#devine punishment or whatever

[paterday]

I am just straight up not having a good week!!

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[patriotismforstetriol]

I've completely skimmed over the overarching logic of burning the bodies in Trunswick every time I've read this book. Yeah, what was going on with the politics there? The earl just suddenly decided to go after bonding sickness, or just suddenly execute the people who'd been held in the Howling House for ages?

Ana's connections: yeah, would have been great to know what was up with that. Another option, besides being a relative of the Prime Minister, was that Ana's family was a group of Conqueror loyalists outside Stetriol. That'd be an incredibly valuable resource for Stetriol, and this 'important position' for Ana might be a reward for their loyalty. That'd be fascinating if that was the case.

I liked that Zerif's four "false heroes" didn't quite match up with the main four continents. Felt a little messier and more real. Also the implications would be tough for Meilin: Zhong is considered so firmly occupied at this point that there's no point playing games to make the population feel more positively towards the Conquerors.

Yeah, was Abeke's kidnapping just opportunity ('she's seen us, can't have her go back to the others') or more of a psychological tactic to foster more distrust ('knew we couldn't trust her, look she's run away')? We know the Conquerors like those fostering-distrust tactics.

Rereading Hunted

I'm doing my first reread of Spirit Animals in years, in preparation for starting my rewrite and the final fourth arc, and to my delight I'm discovering a lot of things that went over my head as a younger reader. I finished Hunted today, and wanted to talk about some of the more interesting things I noticed -- character details, plot holes and creepy implications. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much, but I've found it tickled my brain just the right way.

So, here are some highlights from my reread -- stuff even I didn't pick up on before.

Please mind the tags as there is a brief mention of rape near the bottom of this post.

Conor looks to be strawberry-blonde on this cover, not golden-blonde as he's described in text. I feel like it suits him.

The war has actually been going on for a while, probably since well before Wild Born. Finn was fighting Conquerors when his brothers were massacred, and it's unlikely that event was recent enough to have taken place during Wild Born. There is also a moment in the first book when General Teng speculates that the Conquerors who are laying siege to Jano Rion entered the city over a period of years in order to avoid suspicion. It would be interesting if the authors tied this in more efficiently, and our protagonists had been living in an active war when they summoned the Four Fallen. This opens up a plot hole, though: the Conquerors operate under Shane, and because Shane is 13 when he mobilizes his people for war in The Book of Shane, the events of the main series must have started quite soon after this. Abeke mentions he's only a little older than she is in Wild Born; since Shane is already 13, he couldn't have been waging war for a few years before this.

The only background I could find for Kunaya's name is that it is of Zimbabwe origin and means "rain". Notice the connection? Abeke is a Rain Dancer.

Rollan mentions that his father is dead, in a way that suggests he knew him. This seems to have been retconned in Fire and Ice, as his father plays no part in Aidana's retelling of their past as a family. Indeed, he is never brought up again after this instance in Hunted.

The Earl of Trunswick was burning bodies. Our protagonists notice something off about the bonfire burning outside Trunswick, with Abeke and Meilin specifically noting its unpleasant smell. And most tellingly, when Conor and Rollan are captured, the Earl tells his soldiers to "burn the body with the rest" if Conor does not put Briggan into passive state. Who exactly the Earl was burning is not entirely clear, but a possible clue comes from a later chapter where he threatens Finn after the breakout from the Howling House. "Don't worry, Finn Cooley! We'll burn that troubled bond out of you yet!" he says. I'm inclined to believe the Earl was burning the bodies of spirit animals with the bonding sickness -- in a twisted attempt to cure their human companions, or merely to torture them further. It's possible he was burning human corpses too; Isilla the Greencloak is mentioned to have been killed, and I get the sense he wouldn't have treated her body with respect. In any case, this is a crazy thing to heavily imply and then never fully explain.

Tahlia is noticeably older than the other three kids. She even takes offense to being referred to as a child by Zerif. (In my rewrite, with the other three being around 13, I think I would place her at 18.)

Tahlia's entire existence doesn't make much sense -- she's supposed to be bonded to the Stetriolan legend of the water-holding frog, but this legend isn't even mentioned in the third arc when our protagonists go scouting for these same legends' bond tokens. Instead, it is replaced by Zhong's water dragon. Additionally, why would Stetriol even need a hero to inspire them? They already have Shane. They're the birthplace of the Conquerors -- what more inspiration do they need? It would make more sense if Tahlia was Zhongese and bonded to a water dragon, like Song's Seaspray. After all, if any nation needed someone to sway them to the Conquerors' side, it would be the fallen Zhong.

Ana, the Amayan girl with the Gila monster, was chosen to be a part of the False Four for her "exceeding connections". This makes me wonder if she was intended to be related or otherwise close to the Prime Minister of Amaya. It's never revealed what Zerif meant by this and Ana presumably dies in Fire and Ice.

The False Four in general are a really interesting (and promising) concept and I wish more was done with them. I wanted to see them rallying the four nations to the Conquerors' side and creating more of a threat to the Greencloaks! I wanted to see each of them directly paralleling the True Four! Instead, they all ended up incarcerated, insane or dead by the fourth book. Ah well. That's what my rewrite is for.

The absence of Lady MacDonnell is noted, but never explained. Interestingly, Rollan notices this in the same breath as he does Lord MacDonnell's children being so rigidly obedient. Considering Lord MacDonnell's character, I'm willing to bet he had his wife executed or otherwise removed for some transgression she made. After all, one of the Three Undeniable Truths is "death".

Lord MacDonnell is a really terrible guy. Despite aiding our protagonists in this book and The Evertree, he is a nasty person who keeps his own people in a permanent state of fear. This book is full of despicable characters, for sure.

What were Devin and Karmo intending to do with Abeke? And why her? Because of her connection to the Conquerors, I'm guessing. But it's never really explained. They tell her they're taking her back to Nilo, but there's no way they would just kindly take her home and let her go. Maybe the Conquerors planned to give her the Bile and then use her in some scheme. I wish this book wasn't so vague (but I also don't because it gives me more freedom as a writer).

Devin calls Abeke "vermin" in the final battle. Interestingly, Karmo doesn't seem to approve of this comment. In fact, Karmo is a lot more sympathetic than I remembered.

This is the only first arc book that Shane doesn't appear in, and for no apparent reason. I think it would have been a good choice to include him and plan to in my rewrite.

Finn has PTSD. Poor guy. I kind of like that he didn't return to Greenhaven at the end and instead stayed in Glengavin -- after all, it was the Greencloaks and their talk of destiny that led to Finn's brothers being killed, Donn retreating and Finn being so deeply scarred.

The Earl seems to threaten Conor's mother with rape in the foreboding letter he sends. I've seen several people discuss this. He tells Conor his family will starve if he doesn't hand over the Iron Boar, "and the fate of your mother will be far crueller". It's a chilling implication, and certainly a choice to include in a children's book.

Overall, Hunted is dark. For that reason, it's become one of my favourite books in the series. Beautiful cover, great writing, cool new guy introduced, failure for our protagonists and an epic cliffhanger. This one is a gem.

[bloogers-boogers]

—Swap au— part 1?

Once upon a time there was an angel named Adam The Angel of Life: He was God’s most perfect angel whose curiosity and joy brought hope to those of heaven and was considered the pure light of what heaven was truly all about.

However hidden by the eyes of every heaven born and God’s, behind closed doors, the counsel of heaven would push higher expectations on the angel than one could ever expect the angel of life to be given.

The elders were never pleased in regard of whatever Adam did or would punish constantly for not being able to do enough. Neither did they believed he was the epitome of beauty and perfection as God would claim he was, eventually, this lead the angel to do drastic measures to prevent any judgment of his person. Modifying his appearance to a less friendlier look, almost considerably scary beyond the opposite of perfection or beauty. Adam would hide behind a mask to cover the shame and disgust of his skin. No longer feeling proud to be content of his body or face; replaced with insecurities brought from those who he considered righteous and perfect. To those he saw as his family; those who were always right and should obey their every rule.

This caused stress and sadness to the angel, covering it with a smile and feigned oblivion. No one truly understood Adam, neither did he ever felt like he belonged or welcomed in the world of the devine.

And from the dirt came Lucifer and Sera, equals in every way: the first man and the first woman. God’s most perfect creation.

The first humans to wonder the earth, and the very beginning of humanity.

What one wouldn’t expect was for the two humans to not get along and argue plenty. Both stubborn and prideful to not submit to the other. Sera wanted control over him and to follow whats ordered, Lucifer wanted freedom and refused to obey. Neither wanted to give in to their wants and kept distant.

With time Lucifer began yearning companionship, but through his solitude he embraced his talents to create and dream. Unlike Sera, Lucifer went beyond what the angels ever imagined a human to be. He’d dream and dream so much that his hands were seen like brushes building and recreating those images to perfection. He began small; a simple robe made out of wool from sheep to mimic those of an angels attire, he’d discovered a sense of ‘style’ by painting his cheeks red claiming it made him feel special, different, a unique attribute of his for distinction and personality. He’d build toys or even cook extravagant food and gifts to the angels. He’d even create a new language to confuse the above and to speak with the animals.

Lucifer’s creativity stunned the entirety of heaven.

His beauty was enhancing to one’s eyes, his voice was considered angelic, alluring to their ears and his charisma captivated everyone.

Lucifer was the epitome of perfection.

And within Adam’s curiosity he convinced Lilith the highest seraphim to allow him to venture earth. With delight he wondered through the garden of Eden, the uniqueness and new wonders left him speechless. He admired the animals that lived peacefully and harmony inside the paradise creation his father would talk wonders about; the countless of fruit and vegetables, the greenery of the planet’s nature in its entirety and the beautiful blue but changing sky. But he hasn’t yet met with the creations so he kept his expectations low as he saw every form of life as perfect. He wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to meet the humans, feeling slight fear of them rejecting him into their world.

He kept his hands away from touching it all fearing to stain its beauty. He admired the life inside Eden, wherever he’d look there was life; animals, plants, the air, inside water, even under the dirt it had little wiggling creatures living inside there.

