#and she's not allowed to retaliate against men or be anything but attractive to men. her whole character is just tied to the male gaze

[cardboard-aliens]

I wish I could find this article I read a WHILE ago about BioShock Infinite and Elizabeth.

The main focus I remember was pointing out how the response to Elizabeth was "She's not annoying! She doesn't get in the way! She doesn't slow me down!" and lamenting how female characters are only praised when they're convenient and out of the way. Because if Elizabeth hadn't be cute and charming, or hindered the player's quest, she would've been scorned by gamers who would've wished violent death on her.

[subbing-for-clones]

The New Apprentice Part 10

Maul x Sith Reader 

Word Count: 2.6k

WARNINGS: Pining, death canon and non-canon, blood

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       Maul had given into your desires as he stayed behind on Zanbar while you boarded one of the Death Watch ships with Savage and Vizsla. You scoffed at the loosely hanging Pyke robes attempting to pin them back so the extra fabric wouldn't get in your way. Savage was muttering specifics with Bo closer the rear of the ship while Vizsla eyed you.

"Allow me." He sauntered over to you and expertly gathered some of the fabric behind your back, fastening it with a safety pin.

"A warrior, leader and seamster I presume." Slightly annoyed how your flesh reacted to touch. Only your master had touched you outside of combat for the first time in years. You weren't attracted to this human. Your body simply reacted because of biology, or something, you reasoned.

"I'm sure you'll come to find I'm a man of many talents." He hummed with a smirk on his face.

    He dug the mask out of your pack and held it in his hands, looking deeply into the eye holes with a stoic look on his face.

"I need to ask a favor of you." His tone was firm but some kind of anxiety lay behind it. You narrowed your eyes at him expecting bile to spring from his lips.

"What?"

"I know you are powerful, a gifted fighter and I'm assuming strong with the ways of the Sith." You had no clue where he was going with this so when he paused you waited, searching his eyes for something his words didn't tell you.

"What I don't know is what stake you have in this... conflict."

"What is the favor you're dodging around Mandalorian?"

"These aren't your people. This isn't your planet. Although your current role in this siege is to make a fuss for us to stop, I ask that the chaos you spur on sticks to the script. These are my people; this is my home. I know civilians will die and I know buildings will burn but please... please don't destroy everything. I may not be a force user but I can sense that, you could."

    You sighed. Why does he have to care? In a way he reminded you of the Nightbrother you loved. Commanding, fierce, taking what he wants. But encased with a hard exterior that cracked, leaking a gentle and soft core. You shook your head. Why must men be these complicated yet predictable creatures. You'd much rather go back to viewing everyone in the same light as the slaver except for Savage and Maul. It was so much easier that way, but you couldn't.

"I assure you. No one who doesn't need to die to get the point across will fall by my blades."

    He actually looked relieved. Much too trusting this bald and scarred man was. You weren't lying but how could he tell?

"Thank you."

    He handed you the mask, just hardly brushing his fingers against yours. Your skin still tingled when he pulled away and walked to the cockpit. You were thanking the stars that your Master had stayed on Zanbar. Simply biology. You continued to sooth yourself. Maul may not have sensed it but Savage not far from you definetly did.

    He would never say anything about it however. He understood the wanting of the heart and the body often intertwined but were also separate. He held no romantic love for you but sometimes when you sparred something would stir in his belly that had nothing to do with his heat cycle. It's probably a touch starvation symptom. He knew this but also knew that Maul wouldn't be so understanding if he ever found out so he wouldn't say a word.

       You had stowed away with a few Pykes in a cargo container currently being lowered onto the shipping docks. The four of you smiled and chuckled with an excited anticipation. You had given your sabers to Savage remembering the discussion that took place in the makeshift strategy tent on the moon once everyone had left but the three of you.

"We need Vizsla to be the face of our rule so the Jedi are none the wiser until I'm ready for them to come." Maul seethed in that velvety growl that never failed to make you tremble.

"One Sith causing trouble, especially if he leaves no survivors won't give us away but two or three? They'd come in full force and we aren't ready for that just yet."

The grip on your newly acquired viroblades tightened. Of course, he was right. Your master was always right. A slight wave of guilt for doubting his reasoning in the first place tugged at your heart.

    You had almost lost yourself in your thoughts when the cargo entrance opened, revealing several Mandalorian guards. Every cargo container down the line burst open with Pykes pouring out, pointing blasters at the shocked men in uniform. You slashed open the throat of the one nearest you, blood spurting from his neck and spraying your loth wolf mask.

"Surrender, these docks are now under the control of the Pyke syndicate," the leader of this faction spoke smoothly.

    The remaining guards nodded furiously with their arms in the air, glancing down at their slowly dying brother as he writhed, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. You threw your knife and stuck it square between his eyes just to quiet his chocked groans.

    Within a matter of hours many 'hot spots' were taken under various syndicate control. The Pykes had taken the docks. The Black Suns had control of a number of public meeting grounds, leaving the city center for Death Watch to make an appearance. Savage was currently overtaking the banks with members of the Hutt Clan's minions. All was going according to your master's plan.

    The following day you had hidden away your costume and disappeared into the crowd of citizens as the Duchess made her address to the people. Of course, she tried to calm them, ordering they wait this out, refusing to retaliate. You rolled your eyes so hard they could've fallen out of your head. She's making this so fucking easy.

    But when Vizsla broke the skyline, hovering in front of her with his guard your stomach turned at the sight. She couldn't have been quicker to accuse him of these attacks which if course he denied. He turned to speak to his people, giving a proper introduction and spoke with authority. He kept his speech short and strong. Promising to save the planet that the Duchess had so easily and eagerly weakened. You could sense the relief and admiration from the thousands gathered in the city center through the force just before cries of joy echoed throughout. It made your heart flutter. Surely you were just picking up on the peoples' emotions you reasoned.

    Slowly but surely across the city members of Death Watch were rescuing the guards and citizens from their false imprisonment. Effectively dropping Pre Vizsla's name once the scripted gangsters were in custody.

    You tore away from the main vault just before Savage activated the detonator. "Keep up you weaklings!" He called to the Pykes as the two of you led the retreat eliciting a feral giggle from you. The both of you were throwing bystanders over the rail as you ran. Only one out of five actually fell to their death before they could be saved by the surviving guard.

You're supposed to rid the galaxy of fear not ignite it!

    The voice boomed in your mind causing you to halt just around the corner, shaking your head furiously, confused. Death Watch was waiting for you as planned. It was Vizsla himself who fought Savage with the dark saber. Coming out of your confused stupor only sent you reeling into a new one at the sight. It was choreographed for sure but still, you did love a man who could wield a weapon of the sort. He submit Savage and turned his attention to you with a smirk on his face. Thanking the gods that the mask hid your blush as a binding cable shot out of his gauntlet, tethering around you. You fell to your knees and although that was the plan, your emotions had clouded you and it was not necessarily a false win on his part.

    At this point of the plan Maul wanted you to keep a close eye on the Death Watch leader. Vizsla had his own reasons for wanting you by his side so it took little convincing for him to lend you some spare armor and a helmet as he stormed the palace with you and his team. As predicted, Satine didn't struggle and he shot you a victorious glance nudging his elbow into you. You couldn't stop the bubble of excitement as it manifested itself in a stifled giggle.

    That night you stood by his side on the tallest terrace while Savage, the leaders of the Pykes and the Black Suns knelt in binders below. The crowd of Mandalorians chanted Vizsla's name as Bo Kataan addressed them, announcing that Vizsla would lead them forward if the people would accept him which they whole heartedly did.

"Its gone even better than I could've hoped."

    You turned your helmeted head to face him. The voice you heard just before your capture never stopped echoing in your mind. You knew this was wrong. Your role in it anyway. You shoved your subconscious down deeply inside yourself as you responded to him.

"The people love you. They think you saved them."

"I wouldn't be where I am without you."

"Or without the Pykes, without the Hutts or the Black Suns. Truly at its root you wouldn't be here without my Master. I fear you forget, he orchestrated all of this. You'd still be on that moon grasping at straws without him." You straightened your back and looked back towards the crowd calming the storm that raged within you. Sensing his twinge of displeasure through the force as your loyalty was solidified before him.

      In the throne room Maul finally joined your band of criminals. You quickly returned to his side earning an approving glance from him. Vizsla's eyes narrowed finally understanding exactly how far your loyalty lay with your master.

"Good of you to join us Lord Maul." His annoyance was adamant and you felt something uneasy stir in you. Maul seemed to sense it as well as Vizsla's guards slowly formed a half circle behind you.

"The transition of power will be seamless; we now have the support of the people and Satine to bait Kenobi." Vizsla continued, confident as ever. "With his demise our deal will be complete."

Maul crossed his arms over his chest inadvertently flexing his biceps and his chest as he rumbled.

"Your oversight requires correction... we now have a base, an army and the means to expand into other neutral systems."

Vizsla scoffed. "It wasn't an oversight. It was intentional. I don't have an interest in another systems. Your vision no longer matters."

With blasters pointed at your heads you and your master growled as the members of Death Watch placed you in binders while Vizsla took the throne.

"Oh don't fret, I'll still honor our deal. Kenobi will be dealt with but now you'll do as I say." You snarled at his words. You fucking hated the way your arms were trapped behind you. Baring your teeth, you shot daggers into him as he turned his attention to you, an almost pained look in his eyes.

"You however darling I will give one and only one chance to rid yourself of this angry brute." He loosely waved his hand in Maul’s direction. Your Master's pupils dilated and his chest vibrated in fury.

"Join me. Rule by my side and I will give you everything you could ever want." He extended his hand out to you as Bo Kataan reluctantly guided you to him.

    Maul roared with a bestial, primal rage filled roar that shook the windows while his guard pressed the blaster harder into the back of his head. You smirked and leaned forward so your face was inches apart from the false king and you hummed seductively.

"You sweet, foolish human man. You have nothing I could ever want. You will never have anything I could ever want." You straightened and cleared your throat, spitting in his face.

    He angrily wiped the spit off of his cheek as Bo fired her blaster that had been set to stun, dropping you to the floor at his feet.

"It’s a shame really." Vizsla grieved. "Such a waste of someone so beautiful and powerful." He kicked you down the stairs that led to the throne.

"Take them away!"

  "We still have time to put in place a ruler that will bend to our will. By putting us in prison he has only placed us within reach of viable candidates." You stirred at your Master's whispers.

"Then we shall find one!" Patience gone from Savage's tone, you opened your eyes and took in your surroundings. A thick glass door, starkly bright white walls of the small cell the three of you were crammed into. You sat up on the cold bench you had been resting on. Rubbing your temple as Maul sat beside you wrapping one arm around your waist.

"Your loyalty to me is astounding and appreciated my young apprentice. You will be rewarded in due time." He traced your jawline with a finger while he turned his attention back to Savage.

"Calm yourself brother we will find one. Vizsla has imprisoned the Duchess here and various other political figures who will serve our purposes well."

"Hey! Quiet you monsters." A guard called out to the three of you.

"Savage, I wish a tour of this facility."

    Maul helped you to your feet and Savage smirked, using the force to shatter the glass subsequently launching the mouthy guard over the rail and far down below. Without your sabers you reached your hand out to one more guard as he gripped at his throat. Your teeth bared you clenched your fist pulling a delicious crunching sound from his now limp body, tossing it aside.

    Once you found the Duchess it didn't take long for her to point you directly to the kind of man you sought. She had thought she was being clever, sassy and insulting but like all other areas in her life; she failed.

"Thanks blondie." You taunted as the three of you made your way to the next cell. The former Prime Minister called Almec was confused that Maul was interested in him and the cause of his imprisonment. Once he explained that he was here on charges of corruption for dealing in the black market his suspicion that you were in league with Vizsla was satiated at the death of a third guard. Killed by Savage for firing a stray blast in their direction.

"I can see you are powerful but how would you overthrow Vizsla? Just the three of you?"

"He is a solider therefor bound by honor. I will challenge him to single combat and once I defeat him, take possession of the Dark Saber, the Death Watch will follow my rule. You will then act as my puppet, ruling falsely in my stead while I take control in the shadows."

"Yes. Yes that will work. According to the ancient laws of Mandalore his men will be bound to follow you."

    The four of you smiled with determination as you led Almec from his cell, killing the few and far between guards that stood in your way of the throne room.

[outrebanx]

flower crowns

JJ Maybank x female reader

Masterlist

Summary: Y/N has her feet in both worlds of the pogues and the kooks but she loves the pogue side more and this is shown when she defends JJ at Midsummers (i’m so sorry this summary is awful)

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: swearing, a bit of fighting -  but I think that’s it

(gif not mine credit to @rudypankows​)

A/N: This is the first time I’ve actually posted anything I’ve written and ngl as it goes on it kinda gets worse but oh well - any feedback would be great though! :)

Being raised with both Pogues and Kooks meant you knew what both sides were like, your mum was a pogue who married your dad, a kook; and despite the class differences they were happy and that’s what they wanted for you as well. This meant throughout your childhood you had experienced both sides - the freedom and fun of the Pogues and the luxuries of the kooks.

Although because most kooks were so up themselves you preferred to be around your friends on the cut, your Pogues: John B, JJ, Pope and Kie; and luckily your parents allowed you to spend lots of time with them, whether on your small adventures or on HMS Pogue, it didn’t matter as you felt like you belonged with them.

For the past two weeks you had been on the mainland looking at college options and visiting some of your family, which meant it had been ages since you’d seen your friends - and you really missed them. Luckily though, tonight was Midsummers and you knew you’d definitely be able to see Kie and ask her about everybody, and maybe see some of the others too.

You stared at yourself in the mirror, a yellow silk dress hugging all your curves, delicate make up with black winged eyeliner and a daisy flower crown on the top of your curled hair. Even you thought you looked quite nice, especially as you don’t dress up often.

“Y/N can I come in?” Your mum knocked at your door, and began opening it after you replied back yes

She stopped at the sight of you, “oh wow Y/N, you look absolutely beautiful, I might even start crying”

“Please don’t” you laughed back, “We both spent quite a bit of time on our make up, we don’t want to ruin it just yet.”

She chuckled, “True, come on then lets go downstairs so your dad can take a ridiculous number of pictures of us then we’ll head out.”

She had been right about your dad wanting to take loads photos of you and your mum, some of them with him in them as well, but however much it annoyed you, you enjoyed this time together as you always loved spending time with them.

By the time you arrived at the venue, the party was already in full swing, with some people dancing but most chatting on the sidelines, probably discussing business deals you thought. You quickly said bye to your parents so you could begin your search for Kie, moving through the crowds at a slight speed.

You saw her then, talking to Pope by the looks of it, and rushed over to her, hugging her from behind. She squealed in delight when she realised it was you and turned around so she could hug you properly.

“Holy shit Y/N you look amazing!” She said when you finally broke away from your hug.

“Thanks, but it’s nothing compared to what you look like, I mean how can you look this good!?” You reply to her, a huge smile on your face, you had really missed being around your friends, you thought.

Pope cleared his throat behind you, “is nobody gonna compliment how I look? I mean I clearly spent hours on my outfit tonight.”

Laughing you pulled him into a tight hug, “you look even better than us Pope, so there’s no need to worry.”

You three stayed like that for a little while just chatting about what you had missed whilst you were away, and it seemed like a lot. Still listening to the ongoing conversation, you scanned your eyes over the crowd, taking it all in when you made eye contact with JJ and sent him a small smile which he returned straight away.

You stood like that, smiling at each other, for what felt like ages when it was suddenly broken when Rafe approached him and caught JJ’s attention. You saw the small bit of panic appear on JJ’s face as he quickly moved away from Rafe and his goons, trying to lose them in the crowd, and failing miserably. Then they all began running, disappearing into the house.

You had seen this situation play out in many different ways before and you knew JJ was going to get beaten up and most of the adults here wouldn’t lift a finger to stop it. You quickly told Kie and Pope that you were heading inside for a little bit as they were unaware of what was going on.

Picking up the hem of your dress and walking as quickly as you could in the heels you were wearing, you headed into the house trying to guess where they all would’ve ran to. The first five rooms you checked were empty other than a few people chatting in them, and you slowly began to realise your efforts might not mean anything as this was a huge house and you didn’t even know the layout. Just as you began giving up, you heard a small commotion coming from the locker room, and without hesitation you opened the door.

The scene in front of you made your blood boil, there were five of them in total, all laughing as Kelce held JJ in a head lock. They were so busy threatening him they hadn’t even noticed you come into the room, and lean against the wall with your arms crossed.

“Are you really so incapable of fighting your own fights, that you need four other people to help you beat up one guy Rafe?” You say from where you’re standing, all of their heads turning to see who was talking, JJ’s eyes widening when he saw you, you quickly made eye contact with him as he seemed to plead with his eyes that you leave him. As if you would ever leave any of your friends to be beaten up though, so you looked away from him and turned your attention back to Rafe who had finally spoken up.

“Fuck off Y/N, this isn’t anything to do with you.” He snarled

Ignoring his comment you continued, “I mean imagine having such a small dick that you feel the need to constantly get into fights to make up for that fact, and then you don’t even win the fights. I mean come on it’s a little pathetic.”

You heard JJ snigger at this, but you were more focused on Rafe who was now moving towards you.

“Listen here you little bitch, you can’t talk to me like that - you may live in Figure 8 but you’re still scum and you don’t want to mess with me.”

You scoffed but didn’t say anything as he was now standing directly in front of you.

You winced as he grabbed your left wrist, his hand tightening as he leant to talk in your ear, “you can’t do anything to stop me because you’re weak and it’s not like your little boyfriend can jump in and help you.”

The sounds of JJ struggling against Kelce’s grip were getting louder along with him shouting to let you go.

“Get off her Rafe you piece of shit.”

You could hear the panic in his voice now and before the situation escalated any more you head butted Rafe with as much force as you could manage, hearing his nose crack underneath you. He stumbled away letting you go, your head now pounding.

Just as Rafe regained his bearings, the door to the locker room was opened by a security guard who clearly didn’t want to deal with this so before Rafe could get a word in, obviously to blame you or JJ, or both to be honest, you cleared your throat.

“I’m so sorry sir but me and my date,” indicating JJ with a wave of your hand, “got lost and these lovely gentlemen were just helping us out when one of them fell and hit his face, and we’re just trying to help them.” This lie sounded less believable with every word you said, and the security guard was obviously not fooled but still asked you and JJ to follow him out, leaving a seething Rafe and his mates behind.

You felt JJ nudge your shoulder as you walked, “so I’m your date huh?”

Turning to look at his face, an annoying smirk playing at his lips, “it’s all part of the cover Bub, don’t get too attached.” Patting his shoulder you sped up a little trying to keep up with the weirdly fast security guard.

JJ also sped up slightly, matching your speed, apparently wanting to still be irritating as he continued, “Would it really be so awful to date? I mean I’m sure as hell more attracted to you after seeing you not only stand up to Rafe but break his fucking nose as well - which was amazing by the way.”

Grinning, you turned to look at him again, “Yeah the absolute bitch of a headache I’ve got now is 100% worth it, although I feel like his retaliation might make me regret that.”

“It will be fine and if he tries to do anything to hurt you, I’ll protect you,” pausing he wrapped his arm around your shoulder pulling you closer, “because that’s what a good date would do.”

Rolling your eyes, but still smiling like an idiot at his comments you wrapped your arm around his waist and sarcastically replied “oh wow JJ Maybank what would I do without you?”

He let out a little laugh but before he could say something, the security guard interrupted him,

“Either you can both leave this party in a nice subtle manner or you can cause even more of a scene and I’ll get others involved, including your parents Miss Y/L/N.”

You never realised that your family name was well known until situations like this, which always made you feel awkward but nonetheless you took it in stride like everything else.

JJ had leant towards your ear and whispered, “Do you trust me?”

In a heartbeat you replied, “Of course.” And took his hand that he had held out for you.

He smiled brightly and squeezed your hand just as he started running, dragging you with him towards the main part of the party, with the security guard following closely behind trying to stop whatever JJ was about to do.

“It’s okay everybody, there’s no need to panic! Leave it to the men and women in uniform.”

You were smiling at his outburst, his hand still in yours, but you couldn’t help thinking about what your parents thought of this, unfortunately there was no turning back now so you stayed in pace with him.

He continued, “Rose you look like Lady Liberty, by this point the security had gotten ahold of JJ once again which caused an outburst from Kie.

“Let go of him! You can’t boot him - we invited him here” she indicated at you, whilst her parents tried to stop her from talking, “we’re members of this club.”

“Hey mandatory power hour at Rixon’s Kie; Pope, you as well right?” JJ shouted, “Workers of the world unite - throw off your chains!”

Pope and Kie then both ran to catch up with the two of you, ignoring the protests from their parents, and you let go of JJ’s hand briefly to hug pope whilst JJ hugged Kiara and then you all ran off together. You loved your friends, but you were starting to think maybe you loved JJ in a different way.

[scribble-blog]

Soulmate AU part 8!!!

First • Previous • Here • Next

“I need you to call your father, Wayne,” Ivy hissed, hand over the slowly growing red spot on her side. “And tell him that Scarecrow and his thugs have decided to trash up my gardens.” She spat the words furiously for someone who was starting to look paler than the Joker’s clown makeup. “Get your date out of here while you can.”

From the crashing sound behind Ivy, that wasn’t possible.

“Miss,” Marinette moved forward. “Let Damian call for help. You need medical attention.”

Ivy just laughed at that, wincing. “Yeah.”

Damian’s hands had been on his phone since Ivy showed up, dialing Alfred’s number and letting the call roll, knowing that he would hear everything and send whoever could help. He should be getting away from them, trying to change so Robin could come help-

Marinette’s eyes just narrowed. “You’re bleeding out.” With much more force than Damian thought she could exert with her tiny frame, she pulled Ivy forward, down to the bench, and then started tearing away the edges of the shirt that was soaked with red. “Damian. Call for help.”

He made a show of pulling the phone out, pretended to dial, and then held it up. Alfred spoke up.

“Master Bruce is already on his way. Masters Jason and Tim as well.”

“Alfred,” he said, playacting it out. “Something is going on at the gardens. Pam’s been shot and said that it’s Scarecrow.”

“ETA seven minutes, Master Damian. Apologies that this disrupted your date.”

Said ‘date’ was ripping the hem of her own dress into strips, while helping Ivy maintain pressure on the wound, then winding the bandages around her with a precision that spoke to past experience.

“Thank you, Alfred. We’ll sit tight, and try to stay out of sight.”

He didn’t end the call. It was far better to have the line open in case anything else went down.

“That’s as much as I can do,” Marinette said, face set in determination. “Is there anyway we can get you out and to some actual medical personnel?”

Ivy made a face. “You’ve done plenty, kid. I’ll probably be just fine.”

“You’ve been shot!” Marinette’s voice went high with outrage.

“Looky here,” a voice from the door called out.

Damian faced the idiot. Hulking figure, gun-toting. Typical.

“We got a Wayne, a girl, and Ivy, holed up in the back,” he spoke into an earpiece. “The three of you are coming with me.”

“Monsieur,” Marinette spoke up coldly. “This woman is shot, still bleeding. I will not allow you to move her.”

With a feeling like ice water down his back, he realized he couldn’t actually leave. This girl wouldn’t last face to face with a goon, let alone Scarecrow. Damian stood beside her. “Marinette, these men are dangerous. Don’t antagonize them.”

“Listen to the boy, sweetheart,” the man growled, getting up close in her face. “Now, you and Wayne are gonna help her up, and bring her to the front. If she passes out or dies, I guess you drag the body. Understood?”

Damian can feel it right before she decides to do something, and he tries to move before it happens to preempt whatever retaliation for her snark is incoming.

And then without words, she drives one hand up into his face, her knee into his crotch, and uses his doubling over to sweep his legs out from under him. With one swift movement, she pulls his head forward and then bashes it back to the floor. The man’s eyes roll up in his head.

Damian is left, if he is being honest, a little breathless. He’d completely forgotten that Drake had said she’d been able to take him down. Between her small stature and innocent appearance, she seemed so...

“Damian,” Marinette says levelly. “Check the hallway. We need to move to a different room.”

Well. He supposed he won’t ever make the mistake of calling her harmless.

He does as she asks, without question. He’s caught halfway between disbelief and high elation. Marinette had seemed sweet and funny and smart in their quiet awkward conversation, but this was- he let himself be pleasantly surprised by just how relieved he was that his soulmate knew how to protect herself.

And watching her take down a guy easily two times her size was, to be frank, very attractive.

“Clear for now,” he told her lowly. She was helping up Ivy. “Let’s take the left, it’s a slightly longer route to the front so we should have a bit more time to hide.”

Before, he would’ve been surprised by her taking most of Ivy’s weight as she helped her walk. Now, it made sense, even if her height made the image unusual.

“Where’s the biggest tree in this place?”

His head whipped towards her. “Too close to the front. We won’t make it.”

“Side exits?”

“Can’t risk them. Probably has men outside.”

“Dark room for night blooming plants?”

Ivy, pale with a thin sheen of sweat, looked up. “Three rooms down on the right. Smart gal you picked up, Wayne.”

He could only nod, starting to lead them. Ivy’s labored breath was too loud, but there wasn’t much they could do.

“Stop,” Marinette breathed, and Damian did so without hesitation. He pushed himself against the wall as Marinette did her best to do the same, Ivy leaning against the wall and her shoulder.

He heard the footsteps a moment after. Three sets. Marinette tensed and he waited.

She met his eyes, and he nodded at her, reassuring the best he can. She straightened though, so it mustn’t have been too bad.

The footsteps were too close. He took a centering breath, and leapt the moment he saw movement.

The first man went down easily, the second fumbling with his gun long enough for Damian to disarm him and send him flying, joining his friend in a heap against the wall. The third man was raising his gun even as Damian spun back to him, but before he could do anything Marinette was there, one hand chopping against his exposed throat, the other wrenching the gun away.

The man couldn’t recover enough to retaliate before Damian crossed the divide and delivered a blow that knocked him unconscious.

“Thanks,” Marinette breathed out, just a bit to close to him. His eyes met hers again and that electric current returned, sharp and steady between them even with no contact.

Ivy coughed.

Damian turned away instantly. Marinette slipped right back into steadying Ivy, and they continued to the correct room without any further interruptions.

The room wasn’t in total darkness- there were flowers, grasses, and mosses that exuded faint bioluminescence, but the soft glow did little to actually illuminate the room. If anything, it cast the shadows darker, leaving every shadow absolute.

It was brilliant.

Marinette was already feeling along, finding somewhere dark and soft for Ivy to recline. Damian skulked after them, one eye on the door and the other on his phone. The call was still open, Alfred waiting on the other end. Ivy was quiet enough now that he didn’t dare break the silence to speak to him.

He received an ETA text of two minutes. He could only hope that they wouldn’t check this room.

They would though.

And Damian would be ready when they did.

TAGLIST:

@the-fusionist @rebecarojas07 @lowandco @kotaleartzu @resignedcatservant @alenee13 @mystery-5-5 @ladybug-182 @actual-disaster-human @loysydark @rumbelle18 @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @athena452 @mochegato @ash-amg @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @thestressmademedoit @sassakitty @doriebell @toodaloo-kangaroo @myazael @theatreandcomicfreak @mer-mel @dahjokester @northernbluetongue @abrx2002 @area51qt @jessigurl-design @renscorpio @cici-schnee @multplelifes @redscarlet95 @razzledazzle247 @rosep16 @emotionalsupportginger @kceedraws @tired-butterfly @kuroko26 @catthhay @moonystars14 @shamefullove @shreky-boi @imanerddealwith @chaosace @captainmac6 @purple-people-eaters-productions @crazylittlemunchkin @weird-pale-blonde-person @bigpicklebananatree

[cutesuki--bakugou]

New Pleasures

Main Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Koge Naegi (OC)

Side Pairings: Eijirou Kirishima x Nene Date (OC), Seijirou Eguchi (OC) x Dokuji (Doey) Kobayashi (OC)

Story Rating: Explicit

Genre: Fluff / Romance / Domestic / Humor / Some angsty things

Story Warnings: Cursing, sex (vaginal and anal via pegging), foreplay (oral via blowjobs, face sitting, and rimming), alcohol consumption, sex toy use and discussion, lots of references to anxiety and self confidence issues

Koge has always had a fantasy about taking more control during sex and, to be blunt, fucking her dear husband with a strap-on. Bakugou, however, is hesitant, though he works through his issues with the kink to create a new and enjoyable adventure for them both. 

