#and we eventually got to her admitting that she only saw me as a child and that she always felt responsible for my feelings

[highraccoon]

when you explain that you're looking for compassion and believing in the best in each other in a relationship and that you felt it was inappropriate to bring up how someone else's issues (they are unrelated to the problem) were worse and more valid than yours and that you have no right to be upset because you're the villain for things that they misunderstood you doing or just did themselves and blamed you for. they also accuse you of being codependent with your needs. so you try to repeat yourself on your expectations and boundaries in friendships (i will accept no less than someone at least putting in the effort or having the desire to have a healthy friendship) and that there was so much she did that i never asked for nor wanted but i accepted it because i didn't want to seem ungrateful so whatever codependency she felt we had must have been one sided because i explicitly remembered that i never made her responsible for my mental well-being, i did not actually like that she treated me like a child and i had been complaining about that for years in our friendship especially near the end of it. i was an adult and didn't appreciate being treated like a child. but i went along with it because i was willing to let her get away with it if that's what she felt she needed from our friendship. so i sent her a basic infographic about healthy relationships and how they work and noted that the things i had asked for were just basic healthy relationship things and that i have never at any point in our friendship wanted her to take care of me. i wanted us to be equals. she told me that she wasn't willing to put in that amount of effort for anyone and how her boyfriend is her family and her life and her purpose and how friends just weren't really a priority at all and they certainly never got close to the level of importance as her romantic relationship. like... she literally disagreed with treating people with basic respect because friendship wasn't worth that effort. so i told her i hope she heals that wound in her heart and that she can eventually move on from whatever caused it but that i refused to settle for less than a healthy friendship just because she doesn't know how to love anyone fully or put aside her pride. that i genuinely hope she heals and has a good life but to never contact me again because i don't care to see it. that whatever is going on with her that she's been running away from isn't my problem for her to project onto me. she doesn't get to assume my intentions or thoughts or feelings about anything when she never asked me once. but fine, she has every right to think whatever she wants about me regardless of how true it is because I'm not responsible for her feelings, especially not now and i would genuinely appreciate it if she never spoke to me again.

people in the thick of amanormativity who haven't deconstructed relationships with others who are strict monogamists are so fucking exhausting.

[jazjelspen]

my angel baby (part 6)

alastor w/ angel daughter reader

(notes: alastor's adoptive daughter is in hell, let's hope she doesn't get eaten alive!)

(the singing lines you'll encounter were meant to not be in order.. you'll understand once you read it hehe >:) )

(caution: alastor being lowkey a bit manipulative? not too terrible but just word of caution.)

(tags: @maksdust @willowwillflower @sunshinesetsstuff @0willowwisp0 @projectdreamwalker @1potato2rulethemall @just-here-reading @avitute @pooplyface1423 @insomniacfigure @mo-0-o @thekanrojimitsuri2 @nevermorekisses @wildfire153 )

my editor <3: @kruncher

Rosie finished her sentence by patting your shoulder gently before her hands finally rested on the handle of her umbrella once more.

You fiddled with your hands as you shined an awkward smile.. you looked like a child about to give a powerpoint presentation to a class.

You then chose to immediately face the Princess once again, eyes on her entirely "but.. um.. Yes!.. Princess Charlie, I saw you at the courtroom presenting your case and I just have to say I'm very inspired!... and I would like to contribute to your cause somehow!.." you paused yourself from speaking too much into it.. wanting to save certain parts for only her ears to hear.

"I also would need to get back home.. and I know you have that sort of influence in Hell to get me a way in Heaven again!-- o...oh..-"

You felt your skin crawl as you barely acknowledged a suddenly teleported Alastor to your side, his staff holding up your injured wing gently to get a good look at the bandaged injury.. his eyes narrowing and a 'hmm' softly escaping his throat. 

A threatening spark in his eye flashed which resulted in your injured wing suddenly moving away from him, despite that flash not being for you specifically. 

In his usual Alastor fashion he seemed very collected, but it was a bit obvious he was much intrigued at your presence and your bandage.

Charlie seemed to finally catch her bearings, moving a few frazzled strands of hair away from her face. "Well.. Welcome either way! We can definitely do that! I will admit I only managed to get through to heaven thanks to my dad but I'm sure he can come up with some sort of way to get you back home!" she seemed to look at your halo and wings, your status as an angel very well seen and she was honestly a bit frazzled by a 'winner' falling down in here all of a sudden.

Rosie gently laid her hand on Alastor's shoulder "Poor little thing ain't she? Susan got her wing real good but I fixed her up right in the nick of time! no infection will harm her further."

Alastor's radio shriek happened again but in a much softer pitch "Susan did this?" There was a quick pause before Alastor spoke up again, "Oh I'll have to talk with Susan soon! How impolite could that old woman be! The senior citizens these days.." he rolled his eyes in a playful manner before Charlie spoke up again.

"Well!-- _____ was it? Let me see if I can get Vaggie to sho--"

"Nonsense!" Interrupted Alastor, almost practically jumping in between Charlie and yourself with a very odd excitement. "Why, I'll help of course! It is quite simple just taking a new guest to their new room!"

Charlie smiled half heartedly "Alastor that's so helpful of you! Just.. don't scare our guest please. I know how interesting you can.. get." the end of her sentence dragged on, as if dreading what he's capable of doing. "Oh and no deals! This is a freedom-oriented place! We don't want any souls to be collected here please.." she then just gave you two a thumbs up, a bit exhausted but still uplifting.

"Meanwhile I'll talk to Rosie here about her cannibals and how we intend to also keep them safe! While they also get their-- fill!.."

Alastor seemed to slither his arm around yours, elbows interlocking. "How exciting! There's so much to show you around here in the Hazbin Hotel! Gosh it'll make you wish to stay down here forever!" A loud cackle could be heard from him that eventually morphed into a bunch of static-covered laugher.

Your body froze as you were dragged away by Alastor up the velvet red steps, not even getting a chance to properly thank Rosie and Charlie.

You're stuck with him now.

Lucky you.

Getting dragged by Alastor was as if a swarm of wasps was lingering on your arm; absolutely nerve-wrecking. 

You stayed quiet as he continued to ramble, talking nonsense about hell, the hotel, how he thought of the name and the design.. basically bragging. It all went in one ear and out the other.

"--isn't that right darling?"

huh?

Your senses came back to you and your eyes flickered up to him once before looking down. "Oh.. my bad I didn't catch that.."

Alastor stopped in his tracks which immediately caused you to stop in yours. There was a pause..

"Why, my dear, since when have I ever had to repeat anything to you? You hardly ever daydreamed like this before!"

You let out a shaky exhale through your nose, "Yea.. sorry." you spoke in a subtle sarcastic way.

He shook his head, his tongue clicking into minor sounds of 'tsk tsk.' "Oh _____ darling there's no need to be so formal! I'm your father! Not a stranger."

You scoffed, "You seem to enjoy treating me like one."

His eyes narrowed down at you; you wanted to burst into a cold sweat just like that. 

"It's better that way, you have absolutely no clue about how animalistic these sinners can be!"

He let his arm uncurl around yours to stand in front of a hotel room door with one of the miscellaneous hotel numbers at the top, his hand covering over the door knob as a green glowing hue forced it to open with a single 'click', a key suddenly spawning and dropping right into the palm of his clawed hand.

Your nose scrunched up in slight disgust "Oh I, in fact, do have a clear idea.. "

Alastor didn't respond to your comment but simply took your hand and had your palm face upward, dropping the cold obsidian key on your skin.

"Your key to your new quarters! If there's any issues with it, do let us know how we can fix it for you."

Your fingers closed your hand around the item and held it tightly against your chest in a defensive stance.

"Uh huh.." you then skimmed past him to walk through the door, your free hand clenching onto the handle of your travel bag in stress.

"Although, I'm simply dying to know--" Alastor's haunting voice caused you to freeze, your head slowly tilted to look behind you with a chill down your spine. Alastor's eyes radiated red, red as sin. 

"Why exactly did you think it was a swell idea to drop aaaall the way down here?" His arm holding up his came pointing up and slowly down as he stretched out the word 'all', insinuating falling down from heaven.

"And somehow doing that while still staying pure as snow? Oh darling, I just must know!"

You huffed a sigh out your nose and rolled your eyes,

"You know, I really admire how hard you try to ask questions when you know I'm not gonna tell you anything."

"_______, even a blind and deaf man would know that voluntarily going down here is practically a suicide! And I know you, you must've thought of this real well hmm? Risking getting gutted like a fish?"

"What would you like to know.." you mumbled as you then proceeded to close the door on him, your back slowly turning towards him.

Until the door was harshly tugged back to stay open, looking over to see Alastor gripping the other end of the door knob.

He laughed, it intimidated and irritated you "My darling you seem to forget who I am. I'm no stranger, I didn't spend the entirety of my glory 20s and 30s to raise you alone just for you to attempt to disown me. Besides.. you still need me my dear. 

After all.. I was the one that held you when the thunder refused to subside, I built you a home.. a wonderful home that others would live in with pride!"

He grabbed your hand yet again to pull you out once more, twirled you suddenly and pointed at your current outfit, a bit dirty with faint spots of dirt on certain spots from first hitting that dumpster when you first got here. 

"Don't even have to mention the elephant in the room.. just simply look at you! Fragile as a flower, still a little sampling.. just a sprout." He next pointed at your wings, ears, and halo during the duration of his phrase. His tone slowly morphing into a familiar sing-song voice and melody you could have sworn was something from your childhood.

You scoffed "Okay that's nice and all but can I just g--"

"Father knows best! listen to your father, It's a scary world out there, " He teleported behind you in the opposite direction of where you were facing you, a hand on your shoulder as his shadow morphed into a more terrifying form for you to gasp and shriek at. 

"Father knows best, one way or another something will go wrong-- I swear!" You couldn't help but stumble a few steps back in shock and fear from seeing that shadow again, causing you to trip over your feet and end up getting thrown by gravity down to the floor in a sit-up position.

"Oh look! Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy, please--" he walked up to you, bending down to grab your hand once more to pull you up harshly. His eyes glowing while closely meeting yours as his shadow laughed in the background menacingly "They'll eat you up alive!"

As he playfully shouted his words in that familiar sing-song melody that you couldn't exactly tap into at this moment, he yet continued to hold up your right hand up in the air and the other proceeded to hold your left.. he was now twirling you around across the hall diverting slightly far from your open hotel room as if you were both dancing in a mix of 30s and classic ballroom dancing. You tried to push him away but his grip was fierce and the sudden dancing confused you, making you unable to properly think about your next move.

"Father's right here, father will protect you, darling here's what I suggest!" He then finally stopped at the foot of your door, your vision getting a bit woozy from the intense spinning Alastor put you through. "Skip the drama, stay with papa--"

"Alastor for fucks sake!-" you finally exclaimed, rubbing your eyes and taking a moment to relax your eyes to recover from your previous state.

"I can handle myself! I know ways to protect my own skin and none of them involve you!" You panted as you stomped your way back in your given room, this time gripping the door handle with a grip you've never had before. 

"Now go do whatever it is you do, and leave me alone!" you slammed the door in his face and locked it as quickly as you could, eventually throwing your bag on your new and neat bed with a huff. 

You've never felt so much anger before since you were living and breathing-- these complicated emotions rising in you like a volcano that sat dormant for centuries until finally erupting and exploding fire and skin-melting magna. This all came out with you lashing out and now even wanting to tear up a bit since you always hated fighting-- with him, with anyone. It hurt. More than it should have. 

You simply crawled on your bed and held yourself, knees up to your chest and arms around your knees. Comforting yourself in the only way you knew how.

God, you hoped this trip in the end turned out to be worth it.

Alastor on the other hand simply smirked, your stubbornness will be no match to his own and he will be sure of that.

"Goodness. Even after all these years, the temper tantrums will never cease." He let out a small pitched 'hm' as he turned on his heel to head back to the Princess of Hell and help her with her next few plans with the battle against the exorcists. 

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes noticed and witnessed the father and daughter's interaction in the hall.

Back to you,

Curled up in your hotel room you then decided to crawl over to your traveling bag, scrambling over to open it and hastily take out a few things like a smaller bag full of toiletries, clothes, and even your personal first aid box for emergencies. 

All would be put aside only for your hand to be looking for one thing in particular, hidden under all your neatly packed items was a journal you brought from back up in heaven to document events to keep your thoughts in place, help you cope with changes, and just as a way to express your emotions in a healthy way and you knew you would need these more during these next few weeks. 

Opening the hard cover your eyes were met with a small paper pocket that you taped up in order to save photographs and small thin memory trinkets. 

You smiled softly, your other hand then went to look at the side of your bag to take yet another photograph, it was the one you put in right before leaving your home to get to hell. 

Placing that photo on the cover of your bed, then taking out your photos that were inside that small pocket of your book you then spread them out all beside each other on your bed.

Six exact photos you had, each correlating to a specific memory you adored dearly.

First five photos were favorite memories of yours, some were of when you were hanging out with Sera, St. Peter, and other court member friends of yours. Either at picnics, libraries, shops, restaurants, etc. 

The last two were more than important to you though, they were two portrait pictures of her and you.

She was a much older woman, she died around the time you were born but never have you felt like someone was more like family in heaven than she did. Unfortunately you never had the chance to meet her until you were in heaven but at the same time after making an intense realization when getting to know her better it's as if you knew her your entire life. 

She was one of your favorite people, but one of your most painful reminders.

Your hand grazed over those two photos, your hand trying so hard not to clench them due to how many fucking things are setting in place, connecting to each other.

"I'll be back, I promise." you spoke to the images of her sitting beside her with her kind smile, you could see him through her smile as well "I'm sorry I never got to tell you what he did, who he really is.. you don't deserve the pain that comes with it if I did.."

You teared up, decades of guilt overwhelming you in this single moment. "I'm sorry grandmother, that he turned out this way.. that he did this to me."

You had no reason to apologize, no reason at all.

But she was so good to you, she recognized your last name but you couldn’t bear to ever tell her the truth and that guilt haunted you yet you reassured yourself it’s better to keep her from knowing who he really is with how highly she speaks of him. 

She treated you as if you were her own flesh and blood. She gave you a home as well up in heaven, took care of you.. guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in that aspect.

How can someone like him, with a mother like her, turn out the way he did.

How.. sad, that truly is.

—---------------------------------------

You were sixteen years of age when this specific event occurred.

You have always been a good kid, always done as you've been told such as '____ dear don't forget to wash your dishes today', '_____ don't forget about your school work.', 'get in bed now young lady, you still have a bedtime you know', and '______ dear you're a bit too young to read the news don't you think? read this instead, more appropriate for young girls your age!'

You have always done what your father told you, followed every rule he sets, avoided every thing he didn't want you to do. 

Although.. whenever you did something you weren't supposed to was where you slightly feared him. He never yelled, never was one to do so. He was always a gentleman and as kind as he could be, although most of it for show. 

One thing he always was, is being passive aggressive. 

Passive aggressiveness was one of his many strong suits, and using words to get you to fear and to avoid doing what you were not meant to do was his specialty. You always wanted to please your father, for you knew that your entire life was the way it was because he chose to be responsible for you. This didn't happen much though because you just always followed what he ordered.

But sometimes being too obedient can be tiring and you were starting to get a little brave recently.

You see, your father has never allowed you in his home office for as long as you could remember, for all you knew he only took you inside when you were a baby with no total awareness. 

Why were you never allowed in his study?

You were.. actually never sure yourself, at least not until the days leading up to your death.

You were always told it was because it was his private space where he wants to keep everything neat and tidy, and that he wants his work space where he saves and writes anything for his radio show in there and that anyone on the outside would simply ruin the ambiance inside that helps him work.. or whatever.

Although, the older you got and the more conscious you gained you eventually thought that this rule is kind of.. stupid? It's just a study but.. you just guessed that whatever your father said was true.

On this particular day though, you wanted to give him a surprise! Only issue was that it included the study..

It was the day before Alastor's birthday, and you just wanted to check his schedule without being too obvious at all to make sure you had time to slip his gift either in his bedroom or sent to his radio studio.. so you decided to quickly slip into his study and check it really fast and leave!..

You spent the entire month before to find someone and commission for them to make a portrait painting with you, Alastor, and his mother in a single frame. Even giving photos of your father and your grandmother for them to reference, due to the lack of colors at the time with photographs it was more of a monochrome painting at best. This would be your birthday gift to him.

You waited for him to leave for work for his evening broadcast and you just came from school, pretending to be reading a book you were assigned to while laying on your bed and relaxing.

Alastor knocked at your door, letting out a quick 'come in!' In reply, he opened it for only his face to pop out of your door with his iconic smile.

"Hello darling! Just wanted to let you know I'll be off to do my next broadcast! Don't forget to tune in soon if you don't have any school work to do."

"Yes father, see you soon!"

"See you soon sweetheart! if I'm late for dinner there's always some leftovers."

He waved at you before closing your door and leaving a bit hastily despite being very early. You stayed as silent as possible till you heard his footsteps distancing away and finally.. that distant loud click of the front door.

You got moving, dropping the book on the bed without a care while scrambling up and opening the door to your room, your feet pitter pattering across the hall and down in front of the study, your hand reaching towards the doorknob in excitement. 

Until you stopped.

'What if he finds out? do you think he'll notice the slightest change at all?.. would he yell or get mad?.. ground me?.. he's never grounded me much but..' your hand inched closer to the knob, the moment your fingertips touched the wooden texture that's when you knew you weren't going to turn back.

'well.. it's a huge surprise for him.. it's just checking his work schedule without him knowing so he won't have a clue I have a surprise for him, it'll be easy!..' 

And finally your fingers wrapped around the doorknob and finally opened the entrance to the study with sudden anticipation while the creek coming from the door only caused goosebumps up your arms.

The room itself was dark and smelled of old wood from the floorboards and dusty papers, speaking of the floors they creeped like crazy with each hesitant step you took inside while your eyes scanned the entire foreign environment. 

Your eyes managed to make out in the middle of the room a large cushioned chair positioned in front of an even larger wooden desk that was wide enough as a school principal's desk would be. Approaching it you now got to see more clearer details like several papers and folders being sprawled around the space, two half empty cups of his usual coffee, pens in pen holders and laid with the papers,.

Your eyes looked up to see the wooden walls organized with draped over portraits of Alastor himself as a kid, others of paintings of his mother that you haven't seen besides the one in the living room and the photos he showed you, and.. one of you as a toddler.. your eyes couldn't help but linger at that particular portrait of you that you have never seen.

You looked down at the desk again to look for his work schedule since all you knew was that it was in some leather journal you saw him carry before.

But you were yet again met with a framed photo standing on his desk and it was one of you as a baby! You've seen baby photos of yourself but never one of where you literally were still sleeping in the crib.. you couldn't help but smile. 

But you went back to work, opening the squeaky drawers filled with hardcover books, folders with dates and names of several shows he's done before. 

Looking at one of the drawers nearest to the ground on the right hand side was where you found even more photos of you as a baby! And even others of himself growing up and some of his mother, your heart warmed at the thought of your father always keeping his family in mind. 

And how amazing was it that the leather journal you were looking for to finally show up! 

Taking it out with great anticipation you skimmed through the pages of his endless paragraphs and paragraphs of letters and numbers.. suddenly stopping at a particular page where there were.. stains.. they looked almost black in the dark but by squinting your eyes you can barely tell a dark hue of red.. you stood up to see if there was a small lamp on the desk that you missed but right as yo--

"What are you doing here."

Alastor's voice boomed across the room startling you to the point where the journal closed and almost jumped out of your arms as you gasped.

Your eyes darted at the door which didn't seem to hear the creek open the way it did when you came in, covered in darkness was Alastor of course.. his eyes and smile seemingly piercing through the darkness as his figure was illuminated from the light in the halls.

"Father!-- I.. I'm.. I just wanted to--" He interrupted you not by speaking, but by walking in and the creeks from the wooden floors seemed more threatening than when you first heard them. The closer he got the more your shoulders raised up.. "Look I'm sorry I just wanted to see your work schedule, that's all!.."

"Darling." god even the way he pulled on the chain attached to the lamp made it scary as well.. "You have never disobeyed me before, how can I work comfortably now?"

"I'm.. I'm sorry.." 

Alastor's aura seemed to at least lighten up with the lamp now.. god.

"Guess I always knew this day was coming.." he shook his head in disappointment, "knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest."

