#and other sticks but mostly yellow
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I’ve drawn a decent amount of isat au eternal gales but yknow what I haven’t drawn? Eternal gales au isat. Don’t look at me.
#keese draws#eternal gales#isat siffrin#that’s all I’m tagging I’m being a coward sorry#anyways! I mostly made this cause I thought it’d be funny but it was fun thinking abt how this hypothetical au would look#mostly because it gives me an excuse to think abt different stalien societies#also the basic plot of this au would be way closer to isat than eg just due to the nature of eg#I don’t even have enough characters to fill out just one half of the eg cast let alone both#but I don’t mind since it means I can say fuck it and give myself more creative freedom#plus I can’t just not put this fucker into another timeloop I can’t let them rest easy or I’ll die#it’s mostly just a setting and worldbuilding change so I can think abt my worldbuilding more <3#now alas au will have to make up smth completely new for sif in terms of his original herd but that’s fine#I’ve been wanting to fuck around with island herds anyways#the other four get to hang out in the ones I’ve already made#mira and isa are part of the desert herd that rotate between the surface and underground seasonally#odile is a part of the herd well known for having the longest migration cycle#and bonnie I’ll probably also stick in desert land but I might also have them be the token marsh herd rep#aka the society the main stalien cast from normal eternal gales are from#which would mean extremely bad things for bonnie and nille but I’d be mostly nicies to them#well. compared to the actual cast. which is a low bar.#now all of these herd names aren’t official and are bad descriptions but shhh#the desert one isn’t even a desert it has two dry seasons and two wet seasons with one of the dry seasons being cold as hell#oh the real hell has been deciding energy types for all of them#sif is red mostly because I wanted to fuck around with the logistics a bit#red energy will mimic other energy types it comes into contact with#the things on his fingers are basically a catalyst for that and they use them to create their weapons#they specifically mimic yellow energy for this purpose as it can temporarily create somewhat solid constructs#usually in yellow energy staliens this is used to create mandibles and wings#anyways ignore my insistence on associating isat with my ocs allow me to be cringe
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tornadoes aren't more important than you
tyler owens (twisters) x reader
words: 1.5k
warnings: pregnant!reader, married!reader, established relationship
“be careful, yeah?” you place your hands on tylers cheeks, tilting his head down to look you in the eye.
“i wish you could come with me.” tyler sighs, leaning in and pressing his forehead against yours, his cowboy hat tipping upwards and off his head, clattering onto the hardwood.
“i know.” you miss it. the excitement, the fear, the anticipation of storm chasing. “but i don't think the baby would like me getting whipped around.”
tyler chuckles and presses his hands to your stomach, fully showing now that you've reached six months.
“im gonna be safe and im gonna be back home to you real soon.” tyler kisses you deeply, arms wrapping around your waist to pull you in close.
“uh, not to interrupt-”
“you are interrupting, boone.” tyler looks up at him as he stands in the open doorway, trucks filling the driveway.
“we were just finishing saying goodbye.” you raise to your tiptoes and give tyler one more peck.
“i love you.” you whisper against your husbands lips.
“i love you, baby.”
“ew.” boones nose scrunches up, still somehow not used to seeing you kiss despite being married for a year now.
“you stay safe too boone.” you point at him, watching as they head out the door and pile in the trucks.
you wave goodbye to everyone, tyler getting in last as he tips his hat he grabbed off the floor towards you, a silent promise to come back home.
you sigh as you watch them pull away, hand stroking over your belly as the trucks disappear in a cloud of dirt. “it's okay.” you whisper to the baby, but it's mostly for yourself. “daddy will be back.”
--
“hey.” you answer the phone with a smile on your face. “i watched the live stream.”
“pretty fucking cool huh?”
“pretty cool that you let boone drive the rig.” you chuckle, knowing tyler did that specifically for you, to show you that he can let others take the lead, let them be the one to drive into the tornado.
“how's my baby doing?” tyler asks, ignoring your teasing.
“which one?” you giggle, laying a hand on your stomach. “im good, baby is kicking a lot though.”
“put me on speaker.” tyler requests. you roll your eyes but still turn the volume up and hold the speaker up to your belly.
“it's daddy.” tylers voice is half strict and half high baby voice. “you better stop giving your mama grief when im not there to help her. behave for just a bit longer, buddy.”
“i hope he listens to you.” you shake your head, bringing the phone back up. “how's the storms looking for tomorrow?”
“tracking a couple cells.” tyler confirms. “im coming home friday no matter what they look like over the weekend.”
“mhm, sure.” you roll your eyes, although you don't doubt it. now that you're pregnant, tyler is even more protective over you. he knows you can handle anything, but that doesn't mean he's going to force you to do it all on your own.
“i will. already miss that pretty face baby.” his country twang is music to your ears as you hum out.
“i miss you too. miss kissing your lips.”
“you're killing me, sugar.” tyler groans. you hear dani shouting something in the background.
“i-”
“you gotta go. i know. love you.”
“love you more, darling.”
--
you have tylers livestream on in the background as you clean the house, feeling the urge to nest and get everything prepared before you're too pregnant to do anything, and tyler certainly wouldn't let you lift a finger when hes home.
you always dreamt of a beautiful old farmhouse like this all your life, but before you could move in tyler insisted on building a proper storm shelter to keep you safe.
you unpack some of the boxes of things you bought for the baby's room, sticking to yellows and oranges to keep everything brightly colored and cohesive, in contrast to the darkening sky.
you're not right in the path of tornados, but they have been known to swing up and hit the closest town every couple years.
you know the cloudy sky is just a result of all the activity further to the west where your husband currently is.
you look back to your phone, watching for a moment as his handsome face turns to look out the window. you can see the reflection of the twister in his eyes, a mix of awe struck and fear that any man within his right mind would feel.
“god-” you look up to the ceiling. you're not the biggest believer, but growing up in the south has you always reverting to whispering a prayer. “keep my husband safe.”
--
you let out a yawn as you adjust, not knowing for sure the sound that woke you up until you hear it again, your cellphone vibrating on the nightstand.
“hello?” your voice is groggy as you answer. you didn't bother to look at the contact name, there's only one person who would be calling you at this hour. “tyler?”
“baby, get to the storm shelter right now.”
“what?” the words have you instantly awake, hopping to your feet and looking out the window of your second story bedroom. “it looks fine.”
“im- just trust me! are you going?” you can hear the nerves in tyler's voice as well as the roaring of his truck no doubt speeding down the road.
“yes.” you confirm, grabbing one of tylers sweatshirts and slipping it over your head before finding a pair of shoes. “im going down the stairs right now.”
the second you step outside, you can feel the shift in the air.
“im tracking it on the data. we reported it but they said it's not on their maps as if our equipment isn't ten years newer.”
you listen to tylers rant as you round the house to pull open the storm shelter doors. it's not a glamorous area, small and tight but completely concrete and filled with a couple boxes of supplies.
“im in the shelter, ty.” you reassure him as you close the latch. “im safe. the babys safe.”
“it's building.” tyler says, no doubt looking at the radar or getting reports fed to him from boone. “im coming home to you, ill be there in two hours. fuck it, make it an hour and a half.”
“it's wednesday.” you state, although its just after midnight so technically thursday. “you said you weren't coming home until friday.”
“that was before a torando was gonna hit you. baby, i don't want you to go through this alone when you're pregnant.”
“ill be fine.” you reassure tyler. “but if you want to come back and make sure, you're more than welcome. like i said, i miss your lips.”
“gonna give you lots of kisses to make up for being gone.”
“i won't argue with that.” your phone beeps and you pull it away from your ear to realize you're losing service. “i think we are going to disconnect soon.”
“stay on as long as you possibly can.”
you try, but your phone beeps again and the call drops out.
sitting alone in the darkness heightens your other senses, feeling the cold air sneaking in through every available crack as your ears pick up the sound of the wind roaring.
you close your eyes and press your hands against your stomach, softly singing a nursery rhyme that your mother sung to you when you were a baby, your eyes sliding closed as you fall back asleep.
--
you're startled awake suddenly as the door rips open, only for tyler to quickly enter.
“is it over?” you ask, standing up and wobbling slightly. tyler grabs your hips, holding you up and looking at you up and down, his eyes examining you. you watch the stress and fear and anxiety melt away to be replaced with softness and love.
“it's over.” he confirms, tugging you in close.
“the house?”
“a busted window and a downed tree blocking the driveway. that's all.” tyler presses his nose into your hair, inhaling the scent.
“wasn't bad then.” you wrap your arms around his waist, enjoying the warm embrace.
“no, but i got so fucking scared knowing you were here all alone.” tyler pulls away only to help you up the stairs, hating seeing you confined to the shelter even if it is to keep you safe.
“i just… i can't do this while you're pregnant. i can't leave you here, or anywhere, alone knowing something could happen to you.”
tyler pulls his phone out of his pocket and navigates to his youtube channel, going live and waiting for a couple users to join.
he holds the camera up so he can see himself and you, his arm coming to wrap around your shoulders.
“as you folks know, my lovely wife here is pregnant with our first child. as much as i love tornado wrangling, i love my girl more. for the next six months im going to be taking a step back, but don't unsubscribe, boone is taking over to keep the excitement coming.”
he doesn't even say goodbye, simply ending the livestream, knowing one of his followers surely recorded it to spread the news around.
“ty, you didn't have to do that.”
“yes, i did.” tyler bends down to lift you up, carrying you across the threshold of your house just like he did the day you got married. “im gonna be with you throughout everything. tornados aren't more important than you.”
#this is purely self insert#like theres truly no reason for me to publish this when its just my fantasy#tyler owens fic#tyler owens fanfic#tyler owens fanction#tyler owens x reader#tyler owens x you#tyler owens x y/n#tyler owens x oc#tyler owens imagine#tyler owens drabble#tyler owens one shot#tyler owens blurb#tyler owens twisters
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ZUKO ✰ 5:36
NOTE. Implied that reader and Zuko are engaged, and reader is a woman in this one!
“Relax,” you whispered, nudging his side. “You’re clenching your jaw.”
“I’m not,” he muttered, though he immediately loosened it. “People are staring.”
“They’re always staring,” you said breezily. “But right now they’re more interested in the fresh chili sesame buns over there, I promise.”
Zuko glanced over and saw a baker pulling golden, round buns from a clay oven, steam curling in the last golden slants of sunlight. His stomach made a small, treacherous sound.
You grinned. “Hungry?”
“I’m fine,” he said.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m managing,” he corrected.
You were already pulling him toward the stall, the ring on your finger cool against his arm. The sensation sends a small flutter to his chest, like a butterfly occupying the space without rent. “You’re getting a bun.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but you had already waved at the vendor. “Hi, Auntie Yin! Two sesame buns, please—and an extra one with chili if they’re still warm?”
The older woman squinted, then lit up with recognition. “[Name], you’re back! And you brought your prince again.”
Auntie Yin's husband cleared his throat. “Isn’t it Firelord, technically—”
“Pfft,” Auntie Mei waved him off with a flour-dusted hand. “Not when you’re standing in my bread line, young man.”
You laughed, leaning into Zuko as you accepted the little bundle of warm bread. “You see why I come back here?”
Just as he was about to hand in some coins, you had stopped his hand mid-way. He looked at you with a small pout, definitely confused.
“Zuko, no.”
“But—“
“We’re going to fight over this, so no.”
“I don’t like arguing with you,” he murmurs.
You pat his hand solemnly. “I know,” you say. “So I’m paying. End of story.”
He didn’t answer anything else until you raised the bun for him to take the first bite. It was crisp on the outside, soft and buttery in the middle, with little black sesame seeds clinging to his lips, the spice just right to not overpower the actual buttery taste. He closed his eyes briefly.
“I remember this,” he said. “I used to sneak out with my uncle, and we’d get these. He used to say—” His voice caught slightly, swallowing with a pleased nod. “—he used to say the best food in the Fire Nation was always on the street, never behind palace walls.”
Your smile softened.
“He was right.”
You wandered deeper into the market, weaving between stalls draped with silks, lanterns, and every kind of fried thing imaginable. People bumped into each other without apology, children shouted as they chased each other with little wooden dragons, and somewhere nearby, a flute player added a gentle melody to the thick scent of roasted peanuts and smoke.
Zuko tilted his head slightly. “You know all of them.”
You shrugged. “Grew up here. Before my family moved to the coast, we lived two blocks down.”
“Wait, really?”
“Mhm. That stall with the yellow lanterns? That used to be where I bought pickled plums on my way home from school. And that guy—” you pointed to a tall man flipping meat over a roaring fire—“used to give me extra sticks if I said please and didn’t rat him out to his wife for snacking while he cooked. Kind guy, really. Just had a habit of snacking, not that I can blame him because they're really good.”
Zuko looked at you with something like awe. “You never told me any of this.”
“I like keeping some mystery,” you teased, passing him a skewer of fire-grilled mushrooms glistening with glaze. “Try this one. You used to like mushrooms, right?”
“I still like mushrooms.”
“Then don’t make that face and eat it.”
He bit into it, reluctantly. The glaze was spicy, sweet, and smoky all at once. He blinked. “Okay, fine. That’s—really good.”
“Told you.”
You two kept walking, you pausing every so often to wave or chat or haggle for something small—an herbal tea, a dumpling wrapped in banana leaf, or dried fruit you tucked into the folds of your sleeve for later. Zuko stayed mostly quiet, watching you, feeling the tension in his chest unwind inch by inch. Your laugh was infectious, the kind that made other people smile without realizing it. More than once, he found himself smiling too, caught off guard by the sound.
At one point, you dragged him over to a table surrounded by children and old men playing tile games.
“[Name], my girl!” one of them called, holding up a tile. “Still cheating at dragon tiles?”
“Only when you let me win,” you said with a wink.
Zuko stood beside you, bemused. “You’ve played dragon tile in public?”
“She won in public,” one of the elders cackled. “Took my whole snack allowance for the week.”
You handed over a few coins with a mock-guilty face. “Here, I owe you for that.”
“Isn’t there a law that states it’s illegal to play mahjong in public?”
...
"I don't know, is there?"
Before he could dwell on the thought for too long, you had already been ushering Zuko to the next stop. “You’ve been in more street fights than I have.”
“You’d be surprised what people will bet when they think a girl in ribbons doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“I think I married a con artist.”
You gave him a pleased smile. “Took you this long to figure that out?”
You rounded a quieter corner of the market as the last of the sun dipped behind the rooftops. Lanterns glowed in the gathering dusk, and music trickled through the air. You led him to a little bench tucked between two carts, one selling sticky rice and the other spiced nuts. You flopped down with a sigh, tugging him beside you.
For a while, you two just sat.
Zuko leaned back, watching the lanterns sway in the breeze.
“This was… good.”
You bumped your shoulder against his. “You don’t always have to be Firelord, you know.”
“I kind of do,” he said, but it was quiet.
“You kind of don’t. Not with me, at least.”
He turned to look at you. “I don’t think I ever realized how much I missed this kind of quiet.”
You hummed. “That’s what I’m here for. To remind you.”
Zuko hesitated for a moment, then rested his hand on yours, lacing your fingers together, his finger idly playing with the ring on yours. It's nice, he thinks, just being with you like this. The market was bustling around you, but for a moment, it all faded—just a man and his beloved, full of street food and soft lantern light, sharing a bench and a memory and the kind of peace he was still learning to let himself have.
SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.
#‹𝟹 𓏲🗒️ꜝֶָ֢ ʾʾ#zuko x reader#zuko x you#zuko x y/n#zuko x fem!reader#zuko fluff#zuko drabble#zuko imagine#atla x reader#atla fluff#atla drabble#atla zuko#prince zuko#atla imagine
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☆Yandere platonic cult x reader part 1☆

Summary: you and your friends have been forced to go on a trip to Sweden so they could finish their research paper for extra credit, honestly you were just tagging along for the fun of it not having the chance to go out as much as you’d like to, little did you know your stay at the community would be long overdue.
Tw: religious themes, sacrifice, yandere themes, infantization, death, violence, manipulation. the cult is very yandere for you, mental health issues, panic attack,readers friends are rude.
Taglist: @lilyalone, @stove-top96, @shadowytravelerlover, @dirtydiavolo, @bellethesleepypotato, @kawaii-cakes, @ratterpatter, @violets-in-spring, @yandere-enthusiast @caged-birdies-blog @ridlike
Word count: 8k
“Come on (name)! Hurry up! We ain’t got all day!” You sigh in annoyance as you look towards your friends and yell back, “I’m coming jeez! Jeez, give me a second okay!”
Your friends look at you with an annoyed expression but shrug it off. You carefully pull your luggage out from the trunk of the rental car you all rode in.
Honestly, it was already exhausting enough having to fly in a plane for 6-7 hours straight and the worst part is, is that you didn’t get one ounce of sleep thanks to your friend's snoring.
So not only are you physically exhausted but you're mentally as well. Just great.
You sigh in relief as your finally able to get your last piece of luggage out of the van.
you close the trunk door and decide to observe the scenery around you. It’s magnificent, you think to yourself.
From the tall yellow-like grass to the crops growing nearby filled with vegetables and fruits.
Then there are colorful flowers of all types surrounding the other side of the field, each being carefully taken care of to the fullest extent.
It mesmerized you To be honest, you've never seen anything this beautiful before, the only extent is the park in the middle of your city and even that can never compare to what you are looking at right now. No wonder people say Sweden is one of the most beautiful places to be because it hasn't been tainted by technology.
The sun reflects down onto you and you can feel the heat radiating off of your skin, but luckily there is a strong breeze to soothe that heat, it's perfect weather today you think to yourself as you continue to admire the fields surrounding around you and your friends, it seems like its endless.
“(name)! Get your ass over here! We ain't got time to dilly dally.” your friend says in an annoyed tone.
You snap out of your trance-like gaze and look towards your three friends, you sigh in annoyance as you pick up your backpack and suitcase and walk over back towards them.
“finally took you long enough.” your friend Mia says in annoyance scanning your form in a scrutinizing gaze, she was always the more moody one out of your group of friends, always having a stick up her ass.
She had dark brown curly hair and hazel irises with freckles littering her tan-like face, she was mostly slender having some curves here and there. “sorry I just got distracted by the scenery.”
you mumble annoyed at her attitude, Mia rolls her eyes, and states
“whatever let's get a move on before it hits sundown I want to get this shit over with anyways.”
Your two other friends Jacob and Cady nod reluctantly cady has long ginger hair with freckles and brown eyes while Jacob has dark brown hair with blue eyes and a more slim build.
and thus began your walk down the fields toward the desolate forest ahead.
“Mia, do you even know where we are going? Did the professor even provide us a map at all?”
you ask nervously having this gut feeling that nothing good is going to come ahead but maybe it's just a feeling.
You haven't really traveled outside of the U.S before so maybe it's just the anxiety of being in new places?
“yes actually i do know where we are going, don't be such a scardy pants and yes the professor sent me the map since I am the team leader.”
she taunts you sigh rolling your eyes at her cocky behavior.
You four continue down the long rocky path which results in you taking a look at the surrounding forest.
The forest honestly had humongous trees well bigger than the trees you've seen before when growing up, which caused the tree's height to block out most of the sunlight.
The rocky terrain your walking on looks worn down like it's been used for years which it probably has. What amazes you the most is how many flowers and wildlife are in the forest your walking through.
Youve honestly never seen so many animals in your life just from being here for liek 30 minutes it truly impresses you.
You occasionally glance at some of the logs or cut-down tree stumps next to the path finding interest in whatever inhabitants are abiding in it.
But you shake your head trying not to get to side tracked while you're here.
You're not here to explore the forest or play with the wildlife your here to work, so that's what you're going to do.
After a least an hour of walking and complaining from Cady you four finally arrive at what looks to be like a wooden gate with two strange-looking people standing in front of it with spears and animal like mask?
Okay well that's very creepy, “what the fuck”
you heard your friend jason mutter in absolute disbelief. It seems he was just a shocked as you but it seems like mia is paying no mind to it as she flaunts towards the gait confidently looking over the two guards and their appearance, you do the same but from a safe distance.
They both seem like males that's for sure from their muscular build to the lack of clothing they are wearing, it seems they are wearing on robes with metal plates on their shoulders acting as a shield.
What you also take notice of is both of them have a wolf mask.
What is even more strange, one of the guards has long wavy blonde hair while the other has short dirty blonde hair. Maybe there siblings?
You shake your head trying to rid your thoughts before you start to overthinking, you refocus back on the scene of Mia trying to flirt with the blonde-haired guard.
Which makes your two other friends sigh in annoyance at her behavior.
You three walk over to where mia is standing infront of the two guards, cady then clears he throat in annoyance
“you done mia so we can get a move on?” mia sighs at cady comments and nods her head
“yes in fact i am done i was just conversing with these two gentleman~ here but they've been ignoring me like a brick wall! And the worst part is, is that they won't even let me in!” mia states dramatically, whining like a puny child.
This causes Cady and Jacob to raise their eyebrow in confusion at her statement of not allowing her inside.
“they won’t? Why the hell not did you tell them that we came here for the research paper? Surely the professor notified the community of our arrival right?” Jacob states in pure bewilderment.
“I don't fucking know I tried to tell them! But nothing seems to go through to them! Like i said their brick walls!”
Mia states loudly which causes you to flinch from her tone of voice which of course your friends don't notice as they start to argue acting as if they arent just talking about the guards in front of them.
You sigh ignoring your friend's argument as you decide to step forward toward the two guards
“Hello there! Me and my friends here are here for a research project on your community, i don't know if you are aware of it or not? But could you please let us in?”
You state nervously, finally the guards look towards you and examine you like your a piece of prey, which unnerves you, to say the least.
But what surprises you the most is when the blonde-haired one speaks.
“So you are the one’s the great one has spoken about”
the blonde man states looking at you with a blank and unnerving expression behind the mask not that you could see or notice it though.
“I-i um yes?” you say confused about who the great one is.
The guards notice this and nod reaching to unlock the wooden gate this of course catches the attention of your arguing friends.
They turn to look at the two guards and you with a surprised look but quickly school it to a neutral one not wanting to piss the guards off.
When the gate finally opens to another pathway straight ahead your friends take this opportunity to push past you and the guards and enter the community.
Of course, this startles you to some degree but you quickly are able to reign your cool.
You then quickly thank the guards before rushing after your three friends.
This action very much surprises the guards having been used to rude and disrespectful behavior from “outsiders” so you doing behaving the opposite of disrespectfully is surprising to both guards but it also is nice that there are at least still some good people out there in the corrupted world outside of their sanctuary, its refreshing to say the least.
You sigh tiredly as you finally catch up with your three friends as they continue to walk down the more clean path.
You all finally make it towards what looks like a town square with a fountain in the middle and multiple other houses around it.
The houses look like they are made out of wood with a brick-like roof on the top of most of the houses. Strange you thought to yourself as you continued to examine the center of the community.
But you finally snapped out of your thoughts when Jacob nudges you in the shoulder to grab your attention. Which causes you to turn to look at him curiously.
That's when you notice the multiple stares directed at you and your friends.
You then look towards the source of those stares and find yourself faced with multiple people surrounding you and your friends, all of them having animal-like masks on.
But what catches your attention the most is the tall lady at the center of the people surrounding you.
She seems to be at least 6 feet tall with her long chocolate-like brown hair flowing down her back with her being nothing but dressed in a pure white dress with golden patterns to it that reaches her feet.
That's when you notice she's barefoot as well.
Strange you think to yourself but you snap out of your thoughts again when the lady clears her throat.
“hello their visitors you must be the foreigners our leader has spoken of, we are enlightened to be in your presence i hope you have a wonderful stay here. I will have one of our members show you towards your sleeping quarters.”
and with that before you and your friends coil question her at all she takes her lead with some of the community members following suit behind her.
“That was strange” Cady muttered anxiously “Yeah no shit” Mia states looking at the community members in a scrutinizing gaze.
You sigh ignoring your friends' spiteful comments, you then hear someone clear their throat which stops your friend's rant.
“if you all are done, I will be showing you to your sleeping quarters.”
you then gaze at the person speaking in a monotone like voice and are met with a tall slim man dressed in a similar fashion to the other community members just with a cow like mask to his face.
Your friends clearly embarrassed clear their throats and mutter a quick apology before returning their gazes to the man.
The man nods approvingly paying them no mind as he starts to walk down the town square, towards where you four will presumably be staying.
You and your friends follow after him at a steady pace.
