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thenerdykneazle · 1 year ago

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Marry You

Summary: Garreth proclaims to anyone and everyone, including you, that he is going to marry you one day – despite the fact that you haven’t even agreed to court him (not that he's asked). Set during 5th year. It was supposed to be a bunch of short drabbles. One of them got out of hand (oops).

Garreth Weasley x Gryffindor F!MC

A/N: I added Garreth to DADA b/c in the game he only has like 2 classes with MC. It’s a crime that they didn’t give him the same schedule as Leander, honestly. You know those idiots would be besties and take all the same classes.

Warnings: none, pure fluff for a change, pining, *slight* Seb bashing if you squint but really he's just his moody self

Word Count: 6330

To Imelda

Garreth was elated when you handed him the fwooper feather. “Brilliant! This is going to take a moment to brew. You should get back to brewing your Edurus Potion, and I’ll tell you when this concoction’s finished.”

“Don’t keep me waiting too long,” you replied before leaving to work on your own potion. Garreth watched you walk away with stars in his eyes.

Imelda came up beside him. “Causing trouble again, Weasley?” she asked.

Garreth jumped at the girl suddenly so close to him. “Just getting started. I think I’ve got a partner in crime now,” he said.

“Oh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Dragging that new fifth-year into your schemes, are you?”

He gave her a cheeky smile. “I may be dragging her into my schemes, but I’d let her drag me anywhere,” he said.

Imelda scrunched up her face in disgust at the mushy proclamation. “Ugh! Down boy,” she said. “You’ve only just met the poor girl.”

He sighed dreamily as he watched you work across the room. You seemed to have a knack for potions like he did. “Maybe, but I’m gonna marry her one day,” he said, imaging a future running a shop in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley with you.

Imelda rolled her eyes at the dramatic boy. “Whatever you say, Gryffindor,” she said before walking off.

When his potion sparked out wild fireworks, he caught your eye in the chaos. You looked thoroughly amused, and he couldn’t help but feel that the potion had been a resounding success if it got you to smile that way. He did feel a bit guilty that he had gotten you in hot water with Sharp, but the ex-auror didn’t seem too fussed about things.

To Sebastian

Garreth was enamoured when you knocked Sebastian on his ass. Again. You were all duelling in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and Professor Hecat seemed to enjoy seeing the Slytherin knocked down a peg as much as Leander did since she paired you and Sebastian together a second time. Garreth cheered even louder than Leander for you, and you gave the dorky pair a little salute.

Personally, though, Garreth had never had an issue with his fellow freckled classmate. He was friendly, had a good sense of humour, and enjoyed helping other students with their studies – or, at least, he used to before his sister was cursed. They had even teamed up on a prank here and there over the years. So, when Garreth saw the way the brunet looked at you, he had one thought as he smirked to himself: Game on.

You helped Sebastian back to his feet. “Nice job,” he said. “All your extra practice is paying off.”

You shrugged. “I suppose so,” you agreed. “You’ve been improving, as well, though.”

“I’d like a fair fight sometime. Get to use all my tricks,” he said. “Though, I could show you one or two beforehand if you’d like.”

You smiled slightly. “I might be interested,” you replied.

“I’ll be in touch, then,” Sebastian said with a smirk. He brushed himself off as he walked back to Ominis.

You walked back to your fellow Gryffindors. “Godric himself would be proud,” Leander said as Garreth gave you a congratulatory hug.

From across the room, Sebastian eyed the redhead as he embraced you. Garreth caught him watching and sent him a wink and a cheeky grin.

“That was bloody brilliant!” Garreth said as he let go of you.

“Thanks,” you said, beaming at him.

Leander resisted the urge to roll his eyes as his curly-haired friend seemed to dominate your attention and vice versa. He busied himself talking to Andrew. You and Garreth started talking about your recent encounter with a kneazle den out in the forest, barely noticing your friend’s absence. Soon, though, Professor Hecat stole you away to talk about an extra assignment.

Garreth took the opportunity to saunter over to the Slytherins. “You put up a good fight,” he said to Sebastian.

“Thanks,” he replied before cutting to the chase. “So, you and MC seem pretty cozy.” Sebastian had always been the jealous type.

“I should hope so,” Garreth replied. “I am going to marry her, after all.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at that. Weasleys were a known pure-blood family, but most of them weren’t those kinds of pure-bloods that had their children pledged to suitors from a young age.

Ominis gave the Gryffindor a pitying expression, though Garreth didn’t notice as Sebastian spoke up at the same time. “Didn’t realize your family was into that sort of thing. Arranged betrothals and whatnot,” he said.

“Oh, no, we’ll marry for love,” Garreth said confidently.

“Wait, so are you even engaged?” Ominis asked.

Garreth laughed. “No, of course not! We’re fifteen,” he replied. “Well, I’ll be sixteen next month.”

“So, are you courting?” Sebastian asked.

“Not yet,” Garreth said simply.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the ginger. “So, what you’re saying is, you have no actual claim to her,” he said.

Garreth shrugged, looking unbothered. “I may not have any official title yet, but I wanted to give you fair warning not to fall too hard for her.”

Sebastian laughed. “Yeah, thanks, mate,” he said sarcastically. “What makes you so certain she’d choose you, anyway?”

Garreth smirked at him. “I just am.”

He let that be his final word, as he saw you walking away from Professor Hecat. Sebastian just gaped at the overconfident boy as he left. “Gryffindors,” he grumbled.

“You do realize that includes MC,” Ominis pointed out.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut it.”

To Leander

Garreth overheard you telling Professor Shah that you didn’t have a telescope. He was disappointed when she paired you with Amit before he could offer. He felt a pang of jealousy when Amit offered his old telescope to you. He tried to refocus on the stargazing he was supposed to be doing. Leander was struggling to find Sirius. He helped his best friend before they hurried downstairs, seeking the warmth of the castle.

On the way down, he overheard Amit asking you to go out to an astronomy table with him. The small pang of jealousy he felt earlier bloomed into anguish. Was Amit really trying to earn your affections? He expected to have to compete with Sallow, but he felt bad at the idea of stealing you away from the good-natured Ravenclaw. Not bad enough to back off, of course, but still.

He and Leander walked all the way back to the Gryffindor common room. Garreth flopped into an armchair with a huff.

Leander raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s got you so worked up?” he asked.

“Amit’s trying to flirt with my future wife,” Garreth grumbled.

“Oh, not this again,” Leander muttered to himself.

“Yes, this again,” Garreth replied firmly. “I’m serious, Lee. She’s the one.”

Leander just shook his head in amusement. “Yes, you’ve made that very clear,” he said. “And why is it you think Amit is trying to steal her affections?”

“You didn’t hear him?” Garreth practically yelled. He jumped to his feet and started pacing. “First, he was all, ‘Oh, let me adjust the telescope for you.’ Then he just gave her his old telescope. And then, he invited her out exploring the grounds to go find an astronomy table.”

“He might as well have proposed right then,” Leander replied nonchalantly, still reclining lazily on the couch and biting back a smirk.

“I know! I–” Garreth started, but he paused, spinning around to face Leander. He glared at the taller boy. “You’re mocking me.”

Leander let the smile break onto his face. “A bit,” he admitted. “Gar, Amit is just friendly. He’d give an Ashwinder the shirt off his back if they said they were cold. You’re reading too much into it.”

“Am I?” Garreth asked seriously, putting a hand on his hip as he eyed his friend.

“Yes,” Leander replied equally seriously. “And, with all due respect to your undying love, you barely know MC. What if you’re not compatible? What if she wants to move to Peru or something when she graduates? What if she doesn’t want kids?”

Garreth shrugged. “I don’t need kids,” he said.

Leander rolled his eyes. “Have you met your family?” he asked. “And you practically knocked me into the Black Lake jumping into my arms when you got the owl saying your brother and his wife are having a baby.”

Garreth blushed at the memory. “Okay, but they’re out snuggling up in the cold to go look at the stars,” he whined.

“Your brother and his pregnant wife?” Leander asked.

Garreth let out a frustrated groan. “No, MC and Amit! Keep up, Lee! There’s no chance he’s not trying to woo her in such a romantic setting. They’ll probably be out all night, knowing MC. They’ll cozy up as they watch the sunrise and kiss just as the sun peaks out over the horizon.”

“Ah, you’re back to the whole Amit thing,” Leander observed.

“He’s probably got his arms around her right now to ‘help’ her focus the telescope,” Garreth said. “Maybe I should go out there and–”

Garreth fell silent at the sound of the portrait creaking open. He was glad he did when he saw you stepping into the common room. “You’re home early!” he said. He had meant to say it in a cool, casual tone but ended up shouting it in excitement, instead.

“Am I?” you asked, giving him a confused look. “I didn’t know I had an appointment.”

“Well, I just heard Amit invite you out stargazing and figured you’d be gone a while,” Garreth blurted out. Leander smacked a hand over his face as he shook his head at his moronic friend.

“Oh,” you said. You shrugged. “The table was just on the castle wall. It didn’t take long to find.”

“Do you want kids?” Garreth asked, stunning both you and Leander.

You looked at him with wide eyes. “Right now?” you asked. “Because I’ll have to pass, thanks.”

Garreth’s face flamed with embarrassment. “Merlin, no, that’s not what I…Not now, just…in the future. Possibly. I mean, do you like kids?” he corrected.

“Oh. Yeah, one day. I love kids,” you replied.

“Great!” he said before he could stop himself. “Because, um, my brother is having a baby soon, and I’ll have to do a lot of babysitting. I might need a hand, and Lee here is useless with kids, so…”

Leander glared at him, and Garreth just gave him an apologetic smile.

“That sounds fun!” you replied.

Garreth’s eyes lit up. “Brilliant! I’ll reach out if I need assistance, then,” he said with a dopey grin.

“Sounds good,” you said as you made your way toward the stairs up to the girls’ dormitories. “Good night, you two.”

They both wished you a good night. Once your back was turned, Garreth smiled wildly at Leander and mouthed ‘I told you’ rather aggressively at him. Leander just rolled his eyes.

To Poppy

Garreth sprinted down the corridors to reach the faculty tower. He took the stairs up it three at a time, grabbing the handrail to whip sharply around the landings. His legs were on fire by the time he reached the infirmary. He was too out of breath to form a proper sentence when he’d met Nurse Blainey at the entrance.

“Where…How…MC?” he managed between pants as his lungs heaved to get the oxygen his body so desperately needed.

“She’s okay, so just take a moment–” she said, holding up her hands to try to get the boy to pause and catch his breath.

“I need to see her. Please,” he urged.

He looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment, and the mediwitch took pity on the boy. She led him to your bedside. “She’s stable but hasn’t woken up yet. I gave her a sedative so I could change the dressing over a rather painful wound on her leg. It should heal completely in time, though,” she explained as she walked him over.

She held the curtain around your bed back, so Garreth could step inside of it. He gasped when he saw the cuts and bruises on your face and arms. The rest of you was hidden under the blanket, and he could only imagine how much worse it got. Poppy was sitting in a chair on the far side of the bed. Garreth sat down opposite her, pulling the chair closer to the bed while turning it around so he could face the head of the it. He held your hand gently in both of his.

You were a force to be reckoned with, but right now you looked so…fragile.

“What happened?” he rasped, looking over to Poppy.

“We…It happened so fast,” she said, head bowed in shame. “We were fighting a camp of poachers, and a manticore sprang out of their tent. It had a collar of goblin metal they used to control it. It attached her, scratching her, and biting her leg.” She dropped her face into her hands. “Merlin, her scream.” Poppy winced at the memory.

“A manticore?” Garreth repeated in disbelief. “Godric’s heart, I’m glad it didn’t sting her!”

“It almost did, but I cast depulso and knocked it off of her,” she said. “I just wish I’d reacted sooner.”

“Hey,” Garreth said gently as he held a hand out to her across the bed. She sheepishly took it as she finally raised her eyes to look at him. “You saved her life. I can’t thank you enough for that.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled gently at her.

“O-oh. Are you two…? I mean, I didn’t realize you were more than friends,” she said, pulling her hand out of his grasp and linking it with the other one in her lap. She trained her gaze on her hands rather than the boy sat across from her.

“We’re not. Not yet, anyway,” Garreth said as he looked at you with a fond smile on his face. He turned back to Poppy with a devilish grin. “Make no mistake, though, I’m gonna make her my wife one day.”

“Wow. That’s, um, wonderful,” she said, giving him a pained smile.

Garreth chuckled. “I know everyone thinks I’m crazy for saying it, but I really do believe it. She’s captured my heart and soul, this one,” he said.

“She’s a lucky girl,” Poppy said sincerely.

“I hope so,” Garreth replied with a grateful smile. He looked back at you. “I know she hasn’t been here very long, but I don’t know what I’d do if I ever really lost her. I’d have to find a new supplier for all my potion ingredients and everything!” He spoke sincerely until the last sentence.

You let out a groan as you rubbed your head with the hand Garreth wasn’t holding. “I think I’m gonna have to close shop for a week or two,” you croaked out.

Garreth chuckled. “All the cute things I said, and you wake up for that part?” he teased.

You gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Gar,” you said. “I’ll try to time it better next time.”

The sincerity in your voice nearly broke his heart. He reached a hand up to stroke your cheek. “Hey, no, I was just joking,” he said sweetly. “But there better not be a ‘next time,’ and I’m very serious about that. No more close calls like this.”

You nodded your head slowly. Your eyes were half closed. “That sounds good to me,” you said.

He managed a small smile. He’d been a nervous wreck when he heard you were in the infirmary with serious injuries. It was a relief just to talk to you. “Get some rest now, okay? We’ll be here,” he said.

“M’kay,” you agreed with a soft sigh. Your eyes were already closing again, heavy with exhaustion.

Garreth stroked the back of your hand as he carefully watched the bruises on your face fade. It was slow – barely noticeable as it happened – but after a few hours the dark, angry purple marks had shrunk with the remaining areas turned faded hues of yellow and green. He delicately brushed the hair back from your face. Your cuts were now thin lines of new flesh, pink and tender-looking. Garreth traced some of the lines on your arm carefully with his left index finger. His right hand continued to hold yours.

Curfew came before you roused again. Nurse Blainey came to dismiss the students still by your bedside. Poppy stood to leave, but Garreth requested to stay.

“I assure your she’s in capable hands, Mr. Weasley,” the mediwitch said. “I’m afraid visiting hours are over for today. You may come back when they begin tomorrow. After breakfast.”

He had skipped dinner, though he didn’t know how Nurse Blainey had known. The meal had just begun when he got the news of your injury.

Garreth trudged out alongside Poppy. “I’m glad she has someone who cares so deeply for her,” the mousy girl said as they left the hospital wing. “She’s my best friend – and only friend, really – and I want her to be happy.”

Garreth nodded with a pensive look on his face. “Thank you, Poppy,” he said. “I’m glad she’s got you to watch her back out there.”

She gave him a tight smile and a nod. She still felt responsible.

They parted once they left the faculty tower, heading to their separate common rooms. Garreth had a fitful night sleep before getting out of bed before the sun was up. He ate a rushed breakfast before returning to the hospital wing. You were sat up in the bed, eating your own breakfast from a tray set over your lap. You smiled when you saw him approaching.

“If it isn’t my favourite customer,” you said with a smirk.

Garreth rolled his eyes playfully. “How is it that was the only thing you got from my visit yesterday?” he asked.

You chuckled. “I was heavily medicated,” you replied with a shrug. You shifted to sit toward the left side of the bed, grimacing as you pulled your right leg over.

Garreth lunged forward to help when he saw your pained expression, but it was gone in an instant. You patted the newly open spot on the bed next to you. He carefully sat down, keeping an eye on your leg so he didn’t bump it.

“So, what else did you say when you came to visit?” you asked. “I have it on good authority it was quite cute.”

Garreth’s cheeks flushed. “Just, um, that I was very relieved you were okay and wouldn’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Yes, well, it would put a damper on our marriage if I was dead before it began,” you joked.

Garreth just gave you a shy smile.

You had known for a while how Garreth liked to tell people he was going to marry you one day. You thought it was funny and would join in on the joke from time to time. You took it as a compliment. He usually tied it to some praise of your skill, whether in combat, on a broom, or brewing potions. He had a flare for the dramatic, so you didn’t read too much into it. You’d heard him tell Leander he could kiss him when the taller boy had bought him a set of rare potion ingredients for his birthday.

Garreth was warm and affectionate, but he didn’t show signs that there was real weight to his jests. There were no intense stares or lingering touches like there were with a certain Slytherin. He was affectionate with you but not in an intimate way. He would give big bear hugs and would sometimes grab your wrist to drag you somewhere exciting. However, he never rested his hand on your lower back as he led you somewhere nor held your hand. Well, last night was an exception. You were fairly certain that when you had awoken last night, he had been holding your right hand, while Poppy had held your left.

Poppy. You two had become fast friends. She was the reason you wouldn’t entertain his affections even if you had thought them genuine. She had quite the crush on the kind-hearted ginger. She’d fallen for him shortly after you introduced them. She gushed about him constantly. You could never hurt her like it would if you started courting Garreth. She would be devastated.

“How are you feeling?” Garreth asked. His brow was furrowed with worry.

“As well as can be expected. The bastard took a nice chunk out of my calf,” you explained. “Human face but wicked sharp teeth, apparently.”

He looked at you with sad eyes. “Nurse Blainey said you’d recover fully. It that still true?”

