#and shadow. shadow doesn't even know she's there

[thatonegrimm]

How about a ai hoshino! reader from oshi no ko

She just as famous as the saja boys, and huntrix,

little idea that I came up with her dark eyes, her reflection of her demon powers, and she only feeds off the energy of the crowd instead of actually taking souls.

Basically, she takes the energy of the adrenaline within their souls. She doesn’t actually take them or eat them, but she feeds them like it’s energy and can actually taste them. It doesn’t really affect any of her fans. They just feel really drained and drowsy.

I got this inspiration by idol yoasobi

Literally, “your idol” and “idol” are kind of the same with the same beginnings and enchanting and all sorts of things, but when I was watching the video, I saw her kind of changed to a dark outfit version and I kind of thought

why not make her have a demon form because it would fit her And her eyes could shift a black eyes when she goes into a demon form which makes her unique

Basically, I just think both of the idol songs one from my movie. One from a anime show are kind of the same but this is basically what I want. I want them to meet the famous who is a half demon just like Rumi but she embraces her demon side. She still grows up with the same backstory, but she kind of embrace it when she sings her songs.

I could go on forever, but this would probably take too long to read so

Please do consider this as a future possibility if you cannot write it and thank you for taking the time to even read this and you can totally come up with how the boys would initially react to her whether or not the type is boyfriend girlfriend, etc. you come up with what they should be doing

 Thanks for your request! I hope it meets your expectations. Here you go!💌

🌙Saja Boys x ai hoshino!Reader

---------------------------

They call her a goddess onstage. A monster off it.

A half-demon idol with eyes darker than shadows and a smile bright enough to blind, she doesn’t take souls—she drinks the adrenaline right out of a crowd's chest.

Her voice wraps around people like silk. Her gaze holds like gravity. When she sings, her audience leaves not broken… but drained. Lightheaded. Emotionally spent. Like something inside them bloomed too fast and burned out.

But they always come back.

Because what she gives in return is unforgettable.

She doesn’t hide her demon half. She doesn't flinch from it. She performs with it. Becomes it. Every note, every move, every carefully crafted look down the bridge of her nose is a love letter to the chaos she was born from.

She isn’t cursed.

She’s chosen.

And now, she’s famous enough to stand next to the Saja Boys. Maybe even outshine them.

-----------------------

🧿 Jinu 

Jinu read your profile like he was preparing for a mission.

Stage clips, interviews, social media—all mental notes about power, presence, and possible risks.

Then he saw you in person during rehearsal, bathed in crimson light, eyelids heavy like you were carrying some secret pain.

And every plan he made evaporated.

“You… resonate strangely,” he said later, standing awkwardly outside your dressing room.

You tilted your head, eyes sharp.

“You’re the kind who tries to fix everyone,” you said softly. “I can taste that exhaustion.”

He blinked.

You smiled—soft but knowing.

Jinu cleared his throat and excused himself.

Later, he told the others, “It’s strategic to observe her from a distance.”

No one bought it.

-----------------------

💪 Abby 

Abby didn’t hesitate to approach you.

He shook your hand like you were old friends, eyes bright.

“Hey! You were incredible! That note? Felt it in my bones. You okay though? That kind of energy—do you need water?”

You blinked, caught off guard by how genuine he was.

“You’re… not intimidated?”

He grinned. “Why would I be? You’re strong. Cool, too. Also, your eyeliner? Perfect. Waterproof?”

You didn’t feed off fear, but Abby’s loyalty tasted like warm cinnamon and comfort.

He saved your signed photo in his phone, calling it “battle inspiration.”

He meant it.

-----------------------

📚 Mystery 

Mystery stood still the first time he saw you.

Backstage, you hummed softly in the shadows without looking up.

“You’re the one who stalks in shadows,” you said quietly.

He didn’t answer.

You smiled faintly.

“Your aura folds. I like that.”

His eyes narrowed, one hand twitching like it reached for a hidden blade.

You brushed past him, close enough to feel the cold.

“Don’t worry. I don’t bite.”

“You don’t have to,” he murmured.

The air stayed cold after you left.

Later, you found a folded page in your makeup case—a poem in precise, strange script, unsigned:

“I saw you burn, and I stayed.”

You kept it.

-----------------------

💋 Romance

Romance met you at an industry showcase and decided it was fate.

You didn’t meet his gaze.

You didn’t have to.

On stage, you were both promise and threat, and he stared, mesmerized.

Later, at the bar, he cornered you with a flute and a grin that could wreck worlds.

“If you weren’t real, I’d have to invent you.”

You looked him over slowly.

“If you invented me, I’d still leave you on read.”

He nearly laughed. Not offended—delighted.

“I hope you do.”

The next day, he rewrote the bridge of a song just because your name rhymed with something interesting.

He calls you “his muse with fangs.”

Everyone else calls it a problem.

-----------------------

🔥 Baby

Baby watched your comeback from the wings, arms crossed, jaw tight.

Your voice wasn’t loud or flashy.

But you held the crowd in a chokehold.

He could feel their energy flow toward you like flipping a switch.

“She’s doing something,” he muttered.

No one listened.

Later, you passed him in the hallway, eyes drifting over him—lazy, curious.

“You run hot,” you said.

He didn’t blink.

“You should see me focused.”

You smirked. He didn’t.

But his ears flushed red.

The next time he trained, he snapped a sparring dummy in half.

Jinu said nothing. Just nodded.

Baby never flirted.

He never flinched.

But he never missed your live streams.

-----------------------

M-List

[yeahxsurexokay13]

mum's favourite, lando norris

part 1 | part 2

summary lando's a family friend until proven guilty (which it might be getting close to)

warnings time skip between race weekends.

gridgossip

Liked by user33, user12 and 2.001 others

gridgossip Spotted 👀 Lando Norris enjoying some downtime in Monaco ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix with a familiar face in the passenger seat…

The passenger in question is none other than Y/n Y/l, daughter of Sky Sports' Carolyn West (aka 'F1's favourite paddock mum'). And yes, that's the same Y/n who celebrated her birthday with Norris and friends just 10 days ago.

view all 1.002 comments

user1 oh so the birthday hangout wasn't just a one time thing huh👀

user2 I think I need to lie down...

user3 we wrote her off as a love interest way too soon i fear and that's on us

user4 someone go back and study every interaction they've ever had. timeline reconstruction begins NOW. everybody get to work‼️

user5 suddenly that suitcase makes a lot more sense🤔🤔🤔

user6 i read someone say she wasn't flying back home before monaco but I didn't consider what she'd be doing or like where she'd be staying lmao now we know 🙃​

user7 um... why does this feel illegal to look at?

user8 HOW did this happen right in front of our eyes without anyone noticing???

user9 Carolyn West you've got some explaining to do...

user10 family friend until proven guilty 🤫

user11 which we might be getting close to

user12 @/user10 i mean my mum has a lot of friends and none of their sons are driving me around Monaco shirt unbuttoned. so.

20 May 2025

carolynwest_ ✓

Liked by y/n.y/l, lissiemackintosh and 47.001 others

carolynwest_ Back on the top step and what a place to do it 👏

Always a privilege to witness your journey and celebrate moments like this @/lando.

view all 898 comments

user1 THE!! CAPTION!! I. AM. IN. TEARS.

user2 a happy boy!!! 😍🧡

y/n.y/l 🕊️​

user11 ??? EXPLAIN

user12 respectfully ma'am what exactly is your relationship to the monaco gp winner 🧍‍♀️

user3 no because she's genuinely so proud of him 😭😭😭😭

user4 yn confirmed behind the camera of a carolyn x lando pic again (!!!!!!)

user5 how do u know? it's just a shadow. could be literally anyone

user4 bc she posted a story of her mum mid interview and if you zoom in you can see landos logo on the cap lol

user5 how even did u see that? 💀

user4 .....because im unwell

user6 Look at that smile 😍😍😍😍

user7 🥺🥺 this is sooooo cute!!!!

lando ✓ appreciate you always ❤️

user11 i can't explain it but this relationship is so pure and so important to me

user8 LANDINHOOOOOO❤️

user9 THATS OUR RACE WINNER 🧡🫡

user10 and if i say the carolyn & lando pics are my favourite thing about the lando wins then what????

user12 then you'd be SO right bestie

25 May 2025

gridgossip

Liked by user81, user23 and 3.980 others

gridgossip Fans were missing Y/n Y/l in the paddock yesterday, but it looks like she made it just in time for race day 👀

She was seen arriving at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya earlier this morning alongside Lando Norris and members of his family. No official confirmation on anything (yet), but this definitely doesn't look like just a casual visit to see mum at work…

view all 687 comments

user1 i agree. this is definitely not visiting mummy at work anymore 😭😭

user2 it's looking more like vip guest status now lol

user3 this isn't even subtle anymore 💀

user11 i swear i hadn't seen this girl on my tl so much before this season and now she's everywhere wtf😭

user12 must be how lando and her managed to keep this under wraps so well… we weren't even looking at her twice last year

user4 she disappeared for two days and came back with LANDO'S FAMILY i'm shaking

user5 honestly I'm just mad she didn't post her paddock fit. this is betrayal.

user6 just casually arriving with the norris family like it's nothing... ok girl go off ig

user7 she's not posting because SHE is the content this weekend i'm afraid

user8 if this is the soft launch… i'm terrified of what the hard launch will do to me guys

user9 safe to say the suitcase has completed its tour

user10 the 'mummy works in F' excuse wearing a little thin yn

user11 that big ass suitcase always at the scene of crime 🤣

1 June 2025

[ak319]

Reader feels bad that Dutch doesn't treat Molly right, so she leaves little gifts on her cot and somehow convinces Arthur to take them out for a girls day.

Arthur follows 20 feet behind them with the most menacing look so no one bothers the girls all day.

As a thank you (and for their entertainment), they take him to a bar and get him tipsy as hell

🌹anon

Warnings/MDNI: fluff, sparkles and more fluff?! 😭 I don't condone drinking. Reader doesn't drink, arthur does. The beautiful molly pic by erin on pin.

┆ ⤿ ❀ m.list

It began with little things. A dainty ivory comb left on Molly's cot. A pressed flower tucked into her journal. A spool of ribbon; pale lilac and silk-soft, or even a plate of something hot and delicious, perhaps a new dessert recipe you learnt. You never said they were from you, but Molly wasn't a fool. Eventually, she caught your eye across camp and gave you the smallest smile she could manage.

"She don't got nobody lookin' out for her," you muttered to Arthur one evening, arms crossed while Molly sat alone by the fire, unreadable and quiet. "Dutch drags her around like a damn trophy and forgets her the moment his name stops echoing. The other girls don't talk to her, like she's too proud. That's a lonely way to live. I hate it Arthur! I hate him too!"

There you go again...

