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ash5monster01 · 3 months ago

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would you do a reader with Stevie Nicks vibes and she's like spiritual and that sort of things x Steve Harrington.

I don't have any plot ideas so i understand if you won't do it (btw sorry if you can't understand something english is my second language so I struggle a lot with it)

Not What I Expected

Pairing: Steve Harrington x FemReader!PlusSize

Warnings: language, underage drinking, sexual attraction, blatant flirting, some fluff

Summary: Steve it taken by surprise when he discovers how attracted he is to one of Robins friends, especially since you were the kind of girl he never expected to like

word count: 2k

Masterlist

Steve isn’t sure why he agreed to go to a party at Robins house. He imagined something quite like Dustin and his friends playing Dungeons and Dragons in the basement. It was probably more like book club or band practice. Either way Steve knew it wouldn’t include keg stands and girls in tiny tops like his infamous party’s once did. At the end of the day though, Robin was his best friend, and that’s how he finds himself standing outside her front door with a 6pack of beer tucked under his arm and an award winning smile on his face.

“Hey dingus, you showed!” Robin grins wide, eyes a little hazy and a half drank wine cooler in her hands. Steve snorts at the sight and shakes his head as he steps inside the house she hadn’t technically welcomed him into yet.

“And you’re drunk” he states, shimmying the members only jacket off his arms and onto the rack by the door. Robin rolls her eyes at the boy with a big head of hair.

“Barely, come on. Come meet my friends” and Steve doesn’t even have a chance to set down the case of beer as Robin drags him into the living room. He’s not sure who’s more nervous, him or the array of students he was about to meet. To them he was still legend among the halls, King Steve. To himself he was nothing more than a burnout who was working at a Video Store instead of going to college.

“Guys this is Steve, Steve these are my friends” Robin presents when they enter the room and multiple pairs of eyes land on them both. Robin releases his hand and falls onto the couch beside a boy he recognized from the Paper. He had seen Nancy with him a few times.

“Hi” Steve announces with a wave, trying to ignore the awkwardness as he sets the case of beer down on the coffee table. Everyone just stares as he slides a bottle out and pops the top off with ease against the edge of the table. A natural.

“Find a seat Steve, we were just discussing marching band” and Steve groans without a thought, shuffling to the couch on the other side of the room. He had yet to glance at the two girls sat upon it when he hoists himself onto the arm.

“What, to lame for you?” an unfamiliar voice inquires. Steve drops his gaze to the girl beside him and what he doesn’t expect is the way his throat dries. You’re a bigger girl, yeah, but from where he’s sat he has a grand view of the cleavage that hangs out of your black top. It’s as if you hadn’t quite left the 70s, the outfit nearly identical to the one Stevie Nicks wears on the Rumours album. You’re the opposite of any girl he has ever taken on a date, and yet he’s suddenly at a loss of words.

“What Steve means by his vocal distaste is that he listens to me drone on and on all day about marching band. Plus I’m sure he half expected a rowdy game of beer pong” Robin says and Steve finally glances past the girl beside him to spot the infamous Vickie. Suddenly he knew exactly why Robin spoke for him before he did. He didn’t necessarily hate marching band talk, he just never heard the end of ‘Today in Marching band Vickie-’.

“I take offense to that but also any game wouldn’t kill you. Save the yapping for wine night or at least when you’re at school” his statement makes Robin rolls her eyes but nonetheless she sits up. As much as she hates to admit it she did want her small shindig to feel like a real party. Yeah she couldn’t go all out like Steve once did but she could at least make this night memorable for her friends.

“Fine Steve, any suggestions” Vickie asks, an identical wine cooler to Robins cradled to her chest and Steve thinks for a moment.

“Nothing to athletic” the newspaper kid points out. Steve somewhat recalls Ned, maybe Fred?

“Fred, it’s Steve. Everything he does is athletic” the girl beside him pipes up. He doesn’t even have time to recognize he had recalled the boys name correctly when he’s reminded of your presence.

“Thanks Rhiannon, I’ll take that as a compliment. As for you Fred, crack a beer and live a little” Steve says, adoring the way your eyebrows raise at the sudden nickname while he tosses one of his beers to the scrawny boy.

“Does that mean you have a game in mind?” Robin asks her best friend, worrying just a little that mixing these two crowds may have been the wrong choice.

“Yeah Robin, I do”

That’s how the group finds themselves on the back patio, a boom box playing a Survivor song a touch too loud, while Steve sets cups along the table. Robin furrows her eyebrows when she eyes six cups along the table instead of five. Everybody watches silently as the tall boy works at setting up the perfect game.

“Alright me and Rhiannon are Captains, she gets first pick” Steve claps his hands and Robin finally points at the red solo cups sat before them.

“Steve, there’s only five of us” she says and Steve grins at his friend.

“I know, that’s why Rhiannon has first pick. I’ll play double for my team which will put us at disadvantage” Steve tells her and Robin isn’t entirely sure that’s a disadvantage when she looks at the friends surrounding them.

“You know that’s not my name right?” you tell the boy as you stand beside him, prepared to make your first pick.

“Yeah, but I think you love it anyway” and you can’t help the soft blush that dusts your cheeks. You almost want to curse yourself for being no different than any other girl that falls for the charm of Steve Harrington.

“I pick Robin” you announce to remove his attention off you and Robin grins at being the first one picked. Quickly she shuffles to the side of the table you stand on. Steve crosses his arms as he looks between his two options. As much as he can guarantee Vickie is better at the game he wants to provide his best friend the opportunity of standing next to her all night.

“I’ll take Freddie” Steve says, waving his hand. The boy with glasses too big for his face nervously steps over despite the shock that King Steve has just picked him to be on a team. Vickie grins at the girls, rushing over and pulling them into a hug that doesn’t fail to make Robins entire face red.

“The game is simple, finish your drink, flip the cup, and move on to the next person. It’s a relay, and relies on teamwork, think you can handle it?” Steve asks, eyebrows lifting at his opponent who’s even prettier up close. Your eyes are mesmerizing even through the smudged makeup and your wide sleeve brushes the table each time you reach for your cup. Steve is shocked to find how attracted to it he is.

“Me and Rhiannon start, when our cup lands the next person drinks and does the same. Ready?” Steve asks, eyebrows jumping and smirk on his face. You look at him determined, mimicking his movements when he taps his cup to the table, lifts it to your own, taps the table again, then dumps the liquid down his throat.

It’s no surprise to anyone that Steve lands the cup on the first try. It takes you two but Fred’s struggling saves your team the time anyway. Steve is now on his other side, waiting for Fred to land so he can take the final drink. While he struggles both you and Vickie cheer when Robin lands it on her second try. By the time Vickie has finished her gulp, Fred finally lands, and Steve dumps his second drink down his throat as quick as he can. Yet it’s not fast enough because Vickie lands on her first try just as Steve sets up to flip his own. The girls cheer as Fred gives Steve a sheepish look. As much as Steve hates losing he squeezes the boys shoulder anyway.

“Nice work Fred” he praises and a large smile breaks across the boys face.

“Take that Steve!” Robin shouts and Steve laughs as he starts to reset the cups for the next round.

“You won’t be saying that for long Rob. Rotate” Steve grins at her and they do as he says, adjusting the team’s order, putting Robin and Fred at the start.

None of them are entirely sure how many games have been played but Steve is highly aware that he’s run out of beer and is beginning to feel the buzz of playing double on his team for so long. Robin is clearly tired and starting to slouch against Vickie so he calls it and deems the girls the winners.

“So, do we get a prize?” you ask him with a teasing glance, the alcohol giving you more confidence then you should have when talking to the popular boy. Steve eyes Robin and Vickie sleepily sitting on the patio furniture, offering them no attention while Fred went inside to use the bathroom.

“Depends, what do you want?” Steve asks, leaning closer and almost begging for the girl to want to kiss him.

“More nights like these” you answer simply and Steve furrows his brows, giving you a questioning glance that you don’t miss. “It’s just, I’ve never seen my friends so happy. You did that for them Steve”

“It was a drinking game” he states and you shrug, looking around the back patio lit up by string lights. The smell of beer is in the air and your friends are falling asleep, but it’s the most content you’ve ever been.

“To you maybe, but for us we finally felt like we were apart of something” you say, turning back to look at him just to find he’s already staring you down with the same intensity he had all night. In fact you’d never had a guy look at you like that, like he so badly wanted to kiss you. You never expected it to be Steve Harrington of all people.

“Can I take you on a date?” Steve suddenly asks and you can’t stop the shock that covers your features. It’s the last thing you had expected him to say.

“You don’t even know my real name Steve” you tell him and he grins, shrugging his shoulders and scooting closer to you.

“Don’t worry about it, you can tell me on our date” he tells you and you snort out a laugh, shaking your head at the boy and beginning to understand why Robin was so fond of him.

“I haven’t even agreed yet” you tell him but he just smiles, nudging his shoulder against your own.

“That doesn’t matter, I’ll pick you up here at 7. I’m sure Robin would love to help you get ready” he grins wide and you sigh, looking up into his large and kind eyes. Much different from how they had looked back when he was still in High School.

“Fine, I’ll be here at 7” you agree and he grins wide before pressing a chaste kiss to your cheek.

“Great! See you then, I’m gonna go check on Fred” and he’s gone as soon as he appeared and you smile wide when he disappears into the house. Realizing you who once felt so different from anyone else, unable to be an object of desire, was going on a date with Steve Harrington.

��Man am I in trouble”

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a-bottle-of-tyelenol · 28 days ago

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Not sure how to properly word this, but I find it really interesting how EPIC!Odysseus subtly equates himself to being among gods, particularly when it comes to empathizing with EPIC!Eurylochus.

In Luck Runs Out, Odysseus specifically tells Eurylochus, “I need you to always be devout and comply with this or we’ll all die in this.” and I find that particularly interesting because “devout” is most often used in relation to religion and belief, as is the structure of complying with the words of a god because death is the only other option. And he does this right after he announces to the world that he is “neither man nor mythical” which inherently puts himself above his men.

Odysseus has moments of hubris, absolutely, but a lot of his more outwardly notable moments of arrogance are replaced with scenes that prefer to highlight his grief and humanity instead (specifically, I think of when he announces his name to the cyclops). It feels like, to me, a lot of Odysseus’ arrogance in EPIC is less straightforward. It’s not him galavanting about how he bested someone, it’s more about how he holds himself and his status above others. That isn’t to say it no longer exists— quite the contrary, actually. Odysseus is objectively selfish, as is Eurylochus and the crew, but just like in the Odyssey, his hubris is absolutely his undoing; it just looks a little different here.

“I took 600 men to war and not one of them died there, in case I needed to remind you.” is a moment where, yes the praise is deserved, but I think it’s a good one to showcase where he subtly uses his own capabilities as a way to diminish the concerns of his crew. It’s important to remember that Odysseus was Athena’s favorite and there are many situations in OG source material where she either saves his life or gives him a leg-up on the competition that he otherwise wouldn’t have had, even in something as benign as a race or game. Odysseus absolutely deserves credit, as he is still very intelligent and Athena picked him for a reason, but I have no doubt in my mind that she was a large reason for why he was even able to accomplish such a feat in the first place. And yet, he attributes it solely to himself here.

Now, it’s pretty evident that the crew are largely unaware of Athena’s interference so I’m not bringing this up to say the crew would side-eye this. I mostly bring it up because of the fact that Odysseus did it at all and how it adds to a reoccurring theme of Odysseus insisting that he is a man while also likening himself as a god. Odysseus’ mantra of being “just a man” is largely not meant to be entirely literal and is supposed to represent his guilt, remorse, empathy, and love— characteristics that are mostly attributed to humanity— but I still think this goes hand in hand with Odysseus as a character wanting to have his cake and eat it too.

You can see this a lot in how Odysseus approaches the gods. In my interpretation, he thinks of himself on some kind of equal terms as them— he thinks that he can win Aelous’ game, he thinks he can outsmart Poseidon, he thinks that he can handle Circe, and he thinks he can argue back with Athena and directly disrespect her because they are equals— friends. Honestly, the only time he doesn’t really do this is in the beginning with Zeus and Astyanax, which is interesting because it is also his interaction with Zeus in Thunderbringer that seems to stop this mindset all-together (I don’t personally think that Odysseus believes himself to be equals with Poseidon in GitW and SHS, which is largely why I believe he won, but that’s a topic for another day).

