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peachscribe · 3 years ago

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peach’s summer book list

i had a lot of fun compiling the list of books i read during the 20-21 winter, so i decided i would do a summer one as well! i still have a lot of books i own but haven’t read, so im definitely not lacking in material

if you didn’t see my winter list, how my book list works is basically like this: i read a book that i own but have not previously read, write a short summary immediately after finishing the book, write down my thoughts on the book, and then provide a rating for the book. i also might include background info on why i read this particular book/feelings about the author, but that depends on the book. that’s how each entry works

without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

okay so i absolutely adore another book by andrew smith (written after grasshopper jungle) called the alex crow. it’s one of my favorite books of all time, so naturally i wanted to see if grasshopper jungle would make me feel similarly. just like the alex crow, grasshopper jungle’s plot is. so fucking weird. it stars austin szerba, a teenage polish kid who lives in ealing, iowa, and is often sexually confused regarding his girlfriend shann and his best friend robby. and in ealing, iowa, austin and robby accidentally and unknowingly unleash an unstoppable army of huge six-foot-tall praying mantis bugs that only want to do two things: fuck and eat. and i just have to say: andrew smith’s got an absolutely dynamo writing style. alex crow is similar, where it’s a book about kind of everything all at once, framed in a moment centering around teenage boys. it’s fantastic, and it’s more than a little gross, and i love it. this book made me feel so many things, and i thought austin was such an amazing narrator and main character to identify with. this book has it all: shitty teenage boy humor, fucked up science experiments, and poetic imagery that will make you want to cry. and explicit lgbt characters.

412/10 andrew smith what do you put in your water i just want to know

2. Burn by Patrick Ness

patrick ness has written a plethora of some of my favorite books (such as a monster calls, the chaos walking trilogy, and the rest of us just live here) so when i saw this one in the store i knew it would be a great one. burn is an alternate history fantasy that takes place in 1957 frome, washington, during the height of the cold war, and it begins with a girl named sarah and her father hiring a dragon to help out on their farm. but there’s not just dragons, farm living, and cold war tensions; there’s also a really shitty small town cop, a cult of dragon worshippers and their deadly teenage assassin, a pair of fbi agents, and a prophecy that sarah’s newly hired dragon claims she’s a part of. i think eoin colfer’s highfire was on my winter list, which also featured a story that included dragons and shitty cops, so when i first began burn i thought it was funny to have two books that had both things. you know, if you had a nickel etc etc. but that’s really where the similarities end because burn is entirely it’s own monster (dragon). burn is entirely invested in its world, and its fascinating. not only that, i had no clue where the book would take me next. there were so many surprises and amazing twists that honestly just blew me away. this book also includes beautifully written complicated discussions on family, race, and love - it features interracial and queer romances as the two most prominent romance plots which was such a nice surprise from a book i wasn’t expecting to have that kind of representation. this book is witty, fast-paced, and a very heartening read - i absolutely adored it.

9/10 dragons and becoming motivated by the power of love and friendship are so fucking cool

3. As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

i hate this book! as meat loves salt is a historical fiction novel which takes place in seventeenth century england, which is going through a grisly civil war. the protagonist, jacob cullen, is a servant for a wealthy household and is engaged to another servant in the house. but due to certain events that are almost entirely jacob’s fault, he flees the house and is separated from his wife. from there, he joins the royal army and meets a kind soldier, ferris, and the two become fast friends. jacob and ferris’s relationship begins to bridge past friendly, and jacob struggles with his homoerotic feelings as well as the growing obsession and violence inside him. also, they try to start a colony. listen, i don’t know how to describe the book because so much happens, but it basically just follows jacob and all the terrible decisions he makes because he is, truly, a terrible person. ferris is kind and good, and jacob is scum of the earth. he sucks so bad. the entire time i was reading this book (which took absolutely so long), all i wanted was for jacob to just get his ass handed to him. i wanted to see him suffer. and it’s not like i just personally don’t like him - i believe the book purposefully depicts him as unsympathetic even though he is the narrator. i did enjoy the very in depth and accurate portrayal of what life would’ve been like in seventeenth century england, and i think it was interesting to read a character that is just the absolute worst person you’ve ever encountered and see him try and justify his actions, so if you enjoy that kind of thorough writing, then this book would be perfect for you. however, i did not see that bitch ass motherfucker jacob cullen suffer enough. i’d kill him with my bare hands.

2/10 diversity win! the worst man on earth is mlm!

4. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

i know ive had a friend tell me how great one of schwab’s other book series is, but truthfully i bought this book because the cover is sick as hell and it was on a table in the store that advertised for buy two get one free, i think. something like that. anyway, this savage song takes place in a future in which monsters, for whatever reason, suddenly became real and out for blood in a mysterious event nicknamed the phenomenon. august flynn is one of these monsters, but he takes no pride in that fact and only wants to feel human. kate harker is the daughter of a ruthless man and is trying her hardest to be ruthless, too, but deep down she knows it’s just an act. their city, verity, stands divided, and kate and august stand on either side - but when august is sent on a mission to befriend kate in the hopes of stopping an all out war, the lines begin to blur. this book rules. august and kate are such interesting and dynamic characters, and the narrative is familiar while still being capable of twisting the story around and taking the feet out from under you in really compelling ways. this savage song is part of the monsters of verity duology, and i can’t wait to dive into how the story continues and finishes.

11/10 sometimes you can judge a book by it’s cover

4a. Our Dark Duet by Victorian Schwab

this is the sequel and finale for this savage song and i’d figure i’d update everyone: fantastic ending, beautiful, showstopping, painful.

12/10 loved it and will definitely be keeping an eye out for schwab’s other books

5. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

oh boy. okay. white is for witching is about a house, and it is about the women who have lived inside of it. when her mother dies abroad, miranda silver begins to act strangely, and there’s nothing her father or her twin brother seem to be able to do about it. she develops an eating disorder and begins to hear voices in the silver family house, converted to a bed and breakfast by miranda’s dad; and she begins to lose herself in the house and the persistent presence of her family legacy. white is for witching switches perspective dizzingly and disorientingly between miranda, her twin eliot, miranda’s friend from school named ore, and the house itself. this story is a horror story as much as it as a tragedy as much as it is a romance as much as it is a bunch of other things. oyeyemi brings race, sexuality, nationality, and family into this story and forces you not to look away. this book is poetry.

(like i mentioned briefly, this book heavily deals with topics of race and closely follows miranda’s eating disorder. read responsibly, and take care of yourselves)

15/10 this book consumed me and i think i’ll have to read it another 10 more times to feel it properly

6. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

okay. okay. strap in for a ride. these violent delights is a romeo and juliet style story, taking place in glittering 1920’s shanghai. the city stands divided - not only between the foreign powers encroaching on chinese land, but also between the scarlet gang and the white flowers, who are at the height of a generations-long blood feud. juliette cai, heir to the scarlets, has recently returned from four years abroad and is determined to prove herself ruthless enough to lead. roma montagov, heir to the white flowers, is standing strenuously on his place as next in line due to a slip up four years prior and is desperate to keep hold of his title. and in the midst of juliette and roma’s burning history with each other threatening to combust, an unnatural monster lurks in the waters of shanghai, loosing a madness on scarlets and white flowers alike. this book has it all - scorned ex lovers, political intrigue, deadly monsters, and all set on a glamorous backdrop of the roaring twenties. i absolutely was enraptured by this book and the way it plays around the story of romeo and juliet so well that it easily became it’s own monster, but with the punches and embraces of something classically shakespearan. gong does just an absolutely breathtaking job of fitting this fantastical story amid the larger world of shanghai and the real life historical events that had shaken the city to its core. completely immersive and outstandingly heart racing.

17/10 i was chewing on my fingernails for the last thirty pages and will continue to do so until the sequel is released (our violent ends, 16 nov 21)

7. The Antiques by Kris D’Agostino

you ever heard of the american dysfunctional family story? this is most definitely that. at the same time george westfall’s cancer takes a turn for the worse, a hurricane hits the east coast, and suddenly all at once the issues of his health, the hurricane, and all three of his children’s achingly dysfunctional adult lives are crashing into each other. reunited by george’s death, the westfall siblings have to face their grief, each other, and the problems in their own lives they attempted to put on hold while planning their father’s memorial. this is a nice story about grief and loss and love and somehow finding the humor amidst it all.

(this book does include a depiction of an autistic child who does experience several pretty bad meltdowns due to ignorant people around him not understanding how to cater to his needs. im not an authority on what depictions are or are not harmful, but i do believe this depiction is ultimately loving and well-intended.)

7/10 it made me laugh and cry and was generally one of those books that somehow hit you close to home

8. Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

fierce fairytales is a poetry anthology that reimagines classic fairytales from a modern, feminist viewpoint, acknowledging that the line between hero and villain, monster and damsel, are not as clear cut as the classics try to make you believe. this book also includes illustrations done by the author herself, which i think is really cool. my personal favorite story reimagining was the story of peter pan and captain hook, called ‘boy lost’ which looked at how peter and hook’s relationship began and rotted. all in all, i think this collection of stories had a lot of important things to say and said them in frank, easy to understand poetry and prose.

7/10 beautiful message and pretty prose, but at times a little cliche

and that’s all from the summer! my fall semester starts tomorrow, and overall i feel very good about all the reading i did this summer. i even read four other books not on this list for work! so i definitely feel like i made the most out of my time, and im really glad i was able to read so many stories that made me feel a variety of different things

thanks so much for reading this list, and let me know if you read or have read any of these books and tell me what you think of them!

happy reading<3

#book recs #book rec #book rec list #grasshopper jungle #burn #as meat loves salt #this savage song #monsters of verity #white is for witching #these violent delights #the antiques #fierce fairytales #just like my winter list i did write ever review immediately after finishing the book and i think.#i think here you can really tell what my immediate reactions were based on how the review is written fbfjfjd

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thatwasthenightthingschanged · 4 years ago

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so, I personally think The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is one of the best (if not the best) teen book of all time and in general just one of the best books out there and I’m tired of it being slandered as “pretentious” so here’s a list of reasons why it’s so freaking good:

first things first, I feel like Stephen Chbosky is one of the few (adult) writers who truly gets what it’s like to be a teen. some writers pretend teenagers are unknowing little kids, some do get closer to what the reality looks like but he just. went all in. Charlie has so many of the typical teenager experience while also being a really deep character who has profound conversations about his friends but sometimes also just gets really high

Charlie in general is one of my favorite fictional characters ever. as a teen, I was struggling with similar feelings as him, and I felt so undersood by him. like how he would sometimes just spend hurs looking at other people asking himself what their life might be like. how he is painfully awkward and doesn’t know how to tell a girl he actually doesn’t like her that way because he doesn’t want to hurt her. how he literally says he doesn’t want to be dead, he just wishes he could fall asleep for a little while. the way he so deeply cares about his friends even if he sometimes goes about it the wrong way. and so much more

the quote “we accept the love we think we deserve” has literally changed my life. like, I think it’s so true and oftentimes when I looked back on toxic people I couldn’t let go I would think back on this quote and be like. oh. yeah. it makes sense.

the fact that I’ve read the book over five times now and watched the move like 20 times and every time I still find something new and intriguing about it. like, it just never gets boring

the first time I read it was when I was 15, like Charlie, and I felt really down and sad all of the time and this book gave me a sense of hope. Like, maybe not everything will be perfect one day, but it will get okay, eventually.

I just generally like the message it carries about mental health. I literally have the quote “So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. Maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even though we can’t choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.” memorized. Whenever I experience a difficult time, I remember this quote and know that yes, what is happening to me is shitty and I can’t do anythign about that or what has been done to me in the past and traumatized me but I can still choose how I want to proceed. I also love the notion, as I said, of “we can try to feel okay about them”. like, I don’t even have to feel happy about my life. Maybe okay is enough. Okay is achievable.

while we’re on the topic of its messages, I also like that it tackles the issue of feeling as though you cannot complain about difficult stuff that’s going on in your life because others have it worse. Several of my friends (as well as I once) struggle with reaching out to others because we think our problems are not worth talking about. I really like that Charlie concludes that yeah, there will always be people who have it worse but that doesn’t make your struggle less valid. If it’s difficult for YOU, it already deserves to be talked about.

quick not-that-serious note but THE MUSIC? okay that’s not so prominent in the books but Charlie’s music taste is just. impeccable

(SPOILER) I love that the book talks about sexual assault both on men and women. Sexual assault is still a topic of taboo, but definitely was even more so one when the book was released. And it also tackles it in such a good way imo.

LET’S TALK ABOUT PATRICK. I love how the book and Charlie don’t make a big deal out of Patrick being gay. I mean this book was written from the perspective of the 90s, still the author chose not to focus on homophobia towards Patrick, but rather on how he’s a normal person and just wants to love and be loved like everyone else, and everyone in his closest circle supports him wholeheartedly.

one thing that is diferent from the movies which I love about the book is its talk about masculinity. In one scene in the book, Charlie remembers how his father went into the kitchen and cried after watching the last episode of M.A.S.H.. He teaches his sons that crying in public is not acceptable and I love how the book discusses the negative influences of toxic masculinity on men and how it might lead to them feeling as though they cannot express their emotions, ever.

another scene I love in the book is when Charlie talks about his grnadfather and how he grew up poor and wanted his daughters to do better and so he slapped them if the got bad grades. I also love the introspection of his grandfather and how he recognizes that some of that might have been the reason why Aunt Helen turned out the way she did. The book also talks about Charlie’s dad, and how his father was abused by his father as a kid, and as a result he promised himself to never do physical harm to his kids, ever.

another thing that I found really relatable is how Charlie is constantly not really there. He either, as I’ve already mentioned, wonders what other people’s lives might be like or thinks about how someday all of what is currently happening to him will be just a story, and that also prevents him from really being there. I am definitely guilty of that too and sometimes I have these moments of coming back down to earth and realising that all this time has passed and I never really participated in life.

honestly I could go on and on (for example about Sam and the discussion of making onself small so that a love interest might like you, or his sister and her abortion, etc etc) but I’ll stop now. All of this to say is that The Perks seriously improved my life massively and I think it’s not only relevant to teens but also adults, since it tackles a lot of big life questions in such a good and valuable way. I actually find it far from pretentious and rather a very realistic depiction of so many people’s life and mental issues and undermining the way it has genuinely improved other people’s life is shitty and I think people should, just, stop it. Just because it’s a teen book doesn’t mean that it cannot be good

#long post #the perks of being a wallflower #the perks #2 ppl liked my text post so this rant goes out to u guys askhdahs

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siren-virus · 4 years ago

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Luckyboy!AU thing. So I went looking some stuff up, and I can perfectly imagine that Ben would name himself Nekomata, the name for the lucky cats in japanese; you know, because he wants the victims he rescues to have luck in their lives and to bring some of that to himself. However this confuses the Plumbers a whole lot, after all, why would a vigilante want to bring to himself and the others luck in education and love? Green Nekomatas bring luck in education and pink ones (close enough to magenta) bring luck towards love. Spoiler: Ben didn't know what the colors mean, he just thought that the lucky cats bring luck in general to people. His stickers could be coins in order to keep up the theme, or it could be some kind of cats to keep the cat aesthetic.

I also need some fluff between the different "people" (still don't know which noun to use to represent both humans and aliens that isn't "beings" (kinda uncomfortable using that one, since it also encapsulates non inteligent creatures) ) that visit the coffee shop while Ben is working there, like some conversation that he would have with Rook or Gwen, or how he could give some ideas to Cooper over the next technological thing to create/modify, a chat with Kevin about what alien technology he could sell to the civilians that would make him money AND avoid the eye of the Plumbers (and his vigilante persona too if they aren't dangerous)

Would his parents and Max surprise visit him to the coffee shop? I'd imagine that they would, not only to see him but also to have an excuse to give him money in the form of tips without being returen the money XD "You guys just gave me a big ass tip" "Well we just happen to like the service" "I GAVE YOU A GLASS OF WATER" "We REALLY like your service *wink*", meanwhile, Max's watching everything from the table sipping his own extravagant coffee (don't tell me he wouldn't find a way to add some tentacles to his coffee one way or another, forcing Ben to make one that way XD)

Also, what would happen with the love interests that Ben had in the prime dimension? Would he have met any of them in this timeline? How would his relationship with them be? Would any of them come visit him to his job?

Also also, I imagine that Ben would ask grandpa Max any time some of his friends want a tour through the Plumbers HQ to give them all a pass of some kind and do the tour himself (sometimes with his grandpa by his side, sometimes it's Rook, sometimes he's alone, and the best of times he would be with the other Plumber kids going alongside doing lots of pranks at the same time)

I wonder how many charms does Ben have in his home, since some of them are really useful and would help in a lot of things, like I imagine he would use a light charm and reduce his living costs that way, or a heating charm for the same effect.

Finally, I have to say that I love that animation you did of Ben hating early mornings (and if he was out all night and went without sleep, then thank fuck he works at a coffee shop XD), and that tiny detail of him snapping his fingers with both hands, it's just, ugh, I LOVE IT, it reminds me of The Addams Family opening theme. Maybe whenever he does a spell he does that double hand finger snap as a way to focus himself? It'd be a funny easter egg for anyone who would be able to discern it (aka Jimmy, 'cause let's be honest, he would totally find a way to link the double snap with the show somehow, and he would be totally right XD)

Damn dude, I love that whole thing. He would totally choose that name without thinking about it. Nekomata... Rolls off the tongue nicely.

Fluff, eh? People is good enough.

With Gwen, like I said in another post (did I? maybe...) Their conversations would be brief, usually Ben just trying to get a rise out of his cousin to force her into a chat.

Rook is similar, their conversations are brief, but if Ben asks the right questions, serves him a particularly good drink, saves extra amber ogia tarts for him. Rook would be more than happy to indulge. They don't talk about plumbers business, Rook's smart enough to know not to exchange information with a civilian. (Even though Ben probably knows it already.) More, Rook discusses Earth culture with Ben, trying to play catch up with slang, sometimes he'll even indulge some info about his home planet, his friends, family, and girlfriend.

