#and 'i only let you come here to win me favour' and the first ever episode he apologises for her talking. he's not good to her.

[general-du-vallon]

I like the episode where porthos finds his father. Sort of. Aramis going off to be romantic hero to the girls used to annoy me but I quite liked it this time. He's always off after the next something. Treville being all stubborn i used to think was wrong but actually, maybe he was right, maybe Porthos did have to find out things for himself, and treville letting him go off and be angry I guess?

The scene where porthos asks treville if he kidnapped him and his mum and hen treville says yes, and doesn't get it all straight because him and porthos are twisted about in belgard's lies is interesting. Treville can't just out and say it cus anything he says gets twisted up and incorrected. But then he asks porthos to trust him and porthos makes a tiny noise of distress and look like he's crying it is super sad. Then he storms off and crashes the door good for him.

It's funny. Aramis is angry at once, then off he goes after the women, crashing into the house. d'Artagnan manages like ten minutes in the room before the auction before he is begging to murder someone. Athos is slow, he takes his time over things and gathers facts, but he gets mad too, and he's persistant, always asking treville about porthos. And then he's the one who at the end cuts through all the bullshit 'is porthos in danger?' and off they go to the rescue. Nice.

Aramis and Porthos shoud've got some more nice scenes in. The beggining is so nice for them and then they barely see each other till their little thing at the end over the uniform. Porthos's 'It's bigger than yours' to athos is hilarious tho. like, is he making a dick joke? I think he's making a dick joke, but that could just be the poeple I hang around with.

[nyrasvoid]

A Knight’s Prize

Gwayne Hightower x Fem!Reader

Summary: in a tourney to decide her future, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s eldest daughter must choose a husband. Ser Gwayne Hightower, a charming yet unexpected suitor, captures her attention.

Warnings: i don’t think there is any warning yet but it might contain smut if I write more parts (idk tho)

A/N: this is the first fanfic I have ever written so any criticism as long as it’s respectful will be accepted 🙃 btw english isn’t my first language so some expressions might not make any sense for you guys lol

- Word count: ≈1.1K

As the eldest daughter of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Laenor Velaryon, you carried the Velaryon name with pride. At almost ten and eight years of age, you knew your time had come to marry and strengthen your house. Though your mother felt guilty about marrying you off against your will, she decided to organize a tournament, allowing you the choice in selecting your future lord husband, just like she had wanted when she was younger.

The Red Keep buzzed with anticipation as knights and lords from all over the realm gathered to compete for your hand. Among the spectators sat King Viserys, Queen Alicent, and their children, observing the events unfold. The tension between the blacks and greens was palpable, especially since Alicent had rejected the offer of Princess Rhaenyra of marrying Jacaerys to Helaena, calling her sons ‘plain featured’.

You and your brothers had always noticed the looks and whispers of the highborn lords and ladies each time you walked around the Red Keep. You sometimes resented your mother, not for finding comfort in a lover, as you very much did not care, but for finding a lover with such strong genes.

Your mother approached you as you stood in the balcony of your chambers, overlooking the field. “Are you ready, my daughter?” she asked, her voice filled with a mixture of concern and determination.

You nodded, your eyes scanning the assembled knights and lords below. “Yes, mother. I am very excited to marry a lord I will most possibly not be fond of and bear his heirs, for it is my duty to the realm.” You said sarcastically as you looked down sadly.

“See,” Rhaenyra said, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I know that you did not ask for any of this, but it is our duty as princesses of the realm to bear heirs for the iron throne”. You looked at her “I know it is, mother. I am just scared” you paused as you took a deep breath “What if he mistreats me?”. You mother chuckled “Then you must let me know and I shall fly to you and make Syrax devour your lord husband”. You both giggled at your mother’s words, you saw her capable of it, she had always been protective of her only daughter.

As the herald announced the beginning of the tournament, you couldn't help but feel a knot of anxiety tighten in your stomach. The knights and lords paraded before you, each hoping to catch your eye and win your favor. Your gaze lingered on Ser Gwayne Hightower, the eldest son of Otto Hightower and brother of Queen Alicent. Why was he even here if Alicent had already rejected the opportunity to unite even more your houses? Wasn’t he also defeated by your uncle Daemon in a tourney years ago? It would have been funny to see Otto’s face then, the man he hated the most in the seven kingdoms, knocking his eldest son of his horse. Perhaps his father had sent him, he had always been known as an ambitious man.

The trumpets sounded, signaling the beginning of the tournament. You glanced over at Ser Gwayne, who stood confidently with his head held high. He caught your eye for a moment, and you quickly looked away, feeling a surge of irritation.

As the day wore on, you noticed Ser Gwayne’s victories. His fierce determination and honorable conduct impressed you. He fought with courage, that was both inspiring and captivating. After winning a round against a lord from a minor house you had never heard of, he approached the gallery to ask for your favour.

“Princess, it would be the greatest honor if you would grant me your favor.” He said as he took off his helmet revealing his beautiful blue eyes and charming smile “May your blessing guide me to victory in this tournament for your hand”.

You smiled in amusement “Take this flower crown, Ser Gwayne, and wear it with pride.” You reach for the flower crown resting beside you, it blooms the vibrant colors of Houses Targaryen and Velaryon. “It bears the colors of my house and the faith I have in you”. You lean forward, gently placing the flower crown on Ser Gwayne’s lance.

Ser Gwayne bows once more, his voice filled with gratitude. “I am deeply honored, my lady. With your favor, I shall strive to be worthy of your hand”

During a brief intermission, you found yourself wandering through the gardens of the Red Keep, seeking a moment of respite from the intensity of the tournament. Thinking about how your future was about to be decided by a stupid tourney. It was there were you encountered one of the knights fighting for your hand.

"Princess," he greeted, bowing deeply. "I hope the tourney is to your satisfaction."

You studied him for a moment, noting the easy charm in his smile and the glint of mischief in his eyes. "It is, Ser Gwayne. You fight well and with honor.”

"Thank you, princess," he replied, stepping closer. “I must admit, I didn’t expect to find such beauty amidst the flowers.”

“Ser Gwayne,” you reply, feeling your cheeks heat up. “Shouldn’t you be resting for your next fight?”

“I find the gardens far more refreshing than the company of annoying knights,” - he steps closer “Besides, I couldn’t resist the chance to speak more privately with my future lady wife.” he says confidently.

There’s a playful spark in his eyes that makes your heart race. “You seem very confident, Ser Gwayne. Aren’t you worried about the competition?”

He leans in slightly, “The only competition that matters to me is winning your hand, princess”

You laugh softly, both flattered and intrigued. “Bold words for a knight who hasn’t yet proven himself.”

His gaze becomes more intense, a hint of cockiness in his smile. “Then perhaps I should start proving myself next round.”

Before you can respond, he gently takes your hand, placing a tender kiss on your knuckles. You could feel your cheeks heat up. It wasn’t the first time a knight or a lord kissed your hand, but this time was different, you actually felt something.

As the distant sounds of the tournament begin to echo through the gardens, you know it’s time to return. Ser Gwayne till holds your hand, as if he is reluctant to let go.

“I suppose we must go back,” you say softly.

He nods, as his eyes remain fixed on you. “Duty calls us both, it seems.” he said as he let go of your hand “But know this, Princess. My intentions towards you are sincere, it would be a great honor to marry you”

You give him a small smile, though you doubt his real intentions “Words are easy, Ser Gwayne. Proving them is the true challenge.”

“Then I shall accept your challenge, for you are worth every effort.”

You can’t help but wonder if his charm is genuine or simply a tactic. You recall the reputation of the Hightowers, a family known for their ambitions. Are Ser Gwayne’s intentions truly genuine, or is he merely following his father’s orders, seeking to gain influence through marriage?

You walk back to the main grounds of the tournament, his words echoing in your mind. ‘My intentions are sincere.’ Could it be true? Or is this just another scheme by his father, Otto Hightower, to strengthen their hold on power?

As you take your place, you steal a glance at Ser Gwyn. He catches your eye and offers a reassuring smile, but the seed of doubt has already been planted in your head.

The tournament continues, but your thoughts remain divided. You weigh the warmth of his touch and the sincerity in his eyes against the ruthless ambition of his family. Should you trust your heart, which yearns to believe in his genuine affection?

Pt. 2???

P.S. if you guys have any suggestions for part two, to improve my writing or anything you think, please let me know 🫨 Btw just in case you want to know, the lady in the picture at the beginning is Kosem Sultan, played by Beren Saat (there are others) she has great dress inspo if you want them for your DRs or fanfics.

[scenetocause]

hello! here to ask for max f & lando -💜 impulsive kiss, please (if that takes your fancy) :)

sorry this took me ages! i was laid low with perversions.

It's not like it used to be, when they did bits all the time. It was easy, when they were karting and then a bit more complicated when they were in completely fucking different series, a bit easier again when Max got to F3. Much easier when he dropped out and moved in.

But now they both have other people they're supposed to be copping off with and when they get time together there's so much hanging out they have to get done, on a tight schedule now, that it doesn't really come up. When you've only got 36 hours to fit in three months of best friend time then dick touching can get shoved down the agenda a bit in favour of worrying about their proper relationships and gossiping about what Tom's been up to now and did you know Ria's got a boyfriend now, mate? Bloke's fucking massive, thought a mountain had walked into the office.

