#blonde SOLDIER boy don't save me .

[cosmoboba]

[thesilmarillionblog]

EACH MAN KILLS THE THING HE LOVES

Summary: Even though you and Soldier Boy had a happy relationship for a year, Butcher and his team deceived him and sent him back to the lab, where he was tortured for decades in Russia. You decide to go there and save him, but things don't go the way you think. 

Pairing: Soldier Boy / Reader

Warnings: dark fiction!, heavy angst, hurt, violence, language, suspense, tragedy, death

Word Count: 3545

A/N: English is not my first language.

You turned to face Ben and rubbed your eyes as you came up from sleep, sensing him slowly lowering the bed. After a while, you became aware that you were not covered by a blanket, and the chill from the window caused you to tremble. You put some warmth into your arms by rubbing them.

He removed his shirt and placed his large arms beneath his head before saying, “Go back to sleep,” in a harsh manner.

“Ben?” you whispered in a quiet voice as you drew nearer to his stiff body.

He mumbled, “Sleep,” once more, but you quickly ignored his displeased demeanor and rested your head on his sturdy, warm chest.

You murmured, “But I'm cold,” closing your eyes and placing a leg against his thigh in the hopes that he wouldn't push you away.

You felt a little worried since his chest felt warmer than normal, but it wasn't too hot to touch, so you put your hand on it and listened to his powerful heartbeats.

“Of course you're cold; you're fucking half naked, and all windows are opened.”

“Why are you treating me so cruelly and mean tonight?” you asked, gently massaging his chest with your fingertips as a way to express your affection for him.

Ben was still like a secret box, and even though you two had been together for almost a year, it was clear that he wasn't very keen to open up to you. But there were moments when he was so tender and caring toward you that you knew, whether or not he realized it, that he cared about you on a deep level.

“You're a naive one if you think this is my mean or cruel version, sweetheart.”

Additionally, he expressed his disapproval of you telling him you love him on an ongoing basis after you did so for the first time. He didn't change his mind and silenced you each time you parted your lips to express your love for him, despite your attempts to ease him up by telling him he didn't have to say it back and that you didn't have any expectations about his expressing his emotions verbally.

“Is it because of Butcher?” you asked him. “Or Homelander? I'm thinking that you might be a little nervous about tomorrow,” You said in an effort to change the subject.

You tried not to seem cruel and carefully considered your remarks, knowing that his nerves were vulnerable these days, so as not to irritate him. There was a long moment of stillness between you before he opened his eyes and met your gaze.

With a sour tone, he questioned, “Do I look uneasy? Not me, sweetie, but that fucking cheap blonde product should feel uneasy. He won't be able to sleep soundly again after tonight.”

With confidence, he looked into your eyes and stated that he would murder Homelander the next day. You didn't enjoy the pressure Ben must be under, and it troubled you that you couldn't know exactly how he felt. Rather than expressing your sympathies, you wanted to show your sympathy through your actions. After all, he wasn't a man of words.

You rested your head on his large, warm chest, closed your eyes, and listened to his strong, slow heartbeat, thinking he was feeling the same way about you. Instead, he simply kept his arms folded beneath his head, undisturbed by your movements.

Despite your physical closeness, you felt a little hesitant and upset by the distance that lingered between you, so you raised your head and gave him a loving kiss while placing your fingertips on his thick neck. As he gave you back a powerful, passionate kiss and dominated your mouth with his tongue, your heart was flooded with joy.

As he was about to proceed farther, you pulled back to catch your breath because you knew he had previously touched you quite a bit in a rough and painful way lately, and though you wanted to go beyond, you knew you couldn't for that moment.

Ben looked perplexed as he gazed at you and hoped that before going to bed, he could spill inside you and relax once again.

You mumbled, “I feel sore,” before he continued. “You were quite rough today.”

“I've just fucked you three or four times, and you were already on Temp-V,” he said.

“However, the effects have worn off, and I'm now really sore. Give me a day to relax,” you playfully remarked. You were aware that he wouldn't press you on this. He didn't ever.

He murmured, “Alright, as you wish,” and planted a firm yet tender kiss on your forehead that right away melted your heart. You instantly realized that if he truly wanted it, you would give him your heart, ripping it from your chest.

You whispered, “I love you,” and hoped that he would simply ignore you rather than warn you once more. Thankfully, he remained silent and let you rest blissfully on his chest. You were aware that you would require time to earn his trust in every way. “We’ll be alright.”

Because of the stress and anxiety, you woke up hours before him, even before the sun came up. You told him you had had enough sleep and were sitting on a coach next to his bed, watching the sunrise outside the window.

Before they went to meet Homelander, Butcher and Soldier Boy imprisoned you and every other member of the team who wasn't a supe behind an extremely thick, iron door. Ben refused to change his mind, and you two ended up having a brief argument despite your insistence on using Temp-V and supporting him. Ben stopped listening to you and allowed Butcher to lock you up.

But in a short while, Annie tore off the door, releasing all of you. She was not the type of person to be kept in a cage for so long and to be unknown for her patience.

“Please let me join you,” you immediately plead, Annie.

Annie politely remarked, “Look, I don't think it's a good idea. You already know that we are not on their level. Not to mention that your presence would drive Soldier Boy even more insane; you could die between all of them in less than a second.”

“Please allow me to accompany you. I understand that what is going on is beyond everyone's strength, but I'll use Temp-V. And I'll keep my distance, cross my heart, and hope to die. I just want to be there because I have a bad feeling about all of this. That's it. I would never become involved, never.”

You sounded like you meant every word of that last sentence, even though you weren't quite honest. Even if Butcher and Ben's combined might were stronger than Homelander's, you had the feeling that something would go wrong.

Fortunately, Annie stopped arguing with you and came to terms with your presence as long as you were apart from Ben, at least until Homelander was dead. Knowing that you would receive fatal damage from one more shot, you took the Temp-V on the way. But this would be the final instance. It was just the last time for both Ben and you.

You watched everything in a large room where there were lots of cameras. As you sat in the chair quickly, you'd seen Ben touching Homelander's shoulder and telling him how much of a disappointment he was and that if he had been there for him from the start, he would have grown him like a true father. It wrenched your heart to know that Ben was being sincere at that precise time. The tragedy stemmed from how accurate the story was—Ben was being tortured in Russia while Homelander was just a baby, and everyone was attempting to turn him into a monster, and they were successful in doing so.

Now, in order for him to stop hurting and causing grief to other people and their children, his own father had to murder him. It was kind of a Shakespearean tragedy.

But instead of being hostile, Homelander showed Ben his son Ryan and told him Ryan was his grandson in order to win Ben over. Having been unaware of this, your lips parted in disbelief. With your tension-filled body, you watched the events taking place in the room and were unable to see Ben's response to them all, but you knew he wouldn't be kind at all.

Knowing that chaos was about to break out, you swiftly stepped out of the camera room after witnessing Ben strike Homelander's child and throw him away with anger.

Homelander checked his son and kneeled before him, while Butcher spoke in a harsh voice, “Not him. He's my wife's son.”

Ben remained silent while he noticed you standing there, bewildered by what Butcher had said. “Homelander fucked your wife, and you want to save the breed?” he asked, clearly confused.

That's when you realized that Ben was willing to do whatever it took to kill Ryan and Homelander. He burst at Butcher, anger shining in his eyes.

Butcher said, “Stand down,” in a controlled yet menacing tone.

“Fuck you.”

Ben stared at everyone with a heart full of wrath and a sense of betrayal engulfing his soul. He was honoring his word, but his own team had deceived him once more. Though he had planned to form his own team, start over, or do something else entirely, he realized at that very moment that ordinary people were cunning and treacherous; they were never satisfied and had no concept of loyalty. He was mistaken to believe otherwise.

You said, “Ben, please,” at a loss for words to help him become a little calmer. Of course, he had every right to be furious at Butcher, but there was no need for him to kill the child because he was innocent and hadn't chosen to be born as Homelander's son in the first place. “He's only a kid.”

“You shut the fuck up,” he angrily yelled at you. “How dare you fucking betray me for the son of a bitch?”

When you saw Ben's hate-filled eyes set on you as if you were nothing more than a foe, Butcher warned him once more to back off.

With a quivering voice, you defended yourself, saying, “I'm not betraying you.”

You felt a little bold because of the Temp-V in your blood and the confidence that he wouldn't physically harm you, even though you were frightened. You approached him, put your hand on his cheek, and gently stated, “I would never betray you. He is only a young child who has done no wrong to anyone, and Butcher obviously cares for him. Why do you feel the need to kill him so strongly all of a sudden?”

“Why do you even defend a little shit against me for him?” With an outrage so intense that it left you stunned and speechless, “Did you fucking get railed by Butcher?” your eyes began to water. He abruptly interrupted you by yelling, “Get the fuck out of my sight before I hurt you too,” as you opened your mouth to explain yourself and say something to ease his anger.

With a look of despair and frustration on your face, you muttered, “You're hurting me already,” and you moved away. The bridge you had worked so hard to build seemed to crumble in an instant, as if it had been made up of paper. “How are you even able to speak to me in this way?”

You desired to provide support, but Kimiko stopped you from going between Homelander and Butcher, who were trying their hardest to defeat Ben, by pushing you against the other side of the room with a rough touch, forcing you to go through a desk. Ben was holding his shield in front of him, his eyes full of madness and rigidity. Even if you were only a supe for a day, you groaned in agony since the amount you took was lower this time and your health had begun to decline daily.

“So this is it,” he muttered, his tone harsh as he watched you retreat terrified from him. “You've decided to abandon me in this. For fucking nothing.”

Before you even told him how much he meant to you and how wrong he was, Ben tried to attack Homelander's son, but Homelander used his laser eyes to force Ben away through the glass, pushing him away from his child. Standing side by side, Butcher and Homelander teamed up against Ben as they exchanged looks.

You tried to keep up your head while you cursed in agony and saw Ben battle Butcher for a while, dumping his shattered shield into the ground while wearing a deadly expression. Thankfully, Butcher's laser eyes did not affect Ben while he used them.

The situation worsened when Ben attempted to choke Kimiko, rendering her still beneath his grip, and then threw her away. When they all attacked Ben, attempting to put him to sleep with the same poisonous gas to which he had been exposed for decades, you stood up and yelled at Butcher.

You yelled, “What the hell are you all doing?” to MM, who was attempting to keep the mask on Ben's face while others were holding his arm. As soon as you moved to stop them, Homelander lasered you, sending you flying across the room once more. This time, you had some skin burns that hurt so much that your eyes were burning.

Ben roared, pushing everyone across the room in an eruption of rage. He also felt strong smoke coming from his body, which caused his eyes to close in an act of pain and rage. He clenched his jaw, hoping to find some relief. You were aware of the extent of his anguish while trying to get rid of the pain his body was causing. After all, his new powers were a punishment rather than a reward.

Annie glanced at you and Maeve, realizing that everything was messed up, either because of Homelander or Butcher—you were all failures—but Ben would not listen to you at all. The only person you had to worry about was Ben, who was aware of how much he was feeling let down and deceived at the moment. They were all attempting desperately to put him to sleep using the same gas that had put him to sleep in the first place as though he meant nothing to anyone.

Ben blacked out once more when Maeve jumped on him to save you all, and the CIA put the mask back on his face, taking advantage of his unconscious body as you stared at Butcher with hate and contempt. You watched Ben sleep with a heavy heart, knowing that he was getting ready to be sent back to Russia by the real monsters who were around him and intended to torment him for years to come. To not get attention, you made yourself stop crying and act unwise.

“You knew this was coming. You planned this from the very beginning,” you remarked to Butcher, who put his hands in his pockets as if nothing had happened. “You betrayed him by using him.”

“What were you expecting me to be doing right now?” Butcher looked at you and questioned you in a sharp tone. “He wouldn't stop after killing Homelander, and he was going to kill an innocent child. Do you believe the CIA agreed to release him only to force him into retirement and seize control of Vought? Sweetie, I thought you were wiser than this.”

Your hand balled into a fist, and you had to force yourself not to punch his silly, haughty face as he was speaking nonsense and attempting to defend his behavior.

“You may be trying your hardest to beat Homelander because you believe you are better than him, but you are not. You're just another narcist piece of shit,” you exclaimed angrily as he gave you one of his smirks, as if he wanted you to beat him to death. “You used me and Ben, and you're using everyone around you for your own sake, not anyone else's.”

“You should not have fallen so deeply in love with Soldier Boy,” he observed, arching an eyebrow. “Before he knocked you up, I really did save you too.”

Pushing him by the chest and you cursed, “I hope you rot in hell, Butcher,” walking out of the tower without listening to anything he or anybody else had to say.

After everything that transpired at Vought Tower, you parted ways with Butcher and the other members of the team, and you waited for three months to avoid drawing attention from either of them or from anybody else. You couldn't go into the lab where Ben was being held without a supe or being a supe, so you waited in pain along with longing for Ben as you searched for Temp-V to save him from Russia once more.

Fortunately, Annie had helped you in finding some after you had pleaded to her for hours and you had stopped caring about what would happen to you despite her warnings about how deadly it was. You were aware that one more dose would put your life in a critical situation. Love was blind indeed, but you were blinder.

You felt terrible pain this time, crawling in agony and crying for about thirty minutes after taking the last shot of Temp-V and allowing it to pass through into your body and blood. Despite the pain, you chose to focus on the lovely and tender memories you shared with Ben, hoping that everything would get better soon after you saved him. You knew everything was going to work out. When he realized you were the only one who had come to help him that day, he would have forgiven you for everything that had occurred in Vought Tower.

Upon entering the lab where he was being held after you easily overcame the guards thanks to the Temp-V in your blood, you stood in front of the box containing him, and your heart melted upon seeing that he was chained and defenseless due to the mask and gas covering his face. Just like the day you and Butcher found him a year prior to his first rescue, he was handcuffed.

As you saw him slowly open his eyes, you took a deep breath and, with your pulse pounding with excitement and anxiety, tore off the door and gently removed the mask from his face.