You nodded. “Far as I know.”

“Good.” He bit his cheek as his hands fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. He put on a brave face before looking back at you. “And until you’re 100%, I’ll be by your side. Whatever you need.”

You couldn’t help but smile. He really was the sweetest boy you’d ever met. “I think I’ll be more than taken care of between you and Poppy,” you said fondly. “Speaking of, it’s cute that you two stayed with me together last night.”

Garreth gave you a puzzled look. “Cute?” he asked.

You gave a noncommittal shrug and forced your smile to broaden into a playful grin. “Yeah, I mean, I think it’s sweet. You two are just cute together.”

Garreth was really baffled now. Together? he thought. He and Poppy had hardly been ‘together.’ They sat on opposite sides of your bed, tending to you. Did you think he fancied Poppy? He was confused how you could. He thought he’d been rather obvious in his affections for you, while always trying to be respectful.

“Oh,” was all he managed to say.

You couldn’t tell if he didn’t like Poppy back or was just being shy about his feelings. So, you decided to probe a bit. “Have you ever thought about asking her out?” you said, attempting nonchalance.

“Erm, no. I can’t say I have,” he replied honestly. He swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn’t claim to know much about girls, but he was fairly certain they didn’t try to set up boys they fancied with their friends. “Do you…think I should?”

You blinked rapidly. You didn’t know what you thought. He and Poppy seemed a good fit. They were both so bubbly. You couldn’t imagine they’d be anything but happy together. But the imagine made you curiously sombre. “Well…” you started, unsure how you would finish the sentence.

Nurse Blainey pulled back the curtain. She scowled at Garreth sitting in your bed.

“Mr. Weasley,” she said sternly. “If you could step out, I need to examine my patient.”

He quickly did as told. Blainey changed your bandages on your leg, and he could tell two things from the stifled noises you made. The first was that you were in more pain than you let on. The second was that you were trying to hide it for his sake. That was only further confirmed when Blainey let him back in. You were smiling wide, but your knuckles blanched with how hard you were gripping the sheets.

“Has she had anything for pain today?” Garreth asked the mediwitch timidly.

“No, she’s refused the pain potion since she woke up,” Nurse Blainey replied.

He shot you a stern look. “She’s obviously in pain.”

She arched a brow at him. “She’s perfectly capable of requesting the potion herself.”

“I don’t like the potion. It makes me feel foggy,” you told him.

“So?” Garreth asked, a bit irritated by your stubbornness. “You’re recovering. And it’s Sunday. You should be resting, anyway.”

He looked to Blainey for support. “Are you in pain, dear?” she asked you kindly.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” you replied genially, though you gave Garreth a hard glare.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “If you grit your teeth any harder, you’ll shatter them,” he argued. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“I don’t want to sleep all day. I’d rather be able to hang out with you,” you said.

“Well, I don’t want to see you suffer!” he shot back, his voice cracking. He winced at his own volume.

“Mr. Weasley!” Nurse Blainey hissed. “I will not tolerate you yelling at my patient.”

“I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. He sank into the chair beside you, not wanting to draw further ire from Blainey by getting back in your bed. “Please, MC. I don’t like seeing you in pain. I’ll read to you or something while you rest.”

“You wouldn’t be bored?” you asked.

He rolled his eyes as a slight smirk came to his lips. “With you around? Never,” he replied.

“Could I maybe just do a half dose?” you said to Nurse Blainey. “My leg is starting to ache pretty badly.”

Garreth resisted the urge to insist you take a full dose. It was a start, at least.

The mediwitch nodded and fetched the potion.

“Thank you,” he murmured after you downed the liquid.

“Thank you,” you replied. “I should’ve taken it sooner. I was…being stubborn.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, you have a habit of that,” he teased.

You gave him a playful glare.

The sounds of hurried footsteps announced the arrival of a certain two Slytherins. “MC!” Sebastian said. “I just heard what happened. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” you assured him. “Blainey said I should make a full recovery.”

Garreth saw you wince as Sebastian wrapped you in a big hug. “Be careful!” the Gryffindor hissed.

Sebastian ignored him. He held your face in both of his hands when he pulled back. For a brief, terrifying moment, Garreth thought the Slytherin was about to kiss you. “No more taking on poachers alone,” the brunette ordered.

“I wasn’t alone,” you argued.

Sebastian side-eyed Garreth before looking back at you. “You still didn’t have proper help. You need to tell me when you’re going to do something dangerous,” he said, still holding your face. “Promise me.”

“Poppy is proper help,” you said defensively. “We’ve been fine every other time. Fought dozens of poachers. The manticore just caught us by surprise. I don’t need you to babysit me, Sebastian.”

Sebastian’s hands dropped to his sides. “You were with Poppy?” he asked.

You nodded.

“Well, I can still help keep you safe. Obviously these poachers are getting more dangerous animals,” he said. “Let me help you.”

“You can’t come running off with us every time. You’ve got Anne to think about. You should stay focused on helping her,” you argued.

Sebastian tensed. “Then stay and help me,” he asked.

You chewed your lip “I…I can’t just stop. Anne’s got you, but no one is stopping these poachers. Poppy and I are the only ones saving those creatures.”

Sebastian’s jaw clenched. “So, you care more about those beasts than Anne?” he growled.

“That’s not what I’m saying!” you insisted.

Sebastian scowled. “That seems like it’s exactly what you’re saying.” Without another word, he stormed out of the hospital wing.

“Sebastian!” Ominis called after him. He sighed when his friend didn’t stop. He rested a hand on your shoulder. “Feel better, MC.”

Ominis pressed a kiss to the top of your head before leaving, as well.

Garreth was seething until he saw the tears slipping down your cheeks and grief gripped him. “Hey,” he said gently, sliding into the bed next to you. He wrapped his arms around you in a gentle embrace. “He’s being an idiot. He’s probably just scared. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

You shook your head. “No, he did. He’s always getting upset with us about not doing more for Anne.” You sighed. “I mean, we’ve tried. I just…I don’t know what else to do.”

Garreth was shocked at the treatment from your supposed friend. He had half a mind to track the Slytherin down and try to shake some sense into him. But he knew it was better to stay with you, so he did. You leaned into him as the potion’s effects took hold and the drowsiness set in.

Garreth stayed with you the whole day. Poppy came by later that morning. Leander brought him lunch and a book to read to you. Natty and the other Gryffindors came to visit you in the afternoon. Even Imelda stopped by before dinner. Sebastian came back and apologized late in the evening. He seemed less than pleased to see Garreth cuddled up to you, but he didn’t comment on it.

Garreth helped rush visits along when you would start to get tired and drift off. Blainey was in and out of the curtained-off space throughout the day. She kicked Garreth out when she needed to do dressing changes. She didn’t say anything about Garreth sitting with you in your bed, though. Nor did she kick him out when you both fell asleep to him reading the book Leander had brought.

Blainey released you the next day. Garreth thought it was too soon, but you were eager to get out. He convinced the teachers to let him follow your schedule so he could carry your things for you.

“I could’ve levitated them,” you said.

“You shouldn’t exert your magic, either,” he argued. “Besides, I told you I’d be by your side until you’re all better.”

You blushed at the thought. You had always hoped to find a way to spend more time with him. This wasn’t exactly how you would have chosen to go about it, but you would take it.

To You

The manticore incident had brought you and Garreth closer than ever. Shortly after, Poppy told you she no longer had a crush on the outgoing Gryffindor. No longer holding yourself back, your own feelings for him bloomed. Frustratingly, you felt that you constantly got mixed signals from him. He still had a running joke where he would assert to others that he would marry you one day. However, he never asked you out. Though, on rare occasions, he did hold your hand – grabbing it to drag you off to see his newest brew or to comfort you when you were upset.

Unbeknownst to you, Garreth’s own feelings had grown similarly. He was head over heels for you. But he was scared. The stronger his feelings became, the more terrified he felt that you wouldn’t return them. Leander had to practically shake sense into him that he had better ask you out before someone else did. The taller boy even threatened to ask you out himself if Garreth didn’t soon. The threat almost started a brawl between the best friends until Leander explained that he wasn’t actually interested in you – just trying to motivate Garreth to get his head out of his arse.

So, Garreth came up with a plan. He went to Honeydukes on the next Hogsmeade trip, buying all your favourite sweets. He even added a bottle of his newly-perfected Fizzing Whizzbeer that you’d raved about after trying. He arranged it all in a decorative box and tied a nice ribbon around it.

He brought it to you at dinner. He hadn’t even sat down when he handed it over.

“Thank you,” you said, surprised and a bit confused as you took the present. You were elated, if a bit puzzled, when you saw the contents. “What’s all this for?”

Garreth cleared his throat. “Well, everyone knows we’re going to be married one day. And, mark my words, we will be,” he started. You rolled your eyes at his theatrics but couldn’t help smiling. Everyone else just nodded along, having heard his proclamation many times. Natty was the only one who looked shocked by the news.

“They are betrothed?” she whispered to Leander.

He rolled his eyes. “No, but it’s a long story,” he replied.

She just shrugged.

“So, I figured it was about time I started the formal process. I’d like to court you, MC, if you’ll have me,” Garreth said. He looked exceptionally nervous.

You set the box down on the bench before springing to your feet. You threw your arms around Garreth’s neck. “Of course!” you said.

“Really?” Garreth asked, dumbstruck.

“Definitely!” you assured him.

He wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you up as he spun around. “Brilliant! Will you go to dinner with me this Saturday?”

You beamed at him as your feet returned to solid ground. “That sounds lovely.”

Natty gave Leander a confused look. “I thought they started courting months ago,” she said.

“Yeah, you would think, wouldn’t you?” he replied with a chuckle.

To Your Dad

Garreth shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously. He checked his hair in the glass of the tavern window for the eight time. It wasn’t the first time he was meeting your father. They first met three years ago when Garreth visited you over the summer between fifth and sixth years. When the door to the establishment opened and he spotted the familiar broad shoulders and greying hair, Garreth immediately stood up.

“Garreth, my boy, good to see you,” your father greeted genially.

Garreth shook his hand. “You, as well, sir,” he said. “I’m glad you were able to meet today.”

“So, what brings you out to my neck of the woods?” your father asked as he took his seat.

Garreth could feel the heat rising in his collar, and your dad had to hold back a smile. He had strong suspicions on why the young man had reached out.

“Well, sir, I wanted to discuss some things with you about the future,” he said. “Of course, I asked you to join me for dinner. I don’t want to get too bogged down in the details on empty stomachs.”

“Oh, nonsense,” your father replied, waving him off. “Let’s hear these plans.”

“Right,” Garreth said, a bit shellshocked. “Well, sir, I’ve just finished my apprenticeship with J. Pippin. I took a job with a potioneering company in London, where I intend to stay until I’ve saved enough to start my own shop. I’ve just purchased a home in Marylebone, where I hope to settle down, you see.”

“London’s a far way from Plymouth,” your father interjected gravely, unable to help himself.

Garreth swallowed thickly. “It is,” he agreed. “Though, it’s within floo range.”

“Quite right,” your dad agreed with a slight smile. “Sorry to interrupt, lad. You were saying about settling down.”

“Your daughter and I have been discussing our plans. We’d quite like to settle down together. That is to say, we intend to marry–”

“Do you, now?” you father interjected again. His brow was arched.

Garreth nodded, steeling his nerves. “I haven’t proposed yet, of course,” he continued, and your father visibly relaxed. “But, like I said, we’ve discussed it, and I feel quite certain she would say yes. I wanted to meet today to ask for your blessing.”

Your father smiled. “Yes, I thought that might be the case,” he said. “My daughter, my only child, is quite an exceptional young woman, as you’re aware.”

“I am,” Garreth agreed as worry began to set in.

“Not just for her rare magic. She has many talents. And she’s quite driven.” He levelled Garreth with a rather frighteningly intense gaze. “I have very high standards for the man with whom she endeavours to spend her life.”

“Of course, sir,” Garreth said, trying not to feel crestfallen.

“I dare say she’ll need a man of equal ambition to keep up with her,” he said. “Though, he must still put his family first. I would never condemn her to a marriage with someone less than madly in love with her. And, indeed, I would do everything I could to prevent such an unfit union. I assure you, I am not an adversary to be taken lightly.”

Garreth had prepared himself for the possibility that your father would not give his blessing, but he had not foreseen him actively trying to prevent your marriage.

“I don’t think any man fully capable of deserving my daughter, though I am aware that I am biased on the matter,” your dad continued without giving Garreth a chance to speak. “However, I don’t think I could have hand-picked a better partner for her than she has chosen for herself.”

“I’m sure I can’t fault you for feeling that way, sir. I–” Garreth broke off as the meaning of the sternly spoken words sunk in. He gaped at your father briefly before collecting himself.

A grin broke out on the older man’s face. “I’d be honoured to have you in the family, son.”

Garreth stood, shaking your father’s hand again. He pulled his future son-in-law into a hug. “Thank you, sir. I know it’ll mean a lot to MC to have your blessing,” Garreth said.

Your dad clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Well, it means a lot to me that you care for her so deeply,” he replied. “You’re a good man, Garreth. Even if you were a bit of a scamp at school.” He winked.

Garreth’s cheeks flushed. “Yes, well, I’ve come to have a certain respect for the rules these days.”

Your dad chuckled. “That’s good to hear,” he said. “I got into my fair share of trouble at Hogwarts back in my day. And I know my daughter took after me.”

Garreth laughed. “She certainly has an adventurous spirit.”

Your dad shared some stories about the hijinks he’d gotten up to in school as they shared a meal. Garreth was glad he’d gotten the asking done before eating, as his stomach settled considerably. He couldn’t wait to tell you that your dad gave his blessing. More than that, he couldn’t wait to propose. But, most of all, he couldn’t wait to finally make you his wife like he swore he would years ago.

#garreth weasley #hogwarts legacy #garreth weasley x mc #garreth weasley x reader #garreth weasley x f!mc #hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #garreth weasley fanfic #garreth weasley fanfiction

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wlw-imagines · 11 months ago

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A Hunter By Trade - Ruby Lucas/Reader (Once Upon a Time)

prompt: "Could I request a Ruby(from OUAT) x reader one shot where R is a werewolf hunter and doesn't know Ruby is a werewolf and when R finds out Ruby is terrified that she'll leave her or kill her but instead the reader quits being a hunter and becomes a cop with Emma and David? Some fluff in the end?" - anon

a/n: these are from my old tumblr thefandomwritings from back in 2018 ! re-vamped and re-purposed!! hope u enjoy and forgive the 2018 me style writing

Having just finished your shift in the forest, hunting under Mr Gold's insistence, you were happy to finally be off work for another month and back with your girlfriend at Granny's Diner. Ruby's long hours of working there often meant you're schedules of night shifts and hers of day shifts would clash but for the next month you were free to spend time with her,

"Morning Y/N." Emma gave you a small wave as you walked into the Diner like you did every morning after work.

You sent Emma and Henry a tired smile, "Morning you two. Hot chocolate and waffles before school, Henry?" You asked the young boy who smiled cheekily and nodded, stuffing a forkful of his breakfast into his mouth.

You were going to stop for a chat before you realised you still had your hunting weapons on you and you should probably get rid of them. Your knife still strapped to your thigh and your silver gun still in its holster at your hip. Emma seemed to notice at the same time and was about to speak but was fortunately cut off by your girlfriend.

"Y/N! Good morning, how was work?" Ruby asked, wrapping her arms around you in a warm hug.

In an attempt to make your working life sound normal you simply shrugged and mumbled, "Quiet", which wasn't too far from the truth. You had never actually told Ruby exactly what your job entailed. All she really knew was that you had to work night shifts. However, she seemed content enough with your answer and pressed a light kiss to your lips.

Smiling, you pulled her close to you. You missed her when you were out working, you enjoyed the warmth and comfort just being in her arms caused you. Then that little moment was ruined by Emma inevitably speaking up.

"Need a gun for work, Y/N?" You turned to see her raising an eyebrow, looking at you intensely over her own steaming drink.

You rolled your eyes, "It's perfectly legal Swan." Justifying your actions as you sensed her legal conscience was starting to make an appearance.

Ruby's grip on you slowly loosened and you noticed her frown slightly, "You have a gun? How didn't I know you have a gun?"

"It's nothing Ruby. It was my mother's before she died," You smiled softly but Ruby still seemed unconvinced, "Mr Gold kindly made sure I got it a couple of weeks ago. Just before the spell broke."

Ruby shifted slightly, looking more uneasy by the minute, "But what's it for? Why do you even need it?" She protested.

"Originally it was just in memory of my mother but then Gold needed a favour so I thought I'd help him out and so more recently I've just been using it to keep the town safe, I guess. That's all he asked me to do. It's kind of in my blood to do it." You smiled proudly, now knowing that your mother and your mother's mother had both been Hunter's and now, in your own little way, you were honouring that.

"Keeping the town safe, isn't that my job?" Emma now joined in the inquisition, making your head spin slightly, "And you’re doing work for Gold?"

"Just as a favour, I patrol the woods at night, but I-" You stopped and took a deep breath, deciding that if they could just see how harmless your gun truly was then they'd give you a break. "I've never shot a person with it." You said, meekly as you carefully placed the gun down on the table.

"A silver gun?" You heard Ruby ask in an unusually quiet voice.

You were about to respond when Henry's cutlery clattered onto his plate, "You hunt werewolves? You're a Hunter? How didn't I see this before?" He asked incredulously, putting two and two together. "But-" He looked at Ruby but before he could continue you interrupted him in order to defend yourself.