Of course, you are more distracted than your other three friends, with the agriculture the community has to offer.
This annoys your friends of course but they do not say anything about it.
You four continue to walk down the cement path trailing behind the man. You all start to walk more towards the outskirts area of the community.
after a few more minutes of walking you four come face to face with a cabin-like structure that’s smaller than the houses the community has to offer.
It has a rustic type look with cobwebs poking out on the outside of the porch.
The porch in itself looks like it could've seen better days with some chipped wood poking out with dents on it.
It clearly looks like it has not had inhabitants for years now.
The condition of the cabin causes your friends especially Mia to grimace in disgust.
“Is this seriously what we have to stay in!” Mia states loudly, glaring at the man.
This causes the man to turn back towards her looking at her as if she's a spec of dirt underneath his shoe.
“Would you like to say that again?” he says coldly which causes Mia to flinch as she stutters out “I-I u-um N-never m-mind.”
the man then scoffs but pays her no mind as he walks towards the cabin.
You sigh as you reluctantly follow after him with your three shell-shocked friends. You both stand behind him as he unlocks the door with a wooden-like key, he opens it and motions you all to step inside.
Mia then sighs and steps inside first followed by cady and josh then yourself once you enter you take a good look at the interior presented in front of you.
Its old thats for sure from the rustic interior and the dusty floor all the way to the cobwebs littering the place with broken furniture and a animal like rug placed infront of the living room randomly.
Alomsot like someone didint even want to bother to atleast hide it or place it correctly.
Mia sneers at the predicament clearly unsatisfied with the conditions presented to her. “What the fuck is this shit show?”
she esclaims loudly which causes you to flinch at her loud outburst which doesnt go unnoticed by the man.
He glares at her disapproingly “i suggest you lower your voice and watch your language young lady that is no way to speak to your elders.”
he says calmly but with a hint of annoyance to his tone.
Mia looks baffled by the way he is treating her like some sort of child which of course angers her causing her face to heat up in embarrassment.
Cady and jacob start giggling at her sudden embarrassment finding it amusing that their friend is getting put in her place. You sigh at mia’s obvious childish behavior.
“I apologize for mia’s childish behavior she shouldnt have acted out like that.’”
you say with a tired tone looking at the man waiting for at least a irritated or unbothered response instead your surprised when his gaze softens towards you “oh its alright honey you friends are vert rumbunchs but nothing that we can’t handle”
he says softly with an almost fatherly look in his eyes from what you can tell.
This causes you to flinch not used to nicknames you stutter out an embarsset response which of course he notices and chuckles in amusement.
“your a shy thing arent ya? It’s very cute.” he says in a playful tone which causes you to blush in embarrassment.
Your friends awkwardly stand by as the conversation between you and the man unfolds, Mia then butts in and clears her throat before looking at the man “I think we're fine here its starting to get dark and we still have to unpack.”
she states in an annoyed tone clearly not wanting to be around the man any longer than she had to.
This of course disappoints you having enjoyed the man's company but you push the feelings aside.
The man turns around again to face mia and stares at her indifferently “Very well then have a good night and please if you all need anything, just ask you are our guests after all,”
he says in a dark tone which causes shivers to run up your spine but you shake it.
finally the man exists through the front door leaving you and your friends in a tense silence.
“Well, that was creepy.” Cady says with a nervous tone to her voice.
Jacob nods his head in agreement “Yeah no fucking kidding this whole place is giving off bad vibes and the way they talk to us is patronizing.”
Jacob said in an annoyed tone clearly irritated by the whole ordeal.
“let's calm down okay? How about we start unpacking our stuff and get a good look at this place?”
i say with a skittish tone trying to calm down the clearly pliable tension.
“Fine whatever” cady states as she puts her duffle bag and suitcase on the ground and moves towards the kitchen.
Jacob does the same following behind Cady which leaves you and Mia alone.
“Mia you okay?” I say in a worried tone not used to Mia being so quiet throughout the whole ordeal. “ yeah I'm fine.”
she says in an annoyed tone which causes you to flinch.
It doesn't go unnoticed by Mia as she smirks in response, she then turns around towards the old couches and places her backpack, duffle bag, and suitcase on the dusty couch.
You sigh setting down your luggage near hers as you decide to explore, not wanting to make the tension worse.
You decided on going down the hallway nearest to the kitchen, deciding its the best option to explore first. You could find some bedrooms, This cabin is pretty big after all.
You sigh as you slowly start to trudge down the dark hallway you finally approach what looks to be an old door clearly worn down from the lack of usage.
You reach your hand out to grab the door nob but before you can you hear a loud bang coming from the kitchen which causes you to jump in surprise. You rush back towards the kitchen panting.
“What was that noise what happened.” you say in worry, only for Cady and Jacob to laugh.
“jeez such a scardy pants, aren't you? Dont worry, Jacob just accidentally dropped the pan we were gonna use to cook.”
Cady says in a teasing tone while she playfully smacks Jacob on the shoulder. Jacob sighs, annoyed and glares at her which earns another laugh from Cady.
You sigh in relief “s-sorry just something about this place keeps me on edge,” you say as you try to laugh it off to lighten the atmosphere.
Which of course doesn’t work as Cary shakes her head In Amusement before turning back around to start cooking.
You sigh in annoyance as you leave the kitchen, deciding to at least find a bedroom you can lie in, completely forgetting about the door you were previously going to open.
You walk down the opposite hallway and finally find one of the bedrooms, which is pretty extravagant to say the least compared to the rest of the house.
You look at it in shock, from the pure red blood bed sheets with golden tips to the golden headboard with silver butterfly piercings indented into it.
Then, there's the pure white carpet placed in the center of the room. Finally, there is a wooden closet at the end of the room.
You gasp in shock at how pretty it is before taking notice of the basket of fruit placed directly on the bed. You tilt your head in confusion before finally entering the room.
You approach the basket placed on the bed and finally take notice on a note placed next to it, written in another language.
Whatever you think to yourself as you decide, you should show the rest of your friends the basket.
“Hey guys I found this basket in one of the bedrooms!”
You say as you finally enter the kitchen, which causes Cady and Jacob to turn their heads towards me in curiosity. “Oh, you did What's in it? Let me see,”
Jacob says as he snatches the basket from your hands and searches through it.
Cady sighs in annoyance at his eager behavior.
“Damn it theirs nothing interesting in here just a bunch of fruit and crap.” jacob sighs in annoyance and throws the basket back towards me which causes me to stumble and catch it.
Cady glares at jacob “ stop being an ass jacob” jacob rolls his eyes and mumbkes a whatever before getting back to cooking with cady.
You sigh as you exit the kitchen and enter the living room. You place down the basket next to Mia.
you notice her annoyed expression. “Whats wrong Mia?” mia look towards you and shakes her head in defeat “i cant get any damn service out here!”
you chuckle at her whining behavior in return she pouts towards you but finally takes notice of the basket next to you both “whats that?” she says as she points towards the basket.
“It's just something I found in one of the bedrooms I came across while exploring i dont think it has anything interesting in it all it has is fresh fruit.”
Mia sighs and nods before standing up to grab her backpack and open her laptop and grab her papers.
“since dinner's cooking do you wanna help me fill out these papers, the professor said we had to document everything so might as well start.”
you nod your head in agreement mumbling a sure before being handed a few papers to help fill out.
Finally, for what seems like an hour, cady comes back towards you both to inform you guys dinner is ready which causes you and Mia to sigh in relief.
You both make your way towards the kitchen, which has four plates of pasta placed out on the counter for you all to grab you and mia mutter a thanks as you make you way back towards the couch to coutinue your work, which leaves Cady and Jacob to eat together.
After three more hours of work you and mia finally completed the worksheets needed for today sighing in relief you then state
“I’m going to go and get ready for bed ill see you tommrow mia, dont try and overwork yourself okay? You need to get rest as well since we have a busy day tomorrow.”
mia sighs in annoyance at your worry and nods “yeah yeah dont worry about me just get to bed sleepy head”
you sigh at her nickname and nod your head in amusement as you rab your luggage from the couch and make your way to one of the bedrooms in the cabin.
You pass Jacobs and Cady's room, them having already fallen asleep beforehand.
You finally approach the bedroom you explored beforehand, having decided you'll just sleep in there for the night.
But before you can enter, you hear a strange noise coming from inside,which causes you to halt in your footsteps.
Suddenly, you feel like you're being watched, which causes a shiver to go down your spine. You shake off the feeling before finally entering the bedroom again.
You place down your luggage next to the wooden closet. You sigh as you crouch down next to your suitcase and open it to grab a fresh pair of pajamas and your medication for the night.
You finally finish changing as you hop into bed, laying down on the plush pillows You reluctantly try to fall asleep.
You still feel like you're being watched, but this time, you can't brush the feeling off, which heightens your anxiety.
But after an hour of staying awake, you finally fall asleep only to be woken up again by the noise of the door to the bedroom being opened, which causes you to freeze, you then hear quiet footsteps approach your bed which causes you to hold your breath silently.
You then feel a cold hand on your forehead caressing you like a parent would to your child as the figure starts to hum a soft lullaby which reluctantly causes you to drift back asleep.
But before you fall asleep you hear one last word from the person “dont worry baby youll be home soon.” but before you can process the words you fall asleep.
You yawn as you open your eyes to the sun drifting into the room through the slightly cracked window placed next to your bed.
You rub your eyes in exhaustment as you sit up to look around in the room. What catches your attention though is the piece stuffed animal placed next to your bedside table.
You widden your eyes at the plush lamb finding it absolutely cute your carefully pick it up and inspect it before placing it down on your bed deciding to keep it.
You stand up from the bed ad yawn walking towards your suitcase to grab your clothes.
You finally finish changing and step out of your bedroom as you walk towards the kitchen were jacob and cady are up conversing while mia is doing her makeup in the living room.
“Hey sleepyhead did you sleep well?”
cady says in amusement which causes you to nod hesotantly still thinking abou the events that happened last night.
“well we got a busy day today so you better be prepared to walk alot!”
jacob says as he bites out of a piece of bacon presented on the counters which you nod in agreement.
Mia finally exits the living room “are you guys ready to go? I already have the gear ready so we can document.” you, cady and jacob nod in agreement.
You then go towards the living room to grab some of the gear with the help of Jacob and cady.
You all then exit the cabin and walk down the same long pathway towards the town square of the community.
You sigh in relief as you all finally enter the twon square which causes the commonity members to stare at you all as you enter.
“what’s first on the list of stuff we have to do?” you ask in curiosity “well first we have to gather information on the resources they grow and make here so maybe we hould interview some of the farmers first?”
mia says qustionly, you nod your head in agreement. Jacob and Cady also nod their head, agreeing with Mia.
“alright then, off to the fields we go!” mia says as she approaches a female wearing a lamb mask. “excuse me Ms. if you dont mind could you point us in the direction of the feilds were the farmers work?” mia asks confidently which causes the female to nod and point ahead downanother path.
Mia mutters a thank you and walks off. You three follow behind her as you examine your surroundings.
But you can't help but feel like you're being watched again, which causes you to look around frantically, paranoia creeping up on you.
Finally, after a long walk, you four make it to the grass fields were some community members farm fruit and vegetables. This amazes you, to say the least, on how much effort these people put in to keep the community afloat.
“Okay, (name) you can stay here while we go and interview some of the farmers. Don't wander off, okay?”
You nod in agreement as your friends walk ahead and leave you on your own. But something catches your attention.
A community member struggling with a basket of fruit. You rush over to help her with the basket as you help her put it down.
Then you take notice of how old she looks and a worry look crosses your face.
“oh well thank you dearie for the help my old back hasnt been like it used to be when i was younger.” the woman says in a motherly tone smiling warmly at you behind the tiger mask over her face.
“Its no problem, ma’am im just glad i could help. Is your back okay?” you say in a worried tone. Which causes her to chuckle in amusement. “Oh, im perfectly fine dearie ive been through worse but i do appreciate your help this is the first time outsiders have been as nice as you.” you stare at her in confusion at her statement which causes her tone to turn solemnly.
“we haven’t had the best experience with outsiders as a whole. There have been few that have been here before hand that werent the nicest but of course, we took care of them!”
you look at her sympathetically, but her last sentence catches you off guard. What could she have meant by that? But before you could ask her, she was already walking away.
You sigh in annoyance but shrug it off, deciding to sit down in the grass fields and wait patiently for your friends to return. Hopefully, they’ll be back soon, you think to yourself as you gaze up at the sun.
fiddling with the dandelion in your hand as you slowly start to doze off. But before you could fully fall aslee,p you feel a small tug on your shirt.
And you're surprised to be faced with a child no older than 6 sitting next to you and fiddling with your shirt. You hadn't even heard him approach you. But you smile softly at him, which causes the little boy to flinch.
From what you can tell, he has strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes with the same white dress that you see all the other members wear he also wears a bird like mask on his face.
“hi, little one do you need something?” you say in an affectionate tone.
You always did have a soft spot for kids. He looks up at you in wonder before muttering, “I... I like your s-shirt,” he says timidly, which causes you to soften your gaze at his timid nature.
You carefully pick him up and set him in your lap.
He continues to fiddle with your shirt as he cuddles against you, which causes you to chuckle as you comb your fingers through his silky soft hair.
He cuddles closer to you before finally falling asleep. The scene just looks to serene and feels so peaceful.
You don't remember the last time you felt like this. Felt at peace.
But of course that peace has to be interrupted at some point as your about to close your eyes, you hear the talking if your friends as they approach you.
I guess they finished you think to yourself.
The noise causes the little boy to wake up in confusion but when he sees your friends approaching his grip on your shirt tightens as he galres at them This suprises you of course.
Your friends stop in their tracks as they quietly wisper to each other but to break the tense silence,e you wave them over.
They hesitantly approach causing the little boy to glare even more,e but he still grips onto your shirt.
“hey guys, are you done doing interviews with the farmers?” you say hesitantly trying to ease the tension forming. “yeah, we finished.” Jacob says sharply, and you can sense hes on edge, which causes you to furrow your brows in concern.
“Did something happen? You all seem..tense.” you say in concern as you inspect them. “Well-” but before Jacob could finish what he was saying Mia interrupted him sending a glare to jacob “nothing happened, so you dont need to worry now lets continue our interview so we can get it done before the so-called banquet we were invited to tonight.”
Mia says in a snipped tone clearly not wanting to waste any more time. You flinch at her harsh tone and nod reluctantly in agreement.
Your flinch doesn't go unnoticed by the little boy though as he glares even harder at your friends.
Of course, this goes unnoticed by you, but your friends do clearly notice and their shoulders tense at the harsh glare the boy is receiving to them.
You grab the little boy and place him off of your lap and stand up and dust the grass off your clothes. This causes the boy to pout behind the mask, having wanted to stay next to you a little more longer. But he doesn't voice this because he doesn't want to upset you, you ruffle his hair as you turn to face your friends as you happily converse with them.
But unnoticed to you the boy is having an inner turmoil of his own. Why do they have to capture your attention.
You shouldnt even be looking in their direction your friends are just a waste of space, not worthy of your presence because your his, his sister and he would be damned to let these insects ruin that.
Mama always have said outsiders are nasty people and now hes starting to believe it. But he hopes you can stay here forever with him and the community. Hes sure youd be very very happy.
Plus it's not like you’d miss your own boring life anyways right? You could have everything you need here. A loving community that is ready to do whatever it takes to keep you. And he hopes that that's what his community decides to do. Because he wants you to stay no matter what it takes.
You're extremely tired after four long hours of interviews and interactions with the other community members, you're finally glad the banquet came around the corner faster than expected because you were starting to grow extremely hungry.
Of course you weren’t the only one you noticed how antsy Jacob has been getting, clearly he’s hungry as well.
But the strange is that the little boy from earlier has been following you like a lost puppy which is cute of course but it still bothers you that his parents havent come looking for him at all and when you asked him he just said
“mama and papa are just busy! But thdey know im safe!” which of course has you smiling in relief but you still held that sense of worry.
As the hours stretched on your finally learnt his name, it was Abner. It was a cute name to say the least. But back to the present at hand, you four finally finished all interview needed for the first day and were getting ready for the banquet at 9:00. Which of course, Mia told us we had to dress “presentable” whatever the hell that means.
Of course, you didnt pack anything presentable to her standards so you opted for a black dress shirt and some formal pants with sneakers.
You sigh in contempt as you finally finish brushing out your hair and styling it.
You then exit your room. Then head towards the living room to wait for the rest of your friends to finish getting ready. You then spot jacob already dressed and ready to go as he scrolls on his phone.
Your smile softens when yo see him you then take a seat next to him on the old couch. He notices your presence and smirks “ look at you all fancy looking you look hot.” he jokes as you nudge him in the shoulder, playfully muttering a shut up.
After 30 more minutes of waiting Mia and Cady finally enter the room in ruffles dresses and high heels you sigh and roll your eyes at their so called “presentable outfit” “that’s what you all are gonna wear its not a ball you know?” you say jokily which earns you a galre from Mia and a scoff.
You chuckle again, putting your hands up in mock surrender but before mia could respond cady cuts in.
“stop teasing okay? We have to get a move on so we wont be late we are meeting with the leaders of this so called community. So we have to make a good impresion so we can get as much information as possible so we can pass this extra credit.”
Cady states sternly which causes you all to nod your heads reluctantly in agreement. Not wanting to argue any further you and jacob stand up and make your way to the front door ready to go, cady and mia follow behind you two.
You four exit the cabin and make you way down the path leading towards the community center. You look up towards the moon shining down on all of you.
You’ve always been fascinated by the moon and how it reflects. In your opinion, you say its absolutely beautiful everything about this place is beautiful
Finally, after minutes of walking, you all arrive at the community center and walk towards another pathway leading towards the great hall, an imposing structure that is made out of wood.
After 5 minutes of walking, you all finally arrived at the entrance of the great hall You can see the light peeking out from the large imposing door.
You four walk up the wooden stairs, and Jacob opens the wooden door allowing you three to enter in first.
Mia goes in first then cady, then you as you finally enter the great hall you are in awe at the scenery and design of the place.
From the flower decorations hung up on the walls to the candles and fruits then their is white tablecloth placed on the tables with a bunch of fresh food.
From chicken and beef to vegetables and fruit. All sorts of varieties littered the table which makes your mouth water and your stomach grumble in hunger.
You then take notice of the statue of a naked man standing at the end of the room with a large star like window placed behind him.
It's amazing how people who only depended on natural resources could make all of this happen.
Then you noticed the hundreds, maybe thousands of stairs boring into your back. You look around, finally noticing the community members are not only staring at your friends but specifically at you. Which creeps you out, to say the least.
But what shocks you even more is the 6 imposing figures placed infront of the imposing statue placed infront of the star window. To say they are intimidating is an underestimating it, they loom absolutely terrifying.
But one of the members you recognize as the pretty lady from yesterday which makes you widen your eyes in shock. She catches your gaze a smiles softly standing up to approach you.
You stagger back in shock to shocked to speak “hello its nice to see you again foreigner i would like to request that you join us for supper our leader would like to formally meet you as well as our officials.”
You look at her in shock but realize that you don't have any room for argument, noticing the serious tone her voice holds.
So, with a heavy heart, you nod in agreement, which causes her to light up and smile warmly. She grabs your arm and pulls you forward which causes you to stagger back.
But you reluctantly follow her to the table she pulls the chair out for you and allows you to sit down next to a very tall man. She then takes her seat next to you
“our leader will be here very soon so please dont mind his tartiness. Oh! I never got to introduce myself! My name is Ezra! Whats your name little one.” you pause deciding whether or not it would be a good idea to tell her but you decide to.
“My name is (name).” you say timidly, which causes the female to coo at your shy nature. Which causes you to blush in embarrassment with earns a chuckle from the other 5 officals. Which makes you blush even more in embarrassment.
But before you could respond a the great hall door slams opens as the gaurds from yesterday are stationed next it, bowing to what seems like a very large man maybe 7 feet tall? With long dark white hair that looks almost unnatural, he is wearing something totally different a robe with golden pattern designs with black dress shoes with golden designs as well.
He wears a bear mask, and from what you can tell, he is very muscular and has baby-blue eyes.
This unnerves you, to say the least. He's very intimidating, with a golden robe hanging off the side of his shoulder, and his steps seem precise and planned.
This also unnerves your friends as they glance nervously at you. But you notice the man is staring right at you. His eyes bore into your very soul with an intensity that is so extreme that it makes you uncomfortable. What is his problem?
You think to yourself, nervously picking at your skin as the man approaches with steady footsteps, as all the community members stand up to bow before his presence like he's some sort of god.
This unnerves you even more as his eyes continue to bore into you, analyzing every twitch and breath you make.
Finally he arrives at your table, standing right infront of you, ezra then stands up and bows the official sitting on the right of you does the same thing so does the other four officials.
But he doesn't respond to their formal behavior as he continues to stare at you motionlessly as you anziously pick at your skin.
He then reaches out and imoblizes your wrist from continuing to pick at your skin this leaves you in shock as you freeze in anxiety.
You can clearly see the size difference between the two of you. His hand can fit fully around your wrist like he could easily snap it at any time which scares you to say the least.
His intimidating frame adds even more to the tense atmosphere “ dont do that anymore child; you'll hurt your delicate skin, and we dont want that do we?” he says in a very soft tone which surprises you to say the least, not expecting his voice to sound so soft and velvety.
Which comforts you to some extent that hes not trying to intentionally scare you.
But he keeps a form hand on your wrist letting you know that he won't be letting go of it any time soon.
“I-i just do it out of habit i cant really control it sometimes when im really anxious.” you mutter timidly, not daring to face his gaze as he stares intently into you.
His gaze softens slightly, and he rubs circles into your wrist to soothe your growing anxiety.
Which doesn't exactly work as you can still feel him staring into you, including all the community members and your friends.
You’ve never liked being the center of attention so you're surprised you haven't gone into a full blown anxiety attack right now.
Maybe it's the way he's trying to ground you that prevents that from happening. You don't know, and you don't care you just want to get this over with so you can get back into that comfy bed and sleep.
But before you can dwell on the thoughts plaguing your mind you feel the mans hand let go of your wrist. He turns around to look at everyone else with a calculating look before that look softens to a more serene expression. “ let the feast begin!” he shouts.
He then walks over towards the seat standing right next to the statue. The chair looks more like a throne than anything with its golden pattern designs and the red velvet texture to it, you would think a king would sit on it.
You sigh as you snap out of your thoughts when a plate of food is placed infront of you with apple juice? The food looks absoulty delicious on your part.
From the perifcally roasted beaf with mash potatoes and vegetables on the side to the white rice with chicken in it. Damn you mutter under your breath as your mouth starts to salvate.
But then you take a look around and notice all the adults oncluding your freinds got some type of alcoholic beverage but you just got apple juice.
Thats weird you think to yourself but shrug it off not wanting to dwell on something not worth your time.
You start to dig into your food quickly which causes ezra to chuckle in amusement a she Coos at you.
“Don't eat so fast honey, we don't want you to choke do we?” this causes you to blush I. Emmbaresment putting your hea down in shame which causes her to chuckle even more. But when you took a sip of th apple juice it tasted very sour.
Which is weird but you shrug it off not bothering to worry about it but before you could take another bite, the chattering decreased in the great hall as the leader stans up to approach the center of the room, this of course catches your attention instantly.
“Brothers, and sisters daughters and mothers, fathers and sons tonight our banquet has been honored by the cesilatial god himself to bestow us and our community a blessing and so to thank him we will preform our ceremonial sacrificial ritual for our god and our guests as a thanks.”
he says in a soothing tone and you can tell his voice has a deep effect on these people her from their adoring looks to their devotion you can feel radiating off of them. It awes and unnerves you at the same time.
But what do they mean by a sacrafical ritual?
You think to yourself as you anxiety starts to grow. You look towards you friends who are sitting at a table near you and you also notice their anxious expressions.
But before you could dwell more on your thoughst the great hall door opens as two of the guards carry in a struggling woman.
Which makes you widen your eyes in shock and horror. The guards put down the woman oto the cement like structure of the statue and tie her in place.
Then you notice another community member come in with a large tray of candles a book and a dagger.
This unnerves you even more as you start to shakinly pick at your skin from the growing anxiety creeping up onto you.
What the fuck…what the fuck are they going to do to that poor woman. You think to yourself as you stare in horror at her as she screams and struggles and pleads.