(Also, outside of the story, you see it in how Jay gives him electric guitar (electronic music is associated with magic), waited like eight songs for the first time we hear Odysseus’ name (a decision similar to how we never actually hear ‘Zeus’ and is even highlighted by the way that he reveals Athena’s identity in Warrior of the Mind and not his own), and how he has a song with his name (just like the monsters do). This isn’t super relevant, I just think it’s interesting.)

Anyways, regardless of how right he is about these things (because, admittedly, he often is), it says a lot about him and how he perceives the situation he’s in that he can think these things at all.

Something else that’s interesting to note: likening yourself to a god, even indirectly, is really bad culturally. The gods find it disrespectful and that’s why you see a lot of myths or moments about people being punished for saying that they’re as or more beautiful than Aphrodite, as or more strong than Ares, as or more smart than Athena. In the Odyssey, Telemachus visits someone’s palace (I think it was Menelaus but ngl I don’t remember) and he whispers about how it must be what the palace of the gods looks like because of how glorious it is and he is immediately corrected because doing something like that is really bad and is usually/always seen as disrespectful to the gods.

Which brings me back to Eurylochus, a regular guy who has the experiences of someone without divine blood or intervention and also watches as his captain and king, even indirectly, puts himself on a level where he does not belong. Odysseus, as incredible as he is, is not nearly as divine as he makes himself out to be. He’s the great-grandson of Hermes— not the son, not even the grandson, the great-grandson— and he is the king of Ithaca, a small island that isn’t actually all that wealthy. In Ancient Greece standards, he’s not hot shit enough to warrant this belief, and Eurylochus knows that.

Obviously, Athena’s mentorship does change things a bit, but I wonder how much of Odysseus’ inherent belief that he is above his fellow man leaked into his behaviors. How obvious was it to Eurylochus, to his crew? How do you go from seeing someone like Achilles or Sarpedon with direct links to godhood that fell despite their parentage, and someone like Odysseus, who is touched by the divine but not even half as close as the others? How do you watch them fall and then see Odysseus continuously getting too close to the very things that have killed so many heroes before?

It isn’t just that Eurylochus is a normal man— it’s the fact that he views Odysseus as one as well, and Odysseus’ actions, despite what he continually insists throughout the show, do not portray that of a normal man. Normal men do not ask for direct help from a being that does not care whether they live or die. Normal men do not face off against fucking Poseidon without backing down. Normal men do not charge in against a sea witch without any aid and expect to win. Normal men do not get to make the decisions of fate— of who lives and dies— and remain blameless.

Odysseus told him to listen, yes, but he also put himself on to a pedestal that his crew had no way of knowing was true. To them, he was a regular man doing things that would have gotten regular men killed— and it did, it just wasn’t Odysseus who died because of it.

#‘I am neither man nor mythical’ is genuinely my favorite lyric in the entire show #and it really does set the stage for my entire interpretation of odysseus #idk if this makes sense to anyone but I think about this every time I listen to luck runs out and I wanted to share #this isn’t ody hate btw I love him sm I just think he’s complicated #it’s all my interp! it’s fine if u disagree #my post #epic #epic the musical #epic odysseus #epic eurylochus #epic analysis #jorge rivera herrans

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deancasbigbang · 3 months ago

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Title: When Everything Goes Wrong, Go Right

Author: Ryan_A

Artist: Aceriee

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester Garth/Benny Dean/Lee (breakup) Castiel/April (past)

Length: 100000

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence Rape/Non-Con

Tags: Russian Alpha Cas, Omega Dean, Gentle yet Badass Cas, Secret Identity, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Castiel likes his knives, Car Chases, Dean makes alphas eat his Impala’s dust, Gabriel’s Wonka-like Bakery

Posting Date: November 7, 2024

Summary: Dean swears the universe is out to get him. It’s bad enough he was born a rare omega in a world that sees them as freaks, but after ruffling the feathers of a relentless gang of alphas, he’s on the run, fleeing for his life. His Impala might be a beast of a muscle car, but even it can’t outrun the weather or the universe that insists on toying with him like a cat with its prey. Dean evades his pursuers only to end up trapped by a severe storm in a remote town in South Dakota. Drenched to the bone and unable to fix a flat tire in the woods, a strange blue-eyed alpha in a trench coat comes to his aid like a guardian angel. But Dean doesn’t trust alphas. And not everything is as it seems. With the universe still pulling its strings, Dean’s days of fleeing aren’t over yet.

Excerpt: “Cassie? What the hell happened to you?” Gabriel exclaims, eyes wide with shock. “The bridge was washed out. Had to swim across.” Gabriel curses under his breath and shoos Castiel toward the staff room. Castiel doesn’t miss how his older brother glances toward the hidden camera in the coffee maker, raising his hands to profess his innocence to the unseen audience. But he does hear Gabriel leave and return with a towel muttering, “At least stop making a puddle.” Castiel catches the towel, the fabric soft against his cold skin, and starts drying off. “I tried to call, but the phone lines are down from the storm.” Gabriel's face tightens with concern. “She's watching right now, isn't she?” Castiel asks, already knowing the answer. Gabriel doesn’t respond, instead suggesting, “Go use the shower upstairs. I’ll find you dry clothes.” “No.” Castiel shakes his head, water droplets flying. “I have to swim back.” “Eto pizdets,” Gabriel curses in Russian and scrubs his face. “I want you to stay put on the other side.” “But mandatory check-in—” “I’ll take care of it with Pakhan Mikhail. God knows Mother’s giving him an earful right now, seeing the state you’re in. My phone will be ringing as soon as you leave.” “It’s just water. I’m perfectly capable of swimming—” “Don’t you even think of it. Your lips are blue, Cassie. You think Mother can’t see color through that camera? She’s gonna hit me upside the head for this.” Castiel reaches for one of Gabriel’s freshly baked blueberry muffins with the compelling urge to package one up to bring to Dean. A gift. To provide for him like a good alpha. “Oh, Cassie.” Gabriel sits back on the sofa, his tone turned upbeat. “You got that look in your eye.” "What look?” Castiel glares, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising to his cheeks. “Like you picked up a stray. What is it this time? You rescue a drowned cat?” Gabriel leans forward, his grin widening as Castiel remains silent. “A dog? Did it show up at your door all sad-eyed, and you had to take it in?” Castiel stays silent, discomfort prickling at his skin. Gabriel's eyes narrow with discerning curiosity. “No . . . this is different, isn’t it? Something else. Something untamable. And you like it. A challenge. I’d say you took in a raccoon, but that doesn’t feel right either.” Gabriel taps his fingers over the top of the sofa. “Come on, tell me.” “No.” “Tell me or I’m gonna swim over there myself and find out what you’re hiding.” Reluctantly, Castiel mutters, “I rescued an omega.” Gabriel's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “She hot? Tell me she’s hot,” he asks with an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle. Castiel sighs. “She’s a he.” “A rare male omega? The odds of—” “1 in 1.3 million. He had a flat tire outside my cabin.” “Whoa, bro. The chances of that are about the same as getting struck by lightning.” “He nearly did.”

DCBB 2024 Posting Schedule

#dcbb 2024 #fic preview #2024 promo #deancas #destiel

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ladylovelylemons · 25 days ago

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Re Zero Arc 6: Who are you?

I haven’t really done any long analysis posts yet (or even re:zero posts) but I just finished arc 6 and I have so much to say. This is by far my favorite arc. There were so many amazing chapters. I keep thinking it can’t get any better, and then it does.

Theme: Memories

Fitting for an arc titled “the corridor of memories”, the central theme of this arc is memories. Many of its characters have either lost memories (Subaru, Ram, Echidna/Anastasia) or have been forgotten (Rem, Julius, and later Emilia)

There’s also a broad theme of identity. Memories is tied to identity, and a lot of characters are struggling to find out, exactly, who they are.

I decided to go down each character and talk about how the theme relates to them

Ram

Ram’s issue here is that she’s forgotten about Rem, her little sister and an important part of her life. Even though she doesn’t remember Rem, she’s still important to her, and she often gets angry about her.

We learn more about Ram’s past, about how she was believed to be the reincarnation of the oni god. However, that fact never mattered to her— all that mattered to her was that she was Rem’s sister. That’s where she finds her identity.

Ram uses her clairvoyance to connect with Rem and defeat one of the gluttony siblings. She never cared about her horn, but she uses her power to protect Rem. Even though she doesn’t remember her, Ram is connected to her twin sister.

Meili

Meili is presented throughout as being a kid who doesn’t really understand what she’s doing. That’s why Subaru forgives her so easily— she’s just a child who doesn’t know much better.

Meili is still a ruthless assassin who resorts to murder to solve her problems. Her identity has been as an assassin for all of her life, so she doesn’t know much else. Subaru and Emilia reach out to her so she can form a new identity.

Echidna/Anastasia

For a good chunk of arc 6, Echidna is wearing a mask of Anastasia and pretending to be her. She fakes a lot of innocence to seem non-threatening, but is actually pretty ruthless.

Echidna is established as being non-trusting. She doesn’t reveal her true identity to Julius until he finds out by accident. However, she later somewhat regrets that she didn’t try to form a bond with him.

Despite her non-trusting nature, Echidna apologizes to Subaru as she’s dying in one loop. This is pretty significant, as she has a lot of reasons to doubt Subaru, but she forgives him instead.

On Anastasia’s side, she’s asleep inside of Echidna for most of the arc. It’s later revealed the reason why was because she knew that if she woke up, then she would forget about Julius. In the end, Anastasia does wake up and forget about him, but is able to reforge her bond with him.

Emilia

Out of all the characters, Emilia is the one with the least issues this arc.

Emilia’s kindness is something that’s pretty influential this arc. Her kindness towards the amnesiac Subaru is what kicks off his character development and wanting to save everyone instead of only wanting to save himself. And her wish for “everyone to get along” saves the day thanks to Volcanica.

Late in this arc, Emilia has her name eaten by Gluttony and no one remembers her. However, she isn’t too upset about this, as “the person [she] wanted to remember the most l” (Subaru) did remember her. She keeps fighting nonetheless.

Julius

The main problem that Julius has is the fact that no one remembers him. The bonds that he had made are all gone, except for Subaru, and eventually that’s gone too.

Julius is full of doubts because he has no footing to stand on. Because everyone’s memories of him are gone, his identity is gone. Deep down, he feels like he’s no longer a knight. This is pointed out during his fights with Reid many times.

After his second fight with Reid, Subaru is there to lend a beaten-up Julius his shoulder. Julius refuses it, however, trying to stand on his own. Subaru forcefully helps him anyway. Subaru thinks how Julius is in a similar position to how he was after Julius beat him up in front of a crowd. Remembering how lonely he felt, he makes sure he will not let Julius be alone in this moment.

The identity of Julius is heavily tied to being a knight. His entire personality is built around being knightly. However, Julius thinks of himself as a fake knight, even calling himself a “paper tiger”. He wasn’t even a noble to begin with, and only became so after his parents died. Still, he decides to cling to this role he chose for himself.

Julius is able to fight Reid after reaffirming his identity not as a nameless knight, but as Julius Juukulius. He reforges his bonds with both Anastasia and his quasi-spirits (which become actual spirits). He decides he won’t just wait around for everyone’s memories of him to return, but that he’ll reforge the bonds that were forcefully broken. It is at this point that he can really call himself “the Greatest Knight”.

The Tower Keepers: Reid, Shaula, and Volcanica

Reid and Shaula are both keepers of the tower. Although Shaula’s an ally, and Reid is not.

Reid is built off of memories. He is based off of a point of the first sword saint’s life. He’s pretty confident in himself, and really doesn’t care about most things.

Shaula has been waiting in the tower for 400 years for her “master”, who she mistakes as Subaru, to appear. She is the keeper of the tower, and nothing else.

In the end, Shaula turns into a giant scorpion, her true self lost. When defeated, she breaks apart, leaving nothing but a small scorpion that isn’t even her. However, Shaula is able to confess her love in her last moments in her true form, not as a giant scorpion. And the tiny scorpion left is red, the color of love— Shaula’s feelings still getting through.

Volcanica is a dragon who has lost his memories. He can only repeat the same words. He mistakes Emilia for Satella. He’s compared to an old man with Alzheimer’s. Volcanica‘s self is very shaky and weak, as well as his perception.

