#again this is my old man yelling at the sky moment because this is just the way modern television is i guess

[sirellas]

one of my biggest issues with new trek is that it keeps trying to make every season of every new show have such a monumental scale that it circles right back around to being irrelevant. there's always a huge evil plot to destroy everything in the universe slash starfleet (and the assumption that starfleet and the federation IS everything ((and that everyone should want to join)) is a whole other debate) and our rag-tag crew of misfits has to save the poor defenseless federation against all odds etc etc..... like i get it, big stakes = big action = big emotion. but it's too big. it's lazy. when "everything" is on the line, characters don't have to justify why they're risking their lives because, duh, it's obvious, they're doing it because they have to etc etc. there's literally no believable alternative in the narrative.

whereas a smaller scale issue (i.e. voyager stuck in the DQ, dealing with the cardassian occupation of bajor, and so on; still big problems to solve! but they don't affect the entire fabric of society) has moral gray areas and also specific goals the main characters should achieve other than just "save everyone in the universe". the characters could and did question their own motives and actions because there wasn't one right answer! the shows were about thinking about what the right answer was!!! how am i supposed to believe that the real treasure was the friends we made along the way if i don't care about the ""way"" in the first place????

[charlottesbookclub]

i'm here (ser gwayne hightower x reader) 💚💚

Summary: you have a nightmare, but gwayne is there to comfort you 💚

Warnings/Tags: spouse!reader; gn!reader; established relationship (marriage); nightmares; angst/anxiety brought on by the nightmares; absolutely catastrophic levels of tooth-rotting fluff; let me know if I've missed anything! ☺️

Words: 2870

Author’s Note: as I mentioned in this post, gwayne hightower has absolutely consumed my life and I am down sooooooo bad for him rn, so voilá, this fic has emerged as a result of that! 💕 as I also say in that linked post, I'm not super familiar with hotd, so I'm sorry if any of the terms I use aren't canon-accurate (I watched game of thrones a few years ago and I tried my best to make it feel authentic to the world of canon, but something may have slipped through 😅). and I hope this feels in-character to gwayne! I've rewatched the scenes of his that I have access to many times for...... uhh ~Research Purposes~ but I haven't seen all his scenes yet, so I apologize if it feels ooc at all – I did my best to make it feel like him! 🥰

oh and this is key: we've all seen the necklace, right?? we know about the necklace, right????? that fucking necklace makes me absolutely feral so I've given it a backstory, because it truly has me foaming at the fucking mouth 😌 (also, if you haven't seen the necklace, may I please direct you to this incredible gifset so we can descend into madness over it together?)

as always, I hope you enjoy!! 🥰🥰 (also please feel free to share any gwayne thoughts you have – I'd love to scream about the precious man with y'all! ☺️💕)

            The memory was not yours, but in this moment, it felt like it was. Gwayne had only told you the story once, with hushed words and averted eyes. You had asked, and he could never find it in himself to keep anything from you, even if it made his chest seize with shame. He told you that the whole ordeal had been a result of foolishness on his part, something he would admit only to you. He said that he recalled the memory with great embarrassment now. But you felt nothing but terror.

            You stood on a large, grassy plain ringed with trees, a few wispy clouds scuddling across the blue sky above you. This was a place you had never seen, never been – but one thing was familiar. As you struggled to gain your bearings in the strange location, you saw a group of men on horseback just a short distance ahead. You recognized your lord husband instantly: the delicate silver interlace of his steed’s armor and the auburn glow of his hair in the sunlight were as familiar to you as your own heartbeat.

            You called out to him, but he didn’t respond; he seemed to be in conversation with one of the other men. You ran toward the small group and cried his name again, but even at close range he appeared not to hear you. Panic grew in your chest by the moment as you hurried closer still, coming near enough that you could almost reach out and touch Gwayne’s mount. You stretched out your hand to do just that when your arm was stopped by some invisible force. There was nothing in front of you, just empty air that you should have been able to move through with no difficulty. But you were trapped mere feet from your beloved, unable to reach him.

            Something was terribly wrong. You screamed his name this time, desperation compressing your lungs with the force of your yell. But it was clear that he could not hear you, since neither he nor any of the gathered men so much as turned toward the sound of your cries. Real fear gripped you now, shooting ice through your veins as you cast about you for something – anything – that you could do. And that was when a new kind of fear crept over you, one so old and visceral you could feel it down to your very bones. Shudders wracked your body as you turned your eyes toward the sky, suddenly certain that you were being watched. But not just watched – no, you were being hunted.

            At a loss for what else you could do, you renewed your efforts to alert Gwayne to the danger that you could feel but not yet see. You screamed until your voice was hoarse, but you were forced to watch in horror as Gwayne continued his conversation as though nothing was wrong, even flashing that charming smile that you knew and loved so well. It was just then that the other man finally noticed that something was wrong. He cast his eyes toward the sky as you had mere moments before, saying something to the gathered men. A wave of fear seemed to run through the horses, as there was a flurry of shifting hooves and nervous snorts. You could only watch in terror as realization washed over Gwayne’s face, twisting his handsome features into a terrifying expression of horror.

            You screamed at him to run just as everything burst into motion, the horses tearing off across the plain toward the cover of the trees. You found yourself moving along with them, though you had no mount of your own. Instead, it was the same terrible invisible force, dragging you along, forcing you to watch as the scene unfolded before you.

            And then you saw it: the dragon. It swooped down from the sky as though it had erupted into existence from nothing, filling the empty air with huge grey wings that seemed to blot out the sun. You screamed again, but this time without the intention of forming any coherent words – the noise that escaped your throat was an expression of the fear that was buried deep in your bones upon the sight of the creature. Its lean body shot across the plain toward the fleeing men with a kind of focus and intention that proved what you had thought from the beginning: the dragon was hunting. And worse than that, it was hunting Gwayne.

            Voice rubbed raw from screaming, and realizing your cries to him did nothing anyway, you watched in terrible silence as his steed thundered across the ground, its legs eating up the distance as fast as it could. And yet the dragon gained. If this was some cruel trick played by the gods, you couldn’t think what you could possibly have done to deserve this kind of torment. You could do nothing but watch, utterly powerless, as Gwayne – your Gwayne – fled for his life, his beautiful face contorted into an expression of fear that cut you to the core like a knife to the stomach. You held your breath, fearing each moment would be the one when you were forced to watch your love be consumed by dragonfire, ending both his life and yours in one swift blow of unimaginable anguish and heartbreak from which you knew you would never recover. Just as you had resolved to try calling to him one last time – if nothing else, to assure him of your love – the treeline broke around you and the horses cantered to a stop beneath the cover of the forest.

            The world was still again, but the fear lingered. You could sense the dragon above you, even hear its thin, unearthly cries as it searched for its hidden quarry. Your eyes instantly found Gwayne, needing to make sure he had survived the ordeal. Indeed, he still sat upon his steed, and you watched his chest heave as he attempted to steady his breathing. The fear that still permeated the forest remained etched on his face as well, changing his features from those of the man you had courted and married to those of a young boy, trembling and horror-struck and so helpless and small.

            You longed with every fiber of your being to run up to him and pull him into your arms, to feel his warm breath on your neck as he folded into your embrace. You ached to hold his face in your hands and wipe away the single lingering tear he likely didn’t even know was still glistening on his cheek. You yearned to kiss the terror away from his brow and his nose and his lips, to tell him he was safe – to tell him that you were here. 

            But you were trapped just feet from him, all these longings locked into your body as you pressed toward him as far as the strange invisible barrier would allow. You watched as the fear slowly faded from his face, his features once again becoming warm and familiar. You couldn’t help but smile as he seemed to return to himself somewhat. Turning to one of his companions, he opened his mouth to say something when both of their eyes snapped up to the sky, reacting to some sound you must not have heard. You followed their gaze, and didn’t even have a chance to scream as a column of fire descended from above, ready to devour you all.

            You woke with a gasp. Your heart was pounding loudly enough that you could hear it in your ears, and you pushed yourself up into a sitting position as you struggled to calm your ragged breathing. The darkness in the room was soft, and your eyes adjusted slowly to your surroundings, only to find them all comforting and familiar – this was your room, your home. Instantly, you turned to your side, and let out a small sigh of relief when you saw Gwayne sleeping peacefully next to you. He was here, he was home, he was safe – you both were.

            When your breathing had calmed back to a normal rate, you eased yourself back down under the covers, burrowing into his arms as he sleepily adjusted his position to accommodate you.

            “Hmmm—is everything… alright?” he muttered, blinking his eyes open.

            “Everything’s fine,” you assured him, “I just had a nightmare.”

            He seemed to waken a little more at your words, propping himself up slightly on one arm as he reached the other hand out to stroke your cheek.

            “Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it?” his voice was still thick with sleep, but you knew the questions were genuine.

            “It was about you,” you reached up to cup his hand that still rested on your cheek, intertwining his fingers with yours. “And the dragon,” you added, your words barely above a whisper. Hearing his sharp intake of breath, you were certain he was reliving the memory himself, and instantly regretted your words.

            “But it was nothing,” you hurried to assure him, “I just—I just wish I had been there. Or that I could have helped or—” you were distinctly aware that your jumbled words made very little sense, even to you. “I just felt so helpless,” you ended with a sigh. Gwayne watched you with soft eyes, his fingers squeezing yours in reassurance.

            “You were there, though,” he responded, smiling gently, “and you did help.” You just stared at him incredulously, wondering if he was the one who was dreaming now. He read the question in your eyes with a small chuckle and disentangled his hand from yours, pushing himself up to sit. 

            Pressing a hand to his chest, his fingers found the chain of the necklace that he always wore. The charm was a delicate circle of beaten metal hanging from a simple coppery chain. You had bought it in the market one day when the two of you were still courting. The rich auburn sheen of the metal had reminded you of Gwayne’s hair, and you were determined to have it. The seller assured you that the little ring symbolized unending love and devotion – a never-ending cycle, an unbroken vow. You were doubtful that had been the original intention of the maker, but rather a ploy on the seller’s part to drive up the price after he realized you intended it as a gift for your beloved. Had it been that obvious how love-struck you were? 

            Regardless of whether it was intended or not, you liked the idea of the simple circle as a token of promise and loyalty, as well as a celebration of one of Gwayne’s most striking features. You had given it to him wrapped in a carefully-embroidered handkerchief when he had gallantly asked for your favor before a tourney. You cherished the memory of him asking you to help him put it on, and the fleeting touch of his skin and flaming hair you were able to steal as you clasped it around his neck. He won the tourney, and insisted that his victory was due at least in part to the precious charm you had given him, imbued with your affection and devotion. To your knowledge, he had never taken it off since.

            Now, in the dim light of your shared chambers, he held the little ring out for you to see. It was slightly more battered now than it had been, and though its original shine was gone, it still seemed to glow with a warm coppery light. Reaching out, you took the small circle in your fingers, feeling all the tiny knicks and ridges it had acquired over time, each one of them proof of Gwayne’s promise to always return to you – an unbroken vow.

            “See, you’re always with me, right here,” he gestured to the charm in your fingers. The feeling of the metal against your skin and the sweet memories that swirled through your mind caused tears to prick at the corners of your eyes, chasing away the lingering cobwebs of fear that the nightmare had spun. Gently, you released the ring and Gwayne’s fingers replaced yours on the circle, guiding it back to where it always sat on his chest, just above his heart. He pressed it there, emphasizing his words: “right here, right where you always have been – and always will be.”

            Ducking your head away, you tried to hide the tears that were now threatening to slide down your cheeks as his words. But before you could wipe them on the sheets, Gwayne’s hand caught your chin, gently pulling him back to you, the rough pad of his thumb banishing the tears from your face. His eyes sparkled with affection and mirth, and you found yourself unable to stop yourself from echoing his smile.

            “Hmmm… it’s more serious than I thought,” he said with mock-concern, tilting your face as though he was examining it, “you appear to be desperately and madly in love with me – a very serious condition indeed.”

            You couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out of your mouth as you nudged him playfully, causing him to break into bright chuckles of his own. Your chest, which just moments ago had been compressed with terror, was now so full of love and happiness you were certain it might burst.

            “And tell me, Ser Gwayne, what is the cure for this most dire of conditions?” you matched his tone of feigned worry as your laughter subsided.

            “Hmmm,” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, unable to hide the dimples forming on his cheeks, proof of his barely-suppressed smile, “perhaps marriage? I have heard many esteemed lords claim that the institution of matrimony is bound to cure an ailment such as yours.”

            “Oh, but I fear I’ve tried that,” you exclaimed, “and it has only made my condition worse.”

            “Then this is indeed one of the most serious cases I’ve ever seen.” He pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up: “There is one more cure, but it’s risky. You could try true love’s kiss. One does read about those sorts of things working miracles after all.”

            “What’s the risk?”

            “The risk is that the kiss renders your condition utterly uncurable by any other means.” Gwayne’s lips tilted up into your favorite lopsided smile as he grinned at you, dimples glowing like twin suns, sending the delicate freckles on his face colliding into each other like falling stars.

            “That’s a risk I’m more than willing to take,” you breathed as he reached out to cup your face and bring it close to his. You closed your eyes as your lips met in a burst of warm sunlight that seemed to fill your whole body with its radiance. You weren’t sure how long you remained pressed against him, feeling his heartbeat against your skin, his auburn locks twisted in your fingers, his necklace hanging between your entwined forms. 

            “Did it work?” he whispered when he finally pulled away, his forehead still resting against yours.

            “No,” you responded happily, your fingers once again finding the thin metal of the little circular charm, “I fear I’m even more madly and desperately in love with you than before.” You met his eyes, finding them bright and soft and just as madly and desperately in love as you were certain yours were.

            “Well, I like to think of myself as chivalrous, but I don’t think I can find it in myself to regret your condition,” he whispered, a teasing smile on his face as he reached a hand up to run his fingers through your hair.

            “Nor can I,” you whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

            He pulled you fully into his grasp then, maneuvering you both back under the covers without relinquishing his hold on you. You rested on his chest, head tucked under his chin as he wrapped both arms around you. Your fingers found his necklace, and you clasped it in your hand. He echoed your motion until both of your hands were intertwined around the metal circle, resting just above his heart. You could feel it beating against your skin, and you snuggled yourself even closer to him.

            “This is what I imagine,” Gwayne said softly to the darkness, “when I’m on the road without you, and all I have is this small charm to remind me of what it feels like to rest in your embrace. This is what I dream of.” He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead and squeezed your hand where it entwined with his on the necklace. “You’re always right here.”

            “I’m always right here,” you echo, your words a promise, a vow.

            “But thank the gods I don’t have to imagine right now,” you felt his words as his lips moved against your forehead, “because I am right here.” Gwayne wrapped his arms even more tightly around you, and you gladly tucked yourself further into his warm embrace. You felt yourself drifting back into a pleasant sleep in the comfort and safety of his arms. You heard his words echo softly in the gentle quiet of the room:

            “I’m right here.”

[awearywritersworld]

the boy spurned as evil and the girl of his youth

sukuna x reader w/c: .6k tags/warnings: angst, i'm afraid. young!sukuna. depictions of blood. ur dad's an asshole. fem!reader. no use of y/n. a/n: please check out the lovely artwork by @demonzaemon that inspired this piece!!! i'm definitely down to write a second part about a reunion, so let me know if that would interest anyone! masterlist read part two here

thinking about sukuna at 10 years of age— he's been abandoned by his family and scorned by his village because of the strange way he looks. he has to steal stale bread during the night to survive. he has to take shelter in the ruins of an abandoned home. he has to bear the harsh elements. he has to do it all alone.

that is, until he meets a curious little girl by the riverside during the spring. he'd found an old, frayed fishing net the day prior, and while he hopes to catch something he can eat for dinner, he catches your attention instead.

and you marvel at him as if he's the most remarkable thing you've ever laid eyes on. you're poking at the harsh lines that mar his skin. you're pulling at his pink hair because you're convinced it's fake. you're counting his arms as if the extra two will eventually disappear.

he doesn't mind though. he's too caught up in the fact that someone's touching him. that he can feel the warmth of your skin against his. he can hardly believe it when you scamper off, calling over your shoulder gleefully, "i'll meet you here again tomorrow!"

after that, everything changes and he finds himself in your company more often than not. you sneak your meals out of the house each day, even though your portions are meager. you bring him a few of your blankets, even though it means you're cold at night. what he appreciates most though? the fact you look at him like he's human.

then, what is simultaneously the best and worst night of his life happens. you fall asleep beside him in the overgrown grass near the river. its early autumn by now and the stars are twinkling in the sky, so your body clings innocently to his, seeking his warmth.

he takes the opportunity to study you in the moonlight. to commit every detail of your face to memory. he considers the fact that you feel safe enough to fall asleep beside him, even when every other person in the world has deemed him evil and sinister.

eventually he's lulled to sleep by your slow and gentle breaths, but not before coming to the decision that he is yours and you are his. and while you're the only thing in the world that the young boy has to his name, he's okay with that.

then, all too soon, he's awoken by yelling and it's not a moment later that you're ripped from his arms by your father. he's screaming about how you've defiled yourself by associating with such a despicable fiend.

