#especially when there's like combat n shit lol

[foxstens]

as a humble laptop user who hates playing on the switch, it’s no wonder i play nothing but vns and indies

[toastsnaffler]

I will say while I've loved most of elden ring I'm really glad I'm down to just 2 more main boss fights (malenia + maliketh) before I start the endgame boss fights... whew 😮‍💨

[farfromharry]

I love you, forever | Eddie Munson fic

Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: Your boyfriend was an idiot, the biggest idiot you had ever met. The belief he was a loser and a coward had broke him down so much that he was willing to risk his life to be a hero, only he didn’t consider the consequences it would have on everyone else if he didn’t make it out alive.

Word count - 5566

Warnings - character death, angst sorry lol

a/n i literally started this july 2022 and got the sudden urge to finish it now, so pls enjoy

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Your boyfriend, though you liked to rave about how smart he was, was an idiot. He was the biggest idiot you had ever known to be.

The plan was to distract the bats, nothing more, nothing less and that had been made abundantly clear. As soon as that had been done he and Dustin should have been making their way out of the upside down and to safety, as agreed. But no, despite the fact that his motto was ‘there’s no shame in running’, this time he didn’t run. This time he went back, he endangered himself, he endangered everyone. You were all so close, so close to being back in Hawkins and this being over when everything turned to shit.

As the adults, you let Dustin climb back through the gate first, back into the destroyed Munson trailer where you would be safe– safer, at least. You were to follow as insisted by your boyfriend. There was no tell you picked up on that Eddie was going to deviate from your plan at any point. Not even when he’d called your name, catching you off guard with a long kiss. Now you knew that he had been confirming to himself what he was going to do. At the time it hadn’t felt like a goodbye kiss, but clearly you had misjudged.

He helped you up the rope, waiting until he was sure you were safe on the mattress at the other end of the gate, where Dustin helped you to your feet.

You looked back expecting to see him making his way towards you, but instead were just in time to see as he cut the remainder of your makeshift rope, severing his way out. Your body felt frozen, heart dropping into the pits of your stomach as you became overwhelmed with a new sense of fear. You cursed under your breath.

“Eddie.” Your voice was shaky as you tried to combat the tears. Nothing good would come out of him trying to be a hero. “Don’t do this. Think about what Steve said… don’t be a hero.” At the time you had thought Steve was being pretty dramatic. None of the 3 of you would be stupid enough to do anything life threatening, or at least more life threatening than what you were already doing, least of all Eddie. But now it felt like very fitting advice, almost like he had already known what could happen.

He looked to be reconsidering for a second, pausing in his movements. You could practically see the cogs turning and you were praying he would do the right thing. However the second he looked at you, you knew.

“I’m sorry.”

He ignored every one of your pleas to come back.

When you looked at Dustin, you could barely see him through the water building in your eyes. You were sure you’d both come to the same agreement. “We have to go get him.” And you never expected him to protest.

There was another problem when the 2 of you remembered he had made it difficult for you to get back through the gate. You no longer had a functional rope and the drop was pretty big. It was going to take some guts to head through. You lead the way, despite hoping 5 minutes ago that you would never have to step foot in the upside down again. The landing was far from graceful, but you seemed to be intact and without injury. The same couldn’t be said for Dustin though, who hit the floor with a pretty nasty crack from his knee.

“Shit, are you okay?” you asked. Your hand hovered over his leg, scared to touch it in case you made it any worse. It sounded bad enough already, especially if his face was anything to go by. You had heard the snap, so you could only imagine the kind of agony he was in. But even so, he was still willing to get back up on his feet (with your help) if it meant saving Eddie. He wasn’t backing down that easily.

You helped the boy limp his way out of the trailer, rounding the corner until your eyes landed on Eddie with his spear and makeshift shield. You could see the weird bats circling around him and you did not have a good feeling about what was going to happen next.

“Eddie!”

Maybe it was all your fault for distracting him, or maybe he never really stood a chance with the sheer amount of the animals that were there, but he couldn’t defend himself when they all began swarming him.

The scream that ripped from your throat was one you never thought you’d be able to produce, but the sight in front of you was one that was enough to shock you to your core. A pair of arms wrapped around you the second Dustin caught on to the way in which your knees were giving way beneath you. He didn’t expect the impact of having to catch your entire body though, not with his injured leg, so as a result the both of you descended to the floor.

You tried your hardest to get out of his arms, to run to Eddie to see if you could help him in any way, but the kid was surprisingly strong. In his defence, he didn’t think he could handle losing 2 people he cared about in the same moment. If you could help Eddie, it needed to be after the bats cleared. None of you stood a chance against those things. They were out for blood.

You had never felt as useless as you did in that moment. You just sat there, crying and watching as the things mauled your boyfriend. There had to be something you could do.

It was sudden when it came to an end. You didn’t know what happened, seeing all the bats drop, you just assumed your other friends had been successful in their half of the plan, that things were finally coming to an end. Dustin didn’t care to speculate, he just took off limping within a second towards the boy lying motionless on the floor. In any other scenario you probably would’ve teased the kid about how much he cared for your boyfriend, but the reality of the moment was beginning to weigh on you and it was heavy.

It took you a little longer to gather yourself, but when you finally stopped crying and built up the courage to head over there, you only caught the tail end of their conversation. You didn’t expect that any of it would be relevant to you though.

“Take care of her, Henderson,” he said, pleading with the boy with those big doe eyes. His grip on the kid’s arm was as tight as he had the strength for, telling the curly haired boy just how serious he was. He would have told you to take care of yourself, but he knew you far too well. This was going to ruin you, there was no way you could get past this on your own. Dustin nodded. It was easy for him to make the promise, because he would fulfil it for Eddie no matter what.

Now that he had mentioned you, it was hitting him that he couldn’t see you. He vaguely recalled the scream he had heard earlier and suddenly he was nervous. Had the scream been because the bats were coming after you too? What had happened that he didn’t know about?

“Where is she?” he asked, frantically. He tried turning his head to look for you, but he was only making his injuries worse. Dustin was trying to calm him, to tell him you were right there and you were fine, but it seemed nothing would put a stop to his writhing until he heard the sound of your voice.

“I’m here. I’m right here, Eddie.”

You switched places with Dustin, the younger putting some distance between you so he could go and feel his emotions without interrupting your goodbye. You took Eddie’s hand, bringing it up close to your face so you could feel him. “You’re such an idiot. We were almost out and you just–” you frowned. “It was so dumb.”

He took your words in his stride, managing to let out a strangled laugh. “But I didn’t run. I was the hero this time… right?” There was hope swimming in his eyes as he waited for your response. He needed you to confirm it.

The fact he didn’t consider himself a hero broke your heart a little bit. You forgot he couldn’t see himself the way you saw him. In your eyes he was the biggest hero in the entire world. More importantly, he was your hero. “You were always my hero, Eds.” It was important to you that he knew that. “Remember that time in junior year, the first– and last– time I ever played D&D?” Initially he looked confused. He sure remembered it, it was the first time he realised he might have feelings for you, but he didn’t understand its relevance now. “Man, I was so terrible at the game, and all your friends were mad, but you did everything to try and save me. That day was the first time I ever called you Eddie the hero, and I meant every word. Do you remember that?”

The sight of a tear rolling down from the corner of his eye made your heart clench. It wasn’t the first time you’d met, but it was the first time he really thought that maybe he wasn’t going to be on his own forever. That had been the day he really fell in love with you. Never in his life had he ever forged one of his beloved games so much for a single person, but he couldn’t destroy the excitement that was written all over your face. That was how he knew he was completely whipped.

After that game you had waited in the room until everyone had left, leaving you alone with Eddie as he tidied up. He didn’t notice you at first, too busy with cleaning all his gear and such away, so you had to clear your throat to catch his attention. You remember the way he jumped as he realised there was another person in there with him.

“Oh hey. Did you forget something?” he asked, rubbing his hands together nervously. You didn’t know exactly what was making him like that, but part of your brain thought it might have been you. It was quite the ego boost to know outspoken junior Eddie Munson was intimidated by you.

“I actually wanted to thank you.” The look on his face was one of pure confusion. “For all the help,” you clarified. He made a quiet ‘ah’ sound in understanding. “I know I sucked, so bad, but I really appreciate all the times you saved my ass so I could keep playing.”

