'Don Quixote', though Cassie felt as if she and whatever exec had called Sylvia 'Don Quixote' and had called Luis 'Sancho' hadn't read the same book that she had. Faz Ent probably hoped that Sylvia's knights quest was simply the insane endeavour of a woman already driven to delusion, but Cassie had watched everything from the shadows, and despite Sylvia seeing a fantastical fantasy form of the world half the time - a condition Sylvia believes was caused the the remnant her bosses had sneakily injected into her system - she had managed to stay grounded enough in reality thanks to her friends and her drive to protect them.

And with Cassie taking up the mantle of the princess of light, she too would now need a knight at her side, as even if the Princess's Quest appeared to be the adventure of a single girl on the surface - a single player game - the player had always been there as a guide, as the knight.

This sword felt lighter than the one Cassey had passed her. She knew what she had to do.

She maneuvered through the game around her; the training sim that had become Princess Quest 4 was her battlefield as she slew foe after foe, fighting towards the core of the castle within this game.

First, she found a key. It opened the door she found herself next to, and through it, was a pit, similar to the one the princess had decended on the arcade machine.

She decended through the pit herself, slaying any monsters she met along the way. Once at the bottom, she found herself in a long corridor. The beasts were an afterthought as she made her way down the red carpet that lead out into what was both a courtyard and graveyard; the only place in this castle that was outdoors.

The puzzle was easy to solve; a simple case of lighting the torches in an incrementing numerical order. But she followed a different pattern and unlocked a secret basement underneath the courtyard. The chest held a familiar mask.

Whilst her dad had his father's retro Bonnie mask, the familiarity felt more visceral.

Sleeper must be the one familiar with this mask.

The door at the far end of the courtyard opened anyway.

The door lead to a grand corridor, devoid of monsters.

At the end, she met the red king. She traded her Vanny mask for the plush toy that William had hidden himself within. He had been holding William prisoner in this plushie form since he had fled here to escape the hand that lurked. It seems as if even though the mimic had been reduced to a hand, the destructive potential William saw within it terrified even him.

Then a door opened. To the elevator of the rental service warehouse. The ride didn't last long, as the walls came down and she saw that she was now inside a claw machine.

She knew this was her destination.

She saw Vanny outside, giant, yet to Cassie, not imposing.

She was finally face to face with Ness.

All that was left to do, was simple.

She handed the plush doll that William was trapped within over to the moon, who delievred it to Ness.

Whilst William had freed himself from his plush prison and had resumed his Glitchtrap form, it wasn't long lived as Ness crushed him in her hands.

Ness then looked over at Cassie and waved as she dipped into the darkness. She could tell that on the other end of whatever system was connecting them, that Ness was smiling.

Cassie waved back at her aunt, and she couldn't help but smile.

They had all done it.

Ness had captured and contained William.

Everything was on her terms now.

And as Cassie removed her headset and dealt with her eye strain and minor disorientation, she couldn't wait to see how this would all play out.

°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•🌹•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°

9 notes · View notes

xalygatorx · 10 months

Text

Worthy (2015) | Chapter 11, "To See Her Again"

Disappearing sporadically in public spaces quickly becomes Cora Dempsey's least concerning problem when suddenly she captures the attention of the forming Avengers Initiative, the World Security Council, and Asgard's fallen prince all in one week. And the universe is only just getting started with her.

Worthy is a slow-burn SFW Marvelverse (films) romance between Loki and a female OC. For additional details on what canon is used, see the Prologue post.

Summary: We rejoin Loki on the precipice of his and the Chitauri’s invasion of Midgard after an immeasurable amount of time under the Other’s influence. Loki learns what became of Cora and makes a decision.

Pairing: Loki x Fem!OC

Warnings: Descriptions of past physical abuse and trauma responses; superhero movie levels of action

Word Count: 3.4k

Loki stood silently by as the Chitauri leader he'd come to know as the Other addressed the dark figure upon his throne, his body bent in a submissive bow as he spoke. "The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world. A human world. They would wield its power, but our ally knows its workings as they never will…," he said, his voice gravelly and barely concealing a dark, deadly hunger in its undertones.

