#especially the little ice block she has surrounding her

[phantomkapok]

illusion of safety

[gallusrostromegalus]

Does the weather in the Soul Society differ from that in the world of the living? As in, are there never Thunderstorms in the Seireitei because of the barrier? Are weather phenomena chased by the environment or by Kami and spirits or both? Do Zanpakutō influence the weather with their releases? As in, it stays frosty for a long while after Hyōrinmaru or there's a storm for a while after Sasakibe?

The weather in soul society is broadly better that in the living world because they don't have global warming, but often specifically worse because there are Kami and Zanpakuto other weird things wandering around doing unlicenced meteorology.

It's why Zaraki's mom has the position and title she does. She Who Rules The Sky By The Mandate Of Heaven was appointed to her job by Nobody Themselves because Shinso had told him that some of the Kami were getting rowdy and causing calamities. At least some disturbance is key for any environment, but this was excessive, so Nobody chose The Great Firebird, daughter of Wind and Flame and still burning with divine power despite being totally of the spiritual plane, to make sure things didn't get Too Rowdy. Being eagles, her brother Kikoo is only about two thirds her size and simply not in the necessary weight class.

The Seireitei in particular has fucked up weather, but not because of the barrier. It only filters out things above a specific threshold of spiritual power, so birds and clouds and spiders or whatever can pass through uninterrupted. Seireitei has fucked weather because it's:

1. A city, a thing that get notably hotter than the surrounding area

2. The only elevated feature for dozens of miles on a large flat plain

3. Is full of weather-effecting Zanpakuto.

The first two features lead to the Seireitei getting way more thunderstorms than the surrounding area- clouds catch on the city mount and heat spike, and release their rain and thunder. It also gets more intense blizzards for the same reason.

Zanpakuto, especially powerful ones with Bankai can effect the weather in say, their district of the city, but Seireitei is HUGE and Hitsugaya training in the 10th won't change the weather in the 7th (as much as Komamura wishes it would), but it will dry things out in the 11th, something Yumichika bitchea about loudly while applying more lotion.

The way elemental Zanpakuto effect the weather is somewhat counterintuitive though:

Hyorinmaru and other ice Zanpakuto suck a lot of ambient moisture out of the air for their attacks, or cause it to freeze out of the air into frost, so the air around the Hitsugaya and Rukia tends to be kind of dry.

Ryujin Jakka and Haineko can often increase the humidity because the rise in temperature will make any standing water evaporate. Until a certain point when they dry things out again by sheer heat pushing all the moisture into the stratosphere. Yamamoto often makes a little cumulonimbus over wherever he's training.

Electrical Zanpakuto are actually really important for weather mitigation, since setting off a lightning bolt on command is a lot safer than waiting for a random bolt to hit who knows where, and doing so reduces the overall ionization. Part of the reason Sasakibe gets along so well with Yamamoto is that the heat of Ryujin Jakka ionizes the air for Gonryomaru, making the latter's strikes more powerful.

Water Zanpakuto are a mixed bag. Some pull moisture from the air like ice Zanpakuto do, but others bring their own with them. Minazuki tends to make things humid because she has a body made of flesh that drinks water (Unohana frequently has to take her to the beach so she can drink and soak) and respirates it back out. Miss Fish can fog up windows for blocks around in under an hour just by breathing.

Wind Zanpakuto like Kazeshini aren't nearly as effective at changing weather as they are at combat, simply because it takes so much less energy to fuck with the volume of air in someone's lungs than it does the MASSIVE volume of a cloud.

[lixiebokie]

chocolate and ice cream

footballer! jake x reader

genre: very fluffy, reader is slightly insecure and has a big obvious crush on jake, use of she/her

not proof read cuz cba

even with no interest of football the girls still chose to stay back on a friday afternoon to watch the game along with the rest of school. she could have been at home but she wasn’t complaining, watching the team run around the pitch while having no clue what was going on left some sort of excitement. she loved the team aswell. especially jake, she liked watching jake.

in the end they’d won which wasn’t surprising with how often they win but still she was happy for them, and also happy to get home. her best friend had ran up to her boyfriend before she could get a sight on her. either she could walk by herself or have the risk of being the third wheel of them.

she chose the first option. her house wasn’t far from school and it was summer so the sunshine felt nice on her skin. the walk by herself might be relaxing. someone stopped her before she could leave the gates. a taller, more built person. halting her by putting his hands in a stopping motioning and walking backwards.

“jake, congrats!” jake pushed his hair back smiling. the sun was in his eyes and he was trying his best to block it without looking agitated.

“thanks,” he looked around. “where you going?”

“home.” she answered. y/n was slightly confused why he was asking a silly question when it was obvious where she was going. but she also couldn’t help the blush on her cheeks as she got to speak to him.

“um, we’re heading out hee’s diner. you in?” she thought for a moment. the risk of being a third wheel of heeseung and her best friend wasn’t as big if jake was there. and jake was going to be there. was there really another answer.

“um sure.”

“great!” he smiled big showing his bright smiled. he began walking back towards a group of people, the rest of the team.

“found her!” he shouted to her friend. skipping back to his friends to join in their playful fighting.

maybe jake didn’t want her there. it seemed like her friend might have budge y/ns way into their celebration with her girlfriend card. knowing her she’d done it because jake was there. but at the end of the day, it wasn’t a date. it was a celebration for the team. her friends. this was not about her.

heeseungs family had owned the diner for a little over a decade. she wasn’t there for the opening but had been introduced first year of high school when her friends crush on heeseung had become. they would come after school everyday for a hot chocolate in the winter time but also so her friend could find a chance to talk to heeseung.

that’s also the time she’d met jake. she’d began leaving one afternoon because heeseung had invited them to hang out in the back. she had declined, this would give her friend an opportunity to be alone with heeseung. upon her exit she bump into a boy who was entering, it was jake. she had always wished she’d stayed that night. they had only given each other a small smile but as time went on it became a greeting then into conversation.

quickly taking their table the group surrounding a small sized table near the kitchen. her friend and heeseung had dibs seats futher way from the windows and jake and pushed into the other side of the booth with one of his friends either side.

y/n stood awkwardly. she wasn’t particularly close with any of them except her friend, and the two boys. she felt herself moving futher away as the boys got louder and laughed harder.

“hey, someone let y/n sit down.” jake had took notice pushing jay out the way to show them her discomforted face.

“you’re squishing her with your fat asses. sunghoon move.” her friend swatted her hand around.

she awkwardly sat next to jake giving a shy smile then looking down at her lap.

“im gonna go see my mum.” heeseung stood and began pushing out of the booth. “you want anything?”

the boys began listing their orders. “do you want anything?” jake asked in a whisper.

she shook her head at him.

“not even a burger?” she shook again.

“you want to share my waffel?” she could see her friend eyeing her in the corner of her eye. “she’s never been one to request an order. that would be so cute wouldn’t it y/n?”

she looked between them before focusing on jake.

“yeah, sure.”

“get some waffles.” he shouted over to heeseung. “and y/ns wants a milkshake.” heeseung sent a thumbs up before walking into the kitchen. she turned to jake sending a look. he didn’t return in instead giving a playful wink.

she hadn’t been alright after that. jake had asked her a few question of what she was doing after school or if she had any plans for summer. but all her answers were short and quite. jake had flustered her to the point she physically could not look at him in the eyes resulting to his lap or the table. their food had come and jake cut the waffel in half for her. he begun eating his but eyed her as she moved her side around the plate mixing it into the chocolate and ice cream placed on the side.

“you alright?” he asked placing down his fork. his voice was low as his friends got louder.

“yeah fine, just a little late to be eating isn’t it?” jake hummed in agreance. it had gotten darker and she have been home by now.

she wasn’t enjoying herself she wasn’t going to lie but being around jake made her not want to leave.

jake picked up her fork stabbing her mushed side and halfing it. he raised it up until it was at her mouths level. she was confused but opened her mouth enough until the food could enter. he pulled the fork back putting it on the table infront of her. “couldn’t waste a good waffle.” he picked up her milkshake and went to feed it to her like he had done with the waffle but she spotted a few of his friends eyes on her. instead she grabbed the glass off him taking a sip.

jake finished up his waffel collecting the last of the chocolate sauce of the plate with his index finger. she watched as he smeared his finger around licking it off his finger. he pulled his finger up once last time collecting the last of it. going to put it in his mouth then quickly wiped it on the side of her face.

she gasped playfully playfully hitting jake while desperately trying to rub it off her cheek. he stayed laugh giving her no help except passing her tissues.

“gosh you’re too funny to annoy.”

“well i hope you found that funny because.” she looked around spotting the melted ice cream on his side of the plate.

she picked some copying jake’s actions of collecting it with one of his fingers and dripped it along his upper lip. a white stripe tracing just beneath his nose imitating a moustache.

instead of showing a reaction like she had, he simply liking it up with his tongue. she frowned as he began laughing once again. “you’re no fun.” she groaned as he wiped the rest the the excess tissues he’d given her.

“do you mind if i have a sip the waffle is quite sugary?” jake asked. she nodded handing the glass back to him and searching for a spare straw. he hadn’t given her time, his lips surrounding the straw she had just been using. she watched as he took a gulps and dropped it back down.

“heeseungs mum is the best isn’t she?”

it was about time she left. everyone was too loud she was tired and the stunt jake had just pulled left her stunned. luckily a call from her father gave her an excuse to ignore what had just happened and instead give her a reason to leave.

leaving the diner the air had gotten colder and her dad was parked around the corner. someone had followed her out after she bidded her goodbyes.

jake walked with her. his hands in his pockets as he watched her moving along.

“so what are you doing tomorrow?”

she shurgged looking up to him. “nothing exciting.”

“maybe we could meet up? just the two of us?” she stopped turning to him with a confused look. “well i could tell you weren’t enjoining the rodey atmosphere and well i couldn’t talk to you as much as i wanted to.” he kicked his feet around. “so i was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere. we can decide were ever you want so just have a think?”

she smiled up to him, trying to keep her panicking down.

“yeah i would like to..”

“great, i’ll text you.” she had expected jake to walk back towards the diner but instead he leaned down softly leaving a kiss on her cheek.

“i’ll see ya.”

did jake just ask her on a date?

🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶

[youngbloodlisk]

parade day - enhypen bias x reader, fluff

the bias isn't actually in it all that much, but just like trust me lol

applicable for any enha member, no name stated, though if you feel it's a bit ooc for your member of choice to say certain things feel free to alter it a little in your own mind to make it fit better!

I shiver, feeling like an ice block from the inside out, despite the amount of layers on my body and the hot drink in my gloved hands.

I breathe out air warmer than my surroundings, granting me the appearance of a steam cloud coming from my mouth.

As I take a drink from my paper cup, I can't help but wonder to myself why Thanksgiving has to be in November. And why parades have to be outdoors. And why I had to be here so early in the morning just to stand here for hours.

Then, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Not just a generic vibration, but the custom vibration that he set for himself on my phone. 'So I always know it's him before I even look.'

⁃ how's the crowd

He's such an ass. He's currently inside, waiting for the staff to tell him to go out and board the float. Inside. He's inside. In the heat.

⁃ cold, dick. how's the nice warm heated building 🤩

⁃ lovely, thank you.

⁃ no but fr ur not too cold right? you have jackets on?

⁃ i can send someone to u with my jacket if u need it

⁃ did you get the drink u said u we're gonna get?

⁃ yes yes yes I have jackets I have my drink im fine lmao

He might be kind of an ass but he's so sweet.

⁃ ok good.

⁃ only a few hours!

⁃ after we pass by the main part you can leave baby

⁃ ik you said you were gonna wait around for me but you don't have to

⁃ I don't need you freezing your ass off

⁃ THAT would be tragic. r.i.p. ass

I can't help but roll my eyes.

⁃ you're such a perv

⁃ woah rude!

Instead of responding, I slide my phone back into my pocket. I don't really have anything else to say at the moment. If I tell him straight up that I WILL be waiting until the end of the parade for him, he'll just whine about how I don't have to.

And now I stand. And wait...

And I waited for about 5 hours. We had to be here at 4:30 in the morning, both for him to get where he needed to go with his members and for me to get an absolutely prime spot in the crowd. The parade didn't actually start until about 9:30.

It's not every day that your boyfriend performs in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Longest five hours of my life, but whatever. He better not mess up the choreography after all this shit or I'm gonna be pissed.

Not really, it would actually be pretty funny. But the point is- this is pretty exhausting. Especially since I'm here all by myself.

Other members have partners, but they either couldn't come out for the parade or they don't like me. Not kidding, they seriously just don't like me that much. But that's okay! I don't particularly like them either. Anyways, all that resulted in me being here alone, without anybody to talk to to pass time.

But whatever. Whatever! It's over. The agonizingly boring five hours is over, and the parade is finally starting.

The float I'm really here for is a few floats and balloons back, but the parade feels like it moves quickly, so it doesn't seem to take very long at all.

The big Baby Shark float approaches and I see him already trying to find me in the crowd.

"Excuse me, could my daughter stand in front of you? Just for this performance?" A woman asks from behind me. I look next to her and see a young girl, probably about 10 or 11, holding a picket with my boyfriend's face on it.

She looks like this is the best day of her life. She isn't even looking at me, like she doesn't even care if she has the best view of the group. Just being here and seeing them is enough to fill her with pure joy.

"Of course! Of course she can!"

"Oh, thank you so much." She prompts her daughter to move forward as I scoot back a bit to make room for her. "She loves these boys, she's been talking about it for days. Thank you."

"It's no problem at all." I turn my attention to the young girl. "Is he your favorite?" I point to her picket.

She nods, excitedly.

"He's so pretty."

"He really is. He's my favorite too."

I look up again, seeing that he's still trying to find me. I wave with all my might, willing him to spot me, and soon enough he does. As soon as I have his attention, I frantically point to the girl who is now holding her picket up and waving at him. He leans down a bit to indicate that he's changed his attention to her as he smiles, waves at her, and sends a hand heart in her direction.

She squeals and jumps up and down.

"He saw me!! He saw me!! Mama, he saw me!! He gave me a heart!"

The cute little girl continues to freak out, making me worry slightly that she might just explode, as the float stops and the guys climb down, getting ready to perform.

There was some benefit to getting here so early. The performances are all directly in front of me (and this little girl, who I feel some level of community with at the moment.)

The hosts finish up their introductory stuff about the float, the movie, and the group, and the Baby Shark music begins to play (soon transitioning into the Keep Swimmin' Through tune.)

I watch him intently, full of pride for him and his success with the group.

I know he can't entirely take this seriously. It's a song for a Baby Shark movie. It's not like it's the most serious of performances in the first place. But I also know that deep down he can't believe he's here either. He can't believe he's doing this. He'd probably agree to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star acapella if it meant he got to be in such a big event that few kpop groups have been in.

The group does a great job. Of course they do. None of them mess up the choreography, so I remain not pissed off. (Lol)

After the performance, they simply walk off next to the float, but my boyfriend makes sure to send a quick flying kiss to both me and the little Engene in front of me before leaving the main square.

"He saw me again!!" She squeals.

"That's great, honey!" Her mother says before whispering to me, "Do you know that boy or something? He seemed to know you?"

I laugh a bit.

"Yes, ma'am. He's my boyfriend."

"Oh my! Oh, you must be very proud of him."

"You have no idea."

The rest of the parade is uneventful, just nice entertainment.

When it ends, I say goodbye to the little Engene and her mom, and seek out a heated place as fast as possible. I'm finally able to find a store nearby that is both open and not too busy. I wait in that store until my boyfriend is released from his duties and able to text me where to find him.

When I finally do leave and find him, he hugs me tighter than usual and holds on longer than usual.

"Are you alright?" I ask, slightly concerned.

"So cold. You're so warm."

I laugh, though I understand. I have to pry him off of me, taking a second to kiss his cold lips.

"You guys did great. Was it fun?"

"Yeah, it was. Less fun though and more just... just a really crazy experience."

"I bet. Did you see a lot of Engenes throughout the parade?"

"Yeah! A lot more than I expected. They really showed out. That little girl in front of you was adorable."

"You're her bias, and I think your heart and kiss made her entire day. Month. Life, possibly."

"Well, I wouldn't have seen her and made her entire life if it wasn't for you."

He takes my hands and pulls me close to him, bringing his face near to mine.

"It really is all thanks to me, isn't it? Technically, maybe /I/ made her entire life. You were just the tool."

"Mhm, mhm. Sure..." He trails off, pressing his lips into mine in a much deeper way than the short kiss earlier.

I feel a warmth run through my body, like the warmth of his kiss is being injected into my veins.

He cuts it off suddenly, staying close enough for his lips to still brush against mine. We utter a sentence each before resuming the kiss.

"Thank you for coming and standing out in the cold just for me."

"Baby, I'm so proud of you."

[honeycrispjamz]

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

The moon hangs high in the black sky, the smell of burnt wood and ash lingering in the cold air. They are only a few feet away from the decay of their home, their salvation, and Natalie knows they’ll have to relocate soon, especially since the ragging fire has finally fizzled out. She plays with the idea of moving towards the mountains, or retreating to the bank of the lake, but ultimately decides she will choose in the morning when her head isn't spinning.

For now, she looks out across the pile of tangled bodies and blankets, observing. Tai and Van cling to each other desperately, and Natalie vaguely remembers pictures of Pompeii in her textbook surrounded by drawn-in dicks and blacked-out text. Figures frozen in ash, only an imprint left behind. Their hands are clasped together, and Natalie wonders who's holding on tighter. 