When you saw that he was awake once more, your heart warmed up, but as soon as he gave you a fierce look that made you shudder in fear, your smile gradually disappeared, and you immediately closed your mouth.

Ben's jaw clenched when he saw you again; he knew that Butcher had deceived him and that months had passed in the lab while you were free. He made a huge mistake by giving you just a single chance to show that you were not like the rest. He should have known people didn't deserve anything.

As soon as he emerged from the box and started walking toward you, your body stiffened, and you remained motionless, hoping for his understanding and sympathy. Knowing full well the hazards associated with taking the final shot of Temp-V, you thought he would recognize your undying love for him.

Ben stood in front of you, and he slowly and cruelly slid his fist through your chest, covering his hand in your blood as you gasped in pain and disbelief. You've got too much to tell him, but his hands reached out and grasped your heart, once caressing your cheeks and hair and erasing the things you were trying to say.

You were struggling to catch your breath as he dropped your heart, and your eyes went blurry with tears and nothingness. Your body then fell to the cold ground. As you watched him leave the room, your vision began to fade, and the last thing you saw were his bloodied hands covered in your blood.

You could never be certain of anything when you decided to love him, but you knew you had forgiven him and didn't blame him. Perhaps you were too naive to imagine he would forgive you, too reckless to believe him, or too close to let yourself burn in his warmth or melt in his affection for you months ago. Maybe you could be happy in another universe, but just not in this one.

THE END.

A/N: I warned you.

[eufezco]

I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART

bucky!winter soldier x fem!reader (kinda angst ig?) no use of y/n

based on the captain america: the winter soldier post credits scene because i loooooove it

omg this is my first time writing for something marvel related i hope you enjoy it, it's been so long since the last time i wrote anything so i'm sorry if it's kinda shitty 😭

He was looking at you and you were looking back at him.

Steve had refused to fight against him. He had dropped his shield from the ship and had surrendered to his old friend. You wished you could have done that so you would never have felt Bucky's hands around your throat trying to choke you to death nor his body over yours as his fists connected with your face once again.

But one of you had to fight him so that you two could get out of it alive, and if Steve didn't, you would.

Bucky's punches to Steve's face made you squirm in place as you tried to escape the beam that had fallen on you. If you didn't get out you feared that the beam would crush you or even worse, that Bucky would kill him. Steve was his mission after all and he was programmed to finish it.

You jumped on him when you managed to escape and freed Steve from the blows of his metal arm. Stay alive please you mumbled to your friend as he lay badly wounded, with one eye swollen shut and blood coming out of his nose. The last time you had seen him like that he was a small blond boy who had gotten into trouble in an alley with someone twice his size and you and Bucky had to come to his rescue. Now the trouble you had to save him from was Bucky himself and you were on your own.

Your whole body ached from fighting him and since beating him didn't work, you decided to try to make him see reason in another way. You called his name while you were trying to catch your breath, still with the sensation of his fingers closing around your throat. He looked at you full of rage while he tried to recompose from the hit that he had received from you. The name Bucky echoed in his head every time you repeated it, hurt him more than any kick or punch you gave him. The familiarity with that word made him feel sick in his stomach and more eager to fight you for making him feel that way.

You know me.

No, I don't!

Bucky, you've known me your whole life.

Shut up!

Your name is James Buchanan Barnes. We were friends.

He held a defensive pose while his eyes glanced nervously all over the place and his chest rose and fell slowly as he tried to catch his breath. It was so familiar. Not only the name you kept repeating but also the way it sounded when you said it.

He was looking at you and you were looking back at him.

There was enough distance between the two of you so that you did not feel threatened by each other's presence. The Captain America Exhibit in Washington also had enough civilians to start another fight like the one on the ship.

He broke eye contact with you to look at the screen. He had seen your face somewhere on that big panel dedicated to who he was once. And there you were. When the text ended there was a sequence of pictures. He did not know who those men in the pictures were but he could see himself smiling with them.

But there you were. In the middle picture.

He was wearing his sergeant's uniform and you were wearing a dress. You could still remember his reaction when he saw you in that dress, how his eyes sparkled looking at you, how his lips curved into a smile every time you grabbed his hand and dragged him around the Stark Expo. Steve with his new camera captured the perfect moment. Bucky held you around the waist. Bucky was slightly leaning over you. Your faces were just inches apart but in the picture you both were laughing, you still heard the sound of his laughter every time you looked at the picture, as if it had not been almost seventy years since you last saw him. Your faces were just inches apart but there was no kiss.

And now there would never be a kiss.

How innocent you both looked in that picture. Neither of you knew how all your plans were going to be twisted, how only one of you two would be the one to remember that night. If someone had told you that night that Bucky was going to disappear from your life, you would have laughed in their face. If you had known you would have kissed him. You would have kissed Bucky until you were breathless, until you were tired of kissing each other if that was possible. But now you would never know because you both insisted on remaining friends until the end of the war not knowing that out of that war would come a much worse one.

The very hands you had trusted to hold you had tried to choke you to death. The same eyes that had gazed at you with such devotion had looked at you loaded with the strongest wrath in the world. The man you had loved the most did not recognize you and by the way he was looking at that panel with all his memories, he did not recognize himself either.

Bucky stared at the picture for a few seconds and then looked back at you. You were the same girl, only now with some bruises on your face, the marks of his fingers on your neck, and definitely not with the same smile as the girl in the picture. What had he done to you? What would the boy in that photo think about the person he had become?

You stood in place far from him. Since you had seen him you had not taken a single step forward. Neither the cap nor the long hair nor the jacket covering his metal arm could hide him from you. Not anymore. You went to the Captain America memorial looking for the comfort that the panel dedicated to Bucky brought you, he went there looking for answers. And you found each other.

[mrsbuckybarnes1917]

Bucky isn't a fan of children roaming the streets in costumes and asking for candy. But it only takes one little boy to change his mind.

This is my Halloween contribution to the fandom and a shoutout to @jessybarnes, congrats on reaching 500 followers!

Word count: just over 1k

He had just gotten home. Bloodied and bruised. There hadn't been any time for him to change. In fact, he had barely stepped through his front door when his phone pinged with a notification from you.

Went to the store to grab more candy!

Bucky scowled. Halloween. He didn't have time to think about such mundane things as your favorite pagan holiday. Naturally, you felt otherwise and had taken the liberty of decorating his home for him.

It was lucky he lived in an apartment building. What was the likelihood that any kids would-

"Trick or Treat!" A chorus of voices accompanied a knock on the door.

His shoulders drooped in disappointment. Maybe he could ignore it?

"TRICK OR TREAT!" There was only one voice this time but louder than before.

Bucky was a patient man who knew multitudes of silence and stillness. He would be patient.

"Come on, Mister! I saw you go inside!" The voice of a little boy who was far less patient than he was.

A sigh escaped Bucky's lips. He was exhausted and didn't particularly want to deal with the emotional baggage that came with the way he expected a child would react to his appearance. He knew people still saw him as a monster, despite his pardon. He had no desire to see fear reflected in the eyes of innocence. But the pounding didn't stop.

He looked around wildly for something to give the expectant youth. His eyes finally landed on a bowl beside the door. There was one candy bar left inside.

Well, it was better than nothing. Bucky grabbed the bowl and wrenched open the door. An audible gasp stopped him in his tracks. He looked down to see an eight year old boy dressed as Captain America standing before him, mouth agape.

"Here kid, this is all I've got," he held out the candy bar to the frozen child.

Both Bucky and the boy stood facing each other for what felt like an eternity to Bucky. Neither of them moved and Bucky wondered if the boy's jaw could drop any further. His silence was making Bucky very uncomfortable.

"Look kid, just take this and go," he dropped the bar into the kid's pumpkin basket. As an afterthought he added, "you don't have to be scared."

"Are you an Avenger?" The boy whispered.

"Not exactly, kid."

"But you're friends with Captain America?"

Bucky was loath to answer this question, but he couldn't exactly deny that he and Sam were friends.

"I guess you can call us friends."

"Do you have superpowers?"

Bucky shrugged. He thought of superpowers belonging to heroes. He would never describe himself as one.

The kid smiled and continued talking despite Bucky’s nonverbal state. “My dad lives in Washington DC now.” 

“That’s nice?” Bucky felt the need to respond to the wide eyes which hadn’t left his face since he opened the door.

“I went to visit him over the summer. He doesn’t live with me and my mom anymore.”

Bucky didn’t miss the glaze of sadness which washed over his face, and he didn’t like how it made him feel.

“Did you like it there?” he asked the boy.

“Yeah! He took me to the Smithsonian.”

Bucky finally understood what the boy was telling him.

“I read about you.”

“Oh.” Bucky’s face fell. The kid had read about the Winter Soldier and his past. “Look, I’m not-”

“You’re my favorite!” The kid was positively beaming up at him.

“F-favorite?” Bucky stuttered, utterly baffled by the response he was receiving. “Favorite what?”

“Howling Commando!” He bobbed up and down with excitement. “You’re Steve Roger’s best friend!”

“Yeah,” Bucky’s face softened and he replied softly, saddened by the thought of his oldest friend. He missed Steve. He looked down at the child before him, his bright eyes and blonde hair. “What’s your name, kid?”

"Steve," he smiled. "My mom named me after Captain America because he saved her life when she was pregnant with me. Dad tells me what happened as a bedtime story on my birthday." The light behind his eyes dimmed with his last words. "He missed it this year."

"I'm sorry, pal."

"Next time I see him, I'm going to tell him I met an Avenger!"

"I bet he will be real impressed!" Bucky smiled, choosing not to correct little Steve.

"When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!"

"I don't think you want that," Bucky answered wistfully.

"You don't think I can be a hero?" Little Steve's face fell.

"Of course you can!" Bucky inwardly cursed his use of language. He knelt down in front of the boy and laid a hand on his shoulder. "But you know my friend, Sam Wilson? Captain America?"

Little Steve nodded solemnly.

"He's the guy you want to grow up to be. Got that?"

"Yes sir, Mr Bucky."

"But if you ever tell him I said that, you'll never get candy here again. Understood?" Bucky said sternly, dropping his last candy bar into the kid's pumpkin basket.

"I'd better get going or I'll miss out on the good candy. No offense, but you gotta get something better than this."

"Working on it, pal," Bucky smiled as you turned the corner, arms laden with several bags. He unburdened you and emptied the contents of one bag into Little Steve's small hands.

He delighted in the sight of the boy's bright eyes and toothy grin. "Thanks!" he cried, backing away with his sugary horde.

"Don't eat it all at once!" Bucky called after him. 

You stood to the side watching the way Bucky had spoken to the little boy, giving him a smug smile.

"What?" Bucky frowned.

"What was that about?" You pointed between Bucky and the spot where Little Steve had stood.

"Kids these days, no respect. We didn't have the luxury of being given this much sugar when I was a kid."

"Is that why you gave him half of what I just brought back?"

Bucky shrugged.

"Come on, let's go inside. The kids may think that blood is fake, but I know better!" You steered Bucky into the apartment. "And if you're good, you'll get a treat too!"

“Did I mention that dress looks incredible on you?" Bucky smirked, eyeing your rockabilly cap sleeve dress with its sweetheart neck and flared skirt. True to the Halloween spirit, it was covered in a pumpkin and ghost design.

You put your arms around his neck. “There will definitely be treats tonight,” you purred into his ear.

[tiddiesoutwhenthetisout]

Do you have a headcanon that you like so much that you practically automatically include it when you think of the character the headcanon is about?

i will try to list a few, as i remember best when i trigger an associated memory (i think-- i'd like to think my memory still works 🤣).

tbh i held off on answering this since i can't think of a good hc from the top of my head hahaha

it's not going to be substantiated by historical texts or information since i have very limited knowledge in those areas. these are silly little hcs i inferenced from the most random places.

Patroclus:

- he has very nice names for his dogs. he thinks of each one very well as he walks back to camp after rescuing the animal from destruction. he constantly thinks about it, and of course they have meanings, but i'm unfortunately not greek so i can't dive deeper into that :') something like "child of vast plains" (one word) as in free. like his wishes for each dog. "never suffering a lack of", such and such. depending on his observations of each dog's personality.

- tired dad but also playful piece of shit uncle vibes.

- i like to think he genuinely enjoys the adrenaline of high stakes (gambling- which totally started as a joke because i saw a post saying he 'killed a boy over dice #gamblingaddiction') but doesn't participate much when the soldiers play because he has his dutiful side lol. when he decides to come out and participate, he keeps winning.

- voice smooth as honey and chocolate but he's a little tone deaf.

※ also, grey eyes patroclus truther over here. and that he probably got his medical talents from his mother, whoever it was.

Achilles:

- stays in his tent most of the time. the longer the war went on, the more he closed himself off, save for a few of his own men and his close friends (patroclus, antilochus, automedon, ajax, teucer...) he does get out for celebrations but he tends to get sick of merrymaking easier than others so he retires early. would complain to patroclus about several things in his day as they tend to their body pains and weapons/armor maintenance. this says a lot about my general impression of his personality. i don't need to spell out that i think he's dramatic lol

- has a green right eye and a deep black left iris (from thetis). i made this on accident with a sketch but i really like the idea of him being *slightly* unsettling when they see him the first time instead of a flawless blonde child. sure he still is, but i'd like in-universe characters to have more of a reason to not approach him. and well... pay thetis a little bit of tribute hahaha. i deleted other appearance hcs for him and patroclus, realizing i can just add those when i post my wip character design sheets. but here's a zoomed shot of his face as a 12 year old:

- likes theater. would have tried for it himself if he didn't have to be a warrior. has made several songs throughout his life especially in childhood but has never documented them. forgets them in the morning.

Odysseus:

- nearsighted. idk if there's anything to prove this otherwise, but i just slapped it on him. he doesn't recognize people super easily by their faces, but he goes by other things instead like height or voice, or their most prominent features. that's also how he hunts or kills. he doesn't really know this ofc, and has just been doing it his whole life. now he doesn't know his son's face very well, so i'd like to add this to the moral dilemma of throwing astyanax off the wall more than it already is.

