#and lie about plans/alliances

[nuttersincorporated]

Evil Queen gets a subtle soft character reboot in The Villains Lair

In The Villains Lair by PattyCake Productions all the Disney villains are back! They are amazingly well done.

They all look like real life versions of the original characters and they are written to be in character. Some of them get expanded backstories and new goals but they all act like the would, in their original movies with the single exception of the Evil Queen.

In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Evil Queen decided to have Snow White killed because the Magic Mirror said she was the fairest. In Tough Love, Evil Queen stated that she ordered Snow White’s assassination because she saw her talking to the Prince and she felt threatened by the idea of Snow White ascending to the throne.

Of course, she could have been lying or twisting the story. After all, other villains lie in the series. Prince Hans has told people that Anna chose to randomly break off her engagement to him to be with Kristoff instead of admitting he tried to kill her.

However, her explanation is actually consistent with her characterising within the series. Evil Queen’s goals are power and revenge. She was honest about killing Snow White’s father so that she didn’t have to share power. Why would she lie about why she wanted Snow White dead?

Cruella de Vil, Gaston, Mother Gothel and Yzma sang a song about making bad look good. Evil Queen didn’t. In fairness, Evil Queen couldn’t be there for that song otherwise Ursula wouldn’t have turned up to talk to the others. Even so, Evil Queen never brings up her own looks or asks the mirror who the fairest is.

The only time Evil Queen mentioned being the fairest, she was in disguise and she was talking about ‘fairness’ as in justice, not looks. She did glare at Snow White when she said people say the same thing about her but she never looks happy around the princesses unless she’s faking it.

Maleficent pointed out that the Magic Mirror called Snow White the fairest and she’s called Evil Queen old. Evil Queen didn’t rise to the bait about this, even when they were fighting.

Evil Queen is still very much a villain. In fact, she’s currently the leader of the villains but this version of her is more interested in stay in power and getting revenge than in her own beauty.

[aemondfairy]

Renegade

summary: You discover one of Aemond’s biggest secrets and are reminded of the horrors of his past on a night out with your oldest brother, Aegon.

pairing: Implied Aemond Targaryen x Sister!Reader

word count: 1.5k

warnings: alcohol consumption, mention of SA, Aegon is Aegon, mention of incest, angst.

note: This was meant to be a self indulgent drabble! lol, but if y’all like it maybe I can make a smutty part 2? Hehe … feedback is appreciated

With your thirteenth name day came great change. It was a grand celebration: A feast filled with music and dancing, various lords and ladies from throughout the seven kingdoms came to celebrate you and Aemond. Though it also meant you and Aemond being separated from one another. This year your mother had declared you would no longer share chambers. You had started your moonblood and Aemond was becoming a man; sharing a room would be deemed inappropriate. Aemond swore to you that he would come visit you each night.

You had spent the majority of your name day feast simply enjoying Aemond’s company. Nestled in one of the corners of the throne room, sharing lemon cake as you people watched. You tried to get Helaena to dance with you, but she was preoccupied; chasing a moth that had flown in through one of the widows. Your eldest brother, Aegon, was drowning in his cups, bothering any serving girl that came within twenty feet of him. In all truth, you were happy to just soak in the atmosphere with Aemond. Just the two of you, as it was meant to be, as it had always been. Your time with Aemond was interrupted by Ser Criston, asking for your hand in an innocent dance. After your mother’s sworn protector spun you around the room for a third time, you caught your balance. Your eyes locked with Aemond’s as Aegon dragged him from the throne room and into the night.

The hours dragged on as you sat in your new apartments. You anxiously awaited Aemond’s arrival, the last remaining piece of lemon cake and a small figurine of Vhagar you carved for him as a gift sat on your bedside table. When Aemond showed up at your door, the bright eyed boy you had seen just hours before was no longer there. His good eye was red and puffy and his stare was vacant. The cake and wooden dragon soon forgotten.

“What has Aegon done to you?”

Things had changed in the weeks since your father’s death, as well as the events that occurred above Storm’s End. Aemond had grown distant from you. Your time together grew scarce.

It was now a quiet afternoon in the keep when you overheard Aegon and his guards' future plans for the evening.

“You’re going to Flea Bottom tonight,” you say to your brother matter-of-factly, “I wish to accompany you.”

Aegon scoffs at you, furring his brow.

“What would Aemond think of this?”

“Aemond does not control me. He is barely ever around as of late,” you admit sheepishly.

Aegon’s eyes narrowed at this, a sly grin appearing on his face.

“Is that what this is about? Is our dear brother not giving you the attention you need?” He drawled as his fingers ghosted the underside of your breast before you swatted his hand away.

“No,” you lied, “I am simply bored.”

It was not a total lie, you were bored. It seemed as though all of your siblings had important roles to play while you were cast to the side. Forced to be imprisoned in the Red Keep until you were bargained off to marry some Lord for a political alliance.

You enthusiastically followed your brother through the winding streets of Flea Bottom as he led the way to a small tavern. The narrow, dirty streets were packed with all sorts of people; merchants and beggars alike, small children clinging to their mother’s skirts. You watched in amusement as stray cats darted around you.

The smell of ale, smoke, and sweat filled your nostrils as you stepped inside Aegon’s dingy tavern of choice. Clearly no place for a princess and far from what you were used to. You felt yourself naturally gravitate closer to your brother as you took in the appearance of the rough-looking patrons.

Aegon had announced your arrival, offering drinks as a pleasure from the crown. With that he heeded a warning: Any fool of a man who dare look at you the wrong way this evening may face the wrath of Aemond One Eye and a death by dragonfire.

As the hours went on and the wine flowed, you found you were having the time of your life. You drank and danced and sang. You had temporarily forgotten all of your troubles. The war that loomed over your family’s head, the loss of your nephew. You had wished Aemond was there to experience the fun with you. You hoped wherever he was, he was having fun as well. You silently thanked your brother for allowing you this small taste of freedom.

“Come on,” Aegon encouraged the young squire, “there is a madam here somewhere who is perfect for you,” he drawled. “I came here when I was your age, my brother as well…. This madam has a thing for the younger ones.”

You sobered up at Aegon’s words. He was taking the young boy to her. The woman who hurt Aemond. You were unable to protest as Aegon snaked his hand around your waist, pulling you close to him. You felt warmth in your bones as his fingers dug into your flesh.

“Come sister,” Aegon chirped, “this should be entertaining, but stay close to me.”

A curtain was pulled back and to your utter shock and dismay: Aemond was there, suckling at the breast of an older woman like a newborn babe.

You found it difficult to witness but even more difficult to look away. You continued to watch in bewilderment as Aemond tore himself away from the woman. Aegon erupted into a fit of laughter, practically falling over at the sight. You couldn’t blame him, a nervous laugh threatened to escape your own lips.

You managed to turn away, diverting your gaze to the squire boy who was looking on in horror. You covered his eyes with the palm of your hand, earning snickers from Aegon’s guards, you glared at them.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” you hear Aemond grumble to Aegon, clearly referring to you.

“Why would you bring her here?” Aemond questions, yet Aegon is still laughing.

You glance over and meet the gaze of the madam your twin brother sits beside. She studies your face, and a look of guilt is evident on hers. She is the woman from your thirteenth name day, no doubt, she has to be. You are unable to deny she is attractive. Her features are soft, welcoming, motherly. You can almost see her appeal. Suddenly you feel ill, and it is not the wine.

“Aegon! I would like to leave now!” You blurt out in a panic, unsure of where to look or how to even behave.

The king ignores you and instead stumbles onto the bed with Aemond. Taunting him, making crude jokes at his expense, mocking him. Barking like a damn dog.

Any positive thoughts you had about your eldest brother in the hours before were now gone. In an instant, it is as if you are all children again. Aemond is that defenseless little boy in the dragon pit. A mere plaything for Aegon and his cronies.

A never ending cycle, so it seemed.

“Aegon! You have said enough!” you scold him, he ignores you yet again.

If Aemond was embarrassed, he did not show it. You finally avert your gaze to his as he stands up abruptly, fully exposed. He is beautiful in this light. You wish everyone in the room could look at Aemond the way you did. You try and fail to look anywhere but below his waist.

“Your squire is welcome to her,” Aemond states coldly, his face emotionless, “any whore is as good as another.”

You find yourself wincing at his words in disbelief. Aemond was not one to ever disrespect a woman. Especially in the presence of others. In the presence of you. You watch the older woman’s face closely, she has the audacity to look betrayed. You wish you could feed her to your dragon. You are interrupted from your thoughts of her burning flesh when Aemond approaches you.

“Had your fun?” He asks through gritted teeth as he passes you, glaring over his shoulder when he does not receive an answer.

“Come now, we are leaving.”

Aegon snickers, now taking Aemond’s place next to the madam. He shoo’s you out of the room as he pats the bed, motioning for the young squire to sit.

“Would you look at that? A Targaryen princess, jealous of a common whore! Gods, our family is fucked up.”

“You are unlike anyone I have ever met,” you say to your brother. It isn’t a compliment. You want to cry.

“Must you ruin everything for everyone?”

“You’re welcome!” Is all he says as you dart out of the room and after your twin brother.

What Aegon seems to forget is Aemond is no longer that defenseless boy in the dragon pit. He is a man grown, with a vengeance and a thirst for blood. May the Gods take pity on you all.

[feirceangel]

Asks are open you say? Well how about a dynamic flip? Feyd is the proud warrior but is unexpectedly bartered away in a deal his brother makes to humiliate him. Surprised and furious he fully intends to conquer his new "brides" family and kingdom only for them to recognize his strength and be met with the satisfying challenge of warrior/ farming planet.

So, I kinda went in a different direction with this, but I hope you still enjoy it, Anon!!

Imagine | A Match (Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen)

Imagine Feyd is given in marriage to a wealthy House in order to gain an alliance. His new bride is not what he expected.

Word Count: 1,737

Warnings: arranged marriage, attempted choking/stabbing, non-sexual nudity (reader), Powerful! Reader.

"What?" Feyd's voice is barely concealing his rage as he stares down his uncle and smug brother.

"It was necessary, my darling," the Baron's voice is rough, his tone placating. "We need this alliance more than you know."

Feyd finds his teeth clenching, hands forming fists at his sides. "Why not Rabban?"

"You know why," the Baron glares. "They would not accept Rabban as a suitable match. You are to go and wed their daughter. And in return they give us whatever we ask."

Feyd growls, "I outta slit your throat, uncle."

The Baron laughs, "This is for your benefit as much as it is mine, dear nephew. Now go."

Feyd storms out of the room, a hurricane of rage sweeping through the halls. He has never felt an anger this severe in quite some time. He should have known something like this would happen eventually. And, knowing his uncle, there is another scheme at play.

Always plans within plans within plans.

It's not the worst situation, he muses later when he has calmed and steadied his mind.

House Wallach would be a formidable ally, an asset that shouldn't be taken lightly. With control over three planets and being the largest horticultural power in the Landsraad, they are powerful indeed.

The leaders of House Wallach has birthed only a daughter, which leaves them without a male heir. All manner of eligible men have tried their hand at a marriage to their daughter. None has been successful.

Until now, apparently.

A feral grin spreads across Feyd's face as he thinks of the possibilities.

He will have no issue wedding the daughter and taking control of House Wallach when the time is right.

And, perhaps if he plays his cards right, take control of House Harkonnen as well.