The two of you laughed together. “Yeah, uh, you just looked so excited. I really wanted to give you a fair chance, but you sucked so hard, dude.” Although he’d been nervous to be alone with his crush at first, he was starting to realise how easy it was to talk to you. He wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so comfortable around someone who was essentially a stranger.

“I appreciated it, maybe you should change your character's name to, like, Eddie the hero or something. I think it has a nice ring to it.”

He shrugged, trying to force away the blush that donned his cheeks. “Round here I’m just known as Eddie the freak, so I don’t know how well that hero stuff would go down.” The way he brought up the insult regularly used to belittle him so casually shocked you. You knew what people said about him in Hawkins, but you also didn’t believe it. The people in the town were judgemental and loved to gossip about everything, but more than half of what they said was never true.

“I don’t think you’re a freak,” you told him. “I think everyone else is an asshole.”

“Trust me, sweetheart. You don’t want to let other people hear you say that, ‘cause you’ll no sooner be joining me and the outcast club.” He didn’t know why he was trying to scare you away when he wanted to do nothing more than confess his every last feeling to you. But you didn’t seem repelled at all.

“Look, maybe I’m not a full blown freak because Dungeons and Dragons isn’t my forté at all, but I’d like to hang out again sometime, if you want to that is, and if that makes me an outcast then so be it.” You were taking a big leap there.

His eyes were wide and he was slightly taken aback. “Are you sure? There’s no going back.”

“A thousand percent sure, Munson. You guys seem so much cooler than them losers anyway.” You meant every word.

That had been almost four years ago. Since that day you’d been pretty much inseparable. The love that blossomed between the two of you over the years withstood everything. Eddie’s dad going to jail and the boy having to move in with his uncle permanently, his decision to start selling drugs when he needed the extra money, when your constant ridiculing from being associated with him started to get to him. That had been a real rough patch for you guys. Never in your life had you received so much negative attention than you had from the moment you’d been spotted outside Hawkin’s high school kissing Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson. He wanted to protect you from it and the only way he could think to do that was put distance between you. But you didn’t want that. In the end you made it pretty clear that he was stuck with you.

“You mean it… I’m your hero?”

You smiled. “Not only did you save me again, but, you saved the world, saved all of us. ‘M so proud of you, baby. Of course you’re my hero.”

His gaze was beginning to wander, to grow unfocused and it made you panic. “Hey. Hey, look at me,” you whispered, choking back your tears as the boy’s gentle eyes stared up at you blankly. Usually they were so full of life, emotion– he was very expressive with his eyes– but now there was almost nothing. He managed to offer you the sweetest smile he could, given the pain he was in, and you couldn’t help but admire his selflessness. “There’s that gorgeous smile.”

You stroked his cold cheek with your thumb. Sometimes when you would compliment him, especially right at the beginning of your relationship, his cheeks would burn the brightest pink and he would get so flustered that he wanted nothing more than to hide. But now there was nothing. He was cold to the touch.

He grunted slightly from the pain as he began to speak. It must have been taking a lot of energy that he didn’t really have just to even talk to you. “‘M glad that if this is it… how I die–” You saw the way he winced. “Then the last thing I saw was your face…”

You hated that he had used that word, that he was reminding you of what was basically the inevitable now. You didn’t want him to die. He couldn’t die. Part of you was still under the belief that the others would find you down here, that they would just know something was wrong and they would be able to help you. Maybe there was a possibility of Eddie walking out of here alive. You just had to get him to a hospital. They could help him there.

“You can’t die on me.” You were very insistent. “This is meant to be our year. We were gonna get out of here, remember? Head down to Chicago, find somewhere you could play your music and I could teach.” It had been the plan for a while actually, something you’d talked about in depth on nights when it was just the 2 of you wrapped up together. He just needed to graduate first and then your plan could be put into motion. You were excited; so was he.

“In the house, with the pretty garden…” he muttered.

You nodded, laughing wetly as you pushed some of his hair from his clammy skin. You didn’t remember when the tears began to fall so freely. “Yeah, Ed, the pretty garden.” It was so vivid in your mind. “And I was gonna help people fit in; the outcasts that aren’t given a chance. Just like you and me.”

He hummed. “Those kids would love you.”

“I hope so,” you said, continuing to run your fingers through his crazy curls, being as gentle as you could when untangling. You didn’t want to hurt him more than he already was. “And you, you were gonna be some big shot musician and I was gonna come to all your shows.”

“Gonna be a rockstar…”

Your chest ached painfully. “Yeah. You’re gonna be a rockstar.” Neither of you acknowledged how you weren’t using past tense when you probably should be. It wasn’t important right now.

As the seconds passed by it was clear that less and less of him was present. He was slipping away from you and far too fast. There was no way you could hold it against him though. He deserved some relief.

“It’s okay. You can rest now, baby.” It pained you to even say it. Hell, it felt like your heart was being ripped out of your chest, but it wasn’t right to be selfish. He was in a lot of pain, you were sure and he was only holding on to keep you happy. You were asking too much of him in a state like this. The smile you offered him was clearly forced, but it didn’t take a genius to realise that, not when your face was already covered in tears.

It was clear his pain was growing, but there was something holding him back. “Kiss me first?”

Really you shouldn’t have been surprised. That was typical Eddie. He believed even the worst of things could be healed with a kiss. Whenever he was sick, despite how much medicine or home remedies you supplied him with, he would insist it was your kisses which had made him better. Whenever he was sad, his mood could be improved with the gentlest of kisses from you. It all came down to you and your little pecks filled with love.

You chuckled and nodded. He had a little bit of blood on his lips but it didn’t bother you. This might be the last time you ever got to kiss him, you weren’t going to let something so trivial get in the way. You wiped it away with your sleeve, uncaring of how it was probably going to stain your clothing. Clothing could be replaced. Without another second to spare, you dipped your head down, lightly pressing your lips to his. The kiss was a weird tasting mix of metallic-y dried blood and salty tears, but you wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

As you pulled away, he smiled, managing to raise his arm enough to place his hand on your cheek. “One last thing…” Right now you’d listen to anything he had to say, no matter how silly. “Go into my jacket for me,” he instructed.

Obviously you did as he asked, ignoring the way your hands seemed to be getting covered in specks of blood. You tried to push that thought into the back of your mind. If you paid too much attention to the fact that your lover’s blood was literally on your hands, you didn’t know if you’d be able to function any longer. You didn’t know what you were looking for– he hadn’t told you– but eventually your fingers brushed against a velvety box and you saw him nod out of the corner of your eye.

You opened it as it came into your view, but the last thing you had expected was to see a ring sitting there. “What…?” You kept glancing between the object in your hands and the boy in front of you. What was going on? Surely he couldn’t be proposing right now. You were already certain you were going to be destroyed for who knows how long after this, but throw a proposal into the mix too and you knew you would never recover.

“A promise ring,” he clarified. “Was gonna give it to you to tide me over until we get out of here…” The breath he took was wheezy. “Then I was gonna get you a real one. Was gonna marry you as soon as we got to Chicago.”

That prompted another pained cry from your lips. You wished you would have been able to hold it back in a bid to protect his feelings, but you had no choice. You didn’t want his last image of you to be this heartbroken girl, he would feel guilt that he didn’t need to. This wasn’t his fault. But you had no way of reeling it in when you were so overwhelmed with anger and sadness. “Eddie, I would’ve married you in a rundown courthouse with some dirty, old shoelaces or something as rings.” You meant every single word of it. It didn’t even matter that he was still trying to pass high school– you’d marry him regardless. “You’re my world.”

He sighed. “Wanted the best for my girl.” You didn’t doubt that for a second. “But… you have to promise me that you’ll try and be happy without me.”

“You know I can’t promise you that.” There was no way you could be happy without him. He was your other half, your whole heart, your Eddie. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. It certainly didn’t help that you weren’t going to be able to talk about what had happened either. Whether it was to your parents or possibly even a therapist, you couldn’t tell them the real story behind what had happened. To Hawkins, Eddie was missing, they might never even know that he was…

“You have to try. For me.” And at the very least you could do that. Even if you ended up being unsuccessful, at least you’d have tried. “I will love you, forever,” he said, breathlessly.