Gluttony Trio

For one thing, Louis has never left Old Lagna and instead takes over the bodies of her brothers (and also the place of Subaru). Basically, she takes the identities of others because she doesn’t like her own.

Roy and Ley eat the names and memories of others. Basically, they take away identities.

Louis’s wish is for a new life, a new identity. She wants to find the perfect one. She thinks she’s found it in Subaru, but she’s greatly mistaken. Ironically enough, she does get a new identity, just in a different way

Louis takes and Subaru’s place and basically uses a clone of herself with Subaru’s body and memories prior to transporting. She creates a brand new identity for herself, but the identity still isn’t hers—even if it’s Louis inside, the identity is still Subaru.

After living as Subaru, Louis is left a mess. Her mantra of “want to become happy” is changed to “don’t want to die”. She does have a new identity, but not in the way she wanted

Subaru

Decided to save the best for last

Subaru loses all of his memories prior to transporting. His identity is changed, as now he’s as he was before. This actually shows just how much Subaru has changed, with how different the amnesiac Subaru is.

The amnesiac Subaru has a huge case of imposter syndrome. He treats the original Subaru as someone different from himself. At one point, he even thinks his original self is a murderer. Subaru thinks so lowly of himself, he can’t comprehend this version of himself that everyone speaks so highly of.

Subaru goes nuts and at one point considers killing everyone. This is in part because he read Meili’s Book of the Dead. Meili is basically infecting him, her thoughts constantly overlapping with his own.

Subaru starts to believe in himself when others believe in him. During one loop, Julius, Echidna, Beatrice, and Emilia help Subaru snap out of his anger and paranoia. Emilia asks him for his name, and he answers “Natsuki Subaru”—the one whom Julius entrusted, Beatrice believed in, Echidna forgave, and Emilia wished for. That is his new foundation of self.

Subaru goes through quite the dilemma when he finally meets Louis. He is given the choice of either returning to his original self, and therefore letting his current self disappear, or never get his memories back. He can’t stand “dying” and losing the bonds he made with the people he had grown to love. Yet at this moment, Rem tells him to stand up, because he’s her hero. Subaru decides to fight Louis and her brothers, losing neither his current or old self.

Subaru goes through many, many loops to find the correct way to save everyone. Nothing seems to work. After looping many times, he finds his own Book of the Dead. Then, he relives those deaths and memories of Subaru when he first landed in the new world. After reading, the old Subaru appears—because both Subarus now have the same memories, and have reached the same peak.

The amnesiac Subaru tells the original Subaru that he’s a great person. In this way, Subaru has actually learned to love and value himself. The old Subaru takes on the new Subaru’s memories, and they become one.

Through all of his tumultuous experiences, the bonds he made with others, as well as reading his own Book of the Dead, the amnesiac Subaru was able to reach the same point as his current self. This was how they were able to basically fuse. The amnesiac Subaru was the same Subaru as before, but at the same time, different. How he reached his own growth was different, yet also very similar, to the original Subaru

In conclusion, Subaru lost his identity and was able to find himself.

#Whew #This was basically an essay lol #Re zero #re: zero #re: starting life in another world from zero #Rezero #Natsuki Subaru #Emilia #Ram #Julius #Anastasia #Echidna #Meili #Arc 6 #Shaula

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h-worksrambles · 1 month ago

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I haven’t really spoken much about Sonic x Shadow Generations here since it came out but I have to say, I absolutely loved it. It’s the most fun I’ve had with 3D Sonic since…well, the original Generations in 2011. It has brilliant levels, fixes most of my problems with Sonic Frontiers and was an all round delight of an experience. In addition, it’s the first time in a long time that a Sonic story has genuinely impressed me. In a series where the narratives tend to either be a hodgepodge of badly executed anime tropes (sometimes in campy charming ways and other times not) or barebones excuse plots, this one (especially factoring in Dark Beginnings) was focused, cohesive and well presented in a way Sonic stories rarely are. I don’t have to add any qualifiers like ‘it’s camp!’ or ‘it’s a good idea’ or ‘it’s got some good moments’. It’s just legitimately well done.

And a big part of that was how well the game captured the character of Shadow. So I thought it would be fun to look back at the turbulent history of this guy, why the concept of him getting his own game this year had me both excited yet worried, and why the result so pleasantly surprised me.

Shadow first debuts in Sonic Adventure 2 and he’s a really entertaining character, here. Aside from having an aesthetic and music presentation designed in a lab to be the coolest thing a 2000s kid will have ever seen. He’s just smug and confident enough to bounce off of Sonic in an amusing way, but he has enough pathos to his character and backstory to remain endearing. There’s a lot of surprisingly thoughtful concepts regarding identity, memory and revenge that his story touches on. Couple that with his backstory that gets into darker territory than anything in the series prior and he’s easily got the most going on of any Sonic character. The only real critique I have is his story feels like it tries to do too much in such a short game (with a wonky translation). It asks a lot of big questions about the nature of memory to an artificial life form but doesn’t have much in the way of answers. Plus, his heel turn to the heroes’ side definitely feels a bit rushed. It effectively comes down to his true memories coming back a narratively convenient moment, and doesn’t give him much agency to make his own decisions. Like, nothing Amy says to him really gets through to him, nothing in his experiences over the game prompts a change of heart. Amy conveniently just happens to say the right thing to jog his memory. Shadow starts the game wanting to honour Maria’s memory and dies the same way. He’s just remembered what she actually wanted now, But his death is still pretty effective in the moment.

Is he basically just Mewtwo from the first Pokémon movie with the serial numbers filed off? Yes, but he’s the perfect encapsulation of SA2’s appeal. It’s a game that is camp and brave enough to own it. Even at its clumsiest and most derivative it’s consistently charming, and plenty of moments of unironic sentimentality shine through.

Unfortunately, he got so damn popular that Sonic Team refused to let him rest, so the next game, Sonic Heroes, saw him immediately revived and given amnesia. Which is a huge shame, as there was a lot of potential in Shadow coming back, reflecting on his actions in SA2 and actually having to put the work in to redeem himself and find a new purpose after clinging to revenge for so long. But we skate over that with a lot of pretty undercooked intrigue about how he survived that goes nowhere til the next game. Partnering him up with Rouge and Omega to create Team Dark is a good idea, even if this game gives them very little to do. But it’s the next two games where Shadow’s prominence would really peak, and where I have the bulk of my criticisms.

Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic 06 are two of Shadow’s most prominent showings in the series and to their credit, they do in some ways rectify that lack of agency I mentioned in Adventure 2. Shadow’s own game is all about an amnesiac Shadow’s search for answers while everyone around him puts pressure on him to be where they want: be that a hero, a weapon, or the villain of their story. The game then ends with him renouncing the expectations everyone else has placed on him. Not just Black Doom but even Gerald and Maria, renouncing his past entirely and so forging his own path, which carries neatly into Sonic 06. As much as I find reviving him with amnesia to be a trite and frustrating direction for the character, this is probably the best thing you could do with that premise. Making the new Shadow distinct from the old Shadow and so, in a sense, keeping that character dead.

That being said, there’s a big issue Shadow runs into here: He starts to become really boring. Maybe it’s just being in two Sonic games with bad writing and voice direction but Shadow loses so much personality here. There’s none of that cocky charisma that made him such a good rival to Sonic. In his own game, his amnesia reduces him to a blank slate, whose demeanour and motivations change in a dime depending on the last person he talked to because of the game’s botched morality system. Meanwhile, in 06, he suffers the same character writing issues as everyone else, droning out the plot in flat monotone delivery. While he makes out a little better than most of the cast as he gets an actual villain to face off against and more meat to his story, the presentation really hurts it. 06 tries to confront Shadow with a character who wants to tempt him back to his old vengeful ways, in the form of Mephiles, thereby cementing how far Shadow has come. Unfortunately, that temptation was pretty much Black Doom’s deal in the last game, so once Shadow rejects Mephiles outright, there is no conflict. It’s a case of like…two good scenes amidst three hours of nothing. There’s a fine line between stoic and dull. As compeling as the idea of making post amnesia Shadow effectively his own character is, these games struggled to give him a personality distinct from his SA2 persona. Now his personality is just ‘does cool shit’. I think Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa both got a little too fond of Shadow, and he really started turning into a creator’s pet. Cartoonishly badass and hyper competent in a way that upstages every other character. Shadow basically dominates 06’s plot and upstages every other character, but so much of his charisma has been lost at this point that he still ends up feeling dull. It’s played so straight and framed as ‘sooooo cooool’ but is so overwrought that he already feels like a parody of himself (think Legolas in The Hobbit movies).

After that, Shadow took a huge backseat from the series for over 15 years. With his backstory put to rest and with the series skirting away from the kind of dramatic or complicated plots that would give a character like Shadow a meaningful role, he’s left to hang in the background. And as much as I love Sonic Unleashed, Colors and especially Generations, this didn’t really prove a long term solution. Execution has always been the Achilles heel of Sonic writing and switching from clunky melodrama to clunky jokes ended to just being a short term bandaid, that worked fine for a few games but led to diminishing returns in the long run. A lot of people criticise this period of Shadow being ‘written like Vegeta’ more concerned with his rivalry with Sonic than anything else, with no time given to the pathos and relationships with other characters that kept him relatable. But that’s a mostly a product of how minimal his role is here. In something like Sonic Generations, where Shadow’s role is to be a boss fight and his motivations have to be understandable in two lines tops, that flanderization is the unfortunate result. Aside from a decent showing in Sonic Forces, where he serves a simple but serviceable role, there’s not a lot to say in comparison to when he dominated the franchise. And while I think that overexposure was a problem, I never wanted him to go away. I just wanted something that reminded me why I liked him in Adventure 2 to begin with, where his edge and ‘badassery’ didn’t make him feel like a parody of himself.

Then comes Shadow Generations. Shadow Gens borrows from both aspects of him. It walks back on the idea of post-amnesia Shadow being wholly distinct from SA2 Shadow, which some might not like. But it’s worth it for the story it tells. Shadow’s rejection of his past is reframed as him effectively running away from the trauma of it all because it’s simply too painful, nearly demonstrated in the final scene of Dark Beginnings. Providing him with a chance to meet Maria and Gerald again draws out some vulnerability from him without being overdone or too cloying. There’s a nice arc about Shadow learning not to run away from his past, to accept the good parts while still renouncing his ties to Black Doom. The result is that it simultaneously feels Ike both a tribute to Shadow’s 2005 spin off and a do-over, revisiting those concepts with a clearer head and more time to cook. His overall characterisation is also closer to that stoic confidence mixed with pathos that made his SA2 self so likeable, especially when you factor in Dark Beginnings. Yes he’s framed as so cool that it starts to get a bit ridiculous, but it’d easier to embrace the campy fun of that when he’s also legitimately sympathetic. His arc feels more focused and tighter executed than past attempts to develop him, but it still builds on those older concepts despite their hit or miss execution. And it all builds to an ending that is just the right mix of earnestly sweet and restrained to end the whole game on a genuinely touching note.

It’s also nice to see the Team Dark dynamic be used in a less…cursed game than 06 where it can shine a bit more. Rouge and Omega aren’t in the game a ton, but the optional conversations with them, and especially their role in Dark Beginnings, gets the to heart of what makes this found family of badass messy bitches so appealing. It takes a lot to draw any emotional frankness out of any of these three but it hits hard when they do finally open up to each other.

Shadow as a character is sort of a perfect encapsulation of the good and bad of Sonic storytelling. It’s admirable that the series tries to tell bigger stories, but the writing often isn’t strong enough to carry it. But walking back that scope and energy doesn’t really fix the issue, as it simply leaves the series feeling vanilla and only brings those fundamental issues of poorer execution into sharp focus. And Shadow Generations’ ability to recapture that energy while avoiding the common pitfalls is what makes it so refreshing.

The last few years have seen Sonic as a franchise experiment more with storytelling than they have in years and the results left me decidedly mixed. While Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was a delightful reminder of just how charming these characters can be with good writing, Sonic Frontiers felt like a return of all the series’ bad writing habits. Overwrought, derivative, tonally dissonant trend chasing that reaches for big ideas that it can’t do justice, with poor presentation, rushed, forced execution and a general sense of thinking it’s way more profound than it actually is. It really felt like 2000s Sonic was back in the worst way, moments of promise amidst a hot mess that felt both over and undercooked.