He cares not who he has to marry, even if he'll be mad about it for awhile. After all, he can dispose of her eventually.

~~~

Feyd arrives with much fanfare, as befitting the na-Baron of House Harkonnen.

Bright sunshine surrounds those gathered to greet him, people who are swamped in bright greens, yellows, and browns. All around the envoy are orchards of all kinds of fruit trees. A vibrant sea of green.

So much more colour than Feyd is used to.

His expression remains neutral as he greats the Lord and Lady of the House. They appear cautious of him, perhaps overly so. It seems they know House Harkonnen’s reputation.

"It is an honour to be here," he says, bowing slightly. The lie slides easily off his tongue.

"We are pleased to have you in our home, na-Baron." The Lord says, returning the bow. "Our daughter is so pleased that you accepted the match."

Feyd's lips quirk up. Surely he's lying, no noble lady would hold any desire for a creature like him.

"As I said, it's an honour."

His gaze sweeps around, searching for his wife-to-be. All he finds is diplomats and soldiers.

"Where is Lady Wallach?" He asks, unimpressed at her absence.

"Forgive us, your arrival coincided with an event she could not miss," the Lord replies. "She is attending a Munus Ceremony."

This catches Feyd's attention, "A fight?"

"Yes, if you come this way, we may still witness part of it."

Feyd follows Lord Wallach, silently fuming.

His betrothed is watching other men fight to the death instead of welcoming him? His outrage is unparalleled, yet he remains collected.

They lead him up to the viewing tower of an outdoor coliseum, with vines growing on every available surface.

The viewing box is empty.

"There my lord."

Feyd's attention is brought down to a figure in the ring who brandishes a dagger with a graceful air.

"Our daughter,” Lord Wallach smiles, the action appearing forced.

He hadn't expected this.

Feyd was picturing a regal noble lady, demure and pitiful. He had not once pictured this creature before him, fluid in her movements as she battles her opponent.

She blocks attacks with ease and avoids ones that would cause serious damage all while attacking just as fiercely. Her opponent is skilled, to be sure, but is no match for the ruthlessness of her attacks.

He falls to the ground, unmoving. Feyd’s bride-to-be lifts her arms in victory, grinning as blood drips down her blade.

“We honour!” She shouts, and the crowd responds with deafening cheers.

“We know she is not exactly… How can I put it? Traditional, let’s say.” Her mother frets, “But she will be a good wife, na-Baron.”

He barely hears her, eyes transfixed on the beauty in the arena as she battles another opponent. Yes, this is an interesting turn of events indeed.

“Of course she will,” Feyd replies. “I must meet her.”

He watches as she disappears into the building, no doubt going to change and bathe after her match.

“Certainly. She’ll be out to give you a tour in no time. Meanwhile, a guard can show you to your room.”

Displeased, Feyd nods and obediently follows the man to his room. As soon as he’s alone, Feyd opens the door and stalks out with determination.

He cannot wait.

There is surprisingly little security surrounding your change room, Feyd notes as he quietly opens the door.

Your piercing gaze meets him immediately. Instead of being frightened, like he had anticipated, you smile warmly.

“Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha, I was not expecting you here. I’m afraid you have caught me unprepared to greet you properly,” you say calmly as you continue to unbutton your fighting tunic.

He doesn’t know what to make of your reaction. You’re not put off by his presence at all.

“I couldn’t wait,” he replies honestly.

You hum, “Excited to see me, na-Baron?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

The sound of your laughter is unexpected, “Of course not. I doubt I was what you were anticipating.”

His gaze lingers as you remove your clothes and retrieve a washcloth and bucket.

“Don’t you have servants?” He finds himself asking, motioning to the washcloth.

“I prefer to do it myself.”

He frowns, “You don’t seem very noble.”

“I assure you, Wallach blood flows deep in my veins,” your voice has taken an edge.

It seems he’s struck a nerve.

“I meant no insult, my lady,” his grin says otherwise, his voice rough and teasing. “It just appears you have odd taste. Fighting and doing the work servants should be doing.”

You return his even gaze, “I am not some snivelling noble who cannot take care of herself. Feyd, it seems you do not remember me.”

Your last statement has him pausing.

“What did you say?”

Lathering suds onto your bloodied skin, you barely spare him a glance.

“I said you don’t remember me. We met once, you know.”

He does not remember such a thing.

“Don’t toy with me,” he snarls. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying,” you roll your eyes. “Feydie, I can’t say I’m not hurt you don’t recall.”

Your bastardization of his name brings a memory to the front of his mind.

A young girl bearing the Wallach crest getting angry with him over something and punching him clear across the face. He naturally returned the blow and they broke out into a fight right then and there.

He’s shocked he forgot it.

You watch as recognition filters through his eyes. Smiling, you rinse the suds off your body.

“Now you remember. To be honest, I don’t know why I was so angry with you.”

“You’ve always been a fighter,” he acknowledges with an inclination of his head.

“And I knew you could not be satisfied with a weak wife.”

He’s coming to realize this match may not have been a scheme of just his uncle.

“You wanted this match,” he phrases it as a statement as if he already knows the answer.

You smirk, “Does it not please you?”

“What makes you think I would want you as a wife?” He sneers, crossing his arms.

“I know you planned on controlling me, or killing me - whichever suited your needs best. You want power, Feyd. I can give you that and so much more. Is it too much to ask for you in return?”

He cannot find words, mulling over your proposal as his eyes study your every move.

You’ve certainly grown from that little girl who could barely throw a proper punch yet had the rage to carry through a fight.

Feyd observes as you dry yourself off. He leans over before you can, and grabs your fresh shirt from the table.

“Allow me, my lady.”

Surprised, you nod and present your back to him. A foolish mistake, to turn your back on a potential threat. He contemplates disposing of you right now, but finds himself frowning at the idea.

You’re so much more interesting than he first imagined.

Despite himself, he wants to know you better, to find out when you had your first gladiatorial fight or when you realized you could be so much more than wedding fodder for your parents to make a match with.

“So many suitors have tried to win your hand,” Feyd rasps as he guides your arms through the sleeves of your shirt. “Yet you denied them all.”

“None were you, my lord.”

“Why chose me?” He leans into you, pressing his chest to your back as he slowly starts buttoning your shirt.

You lean back into him, “You are a fighter, a warrior. You can wield blades and talk politics. And I know you can treat me right.”

“Why would I treat you any different than a common whore?” He suddenly presses his arm against your throat, cutting off your oxygen.

He looks at your expression, surprised to find a wide grin. A flash of pain goes through his side. Your eyes flicker downwards and Feyd looks down to find the tip of a blade piercing his skin.

He releases his hold.

“You will treat me differently, Feyd. And do you know why?”

You turn to face him, placing your hand on his bleeding wound.

“Because I will make you.”

Feyd cannot stop the smile forming on his plush lips as you bring your hand to his cheek.

He doesn’t say anything as you continue place a kiss to his lips before shoving him away.

“We must ready ourselves for the dinner tonight, there is much to discuss about the wedding.”

“Of course, my lady.”

[Likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated!]

[utilitycaster]

I feel like the way I think about Ludinus Da'leth is like...the Anti-Vespin. There's the basic actions they performed - both unleashed something long-sealed, but Vespin Chloras intended to destroy what he perceived to be a sealed danger, and Ludinus is using Predathos as a weapon. However, what strikes me is how the two of them have acted so far towards other mortals rather than the existential threats they've tangled with.

I suspect Ludinus is bringing in Bells Hells not because he expects them to join him, but because he really, really wants someone to validate his plan that is ultimately just a monument to his choice to wallow and make Exandria worse for it. No one likes him. He's not Ruidusborn; he can't commune with the Weave Mind and the Reilora the way others can. Liliana is in pretty deep but she's wavering, Zathuda resents him (and it seems to be mutual) and Otohan's dead. The Assembly is crumbling and the Empire's not doing well either, and the world has to an extent united against him.

Vespin chose, in his brief moment of clarity after he had unleashed the Betrayers and lost himself, to do what he could to improve Zerxus's lot, expressed anguish and remorse for his actions and his legacy, and said that he hoped the Ring of Brass would be given more grace by history. He was willing to accept the title of villain, despite being something much more complicated, because in the end he understood that giving the world a chance to survive was far more important than clearing his own name.

Ludinus, on the other hand, is fighting against historical strawmen. His resentment towards the gods is just that: a burning resentment. He could have left his mark by rebuilding post-Divergence Exandria. Instead, his legacy is one of rot, war, hatred, and corruption, from Molaesmyr to the War of Ash and Late to the Bloody Bridge. He could have been an architect of the modern age for the better. He could have tried to revive Aeorian magic and culture, and, as I've discussed, potentially even the people. He instead focused only on a centuries-long goal of destruction out of sheer spite.

Vespin was willing to shoulder any insult, deserved or not, for the rest of eternity because he understood it was less important than doing whatever he could in the few moments he had to mitigate harm. Ludinus is willing to destroy anything to retaliate for an insult.

Ludinus is livid about being robbed of an age he never got to see by the gods; and quite possibly, with the destruction of Molaesmyr, killed some of its last survivors outside exceptions such as himself. He claims to hate the gods' uneven blessings yet his alliance - and reliance - on Ruidusborn sorcerers has always made it clear that was a lie. And none of this will bring back the world he lost, and indeed, may very well set society back further.

He will tear everything apart out of hurt feelings and a desire to be correct when he could have left a shining legacy. It is the opposite of a heroic sacrifice; a petty, small self-destruction. I think he wants Bells Hells to tell him it was worth it. And I don't think they will.

[fahye]

Swordcrossed - UK cover reveal

THE SWORDS. THE DRAMA. THE PINK AND GREEN.

(I am, no lie, wearing a pink & green striped jumper today and it was entirely unintentional. it's just a perfect colour combination.)

UK preorder links

US preorder links

The inestimable @sarahreesbrennan was hypnotised via dastardly means into reading it, and said, "Freya Marske's books catch my heart with a butterfly net, because I believe in her characters so utterly . . . Swordcrossed proves there's nothing in fantasy – or queer romance – Marske can't do."

And if you've only just wandered in here and are wondering what the hell the book's about (beyond......swords. crossing.), read on:

Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family’s wealth, something that Matti has been trying – and failing – to do for the past ten years. What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere. Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his home town. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible – and inconveniently handsome – wool merchant like Matti. However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what – or who – they seem. As the days to Matti’s wedding count down, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

(tl;dr - two disasters fall in love! freya did a lot of research about the wool industry and is going to show it off! and someone does, in fact, put the point of their sword under someone else's chin.)

[divinesolas]

Troubles

r.q: Hello, I don't know if you are taking requirements, but I haven't seen too many good one shots about Aegon II 😃, I really like your writing and I would like to read one where the protagonist was a Tyrell And they are both married because of all that alliance stuff and so on, maybe with a little angst and Aegon's nonsense. (Sorry for my description, I really don't know how to do this 🥲)

aegon ii targaryen x fem!tyrell!reader

wrds: 843

a.n: I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THE REQUEST AND I DONT REMEMBER YOUR @ IM SO SORRY BUT I HOPE YOU SEE THIS !! my take on the scene where alicent went to go comfort aegon but couldnt so you come to do it instead <3 *you only have one kid

you dont love him.

if you had known when you went to go return to see your mother in high garden you would return to this you would not have gone at all. or maybe not even chosen to return.

Aegon crowned and war on the horizon you had no clue what was going on, just quickly rushed into the keep and presented before the court. The worst news came quickly, your son had been murdered the night before you had returned. You could only stand in horror with silent tears cascading down your face as you watch your husband yell at every council man in the room for the death of his son and he did not even spare you a word as he walked out of the room.

You went to helaenas room who offered you her bed to lay on and a hand on your back as you sobbed into her pillow. you did not know what to do. You son is gone. your only son. Your only child. and now you were lost. You should go see him, even if he did not want to see you even if you did not really want to see him. You had to atleast speak to him about this.

So you went and walked your way slowly to his room. When you went to open the door you jumped back as alicent walked out. She was staring at you, you can feel the shame and guilt in her veins seeping over her eyes. she looks back at the closed door then looks at you, opening her mouth as if she wished to say something. but she doesnt merely speed walking away from you without a word as tears ran down her face.

You almost wished to chase after her. you did not ever truly get along with her well but you could tell shes taking this news badly, probably worse than you are. yet you open the door and walk into the room you see your husband trembling with sobs at his desk. the room was a mess, clothes, glass and all other sorts of stuff strewing about the room.

You stand frozen as you watch him. You and your husband are certainly not close by any means. You do your marital duty and stay apart from each other. but right now he needs you yet you have no clue how to go about this. You slowly walk over and place a hand on his shoulder he slowly cranes his head up to look at you and he stares at you as some shaky breaths leave him.

You place your hand out and he grabs it, letting you to pull him to the bed where he quickly crawls on top of you and presses his face against your chest as he cries. “ill kill them.” you shush him and rub his back. “my son, my legacy.” you ignore the fact he does not say he was your son, our son. but you say nothing. You know he is more hurt over his pride than the actual life lost though you doubt he knows that himself.

“im with child.” He freezes and his head shoots up to look at you. “what?” you look off to the side and stare out the window as the sun rises. “i was feeling sick in highgarden and went to the maesters, they say i am with child. A little over two moons they say.”

He says nothing for awhile but you can feel his stare on your face. You let your curiosity get the better of you and turn to look at him. He is staring at you in wonder. Like a newborn looks up at its mother. “you lie.” he does not want to believe you. “i do not. i planned to tell you on my arrival but obviously we were preoccupied.”

This is normally the moment where he would kiss you, tell you how overjoyed he was and how amazing you were. But he does not say anything but you can feel his grip on you tighten. “you will not go anywhere without atleast two guards presence, you are not permitted to leave the keep under any circumstances.” You are sure this is his way of expressing himself to you, he wants you safe no matter what. he grips your face and peers down at you, “do you understand?” you nod and slap his hands off your face.