And throughout his journey never did he feel frightened or threatened by the creatures there.

Earth had welcomed him with open arms and he never felt more warm and comfortable. As if he had belonged there too.

In one of Lucifer’s many escapes from his overly obedient but controlling wife. He found himself following his favorite path that lead to one of the most beautiful places in Eden.

But little did the first man know, that the most beautiful thing in all Eden would not be anything belonging of the garden but an angel.

Behind bushes and trees he almost stumbled to the ground when he came across a figure, his eyes landed in a very tall bird looking creature. He was beautiful. From the golden of his wings to the brightness of his halo, aura and the golden blinding eyes of his face; like two suns burning his every core.

Lucifer was beyond fascinated, he had seen angels. Plenty actually. Every one of them were unique and very divine looking.

But this one stole everything of its purity and was assembled into one; an ethereal being he had yet to discover. He was different from the other angels, the unique appearance added another touch of making him stand out from any other. Lucifer thought his face was very expressive unlike the other angels and that just made him look even more friendlier to approach.

Aside from that, the angel showed much wonder and joy to every single little thing he’d find in the garden it made Lucifer’s heart beat fast. Still hidden however he followed him watching his every move, unlike the other angels this one kept his hands away from touching anything however his gentleness and kindness embraced those around him without even trying to reach out. And, oh, did Lucifer wanted to reach out to him. The animals would nuzzle against him while walking past them looking through the depths of the garden.

Lucifer was captivated. Enchanted by whatever magic the angel held on to his every being.

Lucifer had fallen in love without realizing it.

When Lucifer mustered the courage to approach Adam, he had offered him a fruit basket as a welcome. Adam was stunned by the gift but grateful nonetheless of the first man’s kindness. The gesture of welcoming someone was foreign for Adam; but the simple gesture alone brought reassurance and a relief to an anxious soul like himself. He expressed his gratitude with a golden feather as he had noticed the first man’s eyes captive on his wings.

Adam was also speechless of the perfect creation of God. Lucifer was a being he’s never seen before, there was no denial in the exterior beauty of his form, and even as much as he didn’t look too far off from an angel the first man was a curious being like himself! Lucifer was a free spirit, he had a very unique way of thinking and abilities. For example he is far more talkative than any of the angels he’s met, very expressive, his skin was very fleshy looking but there was something in his eyes he doubted he’d ever see in angel, and that was… life. So much life in one being it made his heart pound rapidly.

Their first meeting was short for Lucifer’s displeasure. But ever since their meeting both beings couldn’t help but bring themselves from thinking about the other. Lucifer couldn’t help but to dream of a life with Adam. Adam couldn’t help but to find himself thinking how lucky Lucifer was to live in such a marvelous planet like earth.

Both dreamers wanted a sense of freedom to choose what their heart desires.

But that meant breaking rules and going against heaven.

[sssarrrra]

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝘆𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆... 𝗜𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗗𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗲𝘃𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗴𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻?

As if now Dostoevsky can give Amenogozen any kind of order. So why not to ask him to kill Fyodor?

Right now there is no need for that, since Mr.Demon is winning. But Dazai and Ranpo are only about to arrive, Atsushi is yet to unite his forces with Akutagawa. Things can get heated very fast, and whatever advantage Fyodor has will be nullified.

If Dostoevsky is close to being defeated he can ditch Bram's body and get a new vessel with a built-in power. It would still be a gamble, though. There is always a chance Fyodor can turn into bubbles like everyone before.

But what if "Crime and punishment" counters Singularity? Then Fyodor would get a new fit and a terrifyingly strong ability (since it's probably linked to Amenogozen's physical form and if Dostoy inhabits it, he'll get a hold of it too).

Dostoevsky already expressed attraction to Fukuchi's powers as a devine being.

Why not become the one who actually wields them?

Amenogozen!Fyodor? Am I even ready for this? I don't know.

[mythtakens]

here are my Eddie Diaz specific wishes for the beginning of season 8 because the only way out is through and if I think too hard about where this season as a whole ended up and that bizarre lackluster finale I’ll have an out of body experience:

have this Eddie and Chris storyline actually mean something. if you’re gonna do this drastic traumatic thing in such a rushed way you have to do something with it. Could some time apart be good? sure! maybe! but don’t just have Chris gone and offscreen not speaking to his dad and never seen at all until they arbitrarily decide Eddie has done enough penance that he can be narratively rewarded by having his son back.

as good of a dad as Eddie is and as much as he wants to give Chris the space there’s still a big difference between not breaking down the door of a bedroom and a distance of 1000+ miles for months. let him go to Texas as the PARENT. bring Chris into the narrative. he’s older and more aware now, so have his decisions matter. have him face the reality of living with the Diaz parents who historically are probably not going to give him the freedom and respect he’s used to and let it become clear how different Eddie has always been in his approach to him… show us some flashbacks of Eddie’s own childhood, let Chris come to a deeper understanding of his father! let them actually talk about Shannon and what happened with Kim in a real way… let him fully realize his dad isn’t perfect but he tries so hard and let Chris recognize him as human and the value of what Eddie gives through that. if it’s about Gavin’s availability something like this can still be achieved in an arc of a few episodes if it’s given actual time and focus

let Eddie have a real confrontation with his parents about all of this. They flew from Texas to California in the middle of the night without a word to their own adult son and acted like it was their right to let a 13 year old make the call about his own parenting while Eddie was vulnerable and panicking. Without prior knowledge of the situation, without letting anything cool down. Let him tell them that was THE WRONG THING TO DO! Don’t have him get interrupted, don’t let them talk over him about how they know better, don’t let one of them drop dead while he’s letting his emotions out. Eddie always feels like he’s being punished when he does something for himself because, well, the narrative punishes him. DON’T PUNISH HIM.

let him tell Helena how deeply it hurt him when she said he was dragging Christopher down with him all those years ago and how this felt like a second instance of that, let him feel betrayed by the way Ramon handled this situation regarding HIS fatherhood and HIS son after all the time they’ve spent working on their own relationship, let him tell them they DON’T know better than him because he makes mistakes because they did too! let him tell them he’s a good father! let him feel like a good father! he is one!

if you want to explore who Eddie is when he doesn’t have Chris and only has himself to look after then actually do it. let him look after himself. For himself. don’t have him only be miserable and still feeling like a failure months later, don’t let him keep circling the drain just idealizing what he and Shannon had. Devin is great but my god… we need to let Shannon rest. As nuts as it was I tried to roll with the doppleganger storyline because I thought well, at least this will lead somewhere and ultimately be a catharsis even if it’s wild. but like then even that wasn’t fully formed and was twisted into a punishment and fresh trauma so?? whether he finally goes to some sort of grief group or gets to heal his inner child or whatever else, let him actually get something out of also making himself a priority in his own life and quit repeatedly destroying the ground under his feet and blaming himself with no end in sight

does Eddie deserve to get to a more mentally healthy place (especially after whatever the fuck all that was)? yeah! is healing linear? absolutely not, and I do love that this show doesn’t shy away from that with everyone’s respective trauma. but mental health is also not a game of punishments and rewards where keeping his own son around is what he gets for whatever passes for model behavior as decided by his parents and an emotional teenager. nobody has to earn the right to love or happiness or to keep raising their own child by sanding down all of their jagged edges and they’re usually very good about showing that so give him that same grace

okay this isn’t Eddie but literally fucking stop… repeatedly torturing Hen and Karen and their children. Stop it. stop. Right now. Stop.

kill Gerrard in a sharknado

[senjuushi]

Would it be reasonable to connect Fal's love of torture and his fear of punishment? I know he's more fearful of mistakes in general, but I don't remember if it's more the punishment itself or the idea of being thrown away. Either way I feel like he subconsciously has a guilty conscience about the things he did and believes that "devine" retribution awaits him.

The two are quite likely connected, but I'd say it's more of a "seeking control in whatever ways he can take it" situation than any desire to be personally punished, subconscious or otherwise. Fal exists in a state of constant stress, where the fear of falling short of his superiors' expectations always hangs over his head. The people with power over him can hurt him in any way they want to, for any reason they deem sufficient— his power and capability as a weapon don't do anything to protect him when he's forced to submit to someone else's will.

That's why Fal seeks out those situations when the balance of power temporarily shifts, and he's the one who can make someone else suffer. Torture involves control. He gets to put someone else in a state of fear, pain, and reliance on his opinion of what should be done to them. It's a temporary escape from the precarious position of avoiding failure and punishment, and that short-term rush of power (and momentary security) is what makes it so appealing to him.

[oraclekleo]

Hi! I'm your new follower! And tbh I'm grateful after discovering your blog... I'm not trying to flatter you, your way of doing reading seems very amazing fr.

Hopefully you're doing well 🍁

I'd like to participate in your tarot game about what I need to hear rn.

My initials:- AB , nickname:-Hiya (ik sounds like a greeting lol but in my language it means heart)

Zodiacs:- Pisces,Aries, Taurus...sun,moon and rising

My aesthetic:-

Preferred decs:-

Tarot:- Tarot of the devine

Oracle 1:- The Oracle of the beautiful darkness (this is a very beautiful dec)💜

Thanks a lot for doing this game ☺️

Hope you have an amazing day ahead 🍁🍁

Hello Hiya!

Thank you for participating in my little tarot game.

And I'm honoured you like my blog. It's a mixture of insightful and fun tarot posts as I can't just pick only one style. 😁

I agree the dark oracle is truly beautiful and one of my favourite ones.

I always include the cards for you in case there was a message I’m not meant to interpret but is still meant to reach you.

Without further ado, let’s start your reading!

Cards: XI Justice, 4 of Wands, XIV Temperance, XVI The Tower (Tarot of the Divine), 22. Mormolykeia (Deep, Dark & Dangerous Oracle)

There’s an emphasis on balance and justice in your reading. The message you need to hear now is that whatever turned into chaos all of a sudden, will naturally start balancing again in your life. You might need to put some effort into rebuilding some of the life structures or come up with completely new ones. Mind that there are no shortcuts, no cheats in life which would work long-term. If you face a decision whether to act with moral integrity or for quicker benefit, choose wisely. Being in balance doesn’t mean staying still. Balance is mutable, you need to use your wisdom and intuition to know when you need to change internally and when you can change what surrounds you.