But that just made Shadow Generations even more of a delight. It didn’t feel like it was intentional downplaying itself to avoid scrutiny like Sonic Forces or Lost World did, but not did it feel like it was constantly chasing after trends like Shadow the Hedgehog or copying frantically off its anime cheat sheet like 06 or Frontiers. It kept a clear consistent focus on exploring and celebrating Shadow’s character, with good pacing, a refreshing attention to continuity, solid emotional beats and well done cutscenes.

This feels like the sort of thing the Sonic series often wanted to be, but regularly fell short of. A campy, exciting action romp focused on its likeable characters. And it was the capstone on an already really fun campaign that made for a brilliant addition to what was already my favourite 3D Sonic game.

I’m delighted that Shadow Generations got me excited about Sonic again, but I’m just as happy that it made me excited about Shadow again.

#shadow generations #shadow gens spoilers #sonic x shadow generations #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonic adventure 2 #sonic 06 #sonic heroes

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whereianonymouslypostfics · 2 years ago

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First Time

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~9.2k

Summary: You meet another mobster.

A/N: This is when Y/n’s tracker is placed!

Warnings: angst, kidnapping, violence/torture, blood and mentions of drug use, death.

“Kale, onions…garlic, check.”

You’re currently in the grocery store trying to get the last ingredients you need for dinner. You feel rushed despite having gotten off work early today, and you really want to get home to start cooking.

One of your favorite activities in the world is grocery shopping. Most of your friends hate it, and your wife doesn’t particularly enjoy it either. However, you love food and any time you get to eat it or prepare to eat it you are happy. This is why as you’re walking up and down the aisles with a smile as you hum under your breath. You were excited to cook this dish that someone at work had brought for lunch. You often find yourself lured around the office following great smells. Wanda joked once that you were like a dog when you picked up a scent. You wouldn’t stop until you found it and figured out what it was.

Once you grab the last things you need for tonight’s dinner you sigh in relief before heading toward check out. You stretch with a groan and lean against your cart as you wait in line. Looking outside, you see it’s gotten dark out and you frown slightly in disappointment. You weren’t a fan of driving at night because you didn’t have the best luck with wildlife and the police.

Last time you’d driven home in the dark you’d almost hit a deer as it darted across the street. The time before that you’d been stopped for speeding. To be fair, you’d been going almost 15 over, but you hated confrontation and also weren’t a fan of paying for speeding tickets.

These thoughts leave you as you arrive at the register and you greet the brunette before putting all your items on the belt. You allow your mind to wander to your wife at home and how you hope she’s walked and fed your dog. You know how he gets when it’s dark and he hasn’t had his dinner yet. Daylight saving’s time was always a struggle in the fall.

“Thank you, have a nice night.”

You smile and offer a ‘you too’ before heading out into the crowded parking lot. You parked too far away because you didn’t like parking near other cars, and you were currently regretting it. You sigh when you finally arrive to your car and you open the trunk to load up the groceries. You close the trunk and put up your cart before returning to the driver’s side. You’re thinking about calling Wanda when you feel something press against your back as you grab the door handle.

“Don’t scream or I’ll shoot you. Unlock the car.”

You tense when the gun’s pressed further into your back, and you do as he says with a frown. You’re not sure what’s happening, but you go with it to avoid getting shot in this parking lot. You open the doors and get in the car as your possible car jacker gets in the back seat. You still tense and wait on edge as you sit down and you look in the rear-view mirror with a frown. You clear your throat before speaking up as you shut your door and start the car slowly.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

You flinch as the brunette moves toward you suddenly and climbs into the front seat. You watch him get settled, his gun still in his hand pointed vaguely in your direction before he turns to you. You don’t recognize him, not that you thought you would, but you’re a little surprised to see that he’s not wearing a mask or doing anything to hide his identity. Either he doesn’t care or he knows it doesn’t matter. You’re not sure you like what either of those things imply.

“Drive, please, Dr. Maximoff.”

Well, that answered one question, but you couldn’t help but be miffed by this giant wrench in your plans for tonight. You knew better than to be too snippy, but you also didn’t want to show him how worried you were. This type of thing hadn’t happened to you before, and you weren’t quite sure of what to do. Wanda had told you once that if you were ever in a situation like this, you should tell them what they wanted to know and not fight them on anything. She wanted you to stay as safe as possible while she tried to find you.

The fact that she thinks you’re just out shopping and that you could be another hour or so doesn’t sit well with you at all. You back out of your parking spot slowly before you start to head out of the lot.

“Is there anywhere in particular you’d like to go?”

He doesn’t respond immediately and you just turn out onto the street and start to drive home out of habit. You’re sure he doesn’t pick up on this and he just shakes his head before muttering ‘just drive’ under his breath. You figure that since he knows your name, he doesn’t just want to steal your car. He’s targeting you for a reason, and unfortunately if you had to guess, it’s because of something your wife’s done. You go to say this before you realize it might be better to be blissfully ignorant.

“Did my wife do something to piss you off recently, or did you just want me to drive you around?”

You see him scowl out of the corner of your eye, and you see his hand twitch but he doesn’t do anything other than huff in annoyance. You’re not sure what you expected him to say to you, but you’re rendered speechless as you try to figure out a way out of this mess.

“Your wife’s going to become a widow unless she does me a favor.”

Wanda is sitting around trying to kill time while she waits for you to come home. It’s almost 7 and you’d texted her about an hour and a half ago to tell her you were shopping. She figured you’d be home by now, but she’d gone shopping with you enough to know that you are easily distracted. She has often had to bring your attention back to the grocery list when you’re side tracked by your appetite. For this reason, she’s going to give you another half hour before checking in.

She’s already fed the pets and walked Boone, so now she’s just lounging on the couch. She let Boone lie down at her feet as she turned on the television for some background noise. She puts on a cooking show that you like as she lays down and grabs her phone from the coffee table. She decides to at least get an ETA and she shoots you a quick text.

Are you on your way?

Wanda lies back down and reaches down to pet Boone when he rests his head on her legs. She pets him for a minute before she turns to the television. She’s not sure what this round is on but the weird ingredients involved only manage to keep her attention for a few minutes. She closes her eyes just intending to rest for a minute, but she accidentally falls asleep and doesn’t realize it until Boone jumps off the couch an hour later.

Wanda mumbles a curse under her breath as she sits up and reaches for her phone with a yawn. She sees it’s nearly 8 and that you haven’t responded to her text so she decides to call you. She stands up and walks toward the kitchen as she waits for you to answer. By the fourth ring she’s getting anxious, and when it finally goes to voicemail she hangs up and immediately calls back.

She’s opening the fridge by the time it goes to voicemail again and she’s trying to keep calm as she leaves you a short message.

“Hey Y/n, are you on your way home? I’m starting to worry. Call me, please.”

Wanda hangs up and sets her phone down on the counter with a frown. She hopes that you’re just driving and can’t answer the phone, and that you’ll walk through the door in just a few minutes. She opens the fridge again to grab a bottle of wine and goes to grab a glass with a sigh. She’s tired and her stomach starts to growl as she pours herself some absentmindedly.

She’s mid-sip when her phone goes off and she sets the glass down quickly to see if it’s you. She frowns at the unknown number and the fact that they’ve sent her a video. She opens it before she can think better of it, and she nearly drops her phone when she sees what it is.

Your plan to drive to the compound was quickly thwarted when your captor, he wouldn’t tell you his name, tells you to turn a different way. You considered not listening, but it only took him putting his gun to your head for you to oblige him. You weren’t in the mood for this, not that you think you’d ever be, and you’re thinking about ways to get out of this without hurting yourself too much. You aren’t driving too fast, and you could probably jump out of the car but that’s honestly the best you can come up with. It’s not ideal because then you’d be on the side of the road and he’d be in your car, probably able to get out and just drag you back in. You sigh in defeat as you start heading out of town and you’re tapping the steering wheel anxiously as you dare to speak up again.

You could tell he was getting a little annoyed, but if he really wanted something from Wanda, he wouldn’t hurt you too badly, right? You make this assumption without knowing if he’s truly smart enough to know this. For this reason, you’re not as rude as you want to be as you ask yet again for a hint.

“What favor do you need from, Wanda?”

Despite not knowing the crucial details of your wife’s work, you had a feeling that she could make a lot happen. You’re not sure what his demands are, but you felt like there was a very small chance that it was something that Wanda wouldn’t be able to make happen, at least that’s what you’re hoping.

When he just scowls at you, you feel your hope start to dwindle and you consider what’s going to happen to you. You’ve not yet had the privilege of being used as a pawn in your wife’s mob politics.

“I need her to pull out of a deal, and to give me some money.”

You don’t even bother asking about the first part. You’re too worried you’ll be told that Wanda’s going to murder someone or something horrific like that, so you keep your mouth shut. You consider the second part for a few seconds as you continue to drive down the dark and mostly deserted road. You don’t know how much money Wanda has overall. Sure, you have joint bank accounts, but Wanda also keeps some money separate for legal, or rather illegal reasons. She says it’s to keep you out of trouble, and since you have no reason to not trust her, you let her do what she needs to.

It's not until moments like this that you realize it might be helpful to know how much she has so when people demand an obscene amount, you don’t fear that she doesn’t have it.

“Turn into this lot and park next to that car.”

You do as you’re told, but you turn as slowly as possible to delay the inevitable. You’re not stupid, despite evidence to suggest the contrary, and you have a feeling you know what happens next. Maybe if you can keep him talking you won’t have to get into this next car.

“How much do you want?”

He nudges you with the gun in his hand to get you out of the car and you scowl in annoyance before practically jumping out to get away from him. You slam the door and just glare at him as he gets out and continues to point it at you as he gestures to the other car. It’s a little banged up and you wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t have a license plate. You don’t get a chance to look before he takes out keys and walks to the driver’s side.

“Don’t worry about that right now.”

You are about to ask him when you should worry about it, but instead as you turn around you see his arm is raised above your head. You don’t have time to curse in anticipation before he hits you across the face with the butt of the gun and sends you to the ground. You groan in pain as you roll onto your back, but you make no effort to get up or resist when he grabs your arm and practically throws you in the backseat.

“Sorry about that.”

Pietro Maximoff is in his bedroom struggling to find an outfit when he hears his sister’s voice. He stops rifling through his closet when he realizes she’s shouting, that she sounds worried, and he hurries to go meet her.

“Pietro! PIETRO!”

The frantic knocking comes when he’s only steps away from the door, and he’s quick to open it as his sister continues to panic.

“Pietro, I need your help! Y/n’s in trouble--.”

He opens the door to a frantic, flushed Wanda who clearly ran here to find him. She’s holding her phone and she practically shoves it at him with a shaky hand.

“What is it? What happened, Wanda?”

Petro’s mind is going a mile a minute as he considers all of the horrible possibilities. He looks down to his sister’s phone to see that it’s opened on a message, but he quickly sees the video and his eyes widen. He looks back up to his sister in confusion and she starts to explain as much as possible. She tells him how you went to the store after work, but that you’d taken longer than she expected so she texted you.

“She didn’t respond and then I fell asleep and then she didn’t answer her phone, then this came!”

Wanda watches as Pietro looks back to the video that starts to play as he opens it. He doesn’t even move from the doorway as he registers the sight of you sitting tied to a chair with two men standing by your side. Whoever is holding the camera moves closer to you so they’re only a few feet away, and Pietro can clearly see a large gash over your left eye.

“Okay doctor, remember what we practiced. Go ahead and tell your wife what we want from her.”

Both Maximoffs watch as you scowl and Wanda feels her heart start to race again as she prepares for what you do next. She’s watched the video already of course, but she still feels extreme anxiety watching you talk back and try to resist giving them what they want. She loves you for a lot of reasons, including how smart and resilient you are, but she hates seeing your attitude get you hurt.

“Fuck off.”

Your head is still aching from where he’d hit you earlier, and you can’t help but hiss as one of the minions by your side grabs your hair and yanks your head back. You glare at him ignoring the tears that sting your eyes as you grit your teeth to keep from cursing in pain. You try to ignore the camera that’s getting closer to your face as the ring leader speaks up again. He’s frowning as he zooms in on your face to get a better shot of your cut.

“Would you rather us hurt you instead? I can’t imagine she wants to see that.”

You can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at his words, and you hate that you agree with him. Although you hate the idea of cooperating, you don’t want Wanda to have to see you any more hurt than you already are. Knowing your wife, she’ll already be near hysterical when she learns that you’ve been taken, and you’d be shocked if these three, and anyone else involved, get anything out of tonight, let alone live to tell about it.