He knows how Max crumples his face up in concentration when he's about to come, like he has to focus on the goal. That he really likes having his arse played with but he's touchy about it sometimes, still, gets all tense and bent up about it if Lando tries anything stupid, won't let him at all if he makes any jokes. Doesn't mind putting Lando's cock in his mouth, usually but Max'd rather lie back a lot of the time, make Lando do all the work. Likes to be held, after, fall asleep together for a bit even if it's 11am and Jon's due in half an hour.

So, yeah, it's not like they're not doing it. They could do it. It's just that they mostly haven't been, for a bit. Which makes it weird, when he wins and Max isn't there because there's fucking nothing more Lando wants to do, suddenly, than wank each other off in his hotel room so they're both all glazed before they even get to the club.

Snogging Oscar, later, is interesting - he's a bit of a perv, that Piastri. Sticks his hand down the back of Lando's suit trousers and presses a sweaty fingertip to his arsehole, like Oscar's just checking it's there or something. Reminding himself Lando's fuckable, who knows. It's not the same, though, so Lando ends up trying to jack it in bed with one foot on the floor to stop the room spinning and passing out before he makes himself come.

Then it's ages, isn't it because Max doesn't come to Monaco, either. Because he's making a home with his girlfriend and that's fine, good even, they'll probably be having kids sooner or later won't they and doesn't that make Lando feel something like vertigo. F1 race winner, dad - they're not supposed to be doing them as separate routes. They could've been both, together.

But then there's the football, yeah. And Max texts him some shit like looking pretty decent there Bob almost had me convinced you know ball and Lando's trying not to blush at his phone like an idiot or anything because sometimes, you know. It's nice, still. That Max likes him.

Obviously they have to run into fucking Oleksandr Usyk and it's a bit weird, innit, that he recognises Lando first and then Max is all in awe and trying to tell Lando who the bloke is which, right, he doesn't really care all that much.

"You'd think his face'd get more fucked up, doing all that stuff. You're looking like you've gone more rounds than him, mate-"

"Shut up." It's alright, Max taking the piss out of him. Makes him feel less self-conscious about it, really.

"Make me, then." And Max throws his fists up into some poor imitation of a boxing stance, so Lando's pretty sure he meant something else but also he's laughing and knocking his shoulder into Lando's and his mouth is pink and warm and the most familiar of any Lando's ever touched his own to.

It's not a long kiss, they're standing on a London street, in broad daylight, it'd be stupid to get all hot and heavy with it. Jesus, what if P catches them? Just their fucking luck she'd be popping out for milk or something.

But it's enough. Lando's hands closing around Max's fists to draw him close, quickly. Just a taste of each other's tongues, musky with coffee and matcha. A reminder of how they are when they're like this.

(Perfect. Lando's confident they'll sort it all out one day, just need to get the other stuff out of their systems first but they'll never stop coming back to this.)

"Didn't know boxing got you all hot and bothered, Bob." Max shoves him away a bit, only to pull them back together. It's the same way they always are.

"Nah," he feels honest, free with it, like the relief across the finish line. "Only you."

[local-ground-apple]

how do vil and crewel and silver react to their s/o giving them spontaneous love bites

they leave no mark and only when nobody’s around

again it’s nice to see you come back, i look forward to bothering you ♡

you can bother me anytime🍏💚 andd you picked practically all my favs!

💜 At first, Vil wasn't thrilled.

💜 When you left a spontaneous love bite on him for the first time, Vil was extremely shocked. If it wasn't for his self-control, he would probably jump from surprise. He was opening his mouth to scold you and tell you to never, ever, do something similar, yet you were faster than him,

"Relax, no one's here, besides, I didn't leave any mark"

💜 You rolled your eyes, a playful smile appearing on your lips. You were aware that given his profession as an actor and a model, Vil couldn't have any visible marks on his body. Otherwise, the Internet and his "fans" would probably cancel him. You didn't miss the way he let out a breath full of relief,

💜 Vil didn't enjoy them at first, but he quickly grew used to them. You leave no mark and you only give him love bites when nobody's around, so he doesn't really have a problem with them,

💜 Soon, your spontaneous love bites became some sort of game between you two. Naturally Vil decided to return a favour. Both of you try to surprise each other with them and it turned into competition.

💜 Whoever steals more surprise love bites throughout the week without being noticed by other students, wins,

💜 Given Vil's popularity, it's hard to catch him alone and it's even harder to surprise him, but you are not the one to give up easily,

💜 Both of you are extremely good in this game, so it often ends up in a tie,

🐶 You are a bold puppy, but that's what he loves about you,

🐶 Another man who given his serious and respected profession cannot afford to let you leave some actual marks on his skin,

🐶 Crewel actually enjoys them, but he won't explicitly tell you that,

🐶 He finds your habit quite cute and endearing. You always manage to bring a smile on his face with your fleeting and spontaneous love bites. He absolutely adores this playful side of yours,

🐶 In return, he decides it's only fair if he also leaves some love bites on your skin. However, the difference is that his bites leave marks. Marks that you struggle to cover,

🐶 Crewel got used quite quickly to your love bites and you can rarely manage to surprise him with them. You can probably count on the fingers of your one hand amount of times he actually seemed shocked when you playfully bit him,

🐶 However, he manages 95% of the time to catch you off guard with his love bites. You find it quite frustrating, but well,

,,My, my, you look so adorable puppy"

⚔️ Silver absolutely doesn't mind them. If that's how you like to show your affection towards him, he lets you do it,

⚔️ He quickly got used to you randomly leaving love bites on his skin, mostly on his neck. Silver usually responds with a small smile and a soft kiss to your forehead,

⚔️ Another man on this list that is hard to surprise and catch off guard (you are still trying and failing),

⚔️ This is probably your favorite method to wake him up. You often do it by leaving love bites all over his neck till he opens his eyes,

⚔️ You are the best alarm. Your method works almost every time,

⚔️ You both are glad that you leave absolutely no traces and kiss Silver when no one's around. You two are sure that if Lilia saw any marks on his son's skin, he would immediately bombard you with questions and he would endlessly tease you,

⚔️ Speaking of Lilia, Silver often jokes that your biting-habit reminds him a tad bit of his father,

[wonijinjin]

trust fall

synopsis: mingyu is afraid of heights, but what happens when you try to convince him to go on the ferris wheel in the amusement park?

word count: 0.9k | genre: fluff, if you squint angst and comfort, humour/crack | pairing: mingyu x gn! reader | warnings: mention of the word ‘death’

you and mingyu have been planning your date night to the amusement park for weeks, and now you two finally had some spare time to spend together, which was rare nowadays as you both had busy schedules all the time. after a delicious dinner cooked by your chef boyfriend you got into his car and drove to the park. it was a bit further away from the city than you expected, but you had a great drive nonetheless, catching up on how things had been going in the past few weeks.

when you arrived the first thing you suggested was going on the ferris wheel as watching the sunset from there seemed like a pretty romantic idea, however unfortunately mingyu did not really appreciate your creativity as he was notoriously afraid of heights. “come on mingyu baby, it isn’t that high, it is literally the shortest ferris wheel i have ever seen for real!” you said, trying to convince your six foot tall baby of a boyfriend to agree. “i will hold your hand the entire time if you want it baby. please, i really want to see it!” you pleaded with puppy eyes, which has always been effective when trying to win him over. “no way. are you crazy? what if it breaks? we could literally die! i am way too handsome for dying here on a ferris wheel, that would be so pathetic.” he whined, clearly more scared than you thought he would be. “okay, fine. i won’t push it further ‘gyu.” you sighed, disappointed. “let’s go, i guess i will have to miss out on a romantic ride with the most beautiful scenery ever.” you commented with a pout.

“i can’t believe you actually agreed!” you jumped with excitement while waiting in line for the ferris wheel ten minutes after him saying no to the idea. “well you are not alone, because neither can i. the things i do for you, you little brat!” he groaned dramatically in disapproval, but you could see the smile hiding in the corner of his mouth. “hey, rude! that little brat loves you very much!” you smacked his arm lightly. “if you loved me you wouldn’t have suggested this in the first place! you know i hate these things!” he pouted. “it will be fun i swear! you will get all the kisses in the world up there, i think it is a pretty good deal, no better distraction needed.” you smirked.

it was your turn to enter the cabins so you grabbed his hand and got into one. everything was going smoothly…well, except for your scaredy-cat boyfriend clinging onto you for dear life and knocking the air out of your lungs, you didn’t mind it though since he already did you a favour by agreeing to go up together. when you arrived at the top of the wheel it stopped so people could admire the view. only one thing was wrong with this action, mingyu who hasn’t been on anything higher than his height in years didn’t know the reason for the wait. “oh my god we aren’t gonna survive, are we? i told you this was a bad idea! how are we gonna get down from here now?” he panicked, borderline crying. “mingyu baby, noone is gonna stay here, it stopped in order to provide time for us to look at the scenery, everything is fine.” you tried to calm him down. “but what if-“ you kissed him, pulling him closer than he already was, caressing his neck and playing with his hair in the process. he was taken aback by your sudden action, but kissed back passionately, loosening the grip he had on your hand since sitting down in the cabin. he could only focus on you, the way your lips felt on his, your touch light as a feather, yet so firm and comforting. after some time you finally broke apart. “was this a good distraction?” you asked in a curious tone. he seemed confused for a moment then took in his surroundings. “woah, i literally forgot where i was for a moment.” he mumbled, still a bit dazed. “look out, the sunset is so gorgeous!” you whispered while giving him a peck on his lips. “not more gorgeous than you, my love.” he smiled. you hugged him tightly and the two of you got to enjoy the view for a little while before the wheel started moving again, this time taking you back to the ground.