Shauna’s next to them, her back pressed flush against Tai’s— her brows furrows while she sleeps, then relaxes. In her arms is Jackie’s dress, the bottom full of dirt and ash. She still holds it close, and it feels like an invasion of privacy for Natalie to see this, even now. But she brushes the feeling aside and tells herself at least Shauna is safe for tonight. Safe and close. Lottie lies next to Shauna on the frozen ground, and she has managed to become a beacon of heat for five other girls. Mari’s face is in the crook of Lottie’s bruised shoulder, Gen wrapped around Mari’s back like moss on stone. Melissa rests against Lottie’s chest, pink hat faded and tearing around the brim. Akilah drapes across the front of Lottie’s body, her face close to Melissa’s, fingers tangled in Lottie’s faux-fur jacket.

 Akilah is so young compared to the girls around her, having been the youngest of the JV girls back home already. She shouldn’t be here, Nataile thinks. She should be home, safe with the others forced to stay behind— the plane only had so many seats, after all. But Akilah was talented, fast, a juggernaut compared to the meek juniors that made up the rest of the team. Coach Martinez noticed this, noticed her and her potential, and bought her a ticket— said he wanted her to see what her future could hold if she committed to it. So, she came, and now she's damned with the rest of them. 

 All that goodness, all that hope for nothing. God is an abstract concept for Natalie, but this she knows for sure— he’s fucking pathetic, if he even exists. She hopes he doesn’t.

She thinks about Javi and her stomach turns. She can still taste him, still see him frail and blue on the ice. She looks down to her right, Travis curled against her thigh. He’s finally sleeping, which is a relief. He was one of the last to succumb, to let himself forget long enough to relax. He told Natalie before all this carnage that he doesn’t really dream, only sleeps. She hopes he’s somehow dreaming now, dreaming of Javi.

She hears something, someone, shift in the dark. She knows who it is, though. Misty is right on the outskirts of the pile, the moonlight unable to reach her in the shadows of the trees. Natalie can't see anything but the glow of her eyes and the soft shine of sweat on her face. She stares back at Natalie, and the look in her eyes is such a head-fuck. It screams something, but Natalie can’t make it out, can’t dig her nails in and hold on. There’s a hint of guilt, a hint of pride— maybe even a little excitement. It should disgust her.

It doesn’t, though. She can't bring herself to hate Misty, to despise her like she wants herself to. She wants all the girls— her girls, now, her responsibility to keep warm, happy, and alive— to thrive, to make something of this hellscape they're stuck in. To get what they desire, what they yearn for.

She wants that for Misty, too. 

She nods her head a little, and she hopes Misty can pick it up on the small gesture from so far away. She does, and stands. She carefully steps over the girls blocking her path, making sure not to wake anyone. She cares right now, while Natalie is watching, but she knows the truth, knows the girl would gut any of them if asked. It was just a sigh away, a glance. It's overwhelming, but it makes her heart race, makes her hands shake with pure fucking power.  

“Lay down,” Natalie orders, and it feels new, telling someone what to do like this. 

Feels easy, too. Feels like spring, summer, a welcomed breeze that carries the scent of grass and honey with it. Misty does as told, which is expected, but Natalie doesn't take it for granted. Misty drops to her knees once she's next to Natalie, eyes wide and full of purpose. She’s awaiting her next instruction, her next act of violence to carry out. But that's not what Natalie needs from her, not now. Her eyes fall from Misty’s and down to her pink, chapped lips, only to drift back up again.

Natalie lays down with her, only a breath apart, noses tempting to knock together. She reaches out, hesitant as she tucks a stray curl out of Misty’s face. Its soft, delicate. She can’t help but cup Misty’s cheek, thumb brushing a gentle swipe under her eye. She melts into the touch, closing her eyes with a heavy exhale.

“Go to sleep,” Natalie says, and her tone is airy, lighter than she expects of herself. “It’ll be morning soon.”

Misty nods, and a moment passes before she shifts closer, grafting her body onto Natalie with an ease that feels… earned. Natalie lets her, lets her braid their bodies together like ripped cloth. Her body’s warm, and despite the months they’ve spent in the wilderness, Natalie swears Misty smells of mint, clean.

“Nat?” Misty breathes out into the crook of Natalie’s neck. “I don't… feel guilty about saving you.” 

“I know.”

“Are you mad?”

The question almost makes her laugh. Yes, no. Those words felt like nothing to her, felt empty. Instead, she pulls Misty closer, rubbing reassuring circles over the small of her back. She summons all of her courage, all of her softness, and kisses Misty on her halo of curls, lips dragging down little by little till they are pressed to the smooth skin of Misty’s forehead. After a few minutes, Misty’s breathing evens out, and Natalie shifts a little to stare up at the sky.

The moon feels bigger now, closer, watching.

Natalie takes trust in it, lets herself slowly slip through the dirt and snow till she is nowhere to be found, only a whisper in the wind. The moon keeps its promise, and shines down on the girls, encapsulating all their pain and sorrow in a blue glow like nothing else. 

In the morning, they will have to face the harsh reality of what they have been left with, but for now, they are safe, and that's all that Natalie wants.

She dreams of pink, blonde curls, cinnamon.

[acourtofthought]

I’m tempted to block everything about Gwyn + Azriel lately. It hasn’t even happened yet - we literally have no confirmation that it will happen and people have ruined it for me. I’ve seen people literally saying “my favorite part of their love story”… what story? The one that hasn’t even been written yet? I fear it’s becoming one of those horribly overhyped ships and if SJM decides to go a different way, Gwynriels are gonna turn into Elriels 2.0. I’m literally praying for Elucien’s book to be next because I already feel like I’ve read 10 books about Gwynriel. And I’m sort of starting to get sick of the warrior x warrior pairs. Authors, not just SJM, need to start shaking things up and think of something different.

I think it's very normal to experience shippers fatigue when a pairing is not your favorite because no matter how much people might be alright with your personal ship, there will be times when the discussion surrounding their favorite will (even unintentionally) make yours seem less important.

While I do think we're all guilty of imagining how good both Gwynriel and Elucien could be together (and will hopefully be), I agree that neither couple is currently in love. Someday if they end up there, maybe we can look back and say, "they were barely friends at that point but based on what the characters told us in their book, they sensed that the other was going to be someone important to them" and that technically will become part of their love story. But at this point I agree that we can't know for sure exactly where it will have begun for them. Because a love story that started when Az was canonically still in love with Mor and fixated on Elain for the wrong reasons is not a very good love story. Just like I wouldn't want Elucien to be falling for one another while she was still in love with Graysen.

While I do think Gwynriel will end up together and well matched, I agree that every female becoming a warrior is getting a little redundant at this point (especially within the same series). Which is why I am also really looking forward to Elain and Lucien's book. I want to see more of the politics side of things from them, more of their intelligence shining through in how they interact with other Courts, and less training, less "the Illyrians are brutes", less IC drama that has been the focus for so many books now. Elucien would be a nice break from all that.

I think my most controversial take on Gwynriel is not so much how a shipper imagines their story to go or headcannons because those are the things that keep us alive while we wait for the next book. My biggest issue is that just because Az and Gwyn were more heavily featured in SF, people have taken up the stance that Elucien is irrelevant so Gwynriel MUST be the focus of the next book.

Gwynriel was in SF, sure. But you know whose unresolved story was in ACOMAF? ACOWAR? ACOFAS? ACOSF? Elucien. It doesn't matter how often Az's name was in SF or that Gwyn had more development than Elain because Gwyn was there for Nesta (and Az is Cassian's best friend). I don't disagree that SJM is hinting at Gwynriel but the main point of Gwyn in SF was to be Nesta's found family which means she had to strongly feature in the book and Nesta needed to know who Gwyn was in order for their relationship to develop. However, when you consider how Elain's story has been building from book 2 and Lucien's from book 1, it's not about most mentions in a book (especially a book about Nesta and Cassian). It feels a little like "can't you wait your turn?" considering Gwynriel was just introduced. Eluciens deserve to be put out of their misery 😂. And yes, Chaol and Yrene got together in a single book but it wasn't at the expense of who Aelin was going to end up with after her romantic arc had been building for multiple books.

It wouldn't make any sense for Elain or Lucien to heavily feature in a Nessian's book when Lucien is not actually part of the IC (though SJM still found a way to make him relevant and set his future journey up) and Nesta and Elain are not meant to become extremely close. The point of Nesta's journey was learning to find a life outside of being Elain's protector and learning to let go of Elain. It was also a continuation of the narrative that Elain doesn't belong in the NC so she had to remain somewhat irrelevant to the IC in general.

Sure, we know Gwyn is going to have unknown powers, needs to discover her heritage, she may have a mating bond and we know she's going to need to decide what she wants to do about being a priestess and leaving the library but SJM literally told us, "Elain doesn't belong in the NC and has unknown powers, Elain will go to Spring and then the continent, Lucien is also going to be in Spring (Spring which the IC keeps mentioning they need up and running) and the continent, Lucien is displaying the markers of a High Lord, still doesn't know about his father, Koschei is about to call Vassa back and she's connected to Lucien and Vassa, and Elain and Lucien still need to decide what they'll do about their actual confirmed mating bond which has been an ongoing issue for multiple books. Everything with Elain and Lucien was laid out with actual locations. Not to mention the final page of the book has Nesta placing the wooden carving made for Elain (a carving which was repeatedly mentioned in SF) on their fathers gravestone as a "marker of the beauty and good he tried to bring into the world" and that (to me) is clearly symbolic of Elain and how she'll soon go on her journey.

That doesn't mean the Gwynriel book can't happen next, it absolutely can. But I do get somewhat frustrated by Gwynriel's who really don't think there is just as much suggesting Elucien could also be next. They're forgetting how long Elain and Lucien's journey's has been building and that it actually made sense for Elain not to heavily feature in the books if SJM is trying to sell the narrative that no one really knows her and her not belonging in the NC.

[shoshiwrites]

while spring is making promises outside — a flower shop AU featuring my OC Jo. Chapter 5/9. Some chapters a little NSFW.

Catch up on Chapters 1-4 at the link!

They start talking more, somehow. Probably has something to do with the  fact that he's on Jo's block more often than not now, if he's not fixing up a busted cabinet or doing one-off woodworking jobs or running arrangements out to clients. Either at the shop or the tattoo place a few doors down, talking to Angelo about getting some pieces fixed up or maybe even a new one. He doesn't really have the money for it if he's being responsible, but he didn't really have the money before, either. That's why he's only got a couple real good pieces, the ones he'd basically bartered for, and the rest are the stick-and-pokes of an unsupervised youth. 

The lights are always on, at Fran's.

He can always busy himself with whatever tasks are urgent that day, mostly heavy lifting that Jo says she'll do herself. He's the one on call the most now, since Bill's at home with Fran and the newest addition — a baby girl. Something inside Joe's heart hums at the thought. He's already at work on the gift, a little music box where you can see the mechanism under glass.

Today it's unpacking shipments for Easter, lilies and Easter cactus and hyacinth and azaleas. He doesn't care so much about the differences between flowers. It's nice to be surrounded by things that smell nice and look nice, especially the colors that usually crowd the store. But white lilies he hates. White lilies are funeral flowers, are the same church twice over, headstones and suits that are too big or too small, a flag-draped casket that makes your ribcage feel too big for your body. He swears he's seen Jo make a face at them too. He wants to ask her who it's for. 

It's Sunday, after closing, but they're here behind the scenes while Frankie does a big wedding consult downtown. 

Clara raises her voice from the front of the store. "You want a coffee, Joey?" Clara might be the only person who gets away with calling him Joey other than his Ma or Ann or Sarah. The reason for it is practical, but he still fights a wince. At least it's better than mister, which is what he'd gotten the first few weeks. The answer's yes now, more often than now, but bless her, she always asks.

"How come you never ask if I want a coffee?" Jo says, ignoring the half-drunk glass in front of her, the melted ice. They work shoulder to shoulder, like an assembly line, if you count all the interruptions about beverages or to switch the music or to argue about spring training prospects. 

"You know where the machine is."

Jo snorts.

"We have vanilla syrup if you want some, Joe. Oh! And I just made some almond too. Sort of an amaretto vibe."

His voice crackles with a laugh as he eyes Jo's face. "Vanilla sounds nice. Thank you, Clara."

"Don't mention it."

"You guys are so cute," Jo says flatly, clacking her gum on her back teeth, and he laughs. "You wanna run some practice questions?"

That's how they find themselves at a folding table in the back, Jo sketching a twine-tied bunch of herbs and greens and pale orange poppies, and Joe hunched over his exercise book. Jo can technically pass off what she's doing as work, since Frankie asked her to design some new promotional materials for the store. He looks up a little too long, at her eyes and the freckles scattered under her jaw, the press of her mouth.

"What?"

"Have you thought about what Evie and Angelo offered?" Evie won't stop talking about Jo's drawings whenever he walks in the place and neither does Pat or Angelo. How they'd love someone with that eye for detail to get into the business. Joe sees it himself, her careful sketches and the way she shades, the subtle colors. They want her to train with them. 

She moves her mouth around a little, but doesn't say anything. Probably the same face he'd given her when she'd softly suggested he call his ma after he'd been looking at business courses at the local community college. But he'd actually picked up the phone and done it. Maybe next week he'll try Ann and Sarah. Jimmy's still a wildcard, though. The guilt comes in waves. Joe bites at his tongue with his back teeth. 

"Listen, I know it's scary."

"Human skin, no big deal," she says. She doesn't look away from the bouquet. The tiny gold hoops in her ears glint under the bright lights. 

"Well, there is this thing called practice."

"Are you volunteering?"

Done with the last question on the page, he drops his pencil on the table. It starts to roll. He leans back in the metal folding chair, nearly tipping the back legs. "Call me scratch paper, baby."

She finally looks at him. "You're full of it."

"Yeah, probably."

She turns back to her paper.

"I'm heading out, Jo," Clara calls. 

"Have a good class!" The bell above the door chimes as Clara leaves.

Joe puts himself back upright, now acutely aware of the fact that they're the only two people in the store. "Listen sweetheart," he says. "You'd be good at this." The word sweetheart pulses like an exposed nerve. Fuck. Why did he say that? He can see her swallow. 

"I'll think about it."

She always says that, but he doesn't push. He doesn't have a right to, does he, with everything he knows about her and everything he doesn't. With the mess he calls his personal life. With Allie.

There hasn't been a sweetheart since the two of them had met at a rock show god knows how many years ago, back when he felt a swing in his stomach when she smiled, back when he thought she looked so cool and unbothered and he couldn't believe she was talking to him. 

Do you wanna go get a beer, he wants to say, and to his shock he realizes that he's actually said it. Even more shock when Jo says yes.

This is how they find themselves at some dive that's open, and somehow also has a patio. It's a little too cold to be out there but not terrible, as they huddle in their jackets with their drinks. 

Jo-with-a-beer isn't much different than Jo-with-coffee, he finds, at least at first. 

They stumble around what they can. He hears about Berlin, from her, for the first time. Very small pieces. He swears her eyes look a little watery, in the fading light, but when he blinks it's gone. There's a tension in him, watching her skirt around things that have clearly hurt her, but that she doesn't name. He tells her about his family, the parts he can, at least. The facts, or some of them. She smells so sharply of green, and the soft floral smell of her shampoo. 

This isn't a date, so he lets her pay her half. He walks her back to the shop, and gets in his car. He can't bring himself to call Jimmy so he texts, something that says nothing but still feels like too much. The air is like winter still, but the light... In his room he thinks about her, the way she must have looked there. Filling in the spaces of what she'd said about supplemental income, artists and modeling. The look on her face as she'd said it, something like regret. It feels wrong, the clench of his jaw here in his bed, the way his skin feels too tight. His hands fumble. He flips over on his stomach, hips begging artlessly for release.

[rows-of-lilacs]

San Juan, Puerto Rico

[Written 2.13.23; transferred from our old blog]

¡Hola! It’s been below zero in Minnesota lately, so it was the perfect time of year to visit beautiful, sunny, warm Puerto Rico. We took a direct flight from MSP into SJU and spent a long weekend (Thursday through Tuesday) exploring San Juan. It was a fantastic getaway, and we are so excited to share the highlights with you!

We rented a casita through Airbnb that was small but perfect for the two of us. Our host, Sylvette, truly went above and beyond! Weeks before we arrived, she had asked what types of things we enjoy and sent a customized itinerary for us to consider. When we got there, she kindly drove us to some of her favorite spots to help us get acquainted with the area. Sylvette was so warm and kind, and we quickly discovered that would be a common theme of the people we met on the island.

La gente (the people)

This is a generalization that of course does not apply to every single person, but virtually everyone we spoke to in Puerto Rico was welcoming and friendly. We frequently ended up chatting with strangers who would ask about our visit and share something special about the island with us. For example, February 2 is Día de la Candelaria. While we were walking on the beach that day, we came across a trio who were lighting incense and blowing into a beautiful conch shell to honor the holiday. As we walked past, they greeted us and invited us to join them. They told us about the holiday and the special ways their family has celebrated it for decades. They also helped us find our way, as we were a little lost!