Art in banner is by me. You can see the full unedited version on my Twitter ( @hvalrossnoodlez ) IT IS AN 18+ ONLY ACCOUNT AND I BLOCK MINORS IF I CATCH YOU

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“Why do you get so embarrassed? It’s just a little adult conversation, honestly-” 

“How is talking about the way we fuck a normal conversation?!” 

“That isn’t at all what I asked! I just made a comment that you should experiment a little, that’s all.” 

“It’s none of your business, Eguchi.” 

Koge sighed quietly as she glanced between the two bickering men, one being her husband beside her and the other being her mentor, who was really more like a part of their family at this point more than her boss. Sure, if they were just close business wise, this would be completely inappropriate, but he was truly more like a brother to her than anything else at this point in their adult lives. Besides, this hadn’t even started out as a raunchy conversation, anyway. Just a tease from Seijirou that Bakugou needed to get laid because he was so anxious and wound up is what started it, but the way he said it is what ticked Bakugou off. 

“Let her do all the work for a change, a dildo in the ass won’t kill you.” 

Oh, boy, was Koge’s first thought, and the bright red flushing of her lover’s ears and irritated snarl appeared faster than she could even think of what to say to calm him down. His retaliation was actually much calmer than she expected, probably reduced by the four glasses of whisky he had consumed up to this point, but she still had to place a hand tenderly on his thigh to remind him that they were in a public place and yelling about sex wasn’t a good idea. He kept a bit quiet due to her silent warning, but it was still just as aggressive as it would have been should he have let it all out. 

Seijirou, though? There was nothing she could do about that. That man had a mouth sharp enough cut diamond, and if he wanted to say something, he was going to. Period. Even his lover had little to no influence, especially now since he was nose deep in his notebook writing away with no recognition of the conversation going on beside him. Koge envied him for being able to shut out everything around him, because now, she was the one stuck in the middle of this and would have to figure out how to get both men to drop it. 

��I didn’t say it was my business! I just made a harmless comment. No need to be so uptight about it, there’s nothing wrong with it. And, from my personal experience-” 

“I don’t need to hear about how good you think ass fucking is, okay?” Bakugou barked, silencing Seijirou with the simple growl of his voice. “If Utsuro wants to take over fine, she does all the time, but I draw a line with shit going up my ass.” 

“Shit technically comes out of your ass,” Koge spoke softly as she sipped from her own glass of whisky, chancing a glance up at Bakugou as his glare turned down to her. 

“Are you on his side?!” 

Face flushing, Koge put her glass down, looking across the table at Seijirou before up at her husband. “Katsuki, I’ve tried to bring it up before, but you’re pretty, uhm… Against it. Though I think it would be fun.” 

“Fun?! For you, maybe! Remember how long it took for you to even be ready to take a dick in the ass? We had to work on it for weeks.” 

“But I’m really small compared to you, I don’t think it would be as hard for you as it was for me.” 

With a heavy sigh, Bakugou rested his elbows on the table, rubbing his face with both hands vigorously in frustration. “Utsuro… Eguchi. It isn’t going to happen. And even if it did, your stupid ass would be the last to know.” Pointing an accusatory finger at Seijirou, Bakugou’s annoyance visibly spiked at the amused smirk on the older man's lips. “What the fuck is that face?!” 

“It’s just funny that you think I don’t know every little thing about you. Your wife has to have someone to rant to and give her advice, you know. Do you need some advice, Bakugou? I’m an experienced man, I can help you in whatever you need!” Seijirou leaned back, letting his arm rest across the back of the booth behind his lover. “Isn’t that right, Doey?” 

“Hm?” Dokuji barely picked up on the sound of his nickname, icy blue eyes tearing off his notebook to glance around the group. At first, his freckled nose scrunched up in confusion at the varying expressions on everyone’s faces, before sitting up to turn his full attention to Seijirou. “What? What are you fighting about, now?” 

“I’m just saying that Bakugou needs to relax and let loose and letting Koge use a toy or two on him would be good for him. He doesn’t agree.” 

“No, I don’t fucking agree!” Bakugou snapped, slumping down into his seat with his arms crossed over his chest as if he were a child throwing a tantrum. “It’s stupid!” 

“Hm, no, I don’t see him doing that.” Dokuji picked up his drink, taking a few deep swallows of the light-colored beer before continuing. “It would absolutely damage his fragile ego.” 

“Hey! Fuck you, carrot top! I don’t have a fragile ego! I just don’t want shit in my ass-” 

“-But there’s already shit in your ass, Katsuki-”

“-Utsuro, your comments aren’t helping!” Bakugou took hold of Koge’s face in his hand, squishing her cheeks together to pucker out her lips in punishment. “This is your fault, you know! Telling him shit about us and that you want to do that!” 

“He’s easy to talk to.” Koge spoke against the pressure on her cheeks, not at all perturbed by his retaliation or aggressive demeanor. “And I figured he’d be better to ask than anyone else, especially for that.” 

“But that shit is between us!” 

“I’m sorry, Katsuki, I… I guess I shouldn’t have.” The visible upward furrowing of her brow had Bakugou’s grip loosening, her guilt at upsetting and embarrassing him so much becoming quite visible on her typically void expression. “I suppose… I mean… I guess I don’t have an excuse. It’s just a fantasy of mine I had always wanted to do, and I was hoping I could talk you into it eventually if I knew more about it. Sorry…” 

With a heavy sigh, Bakugou released her face to instead run his fingers through her hair softly, giving her forehead a tender kiss in acceptance of her apology and a silent hint that they would talk about it later. Yes, Bakugou had known for many years that Koge had always wanted to really take control, to use toys on him and maybe even a strap, but the thought just… what did it do? How exactly did the thought of doing those things make him feel? Was he really disgusted by it or was he just embarrassed? Or was it really that his ego was too big to even allow Koge to completely dominate him like that? 

Now he was just confused and feeling… selfish. 

“It’s healthy, y’know.” Dokuji spoke up again, gaining the attention of the couple across the table. “For your relationship, to try things that one person wants but the other is a bit uncomfortable with. And it’ll open you up to something you might actually like, on top of like… bonding or whatever. Just take the dildo in the ass, man, don’t be a fucking coward.” How quickly his calm demeanor switched into annoyance had Koge and Seijirou almost cackling, both holding their breath as Bakugou nearly leaped over the table to strangle the redhead, slamming his hands on the table to rattle the glasses. 

“Fuck off! It’s not about being a coward! You don’t fucking get it.” 

“Oh no, I get it. I was like you before, completely ignorant to everything outside of traditional sex, but in my young rebellion I started acting out and experimenting to find out who I was attracted to really and what I liked, since I was so in the dark about myself. This prick opened my eyes to a lot of things,” In his reference to Seijirou, Dokuji reached up and flicked his lover on the nose, gaining an annoyed whine and smack of the hand in retaliation. “Because there was a lot I didn’t know and was scared of, or uncomfortable with, but now it’s like… fun. I guess. And not just sex, dude. Like… Even just keeping up my appearance and taking better care of myself.” 

Huffing as a simple stroke along his back from Koge had him sitting back down normally, Bakugou’s glare bounced from Dokuji, to Seijirou rubbing his nose, to the half empty glass of whisky in front of him. Sure, this shit was making sense, but it still didn’t make him feel confident enough that he’d be able to pull it off without backing out. Would he do anything for Koge? Absolutely. He’d die for her. But her fucking him with a strap was… difficult for him to agree to. 

“It’s okay, Katsuki.” Koge spoke up softly after a while of silence, timidly taking his hand. “Don’t stress about it. I won’t bring it up again.” 

Resting his elbow on the table, Bakugou hid his face in his free hand, rubbing his flushed skin and tired eyes as he let out a heavy sigh. “I just can’t think about this shit right now, Utsuro. It shouldn’t even be something we’re discussing in public. Knowing my luck, there’s a fucking reporter here or some shit and there will be an article out tomorrow about how I want to be fucked in the ass.” 

“I doubt that, love.” Resting up against him, Koge laid her head on his shoulder, taking a sip from her drink while she avoided looking up at the men across from her. Although she was trying to hide it, she really did feel ashamed for this entire conversation happening, knowing she should never have talked about such private things with anyone in the first place. Even though she could hide it outwardly, her guilt and Bakugou’s embarrassment were palpable, bringing an awkward and deafening silence to the once talkative table of friends. It wasn’t long before they decided to part ways, with Seijirou and Dokuji taking a taxi home while Bakugou and Koge walked the couple of blocks back to their house. 

Although they held hands and walked close together as always, the heavy awkwardness didn’t fade. In fact, it grew heavier and heavier with every step they took, until it felt like they were tied down by the ankles by the time they reached their front door. Neither of them really even made the move to unlock the door, standing there beside each other with fingers laced and gazes averted. There were many moments that Koge thought a sudden heavy intake of break would mean that he was going to speak, but each time there was only silence, until he finally pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. 

They showered. They brushed their teeth. They got comfy in pajamas. They fluffed their pillows and settled into bed. And that was when Koge couldn’t take it anymore. 

Since he was on his back with one arm resting up over his eyes, Koge slowly and sneakily cuddled in close, wiggling herself under his free arm to latch herself to his body. Tenderly, she kissed his cheek, trailing more down along his jawline and neck before she settled down against him. 

“You still love me?” 

“Yeah.” 

With a delicate touch, Koge traced her fingers along a scar he had on his upper left pectoral, watching his chest move with his calm breathing. “I really am sorry, Katsuki…” 

“It’s fine. Honestly, I can’t expect you to not talk to people about us, especially if you’re looking for advice. I do it, too. It’s hypocritical of me to be mad at you for that.” 

“I just feel bad it got brought up like that and it made you so uncomfortable… But we don’t ever have to talk about it again if you’re against it. There’s always other things for us to do.” 

“But you really want to… right?” 

Falling silent, Koge nuzzled her face more into his skin, squeezing herself in as close as she could. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, speaking quietly. “It… doesn’t matter. Yes, I have a fantasy about it, but that’s all it has to be. I’m more than satisfied with where we are now and the other things that we could do one day.” Sitting up, she plopped down to sit onto his stomach, taking hold of both his hands to push his arms up above his head and finally reveal his face. Smiling, she placed kisses all across his flushed cheeks until he huffed with annoyance, bringing her to place a final one against his lips, releasing his hands to instead caress his cheeks. “But you know what I can’t believe?” 

“What?” Bakugou’s hands fell down to rest on her bare thighs, slowly moving upwards to her hips. His hands against her skin were incredibly warm, and Koge couldn’t help but share another kiss with him with a soft hum in contentment. 

“Mm… I can’t believe that we have this entire night and tomorrow morning all to ourselves, and we’re spending it sitting here like little awkward turtles.” 

Bakugou chuckled softly, unable to help the smirk on his lips. “Are we? I didn’t notice. Let me fix that,” While one hand stayed firmly on her hip, the other came up to caress the back of her head, pulling her down into a more passionate and tender kiss. It was quick to deepen as all tension broke, every morsel of their souls immediately craving to be close to each other, as close as one could possibly get. Before either of them truly knew it, Koge had begun to sink her body down onto his erect cock, both of them sighing in unison as every inch of her was filled to the brim. At first, they found themselves just sitting there, soaking in the feeling of being so close with passionate kisses and tender touches that screamed how strong their love for each other was. Koge could have stayed like this forever with him, but a simple shifting of his leg had him pressing up into her core, and she couldn’t resist moving another second. 

Sitting up from him, Koge began with a light grinding of her hips, her hands trailing down his torso and leaving light pink marks from the raking of her nails. Although it started out very slow and sensual, it wasn’t long before Koge became lost in the pleasure, digging her nails into skin as she rode him with vigor, moaning out freely and face flushed from ear to ear. As he let her take control, Bakugou had to admit that being under her like this was incredibly addicting, completely focused on doing what she could to pleasure them both. 

If he did decide to try allowing her to live out her fantasy, is that what it would be like? Would it really still feel this good and be this enjoyable for the both of them? Could it really still be just as intimate of a moment, or would he feel too vulnerable? He knew that she would take care of him and allow him to take it all at his pace, but it was still such a foreign thought to him. On top of that, all the prepping and just… foreplay that would go into it all. It was so much-

“Katsuki?” 

Koge’s voice and pause of her body pulled him out of his haze he hadn’t even realized he had been lost in, pulling his eyes off the random spot on her t-shirt he had been locked on to instead look up at her face. She gazed down at him with visible worry, her hands nervously clutching at the hem of her oversized shirt to fiddle with the fabric, and he immediately felt the pit of his stomach fall at the realization that he… wasn’t as hard as he had been. 

Clearly having noticed that before anything else, Koge sat up a bit until he was no longer inside her, sitting back down on his bare stomach instead. In their silence, the palpable awkwardness returned, and so did the guilt that came to rest over Koge’s shoulders. 

Swallowing hard, Bakugou gave a small shake of his head, glancing everywhere he could in the dark room but at her. “I don’t know what happened, Utsuro, I… My mind wandered.” 

“Did you… not want me on top? Is that bothering you right now?” Her voice was barely a whisper, fighting back a burning in her senses that bubbled with her frustration and confusion. “Or are you… actually upset with me?” 

“No, no! I’m not upset with you!” Bakugou sat up, carefully shifting her from sitting on his stomach to instead on his lap. “I just got lost in thought. I’m alright, Utsuro. We can keep-” 

“-No, Katsuki, it’s okay.” Koge avoided holding onto him even as he put his arms around her body, her hands still clutching at her shirt and head hung. “I should have guessed that you wouldn’t really be in the mood after all that. I didn’t mean to pressure you again.” 

“You haven’t pressured me into anything.” Cupping her cheeks, Bakugou urged her to look up at him, stroking her skin with his thumbs softly. “Koge it’s not that.” 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I was just excited to have a night alone after so long. I hadn’t wanted to spend it all upset, I thought that I could help you feel better if I… I shouldn’t have been on top. I just wanted you to relax.” 

Frowning, Bakugou sighed heavily, resting his forehead against hers tenderly. “I had just started thinking… I don’t know where my mind was… It’s not your fault.” 

“Bedtime?” 

The question was soft, with only a timid glance up into his gaze as she kept hers mostly downcast, the disappointment and regret visible on her from head to toe. With this cut off of the issue, Bakugou knew that he wasn’t going to get anything else out of her about it right now, but he also knew that he had majorly fucked up. Him going soft in the middle of sex was a very rare occasion and only happened usually when he was just too tired, but this was different. No, his thoughts had actually made him uninterested in her and in sex in general right at that moment, and his body reacted exactly how he had expected it to. But how could he tell her that? It would hurt her feelings more than he already had, and at this rate, he was going to have to try very hard in the morning just to get her to look at him. 

Running his fingers through her hair softly, Bakugou gave a small shrug, kissing her forehead before replying. “If you want. But on one condition.” 

“Hm?”

“You let me hold you. And give me one more kiss goodnight.” 

Koge spared him a small glance and a miniscule nod after a moment of silence, allowing him to carefully scoop her up and lay them down on their sides where he promptly cuddled her in close to him. The position gave her no choice but to reciprocate, her arm slipping around his torso and legs intertwining with his, and though she was very obviously still upset, she clutched onto him like she was scared he would leave. Instead, he only held her closer, kissing her forehead before receiving that final promised kiss to the lips that she allowed to linger. 

“You still love me, Utsuro?” 

The repeat of the same question she had asked him earlier had Koge’s face flushing, her eyes immediately tearing up with all the frustrations she had been trying to keep down, forcing her to sniffle as she tried to hold it all back. “Yes… Always.” 

“Good. Get some sleep, baby. We can talk about this more in the morning if you want.” 

They didn’t. 

In fact, with the first lights of sun through the blinds of the lazy morning, the couple found themselves completely entangled in each other, spending the few hours they had alternating between cuddling, falling back asleep, talking, and making love. What happened the previous night, both the conversation at the bar and while they were in bed, never came up again, even though Bakugou always expected it to. It was on the forefront of his mind and he couldn’t help but think about it all, and he knew that if he was thinking of it, she was, too. But she had promised to never bring it up again, and she didn’t. Not the rest of the day. Not for a few weeks after. Not even when Seijirou brought it up again later that month. 

But Bakugou couldn’t get it out of his head, and more than anything, he found himself… curious. He knew that ‘pegging’, as he learned it was called, was actually a very popular thing. He was surprised he hadn’t heard more about it in his adult life, or even his adolescence when exploring his blossoming sexual desires on the internet was at its peak. Toys for men, sure, but letting his wife use a strap on him? It was… intimidating, and Bakugou was never one to get easily intimidated by anything. Even still, this kink wasn’t really all that scary. The couple had done much worse, even including knives, risky breath play, tight bondage, and real injury often coming out of it all with bites, bruises, and scratches. There was one clear definition, though. 

It was all things that he did to her. Yes, he would often come out of a session with scratched up skin and a bruise or two where she would bite him in the midst of it all. Yes, she enjoyed it and wanted those harder sessions frequently and she never complained about it. But her, having any significant dominance over him? Never. 

And he suddenly felt very selfish for it. 

Koge had told him before about her fantasies and desires to be more dominant, to tie him up for once and tease him with toys and her body alike. ‘Eventually’, he would tell her, or otherwise just make some type of joke that she wouldn’t be able to handle him like that for long before she begged for him to take over. It had always been a joke to him because he knew that it would never happen. He was too dominant of a personality over her, so much larger in body size and strength that she just wouldn’t be able to push him around like she thought she could. 

Not to mention that it scared him to allow it to happen. 

Bakugou had always hoped that awful nagging in the back of his mind would vanish completely one day. That little voice that always told him to be bigger, be better, to take and want control, to never let or accept it when anyone put him down. It had gotten better over the years, but it was still there. He found that he just couldn’t let it happen, however subconsciously, and he was putting her down every time he did. It truly was his selfish need to hold on to that control keeping him back, no matter how much he wanted to believe it was something else. 

Koge had no negative intentions, he knew that. She would never do something that truly upset him, and she would stop if he asked her to. All she wanted was a chance to live out a fantasy that she had rather than something mutual they shared. She had let him do things she was uncomfortable with at first, and every time it ended up becoming a frequent occurrence to their love making. In the end, there was no fear or excuse he could make up to explain himself of why he couldn’t do what she wanted. It was just selfishness. 

If he was going to go through with this, then he needed advice. A nameless person describing and giving information on a blog was hardly helpful, especially when the opinions and tips tend to be different as he hopped along the endless links and websites. No, he needed serious advice, from someone close to him that he knew had experience with these things, or at least… some type of experience when it came to getting fucked in the ass. 

One morning, Koge proclaimed that she was going to go shopping with her best friend Nene for the day, leaving him to his own devices. This was the perfect chance to see if he could gather those chosen to help him figure out what to do, since his best friend was married to Nene and had the day off from hero work, just as Bakugou did. The other person he knew wouldn’t put up much of a fight. If anything, his partner would, but there was no chance in hell that Bakugou was seeking help from the man that belittled and berated him about it in the first place. 

me 2:09 pm: hey. you two free today?

Kirishima 2:10 pm: Hey, bro! Yeah man, Nene is off with Koge today. 

Kirishima 2:10 pm: Wait you know that. 

Kirishima 2:10 pm: How did you know I was off??? Did I tell you???

Kirishima 2:10 pm: Oh, I did. 

Kirishima 2:10 pm: LOL

Doey 2:11 pm: am i rlly in a txt group with blasty and hardhead rn? 

Doey 2:11 pm: also ffs you txt like a hyperactive girl.

Kirishima 2:12 pm: Wait

Kirishima 2:12 pm: Dokuji???? 

Doey 2:13 pm: i hate it here. what do u need.

With a huff and a roll of his eyes, Bakugou leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temple as he glared at the text messages scrolling by with Kirishima’s incessant multi texts and Dokuji’s snide remarks. For a moment, he thought about backing out, but the gnawing feeling of guilt made him press on. 

me 2:15 pm: shut up. i asked if you were free. 

Doey 2:15 pm: yeah and i said what do u need. 

Kirishima 2:15 pm: Totally free!!!

me 2:16 pm: i need help with something and you two are going to help me. 

Doey 2:17 pm: u have a stick up ur ass or something, dude? ffs just ask.

Doey 2:17 pm: o wait. wait. wait. you dont yet, yeah? 

Kirishima 2:18 pm: Do what now???

me 2:19 pm: just come over at 5!!! fuck, i just need some help. 

Doey 2:20 pm: k

Kirishima 2:20 pm: No worries, man! 

Kirishima 2:20 pm: I’ll be there! 

 …

“Just let her shove it up your ass, dude. No lube. No prep. Just mmph- jam that shit up in there.” 

“I’m not that fucking ignorant, Carrot. I know the prep it takes, we did it with her, but I don’t know the… if it’s the same.” 

“Yeah, dude, it just goes in your ass, it’s not a big deal. You’re such a priss.” 

With a frustrated, heavy sigh, Bakugou slumped down into his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep himself calm. Dokuji was doing very little to actually help in this situation, and Kirishima wasn’t much better. ‘Just go for it’ wasn’t something he could realistically accept. He needed to know the process, to understand it from a male perspective, but both of his friends were either not getting what he wanted to know, or just refused to tell him to fluster him further. “I get the whole point. I get that the fucking thing goes in my ass. I want to know where to start, you fucking dickwad.” 

“By shoving stuff up your ass, man! Do you still have the toys you used to train Koge? Use the same ones.” Dokuji pulled his legs up onto the couch, crossing them comfortably and leaving his slippers on the floor. “You’ll still want to start small, even if you’re like… three times the size of her.” 

“Nene and I started with just fingers and stuff during foreplay,” Kirishima finally spoke up after a while of embarrassed silence. “And we just moved on to bigger and bigger toys after a while. Took like… three months to get to a decent strap on size. But I also did some training on my own when I’d… y’know.” Clearing his throat, he sipped nervously from the glass of wine Bakugou had offered him, timid crimson gaze flashing between the two other men without making eye contact. “You have to do a lot on your own.” 

“Finding time to myself is a problem. I rarely need to jack off, anyway. Koge always wants to fuck, so if I’m horny, she’s all over me.” Taking a sip from his own glass of wine, Bakugou stretched his long legs out in front of him, his aching knees popping. “I wouldn’t even have the time to if I needed to. If I’m not here, I’m at work. And if I’m here, Koge’s here.” 

Dokuji gave a yawn, leaning his head back. “Make time. In the shower is the best, really, I doubt she joins you every time.” 

“She would if I let her, but she knows I need my space, too. Just like she needs hers. I just know that she’s going to catch on… She’s too intuitive.” 

“Oh, you aren’t going to tell her you're prepping for it? What, you just want to surprise her one day?” Dokuji smirked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Just lay on the bed, displayed for her with a plug in your ass? Candles lit, rose petals-” 

“-Okay, shut the fuck up-” 

“-wine, lube, soft jazz-” 

“-Carrot-!” 

“-oh no wait, you’d rather have heavy metal, right?! So she can really pound you-” 

“-Alright, I get it!” Bakugou finally barked, glaring daggers at the snarky older man. “Not telling her is stupid! But I don’t want her to expect it!” 

“Why don’t you want to tell her?” Kirishima asked curiously, taking a quick glance at his phone as he received a text, the alert a soft ding that vibrated through the room. “Are you embarrassed to? Or you really just want to surprise her?” 

“I just know that she’d try to talk me out of it, now. Or she’d feel like she guilted me into doing it, and then she wouldn’t enjoy it. Surprising her would be more fun, for her. That’s the whole point of this. Also, I’d rather try to hide it just in case it’s something that I end up not being able to do… I don’t want to get her hopes up just to bail.” 

Kirishima gave a soft hum in understanding, rubbing his chin as he thought. “True… You’ll just have to find time to prep and practice without her around.” 

“I hardly even know where to start, though.” 

Suddenly, Dokuji stood, beginning to make his way up the stairs to the second floor of the home. With a click of his tongue, Bakugou stood as well, placing his glass of wine and phone down on the coffee table at his knees. “Excuse me, where the fuck are you going?” 

“To find your fucking stash! You want to know how to start, I have to see what you have!” Dokuji huffed as he continued up the stairs and around the corner before Bakugou could even take his first step, though the blonde was quick to leap two steps at a time to catch up the instant Dokuji finished with his proclamation. 

“Hey, wait, Carrot! You can’t just go dig around in my fucking house!” 

“I’m not! I knew you were going to follow me, so hurry the fuck up!” Dokuji glowered at Bakugou as he waited at the entrance to the master bedroom, being respectful enough to not go in. “Show the goods.” 

Glancing behind him as Kirishima joined them, Bakugou felt heat spread from his ears across his cheeks, starting to feel that nervous nausea beginning to build up in his stomach. Was he really about to discuss sex toys with his friends? The thought of digging through and picking what toys he should use from Koge’s stash was horrifically embarrassing, but he knew that if he didn’t have their help, he may end up too ambitious and ruin any chances of success he had. So, with a deep breath and a hard swallow to keep down the vomit, he headed into his bedroom, allowing the other two to follow him in. “Just… stay by the bed, I’ll bring them out.” 

“All of them.” Dokuji reiterated, meandering around the room as he looked around curiously in wait while Bakugou shuffled into the walk-in closet. Though, little did he know that there were too many for Bakugou to just carry. So, the blonde dumped out a dirty laundry bin on the floor for the meantime, placing the toys inside it from the drawer they had been hidden in. He was a bit too ambitious with his scooping and dumping, accidentally startling himself as one turned onto a high vibration and he had to rush to turn it off, feeling his face flush once again at the amused scoff from the bedroom. 

Once sure he had them all, he carried the basket back into the bedroom, placing it on the bed and allowing the two other men to come look at the contents. Dokuji gave a click of his tongue, starting to dig through them to find the ones he thought would be appropriate. “Fuck, most of these are anal toys already. This rivals Seiji’s collection. Actually, some of these are the same!” 

“Kook probably suggested some to her.” 

“I don’t doubt it. Okay, man, here’s the deal. When doing this on yourself, don’t use shit like this.” Dokuji held up a gel silicone dildo that had no base, wiggling it a bit to emphasize his point. “With all the lube you have to use, you’ll lose it up your ass. And believe me, that’s not a fun ER visit.” He tossed it to the side, along with others that were similar to it. “Avoid these bead things.” More tossed to the side. “This is like a g-spot toy, fuck that. Fuck that, too. You’ll never get to that size, fuck that one.” With each one tossed to the side, Bakugou grew more and more irritated, wishing that Dokuji would just pick out the ones that would be good instead of going over what was bad. But, before he could retort, Dokuji finally grabbed a couple of small beginner metal anal toys that they had first used with Koge. 

“Here! These fucking things. Though, they’re almost about as wide as your fucking sausage fingers, so maybe you can just finger yourself instead if you’re scared of these.” He put down the set of toys, tapping on one a few times to focus on it. “Though this plug would be good for training. Wear it during the day when you know you’re going to practice that day. Eventually, you can work yourself up in size. Here,” He dug through the collection again, finding a variety of anal plug sizes and setting them out in order. “I’d work yourself up to at least being able to handle this size before you let her use anything on you.” 

“Leave it in…? For hours?” Bakugou’s nose scrunched in annoyance, unsure he could function with something in his ass like that for hours. “I mean… Koge did it, but I didn’t think that was so much of a requirement.” 

“Don’t puss out, it’s not that bad. It’s not like a constant pleasure type of thing. Yeah, you feel it, but if you aren’t turned on, it doesn’t affect you. I mean, yeah, it can turn you on feeling it, but just don’t until you’re ready, y’know?” 

“That makes no fucking sense…” Bakugou looked over at Kirishima for some type of emotional support, though Kirishima just nodded in agreement with Dokuji.

“You gotta do it, man. I mean… I even went to work with it and stuff. Like if you know that’s gonna be a part of your night, it’s actually kind of hot to wear it all day. It’s exciting, and Nene goes crazy for it!” 

“And what size are you at?” 

“That big one.” Kirishima gestured to the largest size of plug. “Nene uses that size of dildo on me. The one that Doey said you’d never get to? Yeah, that one.” 

“Tch… and you’ve been doing this shit for, what? How long?” 

“Uhmmm I think like five or six years, man. We don’t do it all the time, and it started out with her just sticking a finger in my ass one night, and it was like wow, y’know? Like boom, fireworks in my gut.” 