The Other turned and placed a golden scepter crowned with a blue spherical gem and silver blades like teeth in Loki's hands, and he barely contained a shudder as the raw, writhing figments of Chitauri magic slid beneath his skin just as they had before, time and time again, then presenting pain instead of power and seeking out the repressed weaknesses and emotional casualties which lay within him. Exploiting them. Reopening the scars and blistering the vulnerable flesh beneath until they festered, rotted, stemming with sickness into his bloodstream until disease circulated back to his mind, where madness had already eagerly begun to brew.

The Chitauri writhed in masses all around them, the earth quaking from their frenzied shifting. "He is ready to lead," the Other continued, ignoring the prince's muted discomfort though Loki knew he could sense it. He had to be attuned after all this time. It hadn't been long; the blink of an eye for someone like them. Yet every moment had been agony, force, punishment, and borderline despair for the Jotun amongst true monsters the likes of which he was sure Asgard had never experienced. Otherwise, tales of Frost Giants would have never seemed so frightening in comparison. "And our force, our Chitauri, will follow."

The Other flourished a respectful hand toward the figure—Thanos, one of the last Eternals of Titan—upon the throne as he said with as much charm as his reptilian voice could muster, "The world will be his. The universe, yours. And the humans… What can they do but burn?"

Thanos remained pensively silent for a moment before a smirk crooked his lips and he murmured simply, "Then let us begin."

Feral cries of anticipation rang out all around as the Chitauri retreated from the throne once the signal was given, Loki keeping step as to not get swept up in their scaly ranks. As they continued onward, he began to lag a bit, glancing down at the scepter in his hands just as the Other came near. It was all Loki could do to not reflexively defend himself or even, shamefully, shrink away.

"You lack enthusiasm for your day of glory," he observed, though he severely lacked any of the concern he may have been trying to falsely imply. It was mockery and it made the former king bristle with injured pride. The Other's voice became stone-cold in a way familiar now to Loki as he said, "You will not have second thoughts."

Loki nodded once, wired and on edge from the sickening power pulsating from the scepter, feeling like hundreds of insects shuffling through his bones. He drew a shuddering breath as he tried to ignore the sensation, the Other watching him with entertainment taken from the Jotun's reaction to the Chitauri's magic. The frost giant's pain was his pleasure and there had been many a tortured soul before him to hold the hooded creature's attention. "I will not," Loki said woodenly. "Why should I?"

"Because you are not getting what you desire from this," the Other answered easily, moving forward while Loki stayed still. "You gain a throne, but not the right one, no… Why would a reign over Midgard satisfy you?"

"I am destined to be a king," Loki gritted quietly.

"But not over men," the Other said, having pulled the exact words from Loki's passing thoughts. Loki glanced down at the scepter in his hands, cursing it and wanting to drop it, but knowing it would prove only to anger the being nearby and plant suspicion where there need be none. Flashbacks of the pain, the forture, lanced through his disheveled mind and put him back in check. The Other turned, circling Loki as he spoke. "You do not care for a Midgardian throne. Admit it now," he instructed calmly.

Loki hesitated before obeying. "I do not care for a Midgardian throne."

"Yet you will take one because your outlandish desires are impossible and do not mesh with our true leader's will," he snapped. "You should be grateful you will reap this much from your small part in this scheme. Your sole two wishes are follies. Weak dreams of a boy long dead by my merciful hands."

Loki frowned faintly after quickly dispelling the Other's last statement from his head. "Two wishes?"

"Of course. Young Loki—you do not know your own mind, do you?" he mocked and elaborated, "Yes… Two. One much stronger and more vital to your sanity than the other. We both know what I speak of."

"Vengeance," Loki said in a hard voice when the Other gestured for him to speak it. "My rightful place as king of Asgard. Yet, apart from that… I cannot think of another whim I may have."

"Oh, but there is another… One more pathetic than your desperate climb toward a throne you lost."

The Other waited, letting the unknown hover in the air between them until Loki gritted through his teeth, "Enlighten me."

The cloaked creature smirked under the shadow of his hood as he continued to step slowly around Loki. "This was never about control of Midgard and it has not been about the Tesseract for a while now. It is your bargaining chip… What care do you have for a throne over mortals? They will expire beneath your boot heels, they will clamber for your approval, but for what? They are easy, they are vermin. You want power—desperately—and yet there's something else as well."

The Other smirked maliciously, finally bringing an end to his extensive teasing. "I have been inside your head, Loki Laufeyson, over and over again… And you would bring the entirety of Midgard to ruin just to see her again."