Because Mormolykeia are creatures associated with Greek Goddess Hekate, you might soon arrive at a crossroad. Maybe you won’t be entirely sure which way to go but use your wisdom to cast light into dark corners. Mormolykeia were said to serve Hekate, to punish and serve brutal justice. Maybe there’s something or someone in your life who doesn’t deserve your kindness. Make sure to respect those who respect you back and while you don’t have to send demonic bloodthirsty wolves at those who only abuse your kindness, you might want to have a sincere discussion with them.

4 of Wands is likely to denote festivities or celebrations. Are you going to meet someone you would like to be brutally honest with during some holidays? Your cards encourage you to speak logically and calmly even when discussing hurtful topics. Sometimes plainly stating facts without emotional outbursts can be the most effective way of communication. And once all is said and done, peace and balance will resume.

Thank you so much for requesting the reading!

I'm always grateful for any feedback.

CLICK AND FEED SHELTER DOGS

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[tb-gerschutz]

Prologue

Word Count: 1,866

Trigger Warning(s): grieving, blood, dead body, graphic depictions of violence

Summary: The protagonist sums up a tragic event of her past.

**********

Why did this have to happen to me? Out of all the people in the world who definitely deserved this pain more than I did, why me? I did nothing wrong, God. Nothing! And yet, you punish me by taking back my brother far too soon. I hate you for that! He was my best friend, my partner-in-crime...

...and you took him from me. You bastard!

I sure as hell didn't deserve this pain, this torture! I don't deserve to have this knife in my grieving, fragile heart for the rest of my life. No one should have to go through this. No one.

As you can't tell already, I'm definitely struggling from processing grief and heartbreak in a healthy manner. Allow me to take you back to why I felt this heartbreak, grief, and anger.

My twin brother Devin and I had just graduated from the University of Tennessee a year earlier than expected because of all the credits we gained from taking college-level classes in high school. I had graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice, working my ass off so I could go into the Secret Service for the United States government. I always had a knack for protecting people and doing what's right even if the metaphorical gun of fear was pointing in my face. I was, and still am, pretty stubborn and abrasive, unlike my caring, sweet twin brother. Though he graduated with a Bachelor's in Sports Medicine, he had the intention of getting his Doctorate and becoming a primary care sports medicine physician. Devin—God love his gentle soul—always had a thing for helping people and making them feel better, and this career was ultimately what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Well, that didn't last long.

Although we spent a lot of time together, we weren't attached at the hip. We often did activities by ourselves when we needed space, and both of us were perfectly fine with it. Despite loving each other dearly, both of us needed some space once in a while.

At the time of the incident, it was early evening. Late enough for an early sunset to be evident on the horizon, but early enough that it was visibly light outside. I was sitting in a local coffee shop in downtown Chattanooga, which I often did whenever I had work that needed accomplished right away. This coffee shop was within an earshot of my home, so it was convenient for me to go there whenever I needed space to concentrate on work that I needed to get done. I was here trying to find any job opportunity available for the Secret Service. Whether it was extra training sessions or paid internships, I was looking for every opportunity to go down to DC and serve as the president's bulletproof vest.

Typing and carefully combing the internet, I was entirely focused on what the screen on my laptop produced. Whatever I could find related to the Secret Service, I was more than willing to take a look at. I paid no attention to what was going on outside, even if my twin brother would occasionally go on his early-evening run around the downtown area. He often did this to keep in shape for baseball, the sport he loved so dearly. He lived, breathed, and slept all things baseball, something I never did. I never got into sports in junior high or high school, so I mainly kept to academic work, as well as part-time work at the local police department here in Chattanooga, Tennessee and going to the gym regularly. 

Yes, my parents were fine with this and supported me every step of the way. They wanted the best for me just like the rest of my siblings.

Devin happened to be running by the area whilst I was scouring any government database to find job openings. I kept to myself and intensely scoured while drinking my coffee. My attention was entirely dedicated to my laptop and the Internet.

That changed, however.

My gut was screaming at me, trying desperately to tell me that something was wrong. Something bad was going to happen, but I hoped that it wouldn't happen to me or any of my family, especially my twin brother Devin. He and I practically grew up together and were best friends. We didn't have a lot of friends growing up because we had each other. It would be simply painful to have something happen to me, my siblings, or my parents. 

Turns out, my hopes didn't stop life from happening.

As I just logged into a possible opening for the Secret Service, a loud, ear-piercing scream sent me into a mode of panic. It didn't help that five or six gunshots sent me into a panic prior to the scream. My mind was racing faster than a train on drugs, and my heart was beating out of my chest and into my throat, causing me to breathe quickly and panic wildly. Being the good Samaritan I hoped to be, I dashed out of the shop to seek out the source of the scream. All I found at first glance was a black 1966 Chevy Chevelle zooming away from the dark alley across the street.

That's suspicious, ain't it, I thought to my panicking self.

Once I found an opening in the traffic, I bolted across the street and to the dark alley. A feeling of dread and imminent heartbreak awaited me, as I became uneasy. A feeling that I dreaded everytime I encountered it. As I slowly sauntered deeper into the alley, a rotten and horrid smell burned my nostrils and made me gag over its horrible odor. It only got worse as I got closer to a mysterious black dumpster. I knew I'd regret it when I did it, so I walked over to the dumpster to try and find the smell, thinking that it would just be rotten trash someone threw away. It was anything but. In fact, it was much more horrifying than that.

When I looked into the dumpster, I came across a horrible sight. It was my twin brother, and he was still. Absolutely still. His abdomen was covered in blood, and bruises riddled almost every inch of his body. Refusing to believe that this was really happening, I tried desperately to wake Devin up.

"Devin! Devin, wake up!" I said, growing more angry and upset as the realization that Devin was dead grew. 

"Devin, this isn't funny. Please wake up! Wake up, you son of a bitch! Wake up!"

Then, the realization of Devin being dead hit me like a high-speed bullet train. I felt my heart shatter in several pieces as my eyes filled up quickly with angry, depressed tears. Devin can't be dead! He's my twin brother, my best friend. How am I supposed to live without him?

In a fit of utter heartbreak, I called the emergency nine-one-one hotline to tell them what I had just found. Despite the operator telling me to keep calm, I never once had the strength to suppress my feeling of heartbreak and depression.

"My twin brother's dead! He's dead! He can't be dead. He can't!" I cried into the phone.

My hysteric ass stayed on the line until the police and ambulance came to investigate the matter. One officer, who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, gently and calmly walked over to me as I sat curled up into a ball, shocked and depressed over what just happened.

"Excuse me. I'm Sergeant Hayes. I'm with the Chattanooga Police Department. Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions about what happened?" he asked calmly.

I knew the name Sergeant Hayes. I often heard it come up while I worked my part-time job at the local police station when other officers chronicled their past cases or missions.

"I don't mind," I said in a depressed tone. "Ask away."

The officer then sat next to me on the curb, trying his best to comfort me. "Did you know the deceased person?" he asked.

"His name was Devin. Devin Crawford. He was my twin brother," I responded.

"And how old was he? Did you know?"

"Twenty," I said simply. "Fresh out of college."

"Where did he go to college?"

"University of Tennessee. Graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Medicine and wanted to go for his doctorate to become a sports physician. We took college classes in high school, so we were both able to graduate earlier than usual. I graduated with a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice, with hopes of going into the Secret Service," I explained, "but lately, finding an opportunity to join it has been hard."

"What was your twin brother like?" the officer asked, continuing his questioning.

"He was a down-to-earth, very caring kid. He loved baseball, so much so that he played it in college. Got a full-ride to college to play it too," I explained.

"Going into what happened, do you know what happened?" the officer asked. "Just tell me all that you know."

I told the officer everything that I knew, even the fact that before I ventured into the alley, I saw a black 1966 Chevy Chevelle driving away from the scene. The officer, seeing that this information was important, jotted it down on his notepad quickly, careful to not miss any detail or fix it in a dramatic way. Though he didn't show it, I could tell that he was afraid of messing up one detail. One slip-up, and it could lead to trouble for him.

"A 1966 Chevy Chevelle? Do you know the license plate?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't," I answered simply. "It sped away so fast that the contents on the plate were blurry. I'm sorry."

"That's okay. Do you know your twin brother's birthday?" the officer asked.

"August 11, 1996. He just turned twenty."

"That's all the questions I have, so thank you," the officer said. "I'm sorry for your loss. Please send my condolences to you and the rest of your family."

"I will. Thank you," I said back.

Several days later, I found myself back on University of Tennessee's campus for a candlelit vigil in my brother's honor. Several people of various backgrounds—students, classmates, teammates, coaches, et cetera—came out to the courtyard, holding lit candles and mourning the loss of such a gentle, warm soul. Deep down, my blood was boiling, but I didn't let that show, for if I let it show, I'd be vulnerable. If I was vulnerable, then I'd be bombarded by all these people who feel sorry for me. I don't want that.

About a month or so later, I got a call from the Chattanooga Police that they found out who was behind my twin brother's murder. It was a couple members of the Petronella family, a mafia family relatively known to work in the shadows. I was then assured that the CIA and FBI were working hard to try and capture them, which made me feel a bit better. However, I wasn't at all better. It will take a long time to heal. Will I ever heal from this pain? I hope I eventually do. 

One Year Later...

[italianexotiicbeauty]

@bloodonmynvme

Zombies. Of all the fucking things for the world to fall apart and into, it had to be them. Detestable creatures. If you asked her — this was why the apocalypse happened. Humanity got way too greedy and this was their punishment, the ones who remained humble and thankful were the ones still hanging around. Denver didn't have TOO big of a settlement, she wasn't the one counting heads in the morning before tasks were assigned or whatever. Nope, couldn't give that to someone who could just linger in the woods and burn those creatures to the ground.