He looks like a kicked puppy You understand him, his worries and doubts. you let him lay against you, him listening to your heartbeat. He falls asleep youre sure he is to be woken up soon to go take his seat at the council. Based on the bags under his eyes this is probably the first time he is sleeping in awhile so when a maid walks in you shoo her away and whisper youll deal with the consequences of it.

you do not love him. but you can see him. and that’s enough for him.

[perseruna]

heyyyy do you have any details/sources for the ca*ill being a jackass thing? ngl i watch twn for yen and jaskier so i was already planning on continuing to season 4 but i'd love some reasons to be actively excited for the actor switch. but i haven't kept up on the behind-the-scenes stuff so i'm kinda lost on that front if you're up for sharing any of what you know!

okay guys buckle up this is THE anti henry cavill megathread xoxo

First of all him dating a teenager as a 33 year old fully grown man literally gross and disgusting.

Also as this quote implies they started dating a year prior and only went public when she was 19 so they supposedly started dating when she was 18.

His entire dating history is a MESS. Sure the women he dated are not him, but he chose to date them, I wouldn't even associate myself with people like these let alone be in a relationship with them. He dated the infamous transphobic TERF Gina Carano, albeit before her loud controversy, but I doubt her harmful views were any different back then. His current gf has a history of doing black face.

His "Me Too" comments.

His comments on the Me Too movement are literally so vile. If you don’t want to be called a rapist, just don’t rape women, it’s literally as simple as that. They’re even more foul because they’re promoting the idea that women lie about their abusive for fame, promoting that harmful rhetoric especially in our times is incredibly dangerous.

Now onto his on set behavior.

We can't talk about his set behavior without mentioning the deuxmoi set leak. Here's the transcript of it:

[Transcript:

There’s something I really really wanted to read to you guys--it has to do with why Henry Cavill left The Witcher. I know that was something that you guys were super interested in when it happened, and I just recently got this message. Somebody was like “Hey, do you want to know what really went down?” And I was like “Sure!” So let me just read it. It says:

“At the beginning of the show, Henry was good to work with. A lot of difficult demands that made people feel like he wasn’t a team player, but that’s not unusual for a really big star. Though in TV it truly usually doesn’t happen until the second season. But in season two and three something shifted and he became really impossible for women to work with, which is always a big problem, but even worse here because the showrunner is a woman. He would try to overrule her and try to get changes made last minute across the board without her knowledge, which, if you know anything about showrunning, is completely fucked. The showrunner has to sign off on every miniscule detail down to the buttons on a costume. Female writers and directors were suddenly being completely ignored on set, unable to do their jobs. Every department head was complaining. He started making comments—it wasn’t a sexual thing, he wasn’t grabbing anyone or being lewd, but it was disrespectful and toxic all the same.

“He is deeply addicted to video games, to the point where it was like working with any other addict. He was distracted, he was late, he was obsessive, and a lot of people think the misogyny came from gamer world. Video game bro language is not how you talk to coworkers, and he wouldn’t stop. Someone on the show compared it to watching someone get brainwashed by QAnon, like his whole personality shifted. Eventually his disrespect escalated. He would rewrite scenes without even alerting the other actors in the scenes until it was time to shoot. He decided that he didn’t want any romantic scenes at all—no kissing scenes, no shirtless scenes, et cetera. He wanted complete control of storylines but really had no idea of the limitations of TV, structure, budget, et cetera. He formed a weird alliance with one writer who was also a gamer, who eventually got fired after multiple HR complaints were made and after that writer left, Henry did anything he could to hold up production and cause problems.

“Eventually top brass at Netflix was tired of him costing them money with delays and HR investigations and the showrunner was asked to construct a potential exit for him. Netflix reached out to him personally and he was given one final warning, and violated that warning with an email he sent to the entire writing staff right after that meeting. That was it. It’s very disappointing.”

End transcript.]

Now believe me or not, but I know from a really good source that the leak was indeed real.

There's a lot of patterned behavior that tracks with what we know of him and his past controversies.

After that leak came out, there was a lot of people from different places coming to comment that ‘yes’ they’ve heard a very similar story adding a little bit more details of their own.

this quickly deleted tweet from one of the writers/producers:

there were rumors about him being an asshole to Anya specifically.

He went on record that he doesn't "understand" sex scenes. Which I know the sex discourse is rampant nowadays and each to their own, but he specifically signed up for a role that requires those scenes and then refused to do them and was allegedly nasty to Anya about it and with the way he talks about women...

Also it’s important to touch upon the “writer he had a weird alliance with” that man in question is Beau DeMayo of the recent fame of getting fired by Marvel from X-Men ‘97. He was previously allegedly fired from The Witcher for being emotionally and physically abusive. And he allegedly got fired from X-Men for being abusive as well. One of The Witcher writers tweeted this after Beau smeared them for “disliking the books” Beau was literally the first person to start that narrative.

The fact that it was HIS idea not to say lines of his dialogue in S1 and instead grunt. To the point that Joey had to take Henry’s lines and make it his own, so the plot would make sense, he talks about it in this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Oyh0t117t0U&, and then once S2 press arrived Henry was talking about how he was trying to fight the big bad writers to give him more lines. Ridiculous.

Everyone is already pointing out that the cast looks so much happier without him, and it’s very true. Henry was never present on close to any BTS pics from filming the previous seasons, or on any cast dinners or birthdays. He wouldn't even do any shared interviews with the other three mains but only had solo interviews which to me was giving disrespectful like you're an ensemble you’re not the only lead here. It felt like he was above them to sit down and answer questions with them. When they were doing press junkets in Brazil and Poland Anya, Joey and Freya would always arrive together and leave together with that man leaving all the events early and by himself. And like people who post quotes from the cast about him being perfect from press junkets as “proof” are insane to me like Obviously they’re going to say nice things about him, not only they're newcomers, and he's an established industry name, but they’re doing PRESS for a show that he’s a STAR of (well, was lmao)

The fact that he never defended Anya from the racist trolls, even though most of them were HIS fans. Like she had to go through so much and that man couldn’t make a single comment about it as a leading man BUT he could make a whole IG post because people were being mean to his gf and calling her out for doing blackface.

And sure people might say that a lot of these are unverified sources, and I’d get it if it was a singular case, but there are a ton of these accounts that all match each other. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

[floatyflowers]

Dark Male! Rhaenyra Targaryen x Cousin Reader

You are the daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Rhea Royce, making you the beloved cousin of the realm's delight, Rhaeger Targaryen.

There is no lie that the crown prince is enamored with you, and it is clearly shown everytime you visit Kingslanding.

You two would spend long periods together, flying on your dragons, mocking the ladies and lords of the court while eating lemon cakes.

Indeed, no one can deny the prince's infatuation with you.

Everything was going well, until your aunt Aemma died during childbirth, and your father got exiled.

Not only that but Rhaeger's father remarried to Lady Alicent Hightower, a girl, Rhaeger considered a dear friend.

Also your mother was found dead, it is said that Lady Royce fall off of her horse.

You ended up inheriting Runestone afterwards.

When the time came to marry, Rhaeger was forced to marry from House Velaryon for alliances, completely denied your hand in marriage.

However, his lady wife was unable to bear him children nor was she interested in him as her preferences lie with the same sex.

Rhaeger felt hopeless and bitter with everyone and everything, his succession to the throne is threatened until Daemon who returned back from his war at Stepstones.

His uncle suggests that he has children from another woman and passes them off as his and his lady wife's children.

Little did Daemon know, that the younger Targaryen prince would choose you to be the mother of his children.

Rhaeger's wife agreed to his plan, but you were hesitant at first.

"Please (Y/n), there is no one I can entrust with such a task except for you, dear cousin"

However, Rhaeger managed to convince you in the end by guilt-tripping you, agreeing to only give him a son.

But, you ended up giving him three sons.

Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.

All three ended up inheriting your appearance, dark hair with purple eyes.

All are loved by their father, especially Lucerys who inherited your soft attitude.

Of course, rumors spiraled around the court about your children's legitimacy every time you visited.

Which made you decide to stop visiting, and continue residing at Runestone as its Lady even if staying away from your children hurt you.

Nevertheless, your departure didn't last for long as Rhaeger's wife 'dies'

Rhaeger rushes to Runestone, proposing that you both get married and return with him to Dragonstone where you two could raise your children in peace.

"Rhaeger... That's a wonderful proposal, I love our children truly, yet I only see you as a friend whom I helped in a time of need"

Yeah, the Targaryen prince didn't take kindly to your words.

Which resulted in him kidnapping you and marrying you against your will in the traditions of your house with your sons, Jace and Luke as witnesses.

Part Two

[marvelfanfn2187a113]

Queen of Hell

Dean Winchester x little sister!reader, Sam Winchester x little sister!reader

Requested by Anonymous

Synopsis: Sam and Dean try to get you out of hell, but they learn things about you they didn’t expect

Warnings: slight mentions of death? Hell, Crowley (he needs his own warning)

“Do you think this is gonna work?” Sam rubbed his hand over his face, sighing in exhaustion.

“It has to,” Dean growled as he finished his devil’s trap.

“Why?” Sam asked.

“Because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if it doesn’t.”

…

“Wha-“ Crowley gritted his teeth when he laid eyes on Sam and Dean. “Well, hello boys. To what do I owe this…” he looked down at the devil’s trap under his feet. “Pleasure?”

“Our sister,” Sam struggled to keep his voice calm now that he was in sight of the one responsible for your current position in hell.

“It’s about time,” Crowley glared at them. “Please tell me you have a plan to raise her.”

“You…what?” Dean stepped closer to Crowley.

“I want her gone, but I can’t just raise her, we have rules. It has to be a deal.” Crowley rolled his eyes. “Red tape, you know?”

“You want her gone?” Sam didn’t sound convinced.

“You’re the one who put her in there!” Dean reminded him.

“Yes, well, everyone makes mistakes.”

“I don’t understand,” Sam admitted, “Why do you want her to come back to us?”

“She’s a holy terror!” Crowley’s sudden outburst surprised the brothers. “She’s wreaking absolute havoc on the place, and some of my demons are enjoying so much that they’re joining her!” Crowley’s voice suddenly dropped, and he hesitated, as though embarrassed. “She…she’s trying to take over hell.”

“She’s what?” Dean scoffed. “Crowley, what is this really about?”

“You think I’d lie about something like this? You’ve gotta get her out, boys.”

“She’s just a kid,” Sam shook his head. “And a sweet kid at that, you expect us to beli-“

“A sweet kid? What, you think she’s just your innocent little baby sister?” Crowley rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how she acts around you boys, but she’s given hell nothing but trouble since she got there. Now get her out.”

Dean sighed, unsure what to believe but glad to have strung some kind of alliance with Crowley.

“Alright, but we’ll need your help.”

…

“Dean!” You ran to your oldest brother, throwing your arms around him, and he held you for the first time in months.

“Hey baby,” he grinned, “welcome back.”

You pulled away enough to look around, and you grinned when you saw Sam just behind him.

“Sam,” he pulled you into a tight hug that you reciprocated, only pulling back when you noticed the other presence in the room.

“Crowley.”

“Hello, rugrat.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to call your queen,” you grinned at the demon.

“You are most certainly not my queen,” Crowley glowered at you.

“Wait, so it’s true?” Dean turned to you. “You tried to take over hell?”

“Tried to?” You laughed. “Is that what Crowley said?” You turned from Crowley to Dean, and smiled at him. “Yeah, I ‘tried to’. Was doing pretty great, too, I had almost as many supporters as Crowley.”

“You wish,” Crowley scoffed, but the scowl on his face was self explanatory.

“Why?” Sam asked. “What were you trying to do in there?”

“It was all I could think to do,” your confident smirk was gone, and your voice became quiet, reserved.

“I don’t understand,” Sam admitted.

You cleared your throat and glared at Crowley.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

He rolled his eyes, “See you around, boys,” he turned to glare at you. “And I better never see you in hell again.” And he was gone.

“I was trying to get back,” you turned your attention back on your older brothers, now that Crowley was gone. “Trying to win favor with some demons was the only thing I could do, but I guess I went a little overboard,” you gave a wry smile. “Some of them started following me, like really following me, and I figured the best way to get out of hell would be to…I don’t know, be in charge of it.”

“You’re crazy,” Dean shook his head. “And a genius.”

You let him pull you into his arms again, relaxing in his embrace.

“I would do anything to get back to you guys.”

Sam put his hand on your shoulder.

“We tried to get you back, we never stopped.”

“I know,” you smiled. “Hey, it worked.”

“Yeah, and we’re never going to let that happen again,” Dean promised.

“I don’t think we have to worry about that,” you laughed softly. “Crowley’s never gonna let me into hell again.”

[weenwrites]

Anonymous asked: Hello again! Just wondering if you could do headcannons for tfp Optimus, Starscream and Megatron, with a cybertronian reader who is REALLY tall, like twice their size, but is secretly just a big softy, a total cinnamon roll

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

Optimus

After the incident with Makeshift, he's naturally suspicious of you the moment the team receives the distress beacon from some unknown vessel harboring a cybertronian lifeform. Upon meeting you, his suspicions only grow as he learns that you were a low-ranking soldier back on Cybertron. He's unsure whether he's heard your name mentioned amongst the armies he's led, and neither is anyone else on the team all too familiar with you.

Even if you were able to prove your alliance lies with the Autobots, he's hesitant to bring you back to base. If you deceived him, you're not going to be an easy threat to handle, Makeshift proved that when he opened a direct groundbridge to the Nemesis and nearly exposed the team's location. He personally takes it upon himself to monitor and supervise you as you gradually gain their trust. He doesn't leave you for a moment, as he fears that any sliver of neglect on his end will serve as an opportunity for you to possibly betray the team, as was the case before.

However as time progresses, his suspicions are thankfully proven false, and he becomes pleased to see how well you get along with everyone else on the team. He gradually begins to feel as though you "brighten" the room whenever you walk in and start talking with someone, and the rest of the team enjoys having you around. He too shares those sentiments, even if he doesn't personally speak with you much. Rather he enjoys your company whenever he hears the others speaking with you, or whenever you spend time around him.

Starscream

When it comes to being issued commands, it can come off as a little difficult to notice how bossy he is with you. He's normally very commanding, rude, and domineering with everyone, so people usually pass this off as his usual behavior. Yet, if you have a keen enough eye, you'll notice that you're the only one he's treating this way.