Loki's gaze flashed toward the Other, his eyes narrowed. "Think you I hold feelings for a mortal woman?"

"She is alive, you know."

His jaw clenched, dropping the façade of disbelief as it was of no use; the Other spoke the truth of invading his mind. He recalled it clearly and with disgust. "You jest."

"If you say so," the Other murmured with a flippant shrug.

"How would you know if she lives?"

"Your hold on the human scientist's consciousness branches to me as well, given my hold over a portion of yours," he explained silkily, ignoring the way Loki's eye twitched at that. "I dug deeper than you did. You are careless. And you are weak."

The Other shifted over and began to walk away, giving Loki little choice but to follow, preparing to channel the Tesseract and carry out his purpose as he pondered what the Other had told him, wondering what had become of the little woman he'd aggravated and been aggravated by in those few days they were cooped up in a warehouse together. He'd hung onto those few days and days from his childhood through the misery of this nightly void, drawing some comfort from them when his sanity clung by bare threads.

The fact that he'd become so involved with concern and interest over the girl both angered and baffled him. Worldly attachments were not options to him now and he'd learned from the Asgardians he'd called his family until that dream was ripped from his clinging fingers that love wounded. It was a path to destruction and it was a lie. Loki exhaled slowly as he followed the Other to a small space in the rocks, his grip tightening on the scepter as the gem began to pulsate with energy as a connection between it and the Tesseract was forged, a portal slowly ripping reality before their eyes.

"Go forth, Loki. A new era begins in Midgard this day," the Other encouraged just before Loki moved forward, stepping into the portal and being swept into a continuum for a few short seconds, where he knelt to keep his balance. He was spat back out again in what felt like two long moments, stable on knee and foot as the roaring rip in the air behind him sucked in upon itself until closed. Steam billowed up around him as he slowly looked up, the Chitauri magic in full force now that he was putting their plans into motion. His eyes focused upon the Tesseract directly across from him in the lab as a maddened grin nearly split his face in two, the demigod slowly rising to his feet.

Chaos broke out shortly within the lab, shots being fired from SHIELD's agents and Loki slaughtering the lot with magic that plunged forth from his scepter at his command, not to mention his procuring one of Fury's most important underlings, Agent Barton. A lull only fell over the room when men lay dead upon the steel floor and Loki turned to Fury, who was attempting to get out of the lab with the Tesseract in tow.

"Please don't," he said calmly, Fury halting in his wake. "I still need that."

"This doesn't have to get any messier…," Fury suggested, looking at the scepter-wielding spaceman nearby warily.

"Of course it does," Loki murmured, growing colder inside as he spoke and flashbacks lanced through his mind. "I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose…"

Dr. Selvig gaped nearby. "Loki? Brother of Thor?"

It was all Loki could do not to snarl at the middle-aged scientist as Fury continued, "We have no quarrel with your people."

His eyes shifted lazily back to Fury. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot," he murmured flippantly.

"You planning to step on us?"

"I come with glad tidings," Loki replied with added friendliness as he stepped away from Barton, "of a world made free."

"Free from what?"

"Freedom," the demigod murmured severely, twitching faintly as the Chitauri energy from the scepter continued to worm through his bones. "Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart…" He put the point of the scepter against Selvig's chest as he'd done with Barton, watching as cerulean tendrils branched from the gem and permeated the mortal's skin, his irises crystalizing with submission to its power. "You will know peace."

"You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you. You think you know pain?" the Other sneered in their state of psychic connection. "He will make you long for something as sweet as pain…"

Loki felt the Other's clammy hand press against his face just before he was jolted back into consciousness, glancing around like a beaten animal, feral and wary. He heaved a breath before shaking his head and standing, looking up as Barton began to pass him, holding a tablet. "Hold a moment," Loki murmured at the last minute as he rose stiffly, watching as Barton stopped and turned toward him. "Approach me."

Clint stepped forward and Loki raised a hand to his head, closing his eyes before barely touching his skull and delving carefully into the man's mind. He saw many things, some of a redhead who was also an agent for SHIELD, but who had quite a past before settling into a governmental role, his initiation into SHIELD, and even when he'd been prepared to sink an arrow or two in Thor for tearing through so many agents to get to Mjolnir during his banishment.

Finally, he got to what he wanted: the day he and the older agent had come to collect Cora from the warehouse. Loki clenched his jaw faintly as he watched the memories play out, not understanding why he cared and why he wanted to know what had happened so much. Then again, he might've known why and was just unwilling to admit it.