This causes you to close your eyes and put your hands over your ears. You take shaking breaths as you feel an oncoming panic attack. But of course your friends don’t notice or are to shocked to care.
You return you sight to the scenes I front of you as the woman pleads but it falls on death ear as the leader grabs the dagger from the tray
“låt dem vara ljusa och låt vår gud ge dig gåvan av evigt stycke unge” he says to the woman before impaling the dagger in her lower stomach then into her right breast and finally into her forehead the blood from the stand leaks out of her lifeless limp body onto the floor.
You feel like your going to throw up as the community members stand up to clap in celebration like what he did was completely normal.
And you can’t hold it back anymore you dip down and realealse all what was in your stomach to begin with. You gag at the smell and pant feeling tears rolling down your eyes. Then you notice everyone is looking at you now again.
You need to get out of here now you think to yourself as you eyes look up towards your friends who are as equally shocked and disturbed at what took place.
But before you could say or do anything you feel the tightening hold of Ezra rubbing your back soothingly this disturbed you even more at how calm she could be when just witnessing a murder!
You can’t seem to wrap your head around it and your heart is pounding so fast you think you’d have a heart attack any second and maybe that would be for the better because you don’t know what’s going to happen next and you don’t want to find out.
You just need to get out of here now no matter what it takes you refuse to die.
Authors note: y’all I work so hard on this sooo please comment and like a lot I would like this to reach at least 1,000 likes that would be the world to me and I definitely am going to make part 2 which is way more darker and that’s were the more intense Yandere behavior comes in!
#yandere platonic#yandere#yandere cult leader#yandere cult#sweden#infantilism#infintalization#yandere x reader#parental yandere#yandere family#familia yandere#familial yandere#yandere x you#yandere x darling#soft yandere
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D'you think King ever wonders how Yellow procured a functional staff so quickly when King himself spent who-knows-how-long figuring out how to make one that would actually work for him the way he intended?
Of the staffs that King made, the only difference we know of between the one that worked and all the ones that didn't is shape: the one that finally worked is in a shape reminiscent of the branch Gold once found on the playground. This leads me to infer that King's broader motive for creating the staff had an influence on its functionality more than its actual functional purpose; the "why" mattered more than the "what for."
But then Yellow goes to the villagers, and they somehow get it right on the first try. Unlike any of King's staffs, Yellow's was crafted in-game, using in-game materials and mechanics. It's powered by enchantments, whereas it's still a bit of a mystery what exactly powers King's staff (some sort of electromagnetism?). Yellow's was crafted for him by in-game entities for purposes of defense, while King made his own for purposes of offense against the game. It's possible (though I have no way to prove it) that Yellow's was designed specifically to work with a command block, while King's has been demonstrated to work with pretty much any block imaginable.
(Heck, the way King used a command block with the staff is what drew Yellow to him in the first place; I'd almost say that his interest in the staff sprouted wholly from his continued interest in command blocks.)
And yet, despite all these differences, they function the same at the end of the day. And I wonder if King ever thinks about that.
--
As for them knowing the game...there's something interesting to consider about King having basically all the theoretical academic Minecraft knowledge while also having almost none of the practical kinesthetic Minecraft experience.
He's memorized the wiki, he's legit studied this game, he knows enough about it that some might call him an expert. But he's never actually played it.
Man knows all the formulas but I like to think he hasn't got the same intuition for the game as Purple and the color gang. He's got "looked up walkthroughs beforehand and now I'm playing to get the route I want instead of just going step-by-step and discovering for myself what the game has to offer" energy. Or at least to me he does. Who knows how much of his knowledge he thinks only applies in specific contexts.
I haven't been able to explain it in the way I want -_- but here I go
I think Yellow and King are an underrated duo!! I wish they could interact more...
I find it so fun that it was Yellow who got so close to replicating King's staff- and then inherited the real thing from him. Like King made that thing on his own, obsessed over it for months. Perfecting it. There's no way Yellow wouldn't be curious about what King discovered about it in the time he owned it.
I can imagine King avoids them all for a while. Out of the awkwardness of it all, but Yellow is the most persistent.
King might still hold his grudges against the game, but no one can deny they both know minecraft.
There is also the fact that out of all the sticks Yellow looks the most like King's son... Do with that what you will.
But I think there are times where King watches Yellow's excitement over the game and sees his son. Wondering if Gold would have been like him had he been given the chance.
#avm shorts#analysis#the idea of King seeing Gold in Yellow is interesting#I tend to veer away from the idea of characters having associations drawn between them based on color#mostly because for a while the fandom liked trying to say that Red and Dark MUST be connected somehow because of their coloring#even though that makes absolutely no sense because one is a hand-painted hollowhead and the other isn't#(and they're not even the same hue of red)#not to mention we know for a fact that they don't share a creator#so admittedly I am a little relieved that the series itself hasn't tried to do this yet#I feel like it could be misinterpreted really easily#(King seeing Gold in Purple is misinterpreted already and they look NOTHING alike)#(though it does bring up the question of)#(what makes King associate Gold with Purple more than with a stick who actually resembles him more closely in appearance)#(maybe it's their mannerisms)
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Steddie Halloween
Halloween after 'Spring Break' must be such a hard time for Steve. This is the guy that regularly hosted costume parties at his house during his King Steve era. And at some point probably hosted more laid back ones for the kids and Robin.
But since the Russian bunker he just... can't.
He has regular and more frequent night terrors of torture that had him and Robin shivering and holding onto one another like buoys. He's been dragged down into the depths of lakes by unseen monsters that left all kinds of scars. He gets migraines from moving too quickly or seeing strobing lights.
He carried Eddie's body out of the upside down, hands slippery in blood. He did CPR and felt Eddie's ribs crack under his hands. He looked at Eddie handcuffed to a hospital bed while doctors said we just don't know yet. Had to watch his Uncle, his father, sit by Eddie every day, rarely leaving his side, staring at his chest like he was grateful for each breath his boy took.
So. He's not really able to do Halloween anymore. And that's hard for him.
But whatever. He'll survive. He's fine to sit on the sidelines if it means the others will have a good time.
At this point, Steve was already coming to terms with his bisexuality. He'd already done a speed run through the Coming Out stages and walked out the other side with the eerie confidence only Steve Harrington could muster. This is a dude who has decided that he's going to flirt with Eddie until the other realizes and gets with the program. He knows Eddie likes him. He's a pro at dating and relationships and crushes. He just needs Eddie to figure out that the not so subtle hints mean something.
And then came Halloween.
He'd already told Eddie during a movie night about how much he missed the spooky season.
(And yes, he did discuss it while openly combing Eddie's hair back from his face and absolutely relishing in the way the other boy was turning all kinds of pink under the glow of the TV. Yes, Eddie was taking his time to catch up but no one said Steve couldn't have fun while he waited).
"Aw man. That sucks." Eddie barely managed to boot up his brain again to answer.
"It's fine," Steve would say, even though it wasn't.
And then, on October 31st, Steve wakes up to a maze in his backyard.
It's not a very good maze. It's mostly just tipped over pallets taken from behind Melvalds as the walls and tarps as the ceiling to block out some of the light. But it's so clearly meant to be some kind of a haunted hallway.
Steve is in boxers and a ratty Hawkins Swim Team t-shirt. He didn't take time to put on shoes, so he's walking across the cold concrete and the dewy grass in tube socks.
There's a sign posted on a piece of cardboard at the entrance.
ENTER IF YOU DARE
He stands there, shifting from foot to foot in his rapidly dampening socks, not quite sure what to do but intrigued nonetheless.
There's whispering and hushed voices from inside. And then Dustin is stomping out from around one of the pallet corners dressed in a suit that's clearly too small for him.
"Come on, dude. Can't you read? You're supposed to enter."
"It says enter if I dare."
"Yeah. So enter."
"What if I don't dare?"
Dustin rolls his eyes hard enough to make them stick, and honestly this kid and his tone.
"Can you just-" He groans. "Look. Eddie set this thing up and he and Robin dragged us all out of our beds at ass o'clock in the morning to put on these stupid haunted house costumes and wait around for you to wake up. So can you please just dare?"
Steve blinks. He looks at Dustin's suit. The tie is a little crooked and he's wearing bright yellow socks with his dress shoes. "I thought haunted house costumes were supposed to be... yunno... scary?"
"Yeah," said Dustin, gesturing to himself. "I'm the corporate grind."
And Steve can't do anything but laugh.
He goes through the little haunted maze. El was apparently having the time of her life and waves at him from a dead end, decked out a dress she made out of bits of stapled paper. "I am very frightening," she assured Steve. "I am overdue bills."
"That is very frightening," Steve agreed and ruffled her hair before going down another short hallway.
No one jumps out. There are no bright lights. Will had drawn decorations that they'd taped to the inside of the recycled plywood warning him of imposter syndrome and sleeping past your alarm and girls. Lucas at least put in a little more effort as a basketball player, though he had his knee wrapped in a bandage they must have picked up at the pharmacy and explained to Steve that the true horrors were being benched all season.
Max had refused to put on a costume and declared that she was scary all on her own.
Even Robin was there, waving at him. There was a cooler besides her. "This is the checkpoint," she said. "All the best haunted houses have checkpoints."
Apparently, the checkpoint included his migraine medication that he'd coincidentally forgotten to take that morning and a takeaway cup of lukewarm coffee.
"I tried to keep it warm!" She flapped her hands, waving them at the cardboard cup. "I literally held it between my knees and everything. But I had to help Eddie out last night to start building and-" she paused. "Shit. I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Forget I said that! Just- drink your coffee! Or don't! Is it warm enough? It's probably not. Fuck."
Steve is always shocked at how much more he loves Robin every day.
"It's good," Steve assured her, taking a sip. "Much scarier this way. Nothing scarier than a cold cup of coffee."
When he finally does make it to the end of the maze, Eddie is right there waiting. He's dressed as a vampire, with the stupid fake teeth and blood drawn down his chin with lipstick.
"You escaped the haunted maze!" Eddie put on a show of acting shocked, horrified, angry. His speech comes out garbled from behind the plastic teeth so it sounded more like you ethcaped the ha'ted mathe! It was endearing. Charming. Perfect. "My evil plan is foiled!"
Steve smiled. He looked back at the tarp and plywood and cardboard and duct tape. "You put this all together?" He turned back. "You built me a haunted house?"
Eddie's posturing paused. Despite how much he tried, there was little Eddie could do to hide the way he turned almost shy. He took out the teeth. "Uh. Yeah. But it's no big deal."
"It's kind of a big deal."
"It's really not," said Eddie. "Just- yunno. Figured you should be included." He brightened. "And this isn't everything! We've got a party planned at Joyce's tonight. Low music, we'll keep the lights on. Kids even picked out a movie, but I can't attest to the quality."
"You built me a haunted house."
"I... did." Eddie cleared his throat. He shoved the teeth back in. "But just so you know, it was all part of my evil plan. Which you foiled, My Liege!"
Steve stepped forward. "What was it?"
Eddie paused.
"The evil plan. What was it?"
"Oh. Uh." Eddie swallowed. "Keep you in my evil clutches forever?"
Steve beamed.
Robin had to usher a group of jeering kids away from the Harrington house. It was apparently too much for them to see Steve grab Eddie by the edges of his stupid vampire cape and tug him into a kiss.
"Dracula doesn't swoon," Dustin shouted back at them, covering his eyes.
"This one does," said Steve happily, before going back to work on a very shocked Eddie.
In the end, it did take Eddie a minute to catch up. Once his brain rebooted and he was able to comprehend that he was kissing Steve Harrington, the boy he'd loved since long, long ago.
He spends that night at the party sitting on the couch with his face buried against Steve's chest while the movie played. "You'd been flirting with me?"
"Mmmhm," said Steve, popping a candy corn into his mouth.
"This whole time?"
"Yup," said Steve.
"I wasn't imagining it?"
"Nope," said Steve.
"This is real?"
"Yup," said Steve, and dropped a kiss onto the top of Eddie's head.
"Okay," rasped Eddie. "Just checking."
"Learning how dumb you were being was the scariest thing this entire halloween," Dustin mumbled from the floor.
#steddie#steve harrington#halloween#eddie munson#USUALLY I'D HAVE WAYNE INVOLVED#BUT THIS TIME I JUST WENT WITH IT#tiny thing#silly little story#stranger things#st fic#headcanon
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Awful Yesterdays
pairing: tim bradford x swat!fem!reader characters: y/n remingtion (remi), tim bradford, lucy chen, john nolan, angela lopez warnings: language, ptsd, survivors guilt, nightmares, mentions of drugs and drug trafficking (very brief), cop things, mentions of explosions, description of bruises, blood, tim's an ass for a bit, angst with fluff, apologies for the shitty warnings 😅 word count: ~10.9k a/n: requested by nonny -- sent in date: 12/18/2023 summary: after a harsh day on the job and an argument with your fellow sergeant, your injuries and a wicked head cold have you calling into work. tim, having realized how mean and disrespectful he was, comes over to talk it out -- only to find you feeling miserable. he decides to make your lunch while you relax, and in return... he learns the reason you came back to patrol.
“Do you seriously not trust me to know what I can and can’t handle, Bradford?” You shouted to your fellow sergeant, damp hair sticking to your face almost dramatically as the cold rain pelted your hot skin. If you were in a cartoon, steam would be rolling off of you. “I was a damn S.W.A.T sergeant. I can disarm and take down a suspect without a second thought. I can handle myself.”
Tim’s face contorted into his classic snarl, pointing emphatically toward the building you just limped out of. “You call that handling yourself? Seriously? Remington, you took a boot to the face and ribs before you took him down – and God knows how many bruises are underneath your uniform.”
Your chest twinged a little at his words, but you couldn’t tell if it was the implied insult or the cold settling in.
Pushing the held breath out of your nose and holding the cough in, you moved your hair out of your face – smoothing it over your rain-soaked ponytail. “I am not just gonna stand here and let you insult my abilities after I saved your ass today. You don’t have to like me, Tim. But I, at the very least, deserve some fucking respect.”
The other officers, mainly Nolan, Lucy, and Angela, had turned their attention to you and Tim. Seeing two of the biggest and polar opposite personalities argue was amusing – even though they could barely hear it.
“The rain is making this like a romcom. You know, the argument they both have at some point in the movie,” Lucy said, her excited nature pitching her voice up a little. Angela snorted, her arms crossed over her chest, “Except I don’t think they’re gonna make up with a kiss afterwards.”
They watched Tim retort back, his face red and neck muscles taut. Their eyes widened a little when you slightly recoiled at his words before clenching your jaw and getting into the driver’s side of the shop.
Putting his hands on his hips, Tim looked up to the clouds then down at the water droplets on his boots. He glanced over, doing a double take when he realized his argument with you drew in an audience.
“Don’t you three have work to do?” He commented angrily as he got in the passenger side without even looking at them.
Sharing a look, they all got back to work, but they didn’t drop the theories of why you and Tim were arguing.
You winced when you pushed on the bruise on your ribs as you examined your body in the mirror.
The bruising spanned nearly your entire right side, your ribs and hip showing the darkest of the discoloration. Deep reds and angry yellows mostly; though you knew, come morning, they would be deep blues and bright purples.
Your face hurt, though it wasn’t as bruised as you expected. It was splotchy with discoloration. Most of the bruising and pain were localized to your nose, chin, brow bone and under your eyes. You knew you could handle the broken nose, the split lip and brow, though.
But you knew by the time you woke up -hell, by the time you got home tonight- your throat would be sore and your head would be throbbing as your sinuses made it impossible to breathe out of your nose. You were going to have to call in tomorrow.
“Damn…” You hissed as you let your shirt drop. After fighting to take down a perp, how was a dumb cold going to take you out?
You replayed today’s takedown a hundred times. What could you have done differently? Could you have parried a blow here and landed one there? Should you have run ahead of him, cut him off instead of engaging from behind? You were lighter in the patrol uniform, much lighter than the full SWAT gear you were used to wearing. You were faster than he was.
You sighed, rubbing your face and shaking out your hands. There was nothing you could change about the past now. So, you took mental notes and moved on. It was something you had learned while you were on S.W.A.T.: take the victory but understand your faults and apply critiques accordingly.
The takedown you could move past, eventually, but the argument with Tim was irking you. A persistent itch that just got worse when you scratched it.
Normally comments on your abilities didn’t affect you, you knew your worth. Hell, you were one of the youngest sergeants in the department, you were damn good at your job. But Tim’s words really seemed to bother you. Why? Was it because of the authority in which he said them? Saying them with such precision like he had always thought that way about you.
Or was it because you genuinely valued his opinion on your performance? That despite being a slightly higher ranked officer, you looked up to Tim and his confidence in his tactics. So hearing him say you couldn’t handle yourself actually made you second guess your abilities for the first time since you ever joined the LAPD.
It couldn’t be the latter… right?
There was no way you were going to let Tim Bradford get to you. Get you to second guess yourself and the fact you were second in command to one of the best S.W.A.T teams LA has to offer. Not when you worked your ass off to be there.
You scoffed to yourself, pushing the thoughts away and grabbing your leggings before sitting down to put them on.
“Oh damn, those look… gnarly,” Lucy's voice carried over from her locker as she opened it and got her clothes out.
You let out a huffed laugh, looking down to where you knew Lucy’s eyes were staring. “Eh, they’re not so bad. Simple self-defense bruises, get 'em on my arms all the time too. Comes with the job.” You stood and pulled your leggings up, groaning a little at the soreness in your limbs.
She nodded, taking her hair out of its bun before brushing it out as you gathered your bags. Chen watched you, not subtly in the slightest and she knew you could see her, but she couldn’t help it. She thought you were really cool – you were her age if not a year or two younger than her and were already a sergeant.
Lucy had of course looked you up after hearing about your transfer to patrol a few months ago. She had heard about you before and seen you once or twice when S.W.A.T had been called in to assist on a few cases – but she never talked to you much except a “good job” or a “thank you for your help”. But what she learned really made her admire you more.
You had gone to college for Law Enforcement, getting a two-year degree before applying to the LAPD the same day as your 21st birthday. After getting accepted, you went to the Academy and graduated the six month course at the top of your class. You did your year as a rookie, stayed a P2 for 9 months before attempting to qualify for the S.W.A.T academy. Unsurprisingly, you weren’t one of the few selected on your first attempt, but it clearly didn’t deter you. By the next year, you were recruited for the thirteen week course.
You may have been the last recruit picked in your class, but the last 4 years with S.W.A.T really showed the department what you were made of. And when you hit year 5 of being an officer, you were promoted to sergeant after passing the exam. You had served as your team leader’s right hand for the last year before you transferred to patrol.
Lucy’s not sure why you left S.W.A.T, no one is, but she can’t deny you’re good as a patrol officer too.
“I’ll catch you later, Chen. Have a good night,” you said, your hoarse voice pulling Lucy out of her thoughts. “Stay dry, alright?”
The officer nodded, putting her hairbrush back in her locker, “Yeah, you too. Drive safe.” She gave you her signature kind smile as you walked past her, receiving a closed lip smile from you – though it looked more like a grimace.
Lucy’s head tilted a little in automatic curiosity. She could sense something was off with you, even if you seemed completely fine to everyone else. It could just be the fact you kicked major ass barely a few hours ago, but you weren’t as light as you usually were. Your shoulders slouched and your feet drug just a little – the worn tread of your tennis shoes shuffling slightly on the polished concrete floor.
This wasn’t normal for you. Especially not after a successful arrest. Something was bothering you and she could tell. Maybe it was the fact the suspect had gotten the upper hand on you after you had chased him into the old gym, though you clearly came out on top.
She swallowed, turning to you completely as she gathered the courage to say something. “Everything okay? You seem a little… off.”
You sighed a little, the exhale bringing a cough up with it. “Yeah, just um… I’m just tired,” you nodded, coughing again as you circled your face with your index finger. “And I think I might be a little sick. Nothing more than a head cold and a sore throat probably, but I'm alright,” you said before adding. “And I don’t think the bruised ribs or the kick to the face help much. But I escaped concussion free, so that’s a plus. Goodnight, Lucy.”
Chen nodded before she furrowed her brow, your inflection sounding dejected with those last sentences. Then she remembered your argument with Tim at the scene after paramedics checked you out and how she noticed him talking to Sergeant Grey as she was walking to the locker room. Maybe it was something he said. She knows first hand how bad he can be. His comments can be unnecessarily harsh and make you feel like you’re not cut out to be an officer. It’s his way of showing you he cares about you.
She had to say something, to tell you he didn’t speak for everyone if nothing else. “Hey, Sergeant Remington–”
“It’s Y/N when we’re off duty, Luc’, or Remi, if you want to keep it semi-professional,” you told her, cutting her off before she could actually get to what she was going to say. You turned to face her fully and adjusted the strap of your backpack on your shoulder, “But what’s up?”
“I um… I just want to say,” she went up on the balls of her feet, playing with her fingers a little as she cleared her throat. “I just want to say I think you’re a badass. Your takedown today was insane.”
She cringed internally. It wasn’t exactly how she wanted to put it, but it seemed to work.
You couldn’t help but smile at her, her complement lifting your spirits a little. Just like it was supposed to. “Thank you Lucy, and you’re not too shabby yourself. And I’ve heard about your UC work, so don’t try to deny it.”
She smiled at you, clearly grateful for your words, “Thank you, Remi.” Her brow furrowed a little and she laughed uncomfortably, “That felt weird, I feel like Remi’s a name only S.W.A.T should be using. Can I call you Y/N?”
You couldn’t help but chuckle, nodding as you looked up at her from your tennis shoes. “Y/N’s just fine, Luc’.” She nodded, thanking you again. “No problem, everyone needs a little reminder every now and then.”
She bit her lip a little and nodded. “Yeah, they do.”
You nodded to her, giving her final smile and a small parting wave, “See you in the morning, Chen. Goodnight.” She nodded, returning your wave before resuming her routine. “Night.”
Watching you leave, she sighed, mentally kicking herself for not just getting straight to the point and mentioning Tim. Maybe she’ll bring it up to you tomorrow.
Tim watched you exit the women's locker room, a slight limp in your step as you cringed a little and adjusted the bag on your shoulder.
He scoffed a little and rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe you were still planning to come in tomorrow, sore and bruised to hell.
“So what’s the deal between you and Sergeant Remington?” Lucy asked as she came up beside him, her hands slipping into her pockets. “You don’t seem to like her very much.”
“Where do you get that idea, Chen?” Tim asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Lucy couldn’t help but laugh and point to his posture. “That. That right there: the pout and the arm cross. You’re getting defensive.”
He scoffed and uncrossed his arms. “I am not getting defensive.”
Lucy rolled her eyes, “Whatever. But I saw you both arguing at the scene. What was that about? You never seemed to have a problem with her before.”
“Lucy, it’s none of your business.”
“It is my business. Because one, we don’t need you two at each other’s throats. And two, she’s a badass and has already done so much with her career – she doesn’t need you being her TO. She knows what she’s doing. She is S.W.A.T after all.”
Tim sighed, crossing his arms again as he looked down at his shoes. He knew he didn’t need to tell you how to do your job – you knew what you were doing. He knew you were capable of the very actions you had done earlier in the day: taking down an armed suspect without even reaching for your firearm. You were a capable officer, that much everyone knew.
And despite what he said to you, he believed you were good at your job. But something about your sudden demotion to patrol after a very successful 5 years on S.W.A.T didn’t sit right with him and it was making him hostile towards you. Everyone believed you’d lead your own team and, hell, become captain one day.
The question was never whether or not you’d do the job. It was: why were you here? What was the reason you left S.W.A.T for patrol?
“So, I’m asking again. Do you two just have a personal beef with each other or something?” Lucy pressed, pretty persistent about why Tim was acting the way he was towards you. Especially after seeing you in the locker room.
Tim looked up at her. “It’s not that I have beef with her, or anything against her. But she’s here for a reason. I just don’t know what that reason is.”
Lucy nodded, tonguing her lip, “And you don’t like being out of the loop.” He shook his head and glanced out toward the parking lot as you drove away, “No, no I don’t.”
“Then talk to her, Tim. If you want to know – ask her, man. Because tearing her down like you did today won’t cut it.”
Tim furrowed his brow. “Tear her down? What are you talking about? My words don’t mean anything. Everyone in the LAPD knows she’s capable.”