Naturally, you'd befriend some vehicons, or at the very least get in their good graces, and they'll spill some gossip to you about him. They say a lot of things about him, and it's a mixed bag of exaggerated lies and half-truths, never just one or the other, or the absolute unadulterated truth at all. It's difficult to get a straight story from any one of them no matter how hard you try, but if you know how to discern truth from lie, you'll be able to chalk up his behavior to his own insecurities and his need to feel superior and in control.

Kindness with him will only get you oh so far, as he'll manipulate your kindness to his advantage, to get you on his side and beneath his heel so to speak. He doesn't truly see your kindness as anything more than a tool. At the very least, he thinks you're easily gullible.

Megatron

His first impression was that for your stature and given your previous experience as a soldier, you would make a very fine addition to his armada indeed! As soon as you stepped aboard and finished the tour, you were put to work in the mines, to guard, supervise, and monitor the vehicon miners there.

Before you arrived, the Autobots had been attacking mines left, right, and center, in due part to a lack of resources, Megatron surmises. As of now, they have only succeeded a handful of times and failed the rest, yet these attacks are still costing them their equipment, resources, and miners. But he expects this to be of little difficulty for you, as you will introduce an unexpected twist to what may come as simple routine to Prime and the other Autobots. They know who to expect, what to expect, as well as how to plan around it, and so they say it is difficult to combat the unexpected.

Additionally, the vehicons were also weary of you at first. They assumed you were simply respectful and obedient to Megatron as any Decepticon naturally is, yet the moment he turned his back, they'd start tip-toeing over eggshells. Yet you proved to be the exact opposite of who they made you out to be, and as such you became a favorite amidst them very quickly. There was no yelling, no unreasonable demands or orders, you treated them like actual people. Though not all of them like you for your kindness, you've become a favorite amidst a majority o them.

Though your personality makes you popular amidst the vehicons, he'd strictly forbid mercy of any kind toward the enemy or any human, given almost any situation. So he expects you to be unforgiving and ruthless in battle, as that is the precedent for any Decepticon warrior worthy of even a sliver of respect. Your kindness would only be a weakness for the enemy to exploit and manipulate to their advantage.

[atarathegreat]

BAKUGO NOW

Did you say: fantasy AU Bakugo smutt?

Dragon Prince Bakugo.

Bakugo wasn't opposed to an arranged marriage, per se. His mother and father were done with their exploring, and his mother was done berserking. Bakugo himself still hunted, but his mother and father were done with what they called 'young people activities'.

Besides, a marriage meant a celebration, and a celebration meant that everyone got to go wild. Drinking, sparring, dancing! It would all be so much fun for him and the others. It was like Bakugo could already smell the ale and feel the punches that he would be earning. It excited him to no end. Whoever was going to be his wife, as lucky as she was, would have to manage with him being as rowdy as he pleased. Maybe he would get lucky, too, and she would be a barbarian like him, just as rowdy.

"Bakugo, are you really going to wear that nasty pelt?" His mother, Mistuski, stood in the arch to his chambers, soon to be shared with a stranger, "You wear that dirty thing to go hunting and fishing and you want to wear it for a wedding celebration?"

Bakugo turned and glared at his mother, all while taking heavy steps toward the pile of clothes and pelts in the corner, "You want me to wear these overly fancy rags? Do I look like someone who wears green? I'm likely to be mistaken for a boar or a nightwalker!" He was wrong, of course, as he usually was, but his mother understood his anger. Her son didn't like fancy items or flashy jewelry. But his hunting pelt? Surely he had better sense than that. "Don't you want to make a dazzling first impression on your future wife?" Mitsuki smiled, holding up a nicer, cleaner pelt.

"I don't rightfully care. Our marriage is political at best, and a mothers move to get me married at worst." Bakugo plopped onto his bed.

Mitsuki was shocked. Not that he was wrong, her son was intelligent, but that he had openly said it without knowing what was leaving his lips. Sure, political was the best way to call it, bringing barbarians and the clerics together in, at least, a shaky alliance. But it would also be a lie to say that her and her husband hadn't also planned it so that her son would have a wife sooner, maybe even kids if he felt like being the bare minimum for a husband. Mitsuki sighed and sat next to her son, her awfully thick-headed son, "Can you just do as I ask you? Just this once, let this go smoothly?" She hated to beg her son to be clean, but she knew that there was a soft spot somewhere in him.

"If I do, will you get off my back about it?"

"I might."

To relent and let his mother have her way would bite him in the ass later, but he got up and switched the pelt out, securing a lighter wolf pelt at his hips, "Happy now?"

"Okay! Be ready by midday and don't get covered in blood, this needs to be a good impression for the girl and her family." Mitsuki clapped as she left, feeling triumphant.

Come midday, her victory was null. The poor girl's family had sent her alone. From Ethel to Kazar, the young lady had traveled in the back of a wagon with nothing but a simple dress. No jewels, no colors, not even a smile. Mitsuki watched as the girl stepped from her wagon, simple flat shoes hidden under the long fabric of her skirts. She was supposed to be a noble, but she looked like a little peasant child who begs for money.

"I thought clerics wore robes and traveled together?" Her husband, Masaru, watched the girl with pity, "She looks sad."

Her soft flat shoes were dirty and torn, like the bottom of her dress, and the rest of her was...grey. Her and her aura were dull and grey and defeated. As if she had nothing left.

"So much for that alliance, huh?" Bakugo scoffed, returning inside the castle to avoid the silent creature that would be his bride. She wasn't interesting enough to keep him around for anything, and he wouldn't subject himself to the nap she would give him. His mother, on the other hand, refused to let this be the ending or a fail. Mitsuki smiled and took the girls hands in her own, "Hello, sweetheart. How was your trip?"

"Long, Your Highness." The girl even sounded like a field mouse, how adorable, "Long and silent."

If anyone had paid attention for a fraction of a second, they would have seen that the wagon rode off as soon as her foot touched the ground. Sad. But Mitsuki was happy that the girl was in Kazar now, at least she would grow to have some semblance of a family that would travel with her. Mitsuki nodded, "Call me Mitsuki. What is your name, hun?"

"Y/n." She responded well enough, albeit timidly. Masaru suspected that Y/n was raised in one of the many families that viewed the woman as caretakers and mothers. A devastating fate when women were as strong as the men if given the chance to build muscle. There was no doubt that Bakugo would be upset by this girl not being strong or loud. "Where is your family?" He was curious, who was this girl and why was she alone?

"They sent me alone. Said that the alliance meant little to them so long as I was out of their sight." Y/n spoke without confidence, but as if she believed every word she said, "They wanted to thank you for taking this burden off their hands."

That struck Masaru in a visceral way. Her own family saw her as a burden? How awful. She was anything but, and she was cute, clearly had nice genes for a cleric.

"I wish to apologize. I... I know little. I cannot read or write; I hardly understand my own ways. I'm useless and lack the ability to bring anyone joy." It was so awful to hear the things she said about herself. Y/n was pretty, Mitsuki could already see the beautiful grandchildren she would gain from this girl and her son. Good genes and good genes bred better genes, in her mind. "But I am willing to learn, if there is anyone with the patience to deal with my stupidity. I can clean, but I've never been praised for the work." She was so upfront about what she thought was things they would turn her away for.

And this behavior persisted into the celebrations. Y/n isolating herself in the corners, in the shadows, avoiding the others who wished to get to know her and welcome her to the clan and village. It was upsetting.

Bakugo found her after a hefty search (a search of ten minutes where he wasn't actually looking but happened to glance at her a few times before finally approaching). "What's wrong? Do you not realize how grateful you should be for this?" Bakugo came on strong, he was aware of that, but who hid during their own wedding celebrations? She seemed to be brushing it all aside and acting as if this was what she deserved. "Apologies. I'm not supposed to interact with anyone." Y/n was a mumbling mess, never speaking louder than she thought she needed to. It pissed Bakugo off to no end. "Whatever. If you don't want to be down here, then go to bed. You'll bring the mood down." He returned to the sparring corner of the big room, joining in with the fights.

Y/n, with a lot of difficulty, managed to find the bedchambers where she would be sleeping. It was Bakugo's room, of course, she knew that, but now she would also occupy the space. It was a messy space, a man's space. How was she supposed to feel at home in this strange place, with strange people, and an even stranger lifestyle? She was used to the women being small, quiet, never drawing attention to themselves. The women here in Kazar, they didn't seem to care about the consequences of having the attention. Aside from that, the women were muscley and brawn. They even knew how to read.

She crawled into the windowsill and looked up at the stars. For a brief moment she foolishly thought about whether her family was missing her. It was a dumb thought, one she wiped away quickly.

Meanwhile, Bakugo was sparring and drinking, thoughts of his new bond gone as he drowned his liver in ale and whatever foods had been made. His concerns were with winning the matches he was in. Zero thoughts of the girl up in his window. When he did finally stumble his way up to his chambers, Y/n was there immediately. Her gentle hands held cold cloths to his alcohol warmed cheeks. "What the hell are you doing to me, woman?" Bakugo grabbed her wrists to keep her hands on his face. The way she stared at him, wide eyes that reminded him of a frightened doe staring at a hunter as she waited for him to make a move.

"You're too damn quiet." Bakugo moved his face closer to hers, wanting to see what type of reaction he could pull out of her. Y/n seemed like a stoic girl and Bakugo wanted to see her lose her temper, to see her make any face except that doe eyed stare. So, he kept moving closer, until his lips touched hers and he'd never felt something so soft. He would blame the ale later.

Her body was rigid, yet loose, as Bakugo held her cheeks to keep her from moving away from him. Her tongue tasted of fruits, wild berries and water from a stream. It was addicting for the man, even if he was just some drunken barbarian at the moment.

Something about her softness was drawing him in. The way she moved how he wanted her to and the careful way she touched him, like he was as fragile as she was. It was different, in a good way.

"You have a choice in this." He mumbled, unable to make himself pull his lips away from hers, "Just because I am your husband does not mean you have to do everything I wish."

And she still didn't reject him or his advances. It was almost like she leaned into them, put more pressure in her gentle touches and soft caresses. The pelt around his hips hit the wall before the floor as he tossed it, not really giving a damn about where it went as long as it was off of him. "You're cute, I'll give you that." Bakugo mumbled as he walked her backwards towards the bed, bunching the skirts of her dress in his hands, "I wonder if the rest of you is as soft as your hands..."

"I'm not worth your physical affections." Y/n fell back easily onto the bed, never pushing Bakugo away. A loud laugh exploded in his chest at her words, "You're worth it if I find you worth it. You clearly aren't smart enough to gauge that."

Soft was an understatement. Plush and soft, Bakugo couldn't keep himself from squeezing every inch of her skin. "Soft as a hawk sprite chick. You ever felt one of them?" Bakugo nuzzled against her collar bone, "I'll catch one on my next hunting trip so you can."

This girl, this woman that Bakugo has been married to, what type of life had she led? Why was she so subservient to him? She didn't even fight him as he undressed her. He was a stranger to her, and she just... let him do as he pleased. Would she even make noise if he didn't ask her to?

Bakugo bit at her neck, smiling to himself at the involuntary gasp that he had pulled from her. He had caused a sound, though it was soft, to leave her without asking. "You're softer than the women here, you know that? It's nice, but I want you to talk more. Fuck, scream at anything if you want." Bakugo shuffled his pants down his legs and laughed at the way she avoided eye contact. It was apparent that she would be someone he'd have to have a small amount of control over, but that was the fun with some of these things. Bakugo leaned over her and grabbed her chin, "I want to see these pretty eyes on me."

Without a second of warning or even courtesy of being careful, Bakugo snatched her to the edge of the bed and snuggled his cock deep within her hold. She was soft, and it felt like she was trying to pull him deeper. "There you go, just keep squeezing." Bakugo pulled back a little to look at the connection he had forged, "Stretched fuckin' wide, you know that?"

She was cute when she whimpered, her unscathed hands gripping at Bakugo's rougher skin was nearly driving him absolutely crazy. This stranger, this quiet woman that Bakugo was so, so sure he would hate, had managed to make herself the center of Bakugo's, albeit drunken, world. There was nothing to stop him from leaving his teeth marks across her skin, and she looked a lot better with his markings. He had to think for a moment about how wonderful it would be to see her running to him after a hunting trip, how excited she would be to see him return was something he was hoping to see one day.

The pleasure was getting him too lost in his mind, making him think that maybe being married wasn't so bad, that maybe it wasn't just a political marriage. He didn't even see that he was hurting her, but she didn't sound like she was in pain. Blood started to stain the pelt blanket below her, causing a slight bit of concern. "Are you okay?" He didn't stop, she was too comfortable, but he also wouldn't make the mistake of thinking her body was as tough as a barbarian womans. "Stings a little, but it's okay~" Every word sounded like it was laced with euphoria. Maybe she had never felt such a thing, never had sex. Perhaps her body was as strong as a barbarian womans, she just hadn't ever used it.

"Hold on to me if you need to, I'll take care of you." Bakugo mumbled, putting more of his teeth marks across her neck.

[makanidotdot]

How I would have done Teldrassil

There was some Sylv discourse today on twitter, which I totally missed and Nobbel deleted whatever tweet he made so idek what it was about lol, BUT I read some "how it should have been" tweets and I wanted to write down how I would have done Teldrassil:

So, Azeroth just got stabbed and everyone is trying crazy experiments with the newly discovered Azerite. Kaldorei druids end up making some azerite infused super-life substance that has pretty great healing properties, but by accident, they discover it has the opposite effect on undead. It vaporizes undeath. Maybe someone had an undead battle pet out and it touched the goo and it died like a cartoon in roger rabbit.

Anyway, the worst thing to happen to Azeroth in recent history WAS undead and having a potential weapon against that is super good, but there's the whole political problem of ~oops~ we have something that can instantly vaporize a particular enemy race… a race that's not insanely well liked even by their allies... a race that can only keep 'living' by preying on the dead of everybody else, and makes anywhere they live spooky and rotting and gross to everyone but them… anyway we won't keep this secret forever, but, in the middle of this whole azerite-rush, we'll just wait until tensions are not QUITE so high, then bring this all to light in a peaceful and honest way and both factions will have control of supply and security etc., and use it only for the good healing properties, or against any new undead threats, and definitely not against Forsaken.