"But I--"

"Soon, but not yet. Trust me, pet."

"But father! I just wanted to look at your work schedule.."

"And you could've asked, not sneaked in like some thief.. I never raised you that way." Despite how the situation is though.. he had his eerie permanent smile on his face which only confused you more.

"You see my dear, by disobeying me even in the simplest of things only calls for danger. Unnecessary trouble to lure and latch onto you. Trouble in which even I won't protect you from."

Why was he talking like this?.. you were unsure.. but you knew that he was leading on to make some kind of point.. but in a sing-song type of approach. 

It wasn't uncommon for him to sing lessons to you at this age or whatever age you and him were, it's a common thing to you that his theatrics were an everyday thing.. it's how you learned how to sing yourself.

He continued, "Gullible, naive, positively grubby, ditzy, and a bit.. well.. hmm.. vague!"

You shook your head in confusion, him taking himself beside you to then shine you the most.. warming smile yet. The mixed signals were insane.

Seeing your confusion he only intensified it more "oh but darling I'm just saying cause' I love you, father understands, father's here to help you, all I have is one request!..” he spun around you as he ended up facing you and holding your hands in his, finally pulling you in a warm hug. oh wow.. he was never one to say ‘I love you’ much.. This total change was whiplash at its finest. 

You melted in the hug quite easily as you were always an affectionate child, plus you wanted to get rid of the guilt by just.. hoping he would forget what you tried to do. 

“_____?”

“Yes?..” 

The energy changed.

“Don’t ever come back into my study, again.”

“I..” you were speechless.. you were starting to question his authority slightly more than ever but.. “Yes father..”

“Oh I love you very much dear..”

You smiled slightly despite the stern scold he gave just now, but he was also never one to hug much so this made you feel nice.. 

“I love you more..” you could almost feel Alastor slowly grab onto the journal you were holding and tucked it in his coat which he usually wore out to work. 

“I love you most.” Backing away from the embrace with his hands on your shoulders he also gave you an uncharacteristically yet fatherly peck on your forehead and hairline which was only saved for when he’s tucking you in at night and he’s having a good day. 

Leaving behind a small ‘peck’ sound. It was almost kinda awkward the way he stood, it was as if he was trying to make it convincing with how fast it was too. 

“Don’t forget it!” He smiled at you brightly as he raised up a finger to only move it side to side.

“You’ll regret it.. Father! Knows best..” he gave you simply two pats on the head with his palm and his book in his jacket due to how swiftly he took it from your hands. 

Leading you out the door with a swift motion of him pulling you by your wrist and into the hall once more.. this time making a mental note as he closed the door behind him to get a proper lock for his study next time.

He then immediately started scrambling out the door, “Oh well look at the time! Almost late for work! I’ll see you in a while, my flower! Remember, I trust you! Don’t break it again! Would be a shame if that were your gift for my birthday!..” Cheerfully announcing across the house as he finally reached the door to pop out in the wide world again.

Why did he come back? You could only assume he forgot the journal you were holding before..

You sighed, biting the inside of your cheek with your eyes wanting to water. “I just wanted to give you your gift perfectly..”

Arms crossed, you went back into your room and sat at the foot of your bed. Somberly regretting your terrible decisions..

‘Can't believe you broke his trust like that!.. and a day before his birthday??.. you must be out of your mind _____.’ Eyebrows turn down with a sad little frown on your face.

‘Although..’ your thoughts led you to look out the doorway of your room and into the dark hall. 

‘Is there anything else he’s trying to hide?..’

(HEYYYY thank you for reading chapter 6!! This was a total blast to write ✨ had so much fun trying to add a bit more detail into Alastor since he is still a serial killer, and he does this all out of love but it can definitely come out more.. manipulative. Whether he does it on purpose or not kinda depends on how you want to see it but personally he does it on purpose because he knows it’ll keep his daughter at bay qwq -and yes! I used tangled songs because personally I felt like it really emulated this side of him so ya!! He loves her to death but isn’t afraid at all to pull strings.)

[c0ld0utside]

Hello there,I am a new follower and I'm just wondering if your comfortable to write a Yandere platonic royal family and a male y/n, only if you're comfortable i don't wanna pressure you

Imagine - Yandere Royal Family 

Hi! Yeah, that’s totally fine! 

Yandere Royal Family with a Male kid

Warnings: Overprotectiveness, coddling behavior, manipulation, familial hatred

You are the youngest son of the royal family, consisting of your Mother, Father, Older Sister, and Brother. You’re the baby, the one who can do no wrong, Mama's boy, the one who has to be protected at all costs. Your Older Brother doesn’t need to worry about fighting over the throne with you, and he’d never dream of it! You’re too pathetic and sweet! 

…Right?

Yandere Princess Sister who’s the first to notice your sudden…”everything” change over the years. You’re quieter, you don’t play as much and you’ve started to distance yourself. You’re rude to her. Rude. You hate playing dress up and being cooed at by her and her friends during teatime. You’re usually the first to finish dinner and you quickly excuse yourself and hide in your room. 

Yandere Prince Brother who’s the second to notice. He doesn’t interact with you much since he’s busy learning how to be king for when he eventually takes your father’s place, but he has made time to hang out with you when he can. No- you cannot spar with him. Mom and Dad don’t want you to hurt yourself anyway. Why don’t we read a story instead? No? You used to love it when he read you stories- where is this coming from? 

He feels worried when you storm out of the room. 

Yandere Empress Mother who’s the third to notice. You don’t join her for tea or walks in the garden. You don’t sit with her in her office, talking to her about what you did today. Sure, it was usually repetitive, the same old “I read a new book and saw a pretty bird from the window,” but she didn’t mind. You don’t tell her your wishes or troubles anymore. 

You want to learn how to sword fight? No, absolutely not, you don’t need to learn how to fight at all. You’re safe here, anyway. No, you can’t go out into town without your guards. I don’t care if your Sister only has one, she’s much older than you. What do you want to go into town for? I’ll place an order for you. You want to go outside without me, your Older Sister, or Your Older Brother? I’ll have your guards go with you, then. 

Yandere Empress Mother who simply wants the best for you and wants you to be safe. If you won’t come to her, she’ll come to you. She’s surprised when your answers are short. “Why haven’t you been spending time with me anymore?” “Is it true that you’re being rude to your siblings?” “Sword fighting? Again? No, you can’t. Your father and I don’t want you to get hurt. …Did you just tell me to get out?”

After you slam the door shut, she stands there in a stunned silence. Did that really just happen? She has to process for a long time.

She takes a deep breath before heading off to speak with your father.

With your Sister and Brother.

Yandere Emperor Father who does a double take at what he’s been told. Was this really you they were talking about? He immediately demands an audience with you. Unfortunately, he’s not gentle like your mother and siblings. He immediately asks you if what the rest of your family said is true, and like the good child you are, you admit to it. He can’t help but feel a little happy and proud about that- you coming clean. It goes away when it’s clear that you aren’t sorry. 

“Why have you been acting this way? Don’t give me that, you’re still a child. Stop talking back to me. Don’t argue with me. When did you become so disrespectful? No, you’re not a prisoner, that’s ridiculous! We all love you and care about you very much. You don’t understand how devastated we’d feel if you got hurt. We just want what’s best for you, you’re too young to understand. Didn’t I tell you to stop talking back to me?” 

Yandere Emperor Father who confines you to your room for a month. It’s a hard decision for him to make- he hates having to punish any of his children. Meals are brought to you and you’re allowed to leave to use the bathroom, but the servants aren’t allowed to speak with you. 

Only your family can. 

It’s mostly your siblings and your mother, who you turn away each time. Rarely does your father stop by, lecturing you and trying to get you to see reason. When you don’t, he sighs and adds another month to your punishment time. Unbeknownst to all of them, you have a plan. 

Yandere Royal Family who nearly died on the spot when you’re not in your room. Your older brother is the one to discover you’re missing. It went like this: He “found” your favorite childhood storybook in his room. He had read you the stories so many times he had them all memorized. He felt a bit guilty for hiding it all those years ago, seeing that sad expression on your little face. But he made it up to you by telling you a story before bed. You didn’t need the book anymore, after all. You need him. 

He thought it’d make you feel better. Imagine his horror when he sees the makeshift rope of the blanket and bedsheets in the open window. Imagine everyone else’s surprise when they hear him shouting frantically. When they see him running through the hallways screaming about how you’re gone.

Several search parties are sent out, your family counting the seconds and trying to stay calm. Their panic worsens when you’re missing for days. Where did you go?! Why did you run away?! Did you run away? Did someone take you? That can’t be possible, you don’t know anyone except your family. Because they’re all you need. 

When you’re found, you’re dragged back kicking and screaming. At first your family is worried, thinking you’re shouting because you’re injured. But no, it’s because you don’t want to be locked up again. Especially with them. They don’t notice some of the pitying looks you get, especially from a certain guard.

The guard who they didn’t know let you escape. 

They’re too relieved to be angry at you for long, and your punishment terms have changed.

You have to stay right by their side for the day. Yes, and night, too. Isn’t that fun, though? You can watch your brother swordfight, dress up with your sister (you look amazing, by the way), talk to your mother and father while they work, and have sleepovers…

You spent the day with your brother today. With a loving smile and a kiss to your temple, he wishes you goodnight and closes your eyes. 

Not noticing that you stayed up a bit longer, eyeing his sword on the rack.

-

Wuh-woh, looks like Reader’s getting other ideas on how to get out. This was interesting to write! Thank you all for the love so far! I’ll try to update once a day, I don’t really have a schedule for my posts.

[elysianightsss]

RUN FROM ME DARLIN, YOU BETTER RUN FOR YOUR LIFE | PART TWO

You grab your duffle bag, with one last glance at Kate and the red vials still on the table, you left.

Part of you knew that Kate didn’t know what had happened to you, only that you had been sent away but back then you didn’t care. You hated her and you sure as shit made sure she knew it.

At first you thought it was a good thing, that you missed the helicopter ride out of there, you started to make up with Kate. Bond. But then there wasn’t another helicopter out of there for four months straight. Soon enough you became suspicious and found out why.

The team, excluding Kate, had been ordering whoever was flying that week not to land at the base. You were stuck there and after being there for so long you eventually began to pick up on their obsession with you. At least one of them had to be with you at all times.

Once you got semi comfortable with them they became way too touchy. The one time you managed to get away from them you searched Johnny’s room only to find sketches of you in inappropriate positions and pictures of you sleeping.

You managed to get ahold of Kyle’s phone to find a group chat with the four of them in talking about you. What you smelt like, looked like, your likes and dislikes. All the things they’d love to do to you. They were insane. You knew a crazy person when you saw one and there were four of them on base with you and your sister.

Your sister. The little trust you had built up shattered when you told her what was going on. The guys had been finally called away on a mission, one they couldn’t reject. You were so happy to get rid of them, to have you freedom back, even if a small part of yourself missed their presence. Not that you’d even admit that even to yourself.

You had told Kate all about what you’d found but she didn’t believe you and even scolded you like a child for making up such accusations. That was it, you’d had it. With the four of them following your every move and Kate giving you the silent treatment, you were starting to feel as though you were back in the red room.

You packed your bag in the middle of the night and hot wired a car before driving far far away. You made it to the mainland where you were able to go to the nearest hotel. You waited patiently before watching this older lady leave her laptop open to go get another drink. You swiftly grabbed it and ran into the nearest bathroom.

You booked the quickest plane ticket you could find, it didn’t matter where it was for. Thankfully for you it wasn’t too bad. You would be flying to Italy in an hour, plenty of time for you to get to the airport. Slipping the laptop back when no one was looking, you made your way out of the hotel lobby and out the front.

Now, when you thought that Kate’s team was obsessed with you, you were actually nieave enough to believe it began and ended with you being on base with them. You never even imagined in even your wildest dreams or nightmares that these men would follow you.

Not until you were about to turn a dark corner and you heard the familiar thick Scottish accent, “She’s ain’t just a regular civilian Cap, she’s trained for this type a shit. We can’t underestimate her.” Your hand covered your mouth as you fell into the dark crack in the wall.

Holding your breath as he went past, you watched Johnny with curious eyes before they darted around you. He was there but where were the others? Even bigger question was, did it matter?

At this moment in time, Johnny was the one standing between and the stolen car. Thing probably had a tracker on it, you needed to find a new vehicle but with him right there you wouldn’t get far and it didn’t look like he was moving any time soon.

Your hand moved down to your gun, flicking the safety off it while it still sat in your thigh holster. Just as you pressed the strap away you heard him speak again, something about Kyle coming to his location. It suddenly dawned on you that you didn’t have a silencer on the gun, if you shot him the rest of the team would come running and you’d be in an even worst situation.

Flicking the safety back on and the strap that held it in place you made your decision, you’d have to fight him. Hand to hand combat. Clicking your neck you rushed forward running at a ridiculous speed, he turned just as he heard your footsteps only for you to slam into him.

Both of you bursted through old metal doors, as you stood you took in the dusty, empty warehouse. Rusted railings and stairs, a filthy floor where Johnny was standing from with a cough. Your eyes were back on your target as you pulled out a knife and dropped your duffle bag kicking it to the side.

“Easy princess, just wanna talk.” He holds up his hands in defence while eyeing the knife in your hand cautiously. You ignore the throb between your legs at the nickname rolling off his Scottish tongue. No, you couldn’t be distracted right now. Not when you had a fight to win.

Your pupils widened, eyes darkening as they blackened. A sight Johnny had to admit made him nervous. You were a trained killer after all, but then again wasn’t he?

“No talking.” You clicked your neck to the side, before descending on him. You moved quick he noted, using all his strength and tricks against him. You were right about the girls, you were matching every move he made, countering them with such efficiency and a ruthlessness even Simon couldn’t match.

He’d never seen or felt anything like it.

You were coming at him once again, after getting up like his punch meant nothing. Not even a flinch. Johnny started to panic. Panic that he’d loose this fight and in turn loose you for himself and the team.

He kicked the knife from your hand and managed to be swift enough to kick the back of your legs as well, taking you down to the floor.

“Did you just- kick the back of my knee? Are you fucking serious? Childish little-“ you growl taking another swing which he doges but it gives you plenty of time to grab your hidden two inch knife and stab him in the side just below the ribs. He groans loudly stumbling back away from you.

“Did you think I’d be easy? I warned you didn’t I?” You scoffed, jolting forward sticking your leg out and swiftly taking out Johnny’s legs, he dropped to the floor, using your foot you kicked him in the shoulder sending him across the room, just as you had done to your bag earlier.

“You messed with the wrong cyka.” You growled as he got up, you stalking towards him fury blazing in your eyes.

Johnny grinned like he was enjoying this fight, maybe you were too. His big hand gripping itself on your neck, you grabbed his wrist pushing yourself off the ground swinging around his body and using his weight against himself slamming him down on the ground. He blinked up at you in complete shock, allowing you to grab the knife he’d kicked out of your hand.

He was down and you were ready and rearing for another round, he couldn’t believe it. A little thing like you, “Y’know people only have a certain amount of moves.” You smirked, Johnny raised an eyebrow groaning as he stood up. You didn’t even give him a second, rushing yourself forward jumping on him.

“You have five!” You yelled squeezing his head between your legs, his big hands coming up to grip the fat of your ass. You created a first, the handle of the blade sticking out of it, and hit his head right on the nerve you had studied to make someone pass out. Johnny yelled in pain, his eyes slipping close as he fell unconscious. His grip on you loosened to nothing as he fell backwards onto the floor. You simply landed on your feet looking down at him, your chest heaving.

You ran to your bag, grabbing it and running from the scene. Looking for a car, eyes spotting a brown jeep. Perfect. Hot wiring the car wasn’t even necessary, whoever owned the car had left the keys in the ignition. You pressed the gas and sped off as fast as you could not even looking back, though you did catch a glimpse of a ghost in your rear view mirror.

Shifting gear to four, you kept going. There was no way you were stopping now, you just needed to find a place to go. You weren’t going to make it to the airport on time for your flight. Ah well it wasn’t your money you wasted. Poor old lady.

You didn’t have a plan except to keep on driving until you could think of one.

Hours and hours of driving, petrol stations and greasy food later you pulled into a town which wasn’t marked on the map you stole at WHSmiths next to the Starbucks that had the best coffee you’d ever had in.

You definitely weren’t lost, you knew you’d driven all the way to Glen Coe, the north part of Scotland. Regardless of Johnny’s heritage, seeking shelter here right under their noses was probably a better plan than getting on a plane and moving from place to place where cameras can pick up where you are.

Out here in the wilderness, without WiFi and internet. They’d never find you. You walked around town for a bit then hit the road driving into the forest area to see if you could find a shelter further away from civilisation. And you did.

The present…

Happiness is a fickle creature. A constant companion to some, hides herself entirely from others. She’s been an elusive creature to you. You don’t particularly remember the last time she had visited you, it had been so long since she’d hidden herself away, you barely remember what she looks like. Nevertheless you feel yourself still seeking her out, even if you’re wholly against putting yourself into situations with others.

Just like this one, the Halloween bash. A stupid idea really but..oh who are you kidding it was an idiot idea and you knew it. But they hadn’t found you in the now five months you’d been hiding.

What’s the worst that could happen?

To be continued…

Tags | @fruitymoonbeams-blog

[x0llaz]

Ten Things I Hate About You

Jung Sungchan

Chapter 10) fake fan

Masterlist. Previous. Next.

Sungchan weaved his way through the entrance to the bar, getting stares from almost all the girls who crowded his path. The music immediately hit his ears, loudly drumming against his head. He somewhat regretted coming, but he knew that if he wanted a paycheck, he’d make do with the situation.

He found his vantage point and watched the crowd, scanning to see the girl he came to woo. And eventually, he saw her. She looked so unfamiliar in that moment, laughing, dancing with her friend, it was a side he’d never seen from her before. she seemed so free. He liked it.

YN started weaving through the crowd, and Sungchan sat down at the bar, ordering a shot. YN approached the bar, standing next to him, not yet taking notice. She ordered two waters, looking around and seeing sungchan sitting there. She rolled her eyes.

“Get it over with,” she said to him.

“Sorry what?” Sungchan asked loudly. “Sorry the music is really loud!” He feigned his confusion.

YN scoffed. “What are you doing here?”

“Enjoying the music. Are you a fan?” He asked.

“What you know them?”

“The lemon twigs? Sure,” Sungchan shrugged. “Don’t tell me you don’t,”

“No, I do,” Yn answered, a bit taken aback. “I just didn’t take you for the type to know them.”

“What kind of music would I be into then?”

“Rap. Like drake,” she smirked.

“Hell no,” Sungchan laughed. “Not drake, at least.”

“Fair enough,” Yn said, leaning back on the bar. “So you’re not here to ask me out?”

“Do you want me to?” Sungchan asked, and watched Yn roll her eyes. “It was kinda weird seeing you actually have fun,” he nudged her with his elbow. “It was cute,” he gave her a charming smile.

“Smooth,” she smirked.

The bartender handed sungchan his shot, and YN her waters. She started leaving the bar, and Sungchan watched her walk away. A few steps, and she turned around, giving him a look. After a moment of silence between them, listening to the music, she gestured for him to follow. Sungchan happily trailed behind her.

——

It was really a miracle to Sungchan that Karina agreed to let him walk them back to their houses. The girls both knew they’d drink, and planned on crashing at Karina’s house if they got too drunk. Sungchan offered to walk them, fully aware that he may be third wheeled by the best friends.

The three of them approached Karina’s house, and Karina, the tipsiest of all, hugged YN, a bit wobbly.

“You’re sure you don’t wanna stay?” Karina slurred slightly.

“I think I’m good to get home,” yn smiled. “Besides, you should sleep,”

Karina frowned, but agreed. She turned her attention to sungchan. “No funny business,”

“Heard,” Sungchan nodded with a slight smile.

“I’m serious. I’ll beat your ass,” she threatened.

“Relax,” Yn sighed. “He knows I’d rip him a new one,” she smiled at her friend. “No go to bed,” she shooed Karina away. Karina obliged, walking into her house. Yn turned her attention to the man standing next to her.

“You don’t need to walk me home, you know,” she told him.

“I know,” he nodded. “But I want to,”

Yn rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she started on her way, and Sungchan followed.

The silence between them was awkward. Neither of them knew each other well enough to really say much. But sungchan was willing to take the first step.

“How long have you and Karina been friends?” He asked.