“you really are something special, baby. after you kissed me i wasn’t scared, not even for a moment. i felt so safe, because i was with you. thank you for this, it was amazing.” he said after climbing out, picking you up and smothering you in kisses. “i am glad you enjoyed it after all. it was something worth seeing.” you grinned, happy that your boyfriend got over his fear. “i got the chance to see it thanks to you baby. it would have been a shame if we ditched this because of me.” he giggled. “but i am happy to be on solid ground again though!” he added, which made you chuckle. you kissed him one more time. “my hero puppy.”

[wisteriagoesvroom]

29 please

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

from a kinkmeme omegaverse prompt about the FIA banning scent blockers, which idk that i’ll finish unfortch :(

——— mildly nsfw ———

Charles is fine. Has great self control. Has trained all the time for this. Never mind when he first presented as a teenager and Gianni was there and he spent a whole week trying to chop firewood and build a nest with his laundry and make pasta from scratch (the pasta was bad). That was long ago. He has better coping mechanisms now.

Max walks past, giving him a wave. The other man’s scent hits him like a truck. Motor oil. Musk. Pine. Oh, fuck, he’s going to be so sick.

His blood is about to vibrate out of his skin. He sweats bullets. Alpha, alpha, alpha goes the awful sound. Let us crawl in this place together, and never come out. I need teeth on my neck and your come on my skin and I need to make a place that is good for you that has only us, it will be us racing against each other forever, one breath in for you one breath out for me, alpha alpha alpha.

“Do you want to fuck?” Charles blurts out, in the empty hallway. “We don’t have to bite or anything.

Max’s mouth twists. “Charles… what happened to hello?”

“Ah. Hello. Also I am being very serious. I really need to get through this rut.”

“You’re not speaking from your right mind.”

Anger flashes in Charles. Always does, when he’s agitated. “What do you know about me being in my right mind? My mind is my own.”

“I know. But I also know you.”

“Then you know that I am just needing to make it through…” Charles gestures wildly. "This.”

“Isn’t there someone else?”

The omega in Charles is petulant now. There were some lines he would never cross with Pierre. And Carlos for some reason sprinted off to the McLaren side of the pits without warning after his engineering meeting, so there went his teammate option.

“There’s no one else. It's like this. I would never ask unless I needed to.”

It spins out between them. The fact that Charles is in championship contention for the first time in a long time, the fact that getting him through his rut tonight would mean Charles has the recuperation time to drive well by Sunday. They both know that a well-timed rut in elite sport constitutes a possible, and very legal, physical advantage. An advantage that the FIA seeks to exploit with its new regulations, for audience gain, but it’s not illegal to do this with their bodies for the price of a potential win. So be it.

Nonetheless, Max hesitates. He’s probably worried things won’t ever be the same between them again. Charles has no such concern. There are no feelings involved here, simply a biological fulfilment of his inconvenient second gender.

Charles grits his teeth. “Remember when you said that you owe me a favour? I must use it now, Max. Please.”

Curiosity, and something close to concern, flit across Max’s face. Max’s fingers seem to twitch on the cap in his hand, before he thinks better of it.

“Well. We are not doing it here.”

from asks here

[a-driftamongopenstars]

o companion mine; crow x guardian ficlet

i was watching ahamkara lore videos and had an idea for... this :) happy season of the wish everyone! also on ao3

The geode walls of the hollow shimmer in the daylight. The Guardian runs their fingertips over the jagged edges, watching their pearlescent sheen change from purple to pink to light green. 

A shadow is cast on the wall, and the Guardian turns to find Crow there, smiling his sweet smile. 

“You are late,” the Guardian points out without accusation, and Crow spreads his arms in an apology. 

“Then let us not waste a moment longer. Race me, Guardian.”

They run through the golden fields and up and down the rocky hills, racing each other to the nearest tree, then the nearest creek, then the nearest star. The Ascendant plane whistles past them with its eerie song, and they ignore it in favour of the Dreaming City proper. They run and laugh and cheer.

Crow is faster, and wins every race.

When both are out of breath, they find a small outpost, empty of its Corsairs, and sit beneath a long-branched tree, indulging in its fruit. 

“Tell me, Guardian,” Crow says, wiping his mouth of sweet juice, “what do you think comes after?”

They eye him, squinting from daylight. 

“After what?”

“When the Darkness and the Light are no longer our concern. When the fight ends, what will we do?”

“If that ever happens.”

“Wouldn't you want it to?”

The Guardian throws aside the fruit core and looks at Crow more intently, studying the seriousness of his features. 

“We need to get there first. Where is that philosophy coming from all of a sudden?”

Crow rests his head against the tree trunk beside the Guardian, his eyes glinting as he looks up. That amber gold brighter than it has ever been. 

“I've always been curious, haven't I?”

They can't argue with that. 

“And there is still so much to know. Especially of the places I have never been to, and stories I have never heard the end of.”

Crow closes his eyes, and speaks unto the Guardian with a plea. 

“Tell me of the places you have seen.”

And the Guardian does. With fervour they didn't know they possessed, they speak of the icy slopes of Europa, the broken rings of Saturn, the hallowed halls of Oryx’s dreadnaught, the tides of Titan… 

Place after place after place until the words run out and their listener is satiated. 

“Perhaps, one day, I will see those places with you,” Crow replies, staring the Guardian down with a strange gaze of determination, as if gauging for something.

The Guardian smiles at the thought, and smiles at Crow. He touches the Guardian's hand and after a moment's pause continues. 

“It is strange, Guardian. Here beside you, that ‘after’ I asked about almost doesn't matter. You are the Light, and in it, you know you are invincible. Paracausal. Even when the Light and the Darkness may change forever, you know you will continue.”

The Guardian listens, knowing that Crow speaks the truth. 

“Do you never wish for rest?”

A noise distracts them, something shivering in the grass and rustling in the bush, and when the Guardian turns back, Crow is gone, only a silhouette left in the pressed tufts of grass. 

In the sky, a lone bird traverses the afternoon sky. 

As the Guardian turns around in search of their companion, touched with an unsettled sense of wrong, the sweet taste of fruit turns sour in their mouth and their heart is pounding, not from the race, but doubt… 

“Guardian!”

Crow’s voice reaches them from afar as the Hunter's figure grows closer and closer, as Crow approaches the outpost atop a Sparrow. His cheeks are darkened with speed and wind, his eyes open wide, his smile sweet as ever. 

“There you are. I thought we were meeting at our usual spot. I've been looking all over.”

The Guardian swallows down realizations of illusions and takes his hands and kisses them, kisses Crow's cheeks and watches his eyes for a deceitful shimmer, finding none. 

“I followed a stray creature and got lost.”

“I wish you'd wait for me.”

The Guardian silences Crow with a kiss. 

[0zzysaurus]

Okay so here’s our schedule fellas. Let me walk you through it in beginner talk.

Fun and important adventure below :]]

NFL is broken into two organisations — The AFC and the NFC. They are then broken down into four regional divisions — each division has four teams. Teams from both the AFC and NFC will play each other throughout the season, but we also have divisional games, where you play the other teams within your division.

Bengals are in AFC North — AFC North consists of, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Shittsburgh Steelers. We play each of our divisional rivals twice in order to make a ranking within the division, which — on top of overall ranking — determines placement in the play-offs (which not every team gets into, as the season comes to a close, teams with lowest wins are eliminated.)

We always tend to struggle divisionally, so it’s good to have a preliminary look at the non-divisional teams we’ll play, be they other AFC teams or NFC teams. Some of the teams we have this season (i.e. Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, etc.) are DOG ASS TEAMS ‼️‼️‼️ We should be able to cinch easy wins from those teams — but never say that out loud, because the Bengals have a habit of ‘bungling’ things up.

On the other hand, we also have some absolutely cracked teams in our schedule (i.e. Philly Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and regrettably, the Kansas City Chiefs). These will be hard teams to beat, especially the Chiefs, because they’re the NFL’s baby pretty princess special boo boo ga ga team who can do no wrong. The game is scripted in their favour I swear to God. BUT it’s been done. We’ve been known to give those skanks a thrashing.

See, the Bengals are a bipolar team if ever there was one. We either wipe the floor with ‘em, or get absolutely barebacked and humiliated on live television for several weeks straight. We always start bad with even records but tend to climb up the winning ladder the closer to the end we get. Joe Burrow — our Quarterback — also has this cute little habit of getting season-ending injuries every fucking season. He also got a big pay check last year so he’s been playing like total ass. Jake Browning is our second Quarterback and he did an ace job last year for it being his first professional season. Evan McPhearson is our kicker and he’s my favourite. I want him.