Wouldn't call her lucky though — Mary didn't see it as LUCK that she had to do one major task. It was a major task that she couldn’t say no to — because losing more people? Not really much of an option these days, everyone has lost enough. Homes, jobs, family, friends, the list went on. Thankfully though – at least her favorite frogman always managed to bring her a little bribe. One would think that food of any kind being used as a bribe could be labeled as a 'contraband item'. Well, not when his wife – Devin – was one of the few people others listened to. Then again, if you had military or medical in your background? Didn't matter what your field of study or even what branch — said individuals had more sway over what was considered a contraband item and what wasn't. 

In Mary's case ? Said particular item was a bag of Doritos. She wasn’t picky on flavor — it was mostly cool ranch or sweet chili. 

Today felt like it was going to be a CONTRABAND FOOD ITEM type of day — for two reasons though. Over the last few days it has been overcast and just today? The wind was picking up to gale force speeds every few minutes. No one wanted to be outside working, or outside the walls hunting anything. She had found a cozy little alcove spot between the wall and two cabins – facing west, which blocked the wind. "Uh oh,I hear boots and the slight jingle jangle of dog tags." The female half-heartedly sat up a bit, removing the well-worn leather jacket from her face to see who was approaching.

[pinkcalicoart]

A couple of quick thoughts:

I personally don't think the "second in command" comment was meant as Aziraphale intentionally putting Crowley beneath him - I don't believe he actually thinks lesser of Crowley. When I heard the line it felt more like 'you can help make things the way they should be' no wanting to make Crowley subservient to him, I've always felt he saw him as an equal.

I agree that Metatron's goal was to separate Aziraphale and Crowley because he knew that together they were a dangerous and unpredictable force as well a powerful one. So removing that threat to their plans for Armageddon was crucial for heavens success in ending the world.

Neither Crowley or Aziraphale care about the world at large, they care about their small slice of it. Fun Fact: this is 99% of people. Humans have a hard time empathizing on a mass scale or even outside their own close knit groups. And Crowley and Aziraphale are very human, Armageddon was this big abstract idea all port of 'the ineffable plan". Crowley shifted Aziraphales view by making it real on a personal level. Neither of them are altruists, they are people.

As someone who grew up in strict home with a good dose of Christian doctrine - and a heavy heap of religious guilt - I take a different view of Aziraphales choices. Heaven is basically Aziraphales abusive family with God being the absentee parent. He has had it drilled into his head that he is an angel, he is 'good' that he is supposed to do the right thing. But when you add devine authority into the mix 'the right thing' becomes whatever God (or like my case your parents) tell you to do. Obedience to God is heralded above all else, its praised in christianity as the best thing you can do and what you should always do. When you are ingrained with that your whole life, blind obedience, you become very naive - which is something I think most of us can agree Aziraphale is. Christianity deals in absolutes, rights and wrong, good and evil, angels and demons. If you are not one thing you are the other and you are raised in terror of being 'bad' of not following God or you face the punishment.

This fear is depicted great in S2E2 when after Aziraphale lies to protect Job's children - he is crushed and terrified - expecting Crowley to take him to hell. He did the worst thing you can do in Christianity, he disobeyed God, and that means eternal punishment. That kind of brainwashing and fear fucks you up, not saying that makes Aziraphale innocent of anything he still makes the choices he does, but familial and religious trauma affects how you respond to things. At his core Aziraphale wants to be seen as 'good' by his family to feel loved and validated by them, even though a part of him knows he never will because he's not the 'right' kind of angel. But he found acceptance on earth with Crowley - he was embraced even though he wasn't a 'perfect angel' and he liked that, but was also always struggling with their connection due to the black and white, good vs. evil rhetoric he was raised on.

I think that is at the core of why Metatron's offer to reinstate Crowley was a tipping point as, in his mind, it was the clean fix he had been looking for since S1. Heaven (my family) isnt bad its just xyz (this family member or this one thing) that's causing trouble, now the're offering me a seat at the table with my partner. That means they will listen to us and I can fix the problem, my family will be there my partner will be there, I will have everything I always wanted and we will be happy. It's incredibly naive because just as Crowley said Heaven is just as toxic and self serving as Hell, just with a fresh white paint job and holier-than-thou rhetoric.

Azirale is still in the fog thinking Heaven is a force for good at its core, and that he can 'save' Crowley. He doesn't see him as this evil demonic monster, so in his black and white thinking, Crowley is their for a good person (not the morly grey, complicated actual person they both are). Good people shouldn't be punished, he doesn't want Crowley to suffer so he tries to save him with the offer of becoming an angel again. And Crowley refuses. Because of course he does. He has seen Heaven for the abusive family they are and has zero intention of ever going back. And when he refuses Aziraphale is hurt (i'm trying to help you, why aren't you letting me help you?) and scared and as we all do ends up lashing out.

Post argument, and the very raw kiss, he is spiraling. That's when Metatron comes in, Aziraphale is reeling - part of him wants to go to Crowley part of him is hurting and part is lost and confused and unable to process anything that just happened. So completely lost and with no time to sort out his feelings he reverts to old patterns. He obeys. He leaves with Metatron.

I feel season 3 is being set up to be Aziraphale 'hero's journey' where he has to come to terms with what Heaven really is and his 'want vs. need' dilema. Finding out the thing he wanted (Heaven/ his family's love and acceptance) was always a faced, a condition of his obedience, and what he needed was Crowley, was Earth and his own space to be himself faults and all.

When folks say that Aziraphale took the Supreme Archangel promotion to protect humanity/earth/Crowley, where does that interpretation come from? Because this is the order on screen:

The Metatron makes the offer, including patently false flattery about Aziraphale's leadership abilities and honesty (and I do believe Aziraphale knows it's false). Aziraphale politely demures, citing the bookshop, coffee, etc.

But then the Metatron sweetens the pot - he offers angelic restoration for Crowley, a tidy solution to Aziraphale's deepest reservations about his very real romantic feelings.

Then, Crowley turns him down. (I'm not going to use the gifs to spare us all the pain.) So, why does Aziraphale continue to go through with the promotion at that point, when the reason he'd accepted it has fallen through? Yes, he told Crowley he thinks they can make a difference, but that's not the reason he'd said yes to the Metatron minutes before, or at least it wasn't enough of a reason until restoring Crowley became an option. Personally, I think it's stubbornness that makes him stick to the plan - Crowley was appalled at the whole idea and called him an idiot, and Aziraphale needs to prove he wasn't wrong.

Regardless of the reason, he's sticking with the plan, without Crowley, and with no indication (that we've seen yet anyway) that anything too dire might happen if he doesn't.

And it's then, and only then, that the Metatron drops the bomb about the Second Coming.

I understand the desire to see Aziraphale's motivation for accepting the promotion as for the greater good, but given how the events unfold on screen, I don't see how that's supported? Please let me know what I've missed. I'm definitely not trying to slander Aziraphale, but I'm not interested in sugarcoating him either.

(ok one quick extra thing, how did I never notice how incredibly relieved the Metatron looks in the elevator, that he pulled this off and convinced Aziraphale to come with him? Too busy crying, I guess.)

[benbamboozled]

Okay as someone who only tangentially knows about nightwing, I enjoyed the grayson series. I'm a whole-ass lesbian but watching him walk shirtless through a desert carrying a baby? I suddenly understood the whole "being straight" thing. Grayson cured my heterophobia lololol.

ANYWAYS it seems like you've actually read other nightwing comics so I was wondering what your take on the grayson series is? Is it OOC? If not, do you have any other comic recs where I can 👀 that 🍑?

Lol I actually haven’t read Grayson! Because…lol, okay, THIS IS STUPID I AM FULLY AWARE OF THAT, but because I resent the idea that Dick Grayson needed a series where he’s ALSO a super cool hot spy who’s a badass hot spy. ~~~OOOOH GOOD FOR YOOOOOU!!!!~~~

(Yes this is one of my personal foibles, sometimes I resent things for existing because I am odd and petty.)

I’ve thought about reading it for The Pretty, but I know certain fandom circles are, uh…less than enthusiastic about it, and certain other character fans are less than enthusiastic about it (*cough* Midnighter), so I just haven’t decided that I’m open to potentially being grumpified in favor of The Pretty yet.

Basically, I absolutely cannot speak on how IC or not it is. 🙃 I do know that I’ve read two things by Tim Seeley—one I like that a lot of people don’t (Robins) and one that was ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS LIKE TERRIBLE ON EVERY POSSIBLE LEVEL GAG VOMIT UGGGHHHH (Countdown to the Wedding: Red Hood vs Anarky—do not punish yourself with this it is so bad).

Sooooo I have no idea what that says about whether or not I’d appreciate Grayson!

Honestly, though, my Dick Grayson absorption is all over the map, so I’m not so much a great person to give recs I think.

Like, my foundational Dick run (hm) was Devin Grayson’s Nightwing run and, uh, that run is CONTROVERSIAL (to put it mildly), for some reasons that I agree with and some that I don’t. It also left me with a…very particular set of preferences when it comes to Dick Grayson In Comics.

(You know how 1984 starts with “imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever”? Yeeeeeahhhh.)

If you’re in just for the pretty, the current Nightwing run—Leaping Into the Light (kind of a soft-reboot of the premise starting with #78 of the 2016 run)—is REALLY gorgeous. Like…wow. Not so much on a beefcake level necessarily, but like…gorgeous man f-i-n-g-e-r-s-t-r-i-p-e-s acrobatics long legs strong back mmmmmmmm. (I cannot be more coherent than that, just…guh.)