Lucy scoffed, looking at him and letting out a laugh of disbelief, “You seriously believe that whatever you said to her today – whether or not you meant it – didn’t affect her? I may not have heard what you said to her, but I know from experience. And she didn’t seem very excited about the win today, bruises aside.”
Tim didn’t say anything, his hands moving to rest on his hips as he let Chen’s words sink in and he remembered the genuine hurt he saw cross your face today before you got in the shop.
She sighed, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as she shifted her weight onto her right hip. “Look, just talk to her. I’m sure if you explain yourself then she’d be willing to listen.”
“And if she’s not?”
“Well, then you better start groveling. Goodnight Tim,” she said, patting him on the shoulder as she left.
He nodded, his head on a lazy swivel as it followed her movements. “Yeah, night Lucy.”
Watching her leave, he sighed again. He knew he’d have to talk to you but he was sure you were stubborn enough to not give him much of anything. Especially after how he had talked to you today.
But, if he wanted to know anything, he had to go directly to you. Lucy had practically echoed what Sergeant Gray had told him when he had gone to him to talk about you.
Tim wasn’t so much worried about you, but the fact you were trained to think like a S.W.A.T officer. He was worried you might lead some officers into situations they weren’t ready for, or your ego would get bigger than you could show up for – resulting in you or multiple other officers getting injured.
He only wanted to make sure people were as safe as they could be in this job. And maybe his words from today didn’t really back his feelings as well as he thought they did.
Yeah… he had some thinking to do.
You sighed as you relaxed back in your seat, looking ahead as your headlights lit up the front of your house.
You looked up and saw your cat in the window, his tail flicking at the disruption of your lights in his face. A smile spread across your face, the tension in your shoulders rolling away as you saw him. You were home and could shake off the weight of the day now.
Turning your headlights off, Duke stretched on his perch and rubbed his face on the glass as you got out of your Bronco. You pulled the hood of your hoodie up and went over to the passenger side to grab your backpack out of the floor.
“Remi! What are you doing out in the rain?”
You turned at the call of your name, seeing one of your neighbors on their porch. “Mrs. Horton, I could ask you the same! You should be inside, you know what I’ve told you about being out here this late, and in the rain.”
The older woman pulled her cardigan around her tighter, clearly cold. “Well, I just wanted to make sure you got home, sweetheart. You’re late.”
You sighed, shutting and locking your truck up. “I know, things got intense at work today. But everything’s okay, Mrs. Horton, promise.”
“Okay,” she said with a nod as she moved to go back inside. “Have you eaten? The grandkids and I ordered pizza, we have some leftovers if you want them.” You smiled at her, but waved off the offer, “I had something at work, but thank you.”
She nodded, “Well alright, you have a good night now.”
“You too Mrs. H.” You watched her go inside, waiting until her lights were off and her blinds were closed before you went inside your own home.
Duke greeted you immediately when you walked in, rubbing his head on your bruised shins as you locked up. “Yeah, hi Duke-ster. I bet you enjoyed today. You love gloomy weather.”
The black cat meowed in agreement before padding over to the kitchen. You laughed softly, triggering a small coughing fit as you walked to the kitchen after him. “Boy, you have food. Don’t even start.” He meowed again, a little annoyed. “Nuh-uh, you are not about to give me attitude after the day I’ve had. Eat what you have, and then we’ll talk about it.”
He let out a small meow before settling for his practically full bowl of food. You rolled your eyes as you shed your hoodie, putting it over the back of a chair. “Drama king.”
You smiled and went back to the living room where your pup was yipping in her kennel, excited because you were home.
“Oh hi sweet girl,” you cooed before squatting down with a grunt to let her out. “You probably need to go outside. Let’s do that and then you, me, and Duke are cuddling up on the couch.” She barked happily and licked your face before running to the back door, pawing at it.
You smiled and stood, “Good girl.”
The next morning, Tim sat in his truck, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel as he went over the words he would say to you before you had to be in for roll call. He had today off but he wanted to apologize before he lost the courage he had built up.
He had thought about this situation all night and during the drive to the station. What he would say, how he would say it – he tried to plan it all out.
Tim had messed up, he realized that now. His words yesterday weren’t exactly nice – though when has Tim Bradford ever been known to be nice? But it was no excuse for what he said to you.
He may have had good intentions, a concern for the officers under both of your commands, but his words didn’t reflect that. They were harsher, coming across with an air of arrogance and spite.
He had to apologize to you, explain himself better and with more respect than he had given you yesterday. You may be young, but you were skilled and determined, one of the hardest workers he’d ever met. You were right, you deserve respect for what you do.
He finally got out of his truck and walked towards the precinct.
Now or never, right?
Lucy and John watched Tim walk in from where they were perched on Angela’s desk.
“Oh, Tim’s got his thinking face on,” Lopez noticed, a sly grin pulling at her lips.
Lucy turned with furrowed brow before she snorted softly. She leaned down to talk in the detective's ear, “Do you think he’s gonna apologize to Y/N when she gets here?”
Angela scoffed with a laugh, “Tim, apologize? Good joke, Chen.”
“I mean, he could, if he wanted to,” Nolan said, pulling his phone out as it went off in his pocket.
Lucy nodded, agreeing with her fellow officer as he walked away to answer his phone. “Yeah, he apologized to me. Sorta.”
“Hey,” Tim’s voice broke through their conversation. “Have any of you seen Remi at all? I um I need to talk to her.”
Both women noticed him shoving his hands in his pockets and looking around, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
Angela arched a brow and stood up, leaning on her desk, “Timothy? You okay? You look nervous.”
“Just need to talk to Y/N.”
Lucy couldn’t help but have a slight smirk on her face, but before she could tease him, John came back from his phone call.
“Sorry, that was Remi. She’s not gonna be in today, called in sick.”
Tim sighed, now feeling a little disheartened in his efforts to apologize since you weren’t even here. “Then I um… I guess I better go…”
“Maybe you could swing by her place, apologize that way,” Lucy suggested before going into roll call with Nolan.
Angela looked at Tim, brow arched quizzically. She rested her chin on her hand as she looked him over. “Apologize? The Tim Bradford is apologizing? Whatever for?”
Her teasing tone was pitched up an octave as she leaned on the desk. She had an idea on why he was apologizing – she was a detective after all. But she also loved to tease her best friend, hence why she wanted to press his buttons and get him to say it out loud – just to confirm her suspicions.
If she had to guess, denial would be his first go to. The whole ‘What would I even apologize for? Telling the truth?’ roundabout game. Or the ‘She’s a police sergeant, she can’t be so sensitive’ rant.
But, in a surprising turn of events, she got a nod from the man.
“Yeah. I’m not apologizing because what I said was untrue…” He nodded as he trailed off before looking down at his boots, “Though some of it may have been. I’m apologizing because I should have been more respectful than I was.”
“Ah,” she replied as she nodded, sitting back in her chair and tapping her pen on the desk “Gotcha. But why? You’ve never cared about it before. Where’s this sudden change coming from? Are you getting soft on us, Timothy?”
Tim rolled his eyes, scoffing at the detective. “No, I am not ‘getting soft’, Lopez. I just… I don’t want there to be any discourse out in the field. We can’t afford letting a small fight get between us.”
“You think a trained S.W.A.T sergeant is going to let her personal feelings impact how she does her job?”
“She’s 28, it’s a little hard to separate your emotions from the job at that age.”
She fixed him with a look but just rolled her eyes. “Just go apologize to her, Bradford, before your ego has time to catch up with your brain.” She waved her hand dismissively at him before she turned back to her case file.
Tim just looked at her before tossing his hands up and letting them slap his thighs before walking back out to his truck.
“Well, guess I’m going to her place.”
When Tim pulled up to your house, he didn’t see your Bronco parked outside – though it didn’t necessarily mean you weren’t home.
He glanced around when he pulled up. Surprisingly, he had recognized the neighborhood, despite the previous run down and overgrown houses looking like they had just been built. He hadn’t been in this part of town in about seven or eight months. Something’s changed in this neighborhood, and Tim had a feeling he was about to learn who was at the center of it.
After gathering the courage, he got out of his truck and went up to the door.
He took a deep breath and knocked, hearing barking come from inside as a result. He didn’t know you had a dog. When did you get a dog?
“Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?”
Alert, his head whipped over to see where the voice came from – seeing a woman maybe in her early 60s leaning on the fence. She looked trustworthy, and she was clearly your neighbor. A very close neighbor given how she seemed to be keeping an eye on your door and the garden hose she would happily spray Tim with if he was a threat.
“I um I’m Sergeant Tim Bradford, I work with Sergeant Remington,” he told her honestly.
“Oh,” she said, a small nod of recognition. “Y/N’s mentioned you. And I’m sure I’ve seen you around before when you had a lot of calls out this way.”
Tim nodded. “I’m sure you have. It’s been awhile since I’ve been called out here though. Any idea what that’s about?”
Mrs. Horton smiled at him and leaned on the fence. “We’ve got Remi to thank for that. She moved here and things slowly started to change. It’s been nice and the kids around here trust her.”
“That doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Tim said, his voice unexpectedly fond. Though he didn’t hate it, he could admit what you did here was something to admire.
He nodded toward the door, “Is she home? I need to talk to her. Work stuff.”
Mrs Horton shook her head, “No, she went to the grocery store. I told her I would go since I know how she doesn’t like being questioned about the bruises she gets from work. She should be home soon though.”
“Okay, thank you.”
She nodded and sent him a smile before returning to her garden, leaving Tim awkwardly standing on your front porch.
He sighed and rubbed his hand down his face before going back to his truck – getting meowed at by your cat when he walked by the window.
The moment you turned the corner and onto your street, an audible sigh left your mouth when you saw the silver Dodge parked on the street in front of your house.
You knew it was Tim’s truck even though you were yards away from it. And based on the outline of the person, you could tell he was inside of it. The only thing you couldn’t come to a conclusion on was why he was at your house in the middle of the day – on his day off.
Especially with how nice it was. It was a perfect day to be outside.
If you had the day off, and didn’t cough up a lung every time you inhaled the wrong way or your shins didn’t hurt with every step you took, you would have taken your dog on a hike. You knew Tim loved being outside when it was nice, he always talked about going to the range or taking Kojo out to play.
So, why was he parked in front of your house?
You shook your head a little, groaning when it throbbed in protest, as you pulled into your spot and parked. You sat there for a moment, collecting yourself and letting the aching in your body subside before you got out.
You were seriously regretting turning down Mrs. Horton’s offer for her to go to the store for you.
Instead of ignoring the silver elephant in the street and taking your groceries inside, you turned off your truck and got out before going over to his driver side window.
Might as well get it over with now instead of making him come to your door and knock.
He had rolled his window down when he noticed you walking over. He almost got out to meet you in the driveway, but he figured it’d be easier to stay in his truck if you told him to leave – probably safer too.
You crossed your arms in front of you. “What are you doing here, Bradford?”
You were still very frustrated and hurt by what he said yesterday, in front of your coworkers no less. It was embarrassing. It doesn’t matter if you thought you were justified in the actions you took – Tim called you out in front of them and embarrassed you.
“Can I not just come by and see a coworker?”
“No, you can’t. What do you want?”
You didn’t have the time, nor the energy, to play this game with him. You just wanted to see what he wanted and go inside so you can have your soup.
He sighed and nodded, “I just need to talk to you. I was gonna talk to you before you went out on patrol this morning, but you called in sick.”
You furrowed your brow as you glanced around, “You came all the way out here to ‘talk’?” His nod only made you scoff. “After what happened yesterday, I highly doubt you came out here to just talk.”
“I want to talk about yesterday… What we said, mainly what I said. Can I come in?”
You cut your eyes at him, “What is there to talk about? I think you said plenty yesterday.” You’re not usually this snappy, but your head was pounding and your body was aching. The heat was also aggravating your fever. So, you were just annoyed at everything at this point.
“Y/N, please.”
The look on his face was nothing short of desperate, an expression you’d never thought you’d see from him.
You huffed and dropped your arms to your sides, “You’re carrying the dog food.”
Turning on your heel, you went to your backseat to get your armload of grocery bags. When you didn’t hear his truck door open or shut, you glanced over your shoulder. “Move it or lose it, Bradford. You wanna talk, get out and help me carry this stuff in.”
Tim shook himself out of whatever trance he was in and got out. He locked his truck before going over to yours and getting the dog food out of the back.
He followed you to the door, standing next to you as you unlocked and opened it. You led the way inside, going straight to the kitchen with Tim and your pup on your heels.
“Oh yeah, hi Dahlia, I know I know,” you cooed to the bloodhound puppy as she pawed at your legs. “I know, let me put these away really quick and I will take you outside.”
Tim couldn’t help but smile when he heard you address the puppy as he shut and locked your front door for you.
He’d never really heard you talk like this before – softer but pitched up ever so slightly. Normally you had a very professional tone, authoritative and strong. Though, since you were in the comfort of your own home, you didn’t need to be in work mode.
“Meow”
Tim paused his stride and looked down at the black cat sitting in his path and looked up at him curiously.
“Duke, that food’s not for you, you have food,” you said, your tone slightly annoyed but held a gentle, almost parenting, tone. You hadn’t even turned around from where you were putting things away, you just knew exactly what the cat was doing.
Tim just chuckled to himself and stepped around the black fluff ball on the ground. “Where would you like me to put this?”
Your brow furrowed in confusion for a second before you registered his question. “Oh um, just there by the bowls are fine. I’ll refill the tub later.” He just nodded and followed your instructions, setting the bag on the ground next to the dog food bowls.
Dahlia yipped at your feet, pulling at your shoelaces as you tried to put groceries away. “Nien, Dahlia. Stoppen,” you slightly snapped, your finger pointed down at her. “Sich hinlegen.”
The young pup seemed to understand you and stopped pulling on your laces, moving to lay down in front of your fridge.
Tim let out an amused huff, crossing his arms as he leaned against the island in the middle of your kitchen. “I didn’t know you spoke German. Or that you were training your dog to learn those commands.”
You looked over your shoulder at him before going back to setting out ingredients.
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Bradford. You just think you know things.”
Okay… he deserved that.
He nodded, his tongue pulling his lip between his teeth for a moment. “I didn’t know you used to
work for K-9.” You hummed, not looking up. “Well, that’s because I didn’t.”
“Then how-”
“Because she was a recruit. She failed out because she’s nearly completely blind in one eye. She was trained for a few weeks and learned the basic commands. She knows them in German and a few in English.”
“Oh,” was really all Tim could respond with.
The silence following his response was awkward. Tim felt awkward just standing there in your kitchen. It was clear you had your guard up from how you weren’t really talking to him or facing him. You weren’t scared of Tim in any way, but he had insulted you barely a day ago and now he was in your home. You had every right to not want him here.
A heavy, frustrated sigh left your lips, breaking the silence as your hands smacked the bar.
“You came here to talk Bradford, so talk. My body feels like a two-by-four. My face and ribs hurt every time I cough or sneeze, and my sinuses have so much pressure in them I’m dizzy if I think for too long. I just want to make some soup to eat and go to sleep.”
You took a few deep breaths, letting the headache subside a little before you continue. “So, just say what you have to say so I can do that.”
Tim looked at you sympathetically. You really did look exhausted. Standing up looked to be a chore and you were sweating, despite the AC being turned up.
“Why don’t you go shower?” He suggested after his observation.
You looked at him confused, “What?”
He gestured to you. “You’re probably covered in sweat under that hoodie and those leggings. Take Dahlia out and then go take a shower. A hot one. The steam will clear up your sinuses and relax your muscles. While you do that,” he stepped closer to you, nodding to the ingredients on the counter. “I’ll make you soup.”
He half-expected you to tell him you could do it on your own and to screw off.
But you didn’t.
Instead, you seemed to relax, a breath leaving your lips as your eyes closed briefly. “You won’t poison it, right?” You asked, a brow quirking up as your eyes opened. Tim couldn’t help but chuckle and nod, “Promise.”
You nodded back, running your hand over your face, “Thank you, Bradford. That helps me out a lot…”
“No need to thank me. Now go so I can work,” he told you as he waved you out of your own kitchen.
You sent him a small smile and stepped away, “C’mon Dahlia, let’s go outside.”
Dahlia’s head shot up, her ears flopping and her collar tag making a small ringing noise. You nodded at her, “Yeah, I said outside. Let’s go sweet girl.”
She got up quickly and, in her haste, she slipped on the tiles a little. You covered your mouth to keep from laughing at the sight as Dahlia trotted over to you.
“Okay, we’ll be right back,” you told Tim as you opened the backdoor. Once he nodded in acknowledgement, you stepped outside with Dahlia.
The moment you stepped out of your comfortably air conditioned home and back into the California summer, the sweat pooling on your skin was immediately noticeable. The humidity from the night rain making you feel unbearably sticky.
Your hoodie no longer felt soft. It was heavy and constricting, sticking to your damp skin in the most uncomfortable way.
“Oh nope, gross.”
You peeled the thick, itchy fabric off of you, Dahlia none the wiser that you didn’t follow her out onto the grass. She ran around the yard, rolling in plush grass and somehow not tripping on her floppy ears.
“Oh dear, you did have a long day yesterday.”
Mrs Horton’s soft, motherly tone drew your attention to the fence separating your backyards. You smiled softly at her, she always checked up on you if you ever told her you had a long day. When you moved in, she’d taken to you immediately, treating you like a daughter just as much as a neighbor.
You walked over to her, leaning on the fence as she gave you a gentle smile.
“Yeah… doesn’t help that my sinuses decided now was a fantastic time to act up,” you grumbled, but you couldn’t stop the rough chuckle.
She gently rubbed your arm. “And now you have a guest.”
You chuckled again, following it with a rough cough this time. “Yeah, not exactly an ideal situation. But he’s actually being helpful, so it’s not awful.”
Mrs Horton nodded, opening her mouth to say something before she was cut off by someone calling out to you.
“Hey Remi!”
Your head whipped over, Dahlia barking at the new voice. But you recognized the owner immediately, sending him a smile.
“Hi Dizzy.”
“Aye, what happened?” The young man asked, gesturing to his face in reference to the bruises on yours.
You sighed, hanging your head. You knew people would ask, you got stopped a few times at the store by concerned shoppers. It wasn’t the first time, and certainly won’t be the last.
“I saw the truck in front of your place, he do that?”
You immediately shook your head. “Oh no no, it’s not like that, Dizzy. I promise. This happened at work yesterday. You know I can’t hold down a man for long.”
Dizzy chuckled and leaned on the fence. “I mean, I could fix that.”
Both you and Mrs Horton laughed. This was a normal occurrence with Dizzy if you ever mentioned dating. You’d make a comment on being broken up with, he’d reply saying he would be the solution for your ‘broken heart’. It was all in good fun – you both knew it would never go past banter.
“I’m 10 years your senior, Diz,” you told him, like you alway do.
“Ah,” he dismissed, waving a hand and clicking his tongue. “That don’t matter.”
“Maybe try again when you’re 28, D. Graduate first.” You smiled at him before taking in what he was wearing. “You goin’ to work?”
He nodded, adjusting his uniform shirt with a grin. “Yes ma’am, Jack’s got me workin’ a few hours today. I needed the overtime.”
You nodded, pointing in the direction of the mechanic shop. “You better get goin’ then, don’t want you to be late.” Dizzy nodded, waving goodbye to you and Mrs Horton before jogging down the alley.
“You really got him turned around, Y/N. That’s the Desmond I remember,” Mrs Horton said softly.
Dizzy had been a part of one of the gangs in the neighborhood. Nothing more than misdemeanors on his record, but he had been caught up in a suspected carjacking and it would’ve been marked as a felony – with added assault charges because the victim had been injured.
But you managed to convince the DA to cut him a deal. He hadn’t been the one with the gun, nor the one to drive the car. He was just a reluctant tag along. Neighbors and witnesses said Dizzy wasn’t a leader, not in a violent way.
You had moved into the neighborhood just before all of this happened. And after, you were hellbent on getting Desmond set on the right path. He wasn’t a violent kid, he’d just been a little lost after his sister was killed and his father got sick. He didn’t know where he belonged, and the gang gave him a place to go. But you knew, deep down, it wasn’t where he wanted his life to go.
“I just got him started, he’s been doing the rest,” you said, just as softly as she had.
She smiled and patted your shoulder. “That’s because he doesn’t want to disappoint you, dear. You’re a very important person in his life, a support system he has had since his sister died.”
You sighed, nodding before glancing behind you to see Dahlia sitting by your sliding glass doors – patiently waiting to be let in.
“Better head in. Bradford was nice enough to make my lunch while I shower.”
Mrs Horton nodded, before a small call of “Nana!” came from the screened in door. “I better head inside too, we’re going to the water park today and they’re excited.”
You laughed softly as you both turned to go back inside. “Have fun!” She waved to you as she bid her goodbye, “Oh they will! Feel better dear!” You nodded, playfully saluting her before regretfully jogging up your porch steps.
Hissing at the pain shooting up your shins in protest, you grabbed your hoodie and slid open the door.
“We’re back,” you announced as you opened the door.
Tim looked up from the cutting board, freezing slightly at the sight of your arms. Defensive bruises littered your forearms, offensive ones marked the backs of your biceps and your knuckles. You put up a hell of a fight, and you walked away with the proof.
He gave you a nod, gesturing to the stuff around him with his knife. “Alright, I’m still getting stuff prepped. So, take as long as you need, and then add a little more.”
You nodded, dropping your hoodie off in the laundry room as you went toward your bedroom. “Yes sir, Sergeant.”
He rolled his eyes at the sarcastic tone in your voice, how you’re saying his title like a petulant teenager. He tossed a carrot at you, watching the orange vegetable hit you between the shoulder blades before falling to the floor to be gobbled up by Dahlia as she followed behind you.
When you got into your bedroom you immediately stripped down to your underwear. You were covered in sweat and your sinuses made your head feel like a bowling ball. You really did need this, a calm and relaxing shower – or a bath. A bath sounds nice.
Dahlia followed you around your room as you grabbed clothes, comfy shorts and an oversized S.W.A.T t-shirt, and laid them on the bed. “Dahlia, baby, you’re going to need to let me have some me time.” As much as you loved the pup, you weren’t bathing with both your bedroom door open and your bathroom door open – at least not with Tim down in the kitchen.
You led her to the door and gently booted her out into the hall with your foot, closing the door before she could turn around. You felt your heart tug when she whimpered and barked a little at the closed door, scratching at the bottom of it.
Shaking your head a little, you go into the en suite bathroom, grabbing your towels and putting them on the hook next to the bath. You pulled out your phone, sitting it on the cabinet you have next to the tub before you stepped in and turned the water on. You let the water get hot before you mess with the temperature, letting the water get just a little too hot before you plug the drain to let it fill up.
You stepped back out of the tub, letting the bathmat soak up the water dripping off your feet as you knelt in front of the cabinet. Opening the doors, you grabbed the vanilla bubble bath and the Epsom salt. The salt should help soothe your aching muscles, you weren’t entirely sure how it worked but it didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. As long as your body stopped hurting, you weren’t concerned with the how. The bubble bath was because you felt awful and wanted fun bubbles, a tool used to boost personal morale. But peppermint was going to be the next essential part of this bath. Your sinuses felt like a pressurized container that was on the brink of exploding all the time but could never quite get there.
Sniffling, you reach back into the cabinet, blindly searching for the bottle of the essential oil.
“Ugh, shit.”
You groaned, cursing yourself as you pushed yourself off the floor. You’d run out of it the last time you had congestion, using the last of it in a bowl of hot water and on a warm cloth you draped over your face. In your confusion of Tim showing up at your house to him offering to make you soup while you relaxed, you had forgotten to grab the essential oil you bought.
Grabbing your towel, you trudged back through your room and opened the door.
“Hey Tim-”
You stopped when you almost ran right into the man’s chest.
“Oh geez!”
“Sorry sorry,” Tim apologized, averting his eyes. He held his hand out, a small plastic bottle in his palm. “Found this in one of the bags, figured it was for your congestion.”
You looked at the bottle, nodding as you took the peppermint oil. “Yeah, thanks. I was about to come get this actually.”
“Looks like I beat ya to it-”
You nodded again, coughing and turning your head away. The tickle came up suddenly and violently, rattling your chest and scratching your throat. Your face throbbed with each rough, forced exhale.
Fuck, you hated having a head cold. Not to mention the beating your body had taken the day before making the body aches so much worse.
Finally, the fit subsided and you looked back at Tim. He was looking at you concerned. His brows were pulled together as his eyes scanned your face.