If u would like to be a Bengal Freak like me, here are three tenants to follow to keep the spirit of the game alive in your soul:

1. KEEP THAT WHO DEY KITTY IN YOUR HEART !! (Who Dey is both our mascot and our signature chant) When you got the Who Dey on a Game Dey? You can conquer the world. First tenant — Be glad that we’re here.

2. Never say you think we’re going to win a game. It attaches some evil Pharaoh’s curse onto that week of football and we will lose. Even if it’s Q3 and the game only has 15 minutes of playtime left and we are up by multiple TD’s, do not say that we have it in the bag. Do not say we are gonna thrash their hides. Second tenant — If the Bengals can Bungle it, assume that they will.

3. We have enemies. But we also have friends. But more importantly we have enemies. The Chiefs — despite not being a division rival — are a team we are sworn against. Fuck those guys, we all hate ‘em no matter what team you support. Remember them as the key villain of the sport, and revel in their downfall whenever you can, just know that it never lasts long. Division teams are sworn to hatred — the Ravens, Browns, and Steelers all suck — but especially the Steelers. Remember to save all your hatred for those towel-wiping shit squealing Steelers. On the brighter side, the Buffalo Bills are our friends. We have done good things for each other over the past half-a-decade. We’ve got each other into play-offs via score manipulation, we’ve respected one another through very serious injuries, and we send each other food when our teams win. You will see Bengals fans touting them as our friends forever. We love the Bills Mafia. We are in a romantic relationship with the Bills Mafia. The Dolphins, Lions, and 49ers are also our chums! Third Tenant — Root for our rivals, and kill our enemies.

This has been Joey’s introductory guide to being a Bengals Buddy in 2024 — watch out for August when my entire account turns orange ^^ who dey!! 🐯🏈

[total-drama-brainrot]

Love your Alenoah Hypno Story... Out of curiosity, how different would the story be if Noah has a secret fear of hypnosis, before World Tour... And when Alejandro offered to entrance him, Noah simply BOLTS out of the room... then Noah tries to avoid being left alone with Alejandro, so the Latino can't hypnotize him... I think Alejandro would totally enjoy the challenge and he would feel even more satisfied, when he finally has a chance to entrance Noah (like maybe Alejandro promises not to let Owen get voted off, if Noah would let Alejandro hypnotize him)! 😈

Anon why would you open this plotline up to me it's giving me The Brainworms.

Because Noah having a genuine phobia of hypnosis or something adjacent to it- like a phobia of automatism in general, or just a severe disliking of not having control over himself- suggests that he's experienced something similar before, either first-hand or as a witness. Which means he would have intimate knowledge about the extents Alejandro could hypothetically abuse his talents as a hypnotist to.

I doubt he'd actually bolt away from Alejandro after the other offers to hypnotise him, Noah's a bit more savvy than that (even if he is pretty socially illiterate), so he'd probably just insult the idea and dismissively saunter off- whilst trying his best to breath evenly around the ice in his lungs and quell the terrified shaking of his hands. Alejandro, of course, would notice just how petrified uncomfortable the idea of hypnosis makes Noah, which would only pique his interest and motivate him to try and somehow ensnare the nerd under his control.

Of course, that becomes increasingly difficult when Noah begins to go our of his way to avoid interacting with Alejandro at all, to the point where the two of them are hardly ever within talking distance of each other, let alone left alone together (which is impressively frustrating, given the fact they're essentially trapped on a jet. There's very little space Noah can occupy without encountering Alejandro, and yet he somehow manages to consistently evade the Spaniard). Also, Noah's always surrounding himself with others- namely Owen, but he also begins clinging to Tyler as well. There's safety in numbers, after all. Alejandro would never try anything nefarious in front of potential witnesses.

I like the idea of him incentivising Noah into undergoing hypnosis- either by bargaining his vote/Owen's safety in return for Noah's compliance, or by having the rest of Team Chris help in having Noah "face his fear"- which could be a fun little call back to the Phobia Factor episode in Island.

Because Noah was one of the few contestants who never had to face his fear, and it's super convenient that Alejandro is capable of 'helping' him face it. Really, it'd be doing him a favour.

(i.e. Alejandro tries something nefarious in front of potential witnesses.)

And having the rest of the team around for 'moral support' would pressure him into compliance, because Al is only trying to help, and there's nothing scary about hypnosis, and they'll be right here the whole time, he has nothing to worry about. Any arguments he can conjure up to dismiss the idea come off as him simply being too scared to face his phobia, so his protesting is ignored until he eventually gives in. He's a pretty passive person, all things considered, so Noah wouldn't waste his energy fighting a losing battle when it's easier to just get it over with. Even if the idea has his usually unshakable self trembling with fear.

The thing about hypnosis is that, at it's core, it's about settling someone into an agreeable mindset- that's considerably hard to do when the person you're trying to hypnotise near enough has a panic attack every time they see a pendulum. It'd take a lot more effort on Alejandro's part to actually get Noah to fall into a trance, even with the extra assurance of their company. But eventually, Alejandro's talents win out against Noah's fear (and rationality).

And once he's under the trance, Alejandro ushers the rest of their team from the room, claiming that the ensuing hypnotic process is highly volatile and that their presence could hinder/harm Noah's subconscious- or something along those lines. It's all a lie, of course, but Owen and Tyler are both considerate and naïve enough to trust Alejandro's judgement as neither would ever want to intentionally hurt Noah, so they leave Alejandro alone to do his work.

(If Izzy is still part of the team, Alejandro would convince her to leave by giving her some sort of 'special mission', or by sicking her on Chef for yet another Izzy v. Chef smackdown.)

From there it's a question of whether Noah's deep-rooted phobia hinders the effects of hypnosis to the point where he has a natural resistance to the trance and thus does his best to defy him, or if he's just as susceptible to Alejandro's spell as anyone else and lives out the rest of the competition living in constant paranoia because he could be enthralled at any given moment.

Either way, I doubt someone as terrified opposed to the idea of hypnosis would take Alejandro's attempted breach of his autonomy laying down. He'd react a lot more volatilely, fuelled by his all-consuming fear.

[yeahyikers]

idk kind of thinking about the nadia & jason “i wouldve loved you the same if you told me” and how she was always looking to know him and how he was all she had. and how nadia and peter are foils. two people who only had jason and him alone. and how he had everyone but in a way that he was no one to them. i think about how desperate nadia sounded at the end of promise to get jason to open up to her. she realized then how little she knows of her brother. how anyone knows of him. she wanted to be there for him but he didnt let her. do you think she carries that with her? i think about jasons death. i think about how it was accidental but premeditated. i think about the fact that peter ended up getting exactly what he wanted. he wanted people to know about them. and they did. it wasnt enough for jason he still wanted to run. what if peter had agreed? what if they left during intermission and escaped. they wouldve soon found out theres no real escape. i think about how it wouldve never worked out. about star crossed lovers destined to end each other but what happens when one lives? i think about how it was supposed to be peter who died. narratively. mercutio who gave his life for romeo. who died quietly to keep jasons secret. who couldve been the catalyst. to jason talking about who he is. it wouldve made perfect for jason and ivys life together. but he lived. and jasons death was accidental, in fact there was so much more for them to live. i think about jasons death. and the emptiness he left. ivy without the father of her child and first love. peter and nadia without their everything. do you think they were brought together? do you think they connected over two sides of the same person they lost? do you think peter was ever able to love again? do you think nadia blames this all on ivy? because of course she would, but even she should see her hurting. do you think they would forgive each other. do you think this is what would allow them to come together and see each other as two girls in the same world. that everything that hurts them is the same structure that killed jason. i think they deserve to love together. and matt. he got everything he wanted. valedictorian. romeos demise. ivy. do you think he wished upon his death halfheartedly and now lives with that regret? do you think he blames himself? that maybe if he hadnt outted jason he would still be here? how does he live seeing peter within the emptiness. knowing he won’t be forgiven. how do the four of them live. how do you live when youve lost so much.

i think about what peter said to the priest. i think about how peter forgave him. thats so fucking powerful. jason died. the system killed him. god killed him and peter forgave. i think about the inherit catholicism in everything that went wrong. the system failed all of them in every way it could. i think about how peters conversation and relationship with his mother is the ultimate symbolism of how the church views adolescent troubles. to not discuss it. i think about how when jason went to the priest the priest’s only comfort was “i’ll keep your secret.” how the churchs solution to everything is to keep it hidden. ivy got pregnant due to unsafe sex perpetuated by a lack of safe sexual education and resources. by “abstinence only” preaching. i think about matts inherent toxic masculinity as a result of conservative religious culture. how he was always in competition with jason. even when ivy chose jason he felt like he lost. like he had to win her back. he had to “beat” jason. in everything. i think about nadia. how shes grown bitter and resentful from watching ivy get everything She wanted. how thats not even ivys fault. ivy never chose to be favoured. yet nadia chose to blame her. i think about how theyre pit against each other. and how nadia believes she can only tear ivy down to “win.” how she knows she is so much more but shes stuck in a society where looks always win. i think about the schools lack of awareness of substance use among the student population. these kids were REGULARLY consuming hard substances without supervision and god knows without the knowledge of the consequences. i think about how when lucas explained mdma and ketamine there was nothing but flowery words. and how there was no control or safe practice. i think about how this was what killed jason. i think about how theyre stuck in this system. how long they have been. i think about the fact that peter and jason were together at the start. that they knew each other since at least 12, maybe earlier. how long had they loved each other? for all of high school? they were a four year long secret? longer? i think about how now peter cannot talk about his grief for jason without betraying him. he cannot mourn him fully without outting the one thing jason wanted no one to know. without “ruining” his parents perception of him, the schools perception of him. how his mother doesnt understand. how she never got the chance to know jason. or bothered to know peter as he really was. would she change her mind now? when he needs her most?