"Woah, kid, no one said anything about werewolves." You shook your head, whilst having found out recently that that was in your blood, there were things that you couldn't bring yourself to do. Killing another human, in any form, was one of them. "I’d never- Look, Gold hired me to make sure that the wolves- that any animals don't create havoc or ruin his land o-or affect farmland." You clicked your gun back into its holster as it clearly wasn't being any use in calming anyone down. In fact, you were just getting more and more flustered as more questions were fired at you.

"Sure, that's what he told you." Henry got increasingly agitated, "You know you shouldn't kill anything. Don't you know who Ruby-" Emma quickly stood up and spoke over Henry.

"Okay, okay, enough chit-chat. Henry, let's get you to school." She gave him a look and left enough money to cover the food and drink on the table.

"But-"

"Henry, now." She clicked her fingers and Henry sighed in defeat before picking his bag up. He gave Ruby an apologetic look and just looked at you, contemplating what to say as he walked past. Whatever it was got interrupted by his mother as she practically pulled him out of the now empty Diner, "Faster, Henry."

You watched them leave in confusion before turning to Ruby, "Babe, I-"

"I don't want to talk right now." She turned away from you, clearing Emma and Henry's table. You frowned and reached out to your girlfriend's side, pulling her gently to you. She swatted you away and you swore she almost let out a small growl, "Y/N, just leave me alone!"

You shook your head, "I don't understand, I practically do the same job as Emma but just with animals rather than people. I found something I'm actually good at Ruby! Why can't you be happy for me, I-"

"Was your Mother a werewolf hunter? Back in the Enchanted Forest. Was she a Hunter?" She interrupted you, her voice increasing in volume before she slammed the plates down behind the counter. "Did she hunt animals?"

You hesitated before finally nodding, "Yes." You admitted and Ruby scoffed.

"So it's 'in your blood' to kill animals, is it? To kill-"

"No! I mean... yeah. But-"

"Then why do you need a gun, a silver gun? With silver bullets? Used to kill werewolves. Why do you need weapons if you don't kill?"

"Okay, well, on the odd occasion, I've had to-"

"Great!" She let out a loud sarcastic laugh and shook her head.

"But only when it's really necessary. And I told you I don't kill people! Okay? Whatever form they're in, I will not kill a person, okay? I'm not my mother, Ruby-"

She shook her head and clenched her teeth, "It turns out there is still a lot I don't know about you Y/N." She whispered, looking you dead in the eye as she spoke.

"No, that's not fair. There are things about you that I don't know too. There are still things about everyone I thought I knew that I don't know because of this stupid curse but we're working it out!" You reasoned, willing yourself not to think the worse about this situation. There was a horrible silence as you waited for her to say something. Anything. And when she finally did, it wasn't what you had expected at all.

"I don't think I feel safe around you, Y/N." She backed away from you ever so slightly and refused to look you in the eye. For the first time you've known Ruby, she genuinely looked frightened. Of you.

Your stomach dropped at her confession and you shut your eyes for a few moments and took a second to breath. "If this is about the gun then I only have it to protect you, Ruby. It's to protect everyone. I love you. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. I just want to protect you."

"From what?"

You clenched your fists and slammed a hand on the counter, tired from repeating the same thing. If Ruby had been wanting your answer to change each time to something she would rather hear then she was out of luck, "From rabid animals." You cried out, getting angry at such a stupid fight over such a tiny thing.

"What? Animals like me, you mean?" She asked, contrasting your loud anger with a quiet fear. Whilst her eyes looked terrified she attempted to make herself look brave and confrontational by jutting her chin up slightly and staring you down but you knew her too well.

The anger inside of you quickly dissipated and you slowly approached her, treating her like one would a spooked horse or a trapped rabbit. "What do you mean by that?"

"Y-You said that there were things you don't know about me and that's true." You watched as she began to crumble, her eyes starting to become tearful. "I'm a werewolf. Your kind hunt me and my kind." She finally croaked out.

You both stood and stared at each other over the counter for a few minutes, not quite knowing what to do. There was a part of you that couldn't believe you didn't know, that she hadn't told you. A whole other part started to recognise the little signs that you had slowly picked up on but stubbornly ignored.

The tiny bell at the top of the door to Granny's rung, knocking you out of your thoughts and back into reality. Now that the diner was no longer empty you couldn't stay there any longer. You need an explanation but it couldn't be done there and besides, there was something more important you had to do first, "I have to go." You finally spoke up, not quite daring to look into Ruby's tear soaked eyes and instead keeping your head down and walking out the door.

Driving around for hours to clear your head eventually led you to the Sheriff's department, knowing Emma would be there by now. You ran in, throwing your gun on the table and crossing your arms as you stared down at the blonde woman. "How long did you know who my girlfriend was?"

Emma sighed and grimaced slightly, "She told you?"

"Mhmm." You flopped down in the chair opposite Emma and started chewing your lip. There was a long pause between the two of you, seeing as you were completely absorbed with your own thoughts.

Emma took a deep breath, eventually choosing to cut off the silence, "What are you going to do?" You shook your head slightly.

"I was born to be a Hunter, Emma." You noticed her raise an eyebrow slightly and so you hastened to add, "But I love Ruby. So much." You'd never do anything to hurt her, that much you knew.

"You're going to return the gun to Gold?"

"No." You shrugged, "I'll lock it up someone safe, I suppose. So no one can make use of it."

Emma put her hand on your shoulder and smiled fondly, "You made the right decision."

You sat in silence for a bit, Emma leafing through some paperwork as you tried to get your brain to absorb everything that had happened in the last few hours, "I won't miss the long nights, that's for sure." You eventually said, only just realising you were technically now out of a job. "Anyway, I should go. Thanks Em, for helping me figure out what's right."

Just before you made your way out of the door, Emma stopped you in your tracks by shouting after you, "Hey, Y/N, if you need a job we might just have an opening here for you. Can't guarantee you'll never work a night shift again, but you can keep on protecting Ruby and the town. You can just do it a bit more legally." You slowly turned back to your friend and smiled, shooting her a quick nod.

"You're on, Swan."

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

It was gone noon once you were finished at the police station and you knew Ruby would have finished her shift by now so you swung by your shared apartment, hoping that she would be there.

You were torn between knocking and just walking straight in but ultimately chose the latter option, scared that if you were to knock then she wouldn't answer to you.

"Ruby?"

"I don't want to talk to you." A voice drifted from your left. You hesitantly licked your lips and followed her voice.

"Ruby-" You turned the corner to see her curled up on the sofa beneath a heavy red blanket.

She shook her head and you knew well enough to stop talking. "I just... I cannot believe you'd do this! That you would do something so stupid and so--"

"I quit." You shrugged and took a step closer to your girlfriend.

"What?" She asked, head turning to the side slightly. You clenched your jaw at the pain you had caused within her.

You paused, formulating what you wanted to say before plunging into it. "I'm not a hunter anymore. I quit. I want nothing but to keep you safe and if you don't feel that way with me then I'll change."

Ruby stood up and shook her head, "I don't understand."

"I'd do anything for you. I love you." You finally wrapped your arms around Ruby's waist and pulled her into you, hovering your lips close to hers, "I'm sorry."

The smile on her face grew as she gazed into your eyes and her hands hovered over your hips. She begun to place a trail of kisses from your jaw down your neck. Ready to take it further, you pushed her slightly towards the sofa and tugged slightly at her red shorts. However, before you had the chance, Ruby pulled away and took a deep breath.

"What?" You asked, fearing you had done something wrong.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked, and you could still sense a dash of emotion reappearing from earlier. You pushed to do anything to clear her doubt about you.

You hooked your fingers in the belt loop holes of her shorts and winked, "What do you think about me in uniform?"

Ruby bit her lip and smirked, pushing you down on the sofa, "I think I could get used to the idea."

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rebouks · 8 months ago

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Previous // Next

Wyatt: You’re not staying here again tonight-.. in fact, I don’t even want you in this country. Kian: Wha-… [Kian spluttered over his tea for a moment before regaining his composure and setting it down] Kian: What on earth do you expect me to do? Wyatt: I really don’t care-.. whatever you were doing before you arrived? Kian: Well, I spent most of my probation languishing at the penthouse, but it didn’t feel right. [Wyatt squinted, perhaps Kian had learned something-..] Kian: You know, like it wouldn’t be the same until we got everyone back together-.. eh, almost everyone. Wyatt: [scoffs] That’s what you want to do? Kian: Don’t you? Wyatt: All that time wasting away in prison and you want to jump straight back into the lifestyle that led you there? Kian: We would’ve been just fine if it weren’t for that traitorous redhead… [Kian trailed off and held Wyatt’s gaze expectantly, as though it were a given that his brother would agree. Wyatt wondered if Kian had conveniently forgotten his own involvement in the downfall of their father-.. and Ashton’s, not that he really knew about that part, or whether he was too brain dead to have noticed amongst the chaos] Kian: Aren’t you tired of playing house out here? It’s all but forgotten, we could go back and-… Wyatt: You are not my family. Kian: But we’re brothers-.. you’re literally the only family I’ve got left. [Wyatt laughed dismissively; he could’ve vomited at the sight of Kian’s hurt expression] Wyatt: If you’re suddenly so compelled to act like my brother, then leave-.. get as far away from here as possible and don’t come back, and don’t you dare mention my whereabouts to anyone who bothers asking. Kian: Where do you suppose I ought to go from here then? Wyatt: Really? You finally have complete freedom and you’re asking me what to do with your life? Honestly, I’d love to suggest suicide but I doubt you’d have the wherewithal, nor the guts. Kian: There’s no need for that, my god-.. what’s the matter with you? Father would-… Wyatt: Father this, father that, he’s been dead for over a decade, Kian; get over it or go and fucking join him. [Kian scoffed, shaking his head with such similar derision to their father that Wyatt wanted to choke him senseless] Kian: I should’ve expected no less than your typical hostility-.. ten years and you haven’t changed a bit. Wyatt: That makes two of us. Kian: I suppose I’ll be the bigger man as usual and do as you’ve asked, shall I? Wyatt: [tightly] Mhm, do that. Kian: It’s a good job I didn’t finish unpacking. Wyatt: Perhaps you aren’t completely lacking in forethought after all. [Wyatt clenched his fist around the handle of his mug, fighting the urge to launch it at his brother’s giant, disgusting head-.. he definitely wasn’t worth the mess though, and the tea within was nowhere near hot enough to cause satisfactory damage]

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atrueneutral · 5 months ago

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Why, Who, What, Where, When, and How - FWB Raphael x Tav

The saga continues...

[The First Prompt][The Prequel]

---

“Have you seen your companions lately?”

Tav’s brow twitched, but she did not open her eyes from where her head reclined upon the edge of the bath.

It was a new development to their routine, one that transpired a few visits ago; after engaging in pleasurable activities, rather than excuse herself from the Devil’s Den in a rough state of undress, she’d managed to add in a bath before her departure.

At the time of announcing her intentions and drawing her initial bath, Tav had fully expected her fiend-with-benefits to be the first to leave; their business was concluded, and he had other affairs to attend to - more lives to ruin. But, under the guise of not trusting her to remain in the room unattended, Raphael instead summoned his business to him with a snap of his fingers.

‘Business’ took the form of letters, and the devil took to quietly executing his plans at the nearby writing desk.

And so it was that Tav came to be soaking in her bath of steaming, floral-scented water while listening to the sounds of a quill scratching parchment. It was during these periods of companionship where there would be what she had taken to calling the Occasionals: the occasional watching of his profile while he worked, the occasional feeling of eyes on her skin as she washed her hair and cleaned body, and the occasional question (from her or him) to disrupt what she deemed to be comfortable silence.

“My friends?” Tav asked, frowning somewhat. “Why do you ask?”

“Do you not like conversation, Little Mouse?”

An eye opened to peek at the devil. Raphael looked no different than he had when she checked minutes ago; he was partially leaned forward, hovering over desk and letters both. The movements of his writing hand were fluid and graceful as he scrawled sharp words with a sharp quillpoint.

“I do,” she answered, slightly suspicious - it’s not like she could help it. “Forgive me for being wary that a devil wants to know how my friends are doing.”

“You are insinuating too much,” Raphael admonished with a glance. “I simply asked if you’d seen them recently.”

“Fair enough.” Tav appraised him for a moment longer but felt appeased enough to close her dubious eye. ”I saw Wyll the other day - got dinner together at the Elfsong. I don’t think he likes his job as duke very much.” She snickered. “He’s hoping I can come up with a convincing idea for sick leave so we can possibly adventure together again. Strangely, he didn’t seem keen on any of my brilliant ideas. Mind you, they were ideas that would actually make him ill…”

“He had feelings for you at one time, did he not?”

Two dubious eyes opened, and her head slowly lifted away from the bath’s edge. “How did you know that?”

The corner of Raphael’s mouth that she could see briefly curved upwards, and Tav could not tell if it was a smile or a smirk.

“I have my ways,” he said, a response that hardened her stare. “Anyone else? The cleric? The Harper?”

“Shadowheart wrote me a letter saying she would be visiting the city in a month’s time, and Jaheira’s been gone a while to rebuild the Harpers. Her whole family chased after her.”

Raphael appeared to only be half listening. “The druid? Have you seen him recently at all?”

There was enough of an edge to the way he said ‘druid’ that caused Tav to wonder if…

“Halsin?” she asked, softening her expression in preparation for an impromptu performance.

“Mm.”

“I wish!” Tav breathed wistfully as she plucked a flower petal that floated nearby. She brought the stray red petal to tickle the tip of her nose. “He’s good company - I’d love to catch up and learn all that’s happened since our victory. Last I knew, he’s helping orphans.”

Her brows raised as if struck by a thought. “Actually, Raphael, I’m curious - in all your years, have you ever seen such an elf? I’ve never before crossed paths with an elf so handsome, tall and strong!”

Though she couldn’t discern smirk from smile, Tav could identify the sneer overtaking his profile. It was also easy to read that Raphael’s writing hand was moving less gracefully and marginally more… aggressively.

Tav turned around to show him her back as she crossed her arms on the bath’s edge. Her cheek came to rest upon the pillow of her wet skin. “Seeing as how you knew about Wyll, I’m sure you also know about Halsin’s interest in me as well.”

Halsin’s proposition never led anywhere; she’d gently turned him down and he’d taken her rejection in stride. When bringing up his offer to Astarion later in the night, the pale elf laughed and gave him her blessing to experience the escapade regardless.

How Raphael would have reacted was increasingly apparent.

What was definitely a smile tugged her lips. “As for Lae’zel, I haven’t-”

“Did you take advantage of his interest, my dear?” There was a distinct note of jealousy flavoring the devil’s voice. Writing had paused, and Tav could feel his eyes burning into her back. “Were you to meet again, would you find yourself in his arms or in his bedroll made of twigs, fur and leaves?”

“I wouldn’t, no. He’s not my type.”

“And what is your type? Not-as-tall, not-as-strong elves? How is your beloved vampire spawn?”

Nettled by his callous delivery and mention of Astarion, Tav spun around in the water to see Raphael halfway twisted in his seat to regard her - his face full of disdain.

“I wouldn’t know, Raphael,” she said, dropping her act of airy ambivalence and favoring irritation as she waded over to leave the bath. She carefully stepped out, and her hand snatched a plush red (cherry perfumed) towel that was waiting for her on the top step. “We parted ways after our victory.”

“Why?”

“Because he could tell I was interested in someone else,” she retorted while hastily wiping herself down.

Before the towel was thrown over her head to dry her face and damp hair, she caught Raphael’s sneer deepening, as if he’d already decided that ‘someone else’ was someone so horrid as The Emperor - who was (by all accounts) dead.

“Oh? Who?”

After some seconds, Tav yanked the towel down to glower at the devil. “You, you ass.”

She dropped the cloth, uncaring of lingering droplets, and moved to go collect her clothes from where they were scattered around the room - beginning with her small clothes that weren’t too far from the writing desk. From there, the trail of her attire led to the exit.

“To answer your question of ‘what’ - I said, I’m interested in you,” Tav groused whilst furiously putting pants on. “I think, per the question of ‘where’, that’s fairly obvious. ‘When?’ Unfortunately, I’d have to say moments after our supposedly fated introduction… ‘How?’” Once her tunic was thrown over her head, she paused to think on it. “Well, I have no answer to the ‘how’ aside from me being an absolute idiot.”

Her boots were being pulled on when Raphael’s chair scooted across the floor. She glanced at where he stood to see mild amusement around his eyes.

“Then is it correct of me to assume you do not have arrangements with any other?” he asked.

She should have turned and left; it wasn’t his business whether or not she did have arrangements with anyone else. What the two of them had was strictly for pleasure (and company), and it was that idiotic fancy of hers that fantasied a future where they were anything more.

His jealousy didn’t often bother her - per say; envy was nothing but a byproduct of his fiendish nature, however it served as a reminder that Raphael only cared about her past and possibly-present dalliances because he liked to possess people and things.

Which is what she was.

Just another soul he was entertaining himself with…

“That is correct,” Tav said haughtily. “And if I knew what was good for me, I would rethink this arrangement.”

“If it comes to that, don’t hurt your pretty little head thinking about it too hard.” At the face she made, Raphael chuckled. “Should I expect to see you in a few days’ time for our next appointment?”