I don't believe Ben and Cooper would talk much, the only reason he's in the cafe is because Manny, Helen, and Alan (if he's not working) forcefully dragged him from the lab, kicking and screaming.

"i'll have an espresso shot. with some honey too... please." Is the only thing he'll before engrossing himself in what tech he managed to bring along.

The one with Kevin is interesting, I do like the idea of Ben tryna push Kevin in the right direction. But Kevins love of tadenite, and the fact he sells weaponry would propbably prevent that.

Instead Ben would try to get as much info from him as possible, subtly giving Kevin a little extra when it comes to info exchange. Kevins lips are sealed. Unless Ben decides to spill some info on Gwen. Kevin plays dumb, but it's easy to spot his interest.

Absolutely, Max, his parents, AND Patelliday all come for visits. At first his parents would be super cautious entering the cafe, they did their best to try to make Ben quit and find a "normal cafe" to work at. They also did their best to convince Ben to move back in. They would deffinitely use any excuse under the sun to tip Ben. They make regular visits on saturdays for morning tea. They don't stick around long though, aliens still spook them a little.

Max and Patellliday - are a unit- would always order a drink together. Max going with the basic Flat White, with some tentacles, of course. Patelliday going for the Boba Fish Tank... they have to restock their gold fish tank every week.

Ben has a good poker face, having to make such a... variety of drinks, and watch how his customer drink/eat. It leaves scars...

Love interests.

Well with Julie, Ben unfortunately never got the confidence to ask her out. But they're really good friends still. (Ben also learned as he got older that not every girl he's friends with wants to date.) Julie comes by the cafe every now and again, always checking if Bens there first before entering, she still managed to get Ship surprisingly, so Ship is always happy to get a pupacino, can't drink it or anything. Just happy to smoosh his face into it.

With Kai, they never had that meeting when they were 10. She comes to Bellwood every now and again, she and Gwen are surprisingly good friends. They clash alot though.

Kai comes by the cafe sometimes too, Ben think she looks nice, but they've had no interactions. (She's not a coffee person, just a water gal.)

Esther, there's no meeting between them, as Ben that is. However, Esther can't deny she feels something towards Nekomata. The guys charming.

I think there's another girl, but I can't remember ;;;

Tour guides? At plumbers HQ? Much as Ben would love to guide his friends around, the amount of jailbreaks that happen there is too many (the plumbers have shit security)... He's not even allowed there most times unless there is someone capable by his side.

More often than not Ben would be disappointed to see one of his regulars, Fist Rick out on the streets the day after he was arrested.

Yes yes yes!! Ben uses a lot of his mana on little things to make his life easier and more convenient. This also comes at the cost of using too much energy, so normally he makes sure to do this when he knows he doesn't have work.

Thank! I work best when I have a visual setting ;; Maybe I should switch careers to be a vis dev.

Also ngl, the whole finger snapping thing, Idk where that came from ;; Could be a cool easter egg thingy

Some days Ben has to be stopped from drinking the coffee. Mr Baumann (yes, he's the head honcho) threatens to send Ben home on those days.

#ben 10 #Lucky boy! au

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diaryofabeautyfiend · 4 years ago

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Small Time Witch (33)

3 am. The darkest part of the night full of quiet longing. The day slips away to a new dawn and time is reborn.

On the eve of your hearing you sat in such darkness having a drink or seven. Your husband asleep in your childhood bed in the room you shared with Bethany. You stared into oblivion trying to come to terms with the gravity of what was facing you. The UN and SHIELD were going to decide if you were a threat. And, if you were, what would they do to you.

Odin already put up the funds to repair the damage you caused. He tried to be diplomatic with the World Security Council. Promised you wouldn’t step a toe onto Midgard without a proper escort and a heads up that you were on the way. They didn’t bite. They wouldn’t would they?

They only wanted an arrangement that worked for them. A tit for tat but more tit for them than tat for you. Essentially, you work for them when they say and they won’t lock you up for the remainder of your life.

Loki wanted to just leave. They threatened to find you. He laughed in their faces and said he’d like to see them try. He vowed to unleash hell as many of the universe’s armies were loyal to you. They didn’t take kindly to his threats. Had Steve not stepped in, you’d both be in a cage.

This is what you wanted wasn’t it? Your Clyde to his Bonnie. Eternal outlaws. He didn’t want that anymore. He wanted a sweet little house and a quiet life with babies in his arms. You were starting to think that was a good idea. To settle.

You had a few more tricks up your sleeve though. Mobius stepped in briefly promising if things went wrong he would handle it. You didn’t know what that meant. Oddly you trusted him. He had been true to his word thus far and brutally honest. Things may be playing out exactly how they were meant to play out. You did ask if he gave you Loki just because he knew you’d lose him again. He assured you the two of you were inseparable. That at least gave you solace.

The other worry on your mind was your last visit with the team of doctors Steve set up. They examined poked prodded and drew blood for five days. You weren’t riddled with cancer. Your body was in top shape. That was, as long as you held the stones. You wouldn’t die if you let them go. You just wouldn’t heal. Your body had been through hell. You would live a feeble existence. They’re suggestion was to learn to live with them.

The only stone you agreed to expel was the power stone. It was determined by Loki, the Professor and Agatha that the power stone in particular was doing the most damage. It was reluctant to let you go but they finally got it out. It’s currently in the Professor’s vault where only he and you have access. Just in case.

Agatha had also been helping you uncover the truth about the Kale’s and their plot to destroy your coven. She believed Fury sent them so he could take you for himself. When you told her about his plan to kill Franklin, that all but solidified things. They were not top priority at the moment. Even if they were to attack, you had enough fire power now to defend yourselves. They also lost the element of surprise. Once you had proof, you would bring them in front of the witches council and let them deal with them. For now, your family was safe.

You poured another drink and finally you were starting to feel the tendrils of liquor take hold. You stared into the room bathed in obsidian. It stared back. It flirted with you. Begged you to embrace it. To let it take you. These days the darkness was the only lover you knew. You reached out to it but Loki pulled you back.

You had not heard his feet gently padding across the hardwood. Had not noticed his weight lean on the top of the wingback chair. You smiled at the darkness offering a weak sorry when you felt his lips on the top of your head.

“Let’s take a walk” he whispered as he pried the bottle from your hands. As you did most nights, you walked to the spot where your cottage should be. He laid out a blanket and wrapped another around the two of you. His emotions were normally all over the place. Panic and worry mixed with pain and fear. Always though, his love for you was ever prominent. This night he simply felt calm.

“I’m starting to see your vision of a life with less bullshit.” You snuggled against him to keep warm.

A smiled curled the corner of his lips, “I knew you would come around eventually.”

“If we get through this, I may even rethink the part about children. The doctors told me I was all good in there. Maybe too good.”

He laughed and kissed your hair, “Sounds divine. Perhaps we can just move your mother to Asgard with us. I know it would pain her to have her grandchildren so far away.”

“She’d never leave Helen and the girls. We can’t come back here. That’s clear now.”

“No. Whatever happens tomorrow, darling, I suggest you say your goodbyes. Not a chance we’ll stay behind.”

You nodded. “I know. I guess I just hope against hope that they’ll reconsider Odin’s proposal.” You both knew that wouldn’t happen.

Loki massaged your shoulders applying just the right amount of pressure to turn you into putty. “I’m sorry it’s come to this, Y/N.”

“Me too. I just want everything to be over.” You sunk further into his chest letting your eyes close.

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

On the morning of the hearing the house was bustling. All of the girls ran around getting ready for the big day. Even though this was your hearing the entire coven would be on trial. Helene and Agatha tried to prepare you for anything. “Keep your composure.” Helene kept warning. That would be the the theme for the day. Composure. Stiff upper lip. Take your lumps with dignity and grace.

The girls all went ahead of you. Loki and your mother stayed behind. She tried to get you to eat something. Your stomach was in knots. You couldn’t possibly keep anything down. She held your hand while you sat on the porch waiting for your transport. When the agents arrived she had to look away when they shackled your hands and feet. They loaded you into the back of the armored van. She held your eyes through the slit in the window. You were being brave. She was not. When they pulled away she broke down.

“I’m never going to see her again am I?” she asked Loki.

“Asgard is beautiful this time of year. You are free to visit anytime.” He gave her a small smile and patted her on the back.

“Take care of her. Please.”

“I intend to.”

They drove to the facility in silence. When they parked Thor was waiting for them. “Heimdall is at the ready.” he informed Loki.

“Good. Give her a moment to say goodbye to her mother then call him.”

The room was large and crowded. The Avengers were all seated behind you. Some of the X-men filtered in as well. The guards stood a little taller when Magneto sat next to the Professor. Your case would set a precedent for how all mutant and enhanced persons were treated from there on out. You were concerned that, if things didn’t go your way, Magneto would start something. That would all but solidify the monstrous view the government had of mutants.

Secretary Ross sat in front of you with various other generals and senators. The World Security Council was watching from a large monitor. They hammered you with question after question about Thanos and Malekith. They asked the same questions over and over. Nothing you could say was good enough. You started to get antsy. They already made their decision. Nothing you could say would free you. You sat alone and squirming for two hours before they called for lunch.

You stayed seated waiting for an agent to escort you back to the holding area. Loki sat behind you willing you to turn around. When you finally did tears were in your eyes.

“Oh, Pet. Please don’t cry.”

“They’ve already decided. We should....” Before you could finish your sentence Mobius M. Mobius came strolling in with his briefcase.

“Escape? Like they don’t have that collar wired with explosives. Mobius M. Mobius.” He introduced himself to Loki.

“This wasn’t plan was it?” Your voice broke as he rifled around is case.

“Nope.” He pulled out a lock picking kit and pushed your head down to get a better look at the collar.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Loki whispered outraged.

“Oh. Don’t worry about them. I’ve frozen this whole room.” When Loki looked around he saw the guards standing completely still. The room was silent. “Ok, kid. Hold still.” Before Loki could spring into action your collar slipped from your neck. “That was close.” Mobius chuckled.

You stood up and shook your shackles off your wrists and ankles. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome. Now dry your tears and let’s get out of here. You too, your highness.” You walked through the building seeing everyone frozen in the hallways and even on the street. Loki held your hand protectively. “We just have to get to the jump point and you can call for Heimdall. Thor is already there waiting.”

“Why are you helping us?” Loki was flustered. He gripped your hand and pulled you toward him. “Y/N who is this? Why is he helping us?”

“Lok...” You tried to find a way to explain but Mobius cut you off.

“It’s ok, Y/N. I am Mobius M. Mobius. I am in upper management in the TVA. I’m helping you because she’s needed. In fact, both of you are. Time is kind of fucked because of you two. Every time she gets it back on track something comes busting in and ruining it. In case it wasn’t clear, she’s not supposed to be a prisoner on Earth.” He urged you forward and you ran to a clear space to call for Heimdall. “Go! I’ll be in touch.” He threw you a communicator and sent you on your way.

When you reached the Bifrost, Thor was waiting. “You’re lucky you two made it. They were going to call for Y/N’s execution.” Your heart was in your throat.

“Y/N you are not to step foot on Midgard again. Do you understand? Thor will sort this out after the smoke clears.” Odin was not a fan of dealing with the hot headed little Midgardians. He dismissed you but didn’t punish you. You were punishing yourself enough.

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

After a few weeks Thor returned to Midgard to play the diplomat. He stayed for a few days. You assumed to be with Jane. When he returned, the news was not good. You were all summoned to Odin’s office off of the throne room.

“They want Y/N to return to Midgard immediately. They are taking our refusal to hand her over as an act of hostility.” Thor’s voice was quiet and tinged with anger. “I don’t have to tell you, little sister, how difficult a position I am in.”

“You’d turn her over?!” Loki was on his feet. You took his hand and guided him back to his seat.

“No. He won’t turn me over. They are pressuring him. Probably pressuring my family and friends too.”

“Tensions are high, brother. Every mutant on earth is being punished for her crimes.”

“What do they want from her?” Odin was outraged.

“The same thing you do, Father. They want to use me as a weapon. No one is going to mess with Asgard as long as I’m here right? Earth wants the same protection. They want me to handle their biggest messes. They are backing me into a corner. Thor, I need you to bring Charles Xavier and Max Eisenhardt to Asgard. The sooner the better.”

You excused yourself and Loki followed you. “Darling, let’s just disappear for a while.”

“They won’t let up. I have to make this right. I’m going to get in touch with Mobius. Maybe he can guide me in the right direction.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“Honey, you don’t trust anyone but me. I need to know if we’re on the right path.”

“The right path to what?!” He grabbed your hands wanting so badly to shake some sense into you.

“To ending this. To settling down.” You wrapped your arms around his waist and inhaled his scent. “I’m so tired, Lok. You were right before. I loved our life in our cottage. I thought I fixed it all when I ended Thanos. But you were right. There would always be something.”

“There are some things I don’t enjoy being right about.” He nuzzled your hair. “Let’s go have a cup of tea and we’ll call Mobius.”

Loki made your tea with valerian root chamomile sweet rose hips and lavender. You were passed out within thirty minutes. He took your communicator and pressed the one and only button that would contact Mobius. He thought it would work like a phone. Instead he was dropped into an office that looked like the DMV. A young man stared at him expressionless.

“Welcome to the TVA. I’m Craig. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Mobius.”

“Is he expecting you? I’m just kidding. He knew you were coming. This way.”

Craig led Loki down a long hallway to an elevator that seemed to go on forever. When it finally stopped, Craig did not step off but pointed at a table and chairs in the corner, “Wait there.”

There was music playing over the speaker. Someone coughed in the distance though he was alone in the room. This is it. This is where I die. He thought. After an agonizing ten minutes Mobius burst in.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” he sat down arranging an enormous mound of paperwork. “You would think with all the power we possess we could automate this process. Anyway. What can I do for you?”

“What do you want with my wife?”

“Boy you don’t mince words. Easy. Time is broken. It needs to be fixed.” He held up a device for Loki to illustrate what had been happening. “See this long line here? That’s time not a straight line but close right? All these branches are timelines that happened because she and others decided to mess with it.”

“Others? What others?”

“Steve Rogers for one. When she took off with you and the tesseract she gave Steve the bright idea to go back to the 40’s and live on with Peggy Carter. That wasn’t supposed to happen. It needs to be corrected.”

“Let me handle it. She’s tired. She’s done enough. If you take care of what’s happening on Earth, I’ll set it all right.”

Mobius eyed him up for several minutes. He ran through possibilities and outcomes. Weighed each option carefully. Loki would be the best option to fix things but also the most likely to make it worse. In the end, he decided sending only one of you on this mission was probably the best bet. He can handle one of you easily. Both of you together is asking for chaos.

“Fine. Consider Earth handled. Keep her on Asgard. Do not let her interfere. I’ll be in touch with the rest. She’ll have to handle Rogers though.”

“Handle him?” Loki was tired of Mobius using you for his personal assassin. You were far too trusting. “If you mean to kill him...”

“Jeez. No. She just has to stop him before he runs off with Peggy. Loki, she’s not immortal you know? Those stones will burn her out eventually. She’ll lose at some point.”

His brows knitted together with worry, “Then I suppose I have to hurry.”

In a blink, he was back in your bedroom. You were still sleeping soundly. He brushed your hair out of your face. You smiled in your sleep and leaned in to him. It would all be over soon.

#loki of jotunheim #loki tv #loki of asgard #loki x you #the variant #TVA #time variance authority #mobius m mobius #small time witch #witch #mcu witches #xmen #charles xavier #loki x reader angst #loki x reader

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stranger-who-writes-fiction · 4 years ago

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Me, throughout the entirety of 6x05:

And I suppose I could just leave it there but NO, we’re doing a LIST. Of all the excellent things from “Prom Night!”

SPOILERS!

AV Club reviewer giving this episode the first ‘A’ of the season: :D

AV Club reviewer still insisting that “Midvale” was filler: D:<

Forever destined to disagree with the AV Club reviews in some way or another...

Okay, so! We begin with a very helpful reminder from Alex that things are different, in this Post-Crisis World!

(I mean, on the one hand, am I slightly distressed that key aspects of the Pilot and the WHOLE of “Midvale” are now gone, along with Earth-38? Yes.

On the other, Kara remembers her lived-experiences of everything that had transpired in the Earth-38 timeline, so they still sorta happened and have informed her characterization.

So...it’s fine. It’s fine. This is fine.)

I do love that, ‘Kara punched a meteorite out of the sky’ is now a Thing That Happened, though.

(Well perhaps NOT ANYMORE but I’m getting ahead of myself.)

KENNY LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!

“Scooby-Duo” listen, as someone who has already imagined all these kiddos in Hanna-Barbera cartoon style, running around Midvale, solving crimes and saving the day, I loved this description.

Alex being like, ‘DO. NOT. SCREW UP. MY PAST.’ ahhhhh we love to see that scary Older Sibling energy on full display.

And then Brainy and Nia are off to the past!

The only thing that could’ve made the utterance of ‘totes’ worse would’ve been the addition of, ‘magotes’. Thank goodness they exercised restraint in the writers’ room.

FORTUNATELY the terrible ordeal of reliving dated slang is offset by some truly excellent lines and line-reads throughout the rest of the episode.

For instance! Loved Brainy’s, ‘the perfect optical illusion’ and ‘off the dash, please.’ So great.

Other honorable mentions: ‘Damn it, Mitch!’ ‘That’s a LOT of exposure’ and I forget the line itself but when Cat’s like, ‘normal town my a--’ and then the cut to commercial break AAAAAHHHHHH so good.

Okay, back to the episode, Nia and Brainy, on the Legion Cruiser, AND THEN!

AND THEN AND THEN AND THEN!

OUR KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDS!!!!!

I love them. It won’t happen, but gosh, I want a Midvale spin-off so bad.

Like, the Crisis retcon made some space in the girls’ past for a spin-off to actually...kinda work.

(But sustaining the premise across multiple episodes/seasons would be tricky and there would always be the threat of running up against like. The current show’s continuity.

But hey! They could just ignore it, I guess! That’s what the Superman show is doing!) *insert frowny emoji here*

So the kids have gathered with Alex for milkshakes, which is delightful.