[foggysirens]

ao3 masterlist

hello friends! finally figured it was time to compile all my fics together over here on tumblr for easy access!

as of now, everything i've written is star wars/dinluke, but if that changes in the future you'll see that updated here!

oneshots

lost to you (4.3k, T)

“I didn’t think I’d ever step foot back onto Tatooine again.” Din spins around, blaster drawn. His grip on the gun falters when he sees who’s standing behind him. “Skywalker?”

sharp dressed man (3.7k, T)

“Okay,” he says, pushing open the door of the changing room as he tightens the tie around his neck and smoothes out an errant wrinkle from the front of his shirt. “How do I look?” He hopes that this will be the winning look. It’s definitely the only one he’s liked so far, the only one he can see himself buying and actually wearing afterwards. Bo-Katan just needs to agree, or else Din will end up sitting next to a co-council that’s plotting to set his wardrobe on fire. “A bit like my uncle if I’m being honest,” replies a voice that is decidedly not Bo-Katan’s.

all of this turbulence (wasn't forecasted) (5.6k, T)

Luke Skywalker always wanted to be a pilot. He never got to be.

no language left to say it (4.9k, T)

“What is that?” “What is what?” Leia points a finger at him, “That thing on your head!” Confusion blooms for a second before realization sinks in, “Oh! My braid?” - In where Luke grows a Padawan braid and there are a lot of thoughts about it.

sprinkling stardust (10.1k, T)

There was nothing in the world that Luke was more sure of than he was about Din Djarin. Din's son? Not so much. - Or, the one where Luke realizes that dating a guy with a kid can be hard. Especially when the aforementioned kid doesn't seem to like you.

a moment in the sun (10k, T)

“Let me get this right,” Din says slowly. “You’re telling me that we have to captain one of the company baseball teams together and prove that we’re a good couple, or your uncle is going to fire you?” “Pretty much.” - Or, the one where Luke comes to figure out what he wants most out of life, all to the tune of intermediate corporate baseball.

get there fast (and then we'll take it slow) (11.3k, T)

The first thought that crosses Luke’s mind about the man in front of him is that, ‘his eyes are stunning’. His second thought is a loud and resounding, ‘shit’. - Or, the one where Luke is forced to retire early, copes by flying across the country to visit his sister, and falls head over heels for the handsome stranger that he got caught staring at in the airport.

après nous, le déluge (20k, M)

A year after a less than favourable meeting, Mand'alor Din Djarin is once again face to face with the man that everyone around him seems to think he despises. If only they knew the truth. - Or, the one where finding love as the ruler of an entire planet is hard, but keeping it a secret is harder.

all for freedom and for pleasure (9.4k, T)

“It was you.” The words fall from Luke’s lips before he can stop them. The Mandalorian freezes, helmeted gaze turning to focus on him. “The Force was leading me to you.” - Or, in an act of desperation, the Rebellion seeks out help from a rather unlikely source, leaving Luke unsure of how to feel about the new arrival to Echo Base, but unable to deny that the Force works in mysterious ways.

called for you everywhere (20k, T)

Din’s done well for himself, all things considered. Living under the nose of the Empire, hiding in plain sight. Surviving. Not bad for a former Jedi. - Or, in the aftermath of Order 66, former Jedi apprentice Din Djarin spends his days trying to track down a lost piece of his past. What he finds, however, is far more than he was expecting.

kiss me once again (15.6k, T)

Seventy years. Din Djarin lost seventy years of his life and only has memories of ghosts to show for it. Until the man on the bridge, that is. - Or, the one where Din is Captain America and Luke is the Winter Soldier and it's just about as tragic as you'd expect.

you're the cigarette (and i'm the smoker) (2.5k, T)

He reaches over toward his lover's side of the bed, but instead of warm skin, his hand falls flat against cold, rumpled sheets. Luke blinks up at the ceiling, twisting his fingers around the empty bedding. - Or, Luke and Din share a late-night smoke.

specific taste (5k, M)

“What’s your name?” the Mandalorian asks again. Luke pauses. This could be it. He could tell this mysterious and sexy stranger his name and risk getting recognized, or he could do what he came here to do in the first place. “Marc,” he says. “My name is Marc.” - Or, the one where Luke just wants one night to be anyone else at all.

boys workin' on empty (9.3k, T)

“Do you like it?” Luke couldn’t help but ask as he walked backwards and hopped up onto the crate, tired of standing on his feet. "Driving, I mean." Din glanced at him over his shoulder, something flashing across his face that Luke wasn’t able to decipher before he looked away again. “I don’t mind it. It’s quiet for the most part. Decent hours and I’m always home for supper.” “Must be nice.” “If you like that sort of thing.” “I do.” - Or, the one where Luke works retail and Din is the dashing delivery driver that he can't seem to get out of his mind.

i'll be gone (in a day or two) (15k, M)

Before it all, Luke Skywalker had been a teacher. - Or, the one where the dead outnumber the living, but Din and Luke still end up finding each other anyway.

my love is mine, all mine (2.5k, T)

Going months without Din was like getting rain on Tatooine. Unfathomable. - Or, Luke returns home.

shake this frost off of my bones (5.4k, T)

“Eager to get rid of me?” “You’re not eager to go?” Luke raises an eyebrow. “Out here all alone on a stranger's farm? Someone else in your shoes might say they’re in trouble.” Din hums, “You don’t seem like the trouble type, Mr. Skywalker.” Luke winks, “Well, I’m glad one of us thinks so, Mr. Djarin.” - Or, Luke is a farmer and Din has car troubles.

a misfit and a mess (14.9k, T)

Din Djarin has been playing Dungeons and Dragons professionally for nearly ten years. He's never shared a table with someone quite like Luke Skywalker before. - Or, the one where sometimes the best way to discover real love is to find it in a fantasy world first.

true blue (5k, T)

“How do you just keep getting better with age?” Luke admires aloud, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Din’s chin. “You look so good. It’s infuriating.” “You’re one to talk,” Din grumbles between more kisses. “Can’t even see the sliver in your hair it’s so blond.” Luke pulls away, blinking. “What?” - Or, the one where Luke doesn't handle growing older as well as he thought he would.

you're going to die here, you know (13.4k, M)

There’s a grit under Luke’s nails that won’t go away.

suffer does the wolf (4.4k, T)

He ignores the tremble of the flame once he finally finds the beat-up Zippo he carries around, flicking it to life and cupping it up to his face. It throws just enough light to cut through some of the licking, blue wounds cast by the moonlight, but not enough to do anything more than make the grave before him look endlessly deep. A black chasm of bugs and dirt that he’s suddenly very sure must stretch down to the very core of Hell itself. It looks like every dark and swirling and fetid thought that has lived in Din’s head since his heart got placed six feet underground. - Or, Din digs up a grave.

chaptered fics

dumb, beautiful boy (18.1k, T, Completed)

There's a point in which Din thinks anyone else would just stop, let themselves stumble, maybe trip a little gracelessly and admit defeat. But Luke keeps going. He tries to continue his jog, but he’s lost most of his momentum and his legs are off-balanced. Luke starts to pitch forward and Din only manages to take one step towards him before Luke tumbles to the ground; landing on his stomach, arms sprawled in front of him. - Or, the five times Luke fell and the one time Din caught him.

somewhere only we know (63k, T, Ongoing)

Scanning the paper, Din's eyes fall onto a listing that he had somehow missed. Right at the bottom of the page, in smudged black ink, is a listing from the natural history museum looking for a new nighttime security guard. Now that was an interesting thought. - Or, Din is a struggling single father who becomes the natural history museum's new night guard. He's not expecting much out of the job other than a steady paycheque, but when the sun goes down and the exhibits start to come to life, Din needs to find a way to keep everything under control. A task easier said than done, especially when there's a certain Medieval knight who won't leave him alone.

[voiceoffenrisulfr]

Multitudes Chapter Four ... Even When Trapped.

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 -> The truth will always win out.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 -> 1314

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> (E)  Hiding food, confrontation, restraint.