“What?” Your voice rasped, strained from coughing so hard.
He didn’t even say anything as he reached for your towel.
“Ah! Tim, what the hell!?” You yelped, pulling on the terrycloth in an attempt to get him to let go. But he didn’t.
“Hold still, Rem!”
“Why?!”
“Because your nose is bleeding!”
You stopped, lips parting a little as they suddenly felt sticky and warm. Your coughing fit must have aggravated your broken nose and you just hadn’t noticed the blood until Tim pointed it out.
“Close your mouth, you’re gonna get blood in it,” Tim ordered gently as he tilted your head forward. He wiped your lips and under your nose, keeping his gaze on your face in fear of wandering too low.
He applied pressure to your nose, hoping to stop the bleeding before your bathtub overflowed.
You looked back at him, watching his face carefully as his deep blue eyes scanned the bruises on the bridge of your nose and under your eyes.
The concern showing on his features wasn’t something new, you’d seen it before. But it was normally directed at Lucy or Angela, and on the special occasion, John. In the few months you’d been with the Mid-Wilshire station, you’d never been shot a look like this – not from the stone-faced Sergeant Bradford.
And after how he yelled at you yesterday, you were sure you’d never receive one.
But right now? This was the softest look you’ve received from him. His eyes, while alert, were rounded. His lips were parted slightly and downturned into a gentle frown. Tim was worried about you.
“Paramedics said I wouldn’t need a nose job. A win for me, I think.”
You had to break the silence. The rushing water filling the empty air was making you anxious. Tim had just been looking you over like you’d been shot and you didn’t know what to do.
He blinked, pulling himself out of his focus.
“Oh, yeah yeah. That’s good.”
His tone was distant, lost in the thoughts filling his mind as he kept pressure with the towel.
You arched a brow at him, his concern adding onto your confusion from before. “That might change if you keep pressing the towel into it like that.”
He shook his head and let up a little, but didn’t pull away. “Right, sorry. Just wanted to get it stopped.”
You gently push his hand away, mirroring his concerned look back at him. “Thank you, Bradford. I’m alright though. Just a little nosebleed.”
Tim’s eyes went to the towel and back up at you. “Little?”
You looked down, the white back of the towel covered in deep red blood. “Oh damn, it was worse than I thought…”
He cleared his throat, tilting your head up a little with his hand on your forehead. You let him look at your nose for a few seconds before stepping back.
“My tub is gonna overflow if I don’t get back to it. And I don’t know what step you’re on but if you don’t get back in there, Duke is gonna make a feast out of whatever you left out.”
Tim chuckled, relaxing finally. “He’s already tried to take the chicken. However, I did cave and give him some. I hope that’s okay.”
You nodded, laughing lightly. “Oh yeah. I spoil them both from time to time. Especially since it’s usually just me here, unless it’s family dinner night. I try not to let anything go bad.”
“Okay good. I did give Dahlia some, too.”
“Good, she would have felt left out.”
“Oh, she did.”
You both laughed, sharing a moment of oddly comfortable silence afterwards. It was nice. The tension between you and Tim had seemingly melted away.
Until you realized you were standing there in your bra and panties and he was holding a bloody towel.
You cleared your throat, looking at the bottle of oil in your hand. “Welp… I should-” You gestured aimlessly toward your bathroom.
He nodded, clearing his throat as well. “Yeah, yeah. Do you have another clean towel?”
“Mhm, I have my stash in the bathroom. There’s peroxide in the other bathroom. If you’ll put the towel in the tub and just let it soak, I’ll scrub it later.”
Tim arched a concerned brow at you, chuckling at the instructions. You swatted at his arm as you went to your bathroom, scoffing. “I was a manager of the basketball team in high school, I cleaned my fair share of bloody towels. Girls can be ruthless.”
He held his hands up, walking back into the hall. “Whatever you say, Sergeant Remington,” he teased as he closed your bedroom door.
You rolled your eyes at him and went back to deal with your definitely almost full bathtub.
After your bath, Tim had finished making lunch and you both sat in surprisingly comfortable silence as you ate.
You both sat on the couch, enjoying your chicken and dumpling soup on opposite ends. Dahlia sat with you, resting her head on the back of your thigh and curling up comfortably in the open space between your legs and the backrest of the couch.
“Thank you, Tim. I really appreciate you making lunch. And dinner will be much easier since it will be the leftovers,” you said softly, a yawn threatening your words. “There are leftovers, right?”
Tim chuckled, nodding, “There are leftovers, yes.” He finished his last bit of the soup and stood, earning a little swat from Duke for disturbing his rest. He eyed the fluffy assailant playfully, earning a raspy chuckle from you.
As he began to walk toward the kitchen you stopped him.
“Oh oh, are you going to the kitchen?”
His eyes narrowed a little. “Yes… why?”
You hold out your bowl, smiling innocently. “Will you take mine? Just put them in the sink, I’ll do them later.”
“Your legs work,” he said, but was stepping towards you anyway.
“Yeah, but I’m sick and you’re already heading there,” you countered as you pushed the bowl into his hand. He took it and rolled his eyes, but you could see a small smirk on his face as he went to the kitchen.
You yawned while his back was turned and made yourself comfortable on the couch. Lunch was sitting heavy on your stomach, in a good way, and your eyes were getting heavier by the second. You didn’t fight as sleep took over you.
Tim walked back into the living room from putting both of your bowls in the sink and found you passed out on the couch. “That was fast,” he sassed softly, though he couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
He’d seen you relaxed, sure. During the days you were desk bound, or moments you were bonding with other officers – smiling and laughing with all of them. But something about this was different.
You were one hundred percent calm. No furrowed brow, no tense jaw. Your eyes were closed, not analytical or scrutinizing. Your arms, littered in bruises under your hoodie sleeves, were wrapped around a pillow, not tense and ready to defend you. Your legs, also covered in deep, discolored splotches, were curled underneath your blanket, not braced to run.
This was a side to a lot of officers no one saw. The part of them the public, and even fellow officers, weren’t privy to witnessing. The human part of them.
Grabbing the remote, Tim turned the volume down on the tv and adjusted the blanket on you, giving Dahlia a quick pet as she stirred. You hummed softly, shifting a little at his touch. Your face turned a little, moving it from where it was smashed into your pillow. He sighed a little to himself, looking over the bruising on your face. He swallowed and clenched his jaw a bit before looking around your house.
He wasn’t going to leave. He came over to apologize and talk with you, he was going to do that. But he could wait for you to wake up on your own. He didn’t have anywhere to be.
“Might as well make myself useful.”
Tim stepped out of the guest bathroom, his damp hair spiked up from running a towel over it.
While you slept, he made himself busy with general chores around your house. Nothing invasive, he didn’t wash your underwear or go into your room. The laundry he did consisted of towels mostly, since he couldn’t really ruin those.
He did the dishes, cleaning up his mess from cooking and putting away the leftovers. He filled the dog food tub. He decided to clean the house: dusting, sweeping, mopping – hoping this was enough to help keep your sinuses from getting irritated.
He even went as far to do yard work for you. Which is why he was getting out of the shower now, thanking himself for having a change of clothes in his truck.
Before he even made it to the living room, he could hear Dahlia whimpering.
With a furrowed brow, he tossed the towel into the laundry basket and walked around the corner. “Dahlia, what’s wrong?”
The bloodhound pup was awake and on the floor, pulling at the blanket covering you before moving to lick your face. She was trying to wake you up.
Tim looked at you, searching for why Dahlia was so upset. You seemed alright at first glance but looking for a moment longer, he can see the distress on your face and hear the soft cries falling from your lips.
He swore under his breath, knelt next to the couch. Now that he was closer, he could see the tears streaming down your face.
He knew being this close to you could end badly for him if you woke up, especially if you woke up still in the throes of your nightmare. But he couldn’t stand to see you like this anymore.
As his hand grips you bicep, you jolt awake with a gasp. In an instant, your hand wraps around his wrist in a harsh grip. Panting sobs left your lips, tears still soaking your skin as you looked around frantically.
Dahlia started barking, high pitched yips filling the otherwise quiet house.
Tim held his hands up, not attempting to break your grasp. “Hey, hey, Y/N it’s me. Remi, it’s Tim. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Wide eyed, you let his wrist go and sit up. You wiped your cheeks, clearing the tear tracks from them as you sniffled. “I… I um- sorry. I didn’t even realize-”
Tim shook his head, moving to stand. “It’s okay. I didn’t want to leave you like that…” He moved to sit next to you on the couch. “Do you want to talk about it?”
His voice was softer and more gentle than you’d ever heard it before. “It looked pretty intense. It might help.”
You looked him over, seeing nothing but sincerity and concern. But you could see the searching gaze, too, analyzing your entire being.
Suddenly, your hands are much more interesting than the perceptive blue eyes watching your every move. Swallowing, you crossed your legs and pushed yourself back into the corner of the couch.
“You don’t have to tell me, Remi,” Tim said softly as he picked Dahlia up and placed her back on the couch.
“No, no you deserve to know. After all,” you cleared your throat as you pet Dahlia, still avoiding looking directly at Tim. “You came all this way to talk. So… I’ll talk.”
He nodded, turning fully toward you to give you his full attention.
A moment passed and you stayed quiet, letting all of your thoughts come to you. When they did, you let out a soft, slightly raspy sigh.
“About six months ago,” you started, head tipping back as tears already began welling up in the corners of your eyes. “My team and I were raiding an abandoned factory. A drug trafficking ring was operating there, according to our sources.” A shaking hand threaded its fingers in your damp hair as your gaze fixated on the wall in front of you for a moment before going back to your lap.
“When we got there,” your teeth bit down on your lip to hide its tremble, “we managed to get a few of them. The um… the decoys, the fall guys – whatever you want to call them.” A bruised forearm wiped at your cheeks, smearing hot tears across them. “I… I spotted the head guy, their leader, ‘Umbrasyl’. I notified Burke before taking off after him…”
A quivering breath rattled your chest as more tears slipped down your cheeks. You didn’t bother trying to stop them now.
Sniffling, you continued. “I caught up with Umbrasyl, called for back-up after I had tackled him to the ground. It was a struggle to get him into handcuffs. He squirmed and managed to get us flipped-” You shook your head, waving a hand and scoffing a little. “That part doesn’t matter. What mat-ters…” your voice broke but you kept going. “What matters is that I was so caught up in getting him in cuffs, that I didn’t notice the dead-man’s switch he was holding.”
You didn’t even have to look at him, you could feel Tim’s body go rigid at the detail. But he stayed quiet, letting you finish.
“He was unconscious and I had him in cuffs, that’s all I saw until it was like the air itself was still before the world shook.” The next inhale you took made Tim cringe. It sounded like air rushing through broken glass, raspy and no doubt painful. “I was close enough to feel the heat but far enough away to not be hurt by the explosion.”
You wiped your tears again, frustrated that they wouldn’t stop simply because you wanted them too. Tim gently nudged you, a tissue pinned between his fingers. You gave him a small, but grateful smile as you took it. “Thanks, Bradford…”
His heart clenched at the sight of your face. Purple bruises broke up the red splotches on your cheeks. Tears and snot dampened your skin. Your lips looked irritated and chapped.
This wasn’t the headstrong officer he saw in the shop with him, nor the peaceful civilian sleeping on her couch. This was a heartbroken woman in front of him.
He managed out a soft ‘of course’, and his hand came to rest on Dahlia’s lower back – keeping it in reach in case you might need it.
“I didn’t even wait for other officers to get there, I turned and ran back into the building.”
You must have heard Tim’s thoughts before he could say anything because you were answering his unasked question.
“My team was in there… I wasn’t going to just watch.” You set the now used tissues aside and rubbed your face. “It was hot… It was so hot, Tim. I didn’t know if my blood was boiling from my adrenaline or the flames, but I didn’t really care. I had to get my team out…”
“And did you?” Tim felt like he knew the answer, but decided to ask anyway.
You nodded, clearing your throat as you adjusted your position. “Some of them. I got Riley out and Cunningham was running inside to get who he could… Only Riley and I made it out fairly unscathed. When-” Tears coated your words. “When I went back to get the others, the building collapsed. More flames and embers kicked up into the sky. Fire was on the scene and managed to get Cunningham and Nguyen out. But their injuries… they won’t be in the field ever again. And the rest… the rest of my team didn’t go home that night.”
A sob finally pushed past your lips, but you cut it short and looked at Tim. “All because I wasn’t careful…”
Silence sat in the air for a moment. Neither of you knew what to say after that. What could you say?
Tim decided to break it with a deep, disappointed sigh. Rubbing his face, he spoke. “I.. I’m so- Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it… I had no right to say what I did yesterday. It was out of line… Especially knowing what happened-”
“You’re right,” you said, voice cracking and dry. “You didn’t have a right to say that to me.” You bit the inside of your cheek and sighed. “I look up to you, Tim. I do. So what you think of my work as an officer means a lot… I also know that I worked my ass off to be where I am. But when you said that I was dangerous for what I did to get that suspect yesterday and that I could have gotten other people hurt–”
“Y/N-”
You held up a hand to cut him off. “I get it, Tim. I really get it. What I did was risky, I know that. But what you said… it hurt, a lot. Because I think about that night everyday. Every. Damn. Day.”
“I never would have said that if I knew…”
“I know. Except, I understand why you did, Tim. And while I was hurt by it, I knew you were coming from a place of leadership, a place of looking out for your fellow officers – your friends.”
Tim nodded, confirming your statement. “I was. And I was just… your sudden switch to patrol made me nervous. But I could have phrased it differently. My tone towards you, no matter the circumstance, was unacceptable. And for that, I am sorry. You were right, you deserve more respect than I gave you.”
You gave him a gentle smile and nodded, “Thank you. For your apology and helping me out today.” You held out a hand, “To better tomorrows?”
He smiled and took it. “To better tomorrows.”
hello loves, i hope you enjoyed this! especially you nonny, if you're still hanging around 😅 it took a lot long than i meant for it to to finish this -- but i wanted to make something i was proud of that fit the request. i did take a huge creative liberty in why tim and remi didn't really get along but i still hope you like it!
if you did like it please let me know! whether it be a like, comment, reblog, or send me letter letting me know how you feel! keep it kind and respectful, love y'all!
taglist: so um... it's been a while since i've posted a fic so please forgive my lack of a taglist. if you like this and want to be notified when i post a fic or moodboard please follow me here -> @vinnys-recordcollection
also thank you to @teacupsandtopgun and @startrekfangirl2233 for beta-ing this for me, love y'all 💜
#awful yesterdays#tim bradford x reader#tim bradford x swat!reader#tim bradford request#request#the rookie#the rookie fanfic#sarahsmi13s
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"scream my name" || jeong yunho
your soft bedroom painted in pastel yellow with small, scented candles littered around the room, it is enkindled by your night lamp gives a soft aura. though with the softness and warmth it gives, the opened balcony doors, the thin layer of the curtain sways on the cold wind of November.
the glowing room drapes around your canopy bed, a small roof to support the curtain of your bed to helps you protect from the blood-sucking insects.
yet, inside the canopy bed, outlines a body hovering something, a shape of a woman's leg can be also seen, opened wide as the image of a rope tied around her ankle that is held by the poles of her canopy bed. the bed squeaks each time the silhouette moves back, and fort and the sound of breathless moans echoes the room.
"f-fuck yeah! So good!" you heard the man above you groan, moving his hips much faster than a while ago. you were gripping the sheets above you as you squirm underneath him as he kept his cock in and deep before moving once again, snapping his hips into a harsh thrust-- the sound of his skin and yours smacking plus your sweaty glands added to the arousal sound.
"fuck faster yunho! fuck me! fuck me so good! " tipping your legs wider with his angry and veiny hands had you screaming as he used his thumb circle your clit aggressively. your hands were no longer gripping the sheets but clawing on his toned stomach.
hissing at the way your nails dug on to his skin but loving the effect afterwards, you look up to apologize but you were only met with a mask. a scream mask. his sweaty naked torso glistening just under the small light of the night light and the moon outside, yet it made your pussy ache for more, more of his cock and more of him
"s-sorry ... you were just -- fuck! fucking me so good!" you heard him chuckle underneath the mask. you whimper when his fingers run down your own figure, twitching, pulling and slapping your boobs multiple times before you echoed his name as you came undone.
shaking and panting, yunho continue his actions. his hips never faltering and you were slowly losing your mind on how insane his stamina is but who you were kidding? he had been going for the past hours and made you cum more than five times and you can feel the wetness of the bed outlining your body as he had made you cum, squirt [mostly squirting since he love how those juices leave such scent on his dick that it got him addicted].
the tip of his cock always nudges that spongy spot inside you that made you see stars. his grip from your waist down to your thighs were burning yet when his hands were suddenly on your neck, gripping it tightly, blocking your airway (but enough to make you still breathe) has you seeing heaven and back.
as yunho continue thrusting his cock out of you while having one hand on your neck, giving it a squeeze as the other runs up to his face to tilt the mask up, up to his head to reveal his sweaty panting face.
the sight of him, mouth slightly open while multiple of sweat dripping down his forehead to his eyes, to his eyebrows-- everywhere including his hair that were sticking ( so hot ) on his forehead.
you were so dazed and focus on the sight of him before you heard him chuckle, the raspy and deep chuckle of his made you bite your lip in anticipation, "what?"
he leans down, removing his hand on your neck to place them each side of your head, eye-contact with you so intense that your pussy clenches. it made him hiss but maintained the eye-contact.
"keep looking at me like that and i'll keep making you scream my name more."
#ateez#ateez imagines#ateez x reader#ateez fanfic#ateez scenarios#ateez hard thoughts#ateez smut#ateez hard hours#ateez yunho x reader#ateez yunho#ateez yunho scenarios#yunho smut#jeong yunho#jeong yunho x reader#yunho x reader
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Mission Control 1
Warnings: non/dubcon, violence, stalking, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.
My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.
Character: Captain Hydra
Summary: a man marches into your life on a mission
As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️
That day, the bus is mostly empty. It's only you, an eldery couple, and the driver. The ebb and flow of traffic slows the wheels as the driver passes by vacant stops. You watch the pavement roll by between patches of grass.
The dulcet ride lures you into a calm even as your pre-work nerves buzz. You hug your bag in your lap as the driver stops and the doors open to let in another passenger. The axel squeals as the vehicular behemoth pulls away from the curb.
You continue to watch the city as the new rider strides between the seats. You sense their shadow loom closer and closer. You expect them to claim the empty seat across from yours. Instead, the sit right next to you. It's an odd choice given the few passengers aboard.
You fidget and make yourself smaller. You turn your head straight as you try to see the stranger from the edge of your vision. They're big. Broad enough that their arm presses to yours even as you try to shrink into yourself. Tall too, his knees against the row in front of you.
He sits rigidly beside you. Uneasy at his proximity, you fish into your side pocket and slide free your phone. You open it aimlessly, tapping habitually on the crossword app you play at work in the low times.
The solutions elude you as your mind can't detach from the man crowding you into the window. Why can't he sit anywhere else? You look around at the unclaimed seats. He stays as he is, stiff, straight, unmoving.
You close out of the came and lock your phone. You clasp your hand around the device as you hug your bag once more. Your other hand toys with the little pom pom that hangs from your zipper.
The bright bus signs pass by. You're stop is coming up. Now is the awkward part. Getting the man to let you out.
You pull the cord to signal your intent but he's already on his feet. You glance over and thank him softly, a brief glimpse at his face. A scar ripples from his hairline, through his temple and angles down his cheek to his jaw. His eyes are a bold blue and his nose finely cut despite the large blemish.
He stands back as you grab your bag and sidle out. You go to the doors. He follows.
Huh?
He grips the yellow bar behind you, his large hand gripping as if he might crush the metal. You stare at his knuckles and the bus jerks to a stop. You nearly fall off your feet. The man catches you by your hip with his free hand.
You set your feet and cough out another thanks. Embarrassed, you slap the doors and they open. You scurry off and the men once more trails after you. As you veer towards the mall, he waits until the bus takes off and crosses the street. With him, your suspicious leaves.
You're frazzled as you enter work. You don't know why. You just... are. Something about that man sticks with you. Even if he never said a word, it felt like he was trying to tell you something.
You clock in and try to shake it off. His face flashes in your mind. You can't place what seems so familiar about him. You would remember if you met him before. How could you forget?
You go to the counter as Layton talks with a customer about the new seasonal blends. The tea shop has its peak times, especially as winter approaches, but it's one o clock on a Tuesday and that's never very busy anywhere.
You greet the next customers. Two girls interested in the cold brew pots. You show them what you have and explain the store's points card. The buy a sampler and nothing else. Typical.
Layton finishes at four. The traffic picks up once he's gone. You don't mind as it keeps the time moving. It peters out as the dinnertime rush fills the food court. You can hear the crowd from around the corner.
You set to wiping down the counter and putting away the few stray canisters left out. As you turn back, you have to swallow down a shriek. You didn't hear the man over the mall's top hits playlist.
You hesitate as your eyes meet. It's him. The man from the bus. You blink and press your lips together.
"Hello, uh, how are you today?" You ask.
He just stares. No answer. No sign he even heard you.
He's in all black. Boots, jeans, cargo jacket. He stands like a soldier. You part your lips again, "are you looking for anything in particular? Today we have our apple crisp chai as the sample."
He still doesn't react. Not more than his eyes falling to the nervous twiddle of your fingers on the counter. Your scalp prickles and your nape burns. If he keeps this up, you'll have to phone security.
He raises his hand to reveal a familiar object. It's the fluffy pom pom from your bag. Your brows pop up, "oh? Thanks. It must have fallen off."
You reach for it and your mind races. As nice as it is to return the key chain, you can't help but wonder. How did he know where to find you?
As you grasp the soft ball, his other hand comes up and snares your wrist. Your squeak and try to pull back. You're stuck in his grip.
Your eyes round and flick up to meet his. His gaze bores into you and at last, his stony expression cracks. He smirks, the scar on the side of his face paling as the lines around his eyes deepen. He releases the keychain and grabs a fistful of your hair.
"Ow!" You squeal and yank again.
He rips your hair out at the roots and you exclaim again. Hets go of your arm and you hit the shelves behind you. He nods and spins on his heel, clutching the handful of your hair.
You whimper and rub your head as your scalp burns. Your eyes water and your lip trembles. You just gape at the door. What just happened?
#captain hydra#steve rogers#dark steve rogers#dark!steve rogers#steve rogers x reader#series#drabble#mission control#mcu#marvel#avengers#au
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mom oc with paige? she can be the one who stepped up but once they get alone it gets smutty
paige bueckers x mom!oc
nsfw // really long, porn with plot, takes place when paige is in the w (year 3 in LA), stepmommy paige, soft!dom!paige, sub!oc, fingering, dirty talk, nipple play, some soft smut and very sweet fluff!

saveareaves_






liked by cameronbrink22, nikamuhl, and 24,061 others
saveareaves_ fits gotta stay hard even in 100° weather 🙂↕️
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stormreid flyest mom ever 😮💨 liked by author
user1 hey so how about you stop gatekeeping that camera roll and give us a photo of you and paige and zion 😅😅 just a suggestion!
paigebueckers Featured 🙂↕️
╰ saveareaves_ always 💋
cameronbrink22 zion’s little hand 🥹
╰ saveareaves_ can’t keep her hands to herself lol
jujubballin 🤩🤩
user ur tan lines… savea you want me dead????
azzi35 i can’t wait to see you guys 😣
╰ saveareaves_ soon my girl ❤️🔥
Savea huffed lowly as she set her wax stick on her vanity, gently tugging her jet black hair into a ponytail at the top of her head, slicking it to perfection before dropping her hands and rolling her shoulders. Her two and a half year old daughter, Zion, sat on the carpeted floor near her feet playing with a unicorn plushie gifted to her by Savea’s girlfriend.
When Savea first met Paige, she was 23 years old and Zion was around a year old. She had just gotten out of an extremely toxic relationship with her child’s father who was ultimately out of the picture immediately after they broke up, and not looking for any type of relationship.
But Paige was simply different. She was very patient with her, understanding that Savea still wasn’t used to being treated as amazingly as Paige treated her nor was she used to communicating her feelings and emotions. But it was very easy to fall for her because Paige was an amazing woman who genuinely wouldn’t hurt a fly.