But ALL IS NOT WELL! As Alex reads about the ‘luckiest town’ and is like:

(Except with a lot more anxiety and frowning)

I feel as though we already knew Alex went to Stanford but I can’t remember if Kara’s (terrible) resume revealed that she went to National City University?

*Checks* Yes it did.

Another thing I LOVE is just. Alex as the Responsible One, whose anxiety is perpetually cranked to a 9.5, driving the Scooby-Duo around in the suburban mom van for super-ing jobs.

Also, ‘super-ing’ is an excellent verb, 15/10

Young Cat Grant! ....More on her later.

Nicole and Jesse did such a great job with the comedy in this episode--their initial attempt at a cover story/lie is so good.

And the masterful transition into an actual good lie that Nia knew would win Kara over...VERY NICE.

Kara being so obviously thrilled that there are OTHER ALIENS! WITH POWERS! HERE, IN MIDVALE! RIGHT HERE!

Fandom has ruined the whole ‘Kara has golden retriever energy’ as is their way but I must say...very much getting ‘excited puppy energy’ here.

Nia and Kara comparing powers was so CUUUUUUUUTE!!!!

As was the picture on Kenny’s desk of him and Kara. D’aaaawwww.

(But OH NO SADNESS...BECAUSE A BREAKUP IS IMMINENT.)

Okay in addition to all of the incredibly adorable content we also get lots of FAMILY FEEEEEEELINGS, which: Yes, good, yes.

But Eliza is only here as a PICTURE on Kara’s nightstand and a NAME on Alex’s badge, I am sad. :C

(Hope Helen Slater is in this last season at some point...need that soothing mom energy after all the Phantom Zone angst)

I think I’m out of order now but Kenny wanting to help Kara help people is just. The most adorable thing.

Spoiler alert: I use the word ‘adorable’ a lot in this list. Sorry...but also not.

The Brainy music when he’s in the school computer lab watching the printer is really great. I think we’ve heard it before, but it meshed so well with the whole vibe of both the character and the episode, just stood out nicely, I guess.

Okay, so. Do we think that Jesse could always do the baseball bat tricks, and the writers wrote it in, or do we think that he learned them for the show? My money is on the former.

Either way, very impressive.

And now for the truck situation! I kinda thought it would turn out that it was Cat’s doing, as she was trying to suss out the ‘super’, but nope, it was the blue dudes.

(Which makes more sense, since they have no qualms about endangering other people.)

And ON THAT NOTE, the blue guys! They are the perfect level of ridiculous, and they are wonderfully straightforward in ways that the Phantoms are not.

Also, I love that one of them is named Mitch?

Nia and Kara save the day!

After Kara busts the brakes and is like, ‘uhhh....they’re not working’

I noticed the Metropolis license plate and while yes it’s a little strange that plates are...apparently city-based in this corner of Earth Prime, stranger still is that Cat presumably drove clear across the country to check out this story. Right? Like, that’s the only way she has that plate out in Midvale?

Wait, wait. Totally forgot to mention Kara and Nia’s EXTREMELY OBVIOUS ‘don’t be suspicious’ sunglasses gambit at the Midvale College campus you absolute DORKS.

Right, so.

Remember those FAMILY FEELZ??? WELL!

We’ve got Nia’s call to her mom, which, oof. OOOOOF.

And then we have even MORE FEELINGS aka: The garage talk.

Okay. OKAY. So even though I’m a little sad “Midvale” no longer occurred in Earth Prime’s timeline, I am fascinated by the ways this new series of events have impacted Alex, Kara, and their past. (Also thrilled that Kenny lives, natch). Alex’s resentment and the burden of ‘protect Kara, PROTECT KARA’ have been left to simmer while Kara’s determination to help people has led to some...earnest but slightly careless secret hero work. The building blocks of the conflict introduced in “Midvale” are still there so while it might at first seem a little...repetitive, for Alex to lay all this out to Kara, it’s really just the reveal of a new boiling point; a post-crisis update on the scene in Midvale where Alex is like, ‘I had two parents before you showed up.’

AAAAAAAAAHHHHH IT’S EMOTIONALLY DEVESTATING I LOVE IT.

And then like. The new, but also not-new angle, of Alex leveraging her world-weariness against Kara’s youthful optimism/somewhat reckless desire to help, and then Kara throwing BACK that she’s explored other solar systems.

The LAYERS.

Also that Alex is like, ‘we need weapons, let’s tell mom and also call the DEO,’ classic Alex.

The garage talk ends with Kara determined to come clean to Kenny...BUT OH NO, THE HERO HIDEOUT IS SO CUTE, AND KENNY IS SO DEAR.

And the reveal that the almost-kiss in “Midvale” actually happened d’awwwww these kids.

Like. I am legitimately torn, here. I totally understand and support Kara in being honest with Kenny about the whole college situation--but also GAH. KENNY IS SO NICE AND CUTE AND EARNEST.

You know what ELSE is nice and cute and earnest?

Nia singing “9 to 5″ to Brainy to cope with stress and boost morale.

Heckin’ adorable, gosh.

Aaaaaand some other stuff occurred as the episode closed out but I don’t have them in my notes and BASICALLY I want the next hour like, now. Right now. Because this was WONDERFUL. FROM START TO FINISH.

So some Overall thoughts!

I said we’d get to Cat ‘CJ’ Grant later, so here we are: I...think I liked her? Overall? It was a performance that gradually won me over, is how I would describe it.

Absolutely wild that Cat built a media empire in a mere six years.

Also her whole, ‘I am going to find this extraordinary being and name them and kick Lois Lane into the classifieds’...I mean she eventually gets two out of three, there.

As I already started to mention, sad that Eliza wasn’t here! But it makes sense, since a lot of this, Kara is trying to keep on the DL.

Obviously, I am ALWAYS down for these flashback situations with the young Danvers. But it was also nice to take a break from the Phantom stuff. The plot here is simple/streamlined in a way the Phantom stuff...isn’t. I love the emotional character stuff coming out of the Phantom Zone arc but wow, the Phantoms are just. Needlessly complicated.

The little episode recap where Lena is explaining that Phantom Prime is like a bloodhound was like, ‘oh right, they do that too...in addition to all the other stuff that they apparently do.’

So, yes. Welcome change.

The change of scenery + type of action was nice too!

Though RIP to everyone’s hair, fighting against the moisture.

This episode also handled the Brainy/Nia relationship really well, IMO. Like, due to the whole, ‘trying to fit so much in, always’ approach to Supergirl episodes sometimes results in a bit of...one-sidedness, for various characters. Think for instance of Kelly needing to cheer everyone on in episode 2, but not having space for her own feelings/emotional needs in that episode.

I’ve felt that a bit with Brainy and Nia thus far--one will sort of take up more narrative space, so the relationship feels a little lopsided.

NOT SO HERE! They are both going through some stuff, they are both struggling to cope, they both come to rely on one another for help.

YES. GOOD. YES!!!!

Something I’m loving about season 6 overall is that so far, it doesn’t feel like the plot is stepping on character development too much. Like, it still isn’t a perfect balance, and some episodes manage it better than others, but compared to season 5? Leaps and bounds.

Everything was so nicely tied together and the dialogue was witty, the humor was delightful, EVERYONE WAS ADORABLE AND EARNEST AND DID I MENTION ADORABLE?* but they never lost sight of the themes and emotional through-lines and GAAAAAHHHHHH MIDVALE EPISODES ARE THE BEEEEEESTTTTTTTTT!

*Okay Alex was mainly stressed out but that’s to be expected.

TL;DR - Best episode of the season thus far? Best episode of the season thus far.

#SG post #long post #supergirl spoilers #supergirl season 6 spoilers #gif

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iridescentjin · 4 years ago

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Teaser! Full fic coming in December 2020!

Background: Most people know about the eruptions of volcanoes like Mt. Vesuvius, Mt. St. Helen’s, Mount Fuego, and Eyjafjallajökull, but beneath the surface of the earth exist 20 supervolcanoes. The largest regular volcanic eruption in recorded history spewed 50 cubic km of material. Mt. St. Helen’s: .25 km³. In comparison, the last supervolcano eruption exploded with more than 2800 cubic kilometers of material. So what would happen if 3 of the calderas in one of these systems erupted at the same time?

Summary: After the eruption of the Yellowstone, Island Park, and Henry’s Fork calderas, the state of the planet changes completely. Ash blocks out the sun and coats the streets. Millions died upon impact, and millions more from the after effects. The world is plummeted into volcanic winter, and the survivors have to relearn how to live their lives.

After years of staying put in your hometown with your best friend, Taehyung, waiting for your father to return, the two of you decide to make the journey through the Outlands to try to reach his family in New Toronto. All machinery has failed. Phones and radios are useless. Together, the two of you must survive the apocalypse to try to start a new life.

Along the way you encounter new friends, foes, and a mysterious stranger, who joins your gang but is hell-bent on revenge against the marauders who he blames for his sister’s death.

Genre: Science Fiction, Angst, some fluff, smut, post-apocalyptic fiction (just sayin…experts say supervolcanic eruption is the most likely natural cause of human extinction)

General Warnings: Death, Apocalyptic scenarios, smut, abandonment, anxiety

Credits: banner made by the AMAZING @suhdays @suhbanners

a/n: I’m not a scientist or a volcanologist, and also this is science fiction. The science might be tweaked to serve my purposes. But I have done a lot of research about the Yellowstone caldera, supervolcanoes, the end of the world, the end of the human race, other things that people with anxiety might do a lot of reading about. Also there’s more smut in this than I expected. Picked a whole bouquet of oopsie daisies.

🌋

You can’t remember a life before the Wasteland. You try to think back to fuzzy memories of your childhood, but there is nothing there. Some of your companions say they have vague memories of happy childhoods and blue skies, but you secretly think that they’re just repeating what they’ve heard from older folks.

🌋

Closing your eyes, your feet followed the sound. You were slightly wary that it could be a trap or a trick, but the melody was so intoxicating that you couldn’t stop yourself. Your legs carried you into the hall way and up the stairs. When your feet landed on the soft carpet of the corridor upstairs from you, your eyes snapped open. The music was louder here. And standing before you was the reason why. A tall, almost statuesque young man with no shoes and a violin stood before you, eyes closed as the bow dragged across the strings, creating another perfect chord.

“Uh...hi,” you mutter quietly.

His eyes shoot open, and he gasps. The bow drops to the floor, and he backs away from you slowly, never tearing his eyes from your face.

“I don’t have any food or water. Stay away.”

“No, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I...I live downstairs. I didn’t know that there was anyone else left in this building,” you say, reaching your hand out gently toward him as if that might provide some sort of comfort to him. Instead, he just withdraws from you further.

“Yeah right, like there was someone else living here without either of us noticing,” he rolls his eyes and stops in front of a door. His eyes dart to the handle, then it seems to dawn on him that he shouldn’t be showing a potential threat where he will be sleeping later.

“You don’t have to fear me. I’ll go back downstairs, and we can talk another time.”

You didn’t see him again for a while, but you did start to become aware of the little sounds that indicated that there was indeed someone living upstairs.

🌋

Standing before you is a figure clad in all black. The first thing you clock is the weapon pointed at you, ready to fire at any moment. Then you take in the appearance of the figure. Thick soled boots, black pants that are dotted with ash, a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, dark hair over dark eyes, and a black respirator covering the bottom half of their face.

They stand there completely still for a moment while the four of you back away. You instinctively reach for Teahyung’s hand, accepting that after all this time surviving the apocalypse, you were going to die. Then the figure begins to lower the weapon.

“Come with me,” they say in a stern voice.

“So you can murder us?!” Namjoon exclaims, his voice slightly trembling.

“I won’t kill you unless you’ve harmed my family. I promise.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” Taehyung snorts under his breath. Luckily, the masks that you have to wear to keep the ash out of your lungs muffle it enough.

The figure raises the weapon again and motions you forward. You all reluctantly following, probably all coming to terms with your inevitable death. The figure leads you into a drainage tunnel that dead ends at a door. The door leads to a small, cottage-esque room that is dimly lit.

You look around at the scant amenities. A small, low table sits next to a cot in one corner of the room. When you look up, standing before you is someone so beautiful that you can’t believe this is the person that stopped you on the road. He hangs his hoodie on the hook next to a leather coat and straightens himself out.

“You know, you brought us back to where you live. That seems like a pretty bad idea, doesn’t it? You don’t know what we could do to you,” Namjoon says in a snarky tone.

He’s not wrong. It’s very rare that people let anyone know where they live anymore for fear of being raided for supplies or living space.

“I’m not worried about you.”

His voice is low and sullen, and you can’t tear your eyes away from his face. His skin is flawless even though it’s the raining bits of volcanic rock and cooled magma from the sky every day. Taehyung must catch you staring because he elbows you hard in the ribs.

“What do you want with us?” you finally pipe up, taking the mask off of your face. “We don’t have anything that you want.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” he says, dragging his eyes across the three men’s faces to rest upon yours.

He pauses for a moment, takes in your face. His mouth hangs slightly open for just a moment, and you think that you might see him blush. Then he turns his attention to a corner of the room with several pictures taped to the wall. His blushing makes you blush, and Taehyung jabs you in the ribs again.

“Stop it,” you hiss.

“Now, why I brought you here: have any of you seen this girl?” He holds up a photo of himself and a girl who looks remarkably like him just with longer hair. She is smiling in the picture, holding a lily in her hand.

“No. Sorry,” Namjoon replies curtly.

“Look closely at it. Are you sure? Her name is Nari.”

“I looked closely at it. I haven’t seen her. Have any of you?” Namjoon looks at each of us with a pleading look in his eyes.

“No,” you all answer in chorus.

The man begins to cry, dropping to his knees with tears flowing down his cheeks. All four of you gasp a little bit at the sight in front of you and look at each other awkwardly. Finally, you step forward, lowering yourself to his level.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. It might not feel like it now, but it will,” you coo to him, hoping that you can help him feel a little better. You don’t tell anyone not to cry anymore. Everyone cries a lot more now, just a lot more quietly.

#jungkook x reader #jungkook smut #taehyung x reader #taehyung smut #bts fanfic #jeon jungkook x reader #jk x reader #jjk x reader #kth x reader #jungkook fanfic #taehyung fanfic #fic teaser

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nothisis-ridiculous · 3 years ago

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Take Me Home Now: Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven: To The Place I Belong

Set after the events of ME3.

A rewrite. Ao3.

FemShepxKaidan

Evelyn ripped around the Recruit; the endless stream of energy the kid displayed was a thing of envy. She was an old soldier indeed- growing exhausted from just watching the child play about excitedly. Once she swore never to become that person, but it had progressed subconsciously. It was far more than a physical tired; emotionally and mentally, she was a strange form of exhaustion that taxed her brain to move on a typical day- on the worst days, it was immobilizing. "Please, just one more lift," the mousy-haired girl begged. "You're going to get me in trouble again." Evelyn pouted, "she's not watching right now. Plus, Rahna said she isn't mad it just makes her sad, which makes her act mad." "So you want to make her sad?" "No," but there was still a little bit of defiance in the utterance. "Plus, don't you want some of that energy for Pater?" "Ugh, we won't be there for forever ."

"You could try napping in the Mako," Jane retreated as the kid threw her a cross look, "or you could write another log." The kid was precocious, but Jane liked that about her. She was only privy to the existence of the log because of her Spectre status. Evelyn had believed what all others would take as a lie at face value. Claiming a secret mission, the kid was more than onboard to keep mum about the existence of a previous life. Though Evelyn may begrudge her later, Jane hadn't utterly lied to her. "But, you're doing dangerous things," Evelyn whined. Super dangerous if they allowed the seven-year-old to bother her, no doubt, "I suppose I am. How about you help me keep an eye out for any baddies?" It kept her entertained for a while, at least until Jane started to recognize some of the roads again. Her detail was ornamental at this point the route had been quiet. Who would disturb a company of Makos and Kodiak shuttles? Having boots on the ground was only required because of the state of chaos the city was under from reasons that ran from collapsed structures to faulty ordinances. The medical equipment was worth far more than creds; it was a step toward rebuilding. Jane paused once the building crested the horizon, the corpse of Harbinger in rest behind it. Her hand raised, bringing the caravan to an immediate halt. "What's the holdup?" the 2nd lieutenant buzzed over her comm. "I want a scan of this area, "Jane couldn't quite place the exact threat, it was an absurd tingle that whispered caution, "get behind me." The woman's demeanor bid the child to comply. "Mec-" Jane's pistol fired a split second before the comm's warning, blasting the processing 'head' clean off the LOKI unit. "Woah, Woah, Woah," a figure shouted from between the buildings, the white-haired figure raised his hands, "just mechs, Recruit." "Pater!" Evelyn cried, running from her side without a hint of caution. Half tackling the man with the ferocity of her joy, but he recovered quickly, spinning the girl around before setting her down. Holding her hand for the rest of the trip to the convoy. Roy's forehead knocked against her's, hands holding her face, "fucking hell, Recruit." "LT." "Jane, you-" his voice quivered before it left, pushing her aside with unintended belligerence. His steps were wobbly as he approached the short woman wearing a sour expression. They stared at one another. He stopped just out of arms reach from the woman. "I'm not going to smack you, you old geezer." The LT muttered something unintelligible as he swept the woman up into his arms. Cue the crying and all the grotesque cuteness one could endure from the scene. Jane had to look away; it was like watching her parents kiss. It was something better left unimagined and unseen, and sure it happened just somewhere else. The pang of envy was also unbearable, despite how happy she felt for them. It was time to look for an exit. Apparently, after trouble ran into her- "It's nice to see some of the Alenko family reunited." "Is this a joke to you?" envy helped pull a simmering anger into a seething mass of it. Rahna remained gentle, undaunted, "it would be good for all of you to have some closure." Logic bid that Strawberry couldn't have known that her Roy was the Major's father. While she knew who Helen was, Jane hadn't been exactly willing to spend any time with another person during her recovery. It all seemed obvious now if she hadn't been so clouded with grief and self-gratifying misery. "Please, let me go," Jane begged. ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ Harbinger's warm (for London) breath collided around her form. They sat in a prolonged stalemate of silence, the Reaper judging the creature before him. What was a flawed creature of flesh compared to a collective intelligence? This ant was pathetic, hardly able to pose a threat to itself. Yet here it sat, thinking it was worthy of words. But it wasn't without pithy for the small things. "Death wouldn't claim you." Why would it? The real punishment was surviving. Reliving the guilt without a