You smiled, brushing all his hair back from his face. He truly was the most handsome man you had ever seen. “I love you forever, Edward Munson.”

On a whim, you leaned forward, pressing your lips to the centre of his forehead. You heard him exhale shakily, in what was presumably his final breath. Eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to keep your tears at bay. He probably felt the drops of water landing on his skin.

The feeling of him going limp in your arms was one you were sure you would never forget. It would be the very thing that haunted your dreams until the day you died yourself. How many people could say they had held their lover as they literally died in their arms? The thought of it was overwhelmingly horrible, but you couldn’t help but find slight amusement in the fact you knew Eddie would have found it extremely metal. As tragic as it had been, he would have been thrilled at how cool the whole thing made him sound.

After a few minutes of just trying to accept what had happened, you finally lifted your head and noticed Henderson was watching you. You were sure the look in your eyes was just as broken as the one in his. Neither of you said anything to one another. What were you even supposed to say? In the end you sat in silence with Eddie’s body between you, replaying the horrid final moments of his life in a way to torture yourselves.

Even when Dustin staggered away you couldn’t bring yourself to leave Eddie just yet. He looked so peaceful now, so calm that you were almost jealous. You stroked his hair, trying not to think about how this was probably the last time you would ever see him. If you had known that when you woke up this morning, you wouldn’t have gone through with this crazy plan. You might have even pitched a life on the run to Eddie. Anything was better than this outcome. You felt like you’d failed him, like everyone had failed your sweet boy.

So many in this town viewed him as a freak, a creep, a satan worshipper. None of those things were true. Eddie was the sweetest man you had ever met, a ray of sunshine who brightened up your life. He was nothing like people said he was– he had just been stuck with an unfortunate label that in the end had cost him his life. Life wasn’t fair.

It was the kid’s voice that broke you from your thoughts. “We have to go.”

You couldn’t stay in the upside down forever. This place was dangerous, hugely so and even if your friends had managed to put an end to Vecna’s reign of terror, that didn’t mean all the other horrors this place had to offer were gone.

You frowned, feeling a bubble of anger situate itself in your chest. “We can’t leave him here.” He deserved more than that. He deserved a send off, a proper funeral. His uncle deserved to know what had happened to his boy. It didn’t look like the kid had any plans of helping you get him out of here. Despite how much he cared for Eddie, there was no explaining this in the real world. You were in disbelief. “Dustin…”

“It’s not–” his voice broke and he quickly blinked back tears. “It’s not safe for him back there.”

He was obviously referring to people like Jason, who had jumped at the opportunity of leading a witch hunt against him. If they got their hands on Eddie’s body, god forbid, you didn’t know what kind of terrible things they’d do with it. But the same could be said for whatever lurked down here. At least there was a chance he could be at rest back in your world. He deserved a grave, where people would lay flowers and you could talk to him. The look on Dustin’s face though told you you weren’t gonna get that.

“We can’t just leave him.” The tears had begun falling again at the idea of just abandoning him here. During your late night talks with him, you had come to learn that thanks to his parents, he had a fear of being abandoned by those he loved. He was already outcast by Hawkins enough, he didn’t want to end up completely alone. Leaving him here would feel like you were betraying him in a way. “He shouldn’t be on his own. He–” It was easy to forget he was still young. He was just a kid, a kid who got scared just like anyone else. Leaving him here alone would surely be terrifying for him.

“Y/N, we can’t…”

Your sadness was beginning to morph into anger, but it didn’t feel like you could take it out on the kid. He was only doing what he thought was best.

You took some deep breaths, then looked back at your lover, then the ring that he’d given you and slowly felt your anger subside. It was for the best. Maybe if you left him here the weird ways of the upside down could even bring him back. At least that was what you hoped– but it was a little crazy. With a sigh and a final kiss to his head, you got up to your feet, allowing Dustin to lead you out of this hellhole, one man down from when you entered.

You barely even remembered him taking you back to the rest of your group. It wasn’t until someone actually spoke that you realised it wasn’t just the 2 of you anymore.

“Is that blood?” Robin yelped. Her loud voice had caught the attention of Steve and Nancy, their eyes trailing over you and Dustin looking like you’d both just seen ghosts. He could see your body shaking, the dried tear stains on your face when the light hit just right, it all terrified him. Were you bleeding? Was Dustin? Was someone hurt?

“Who’s blood is that?” he asked, scanning you over for any visible injuries. He couldn’t see any, though he didn’t like the mass of blood that was staining your shirt either. When you didn’t respond he became more firm with it, repeating his question. “Y/N, who’s blood is on your hands?” He was getting more impatient the longer you took to answer. If someone was hurt, or bleeding, he needed to know so he could help stop it.

There was radio silence from you. You thought if you opened your mouth all that would come out was another wave of sobs that you couldn’t stop. But that dam was soon to break when Nancy couldn’t help but notice the last member of your trio was nowhere to be seen. She asked the question that hadn’t seemed to hit your other 2 friends yet.

“Where’s Eddie?” Nancy spoke. Your teary eyes finally looked up at them and the sight of your resolve breaking was all they needed to know. There was a round of curses from them as you began to quietly cry again, standing frozen in your place helplessly.

The lack of Eddie, the blood, the horror on your faces, it could only mean one thing.

Robin cursed under her breath, she was really starting to like Eddie. Meanwhile Steve took it upon himself to try and be the comforter in this situation. A large hand settled itself on your shoulder and you didn’t have the energy to work out who it belonged to. You believed it was Harringtons, but you didn’t care enough to check.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.”

What was anyone supposed to do in this situation?

They all looked around at one another, silently asking where they went from here. They had hoped that things were fixed, they’d go back to normal finally, but really their interdimensional problems had just flipped even more people’s lives on their heads. You and Eddie should have never gotten mixed up in this.

You didn’t really know what was happening around you after that, it was like time was moving but you weren’t. Somehow though you ended up in Dustin’s house, being led through the halls until he sat you down in a bathroom. He was washing the blood from your hands; Eddie’s blood.

“Tell me about your plan.”

Your brow furrowed and your head finally raised to look from your bloodied hands to the boy helping to clean them. Sometimes when Dustin spoke you truly had no idea what he was getting at. He liked to say things that only seemed to make sense to himself. “What?” you questioned, hoping for a little more context at least.

His plan was to try and distract you, something that seemed to be working already. “I heard you saying you had a plan to get out of Hawkins, tell me about it.” Maybe it was personal, maybe you didn’t want anyone else to know, but there was also the chance that this would help you, that you could get some of your pent up anger at the world out here.

“He–” you didn’t know if you could say his name. “He wanted to go to Chicago, hoped he could find his big break with his music.” You smiled at the thought. There had been so many late nights spent talking about your hopes and dreams. Your future together was planned out to a tee pretty much. The idea had always been there, you just had to figure out together how you were going to execute it. None of that mattered though, not as long as you were together.

Dustin listened to every single word you had to say, interrupting every now and then to ask a question. It completely distracted you from the fact he was cleaning your boyfriend’s blood from your hands. At least until you had that thought and then suddenly you were conscious of it all over again.

“That all sounds lovely. I’m sure Chicago’s nice this time of year too.”

His words had tears welling up in your eyes for what felt like the millionth time today. It wasn’t his mistake that had made you cry, more so just the reminder of the situation, but he cursed like he was to blame all the same. There was nothing he could do but give you a hug as you dealt with a million thoughts about what you were supposed to do now that you were alone. This whole thing wasn’t a dream. Those damn bats had attacked him and left him for dead. You should’ve all gotten out of this unscathed. But you didn’t. Eddie didn’t make it out. He was never going to make it out. Eddie was dead.

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[queenpiranhadon]

A/N: I’ll leave the sentimental stuff for the end <3 Here’s the masterlist!!!

Warning(s): Cursing, reader is the daughter of Aizawa, Shinso and Eri are biological siblings, reader is 20 years old, Reader uses "Cattus" as her alias, reader's nicknames are Cactus, Cattus and Cat, war, reader gets hurt and hits her head a lot, hints of misogyny, betrayals, Kirishima’s just the best, character death, gore and blood, bad war descriptions lol what do you expect from me, reader is AFAB , ANGST, PTSD, mentions of burns, kabedon, you kiss him, a sweet moment between Katsuki and reader :), happy ending

Pairing(s): Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇ: The Lake

You can’t breathe.