Arthur sighed. "Ain't my business what Dutch does with his mess of a relationship. You shouldn't worry yourself over it too, darlin'."

"Hey! She didn't sign up to be ignored. No woman does! No one deserves that" And stormed off.

As usual.

The next day, you told him plainly, "I'm taking Molly to Saint Denis for a girl's day. She needs it. I'll be nice, even do her hair. But I want you to come too. You know, just in case someone gets... brave. Y'know...like we are in this new place and don't know our way around town."

Arthur groaned. "You makin' me babysit now?"

You batted your lashes. "Only if...you are in the mood to... hold my hand when we cross streets."

He grumbled but inside he was...giggling. Without a word he scurried off to set the saddle up (hiding his blush) making you snort and run to inform Molly.

He didn't walk beside you, no. Arthur stayed a good twenty feet behind like a looming shadow, arms crossed, watching everyone with narrowed eyes and a hand always close to his holster. Any man who so much looked both your way turned right around and went back to sweeping dirt off a clean sidewalk.

Molly didn't notice right away, too caught up in the sugar-sweet perfume stalls and the lightness in her chest, like she hadn't had a real laugh in years. You were doing your best to spoil her, dragging her to window displays, tying silk scarves around her hair, daring her to try ridiculous hats, buying her trinkets, whispering wicked things that made her giggle behind her hand.

Arthur, meanwhile, stood outside every shop like a watchdog, hat pulled low, looking like he'd kill for a reason. Literally.

"'He's following us," Molly whispered.

"Yeah," you smirked, "like a puppy! But a menacing one."

"And patient unlike the others back there."

Eventually, after the fourth stall and third cup of lemonade, you turned to Arthur and grinned, "Come onnnn, big man. You earned yourself a drink."

He tried to say no. Really did. But one drink turned into three.

Three into five. Now Arthur was slumped in a booth between you and Molly, red-faced and grumbling into his whiskey.

"I can shoot the cork off that bottle from here," he says suddenly with confidence. You and Molly exchange a look.

Nope.

"Arthur, put the gun down," you say.

"I can! I done it before! I'll even close one eye-"

"And the saloon will throw you out like a sack of potatoes!"

He grumbles and holsters it again, muttering something about "no respect for art." But he wasn't done.

"I just think... horses are real special," he mumbles, looking at the wall with glossy eyes. "They never judge you. They just listen. Good ears, horses…"

You pat his arm gently, and he grips your hand like it's keeping him tethered to earth. "And you,"

Oh no...something is coming up---

He stood up and yelled "You're better than a horse, woman!" Making everyone look your way in silence.

You sigh, dragging him down by his coat sleeve as he tries to stand. "Arthur, sit your ass down."

Molly sighed dreamily. "That's the nicest thing I've heard a man ever say"

"Someone looks at her too long, I will shoot 'em," he adds, flopping back into the booth and grinning proudly. "Ain't that romance?"

You leaned over, draped your arm around his shoulder. "That's insanity and a crime and you're drunk, Morgan. Very bad. Tsk."

"Am...not." He looked between you both, frowning. "I'm observant. Sober. S'just...you two're plannin' somethin'. You conniving...beautiful women. Got schemes. I can... feel it". You and Molly were crying with laughter.

"...Well it was her who braided your horse's mane last week," Molly confessed, nudging him.

"I liked it," Arthur slurred. "She looked pretty. Real classy. Just like her...selwf."

Arthur hiccups and squints at Molly through bleary eyes , leaning in, with a conspiratorial look on his face.

"You know, Miss O'Shea..." he slurs, elbow on the table, chin in his palm. "Yer a fine woman. And very smart."

You and Molly glance at each other warily.

"But I gotta say..." Arthur blinks slow, like the thought takes effort. "...you coulda done so much better."

Molly nearly chokes on her drink. "O-h?"

"Yeah. (Y/N)'s...right about him. That man wears more pomade than a Saint Denis street girl. An' he talks too much. Like he's always tryin' to get someone to marry his voice."

Seeing you wheeze Arthur was encouraged and went on.

"Every time he opens his mouth, I hear violins in my head. An' not the good kind. The 'we're about to die in a shipwreck' kind."

Molly blinked, cracking a smile. "Arthur-"

"And y'know what else?" He leans in closer, whispering like he's telling a state secret. "I once saw him ironin' his goddamn scarves."

You slap the table. "NO. WAY!"

"I touched one. It was warm."

Molly stares at him in a stunned silence...contemplating over his words. And that look gives you hope. You felt proud. At least she's thinking about it. For her betterment.

Arthur frowns into his glass. "...You deserve a man who don't talk like he's narratin' a goddamn novel every time he opens his mouth."

Molly sipped her drink. "Wait are you about to cry, Mr.Morgan..."

"Oh yeah....aww.."

"Oh...Don't cry, Mr. Morgan, y'know what? I'll keep you words in mind." she cooed.

"Mhm. But 'm not cryin'... I'm just thinkin' real hard."

He was low-key...??pouting??

"(Y/N), you can't let your man cry--do something-" The red haired said between laughs while you shrugged chuckling yourself. "Whaddya want me to do!?"

Eventually, you and Molly kissed his cheeks, opposite sides. Arthur blinked. Then leaned on your shoulder like dead weight.

"You're both...too pretty. Don't tell Susan I said that.... And nice...to me. But...too much trouble."

"Good kind of trouble, no?" you murmured, ruffling his hair as he purred. "Yeah..."

He passed out ten minutes later.

The next morning, Arthur woke up in his cot with a headache the size of Saint Denis and glitter somehow on his eyelids.

You were humming softly beside him, fixing your braid and enjoying your morning (tea/coffee)

"…Did I cry last night?" he rasped.

You smirked. "Only a little. And somewhere in middle you talked about taking us to rob a...chocolate train? But thankfully we stopped you."

Arthur groaned into his hands.

"She had fun," you said gently. "...That's all I wanted. Thanks a lot."

Arthur peeked through his fingers. "...Y'think we could do it again sometime?"

You paused. "Wait...you sure? Really?!"

"Yeah, anything for you. If it makes you happy. And Ms. O'Shea too." he muttered. "Maybe next time I don't pass out." He kissed and pinched your cheek making you laugh.

"Deal!" You gleamed kissing his cheeks too.

tag list: @sensitivegamergirl

[janearts]

Followed for dragon age stayed for acotar ‼️

FFS this ask got me to download and play Inquisition again for like two days straight this past weekend. Anyway, put my attempts at DAI's godawful character creator + some barely-worked-out thoughts on a DA Nessian AU under the cut.

Nesta - Human Mage - Due to my own anti-Orlesian prejudice—(i.e., I cannot imagine Nesta with the French accents they have in DAI)—and the fact I don't think she'd be Ferelden (notable lack of doggos in ACOTAR save for Eris' shadow hounds), I'm thinking of her as a fallen noblewoman from the Free Marches who was only further disgraced when Feyre was found to possess magic. The situation was made worse when it was consequently discovered that, actually, all 3 sisters were mages. Her + her sisters were then scattered to different Circles. Left both the aristocracy and the Circle with no discernable survival or wilderness skills; could be very powerful but has no interest/fears that power. I don't see her as the Inquisitor/Herald of Andraste in this AU, but that might be fun to explore because I feel like Nesta would haaaate that.

Cassian - Human Warrior (currently: sword & shield) - I wanted to stay true to the outside, simplistic perception that the Illyrians are a barbaric warrior people. I didn't make him a Qunari because they're a matriarchal religious society and that doesn't seem akin to the Illyrian culture as shown in the books. I tossed about the idea of having him be Tevinter, but I thought that would suit Rhysand better. I landed on the Avvar because they're a conglomerate of tribes (like Illyria seems to be a conglomerate of war camps/bands), still possess magic/are friendly towards mages, and have occasionally come into conflict with Tevinter (like the Illyrians have occasionally fought against the Night Court/High Lords). I stopped thinking precisely there. He's still bros with Rhysand for reasons I have not yet discerned and tbqh don't really care about. I am here only for #Nessian.

The Premise: Let's say pre-DAI/the Divine getting exploded, Rhysand had whisked Feyre off to Tevinter to be powerful, wealthy, and pregnant as in canon. Let's say Feyre wanted her sisters (who she knows to have magic like her even though they may not want to have magic) to be safe with her in mage-friendly Tevinter. Rhysand could task Cassian with finding one sister and Azriel with the other.* Nesta could be recruited with the mages in Redcliffe; Cassian could be found in the Hinterlands (headed towards Redcliffe). Give Cassian Nesta's location and that's one quest done, they're united unbeknownst to Nesta in Haven, and now she's got one (1) Avvar bodyguard she never signed up for who's insisting he's taking her back to Tevinter once This Whole Thing Blows Over (despite her continuous refusal), absolutely 0 sign of coin or status or eligible suitors, and magic powers she's been raised to abhor. (✿◡‿◡)

* (AN: I feel I should say that I'm not mentioning that for shipping purposes - I could NOT give any fewer fucks about who Azriel fucks because, again, I am only here for Nessian. I would be in a negative fuck zone and I'm not sure if that's mathematically or psychologically possible.)

Anyway, bonus:

[echantedtoon]

Ok! What if Cookies with witch reader have a child, but the child is also human and everyone is surprised cuz it's never happened before?!:0

Im still not taking requests but I'll do this one since it's interesting. how exactly this would work or happen with the size difference? The witches are magic. They either magically made the cookie husbands bigger or made themselves smaller for a baby to happen. Boom. Skipping that part over. I'll only do three cookies tho.

SHADOW MILK COOKIE:

-You'd think that someone who was imprisoned by witches would absolutely detest every single one right? ...Well many would be surprised to see Shadow Milk Cookie literally sitting on the shoulder of his gigantic wife in a witch hat. Pure Vanilla Cookie is shooketh when he first learns that. "Shadow Milk Cookie!! Do not attempt to corrupt the witch! I won't let you harm her!" SMC gets very offended by PV's accusations. "I'm not corrupting her!! SHE'S MY WIFE!!" "Oh. My apologies then for-....Wait." It takes poor PV a while to process his words.

-It's one thing to expect a baby dough, but everyone is shocked(and honestly horrified-) that SHADOW MILK COOKIE is the father. Every witch and Ancient is keeping a close eye on him with doesn't help his nerves at all in this situation. He's also nervous about what's going on with this. There's never been anything like this before especially with a corrupted evil cookie like him. When the baby is born he's not allowed to see them for almost three months which angers him and drives his anxiety through the roof. The witches are trying to decide if he's even worthy to see the baby or his wife again, but they reluctantly agree under H E A V Y supervision. SMC is nearly fainting when he's finally able to see both of you and there every witch in existence there staring at him.