But ofc, Horde spies end up discovering the existence of this Undead-Away and tell the Warchief.

A good Warchief would handle this by demanding it all fully be turned over to both factions, they would acknowledge the benefit of having that kind of power, studying the tech, but also acknowledge the extreme danger to an integral part of the Horde, and take extra steps to ensure their safety and reiterate the Forsaken's value to the Horde.

Warchief Sylvanas, however, would need to ensure Undead-Away was destroyed, and kill anyone who knew how to make it, at any cost. That type of unique threat to the Forsaken could not be allowed to exist. She would claim the Night Elves had been creating a weapon unbeknownst even to their allies (technically true), and were therefore preparing to be aggressive (a lie). She would omit the fact this weapon only affects undead, maybe even orchestrate an incident that made it seem like it affected the living too, with the help of her alchemists. Even if it came to light that this weapon only really affected undead, the idea of deceitful Night Elf weaponry would still have been planted, that particular knowledge would come too late to really matter.

Teldrassil must be attacked and temporarily controlled in order to purge this substance too dangerous for either faction to control. "USE IT ON THE ALLIANCE" some more bloosthirsty members of the Horde would say. No, no, Sylvanas would say, that would be dishonorable :). For the good of Azeroth, such a weapon must be destroyed. Sylvanas has turned a new leaf after all, she's not blighting anymore, she's interested in stability as Warchief. Both factions should be kept in check.

So, the plan would be to surprise attack Teldrassil, occupy it, purge the city of all the Undead-Away, and then... leave. They would make their intentions clear to the Alliance (after they had started the attack, of course) and actually, pretty true to their word, they would let anyone who wanted to leave the tree go peacefully. Obvs any nobody-druid who knew how to recreate the weapon would wind up dead, and any too-important druid would have to risk escalating the conflict by calling out Sylvanas's lies. But for the most part, there would be no excessive death caused by the Horde forces, Sylvanas would even make a point of publicly punishing any Horde for unapproved violence.

Sylvanas wouldn't need or want a greater conflict than necessary, so there would be none, unless the Alliance wanted to return to all out war against the Horde over what would ultimately amount to just be humiliation.

Because a pre-BFA, pre-Jailer, pre-shit Sylvanas's end goal was this: Don't die. She tried dying before, and she went to Hell, so her goal now is Never Die Again. Never Dying would be achieved by ensuring the Forsaken are a strong race with a secure future. For that, she needs a balance of Forsaken power, but also healthy and happy living races that keep reproducing, so that they keep dying, so that Forsaken can keep reproducing.

But, at some point during the occupation, Teldrassil burns. And we don't know why. Maybe some Horde did it to be mean. Maybe it was an accident as some Night Elves fought back righteously against the occupying Horde. Maybe some kind of magic + Undead-Away is insanely flammable. We never learn the truth, and if we did, it doesn't matter. The Alliance blames the Horde, and the Horde blames the Alliance.

The leaders of the Alliance heroically and epically rescue most of the citizens still in the city, with Tyrande and Malfurion leading the effort. The Horde occupying the city are not quite as lucky, but they're soldiers. So a lot of them are tryhards and have gliders so they can just jump off the tree :). And some Alliance and Horde still die horribly in flames.

Night Elves lose their home, and Sylvanas prepares for the Alliance's retaliation. It wasn't her goal, but it's something she can work with. The Horde and the Forsaken will not fall, and the banger ass BFA trailer actually makes sense and isn't false advertising.

[hiemaldesirae]

there was an ask i got a while back that brought up the idea of vox pulling away from alastor (while they were still friends) because he figured alastor was only using him for entertainment and al in turn becomes the biggest wifeguy alive to keep vox by his side and. well. my fingers got itchy

Vox stares forlornly at the photograph held gingerly between his claws. It had been taken some time (comparatively) early on in his friendship with Alastor- the date of August 16th, 1967 was scrawled in Vox's own unsteady, drunken penmanship. He'd been plastered to the roof when they'd taken the photo, which, now that he thinks of it, was probably the only reason Alastor had ever agreed to it in the first place.

He mulled over that conversation once more, as if he hadn't been at this for a month. The stack of papers that Husk had passed him with a worried look and a huff laid neatly stacked next to the transcripts of the confirmation calls he'd had with Mimzy after Husk had told him.

He only sees you as entertainment, Husk had said. It's how he functions. I don't know if he's had a genuine relationship with anyone other than Mimzy and Rosie, and even then the chances are slim.

And Vox had wanted to believe that he was wrong. God, he'd hoped so badly that Husk was wrong. But- the Overlord had never once led him wrong before, had he? And he had no reason to lie to Vox about this.

His hands shook as he took the picture and tenderly placed it back into the drawer where he'd taken it from.

Even if the first friendship- the first ever taste of love he'd gotten, in life or death- he'd managed to strike up in Hell had been one built on lies and for Alastor's- entertainment, he still didn't want that proof of the simpler, happier times to disappear.

So it was with a heavy heart that Vox prepared to bid farewell to his first and dearest friend.

One thing that Husk had made sure to make absolutely crystal clear to him was that Vox should not, under any circumstances, be the one to let Alastor down gently.

At least, not directly- Vox had disagreed with this line of thinking, believing that Alastor deserved to know the truth, but then Husk had shown him what Alastor had done to the couple past demons who had dared to do the same and Vox found his protests drying up on his tongue as quickly as they'd come to him.

"Well, what do I do then?" Vox had cried, practically faceplanting all 15 pounds of his CRT television head into Husk's bar counter. To his credit, the Overlord hardly even batted an eyelid before sending one of his thralls to clean up his despondent kid's mess. "I don't wanna just fake my death or something!"

"I wasn't gonna say for you to do that, but actually, that might be a good idea if the Radio Freak doesn't take the initial plan well," Husk mused, before he caught sight of Vox's- frankly heartbroken looking- face and sighed. "No, the idea is to get him to think it's his idea. Start by gradually distancing yourself so you're no longer attached by the hip- Lord knows you needed a healthy sense of distance from him, anyway- and then move to blowing off his plans and stuff. For valid reasons, like say Rosie scheduled you in first or something and you couldn't leave without invoking her wrath. Make yourself some new damn friends, for God's sakes. It'll make it harder for him to wage revenge on you if you've got allies backing you up."

Husk could see his kid's face gradually growing paler with every word, and he internally sighed. Fucking Alastor, and his need to ruin every good thing that passed him by. "And if it gets to that point, which it shouldn't, I'll protect you first. An alliance with Ol' Bambi is not worth more than your wellbeing, котенок."

"I know," Vox said quietly. He tapped his hands on the counter for a second before standing up, a sad look on his face. "I just... I might need a little to come to terms with things."

"Of course," Husk nodded understandingly. "You take all the time ya need, got it?"

"Yes, dad," Vox rolled his eyes, though the sad expression on his screen had brightened considerably and he now managed to give Husk a weak smile. "Really. I'll call or something if I need you."

That was weeks ago. Vox had started to put 'Plan Pull Vox Out of a Toxic Friendship' into full play a little while ago, occasionally turning down Alastor's invitations to soirees, operas, theatres and the like and instead focusing on his work. Before, he would have dropped everything just to accompany Alastor, which was something Vox was suspecting the other demon had already known and potentially specifically chosen him for because it made him more entertaining.

In any case, things had been going smoothly. Vox had even managed to start a few new projects, the most impressive of which was a part mechanical part organic demon shark. He'd found the poor thing missing half its limbs, and gone on a horribly roundabout mission to make it new ones. So far things had been going smoothly and the shark had taken to leisurely taking swims around Vox's small aquarium, one that spanned one entire wall of his even tinier apartment.

What he hadn't expected was for Alastor to show up one day completely uninvited and make him dinner.

He'd been in the midst of arranging meetings with other up and coming sinners of Pentagram City, looking through his contacts to see who else would have the most potential to become an Overlord. One had been Valentino, who was the man he was trying to speak with when a crash came from his kitchen. He'd asked Valentino if he could bear to be put on indefinite hold incase he was killed, deafened before he could hear a response, then proceeded to the kitchen, hammer in hand, only to find-

"Ah, there you are, my dear picture box! I was afraid I'd never see you again, what with that awful habit of yours with locking yourself into the workshop for hours." Alastor stood in his kitchen, humming quietly as he stirred a pot full of gumbo leisurely. "Go sit down and wait, would you?"

"I- you-" Vox looked in between Alastor, who was wearing an apron that said Kill the Cook atop his regular fitted suit, painting an elegant yet absolutely ridiculous portrait and back to the table, where several other creole dishes sat on the table in front of Vox. "You're in my house."

"You didn't answer me when I tapped on the radio waves," Alastor shrugged lesiurely. "You've gotten busy these past weeks, haven't you?"

"Well... sort of," Vox said, expertly skirting around the question. "Anyway, that doesn't explain much. You don't like coming to my apartment. And you only cook for Rosie and Mimzy because you only respect them."

"I don't like coming here, correct."

"So.... why are you here, exactly?" Vox crosses his arms, leaning on the counter. "You don't usually come for visits."

"I care about you," Alastor said softly. It almost sounded sincere. No wonder he was a radio host- truly, hearing those words had nearly stopped Vox's resolve to leave entirely. "Isn't that enough?"

"I wish," Vox said in reply, a hand pressed to his chest to stop his rapid breathing. "God, I wish."

But God didn't exist for Sinners.

So when Alastor finishes cooking the food and sits down to eat with him, asking him about the work and projects he's been doing, Vox just grits his teeth in a smile and forces himself to act as if his world isn't breaking apart piece by piece.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Setting: The Kingdom of Xophena, Realm of the Pure

Though it is famed the world over for the piety of its people and the bravery of its knights, this kingdom holds a dark secret at its heart. If you were to see the scattering of fortress cities surrounded by horror haunted wilderness it would be all too easy to believe the legends: brave warriors sallying forth to do battle against the corruption that besieges them from all sides, slaying great foes and making great sacrifices in the name of defending the innocent. If you looked closer though you would see Xophena for all its faults, the fear by which its elite drive and dominate its populace, a tradition of martial glory that justifies any action or abuse of the warrior caste, a population forced to endure toil and abject subjugation or be exiled outside the walls.

Adventure Hooks:

While travelling through the realm of the pure as part of an ongoing quest, the party run into a retinue of outrider knights on their way to destroy a rampaging aberration hiding out in a gold mine. Some of the knights scoff at the party for being common sellswords, while others recognize them as fellow doogooders-at-arms. There's glory to be had if the party join them in their mission, and more importantly, potential reward and bragging rights.... if they can keep up, the mounted cavaliers aren't going to slow down on the party's behalf.

Xophen emissaries have made an appearance in the party's homeland, courting alliances, making trade deals, and generally putting their finger on the scales of power. Distrustful of too many good offers, the party's patron is planning on a visit to Xophena in the near future and would like them to come along as extra sets of eyes and ears. Renegade heroes have a habit of seeing through the haze of political bullshit.

Xophena would make a fascinating backdrop for a campaign, as Arthurian myth crashes into lovecraftian weirdness. The best place to start would be with the party as castoffs and exiles, eking out a living in one of the few hidden hamlets built by those outcast from the social order. How do they survive? When circumstances demand that they enter one of the fortress cities do they trick their way in, or beg favour from the sanctimonious powers that be? Can they last long enough to discover the secret that has bent the world into its current cruel shape?

Background: Only a few centuries ago Xophena was just like any other kingdom, periods of prosperity and stability that dissolved into infighting as the local warrior elite squabbled for position. That of course all changed when monsters known as the Delnbrood began to wriggle out of the earth like worms after rain, causing untold devastation and forcing a societal retreat to the increasingly fortified settlements dotted about the mountainous foothills. The fear and chaos of these years restructured Xophen society into a rigid hierarchy based around tradition, faith, and survival, which has only grown more ossified as time has gone on.

Both Xophen scripture and legend will tell you that the horrors that beset them began with a treasonous sorcerer Delndrek who sought to take the throne for himself through dishonorable means and darkest sorcery. He was opposed by Tanria brightspear, a saint of the everlight who foiled his every sly attempt to seize power, until at last she cornered him and forced his surrender. Ever the coward, Delndrek sacrificed his humanity rather than relinquish his ambition, becoming an indescribable abomination, that it took the bright speared saint five days to vanquish, dying in the process. It's said that the aberrations that beset Xophena today are born from where his tainted blood struck the earth.

Like many of the tales told about the realm of the pure, this story is a lie, gilded with just enough truth to make it stick in the people's memory. Delndrek wasn't just a sorcerer, but the sorcerer of the royal family, tasked with magicing away all the problems that backwoods dynasty couldn't solve through bloodshed or political marriage. The kingdom's goldmines had always been its lifeblood, and most of the fighting in those days about who could profit from what claim. Trouble was the royal family's mines were drying up, so they threw their pet mage at the problem said that if he didn't find a solution they'd torture him till they did. Dying mines and mounting stress forced Delndrek to look deeper and deeper for an answer, and eventually led him to communion with the outergod Jysh'parun who holds dominion over the secrets of mountains. A pact was struck, the mountains ate people and spat up gold, until eventually the saint found out and decided to put a stop to things.

Cut to today, and the dependants of that very same royal family are still trying to wriggle out of the pact they instigated, spending their people's lives to fill their coffers and fight back the creatures the outer god sends to assert dominion over the realm he was promised.

Setting Details:

The church of the everlight was always strong in Xophena, dating back half a millennia to when an adherent of hers was lost on a stormy sea for months and was only able to find land when the mist parted and he saw the dawn first alighting on one of the region's seaside peaks. The mountainous temple city of First Alight still serves as the heart of the region's faith.

That faith has become just as gaudy and hollow as the rest of the kingdom: Somewhere along the line it was decided that gold was the best way to demonstrate praise to Sarenrae, both in decorating her icons and paying to erect ever grander structures in her honour. While the common people pray for the hope and strength to lead them through lean times, their tithes go to fund an increasingly bloated clergy who spend their days finding reasons that the peoples' sinful nature forestalls their goddess's promised salvation.