- short king idk 5'1". 5'2" if he's wearing shoes hehe. has the same height with penelope. telemachus is 5'3" (without shoes). the genes are improving!

Menelaus:

- diomedes and odysseus second father figure. this probably has a lot of contradicting evidence, but let me sit with the funny image that it started as a joke at first then they found menelaus just has very basic dad instincts. has, on many nights, gotten drunk and cried about helen leaving him.

- has to watch his blood pressure (sorry).

Diomedes:

- values the concept of family higher than most. he doesn't spell it out in the open of course, but it's one of the things that sets him apart as well.

※ so i took a break, got curious about diomedes and looked up his future after troy. that hc does not bode well with his wife's status after his return 💀

Pyrrhus:

- has red hair (sometimes a "duh" moment for me considering his name is literally fire-haired/red-haired; I've seen blonde depictions of him).

- 5'6". slightly taller than average, but shorter than his father because his god blood is more diluted than.

- very cold and steadfast when he first showed up. i want to believe that he was not that all throughout. he learned to commune with other soldiers, although awkward and unsure. somehow, he became like another achilles; the youngest of the soldiers, the man who would spearhead the attack by proposing the idea of the trojan horse (i read somewhere it was him, and then some say odysseus, some say both). he would look quizzically at handshakes but would accept. he'd be so confused by whooping and hugging and cheering after battle, but didn't resist the warmth of it. he unfortunately didn't have time to explore that side of life before he died.

i think i'll end it there 🤣 i'm not that well-acquainted with other characters, but you yourself wrote about automedon and balius and xanthus being tamed by patroclus, so i also believe that now actually.

[chewbokachoi]

Don't Ask Me

Reno grabbed another beer from the fridge and pressed it against his swelling cheek.

Another run-in with that fucking pretty boy. The blonde one. How he hated him and his too-cool and too-calm fake ass personality.

"He's a SOLDIER," Rude said without looking up from the newspaper. "He'll deteriorate and drop dead eventually."

"Tch," Reno spat and flopped down on the couch. He threw a leg onto Rude's lap without caring that he could knock the paper out of his hands or crumple it.

Rude lifted his arms in a smooth motion, quite used to it.

"I'd rather just hack off his head and mount it on the wall before he dies like the rest of those saps," Reno muttered.

"Hm." Rude said with a nod.

Silence, save for the ticking clock.

"Don't you dare do it," Reno said.

Rude's eyebrows twitched. A smirk.

"Don't…"

"How're you feeling?" Rude asked.

"You asshole!"

Rude let out an amused huff and ducked from Reno's kick.

Written to "Don't Ask Me" by OK GO

[akwolfgrl]

How sweet it is to be loved by them part 10

“What are you?” Zoro found himself asking his new captain.

“I am a rubber man!” Luffy stated pourdly his leg was still lifted.

“So you can't swim?” His husband asked with sadness in his voice. The seas and everything in it was one of Sanji's favorite things in the world. That man would never willingly choose to eat a devil fruit.

“Never learned how! Soooo can't miss what cha never knew!”

Zoro could hear the marines muttering to themselves on the ground, but he paid them no mind. They were all weak and no match for any of them.

“Get a gun and kill yourselves!! I don't need useless soldiers!! That's an order!” The asshole who ruled over this town with an iron ax shouted his orders. Zoro watches in horror as the soldiers turn their guns on themselves.

“What the hell do these Marines think they're doing?!” Zoro shouted in alarm.

“Stop! It's not worth your lives!” He heard Sanji join in the alarm.

“I am the marines worst nightmare! IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS, THEN EXECUTE ME!!” Luffy yelled as he ran for Axe hand Morgan, his fist raised.

The man blocked Luffy's attacks with his ax hand. “People like you without any status have no right to oppose me! I am marine lieutenant axe-hand Morgan!” The Marine yelled.

“I'm Luffy. Nice meet you, I'm still gonna kick your ass,”

<>

Koby watched as Luffy beat up the marine Lieutenant, and Luffy was winning! They were all saved! Then he heard the click of a gun. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other blonde omega, Helempo, pointing a gun at his head.

“Wait!” Helempo screamed as Luffy continued to beat up Axe-hand Morgan. “You idiot I told you to wait!” Luffy finally turned to look. “if you want this shrimp boy to live, then don't move a muscle! If anyone moves, I'll shoot!”

“Luffy! I…I don't want to be a burden! I don't wana get in your way…I not afraid of death!” Koby conffased to Luffy the one who had saved him, the ome who had given him the courage to stand up to Alivda. He had already been shot and lived. He wouldn't be that lucky again…would he?

“Okay..I know!” Luffy smiled at him. If that was the last this Koby ever saw, he'd die a happy man.

Everything seemed to happen at once, yet still in slow motion. Luffy readied himself to hit Hellempo just as Axe-hand Morgan made his move. Zoro headed for Morgan, all the while Hellempo screamed his ear when it all stopped. Before Luffys fist could connect, before Morgan could hurt Luffy. The married couple srung into action. Zoro had cut Morgan while Sanji had kicked Helempo in the face.

“That's for throwing a child over a wall,” Sanji kicked him again, Koby swore he heard bones break. “That's for hurting and tormenting MY husband!” Koby watched as blue petals contuied to rain down from Sanji. He was an avenging angel come to save him once again.

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

a boy, a man, a lover, a fool, a soldier, a hero

11/28: Matching Scars RATED E Corvus asks how Soren got his scar.

“Goodnight” must have left their lips about a hundred times, but didn’t seem to constitute an actual ending to their time together for the night. If only, Corvus only whined and burrowed in further to Soren’s chest, all warm and cinnamon-y. “Cinnamon-y” was the closest he’d been able to get to putting a name on that distinct Soren scent, but he’d find a better one.

“Stay with me tonight?” Soren murmured into his hair, not even tearing his eyes away from that beautifully-leatherbound poetry book he’d been reading.

Corvus smiled against his skin. “Thought you’d never ask.”

“Lemme finish this one, then I’ll start cleaning up, mkay?”

“Just this one. Or two. Or… three. Hundred.”

“Mm, no can-do. It’s only got 250.”

“Ugh.” But Corvus picked himself up and stretched an arm over his head. “I can go grab my stuff and meet back here.”

Soren sat up and took his hand. “No need. I’ve got extras.” Before he could add anything else, the blond hastily tacked on, “Head Crownguard comes with its perks. Private bathroom. So, uh, shower if you want, do whatever. My bathroom is your bathroom.”

“Shower?” Corvus echoed, wishing he was hung up on anything else Soren had just said, anything but that. “Like… together?”

“Oh! Uh, no! But, yeah, that was kinda presumptuous of me, but it wasn't me like, trying to pressure you into it or anything! We can, but we don't have to–”

Corvus ran a hand through his hair, moving it to cup the back of his head. “Soren. The world's got a future now, remember? We can take our time.”

Soren smiled and kissed him, humming happily. “You can steal one of my shirts if you want.”

“As opposed to…?”

He tilted his head. “Wearing nothing?”

Corvus flicked his chest and went to find that old, oversized then and too-small now dark green shirt with “Camp Katolis” in bold, all-capitalized white lettering he’d worn a few times, stealing it from Soren as they changed after training.

“You look good in that color,” Soren said wistfully, marking his page and taking his waist to lead him to the bathroom.

“I thought I looked good in everything.”

“You do. But especially dark green.”

“Good save.”

Soren took out his toothbrush, more well-cleaned than any other toothbrush Corvus had ever seen, and squeezed out that bubblegum-flavored pink toothpaste he always tasted of in the morning. “I think there’s one around here…” he trailed off, speech muffled as he pulled the cabinet doors open with one socked foot as Corvus looked on borderline-awkwardly.

“What, you're not gonna share your toothbrush?” he teased, but Soren's eyes widened in genuine seriousness. “I mean, we kiss all the time.”

“Dental hygiene is extremely important, Corvus,” he said gravely, and spat out the mouthful of toothpaste. He found a still-wrapped toothbrush under the sink and tapped Corvus’s nose with it, handing it over as Corvus giggled and began to brush his own teeth.

Once done brushing his teeth, Soren squirted a bit of soap onto his hand to wash his face– also weird. Corvus couldn't remember ever knowing a man who took care of himself as well as Soren– not his dad, not any of the men back at the Standing Battalion, not Oliver, not even Corvus. But a good weird.

He turned Soren's face to his before he could wash off a stray bit of soap he'd missed by his eyebrow, swiping it off with his thumb, and Soren thanked him with a quick kiss.

Corvus lingered perhaps longer than was socially acceptable, always so bad at those pesky social cues, just… admiring his boyfriend. Because he could do that. With his boyfriend. Because Soren was his boyfriend.

AO3!

[amostimprobabledream]

Thoughts on Season 4 so far...

I know, I know, I should probably wait til it's finished, but I finally caught up with everyone else after being weirdly nervous about it.

Just what the hell was going on with the first couple of episodes? Like, episode one felt like it was written by someone with only a passing knowledge of the show. The dialogue felt clunky and it all seemed so rushed. It was a really boring episode. The second one was a bit dull too.

I felt so bad for Hughie when he heard his dad was in hospital and getting choked up over not talking to him and wishing he'd wake up so they could talk about the book his dad was excited about.

Fuck Hughie's mother! (If it really is her...) What a bitch. "Uwu, don't yell at me, son I abandoned for 20 years!"

I'm glad Kimiko seems to have been given more of her own story this season. Karen Fukuhara does such a good job with a character who doesn't talk.

On the flipside, I could not give a flying fuck about Frenchie and some guy he likes. I never care when the show tries to introduce non-Supe love interests. It's like Maeve and her dull girlfriend all over again, except I actually like Frenchie.

Wooow, Butcher has been so neutered this season. It's a real fall from his unchallenged rule In S1 & 2, but I can't say he doesn't deserve it after how horribly he treated his team.

Fuck off, Becca, fuck off Becca, Fuck OFF, Becca. God. Every time I see her I have to press the skip button. (Also it's really funny how she's inexplicably more blonde in Billy's hallucinations. What, did she get highlights in the afterlife?)

I don't care if he's a kid, I'm gonna say it: Ryan is SO boring to watch. He's saved by being important to Homelander and Butcher but god, every scene he's in I'm desperate for it to be over.

Has anybody noticed Homelander was talking to Ryan the exact same way Soldier Boy spoke to him when he called him "ungrateful?" He really is his father's son.

I didn't know what to make of Sage. The fandom was hyping her up to all hell so I was prepared to not be very impressed by her because of how much people were raving about her before she'd even done anything. I'm still confused about what exactly her motives are but her scenes with The Deep are pretty funny. I wonder why she told him about the lobotomy? Because she thinks he's too stupid for it to backfire on her? Hmm.

I know Firecracker is awful but she's so pretty and I love listening to her accent. I can't wait for her and Homelander to interact more.

I...am not loving Starlight's subplot? I get what they're going for, they want her to be this activist who's like a figurehead of La Resistance against Vought, but watching her campaigning and complaining about how she's not Starlight, she's Annie, is not fun to watch. I'm also not a fan of her hair or outfits this season, I think the shorter look suited her face more. (Also, the whole abortion thing came a bit out of nowhere. I feel like that might have been something that deserved a bit more exploration for Starlight, Hughie and their relationship?)

THAT BEING SAID - I do like her dynamic with Firecracker, because I think the writers wrote themselves into a corner with her in Season 3 because she's Starlight! She always has to be morally correct and good in every scenario! I'm glad they're making it clear she isn't this perfect angel - even the scene where Firecracker confronts her, Starlight kind of ducks responsibility by saying she's changed and "my mom taught me to be ruthless". Those aren't really apologies and Starlight only apologising because Firecracker is a threat to her reputation is really interesting - and not dissimilar to the scientists only asking for forgiveness when their monster came back to kill them.

Victoria's relationship with Zoe is confusing. I forgot Zoe existed, actually. I'm not even clear if Zoe is her bio kid or adopted one, because if the former, who's Zoe's dad?

A-Train's redemption wasn't something I was looking forward to, but it's being handled fairly decently, way better than how Maeve did like, one good deed per season and got handed hers on a silver platter. I'm still a bit upset that he's basically been absolved of Robyn's death though.

Homelander. Oh my GOD. He's so unhinged this season and we haven't even gotten to the big finale yet. His facial twitches, the little micro-expressions, his pissy little "ShutthefuckUP!" at The Deep, wow. Antony Starr continues to carry the show on his shoulders.

THE LAB SCEEEENE. Jesus. That was like something out of a horror-thriller, yet I was cheering for him the whole time. Antony Starr deserves ALL the Emmys.

[a-b-riddle]

Pen Pals Chapter One: Welcome to the Internet

I feel like most girls who claimed they loved world history either had a hot history teacher or a Percy Jackson obsession. Well, I'm not like most girls. I had both. I may have been failing math, but when I tell you I was passing history with flying colors...

It was 2009: I was a freshman in high school and at 14 years old, I was very impressionable. Full disclosure: I was not groomed. Well, by my teacher at least. My history teacher wasn't like that weird, over-friendly coach with the students. He was just hot. Very incredibly boring, but hot by my standards as a 14-year-old who up until that point had only kissed two boys, but read some very questionable fan-fiction. 

Our semester closed on the unit about World War II. It was the week of Christmas, we just finished our finals and we watched a movie I highly recommend called 'Pearl Harbor'.

That movie just kind of fueled my obsession with World War II. It's like those little kids who had a really nice nurse when they were sick and they grew up wanting to be nurses. I saw Ben Affleck in a WW 2 uniform and was fucking SET. 

Now don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed it besides the hot actors. I loved the stories. I loved the heroes. Second Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy: The most decorated soldier of the war. He was credited for killing over 200 Germans. Corporal Desmond Doss was a medic, never picked up a weapon and saved 75 men by lowering them down from a freaking cliff. I cry every time I watch his interviews and if you want to know his full story watch Hacksaw Ridge. Then there was Private Steven Grant Rogers. Started out as an E-1 and then promoted to a O-3 (or a Captain) and was renamed  Captain America.