-He's not allowed more than a yard near of the baby but you're happy to show him your little miracle. He's absolutely floored when he seems a baby human wrapped up in a blanket and cooing at everyone. White hair and blue eyes looking around at everyone. It's the most helpless, tiniest human he's ever seen despite the baby still being like a while foot bigger than he is, but he's mesmerized by how perfect they are. Now it's up to him whether or not he earned the right to be in his baby's life, but for now he cries seeing his chubby baby.

PURE VANILLA COOKIE:

-Would be the BEST dad ever whether it's a regular baby dough or a human baby. Everyone is still surprised by the fact his witch wife is expecting a baby but he quickly praises it as a miracle beyond miracles and is VERY excited to be a father. He'd probably insist for their safety that she either spend the entire time shrunk in the Vanilla Kingdom or insists that you stay with the other witches to ensure they're absolute safety especially if any of the Beasts or Dark Enchantress Cookie hears of this miracle.

-Unlike SMC he's allowed to be there during and after the birth of his baby, probably even gets magically hocus pocused into being large too so he can properly hold them. He's crying happily much to everyone's happiness holding a perfect blonde human baby in his arms. He's literally going to be the best dad ever.

BURNING SPICE COOKIE:

-HOW and WHY this man's bagged himself a hot giant witch wife is anyone's guess, but however it happened, he's VERY Territorial and protective over her. Everyone's even more concerned about Burning Spice having a witch wife including the other Beasts like Shadow Milk Cookie. Because...Yeah. SMC is deceitful but he's not as aggressive as Burning Spice and would be a better(aka safer) cookie to deal with at least temper wise and he could be reasoned/compromised with. BS..not so much. In fact there was a pretty awkward misunderstanding between Burning Spice and Golden Cheese Cookie when his wife was visiting him in her smol form

-"BURNING SPICE COOKIE!! I know you absolutely loathe me for allegedly 'stealing' your soul jam, but this is a new low even for you!! I WON'T LET YOU HARM HER!!"

"Huh? What are you on about, Birdie?"

"HER?!" She gestures to you, literally being carried in one of his arms, as she points her spear at Burning Spice's head. "I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO TAKE THAT WITCH HOSTAGE!!"

It finally clicks in his head. "She's not a hostage!! SHE'S MY FUDGING WIFE!!" He literally bellows at her holding you protectively away from her.

-Golden Cheese Cookie doesn't believe him and thus a massive fight breaks our, only stopping because you get between them and manage to convince her(after literally three hours of having to convince her you weren't under some spell or being forced to say this-) that you were literally married and your husband was showing you his latest destruction of a mountain he did in your honor that was ruined by Golden Cheese thinking understably that you were in immediate danger. Everyone who hears about this news is horrified or afraid or confused other than Nutmeg Tiger Cookie whom was his best man at the eloping ceremony.

-When baby comes around it's a LOT harder to convince the other witches to let BS near them, and it doesn't help he's literally causing destruction out of the stress and anxiety of being away from you and his baby for so long. It's the same situation as SMC but with more hard glares and actual chains and forks pointed at him in case he tried something. He was rarely intimidated but this?...Yeah he was pretty scared of so many holy beings around him, even more stunned seeing the baby sound asleep in your lap facing him. Unruly black hair and tired red eyes blinking around. Y'know that over stuffed plush of Burning Spice Cookie? Yeah. He has the chunkiest babies out of everyone and he's immediately reminded of that joke plush SMC made of him. He's both in awe and doesn't quite know how to feel about it.

[nozhdyved]

art gets stood up at mclarens so patrick gets drunk with him to make him feel better but they just end up hooking up in art’s apartment. bonus points if tashi finds them the next morning and art thinking his chances with tashi are ruined (but lowkey she doesn’t really mind)

"She's not coming, man."

The chatter of MacLaren's is all that Art can really hear, his head craned to look at the door and flinching every time it swings open. "You don't know that," he mutters, sipping his beer, and looking over at Patrick. "She works as a realtor. She's probably just tying up some loose ends. She's on her way."

Patrick rolls his eyes at Art's insistence, swishing his scotch around in his glass. "It's been half an hour, Artie boy. Realtors don't even have a real job, she could've been here an hour early if she wanted to." He seems shocked when Art glares at him, shrugging innocently.

"You're being a dick," Art murmurs, hunching over his glass as he keeps staring at the door, chewing on his lip anxiously. "She's gonna show up."

Patrick stays at the bar as an hour passes, watching as Art's form grew more slumped and hunched over. Finally, after two hours had gone by, the blonde turned to his friend, big blue eyes glassy and a frown pulling down his lips. "...I don't think she's coming," he says, voice almost unheard underneath the din of the bar.

Patrick smiles sympathetically at Art, flagging down the bartender and ordering another glass of scotch. "Told you, man. Chin up." He slides the drink over to his friend, a cocky grin plastered on his face. "You don't need her to have a good time."

Despite his disappointment, Art can feel his lips curl up into a smile, taking the glass and clinking it against his friend's. "Cheers," he says reluctantly, and Patrick shoves him playfully.

"Atta fucking boy."

The bar becomes their territory, with Patrick protecting Art like a mother bear. With Patrick's bottomless pockets, their glasses are never empty, and by the end of the night, Art and Patrick are stumbling back upstairs to Art's apartment, lights strobing in their heads and words slurring.

"Thanks for hanging out with me, dude," Art calls out from where he collapses onto the couch, and Patrick shuffles around the kitchen aimlessly, looking for something to eat. "I thought- I wanted her to come, but, you..." Art looks up with bleary eyes as Patrick sits on the couch next to him, heavy head laying onto Art's shoulder. "You're, like, the best bro ever."

Patrick laughs at that, looking up at Art. His glossy blue eyes gazed back down at him, lower lashes casting shadows onto his flushing cheeks. Art's always been very pretty, almost in a girl-like sense, but through the haze of alcohol and feeling his best friend pressed so close against his body, it makes something in his stomach flip...

It doesn't take long until Patrick's lips are abruptly crashing into Art's, the taste of cigars and scotch mingling with Art's naturally sweet taste. They clash together, hands gripping at each other shirts as the clumsily unbutton them, slamming into the bedroom door and knocking it wide open. The door smacks against the other side, nearly knocking over a painting that Tashi had left the other day, and Art pulls away to hurriedly fix it.

Patrick rolls his eyes, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt and settling onto Art's bed, kicking his shoes off and pulling his socks away. "Hurry up," he grouses, watching with hungry eyes as Art stumbles over and collapses on the bed next to him, tripping over his feet because of how his pants were pooled at his ankles. He oomphs when he lands atop Patrick's chest, grinning up at his friend. Art's lithe fingers trace down Patrick's chest, all the way down his happy trail before wrapping around his leaking dick. It jumps against his stomach at the contact, and Art places a gentle kiss right along the tip.

"Can I-?" Art doesn't even have to finish the question before Patrick's pulling him closer, chests flush against one another as Art rummages around in his abandoned jeans pocket for a condom. The blonde can feel Patrick's erection poke against his thigh in anticipation, and a keening groan escapes his lips when he pulls away, tearing the condom wrapper open with shaky hands and rolling it on.

Art spits into his open palm and jerks himself off, watching with adoring eyes as Patrick spreads his legs wide, his cock bobbing and leaking onto his stomach. "Ready?" Art whispers, reassuring hands grounding onto Patrick's hips as the head of his length prods against the brunette's twitching hole. Patrick nods with a cocky grin on his face, quickly wiped off his face once Art pushes in.

Patrick's chapped lips part, slack-jawed, and Art's head tips back as he bottoms out. "Ohhhh, fuck, Pat-" Art mewls, swallowing thickly as he begins to slowly thrust, watching as Patrick's dick twitches and he seems to clench around him. "Shit- don't- don't do that," the blonde pleads desperately.

His thrusts are gentle, pressing against Patrick's prostate with each one and relishing at the feeling of Patrick's hole squeezing around him, his hands wrapped around Art's biceps in a similar fashion. "You feel so good in me," Patrick rasps, his voice weaker than Art's ever heard in his life.

"Yeah?" Art pants, speeding up his thrusts and causing Patrick to whimper. The brunette starts to jerk himself off, sensing himself nearing to the edge. Art moans at how deliciously Patrick seems to tighten around him, hips stuttering and moving faster. "Oh ff-fuck, Pat, you're so fucking tight," he groans, sweaty curls sticking to his forehead.

Patrick's moans pitch up in cadence and volume, his other hand gripping the bedsheets as he strokes himself hurriedly. "I'm gonna fucking cum," he growls, his stomach tightening as Art keeps pounding away at his prostate. "Keep- keep doing that- don't stop-"

Art's two steps ahead of him, already buried deep in Patrick's warm hole and shooting a load inside, his moans tearing through his throat as he weakly tries to thrust deeper, despite the fact of him having a condom on.

The sight of Art moaning and falling apart on top of him is enough to send Patrick over, cum splattering onto his and Art's chest as he moans, loud enough that Art can feel it vibrating through his body. They lay like that for a bit, brains slowly catching up to speed with what their bodies were doing before Art pulls out, tying off the condom and shuffling away from the bed to toss it. Patrick wraps a blanket around him, watching as Art leaves and comes back. "I can stay, right?" Patrick's voice is timid, as if Art could ever kick him out.

The blonde collapses next to Patrick, tucking his face into Patrick's neck and nodding. "Please stay," is all he says before he's snoring, naked body pressed up against Patrick. He sighs in relief, eyelids growing heavy, and he gives in to the warm comfort of having Art beside him.

They're awoken unceremoniously the next morning, banging pots and pans in the kitchen. The door to Art's room is ajar, and there's someone else outside. Art's the first to wake, sitting up and blinking blearily, and when Patrick tries to do the same, he winces and lays back down.

"Hello?" Art calls out, drawing the blanket up to his chest, and footsteps approach his room.

Tashi stands in the doorway, a cup of coffee in her hand and a smug smile on her lips. "Morning, princess," she says, watching with glee at how Art's face flushes. She takes a sip of her coffee, wiggling her finger between the two men.

"So. You two, huh?" she grins, and Art's quick to shake his head.

"No! No, Tash, I- it isn't what it looks like- me and Pat, we just got, like, so drunk, and we-"

"It's okay." Tashi shrugs, cutting off Art's awkward rambling. Beside Art, Patrick's smirking too, his expression matching Tashi's. "I've always wanted two boyfriends, anyway."

taglist: @pittsick, @sincerelystarry, @artstennisracket, @museboos, @girliism, @cowboyfaists, @yardofbrunettes, @love-ella333, @ferventdisciple, @y08h, @lacelottie, @forgetmenotnympho, @aurorlia, @faiztheap, @sweetestfaiszts, @sweetheartfaist, @jesuistrestriste, @artdonaldsonbabygirl, @hayleygrrr, @elsieblogs, @hangels, @dearfaist, @fawnique, @jordiemeow . click here to join !