Tav raised her chin. “Probably. Because we’ve already established that I’m an idiot.”

“Will you stop calling yourself that, my dear?”

“No promises,” she muttered, her stomach fluttering on her way to the door. “Until next time, Raphael, and just know that, after tonight, you’re definitely not invited to the reunion...”

Snap!

The door magically locked itself as her hand reached for the handle, and Tav’s head snapped to glare at the devil who smiled wickedly.

“Reunion you say?”

Fuck.

[How the Reunion Would Go]

#fwb raphael x tav #raphael x tav #raphael bg3 #raphael x tav fanfiction #my writing #bg3 #raphael the cambion #look at me trying to tie things together

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girlwithadragonheart · 5 days ago

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Chapter 2 - A Mourning Crow

This story contains major spoilers for Dragon Age the Veilguard. Read at your own discretion!!

Rook x Lucanis

Summary: Lucanis invites Rook for coffee ;3. Arrangements for Caterina's funeral are made. Lucanis and Rook share feelings over cookies.

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: Spoilers, cursing, mentions of death

A/N: A shorter one for some bonding <3

Chapter 1 DATV Masterlist Chapter 3

Meeting with the Shadow Dragons didn’t go quite as horribly as I’d expected. Tarquin looked more surprised to see me than anything. “Welcome home, Rook. Try not to get yourself run out of the city again,” he said.

“No promises,” I told him with a smirk.

We set off to take care of the relic that had fallen into the Venatori’s hands. Lucanis and Neve trailed me as we made our way through Dock town.

“You didn’t tell me you were a Shadow Dragon, Rook,” Lucanis said.

“It was only a couple years. Just long enough to have to leave,” I glanced at him over my shoulder. “They didn’t want to risk taking out a slavery ring, so Varric and I did it ourselves. Every magister in Minrathous was hot on my tail after that,” I chuckled. “It was the first job I ever did with Varric, and it was the day I joined him.”

“The day he picked you up off the streets, more like,” Neve teased.

“It sounds like he means a lot to you,” Lucanis said thoughtfully.

“Of course he does,” I said simply. “He saved me.”

“You. Saved. Us!” Spite’s voice hissed through Lucanis’s lips.

I shrugged. “I had help.”

Neve grinned. “Shadow Dragons stick together,” she said simply.

After trekking all over Dock Town and fighting a Tevinter Magister asshole who got off the hook cause his daddy’s got money, we were back at the lighthouse. I was exhausted but I also did not want to see Solas. That was something Lucanis and I had in common, not wanting to sleep and unwanted tenants in our heads.

I went across the courtyard to the dining room. The table was now set for the whole team. Next to the fireplace was a hanging grocery list in Lucanis’s handwriting. The assassin had tucked himself in the pantry behind the dining room.

I suppose it would be odd to expect him to adapt so quickly to being out in the open after spending a year in the prison. I just hoped he was comfortable.

I knocked on the door and he opened it, cup of coffee in hand. He smiled a bit when he saw me. “Rook, Illario sent word. He’s got intel on Zara. He wants to meet up. Fancy a trip to Treviso?” He asked.

“Sounds like fun,” I smiled. “We can head out soon.”

It was hard to know what time it was in the Fade. The sky never really changed and there was no indication of the sun. When we left Minrathous the sun was setting. I wasn’t disappointed about getting to see Treviso at night. The barest piece I had seen when we met Teia had captivated me more than Minrathous ever could.

Lucanis and I stepped through the eluvian together into the Cantori Diamond. He led me through the tower and down the spiral staircase. There was a zip line across to another rooftop that I clung to while we swung across. I jumped down to the lower roof beside it before sliding down the lattice. If I remembered right this was the same way Teia had taken us on the way in.

Instead of going across the bridge, Lucanis veered to the right and took us down an alleyway leading to the market.

“Illario will meet us at Cafe Pietra, it’s not that far from here. We have time before he arrives, I wouldn’t mind looking around a while,” Lucanis told me.

“I wouldn’t either. I’m sure Treviso has lots of sights to see. What I’ve seen of your city is beautiful,” I answered. Something in this place sung to my soul.

“The markets are open… good. I have some things I need to get,” he said. “Treviso… I barely had time to look around after the Ossuary.”

“Has it changed much?” I asked curiously as we browsed the stalls.

“In some ways more than I expected. But then… perhaps it’s me.” We wandered for a moment before Lucanis made a stop in front of a stall.

“A potted plant?” I asked.

“For Harding’s garden. Spearmint is supposed to calm bad dreams. It’s good in desserts too.” I nodded thoughtfully. He led me to another stall. “Bellara mentioned a danish seafood recipe she wants to make,” he said.

“The Demon of Vyrantium is grocery shopping for the team,” I said with amusement.

“Have you seen what they eat? It’s a miracle you didn’t all starve before you hired me,” he said exasperated, leading me to a produce stall. “Fresh fruit,” he sighed. “Neve only eats fried fish. You’d think a detective would have discovered scurvy by now.”

I laughed. “Is that everything on the list?”

“Yes, and Illario should be here by now. Let’s go meet him before he gets himself into some kind of trouble.”

I hummed, walking back through the market. “Just one last thing,” I said, approaching the blacksmithing stall. My eyes roved over the selection before a tossed some gold at the trader, picking up my gift.

I smiled, handing it to Lucanis. “You can’t buy something for everyone but yourself. Here this is for you.”

“A wyvern-tooth dagger?” His eyes went wide when I handed it to him. “I loved wyverns as a boy. Caterina would never let me have one of these, though.”

I just smiled at him before he led us to the cafe to meet Illario.

When we entered, the air was warm and thick with the scent of coffee. It was enough to make my mouth water. I sat down across from Illario and Lucanis sat to my left between us.

“Finally! I thought you might leave me here all by my lonesome,” Illario said as we sat down. I shifted in my seat, keeping my gaze on Lucanis. The presence he put off made me feel calmer.

“Please,” Lucanis said. “You think I’d ever pass up Cafe Pietra’s coffee?”

“You see, Rook? My cousin is all stomach and no heart,” Illario said.

Lucanis grinned, looking over at me. “Don’t mind him. Illario cannot appreciate anything but himself.” There was a light in his eyes that made him seem younger. A light that likely disappeared in the Ossuary. “They serve a specialty roast here: Andoral’s Breath. Bitter and sweet like a kiss goodbye. You should try it,” he told me.

“Bitter’s good. Chocolate is better,” I said with a grin.

“They have cioccolata calda. It was my favorite drink as a child,” Lucanis said, amused.

“I think you’re shaming me, but I’m ordering the choco-chico thing,” I crossed my arms. Lucanis tipped his head back and laughed. “Two Crows and a Shadow Dragon walk into a cafe. It sounds like the beginning of a very bad joke.” Even Illario cracked a smile with that one. “To business?”

“Our final listener left when Lucanis started making out with the idea of coffee,” Illario crossed his arms, shifting in his seat.

Lucanis grinned. “What can I say? I take it very seriously. So. You have something?” he asked, leaning forward with his elbows braced on the table.

My eyes trailed the leanness of his body, built for agility and precision, unlike me. My body was a conduit for my power despite my preference of a dagger in combat.

“The Crows I sent after Zara have picked up her trail. They say she’s gone to Vyrantium,” Illario said.

My eyes flicked over his face. “If she was here in Treviso to kill Caterina, she can’t be in Vyrantium already.” I glanced at Lucanis, and the corners of his lips twitched.

“Rook’s right. Zara’s given you a false lead, cousin.”

“You have better information?” Illario questioned.

“We’re compromised,” Lucanis said simply. “There’s no other way Zara could even touch Caterina. You need your eyes here. In Antiva.”

“Zara would never be foolish enough to stay. Not with you out for blood,” Illario said.

Lucanis put his hands together. “Of course she would. If the Crows protecting her are here.”

Illario looked to me. “Rook, reason with him, would you? He’s being paranoid.” Something about the way he purred that made me uncomfortable.

“I am not paranoid! She came after me. She came after Caterina. She will come for you, too,” Lucanis pushed.

Illario scowled. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll clean house, all right? Leave this to me.” He stood and left the room.

I walked him out, leaving Lucanis to think. He looked at me, nodded and shook my hand before heading off. As I walked back into the cafe, I wiped my hand on my leathers. “He’s gone,” I said as I sat down next to Lucanis.

“Of course he is. Illario always caves under pressure,” Lucanis scowled.

“Your cousin only seems to hear about one word in ten,” I said, picking up my chocolate drink that Lucanis had ordered for me while I was out.

“He’s always been this way. He hears what he wants to hear.” Lucanis swirled his cup, bringing it to his lips and taking a deep inhale of the brew, sighing. He took a sip, eyes closed in contentment as he savored the drink. He looked more relaxed than I’d ever seen him.

I grinned. “Bitter and sweet, you called that blend. Like a kiss goodbye. So what would a first kiss be?” I asked thoughtfully.

“Honey and lavender cream. Sweet, intriguing…” He said smoothly. “And you? How would you describe it?” He asked.

“Oh, I wouldn’t know,” I said. “I’ve never had one. There’s just never been… well…” What was I even going to say? A person? No. An opportunity? A choice?

Lucanis smiled softly. “In matters of the heart, one must be discerning.”

“When it’s right, you know,” I said.

“I’ve always thought that to live truly is to live fully. But even before I was captured, my life was not really my own. So much had been determined for me,” he told me.

“You must have found time for a little trouble along the way. And if you didn’t, I can find you some now,” I smiled.

“We’ll see. You don’t know how much trouble I can handle yet. How’s your cioccolata calda?” He asked.

“Just sweet enough to intrigue me.” I took another sip, sitting back and letting my shoulders drop. I felt Lucanis’s eyes on me. “Thank you for this,” I said. “For getting me out of the Lighthouse. And for the drink.”

“Anytime, Rook,” he said. “I mean that.” And I believed him.

“Ready to head back?” I asked.

“In a while,” he said, looking off into the distance, swirling his coffee. “Do we have a minute?” He asked, looking back at me.

My brow furrowed. “Of course. Is something wrong?”

“Teia wants to meet,” Lucanis said.

“I’d never pass up the chance.”

“She wants to plan Caterina’s funeral,” he said darkly, looking into his drink.

“Oh,” my face fell. “Right.”

“If you don’t mind, I… could use some backup. In case Spite gets out of hand,” he said carefully.

“Of course, Lucanis. Let’s not keep her waiting.” I stood, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. His muscles were taut, and I pulled away. “Sorry.”

“No,” he said. “It’s alright.” He looked up at me and stood. “Thank you.”

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

Illario and Teia met us at the Cantori Diamond.

“Good! You’re here,” she said upon seeing us.

“Thank you for making the arrangements, Teia,” Lucanis said.

“For Caterina… how could I do otherwise?” She said with a frown. “I’m so sorry, Lucanis. This must be such a blow.” She looked over at me with a smile. “Rook, thank you for coming with him. I need one Dellamorte to plan this. His cousin has been no help at all.” She put her hands on her hips.

“I’m sorry, Teia. This is just… too much right now,” Illario said.

“If there’s anything I can do, just say the word,” I told them.

“You’re such a dear. I hope these two are paying attention,” Teia smiled at me.

“Teia. Don’t flirt with my… colleague,” Lucanis said, looking wounded.

“Jealous?” She smirked. “Fine, to business then. There’s a lot to plan. But first, I need the ashes.”

“Ashes?” Illario asked, dumbfounded.

“Maker help us, yes, the ashes! Caterina’s ashes. From the cremation?” Teia asked.

“Oh. Yes. Of course. I’ll get them to you right away,” he said.

“Illario… what happened?” Lucanis asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Caterina. How…? How did the Venatori get to her? When? Where? In the estate? In the city? How did they get past our people? What did they use? Poison? Blades? I need to know,” Lucanis questioned.

“Cousin, stop,” Illario chided. “You can’t dwell on this. It’ll drive you mad.”

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit, that pissed me off. Illario couldn’t dictate how people handle grief, and Lucanis had perfectly good reasons for needing to know those things.

“I’m not dwelling,” Lucanis argued. “Zara killed the First Talon. I have to know how if I’m going to stop her.”

“I told you, I’m handling it.” I glanced sidelong at Illario, trying to gauge if it was just me getting annoyed or not. This wasn’t even my group of people and he was pissing me off. It felt dismissive. Lucanis had earned more respect than that, even from his cousin.

“Boys!” Teia said. “Enough of this. We have other things to discuss.”

“My apologies, Andarateia. Continue without me. I’ll… get you the ashes,” Illario excused himself.

Lucanis had a scowl on his face when I looked at him. “How are you holding up?” I asked.

“I’ll be fine. Better, once we kill Zara Renata. It’s him I’m worried about,” he told me.

“Illario can be a handful, but this… the only time I’ve seen him like this was when Lucanis died,” Teia told me. She looked over at Lucanis. “You’re worrying, aren’t you? What will people say if they hear the Demon of Vyrantium has a big soft heart?”

“He’s been careless at times, but never when his own life was on the line. Zara took down the First Talon. Anyone could be next. And my cousin doesn’t want to think about it,” Lucanis said, frustrated.

“You have a point,” Teia said. “It’s not like Illario to ignore a knife coming at him.”

“What do you need from me for the funeral?” Lucanis asked.

“I’ve already handled everything, I just wanted to run it by you,” she smiled sadly.

“Our house owes you for handling all of this,” Lucanis told her.

“Caterina was family. Can you imagine what she’d say if she saw us all like this?” Teia questioned.

“She’d be furious. Especially at Illario. As usual,” Lucanis grinned.

“I barely know your cousin, and he already seems like trouble to me,” I told him.

“Oh, he is,” Lucanis nodded. “I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to pull him out of the fire on the job.”

“He’s a good assassin. Most jobs don’t have as many fires as yours do. I’ll have my people keep an eye on him for you,” Teia assured him.

“Thank you, Teia,” Lucanis said. The grief he carried was evident in his voice.

“Go on,” she said to us. “I’ll let you know if something comes up.”

—-----------------------------------

Flour coated my hands and clothes as I mixed the dough between my hands for the cookies I was making. I couldn’t sleep, or at the least didn’t want to, and I had my thoughts to myself while my hands were busy.

Soon enough, I had them baking. Lucanis eased out of the pantry, squinting into the dim glow of the kitchen. The sweet, buttery smell of baking cookies was unmistakable. I smiled at him from where I leaned against the counter.

“Perfect timing,” I said as I set the fresh batch in front of me. “Midnight snack?”

“You bake?” He asked, coming over to eye my handy work. “You never cease to surprise me.” His eyes trailed over the cookies, leaning against the counter beside me, gaze lingering on me as I worked.

“I’d hate to become boring,” I said with a smile. “I don’t really like sleeping these days,” I told him. “I… I can’t seem to escape Solas when I do. He invades my dreams. It’s like I’m trapped in them, and nothing feels real when I wake up.”

He studied me for a moment. “We are more similar than I anticipated.”

He reached for a cookie, and my eyes went wide, “Careful–!”

He picked it up with a smirk. “I can handle it,” he said, taking a bite. “This is delicious.” His eyes slipped closed and I laughed.

I brought the tray of cookies to the dining table. Lucanis sat across from me. “How are you feeling about everything?” I asked him.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t know. After the Ossuary, nothing feels real.”

“What about Caterina?” I asked. “What was she like?”

“Caterina was… strong,” he said slowly. “She was fierce and never backed down from anything, sometimes to our detriment. She never stopped. Not until she was forced to,” he told me.

“She seemed like someone who could calm storms or raise them,” I said to him. “I could’ve used someone like her in my corner.”

Lucanis’s gaze softened, and his fingers twitched as though he fought the urge to reach out. “She would have liked you,” he said quietly. “I think she would’ve seen something in you, something… worth protecting.”

“Varric used to say that. Do you know what he said when I asked why he chose me?” I couldn’t help but smile thinking about my friend and mentor. “He said, “There’s a reason I brought you into this mess. You’re clever. Adaptable. And you don’t know when to quit”. He said it was my best and worst quality.”

“He was right in that regard,” Lucanis said with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes.

The quiet stretched between us, and the sound of Spite’s voice filled the space before his aspect appeared in the chair beside Lucanis. “How sweet. Two poor souls, drowning their feelings over cookies.”

“Okay, but, have you tried one?” I picked a cookie up, reaching to hand it to Spite.

“Rook—” Lucanis began.

“Smells like. Chocolate. And Rook.” Spite sniffed the cookie.

“Yes, I made them. Try it,” I urged with a grin.

I watched Spite try a tiny piece before shoving the whole cookie in his mouth. “More.”

I laughed. “By all means, Mischief,” I said, pushing the tray toward him. “There are plenty to share.”

“Spite doesn’t scare you?” Lucanis asked, watching the encounter play out curiously.

“We’re up against gods. No, Spite doesn’t scare me. And you two didn’t deserve what you went through in the prison. I can’t fault him for being angry any more than I can fault you.”

Lucanis studied me, his gaze softening with a touch of admiration. “You’re far more understanding than most. I think it’s why Spite has taken a strange liking to you.”

I shrugged, popping another cookie into my mouth, scoring the sweet warmth as Spite continued to wolf down more. “I don’t know about that.”

Lucanis’s eyes lingered on me as I leaned back in my chair, and for a moment, the weight of the silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt… familiar, like the calm before the storm, or the soft hum of a connection that was only beginning to form.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” he asked quietly, his voice carrying the weight of understanding that so often showed in me.