Just like how people think of Tom Brady when they think of the Super Bowl, I did the same thing when it came to Captain America and the war. Now, I don't want to say I idolized the man, but I did admire the hero.

My obsession made me major in History and later get a Master's in Conflict Management. Now, I was applying to one of the biggest companies in the nation: Stark Industries. Now, that was partly because I could not find a job anywhere and someone that I went to college with started working in HR and was able to get me an interview. It didn't have to do with anything pertaining to my degree, but it had been a while before I was able to find a job that paid this well. 

I felt like I was running my sponsor dry with his support and I had applied several times to multiple colleges in the city. I mean I had a freaking Master's degree with intentions of pursuing my Doctorate for crying out loud and the best I could do was be a personal assistant.

I was going to be a secretary. Nothing important, but the pay was more than exceptional. 

Stark Tower was intimidating to say the least. Over 90 floors and reflective glass windows. It hurt my neck to look directly up at it. 

When I walked into the building, security instructed me what floor to go to. When I got there, I was greeted with an empty desk. I waited several minutes downstairs before a strawberry blonde woman with cute freckles came down to greet me. "Hi, you must be the secretary applicant." She smiled. "I'm Pepper Potts. So you're resume here is quite impressive and Harrison in HR highly recommended you."

"Yes, I was so excited when he told me you had a position available."

"Usually, I would be doing the interview, but I'm afraid I have to head out on some other business, so if you want to take the elevator to floor 82, Mr. Stark will be waiting."

"Of course." I said holding a folder that contained all the documents he requested I brought in.

"Hello, Mr. Stark." I greeted.

"You must be Pepper's replacement."

"Oh," I said. "Is she not-"

"She's been made COO." He clarified. "She can't leave that easily."

"Oh, good." I said. "She seemed really sweet."

"To you, yes. To me, I can't do anything. Don't put your life in danger, don't challenge terrorists." He mocked. "She's no fun." He walked further into what I assumed was a common room of sorts. It gave no indication that he lived on that floor. There was a full bar and it looked more of a place he hosted parties. "So tell me a bit about yourself." He began to pour himself a drink. "Something that isn't on your resume."

"Um, well, I'm taking a course in French and Greek right now. Just online classes, nothing too time consuming. I prefer dogs over cats because I think that its important if you die, for your pet to at least be sad and I am the first one in my family to live in New York, that I know of. I'm the first girl to graduate with their Master's. I plan on eventually getting my Doctorate, but not for a while. I don't like hot coffee and I'm terrified of snakes."

"Who would actually prefer cats over dogs?"

"Pepper?" I asked to which he laughed, even though it wasn't that funny.

"I like you." He took a sip of his drink. "It's not liquor. Pepper has this rule that alcohol should only be consumed during certain times of the day."

"I think 9:30 on a Monday is acceptable. I was debating on getting Mimosas after the interview if it went well."

"And if it didn't?" He asked.

"I would say tequila, but I got food poisoning from the limes once."

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I had about 15 limes and felt terrible the next day."

"I prefer a good scotch myself."

"I like anything that doesn't taste like alcohol. I'm really impressed that a bottle of wine can cost thousands of dollar, but I guarantee it can't be as delicious as a Moscow mule."

"I haven't had a Moscow mule in forever." He said. "They were my go-to in college."

"Where did you go to school?" His response was to point at a wall that was covered in awards and accomplishments. "You went to Andover?" I asked looking at his degree.

"Seven years." He said. "I really liked the science department."

"I've given a few guest lectures there. It's a lovely school."

"What was the topic of discussion?"

"The North African campaign during World War 2, but specifically the Battle of Ramree Island."

"History nerd. Nice." Mr. Stark replied sarcastically when the elevator door dinged. "Speaking of historical nerds."

If my legs could have physically turned into jelly at that moment they would. None other than Steve Rogers walked in with a blonde following dutifully behind. "Tony."

"Capscicle and the ice queen." He whispered too low for them to hear.

"Rogers, meet our new secretary." Tony introduced and started to head toward the elevator.

"It is such an honor, Captain Rogers." I said taking his outstretched hand.

"Please, call me Steve." He insisted. The blonde beside him remained quiet and eyed me up and down with a stoic expression.

"Not that I'm trying to cut you off, but I'll let you two old ladies reminisce on the glory days." Tony clicked the elevator door and waited until it dinged opened. "I have somewhere to be. Congratulations. You got the job. Blah. Blah. Blah. Monday at 9, don't be late." He pressed a button I couldn't see and the doors began to close. "Or do. I really don't care, but if you're late, bring coffee."

"He's..." I began, but couldn't quite pick the right word.

"Arrogant." Steve finished.

"I was going to say interesting." I said.

"So what 'glory days' was Stark referring to?"

"Oh. I gave a few lectures about a few battles at the University he went to. Nothing exciting."

"Well Mrs.-"

"It's just Miss." I said. That was stupid. Why did I say that? That was rude to cut him off like that. "Sorry." I apologized. Why was I apologizing?

"Well, Ma'am. It looks like we'll be seeing you Monday morning. If you're late Tony gets a triple shot of espresso and a disgusting amount of sugar in it."

"Being late isn't really my style. My mother always said if you're not early, you're late." Why was a quoting my zealot mother right now. Jesus, stop it.  Not like Jesus Jesus. You know what, never mind. "I think I can find my way out." I said.

The walk back home I felt my cheeks burn the entire time. I haven't even started and I'm already flustered. Jesus, get a grip.

Suddenly my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was him.

*So how did it go?*

*I got the job* I replied back.

*That's wonderful. I'm so proud of you* I couldn't deny the pride that swelled inside of me at his praise.

*Thank you, although I did make a complete ass out of myself*

*How so?*

*Well, my new boss introduced me to one of his partners and I felt like I made a fool of myself.* I typed. *Not partner in the sexual way, but someone he works with. He called Mrs. and I corrected him and said 'no it's just MIss' like it didn't even matter, he was just being polite. Then I quoted my mother. I was just flustered, but I start Monday.*

C didn't reply after that. We were supposed to have a date tonight so I'm sure he would just finish the conversation later. I had a caprese salad, but ate mostly the mozzarella. I showered, shaved and waited until I got a notification.

 *Sorry. Something came up. Regardless, I think you'll do great.* I smiled at his message, but was disappointment that he was cancelling our date tonight. Well the closest thing we came to date nights which usually ended in me being in an unsavory position.

Initially, C and I met on a chat forum in 2016. I was working on my senior seminar and had sort of an open ended question regarding the war. It was something along the lines of taking the notion that if a war on that scale were to happen in today's world in what ways would American citizens contribute to the war effort at home? Back in the 40s most companies like Ford made strictly military equipment. It was an honor to have a government contract whereas now it's more like any other business deal.

I received a lot of interesting responses, but a user named CR0876 replied that shifting the current American ideal of self-preservation to what we had before which was sacrificing for your country was the only way in which today's America could possibly aid in a war. I messaged CR0876 to further discuss the topic. 

He wrote me: All I am saying is we now live in a day and age where you have people who won't vaccinate their children simply because they choose not to. They don't have an issue with you vaccinating your kids, but not theirs. We eradicated some of the deadliest diseases that are still present in some third-world nations and you have entitled people who don't trust science to preserve the health and well-being of not only their children, but everyone they come in contact with. The reason that our life expectancy has shot up isn't because of ground breaking medical break throughs like chemotherapy, it is for preventative measures. Getting vaccinated. Getting checkups. Wearing sunscreen. Washing your hands after wiping your ass. 

A few minutes later he sent an apology for getting so riled up in his rant and I told him that no apology was needed and I completely agreed with him. From then on our friendship started to blossom. 

Most of our conversations had something to do involving the war, but then it got more personal. I felt comfortable with him. I talked about my time at college and what I was studying. We went from a few messages a week to communicating everyday. Eventually when graduation came around, I offered him a graduation ticket. I was a little disappointed to find out it was too far for him to travel. He asked for my mailing address. That he felt guilty for missing such a big event and he wanted to make it up to me. I was a little apprehensive. I mean, we were taught to never give your stranger your address, but I was an RA in a college dorm. I would be out into the real world soon and he wouldn't know my room number or what I looked like.

So I sent it.

A few weeks passed and I got a pair of beautiful pearl earrings with a card that read. A beautiful girl always needs a set of beautiful pearls. Congratulations on all of your hard work. -C

Four and a half years later and I still have that card. We still talk about the war. I recommend him movies, while he recommends books then we both point on the inconsistencies. It was stupid, but it was fun. Now, I just sort of tell him about my day to day life and he tells me small tidbits about his. It was earlier in 2020 when the pandemic hit that things started to get... well things just changed.

I had just moved to New York in early February to start teaching at a local college. I was going to start with May-mester classes, but then Covid hit and the world stopped. 

I had moved in with little to nothing. I had a few pieces of stuff for the kitchen and a bed. It wasn't much, but it was mine and I was damn proud of it.

My pride was short lived when I got the e-mail. In a panic, I sent him a message.

Hey can you talk?

Sure. What's up?

Is there anyway you can call me? I'm kind of in a bad place right now and I really don't have anyone else to talk to. I felt guilty as soon as I hit the send button. I'm not like going to hurt myself or anything I am just super stressed and if you have the time and energy, I just need to unload some stuff.

Seconds later my phone began to ring.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I took a deep breath. I can't believe this was the first time hearing his voice. It wasn't what I was expecting. I expected almost a pompous scholarly tone in his voice. But instead he was borderline on being batman. His voice was deep.

"They rescinded my offer." I took a deep breath. "I just spent all of my savings literally to move to this stupid freaking city and they told me over an e-mail 'we are sorry to inform you that your offer for employment has been rescinded until further notice due to the impending pandemic and the unforeseeable circumstances it holds. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and wish you the best in your future endeavors.' They said sorry and good luck." 

There was a pause and I heard him sigh. "Sweetheart, I am so sorry." 

"Thanks." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Looks like that chapter closed before it got any good. I guess I can see if maybe I can do virtual learning for a high school, but I don't know if my degree is enough. I think you need an education degree to teach."

"But you always wanted to teach college..." His disappointment matched mine.

"I know..." I looked down at nearly clear streets of New York. "But I need a job, C." I sighed. "It's either that or call my parents and I would literally rather be homeless than ask them for help."

"How much?"

"What do you mean?"

"How much was your job going to pay you?"

"80k a year starting." I said and felt another wave of nausea wash over me. 80k wasn't much to some, but it was a lot for me and it would be doing something I loved.

"Tell you what, that is about 6 and a half grand a month. I will pay you 7 grand a month if you promise me not to give up."

"What?" I couldn't believe this. "There is absolutely no way I could ever accept that kind of money."

"It's not like I don't have it, Princess." He can't be serious. That's crazy. He never mentioned having money or being well off. 

"And what do you want in return?" The butterflies in my stomach began to churn. God I hope he wasn't wanting to do anything... unethical. "Surely you wouldn't do that just because you want me to be a college professor."

"Nothing." He said. "Absolutely nothing. I just want you to be taken care of and pursue your dream."

"I really can't let you do that."

"It's only temporary." He tried to assure me, but I still felt guilty. 

"C-" He was always so argumentative and authoritative over messaging and he matched it over the phone.

"I promise." He interrupted. "It won't put a dent in my wallet."

"Only until I have a full-time job." I tried to say.

"Until you become a professor."

"No," I said. "As soon as I get a job and can support myself."

"Sweetheart, it's not polite to argue."

"I appreciate it." I said. "I really do."

"So does that make your day a little bit better?" He asked.

"It does."

"Anything else gone wrong you need help fixing?"

"No." I responded and felt like a child and and adult came up to fix the mess I had made.

"Good." I heard him sigh. "I'm glad that was easy to fix and now, that I got you on the phone... it's nice to finally hear your voice."

Chapter Two: Confessions

[braveclementine]

Falcon

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OC Elizabeth Lightwood. I do not condone any copying of this.

Steve grunted, pushing against the rubble and looked over to him. Both Natasha and Y/N were unconscious. He quickly pushed everything out of the way, trying to figure out how best to get both of them back to the truck, and quickly.

Y/N was lighter and smaller of the two. He hesitated, and then picked her up, carrying her over his shoulder, before carefully bending down, picking up Nat, trying to cradle her in both arms, while also holding the shield in his other arm.

He saw lights coming from the direction opposite the truck. He quickly turned, running as fast as he could. It was awkward running and he could already feel that the jolting was causing Y/N's body to slip down his shoulder. But he could stop. He couldn't abandon either of them.

His luck came when he felt Natasha struggling in his arms. He immediately put her down, letting her run with him, though she still looked disoriented. He moved Y/N into his arms, cradling her the same way, shoving his shield into Nat's hands instead.

"Start the truck and drive." Steve shouted, yanking open the backseat of the truck and Nat leaped into the front.

Once Nat was on the road, he checked out Y/N. Her breathing seemed nonexistent and he checked for a pulse. Fear lit in him when she didn't respond.

He listened again, this time, hearing her breath hitch in her throat like she was choking.

Choking on what? There had been no water.

How did he save her?

Hesitantly, he went for CPR. Lowering his mouth to hers, he started the drill. He closed his mind against the fact that her lips were softer than Natasha's, pulling back quickly to pump her chest.

Her lips, soft as they were, were almost familiar. They reminded him of his own soulmates lips, although his soulmate had had slightly thicker ones. But they were just as soft.

Suddenly, there was a sharp inhale, and Steve relaxed as Y/N's eyes fluttered open. He held her carefully as she tilted her head, hawking and spitting, until there was a small rock that came up out of her throat. Then she collapsed into a coughing fit, tears streaming down her face.

When she finally came to, she looked up at him from where her head was laying in his lap and mumbled, "When I said I wanted to kiss you, that wasn't exactly how I imagined it."

He smiled just a little.