𝐀/𝐍 -> Dead Dove: Do Not Eat. Please read the tags, and proceed with caution. I apologise for any Russian translation errors - I cross-translated between sources for the best accuracy I could get. Here, the Russian is largely explained in the following line, but if that ever isn't the case, I'll otherwise make it clear. Check it out below, or on AO3 here! This snazzy divider comes from @firefly-graphics and I love it <3 <- Previous Chapter (3/72) Next Chapter (4/72) ->

Eating together was routine in the Compound. Breakfast lacked formality, with people coming and going and grabbing fruit or toast here and there, but typically lunch, and especially dinner, was a group affair – much to my chagrin.

I’d skipped breakfast in favour of some – clumsily one-handed – boxing, panting as the bag swung under my blows, exhausted body sweating profusely and burning with a satisfying ache.

But there was no escaping the table now, with most of the team on-site and gathered around the mahogany surface. Clint glanced my way as I sat, only offering me a comforting smile as he piled sandwiches and salad on his plate.

God, there’s so many people… How am I supposed to get away with this?

You’re going  to have to try. You can’t let them win.

I reached for the salad tongs, spreading a layer of lettuce and cucumber across my plate artfully – without dressing, of course – and dropped a pair of sandwiches on top. My fingers began to delicately pick apart the bread, eyes latched on whoever was speaking the loudest at any given time; if I looked invested enough, my actions could be seen to be unconscious, despite the fact that not a word of it was being processed.

First ham, then crust, found its way into my sleeve without raising suspicion. The rest of the bread lay shredded and scattered, seeming for all the world like crumbs from more than I’d served myself. With a satisfied smile, I allowed myself a few pieces of crunchy lettuce, delightfully cool and crisp. Clint was engaged in arguing playfully with Tony about something or another, while Bruce attempted to explain an inconceivable scientific concept to a baffled-looking Thor, who only nodded politely.

Nobody was watching me. I was safe.

I rose to leave the table as the team began to disperse, hoping to find anonymity in the bustle.

I was arrogant, and I made a mistake.

As I reached out to pick up my plate, remaining salad pressed into small lumps to seem less, my grip on my sleeve released, and an errant crust rolled across the table.

My breath arrested, panic kicking in, and I glanced at the two men most suspicious of me, praying they hadn’t noticed and thanking the Gods when I found them engaged in discussion.

“Natasha, if you didn’t like the sandwiches, you could have just said so – you don’t need to hide them!”

Tony’s voice was light and teasing, but my blood ran cold as all eyes turned to me. There was mostly only confusion, but I found the fear and pity in the cerulean depths, along with something akin to anger.

“Tony, keep her there.” Clint’s voice was clipped and measured as he strode from the room, aiming for the kitchen. Panic seized me as I realised his intent and I lunged forward, determined to keep him away from my secret. A firm arm wrapped around my waist, restraining me effectively, and I didn’t have the energy to fight him off – but that didn’t stop me from howling and kicking, scrabbling against the limbs around my abdomen with my uninjured hand.

“Tony, get the fuck off me!” I yowled, hissing and spitting like a wildcat. In his confusion he only gripped me harder, adding to my panic and distress.

Clint was back a heartbeat later, trash can in hand.

No.

No.

He unceremoniously dumped the contents onto the table, revealing my shame for those in the know – balls of compressed noodles spilling from napkins, half-chewed garlic bread that had previously been tucked carefully between scraps and liner.

“Clint, what the hell is going on? What are you doing?” Tony’s voice, uncomfortably close to my ear, made me wince.

“This,” Clint began, gesturing specifically at the masticated and glistening noodles, “is what remains of a dinner I made for Natasha last night.”

There was a brief pause, full of confusion, before Thor stepped forward. “We can’t all be amazing cooks, Barton. Don’t take it so personally – she probably just wanted to spare your feelings.”

There was a murmur of assent from the gathered, unwitting teammates, though I could feel Bruce’s eyes on me, sad and sorry. Only Tony said nothing, the sharp angles of my shoulder blades digging into his chest, fingers unconsciously splaying across the hollows of my ribcage as understanding dawned.

“I don’t remember the last time I saw her eat a full meal,” he murmured, half to himself. “Is that what this is about?”

With a glance at Clint, who nodded his consent, Bruce stepped forward. “Yesterday, Natasha passed out on a run. That’s how she broke her wrist, though I know she told you all that she tripped. We – Clint and I – realised that she had lost weight. A lot of weight,” he added, voice low and remorseful. “When we approached her about it, she managed to convince us she was fine. She relied on her relationship with Barton to get her out of trouble, professing that he should trust her. We agreed to not pursue specialist care, on the condition that she ate dinner with Clint. He… We thought that she had. We were wrong,” Bruce finished, gesturing at my shame littering the dining table.

“Specialist care… For what?” Steve prompted, his all-American boy-scout face furrowed in sweet confusion.

“For an eating disorder,” Clint introjected, his words barely audible and laden with guilt.

The silence was palpable.

Tony, in his shock, slackened the arm around my waist, and I used the opportunity to propel myself away from him, turning to face the team with a snarl.

“I don’t understand why you can’t just leave me alone,” I spat, cursing the tears forming in my eyes.

Don’t cry. You need to make them see that you’re strong, not weak. Don’t you dare fucking cry.

“What I do is none of your business. You’re not my family – you have no control over me. You’re not-” the Red Room, I finished internally, wincing at my almost-slip-up.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Red,” Clint argued, stepping forward, his hands raised diplomatically. “Everyone in this room – and several more besides – we are your family. We love you, and we just don’t want to see you hurt yourself.”

I laughed maniacally, running a hand through my hair. “No. You just want to keep me trapped here.”

“… Trapped?” Bruce repeated, his voice almost a whisper and heavy with grief.

“Мне здесь не место,” I snarled, the Russian flowing easily from my lips.

“Where else would you belong?” Clint pressed, the only one to have understood me.

Clint always understood me.

He doesn’t understand you now. Did he ever, really? He knows the words but he never really listened.

“дом.”

“Natasha, this is your home,” he enthused. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Мало ли понимаешь! Я должен вернуться!” I hissed, backing away slowly, one eye on the Captain as he inched toward my side, likely intending to cut off my escape.

Clint’s eyes widened with horrified realisation, hands dropping uselessly. “You ‘have to go back’… Back where? Back… Back there?”

“да,” I confirmed with a nod, gaze flicking to the approaching Captain. “дом.”

“Don’t you remember what they did to you?” Bruce offered quietly, an expression of deep betrayal and sadness on his face.

“Они сделали меня сильным!”

“They made you broken,” Clint retorted, his eyes scanning the length of my body, “not strong.”

Liar. He just wants to keep you here. He wants to keep you fat, and weak, and-

“-на твоей милости!” I finished aloud, gaze narrowed threateningly. Clint hesitated, visibly recoiling.

“’At my mercy’? What do you mean? Nat?”

The last word was raised as I turned, shrugging off the Captain with a menacing snarl as he stepped closer.

“Я знаю, ты помнишь,” I threw back over my shoulder, a parting shot as I fled.

I know you remember.

[league-of-starlight]

Miss Fortune Hypothetical Voice Update:

Warning: It’s long. But she deserves it, so I’m only half sorry.

This is my first time making a big post like this so if you have any critiques or advice to make it better, I'd be happy to hear it. And if you have suggestions for any old champions you want me to update, I'll see what I can do.

@teeto-peteto

First Move:

“Let’s show what the Reaver Queen can do.”

“Two guns, five targets.”

“Been doing this for a while. Can’t get rusty.”

“Nothing like a bounty hunt to blow off the steam.”

First move with team:

“Anyone chokes, throw ‘em overboard.”

“Captain Fortune, coming through.”

“Alright, let’s sink these fools!”

“If we win this, everyone gets a free drink!”

Moving:

“These pistols were made by the best in Bilgewater.”

“Being a captain is tough work, but it’s gotta be done.”

“Gangs to kill, ships to fix, guns to shoot. Same thing as always.”

“In Bilgewater, there’s always someone looking to stick a knife in someone’s back. That needs to change.”

“When I was a girl, I dreamed about sailing the seas. …A part of me still wants to.”

Long move:

*Sings a sea shanty before sighing nostalgically*

“Ever since that night, I dreamed of gutting Gangplank… now it’s done and it’s only gotten harder.”

“Gangplank might be dethroned, but that brings its own trouble. I’ve gotta clean it up.”

“Sometimes, I just want to take a ship and sail away. But duty calls.”

“Bilgewater might be rough, but she’s home sweet home. I’ve just… gotta spruce her up.”

“Maybe there’s better guns out there, but nothing’s better than family technique.”

First encounter: (general)

“Call me Captain, and I might spare you.”

“I’m looking for a crew, you interested?”

“Friend or foe? Answer fast.”

First encounter with Ahri:

“Hey, nine tails. Figured yourself out yet?”

First encounter with Braum:

“Got any Druvask stew with you?”

“Save the stories for after the match, okay?”

First encounter with Gangplank:

“Bilgewater is mine.”

“Too dumb to die, are you?”

First encounter with Graves:

“Graves, glad to see you’re still kicking about!”

First encounter with Illaoi:

“Illaoi, here for chat?”

First encounter with Nautilus:

*exasperated sigh* “Look, I pay my tithe whenever I sail. …Usually.”

First encounter with Nilah:

“Do you ever stop smiling?”

First encounter with Pyke:

“Here to cross a name off?”