Denki’s blood stains the stone beneath him. Ejiro runs to his side, but all you can do is stand there in shock.

How could you be so reckless?!

“Kirishima, protect him!” you roar, the red head flinching at the sound of his surname. He's not used to seeing you like this, but nods firmly, making a makeshift bandage in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

You can’t risk looking back. You needed to continue to take down the two men in an instant before running off, determined to take down as many as you could.

BOOM!

A large explosion knocks you off balance, the same follows for everyone in your sight, watching in horror as 5 large machines demolish the rest of the capital gates.

Tanks.

Shit.

The Inimican flag is held proudly, attached to the first tank in the center. You want to rip it off.

Soldiers from both sides scramble away from them to ensure they wouldn’t be crushed by the monstrous hunks of metal that were destroying your home.

You take in a shaky deep breath, trying to block out the destruction all around you.

You needed to think.

Inimicus, you knew, had a very different culture when it came to combat. While their highest ranking military official was on the battlefield, they wouldn’t actively be engaging in combat - instead opting to remain somewhere safe where they could call the shots.

You needed to find which of the armored tanks housed said person. If you could at least take them down, the rest would follow suit.

You bolt in the opposite direction as your comrades, straight towards the tanks, frantically searching for the one thing that would bring your plan to fruition.

You run - so fast you could fly - and yet, it was still not enough, because your friend was bleeding out and about to die.

Finally, you find it.

A gargantuan tank, the color of coal, with silver letters emblazoned on its side.

The Palanquin.

That’s where the leader would be.

And so, that’s where you needed to go.

***

It wasn’t easy trying to sneak into a giant tank, to say the least.

Especially while it was moving.

You sigh, deciding there was no point in contemplating how to discreetly enter and instead work things one step at a time.

First, you need to get close.

Sprinting directly in the direction of The Palanquin, you hear Kirishima’s screams begging you to come back.

You don't listen.

You run until you feel like the air has been sucked out of your lungs, close enough now that your fingertips can graze the roaring metal if you stick your hand out.

Examining the structure, you see a ledge on the tank that's inverted, a decently sized area for you to jump on to.

You lower your torso, still sprinting before launching yourself from the balls of your feet, landing on the ledge, but banging your head against the metal walls of The Palanquin in the process.

“Ah- gods dammit! Fucking hell…” you grumble, now battling the severe ache in your head that started to form.

Eyes latching onto a panel at the bottom of the platform you stood on, you got to thinking. You could pry it open, maybe slip in quietly. Stomping experimentally, you hear a hollow thud, meaning you’d have an area to slip into. You just distant humming - ventilation? That would be perfect. Through the vents you could discreetly go around The Palanquin without anyone noticing; it was unusual however, considering most tanks didn’t have a vent in the first place. But considering The Palanquin was a defensive tank, it made sense.

Brandishing your sword, you accidentally disrupt your balance, wobbling before regaining your stance, lodging your sword into the side of the panel to use it like a lever.

Once it’s far down enough, you push down, using the force to pop open the panel.

Creeaaaak.

The panel pops open, and for a moment, you feel triumphant.

But then your sword’s blade snaps in half.

Fuck.

You groan internally, knowing that it was most definitely a suicide mission to go and fight the Inimican military head without your weapon, but you had no choice. At least you still had your dagger and stars.

There was no going back.

You sigh, heart heavy as you throw it off the side of The Palanquin before slipping into the crawlspace the panel had created.

It was dark, but a few vent covers provided a dim light source along the bottom of the ventilation tubes.

Suddenly you hear voices, fear freezing you in place, even though you knew they couldn’t hear you.

“They’re all running- buncha cowards if you ask me.”

“Come now, they’re only human. It’s remarkable how they have such survival instincts.”

You shudder silently at the latter’s tone of voice. They spoke about the human race as if they were pets, something subliminal.

It was disgusting.

Pushing away your irritation and sudden urge to defend the human race, you silent keep crawling, until you spot an empty room through one of the vent covers.

Luckily, you didn’t have to pry this one open, the cover popping open immediately one you hooked your fingers underneath the metal.

You slip into the space, dropping down and barely managing to land on your feet, only to lose your balance as the entire tank shudders, mentally sobbing as you realize you were going to hit your head for the second time today, only to be yanked upwards at the last minute and coming face to face with those angered vermillion eyes that had been plaguing you constantly.

Bakugou?!

Your eyes widen, emotions all flooding in at once. You wanted to slap him, but also run away and cry in a corner, or just disappear entirely, too embarrassed for any type of confrontation. And there was one more - you hated yourself for it though. You felt…giddy?

Bakugou however, had no such emotions, eyes taking in his surroundings and listening intently for anyone approaching before returning his sharp gaze back to you.

“What the fuck do ya think yer doin’?!” he whispers harshly, and you will yourself not to flinch or get flustered by his proximity.

“What am I doing here?! What are you doing here?! Were you working for the damn Inimicans this whole time?!” you ask incredulously, shoving the man off of you.

Bakugou looks like he wants to throttle you at the mere implication that he was disloyal, but he seethes in silence, turning away and fisting his blonde locks in irritation.

“Ya bein' here ruins everythin', Shit. How am I supposed to find the main room with ya taggin' along?!” he groans and you feel a spark of anger flare up inside you.

“Captain - I’ve proven myself time and time again that I’m a competent warrior- you said before that I wasn’t ready, that I haven’t seen people die, but I’ve tortured, killed, and almost died twice for my country- is that not enough?! Before I was inexperienced, and that’s fine- but to judge me and hate me now just because I’m a girl-”

“Ya think I’m pissed off because yer a fuckin' girl?! I don’t fucking care about that shit. Hell - my own Ma is probably better at fighting then half of our army. No, I’m fucking pissed because ya lied. Make a fool outta me and then ya go and get yerself fucking stabbed to save me,” he snaps - you feel your throat dry.

He- what?

The captain rolls his eyes, scoffing and making his way to the door of the room, listening intently before straightening up.

“Are ya comin' or what?” he grumbles, seeming oddly subdued in a way, but you decide to overlook it as you clear your throat, nodding briefly, following him and slipping into the hallway.

You could feel your heartbeat as you slowly make your way down the compact hall, gripping onto your dagger like your life depended on it.

Technically, it did.

Then, you hear voices down the hall again.

Shit!

Your body freezes up, unsure of what to do, but Bakugou’s arm encircles around your waist and tugs you harshly, slipping into a small, stuffy room that held a box attached to multitudes of wires, along with some levers and switches.

And either due to the small space or abundance of machinery, it was really hot.

Especially since the only way you both could fit in there was with your face smothered into Bakugou’s firm chest.

The gods really didn’t let you off easy, did they?

You feel hot and your heartbeat was pounding wildly. What do you do, just stand there?!

You can’t see Bakugou’s face in the darkness, trying to interpret what he’s thinking, until more voices resurface - a recognizable one.

You freeze, as panic sets in, realizing who was speaking.

“Ugh, that stupid bitch cut through my shoulder, I can barely move it,” the man grumbles, his low voice haunting. “Can’t believe I wasted so much on her.”

Dabi.

You tense up, fear clouding every corner of your mind as your concentrated breaths turn short and ragged.

Shit shit shit…what if he finds you?!

You grip your abdomen, almost wanting to throw up, phantom pain searing in your mind as you remember the sickening scent of melting flesh.

You would’ve been lost to the mental onslaught had it not been for Bakugou. His large, callused hand coming up to gently press your head against him, a sign of protection when he sensed your distraught nature, grounding you back to reality.

“The boss is gonna be disappointed if he finds out a stupid girl is what takes you down,” another voice says - it’s the amber eyed man.

“Tch. Fuck off Sako. I’m still your leader,” Dabi snaps, and you just hear Sako’s chuckles as the two walk away.

You and Bakugou relax for a moment, only to both freeze up when you hear Dabi’s voice again.

“Ugh, the lights are flickering again. Should we check the fuse box while we’re here?” Dabi asks, and your heart pounds.

The fuse box…was that the box that you saw earlier?! In the same room you were now!?

Your mind runs on autopilot as you start to hyperventilate slightly, Bakugou’s arms tightening around you as the footsteps get closer again.

Shit!