I paused, unsure of how to answer. It felt easier to just nod. “A lot more than I ever wanted to, and yet… here I am. I think I’ve gotten used to it. Surviving. Trying not to let the nightmares take over.”

Lucanis leaned forward, his elbows on the table. His gaze was intense, but not in a way that made me feel cornered. It was as if he was searching, but not with a sense of urgency. He wasn’t probing; he was simply trying to see. “I know what it’s like to carry that weight,” he said quietly, his voice lowering. “The fear. The doubt. The need to keep moving, even when it feels like it would be easier to just stop.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “You’re not alone in this.”

“I’m not alone, ever,” he said with a pointed glance at Spite who just grinned menacingly.

“You know what I mean.” I reached over, taking his hand on the table and rubbing my thumb over his knuckles. “We aren’t alone. Any of us. Something to think about,” I said before standing. “Thank you for tonight.”

“You know I’m a sucker for good food,” Lucanis smirked slightly. “Even when the world outside is a bit chaotic.”

“More than I bit,” I laughed.

But for now, the cookies were still warm, and the night, however fleeting, was ours to share.

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

A/N: I'm so tired ;-;

Let me know if you wanna be added to a tag list!

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lieutenant-teach · 1 month ago

Text

After soooo much time of thinking and weighting pros and cons – I at last got my hands on The Bad Batch! Didn’t make myself watch everything – only chosen episodes that seemed interesting from the Wikipedia description.

To begin with, I didn’t like TBB since their episodes in TCW – specifically them being stereotypical, arrogant and shallow, treating ‘regs’ as shit. I knew exactly what I was getting into, but – watching with my own eyes is different from reading reviews. The first episode almost cost me my love for ‘regs’ – the moment where clones call TBB bad words like ‘sad batch’. Logically speaking – why would they treat TBB like this just because they’re different, especially a kid? Isn’t it against all they narratively stand for – valuing variety and difference of personalities and appearances? A lame attempt to make the audience empathize with them, but I’ve seen how they act in s7 + later episodes. I bet TBB started being asses first (not all ‘regs’ hate on them, whereas TBB hates automatically on almost all ‘regs’ upon seeing).

Moving to the main cast – and I’ll be fair: the supporting characters were miles better as personalities, miles more interesting and relatable.

Tech is fucking annoying – he has unpleasant voice (I usually like guys with clear lofty pronunciation, like C-3PO my beloved) and he’s unlikable as a person. I know about fans reading him as ‘autistic-coded’, and I’ll tell you what – I have autist traits myself, and having these traits/disorder has nothing to do with just being an insensitive uncaring ass.

Wrecker mostly works as a comic relief. The moment I started kinda like TBB (they had their funny cute moments, ok?), he says ‘We don’t like regs, but I like that one [Rex]’. Thanks for reminding why I disliked you all since your 1st appearance. He wasn’t interesting.

Hunter is the least annoying, but a coward. I’d understand his desire to keep his ‘family’ safe, thus taking some unsavory jobs and not engaging into political narrative (like Din Djarin, for example) – if he was just some random guy, like Din, surrounded by mundane people/bounty hunters/criminals without higher calling. But Hunter has his counterparts – other clones, who really show heroism and give everything to the bigger cause. How can I, as a viewer, see Hunter as a hero on par with the Rebels like Hera or Rex or even Howzer (who showed more hero traits in a couple of episodes being a supporting character than Hunter being one of the main ones)? The phrase he said to Echo who’d just returned from helping other clones ‘When will it be enough?’ – and the creatives seriously suppose he’s a heroic character?

Crosshair switches loyalties when it affects him personally. ‘Which side are you on?’ – he asked Ventress, and I snorted aloud – who’s speaking! He’s not really interesting for me and takes too much screentime. Also why is being nice to a kid = a good person? The same stupidity as ‘animals like only good people’.

Rex is better than all of TBB together (except probably Echo, but he doesn’t have much to do). In all, background characters from TCW are more interesting to follow than TBB – then the show starts being actually fun. I really liked Howzer, was happy to see Cody and Wolffe, even Ventress with her new cool hairstyle, actually squealed while Bail Organa cameo.

Speaking about Echo – why does he say ‘If I wasn’t saved by TBB I’d still be on Skako Minor or worse’ – as if his brothers would hate him? According to Filoni and Co, yes, personally I think – no, they were actually quite chill about him in TCW s7. Very happy for him finally leaving these assholes behind and joining Rex and putting on a white trooper armour. He deserves living with his real brothers.

Now to the point I touched upon while talking about Hunter – they’re not the heroes creators want us to see as. Hunter always speaks about keeping his ‘family’ safe, but they could’ve helped the Rebellion + keep Omega safe with other Rebels. The argument is broken easily – the notion of ‘safety’ cannot be applied to anyone in the galaxy at this time, they are endangered anywhere. I don’t know why Rex of all people would be understanding about them refusing to help. It’s clear why TBB never formed brotherhood with other clones – but what was the point of making them clones then? They could’ve been just some random guys, nothing would change, but there’d be no clone-shitting.

Flaunting being defective (read: superior) is annoying. Almost in every episode there’s a least a small allusion on how exclusive they are. ‘We are not like other clones’ said with pride, my ass. No, you’re not like other clones, you’re right. You’re just selfish arrogant douches.

But there were genuinely nice moments! Really liked the episode about Wookies. Clone conspiracy episodes were very good, esp when lacking TBB. Also was immensely pleased when Ventress wiped the floor with TBB – serves them right. Unfairly cool credit melody, I liked it – it deserved a better show.

And some small tidbits I picked up while watching:

Why call clone cadets ‘regs’? Quite derogatory! And a couple of lines later ‘We’re clones, same as you’ – kinda hypocritical, no? It looks like shameless twisting of their clone heritage as they see it fit according to the situation. Doesn’t make them look better, really.

Clone cadets don’t look like Boba. Different faces, different hair colour. Same as Emerie – she isn’t similar to Omega.

Twi’lek senator Orn Free Taa has 4 lekku? Not 2?

Why does the Zillo beast suddenly feed on energy?

Why villains talk with British accent?

Did Rex tell Echo about Fives’ sacrifice? It’d be such a good moment, real connection, emotions the fans expected… Not snotting over Crosshair being ‘uwu poor baby’ over and over.

Why do we need Emerie as another female clone – isn’t Omega supposed to be special because she’s the only female? Which one is older? Why not more female clones?

Hunter look really good as old man – Rex was definitely older-looking in Rebels.

What upset me most – it was Lucas’ idea of special/better-than-usual clones. It was a shitty idea, and of course, it was realized badly.

#star wars #the bad batch critical #captain rex #tbb critical #arc trooper echo #unwhitewash the bad batch

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ozimagines · 8 months ago

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Do you have any head cannons for if Miguel had been paroled at the end of season 5? Thank you

Ooooooh this is interesting. Like, everyone knew he wouldn’t get paroled, but what if Ruiz took pity on him. Saw a little of himself in this lost barrio boy.

Miguel Alvarez Gets Paroled (S5)…

“You’re so fucking beautiful when you’re angry…”

He’s seething. His parole might be in danger. Maritza might be in danger.

(Poor boy doesn’t know about Ronaldo yet💔)

When he gets in front of the parole board, he’s jittery

He’s thought about every question ahead of time and gives his answers

He can see on their face that they don’t believe it

“What the fuck makes you think you should go free, you little prick?”

He feels it… the anger. The red in his eyes that wanted to hurt Ruiz. That tingle in his hands before he hit someone. 🔥

He took a deep breath.

“I really believe I’m rehabil…”

He can’t even make himself say the words😢

He was going to spend the rest of his life in Oz

So he opted for the truth

“I don’t know if I’m rehabilitated. I know I want to be different. I know I want a life. I know I don’t want to hurt people anymore. Feel their blood on my hands. Their voices in my head forever. I don’t know if rehabilitation is possible… but I hope it is. I hope it is because it’s my last shot. My last shot at having something to hold onto.”

“…and if you were free?” -Ruiz ⁉️

“I’d hug my mother, because I know she tried. I’d tell my sisters I love them and I’m sorry I went away where I couldn’t protect them. I’d get a job and complain about it but I’d love every minute of it. I’d join community theatre. O’Reily’s mom was really nice and I think I found something I care about. I’d try. I really would.”

The board is silent for a moment. Ruiz beckons the lady next to him to lean in to a whisper.

“Thank you, Mr. Alvarez. We’ll get back to you.”

He leaves, not feeling good about his chances. He tears off the suit with an anger, waiting in Sister Pete’s office.

“I’m gonna stay here, Sister. Those motherfuckers ain’t ever gonna let me free.”

A woman in a suit entered, reading something off a form. He didn’t listen to any of the words except the last three:

“They voted yes.”

His heart stopped in his chest.

Was he going free❓❓❓❓❓

He released a long breath that he had been holding onto since he got to Oz. He’d be free. Maybe not fully safe, Chico wasn’t gonna let him get away that easy, but he was free.

He signed all the forms, collected all of his belongings, and said goodbye to the one prisoner he’d miss.

Rebadow congratulated him, giving him a word of warning before he left:

“Hold onto life, Miguel. Hold on with both hands.”🙌

He mulled over those words, unsure of what they meant completely.

He knocks on Mukada’s door, whose sad eyes trail up towards him. Even he wasn’t sure if Miguel was safe to put on the streets.

They’re silent for a moment, Miguel dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, a leather jacket over it. No cuffs in sight.

“I’m sorry for all the shit I’ve caused.” -Miguel says after a moment.

Mukada thinks for a moment.

“Then don’t cause shit, Miguel.”

Those were the last words they spoke to each other for a month.

The sun is bright, and Miguel realizes how much he’s missed being outside.

His sister, Jimena, drives him.

He stares out the window the entire way, watching the blank fields turn to houses turn to buildings.

She asks if he had any friends to invite to his parole party

“No” -he says a little too quickly.

The party is small. His mom and sisters and cousins who cared to show up.

Honestly, after being in solitary for years, all the people were a little much for him

He goes for a walk afterwards, walking through his old neighborhood. Nothing changed and everything did at the same time.

He visits Maritza, who refuses to let him inside… when he sees Ronaldo’s hat on the chair.

There it is again… the anger. The seeing red. He wanted to drag them both across the floor.

But he didn’t. ❤️

“Yeah… this… this is done. You too, Ronaldo.”

He throws himself a pity party for the night, downing Michelada after Michelada. 🍺🌶️

He made good on his word and joined e community theatre the next day🎭

It was… strange.

He’d been used to inmates who hated acting and were playing it like a joke… and now everyone was so serious.

He starts off in lighting and sound, teaching him all the tech spots one by one

He makes friends, real friends, who invite him out after shows.

They tell crazy stories, and though he knows his stories could beat them all, he stays silent and just listens, laughing along with everyone.

He gets a job as a mechanic at first. He hated it but went every day and stayed clean.

A few weeks later, after jawing with one of his clients, he offers Miguel a job at a video game studio.

He stays quiet and takes notes at meetings, trying to show everyone he belongs there

He wears a suit to work, getting teased (friendly) as everyone else was wearing whatever they please

But he likes his suit, so he still wears it🕴️

As he’s walking one day, he meets Ronaldo on the street, who looked instantly afraid of him.

Miguel rolls his eyes and tells him that Miguel died in solitary confinement

Ronaldo, not reading the situation, offers Miguel a bump of his coke and says he has a job that’ll get Miguel back into El Norte

He thinks about it for a second, but declines both

Ronaldo calls him a pussy and even though he’s seeing red again, he walks away.

He gets a therapist and stays on his meds this time💊

He binges shows he missed and judges them on their technical prowess

He stays away from trouble, and even when others try to start some, he stays out of it.

Chico tries shit from Oz, sending people to mess with Miguel.

Miguel keeps his head down and does what he does best… survive.

After a while Oz starts to fade away into Fourth of July BBQs and oily popcorn fingers at the movies.

He hangs out with his sisters’ kids. They think he’s the best uncle.

Miguel doesn’t know how to talk to kids but they’re just drawn to him. Feel protected by him.

He hangs up every card they make him.🎨

He stays in that community theatre, working his way up to stage manager.

It’s years later but he’s finally in charge again.

He plays basketball and soccer and even beer pong if you catch him in the right mood

He even buys himself a sketchbook and starts drawing (very much keeps it to himself)

Miguel starts to understand Rebadow’s words.

He reaches out to Mukada when he’s feeling no feisty or violent. After seeing Mukada at one of his plays unannounced, the two had become closer. He realized Miguel was serious about getting his life together.

They chat at a coffee shop the next day.

Miguel is… surprisingly calm for losing his girlfriend and being released into nothing.

“Y’think… maybe… God’s listening to me again, Father?”

“He never stopped, Miguel.”

Years later, years and years, as Miguel is sitting on the couch with his family, and his kids are playing on the floor, his significant other just watching, happily… Miguel realizes he did exactly what Rebadow told him.

Bonus: his kids were baptized by Mukada. He wouldn’t have it done by anyone else.

#hbo oz #oz meme #miguel alvarez #I don’t know if he was ready to get out then #but I’m hopeful #I think most of the guys in Oz just needed a chance #just someone to believe in them

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beloveddawn-blog · 1 year ago

Text

for @minnieposting Noel is her character I just got a thought in my head that wouldn't leave. One brief misgendering by a character that hasn't met Noel before and a gender-neutral usage of 'dude' because I feel Donovan is that sort of person.

Enjoy!

Noel lit up as Donovan sauntered into the arcade. They quickly shook their head, however, and then sprawled elegantly and insolently over the counter. Or at least attempted to. They actually looked a bit like a golden retriever looking for pets, but Donovan refrained from commenting on it. As cute as Noel looked when they were all fired up, that wasn’t the point of this visit. “There’s my favourite sidekick!” He exclaimed, throwing in a wink. “Whadda ya say we cause some trouble?”

“I’m still at work.” They replied thoughtlessly, then went bright red and started waving their hands in front of their face. “I… I… I… I mean, maybe. Depends on what you have in mind. I’ll see if I can pencil you in somewhere.” It was a valiant attempt to regain some dignity, but unfortunately Donovan knew better. As did Luis, who groaned dramatically in the background.

“Dunno.” Donovan replied slyly. “What’re ya in the mood for? Quick run through the woods? Explore the deepest levels of the sewers? Steal something out of the Prince’s room? Heckle Xyla? There’s all sorts of things to do around here.” His grin grew as he went on, the list getting steadily more dangerous as he continued. Noel was starting to turn faintly green, their skin shifting to match their hair as their distress bled through their own unique abilities.

Still, though, Noel was never one to back down. Donovan would have gotten bored if they had been. They slouched back against the counter behind them, hands causally tucked into their hoodie pocket to hide their shaking. Their grin shook just as much, but they offered it anyway. “That’s it? Sounds like you’ve got nothing but boring pla-AHNS.” Their voice cracked in the middle of the word, likely from fear, and Donovan felt bad for just a moment… Before entirely forgetting it happened as he surged forward, hands outstretched in an attempt to catch Noel. Noel, who had startled themselves with their own voice, slipped on the spider plushie behind them… And accidentally slid the entire collection of stuffed animals you could win at the arcade off of the counter, before falling themself and knocking over a lamp. Which then hit a vending machine. Which swayed ominously before Donovan pivoted and pushed it back into place, determined to protect Noel after his little bit of teasing had gone very wrong.

Luis groaned long, loud, and dramatically before slamming his face into the counter. “Just go.” He begged. “I’d rather deal with customers all day myself than watch one more moment of this disaster kid and their disaster flirting. Just go enjoy the carnival. ANYTHING but staying here and making my day even worse.”

Noel looked like they were about to cry, and Donovan was having none of that. Not when he’d actually come here to sweep Noel away for a little date. “Perfect, Luis, thanks. You’re a real pal.” He replied, reaching over the counter to haul Noel up by one arm. Then he used both hands to grab Noel further in the armpits and bodily haul them over the counter only to tuck them under one arm. “See ya around!” Then he turned on his heel and steered Noel right out of the arcade, ignoring how they flushed some odd magenta-violet colour rather than a normal red. Once outside he steered them off to the side and grabbed them a cotton candy. “Good job ditching work.” He commented, choosing to act like Noel had done it on purpose to make Luis be the one to kick him out. Plausible deniability and all that. “I’ve heard Luis make some pretty good ‘done with people’ sounds before, but this one really took the cake. You’ve got a real talent there.”

Noel blushed and hid their face with the cotton candy. Donovan wisely chose not to tell them they’d gotten it on their forehead.

Okay, look, Donvan knew Noel thought he was the coolest thing to ever call Withergate home. He knew that. It didn’t mean he didn’t want to show off for them sometimes, though. It was one thing to just feel that adoring gaze on him, but another thing entirely to turn towards it in triumph and bask in it. He wasn’t really going to take Noel into the forest, though. Or the depths of the sewers. Mortal peril wasn’t actually date material, exhilarating as it could be. And Donvan trusted himself to keep them both safe, but it would still stress Noel out a bit. So, on to the next best thing: the carnival! He could show off to his heart’s content in a safe environment and bask in Noel’s delight, feed them and send them home with a smile on their face. It was a great plan!