“Since we were babies,” Yn answered honestly. “Shes more of a sister to me than my sister has ever been,”

“Don’t you think that’s harsh?” Sungchan huffed out a laugh.

“No, she makes her hatred for me very clear,” Yn sighs. “I don’t really care though.”

Sungchan nodded. “I’m an only child, so I wouldn’t really get it, I guess,”

Yn nodded. She glanced over at him, his hair tousled, his hands in his pocket. Though she would never admit it, she did think he was handsome.

“You know you’re quite a mystery around the school,” Yn tells him.

“I wonder why?” Sungchan rolls his eyes playfully.

“I think the two years where you disappeared is mostly why,” she smiled.

Sungchan mirrored her smile. “Would you say you’re… intrigued by me?” He wiggled his brows.

“In your dreams,” Yn scoffed.

“I do dream of you,” he shrugged. “You could make my dreams come true,”

Yn rolled her eyes. “Do you talk to all the girls you have crushes on like this?”

“Nope,” he stopped, gently grabbing her wrist, keeping her in place, bringing her to face him. “Just you,”

The gesture took Yn by surprise. Contrary to her sister’s belief, Yn was no stranger to romance, to boys asking her out. But this time was different. And she couldn’t quite understand why.

She just let out an awkward laugh, and pulled her hand away, rubbing the spot his thumb had rubbed gently against. “Come on,” she sighed.

Sungchan followed.

The walk was back to awkward silence. Yn was left questioning if Sungchan really was serious, or if he was really good at fucking with her.

When they reached her doorstep, yn awkwardly said goodbye. Before she reached the door, sungchan called her name. She turned to face him.

“I’m serious. You know that right?” He asked.

Yn struggled to think of what to say. “About what?”

“Liking you,” he said, stepping up onto her porch. “I like you,”

Yn pursed her lips. “I don’t date,” she said quietly.

“But you could date me,” he smiled down at her. “I think that’s a good deal,”

“Sungchan-“

“Just give it a shot,” he stopped her. “And if you still feel the same, I’ll leave you alone,”

Yn looked at him, thinking for a moment, rationalizing with herself. But looking at him, she realized she knew what her answer was.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “One week,”

Sungchan grinned. He held out his hand and indicated for her to enter her number. She entered it.

They said a quick goodbye to each other, before sungchan stopped again. “Unblock me on Twitter, please,”

Taglist; @allyoops @snowyseungs @seobstarr @hollxe1 @haeeeeefer @dinosluver @sseastar-main @st4rryhae @m1ng1swife @hisrkive @papichulomacy @so-lychee @nicholasluvbot @woonagi-lemon @lazuligi , @julsinglee @daegale @leehanascent @bambisnc @nctrawberries @taroddori @mamuljji @chuutaroo @wonychu @wiggledingle @injunnie-lemon @ssweetreveries @kyusqult @enhacolor @7thgyu

[nothomegal]

“The little owl family” (Part 3)

(RZ!Michael Myers x GNReader)

Summary: your and your little sister’s life had an 180° turn when your parents got into a severe car crash, dying on the spot. You, being already past 18 had to figure out how to keep things afloat and give yourself, specially your sister, a good future. And you did! It was hard but you did it and became the absolute hero in the little girl’s eyes. People would often involuntary smile at the dynamic of your two, so wholesome and supportive, the perfect family bond.Bond that a certain Boogeyman noticed as well…

Warnings: typical mentions of murder, Mikey being obsessive and violent.

Word Count: 4k. (Sorry for so much text- )

Additional info: Gender Neutral reader. (S/N) = sister’s name.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)

Both siblings have returned home after making a visit to the plice station. (Y/N) was a bit moody but mostly relieved that the police finally listened. They already visited the station, the day after finding the dinosaur drawing, but of course everyone thought they were crazy for freaking out over a scrible, saying that maybe some teens saw them around the Myers house and decided to prank them. They had non of it yet couldn't do much, the only advice the cop gave them was to close the doors and keep the inside of the house private.

Now however, when the police heard (S/N)'s testimony that's when they took it more serious. Sure, the probability of it being some dumbass dressing up to be funny was there, yet it worth checking just in case, specially when knowing that the real Michael Myers kidnapped his sister. And who knows, maybe he'll do the same but with some random child...

—"(Y/N)..."—

(S/N)'s gentle voice shut all overwhelming thoughts inside (Y/N)'s mind. They slowly put the knife next to the cooking board and look at their sister.

—"What is it songbird? Still scared?"—

The girl fidgets with her fingers a bit while staring on the tiled kitchen floor. Eventually she sighs and her arms drop.

—"I'm sorry..."—

(Y/N) blinks a couple of times, confused with their sudden apology.

—"Sorry? For what?"— you ask, genuinely confused.

—"For starting all this mess... I think Terry is right, I'm just a scaredy cat that overreacted."— she says, her expression guilty.

Their eyes widened slightly, they walk over to their sister and kneel in front of her.

—"You did nothing wrong sweetheart, you actually did the right thing! The police is there to help, to protect us."— you say softly as you cup her cheek. —"And you better get ready because tomorrow I'll say Terry some not-so-nice things to that goblin so he leaves you alone."—

—"It's... It's not about Terry anymore, it's about you (Y/N)."— she lowers her gaze even more. —"I- I don't like how much you have to worry now, and it's all because of me! If-... If I just stayed quiet, if I didn't ask to see that dumb old house we would be okay and happy, and we would be able to celebrate Halloween!... I ruined it all I- "—

Before (S/N) could continue with her rant, her sibling wraps their arms around her form tightly, holding her close in silence for a few seconds.

—"I said you did nothing wrong. This situation could've happe to anyone, and we got the unluky number. I know you're worried about me and I admit that I may not be at my best state, but it will pass eventually and everything will be right again."— you lean back a bit, your gaze warm. —"We just need to hold on a bit, until the police catches that scary man. I'm sure it will be soon."—

(S/N), more calm, nods as she wipes the little tears that were threatning to slide down her cheeks.

—"Was that man Michael Myers?... Is he the Boogeyman?..."—

(Y/N)'s body goes stiff as they think what to answer. They haven't told their sister about the stranger's identity, not wanting to scare her even further but it seems like (S/N) started to figure out the whole situation by herself.

—"I-... I don't know."— you sigh, but she doesn't seem convinced. —"Myers is supposed to be in the asylum and- "—

—"He escaped... Did he?"— she glances at you.

After a little pause, their sibling nods, their expression a bit sad, even ashamed for trying to keep her oblivious. But the girl had no anger or resentment in her eyes, but a desire to know.

—"What did he do so everyone are so scared of him?..."—

—"I'm... I'm not sure you want to know that... Long story short; very scary and bad things."—

—"What things? Please tell me (Y/N)! I promise I won't get scared!"— she begs you in a childish tone.

(Y/N) remains quiet, thinking. Eventually they sigh and stand up.

—"You better take a sit, I'll go get you a poptart."— you simply say.

The girl gets a little spine chill, both excited and worried about what her sibling is about to tell her. Ones the girl took her sit on the dining table and was munching the sweet treat, (Y/N) starts speaking while resuming their cooking.

—"Last year, a few days before Halloween, all grown up Michael Myers escaped. He killed people while doing it, and not in a pretty way..."—

(S/N) freezes mid bite.

—"K-Killed?..."—

—"Yes... Killed. One of the victims was one of his caretakers, a sweet old man that was there since he was a kid..."—

(Y/N) could see how physically uncomfortable their sister got, even if the details of how he killed him weren't mentioned. They began to feel bad for the little girl and were ready to stop the 'story telling', but the girl proved to be tougher than expected.

—"And what happened after he escaped?..."—

—"He... He tracked his little sister, that is now a teen. He murdered her adoptive parents, a friend and then kiddnapped her, nearly killing her as well in the process. The sister survived though, and Michael Myers supposedly died when she shot him, but as we can see he didn't..."—

The little girl listens quietly, taking in the information and shrinking on her sit every second, the munched poptart still untouched in her shaky hands.

—"Is he... Is he coming to kills us?"— she finally asks.

There are a few seconds of silence, until (Y/N) breaks it, their tone loud, strict, cold... Yet burning with anger and determination.

—"I won't allow it."— and you meant it. —"If he dares to come, I will break every single limb of his. He's not touching you while I'm still breathing."—

Such tone took (S/N) off guard, she never saw her sibling be so cold and serious about anything.

—"But... But what if he hurts you?..."—

—"He won't. Mom and dad won't allow him."— you reply with a softer tone and then turn towards her. —"Even if they're not here, they still taking care of us. We'll be okay, songbird. I promise."— you smile.

The girl remains silent, observing their expression to see if they're just pretending, but (Y/N)'s look and words seemed genuine. She eventually smiles back with a toothy grin.

—"You're right! Bet the ghost of mom and dad are going to haunt him if he dares to come!"—

—"Oh they definetely will! Dad was scary but angry mom was even scarier!"—

And the dull atmosphere from before vanished in a blink of an eye, the siblings talking about random topic which would make them either laugh or argue. The tunes coming out from the speaker only made their afternoon even better, singing or even dancing, anything to keep the dark thoughts away.

But of course, they weren't enjoying it alone. The dark presence was outside, hiding in the shadows. Even though he couldn't see (Y/N) through the windows anymore, due to the curtains they strictly maintained closed, their tone alone was enough to make him feel the same adrenaline spike, his chest heavy with some sort of excitement. The way their cold voice managed to penetrate and shake every single bone and muscle inside of him was an indescribable feeling, yet so, so adicting. They knew who he is, the atrocities he commited and how much of a threat he is, yet they made it clear how many fucks they give about it, only worrying about the safety of the little one.

And now... Now that the atmosphere inside of the house changed, so did his mood. The way they both laughed, chanted, danced... Every single interaction between these two radiated with warmth, warmth strong enough to keep the crude outside world away from their little happy home.

From their little happy family...

Happy family...

He should be envious of them, he should be mad at them for having what he could never have, she should try to destroy it, to destroy the both of them so he stops feeling bad...!

But... He doesn't. He doesn't feel bad at all, none of these negative and destructive feelings are haunting him, not ones. It's the oposite, he actually feels warmth whenever he observes them, some alien coziness that unknowingly to him would make his body relax and gaze soft. He's not sure why he feels like this, but he can't deny the fact that if feels good... Peaceful, he feels at peace for ones in his wretched life.

He should be content with that, with what he has it should be enough, it should... But he knows that his mind will crave for more...

And it's only a matter of time before he loses control.

. . .

October 28th.

The last couple of days been pretty uneventful, the 'Boogeyman' wasn't mentioned anymore and didn't appear ones, even the owl family resumed their carefree lifestyle and were already teaching their babies to fly!

But unfortunately, tonight the siblings couldn't observe the birds due to a hard storm outside. Rain, wind, thunder, you named it all.

(S/N) was in (Y/N)'s room, she was quite scared of thunders so of course she would ask to sleep with their sibling who, unlike the young one, was probably having the best sleep of their life.

The bed was quite wide so they both fit without any issue, each one with their own blanket.

At some point though, a particulary loud thunder resonated, which made (S/N) cuddle closed to (Y/N). The mentioned sibling woke up due the loud sound but thought nothing of it, ready to close their eyes and go back to sleep.

But suddenly, an alarming feeling striked in their gut. Something felt wrong, is the air colder? Heavier? Is their heartbeat too loud? Is the house too silent? It's hard to tell what exactply isn't right, but they know something is.

They suddenly sit up, their eyes wide and staring at the door. The little girl felt the sudden movement and also sit up, though her form sleepy and confused.

—"Uh?... What's wrong?"— she mumbles before yawning.

—"...I don't know."— you reply, still staring at the door.

The girl blinks a couple of times and also looks at the door. They both remain in this position completely still, barely breathing, until a very faint thud resonated somewhere downstairs. Sure, the noise could mean whatever, but the sense of dread inside of (Y/N) only increased, demanding them to take actions.

—"{Songbird.}"— you whisper, your tone urgent. —"{I want you to tiptoe towards the closet and hide in there, do not come out until I say so.}"—

—"{B-But- }"—

She has no time to ask questions because (Y/N) had stand up and was already searching under their bed for something. They eventually find what they've been looking for, a hunting rifle.

They then look up and glance at their sister, who was completely frozen on the bed with a horrified expression.

—"{Just go hide, please. And if things get ugly...}"— you pause, glancing at the door briefly. —"{Then run away, run towards our next house neighbors and ask them to call the police, okay?"}—

—"{But (Y/N)!... Y-You-...}"—

They nudge her side gently, silently telling her to stop talking and hide. With a huge effort the girl manages to make her body move again and as quietly as she could she made her way towards the closet, hiding her form inside and gently closing the door.

(Y/N) remained in place, near the bed with the rifle already pointing at the door. For solid five minutes absolutely nothing happened, the wind kept howling, the rain pouring and the thunders striking, but nothing else, there were no more odd sounds inside the hou-

Footsteps, the unmistakable sound of footsteps resonated from the stairs. Whoever was walking was doing it slowly, casually even, as if they owned the place. (Y/N) kept their posture, pre aiming at the door and simply waiting, if the intruder is bold enough to enter into their room they'll shoot without thinking twice. Sure, the idea of killing another human is scary and definetely puts their mind even more on edge, but it's either their and (S/N)'s or the intruder's life.

The footsteps eventually stop right in front of the door. There are another good few minutes of silence but it's suddenly interrupted by a loud and bright thunder, which illuminated the whole room and the hall. And right there, through the door crack, they saw an unmistakable shadow of a human.

With no time to waste and with enough evidence that there is an intruder, (Y/N) pulls the trigger.

BANG!

A faint line of smoke is coming out the rifle, but there was no thud or screams of pain at the other side of the door, nothing.

They remain in position for a while but after not hearing anything, or seeing through the tiny hole they just made, (Y/N) slowly lowers the gun, questioning if there even was someone or it's actually their unhealthy paranoia getting the best of them.

They got their answer when the door practically flew off it's hanles and a giant dark mass charged at them. They try to aim and shoot again but the intruder is way faster and manages to grab the end of the rifle and tilt it up the moment (Y/N) pulls the trigger again, making them shoot at the ceiling.

They both struggle, (Y/N) desperately trying to get the gun free but the intruder is way too strong, he's also big, which makes it nearly impossible to push away.

Realizing that things are actually about to get ugly, they shout.

—"(S/N)! RUN!"—

The closet door swings open and the little girl sprints out the room, quietly crying and extremely scared. The massive stranger stopped for a brief moment when he heard the girl, it was just a moment of stillness that ended up with him practically ripping off the rifle out of (Y/N)'s grasp and throwing it agains the wall with great force.

The next thing they know is that the intruder managed to get to their neck. Ones has a firm hold of it, he stands up to his full height and slams their body against the wall, knocking out any oxygen left in their lungs. It didn't stop (Y/N) from struggling though, doing their best to land a kick on his stomack or the lower (and more painful) parts, yet their attempts were cut short when the stranger began to squeeze their neck with both hands, making their struggles weaker.

Eventually, the lack of oxygen began to affect (Y/N) and their arms drop and their body goes numb. Only when they nearly fainted, is when the stranger lose his grip, not enough to let go but enough to let them breathe as they're kept in place.

Durning this little moment of calm another thunder striked and illuminated the room, allowing them to see the emotionless face of the stranger, staring right into their sould.

—"{Myers...}"— you mouth breathlessly.

A sudden little thud followed by a rubber squeak got their attention. (Y/N)'s eyes wide and fill with terror when they see (S/N) standing in the doorway with a little pile of toys in one arm.

—"Leave them alone! You ugly monster!"—

She exclaims as she throws another toy into Michael's broad back, the toy making little to no harm. The man merely glances over his shoulder, his gaze now focused on her little frame.

—"You're mad at us because we visited your home, are you?! (Y/N) did absolutelly nothing wrong, we went there because of me! I am the guilty one! You should've punish me instead!"—

She exclaims again, tears sliding down her cheeks like rivers yet she didn't care. The girl stood high and threw another toy.

—"Or you want to take them away?! I know you have a little sister too, I- "— she hiccups a bit. —"I can be your new little sister! Please take me! Punish me! B-But please! Please leave (Y/N) alone!"—

The girl ends up desperately sobbing, both scared of the man in front of her and the fact that her sibling may disappear forever. Michael slowly turns towards her as he lets go of (Y/N), their body falling into the floor as they gasp for air.

The man starts to slowly and menacingly walk towards (S/N). The girl suddenly realized the mess she just got herself into as she starts to back away, throwing the rest of her toys at the man in a desperate attempt to slow him down, but all they did is bounce off his body into the floor.

—"W-Wait! Ne-Never mind! I- I ch-changed my mind! I don't want t-to go anywhere!"— she lets out a squeak when her back hit the wall in the hall.

The massive man gets even closer, his shadow making the already dark house even darker, darkness that threatens to engulf anything and never let go. The girl lets out a terrified cry as she shields herself with her hands.

—"(Y/N)!"—

The desperate cry of their name made them regain their conscience quickly, they see Michael Myers being just two feets away from their sister, blocking any escape with his broad figure as he extends his hand towards the little girl. Oh god he's about to strangle her just like he attempted with them!

(S/N) is in danger.

They must save her.

No matter what.

But what both siblings failed to see, was the way Michael moved his arm towards the little girl. His movements where slow and smooth, no aggression reflected in them.

When he was about to brush his finger agains (S/N)'s arm, a spartan-like war cry resonated behind him and something cold was wrapped around his neck. (Y/N) tugs the thick wire back rougly, causing the behemoth to stumble backwards, leaving enough room for (S/N) to escape.

—"RUN GODDAMNIT!"— you yell.

And this time (S/N) listens, sprinting through the stairs as fast as her body allows, leaving the house and not return.

The struggle between Michael and (Y/N) continued, they held tightly into the wire, trying to squeaze it even more while Michael attempted to get them off his back. The man eventually gets the solution and slams his body, back first, agains the wall, but (Y/N) doesn't give up. He repeats this maneuver a couple of times until their grip is lose enough to peel them off him and throw them into the floor.

The fall didn't go well, (Y/N) ended up going face first into the floor, but whatever pain they felt is quickly overshadowed by the adrenaline rushing through their veins. They know they won't be able to kill this monster, they know they're going to die, they know they have no chance, they know... But they refuse to go down so easily.

Durning the struggle, it seems like the man dropped his weapon, which (Y/N) had already grabbed as they stand up again. They hold the knife tightly as they stare into the man’s eyes, blood was leaking through their nose down their chin like a river. And despite this, despite all of these disadvantages, they stand hight and ready to keep fighting.

The killer must think they’re insane for even daring to get back to their feet, that they’re delusional for attempting to fight back… But (Y/N) does not care, not when their most loved one is in danger.

Michael remains completely still, looking at (Y/N)’s form. The moment their eyes made contact again, the same spine chill jolted through his body. The feeling was electrifying, so adictive, it began to intoxicate his mind, his eyes half lidded and breath heavy. He shouldn't be like this, (Y/N)'s eyes should not cause his body to react like that, but he can't help it...

Their eyes... There was no fear on them, only cold rage, a burning determination to protect and fight back. This gaze could be compared to the one of a wild wolf protecting an injured member of their pack.

The sacrifice they were ready to make in order to protect their sister caused Michael to feel a bit of respect towards them... Maybe even admiration, no, obsession. He was obsessed with their eyes, with their voice, with them... He was obsessed with (Y/N).

They both remains still, but eventually, and to their misfortune, Michael makes a move. He charges at them but (Y/N) seemed to learn from their previous mistake as they step aside and make a clear slash on his shoulder, causing the man release a low groan.

They attempt to stab him on the neck but Michael quickly grabs their wrist mid attack and tightly squeezes it, to the point that he felt something pop inside and right after that the knife was released from their grasp. But (Y/N) still refused to give up, this time they attepts to land a hit on his face or grab his mask, attempt that was cut short when Michael pushed them into the floor and practically tackled them.

(Y/N) glares daggers at him, their gaze hateful.

—"Don't you get it you sick fuck?!"— you exclaim, voice full of anger.

Michael only tilts his head, action that only pisses (Y/N) off.

—"I am not stopping, I won't stop fighting, not when my sister is in danger! Not while I'm still breathing!"—

And after these words they start struggling under Michael's large body, as the man himself got entranced with them again. Their bloodied visage looked so beautiful to him for some reason, their eyes filled with hate, not only towards him, but towards everything in the world made his breath shake. If it was any other victim he would be frustrated with such behavior... But not with (Y/N), never with them.