barrier to stop the whole barrage of the tide. While she fought and campaigned against forces that seemed impossible, she had a way to hold back the pain. A reason to forget, a goal that kept her focused on what was forward and not on the past. The failure of losing one homeworld seemed small compared to the loss of all advanced life in the Milky Way. But now, with time, without a goal to keep her focus forward the weight of Thessia, Earth, The Citadel, Palavan, and countless untold colonies compounded together. Her personal failures insult to the injury. If only she could have provided more evidence about the Reaper threat. If she had tried harder, been louder, would they have listened to her? Was it a mistake to abandon Cerebrus? They were evil, no doubt, but could those resources have made the difference? If they had managed to find the Catalyst earlier, the galaxy would have suffered less loss. Instead of the Illusive Man needing to make her an enemy, would her compliance have stopped the indoctrination of the organization? Had she pushed them to that extreme? Was it a mistake to not take the Dalatrass's deal and fool the krogan? Even if for a short while. Was her moral qualm worth the lives and time it took? There was always more she could have given. Her repentance must be witnessing the Galaxy struggle to rebuild after what she had brought upon it. "Who would believe you were Shepard?" Just another facet she wanted to forget. How could she face his parents? Was it wrong to stick around? Helen was a nominal presence in her life, but the LT... him she couldn't forsake. Roy's company brought her peace, likely out of familiarity, a brief reprieve from the current of guilt that swept her under. Guilt she didn't want to bring into their relationship, shame that her attempt to save his son had failed. She wasn't ready to talk about Kaidan or the Normandy. It was still too much of a burden, the force petrifying her humanity. What would it change between them? Or the way everyone looked at her? Would they shun her for what she could no longer be? Couldn't she steal a little light? At the time, she hadn't saved the man for Kaidan, but at least she could protect them now. Or try her damnedest as Jane, as much would not be expected from her. "I see we found Harold again," a graveled voice chided disapprovingly. Jane flinched at the physical contact, finding her words to come out in a tumbling mess, "shouldn't you be shacking up with your old lady?" "Who's to say I haven't." Now, this was super gross, "you picked a fun one." His eyebrow raised, but he otherwise ignored the undertone of Jane's statement, "Alenko men always pick a partner far out of their league. I think my son really took the cake, though." Jane tensed, waiting for the inevitable. He knew. He had to. Rahna wouldn't keep quiet, not now. Why else would he leave his wife? Nearly two years' absence was nothing compared to a stranger disappearing for a month. "A Spectre is a Spectre, and never for an arbitrary reason," she retorted defensively, no longer waiting for the blow to come. It was also a little personal- she loathed whenever someone implied Kaidan simply rode her coattails. Yes, he was monumentally important in her crusade, but the man was his own force to be reckoned with. He was capable, intelligent, level-headed, and most of all kind. It was rare to have someone never ask anything of her, as he had. Rarer to not be put on a pedestal, the Major had always seen her as human. As a person and not the title. Despite how challenging the distance between them had been, she would always respect that he never wavered on his choice to act independently from her. "Heh, did someone have a celebrity crush?" Roy shook his head, "I didn't come here to reminisce. I wanted to speak with you about something." "Okay, let's have it." He took in a deep breath, folding his arms in a manner that made her question how she had missed the resemblance, "about that day, the raid. Look, I appreciate what you were trying to do for me, but never do

that again." "I can't promise that," she returned flatly. "You know," he drew in a steadying breath, his tenor turning into a heartbreaking rumble, "it's possible you have people out there that care about you. You're a stubborn shit, but you're becoming like one of my own. Maybe you can't imagine someone coming back for you, but one day someone's going to thank me for keeping your sorry ass alive for them." "You can lecture me all you like then," she quipped, but the hot tears slipping out from the corners of her eyes betraying her true feelings. Roy's hand returned to her shoulder, letting the woman release in complete silence. He waited a few minutes after her shaking had stopped to speak again. "But you should come inside, there may or may not be a banner with your name on it awaiting you," he said wryly, "while I think Evelyn may not mind all the attention on her, she does not need that much cake."

#shenko #fshenko #mass effect fancition #kaidan alenko #take me home

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saiilorstars · 4 years ago

Text

Rise Up

Ch.11: Black Orchid

Previous Story: It Had To Be You || Current Masterlist

Pairings: Barry Allen x OFC

Chapter Summary: Following a tip from a time travelling friend, Belén starts the endeavor to find a way into the Green: a world for all botanist metahumans. She goes in search of a potential ally from another botanist metahuman, Black Orchid, who seems like she would rather work alone.

Pronunciation of OC: Bell-en. The last syllable has an emphasis so it’s not pronounced like ‘Helen’ would be.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles [If you’d like to be part of this OC’s taglist, let me know!]

"So...Mom knows about you?" Maritza watched her sister's uncomfortable form on the other side of the glass. Belén gave a silent nod of her head. She'd told Maritza about her mother finding out, in the worst way possible, she was the Azalea. "Gosh, Belén...she didn't take it well, did she?"

Belén shook her head. "Nope. She's moved on from the 'I'm ignoring you' phase and she's onto full fledged anger."

"I think the word 'metahuman' is just tarnished for her after everything that's happened," Maritza said, though in no way did she mean to give their mother a pass on her behavior. "I'm sorry."

"No, this one's not on you. It's on me," Belén sighed. "I thought that maybe after telling her my secret, things between us might start getting better again, but…"

"I'm sorry," Maritza felt the need to say again. After everything Belén had told her, going from their mother's challenging personality to the metahumans hunting them down...Maritza could only say 'sorry'. She wished, wished, that she could do something to help Belén but her past choices have prohibited her from. "I really wish I could help you out there."

Belén found it in her to smile. She didn't know how, or when, but coming to see Maritza had stopped being a chore and more like...a way to relieve stress. She could tell Maritza everything that was going on and not be judged. She hadn't quite forgiven Maritza for everything she did last year, but...Belén could say she was getting there.

Feeling her phone buzz inside her pocket, Belén gave it a quick check and found a text from Iris. She had to say goodbye to Maritza in order to meet back at STAR Labs.

~ 0 ~

Iris had done her job as best as she could and when she wanted to, she could almost be like a spy the way she found information on people. She had pulled up a profile of a woman dressed in a black and magenta suit with an over-sized jacket. Soon as Cisco saw the picture he let out a wolf whistle, along with questions about her specific clothing choice.

"This is why I do the suits, just saying," he raised his hands to show he was just making a statement...a true statement.

"Who are we looking at, Iris?" Belén asked, brown eyes already scanning the woman's picture till it burned in her mind.

"She calls herself Black Orchid," Iris began. She rose from her seat and zoomed in on the picture of woman. "As far as anyone knows, she's a meta with - take a guess - plant-based powers who usually appears in the lower parts of the city."

"The slummy parts?" Barry figured that would be the best place to lay low and still make a name for themselves.

"She's not known for always appearing when needed, but she's still known enough to have search engine results," Iris scrolled through some of her pictures, stopping at a familiar tab. "This is actually from my old blog. People still send me stuff and take a look at the date for this post."

Belén walked up to the screen to find the date stamp. The picture was of Black Orchid holding up one, no doubt, petty thief in her arms in front of a crowd of people. "That's last month." She turned sideways, one finger pointed behind her at the picture. "She's an active meta, then."

"It's been weeks since her last appearance but do you know what's interesting about that too? It's right around the time Datura and you fought for the first time."

"Could it be that's she's scared of Datura, then?" Caitlin's theory made sense since pretty much everyone in the room feared the siphoner.

"It also means she's keeping up with the news and thus still very much in the city," Barry crossed his arms.

"So, why exactly are we looking for this girl?" Cisco made the question he'd been dying to ask ever since Iris made them gather in the cortex.

Belén walked back to the main desk and put her arms over them, nervous for some reason. It wasn't like her friends would call her crazy for what she wanted to do, after all. "Graciela mentioned a place to me - the Green - that I could use to contact other metahumans that are like me. It's a place like the Speedforce, if you will, where I could train and...meet metas like me. Meta who could help me get better so that I can fight Datura and actually stand a chance."

"And you think Black Orchid will be that meta?" Cisco languidly pointed at the picture on the screen.

"With any luck, she's got a better handle on her powers," Belén shrugged. "And I can pretty much use any help I can get."

"It's worth a shot," Barry agreed with her. "We just have to find her and bring her in."

"Like...here?" Caitlin blinked. She hadn't made that connection until now. "Do we think that'd be a good idea? Revealing where the Azalea and the Flash work?"

"She's obviously taking on crime already," Iris gestured to the pictures she'd collected. "She could be a good addition to the team."

"Black Orchid was a villain on my Earth before she disappeared," Harry startled the group from behind. He'd come in as quiet as usual and strode down the room with purpose. He came to a stop in front of the pictures on the screen and gazed at them for a few seconds. "You should be careful. She's as toxic as you, Belén."

"But she's not a villain here, clearly," Belén said. "And I actually need her to be toxic, okay?"

Harry turned sideways, giving them all a look that said 'you're all idiots and are going to get killed'. "Bringing in more metahumans into this is only going to blow up in your face. You want to take Datura down? You kill her already."

"Easier said than done," Belén folded her arms. "And I'm not exactly looking to kill her."

"She is with you."

"Okay," Barry cut in before Harry's imprudence got worse. "Thank you, Harry, for your input but this is something Belén wants to do. I support her and so does everyone else."

Harry scoffed lightly. "Course you do. Cos you're all idiots."

"Do you have a better idea?" Cisco called from behind. "No?" he let a few more seconds of silence pass by before saying, "Then hush!"

"Thanks guys," Belén sent her friends a warm smile. "And thanks Iris for searching. My head's been all over the place, so…"

Iris nodded at her. "Any time. I can keep looking if you want."

"I say we focus on Black Orchid right now," Belén glanced at the screen. "We need to find her, so...yeah. Let's focus on where she appears most."

As the group made plans to continue searching for Black Orchid, eventually dispersing from the room, Harry inched closer to the super suits left on display. He looked over his shoulder to make sure he was alone in the room then yanked off Belén's suit tracker. He then gingerly planted a decoy in its place. For Jessie.

~ 0 ~

Datura swiftly caught Belén's suit tracker with both her hands and squealed with genuine delight. "Finally!" She held the small device between her fingers and clicked her tongue. "Now the game can finally start!"

Harry stood across her in the alley, his face blank of any expression. "My daughter is safe, right?"

Datura lowered her hand and offered one sneaky smile. "Sure. I do remember to feed her once in a while." She waited for his reaction but he stood frigid. "Don't like my joke? Fine. So-" she tucked the suit tracker into her pocket, "-what's my dear Belén up to now?"

Harry stayed quiet for a few minutes. He hated this so much. A snitch. That's what he was reduced to by some 25 year old in a leather suit. Not just that but a thief and a traitor.

"Wells?" Datura's voice darkened, as did the part of her face Harry could see with her mask. "I need to know what Belén is up to. I might just forget to give Jesse some dinner today."

The mention of his daughter made the man finally move from his stance. "She's looking for the metahuman, Black Orchid."

Datura snorted. "Killed her off a while ago," she mumbled. Her dark eyes met his surprised gaze and caused another sneaky smile to spread across her face. "What? You didn't know that one? Offed her months ago."

"Why?" Harry asked wearily. He would love to finally know what she was planning, what Zoom was planning...but learning that would mean he'd die seconds later.

"She was in my way and I thought she would be the one," Datura's cryptic answer was almost like she hadn't answered at all. All Harry got from that was it just another fight between criminals. "Anyways," she played with one of her long curls, "Let Belén find the doppelganger. No matter how hard she trains she'll never be better than me. It's just impossible." She turned to leave but stopped to give Harry one more warning, "By the way, Zoom might be requiring something from you soon."

At that, Harry gulped.

~ 0 ~

"I think we got a pretty good location, don't you think?" Iris glanced back at Belén to see the woman staring down at the kitchen table that held all of their information on Black Orchid.

They were in Belén's apartment, scouring through every last detail they could find of their meta. Together, they'd found more pictures of Black Orchid, some even when she was in the middle of some pretty gruesome fights.

"She's pretty much all over the slummy streets but, if I counted right, she's appeared at this intersection more than the others," Belén picked up a picture of an intersection that happened to hold a pretty cruddy-looking bar. "I bet you that bar is where we'll find out more about her."

"You want to go there?" Iris made a face at the picture. It was only a picture and it already scared her.

"It's okay, I can go by myself," Belén's reassurance didn't exactly help Iris because she didn't want Belén going there by herself either.

But someone knocked on the door, preventing Iris from voicing these opinions out loud. Belén let the picture back on the table and went to go open the door.

"Mom?" she blinked in surprise to see Veronica. Of course, when the surprise faded she was pretty relieved - and perhaps partly excited - to see her. "Come in!"

Veronica, in her part, still looked pretty unsure of herself. She walked in and gave a brief, small smile at Iris. "You're busy…"

"Yeah, but, don't worry. You wanted to talk?" Belén's excitement did not go unnoticed by Veronica.

With a sigh, Veronica shrugged. "I would like to, but...I don't know if it'll change things." She walked towards the kitchen and noticed all the papers sprawled across the table. "Were you two working?"

Iris didn't know what to respond with. She looked to Belén for some help, or clues, as to what to say. Would Belén want to disclose what they were actually doing or keep it away from Veronica?

"Yeah, we're looking for someone," Belén came to stand beside her mother, looking pretty unsure herself.

"A meta?" the distaste in Veronica's tone was clear for anyone to pick up on. She picked up a photograph of Black Orchid and frowned. "So you're really deep into this metahuman world."

"I have to be, Mom. I'm one of them," Belén said quietly and with eyes boring onto her mother's face for a reaction.

"Don't…" Veronica seemed to shiver at the reminder of Belén's metahuman side. "I wish you wouldn't say that so openly."

"Why not? It's the truth."

"Yes, but…" Veronica stopped and glanced at Iris. Just as the reporter was about to announce her departure, Veronica caught her off guard with a question. "How do you let her do this? How can you just let Belén go into this dangerous world and be okay with it?"

"Mom!" Belén exclaimed disapprovingly, but Iris was good with quick responses thanks to her line of work.

"Because it's her choice and, to be honest, she's a perfect fit for the job," Iris crossed her arms. "She and Barry are the perfect people to protect us. And people like us-" she pointed at herself then Veronica, "-have a duty to help them wherever we can. That includes being supportive."

Veronica's face was indescribable. On some part, she seemed impressed with the response...but then another part was angry Iris wasn't taking her side. "Well...you would say that," she said in the end in a low mumble, "Barry's your brother...does Joe know about this?" Iris didn't have to say or do anything for Veronica to know. "Course he does because he's your father."

"Mom, I thought we were going to talk…" Belén inwardly sighed. She should've known that Veronica would not get over this so quickly. At least there was no shouting this time.

"Belén, I just don't understand why you are so fixated on this...this world!"

"Because it's my world, mom. And I can't abandon it when there's so many people that could get hurt if I do."

Veronica shook her head. "I-I think we need to continue this another day because…"

Belén didn't want to keep pausing this argument because every time they did, it just dragged on the feelings more. But she also feared that if they kept going in one go, they really would just end up shouting at each other like the other times. At least this case seemed to be so grave for Veronica that she wasn't shouting. She was thinking. She may be thinking the wrong things but at least she was thinking…

"I'm here...whenever you want to pick up on things…" she said quietly.

Iris sympathized for her friend while Veronica walked out. "Bells, I'm so sorry."

"No," Belén sniffed and turned back for the table, eyes flickering from one picture to the other. "I need to focus on this."

"Yeah, but-"

"-Iris, I have to focus on this first. Maybe my mom just needs some more days to process this." Belén wanted to believe this so badly.

~ 0 ~

The pictures of Central City's slum parts did no justice to its reality. There was a lot more graffiti on the walls, a lot more trash on the streets. A lot of people were ruder and definitely looking for something to pick-pocket. Belén kept her arms crossed over her chest as she walked down the street. She found the bar from the picture she and Iris were looking at and went directly inside.

There was a foul odor at the entrance that she wished she could forget.

"Take a seat with me sweetheart," she heard a man say as she walked in.

"Screw off," she spat without sparing him a glance. She came up to the bar counter, which was pretty empty save for two more customers at the end. She pulled her phone out and left it on the counter in front of her, just in case she needed to snap pictures or look at one of the ones she already have.

A tall Asian woman with long, dark hair came by a couple minutes later. "What can I get you?"

"Um…" Belén wasn't that big of a drinker, and much less during the day so she just asked for a mimosa. While she waited, she began to look around the bar with more searching eyes. She didn't see anyone that would necessarily stand out. Everyone seemed to be doing their own things, whether it was legal or not.

"Here you go," the bar tender returned with the bright orange drink in her hand. As she put the glass down, her eyes lingered on Belén for a few seconds. "You looking for someone?" her tough voice startled Belén. When the woman nearly fell off her stool, the bartender smiled. "You're not from around here."

"That easy to tell?" Belén bit her lower lip.

"Yeah. Don't walk alone in these parts."

"Is it really that bad here?"

The bartender nodded her head. She popped a bubble from her bubble gum and smirked. "Not if you know how to take care of yourself."

Belén saw some odd marks on the side of the woman's neck. She was sure there were some stitches poking up from her blouse. "Are you okay?" she pointed at the injuries, startling the bartender for a moment.

"Yeah. Just got into it with someone, no big deal." The bartender seemed to shift from friendly to brief. "My name's Shivhan if you want to leave a tip," she said before walking away.

Belén picked up her mimosa and had a couple sips from it. As she was putting it down, she heard a familiar voice behind her that nearly made her spill the glass.