"no, he's my friend! he's good!" you wail, your arms stretched toward sukuna in a plea for help. "don't let him take me! please!"

and he tries. he really, really tries. he runs after your father, beating at his back in an attempt to free you, but he's just too small. his body is weak from years of malnourishment. the older man pushes him to the ground with little effort and sukuna's palms slice open upon the sharp stones protruding from the earth.

crimson spills from the wounds, but he can hardly feel it. the ache in his chest is too consuming. too agonizing. it's unfair that such a little body should house so much pain, but that seems to be the story of his relatively short life.

so as he calls out to you, his voice broken and desperate, he knows it's the last time he'll ever see you and he's forced to come to terms with the universe's cruel edict— that he deserves to spend his life alone.

[roriaa]

When Sun and Moon meet - S2

Zuko x Fem!WaterBender!Reader Enemies to Lovers

As one of the Princesses of the Northern Water tribe, you were blessed with a gift by the moon. However you were permitted to be allowed to use the gift at all costs. From many hidden waterbending usages, the aftermath of the avatar visiting the Northern Tribe had led to your beginning journey, hiding yourself as a water bender as a princess from the Northern water tribe

Warnings: Fighting, arguing

Masterlist

҉ * ‧͙ ⋆ ⁺ ༓ ☾ Chapter 7 - Refreshing Tea

“Have you heard of that tea-house? All of a sudden their tea has been the best in Ba Sing Se!” One of the men said. “Oh then I must try it out! I have been craving tea recently," the woman responded with a laugh. I wasn't the biggest fan of tea outside of the northern water tribe. The only tea that exists was Spirit Oasis Tea which was only used for meditating in the Spirit Oasis to the Moon spirit. Ironic that the water tribe doesn't have a variety of drinks. “Uhm ma’am” I snapped out of me zoning out. I have been doing that more recently. “Sorry…” I said sheepishly as I handed him water tribe money. “You must be hearing about the new tea at the tea-house, I haven't had the time to go there but man I really want to. Sadly I'm constantly stuck at work.” The worker complained. Maybe I should check out the new tea area. “Water tribe money? Wow I haven't seen this currency in a while” The store owner said as I packed up my groceries for today. “Sorry, that's all I'm able to carry” Internally praying he accepts the pay. “Money is money” He shrugs and I let out a sigh of relief. “Have a nice day” he waved off while I smiled in gratefulness, taking Aku by the lead.

  ҉   ☾

Aku and I managed to get there, the sky was dark and the moon was slowly rising up. I really like the night sky because that's the only time I get to see Yue again. I smiled and parked Aku near the entrance. “Stay here buddy” I consoled before going into the tea-house. Once I walked there were still a lot of people, only one table was empty. Is the tea here really that good? Or this is the only tea-house here. I'm here to find out anyway. I was able to sit down at the empty table after making my order, which was just…tea. My mind wanders off thinking my father and Yue would have loved tea, not just specifically from here but in general. “Here’s your tea” a boy said, placing down the cup on the wooden table. I smiled softly “thank you” looking up at him, the realization hitting me. He has a very familiar scar on the left side of his face, it was none other than Zuko himself. Both of our eyes widened from the realization of who each other was. He totally figured out who I was. I immediately got up in fear, preparing to run away however it was prevented by Zuko himself. He grabbed my wrist, softer than I expected. “What are you doing here?” He whispered which made me irritated. “What are you doing here!?” I hissed. I didn't even get my answer due to an interruption made by…Jet?! 

“These two are firebenders!” Jet yelled out, holding two of his swords. How did he figure that out? Did he fight with them? “I saw the old man heating his tea,” Jet continued to yell. “He works at a tea shop,” one of the soldiers defended. He made eye contact with me, I freaked out internally thinking what was he going to do. “He is attacking this girl right here!” He pointed the sword at Zuko and I. We both looked down still seeing Zuko’s hand wrapped around my wrist. Due to this we quickly pulled back, I blushed in embarrassment. “N-No! The tea was too hot so he pulled my hand away before I could get burnt” I explained, my voice going a pitch higher than I wanted it to be. I don't know why I defended Zuko, but he didnt do anything bad to me at that moment. Zuko said absolutely nothing, way to go Zuko. “Drop your swords boy, nice and easy” The soldiers got up but Jet didn't care. “You have to defend yourself, then everyone will know. Go ahead! Show them what you can do.”  Zuko took the sword of one of the soldier’s “You want a show? I'll give you a show!” I grabbed my cub and tea before Zuko moved the table with his leg. I honestly couldn't be bothered with this situation. It doesn't include me and I wasnt that close with either of them to care. I tried taking a sip of the tea made, which was surprisingly still warm and I was even more surprised that it tasted really good. No wonder everyone wants to come here, and father would love this!

I continued drinking until I realized Aku was still outside. I went outside near the door frame to see a crowd of people surrounding Zuko and Jet, who were on opposite sides. “It's true sir, we saw the whole thing, this crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in this city.” One of the soldiers said, making the old guy blush. Jet's eyes meet mine again making me flinch and look away. “Y/N do you trust me?” He says out loud making all the eyes go on me. My eyes widened and I looked down in embarrassment. What should I say? It's not like me saying anything would make much of a difference, unless if I took my hood down I would be able to use my princess card. “Stop bringing the young lady into this, can't you see she is scared” One of the women said, shielding me. Slowly everyone was defending me. I looked at Jet one last time before turning away. I'm sorry Jet, the person you shouldn't trust is me. He looked at me painfully before getting taken away from the guards. Jet continued spouting out words which slowly went faint and slowly everyone in the circle disappeared. “Some kinda friend you are” I turned around and saw Zuko. “He was not my friend,” I sneered. “Why did you defend me anyways, your the one that actually saw me fire bend”

“I didnt even defend you, I was trying to keep attention away from me” “Did it work?” “What is your problem? Isn't it more beneficial for you than it is for me?” I spat in annoyance. 

“Calm down you two” The old man said, calming the both of us down. “How did both of you recognize me?” I asked worriedly, holding the hood closer to my face. “Your face is quite recognizable once you've seen it, Princess Y/N. Now how about some tea, it will be on the house.” The old man whispered the second part which made me breathily sigh. “I'm good for the day” I glared at both Zuko and the old man. I go outside to take Aku and leave.

“Sorry Aku, i'm just going to go for a little walk okay?” I patted Aku on the head before I left. I was never allowed to go out at sundown before so I wanted to see what it was like. I stretched my arms over my head before seeing a kid and an adult. The adult had the kids' ball, taunting him. Really? How immature are these adults? “Hey, let the kids have some fun” I stated, defending the kid who turned towards me. His eyes were bloodshot red, tears were streaming down his face. “Hah, what are you gonna do? Hit me?” The guy taunted, shaking the ball. “I might just do that” I get water out of my water pouch, slapping them. “Ow” the guy hissed and let go of the ball “you will regret this!” he yelled running away. I grab the ball and gently hand it to the boy. “You need to be careful at night, who knows what could happen” I wiped the tears that were on his cheeks. He sniffed in response, grabbing a ball. Shakily saying “T-Thank you kind lady” He looked down. I smile softly “No problem, now where are your friends?” I looked around to see no one. “They all left once the scary man came” He sniffled. I patted his head sweetly. “Let's get you home little guy” I smiled as he grabbed my hand.

“Say thank you to the kind lady, who knows what we would do without her” The mom patted his back, ushering him to thank me. “Thank you!” He smiled. Both the mother and the son waved in delight. I waved them back and turned around, away from the house. I should probably go home by now, I'm feeling a bit tired. I yawned in my hand, till I heard something. I turned around quickly, searching for anything but there was nothing. Huh…I guess I'm just hearing things. Then I felt a grasp around my wrist. I immediately flick it away, using my water bending to hit them back. “Who's there?” I said out loud. “I told you, you will regret this” the guy from before said, chuckling evilly. The same guy who stole a kids ball. This time he had two additional accomplices. “Please you're so immature” I laughed mockingly which heated him up furthermore. Before he could strike, a figure barged in, striking them with two blades. My eyes widened at the scene and I quickly took out the figure behind me, whacking him down. I turned around to check out the scene again. I got a better look of the figure who held two swords, wore a blue mask and an all black outfit. “Just who…are you?” I raised my brows, moving closer. Just as I was about to get close enough, he ran, taking the three guys with him. That was awfully weird, man I really need to get home now…

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a/n: Sorry for the late post WOOO Managed to post it on time!! So yeah! Thats literally it LMAO have a nice day and take care fo yourself!!

--

Taglist: @luvkvni @katovano @karmaswitch @someonesmember @velvet-spider @sh3sa1dwhat @nerdisthenewcool @meiraloves2dmen @fqnfics101 @iluvme547 @leaderwon @yukihatesreoyo @heart4hees @4l3x1s @kkissaku @corpsebridenightamare @newjellis @fatkish

[huh-1260]

I'm looking at Train Crash AU and thinking.

Man what if I injured Wars more for more bandages because I pretty sure I didn't give him enough for his severed arm

So what about an angsty reunion with an Adult Wind with Wars?

:)

The few whumps I have aren't angsty enough for my soul

so imagine you grow up after going away from your found family across time and you don't get to meet your brother again, but a younger version of him that doesn't know who you are and you get to watch him fall apart and you don't get to see how he became the big brother you knew him as. Also your father figure is now a brat. This is how Wind feels, because the moment he saw the portal that the shadow used seven years later. He's was excited to see his brothers again, to see Wars again. But no, it seems that fate fucking hates him, because while his other brothers come out perfectly well, with some differences in time passing for others; Legend: two years, Twilight: nine years, Time a month, Four: 5 years, Sky: 1 year, Wild: 6 months post TOTK, Hyrule: 5 years. Wars doesn't come through the portal at all. So while everyone accidentally calls him the captain (he never really saw how the others said he looked like the captain, plus he's in a different timeline he can't be related to him) and so during Sky's wedding, just right before Sky and Sun are about to kiss, a portal opens from the ceiling, and someone falls through on the ground, splattering onto the floor:

_____________

There's blood everywhere, people are screaming, and with the crowd of people running out on the building. Theres something else that came out of the portal as the person. A fading blue blob thing that screams in gibberish looking at the person and Sun. Sky doesn't have his sword on him. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck- this is what he gets for standing in the back waiting for- Oh fuck that either way he could have came! The person that landed on the floor, is dragging their legs to the blob, with their only other arm that's there and stabs it. The thing screams as it fades to ash. The person drops to the floor, but Twilight catches him before he could hit the ground (again). He doesn't get to hear the mysterious person but he could recognize that voice from anywhere, no matter how weak or scratchy it would be.

"Sorry everyone."

That was Wars, as Hyrule was rushing over to heal him.

_________

Okay that ain't angst enough for me so for a more proper "reunion", like a few weeks, no one let's Wind see Wars because they still treat him like the child he was even though he's as old as the others during the adventure across time! So he tries to sneak into Wars temporary room, while Wars tries to escape his room because he's gone stir crazy and yes Time he's fine! Just because he's gone through another war and lost a few important parts doesn't mean he needs coding! He has to make sure everyone is safe! So they bump into each other for the first time since they really last saw each other. (But that doesn't explain why Wind is crying- SHUT UP AND LET ME COOK) So they chat for a bit, like in a joking manner and Wars slips out that "Hey, another war happen and there was still some people across still stuck there." And Wind is mad that Wars just drops this kind of bomb, because why didn't he let the others come help him. So they end up arguing a bit and:

_________

"Why do you keep ignoring that we could have helped! I could have helped!" He yelled.

"If I dragged you there YOU could have died and Artemis wouldnt exist. I WOULDN'T EXSIST!" Wars yelled back.

__________

Now you see the angst?

So oof on both sides, Wars is internal bashing himself on the head, Wind is panicking because he becomes a dad, he's actually related to Wars- OH MY FUCKING SEA BOAT I MARRY TETRA?! And meanwhile Time is standing in the corner with surprise Pikachu face because oh shit Wars is from the timeline he technically abandoned. And like the fucking legend he came back when they needed him most

So that's uh what I have for now again.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite scully moments from s2

after the x-files are shut down, she gets moved to teach at the academy, and in episode 1 she does a little monologue on how a person’s body is a physical manifestation of a lifetime, which one of the students describes as “spooky”

when mulder sneaks off to puerto rico in the same episode, she goes into his place to try and figure where tf he went, and prevents his sneaking about being caught by the investigators who broke into his home with the power of feeding his fish

lecturing about the dangers of eating raw steak in episode 2, then getting lost down a rabbit hole of worm science

when no one was answering the door in episode 3, she just walks in. this made me laugh hysterically, i cannot explain. both of these guys WILL enter your home.

every single time she is a bit of a medical nerd, like when she learns about the surgery that allowed people to survive without sleep in episode 4, which she describes as “incredible”

(and the freckles + flower earrings combo were also a fave)

when she scans the piece of metal that came from duane barry in a grocery store in episode 6, and the cash register goes crazy. and she denies involvement and just walks away LMAOOO <- honestly i'd do the same!!

she wakes up from her coma in episode 8 and wants to write a thank you note to the nurse that took such good care of her, only to learn no such nurse ever existed. scully got to witness the paranormal for once!!!!

in episode 9, someone brings up a volcano scientist in conversation, and she says she had heard he was brilliant, which means that somehow she is keeping up with volcano news. she is a woman of many layers.

being deeply worried about this scared looking grad student she just met, and once again not waiting for an answer to enter her room and figure out if she is okay

(and when said grad student is being consumed by a fungus, scully thinks quickly enough to get herself locked behind a door, keeping herself safe, despite being handcuffed and otherwise looking death by fungus in the face)

in episode 11, mulder walks into his office, only to learn she has been there and has been going through his stuff since 6 in the morning. queen of getting results!

in the same episode, an old man overdoses on mushroom pills, and she shifts into Doctor Mode, yelling about “ventricular fibrillation” and “milligrams of lidocaine” and it was, like every other time she goes Doctor Mode, so deeply satisfying to watch

when she meets the two cops in episode 12, and can immediately tell they are having an affair and that the detective is pregnant, and despite the detective pleading with her not to tell a soul, the absolute MILLISECOND she is reunited with mulder, she spills the tea. and he is SHOCKED! <- arguably my favorite moment in the entire series so far

(and, to make the woman feel more comfortable, she confesses to also having had feelings for coworkers before which. elaborate on that, please)

but she really does care; when the detective ends up in the hospital, scully brings her a change of clothing <3

when she is so shaken by what she sees in episode 13 that she goes to the FBI’s onsite therapist; she’s too scared to tell mulder how she feels because “i don’t want him to feel like he has to protect me”

(as if there was ever going to be a choice; he is the protector and he Will protect, it's just his nature)

((and then later sobbing into his arms, realizing she doesn’t have to always put on a front))

toads start falling from the sky in episode 14, so she rationalizes that they likely came from a nearby tornado. this is a scully-approved theory.

they’re investigating a murder in the same episode, and a teenager starts pouring her absolutely horrific trauma out to both of them, scully holds her while she sobs into her jacket

honestly any time either of them know weird information, i love it. she says that it would take hours for a snake to eat a man and then weeks for it to digest in episode 14, and mulder makes some funny remark but it’s sooo endearing to me. she knows her snake facts.

then in episode 15, she notes poison in someone’s blood, but specifically that the poison comes from pufferfish eaten in Japan… girl i’m crying, she just knows stuff!