At some point, their struggles began to morph into quiet sobs, desperate and disappointed. They were disappointed with themselves, their helplessness and their inability to protect (S/N), not from this monster. They failed her...

They look away and bite their lip, holding their cries as best as possible, not wanting this beast to see them cry, to give him the joy watching them slowly break. This new picture of (Y/N) caused something inside of Michael's chest squeeze painfully, this new broken and vulnerable (Y/N) was very different from the previous one. It may not cause him the same thrill, but in ignites a new emotion, something he though he lost very, very long ago...

Protectiveness.

The same one he felt when he saw Angel cry, when she cowered away from him before he tried to reveal himself... And even after she tried to escape, he still felt protective of her in his own way... And now he feels it towards (Y/N).

Michael's head then straightens as he began to lean down, closer to them. (Y/N) tries to use their last bits of strength to push him away, slow him down, anything to keep him away from killing them in that same instant. When they feel his large arms wrap around their form, they shut their eyes tightly, expecting to feel pain at any second as he breaks their body limb by limb... But that doesn't happen.

They keep their eyes closed for a solid minute, and when still nothing happen, they open them just to be greeted by Michael's large form holding them in a tight embrace. His body warm despite his clothes being wet, the heat slightly soothing any pain in (Y/N)'s body, but not their mind. Being this close they can feel how powerful and strong Michael's body is, even embraced they can barely move, he could easily break their spine at any moment with enough force if he wanted to...

But (Y/N) had no time to question it or had any strength to push him since the adrenaline started to worn off and their vision and senses to slowly black out.

They're not sure how long Michael held them, but eventually he let go and stood up as the plice sirens got closer. He throws one last glance at (Y/N)'s nearly unconscious form before grabbing his knife and walking away.

But, it wasn't the last time they will see him...

Because the monster inside of him will force him to return…

[daydreamer999]

The Scars that Make Us

Summary: Tensions rise when Earth-2 Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen enter their Earth to escape Zoom's wrath. Using this as an opportunity to grow closer, Barry shares the stories behind his scars on her body..... and discovers the stories behind hers.

WARNING: Some sexual and Triggering content ahead, nothing too graphic, but minors do not interact. Triggers: I will be touching on child abuse, if you are not in a safe place to be reading this, I will put a Trigger Warning again when it happens.

Barry Allen x Plus Size Reader

<

Despite the growing threat of Zoom looming over Team Flash, Barry Allen had an ever-persistent smile on his face since Christmas. And it wasn't hard for his Team to tell it was all because of his soulmate.

Only having been together for a few months, with dates few and far between scattered between those months, it was clear for anyone with eyes to see that he was head over heels in love with Y/n. He would constantly gush about her little quirks, or would sigh dreamily as he ate a home cooked meal for once saying that Y/n wanted to make sure he ate well. Barry would always tell her and anyone who'd listen how appreciative he was of her for being so understanding of his unpredictable schedule. Only to have her wave him off and kiss his cheek before wishing him luck, leaving him frozen in his spot a second longer than should be normal for the fastest man alive.

But to his family, it was so adorable to see them together, and to see Barry finally relax and happy for once, to let all of his walls down. But today was one of the rare days that Y/n didn't come into the Cortex with Barry. And most of the added Team members were busy with their other jobs, so it was only Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, and Harry standing in the Cortex. While Harry and Cisco were by a whiteboard the elder man had set up to run calculations, Caitlin was running some tests on Barry.

"Isn't this great? Feels like the good old days, except without a creepy lookalike who tried to kill us," Cisco finally broke the silence excitedly as he looked at the Team he originally grew with, but quickly remedied and apologized when Harry shot him a look. Harry let out a huff before admitting, "It is nice to work with you all, even you Ramon."

Caitlin and Barry chuckled as Cisco let out an excited noise and fist pumped the air, "See I knew you'd warm up to me eventually!"

"Oh, I'll deny it if you try and tell the others," Harry countered so quickly that it left Cisco floundering for a moment as he watched the man walk away with the marker to fill up another board. Cisco just pouted, "That's just cold man."

"As nice as having the original team is, we need to at least accept one addition to that group," Caitlin broke through as she shot a pointed look and a smirk at Barry. Barry turned his head towards her and blushed when he noticed they were all shooting him with matching looks. Shifting in his chair he turned his eyes back to Cait, "What do you mean?"

"Well..... Y/n's your soulmate. As much as I like the rest of our additional team, I won't think of them as us, the Original Team. But with Y/n it's different, isn't it?" Caitlin observed. Barry's lips twitched upward at the mention of his soulmate's name, but he out a sigh as he nodded, "Isn't it always different with your soulmate?"

"Yes... But the scars on your back," Caitlin started and observed her friend as he stiffened at the mention of them. Harry and Cisco exchanged looks but kept quiet and watched the other two as Caitlin continued, "When you fell into your coma, and I was your caretaker, I noticed those on your back. At first, I thought they may have been from your lightening strike, when you fell into the beakers, but then I realized they were all older than that. Of course we found out you healed really quickly once you woke up, so I didn't think much of it again until I saw Y/n and her scars she got the night the Particle Accelerator exploded." Barry's eyes were trained down on the floor, his face marred with sadness as tension filled the air. The silence felt impenetrable before Caitlin quietly asked, "They're her scars aren't they?"

Barry's eyes fluttered upward to try and fight the tears and muttered, "I got them not long after my father was wrongfully convicted of my mom's murder." Barry's eyes turned back towards the teams who were all looking at him with sympathy. Caitlin put a comforting hand on his shoulder as she spoke quietly, "For years you've held her scars. She's been with you since before you met us.... that makes her part of our team, our original team. And we take care of our own." Caitlin paused as she rubbed the Speedster's arm comfortingly, before she stared, "Barry, her scars..... They don't just happen by accident. Someone put those there."

Barry sucked in a breath as he shook his head, "How am I supposed to approach this subject? I mean, I haven't felt her pain since I was eighteen, so whoever it was, she got away from them, but.... they hurt her for years Cait." The tension was thick within the Cortex before Harry capped his marker and spoke, "Go to her, you guys still have a lot to discuss. When we've modified the weapon to take down Zoom, we'll call you." Barry nodded gratefully as he wiped away his tears before standing up and speeding away leaving a flurry of paper behind him. Cisco sighed and turned to Caitlin, "How come we always forget to invest in paperweights?"

Caitlin just shook her head and let out a small chuckle as her eyes trailed the mess of paperwork she'd have to clean up once again.

Y/n walked into the Cortex 48 hours later after Barry showed up unannounced at her apartment and kissed the living daylights out of her. What was supposed to have been a serious talk between two soulmates, ended up being a passion filled love making session that had left her absolutely breathless. Barry had worshipped her in ways she never knew possible and she discovered he could vibrate on top of everything else? Y/n didn't know what she did to deserve him, but she thanked every star in the sky that Barry was hers and she was his.

She was absolutely wrecked by the time Barry was called by Harry saying they needed to go. Barry held back just enough to finish the call before he finished her for the fourth and final time.

He had sped through the cleaning process, cleaning her gently, but she was so sensitive that her hips had involuntarily thrust in his direction despite how spent and tired she was. Barry had quickly cleaned himself as well, before rolling back to lay on her, kissing her passionately.

"Barry," Y/n moaned, trying (and failing) to pull away, before she resorted to tugging his hair to reluctantly pull his lips away from her, "Barry, don't they need you?" Barry's eyes searched hers with such intensity before he said, "I'm not done with you yet. When I get back, we're going to continue where we left off." Y/n's cheeks warmed as she smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now go save the world Flash. You'll get your reward later." Barry shot her a dazzling smile before giving her one last toe curling kiss. And then in a flash, she was left naked, and alone with no trace that her soulmate had been there, other than the fresh bouquet of (favorite/flower)s now on her nightstand.

A warmth curled deep within her as Y/n's lips twitched upward into a playful smile at the memory, wishing her legs could move just as fast as Barry's so she could just kiss him silly. She had received a text from him telling her he was safe and sound back on their Earth in the Cortex. So there she walked, wanting nothing more than to be back home with Barry tucked at her side. But instead, she walked into S.T.A.R. Labs at a normal pace, with her hands buried in her pockets nervously playing with a small package she wanted to gift specifically to Cisco and Caitlin.

"There you are, I was beginning to worry," said Doctor's voice had sounded, bouncing off the walls of the quiet hallway. Y/n's two toned eyes gazed at her new found friend, "Caitlin! I was hoping I'd run into you." Caitlin's smile never left her face, although her head tilted to the side as she observed Y/n's cheery demeanor.

"You're in an awfully good mood," Caitlin spoke with a quirk of her brow. Y/n's own twitched to furrow but she kept her smile on her face, "Of course, why wouldn't I be? Barry's back, and he's safe. I felt no pain, which means he didn't get hurt. Why? What's up Caity?" Caitlin's mouth did turn towards a frown as she asked, "Did Barry not talk to you before he left?"

Y/n's cheeks warmed causing Caitlin's brows to shoot upward as the full figured woman admitted, "Well.... he did visit, but we didn't do much talking." Y/n's eyes nervously flitted toward her friend as she watched in amusement as Caitlin's own cheeks began to flush a deep red, her eyes going wide, "Oh." Was her prim response.

Nervously chuckling, the two started to make their way towards the Cortex in awkward silence before Y/n grinned at her friend, "Oh, before I forget, I thought I would get you and Cisco a little gift.... from Barry and I," she tacked on with a quirk of her lips and a shrug of her shoulder. Caitlin just studied her friend for a moment before her face broke out in awe and amusement when Y/n pulled out little paperweights with lightning bolts engraved in them. "Oh my god," the Doctor spoke out quietly as she held the gift reverently in her hands before turning to Y/n when she said nervously, "I know it's small, but Barry was telling me how sorry he feels for leaving a mess behind every single time he speeds out, and that you guys have always mentioned in investing in some but haven't grabbed any yet."

"This is perfect N/n, thank you, seriously, Cisco is gonna love it when I show these to him, and I already love it so much," Caitlin gushed wholeheartedly. Y/n beamed as they made the rest of the way to in relative silence, Caitlin beaming down at the gift in her hand every now and then, while Y/n tried to contain her soaring heart as she heard her soulmate's voice echo down the hall from where he stood with the others. When they finally crossed the threshold, her smile instantly dropped though as she felt a deep pain in her chest at the sight in front of her. There standing in the middle of the Cortex was her soulmate with his hands around Iris, both of them dressed as if they just went back in time, and Barry had adorable glasses on his face that made him look dorky. But they were talking intimately to each other, and were closer than what Y/n had seen them be in the past.

Her heart felt as if it was being ripped out when she saw the two kiss. Her two toned eyes immediately welled with tears before she felt her face crumble into one of heartbreak. Y/n heard something akin to whimper echo through the Cortex, and immediately all eyes turned to her. Feeling her legs begin to shake beneath her when Barry's eyes met hers, and all she could see was confusion and that he seemed to not recognize her. With that revelation, she felt her body crumble into the table behind her.

Eddie, whom also looked greatly disturbed by the sight in front of him, was at her side trying to hold her up as he spoke quietly, "Y/n, it's not what you think, they're-"

"Y/n?" She heard Barry call for her, causing her head to turn towards the side past Eddie to see Barry standing in normal clothes. He was in front of her in an instant, blocking her view of the other Barry still holding Iris close to his body.

Her own eyes focused on the green ones that gazed at her with worry and care. Her hands came to wrap around the wrists of his own hands which held her face delicately, his thumbs stroking underneath her eyes wiping away her tears. She focused on his voice as he spoke soothingly, "Hey, hey, I'm right here N/n, I'm right here."

"Barry?" Y/n choked causing his eyes to well up with tears before he closed them and his jaw clenched. Resting his forehead against hers he spoke lovingly, "It's alright, I'm right here sweetheart. I promise."

Y/n closed her own eyes and focused on her soulmate's soothing voice as he continued to whisper sweet nothings to her. When the pain in her chest became a dull throb, she pulled away only slightly, so that she could look Barry in the eye as she asked. "Who are they?"

Barry pulled away and turned his body so that Y/n could look at his copy and Iris closely, the both of whom were already watching Barry and her with frowns and furrowed brows. Barry ignored their confused looks as he introduced, "Y/n, this is Barry and Iris from Earth-2, our doppelgangers. They were about to get killed by Zoom so we took them here to protect them for the time being while we figured out what to do," Barry then turned his attention to the doppelgangers, "Guys, this is Y/n, my soulmate."

"Soulmate? So you aren't married to, or mated to Iris here?" The other Barry asked looking completely scandalized at the thought. Barry, her Barry, look as if he was about to slap his doppelganger silly but Y/n just let out a watery laughed, her own tears finally slowing down as she explained and pointed to Eddie, "No, Eddie and Iris are happily together and soulmates here. Besides I think it would be kind of weird, didn't you two grow up as siblings?' Y/n finished as she directed that question to her own Barry. She could feel the tension leave him as he huffed out a laugh and gave a nod, "Yeah, I mean, I did have a crush on her when I was younger but it was made very clear very early on she wasn't my soulmate so I gave up on that silly crush. She's been my sister ever since."

Y/n rubbed his arm soothingly, noticing that he was still very uncomfortable with everything going on. But he only stiffened further when Iris' doppelganger blurted out, "Oh, that's why he seemed so awkward when I kissed him!"

"I'm sorry, he got frisky with you?!" The other Barry yelled more than a little outraged.

"You kissed my doppelganger?" Y/n heard a familiar voice say beside her, causing her to turn and see Iris dressed as she would normally be. Even Eddie looked uncomfortable with this information as did everyone else. None more so than Barry who looked like he was one second away from bolting, with Y/n in tow if his hand twitching as it held her hip tightly was anything to go by. But her own thoughts were quietly drawn in on the fact that Iris, their Iris, didn't look disturbed by this information as everyone else did. And that didn't sit well with her at all. Y/n's defensiveness immediately rose to the surface as she turned on Doppelganger Barry and Iris, who she was looking forward to calling sister one day, as she snapped, "Do you two have selective hearing. She kissed him, not the other way around."

"Your not mad?" Her Barry asked quietly. Y/n's two toned eyes flitted towards his green ones where she sent him a smirk and flirted, "Of course not. As long as you didn't kiss her on purpose. But... I don't like the idea of another woman's lips being the last ones you touched. I'm gonna have to remedy that." Y/n was pleased by the hitch in his breath and his dilating pupils which found their way to her lips. His eyes staring at them with longing as he nodded, "I find those terms agreeable. Should we go now?"

Y/n chuckled before saying, "We should get these two settled in first Barr. Then I think I promised you a hero's reward once you returned home." She watched intrigued as lightning danced in his eyes before he closed them and pulled her closer as he tried to take a calming breath, "Later, got it. Are you sure we can't leave now? I think they can handle them-"

"Barry," she chuckled in warning causing him to groan and open his eyes as he glared ahead of him in determination, "Right, right. That can wait. Later .... not too much later though right?"

"All good things come to those who wait," Y/n giggled causing Barry to huff, "That's not fair. Waiting for me takes an eternity."

Pulling him down she whispered in his ear, "If you can wait, I'll wear the special present I got just for you tonight." She pulled back to watch his face go blank and a blush consume his cheeks. A spark of lightning danced off his forehead and causing the group to laugh in amusement as Cisco said, "Whatever you said N/n, I think it broke him."

They chuckled some more as a minute later Barry sparked to life as he said, "Yeah. Let's wait, waiting sounds good." Y/n giggled before kissing his cheek softly and turning back towards the Earth 2 refugees and asking, "So, how did you two meet?"

The tension broke between the couple, both seemingly relieved that Barry's soulmate (even from a different Earth and a different Barry) seemed to think them worthy of their time. Y/n could only assume they thought so much of her because she was the Flash's soulmate here, a superhero they also knew of and valued back on their Earth.

Iris smiled up adoringly at her husband when she said, "I met him on my first case as a detective." The other Barry blushed as he turned towards his wife and smiled adoringly while Iris continued, "He was just this adorable bumbling CSI that had the tendency to ramble when he got nervous or excited and while many of the other detectives found him annoying. I just found it so endearing. I was flirting with him trying to see if he felt the same, but he just didn't seem to get it." E-2 Barry blushed while calm laughter filled the Cortex and Barry said spoke up in his defense, "Don't worry, I've been told I'm rather clueless too." Y/n only hummed as she melted into her soulmate's side and gave the couple another reassuring smile as she asked, "So how did you two find out you were each other's soulmates?"

E-2 Barry spoke up this time, his eyes turning a touch sad as he clutched his own mate close to his side, "A year after working together, Iris got caught up in a case that went deeper than we thought possible.... There was corruption in our department, and she and I were the only ones who discovered it, but they didn't realize that I also knew. They only took Iris hostage.... and she would have died that night if I didn't feel the connection through our soul bond." E-2 Iris rubbed her husband's back reassuringly before saying in a more playful tone, "After I was fully recovered, we decided that there was no point in waiting. He kissed me breathless and we've been together ever since. We got married six months ago."

"Congratulations," Y/n praised genuinely happy for the couple in front of her. They thanked her in unison with matching grins before E-2 Barry's smile fell slightly as his brow furrowed, "I don't mean to seem rude... but... how did you two find out you were soulmates? You two don't have matching scars."

Y/n felt Barry stiffen beside her but she laughed easily and looked up at her own Barry adoringly, "Well this knucklehead decided to go and get struck by lightning and got his powers from that. His scar healed up, but what you see on me, is what he would have looked like if the lightning hadn't mixed with the Dark Matter from the Particle Accelerator and made him the Flash." E-2 Iris frowned as did E-2 Barry as they looked between the power couple before asking the full figured woman, "It doesn't bother you? That him being the Flash could give you more scars?"

Y/n sucked in a harsh breath before her face hardened and she spoke with such strong conviction she left no room for argument, "I'm proud of Barry for doing what he believes is right. He could very easily become another Zoom, but he's using his powers for good, and to help others. And until this past Christmas, I thought he was dead, I didn't get any other scars, so if he did get hurt from being the Flash he healed quick enough it didn't affect me." Team Flash turned to Y/n in surprise at this information, before they exchanged looks with each other as Cisco added, "That explains so much!"

Y/n's eyes flicked over towards her friend, her brows still furrowed into a hard glare as she asked, "What does?"

Caitlin stepped in and supplied, "We were just curious as to why you thought Barry could be dead when we first met you. He had so many injuries that would have left scars if he didn't have super healing that we were sure you must have had over the months he became the Flash. But now it's gotten me curious as to how you now have that scar and Barry doesn't?"

"Well, maybe Barry did have it initially," Harry added, easily stepping into the head father figure of Team Flash that had been empty since the Fake Wells died last year. Barry noted how easily they all got distracted to the scientific aspect of things rather quickly but couldn't find it in himself to care as he asked, "How do you figure?"

"Well, our initial hypothesis was that Y/n got scars just like the rest of of the soulmate's in the world, which would be immediate, and whatever scars didn't show on you, would be evident on her. But now we know that all of your injuries never showed up on her all those months that you two never knew each other. What if, the Dark Matter didn't change your DNA instantaneously? What if you did have that scar? Long enough for it to effect Miss L/n through your soul bond? It would have given her the scar and sent her in the nine month coma along with you." Harry hypothesized as he began to draw on a whiteboard the timeline between the two.

Eddie spoke up next as he nodded along as he studied the timeline, "It would have been quick though, because I discovered Barry in his lab not even two minutes later and he didn't have a scar when we saw him." Harry pointed at Eddie appreciatively before adding in a two minute window while Barry grinned and fist bumped Eddie who responded in kind. The other two from E-2 looked at the group around them intrigued but confused before their Iris spoke up next to Eddie, "This is all really interesting, but what does this have to do with anything?"

Caitlin explained calmly, "Well, with the rise in number of Metahumans we don't know what that exactly entails for their soulmate's and the bond between them. So it's quite interesting to see in real time the effective bond of soulmates between Meta and Human. What would be another great study is the bond between Meta and Meta as well. And obviously we would need more than just Barry and Y/n here to collect all of our data, but we now have a baseline."