Another thing we noticed is that people were patient and friendly when we spoke Spanish with them. Neither of us is a fluent speaker, but folks would hold conversations with us and openly switch to English once we’d shyly announce that we didn’t know the next word or phrase we needed. We’ve been to other countries where native speakers aren’t quite as patient with non-natives, so we were especially grateful for the chance to practice our Spanish. I’m proud to say I can now order an iced vanilla latte with oat milk, no problem!

Los animales (the animals)

We were just as taken with the animals as we were the people. (Actually, we were probably more excited about the animals, but if you know us that won’t surprise you at all). The first thing we noticed upon arriving at our neighborhood was CHICKENS! Everywhere. Hens, chicks, and roosters strutting all around the block. Perhaps some of them were pets, but with how many there were wandering around, I would expect that many of them were wild, just like if you saw a flock of crows hanging out by your house. Even when we left our residential neighborhood, we would come across chickens every now and then. It was a delight seeing all the adorable baby chicks following their mothers closely.

We were also pleasantly surprised by how many lizards we saw! Small ones that blended into their surroundings, medium sized ones with striped tails, large iguanas that you couldn’t miss. We saw them everywhere, often noticing them as they scurried away, scared off by our movement. Our favorites were probably the iguanas, and specifically the iguanas who hung out at the local graveyard. We saw these guys multiple times, and we were always struck by how they looked like the guardians of the graves.

Other animals that deserve an honorable mention: the manatees that live in the estuary (that we searched for nearly every day but did not happen to see); the many cats we admired; the rays that we were able to see from a walking bridge; and the colorful parrots we watched fight over a favored spot in a palm tree.

La comida (the food)

Per usual, we spent most of our vacation wandering around (on average, 10 miles per day) seeing what caught our eye. All this walking led to a deep need for some nourishing food. I don’t think we ended up having a single bad meal in PR. In fact, most of the meals were extraordinary. Some of our favorites included tacos y mofongo at Lote 23, the best guacamole of our lives at Xolo, and an incredible meal from Tomate, which was just a short walk from our casita. Sam enjoyed the fresh seafood, and Sarah loved how easy it was to find vegetarian & vegan options. We also enjoyed excellent coffees from coffee shops like 787 Coffee, Café con Cé, and Dulcesalado. There might be a law in PR that prohibits bad coffee, because daaaang these were good.

El arte (the art)

Something else we loved about San Juan were the colorful murals everywhere! On buildings, in shops – these works of art add so much beauty to the city. Here are some of the murals that caught our eye:

La naturaleza (the nature)

While everything we just talked about was wonderful, nothing can top of the beautiful nature of Puerto Rico. The beaches, the mountains, the rain forest: it’s just heavenly. We loved walking up and down the beaches, jumping into the water when we got too hot. We had a wonderful time kayaking around the estuary, checking nonstop for any signs of manatees. And one of the highlights of our trip was an excursion into the rain forest, where we splashed through muddy trails, jumped off cliffs, and slid down a natural water slide. It was so much fun!

Hasta luego (see you later)

Overall, San Juan makes for a perfect winter getaway. Logistic wise, it’s great: it doesn’t require a passport (since it’s a U.S. territory); you can take a direct flight and not have to waste time on layovers; you can use your U.S. data plan and currency; and you will get by easily if you only speak English. In terms of escaping winter, it’s fantastic: it’s warm without being oppressively hot, the ocean temps are perfect, and your body will savor the much needed vitamin D. However, it’s important to note that PR isn’t necessarily a budget destination. We don’t often see flight deals to San Juan, and because it’s an island, things are higher priced. You probably could make it work on a smaller budget, but you could definitely stretch your buck further somewhere else. All in all, we have cero arrepentimientos (zero regrets) about this trip, and if you decide to go to, we’re certain you’ll have a maravilloso (marvelous) time.

As for our next adventure? Only time will tell. Stay warm, friends. -Sam & Sarah

Full blog post can be found here: https://newplacelikehome.wordpress.com/2023/02/13/san-juan-puerto-rico/

[fromfeyresperspective]

A Court of Gray and Glimmer: Chapter 2

Well, this chapter has certainly been a long time coming! Chapter one was truly so fun and easy for me to write, and then chapter two struck me with a writer’s block I’ve never experienced before. This chapter (chapter two) is very much on the shorter side, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out so that I could fully focus on where I wanted to go with chapter three (and hopefully break past this blockade in my head). I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Two: Snow

A few minutes later, after Rhys, Mor and I had winnowed everyone to where Rhys had indicated, we stared up at the large, steep, pine tree and snow covered mountain that rose up majestically before us. A number of confused looks had been exchanged between the group, especially between Mor and me, about just why exactly we were going to this cold and snowy mountain, to some Ice Palace in the Winter Court, while we were already in the midst of winter back in the Night Court. 

I looked at Rhys, who was already grinning in my direction.

“I’s just a bit further,” he said. “We can’t winnow directly into the Palace of Ice. It is one of Kallias’s private residences. He owed me a favor, so I requested to bring you all for a stay.”

We collectively stared at him, confused.

“And…where is it, exactly?” I asked. 

I turned in a full circle, seeing nothing but miles and miles of rolling, snow-covered fields dotted with pine trees, and the mountain rising directly in front of us, the range stretching far beyond. The snow continued to stream down steadily. Elain’s teeth started chattering. Rhysand pointed up, directly at the top of the mountain. 

“There,” he said.

Straining, and looking so far up my neck was almost completely horizontal, I saw it. There, perched on the top of the mountain, was a house, or rather, a mansion. It was a little hard to tell from this far, but this mansion, as I could have surmised from the name “Palace of Ice”, literally looked like it was made of pure, solid, sparkling ice. It glimmered and twinkled despite the cloudy skies that were so bright they were almost white. From this distance, it looked like a miniature ornament that one might place out as a Solstice decoration. We all stared at the Palace, mesmerized. Even Rhys.

“Holy shit,” Mor breathed. “I didn’t know Kallias and Vivi had this. Why haven’t I been here before?”

“And how exactly are we supposed to get up there?” Nesta’s irritated voice broke through all the wonder. “Surely you don’t expect us to hike all that way.” She looked right at me, although I knew she was really talking to Rhys. He didn’t look at her, but he did grin at me, and then answered her question.

“Well, other than hiking, there’s only one efficient way to get there that I can think of,” he said. And with that, he grabbed Mor and me around our waists, spread his great, beautiful wings, and shot us up into the sky. I shrieked as a stream of cold air hit me at an incredible speed, and then couldn’t help myself from laughing, exhilarated. Below me, I heard Cassian whoop and knew he had picked up Nesta and followed Rhys into the sky, judging by the indignant squeal I heard her make, leaving Azriel to carry Amren and Elain. Up, up, up we went, my face and sweater now damp from the snow that it was coming into contact with, but at last, shivering, we landed next to the Palace of Ice.

Nothing could have prepared me for the awe that would befall me seeing the Palace up close. It was truly like nothing I had ever seen before. It was an enormous, three story “house”, perched on the very top of the mountain, nothing else around but the snow covered mountain top and the view that stretched out for miles and miles every way. To the west, the sea was a small sliver in the distance. However, with no trees surrounding us, we were subject to the strong wind and snow pelting our faces. The Palace looked to be made of thick, pale white ice that almost looked like marble, glimmering despite the lack of sunshine. Each floor had large, arched, floor-to-ceiling windows carved into the ice. Despite the freezing cold, we stood there for a moment, mesmerized. Cassian and Nesta had landed to our left, while Azriel, Amren and Elain were to our right. 

“Do you want to go inside, or would you rather stay out here and take in the view?” Rhys asked us loudly over the wind. I elbowed him, and he laughed.

“Inside, it is,” he shouted.

He led the way through the waist deep snow towards the Palace, and although we had only landed a short distance away, it took quite a while. We reached the steps that lead to the large front porch, constructed with the same white ice that the rest of the house was made of, and walked up them, gingerly at first, although the icy steps were not slick whatsoever. When Rhys reached the double front doors, which were huge and thick and glittering sapphire blue marble, he stopped. The doors didn’t have any handles, but Rhys placed his right palm on the right door, and his left palm on the left door. After a brief moment, the doors swung open, allowing a blast of warm air to grace our frozen bodies.

“Inside! What are you waiting for?!” Amren yelled from the back of the group. Amren was not someone who liked to be cold, especially now, in her fully “mortal” immortal body. We quickly rushed inside, almost single file, and finally, Rhys’s power slammed the large doors on the wind.

The air inside the Palace was toasty warm, and smelled delectably of cinnamon and nutmeg. Although no windows were open, there was an ever-so-slight, pleasant breeze. White marble floors ran throughout the house, with plush, jewel-toned rugs and runners spread throughout: red, blue, green, purple. The Palace had an open floor plan, with the whole first floor being essentially one enormous room. Straight ahead from the front door was a breathtaking pure white marble staircase that led up to the second floor, and then up to the third. The staircases’ railings were draped with fresh evergreen garland. To the left of the massive staircase was a large kitchen, with an enormous dreamy fireplace on the far left wall that also looked to be made completely from white marble. In the middle of the kitchen stood a large island around which were many tall, sturdy looking wooden stools. A fire crackled heartily in the fireplace, above which hung a large, evergreen wreath adorned with red berries. To the right was what looked to be a vast circular sitting area, with a plush royal blue rug in the middle. The sitting area consisted of rounded white couches that looked as comfortable as sitting on big fluffy clouds, and luxurious-looking jewel toned blankets draped over the backs of the couches that formed a circle in the middle of the room. There was another large white marble fireplace on the far right wall of the home, around which the large sitting area was positioned. A fire joyfully cracked in this fireplace as well, although the Palace was not too warm, but rather perfectly pleasant. 

I hadn’t paid much attention to the view when we landed, mostly because I was freezing and being pelted in the face with snow. Now, however, I looked to the large windows gracing the beautiful white ice walls, fitted with luxurious emerald green velvet curtains. The vast Winter Court stretched out below us, and now that we weren’t freezing and being pelted with snow, we could fully appreciate the stunning view that graced our eyes. To the west, the sea stretched out and glittered, colors on the water mixed and swirled, baby blue and dark blue and gray. To the east, on the other side of the mountain,  the pale rolling hills stretched out for miles, dotted with large and lush pine trees. I looked to Rhysand, who had come to stand next to me, his eyes bright and smile wide.

“I thought you might appreciate a little winter getaway, Feyre, darling”, he said quietly, the other members of our Court now wondering about the house. Cassian had gone straight to the enormous wine rack that stood in the kitchen, stocked with all kinds of winter wines. Even Nesta had gone to one of the large windows at the back of the house, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, admiring the great mountain range that stretched out in the distance. The mountain we now inhabited stood taller than them all. 

“I must admit, you’ve outdone yourself with this location,” I said to Rhys. “I didn’t think the Winter Court sounded super appealing, if I’m being honest, but I admit I was wrong.”

Rhys grinned mischievously. “And I haven’t even shown you the best part.”

[khytal]

elements or something (turnabout powers au part 3)

character info (minor spoilers):

godot: -he can intensify/diminish the different colors of light perceived by someone--it’s like suddenly wearing glasses with a colored lens -this only works on one person at a time because he’s essentially forcing them to see absorbed light

klavier: -his power lets him freely manipulate any metal. natural metals are easier to control than alloys -all of his accessories are silver, the metal he’s most comfortable with (he made them himself) -he can draw material out of the ground as long as he’s close enough. the amount of metal and his proximity factor into whether or not this is possible (more metal = stronger pull)

mia: -like sholmes her body becomes intangible, but unlike sholmes her form can’t disperse (it’s shadow) -she doesn’t survive redd white’s attack because he blinds her before she activates her power

larry: -he actually just turns into air, making him completely invisible and untouchable, but this can’t be sustained for more than a few seconds so it seems like he can teleport a short distance away -he does need to rest a little bit between every use of his power

kristoph: -magma’s kinda like him and the way he holds a grudge: slow and patient and destructive under the surface -it’s always there.

fulbright: -....pretty self-explanatory -this isn’t the same as using the wind to fly, because he has less/no control over direction and speed while in the air

gregson: -he can mute the sounds other people make, but this is limited to 2-3 people at a time -it puts targets in a pocket of air that blocks out sound

badd: -there’s literally an aura of dense air that surrounds him, which can expand to cover an area approximately 20ft in diameter -it’s enough to stop someone from moving and/or bring them to their knees

nahyuta: -with white fire his flames burn hotter than phoenix’s -inherited from dhurke -claims they’re “purified”, proof that what he’s doing as prosecutor is just--and apollo calls bullshit, because he’s here in khura’in trying to save his brother (“ga’ran’s orders aren’t justified by your white flames. they’re the burning spirit of your father, nahyuta, you can’t have forgotten that!!”)

maria: -base water is her power but she prefers ice and uses it almost exclusively -dr. sithe doesn’t have a power, so it was inherited from her father -the ice scalpels and other tools are for show. they’re still dangerous as weapons but they’re not useful for operations

gina: -uses air to grab things (it looks like telekinesis) -the heavier an object, like karuma, the more difficult it is to move

lang: -it’s basically advanced hearing, but technically he’s using the wind to carry sound waves to him, which lets him eavesdrop on conversations from a really safe distance -if a target is outside and lang is inside (or vice versa), he can still listen in as long as there’s an open window

lamiroir: -her preferred use of her power is to create special light effects during her performances -it’s more of a feeling, since she can’t see, but the lights are always gentle and warm

lana: -normal fire, like apollo -she rarely displays her power, especially after she becomes chief prosecutor. kind of like the weight of guilt extinguished her flames.

stronghart: -he uses gravity to force people down. there’s not much more to it than that x)

clay: -clay’s control over gravity only affects parts of his body rather than all of it (so he can’t float). unlike fulbright he’s able to increase gravity -he can make his limbs feel heavier/lighter, which makes his punches really hurt -he’s near impossible to knock over when he increases the gravity on his legs/feet

iris wilson: -her power is the same as gumshoe’s but it’s much stronger to the point that it allows her to manipulate plants too -she treats her plants like friends, thanking them for grabbing things for her, apologizing for having them reach so far, and so on -inherited from her mother

klint: -while barok’s power is specialized air, klint’s is an air/dark fusion -it repels/attracts metallic objects much more easily, but it does work on non-metallic things (it’s just less forceful)

ema: -humidity control is a specialized water power -affects things within a 7ft radius of her. if something leaves the AoE while her power is active, the humidity will return to whatever it is outside the zone -she doesn’t actually need to throw a snackoo at someone to use her power. it’s just klavier

gregory: -miles inherited his power from his father, who taught him how to control it at an early age -he models out his thoughts with water, a habit his son picked up -he’d only just started showing miles how to create ice before DL-6 happened, at which point von karma took over as instructor despite not having the same power (something that’s seen as inadvisable, because of how different elements are from each other)

manfred: -the other reason edgeworth relives the same nightmare for 15 years -he frequently uses his power for intimidation. it eventually causes edgeworth to lock away his water-manipulating abilities in favor of ice, which, without a real foundation, drains his energy more than it should (and he does it anyway, because the consequences for less-than-perfect results are far worse) -franziska also develops trauma from earthquakes. she and edgeworth silently comfort each other away from the source of the tremors, franziska unknowingly using her power to stop their tears from alerting her father. it’s not much, but there’s no one else.

morgan, dahlia, and pearl: -allows them to control someone via their shadow -pearl finds the power she’s inherited uncomfortable but. for her mother, she learns. -they can’t use their power on each other -they can’t force someone else to use their powers; it only controls movement (but the person being controlled can still activate their power. it just won’t be useful, because they can’t direct it while their body is being manipulated) -in death, a spirit loses their power so dahlia is unable to use hers while she’s being channeled. she also doesn’t have access to the power of the medium channeling her -after bridge to the turnabout, pearl stops using her power and dedicates her efforts into her spirit medium training

iris: -mirage is an air/water fusion power inherited from her dad -she can create an illusion of something, or hide an object from view -her mirages are either one large object, or multiple smaller ones (with a limit). -she’s able to form a clone of herself, which looks convincing enough from a distance

[weepingvoidpenguin]

One of Your Favorites

Jealous Bucky x Reader

Summary: You have an objective. Get Rumlow to confess. Simple enough, right? No. Aside from his usual condescending attitude towards you, Bucky has made it extremely apparent that he doesn’t think you’re capable of - well, anything, but especially not handling Rumlow. And yet, he is the biggest challenge of this entire ordeal.

Warning: T R I G G E R WARNING!! ATTEMPTED SA, DRUGS, language, light smut. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT READ IF SA WILL TRIGGER YOU. 

Word Count: 8.3k

   “We have good intel stating he’s working as a double agent for HYDRA. Selling information, exploiting tactics, even going so far as to tell them where we’ll be and when.” Natasha scanned the room, making sure she had everyone’s attention during the briefing. 

   You slouched back in your swivel chair and twisted to-and-fro slightly with your hands gripping the arm rests on either side. It took all of your willpower to act engrossed in her words. And you meant every single drop. You’d been paying attention, sure, but the only issue was the dominating presence two seats to your right and directly in your line of sight to Natasha. You rolled your chair to the left to clear the path for the third time, only for him to block your way without missing a beat. The growl that left your mouth was nearly involuntary. Nearly.