“You know, my offer’s still open.”

Encounter with Senna:

“Ah, so this is Lucian’s wife. Hm, lucky man.”

First encounter with Twisted Fate:

“Shuffled your deck? Let’s play.

First encounter with Yasuo:

“If I win, you owe me a flute song.”

Encounter with a Freljord champion:

“This is what Braum lives with? Interesting.”

Joke: *Fortune tosses her guns into the air, as if getting ready to catch them, but they fall on her and she rubs her head in annoyance before picking them up.*

“What comes up must- Ah! Damn it…”

Joke response:

“No room for comedy on my crew.”

Taunt to Illaoi:

“How much is that totem worth? Kidding, kidding.”

Taunt response:

“Ooh, clever. Now hush up.”

Killing:

(General):

“Bang.”

“That’s how we do it back home.”

“Fortune wasn’t in your favour.”

*Scoff*

Ahri: “You’ll come back from this, right? Right?”

Braum: “Sorry, big guy. I’ll tell a story about you.”

Gangplank: “Be smart and stay dead, bastard.”

“Abigail Fortune sends her regards.”

“Someone throw him into the sea!”

“No kraken to save you this time.”

Graves: “There’s a grave waiting for Graves. See, it’s because your name, it’s- you get it.”

“I’ll smoke a cigar for you.”

Illaoi: “Sorry, Illaoi. But I need to follow my path.”

“Things could’ve been different…”

Nilah: “And she’s still smiling.”

Nocturne: “Nightmares don’t scare me anymore.”

Pyke: “Crossed the wrong Captain.”

Twisted Fate: “Bad hand, Tobias.”

Yasuo: “Guess I’ll wait for the flute.”

“You were a good crewman, Yasuo.”

Recall:

“Don’t go dyin’ without me?”

“Captain duties, be back shortly.”

“Give me a minute, okay?”

Death:

*Groan* Mom…?

“I’m not… done yet…!”

“Damn it…”

Respawn:

“Woah, okay…”

“So that’s what it feels like.”

“Mom! Oh, I’m… never mind.”

*Scoffs* “Lucky shot…”

*Annoyed growl* “Oh, now it’s personal.”

(Pyke assists in a kill)

“Aw, you do care.”

[garland-on-thy-brow]

The Death of Caesar (La morte di Cesare) - Gaetano Sertor 1788, translated by me.

Previous act.

ACT II. Scenes 1-3.

SCENE 1.

Part of the Roman forum.

Cassius and Porcia, then Brutus.

Cassius. Oh heinous, grotesque arrogance! Oh the assailed honour of the tribunate! Caesar dares to send to jail the two tribunes, because they are loyal to Rome! What crimes are left for the tyrant to attempt?

Porcia. Let my husband, if he can, excuse such an odious assault from that arrogant man; can the fatal friendship still blind him?

Cassius. Here he is.

Porcia. Oh husband…

Cassius. Brutus, you shall know…

Brutus. Calm yourselves. I know what you want to say. All is soothed, all is taken care of, and the tribunes are already released and go free. Their arrest was not by Julius' order. Dolabella, abusing the power of Caesar's name, usurped the violent judgement. Caesar will conduct the Lupercal in person: he awaits us in the temple to celebrate it with him, and he will set everything at ease there.

Cassius. That Cassius should appear at the Lupercal!

Porcia. When so many lost illustrious citizens ask for our grief and tears, truly, Rome needs festivals and Lupercals! Every reason should forbid them; but, I see, this would tarnish the glory of the dictator, and we all have to serve it.

Brutus. Adapting to the time is a necessary virtue. Let us not rush yet. Let us better assess Julius' intent. Beloved wife, restrain this fiery passion and come with the others to the Temple of Lupercal.

Porcia. Since you want it, husband, I will obey. Yet it amazes me that Rome lets herself be so dazzled with this vain pomp. I pity her fatal error. She shall learn the meaning of the dictator's gifts. (exit)

[Scenes 2-3 under the read more!]

SCENE 2.

Brutus, Cassius, then Albinus.

Cassius. Porcia is not deceived, and I too observe the dictator's guile. This affected clemency of his, this generous act in favour of the tribunes, his feasts, the Lupercal are aimed to win him the heart of the populace, so as to accomplish his plans through it.

Brutus. Ah Cassius, I fear it could be hatred speaking in you.

Cassius. And in you - a strange partiality for Julius, and you are so blind… But here comes Albinus.

Albinus. I bring great tidings.

Cassius. What happened, Albinus?

Albinus. (to Brutus) Caesar designates to you the first Praetorship, (to Cassius) and the second to you.

Brutus. What do I hear! Cassius…

Cassius. What a surprise! But then… Who thought… And for me, to accept his gift?

Albinus. Not to refuse it for now is my advice. Such a refusal would offend Caesar, and could render our actions futile. He should think you his friends, false peace should hide your thoughts from him. With lofty display, he is arriving any minute to the Temple of Lupercal; he shall await you there.

(aria) It is often meet to outplay cunning with cunning, and sometimes pretending becomes a necessity. (exit)

SCENE 3.

Brutus and Cassius, then Antony.

Cassius. (I sway between a thousand doubts, I do not know what to think.)

Brutus. Did not I tell you? Caesar is great and generous, and without attempting extreme measures, we can expect everything from him.

Cassius. But I cannot - and will not - trust this yet. I know his nature too well. Perhaps he hopes to seduce us this way. Believe me, Brutus, the honour he bestows on us hides snares.

Brutus. And you believe the greatest heart ever created by Heaven capable of such a sinister ruse?

Cassius. I fear everything, when Rome is in danger.

Brutus. Well, let us go with the others to the Lupercal. There, I hope to discover great things. All that Caesar or his adherents can attempt, we will observe together.

Cassius. I am ashamed to show my face there; but I go to please you; for you to awaken, I am willing to appear weak. You will see which of us guessed right.

Antony. I am going with you, friends, to comfort myself. I heard from the dictator what sign of true affection he had given you.

Brutus. If I accept the illustrious office, it is only to use it for the benefit of my country and in defence of ancient laws.

Cassius. A gift only just bestowed, and he is already bragging of it?

Antony. Cassius, I do not understand you.

Cassius. And I see well enough the shameful intention behind his gifts.

Antony. Then he merits so little respect from you? I pity your strange folly, if even his kindness angers you.

Cassius. I would care for it, if I were his vile slave, like you. Know that my equals cannot be bought like this. Yes, I very well understand the loathsome purpose of his favours, and I do not sell my country for this price.

(aria) You know that I am a Roman, that I love my country and I shall spill all my blood for it.

When such a beautiful thing inspires my thoughts, I do not know how there is anyone who hopes to seduce me. (exit)

[Link to the original, via Corago.]

[filopay]

NULBURNAD

[ 1 ] [ 2 ]

~ History

The wind was ice cold so high up on the mountaintops, the path snakes along through the gaps of the rocks, unsteady and loose. 

Nulburnad was cold when they arrived at the top, another reminder of their mortality.

There stood a statue, the image of a giant wolf with long teeth and three eyes looking down at the fortress below. The people of Skaeld had built it to honour their god, but knowing the god of mountains, its size did nothing to his real image.

"I need a favour." Nulburnad throws the dead rabbit they had carried onto the stoney ground in front of them.

Suddenly, the rock before them moved, it leaped into the air and landed only inches from them. Now in the form of a gigantic wolf, blaring its teeth.

"Not even polite enough to grant me a reaction, sibling." The wolf smacks his tongue, backing away disappointed at Nulburnads absence of a reaction.

"And all you bring me is a tiny rabbit." The wolf pushed the dead body with his paw, watching it flop over, "Should I eat you instead?"

"I am here on serious business."

"Why not chat with me first? I've met Arcos the other day, they said they wanted the items back they gifted you." The wolf cackles, a strange sound coming from a giant animal.

"You told them of me?" Nulburnad frowns displeased.

The wolf just walks around them, wagging his tail as he does, "I told them that you supposedly died. Thought you both were quite close to each other back then. Guess I was wrong. They were more interested in the lost treasure that you hid away. I still wonder, why did you come to me for help and not them?"

"I had to finish what I had started." Nulburnad says, serious.

The wolf flops down next to them, inching closer to the small Sovereign.

"You've made yourself quite cozy in the fortress have you not? Didn't the former Queen help in killing you? Sounds to me like you're after revenge."

Nulburnad scoffs, "I am not so petty. It's just a bad coincidence."

"Coincidence." The wolf muses, lifting his paws to draw the Sovereign closer to him, "Your heart tells a different story."

Nulburnad turns away from the wolf's penetrating gaze, his nosiness nothing they enjoy.

"I want to open mines into your mountain. Help the north support itself." 

The wolf didn't seem eager to talk about business, as he flops down on his side with a huff.

"Whatever you want to do, you always have good arguments for it. Do what you must." The wolf yawns, scratching its chin, "I'm glad you came actually. Heard alot about you stirring up trouble with that one mortal. You're rather fond of him, aren't you? Ralof, isn't it? He is one of my most loyal followers. I could tell you what he thinks of you too." The wolf smiles a toothy grin.