“I just don’t see how it could feel good…” Bakugou grumbled as he picked up a different toy that Dokuji had sectioned off as appropriate for use, one which he and Koge used very early on during her journey so that she could have the feeling of double penetration. “Even for Koge, I don’t get it, but she gets off on anal way more than regular sex most of the time.” 

“We have a little thing in our ass called a prostate. It’s kind of like a woman's g-spot. I guess.” Dokuji rubbed the back of his head, glancing over his selected toys to see if they were appropriate for him to suggest. “It’s like… I don’t fucking know how to describe it. If you don’t do shit right, it can hurt, so just take your time, use more lube than you think you need, and listen to your body. If shit feels off, then stop. But yeah, work your way up in size for these toys here. Clean the shit out of them when you’re done, and then do whatever you want to hide the fact that you’re using them from Koge.” 

“How often should I be practicing?” 

“Any time you jerk off. At least a few times a week, though it also just depends on how fast you want to get to the fun stuff, man. Also how your body reacts to it all. Maybe you already have a loose asshole, who knows.”

Face flushing, Bakugou scoffed as he began to pile the toys back into the laundry basket to return them to the drawer, though he did make a strong mental note of the specific toys and order that Dokuji had laid out for him. “Whatever. Anything else?” 

“What type of lube do you use?” 

“We don’t even have any right now…” 

“Huh? Koge does anal and you don’t have lube? The fuck is wrong with you two, masochists-” 

“It’s not that! The woman is like a fucking waterfall, she doesn’t need it. Kirishima, does Nene need it?!” 

“Oh, Nene won’t do anal.” Kirishima shook his head, cheeks growing pink with the sudden question. “She has this weird thing about being on the receiving end of that. Something about not wanting to have to use diapers when she’s an old woman?” Brow furrowing, Kirishima rubbed the back of his head. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen…” 

“It’s not going to happen unless you constantly use huge dildos. And by huge, I mean fucking four plus inches in thickness. You’re fine, man.” With an amused chuckle, Dokuji gave Kirishima a firm pat on the shoulder before he began to leave the room, calling out loud enough for Bakugou to hear as he headed down the hallway. “Get some lube made for anal! Not the numbing shit, though! I’ll text you a brand I recommend once I remember what the fuck it is.” 

Slowly shuffling out of the closet once he was done putting the toys away, Bakugou rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, barely able to keep eye contact with Kirishima before he felt a rush of embarrassment and had to look away. With a cough to clear his throat, he shoved his hands into his sweatpants pockets, fighting against the awkwardness that he knew he was the only one experiencing. “Thanks. I know this is fucking stupid.” 

“It’s not stupid!” Kirishima grinned, his sharp teeth and bright smile enough to lighten any mood. “I wish I had someone to talk to when I first started with Nene! It’s intimidating, but it’s awesome that you’re doing this for her. I think you’ll both enjoy it more than you think.” 

“It just makes me feel vulnerable in a… weird way.” 

“It’s just Koge. I’m sure she’s seen you in way more vulnerable situations, and she won’t take advantage of you or anything weird like that. Can I make a suggestion?” 

“Sure…” 

“Don’t do doggy.” Kirishima held up a finger as he spoke, as if he were giving an important life lesson or lecture. “That’s a really vulnerable feeling position. You’re too… big of a dude to ride her, technically, and you shouldn’t do that your first time anyway. So stick with missionary. You can at least see her that way. It’s more intimate.” 

Bakugou felt the fire of his face grow hotter the longer Kirishima spoke, until his ears were burning, and his eyes began to ache. Just the thought of any of it made him want to crawl under his covers and hide, his chest aching with the anxiety of it all. Still, all of this information he gained was extremely helpful and guided him in the right direction, and he wasn’t sure he’d feel confident enough to go through with it without his friends' support. So, he gave Kirishima a strong pat on the arm, before using little pressure to direct his friend out of the bedroom. 

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“Sure! Anything you need, just let me know-” 

“Uncle Doey?! Why are you here?!” 

The sudden loud racket in the living room immediately made Bakugou almost lose his lunch, hearing the soft voice of his lover greeting Dokuji behind the multitude of children's voices. “Ah fuck, they’re home already.” As casually as he could without looking like he was rushing, Bakugou made his way down the stairs, doing everything in his power to swallow his embarrassment and restrain the fire beneath his skin. He caught Koge’s gaze immediately, giving her a small nod in greeting as she smiled at him. 

“Having some boy time?” Struggling with many shopping bags hanging off her arms, Bakugou was quick to jog to her side and help, taking them from her and placing them off out of the way on the floor near the fireplace. “Thank you, love.” 

“Sure, Utsuro. And yeah I just figured we’d… hang out for a bit while you were shopping.” 

“Fun!” 

Before he could say anything else, his daughter's voice caught his attention, looking over to watch Natsuki as she wandered around Dokuji, who was purposefully keeping his back to her. 

“Uncle Doey, why are you here?! Is Uncle Seiji here? Did you bring me a gift?” The blonde four-year-old circled him, though Dokuji continued to playfully ignore her. 

“What is that buzzing sound? I hear a little gnat or something. Matsuki, do you hear it?” Dokuji turned his attention to the young blonde boy that was the spitting image of Bakugou, doing his best to restrain a laugh as Natsuki tried to wave her arms to get his attention. Matsuki, who was currently pulling books out of a bag, gave a shy smile and nodded. 

“Yeah, that’s been happening all day. Just a weird buzzing sound.” 

“It is weird. Where’s the little bug?” 

“I’m here, I’m here!” Natsuki finally snatched onto his hand, tugging eagerly. The instant she grabbed him, Dokuji took hold of her hand and yoinked her up into the air, making her squeal and burst out with laughter, clambering to take hold of him as he swung her around to sit up on his shoulders. 

“Ah, there’s the bug! How’s it going, squirt?” 

“Uncle Doey, you’re so mean, pretending I wasn’t there!” Natsuki wrapped her arms around his head, shoving her face into his feathery orange hair. “So mean! I missed you!” 

“I missed you, too, kiddo. So what did you go do today? Looks like you spent a lot of money.” 

“It wasn’t my money, silly! It’s Daddy’s money!” 

Dokuji couldn’t help but to laugh, moving to sit on the couch with the little girl still latched to his head. “Oh man, Bakugou, she’s a hoot. Better check your bank account.” 

Bakugou couldn’t help but give an amused scoff, though he did peer down at Koge as she immediately began to leak guilt. “You went over the budget, didn’t you?” 

“N-not by much, no. But I bought winter clothes for me, you, and the kids! Matsuki needed new books to read and crafting supplies, and Natsuki was just begging for this and that. It just went over-” She was cut off as Bakugou cupped both her cheeks, leaning in to kiss her to silence to rambling to explain. 

“I’m picking on you. I already knew you’d go over. It’s okay. You didn’t have to shop for me, though, I told you that.” Letting up on her face, he gave her another kiss, feeling exceptionally affectionate. “Thanks, though. I’m excited to see what you got.” 

Koge smiled softly, stealing one more kiss before he released her. “I just saw some stuff I knew would look great on you; I couldn’t resist. On top of that, half your winter clothes don’t fit anymore ‘cause you just keep gaining muscle. You have to stop that.” 

“I’d turn into flab if I stopped. And I’d probably get my ass kicked. It’s one or the other, babe.” 

“Just keep your cute butt, it’s fine. Oh, I also got your new set of reading glasses that you needed.” 

“What?!” Kirishima spoke up from across the room, standing next to his wife with his twin children hanging off his impressive biceps. “Bakugou, you wear glasses already?!” 

Face flushing, Bakugou stuttered as he snatched the small box Koge had pulled from a bag, immediately shoving it into his pocket to hide them. “Shut up! Only to read!” 

“Daddy! You wear glasses, too!” Kirishima’s young daughter Otoha spoke up, dropping to the floor. “But only in the sun!” Chuckling, Kirishima put his son Daiki down as well, allowing the twins to run off as Natsuki leaped off the back of the couch to chase them. 

“Those are sunglasses, darlin’.” 

“Oh shove it!” Bakugou snapped, storming off into the kitchen with his petite wife at his heels. “You jerks want more wine!?” 

“Oh, Seijirou’s not here?” Koge stopped, looking back at Dokuji, who had his phone out. At the sound of his lover’s name, Dokuji looked up, a moment of confusion flashing across his face as he tried to figure out how to explain this without giving Bakugou away. 

“Ah… he wasn’t up to it.” 

“Really? How weird, I hope he’s okay.” 

“I’m gonna head out, anyway.” Dokuji stood, immediately gaining protest from Natsuki as she ran back up to him to latch to his legs. “I was already out when I dropped by, so he’s probably wondering where I am, anyway. Natsu, I’ll see you next weekend, okay?” Squatting down, he gave the pouting little girl a hug, standing and heading towards the front door with her still latched to him. “It’s the last weekend before Uncle Seiji and I go to America. We’ll visit for sure.” 

“Nooo, don’t go away! That’ll be forever!” 

“We’re just going to be in America for a few months, squirt. And we’re bringing back a big surprise. Remember?” 

“Serina?” 

“That’s right.” Dokuji smiled softly as he sat Natsuki down, ruffling her wild blonde hair as he shoved his feet back into his boots without lacing them. “We’re bringing Serina home. Uncle Seiji and I have to finalize her adoption papers and wait for her to be old enough before we can bring her on a plane.” As Bakugou approached, Dokuji shoved his wallet and keys into his baggy pant pockets, looking up at him curiously. 

“Let us know if you need anything before you head out. You good?” 

“Yeah man, no worries. I hope I was helpful.” 

“You were, even if you were a smartass. We’ll see you next weekend. Don’t tell Eguchi about this, I don’t think I’ll ever live it down.” 

“My lips are sealed until yours aren’t. Later,” An informal bow, a wave to the rest of the people in the house, and a final goodbye to Natsuki was shared before Dokuji left, leaving Bakugou to shut and lock the door behind him. After shooing his daughter away from the front door, Bakugou immediately caught Koge’s gaze, his face flaring up again with fire at the reminder of everything that had been discussed that day. Seeming to notice, Koge gave a small nod for him to follow her into the kitchen, which brought that feeling of vomiting back to his gut. He had to hide all of this from her for now, no matter how guilty that made him feel. But he also knew that Koge would be able to read him like a book if he didn’t get control of himself.

Once alone with his wife in the kitchen, he decided to busy himself with fetching a fresh bottle of wine from the rack, grabbing two clean glasses for Koge and Nene as well. “What’s up, Utsuro?” 

Arms crossed over her chest, Koge leaned back against the kitchen island, watching him closely. “You had some boy time, huh?” 

“Yeah, we just sat around and talked for a while. Why?” 

“Nothing. It’s just interesting that Dokuji came without Seijirou. Usually they’re attached at the hip, and Dokuji hates socializing. Did something happen, or is something wrong?” 

Waiting to answer until he pulled the cork out of the bottle successfully, Bakugou put the trash and corkscrew aside, pouring equal amounts of wine into the glasses. “There’s nothing wrong, Utsuro. I invited Dokuji to bring Eguchi if he wanted, but he said he didn’t want to. Eguchi and I have trouble getting along, anyway, if you’re not around… I can see why he didn’t.” 

“That’s not true. You two get along better than you think.” Making her way to stand next to him, Koge slipped her arm around his waist, resting up against his side as his arm tucked her in close. “Did you have fun?” 

“Yeah, it was fine. I can’t believe you spilled about my glasses, though.” Glowering down at her, he gave her a good squeeze in punishment, forcing a giggle from her lips. He hoped to change the subject so she wouldn’t pry, and he seemed successful right off the bat. 

“Sorry! I thought you would have told Eijirou already. Don’t be embarrassed, love, it’s okay.” Turning to face him completely, she cupped both of his cheeks, stroking his burning skin with her chilled thumbs. “You look so cute with glasses. Very distinguished.” 

“They make me look like my dad…” Grumbling under his breath, Bakugou placed one of his hands over hers, turning his head to place tender kisses across her palm and fingers. “Mmm… what’s this lotion smell?” 

“It’s like a citrus thing. I couldn’t resist it after trying it on, so I bought some. You like it?” 

Slipping his hand around her waist, Bakugou pulled the petite woman up against him, his lips continuing his affections down her arm. “Smells good. I think I need to lather you up in that sometime.” 

“Ooh, like a sexy rub down?” 

“Yeah, baby. Full body.” He released her hand to put both his arms around her, caressing her small body and urging her up into a kiss. Koge sighed softly against his lips in happiness from the affection, holding onto him tightly as he nearly lifted her up off her feet. He wanted her so badly in that moment, to soak in her affection and have his frustrated thoughts crushed under the happiness being with her brought him. But, nothing affectionate could last in a house full of children, and he was forced to release her at the sound of his daughter screeching for him. 

“Daddy! Daddy?! Are you in the kitchen?!” 

Setting his wife down, Bakugou got one last peck out of her before setting her free, looking over at the entrance to the kitchen as his daughter bounced in, her spiked pale blonde hair perfectly matching the wild look on her face. The instant her crimson eyes landed on him, Natsuki dashed over, quickly followed by Matsuki and Kirishima’s two children. Although Bakugou knew exactly what was going to be requested, he decided to ask anyway, ruffling the top of his daughter’s hair as she came up to him. 

“What’s up, squid?” 

“Daddy, can you make us a snack? Like, a yummy snack. A pizza!” 

“Pizza isn’t a snack, that’s dinner. Are you hungry for dinner?” 

“Yeah, yeah! Pizza!” 

Seeing Kirishima and Nene come in to join the group, Bakugou turned his attention to them, ignoring the feeling of Natsuki swinging his arm back and forth as she waited for her answer. “Would you like to join us?” 

“Sure!” Nene smiled happily, plopping down to sit on a bar stool on the other side of the kitchen island. “We haven’t had a full family hang out like this in a while!” 

“But first,” Kirishima stood behind her, one arm around her body while he leaned forward, propping himself up with his elbow on the countertop. “You gotta put on your glasses, man, I can’t take the unknown!” 

“Daddy is so cute with his glasses!” Natsuki giggled at the immediate glare Bakugou shot her way, sticking her tongue out at him as she went deadweight, swaying back and forth with only her grip on his hand to keep her up. “He actually looks smart!” 

“‘Actually’? Are you saying I look dumb otherwise?” Bakugou picked her up, holding the giggling and snickering child by the arm up near his chest. “Is that what you’re saying?” 

“Yeah! Daddy’s got a dumb face- pfft, hey! No!” Immediately with the insult, Bakugou flipped her in the air and snatched her by the legs so that she was upside down. “Daddy! You’re gonna make me dizzy!” Although she complained, she giggled and cackled as Bakugou walked her over to the refrigerator, guiding her to open it and grab a bottle of juice for the kids to enjoy. “Yay, melon juice! That’s a treat! Can I drink it upside down?” 

“No, you goof, you’ll spill it. Here, put it on the counter.” 

Once four child sized cups and a bag of chips was gathered in the same upside-down manner, Bakugou held Natsuki up high enough to give her a punishing kiss on the cheek before plopping her back down to stand normally on her feet. 

“Alright,” Bakugou began, opening the bottle of juice and catching the gaze of his lover nearby, who was already holding the phone up to her ear to order the demanded pizza. “Let’s get this party started, eh?” 

… 

“A-ah, fuck-!” Bakugou bit down on his bottom lip, pressing his forehead into the cool tile of the shower wall, eyes shut tightly as he did everything he could to keep his voice down. With one leg propped up on the seat they had built into the shower long ago, he kept his gaze locked onto his thigh, watching the warm water that cascaded down his back dribble and gather around his foot, doing all he could to focus. The pleasure made that incredibly difficult, one hand pumping his erect cock while the other was reached around behind him, two fingers plunging in and out of his asshole eagerly. Two months into preparing and practicing to allow Koge to use a strap on him had passed, and he had gotten to the point where he actually enjoyed the pleasure he gained from anal stimulation. 

Could he cum from it alone? No, he wasn’t quite there yet, but it did enhance it all for him in a way that he couldn’t really describe. Whatever sensitive little spot there was inside him really did drive him mad, and he would even get hard just thinking about it. He had also come to realize that going a normal day with an anal plug was not as easy as his friends had made it out to be, and that part of his training had been the most frustrating and difficult. But, it was effective, and Bakugou had gotten to where he could take at least a one and a half inch in width dildo comfortably. With the success of cumming with that, he knew that it was time to get Koge in on this, which is exactly what he was prepping for now. 

He had done the whole deal that Kirishima had talked to him about all day, from wearing a plug most of the day to masturbating at least a little bit before to loosen his body up. The kids were bummed off on his parents, so he didn’t have to worry about that, and Koge was waiting patiently in their bedroom, reading or doing who knows what. From what he could tell, she didn’t suspect anything, but he hoped that he could pull off being just his regular self-up until the very moment he decided to bring it up. He wanted to at least get them going, to pleasure her and get her all riled up so that she would want to do it. 

As he grew closer to his peak in the shower, just the thought of her using a strap on him brought on a new tingling under his skin, an excitement that he hadn’t experienced yet and that was so different from his initial thoughts about this so many months ago. His fear had blossomed into anticipation, and what he was so against before was something he now craved. He wanted so badly to do this with her, and he just hoped that it wouldn’t end up an awful or awkward experience. 

Clamping his teeth together and eyes shut tightly, it took all his willpower to not moan out as he finally came, the release so intense that his entire body felt weak in the few seconds afterwards. Fuck that feels good… It’ll be so intense with her doing it. Ugh, stop thinking about it, you idiot, you’ll get hard again too soon! That’s what I get for not fucking her on purpose the past few days, too, I guess. I just hope she’s as horny as I am. Pushing himself up to stand up straight, Bakugou finished up his very thorough shower and cleaned up the tile wall, doing everything he could to not think about Koge’s body or the pleasure he was hoping for. 

It didn’t help that the petite woman sitting on their bed was already practically naked, sitting within the puffy mess of pillows and blankets in nothing but her favorite silk nightgown. Very engrossed in whatever book she was reading, Bakugou took it upon himself to get her attention, grabbing a pillow and playfully whacking her with it hard enough to make her whine and topple over to the side, her book quickly abandoned in favor of trying to grab the pillow in his hands. 

“Rude! I was reading.” 

“Reading time is over, it’s time to pay attention to me.” His first pillow now out of commission, he simply grabbed another to smack her with, forcing giggles from her lips as she kicked her legs in defiance. 

“There’s nicer ways to get attention!” 

“But this is more fun.” Crawling up onto the bed, he began to pile the pillows on her body, unable to resist a smirk in amusement of her giggles. She was so adorable to him and he found himself just wanting to snatch onto her, but he didn’t have the chance as she exploded from the pile of pillows, tackling him down onto the bed with a war cry and expert skill. Her tiny frame was no match for him in such a battle, and he was easily able to roll them over and pin her beneath him, her arms held up over her head and legs fastened around his hips. She attempted to struggle and push him off with her feet against his hips, but found that she was no match for his brawny frame, a pout crossing her lips with her defeat. 

“You’re too fat! I can’t wrestle with you anymore like when we were teenagers. I could even win sometimes! Now I can’t even get both my hands around your forearm.” 

“That’s because you’re a little shrimp. My cute little shrimp.” His hands sliding up her arms, he let their fingers lace, placing tender kisses down the bridge of her flushed nose. “You’re so fucking cute.”

Cheeks flushing darker from the affection, Koge couldn’t resist her ear to ear smile, squeezing his hips playfully with her thighs. “You’re being so extra affectionate today. All day you’ve been so mushy! I love it.”

“Yeah? Well, you make it hard for me not to be.”

“I also just make you hard… apparently.” With a playful nuzzle of their noses, Koge rolled her hips up against his, stroking her exposed sex along the hard form of his cock beneath his boxers. “Hm?”

Smirk crossing his lips, Bakugou moved to hold both Kobe’s wrists in one hand, the other moving down to hold her hip to grind himself back against her. “Who could blame me?” A low groan rumbled in his chest as he rested his forehead against hers, merely teasing her with a hint of a kiss while his movements grew more eager. “You’re so fucking sexy in that little nightgown, and just the thought of getting to fuck you all day has been driving me crazy.”

“Well you have me now, Katsuki,” Each attempt she made to kiss him was fruitless as he continued to pull back every time, only making her more frustrated and push their grinding even further, until she was panting and gasping softly. “All to yourself. So why don’t you show me what you’ve been wanting?” 

“No, baby,” Bakugou ran hot kisses and nibbles along her neck and jawline, releasing her arms to caress her entire small frame up against him tighter. “I want you to tell me what you want. To do what you want. Anything.” Catching her gaze, he saw surprise only for a moment before excitement took over, her mind immediately going to work to decide on what exactly it was she wanted. That guilt he had felt for being so selfish in their sexual endeavors creeped back upon him in that moment, but her eagerness was quick to pull him back as her hands slipped down between their bodies, freeing his cock from his boxers. 

“I just want you inside me, Katsuki. I just want you to make me cum… please.”

“You don’t have to beg, Utsuro. I told you. Anything you want.” Once her hands were moved out of the way, Bakugou took the chance to sink his entire length into her, bringing a pleasured groan from his throat as Koge moaned. “Ah fuck..! You want to cum, baby? I’ll make you cum-“

“A-ah, yes! Yes!” Koge clutched onto him tightly, pleasure rocketing through her body with the rhythmic thrusting of his hips. The sweet squeaking of her voice as he dug himself deep into her core was enough to drive Bakugou mad, wanting to give her more just so he could hear her moan and scream louder for him. He wanted to do all of this for her, to give her anything she wanted, and her first orgasm was quick to clash into her like a violent wave. It came with nails in his skin, fingers clutching his hair and her body trembling and twitching against him, her voice praising him and soft lips against his ear. This woman was perfection, and he’d be damned if he left her unsatisfied or unhappy for a single moment. 

Before her high could dissipate, he returned to rolling his hips in slower and softer motions, moving his lips back to hers as he dug his fingers into her hair. “You like that, babygirl? You want more?” 

Struggling to speak between her moans, his kisses, and hitching breath, Koge kept her eyes locked with his, her nails raking down his sides to send ticklish and pleasured tingles across his skin. “K-Katsuki… You’ll do anything I want?” 

“Anything.” 

“I… Can I sit on your face? Please?” 

“Don’t ask me.” Bakugou increased his efforts, slamming into her rougher to get his point across, sending her into a new round of moans with the eye rolling pleasure. “Tell me. Tell me what you want.” 

“Mm… I- I, a-ah-! I want…- Fu-fuck, fuck! Your cock feels so fucking good, I can’t think!” 

Smirking against her lips, Bakugou took this opportunity to tease her a bit, sliding his hand under her head to grab a fist full of her hair. “You have to tell me, Utsuro, or I can’t stop. This is all you… So tell me.” 

“I-I want to sit on your face! Please-!” 

“-No begging-!” 

“Now!” Koge clutched onto his cheeks, fighting through the pleasure to press her forehead into his and glare up at him in frustration. “Lay your ass down!” 

“Mm fuck, that’s it, baby. You’re so sexy when you’re aggressive.” Bakugou kissed her passionately, stopping his movements to instead scoop her body up against his, maneuvering them to where he was laying on his back. Not a second passed that he was settled that Koge had shifted herself off his cock to instead straddle his head, steadying herself on the headboard of the bed. Bakugou took to eating her out immediately once her hips were in his grip, doing what he could to ignore the antsy twitching of his cock at the sound of her moans. 

He had an idea of why she had chosen this exact position. Even though Bakugou truly did love eating her out, this was never particularly one of his favorite ways to do so, and they had talked about that many times. Koge, however, loved it, and he knew that it was more rare for her than what she would have liked. They compromised how they could, of course, and nearly every sexual endeavor they had involved him eating her out one way or another. But by choosing to do it this way, he knew that she was really testing him to see if he was being honest, and he was glad she was being so bold, especially with what his endgame was. He needed her to be bold and firm enough to either ask for the pegging, or to accept his request when he brings it up. 

“K-Katsuki,” Koge spoke breathlessly, digging her fingers into his hair as she was unable to resist a slow rocking of her hips. “R-right there! Ah, fuck!” Her body began to tremble, his hands sliding up her body to grip and squeeze her breasts, pinching her sensitive nipples as he pleased. How turned on she had become was apparent by the incredible flow of her essence that coated his face, and when she finally came again, he couldn’t help but smirk at the feeling of it beginning to drip down the sides of his neck. This is exactly how he wanted her, so eager and consumed with pleasure that she would push him for the things she wanted. Her next demand came after a moment of resting to catch her breath, loosening the tight grip her thighs had on his head. 

“When I move, put your arms up above your head and keep them there.” Carefully, Koge slipped backwards to sit on his chest, then his stomach, until she came to rest between his legs. Bakugou did as commanded, resting his arms under his head comfortably to watch her, though he couldn’t help a slight twinge of embarrassment as his boxers were stripped and flung away to the void that was their bedroom floor. He didn’t really know where the embarrassment came from. Maybe it was the glee in her gaze that made him feel flustered? It was obvious that she was excited, and he wanted to know exactly what was running through that clever head of hers. 

With a firm touch, Koge took his aching cock into her hands, teasing his tip with her hot tongue and letting her saliva flow freely to stroke up and down his length with ease. Just this initial touch from her was enough to make him want to reach down and dig his fingers into her hair, but Bakugou did as he was told, keeping his arms in place as she pleasured him. Well, in truth, it was more like teasing, giving him only hints of true pleasure with every touch, lick, and kiss. It only made him ache more, and he couldn’t resist a light rising or bucking of his hips when it was too much, groaning and cursing in his frustration. 

“Damn it, Utsuro…! That’s driving me fucking crazy!” 

“Is it?” Koge smirked against his sensitive flesh, her hands squeezing and stroking slowly all the way up his shaft until right below his tip, before sliding back down to avoid his most pleasurable areas. Again, Bakugou couldn’t resist a frustrated grunt and shifting of his hips, now clutching on to the pillow beneath his head. 

“Yes! You’re being a tease!” 

“You were the one that said I could do whatever I wanted. Here, let’s do something different, then.” Gripping his legs behind his knees, Koge pushed up and back until his body was bent, immediately making Bakugou flush a bright red and shout out in surprise. “You’re so flexible, Katsuki! All that stretching and weird movements do you pay off.” 

“U-Utsuro, what the fuck-” 

“Hold your legs, pretty please?” Koge leaned over him, smiling slyly in pleasure at just how flustered Bakugou was becoming, and it only grew as he followed her direction to hold onto his legs to keep his body contorted how she wanted. He wasn’t quite used to having his dick so close to his face, or his entire body exposed in such a way, but he couldn’t protest. He had given her this chance, and even if it was different for him, it wasn’t something that he hated. He just needed to adjust and let it all happen, and the excited throbbing of his cock was confirmation enough that he wanted to let it happen. 

“Hmmm, I’ve never had a view like this before.” Koge slipped one arm into an easy position so that she could continue to stroke his member, slowly and lightly pleasuring him as she trailed kisses and nibbles along the underside of his thigh. “You being so shy is cute, but you’re so sexy, Katsuki.” Within the same breath as her words, she ran her tongue along the form of his balls, sucking them into her mouth and increasing the tightness of her hand around his cock. Bakugou couldn’t resist the deep groan that rattled in his chest, though he found it difficult to keep a hold of his legs or stay in position, and he nearly crumbled into himself the instant her tongue slid across his asshole. 

“Ah fuck, Utsuro-” Bakugou did what he could to control the nervous waiver of his voice, though he wasn’t as successful as he would have hoped. “Straight to it, eh?” 

“Well I have a question for you.” Koge continued to tease his sensitive skin, from the base of his cock to his waiting hole, her fingers still pleasuring his straining cock. “I’ve noticed that some of my toys have been missing from my drawer for a while… And even some of my anal plugs. There’s even an unmarked bottle of liquid hidden under your sink in the bathroom. Did you really think you could hide it from me?”

Throat growing strangled from the confrontation, Bakugou couldn’t find it within himself to answer, though his embarrassed crimson gaze locking with hers was clearly enough of a confession as Koge’s lips curved into a smirk. 

“Ah ha… I knew it. What a guilty look. I had thought at first that maybe you pulled them out to use on me. But when that never happened, I began to suspect something else… But I couldn’t ever be sure.” Slipping her hand between her legs, Koge coated it in her slick before running her delicate fingers around his sensitive hole. “And it’s extra clean down here, even for just taking a shower. You wanted me to want this, huh?” As two of her fingers slipped inside him, Bakugou couldn’t stop a sharp intake of breath, his cock twitching eagerly in her hand and face burning violently. 