   How long would this man act like a child? Despite his graceful and seemingly unsuspecting movements, you were fully aware his placement was intentional. This was not the first, nor did you doubt that it would be the last, time that Bucky acted impudently toward you. Frankly, you’d grown bored of his behavior. It was the same thing everyday. He would act a nuisance during the briefings, speak over you whenever he had the chance, steal the limelight from you and invalidate any concerns or thoughts you shared. The whole charade grew tiring and he had been dancing on thin ice for months now.

   You averted your gaze from burning holes through the freshly washed, brown locks and switched your attention back up to the redhead. Thankfully, too, because you managed to catch the end of her sentence just as she locked eyes with you.

   “And that’s why Y/N is going to be the one to extract the information from him,” she finished.

   You blinked, “Wait, what?” 

   Bucky straightened his posture and threw a quick glance your way, “Yeah, what? She’s got no heat, couldn’t toast marshmallows if we gave her all day. She shouldn’t lead this, she wouldn’t know how,”

   “Well, tonight might be a good time to start learning, then,” Steve chimed in, throwing a wink your way. You smiled and appreciated his aid, not because you needed it but because at this point, you were seething and if you opened your mouth to defend yourself this meeting would go south, quickly. Luckily, Steve always believed you were capable of a great deal of things and knew you strove for more experience so any opportunity to lead or expand was one he thought you should take. 

   “Besides,” Tony spoke up, twirling a platinum pen between his fingers from across the table, “our little double-agent has always had the hots for Y/N so unless you’re gonna be the one to bat your eyelashes at him and get him alone in a room, Mr. Barnes, we have to use his own flaws against him.” He turned to face you and held up a hand, “Not to say that liking you is a flaw, you’re great Hot-Stuff but exploiting him is our best option indefinitely,”

   “Do I have to seduce him?” You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest and raising a brow towards Nat, trying your damned hardest to avoid the unmistakable glare the brown-haired super soldier was sending your way. 

   “The only thing you have to do is extract any information on him that you can. Get him a little drunk, catch him in a slip-up or two, take note of any inconsistent stories and be on your merry way,” she reassured, “How you manage to do that is up to you,”

   “Ooh, extortion,” Clint chirped up from the far back corner, his hands rubbing together maliciously around an arrow he pulled from his sheathe, something you noticed he did a lot when he was uninterested; be it a person, mission, or conversation.

   “No. Not extortion,” Steve shut it down and you chuckled at how Clint’s countenance fell into one of disappointment. 

   “Not yet anyway,” Natasha mumbled and you sighed as she walked around the room and handed each of you a folder with your individual objectives inside.

   “But he’s such a pervert,” you grumbled.

   “All the easier,” 

~

   The rest of the day was drudged with Nat while she taught the pertinence of body language (both yours and theirs), verbal ruses, and overall ensnarement. You bat your eyelashes until you were certain you would catch enough wind to fly away, smirked enough that your cheeks began to ache and raised your eyebrows ‘til you felt the impending wrinkles on your forehead. By the end of the drill you weren’t sure you were even going to make it to the company party from the migraine creeping its way on.

   “How’s the bait coming along?” His voice alone caused you to roll your eyes but you paid no mind while you rubbed at your temples and stood up alongside Natasha.

   “She’s not gonna be able to lie to me any time soon but she can flirt her way to whatever she wants,”

   “Benefits of targeting a narcissistic misogynist, they don’t think anyone can fool them.” Tony belted as he sauntered into the room with strawberries, offering them out to you while he munched on one.

   “She’ll still mess it up,” Bucky countered, “Make someone else do it,”

   You plucked the fruit off Tony’s tray and examined it, trying to figure out whether you were going to consume it or use it as a weapon.

   “I really appreciate your words of encouragement, James. Unfortunately, they’re not wanted, nor are they needed.” You bit into the fruit and glided towards the door, looking over your shoulder at the super soldier, “So unless you actually have something to contribute, I suggest you stay the hell out of my way while I get the job done,”

   Nat walked out behind you and handed you a tiny, skin-colored device meant to conceal itself and you placed it in your ear. 

   “The conversation is gonna be recorded so we can catch any inconsistencies. We’ll all be able to hear what you’re saying so tread on delicate waters but don’t be afraid to shake mountains if you have to,”

   You nodded and opened your door for her to enter your room knowing she’d want to help you get ready for the event. Natasha, shocking as it turns out, enjoys company while preparing for events. She would much prefer to be surrounded by people than be alone. You never had gall to ask her why that is. Or maybe you respected her too much to ask.

   An hour had passed, maybe two, but you enjoyed the silence between you both. There was no need to fill the empty quiet when it was so comfortable and welcoming. You two spoke without words at times and that was probably your favorite personal skill. Eventually, there came a knock on your door and you opened to find Wanda with her flat iron and make-up bag in tow. It’d long since been decided that your room was the gathering center.

   Wanda helped you finish touching up your outfit and you waited on your bed while they finished getting ready. Nat occasionally quizzed you on certain situations and how you should act depending on the tones and moods of the conversation. You tried to explain that you didn’t have difficulty reading a room but Nat tested you all the same. 

   “And if he puts his hand on your thigh?” She called out from your bathroom.

   “Then he loses it,” you practically sang in response.

   You were met with a flying hairbrush and laughed at the onslaught.

   “You’re not the only one with that mentality,” Wanda called out as well, her iron glossing over thin strands of hair.

   “Nat knows I can handle myself.” You sat up on the bed and went over to your closet to collect your favorite pair of shoes to go along with the formal attire Nat selected for tonight. “What a coincidence that we happen to have a company party the same night we have to extract information,” you hollered over your shoulder, moving aside terribly worn shoes while you scoured for the pair you had in mind.

   “This objective has been in the works for weeks now,” Nat released the tendril of hair from around the barrel and pinned it to her head so it could cool.

   “Wow, thanks for the heads up, then.” You gripped the desired pair and placed them beside your nightstand for later.

   “The plan wasn’t solid until we knew for a fact that Rumlow was coming. It’s a company party so it’s not mandatory but once he heard you were making an appearance, it didn’t take very much persuading,”

   You rolled your eyes and plopped back down on your mattress, “He’s so annoying, I doubt I can hold much of a conversation with him,”

   “Take a shot or two to ease your nerves, if he sees you drinking it’ll put him at ease too. He’ll be more inclined to drink,” Natasha recommended. “But don’t act too out of character. If you were always curt and short with him and suddenly you start acting over-friendly, he may get suspicious. He’s an idiot but he’s a paranoid one,”

   You nodded, taking a mental note to have a half-empty bottle in your grasp when Rumlow arrives. If he thinks you’ve already been drinking, he might also consider catching up. 

   “Y/N? Not uptight for once?” Wanda sarcastically questioned. “I can’t picture it,”

   “Oh, fuck off,” you grumbled and in turn received laughter from the two girls. “Besides, of all of us I’m by far the least uptight. Barnes takes the cake for that one,”

   There was a beat of silence that you didn’t register before you were met with a response.

   “Ya know, he’s not as bad as you paint him out to be.” Nat unpinned the curl from her head and moved on to the next section, “He’s got some serious loyalty and always willing to volunteer first for everything,”

   You lifted your head to stare at her reflection through the mirror, “What are you talking about? He’s annoying and irate and lacks a filter,”

   “Mmm, irate isn’t the word I would use,” Wanda countered, looking over to Natasha.

   Nat shook her head in response, “I’d lean more towards . . . over-protective,” 

  “Much better,” Wanda agreed.

   You squinted your eyes at their image and felt the corners of your lips turn downwards, “Over-protective? Since when are you two defending Barnes?”

   “We’re not defending him, per say.” Wanda glanced over to Nat, “We’re just trying to give you a fresh perspective,” 

   “You could give me a brand new pair of eyes and I’d still see him the same,” you retorted, now leaning on your elbows due to the strain on your neck. 

   They ignored the comment, “And he’s only annoying to you,”

   “You’re telling me he doesn’t annoy you at all?” You asked, an eyebrow raised.

   “More like . . . he doesn’t go out of his way to mess with us.” Nat applied a nude color onto her lips.

   “So you agree that he goes out of his way to irritate me,” you stated rather than asked.

   “That’s been made very apparent,” Wanda responded. “But you have to wonder why,”

   You huffed a little and sprawled back out on the bed just to result in staring at the ceiling above. If you looked hard enough your mind would create pictures from the chaos of the cracks and shapes began to form. Sometimes, when the night lay still and life seemed to dwindle at the edges of your reality, you could swear a familiar face fashioned together and your imagination ran wild with the images you’d see. Some that brought a warmth to your cheeks even now. 

   You shot up out of bed and shook the memories from your vision. Ugh. He haunts you even when he’s not actively tormenting you. How he’s managed to crawl his way so deeply within your skin you had no idea but you fought for control of your thoughts whenever you caught them slipping into that hellhole.

   “Or slipping into euphoria,” Wanda chimed in.

   “Wanda!” You scolded, crossing your arms, “Euphoria my ass,”

   “Yeah, he thinks so too,” she continued and you chucked the abandoned hairbrush back their way. 

   “Stay out of my head,” you jokingly sniped at her but was met with a low chuckle.

   “I didn’t even have to be in your head to know what you were thinking of,” Nat defended and caught your weapon of choice.

   “Are you guys done yet?” You rolled your eyes and stretched yourself out before swiping up the pair of heels you’d chosen and sliding them onto your feet.

   “Why? Are you in a hurry to see a certain someone?” Natasha teased and Wanda let out an eruption of laughter.

   “All right, I’m done.” You made a beeline for the door and threw it open, “Lock up when you’re finished!” You bellowed over your shoulder and made your way to the top floor of the building where all the parties are typically held.

   You didn’t run into anyone on the way up and you used that time to calm yourself, prying inch by inch away from the invasive thoughts that called for you in the darkest hours of the night. But, then again, maybe those tormenting thoughts weren’t that bad? You mean, he certainly IS handsome, very much so actually. And he has the most knee-wobbling smirk you’d ever come to know, not to mention those little tricks he does with his knives always manage to entrance you. God, did he know how to use a knife. 

   On more than one occasion had you caught yourself staring at how his hands encapsulated the hilt of the blade. How they clenched and relaxed, drawing out some of the more prominent veins on one of the extremities; of course, you were even more so enticed by the hand he hid as well. You’d imagined what it felt like to have such strong hands grip onto your thighs and coax you into spreading them open with just a few teasing touches here and there. You couldn’t fathom the front you’d put up would last very long, he was stellar at pulling reactions from you. He’d see you break under his caresses and he’d degrade you like he always did but this time it’d emit a different response from you, one that made you whimper and shake. At that, he’d probably call you a good girl, he definitely seems the type to switch between degradation and praise, and would press his mouth up just where you wanted it the most. You’d try your hardest to be quiet but damn the way that tongue moved against you and the way he’d pull you harder against his face at each sound of pleasure you let slip past your lips. He’d enjoy it, too. Eyes closed as he devours you, he likes to put on a show for you to watch. Give you a memory that’ll slick your thighs later that night if he hadn’t fucked you into a coma by then. He’d make you watch him and if you dared to close your eyes you’d earn a firm, cold smack on your ass. He knows you like when he uses temperature play. He growls a little too, he can’t help his innate behavior. Then, just as the accumulation is coming to its apex he’d pull away abruptly and kiss you straight on your mouth so you can taste yourself and that’d earn him another whimper which would result in another smack that leads to that cold metal trailing its way to your core and just as he pushes the tip of his finger inside-

   You cough and straighten your posture as the elevator door opens. When had you leaned up against the back wall of the elevator? Oh Gods, you could feel the slick at the apex of your thighs and you squeezed them together as inconspicuously as you could in fear that you were producing a . . . scent that would be rather difficult to conceal. But the slick only grew worse when you locked eyes with the person stepping into the elevator.

   Fuck.

   “That’s what you chose to wear?” He asked, a certain venom in his tone that immediately calmed the ache in your heat.

   “And what would you have me wear instead, Barnes?” You quipped back, your body facing forward as he took his place beside you in the cramped space.

   There was a beat of silence. Then another. “Not that,” he responded.

   “Well I’ll make sure to ask you next time since you have such impeccable taste,” you retorted, your eyes yet to abandon the sight of the closing doors.

   You weren’t sure of all the effects of the Super Soldier Serum that had been injected into Bucky and all that it heightened but you prayed to any God that would listen that his hearing wasn’t one of those things. You were too preoccupied with attempting to settle the hot pulse beating between your legs to worry about how loud your discomfort came across.

   “What do you look so nervous about?” Bucky’s gruff voice prodded. “You can’t possibly be nervous about the mission considering how big-headed you are,”

   You took a deep, long breath and held it to soothe you. Had you not been so previously preoccupied, you’d have given him hell for the insult. “I’m not nervous about that,” you sniped and rested back against the cool wall to satiate your burning skin before lifting your gaze to him only to find him already examining you.

   “Of course not, I just said that,” he retorted, bringing a gloved hand to his face to rub along his jaw, “there’s obviously nothing for you to worry about,”

   You scoffed, “And why is that, Barnes?” Cue the dramatic crossing of your arms. 

   “You’re smarter than Rumlow and significantly better trained. Overall, he really doesn’t hold a candle to your ability,” He paused for a second, his whole frame tensing until he remembered to relax, “But that’s not really saying much considering it’s Rumlow,” 

   You hadn’t noticed you raised your eyebrows until you felt your face fall, “Ah, there he is. You had me worried there for a second, Barnes. Thought you might actually try something new and display common decency for once,”

   A corner of his mouth turned up subtly and he shook his head. You trailed your gaze down to his hidden hand and stared long enough to burn a hole through the fabric.

   “If something’s bothering you, Dollface, go ahead and speak up,” 

   You weren’t sure what possessed you to say anything, especially knowing how touchy the subject was for him but the words left your mouth anyway, “I don’t know why you insist on hiding yourself,”

   He lurched his head back, your statement seeming to have a physical affect on the man and you mentally slapped yourself for saying anything.

   “I’m not hiding myself,”

   “But you are,” you interrupted, your thoughts coming out in pools of candor, “you aren’t your hand. You aren’t your past. You are you. Presently. You’re not the Winter Soldier anymore. That’s not even the same hand you had back then. It’s not tainted and neither are you. I say drop the gloves,”

   “And why would I care about what you say?” He growled, his eyebrows furrowed together and his neck tight in potential restraint.

   The elevator dinged and you looked towards the opening doors, “You don’t have to but they don’t look right with your suit either.” You walked through the exit and sauntered over to the others who had already gotten the party started, leaving Bucky dumb-founded behind you. “I need a shot,”

   “Already ready,” Tony quipped up, holding the small glass in the air for everyone to behold before bringing his cheek to yours in mock welcoming, “This’ll up your tolerance for the next hour, try to get all your drinking done within that time-frame,”

   You pulled away with a warm smile after faux kissing his cheek, “Finally!” you displayed and threw the liquid back in one swift motion, your face scrunching together against your will.

   “Yeah, she’s got a kick to her,” he mumbled and handed you a fruity drink to chase it down with. 

   You went around and said hi to everyone as you recognized most of those present. You made small chatter with those lesser known and drank the liquid in your hand significantly quicker than you’d like to. You excused yourself after you finished the drink and walked over to the bar, scanning the room as you were handed another glass. No Rumlow in sight.

   You headed towards the foosball table and gripped the handles after setting the beverage down on the counter beside you. You flinched as a reflection of light caught your eye and at first you thought your glass was the source. Until your eyes fixated on the reflection’s actual origin. To your far right, and up a few steps you found Bucky conversing with Steve, a dull light emitting from his hand. Not a glove in sight.

   “So, where’s your boyfriend?” Sam inquired when he filled the opposing spot.

   You rolled your eyes, “Bucky’s not my boyfriend,”

   “Bucky?” Sam’s tone chirped up teasingly, a knowing look wearing on his face.

   Your grip tightened around the handles and you slowly pulled away to throw the little white ball through the circle, your hands immediately twisting the miniscule players around. Your eyes shot back and forth, your sight never leaving the darting sphere. Sam still managed to win the first point.

   “Ha!” He shouted in triumph, bringing his finger up as if to scold you, “Don’t think you got away with that comment either, Y/N,”

   “What comment?” you questioned and gulped most of your drink before slamming it back down on the table.

   You heard your earpiece come to life with quiet static and you tried to keep your face masked. Rumlow had entered. Not a surprise either, the party was finally starting to pick up now.

   Sam threw the ball in and you turned the players meticulously this time, brute strength hadn’t helped you earlier so maybe you should take it slow. Steve made his way over to the table and threw his drink back, the liquid trickling down the side of his face before he wiped it away. Sam won the second point.

   “I play winner,” Tony chimed, standing beside Steve.

   You made a point to catch up and now you two were tied at three each. 

   “Best out of five?” You proposed, quirking an eyebrow at Sam.

   “If you didn’t want to play anymore you could’ve just said that,” he teased and you smirked at him as Tony made a subtle show of handing you another drink and you finished your second. “Loser takes two shots?”

   “Deal.” You nodded, knowing you didn’t have much of a choice as a small crowd began to form around you two. Rumlow amongst them. 

   Your jaw dropped when Sam shot the ball directly into your goal as soon as he’d let the ball go.

   “What the fuck?” You shouted, “No fair! That doesn’t count!”

   Thor erupted in laughter to your right and you blinked slowly, staring at the gargantuan man. 

   “It most certainly does,” Sam shouted back, his grin practically touching his ears.

   “Sam, take it easy on her,” Bucky muttered from beside him, quickly averting his gaze from yours and his expression loosened, “The brat hates losing,”

   “Brat?” You snarled.