"You are beautiful but crazy," Barry stood behind her and not too pleased.

Belén turned her stool sideways so she could see him. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Iris told me you were coming here! Belén!" he whisper-hissed as he sat down next to her. "This is a shady place to be at on your own, Bells. How could you come here alone?"

"Um, because I'm a big girl who can take care of herself?"

Barry deadpanned her. That's not what he meant and she knew it. "It never hurts to have backup. Besides, do you even know what you'd say to Black Orchid if you found her?"

"No, but...I'm a reporter. I'd wing it," Belén picked up her mimosa again and smiled.

Barry shook his head at her. "Alright, so what do have? Any clues?"

"Not really. I was just kind of scoping the area out," Belén shrugged and briefly looked back at the room. "But there's barely any people here and those who are, are definitely not Black Orchid."

Barry could agree with that since almost every customer in the building were men. "Maybe we should try later."

"I'm hoping something will happen that would make Black Orchid appear."

"Bit cynical," remarked Barry.

"Desperate." Belén sighed and forgot about her glass as she turned her stool to face the room. "I don't know, maybe we could speed things up or something."

"Like how?"

"Well...Black Orchid seems to appear whenever there's trouble, so…"

Barry was giving her a strange look. "You want us to stage a fight?"

"Something like that."

"I don't know about that Belén...I think we need to come up with a good plan and then-"

Belén was about to cut him off with the fact they didn't - or rather she didn't - have time to sit down and plan, when they heard a loud crash from outside. At once Belén jumped off her stool and tried to peer out into the street from her spot.

"Fight! Fight!" a crowd sitting near the door started to chant, prompting some delirious laughter from the room. It was only a matter of seconds before they rushed out into the streets.

"Creeps," Shivhan, the bartender, spat while she continued to wipe down the counter.

Barry got up as well and sprinted up to the window to see what was going on. Belén soon followed and saw with him that there were a couple of masked thieves making out of a shop with some valuables. Two of them had guns.

"We gotta do something," Barry rushed out the door but just as he was about to leave the sidewalk, Belén yanked him to her side.

"This is our chance!"

"Belén, someone could get hurt!"

"They won't because you'll intervene if she's not here in 1 minute," Belén promised then faced the street.

The thieves were trying to make an escape but there were being confronted with another group intending on taking the stolen valuables. Just as they were about to fire, something purple swooped down and punched the two gunmen from the first thief band.

"I told you…" Belén sounded breathless as she gazed at none other than Black Orchid. Barry had to hand it to her and her precise thinking.

Black Orchid was a feared presence by most of the people outside, judging how they stepped back. From what they could see, the meta had long, dark hair and dark eyes hidden behind a black mask that covered half her face. She wore a one-suit in the colors of black and violet. It was the same one Iris had shown them earlier.

Black tendrils sprouted from the woman's back and captured three of the men. She threw them halfway down the street without regards of where they hit or how hard they hit. She then ducked to avoid being hit by one of the men behind her. She jumped back up and kicked a leg up to knock the man down. As bullets fired towards her, she used her vines to create a shield where the bullets embedded themselves. Once she disbanded the shield, she sent the bullets right back and injured two more men. The last two remaining were from each of band and they both looked equally terrified.

"Drop it and go," she ordered in a rough voice.

The two instantly dropped their stolen things and made a run for it. Black Orchid raised three fingers and when she'd pulled them down, her arm did a boomerang action and released two different black masses that attached themselves to the men.

"Barry, we gotta get her alone," Belén spoke quietly to the speedster next to her.

"But how?" Barry looked around and saw that while the thieves had been taken down - killed, really - the crowd around them was still watching Black Orchid like hawks.

"I brought something with me," Belén admitted. Barry looked down at her and saw her reaching into her purse. She showed him the tip of a syringe. His eyes widened at it but before he could say something she said, "It's a sedative."

"Belén, we can't really do-"

"-I need her, Barry," she told him like this was already decided with or without him. "Datura is going to kill me if I don't up my game. Black Orchid can help me do that."

There was some questionable tactics Barry saw Black Orchid far too comfortable with, but he knew that he could stand there and argue with Belén without making a difference. "Fine." He took the syringe from her and disappeared. A minute later, so did Black Orchid.

When Belén felt a set of arms pull her as well, she smiled. She found herself in an alley where Black Orchid was already down with sedation. "Thank you," she said to the speedster.

Barry gazed down at the unconscious metahuman. "I don't think she'll be thanking us for this."

~0~

Team STAR Labs was never one for kidnapping. So when Barry and Belén brought in a guest, kidnapped and unconscious, they had much to say over the matter.

"This is not legal," Caitlin was the first to say, or scold, at the two metas. Barry and Belén stood in the middle of the cortex, listening to everyone having their go at them. "You kidnapped someone!"

"Well, if I asked she wouldn't have come," Belén argued. "You guys didn't see her out there. She's tough."

"And you think you need to be the same?" Cisco's doubtful stare made her roll her eyes.

"I need to change something and she can help me figure out what."

"Least she's taking initiative," Harry inputted his own opinion, surprising Belén that he was actually siding with her since he originally didn't agree with the plan of finding Black Orchid. "You can't always be soft. Especially when someone's trying to kill you."

"Uh, thanks Harry," she offered the man a small smile before looking at Caitlin and Cisco. "I'm not hurting her. I just needed to get her here so I could talk to her."

"And if she doesn't want to help?" asked Cisco.

"Let's hope she does."

"Well…" Caitlin has looked up from a computer, "... now's your chance. She just woke up."

~0~

Black Orchid was a woman who could be scary. Her balled fists repeatedly pounded against the pipeline pod. "LET ME OUT!" She screamed and screamed the same thing.

Cisco honestly thought the pod wouldn't last if this kept going.

Black Orchid only stopped when she saw someone coming into the pipeline. She straightened up and raised her head to judge if this person was going to help or not. "Who are you?" She didn't have to wait for a verbal answer since she saw clear as day who was on the other side. "The Azalea? Hm. That's a shocker. Would you let me go? I didn't do nothing wrong."

"You did kill people…" Belén reminded, though not as a way to punish her.

"They're thugs! It's kill or be killed!"

"Look, I'm not here to talk about who you killed or how many you killed. I need your help."

Black Orchid dropped her arms to her sides. Her chin raised again and though she had a mask on, Belén swore she was being judged. "Why would the Azalea need my help?"

"Because Datura is a dangerous metahuman that I cannot stop if you don't teach me how to get into the Green."

Black Orchid lowered her head. "Excuse me? The Green? You know about that?" Belén nodded her head. "But you don't know how to get in?"

"Have you ever seen me in there?" Belén made a good point.

Black Orchid crossed her arms and looked around the pod she was trapped in. "And you thought the best way to get me to help you was to lock me up?"

"Not my best idea but I really needed to have a minute with you."

"Here's the thing, I don't trust you. And, let's be honest, you don't trust me." Black Orchid inched closer to the glass wall. "I'm not training anyone. In this world, it's all about yourself. I need to look out for myself."

"Well, that's a pretty way of looking at life," Belén remarked. "But look, I really need your help. Datura is coming back-"

"-then you fight her off. She's your fight, not mine. Why do you think I've hidden for a month now? I'm not looking to get killed."

"But if you don't help me a lot of people are going to die!"

"Better them than me," Black Orchid said so plainly, so flatly, that Belén's mouth almost fell to the floor.

"How could you...how could you say that?"

"Because it's the truth. Self preservation."

Belén was flabbergasted to hear such a thing.

~0~

"I cannot believe she said that!" Belén stormed into the cortex, looking ready to kill someone herself. "How rude! How...selfish!"

"Sorry it didn't work out, Bells," Cisco meant as a true apology but she scoffed at him.

"Are you, though? You weren't even on board with the idea in the first place!"

Cisco made a face but, knowing she was just upset, he kept his mouth shut. He, did, however, give a look at Barry and Caitlin. Someone else needed to step in.

"Belén, maybe we just need to give her some time," Barry's suggestion was also responded with a scoff.

"I don't have time!" She groaned and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Caitlin called after her.

"Out! Don't follow!"

"She's m-a-d mad," Cisco whistled then quickly looked back to see if Belén had heard.

"She's upset, and with good reason," Barry rubbed his forehead. "Let's just keep an eye on her. She took the suit so-"

"-she's really mad," Cisco blurted and received a disapproving look from Caitlin. Barry just sighed.

"She turned off the tracker in her suit," Caitlin informed a few minutes later.

"Not surprising," Barry mumbled and moved over to see the screen himself. "She couldn't have gotten far. I'll go get her. See if I can talk to her."

He zipped out of the cortex with his suit, intending on finding Belén and bringing her back. However, it turned out Belén was very good at hiding. It'd been at least an hour of him scouring through the city before he gave up and asked for some additional help. Caitlin and Cisco were monitoring as usual, but, like Barry, they didn't have a clue where Belén went. It was like she disappeared.

"I've gone through all the places she usually goes to, I'm starting to get worried," Barry admitted. He stood at the top of a rooftop overlooking the busy streets of the city. It was fine that Belén wanted to have some time alone but two hours of no contact felt wrong.

"Uh, we got something, Barry!" Cisco exclaimed.

"Did you find her?" Barry quickly asked, ready to go as soon as they gave him a place.

"Yeah, um…looks like some warehouse off on Third and Carson street."

"That's weird," remarked Caitlin. "That whole block is for warehouses. What could Belén be doing there?"

"Don't know but we're going to find out," Barry said before speeding down the building he was on. He followed the instructions from the two and didn't bother coming in cautiously. He skidded to a stop and looked around the empty warehouse. "Belén?" he called out and received no answer. "Belén!"

"What's going on, Barry?" Cisco asked after the third failed call for Belén.

"She's not here," Barry ripped the cowl off his head and started walking down the left. There was something making a light noise coming from that direction. "But I...I don't think this warehouse is empty…"

"Belén's tracker says she's there, dude," Cisco insisted, though he was going through the tracker's ping just to make sure.

"Well, I don't see her," Barry kept walking forwards, now spotting something silvery round the corner. "Belén?"

"Barry, be careful," Caitlin warned. She was beginning to think there was something wrong with this entire situation. As if the world was reading her mind, she got a different type of alert on her computer screen.

Barry reeled back when a redhead swung from the side. "Hi there pretty boy," Poison Ivy showed off a smug smirk before firing at the speedster with a high-tech gun.

"Barry!" Cisco shouted as the computer stopped getting readings from Barry's vitals, his entire suit's actually. "Everything's gone offline." Cisco leaned back against his chair and heaved a heavy breath.

"Caitlin!" they both heard Belén's voice shriek from the other end of the line.

The two in the cortex did a quick double-take at each other before calling out their friend's name.

"Where are you!?" Caitlin demanded while she worked to figure out how the meta alert was coming from one part while Belén's tracker was pinging from another.

"Downtown! And I'm -" Belén shrieked again.

As it turned out, she was nowhere near close Barry's location. She didn't know how it happened, to be honest. She'd been sulking on her own for a while when she started to see some familiar red energy from a distance. Trained or not, she was not planning on giving Datura a pass. She chased after the energy until it led her downtown…

Datura had sucker-punched her from behind. She seemed to be on a different plan because even though she had a clear, open path to hurt Belén again, she walked past the woman on the ground and moved towards a street pole. Her eyes glowed an orange before shooting lasers at the street pole.

As Belén turned on her stomach, she saw the bottom of the street pole begin to steam as the acid from the lasers melted it away.

"Better, run, run, run!" Datura sing-sang to the people around when the street pole started creaking and leaning on its side.

"Oh, dammit," Belén muttered and scrambled to her feet. She started throwing vines to pull away the people in danger of getting squashed.

Datura boredly rolled her eyes as if saving people was a waste of time, and to her it was. When Belén pulled the last person out of the way, Datura rubbed her hands together and created a sword from her red energy.

"Uh oh," Belén had the good sense to back away. "Caitlin!" she started to call but for some reason, no one answered her. "Caitlin!"

"Where are you!?" Caitlin demanded so suddenly that, if Belén had been more focused, she would've picked up on the fact something was wrong.

"Downtown! And I'm -" Belén shrieked and ducked when Datura threw her sword at her. "It's Datura! She's back!"

"And ready to win," Datura said with a proud smile. Her eyes glowed silver, as did her hands. She radiated in Lunar energy, something Belén hadn't quite seen before and was therefore a little scared. "The power of Eclipsa-" Datura's smile widened, but Belén once again noticed there was a different voice speaking with Datura's, -is mine. Here's a little taste of what I can do!" She drew her hands back and started firing consecutively with lunar bolts.

Belén whipped her hands in front of her and tried doing what she saw Black Orchid doing earlier. She created a makeshift shield in front of her but Datura was going nonstop. "Caitlin, I really need Barry right now!"

"I - we thought he was with you!" Cisco exclaimed. "We lost contact with him!"

That made Belén automatically drop her shield in shock. "What!?" A series of lunar bolts hit her square in the chest, knocking her back on the ground. She shook her head in an attempt to rid her ears of the warped sounds. "Caitlin...where's...Barry?"

"We're working on it!"

"Oooh, are you looking for your partner?" Datura started walking towards Belén who was sitting up. "Yay-high?" She made a gesture of Barry's height over her head, "Red suit? Admittedly good looking?" Belén openly glared at her, making the woman laugh. "Don't be jealous. But, I do know where your Flash is."

Belén paused and gave Datura a look. "What?" She quickly got up and, to Datura's surprise, she swung a vine to throw the Earth 2 meta into a bus stop bench. "If you hurt him-"

Datura raised a hand and delivered a shock of electricity Belén's way. The brunette screamed as her body convulsed with the electric shocks.

Datura slowly got up and felt something over her lip. She took a drip of blood off her skin and scowled at herself. "Great." She walked towards Belén, admittedly feeling wobbly on her feet. "Listen up Azalea, here's the deal. I've got your Flash all nice and unconscious thanks to a speed gun I swept from Earth 2-" she bent down in front of Belén, smirking at the weariness in the woman's face from being attacked, "-and if you want to see him again...you're gonna have to drop this. Poison Ivy doesn't do patience."

Belén blinked rapidly from the electricity still lingering in her body. "I...want to...see him."

Datura smirked. "Thought you would." She raised a hand, making it seem like she was going to wave goodbye when instead she fired one last energy beam to knock Belén out.

~ 0 ~

In the cortex gathered at the cortex after realizing their two leading metas had been taken right under their noses.

"It was a trap," Cisco said quietly, and defeatedly, at his chair. He had his hands put together to the bridge of his nose. "It was a trap and we didn't see it."

"But it doesn't make sense how Datura got Belén's suit tracker in the first place," Caitlin hated the fact she couldn't figure that mystery out. "We didn't even realize it was gone."

From the corner of the cortex stood Harry, still and silent. His jaw was clenched with guilt but he still could not say anything.

"We know where they are," Iris reminded them. She looked at the screen on the wall, displaying the last known whereabouts of Barry. "Let's just go get them."

"First of all, we don't even know if they're still going to be there," Cisco pointed out, dropping his hand to his lap. "Second of all, even if they are still there...what the hell are we supposed to do?" he made a quick gesture at their members. "They'd kill us."

Caitlin set a hand on Cisco's shoulder and gave a smile at the rest. "I think what Cisco's trying to say is that we do not have the...meta-skills to take on Datura and Poison Ivy at the same time."

"Well, we have to do something," Iris walked up to the desk and set her arms over the top. "Can we call in Nina?"

"Even then, taking on these two metas…" Caitlin gave a shake of her head. "She'll need back up."

"Where do we get that from?" Iris looked at the trio expectantly.

Cisco looked up at Caitlin, both apparently thinking of the same thing.

"Wait here," he pushed himself up from his chair. He exchanged a nod with Caitlin before the two walked out of the cortex.

~ 0 ~

After hours of screaming to be released, Black Orchid resigned herself to the fact she may never be getting out of the pipeline. She picked herself up as soon as she heard the pipeline door opening.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded when she was face to face with Caitlin and Cisco.

"Manners," Cisco pointed at her. "We have a proposition for you."

"And why the hell would I care?"

"Because it involves your freedom, smartass," Cisco snapped. Caitlin inwardly sighed. This would definitely infuriate Belén but right now what mattered was bringing her and Barry back.

Black Orchid leaned on her hip. "I'm listening."

"The Azalea and the Flash have been kidnapped by Datura. We need you to help our friend, the Tempest, get them back."

Black Orchid unceremoniously snorted. "You want me to go up against the siphoner this entire city is talking about? She's the reason I stopped showing my face."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin's eyebrows knitted together.

Black Orchid didn't like the fact she'd unintentionally admitted that. "It's clear that this Datura wants to kill anyone in her path. I've seen what she's done to the Azalea. Imagine what she'd do if she found another botanist metahuman? No way!"

Cisco wasn't in a particular mood to remind the woman she was a human being. So, like Belén, he did first and would apologize later. "Fine, then I guess you'll stay here forever. Or at least until you die."

"You wouldn't let me die," scoffed the meta.

"Have you seen any other prisoners here?" Cisco's question made the metahuman pause. "Yeah. What do you think happened to the others in here?"

"You can't do that!"

"Then please help us," Caitlin pleaded. "C'mon. You're afraid and we get that, but if you don't do anything then Datura will kill the Azalea. And, if there's no one left to fight Datura...you're not going to be safe anywhere."

"If I go up against her I'll die right there and then," Black Orchid countered with.

"You said you were hiding from Datura so you didn't show your face," Caitlin reminded. "But the Azalea said you showed your face today after a store got robbed. That doesn't sound like self preservation to me."

"...that was my favorite store," Black Orchid rolled her eyes, attempting to make it all casual.

"Cut the crap, girl!" Cisco exclaimed. "Your freedom's on the table and you're gonna seriously waste it?"

"We can help you," Caitlin added. "We can make sure you're well prepared. We could even help you heal from your past fights." Black Orchid visibly stiffened. "The Azalea told us about some of the stitches she saw on you. And like my friend said, your freedom is on the table."