You don't compose ballads calling your homeland "Realm of the Pure" unless you've got some hangups around cleanliness. Delndrek's corruption has touched more than the land, as aberrant sorceries and otherworldly mutations have begun to spring up among the populace. Those with influence do their best to hide these marks, those without are scapegoated, exiled, or made an example of.

For all their privilege and brainwashing, many of the realm's knights really do believe in the cause, having largely abandoned the ways of petty armed gentry and settling instead into martial orders. While they all compete to slay the most beasts and earn the most gallant reputation, it is a deepset longing among the knights to be able to find St. Tanria's lost spear, which in the right hands is said to be able to rid the land of its blight once and for all.

Arcane magic is viewed with suspicion in Xophena, as any rogue mage could be just another Delndrek waiting to happen. Exceptions are of course made for those spoken for by the nobility.

Art 1

Art 2

[l-in-the-light]

The most embarrassing series of posts about Lawlu you will ever read: edition Dressrosa (part 6)

Two long posts in one day?? I guess I really wanted to get into "carrying Law like a bag of treasure" mini-arc that badly haha. Love is a hurricane so let's go!

Luffy's back to his "I don't have time for this" antics. He wants to save Torao, there's no time to be idle or to waste, alright!

Luffy's done with being patient and sticking to plans. He was interested in his life to stick to only one plan anyway, which he believes is shattered now. Too bad, Viola. You're just not Law.

Luffy has enough of waiting! Faster, faster! And again, not interested in any other plans, unless they're Law's. (yes, he asks about the plan, but only to complain. He's not gonna listen)

Torao's fine! Luffy looks really happy and he calmed down a bit and does he have a slight blush here or what lol. But like I told you all, he's not interested in listening to plans and idling around. He wants to go, go, go and he isn't even trying to understand what they're waiting for. This is the Luffy we all know, the "before Law" Luffy lol.

To understand why Law says that the alliance is finished, we need to rewind to his fight with Doflamingo. He said that to protect the Strawhats. In case Law gets captured and loses (and he expected to be defeated), cutting his ties with Strawhats should make them all leave the country, right? After all they will have no more business here because the whole alliance was focused on Law's plan, and once that is no longer their business, in Law's mind it means they will leave. After all that's what pirates do. They don't care about countries, old allies etc.

I mean, if it was anyone else than Strawhats, Law would be right, wouldn't he? He just didn't know them well enough yet at this point. He probably thought saving kids at Punk Hazard was just a whim on their part, a precedence, and normally they would only do such things for their friends. And Law isn't their friend, neither is anyone in Dressrosa.

Luffy: Omg Law I missed you so much!

Law: Not this again!

Luffy wastes no time anymore and is so, so happy to be able to rescue Law it's unreal. Meanwhile Law tries to push him away, shocked that he's here.

He tries three different tactics to push Luffy away: 1. You were supposed to take care of the factory, did you do it already? 2. The alliance is no more, scram from here 3. If you rescue me, I will be your enemy!

This is probably The Moment when Trafalgar Law realized Luffy treats him as a friend, someone to risk your life for to help. Law isn't having any of that. Luffy risks his life for friends, and Law wants the exact opposite: protect him no matter what. Those two desires clash here.

Luffy almost fell for it, to be fair. But then decides he will rescue Law no matter what he's saying. He did the same for Ace in Marineford, despite Ace screaming this is not his business, so why would Law's words stop him now?

I love how Luffy calls Law selfish. I mean, he's kinda right about it. Law doesn't take into account Luffy's feelings here. And Luffy also doesn't take Law's feelings into account here. It's a battle of who will rescue the other, lol. They're so hopeless, I swear...

Law's last attempt gets completely ignored. He again is dragged into Luffy's pace here and he knows it. He lost to Luffy, again. Hence why he will allow himself to "get saved" from this moment on, which I think makes Luffy actually happy - after all Ace didn't allow himself to be saved.

And yes, the "I'll kill you" is a lie. All things Ace said at Marineford to keep Luffy away were also lies. Those are all hints for us to connect the dots here. Not that anyone believed Law here anyway lol. There's just no way he would actually harm Luffy after trying to protect him for freaking two arcs now. But he would and will say just about anything, if it has even a slight chance of pushing Luffy away.

Now we have to address the elephant in the room. Does it all mean that Trafalgar Law was suicidal and actually expected Luffy to leave him to die? Well, yes and no. Yes, because he does care for Luffy more than he cares for himself, for multiple reasons (low self-esteem might be one of them actually). Let's not forget Luffy is the life he saved in Marineford. Saving lives means everything to Law.

No, because did you notice Viola magically spawned a key to Law's cuffs? Did you notice how prepared she was in this whole arc, even handing Sanji a map to secret factory, almost like she knew that's exactly the thing they're missing in their plan? Well. I think Law lied and did visit Dressrosa before. And made Viola his secret ally, a great chess piece on the board that's capable of making her own decisions and prepared in case Law needs a backup plan (remember fake cuffs in Punk Hazard? It's the same logic applied here. Law always covers ways to recover from precarious situations/possible emergencies/mistakes). In other words, getting captured by Mingo and rescued with help of his ally, was a part of his backup plan. Yes, he planned his own capture, you heard me right. It wasn't his plan A. Just a backup plan B or C.

You're welcome if that turned your understanding of Dressrosa's plot upside down. I'm always happy to deliver! Oh if you only knew how much of Law's plan was probably obscured from us. Because I don't think Viola is his only secret ally. Ofc you're free not to believe it and just accept the old truth fandom believes in, which is Law being a selfish suicidal idiot. Let's move on for now!

Important to remember: this is Law's narration here. After all he's the only one in this group that knows what Doffy's birdcage is, having experienced it before. He has a clear PTSD moment about it and speaks his actual mind here. Which is him being terrified that innocent people will die, all because Law's plan went to shit. He's most likely already blaming himself for that. This is definitely not the result he wanted, which might be one more reason why his original plan was so indirect in dethroning Doflamingo. He was hoping to avoid stuff like this.

Luffy taking care of Law's sword <3 Busy talking with Zoro over some stuff, meanwhile Law pays attention to Doffy's broadcast, because Luffy doesn't. Those two really fill each other's blank spots, and they do so naturally.

First time Law hears that Luffy is now after Doflamingo. He reacts to it, trying to make Luffy understand that it's a dangerous decision, assuming Luffy is just swayed by emotions.

And their wishes clash again. Law tells Luffy it's better to give it up and scramble. Law no longer tries to push Luffy away, he realizes he lost that battle already. But he's still not giving up on keeping Luffy safe. Ironic, considering he's practically helpless and cuffed here (but the key to the cuffs should be nearby). Just moments ago he clearly regretted the fact innocent people got dragged into this deadly game, but here he is trying to downplay it and even disregard it as not important.

Luffy's not having any of that. Either he heard his regret before and connected the dots, or he still deeply believes Law to be a good person. He expects him to want to help this country too. If Luffy doesn't doubt Law even once, no matter what Law has to say about it, why should we? Luffy's usually the best at reading people, their emotions and judging if they're good people or not. I definitely trust him when he calls someone a good person, and i think you all should as well.

What Luffy and Law are actually communicating here is this:

Law: "This is going too far, we should stop. We might lose our lives here" (as in: I don't want you to lose your life here).

Luffy: "This is no time to be worrying about that! We're already dragged in this!" Or even... "I'm not letting you give up everything just to protect my life! I will carry your wish to save Dressrosa!" (but I doubt Law understands it this way)

Of course Law is taken aback here. He doesn't understand why Luffy is so attached to this country already or why he made his final decision already (and we might also question it with him, because we saw how Luffy respected the plan before! Not even Rebecca or fake peace could sway him! And Law apparently was more aware of it than we expected him to be). It was less than a day. He will find out eventually though, because it will keep bugging him and be constantly on his mind, hence his immediate reaction:

And now he finally gets it. Yep, it was because of food. And it will be because of food again in Wano. It's not the full reason, but oh god it is hilarious. Neverending cycle of suffering for Law continues on.

I guess Luffy's deep interest in Law is reciprocated after all. Law is also unusually interested in things concerning Luffy and stuff about Luffy seems to be always on Law's mind.

Law already knows what's gonna happen, just by hearing "the direct one!!" answer. He still is in disbelief.

Neverneding cycle of suffering. No wonder he becomes a zen monk by Wano.

And it continues. He clearly doesn't enjoy the freestyle jumping off the cliff while being at someone else's mercy or being tossed around. Luckily for him, Luffy holds him tight.

Considering how he was just so heavily manhandled, you can't hold it against Law here that he's kinda petty. Also Luffy's panic is adorable, he's like "oh no, I totally messed it up" which he usually wouldn't care much about, but now he's literally carrying Law with him, so it's no longer about his own safety (he doesn't care) but Law's (he cares about that a lot). And can I just point out since Luffy grabbed Law he never lets him go anymore? Yeah, he loses him occassionally, but never lets Zoro carry him even for a second. Nope, Luffy's gonna carry his own treasure the whole way all up to Mingo's castle and no one's gonna put hands on it!

And I believe this to be the reason. Luffy knows that the whole Doflamingo's Family got a beef with Law, but also normal citizens would be trying to get Law, and Law is still wearing seastone cuffs so can't do much. So Luffy takes it upon himself to take care of him now! And he's so overprotective he won't let anyone else do that!

And again, it's mutual. Law, despite his position, will still fret over Luffy's wellbeing all the time. My god, can they just stop being so obvious? Worry for yourself for once, Law!

He worries and worries some more and doesn't even complain when he lands face first on the ground.

Special mention for Luffy caring about innocent people, because this proves to Law that Luffy actually does care deeply about things like that! By Wano Law will accept it as the truth and Luffy's general MO.

I wonder how it felt when Luffy laughed while holding Law on his arm like that. Law must have felt him laughing through the vibrations in his own body. It's just... so casually intimate between them. Of course Law doesn't miss the chance to actually scold them both, because they do attract unneccessary troubles on them and they're already in bad spot. Law's worrying never ends!

I just wanna point it out: Luffy is falling here, but he still holds Law close, refusing to let him go.

This is here just so you can also stare at both of them lying down at the same time, because that's so rare, whenever Luffy's not on guard, Law usually is, but not here. Here they're just both little sheeps and Zoro has to step up his game instead. Maybe on some subconscious level, Law actually feels safe when Luffy carries him, because he felt safe when Corazon carried him forever ago as well.

I just love how Luffy realizes what Cavendish is up to and rescues Law. And there we go, the infamous "crewmate" debate. Let's start with Luffy. Many people assume Luffy just lied here to protect Torao, because that's the easiest option. But it doesn't take into account Luffy's personality. Luffy never jokes about crewmate's status and if he calls you one, he actually means it (yes, I do believe he tried to seriously recruit zombie tree and Kinemon's legs. He was so deeply disappointed when he found out Kin's legs aren't a seperate entity!). Luffy means every word he said here and he only voices it outloud exactly because it will help keep Cavendish away from Law. And it's not the first time the "nakama" thing is hinted at:

He says it here as well. "My crew's life is more important than flame-flame fruit". But at this point none of the Strawhats is in any immediate danger. Law though, is, indeed.

But when did Luffy start to think of Law as his crewmate? Punk Hazard? Dressrosa after he saw Law being shot? Well, my personal bet is right after Marineford. Because by rescuing him Law proved to Luffy he's a good person. And that's all Luffy needs to want someone as a crewmate. It does help though that he saw Law fight and must consider him really strong.

There's one interesting thing here though. Usually when Luffy declares someone his crewmate/nakama, he would pursue them no matter what. But in Law's case, he just... waits. Seems he wants Law to be the one to make the final decision, and until he does, Luffy will wait for him forever. You think I'm reaching? Watch till we get to Wano haha.

Funny thing is, Zoro caught up on that before Luffy even put it into words. Let's remind ourselves of Zoro's sword languague in Water 7 for a moment:

He explains he doesn't pick sides and he draws his sword a bit and closes it again ("clicking" it) to make the point. He also gives his friends a choice: they need to decide now whether Robin is an enemy or a crewmate (original uses the nakama word). Now fast forward to Dressrosa:

Zoro does the same gesture from Water 7 and it's meant for Law. He's telling him basically the same message here "choose your side, are you with us (nakama) or against us (enemy)." It's right after Luffy and Law quarrel about fleeing or staying and helping the country. Law is also a swordsman, he most likely understood the message, hence his shocked reaction, because he was faced with an ultimatum from Luffy's wingman.

And what's Law's stance on it? He clearly refused there, right? "I'm not!" but that was before he was ready to give his actual answer, so of course he would be mad, he semi-expected this is Luffy deciding things for him. He realizes just a moment later that it's actually not the case and why Luffy said it, hence he shuts up. He shares his final decision only after Zoro leaves to fight Pica and I bet you anything it was on purpose, he was avoiding giving his actual answer in front of the other. Maybe he just thinks Zoro's crazy and might indeed treat him as an enemy as the result... or maybe, just maybe, he is actually torn. I mean, he's allowed to feel confused, he just evolved from a friend to a crewmate in a matter of one hour or less.

Law's hat is on and so is Luffy's, at the exact same time. Shared solidarity <3

Law isn't often taken aback by Luffy, but here he is. I guess it's the first time he sees Luffy so stupidly stubborn over something and the realization hits him like a truck. Yes, Law, Luffy can be just as stubbornly petty as you, are you up for the competition? Seeing your face I would assume that's a "no" haha. He might later on.

Law: Too close! (he's making a very uncomfortable expression and Jeef is leaning all over him).

Luffy: Hands off and get off!!

It looks like Luffy wants to protect Law, but actually I think he's just trying to literally push the guy off so he can win the petty competition of who reaches Doffy first. I'm sure Law appreciated Luffy pushing the guy off.

But it can be also because Luffy wanted Jeef and Abdullah to get away from his treasure that he tugged on Moocy right behind himself lol.

Should we ask ourselves another question? Why is Law allowing himself to be handled this way? There are actually multiple possible reasons for that: 1. He decided that no matter what Luffy wants he will tag along with it, there's no way he's leaving Luffy alone to face Mingo 2. He actually likes being carried around (we have Corazon to thank for that) 3. He's actually too weak in those cuffs to get himself to that palace. Which would explain why he doesn't even try to sit up while on Moocy or why his guard wasn't on around Cavendish, normally he wouldn't allow himself a mistake like that, no matter how much Luffy manhandled him. Though like I said before, I don't exclude "trust" as the partial reason as well. I just don't think it would be enough to make Law stop fretting and worrying.