   Bucky took a swig of his beer, watching you the entire time and you reeled back the fire beginning to form in your chest just to bring your drink up to your lips and chug the entire thing down. You handed it over to Tony who left to replace it. 

   “Last point,” Sam stated, “It’s not too late to quit now,”

   You shook your head and blinked away the feign distortion you were supposed to have. “Just play the ball,”

   “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he teased and threw the ball in. 

   You wanted to win. Desperately. But you had a character to play tonight and she was supposed to be drunk. So you hit your hand against the corner of the table just as Sam happened to make the winning point. You grumbled and threw him a glare when Tony broke through the crowd.

   “Coming through,” he shouted, handing two small glasses to you while you gripped your knuckles in pain. “Noooo, you’re not getting out of taking these. C’mon, take your punishment,”

   “Yes, Daddy,” you grumbled and cringed at your own words when the realization hit you. Whatever. You were supposed to be drunk, anyway. 

   “Daddy?” Tony quipped and pulled the drinks back towards himself, “Maybe you should be cut off,”

   “What?” You argued, leaning slightly on the table with your hand and snatching the drinks from Tony’s hold, effectively spilling some on yourself. “See?” You lifted up the half empty shot glass, “This barely counts as a shot,”

   “I’ll get her a new one,” Rumlow offered and disappeared before anyone could argue. 

   “She really doesn’t need another-” Bucky tried to interject and take the shots from you but you twisted around and chugged down the one full glass.

   Water.

   You looked up at Tony and his smirk was barely noticeable. But you could tell. Bucky nearly ripped the other drink from you but Tony blocked his path and you exaggerated your next drink as Rumlow broke back into the crowd, shot in tow.

   “Here.” Rumlow’s calloused hand held the drink up above you and you stared at him with a questioning look. “Open,” he ordered and the fire burning in your chest fought to destroy everything in its vicinity. You bit your lip in refrain but tossed your head back and opened your mouth.

   Static broke over your earpiece. Don’t drink that! Wanda’s voice erupted.

   Your eyes widened as the liquid made its way down but you coughed hard to stop whatever you could. 

   Why? Steve’s voice came through right after.

   You choked on the liquid and shut your eyes at the way it burned its way down. You reached your hand out to grab someone’s drink to ease the burning and grasped a tall glass and tossed it back. The burning didn’t ease up and you felt a hand rest on your back.

   “Are you okay?” Rumlow’s voice rang out and your skin nearly recoiled from the contact, “How about we get you some water?”

   You looked up at him when the burning subsided minimally and nodded your head, letting him lead the way to the bar. He parted the crowd and someone took step right behind you to follow when the presence suddenly died out abruptly. You turned around to check who it had been and found no one.

   Why? Steve asked again.

   Where’s Wanda? Bruce broke through.

   You lifted your head and flitted your gaze around the room until you found the familiar Sokovian on the couch, laying down with her eyes closed. You pulled away from Rumlow but his grip on your hand tightened and his steps grew in haste. You whirled your head to yell at him but the way the room swayed with the movement cause you to shut your mouth in surprise. 

   Didn’t Tony say you would have a higher tolerance?

   “Couch...” you muttered, pointing over your shoulder just in case your target was curious enough to ask but the message was delivered.

   Rumlow hoisted you up onto the bar stool and stood on your open side, using his body to keep you from falling over. Or to cage you in.

   “I don’t feel good,” You rested an elbow on the countertop and held your head up.

   “I can’t imagine you would. You’ve been chugging those drinks like they’re water.” Despite that, Rumlow motioned to the bartender and asked for two more.

   You giggled and your head lulled forward with the action. You let Rumlow catch you from tumbling over. Why did your body feel so heavy? Not to mention the way everything around you dazed about. You couldn’t catch a single action, let alone attempt to read Rumlow’s body language. But you did happen to notice the way his eyes searched the room before coming back to you.

   “You okay?” You rested your forearm against his chest and pushed slightly to allow yourself a better view of his face.

   A small smirk, “Am I okay? What about you?”

   You smacked your lips and brought the ice cold glass to your lips. That’s not water. “I’m doing reeaalllyy good,” you drawled.

   Rumlow chuckled and pushed you deeper into the chair, “I can tell.” He took a sip, his attention never faltering from your body, “Just be sure to pace yourself from here on out,”

   You made a show of cocking your head to the side and letting a smile sprawl onto your face as you studied him. 

   “What?” he questioned, a curious lift in his brow.

   You shook your head gently and kept your gaze on him over the brim of your glass, “You’re just . . . not what I was expecting,”

   “And what were you expecting?” 

   Don’t forget to bat your eyelashes. “Worse,”

   “Sorry to disappoint,” he jeered, his attention once again cast throughout the room before centering back on you.

   You followed his action but quickly came to the conclusion that moving any pace faster than a sloth was going to make you nauseous and you could barely keep a thought together. Your stomach began to rise in your chest and the fear seized your throat shut. Why couldn’t you hold onto a thought for longer than a second? It was like you were aware of your lack of consciousness but could do nothing about it because any thought or bout of panic phased through just as soon as it arrived.

   “What are you so tense for, Rumlow? You know you’re not currently on the clock, right?” You teased, your head leaning on your shoulder as you spoke.

   He brought his drink up to his lips and finished it off in three gulps, “I’m not tense. It’s just hard to turn it off sometimes,”

   You nodded slowly and pushed your drink towards him, “Relax. You know everyone here,”

   He shook his head and placed your drink back in front of you before asking for another beer.

   “And two shots!” You shouted to the bartender, throwing two of your fingers high up and instantly regretting how fast you’d done it.

   “Are you trying to get me drunk?” He asked you, a side smirk beginning to form.

   You placed your finger over your lips and hushed, “Shh, I won’t tell if you don’t.” You dragged your lower lip down and his eyes fixated to commit the scene to memory. “Besides, I always feel dumb if I’m the only one drunk,”

   He motioned to the rest of the party, “Believe me, Sugar, you’re not the only one enjoying yourself,”

   “But are you?” 

   “Am I what?” 

   “Enjoying yourself?” 

   Your skin crawled when he placed his rough hand on your barren thigh, “Absolutely,”

   Don’t forget what you’re here for. Don’t let the objective slip. Gods, how the fuck were you supposed to retain anything when you were so sleepy? And why was it so warm?

   “Hot,” you mumbled, fishing around in your glass for an ice cube to rub on your face.

   “Thank you,”

   You threw your head back in laughter and nearly earned yourself an up-close and personal view of the floor had Rumlow not wrapped an arm around your waist and held you steady. Once he was certain you weren’t going to toss yourself onto the ground, he parted your legs and stood between them to keep you rooted to your seat.

   All the movement had you spinning and you white-knuckled Rumlow’s cotton shirt to keep yourself grounded to something, anything. Red warning lights were firing up in your chest and you tensed with the way your body buckled to the panic coursing through you. Your heart pounded in your ears and danced across your skin, lighting it on fire and making the room too stuffy to bear. Please, no. Not now. Focus. Snap out of it. Come back, stay back. Your breathing hitched and you looked down at the sensation crawling its way up higher on your thigh. Too hot. Everything was too hot, if you didn’t get out of this now you would never-

   “Vision!” You cheered, happy to see your friend.

   The presence on your thigh recoiled slightly.

   “I’m taking Wanda to her room, seems she’s had a bit too much to drink,” Vision informed and you’d only just then noticed the body in his hold.

   “Wanda!” You smiled, admiring her peaceful features as she slept in his arms. You poked at her cheek then jerked your gaze back up to Vision. “What? Wanda doesn’t drink,”

   She’s not acting, Sam’s voice erupted in your ear and you flinched at the sound. 

   Vision’s eyes went from you to Rumlow then back to you slowly, “Y/N . . . are you okay?”

   You beamed at him and slowly brought up your thumb. “Good,” you responded.

   You followed Vision’s gaze back up to Rumlow and smiled at the agent beside you. You guess he’s kind of cute. In a strange, unsettling way.

   “She’s had a lot to drink, so we’re just trying to slow down the pace. Aren’t we, Y/N?” Rumlow looked down at you.

   You nodded fervently, “Yup!” 

   Vision hesitated but knew he didn’t pose much of a threat with Wanda in his arms unconscious, so he quirked a smile and walked towards the hall.

   Someone get to Y/N, something’s not right, Vision ordered and you lifted your head up to find him. You could have sworn he just left.

   “Here.” Rumlow handed you a glass, “Drink this, it’ll cool you down,” 

   You stared at the glass in his hold and looked up at him, “You drink it first,” you slurred, holding your finger up at him.

   He cocked his head to the side but took a swig of the drink and you watched it go down his throat. You shrugged and grabbed at it.

   Do not drink that, Nat ordered from somewhere and you looked around in wonder at who she was yelling to.

   Bucky, Sit down! Steve growled.

   Like hell, responded a voice you knew all too well.

   Your smile grew and you looked through the crowd, “Bucky!” You feverishly called, completely expecting to see him before you. Rumlow’s head lifted instantly, his eyes scouring the area.

   “I’ve got this, Pretty Boy,” Tony hastily spoke, “How ya doin’, Hot Stuff?” He interrogated and you reeled at the tone.

   “Quite well, thank you,” you responded tenaciously and attempted to take a swig of the drink in your grasp.

   Tony’s hand shot out and covered the top, slamming the cup back down on the counter and effectively getting the drink all over your dress.

   “What the fuck?” You tried to shout but the words came out heavy and required too much energy to speak.

   “You’ve had enough for tonight,”

   “It’s just water,” Rumlow defended but Tony paid him no mind.

   Your jaw dropped open and you glared at the older man. Who the hell did he think he was? Tony’s stare burned through your skull and despite your irritation, you couldn’t help but wonder why he was so pissed.

   “Are you mad at me?” You drawled, lulling your head to the side.

   “No,” he responded curtly. 

   “Am I being too loud or something?” You pushed. You couldn’t imagine you were any louder than any other drunken bastard at this party.

   “No,”

   Get her out of there or I swear to God I will, his voice hissed into your ear.

   Your eyebrows rose slightly in excitement, “Mmm, Bucky,” you smiled and Tony nodded.

   “’Mmm, Bucky’ is right. Wanna go see him?” Tony offered, sticking out his hand for you to take.

   You fell forward into Rumlow’s chest but shook your head furiously none the less, “For what? So he can tell me I’m horrendous at my-”

   Oh shit. Your job. The job.

   If only your body didn’t feel so heavy and your mind so light.

   You pushed off Rumlow’s chest and glared at Tony, “I can handle myself,” you insisted, a new sort of sober tone making its way through that caused him to do a once-over. “I know what I’m doing,”

   “How many drinks have you had?” Tony challenged and you fell silent.

   Then you felt a tap, and another and a few more.

   “Six,” You said, hoping you’d counted right.

   Tony, don’t you even fucking consider it, Bucky threatened.

   “You could at least change, recuperate and then come back,” Tony offered and you sighed a breath of relief before nodding.

   “Deal,” you agreed, “I’m hot anyway,”

   Tony gave you one last glance before turning around and blending into the crowd on the other end of the room.

   You looked up to Rumlow who’s gaze was still locked on the sea of people, “Don’t you wish you’d taken that shot now?” you tried to jeer, every last word bringing you deeper and deeper.

   “Are they always that intense?” He questioned, not turning his attention to you.

   “They can be over-bearing,” you admitted, hand grabbing the water from earlier and pressing it up against your forehead, “They consider me the baby so they’re always criticizing and suffocating until I just wished they’d disappear.” You took a gulp, “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the family and I like that I have a cause but . . . they don’t let me do anything. It’s exhausting,”

   You let out a long breath and smeared the condensation from the glass onto your chest. Rumlow studied you then, not just your body but your reaction. He was watching how you dropped your shoulders at the confession and how you faced your back to them to block them out. 

   You plastered your torso on the countertop and tried to slow your heartrate down. You couldn’t be the only one here unfathomably hot.

   “Why is it so fucking hot?” You questioned, fanning yourself weakly.

   “There are a lot of people around,” Rumlow offered, “how about we go somewhere else? Tony did say you had to change,”

   You peered up at him through half-lidded eyes and meekly groaned in compliance. “Fine,”

   You lifted yourself away from the counter and gently placed your feet on the floor. You’d touched the ground faster than anticipated. Had the ground always been so close?

   “Don’t worry, I gotcha.” Rumlow threw an arm around your waist and helped you trudge towards the elevator.

   Where the hell are you going? Bucky yelled and the sound of shuffling could be heard from his end.

   We can’t let you leave with Rumlow, Y/N. We’re not even sure you’re acting anymore, Sam stated.

   Rumlow pressed the button when you couldn’t muster the strength to do it yourself. The level that your room was on lit up and the doors began closing. You thought you saw Rumlow wave at someone but the mock smile on his face didn’t make it seem like a warm good-bye.

   Your legs had all but given out by the time the elevator reached your shared floor. 

   “Heavy,” you muttered, letting Rumlow carry your weight fully.

   “I know, Sugar. We’re almost there,” he soothed and you conceded to the fatigue wearing you down.

   Your head hung low and your arm dangled uselessly at your side. The familiar sound of your door sliding open caught your attention but you did nothing. You couldn’t. 

   “How . . . know . . . my room?” You questioned, each word causing you to pull from an empty well of energy.

   “I’ve been here before.” Rumlow tossed you onto the bed and sprawled you out.

   “Oh. Ok.” You tried to turn on to your side but strong hands gripped down onto your ankles.

   Rumlow sighed and slipped the heels off your feet, examining the pair like he wanted to wear them. You extended your feet until you felt every muscle in your leg stretch to its capacity and let out a groan of pleasure at the release. Those shoes hurt so bad.

   “You seem . . . intelligent, Y/N.” Rumlow dropped your shoes onto the floor and slithered to the side of your bed, standing beside it with his hands tucked into his pockets.

   A bead of sweat trickled down your forehead, “Hot . . .” you croaked and he nodded.

   “You’re right. It is getting kind of hot.” He brought a hand up to his neck and ripped off the tie hanging around it.

   Get the fuck out of my way, a growl erupted in your ear.

   We’re going with you, Buck, Steve responded before knocking something over.

   “So, what I have a hard time understanding is. . . why you’re here?” 

   You groaned a weak ‘huh’ but even that didn’t sound right.

   “You’re good at what you do, you finish every mission successfully and yet you’re underappreciated.” He took a seat at the foot of your bed and placed one of your legs into his lap, “Why do you allow them to treat you like that? We wouldn’t,”

   The shuffling in your earpiece halted.

   “We?” 

   He began to massage your calf and brought your knee up to his lips, peppering light kisses on it. “We could use someone with your skillset, babe. We’d take real good care of you,”

   The shuffling started again.

   Rumlow had made his way onto your thigh at this point and you let out an involuntary moan when he skimmed over a delicate part on your inner knee.

   “Ya like that?” he questioned but didn’t wait for a response. He brought a hand up to his temple and grabbed the earpiece. You figured he just hadn’t taken it out from his earlier shift but when he pulled it apart, you understood why he always kept it on him.

   “Flash . . . drive earpiece?” Your weak tone tilted a little. “W-why tell . . .”

   “I figured I’d give you the option to leave since you seem so . . . suffocated. If you said yes tonight then I would remind you tomorrow. If you didn’t,” he chuckled, “well, you wouldn’t remember anyway.” His hands trailed to your mid-thigh and you squeaked. “I’m impressed though, I’ve never given anyone else as much as I’ve given you tonight. The drug usually works so quickly on others, but not you. It’s kind of hot, actually,”

   Sick fuck, Natasha growled through a ragged breath.

   The world around you was slow or maybe it was you that was slow? You couldn’t tell, honestly. But when Rumlow moved as if he could predict your actions before you could make them, you wondered whether you were moving at all.

   “Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon,” Rumlow sighed.

   You shook your head, or thought you did but despite the way your body was live-wired, it remained still against all desire. 

   Fight. Move. 

   You managed to push your legs shut but his hand slithered between and spread them open similar to opening a door, but this required much less force.

   “Kill,” You threatened and the sinister smile that crawled its way onto Rumlow’s face was vile enough to sink your heart into your stomach.

   “Kill is fucking right.” Someone snarled and your door was ripped from its hinges.

   Rumlow’s hand jerked away from your body and Bucky seized his open palm, intertwining their fingers and pushing Rumlow’s so far back that they touched the back of his own hand. The cracks were sickening onto themselves but had you not been so weak you would’ve turned from the sight altogether. You really couldn’t fathom how his fingers were still attached at all.

   “Lay another hand on her and you won’t be able to use it again.” Bucky spit.

   Despite Rumlow’s pain, the sinister smile remained sprawled on his face, “You should’ve heard the noises she made,”

   Bucky’s grip tightened and the bones in his palm broke next, “I did,”

   Natasha flew in right behind Barnes but completely dismissed the two and headed straight for you with a needle in hand. Your eyes shifted from the needle to Nat’s face and back again until she stabbed it into your upper arm. Ouch. 

   “Wha-”

   “Shh,” Natasha hastily hushed, “Keep your strength, you should be back to normal soon,”

   Steve came behind Nat and scooped you up to lead you out of the havoc going on in the room. Nat turned her focus to Bucky and reached over to grab the earpiece from Rumlow. Who knows if his nose will ever heal back normally. You held one finger in the air as Steve stepped over the splintered door.