Black Orchid's dark eyes flickered from one scientist to the next. She knew what her position was and how far she could actually get. It wasn't good. "Fine," she huffed and reached a hand to the back of her head where her mask's tie was. "But I need some stitches to be re-done. So, who's the medical doctor here?" she tore the mask off to reveal a familiar face, though not familiar to Caitlin or Cisco.

Bartender Shivhan Jang stared at the scientists.

Author's Note:

So, first of all, this is a disclaimer for the fact that while I am writing in the character of Black Orchid, I am doing a different VERSION of the character. Black Orchid belongs to the DC world.

Now, the reason I decided to write this character in was because I felt it genuinely wrong she was written and barely got recognition. I never heard of Black Orchid until I started doing research on botanical metahumans for this precise arc. It amazed me she was such a complex character that I just had to write my version of hers.

And a visual reference of Black Orchid, aka Shivhan, would be the Korean singer Sunmi.

#ocappreciation #arrowverseocs #fd: the flash #the flash #barry allen #barry allen imagines #barry allen fics #the flash fics #the flash imagines #oc: Belén Palayta #oc: the azalea #fic: rise up

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huilian · 4 years ago

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The king of Attolia, Annux of the Little Peninsula, walked alone across the halls of the Eddisian palace. This would not have happened in his own palace, but they are in Eddis, and Eddisian customs take precedence. No one in Eddis would dream of stopping the Thief from roaming the halls of the palace of Eddis, no matter how much the captain of his guard protests.

He slipped easily from one empty room to another, avoiding the many sets of eyes that, even now, still lingered in the palace. It was easier than it used to be. There were many empty rooms in the palace of Eddis, and not all of them are because their inhabitants had moved to the lowlands.

Still, even with the abundance of empty rooms and the decrease in the number of guards, he was forced to backtrack a few times to escape notice. The guards’ patrol routes had changed since the last time he was here. A display of caution for the queen of Eddis that he could not help but be pleased about, despite the inconvenience it was currently causing him.

The guards had no chance in catching him, however. There was no man alive that knew these halls better than he, and there was no place on earth that he knows better. His own palace was a close second, but he had grown up here, and he knew every single nook and cranny etched into these halls.

With a quick look around to make sure that his presence remained unnoticed, Eugenides slipped through an unremarkable door in an unremarkable hallway. He arrived at his destination.

“There you are!” the king of Sounis cried out, carrying his daughter in his arms. Sounis was talking to the man sitting at the table in the library, looking for all the world like he was at home. Sounis’s daughter, on the other hand, was mesmerized by the book that was in front of the man.

Eugenides, who, for all intents and purposes was at home in the library of Eddis’s palace, looked up.

“Everyone is looking for you,” Sounis said, looking at him meaningfully.

With a wave of his hand, Eugenides dismissed that. “Helen knows where I am. If they truly need me, they’ll find me. Come on, Sophos, sit down. Don’t tell me you want to join that theatrical production in the courtroom.”

Sounis shook his head, but gave a small smile of concession. He took his own seat next to Eugenides, settling his daughter in his own lap. She immediately started pawing on the book in front of Gen, who deftly moved it out of her grasp.

“Feisty, aren’t you, Gitta?” he asked the princess of Sounis.

Her father chuckled. “She was getting antsy in the nursery, so I brought her on an adventure.” He bounced her several times in his lap, before looking up to the other king’s eyes and said, “Speaking of children, where are yours?”

Eugenides made a face. “With Teleus,” he said, sighing. “They scream if I try to take them before they are ready to be separated from him.”

Sounis laughed outright at this. “Are their screams as loud as yours?”

“Louder,” Attolis said mournfully.

Unfortunately, the princess of Sounis chose this time to also scream her displeasure at the fact that her father had stopped bouncing her in his lap. The two kings looked at each other for a moment, before Sounis placed his daughter back in his arms and started walking around the room to try to calm her.

Satisfied at having the attention of the two men firmly on her once again, she quieted down. Sounis made to sit down again, but Eugenides stopped him by saying, “You’ll just make her cry again. I think she wants our full and undivided attention.”

“Speaking from experience, Gen?”

The king of Attolia, Annux of the Little Peninsula, snuck out his tongue, looking very unkingly indeed. “Do you want me to help you or not?”

“Alright, alright. What do you have in mind?”

“Do you know Hern’s poetry?”

“Yes,” Sophos answered.

“You do?” Gen looked up at him, surprise etched on his face. But one look at the younger king’s face stopped the surprise in its tracks. “You do,” he said again, before turning to look at the child in Sophos’s arms and continuing, “Well, I’m no goddess of scribes, but I think I can do well enough for the princess of Sounis.”

“I don’t know, Gen,” Sounis teased. “I think the princess of Sounis deserves the best, don’t you agree?”

“Are you implying that I am not the best?”

“Did you not imply that yourself?”

“Sophos!” Eugenides said in exaggerated surprise. “I didn’t know you have it in you! Do you talk like this to my dear cousin too?”

“I do not, because she, unlike you, is not insufferable. Now, I believe you promised me a recitation of one of Hern’s poems.”

“Excuse you, I promised Gitta a recitation of one of Hern’s poems.” Eugenides then plucked the princess of Sounis from her father’s arms, who, for all his teasing of the other man, relinquished his daughter easily enough. “Now, my darling niece, shall we ask your father to leave the room so that I can give you a private recitation?”

The princess of Sounis lets out a happy gurgle that was more excitement at being held by a different person than an actual agreement, but Attolis seemed happy enough to take it as so.

“See, Sophos?” he said to the other man. “Your daughter agrees with me.”

At that, Sounis laughed again. “Very well, then. I shall leave the room for you and Gitta. But the moment I exit that door without the princess of Sounis in my arms, her retinue will come hounding down.”

“You would not.”

“I would.”

Eugenides looked at the other king with horror in his eyes, because that was a threat, and the other man knew perfectly well that that is so. He shook his head, and said, “Bested in my own game by Useless the Younger! I never thought this day would come!”

Sounis gave him a mock bow from where he’s seated, and said, “A recitation, if you please, my king?”

“Oh, very well. Gitta will just have to share.” He adjusted the girl in his arm, deftly positioning her away from his hook, which, if no longer as sharp as a knife, was still dangerous enough for tiny wandering hands. Then, with two of his audiences enraptured, even though only one was truly listening, the King of Attolia began his recitation.

“I never want to see another amphora in my life!” the queen of Eddis exclaimed as she burst through the door on her library, interrupting her cousin’s recitation. She threw herself onto the nearest seat, continuing in her rant. “What does it matter if we take ten or eleven amphorae of that particular design down to Sounis! And why do they have to have me decide on it!”

Eugenides, recognizing his cousin’s mood, and fearing for the fate of the scrolls he was reading before he was interrupted by Sounis, stopped in his recitation and gently transferred his niece onto her mother’s waiting arms.

Still incensed, but a calmer now that she had her daughter in her arms, Eddis continued. “They asked me the same question for every piece of furniture or decoration! What do I care if I have one less vase to bring down to Sounis!”

It was then that the queen of Attolia, who had been following Eddis to the library, albeit at a more sedate pace, entered the room. She spoke for a moment with the increasingly large group of people outside the library, the amalgamation of the retinues of attendants and guards for the three monarchs, before closing the door on them.

“Oh, I remember doing that. My entourage was to bring thirty pitchers of wine, and I had to personally select every single one of them,” Attolia said as she walked across the room to take her own seat. She glanced at her husband, promising retribution later for the fact that there were only three retinues of attendants and guards outside the door, not four, before asking, “Children?” which was promptly answered by Eugenides with, “Teleus.”

She gave a sharp nod, and turned back to Eddis to shrug. “Just say that you trust their judgement and discretion in these matters. It’s what I do.”

“Makes you glad that it’s not your duty to move all these things, doesn’t it, Sophos?” Eugenides said.

Eddis adjusted her grip on her daughter, and then pointed one finger towards her cousin. “You are not getting out of this that easily, Gen. There are piles of your stuff to be sorted out.”

“My stuff?” Eugenides asked.

“Your stuff! They found your stashes! All those bits and bobs and knick-knacks that you stole! I would have just given them back to their owners, but none of them will take it if it isn’t you giving the stuff back to them personally!”

“Ah,” Eugenides said. “That stuff.”

“I thought everything the Thief of Eddis stole has to be dedicated to their god?” Sounis asked.

“Not everything,” Eugenides answered. “Besides, those were practice. It was hardly worth the effort to place them on my god’s altar.”

“Hardly worth the effort or not,” Eddis countered, “they are your things now, and you will deal with them, if I have to tie you down to the courtroom myself.”

“The captain of my guard might take issue with that,” Attolis pointed out.

“He won’t once I’ve explained why I’ve done it,” Eddis said darkly.

Eugenides looked to his wife for support, but she simply raised an eyebrow and said, “I believe that Teleus might make an exception for Eddis. And to see whether or not tying you down works.”

He gaped at his wife, who smiled serenely and adjusted her skirts. He looked at Sounis, and then Eddis, before turning back to his wife and shaking his head. “Oh, I see you’ve all discussed this without me.”

“Discuss what?” Attolia replied.

“Outsmarting me in my own game.”

Attolia’s smile changed. “Are you losing your touch, my king? Shall I call on Petrus to examine you?”

“Don’t forget Galen,” Eddis added from where she was now calmly seated, playing with her daughter.

“Yes,” Attolia nodded. “It would not do to slight Eddis’s royal physician, especially now that we’re in Eddis.”

The outraged look that Eugenides sent to his wife was broken by Sounis’s laughter, which was then joined by the two queens. Dejected, Eugenides pouted, before he walked over to where his wife was sitting and sat on the ground beside her feet, resting his head on her lap.

The laughter quieted down after a while, which was immediately taken advantage of by Eugenides to complain. “I am surrounded by treachery,” Eugenides said from his wife’s lap.

“Poor king,” Sounis teased, which caused the laughter to begin again, even louder this time.

Once all of them had calmed down enough, Eddis turned to her husband and said, “As enjoyable as insulting Gen is, it does remind me. Has the Magus sent his list?”

“He mentioned working on it in his last letter, but as for the actual list itself, no, not yet,” Sounis answered.

“Ah,” Eddis made a face. “I was hoping to get started on that. Transporting all these books down to the lowlands is going to be hard enough, we do not need the additional difficulty in trying to do it in one go.”

Sounis shrugged, and said, “It might still come in his next letter, which should reach us either late today or tomorrow. Besides, there’s no reason why we need to—”

“You’re moving my library to Sounis?” Eugenides jumped up.

Eddis and Sounis stopped in their planning to look at him, before Eddis said, “Well, of course, Gen. We’re moving everything. Or would you prefer to leave them here to be destroyed?”

“Of course not!” Eugenides said. “But to Sounis? Really, Helen?”

Eddis blinked at him once, before bursting into laughter once again. “Did you expect them to come with you to Attolia?” she said between bouts of laughter.

“Well, not exactly,” Eugenides sputtered, “but Sounis?”

“What grievances do you have with my library, Gen?” the aforementioned Sounis said.

Eugenides turned to his friend and said, “There’s no way I’m trusting the contents of my library to Useless the Younger!”

Sounis would have protested, but he wasn’t given a chance. Instead, his wife said, “My library.”

“Did you not swear your loyalty to me?” Eugenides asked his cousin.

“My loyalty, yes,” Eddis nodded. “But not the contents of my library.”

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before Eugenides looked at his wife for support. However, if he was expecting reinforcement from that direction, he was sorely mistaken. “She is right,” Attolia said, looking directly at her husband’s eyes. “I made the vows myself.”

“Sophos,” Eugenides quickly pivoted his attention to the younger man, realizing that his wife would give him not an ounce of support in this matter. “Tell Helen that this is my library.”

Sounis was, in his heart, a kind man, but since he was so recently insulted by his friend, he felt no particular need to be kind just now. He took his time in settling in his seat, enjoying the pleading looks that Eugenides was giving him, before finally saying, “I remember feeling so jealous of your library when I first saw it.” He leaned forward, smirking as he met Eugenides’s eyes. “I look forward to adding them to my own collection. Especially now that I know Hern’s book of poems is in here somewhere.”

The only thing that can be heard afterwards was one indignant shout and three ringing peals of laughter.

#queen's thief #eugenides #attolia irene #eddis helen #sophos #lian writes #fic #rott spoilers #return of the thief #hi; i am a fool who forgot to post her own fic here #so here it is #the 'four monarch squabbling' fic #enjoy!!!!

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rhyolight · 4 years ago

Note

Well, I do remember one of the asks I sent. I wanted to know how the creepypastas would react to being trapped in a submarine deep in the ocean together. (probably either Jeff’s or Toby’s fault they end up there in the first place. If you’d like you can come up with how it probably happened) also can we give bloody painter some attention please -ゆう

I’m glad that this ask went through, and I’d be happy to add in the bloody painter! I hope that this is good, I realized that I have forgotten about the bloody painter quite a bit, so I tried to make him pretty important to the story. I hope you enjoy! I know that I initially thought that this would take me a day or two, but I’m not tired so I finished it now. Something that you may notice is that I did not write Toby with his tics, and while I acknowledge that they are an important part of his character, I didn’t write them as I don’t feel that I have a firm enough grasp on how to write tourettes, and I didn’t want to accidentally offend anyone if I got something very wrong I am doing my research to make sure that I can write it respectfully, but as of now I don’t think that I am fully capable of writing an accurate representation.

How did they get here? Well, it probably was Toby’s fault, or as he’d tell Tim, only 50% his fault. Because

“Jeff started it!”

According to Toby, Jeff told him that Tim wanted him to steer the submarine to the right. It was an absurd lie of course, as Toby had strictly been banned from the control room by Tim himself. So somehow the submarine had gone deeper, only to get wedged under a rocky ledge on the bottom of the ocean floor. The pressure from the depth was starting to give Tim a headache, and Toby’s blubbering certainly didn’t help. He snapped at Toby to go gather the others and bring them to the dinning room for a “meeting,” although the way he said it meant that it would mostly consist of Tim yelling. Still, Toby rushed out of the room, eager to escape Tim’s wrath, if only for a moment.

When they were all gathered together, it only became apparent how problematic this could be. Many of the pastas had been grumpy about attending the meeting, Helen complained that his paint would dry, Ben fretted that his computer would somehow break in his absence, and there was an overall air of discomfort.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we're stuck.”

Tim stated, only conforming what had been suspected. A few began to ask questions, but Tim cut them off.

“Apparently Jeff told Toby that I told him to go steer the submarine, despite him being banned from the control room unless he was the last person left alive.”

“But Jeff said it was an emergency!”

Toby burst out, but to his dismay, the others only rolled their eyes.

“And were you the last person alive?”

Tim snarled, his temper flaring,

“Well, no, but jeff said-”

“I don’t care what Jeff said the point is we're stuck!”

Toby galred at Jeff who was smirking, but he felt a twinge of satisfaction when Tim turned to Jeff.

“Why did you tell Toby to go there? What on earth made you think that would be a good idea?”

Jeff shrugged,

“I didn’t think he’d be dumb enough to do it.”

Toby stood up, about to interject, but at that point the room seemed to erupt in yelling. Everyone had something to say, and nobody wanted to wait their turn. Tim kept yelling, trying to get everyone to calm down, but it only made things worse as the situation grew more chaotic. A few of the quieter pastas, Helen, Sally, and Jack, slipped out of the room, as the noise was getting to be too much. Toby could tell that Liu was gone as well, with Sully in his place, judging by the way he was yelling. The noise was getting to be too much for Toby as well, so when he saw Brian follow the others he headed after him.

He walked through the twisting halls of the submarine, walking quietly, he didn’t want to be told to go away. He found the others in the room of a very annoyed bloody painter. Helen glared at him irritably as he walked in the door, he had clearly meant to escape the mess so he could paint in peace, but Jack and Brian were sitting on the floor, with Sally facing them on the bed. As he walked in the door, the others gave him an annoyed look, he pretended not to see it, and he sat down next to Sally, the springs in the mattress creaking under his weight.

“Do you really have to be here?”

Helen asked, swishing a paintbrush in a jar of water to clean it. Brian shrugged, and Helen turned back to his art without another word. The swishing of the brush was the only thing that filled the silence until Toby spoke up,

“So, what exactly are we going to do?”

Brian sighed, leaning his chin on his hands.

“Well, we have to get the submarine unstuck somehow, and you can’t reason with Tim when he gets like this.”

He didn’t have to elaborate. They all knew that the normally level headed Tim would not listen to reason when he lost his temper. So it was up to them. Toby wanted to help, he really did, especially since he felt responsible, but he didn’t know anything about any sort of technology, much less submarines, thus the reason he had been banned from the control room.

“Well if Toby hadn't touched the controls maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess and I could paint in peace.”

Helen snapped, breaking the silence as he slammed his paintbrush down angrily.

”I’m sorry,”

Toby whispered,

“I really didn't mean to break anything.”

“Well, the damage has been done.”

Jack pointed out,

“Arguing over who did it won’t help us now.”

Brian looked up,

“Jack’s right, and if we don;t figure out something soon we’ll be in trouble. We could run out of food, or the submarine could start to leak.”

This seemed to make Sally nervous, and her legs began to swing, hitting the sides of the bed with a thunk thunk sound. Toby reached out a hand to stop her before the noise annoyed Helen. Brian looked up and noticed the young girl’s distress.

“Sally, why don’t you go to your room? I promise we’ll get everything figured out.”

She nodded and got up slowly, then fled, clutching her bear in her hand as her feet padded down the hall. Once she was out of earshot, Brian’s expression turned grave.

“I haven’t been to see the damage myself, but from the way Tim’s yelling it’s pretty bad.”

Toby nodded in agreement, he remembers the sickening jerk as the submarine had halted, accompanied by a loud scraping sound. That was what had led Tim to investigate and discover Toby in the control room.

“Should we go inspect the damage?”

Brian asked, rising to his feet. Toby nodded as he stood, and Jack rose as well. After a bit of nagging, they persuaded Helen to come with them as well, but he insisted on grabbing his sketchbook because he worried that they would be boring.