"I'm curious." Nat said from the front as though Y/N hadn't just recovered from the brink of death. "Tony is your soulmate. You love him, but you want to kiss Steve. Why?"

Y/N blushed a little, coughing again. "I never um- you know- got to practice when I was young. Boys just- weren't interested in me like that. And my parents- I mean you know what they're like Nat. I guess I kind've just wanted to see what it would be like, to have someone that wasn't your soulmate, that wasn't someone who was designed to love you, interested in you. That was all. Sorry if I made it awkward Steve." She sat up, rubbing her throat.

"It's alright." He told her, and he was truthful in that. He felt the same way. No girls or guys ever looked his way. His soulmate was the only person that he ever kissed before he became a super soldier. After he became something spectacular, there was that blond and then there had been Peggy. But he knew how Y/N felt.

Suddenly, feeling bold, Steve touched his fingers under her chin and leaned in to kiss her once more. It was a soft kiss, something Steve had missed very much. Y/N responded easily, before pulling away shyly. "No Steve, you're not a bad kisser at all. But, that will also be the last time I kiss you."

"Understood." He said with a secret smile. Y/N smiled at him, and then soon feel asleep in the back of the car. And he didn't complain when she fell sideways, landing in his lap once more.

"Don't fall in love with her Rogers." Nat warned him from the front, looking at him in the rearview mirror. "Stark will make you eat Iron Man lasers."

"I know." Steve said. "I won't."

🎃 :::::  🧡  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  🧡  ::::: 🎃

Steve led you and Nat to a random house in a quiet suburb, knocking on the door of said house.

The door was slid open by a dark skinned African American man. He was taller than you with not a lot of hair and kind brown eyes. He looked worried though, as he looked at the three of you. "Hey, man."

"I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low."

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us." Nat mumbled.

The mans eyes shifted from her, to Steve, to me, and then back to Steve. Your throat was still killing you from where you'd inhaled rock and almost almost died. Natasha's face was dirty and you could tell by the grit in your hair that you weren't looking much better.

"Not everyone." He said.

You got to see Steve almost naked as he wore a white tank top underneath all of the rest of the clothes. And you supposed he got to see you almost naked since you'd stripped down to your sports bra. You couldn't stay in the clothes that you had since they were ripped and bloody.

Turns out, one of the reason you felt so tired was because you'd never taken care of a piece of glass in your side since the fall. Steve pulled it out now and you winced, but didn't make a noise.

"I'm sorry." Steve mumbled to you.

"You saved my life. Three or four times now. I'm still deep in debt to you." You muttered back, before looking in the mirror, seeing the dirt streaked down your arms. You reached behind you awkwardly, trying to wipe it away.

Steve took it from you, finishing cleaning up the streaks. You did the same for him.

"I should've listened to you." He said suddenly.

"We." Nat said from the other room and you stepped out of the bathroom to look at her.

"When?" You asked, both being cheeky, yet also truly curious.

"In the room. When you were telling us we had to go." Nat muttered. "I guess. . . I figured if I felt there was no danger, then there was none. And it was narcissistic of me, to assume that since I was the better agent, I knew better. Sorry for thinking you're just a kid."

"Oh." You said and then shrugged, "It's a rabbit thing. I've always been good at feeling out whose good or bad and then when to run. I just don't know why I didn't get a bad feeling about Pierce."

Nat looked up at Steve and said, "I owe you."

You snorted. "Join the club."

"It's okay." Steve smiled a little.

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, now you be honest with me: would you trust me to do it?"

"I would now. And I'm always honest."

Nat nodded, "Well, you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found out they died for nothing."

"Well, I guess I just like to know who I'm fighting."

"I made breakfast," The man named Sam said, walking in. You wondered what it looked like to him, two girls in their sports bras and a guy in his tank top. "If you guys eat that sort of thing."

You giggled, hopping up. "I do for sure. Lead the way."

You followed Sam out to the kitchen, still slightly aware that you were still in a sports bra and leggings.

"Um, here." Sam muttered, darting into a room and coming back out with a black shirt. "Might be a little big. Sorry."

You smiled, putting it over your head. "It's fine. So where's the food I've been promised."

He laughed and I felt that I was slowly warming him up. "Over here."

"So the question is, who at S.H.I.E.L.D. could launch a domestic missile strike?" Nat asked.

"Pierce." You and Steve said at the same time and Steve added, "I'm listening to Y/N from now on, just in case you're wondering."

You laughed and continued to eat the toast that Sam had buttered for you.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world." Nat sighed.

"But he's not working alone." Steve said thoughtfully. "Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star."

"Okay, so who is high up that was on that boat?" You asked. You had heard of the mission, but you hadn't gone on it. And really, all that you heard was that Steve had jumped out of the plane without a parachute on his back. "Oh and if what I heard is true, wear a parachute next time."

"Jasper Sitwell." Nat answered in realization while Steve smirked.

"So, the real question is, how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D. officer in broad daylight?" Steve asked.

"The answer is, you don't." Sam said. He slapped a file down in front of Steve.

You reached for another piece of toast, buttering it yourself this time, and started to nibble on it. You wondered if you should risk calling Tony from Sam's house phone. But it definitely wasn't secure enough. You wished the two of you had another method to talk to each other with. But unless you wanted to train carrier pigeons, you were out of luck.

"What's this?" Steve asked.

"Call it a resume." Sam said.

"Is this Bakhmala?" Nat asked, picking up the picture that had been on top of the file. You leaned your chair back to see the picture. It was two people, one of them being Sam. "The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you?"

You wished you knew more about the missions and operations you kept hearing about.

"You didn't say he was a pararescue."

"Is this Riley?" Steve asked.

"Yeah."

"I heard they couldn't bring in choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use? A stealth chute?"

"No." Sam said, picking up the folder and handing it to Steve, "These."

Steve looked down at whatever contents were in the file as you reached for a third piece of toast and finished off your orange juice.

"I thought you said you were a pilot."

"I never said pilot." Sam said with a smile.

"I can't ask you to do this Sam." Steve said, shaking his head. "You got out for a good reason."

"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in."

Steve nodded and said, "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?"

"The last one is at Fort Meade." Sam replied. "Behind three guarded gates and a 12- inch steel wall."

Steve looked at Nat who shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem."

You snorted.

🎃 :::::  🧡  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  🧡  ::::: 🎃

You waited, bored, on the roof. To keep yourself occupied, you pictured your moment with Tony when all of this was over. You'd run into his arms and kiss him, that was for sure. You'd sit him down, you'd tell him about Steve because you didn't want a single secret between the two of you. You'd tell him he was giving you CPR, you woke up, boom it was then a kiss.

And you'd also tell him what Zola said about his father. It was only fair that he knew, considering it was his own father and his mother. Maybe Tony would start to dig and find out what happened.

Suddenly, the door slammed open and you saw Sitwell slide across the concrete. Steve came following right after, "Tell me about Zola's algorithm." You pulled out your gun, crossing your legs, and rested the handgun across your top one.

"Never heard of it." Sitwell said, getting to his feet hastily.

"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?" Steve asked.

"I was throwing up. I get seasick."

Sitwell continued to back up, not even noticing that you were there, so when you stood up, putting the gun into his back, he jolted, nearly sending you toppling over the edge except Steve's hand reached out, grabbing your wrist, pulling you forwards.

Steve grabbed the front of Sitwell's clothes and he was smiling, "Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style Rogers."

"You're right." Steve said, letting go and actually smoothing his clothes out. "It's hers." And then Natasha stepped forward and gave such a satisfying kick to his chest that you grinned, feeling satisfied.

"Wait. What about that girl from Accounting, Laura. . . "

"Lillian. Lip piercing, right?" Steve said.

"Yeah, she's cute. Soulmate less."

"Yeah. I'm not ready for that. Lip piercings really aren't my thing." Steve said. "To weird."

"Trashy." You piped up.

And then Sam zoomed upwards, dropping Sitwell. You watched his wings in amazement and wondered if you could get Tony to build you something like them.

The four of you approached him and he put his hand out, still on the ground. He was nearly sobbing as he said, "Zola's alogirithim is a program- for choosing- insight's targets."

"What targets?" Steve demanded.

"You! Stark! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Under Secretary of Defense, a high school Valedictorian in Iowa City, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA."

"What?" And you were surprised that Sam was snarling.

"Now, or in the future." Sitwell finished, gasping for breath.

"In the future? How could it know?"

Sitwell laughed and Sam drew closer, looking mutinous even still. "How could it not?" He got to his feet. "The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores!"

"Oh good, I took the ACT." You muttered.

"Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."

"And what then?"

"Oh My God. Pierce is going to kill me." Sitwell muttered.

"What then?" Sam demanded at the same time as Steve.

"Then the Insight helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time."

Sam grabbed Sitwell around the throat, "When is this happening?"

Sitwell scratched at Sam's hand and Steve nudged him. Sam let go and drew out a phone, immediately lifting it to his hand and started to pace. You watched him, wondering.

"Stephen?" Sam finally gasped, "Thank God."

Huh. So he'd freaked out because he was soulmated to Stephen Strange.

Whoever that was.

"No, listen-"

Sam looked annoyed and gritted his teeth as he was interrupted. "I know you're at work, but you also know I wouldn't call unless this is impo-"

Sam's nostrils flared. "GOD DAMN IT STEPHEN LISTEN TO ME! I need you to get somewhere safe! Do you understand me? I will explain everything after I see you. And I may have to cancel dinner plans tonight, we'll see."

Another pause, this one quieter.

"I can't tell you. You'll be in to much danger if I do. This is. . . different. I love you." Sam hung up on him, looking worried.

You raised an eyebrow. Sam looked at you. "He's an arrogant, rich, narcissistic, handsome, egotistical, eloquent, workaholic, loyal jackass who I happen to love. I don't know why Zola's algorithm thinks he's dangerous."

You nodded for a moment and then said, "Yeah, he sounds a lot like Tony."

🎃 :::::  🧡  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  🧡  ::::: 🎃

Tony picked up the ringing phone, holding a sleeping Everleigh on his hip. "Y/N, what's wrong?"

"Hey." She sounded exhausted, tired, and hurt. He could hear that she was in the car because he could hear the sounds of cars around her. There were also the sounds of people talking around her. "I have to say this quickly."

He stayed quiet.

"There's this program called Zola's algorithm. Basically, it can find find any threats to HYDRA."

"HYDRA, what do they have to do with this?" Tony asked in surprise.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is HYDRA." She answered. "Pierce, Sitwell, they're all part of HYDRA. But the algorithm said Stark was a threat. It didn't give first names though so it could be me or you or it could even be Everleigh. But it also mentioned Bruce. Is he still at the tower?"

"I think so." Tony said, trying to remember. "I think he's down in the lab."

"Good. Please Tony." She whispered. "Stay safe."

"You too." He whispered, and then hung up. 

[fawnofanxiety]

Cursed fic idea

Okay look, Ezio Auditore is literally everything. There are times I've asked myself #whatwouldeziodo and then do the exact opposite because it'd probably involve murder.

James fucking Buchanan Barnes and The Winter Soldier have taken up residence in my brain and heart and are 100% there to stay.

Please tell me you see where this is going and have begun crying like I have been for the past 2 god damned months.

My brain decided that my favorite murder baby needed competent help in the form of the best assassin to ever exist. #fightme

SO! So *cries* I started sketching out a fic where Ezio gets yeeted into the MCU a la Isu Bullshit at some point during WW2. There's developing friend/mentorship when my favorite murder birb stumbles on Azzano bc you best believe he'd help the Italian Resistance and dismantle any and every scrap of Nazi supply line he can get his hands on. Like I can see Ezio rolling his eyes at Steve because ho boy does this blonde-haired blue-eyed innocent and idealistic child remind him of himself before- well before he became an assassin. Bucky? Well, Bucky is the man he became after taking his first leap of faith in Venice and his skills as a sniper are breathtaking. Can't really find fault in passing on intelligence to the SSR when he learns of Hydra and pointing the Howlies at this repulsive entity(they are absolutely adorable but he doesn't have the time to focus on giving them more than the bare minimum of time to pass on some of his skills and good lord do the ridiculous duo pick up skills fast. Though Steve frowns on the sneaky sneaky, whatever, they've saved his life more than once). Now, Ezio is the one to give them the info on the train and the soul-crushing guilt he feels when his favorite doesn't come back? When they don't even send a single person to try and recover his body?! That's not gonna fly. Unfortunately, he learns of this too late and well. We all know what happened to Bucky.

I can see Ezio getting to know Howard, understanding but ultimately disapproving of his obsession with finding Steve. After all, Ezio knows just how isolating that obsession can be. But, a sort of friendship? develops? Because Ezio is 100% a hypocrite. He spends every second of his free time trying to track down Bucky. There was no body but he found where he should have been.

Ezio being Ezio cultivates a... hm comfortable amount of wealth over the years and valiantly ducks questions about why tf he isn't aging. Isu Bullshit is my favorite excuse in the AC 'verse. I can see him talking about this to Howard and Peggy when he trusts them enough. Maybe. Maybe, he talks Howard down from building weapons, just a little, but can't completely stop his fall into alcoholism and being a shit father. Maybe, he falls completely under Tiny Tony's spell and becomes Uncle Ezio. Who 100% teaches Tony how to fight back and escape after his first kidnapping. Swapping out with Peggy when he's off searching for Bucky (who he's figured out is the WS but can't fucking track him down) but always always shows up for holidays, birthdays, graduations, science fairs, and silent support at the stuffy galas. Listens to this little boy, who reminds him of Petriccio, trip over himself talking about what he's learned and learning, his never-ending ideas and frustrations. (Jarvis fucking loves this wonderful Italian who also occasionally scares the shit out of him but ignorance is bliss and it's no skin off his back to wash the occasional blood stain out of Ezio's clothing and administer first aid.)