   “Goddamit, Y/N,” Steve huffed, jogging towards the elevator and pressing the floor that led to the infirmary.

   “We won,” you croaked out, a small smile on your face and Steve shook his head.

   “I’m never going to hear the end of this,” 

   Steve looked you up and down for bruises but couldn’t find any and you promised you weren’t lying to him when you told him Rumlow did not get very far in his ‘advances’ at all. You had to swear the mid-thigh was the worst that it came to. 

   Bruce was the one that took a few blood samples and made sure everything was reversing back to normal. Apparently, as soon as Rumlow took you to the bar Tony handed Banner the shot glass that Rumlow gave you and Banner ran analysis on it. The cure was pretty easy to find.

   After being given strict orders to lie down for the next hour or so, it had been decided that Rumlow was to be turned in considering all the evidence required to make the arrest was in the flashdrive and everyone was to gather together for a ‘family night’. Whatever the hell that meant.

   You were in the middle of debating which movie to pick with Steve when the infirmary doors flew open.

   “Where is she?” Bucky nearly shouted upon seeing Bruce.

   “That’s my cue.” Steve stood up just as Bucky rounded the corner, “If you need anything me and Banner will be right over there,”

   You smiled and thanked him then turned your attention to the super-soldier who just arrived at the foot of your bed.

   He didn’t say anything for a while, just looked at you. No, not really. Not at you but through you. A few painstakingly slow seconds went by that way.

   “You owe me a new door,” you joked, a half-smile on your face.

   “Are you okay?” He asked, finally registering your presence.

   You nodded slowly, “I am,”

   Then a few more seconds.

   Bucky turned his gaze down to his hands, both of them barren and on display for the world to see, before shifting his weight between either foot, “Did he- did he touch you?”

   “Not really. Just really liked my legs for some reason,” your attempt at another quip didn’t reach Bucky. He stared back up at you waiting for an answer, an honest one. You sighed, “The damage is more mental,” you admitted, now you were the one not able to look up, “I didn’t like being in this altered state of mind. It’s invasive and . . . scary. He could’ve done things, much worse things but it never got that far or that bad. It was more realizing that I wasn’t completely conscious or present and having that state of mind be taken advantage of, that mostly frightened me. Ya know?”

   “More than anyone,” he answered immediately.

   You looked back up towards him, finally making eye contact, “But I’m fine now, really. Just a little spooked. Steve wants to do a movie night tonight and I would actually prefer that over being alone.” Your eyes fixated on the way his hands clenched and unclenched on the bar by your feet, “If I’m alone then I’ll get stuck in my head about it. Besides, I consider this a hard victory with a few bumps in the road,” 

   He chuckled, lulling his head a bit, “You’re too stubborn for your own good,”

   You shrugged, “Maybe. How’s Rumlow?”

   Bucky hissed and moved over to the side of the bed where he took a seat, “He’s unconscious. And has a hand that he’ll never be able to use again. But other than that, he’s fine,”

   You chuckled and Bucky watched how the laugh met your eyes. He liked that look on you. It was one of his favorites.

   “Why are you looking at me like that?” You questioned once it fell silent between you two again.

   “You called me Bucky earlier,” he remembered.

   You scoffed, “I call you Bucky all the time,”

   “Not to my face,”

   “Not to your face,” you agreed, a teasing smile dancing on your lips and Bucky had one that mirrored yours. 

   “It was nice. Hearing it, I mean,” he admitted and a wave of warmth made its way to your face.

   “I see your hands are exposed,”

   He looked down as though he weren’t aware that he’d taken off his own gloves, “These bad boys? A friend of mine reminded me that I’m not my past. I’m my present. Why hide my growth?”

   You twiddled your thumbs together, “She sounds smart,”

   Now he scoffed, “Oh, it wasn’t a girl, it was some old buddy of mine.” He quirked up a brow, “Unless the person being a girl would make you jealous because in that case it was most definitely a girl,”

   You fought against the natural tug at the corners of your mouth, “Is she at least pretty?”

   “Stunning,” 

   “Smart?”

   “Genius,”

   “Good at her job?”

   “Amongst the best,”

   “Then consider me jealous, Barnes,”

   Bucky chuckled and you watched how the laugh met his eyes. You liked that look on him. It was one of your favorites.

[honouredsatoru]

JJK Characters x You on a date

notes : I tried including Gojo's love for Digimon since I also grew up watching Digimon and loving the anime with all of my heart, also because Gojo's seiyuu, both Japanese and English versions, voiced for characters in Digimon, so I wanna pay homage to the both of them. other than that, I also included my love for arts and history, something I tried to incorporate into my writing, just to make it like.. lilith's style, ya know?

extra notes : also I wrote megumi for Elli, just because haha.

warnings : slight cussing. not proofread lol. other than that, none. 100% fluff!

characters : gojo satoru, fushiguro megumi, kugisaki nobara, nanami kento, itadori yuji.

Gojo Satoru - Arcades, vintage shops, especially collectors, especially Digimon, comic book/manga stores.

[Your name]! [Your name!]! Look, look! It's the Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 series! All 9 of them! Let's get in!"

"Ahh hold on. Towu! We're supposed to visit the cat cafe, you promised that you would go with me and take pictures with the cat hairband on! And I'm starving!"

You jokingly scowled at him, tapping your Doc Martens feet on the ground, arms folding.

"Fucking adorable. Let me see if I can tease her more, hah." A smirk soon appeared on this blue-eyed darling of yours.

"Let me get the manga and I promise, I'll go to this cat cafe with you, baby. Hm?"

"Oh alright."

"I love you, sweetheart. I know how much you wanted to go there but the manga. I- ahaaaa"

He started pouting as he kept pointing in the direction of the Digimon manga by the window. You quickly opened your camera, taking pictures of him sulking, emitting a soft giggle that actually made his heart squeezed with joy.

He presses his lips against your forehead, thumb circling your cheek, gently squishing them before opening the door, yanking you into the comic book store with him. You vowed to hide the comic books once he goes on a mission. After all, he made you wait a month before the two of you finally get to go to this cafe you always wanted to visit.

"Baby, I can read what you're thinking. Your face shows it too. Hehe. Watch me hide your panties."

Taking in a few gulps of air to deepen your breath, you opened your eyes, to meet the love of your life's own eyes, snickering at you, his large hands on the crown of your head before ruffling your already messy hair. There is no way you can stay mad at this man, as childish as he is, you know he loves you and deep down? He knows you love him too.

Itadori Yuji - Thrift stores, internet cafes to play online games with you, cinemas.

"Candy! [Your name] love! Don't! Make! Me! Ahhh cover up for me! I am gonna lose! I am gonna-"

He turns around to face you with soft eyes, his eyebrows slightly droopy before looking back at the computer, taking in the seconds in his head to register the fact that he lost in his mission with you in Inferno.

"Awww sorry babe. I mean.. you just started playing CSGO, so tell me, why- again- damn it- you wanna- AH. Damn it! Throw the fucking grenade! I mean why you wanna play this game, you need more practice- FUCK YOU."

Gentle chuckles were heard, emitted from his throat, his soft, peach toned lips landed on your cheek repeatedly as he rubbed soothing circles around your back.

"Breathe, bunny baby. You're so feisty whenever you start having online matches. Breathe. I love you, and I don't want you to get your blood pressure rising because of these dumbos, hm?"

Your lips curl into a faint and appreciative smile, nodding while your eyes are glued to the screen, ignoring the fading laughs and snickers from the people acknowledging your mini rage.

"I love you too. If I win, I'm getting us boba and chicken nuggets. So let me fight them, okie?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Megumi - Museums, art galleries, photo exhibitions, aesthetic cafes.

"Oh Gumi bear, look at that! That is the Raft of Medusa, it was done by Thèodore Géricault, he himself interviewed two survivors from the shipwreck."

He looks over your eyes that shine with excitement and pure happiness.

"Art"

Was what he thought every time he laid his sight onto you. God knows that he falls in love with you every single time he is blessed with your presence. Resting his arm around your waist, pulling you closer, inhaling the scent of mixed berries and wild roses, he swore he heard his heartbeat increasing every two seconds in a span of one minute.

"Oh really? What do you think this painting is all about?"

Glancing at him before returning to the painting, you puffed your cheeks, pressing your lips together with your index finger curled on your chin and your thumb under it.

"Lord, she is so cute whenever she does that. Can I kiss her? Should I? No wait, she's trying to tell me her own interpretation of this painting. To me. Oh wow. I'm gonna kiss her... later. I can't interrupt her." That is all he could think of. You. He is deeply, madly, beautifully in love with you.

"In my opinion, it tells me the ways of how men, or human beings, seek out in order to survive. When we are at the brink of desperation, insanity, happiness, greed, lust, desire, wrath, grief, don't we all do things unimaginable to help us go through the day? They even resolved to cannibalism. I think even I would commit to that if I was in an extremely dire situation."

You looked at him, a wide smile on your face, emitting a soft giggle that entered his right ear and stayed within the chambers of his mind. He closed the spaces between the both of you, sealing his lips onto yours, with the intention of making this very moment last a little longer heavy within his heart.

"Art."

Was what you thought of him.

Nanami Kento - Theatres, historical museums, fine dining restaurants.

You squealed, lightly clapping your hands as you ran to a block of marble, your foot tapping against the floor. He chuckles, hands in his pocket, taking fast strides towards you.

"Namnam! Look look! That's the Parthenon Sculptures! It was founded in hm... Athens, yes! If I am not mistaken, around 438 to 432 BC. These sculptures decorated the insides of the Parthenon, it is a temple located at the fortress of the Athenian Acropolis. It is said that this temple was built to appreciate and worship the Goddess Athena, she was the deity worship in Athens. Also, ah ah! Did you know that the word parthénos means "maiden", "girl" or ‘virgin"? And I-"

You look at him, your magnificent lover wearing a dark brown trench coat, with ecru brown trousers and a black turtleneck tucked in, his neck layered with white gold necklaces. Your hand unconsciously scratches your sideburns, giggling at the side of his stoic expression, eyes piercing yours beneath that yellow-green glasses he constantly has on his chiseled face.

"Oh... I am sorry... I didn't mean to bore you. I was just so excited because you know me! I love anything that is related to ancient greek history and mythology. I can't seem to get enough of it and it is absolut-

"I'm not bored, [your name]. I was just paying attention to every single word that pretty lips of yours uttered. It's magnificent that you knew all of this. It shows just how smart, curious, bright your mind and soul is. And darling?"

"Huh?"

"I am lucky to be blessed with someone like you. With Gojo constantly following me, there is no way I can read the books I bought for myself. However, having you around, breaking the ice with your random history tib bits, I feel like I am reading the pages, savouring each word, alphabet, sentence, thus expanding my quest and love for knowledge."

You looked down. Normally, you're not the type to tear up this easily but seeing how this man, this angel of a man, appreciates the little things you loved and adored, you can't help but let the waterworks out. You lifted your head up to meet his gaze, the tip of your nose slightly stuffy. You grabbed his arms, clinging onto him, the difference of height and size makes it sweet to the eyes of strangers surrounding you both.

"Oh Namnam. Thank you so much. This means the world to me. Shall we... go and see the best of Ramesses the Great? I've loads to tell you!"

Nobara - Shopping malls, ferry rides, beach dates, parks with cherry blossoms.

"Baby... tell me, have you ever seen anything as joyous as the ocean?"

You two stood by the seashore, fingers intertwined, your head resting on her shoulders, the sound of the seas splashing against the rocks and the warmth around your foot, it tingled but it feels good at the same time.

"I don't want this moment to end, [your name]."

"Why is that, pretty one?"

A faint sigh leaves her lips, you feeling her body loosen up.

"I just.. school is sort of stressful so my time spent with you liberates me from the pressure, fatigue, and image of curses embedded in my brain. Walking with you... through this airy womb of skies and clouds, don't you know it makes me happy?"

You leaned closer, pressing a soft peck on her cheeks, earning yourself a pair of scarlet cheeks with a gorgeous smile from the one next to you. You turned yourself to face her, hands on her shoulders, bringing her body closer to yours.

"Whenever and wherever you need me, I will be there. I might not be perfect, but I am gonna do my best to be the one you can always count on."

You pressed a kiss on her left cheek.

"I love you."

A kiss on her right cheek.

"I love you."

A kiss to the lips of the woman whom you shared your entire universe with.

"To the moon and back, I love you, Kugisaki Nobara."

The end.

tags : @tojisveryown @sookyshima @megumifushi @sixeyesgojo @sirthisisa-wendys @sasso-oda @fushigurocockslut @nkogneatho @kotarousgf @noritoshiikamo

[flameoutfics]

We’re Only Young and Naive Still Chapter 1

Summary: Nora is the first woman in the NHL, a recent call-up to the Calgary Flames, who has her own reasons for being there, much to the hesitation of her new teammates. As they get to know her though, she’ll find the family she never knew she wanted and sparks fly with a certain-future-captain.  *This fic will update every Monday. 

Nora waited outside the locker room for the rest of the team to join. She had been waiting for them to head out on the ice, knowing that they were in various states of undress behind the other wall. She had scrambled to get changed in the small bathroom that a member of the Avalanche’s front office had led her to. He’d sheepishly told her that this was the best that they could do and Nora had just nodded. She’d had to change in supply closets before in the absence of a women’s restroom close to the ice level. 

Waiting in the empty corridor for the team allowed her anxiety to fester. Nora could only imagine what was going to await her once she got out onto the ice. There were some who were excited for her to become the first female NHL player to ever play a professional game. She knew they had clambered to get tickets, to show the little girls that anything was possible and that they, too, could join the NHL some day. Nora was nervous to step into that role of a role model, but she didn’t mind. It was the other faction, the one who had already mentioned her on Twitter and caused her to change her Instagram settings that worried her. They didn’t want her to play, they didn’t want a woman in the NHL. Nora could only imagine what they would say after her first game, that anything she’d do wouldn’t be good enough, that she was proof of why women didn’t belong in the NHL. Nora was so lost in her thoughts that she was jolted by the sound of the locker room door opening. 

Jacob Markstrom readjusted his goalie mask on his face and headed out to the ice for warm ups. Nora followed close behind until they got to the ice’s edge. 

“You first,” Jacob nodded towards the ice and gently tapped her on the back of her legs with his goalie stick. Nora sighed. It was tradition for players playing their first game to skate the first lap solo, but she’d rather forgo it. Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and took her first steps onto the ice. For a moment, she hoped that with her hair tucked into her helmet, people wouldn’t recognize her, but as she started to gain momentum the crowd ignited. It was like everyone had an opinion. Sure she heard the cheers, but intermingled with them she heard the boos. To be honest, she wasn’t sure which there was more of. Much to her relief, after the first solo lap, the rest of the team piled on the ice and joined her for warm ups and she felt herself relax as she began to blend in with the other red jerseys. 

Nora played 5:43 in her first NHL game. It wasn’t a lot, but it was a first. Nothing remarkable happened, and the Flames lost 3-1 in the end. It wasn’t an Auston Matthews level debut by any means but it wasn’t bad. She’d completed most of her passes and she’d made all of her line changes. Sutter didn’t play her much, nor did she expect it. She knew how he felt about having her on his team. She’d been great in the AHL racking up points and causing the hockey writers to wonder if she was going to break the glass ceiling and play in the NHL. Then she was brought up to the NHL and started practicing with the team, always being a healthy scratch when the final line up was decided. But the Flames kept losing and Nora knew that there was pressure on Sutter from the front office to play her. She wasn’t naive to the press that would surround her debut, neither was Brad. So, when Sutter finally announced that she was going to play her first NHL game, it wasn’t completely a surprise, but the timing took her off guard. The rest of the team had acknowledged it with polite cheers, but Nora knew that they weren’t thrilled to have her there either. 

She’d sat in the locker room after the game, still fully in her gear while Sutter reamed them. “None of you played well today. Fuck, she played better than half of you and it was her first fucking game,” Sutter said as he pointed Nora out. She felt the cold gaze of the other players turn towards her as Sutter had pretty much just put a target on her back. She drowned the rest of his diatribe out and as she snuck a glance around the room, it looked like the rest of the team was also ignoring him. When he stormed off, Nora finally felt like she could breathe and retreated to the bathroom where she’d gotten dressed. 

She’d only been in there for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door. 

“Nora, they’re going to want you for post-game interviews,” Tanya, the PR rep said, from outside of the bathroom where Nora stripped out of her gear. She was sweaty from the game but knew she’d have to wait until she made it back to the hotel room before she could 

“Okay,” Nora agreed, even though she knew that she was going to be the focus of the interview, “is anyone else going to be there?” 

“Matthew will be too,” Tanya said. Nora sighed to herself but nodded. 

“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute,” Nora said. She wished it was Jacob or even Johnny doing the interview with her instead of Matthew. She didn’t hate him, but she didn’t like him either. Since she’d been called up to practice with the team, he’d coolly ignored her. Most of the guys treated her that way too, with Jacob and Johnny being two exceptions. 

Matthew was already waiting at the table that had been set up for them for press availability. He glanced up at her and nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t say anything. Nora didn’t know what she was expecting. Did she think he’d say ‘hi’ or ‘great job today’? They weren’t friends, they were barely even teammates. 

“Alright, let’s start with the first question,” Tanya said. 

“Nora, how did your first game in the NHL feel?” a reporter asked. It was a softball question and one that Nora appreciated. 