during that same case, they get rooms near each other like always, and she knocks on a door thinking it’s mulder’s. he doesn’t answer. she walks in and hears water running, so she just talks to him through the door to the bathroom. and i love this so much. i love that they are close enough to just walk into each other’s rooms and talk from behind the door while the other showers. it’s such married behavior.

working on the case in episode 16, we see her at home wearing a flannel, checking her computer, still serving looks but now giving casual

(and seeing the art she keeps on her walls- little postcards of beach scenes <3)

in the same episode, she knows mulder left to go get himself in trouble, so she bursts into skinner’s office to ask for help. but she feels bad for barging in on skinner, so she apologizes to him. which was very sweet.

when mulder is gone, she goes to his apartment to look for clues, and falls asleep on his couch

(and when X knocks on the door, she knows he is hiding something, and screams at him to tell her where he is)

this whole monologue from episode 17, which i loved more than life itself:

“several aspects of this case remain unexplained, suggesting the possibility of paranormal phenomena. but i am convinced that to accept such conclusions is to abandon all hope of understanding the scientific events behind them. many of the things i have seen have challenged my faith and my belief in an ordered universe, but this uncertainty has only strengthened my need to know, to understand, and to apply reason, to those things which seem to defy it”

(and that is just Her, isn't it? the need to understand, to rationalize. the worldview shaped on science- if she doesn't understand something, it's because a key piece is missing, and she'll find it. because the world Has to work that way, has to be bound by a greater logic, even if it is yet to be understood. to imagine otherwise would be impossible, to imagine otherwise would be to abandon hope in everything, and she cannot abandon hope)

((and maybe the idea that the world being something she cannot perfectly comprehend is a failing of her own understanding makes me a little emotional. but still))

she says that the whole loaves and fishes deal was a parable in episode 21; she is not a biblical literalist

(she then makes some sassy remark about things generating spontaneously, and mulder laughs in the corner. good to know he thinks she is funny)

every single time she answers the phone, she says “mulder, it’s me”, and idk i just think it’s so endearing

she thinks she might have been infected with a killer disease in episode 22, but mulder calls, so she tells him she’s okay and to take care of himself out there.... those are the last words she chooses, just in case they never talk again </3

and every time she says unsettling things, like “could be the residue of burnt human flesh” or “darkness covers a multitude of sins”, both in episode 23, i eat that up

reassuring her student who has just become a detective that she is doing just fine!!!

and then going to said student's funeral when things do not turn out fine... she loves her students that she taught for like 3 months so much :(

getting pulled aside by skinner and her bosses after mulder just acted wild in episode 25, and denying that she had seen any top secret files even though they say they will fire her if she lies lmaooo <- she is a ride or die!!!

but also going to his place, demanding assurance that she is doing the right thing by assisting him, and i love that. i love a character who will break all of the rules as long as they believe they are doing the thing that is morally Right, and that definition is so deeply her own, but she is committed to it, and she'll do anything to stick by it. and he just says something about getting the code that he wants broken, and despite how awful he's being, she goes through with it anyway because it's the Right thing to do.

later, her being the one to realize that mulder should not leave the house after his father was killed because he will be the prime suspect (he does not listen to this sound advice)

he stumbles into her place with a million degree fever, and she carefully lays him down in her own bed, despite the fact that he is soaked in his dead father's blood. and she takes care of him.

this one honestly deserves its own post because it is so incredible, but: shooting mulder with enough precision to get him to knock off his wild behavior that was going to make him look like he killed his dad, but not actually HURT him, then finding out krychek was putting LSD in his water, knocking him out, and driving 2 days to New Mexico to get him where he needed to be. AFTER he had been acting wild because he was inadvertently drugged, and had accused her of spying on him and being a traitor. that level of love is deep. very very deep. she is a Lover.

[blacklegsanjiii]

Okay so, more Lunarian + transfem!Sanji because she's too good. Too good oh my god. Okay.

So my thought was after the Summit War where Ace is saved because Yamato is there and meets Ivankov and gets his dream body from the horm-horm fruit and they join the strawhat pirates and Yamato is "kidnapped" by Germa and the Big Mom pirates and he goes willingly because he wants to beat the SHIT out of the Sanji's birth family because they deserve it. Until they stick cuffs on him that are going to blow him up with cuffs. Which happens to him for the second time in his life which isn't great and Ace is going to be so pissed at him, as well as Law who doesn't know they're going to also save his little sister who these people keep calling a boy which is wrong. It's so wrong. Yamato tells them off multiple times and that he's not going to marry this sixteen year old either. That's weird and gross. Sure, he might be Kaido's son but he left Wano with the guy who became his boyfriend. Also he already went through the whole Summit War and his boyfriend who almost died. They're going to come get him, like that's going to happen and these people will get fucked over. He says all that to them very plainly.

And when he is rescued and Judge is asking about Sanji and shit talking his baby sister, Yamato is so down to kill this fucking guy despite the others not knowing who she is. Judge is still being a misgendering prick and calls Sanji a boy again and Yamato yells to stop calling his little sister a piece of shit and the man who raised her is better than him. He crosses his arms and thanks the rescue team because he knows Ace is going to be upset with him but also so is Sanji and when they ask where his little sister is he's like 'Wano, that's why Ace and I were excited to go.' and then he thinks about it and is like 'Oh, she's going to be very upset with me.' then promptly forgets about that when sees Ace and Otama again in Wano. No one says anything about Sanji to anyone else because they don't think anything of it really until they see a winged woman land from the sky and toss a bag of fruit down to almost everyone's confusion, even after she leaves and when everyone starts asking them questions and Ace and Yamato explain. Yamato explains that is his little sister who gave up her freedom and hands in exchange for Yamato's which allowed him to leave with Ace his first time to Wano. Law is glaring at them when he says that because that wasn't mentioned at all.

Sanji during the fight with Queen awakening her full Lunarian genes and her hair turning as white as Yamato's and the fire enveloping her blazing hot as she smiles wickedly at Queen and says she's been waiting for this moment for a very long time. She fucking hates Queen and how he's treated her for her life in Wano and she's going to fucking kill him. When Sanji is done and running to meet up with other to help those she catches Law and Zoro randomly when she feels the weight on her shoulders and she and Law are staring at each other in shock because her hair is a different color and he just showed up with some guy she doesn't really know. Law asks her to get him treated and she agrees with confusion and when Zoro asks if he's a ham to her and Sanji studies him and says he's not that appetizing and Zoro asks what the hell happened to her and Sanji just smirks and says she became a real monster to his confusion as she carries him out to safety. She is of course confused by Zoro's sleep talking as she drops him off and rejoins the fight, flying with a fire burning so hot it's worrisome that it might burn down Onagashima. It's a whole thing. Her awakened genes make her fly faster and look like a shooting star through the castle. It's rather alarming after the fight is said and Yamato and Ace see her. Sanji is smiling and laughing with them freely since what happened during the raid.

She's free and Yamato is running his hands through her now white hair and over the black wings with Ace and they're telling her about how they got together and about the war and Ivankov. Apologizing for worrying her and Ace dying and Sanji does give him a good tongue lashing for it. Says he's lucky he didn't fight her father because King found her after the vivre card burned up and she had been sobbing a good while and was despondent for days. It was a quite a problem for her but then she hears about Yamato getting taken by Germa and just sighs so long and loud. Like it's a whole minute of just exasperation but Yamato does say they can get her body fixed. It could be her body and she says she'll think about it, she won't make any promises about leaving. Yamato is definitely the older brother who leans on his little sister despite the massive height difference between them, he ties the obi for her kimono and smiles as runs his hands through the feathers of her wings and preens them. Yamato also pulls her bangs up and shows off her eyes to the crew at different points because look how cool his little sister is! That eye is from her mom and that one is from her dad, not Judge, King the Wildfire! It's a very important distinction that needs to be made.

When King does pledge his loyalty to Momonosuke and Wano and is catching up with Yamato and is looking at Ace who is shrinking under the glowing red eyes of the twenty foot father of the girl he made cry by making him think he and her brother who happens to be his boyfriend died for years. He swallows and bows deeply and apologizes for hurting his daughter. King sighs and forgives him because it's not necessarily his fault that he died, but if he does it again or lets anything happen to his daughter there will be consequences. Sanji is just gesturing at them and asking what the fuck is going on as King says she's joining the crew and to get the fuck out of Wano and be free. It's her turn to find her dream and start thinking about herself now that they aren't prisoners. His mask has been off since he came back and he's very intimidating but Sanji grew up with him and they are immune to each other. Her childish pout gets her nowhere with him despite it being one of the cutest things in the world to Yamato. It will make Yamato weak every time especially if she gives him a slight pout with slightly begging eyes. He folds, he constantly folds, he's like a house of cards to her, it's so bad. Of course, it's a problem because she uses him as the pack mule at every island they resupply at and Yamato does snarl and glare at anyone who makes advances on his sister. Not that she knows what's going on because she's never been flirted with thanks to her being King's daughter and off limits to all of Wano.

[skyward-floored]

Whumptober Day 9: Polaroid (“you’re a liar”)

I purposely got off of tumblr and didn’t get sucked into lu update stuff too much because I knew that if I did I would never finish this XD But here’s today’s fic! I love writing Malon :)

Read on ao3

Warnings: kidnapping, some violence, and a broken bone

————————————————————

“I can’t find my pictobox!”

Time looked up at the complaint, and saw Wind digging through his bag and emptying it into a steadily increasing pile next to him. The others were packing up their gear to in preparation to move, and more than one exasperated face was thrown towards Wind’s mess.

“I wanted a picture of that cool island in the lake, but it’s gone!” Wind huffed as he leaned back, bag now empty. “Who took it?”

“Don’t look at me,” Wild said with his hands up, packing away his cooking supplies. “I don’t need it, I have my own camera.”

“I didn’t either!” Legend defended at Wind’s accusing finger, and the rest of them replied in the negative when Wind looked around at them all.

“We’ll help you look for it sailor,” Warriors said as he joined his side, and they began scouring the campsite.

Time glanced around where he was sitting, but there was no sign of the distinctive red and yellow device, and he shook his head, watching the others search. The camera had to be around here somewhere, Wind had been using it just the night before.

Hopefully it hadn’t been broken.

Time sighed, and prepared to get down on his knees to help search when the sound of footsteps made him look up. He wasn’t the only one who tensed towards his weapon, but it was merely the mailman, stepping through the reeds near their campsite, and they all relaxed.

“I have a letter, for a... Link,” he said with smile, holding it out. Time took it, as he was one of the only Links not crawling around in the rushes, and he smiled at the script.

He recognized Malon’s handwriting instantly, and felt something warm in his chest at the familiar loops. It hadn’t been too long since she’d sent him a letter, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

“I also found this, does it belong to you?” the mailman asked, and Wind cheered as he saw the red and yellow device.

“My pictobox!” he yelled excitedly, and ran over and took it, studying it for any damage. “All right!”

“Thank you,” Time said politely, and the mailman gave him a surprisingly big grin.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

And then he was gone as unnaturally fast as always, Sky and Twilight both frozen in the act of getting up. They both sit back down with a grumble at their quarry lost (they both had questions about the mail service using unstable dark magic portals), and Time chuckled, grabbing a small knife to tease open the letter.

He had plenty of time to read it after all. Wind still needed to pack everything he owned back into his bag.

The sailor began cajoling Warriors to help him pack all his stuff together again, voice pleading, and Time finally got the seal off the letter, unfolding the paper with a smile.

Then felt his heart stop.

Surrender, and no further harm will come to her.

That was it. Nothing else.

Nine little words in scrawling, angry handwriting that was nothing like Malon’s, and they were enough to make Time feel like he’d been stabbed in the chest.

His heart finally started beating again, but it was going so fast it was like a panicked animal trapped in his chest, and his breathing began to pick up.

No further harm? What had her kidnapper already done to her? How had they known? Was she even—

“Old man? Are you okay?”

Twilight was looking at him in concern, and Time merely stared at him, still frozen in shock.

“Time, you’re as pale as a ghost, what did Malon say? Is she okay?” he repeated, and the rest of the Links looked at him in concern.

Time couldn’t get his mouth to work, and Legend sighed and moved around behind him so he could read the letter as well. He immediately paled, and looked between Time and the paper without saying anything for a moment.

“It’s not from Malon. Someone’s done something to her,” he said finally, and the clearing went dead silent. “It says to surrender, and... she won’t suffer any further harm.”

“Further?” Sky asked in a horrified voice, and they all looked at Time again.

He felt as if he was going to be sick.

“No, no way, it’s a trick. It has to be a trick,” Wild spoke up, voice fierce as he stood. “They’re lying Time, whoever it is has got to be lying, there’s no way Malon could...”

He trailed off, hands clenched into fists, and Twilight approached Time, his face white. He held out a hand, and Time handed him the letter with a grip that was definitely not shaking.

But another paper fluttered out between them as he handed it over, tucked into the envelope. Time snatched it up mere seconds before it touched the ground, and turned it over, staring at the picture in silence.

The mystery of where Wind’s pictobox had gone last night was immediately solved.

The photograph showed Malon in disarray, a look equally angry and frightened in her eyes where she was bound to a chair. Dark Link stood in the foreground, obviously holding the pictobox with one hand while he gestured to Malon with the other, a grin splitting his shadowed face.

There was a dark line of blood on Malon’s cheek.

Time’s numb shock snapped into a wave of pure fury, crashing over him as he stood up. He looked around at the other heroes, clenching the photograph so tightly it nearly ripped in his hands.

“We’re going. Now.”

(...)

Malon’s cheek hurt.

She let out a quiet sigh, the sound muffled by the cloth over her mouth. It was tied tight over her face, and it dug in painfully to the scratch the dark copy of her husband had given her. It stung rather badly, and was still bleeding a bit, and the blood soaking into the gag only made the whole situation that much more unpleasant.

Malon was proud of the reason she’d received the cut though, along with the sting in her knuckles and the handful of bruises she was sporting.

The Shadow of her husband had caught her by surprise, breaking into her house in the dead of night looking nearly identical to Link. Malon had only been fooled for a moment, and she’d done her best to fight him off and escape, managing a few solid punches before he’d overpowered her, and making his nose bleed all over her floor.

Then he’d tied her up, and gagged her when she kept demanding answers from him, bringing her through a shadowy portal like the ones her husband and the other boys had been traveling through.

She’d squirmed and fought and yelled at him the entire time, but he’d either ignored her, or given her a smile that made a shiver run down her spine. And then he’d taken her picture with a strange little device, and stalked away, leaving more then one monster stationed around the perimeter of the room, all watching her closely.

Their gazes made her skin prickle, and she dearly wished she could have a little privacy, or at least not be in the center of the room. She felt like some sort of garish display for people to gawk at, and the looks the monsters were giving her only made the feeling worse.

And truth be told, she was a bit frightened of what exactly Dark Link was planning on doing with her.

She breathed out, calming the panic that had been licking at her heels all night. She didn’t need to worry. Link would be along shortly, and nine heroes were nothing against a second-rate copy.

I hope.

A distant screech caught her attention, and she looked over at the doorway, the shadow of her husband also glancing in its direction. He waved some of the monsters through it, then moved around behind her somewhere where she couldn’t easily see him.

Having him so close but out of sight made her stomach twist.

A much closer shout rang through the doorway, and Malon felt her heart leap as a monster fell dead across the threshold, disappearing into dust. She knew that shout well.

Link entered the room seconds later with his sword already bloodied, the rest of the boys behind him looking equally tense and battle worn.

His gaze immediately sought her own, and a look equally relieved and furious shone in his eye. Malon would’ve tried to give him a reassuring smile, but her mouth was still gagged, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to dredge up a look that was truly comforting.

“That’s far enough.”

Something cold settled against her neck, and Malon breathed in sharply, a blood-red sword pressed to her skin.

The heroes all froze, staring at her with differing mixtures of fear and outrage on their faces. Dark Link stared at them all, watching to make sure none of them approached, then nodded, looking satisfied.

“Good. Now we can all have a nice, civil chat.”

“Not while you still threaten her,” Link said sharply, and Malon could hear how desperately he was holding back the emotion in his voice.

Oh fairy boy.