(I do NOT keep up with this book for the plot. The plot is…sigh. Lackluster. And the characterization is…kind of generic. AND IT TOOK NIGHTWING #93—A CONTROVERSIAL YET IMO GROUNDBREAKING ISSUE—AND BASICALLY RE-DID IT IN A WAY I FIND FRANKLY PRETTY OFFENSIVE BOTH TO STORYTELLING IN GENERAL AND THE WAY IT TREATED THE ISSUES ORIGINALLY HANDLED IN THE COMIC. ANYWAY like I said, I’m shallow and into it for the pretty pictures. Also it’s DC, and my evergreen tag “comics are bad and I hate them” is evergreen for a reason.)

I’m certain that other people who follow me have better recs/suggestions, so if anyone who follows me has insight on Grayson or feelings about good Nightwing runs for (*cough*) 🍑-purposes and wants to chime in, feel free! Reblog, reply, whatevs!

(Just, you know…if you have STRONG feelings, try to remember the “don’t yuck someone’s yum” principle. Criticism/analysis+discussion is great, but I try to keep things not suuuuper OTT negative. I don’t want anyone to feel bad about liking things.)

(No yucking anyone’s yum unless it’s Tim Seeley writing Red Hood vs. Anarky. I will never be nice about that comic and nobody can make me.)

Hopefully you’ll get some better info, anon!

[drakenology]

Make Me. - Yuuji Itadori & Sukuna

summary: being the bratty little sub you are you push your boyfriend’s buttons until he makes you remember why you call him d*ddy.

warnings: smut! , mirror sex, dom!yuuji, sub!reader, bratty!reader, slapping, overstim, use of the word d*ddy in sexual context, male receiving oral, sukuna comin out to playyy, the sweetest aftercare ever 🥺, cussing of course and sukuna being mean (degradation)

author’s note: happy valentines day babies! I’m writing this as a gift for you guys as a thank you for your support and to celebrate valentines day! enjoy lovelies!

You have no idea why. No rhyme or reason how. But today, you awake in a very temperamental mood.

Poor Yuuji was just sleeping; snoring next to his beautiful, sweet and kind girlfriend. Well she was gone today. A bratty little snatch had arisen and it was about to become everybody’s problem. You were always such a good girl. Never started fights. Never really acted out. But today, you just felt like being the baddest you could be.

Yuuji being the perceptive boyfriend he is already knew you were being testy. He tried everything to make you feel a little better. He was so sweet; so caring and understanding. But you just would not budge.

“I have an idea. Let’s go out, hm? Get us some food? I know you’re hungry.” He coaxed, earning a nonchalant “whatever” from you. Yuuji just shrugged it off but the raging curse, Sukuna was in the back of his mind reeling him for letting you off so easy.

“You need to put that little brat in her place. If you keep allowing her to step all over you then I will take care of her.”

Yuuji just pushed his voice to the very back of his mind, hating having to punish you. Sukuna got a kick out it though; always urging Yuuji to hit you harder, fuck you faster. Even he himself found it absolutely tantalizing to see you submit yourself to him, completely helpless as he fucked you so hard that all you could do was lay there and take it. But still, hurting his precious baby was no easy feat. Fuck.

You and Yuuji spent rest of the day at the mall after you two ate; not a single conversation without ending in an argument. He was losing his patience with you, your bratty tendencies becoming such a pain in his side. What the hell was up with you?

You were walking through the mall with him, lazily holding his hand until you saw the biggest stuffed animal you’d ever seen. You wanted it; hell you needed that stuffie.

“Ooh! Look! Can I have it Yuuji? Please?” You pleaded, pointing at the stuffie through the display window.

“No, Y/N. We’re leaving. You got enough treats today.” He said.

“But I want it!” You persist.

“Drop it, Y/N. You’re really starting to get on my nerves. Let’s. Go.” Yuuji said sternly.

Your eye twitched in annoyance, ready to throw a fucking temper tantrum just because. You cross your arms and stand right in front of the store.

“Make me.” You tease, sticking out your tongue like a petulant child.

That’s it. You’ve done it. The straw that broke the camel’s back. Yuuji was livid at this point.

He raised his eyebrow and towered over your body, face close enough to kiss you.

“Oh I’ll fucking make you, alright.” He said, grabbing your arm and pulling you out of the mall with enough force to scare you straight.

Yet still you test him, cussing and screaming at him to let you go all. The way. To the car. Yuuji stops and pins you against the car, your back facing him and the same arm he held now folded behind you.

“When we get in this car, you’d better be quiet the whole way home or else.” He hissed, nearing himself close to your ear.

“Or else what?” You persist, immediately regretting it when Yuuji lifted up your skirt and yanked your panties down.

“You just don’t know when to quit do you? Get in the fucking car.” He snarled, pushing you towards the car door as he stuffed your panties into his pocket.

You stumble, struggling to get the door open as your legs tremble in devilish excitement. God he was being so rough. Maybe this is what you needed all along. You crawl into the car, becoming meek as Yuuji gets in the driver’s seat and slams the door.

“You know how much trouble you’re in? Huh?” His deep voice echoing in your ears as you stare down at your thighs, not answering him. Yuuji let out an aggravated growl and grabbed your chin, forcing you to meet his intense gaze.

“Got nothing to say now, princess? You had so much mouth earlier. What happened?” He chuckled darkly, slipping his hand between your legs to palm at your already wet pussy.

“You like talking back to me, don’t you? You’re gonna fucking get it.” He says as his hand reaches down to choke you while the other stuffs one meesely finger inside your weeping hole. You’re stifling your noise, panting lightly as you try to grind up against his hand until he stops his movements completely.

He completely pulls away and says nothing, starting the car and driving away. Your whole body is hot and needy for Yuuji to fuck you or even toy with you just for a little.

Should you risk touching yourself without permission? Should you just be good for once? All your thoughts leave your mind as Yuuji slips his hand back between your legs, this time using two fingers. You gasp, shocked at his sudden move until you look up and see you’re at a red light.

It felt so good; Yuuji’s fingers hooked deliciously to find that spot he knows drives you insane, urging you to rub your clit for good measure. It was all too much, your legs trembling as your pussy drooled all over his hands and the seat of his car. Your eyes were locked onto Yuuji’s fingers, losing focus quickly as you start to come undone.

Then he stopped. The light was green and Yuuji pulled away from you to drive once more. He made sure to lick his fingers and laugh at your dissatisfied face.

“Oh come on, don’t give me that look. We’re almost home.” He teased, your eyes tearing up as he snatched your hands away from your puffy clit. You whimper and try rubbing your thighs together to relieve the ache between your legs but no dice. You needed him to get you off now, or else you might just go off the deep end.

As the drive home went on you dreaded every light signal; hoping he’d catch every greenlight so you’d calm down, get your barings. But of course you weren’t getting off that easy. The light just before your block just had to turn red.

You could feel Yuuji’s eyes burning a hole in the side of your head, trying to close your legs before he could attack your cunt again. Of course you’re over powered by his strong hands, your thighs now split apart for his every so desire. He’s using three fingers now, demanding you rub your clit for him as he fucked you with his fingers.

Your pussy emitted the dirtiest noises, Yuuji groaning as you moan and writhe in the passenger’s seat. Your eyes were at the back of your head, begging and pleading for him to let you cum only for him to chuckle and stop again. You sob pathetically, tears threatening to fall as Yuuji started driving again.

“Now you wanna cry. Heh. Pathetic.” He spat, his mean words burning as you shamefully become feral at his insult.

The car slowed, signaling you were finally home as you pulled your skirt down to get out. Yuuji climbed out of the car without a word and led you inside, the tension so thick you could cut it with a sword. He shut the front door with a slam, lifting you up and throwing you onto his shoulder as if he were carrying a sack potatoes.

“I hope completely showing your ass today was worth it ‘cause now I’m gonna fucking ruin you.” He said, walking to the bedroom with you hanging over his shoulder like a rag doll. He opened the door and kicked it closed, slamming you onto the bed.

He was so angry you could see it in his pretty eyes. So angry that Yuuji just wasn’t Yuuji anymore, Sukuna’s tattoos taking form on his face and body as he stood over your now shaking body.

“Finally. I’ve been waiting to bring you to your knees, brat.” Sukuna says, his face pulling the most intimidating smirk you’d ever seen.

Only once in a blue moon you act out so badly to the point Sukuna gets tired of seeing you be let off so easily and takes over Yuuji. In fact, he’s the reason you only act out once in a blue moon. Sukuna was rutheless. The way he fucks you should be down right outlawed. Your body was always incredibly sore when he was finished with you.

“I’m tired of toying with you. Get on your knees. Now.” He demands, motioning you onto the floor. You oblige, sitting on your legs as Sukuna pulls you towards him by your hair. He rips off his shirt in true Sukuna fashion and pulls out his massive, heavy dick; the sight nearly making you drool as it slaps against his stomach. Yuuji had a nice dick but Sukuna- oh boy. Sukuna only enhanced his size, girth and length along with some of the most devine veins you’ve ever had the pleasure to have inside you.

“Open.” He said, forcing his length down your throat as soon as you do. You gag around him, forgetting how fucking huge he was. Sukuna laughed as he watched you struggle to take him all in, drool dripping down the sides of your mouth as he fucked your mouth. Your cheeks hallow with every thrust, eyes clouding with tears as he forcefully bobbed your head onto his dick.

“That’s right, slut. Suck my fucking dick like a good little whore.”

You blink away your tears and look up at him, sticking your tongue out to lick the underside of his dick as you reach your hand down and rub clumsy circles on your sensitive bud. Sukuna cussed and yanked you off of his cock, slapping you as you gasp. The sting fades into a strange pleasure you hadn’t felt in so long, the sensation going straight to your pussy. You had to admit being hit in bed was so wrong but so fucking right. Though Yuuji could never bring himself to hit you, Sukuna had no problem.

“Who said you could touch yourself? You ask me permission first, do you under fucking stand?” He barked. Sukuna paused waiting for your answer, his hand still holding your hair as he forced you to keep your eyes locked on his.

You nod, out of breath and mind hazy as Sukuna yanks your head back to spit in your mouth.

“So good when you listen, slut. Bend over in front of the mirror. I want you to see how fucking pathetic you are.”