He watched as she was taken to their headquarters, where he had been hours before, and told she was likely going to be given a death sentence. The tale unfolded until he seemed to learn along with her that she was going to be put into deep freeze. Loki's brow knitted as he continued to watch it all unfold, only able to see bits and pieces, given that he was watching from Barton's point of view and he seemed to have extricated himself often, silently disturbed by the injustice of it all.

Loki was prepared to let go when he saw the panic as the Tesseract had started reacting to the connection which had been forming between it and the scepter. Barton had been taking orders from Fury and among those orders was an evacuation plan for all agents. "And Camo, sir?" Barton had asked, to which Fury had paused and given a firm nod, noting, "Of course she's included." In Barton's bank of knowledge, Loki could see that "Camo" had been codename from day one for Cora Dempsey.

The demigod dropped his hand from Barton's head and nodded. "As you were." Barton saluted and then went back to what he'd been doing, Loki following idly to see how things were coming along with Selvig and the Tesseract. Encased in ice on the sky-craft they've all fled to…, he mulled over the development as Dr. Selvig turned and saw him, excitedly ranting about the things the relic was revealing to him. Interesting.

Loki idly paced his steel and glass cell, suspended from over thirty-thousand feet, having just been "played" by the red-haired woman, Natasha, to get information on what he was counting on to occur… She'd not gotten the full story, of course, but he was mildly concerned that his plan wouldn't go as he wanted. At least he could think clearly now, without influence from the Chitauri ancients in the scepter and the Other in his head…

Still, how he flinched. How the anger rose within him, how the hatred burned deep… Those were not brought on by the disgusting power which infiltrated his body from the weapon, they were a part of him now. The pain, the memories of torture and agony, the lust for vengeance, the madness which took him over, all this. Whether he wanted them or not.

He sat down, his elbows braced against his knees as he looked down at the floor, at his hands which were riddled with faint scars, the worst of them under his armor. Loki sighed and ran a hand through his hair, growing impatient with his lack of progress just as he heard a roar loud enough to rattle the glass of his prison. A grin spread across his face as agents filtered in, taking shortcuts to get to Fury and warn him of what was happening, the second one stumbling and bumping the control panel in passing with the butt of his rifle.

Loki's jaw clenched as he wondered which button had been hit until a voice spoke from the panel. "Confirm identity for release?" His eyes narrowed and he stepped to the glass, his eyes blazing green as his powers permeated the glass and constructed an illusion of Director Fury near the control panel, using it as a puppet to speak using Fury's voice, "Director Nick Fury."

"Identity confirmed," the automated response chimed and Loki smirked triumphantly as the door before him slid open, a soft chuckle shaking his frame. He glanced around and started across the grated walkway when he heard familiar heavy footsteps beyond the door. Glancing toward the open cell, he created an illusion of himself, which took no more thought than the bat of an eye by now, just as Thor barged in, shouting, "NO!" as he barreled through the illusion, glancing around in confusion.

Loki had made his way back to the control panel as the door shut on Thor, who stood, a look of panic and betrayal on his face, smoothed over by anger. "Are you ever not going to fall for that?" he wondered aloud. "The humans think us immortal…" He smiled wickedly toward the imprisoned heir. "Should we test that?" Flinching as Mjolnir struck the glass and made just the smallest crack, Loki sneered and moved over to the control panel.

Hearing the whirr of a nearby weapon, Loki's hand paused, hovering over the button Fury had used to threaten him earlier, seeing the familiar thin-haired agent approaching with a massive gun of some kind. "Move away, please." Arching a brow, Loki backed off. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does," he noted as he fired it up. "Do you wanna find out?"

The true Loki had gone after the scepter after leaving the cell, leaving a few illusory versions of himself behind in case he got the opportunity to cause more turmoil where his cell came into play. He stepped in behind Coulson and snarled silently as he rammed the point of his spear through his beating heart, the illusion dropping off as he ripped the tip back and let Coulson hit the as Thor shouted in the cell, mourning the being who was insignificant in Loki's eyes, Loki went to the control panel and opened up the porthole beneath the prison, making eye contact with his brother before dropping him, cell and all.

He stared at the porthole a moment before closing it, starting to walk away as Coulson murmured, "You're gonna lose," which caused him to pause.