When Savea took that next step in introducing the athlete to her daughter, Paige practically fell in love all over again. Zion, though very young, was still a complete carbon copy of Savea. From her eyes to the shape of her nose and even her smile.
There was nothing the woman loved more than watching Paige become a parental figure to Zion. Caring for her when she woke up at night, to bringing her back gifts from every single road trip. She even went as far as having designated time with Zion every Sunday (yes, even when she was on the road), no excuses.
They were currently getting ready for one of Paige’s games where the Sparks would be playing the Valkyries in a California classic. It was the first home game back from all-star break and the game was heavily marketed, mostly because of the Sparks biggest stars in Paige, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson going up against Paige’s former UConn teammates Azzi Fudd and Nika Mühl.
Savea was excited, not only because of the atmosphere, but being able to meet some of her girlfriend’s favorite people in person (finally) was something she was looking forward to.
“Mommy!” Zion’s voice ran through her ear as she picked her up off the floor, holding her to her hip as she grabbed her bag and other necessities all at once.
“Yes, Z?”
Zion brought her little hand up towards her face before gesturing towards the unicorn on the floor. Savea chucked before bending over and picking it up, handing it to her daughter.
“Thank you, mommy.”
“You’re welcome, my baby.”
***
Shuffling the excited toddler into the car and keeping her entertained throughout the ride to Crypto.com Arena was definitely a bit of a struggle, but once they got closer to the arena Zion settled a little bit.
Her cream colored kitten heels clicked against the yellow hardwood floor, while Zion ran by her feet.
Paige wanted them to show up a little before shoot around so she could meet everyone before the fans started to pack the stands. She had even made sure the two were able to get into the family and eat something before the game, it was very considerate of her and Savea made sure to thank her for it later.
“Paigey!” The little girl screamed, spotting the blonde in a courtside seat finishing up a conversation with one of her assistant coaches. An iPad between them as they looked at film.
She looked up, pushing back the flyaways of her slick back bun. She opened up her arms, leaning forward towards the end of the seat. “Hey, babygirl!” A grin so big it reached her eyes she she picked Zion up in her arms.
The little girl’s short arms wrapped around her neck while Paige peppered her cheeks with kisses. Savea smiled from her spot a few feet away, adjusting the Marc Jacobs bag on her shoulder.
“P, look!” She yelled, fingers pointing to the white shirt Savea styled her in with Paige’s face on it. “D’you like it?”
“I love it, Z! Thank you so much.”
Paige had brought her attention away from Zion’s shirt, listening to her talk about her day with her mom as she walked up towards Savea. She was fairly shameless in the way she sized her up. The black backless shirt with gold jewelry complemented her carmel skin wonderfully. Her cheetah print pants sat beautifully low waisted on her hips, and face done up to accentuate her already goddess like appearance.
Savea noticed, calling her closer with her forefinger before planting a short kiss on her lips.
“Hey, ma. You good?” Paige asked, disappointed that the kiss she’d been thinking about all day only lasted for a few seconds.
“Mmhm.”
“You look good.” Her girlfriend complemented. Her hand briefly went to cover Zion’s eyes with her hand before she jokingly, and dramatically, bit her lip. She mouthed something a little too nasty because Savea’s jaw dropped and she hit the blonde’s arm with a force she didn’t even know she had.
“Ow! Z, mommy just hit me!” Paige pouted.
“Mommy, don’t hit her!” Zion frowned, crossing her arms on her chest and Paige stuck her tongue out in victory.
This is what she regretted about introducing the two. Paige was literally a six year old trapped in an adults body. The two together was like working at a daycare. Savea reluctantly apologized, rolling her eyes at Paige when her daughter stopped glaring at her with her adorable brown doe eyes.
“Okay, so,” Paige started. “I have some people who really really want to meet you, is that okay with you, Z?” She asked, running her fingers through Zion’s curly hair. Azzi and Nika were just walking into the gym from their side of the arena, their lavender colored warmups slowly approaching the group of three. The child curled into Paige’s chest, looking to her mom for some sort of support.
Savea nodded. “It’s okay! We’ll go with you, princess. Don’t be scared.” She smiled, instating some confidence into the little girl’s heart.
“Okay.” Zion mumbled, reaching for her mom and Paige allowed the other woman to take her from her grasp.
***
“But I thought you wear yellow and purple?” Zion yawned as she looked up at Paige slightly confused.
It had been a little over two hours after the game had ended. The match up living up to its expectations. The Sparks had thankfully came out with a two point victory 88-86 thanks to a game saving block by Cameron on Nalyssa Smith in the last few seconds.
Paige had played great, and both Savea and Zion nearly lost their voices cheering for her. A 29 point game coupled with 10 rebounds and 6 assists, a few steals and a memorable block added to the stat sheet as well.
The blonde sat on the carpeted floor of Savea’s LA Apartment. Zion sat soundly in her lap, taking sips from the warm milk Paige had provided her to get her to sleep, it was definitely a little past the toddler’s usual bedtime. After getting back from the game Zion could not stop talking about how cool she thought Paige’s job was, so her bedtime story hearing about and looking at memories from Paige’s career up until now. Pictures from when she played at Hopkins, to when she held that National Title trophy over her head during her last year at UConn. (a/n: manifesting)
“Well I do now, but I used to wear white and blue for a very long time.” Paige explained.
“I like blue.” Zion Yawned again, and Paige took the sippy cup away from her little hands.
“I know you do.” Paige laughed, wiping the dribble of milk that fell from her lips. “I think it might be bedtime for you, princess.”
She didn’t miss the frown that spread across Zion’s face, “I don’t wanna!” She whined, shaking her head viciously and burying herself deeper into Paige’s hold. “Please, Paigey?”
Paige very clearly hated telling Zion ‘no.’ She felt like the words should never even form on her tongue when talking to the little girl, but it was past 11:30 at night and keeping her up longer would only be a recipe for disaster come morning time. “It’s late, baby girl. You gotta go to bed.”
Savea could sense her daughter getting frustrated, so she walked over. She sat on the sofa that Paige rested her back against. Her hand subconsciously slipping to cup Paige’s cheek. “Z, let her put you to bed, okay? You got all day tomorrow to do whatever you want.” She reasoned.
Zion looked over to Paige, her frown turning into a smile when she stood up on her thighs and wrapped her arms around her neck. “One more story? Please!” Dragging out the ending sound, Zion eagerly jumped up and down.
“Okay! Okay, one more, that’s it.” Paige gave in. “But we’re going upstairs.”
“Thank you, mama.”
Paige’s brows furrowed for a few milliseconds before her head shot up to look at Savea. The expression on her face was incredulous. Savea simply shrugged, a matching smile on her face.
“Did you just call me, mama?” Paige asked, returning her attention to Zion.
“Sorry, I won’t—”
“No. No! Don’t apologize, princess. Of course you can call me that. I’d love it if you called me that.” Paige reassured. She held Zion close, probably closer than she’d even realized.
Savea didn’t fight the smile that formed on her face. She was very stingy with who she allowed around her daughter, and rightfully so. When she had first introduced Zion to Paige she had only hoped that Paige would be around for a long time, not only to protect her heart but Zion’s as well. This was even more than she had expected. It was heartwarming and she was so grateful to be able to watch the two’s relationship form into what it was now.
***
Savea finally made her way to her bathroom after watching Paige hold Zion to her chest and take her into her bedroom. This was another thing she loved about having the athlete around, she didn’t have to do it all alone. She was able to take time for herself in ways she wasn’t able to do before.
She had gotten out of the shower, body clean and smelling of her Vanilla body wash. Her favorite rose colored night robe on her body as she finished the rest of skin care routine. A few knocks on her door got her attention.
She tugged the door open to reveal her girlfriend. The blonde stepped into the brightly lit bathroom, her arms immediately wrapping around Savea’s waist and pulling her close. Paige tucked her head into the woman’s neck, “You smell nice.”
“Thank you! It’s that new body butter you got me.” Savea answered. Her hands dropped to hold onto the arms around her waist. Paige still had on her outfit from the game. A simple white graphic t-shirt that had the sleeves cut off; she was obviously in the mood to show off her muscles tonight. Her baggy light wash jeans clung low to her hips, the band of her Calvin Klein’s peaking out. “You played good tonight, it was kinda hot.” She changed the subject.
Paige’s lips puckered, pushing a kiss to Savea’s neck. She was soft with it, teasing as she looked into her eyes through the mirror. “I had a baddie sitting in the box, I had to show out.” She joked. Savea rolled her eyes at the cockiness that ran through her body.
“Okay, Jordan Poole.”
“I’m serious! You shoulda seen her, baby. She got a pretty smile, body on a whole different level, she was cheering me on the whole game too.” Paige continued, she slightly rocked the two side to side as she spoke.
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhmm, definitely a MILF. Shoulda seen her.” She teased. Paige kissed Savea’s neck again. Her hand moved to the silk string of her robe, playing with it but not tugging the robe open. “She ain’t got shit on you though.
“At all?”
“Nope. You just do something different to me. Can’t ever be replicated.” Paige said. She gently turned Savea around so she could look at her pretty face up close. Her eyes raked her girlfriend’s body, her tits just barely peaked out of the top of the silk cover up. The curve of Savea’s hips, though, was probably Paige’s favorite. Her skin was decorated in pretty stretch marks that she always made sure to show extra love to.
Savea puckered her lips, teasingly sticking them out for Paige to finally kiss them. Connecting them in a gentle kiss, Paige cupped Savea’s cheeks in her hand as she kissed them repeatedly. Savea let her, shoulders relaxing into Paige’s comfort as she melted into the kiss.
Paige’s tongue pushed slowly between her lips. It was a feeling and a taste she would never get over, even after these last couple years together. Savea tasted like candy, like hot chocolate on a snow day, like ice cream. So familiar and sweet.
Paige moaned softly and it spurred Savea on as she sucked dangerously on the pink muscle. Paige kisses back harder, the only signs of breathing being the short sounds of air leaving her nose.
The blonde pulled back delicately, pressing her pink lips to Savea’s cheek, then her jaw, and finally on her earlobe. “Sav?”
“Hmm?” She responded.
“Can I take this off?” Paige gestured towards her robe, tugging on the lace hem with the tips of her fingers.
Savea nodded, eyes going wide and eager. “Please.”
Her slender fingers untied the knot that kept the frail fabric together, watching it fall open around Savea’s body. Her breasts round and decorated with her hardened nipples and ridiculously sexy tan lines. A low whistle left Paige’s mouth as she continued sizing her up.
“You’re fuckin’ gorgeous, baby. My God.” Paige exclaimed. Her hands traveled up to Savea’s tits, cupping them before they moved to her hips. “Take these off.” She instructed. Her fingers snapped the simple navy colored cotton underwear against her hips. Savea reached to pull them off until the pooled by her feet and Paige took it as an opportunity to take off her white shirt, leaving her in a black Nike sports bra and her jeans.
To say Savea’s gawked at her body would be an understatement.
She stood practically drooling. Her abs were so defined and the muscles on her arms unintentionally flexed with each movement she made. The sight alone was more than enough to have her soaking wet between her legs. She squeezed her thighs together, hoping to alleviate the pressure there.
“Babe, I don’t think you understand how bad I need you right now.”
“Show me then.”
Savea’s legs slightly parted, giving Paige room to step closer and stand between them more. A hand gripped her waist while the other trailed from the center of her chest and down her stomach. Savea rested against the counter, her palms flush against the cool marble sink when Paige ran her middle finger through her folds.
The slick pooled on her finger, catching her by surprise. She brought her finger to her lips, licking her girlfriend’s precum off of it before licking her lips.
“Hiding that from me all day, Sav?”
“Paige c’mon.” Savea breathed out, her head lolling to the side where she looked at Paige teasingly. A pout gracing her face.
She wanted more and Paige could tell, so her finger slipped inside slowly, gently parting her folds and brushing her walls with the long finger. Savea took a deep breath following that with a bite of her plump bottom lip. Her fingers were good company while Paige was busy, but they never did the job as well as her girlfriend did.
“Shit, you’re already dripping?” Paige groaned at the sight.
“You don’t know how sexy you look when you play.” Savea defended, but her mind was elsewhere, namely the slight rake of Paige’s long finger moving inside of her. “Been like this for hours, P.”
“You think you can take another?”
“Two more. Fuck, I’ll take three more. Just fuck me, P.”
Paige was never one for making her woman wait, so she nudged her clit gently with her ring finger. Her hand stilled before pushing in the second finger followed by the third. Savea’s insane wetness made it easy.
“You’re so tight, Sav.” Paige mumbled, dragging her fingers in and out at a dangerously slow pace. Her lip tucked between her teeth while she watched Savea’s body writhe. “You like that, baby?”
She nodded in response, a moan mixed with a whine leaving her pouted lips.
Paige’s head traveled to her girlfriend’s chest. Her lips kissing gently on it before traveling to her tits. She grasped one in her hand, tongue slowly peeking out of her mouth to lick Savea’s sensitive nipple. Paige did it again, but this time softly biting on the flesh. Her fingers started speeding up, the thickness of the three combined with the sucking on her tits made Savea’s eyes roll.
“Ha— Paige. Oh fuck, just like that.” She whimpered. Her hand cradled Paige’s head, fingers tangling into the long blonde hair. Her head fell back as she gripped onto the edge of the sink with her free hand. “Feels ‘s good.” Savea praised.
Her girlfriend’s lips continued with opened mouth kisses across her skin, tongue teasing her nipples and soothing the hickeys that formed there. The pace Paige had set for herself was dreadfully slow, teasing that one spot over and then slowing down before speeding up again. She pulled back from Savea’s chest, biting her bottom lip while she moved.
“You’re so pretty, Sav.” Paige complemented. Her arm began to sting, her muscles tensing from the increased rigor. Her middle finger curved just slightly and Savea’s head shot up with a shade of pink accented on her cheeks. “Oh my God, listen to that.” Paige fired. The wetness of Savea’s cunt was doing unimaginable things to her, soaking her boxers without a doubt.
“Baby,” Savea started. Her hand darted down to her clit, but Paige pushed the hand away.
Her need for control was so apparent. Her tall and muscular body towered over her menacingly and Savea craved it. She lived off of that feeling.
“Let me get you right.” Paige groaned as she pressed her thumb to the woman’s clit. She applied a steady pressure to the nerves, rubbing tight circles over it. “Fuck you just like you need it. You’re takin’ it so good, mama.”
“It’s so fucking—sensitive.” Savea gasped.
She raised in volume, and although the feeling was otherworldly, she still had her child sleeping in the room next door. Her hand pressed to her mouth to silence her growing cries.
Paige’s fingers pressed against her spot over and over and over again. The curling of her fingers hit that gummy spot and made Savea’s legs nearly give out on her. Her stomach was doing summersaults and the knot tightened.
“Let it go, Sav.” Paige instructed. “All down my hand, let that shit go.” Her veiny hand peeled Savea’s palm from her mouth. Paige’s lips hovered over hers, nearly touching but not yet as she breathed in all of her girlfriend’s breathless pleas. “Let me hear you.”
“‘M so close.”
“I know, Ma.”
“You’re so deep.”
Paige smirked at that, pushing her hand further until a squeal escaped Savea. “I’ll go deeper. Just need you to cum. Make a mess on this floor, go ‘head.”
“Paige!” Savea hiccuped, a groan leaving her lips as she steadied a hand on her broad shoulder. Eyes glued shut and mouth agape as she approached her climax.
“Look at me, love.” Paige spoke softly. Her hand slipped to the back of Savea’s neck, refocusing her attention.
Savea’s eyes blinked open, a glassy look on her brown eyes. Her body was on fire thanks to Paige, she knew her like the back of her hand. The blonde hit her spot with ease, repeatedly pushing at her button and rubbing her clit simultaneously until Savea’s legs shook and she gripped her shoulder with an electric force as she came.
Her jaw fell slack, her moans coming out as more dragged out breaths. Her chest heaved, and Paige’s eyes remained glued to her, even after she broke their eye contact. Her cum pooled in Paige’s palm, the sticky substance coating her hand and Savea’s thighs.
The athlete took another step forward to connect their lips, her fingers gently slipping out of her cunt. “I love you.” She spoke in between short pecks.
“I love you too, P.” Savea whispered back.
Her arms finally draped around her shoulders to hold her close, and Paige’s wildly exhausted ones fell together at Savea’s hips. They stood like that for a while softly shifting side to side while Savea caught her breath. Her head fit perfectly in Paige’s neck, inhaling the scent of her cologne that still managed to stay on throughout the night. Paige’s clean hand drew circles on her lower back, muttering soft, sweet nothings into her ear.
“Paige?”
“Yeah?”
“I know I say this all the time, but I really am so thankful for everything you do to help me out with Z.” Savea’s voice was low, she nearly drifted off to sleep right where she stood. “None of it goes unnoticed.”
“Baby don’t worry about it. You’re my family, I’m just doing my part.” Paige spoke into Savea’s hair. This was her life. Sure she got to play the sport she loved and the fame and attention that came with it was an added bonus, but she had Savea and Zion. Her motivation to keep going, even when she hated going to the gym in the morning. She had a family. “Oh my God, she called me mama today.” Paige finally realized.
She couldn’t fight the smile that formed on her face even if she tried. Savea nodded from her spot in Paige’s neck, giggling like a child when she looked up into her girlfriend’s bright blues.
“I know! You should’ve seen your face.” Savea pointed out, and just like that Paige was joining her in laughter, holding her lover close by while she talked.
And when their night came to an end, after they took a shower (yes another shower for Savea) and the girl returned the favor to Paige in said shower. After all was said and Savea fell asleep in the strong arms of her lover, Paige closed her eyes with a smile on her face. Thinking of her girl, and their little family.
paigebueckers posted a story !
tagged saveareaves_
authors note so so so cute, thank you anon! domestic paige is my favvvvvvorite but i thought it would be weird to write about her like this while she’s still at uconn idk.. so LA PAIGE (💔)
#kalena’s works ୧ ‧₊˚ 🍵 ⋅#sierrale8ne#paige bueckers#paige bueckers smut#uconn wbb#wlw smut#lesbian#oneshots ✧˖°ʚ🍓ɞ♡#rqs 🐆
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This technically applies to my Stepmother AU in which Alicent is around six years older than Rhaenyra, and occupies a wicked stepmother role as opposed to ex ‘friends-to-first loves-to-enemies’. Despite lacking the foundation of shared girlhood, both find simultaneous comfort and rivalry in one another, and undergo a gravitational pull. A young Rhaenyra’s eagerness to participate in swordplay and political affairs at a young is accommodated for, and she grows up with a sword in one hand and the weight of experience in another, which further helps pave her way to the throne.
Alicent’s Costuming
Alicent’s clothing is almost entirely bottle, emerald, or forest green. While there is layering present in her skirts and jackets, the accent should always be a darker green than the base color. The fabric is deep, rich, and retains an undeniably high-quality luster. Look to velvets and silks. Gold embroidery lingers around her sleeves, neck, and hemline to elevate the coloring.
Metallic embellishments should be almost military-like, and appear heavy. Contribute to the imagery of chains or shackles in addition to her status
Draws inspiration from historically accurate stiffness and Victorian shapes, with a tapered waist, imposing, puffy sleeves, and a high neckline. Despite inaccuracies, this shape is evocative of someone elegantly and conservatively feminine, repressed, and capable of exerting power over others. Reference a classic, trussed hourglass shape. Skirts should be notably heavy and full; may make noise in movement
The coloring and shapes remain relatively consistent but lack variation; this is to demonstrate a lack of freedom and exploration, as well as an adherence to conventional feminine roles
Despite these limitations, her costuming should always be put-together, coordinated, and unquestionably fashionable. Tight sleeve cuffs may be accompanied by a more traditionally medieval fan sleeve
Shoes should stick mostly to slippers, or flat designs
In this AU, her hair leans more towards a dark brown instead of auburn, as her show counterpart. This is mostly due to faux-book accuracy and to simplify the sketch process, since keeping her hair darker in comparison to Rhaenyra’s lighter hair translates more easily in uncolored renderings.
Keep her hair either in a tidy bun or pulled back and loose; avoid too many intricate shapes, braids, or styles. Occasionally, the hair will hang loose. Lean into medieval or royal headpieces, clips, coverings, etc.
Rhaenyra’s Costuming
Rhaenyra’s clothes are primarily black and red, occasionally accented or substituted with neutrals such as beige, white, or gray. Exceptions may include blue or yellow, but she generally stays in this color palette.
Strong focus is drawn to her shoulders and neckline, sometimes with embroidered or embellished detailing. She often has strong, angular shoulders in her dresses or jackets, occasionally theatrically pointed. Off-the shoulder necklines emphasize her collarbones and a certain broadness.
There should be decent variety in her clothing; there is a hypothetical outfit for every occasion and more (for battle, for riding, everyday, formal, feasts, everyday, etc.), and most should be composed of multiple pieces and utilize generous layering. This includes under-fabric, belts and corsets, jackets and doublets, draped fabric for aesthetic purpose, and even functional capes.
Most of her clothes should provide visual aid for movement; additional fabric to her skirts, for example. Her clothes should be highly stylized but still easy to move in. In riding and battle gear, it is presumed that she wears pants and boots under her skirts, even if they are not visible.
Shoes lean more into boot cuts, still practical but should have a sleek and uniform quality to them. When she walks, she should make some kind of noise. Shoes should usually be black or potentially red, the latter for decorative purposes.
Overall her style should be more contemporary and lean into the fantasy element. She’s not opposed to oriental details or showing skin, and her costumes should reflect both couture-height drama and period-reliant aspects. Longer lines and diagonal hems mean she is not as devoted to an hourglass shape, and her high collars should always be decorative in some respect.
Keep her hair long and mostly loose, sometimes pulled back. Small braids should be implied as incorporated. Occasional hairstyles feature complicated braids. With the exception of highly decorative braided styles, simple buns should be avoided unless accompanied with very high necklines.
Avoid headpieces that are not either a) her crown or b) ceremonial.
#rhaenicent#rhaenyra targaryen#alicent hightower#house of the dragon#hotd#rhaenyra x alicent#asoiaf#my art#thinking about how their character and costume designs are so communicative and are designed with each other in mind. for example havijg bc#the strong shoulders and embroidered necklines keeps them connected although imo they could’ve played around with it a lot more#I just have a lot of thoughts about them ok
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Perler Flight Banners!











Made the first of these when I made the flight flags a bit back (my flight, Light), and figured it was a good time to make the rest of the flight banners and share the designs! To the best of my ability, they're also to scale with each other, so I think they'd look pretty good if you wanted to make the whole set and put 'em on your wall or something.
Sort of also for Dergtober's first prompt ("Flight"), but uh, ran into that thing with trad media where sometimes you run out of materials, ha! This is also why they're mostly not fused (Ice and Water share most of their mid/light blue beads, for example).
(Crafting info after the break!)
First off, all of these are either 17x34 or 19x34 (these squares are 17x17 on their own). They fit fine on the larger squares, but my big squares happen to all be either bright red or bright yellow, and don't show off the colors very well. They almost all use transparent beads for structural reasons- if you want to cross-stitch these, the transparent beads are fine to ignore! I was just making them so they could theoretically hang on a wall.
Colors used (my best guess, not gospel! I get most of my beads from kits/mixed bags, and they don't always list the color names :/ )
Light: Cream/Créme, Yellow, Cheddar, Transparent
Lightning: Copper (metallic), Robin's Egg, Parrot Green, Glitter Blue, Turquoise, Transparent
Fire: Black, Cherry, Orange, Cheddar, Neon Orange, Transparent
Arcane: Pearl Pink, Cheddar, Raspberry, Pink, Light Pink
Plague: Red, Cherry, Raspberry*, Pewter, Brown, Kiwi Lime
Earth: Brown, Light Brown, Pewter, Dark Gray
Ice: Robin's Egg, Pastel Blue, Gray, Dark Gray, Toothpaste, Light Blue
Shadow: Pastel Lavender, Purple, Dark Gray, Pewter, Toothpaste, Transparent
Wind: Kiwi Lime, Dark Green, Bright Green, Yellow, Rust, Red, Transparent
Water: Denim, Turquoise, Pastel Blue, Parrot Green, Teal, White, Marshmallow, Pastel Yellow, Transparent
Nature: Olive, Bright Green, Kiwi Lime, Dark Green, Marshmallow, Cream/Créme, Transparent
(* I used Raspberry on Plague's flag because I ran out of Cranberry. Cranberry looks WAY better, but like... mismatched didn't work at all. I highly suggest using Cranberry in place of Raspberry in all places it occurs on the design!)