You do as you’re told, crawling on your hands and knees towards the large full body mirror you convinced Yuuji to buy one day at the mall. Who knew you’d eventually be fucked in front of it? Sukuna made sure to say every demeaning and degrading word to you as he walked behind you while you crawled, kneeling down behind you once you get to the mirror.

Sukuna made his dominating presence known as he slapped his dick against your pussy, watching you flinch at his sheer girth. Sukuna grabbed your hair and pulled you up to face the mirror.

“Look at yourself. Such a fucking whore for us, hm? I think you owe us an apology.” Sukuna said rubbing the head of his dick against your needy pussy. You stutter, moaning as he prods himself at your entrance, Sukuna not moving a single muscle until he hears you beg for him.

“I-I-‘m sorry.” You breath out, Sukuna striking your ass hard in protest.

“Not good enough. Say it like you mean it.” He demands, his grip on your hair tight as he pushed himself just barely inside.

“Fuck! I-I said I’m sorry. Please, daddy. I need you. I’ll be good I promise.” You whimper, a sharp gasp leaving your mouth as Sukuna sunk himself deep inside you.

Your eyes lock onto Sukuna’s body in the reflection of the mirror, the tattoos all over his muscular body accenting his lightly tanned skin. Pink hair sticking to his forehead with sweat, eyes locked downward towards where you connected. You watched as his body rutted inside you with brute force. He was truly the most gorgeous thing walking. Even if he was inherently evil, the way he fucked you as if you meant nothing more to him than a cheap fuck was sickeningly addictive.

You’re a mess, panting and wailing filthy words as Sukuna fucked you with one leg propped up and the other kneeled on your side. He’s mumbling about how worthless you are, only fucking you this way because Yuuji just can’t do it without his help. Every long, deep thrust of his veiny cock sent your body ablaze; your orgasm violently approaching as you cry out for more.

“God, look at you. Crying for my dick. So pathetic.” Sukuna says clearly, the feeling of your pussy alone not enough to completely break him. He is a curse after all. Still, he sees why Yuuji loves you so much. If he had more control over his vessel, he’d be fucking you like this every night.

“G-Gonna cum, daddy! Please, please, please.” You gasp, digging your nails into the rug as he rocks his hips into you; harshly bumping his cockhead into your cervix. You inhale sharply, pain and pleasure mixing as your eyes flash white.

“I guess you can cum. Go on then. This body can’t last for shit anyway.” Sukuna shrugs, a little disappointed his time was almost up. Yuuji was fighting him for control over his body and Sukuna was losing his grip, his tattoos fading as Yuuji returned to finish the job.

You don’t notice the switch, your body stuck to the floor as your orgasm tears through your core. One final thrust and Yuuji was coating your insides with his cum, fucking it inside you with loud grunts as he smacked your ass one last time. You both sit there for a moment, your highs crashing down as you’re both out of breath and drained.

“Hey.” Yuuji said, only getting a weak “hm?” from your fucked out body.

“Was he too rough with you? I saw him hit you. I-I’m sorry I didn’t stop him.” Itadori explained, rubbing softly on your bruised ass, a huge hand print embedded into your left ass cheek. “God, you’re all bruised up. Stop being so bad, you hear me?”

“Y-Yuuji. ‘S okay.. I liked it.” You slur, words muffled slightly since your face was buried into the floor. Yuuji laughed nervously, pulling himself out of you; simultaneously whimpering with you at the feeling.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, huh?” Yuuji said, scooping you up off the floor and taking you to the bathroom. You smile into his shoulder, his strength still a shock to you as he effortlessly sat you on the edge of the bathtub. He said nothing, instead kissing every mark and bruise Sukuna left on your body as he drew your bath.

“I’m sorry I was such a brat today.” You say weakly, stepping into the water once it’s ready, grabbing Yuuji’s hand to get him to get in with you.

“Oh I know you are. I heard you apologize. Ah~ I said I’m sorry!” He mocked, laughing when you splash him with the bath water. He sat behind you, running the warm water down your bare back and grinning as you sigh and relax.

“Love you, Yuuji.” You say, leaning into his chest closing your eyes.

“I love you more, love bug.” Yuuji smirked, kissing your forehead as he continued to wash you up.

[wattpadscapcons]

I never sent a "character x reader" ask before, but I thought about headcanons of Utsuro with a reader who is the Ultimate Snowboarder

Interesting concept. Welp might as well take a crack at it. I have it so reader only sees him as having "Ultimate Luck" himself rather than Devine luck, so odd occurrences would only seem like coincidences.

=

Utsuro w/ Ultimate Snowboarder S/O

- If his hair was messed up before, it'll be even more when he has to remove the 4 layers of clothing you insisted he wear when stepping outside the ski lodge booked for your competitions

=

"Why do you always insist I wear this stuff? You know very well I'm not going to get sick."

"Like I'm going to risk you getting hypothermia..."

"Luck will-"

"Better safe then sorry. I'm not trusting your luck to keep you safe here....Utsuro, if I see you unzip that coat one more time I swear to God I will make you stay inside."

"You make that sound like a punishment."

=

- Let's be honest his luck would keep from freezing regardless but he likes that you still care about his wellbeing

- He may be banned from the events since every event he attends ends with you in first place regardless of how much effort you were putting into it

- You also have strangely stopped getting small injuries during the most dangerous of the events....

- He ended up trying your sport to see if he could get any type of enjoyment off of it

=

"It's just skateboarding with snow."

"Sort of? It's still more dangerous though."

"Can you get a high off of it?"

"Sometimes, theirs always something about doing anything at high speeds that can give you a sense of euphoria."

"I'll test that theory."

"That's not a good- HEY! THAT'S MY BOARD!"

"Worried I'm going to break it?"

"No... I mean you are the Ultimate Luck so I'm sure you'd be fine. I'd just rather you have your own board?"

"Fair enough..."

=

- The first 3 times were sort of fun, but he quickly got bored of it like most things

- The fact that he was better than you had you stunned, especially since he had never done it before

=

"How did you do that?"

"Hm?"

"The tricks. I know you have luck but HOW?!"

"I've seen you do it before. I wanted to do it and did it."

"That trick took me years to pull off right, seeing you do it in 5 minutes just.... it just seems so unnatural."

"The process really doesn't apply to me. Luck allows me to really whatever I want at any time."

"Ok...Was it at least fun?"

"Mm...It wasn't quite as boring as I thought it'd be."

"Well, that's better than usual. Wait where are you going?"

"Back to bed, wake me up when you're done playing in the snow."

=

- The chances of getting an injury while he's with your is about 0.01% (if he takes his eyes off of you during your event) but even with one, his power doesn't allow you to be in pain for very long

- If you tell him you're injured that is, but it'll still ended up being corrected regardless, even broken or strained limbs aren't an issue for you anymore

- Though there may be a chance of you being called a cheater by a fellow contestant, which his luck will also deal with if he happens to be close enough or can hear the argument

- Sometimes it will end up feeling like cheating, and those are the days you tell Utsuro he can stay in bed to which he seems "happy" just sleeping the day away until his luck forces him to get up and take care of himself

- Regardless of how he presents himself, you can tell he's happy when you win with or without his help

=

"Another victory for the board. Guess I can send this back for my parents to look at, it's not like I actually need it. Nor the money I won."

"When's the next one?"

"Next year."

"You're still dragging me to ski lodges to practice aren't you?"

"I'm not called an Ultimate if I don't practice."

"I know you'd still win even if you didn't."

".....You seem so sure of that."

"I have faith in your abilities."

"....I don't, besides I love doing this. You can always stay inside if the cold is bothering you."

"It's boring inside. I never have anything to do. Watching you seems more worth my time."

"I don't know how. While I do try to do something different everyday I know you yourself got bored with the sport itself."

"It's just because of you that I don't feel as bored."

"Well that would explain why you at least stay out for a little while before going back to bed. Glad I can keep your attention more than the Rubix cube you carry around."

"I didn't bring it. My focus should be on you right?"

"Since when did you know how to flirt with people?!"

"You're dodging the question."

[ask-paradox-and-friends]

(Cetrions turn [im sorry @hazawatsugu])

Tsugu: I've never heard of you.

Cetrion:do not worry child I am here now.

Tsugu:you being here is why I'm not relaxed.

--

Cetrion:Why come at me with anger?

Tsugu:YOUR BALANCE KILLED MY MOTHER!

Cetrion:a regrettable but necessary sacrifice.

--

Kaito:outer gods. How interesting.

Cetrion:how so child?

Kaito:you're more demonic then me. (Yes he's a demon ironic huh?)

--

Cetrion:you worship mortals?

Kaito:Bhudda and Jesus are more deserving then your sorry ass.

Cetrion:you dare child?

--

Pico:some god you are.

Cetrion:why assume I'm a false idol?

Pico:have you no shame?

--

Cetrion:you shot and killed your parents!

Pico:whoever they were they must have had it coming.

Cetrion:honor thy parents mortal!

--

Deku:you took my mother. You took my family.

Cetrion:it was the revanats that took their lives.

Deku:on the wrath of everyone who died I'll have you gutted!

--

Cetrion:your burns are a devine punishment for your sins.

Deku:oh piss off she-devil.

Cetrion:it seems you need a reminder.

--

Paradox:another day another bitch to beat.

Cetrion:you dare to fight me mortal?

Paradox:I dare to beat you with your brother's head!

--

Cetrion:your life is not a virtuous one.

Paradox:like yours was better.

Cetrion:I lived with virtues.

--

Sunblood:you? Not evil?

Cetrion:nature's equilibrium is not evil.

Sunblood:*laughs in disbelief*

--

Sunblood:as a boy I disregarded the idea of any gods existing.

Cetrion:as a man?

Sunblood:I disregard your titles.

--

Derail:you bask in light.

Cetrion:the light that burns shadows mortal.

Derail:sure. Whatever you say.

--

Cetrion:you have been forgotten to time.

Derail:unlike you I don't care.

Cetrion:you hold baravdo well.

--

Mai:4 down.

Cetrion:whatever do you mean?