Maybe, he stops the WS from assassinating the Starks. Maybe, he helps Bucky find himself even if he can't do anything about the trigger words. Maybe he becomes a little more blood-thirsty, a little more ruthless when going after any and every Hydra outpost he can. Maybe he sits there and holds Bucky as he cries when Ezio finds the book. Stands behind him, in pride and grief with a hand on his shoulder as Bucky and Tony burn the damn thing. Maybe he whole-heartedly approves of Rhodes, even as Bucky gives the poor child the stink-eye. Is the one to give Tony the shovel talk when he notices the beginnings of attraction between these two idiots. The fact that Bucky proceeded to leave a whole host of bruises when he found out just makes Ezio laugh with pride.

Maybe, just maybe, Ezio finds himself sitting on the balcony of his villa on the outskirts of Florence watching the sunset over his sprawling vineyard with a glass of wine in his hand, his heartache over the family he left behind so very long ago on that bench in the middle of the summer market no longer suffocating. The faint sounds of his bright-eyed and brilliant nephew bickering with the haunted but hopeful man he proudly considers to be his son bring him a sense of peace he never thought he would have again.

[holly-fixation]

Three... Guards? Ch11

Summary: Tifa finds Cloud at the train station in Sector Seven. It’s the first time she’s seen him in seven years. But he’s not alone. Three silver haired boys protected him. Three silver haired boys that triggered memories of her hometown. Of steel through her chest. Of SOLDIER First Class. Of Him.

The truth cannot be denied any longer

Please Enjoy!

Inspired by the prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien

Chapter 11: Atonement and Malice

“Wings of light and dark spread afar

She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting.”

Strife sighed lowly. Why was someone quoting poetry down here? He doubted any Shinra executive would allow their prisoners the privilege of reading material. 

“Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess

We seek it thus, and take to the sky.”

He needed to focus. If the Remnants got their hands on Jenova's corpse, it was over, everything was over if he stayed trapped down here, unable to fight. 

“Ripples form on the water's surface

The wandering soul knows no rest.”

If the Remnants were still with his team, then he needed to prevent them from reaching the Calamity with everything he had. 

“Three friends go into battle.

One is captured

One flies away

The one that is left becomes a hero.”

Strife searched the cell for any weakness in the glass or the joints to exploit. Any thinner glass or bending metal. He scanned every corner, trying to decide the easiest connection to break. 

“Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul

Pride is lost

Wings stripped away, the end is nigh.

There is no hate, only joy

For you are beloved by the goddess

Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds.”

It would be a lot easier to focus if-

“My friend, do you fly away now?

To a world that abhors you and I?

All that awaits you is a somber morrow”

“I'll show you a somber morrow if you don't shut the hell up,” Strife muttered to himself as he kneeled closer to his potential target. He heard a soft sigh. 

“Not one for the arts, are you?” The man sounded almost wistful. “What a shame. I figured I’d take the chance. You’re fresh fish, and no one currently here appreciates my craft.”

Strife stopped his search in small frustration. “Probably because shoving it down someone's throat is not a great way to introduce yourself.”

“I suppose that’s fair. But here we are conversing and you haven’t introduced yourself either.”

He ran a hand across the glass, feeling delicately for any changes in shape. “Won’t do you much good. I’m not staying here long.”

“Ah. A confident one I see?” The voice seemed vaguely amused. “I wish you luck. I have little desire to escape just yet.”

“I have to get out of here.”

“So you wish to escape for someone else or are you just selfish? Oh, or is it far more than one?”

Strife almost growled. 

There was a pause. “Do you care to elaborate?” Not a hint of mockery or amusement remained. 

“Not interested.”

“Come now, what else are we doing?”

“Not continuing this conversation I hope.”

“Hmph,” the other man contemplated. “You’re in real trouble then, aren’t you? Here I am trying to be neighborly and you keep shooting me down like a pest. I’ll proudly tell you I do not stay down for long.”

“If this doesn’t work, a lot of people are going to die.”

“How many?” 

Strife chose not to answer. Clearly this conversation was going nowhere. 

“Do you have an estimate?”

Strife didn’t respond. 

“Very well then, I'll take a guess. Is it just a lot of people? Or The Planet?”

The blond halted. He stood, turning to the cell with the red blur. “What’s it to you?”

“It’s merely a shot in the dark. Those ecoterrorists have caused quite a stir among Shinra's staff.” The man just did not stop talking. “Bombing reactors. In all honesty, it’s not the worst plan if they had more help, but it won’t do nearly enough to save The Planet.”

“So you’re an ecoterrorist?”

The stranger released a melodious laugh. “Goddess, no. But Shinra is far from a friend of mine. Oh the tales I could weave… Experimentation, degradation, the destruction of my home town-”

“Where?” Strife couldn’t help but ask. 

“Banora. You probably haven't heard of it. Our greatest export was apples and we didn't leave much of an impact on the world in the long run. A shame, really. Shinra enjoys setting their mistakes on fire instead of letting the public decide right and wrong.”

The blond exhaled darkly at his own realization. “Nibelheim… Corel... Banora isn't special. Damn…”

“...I truly apologize for my actions…” His words came deep and true, far too much emotion to be an outside observer. There was a long pause before he spoke again. “Nibelheim is my greatest regret…”

Strife froze. “What are you talking about?”

“I pushed Sephiroth into that library. I thought he would join me after learning the truth. I could not possibly have been more wrong.”

Rage filled his heart. “Who are you and what the hell are you talking about?”

“Former First Class SOLDIER: Genesis Rhapsodos.”

That name rang a bell. “The Red Mage of Shinra?”

“Long ago, yes. I fought alongside Sephiroth for many years. I was always jealous, and to shorten the tale of my woes, I wanted him to hurt as much as I wanted to make him an ally. I realize now how foolish that was. There are no dreams. No honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess.”

Strife slammed his fist against the glass, and to his surprise, it cracked. 

“I’ll never forgive myself for all I’ve done, but the goddess gave me a second chance. Even if the morrow is barren of promises, Nothing shall forestall my return. To become the dew that quenches the land. To spare the sands, the seas, the skies. I offer thee this silent sacrifice.”

“You are anything but silent.”

Genesis smirked. “Well, you’re right about that. But you now know my story. Would you share yours?”

Strife stilled for a moment. “I'm from Nibelheim. And I was there the day Sephiroth burned my home to the ground.”

“I truly apologize…”

“And he’s still here.”

The red headed soldier stood, disbelief in his voice. “He died in Nibelheim.”

“He refuses to stay dead.”

“He lost his mind. The Goddess would not grant him a second chance.”

“I don't have time to explain this to you.”

“If I aid your escape, will you fill me in?”

“Not interested.” 

The man in the red coat gave a soft glance to the other. “If that glass shatters, you'll be surrounded in ten seconds, and the exit will close. We’re fairly deep and if that elevator cannot move, no one is getting out of here quickly. There are sensors to the left of the door. Leave them be and the silent alarm won’t sound.”

Strife glanced to confirm the advice. Sure enough, two whisker sensors rested at the top and bottom of the cell's outer ring. If either were touched, they would activate. Left alone, they only stood at the ready. 

Genesis, for once, said nothing as he struck the glass multiple times and pierced through his own glass cage, each sensor completely untouched by fallen shards. The former soldier stepped through the remains and stood directly in front of Strife’s cell. 

The blond glared hard but understood the silent request. “You won't believe my story.”

“You’d be surprised what I’ve put my faith in before.”

Strife sighed but figured no harm would come from his explanation: his past that would become their future if he was not thrown back in time with the Remnants of Sephiroth. They weaved through the hallways easily as if they traveled the path a hundred times. Each of the former SOLDIER's movements were like water, and rarely did he ever turn back and hold a finger to his lips in a gesture to silence.

Genesis genuinely could not prevent his thought from escaping his lips at the end of Strife’s tale, guilt bleeding from each syllable, “My friend, what did I do to you…?” He shook his head of red hair and returned a simple fact as they entered the elevator, “I’m going with you.”

“At this point, the more the merrier. Just stay out of my way.”

Thus the two rode the elevator to the highest floor available, no alarms or security approaching or stopping the ride. They rode this separate, inner elevator through nearly all of Shinra Tower, restricted only by their lack of key cards. Strife and Genesis silenced as they focused on finding any route into the labs undetected. 

* * *

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Can you walk?”

“Do you need us to carry you?”

“What else can we do?”

“Is anything helping?”

“Will you stab us in the back?”

“Should I try healing with a different spell?”

Kadaj nearly groaned at the multitude of questions thrown his way. He was so unbelievably tired, but even without Hojo's direct intervention, this lab only made him feel worse. Mentally at least. He could walk now, not as fast as he wanted but enough to keep up. 

Big Brother- well technically not Big Brother- demanded the children protect Kadaj instead of himself. The two kittens reluctantly followed the order, staying behind their youngest sibling as the group stood ahead, the smallest forcing his eyes ahead as Cloud took the lead. Their party stalked slowly through the examination hallways, spotting terrifying medical machines designed for gods know what through observation glass. 

Loz could not help the defensive fear from plastering itself onto his face and into his heart as he stared into the rooms. Kadaj limped ahead, arms crossed in an X across his chest, one hand hooked with materia and one firmly planted on his neck, so only Yazoo saw and provided the slightest comfort to the eldest silver boy. 

Barret and Red XIII guarded everyone’s back while keeping eyes on the remnants, checking for signs of escape or betrayal, yet none of the boys changed course in any way, following slowly and deliberately. Besides Kadaj were Aerith and Tifa, mostly Aerith offering encouragement as they moved forward. At the head of the pack stood Cloud, ready to defend them all with his life.

Why was Big Brother so emotional here? Whatever the reason, his emotion was likely the only reason Kadaj and his brothers were still breathing. 

Through the dimly lit hallways and the chamber containing the youngest’s cell, the orange furred beast informed them of Hojo’s coming game, that the only reason they were allowed such freedom was for further experimentation. Cloud swore he’d play along until he had the chance to slice the scientist’s throat. No one argued with his sentiment. 

Surprisingly they all fit in the elevator where both Kadaj and Big Brother passed out. Cloud and the triplets inhaled at the sight of a single black feather floating to the ground as the door closed and the platform rose. None of them spoke a word.

Who keeps a lab this dark?

The pack stepped onto a catwalk in the massive, multiple level atrium. Large tubes connected each segregated corridor to the central terminal, and mako pods lined the lowest floor. Their current path lined the circular wall, eventually leading them on a bridge to what could only be the crown jewel of Shinra's science department on display in a pristine glass tank. 

“What the hell is that…?” Barret questioned.

“MOTHER!” Loz and Yazoo shouted at once, elation overwhelming in their young voices. Everyone else in their group saw a monster pretending to be human. They saw the perfect form of the Mother they never knew. 

But Kadaj stepped away from the body of the woman while his brothers tried to run closer. 

“Boys, wait!” Aerith and Tifa held the two elder remnants back. 

“But it’s Mother!” Loz yelled desperately, unable to even think of harming Tifa to free himself. “She’s here! She’s really here!”

“Please let us see her…!” Yazoo pleaded, wriggling in Aerith’s grasp like a fish out of water. “Just once…!”

Kadaj craved their absolute happiness but found himself terrified, his chest tightening as his need to flee increased dramatically. Why was he feeling like this? What happened? What happened?! Why isn’t he happy?! This isn’t right!

Cloud looked back, his mouth open to give a warning but a shout erupting before he could speak. He clasped his blond locks and struggled to stand at the sudden agony shooting through his body, and Kadaj did the same. 

“Cloud…?” Tifa wanted to be by her friend’s side, to pull him back to reality, but she froze at the sight before them, the silver haired boys in their arms suddenly attempting to draw weapons instead of escape. 

Between their party and the body the children struggled to reach stood the Silver Soldier of their nightmares, long hair cascading down to the black leather coat and boots. 

The shock forced most of their party back, but between Cloud's suffering and Kadaj's combined confusion, they stayed ahead.

Kadaj couldn't stop staring at the cage blocking Mother's face despite the cleaving agony in his mind, couldn't prevent the need to be close but the conflict in his body, his instincts screeching in dissonance to all he ever knew. 

Escape over embrace. 

Horror over happiness.

Terror over tranquility. 

Despair over delight.

Rejection over Reunion. 

“Tell me…” Cloud stubbled forward, weakened by his own mind, “Is it really you…?” 

Rejection over Reunion. 

The madman turned to them with a grin. Cloud gripped his arm as he keeled, trying to in any way lessen the phantom pain.

Rejection over Reunion. 

Kadaj couldn't deny it any longer. He couldn't ignore the threats from him. He couldn't turn away from the injection that ejected his body and fused right before his eyes. 

Mother rejected them here. After all they had done to finally reach her, to fix their mistake despite their lack of age and strength, to follow the only person on the planet that always found his way to Her, it didn’t matter. They lost Her when they fell in the mako reactor in their time, and now only this Sephiroth was given Her gift and Her love.

And he hated it. 

They couldn't have Mother. She didn't want them here. Nothing they did would ever change that, no matter how much he wished it wasn't true. Sephiroth always found a way to get everything he wanted, even denying them this new chance in this new world.

A good son would have known. 

Everything was over.

Go. Back. 

But if he and his brothers couldn't have Mother, then no one will. 

The materia in his hand blazed emerald as flames engulfed his left arm. The boy roared in rage as he fired, each projectile arching far beyond His reach. Mother's glass chamber shattered with chained explosions until Her body within seemed to shriek in the boiling and crackling hellfire of fury and betrayal, all caused by the remnant malice of Her true son from a different time.

.

.

.

.

To be continued...?

Thanks for reading!

Author's Note: Did you see it coming?

[pokemonastro]

#Page1Book1 #PokemonAstro

18th Birthday Hurtday

.

Sunday, Decis 1, 2023, 7:00AM

Mooncrest, Calvada, Calnova

Climate: Cold, Wet, Windy, Foggy Skies

Brother Marek's Cabin

.

"When sudden change is filling you with dread and anxiety, remember to wear your heart on your poisonous horns and pierce on boldly. -Elkhorn Horoscope, Pokezine"

Andrew Diaz, just turned 18, reads his magazine as he arrives to his brother Marek's Cabin in a moving truck.