You grip your dagger tightly, fear pounding through your veins. Fighting Dabi last time was bad enough… Bakugou doesn’t even know what the man’s capable of.

Could you protect the both of you? You knew it was a stupid idea the moment in crossed your mind, one encounter with Dabi was devastating enough. What would you do now?

Suddenly, the amber-eyed man - Sako - speaks up, and everything in your mind goes silent.

“C’mon Lieutenant. We probably shouldn’t keep the boss waiting, we’re almost to the palace,” Sako says, and sighs. “Plus, the stupid lights will probably fix themselves. The Palanquin’s been through worse.”

You can practically envision the snowy haired man rolling his eyes, exhaling a sigh of his own and following Atsuhiro out of the hall.

You and Bakugou breathe out in relief, looking at each other in the dim light and make a silent agreement to not talk about the position the two of you were in, opening the door and checking the hallway to make sure the coast was clear.

It was empty, and yet, you still felt uneasy, bringing your index and thumb together.

“Why the fuck do ya keep doing that weird finger shit for, eh?” he mutters.

You pointedly decide to ignore him and instead looking in the direction you hear Dabi and Sako went down, nudging the blonde and motioning down the hallway.

“They said they were going to see their boss. So whoever we’re looking for must be in that direction too,” You murmur and Bakugou grunts in assent, surprising you to see him so complacent.

You try to breathe, but your fear still lays shrouded over you like icicles stabbing into your skin.

Dabi, Sako, Shuichi, the strange blonde, hell, maybe even Aoyama, alongside one of the greatest military minds in the world?

Could you and Bakugou really take on all of them, at once?

You swallow thickly, pressing the nail on your index finger so hard into the flesh of your thumb it might’ve drawn blood.

You steel yourself, mentally scolding yourself for thinking in such a manner. The battlefield was the last place where one should be wrecked by cowardice.

No.

You had to do this.

You were a warrior.

The narrow hallway eventually ends at a thick metal door, with no latch or lock, just a simple doorknob.

You lock eyes with Bakugou, silently adjusting your dagger in your hand and watch as he subtly nods his head, and with that, you open the door.

***

What.

The.

Fuck.

There, in the middle of an ornate room was an elaborate chair, and on it sat a man with no eyes, no nose, and no hair at all. All that was on his face was a sickening smile that grew wider upon noticing you. Around him were the men that infiltrated your village, along with a man with sky blue hair and a girl your age with an almost delirious smile on her face.

You stand still, eyes wide. Something was wrong, you were making a mistake.

“Ba-” you try to force out, sending a warning to your captain, but he doesn’t listen, lunging for the deformed man, only for the latter to hold out his hand. Bakugou’s form stops mere millimeters in front of the Inimican leader.

He was a matter manipulator - a Shigaraki.

Fuck.

And yet, you can’t bring your damn body to move, despite not being under control by the man before you.

He smiled, a grin stretched far too tight across his face - directed at you, and that’s when you realized he knew you’d be here.

“So, this is your little poppy, eh Touya?” the man chuckles, his voice deep and disgustingly soothing, like poison laced in honey.

Dabi flinches and you can’t help but feel intrigued. Was Dabi not his real name? You notice his jaw clench and he looks away.

The eyeless man sighs, returning his focus to you.

“Now Y/N, you - unlike this young man over here - knew better to stay put. And from what I hear, you’re quite the fighter too,” he says, and it disgusts you how warm and fatherly he sounded.

“How curious indeed, someone who's not only withstood countless fatal injuries, but a woman in the military, too. How ever did you manage to pull that off?” the man asks, sounding genuinely curious, like a child wondering how the world worked, treating you like something small and insignificant had managed something of note.

It was patronizing.

You stayed silent though, glaring at him, only faltering once you saw Bakugou’s still figure. Normally, you wouldn't have cared less, given the pain he put you through and how he treated you like nothing, but something told you he didn’t suffer from as big of an ego and superiority complex as you thought.

You sigh, cursing yourself and the blond man for breaking down your walls so easily.

“Let him go,” you mutter, deciding to direct your fury into the area where the man’s eyes would be.

He only smiles again, and sets his arm down to lay on the armrest of his chair.

Bakugou falls immediately, but regains his footing, letting out a loud roar and charging only for the man to hold up his hand in warning - not physically doing anything, but the threat was clear.

“Who…who are you…?” you ask warily, and all the eyes in the room turn to you.

“Call me…” he paused for a minute, before looking back at you with that eyeless stare.

“All for One.”

***

“Awww! Her reaction is so cute! Can I keep her?” the girl asks excitedly and All for One waves at her dismissively.

“Now, Himiko, where’s the fun in that? I’m curious as to what she’ll do personally,” he says, an unsettling eyeless gaze drilling holes into your soul. “Of course, I’m sure she’ll want to fight alongside her partner here - I suggest all of you leave the room.”

The people around All for One all clamor in protest, but they begrudgingly leave, save for one.

“Wait,” he calls out, his voice booming in the room. “Kurogiri, you stay.”

The man with the sky blue hair stops, silently turning around and returning to All for One’s side. The latter motions to you, but addresses the one next to him.

“Does she look familiar?” he asks, and you feel Kurogiri’s piercing gaze, along with Bakugou’s confused and suspicious one.

You only clench your dagger tighter, glaring at All for One and Kurogiri, deciding to speak up.

“I’ve never seen him in my life, so why don't you all ju-”

“She’s Aizawa’s daughter,” Kurogiri states blankly, and you still. “Isn’t she?”

Wh-who was this man? You flinch, feeling your heart hammer in your chest.

As if reading your mind, All For One smiles, warm but condescending nonetheless.

“Y/N, this is Oboro Shirakumo.” he says, and your heart drops. “He’s also going to be the one to fight you.”

***

He's…what?! Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?!

You couldn’t. Killing the man whose ‘death’ wrecked your father for years… to fight him…would make you a monster.

Sensing your absolute horror, Bakugou speaks up.

“And why the fuck are we fightin' him? We should be fighting yer ass if anythin'.” Bakugou snaps.

All for One only chuckles. “Now, if you were to fight me, that wouldn��t be as fun, would it? Plus, it’d only be an easy victory for me. Instead you’ll fight him. If you win, I’ll surrender my troops and we return back to Inimicus. And if you don’t…well, you know what happens, poppy.”

You swallow thickly, experiencing unwanted deja vu. Dabi- Touya had made an almost identical offer to you., but you couldn’t back down now, it was too late.

You want to crawl out of your own skin, hide in an endless void, curl up into a ball and live the rest of your life without all the death and destruction around you, but you were so very painfully limited.

“Fine.”

He smiles wickedly, all the more confirmation that your fate was sealed.

***

“Now, one on two isn’t fair is it… how about I even out the playing field?” he asks, and even though the phrases it like a question, you knew you had no choice in the matter. You were just a fascinating puppet to him.

But that wasn’t the chilling part. It was who stepped into the room as soon as All for One spoke.

It was Genken.

***

All for One left as if he wasn’t there in the first place, the world around him warping until he wasn’t in the room, all in the matter of seconds.

Leaving only you, Oboro, Genken, and Bakugou.

Unsheathing his sword, Oboro looks at you impassively as if urging you to start.

But you don’t - frozen in shock for the fifth time that day (you weren’t sure, you’d lost count), instead, Bakugou does, lunging at the former officer with such intensity you see why they call him the War Dragon. Vermillion eyes narrowed in concentration as he takes on Genken furiously.

“I- FUCKIN' TRUSTED YA- PIECE OF SHIT!” He roars, rage overcoming his handsome features as he keeps slashing at the man you thought you could trust- only for the latter for dodge and parry with such expertise that you realize were traditional Belloran swordsman techniques.

The thought fills you with rage - he didn’t have the right.

***

“So, daughter of Aizawa. Let’s see if you live up to your name,” Oboro says, handing you a sword that you take numbly.

Fighting back the tears that threaten to spill, you finally snap back to reality, swallowing as your father’s best friend stands in front of you with no emotion in his eyes. He was nothing like the man you had heard about from Hizashi - warm, funny, energetic, and most of all, kind.

You swallow down the bile that threatens to rise in your throat. This wasn’t Oboro, this was Kurogiri. He’s not the man he was before.

You steady yourself, gripping your dagger tightly.