[signorinafrancesca]

Analysis on Elbert's Greed: How Terrifying it actually is

(Spoilers for Elbert's route, esp his dramatic end and Roger's ghost story report event) TW: mentions of past abuse.

So I just realized in this Ghost story event how subtle yet clever way of Cybird to showcase how scary it is to have the Greedy Queen's curse and how it fucks up your mind, just like it did Elbert. I know Elbert's route tells a lot on how deep Elbert's greed grows and how his curse affects his life and psyche. But in this event, I was smacked in the face of how dangerous it actually is because you get to see that not just anyone can actually handle the curse of the Greedy Queen.

Roger's ghost story event:

When the owner possessed Elbert, he suddenly gets agitated and terrified by how great his "greed" overwhelm his mind. He first thought that what he possessed was beautiful, seems fragile and vulnerable. But when he entered his body did he only find out the sheer darkness that comes with the curse. He suddenly wants things. So much that he couldn't take it. He couldn't take Elbert's "greed" that he feels he's going mad. He couldn't control his body fully that there's a small moment where Elbert takes over. When trying to save him, Roger told Elbert that he find a beautiful gem that he would like. Upon hearing that, Elbert took over because of how tempted he is. In that moment, the owner, inside Elbert's body couldn't stand the greed anymore and leaves.

And then, when the owner possesed Alfons, his soul got a better grip on his body because Alfons doesn't have a high opinion of himself, unlike Roger who is labeled as "egotistic" and has a higher self-esteem which is why the ghost can't enter his body. Roger had more effort trying to get rid of the ghost from Alfons' body than Elbert by hugging Alfons in order to make Alfon's hatred for Roger stronger than the ghost's will.

It was a small moment of the ghost taking over Elbert and Alfons, but I seriously got chills reading that. It just revealed to me how much suffering Elbert endured to get where he is now. This actually explains a lot of Elbert's attitude. Why he is sometimes slow on the topic, why he has insomnia, why looks so tired and barely eats anything because every. single. day., his mind is tortured constantly by sheer thoughts of want and greed that he tries so hard to ignore but couldn't do it completely. Or rather, every single day of his life is him constantly fighting against his cursed thoughts of greed because he doesn't want to hurt others. Because he's...kind. It's what makes the scene where Elbert started to "want" Kate because she's beautiful even more terrifying. Being the object of desire is scarier than being the object of hatred. That's why at the end of his dramatic route (dramatic CG), he told Kate to not let him take her everything. Because he genuinely cannot stop himself and would actually ruin himself if he did take her everything. Because he knows he will hurt her of his greed. Because even then, he will never be satisfied.

Snippets from Elbert's dramatic end:

Reading how he opened up to Kate about how troubled he is is eye opening. To even think of inheriting Elbert's curse of the Greedy Queen is actually terrifying in real life. I think I'll go insane to be honest. Elbert's definitely stronger than me because even if Elbert shows his insane yandere tendencies, he actually handles it very well in his own way. Because imagine every day, you get a certain deep urge to take, to want, to desire so much it makes you insane? To making irrational decisions and spending too much money, just to pacify that painful greed in your heart? Repeating that painful cycle over and over again knowing that you will never be satisfied till the day you die? It's...scary.

It also makes me cry how Elbert's ability to make someone recall one's darkest memory many times when stepping on their shadow is so cruel to Elbert when he doesn't want anyone to feel pain the same way he does. Because Elbert's also experiencing the same pain. Reliving his worst, darkest memory over and over again, thus fueling the greed inside him to collect beautiful things as his "atonement" for his self-proclaimed "mistakes" in the past, adding that to subjecting himself to the abuse of his maids and butler to add into that atonement. Only for him to feel peace, to feel as if he is forgiven, because his father said that his suffering gives his father peace. Yet his curse made it so that he will never fulfill that greed.

It also raises a question. What if Elbert finds another person who has the same curse as him, and that person steps on Elbert's shadow? How would he react? When he's already being tortured enough of the past, would he feel too numb to go insane? Would he not react because it's basically what's inside his mind every day? Or would finally be broken? Disturbing but food for thought.

All in all, I did not expect this event to blow me away, honestly and reflect on so many things. This might be my favorite ikevil event so far, just by inserting this one tidbit of Elbert that seems subtle yet shows how tragic and terrifying his curse is. I haven't read his 100k story yet and I wasn't interested at getting it at first but now I'm definitely going for it.

[headcanonsfromthecabin]

cw for HOLY YAP but need people to hear me out on this one pals. smitten is so bpd to me, as someone with borderline personality disorder and it drives me crazy (/pos)

second ending i got when playing was HEA and ever since then its been my favorite route, and it's got me psycho analyzing it like a mad man. I know a lot of people interpret it as a toxic/abusive relationship (specifically like on reddit or youtube, less fandomy spaces lol), and in a way, it IS a toxic relationship and The Damsel is absolutely a victim in this situation but i never really read smitten as a bad guy. It screamed as someone having an unhealthy attachment on their FP (favorite person)

the entire scenario gave off "a desperate attempt to keep a loveless relationship going". I don't think he ever did anything to actually hurt her (other than keeping her there) and only wanted to please her. to make her, and TLQ, happy. the entire time he keeps summoning things to keep her happy and entertained. to have her stay with him. in a desperate attempt to not lose her. when she finally says what she ACTUALLY wants and that she isn't happy, his shadow disappears. no fights, no ifs/buts or anything. just silently leaves, because if him leaving makes her happy, then he'll do that even if devastates him.

people with bpd aren't inherently abusive, but are truthfully just scared of being alone. and forming unhealthy attachments with people (and having their ENTIRE world revolve around them) is a common theme. This fucking bird has no goals other than being with the princess and making TLQ happy and its sooooo. Going as far as killing himself in the alternative damsel route when she is killed because he quite literally isn't anyone without her (the entire monologue he gives there can be read as him splitting on hero and the narrator). smittens entire existence is to please the princess and he literally doesn't have anything else going for him other than that. all he wants is to please and please and please. to be with her and make her happy and have their fairytale ending. but this isn't healthy! and it's not because he's a bad person but it's just that his way of love is misguided!!!!! by god!!!!!!!

it drives me insane. he drives me insane. when you are blind devotion itself. when you don't understand that love and loyalty aren't the only qualities you need to provide for others. when your entire existence revolves around another person and if they aren't happy being with you, then what are you worth? when you shift the blame towards others because you can't handle the fact that you could be the problem. that you aren't perfect for your beloved. that you are capable of hurting those you love. because how could you be when all you want is for them to be happy with you? when you have so much love in your heart that it becomes a problem. THIS BIRD IS SO DISORDERED!!!!!! IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!

bpd is so much more than "unhealthy obsession disorder" but this is just my interpretation/headcanon :') HEA made me feel so seen and just. big fan of this game

YOOUUUUUU you get it!! like I myself don't have BPD so I cant speak on it much but im gonna be so real this is possibly the most accurate interpretation of HEA Smitten that I've seen recently!!! just the way you phrased all of this as well is so so good :DDD god I love hea its honestly one of my fave chapters in the whole game there's just so many layers auuuugg <333

[girafeduvexin]

Siblings in Deltarune, analysis

The absence of Papyrus seems weird to me, and while in the first two chapters it was both a joke by Toby Fox and a way of not overshadowing the new characters, in chapter 4, in my opinion, it's actually hiding something.

This is even more surprising when compared with Undertale: although most of the characters are different, the duos are the same. Asgore and Toriel are still divorced. Catty and Bratty aren't friends, but they talk about each other a lot (and in my opinion, they'll end up being friends). The dogs of the Royal Guard are a bunch of criminals, still together. The Amagalmates are buried next to each other. Undyne and Alphys don't know each other in the first chapter, but they get closer pretty quickly, and if Undyne hadn't been kidnapped, they'd have met up at church.

Sans, on the other hand, seems to be quite independent. He talks about his brother in the first two chapters, without saying too much, but doesn't mention him at all in the 4th, while Papyrus's presence in the house becomes weaker and weaker.

(The other exception is Mettaton/Alphys, but that can be explained by Alphys's job in this world, which prevented Mettaton from realizing his dream).

I understand the argument that Undertale isn't Deltarune and that because Papyrus was a central character in Undertale, it doesn't mean he will be important in Deltarune, but in that case, why not present him as Sans's weird brother who dreams of becoming a policeman/hero/cook/star/all at once, with a few jokes and optional dialogues by chapter and move on, as with Sans, Napstablook, Alphys etc.? In my opinion, not introducing him in the last two chapters, and describing the house with less funny and more intriguing descriptions, is a turning point. It's not just trolling, there's something else going on.

Sans and Papyrus are not the only siblings in town: there's Kris and Asriel, and Noelle and Dess. Some interesting stuff they have in common:

- In all three pairs of siblings, there's always one absent: Papyrus, Asriel and Dess. This absence weighs heavily on the narrative: Dess has probably disappeared tragically, Asriel is away at college and the whole town seems to miss him and his return is an event, and Papyrus... His absence is important on a meta level, for us, Undertale players, who recognize Sans and knock on his door, so much so that he is mentioned in the game's Steam description ("Papyrus is busy").

- the older brother/sister is seen as "cooler"/ is more appreciated than the younger one: Dess played guitar, protected his sister, liked horror movies... Noelle seems to admire her a lot, and Carol, if she is indeed linked to the Knight and all of this has to do with Dess's disappearance, seems more concerned about finding her missing daughter than looking after the one who's still there (cf. Noelle waiting outside her front door because she doesn't have the keys and doesn't want to disturb her mother + Dess's room, a memorial, left untouched).

Asriel is liked by the whole town, is apparently an excellent student, etc., many posts have been made on this, so I'll go quickly. Kris is the weird kid, who seems to live in his shadow.

(There's an obvious parallel between Dess and Asriel in Undertale, as the missing child whose disappearance haunts the narrative and who turns out, if Dess is indeed the knight, to be the story's main trigger and antagonist).

What does it mean ? My theory is that Papyrus and Sans will parallel the relationship between Noelle and Dess, and Kris and Asriel. Maybe it'll only happen in the Light world, and in the Dark world part, there will be other siblings who will serve as parallels (like Lanino and Elnina who serve as parallels to Asgore/Toriel), maybe Sans and Papyrus will go into the Dark World, who knows.

As for Papyrus, we don't know much about him in Deltarune, but in Undertale we know that he has no friends apart from Undyne, both on the Internet and in Snowdin, while Sans is well-liked and known to all. In Deltarune, he doesn't leave his house and Sans asks us to become friends with him, while Sans seems to have no trouble integrating into this new town. It should be noted that in Undertale, in English, the two skeletons were brothers, without specifying who was the youngest one, and in Deltarune, Sans clearly says "my little brother", as if to better support this parallel with the other two pairs of siblings. He even goes so far as to say that we might see Papyrus when Asriel returns...