The other boys loudly agreed with him, and Dark Link looked around at them all, appearing entirely unbothered.

“I am dictating the terms here,” he replied smoothly, and looked at Malon with a smile that normally made her heart soar. “After all, I do seem to hold all of the cards.”

Malon fixed her husband’s shadow with the most intense glare she could manage, wishing her mouth was free to tell him just what she thought of him. He had the audacity to laugh at her though, and something almost possessive shone in his eyes as she glared. The sword at her neck eased just a little, and he leaned closer to her, practically nose-to-nose.

His breath even smelled like Link’s, and Malon froze, suddenly terrified of what he was going to do.

“I see why you married her, she’s got spirit, this one,” Dark Link purred, holding her chin in an almost terrifyingly gentle grip. His fingers felt like ice. “She’s quite the catch.”

“Release her,” Link nearly snarled, and surprisingly enough the Shadow obeyed, his fingers slipping off her face. The sword never left her neck though, and Malon forced herself not to shake as it teased her skin again.

“I made my demands abundantly clear, Hero of Time, and I think they’re quite reasonable,” Dark Link said, sliding his blade just enough to make pain trickle across Malon’s neck. “Surrender, and no further harm will come to her.”

“What proof do we have that you’ll stick with it?” Twilight interjected, his face just as dark as her Link’s.

“Yeah, we have no guarantee!” Wind shouted, and the others joined in, “why should we do anything you say?!”

Dark Link smiled.

“Because you have no choice.”

He abruptly twisted around and grabbed Malon’s arm, the ropes at her wrists cut off with his sword. Before she could even register what was happening, he twisted to the side, and a horrible crack echoed through the room.

Malon couldn’t hold back her scream.

Pain burst up her arm and shoulder, white sparking in her vision, and there was a sudden rush of noise from where the Heroes were standing, shouts and cries of outrage, and questions of if she was okay.

But Malon couldn’t focus on anything at the moment, just the pain blazing up her arm. She knew immediately something was broken, possibly in more then one place, but before she could even try to ease the pain or calm herself down, something twisted her arm around and it got even worse.

She couldn’t stop herself from crying out again as Dark Link replaced the ropes around her wrists, roughly pulling her arms behind her back. Tears trickled out of her eyes and dampened the gag, and every breath was more painful then the last.

The sound of a weapon clattering to the ground pulled her out of the worst of the pain clouding her mind, and she looked up, meeting Link’s eyes through her tears.

“I surrender!” he shouted, staring at her in horror. His sword was on the ground, and he raised his hands up, turning a glare on Dark Link that was filled with such hatred Malon was surprised he didn’t burn up on the spot.

“I surrender. Let her go.”

“I’m glad we came to an understanding,” Dark Link smiled, ignoring the glare, “very noble of you. But I didn’t mean just you, Hero of Time. I want all of your complete surrenders in exchange for her safety.”

Link’s eyes flashed, but he looked behind him at where the others stood, watching him hesitantly. A few moments of silence went by, and Malon felt a hand curl its fingers around her unbroken arm.

“Do I need to make myself more clear?”

“No,” Sky replied quickly, and the other heroes dropped their weapons, looking just as angry and worried as Malon’s own Link did.

Dark Link removed his hand from her shoulder, and Malon couldn’t stifle a shudder, her heart sinking as she watched the last of the heroes place their weapons on the floor. Boys no, don’t let him use me against you!

“Good... now we’re getting somewhere,” Dark Link grinned, looking pleased as pudding. “I want your bags on the floor too, and any magical items you might be wearing. All nine of you will soon—”

He stopped suddenly, red eyes narrowing as they trailed along the heroes.

“We seem to be missing someone,” Dark Link said in a low voice, and the heroes went still. “Where is the First of the Downfall? The one you call Hero of Legend?”

The room went silent, apart from an unsteady breath from Malon.

Then there was a quiet swish of a cape, and the Hero of Legend suddenly appeared out of nothing, charging at Dark Link with his sword high and eyes blazing with torchlight.

He threw himself at the shadow, and Dark Link was forced to hold his sword up to defend himself, removing it from Malon’s neck. The room erupted into chaos as their blades clashed, and the heroes quickly grabbed their weapons. They leapt forward, the monsters around the perimeter running to stop them, and screeches and yelling echoed all over the room.

And Malon couldn’t do anything but watch it happen, her arm still burning white hot with pain.

She watched Legend narrowly dodge a strike that would have killed him, and looked down at herself, shoulder aching as she tilted her head. Wriggling loose of her ropes wasn’t even a possibility now that she had an opportunity to, her arm entirely uncooperative, and frustration broke through her pain.

Malon looked down at her arm, nausea twisting in her stomach at the angle it was at.

I have to try.

She experimentally wiggled her good arm, trying to see if she could at least loosen the ropes. But pain ripped through the broken one with even that tiny movement, and she gasped, closing her eyes as she fought back more tears of pain.

Okay. Okay, wait a bit, then try again.

You have to get out of here.

As if summoned by her thoughts, something suddenly pulled at the ropes on her feet, and Malon dizzily looked down, trying to focus on who was helping her. All she could make out was blond hair though, bent over her ankles. A different set of hands was at her back, pulling off her gag and ever-so-gently removing the ropes at her wrists.

Her breath hitched with pain when the hands accidentally nudged her arm, and there was an apology in her ear, then a rustle as the ropes fell to the ground.

A hand very carefully shifted her arm to a better position, and Malon squeezed her eyes shut, trying not shout at the pain. But once it was let go, Malon could actually focus a little better now that the ropes weren’t twisting it around. It still hurt, rather badly, but not quite to the extent it had.

She looked up at who had freed her, and saw Twilight standing next to Four and Sky, the two keeping a sharp eye on the fight around them while Twilight looked her over with no small alarm.

“Malon, are you okay?” he asked, the worry on his face only growing as he studied her arm. “...never mind, that’s a stupid question. How bad is your arm?”

“It’ll be okay,” she replied, voice mostly not shaking, and squeezed Twilight’s hand with her good one. “Thank you, hon.”

Twilight helped her up, ears pricked for any monsters that might approach, and Malon rubbed at her cheeks, sore from how tight the gag had been. Her stomach twisted when she felt something move in her arm, and she held a little tighter to Twilight’s arm as the pain spiked.

“I’m sorry, I’d offer you a potion, but we’ll have to set your arm first,” Twilight apologized, looking a little frantic as she forced herself to keep her breathing steady through the pain. Easy does it Malon. “And that’ll have to wait until we’re somewhere safe.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice, and Twilight began to lead her away from the worst of the fighting.

Four stayed nearby, giving her an encouraging look before returning his gaze to the fight around them. Sky stayed a bit further away, but he didn’t go far, and they both acted as a sort of guard as Twilight led her across the room. Her world narrowed to mostly Twilight’s arm supporting her as they walked, and the pain that only seemed to get worse in her arm.

She couldn’t entirely bite back a gasp when it abruptly spiked, and swallowed back her nausea as Twilight gently squeezed her hand.

They’d stopped walking at some point, she wasn’t sure when. She was afraid to raise her head and check if they’d left the room or not, worried the nausea she felt in the back of her throat would win and she’d end up making even more of a mess of herself. Talking was going on around her, possibly directed at her, but she couldn’t focus on any of it, just the pain that wouldn’t go away in her arm.

Then a voice cut through the fog she’d been drifting through, sharp and frantic.

“Malon!”

She raised her head, and suddenly Link was holding her, pressing her into his arms, murmuring frantic apologies and assurances as she buried her head in his shoulder and allowed herself a couple more tears.

Relief swept through Malon as Link held her, carefully not touching her arm, running trembling fingers through her hair. She could hear his heart thumping rapidly where her ear was pressed to his neck, and she merely listened to it for a moment as he held her, warm and safe.

Link finally pulled back enough to properly look at her face, and his thumb gently caressed her cheek, right next to the cut Dark Link had given her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes still shining with fear.

“I think I should be asking you that,” she said with a teasing smile, but her voice shook, and Link’s face creased further. He carefully ran a hand over her arm and shoulder, Malon flinching at the pain that shot up her arm at his touch, and he winced and apologized.

Someone said something over his shoulder, and Link looked back and replied, though Malon didn’t catch everything that was said.

“...Is Legend okay?” she asked suddenly, remembering how he’d leapt at the Shadow.

“He’s fine. Dark Link got away, but he’ll think twice before coming after you again,” Twilight said with a smile, and Malon blinked. She hadn’t realized he was still nearby.

“I gave him something to remember me by, that’s for sure,” Legend’s voice said from somewhere nearby. His tone was satisfied, but it held something dangerous in it.

Link’s arms went around her more tightly again, and Malon looked up at him, a storm of all sorts of emotions on his face. He caught her looking, and gave her a slightly brittle smile.

“I’m okay,” she reassured gently, and he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I’ve done that to you enough to know you’re absolutely not telling the truth,” he replied, but his smile was a little more genuine then before. “We’ll get you healed as soon as we’re able, Malon.”

Malon nodded, and ignored how her arm still hurt like it was being trampled on, and how her stomach still twisted with nausea, merely setting her chin on Link’s shoulder again.

“Thank you fairy boy,” she said softly, and Link held her as tight as he could without hurting her arm. “I wish I could have stopped him.”

Link let out a trembling sigh.

“I’m just relieved you’re okay.”

[charcoalhawk]

Don’t listen to a word I say, the screams all sound the same

Wulf lives his life in missed moments, and then, he doesn’t live in any moment at all.

Content warning: death, murder

Title is from Little talks by Of Monsters and Men

Wulf knows he had a real name, once. Even mean people like the butcher who always overcharged mama had a name, but Wulf can’t remember his anymore.

But mama had always called him her little wulf, and during their special nights every month when they all moved on all fours and howled at the moon, he sometimes wished he could always be one.

He wasn’t even two hands old when he lost mama and his siblings to That Man. He had broken into their little home in the woods and hit mama so horribly on the head that she never got up again. He and his siblings had tried to run, but two loud bangs had them collapsing from where they were running beside him.

The only reason he survived was because he did the one thing mama told him to never do. That Man had caught him as he was trying to shake his sister Rosè awake, yelling horrible words as he shook Wulf. And in that moment Wulf had been so overcome with rage he disobeyed the most important rule.

He’d managed to twist and sink his tiny teeth into That Man’s arm, biting down as hard as he could.

That Man had screamed and hit Wulf, but it must not have been too hard because he woke up just as the sun was setting.

That Man’s body was lying a few feet away, face frozen in a horrible scream and body stiffer than frozen wood.

He had left That Man there to rot for what he had done, then very carefully carried his siblings back to their house.

It took him three whole days to dig a hole big enough for his family, but when he finally finished it he carefully brought them all down and arranged them like he cuddles piles they would have after every full moon.

After filling the hole he searched the whole forest until he found the three perfect rocks. And carefully rolled them to lie over where his family was buried.

For a long time no one else comes to their house. Wulf keeps it as clean as he can in honor of his mama, and the forest provides enough so he doesn’t starve.

No one from town ever comes out to look for him or even for his mama, something that both makes Wulf’s heart ache yet he’s immensely grateful for.

The seasons shift and Wulf grows and settles into his quiet life. The most he ever sees of other people is when the leaves shift and deer run aplenty. Then he’ll catch the occasional howl of hunting dogs or the bang that always brings back horrible memories.

Those are the few months he dreads the full moon, because the forest is never quiet, and he fears catching any kind of unwanted attention.

But all good things must come to an end. It's a warm spring night, with the full moon round and heavy overhead, when Wulf hears a cry shatter the calm of the night and sends birds fleeing into the sky in droves.

Although he knows nothing good will come of it, his curiosity drives him to find the source of that horrid sound. As he draws closer the cloying scent of blood begins to overwhelm all other senses.

He ends up finding them in a clearing. A young boy is hunched over a crumpled figure, as blood slowly covers the forest floor around them.

Wulf pokes his head out of the foliage, trying to get a better look. A gleam of metal directs him to the weapon lying next to the two, as a picture starts to form in Wulf’s mind.

In this form he can’t speak, but maybe he can get the boy to follow him and he can bring the older man over his back. He thinks he remembers the path to town, mama made sure he remembered where deer-tree was, because it meant you were getting too close to town on your own.

Plan made, Wulf huffs loudly to alert the boy so as not to surprise him. It works almost too well, and the boy yelps when he locks eyes with Wulf.

“Oh- oh please don’t eat me señor wolf, an-and you can’t have my dad either!”

Wulf shakes his head at that, why would he ever eat a skinny human when there’s so many deer around.

“Oh! Uh, you, you understand me?”

Wulf nods his head rapidly, then makes a point to gesture at the downed man then at his side.

“You’ll help? Oh thank you thank you!”

With the boy now understanding that Wulf means him no harm he moves more confidently into the clearing, the moon illuminating his midnight fur. Maybe after this he can invite the boy and who he assumes is the boy’s father to his home. Maybe he could even go back into the village and start getting the good meat from the butcher and he wouldn’t get overcharged and-

BANG

It takes a second for the pain to hit, but then Wulf collapses where he stood, a burning line of fire shooting though his entire body, radiating from his side.

“Glad I- I always keep a silver spare.”

It’s the older man, barely sitting up, clutching that weapon like a lifeline.

“But dad! He- he was just trying to help! Why did you shoot him!”

The boy is by his side, pressing an already bloody hand into the wound.

“It’s a monster, son. And you would do well to remember that. Now, help me up, we need to go report this to the bishop.”

“But if we don't help him he’s gonna die!”

“Bah. It’s better than it deserves. Now help me up now or so help me god you can go join it!”

The boy rests one last hand on Wulf’s injured side, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ll come back, I’ll bring bandages and I’ll-!”

The bigger man rips the boy away, crushing grip tight against the boy’s slight frame. He shoves the boy ahead, away from Wulf.

Wulf whines and pants as the minutes drift by. The wound had slowly ebbed from a burning inferno into shooting pain with each breath. He can feel the moon begin to set around him, taking away its cool light and leaving Wulf cold and empty.

As the sun begins to rise Wulf swears he can feel other breaths around him, a rough tongue working out the knots in his fur. It reminds him of peaceful nights with his family, and as the sun rises, Wulf’s breaths slow.

With his eyes closed, it feels like his family is still curled around him.

[lonelychicago]

ficlet? 👀 for the office chair one or the liked an old insta post one 👀❤️

we work in the same office and you have a goddamn squeaky chair and you wONT FUCKING STOP SQUEAKING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT ANNOYS ME

this is sort of a different first time meeting where they both work ar dispatch &lt;3

Eddie will admit that working as a 9-1-1 operator can be stressful. You only have your voice to save someone's life and on most occasions your mind has to focus on a million little things at the same time you calm someone down from the edge and call backup to arrive at the scene. 

It can be overwhelming and a lot to deal with. But he figured, well he's an ex-army medic and he'd worked on literal warzones with bullets coming at him. 

How hard could this be? 

As it turns out, he never saw Evan Buckley coming.

The man is gorgeous, sure, and he's funny and charming and he knows how to get the good kind of coffee around here and not whatever shit show they have in the break-room. 

And Eddie might have had a tiny crush when he first started working there. Just a little bit.

But Buck is also annoying as hell. 

Being a 9-1-1 operator is stressful on itself— but even more when Evan Buckley sits on the desk next to yours. 

They're at a pretty safe distance that their calls don't overlap and they can hear the people on the other side of the line just fine without having to yell or ask the other one to shut up. 

But. 

Buck's chair squeaks. Like, really loud and obnoxious and the man has the habit of moving around a lot. 

Eddie is half sure he's doing it on purpose at this point. 

Buck doesn't squeak the chair while on calls or anything, but when they have a few moments of peace and quiet and Eddie is taking a deep breath to center himself— 

Squeak. 

"Buckley, I swear to God, if you squeak that chair one more time—" Eddie snaps, taking his headset off. 

Squeak. Squeak. 

Buck slides his chair with his foot until he's just a few centimeters away from Eddie's desk and throws him an amused, infuriatingly charming, smirk. "It's not my fault the chair squeaks, Eds." He squeaks it again and Eddie fixes him with a stare. 

"You could, you know, not do it on purpose." 