"You guys have a really great support Team here, you two are lucky. We're sorry for any offenses we may have caused with our questions, we're just... curious, this is all so new," E-2 Iris broke through as she stared at Y/n and Barry with acceptance. Y/n's eyes flitted up toward E-2 Barry who also gave her a small lift of his lips and a tilt of head in agreement. Y/n gave them her own but shifted closer to her soulmate for comfort. Barry unconsciously held her closer, sensing Y/n's exhaustion, he turned to Caitlin and said, "We need to find them a place to stay while they're staying here. I'd offer up STAR LABS, but Harry is staying here and seeing as his doppleganger is a well known killer, he can't be wandering around."

Cisco nodded with pursed lips, "We seriously need to add more bedding areas here. It's not like we have don't have the space."

"Yes, but we're workaholics Ramon, if you Allen, and Snow all had place to sleep here versus going home, you'd probably stay here. Hell, you practically keep this place stashed with your grocery list," Harry sassed backed good-naturedly. Y/n could only tiredly giggle as the three scientists who were called out hung there head in shame, knowing Harry was right. Cisco muttering, "Don't have to be mean about it, geez."

Joe cut in with a fond shake of his head before saying to Barry, "They can stay with me Barr, out of everyone here I think I am the one who here who has the space."

Iris frowned and folded her arms, "We have space, don't we Eddie?" With everyone's attention on the blonde detective, he could only shift uncomfortably as his gaze flitted to the two Barry's holding their soulmates. Understanding was clear on both of their faces, E-2 Barry, knowing it would be difficult to see someone else be with a soulmate that looked like his own; and Barry, knowing how awkward and uncomfortable this whole ordeal was in the first place. For that, Eddie was grateful that he knew Barry enough to understand how truly apologetic he was about this situation, and he was grateful that E-2 Barry seemed similar. It was the latter who spoke up surprising the room, as he seemed less confident compared to his Earth 1 counterpart, "Thank you for the offer Iris, but I think for both of our sakes, we'll stay with Joe. It would be the best option for everyone I think."

Iris frowned but the rest of the Cortex seemed to have relaxed. With his gaze shifting down towards his full-figured soulmate, Barry exclaimed, "Alright, now that that's settled, I think we're gonna retire for the night."

Without waiting for a response, Barry grabbed Y/n's plush waist, pulling her close before speeding out of Speed Labs.

Y/n wasn't happy in the slightest since the E-2 refugee's had entered their Earth. It wasn't that she disliked the West-Allen's. They were very nice, and frequented Saints and Sinners while she worked, making her day go by quickly. But, she didn't like how Iris was starting to look at her soulmate because of them.

They still had family dinners, the Wests. And since the West-Allen's were living with Joe, and Barry was his unofficial kid, Barry and Y/n (when she could go) would also be there, and it was when Bart and Iris were sharing their lives together, that Iris, their Iris would share her's and Barry's. And it was made very clear to Y/n that she was easily replaceable.

Joe didn't seem to realize what was going on, but Eddie had a constant frown on his face, just as Y/n had one on her's. She may have even chalked this all up to be a part of her fanciful imaginations, the jealousy of Iris' and Barry's close relationship running rampant. But with how uncomfortable Barry looked, she couldn't help but feel that Iris was doing this on purpose.

It was at one of these very dinner's where she had finally snapped.

Y/n could hear the rest of the Wests (unofficial or otherworldly) laughing as they often talked about their past while sitting in the living room. A frown was permanently drawn on her face, her heart aching in a dull throb in her chest as she listened on to their jovial noises while she prepared the cocktails in the kitchen. Her eyes shifted down her body where she wore what she thought was a cute outfit at first. Black nylons, in thigh high black boots, a burgundy suede mini skirt, and a black long sleeve shirt that hugged her curves. Only, it didn't feel so pretty on her when Iris had turned up wearing the same outfit, making her feel insecure in her own skin. A feeling she hadn't felt since that woman left scars on her back.

Her eyes flicked upward towards the window, where it was pitch black outside, and her reflection was staring back at her. She felt her plump lip waver as her insecurities began to rise, her eyes immediately seeking out her Lichtenberg figure and her clouded grey eye. Her thoughts began to question why Barry even loved her, if that one time when they made love if he was disgusted. They never did do anything after he came back from E-2. He had told her that he didn't want to push her into anything and could feel she was still upset, but a whole four weeks had went by and he has yet to make any more time for her for dates, or even to love her as he did before. Instead, most of his time he spent with Iris and their Earth two counterparts.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Eddie's reflection in the window, making her turn towards the dejected looking cop. He had also seemed to have lost some of his color, looking pasty and white. His usual golden hair, looked more dull, and the deep purple bruises under his eyes emphasized his lack of sleep that matched Y/n's. Eddie's lips quirked into a half-hearted smile, "Do you need help bringing those in."

"I'm a bartender Eddie, I think I can handle seven glasses on a tray," Y/n tried to go for a lighthearted approach, but winced when it came out harsh and cynical.

Eddie chuckled anyways, though it lacked his normal charisma, "Oh, I don't doubt it, it's just... it gets too much sometimes. Being near... them..." he ended weakly, his voice cracking as his eyes fell. The plus sized woman felt her own heart throb painfully as her eyes fell back towards the glasses on the counter. with a sigh and a smile, she nodded at Eddie, "Sure Eds, I could use a hand."

Eddie smiled and approached her, carrying three of the seven glasses, while she balanced the other four with only the steady precision of a waitress. Eddie walked slowly behind her as she walked in more confidently, but stopped when her two toned eyes looked up and saw Iris laughing and touching Barry's chest. Her jaw clenched as Iris loudly exclaimed to their married counterparts, "You know, it's so funny, but apparently in the future Barry and I get married too. We saw the article of his disappearance, and it always says Iris West-Allen as the one who wrote it."

Glass breaking made the whole house go silent, all eyes once again turning to Y/n.

Barry stood up and reached out to her, "N/n-"

"No. Don't fucking touch me," Y/n spat as she glared up at her soulmate, angry tears cascading down her face. Barry visibly flinched but backed away as Y/n's chest rose and fell heavily, her eyes finding Iris' again who looked considerably paler. The dopplegangers had looked uncomfortable as did Joe, but she could hear Eddie behind her struggling to keep a steady breath.

Finding Iris' eyes once more she glared at her," You know Iris, you are one cruel person. I had always looked forward to the day that I called you sister, but now, I have half a mind to break my bond with Barry." She heard Barry let out a sharp gasp, and saw in her peripheral vision that he staggered backwards because of her words. She couldn't help when her own face contorted in pain, but fought it off and glowered at her once more, "You should be ashamed of how you've treated not only my bond with Barry, but your own bond with Eddie. And if he was a crueler man, I can guarantee you, that bullshit you've been pulling on him wouldn't be left unpunished."

Iris' eyes filled with tears as she turned them towards the blond cop who immediately turned his eyes away. Tiredly, he added to Joe as he handed him the drinks, "I think... I'll just go home now. I can't stand being here for another minute."

"Eddie," Iris started as she stood up to approach him, but recoiled when he only shot her a cold look. And she could finally see how tired and heartbroken he really was, "Find somewhere else to stay tonight, I can't even stand to look at you for a minute longer." He finished quietly, his eyes immediately searching anywhere else. Grabbing his coat he turned back to Joe and gave him a soft smile, "I'll see you tomorrow Sir."

Joe could only nod sadly in acknowledgement, as he watched his partner walk out the front door and shut it quietly behind him. Making a mental note to himself, he knew he would as the Captain to give him a week off to deal with this and heal. He felt bad for not realizing sooner what was causing his partner to look so tired and dejected, and he knew having a few days to himself would be best.

All eyes turned back to Y/n as she spoke quietly to Barry, "I was once so excited to be apart of your family, and felt so blessed to have you as my soulmate. But now I just feel like a fool for thinking I could ever complete you." Barry's blue eyes began to water, and he opened his mouth to argue that there was no other but her, but she didn't give him the chance. She turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

!Trigger Warning!

Y/n was sat on the couch, wearing her gift to Barry that she never got to show him, while she watched Lord of the Rings and ate her favorite ice cream. She felt like a cliche, crying, while eating her favorite comfort food, drinking her bottle of Rosa. But she couldn't care less, it was honestly a comfort. And if she didn't know that Lisa would report back to Len, who would in turn kill her soulmate, she would have extended her an invitation while she vented. But her pseudo siblings were much too overprotective of her, and despite the pain Barry put her through (unwittingly so) she still loved him.

With a long suffering sigh, Y/n's eyes stayed on the screen where the ever valliant Aragorn was fighting to protect the hobbits. "Why can't you be real?" she asked quietly as she whisfully watched the noble man.

She heard Barry before she saw him. His tell tale sound of vibrating through her door caused her to look up in shock, her cheeks heating up as she looked down at her barely clothed body. Barry had stopped, his puffy eyes scanning her as his jaw dropped. His own face covered in a scarlet flush though Y/n could see he had been crying.

Clearing her throat she acted as if she wasn't wearing a sheer skimpy cloth that barely covered her intimates, "I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

Barry frowned as he looked her over, "Then who were you dressing up for?"

A sharp sting in her chest made her wince, she didn't like that he didn't seem to trust her. But, she couldn't deny that she wouldn't think the same thing if he had said he wanted to break their bond. Her eyes drifted back to the TV as she said, "For Aragorn and Boromir mostly." Barry's eyes drifted to the screen and she saw his shoulders relax before he turned back to her as she muttered into her glass, "Plus I just wanted to feel pretty."

Barry didn't hesitate to take the last couple steps to where she sat on the couch and sit next her, pulling her into a breathtaking kiss. She felt her tension melt as she sighed against his lips, bringing her arms up to wrap around his neck, where she played with his brown strands. Y/n groaned when he pulled away, but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't go far, his forehead resting against hers as his eyes searched her own, "You aren't just pretty N/n, you're perfect. And I was an idiot to ever make you think I could ever want anyone else but you."

Y/n's face contorted to slight pain as she admitted, "But earlier at dinner, Iris said that you two are gonna be married in the future."

Barry closed his eyes and groaned in annoyance as he cursed his unofficial sister under his breath causing Y/n's two toned eyes to widen and a surprise giggle to leave her mouth. Running his hands through her hair he shook his head, "Y/n, you are the only one for me. I don't know why that stupid article said Iris West-Allen, but I know that no matter what, I won't marry her in any future. Because it's you that I want to share my last name with, its you that I want to have kids with. The only future I want, is the one where your in it."

She felt her eyes sting with tears once more, her own doubt melting away causing her to sniffle and ask jokingly, "Why couldn't you have said that earlier at the Wests?"

Barry joined in her watery chuckle before admitting, "Because unfortunately for you, I'm sometimes an idiot. And also, it was nice to see you put Iris in her place. She was making me uncomfortable." Y/n pulled away to look at him as she mumbled, "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Barry asked.

"I knew you didn't like how she was acting around you. I just knew it, because if you did, and you knew what was going on," Y/n trailed off, as her voice cracked in heartbreak at the very thought. Barry didn't need her to continue to understand that it would have broken her if he ever liked Iris' affections. He couldn't help the shiver of disgust at the thought of being in any form of intimate relationship with her like the one he shared with his perfect soulmate. But instead of dwelling on those thoughts, his eyes scanned her body that was practically bare in front of him.

He felt his jeans begin to tighten, but ignored it as his eyes trailed down her lichtenberg figure, that started on the left side of her face, and trailed down her breast, down to her navel. A sudden urge to trace it with his lips entered his head, and he couldn't resist it, kissing her scarred face, before following the trail down, leaving wet kisses and goosebumps in his wake.

He heard her shaky exhale as she questioned, "Barry?"

"Hmm?" He hummed distractedly as he sucked on her soft plush skin of her stomach.

"What are you doing?" She asked more breathily than before. Barry pulled away and answered earnestly, "Admiring you, and our scars." He watched as her one pupil dilated, and she moaned as she flopped her head back, "Barry..."

He could only chuckle before his eyes honed in on a jagged scar on her knee. He was suddenly hit by the memories of how he got it as he traced it with a bitter smile, "Damn, I had hoped that one would have been gone since it faded on me."

Y/n's two toned eyes fought to focus on the scar he was tracing as she tried to control the raging waves of want for her soulmate. Blinking away her lust, her eyes found the scar on her knee and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped as she also remembered the day she got it, "Yeah, I won't deny I also cursed you that day, you ruined my favorite pair of jeans. It was stained with blood and I could never get it out. Every time I tried walking, it reopened. I got in so much trouble because I always ruined my jeans." The two shared a quiet laugh, before she asked, "So... how did you get it?"

Barry sighed as his eyes found her face, "I had a bully, Tony Woodward, he always beat me up after school, stole my lunch, you know the typical bully. Well one day, I decided to stand up to him, and he beat me up pretty good. Pushed me into the bleachers, my knee was so swollen after that, I was afraid he broke it."

"Yeah, it hurt a lot," Y/n sympathized as she ran her fingers through his wind blown strands. Barry gave her a bitter smile, "I didn't want you to have that one still."

Y/n only gave him a sad smile, before her eyes scanned his face and she touched his left temple where there was a miniscule scar, so small that if you didn't know where to look you'd miss it. She caressed it, her lips tipped upward slightly before she said, "So you still have my scar. You know, I got this at my graduation. I got drunk and slipped, hit my head on the stone steps at my friends house. I had to get stitches."

Barry's eyes widened as he tried not to laugh, "Seriously?"

"Yes, I was truly a drunken sight, I couldn't even feel the pain, I think I have the picture of me still, covered in blood and smiling like there was nothing wrong."

Barry groaned as he laughed and let his head fall on her supple chest, "I was taking an important test when that one showed up, I couldn't even finish it because I was so dizzy and had a major headache."

Y/n surprised him with her unfiltered laughter, causing him to look up at her in wonder as she tried to say, "I'm so sorry. That must have been so disappointing for you." He joined her for a bit, the two exchanging soft kisses in between before they both sobered up.

With a soft exhale, Barry's hands found their way to the scars on her back where he felt her immediately stiffen. Her body recoiled away from his touch, causing him to frown but to say in understanding, "It doesn't have to be tonight, or tomorrow, but when your ready, can you please tell me about these?"

Barry could feel her breathing quickening in her panicked state, causing him to rip of his shirt, and take her hands so that she could feel his matching set on his own skin. Her breathing became so quiet the moment she felt them, her two toned eyes searched his as he said, "The first ones showed up not long after my father was arrested and wrongly accused of my Mom's murder. They only multiplied from there." Guilt began to fill her eyes so he continued, "I know how much it hurt, and I know how alone you felt, but I was right there with you. Even if I wasn't in the same room, I was there with you, just as you were there with me when I got struck by lightning. And even though my own scars faded on my body, I never lost yours."

Y/n still watched him with a guarded expression, although it relaxed some as he went on, "You have been a part of my life since I was eleven. I never knew why I had these scars, or what kind of sick person could put them on you. But just know I never resented you for them, or blamed you in any way. All I knew was that I felt love for you, for your strength to keep going despite the pain you faced. It gave me strength too."

Y/n let out a shaky breath before she willingly traced the scars on his back, wincing every once in a while before she began, "My parents died in a car accident in the beginning of summer when I was eleven. I was left in the care of my grandma, who hated me. She blamed me for the accident because I wanted to go on a road trip, and they died because of it. She couldn't understand how I was left unharmed while my parents died, she thought I was cursed."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath when the memories got too much before opening them when Barry spoke reassuring words in her ear reminding her he was there, she was safe, and she'd never feel that way again. Y/n shot him a watery smile before saying softly, "Her hatred for me grew, she became cruel but never laid a hand on me. She'd make snide comments about my weight, make me go to bed hungry, she began to hit me when I got her angry, but things changed for the worst when she began to drink again.

"She always had a problem with her liquor, it turned her into a mean drunk, that's what my Mom always said. She sobered up for my Mom, but she found herself drinking again the year Mom died. And her aggression only multiplied. Sometime mid November, her slaps became whips to the back. She'd strip me down in front of her friends, and they'd take turns beating me with a belt."

Barry had to hold back a gasp as his face twisted into disgust at the actions of the very person who was supposed to love and take care of her. He suddenly knew why the Snarts were so protective of her now, she was a fellow survivor.

Blinking back to the present, Barry brushed his hand through her hair, "God N/n, I'm so sorry. You never deserved that."

Y/n smiled at him as if she didn't believe his words, shrugging her shoulders she dismissed, "It's alright, it was a long time ago. I got away from her after graduation. I never looked back."

Barry shook his head, not liking how she easily dismissed her own pain but he didn't argue with her. Instead he kissed her soundly on the lips before saying, "I love you Y/n."

Her breathing hitched as her pupil dilated, "Say it again... Please."

His mouth stretched into a grin, "I love you Y/n."

Her own mouth twisted into a smile before she kissed him breathless, "I love you too Barry."

He eagerly brought her closer to his body, as their tongues fought for dominance. Her plush thighs wrapped around his slim waist, hugging him closer to her heat, causing him to gasp into her mouth. She gazed up at him coyly, and would have continued to kiss him, but both of them jumped apart when they heard Gandalf yell,

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

The two looked up at the screen in surprise before they both chuckled, Barry resting his head against hers. Stroking his thumb on her plump bottom lip, Barry's eyes searched her face before suggesting, "Why don't we take this somewhere else?"

"To the bedroom?" She asked as she bit her bottom lip to stop her growing grin.

Barry could only chuckle as he sped through the process of cleaning her snacks away, and grabbing her waist as he rushed her to the bedroom. When Y/n blinked, she found herself thrown on her bed, with Barry crawling over top her as he confirmed, "To the bedroom."

>>>

Taglist:

@twilightlover2007

[eueuphoriaz]

Cold War between Levi and Hange Part 2: Walltop

But first, I want to share my favouritest screengrab of Hange and her eyes.

I was literally stunned when I saw someone share this because it skipped my attention when I watched the show the first time. And it turns out this is an anime-only scene but I just love love how her round eyes watch in shock(?) or amazement(?) at the flare Levi shot, indicating Armin is awake and (guessing) able to control his titan ability. She just look so good with or without her specs that I want to pinch her cheeks here.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

So after that, the family had a meeting while Floch stood a distance away. In the blog that I read about the cold war between Levi and Hange, they mentioned about the dialogue on how Hange is also angry at Eren and Mikasa on their insubordination. Basically, I can organise them as follow:-

1) Armin's recount of what happened

Armin repeated what he heard from Eren, took stock of what he missed and the whole conflict between him and Erwin surfaced again. He took a water break and questioned Levi's decision.

Now, this is back to the whole Levi vs Mikasa scene again, only this time Levi's decision sided with Eren/ Mikasa. So he conveniently dragged the 2 kids down and pushing the "blame" on them.

Eren then followed up (after a reminder kick from Levi to take the rap) and said he is willing to accept punishment and this is when Hange spoke, not towards Levi, but to Eren.

Remember how old married couples will drag kids in to be the intermediary when they are having quarrels? Hange is upset with Levi but she said it via her speech to Eren.

Just because your dad eventually listened to you, it doesnt mean you can do whatever you want.

2) Levi's trying to appease Hange

Eren got embroiled in their conflict again and answered "No".

Now, Levi got what Hange is hinting at, and then took the "blame" up and said that it was his choice and decision. Note that all along, he was facing Hange and looking at her.

Now, it becomes even more frustrating for Hange now because Levi is admitting that there are reasons why he does not revive Erwin. And if I go by what he said to Floch and Hange at the rooftop, it seems like a "selfish" decision to just let him rest and not bring him to Hell again. This is because no one except Levi knew the struggle Erwin has been in. Unless Levi told them that or his assessment that Erwin's eyes were already tired and may not be the best option for Humanity. But I dont think Levi is that type of person to say those even if these thoughts pass his mind and influenced his decision eventually. Therefore, from Hange's perspective, she definitely is feeling angry and betrayed by Levi.

Just had to add Armin because this also appeared just after Erwin thanked Levi for a split second. And it is interesting how Armin's eyes here are mentioned again in his last monologue in Chapt 136.

3) Armin takes over Eren as the intermediary of their cold war

Now, our blonde child Armin decides to get involved in their quarrel and continued to question Levi's decision. This time he even brought up the fate of the Survey Corp.

Hange found a chance to attack Levi again and stated her stand. She, too, agree that it should be Erwin, if she were to be completely honest.