Even though her fingers were small, the pleasure of her moving them within him paired with the more rigorous stroking of his cock and new sucking on his balls brought forth a restrained moan, leaning his head back and doing what he could to push down the embarrassment to enjoy it. He had always been pretty vocal during sex, and those sounds pushed through the attempted restraint easily, especially as the pleasure grew. It felt so good, more than he had ever really expected, though when her fingers finally curved at just the right angle, he nearly lost it, releasing one of his legs to reach down and take hold of her head. 

“S-stop! Wait-!” 

Confused, Koge did as asked, removing her fingers from him in worry that she had hurt him. “What’s wrong? Did I do something that hurt you?” 

“No-” Breathing heavily to catch his breath from the rush, Bakugou ran his fingers through her hair gently, leaning his head back and closing his eyes to ground himself. “No. I don’t want to cum yet.” 

“It was that fast?” 

“I just wasn’t ready for it. I didn’t expect it to feel so different with you doing it instead. I have something for you, anyway.” Reaching down between the mattress and headboard, Bakugou pulled out a plastic bag that held said surprise, shoving it towards her and dropping it into her waiting hands before he let himself bail on the entire thing. Immediately upon feeling the concealed item, Koge’s eyes lit up and her face flushed bright red, digging her nails into the plastic to rip it open instead of taking the extra time to undo the knot that held it closed.

The excited squeal that left her lips immediately had Bakugou covering his eyes with his arms, groaning in momentary regret, though it was drowned out by her excited rambling. “Katsuki! Are you serious? Are you sure? You’ve prepped this much? This one is nice, it’s double ended! Oh, and fancy lube! You really mean it-” 

“-Of course I mean it!” Bakugou snapped to silence her, though he couldn’t find the confidence to remove his arms from over his face. “But you had better get on with it before I change my mind, or my boner goes away!” 

“Neither is gonna happen.” 

The sound of the bag being tossed away and the bed shifting as Koge sat up on her knees to put on the strap only increased Bakugou’s nervousness, closing his hands into tight fists as he struggled to even keep his quirk in check, which was a feeling he hadn’t had since high school. All the thoughts he had months ago came rushing back to him, making his stomach twist and head spin. It was time now, and there wasn’t any going back, not without absolutely crushing her. 

I can take it. It’ll be fine. It’s just Koge. She won’t make me feel small or vulnerable. It’s fine-

“Katsuki.” 

The soft and comforting sound of her voice pulled him back, bringing attention to the fact that he had been breathing quite heavily in his panic. Gathering himself, he moved his arms just enough to be able to peek up at her, the burning in his face somehow growing hotter just at the sight of her, strap in place and smiling down at him softly. She had removed her nightgown and was left mostly bare, her soft beauty bringing back those urges of pleasure in whatever way he could have her. Though, she surprised him as she held her hands out, wiggling her fingers to urge him to take them. 

“Sit up, love.” 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Bakugou took Koge’s hands and sat up, sliding his hands up her arms as she moved to straddle his lap. Her delicate touch sent tingles all across his skin as her hands worked their way up to caress his cheeks, and her tender kisses soothed his nerves almost instantly. She was so understanding of him, not moving on in pleasuring him until his hands moved down to take a generous squeeze of her backside, to which she responded in kind by stroking his strained and twitching member. Though, she was quick to pair it with the pressure of the toy she had strapped to her hips, using both her hands to hold it against his cock and rock her hips lightly. At some point before she got on him, she had slathered the toy in lube already without him noticing, and he couldn’t help but groan eagerly against her lips. 

“I’ll be gentle with you, Katsuki. Unless you tell me otherwise.” Koge caught his gaze, nudging her nose against his to keep his attention. “How do you want to lay?” 

“Just… on my back. I can’t promise I won’t cum fast, I’m struggling.” 

“That’s okay. I’ll just make you eat me out again if I don’t get to before you do.” 

“Tch,” Bakugou couldn’t resist the smirk on his lips, letting one of his hands come down hard onto her backside in punishment of her snarky comment. “Whatever you want, baby. But you’d better hurry up before I change my mind.” Gripping tightly onto her hips, Bakugou used his strength to push her back so that her butt plopped onto the bed, giving him room to lay down again. Huffing, Koge snatched onto the previously discarded lube bottle, putting the liquid on the toy and over his cock, using her hand to spread it down over his balls and between his cheeks. 

“I’m about to wreck you and you’re being a smartass. You’d better watch it, or I’ll change my mind. Then you won’t get to cum at all.” Putting his legs into position, and finding that she needed to prop a pillow under his hips due to their size difference, Koge positioned the tip of the toy at his waiting asshole, catching his gaze one last time for final approval. Just feeling the tip threatening to enter had his heart racing, and after a final moment of internal nervous panic, Bakugou gave a small nod. The instant it slipped inside, slowly digging in inch by inch, Bakugou had to cover his face again with his arms, struggling to not beg or moan like a bitch in heat. Everything about it was different, from the unfamiliar feeling of this particular toy to the way it filled him and pressed against every sensitive spot he had discovered, and then some. It was incredible, and with the first roll of her hips that brought the toy nearly all the way out of him before plunging back inside, his voice broke with a trembling whine. 

“That’s okay, Katsuki?” Although he couldn’t see her, Bakugou could just hear that Koge was already totally lost in this, even though she kept her current movements slow and steady as she waited for his response. It was difficult for him to open his mouth and restrain his moans, so all he could manage was his typical grunt of agreement, his hands clenching into fists with her slight increase of pace.

Bakugou knew that it was going to end up feeling good. He knew that it was going to embarrass the shit out of him and that he was going to struggle to gather himself once she started. What he hadn’t expected was how he already wanted to beg for more, how his body craved to feel the pleasure crash onto him faster and harder. He hadn’t expected that he was going to strain to hold back his voice to this extent, that each thrust had him wanting to cry out and moan. He hadn’t expected to love it this much so early on. 

“Look at me, Katsuki.” 

He couldn’t. He was sure that the embarrassment would kill him if he had to watch her, but her next move just proved that he really didn’t have a choice. A sharp snap of her hips and rougher pace finally forced all the restrained air from his lungs, his arms moving up so he could clutch on tightly onto the pillow his head rested on. “F-fuck, Utsuro, you can’t- you can’t just- a-ah, damn it!” Still refusing to look at her, Bakugou turned his face into his bicep, teeth clamped shut tightly to do everything he could to hold himself back. He couldn’t turn into a horny little bitch so easily, even if every thrust and the feeling of his cock slapping against his abdomen was driving him nearly mad. His pride wouldn’t let him break just yet, but it was quite clear that Koge wasn’t going to have it. 

“Just let it out, you stubborn brat,” Koge’s voice was tinted with her own pleasure, stimulated from the other end of the strap that rested inside her. “You didn’t care about moaning or hiding yourself while I sucked you off or fingered you. Look at me, Katsuki, and just let it loose.” 

Her hand wrapping around his cock and the first stroke paired with the anal stimulation is what broke him, his entire body shuddering and the restraint of his voice shattering into loud curses and moans. “Fucking shit, Koge-! That’s it! Fucking harder!” 

“Greedy, huh? Only if you look at me.” 

There was hesitation, but it was brief, as the craving for more was stronger than his embarrassment as he grew closer to his release. Opening his burning eyes, he finally tilted his head more to face her, gazing over every inch of her beautiful body and the way her hips slammed eagerly into his. What really captivated him was her expression, flushed and hazed over with lust and excitement more than he had seen in a long time. She was completely lost in the moment, and a smirk crossed her lips as he finally caught her gaze. 

“There you are. Now don’t hold back, love. No one can hear you but me, and you’re so sexy like this,” As a reward for him finally looking, she gave him what he had asked for, pushing him closer and closer to his release. “But I want you to touch yourself while I fuck you.” 

The lack of pleasure from her hand on his cock hand him immediately bringing his own hand down to do as she told him, pumping eagerly. There was no longer any restraint or control of himself like he had to start with, and he allowed himself to grow lost in it all, not caring about how he may be perceived. It was just them and the pleasure, for how long he wasn’t even sure, and before he knew it, he was teetering on the edge of release.

“I’m going to fucking cum, Utsuro-! I can’t fucking hold it anymore!” 

“Do it, Katsuki,” Koge pushed his hand away so she could stroke him instead, wanting to bring him to orgasm completely on her own, keeping the pace of her hips steady. Hands free again, Bakugou couldn’t resist clutching onto the pillow he rested on at his hips, his head tilting back as he let the pleasure overwhelm him. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck-!” His release was more intense than anything he had ever felt before, and all that time masturbating didn’t prepare him for it like he had expected. His entire body was on fire, the crash of pleasure nearly sending his eyes rolling back. It was euphoria and took much longer to come down than normal, though his first deep intake of breath was quick to bring him back to reality. The first thing he noticed was the incredible amount of hot cum all over his stomach and chest, surprised that it was so much even after having cum just an hour before in the shower. “Holy shit…” 

“Holy shit is right, Katsuki,” Having clearly cum herself, Koge carefully removed the toy from within him before flopping back to sit on her butt, propping herself up on her arms as she heaved to catch her breath. “Humping like that is hard work!” 

Bakugou couldn’t resist a chuckle, letting his arm come up to flop back over his eyes as his body struggled to recover. “Don’t be a pussy.” 

“I still can’t believe you even wanted this. At first I couldn’t understand where my toys were going and stuff, but I really didn’t expect it to be ‘cause you were training.” 

With the click of the strap-on harness coming loose, Bakugou peeked under his arm to look at his lover, who was more focused on removing the toy than watching him. The contented smile on her flushed face had the butterflies in his stomach turn crazed, feeling the heat in his own cheeks spread almost down to his toes, and the urge to clutch on to her was nearly suffocating. Sitting up on weak arms, he yanked the petite woman over to him, who cuddled up into his lap and against his chest without protest or being bothered by bodily liquids that coated them both. In fact, she hummed happily, nuzzling her face up into his neck as he caressed her close. 

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I’d be able to do it or that I would like it at all,” Bakugou spoke as softly as his gruff voice would allow, running his hands along the soft flesh of her thigh. “But it was… Fucking awesome. Sorry I was such a prick about it for so long.” 

“I had a feeling you’d like it! And I think how shy you were was really, really cute. But it’s also so sexy, Katsuki. This whole thing was amazing, I don’t think I’ve been this turned on in a while. Trying new things always gets me super crazy.” 

“Well hopefully this will keep you crazy.” Bakugou urged her head up a bit to kiss her lips softly. “Won’t be the last time.” 

“Can I do you doggy next time?” 

Ignoring her question for the moment, he showered her with more affectionate kisses, running his fingers through her hair softly. He wasn’t sure why, but this entire experience had him feeling so close to her, so accepted and safe that he couldn’t restrain his adoration for her. “Mm… Why? I thought you liked me looking at you.” 

“I do. But I want to see that cute bubble butt of yours jiggle.” 

“Then no.” 

“Well, I say yes.” Cupping his cheeks, Koge squished them together playfully, kissing his puckered lips in punishment. “Let me spank you.” 

“Never!” Breaking free from her grip, Bakugou first gave the tip of her nose a vengeful nibble before blowing a rough raspberry onto her cheek, ignoring her giggles and squeals as he leaned forward to cocoon her down onto the bed beneath him. “You have to work for that privilege!” 

“I will! I will get the chance to spank that booty. But seriously, Katsuki,” Koge paused for a moment, gently pushing his bangs back out of his face so she could better catch his gaze. “Thank you for trusting me.” 

“Tch, of course I trust you. Thank you for not making me feel like a pathetic horny bitch. 

“Oh, but my Katsuki, you are a horny bitch. Ouch, don’t bite me! Meanie!” 

[fanficflaneuse]

Princess Charming And The Gentleman in Distress

Index

A/N: I wrote this for my beautiful friend @the-hufflefluffwriter​ who loves Lucissa and helped me explore this ship. I loved writing this and I hope you like it as well <3

Lucius x Narcissa 

Word count: 1530 

Summary: Narcissa asks Lucius on a date. 

Ever since he had gotten to Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy walked about the school grounds like a dandy. He was handsome and intelligent, qualities he knew he possessed and was not afraid to flaunt them in and out of class. He kept mostly to himself and talked to a very selected few. This rubbed most students the wrong way, as they assumed the was just another stuck up, entitled pureblood.

Which he was, to an extent.

Lucius was raised to be the perfect heir of a long line of (mostly) pure blooded wizards and witches, after all. He behaved with the propriety and decorum he was expected to, but that was not the reason why he wouldn’t engage with most people.

In reality, he knew he wasn’t half as charming as he imagined himself to be. He could get really dorky about things he was passionate about, like potion making or reading. He was an expert in lots of random things. He knew the events of the XVI century’s witch hunts and Anne Boleyn’s biography by heart. He loved animals, especially peacocks and learned every fact about them. He was kind-hearted, sensitive and open to new ideas, characteristics his father scorned.

Through the years, Lucius had curated an image of perfection he wasn’t willing to lose. And he wasn’t going to let anyone use his true colours against him like his father did.

So, as he walked to the prefects’ carriage, his shiny new badge pinned to his robes, he procured to maintain his composure. Nobody could’ve guessed how proud and excited he was about his new position. His mask of poise fell for a minute when he saw who the other Slytherin prefect was.

Narcissa Black was probably the most popular girl in their year. She was beautiful and dignified, with the aristocratic flair that accompanied her last name. She was also brilliant and had a way with people that made her the centre of attention wherever she went. She was a beater and the star of the Slytherin quidditch team. Narcissa laughed and the world stopped to listen. She was everything Lucius tried to convey and wasn’t.

They had never talked to each other. Narcissa had a lot of suitors, but the only two boys she really talked to apart from her teammates were Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, who dated her older sisters.

As he sat next to her, one single thought crossed his mind: Salazar, this is going to be very, very awkward.

…

“So, are you really thinking about filling your manor with albino peacocks?” she asked, laughter in her voice.

“Of course! They are beautiful, noble creatures. Once I’m the owner, I’ll have them everywhere,” he answered humorously and yet dead serious.

“What a joy to whoever marries you, Malfoy.”

As the months went by, Narcissa and Lucius struck up a very particular friendship. Little by little, he opened up to her. She was endeared by every arbitrary piece of knowledge he had to share with her. She loved how he listened intently to whatever she had to say and he’d ask real questions without ever being nosy. Narcissa found someone who understood her insecurities, someone who not only valued her wittiness but always had a perfect comeback for her. They were overly dramatic together, balancing the etiquette demanded by their families with playfulness.

Their nightly rounds suddenly became the highlight of their weeks. Every day, Lucius would try to find more creative ways to flirt. As the friendship grew, so did his attraction for Narcissa and he was dying to ask her out.

“That could be you, you know?” he said smugly.

Narcissa looked at him, an eyebrow raised. She knew Lucius liked her; he wasn’t subtle at all. And she liked him back, but she knew better than to show him that. Her sisters had taught her well.

“Oh, I know that approach too well, Malfoy. My mother warned me about guys like you.” She crossed her arms playfully.

“Oh, really? So, she warned you about handsome, intelligent and absolutely talented guys like me?” he shot back.

Narcissa laughed, a full-blown laugh that left her breathless. Lucius felt satisfied.

“No, you fool. She told me about those men, too eager to get a proper lady for a wife and a line of mistresses and bastards on the side,” she said dramatically.

It was Lucius’ turn to look at her as though she had gone mad. “And I am one of those?”

“Definitely.”

“Cissa, I can count with one hand the amount of people I talk to. If anything, you are the one who might be searching for a proper gentleman for a husband and a line of lovers on the side,” he countered.

“Not going to lie, I definitely like that idea. The swap of gender roles sounds refreshing,” she beamed back.

He shook his head as a smile played on his lips. “You’re going to be the death of me, Narcissa Black.”

Narcissa smiled. They were already walking back to the Slytherin common room. She knew everything her sisters had told her about not showing too much interest. Andromeda was particularly adamant about this; she had shown the slightest bit of interest for Rabastan and he acted smug for months before asking her out. But she wondered how long she’d have to wait before Lucius made a move. Narcissa didn’t know many more nights of playful banter she could take. Patience wasn’t her forte, as much as her father told her it was the most important quality to cultivate.

Her heart was beating fast on her chest when they arrived to their common room. She decided to get over with it already.

“Cissa.”

“Take me to Hogsmeade next weekend,” she blurted out. Her tone was demanding, not allowing the least beat of doubt to show on her features.

Lucius nodded slowly, not able to disguise his surprise at her bravery.

…

Lucius offered his arm to Narcissa, who linked it with hers. They were very close to each other, enough for her to notice how her date was shivering. It was snowing as they walk to Hogsmeade. Narcissa took the necessary precautions when she chose her garments for the day. She looked beautiful, as always, but she was also properly dressed for the weather. Lucius, on the other hand, had sacrificed comfort for style and now he was freezing to the bone and pretending like everything was fine.

Narcissa could tell he couldn’t wait to arrive at Madam Puddifoot’s and get his hands on steaming cup of tea. She decided it was her moment to act gallantly; she had asked him out, after all. She took off her green scarf and put it around his neck. Once again, Lucius was taken aback by her attitude, but he couldn’t deny the scarf made a big difference.

They smiled at each other sweetly, but she knew she couldn’t let this opportunity pass. She was loving the whole “princess charming and gentleman in distress” situation.

“You know, Malfoy? I love seeing you in my clothes.”

Lucius’ face was already too red from the cold for Narcissa to notice the blush, so he decided to play along with her. “You’ve seen nothing, Black. I’d look fabulous in one of your skirts.”

She giggled. “That confidence makes me think it wouldn’t be the first time you wear someone’s skirt.”

“It would be,” he said, “I’m just so handsome I can pull anything off.”

Narcissa rolled her eyes playfully.

“Your confidence, on the other hand, makes me think it isn’t the first time a guy uses your clothes,” he retaliated.

“Oh, it’s definitely not the first time,” she said offhandedly, noticing how Lucius’ confident smile vanished from his beautiful face. “My cousin Sirius looks so pretty in my dresses. You have no idea!”

Lucius snorted. He pushed the door to Madam Puddifoot’s. A tinkle announced their arrival. The place was tacky and over the top, with ribbons and frills in every possible pastel colour. It was, anyhow, classier than the Three Broomsticks and Lucius had wanted to take her on the very best date possible.

As they sat down, Lucius inched forward and whispered something that could’ve probably scandalized any other proper lady he knew: “You’d look great in my clothes, Black.”

“Oh, Malfoy,” she retorted, her smile hinting an incredibly witty response, “you’ll have to go to hell and back before I wear your clothes.”

…

Lucius woke up to an empty bed. He sat up, scanning the room in search of his wife. He noticed sounds coming from the bathroom and laid back, waiting for Mrs. Malfoy to emerge. Narcissa came back to their bed wearing Lucius’ robe. He smiled at the sight and open his arms for her. She gladly complied and snuggled to her husband.

“You know, Cissa?” whispered Lucius, never missing the chance to mess with his wife.

“Yes?”

“Going to hell and back wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be,” he teased.

Narcissa filled the room with the wholehearted chortles only reserved for her husband and Lucius couldn’t feel any happier.

[ijustwant2write]

Far Away-Finn Shelby x Reader

Requested by anonymous: 'Hii i love your imagines and i wanted to request one in which the reader is has a crush on finn but she feels useless because she is a foreigner from spain and doesn't have any talent or family so she kind of runs away and tommy comforts her♡'

Characters: Finn Shelby x Reader, Thomas Shelby x Reader (platonic), Arthur Shelby x Reader (platonic)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Racism, self doubt, swearing ,fluff

(A/N: I am White British, so I'm sorry if it isn't as detailed as you wanted it to be. I didn't want to write the wrong thing and/or offend anyone, but I hope it's still what you want)

Tags: @jenepleurepasbaby @amirahiddleston @bloodorangemoonlight

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You're late (Y/N)." Mrs Laine tutted as I ran up to the stall, seeing that it was somewhat already set up.

I failed to catch me breath."I'm so sorry Mrs Laine! My mother-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses. Make sure the stall is in place, you know my back doesn't do so well under any weight."

I nodded, doing as she said straight away. Once I thought the stall was sturdy, I helped her arrange the flowers, noticing how my hands were shaking from the cold. The gloves I had on weren't thick enough, and my clothes were worn down. My parents would talk about the heat of Spain, how much colour there was everywhere; Birmingham seemed to be the exact opposite. As foreigners, my parents had found it hard to get jobs, even though England was supposed to promise them good employment. We were on the bare minimum, only just getting by, and my job on the florist stand didn't help much. But Mrs Laine was the only one who would take me on, and although she showed sympathy, she could be a scary woman.

"Heads up, your Peaky boy is headed this way." she said, turning back to the flowers.

Whipping around, I made sure my hair was neat, wrapping the coat together around me to hide the plain dress I had on. My hands weren't only shaking from the weather now.

"Fuck (Y/N), you look freezing." Finn exclaimed as he approached me.

"N-no, I'm fine, just a bit chilly." I replied, hiding my shivering.

"Thought I told you to get yourself a new coat last week?"

Although I was always extremely reluctant to take it from him, Finn always gave me a wad of cash, to help me and my family. I didn't know if his brothers were aware of this, and I was scared of what they would think. I didn't want to use Finn, I had no interest in his money, but after he insisted, and once that first bill was paid, I knew I couldn't refuse, for the sake of my family.

I cast my eyes down."Uh, we...we were behind on some payments."

He gave me a sympathetic smile, though it wasn't pitying me."Right," he dug into his pocket, taking out another roll of cash and putting it in my hand,"that's for your family again. And when you get off your lunch break, I'm taking you shopping."

"Finn, I can't let you do that."

"You've got no choice." he smirked, leaning in closer."By order of the Peaky fukcin' Blinders."

I felt stupid as I giggled. Finn just smiled, keeping eye contact with me as he left until he fully turned around, glancing over his shoulder one last time. Mrs Laine disrupted the flutters in my stomach.

"Be careful girl. He is a Shelby after all."

"Well, he's not bad to me."

"No, but he's done bad things."

I rolled my eyes as she turned away from me. If I had a pound for everytime someone said that to me, I would be the one giving Finn money.

Mrs Laine had almost fired me on the spot when Finn had shown up once. We had met before I got the job, I had only been in Small Heath for a week, having moved here from the rough housing we were in before. Finn was by himself, spotting me struggle to find my way to the market. No one would even look at me as I politely asked for help. People were horrible, judging who I was based on my looks. That's all we got as I grew up, and my parents reminiscing about beautiful Spain and the people didn't help. Why couldn't we have just stayed? Why did I have to be born in miserable England?

Finn wasn't afraid to come up to me, the cheeky grin appearing as he escorted me to the market, staying by my side and helping me barter with the sellers. I didn't miss the blatant flirting, and shamefully I flirted back. If my mother had seen me, I wouldn't be allowed out of the house for a week! We had seen each other a few times after that, but once I got my job, he would always walk to the betting shop through the market to see me.

"Am I alright to go for my break Mrs Laine?" I asked, smiling sweetly at her.

She stared at me for a few seconds, loudly sighing before waving her hand at me."Go on then. But (Y/N)?"

"Yes?"

"Don't be getting pregnant anytime soon. Got a lot of customers that come here just to see you."

"To see me?"

"Well, do you see any other Spanish beauties around here? It's not just the flowers that are exotic."

"Oh..."

"Well what did you think I was going to say?"

"I don't know...something about me being charming, or just plain friendly."

"I don't mean no harm by it (Y/N). But surely you knew? Plus, Small Heath is a harsh place, might as well have the harsh truth, eh? Especially by someone you know and trust, and not someone off the street."

I was too shocked to retaliate, upset by her true thoughts about me. I thought she had taken a liking to me, even if it was out of pity, and wanted to do an act of good deed. But she was using me, attracting more customers and making me sweet talk them into buying fucking flowers.

"(Y/N), you ready to go?" Finn called as he walked towards me, though I was already rushing to him.

"Yeah."

"Woah, what's wrong?" he asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"Nothing, just some rude customers today."

Finn led me to his car, a brand new one he had just got, now that he was proving himself to his brothers in the betting shop (amongst the Peaky business). I said nothing, only nodding along to what Finn was saying, still focused on Mrs Laine's words as we climbed into the car.

"Hey," Finn snapped me out of my thoughts,"you sure you're alright?"

I hastily nodded my head."Yeah, you know what people are like. Some comments were particularly harsh today."

"Do you know who those people were? Do they need straightening out?"

"No! No, it's fine. I can deal with it."

His hand reached over to mine, squeezing if gently."I'm here if you need me, for anything."

I glanced down at his hand holding mine, those damn butterflies going crazy in my stomach. I felt like an idiot just nodding my head, almost whining when he removed his hand to start driving. The car ride had small talk here and there, but I couldn't help watch the people we passed. All those girls in their pretty dresses, the expensive fabric against their porcelain skin; blonde or brown hair in neat curls, bouncing on their rosy cheeks. And everytime I spotted girls like that, there was always a man or a group of them gawking, as if they were the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. If I were to walk down those streets, it would be an entirely different story; racist remarks, or slimy, low life men who wanted a piece of everything.

The people's clothes looked expensive, some carrying around multiple bags from various shops, the streets were cleaner, the buildings were bigger, and there were more cars. We were definitely out of Small Heath and in the rich part of town. Suddenly I began to feel nervous, knowing I would stand out in the crowd more than usual.

"You'll be fine (Y/N), I promise. If anyone stares at you for two long, they'll be dealing with me." Finn reasurred me as he found a place to park.

"I don't know Finn, there's a lot of...I just wished I had something nice to wear."

"That's why we're here. Come on, I'll even let you hold my hand the whole time."

As soon as we were out of the car, I gripped onto his hand, not missing the quiet chuckle from Finn. He guided us to the main square of shops, and I was in awe. The windows displayed delicate jewellery, the lights making them shine even brighter, and the clothing was elegantly sprawled on mannequins. I had never been to a place like this, and I had never even dreamt that I would.

Finn dragged me into mutliple shops, suggesting things that I would like and getting the shop assistants to help. For a while, I started to enjoy myself, shocked by how many things I looked good in. Finn was grinning the whole time, complimenting me every time I came out in a new dress. However, I didn't miss the looks I got from the women inside the shop, looking me up and down, not wanting me near any of the clothes or accessories.

As Finn spoke with a shop assistant about the sort of coat I was after, I idly walked around, admiring everything. I went to pick up a pair of red gloves, when someone else snatched them away. Looking up, a girl my age had them grasped in her hands, glaring at me. My eyebrows furrowed, confused at her behaviour.

"Excuse me," a worker said behind me,"we don't let shoppers touch the items."

"But that woman just took those gloves." I gestured to the woman who was now on the other side of the shop.

"I'm just informing you."

"Will you inform her?"

"Miss, please do not shout at me."

"I didn't. My voice is at the same level as yours."

"Is she harassing you?" the glove thief intervened, clearly still holding onto them.

"I'm not doing anything wrong." I tried to keep my voice down, I didn't want to give them an excuse to kick me out.

"She would have stolen those gloves if I hadn't got there in time!"

I glanced over to Finn, seeing that he was looking through the coats, not noticing the conflict going on. I could have screamed at those women, accusing them for discrimination against me, but I knew that would paint an even worse picture. Instead, I stormed out of the shop, running as soon as I got outside. I was crying as I ran, making it hard for me to breathe, but I kept going. However, a poor woman like me running through a wealthy neighbourhood was suspicious, and I soon had a policeman coming after me.

"Stop! What have you stolen?!" he shouted at me.

Why did these people think I was a criminal?! I had never done a bad thing in my life! Part of me thought to stop and explain myself, but I knew what would happen; he wouldn't believe me, and I would be taken away kicking and screaming. My legs were burning, lungs trying to gather every last bit of breath, until I crashed into someone, toppling onto the ground with them. I tried to scramble to my feet, but we were tangled, weighing each other down.

"Sorry gentlemen," the policeman said, hauling me onto my feet,"I'll get this scruff out of your way."

"Oi, I didn't ask you to do that."

I recognised the voice. As I came to my senses, I looked at the owner of the voice.

Thomas. Fucking. Shelby.

"You what?"

"She's with me." he blandly said, his brother Arthur looking confused beside him.

"She was running away-"

"Do you know who I am?"