"Mhmm, I could." Buck tilts his head to the side and squints like he's genuinely considering that option, and grins at him— boyish and beautiful and Eddie hates his guts so much, jesus. "But then where's the fun in that?" 

Eddie purses his lips, making sure there's no incoming calls when he turns around to face Buck completely. 

"What do I have to do for you to stop squeaking that damn chair?" 

And at that, Buck straightens in his seat and lights up— brighter than the sun, brighter than any star in the sky that Eddie has ever seen. "Go on a date with me?" Buck asks, eyes suddenly devoid of any amusement or snugness and instead glinting with hope and uncertainty, a smidge of insecurity in Buck's usually cocky smile. "I mean, if you're really that annoyed I'll fix it anyway and I'll stop. You don't really have to go on a date with me if you don't really want to—"

"I do." Eddie cuts the man off before he can spiral further. He clears his throat and looks up at Buck with a shy, hopeful smile himself. "I'll go on a date with you." 

"Sweet!" Buck almost punches the air in a fit of enthusiasm and Eddie can't help but chuckle. "I, uh, should go back to work. Save lives and all that, but —"

"Let's have dinner after shift? I know a place nearby that makes the best enchiladas in L.A after my Abuela, of course." 

Buck looks like a kid on Christmas morning, smiling so wide and cheeks flushed. "It's a date." 

He takes his squeaky chair back to his desk and Eddie turns around, putting his headset back on and pressing the answer button on an upcoming call. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?" He says, and he puts his mind back to the task at hand. His heart is fluttering in his chest, though, and he can't help but look forward to the end of shift.

Maybe that stupid squeaky chair wasn't as bad after all. 

[armeenix]

Fuck your insecurities Connie x !Black!fem! Reader

!Fluff! Slight suggestive language

As a black person I always love seeing drabbles and fanfics that are made for people with darker skintones in mind so I thought why not write one myself. I'll admit this isn't gonna be super good considering this is my first time writing something so long for a character but I still hope it's somewhat enjoyable!

♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

it all started when you and Connie had taken a late night drive and were laying on the roof of his car. The two of you were looking up at the stars that littered the night sky and just having one of those deep conversations. You had just asked Connie what his biggest dream was and he of course answered with, "my biggest dream was to be dating you and look at me now, I get to kiss you, hug you, love you, fuck-"

"Ok Connie that's enough I get it, just ask the next question." You rolled your eyes at his answer but still, your heart couldn't help but skip a beat or two. "You're so boring y/n you could have at least let me finish Damm. Finee ok my question is, uhhmmm" He continued to annoyingly hum in thought until he thought of a question. "Ok I got one! What's your biggest insecurity?" You took a moment to think before answering. "Probably my stomach. What about you?"

He went dead silent. You turned your head to see him looking at you with pursed lips and slightly furrowed eyebrows. "Why the fuck are you looking at me like that..?" He didn't respond again. He just stared at you with the same face. It lowkey made you uncomfortable so you sat up and scootched away from him.

"Why would you say that?" You looked at him mad confused. "Why would I say what?" He sat up and continued to look at you weirdly, you were feeling very concerned for his health. "Why the fuck would you say that you don't like your tummy."

Y: "NIGGA YOU ASKED!"

C: "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT YOU DONT HAVE ANY"

Y: "AM I NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE INSECURITIES??"

C: "FUCK NO"

Y: "CONNIE THAT DOESNT MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE HOW AM I NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE INSECURITIES-"

The two of you continued to argue until somehow you ended up passionately making out💀

♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

Over the next few days any time Connie would hear you say something bad about yourself even if you didn't mean it, he would walk behind you, give you a hicky and a pissed look, then go back to what he was doing💀. You did not understand why this man was so pressed about you having insecurities, it's a completely normal thing! That part didn't really bother you it was the HICKIES that did. Everytime you go out you have to put color correcter and concealer on your neck to hide any new marks that were darker and old marks that were starting to fade.

One morning you had gotten up and got dressed because you were going out to have lunch with sasha, mikasa, ymir, historia, and annie. You still hed some old hickies that needed to be covered but fortunately you didnt have any new ones. After you got done using your color corrector you grabbed your concealer only to realise the bottle was completely fucking empty. That bottle was supposed to last you a good while especially considering the fact that you only got it 3 MONTHS AGO

"Oh hell no, this is stopping TODAY."

♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

That evening after you came home and put on your bed clothes, you sat down on the couch and pretended to be on the phone with one of your friends. you began speaking loudly to make sure the Connie would be able to hear you from the kitchen.

"Yeah I know, I just felt like I didn't look good today, like my outfit just wasn't fitting the right way, maybe I should-"

"OH HELL NO"

Connie jumped onto the couch, grabbed your phone, rolled off the couch onto the floor, before stumbling onto his feet and running into yalls room.💀 you ran after him yelling for him to give you your phone back but he slammed the bedroom door and locked it.

"CONSTANCE SPRINGER GIVE ME MY SHIT BACK"

"ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT, NOT WHILE YOU TALKING SHIT ABOUT YOURSELF LIKE THAT"

"CONNIE OPEN THE DOOR"

"MAKE ME"

"..."

"Baby...I ain't mean that I promise!"

"Nah, nah its ok connie, it's cool its good yea."

You turned around and walked to the kitchen, quickly grabbing a credit card. When you got back to the door you stuck the card in the little opening of the door and unlocked it from the outside. The minute you walked in connie started screaming. "Connie if you dont shut the fuck up imma make you sleep on the couch."

"Y/nnnnn whyy don't be like that" he whined as he walked over and pulled you close to him. "No I will be like that because for the past few weeks you've been acting like a menace and I don't appreciate it. He gasped and put a hand over his heart mellow dramatically. "How could you say that! Im just a poor man that's worried about his beautiful, hot, sexy, girlfriend." "You're allowed to be worried about me but that doesn't mean that you need to be so extreme!" His expression changed from mock sadness to genuine concern and slight shame. He brought his hand up and caressed your cheek slowly. His thumb began moving back and forth against your bottom lip softly as he continued to look down into your eyes. "Y/n i,I just worry about you. And I fucking hate that you have these insecurities. I know that people say it's normal but that's fucking bullshit... It shouldn't be normal, and i hate the it is considered that... You're fucking beautiful and I love you, all of you. I love your hair, you eyes, your nose, your neck." As he named some of the things he loved on your body he gently kissed them. "those are just a few of the things that I love about you y/n."

"Connie..."

He hugs wraps his arms around you and pulls you into a tight embrace. He rests his head in the crook of your neck and sways your bodies from left to right. You both swayed silently until Connie spoke up. He couldn't handle all of the silence. "You know y/n if me telling you how amazing you are doesn't help silence those insecurities of yours I can always beat them up?"

"Connie, you're gonna beat my insecurities up..?"

"Hell yeah I am, you're insecurities aren't shit! imma beat the fuck out of em!" He said with a broad grin spread across his face

"First of all, that doesn't make sense because you can't actually beat up something that's mental, and second of all because my insecurities is something mental that means in order to beat up my insecurities you would have to beat me up. So basically you are saying that if I start feeling insecure you're gonna beat the fuck out of me??"

His face changed from one of pride to one of pure unamusement and horror.

"Y/N DONT JOKE LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW THATS NOT WHAT I MEANT

"Really? Cause it sure does seem like that's what you meant, i mean you said that you wanted to beat the fuck out of my insecurities so-

"Y/N STOP IT"

His reaction was just too funny. You couldn't help but continue to mess with him until eventually he started balling all over dramatically. You dint know how he did it but on command big alligator tears spilled down his cheeks as he over dramatically sniffled just to make you feel bad.

"Are you seriously crying right now..? Connie come on it wasnt the mean."

"...."

"Connie come on I'm sorry, I guess it was a little mean."

"......"

"If you stop crying like that I'll give you a kiss."

Immediately the tears stopped and he was no longer sniffling💀 instead his look at you expectantly waiting for his "much deserved" kiss. You rolled you eyes before reluctantly giving him a little peck on the lips and both of his cheeks.

"There, better?"

"Nah, it's not better, imma need a few more of those."

The rest of your evening was filled with you giving Connie kisses and him claiming that he still wasn't feeling better just so you would have to give him more💀 he's a fucking menace sometimes but you love him.

[ask-sibverse]

Sundown (Shard's old verse)

"You sure we shouldn't add churros to the basket? He loves the darn things," a deep voice said.

"I'm sure Core. The chocoflan will pack just fine for dessert for the trip," the other voice said.

"I don't know. Did you buy the good containers for storing the taco stuff, Nightmare?" Core asked.

"Core, you know I did. Calm your slippery tentacles. You are gonna wake Dreamy," Nightmare replied. He was busy packing up the last of the basket, making sure the juice drink he made was safe in the thermos to keep is chilled. Today was a big day for Dream after all and he wanted to make it special. His cyan eye turned purple for a moment as his corruption decided to talk again.

"You think he will like it? We really haven't let him explore the other aus yet because he is so young still," Core said with their mouth.

"You worry too much Core. I think he will love the sight. I've been keeping this place hidden for nine months now since we found it," Nightmare said. "We didn't get a chance to celebrate last year because Dreamy broke his arm during it and was in too much pain. He forgot all about it. Plus the major panic attack and nightmares about being stone again..."

"It will be fine. Dream is a tough kid. He is your twin after all," Core soothed their partner.

"Yeah. Lets go then," he replied as he walked to their shared room. Dream refused to sleep without him and he couldn't blame the now ten year old. Even if they weren't the same size anymore, he liked the closeness of his twin. "Hey Dreamy. Time to wake up brother," Nightmare said as he gently shook his brother awake.

Dream woke up with bright eyes and looked at his bigger twin and tackled hugged him. "Nighty! I had a dream where we were climbing mom and we were up so high that we saw the stars even in the day time!"

"Oh that sounds like a wonderful dream," Nighty cooed over his brother. "Mom would shake whenever we climbed her."

"Can we visit her?" Dream asked. Nighty looked away.

"Maybe another day," Core interrupted. "Don't you want to see what the surprise is first that we've been telling you about all day?"

"Oh yeah! You guys promised a surprise!" Dream cheered as.he got out of bed and ran to the closet to find clothes to wear. Core laughed at that while Nightmare thanked his partner for distracting the kid.

"Make sure to pick warm clothes. Its a bit chilly where we are going," Nightmare said.

"Sure sure!" Dream called out a he threw clothes around the room to find the perfect outfit for himself. He eventually picked out purple sweatpants and a golden sweater that had a bumblebee on it with the words *I'm a Cutibee!*

Nightmare chuckled as he helped the kid dressed. "Okay let's head out then," he said once Dream was ready. He opened a portal and the three of them went through to one of the many space aus. This one was on a planet that had purple grass with closed flower buds scattering about as the sun was still in the sky. It was just a field with a single lavender tree with pink leaves swaying in the wind.

"Oooohhh this is so pretty Nighty!" Dream shouted as he ran around the place. "Why are the flowers not opened?"

"Have to wait a bit for that kiddo," Core said. "They bloom when the setting sun hits them."

"That sounds awesome! Then I can make flower crowns!" Dream yelled around as he kept exploring the area.

"Don't go too far. I brought food," Nightmare called out. He smiled as the child ran as he set up their little picnic area. Once ready under the tree, he called Dream back and they started making and eating the tacos.

"What's so special about today?" Dream asked.

"Well, today is your 10th birthday," Nightmare said "Happy birthday Dreamy."

Dream's eyes widen at that and he laughed in joy. "If its my birthday its yours too Nighty! We are the same age!"

"He's got you there Nighty. 510 years old the pair of you. How you feel old man?" Core snickered.

"That makes you 502 today then Core."

"Oh shush. Corruption doesn't age. Just like we have no feelings. Just because we met 502 years ago doesn't mean anything," Core said.

"Corey! It does mean something. That is the day you came into our lives and became family with us! That should be celebrated too. I know it was a hard day for all of us, but we need to make happy memories today now!" Dream said.

"When did my brother get so wise?" Nightmare chuckled as a tentacle rubbed on his head.

"When you started reading to me," Dream giggled back.

The three of them spent eating and drinking and then got into a tickle match which Dream won despite it being two to one. Core decided to switch sides at the last moment. The sun was setting as they ate and soon it was reaching the point it was going to disappear. Nightmare settled everyone down and pulled Dream into his lap, tentacles wrapping around him to keep him warm.

"Its almost time," he said.

"Time for what?" Dream asked.

"Watch."

As the sun hit the edge of the world and a bright flash of light came from it, the flower buds started to glow blue and bloomed one after another. Transparent blue petals and blue crystalized centers erupted all around them, filling the purple field with a blue mist as they shimmered in the darkening sky.

"Its so pretty! I wanna draw this!" Dream said as he moved from his brother to check out the flowers. He started picking some and came back and was working on a crown.

"Yeah. Not many people know about the place either," Nightmare said.

Soon Dream was done and put the crown on Nightmare's head. "Now you and Core have a present from me! Its so pretty how the flowers glow against the goop."

Core and Nightmare laughed at that. "So it does. Thank you Dreamy," he said as he pulled his brother close and they both hugged him tight.

"Best birthday ever!" Dream announced.

"Best birthday ever," Nightmare agreed. Looking where the sun went down minutes before and smiling in earnest. They went home once Dream fell asleep.

[scottishaccentsareawesome]

Hangster/Hangaroo Time travel AU

A couple days after the Dagger mission, Hangman and Rooster are just getting back to base at TOPGUN (the day before they’re both scheduled to be deployed elsewhere, separately) after a hop they both flew together.

A storm is rolling in, and Rooster and Hangman have seemingly forgotten about the truce they called on the air craft carrier a few days previous, because they are once again at each other’s throats.

“You wanna be selfish on the ground, Seresin, that’s fine! But you can’t leave your friggin’ wingman! Any pilot from ANY century would tell you that!”

“Well, it makes sense you would know that, Rooster, seeing as how you fly like an OLD LADY!”

Rooster shoves him. Hangman shoves back. Suddenly a photo drops out of Rooster’s pocket onto the tarmac.

Rooster goes to pick it up but Hangman is quicker. He picks it up and sees it is a photo of Rooster’s dad and Maverick, during their TOPGUN time in Miramar.

“Well, I guess that makes sense, because old ladies sure are sentimental, aren’t they?”

“Fuck you.”

Suddenly, there’s a huge peal of thunder, and a bolt of lightning strikes the ground right between the two men.

There’s nothing but blackness for a moment, then suddenly, Rooster regains consciousness, and looks up to see bright blue sky.

“Hey!” a member of the ground crew runs over to the two men, and Rooster lifts his head to see that hangman is also rousing. “You two mind sleeping off your hangovers somewhere else before the airboss sees you?”

The two men get up. “What happened to the storm?” Hangman asked.

“What storm?” The ground crewman asks. But then he takes off running to his next task, clearly too busy to deal with them.

“Are these F-14′s?” Hangman asks, looking at the planes parked around them, while Rooster observes the environment itself. “Where are the F-18′s? What the hell is going on here?”

“...Hey, Bradshaw! Wait up!”

Rooster whirls around to see another man heading in their direction. The man appears to be about Rooster’s height, with similar brown hair, and even the moustache looks similar -

- HOLY SHIT.

Without a word, Rooster grabs Hangman’s arm and drags him out of the way, stopping to stoop behind the wheels of a nearby plane.

“Rooster what the fu- ?!”

“ - Just shut up for once in your life, OK?” Rooster hisses to hangman, as he watched the other men who’d been behind them on the taxiway.

The other man, who looked similar to Rooster, stopped and turned around to greet the other man.

“Hollywood, my darling, what can I do for you?” the moustached man asked.

The other man, Hollywood, let out a breath before he started talking.  “You walk really fast, you know that?” He said. “Probably those long stems of yours.”

“I’ll tell my father you approve of our gene pool, anything else?” the other man asked.

“Yeah, Goose, there is definitely something else,” said Hollywood.

When Rooster heard the name “Goose” he could swear his heart actually stopped beating for a moment.

“...Wait,” Hangman murmured. “But how...? I mean that can’t be - “

“ - SHH!” Rooster shushed him.

“...I don’t know if you’re aware that no one else is walking to your plane with you,” Hollywood continued talking to the man Rooster now knew (but couldn’t believe) was his father “...but Maverick’s not here yet.”