Now this line is only in the anime but not in the manga: "It's a shame we were put in that position"

Notice here that Levi turned and look at her full on. I am not sure if the translation meant that it is a shame there have no commander/ leader, or it is a shame that Levi had to made such a decision but this line of Hange shows the helpless situation that she is in. Her next line further shows how she expressed her feelings of helplessness, that whatever she had done or said, there is nothing else to change the situation because Erwin trusted Levi and Levi chose him. And that, to me, feels like Hange telling Levi:" I am angry and upset, but I cant do anything else about it".

4) She then encouraged Armin without putting pressure or expectations on him (anime reduced that part). Why would she do that? Likely this is her response to Levi's defense that he was the one who made the decision to let Erwin go. It is also possible that she empathised with the guilt Armin may be feeling after Levi announced that it is his decision to let Erwin die. I think she is also trying to spite Levi because only Levi and her has been talking to Armin, and when she told Armin "no matter what anyone says...".

Dont care about what Levi says because he is an a-hole

She has nothing else to say regarding Armin's question of why not Erwin. Levi is also not saying why, just that he wanted Erwin to rest. I can imagine both Armin and Hange are as confused and frustrated as before. But angry as she still is, she is slowly accepting it and also guided Armin to accept the reality.

Now, I am also guessing that Levi's turning and looking at her likely indicate that he is just realising the impact on Hange because of his choice - she has to shoulder the responsibility now....

5) Levi tries his pep talk skills again because Hange gave up and does not want to engage anymore

However, Armin did not stop doubting and questioning, and Levi knew he had to say something because he knows that Hange had conceded defeat and has nothing else to add on. So, in his awkward attempt to encourage Armin, he tried to build on what Hange said about the titan power and Erwin's life on Armin, and tried to validate Armin's strength---> he is trying to tell Armin that his choice is also based on a unique strength that only Armin has. (Indirectly encouraging Hange?)

And he goes on about regrets and mission. And this brings me back to earlier when he tried to give Eren a pep talk when he started to doubt himself after the failed experiment.

Only this time round, he is bitching about their shitty situation and there is no Hange to interpret for him, because she does not have anything else to say and she does not want to have any interaction with Levi.

The cold war is at the coldest, like everyone can sense the tension but no one can say anything to break the ice, unti Sasha came.

6) Sasha's "shut up"

Now, I just want to point out how Hange always use laughter or humour to get herself out of a situation where she is at a loss. Like her failing to get Erwin's permission to capture titan, risking her Oluo's life or failing to get Nick to talk. So, Sasha gave her the opportunity to "vent" her anger at Levi and escape from the tensed situation between the parents, but that did not mean that her upsetness with Levi has grown lesser.

Why do I say that she is still upset at Levi?

She turned and walked away from him

I mean it is so cruel, she just turned and walked away, not even looking at him or anything. Now, Armin, Mikasa and Eren are on the side of the wall nearer to Shiganshina, so she could have turned towards them and Levi while announcing the basement investigation but no. I think she is still feeling angry and upset at Levi here, even though Sasha helped to thaw and defuse the tense situation.

I guess with more children now, this pair of parent need to find a way to sort out their disagreements.

---------

Levihan's Cold War [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3.1] [Part 3.2]

[yourhighness6]

A Yue Stan's Thoughts on Yue's Character in NATLA

As much as I appreciated what NATLA was trying to do and think it is worth a rewatch, can I just say as an unapolagetic Yue stan that they completely ruined her, and Yukka by extension.

And say whatever you want about her scenes leading up to the sacrifice (which did make me cry, I'll admit, her speech about living was actually a nice addition), but it was actually this line that left me absolutely seething and in my opinion proves that the writers completely misunderstood what made the sacrifice so powerful:

I actually had to pause the television and collect myself after this one because holy fuck is this the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The entire point in the animated show was that she didn't get to make her own choices before this point. She didn't get to choose who to marry, she didn't get to choose her role in society, she didn't get to choose basically anything about her life besides maybe how to style her hair or something. Yue was a character who was extremely dutiful, but also extremely boxed in by her duty. It was both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness, a parody of itself, just as her mere existence was a parody: while she was saved by the moon spirit as a child and allowed to live on, it was that very reason that she eventually gave up her life. And the very fact that she was given these choices in the first place in the LA seriously undermined the idea of her sacrifice. Yue was told her entire life what to do, and although she did manage to find a bit of freedom through her brief romance with Sokka, ultimately, she still didn't get to publicly be with him or reject Hahn or anything similar. Her sacrifice was what she saw as her duty, yes, but her sacrifice for her people was also a way of standing up for herself and finally resolving to make her own choices. In that moment, she not only saved her people, but she finally made a decision for herself instead of doing something someone else told her to, even going against Sokka's wishes to do what she thought was necessary. So in the LA, with her having a place of influence in her community, with her being able to call off her engagement, with her being told that she could one day be chief, to that stupid fucking line implying that she was in no way ever repressed and free to make her own decisions the entire time, removing all of her character growth and any character significance to her actions, it was all basically pointless. It made Yue into a plot device for Sokka to bond with and to move the Aang-and-Kuruk plotline forward. In the animated series, Yue was not a plot device, and she was extremely well written, whereas in NATLA, her character fell completely flat. She talks about responsibility and pressure in her first scene with Sokka, but other than that, she has no depth. In other words, she has no depth besides her relationship to him.

Anyway, I hope we can all agree that her characterization and a lot of the decisions made in the last two episodes of NATLA were nothing but a pile of bulshit. From Iroh killing Zhao to Yukka having zero chemistry to Katara just magically becoming a master to Zuko being shelved to the plotline about Aang not feeling like he belonged having absolutely no buildup beyond a throwaway line in the second episode to everything about Yue I spelled out above, I would go as far to call it just plain bad. Again, I'm glad it got renewed, and I'll be the first to say a lot of other episodes get unnecessary hate, as well as that we are working with slightly different characters (especially Azula) in this version than the first, but I was really disappointed with seeing Yue in LA for a second time.

[flubnuggetpurple]

Dove Cameron’s Alchemical album is so fucking bat coded I feel like a conspiracy theorist.

(This went off the rails at one point, so WARNING: vague mentions of sexual assault and being drugged without consent)

First song: Lethal Woman.

Cass, all over, right? The bridge is “she walks like a saint, floats like an angel, sharp like a knife under the table”

c o m e o n

Second song: Still.

“Man on the screen, they only see whatever you want them to see” and “Supernova self-erasing, hourglass is always draining”

Could be either Tim or Bruce, but I lean toward Tim because of “how dare you, dare me to love you, if you jump I will too” because whenever Tim decides he loves someone, he’s the ride or die, ends of the earth type, even if they don’t even know who he is. A) how and why he became Robin in the first place, B) The Cloning Thing, C) an argument could be made for the Captain Boomerang thing (but now that I think of it, I think I’m mostly basing this off fanon oh well ontotgenextone).

Song Three: Breakfast.

I will admit out the gate that this one’s a reach, so I’m just going to leave Selina here.

Song Four: Sand.

For this I’m thinking Tim or Jason, for different reasons.

For Tim;

“I saw the end when we began, you couldn’t love the way I can, I tried to bargain with the stars, for more than half your heart but you have more pieces of me than the dessert has sand, and I have less pieces of you than I could hold in my hand” and “our love’s misaligned, ‘cause you’re on my mind every night, I stretch out the time, and now I know why.”

I’m just making it obvious I read the Red Robin run, aren’t I?

For Jason:

“What's worse, being wanted but not loved, or loved but not wanted? What's worse, hearing what you wanna hear, or hearing what's honest?” And “What hurts, is the one thing that you wanna do, is the one thing that you shouldn’t do”

Pre-death Jason, but like, right after the Garzonas thing.

Song five: White Glove.

Okay hear me out.

This is part one of the Dick Grayson saga; the persona he shows to the public. This is Richie Wayne. This is every honeypot mission he went on too young, every woman he’s had to seduce for information (it’s one hundred percent happened before don’t fight me) every source of sexual trauma (that one I’m ninety percent sure is canon) that keeps him up at night.

And this guy’s been a vigilante for over twenty years, he can absolutely recognize drugs by sight, smell, and how they feel when he’s too late to notice something slipped in his drink. He’s felt nearly every strain of fear toxin and every one of Ivy’s pollens. If anyone knows their drugs it’s pretty boy Richie Wayne and Robin.

Song six: God’s Game

This one I’m definitely taking some lines out of context, but for Jason, “Just a boy with a man's face, playin' God's game” is when he’s taking over Crime Alley, pit-mad and trigger happy. “I prepare with so much care, I was runnin', it was stunnin', I am desperate from delusions, not much of a solution, never knowin' what the truth is, oh, God” is when hid plans start to fall apart, when Bruce slits his throat with a batarang, when eventually the pit-madness eventually starts to wear off and he realizes what all he did to Tim, who was a child at the time, not to mention Robin.

He nearly became what the Joker was to him to the next Robin, and I feel like at some point that would occur to him.

Song seven: Boyfriend.

(…Admittedly, I don’t think this one has any grounding in canon and if it does, feel free to educate me.)

So, obviously I could mention Kate Kane at this point, but I know basically nothing about her, so instead I’m going to talk about Steph.

So Steph has definitely had some shitty experiences with guys, right? Like, her dad to begin with, but also the guy who got her pregnant (at like fourteen? Maybe I’m just sheltered, but I don’t think anything about that relationship was heathy—again, I haven’t read many of the comics, so correct me if I’m wrong), then Tim, which, I love him as a character, but didn’t he date her in the mask for like, months, and I have some vague recollections of some dickish things he said (i know i know i need to read more comics)—whatever. Men are shitty.

I have a scene in my head. Like, Steph’s in college, at a bar with friends or something, maybe it’s an under cover op, idk, and there’s this girl she’s been lowkey watching all night. She doesn’t quite know why, but she just keeps catching her eye, and okay, it’s not like she’s never questioned her sexuality, she knows Cass. There have been Extensive conversations with Babs on the subject.

Anyway, so at some point, there’s obviously some sort of argument between the girl and the guy she came with and the girl’s crying, and Steph just Can’t Handle That.

She goes up to her, comforts her, makes a new friend, listens to the whole story.

And at some point, she has the thought.

“I could be a better boyfriend than him.”

She doesn’t necessarily do anything about it that night, but now that she’s had the thought, it won’t leave her alone.

Yeah. So. Maybe I’ll write that story later.

Song eight (last song): FRAGILE THINGS.

Dick Grayson part two; So your mentor (dad) just died, leaving you an angry murder child, another one hanging on by a thread after losing eighty percent of his support system, a grieving butler (grandfather), and a mantle the size of the Most Dangerous City in America. Any direction you move is going to hurt someone, and one kid is more likely to snap and murder people than the other, and hey, if you have to be Batman anyway, might as well let your brilliant kid brother be Nightwing, right? Except, whoops, you forgot to mention that last part and now Timmy thinks you just replaced him without telling him and fuck you knew you were forgetting something and now there’s a goddamned imposter Bruce and—

“Love is like a house of fragile things, where hearts can be broken as easy as antiques, and now there’s glass all shattered at my feet, what we built together, you left in smithereens.”

Anyway. This got kind of incoherent (or maybe it was from the start?)

I accidentally added a poll at the bottom and can’t figure out how to remove it, so.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for cutting my dad out of my life?

My (30F) dad (58M) has been an alcoholic for pretty much my whole life. When I was a baby, my parents frequently couldn’t pay the rent or other bills because he was the sole earner and spent the majority of his money on alcohol. They fortunately were never evicted because of it, but they never really had any money and always had to borrow from relatives to get by.

My mum (56F) eventually divorced my dad when I was three, but she still tried to help him and for the most part, he has always been in my life. She has loaned him money over the years and has supported him when he has tried to access support for addiction (rehab, therapy, etc.) or all the times he has been hospitalised due to his drinking. He has attended rehab several times but it never seems to stick. Most times he has been back drinking within days of leaving. My mum has pretty severe depression already and has been suicidal in the past and stressing about him made her (and my) mental health much worse.

Fast-forward to about four years ago. My dad would come to mine and my mum’s house most days to offer to run errands and such. I was often in work and so, against her better judgement, she would give him her bank card to go and do shopping for her. He would always get a receipt but she never really checked her bank account to confirm what he was spending.

She eventually noticed that he was withdrawing cash most times she sent him shopping. When she added it up, it came to hundreds of pounds. This is in addition to money she had actually loaned him. One day she gave him my card to use instead, thinking that he wouldn’t steal from his own child. I checked my account whilst he was gone and saw that he had taken £5. It was only a small amount but it felt like such a betrayal for both my mum and me. We had tried to help him so much over the years, often at the cost of our own mental health, and now he had stolen from both of us. When he got back to our house, we confronted him and he admitted it. He was very apologetic and ashamed but I think my mum and I had both reached our limit. We asked him to leave and not come back.

Since then, I have messaged him on his birthday and Father’s Day. My mum and I have also occasionally contacted him to check he is okay. Beside this, we haven’t really had any other contact with him. However, it is clear that his health is very poor. He has another child (36M) who has told my mum and me that Dad is frequently in and out of hospital due to his drinking. However, neither of us can bring ourselves to get involved again, as every time we have tried to help, he doesn’t seem to be able to help himself and it has a major effect on our own well-being.

I do believe addiction is an illness that people should be supported through more than punished for, but I do feel we reached a point where we could do no more and he had to do some of the work himself. But I feel like one day, we’re going to hear that he’s passed away or is dying and feel like we should have more, or that I essentially abandoned a sick parent over £5. But I’m not sure what more we could have done.

AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[adder24]

Flowers for your hotdogs

A crossover fic with the Mentalist and Castle, since we never got the crossover of the centurary.

A/N: The timelines are not accurate I admit since I have mashed season 6 of the Mentalist with season 4 of Castle. I know I know but it's a bit of fun right?

Summary: Fed up of being restricted by the FBI, Jane makes a break for it while working a case in New York. He manages to throw the FBI off his scent but in doing so, he manages to bump into one of New York's finest detectives and a famous Author come consultant who both require Jane's expertise.

@profwonderbearthementalista @captkatecastle @untilthe12ofnever @nuggsmum @loops911 @nikki-rook @loops911 @hellostickerdoodle @myfriendtheurbanlegend @bonnie131313

Story below the cut

Chapter 1 - Damp Warehouses

When a dog is put on a short leash, it loses the ability to explore, to get acquainted with its surroundings and familiarise itself with the locals so to speak. It’s a tactic used to make a dog fall into line and a Tactic that the FBI were currently using on Jane. The problem was the more restrictions they put on him, the more Jane tested them and the trip to New York and being denied a Hot dog, was the breaking point.

He created a suitable distraction, by getting a suspect on a homicide to tell Kim Fischer she was going to inform the media, and while her and Lisbon ran after them, Jane decided to make a break for it, evading the other agents on the ground and blending in with the crowds of people around him. With his new found taste of freedom his first stop was a hot dog stand on the Manhattan side of Brooklyn bridge, next to the City hall park. Understandably there was a queue but eventually Jane reached the front of it and put in his order for a hot dog all the way.

A child like smile spread across his lips as he was given his hot dog, Jane made sure to pay the vendor generously, using the leftover change that he got from the disallowed hot dog earlier, but as he was about to take a bite, he sensed someone close by watching which was soon confirmed by an excitable sounding “Patrick Jane?!”

He turned his head to the voice and upon recognising the tall,stocky looking man coming towards him, he too got a little excitable.

“Richard Castle?!” He replied, chuckling when he saw the other man's Jaw drop and then turned to the woman standing next to him, the woman he could only assume would be the inspiration behind Nikki Heat. Kate Beckett.

“He knows me! Kate, he knows me!” Castle squeaks happily

“How can I not know you? The Derrick Storm novels and now The Nikki Heat stories? You’re pretty well known” Jane replied calmly as he took a bite from the hot dog and savoured the taste “I have been craving this all day”

“The man likes hot dogs too” Castle whispered as Kate gave him a look.

“A lot of people do Castle, now can you stop fangirling for five minutes and explain to me who Patrick Jane is” Kate replied firmly.

“He’s a Psychic!” Castle replied happily.

“No such thing as Psychic’s, more like an elaborate con artist” Patrick interjected with a smile

“A con artist?! You’re fangirling about a Con artist pretending to be a Psych-Wait hang on, Patrick Jane? The same Patrick Jane who’s fam-”

“Family was murdered by a serial killer! Yes, that Patrick Jane, I was trying to avoid bringing that up around him Kate but nevermind” Castle grumbled

“It’s okay…I have grown accustomed to it now.” Patrick replied as his smile fell a little. “Yes I am that Patrick Jane and yes I know you two are more than just Colleagues and I am guessing you’re trying very very hard to keep it a secret from those you work with”

Both Castle and Kate looked at him dumbstruck. They had literally only just met him and the man was already picking up on the fact they were an item and desperately trying to keep it hush hush.

“Oh he’s good!” Castle said a little too enthusiastically.

“Yeah, he’s a con artist Castle” Kate replied unimpressed, “He probably followed us-”

“Or I have a good read on people. Castle here, he’s like a Labrador, Excitable, always sees the world as his playground, can be tamed with food and is loyal to his family and those he loves but you Kate, you’re a little more complex. See you want to be like him but you lost someone very close to you and their death has given you a thirst for revenge, one that hasn’t been quenched yet but you have been tantalisingly close on a few occasions. And that drive, that quest you have set out in your mind, it’s what has closed you off a little from all the good things he sees in this world...You’re opposites but you need one another. You need him to help you lighten up and he needs you to ground him and reel him in a little, otherwise he becomes an untameable, bouncy labrador that humps all the furniture” Jane interrupted, watching their expressions as he accurately described them. “Am I close or do you still believe I followed you? A bit of a feat considering I crossed over from Brooklyn”

“I don’t hump furniture!” Castle blurts out, watching Jane as he takes another bite from his hot dog, chuckling.

Kate however was a little more shaken up. It felt like Jane had reached into her soul, pulled out her memories and was poking at them, seeing what kind of response he would get from her when he was able to discover her life story in mere seconds.

“How did you do that?” She asked him carefully

“Like I said, I just have a good read on people” Patrick replied casually as he finished off his hot dog.

"Right…come on Castle we got a case to work on" Kate says cautiously, watching Patrick closely.

"We do-wait, I got a brilliant idea" Castle replied, his voice filled with excitement.

"Oh no" Kate groaned.

"Oh no? What's Oh no?" Patrick asked, being his usual nosey self.

"Why don't we get Jane to help us solve the case quicker?! That's only if he hasn't got anywhere to go or isn't working" Castle suggested, watching the death glare form on Kate's face.

"Excellent idea, I'm not working on anything, I'm just here visiting" Patrick replied with as much eagerness as Castle.

"We can't just bring him into the precinct like a stray dog and hope Gates will let him work a case" Kate growled 

"Then like a stray dog, we sneak him in, tell her he's a witness or something." Castle replied

"You know the times where I hate you? This is one of them. He can tag along but there are rules." Kate said sternly 

"It's okay I'm house trained" Patrick interjected.

"Oh great, he's just as Snarky. Okay Patrick, rule one, you don't tell anyone what is going on between me and Rick, do and I lose my job. So unless you want me to use your inside as a football, I suggest you keep it quiet. Rule two you only read the suspects. Castle I don't want you encouraging him either" Kate said firmly giving the man that look "Rule three and the final rule, if you want a coffee…make it yourself"

"But I only drink tea" Patrick replied

"Then you should be fine" Kate said as they started to walk towards the car "You coming?"

“Absolutely!” Jane said with a beaming smile, chasing after them, eager to see how this dynamic partnership worked together.

The journey to the precinct was a bit of a whistle stop sightseeing tour for Patrick, he got to see the Empire State building, Times Square, a peek at the Chrysler building and a fleeting glance at lady liberty herself before they finally reached the precinct. Patrick got out of the car and took a moment to get himself acquainted before Castle showed him the way in and signed him in as a guest. They then made their way up to where the magic happened, a small area that was alive with the hustle and bustle of detectives working cases or acting on call outs. It felt a little like home for Patrick, reminding him of the CBI before it was disbanded.

“Do you have a couch?” Patrick finally asked

“Yeah in the family room…where we talk to the families, why?” Castle asked “Oh it’s just how I do my best work, laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, listening to my environment. Something I asked from the FBI but they're not in the mood to bend and consequently I’m not doing my best work for them” Patrick replied, giving Castle a coy smile.

“You think Kate will buy it?” Castle asked him

“She will buy it if you are in on it, say ... .I tell you it’s a technique used to gather your thoughts, see clarity in your decisions and all you have to do is tell her it works”  Patrick suggested, knowing full well Castle was up for a bit of mischief making.