Bonus:

- Susie doesn't care about Dess and Asriel, which influences her relationship with Noelle and Kris. Noelle's whole arc at the moment is to gain self-confidence without her sister's help, but also to accept her absence, and Susie indirectly helps her (cf. the scene where Susie sits in Dess's room and invites Noelle to do the same).

(Side note, but I find it very hard to believe that Dess will be "saved" somehow. In Undertale, Asriel couldn't come back, not like before. He became Flowey. If Dess "comes back", she won't be the same). For Kris, it's having a friend who cares about them for who they are (cf, the scene where Susie takes a star from Asriel to give to Kris)

- Susie doesn't like Sans, which leads me to believe that if she meets Papyrus, she'll like him a lot more (Noelle, Kris, Papyrus, weirdos club?).

[cryogeniccrush]

NIGHT CRAWLING — Bucky Barnes x F!Reader +18

Part One: "Caged Silence"

Summary: You’re sent to neutralize an intruder—but what you find instead is something you never expected: a glimpse of the world beyond the cage. They try to stop you. They fail. You move like smoke, like shadow, like something half-wild and halfway gone. But one of them sees through it—The Winter Soldier. And something in his voice cracks the silence inside you. So you run. You claw your way out. And for the first time, you don’t look back.

Word count: 7k

Warnings: Graphic violence, trauma response, references to torture/experimentation, psychological manipulation, hallucinations, blood, PTSD/dissociation, dark themes, hostile environment, mentions of child abuse, language, morally grey characters, derealization.

masterlist • next part

You’re seated on the edge of the med table, one leg dangling lazily off the side, posture perfect—relaxed but composed. You don’t flinch, you don’t fidget.

They trust you now. Enough to leave you untied. But not enough to remove the guards from the door.

Dr. Mathers clicks his tongue softly, inspecting the vibranium claws extended from your fingers. He mutters something under his breath about wear and tension. You don’t respond. You’re not really listening. Your senses are tuned to something else.

The air shifts.

It’s subtle—barely a vibration in your chest, like the static charge before lightning. You inhale slow, steady, but something beneath your skin twitches.

Danger.

You sit up straighter, head tilting slightly toward the ceiling. Your heart rate doesn't spike, but your shoulders tense.

Dr. Mathers notices. “What’s wrong?”

You don’t answer. Then—

Boom.

A low, controlled explosion echoes through the base. Not enough to collapse a wing. Just enough to get attention.

The guards snap into motion, fingers tightening on their weapons. Mathers stumbles back, eyes wide.

"Protocol Six-Echo, Nyx," one of them barks.

You nod. Understood. Investigate. Neutralize. Return.

You don’t need a weapon.

By the time you step into the hall, chaos has started to bloom. People running, alarms whining, bodies crashing into each other in panic. You move through them.

The air is thick with heat and smoke. You inhale deeply. Chemical fire. Small charges. Distraction-level.

Around the corner—three intruders. Military. Not lab staff. Tactical formation, advanced weaponry. Real threats.

You disappear into shadow. They don’t see you.

You wait. One separates. Easy.

He’s unconscious before his body even hits the floor.

Two more. You slip into the vent above them, moving without a sound. Your bones were carved into nothing, designed for silence. You drop behind them.

Crack. One goes flying, spine-first into a metal wall. The second raises his weapon—You twist.

One, two, dodge.

You disarm him and slap the gun back into his face with a dull crack.

They don’t even have time to scream.

You pause, listening.

Voices. Nearby.

“…How long is this gonna take, man?” Male. American. Irritated.

“I do not know,” a gruff Russian voice replies, exasperated. “I’m not tech support.”

You crawl into the next vent silently, limbs fluid. Efficient. Curious. You can’t help it.

You drop behind the American soldier—John Walker, by his uniform—and tilt your head slowly, watching.

Alexei turns just as he's about to speak. “You know that—WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!”

John spins, gun already raised. You knock it clean out of his hand before he can blink.

“Shit,” he mutters.

You fight. He's good, strong. But you're faster. Sharper.

You land a kick to his chest that sends him stumbling into the hall.

Alexei watches, wide-eyed, then breaks into a laugh. “HA! She’s kicking your ass!”

Your earpiece buzzes. "Nyx. Entertain them. Buy us time. Keep them together. Don’t let them scatter. Then get out.”

The order is clear.

Always is.

You shove John out the door, and sprint.

But something flickers at the edge of your vision— a shadow leaning against the hallway wall. Smirking.

Your breath catches.

He’s not real.

You know that.

But he grins at you like he always does. That man. The first one.

"You always were a fast learner, kitten."

You squeeze your eyes shut for half a second—

and keep running.

════════════════════════════════

Outside, Yelena drops an enemy with a clean elbow to the throat. Bucky is surrounded—dodging blades and bullets, jaw clenched, brutal and methodical. Ava flickers in and out of sight.

And then—The metal doors slide open behind them.

“Job’s done, guys! We got the intel!” Alexei announces proudly, strutting out with blood on his knuckles and a massive grin. “Yes! We are an amazing team!”

“Are you serious right now?” Ava snaps, dodging a knife.

“We could use some help,” Yelena adds, slamming a guard into the wall.

John steps beside her, pulling his shield from his back. “Relax. I’m here now.” He scans the hallway. “Something’s off. This feels too easy.”

Bucky shoves an attacker back. “What do you mean, Walker?”

“We saw someone inside,” John says, parrying a blow.

Alexei interrupts, landing a heavy punch. “More like someone rearranged your face, Walker!”

“Whatever,” John mutters.

Yelena’s eyes narrow. “Someone?”

“I don’t know. A girl. She wasn’t trying to kill us... Just fighting.”

“A girl?” she echoes, confused. “What girl?”

Before anyone can ask more, you drop from above—silent, weightless, fast.

Bucky turns just in time to see his own knife fly from his hand, knocked clean by you. He reacts on instinct, raising his gun— But you’re already airborne, twisting mid-roll.

A bullet grazes past as you slide between his legs, rip the gun from his hand, and flip behind him.

He turns, jaw clenched. “What the hell—?”

Bob’s voice crackles over the comms. “Uh… guys? Who the hell is that?”

Yelena looks at John. “The girl?”

John nods, like is obvious. “The girl.”

You don’t pause. Alexei is next.

Claws extend with a slick snikt, glinting under the hallway lights.

Alexei grins. “Ooooh. Come here, kitty kitty—”

He swings. You drop, slide clean between his legs—

And drive your fist upward, hard.

Alexei crumples with a strangled oof.

The entire team winces.

“Damn,” John mutters. “That’s gotta hurt.”

“Who's getting their ass kicked now, huh?” He shouts, grinning.

“They’re retreating!” Yelena adds quickly, watching the remaining guards fall back.

Bucky’s breathing hard, eyes locked on you. “This was a distraction.”

Ava groans, wiping blood from her cheek. “She’s not gonna let us past. We need her out.”

They move fast—toward the back hall, toward their target. But you’re faster.

You strike.

You clash with Yelena first. She’s skilled—graceful, focused. But you’re relentless. You duck her roundhouse, twist past her sweep, and slam a hit into her throat that leaves her gasping.

“Damn,” Alexei croaks from the floor. “She’s good.”

Yelena coughs, nodding. “Too good.”

You register Ava blinking behind you—

You spin just in time to block, but she clips you in the gut. Pain flares—but it only sharpens your focus.

John moves in too. Too slow.

You predict Ava’s blink path, feel it like a static shift in the air. The second she reappears—you grab her with one hand, John with the other— And crack their heads together in one brutal motion.

They drop like stunned animals.

Ava groans from the floor. “What the hell is your head made of?”

“Bob?” Yelena calls into the comms, breath still uneven. “Any ideas?”

There’s a pause, then static.

“…Umm. Maybe… talk to her?”

Bucky grunts, deadpan. “Any idea that we can actually use?”

“No, that’s fine,” Yelena mutters. She takes a step forward, slowly. “Maybe we can reason with her.”

“I hate this whole therapy bullshit,” John groans, rubbing his skull. “She almost split my head in two. I say we take her out and call it a day.”

“Well, we clearly can’t, genius,” Ava snaps, letting Bucky help her up from the floor, still clutching her ribs. “Unless you’ve got vibranium in your skull now.”

Yelena ignores them.

She moves forward, careful. Hands raised in surrender. Her voice is calm, patient, the way you speak to a wounded animal.

“We’re not here to hurt you,” she says. “I know—maybe they lied to you. But you can trust me.”

You don’t move. You don’t blink. You’re too still.

But you let her come closer.

She inches forward, inch by inch. Breath slow. You’re watching her, hyper-aware. Every twitch. Every breath. Every flicker in her pupils.

Then—her fingers brush your arm.

Wrong.

You don’t even think—you react.

You twist, knock her flat on her back with a clean, ruthless blow. She lands hard.

“WELL that went perfect,” John says, and lunges. “Alright, claws, let’s dance—”

“No! WAIT—” Yelena yells from the ground.

But he’s already on you.

You fight again. He’s tougher this time, angry, moving quick—but not quick enough. You're slipping into rhythm, but… you’re off. Barely. Your breath hitches. Your hands falter. Something’s stuttering under your skin.

Bucky notices. He steps in—grabs John’s shoulder and yanks him back. “Get off.”

John growls, but doesn’t argue.

Then Bucky turns to you. And grabs you.

You snarl, twist, trying to rip his vibranium arm off you, claws scraping. He holds firm, just enough to hold you—not hurt you. His jaw’s tight. His eyes are locked on yours.

“You’re going to regret this,” you hiss.

“Maybe,” he says. “But trust me. You can get out.”

The words land in you like a punch. You gasp. Not because of pain. But because—Nobody’s ever said that. Not like that.

He feels your pause—just a flicker of stillness—and it throws him off.

That’s your opening. You bolt.

You move like a shadow. A blur. Darting toward the back hall, where the smoke is thick and the emergency lights flash red.

“Nyx!” a voice shouts behind you.

You freeze.

Doctor Mathers. The man who shaped you. Tuned you. Broke you.

He’s in the hallway now, panting, arm bleeding. “Nyx—stand down! Don’t run. You know your command protocol.”

You don’t move. But your mind does. Something’s wrong.

He’s beside you. Not the doctor.

The man. The first one you killed.

Smiling.

“Run,” he whispers, eyes glinting.

You don’t. Your muscles tremble. Your mind stutters.

“Do you want to be their little pet forever?” he snarls, suddenly in your face. “Their weapon? Their freak?”

He’s not real.

But he’s screaming in your head.

You turn your head slowly. Look toward the woods beyond the compound fence.

Freedom.

You run.

Vanish into the trees like smoke. And no one—not even Bucky—can follow fast enough.

════════════════════════════════

The mood in the meeting room is grim.