The policeman huffed, shoving me towards Thomas. I stumbled, managing to not fall onto the leader of the Peaky Blinders. We watched as the policeman left, and now I didn't know what to do.

"Th-thank you Mr Shelby. Why did you do that?" my voice was quiet, as I was terrified of this man.

"Yeah Tom, why did you do that?" Arthur said pointedly.

"You're the girl I've seen Finn hanging round." Thomas said.

"Yes."

"I'm assuming he's the one that brought you here?"

"Yes."

"Can you say something other than the word yes?"

"Yes. I mean, sorry, yes, I can."

"Why were you running? And where is my little brother?"

"He's in one of the shops I ran out of. There were just these...these horrible women in there." I hung my head, now getting embarrassed.

"Let me guess, they were being racist towards ya'?" Arthur blatantly.

Thomas sighed at his brother."My brother was wrong for bringing you here. Not because you shouldn't be here, but he should have just fucking surprised you with some clothes. For some reason he loves to show off nowadays."

I didn't say anything back.

"And I know he's been giving you money."

My head snapped up, eyes wide."I swear I didn't ask for it! He always insists, and even when I don't take it, he sends it straight to my house-"

Thomas held up a hand, looking done with the conversation."I'm not angry about the money. It's been coming out of his own wages."

"He's been giving his money to me?"

"My little brother has fucked whores, used girls, he used to be obsessed with screwing around. But for some reason, you're different to him. Has he even kissed you yet?"

I shook my head.

"Then I'm glad he's spending money on the right person."

God, did this man ever smile?

"Thank you Mr Shelby."

"(Y/N)!" Finn's voice yelled out before he rounded a corner, spotting us. He looked relived when he spotted us, continuing to run.

"Finn, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Thomas said, lighting a cigarette.

"Why did you run off?" Finn ignored him, directing his focus to me.

"The women, they were being awful to me. Accusing me of things I hadn't done." I explained.

"Oi!" Thomas grabbed Finn's face, making him look away from me, and at him."You, sort this out and leave. Don't cause her any further embarrassment, alright?"

He let go of Finn, nodding to me before walking away. Arthur pinched his cheeks in his hands, slapping them before following Thomas. Finn shoved him away, but instantly putting his attention back on me.

"You should have told me, I would have sorted it."

"I couldn't. They were ganging up on me, they were driving me out of the shop. I didn't want to embarrass you, you've got such a big name. And they were all probably thinking you had gone crazy for bringing me here in the first place."

"I don't give a fuck what they think. If I had noticed sooner, I would have threatened to fucking cut them."

"Oh, because that would have made the situation better."

"You know what I mean. I just can't stand when people are like that towards you. It doesn't make sense to me."

"I'm different Finn, I'm totally different from everyone around me. I look different, my accent is different, my parents struggle to speak the language...and nobody wants to accept that."

"I do. You're just (Y/N) to me. One of the most stunning, interesting and caring person I have ever met. You've never wanted to use me, when I give you money, there is genuine resilience in your eyes, but I know you take it to help your family instead of yourself. That's why I thought today would be nice. I could finally treat you to some nice things. Make you look even more beautiful."

"For fucks sake Finn, you're going to make me cry again."

"Those clothes you wanted are still in all the shops. Think it's time I paid for them."

"Thank you Finn." I leaned up, kissing his cheek, enjoying watching the blush on his cheeks.

I grabbed Finn's hand, rubbing my eyes before smiling at him. We started walking back towards the shops, and I felt more confident, though not because Finn was beside me; but because someone understood me. Even his brothers were nice to me, and that was the first time I met them. I didn't need a man to make me empowered or keep me safe, but the puppy love that was blossoming into something more serious gave me confidence, to really show others that I was worth something. They were all wrong about me, and I wasn't going to be quiet about it anymore.

[malereader-inserts]

If Not For You

Fandom: Game of Thrones Pairing: Cersei Lannister x Male!Targaryen!Reader Summary: A tale of what if, a tale of being loved like one should be Word Count: 1,461 A/n: This is a complete AU and suddenly Cersei is nice-ish, what if Jaime becomes the rude twin whereas Cersei becomes the considerate one? 

“(Y/n) is a fine young lord.”

She hears that way too often that she’s resorted to scoffing, she was promised Rhaegar and comes betrothed to the second son. It wasn’t that she wanted the prince soon to be king, but she’s seen how pretty Rhaegar was, a fine prince of twenty.

“Be glad, sister dearest,” Jaime murmured, “At least (Y/n) is around our age.”

Age didn’t matter to Cersei, so be it that she was thirteen and the prince was seven years older. Cersei could tell that there was a bitter tone in Jaime’s voice, she paid no attention to it when she was more focused about being married to the middle child of the dragon children.

She did not know what you had looked like, all she could think that you were probably the least attractive man in all of the realm. She hadn’t heard tales of you in war, though there were few, she didn’t felt there was greatness to be bestowed to you. 

She was very bitter about everything, she was promised Rhaegar.

And yet, when she stood at the front of her home standing by her father and her two brothers she hears you coming from the distant, grimacing at your boyish behaviour as she could hear a melodic laughter in the wind. Then, in came you in her view. 

You were quite the man.

Riding in upon your black horse, your white hair sharp as snow with vibrant violet eyes that could glare daggers if need be. Your hair was long, like traditional Targaryen men, carefully braided. She noticed the dragon sigil on your armour and a charming smile. 

She scoffs.

She hates to admit, you were prettier than your brother, more handsome more attractive. Perhaps, it was a blessing that you were closer in age, two years age gap as she found herself smiling at you when you approached her.

Jaime doesn’t miss her rosy cheek as you kiss her knuckles before addressing the rest of the family.

“Your grace,” Tywin addressed you, causing you to look over to him, Cersei noticed how the first time in years her father looked thrilled.

You were tall, there were muscles under your armour - she could tell, fifteen years old and you were already fighting battles were as Jaime was rolling his eyes, you weren’t special.

“Ah, Lord Tywin!” You greeted, nodding his way before looking at the boys, “And you two just be Jaime and Tyrion.”

“Yes, your grace,” Jaime nods, standing at full height, he couldn’t help but noticed how you much taller than him.

“I’ll be seeing more of you in Kings Landing,” You continue whilst Jaime seethes when you’re far too happy, “Your father tells me you are to join the King’s Guard once you finish rank to knighthood.”

Cersei looks at her twin then back at you, she adored Jaime. She wanted to continue to adoring him, but one look at you he was nothing compared to you. So, when she sees her twin look at you with a glare, that you’ve promptly ignored, she tries to hate you.

She really does, but with your kind nature, she can’t help not to.

“I despised you.”

“I’m aware,” You say, half asleep and slowly falling further asleep before jerking away when you felt a hand slap you on the chest, “What is it, dearest wife?”

“I was speaking to you,” Cersei hisses at you, she leaned her chin against your shoulder, “I despised you.”

You crack open one eye open to stare at her, to find her smiling at you fondly. Her fingers softly dancing across your scars from the rebellion. The rebellion had been a few months and you had been married to Cersei for three years now. Your father murdered by her brother whilst you and your brother Rhaegar fought side by side at the Trident.

The two of you had participated in the murder of Robert Baratheon. Leaving Rhaegar to be king, he had a coronation and suddenly he was a single father nursing the child of Lyanna Stark. News had spread fast about Lyanna and Rhaegar, the secret marriage and the son that was born. 

“No, you didn’t,” You softly say, bringing your hand to move a fallen hair back behind her ear, “Your brother despised me.”

“He was jealous,” 

“You were rude,” Cersei smacks your forehead, “Ow!”

You wince in pain at the violent hit, rubbing your temple as Cersei rolls her eyes before placing a soft kiss where she had struck you.

“Is that how you treat your wife?” She teased, interlocking her hand with yours, “What will happen to Jaime?”

“Rhaegar wants him executed for treason,” You explained, as Cersei’s face falls flat, “I have convinced my brother that Jaime should be sent to the wall, I don’t think I have ever seen your father more relieved by the news.”

“My brother has never been smart,”

“Perhaps,” You hummed, as Cersei rest her head against you as you bring your arm around her, “Though, between us, murdering my father was the smartest thing he has done.”

Cersei starts to sink in relaxation to your touch, your finger tracing circles on her upper arm. She never expected to fall in love with you.

“I love you (Y/n).”

“I’m aware.”

“They’ll get married, won’t they?”

You looked over to Cersei, many years had passed and yet she was surprised to find herself still infatuated with you. You turn to look at her with a gleam in your eyes. 

“Aegon and Daenerys will learn to love each other,” You murmured, looking at the children who were both five years of age, “Family tradition, to keep our line pure.”

Rhaegar looking dishevelled after looking after Aegon whilst you were responsible in aiding the parenting of your younger siblings Viserion and Daenerys.

“And yet, you’ll be sending them to Essos? Why?” Cersei asked, questioningly.

“Rumours of Roberts’ brothers, Stannis and Renley are trying to declare war on our house. Sending my two younger siblings to Essos and Aegon to the North is the best course of action,” You says, looking over to her, “And you will find yourself home, back on Dragonstone.”

“I will not be-”

“Cersei, my dearest lion,” You speak with affection, caressing her cheek, “you may not be a damsel in distress, but I need my wife and my children safe.”

“And you’ll be here?” She asked, thumbing the fabric on your shoulder, “With your brother?”

“He’s my brother and we are stronger together. I fear Jaime may come back to pledge loyalty to the Baratheons and-”

“Kill him,” Cersei answers, without thinking before nodding her confirmation, “My brother would do anything to steal me away, I rather stay with you, I’d do whatever you want me to.”

“Then protect our children,” You insisted, a boyish grin she had learnt to love appearing, “Little Jaehaerys is very excited to be an older brother.”

You turn to cast your eyes to see your son, a year younger than your sister and his cousin, play with the rest of the children. You looked at Cersei, pregnant with your second child.

“The baby will be a princess,” You announced smugly.

“Perhaps, I’ll be allowed to name her this time.”

“Jaehaerys is a better name than Joffery,” You retaliated back, disgust evident when you say the name she had suggested. 

“Myrcella,” Cersei had decided as you smile, nodding.

“Princess Myrcella Targaryen,” You say, fond of the name, “You’ve convinced me with your common names.”

“It’s not-!” She paused to see your teasing smile and amused eyes, “I wonder why I agreed to marry you.”

“You didn’t agree, you were forced,” You reminded her, “You’re lucky I had my eyes set on you when you visited Kingslanding when you were twelve and I was fourteen. Imagine marrying Robert Baratheon and act as a common whore.”

“Then, the realm would be a different place,”

“Aye, my lion, aye it will be,” You agreed, before tugging her to talk to your brother, “Be merry before we part, be in the children’s lives before we go back to our duties.”

Cersei looks at the dark-haired heir and her sister-in-law, who was very beautiful even at the age of five, playing with her little boy whilst the other middle child, Viserion was sitting about glaring. She takes in the moment and found herself incredibly lucky.

She would hate to think about a different ending to Robert’s rebellion, she was happy where she was. She wanted power when she was younger, but she found herself content - she may not be queen but she was a princess by marriage, and that was good enough for her.

“I love you, my dragon.”

“And I love you, my dearest lion.”

[cwmoonglum]

The Atomic Death of the Moon

20/05/07 – The Moon is on Fire. Atomic death pours from the skies. Sneaking onto the family computer at 7.30am per my orders, I find my email inbox flooded with furious diplomatic cables. My real life friend, fresh from holding Stalinist show trials of those who objected to a recently ratified treaty, is facing fresh calls to resign. In the parlance of the day; the moon is closed.

In 2007, adolescence was being revolutionised by access to an internet much more anarchic than today's. Youtube was only two years old, music was something to be downloaded illegally via megaupload and imageboards proliferated. Within a year 'Anonymous' would announce its opposition to Scientology in the much touted Project Chanology; a celebrated mainstream debut that often overshadows its precursor events. Anonymous – a loose alliance of mainly teenagers drawn from across the constellation of imageboards – had been conducting 'raids' for years prior to Chanology. From the occupation of Habbo Hotel with offensive statements and racial caricatures to the scripting of endlessly self-replicating cubes and storms of horse dicks that would crash Second Life servers, the absurd and often cruel humour of the group was stamped across the internet. Anonymous were the degraded Situationists of the commercialising internet, squeezing jouissance from the newly colliding social groups of odd hobbyists, lonely eccentrics and baffled normies.

 With widening internet access yet many people connecting via low powered computers, a market emerged for browser games. In these, roleplaying and metagaming were as compelling as in narrative games. One such game that persists today,Cyber Nations, found itself targeted by Anonymous. A political simulation game where players controlled their own nations, the gameplay was itself was fairly monotonous, but the wider system of alliance forming resulted in elaborate treaties, wars and diplomacy that was truly gripping. On Cyber Nations, Anonymous went under the banner of /b/ (named for the 'random' board on, amongst others, 4chan), and spent 7 months growing itself. With a loose governing structure, /b/ existed mostly on the sidelines before it was dragged into Great War III, a multi-faction conflict that was to have been non-nuclear. However, two rogue actors within /b/ launched nuclear weapons, causing both the mass of members to follow suit and the nominal leader of the alliance, Furseiseki, to disband it. Now pariahs, /b/ spammed the Cyber Nations forums with all manner of shock images to disrupt the game, culminating in a DDoS attack and hack where the home page was defaced and the game's source code stolen. Cyber Nations was down for a number of days, and upon restart my own nation, designated as part of /b/, was stomped into the ground by furious players. The 'disbandment' section on /b/'s official channels read 'many lulz were had, but now we're off TO THE MOON.' Opened to public beta in February 2007, Lunar Wars was a political simulation game that took the broad strokes of Cyber Nations and refined them. Developed by Alessandro Bassi ('Sandro') as a way to teach himself web development, it swiftly attracted players, and offered a new theatre for Anonymous following the dissolution of /b/. I joined up as a junior diplomat for the Elitist Lunar Superstructure on 18/04/07.

The ELS was more disciplined than /b/ from the start. Allied nations were assigned squads to cooperate and trade within, and all announcements were handled through the ELS forum and emailed to members. A greasemonkey script (in 2007, we all used Firefox) was thrown together to assist players. Guides on increasing power quickly were disseminated. Notably two of the admin/developers for the game, skaladis and owl, were ELS members and the recruitment drive across various imageboards was persistent. The IRC channel was anarchic as usual, but diplomats and the leadership convened within a private channel to guide policy. Eph, the alliance leader, designated myself and select others to open lines of communication with smaller groups within the game. Of course, enemies from the days of Cyber Nations had come to the moon.  It seems strange now that 4chan is so identified with reactionary politics, but in these games Anonymous enjoyed bullying the sad little men who named their nations things like 'Wolf Reich ov Iron' and roleplayed as Nazis in their alliances. In Great War III, /b/ had been opposed to Nordreich ('German Nationalists'), and FAN (Federation of Armed Nations), and these groups reemerged on the moon. Leftwing alliances like the Red and Black Block or Union of Lunar Socialist States (ULSS) tried to combat the Nazis on the moon, but the appeal of roleplaying internecine Left political conflicts was limited. To actually wield power capable of slapping down the fascists often meant joining with apolitical, carnivalesque groups like Anonymous. As fun as dunking on fascist cosplay was, however, the real enemy was FARK.

In the ecosystem of the 2007 internet, imageboards were not the only hangout. There were also humour sites like YTMND (You're the Man Now Dog), Something Awful and FARK. The content filtered through to everyone, but allegiance to any one site was performatively over the top. It was as good an excuse as any for enmity.

As a junior diplomat for ELS, I handled treaties with various smaller alliances, most notably the aforementioned ULSS which had been captured by my friend in early May 2007. The tension was mounting palpably across the lunar community as treaties were signed and mutual defence agreements entered into. Something like the network of alliances that ensured the nightmare of World War I was formed, overseen entirely by spotty teenagers and shitposting idiots. Notably GOONS, formed by SomethingAwful forum members, had joined with ELS; FARK was left out in the cold, and allied with FAN. On the night of 19th May 2007 as I stretched my allowed time on the family computer, diplomatic channels became frantic as spies within IRC channels let FARK/FAN know of a planned attack, per ELS internal communications;

GOONS is likely to be attacking FAN within 48 hours. We will receive target lists of anyone GOONS has trouble with. Do not fire counter offensives on FAN unless necessary (problematic targets, etc.)

FARK retaliated by launching the SHIT HITS THE FAN war, beginning perhaps ten minutes after my parents told me to turn the computer off and go to bed. Tossing and turning, I considered diplomatic avenues to strengthen the ELS cause. However as I finally fell into an uneasy sleep the metagame overtook the roleplaying.

For a while now Sandro had been teasing the existence of Galava, a new, more complex browser game with a medieval setting that further developed the gameplay of Lunar Wars. Given that the moon had only been open for a few short months, the kids who had wasted the back half of their school year building alliances on it were grumbling that Lunar Wars was being abandoned before it had even exited beta. The two ELS-allied admin/developers, skaladis and owl were similarly irritated. According to a post by Arciel, head admin of the Lunar Wars forums;

owl had not only given herself nukes; she had given herself and ELS members 9001 nukes each, in reference to a meme. The balance of the game was completely upended; by the time I awoke and booted up the dusty Dell in the spare room Sandro had locked the game. In private conference, Eph and the leadership decided to disband ELS. I was appointed interim Chief Ambassador for the continuity faction, but within a scant few hours I had come around to the joke. Emails continued to go out to rally the faction, but Anonymous' attention, and my own, was shifting elsewhere. The next time I encountered the group, the kids who shut down Habbo Hotel were going up against Scientology.

My friend lost his leadership position in the ULSS after the coup he helped lead was put down. He's involved in actual Leftist politics now, though he's not a Stalinist. In October 2007 Galava was released, and I received an email via the ELS list;

I didn't join. The internet got less wild, more scary. Megaupload was taken down in 2012 and Anonymous initiated a DDoS attack on Universal Music Group. 'Youtuber' became a job, and 4chan birthed the alt right. Both Galava and Lunar Wars continued until October 2009. For me and many others, though, it ended in the atomic fire of 9001 hacked nukes. Anything else was epilogue. The tribute page for Lunar Wars sums it up perfectly;

[livingmybestfictionallife]

Live Wire --The Dirt--(6)

Summary: Wren Ledden, Tommy’s best friend from high school, has had a rough life, and she intends to keep the nitty gritty details of her suffrage to herself until the day she dies. Only Tommy has gotten her to open up about a small portion of her troubles, and it’s only Tommy who she trusts with her life. That is until her life gets turned around sneaking into a concert one night...the same night Motley Crue is born.

@prettyyoungandbored​, @triplehaitches​, @hot-young-runningfree​, @oskea93​, @crue-sixx​, @dancergirl5527​

Previous Chapters:

One,  Two,  Three,  Four,  Five

Dreams were fruitless without follow through, and when each awoke, they did so alone—the same way they’d live their whole lives. Wren anticipated she and Tommy would be staying at Nikki’s, as they did on many occasions, so she brought along a small, draw string bag with clean clothes stored inside. She always packed something to wear at night, but would never refuse the opportunity to wear Nikki’s clothes. They swallowed her body in a comforting warmth and hung in loose cascades along her torso, and she loved watching his ears turn red whenever he saw her in his shirts.

Wren woke up earlier than both Nikki and Tommy, but by no means early. The clock in Nikki’s room indicated it was noon, and the bright sliver of light that was choked by the heavy-duty curtains which hung over the window corroborated this fact. She slid Nikki’s pants down her hips and gracefully stepped out of them as they reached her ankles. From her bag, she pulled out a pair of black leather pants, the same pair she wore to see London perform, which were a staple of Wren Ledden’s sense of fashion. As she tossed Nikki’s shirt off her body and onto a pile of clothes on the floor, Wren slipped her bra back on and then pulled her own shirt from the previous day over her head before she adjusted her socks and shoved her feet back into her sneakers.

She would have sunk back into bed and fallen asleep for another hour had it not been for an incessant knocking at the door and two disgruntled and high-pitched groans echoing through the apartment. Wren finally stepped out into the living room from Nikki’s bedroom—fully dressed and prepared for the day—to see Mick standing in the doorway, a usual angry expression fallen over his face, and both Tommy and Nikki, clad only in their underwear closing the door behind Mick.

“At least someone’s ready to go to this thing,” Mick hissed at the other two men as he passed through the room and lowered himself on the couch Nikki had fallen asleep on. “Go put some fucking pants on so we can give this guy a listen to, alright?” Both Tommy and Nikki stood and stared at Mick as if his words were unable to penetrate to their brains. Wren had taken a more effective approach to getting her two friends moving. Taking hold of Tommy’s drum sticks, she slammed them down on the cymbals as forcefully as her arms would allow, sending a shock of adrenaline into both her friends’ hearts.

“Shit, Wren, okay,” Tommy whined before he made a small attempt to grab his sticks back from her. She then proceeded to strum a crescendoing roll on the crash cymbal until Tommy snatched his sticks away from her hands and wrapped her in a headlock as he would do if she was his annoying sister. Wren retaliated against this and positioned her hand between her throat and his arm, creating a cup with her palm before she dropped to the ground, and pinned his arm uncomfortably behind his back. Mick and Nikki watched as their drummer was bested in a battle of brawn by a girl that stood nearly nine inches shorter than him, and both chuckled in amusement. “Fine, I’ll go get ready,” Tommy moaned in defeat and Wren dropped her grip on his arm.

Upon seeing her curves reflecting off the shining leather of Wren’s pants, and with the new knowledge that she could easily physically overpower him if she wanted to, Nikki had become more coherent, and much more aware of the fact that he stood in his underwear before her. Pants and his bass couldn’t hide the obvious physical attraction any man could have for her, and so he hurried through the room and made his way into his bedroom to change, subsequently leaving Mick and Wren alone.

“How long have you known them?” Mick asked as he sat up a little straighter only to have his face flush with pain.

“I grew up with Tommy. We were in the same kindergarten class, but we got to be really close friends in middle school,” Wren replied as she picked up Nikki’s bass pick and rolled it between her fingers.

“And Nikki?” Mick asked. “How long have you two been—?” There was no ending to his sentence, no hand gesture to fill in the blanks, nothing, and yet Wren knew exactly what Mick intended to ask.

“I met Nikki at one of his shows something close to a month ago,” she replied. “We’re friends, if you could call it that. Nothing else.” There was a certainty and a firmness in her voice that told Mick there was no need to press on with questioning her about her relationship with the other band members.

“Drummer said you play saxophone; is that true?” Wren gave a slight nod and pointed to where her case sat just adjacent to his feet. “You ever play in down in West Hollywood Park?” Again, Wren nodded, only this time, there was a inquisitiveness in her expression. Neither she nor Mick could hear the pitter patter of large feet exiting the bedrooms and rounding the corner into the living room, and neither Tommy nor Nikki were dumb enough to intrude on two of the more fearsome people they knew; so the two younger men waited, patient breaths falling silently from their mouths, desperately trying to hear the words Mick and Wren softly spoke from a few feet away. “I’m glad to see you’re doing good for yourself kiddo,” Mick sighed as he nodded in Wren’s direction.

“Bob? Bob Deal?” Wren questioned as she moved briskly across the room to bring the man into a brief hug. She knew neither of them were very touchy-feely, but Mick had saved her ass so many times when she was on the streets; he’d share whatever food he could scrounge up, let her play with him for tips, and even protected her from the more ruthless and relentless lost souls. “How the fuck didn’t I recognize you?” she asked upon letting him go.

“Because I looked like a fucking hippie six years ago, and you were just a child,” Mick chuckled in return as he rested a gentle and reassuring hand on Wren’s shoulder. “Funny how the world has a way of working things out.”

Tommy and Nikki had heard too much. They’d sat in the silence of the shadows for far too long and lingered in on what was a platonically intimate moment that neither of them wanted to know and both wished they could pretend they hadn’t heard. Tommy hated knowing anything about when Wren was homeless and learning that the past year wasn’t the first time she’d lived on the streets killed him. It made him feel like the shittiest friend a person could ask for, but he did find solace in the fact that Mick or Bob or whoever the fuck he was, was able to hold his friend above water at her drowning point. Nikki on the other hand was drowning in the realization that everyone—Tommy, this singer they’re about to go see, and now even Mick—has history with Wren. He was the odd man out, he was the one to not know her at any point prior to now, and for some reason it made him boil.

“Ready to go?” Nikki asked as he took a long step around the corner and entered into the scene he’d been watching unfold. As if they were actors on stage, unsure of how to act to an audience member improvising their way into the show, Wren and Mick each stared at Nikki with a dumbfounded look on their faces. “Tommy, come on! You’re driving,” Nikki stated as he threw his car keys down the hallway at the youngest of the bunch. As Nikki’s eyes reached Wren’s, he could feel the tendons of his heart pulling against one another from one side to the other as he battled between the thoughts of being the odd man out in terms of not having any prior history with the beauty before him and the overwhelming sense of serenity that her presence gave him.

When gang of misfits gathered in Nikki’s car as they set out to find their singer, Wren noticed the t-shirt that peeped out from under Nikki’s short sleeve, undone, army green button-up was the one she’d worn the night before. A smile crept onto her face at this realization, and she hid her amusement by directing her attention at the houses zipping by. Gradually, the size and luxury of the homes grew from the overpopulated, falling apart apartment complexes they lived in to grandiose single-family homes of the upper-middle class. Wren stomach tightened into knots as Tommy drove past what used to be her parents’ neighborhood. She hadn’t spoken to either her father or mother in over a year, but last she knew, they were looking to sell and move further up state. She knew there was no way they could touch her, no way they could manipulate her, shame her, or punish her simply because she happened to drive by where they might live, but it didn’t keep her insides from folding in on themselves.

Tommy’s eyes flicked back at her through the rearview mirror, a worrisome haze falling over his demeanor that altered the mood of everyone in the vehicle. Sensing this discomfort, Mick turned up the radio dial and allowed the music to flow through the car. The heavy strumming of guitars and rhythmic pulsating of drums calmed Wren’s overwhelming emotions of anger and disgust enough for her to emotional state to return, relatively, back to normal when they pulled up to the site. 

Tommy was still in contact with a few of his old friends from high school as well as some people in his old band, Suite 19, so finding out when Vince would be performing was easy; it was a matter of convenience that it just so happened to be the next day. Although Tommy wore dark colors that contrasted every outfit worn by every person at this party, he at least had enough of a bubbly personality to fit into the very peppy scene the group was about to walk into. Nikki, Wren, and Mick, on the other hand, were blemishes of darkness—both in the sense of fashion and personality—amidst this sea of uppity, hippie-dippie, bullshit.

Knowing she would come face to face with at least a dozen of her old bullies and aggressors, Wren pulled a small tube of black lipstick from its storage place in her boot just between her outer ankle and Achilles tendon. She wore no makeup and knew the penalties she would receive from wandering eyes and gossiping tongues for this choice, so she painted her lips black in an attempt to scare others away from her entirely. Nikki snickered as he watched her bend over and use the car’s side mirror to apply her lipstick, but would be stupid to deny the fact that black looked good on her.

“Didn’t think you were one to get dolled up for parties,” he commented as Mick and Tommy rounded the car.

“Didn’t think you were one to notice a girl if she wasn’t half naked,” Wren retorted with smirk playing over her dark lips.

“Let’s go, Casanova.” Mick’s voice seemed to pull Wren and Nikki from their bantering session at the passenger side of the car to the entrance of the party. In his confidence, Nikki led the way—through the gate at the hedges, past tons of judgmental faces with turned up noses and pinched, squinty eyes, all with Wren close to his side. She could hear people greeting Tommy with cheerful voices and saw him in her peripherals as he offered handshakes, high-fives, and hugs to those who knew him. Nikki snatched a fifth of Jack Daniels from the makeshift bar, Tommy chatted with an old acquaintance, while both Mick and Wren tried to avoid the eyes pointing in their direction.

After taking a swig from the bottle, Nikki glanced down at Wren. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, and although she was putting up her best front, he could tell she felt uncomfortable. It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before, and upon getting a taste of it, he decided he didn’t like it. He handed her the bottle and gave her a half-hearted, reassuring smile. He didn’t like seeing this strong, sometimes terrifying person broken in the slightest bit. It wasn’t her, or it wasn’t the version of her she wanted herself known as. As she took a long, agonizingly burning two or three shots worth of Jack, she gave the bottle back to Nikki who placed it on the table in front of them and wrapped his arm around her. Her left shoulder was buried somewhere in his side as his dominant arm was firmly draped across her shoulder blades and his fingers rested lightly on her other shoulder. Under his touch, she seemed to stand up straighter and her gaze turned from the ground to meet the countless evil eyes casting down at her. Her stare was lightning, shocking people to their core as she told them to go fuck themselves without having the words leave her mouth. Upon seeing the change in Wren, he knew this wasn’t truly who she was either, which made him wonder, Will I ever truly know Wren Ledden?