Still, you glare harder at him as you growl under your breath at the obnoxious brunette. You can’t wait to see your wife kick his ass.

“God help you if you do.”

You’re not surprised when the grip on your hair tightens painfully and you feel something cold and sharp against your neck. You instinctively hold your breath and try not to move as the knife digs into your skin threateningly.

“That’s strike two. Now you’re a doctor, so you’re supposed to be smart, right? Do you want to tell me what happens when you get to three?”

Pietro waits with bated breath as you consider your options. Luckily you don’t take too much time to make your decision and you’re looking at the camera that’s backed up at this point, but its not far enough away for him to miss the red line that’s revealed as the knife is pulled away so you can speak freely.

“Wands, he wants you to back out of your deal with Booker…”

You pause as you swallow the lump in your throat before mentioning the second, ridiculous demand that you were told.

“He also wants $14 million to make up for his losses when you first moved North.”

You cough as your throat suddenly becomes dry, and out of habit you try to move your arm to cover your mouth but you just yank against the ropes around your wrists. You glower at the brunette who’s now smiling as he presses a button on his phone before he starts to fill in the gaps.

“Since I’m a reasonable man, I’ll give you 24 hours to get the money together and talk to Booker. Call me once you have it and we’ll set up a meeting. Until then, I’ll send you updates on how we’re doing here every 6 hours.”

You feel panic flood your body at the fact that he’s only giving Wanda 24 hours. That doesn’t seem like enough time to get everything figured out. That said, you also realize that you’re going to be stuck here in this smelly room, and very uncomfortable chair for at least that long and you want to cry.

You just wanted to go home and cook your wife dinner.

“Say bye for now, Dr. Maximoff.”

The video ends with you shooting the camera a hopeful look, and Pietro just curses before he starts to formulate a plan.

“Let me talk to Bucky and Nat. We’ll track her phone and her car to see if we can get an idea of where they took her.”

Wanda’s nodding absentmindedly as she reconsiders the decision she’d made after first watching this. She was desperate to get you back, and she didn’t care what she had to do to make it happen. She had many concerns about dealing with a man like this, but her main one was what he planned to do with you while he waited. She’d only really interacted with him, Anderson was his name, once and she did not enjoy it at all. He was manipulative and distrusting of most things she’d said. Granted she had lied to him about some of her intentions, but he’d returned the favor when he’d tried to steal a client out from under her.

She doesn’t want you to be at risk for any longer than strictly necessary, and she’s tempted to talk to Booker now just to get this over with. However, she needs to be smart and take some time to figure out how to best approach this situation. She knew that Anderson was counting on her making the impulsive, knee-jerk decision to comply just so you’ll get back safely. She wants to do this, but she needs to consider how her actions can set a precedent. She’ll do whatever she can to keep this from happening again, but she knows that word spreads fast and anyone who hears that she’s willing to pay millions to get you back, will try their hand at getting rich.

Wanda watches as her brother leaves and tries to take a deep breath to calm her raging nerves. She thinks about you sitting with the three men who will undoubtedly be bored waiting for her to get her act together. She dares to consider what they might do to you before she grabs her phone. She texts one of her IT people to ask if they can trace the number that the video came from. She’s not optimistic, but she’d like to have all of her bases covered.

She hesitates to reach out to Booker because she’s not sure what to tell him yet. She checks the time and it’s only 8:40, not too late at all, but by the time she comes up with a plan she’s not sure how much she’ll get done tonight. She decides to leave her brother’s room and heads back to her own with a contemplative frown. She blocks out the sound of Boone howling as she opens the door and goes to work making a plan. She goes to the bedroom to find her computer and as she turns to head to the kitchen, she nearly runs Boone over. She curses loudly, but takes a second to placate the dog so he’s not too insufferable later. She scratches his ears and kisses his face with a sigh. She takes a second to just look at him and he whines before following her into the kitchen. She grabs her glass of wine before sitting at the counter with her computer. She starts with checking her bank account and she scowls at the idea of having to lose so much. She has plenty of money and knows that she doesn’t even have to worry, but the idea of forking this over to someone she hates makes her skin crawl.

“What the hell am I supposed to do?”

She hears Boone whine from where he’s sitting next to her and she sighs as she reaches out for him. She pets him for a few minutes as she just tries to figure out what she should do. She has 24 hours, and although she’s not going to take all of that time, she does need at least a few to arrange everything. Pietro is already calling her back and she prepares to face this extremely stressful situation. She just hopes that you’re fairing okay, and that you’re not giving Anderson too hard of a time.

You glare at the floor in front of you as you grow increasingly more bored with each passing minute. There’s not even a clock in the room, just two bored looking men who are probably daydreaming of being anywhere else. The third, Anderson, he’d finally told you his name, had left to do God knows what. He’d barely given the duo any instruction when he left, and you are trying not to become annoyed at your situation. You wonder how long you’d been followed tonight before Anderson made his move.

How long had he been planning on doing this?

Not for the first time, you consider the dangers associated with being married to Wanda. You know that the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks of your relationship, but at moments like this you can’t help but hate the fact that Wanda’s so well-known. You love your wife and know that she is trying to get out of the business, slowly but surely, but hopefully this incident will kick her ass into gear a little. You’re considering what the redhead could be doing right now when you notice one of the minions stand up and stretch with a sigh.

He doesn’t want to be here babysitting when he could be spending his night actually relaxing. He knows who you are and how important you are to Anderson’s plan, but you’re more annoying that he thought you would be. You were cute and he wanted to play with you a little, but he hadn’t been given permission. That said, if things changed as the hours went by, maybe he could do something to salvage tonight.

“Can I get some water? Is that allowed?”

The other body in the room looks to you with a scowl as he considers ways to shut you up. You’ve been silent up until now, it’s only been a couple of hours, but you’ve already proven to be mouthy with Anderson and he’d rather avoid having to listen to you bitch again.

He looks to Riggs who just shrugs at him and he sighs as he stands up. They’re keeping you at their headquarters because it was the most secure place they could think of. There are close to 20 people here at all times, so it’s better protected from anything your wife might try. He decides to go down to the kitchen to get himself some food and maybe get you some water.

“I’ll be back soon. Do you want anything?”

When he receives a head shake, he leaves the two of you alone for a bit. He’s glad to be out of that room and he wishes he could stay clear of it. You are also wishing to be out of this room, but you know that just saying so will irritate your captors even more. You don’t want to push them too much so you try your best to just relax and trust that your wife will get you out of this.

Wanda hasn’t been this stressed in a long time. She knew this was going to be a difficult ask, but getting Booker to agree to her proposition had been quite an endeavor. Now after almost 4 hours of negotiating, she and Booker had reached an agreement. It will cost her another couple million, but she’d guaranteed that their deal would resume as soon as her ‘unforeseen complication’ was no longer an issue. Wanda hadn’t given too many details, but she’d hinted at her reasoning for trying to renegotiate. She was infamous for sticking to her decisions, good or otherwise, so this had been an unexpected surprise.

She was counting down how many hours she had until she needed to give Anderson her decision. Even working with everyone, they didn’t have a great plan for breaking you out without a lot of potential for injury. Wanda knew she had the people for it, but she wasn’t sure she could or even should ask near three dozen people to help her break you out and kill all of Anderson’s people in the process.

“Hey, sestra. How did it go?”

Wanda groans in exhaustion before mentioning that the meeting had gone okay all things considered. She’d gotten what she wanted, cooperation, and it only cost her a lot of money. Not that she cared about that part of it. She was mostly just concerned about Booker keeping up his end of the deal, and making sure that everything worked out for you.

“It was…”

Wanda trails off as her phone dings and she glances at it to see who it is. She realizes that it’s been longer than she thought, when she sees an update from Anderson. She curses under her breath before moving to sit next to her brother so she can show him as well. She realizes this was a bad idea about 5 seconds in.

Your second babysitter had actually fallen asleep only a few minutes after the other left to probably not get you water. You would roll your eyes if you weren’t busy trying to free yourself. You glance down at your wrists before turning your attention back to your neglectful captor. You keep twisting your wrists to try and loosen the ropes around them with a grimace. It burns your skin, but as one starts to loosen a little you figure it’s worth it. You sigh in relief when one of them becomes loose enough for you to slip your hand out. You hurry to untie the other before you run out of time.

You have no idea how long they’ll be gone or asleep and you decide to try and get the fuck out of here. You hadn’t noticed that the door has been locked when the brunette left and you’re hoping it’s still not as you tip toe toward it. You are surprised when the door opens and even more so when there’s no one on the other side of it. You contemplate which way you should go, but you’re mostly focused on closing and locking the door behind you. You roll your eyes at this before making sure it’s locked behind you with a sigh.

You decide to go to the right because there’s a door that looks like it leads to a stairwell. You’re not sure where you are or what floor you might be on so you decide to go down in hopes of finding an exit. You’d underestimated how many people might be crawling around and you immediately see someone. You duck back behind the door and wait until it’s clear before leaving the stairwell as quietly as possible.

You’ve never claimed to be lucky about much in life. It wasn’t until you met Wanda that this changed at least for a little bit. That said, you wouldn’t be surprised if someone told you that you’d used up all of your luck when meeting your wife. Especially now, as you run head on into Anderson as you turn the corner. Apparently, he was still around and you both stare at each other in shock until you decide to try and run.

Again, your luck isn’t great and despite knocking him to the ground and running a good bit away, you run into more people almost immediately. You sigh in annoyance before you take off in a different direction and listen as Anderson yells at them.

“Stop her!”

Now that you had four people running after you, it occurs to you to look for a weapon to defend yourself with. You don’t like the odds when you run into a room that’s a sad-looking kitchen with nothing particularly useful in sight. You hear footsteps closing in on you and you panic and grab the closest thing to you.

This happens to be a chair and you swing it towards the first person that you see. It hits him square in the chest and he falls backwards into one of his friends. You still see Anderson and someone else not far behind and you head for the closest exit only to run into a locked door. You sigh in defeat before you turn around just in time for someone to grab you. You hold your breath, waiting for the blow, and they don’t disappoint as you’re thrown back against the door. You cringe and react instinctually as you grab his arms and try to push him off of you. Despite succeeding, you have two more coming at you immediately and you try to remember what Nat and Yelena always told you in training.

Hit them where it hurts most.

With this in mind, you kick out and aim for groin closest to you. Despite wanting to bask in the pained noise the man releases as he doubles over, you focus on the angry redhead in front of you. He’s throws out a fist and tries to punch you but you dodge it and punch him in the nose. It hurts a little and you think you may have broken something other than his nose as you turn your attention to the next obstacle.

You realize your escape attempt has failed when you see Anderson pointing his gun at you with a scowl.

“Strike three.”

You don’t struggle when you feel the two men you’d just beaten up grab you and try to lead you back to their boss despite their injuries. It doesn’t matter much anyway because you’re not going to do anything that will get you shot and follow somewhat obediently. You’re afraid you know where you’re headed next as you’re shoved back the way you came by the duo behind you.

“Come on, bitch. It’s time for another update anyway.”

Wanda feels her stomach drop and her eyes are already watering as she starts the most recent video sent to her. She realizes that something must have happened because you’ve been beaten and look near unconscious from where you’re sitting vaguely upright. Your lip and cheek are bruised and bleeding, and just from the way you’re sitting Wanda can tell you’re hurting elsewhere as well. Another glance and Wanda realizes that you’re now handcuffed as Anderson practically stomps over to you.

“Your wife has been very bad since we last spoke. She tried to escape and injured some of my men in the process.”

Wanda is too distressed by your appearance and obvious discomfort to feel the pride she usually would at the news that you’re not making things easy. You grimace slightly as Anderson shoves your shoulder to try and wake you up, and in that moment both Maximoffs decide that they are going to personally see to his demise.

“I let them return the favor, and I thought I’d let you see how things are going here. Are you any closer to making a decision now, Maximoff?”

You are unable to look to the camera when Anderson calls your name, so he grabs your chin and forces your head up. You groan and Wanda sees blood dripping from you lips only a second before you cough all over Anderson. He curses in annoyance as he’s covered in your bloody spit and he can’t stop himself from slapping you across the face.

“Fuck! Just for that, you now only have 12 hours to get everything in order. Until then, we’ll just be here having more fun.”