Donovan stepped back as P.A.M. lit up in delight and announced his score for the whole carnival to hear. He hadn’t quite unseated the High Score (and where a farmer of all things had learned to fight like that…) but it had been impressive nonetheless. He’d even impressed himself, he’d been so focussed on showing off. Riding high on his victory and the starstruck awe in Noel’s eyes, Donovan made the mistake that would set the tone for the night. “Whadda ya say, Noel? Wanna give it a try?”

“Sure!” They chirped, stepping gamely up to the machine. Donovan could see the slight tremors of nerves in their shoulders, but Noel had more guts than most and never backed down. They looked at the machine for a moment before shifting their hands to match Donovan’s claws (and watching flesh flow like that was always going to be just as freaky as it was freaking awesome, he loved this strange little dude so much) and settled into a poor imitation of a fighting stance. Before he could correct them, however, the dummy appeared.

Noel startled, took a swipe, overbalanced because their hands were now a different shape than expected, fell forward, and smashed their face into the dummy.

Donovan shot forward to get a hold of them, ignoring P.A.M. shutting down the game and informing him he’d gotten Noel disqualified. There was blood on Noel’s face.

Oh, not a lot, which was a great thing to discover, but enough that Donovan could smell it, and it was distressing. He’d never actually smelled anything like it before and even though it wasn’t unpleasant he never wanted to smell it again because it meant Noel’s blood was outside of their body!

Noel, for their part, just looked up at him dazedly, then gave a soft, “Oh,” and shifted their nose around a bit to heal it. Which was super cool to know, but also not what you wanted to have happen on a date. And shapeshifting couldn’t deal with the little goose egg forming on Noel’s hairline. They shook their head decisively, however, when Donovan suggested he just walk them home. “I still wanna hang out with you,” they insisted. “We had plans.”

Which… they sort of didn’t. This had been a whim. Still, Donovan was totally wrapped around Noel’s fingers and also still wanted to hang out, so they did.

It did not improve from there.

“So, chap, what’s your guess? Was it 21, 27, or 39?”

Noel blinked slowly at Chauncy, obviously trying to parse the question. “35,” they replied decisively.

Now it was Chauncy’s turn to blink. “Thirty… five. That’s… not an option, kid.”

Noel nodded seriously. “And a half.”

Benny laid the cards out in front of them. They were playing as a team, so Donovan pointed to one and Noel pointed to a second. The cards didn’t match, so Noel looked seriously back at the ghost before saying, “Go fish.”

They didn’t even get to try the hat game. The critter appeared and Noel squeaked in delight before turning themselves into one, chittering back and forth with it animatedly.

Jet banned them. Donovan couldn’t stop laughing.

The ferris wheel was the pinnacle achievement of the celebrated architect Xyla and by far the most interesting part of the Withergate skyline… And Donovan really should have noted that Noel never mentioned it themselves. They didn’t tell Donovan they were afraid of heights until the second rotation, and on the third one the whole ride had to be shut down for cleaning. Donovan didn't wait for the operator to “assist them in safely disembarking”, he simply talked Noel into shifting back into a critter, tucked them in his shirt, and took off.

The last thing Noel needed after puking on the ride was to walk through the gauntlet of people also affected. Especially the ones in the splash zone.

Dugan’s Deadeye was another unmitigated disaster. Neither Noel nor Donovan owned their own crossbow, so Donovan sweet-talked Dugan into letting them borrow his crossbow to give it a try. He made a respectable showing of himself, but not enough to win. He shrugged philosophically, as he never really used a crossbow and as such, reasonably, wasn’t great at them.

Then it was Noel’s turn.

Three shots in, of course, and the string snapped. Noel yelped and flinched, and that honestly probably saved their pretty face. Nothing could save their arm, however, and the welt the string raised looked even worse than the goose egg from before. It was probably only thanks to Noel’s big sad eyes and sad whimpering that Dugan dropped his complaints so quickly. They hightailed it out of there pretty quickly too.

That was how they found themselves back in the arcade. Luis was still ignoring them completely, but that was just fine by Donovan. They were just having a calm, chill time with Donovan teaching Noel how to properly play pool (and no, it’s not just poking the ball with the stick, there is a technique to it) when Noel managed to mess up a shot badly by scooping it, causing the ball to fly off like it was trying to skip town, only to be stopped short with a loud THWACK!

Right.

Into.

The.

Prince’s.

Hand.

Prince Darius blinked slowly, taking in the scene in front of him. Donovan didn’t really hold with authority figures, but there was no denying the amount of power the other man held. And while Donovan could withstand some royal tantruming with ease, Noel was a more sensitive soul.

The Prince’s gaze shifted between the two of them for a moment before he raised one eyebrow at Donovan imperiously. Good, he thought, fiercely glad Noel wasn’t going to be taking the heat for this. They hadn’t done anything wrong, it was an accident and the Prince hadn’t even been inside when it happened, but both King Minos and Dynus ruled with iron-fisted whims. Prince Darius wasn’t usually too bad, but every now and then seemed to feel he had something to prove.

“Even for a hustle, this is awfully unfair.” He commented, his red eyes glinting with judgement. “Look at him, he can barely hold a cue!”

Donovan squared up by slouching down, fixing his own harsh gaze on his ruler. “They’re just learning,” he replied, taking care to keep the comment light. It wasn’t really unreasonable to assume he was attempting to hustle Noel, Prince Darius had seen him do similar things before, but there was something about the thought of that happening to Noel that had the wolf in him snarling. “Nothing like that’s happening here.”

Prince Darius took a closer look at Noel, and Donovan could see his features hardening as he took in the small lump on their forehead, the remnants of blood around their nose, and the edge of the red mark from the welt peeking through the loose neck of their hoodie. “Yes.” He replied, voice clipped and brittle. “I can see you’ve been taking very good care of them already today.”

Donovan drew up in affront and opened his mouth to deny it when he was beaten to his own defence by a tremulous voice he hadn’t expected would have the courage to speak at all in royalty’s presence.

“Don’t you speak to Donovan like that!” Noel insisted, coming forward to stand between them. They were easily the shortest of the three, and it was almost comical how far back they had to tilt their head to match that narrowed red gaze. “It’s absolutely not his fault that I’ve been a disaster of a person today, I just… I just didn’t sleep well. He’s been great about it, even when I messed up all his plans. And I really don’t get why you’re being mean to him when I was the one that bounced the ball up like that. That’s really unfair.”

For one full, breathless moment, Noel stood steady under Prince Darius’s flinty gaze. Donovan raised a hand towards Noel’s shoulder, intending to offer support, when the Prince softened. He still carried his arrogance like a cape, and his eyes still held their keen edge of assessment, but the defensive aggression he had set his shoulders in left, seamlessly flowing back into casual confidence. The smile he gave Noel was both smug and lazy, but there was something there that had Donovan’s hackles rising.

“I’m not judging his character, I’m judging his teaching.” He replied, speaking to Noel directly for the first time. “Come. I shall assist you with this match. You’ll need all the help you can get to stand a chance against this punk. He spends far too much time here, and it shows in his skill.”

“Excuse me?” Donovan spat out, knowing his own laughter showed in his voice, “You’re in here every single afternoon, you don’t get to judge me for my habits.”

Prince Darius raised an imperious eyebrow. “And yet I still manage to actually accomplish things in my day. It really makes one question your abilities.”

Donovan snatched his cue back up from where he had left it leaning against the table. “You go right ahead and do that,Your Highness. I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“... And I really don’t know what he was trying to accomplish with this, but he was actually nice for the rest of the game! And don’t tell him this, but he really is a good teacher. Noel improved dramatically as soon as they calmed down from their little bravery high.” Donovan griped, flopped lengthwise across his couch as he recounted the day to his friend.

Teleri hummed in acknowledgement before lifting the sword she was sharpening up to the light to check the edge. Seemingly satisfied, she set it aside and started polishing her gauntlets. “Darius trusts your judgement.” She commented offhandedly, then paused. “Well, no, ‘judgement’ is the wrong word there. As is ‘trust’. You know what, just throw that whole comment out, it doesn’t make sense.” She set her glove down on the table and pinned Donovan with an intense gaze. He ignored it. She ignored him ignoring it. “Darius doesn’t have the time to get to know all of his subjects individually. He takes his duties far too seriously for that. And he cannot be obviously invested in newcomers, it’ll make people talk and ruin what he’s planning. You have a true knack for finding the interesting ones, however, and you quickly get bored of monotony. So even if someone is interesting, if they wish to blend in and settle down you’ll get bored of them. And unlike Xyla, who has similar people skills, you’re not actually connected to Darius in any way. You don’t pay taxes, you swindle officials, and I think Cordelia would like to have you hung, but all of those are actually bonuses in Darius’s eyes. You are an excellent source of unusual skill sets and fascinating perspectives for him.”

Donovan narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“Proud he trusts you, angry he’s using you, and uncertain about making his life simpler in this way if it has the potential to make other lives harder, probably.” Teleri replied off-handedly, going back to her gauntlets. She ignored both his sulk and his irritation, knowing she was right. “If it was King Minos I’d agree with you, nothing good is going to come of it. But Darius wants what’s best for his people. He wants Withergate to flourish. And he’s as concerned about Dynus’s influence as I am. Plus, you help him keep a finger on the pulse of who is unhappy here, so he can do things like clear out sections of the sewers or put a lock on rising housing prices.”

He digested that for a moment, before coming back to the biggest concern for him. “What does that mean for Noel?” He asked, aware that they were now firmly in the Prince’s attention.

“Probably nothing.” Teleri replied, frowning at a stubborn scoff. “He knows now that they are unique, talented, brave, and so very loyal, and he wants them loyal to him, but unless it comes to all out war between the cities, which it will not because I will never let it, he doesn't actually need Noel for anything. It goes both ways, though. If things go that thoroughly badly, he’ll be looking out for Noel just as much…because he’ll know they’re irreplaceable.”

Donovan blinked at her. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or not.” He admitted.

Teleri nodded at her gauntlet, seemingly satisfied. “Yeah, life’s like that. Never simple and never easy, but worth it anyway.”

#sun haven #my writing #Noel belongs to minnieposting #I hope I did them justice #Teleri belongs to me #this was meant to be funny but has instead ended up mostly soft #I hope you still get a giggle or two out of it

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merinsedai · 15 days ago

Text

More bingo snippets

for the @dreamlingbingo

snippet 1/4

Square/Prompt:E3- Bad Pick Up Lines

Title: Robert Gadling's Diary

Rating: T

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Warnings: n/a

Additional Tags: Bridget Jones' Diary au, general silliness,

It's me again, filling some more prompts with this silly AU of Bridget Jones. But Merin, you cry, will you ever write something where you haven't transposed the characters into a different story? To which I reply.... no? Well, maybe. That can be a 2025 goal. For now, have more au silliness. I have.... 4.... of these I think.

“You know my Robert, don’t you?” she trills. “He used to run around your lawn with no clothes on, remember?”

Fucking hell, Hob really wishes he’d had the balls to say no to the turkey curry buffet for once. Then he’d have been at home with his head down the toilet, same as all normal people in this Twixmas week instead of being subject to the mortifying ordeal that is his mother’s bizarre attempt at setting him up with an (admittedly handsome) stranger.

Said handsome stranger certainly looks as if he wished that Hob had stayed at home as well, despite the fact they’ve not exchanged a single word. His sharp blue-eyed gaze sweeps over Hob once before settling back on his face, managing to convey an expression of supreme and haughty disdain with just the slight curl of his lip. It is actually quite impressive.

“Not as such, no,” Morpheus says in a surprisingly deep and measured voice. Dammit, nice face. Nice voice. Why couldn’t he have the nice personality too? Holy Trinity, that. Not that Hob is adverse to nasty bastards per se. Especially pretty ones… maybe his mother had chosen well for once?

“Well, I’ll leave you to it!” Hob’s mother says brightly. “Una’s been on the gravy and it’ll need sieving, mark my words! Have fun, darlings!” And she sashays away, taking the plate of gherkins with her. Hob didn’t even get the opportunity to ask if Morpheus wanted one. That would have given him something to say at least.

There is a long moment of awkward silence, which Morpheus doesn’t seem inclined to break, so Hob does.

“So, are you staying with your parents for Christmas?” he asks.

“Yes.”

Hob waits a moment to see if there will be any elaboration to this statement but there isn’t.

“I’ve just arrived today. Been down in London, partying, y’know. Killer hangover but, “ he waggles the glass in his hand, half-full and still glistening with condensation, “hair of the dog, n’ all!”

“I see.”

“Got any plans for New Year?”

“No.”

Bloody hell, this bloke is hard work. Hob’s not been subject to monosyllables since high school. Still, he’s not one to back away from a challenge. He’s good at making people laugh, at forging a connection through humour. Maybe some silly pick lines will help break the ice and loosen this guy up.

“Is your dad a boxer?” he asks and Morpheus’s eyebrows draw down in confusion at the non sequitur .

“What?”

“‘Cause you’re a knockout.” Hob says with a wink. “Or maybe you’re an artist?”

“I am a lawyer,” Morpheus frowns, showing not one bit of recognition of these ridiculous lines.

“Oh? ‘Cause you’re doing a really good job of drawing me in!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Look, my mother’s trying to set us up,” Hob says cheerfully, reaching out and poking Morpheus in the chest in what he hopes is a conspiratorial manner. Luckily he remembers to do this with the hand holding his champagne flute and not the one holding his burning cigarette. Things probably can’t get that much worse, but burning a hole in a suit jacket that looks like it cost more than Hob’s yearly rent would definitely make it so. “And you’re much better looking than her usual picks, so I thought I’d give it my best shot!”

“And that was your best shot?” Morpheus says, managing to combine flatness and incredulity in one measured tone. “Corny puns about my possible profession?”

“Ah well, I thought so. Shall I try a different one? Hm..” Hob takes a pull on his cigarette, humming thoughtfully. “Ok, how about: ‘do you have WiFi, because I think we have a connection,” he laughs at the faintly repulsed look on Morpheus’s face. “No? What about ‘are you a camera? Because every time I look at you, I smile!”

“And this normally works for you, does it?” Morpheus asks before Hob can go on. “When you are… ‘Picking someone up”? He laces the words with derision and Hob huffs a laugh. Blimey, this guy is uptight. Not the hint of a smile from him. Not even an indulgent eye-roll.

“Yeah, sometimes,” he admits with a shrug. “Makes people laugh at least, starts the conversation going. It’s just a bit of lighthearted cheesiness. And hey, apparently there’s even been research about it. The things people will research nowadays, eh?”

“I see,” Morpheus’s tone is clipped. Unimpressed and dismissive. “Well. As… illustrative as this conversation has been, I believe it is time to. Eat.” he nods his head in dismissal. “Good evening.”

#dreamling #dreamling fanfic #sandman fanfic #dreamling bingo #dreamling bingo 2024

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nearen · 2 months ago

Text

Prompt #11: Surrogate

“There’s something I have to tell you,” they told him.

Osric let them guide him to one of the CETEA’s quiet nooks, away from the traffic and the noise of the ship’s maintenance, far from the comings and goings of the Unsung.

“I’m going back to Eorzea.”

“What, like—we’re headin’ back?”

“-No,” they clarified hesitantly. “Just me.”

“…how? You’re- catchin’ another ship?”

“I’ll use the aetheryte in Kugane to take me back to one in the Shroud.”

“Awright. So, er, is this part o’ th’ mission?”

“I’m not going to be taking any further part in the mission.” Cillenne’s eyes fled his.

“Wh.” Osric let a nervous laugh bubble up and out of him, scratching his cheek. “Why’s that? No one knows this shite better’n you.” His eyes narrowed. “They not lettin’ you? ‘Cause if—”

They raised their hands when he bristled.

“No, Os. It was my decision.”

“Huh. Well… Why? What ‘bout Charlette. Y’can’t leave her t’ do this on her own, right?”

“She’s not on her own, Osric. She has all of the Castaways, all of the Unsung behind her.”

Frustration and bewilderment warred in his creased features as he visibly struggled to decide where to start.

“She’d want you with her. Wouldn’t she?”

“…she does. But I can’t be.”

“Why?” he demanded, volume rising.

“I’m only putting her in danger if I stay here. You’ll all be in danger.”

“So? I dun get it. This whole business is nothin’ but danger. We can’t jus’ give up an’ head home ‘cause someone might get hurt. Folk will get hurt. We could lose someone. Less chance o’ that if we got an illusionist on our side, right?”

“Osric… You don’t- mh. I’m sorry. I’m not doing a good job of explaining what I mean.”

“No, yer fucken not.”

“I’ve been assessing the CETEA’s arrivals to ensure that our thief doesn’t make it aboard again. But who’s going to be able to tell if I leave the ship and come back?”

“I… Charlette, I guess? Aren’t you helpin’ her an’ Adra with that gadget what’s s’posed t’ be able t’ tell?”

“I am, but we don’t know what our adversary is capable of. If they’re able to steal the very essence of who we are, it might not work. And if it fails, how would you know I’m me? Would you be able to tell?”

Osric’s face soured.

“I’ve told you my secrets. I’ve heard yers. If it came to it, I’d know, Lenne.”

“Can you afford to doubt yourself, even for a moment? If I’m not there, and you see a vision of me, you’ll know it can’t be me, and you’ll know what to do when that time comes.”

“Wh- this is… Lenne, hells! Any one o’ us could have their face stolen. I’d never know if Imogen, or Red, Celica, or th’ rest got replaced. How’s it different fer you? If anythin’, yer th’ only one I could tell. Are you sayin’ I don’t know you?”