“Bring it on.”

Both of you run at each with incredible speed, minds operating the same way, anticipating moves before they were made, and zeroing in on possible openings. In a way, it was like you were fighting yourself.

Staring intently into his blue eyes, it almost hurts how painfully empty they are, how they were soulless, empty, devoid of any emotion.

Your brief moment of hesitation was your downfall.

Kurogiri hooks his foot behind yours, forcing you to fall on your back and effectively knocking the breath out of you.

Shit.

You close your eyes, holding your breath as the cold sting of metal finds its way underneath your chin.

Were you finally going to die?

Tears finally spill from your eyelids, wishing you could’ve seen your family one last time.

“You…,” he breathes, blue eyes drilling into you. “Are so much like your father.”

That catches you off guard. But what shocks you even more is when his hardened gaze softens the smallest bit when he finally takes you in. And then the tears start to fall.

“Shit…,” he curses under his breath and when he looks at you in your eyes, they’re full of pain, pleading almost.

“Kill me," he whispers. Your heart drops - he was asking you to end his life.

No, no, maybe you could do something maybe-

Suddenly, Oboro’s eyes widen as his fingers trail down to his side, his hand covered in sticky blood.

Wait- but you didn't-!

Then his eyes close, and he rolls off of you, collapsing onto the floor, a wry smile forming on his lips.

“Tell…tell Shota I say hi,” he whispers weakly, one last tear slipping down his face before his chest stops heavy, his breaths slowing down until there were none left.

He was dead.

“No no no, shit! Oboro, please, you can’t die like this, my dad, he-” you choke out, scrambling to his side, wincing as your own injuries prevent you from moving as quickly as you’d like.

“Weak,” you hear, turning around, and remembering he was there, too.

Genken.

Bakugou’s bleeding severely, and he looks like he’s about to pass out. Genken, however, looked completely unscathed, and the sight was unnerving.

“Why..?” you croak out, throat dry from the tension and tears. “My dad…how could you-”

Genken barks out a humorless laugh, his once comforting and kind eyes now spiteful.

“Shota?! Do you seriously think I’d care about him? What he’s been through is nothing compared to what I’ve had to endure.”

You want to throttle him, anger bubbling up inside of you, but you had to stay calm. Bakugou was in a terrible condition, and so were you. You suspected Genken was more than he was letting on.

"Your wife- your son, Daki-!" you choke out.

“My wife died 10 years ago giving birth to my son. The doctors gave my son cheap treatment and he died of illness the next day. Your father-” Genken stops momentarily, and you see the tears forming in his eyes. “Doesn’t fucking know what I’ve had to go through.”

You stare at him, conflicted. Swallowing thickly, you look at him in his eyes.

“You are not a mourning father,” you snap, voice shaking as you feel your own rush of emotions. “You are a monster.”

Your legs move on their own, after staying frozen for so long, finally knowing what to do.

Genken brandishes his sword, expecting you to fight with your blade but you instead swing your upper arm across your body, pushing his neck down while using your foot to kick the back of his kneecaps, pushing him to the floor just as his sword slices at your side.

You cry out in pain, but hold him firmly, just as Bakugou roars with a final burst of energy, plunging his sword into the crazed man’s heart.

It was over.

Except, tonight, the gods decided to be cruel to you.

The split second after Genken was defeated, your body erupted in pain- as if white hot fire was searing your skin, and you release a soundless scream in agony, your heartbeat rapid and your breathing ragged.

Shit shit shit shit.

The liquid in the vial’s effects had worn out.

Shit.

All you remember is Bakugou’s faint voice, yelling your name.

***

Your head feels like cotton. Again. Third time’s a charm, right? You snort mentally at your own joke.

Your body feels numb, and you feel the pulse of your heartbeat in your temples.

“Ugh…,” you groan, sleepily blinking open your eyes. There, standing at your side, was everyone - Eri, Hitoshi, your father, Kirishima, Denki, Hanta, Chiyo, Izuku and his mother, Ochako, even Toshinori.

But the one person that you noticed first was Bakugou, sitting in a chair next to your bed and eye bags underneath his vermillion irises. He wore a number of bandages, just like you did, and looked just as drained, and yet, he was here.

With you.

You shoved down the butterflies that fluttered in your chest and instead sent a tired grin to your family and friends.

It was finally over.

· · ─────── · ᴛᴡᴏ ᴅᴀʏꜱ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ · ─────── · ·

The parades in Bellorant were non-stop, night and day, throughout the capital.

Bakugou would be spotlighted during the occasion, and though he wasn’t happy about it, he ended up receiving all the credit considering a major issue would arise if the public knew that a female was in the ranks.

It was stupid, you knew, considering they were more upset about a woman than a literal traitor. It didn't anger you as much as it should have, though.

As long as your loved ones were safe.

You found out that you had gone into shock from the pain when the effects of the vial wore out in The Palanquin, leaving Bakugou to carry you out in his arms, threatening to kill anyone who got in his way as he rushed to his parent’s home within the capital where his father treated you.

The blonde had alerted your family, and thanks to Kirishima, all your friends had come too.

Everything felt so surreal, now that it was over. You stopped a war, after all. And it was strange, being surrounded by peaceful quiet instead of deafening bloodshed.

It didn’t stop the nightmares though.

PTSD, it was called, when someone received severe mental trauma from certain events. Symptoms varied between different people, but for you, it was through extreme paranoia and nightmares.

They’d be a part of you, no matter what, everything that had happened. It was life changing and not something you could forget, even if you wanted to.

Tonight, however, was especially bad, waking up in a cold sweat and heart pounding from a dream you don’t even remember. But you were too on edge to go back to sleep. You slip out of the house and down to a lake nearby.

It was quiet, but not silent, the soothing sounds of crickets and the small sloshes of water put your mind to ease, letting yourself close your eyes and soothed by the sounds of nature.

“Hey,” a gruff voice breaks you out of your reverie, and you look up to see those same pair of vermillion eyes that seemed to follow you everywhere now.

“M’sorry.”

“Thank you.”

You both say at the same time, catching each other off guard and you let out a small laugh, and Bakugou’s eyes soften just the smallest fraction.

“You go first,” he says, sitting down on the cool grass beside you.

“What I meant to say was…thanks. For everything. For saving me, and helping me get better. I lied to you and betrayed your trust, I undermined your authority, and you still saved my life, I just…,” you trail off becoming self conscious as you ramble. “Don’t know how to repay you.”

Bakugou clicks his teeth, looking out at the water before speaking, his voice low, but you hear it, clear as a bell.

“Ya shouldn’t be thankin me,” he admits, anxiously pulling out blades of grass underneath him. “I…was wrong. I was selfish and stupid- yer fuckin' strong I just-” he stops, trying to find the right words to say. “Didn’t know how to react.”

“It’s okay, Bakugou. I forgive you. I’m not exactly the easiest person to get along with.”

Bakugou snorts and gives you a wolfish smile. “Tch, ya don’t take shit and I respect that. M’glad yer not a fuckin' pushover or somethin', always catering to my every whim. Those people are pathetic.”

You raise an eyebrow. “That reminds me, shouldn’t you be at the parade right now?” you ask quizzically, wondering how he managed to slip away from such a big event.

He rolls his eyes. “M’not takin credit for shit I didn’t do. All I needed to do was show my face.”

You giggle slightly at that, enjoying the sentiment before laying down on the grass, reveling in its nice contrast to the warm summer air.

You sit there in silence, enjoying each other’s company and the peaceful scenery of the lake- but then Bakugou speaks up.

“Y/N,” he says, unsure of how to phrase his question.

“Hm?” you hum, turning your gaze to him.

“Ya said, back on The Palanquin, that ya had almost died twice. I know…I know ya almost died saving me, but what was the second?” he asks quietly, a huge contrast to his brash demeanor. He was subdued, just like he had been at the end of your tualia.

You stay silent for a moment, carefully picking out the right words to say.

“I…” you trail off, taking in a deep breath. Talking or even thinking about Dabi terrified you, but you knew you couldn’t keep it in forever.

And so you told Bakugou everything.

When you finish, you have tears in your eyes, and a heavy pit in your stomach.

Bakugou looks at you, eyes wide and eyebrows creased. “So that’s why All for One seemed so familiar with ya.” he murmurs and he reaches out to squeeze your shoulder in comfort.