“It was great. It was a dream come true, honestly,” Nora said, “and I’m really fortunate to be able to be here and on such an amazing team to share the game with them.”

“It’s not the result that I’m sure you wished for, though,” the reporter followed up.

“No,” Nora conceded, “I definitely thought that I could have played better, especially in the third period, but Matthew had an amazing goal in the second period, and really it’s just an honor to be here and play a game in the NHL. 

“Any family here today to celebrate your first game with you?” A different reporter asked. 

Nora pasted a smile on her face, “No, unfortunately they couldn’t make it, but I know they were watching from home.” 

“I have a question for Nora…” another reporter started and Nora wished that just one of them could direct their attention to Matthew. 

“Why aren’t you in the NWHL?” a reporter asked. That caused Nora to pause. The answer caught in her throat. She knew that was the question that thousands of people had on their minds. There was a league for female hockey players, a great league, so why wasn’t Nora playing in it? Nora had rehearsed the answer to the inevitable in the mirror for what felt like hundreds of times, but here the words failed her. 

Tanya looked over at her and watched as she floundered for a response. “Sorry,” Nora said as she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “would you mind repeating the question?”

“Sure, Nora, why aren’t you in the NWHL?” the reporter repeated. 

“I- I-...”

“Alright, I think our time has wrapped up,” Tanya said as she closed out the interview, saving Nora from answering. Once all the reporters left, Nora turned to Tanya. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I couldn’t answer that.”

Tanya smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, “Don’t worry, we can discuss some possible answers and better prepare you for media availability in the future.”

“Thanks,” Nora said. Matthew hadn’t said anything except for the one question directed towards him about his second-period goal. All Nora wanted to do was go back to her hotel room and take a nice warm shower. She didn’t give either of them a chance to say anything and instead headed out and grabbed her coat, knowing her gear would travel with the rest of the team’s. She walked the couple of blocks back to the hotel. She kept her head down, hoping to remain unrecognized by fans who were still lingering by the arena and made it back to her hotel room without running into anyone. She stripped out of her Flames-branded gear and headed for the shower. In the mirror, she could already see bruises starting to develop from where she’d been checked into the boards.  She should have been ecstatic to be playing in the NHL; most people in her position would be, but she didn’t. She just wanted the day to be over and to go to bed. That was what made her sad, that she didn’t care that much about being in the NHL, it was just a means to an end. Before she went to sleep, she took one more look at her phone and reminded herself why she was doing this. She knew why she was playing in the NHL; she just couldn’t say it. 

Nora glanced around the dining room for breakfast the next day looking for a place to sit. It felt like high school all over again. Ideally, she would have sat near Jacob or Johnny, but their tables were all filled so instead she sat in an open seat with some of the other newer players, Elias, and Matthew. They were happily chatting about some football game that Nora knew nothing about. She tried to follow along for a while, but after realizing that she didn’t really have anything to contribute, she hurriedly ate her breakfast and wanted to rush back to her room. She cleared her plate and offered a faint excuse for something she’d forgotten in her room, hoping to leave. It wasn’t like any of them would notice that she was gone anyways. She’d only made it a little ways before she heard footsteps follow her out. 

“What’s your problem?” Matthew asked as he cornered Nora. 

“I don’t have a problem,” Nora said. 

“You could at least try to pretend to be interested in getting along with the team,” Matthew said.

“What are you talking about?” Nora asked. 

“You didn’t come out with us last night,” Matthew said. 

“I wasn’t invited,” Nora answered.

“Everyone was,” Matthew said. 

“Well I wasn’t,” Nora insisted. 

“It was in the group chat,” Matthew said. 

“I’m not in the group chat, so I didn’t see the message,” Nora said. 

“Oh,” Matthew said. 

“Yeah,” Nora said.

Matthew fished out his phone and fiddled around with a few buttons. “There, you should be added now.”

“Thanks,” Nora said. Matthew looked like he was going to say something more but reconsidered. 

“Ready for the flight?” Matthew asked.

“Yeah,” Nora replied, “I’ll be back down soon.” She headed back up to her room and collapsed on the bed, with just a few minutes before she’d have to pack her things for the flight. Against her better judgement she scrolled through the group chat back to previous messages and saw messages from when it had been announced that she’d been called up to the Flames.

Johnny: That girl from the AHL’s being brought up. 

Peter: Really? I didn’t think she was that good.

Elias: She’s on a five-game goal streak.

Matthew: We’re getting a girl on the team? Are we really that bad that they need to bring her up? 

Nora sighed and put her phone away. Tears pricked her eyes as she tried to blink them away. There were other comments like that in the group chat that they hadn’t bothered to delete and Nora read them, wanting to know what her teammates really thought about her. Reactions ranged from ambivalent to disgust, with most somewhere in the middle. There was a knock on the door as a warning to head downstairs and Nora tried to compose herself. 

“Are you okay?” Johnny asked when Nora arrived downstairs with her bag. 

“Yeah, I’m ready to head to Detroit,” Nora replied with a fake smile on her face. 

[hobidreams]

november 1868.

but you’ve always been his, haven’t you?

pairing: joseon king!yoongi x reader genre: smut, angst words: 2.8k contains: historical au, mentions of death, unhealthy relationship dynamics (but era-appropriate; you know how it goes), explicit sexual content, longing.

moonlit throne index. this is drabble eight. start from the beginning?

If there is one inevitability in life, it is that time goes on.

You, like everyone else under King Yoongi’s reign, simply do your best to survive with your head intact. With the ground now mostly frozen over with ice, you have no reason to visit the gardens, and honestly, it becomes less of a loss by the day. You have your hands full with work; the worsening winter always means a higher possibility of catching an illness for the court ladies, and so you are left with little time to think of the king. Willful ignorance is a powerful defense mechanism when even the mere mention of him brings a frown to your lips and a lingering pressure in your chest.

But it is impossible not to think of him today, on the 11th of November. What would have been Queen Jeonghui’s birthday, but is instead a day of mourning.

All official business has more or less halted for the day. The entire palace is somber, the occupants moving through familiar routines feeling numb from more than just the cold. You are among their number, having finished all the work that could distract you while the sun set. Now, you wander in the pitch dark, through the open corridor towards your quarters with heaviness in every step.

You miss her laugh. The queen had always treated you like one of her own, asking after your interests, new discoveries, and health even while her own dwindled. You miss hearing the stories of her surprisingly rambunctious life before she came to court. You miss the brightness in her voice when she spoke of the hopes she had for the future of the kingdom, and for her precious Yoongi. You blink away a tear as your journey comes to its end.

In your small but private room, you begin to undo the straps of your hanbok with the relieving sense that this day is almost over. Stripped to your undergarments, you’re eager to crawl beneath the warm blankets and let blissful sleep take you into tomorrow as soon as your eyes shut.

Except sleep is not easily persuaded to come tonight, as you soon learn.

Even when you force your body to stay still as long as possible, even when you try to block out all thought and simply imagine blankness before you, you remain no closer to dreams, forcibly stuck in this bleak reality. That’s when your exhausted mind begins to wander to places most dangerous, even though you already vowed to stay far, far away.

You wonder whether the king is alone in his grief tonight. Has he eaten properly, or has he completely shut himself away? Does he even have enough heart left to mourn from all you’ve witnessed these past months?

(This last thought is what makes you ache the most, despite yourself.)

Then a quiet voice mutters your name from outside.

You blink and look up, uncertain whether it was just the wind. Who would it be at this late hour anyway? Who would be so bold as to call your name and not your title? But then the sound comes again, louder this time with some impatience in the syllables, and you realize exactly whose voice it must be.

Scrambling to your feet with the chill of losing the blanket sweeping over you, you have a split second to decide between keeping him waiting and having a proper appearance. You land somewhere in the middle, pulling on a loose, long jeogori that was once your mother’s before throwing the door wide open before you can think it through.

Damn all the odds.

It really is him.

In the moonlight, his hair seems almost ethereal with the way most of it cascades loosely around his shoulders. It’s fine, pale gold, spilling across the crimson dye of the royal robes that have been left slacker than is normally allowed in public company. There’s still a hardness in those midnight eyes, a set obstinacy in lips twisted down for a scowl that seems all too inherent to him now.

“Jeonha,” you exhale, more breath than sound.

How are you meant to receive him after all that has happened?

Wordlessly, he moves forward. You flatten yourself against the wall to allow him entry into your tiny home, your world without question, just like you always have. His sleeves brush past you as he walks and the incredibly subtle scent of plum blossoms begins to swirl around the air, so familiar it brings a hot sting to your eyes in an instant.

“Is that—”

“Shut the door.” His voice is biting, forcing you to drop the question.

You have little choice in the matter. When you turn back to face him, this room feels about three times smaller with the imposing aura that emanates from him. He has never felt more like a king to you than now, staring at you down his nose like he holds your life in his palm. At this distance, you fear he can hear the palpitations of your treacherous heart.

“Um.” You involuntarily wrap your hands around your stomach, trying to calm the jitters. “…How may I help you, jeonha?”

His lips curl in a smirk, but there is no real humor in it. “You must know the only thing a man and woman can do alone at night?”

Surprise is so blatant on your face that it amuses him; the smirk grows wider but remains empty still.

“You— You wish to do that?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Did you or did you not say to come if I had anything I required?”

He remembered. He knew it was you. A part of you thaws, just an inch.

“Still— Must… Must it be tonight?” Of all nights.

“It has to be.”

You swallow, dry. All you know of the act are the medical descriptions and consequences of such copulation as written out in your studied texts. To think of such a thing occurring in real life— to even consider it with the king! It was beyond your wildest thoughts, even when you used to let your childhood fantasies soar. But even more ludicrous than that, for him to consider being with you, a mere uinyeo when all the ministers routinely brought their high-born daughters to court in hopes of tempting him… “W-What of the court ladies, the ones waiting to be made concubine…?”

At your last word, he scowls like a bolt of lightning, gone before you can confirm that it was there at all. “I see.” He shifts, as if already prepared to leave. “I should have gone to them first.”

Your stomach drops.

The prospect of a random woman wrapping herself around him in seduction, holding him closer than he’s ever been to you… You wince. The mere thought of how he might fit against her, leave a part of himself inside her body, strikes envy deep into your mind. Especially when you consider all that could follow such an intimate act.

You know it’s not your place to be so concerned; it never has been, but damn it. Here he is in front of you, and not them. That has to mean something.

“No!” You blurt out, and watch his face darken with satisfaction. That in itself makes you fiercely aware of how much he has changed but still, you say, “no. Don’t… don’t go.”

In a stroke of boldness, you slip the jacket from your shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

“Good girl.”

It all happens so quickly.

Grasping your arm, he brings you to him with one strong tug. Invades your space with his heat. You’ve never been this physically close before but you are given no time to savor it. Your eyes search his for a hapless second before he forces his gaze away with a light whip of his hair. For a second, you think like he might kiss you, but that particular touch never comes.

“Bed.” The air around the word makes it sound like he’s rushing as he pulls you both towards the mussed bedspread, but of course it’s not that. It’s almost laughable, the thought that he would want so badly to claim you as his. It’s more likely that he wants any warm body beneath him, and you happened to be the most convenient.

As he pushes you to the floor, as he begins to strip you of your undergarments, your mind struggles to set aside your worries and the rest of the world with it to focus on the feeling of his unobstructed fingers on the skin he reveals with each passing second. For a moment, it works. For a moment, all you know is the heat of his desire as he throws aside most of your coverings, then discards his own as if they were nothing more than cleaning rags. Staring at his bare body for the first time, you take in all the lean muscle that make up his chest, the paleness of his skin that brings to mind the word delicate. It’s at complete odds with the ugliness that’s surrounded him for so long and really, you don’t know what to believe anymore as he rakes his eyes over you too.

You’re shivering. Keenly aware of your nakedness, made even more stark when your king practically fixes you to the floor with his presence alone. He must know this is all new to you, that he’s the only one able to put you in this position even after everything he’s done. But will that afford you the tenderness you so crave? Your pulse thunders in your ears as you await the answer.

“Turn over. On your hands and knees.”

Your breath hitches.

He doesn’t even want to look at your face.

You choke back the emotion that yearns to spill over, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing exactly how he affects you when he doesn’t allow you the same luxury. You’re stronger than this, even though your fears have just been confirmed. That this, his broad hand harshly squeezing your ass, is the only reason he broke through the thick wall of silence between you. That he treats you just like any other woman, not one he’s known all his life.

What does it say about you that you’re still willing to give him everything?

His other hand trails down your back as if lightly scratching an invisible character there. Then, when he reaches for your sokgot, the last bit of cloth left to you, it truly hits you that there will be no going back from this. Not after he physically carves himself into your memory. It makes you unthinkingly tense up; in turn, the hands against you stutter to a pause.

The silence feels thick, smothering. Then—

“Are you afraid of me?”

“No.”

You say it before you can decide whether it’s the truth or merely what you wish would be the truth.

“Hm.”

He leaves you wondering if that was the answer he wanted and resumes, undoing the ties, pulling away the layer that wants to cling to the slight wetness between your thighs. Evidently not one for wasting time, and why would he linger when he just wants an easy release anyway, he runs the tip of his thumb down your slit before pushing eagerly into your heat. The lewd moan that you emit is a noise you’ve never made before, and it makes your face burn with shyness.

You’ve touched yourself like this perhaps three times ever, more out of medical curiosity than anything. You didn’t quite see a point in it when it just left you feeling lonely once the high faded. But under your king’s control, it feels maddeningly new. Maybe it’s because you don’t know what he’s going to do next, like when he suddenly pushes in a second finger and you feel the spike of pain work its way through your limbs before giving way to the next wave of pressure. It’s just almost too much to take, his insistent kneading against your dripping walls.

“Your cunt is so fucking tight. Just for me? Only take my fingers like this?” He feeds you another finger when you nod, huffing a smirk at your whine. The unfamiliar words are as harsh as his hands. You’ve never heard him like this, so rough and cocksure, practically an utter stranger. But a stranger could never bring out such overwhelming emotions in your chest, your poor, confined heart.

Your legs are soon shaking with the strain of holding up your weight when pleasure and pain war so intensely in your body; but you don’t dare collapse in surrender, even though this has always been a losing battle. Not even when he rears back, replacing his cream-slick hand with what you think is the blunt head of his cock. He whets it along your folds and it feels so much thicker, intimidating like the rest of him. But you want it. You realize then just how much you want it, even if this is all you’ll have of him when it’s over.

He leans over you, hot breath whisking across your back, a palm on your hip. “I’m your first.” It sounds like a boast. “No one else.”

“No.” You shake your head. “No one else.”

And he takes his first stroke.

Hisses when he feels you squeeze around him, and you wonder if this is his first time too. Then you have to force yourself to stop thinking about that altogether, afraid that the real answer might hurt more than this: the ache of being spread apart with every brutal, solid inch, filled too quickly by a man who doesn’t seem like he could take things slow even if he wanted to. He keeps shoving forward, biting down every surfacing grunt as his nails dig into your waist and it hurts. It hurts so much but you grit your teeth, refusing to back down because you need him to know that you can take this. Even when your mouth feels drier with every yelp, every moan, you tell yourself it’ll be easier the next time he wants to have his way with you. Right now, that seems better than not feeling him at all.

“This cunt,” he finally growls when he bottoms out, for once sounding so unbridled that goosebumps speed down your weakening arms. But you find yourself liking the sound, craving it even as he pauses to catch his breath.

The first few thrusts are slightly awkward. Just his hips bumping against your ass as he tries to find his footing. It doesn’t take long until he picks up a rhythm. Starts to slam into you, jolting you forward. Soreness starts to grow exponentially with a foreign feeling you think might just be pleasure spreading throughout all of you. You concentrate on that in lieu of your knees forced repeatedly against the hardness of the wooden floor, the bedding too thin to provide any real comfort.

“Jeonha,” you gasp on a particularly deep thrust, and he seems to like that. Strokes faster in response (or perhaps reward). You don’t even register that you’re half-smiling when he does, having learned something about him that is privy to only the two of you.

On top of that, he can’t seem to stop touching you. It goes beyond the way he fucks into you, more into how he can’t stop exploring the expanse of your back with his nails or with his mouth, sucking stinging marks into your body. It’s as if he needs to have as much skin contact with you as he will allow himself, needs to feel your warmth just as much as you crave his. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but you try again with a hoarse, “jeonha.” He gives it to you harder, rousing, stoking that dangerous tension.

You don’t even notice his mouth beside your ear until— “Mine.”

He claims you, and something inside you melts. Not a particularly powerful feeling but a sea change nonetheless, a weak peak that ripples out, thrums through you both. He allows you to submit to the sensation for a few scarce seconds before he tears himself away, leaving you to pulse around nothing, whimpering from the emptiness. You barely recognize the sound of skin on skin friction but suddenly, heat splatters across your back, white painting itself over your skin as he gives one, elongated exhale and it’s over.

The king backs up, shifts away. Lets any lingering warmth between you dissipate into the ice air of winter, but this time he holds your gaze with a certain firmness, as if trying to pluck out the slivers of truth in your expression. In his eyes, the thin scar ever carved down the right, you find only more depths. Fathomless, endless depths – dark and painful still.

[paellaplease]

Hi, I see you're taking requests! If it hasn't been done yet, could you do aspectabund with Revali please? I love your writing <3

2. aspectabund - letting emotion show easily through the face or eyes

pairing: revali x reader

summary:  he knows you’ve been avoiding him and he can’t seem to figure out why.