“No. No, it isn’t that I’m doubting you. I’m saying that even a moment’s hesitation could cost us everything. And it isn’t only that. While the CETEA was en route, we found a trap left by our adversary.”

Osric rubbed his eyes. “Whaddya mean, a trap? Are y’okay? Was anyone hurt?”

“Cain was caught up in the aetheric detonation. He doesn’t seem to have suffered any lasting effects. Charlette was with him,” they told him, prompting a nod of relief.

“I was able to repel the direct effects. But the trap was for me, Osric. We think they set it to prevent me from helping you stop them if I’d gotten free. It responded to my magic. No one else could have set it off. Now they have the tome in their possession, who’s to say what they could do? They could set an even worse trap, and I—”

“Stop. Stop. I get what this is,” Osric scoffed. “Y’jus’ don’t want t’ bear th’ weight on yer shoulders o’ someone gettin’ hurt, right? But it’s on all our shoulders, if we stick together. No one blames you fer what happened. No one’ll blame you if this don’t end well. We’re in this together, like before.”

“They do blame me, some of them. And I can’t fault them for it. I can see it in their eyes, Osric. It’s better for everyone—”

“It’s not better fer ME!” Osric snapped, so loud he almost startled himself. He stood there trembling, both of them too stunned to speak for a beat.

“I need you. You said you’d stay.” He heard his own voice crack. “This, all o’ this, it’s ‘bo shite an’ you know it! Not knowin’ who you are, traps… all a load o’ shite. All ‘cause yer afraid. Yer a fucken coward.”

They reached for him, and he ran.

#ffxivwrite2024 #ffxivwrite #osric #cillenne #cetea

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honorarysimp · 3 months ago

Note

i’m so suspicious of everyone. WHAT ARE THEY ALL HIDING. WHAT ARE *YOU* HIDING? who’s in rooks head who’s in their house? i liked the creo moment. wish i could speak to crows how awesome would that be? i know i said rooks needed to run and i valued my soul over a pretty girl but i fear that’s changed. the last bit got to me i won’t lie. pretty girl with big brown eyes will never have to argue with me. whatever you say beautiful. lesbianism first, common sense and safety second. i cant help but think about everyone else’s involvement because they HAVE to be involved it’s just a matter of who knows and is actively participating. maxxxine and bobby-lynne are obviously in on it and i’d expect the others to be aware and.. supportive of their endeavors but how invested are THEY. loraine must know as well there’s no doubt about it. even if you are trying to clear her name… i’ve got my eye on her and not in the appreciative way! this never happens i absolutely need rooks out.. sorry to lorraine but rooks needs to just leave and mail her a ticket out and offer her a place (assuming they’re sorted out themselves. now i’m wondering what their life looks like away from their hometown. what could they have built for themselves. my guess is not much but i’m hoping they’ve made a friend or two and have a fun job. and now i’m wondering what they’d work as and what their daily life looks like) this is a dangerous slope cause now i must know everything. anyways not that i think mailing a ticket is ideal or would even work but it’s better than anyone being aware that she’s leaving even herself. what do you call a kidnapping in good faith? surely she’d understand (i’m having many doubts about everything i need to be in this universe and study them all) -pip(almost sent this off without the sign off again)

PIP!!!! Oh my god what a perfect way to start my morning, blessed with your conspiring rant🥹

I’ve got a backstory for what Rooks has been up to the last five years in my head, of course. All in due time, maybe, depending on which way you go at the fork in the road up ahead.

#pip anon #another pip rant #makes my heart happy

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storiesofsvu · 2 years ago

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Journey to the Past Ch 15

Bryan Kneef x reader Warnings: language, office gossip, Bryan being an idiot, it's the beginning of the angst besties.

This should go without saying... BUT, my works are NOT to be reposted on any other sites, especially not without my permission. If any of my lovely followers see anything *anywhere* but kattwyllie on a03 please let me know. love you.

Covers the "first fight" square for @resanoona 's bingo!

You were spending another half day at STR, and honestly at this point it was to avoid doing your actual job and instead consulting with Diane. You’d decided to take Catrina’s case, Mike had finally decided on a lawyer and they were a shark, you weren’t about to pass off the case to a public defender. You knew it was going to be a huge climb and fight every step of the way, so rather than think about it too hard, you ended up spending your morning gossiping and spit balling cases in Diane’s office. You let out a sigh when you realized your coffee cup was empty, turning to the other woman,

“You want a refill?”

“Please.” She passed her mug to you, “if they have any good snacks make sure you snag some.”

“As if I wouldn’t.” You laughed, grinning at her as you left the room and wandered down to the break room.

The space was split, one side was a cozy lounge, couches, chairs and tables where you could eat lunch, take your breaks and the like, a large wall that didn’t reach the roof or either wall separated the space, completely blocking the view of the other side depending on which door you came in from. You were on the side with the fridge, coffee machine and a couple of more uncomfortable tables, moving through the room quietly. The coffee pot had previously been emptied and a fresh pot was brewing as you walked in, so you were more than happy to wait, tugging out your phone to pass the time. You could hear some conversation on the other side of the wall, Liz’s voice prominent over the other ones as she laid out a series of instructions to the younger new hires or transfers before she left the room. There was a moment of silence before one of them spoke,

“You really think she’s gonna come make sure we’re back at work in twenty?”

“I hope not.” One of them let out a groan, “I’m with spawn of Satan today and I’d much rather hide in here all day.”

“Don’t you think he’ll come looking for you?”

“You kidding? He doesn’t even leave his office to get his own coffee.”

“Is he really that bad?”

“Yes!” Multiple voices groaned in response.

“He made me cry three times my first week.”

“He made me cry three times my first day.”

“He threw a stapler at my roommate when she worked here.”

“Just be glad he’s finally managed to hold onto a girlfriend, he’s probably in a better mood.” Someone commented, “hey Kelsey, you used to be over at Toney, did you know her?”

That caught your attention, your ears perking up as you started to actually pay attention to the conversation.

“Kennedy?” A voice you actually recognized replied, “I was her paralegal.”

“So is she some psycho demon bitch too?”

You did your best to hold back the laugh at that, rolling your eyes as Kelsey started to talk again.

“No! She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Wouldn’t want to go up against her in a court room, but… she’s way better than that.”

“Are they actually dating or did they just go to that fundraiser together?” Someone asked and you shook your head, you had no idea that showing up with a plus one was going to cause this much workplace gossip.

“I heard they’re together.”

“I heard he doesn’t actually date, just fucks around.”

“So she’s the not settling down type too? Just fucking her way around Chicago? I mean, props to that.”

Kelsey laughed, “as far as I know she hasn’t dated at all in the city, she’s never brought a date to a gala before. She was married for like, eight years or something before they split and she moved here to get away from the creep.”

“Okay so she’s got commitment issues too, they’re made for each other.”

“I disagree.” A voice cut in, “I don’t know her as well but she’s so nice, how could someone like her be meant to be with someone so vile?”

“She probably doesn’t know.”

Your head shot up at movement from the doorway you’d come in, worried you were about to be caught eavesdropping but it was just Diane. Your finger shot to your lips immediately nodding in direction of the other side of the wall, her brow raised a near smirk taking over her lips but she nodded.

“Okay so like, yeah he’s an asshole, but has he actually ever fucked someone over?”

“He’s gotten people fired for nothing, and the amount of people that quit because of his horrible treatment? It’s insane.”

“Don’t forget about the time Diane caught him fucking that associate in his office.”

“That’s it!” One of them exclaimed, “it’s gotta be the sex, that’s why she’s with him.”

“Okay she’s better than that.” Kelsey defended over the chorus of laughter.

“Carly, what’d you think?” Someone asked with a smirk in their voice and you heard one of them scoff.

“We hooked up in the bathroom at a Christmas party like five years ago…. But yeah, ten out of ten.”

“Okay, but wait, her and Diane are friends and she despises him, don’t you think she would have said something?”

“Maybe he’s got her all Stockholm syndromed.” One of them commented and laughter burst through the area again.

“Well, she’ll learn her lesson eventually.”

Diane pinched at the bridge of her nose, though the small grin on your cheeks told her you weren’t offended and were rather enjoying hearing the conversation. Still, she loudly cleared her throat and you could feel the tension on the other side of the wall before she stepped around it, raising a brow to the group.

“Don’t you all have better things to be doing right now?”

“Yes Ma’m.” Was the resounding reply, sounds of the group scrambling to leave the room through the other door.

“You know you really didn’t have to sit here and listen to all of that.”

“Please.” You laughed, finally reaching for the coffee pot now that it had finally brewed, “what is it the kids are saying nowadays, they were just spilling the tea.” Your phone buzzed, then buzzed again, and then buzzed one more time, you picked it up and swiped open the messages before letting out a sigh, “and my plans for the rest of the day just got wiped.”

“New case?”

“Yeah.” You sighed, popping a lid on your coffee before pouring out a second one, “looks like I’ve got to go do my actual job, I’ll see you next week?”

“Yeah.”

She gave you a brief nod as you hurried from the room, quickly collecting your things from her office and pulling on your coat before you crossed the firm to knock on Bryan’s door, lingering in the doorway until he’d looked up from the computer.

“You taking off? Thought you were avoiding your office.”

“I was. But it appears I’ve got a potential new client and am needed back there.”

“Boo.” He feigned a pout and you chuckled, moving through the room, placing the extra coffee down on his desk. “What’s this?”

“Figured I may as well since you won’t get it yourself.” You said with a tease and his brow furrowed, “oh, and hey, can we reschedule dinner on Friday? I’ve got a thing.”

“Sure. Saturday work?”

“Thing goes all weekend, next week?” You winced and he let out a soft sigh but nodded.

“Course.”

“Thanks. You’re a gem.” You ducked to kiss his cheek, “I’ll see you then.”

Bryan watched you leave the office, the blooming moving through his chest and for the first time in weeks he didn’t reach for the antacids, simply let out a huff of a smile and reached for the coffee you’d brought him. He was curious what your ‘thing’ was this weekend but was hopeful it would come up in conversation sometime next week. He knew now that whatever feelings he was having for you were similar to those ones all those years ago, and that he was starting to realize he didn’t want to waste anymore time without making it official that you were his.

Bryan was sauntering into your firm a few hours later, he figured that if you were rescheduling this weekend’s dinner he could maybe take you out tonight, especially if you were stressing over a new client. The place was about half empty, it was early enough he knew he’d catch you considering you worked late but late enough that the higher ups and slackers had already taken off. He approached your office door, unsurprised your assistant was still at her desk outside of it,

“She’s not in there.” She commented, barely looking up from her computer as Bryan stalled.

“Meeting?” He asked, raising a brow in the girl’s direction.

“No.” She let out a weary sigh, finally looking up at him, “left about an hour ago with a Mr. …. Monson?”

“New client? Partner?” Bryan asked, his brow raising.

“No.” She shook her head, “I think I’ve seen him a couple of times but I couldn’t be sure.” She shrugged and Bryan did his best to hold back his attitude (it was your place of work after all) he knew the girl hadn’t been working for you very long, she certainly wasn’t privy to his relationship with you. “Think they went to dinner.” Her attention directed back to the screen in front of her, “seemed to know each other, he was cute, super nice, brought coffee for me, even gave her flowers.” She nodded in the direction of your office and Bryan could see the elaborate bouquet of lilies sitting on your spare table.

“Uh, alright. Thanks.” He nodded, “I’ll give her a call tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” She called back as he started to walk away, clearly disinterested in the entire interaction.

Bryan felt his chest bubbling once again, though this time it felt completely different than the past couple of times it had the similar feeling when you were around. He couldn’t exactly sort out his thoughts as they ran wild through his head, they were so fast he could barely hear them. So he did what he always did when he needed to calm down and clear his head, he got back into the car and found the closest reputable bar.

He needed a drink.

A few hours later and you were happily finished your meal with Nate at The Grillroom Chophouse and Wine bar. Appetizers of oysters, scallops and bruschetta followed by a main course of filet mignon and seared salmon. You’d spotted the pulled pork mac and cheese on the menu and had to order a side of it to go for Bryan, knowing it was one of his favourites, and took a dessert to go. You felt bad about having to shift things around on him this weekend and figured the least you could do was bring him some food on a night he was probably having bourbon for dinner.

You let yourself into his apartment with the key he’d given you and couldn’t help but roll your eyes as you locked the door behind you. Leave it to Bryan to be using the living room TV to watch porn full blast on a Wednesday night. Letting out a soft sigh you wandered down the entry way, whatever he was watching the girl was seriously overplaying it, then again… when weren’t they? You rounded the corner into the open space of his apartment and this time the gasp was quiet, but audible and you felt the surge hit you like a brick wall.

Bryan had her pinned to the kitchen island fucking her from behind. She was stark naked, facing away from you as she continued to wail, Bryan himself had only bothered to take off his suit jacket and pull his cock out of his pants, pumping harder into her. You weren’t entirely sure how to react, your mouth opening before it closed, your lips pursing and you crossed your arms, leaning against the wall.

“That’s it, such a fucking whore you are.” He grunted, “take it like you deserve it.”

“Yeah?” Your voice broke through the air, “and how do you deserve it.”

If you hadn’t been feeling about every other emotion in that moment you would have laughed at how lightning fast they tore apart, Bryan not even bothering to take the condom off before shoving himself back in his pants while the poor girl struggled to find something larger than a dishtowel to cover herself with.

“What’re you doing here?” He panted out.

“Is this your wife?” She shrieked, “are you fucking married?!”

“Ohohoho… no.” You laughed, “but I was clearly stupid enough to get involved with him. God!” You dropped the take out bag on a side table, your hand running over your face, “I should’ve listened to Diane, should’ve believed the shit I heard about you!”

“What are you talking about?” He asked, the conversation overlapping as everyone’s pace started to pick up, firing lines back and fourth faster than a courtroom had ever seen.

“What in your right mind thought it was okay to fuck someone else?”

“You were on a date!” He fired back and your brow furrowed.

“What? No I wasn’t!”

“And we never said we were exclusive!”

“Oh…” you stalled, feeling the regret balling up in your throat, “so this is on me then, I guess I’m just the fucking idiot for not realizing that. Sorry. I thought the moment we stopped using condoms it was pretty fucking clear we weren’t sleeping with other people.”

“What do you mean what Diane said?”

“I should go…” the girl muttered, feebly attempting to gather her things.

“Yes.” “No!” The replies came from you and Bryan in the same moment.

“Based on everything I’ve heard in the past week he’s still going to want to get off, and I’m certainly not helping him out.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“Your reputation Bryan!” You shouted back, “it precedes you.”

“Who were you out with tonight if it wasn’t a date? Your assistant said it wasn’t a client.”

“Nate?” You barked out a laugh, “Jesus Bry, control your fucking jealousy! He was my senior partner when I first moved here, got me up on my feet and going in the legal world.”

“Then why the fuck was he bringing you flowers?”

“Wow, you really are obsessive aren’t you.” You rolled your eyes, “because he knows about my divorce and was trying to make my day a little brighter.”

“If you’re so torn up about a divorce that happened seven years ago maybe you shouldn’t be dating in the first place.” He shot back, an annoyed tone in his voice and you stalled, your voice hard but quieter.

“Wow. You must really not listen when I talk. It was seven years to the day. Seven years ago I walked into my perfect little brownstone that I’d bought with my perfect husband to find divorce papers on the kitchen island because he’d knocked up his mistress. I guess it makes perfect sense that today I’d walk in on you fucking someone else.”

Bryan felt his heart sink into his gut, he’d completely misread the entire situation and missed out on some crucial information at the same time. If he’d been thinking straight and not so caught up in his head about where you were and who you were with he never would have been with someone else, or at the very least had remembered you had a key and gone to her place.

“You really are the spawn of Satan.” You growled, “go fuck yourself Bry.” You turned on your heel and were gone from the apartment before he could even move from the kitchen, frozen to his spot on the floor. A million emotions were swirling through his body, clouded by the booze and the desire to chase after you but he knew better, the more he pressed this right now the more you would hate him.

“I…should I go or…?” The girl murmured, now fully dressed, he’d nearly forgotten she was even there, turning to her with rage in his eyes.

“Get the fuck out!” He yelled and she quickly scampered out of the apartment with a squeak. Once he heard the door shut he let out a frustrated yell, before he could even process it he was turning towards the wall, his fist leaving a large indent in the drywall.

He’d had everything he’d ever wanted and now he’d gone and royally fucked it all up.

He winced, shaking out his punching hand while the other ran over his face before his gaze dropped to the bag you’d left on the side table. Curiously he opened it, finding his favourite version of mac and cheese and dessert inside and felt the burning deep in his gut. You’d been out there thinking about him and how to make his day a little brighter while he’d completely ignored how hard today must be for you and had found a distraction in someone else.

Great.

Just something else he had ruined in his pitiful excuse of a life.

_________________________

@detective-giggles @plaidbooks @thatesqcrush @witches-unruly-heart @beccabarba @bisexual-dreamer02 @amelia-song-pond @madamsnape921 @whimsicallymad @mrsrafaelbarba @mysticfalls01 @ssaic-jareau @caracalwithchips @barbasbodaciousbeard @alwaysachorusgirl @beardedbarba @michael-rooker @rafivadafreddy @lustvolle-liebe @anlin2058 @fandom-princess-forevermore @tinyboxxtink @alexusonfire @xovalliegirlxo @nobody-important1212 @somethingimaginative17 @momlifebehard @misscharlielulu @fighterkimburgess

#bryan kneef #bryan kneef x reader #the good fight #journey to the past #resa.3kfiestabingo

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elk96 · 1 year ago

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A Battle Of Ideals 4

Part 4.