Another color note- when you fuse metallic beads, the shiny stuff makes a lil halo around the bead's center hole. For Lightning, since they have wires/chains on their banner/support, I figured it would work fine, but you could swap the Copper beads out for Rust and it would look good enough, I think. You do lose the shiny factor doing that, though.
A couple of these extend off of the side of the boards; better to use a bigger board for them if you have one (or like, if you have a third 17x17, sticking it to the side of the others and scooting the entire design over a peg would also work!)
As is very visible on the Light banner, it's really easy to get a faulty fuse where the boards meet. The trick where you put masking tape/painter's tape on the back of the beads before ironing (the OTHER side, and then take the tape off to iron its side, to be clear) helps a lot on multi-board fuses. You don't have to poke holes in the tape, but I find that doing so with a ballpoint pen or what have you can help a lot with keeping the beads from moving around, etc.
Happy crafting- if you end up making any of these, please ping me (or um, whatever I'm supposed to call it... still don't quite know how this site works) so I can see!
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Bruce definitely knows his way around make up. It's almost a requirement since he needs to cover up any bruises he receives as Batman and it's also incredibly versatile for cover identities. And of course he has to teach his kids these skills too.
Dick was soo happy learning about make up from Bruce. He remembers the clowns in the circus applying big swatches of white on his face before drawing all kinds of colors on after and then he'll go around telling jokes and juggling.
He also remembers the performer make up his mom and dad would put on before the show and asks Bruce if he could put it on him too. It's very bittersweet but Dick manages to not cry, less he ruins Bruce's hard work and his family's iconic red, green, and yellow swirls.
Jason is more apprehensive about make up. He's seen the way his mom used to try covering up her unhealthy complexion before giving up. He also thinks of the make up the street workers use, all those colors and glitter used to lure men in like angler fish.
But Bruce and Dick make it fun, spending an afternoon putting on ridiculous bright lipstick and laughing at crooked eyeliners. In the end Jason decides to stick to mainly covering up bruises but he can now appreciate the effort put into it.
Tim's make up lesson start as less fun and more educational. Bruce teaching him how to color correct and apply just enough to cover up anything suspicious. Then Tim points out the big box of make up and Bruce teaches him to change his appearance with just some highlighter, contour and foundation.
Bruce is convinced that the lesson is enough until he finds Tim hunched over the make up box at four am preparing for some undercover mission for Young Justice. So he take Tim and helps him completely transform, including a wig and colored contacts. Tim first tries to convince himself that the joy of getting to completely change appearance at will just comes from the baffled faces of his teammates, but in the end he admits that it's genuinely fun.
When he tries teaching Steph she tells him that she already knows how to do that. Normal make up bc she's a teenage girl who isn't afraid of expressing herself and covering bruises through hiding Spoiler from her mom. Of course Dick and Tim hear her and egg decide the only way to settle the better make up artist is through a contest. The three categories are no make up looks, better application (sharper eyeliner, cleaner lipstick etc.) and recognizable make up look.
In the end Steph has to admit defeat and let Bruce teach her, but not without demanding he buy her make up from the same high end brands he gets his from.
Damien is surprisingly open to learning the art of make up. He sees it as another skill for his disguises and brags about his already proficient skill in it. But when Bruce offers him to teach him 'normal' make up he hesitates. Still, a little teasing from Tim is all it takes for him to agree to it.
So while Bruce explains all the different products Damien notices the little bottle of khol in the box. When asked Bruce explains that it is indeed the same brand Talia uses and he teaches Damien how to use it.
Teaching Cass make up is as unconventional as everything else the girl does. She's seemingly uninterested in blush and concealer but still listens to the explanation. It's only when Bruce sees her try to draw a flower on her face with black eyeliner he stops and gives her free reign of all the colorful eyeliners, eye shadows, blushes and lipsticks he has.
He mostly let her experiment outside of showing her proper placement and application and even lets her put whatever Cassandra fancies on his face.
With Duke is a learning experiment for both but Bruce is nothing less than prepared. Still it's quite different from the others, since they start the first half hour just deciding which foundation color matches Duke the best.
Bruce is first impressed by Dukes flawless skill, until he realizes it's too perfect and get the teen to admit to using his powers of light to auto correct everything. He also convinces Bruce to do some Batwing and Black Lightning inspired make up on him.
All the kids wonder separately and as a collective where Bruce had learned his make up skills. They all have different theories and conspiracies but none of them ask Bruce. It's not that pressing and imagining increasingly situations of how Bruce would acquire the skill is too funny to end it with the reality.
But if they ever were to ask, Bruce would gladly tell the how Alfred once cleared up an afternoon for the two pf them when Bruce was still little and taught him how to hide his bruises he got from fighting school bullies.
That lesson quickly derailing like all the ones that Bruce held for his kids, even putting on make up on Alfred like they did with him. After all, Alfred was an actor for quite some time and he'd allow himself to be the subject of some theatrical and absurd make up if it meant to see his little boy smile again.
#dc comics#batman#bruce wayne#dick grayson#jason todd#tim drake#stephanie brown#damian wayne#cassandra cain#duke thomas#alfred pennyworth#batdad#batfam#batfamily#batkids
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𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬




summary: how you and rafe got started <3
author's note: if i could stop losing my brain cells over rafe cameron for a minute that would be great but i can't so here it is <3 this is mostly cute but in the shea cinematic universe this establishes the beginning of what can only be a hopelessly codependent relationship <3 more parts to come! also none of this would be written without the surge of inspo i get from reading every single one of @princessbrunette's posts but in particular this one, this one, and this<3 one!
now spinning: one of the girls by the weeknd & jennie

Rafe’s always thought you were cute.
Cute, he’d think to himself in passing, on a hot summer day when he was getting ready to take beers from the fridge and go find the boys at the country club. He didn’t need to steal anything, the waitress at the club always gave him whatever drink he asked for, but he just felt like taking them from the house today.
You were dawdling around the house with a bored Sarah, all dressed up with nowhere to go. Sarah was texting on her phone, likely engaging in a virtual fight with Topper. He’d feel bad, but the two of them did it to themselves. You were at the counter with Wheezie, leaning on your elbows while the two of you discussed something. He didn’t really care, until he met your eyes for a second.
Cute. The way you met his eyes and then looked away, face heating up. You were in a bikini and a coverup, probably waiting for his sister before spending the day on the beach or at the pool. The cover up was white and see through, covering everything to the point where no one could see anything but the faint yellow of your bikini underneath.
Leaning on the counter, when you looked away, he got a glimpse into the top of your dress. He could make out little yellow flowers on the material of your bikini and the outline of your tits squeezed against each other.
He grabbed a beer and opened it with his back tooth, spitting the cap out on the counter next to Wheezie’s book.
“Ew, Rafe, get your spit molecules away from my book.”
“Who reads in the summer anyways? You should be glad for my spit if it makes you stop.”
“It’s my summer reading, Rafe, not everyone can just skip their assignments and get away with it.”
“Please, what have I skipped?”
You and Wheezie turn to look at each other and start laughing. He cracks a smile too, unexpectedly.
“Actually, it’s a great book. You’re missing out, Rafe,” you say, with a smile gracing your face, and he realizes he’s never actually heard the sound of your voice. You’ve maybe said hi to him twice, and both times Sarah had dragged you away within seconds. You even sound cute. His name on your tongue sounds even cuter.
“Really? Maybe I need to give it a try.” You laugh again, meeting his eyes this time.
“You can’t have my copy, I already put my annotations in this one-“
“Stop yapping, Wheeze. I’m not gonna take yours.”
“Actually you have a copy in the library upstairs. I borrowed it last summer.”
“Really, kid? Wanna come find it with me?”
Your face heats up so much you turn away. He smiles then, and he smiles again when you follow him up to the library.
“This one is fantastic too, it’s about this young girl in England-” your voice continues to describe the plot of the book in your hand. You shelve it and then your eyes immediately land on another, another classic, another favorite. You ramble off the description but Rafe’s hardly paying attention.
He’s trying to recall when you had become so cute, so pretty. He thinks he’s never noticed you after you walk away with Sarah, or when he walks away from you two lounging on pool chairs, your nose in a book like always.
This is different. When had you become so irresistible?
Your pretty hair falls down your back. It sticks to your neck when the two of you are outside in the sun, in the heat. He has an urge to lick the sweat off just to see how you’d blush and feel how you’d squirm. Your eyes are warm and bright, but you’re still too shy to meet his blue ones, even when it’s just the two of you.
And it has been. Just the two of you, recently, almost all of the time. Sarah’s always off with her stupid friends and Wheeze is at home doing her summer work.
The two of you travel to every ice cream parlor in the eight in the next few weeks. Conversation comes easily, even though you have nothing in common. He hasn’t picked up a bag from his dealer since he started talking to you, he realizes. Hasn’t felt the need to get high.
You’ve never even smoked weed, much less snorted coke. You’ll drink at a party with Sarah, but not too much, and you always end up being the sober friend holding back the vomiting girl’s hair. At the bonfire that he invites you to, your eyes keep darting around, seeing if anyone needs your help.
Rafe moves so he’s standing right in front of you, blocking your view.
“Hey, kid,” he says quietly, leaning in. You’re boxed in, with Rafe and only Rafe on your mind. The clean, attractive scent of his cologne. The way it lingers on his clothes, like the button up you’re wearing over your pink dress.
He picks up the red cup in your hand and places it on the log beside you, balancing his beer next to it. His hands are cold from the bottle but you don’t mind much. He takes your wrists first, holding them in place, and then slides down so your hands are touching.
“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” You were looking down at the hands, where the two of you were connected, but his voice makes you look up. He’s looking at you, and you want to hide your face. Your fingers twitch beneath Rafe’s grip. He holds on even tighter. “Don’t look away, princess. We gotta work on that, huh?”
You feel your face heating up at the nickname. You wish you were home so you could scream into your pillow.
“Sorry, sorry,” you scramble, trying to look up but you can’t find the strength or the will.
You’re embarrassed. Of course you are—this is Rafe, and you’re just you. Rafe is the one you’ve had a crush on since you knew what crushes were, and you are still the awkward little thing you were the first time you met him.
His gaze burning holes through you makes you want to run and hide. Because this is Rafe, and right now you’re one of his girls. The ones Sarah’s complained about the whole time she’s known you—they get too attached, act all clingy, and then are replaced before long.
You hear Rafe’s quiet laughter. You’re still boxed in, feeling hot and clammy even though he’d given you his button up not thirty minutes ago because you felt cold.
“What’re you saying sorry for?” You look up quickly, and then look back down. Then Rafe’s hands leave yours, and he holds up your chin until you’re looking right into his eyes. “Hmm?”
You feel like puking.
“I-I just, well I just-”
“You just what?”
“I don’t think I can be, um, be one of your flingy, uh fling-type girls. So, you know, maybe all of this isn’t a good idea.”
“Fling-type girls?” he questions. He’s holding back a laugh, which makes you irrationally upset. You shove hard against his chest to free yourself from the cage of his arms.
“Yes, your fling-type girls. You have a new girl on your arm every week, and everyone knows it, and I refuse to be one of them, because it’s just embarrassing and dehumanizing,” he watches you ramble on. He smiles, but you don’t notice. “And frankly, I deserve better than that.”
“Are you done?” You glare back at him.
“Yes, and not because you said that. I was done anyway.”
“Good.” Your face drops for a second, thinking you overstepped and totally overreached regarding his intentions, but then Rafe surprises you—he leans in and kisses you.
You weren’t expecting a playground peck, but the way he’s kissing you completely surpasses any and all expectations (and fantasies) you’d dreamt up. His grip on your hips is hard, and his tongue is almost down your throat. It’s messy, and wet, and when he pulls away, there’s strings of spit connecting you to each other.
You should wipe your mouth before anyone sees, but you don’t. Your heart is racing, and you can barely speak, much less move.
“If I wanted you to be one of my girls, I wouldn’t have spent the last three weeks listening to you blab about books and buying you ice cream. You’re gonna be my only girl, and that’s that, okay?”
You nod dumbly—words and motions still not quite back yet. You feel flushed. People’s eyes are on you both.
“Now, do you wanna head out and go get a cone?” You nod again. “Good girl. And watch your mouth.”
#eeeeeee#im so nervous about this#anyways if you liked it lmk <3#the characterization is hard fdsjnajfnj#rafe cameron#rafe cameron x reader#outer banks
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Oughhhhhh I was napping again (I dont normally by it's been a long week) and the sticky rice strikes again but this time as a dish that does not exist that wasn't so damn baaaaaaad :(
Just woke up from a three hour snooze and I would kill for a warm plate of lightly seasoned sticky rice to eat with my hands rn but alas that is not available.
#like i barley remember the flavor that wasnt what was important#what really matters was that there were two parts to it. the bed of sticky rice and the “sauce”#i say sauce tantativly we're really blurring the line of what sauce is here#you ate the dish by taking (with your hands) a glob of the rice or the sauce (dealers choice) and sticking it to a glob of the other stuff#and then cramming it into your mouth and oh my fucking god it was so good#the “sauce” was so thick and smooth like maybe if you whipped cream cheese but not that fatty it was so soft#and there were other actual sauces that were drizzled on top of it and mixed in a little that were just holy fuck so good#i think one of them tasted a bit like hot sauce (the dish was spicy i remember this now) but there was also a yellow one and like maybe a#one that was like a really smooth bean dip or something#anyway i would kill to eat it real im so fucking devistated i cant right now#and also in the actual dream i was eating with a bunch of friends. we ordered food from a shit ton of restaurants and all of it was so good#and also chase and cameron from house md were there and acting all lovey dovey but in the dream i had still watched the show so like i knew#they would get divorced later so it was kinda awkward...#but i was mostly about the food#i would kill to eat my imaginary dish pleaseeeeeeeee#jjj4
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High Enough (Without the Mary Jane)
summary; 'in every other universe, gwen stacy falls for spider-man. and in every other universe, it doesn’t end well'. you don't want to be a mary jane anymore.
or, in which you were the mindy s. mcpherson to miles's prowler
pairing(s); e-1610! Miles Morales x fem!reader, e-42! Miles Morales x fem!reader (r is referred to with she/her pronouns, no physical description.)
warning(s); fem spanish terms are used ('hermosa' etc.), reader’s hand is smaller than Miles’. author can’t write action sequences for shit.
may be ooc but we haven't seen a whole lot of p!miles yet so there isn’t really much to go off of
implied/mentioned parental issues with reader, not proofread, written (mostly) at ao3 hours
a/n; according to google the sinister 6 of e42 are doc oc, vulture, electro, rhino, sandman and scorpion, although i've seen some other ppl say that the eastereggs are vulture, rhino, scorpion, sandman, shocker, kraven and electro. i'm going w the google one, maybe kraven and shocker are their own thing. also they're prolly rich aholes since their signs are on buildings n stuff, so that's what i went with.
also reader was sent to earth 42, but like, a few days before 1610 miles arrives, kind of like how gwen was sent to 1610 a week before she found miles
Miles — or, who you assumed was Miles, anyway — took you back to his place, going out of his way to avoid alleys where there weren't many people around and sticking to the bigger streets. You found it kind of weird. Back home, you and Miles used to cut through backstreets and even some sketchy buildings all the time to make it home before curfew.
You felt him steal glances at you the whole walk, and you’d be lying if you didn’t do the same.
This version of him just felt so.. different.
Once the two of you reached your destination, he let you up the stairs first before quietly calling for you to stop once you reached his floor. You hesitated for a moment on the steps. It was a higher level than Miles’s flat back home, and the building had looked a lot different from what you’d seen just half an hour ago, even if it still felt familiar. You’d chalked it up to the multiverse doing multiverse things at first, but he was starting to act a little off.
Having been around your Miles for years, you knew all his tells. You could see how his weight shifted on his feet as he unlocked the door. You could see he was overall standing straighter and more tense. You could see the hesitation before he turned the key.
Miles was lying to you. And he felt guilty.
But what were you going to do?
This universe was new to you. Sure, everything seemed just about the same, but it was all so foreign at the same time. There where skyscrapers you’d never seen before, new graffiti on the streets of the same couple people over and over again - all of whom you were sure you’d seen somewhere before but couldn’t quite grasp where. The sight of buildings blocked by yellow tape and more in the process of repair after seemingly being burned down or blown up were common in this world, like it was an active war zone or something.
You really didn’t have a choice but to follow along.
He opened the door and waved you in, closing the door rather hastily after the both of you.
You took a glance around the room. There were metal bars on the windows, to keep people out or trap them in you couldn't quite figure. There was a DJ setup near them that looked awfully familiar. Hooks hung down from the unfinished ceiling, some holding chains and others oddly shaped items haphazardly wrapped with what looked like brown lunchbag paper. Wires and ventilation just about everywhere, most of the wires leading to either monitors or gadgets you assumed were in the progress of being built. An old, beat up couch and some gym gear by the wall, an open kitchen-slash-workshop area straight ahead.
The only source of light was the neon red from the signs outside the window, and even then the farther bits of the apartment remained a dark purple hue.
Then someone came out of the other room.
“What's this?”
The hell—?
From the shadows, Aaron Davis emerged.
His beard was more grown out then you'd ever seen, and his features looked sharper, almost rougher. His shoulders seemed more broad, though maybe that was the heavy jacket he wore making him look bigger than he actually was.
“¿Tío?”
Miles had taken you around to his uncle's a couple of times, which you now realized was why you recognized this place. Aaron raised an eyebrow at you, surprise flashing across his face before it was quickly wiped out. He looked over you, taling in your appearance.
“Miles.” He asked again.
“I dunno,” the boy replied, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets and avoiding his uncle's gaze. “Just found her on the way home.”
“Found her?”
Aaron glanced at you, then back to Miles, then back to you, his eyebrows furrowed in either confusion or frustration. He finally looked back at his nephew, the two of them having a silent conversation you couldn’t read.
“…Fine.” Aaron sighed, turning around—
You felt like you were dying, or being born, or possibly both at the same time. For a split second, you were nothing but particles, your skin and bones and just about everything being ripped apart then sewn back together. Your vision was a mix between TV static and rapid fire neon colors, and it was about the same deal with your hearing (which was concerning, since you couldn't usually hear colors).
Miles had taken a step forward, letting you grab his arms to keep you from falling over as he said something you couldn’t quite hear. Aaron had whipped around so fast you wondered how it didn’t give him whiplash, fists at the ready in case he needed them.
“What was that?” Miles’s voice finally got through to you, the high-pitched screaming in your ears dying down. You blinked at him as your mind went blank.
“I don’t—” You cut yourself off. Wait, was it..? Had you just..?
“Complete cellular decay.” You recalled Miles’s countless retellings of the multiversal mess that had happened just about two years ago. “I’m glitching, aren’t I?”
“Right, and you know this because..?” Aaron asked, his hands now at his sides but not eased yet. He eyed your face as if he was expecting you to grow a third eye or something. Honestly, you couldn’t blame him.
“Okay, so, this might sound crazy,” You started, “but I’m from another dimension.
“We had something like this happen back home a while back — except, y’know, people came into our dimension rather than people from ours going somewhere else.
“The people that came, they were glitching, too. Their atoms were displaced and decaying.”
“So you’re saying,” Miles spoke up, his grip tightening around your forearms just slightly. “If you stay here too long—”
“I’ll die, yeah.” You said, the reality of the situation hitting you like a KTX. “Disintegrate, to be more accurate.”
Silence filled the flat as all three of you processed the information. Miles was frozen, his gaze fixated on the spot where your hands grabbed onto him as if he was scared you’d disappear if he looked away. Aaron crossed his arms, his eyes darting from left to right like he was reading some invisible text.
As for you, you felt unreal. Your body didn’t feel like your own anymore, your vision more like looking at the screen of a first-person shooter. Were you going to die here? You didn’t want to die yet. What would your dad think? Would he file a police report? Would Miles’s dad send out a search party to look for you? And Miles—
You hadn’t even said goodbye to him at the party.
You hadn’t said goodbye to anyone.
I don’t wanna die I don’t wanna die I don’t wanna die I don’t—
“Hey,” Miles says, his voice softer than earlier, snapping you out of your spiral. His hands slide down your forearms and slip into your own, giving them a firm squeeze. “No vas a morir.”
You’re not gonna die.
“Te llevaré a casa.” The boy said, his deep brown eyes bore into yours, slowly bringing you back from feeling like you’re looking at a video game to feeling more like you’re lucid dreaming. It wasn’t a total fix, but it’s a start. “I’ll get you home, I promise.”
You took a deep breath, trying and failing to ground yourself more.
“What’s five things you hear?” Miles asked gently, tilting his head and leaning ever so slightly closer to you. You just blinked, overwhelmed with everything.
“Mi vida,” he said again. “Five things.”
You paused for a moment.
Sirens outside.
Yelling from the streets.
Chains clinking in the breeze from the open window.
Aaron shuffling around in the other room. When had he left?
The buzzing of the lights overhead.
“Good.” Miles said encouragingly. “Now, four things you see.”
Miles.
A pan on the kitchen stove.
The DJ table by the windows.
Tio Aaron pulling out the couch to make a sofa bed.
“Three things you can touch here.”
Miles.
The ground if you bent down, you guessed.
Some trinkets on the table just over there, but you’re not gonna touch that.
“Two you can smell?”
Rusted metal. There’s tons of it around; on the walls, the ceiling, tables, even on the shelves. What was that chest plate doing back there, anyway?
That pool smell, which is kinda gross since it came from the chlorine in pool water mixed with all the gross stuff that came from human bodies.
Miles smiled as you said that. “Vuelves a mí, mi sol.” He squeezed your hands again. “One thing you can taste.”
“I dunno, soda? We had a ton of it at the party.” You wiggled your fingers. It was like you were stepping into your body for the first time — nothing was a perfect fit just yet, like a pair of knitted gloves with too much room at the ends of the fingers. You’d have to get used to it again.
It’s then that Aaron called Miles over, the boy reluctantly leaving your side and following his uncle to the other room. He told you to make yourself comfortable on the couch before he went, though, so that’s exactly what you did. The spring cushions feel oddly comforting under you, the familiarity of home twisted just slightly out of proportion.
There’s really nothing to do alone here. You tapped your fingers on your leg. Thankfully, Miles and Aaron came back after just a few minutes.
The first thing the boy said to you, “I’m gonna get you home.” A firmer, more certain repetition of his promise from a minute ago, albeit there’s a bit of a strain in his voice as if it physically hurt him to say it. In a clumsy yet swift motion, he quickly leaned down and kissed your cheek before making his exit rather hurriedly.
You felt the heat rush to your face, your hand coming up almost immediately to touch the spot.
Aaron chuckled and shook his head.
“So,” he said. “You as smart as she was, too?”
-
You tinkered with the gauntlet of a prototype suit that Aaron had dug out of storage somewhere, the man himself working on the main body. The helmet — or was it more of a mask? It was a bit bulkier than Miles's Spider-Man mask, a bit more tech-y. Probably more similar to an Iron Man helmet, now that you think about it, albeit lower in its level of advancement — was plugged into one of the many monitors strewn about the flat.
You'd managed to pry a couple bits of information out of him for the past few hours (during which you hadn't glitched again, thankfully) in exchange for some of your own. So far you knew that this universe’s Jefferson Morales had passed away a few years ago, prompting Miles to take on the mantle of the Prowler to avenge his father’s death — the details of which he stayed frustratingly vague on — and, later on, to keep the city as safe as he could.
“Wait, wait, who’s your Spider-Man, then?”
“Who’s Spider-Man?”
You blinked in confusion. “What? You don’t have a Spider-Person?”
“What, like, a part-spider guy? Nah. Scorpion’s mostly bug though, that count?”
This dimension didn’t have a Spider-Man. That was why the city was so overrun with bad guys.
You gave him a general rundown of the whole ‘radioactive spider’ thing and moved on.
Your own variant, who was Miles’s best friend and had helped make a lot of his gear, had disappeared a while after the Prowler started taking out some bad guys that were a step above villain-of-the-week, the ones who had all sorts of shady connections. Hearing about your presumed death was a strange experience.
“We know they took her,” The older man had said, jamming his screwdriver into a faulty part of the suit. “But the cops are all in on it ever since the Cartel bought ‘em out. Declared her dead after less than 24 hours.”