  Shaking the snow from his feathers, Revali surveyed the layered red rock of Mount Agaat with a scrutinizing gleam in his eyes. The reconnaissance flyby over the ice covered peaks had proven successful, with him safely scouting out several bokoblin camps under the cover of cloud. 

Mindful of the tripwire, he entered the makeshift campsite to find you and the Gerudo Chief conversing quietly by the fire. You appeared in deep contemplation, and out of respect (and perhaps partial curiosity) he made no move to announce his arrival. 

Urbosa crossed her arms, turning to you with a sly smile adorning her lip. “You can’t keep dancing around each other forever.” 

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, fiddling with one of your winter gloves. “It’s highly likely he won’t understand anyway.” 

“I’m sure his feelings on the matter are not as dissimilar as you think. Besides...” She leaned forward, whispering something into your ear. 

Warmth creeping up to your cheeks, your face was in your hands in an instant, body leaning forward as Urbosa let out a short laugh at your exaggerated reaction. Cute.

The mortified groan you gave in response made him chuckle, finally alerting you both to his presence. 

The Gerudo Chief angled her head and gave a brief nod in his direction, most likely having sensed his presence ages ago. In stark contrast, you quickly spun in your seat, mouth agape. 

Nearly falling from the log, Urbosa reached out to snag the hood of your coat, saving your face from smashing into the dirt ground. Revali tsked, you should really be more aware of your surroundings. 

"Revali!” Immediately, you bit down on your lip, schooling your face into something more subdued. “Welcome back." 

Tilting his head, he found it odd how difficult it was for you to maintain eye contact. Your cheeks were darker at this point, the tip of your nose slightly red. His wings itched to readjust the scarf wrapped loosely around your neck. Perhaps you were cold. That won’t do. 

"Did I miss anything?" He asked, looking pointedly at Urbosa. 

He would never admit it but the Chief maintained a steadfast poker face. “I have nothing to share.” Standing up, she moved to add more kindling to the fire. “No monster has dared approach us yet.”

Judging by the impressive blades hanging from both your hips, he wasn’t surprised. Rubbing at his shoulders, he swiped a wing over the rocky expanse before them. “Good. And thanks to me, we now have a greater chance of avoiding them on the way up.”

He didn’t miss the way your body froze when Urbosa offered for him to take her seat. Not seeing any issue and assuming it to be a response to the cold of the mountain, he acquiesced. 

The mission was completed without a hitch, the swing of your blade delivering the killing blow to the fierce lynel that guarded the peak of the mountains. Revali tried not to stare as you cleaned your blade on the snow, ignoring the errant beat of his heart as you turned to smile at him, skin still flushed from the heat of battle. 

“It comes to no surprise that you are the Gerudo Chief’s apprentice.” He nodded, unable to hide the hint of admiration in his voice.

Tugging at the sleeves of your flowing blue jacket, your eyes were wide and shining, mouth close to admitting something profound and important. Revali kept his beak shut, waiting for you to say what you needed, disappointed when all it came to be was a simple “Thanks.” 

You then proceeded not to speak to him for the rest of the week. 

It was a shame really, you were one of the few allies he could stand for more than five minutes. The Rito thought you were diligent; a fighter that could tame a tempest, and most of all a worthy opponent when it came to the odd verbal sparring match. 

Never had you shied away from a challenge, especially one posed by him. He was invested in your progress, secretly standing guard on the nights you would sneak out to train, ensuring that no person nor creature would disturb you. What's worse, a part of him honestly thought that you had begun to consider him as something close to a friend. 

And now...

“I’ll scout the area!” 

Revali sighed as he watched your retreating form once again, the remaining Champions looking at each other with equal confusion at your sudden disappearance into the forest. He didn’t know what your problem was, and honestly one more day of these mixed messages was going to drive him insane. 

Slipping past him like water, you evaded him at all costs. Taking your meals alone or with different people, changing the location of your training sessions, waking up unbearably early or extremely late. 

Then, on day eight of this madness, he found you sparring with a particular golden-haired knight that he couldn’t stand. That was the last straw. 

“Fight me,” he said to you, uncaring of the other knights on the training field that stopped to stare at him approaching. The sword in his wing, though blunted, felt foreign and heavy. Long has it been since he last held a blade like this. 

Taking off your helmet, you rubbed at your eyes to see if it was truly him. “Revali?” Funny, that was the first thing you’d said to him in days. “Where’s your bow? Ah, it seems you’ve forgotten.” You were already in the process of collecting your things. “Perhaps next time. It wouldn’t be fair if you had to fight me with a sword, after all…”

He scoffed, watching as you turned to leave. “Oh, so you plan on running away again like a scared fledgling?” 

The training sword sailed past his head, missing his cheek by only a fraction. You didn't give him a second to flinch. 

Revali side-stepped away, making a move to swing his sword at your back. Feet sliding, you blocked it with ease, sword already there to intercept his own even before it completed its arc through the air. 

Experimentally, he pushed back on the blade. Dead still, it refused to budge. He tilted his head to capture your eyes, thrilled to see the burning embers behind them, all passivity long abandoned. There you are. “Nice to see you,” he grinned wryly. 

Both of you separated quickly. Circling each other, his eyes took in the determined clench of your jaw and the steady rise and fall of your chest, waiting for when you’d launch yourself forward again. 

"Not bad," you smirked. “Another one from that bag of tricks Chief Kamori taught you?” Your confidence in the moment was rather enthralling. Once again he found himself memorizing the planes of your face, reveling in the way your emotions would flit past—clear as day. 

“Just you wait til I’m in the air with a bow in my hand." 

"That's surprising!" You grinned, teeth sharp. "Didn't think the Great Revali was so reliant on keeping to the skies.” A cloud of dirt was kicked up as you propelled yourself forward. Taking the hilt with both hands, you raised your sword to strike heavily down on his head. “But isn’t it pretty when he finally comes down to your level.” 

With a grunt, Revali barely had time to strengthen his stance, bringing his blade up to block your attack. The clashing of swords sent his talons skidding back on the dirt, the muscles in his arms straining against the weight of the blow. 

“You’re insane!” He laughed breathily. “That could have cleaved my skull in two.”

“I knew you’d block it.” 

The fight soon became the only other sound in the training field, many of the knights having left to complete their drills somewhere else. Even that quiet Hylian was no longer there, taking his leave once confident you could hold your own. 

Of course they can defend themselves. He wanted to call out in mocking arrogance. And if they ever were in trouble they wouldn’t need you anyway. Because I’m here. 

Taking a deep breath, you launched yourself at him again, delivering several attacks in a series of sweeping motions. Revali found himself having to focus intently on each one, blocking one after the other, eyes following the movement of your arm in an attempt to anticipate where the blade would next appear. 

As such, he doesn’t notice the sweeping motion of your leg, the action sending him falling backwards into the ground. 

Unlucky for you, the Rito had known the feeling of falling all his life. And before you had the chance to step away, he discarded his blade, reaching out to drag you down with him. 

The air was knocked out of him as you landed painfully on his chest. Your sword slipped from your hand, clattering to the side. Revali pushed it further away when you tried to reach for it, trapping you against him with his other wing. 

Stilling, he could feel the rush of your heartbeat against his own. From on top, you glared at him. “Let me go, fights not over.” 

“Call it an intermission, darling.” You went red at that, smushing your head into his chest so as to hide the wild blush on your cheeks. “This fight is on hold until you tell me why you’ve been avoiding me this whole week.” 

“Because you’re…”

“What was that?” He said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear. 

“Because you’re you!” You finally let out. An angry scream left your throat, except because your face was still pressed to his front it came out as muffled and rather adorable. 

Revali rested his head on the ground as he exhaled, finding peace in the never ending sea of blue stretched out above you both. “Well,” he said, interrupting the little breakdown you were having. “Of course I’m me, there’s no one else really.  Unless you’ve met another Rito of the same name with razor sharp wit and devilishly good looks.” 

You huffed a laugh, finally lifting your head to look at him. This close and he could see the fan of your eyelashes and the kiss of the sun on your cheeks. It took everything in him not to reach out and trace the line of your mouth, wondering if your lips were as soft as they appeared. 

“I’ve been avoiding you because I like you, silly bird.” Blinking, you gazed at him with utter softness and sincerity. “And I apologise for running. I intended to tell you earlier— on the mountain. But self-doubt got the best of me and I didn’t want you to stop being my friend if you didn’t feel the same.”

Revali’s wings fell to his sides as you shifted, propping yourself up with both your arms. “Guess there’s nothing to worry about now that it’s out in the open.” A watery laugh escaped from your lips when he said nothing. “Come on, Revali. Say something. Or at least stand up so I can kick your ass.” 

His arms were around you once again in an instant, crushing you to him in a tight embrace. “Rito, if this is some kind of trick to knock me off my guard I swear…” He could feel your smile as you pressed your face into the crook of his neck. 

“I like you too.” He shook his head, poking you in the side and smiling when you yelped in response. “You are amazing and skillful. I enjoy every moment I spend with you. Though you overthink too much. Alas, but the curse of one so perceptive.” 

“Still don’t know if that’s an insult or a compliment.” You mouthed into his neck. His feathers raised at the feeling of your warm breath against him. “Though I’m extremely relieved that Urbosa was right.” 

Revali thought back to the mission at Mount Agaat, wondering what exactly the Gerudo Chief told you back then. “Right about what?”

“That you can’t take your eyes off me, even if you tried.” 

[awkwxrdapple]

Fallen Angel (Part 1) - Peter Parker x reader

Request: Hi! I love your writing! I was hoping you could do a peter x reader where the reader gets badly hurt and captured and it takes a long time for the avengers and peter to find her and once they do, she is scared half to death, jumpy, nervous, and stays by Peter's side during pretty much everything. They are living in the avengers tower with everyone and since they are the youngest, Peter is particularly protective of her during her recovery. Thank you!

Word count: 1.6k 

WARNINGS: mentions of anxiety, light torture, injury, trauma (after reading if you think I should include any others please let me know thank you)

Part 1

Simultaneously, you removed your headphones and slammed the textbook shut in front of you. Your assignments were getting tiring. It wasn't that they were hard and you were struggling, it was just that after being part of the Avengers, doing calculus and algebra seemed too easy for you. You could do it easily, but after all that you had done and seen already in your life, you knew your time could be better spent. 

Being the youngest Avenger alongside Peter Parker was exciting. You felt unbelievably honoured to be given the opportunity to be part of a team that did wonderfully amazing things. You had made friends for life, and most especially so with Peter. When you had come to New York you were enrolled into the same school as Peter. Midtown High was a good school and you enjoyed it, it also meant spending more time with Peter even though you both lived in the Avengers Tower now. 

Lying back against your bed you realised you were hungry, you'd been studying for what felt like ages. 

Knowing you had nothing sweet that you wanted to eat in the tower you decided that a quick trip out would let you get what you needed. If you were going to carry on studying you were going to need all the help you could get. 

Grabbing your purse from your dresser, you wandered down the corridor to where Peter's room was. The door was slightly open but you knocked anyway and waited for his reply. 

"Hey, I was just going to go to the store, do you want anything?" 

He, like you had just been, was sitting on his bed with papers strewn around him. When he saw you he gave you a warm smile. Having Peter living with you in the Avengers tower was amazing. Peter really was your best friend and you trusted no one more in the world. 

"I'm ok, but thank you. What are you going for?"

"Chocolate, ice cream, cake, anything." You said. 

"Homework giving you a hard time too?"

"Is it that obvious?" You laughed before placing your hand on the door handle again. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Bye Y/N."

Taking the elevator it didn't take too long to get to the ground floor and out into the centre of New York. You knew there was a little grocery store a few blocks over that made homemade chocolate cake. 

Unknowing to you, a set of eyes were watching you leave the tower, cross the street and make your way down the sidewalk. It was busy, and you were tired. Your instincts were slower and less aware of your surroundings. The one set of eyes soon became two, then three, then four. You were blissfully unaware of the imminent danger you were about to find yourself in. 

Taking a swift left at the next building you passed, your face collided with a hard arm and sent you stumbling backwards. Jolted out of your oblivious state, you raised your guard and lunged to land a punch square into your attackers chest. They struck back, using their larger build to throw their weight towards you forcing you to the ground. The air was knocked out of your lungs. 

Kicking back up from underneath them you tried to force their body off you, but they were heavy, and armed. You could feel a gun strapped to their hip pressing into yours. Rapid footsteps were heard around you as more people wearing a similar black combat suit to your assailant emerged and began to hold you down. You continued to fight in any way you could but soon all your limbs were rendered useless. 

"You're coming with us. Don't try to resist." A low male voice spoke into your ear as a cloth was placed over your face, a strong smell evaded your nostrils and then you relaxed back into the concrete. 

+ + +

Upon waking, you found yourself cold, aching and stiff. Your head hung towards your chest and a dull throb emanated from your forehead and rang throughout your skull. Your hands were tied behind you back and placed behind a chair, with your legs also tied to the chair legs completely restricting all of your movement. 

Fear and panic flooded through you and your chest became horrifically tight. The room around you was incredibly dim, with the only light coming from a single dull light bulb above your head. Feeling your breathing become hastened you remembered your training.

Don't panic. Be calm. Assess the situation.

The situation looked bleak. There were no sounds to be heard so you couldn't even begin to work out where you were being held. You remembered the last memory of being free, but couldn't place the people from anyone or thing you had seen before. 

You weren't kept guessing for long as a door creaked open to your left and two figures entered the room. The door was roughly closed behind them and a click of the lock was distinctly heard. You nervously swallowed and waited for one of them to speak. 

"We hope you aren't too badly hurt, Y/N." One spoke and made his way over to you. His voice was calm, and in any other situation you would have mistaken him for a nice man. 

"How do you know my name?" You ignored what he had actually just said to you. It was far more disturbing that your first name was known to these people. 

"That doesn't matter. We may know a few things about you, but you know much more than we do about things important to us."

"And those would be?"

The other man laughed coldly at your attempt to sound confident. 

"Your friends." The first man now knelt down a meter away from where you were sat. 

"My friends?"

"The Avengers."

To this you had nothing to say. You instantly felt guilt at being caught in this way, no other member of the team would be trapped like this. It made you ashamed. These people needed you for whatever heinous reason they had. 

"We understand you know a great deal about the runnings of that Tower, and of the inner workings of the group itself." The man continued. "We think you would be very useful to us."

"I won't tell you anything."

This brought a sigh from him. It was almost sarcastic. 

"We thought you would say that." 

He stood up and took a few steps backwards, allowing the other man to walk into your focus. 

"Maybe this will change your mind."

The first strike to your face stung. The next hurt. The third, numb. The intensity of the punch quickly removed all feeling. You could taste your own blood as your lip was cut upon the second blow. 

"It… it won't change my mind." You spluttered. Tears welled up in your eyes but you were not going to give them the satisfaction. You would never betray your friends, your family. 

"We shall see."

+  +  +

"Has anyone seen Y/N?" 

Peter was worried. You had left the tower four hours ago, and still had yet to return. 

"No I haven't, why?" Nat answered him as she wandered into the shared living room and kitchen space. 

Peter told her that you'd told him you were quickly going to the store and that you weren't back. 

"I'm sure she will come back soon. Maybe she ran into a friend?" Steve offered as he sat holding a mug of black coffee. 

"Yeah… you're right." Peter tried not to think about it too much. But after an hour or so that he hadn't heard you walk down the corridor, he went to check your room to find it empty. And he couldn't find you anywhere in the tower. 

Wanda gave Peter a small smile. She had seen how close you two had become. It was only natural that Peter was concerned. 

"If she isn't back tomorrow morning, we shall then worry, yeah kid?" Tony walked behind Peter and placed a brief hand on his shoulder. 

"Ok…"

The next morning resulted in Peter's worry increasing exponentially. He had sent you multiple texts and phoned you many times to receive no response. Usually you would let him know if you were staying with a friend. The whole situation seemed off. 

"Still no sign of Y/N?" Tony asked as Peter wandered through the kitchen on his way to school. 

"No. I am worried." 

Tony considered Peter for a second. 

"Come with me, I might be able to find her." Tony stated and headed for the elevator. "School is important, but it can wait."

Walking into one of Tony's labs, Peter realised he hadn't been into this one before. Tony tapped on a screen and brought up a map of New York on one of the monitors. 

"Mr Stark, what is this?"

"I regret not telling you sooner but I have tapped yours and Y/N's phones. So even when it's off, it can be tracked."

"You're going to track her phone?"

"I think that's what I just said." Tony raised his eyebrows. "Let's see if she still has it with her." He could see how upsetting this was to Peter. He began to wonder if you two were just friends, or something more.

After putting more information into the computer a yellow dot appeared on the map, quite far from the Tower, but still within the city. 

"Is that her?" Peter asked urgently. 

"It should be. I don't like the fact she's in a decommissioned warehouse though."

Peter suddenly felt a sudden urge to drop everything and run to you. 

"According to this, the signal hasn't moved in 12 hours." Tony turned round to face Peter. 

Peter's jaw was tight. Tony could tell he was ready to fight. 

If you would like to be in the tag list for part 2 or any of my other Peter Parker imagines please let me know! 

"Alright kid, suit up."

PART 2

Tag list: @unmistakablyunknown

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