“Y’know…when I carried ya back to my parents' house, you were talking,” he says, grimacing as if he didn’t want to acknowledge the memory, casting his gaze back out to the lake.

“W-Was I…?” you ask warily, hoping you didn’t say anything incriminating in your pain-induced delirious state.

“Ya asked me to let ya die.” he says grimly, and ya notice the muscles in his jaw clench. “I-It was pretty fuckin' terrifyin’.” He chuckles sourly, and returns his gaze to you.

“I…I know war is scary. It scars ya in ways ya never realized it could and it makes ya question yer morals, yer ideals. Ya feel like ya don’t know yerself anymore,” he says and you stare at the grass, finding it scary how much the words resonated with you.

“What ya went through, though, I don’t think even General Takami’s been through that shit,” he says, and he stops when you notices the tears in your eyes.

“Hey…shit, m’ sorry I didn’t mean t-” he starts, but he stops when he sees your watery smile.

“Thank you, Bakugou.” you say. “For being here.”

The blonde flushes, and turns to look at the lake again so that you don’t see his expression, but you notice the tips of his ears turn red.

“It’s Katsuki,” he says gruffly, almost silent, but you hear it.

“Huh?” you ask, confused.

“Call me Katsuki,” he says again, almost insistently, turning even redder.

Cute.

You lean over, and press a small kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you… Katsuki.”

Bakugou turns to look back at you, eyes wide but soft. He snorts and wipes away a stray tear that falls down his cheek.

“Yer too forgivin, ya know that?” he says, and you squeeze his hand, a blush of your own dusting your cheeks.

He brings up a callused hand to your jawline, turning your face slowly to him, and drawing you closer.

“Is this okay?” he asks, and for a moment you see a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes.

“Yes,” you breathe, and he closes the distance between you, pressing his lips against yours tenderly, kissing you like he’ll never be able to again.

This was nice, you thought, sitting here by the lake with Katsuki.

Maybe you'd get your shot at happiness after all.

Taglist: @andysdrafts @starieq @nemisimp @missa-archdevilme @coquettefoxxy

@032loe @icedemon1314 @fta1ask4 @iam-thevillain-of-thisstory @cuppalevi

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@geniejunn

A/N: Guys…it’s over… Holy shit it’s over 😭😭 I seriously can’t thank you all enough for all the support I got for Warrior- thank you all for sticking around 🙏🙏 This has definitely been an emotional roller coaster and I’m so glad I managed to bring this story full circle 🤍 Extra big thanks to @cashmoneyyysstuff for reading the entire series before posting <3 It’s been an honor to have you read this Elle 😭🥰 Shoutout to @peachsukii as well for checking this last chapter :)

[justmeinadaze]

My Little Man (Steddie X You) (Part of HFOD and SS Universe)

A/N: I guess you guys would call this season 3? Lol. My angst hella took over as well as some feelings I've been dealing with lately.

Enjoy please <3.

Part of this Universe

Warnings: Demon Steddie & Human Fem Reader, No SMUT in this one, FLUFF, they love each other and their son. Demon Steddie is navigating how to be human while taking care of a pregnant Y/N.

ANGST: More or less the normal level of angst that comes with this series. The theme is grief and PTSD (from a soldiers perspective). Y/N is still struggling with the notion of her parents not being there to see Ellis grow up and the guys (especially Steve) is struggling with being raised how they were and taught to fight. Eddie struggles with feelings of enabling because of everything they went through.

The dreams probably have the most feels. They talk to their loved ones and Ellis says goodbye. Steve has nightmares that involve his dad being a dick (of course) and something that happens within one angers Eddie (blood briefly mentioned).

Word Count: 6398

"Don't you know I love you more than life itself Don't you know that you're my pride And I would not have you walking through this world Without me by your side

Go to sleep my little man Don't you weep my little man"

3 Months Pregnant

Steve sits on the bench outside of the library he had just exited from, sighing heavily as he closed his eyes and threw his head back.

Ever since the three of you got home, he and Eddie had been doing research on which human job they would best be suited for in your realm but were struggling to find much of anything. For him, it was even more difficult since he was raised to be a solider. He genuinely didn’t know how to do anything else and it didn’t help that even though you explained a lot of human behavior, he still felt slightly ignorant with many things. 

“May I sit?” The demon jumped at the sound of a gravelly voice beside him. “Oh, shit. Sorry, son. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, it’s alright. Um, please.”, he gestures towards the area beside him causing the man to flash him a thankful grin as he takes a seat. 

“How long?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I asked how long. I know the look of a fellow veteran trying to figure out how to adapt to a civilian lifestyle. How long has it been since you saw combat?”

“Oh, uh, it’s…it’s been a few years. But I did it the bulk of my life.”

“I can imagine with you being so young. I bet one of your parents was a solider as well?”

“Wow. Yeah, that’s amazing. How did you…?”

“I told you, son. I know the look.”, the man chuckles as he extends his hand. “Truman Duvall; Ex Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army.”

“Steven Harrington. Um, Sergeant in the US Army. Well, Ex.”, Steve laughs nervously as he hopes his memory of things he’s learned about humans in the past is still up to date.

“Nice to meet you. If I may ask, what were you thinking so hard about specifically?”

“My girlfriend is pregnant and I’m trying to find a job so I can help support my family. I want my son to have a better life then I did but I have no idea where to start.”

“Congratulations on the little bundle! I have four myself, two of them grown and out of the house already. My wife pretends like she’s glad they’re out but she misses them.”, he laughs. “I don’t know if you would be willing but down the street here, we have a recreation center where veterans go to relax and let loose. They’ve been looking for a counselor to lead the group therapy. I think you’d be a good fit.”

“Yeah? Um, I guess I could…”

“Look, you don’t even have to make a decision right now. Why don’t meet me there tonight? We’re having a little party get together thing. Of course, you can bring the girlfriend and you both can meet the person in charge. See if you feel comfortable.”

“O-Ok. I, um…” Steve pauses as he debates on if he should tell the truth about Eddie. That was a fight they had when it came to going home. He had been afraid that they would have to hide their relationship and he never wanted to hide or be hidden when it came to the man he loved. But this is also where he wanted to raise his son and he didn’t want to cause a commotion before you four even had a chance to settle in. What would Eddie do?

“Can I bring my boyfriend as well? He’s a veteran to. We actually met during our tour.”

Truman’s mouth pouted out ever so slightly as his eyebrows lifted in surprise. 

“Oh, um, sure! The more the merrier.”

***

“Steven, oh my God, that’s amazing!”, you exclaim as you wrap your arms around his neck. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Hang on, now. I don’t have a job yet but…”

“Don’t sell yourself short, bud.”, Eddie grins from his place on the kitchen counter. 

“I hope it’s ok that I kind of…announced…our relationship. We actually didn’t talk about what we wanted to do but I know if we had stayed in our realm I’d want to be honest.”

The long-haired demon opened his arms and Steve promptly placed himself between his legs with his back against his chest while Eddie rested his chin on his shoulder. 

“I’m glad you did. I love you and I’m not hiding that.”

“Me either.”, you smiled as they beamed right back. 

Suddenly, the happiness drains from your face before you turn and bolt towards the bathroom. You three had been home for a couple of months and within the past week some of the normal symptoms of pregnancy began springing up such as the morning sickness you were currently experiencing. 

“It’s alright, baby. Get it all out.”, Eddie tries to sooth as he holds your hair into a makeshift ponytail. As soon as you were finished, you fell back into his arms and thanked Steve when he handed you a bottle of water. 

“This is normal, right? Humans get nauseas like this.”, he asked. 

“Yeah, honey. It’s normal. I’m alright. I think I’m going to take a nap so I can be 100% for tonight.”

“Y/N, you don’t have to go.”

“No, Steve, I want to go. I want to see where you’ll be and the people you’ll be around.”

################

“Steve! You made it.”, Truman shouts excitedly as he reaches out to shake the boy’s hand. “You must be the girlfriend.”

“Hi. I’m Y/N.”

“Y/N. What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman and this is your…boyfriend? Right, son?”

“Yes, sir. This is Edward.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Steve said you’re a veteran as well. Were you a sergeant like himself?”