As they walked, Toby noticed that Jack now walked with confidence. At first, he had walked around the boat making high pitched whistles and clicks as a form of echolocation, and while it had been annoying, it was impressive. Toby had tried it once, only it hadn’t worked and he’d run face first into a wall.

As they got towards the end that had gotten stuck, the temperature seemed to drop and the air grew damp.

“That’s a bad sign.”

Brian muttered under his breath, and they picked up the pace, walking quickly towards the now apparent sound of dripping water. They stepped into the room, and the others seemed to shiver. The air was significantly colder, and the source of the problem was obvious. The top was dented, and a few small cracks had appeared, just barely visible, you wouldn’t have known they were there had there not been the dripping of water slowly forming puddles on the floor.

Jack let out a chirp towards the water pooling on the floor and frowned, he obviously didn’t like whatever information he had gathered. Helen, who somehow managed to look exceedingly bored with the whole ordeal, was standing a few steps away, drawing. Toby fidgeted, pulling at the sleeves of his sweater ad Brian stepped closer, craning his neck to get a better look at the ceiling. The water kept dripping a Brian turned abruptly.

“We need to find a way to stop the leak. The rocks are wedged tightly against the side, they’re helping keep the water out, once we move the submarine who knows how much water will leak in.”

As he turned and began to leave the room, Toby and Jack following close behind, Helen held up his sketchbook for the others to see. Complex diagrams had been drawn, ones that Toby recognized from the control room, as well as a sketch of the puddles the water dripping from the ceiling. He gave the book to Jack, and Toby noticed that he had used the lead of his pencil to create ridges on the edges of the drawing. Jack ran his finger over the diagrams, but what he learned from them was a mystery to Toby. Jack nodded before silently handing the book back to Helen, who closed it and tucked it under his arm.

“Well, what do you think? You did take a few classes in engineering once, didn’t you?”

Brain asked. Jack frowned deeply thinking,

“I did, but it was a long time ago,”

he muttered.

“I’m not sure how much I’ll remember.”

“Well do your best, our lives may depend on it.”

Jack nodded, but by that point Brian was already out the door, walking swiftly down the hall towards the closet where they kept everything that they could possibly need for repairs. Ben caught up to them as they reached the door.

“Tim sent me to find you, do you think you can fix it?”

“We can try.”

Ben nodded,

“Once the submarine is patched, I’m going to try to steer us out. The computers got messed up in the crash, but I think I can hold it together if you can keep this thing watertight.”

Toby looked down at his feet guiltily as Ben raced back towards the control room. Brian rummaged along the shelves, Helen whispering to Jack, describing what there was available. At first, Toby was hopeful. Maybe Jack could fix the submarine and Ben could get them home, and once Tim calmed down all would be forgiven, but his hopes began to fade as Jack’s frown deepened. Helen seemed to be growing impatient.

“Surely there must be something here that you can use.”

He snapped.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one here?”

Luckily, Jack didn’t seem to be bothered by Helen’s comment, as he was more focused on running his hands along the materials on the shelves.

“I practice medicine, not mechanics, and while it’s true that I did take a few classes in engineering, I was never taught how to fix a submarine.”

Yet his calm,only added to the bloody painter’s annoyance. He began grabbing things and shoving them into the arms of Brian, Jack, and Toby.

“Here, duct tape and super glue. It’ll fix anything.”

He muttered. Jack didn’t look so sure, but they didn’t seem to have anything better, so they grabbed all that they could carry and took off running. Helen came a minute later with a ladder resting on his shoulder, and the group raced down the halfway, their footsteps echoing desperately. When they reached the damaged room, the puddle had nearly doubled in size. Helen sloshed through it to the center, and he began to unfold the ladder and Jack began instructing Brian on what to do.

“I’d prefer to do it myself, but this is new to me, and you can see, I can’”

Brain looked hesitant, but there was no way that they would get Helen up there, meaning Toby was the only other option, and seeing as he was the reason they were stuck, it didn’t come as a surprise when nobody asked him to help. Instead, he grabbed some tape and glue and climbed up after Brian, their footsteps clanging on the rungs. He figured that he could at least help by holding the supplies while Brian worked.

Brian took off his hoodie and began to use it to dry some of the water, more leaked in, but he got off as much as he could. Then he began to spread glue around the cracks before sealing everything with duct tape. They added on more layers, and soon the water stopped coming through.

“Do you think it will hold?”

Toby asked as he passed another roll of tape up to Brian.

“I don’t know,''

came the reply ,in a voice coated with worry.

“It’s holding up for now, but there’s no way to tell what will happen once we start moving.”

“Should we try it?”

“We might as well, I think it’s good enough for now.”

Brian sighed as he climbed down after Toby, careful not to step on his fingers. Helen ran off with a splashing sound to tell Ben that they were ready to go, leaving Brian, Toby, and Jack alone with the pool of water on the floor to keep them company.

A few minutes later, the submarine began to lurch, nearly knocking them off their feet. As alarms began to blare, Toby stumbled backwards, slipping on the damp floor and crashing into the puddle. Brian turned at the noise.

“Are you ok?”

Toby scrambled to get to his feet as the boat continued to jerk back and forth.

“I’m fine, just lost my balance.”

Brian reached out a hand and pulled Toby clear of the puddle, which was nothing like the tranquil pond it had once been, as the wild movement of the submarine had caused the water to splash, creating the illusion of a stormy sea. They retreated to the the doorway where they looked up at the ceiling, Toby head Brian sucking in a breath as the ceiling buckled. You could see the indentation the rocks were making as the horrible wine of rock on metal filled the air.

“Well I hope you did a good job,”

Jack muttered, covering his ears. Just then, Helen returned with a walkie talkie, Ben’s voice floating out of the device.

“Is everything holding up?”

Brian grabbed it and pushed the button, wincing as another shrill wine shattered the once quiet atmosphere.

“It’s holding together so far, but be careful, if we’re not gentle, we could rip another hole in the submarine.”

Ben promised to be careful, and then silence fell. They stood there, tension rising as the boat scooted backwards at an agonizingly slow pace. The noise was bordering unbearable, but after a few especially harsh and jerky movements, the submarine appeared to be drifting freely again.

Toby looked up, expecting to see water come crashing down through some hole in the ceiling, but no new cracks had emerged, and while the makeshift patch was sagging under all of the weight, it held. The boat began to rise, the pressure in their ears decreasing as they ascended until Ben announced that they had reached the surface. They cheered, and headed to the control room.

Lights were flashing everywhere, and Ben was almost transparent, half in half out of the computers as he moved from place to place, carefully guiding the damaged ship.

“We should be safe now that we’ve reached the surface,”

Tim remarked upon their entry. Toby avoided his gaze, but he didn’t seem angry any more. He’d probably been worn out from all of the stress and yelling. And although Toby knew that he would be yelled at the next day, at least he would be alive to be yelled at, and not drowned at the bottom of the ocean.

Next time, he promised himself, I won’t listen to Jeff. And maybe I should learn a thing or two about submarines, just in case this happens again. As if he could read his mind, Tim shot Toby glare, but he was too lost in his thoughts to notice.

#story #my writing #my style #request #anon request #requested #ticci toby #myMH/CPcrossover #bloody painter #tim wright #brian thomas #jeff the killer #sally williams #eyeless jack #homicidal liu #creepypasta #mrble hornets

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sandalwoodhusbands · 4 years ago

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when i was little my mom used to play friends reruns on the tv constantly. anyone remembers the episode where monica moved in with chandler, and her and rachel cried on the couch because it was 'the end of an era'? i didn't really get it then, but i think i do now.

i know the show will go on. i'm happy that it will. in some way though, it feels like a little piece of my heart left with the last rolling credits tonight. it's only fair that i give it a deserving farewell.

first of all, i want to clarify that this isn't a post for tumblr. this is a post for my friends, that i want to share on tumblr because i am proud of us and of what we've found, and i want everyone to know.

lily. @davnci you made all of this happen, you know? i've always been a casual watcher. a casual reader, a casual listener. if it hadn't been for you i wouldn't be where i am now. this happened because of you, god fucking bless the moment you decided you wanted to fight for an eliott season.

sophie. my dear wifey. i have no words to explain how much i love you. you already know, i've told you enough times. if i could change one thing, it would be the distance between us. you're one of my favorite people on earth, and i wish you all the good in the world. you deserve it.

tara. @jebentnietalleen what can i say to you that you don't know already? you always thank me for reaching out one year ago. i would do it 100 times over. when we parted ways in paris i told you 'I'll see you soon' and you said 'i hope so'. now we're thinking about going on vacation together next year. i think that says enough about our relationship. i love you.

helen. @eliotts-eyes my beautiful helena de troya. my favorite greek godess, and my bro. remember the other day when we talked about missing someone without having met them? that's what i feel about you. i can't wait to sing to harry styles and do cartwheels with you, i don't care what city as long as it happens. i love you.

meg. @lifeisevak my favorite british person, up there in my top 10 favorite people i love to talk to. you came to me like a hurricane, talking about skam og and pride and i was instantly in awe of you. that still hasn't changed. i want to hug you so bad sometimes i could cry. bloody hell, i am so proud of you and all that you've become, it doesn't even make sense because i had nothing to do with it. i am so proud of you for just existing. i love you.

camille. @demaury fuck. you chaos personified. if i had to have 5am conversations about the french revolution with someone it would be with you. thank you so much for taking a piece of yourself and sharing it with me and our friends. if i could bottle up all of the times you make me fucking lose it with one of your jokes i'd have enough bottles to reconstruct the mediterranean sea. i love you.

belle. @choupielu my beautiful dumb dumb daughter. you drive me up the walls, you make me stay up until 6am more than once. you get me in weird groupchats with people i've never met in my life, and i let you. i let you do a lot of things, i hope you feel special. it it all turns to shit, i know who will threaten the world with their bare hands. there's a saying in spanish that says 'las cosas grandes vienen en frascos pequeños' look it up. te queero.

alicia. @crazyabeh you fucking gorgeous human being. if i had to put a face to summer, it'd be yours. i've told you many times. you glow. you're so kindhearted, some would say too much. the first time we met you got me a welcoming gif (i loved it by the way. my mama still asks about you) and the next time we see each other i'll get you a 'let's not spend this long without seeing each other again' one.

glory. @actualsoulmates if you decide on coming to study your masters here you know my door is open for you. in fact, if you don't come live with me for at least a month i will be very upset. you deserve everything good that there is in this world. if this hellsite did something good, is bring us together (and hey, july 23rd... we're throwing a party right?) te amo.

lucie. @hellswolfie for such a quiet one, you're one of my favorite people. i've seen you around for so long, since i very first started my side account. wanna hear a secret? when you joined our friend group i was so fucking happy. i might be the one putting out content, but i was so eager to get to know you for real. you're so sweet, i love you forever.

mara. i don't think i've ever met someone who got the demons in my head quite as you do. i miss you a lot when you're not here. i always feel like a bit of an overexcited puppy when you come back, but i think that's okay, i just want you to feel loved. you know ohana? how no one gets left behind? even when you're not there we don't forget you. you're part of us, always will be, and i love you.

verena. you fucking kind human. you have many reasons to get mad when things go to shit, but you're always the one there making sure everyone is okay and cheering us up. remember that thing you did at the begining of the quarentine? the japanese tradition? no one's ever cared like this for me. i'll forever be thankful. i love you.

manar. @waunderlnst0 you're definitely the purest one out of all my friends. it's funny, really. if i wanna talk to someone i know you'll always be around. you're chaotic good. and hey, thanks for being faster than mr axel auriant in catching his posts. i love you.

ani. @coffeerocks i'm not entirely convinced you and vere weren't long lost siblings in another timeline. you are so sweet. thanks for putting up with my weird texting habits. you've done so many things for me that we both know about and I'll never get to thank you enough. so many genuine acts of kindness, i hope your life will be the happiest it can be. i love you.

julie. @ariavds you're texting me as i'm writing this, and all i'm thinking is 'god, is it possible to be this fond of someone else?'. words fall short for all i would like to say to you. you're not the same person that i met a year ago. to that shy girl, i wanted yo say thank you, for bringing you to me. i said once you were the best person that had happened to me this year and i still stand by it. je t'adore ma julie.

anabelle. @mabubblebulle 🦝❤️🦔🐿️🌸🍍 out of all the things skam france has brought to me, you're the one that came more unexpected. my beautiful, perfectionist ravenclaw. if you ever feel sad, remember that in the parallel universe where the pandemic didn't happen we'd be spending our summer weekends together. just gotta hold in there. happy me ❤️

sophia. @eliottdemmaury an actual eliott demaury in disguise, your username matches you. i really hope for, the best for you. i want you to be happy all of the time instead of just sometimes. you brilliant, beautiful mind that kills me with your words. i am so happy that i met you. i don't wanna see you sad ever. i love you. (an actual babey)

jaime. @surrealsunday well, if it isn't the neglecting parent. you are, how do i even explain it? as a reader, thank you so much for your fics. the last chapter of hollow edge came out 12 hours after i got the news that my flight to paris had been canceled. it was the first thing that got a smile out of me that day. as a friend, thank you so much for indulging me in my bullshit. i was going through a hard time and julie said 'beg her for it, maybe she'll write it' so i did. and so you wrote it. and dedicated it to me. thank you so much for being a part of this fandom.

nicole. @anditsnicole you're such a good heart. i love your take on the show, but i also love how it's more than that. i love that you ask me how i'm doing, if there's anything happening in my life. i love that i care. thank you for sharing your ride with me for the past 2 seasons.

britt. @i-wish-i-felt-you-there for such a young age (she says, the 20 year old), you're such a fierce person. i admire you. i love that you convinced me to watch a whole movie based on a videogame i haven't played in my fucking life and never will. the nights that i stayed up with you talking and laughing, until 6am and i had a headache, i'd never trade them for anything. i love you you disaster human.

keren. @thedelegationofkeren god i miss you. you were one of the first people i met in here. you had to witness at least 3 of my breakdowns, if i remember correctly. and you stayed, even if you were a stranger, you stayed. and i thank you for that. i hope we'll be there for each other in the future too. i love you.

most of all, though? skam france. thank you. thank you for creating a platform that, as flawed as it might be, it brought these people to my life. thank you.

merci, skam france. it's been real.

#thank you thank you thank you #long post

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overheardatthecontinental · 4 years ago

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Talk Chapter 4

AO3

In which Helen fights for control from her kidnappers and John is met with deadends.

(The action will pick up in the next chapter

Waking up in a cell is a little easier the second time around Helen discovers.

She wakes up, freezing again, on the floor. Not that there was any other place to be. The cell was still empty.

The guards were different when she woke up but she barely paid them any attention. Instead, she managed to crawl to the little stall in the corner of her cell. Indeed, she was grateful to find a bathroom. The contents of her stomach were emptied into the small toilet and she wondered, idly, if it was the sedative that made her feel so.

She wished there was a window, or any other sort of indication of what time it was. What day it was.

Was it still Saturday? She wasn’t sure.

She wondered if it was Sunday and what would happen tomorrow morning when clients started arriving at her office to find it locked and empty?

Priorities, she tells herself.

No, she wasn’t worried about a few people missing their appointments. Not when her hands were still bound together and her throat burned from the acid of her vomit.

They’d live.

And so would she.

John was coming, she knows. It may take him some time to find her. Helen was certain she was hidden somewhere that wouldn’t be easy for him to find. But she was also positive that John wouldn’t stop until she was safe.

That brought her some comfort.

But even with that knowledge, she wasn’t going to stop trying to get herself out of the mess.

She tries to engage the new guards in conversation, but they kept their mouths shut. Probably warned by DeLuca, she thinks.

Still, one of them disappears upstairs and returns with a tv dinner that he slides through the bars to her, along with a bottle of water. They undo the bindings at her wrists but refuse to give her silverware. While she can only imagine what other uses John would find for a spoon or a fork, she wouldn’t know what the fuck to do with a utensil in a fight.

At least DeLuca isn’t planning on starving her. That was a plus. Especially since John would kill him either way.

She closes her eyes.

John was probably a wreck. He didn’t do well with things being out of his control and his emotional regulation skills were lacking.

This, she thinks, is really going to stunt the progress she’s made with him. Months of building up to him addressing his issues with self-esteem and his own feelings of self-hatred, only to have her kidnapped by his enemies.

It would take months more to work through the blame he was going to feel and probably years before he could even start to forgive himself.

The guards change not long after she wakes up. The new guards are told: “She’s been fed. Mostly quiet. DeLuca says not to interact with her.”

They listen. They ignore her attempts at small talk and don’t even look at her. The only moment of interaction comes when they hand her another meal a few hours later with a gruff, “Here.”

She falls asleep again after she eats. It’s almost too cold to sleep but she manages, blaming the exhaustion on the sedatives.

When she wakes up again, the guards have changed.

Nick, the man who had sedated her is back, along with someone new. The kid is younger than Nick. She’d place him in his early twenties at best. His face was still a little soft around the edges and the scarring from acne hadn’t found its way to clearing up just yet.

“Morning, boys.” She says, “Or is it night?”

“It’s two pm.”

“Hey!” Nick says, “DeLuca said not to talk to her.”

“What harm will talking do?” The new kid asks, looking over at Helen with a naïve sort of interest.

Nick shrugs, “Guess she’s some sort of psychiatrist.”

Wrong, Helen thinks, but doesn’t comment.

“She got inside DeLuca’s head yesterday. Kinda eerie, to be honest. Started spouting all this stuff about his parents and I guess it was true, because DeLuca was pissed. Bastard still hasn’t come back.”

Helen resists the urge to smirk at that.

“Why didn’t he just kill her? What’s she in for?”

Helen perks up a bit. She knew, obviously, that she was here as leverage or bait or something altogether nefarious to entrap John. But the more she could figure out about the details, the better off she would be.

“You ever hear of John Wick?” Nick asks, shuffling the deck of cards.

“Heard of him?” The poor kid almost sounds excited, “The man’s a fucking legend! I heard he killed three guys who started shit-talking him in the bar with a fucking pencil!”