“I’m in!” Castle replied Defiantly 

“Excellent, show me the way to the family room and I will show you the magic” Patrick replied confidently

“Certainly and may I say, I like you, we’re going to get into so much trouble” Castle said happily.

“Oh we are, we really are” Patrick replied with a chuckle as Castle showed him to where the couch was kept.

Oddly enough, it was a similar one to the one Patrick grew accustomed to, only this one seemed a little more supportive. He sat down, bounced on it a few times before laying down on it to get a feel.

"Oh this is comfortable, I can work with this" Patrick said as a grin spread across his lips "Wanna give it a go on the other one Castle?"

Castle quickly looked around to make sure no one was looking in before he too took his place on the other couch, laying his 6 foot 2 frame across the cushions and letting out a contented groan.

"Oh yeah…I can see why you like this way of working" Castle said huskily 

"It's great, you can relax and let your brain unravel the case but what's even better, is you can listen better like this…you can hear everything going on, channelling in on the right conversations, picking up little nuggets here and there" Patrick says as he closes his eyes to tune his listening skills  "What's the case you're working on?" 

"A guy killed by a Zombie" Castle replied nonchalantly 

"You're joking right?" Patrick replied surprised 

"I'm not. We got video evidence. It's really cool but a little creepy!" Castle replied excitedly

"There is no such thing as Zombies. It's illogical for them to exist" Patrick replied calmly, knowing Castle will argue against him.

"Okay well I guess I'll have to show you the footage to make you believe" Castle replied.

"Guess you will" Patrick replied softly 

There was a moment's silence between the two men, both of them listening to their environment momentarily before Castle's curiosity got the better of them.

"You know how you freaked out Kate? Can you do that with me?" Castle asked "Just curious to know what you're psychic abilities picked up on me"

"Not psychic and I already did" Patrick replied as he turned to look at him "You ready to hear it?"

"Fire away" Was Castle's response, not truly prepared for what Patrick was about to say.

"On the outside you appear as this loveable guy that has a good sense of humour, wit and charm but on the inside you've experienced a lot of heartbreak, sensing your father was never around when you was born, that you took on the responsibility to be the man about the house, look after your mom, pay the bills and help keep a roof over your head." Patrick replied

".......I never told-"

"I'm not done" Patrick interrupted "You put on the playboy act after a broken heart by a childhood sweetheart, you didn't want your heart broken like that again so you played the field for a very long time…got married a couple of times and had a child. A daughter who is and always will be the apple of your eye. You're loyal, loving to your family and now you actually feel ready to have a serious relationship with someone, who I believe is Kate or Beckett as you call her at work. Problem is you love her but you still keep things from her and I can tell you, you need to be open with Kate, stop hiding behind the playboy act, lower your walls a little and just be you. You don't need to impress her Castle, she likes the man you are." 

Castle just stared at him, he was impressed by the man's skill, if somewhat a little uncomfortable by the man's accurate reading. Of course it did cross his mind that Patrick may have researched him beforehand but something was telling him that it was not the case, that somehow, Patrick leapt into his mind and relayed all that he saw before him.

"How far off was I?" Patrick asked

"Did you research me?" Castle asked

"Nope, didn't have time and didn't know I'd end up working alongside you." Patrick replied casually.

"Well for someone who hasn't done his homework, you got it spot on. You gotta teach me how to do it, it would be a cool thing to do at parties!" Castle responded enthusiastically.

"I'm not one to give out my trade secrets but as a tip, people give out visual clues all the time, you just need to know where to look and how to read it." Patrick replied with a smile.

"Kate can be my test subject" Castle replied thoughtfully

"Yes she can but don't be too obvious with it, try and be subtle" Patrick advised.

He then went on to spend ten minutes schooling Castle on how to subtly get a read on someone, reminding him to keep eye contact with someone but not make it uncomfortable, all before Kate burst into the room and stood in the doorway, a disapproving look on her face and her arms folded across her chest.

"She's upset" Castle said calmly

"Yeah it's quite obvious" Patrick replied

"Castle you asked to have this man work on the case and here you both are, laying on the couch, gossiping while I am out there busting my ass off trying to catch a lead" Kate said in frustration.

"This is how Patrick works, you lay on the couch and lis-"

"I don't care. Get your asses to my desk. Now!" Kate demanded, giving Patrick her trademark death glare "I don't care how you work, when you are under my command you do things my way. Are we clear Mr Jane?"

"Oh we're clear but you'll be surprised what you hear from the couch" Patrick replied in an annoyingly optimistic manner, hoping he could make Kate crack a little.

"Desk!" She snapped back at him as Castle hurriedly ran to get another seat setup at Kate's desk.

"But I don't know where you sit" Jane protested "And I still need a cup of tea"

"Tea can wait. Follow me if you know what's good for you" Kate replied.

Patrick shrugged his shoulders and followed her through the office, watching the people around him work and noting two detectives that were giving him a quizzical look as he passed them by. He then approached what he assumed to be Kate's desk and sat in the empty seat next to Castle, the man presenting Patrick with a cup of tea he had made for him.

"Did you put the water in, make sure the tea bag stewed a little and then the milk?" Patrick asked him.

"Yep, my mom knew this English guy who was very precious about the way his tea was made and he taught-"

"Guys. A little focus here" Kate said sternly

"I made him tea," Castle said proudly.

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head before presenting Patrick with the file they were working on. Inside was the report on the body from Laney, pictures of the body and the crime scene and a few statements from those who attended the scene along with information gathered on the victim and a list of potential suspects.

"For someone to bite another human and leave behind a deep wound, they would need to be high or deranged" Patrick said as he continued to read the notes.

"Or a zombie,"  Castle interjected.

"You only ever bite someone if it's in self defence or…you're sexually aroused by it. This doesn't come across as either…was there any chemical residue left behind?" Patrick asked

"As a matter of fact there was, traces of a chemical found only in this specific Warehouse district downtown which is on the to do list" Kate replied as she studied Patrick "You thinking drugs are involved?"

"Could be, where's this Charlie fellow?" Patrick asked

"Down in holding, he believes he's going to turn into a zombie" Kate replied with a sarcastic tone in her voice.

"Ooof. Someone's been watching too many horror films. Can I speak to him? I want to know what person we're dealing with here" Patrick asked

"I'll take you to him, I would say take Castle but it'll only encourage his zombie fixation" Kate replied.

"Don't come running when he turns and hungers for your brainy goodness" Castle quipped as he started going over the files again.

"Nice tea by the way" Patrick said, raising his cup to him as he walked alongside Kate. 

They didn't speak much but Patrick could tell that this was a woman who was strong minded, stubborn and confident. He could see It in the way she walked, the way she commanded authority and kept her team in check but under that tough exterior he knew there was a soft spot, someone who was warm, caring and understanding. He just needed to gain her trust a little.

"Do you have a team you work with in the FBI?" Kate asked him finally.

"Yes…yes I do it's still being put together but all the right ingredients are there, it's just getting them to click into place" Patrick answered as they reached the holding cells and waited for someone to sign them in.

"I'm guessing you're an agent" Kate said as she began to fill in the forms.

"No actually, I'm a consultant like Castle I guess" Patrick replied. 

“So who’s lucky enough to have you as their pain in the ass?” Kate asked with a chuckle

“Theresa Lisbon, you’d get along, she has things she can teach you and you have things you can teach her” Patrick replied as he signed the forms where he needed to “We have worked with each other a while now, she’s the only one I truly trust when it comes to things close to my heart”

“Sounds like you have a soft spot for her” Kate says with a smile

“I’ve worked with her for years, of course I’m going to develop a soft spot for her” Patrick says defensively as Kate walks him into the maze of holding cells, every single one of them empty bar one, which was occupied by Charlie, tall man with short black hair, wearing a grey shirt, white tee and Black trousers. Sure enough, Patrick saw the bite mark on his arm, same as the one found on the victim.

“That is interesting!” Patrick says gleefully as he sits down on the floor, placing his cup of tea on the ground between his legs “Hey I’m Patrick Jane, I’m another consultant. Look I need to ask about the attack, smooth out a few details. Now according to Zombie lore, by now you would have turned and that wound on your arm would become a lot more redder and angrier, your veins would be purple and more to the surface and you would be clammy and sick looking, like you have the flu. None of that has happened so I think you’re still able to help me understand what happened to you and David.”

Charlie slowly looked at his arm and then back at Patrick, indicating for the man to carry on with what he has to say.

“I want you to close your eyes for me and slow your breathing down, breathe deep in through your nose, hold for three seconds and breathe out slowly. Can you do that for me?” Patrick asked

“Yeah ... .I can do that” Charlie replied as he slowly closed his eyes and followed Patrick’s instruction.

Patrick waited a couple of minutes, watching the man calm himself down and fall into some form of trance that made him a little more amicable and easy to coerce.  The perfect moment for Patrick to try and draw out some information they couldn’t get out from him while he was hysterical and focusing on his bite.

“I know the attack was quite violent and disturbing for you but I want you to try and remember that day for me, recall any smells or sounds that put you there, maybe there is a colour that reminds you of that day” Patrick says softly, watching the man relax.

“Glue….I could smell Glue….like latex glue” Charlie replied

“Okay that’s good. What else stood out to you?” Patrick asked him

“Rust and…staleness, no damp, the clothes smelt damp” Charlie replied

"Good and did you recognise this person who attacked both you and David?" Patrick asked.

"No idea they just…they came for us and then ran off" Charlie replied 

Patrick took a sip of his tea and looked at Kate with a smile.

"Rust and damp smelling clothes would fit warehouses, especially the leaky ones. But…I don't think our killer was of sound mind and I have a feeling, since Charlie here doesn't know them, is that they were hired to kill or maybe coerced" Patrick suggested before he clapped his hands, snapping Charlie out of his trance "Thanks Charlie you have been a big help"

Charlie blinked, confused and disorientated, unsure of what happened to him as Kate gave Patrick a perplexed look.

"Did you hypnotise him?"She asked

"No just calmed him down and made him more cooperative" Patrick replied with a smile as he got to his feet and picked up his tea from the floor “Castle makes a good cup of tea”

“I'm sure he will be thrilled to know” Kate replied as she walked with him out of the holding area. “Fancy having a walk around some of New York’s finest warehouses in the middle of the night?”

“Sure. I don’t sleep much anyway so maybe a walk around some Warehouses might make me sleepy” Patrick replied with a sarcastic tone and a cheeky smile on his lips.

“I’m guessing you have a hotel room for the night?” Kate asked as she started to sign them out 

“Err…not really I was just going to take a chance on luck” Patrick replied as he started to sign the documentation.

“Well Castle has a spare room or three you can make use of, I’m sure he would love to have you around” Kate replied as they made their way back to the bullpen 

“I’ll be sure to ask him” Patrick replied

Once they returned to Beckett’s desk, she started to put her plan into action. Her, Castle and Patrick would take a few warehouses within  Manhattan, while Ryan and Esposito took a few spots along the Hudson and of course they would move at night, usually the time where crime would be at its peak and they may catch a few breaks with some drug dealers that could potentially have a role to play within the case. So as soon as Darkness fell over the city, Beckett and her team got to work, Esposito and Ryan headed to their spots while Kate, Castle and Patrick went to theirs. Their first spot was a bust, nothing happening, no suspect behaviour or even drug dealers but the second spot, the second spot was interesting. There was steam and a creepy atmosphere around the place which oddly put a smile on Patrick's face.

“Oh this is deliciously creepy” Patrick said joyfully

“Even more reason to have your wits about you Patrick” Kate retorted as they walked through the grounds of this particular spot.

“Oh I have my wits about me, don’t you worry about that” Patrick replied as he marvelled at the spot, chuckling when he saw how on edge Castle was, despite the man trying to disguise it with the macho front he put on. Of course, it teased out Patrick’s mischievous side, he couldn’t help himself and when the right time presented itself, Patrick struck. He managed to find a discarded paper bag,collected air into it and popped it, the explosion loud and reverberated around the grounds of the warehouse. Castle must have lept twelve feet in the air, causing Patrick to laugh loudly before he realised Kate’s gun was trained on him and he flung his arms up in the air to show submission.

“Do that again and I’ll tell Lisbon personally why you came home with a hole in your body” Kate snapped.

But as Jane was about to reply with a witty comment, something caught his eye, something running frantically behind them.

“You might want to turn around” Jane said hurriedly

“If you’re tricking me, I swear-”

“I’m not tricking you! Turn around, there is someone running for their lives!” Patrick pleaded

Thankfully Castle saw it too, despite his nerves already being shredded by Patrick’s antics.

“Kate I think they need help” Castle said

Kate slowly took her eyes off Patrick and looked in the direction both men were looking in, sure enough there was a young woman emerging from the steam in the distance, sprinting towards them, horror etched on her face.

“Get out of here! They’re coming!” She screamed as she ran past them, Patrick watching her path as she ran by..

“Gotta admire a woman who can sprint in heels!” Patrick said before he then turned to look in the direction she came from and sure enough, emerging from the steam was a horde of people also running in fear.

“Okay what’s going on?!” Castle blurted out as he watched Patrick and Kate watched as these people ran past them screaming.

Then there was an eerie silence as the screaming died off into the distance. A moment for them to catch their breaths and try to figure out what had just happened. Patrick was about to speak before he noticed a crowd of slow moving people In the distance, people that stumbled over their feet, that had their hands outstretched. They could hear the distant growls and groans before they emerged from the shadows, coming from every direction. Patrick's eyes lit up in wonder while Castle appeared more panicked. He knew what this group of people were.

“We need to run!” He shouted

“Why?” Patrick asked, confused.

“Because if we don't they'll eat out brains, they're Zombies Patrick!” Castle replied

“.....Zombies? Well this should be Interesting” Patrick replied calmly.

“How are you calm?!” Castle yelled

“Err…I dunno, maybe I know the difference between fact and fiction” Patrick replied 

But the Zombie horde got closer and closer, Patrick fought  back the urge to yell out Lisbon's name as he became increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of people coming towards them, vacant, soulless eyes staring right at them. Unsettling, unnerving and creepy. Kate quickly drew her gun and stood her ground.

“CASTLE, PATRICK, GET BEHIND ME!” She yelled as she kept eyes on the horde.”This can’t be real…”

“WE’RE OUTNUMBERED!” Castle replied, panicked by the sight.

“Significantly! You don’t have enough bullets in that gun to hold them back,so I hope you got a plan, Detective” Patrick warned as he backed himself up against Castle

“Only one. Hold tight and be prepared to fight!” Kate ordered.

[dujour13]

Thanks for the tag @kaleido-scope-lady! 💕 This was highly appreciated for procrastination purposes.

Tag game: Give your KC’s first impression and final opinion of each of their companions!

Siavash's (not spoiler-free) hot takes:

First impressions

Seelah – A paladin with a party spirit. Now this is someone I can really get behind. (wink)

Camellia – Not even a smile? How about a little half-elf solidarity? ...Not that either? Give it time. I’ll find her angle. She can’t be as bad as she seems.

Lann – Weird combination, and not just the body parts. Pessimism and determination. Seems like a reliable guy and since that’s one thing I’m not, he’ll be good to have around. Also – perfect straight man for my routines.

Wenduag – Tough as Hell. I wish she didn’t beat Lann up about his idealism because that’s the one thing that might save him. I wonder if she has any idealism left to save herself.

Woljif – Dreamboat. I do look like the kinda guy that would work on, don’t I? He’s got my number already. …and he can have it.

Ember – Dreamer, this poor child. The things she says are so crazy they’re almost inspired.

Daeran – The folly of feudalism: exhibit one. Surprised nobody’s slapped him yet.

Nenio – Curious, for someone who knows so much trivia I don’t think she knows how funny she is.

Ulbrig – This towering barbarian calling me warchief is excellent for the bit

Galfrey – Exhibit two. No, that’s uncharitable. She’s had a lot on her plate, and for longer than most people could stomach. She needs to lighten up. Maybe I can show her running a crusade doesn’t have to be soul-crushing. It can be fun!

Sosiel – I think this kid is tougher than he seems, coming all the way here from Carpenden. I sure hope so, because I’d hate to see that freshness turn sour.

Regill – Who invited this guy?

Trever – This is what happens. Dreamer, don’t let it happen to me.

Arueshalae – This is one of those times when Desna tests you – gives your heart the choice of Cynosure or cynicism. I’m going to believe in her if it kills me.

Greybor – You know what, I’m just gonna prove him wrong. “Professional” doesn’t have to dress sober.

Aivu – Best. Friend. Forever.

Final opinion

Seelah – Biggest heart in the world. And after everything - party spirit intact. Dreamer I’m lucky I crossed paths with this woman. Wouldn’t have made it without her hugs. Well, also without her as body shield.

Camellia – How could I have been quite that blind? Only saw what I wanted to see. It’s hard to admit but I’m not sure there was anything that could have been done for her. For all his faults Horgus did try. Even setting her free to find her own way would have ended badly for her, because it wouldn’t have been freedom.

Lann – Love this guy. I’ll never forget that moment, seeing him look up at the starry sky and see possibility for the first time.

Wenduag – Ironic how trying to claw her way up is what brought her down. Probably because she never looked up far enough to see the stars.

Woljif – My love, forgive me if I ever doubted that your heart was stronger than your shadow.

Ember – What was it Lann said? A saint or insane, or maybe both? Both. She doesn’t believe mortals can save ourselves, so all we can do is be kind to each other. I have so much to learn from her.

Daeran – You know what I admire most? This man knows what he wants out of life – and fiercely, unapologetically pursues it. I count myself lucky that true friendship is one of those things because it turns out he's great fun and I'm surprised how fond of him I am now.

Nenio – I think she cited me in her entry on “Friendship.” By name. Sometimes I regret taking my pants off that one time. But actually no.

Ulbrig – I can really relate to having two more-or-less incompatible halves pulling opposite directions. I’m glad he let his guard down with me eventually because behind all the stubborn bluster the poor guy really felt lost, and commiserating with someone helped us both. Second only to Seelah for great hugs.

Galfrey – The best thing about her is her humanness. I wouldn’t like her nearly as much I do now if she hadn’t had indulged in a little spite. Just kinda wish it hadn’t been directed at me. No no, we're good. It's fine. Would you guess she can be surprisingly funny?

Sosiel – He did turn out to be tough. Strong enough to face terrible things, temper his idealism and still keep his heart. That portrait… (he starts to tear up) …if that’s how he sees me there’s no greater compliment.

Regill – The thing is, I trust him with my life. Because even if there’s a perfectly logical reason why he ought to kill me he’ll be three chess moves ahead with an even better reason not to. One thing I resent about the lawful types is the arrogance in thinking they’re following some universal order when it’s really just their heart all along. Yeah, you can tell him I said that.

Trever – When I visited the Vaenics in Carpenden after the war I saw him with his lathe, and as he worked there was such peace in his face and hands. Scarred as they are. He made me the most beautiful rosewood writing desk, a true work of art. There’s so much hope in that.

Arueshalae – One of the strongest people I’ve ever met. I have an idea what it’s like to try to keep your eyes fixed on an impossible star even with the claws of the Abyss pulling you under. Where we connect is that we both want to be better people, and to do that you sometimes have to look back and face what you’ve done wrong.

Greybor – Is he happier now? I like to think so. Being an assassin was easy for him. Being a father, not so much. He needed a new challenge.

Aivu – Best. Friend. Forever.

Tagging no pressure: @the-raging-tempest, @dragonologist-phd, @arendaes, @yunessa, @bite-the-bloody-hand

Everyone please take a free tag if you want one!

[imperial-russia]

Maybe I missed it because you already wrote about it, but what is your view of Catherine I, as a person? She is called The Great which of course alludes to her reign and prestige, but as a person later in life she doesn't strike me as particularly kind, especially to her son. In my view, what I have learned of her so farm is she held onto the throne for so long, rather than give it to her son at some point in his adult life. Wasn't he the rightful heir, considering Catherine herself admitted i writing he was legitimate and her husband's son, not one of her lovers? His first wife died and he grieved and to snap him out of it she told him how she cheated on him? I know he was separated from Catherine from birth but she had the chance to make their relationship count later and she just didn't seem to have understood him, at all, I'm being mild here. And he resented her too, which reflects in his choices when he became Tsar. I just think the succession would have been so much more smooth and thus good for the nation if their mother son relationship wasn't as bad as it was. It wasn't Pavels fault his father didn't have a good marriage to his mother.