Turning slowly, Loki looked at him. "Am I?"

"It's in your nature," he said calmly and Loki wasn't sure why he seemed so at ease.

Rage at the mortal's impertinence roiled as he seethed, "Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky… Where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction."

Loki shifted forward, opening his mouth to speak just as Coulson fired the weapon, the force of the blast shooting him back through the wall behind him, shaking his head a bit as he sat up and got to his feet, looking around him until he saw a familiar staircase made of the same metal mesh as the rest of the walkways, familiar only because he had seen it in Barton's mind.

He glanced toward his exit briefly before he took the staircase down into the recesses of the ship, having to step over a few portions of the stairs which had been ripped out during the Hulk's rage, no doubt. Loki frowned briefly, closing his eyes and bringing Barton's memories back to the surface before taking the hallway furthest right, which led him to a compact storage area. He'd passed multiple capsules on his way there, shattered and leaking fluid, and the felt his pace quicken as he wondered if the capsule Cora slept inside had come to the same fate.

Just five minutes passed before he found it, at the far corner of the containment area. He approached it slowly, ignoring the discord he could hear in higher levels of the ship as his gaze dropped down to the plate on the side of the steel case, reading, "DEMPSEY, CORA "TARGET: CAMO" #3441."

He cautiously touched his fingertips to the fogged, frozen glass lid, sighing with a tinge of unease as he allowed his hand to slowly transfigure into its true Jotun blue, his eyes shifting to red as he eased the ice on the inside of the glass just enough to see the interior. As the frost from the glass cleared, he leaned forward to peer inside, his lips thinning into a line as he saw the familiar, formerly fiery-tempered girl inside. The feelings that stirred in him at seeing her this way forced tension into his jaw and spine, his sense of vengeance growing until he tamed the anger. But just barely. He could almost hear her notifying him that she was—in her word for rage—"pissed."

"As am I, woman," he murmured as he lifted his hand from the glass, his skin returning to porcelain and his eyes green once more. "As am I."

Next chapter: Chapter 12, "In Glory or Ruin"

#loki laufeyson #loki x fem!oc #loki x oc #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #loki fluff #thor odinson #thor movies #thor the dark world #avengers #marvel cinematic universe #angst with a happy ending #slow burn

8 notes · View notes

jacksgreysays · 9 months

Note

35. things you said that made me feel real + Shikako/Gaara, royalty!AU

Anonymous asked: "welcome to the show," Kankurou and Shikako, chaotic political intrigue with a hefty dose of theater

First off, here are all eleven mentions/instances of the Shikaara royalty!AU that I could find because gods know I never came up with a title for that AU and thus have never tagged them for my own convenience: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. But if you don’t want to read those (most of them are three sentence fic, so it’s not too long, but I get it) then just know that Gaara, youngest prince of Wind, and Shikako, a daughter of a minor noble from Fire, literally bump into each other during Crown Princess Temari’s coronation and the tabloids turn their meeting into the fairy tale romance of the ages.

Okay now that that’s done: Anon(s) I’m also sorry for bundling your prompts together, but this time it’s because they were LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER in my inbox and also, the juxtaposition is SO FUNNY TO ME and also, also, adds additional nuance to both of them that I now cannot untangle them in my mind.

Well, I mean, I COULD. And you would theoretically get a very sweet, serene, straightforward Shikako and Gaara fall in love with each for real during the quiet moments behind what the rest of the world sees as their whirlwind romance via tabloids. Then a separate Kankurou and Shikako being bros and, essentially, grifting [insert number and which countries] daimyo(s) with some kind of stage performance as the cover/distraction while the actual mission is something else entirely. So not exactly The Producers, but a little bit? Also, a little bit like Ask Box Three Sentence Fic 8.2

BUT, what I think I like best about combining the two prompts is that the conflict of the narrative is built in with the softly budding, earnest Shikaara romance having to compete with the wilder, flashier PR scam that Kankurou and Shikako are running. Which does then get into the worldbuilding of: hey, actually, how much privacy do members of the nobility have and what is their duty to their countries and is publicity only good publicity when you control it?