The love adventures of Luffy carrying Law around will continue in next part!

[ilguna]

☼ NFWMB pt2 (Finnick Odair) ☼

summary; you'll do anything to protect Finnick, you can't live without him. so when it comes to saving Katniss from the arena or leaving her behind to save him, you make the obvious choice.

warnings; swearing, death, death mention, weapon use, fighting, blood, fire, hunger games stuff.

wc; 6.2k

notes; this is not canon compliant!!

part one.

--

It’s easy to forget just how soul-sucking the Hunger Games can be when you haven’t been inside of an arena for nearly a decade. It’s different when you’re mentoring, because all you have to do is give your tribute advice, but trying to put it into action is a completely different scenario.

Some victors are incapable of moving past the trauma inflicted, like Annie or Chaff, who are both disabled because of it. While others had fairly smooth Games, and even look back on it without issue, like Brutus or even you. Which isn’t an easy feat to achieve, at least for you. You would never have chosen to come back in here if it weren’t for a cause. For Brutus, this really is just a game.

You won’t lie, you definitely came in with so much hope, thinking you would be able to change the way the Capitol treats you, but now it’s been pulled out of every inch of your body. It’s especially bad this time, considering you know these tributes—these people. A lot of them you’ve mentored with, you’ve taken care of tributes with, that you’re friends with.

It’s only every night, when you’re forced to see the faces in the sky, are you faced with the reality you’ve been hiding from. This is real. The casualties of this war are real. You’ll never get to see any of these people again. They’ll forever be in a casket in their home district. They will never know if their efforts helped to better Panem.

Yesterday, the victors you lost were: Cashmere, Wiress, Blight, the man from District Ten, the woman from District Five, and the morphling who jumped in front of the mutt to save Peeta. 

Six dead. 

The Games lost a pretty significant amount on the first day too. The ones remaining now are Gloss, Brutus, Enobaria, Chaff, Beetee, Johanna, Katniss, Peeta, Finnick and you. There are only three enemies now, and it’s the Careers. It would be nice to find Chaff before the end of tonight. There is no guarantee, considering how vastly large this arena is.

The faint sound of tinkling interrupts the early morning silence you’ve been sitting in, watching the sun slowly rise from behind the tall jungle trees. No one moves from where they’re sitting on the sand, letting the parachute tilt from side to side, before eventually landing in front of Finnick.

Katniss sits up to scoot closer to Peeta, rubbing the sand from her eyes. You keep an eye on them for a few moments while the bread is counted. When Finnick is sure of the amount, he quietly announces there’s another twenty-four rolls, and they’re from District Three. This brings the grand total to thirty-three. 

You each take five, leaving eight left over.

It doesn’t take long for you to finish what you have. You steal glances at Katniss every so often, curious on what her expression is looking like, and it’s pretty grave. There’s a crease between her eyebrows, eyes wandering to the water. She’s thinking, and you’re afraid to know about what exactly. 

Actually, it might be fairly easy to get inside of her head. At this point, the majority of the tributes left in the Games are part of the alliance you’re in. The only ones not part of it are obviously the Careers. This probably stresses her out, making her worried about how much longer it’s going to last, and if you’re going to turn on her soon.

It’s a good thing that the plan is to get out of the arena tonight, because she’s not going to stay for much longer. In fact, you wouldn’t put it past her if she tried to escape sometime today.

Katniss suddenly gets to her feet, reaching for Peeta’s hand. He gives it to her willingly, letting her pull him up. “Come on. I’ll teach you how to swim.” She says, pulling him to the water.

You keep an eye on them for a while, with Johanna seemingly doing the same. When you’re sure there’s nothing going on between them, you turn your body halfway away to give them some privacy. Johanna relaxes too, making a bed in the sand so she can take a nap, after losing so much sleep the first couple of days.

Finnick gets up to gather a good armful of vines, then he takes a seat next to you. Once he begins to weave the net, you lean into him, head on his shoulder. You watch his hands move, noticing how clear it is that he’s done this many times before. He moves with confidence, tying knots that are hard to undo. You hum softly while he works.

“I miss laying in our bed together.” Finnick murmurs. “The lazy days we would take and then feel guilty for.”

“There’s always so much work to be done.” You sigh.

“Soon there won’t be any.” He whispers. “Once this is all over.”

You lift your head, reaching over to guide his lips to yours, thumb rubbing his jaw. He kisses you gently, keeping you there for only a couple of seconds before pulling away. You admire his eyes, a smile peeking at the corners of your mouth.

“I love you.” You tell him.

“I love you more.” 

“I don’t think so.” You laugh, looking away.

You catch Katniss standing up in the water, waving her arm. “Hey, Finnick, come on in! We figured out how to make you pretty again!”

He lets out a noise, which dissolves into a laugh. He presses a quick kiss to your temple before getting up, following them into the water. You watch as they gather handfuls of sand, rubbing it against their scabs so that they fall away. They take their time, being sure to get every one of them, including on their backs. When they’re done, they come back onto the sand to apply another layer of the medicine, joining you shortly after.

Beetee clears his throat. “I think we’ll all agree our next job is to kill gloss, Brutus and Enobaria.” He says. “I doubt they’ll attack us openly again, now that they’re so outnumbered. We could track them down, I supposed, but it’s dangerous, exhausting work.”

“Do you think they’ve figured out about the clock?” Katniss asks.

“If they haven’t, they’ll figure it out soon enough.” You tell her, shaking your head. “They’re smart, you should’ve seen their strategies in the past.”

“I got an idea of it.” Katniss nods.

“Perhaps not as specifically as we have.” Beetee says somewhat hopefully. “But they must know that at least some of the zones are wired for attacks and that they’re reoccurring in a circular fashion. Also, the fact that our last fight was cut off by Gamemaker intervention will not have gone unnoticed by them. We know it was an attempt to disorient us, but they must be asking themselves why it was done, and this, too, may lead them to the realization that the arena’s a clock.” Beetee tells you. “So I think our best bet will be setting our own trap.”

“Wait, let me get Johanna up.” Finnick says, taking a step away. “She’ll be rabid if she thinks she missed something this important.”

“Or not.” Katniss mutters quietly, you give her a small smile. You can’t blame her.

Once Johanna is up and awake enough to comprehend Beetee’s babble, the plan continues. Only, he has you scoot back a few feet in the sand so he has room to work it out in front of you. He effortlessly draws a circle, dividing it into twelve wedges. It’s obviously a map of the arena, just not as nicely drawn as the ones that Peeta have been making.

“If you were the Careers, knowing what you do now about the jungle, where would you feel safest?” He asks.

You withhold a sigh that threatens to release. You’ve worked with Beetee—and Wiress—a few times in the past to collaborate for the sake of your tributes. It’s funny how the technology tributes and the water tributes attract to each other like magnets sometimes. You don’t mind it when they explore outside of the Career pack, you even encourage it if they feel like they can do more.

However, that means you have to deal with the Three mentors. Which isn’t inherently bad, but you can’t stand the way that Beetee talks to people when he thinks they won’t understand a plan straight-forwardly. He will give you all the pieces to put together, and then he’ll tell you what he’s come up with. And Wiress wasn’t much of a help in these situations, because her sentences would drop off and she’d dissolve into laughter. Like they have their own joke about treating other victors less than.

It’s part of the reason why everyone groaned when Katniss decided she wanted Beetee and Wiress in her alliance. But they were going to be a vital asset either way. Even if she didn’t want them, Haymitch and Plutarch would’ve organized it so they agreed. 

“Where we are now. On the beach.” Peeta answers Beetee. “It’s the safest place.”

“So why aren’t they on the beach?” He asks.

“Because we’re here.” Johanna says impatiently.

“Exactly. We’re here, claiming the beach. Now where would you go?” 

Katniss’s eyes drift to the jungle. “I’d hide just at the edge of the jungle. So I could escape if an attack came. And so I could spy on us.”

“Also to eat.” Finnick chimes in. “The jungle’s full of strange creatures and plants. But by watching us, I’d know the seafood’s safe.”

Beetee smiles, like he always does when he’s satisfied his tests worked out. “Yes, good. You do see.” He says, you press your lips together in annoyance. As if all of you aren’t part of a bigger plan to take down President Snow. “Now here’s what I propose: a twelve o’clock strike. What happens exactly at noon and at midnight?”

“The lightning bolt hits the tree.” Katniss says.

“Yes. So what I’m suggesting is that after the bolt hits at noon, but before it hits at midnight, we run my wire from that tree all the way down into the saltwater, which is, of course, highly conductive. When the bolt strikes, the electricity will travel down the wire and into not only the water but also the surrounding beach, which will still be damp from the ten o’clock wave. Anyone in contact with those surfaces at that moment will be electrocuted.”

That’s not complicated at all, you think. There’s a bit of silence that follows, though, as they properly digest this plan, weighing the pros and cons themselves. No matter what happens, Katniss will be protected, you’re here to make sure of it. Even if all else fails, you’re supposed to prioritize getting her to the end.

You’re not worried, though. You, Finnick and Katniss will get out of here, at least. The others will follow. 

“Will that wire really be able to conduct that much power, Beetee?” Peeta asks after a minute. “It looks so fragile, like it would just burn up.”

“Oh, it will. But not until the current has passed through it. It will act something like a fuse, in fact. Except the electricity will travel along it.”

“How do you know?” Johanna asks.

“Because I invented it.” Beetee says to her, as if it’s obvious. As if he’s not the type of guy to risk his life by running into the Cornucopia on the first day of the Games for some random wire. “It’s not actually wire in the usual sense. Nor is the lightning natural lightning nor the tree a real tree. You know trees better than any of us, Johanna. It would be destroyed by now, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.” She answers reluctantly.

“Don’t worry about the wire—it will do just what I say.”

“And where will we be when this happens?” Finnick asks.

“Far enough up in the jungle to be safe.”

“The Careers will be safe, too, then, unless they’re in the vicinity of the water.” Katniss points out.

“That’s right.” Beetee agrees.

“But all the seafood will be cooked.” Peeta says.

“Probably more than cooked.” Beetee nods. “We will most likely be eliminating that as a food source for good. But you found other edible things in the jungle, right, Katniss?”

“Yes. Nuts and rats.” She says. “And sponsors.”

“Well, then. I don’t see that as a problem.” He shrugs. “But as we are allies and this will require all our efforts, the decision of whether or not to attempt it is up to you five.”

Well, really it’s up to Katniss and Peeta. You, Johanna and Finnick should be on board already. Either this is a real plan that Beetee has set up to make sure you’re at the tree at midnight, or he genuinely believes that this is the best way to get rid of Gloss, Brutus and Enobaria. Or both. Regardless, you have no choice but to follow his guidance.

Katniss looks between everyone in the group, eyes landing on you. You give her a small encouraging nod, a push in the right direction. You won’t be in the arena past midnight, there is no reason to preserve the seafood. 

Katniss must trust your judgment. “Why not?” She asks, looking at Beetee. “If it fails, there’s no harm done. If it works, there’s a decent chance we’ll kill them. And even if we don’t and just kill the seafood, Gloss, Brutus and Enobaria lose it as a food source, too.”

“I say we try it.” Peeta agrees. “Katniss is right.”

Finnick looks between you and Johanna, raising his eyebrows. “All right.” She says. “It’s better than hunting them down in the jungle, anyway. And I doubt they’ll figure out our plan, since we can barely understand it ourselves.”

You almost laugh at that last remark.

Beetee declares that he wants to take a closer look at the lightning tree before he has to mess with it tonight. Katniss observes the sun, saying that it has to be about nine in the morning, meaning you’re going to have to leave in an hour when the wave comes. So, it’s better to go now.

Peeta brings you to the beach that borders the lightning section. He and Finnick briefly discuss what to do with Beetee, because he’s still recovering from the cut on his back. Finnick suggests taking turns carrying him, and Peeta agrees, despite the fact that he’s not running at full power, either. He’s still weak from the forcefield on the first day, and he’s got a prosthetic leg.

Johanna leads the way because it’s a straight path to the tree, with Finnick, Peeta and Beetee following directly behind her. Katniss insists on taking the rear because she has the arrows, so you keep in front of her. You just watch the jungle carefully on the way up, in case there’s spying eyes on the trees.

The journey to the top of the slope is irritating. You get your foot caught in several tangles of weeds, wiping an ocean of sweat from your skin every couple of minutes, and you can feel the burn beginning on the top of your thighs from the constant stepping. Not to mention, the air is so thick and hard to breathe with how hot it is here. You’d think it'd be cooler because of the canopy of leaves above, but the beach is better because of the breeze from the water.

“We’re almost at the top.” Johanna tells you after about a half hour.

“She should take the lead, then.” Finnick suggests through heavy breaths, pace slowing to allow a break. “Katniss can hear the force field.” 

Beetee’s eyes narrow, turning his head to look back at Katniss. You move out of the way to allow a clearer sight. “Hear it?” His voice is skeptical.

“Only with the ear the Capitol reconstructed.” She explains.

He slowly nods. “Then by all means, let Katniss go first.” He pulls the glasses from his face to wipe the steam away. “Force fields are nothing to play around with.”

She nods, passing you to go to the front. Finnick looks to you to make sure that you’re okay being back there, and you give him a smile. The hike continues for about another ten minutes, but you can see the lightning tree way before that. It’s unmistakable compared to the others that surround it. 

Katniss gathers a handful of nuts to use to confirm where the force field is. She stops suddenly, tossing a nut. The group of you watch as it bounces off what appeared to be a fern. If you had to guess, she’s about fifteen yards away from it.

“Justy stay below the lightning tree.” Katniss tells you.

Duties are quickly divided up by Beetee. Finnick is told to guard him while he takes a look at the tree. Johanna goes to tap for water, because you’re all thirsty after the way up here. Peeta goes ahead to gather nuts to sizzle, and Katniss disappears into the jungle to hunt for the tree rats.

You keep close to the tree, patrolling around it, while Finnick stays where he is next to Beetee. Who is currently taking laps, peeling off bark, measuring with his hands. It’s mildly amusing to listen to his mumbling nonsense. You really can’t stand being around him for longer than an hour at a time, especially when he’s doing that.

Luckily, the ten o’clock wave shakes the ground, letting you know a little more than an hour has passed since getting to the tree, since the wave signifies the end of the hour. Katniss shows up soon after with her tree rat, taking a seat next to Peeta. She draws a line in the dirt to separate her and the force field, and then goes on to clean her kill, cube the leftover meat, and then sears it by throwing it at the force field. Peeta follows her example by roasting the nuts one at a time. They start a pile of food on a large leaf.