“Oh, he’ll be along, don’t worry,” Goose replied.

Rooster’s head was swimming.

“Well, Viper told me to go up with you, since he’s not here,” Hollywood told him.

“That’s not necessary,” said Goose, his playful tone hardening a bit now. “He’ll just be another minute or two. Mav drives that bike like it’s on fire on a regular day, trust me, he’ll be here.”

“Well, he might, but Viper says he’ll have to wait for the next hop, cuz you and I are goin’ up now,” said Wolfman, and walked past the taller man, over to the plane they would apparently be sharing.

As soon as Rooster saw Goose turn his head to yell after Hollywood, he took off running.

“Rooster! Shit, man! Wait up!” Hangman heard him calling after him as he ran, guessing that the other man was close on his heels.

Rooster ran into the nearby hangar, where a few technicians were working, and some pilots were passing through, and he started looking around.

Coffee cups. Blue prints. folding chairs.

...and newspapers.

Rooster snatched a newspaper off of an empty table, and rushed over to a corner of the hangar where he hopefully wouldn’t be noticed.

He had the newspaper shielding his face as he read it upright, but then a hand suddenly appeared and unceremoniously batted down the page in front of him.

“What he hell are you doing?” Hangman asked, as Rooster puled him into the corner with him, and put the newspaper up to shield the both of them.

“Look at the date on this paper,” Rooster told him.

“What?”

“Hangman, I don’t know what the hell is going on right now, but I do know that that was my dad out there,” Rooster told him, “as sure as I know that it’s you who’s standing in front of me. That was my dad. And that other guy? Hollywood? I know him, too. Only he does not look like that anymore because he’s over sixty years old and he’s set to retire soon.”

Hangman stared at him.

“...This doesn’t make any sense,” the blonde man finally murmured.

Rooster shoved the newspaper in front of his face.

“Look at the date on the front page,” he said.

Hangman looked.

“...May 14, 1986,” Hangman read, then he looked back at Rooster. “How the hell can it be May 14, 1986?”

“I don’t know,” said Rooster.

[odysseywritings]

Obscured

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Why did I wake up here? It was so dark, so cold, that I thought I died. It wasn't until I felt my wheelchair that I knew I was still alive. Just feeling that material brought back my thinking and senses. I climbed back up and rolled my way around this black maze.

There were noises around me but everything was obscured by darkness. Water dropped from the top no matter where I went. The constant drip-drip-drip driving me nuts. Yells from children followed, so distant and spread out it sounded like screaming and crying, echoing out before fading. Another sound, but I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. Like an animal calling out, some sort of big cat warning of its presence, but far from earthly. It was quieter, flowing through my ears like wind, and my body tensed from this alien sense.

My heart stopped when a bottle crashed in front of me. Was someone else here? Did they drag me here, and for what? I rolled closer until I hit a bump, probably stairs, and there wasn't any point going further.

I went back into the darkness trying to find anything to help me see and I felt around for walls to give me direction and stability. I needed to find light to get me out of here. Another scream came closer, louder, clearer. My blood cooled and my heart felt ready to burst. Christ, I didn't want to see them, but I couldn't stay in the dark forever! Another scream and no light.

Another scream, no light.

I was losing my mind, my arms ready to flail and swing and punch the air, I was so tense and afraid of being tortured or dying. Were these people, ghosts, or tricks from my mind? Where's the goddamn light?!

I felt around these damp stone walls, the water falling harder, humanoid noises around me. A hand gripped me and I flinched with a strike. I hit harder than expected, adrenaline kicking in, my muscles numb from the impact. I rolled faster and fumbled my hands to find a torch or bulb. I felt a corner and went around. I didn't want to die, I didn't want to die here. I didn't- a candle! I found an honest to God candle!

I didn't care why it was lit, and I grabbed it like a dim flashlight, and I sent the whole row of wicks burning. I went too quickly to observe details, but it looked like an old castle or hospital. Either way I didn't feel safe so I bolted out.

I turned another corner and I stopped. In front of my wheelchair, lit by my candle, was a decayed man. Looking down at me, the rotting figure opened its ribs, and showed glowing green and blue lights that swirled hypnotically. I was in a trance, I remember nothing now, but that inside the man was something cosmic and eternal. An event horizon gazing at me.

I snapped out of it and lit the thing on fire on impulse. It screamed like a hundred people at once, glistening from the ceiling water as it rose up to flood the building, and I continued to burn it because my brain didn't know what else to do. The light opened brighter and engulfed my flame and then everything.

Not even a moment passed and my sight turned to the sky. I felt and looked around and I was outside the park. Clear blue sky, yellow sun, chirping birds and cheerful kids. It wasn't a nightmare or I'd be awake in my bed. It would always haunt me and I would never take light granted again. Even if the sight was horrible, even if the truth was hell, I could fight it and try to win.

[roraruu]

YOTO: July

Leonie/Bernadetta. Stars/friends to enemies to lovers.

The first time Bernadetta spots Leonie out by the little fishing lake is after Jeralt dies. 

She sits on the edge of the dock, with her naked toes just grazing the surface to barely kiss the water. 

Bernadetta originally snuck out of her room to snag some cake from the mess hall. But as she was creeping along the path, humming to herself, she heard a sniffle, then a sigh and saw Leonie seated there at the dock. 

Bernadetta doesn’t talk to her, just observes her from her perfect little hiding spot outside Petra’s room. The shadows shield her enough from Leonie’s view. It’s been raining for the last few days so the air is very humid and there’s little relief; but the sky has opened up and there’s only wispy remnants of storm colours. 

Bernadetta has never seen the stars shine so brightly. Varley is an arid region, but the skies are mostly covered by smoke from the factories that produce their weapons. Swords and scriptures, that’s what her people are known for. 

She wants to open her mouth to ask if Leonie’s okay, because Bernadetta concerned and Leonie is Leonie. She’s like a hornet, strong, fast, zippy. Once, when she was sitting in on a lancing lecture to pass a horse backing riding exam—mandatory as she skipped so many of her assigned shifts in the stables—Leonie got hit several times by Dimitri of all people and did nothing more than stagger back and yell at him “again”. She even went as far as to taunt him, asking “is that all you got?”

Something inside Bernadetta—probably her anxiety—tells her that this is treacherous. 

Maybe Leonie doesn’t want visitors? Maybe she came out here for peace and air? 

Before she knows it, she’s calling out her name softly. “Leonie? Are you… um… okay?”

There’s a distinctly snotty sound and then Leonie vehemently insisting she’s alright, she’s okay in a salty, tear-streaked voice that insists she’s not okay. 

Bernadetta stands in the dark night and says, “I don’t… um… know what you’re going through but uh… M-Maybe cake would help?”

“Cake?” 

Bernadetta feels stupid. “Ye-Yeah. Cake always makes me feel a little better. And watching the stars.”

Leonie pauses. 

“I-I was just going to go watch some. B-But maybe we could. Um. Watch the stars together?”

“That sounds good.” Leonie’s voice is small. 

Bernadetta hurries and gets two slabs of cake—eating a bit of hers on the walk back—some stale cookies and thermos of tea to bring back to Leonie. She settles in beside her, but not to close and pushes the cake and cookies closer to her. Leonie finds it in her to laugh, and says “You can come closer, Bernadetta, I’m just crying, not sick.”

Bernadetta sheepishly slides closer along the dock. Panic rises inside her but it feels different this time. She fights back and tells it that it will not best her. “A-Are you okay?” Then admonishes herself. “S-Stupid Bernie, of course you’re not okay…”

“No, don’t worry.” Leonie runs a hand over her face, pushing back her bangs. “I’m just missing Jeralt. Captain… Captain Jeralt.”

“Oh.”

“He was sorta like a dad to me.” Leonie confesses softly, then mutters, “but I guess you figured that out already.”

“Sorta, yeah.”

There’s a silence between the two of them for a moment before Bernadetta squeezes her eyes shut tight and says, “I called Alois ‘Dad’ by accident.”

Leonie’s brow furrows and she sputters out a little choked laugh that’s obviously half-forced, half-genuine. “Do I wanna know?”

“Um… my father… He isn’t good to me.” She’s careful with her words, for she thinks that they’ll get back to him somehow. “Alois reminded me of my uncle, Francois. I always felt comfortable around him… I called him father a few times.”

Leonie looks at her like she understands what Bernadetta means. Her hand clasps over Bernadetta’s and for once—and at the perfect time—Bernadetta doesn’t flinch. “My old man wasn’t good to me either. Jeralt was.”

“We’re lucky to have them… Aren’t we?” Bernadetta asks. 

Leonie’s voice cracks again. “Yeah. We are.”

“Stars are pretty tonight.” Bernadetta says. 

Leonie nods. “Yeah. They are.” 

—

Leonie is dragging Bernadetta back to her horse. Well, not dragging, but leading her back with her hand in Bernadetta’s. It’s late at night, after lights out. Leonie insists that she’s found the perfect spot to stargaze and when Leonie is right, she is right. 

Bernadetta is shy and nervous and demure and ladylike. When Leonie told her of the plan during the lecture on tactics during battle, Bernadetta’s eyes sparkled in wonder and she murmured in curiosity if it was the same spot that Caspar took her to. She brought a little fabric knot of snacks—stolen hard cheese and bread—and her sketchbook with some thick charcoals. 

“W-Would you let me draw you?” Bernadetta asks nervously. Leonie can’t help but think she looks pretty with that crimson blush and wide eyes. In the back of her mind, she wishes that Bernadetta was a little braver, not for Leonie but for herself. 

“I’ve never had someone draw me.” Leonie muses. “So yeah, of course.”

The horse is tied up beneath a tree and Leonie half expects to be posed like an elegant lady—in the back of her mind, she wishes that Bernadetta does that, fluffing up her messy hair, lacing her hands in her lap, tilting her chin up while murmuring ‘now look at me’. But her hair is short and her face is round and her clothes are mismatched compared to Bernadetta’s pretty eyelet nightgown and the little sweater over top of it. 

Bernadetta is on her feet and pulls her up, she’s much stronger than Leonie expected. She drags Leonie next to the horse and then instructs her to braid its mane. “Or whatever you do around them. Just act natural.” Bernadetta insists. Her voice is giddy. “Like you’re just in the stables.” 

Leonie does so, but it’s hard to act natural when Bernadetta’s big eyes are focused on her. But they’re not focused on her per se; they’re focused on a spot next to her, in a space that isn’t hers. Does that make sense?

In a half hour, Bernadetta has a sketch and is showing Leonie it as they eat stolen cheese and bread and gaze at the stars. “I-It’s not even my best work.” Bernadetta says. “It looks quite bad really. Oh goddess you hate it—”

Leonie rests a hand on Bernadetta’s shoulder. “No, Bernadetta. I love it.”

Bernadetta’s face goes red and she hides her face in her hands in embarrassment. She murmurs something unintelligible, and when Leonie asks her again, Bernadetta practically yells, “I’ll come to Sauin and paint you proper someday!” 

That makes Leonie smile for real, perhaps for the first time since Jeralt died. 

—

Bernadetta isn’t a gambler, but when she does play cards, she’s a shark. Her mind is hardwired for mathematics, for chance and probability. It’s probably why she’s so good at judging when to run and hide and when it play it safe. 

Leonie however, likes to gamble only when she knows she’ll win. And while she and Bernadetta are friends, one of them is rich and the other is very poor. Leonie looks like she’s got the upper hand, a cute little smirk and sharp glimpse of the eye, and Bernadetta pulls out a 15-ten, launching her ahead of Leonie and into the final peg. 

Leonie sighs and hands slides the little gold marks to Bernadetta. “You’re too good at this.” She sighs. “Crib isn’t my game.”

“Don’t say that.” Bernadetta insists, taking the change and rattling it in her hand. “I th-think I have enough to get us some tea.”

“We can have tea back under the gazebo. The professor won’t mind sharing some leaves, and I’m sure if you ask Lorenz for a teapot he’ll lend it. He’s got like twenty or something. Probably.”

Bernadetta pouts and shakes her head. “I won! I want to treat you.”

“Isn’t that a waste of money?”

“Shouldn’t you hush and let me treat you?”

Leonie can’t fight the logic in that and shuts up. But before they can get down to the tea shop down below in town, Bernadetta’s anxiety spikes. “I don’t think I can do it.” She mumbles and grabs Leonie’s hand for support. 

Both girls blush hard. Bernadetta feels a little stronger when Leonie squeezes it back and tells her that it’s okay, that they can to another time. But Bernadetta is adamant. She wants to give Leonie something. They pass a flower seller and Bernadetta, overcome with energy and courage actually asks the seller for a bouquet of sunflowers. Her words come out in one breath, in sentences that linger along and make Leonie wonder why she’s never like this around her. Bernadetta comes running back with an armful of stalky blooming sunflowers that reflect their golden-yellow light back onto her pallid face.

She thrusts them at Leonie and says, “H-Here! For you!”

Leonie’s never had flowers given to her before. Back home in Sauin when Saint Cethleann day hit—which was typically recognized as a day to celebrate forms of love—people would always exchange flowers. Leonie never got a single one, aside from her mother but that doesn’t really count.

Leonie blushes hard and takes them from Bernadetta, murmuring a barely audible, “thank you.” Bernadetta must not notice her blush, for she turned away quickly. It’s a huge stack and Leonie plucks one, a small one that was plucked before it had fully bloomed so the petals are still small and holds it out to Bernadetta.

“But they’re for you.” She protests.

“And I’m giving you one.”

Bernadetta vehemently refuses, all the way up to the monastery. That night, when Leonie’s doing a final walk before bed, she takes the small sunflower and leaves it out in front of Bernadetta’s door.

The next morning, when Leonie’s the first one up and doing her morning stretches, she walks past Bernadetta’s door and smiles when she sees the sunflower gone.

—

Bernadetta is hiding behind a table of hors d’oeuvres at the ball. She hasn’t danced yet, refuses everyone until Leonie comes over and takes her hand and pulls her to the floor. Bernadetta was never a great dancer, always too jumpy and quick, which is why she’s probably a great archer. Leonie’s always been light on her feet but uncoordinated when it comes to dancing. 

So instead of the floor, where they’ll surely bump into people and piss them off, Leonie takes Bernadetta outside where they spin in the grass and collapse in the blades laughing and dizzy. 

And then, as Bernadetta’s about to get up, Leonie leans in and kisses her. 

It’s a short burst of a first kiss that makes both girls burn bright red and their hearts pound so loudly that they can hear it in their ears. 

All Leonie can think of is “Oh goddess, oh fuck I’m so stupid, oh goddess,” in a repetitive loop. 

Meanwhile, Bernadetta is staring off into space like she’s zoning out, her mind awash with “Well, everything makes sense now.”

Leonie’s mouth opens to apologize, to sputter out apologies like what Bernadetta would do; but as she begins to speak, the words die against Bernadetta’s lips as she kisses her again and again. 

—

“The stars are prettier in Sauin.” Leonie says. 

Bernadetta can’t help but believe her. They’re probably so much prettier against the open fields and bright skies. Wildflowers in the vale. The skies in Varley are shit in comparison, always covered up and smoky. 

“I want to see them one day.” Bernadetta tells her.

Leonie presses a kiss against her temple. “I’ll show you. Promise, Bern.”

Bernadetta curls into her chest, her arms snaking around Leonie’s waist tightly. Leonie laughs and it reverberates through Bernadetta’s entire body. She feels warm, she feels at home. 

“I’ll hold you to it, Sunflower.”

—

Leonie developed a taste for alcohol young. From fine brandy to shitty moonshine, she isn’t picky. But she honestly prefers it in her mouth instead of washing it over open wounds. 

She’s had a stash of gin—not her favourite but it does the trick pretty quick—that’s just right to clean broken skin and wounds. She keeps it stashed in her boot, probably negating its purpose. 

The arrow is lodged in Bernadetta’s thigh and she’s been unconscious for a while. She slumped over into Leonie and her grip went limp about twenty miles away from Varley Manor. Edelgard had ordered them to retreat if things looked bad, and things really started looking bad. Leonie had a feeling that the monastery would be either taken by the church and kingdom or overrun with wounded so she ran. It was the bravest thing she could do. 