HOWEVER, I’ll be honest, what REALLY got me into wanting to combine these two prompts is that, well…

In response to the first prompt (things you said that made me feel real) my brain immediately went to:

“Do you trust me?” she asks, hand outstretched. Gaara can hear the noise of the press, even muffled as they are by the door separating the green room from the stage. He doesn’t have a very good relationship with the press, his older siblings are more charming, more practiced, he mostly just wants to hide away from all the prying eyes. Though he supposes that’s what got him here in the first place. “Do you trust me?” Shikako repeats, hand still reaching out to him, and it’s now that he notices how it’s trembling, slightly. That she, too, doesn’t like the limelight. That she had also just been looking for a quiet place to hide, during their fateful meeting weeks ago. He puts his hand in hers, matching her grip in an attempt to ameliorate both of their nerves. “Yes,” he says, before they jump into fray together.

And then, because I will always, ALWAYS be in love with Chapter 95 (which even kicked off my whole recursive fic writing in the first place) my brain glommed onto the magic carpet-esque sand platform after the fight and what I’m saying is:

Shikako is Aladdin and Gaara is Jasmine, which ULTIMATELY makes Kankurou the Genie which I think is great :D

And so the second prompt comes in with Kankurou in the Genie role, just doing his best to make this PR machine work in their favor so that he can prove that being a royal doesn’t have to mean being miserable all the time (and also so that he can abdicate his place as first in line after Temari in relative peace)

Because if you really think about it—Gaara is second in line for an entire country (for now, though if Kankurou has his way, he’ll probably be bumped up to first). And, yes, his place will probably drop if/when Temari has kids. BUT, that’s a lot of responsibility. And I don’t exactly know HOW active/how much authority royalty actually has in this world. If it’s more figurehead-ish or if they actually do have executive power in the government. But either way, I don’t think he would have complete freedom over who he gets to be with, in the sense that he still has to do what is best for his country.

BUT, what if Kankurou can make it so that what is best for Wind IS to have the fairytale romance with Shikako and to make it real? (ie, good morale boost/PR for the country, kind of like what was going on with Princess Diana, RIP, and Charles’ relationship but actually good instead of being behind the scenes awful)

So then you have to bridge the gap between literal second (first?) in line for an entire country and the daughter of a minor peerage from Fire. I think I made Fire a five clan oligarchy made up of the canon four noble clans plus the Senju, which—finally my garbage taste in trash manhwa is paying off!—would probably make each of those five clans duchies. And if the Akimichi has the rank of Duke/Duchess, then the Yamanaka and the Nara are their subordinates which means that they are either Marquis/Marquess or Count/Countess.

Add on top of that, Shikako isn’t even her father’s heir. I mean, she could be if she wanted to fight Shikamaru for it, but she suuuuper doesn’t want it or to fight him for it. So… she might not even have a title at all, technically?

I mean, depending on how wild I want to get with the “prequel/backstory” of the royalty!AU (ie, Naruto’s Princess Diaries meets Anastasia fairy tale of realizing that he’s actually the long lost prince of Uzushio because of a grand adventure to meet the Duchess Tsunade) she may have been awarded a title for her “service.” But it still wouldn’t necessarily match Gaara’s second(/first) in line for the Wind monarchy.

Hence why Kankurou has to be the Genie and gas up Shikako’s reputation in Wind a la Prince Ali Ababwa. So you can see how that much chaotic energy and masks on masks and rumor manipulation would be the opposing force of Gaara and Shikako serenely, earnestly falling in love.

Then again, if we REALLY need like… an actual bad guy… I suppose there is the whole… just me scavenging from the Gaara Hiden novel again … Sand council arranging Gaara’s marriage with Hokuto of the Houki family (who would be a high ranking Wind noble in this world). Or maybe I do use the Akatsuki as international terrorist group and technically Shikako is a known associate of one of their members thing? But… I don’t particularly like that plot… so… probably not.

ANYWAYS, just imagine Kankurou having to somehow make the flashiest fairytale romance of the century with two quiet nerds who would much rather not be in the spotlight, please and thank you. He is a stage manager struggling to herd these two cats. Sure, he’s got Jinzo on the Wind side, but he’s also going to need so much of Ino’s help to wrangle Shikako. HE’S DOING HIS BEST WITH WHAT HE’S GOT, OKAY?

Thank you for the prompts, anon(s), I had fun!

#jacksgreyson #anonymous #ask box advent calendar #dreaming of sunshine #shikako nara #sabaku no gaara #sabaku no kankurou #fanfiction #writing #brainstorm

18 notes · View notes