Oh, speaking of, apparently there was a team of villains bringing Gotham to life in New York, Brooklyn being the heart of it all. How fun.
The Sinister Six Cartel, as the Bugel had dubbed them, was the one Aaron and Miles believed to be behind your variant’s disappearance. The two were certain that the Cartel had worked out a connection between you and the Prowler. The nail on the coffin was when they sent a body double of you in the Prowler’s direction to mess with his head just a couple months ago, complete with some sort of Face Off style mask that made it possible for the fake to look exactly like you. It was only a day or two before Miles figured out it was a setup, but it had shaken him up pretty bad.
“I thought you were another one.” He’d admitted. “But then you did the whole glitchy thing. Looked horrible, by the way, real nasty. It hurt much?”
“You have no idea.”
In return, you told him about home. You told him how Miles’s dad was up for a promotion, practically Captain already. You told him about your Miles’s art and how he made a mural of him after his death. You didn’t go into too much detail about the ‘death’ part, focusing more on the peaceful aspects since it was so clearly missing from his every day life. You couldn’t really read this Aaron Davis that well since he was more guarded than he had been back home, but you could tell he appreciated it; especially the parts about his brother.
You also told him how Miles and the other Spider-People who were sent to your dimension had worked out a solution to fix their situation, and gave him a brief summary of the whole ordeal, the details of which he texted Miles since he hadn’t given you a chance to tell him about it when he left so hastily. He said something you couldn’t quite make out as he did — you caught the words ‘lab’ and ‘property’, but that was pretty much it. He only waved it off as nothing when you asked him about it.
“How’s my dad?” You asked, pushing your hand into the gauntlet to test if it worked right. It was a near perfect fit, which made you wonder who exactly it was for, since Miles’s hand was bigger than yours. “Is he doing okay? After the whole ‘declared dead’ thing?”
“He’s holding up, just like the rest of us,” Aaron replied, checking on the monitor. “Your mom — her mom’s been sticking around. Grief brings people together and all that. They’re trying therapy.”
A weird feeling bubbled up inside. While it was good to know at least one version of your parents were trying to reconcile, it bothered you that your absence had prompted it. Was that what was happening right now back home? Had your disappearance magically brought your parents back together? Had it even been long enough for that to happen, or did time flow equally throughout the multiverse?
…
Would it be better for them if you just didn’t go back at all?
“Oh.” You said, nodding slightly as you flexed and wiggled your fingers in the gauntlet, watching the way it moved. It was a lot thinner than the claws that adorned the Prowler’s hands from what you’d spotted here and there in the flat, built to be stealthier in the way it functioned. There were no clunks or clinks, just soft whirring noises that sounded almost like a cat’s purr. “That’s good, I guess.”
It was worse this time around, which you didn’t even know was possible. You felt yourself being split in a billion different directions, parts of you re-atomizing not quite in the right places. You’d never known the feeling of having space between where all your joints were supposed to connect, but now you did, and it honestly made you want to die. Not really. Well…
-
Miles came back sometime before dawn. You heard the door opening slowly, almost like he was trying not to wake his parents up as he was sneaking in past curfew. Not that he used the door ever since he could climb walls, but still.
He crept into his uncle’s flat, even leaving his shoes at the door so he wouldn’t make too much noise. He was making his way to the other room when he looked at you on the couch, only to flinch in surprise when he saw your eyes were open.
“¿Qué haces despierto?” He whispered, his shoulders tenser than earlier from the split second of adrenaline. “It’s late.”
“What are you doing that you have to sneak in?” You whispered back. The boy just shrugged.
“Oh, you know…” He trailed off, looking around to avoid your questioning gaze. “…Stuff.”
You rolled your eyes. “That has gotta be the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.”
Miles huffed, shuffling over to you and sitting down on the floor in front of the couch, facing you. “Yeah, well, I asked you first. Why’re you up, hermosa?”
You sighed. “Can’t sleep.”
“Why not?”
“Oh, I don’t know, the thought of my impending doom, maybe.”
A couple beats passed by without a word from either of you, a bit of awkwardness hanging in the air, though it was accompanied by a familiar sense of comfort.
“Do you trust me?” Miles asked, his hand reaching out to gently grab a corner of the blanket draped over you.
“Probably.” You replied. You hadn’t known him long enough to trust him just yet, as much as you wanted to. The corners of his lips tilted up just a bit in an almost smile.
“Then trust that I’ll do whatever it takes to get you home.” He said. “I already lost you once, I’m not letting that happen again.”
-
The next day was pretty uneventful. For the most part, anyway, if you don’t count the random glitching throughout. You were advised heavily against going outside since the Cartel had eyes everywhere, so your area of activity was limited to the flat. Miles had evidently snuck back out after your little talk the night before, which made you feel a tinge disappointed since you wanted to get to know him better. Fortunately, Aaron said you could help with the suit again.
The TV played in the background as you tapped on the keyboard, giving the helmet a few final touch-ups as the sun set outside the window. J. Jonah Jameson jabbered on about this week’s biggest disasters and lamented about how ‘if only there was a hero to save this city’, which made you snort.
“He’s gonna switch up real quick if a hero does show up,” You remarked to Aaron, who looked at you questioningly. “The guy hates Spider-Man back home.”
“What, Jameson?” He said, raising an eyebrow. “Nah, he’s the biggest Captain America fanboy out there. Loves heroes an’ all that.”
He thought for a moment. “Pretty sure Miles saw him at Comicon that one time too.”
“What’s a Comicon?”
Unfortunately, you never got the answer as you heard the lock on the door slide open. You spun around in your chair to greet Miles as you knew he was supposed to be coming by sometime in the evening, but your friendly smile quickly faded as his expression turned to one of shock, catching a glimpse of what the two of you were working on.
The boy froze as he stared, wide-eyed, at the suit. “Tio,” He said, looking at Aaron as he clenched his jaw. “What’s that doing out?”
“She needs a suit.” The older man answered simply.
“What?” Both you and Miles asked, though you could tell it was for vastly different reasons.
“We need to get into Alchemax to get her home, and we can’t do that unless she has protection.”
“Which is why I came here to make a plan!” Miles shouted, his hands moving animatedly, the way your Miles's always did when he got upset. “Eso, eso no le pertenece. ¡No es para ella!”
They had a back and forth as the pieces came together as to why Miles was so upset.
The suit was supposed to be for you.
His you.
You were, essentially, fixing up a dead girl's clothes to wear.
“The Cartel isn't stupid, Miles,” Aaron tried to make the boy see his point. “Even if we somehow made a distraction big enough for the big ones to leave base, there's still gonna be someone left to guard it. Would you be able to live with yourself if she got hurt? Or worse—”
“Don't.” Miles's nails dug into his palms, leaving dark cresent moons in their wake. Aaron sighed.
“If she got hurt, you'd feel like that's on you. If you got hurt protecting her 'cause she doesn't have anything to protect herelf with, then I'd feel like that's on me.” He said, his features softening as he reasoned with his nephew. “This is the best bet.”
“We could build her a new suit—”
“And take what? Couple days? A week? Two weeks?”
He glanced at you, Miles following his gaze towards you as well. You knew what was implied. The only people you knew this happened to had gone maybe over a week before the glitching became a real problem, and they were superhuman. Who knew how long you had?
“She can wear mine. We have a ton of old ones, I'll just take one of those—”
“I'm not gonna let you get hurt for her, kid.”
“Don't call me that.”
They went back and forth for a while, and eventually Miles went to the other room to cool off and think things through. Aaron sighed, wiping a hand across his face.
“No offense.” He said to you.
“None taken.” You replied, not really knowing what to do. It felt wrong for you to be tinkering with something that was so clearly not meant for you, even if it was for a variant of yourself.
You could hear Miles pacing the other room, muttering to himself.
“Maybe I could...” You trailed off.
“You could try talking him into it,” He suggested. “He'll listen to you more than me right now.”
“...Should I, though?” You couldn't even begin to imagine what Miles was feeling. All this multiverse shit was too damn complicated.
“Look, kid, I know it's weird.” Aaron said, shoulders sagging just a bit. “But this—” he pointed to the suit— “is the best way to make sure no one gets hurt. Trust me.”
There was something he wasn't telling you, but he didn't have to for you to know what it was. Miles thought you were alive, somewhere out there. You knew it was entirely possible that he blamed himself for your disappearance, as it was your own version of him's go-to for anything and everything that went wrong. The shadows under his eyes, that look whenever he saw you... you wondered how many nights he'd spent outside, looking for some trace of you, a new lead to follow. Especially since your arrival.
Aaron thought this was the best chance Miles would ever get to let go of you. To get some sort of closure by sending you home.
“…I'll try.” You finally agreed, getting up from your seat and shuffling to the other room. You hesitated before going in, but the lack of a door made it awkward to linger, so you just bit the bullet and walked inside.
The room in question was more of a faux-veranda (which explained the no-door thing); a long, narrow space separated from the main living area by a sheet of drywall, with one of the wider walls filled with shelves of CDs and albums and the other decorated sparingly with old band and movie posters along with Miles-brand stickers.
“So...” You said, fiddling with your hands as you took a look around the area. You gestured at one of the stickers on the wall. “Did you make that?”
Slowing to a stop to face you, Miles nodded, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket.
“Cool.”
You both stood there in silence for a moment, you working out what to say and Miles trying to come up with some other solution to the problem. The boy had an unhealthy obsession, that much he knew, but he just couldn't bring himself to let go of it. Not when you could be out there, just waiting for him to find you.
“I don't want to push you,” You started hesitantly. “But.. I think your tìo may be right.”
“I know that.” He looked at his feet as if the dirt on his shoes was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world, the sight of him reminisent of a little kid getting scolded by his mother. “I know that.”
“I can't say I understand.. whatever's going through your head right now,” You said, taking a step towards him. “But he just wants what's best for you.”
“What's best for me is finding—” He cut himself off when his eyes met yours, frustration and confusion and stubbornness and sadness and who knows what else all mixing into a big mish-mash of conflicting thoughts inside of him. He clenched his fists, tilting his head up as he tried to think clearly. To his dismay, his throat closed up, the familiar sting of tears pricking at his eyes.
“I need to find her.” He muttered, putting a hand over his eyes in an attempt to stop his tears from falling. It didn't work. “I need to find you.”
“And you will.” You were sure of it. Aaron and Miles were both so sure that their you was alive... she had to be. “But right now? Right now, I need you to help me out.”
He looked at you, his gaze almost spaced out for a moment. You wondered if he saw her in you — if she had the same haircut, the same eyes, the same accent...
You could tell he was frustrated by the way that the scrunch above his nose wouldn’t go away. Hesitantly, you reached out, wiping away the tracks stray tears had left on his cheeks. He stiffened for a moment.
“...Fine.” He finally muttered, a hand coming up to grab your arm, though he seemed unsure if he wanted to push it away or pull it closer. So he just held it in place, his thumb brushing over the inside of your wrist, the edge of your palm. His posture relaxed, just a bit. “Okay.”
-
Two days later, it wasn't too dark when the plan set into action.
Security at Alchemax — once belonging to Kingpin, now in posession of the Sinister Six Cartel — was thinnest sometime around six to seven pm, when dinner breaks, shift changes and the checkout of regular scientists were prominent.
Miles and Aaron had each set up time bombs at multiple smaller warehouses the Cartel used for storage, each coordinated to go off within minutes of each other. With little to no heroes or police in the way, the Cartel had no reason to keep their lesser important stocks well-guarded, which made it easy to sneak explosives into some of the shipments, support beams and pipes.
Once the explosions were set off, Aaron would use some rip-off Mysterio tech to make projections of some new vigilante gang, with each fake member leading the forces of the Cartel away from Alchemax. During this went on, Miles would sneak you in and to the Super Collider (which, surprisingly, had not been scrapped since its change of ownership) through the vents—
“Wait, wait, isn’t there like, a tunnel that can get us directly to the Collider?” You’d asked, remembering what Miles had told you when he first told you how he became Spider-Man.
“It got sealed off.” Aaron had said. “Some sort of supercharged electromagnetic thing. They did that with all the major underground entry points. Can’t shut it off without blacking out half of Brooklyn.”
“Or getting fried.” Miles had said. “The generators powering each point are all hooked up together a single system, como una mente colmena. You attack one of ‘em directly, all the others shoot a billion bolts of energy into you. And we don’t have time to hack into and get past the firewall to shut the thing down.”
—which you would navigate by memorizing a blueprint of Alchemax that had been conveniently leaked in a mass Cartel server leak a couple months ago. Miles would then plug in the goober he, Aaron and you had made using information gathered via Aaron's 'friends', and send you home.
It was a simple mission. Maybe a bit too simple, but you didn't really have much a choice when you were on a time crunch with limited information. Besides, Occam's razor.
“Copy?” Aaron's voice asked from your earpiece.
“Copy.” You answered, followed by Miles from his own communicator.
“A-6 is a go in 3.. 2...”
Boom.
A couple blocks away, a cloud of dust shot into the air. The building you and Miles were on the roof of shivered slightly as storage unit A-6 blew up.
“A-27.”
Boom.
“C-15.”
Boom.
From your vantage point, you had a clear view of what was going on at Alchemax without the risk of anyone down there catching a glimpse of you. You could see the non-combat scientists scrambling to get to their cars and the armed guards being led by weirdly dressed villains in the direction of the explosions. Although you supposed you weren't quite qualified to comment on the 'weirdly dressed' part at the moment, since you and Miles weren't much better in your respective suits.
Speaking of, Miles hadn't talked much ever since he first saw you wearing the suit. His responses were short if he even gave one, although you could feel him sneaking glances at you when he thought you weren't looking.
Miles fixed the gauntlet on his hand one last time before shuffling closer to you. “Ready?”
His voice sounded strange to you, his actual voice coming through your earpiece overlapping with the voice coming through his modulator.
“Mhm.”
“Going in.”
You hooked your arms around his shoulders and his arm wrapped around your waist, holding you tight as a grapple shot out of his gauntlet. He used it almost exactly like how Miles used his webshooters, although his actions were a bit more... forceful? Rougher around the edges, if that made sense.
As your feet left solid concrete, the city sped by underneath the both of you, a pretty blend of neon and gray. Your suit prevented you from actually feeling the air whipping by, but a fraction of the wind managed to seep through the cracks, sending a chill down your spine as your stomach dropped at the sudden decline.
For a moment, gravity seemed to disappear. The laws of physics no longer felt like they effected you in any meaningful way. Anything and everything that had been weighing down on you — this whole situation, Miles, demanding schoolwork at Visions, your parents and their myriad of problems — no longer held you down.
It was exhilarating.
Your 'flight', so to speak, was over almost as soon as it started. You tucked your legs as you reached the roof of the Alchemax building, separating from Miles and rolling to lessen the impact. Surprisingly, the move came quite naturally to you, even without practice. You chalked it off as something you'd learned when you were a toddler, when your mom used to sign you up for all sorts of extracurriculars. You were pretty sure martial arts or something had been one of them; maybe you'd learned it there.
Your heart pounded as the sudden rush of adrenaline faded away, and you found yourself wishing it didn't. The thrill was addicting, as was the freedom that came with it. It was like a rollercoaster, or watching How to Train Your Dragon in 4D for the first time, only a hundred times better.
Miles had never taken you swinging. He'd never exactly told you why, always brushing off your request with something like a 'maybe later' or 'I can't right now', but you knew why.
Swinging together was a him and Gwen thing.
And you were fine with that.
What, like you were gonna be jealous about something as small as that? Pfft. No way. Nope. Nada.
“¿Estás bien?” Miles asked, pulling you out of your thoughts. You nodded in confirmation.
The two of you pried open a vent using the gloves of your suit, which was easier than you’d expected it to be. To your surprise, the claws that extended from them were very useful.
“We’re in.” You muttered as you crawled into the duct, hoping Aaron wasn’t having any trouble on his end. He’d been awful quiet… Then again, no news is good news on a mission, right?
Miles crawled in after you. “You remember the way?”
“Yeah.”
Together you made your way to the underground levels of the building, miraculously avoiding any possible dead ends or mouse traps. That musty smell of mold and concrete reached your senses as you reached the deeper parts.
There weren’t many people at the Super Collider, thanks to the diversion and timing. Miles gestured for you to stay put as he swiftly dropped out of the vents, knocking out the few guards there one by one with relative ease. It was strange seeing him fight; so similar to yet completely different from him. You were doing as told and observing from the vents until you saw one of the last three people — a scientist, by the looks of it — sneaking up on Miles from behind while he was preoccupied with the two other guards.
You quickly dropped down from your spot, landing behind the guard and catching him by surprise as he whirled around with his weird-techy-science gun. Dropping to the ground, you swept your leg under his, toppling him over and knocking the weapon out of his hands. You were about to knock him out when—
“Peter Parker?”
Are you kidding me?
You were certain it was him. This Peter was scrawnier, his hair more sandy blond than Peter Parker’s back home (before he passed, anyway), and he wore thick, black-rimmed glasses that perched awkwardly on his slightly crooked nose. But the ID that read ‘Peter Parker’ in big bold letters around his neck was a pretty solid indicator.
“…Yes?” He almost squeaked out.
Meanwhile, Miles had dealt with the two guards, stepping over them to get to the console. “Sácalo y entra ahí.” He called, fumbling a little as he tried to figure out which buttons to push to fire up the Collider.
“We have a bit of a situation..” You said, pulling Peter up by his arm and dragging him to the console as well.
You gave him a hushed explanation of your unwillingness to hurt the guy, and how you believed he was genuinely a good person. After all, this universe was almost the same as yours, right? Peter Parker couldn’t be that different here…
“And besides, he probably knows how to work this thing. It’d be helpful.”
Miles sighed. “…Fine, I won’t knock him out,” He agreed. Turning to Peter, he asked, “How do you start the Collider?”
Peter gulped, everything in his body language screaming ‘I want to run away’. “You- you need codes,” He stammered out. “Approval codes, from—”
“Don’t care.” Miles cut him off, giving him a brief glance at the goober. “Just start it. ¿Lo pilla?”
Peter nodded hastily and got to work, pressing buttons and switching levers as you made your way down to the Super Collider. There was a catwalk that ran from one side of the machine to the other, connecting the two mechanisms. If you got to the middle of it, you could jump off and into the portal once the Collider was at full output. Sure enough, its huge metal plates clinked and clattered as they slowly sprung to life.
This was it. You were finally going home.
Just then, you heard a thunk along with some choice words in Spanish, and looked over to the source to see Peter out cold on the ground.
“He got to the panic button!” Miles said, scowling to himself as he plugged in the goober, praying that this plan would work out in the next minute or so. Bubble-like particles appeared at the two points of the machine that faced each other, the noise it emitted now making it so that you could only properly make out what Miles was saying through your earpiece.
The Collider whirred and sputtered as the bubbles grew bigger and brighter, eventually bursting into two beams of light that met each other in the middle, creating one big sphere with a bunch of little bubbles going in and out of it and surrounding it. The sphere grew larger and larger until it collapsed in on itself, sprouting thin, curvy lines.
The thing grew bigger and bigger until it was about the size of a person, you could feel it starting to pull you in. You just had to wait for Miles’s go ahead—
Ow.
What the hell?
You were suddenly sprawled on the ground, something having tackled you at what felt like a hundred miles an hour. That something — or rather, someone — skid to a halt just a few feet away from you, dragging a hand across the tiled floor and leaving… scratch marks?
Scrambling to your feet, you crouched in a defensive stance as you looked over the newcomer.
There wasn’t a single inch of skin showing, their suit covering the whole of their person. The suit in question was mostly white, with some gray sprinkled in here and there. It reminded you of Eve from Wall-E or a Stormtrooper, maybe a mix of both. Strangely enough, the mask was just a blank slate; a sleek, white panel with no features or details, kind of like one of those LED face masks.
Overall it was kind of… boring? It didn’t inspire fear nor did it seem very imposing or something of the sort, which you’d think would be a priority for a villain organization. If anything it was bland, the only thing that stood out from the suit being its hands which donned gauntlets that looked similar to yours, but slimmer and more polished, more accurately described as gloves rather than gauntlets. They had claws just like yours, albeit they looked sharper, a bit more gnarled.
“Miles?” You called, your heartbeat quickening. “What’s going on?”
You heard a grunt from his end. You didn’t look to see what was happening, not daring to take your eyes off of your attacker, but you guessed that backup from Peter’s panic signal had arrived.
“What’s going on?” Aaron echoed, his voice slightly fuzzy. Before you could answer, your attacker lunged. You managed to doge a full on body slam, but they grabbed your arm instead, using it to flip you over their body and knocking the wind out of you.
You writhed as you hit the ground, managing to rip your arm out of their grasp and landing a kick on their ankle, causing them to stumble. You took the opportunity to get up and put some distance between the two of you, though you didn’t get far before the lunatic started chasing you. They jumped at you again but you turned around at the last second, and as you were pushed back with their claws digging into your shoulders you kicked both of your legs out into their stomach just as your back hit the ground, sending them straight over your head.
“Tìo, get your nephew, now!” You shouted, rolling away just in time to avoid a punch that landed on the floor where your head had been just a second ago. “It all went to shit, get him out!”
The pull from the Collider was getting stronger, tiny scraps like bolts and papers flying through the air and towards the beam of light. You raced back to the catwalk but were once again stopped by the 29th century Stormtrooper. You yelped as you felt something grab the back of your neck, sharp claws piercing through your suit and digging into your skin as your head was thrown harshly against a metal beam.
And just like that, you were on the ground. Again. What was this, like, the third time? Fourth? Great. Just fantastic.
I’m not even supposed to be here, you thought, grabbing at your opponent’s wrists as their hands wrapped around your neck, slowly choking you. They were stronger than you were, faster, clearly more skilled. What were you thinking? You’re not a fighter — you couldn’t beat them, not like this.
Why was the universe so intent on making you miserable? You were just trying to get home, maybe not die. Not dying would be nice. But no. You couldn’t have nice things, could you? Not your own life, not Miles, your own damn parents were happier in a reality where you weren’t in the picture—
A sudden surge of anger made you lash out. The universe could go fuck itself. You weren’t dying like this. Not when your ticket home was right in front of you.
Your gauntlet caught your attacker’s mask, knocking it off.
You knew that face.
It was the same face that looked back at you every time you looked at a mirror.
Well, not exactly, you supposed. There was a certain roughness in her features, the same as how Miles looked different from Miles. But you’d know those eyes anywhere. But they were… what’s the word, fuzzy? Unfocused? It was like her body was on autopilot while her brain was off in Hawaii or something.
The thing you did next could’ve won you the prize for ‘smartest dumb decision of the year’.
In all your oxygen-deprivated brilliance, you retracted your mask.
It might shake her, was your reasoning. It would confuse anyone to see a doppelgänger in a fight.
Or, you know, it could go totally wrong and she could punch your face in. But you were already getting choked, so, what was there to lose?
And it worked.
Her eyes shifted back into focus as her grip slackened, and you quickly shoved her — or is it you? yourself? — off, gasping for air. You could vaguely make out the outline of a giant scorpion-guy going one-on-one with Miles, who seemed to be holding out pretty well. He was favoring his left hand though, when usually he used his right.
“I— wha—? Where—” You heard from your left. Your alternate universe counterpart looked around the lab, her eyes wide and movements jerky like a wild animal on drugs.
You were about to say something when a loud buzzing came through your comm, which had evidently been damaged in the whole head-beam connection thing. Miles’s voice came through in broken pieces.
“Col— get..t— ov-rload—”
The Collider. The goober could only force an incomplete system to run for so long. Your time was up.
Wonderful.
A flash of blinding light came from the machine as it malfunctioned. The goober could only make an incomplete system work for so long. You were just able to get your helmet back on before everyone in the vicinity was pushed back in an explosion. Was that Aaron—?
After your temporary blindness wore off, you made out the aftermath, a high-pitched ringing in your ear as you dazedly looked around. The glass that separated the control area from the Collider had been shattered, the Scorpion twitching as he tried to get to his feet — did he have feet? Now’s really not the time — There was no sign of Miles or Aaron anywhere, which was either very good or very bad. You decided to believe it was the former for your own sake. A short distance away from you was another you, that one unconscious but still breathing, from the looks of it.
Grabbing your variant, you ripped open a vent on the wall before the Scorpion could take notice of either of you, shoving her in before following suit and placing the vent cover back on. You had to get out of here. Fast.
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