Leonie grabbed Bernadetta by the waist and hauled her up onto her horse, ignoring her yelp and her cries that Petra was left behind, that Petra was going to die and leave her siblings behind, that she needs to help Petra—

Leonie had grabbed Bernadetta’s hands and told her, in a low tone, a warning tone, a tone that she hated, “We can’t help Petra if we die.” 

That sobered Bernadetta up. “I’ll guide Bennet. You focus on protecting Petra.” Leonie ordered.

Bernadetta nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. The two became a cohesive unit—Leonie guiding the horse, Bernadetta nocking arrows and protecting Petra from a distance as best as she could. Leonie circled around the town of Garreg Mach, fully intending to get back up to where Petra was so that Bernadetta could take Bennet and speed off to safety and Leonie could jump off and help Petra, who was surrounded.

Just as they were rounding the battlefield, another archer came outta nowhere. They missed Leonie but hit Bernadetta with a shrieking cry that made Leonie’s ears pop and Bernadetta drops her bow and cuss loudly.

Instincts drove Leonie to get the fuck off the field. Healers were scarce and her own vulnerary stash was near-depleted from a particularly nasty hit from Alois, who had nearly taken out Bernadetta. Leonie had seen it coming, saw the panic and fear in Bernadetta’s eyes, and remembered that one time, down at the lake, where Bernadetta recalled how similar he was to her uncle. 

So Leonie had jumped in, Leonie had taken the hit and then knocked the shit out of Alois, ignoring the fact that he had a wife and child at home, ignoring the connection he had with Bernadetta, ignoring the fact that he had mentored her in axe-throwing when she first got to the academy.

Ignoring that he too had lost Jeralt.

Leonie snapped the reins and directed Bennet—who had been startled by Bernadetta’s high-pitched scream—away from the field.

“Okay Bernie, okay,” Leonie’s voice was uneasy, and she was trying her best to make it calm. Bennet got scared and in between soothing Bernadetta and the horse, Leonie was stretched thin. “Talk about something. Tell me anything, come on, Bernie!”

Bernadetta was half-sobbing, half-screaming and began spilling the entire story of a five-part saga about a hunter and a princess, a Cinderella story of sorts. Leonie took the reins in one hand and searched for the vulnerary that she tucked into her pockets and fished it out. She handed it back to Bernadetta who chugged the rest of it and cringed.

When Leonie realizes that the gin is in her pocket.—Leonie kept her talking by asking about the book she’s writing. Each time her voice got too faint, Leonie would shift the reins into one hand and clutch Bernadetta’s arm hard and ask, more like yelling over the hoofbeats, “okay Bern, what happens next? What happens next?” 

When Bernadetta doesn’t answer, Leonie panics. Leonie isn’t used to panicking. Her mind goes through the motions of control, of what’s right, what’s logical. 

We need to stop. 

She pulls hard on the reins and the horse halts, whinnying in protest. Leonie hops down from the horse and Bernadetta almost falls. 

Leonie braces Bernadetta and helps her down as best she can. In a panic, Leonie undoes the cloak around her waist and bunches it up to make a shitty little cushion. She tucks it under Bernadetta’s hips. Elevation. Elevation is key. 

She searches for a pulse, her breath. She’s breathing but shallow, and her pulse is weak. 

Leonie stumbles over cusses. The vulnerary only did so much, and it wasn’t enough. First aid, she needs first aid. But pulling the arrow out makes a breeding ground for infection. And pulling out the arrow is not a good idea for the extra blood loss. 

Now, she’s wishing she paid more attention to Lorenz in between his patronizing comments and remarks as he tried to teach her white magic. Leonie was almost hopeless. Guy was a jerk most of the time but he knew what he was talking out.

All she has is here and now. Stop the bleeding. She orders herself. She has to stop the bleeding before Bernadetta’s weak pulse goes flat and she stops breathing. 

Leonie grabs the cloak and bunches it around the arrowhead. Bernadetta’s body flinches instinctively and Leonie feels uncomfortable hope. Don’t get ahead of yourself Pinelli. She warns. 

The professor would know what to do. She keeps thinking that Byleth would tell her what to do. But Professor Byleth is back on the front lines with Edelgard.

She dodges those thoughts as deftly as she can and searches the packs for alcohol. Leonie developed a taste for alcohol pretty young. Bernadetta did too, though she can’t hold her booze.

Leonie waterfalls it into her mouth and bitter, intense juniper and florals run over her tongue to take the edge off, breathes a sigh and steadies herself. 

“I’m sorry Bern.” She says before dousing her thigh in gin. Before the alcohol washes over her broken skin, Leonie is murmuring white magic spells, tripping over the words  and half-crying because she can’t lose Bernadetta. She can’t. Bernadetta has to live because Leonie’s lost too much already—

Bernadetta shocks awake and stares at Leonie, eyes dazed and unable to hold Leonie as her focus. Leonie doesn’t care. Instead she’s sobbing and clutching onto Bernadetta and praising the all stars in the sky that the stupid spell worked. 

—

Bernadetta tries to slow her thundering heart but she can’t. Camping sounded more fun on the first night, but after a week, her back is aching and she’s struggling to find a comfortable way to stretch out without kicking Leonie. 

The idea, at first, was to try and get to Varley where they could hide out. Bernadetta remembers a few empty houses that they could wait out in for a few days until the monastery is recovered and they can contact the professor.

But after a few days, Bernadetta sends a message by express to the professor asking for instructions and gets nothing back. And worse, every time she tries to remember the way home to Varley it gets foggier. She’s blocked part of it out, the pathways and vale that’s cloaked in thick, jet-black pines. It would be easier if she could just fucking remember.

She begins to get worried when Leonie gets frustrated with her inability to remember. Leonie will ask questions over and over, trying to figure out a solution, but each time Bernadetta cries out that she doesn’t know or can’t remember, Leonie’s patience burns away. 

At least they’re going back into imperial territory. Most of the noble houses bound together and are in agreement to fight against the church and Kingdom, but there’s still dissenters and Bernadetta is constantly on the edge of a panic attack. 

Their plan becomes treacherous and after a week of camping with stolen blankets and in dirty clothes, Bernadetta is done.

“I can’t remember the way home.” She says into Leonie’s back.

Leonie stirs a little. Her voice is distant. “You can’t?”

”No.”

“Seriously?”

“I can’t, I’m sorry, Leonie, I can’t.”

“Can you remember the path you took up to the monastery.”

“No.” Bernadetta’s voice gets shaky. “I… I was pretty much shoved in a bag and carried there, I remember nothing. I’m sorry Leonie, I’m sorry.”

Leonie sighs and sits up. Bernadetta stares at her frame, lit by the stars. Her freckles melt into her skin and disappear; shame, for they were Bernadetta’s favourite part of her, they looked like a tiny sky painted across her cheeks and down her neck. 

“Then you have to go back to Edelgard.”

Bernadetta sits up. “M-Me? What about you?”

Leonie is cold and quiet. “I can’t go back.” Her voice is defeated. “Claude needs me.”

“You’re deserting? She’ll kill you.“ Bernadetta says desperately. Her hand finds Leonie’s and holds it tight. “Leo, I can’t—I-I-I won’t… Don’t…”

Leonie’s arm comes around her shoulder for a moment and she feels her lips brush her hair. “I’ll run with you. I’ll run! W-We can figure something else out! We can go to the kingdom.”

“They know you’re with Edelgard.” Leonie warns. “The second someone sees you, or recognizes you, you’re done.”

“But I don’t… I can’t. I can’t be away from you, Leonie.” Bernadetta holds her gaze. The words jumble in her throat, thicken her tongue and take forever to come out but Leonie is patient. “You make me strong.”

Leonie just stares and holds her hand, her calloused thumb running over the back of Bernadetta’s palm. She’s quiet, gentle and attentive as Bernadetta attempts to regain herself and fails horribly. Bernadetta wants to collapse into Leonie’s arms and sob and yell that it’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fucking fair.

“We’ll make it someday.” Leonie promises her. “We’ll just wait and see, okay?  I know this isn’t the end, I know it, Bern.”

Bernadetta feels her world come crashing down on her, but Leonie’s holding it up like she always does. She’s always so cool under pressure, nothing ever gets to her and it’s one of the reasons why Bernadetta is so intrigued by her. 

“We’ll head back to the monastery tomorrow.” Leonie decides. “How’s your leg?”

“Fine. I’ll survive.”

It still hurts a lot, and Bernadetta’s moving slower than she should but the important thing is that she’s alive. She would’ve been dead without Leonie. Soon enough, Leonie won’t be there to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.

“They’ll take care of it better, I’m sure they have the supplies.”

Tears prick at Bernadetta’s eyes. Her arms slither around Leonie’s waist. She hugs Leonie tight, trying to remember how she’s all strength, all hard edges and sinewy muscle. Every since really taking archery seriously, Bernadetta’s slowly become like that, but village life and planting and sowing and hunting since she was a kid has sculpted Leonie into that mould.

Bernadetta focuses on the feeling of Leonie’s body against hers, her steady breathing, the rhythmic gentle thud of her heart. Bernadetta focuses on that for a long, long time until Leonie melts into sleep—she’s always been a better camper than Bernadetta—then slowly extracts herself from around Leonie.

She gets up, empties her pockets of her change, they were playing an anxious game of cribbage, trying to pass the time before the attack on the monastery, and leaves her entire coin purse of cribbage winnings by Leonie’s head, writing in the dirt, You win, Sunflower.

She says goodbye to Bennet, leaves all the rations they collected and her cloak because Leonie will surely need it and leaves the campground without looking back.

—

In five years, Bernadetta throws herself on Edelgard’s mercy; Leonie does the same with Claude. Naturally, as both are skilled fighters, they’re accepted back into the fold. 

Edelgard keeps a close eye on Bernadetta to make sure she doesn’t run and hide. Claude makes sure that Lorenz, who has employed Leonie as a mercenary out of the knowledge of his father, keeps tabs on her.

Bernadetta doesn’t dare send a letter to Leonie, though she writes many and addresses them to the hearth in her room. Leonie doesn’t either, because she goes where the money goes.

But soon enough, five years lapse and the war goes full tilt.

—

Leonie is thrown from her horse. Bennet, the dumb bastard, rears up when Raphael lets out a roar to gas himself up. The battle’s barely started and she’s already half-concussed. The one fucking battle, that is the most important and she’s already messed up.

Leonie forces herself up into the saddle and follows Claude’s orders. She and Raphael are on the front line, their job is to cut a path through so that their reinforcements—mages—can sneak in and set fire to the field.

It all goes to plan, Leonie cuts down allies and enemies alike, their faces and bodies bleeding together like paint.

There, across the field she sees Bernadetta at the ballista. She looks different. Stronger, more mature, there’s a fire in her eyes that Leonie never saw before and she keeps murmuring, that can’t be Bernadetta, that can’t be her. It can’t be.

Then it occurs to Leonie that she’s on the bridge they’re going to set fire to.

Bernadetta, who left her in the ruins of a ravaged town. Bernadetta, who she thought would have died long ago. Bernadetta, who she would never have imagined in a thousand years to be here, on the front line at the Battle of Gronder Field.

Before she realizes it, Leonie is barrelling towards Bernadetta, screaming her name like it’s the only words she knows. She’s breathless, her lungs burning like hell as she pushes poor Bennet, faster, faster, faster.

She feels an arrow graze her shoulder. From the corner of her eye, Leonie sees crimson seep through her shirt sleeve and she cusses. Bernadetta nocks another one and screams at her to stop or she’ll shoot again. There’s a wild look in her eyes, a dangerous look, a look that says, “we have unfinished business”.

Leonie feels a lurch of anxiety and stops short of dismounting Bennet.

There’s a tense moment of eye contact as Leonie drinks in how Bernadetta has changed. Her hair is different, like she’s finally gotten used to using a hair brush, and she’s taller, much taller, almost as tall as Leonie herself. And she looks mature in a bad way, in a way that gives her dark circles beneath her eyes and quaking hands. She doesn’t look like the Bernadetta that she kissed, the Bernadetta that she shared secrets with, the Bernadetta that she loved and still loves.

She must have gone back to her father. Leonie shivers as she thinks it.

There’s the din of swords and shields. Leonie almost drops her lance. Bennet grows anxious with all the fighting.

“They’re gonna light this on fire.” Leonie tells her against the deafening sound. “If not them, us. You have to move.”

Bernadetta stares at her. “You said they’d protect me.”

“I was wrong!” Leonie cries out desparately. “I was so fucking wrong! I should have protected you. But you should have stayed! All you had to do was stay!”

Bernadetta’s eyes flicker behind her. She keeps the bowstring pulled tight as Leonie gets off Bennet and then lets it fly into Leonie’s shoulder. It lands hard and Bernadetta drops her bow, immediately realizing what she’s done.

She’s swearing, half screaming the words and then a cacophony of Oh goddess, oh Goddess, but all Leonie can think about is that she’s missed that anxious little voice and then realizes, “Oh fuck. You shot me.”

Bernadetta is stumbling over apologies before taking action. Like years before, but now in reverse, Bernadetta hauls Leonie on the back of Bennet and snaps the reins hard. She yells at Leonie to tell her about Sauin Village, about her home, about her travels, and Leonie, while feeling the blood ooze from her shoulder and the cloud of adrenaline fade from her mind, can talk only of the stars back in Sauin as they desert Gronder Field and their armies.

—

Bernadetta, Eternal Loner Leonie, Blade Breaker II

After fleeing Gronder, Bernadetta and Leonie were said to be spotted on the run for many, many years, though no official documents or records state this. Folk songs and rumours suggest that they became some sort of heroes to everyday folk, and The Ballad of the Bear and the Hornet, can be found in many children’s books. 

Reports exist that an older woman with a fair amount of battle scars could be spotted inside taverns and pubs with many a great story to tell. These fun nights would follow promptly with a woman who only referred to herself as Bear, coming in to pay her wife’s tab and give her apologies.

Bonus CF Ending: Upon inheriting House Varley, Bernadetta completed her duties in solitude. When Leonie was called to dispatch some bandits, she and Bernadetta reunited and ended up staying together. Leonie became captain of her personal guard and Bernadetta ascended to become a wise, caring and authoritative leader with Leonie’s help. It was rumoured that in the early days of their relationship, Leonie would sit in and warn visiting dignitaries and politicians to mind their manners when Bernadetta was speaking with a weapon at hand; in respect to this, Bernadetta gave her a golden dagger, engraved with the name Sunflower. 

[sleepy-achilles]

Hi! I have a request. I have would love to get more of Leon’s rebellious teen phase in the family of destruction. I know he and taker didn’t get along too well then, but I’m a sucker for angst 😭!

I adore Teen Leon and I'm kinda mad I don't write them as kids more. I like teen Leon more than adult Leon. Fuck adult Leon.

Also your reminder, because ik some don't read the notes, asks are now reopen and I will be answering them the same day or as soon as possible (incase I suffer writer's block)

Sweet 16

Bro went from the sweetest child in the whole world to a literal spawn of Satan when he hit 16. No? What do you mean he was traumatised and his 16th birthday incident pushed him over the edge? I would never do that to a character 👀

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"Have kids they said. Kids will be the apple of your eye" Taker growls as he slams the report down onto the table. Leon tilts his freshly scarred face as he rocks his feet which are sat on said table. "Why couldn't you be like your brother?" Taker sighs. "What a complete and utter loser?" Leon asks. John glares at him. "None of that now" Shawn scolds. Leon rolls his eyes as shawn taps his feet. He lowers his feet. He's asshole to everyone but Shawn at the moment.

Taker knows why but he doesn't want to speak it, mostly for shawns mental health than anything. But a little someone has followed too much in their papas footsteps.

"I get your having a tough time at the moment, but you said you were ready for school, so what's up with the grades?" Taker asks. "Im sorry, I said I was ready to go out and about again, not do well in school. I never did. Besides I think having my grandfather slashing my face open should give me some leeway as you know it only happened four months ago" Leon snaps as he stands up. He stares taker down. "Now if you excuse me old man, me, mattie and val have plans" Leon huffs grabbing his jacket and walking to the door. "No! Because your grounded!" Taker yells. "Ha! Grounded? Fuck off!" Leon yells before the door opens and slams shut.