Scraped knuckles. Bruised egos. Silence heavy in the air.

Then the door swings open.

Valentina strides in, stilettos sharp against the tile. Her sunglasses are still on. That’s never a good sign.

“What’s this?” she asks coolly, looking at them like they tracked mud onto her favorite carpet.

Mel—nervous—taps the screen. A video plays.

Security footage. Choppy and grayscale.

It shows you: dropping from the ceiling, slamming two trained agents into each other.

A collective groan rises from the table.

John slaps a hand over his face.

Ava sinks lower in her chair.

Yelena just sighs. “We suck.”

“Yes,” Valentina says flatly. “Yes, you do.”

“She’s just really good,” Bob offers half-heartedly.

Valentina turns her head slowly. “And you,” she says, pointing at him. “What was that about talking to her? This is not kindergarten. We eliminate, or we capture. That’s it.”

“That’s not how we do things, Valentina,” Yelena mutters, arms crossed.

Valentina’s smile is all teeth. “I don’t care how you do things.”

John slams a palm onto the table. “You don’t get to decide shit!”

The silence crackles.

Valentina’s jaw tightens. “Right then... I want her in.”

Heads snap toward her.

“What?” Bucky says, eyes narrowing.

“I want her in the team,” Valentina repeats, enunciating like they’re all children. “I don’t care how you do it—bring her here.”

She turns on her heel and strides out.

Mel scrambles after her, then hesitates at the door. Glances back at the group.

“…I’m sorry,” she whispers.

The door closes.

Silence again.

Ava breaks it first. “Sooo… any ideas on how to bring that wild animal here without losing an eye?”

“Nope,” Bob says.

“She was hesitant,” Bucky mutters, staring at the frozen frame of you on the screen. “She’s a little shit, sure—but I know that look.”

Everyone glances at him.

“So what,” John deadpans. “We pray she’s got a noble little spark buried under all that rage?”

The door opens again.

“Hellooo, guys!” Alexei strolls in, holding a bucket of popcorn.

“You missed the whole meeting,” Yelena says, unimpressed.

“Really?” He pops a handful into his mouth. “Great. I hate that Valentina woman.”

Yelena sighs and presses a hand to her face. “Let’s just get this over with.”

════════════════════════════════

You’re not stupid.

Staying in one place means becoming predictable. Trackable.

So you move.

Slip from shadow to shadow. You haven’t had any sleep since the escape. You don’t care. You’ve gone longer.

But you're not running. Not exactly.

You’re thinking.

Your enemies want you back in a cage. So maybe… it’s time to try your enemies’ enemy.

════════════════════════════════

The store is small. A hole-in-the-wall place on the edge of a dying town. You pick it for that exact reason—no one here asks questions. Everyone’s too tired.

You wear a cap. Hood up. Dark clothes. Shoulders hunched.

You blend in.

You slip into the corner, slide behind a dusty desktop. The clerk doesn’t even look up from his phone.

The keys clack under your fingers—fast.

“The Winter Soldier.”

You know the name. Everyone in the lab did.

There were whispers. Ghost stories. You’ve seen flashes of him in old footage, grainy recordings from Hydra files. Blood and metal and silence.

They said he broke his leash.

Maybe you can too.

You dive deeper.

It takes a minute, but you’re quick. You find the names. One after the other.

»Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Yelena Belova

Ava Starr

John Walker

Bob Reynolds

Alexei Shostakov

James Buchanan Barnes

Location: Watchtower

Bingo.

You sit back. Breathe out slow.

Then—one by one—you erase every trace.

You wipe the history. Erase the cache. Access the security cam in the ceiling and delete the last fifteen minutes.

You’ve done this before. Too many times.

Cap down. Shoulders squared. You walk out.

You walk for days.

No rides. No talking. Just you, the road, and the voices in your head.

You don’t need much sleep. Just catnap in abandoned buildings or under bridges, always with your back to a wall. Always facing the exits.

But you do get hungry.

So you stop at a gas station.

Grab whatever crap you can carry—chips, jerky, a bottle of water. You walk right out.

Behind you, someone yells.

“HEY! You need to pay for that, kid!”

You stop.

Slowly, turn around.

The man at the counter stumbles out. Stops when he sees your eyes.

Golden. Unnatural. Glowing faint in the low light.

You say nothing. He says nothing either.

He raises his hands. Steps back.

“…Forget it.”

You keep walking.

Eventually, the trees thin. The ground hardens. Civilization looms. And there it is.

Steel and glass, high fences and watchpoints. Hidden in plain sight.

The Watchtower.

You find a high ridge overlooking the perimeter and crouch low, eyes scanning movement patterns, guards, cameras. No alarms yet.

They don’t know you’re coming. Good.

════════════════════════════════

The training room stinks of sweat, rubber mats, and irritation.

Valentina’s sitting on the observation platform above the floor—legs crossed, sunglasses on indoors like the villain she is. She’s supervising, which is code for making everyone miserable. Or, as John so lovingly puts it: “A living pain in the ass.”

Yelena leans on the railing by the water cooler, sipping from a bottle and murmuring something snarky to Bob, who grins and shrugs.

Ava’s got her fists up, focusing hard as Bucky holds the punching bag steady.

“Your elbow’s too wide,” Bucky mutters. “Tuck it in or you’ll throw your shoulder out before you land anything.”

John and Alexei are sparring nearby with two wide-eyed interns who clearly regret every life choice that led them here.

Then—Boom.

The doors burst open. Something flies through the air and slams onto the mat with a dull thud.

A body. An intern.

Everyone freezes.

The body twitches, groans, and collapses face-down at Alexei’s feet.

“Oh no,” Alexei says, staring at the unconscious. “No no no.”

Everyone turns. And there you are.

Cap gone. Clothes dusty. Gold eyes glowing faint under the fluorescent lights. You’re calm. Still. Deadly.

The remaining interns snap into formation—good little soldiers. Too bad that doesn’t help.

They rush like they’ve got a chance.

They don’t.

You move like a shadow, spinning through them. One goes down with a sweep to the knee. Another gets the wind knocked out of them with a jab to the ribs. A third tries to tackle you and ends up flat on their back, wheezing.

“Oh look,” Bob mutters, folding his arms. “We found her.”

“More like she found us,” Bucky replies, dropping the punching bag.

You throw one last intern onto the mat and turn to face him.

“I’m not here to fight, Winter Soldier,” you say coolly.

Bucky’s jaw ticks. “Doesn’t look like it. And don’t call me that.”

From above, Valentina claps her hands slowly. “Well, well, well. Look who came crawling back. What brings you here, darling?”

You look up at her. Calm. Sharp.

“I want shelter.”

The team blinks.

“You’re in no position to ask for anything,” Bucky snaps, stepping forward.

You meet his eyes and stalk toward him, closing the space with deliberate steps. You stop inches from his face.

“I wasn’t talking to you, soldier.” You can practically see the smoke coming out of his ears. His hands curl into fists.

Yelena slides between you, pushing Bucky back with one hand and facing you with the other.

“Okay, okay—let’s compare sizes later, yeah?” she says with a dry smile. Then, gently, “Are you okay?”

You nod once. “I’m fine.”

Yelena narrows her eyes. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” you repeat, voice steady.

Valentina claps her hands again, teeth flashing. “Well, welcome to the team, sweetheart. I’ll report your arrival and prep your first mission.”

In a blink, you’re in front of her. Hand wrapped around her throat.

Fast. Feral. Final.

Mel gasps beside her, backing up fast.

“I don’t take orders from you,” you growl.

Valentina doesn’t panic. Not exactly. But her eyes narrow slightly.

“I respect that,” she says, her voice tight under your grip. “But this is still my tower. So if I let you stay here… what do I get in return?”

You lean in slightly. “You get to live.”

Alexei whistles. “Ohhh, I already like her.”

Ava elbows him, annoyed. “Of course you do.”

Valentina smiles again, snake-like. “I could just send you back. Mel, contact Doctor Mathers.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mel says weakly.

You hesitate. Just enough.

Then you release her.

She breathes in sharply and adjusts her blazer.

“That’s good. Good judgment. I appreciate that.” She brushes invisible dust off her shoulder. “You’ll stay here now. Learn to play nice.”

And with that, she turns, heels clicking toward the door. Mel follows, glancing at you one last time like you might pounce again.

You don’t. Not yet.

════════════════════════════════

The hall is quiet—too quiet for your liking. You walk with light steps between Yelena and Bob as they lead you through the Watchtower, pointing out things they assume matter.

Training rooms. Cafeteria. Medical bay.

Bob is talking. He does that a lot, you’ve noticed. His energy is easy, almost harmless—but that doesn’t make you lower your guard.

“So… you remember anything from before the lab?” he asks, not unkindly. “Parents? A place?”

You look ahead. “I was an orphan.”

When he glances over, there’s that look. Like maybe he wants to say something comforting. Wrong move.

“I don’t need your pity,” you say, sharp and flat.

His mouth opens, then closes. Yelena throws him a look. “Subtle.”

“I’m just—curious,” Bob mutters. “She doesn’t talk much.”

“I like that about her,” Yelena says, then turns to you. “I was in the Red Room. A long time ago.”

You don’t miss the weight in her voice. You nod once. “I know that place.”

You don’t elaborate. She doesn’t press.

By the time you reach your assigned room, someone’s already waiting.

Bucky is leaning against the door directly across from yours. His arms are folded, head tilted slightly forward, like he’s been there a while. Waiting.

You come to a full stop. Your eyes meet, and neither of you blinks.

“Got something to say, soldier?” you ask, voice flat but unmistakably sharp.

“I sleep here,” he says, nodding toward his door. Then adds, “And I’ll be watching you.”

You take one step closer, tilting your head. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Too bad,” he mutters.

You hold his stare a beat longer before turning. Walk to your own door.

Slam it behind you—hard.

Inside, it’s quiet. The room is warm, freshly cleaned. Soft lighting. A real bed. Too soft. Too wide. Too unfamiliar.

You don’t trust it.

The walls are blank. No vents. No observation windows. But that doesn’t mean you’re not being watched. You know better.

Steam clings to your skin as you step out of the shower, muscles still aching from the run, the fight, the forest. You walk past the bed without touching it.

You grab one of the pillows, toss it to the ground, and settle down.

Back against the wall. Eyes on the door. Knees drawn up just enough to move if you need to.

But for the first time in your life, no one locked the door behind you.

You fall asleep waiting for them to.

════════════════════════════════

The floor is cold beneath your cheek.

Hard. Familiar.

Somewhere in the distance, someone is screaming. A child. The sound is muffled, as though filtered through water—but you know it well. It used to pull at something inside you. Used to make you curl up tighter, small and silent, convincing yourself: It’ll be over soon.

You close your eyes tighter.

The scream comes again.