“A fucking cover band?” Mick was as displeased with seeing Vince’s group as Wren was with seeing Vince. Years of competition between them had turned the pair into a deadly combination of a flame and gasoline. As Wren looked to the stage to see Vince’s bleach blonde hair bobbing around as his hips gyrated around the microphone stand, her stomach churned. Vince had always been a pest to her, a pain in her side, an incessant irritating itch she couldn’t scratch away.

“I’m telling you, he’s legit!” Tommy countered as his body began to bounce with the beat. Mick shot a conflicted and concerned glance toward Wren who shrugged. Did she think Vince was a talented singer? Yes. Was she willing to admit he was better than her? Hell no. In her head, she knew the two thoughts were separate, distinguishable, but she knew the second any compliment of Vince left her mouth, he would never let her live it down, so she kept her mouth shut.

“Hell, it doesn’t matter if he’s good; look at what he’s doing to those chicks!” Nikki said as he jutted his jaw toward the stage. Wren could feel herself shifting in her skin at Nikki’s words, and even more so when his arm left her body. More than anything she hated feeling inferior. She spent her life being told she would never be good enough—in music, in sports, in academia—which led to an unhealthy desire to be the best at everything she did. It’s why she earned her associate’s degree as a high school student, it’s why she pushed herself to earn every solo in band since freshman year, and it’s what would eventually bring her to break her personal oath to not perform in front of the band.

“He’s got talent, but do you think he can sing our kind of music?” Wren asked as she skeptically folded her arms over her chest, only to hear Vince’s voice call out over the mic “Thank you, we are Rock Candy!”

“Shitty band,” Mick huffed as he took a sip from the bottle of Jack Nikki had placed on the table. His comment earned a high-five of solidarity from Wren, which only directed Tommy’s attention toward her sour attitude.

“Are you green, Wren?” Tommy joked as he poked at her sides.

“You’re about to be black and blue,” she hissed with a tender smile playing on her face as she turned to lightly punch Tommy’s arm. He feigned the detriment of the injury as he skipped over to where Vince stood at the makeshift bar, chatting up some blonde bimbo.

“You have a history with blondie too?” Mick asked as he took in Wren’s general appearance of discomfort. She furrowed her eyebrows in an attempt to seem unaware of his question, but he saw past her deception. “You look to be in more pain than I am, which is saying something.”

“I just want to get out of here,” she muttered and shifted her hips. Her posture, which had once relied on Nikki for support was now inflexible as she stood independently with agitation and ferocity in her eyes.

“We can find another singer. It doesn’t have to be him.” Even though his hands remained at his sides, she could feel the warmth of his fingers wrap around her heart. Wren opened her mouth to speak again, but Nikki had ducked his head toward hers to whisper in her ear. “We’ll get out of here soon,” his words escaped in a single, hot breath down her neck before he added a simple, “promise.”

Tommy approached Vince with eagerness in his step and anticipation coursing through his veins. A single cassette tape twiddled between his fingers as Vince’s surprise sent his face smiling and arms pulling Tommy in for a quick embrace.

“Man, that was sick!” Tommy exclaimed with both his words and his body movements. Vince tried to play it cool, as if Tommy’s compliment meant nothing and that he was well aware of his talent; it was that smugness that fueled Wren’s fire. “You should come play with us!”

“Suite 19?” Vince said hesitantly. “Nah.”

“No, I’m in a new band now, with those guys!” Tommy excitedly said and pointed to where Mick, Nikki, and Wren stood, all with narrow eyes, arms folded over chests, and defensive stances.

“Is that…?” his voice trailed off as he squinted through the sun’s rays to catch a better glimpse at the girl standing under the protective wing of the younger of the two men. “Is that Wren?” Vince finally finished. “Damn, you still hang out with Ledden? How long have you been trying to hit that strung up bit—”

“Hey,” Tommy snapped. “Just give us a listen, our number’s on the front if you’re interested, but you have to back off on her.”

“Or what?” Vince asked as he rolled his eyes. Tommy noticed the girl standing beside Vince turned up her nose at the mention of Wren’s name and upon seeing how Vince stared her down, but decided against saying anything to her.

“Or I’ll let her kick your ass.” Tommy smirked downward at the much shorter man before he pranced away with his fingers held up to his ear in the shape of a phone as he yelled back, “Call us!”

Continued Reading: Next Chapter

[shadydreamerdonut]

@casara123 Here you go, love. I’ll fix up any mistakes when I get home and maybe even write the next chapter. But I have to go to class lol

“Because what's worse than knowing you want something? Besides knowing you can never have it.”

Nellie skipped cheerfully away from the torsional parlor about a block away from her pie shop. Crimson pigtails jubilantly bouncing. Sweeney had good business, his status ever growing. But even with Senior Pirelli out of the picture, there were still many other reputable parlors around. Parlors that could easily attract the business of a certain judge.

To assuage the worry of her beloved barber, she’d thought up a scheme with keen mind, a way to diminish their competition. The petite baker had to think upon this for a short while, not wanting to commit any more head-turning crimes than they were already. A Cheshire grin graced her full lips as she realized she had the ultimate weapon to invade their establishment, her charm and femininity.

Upon meeting a given barber, she would size them up then decide which would be the best form of attack. Whether it be scandalizing possible customers with an apparent affair – making them think he entertained street walkers. Perhaps a less spectacle of dipping her hand in their wallet without detection. Leaving with a wink, sure to be invited back soon.

Sweeney originally was repulsed by this scheme. How positively demoralizing. He also didn’t like the idea of her around other men, especially not in a conspicuous atmosphere. He would never voice this as it would make him sound jealous. Or concerned for her safety. No, he didn’t. It would just be an inconvenience if anything were to happen to her, derailing his quest for revenge.

She was a vital instrument to his operation. Rather irreplaceable. Still, the idea of assailing the judge being ruined for a matter of semantics made him nauseous. So, if one more potential complication could be eliminated, he would for now, with reluctance allow her to continue.

Besides, she probably was enjoying the attention, he thought – rolling his eyes.  He could hear her now, dancing up the creaking steps. The chime of the bell signaled that she had invaded his premise. He didn’t tear his gaze away from the window, not even wanting to glance at the small woman’s doe eyes. “Another success” She chimed gleefully. “Got a whole three pounds off that poor bloke.” He frowned deeply, his forehead creasing. Not that she could see.

“What about that man, up on the corner of Leadenhall?”

“A small ‘thank you’ would be nice. Eliminating competition, washing your shirts and look, I even brought you lunch. All before noon.”

“Mrs. Lovett.” He prompted evenly. Not humoring her incessant rambling.

She sighed heavily. “Haven’t got to him yet. He’s an upper-class man, ya know? Really has no reason to be giving the time of day to an ol’widow.”

“That makes him an even larger threat. Stop wasting your time.”

Mrs. Lovett put her hands on her hips. “Now, Mistah T. What should be my means of even getting past his red stone wall?”

He finally turned to face her, right before her eyes with three swift steps. “Just how you’ve got your hands on all razors. Lift up your skirts.”

He could barely finish that sentence before Mrs. Lovett smacked him across the face with a loud crack.

“You’re a bleeding arse, you know that?! I don’t know why I haven’t kicked you onto the streets to rot.” She spat with as much venom as possible. “Wouldn’t even have those precious razors if it weren’t for me. Think about that!”

She’d stormed away before he could retaliate, before he could slam her against the wall and hold the cold silver to her throat. Before he could reassert dominance. He fell back against the chair, the longer he sat there, the more he thought that what he said was completely out of line. Groaning loudly. Unless he wanted to be the butcher and the barber, he’d have to think of a way to make it up to her. But how?

Mrs. Lovett took the stairs down, two at a time. A bat out of hell dressed in a funeral gown. Entering her shop with a cry of aggravation. Toby peeked in the parlor room, seeing his Mum pitch a throw pillow to the wall opposite her with so much force, the seam tore. He quickly rabbit-scurried away to hide in his burrow. The tiny redhead let out another adolescent moan of frustration. Plopping down on the settee with a belated huff. Burying her face in her hands.

Tears threatened to fall. No! She didn’t have time for that. After a long moment, that could have been an hour, she stood up with newfound determination.

Fine! He wanted her to rid them of that pompous king of a barber, then she would do just that. It was nearing sunset, that git would be heading out soon to enjoy the evening’s pleasures. Perhaps, dressed up enough – she would look like a desirable date to spend his night. Stomping over to her bedroom and hurrying to reach in her wardrobe for the newest addition.

A black satin dress with a skirt that fawned out. Intricate silver embellishments decorated the bodice. A sweetheart neckline that exposed just enough of her soft ivory skin to lure any man. The sleeves draped past her shoulders, accentuating her delicate-looking appearance.

Smiling wide while lacing up the corset, caring for the silk red ribbons with immaculate care. Slipping on gloves and stockings that matched. Neatening her pigtails so they framed her pale face, creating a stark contrast.

Leaving just as the sun was beginning to melt along the horizon, teetering a bit as she rarely wore heels this tall. Bambi on ice as she started for the palace of a residence.

Sighing with relief as she spotted him leaving from where she could see the brick wall, wearing a tailored suit. He looked like he was about to hail a carriage. Struggling to pick up speed, she had to hurry. Tripping over her feet as she finally reached their side, breathless. Never again, she didn’t care that they were a symbol of status, she was never wearing the impractical things again.

“Oh” He said, acknowledging her as he turned his head. “Who might you be?”

She beamed, bowing her head respectfully. “Mrs. Lovett, sir. A pleasure.

He smiled back. “A pleasure.”

“Couldn’t help but notice that you looked about to hail a carriage into town, I was hoping that I might be as lucky as to ride with you?” Her brown eyes big and pleading.

“Certainly.” His eyes glimmered under the fading sunlight.

Soon, before they could continue the conversation – the horses pulled up to the curb with a melodic trod, the groom opening the carriage door for them. Even extending a white gloved hand to Mrs. Lovett and helping her up the high-stoop.

She looked to him as the carriage begun toward their destination. “How rude of me, didn’t ask your name.”

“Mr. Ainsworth.”

“Mr. Ainsworth.” She echoed with a shy smile.

“But you can call me Liam.”

Mrs. Lovett licked her bottom lip, straightening posture. Assessing her surroundings and the situation as the quick advancement pulled her out of the daydream of a daze. So far things were still in the clear, but she knew she needed to show caution moving forward.

With that, she reached down and unbuckled her tall heels and pitched them out the window without a second thought. Liam’s eyes went wide, he shrunk back a bit, warily. Mrs. Lovett shrugged. “Useless things, better off in stilts.”

He chuckled, putting a careful hand on her leg. “When we reach the town, I’ll buy you a pair of leather boots. Woman of your standing can’t be going about with cold feet.”

Mrs. Lovett felt her cheeks go warm. As he added. “Certainly not on my watch.”

He smelled of a cologne that was more calming an aroma than the spring air after it rains.  His breath was warm against her face, his touch gentle. She wanted to lean into it, she wanted the comfort he seemed to be offering. Liam saw this and moved to wrap a protective arm around her shoulders. Unable to resist, Mrs. Lovett melted into his embrace. Lolling her head against him.

This was so irresponsible, she didn’t know this man, nothing about him at all. He could be as worse as the judge for all she knew, yet here she was alone in a carriage with him. All cozied up in his arms, easily the butterfly in a hungry spider’s web. Still, she couldn’t help it. She was finally warm and couldn’t remember the last time she was this content. For just a moment, she could close her eyes and have not a care in the world. The night welcomed them with the cool breeze gracing their cheeks, the stars bright and glittering above them. Shining promise.  

[newstfionline]

Headlines

1 killed in shooting in Seattle’s protest zone (AP) A 16-year-old boy was killed and a younger teenager was wounded early Monday in Seattle’s “occupied” protest zone--the second deadly shooting in the area that local officials have vowed to change after business complaints and criticism from President Donald Trump. The violence that came just over a week after another shooting in the zone left one person dead and another wounded was “dangerous and unacceptable” police Chief Carmen Best said. Demonstrators have occupied several blocks around the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct and a park for about two weeks after police abandoned the precinct following standoffs and clashes with protesters calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality. Best said the shootings are obscuring the message of racial justice that protesters say they are promoting. “Two African American men are dead, at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter. But they’re gone, they’re dead now,” the police chief said.

Two Friends in Texas Were Tested for Coronavirus. One Bill Was $199. The Other? $6,408. (NYT) Before a camping and kayaking trip along the Texas Coast, Pam LeBlanc and Jimmy Harvey decided to get coronavirus tests. Both tests came back negative. Then their bills came. And that’s where the similarities stopped. The emergency room charged Mr. Harvey $199 in cash. Ms. LeBlanc, who paid with insurance, was charged $6,408. Ms. LeBlanc’s health insurer negotiated the total bill down to $1,128. The plan said she was responsible for $928 of that. During the pandemic, there has been wide variation between what providers bill for the same basic diagnostic test, with some charging $27, others $2,315. It turns out there is also significant variation in how much a test can cost two patients at the same location.

Three Words. 70 Cases. The Tragic History of ‘I Can’t Breathe.’ (NYT) “I can’t breathe,” George Floyd pleaded in May, appealing to the Minneapolis police officer who responded to reports of a phony $20 bill and planted a knee in the back of his neck until his life had slipped away. Mr. Floyd’s dying words have prompted a national outcry over law enforcement’s deadly toll on African-American people, and they have united much of the country in a sense of outrage that a police officer would not heed a man’s appeal for something as basic as air. But dozens of other incidents with a remarkable common denominator have gone widely unacknowledged. Over the past decade, The New York Times found, at least 70 people have died in law enforcement custody after saying the same words--“I can’t breathe.” The dead ranged in age from 19 to 65. The majority of them had been stopped or held over nonviolent infractions, 911 calls about suspicious behavior, or concerns about their mental health. More than half were black. Many of the cases suggest a widespread belief that persists in departments across the country that a person being detained who says “I can’t breathe” is lying or exaggerating, even if multiple officers are using pressure to restrain the person.

Mexican president to fly commercial to the US (Washington Post) When Mexico’s president travels to the White House next week, he’ll have to reckon with the same questions travelers everywhere are asking. How early do you need to arrive at an airport these days? Will the middle seat be left empty? During the layover, will the food court be open? Next week, Andrés Manuel López Obrador will be the rare foreign head of state to fly commercial to meet the U.S. president. The populist leader promised to sell Mexico’s presidential jet when he began his term in 2018--part of a larger effort to throw off the luxe trappings of the country’s highest office. He has also opened the presidential palace to the public, and is ferried around the capital in his own Volkswagen Jetta. While the jet is still unsold, López Obrador has stood by his pledge to fly only on commercial airlines.

This is the moment to address decades-old problems, UK PM Johnson says (Reuters) Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain must seize the moment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to fix decades-old problems and narrow the productivity gap with its competitors. “We must work fast because we’ve already seen the vertiginous drop in GDP, we are waiting as if between the flash of lightning and the thunderclap,” he said. “We must use this moment now, this interval to plan our response and to fix of course the problems that were most brutally illuminated in that COVID lightning flash: the problems in our social cares system, the parts of government that seemed to respond so sluggishly.” He said Britain was not as productive as many of its competitors, and while London was the “capital of the world”, much of the country felt left behind and “unloved”.

EU reopens its borders to 14 nations but not to US tourists (AP) The European Union announced Tuesday that it will reopen its borders to travelers from 14 countries, and possibly China soon, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks due to soaring coronavirus infections in the U.S. Travelers from other big countries like Russia, Brazil and India will also miss out. Citizens from the following countries will be allowed into the EU’s 27 members and four other nations in Europe’s visa-free Schengen travel zone: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

Europe sours on global powers (Foreign Policy) A new poll from the European Council of Foreign Relations shows the extent of the damage the coronavirus pandemic has wrought on attitudes toward the United States. The decline was most dramatic in Germany, Denmark, and Portugal where at least 65 percent of respondents said that their view of the United States had worsened during the pandemic. It’s not just bad news for U.S.-Europe relations; Russia and China also suffered reputational damage, according to the poll.

China passes sweeping HK security law, heralding authoritarian era (Reuters) Beijing on Tuesday unveiled new national security laws for Hong Kong that will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritarian era for China’s freest city. China’s parliament passed the detailed legislation earlier on Tuesday, giving Beijing sweeping powers and setting the stage for radical changes to the global financial hub’s way of life. “The punitive elements of the law are stupefying,” Simon Young, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong’s law school and a barrister, told Reuters. Britain and some two dozen Western countries urged China to reconsider the law, saying Beijing must preserve the right to assembly and free press. Washington, already in dispute with China over trade, the South China Sea and the coronavirus, began eliminating Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law on Monday, halting defence exports and restricting technology access. China, which has rejected criticism of the law by Britain, the European Union, Japan, Taiwan and others, said it would retaliate.

Christian television station in Israel loses license (Foreign Policy) Israeli regulators have revoked the broadcasting license of an evangelical Christian television station for misrepresenting its mission. Ward Simpson, the CEO of God TV and the station’s owner, had attracted the scrutiny of regulators after appearing in a fundraising video after the license was granted saying “God has supernaturally opened the door for us to take the gospel of Jesus into the homes and lives and hearts of his Jewish people.” He later clarified that he was not trying to convert Jews; he was simply seeking to get them to accept Jesus as their messiah. Regulators said God TV is welcome to reapply for a license if it vows to describe the nature of its broadcasts more honestly.

Syria faces mass starvation or mass exodus without more aid, WFP says (BBC) Syria faces the risk of mass starvation or another mass exodus unless more aid money is made available, the head of the UN World Food Programme has said. Ahead of a donor conference in Brussels on Tuesday, David Beasley told the BBC a million Syrians were severely food insecure and some were already dying. More than 380,000 people have been killed and 13.2 million others—half the pre-war population—have been displaced inside and outside Syria since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. "The whole world's facing crisis unlike anything we've seen probably in everyone's lifetime. But, quite frankly, what's happening in Syria is unprecedented. It's the worst of all storms coming together," Mr Beasley said in an interview. "If we don't have the money, here's the bottom line: you're going to either have mass migration, [or] starvation, and exploitation by extremist groups," he warned. "I think the people will leave, just like they did five or six years ago."

Coronavirus Is Battering Africa’s Growing Middle Class (NYT) James Gichina started out 15 years ago as a driver shuttling travelers from the airport, worked his way up to safari guide, and with the help of some bank loans, bought two minivans of his own to ferry vacationers around. But when the coronavirus pandemic cratered the tourist industry and the economy, Mr. Gichina removed the seats from his minibus and started using it to hawk eggs and vegetables. With what he now earns, he said, he can barely afford to pay rent, buy food or send his 9-year-old son to school. “We have been working hard to build better lives,” Mr. Gichina, 35, said of his colleagues in the tourist sector. Now, he said, “We have nothing.” As the coronavirus surges in many countries in Africa, it is threatening to push as many as 58 million people in the region into extreme poverty, experts at the World Bank say. But beyond the devastating consequences for the continent’s most vulnerable people, the pandemic is also whittling away at one of Africa’s signature achievements: the growth of its middle class. About 170 million out of Africa’s 1.3 billion people are now classified as middle class. But about eight million of them could be thrust into poverty because of the coronavirus and its economic fallout, according to World Data Lab, a research organization.

[wftc141]

Blackwatch Chapter 3: DedPersons

9:11 AM, Local Time

Rome, Italy

June, 2018

"Grazie." Amélie said as she took the hot cup of coffee from the young cashier.

She simply returned a warm smile before turning back to the long queue. Amélie turned away and headed for the door where Gabriel was waiting for her, leaning against the door frame with a cup of coffee as well. The cafe was quite bustling and full, especially during the morning. A lot of customers were either doing errands or getting themselves the newest arrival on the board. Once Amélie walked past Gabriel, he turned away and followed her out onto the crowded plaza.

"As I was saying," Gabriel started, continuing his earlier conversation. "I think we might be going back to Zambia."

"What makes you think that?" Amélie asked.

"The fact that the NSA scooped up some footage of a new leader taking over the Macaba militia camp. They don't know who it is but they believe it's someone from the Macaba family."

"How many relatives do you think he has?"

"Probably enough to run an army."

No words were spoken between them afterwards. Gabriel stared out at the glint of the scorching sun from a distance with his sunglasses reflecting the blinding light off. His frown, surrounded by the goatee, remained plastered on his face and he tugged the collar of his shirt sticking to his skin.

"What's with the long face?" Amélie asked, grabbing Gabriel's attention.

"What'd you mean?" He replied as he sipped his coffee.

"You look like somebody slapped you really hard."

"Isn't this how I normally look?"

"Gabe, you and I have been together since the first day Blackwatch was activated. I already know what you look like by now."

Gabriel sighed while tapping the cup with his fingers. He stared at what's in front of him without glancing at Amélie. His other hand slid into his pocket.

"I just found out my kids are about to graduate yesterday and when I asked Jackie if I could come, she wouldn't let me. Doesn't want me involved in their lives anymore. Guess that's what happens when I'm a dedicated soldier with no time for family."

"You two still haven't worked things out?" She asked.

"Sadly, no."

"C'est une honte. What about your kids?"

"We're still on good terms but my daughter still doesn't approve of the war and she probably hates my guts for it."

"Would you really blame them? Not everybody is into killing." Amélie said, adjusting her sunglasses.

Gabriel scoffed. "Says the woman who once murdered rich people and performed ballet as if nothing ever happened."

Amélie ignored him and took a sip of the coffee as they walked out of the plaza and into the street. As they stopped by a crossing light, Gabriel took out his phone from his pockets which buzzed in his hand. He answered it and lifted it to his ear.

"Hello?"

There was a brief pause, attracting Amélie's curiosity despite voices around them drowning each other out. Gabriel nodded shortly with his eyes flicking downwards.

"Alright. We'll be there."

The call finished and Gabriel lowered his phone. Amélie stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"Well, this is a surprise." He said, slipping the phone back into his pockets.

"Mission?" Amélie asked.

"Maybe. Sombra's in Virginia with the CIA and she needs us there tomorrow afternoon sharp."

Next Day

3:21 PM, Local Time

McLean, USA

George Bush Center for Intelligence

The team arrived at the headquarters after a long flight to McLean. As they entered inside, they were immediately greeted by the sight of Sombra reclining on one of the couches nearby. Several other people at the very back filed in back and forth across the reception area where the large CIA seal was plastered on. Once her eyes locked onto the team, she got off the couch and approached them.

"About time, amigos. You guys are really slow, ya know?" She said.

"Get straight to the point, Sombra. What's going on?" Gabriel replied.

"Blackwatch." A voice called out, attracting the team's attention.

They turned towards the source of the voice and noticed Salvatore approaching them. He wasn't alone however as there was a woman walking beside him. Blonde Hispanic with hair tied into a bun and a grey suit. Possibly in her forties.

"Glad you were able to make it, Reyes," he said before gesturing towards the woman. "Allow me to introduce you all to Mrs Alexis Morales, Director of the National Clandestine Service. Mrs Morales, this is the Blackwatch unit I was telling you about."

"I see," the director hummed as she glanced across the team. "Pleasure to meet you all. If you would just follow me to the debriefing."

She turned away and walked off towards the corridor on the right. Salvatore nodded towards them, prompting the team to follow her. Once they arrived at the conference room, they sat down facing the projector in front of them. Morales and Sombra stood beside it while Salvatore watched from the side.

"I would like all of you to open up the folders placed in front of you and read all of the contents thoroughly." Morales ordered.

The team picked up the folders and read through the documents in silence. Morales then started up the projector, presenting a PowerPoint on their mission.

"Last week, the CIA was hit by a DDoS attack for two hours and by the time the servers were back online, the data inside vanished. Thanks to the efforts of Sombra, we have discovered that the attack came from a group of hackers via a digital trail they left behind."

"You know, I actually found it funny that you guys were able to miss that one tiny detail. I mean, come on! Was that so hard to find? I thought your analysts were meant to be the brains of the agency." Sombra said.

"As Mrs. Morales was saying," Salvatore continued, ignoring the red-haired hacker. "Based on the emails Sombra intercepted, the hackers were hired by a communist mafia who call themselves the People's Republic of Romania."

"So, a communist mafia. That's new." Marvel commented.

"These men are loyal to the ideas of communism. Formed during the Cold War, they were known for many crimes of the states, mainly in countries that don't support their views. Money laundering, arms trafficking, murder, counterfeiting, anything that falls under the category of organized crime."

"What'd they steal?" Ray asked.

"Oh, you know. Just a buncha names and secret stuff that could be used against the government, the same old." Sombra answered.

"And it's best that we retrieve the data back and if possible, eliminate the mafia by all means. We cannot risk retaliation or worse, a conflict. The digital trail Sombra found led us to a ranch in Bennington, Vermont where satellite footage has reported sightings of what appeared to be the mafia taking over the ranch along with the hackers. We are safe to assume this is where the data would be at."

"Me, McCree and Sombra can take this one." Gabriel said.

"What do we do about the hackers?" Sombra glanced at the leader.

"Unless they try to shoot back, they aren't our main priority."

5:47 PM, Local Time

Bennington, USA

After touching down at the William H. Morse Airport, Gabriel and his group got off the plane where several agents were posted nearby. They made their way to a black Tahoe parked near the entrance gate where a pair of agents were. McCree took the driver's seat while the rest took the passenger seats. Starting the engine, McCree drove themselves past the gate and out to the narrow road.

As the drive progressed to the highway, Gabriel looked at the rear mirror and caught sight of Sombra at the back with purple headphones on and a phone on her right hand resting on her lap. God knows what she's listening to but it wasn't much of his concern and interest. He looked away and stared out of the window. The drab autumn trees tossed lightly, obscuring the sky while dark, ragged clouds close in. There was a report of wet weather on its way so the group brought in some jackets to keep them dry.

Few minutes later and they arrived at the road leading to the ranch. The entrance's gate was completely loose with its support wedged out of the terrain. Parking the Tahoe by the gate, the group hopped out with their weapons and backpacks and delved into the bushy forest next to the gate. Gabriel put on his ski mask partially like a beanie.

As they navigated through the forest, the leaves began to rustle and the shadows closed in completely. The sky by now was completely concealed by the clouds. The team stopped once they got close to the end of the forest where a fence was placed, leaving out the forest.

"Sombra, get your drone up."

Without a word, she went with it and took out her recon drone with an installed camera. After getting it airborne, she used her tablet to control the drone. Gabriel pulled out his binoculars from his backpack and scouted the ranch. There were fewer gangsters around the ranch than he had anticipated. The main entrance of the ranch was guarded by two armed men under a portable gazebo along with a white car parked near them.

"How many inside the house?" Gabriel asked.

"That's strange," Sombra muttered. "There's only like five guys and that's not including the hackers. Thought there was gonna be more."

"Maybe we're just overestimating 'em." McCree said.

"My guess as well." Gabriel replied.

Sombra glanced at the team leader while controlling the drone. "So how do you wanna pull this off?"

"If it follows the term 'stealth', then that's how we'll do it," Gabriel tossed his binoculars into his bag and pulled his mask on. "Lets go."

Once Sombra retrieved her drone, she held the custom MP7 slung around her shoulder and followed Gabriel and McCree out of the forest and over the fence. The lawn outside the ranch was overgrown with its grass rustling and waving to the breeze; It was long enough for the team to hide behind the foliage undetected. As Gabriel led the team towards the ranch, McCree and Sombra were at his rear checking back at the two men at the entrance.

The team reached the curved walkway, closing in on the house that stood in front of them. The dark brown paint and some of the wooden aspects of the two-floor house definitely stood out with the autumn forest around it. They can see the calm river behind the house as well.

As Gabriel approached the side of the house while crouching, he noticed a drip of water bounce off the rail of the rifle before continuous drips of water skimmed upon his body in a stable rhythm. Gabriel did his best to ignore it and pulled the hood over his head. By the time they reached the side, the rain was pouring on like wildfire. McCree and Sombra both pulled on their hoods from the oncoming rain.