Pairing: Chris O' Doyle( Free Fire) x female OC

Warnings: graphic description of blood, wounds, some violence, swearing cause that's all they did in that movie, enemies to lovers kinda?, h/c, English is not my first language, and I don't have any medical knowledge.

Word Count: 1752

She didn’t close her eyes once that night, taken away by dilemmas and thoughts that trailed far. Chris on the other side fell asleep immediately, as if he didn’t worry about tomorrow. He was better, but still bad. One light kick on his side and he’d fall on the floor moaning.

He wouldn’t moan. Not Chris.

Amara began her day the moment the first light shone on the horizon. She couldn't decide if she wanted to be there when the whole meeting would take place or not, but her feet were moving thrice as fast-she was practically running the whole time. On the agreed house, she found the letters which she then transported to the opposite side of the town. One thing was certain in her mind: those…feelings she had developed for him were doing her nothing but good. She had to type the number four times before she got it right, and the words came out weird. It felt a little as if she was drowning, heart beating fast, this weird pressure caught in her throat, that reached her mouth too.

The moment she put the phone down, she sprinted home-she almost got run into twice while crossing the street. From the outside, the house seemed quiet. Amara jumped over the wooden fence, for her hands were too clumsy to open the bolt

Falling on the half-closed door, she slipped on a thick line of blood that trailed to the end of the corridor. Her brain parted ways with the heart as she landed in front of Chris on the kitchen floor. The blow that fell on her back was sharp, burning, but as she knelt on the floor, her hands found Chris’s body protectively.

It was a fucking chain. The goddamned man had taken the dog’s chain from the neighbors to do this.

“Get out of the way”!, her -partner, practically-, shouted and found Chri’s ribs from the side.

It was then that Amara showcased the one ability which had led her to where she was now: she transitioned from breathy panic to complete lack of emotions in just one second. If she wanted this to work, she’d have to be tactful.

“This won’t help”, she said as she stood up with a small nod. “You won’t convince him like that, I tried telling the others, but they insisted”.

“Get out of my way woman”.

“As you want, but you wipe the floor afterwards”.

“So what do you propose, Amara”?, the man said sarcastically. “That I pet his face and beg him to help us? Perhaps I’d suck him off eh? If you haven’t already”.

To be honest, it seemed like even breathing too close to him would hurt. Chris was clinging to the kitchen table for support, his ribs and back bleeding-and yet, she noticed with some admiration, his eyes were looking at the man. Defiantly.

Amara decided it was just the right time to lie. Her eyes burned with anger.

“I’ve been doing this job, working with these men, for five years now. If you know better how to break them, be my guest”.

“The orders I got was to come here and help him out a bit”, the man said after realizing he was talking to a real agent, despite her looks.

“Well, the orders changed. Go talk to the big boss if you want. We have found a better tactic. One that will ensure he is kept alive”.

The man eyed her suspiciously for a little while longer before leaving the apartment, dragging the heavy chain with him. God it hurt. It felt like she’d fallen off the third floor or something-and if she felt like that…

“Chris, how are you”?, she asked anxiously once the mask was not needed.

“What new tactics”?

“I’ll tell you later, come now”.

Amara helped him climb on the wheelchair, and then on the bed. Taking his ruined clothes off, she realized she hadn't come early enough. His flesh seemed to be ripped in half, bones broken.

“It’s worse than it looks”, he rasped out weakly.

“I’m sorry I was so late”.

“What am I supposed to believe this time? Why am I kept alive now”?

For reasons I will never tell you. “You know the drill, this will hurt”, Amara said instead, pressing the alcohol dipped cotton on his latest wounds.

Chris was making it seem so much easier than it fucking was, she couldn’t help but whine when the cotton snaked on her back. She instinctively jerked away, but his other arm wrapped around her waist.

“I’m not as good at this as you”.

“I won’t give you opportunities to practice. I was terrible to you too”, Amara added after some thought.

“Girl, what new measures have you taken”?, Chris asked in a low voice.

Amara gulped loudly. She didn’t want to say it when he was close to her like that, when he could break her neck that easily, or even try to but the sooner the better, isn’t it?

“I’d heard you on the phone, that night in the warehouse. Talk to Sandy, about Brendan…And after-no! No, wait”!, she yelled after his grip tightened around her side.

“If you hurt any of them…”, Chris growled in her ear, but Amara felt a hot rush of anger rise to her chest.

“Have I spent all this fucking time here with you to just…You should trust me more-no, fuck off. Fuck off, what are we, fucking children”?, she said bitterly and got away from him. “They’ll be fine, your mother, and your bastard brother, they’re okay. They think they’re dead, but I made some deals, made them dissappear from the face of the fucking earth”.

Chris was left looking at her rumble in anger.

“I hope you’ll understand though, eh Chris? If I just don’t make a damn phone call, tell them the truth. I could get a bounty on my head for that. And it’s not worth it, is it”? No, of course it’s fucking not.

“I’ll be sleeping some place else-and these are fucking orders. You have three days to decide, otherwise your siblings and you, will be dead for real. Three days, and I’ll kill you myself”, she said and reached for the handle. “What would’ve happened, Chris”, she asked quietly before she left, “if I hadn’t emptied the gun that day”?

“Nothing”, Chris whispered, but she never heard him.

It was a newfound freedom, the one she had now. She had nowhere to return to, no one to tend to, even her duties had lessened. She spent her day in a small, old apartment as her last, the ones that were easy to find and didn’t bring any unwanted attention. The minutes counting to the due date were passing slowly, leaving her lost in thought. She’d done lots of the stuff during that time, think, and come in conflict with herself.

Above all, her parents had taught her to be a good woman-a woman with morals, and compassion. And after her sister’s death, after her parents fell apart, she found her way to do good in this world. To make an impact on people’s lives, not by giving a compliment or sparing a dollar. By saving their lives, and fighting for…peace?

Can someone fight for peace? Can peace ensue through killind, stealing data and blackmailing?

“So this leads us to a dead end”, she would mutter at nights, staring at the ceiling.

A man was arranged to look after Chris-or rather, make sure he didn’t escape or bleed his life away, but on that crucial morning, Amara found the kitchen empty, and the bedroom door closed.

Chis was sitting at the edge of the bed, despite her fears.

“Hey girl”, he said in his gruff voice, eyes shining unprompted.

“So what’s your final decision”?, Amara asked blankly.

“My mom and Brendan”?

“They’ll be fine. I don’t know where they are, but they are not dead, and not looked for”.

Chris shook his head. “Good”.

“You still don’t want to betray your psychotic friends”?

“No, Amara”.

So that was it, the end. The end of all of it.

“You remember I have to kill you”?, she asked, taking a gun out of her jacket pocket.

Her arm trembled as she aimed at him.

“So…that’s your way of making the world better? Killing me? On their behalf”?, Chris whispered. That wide eyed, sincere look had returned to his face, but she wouldn’t let it affect her this time.

She pulled the safety off.

“That’s my answer, yes”.

“An answer is not always the right one”.

“I’ll have to find my way out of this dead end then”, she said, her lips trembling despite the stillness of her voice.

“What if I told you that I’m in a dead end too”?

“You’re a dead man Chris”.

“I would be, without you”, he answered, standing on his feet, and a loud ‘Careful’!, escaped her.

She kept the gun pointed at him, while he struggled to cover the distance between them.

“We’re both trapped in a life with no meaning-I saw it, I thought about it more than you think. I won’t betray them-can’t betray them. We’ve spilled blood and tears together. But I don’t want to spill innocents’ blood anymore”, Chris said slowly, reaching her. His hand wrapped around the muzzle of the gun, kept it steady against his chest.

“Let’s leave then, girl. We can go to Panama, or Yugoslavia, or God knows where, and we’ll start over”.

“Me and you”?, Amara asked sarcastically and shoved the gun deeper on his chest. A delicious whine left his lips, so she twisted his hand away from hers. “So you can go back to the IRA on your own terms once the storm is over? Or kill me at first chance”?

“You asked me to trust you, I ask you to trust me now”, Chris said firmly.

Amara shook her head, opened her mouth to answer, but just then Chris’s leg gave out, and he fell to the ground in a strong gasp.

The gun was now pointing between his brows, Amara’s self control coming in hand. It crashed loudly against the door, as Amara knelt down, to get him up again.

They both found themselves tangled in each other’s arms, breathing the same air, seeking comfort in the closeness.

“Don’t leave me now girl”, Chris whispered in her ear.

Her eyes closed shut , heart racing in her ribcage. She pressed her lips on his swollen jaw.

“They will be here any minute now. We have to go…”.

#cillian murphy #chris free fire #chris o doyle #free fire #cillian murphy free fire #:readmore:

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threadsun · 1 year ago

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Hmmm…Alright I GUESS that’s true. If I’m not put back in my place and if I try to act defiant ALL the time, then I’ll just wind up being even more needy and desperate for any kind of physical touch~ I can see that being more torturous than anything (but I’m doing it to myself so if that’s saying anything lol)

I never doubted your ability to tell, I’ve moved past that phase when you showed me how little I knew, but like, how SPECIFIC it was got me like 😳Dude, tbh, I’d become loopy if you showed me attention and reward me one moment, but ignore me the next. Listen, you caught me in a weird place right now where I’m a little more…lenient to follow along with things so like, when I woke up this morning feeling all nice and clear headed, the moment I start reading this, it was like BAM! Words are hard again! Like, how does that work?! I ain’t trying to say you have an effect on me, but like what the heck?! And apparently I turn into a valley girl or something with how much I keep repeating like when thinking is hard 😂 I freaking almost SCREAMED! I live with other people who work from home so I’m sure they wouldn’t have appreciated it if I did lol. I like the thought of getting used by others, but only when I get the okay from who actually owns me, ya know? But holy hell, I like that reward…ALOT 🥴

OOOO I didn’t even consider getting rewarded for following orders when it came 24/7! Definitely adds lots more incentive to do them! I’m sure if you’d try to talk to Jack about it, you’d realize he’s ALREADY been doing it under the guise of being helpful. We see you Jack 👁️👁️

I feel like being the firehouse dog was basically manifested at that point with how much you were wanting there to BE a firehouse dog. What better way than to do it yourself~ Do you think they’ll make it an official position within the firehouse so you could get benefits like health insurance and a 401k while getting screwed all the time? Imagine them trying to get you to quit your job at Popov’s just so they can have you all to themselves. “There’s no need for you to work there when we’ll take care of everything for you over here! All you have to do is be a GOOD puppy~” I feel like that’s if they leaning over towards more yandere territory for all of them, but still! I’m trying to think about what duties each of the guys have when it comes to taking care of you. Of course Jack is your obedience trainer and Joesph is technically your owner since he brought you there in the first place, but what about the rest of them? It’s ironic though because you’d think Nick would be the obedience trainer, but I can see him taking you to doctors appointments if they wind up being a little too rough or just checking in to make sure you’re still okay going through with all of this. Mental, emotional, physical, and sexual health are all things he’d wish someone would check him with, so he does it for you instead (plus he can’t help it since it’s something he does being a professional dom) But maybe Ian would be the one buying you all the toys or outfits he’d want to dress you up in (and some of the other guys would love to see ruined on you). I can see him spoiling you extra when the other guys aren’t looking or sneaking you in that treat you wanted when you’ve been bad cause “have you seen their puppy dog eyes?! They were basically BEGGING for it! I can’t say no!” Rory probably make homemade treats shaped like bones or something so he could give a small baggie of them to each of the guys. He’d make sure you’re plenty hydrated and well-fed all the time! Shaun would be a little more conflicted and may suggest that you might like wearing cat ears more than those dog ones. Definitely giving “treat dog like cat” energy. Honestly I have no idea the timeline or how it’d work because this whole au is based off horniness, but I didn’t want to leave people hanging!

I wish I could give you a hug! I can’t imagine how scary it must’ve been when you had to do survival sex work instead of what you’re able to do now. Being in the place of needing to do something just to make sure bills can be paid and food can be purchased can be terrifying and scarring. Choosing to buy food or medicine is never a place I’d hope anyone would have to experience. I’m sorry 🩵

LUCKY!!! I’ve always wanted to go up to Boston because of the amount of lobster you can get for cheap AND all the cool historical aspects in the city, but they have a whole bunch of Victorian houses too??? Dude, you’re just making me want to go up there more! Lol. Did you get to go to Salem before too since they’re so close to each other? It’s definitely a bucket list item for me to experience it, but I know the energy can be a whammy like Gettysburg or Savannah is. Lots of distraught residual energy from the past mixed with excited feelings from tourists creates very confusing energies. Stained glass windows are absolutely gorgeous! I wish more modern houses held as much character and personality as homes from the 1920’s and back had. I love some 1950’s style appliances, but it’s around that time that houses started to become more generic in style. Definitely more concerning because of the amount of aggressive behaviors towards people by Gresham’s Castle, but it’s luckily it’s not a standard when it comes to haunted places. Most of the time it’s just residual energy or grumpy ghosts that cause more negative feelings, but if you ground, shield, and set your intentions, you’ll be okay if you go to places that are haunted with not as pleasant energy (battlefields, hospitals, that sort of thing). However, this shouldn’t mean you should actively LOOK for places that are known to house darker energies that can be harmful or even deadly. Usually places like those are ones that even the most talented of mediums won’t go to unless absolutely necessary. Those are considered light worker cases instead of Casper cases and no one purposely chooses to be a light worker. They’re the ones who deal with demons and dangerous entities. When I first started learning about what I was capable of doing years ago, I definitely dabbled a lot more out of curiosity and excitement (self worth and validation from helping people with my gifts). Because I did this though, I went through one of the most terrifying experiences in my life and had to stop for an entire year under the people who were teaching me instructions. So definitely be careful if you go to more dangerous! I have all of my own headcanons based off the information I’ve learned throughout the years with the metaphysical when it comes to Jack and some of the warnings of the game, but since it’s based off fiction, I have no idea how much is drawn from imagination and how much is drawn from fact. (*coughJackshowsmoresignsofbeingdemonicthanaghost,especiallywiththerulethingCOUGH*)

Exactly!!! At this point, we can definitely say we see eye to eye when it comes to this topic, but let’s just hope that the smaller portion of the fandom can see where we’re coming from and why the way they’re acting is hurting the community as a whole.

Oh jeez! \(//∇//)\ My mind doesn’t have to be the only thing that’s open though~

-🎃

Don't worry, I like to have some fun with my prey subs before I eat them take what I want. So I'd let you be all bratty and give you the satisfaction of frustrating me until I snap~ You're just too cute! And very fun to toy with. I definitely like to share my subs sometimes, especially to show off how well I've trained them! Though, I'll confess I can get a bit jealous. So I'd have to remind you who you belong to afterwards.

Oh absolutely, he's been like... subtly domming the player the Whole Time tbh. Nonsexually, until he gets explicit consent, but still. He uses rewards to make you care for yourself, and scolds and lectures you about it when you try to ignore his commands.

Ooooh yes, I love that!!!! They all have different roles and treat you in different ways. Ian absolutely spoils you rotten, he just can't help himself. And he loves dressing you up and getting new toys and everything!! He's the one who makes your cage all nice and aesthetic too. Nick definitely makes sure all the consent and negotiation stuff are going well, but I think he also teaches the others how to safely engage in harder kinks by using you as a demonstration. He'll pull you out of your cage and sit you in his lap and show everyone the correct way to choke you or all the places that can safely be spanked... Rory loves to feed and spoil you with treats!! Lots of baked goods and also sharing his lunch with you if you do tricks for him. Jean is definitely the one who gets you the actual job, like convincing/bribing anyone necessary to get you a salary and insurance and everything. He also keeps the public from finding out about you so that there's no public outrage, because that would make it a lot harder to keep you! Shaun definitely would prefer a cat, but he'll settle for teaching you "tricks" like meowing for him. And giving you a nice bowl of "cream" as a treat~

Thank you 💙 luckily, that time in my life is long past. But it definitely gave me a more nuanced perspective of sex work than a lot of people have. I like to look at it as an ultimately positive experience because it allows me to better understand the needs of my fellow sex workers, whether they need to do it for survival or want to do it for the joy of the work!

Boston is absolutely lovely! I haven't actually gotten around to going to Salem because I only take day trips up there to see my brother, and it's about a 3 hour drive each way. But maybe next time I'll convince him to bring Moon and I there to look around! I'd definitely be interested in seeing the place. Oh yeah, I try to stay away from genuinely dangerous places. I never actively seek out that kinda thing, I'm just bad at ignoring it when I stumble upon it by accident. But I'm not very sensitive to those sorts of things 99% of the time. I'm a mekubal, so I deal pretty much exclusively with Jewish spirits/demons/entities. And because our classifications for things aren't based on whether they're malicious or benevolent, sometimes it's safer for us to work with demons than angels, for example. But I'm not very sensitive to entities that aren't Jewish, I suppose because that's where all of my studies have been. Speaking of, I've always seen Jack as a dybbuk who is lying about the rules thing, but I would love to hear your theory about what he is!!

Oh don't worry, once I'm done opening your mind and making you wonderfully mindless and compliant, I'll make sure to open the rest of you too~ Can't skip over a single thing when I'm claiming you, after all.

#sunshine #asks #🎃 anon

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