Then another sound—a voice, sharp and cruel:

“You are useless.”

“You want to change the world like this? You can’t even help yourself.”

A loud thud follows. A body hitting the floor. A soft whimper.

Then—blood.

You taste it in your mouth before you smell it. Metallic. Warm. Your eyes snap open.

You’re in the cage again. Small, shaking, bones jutting out beneath pale skin. The bars. You reach out. Tentative.

Nothing.

They forgot to turn the electricity back on.

You move without thinking, slipping through the bars like liquid. Silent. Almost like a cat.

The hallway is empty, but the scent leads you—thick and coppery, iron and adrenaline. You follow it to a door left cracked open.

Inside, the devil waits.

That’s what the others call him: The Devil. The guards laugh behind their masks when they say it. But you know it’s true. The devil doesn’t have horns. He has a stick and a smile.

A boy kneels on the floor, sobbing, back split open.

You barely recognize your voice when you speak.

“Stop.”

He turns. Slowly. Like he’s savoring the moment.

“Oh,” he says. “But look who’s here. Came to play hero, did you?”

You say nothing.

He takes a step. “Look at you. Trying to be good.” Another step. “Tell me, do you think you can win?”

Something cracks in your fingers—skin splitting, bone shifting. You gasp.

He grins. “So the kitty’s got claws after all.”

Then, suddenly, the gun is in his hand. Not pointed at you.

The shot is loud.

You scream. Your body moves before your mind catches up.

You cross the room in a blur, sink your claws deep into his gut. He gasps, choking. Drops to his knees.

You tilt his head back with one clawed hand. He looks into your eyes, still smiling.

“Do it,” he says. “Show me how much of a monster you are.”

You scream as your claws tear through his throat.

His body slumps forward. His head rolls. Blood pools.

The door opens behind you. Dr. Mathers stands in the frame, stunned. Then—

“Look at you,” he whispers, stepping forward, voice reverent. “It’s finally happened.”

He kneels, pats your head gently.

Like you’re a good little animal.

You wake up with a jolt, drenched in sweat.

The room is dark. Quiet.

Your chest heaves. You blink—and you hear him.

“Dreaming of me, I see.” The voice is silk over glass. Rotten. Familiar.

He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, elbow on one knee, head tilted like he’s just waiting for a conversation.

You grunt and push yourself off the floor, into the bathroom. The cold water hits your face like needles.

He appears behind you in the mirror. Unchanged. Same eyes.

“Can’t get me out of your head?” he says. “Cute.”

You grip the sink tighter.

“You know,” he leans closer, whispering against your neck, “they’re watching. Waiting. And you’re just playing house. But you’ll come back. You always do.”

You don’t respond. You’ve learned to ignore him.

It’s better that way.

So here’s the first part. I know—I changed it completely. But honestly? I think it’s way better now.

What do we think? 👀

[dark-elf-writes]

Hey.

Do you think. Percy would tell Rumi about Luke. About him betraying her /twelve year old baby brother/, and almost killing him?

Or would he try to hide how hurt he got from Rumi and everyone else so (he hopes) they don't worry as much? (It doesn't work. They know he went through something. Not knowing what just makes the worrying worse.)

And if Rumi does find out, how much do you want to bet she ends up ttthhhiiss |.| close. To hunting Luke down.

(Even if she doesn't hunt him down, I think once she finds out, Rumi would hate Luke *forever*. Percy may have some complicated feelings about Luke in the end. But Rumi doesn't. And he hurt her brother.)

See hear me out I don’t think Percy would tell her both because he doesn’t want her to worry but also because he is ashamed of it.

He’s ashamed that Luke fooled him. He’s ashamed that he didn’t see all the writing on the walls. He’s ashamed that up until Luke tried to actually kill him he thought they were friends.

(And maybe just maybe he’s ashamed of the crush he had been harboring for Luke since he stole comfort items for Percy on his first day there.)

The shame and guilt and betrayal of it all makes it impossible to put into words, but Rumi isn’t dumb. She knows her little brother. She can see how he’s changed and she can definitely see the new scar on his hand. It takes a lot of gentle prodding, sibling bonding, and Rumi fully postponing several concerts but Percy slowly opens up about what happened.

(Rumi is furious. She wants Luke’s head on a pike. The thought of him almost killing her baby brother is bad enough but the shadows in Percy’s eyes as he talks about that betrayal from someone he trusted is what has her halfway out the door with her sword in hand before Sally finds her and talks her down.)

[emistations]

i don't think you should use modern amy's character is misogynistic as a part of your arguments since can't you find things one may consider misogynistic about old amy's character too?

Yeah, there are aspects of older Amy that one can find misogynistic but that just adds to my own point. Misogyny has types, many such are subtle ans hidden underneath. That's to the point where if those types don't meet the "agreed upon" defintion, it "doesn't count." So those types get to stay rampant and hurt us. We get silenced because "It's not real misogyny." That's like saying subtle racism isn't racism. See what I'm getting at?

I live in a society full of subtle Misogyny. This is my everyday life, I know what om talking about

Men expect us to be mature and demure and not show emotions because they expect women to be submissive and easy to control. They don't want a woman to say what's on her mind because the man is always in charge. If a woman gets disrespected she has to take it in silence but it she fights back she's stepped outta line. She always gotta be the bigger person and take it delicately because "the man is always right". God forbid you try to openly love someone because you'd be called immature and weird. You have to love who THEY tell you to love. God forbid you're overly feminine because then you're silenced. "You're childish" "youre annoying."

When they treat women beneath their feet like this, isn't that prejudice?

Amy was always the anti of misogyny. She was never afraid to talk a man down if they got too funny with her. She embraced her feminity full force and was never afraid to be energetic or angry. She was a role model to many women to step up. Keep in mind she's a Japanese creation. And while Japan also has its issues towards women, at least they represented Amy, Rouge, Blaze, Cream and so on properly.

Sure revolving around a man or being too emotional is also stereotypical misogyny in some places and I get that, but even then older Amy had a balance. She guided Shadow, Gamma, helped a little bird, reached out to the heart of others.

People tend to cherry pick the older Amy a lot to make her seem "bad", but strip her away of everything that makes her Amy and there's nothing to cherry pick, right? Take away her energy, her love, her right to clap back... and you got yourself a demure lady when Jet insults her. A mom friend. A very calm and mature woman.

Exactly a woman men want because back in the 2000s sexist men couldn't handle the idea of a non-submissive woman. Blaze gets a pass because she's cool and badass and """"mature"""" (she also has a temper but hey only Amy gets judged!), Rouge gets a pass because she has a sexualized body! (Female bodies are not inherently sexual so that's also another form of misogyny — objectification).

So when those men criticized Amy, they changed her to appease THEM. Not her female fans who looked up to her. Them. Little girls who'll lock up to her now will think it's okay to have a man talk down to you as long as you're "mature" ans the bigger person. There's a time and place for maturity but true maturity is being honest with yourself and open with your emotions, not forcefully shoving them aside.

Having women silence themselves and everything they stand for... IS misogyny. I'm not talking outta my ass, I've been through this. I had men in my life offline and online abuse me and silence me because I'm always expected to be submissive and do what they say, so excuse me if I'm sensitive over my role model who taught me to be better being treated like this because of sexist men.

Not all men are bad obviously and when I call out this issue I'm not saying "OHHH THE WRITERS ARE SEXIST AND THE FANS OF NEW AMY ARE SEXIST!!!" I don't know anyone personally to say this. When I plead misogyny, I mean "the change Amy underwent to appease sexist fans back then IS sexist. The change. Not the people currently liking it or writing. The concept. The change."

Sonic is notorious for bending backwards to appease journalist who hates it, so excuse me if they bent backwards to people who called her a psychopath, a stalker, and a bitch (derogatory term for women btw!) just for... being a girl.

So yeah. I think I'm within my right to say it's misogynistic and I'm not the only woman. So many female fans say the same. So please don't tell us what misogynistic is or isn't.

[dreamjoymemoir]

How Abt anaxa Herta Dating reader who is so scarily silent of the characters are not actively watching them they will NOT know where reader is. I can imagine reader could've scared either of them half to death bc they didn't hear them

me too anon

-anaxagoras is a perceptive man, but even his sharp ears fail to hear your approach even across the crunchy forest floor. he turns around, and you're standing there like nothing is wrong. it's impressive if anything, and clearly he needs to work on sensing you better. the problem is that he suddenly reaches for his gun if he thinks he's being snuck up on, which accidentally scares you in turn. he tells you that it's not good for his heart if you insist on surprising him so often.

-he asks that you declare your presence more and without shame or reservation. he will not begrudge you for saying when you're coming and going, and it means that you won't be left standing in silence for several minutes because he didn't know you were there. he certainly doesn't want to make you feel that you don't exist! it's also rather inconvenient if he tries talking to you without realizing you've already left.

-still, this silence of yours endears him all the same. it's more preferable to him to have an abundance of quiet than noise, and he respects that you prefer to move about peacefully. but you're his lover, and your presence could never be a bother to him either way. he likes knowing that you're in the room with him whether he can hear you or not. one of his favorite solutions is to have you in his lap or draped over his legs while you carry out your own activities so that he can feel your quiet weight settled over him.

-herta is generally tolerant of your quirks, but she does not appreciate the way she you seem to appear out of thin air behind her while she's focused on something else. she casually complains about your lack of presence at first, telling you to at least knock first before you come in, or are you trying to surprise her? how you also seem to vanish once she turns around is a mystery to her, and she starts wondering if there's something amiss about you beyond simple silence. as it turns out, you are just very quiet and light on your feet.

-however she adapts to your unintentional sneakiness very well, and over time she's tipped off by your reflection in a monitor or your shadow on the floor before you announce that you're there. she seriously considers asking to put a belled cat collar on you so that she can hear you jingling through the house.

-it makes her a little lonely if she can't tell where you are! when she calls out to you, she's only met with silence, and it bothers her in a way she doesn't want to admit. herta would at least like to know that you haven't been atomized when she wasn't looking. your subtlety only makes her cling to you more insistently when you do spend time together, as if you might disappear before her eyes if she doesn't hold you where she can see you. have some sympathy for her and let her know where you're going from time to time!

[actual-changeling]

Hey! I love your txf analysis and I just read your post about S6 Mulder and how frustrating his treatment of Scully is. I hear you about the reactions you might get but wanted to say I would personally love to hear more of your thoughts/analysis on that and also what, if anything, you think happens to get him to where he is at the start of S7 (post/end of Amor Fati). Thanks!

Thank you <3 I do have some metas I've never fully finished or shared, so maybe now I'll get around to it. And oh boy do I have THOUGHTS on Amor Fati. I pulled out the screencaps, which is how you know I'm getting all excited, so here goes. Offer me a prompt and I will write an essay.