Gabriel advanced towards the porch, walking up the stairs while aiming his rifle with the others following him and covering their rear. There, the team were shielded from the downpour with water dripping off the edges of the roof. They can hear the fierceness of the rain from the noisy impact from the roof.

"So, five hostiles inside, Sombra?" Gabriel whispered as he approached the door.

"Yep," She nodded. "Three upstairs and two downstairs."

Gabriel clasped his free hand over the doorknob. Turning it over, the lock clicked and the door slowly moved. Gabriel slowly pushed the door open with his right shoulder without bumping it hard and peeked through the narrow gap. Through the gap, he could see a defect washing machine stacked against the wall. There was no sign of anybody from what he could see. Gabriel pushed the door further and made his first step onto the wooden floor.

Once the door swung open, Gabriel made his move first while scanning the area with his rifle. Sombra was the last to enter and closed the door softly, shutting out the hailing rain outside. Gabriel glanced around as he headed out of the room and into the corridor, leading to what appeared to be a dining room.

He stopped once he reached the end and peered to his right where he noticed a stout man sporting a work shirt in the kitchen, grabbing something from the fridge. Gabriel stepped back and held out his right hand curled into a fist while holding the foregrip tightly. Sombra and McCree stopped but still held their weapons. The man called out to someone in Romanian with whoever it was responding back.

Gabriel checked up on the man who closed the fridge door and walked back towards the living room with a beer can. Gabriel moved forward in a fast pace and aimed his rifle for the head, flicking the safety pin off. He had no reason to doubt whether that guy was one of the mobsters or not. Pulling the trigger, the suppressor flashed and the man fell in an instant with two bloody holes on the back of his head, tumbling over a chair. A loud hiss coming from the fallen can rang across the room.

"One down." Gabriel muttered, flicking the safety back on.

As he went around the table to check on the body, he heard the voice from the other room call out in concern. Gabriel jumped over to the right side of the arch and aimed his rifle at the corridor next to the living room, safety off again. Shortly, a slightly skinnier man in a worn sweater emerged from the corridor with a pistol in hand. Just as he noticed the body, Gabriel fired several rounds to the gangster's chest before he fell back.

"That's the second one down."

Sombra and McCree walked past him as he checked the fat mobster he meant to look at. After making sure both of them were dead, Gabriel caught up with Sombra and McCree where they were by the stairs. Patting McCree's shoulder, he advanced up the stairwell with McCree taking the lead. Once they reached the upper floor, they found themselves facing a door with a narrow corridor to their left, leading elsewhere. The lights were off, leaving nothing but shuttered shadows with drips sliding down.

Gabriel approached the door, closed and silent. A room with a closed door is more likely to be occupied by hostiles, which was something Jack Morrison taught back in the day. He still remembered how much he tried to one-up the Sergeant during their early years when he was still a Private searching for the thrills.

Gabriel stood next to the door and waved at Sombra and McCree, prompting them to stack up next to it. Once they were ready, Gabriel stepped in front of the door and kicked it open, boot making contact near the doorknob. As the door flung open, Gabriel stormed into the room. He noticed several people facing the computer monitors spin around, startled. His left eye caught sight of a gangster reaching for his gun on the table. Gabriel aimed and fired several rounds to his body. He fell onto the table forcibly before sliding off. Several suppressed shots were fired and more bodies landed on the floor.

"Room clear!" McCree barked.

Gabriel aimed his rifle at the hackers, still stuck to their seats. All of them had their hands up, keeping their backs towards them. They looked young and dressed in clothes young people would wear.

"Stay right where you are." Gabriel ordered.

The hackers remained frozen, probably already got the message. As his breathing kept a steady pace, Gabriel began to step away from them while keeping his aim at them.

"Sombra, get the data and everything they stole into this drive." Gabriel took out a hard drive from his pocket for Sombra.

"Got it, jefe." She replied, taking the hard drive and approaching one of the server racks nearby with a laptop on it.

"McCree, go outside and keep watch."

"Yessir."

McCree quickly left the room but left the door open. Sombra plugged in the hard drive into the laptop and began to make that computer magic. As she tapped into the network, one of the hackers began to turn around while still keeping his hands up. His hair was light blonde and a necklace hung in front of his maroon hoodie. Gabriel didn't bother to order him to turn back, unless he was armed.

"Wait a minute," he muttered with a Polish accent. "Y-you're Sombra? The actual Sombra?"

She turned around and pulled the hood off, letting her hair loose. "Who's asking?"

The hacker and the others exchanged glances of surprise, gasping and chatting amongst each other. Gabriel still kept his aim at them.

"Niesamowite! I can't believe it! You're a legend in the hacking industry!" The Polish hacker exclaimed.

"Aww, it's nice to know I have some fans," Sombra replied, turning away. "I heard about you guys too and how you managed to break into the servers with a DDoS attack. Took some bolas for you boys to rob the CIA."

"Wait, wait? The CIA?" The Polish hacker repeated.

Sombra wasn't too surprised since one of the emails she retrieved indicated that none of them knew who they were actually robbing.

"Oh? They didn't tell you?"

"N-No," he replied. "We were just told to steal some stuff from a rival mob and that was it."

"They were gonna pay us half the money we stole from the mob once we finished." Another hacker with a Finnish accent added.

Sombra hummed in a doubtful manner. "Take it from me, guys. Gangbangers nowadays don't play ball when it comes to money."

Gabriel wasn't into the conversation of any way. This was a mission, not a get-along group.

"How's the progress, Sombra?" He growled, glancing at her.

She tapped a key, displaying a loading bar on the screen and turned to Gabriel. "Gonna take a while, jefe."

"Reaper, you might wanna see this." McCree called out from outside.

Gabriel went out of the room and noticed McCree watching the window at the corridor. He was staring outside with his free hand holding the curtains aside.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Some of our Romanian buddies are back." McCree said, moving away for the leader.

Gabriel pushed the curtains away and glanced out the window overlooking the front yard. Two SUVs and the white car from the entrance were closing in on the house. Gabriel had a gut feeling that these guys now knew they weren't expecting visitors.

"Shit, they must've discovered our car." He muttered as the vehicles stopped and the doors opened.

"What do we do, boss?" McCree asked.

The front door opened and voices filled the floor from below. They heard footsteps advancing up the stairs. Gabriel got his rifle ready and aimed at the stairs while approaching it. McCree followed suit. Just as he reached the start of the stairs, Gabriel immediately caught contact of a large, bald man with a pistol in his right hand heading towards their direction. Gabriel opened fire first with three rounds to his chest. The pistol went off, hitting the ceiling as the gangster tumbled back down and slammed against a rail.

As voices began to escalate over the sounds of the hailing rain, Gabriel and McCree went down the stairs and got a glimpse of another gangster appearing from a room near the front door. Gabriel quickly put him down before he could raise his own gun. He approached the living room to his right, only for two gangsters to come into his way.

They both opened fire while backing up. Gabriel ducked below oncoming bullets while still aiming his rifle. The skinny gangster he was aiming for was really bad at aiming or even holding it properly, therefore allowing several rounds hit his body while the rest penetrated the slider doors. The other one was out of sight. Gabriel heard several suppressed shots from the other side as he entered the living room.

He turned to the kitchen where he found the rest of the gangsters holed up together. Gabriel counted three gangsters before taking cover from suppressive fire. He switched the rifle to his left hand and fired back without peeking over. The gunfire slightly ceased, prompting Gabriel to grab a stun grenade under his jacket. With a hard toss, he listened to the grenade bounce and slide on the wood before a deafening bang erupted.

When the groans and shrieks followed up, Gabriel moved out of cover and raised his rifle, taking out the two gangsters who moved away from the kitchen before approaching the last one. As he moved towards the counter, Gabriel noticed a gangster hiding behind the table too late before he made his attack.

They both shuffled and struggled as the gangster's hands gripped over Gabriel's rifle with the discharge hitting elsewhere being unhelpful. Gabriel kicked his leg with little effect. The gangster pushed Gabriel against the wall, knocking off something hanging on the wall. Just as Gabriel felt a fist slam across his face, his rifle was yanked off his grip. His left hand balled into a fist and it felt as if he had no control of the hand.

As soon as let his hand loose, it flung at the gangster's side and Gabriel let it continue until his muscles gave up. He lifted his fist and sent it flying to the gangster's face, hitting his jaw. With the gangster dazed, Gabriel punched the arms holding him, breaking himself free. He noticed the gangster's pistol tucked in front of his pants and pulled it out before he could. Without hesitation, Gabriel fired two shots to the chest and a final blow to the head.

As the gangster fell onto the chair, tumbling down with it, Gabriel scanned the rest of the room with the pistol. After making one last sweep and confirming the house was empty, Gabriel lowered the gun to take a look. A Mauser C96. Very old fashioned. Dropping the gun, Gabriel reached for his rifle and patched in.

"Main house is clear. Shadow 3, what's your status?" He said, holding his fingers on the earpiece.

"Clear on my position!" McCree huffed, sounding like he had a massive firefight outside.

Gabriel then ordered him to head back inside and went upstairs. He walked up to the door which was shut. Sombra would be at her defensive position at this point.

"This is Shadow 1, hold your fire." He called out.

The door suddenly opened and Sombra appeared in his view, holding her MP7. Gabriel walked inside where the hackers were still there. Shaken but fine overall.

"Is it done?" Gabriel asked.

"Yep," Sombra replied, holding up the hard drive. "Everything they stole is in here."

Gabriel nodded, ignoring the hackers. "Alright, lets go."

"What about them?"

He stopped and turned around where Sombra was facing. The hackers were still there. They may be tricked into stealing from the world's well known agency but their crimes can't go unpunished. Unless they were willing to accept. The CIA or Salvatore could give zero shits if he puts them down or not but they were lucky he wasn't given that order. Gabriel approached them and aimed his rifle at them, startling the hackers and prompting them to raise their hands.

"Jefe, what the hell are you doing?" Sombra called out.

He ignored her and remained fixated at those young men, aiming across them with a sight focused on each of them. For the next few seconds, it was silent except with the frantic breathing.

"You do know the rifle's safety is on?" Gabriel said, still aiming his rifle. "That means I can't shoot anything out of it unless I flick it off. And you know what happens when it's off?"

No response.

"R-Reaper, we got what we came for. You don't have to-" Sombra tried to say.

"I can kill all of you right here, right now. In fact, I wouldn't be here to waste my time talking to you kids. I can just pull the trigger and get this over with...but you're lucky I don't have the order."

Gabriel moved slowly towards the Polish hacker and held his glare at him.

"What you've done and how you did it can't be left ignored. And I don't give two shits if you were hired by the mafia or whoever that was. You pay for the price, no matter the circumstance. But I'm not in the mood of taking a life of another man so I can tell you this and you better listen closely cause I won't repeat myself."

The Polish hacker was on the verge of breaking down, trembling non-stop. Gabriel glanced at the rest of the hackers. He already had their names way back at Virginia from the leaked trail.

"Daniel. Antero. Miles. Noah. Roman. You leave this house and you don't speak of this ever again. I don't care how, just as long as you're outta here. And don't try anything stupid on the way out cause we will be watching you. But if I hear another mention of any of your names, we will hunt you down and once I find you...this safety won't be on. Do I make myself clear?"

The whole room was dead silent with fear. Roman was already petrified with the barrel of the rifle pressed against his chest as well as the others. Everybody nodded frantically.

"SAY IT." Gabriel barked.

The hackers all said 'yes' hastily and between squeaks and mumbling. Gabriel sighed and lifted his rifle away from Roman.

"Good," he began to dig into his pockets and took out the keys to their car. "The car's at the front entrance down the forest. Black Chevrolet. Take this and get outta here. No smart moves, got it?"

All of them nodded beyond normal and Gabriel handed the keys to Roman. As soon as the keys were off his hand, the hackers began to gather their things with the backpacks and they dashed out of the room. He turned around where Sombra was standing outside, bewildered and surprised. Gabriel got out the SAT phone and dialed the number.

"Jesus, Reaper," She muttered. "Was this part of your Scaring Kids to Death initiative or something?"

"It's done," Gabriel said, ignoring Sombra. "The data is in the drive."

There was a pause before Gabriel nodded and finished up the call. He slipped the phone into his pockets and went down the stairs.

"We're leaving. The cops are already on their way," he tapped the earpiece. "McCree, find a car that is still running because we'll be using it."

"Got it."

As Gabriel and Sombra left the house, they walked off the porch to the sight of bodies scattered and sprawled around the field with bullet-ridden cars left behind, smoke rising from the front. A white SUV backed up to where Gabriel and Sombra was and turned to the side with McCree driving. The two stored their equipment and backpacks in the boot and got in, staining the seats with soaked clothed. Just as they did so, the car sped off and drove around the dumped cars before reaching the front gate, hearing nothing but the raging downpour.

[astrohawritings]

Fight me - Rocky

Rating :: Fluff

Warning(s) ⚠️:: Mention of possible bad experiences

Pairing:: Rocky x Reader

Word count:: 2.5K

Prompt (credit to @arohawrites ) ::

He made his way inside the bar.

Noisy Rocky thought.

The bar is packed with people. His nose is overwhelmed with the mixture of alcohol, cigarette and different scents of expensive perfume.

Rocky slowly approached the counter and meekly sat.

The bartender placed a glass and poured him a drink. "No paper?" Rocky asked the bartender.

The woman gave a grin, "I thought you'll never ask" she handed him a small piece of paper.

"Thanks" Rocky simply answered. He read the whole thing and a smile formed on his lips. Enigmatic, as to how the bartender describes his smile when he receives exciting missions.

He left without warning.

The bartender can only shake her head. "As usual, you never touch the drinks I prepare for you" She mumbled while looking at the untouched glass of alcohol.

(Story begins after the prompt)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Darn it.’ I snapped. Couldn’t I just have one day of rest? It seemed every day was a new assignment; anything for Miss Stark I guess.

Morgan Stark was the CEO of Stark Industries. And I, Well I worked as an agent for a subsidiary of Stark industries. Yes, I had somehow gotten a place in Stark Industries. No, I don’t know how. Anyways, Morgan had just sent for me to get a target before “Rocky”, an agent from a competing company, Fantagio got to him. Finding the company issued car for this mission, I sighed, starting up the supercar.

Here we go again, I suppose. Another day, another mission, another competition.

~~~~~~~~

Shutting the car off a safe distance from where the target was, I got out, adjusting the leather jacket and ensuring I had everything I needed-or may need, should things go south. The key soon joined the odd bits and bobs in the jacket, and the dull click of the soles of my shoes filled the silence of the abandoned alleyway I had selected. The small groups of drunk people talking loudly about this and that and sober people trying to quiet them down - It WAS 2:18am after all-to no avail were scattered across the path. I passed them, the sound of my shoes no longer audible.

The club entrance was hidden by people spilling out onto the street, making my job that much harder, forging a path through drunk and sober people alike, grimacing at the scent of alcohol, sweat and smoke wafting off most of the people surrounding me. After what felt like an absolute enternity, fresh air filled every inch my lungs and a soft cough followed the exhale. Breaking into a faster walk, I was reminded of my competition and how I didn’t know where he was.

‘Where is it? C’mon..’ I groaned lightly, searching for the place I was told the target would be. ‘There it is.’

Making my way inside, I retrieved my pocket dagger form my pocket, creeping forth. Finding the target, I paused, then leapt forward, quickly engaging in combat with the guardsmen surrounding him.

Finally, the guards were taken care of and I was barely out of breath. The target glared at me, then over my shoulder, gaze getting angrier. The scent of cologne wafted by my nose and the heavy footsteps of someone attracted my attention.

‘I see you got here first.’ A gruff voice disturbed the tense silence. ‘Well done, Princess.’ The man made his way further into the room. ‘Now, step back and let me handle this.’

I stayed stubbornly where I was, returning his words in the same form. ‘Sorry Sweetie, but I am a licensed agent from Stark Industries. I have as much of a right to this as you do. And as they say, Early Bird gets the worm.’

Appearing in the corner of my eye, I saw who it was even though his voice should’ve have given it away. His cat-like eyes were settled on me, target seemingly forgotten by him.

Rocky snatched the target’s arm and began to yank him along.

‘Sir, I got here first; he’s mine.’

‘Sure, hon, he’s yours. But you’re not doing anything.’ He growled. 'So allow me.' With that said, he yanked the man with him as he left, his jacket lifting a little as he turned, flashing his gun for a split second.

Quickly following the men, I pulled a face at Rocky's broad back. I guess I'll have to fight him for the right to take the target as my catch. Just as that thought dared to cross my mind, my earpiece buzzed. Clicking it on, Morgan's voice filled my ear cavity.

'You will work alongside Rocky for this mission.'

Rocky's steps faltered just as Morgan stopped speaking. He stopped, causing the target, Ryu Kyung-Min to slam into his back, both men groaning. Kyung-Min began to whine but shut up at Rocky's deadly stare. The latter's gaze then shifted to me, questions clear in the mocha colour. With a silent nod, I answered the questions. That seemed to assure Rocky who began walking again, yanking Kyung-Min with him. Deciding that I would keep anyone from coming up behind us, I walked slower, hand playing with the handle of the blade in my pocket.

Alas, despite my best efforts, Kyung-Min was wanted by quite a few people. And they were willing to do anything to get him-starting with hurting me. Again, the crowd was substantial, drunk people muttering about this, that and the other. Rocky and Kyung-Min got through mostly okay, but I was snagged by a drunk woman. 'Excuse me, ma'am.' I muttered, trying to tug my arm free from her strangling grip. 'Have you seen my boyfriend?' I shook my head, still trying to free my arm. 'He's a douche. I cheated on him, but I've changed. He says "once a cheater always a cheater".' She continued rambling on, but I soon tuned her out. I was slowly working her fingers off my skin, glancing up to try to find Rocky and Kyung-Min.

Of course. Neither were anywhere to be seen. Why would they be?

Just as I believed I was home free, an arm circled around my neck from behind, momentarily surprising me and stealing the breath from my lungs. Immediately, my body went into fight mode, sending my elbow backward and trying to counteract the unknown person's weight with my own.

Surprisingly, or more like unsurprisingly, neither worked and the arm stayed around my neck, slowly constricting the airflow to my lungs. Trying not to panic, my brain ran over the possible actions and outcomes. I physically moved, trying to loosen the person's grip as much as possible; to help myself when i chose what course of action I'd prefer to take. I could feel the bad memories surfacing. I needed to get out of this person's grip. Now.

Finally, success. I broke free but to what cost? I could feel the tightening of my throat and tears welling up in my eyes, still managing to threaten with my dagger, getting in a few swipes in before I made my way through the crowd toward my car.

I didn't make it to say the least. The woman had somehow found a knife and was willing it, drunkenly swinging it. Feeling like Black Widow, a (sadly) deceased colleague from another area of Stark Industries, I fought several people at once, my panic and upset not assisting me in the slightest. I retaliated constantly, somehow finding strength to continue the fight. Mere moments afterward, the attackers were out. Glaring dangerously at everyone else who'd moved away in fear and confusion once the fight had begun, I made my way toward my car once more.

Leaning against the front wheel arch, I took a few moments to calm down. Turning to the vehicle, I sighed at the thought that I would have to inform Morgan that I had lost Rocky, and ultimately, Kyung-Min. Hopefully she wouldn't pull me off cases afterward. I wanted to do this. I did. Bad memories were just triggered. I was completely fine.

Tugging the door open, I wasn't ready for the two men to materialise out of the shadows. Rocky and Kyung-Min.

'You did well, Princess.'

Startled and threatening the two for a split second, my stiff hands softened, one falling to my side and the other moving to sit over my still-racing heart. 'Don't do that.' The words were softer than I had intended, but at that point I didn't care. My stomach was feeling heavy and I felt weirdly drowsy. Noticing, the agent hummed, opening the passenger door and pushing Kyung-Min into the seat.

'Can you take him into Stark Industries? I'll follow you. My car is there.' Seeing as I was still outside the car, he gestured to a supercar purring a few metres away.

'Sure. Follow me in.'

I started making my own car, the soft growl of the engine joining the other's. Letting out the handbrake, the car rolled forward, the growling increasing just slightly at the pressure applied on the accelerator. I zoned out a little, every now and then checking on the car behind me. Pulling into the secured driveway, I paused, speaking into the machine standing by the gate, the screen bright against the darkened surroundings that accompanied night.

'Agent Rocky from Fantagio is here as well.'

'Bring him in. Miss Stark would like to see him.'

'Very well.'

The gate opened and slowly, the car inched into the underground carpark and I watched Rocky navigate his car in as well, slowly following until he found a vacant parking space, shutting off the engine and stepping out. I parked in the drop off area, putting the car in Park and stepping out and helping Kyung-min out, leaving him with the stony-faced agent, moving the vehicle to my parking space and cut the engine, causing the underground lot to be cast into complete silence. Briefly, the silence was cut when I closed the door, a small noise informing me that the car was locked, the Interior electronics switching off. Again, the silence was disrupted as I strode across the parking lot.

Leaving Rocky to open the door to the interior, I waited for Rocky to catch up with Kyung-min, holding the heavy door with my back. Shifting my weight to enter after the men, I noticed Rocky looking around shyly, a touch of curiosity in his dark eyes, plush lips just barely parted as his head tilted up, eyes settling on the high ceiling, several feet above him. His attention was drawn to me once i spoke into a small speaker by an elevator.

'Miss Stark, This is Agent Y/N. I'm back with the target, Ryu Kyung-min and Agent Rocky from Fantagio Industries.'

'Ah, Y/N. Bring both up to my office, please. I would like to speak to you.'

As she finished speaking, the elevator doors slid open, showing off the lush interior. Turning my attention back to my guests, gesturing toward the metal box. 'Kyung-min, Agent.' Neither moved and i sighed heavily, shifting toward Rocky, lightly taking his forearm and tugging the muscular male forward, taking Kyung-min from his grip while I was there. As if on autopilot, he followed, standing toward the front of the elevator with his back to me, staring blankly at the area where a number pad would usually be.

Stifling a smile, I lightly tapped the side of the box, a light whirring immediately filling the air, getting softer as we ascended. I noticed the Agent gazing at the shiny wall, eyes flicking toward me, but i acted as though i didn't notice, lightly playing with the handcuffs on Kyung-min, checking the tightness. Rocky took a breath, seemingly about to turn when the doors slid open, the male stepping out a little awkwardly. Again, i stifled a laugh, pushing Kyung-min out of the metal box, the doors closing softly behind me.

Morgan was waiting, her skirt and blazer ironed and well-fitting. A smile was on her face, hair dancing over her shoulder a little as she stepped forward, hand extended. 'Hello, Agent. I am Morgan Stark, Y/N's boss.' Shaking her hand, Rocky responded quietly. 'A pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you and Stark Industries.'

'The pleasure is mine. And Y/N's, i assume?' The woman glanced around Rocky and you quickly nodded, smiling sweetly. Rocky smiled faintly, shifting to the side a little. 'Brief me, Agent.' Morgan walked over to her desk, sitting in the overstuffed office chair, clasping her manicured hands atop the desk. The playful smirk caused the corner of  her lips to twitch a little, shoulders shaking a few times as she laughed under her breath.

After countless moments of explaining the situations and such (with the interruption of Kyung-min at points), i had finally gotten the briefing over with, Rocky standing tall beside me, hands tucked behind his back. Morgan hummed, leaning forward to speak into an intercom. 'Agents, you may come and take Kyung-min for an interrogation.' Two agents trotted into the room, murmuring soft "hellos" as they took Kyung-min's arms and lifted him up, leading him away.

Sitting backs again, Morgan then dug around in her drawers, sliding a pass across the table. 'For you, Agent. So that you can follow Y/N around today- and whenever you would like and, ' she paused to look at me. 'When Y/N agrees.' Creating her throat, she glanced in my direction. She then proceeded to ask me to escort Rocky to my desk where he would work through paperwork with me.

~~~~~~~~~~

A yawn escaped me and I gripped my pen in an attempt to wake myself up a little. Rocky chuckled, his pen still moving across the paper in front of him. 'Tired, princess?'

Groaning, I answered. 'Hush, Rocky.'

'Minhyuk.' He declared softly, his writing slowing down considerably for a moment. I hummed, peering up at the man. 'Minhyuk Is my name. My birth name. Rocky is just a nickname.' I smiled to myself. 'I kinda figured.' I remarked carefully, slowly writing on the paper before me. 'I mean, your parents could have named you Rocky, but I doubted it.' Minhyuk hummed in response and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and putting his pen down.

'I'm done.'

'Same.' I took his paperwork, placing it in a plastic sleeve and handed it back to Rocky, gesturing for him to follow me, holding my own work in my own plastic sleeve. Again, I made my way toward Morgan's office, knocking on the door to my working space, shared with a few other people. She smiled and gestured for me to open the door, interlocking her hands atop her desk. 'All done?'

Nodding, I gave her my work, watching as she took off the sleeve and skimmed through the pages of work I had recently completed. Replacing the plastic, she nodded, smiling. 'Well, that's it kiddos. You're both free to go. Thank you for working with our agents so diligently, Rocky.' She stood, stretching a hand toward Rocky.

'It was a pleasure, Ma'am. Y/N was an amazing partner.'

'Great to hear. Y/N will help you get out and then will be able to go home.'

I nodded, grabbing my things and keys to my normal car, walking into the open elevator where Rocky was waiting. As the doors shut, he swiveled a little, starting at me. 'Thanks for letting me work on your case. And, I'm sorry for trying to steal Kyung-min from you. He was rightfully yours from the start.' Taking a breath for the first time in about a minute, Rocky extended his hand. 'Truce?'

Batting his hand away, I sighed. 'I don't know. You're kind of annoying.'

'Fight me, Agent.'

Laughing softly, I pulled the man into a brief hug. 'Friends, Minhyuk. We're friends. Executive decision.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Sorry for the late upload, I had planned to have this up a day or two ago but I got a little busy. The ending was a little rushed, but I mean, I think it's okay..? 

[l-enfer-c-est-les-autres]

just had a long argument with my roommate about how “violence doesn’t solve anything”,  “violence is never the answer, if we kill we’re just as bad as them, look at gandhi”, and “everyone has the right to live/no one deserves to die, even murderers/rapists/fascists/etc”, “if a woman’s being abused she can just walk out the door while the abuser is sleeping”, and how “there’s always jobs available nearby for everyone if you work hard enough, that don’t require transportation and are sustainable for you and your family and you magically qualify for and don’t require any luck”. she’s absolutely a good person, and generally well-informed, but this is where white, middle class privilege shows.

1. self defense IS NOT EQUAL to assault. there is no moral comparison, and those who argue this are brainwashing their victims into allowing themselves to be victimized, to not fight back, to roll over and make things easier for them. if it’s kill or be killed, the aggressors should absolutely be the ones to die.

2. no, i do not value the lives of murderers/rapists/fascists/etc as equal to that of their victims. if it’s kill or be killed, they should absolutely be the ones to die.  it’s not about the morality of the death penalty; in the USA, the ‘justice’ system is blatantly broken: prisons are for profit, black kids who smoke weed go to prison for 6 years while white rapists get 1 week of jail time, sexual predators and offenders become president. when the system not only fails to protect you, but is part of the oppression against you and your loved ones, fighting back is self-defense, and you should and must fight back with all the means at your disposal, including violence.

3. india rebelled violently against britain, there was violent armed conflict between indians and british, gandhi just became the figurehead of the movement, and there were other factors such as economics at play; it is total bullshit myth that india achieved independence solely through pacific protest. resisting and fighting against the depredation of a colonizing aggressor is self-defense.

4. sexism, classism, racism, fascism - there is a war going on. people, lots of people, especially the poor and POC, are dying every day, murdered deliberately and though the negligence of the government and the society that is supposed to serve and protect them. you cannot “vote them out” because a) in the USA, the popular vote DOES NOT MATTER, the electoral college chooses the president and most americans don’t vote enough at the lower levels of government to claim any measure of democratic power (not to mention the US has been an oligarchy since Reagan), b) the system is designed by the people in power so that they remain in power. the system literally CANNOT be fought from within. ex: a good number of dictators were originally democratically elected; then once in power they change the laws so the presidency becomes a lifetime office. corrupt governments - and all governments become corrupt over time because enough/too many humans are selfish, greedy, stupid creatures - are self-sustaining and will legalize evil and corruption. bribing officials and buying elections? legal in the USA. under the trump administration, getting rid of the EPA means legalizing known dangers to public health and safety such as toxic waste dumping. the water crisis in flint? perfectly legal for the government to do nothing for 5 years and let an entire city suffer without clean water and get lead poisoning (the citizens are suing the government for damages, but this will not undo their suffering or restore their health). this is why revolution is the only means of destroying corrupt government and restoring power to the people, and revolution is self-defense.