Helen hadn’t heard that little tidbit, but she wasn’t surprised. John’s versatility was arguably his greatest strength. It made sense that it converted to weapons.

Nick hums, “Yep. And that’s his girl.” He throws a thumb in her direction.

The kid’s head flies over, staring at Helen in shock. She gives him a finger wave and the kid looks back to Nick, “That’s the boogeyman’s girl?”

Nick nods and starts to toss out the cards, “DeLuca’s been talking about getting a jump on the Camorra ever since he took over the Syndicate. Can’t help but wonder if this is his ploy.”

John had referenced the Camorra before, a number of times, but she couldn’t recall him ever mentioning the Syndicate. Nevertheless, she now had a name to put to the organization and its face that held her captive.

“But, it’s the boogeyman! You don’t mess with the boogeyman!”

“Sound advice,” Helen pipes in, “I suggest you relay the message to DeLuca before he gets you all killed.”

The kid pales and Nick shakes his head, “Don’t listen to her, Frankie.”

But Frankie was already listening. She just needed one in. “He’s probably right. I wouldn’t want to spend your last hours on this Earth in fear. Play your game.” Helen tries her best to give her a sweet smile. “Have fun with your time.”

“Hours?” he echoes.

“I mean, maybe you’ll get lucky. You might have a few days before John finds this place and razes it to the ground.”

“Disengage, Frankie.” Nick warns but even he looks uneasy.

John had mentioned his reputation a few times, but this was the first time that Helen had ever seen it in action. She knew John was not one for dramatizing but still, it was a little strange to see grown men becoming uneasy at the very mention of his name.

Frankie lowers his voice but she can still hear him echoing in the empty basement. “Look, man, you know I’m all in for the cause but I don’t know if I want to be involved in this.” He shoots Helen a glance, “I don’t want the Boogeyman coming after me.”

She almost felt sorry for the kid. Rationally, she could probably justify his actions. Write it off as a kid looking for a place to fit in, a world to survive in. He was mousy and largely unintimidating. The idea of mafiaso protection probably appealed to him, gave him space to live. But, she acknowledges, it’s harder to feel bad for someone who is keeping you locked in a cage.

“It’s a little late for that, Frankie. You and Nick are already involved.”

Nick shifts uncomfortably at the use of his name. Good, she thinks. She wants him to be anxious. She wants them both to afraid of what was to come.

Poor Frankie hadn’t even been here five minutes, she thinks, and he was already ready to bolt. She had a foot in the door, now she just had to hold her ground and push through.

“Look,” Helen offers him a small smile, “You seem like a good kid. Single mom?”

His eyes widen and he nods. “How did you know?”

An educated guess, but she doesn’t elaborate. “You did whatever you had to do to help her. How many siblings you got?”

“Don’t—” Nick tries but it’s too late.

“Two.”

“Still in school?”

Again, he nods.

“Good.” Helen says, “I hope they won’t have to drop out when you aren’t around. It’s hard for kids who drop out to catch back up. Sometimes you never do. Right, Nick?”

Nick tenses immediately.

She hums and closes her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall.

“Nick, man—”

“She’s just getting into your head. Let it go.”

Helen huffs a small laugh at that.

“I don’t know. How’d she know about my mom? And me dropping out? I didn’t say anything that—”

“It’s all just lucky guesswork. Calm down.”

If her eyes were open, she would have rolled them. “Guesswork, huh?” She glances up. It’s not much, she thinks, but it’s an opening, “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to make a little wager about that?”

“Not a chance.” Nick is quick to say but she can see the curiosity behind them. It’s reflected in Frankie who, with less experience and far less intelligence is quick to ask, “What kind of wager?”

Nick shoots him a glare but doesn’t cut her off.

“I’ll read you. Both of you. I’ll analyze your lives based on what I’ve already seen of you. And, if I’m wrong, on either of you, I’ll shut up. I won’t say anything for the rest of the night.”

“And if you’re right?” Nick asks.

“I get a phone call.”

“Not a chance.” Okay. She expected that. She could compromise.

“A text, then. I’ll keep it short. No more than a minute.”

“DeLuca would kill us.” Frankie says, shaking his head.

“DeLuca doesn’t have cameras here.” She gestures around, “And I wouldn’t be worried about DeLuca killing you when John’s out there looking for me.” She pauses, “I’ll sweeten the pot. Win or lose, I’ll ask John not to kill you.”

She’s met with silence as Frankie looks to Nick to take the lead.

Nick looks indecisive and she takes that into account. She watches the way he glances towards his phone. He’s considering it.

“You’re both part of this.” Helen leans forward, “DeLuca is arrogant enough to think he can get out of this without backlash. You’ve got to know that won’t be the case. John will hunt him down to the ends of the Earth, along with anyone else who played a part in this. Your only shot of making it through this alive is for me to interfere.”

She watches him swallow. Nick isn’t stupid. He’s probably the smartest of all the kidnappers she met but, Christ, he is lost.

John was like that, once.

Desperate for a way out, unable to find one.

“Will he listen to you?” Nick asks finally, “If you ask him to spare us, will he listen?”

She can’t make the promise. Truth be told, she’s never seen John truly angry at anyone other than himself. She doesn’t know how this is going to go.

“I am the only chance at stopping him.” She says finally. Not a promise or a guarantee. The honest truth, if ever there was one.

“Either way, win or lose?” Nick pushes.

“I give you my word.”

The moment lasts an eternity as she holds Nick’s gaze.

“I won’t give you a minute. You can’t touch the phone. You tell me the number, I type in the message. You get to send one word.”

“Three.”

He considers it, then he nods and she breathes easy.

“Start with Frankie.” He says and there comes that guard again. Keeping himself safe. Protecting his secrets.

She suspects but she isn’t entirely sure.

Frankie is an easier read, anyway. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Nick’s reactions to what she says to Frankie will give her everything she needs.

Helen exhales and looks to the younger boy.

She takes in the clothes, the demeanor. The way he sits, the little bit of excitement in his eyes that proved just how naïve he was. How in over his head he was.

“We’ve established the single mom. You’re the oldest. Different dad’s all around. Your mom’s a dreamer. She kept hoping that each guy would be different. They’d care. They’d stay. But they never did.

“You get that from her,” Helen softens her voice, “that tendency to daydream. It keeps you going on the bad days, but it also keeps you stuck. What do consequences matter when everything will be okay in the end, right?

“But you were smart. You did shit in school, but you were quick to pick things up and acing tests made up for the fact you probably never did you homework. But your siblings do. You prioritized their work above yours, made sure they did well. Because it was too late for you, even then, wasn’t it?”

Frankie’s mouth opens but she keeps going.

“Three boys,” That much is a guess but the subtle intake of breath from Frankie tells her she’s right, “Three growing boys need food. And clothes. Mom was running herself to the ground to keep going. So, you stepped up. Because you’re the oldest, and because you love your mom. And, partly, because she and your brothers are all you have.”

Frankie looks like he’s going to pass out at any minute but it’s Nick she’s watching, out of the corner of her eye.

Nick’s leg is shaking, bouncing with nervous energy and he’s staring at his phone, as if it’s the only thing in the world giving him strength.

She’s willing to stake everything that whatever his lock screen shows is his reason to get up each and every morning.

Turning her attention back to Frankie, she continues, “So you wound up here. It’s local and Italian, so it could be worse in your mother’s eyes. It doesn’t stop her from worrying, though.

“But you have your uses. You’re not street smart like the rest of these guys here, but just clever enough that you see things they don’t. Finding patterns and solving puzzles. It makes up for the fact you’re shit in a fight and you probably can’t even shoot straight.”

Frankie’s face breaks into a huge grin, “Holy shit! That was dead on! How did you do that?” He leaves his chair and comes to sit on the ground outside her cell. “I didn’t know psychologists did that.”

Her face softens, “Most don’t. Technically, we’re supposed to avoid making assumptions but, after a while, you learn to pick up on little things.”

Nick narrows his eyes, “Still seems like guess work to me. The fact we’re both dropouts isn’t written on our faces. You guessed based on the fact we’re involved in Syndicate.”

“It gave me an indication of your socioeconomic status,” she admits, “But, in Frankie’s case, it was the oldest brother, single mother combination that made me go in that direction. I used to do quite a bit of family therapy. There are roles that often come up in enmeshed families,” she explains, looking back at Frankie, “things like enablers who allow everything to happen, or scapegoats, who get blamed for everything.”

Helen tries to watch Nick’s reaction to the scapegoat. And sure enough, he stares at his locked screen.

“What am I?” Frankie asks.

“The Hero.” His chest puffs up at the label, “You try to fix everything, even the things that can’t ever be put back together. Which is how I knew you dropped out to help your mom. It’s what you do.”

“And Nick?” He asks, gesturing back to where Nick sat at the table.

Curious, but tense. Disbelieving, but with a hint of worry.

He had the most to lose from this expenditure.

“Nick,” she says softly, “was the scapegoat. And that’s a difficult place to be because you can do everything right but it doesn’t matter. I imagine you got in trouble a lot as a kid, didn’t you, Nick? You didn’t follow the expectations lined out for you. In your parent’s eyes, you made the wrong choices. Had the wrong friends. Played with the wrong toys.”

“There are no wrong toys.” Frankie says, tilting his head in confusion.

“You’re right.” Helen replies, not looking away from Nick, who is now tapping his fingers on the table in an attempt to appease the nervous energy. “But there were in your parent’s eyes. So you tried to appease them, to do everything right. Just how they wanted but you had already made your bed and they never quite got over it.”

Helen has to close her eyes at the flash of pain she sees in Nick’s eyes.

And she’s careful with her phrasing because she won’t be the one to bring it into the open, even if she needs to communicate to him that she knows his deepest secret. The one he pretends doesn’t exist.

“I’ll admit, I am unsure of what happened. But they found out. Maybe you told them, or they saw something they shouldn’t have, but they found out.”

“Stop.”

“They found out, and you lost everything.”

Nick’s hand reaches for his phone and his fist tightens around it, like a lifeline.

“I don’t understand.” Frankie says, looking between them.

Helen ignores him. “You didn’t have a choice but to leave school. You had to support yourself. Take care of yourself. And you found this place. The Syndicate. A family in its own right and they took you in. But this time, you were more careful. You didn’t let it show.”

“Stop!” Nick shouts and Helen does. His face is red, his chest rising and falling.

Helen swallows but stares Nick down until he brings is eyes to meet hers. “There is nothing wrong with you, Nick.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“I don’t know the pain of what you’ve been through. Your experience is your own. But I know what it’s like to be afraid and to feel trapped. And I know that nothing is going to change until you learn to accept who you are.”

Nick closes his eyes and rubs them.

And Frankie, bless his stupid fucking heart, looks back to Nick in a kind of understanding. “Oh.” He says and he looks to Helen and then again to his comrade, “Dude, I know how this place can be, but if it helps, I don’t care one way or the other. My middle brother is gay.”

Nick winces at the word and looks past Frankie to Helen.

“What gave it away?” He asks, voice heavy with emotion.

“Nothing that anyone else will pick up on.” She eases his worries, “I’ve been a therapist for nearly fifteen years. I know what to look for.”

Nick looks to Frankie, “You can’t fucking t—”

“I won’t say anything.” Frankie is quick to jump in. “I see how the world treats Gio and he’s only in high school.”

“The world can be a cruel place. As humans, we tend to have a hard time distinguishing what is perceived as normal and what is perceived as right. But we all have a responsibility to challenge those beliefs and I am sorry that your parents couldn’t do that for you.”

“I wasn’t a bad kid.” Nick mutters.

“Of course, you weren’t.”

“I just wanted my parents to love me.”

“Some parents aren’t made to be parents. And the fact they couldn’t get over their narrow world view has nothing to do with you.”

“I can’t come out.”

“You don’t have to.” Helen tells him, “You can live the rest of your life pretending to be someone you’re not. Half the world does, anyway. But I can guarantee you that hiding who you are isn’t going to do anything to protect your kid.”

Nick’s eyes widen and he looks to Helen in shock.

“You have a kid? How did that even happen?” Frankie asks.

“Tequila.”

“We’ve all been there.” Helen mutters, lifting her water bottle in a silent salute. “The guys start asking too many questions about why you never date, never have a girlfriend. They start teasing at the truth and you go out and find somebody. Anybody. And things happen, because things always do. And the next thing you know, you’re trapped in another web of lies. It’s easier to play along than to find a way out and, eventually, that web of lies starts to feel like home. And right now, it’s fine. But webs will always begin to unravel. I’d suggest you do it on your own terms rather than watch your world implode.”

Nick shivers, “You really need to stop.”

“Sorry. It’s hard to shut off, sometimes.”

“I can see why DeLuca sedated you.” He mutters and grabs his phone, “A deal is a deal. What’s the number?”

Helen tries not to look to relieved as Nick brings up a new text message. She recites John’s number, forever thankful that she memorized it. Just in case.

He types it in and shakes his head, “I take it this is Wick’s direct line?”

She nods, “Yes.”

Nick exhales, “I’m really fucking glad our shift is almost done. What do you want to say?”

Three words, she muses. They had agreed on three words.

She didn’t know if he already knew where she was, or who had her. Helen didn’t want to waste her one shot giving John information he already had but, she liked to think if he knew where she was, he would already be here.

“DeLuca of Syndicate.” She decides and hopes against hope that it is enough.

….

Dead ends.

After more than a day of searching, John had only been met with dead ends and more questions.

Winston was right. The answer to who would want to destroy the Camorra was apparently everybody. Which meant the only other factor they had to go on was by means.

Who had the resources to stalk and evade John Wick?

Again, the answer was more substantial than he knew what to do with.

They all had money. Especially, the higher up the food chain they went.

While Winston had been able to clear the highest-ranking officials of the High Table, there were still hundreds of smaller echelons to eliminate.

It hadn’t been going well.

John had limited the search to the Camorra’s immediate allies and their top adversaries, local and foreign. Winston was running it now but John could tell he wasn’t hopeful.

It had never occurred to John just how far the Underworld went. Aside from the major players, there were crime families and gangs that all held some sort of stake in his world. And New York was the fucking capital of it all. Anyone and everyone had ties to the city.

The Technician was still there, in his room. He had used the twin bed to catch a few hours of sleep while they waited for the phone to be activated and John had kept vigil. He watched the phone, waiting for any sort of call or message that wasn’t going to come. He watched the computer, hoping that something would pop up.

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing, Mister Wick. If this guy had a modicum of common sense, he would have ditched her original phone and just taken the SIM card. He’ll probably keep the phone off until he intends to use it. Might even be removing the card and only using that when he needs it. Until it’s turned on, we can’t do anything.”

It had taken every ounce of self-control John had not to smash the Technician’s computer. To break the table the way he had done the chair.

He wanted to break something. Needed to see, and hear, and feel something smash apart. Something else had to break before he did.

Thirty-six hours.

It had been thirty-six hours since he had gotten the phone call and he was still no closer to finding Helen.

His stomach churned.

He’d never had trouble eating before or after a mission before. Nothing rattled him. Not blood, or entrails, or the crack of breaking bones. He could see brain matter spattered along a floor and go for a cheeseburger right after.

But this uncertainty, the not knowing… it was killing him.

Had she eaten?

There was a frost over the weekend. Was she someplace warm?

Was she scared?

Did she know he was coming?

He hears the door open and jumps to his feet, heading to the main room. The Technician was hunched over the laptop, needlessly running security cameras and traffic footage near Helen’s home.

John feared it wouldn’t be enough.

A table full of weapons brought by the Sommelier is prepped near the door that Winston is walking through.

He has a bag ready in case Winston is unable to find anything. In case he has to go after the D’Antonio’s.

Winston shakes his head at John, almost in defeat.

“We need to reframe our parameters.” The Manager says, “It’s still too broad.”

John leans against the table. He hadn’t been expecting much but anything would be better than the constant attempts to narrow their search.

What was he missing? What was he leaving out?

What if he went too narrow and ended up missing Helen?

“Have you slept, Jonathan?”

It’s the third time they’ve had this conversation.

He’s tried. But he can’t. Every time he closes his eyes, he can see Helen, bound and passed out on the cold floor.

He can’t remember how many coffee’s he had but it’s keeping him going.

“I suppose I should be grateful you’ve showered.” Winston says, obviously still disapproving. “Still, you won’t be any good to her if you’re strung out on caffeine.”

“I’ve tried, Winston. I just…” He trails off.

This is your fault. You should have protected her better. You should never have showed weakness. Should never have gone to her house. To her office. Should never have brought your fucked-up life into her safe one.

He runs a hand through his hair.

The sitting, the waiting, the hoping is doing absolutely nothing.

He has to fix this.

“I can’t wait any longer, Winston.” John shakes his head, “I’m going after Lorenzo.”

Winston responds in kind, “Don’t be stupid, Jonathan.”

“I can’t sit here doing nothing. If I kill the D’Antonio’s, this is over. She’ll be released.”

“You’re banking on an unknown enemy being honest.”

It was true, but what else was there to go on?

“He has no reason to keep her once they’re dead.”

“That you know of. This could just be the beginning of his plan.” Winston keeps arguing.

“It’s all ifs right now!” John can feel the anger brimming within him, “But it’s all I have! And Helen… she’s tough but she has her limits.”

Winston frowns, “Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you became involved with her.”

“You think I don’t know that! I know that this is my fault but I will get her out of this. I gave you time, I gave the Technician a chance.”

“My time isn’t up.”

“You have a handful of hours and no fucking leads.”

“Um, Mister Wick…” The Technician pipes up, turning around in his seat.

“Then help me narrow down what I should be looking for. You know I can’t just let you go off to kill a member of the High Table.”

“You won’t be able to stop me.”

“Mister Wick!” The Technician shouts and both John and Winston turn to look at him, “You, um, sorry. But you just got a text from an unknown number.”

He holds up the phone and John takes it.

A New York number, that he doesn’t recognize, but opens all the same. The message is short, deliberate.

The miracle he’s been praying for.

DeLuca of Syndicate.

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