Generally, I like to pretend that this storyline doesn't exist because a) I hated watching it and I still hate it now and b) continuity? killed. left to rot in Chris Carter's backyard like Diana Fowley.

What gets Mulder to his s7 self? Nothing. Fuck all. No character development. There was so much potential for explorative, character-focused episodes that untangle their mess and try to make it make sense. Scully is still deeply hurt and putting up walls (rightfully so), and then after Amor Fati the writers just pretend nothing of s6 ever happened.

Some people in this fandom think that Diana is the core issue of their conflict, but that's not true. She's simply the catalyst for a process that was already past its first stages, and then her mere presence plus occasional meddling make it worse.

Personally, I'd say that the first domino happened all the way back in Detour when Mulder not just rejected Scully's bid for attention, but literally ran from it. That is a grown ass man who refuses to sit with his discomfort to go and hunt shadow men instead. She's fine with him ditching her at the beginning of that episode, but after that? He keeps ditching her, and she goes through all the stages of grief before eventually settling on "fuck you, but I'm too tired to fight you anymore".

So once we reach the biogenesis arc, we have a Mulder who STILL has never apologized for any of the mean shit he pulled on her and STILL trusts Diana over Scully. She worries, tells him to go and rest, and when he finally collapses he ends up with Diana.

Then he has the fucking audacity to throw "you're my friend" at her and call her his touchstone. Don't get me wrong, I love that scene, and if you ignore the context, it's incredibly sweet and romantic—can't really do that though, my brain doesn't work like that.

The state Scully is in is largely his fault. This is on him, and he refuses to fix it or even acknowledge it. But she's vulnerable, scared, lost in ever conceivable way, so when he tells her how much she means to him and everything she needs to hear so fucking bad, she believes him.

I mean, he looks at her with large doe eyes, holds her face in his hands, says "I love you" without actually saying it, I'd close my eyes against all the rational arguments too.

She lets him talk, reciprocates, and then she has to walk away. I think she really wanted to kiss him at this moment, and in a better universe she definitely would have, but the thing is that Mulder Does This tm.

Whenever he gets scared that she is going to leave and/or he needs something from her, he pulls out a big speech and gets all emotional, and she believes him—until he takes it back later. (I think I already wrote a meta post about this specifically at some point.)

It's a messy, vulnerable moment, and she cannot kiss him and make any of it real. She just can't. God, does she love him, and it's written all over her face, and yet she HAS to turn around and leave for her own good.

This isn't relief or happiness, this is I know what you're doing, and I wish I could just believe you, but you'll hurt me again. (I love you and never stopped, even when you stopped looking.)

Words are not enough, Mulder needs to keep his promises and act on them for her to actually commit to him and their relationship, and THAT is a process. That takes time. That takes several episodes of good writing and continuous awareness of the character's relationships.

Since this is the X Files, though, we're not getting any of that and are stuck with Amor Fati instead. The least they could have done is kill Fowley ON SCREEN and give us the satisfaction of seeing her dead on the ground. They could have used the second half of s6 to fix their shit and chose not to and then made it worse. SO much potential gone to waste.

I have a (very) long-standing personal alternate Arcadia story where they are stuck together in the suburbs for several weeks, if not months, instead of like two days.

Lock them in a big house with little to do, make them share a bed and pretend to be married, and then see what happens; don't let them out until they've started solving their shit. Everything gets worse before it slowly gets better, and the close-quarter pining paired with intense angst is one hell of a drug. Small parts of it are written, but I've been missing the motivation to sit down and plot it all out.

This got wildly out of control since I literally cannot shut up about this, but I hope it was an enjoyable read anyway!

[requiem-for-a-raisin]

Kagari - Me and You, Always Part 1

*Fan translation for funsies! IP owned by Cybird, translations are my own and may be inaccurate. See About page for more info.*

:readmore:

In the summer in Jade, the sweltering heat dominated the air, just like that of Rhodolite.

Neema

"Ah... I feel revived."

(It's cool and refreshing...)

The murmuring of the river, the clear water that wraps around my feet, everything brings coolness to the scorching sun.

Taking advantage of the fact that there are no people around, I splashed around in the river like a child.

(I never thought I'd end up playing in a river at my age...)

*flashback*

Child

"Do you know, Sis? There's a really cold river in the mountains over there."

Child

"Kagari-sensei taught me this, but I'll teach you too."

Child

"It's a thank you for always bringing treats to the dojo."

*end flashback*

(Now that she taught me, I can cool off to the fullest.)

???

"You always look like you're having fun."

Neema

"Yes, that's..."

Neema

"!?"

When I turned around quickly, my legs got tangled and my body tilted.

Neema

"Wah... waah!"

There was nothing to grab onto in the river, and I fell flat on my butt.

Neema

"Ouch..."

(I'm soaked through…)

(This does feel good, though.)

As I tried to stand up, a shadow fell directly in front of me.

I looked up, and saw Kagari standing there, blocking out the scorching sunlight.

As always, he had no expression or emotion on his face.

Staring down at me without a word, I felt an indescribable sense of awkwardness.

(How long have you been here?)

The shame rushed to my words as I felt the "what the hell are you doing?” in his gaze.

Neema

"Th-Now I'm fully prepared for the heat!"

Neema

"It was so hot, so this feels great... ahaha... haha..."

Kagari

"..."

Neema

"... If you could say something..."

Kagari

"Something.”

Neema

"Not that--"

Neema

"Uh, Kagari?!"

Kagari was on one knee in the river and picked me up without caring about getting wet.

I clung to him instantly, and my clothes, which were soaked with water, soaked him too.

I frantically tried to get away from him, but he held me back with force.

Kagari

"You're definitely cold. You feel good right now."

Neema

"You'll get wet."

Kagari

"Is it bad if I get wet?"

Neema

"...If that's what you want, Kagari.”

(...My heart might be beating a little loud.)

Kagari lightly carried me to the shore and set me down on the ground.

Neema

"Thank you very much."

A moment later, somehow, I was embraced and my vision darkened.

I felt his well-trained body through his wet clothes and gasped.

(What?)

When I tried to look up, I heard a cat meowing nearby...

Kagari

“You are so full of energy despite the heat. Let's give you a break."

(...?)

I slipped out of the loose restraint and was immensely surprised at the sight I saw.

Neema

“Kagari・・・・・・!"　

Kagari

"That’s a funny face. You're busy turning red and blue."

Neema

"This is no time for that! Are you okay!?"

(A big cat is biting Kagari’s arm!)

The cat, a size larger than the cats you see on the street, dug its sharp claws into his skin.

But Kagari shook it off lightly without changing his expression.

The cat landed gracefully and, perhaps realizing it was no match for the Yasha in front of it, fled into the shade.

(...Looking closer, her fur is messy and she doesn't look well.)

(But now...)

When I turn my gaze back to Kagari, blood is dripping from his arm where the cat had bitten him.

Neema

"Let's hurry and get some treatment!"

Kagari

"You're overreacting."

Neema

“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?”

Kagari

"Yeah."

Neema

"That's a lie."

Kagari

"It's true. Maybe it's because someone else is feeling the pain for me today."

(It's true that he doesn't seem to feel any pain at all... is that even possible?)

Though confused, I take out the medicine and linen I had in my bag and disinfect the wound.

During this time, Kagari didn't even groan, and his expression didn't change, to the point that I wondered if he was blocking out his sense of pain.

(I don't know if he’s really not in pain, or if he’s just good at hiding it.)

Kagari

“I see it."

"And she looks pretty hungry.”

Neema

“Did she attack you because she was angry…?"

Kagari

“I'm sure it was.”

(It's quite emaciated and it's this hot out…)

(If we leave her here, she might die.)

(I know she's a very cautious girl, but…)

Neema

“Kagari…"

Kagari

“There is one condition.”

[tacitusauxilium]

"I mean..." She blushed darkly, surprised at how casually he said that. Then again, it was the two of them and hell, they've been through a lot in just the last hour at the mall. And even hearing him talking about the title only after they fucked made Fuuka lean towards him and playfully punched his arm weakly. "You know, you are this close--" Fuuka brought her arm back that she punched him with and brought her thumb and index finger together so close they were barely touching. "--on becoming my boyfriend. I'm sure you cooking skills are top notch because you have a whole truck dedicated to it." She giggled, pointing back to the kitchen, as Fuuka brought her left leg up and tucked it underneath her right leg.

"Blushing also doesn't leave me drained. It's having to deal with how casual you are cursing and being...you, you know? I'm not used to someone being so forward with me." Fuuka explained, placing her hands in her lap and watching Yusuke focus on driving. Before she could get lost looking at him, he asked her a simple and easy question. "I am in university, yes. I am working on a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering and Programming. I wanted to also dabble with hospitals and make their equipment more user friendly in the idea of less machines breaking and so people could be trained easier." Fuuka explained, almost ready to ramble about how she had this 20 year plan ready to go. But knew she had to get her ordeals in check first with the Shadow Operatives.

Fuuka clasped her hands and grinned. "Let's see... let me think of a good question for you." Fuuka wanted to really make Yusuke think while driving--wonderful combination?--and closed her eyes, thinking really hard. After a few seconds passed, something clicked in Fuuka's mind. Opening her eyes, she gripped the seat belt around her body. "I've got a question: if you could have any one of your friends around to protect me from who knows what, who would it be and why?"

"Y-you'd...drive me back home?" She softly asked, her heart fluttering again. Fuuka chuckled as he talked about his home life--a bit interested to see what his home actually did look like. "Honestly, I can't wait to see your home. I only had my parents and myself, so it was a bit lonely while I was growing up. And I think your dogs will love me. When I was in high school, we had a stray dog--Koromaru--who always came up to us and asked for pets and food. Until we let him live with us." She explained, almost telling Yusuke the dog could fight with a Persona and had to stop herself short. They were already getting super friendly and definitely didn't want to ruin this moment at all.

Fuuka watched as Yusuke opened the door to the back of his truck and followed his command and placed her stuff right next to his. "Twenty questions? Hmmm--okay, I'm up for that." Fuuka grinned as she watched him close the door and she moved towards the passenger seat and situated herself comfortably and put on her seat belt. The drive to and from the mall had definitely changed the both of them, something Fuuka was not expecting at all. Once Yusuke started the truck and got on the road, Fuuka placed her phone in the nearby cup holder and turned to Yusuke.

"Just so you know, if I fall asleep on the way back, I'm sorry in advance. My social battery is just so low that a drive may put me to sleep." Fuuka admitted, turning her attention back to the road as Yusuke stopped at a traffic light. "But I will do my best to stay awake because I'm going to your place and maybe... ...maybe I want to stay awake so that if I want to come and see you, I'll know how to get there by myself." She felt her cheeks flushing and turning her head slightly away from Yusuke's view. That's if she needs to remember the place. She is sure Juno would remember it for her if she ever forgot.