Mai:4 'elder gods' dead. You'll be next.

--

Mai:so your hourglass can take immortality away?

Cetrion:it once took my powers.

Mai:*Giggling* OH HO HO! I SMELL A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY!

[ohara-n-brown]

Contractual Obligations - Yelena Belova x Fem!OC - Ch.2: Bargain

Summary: Carrying an artifact that can divide or unite nations, Yelena Belova is sent to Madripoor to extract one of Wakanda’s most wanted fugitives. Deserted in the City of Thieves, the two are united - and divided - by the realities of what they want to do and what they need to do to protect the things they love.

Chapter 2: Carrying an artifact with the weight of a nation in to one of the most dangerous countries in the world, Yelena and Devin find themselves face to face once more in Madripoor. -gif credits to @harleenz​ and @mel-is-so-awkward​ -

- This chapter has heavy spoilers for Falcon and the Winter Soldier ep.3 and onwards, taking place very shortly after Selby's death at the Brass Monkey. -

word.count: 3,888

♥️🕷Very proud of this one, let me know if you like 🕷♥️

Ao3 - Prologue - Chapter 1

_____________________________________________________

Bargain

America - 2023

"Wow," Valentina Allegra De Fontaine said, sitting back in her seat. "Wow. First strike on your record. How many years of 'widow'-ing and not one missed target? I mean, unless you count-"

"Fuck off." Yelena Belova said boredly. She looked around Val's lush, stuffy office, hidden somewhere in a building she probably only had guest clearance to.

"I'm just saying. A little motivation, if you will." Val chuckled, retrieving Devin James' file - this time, a little bit thicker. "A little punishment for all the paperwork. Anyway-" she sighed.

"Ever been to Madripoor?"

"You know I have." Yelena said. Once upon a time, once upon a mission, clouded by a haze in her memory. But Yelena didn't need mind control to know missions in Madripoor were often described as 'swift' and 'brief'. Lawlessness did that.

Madripoor was a playground for the rich and desperate alike.

"Good." Val said. "Devin James operates out of Madripoor as one of the Power Brokers 'big bads' on the streets. Defected there shortly after T'Chakka's death and well, the situation."

Yelena nodded. "Yes, yes, I know. The Civil War situation." she said. Natasha had explained it all to her, that night over drinks. Yelena had been tipsy the night they had decided to go after Dreykov, but it was one of her first crystal clear memories in years. Her and Nat.

Val snapped her fingers, sitting forward in her chair. "Yes." she said. "But not the Civil War you're thinking of."

Yelena frowned, head tilted in confusion. "What are you talking about-"

Val chuckled. "Come on, Do you really believe Wakandas is as peaceful as they make it out to be? Get real. Maybe you can ask her about it."

"No." Yelena firmly said. "Last time she almost caved my head in. She doesn't want to work for you. You can't force someone to work for you, Val."

For a second there was silence, and Val tilted her head at Yelena. "Oh?" Val asked, her eyes teasing in a way that skirted on the edge of malicious. For a moment, Yelena felt a fleeting feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. In the past it had been muffled, buried deep every other time she had felt it. And now, it was fresh, out in the open. Fear.

"Dreykov-" Val started.

"Fuck off." Yelena hissed again, looking anywhere but Val, in a futile attempt to stifle the feeling growing in her stomach. The thought alone made her want to vomit. Even the suggestion of it. Many people in the past had tried it. Hydra, Dreykov, there were probably even more. Soldiers and spies and warriors that had no control over what they were doing. And nights on her 42 acres, lying in bed, it had passed her mind: the fear that whatever operation Val was behind would tread there themselves.

For a moment, Val had won. The moment had passed so fast, but it left her feeling unsettled and gutted, even as Val chuckled. "That's not what we're doing though." Val assured her. "We're better than that."

"Are we?" Yelena scoffed, shaking her head. Val watched as the corners of Yelena's mouth tugged downward into a frown. "You tried to kidnap her-"

"We are." Val said confidently. "Plan A didn't go so well, maybe that's on me." she said, waving a gloved hand in the air. "Plan B. We Bargain." Val stood, rounding her desk, and Yelena turned to watch her.

"Bargain with what?"

"This," Val said, pulling a black secured case from a filing cabinet. The case could've been anything, about the size of a necklace case and twice the thickness, nondescript without so much as a S.W.O.R.D logo. Val sat back in her chair. She entered the four-digit code on the side before setting it on the desk between the two of them.

The front of the case opened on it's own, spilling purple light out with it. Yelena sat forward, peering inside.

"Wow." she said, unsure if she was supposed to be impressed with what she was looking at. "Why didn't we lead with this? Before she got the chance to bite me?"

"Because," Valentina chuckled, and she seemed so proud of herself. "Why would we give this up if we didn't have to?"

______________________________________________________

Madripoor - 2023 

"So, How are you liking the place?"

Selby's hideout above the Brass Monkey Saloon was just a hair short of what Devin would classify as 'classy'. It was in the Madripoorian style, shrouded in darkness and indulgence. The couches were leather, the lights neon, and the stench of alcohol and nicotine. Devin twirled her stool at the empty bar, checking out the studio alone.

"Leave it to you to wait until someone dies for you to give me a promotion." Devin snickered, and she could hear the Power Broker sigh on the other side of the phone. "Funny how an Avenger shows up in Madripoor and suddenly you're calling me just a bit more."

"Humble yourself," Sharon warned. "It's simply a matter of vacuum. Selby made a very big mistake disclosing what she did to 'Falcon' and our Russian friend. She paid for that mistake. It just so happens you got to cash out too. Be grateful."

Word of the Winter Soldier had swept into Madripoor like a storm, a face somehow everyone knew but no one wanted to see in person. Devin herself had even gotten the bounty alert the moment Selby had been killed. A bounty of thousands of bitcoins a head.

Devin sighed, staring at Selby's faded bloodstain on the floor. "Yeah, grateful." As if babysitting the Brass Monkey was such an honor. As if this was the kind of place she wanted to be running an operation from.

"Listen. You wanted a place for you and your Wakandan defectors, you have it. Don't say I never did anything for you. The security there is better than most, given the location. Just keep it clean this time, will ya?" Sharon told her.

"Hey." Devin warned.

"There should be a security panel and panic button under the bar right next to a semi-automatic. If there's a situation downstairs, the red light will blick, if it's a security breach, the blue light will. You'll know before it gets to you." Sharon said.

Devin scooted her chair back, leaning down to look up under the bar.

"Do you see it?"

Devin squinted. "Yeah," she groaned, eyeing the red and blue alarm lights and the panic button affixed next to the gun.

"I'd check the clip if I were you. Unsure if Selby pulled it or not. Other than that, you should be good to go." Sharon told her.

Devin stood, strolling around to survey the place for any damage. Aside from the fixed window where the sniper shot that had taken out Selby, it was at the very least passable.

"Thanks, Sharon. I mean it." Madripoor was the land of the lawless, the place of the most famous and the most forgotten people. But it was a home for the homeless and a nation for the nationless. Contrary to popular belief, Madripoor was home to a small network of Wakandan defectors. Most - not all - of them were of the Jabari tribe, fleeing through the mountain border into Nigeria shortly after the civil unrest following T'Chakka's death.

Her tribe. Her people.

It was no surprise that a place like Madripoor called to those who had once called Wakanda their home. Not everybody wanted to live under a king. No matter how great or how gratuitous.

At least now they had here. A gaudy shithole above the Brass Monkey Saloon. But it was better than nothing. It was better than monarchy.

"You'll make it up to me." Sharon assured her, and Devin didn't doubt it.

"Uh-huh," Devin told her. "Call you later."

Devin returned to the bar, knowing that the longer she stood around, the quicker she'd forget about checking the clip. She returned to the bar, squatted under the counter once more, going to slip the 9mm from its holster. Except this time, something caught her eye.

This time the security light was blinking blue.

Devin hesitated. For a second, she didn't believe it. There was a moment where she weighed the difference between an underreaction and an overreaction. To be better safe than sorry. She took the gun, checking the clip and flipping the safety off.

"It's always something, isn't it?" she mumbled to herself. The Power Broker could secure a whole island, but not find her someplace that couldn't be broken into.

Devin tucked herself behind the bar, holding her breath as she waited for the threat to present itself.

And unsurprisingly, She didn't have to wait long. Her warning was a gentle one, so much so she nearly missed it: the gentle tinkering of metal against metal, a door's lock being picked. Devin leveled her sights on the door.

"Think I'm still a good shot through a door?" She called, a warning of her own. She half expected an opportunistic burglar, intent on picking through Selby's leftovers - or worse - A jaded Flag Smasher looking to sniff a trail. Instead, she got sass.

"I don't know." Yelena said. "I know I damn sure am."

Of course it was the Russian, of course it was. Devin groaned, rubbing her face for a second, before she said, "I hope you hate your job. Open the door."

"Can you promise you won't shoot me?" Yelena asked.

"Yeah, if you don't give me a reason to."

Yelena weighed the odds of it, and after a moment, the lock clicked open. The blonde girl opened the door and slid into the room, hands raised and a smirk on her face. "Don't shoot the messenger." she said.

Devin didn't want to seem surprised. The agent looked different than she had in Amsterdam, out from under the cover of darkness in her shitty apartment and into the neon lights of Madripoor. Her blonde hair was tied up into ponytails, one over the other, and this time, she wasn't in a spy suit. In fact, she looked like any woman her age in Madripoor, dressed in a jacket and jeans, her ring-covered fingers gripping a black case.

Devin moved from behind the bar, gun still trained, and yet, the girl didn't seem to be very phased. "What's your name?" Devin asked her.

"Yelena."

"Well, Yelena. I'm starting to consider this stalking. I'm going to need you to give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now."

Yelena snorted, raising an eyebrow at her. "Come on," she said. "Are you serious?" And yet, she can tell Devin was very, very serious. "Don't you want to hear what I have to say?"

"Last time, you tried to sedate me-" Devin argued.

"Yeah, and it didn't work." Yelena pointed out. "So what would be the point?"