He spends most of the morning unpacking, settling in his new home with his older sister, Linda.

His room is upstairs with grey walls, reminded him of steel type pokemon.

He wishes his parents were around to see them, too bad they're busy out in space doing missions.

Andrew goes downstairs and his sister talks to him.

Linda: "Andy, i think it's time you go to the lab and get yourself a pokemon. You graduated highschool, you're an adult, and you don't even have a pokemon. Maybe its time to earn some badges."

Marek calls on Andrews Pokegear, and Andrew answers.

Andrew: "Hello?"

Marek: "Happy birthday Andickus! I'm sorry i couldn't greet you in person, but i promise you're gonna love the cabin this year, i finally got wifi."

Andrew: "I'll try, weather up here is going to be amazing when Summers over, not."

Marek: "Yeah! It can be, unless it snows too much! I know your weak blood circulation makes you freeze up, take care."

Marek hangs up the call.

Andrew: "I'm going to shower and change, unpacking made me sweaty."

Somebody knocks on the door.

Andrew gets a message on his pokegear.

Linda: "Who could it be?"

Andrew: "I don't know, you open the door."

Linda: "What if it's a Sesquacha pokemon trying to lure us into the woods."

Andrew: "It's 9AM in the morning, Those aren't out at this hour."

Andrew opens the door and his neighbor Zoe rushes in.

Zoe: "Hi Linda! It's great to have you back! I thought you were going to chicken out on returning to Marek's cabin. Hi Andy."

Andrew: "Hi."

Zoe: "Well, I'm off to the Professors lab! He has a razor fang for my little Eevee, Darwin. I'm going to evolve it into a dragon type eevee, Drakeon. It grows bat like wings!"

Andrew: "Can you wait for me? i have to shower and change."

Zoe: "You know where the lab is at. Just walk over! Don't act like you never been here to Mooncrest before, Unova boy."

Andrew: "It's been 10 years!"

Zoe: "10 years too many! Hurry!"

Zoe and Linda sit in the living room drinking coffee as Andrew showers and changes clothes.

He wore red underwear, white hair ties, black mesh tank-top with sky blue jeans, grey feraligator belt, white socks with white shoes.

He looked into his mirror with his amber eyes and saw himself:

He grabbed his keys, pokegear, and dashed down stairs.

Andrew: "I'm ready!"

Zoe salutes Linda goodbye and she leads Andrew to her indigo blue car outside.

They get inside the car and drive off to the pokemon lab in north Mooncrest.

Zoe: "Are you wearing deodorant?"

Andrew: "Oops, no."

Zoe: "Something smells nice, like Pecha berry."

Andrew: "Thats my anti dandruff shampoo"

Zoe: "Oh, your scalp is dry?"

Andrew: "Yeah, from bleaching my hair blond in Unova. I dyed it black and now it's dry and flakey."

Zoe: "I see, your hair is jet black."

Andrew: "Thanks."

They sit as Zoe plays her music and they drive in silence for 15 minutes.

The Songs she played in her car were:

Save your tears by The Weeknd

Toy Soldier by Martika

Beat it by Michael Jackson.

They arrive at the pokemon lab parking lot and get off the car.

A large Honchkrow attacks them with dark pulse from the tree up above.

Andrew flinches.

Zoe sends out her Eevee.

Zoe: "Darwin double kick the tree trunk!"

Darwin, Zoe's Eevee, kicks the tree twice and it shakes off the wild pokemon, it flies away.

Zoe: "That was a close one, return!"

Level 10 Darwin goes back in its pokeball.

Zoe and Andrew quickly rush into the Pokelab and go straight to the Professors office.

.

Sunday, Decis 1, 2023, 9:35AM

Mooncrest, Calvada, Calnova

Climate: Cold, Wet, Windy, Foggy Skies

Professor Bristlecones Lab

.

Zoe knocks on Professor Bristlecones office door.

Zoe: "Hello! Pawpaw! It's me, Zoe! Good morning! I have an old friend who wants to see you!"

Bristlecone: "How old?"

Zoe: "17."

Andrew: "18. Todays my birthday"

Zoe: "Oh yeah, you're an Elkhorn zodiac. I forgot Well, he needs a pokemon."

Bristlecone: "18, with no pokemon, thats outrageous, what if you get attacked?"

Andrew: "I never think about that stuff."

Suddenly A Honchkrow and two Murkrow bash through the windows and attack the office room with Gust, pages fly everywhere.

Zoe: "Go! Darwin, use Swift!"

Bristlecone reacts quickly too.

He offers Andrew a fire, grass or water pokeball.

Its contained Flaries, Virtian and Skruid.

Bristlecone: "Hey kid, hurry! Pick one and kick those pokemon butts!"

Bristlecone sent out his Calvada Beldum.

Bristlecone: "Don't just stand there, pick a starter pokemon!"

Andrew panicked, he didn't know what to choose.

He knew water pokemon were abundant so he didn't choose Skruid, the bubble krill pokemon.

Grass pokemon were also abundant so he didn't pick Virtian, the tool monkey pokemon.

He chose the fire starter, Flaries, fire pillow pokemon, which were much rare in the region, so he chose that and named him Machoman.

Andrew: "Go Machoman! Use tackle!"

Machoman the Flaries used tackle on one of the Murkrows and it was a critical hit, It flew off back outside.

Bristlecone: "Beldum use take down on the Honchkrow!"

level 19 Beldum used takedown on level 15 Honchkrow and it flew away.

Zoe: "Darwin, use swift!"

Darwin attacked the remaining Murkrow and it left.

Zoe: "Guess i have to clean all this glass in your office, grandpa."

Bristlecone: "No, no, it's okay, I'll sort everything. Run along with your friend now. Who evolves a Murkrow into a Honchkrow and releases it into the wild. Maybe it found a dusk stone."

Andrew: "My name is Andrew, Andrew Diaz."

Bristlecone: "You must be Marek Diaz little brother. Glad to see you. Aaron."

Andrew: "It's Andrew. Thanks for the pokemon."

Bristlecone: "Yeah, don't mention it. Zoe take your little friend to the restroom and use the emergency kit supplies to band-aid Andrews cheek, glass seem to have cut him and made him bleed, oh, you got a cut too!"

Andrew touches his cheek and feels the blood.

Andrew: "Ahh!!!"

Zoe: "Lets patch us up. Return Darwin."

Darwin goes back inside its pokeball.

Bristlecone: "Return, Beldum!"

Beldum returns to its pokeball.

Zoe quickly scanned Flaries with her pokedex, it registered Machoman at level 6.

Zoe: "Andrew your Flaries grew to level 6. It learned the steam type move hot breath"

Andrew: "Return, machoman."

Bristlecone grabbed a pokeball from his drawer and unleashed a Rotom.

Bristlecone: "Anderson, hand me your pokegear device."

Andrew: "It's Aaron, I mean, Andrew."

Bristlecone: "Rotom, enter Adrian's phone and transform it into a Pokedex."

Rotom went into Andrews pocket and went inside his pokegear phone and transformed it.

Rotom flew out the pocket and floated around Andrew.

Rotom: "You have one unread message from Dad."

Bristlecone: "Probably a birthday wish Aiden, Anyways you may now be able to research and study pokemon with this ghoulish device, just don't try to hack it or it will hack you andre, hahahahaha, ill go get the broom and dustpan."

Zoe grabbed Andrews hand and led him to the restroom where she used the emergency kit to find a bandaid and patch Andrews cut cheek.

Zoe: "Pretty scary huh?"

Andrew: "All that, nah!"

Zoe: "I seen those Swanna hair bumps on your arms."

Andrew: "Haha, no, for reals, I was chill. I felt safe around the professor."

Zoe: "Sure... What are your plans after this?"

Andrew: "Probably go home, pack up my pokebag and head to route 1."

Zoe: "What's on route 1?"

Andrew: "It leads me to Rednose, no?"

Zoe: "What's in Rednose?"

Andrew: "The closest Gym."

Zoe: "You may want to train your pokemon hard if you want to beat Ice Gym leader Kylie."

Andrew: "I have a fire pokemon, it will be easy."

Zoe: "But you don't know any strong fire moves."

Andrew: "I have TMs stored in PC lockers at the pokecenter. My parents left them over for me."

Bristlecone opens the restroom door.

Bristlecone: "Here Zoe, Here's that razor fang you asked for."

Zoe: "Thank you pawpaw."

Bristlecone leaves back to his office and continues to clean the window glass.

Andrew: "But, yeah, my parents left me TM moves Thunder, Flamethrower, Blizzard and Psychic."

Zoe: "Must be nice being spoiled.... not that i'm saying you're a brat."

Andrew: ...

Zoe: "We'll I should take you back home."

Andrew: "Yeah, but no thanks. I'll walk to the pokemon center from here."

Zoe: "Okay, I'm going to eat a moomoo burger at moomoo cafe, see ya later! Take these 10 pokeballs."

They leave the pokemon lab and Zoe enters her car and leaves.

Andrew began his walk to the pokemon center which was 15 minutes away from the lab by foot.

He let out Machoman and let him walk with him, to build up his stamina, he also played music on his Pokegear, now Pokedex.

He Played the Songs:

Toxicity by System of the down,

Void by Melanie Martinez,

Ring of fire by Johnny Cash.

He arrived to the pokemon center.

.

Sunday, Decis 1, 2023, 10:10AM

Mooncrest, Calvada, Calnova

Climate: Cold, Windy, Clear Skies

Mooncrest Pokemon Center

.

Nurse Joy: "Good morning, Welcome."

Andrew went to the basement to the locker room and unlocked his locker.

He took out his TM Flame blast."

Andrew: "Huh... it wasn't flamethrower, it's Flame blast..."

Andrew: "Rotom, can Flaries learn Flame blast?"

Rotom: 'No, Flaries cannot learn fire move. It's learnable at the 3rd stage however."

Andrew: "Wow, what about Thunder?"

Rotom: "No."

Andrew: "Blizzard?"

Rotom: "No."

Andrew: "Weird, what about psychic?"

Rotom: "No."

Andrew: "What typings are Laries 3rd stage.

Rotom: "3rd Stage Laries is Fire/Light Type."

Andrew: "What? What is Skruids 3rd stage type?"

Rotom: "3rd Stage is Water/Steam"

Andrew: "How does a big shell pokemon fly?"

Rotom: "Special Ability: Balloon Flight, lets it float with a snot bubble over the ocean."

Andrew: "What is Virtians 3rd stage types?"

Rotom: "Grass/Cosmic"

Andrew: "What!? I missed out on a Cosmic pokemon?"

Rotom: "I believe so."

Andrew: "Hey there's a 5th tm disc. Saber claw, light move. Can Flaries learn that?"

Rotom: "Yes."

Andrew: "Sweet!"

Andrew releases Machoman in the locker room and puts the TM disc in the pokeball.

Andrew returns Machoman inside the pokeball and the disc processes inside.

Rotom: "Congratulations: Machoman learned Saber claw."

Andrew: "Cool."

Andrew exits the pokemon center and waits at the pokestop.

Suddenly Honchkrow lands above the pokestop.

Andrew gets very nervous.

Andrew: "Alright, this bird has been following me for a while, time to take it down."

Andrew runs out from under the pokestop and sends out Flaries.

Andrew: "Go Machoman! Saber claws."

Machoman's claws glow white little lasers.

Honchkrow laughed, flew around Flaries and used peck.

Andrew: "Now! Machoman, Saber claw him!"

Machoman used saber claw on Honchkrow and burned its tail feathers.

Honchkrow got real angry and spoke:

Honchkrow: *Mimicking humans voice* "Xsshole!"

Honchkrow flew around Machoman and used peck.

Andrew: "Machoman, Saber claws now!"

Machoman grabbed Honchkrow's leg and used saber claw with its other hand.

The saber claw burned through its beard feathers and struck punch its chest."

Andrew: " Critical hit! Alright!"

Honchkrow showed signs of exhaustion.

Andrew threw a pokeball.

Honchkrow went inside the pokeball and the release button pulsed white 3 times.

Andrew: "Alright!"

Rotom: "Honchkrow, the tormentor pokemon, evolution of Murkrow. This pokemon is native to the Jhoto and Sinnoh region though became prevalent in the new world. Honchkrow is at level 16, it knows Gust, Peck, Nightshade and Dark Pulse. Would you like to assign a nickname?'

Andrew: "Yes, Raven"

Rotom: "Congratulations! Honchkrow is now Raven!"

Andrew: "Rotom, call the professor."

Rotom: "The professor sent you straight to voicemail."

[tatomikat]

Thoughts that occurred during the first 9 hours of playing Dragon Quest XI so far:

"Dawwww. Just look at those little guys (slimes). They're adorable! ... Not for long anymore."

"Let. Me. Jump. Off. That. CLIFF!"

"Why is it so difficult to fight a cloud with a sword? ... I think I just answered my own question. Magic it is then."

"I've played way too much Zelda. I keep calling those little goblin guys (Grublin?) 'Bokoblins'."

"The developers must have been really hungry. With so many food themed enemies."

"Why did that random npc think it important to tell me that there's someone in the dungeons? How is that related to me?" (5 minutes later) "Oooooh."

"Hey King guy. I think you've got that causality thing between the Luminary and the bad guy a bit backwards. Also I think you gave me whiplash with that sudden change in tone."

"'Investigate'? What an interesting wording. They'll destroy the village, won't they?"

"Why hello there, stranger (Erik) within talking range. What a nice coincidence to meet you at a place like this (dungeons). Do you come here often?"

"Well what do you say to that. A dragon. Like two or so hours into the game. They are really not wasting any time, do they? Am I supposed to fight that thing?!"

(trying to get to Derk) (lots of cussing while trying to jump from the church to the top of the wall) "Why don't you jump when I press the button?! Why did they put platforming into a game that is clearly not laid out for that?! Oh. There's a rope. Never mind."

(get cat off the roof quest) "HOW THE F DO I GET ONTO THAT ROOF?! Oh look. A ladder."