The video stops and Wanda doesn’t move for a long time. She’s struggling with the decision of what she should do first. She wants to find Anderson and eviscerate him, but she doesn’t know where he is. She has people looking, and so far, they’ve only found your car which was abandoned outside of town. They had found evidence of another car being parked nearby, and they concluded that Anderson must have had you drive to it before they ditched it to take you to where ever you were now. As soon as your car was brought back, Wanda made sure that it was thoroughly searched for any evidence despite not having much hope that there’d be any.

She was afraid to take too much more time looking for him. She’s not sure what else he’ll do to you in the meantime and she realizes that she’s going to have to give him what he wants. She only has time to unlock her phone again before Pietro’s speaking up. She jumps in surprise because she’d honestly forgotten that he was still there.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling him and setting up a meeting.”

Wanda’s about to press the call button when Pietro grabs the phone out of her hand. She scowls and tries to grab it back, but Pietro puts it in his pocket and steps out of reach.

“Give it back!”

He just shakes his head before he tries to appeal to his sister’s sense of reason. He sees a play here, but it isn’t without it’s risks and he knows Wanda’s just becoming more worried about you. He’s worried too, but he knows that you’re tough enough to make it another couple of hours. Not to mention, if Anderson wants anything from his sister, he’s going to keep you alive, which he knows won’t bring Wanda much comfort considering what he’s already done to you.

“No, Wanda. Just take a second and listen to me, okay? I might have an idea.”

You’re beyond regretting your decision to take a tour around the building after a couple of hours of sitting in this chair. It was already painful when you were just waiting for something to happen, but now that you’re dealing with multiple injuries its near unbearable. Your stomach aches from where you’d been kicked multiple times and there’s a dull pain in your ribs from where someone literally kicked you while you were down. You take a deep breath as you consider how much longer you’ll have to sit here. Hopefully your wife has worked out how to get you out of here in the least painful way possible. You supposed that ship has sailed, but maybe you can be spared any more pain.

Anderson had left an hour ago and you were just sitting with your new babysitters. The previous ones had clearly been deemed unfit and you distracted yourself from your pain by imagining what could have happened to them. You’re sure they won’t be easily forgiven, but you can’t bring yourself to care as you groan inwardly at the aches and the uncomfortable chair you’re in.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?”

You can’t help but scowl at the stupid question that you’re not even going to bother answering. You’ve been hurt before and luckily you have a high tolerance for pain, but this is pushing your limits. You’re stressed, hurt and you are worried about how much longer you’ll have to sit here and keep a brave front.

You studiously ignore his taunting look as you consider how Wanda’s decided to handle the negotiation required to get you out of here. You know that she hates giving into obnoxious and entitled men, but you know that if she’s pushed far enough, she’ll do just about anything. Not that you want someone to force her hand, but you would really like to get out of here.

“I don’t think this is going to work, Pietro.”

Wanda’s getting antsy as she waits for her brother to finish getting ready to meet Anderson and get you back. She’s starting to regret not negotiating sooner because it’s been nearly 15 hours and she knew that you were being hurt for your escape attempt. She hated that she’d left you for so long, but Pietro convinced her that this would work.

“It will, sestra. No one knows about our tracking devices; I’ll just go talk to him and then he’ll take me to where Y/n is.”

It sounded simple, and Wanda was sure that it could be, but she didn’t trust Anderson to keep his word. He had his money and Booker had agreed to his terms, but what if he got greedy?

Wanda realizes that the what if’s are endless and just considering them now will drive her crazy. She decides that the best course of action is to believe her brother and just go forward with the plan to get you back here safe and sound as soon as possible.

She only has a few minutes to wonder if he’ll be suspicious of her absence before her brother’s gone. She looks to her phone to watch as his tracking device leaves the compound as he does. It was something that they both had that no one knew about but their closest friends. The twins had them placed shortly after their parents had died. It was their way of trying to ensure that they could always find the other if needed, that they could keep an eye on each other if necessary.

They’d never really used them like this before, but Wanda was hoping that they would pay off.

It’s almost two hours after he sent the video that Anderson hears anything. He receives a call and a meeting is set up, but it’s not with the Maximoff he would have expected. After speaking with the older brother and planning a neutral location to bring Y/n to, he just had to get you ready to leave.

This was easier said than done because apparently since he’d left, you’d become more sedate. You were nearly passed out when he returned and you had to be dragged, practically carried to the car since you were too weak to walk on your own. You only look around occasionally, but you barely react as you’re put in the back seat of the car between two bodyguards. It’s not until they start the drive that one of them reaches out to make sure you have a pulse. After falling against one of them in exhaustion or pain, you hadn’t moved once.

Anderson steals glances at you and can’t help but wonder if he overdid it a little. He knew that the younger Maximoff would find him eventually. There was no way she wouldn’t but for now he just had to face Pietro and turn you over now that he had what he wanted. He’d given him instructions on how to get here and what to do. He had to drive to where Anderson had left a car for him before leaving his phone and driving to a remote location where he’d be waiting.

It was basically in the middle of the woods, so when he spotted headlights coming down the path, he realized that he was here.

He watches as the car screeches to a halt about ten feet from them, and Pietro gets out without turning off the car. He slams the door shut before walking up to the three men, immediately looking around for you.

“Where is she?”

It’s too dark for Pietro to tell where you are, but he has a feeling you’re still in the car. He’s not sure what to feel about this, but as one of the men move forward to search him, the other goes to the car.

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Maximoff.”

Pietro just scoffs at this as he raises his arms and submits to a search. He has nothing on him, not even his phone and he waits until this is confirmed before he asks again.

“Where’s my sister-in-law?”

Anderson smiles before he looks to the brunette behind him who just nods and opens the back door to the car. Pietro waits for you to come walking out, but instead the man ducks into the car and nearly drags you out. He opens his mouth to protest, but he’s cut off by Anderson who shoots him a suspicious look.

“Why didn’t Mrs. Maximoff want to grace us with her presence? Did she not want to see her wife?”

Pietro scowls but his focus is entirely on you where you’re barely conscious beside your body guard. You look more hurt that he realized from the video and he’s trying not to panic as you’re more or less carried over to him.

“I’m the one who convinced her to stay behind. She’d lose her fucking mind over seeing her wife like this. You should be thanking me.”

This is certainly true. Pietro is sure his sister would try to kill Anderson on the spot for this, but luckily, she’s not here and his anger can only do so much damage.

“What the hell did you do to her?”

Pietro tries to step forward and grab you but Anderson holds his hand up with a frown. He watches as Pietro’s car is searched before he offers him a shrug.

“Nothing she didn’t deserve, but enough about her. I have one more thing I’d like from you.”

Pietro doesn’t accept this answer and he tries to grab you again to actually support you, but he’s stopped again by someone grabbing his shirt before a gun is pressed into his back.

“Fuck that, give her here!”

Pietro stops in his tracks as Anderson shoots him an angry look. He’s really only stopping because the man holding onto you tighten his grip and you wince despite barely being conscious. Despite wanting to help you out, he doesn’t want to see you hurt so he clenches his teeth before obediently standing still. He barely notices the gun that’s been pulled on him. He’s not worried about that.

“Patience, Mr. Maximoff. I think you’ll be interested to hear what I have to say.”

Pietro doubts this but he just watches with disgust as the brunette walks up to him. He’s close enough to spit in his face, but Pietro waits to see what he wants first as his gaze darts back to you occasionally.

Anderson sighs as he looks up to the dark sky with a smile. He’s impressed that you’ve actually made it this far without passing out, and he knows he needs to get on with this. What he gave you will kick in soon and you’ll be on the ground if no one bothers to hold you up.

“I would like to strike another deal with your sister.”

Natasha and Yelena curse as Wanda throws them around the car once again with a precarious turn. They keep their mouths shut though because they know how stressed Wanda is and criticizing her driving right now would not be a great idea. She’d waited for her brother to reach the car Anderson had left him before she left with her friends to come find you. She’d wanted the sisters along because she wasn’t sure how many people she’d be facing and she needed to make sure that the only ones hurt were Anderson and his minions.

She looks to her phone on the dash again to see that she’s closing in on Pietro’s location. He’s about two miles away and despite wanting to speed up, she slows down and turns off her lights so they’re able to sneak up on him. She turns her attention to her friends who’ve been silent the entire trip as they wait patiently to use the guns they’re holding tightly in their grips.

‘We’re almost there.”

Wanda smiles as she hears Yelena mutter ‘finally’ under her breath while she and Nat get situated with their helmets and night vision goggles. They’ll be essential given they can’t get too close and alert Anderson or anyone else of their presence.

She’s creeping down the road when she spots a flash of light through the trees that must be from one of the cars. Wanda stops and Nat and Yelena take this as their cue to investigate. They roll the windows down and look out into the woods, but they can’t see much.

“Can you get any closer?”

Wanda nods and starts to drive a bit down the road. According to her phones she’s only 150 yards from her brother. They should be able to see you soon. No one says anything as Wanda stops the car again, and a few seconds pass before Yelena’s cursing under her breath.

“I can see the fucker and his two friends.”

Nat’s jaw clenches as she spots you only seconds before Wanda asks. She’s not sure what to tell her, but from what she can see you’re not standing on your own and you look like you’ve been beaten.

“Do you see, Y/n?”

Natasha’s setting up her gun while Yelena creeps out and on top of the car. Wanda would argue normally, but this wasn’t a normal circumstance and she wanted her to do whatever necessary to get you back.

“Yeah, she’s there with Anderson and Pietro.”

“No way. Wanda won’t agree to that. She’s already given you $14 fucking million dollars. She’s not handing over anything else!”

Pietro watches you flinch at the sound of him yelling, but he’s actually glad to see you react to something. You’ve only been leaning against the man beside you for support and he was starting to formulate a plan to get you out of here quicker. He hadn’t banked on Anderson asking for his sister’s job.

He’s frowning as he looks to the older Maximoff curiously. His gaze shifts to you where you’re flirting with unconsciousness before he offers Pietro a smile. He reaches out to touch your shoulder and you’re not even alert enough to try and shake him off.

“Not even for the antidote?”

Pietro doesn’t have time to ask what he’s talking about before he pulls a syringe out of his pocket that has a clear liquid in it. He’s already moving forward to stop him, but he’d forgotten about the person behind him and he’s hit in the head with the butt of a gun.

“What the fuck is that?”

Wanda stiffens at Yelena’s question as she looks through her own goggles to see that her brother’s on the ground. She’s confused as to why, but she’s quickly distracted by the sight of Anderson moving toward you with something in his hand.

“Take the shot if you have it!”

Yelena’s shooting before Wanda even finishes her sentence and she and Nat both hit Anderson before moving to the other two. Pietro’s on the ground still when the shooting start, but he’s quick to head toward you once he realizes no one is standing by you anymore. He catches you just before your head hits the ground and he curses loudly as he sees the needle sticking out of your arm.

“Shit, shit. Wanda!”

He’s on his feet and picking you up as his sister comes tearing through the woods. She stops the car barely two feet from him and he’s hurrying to the back door. He doesn’t even notice Yelena jump off the roof of the car as the door’s opened and Nat’s quickly helping him get you in the car.

“Are you okay? You’re not hit, are you?”

Pietro shakes his head because other than having a nice knot on his head he’s fine. He’s more worried about you at the moment because you’re not moving and Pietro doesn’t’ stop long enough to see if you’re breathing.

He jumps in the car while Yelena gets up front and it’s then that he sees his sister’s just staring at you in shock. She hadn’t realized you were this bad off and she feels guilt slam into her and make her chest tight at the realization that she let this happen. She notices her brother’s holding a syringe that he must have taken, but she doesn’t get to ask before he’s speaking frantically.

“I think he stuck her with this, but I have no fucking clue how much or what it is. We need to get her to a hospital.”

Wanda doesn’t need to be told twice and she’s leaving the still running car and the three dead bodies behind as she races to the nearest hospital.

The trip to the hospital was a stressful one to say the least. Wanda had been driving way over the speed limit as Pietro tried to figure out where they should be going. They’d landed at the first place they found and after a couple of hours there they were able to transfer you to the compound.

Now you laid in the med bay unconscious with a tube down your throat. Apparently, you hadn’t been breathing well on your own and a few blood tests told them that you’d definitely gotten some of whatever Anderson had injected you with. Wanda waits impatiently by your side for you to wake up, and she can’t help but start crying again as everything sets in.