5. the rights we have today - women’s rights, equal rights, LGBT rights, children’s rights, human rights - our grandparents and parents absolutely fought and died for them, they did not wait around pacifically waiting for those in power to give them some, and too many of us today are still fighting for ourselves and others. suffragettes were imprisoned, assaulted, and had their lives ruined; martin luther king jr. was assassinated by the FBI only 50 years ago when my mother was a teenager (don’t let those black and white photos fool you into thinking it was further away than it really is), and countless others died protesting and fighting; the LGBT at stonewall rioted and physically fought the police for 5 days. so many of the LGBT+ community are still fighting today, and being harassed, physically and sexually assaulted, and murdered, and teenagers are especially vulnerable and often are kicked out of their homes and forced into homelessness. those in power never voluntarily relinquish, share, or give power, because it doesn’t benefit them; they have to be forced to do so, including through violent means, and this is self-defense.

6. no there aren’t magically convenient jobs for everyone everywhere, and it is nearly impossible to climb out of poverty. when you’re living paycheck to paycheck, losing a job for even a week can be enough to force you and your family into homelessness, and from there it’s nearly impossible to find work without a permanent address, a phone number, access to regular showers and food, and god forbid you need healthcare in america, etc. you’re disabled or it’s freezing winter outside? financial insecurity and homelessness is a death sentence. in france the gilets jaunes movement began to protest a tax on cars that would have crippled the working poor, because while it’s good in theory to reduce carbon emissions and save the environment, there is not the infrastructure necessary to replace those cars. in north america, you can’t go anywhere without a car; if you live outside the city or in certain neighborhoods there’s no public transportation or it’s unreliable, or what would be a 10min trip from my house to the grocery store would take >2h30 by bus because there’s a highway to go around, which is simply not doable: the more time i spend commuting, the less time i can spend working, sleeping, feeding myself, taking care of dependents, etc. in contrast, you could live without a car in most of Japan because they have amazing public transportation. fighting to maintain the means of self-subsistence is self-defense.

7. i asked her: have you ever had to worry about where you were going to sleep tonight, or whether you could eat? no, she hasn’t. how many homeless people do you know, when you’re talking about how you and your friends all managed to find work within bicycle distance of your house? none. when is the last time you or your loved ones were threatened and endangered, harassed, discriminated against, or killed by neo-nazis, mass shooters, the police, etc? never. (ironically, she agreed that World War II needed to be fought) . when confronted with bigots whose proudly self-professed goal is mass genocide of you and your people, fighting back and killing them to prevent them from killing you is self-defense.

8. nazis, school shooters, domestic abusers, ARE NOT MENTALLY ILL. the majority of them, and this is proven by many, many studies, don’t have mental illness, and ALL of them have VALUE PROBLEMS. as in, they don’t value the lives of POC and women, they hold as a core belief that they are less and deserve to be killed and treated poorly. “if a woman’s being abused she can just walk out the door while the abuser is sleeping”: even discounting the psychological effects of abuse (hopelessness, feeling of being trapped, dependence, fear of repercussions and punishment, etc) abused women usually don’t have any money or means of earning money; if they have children it’s even harder. women’s shelters will only let people stay for a limited amount of time, and an abuser can easily find out the address. i used to live by the only women’s shelter in the area, the gate was dented from all the men who would come and beat it, with their hands, baseball bats, ramming their cars into it, shouting and threatening; i’m sure that more than one woman was caught leaving and beaten even worse for the attempt, and they are often too afraid to ask the police for help, or the police refuse to help because they’re poor/uneducated/POC/don’t give a fuck/don’t believe them because the abuser is an upstanding pillar of the community/etc, or in the USA the abuser is often a cop. and if the police do show up, the abuser might not go to court or serve jail time, meaning he’ll be free to retaliate against the woman and children, and in many cases abusers retain parental rights over their children; even if a restraining order is issued, that doesn’t guarantee it will be enforced, and it will not prevent an abuser from harming the woman and children, only punish him for it after it’s too late. for the woman and her potential children, leaving means homelessness, starvation, immense psychological stress, and huge risk of retaliation up unto being murdered. so if, since she cannot resist or escape her abuser while he’s beating the shit out of her, she decides to take a kitchen knife and kill him while he’s passed out drunk, that’s self-defense.

yes, we can and must educate people, especially children, and yes this is the only way to bring lasting change on a societal level. but in the meantime, my roommate and her loved ones aren’t the ones suffering from chronic poverty, threatened and degraded by discrimination, being denied job opportunities and basic rights, or dying from completely preventable lack of food, shelter, and medical care, or being murdered because they and their lives are considered trash. no violence is not always the only solution, but sometimes it is, and sometimes it is the best solution.

obviously her understanding of the world is going to be heavily influenced by her experience of it. and the reality is, she’s blonde, thin and conventionally attractive, from an educated financially secure family, can afford to be vegetarian and buy high-quality food every day, and she can single-handedly pay her own university tuition (in canada) with her part-time job. but it’s easy for her to say that “violence is never the answer” when she has never, and likely will never, have to fight for her life, her rights, or those of people like her, will never have to defend her inherent worth to people who genuinely don’t care. and this is a good thing, because no one should have to do any of this, but it needs to be true for everyone. so repeat after me,

PACIFISM IS FOR THE PRIVILEGED.

THE LAW IS NOT JUSTICE.

CAPITALISM IS FAKE AND NON-SUSTAINABLE, IT IS A VIOLENT, SYSTEMATIC, MURDEROUS ATTACK AGAINST THE 99%. there is no reason other than the greed of the 1% for the way our society is currently structured or how resources are being distributed. jeff bezos is currently worth 165 billion USD. if you divided that equally among all 7 billion people on this planet right now, we would each have over 22 billion, can you wrap your heads around that? or let’s convert that into time, $1 for 1 second: if i earn 50k/year, i get to live for not even 14 hours; jeff over there will live for 5232 years. so yes, EAT THE RICH. it is horrifyingly evil to have that much money, knowing the only way to have that much is to make it at the expense of the vulnerable, off of slave labor and the exploitation of human suffering, and even worse to choose not to use it to improve the world around you and help your fellow man.

[lycorogue]

Meet My OCs: Willow (Part 2 - Relationships)

Welcome back, folks! As I mentioned in Part 1 of Meet Willow, she became a bit overwhelming, forcing me to post a week late, as well as break her introduction into a mini-series in and of itself.

A quick recap before I keep going. This is part of a multi-post series I started here on Tumblr about a month ago. A means to introduce you guys to my main OCs.

In Part 1 of this series, I talked about why I'm doing it in the first place, as well as explain the real-world influences that helped me create my two story worlds of Gyateara and Glitches.

Part 2 of the series talked about the inspiration that birthed each of my four main Gyateara characters.

Part 3a did the same, but for my four main teenage Glitches characters.

Part 3b then talked about the Glitches main supportive cast of six adult characters; each one originating as a canonical X-Men character.

A couple minutes ago, I moved on to Part 4 of this series; the official introduction of my characters, one by one. I started off with my most present character: Willow Driver in her own multi-post mini-series. In that first section, I talked about Willow's background, gave an overview of her personally, and introduced you to her powers. 

In Meet Willow: Part 2, I'm discussing her main relationships. Then, within the next few minutes, I'll also have Part 3 posted, which will discuss her story arc thus far in the X-Future play-by-post game she originated in, as well as how it relates to my intended starter character arc in Glitches. 

Then, as I move onto Part 4, I’ll display all the other images I have of Willow. Part 5 will complete Willow’s official introduction with some scene samples and shorts. Finally, this Willow mini-series will conclude with a bit of fun: videos of her as a customized wrestler on my husband’s WWE13 video game.

For now, though, how about we see how Willow interacts with others, shall we?

Shawn: 

Shawn and Willow Image generated via doll makers designed by ChaZie.

Willow's brother is 15months older than her, and has a tumultuous relationship with his sister. For most of their childhood, neither Driver child knew their father was a mutant/glitch, due to him hiding his powers from them. Shawn and Willow played pretend that they themselves were powerful mutants/glitches, and were basically best friends until Shawn neared puberty.

Once Shawn hit 13, he thought it was too childish for him to continue playing pretend with Willow, and started to grow distant from her. One day, while the two were arguing, and Willow threw a bit of a tantrum that Shawn wouldn't play with her anymore, Willow manifested the illusion of fireballs whipping at Shawn. He was terrified, and, having felt slighted and abandoned by her brother, Willow took full advantage.

Shawn and Willow's father Jacob admitted to being a mutant/glitch, and tried to train Willow on the use and control of her powers. Meanwhile, Shawn, who didn't have powers, cowered and became closer to their mother Meryl as she tried to protect Shawn from the pranks Willow would pull. Willow loved the pranks she could pull with her new powers, using Shawn as the butt of most jokes; using him to “train” her illusionary abilities. Understandably, this made Shawn withdraw more from his kid sister. This created a downward spiral, though.

The more pranks Willow pulled on Shawn, the more he attempted to avoid her. This made Willow feel more abandoned by her first best friend, and so, instead of ceasing the pranks to make amends, she retaliated with more and more spiteful pranks and jump-scares. She acted immaturely and impulsively, but she never truly understood that she was actually tormenting and bullying her brother. She never meant to actually cause the mental torture she inflicted. This doesn't excuse her behavior or diminish the pain she caused Shawn; it simply explains her perspective of it.

In the two years after Willow discovered her powers, her mischievous use of them became increasingly mean-spirited pranks, and her anger and confusion about being the only mutant/glitch she knew outside of her father spilled over into her pulling pranks on disliked classmates as well. It was then that Meryl and Shawn were finally able to convince Jacob to send Willow to the Colossus Academy so that she could have better structure, the ability to socialize with other mutants/glitches, and receive a more refined training on her powers.

Shawn's traumatizing and humiliating torment by his kid sister's hand was finally done, and Shawn believed he finally had a breather; a means to return to a normal life. However, high school can be just as cruel. Upon realizing Shawn's sister was “sent away,” it wasn't long for people to figure out she was a mutant/glitch. Although Shawn had no powers or physical mutations, he was still relentlessly teased by his peers, causing him to hate Willow even more since he could never escape her.

Shawn closed himself off from everyone; becoming a loner with virtually no friends aside from those he could make anonymously online. It wouldn't be until he left for college did he truly start anew. No one knew him, no one knew his sister, no one made the mutant/glitch connection. He was free. He broke all ties with his family when he graduated high school, making sure he could pay his own way through college.

He didn't want his family to know where he was, having grown distant from his parents as well. His kid sister had loved teasing him, pulling pranks on him, and messing with his head. His father cared more about “staying invisible” than he cared about keeping Shawn safe from his sister by sending her away, and Jacob had only caved when she started messing with her classmates; drawing attention to their family. Shawn's mother, while routinely begging Jacob to send Willow to The Academy, never did much to rein in her daughter and/or protect her son. Shawn had grown to hate them all.

(Side Note: in X-Future my husband had Shawn be a psychopath bent on revenge against his family, but I don't think he needs that additive, and I don't think psychopaths need more violent representation to add to the stigma, it’s bad enough that Trish may be a movie-stereotyped psychopath. So, in Glitches, Shawn is just a boy pushed to the edge by a less-than-ideal, and, dare I say, abusive/neglectful childhood.)

Since Shawn is a secondary character, I haven't come up with the actual inciting incident yet, but, while Shawn was away at college, and riled up about his family for whatever reason, his own powers finally manifested. Electrical current spiraled around his forearms, coming to points just past his finger tips like drill heads. He learned he could also shoot off these electrical drill heads from his arms. Once he realized he also had powers, Shawn became more and more destructive and violent, until he was finally expelled from college.

That was when The Brotherhood found him, recruited him, and Shawn took on the “oh so clever” code name of Screwdriver (my husband's idea; he likes puns). After his training with The Brotherhood was complete, Pyro allowed Shawn to have a bit of personal “leave” from the organization. Shawn used that opportunity to try to murder his parents. He failed; barely. So barely that he believed he had accomplished his task. Jacob and Meryl only survived because a few X-Men managed to get to them in time to rescue them from the rubble Shawn tried to crush them under.

Shawn's next goal, not realizing his parents are still alive, is to find Willow to torture and kill her.

Willow is dumbfounded to discover how violent and vengeful her brother has become, and is trying desperately to repent so she can help him heal and redeem himself. It probably isn't going to end well for these two, as showcased in this song that inspired their dynamic in the first place: “What Have You Done” by Within Temptation

It was originally going to be Willow’s feelings towards Devon, but it just worked so much better as her singing about a love of a brother than a potential romantic relationship souring.

Penumbra:

Affectionately called “Penny” by Willow, Noelle “Penumbra” Firada has the ability to teleport via shadows, and turn shadows into solid objects she can wield and attack/defend with. She was paired up with the slightly younger girl as a roommate back at Colossus Academy. Barely a day into their living arrangements, Penumbra became fast-friends with Willow. This quickly turned into an attraction to her BFF and roommate. Before the end of the semester, Penumbra knew she was in love.

Willow loved the attention, and she'd routinely flirt with Penumbra. She even had a few make-out sessions with Noelle, just for the fun of it. Willow never loved Penumbra back, though. She just enjoyed the companionship. From Willow's point of view, she wasn't doing anything wrong. Penumbra wanted a relationship, and Willow was complying... to a point.

When the duo moved to the Xavier Institute, and Willow met Chayse and Devon, she realized what true infatuation - and even romance - felt like. It was then that she realized how cruel she was to Penumbra by stringing her along. She instantly stopped her flirting and sexually physical interactions with Noelle.

Shortly after, Penumbra realized that Willow wanted Chayse and/or Devon, but not her. Willow would never love Penumbra the way Penny wanted. So, Penumbra let Willow go. She moved on, and never begrudged Willow their relationship. She understood that Willow was young and stupid. Their friendship became stronger from it, but Penumbra also needed distance. So, once she was of age, Penumbra signed up to become a full-fledged X-Men (X-Man?), and volunteers to go on missions as frequently as possible to stay away from the Institute while Willow is still there studying.

William: 

This is a character I won't be bringing over to Glitches, at least, not as-is. He may become part of a composite character, or be a rough skeleton to build a new original character from in the future. So, this bit of Willow's history is solely anchored to X-Future.

While at Colossus Academy and Xavier Institute, Willow continued to enjoy pulling pranks, although they weren't quite as mean-spirited as they were when she pulled them on Shawn. One of the students she loved to target was William. He was straight-laced, stuffy, a bookworm, stickler for the rules, and a 17yo that acted more like he was 80; always complaining about the immaturity of his classmates, and never joining in at social events. Willow wanted William to let loose and actually act like a kid for once, so she always tried to coax him via her illusions.

She would transform study rooms into hot spring oases, and have herself seemingly draped in just a towel as she relaxed in the water. This would get William worked up, but never in the manner that Willow intended. She misread a few glances from William as he raged about her illusions, and assumed he had a thing for her. Since she was only 15 at the time of their meeting, and he was nearing 18, she falsely assumed he was resisting the temptation of being with someone so young. She then wondered how far she could push him before he caved.

That was when she started to follow him around whenever they were out of classes, so she could try to seduce him. She created more oases, with images of her scantily clad within the illusions. She created “clones” of herself, so she could tease William while four other copies of herself crawled all over him, purring in his ear, sensually nibbling on his neck and fingers, and generally just straddling his lap.

William was never much of a fan, and routinely berated her immaturity and sensual nature.

One day, while experimenting with his teleportation powers, William accidentally teleported too high into the atmosphere, couldn't breathe, fainted, and fell to his death. Willow mourned him deeply, and helped Lia create a memorial statue of William by projecting an image of him for Lia to use as a blueprint for her sculpture.

Once alone in her room to grieve further, Willow realized she was never sexually or even romantically interested in William. Instead, the reason she had such fun teasing him was because he reminded her a little of Shawn, and she missed her brother. He had moved away to college at that point, and her parents couldn't tell her where he went. All she wanted to do was apologize to Shawn for her behavior when they were kids, and she wanted to apologize to William for tormenting him in a similar (but all-over different) manner. She will always regret never before realizing that William was like another older brother for her, and she again couldn't treat him the way he deserved.

Hedge: 

The remaining brother-figure in her life, Willow was kinder to Winston, especially after her realization post-William. She tried to get him to open up to her, but in gentler ways, and without teasing him. He still mostly kept to himself, though, and this time Willow decided not to push.

Tragedy still struck when the Xavier Institute was attacked, and collapsed under an explosion. One of the students that died in the attack was Hedge, and Willow vowed to never forgive those responsible. Willow's heart broke to discover that her best friend and crush Devon was a potential suspect since he defected to The Brotherhood an hour before the attack.

Devon: 

Willow saw through him fairly easily within the first few minutes of meeting each other. He was this punk kid who had lived on the streets and didn't trust anyone. He was also about as dense as steel, and only marginally more intelligent. She loved to pick on his ignorance and “tough guy” persona. However, she also saw potential in a fellow prankster. They soon started meeting up to plan pranks; usually on poor William. Willow loved the idea of Devon's shape-changing potential, although he focused mainly on his fire manipulation powers.

Devon grew a crush on Willow almost instantly, and she loved the attention. She just assumed it was like Penumbra's crush on her at first, especially since Willow had her eye on the headmistress's son Chayse at the time. However, the closer Willow got to Devon, the more they bonded and became friends, the more she realized her heart raced just a bit whenever he was around, and she would get flushed whenever she caught him staring, or could catch mental whispers of his attraction towards her. She definitely had a crush, and debated acting upon it. However, by that point Devon had become her other best friend, aside from Penumbra, and she didn't want to screw up this friendship the way she did with Penny. So she kept her crush to herself.

Shortly after realizing her romantic interest in Devon, he met a member of The Brotherhood. Pyro, to be exact, and Pyro instantly suspected that Devon could be his long-lost child. Unsure if Devon truly was his son, Pyro simply hinted that he could help Devon discover who his parents are, and who he truly is. Devon turned down the offer at first, instead asking Cyclops for answers. The veteran X-Men (X-Man? I never know what to call one X-Men member) decided to test Devon's loyalty first in a cruel and manipulative Danger Room session. He tricked Devon into presumably betraying the X-Men for The Brotherhood, and declared Devon unready to know his parentage.

This made Devon realize that perhaps he truly wasn't cut out for the X-Men, and ran off to join The Brotherhood. An hour later the Xavier Institute came crashing down in an attack. Most of the students were given enough warning to get to safety, but there were still casualties, such as Hedge.

Willow was terrified at first, because no one could find Devon. His letters of farewell and gratitude were burnt up in the attack; unread and unfound. A security tape linked to the school's version of a Black Box showed Devon running away from the school, proving he was alive, but making him a suspect in the attack. 

Instantly, Willow went from worried to betrayed. She didn't know the face of the person/people who attacked the Institute, so it was Devon's face Willow pictured whenever she thought of revenge for Hedge. This did not bode well for Devon when he eventually made his way back to the Institute. He had initially meant to only infiltrate The Brotherhood, and then bring back intel to make up for his supposed betrayal in Cyclops' test. Devon had only stayed with The Brotherhood for two years because he learned of the attack on the Institute, assumed everyone there had been killed, and The Brotherhood promised him revenge on the school's supposed attackers: an anti-mutant group called The Purifiers. 

When Devon discovered most of his friends had survived the attack, and the school was rebuilt, he attempted to return, and was promptly punched out by Willow upon his arrival.

It kept a while for Willow to forgive Devon, only for him to later be killed off by Trish. (Whoops. X-Future Spoilers...) Willow had to then grieve her friend once more, yet again unknowing that he actually is still alive and well. He was revived by another mutant unaffiliated with the X-Men or Brotherhood. However, Devon also has amnesia, his mutation gave him a new default face, and he's living in a mutant safe-house with the girl that revived him.

Chayse: 

Willow almost instantly fell for Chayse. In the X-Future canon, Chayse was dating Lia when Willow transferred into the Xavier School. Willow flirted slightly, but she mostly left Chayse alone. She wasn't going to break up a relationship, which was one of the main reasons she switched focus to Devon, whom she was also attracted to, and who was single. 

Alternatively, since Willow and Lia start up at Emily's school at the same time in Glitches, Chayse and Lia never actually start dating. Which means Willow and Chayse have more of a romantic relationship from the get-go, Chayse and Devon are more romantic rivals, and Willow doesn't become QUITE as close with Devon now that her attention is more equally torn between the guys. 

For both X-Future and Glitches, Willow found Chayse attractive, and kind, and enjoyed that he was also more mischievous than he let on. She loved the idea of him rebelling slightly against his parents, especially when everyone expected the son of the Headmistress to be perfectly behaved and mature. She was also intrigued by Chayse. His powers of phasing and kinetic energy manipulation meant he was naturally resistant to psychic attacks. This included Willow's illusions. She could make him see or hear the illusions, but he quickly picked up that they weren't real and could dispel them. He also had to actively allow her to telepathically talk to him, as well as actively allow her illusions to work on him in order to get the sensory input of smell, taste, or touch. 

Willow and Chayse were paired up for more and more X-Men missions after the attack on the school, bringing the duo closer. Willow as also no longer distracted by romantic interest in Devon. Before the duo realized what was happening, Chayse had fallen for Willow. They had promised not to act upon it while Chayse was still with Lia. When they got back from their mission, Chayse began the difficult task of breaking up with Lia. Shortly after, Chayse was visited by Penumbra, who vetted him to make sure he'd be a good boyfriend to Willow. 

Seeing how much Chayse and Willow cared for each other, Penumbra surrendered her feelings, and gave the couple her blessing. It took significantly longer for Lia to also be alright with Chayse and Willow's relationship. Knowing how much their relationship would hurt Lia, they waited a month after Chayse and Lia's break-up before getting together, allowing Lia time to grieve before seeing her ex dating someone else. Chayse and Willow finally became an official couple for the Xavier Institute's prom. 

Through time travel shenanigans in X-Future that will not appear in Glitches, a man named Sebastian arrived at the present from the future. The 20-something was so shocked to have traveled back in time that he didn't hide his origins nearly as well as he should have. It was quickly revealed that he was the son of Chayse and Willow; a stunning fact that was revealed only a couple weeks after Chayse and Willow began dating. 

After the initial shock, things fell back into some semblance of normalcy. The next big hurtle for Willow, who is now much more mature than when she started out, is to help Chayse through his struggle with the knowledge that his best friend wishes to kill him after being tortured and brain washed (very Stucky, but without the sexual tension). Meanwhile, Willow is still dealing with the knowledge that Shawn wishes her dead, and has already attempted to torture her by nearly killing Chayse.

Lia: 

There was always an awkward relationship between my two main X-Future characters. Lia was a bit shy, a goody-two-shoes, and mature for her age. She butted heads a little with the more cocky, playful, outgoing, mischievous, and relatively immature Willow. Luckily, Lia is a little dense herself, and never really picked up on Willow's attraction towards Chayse, otherwise there may have been more tension. Tension that might make its way to Glitches since both ladies will be vying for Chayse's attention at the same time.

A month or so after transferring to the Xavier Institute, Willow calmed down a bit, and Lia saw her more endearing qualities. The two became friends as Lia tried to rein Willow in a touch, and Willow helped Lia cut loose a little. They balanced each other out, and by the end of the school year, they were good friends. Things got a little shaky again when Willow was sent on a mission with Chayse after the school's collapse, and Lia was forced to stay behind to help fortify the school's foundation. When Chayse returned and continued his relationship with Lia without a hiccup at all, Lia figured her jealousy was uncalled for, and her friendship with Willow strengthened again.

They became roommates that school year, and grew closer as friends. So, when Willow realized how much she cared for Chayse, and that Chayse liked her back, she felt incredibly guilty and turned Chayse down. She couldn't be the reason he broke up with Lia. Chayse then confessed that he and Lia had just grown apart over their two-year relationship, and he was planning on breaking up with her anyway. He and Willow then agreed to not do anything until Chayse officially broke up with Lia. Even then, they’d give Lia time to grieve the relationship before she had to watch her roommate and close friend date her ex.

The unexpected hiccup in their plan was that apparently Lia didn’t see her and Chayse drifting apart as much as he did. She did NOT take the break up well. Her emotions went berserk, and she lost control of her powers, igniting herself into her lava form, but without the added obsidian skin protection she usually had. Thankfully, Chayse was able to phase Willow out of the room before anyone was injured. Chayse then used his powers to try to calm Lia back down; collapsing under the stress. Seeing Chayse faint shocked Lia back into control of her powers, and she rushed to get help while Willow watched over Chayse. 

Willow and Lia then had a semi-heated argument in the infirmary while waiting to hear news about Chayse. Lia admitted her wrongdoing in their argument, and the two called an uneasy truce. 

Willow walked on eggshells around Lia for the next month, but eventually accepted Chayse's invite to the prom. By that point, Lia was mostly in a good spot again. She and Willow again attempted to build their friendship back up. It took some time, and they butted heads a few times yet again. Lia backslid a bit when she found out the truth about Sebastian, but then realized that she was trying to compete against “fate” so she officially gave up on her feelings for Chayse, and wished he and Willow a happy relationship. 

Nearly a year later, and Lia and Willow are finally back to a good place between them. Lia is now dealing with a similar situation as Chayse: her former roommate and good friend is teamed up with Chayse's former best friend, and the duo is trying to attack the X-Men and destroy Chayse and Lia. Willow's trying her best to keep her two closest companions above water, especially after losing Devon.

Willow's Parents Jacob and Meryl: 

In truth, while Jacob and Meryl have a rough and unhealthy relationship with Shawn, they have a fairly good relationship with Willow. 

Meryl was a bit afraid of Willow when she would torment Shawn, and was at wit's end trying to figure out what to do with her daughter. However, since Willow was sent to Colossus Academy, and has matured and mellowed a bit, Meryl was able to have the loving Mother-Daughter relationship they had before Willow discovered her powers. 

On the flipside, Willow was hurt at first to discover that Jacob had powers the whole time, but decided to hide them from his children. With their training, though, Willow began to bond with her father. She then felt abandoned and unwanted when she was sent to the Academy, but by the end of her first year there, she understood how unruly she was and why she had to be sent away. While not as close as during those two years Jacob was her sole trainer, Willow did grow a tight bond with her father again over the years. 

Willow was terrified to hear of her parents’ near-death experience while she was away on a mission, and even more horrified to realize it was Shawn who had attacked them. In the X-Future canon, Willow was also pissed to find out that her parents knew of Shawn's mental illness, and hid both it and his need for drugs from Willow. While Willow was in shock to discover how violent and hate-filled Shawn was, Meryl and Jacob accepted it as who their son truly was without his medication.

Again, in the Glitches rewrite, Shawn won't be a psychopath, and so the “that's just Shawn off his meds” mentality won't show up.

Until things are resolved with Shawn, Willow's parents have sanctuary within the Xavier Institute. Willow's not the largest fan of seeing her parents daily after 4yrs of being away at boarding schools, especially since she's grown accustomed to a bit of self-parenting and autonomy. However, she also finds it nice to have access to her parents whenever she wants to see them, talk to them, or just be around them/hug them.

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Well, this post is even longer than the first one for Willow! I haven't even talked about her relationships with other characters, such as Cyclops, the villainess Agony, the new recruits Jacob and Temperance, or Devon's new love Nyssa. It's just too much to introduce the characters as well, though, so I'll have to wave the white flag here. Next up will be Meet Willow: Part 3 – Character Arc Events. For that post, I'm going to talk about the main events of X-Future that impact Willow's over-all character arc, as well as how they might show up in Glitches.

While you wait for that post to go live, feel free to check out the other posts in this series.

Who Wants To Meet My OCs? Part 1

learning how I created Gyatera and Glitches

Who Wants To Meet My OCs? Part 2

learning how I came up with the characters for Gyateara

Who Wants To Meet My OCs? Part 3a

learning how I came up with the original teenage characters for Glitches

Who Wants To Meet My OCs? Part 3b

learning how I came up with original reworks of the adult characters for Glitches

Meet Willow (Part 1 – Background)

Broad overview of Willow’s past, her powers, and her personality