(After the title cutscene) "So we're gonna turn a tree into a dragon? Is that what we're doing? Okay. Makes sense. I guess."

"Who left that dog all alone? Where is the owner? And for how long has the poor animal been alone anyway?"

(To the woodcutter) "Who's a good boy? Who's a really good pupper? You are! Yes you ar- Oh! You're a person. Oops. Awkward."

"Knock-off Friezer is hiding in that chest, right?"

(a couple hours after the dungeon cutscene) "Oh. Looks like they didn't destroy the village after all. Wait. Why does no one recognize the hero? Why does his mom kick him out? BABY GEMMA? What? Past? What? How did that happen? When did that happen? ... Oh look. There's the destroyed village. Okay guys, everything's alright. We're back on track."

"Just one question. What happened to the people? There's no way that blonde guy (Jasper) would think it fair or justified to kill dozens of innocent civilians, for something they have essentially nothing to do with. Right?"

(Surprise bossfight-cutscene!) Do I get to heal up before the fight starts? I'm both out of hp and mp. No? Well, screw you too."

"What do you mean the last save was more than an hour ago?! I HAVE TO REDO ALL OF THAT CRAP?! Wait. The chests are still opened. The cutscenes are done. The key items are in my inventory. Thank goodness, I just need to walk back to where I was. DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!"

(glaring at Hendrick chasing Hero and Erik) "I hate you and everything your 'brainless soldier, incapable of thinking for themselves' stereotype stands for."

"This little girl (Veronica) sounds and talks like an adult! ... She's an adult, isn't she?" (later) "Called it!"

"Alright. And now everything's in 2D suddenly (Tickington). Takes a bit getting used to. But damn this is pretty. Definitely gonna have to replay this game in 2D at some point. Also because I'm really curious how they would work around those sections that would not translate well into 2D."

[chickenroost]

Part 2 - Meeting for the First Time

In a city that is targeted by the Light and Dark wars, people flee for cover as the first of each forces move there. Some flee others are arriving for special tasks. They know the first to arrive in the sky cities known as Paragrins, are the twin Sisters leading both sides. Arriving through a crowded gate a boy slips into the city. Shops close as doors are nailed shut while others complain and some stay. He slips into the streets and makes his way deep into the city to the mana circle that allows the grounders to be warped to the sky citys. Knowing the Sister of the Angels as a calmer and kinder person than her sister, he goes to the portal leading to her. In the Paragrin of Angels he could only see clouds below and angels flying in the sky with three temples made of silver floating on clouds. The largest was Angela's temple, the leader of the Angels. He made his way to her using the stairs that were made from light mana however A line was formed there with many in front. He growled a bit waiting in line and looking ahead seeing mostly poor figures of elders but also a young girl ahead of him by three people.

She was gazing up, watching the angels flying overhead in the skies. Her long blonde hair falling loosely past her shoulders and down her back, as she quietly waited her turn in line with the rest. Her gaze was lit up, almost of if excited by the sight of them, but her mouth betrayed her, real emotion with a small frown. giving her a frustrated look.

He smiled thinking of a plan and walked passed the others waiting in line then smiled to her and quickly hugged her "Darliing!" The people looked as he hugged her.

She looked as he hugged her, tensing up. "Eh?!" Her head snapping up as she looked to him in surprise. "What do you think your doing?"

He let go and shook his head. "It's okay honey I made it safely from the demons. It's important we have Sister Angela's blessing for the children right? She just called us too lets go!" He held her hand in his and moved forward but two angels appeared in front of them.

The first Angel spoke up. "Hey, wait in line!"

The second angel questioned them. "Where are you going?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm trying to wait in line, then he came!"

He shook his head "My wife is kind of delirious from the plague you see I was asking her to wait while I sent our children to their grandmothers. I was only gone a second."

She glared at him. "Are you insane?! I don't even know you!"

The angel man huffed. "Excuse me? Your wife? The plague?"

He nodded and sighed. "She's becoming more delirious as we wait! Please assist us!"

He closed his eyes, thinking. "Hmm if what you say is true.. then your situation is very dire indeed.."

He blinked and nodded. "Yes it is! and we must flee before the battle starts but the blessing can save my wife from more effects of the plague!"

He smirked as the angels readied their spears. "I understand… however your plague could be contagious to all these people, and the Sister should not waste her time healing all of them. I will purge you from this world and make you and your wife loyal soldiers to our army to save our Sister from that burden!"

He blinked as the spears were pointed to them. "Oh… yeah you could do that too.. hehehe.."

She yelled out.  "Oh for cripes sake, the fool is lying! and you can put down your spears, geez, cause there's not anything to catch!" She looked to the angels, frowning. She pulled a glove off her left hand and touched the side of the spear point closest to them, melting it with her bare hand. "- and could you get those away from us, won't you please?"

He blinked looking as the spear melted then whistled for more angels as they flew in. They surrounded them as he smirked and the boy sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this.. but.."

A voice called out to them. "All of you stop."

They looked as the angels suddenly gasped and kneeled down. An old woman walked out accompanied by a four winged angel guard. She looked with her eyes to the two of them and squinted smiling "Yes, you two, I have been waiting for you. Come along now." She walked inside the temple and disappeared. The boy blinked surprised then walked passed the angels after the elderly woman.

The girl blinked, but gloved her hand quickly and followed them both in confusion. "Waiting..for us?" - as they followed in after the woman. They entered the temple as angels floated around the room preparing it. The elderly woman sat down and smiled while the angel guards were dismissed. She set out blank cards and began to wait as they glowed with a white aura. "Hmmm so then what have you came for?"

The girl looked to the old woman.  "Truthfully I don't really know…I'm just tired of seeing the suffering so many go through because of this war.. Can it really not end somehow? If so, why not?"

Angela shook her head. "I am sorry child, This war cannot end.. or we would be visited by worser things. I have not the power to see the future ahead of us but I can say that their are things that may make your lives better."

The boy huffed. "You waited in line and almost got me killed for that? Peh!"

Angela looked to him smiling. "And you child, I see you are part of the Likwai tribe. What was it you wanted? hmm?"

He smiled. "I am Kvati of the Likwai.. err yeah. I want you to give me your blessing to venture into the warzone lands. I want to take the Challenge of the Angels and help them get more power. I have personal reasons but my main reason is to see the devils be pushed away from here for good!"

The girl rolled her eyes, with a soft huff at the woman and the boy. "Your the one who rushed us ahead and almost got us killed.. And for what, for a cause for more fighting? Bah!"

The card glowed brightly revealing ten swords. She shook her head. "You cannot make it child. The fates are not in your play."

The girl blinked, looking to the card curiously. "But wasn't that blank before…?"

She nodded. "The cards reflect your emotions and your fates. I see much in your eyes young man, you have a small chance at completing the task but a great loss may make you never return."

He hesitated then shook his head and kneeled down. She blinked looking to him. "I just need.. I just need time.. let me do this Sister.. I beg of you.."

The girl looked to him then.- You really care about what ever your trying to protect, don't you?"

Another card glowed and revealed itself, now eight wands appeared. She blinked and looked to the girl smiling and nodding. "Hmm.. I see.. yes.. alright I will let you handle this task. However, you will go with this girl to do this task."

She blinked. "Wait…what?"

He blinked looking surprised. "What? What does she have to do with this? I can't be slowed down by this dreamer!"

The girl snapped her gaze towards him. "This dreamer? excuse me?!"

he shook his head and pointed to her. "You heard me. Coming here with that ridiculous question!" He then looked to Angela. "The cards can't say anything about her - what about the fourth card?"

Angela smiled and nodded. "It is true their are four card readings.. however this is your true fate young man, two cards are all that's needed to see it."

He growled and shook his head. "I don't need her.."

She shook her head. "You may not think that way when your life is at stake. You young man are rash and impulsive and racked with many emotions. You could be overcome by them and fall into the plagues influence, becoming what you are trying to prevent."

He gasped and looked shivering then turned away. "Ugh…"

Angela looked to the girl. "Young woman, your name please."

The girl blinked. "My name is Aithne."

She smiled and held out her hand. "I ask you child of the ground dwellers, go with this one and find the Seraphin tree. Maybe then your wish and hope can be fulfilled."

The girl fell quiet but looked over at him for a moment but gave a nod to the woman after a long stare. "Alright.. but where do we find this tree?"

Angela nodded and held out a card. A picture of a large castle was on it. The castle had the mark of a ram "This card will guide you. Go east until you find the castle on this card. It is Aries Castle."

Kvati sighed and shook his head walking off. "That's all I needed to know. Thanks for something." He headed out of the room as Angela smiled, laughing softly.

She took the card with a nod, looking to it, but followed after him out of the room after a quick bow to the woman. "Thanks..! Ugh.. wait up!" She jogged to try to catch up to him.

As she made her way out Angela waved her off. Ahead of her halfway to the warp portal, Kvati walked quickly and stopped. He looked to her growling "Don't make me wait."

Aithne looked to him as she finally caught up since he stopped. "Look, you need this for what you want , right? I'm supposed to go with you, so you can get it. And I'm going so you can succeed. Whether you like it or not!"

He huffed and waved his hands, sighing. "Fine, fine." He stepped on the portal and waved to her. "Let's go then dreamer troublemaker."

She stepped onto it after him, but smiled a bit. "So now dreamer and troublemaker huh? Geez!"

The portal glowed and they were teleported to the ground. As they arrived he blinked seeing a white glow around the both of them. He smiled and nodded. "The blessing. Good. Now for the other.. " He walked over to a red portal spot and looked back at her.  "I've got business with Devillia, don't think of coming with me."

She frowned, looking towards him. "Other what? And what's to stop me? Am I just supposed to wait here for you?"

He growled. "That's what you should do! be obedient and stay put. If you go with me, you'll only cause trouble. This has to be done carefully and calmly."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not that much trouble, and you caused the trouble in the last place by rushing ahead!"

He looked to her with a glare. "I'm serious! if you wanna go with me you wont say a word you wont mention anything to anyone especially the angels got it? Theirs too much at stake for me to let you mess it up."

She looked to him in earnest. "I'm going with you. If you need me to be silent the whole time, then fine. I'll pretend I'm mute while we're there. Look, I understand you're really serious about what you've set out to do. I won't ruin it for you."

He nodded. "Good. Let's get started then." He headed into the portal and disappeared. She gave a nod and stepped into the portal as well.

Inside the area it was exactly the same only this time devils floated overhead and began preparations' calmly setting things up. A pathway led ahead with people going quickly into the temple and coming out as devils. The two waited in line as the Demons watched them carefully as they passed. The line now had ended and they arrived at the temple. A cackling voice was heard from inside. "Hee hee hee hee! next in line please!"

Aithne stepped into the temple, pausing a moment after stepping inside to let her eyes adjust to the lighting as she waited quietly for him to come in as well. He walked ahead of her into the temple and disappeared inside. She followed him the rest of way into the temple.

Inside the temple fire pits stayed in the middle as souls were collected and forged into demon warriors. Kvati walked along the side following the path to the end of the temple while demons forged weapons and the heat seemed to fill the air. Statues of war surrounded the area as others flew overhead. Far in the back was an old woman almost the same as Angela only her iris were a deep red. She smiled as he walked over. "Hoo ho ho ho! are you a volunteer human? Hmm you smell like Likwai. You'd make a great general!"

He shook his head. "Maybe when I'm dead. For now, I'd like to try the Demons Trail of power."

A few of the demons snickered as Devillia grinned wildly. "Oh? Hah, you are quite young and wingless. What would you gain by helping us?"

He smirked. "If i get you power you can crush those know it all Angels. I just wanna see it happen." Aithne looked to him silently, but in puzzlement. Did he not care which side was in power? She realized he was saying a similar sentiment as he had to Angela.

The demons seemed to look to him a bit with respect hearing his words. Devillia laughed and nodded. "You're quite the optimist and more you're very cute for a wingless, groundie, babe. Hah, very well, I'll grant you my blessing into the demon lands. I warn you though if you trick us, I'll take your soul from your body."

He grinned. "As if I care about my life that much. We're all running because of your fights. Just kill them and get it over with."

Devillia laughed more, cackling loudly, then nodded. "That is the plan, however we wont truly kill them all. To keep chaos contain we must leave a few alive. Maybe.. one or two will do."

He nodded. "Whatever. Then, I'm off." He headed out, motioning her to follow him. "Let's go." She nodded and moved to follow him back out of the temple.

As they left the temple and made it outside a demon girl stop them. She sized him up and shook her head "Not worthy.. you've got no strength to be a general. what is the sister thinking." Aithne stared at the girl, wondering what she wanted with him.

Kvati shook his head. "Wouldn't do her any good indeed. You demons and angels are not worth my time."

She growled. "How dare you! you will pay for your insult, grounder!" He rose his hand sending a strong gust of air around her in a circle. The air was so strong she started to gasp as it pulled the air in the circle out and choked her. "Ugh… " She began to cough. "What… can't breathe.."

He shook his head. "Learn your place, lesser demon. I am not your type." He released the spell and she stumbled down, coughing. He then looked to her and waved walking off. "Let's go." Aithne blinked, surprised at his power, but followed after him with a slow nod.

they walked away as the demon girl snarled at him. They soon made it to the portal and outside. He sighed and looked around as the area was empty. "Looks like the town is empty. Where do I start…"

She looked over at him once they were safely back outside. "Can you answer me something first? What is it you are really aiming to do?"

He shook his head. "I can't say it here. Lets get out of the watch of the crones.." He headed east going walking to the city exit.

She followed him out of the city, but her mind swirled a bit with questions. as she wondered about it. "Alright."

As they left to the gate a trio of rough looking people walked toward them. They smirked as the trio stood in their way. The first man held out his hand. "Looks like we got our first catch of the day. Hand over some coins if you wanna get out of Bandit town."

Kvati shook his head. "You're serious? Not one minute when the people are gone, you bandits take it over?"

written by @chickenroost & @shadowmooncat