She should have gotten to you sooner. She should have given Anderson exactly what he wanted as soon as he’d asked so she could save you this pain. You had broken ribs and various bruises all over, and you aren’t able to breathe on your own. They’d given you the antidote about an hour ago and despite it helping a lot, you were still too weak to take over completely.

You’re on a ventilator and Wanda hates that she could have saved you from this by simply swallowing her pride.

She turns at the sound of a knock on the door to see her brother standing by with a concerned look. She sighs before standing up to greet him. She needs to stop staring at you like she has for the past hour because it’s not making anything better. You’re still asleep and might be for days, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

“Hey Piet.”

She pulls her brother into a hug before she sighs in exhaustion. She hasn’t slept in 20 hours and the adrenaline from finding you has definitely worn off. Still, she refuses to sleep because she wants to be here when you wake up.

“How’s she doing, Wands?”

The younger Maximoff shakes her head before she glances over her shoulder to see that you haven’t moved at all. Not that she expected you to.

“She’s the same. We’re just waiting for her to start breathing on her own.”

Pietro frowns at this as he looks to his sister-in-law who he really should have pushed his sister to rescue sooner. He shakes his guilt away though to focus on his sister because he knows that she’s certainly upset with how this all played out.

“We got her help fast. She’ll be okay in time.”

Wanda’s still frowning when her brother says this, but she just squeezes him tighter before pulling away and offering a smile.

“It was your doing, Piet. Thank you for being willing to help.”

Wanda trails off as she turns back to look at you because she can’t help herself. She sighs before moving to sit back down beside you because she can barely stand at this point. Her entire body aches and she needs to cry more, but her headache stops her from giving in.

“I just wish we could have found her sooner.”

Pietro doesn’t respond to this immediately. Instead, he considers what his sister says carefully and decides that there might be something that Wanda could do. If she’d known where you were immediately, maybe she could have launched an organized rescue that would have saved her time, money and heartache. She could have found you before you’d been hurt, and she could be sleeping beside you in her own bed now instead of sitting by your side in medical. He sighs as she recalls how he and Wanda had gotten their tracking devices planted. It had been fairly non-invasive and it only itched for a day or so after, but they’d come in handy tonight. Maybe this was something that they could do for you to.

“Maybe next time you can. What if we give Y/n a tracking device like ours?”

Wanda sits up in surprise as she turns to see her brother seems to be completely serious. She hadn’t thought about this, and her mind is already racing with the possibilities. She could have found you earlier, and God forbid this happened again, she’d be able to find you faster at that time too. She can’t believe she’s actually humoring the idea, but her brother has a point. She thinks about who could possibly help her with this but it doesn’t take her long to find her answer.

“Could I borrow your phone? I need to call Tony.”

Masterlist

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x female reader #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #wanda x you #silver springs #silver springs drabble #silver springs au #mob au

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yourfavouritefighter · 1 year ago

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OK obsessed with the swap idea

- Does Jackson still get bullied?

- How is Holt's life in the monster world?

- How does the trigger work?

- What is their personality like in this world?

- How out of touch is Holt?

- Do they know about each other?

I would love a first days fanfic?

yo glad you like the au! I don’t have all the details set in place so sorry if things are a tad bit inconsistent but here we go! (Also sorry for the late reply I didn’t see the ask rip)

Bullying

-I feel that both of the boys would get bullied but in different ways and for different reasons, Jackson would be pushed around since he’s quite nerdy, so I feel manny still wouldn’t like him. However holt would probably just be excluded from things, or have rumours spread about him, but due to him being prone to fighting back it wouldn’t be direct bullying like it is for Jackson.

Holts life in the monster world

-Holt would still Dj however he’d most likely do it whilst in a disguise of some form, (even if it’s just a mask or some make up) as many monsters don’t trust him. He doesn’t like the fact he has to Hyde his identity but the extra money comes in handy.

Triggers

-This may change in the future but my current plan is to have Jackson be triggered by extreme silence. So there has to be near to no sounds for him to appear. As such the headphones double as extra noise if necessary or as music. I also thought about him being triggered by piano specifically alongside the silence trigger.

Personalities

-Holt: He’s a bit of a joker and pretty immature, he likes to just chill and have fun in life. However he is quite hot headed and can have a short temper. This pairs to mean people don’t trust him too well and don’t want to mess with him (well not directly at least, no one minds the anonymous pranks or rumours just as long as it doesn’t tie back to them).

-Jackson: He’s more reserved than his counterpart, preferring to follow rules and structure, unlike holt’s ‘rules were made to be broken’ mentality, he prefers to stay out of the public eye, whether it be due to not wanting people to find out his identity or avoiding the bullying (since I haven’t decided if people know about him and holt yet). His quiet nature means he can be quite the push over at times making him prime for taunts and attacks from his peers.

(Man I really gotta draw some art of Jackson interacting with people)

Out of touch?

-I’m not too sure what you mean by this, whether it be out of touch with monster culture, or out of touch in the sense of being isolated from his classmates. Either way due to his DJ-ing and being a student at MH he’s picked up a lot of monster slang and culture. And as for friends, he’s known Draculaura since before MH and managed to meet Frankie on his first day, so he isn’t alone there. In the au I’ll still have him be friends with a lot of the usual characters (e.g deuce heath frankie etc with some exceptions)

Do they know?

-As of joining MH definitely yes, but as kids their mother tired to keep it secret, as she doesn’t get along with her Hyde, as such it was a shock when during quiet time at school he burst into flames. Holt was quickly pulled from the school, switching between a mix of homeschooling, monster schools and normie schools. Usually not lasting long at any of them, due to his temper and monster side.

A fic?

-Maybe??????? I’m not too great of a writer, but I might work on a one shot or really short fic about it….someday? If I have the chance and people are interested in it I might take a crack at writing lmao

I hope that covers everything! I’m happy to answer any more questions people have on the au and I really appreciate all the support it’s got! (I really wasn’t expecting it lmao)

#normie au #holt monster high #normie holt #holt hyde #jackson jekyll monster high #monster jackson #jackson jekyll #lore #au lore #long post #monster high #monster high au

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power-chords · 1 year ago

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Often I feel very angry. It is hard to explain this even to my progressive Jewish parents – my Ashkenazi father, and my convert mother who frankly is more observant than I am – sometimes easier with fellow third generation millennials, depending on their milieu. My goyische husband, believe it or not, grasps it quite well because he grew up in Scarsdale. For the 18 years that we lived on East 70th our mezuzah was on the wrong side of the door. We never kept kosher. And yet I went to Hebrew school at Park Avenue Synagogue followed by Or Zarua which are both conservative congregations, a step up from reform and a step down from orthodox. We observed Shabbos, the high holidays; for a while I had a basic comprehension of the loshn-koydesh.

After I was bat mitzvahed I had no desire to see the inside of a temple again. This remained the case for many many years. You know what I learned about besides Torah? (Torah study, the ritual of Saturday morning services, was actually the good part.) Israel. At length. A country I felt no connection to whatsoever, that I had no desire to ever visit, that alienated me from my own Jewish identity as a diaspora New Yorker growing up in (what was, then, much more so!) a diverse neighborhood with kids from every ethnic and religious background imaginable.

You know what I learned NOTHING about? Yiddishkeyt. German expressionist cinema. Postwar American Jewish literature. Philosophy and psychoanalysis and dialectics and dialogics. Art, literature, theater, folklore. You would think that institutions theoretically devoted to the preservation of Jewish life in America would take a greater restorative interest in what the Nazis attempted to wipe from the historical record. You would be wrong.

The irony doesn’t end there. According to Dad my grandfather would not speak a word of German in the house – understandable after they've gassed your entire family to death – and he was resentful, for a little while, that on account of this he did not grow up bilingual. Why Martin refrained from speaking Yiddish around his American children had nothing to do with a rejection of Jewishness per se and everything to do with the guarantying of a more prosperous future. Metallurgy and manual labor sentenced him to a hard life and an early death. Despite chronic exhaustion and physical pain, he would bring my young father to public lectures at Yale on anything and everything related to the space program. He supported and cultivated his two sons’ every personal and intellectual interest. He ferried my grandmother to and from her performances along the Borscht Belt circuit, which back then was still a thriving scene. He was a state-raised orphan who lost everything and nevertheless managed to give everything. When she grew too old and infirm to do so herself any longer, he even cared for the cranky old bitch of an aunt who turned him away when he first washed up alone as a teenager on a totally foreign shore. I have tears in my eyes just typing this.

It is my parents and grandparents whose memory I hold sacred, the culture they swallowed or sacrificed in the hope of a new beginning – not for themselves, but for their loved ones. That a certain continuity could be transmitted and traced despite all efforts to either disguise or remake it, that there is an inextinguishable spark of recognition in language and expression and sensibility, is miraculous. It defies the nation state. And it will outlive the nation state.

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cosmereplay · 11 months ago

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Day 16: Hourglass

Rated Teen, Kaladin/Leshwi, Rhythm of War Part 2 of 4 (Find part 1 on tumblr or ao3)

Kaladin stared at himself in the mirror. Himself? Herself? Either way, he needed a full-length mirror to do this, and the only one he knew about was Adolin’s. Unfortunately, that meant Adolin was examining him critically from over his shoulder. Kaladin was wearing a Thaylen-style skirt and blouse, his (her?) safehand gloved, hair pulled back in his usual utilitarian tail. He looked like an hourglass, and he didn’t like it.

“I look terrible,” she said to the mirror, unable to keep a bitter cynicism out of her voice. She liked the glove, but the rest didn’t look right. He’d thought looking more feminine would make him feel better, but it just felt wrong in a way she hadn’t been expecting.

Adolin tapped his chin in thought. “I know you wanted to try something that was more familiar to you, but just because your mother wears it doesn’t mean it’s what you need. Who else do you admire?”

Kaladin immediately thought of Leshwi. It was her fault he…she…was in this mess. Why not borrow from her? He…she…smiled, taking a moment to picture the femalen he wished to court. Leshwi was beautiful. Alluring, even. Maybe the reason this outfit felt so wrong was that it seemed to exaggerate Kaladin’s proportions in a way that didn’t feel true to her.

“Leshwi has wide shoulders and narrow hips like me,” Kaladin said, “and yet her clothing is still so graceful. What about something like that?”

Adolin raised an eyebrow. “You want to dress like the Fused?”

“Not necessarily, but…” Kaladin waved his hands around fruitlessly, unable to find the words. “Leshwi looks like herself. She likes her body, she respects it, and that comes across in the way she dresses and carries herself. I want to be like that, too. I don’t want to hide my body.” Looking in the mirror, she held out the sides of the long skirt, exaggerating the shape. “This feels like hiding.”

She didn’t feel like she understood herself, let alone getting a point across, but Adolin’s reflection was nodding anyway. “Something graceful. Something true to your proportions. Okay…Yeah, I can work with that. I know a woman…” He wandered off, still muttering to himself.

Kaladin removed the offending clothing down to her underwear, and she looked at her body in the mirror. Her breasts had only grown slightly, and her genitals had only shrunk a little. She’d asked Syl why her body hadn’t changed much, if her identity was female, and Syl hadn’t known the answer. But looking at herself in the mirror, she realized. Just like Leshwi, she was perfect just the way she was. A warmth filled her, realizing she was already home. Without Leshwi, she didn’t think she would have known it was possible.

Adolin returned with what looked like an entire family’s laundry in his arms. “I happen to have a shiqua, so I thought that might be a good place to start. It's all one long piece of fabric, so we can even cut it up if you want. Do you remember when we were in Celebrant? The spren there would mix and match styles from everywhere. It’s giving me some ideas. I bet we can do something just perfect for you, Kaladin.”

In return, she smiled, feeling almost like she was floating. In retrospect, asking Adolin for help had been a great idea. “Okay, let’s try it,” she nodded. “And I’ve decided something else–I’d like you to call me Kaladi.”

“Pronounced like Kalami!”

“Yeah.”

“I would’ve thought you’d choose a completely new name,” Adolin said thoughtfully, “but I really like it. Okay, Kaladi, let’s get you graceful. Just don’t steal Shallan from me after, okay?” he winked.

Kaladi grinned. “Don’t worry, Adolin, I’ve got my eyes on someone else.”