Beetee peels another piece of bark from the tree, wandering over to Katniss and Peeta, only to throw it at the force field. It bounces off, landing in the dirt, glowing a bright orange color. It takes a few seconds for it to return to its normal color. And when it does, he murmurs, “Well, that explains a lot.”

A clicking interrupts his thoughts, he raises his head. The group of you fall into silence to hear where it’s coming from. It’s almost musical, and it sounds like it’s in the second next to you. It seems as if you weren’t crazy last night, you were hearing correctly. Johanna swore up and down that she couldn’t hear it. Now, she has no choice.

“It’s not mechanical.” Beetee tells you.

“I’d guess insects.” Katniss murmurs. “Maybe beetles.”

“Something with pincers.” Finnick nods.

The beetles get louder, excited by the sound of your voices. 

“We should get out of here, anyway.” Johanna says. “There’s less than an hour before the lightning starts.

The group of you don’t go very far, only to the identical tree in the next section over. You gather around the large leaf in a squat, eating the nuts and meat in turns until there’s nothing left. You’re not exactly full after, but that doesn’t stop you from sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree to rest.

As soon as the air starts to show signs that it’s getting staticy, Beetee asks Katniss to climb up one of the jungle trees to check out the first couple of lightning strikes. She does this without issue, staying for a couple of minutes to observe, before coming down the branches. When she describes the brilliant blue the tree turns with every bolt, Beetee nods thoughtfully. He thanks her for her help, and then it’s suggested to go down to the beach to wait out the next eight hours.

—

The anthem plays, but since there were no deaths during the day, there are no faces to show in the sky. Panem is undoubtedly on the edge of their seat. The people back home in the districts have their fingers crossed that there are no significant casualties of their beloved victors. And the Capitol will hardly be able to contain their excitement for the bloodshed to come.

Unfortunately for them, the only blood that will spill tonight will be of their favorite Career victors. The plan is to kill Gloss, Brutus and Enobaria, and for the rest of you to make it out of the arena alive. The more time ticks on, the more you’re sure this plan will go without a hitch.

When Katniss and Finnick are sure that it’s about nine, you leave camp, which is now littered with shells from this evening's lunch. You hike up the twelve sector’s jungle in the same formation you had earlier. Beetee’s feeling somewhat better, so he’s able to carry himself up the first half of the way before he needs help from the other two boys.

At the tree, Beetee asks Finnick to help him, while the rest of you guard them. He starts by unrolling several yards of the wire, making a pile to the side. He then goes on to order Finnick to tie the loose end around a broken branch, and then leave it on the ground. Next, they stand on opposite sides of the tree, passing the spool back and forth.

Over time, you can see it begin to layer, shimmering gold in the moonlight. 

You know what time it is when the wave hits, shaking the ground. Beetee announces that he’s done with the tree, which means that it’s time to carry out the second half of the plan. He tells Johanna and Katniss that he wants them to take the coil down to the beach, slowly unraveling it as they go. 

Beetee tells them it’s really important for them to lay some wire across the lightning beach, and to get rid of the spool deep in the water, so that it’s impossible to retrieve. Once it sinks, they have to run for the jungle to take cover. If they leave now, they should be able to make it to safety.

“I want to go with them as a guard.” Peeta barely lets Beetee finish before he talks, shaking his head.

“You’re too slow. Besides, I’ll need you on this end. Katniss will guard.” Beetee tells him. “There’s no time to debate this. I’m sorry. If the girls are to get out of there alive, they need to move now.” He hands the coil over to Johanna.

“I would feel better if (Y/n) went with them, at least.” Peeta says, looking at you next.

There’s an issue with that. While you’re supposed to guard Katniss at all costs, it was decided before the Games that Johanna would be the one to take care of the tracker in Katniss’s arm. Since Katniss trusts you, and she’s not the greatest fan of Johanna, it was Haymitch’s idea to make Johanna do it.

In the case that Johanna died, then you would do it. But you also have another prominent problem, and that’s the Careers. Johanna is a fantastic fighter, she’s incredibly vicious, but she doesn’t have the practice or stamina to fight three Careers at once, if the occasion were to arise. It was impossible to predict only one of them would die before it was time to be rescued. You were all hoping that none of them would try to get in your way, but the Gamemakers really screwed things when they gave Katniss and Peeta high training scores.

So, you can’t go with them. Johanna will protect Katniss and get the tracker out of her arm. Finnick will protect Peeta and keep him occupied at the tree. Beetee will make sure that the tree works the way it’s supposed to. And you will either lead the Careers to the beach to get electrocuted, or you’ll stalk them and kill them one by one. Whichever is more convenient.

“I can’t.” You tell Peeta plainly. “I’ll be here with you. Johanna is more than capable of keeping your girlfriend safe. Let them go or we’ll have to come up with another idea.”

Katniss nods, motioning for Peeta to go to her. “It’s okay.” She tells him. “We’ll just drop the coil and come straight back up.”

“Not into the lightning zone.” Beetee reminds her. “Head for the tree in the one-to-two-o’clock sector. If you find you’re running out of time, move over one more. Don’t even think about going back on the beach, though, until I can assess the damage.”

Katniss cups Peeta’s face in her palms. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you at midnight.” She presses a kiss to his lips, and then turns to Johanna. “Ready?”

“Why not?” Johanna shrugs, beginning to head down the slope. “You guard, I’ll unwind. We can trade off later.”

The four of you watch as they disappear into the trees, taking the wire with them. It’s rigid, suspended in the air. You stand there for a couple of seconds before turning away, wandering, patrolling. Nothing is said between you guys, but it’s clear that Peeta’s unhappy by the way the tension just rolls off of him.

You hum quietly, swinging your spear in your hand, waiting for the arena to tell you what time it is. You share glances with Finnick, mostly because you can feel his anxiety about the situation, too. Between him and Peeta, your muscles begin to lock up, your moves becoming more rigid. 

There’s no reason to be worried. Johanna will bring Katniss down to the water, they’ll deposit the wire. In the jungle, Johanna will remove her tracker, by then the Careers should be dead. Katniss should chase her all the way up the blood rain section, where the four of you will be waiting, and then you’ll get taken out of the arena.

Or something along those lines.

The sound of clicking begins, you pause your movements to look in the direction of where the beetles will be. SInce time isn’t exactly clear here, it could be eleven on the dot, or a quarter of the time after. Either way, hopefully they’re pretty far down the slope, they don’t have much time.

You let out a sigh, beginning to turn back in the direction of the wire, when it snaps. A metallic sound fills the air, making you wince. You watch one of the ends fly toward the tree, bunching up into curls before laying on the ground. Unmoving.

That’s bad, you think. This is about to get really, really bad.

You open your mouth to speak, thinking maybe you can convince Peeta not to run away just yet. Katniss and Johanna will come right back to you, since the plan is obviously a bust, and you’ll need to come up with something different. But a shadow in your peripheral stops you. A large shadow.

You draw your arm back, launching the spear in the direction of the threat before you can stop to think about it. Finnick lets out a choked noise behind you, maybe to tell you to wait a second, but it’s too late. It’s gone into the jungle.

A surprised yelp comes from the area, you jerk forward to attack, pulling a knife out of your belt, holding it at your side. You stop flat in your tracks when Brutus emerges from the treeline, shadows hiding half of his face, making him appear sinister.

“Brutus!” You shout to the boys, stealing a glance over your shoulder. 

Gloss is coming out of the other side, sword in his hand. Peeta and Finnick show their own weapons, a machete and a trident. You can barely see Beetee out of the corner of your eye, and he’s inching closer to the force field.

“Beetee, stay away from there!” You tell him, turning back to Brutus.

He’s closer now, you swing at him, he dodges. It goes back and forth like this, with him gaining on you. The boys are easily fighting off Gloss, they have the upper hand. You would have some even ground with Brutus, if you hadn’t thrown your spear. If you had waited half a second more, he’d probably be dead.

Brutus is twice your size, it doesn’t take long before he’s basically on top of you. No matter how close your blade gets to his body, he’s good at dodging. A heavy feeling starts to weigh in your chest, because you know you’re going to lose this fight without help.

A canon blasts, making your next stab weak. Brutus easily grabs your wrist, twisting it harshly. You hiss through your teeth, grimacing at the pain. You try to punch Brutus with your other hand, but Brutus just smiles. His hand covers yours entirely, making it impossible to get away.

“Peeta, no!” Finnick shouts. “Stop!”

“Finnick—!” Your voice is shrill, Brutus is beginning to squeeze, cutting off circulation.

Beetee appears from behind Brutus, the branch wrapped with wire in his hand. He manages to throw it around the Career’s neck, before throwing his entire body back. Brutus lets go at once, going with Beetee to avoid being garrotted. You stoop to the ground to retrieve your knife, taking a steep jump onto Brutus, when he kicks you square in the chest.

You fly for a second, and when you land, it’s on your back. The air is stolen from your lungs. You struggle to suck in a full breath, a deep ache beginning. You try to speak, but all you can manage is a moan, eyes closed.

Another canon.

“(Y/n)!” Finnick shouts. “Breathe!”

A hand touches your face.

“Help!” Beetee chokes out.

Your eyes pop open as you twist in the dirt, finally being able to breathe. You find Gloss dead in the dirt, three puncture wounds across his chest. On the other side is Brutus, who’s slowly crushing Beetee beneath him.

Finnick pulls you to your feet, together, the two of you attack Brutus, which is easier said than done. It doesn’t matter if he’s on the ground or standing, because he manages to hold the both of you off. You have your knife, Finnick has his trident, and Brutus has his strength alone.

Beetee is practically useless, he only recently started feeling better, and now he’s out again. 

You don’t know how long you fight for, how many times you get Brutus into a vulnerable position, how many times he gets out of it. It’s a frustrating process, building up inside of you. You’re about to take a risky move, but Finnick beats you to it, losing the trident in the process, getting his hand smashed and broken before Brutus punches him across the face.

Finnick collapses in a heap on the ground.

The sound of clicking is getting quieter. You swipe at Brutus, trying to catch him in a pattern so that you can counter it. He’s so precise about his punches, so much weight thrown behind them. You’re surely going to have bruises covering your body. Your arm, your legs, your face, your torso, your wrist.

“Fuck!” Brutus suddenly shouts, a red stripe begins to come alive across his chest.

Blood.

Like an animal, triggered by the sight, the whole rest of the world gets dark as you pounce on Brutus. In the matter of seconds, you have him torn apart, your own skin covered in his blood. When the canon finally blasts, when he’s finally dead, the hair on your arms stands straight up.

“(Y/n), get away!” Johanna’s voice cuts through the air.

In the next second, there’s an electric zap! You’re thrown away from Brutus’s body, stumbling toward a tree. You land on your hands and knees, an unfamiliar energy coursing through your body. 

When you blink, the arena goes dark. You throw your head back, watching as the hexagon’s that make up the force field begin to go dark, revealing that the arena is only a projection made by the Gamemakers. The black spreads across the dome, taking away the moonlight, too.

The next thing you know, the sky is falling and the jungle is on fire.

“Finnick?” You call, pulling yourself to your feet.

You face the lightning tree, and your eyes are able to lock in a few faces, but not all of them. Beetee has been completely singed, the wire that had been wrapped around the tree is now completely gone, which means he went about the wire in a different way. Maybe he blew the fuse when the lightning struck?

You find Johanna and Peeta nearby, unconscious in the dirt. You spin in circles, eyes searching the area around, desperate to find your boyfriend. You need to make sure that he gets on that hovercraft. He’s more important than anyone here. He needs to survive.

Finnick is closer than you thought, lying face down. You flip him over, dropping to your knees to feel for a pulse. When you find his heart beating strong and steadily, you move to Johanna and Peeta. They, too, are alive.

Right as you begin to drag them to line up with Finnick, a familiar voice is shouting from somewhere close in the jungle. You almost drop Johanna’s ankles to go search for her, remembering that it’s your job to save her over everyone else.

How much time? You wonder, looking up to the opening in the dome, which has now revealed a bright blue sky beyond it. The claw belonging to a hovercraft is coming down, answering your question. There is no time. They’ll only be able to grab a couple of you before it's too late and they’re caught by the Capitol. 

Plutarch’s following your tracker location. If you begin to follow Katniss’s voice, that means they’ll abandon the victors you have here. Peeta, Johanna, Beetee and Finnick will be left behind. You and her will be saved. You can’t go chasing after her.

“Katniss, quick!” You shout to her. “Peeta’s here! He needs you!”

You tug at Johanna one last time before dropping her legs. Right as you step away, the claw wraps around Finnick and Johanna’s bodies, beginning to pull them to the sky. When they see that it’s not their beloved Mockingjay, they’ll send another claw down. You can get them to take Peeta, at least. Beetee’s too far to drag.

“(Y/n)! Peeta!”

“Katniss, run!” You move on to Peeta, straightening him out, making him an easier target to grab. 

The claw reaches the hovercraft, and it’s immediately sent back down. Katniss isn’t here yet, meaning she’s moving too slowly or she’s too far away to make it. You can’t start towards her now. They’ve got the claw in motion.

“Shit.” You shake your head, Beetee groans quietly, telling you he’s alive. But who knows how much damage was done from the force field? “Katniss, you need to run!”

It doesn’t matter. The claw comes down, positioned over you and Peeta. You take a seat, letting the claw clasp beneath you before beginning to pull you up. You close your eyes, shaking your head. They’re going to be pissed when you get up there. They don’t have much time.

The jungle burns a bright orange and red beneath you, black smoke billowing in the air. You can see a speck run into the clearing around the tree, and you know that it’s Katniss, coming too late. The claw pulls you inside of the hovercraft, and the trap doors close, making solid ground.

“Where’s Katniss?” A voice demands, you slide off of one of the claw teeth, looking over to see Plutarch. “Why is Peeta here? The deal was to get Katniss.”

“She wasn’t at the tree.” You tell them with a slight head shake. “Beetee’s down there, too.”

“Katniss is the Mockingjay.” Plutarch says, as if it isn’t obvious. “Your priority was to make sure she got out of the arena.”

“I know, but she wasn’t at the tree. Everyone else was there except for her. Even Johanna made it.” You motion to the ground. “Can’t you go one more time?”

“No, the Capitol is right behind us.” Plutarch closes his eyes, letting out an angry sigh. “This is not how this was supposed to go. What are we going to do with the boy?”

“I don’t know, Plutarch.” You move away from the claw. “But I did what I could.”

You got Finnick out of the arena, that’s what matters most to you. While you would’ve taken Katniss had she gotten there in time, she wasn’t. She was too far away to get to. Did they really want you to take one girl over three other people? It makes no sense.

They’ll just have to figure it out. You did your best. You made a judgment call.

“President Coin will want to talk to you when we get to District Thirteen.” Plutarch tells you, you pause in the doorway, looking over your shoulder.

“And I’ll stand by what I did.”