"I liked him better when he didn't speak" Taker mutters. Shawn slaps his arm. "You don't mean that" "If he doesn't, I do" John whispers. Both men look at him. "What, he's nicer when he can't speak. In fact he was a lot nicer before Paul turned psycho on him" John admits. "Yeah I know bud. Go get ready for bed" Shawn sighs. Taker watches as John leaves. "Hes gonna do a lot of damage." Taker warns. "I know. But we gotta be careful. It's not just trauma is natural teenage rebellion too. I know damn well you were like it and well I didn't get mine until my 30s" Shawn shrugs picking up Leon's report. "And too be honest he's not wrong. He was doing horrible in school before his 16th. He's just dropping in art and history now which I will talk to him about as I know he likes those subjects" Shawn adds. "I just want him to do well." "I know that and he will too one day. Now are you waiting up or going to bed?" "Bed" Taker mutters.

------

"Your parents are gonna kill ya" Mattie chuckles as he blows smoke towards the sky. "They are cute tho" val smiles poking her fresh tattoo. The trio got group tattoos just below their ribs. Mattie got a wolf skull with a small butterfly wearing a crown. Val got a butterfly that's pattern makes a skull, she got a small pawprint with a crown just above the butterfly's head. Leon got a skull with a massive crown on its head, the skull has a small claw mark up the side and a butterfly clinging to the other side. "Yeah but you two took it too far" Matt states. "What makes you say that?" Leon asks sitting up. "Well you both got your nipples pierced" Matt states. "Oh yeah, and when my face fully heals I'll get my nose done, some sick snakebites and then work on my ears, My ears are gonna be covered" Leon smirks.

Val chuckles and leans forward between Leon's legs. "Get your cock pierced" she smirks. "How much?" Leon tilts his head. "I know whoever wins the next match for their team picks the losers next piercing location" Matt smirks. "Deal" they all shake on it. "You know damn well Leon woulda been tatted up and pierced up if the shop didn't refuse to do more work to cover their own ass" val states. "Or the fact they are scared his father" Matt hums watches as a car races past them. "Ain't that brads car?" Leon asks sliding off the hood of Matts car. They watch as Brad and his friends climb out. "Thinkin what I'm thinking?" Mattie smirks. "Damn right, get the bats" Leon smirks as the other group walk into the mall.

-

Taker groans as the phone rings. He rolls over and lifts the phone off its holder. "Mm hello?" He mutters. "Im sorry to call you up so late taker but your son is smashing up Mr Daniels sons car up and refusing to get off the car." Officer Bode sighs. "That fucker" Taker growls sitting up, causing Shawn to wake. "Where is he?" "The mall carpark." "Ill be there now" Taker hangs up, throwing the phone back into the hold. "Whats wrong?" Shawn yawns. "Your son is destroying property. That mall was the worse thing I ever built." Taker growls standing up, grabbing a tshirt. "Want me to go?" Shawn asks. "No. I promise not to kill him" Taker mutters grabbing the trucks keys. Shawn frowns as Taker storms out. He glances down at Charlie. "Lets hope it's the last time" Shawn sighs as the dog steals takers spot. Shawn looks at him as Charlie just huffs at him.

-

Taker is going to loose his head as he pulls up and sees Leon stood on the roof of the car. He watches as Leon hits the mirror off when the cops move closer.

He slams his door. "LEON!" He yells as he walks over. Mr Daniels pulls Brad back as the man walks over. "Im so sorry Mr Daniels. I promise to pay to get this repaired" "don't be sorry dad! His son is a piece of shit!" Leon laughs. Taker looks at val and matt who are leant against the cop car. "You two involved in this?" Taker snaps. "Yessir." They both mutter looking down. Taker looks back at Leon. "Get down now" he orders. "Or what?" Leon snarls leaning against the bat. "LEON! Enough! Down now!" Taker yells. Leon huffs and walks forward until he drops down to the floor. Taker snatches the bat off Leon and throws it to the floor.

"Are you fucking crazy? Bode has every right to throw your scrawny ass in a cell" taker growls grabbing his jacket. Leon just glares at him. "What if I want him in a cell! Look at the damage!" Daniels yells. "Then we'd have to look into that file against Brad last summer." Bode states. "Dad it's fine, Mr Michaels has said they'll pay for the damage. Me and my mates are fine." Brad pleads. "What will it be?" Bode asks. "No charges. But I don't want him anywhere near my property anymore" Daniels snaps. "Of course. I'll make sure of it" Taker promises. "Thank you Mr michaels. I'll drop these two home and speak to their parents." Bode states. "Good. I'll be speaking to them tomorrow too. Now excuse us" Taker nods, pulling Leon towards the truck.

Leon jerks out of his hold. "Let me go" Leon snarls as he storms towards the truck. "Are you fucking crazy!" Taker yells as they get into the truck. Leon sucks in his cheeks as he stares out the window. "Lets go home." "What the hell are you playing at? Hmm? Be angry at me, push me, do not start terrorising the people of my valley" Taker tells him. This causes Leon to snap. "Oh but they can terrorise me?! He's been bullying me and my mates since we where kids! He harasses Valentina and he assaults me!" Leon barks. "You goto an adult! Not do this shit!" "We went to an adult! And as you heard, daddy's got money so this shit gets swept" Leon scoffs. Taker sighs and rubs his cheek as he starts the engine up. Leon turns fully towards the window.

This can't get worse.

----Posted this part before-----but yeah-----lets mix it up--

Taker had to open his big mouth.

Shawn had to leave the arena to go home. When taker found out he was going to the police station he teleported straight there.

"Why Lee. Look at you" he hears Shawn sigh. Taker steps up to the front desk where Bode is waiting. It's late after all. "Go home, ill lock up" Taker tells him. "Sure thing" Bode throws him the keys before walking out. Shawns quiet as Taker walks towards the cell. "What the fuck have you done?" Taker growls as he opens the cell and walks in. Leon stumbles back as the door slams shut. "Do I need to repeat myself?" Taker asks. "It was a fight party. Its not the first one it won't be the last." Leon admits quietly.

Taker would hate for his kids to be scared of him. But his anger towards his son is too high to care right now. "Look at me! What did you do!" Taker growls getting closer. "I took it too far. Hurt the kid" Leon mutters looking down at his bloodied knuckles. "Look at me." Taker sighs. Leon doesn't move. "Look at me!" Taker orders. Leon glances up, his lip tucked in so he can fiddle with his snakebites.

"I have been nothing but patient with you.-" "like fuck. You go in guns blazing. Yelling, slamming things. You've never been patient." Leon snaps. Taker stares at him. "Ok. Lets do it that way" Taker states walking away from him. "What? What way?" Leon asks as Taker shuts the cell and locks it. "Ill see you tomorrow when your bail is Posted. If your bail is Posted." Taker states. Both Leon and shawns eyes widen. "What? You can't leave me here!" Leon barks. "Damn right I can. Breaking cars, breaking into buildings, shoplifting and now putting kids in hospital? It's about time you sit in here and think. Sweet dreams leon" Taker snaps before he leads Shawn away

Shawn closes his eyes as his son yells and pleads for them. He knows takers right, but that's his baby boy behind those bars. Shawn opens his eyes. No. No, right now? Right now that's not his baby boy. That's a empty shell of his baby boy.

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

Leon fiddles with his lip piercing as the family eat dinner. "So how was the first day of school?" Taker asks. "I got accepted into a club!" Cassie smiles. "A nerd friendship group is not a club" Leon mutters. Cassie frowns at him. "Dont be a jerk." John mutters. "How about you Leon? Did you meet the therapist?" Shawn asks. They all agreed Leon should try speaking to the school therapist when he goes back. And boy did Leon fool them. "Yeah, slept with him and then hung out under the bleachers for an hour before I had to go back to class" Leon smirks. Taker chokes on his beer and shawns eyebrows raise as he turns from sipping his wine to downing it.

"And that's our cue to go and do your homework" John hums lowering his fork. "Yeah..." cassie nods picking up her plate.

Taker stares at Leon as the other two kids escape. "Im sorry what? Leon did he-" "God no, if anything he's more scared of me. He's hot, I'm hot, he's probably done it before tho as he didn't hesitate at all. So yeah might wanna get him checked out there Daddyo but I am not a victim" Leon huffs. "Leon you cannot sleep with an adult who's supposed to be a teacher or someone who we trust to look after you." Taker states. Leon looks at shawn. Taker copies. "Oh no, he's got me on this one. All you or I look like a hypocrite" Shawn admits. "Oh my god" Taker groans. "Yeah sorry dad, your losing this one but hey, found your mysterious predator. Again" he mutters the last part. "Did you just say again?" Taker asks. "Nope, gotta go" Leon hums standing up.

"No Leon you are g-" "grounded? Yeah we know that isn't happening, me and mattie are gonna go joy riding before grabbing Valentina to eat and watch a film" Leon chuckles before leaving.

Taker looks at shawn. "Im sorry baby but he knows too much about me. Ministry era was a weird time for us" Shawn sighs. "You slept with the school therapist?" "My history teacher. Needed a grade." Shawn admits. "What are we going to do Shawn? How far do we let this go before someone dies?" Taker asks quietly. Shawn leans back. "We get Kevin involved. We do what we did with me." Shawn admits. "Hes in the ring every week Shawn." "No, he's a sports entertainer. He needs control and patience" Shawn states. "Could work."

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Leon is 17 when he starts training with his uncle. His violence crimes start going down, but he's not completely out yet. No, he still has some rebellion stuck in him.

------

"How's Lee doing?" Scott asks. "Hes doing good, no more fights, no more crimes. Just got that damnd attitude still" Kevin answers as he accepts a beer off taker. "Tell me about it." Taker sighs watching cassie and John play fight. "Hes definitely pushing those two away still" Taker adds. "Where is he now?" Scott asks. "Got in a fight at school, cassie saw it so shawns sorting it with the school." Taker mutters. "Thought he wasn't fighting anymore?" Goldust asks as he passes a beer to hunter. "Thats the issue. Cassie states it was scary, Leon just stood there and took it. Never fighting back once. I'm worried we might have put the wrong ideas in his head" Taker sighs. "But he fights back in the ring" goldust states. "Hes performing for the crowd then, it's different." Hunter points out.

"So now we are worried because he's no longer fighting?" Scott asks, clapping as cassie knocks John down. "Atta girl!" He calls. "No I'm worried about how his brain is working at the moment. Pushing his siblings away, allowing himself to be pushed around, obviously he's still arguing with me. I'm just waiting for him to be caught with drugs or alcohol" Taker sighs. "You don't think he's going completely down that path?" Hunter asks. "I hope not. He probably won't gain anything from it. But he's definitely spiraling" Taker admits.

"It'll be okay, I think I'm getting through to him" Kevin promises.

"I hope"

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Leon huffs and groans as he's shoved against the old matt, his face pressed into it. "Wanna tell me why your so angry at your old man? Heard you ignored his birthday" Kevin asks as he lowers himself. Leon growls and bares his teeth at him. "Ah ah, none of that bullshit with me, you know better than that. I know you better" Kevin tuts. Leon closes his eyes. "Gonna speak to me kid or you gonna keep hitting me a bit too hard?" Kevin asks. "Uncle." Leon taps the matt. Kevin sits back and watches as Leon pulls himself up to sit.

He keeps his eyes down. Kevin takes in the scar on the boys face. It's no longer red and raw. It's healed as best as it probably will, still bothers him if it's too cold. "Whats going on up there?" Kevin asks quietly. "It was his knife." Leon whispers. Kevin raises an eyebrow. "What?" "My dad's knife. That's what Paul used to do this. It belongs to him, it sits in his office in a case." Leon explains looking at Kevin. Kevin spots the watery look in his eyes. "Ah kid, I get what that looks like but your father would never want to hurt you" Kevin sighs. "You don't understand. You didn't experience Ministry like we did. Like I did. I'm the chosen one. No one experienced it like I did" Leon whispers hugging his knees.

"Ministry and your dad are two different people" "I know that! I get that! But looking at the face of the man who terrorises you is never easy" Leon snaps standing up. "Your dad terrorises you?" Kevin asks noting the lack of past tense. "No. Not now." Leon lies. Ministry is stood around him as he speaks. Taker? Taker would never harm Leon. But Ministry? Ministry haunts him like a ghost.

"Are we done? I'd like to go home." Leon asks. "Yeah, same time Thursday?" Kevin asks. "Ill be there" he nods before climbing out. Kevin hums to himself. Well now this is something. Leon is still a scared little boy, and Kevin doesn't blame him.

---

Taker watches Leon as he searches for something. "Looking for something?" Taker asks. Leon sighs and closes the draw. "Can you just back off?" Leon snaps looking at him. "I wanna talk about what happened." "So Kevin told you what I told him? Cool. I don't want to talk" Leon states. "Leon...I'm worried." "I don't care! I really don't fucking care! I've stopped my crimes! I've stopped fighting! I've got my grades leveled and you still breathe down my fucking neck!" Leon yells. "Because I care! You are on a spiraling road and I want to help!" Taker snaps back. Leon taps his fingers against the cabinet.

"You don't want this Leon. I know that." "You don't know what I want." Leon mutters, keeping his eyes on the floor. "Youll never know." Leon sighs pushing away from the unit. Taker watches him as he walks out. "One day we will be fixed. I promise." Taker sighs.

-

Leon tilts his head down as he blows smoke out.

Shawn sits next to him. "Gonna have ago at me?" Leon mutters. "No. Glad your smoking outside instead of in the house" Shawn shrugs. "Smoke reminds dad of the house fire." Leon points out. Shawn looks at him shocked. Maybe they all had it wrong.

"Yeah, it does. That's nice of you Lee." Shawn nods. "Im an asshole, not a monster. He doesn't deserve that...he doesn't deserve any of this" Leon mutters rubbing his cheek. "But your angry at the world and need someone strong enough to handle it, because you cannot and no one deserve to suffer" Shawn hums. Leon looks at him. "Yeah...how.." "I did the samething. I was suffering and didn't want anyone to know. So I turned it into anger and your father and uncle hunter suffered the brute of it." Shawn admits. "Guess we are alike" Leon huffs looking at the sky. "Yeah and I'll always be sorry for that." Shawn mutters.

"No one's telling you not to be a rebellious teen, it's part of growing up. We just want you to be happy again." Shawn tells him. "I know. And I'm trying. We've all cut the violence and petty crimes out. Payed for stuff stolen. Repaired things we broke. Replaced broken things. I'm just...lost still." Leon explains. "And that's okay. Your young, one day you'll find yourself and this will all make sense." Shawn promises. "Yeah? You promise?" "I promise. Now your dad will be home soon, what shall we have for dinner?" Shawn asks. "Let me buy you all a pizza, to say sorry" Leon offers. "Sure. A pizza will easily win cassie and John back but also show dad your trying" "Oh I've already won cassie back, brought her that bike she wanted" Leon smiles. "Well thanks, don't know what to get her for Christmas now" Shawn huffs. "Oh please she could give you a list a mile long" Leon laughs.

Shawn smiles. A sound he hasn't heard in ages. "I love you Lee." "Love you too".

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Leon didn't find himself until he was 24. He still had slip ups with violence and his anger but it wasn't bad. He wasn't teenage rebellion anymore once he hit 18, he was just a rebel.

He came to accept the truth of what happened. He became a brat but a brat people actually liked being around. He's still an asshole. But he knows when to quit.

Him and taker still fight, of course they do, they have strong opinions and are similar enough in the sense they'd clash over a spoon and a spork. But they love each other and they'll always have each others back.

----------------------------------------------------------------------Notes

I'm so sorry 😞 Its 12am. So I'm pretty tired whilst writing this but I know you wanted angst which led me off Leon's rebellious activities so I hope that's okay. I also wanted to make sure I didn't repeat myself fic wise, which I obviously started to so but changed the scene up a bit.

I really like teen Leon's character. But old Leon and child Leon have a soft spot in my heart. Especially with both out there fighting bad guys and child Leon killing one whilst teen Leon was just out here being a literal criminal.

I do want to write more of the kids being, well kids, Leon was such a ball of sunshine. He went from sunshine to moon to now being eclipse. And well John and cassie have always been sunshine.

I will gladly do a fic focusing on Leon's actual rebellious activities if that's what people want.

Maybe one day we will find out who got the gential piercing 😅🤣