#minifemslashfeb2024 #cosmere femslash february #kaleshwi #kaladin stormblessed #leshwi stormlight #kaladin x leshwi #kaladin/leshwi #rhythm of war #stormlight fanfic #my fic #transfem Kaladin

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mac-audcheese · 1 year ago

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so i’ll probs draw this later but i came up w some things for the garroth levin hc mkayy

so i don’t remember who said garroth would be levins dad but their idea was the old lords wife was lonely and sought comfort in garroth, leading to an affair that resulted in levin

i think when aphmau found levins mom, she actually told her levin was the father hoping they could have some relationship (side eye), so when aphmau returned, she told garroth and zoey but no one else so the villagers didn’t see them as a couple. garroth would have a hard time processing this as he has no memories of the last lord but would happily accept levin as a son. despite having to keep it a secret he’d absolutely adore taking care of him, happy to have a real son esp after zenix runs away.

unfortunately after the whole betrayal thing, no one has any idea garroth was at fault, so they all imagined him to be a fallen hero along with the group that disappeared with him. levin would grow up to admire garroth, even more so once zoey revealed that he was his father, swelling levin with pride that his parents had been so beloved by everyone. he’d work so hard to be just like garroth - attempting his sword techniques, having similar personality traits, protecting his loved ones to the best of his abilities just to imagine how proud garroth would feel if he’d seen him following in his footsteps.

this would not last forever, of course, after aphmau comes back from the irene dimension 15 years later. almost as soon as he’d see aphmau walking through the rebuilt village of phoenix drop, levin would ask where garroth was as well. aphmau, not yet processing all that has happened, would shakily explain the situation to her family, more so trying to make sense of it all than ruin fantasies, and would in turn absolutely shake levin to his core. how could his idol, his father, have done this to his mom and everyone around him? how could he ruin so many lives, just because his mom didn’t feel the same way?

levin would be sick, this would violate his entire being. for a long time i don’t even think he could look in the mirror without seeing the man who took away his entire childhood. who was he? i think this would prompt him to change his entire identity, from his hair to his morals, just so he didn’t have to feel like that monster. he’d like to be more like aphmau, but levin doesn’t even know her, only stories zoey had told him since childhood that gave him some sort of comfort in identity. except now, he can’t relate to either of his parents in any sort of way, completely stripping the hopes and dreams he once had.

in the end i think the only people he’d truly consider family would be zoey and malachi, as they were the only two to be there for him when he needed it. even with his real mom back in his life she’d still venture off and leave him alone a lot, so instead of letting this hurt him, he’d silently cut her off to keep peace of mind. malachi and zoey would definitely disagree with this, but they can both understand where he’s coming from enough to let him make this decision. aphmau would have no knowledge and never would, just to keep her from trying too hard patch things up for his sake only. and garroth would be,,, absolutely dead to them. all of them.

shoutout to @laurencezvahlslefteyebrow for coming up w the garroth dad thing, i’m sure other ppl have brought it up before but their post so opened my eyes

#erm teehee finally letting this out of my brain #i bestow unto levin the power of trauma #he will have a lot and he will hate himself #yaaaaaay #aphmau #aphblr #aphmau mcd #garroth #minecraft diaries #levin mcd

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wonilye · 1 year ago

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kingmaker | p.sh

masterlist | next

CHAPTER I

As an assassin working for the Hwangs, you have proven your loyalty to your benefactors for more than a decade. But when Lady Hwang's plans for a rebellion land you in a bride selection for the Crown Prince, you find yourself at a loss. Unfamiliar with the ways of the gentry, your reliance on a previously unknown informant is your only source of hope. And yet, you learn very quickly that no one in high society can be trusted, including yourself. Because who else but you is there to assassinate the King?

WARNING: please do check the masterlist for potential triggers/themes you feel uncomfortable with! this chapter contains graphic depictions of blood, as well as a fairly unhealthy dynamic resembling slavery between reader and another character (for the purpose of historical accuracy and plot).

Completing a job isn’t the hard part, it’s the report you have to give afterwards.

You stand at attention, your back ramrod straight, sword sheathed to the hilt, barely concealing the fresh blood it is stained with. A single lit wax candle rests on your lady’s desk, its haunting glow the only source of light in a room darkened by night. The moon does not shine tonight – perfect conditions for a job as messy as yours.

The fewer eyes, the better.

After what feels like hours of waiting, your lady finally lifts her gaze from her papers. Everything about Lady Hwang is regal: her elegant posture, her fine hands that gracefully dip her quill in the inkpot, even the way she schools her expression to be one that is cold and calculating. She looks every part the head of the household she is meant to be, such that it is hard to believe she is only a few years older than yourself.

“My lady, I bear the report of my task.” You bow deeply, as is expected of you. As it always has.

Lady Hwang waves her hand noncommittally, and you take it as your invitation to speak. “The target has been eliminated.”

“The eyewitnesses?” Her voice is soft, but you know better than to underestimate the attention she’s paying to you. It is a dangerous game, to work for Hwang Yeji. One wrong move and you could lose your head.

“All taken care of effectively.”

“Hm, as always. Keep up the good work. You may leave to freshen up.”

You bow once more before taking your leave. As you exit her office, Lord Hwang enters in a whirlwind of papers. “Sister, the informant’s report has arrived.” In his frenzy, he doesn’t even notice your presence, throwing an envelope on her desk.

Yeji barely looks up from her work as she speaks. “If it’s another description of the stagnant political climate, I will cut off that fool’s hand myself.”

“No, this time it’s important. More important than whatever you’re doing at the moment. Spare it a glance, I implore you.”

As you turn the doorknob, you hear the rustling of paper. Any letter from the informant is always opened with haste, but in recent weeks their reports have become too quiet. Too consistent for your masters’ liking.

You, of course, have no idea of the informant’s identity, and you suspect your masters don’t know either. All you know is that whoever they are, they’ve been feeding your side information from within the highest circles of society. A high-standing member of the gentry, at the very least. It is rare for someone of such a standing to align themselves with a cause such as that of your masters’, and yet…

Your thoughts are interrupted by a quiet inhale from Yeji, the contemplative tapping of her pen breaking the silence. You swear you can almost feel Hyunjin’s anxiousness radiating off him and permeating the whole room.

“This…this is groundbreaking,” Yeji whispers, a cautious hope evident in her voice. Rarely is she so pleased. It must be a very good piece of information, then. You turn away from the door. “My lady, shall I prepare for my next task immediately?”

Wordlessly, she scans your figure with little to no subtlety. There is a strange light in her eyes, one that wasn’t there before. It’s the same odd look she has when she’s crafted you a perfect plan, and you can almost see the cogs in her mind whirring away. “It would be best if we gave you a thorough bath. Hair oils, essences for the skin…” Yeji snaps her fingers, and a servant rushes in. “Prepare a bath for Y/n just as you would for me. Skin, nails, hair, everything has to be done. Cover every blemish, I won’t allow for anything but a fair complexion. Oh, and send for the dressmaker as soon as you can.”

You falter in your steps. “M-my lady? Is everything alright?”

“Oh, nothing. Take a good rest, you’ll need it.” Yeji waves you all away, and the servant ushers you into a private room.

This isn’t the first time Lady Hwang’s kept you out of the loop. More often than not, preparations begin for your next task before you even realise it’s for your next task. You’re not sure if it’s because her brain simply works too fast for anyone else to comprehend, or if she enjoys making people think the latter.

Either way, an order is an order. Who are you to disobey?

The scent of a creamy lather of soap lingers on your skin as you make your way back to Lady Hwang’s study. With the crusted blood in your fingernails and hair removed, and an array of unknown fragrances and oils rubbed into your body, you feel almost transformed. The servant even pinned your hair up into an elaborate hairstyle, as per Lady Hwang’s instructions. Only your clothing remains the servants’ garb you wear every day. The amount of careful detail to your appearance is similar to what they usually have for a noble lady, and it makes you glow as though you were truly a member of the gentry. A far cry from reality, quite obviously.

You knock twice on the door. Unsurprisingly, the door is left slightly ajar, and you push it open. The orange glow of early dawn trickles in through the large windows, bathing your mistress’ figure in faint sunlight. She looks…ethereal. As expected, a single night’s worth of washing and scrubbing can’t turn you into a noble lady who’s spent her whole life bathing in goat’s milk and whatnot.

Yeji steps towards you, the ruffles of her rich purple gown fluttering as she walks. Every foot forward seems perfectly calibrated. As though she is the one in control, and always has been. She gestures towards a delicate periwinkle dress draped over the sofa. It’s exquisite, with shimmering crystals sewn into the fabric, and a translucent layer on the outside that resembles a butterfly’s gossamer wings when it catches the light. Elegant, sweet, resplendent. None of which suit you.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Try it on.” Her tone is almost incredulous. As if you would have any reservations about putting on a gown so bombastically opulent for someone of your stature. Hilarious, isn’t it?

Still, you make quick work of your clothing, sliding the gown over your head with as much care as your calloused hands can manage. The dress fits perfectly, and in the glass window you catch a small glimpse of yourself. It’s gorgeous. You look gorgeous.

It’s uncanny.

Yeji nods, assessing your appearance with more scrutiny than expected. “Excellent. My judgement was correct.” She takes out a diamond-encrusted brooch to match, fastening it into the fabric. “This is your new assignment. The Crown Prince is holding a bride selection, to choose his Crown Princess…and future bride.” She hands you a sheet of parchment, with a long list of names. It has both hers and her brothers’ names, as well as their parents’, and every known ancestor. And beside Hyunjin’s name is your own, written in beautiful script. The Hwang family seal is on the corner of the page, telling you everything you need to know.

“Your Grace, what…what is this?” you barely manage to stammer out. “Why am I listed as a member of your family?”

Yeji laughs, arms crossed as she smirks to herself. “Becoming the head of the household was no easy feat, but now that I can do such things with ease, it was indeed worth it. This will allow you to enter the selection as a noble lady of the Hwangs. Genius, aren’t I?”

The parchment feels cold in your hands. “My Lady? I’m afraid I do not understand.”

“Don’t you? You will slip into the palace as a bridal candidate, then assassinate the king when you get the chance. If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, his son won’t be pleasant to deal with either. Feel free to make him collateral damage, if necessary.”

This is the true nature of your job, and your mistress’ ultimate goal. For years, the king’s tyranny has governed your kingdom, drafting soldiers into pointless wars, dragging fathers and sons into battle. Few returned, even fewer made it out in one piece. Yeji and Hyunjin’s father died this way, and their mother had lost her life to heartbreak soon after. Meanwhile, the king gorged himself on the spoils of battles not his own, hosting revels and balls with renewed vigour each time. And if the rumours were not without truth, his eldest son Jay was no different.

But assassinate the king and his offspring? In front of numerous bride-to-bes and the whole of the palace guard? Not only would it be the hardest mission to date, but also…a suicide mission. Your mistress is essentially sending you to your grave.

You clench your fist, nails biting into the flesh of your palm as you try to bite back your protests. It would do you no good to go against Lady Hwang. And yet, your traitorous little heart hopes for her to spare you the dishonour of dying at the hands of the king’s men.

Seemingly sensing this, Yeji sighs, her hands coming to cup your chin as she lifts your gaze away from the ground to her. “Y/N, many years have passed since our first fateful encounter. I’ve given you so much since then. Don’t you agree?”

There she is, the Hwang Yeji you’ve come to know in the past 13 years. An eternally infallible, mortal devil. A schemer, born with power, learned in knowing exactly what to say and do. When someone like her is dealt an unfair hand in life, the thirst for vengeance only grows, and you know for a fact that she would do just about anything for a taste of what she’s owed. So of course her mercy came at a price all those years ago. Till now, you can only imagine what it would mean to repay her. Gratitude is no simple business, not in a line of work like yours.

You swallow the building lump in your throat and drop on one knee, ignoring the way the fabric of your dress strains as you bend your head towards Hwang Yeji. Your mistress, your benefactor. Your saviour.

“Anything for you, My Lady. My heart and body is yours to control.”

Her eyes flash, like a cat’s in the dark. “Then prove it.”

a/n: chapter one!!! yay!!!!! idk who made it this far, but congrats if ur here! taglist is still open, so if u enjoyed this and wanna read more, js go to my asks! until next week!

#enhypen #enhypen sunghoon #park sunghoon #sunghoon x reader #sunghoon x y/n #sunghoon x you #enhypen jay #sunghoon fanfic #sunghoon fanfiction #enhypen niki #park jongseong #enhypen historical au #enhypen royalty au #itzy yeji #itzy #skz #skz hyunjin

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