Devin scanned her face. There was truth in there somewhere, she just couldn't find it. "So what's next? Asking didn't work, kidnapping didn't work. What's next? Mind control?" she scoffed.

Yelena sighed, and Devin watched as the corners of her lips tugged downwards into a dissatisfied frown. "No," Yelena said, trying to rub the stress from between her brows. "We don't do that."

"So what do you do?" Devin asked.

"Bargain." Yelena raised the small black case, waving it in Devin's direction. "I come bearing gifts."

Devin rolled her eyes, and when she chuckled, it was more out of offense than anything. She lowered the gun. "What makes you think you have anything that I want?" she asked, tilting her head. "Val has no idea why I do what I do. What makes you think you can bribe me?" That they had anything they could hold over her head?

Yelena tilted her head right back at her. "Maybe not, but Val knows why you did what you did." she said. "Why you came here." And this is where her and Devin diverged. Devin was a warrior, taught to fight and protect and nothing more. Spies, widows like Yelena fought in much more abstract fields much more often. They fought in lies and influences and secrets.

Val had given her strings to pull, and Yelena would pull and pull until Devin unraveled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Devin challenged, her brown eyes narrowing.

Yelena had a hunch, but it was one she knew to be solid, and if it was a shot in the dark, it was one she'd take. "The civil war in Wakanda." she said.

The change in Devin's face was visible. Her grip tightened on the gun. Yelena could see in Devin the feeling she herself had felt many times before, the feeling she had felt there back in Val's office. Fear. Dread. Unearthing something that had been buried with haste, something too painful to look at.

"You were in the royal guard, T'Chakka died, and things went south." Yelena said. "You're a refugee, aren't you?" And she didn't truly realize it until she had said the words out loud.

Devin was in disbelief. Her sights waivered, and she watched as Yelena grinned, almost sympathetically. "How the hell do you know about that?" she asked breathlessly, anxiety stirring in her stomach.

"Val told me. She told me to ask you about it. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could help you." Yelena said, and slowly, she sat down on Selby's tacky couch across from her.

Devin glared at her, seething, and Yelena held her hands up. "Hey," she said gently. "I don't have to be the bad guy here. You and your friends here, maybe we can work something out."

Devin scoffed, but nonetheless she sat across from Yelena, setting her gun on the table between them. Yelena did the same, setting the black case down on the tabletop.

Times like this weren't easy. Negotiating, weaseling, lying. It wasn't something Yelena particularly liked. At the worst of times, she longed for the days when she wasn't the one doing it. It was easier when the lies were pre-written in her head, when guilt and worry were stifled and muffled somewhere in the back of her mind.

Yelena didn't like controlling people.

She unlocked the case, but instead of opening it, she rotated it to face Devin. Devin's stomach sank. A part of her didn't want to open it. She didn't want Val to be right. She didn't want to give them the power or the satisfaction, but it wasn't like she had a choice.

She unlatched the top of the case and from there it opened on its own, the two doors sliding aside with ease. Purple light spilled from it, what Devin recognized as UV, and inside sat a glass slide containing a scientific sample. A sample of a leaf.

Devin covered her mouth to muffle a gasp. Her chest seized with sorrow, with a mix of panic and dread she didn't think she'd ever felt before. Yelena frowned, her brow furrowed in confliction as she watched Devin close her eyes and a tear roll down her cheek.

For a minute, Devin didn't say anything.

"Can I touch it?" she whispered. Yelena nodded. It occurred to her at that moment the weight she had, what exactly she was carrying on her shoulders.

Devin reached into the case, taking the glass slide of the leaf. She held it like it was sacred, holding it up to the light to see it's detail. But it was futile, a sick attempt to prove herself wrong. But she knew what it was. Every Wakandan did.

It was a picture plastered in every Wakandan textbook, on every official seal. It was what nations and monarchies were built on.

The leaf of the Heart-Shaped Herb.

When Devin spoke again her voice was small, weakened by the shock of it all. "Do you know what this is?" she asked, and when Yelena nodded, Devin shook her head. "No. Do you know what this means to me? What this leaf- what it means to my people? Why do you have it?" she asked, tears in her eyes. Devin set the slide back down, terrified her shaking hands would drop it or shatter it.

"Val knows exactly how much it means to you. She wouldn't have sent me if she didn't." Yelena said, and the sympathy in her green eyes made Devin's stomach turn.

"T-this shouldn't exist. If you are telling me this leaf comes from a living Heart-Shaped Herb that Val has...it shouldn't exist." Devin insisted. "Killmonger ended the lineage. It ends with T'Challa. No more herb, no more Black Panther, no more monarchy. That's why he did what he did. That's what KillMonger died for. You can't tell me that...that some bureaucratic colonizer has a plant that could liberate my people overnight." she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "That she's just keeping it in a lab somewhere when people are there suffering. Dying. Don't tell me that."

Yelena closed her eyes. More than anything, she wanted to apologize to her. She wanted to tell Devin she was sorry. It had been months, years, since Yelena had last felt like a pawn. Like a weapon. But she did now.

She thought she was better than that. She had gotten better than that. It had been years since she was that girl back in the alleyway in Morocco, neutralizing a non-threat that craved nothing more than freedom.

Yelena didn't have it in her to string Devin along. Something told her she didn't need that much convincing. "She says there's more. That something could be arranged. You don't have to wait in hiding. You can do something." Yelena said, sitting forward. She tried to meet Devin's eyes, even as the taller girl looked away, shaking her head.

"So that's what this is," Devin said. "You're not bargaining. You're blackmailing me is what you are."

"Listen, please." Yelena pleaded, and she took a shaky breath. Her thoughts jumbled over themselves, racing each other and filling up her head. Even after her few years of freedom, the feeling would still overwhelm her sometimes, robbing her of her words before she even thought them. Yelena didn't know why she was so desperate, why she wanted to help this girl. Maybe it was because she was the only one who could.

"I know what it's like to leave your home behind and not know when or if you're coming back. I know what it's like to leave, in the middle of the night and not know what's going to happen." Yelena said, the curve of her accent thickening as the emotion flooded her chest. "And I know what it's like to not be able to do anything about it." Yelena shrugged, and her gaze dropped to the floor.

It was not the fear, but the homesickness that united them. It was a freedom both of them would never know: returning home.

"The home I grew up in doesn't exist anymore. It's over. I can't change that." Yelena said. "Yours still exists." And if Yelena had been given the chance to go home, to go back to her house in Ohio, to her kindergarten teacher of a sister, she would have. She would do anything.

Devin looked up at her, and she wiped the tears from her own face.

Looking at Yelena, having heard what she had said, it scared Devin that the offer didn't sound insane. The offer, working for Val, it sounded like a sacrifice. Like a necessary evil. Like something bigger than the both of them could ever imagine. She hated herself for believing Yelena and for considering it. But she did.

And then the phone rang. Yelena froze. It disrupted the thickness in the air, and Devin hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath.

The screen on Devin's phone read 'PB.'. Sharon.

Devin looked up at Yelena, and when her eyes met hers she couldn't hold it for more than a moment. "My boss." She sniffled. It seemed as if just thinking about her summoned her presence. That's how things were in Madripoor.

Devin picked up the phone with shaking hands, accepting the call. "Hello?"

"We have infiltration. Sources have spotted Dora Milaje in Lowtown, Madripoor. I think they're making their way to you-" Sharon said, voice hurried and muffled by wind. She sounded as if she were on the move, panicked herself, but Devin could barely hear the words that came next.

"I don't know how long you have, Dev. But they're deep, I'd go ghost." In her ear, Sharon's voice was shallow and distant, and Devin mumbled a 'thanks' before ending the call promptly.

Slowly, she set the phone down on the table. Yelena looked at her.

"You know," Devin said slowly, a grin coming to her face. "I knew you were talented, but wow." she chuckled.

"What-" Yelena started, closing the case in front of them once more.

"Exactly how much of that just now was a lie?" Devin asked, narrowing her eyes at Yelena. "That's your play?"

Yelena sat back, blinking in surprise, and she held her hands up. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" she insisted. Standing, Devin snatched the gun from the tabletop, and for a moment, Yelena expected the darker girl to go for the herb's sample. Yelena grabbed the case and she stood, but she didn't go for the gun in her holster. She was hoping she wouldn't need to. This didn't need to resort in death if it didn't need to.

"The Dora Milaje, you led them right to me, didn't you? So all of that 'home' speech, trying to hold me off, huh? Real good." Devin told her.

The color drained from Yelena's face. She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her hands over her face. "Blyat'!" she cursed, in what Devin could only assume to be Russian. "No, this isn't what we wanted-"

"Give me the sample." Devin demanded, gun trained on Yelena. Because it was easier to do it on her own. A sample was enough. She could find a way to synthesize it here in Madripoor, to dilute the pool, and so that way, it would be truly free. For everyone. "Give me the sample because I really, really don't want to make you." And it was the truth. They both knew it was the truth.

Devin didn't even know if she could.

Her finger grazed the trigger, and everything in her told her to shoot. But it was instinct that took over when she saw what she had out of the corner of her eye. It was instinct that made her call Yelena's name.

"Yelena!" Devin shouted, and she dropped the gun, shoving Yelena back. The both of them fell back into the couches just as a spear, gold and Vibranium-silver, impaled itself into the wall between them, sharp and silent.

It was one Devin could recognize anywhere. One she had trained with and wielded herself.

The spear of a Dora Milaje.

Devin froze. Yelena saw it in the way she clammed up, unable to tear her eyes away from the weapon. She could see the dread in Devin's brown eyes.

"Did you think you could go so far that we could not find you?" Ayo asked, stepping into the room. "D'ewe."

__________________________________________________

A/N: *- D'ewe is Devin's Wakandan name

This chapter was a beast to write, but I'm so so happy with it (or happy to be done with it lol). I'm really excited to get into the Dora Milaje and Wakandan aspects of where I'm going with this. Sorry if this is really convoluted. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I appreciate it!