Nulburnad heard their heart beat faster, daring to deceive them. "I came here to discuss the mines. The Nords respect you greatly, Ulgrim. They wouldn't let me proceed without asking you first. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"What are you afraid of? You know I can read your thoughts." Ulgrim smiles delightedly as he plants his giant head flat onto the stone, one yellow eye looking closely at the small person beside him, "Oh, he reminds you of someone. He is not so different to Ral the sun god, your former friend. Both are very positive and honest personalities. Wearing their emotions on their sleeves. How very human of them. You do have a type, don't you? I can see the resemblance now."

"Get out of my head." Nulburnad hisses, irritation in their movements as they pierce the wolf with a warning glare.

"Then you shouldn't have become my follower, you know. I always wondered what was going on in your head. Even back then when we were racing through the lands. You were so distant, so cold, but I liked your ruthlessness." The wolf then lifts their head again, placing one leg over the other, thinking, "Wasn't Ral there with us? I've barely ever seen you two apart. He was always a delight, wins everyone's hearts so easily, doesn't he? I never thought he could melt yours too. You have a lot of history together. Don't you wonder how he is doing today? If he regrets killing you or do you think he would try again?"

"There is no need to think about what is no longer important. I came to you for matters that impact the present." Nulburnad stared at the wolf, daring him to say anything else about the topic.

The wolf hummed, Nulburnad knew he would have liked to say more, but at least he knew when to stop. It seems the respect they both had for each other, had remained.

Ulgrim walks to the edge of the mountain. Below them sleeps the fortress of Skaeld restless and vulnerable. After a while Nulburnad joins him.

"There are many that disapprove of your arrival. They fear the changes that you will bring, the ones you already made. The Nords value tradition very much - threaten their beliefs and they will cut you down."

"They wouldn't be the first." Nulburnad crosses their arms in front of their chest, looking passively down onto the city, "I am not playing their parent like the former Queen had, there is no need to coddle them. The situation is getting worse, change is inevitable."

The wolf snickers. "You always loved stirring trouble, speaking words no one wants to hear. Don't make it sound like you had no other choice. You're enjoying it, I can tell. It's why Ral cut you down too, there are only so many rules one can break without angering a few."

"Let them be angry then." Nulburnad says, "Someone has to say how is it. I wouldn't want to remain ignorant either. Besides, never thought you interested in the politics of mortals."

"Despite what our siblings say, I am not a feral beast like Shlaegor." The wolf growls, "I have my reasons."

They were silent for a moment, enjoying the night air, the blackened starless night sky pressing down on them from above.

"It's not so much the mortals that worry me. Some gods have become aware of your presence." The wolf was serious now, "Uwila has always been meddlesome in human affairs. She had asked me to investigate you and give her information."

Nulburnad looks at the wolf, the one confidant they entrusted their circumstances with and the one they had asked to keep it a secret.

The wolf cackles then. "I told her to suck it!"

Nulburnad found no amusement in it. Uwila was nothing but persistent. If they had raised her interest, she would soon send someone to investigate them.

"Even the old gods seem to take an interest in you. Seems like the old days, doesn't it? You are only here for a month now and already stepping on everyone's feet." The wolf speaks, restlessness making him stand back up on his paws.

Then he gets serious, head tilting downwards to better perceive Nulburnads small form.

"What I am concerned about is their constant presence. The old gods are lingering around my domain. They never cared for it before." The wolf fletched his teeth for a moment, a nervous habit perhaps, "I can live with you stirring up trouble with the mortals, but you are starting to attract the old gods, endangering my followers. Fate had watched Ralof rather closely as of late. I fear your meeting with him was entirely made by Fate themselves. So tell me, what have you done to get the old gods so interested?"

"Fate had sent the former Queen after me before, in an attempt to stop me. I am not going to fall for the same trick twice. If Fate wants Ralof to stand in my way, I will not be moved by it. The darkness has gone out of control and I will stop it."

The wolf tilts his head. "In all our history together, I never thought you had gained the title god of ice for your personality but I am starting to believe it now. Do as you please, but I draw the line at dragging my followers into your mess. We do not want the old gods here. If you keep antagonising them, I feel forced to act."

Nulburnad almost smiles at Ulgrims threat, it meant very little to them.

"Every god had turned a blind eye to the increasing darkness. As gods, mortals swear on our protection. Who else should be responsible for the misery that has befallen mortality if not to us. Your domain is said to have the highest increase of Underfolk, that should be something you worry about and not the interest Fate has in me."

"We were doing just fine hunting those bastards." The wolf bared his teeth, "It keeps them at bay and it will keep doing so. You're just holding onto your misplaced heroism because you're afraid that Ral has been right in stopping your madness!"

"Fighting them won't help the situation." Nulburnad remained calm, "You can't kill what's already dead. Don't you see? You're just avoiding the inevitable The darkness doesn't spare gods and if you keep eating them, you'll be the next to fall. They will devour you from the inside."

"Ral had killed you for overstepping all the boundaries there are. You are doing it again!" The Wolf barks, "I protect my domain as I see fit. Your criticism is not welcome here!"

"I am doing my responsibility as a god. I promised my followers protection and I will not let them down."

"And see where that has taken you. You are no god any more, dear sibling. Your influence is limited. Give up now, before it's too late."

Ulgrim looks down at Nulburnads small form. Mortal and fragile, but they refused to believe they hold no power. They had seen this coming. Friends and siblings turning on them, it was to be expected when Fate was on their game, but something they can look past. It's not their fault to not see clearly.

Nulburnad knew that they can succeed in their goal. No matter the cost. To achieve it, they could not waver, especially not when they want it the most. Even when they have to stand alone, facing friends and foes alike. Fate was nothing but persistent, but so could they.

Ral had caught them off guard once, it won't happen again with Ralof.

History will not repeat itself. This time, Nulburnad will be prepared and they will defy Fate and cure the darkness for good.

[aphrodaisyacs]

Re the yj / bllk au(?): besides the Jackie/kunigami similarities which other characters do you see fitting into this au???

ok so after thinking about it some more, I realised that reo would be a much better fit for jackie in this au. first off, his backstory states that he is so privileged in his everyday life that he's barely had to work for anything, ever. as such, I strongly believe that he would NOT be able to adapt to surviving in the wilderness. he would cling onto the hope of getting rescued, but as soon as it becomes clear that they won't, he would... not take it well.

and finally, the reonagi friendship parallels with shauna/jackie. that dramatic breakup in canon where reo thinks nagi is ditching him in favour of isagi? well, if it happens to coincide with a sudden overnight cold snap...... yeah......

now, since reo is the jackie of this au, I think kunigami would fit much better as laura lee. someone kind, with a strong moral compass and a presence of Good that the others feel like they can depend on post-crash. kunigami would also definitely volunteer to fly the plane to get help, despite the very real possibility that it will might kill him

as for the other characters, it's a lot harder to find direct parallels but here are some other things I've got for this au:

(warning: contains spoilers for the blue lock manga & yellowjackets s2)

the plane that crashes contains the blue lock 11, shidou, the bench players + ego & anri. here, the v U20 match was supposed to take place in a different part of japan and they were heading there when it all went to hell

in this au kunigami didn't get eliminated and the wildcard program doesn't exist, hence why he's still around (he's one of the bench players)

ok so I lied when I said I couldn't find other parallels- if we are keeping what yellowjackets did with having 1 (one) adult character who is the opposite sex of the teens survive, then it's anri. and... hoo boy. I genuinely feel so bad for her because like. jesus fucking christ. she does not deserve to be stuck with these boys in a situation like this. I can only hope that she finds the secret underground lair sooner than ben does because she has a much higher chance of surviving that way

canonically gagamaru fucks off into the wild on a regular basis for fun, so all the boys are going to turn to him for guidance when it comes to surviving the wilderness. he is also most likely going to hunt game for the group as well, making him one of the most important and well-respected members of the group until they run out of food and decide to start killing and eating each other

hear me out- bachira being the one to start the cult because his 'monster' keeps directing him to food sources/symbols/whatever. eventually the more religious members of the group (like igarashi) start talking about leaving out tokens of their gratitude for the 'monster' and it all snowballs from there

one winter day when everyone is starving their minds off, rin and shidou butt heads for the millionth time. except instead of deescalating the fight, the other boys have run out of fucks to give and decide to let them duke it out while they watch from the sidelines. but the fight just keeps going and going, until one of them gets beaten to death. it is brutal, it is tragic, but... at least they have food now?

and thus, their hunting ritual is born- 2 of them get chosen to fight to the literal death, and the loser gets eaten by the rest of the group. at long last, their canon dialogue will make sense /j

so who survives in the end? at this point in time I've only locked in isagi, bachira and nagi, because I strongly believe that these 3 will manage to find a way to win all those 1v1 death matches. in the rin vs shidou fight I mentioned earlier I haven't decided on who wins, but I know that the winner of that match would survive until rescue. in yellowjackets, so far we know there are 7 survivors, and if my theory that there are 8 total survivors is correct then that would leave 4 more spots for the blue lock boys

this got much longer than expected and in the end I don't know if I even answered your question properly hjafklsd I hope you enjoyed my ramblings!