I find it extremely tricky to judge a character of these bygone personalities because they are so complex and often have to make decisions none of us could face.

Personally, I think Catherine deserves to be admired for many things. She was ambitious, highly intelligent, passionate, and genuinely wanted to better life for the Russian people and further the country´s progress culturally, scientifically, diplomatically, and of course militarily. And all that, especially the military bit, came at the cost of the suffering of the anonymous crowds we know nothing about. But her achievements were undeniable and her legacy is one of the greatest Russia can boast about now.

She had lofty ideals and was at first very much determined to make them a reality, but even an Empress, especially in Russia at that time, cannot just change everything. Catherine´s power, especially in her early reign, depended on the noble families and she had to keep those on her side, so her ideals of ending the serfdom had to be postponed and were so indefinitely, etc.

Her family life was a mess though, from the very start. Her mother saw her only as a pawn for her own ambitions, eventually leaving Russia in disgrace and without even saying goodbye, Empress Elizabeth liked her in her own strange way, but there was never any closeness or true warmth between the two women. her marriage was an utter disaster and her children were all snatched away from her the moment they were born and she was hardly ever even allowed to see them. Catherine overcame her losses and personal tragedies because she decided to become something more. In fact, had she not decided to seize the power, she may have well been driven out of Russia or even killed herself.

And once her little palace revolt had been completed, she would simply not give up what she gained to her little son for several reasons. Firstly, he truly was just a child, unable to rule anyway. Secondly, after years of humiliation and fear, she was now in the position of being feared and respected. And finally, the Rolov brothers and their forces wanted her on the throne, not Pavel, and she was beholden to them.

I think Catherine grew to dislike and later truly despise her son only when he grew older and as she became an old woman herself, she got that trait of many old people who become more capricious, and selfish and believe their experiences make them, if not omnipotent, definitely better informed and cleverer than anyone else around. And she did things that were deliberately aimed at hurting Pavel, like denying him any responsibilities, instead of giving him some function at court and trying to groom him into an heir. Perhaps the worst thing she did was take away from him his eldest children in the same manner Empress Elizabeth had done to her. And allowing the rumour/information about Pavel´s paternity to simply go around was yet another attempt to hurt him. Personally, I tend to believe Pavel was the son of Peter III, based on the inherited personality traits and recently I have also come across a report that Nicholas II´s DNA tracing led to direct ancestors of Peter III. furthermore, Catherine probably hated Pavel ALSO based on the fact he was, in many ways, like her husband. I imagine had he been as pretty and gallant as her lover Saltykov, it would have been a different story.

Pavel was so very different from Catherine and in opposition to her so vocally, that she was also afraid he would run to the ground everything she had built. And that was simply unthinkable.

Catherine could be generous and caring, but as a woman in a very unique position, a woman who controlled an immense empire and had a say and care about every aspect of it, she had to make (and made) many decisions which naturally we today find cruel, unjust and selfish. To be an effective leader, you cannot rule as an angel, unless your subjects, ministers, family members, and other monarchs, are also angels. What matters most is, eventually, what remains when you are gone.

Catherine had given much to too many people not to be remembered, if not kindly, than with respect. She was not a good mother to her son at all, but she was more successful with her grandsons, and she was especially successful in the role of the mother of the nation.

[team5ds]

with you i serve, with you i fall down

Summary: some things you just can't speak about... only 20 minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany. just one single glimpse of relief.

Rating: T

Ships: Link/Zelda

Author’s note: awakening for @sapphic-september. cw for ptsd. and with this... the entire month is done! thank you so much for joining me on this journey. onwards we go!

read on ao3 / support me on kofi (battle city & up supporters get early access) / join my discord (18+)

Hyrule was on the horizon, and she was coming home. The shift of the land had changed since her victory at the castle, restoring the king back to his throne. Zelda had become her closest ally - something that was difficult to wrap her head around. Her younger self would've never pictured herself as the warrior that she would turn into. When Link had admitted to her that she needed a moment to leave, the princess had been nothing but supportive. Eventually, she knew she had to come home. Every adventure, every scar, and she was returning a changed woman. She wasn't the same person, and she didn't know how Zelda would react to that. To her great surprise, she was waiting on the beach for her in a plain dress with no signs of regalia adorning her hair. The wind blew around her, and Link couldn't help but smile when she saw her.

The boat pulled into the pier and she took a moment to dock it, tying the ropes with the expertise she'd gain from her travels. Zelda didn't wait for her to get down from the docks. "How was your journey?"

It was such a simple question, and yet she didn't know where to begin. Did she begin with the Wind Fish and her journey through Kohlint to wake the beast or did she begin with her travels through Labrynna and Holodrum? Zelda had partially been there for it, but she still didn't know the full extent of it. Link could remember how the princess looked asleep on the altar where Twinrova had threatened to sacrifice her to bring back the Demon King. She didn't know how Zelda got back home. Either way, Link shrugged. "I understand myself better now," she said, glancing over at the princess. "We should head back to the castle."

"Right," Zelda said softly. She bowed her head - something she did only when she was hiding something from her. Link steeled herself, wondering if she would just have to expect a battle just around every corner. But then she looked up, a smile on her face with a twinkle in her eyes. It just hit Link that while she aged up, so did Zelda. She was no longer the young girl that was kidnapped by Ganon, and Link was no longer the scared child trying to save her uncle. "Did you ever find the Oracles? Are Din and Nayru with you?"

Link nodded, moving to the other side of the boat to knock on the door. The princess had distracted her from completing the task at hand. "Din, Nayru, we've arrived," she said. "Zelda is waiting for us to get to the castle."

The castle had been a distant memory for Link. Hyrule Castle towered over the entire region, and she'd thought that because she'd gotten taller, perhaps it wouldn't feel like it was going to swallow her. Instead, every crevice of the building still felt like it was overgrown and wild - like it hide secrets behind every wall. She had no interest in finding out what it was hiding. She wanted to maintain her sanity tonight. Zelda was safe, and yet it didn't feel like it. It felt like she was supposed to be ready to fight for her life at any given moment. The soldiers smiled at her, and she nearly reached for her sword - she still remembered them fighting her in hopes that she'd die. They didn't remember being Ganon's puppets, but she remembered.

Zelda didn't glance at the soldiers, and Link wondered if she remembered it too. She'd been a young girl imprisoned in her own castle, her own home. How had the princess just return to it like nothing had happened? She'd wanted to run far away from home, putting as much distance between herself and Hyrule, when her uncle had come back. Nothing about him had been wrong, per say, it was just the uncanny feeling of knowing she saw him bled out in the castle's sewers. How did someone consolidate that with the living, breathing man that was back in her home? She didn't know, and she didn't care. All she knew is she'd rather take her chances with the boat again.

Did Zelda have the same nightmares she did? She wondered when the last time the princess had slept, if the bags under her eyes were anything to go by. She had the same ones, admittedly. She couldn't judge. The Oracles had been given room and board in the castle, with an assurance that they'd be safe here. Link wasn't sure how Zelda could make that promise without flinching. After all, it had been within these walls that Link had fought for her life. Ganon had breached it before as the King's advisor. Link couldn't help but notice that there was no longer a royal advisor position. Zelda had mentioned the position had been abolished, and she wondered the long reaching impacts that could have. Insular royalty didn't seem to be that much better of an idea.

Where the princess was leading her, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she wasn't going to take her eyes off the princess. The risk was too great. Would someone steal her away again? Link thought about Marin, and her long red hair as she stared at the princess's own strawberry blonde hair. The flashes of Marin versus Zelda, and it slowly sunk in that the Wind Fish had said the dream had been influenced by Link's own memories. The memory of the princess standing in front of him, and how she was a version of Zelda that she'd never seen before.

As she led Link up a spiral staircase, Link wondered if there was ever a chance to see the princess that was unburdened by life. She'd never had a normal life, and that wasn't entirely her fault, was it? She'd been born into this life. Ganon had gone after her for powers that she'd only just barely gained control of. The confession that she hadn't known she had any of those powers lingered at the back of Link's mind. Had she worked further on those powers? Link's hand was gripped tight on the sword at her hip, suddenly nervous by the lack of explanation that Zelda had given. Where were they going?

They reached a door, and Zelda led Link into a... bedroom? The room was spacious, with an oversized bed with a flowing canopy covering it. Shelves of books lined the walls, and it slowly sunk in that this was the princess's own room. She sat at a table that had a mirror in front of it, and somehow Link was reminded of the mirror that could take her into the Dark World. She irrationally wanted to tell her to step away from the mirror so she could break it. It was an odd feeling, and she swallowed it. "I don't trust the guards," Zelda admitted, as if she was casually suggesting what they should eat for dinner tonight. "I trust you, however. I want you to become my full time guard. I already suggested this to father, and he agreed it was a good idea to keep you around. We would pay for this service, of course, as well as provide you room and board here in the castle so you may stay close to me."

The request was so simple that it nearly knocked Link off her feet. The more she sat with this request, the more she understood why the princess would not trust the guards. Even though they were friendly now, they both had seen them ruthlessly attack Link with a desperation to have her killed. And she could understand why Zelda would consider Link the best chance at survival in a situation should the guards turn on her again. "Of course, ma'am," Link said, bowing to her. "I would be happy to serve my country again per your request, ma'am."

Zelda giggled at this. "Oh come on, Link, no need for formalities when it's just us," she said with a bright grin. Suddenly Link flashed back to Kohlint where she was standing in front of Marin - the smile was exactly the same. "You can call me Zelda if you'd prefer. And... don't worry about answering right away. You can think on this as long as you need. Instead of answering right away... come over here. Tell me what you saw in Labrynna and Holodrum. I want to know everything."

Zelda's eyes widened as she took in the story that Link told her, and over the course of the discussion, Zelda admitted that before Ganon had stolen her away, she'd never left the castle before. Twinrova's kidnapping of her had been the first and only time she'd been past the borders of the country. The idea of getting to leave and travel far away was a strange one to her, and she envied Link's freedom. A princess who was next in line for a throne couldn't just up and leave. All of the stories passed down had a strict definition of what Zelda was supposed to be, down to her name. She almost felt guilty about asking Link to stay with her - almost. She was her hero, and for that reason, the princess felt like she had at least the right to ask her to stay. Every second that passed, her hero grew bolder by getting ever so closer to her.

When Link had taken off to Labrynna and Holdrum in search of the Oracles per her request, she'd been little more than a girl - just like her, really. And yet she'd returned covered in fresh new scars, with a new sort of ruggedness to her. Like her, she'd aged into a full fledged woman that had so much more knowledge of the world around them. She was a warrior, and Zelda would entrust her life in her hands twice over if she had to. No one was more capable than he, and she reached out to take her hand in hers. She could feel every callous in the palm of her hand, every raised scar, and it took so much courage to look into her eyes. Big blue eyes were already staring at her, and there was a similar trust for her in them yet... there was something else in them.

Both of them had walked through hell and back to be sitting in her bedroom in a peaceful Hyrule. Here she sat, wondering if she had any right to claim this warrior for herself. Surely after everything she'd been through... she had least earned the right to choose if she should leave behind this life entirely. When she had sent Link away, she had anticipated that Link would leave soon after delivering the Oracles. She still suspected that she might. Every single moment that passed, she anticipated that her swordswoman would decide her duty was done and leave. Instead, her other rough, battle scarred hand gently cupped her cheek, and Zelda leaned into the touch. How many lives had they lived? If the stories were to be believed, this was inevitable. Did that mean they lacked any free will in this moment? She didn't know the answer, and she didn't want to know the answer. If this was just fate, then at least it owed her this kindness after everything she'd been through.

Then again... was anyone owed anything? Her thoughts were at war as Link demonstrated her courage by making the first move - her lips were captured in a sure kiss that said everything that could've been said. With it, Zelda knew that she wasn't going anywhere. With safety promised and a bright future for Hyrule ahead of them, she allowed herself to sink into this moment. She could picture their future in her head, and she smiled into the kiss. She was eager to lay her claim where it belong - her swordswoman, forevermore.

[chaotic-starlight24]

Night, Laughter, and a Sword Chapter 4

Summary: Tallulah has a moment with Luke and the stars. And makes a big decision for the good of the children of Nyx.

Pre-TLT

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: None really, just some fluff and description of a nightmare sort of

Sorry for taking a little while and releasing it randomly! I've been busy

Previous~Next

Tallulah slowly blinked her eyes open. Moonlight shone through the main window and lit up the room. She pushed herself up onto her elbows and took a deep breath. Something made her feel much more calm at night. Something felt freeing about the darkness. Knowing it stretched everywhere and covered everything. Until something lit it up that was. She sat up against the wall and enjoyed the silence. But then she noticed some weird grunting noise. And panicked breathing.

Her eyes drifted around the room, silently laughing at Alex’s weird position, until they landed on Luke. His blanket was kicked off the bed and he was tossing and turning. His forehead was drenched in sweat. He was whispering at something, his hand drifting up to his scar. So Tallulah nimbly tiptoed towards the edge of his bed. Avoiding the campers strewn around the floor. She could see why Luke was so stressed out with his responsibilities. She hadn’t known him for very long, but she had noticed how he was constantly on his feet. Always in charge of sword training. Always attempting to tidy up the cabin, not that it worked. Always worrying about the new kids. She reached him and stopped. Everyone was still sleeping as it was midnight meaning she couldn’t make much noise. So she gently shook him awake. It took a few tries but he eventually looked up at her.

“Tallulah?” 

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Need s’mthig?”

“No, just checking on you. You were having a nightmare or something?”

Luke stretched and sat up, “Yeah. But I’m used to it.”

“You don’t seem used to it…”

He shrugged and traced a finger down his scar, “It’s because of a-um-quest this year…”

Tallulah noticed he obviously didn’t want to talk about it and slowly led him to the window.

“I think you need a distraction.”

“Thanks, LaFlamme. I ‘preciate it.”

She softly smiled and sat down. She could name just about every constellation. They each had a different story. Luke eased down next to her and looked at the stars as well.

“I could never understand this.” He admitted.

“Huh?”

“The patterns in the stars. There’s so many of them! I can’t remember them all.” He answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, there’s of course the zodiacs. They each represent important parts of myth.”

Luke nodded as she pointed out a couple.

“There’s Andromeda! It’s one of my favorites. She was saved from sacrifice by Perseus!”

“Cassiopeia is there!”

“Centarus is real big! It’s right over there!”

Tallulah kept rambling on and Luke kept intently listening. She didn’t notice how his gaze kept on her. (THAT’S RIGHT READERS! WE GOT A SLOWBURN!)

“They’re all beautiful. Maybe you could tell me their stories later.” Luke whispered.

Tallulah blushed. Not many people understood her love for stars. But they were all so mighty and full of fiery power. Yet they only left a small glow on the Earth. Millions of light-years away.

Luke let out a gasp. Even more light shined through the cabin, waking up all the campers. Tallulah looked up. A purple and white symbol of a star and crescent moon floated above her. Several campers stared in awe. Then it disappeared. 

“You’re a child of Nyx…” Luke declared with a sad smile.

Tallulah had no idea what to think or say or do. Her mother had just claimed her. What was she supposed to do now?! Several campers came up to her and congratulated her and announced they were also children of Nyx. Most were ranging in the ages of 9-13. But Tallulah honestly felt bad. Now she was just another camper Luke would have to worry about. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another Hermes boy (Chris? Connor?) comfort Luke. He was just staring at her with glassy eyes. His fingers running up and down his scar. Alex softly patted her on the back.

“I-I’m sorry.” Tallulah apologized, her voice barely audible.

“It’s not your fault… He just has some issues with his dad…”

Those few words made her form a plan in her mind. Maybe a risky one, but a plan nonetheless. In the morning, she would enact it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I need to talk to Chiron.” Talulah stated at breakfast. 

Alex glanced at her, “Not gonna ask why, but you might as well run by what you’re going to say to me.”

“No, you’ll just try to stop me.”

Alex shrugged, “That doesn’t make me feel better but you do you. He’s probably at the big house.”

Tallulah nodded with determination and quickly scarfed down her food. Then she immediately strided off. But she didn’t notice Luke trailing after her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Taylor Lafree is here!” Mr. D called out.

Tallulah bit her tongue, now wasn’t the time for sass. She needed Chiron to accept this request. For the sanity of Luke. 

“Ah! Tallulah, what may I do for you?” Chiron bellowed as he made his way over the deck.

“I was claimed last night.”

“Oh! What cabin?”

“Nyx…”

“Ah so no real ca-”

“That’s what I came to talk about.” She cut him off.

She took a deep breath before starting again. Chiron gave her a surprised look, curious as to how she would continue.

“I think we should get a new cabin.” She started slowly, “Since there are plenty of Hypnos and Nyx kids. I can even be a counselor if needed! I just want to lessen the strain on Luke.”

Chiron raised an eyebrow, “That is a very large request. But I see your reasoning.”

Tallulah nodded. Maybe he would hear her out.

“But I believe Luke is handling himself quite well.”

Tallulah grimaced. How could they not see him struggling?! She had been there for 4 days now and she could already tell!

“I don’t wish to be disrespectful but he is only 17. Yet he is supposed to care for like 35 kids?! Also sword training! And normal camper duties?!”

“Well the other counselors-”

“DON’T HAVE TO CARE FOR AS MANY KIDS!”

Chiron sighed, “Alright, Alright. Just because of how many kids there are and because of your insistence I will agree. But you have to help design it. Luke and the other counselors will help train you”

Tallulah grinned and agreed quickly. She walked off satisfied. 

“Wow, you care a lot, LaFlamme.”

Tallulah spun around to see Luke leaning against a building. 

“Well, I also care about my siblings. They deserve a little bit of privacy. And the ability to stargaze without getting eaten.” She shrugged. 

She didn’t want to admit that she cared about him. They were just friends and it was going to stay that way. 

Luke handed her a crumpled list, “Here is a list of your new responsibilities. They can be a bit overwhelming at first but you’ll get used to them.”

“Oh please, I rode a moose once!”

“You wh?!– nevermind that has nothing to do with this. How about we tell the other campers about this.”

Tallulah shook her head, she didn’t want a whole lot of attention.But Luke just dragged her back to the cabins and began to pull her up onto a table.

“Attention children of Nyx and Hypnos!” a handful of campers turned their heads to Luke, “I want you to meet your new counselor!”

Silence ensued. Tallulah felt her face burning in embarrassment. But she needed confidence to win them over.

“To help lessen the strain on your favorite counselor, Castellan here, I’ve decided to take over for Nyx and Hypnos kids. I know I’m relatively new to this camp but I am the oldest and I am willing to put in the work. I also am creating this cabin to give you kids a chance to stargaze without becoming a snack for harpies.” She earned a couple giggles from the campers. 

Public speaking came quite easily to Tallulah but that gave her more encouragement. After her “speech” of sorts, a smaller girl came up to her. She looked about 11 and had long black braids. There was a fierce look in her eyes, almost like an Ares kid. But also a gaze that gave a sense of knowing.

“Hi, I’m Annabeth. I see Luke has taken to introducing you to the camp.” She started, gesturing to Luke, “I trust that he hasn’t bothered you too much?”

Tallulah rolled her eyes but smiled, “He’s Castellan, always a bit annoying.”

Annabeth shot a sharp glance at Luke and muttered something along the lines of, “Nicknames already?”

Luke’s cheeks turned rosy and he folded his arms, “LaFl-Tallulah! I’ve just made sure she’s not alone!”

“Hey! She has me, Lou, and Mae!” A voice sounded from the tree. 

Alex flipped down to the ground with grace, landing with a spiderman pose. Lou-Ann also appeared from behind.

“Mae was working on a Demeter kid at the infirmary so she couldn’t come to our dramatic entrance.” Lou-Ann dramatically sighed. 

Tallulah darted her eyes between them all, “So why the sudden group meeting?”

“Well we heard about your brave decision to become a counselor for the Nyx and Hypnos kids!”

“And I just haven’t met you before, even though Luke has been taking care of you.”

“I know, I know… Maybe it was a stupid decision… But something is just telling me I need to do this. I truly want to help these kids.”

“I know you will! I have all the info you need on the Hypnos kids and Nyx kids. They can have some interesting issues of sorts. Like falling asleep anywhere!”

Alex and Lou smirked at each other. Luke seemed extremely eager to help her. But Tallulah would take all the help she could get.