“Oh, uh, no. I was more of a private I guess you’d say. But we spent a lot of time together especially on the battlefield.”

“Wow and for you two to still be so close and find a relationship through all that chaos! That’s amazing. I always tell my wife if she met me during my tour she would have hated me. A lot of civilians don’t understand the headspace you have to fall into to do what we have to do.”

Both demon’s nod in understanding and you can’t help but softly smile as you watch them interact with the other people around them. Steve was definitely in his element and you could tell in some way he felt more comfortable in this setting because he was around beings who seemed to understand what they both went through. As his new friend spoke, his eyes remained intense and focused as he absorbed everything he said. 

Eddie excused himself to grab some drinks but became distracted talking to another couple and began to laugh at something they were saying. The first time you met him he expressed a particular distain for humans but he seemed to open up more since they were freed, finding something interesting in each person he interacted with. 

“Hey, this is my girlfriend Y/N.”, he introduces when you walk over to check on him. “Y/N, this is Lisa and Shawn Bennett. Lisa did a tour in the Air Force flying jets and Shawn was a DJ overseas.”

“Oh wow. For the military or just on your own?”

“For the military. I’m kind of like that Cronauer guy they made the movie about. I read the reports and played music I thought would lift the troops spirits.”, the man explains. 

“Kind of like me.”, Eddie whispers in your ear making you smile. “What do you two do now if I may ask? Steve and I have been searching for employment but we have no idea what would fit us.”

“Well, I actually own a store of my own selling books and comics; things like that. I’m a bit of a nerd.”, Lisa laughs. 

“And I teach media and music courses at the local community college up here.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun actually. Are they looking for another music teacher because Eddie is an amazing musician.”

“Yeah? Unfortunately, they aren’t but you should consider maybe starting your own business as well. You can teach kids to play guitar or any other instruments you know and you can do it from your house or maybe the music store downtown is hiring.”

“Are you looking for a job to, Y/N? I’m trying to hire someone to help me with my shop.”, Lisa offers with a smile. 

“Oh, I’d love that. I’m, uh, I’m actually pregnant though and I wouldn’t want to leave you stranded after you just hired me.”

“That’s fantastic! Don’t even worry about it. You don’t seem very far along yet. I can teach you the ropes before you give birth and that way when you come back, you’ll already know what to do!”

As you glance at Eddie, his eyes widen with encouragement as he nods his head. 

“Ok, I’d love to work for you.”

Lisa claps and gives you a big hug as your demon beams behind you.

***

“Hello fellow veterans, spouses, and partners! Glad you could all join us tonight. I hope you are having some much needed fun! I do have just a quick announcement to make. I would like to introduce you to Steven Harrington who is new to Hawkins and after speaking with him I feel like he will be a great addition to our center here as the group counselor.” The man at the podium smiles as he gestures towards the demon and everyone around the room claps. “Steve, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

When he hesitates, you gently push him forward, urging him softly before he relents and nervously climbs up the makeshift stage. 

“Um, hi. Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been seen by so many people.” The people chuckle as you and Eddie grin knowingly. “Like Thomas said, I’m, uh, new to Hawkins but my girlfriend is from here and my partner and I thought it would be better for her to be back home where she felt safe with her family so we can start raising our own. I-I-I…shit I used to better at this.”, he chuckles before glancing your way, your gentle smile comforting him. 

“I was raised in a military household. My dad was a solider so that’s what I was expected to be. As soon as I was able, he handed me a weapon and commanded I train to be the best. There was no wiggle room there. It was all or nothing. When I saw war…I shut down and did what I had to. I took no pleasure in killing, contrary to popular belief.”

“The worst part about shutting down that way was how it flowed into my every day. I was as an asshole to everyone including women I dated and people I trained… except for some of the people closest to me…Robin, Chrissy, and Eddie. When Edward and I got out…I felt so out of control…so lost. I lost my identity and everything I knew. If I didn’t have him by my side… Then we met Y/N and without her we literally wouldn’t be here today.”

Steve paused, looking out into the crowd, and realizing he may be talking too much. 

“Sorry. I’m sorry. Thank you so much for this opportunity and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

The people in the room clap as he steps off the stage and you immediately wrap your arms around his waist as Eddie lightly caresses his cheek. 

***

4 Months Pregnant

You beam at Eddie as he softly strums his instrument. That day after Shawn suggested it, he went down to the music store in town and applied for the job as a guitar instructor. After playing and showing off for them he got the job. He loved hearing the kids try and play reminding him of the children he watched over with Steve during their war. 

Today was everyone’s day off so they were being lazy in bed with you in your pajamas and both demons in nothing but their sweats. 

“Ok, this thing here says for humans you should be feeling him move around now.”, Steve announced as he gestured towards the book he was reading. 

“I haven’t felt him move yet unless the occasional nausea is him saying hello.”, you giggle. Leaning over him, you grab his hand and place it on the middle of your stomach. “Talk to him.”

“Uh, I…hey, Ellis. It’s, um, your daddy. I’m not scaring him with my voice, right?”

“No, baby.”, you grin as you pet his head. “This is how he’ll get used to it though. Hearing and seeing you both in your demon form.”

“Buddy, you have no reason to be afraid of us in any form. I’m sorry your dads aren’t as beautiful as you and your mom but—”

“Hey, speak for yourself.”, Eddie teases making you laugh. “I’m a sexy motherfucker.”

“Oh.”

“What?”, Steve’s eyes shift up excitedly. 

“You didn’t feel that?”

When he shakes his head, you place his hand closer to the side you felt movement, gesturing for the other demon to do the same.

“Say something else.”

“Hey Ellis. This is your other daddy and I assure you we are very handsome.”

“Holy shit.”, Steve exhales as he grins up towards his partner. “That’s amazing.”

“I’m glad you agree, kid.”, Eddie smiles.

***

6 Months Pregnant

Eddie growls at the crib he was trying to assemble as his glowing red eyes glare at the instructions again. Over these past couple of months, you three had made your dad’s old room your bedroom and begun shifting the room you used to sleep in into Ellis’s. 

Going off his personality from your dreams, you painted the room blue with images of guitars along the base boards and up along the ridges of the ceiling. Near where his crib would be, you put up pictures of everyone in his family that loved him including Robin, Wayne, Dustin, and everyone who had passed that he had been conversing with these past six months. 

The boys were able to get everything a baby would need from your realm but also from theirs including those books that Eddie had wrote and some toys demons normally played with at a young age. 

“Whoever invented these contraptions should be tortured for eternity.”, Eddie grunted as he tried again putting a few of the pieces together. 

“You guys don’t have cribs in your realm?” 

“Yeah but they were like boxes essentially. Or at least mine was. I’m sure Steven had gold porcelain or some shit.”

“No.”, Steve chuckled as he took the wrong part from his partner’s hand and handed him the correct one. “I had a regular little wooden thing with soft blankets.”

“I wish I could see what you two were like as kids.”

Since they left Maeve, they weren’t able to snap memories into your head like they were before. It hurt them more than you because you always seemed curious about them and they wished they could show you everything from their point of view, not Henry’s or Mirage’s. 

“How much did Mirage show you?”

“She showed me big events more than anything. Steve always looking for his parents especially your mom. She did play sword fight with you once and you looked so happy until your dad yelled at her for ‘ruining your training’.” You rolled your eyes as Steve pet your head and sighed. “Eddie, I did see what your uncle told me about with your mom singing to you.” The demon’s glow receded in his eyes as he glanced your way with a small smile. 

“Until my father told her to shut up?”

Tilting forward, you crawled over his work to kiss his lips making his smile widen as he caressed your face. 

“What about your parents, honey?”

“Both my parents were amazing. My dad always loved to make us laugh. He liked being a girl dad and my mom exploited that.”, you giggle. “She would make him wear tutus while I would do his makeup and they both would dance.”

A tear left your eyes and both demons promptly gave you their attention. 

“I’m sorry you guys don’t have your parents here. You both deserve better.”

“Baby, it’s ok—”

“Eddie it’s not okay.”

“Will you let me finish?”, he jokes. “It’s ok because I had my mom and I had Wayne. Then as I got older I got my other family. Steven, Robin, Chrissy, and even Dustin. Now, sweetheart, I have you two and Ellis. I couldn’t be happier.”

“I agree. I’m thankful for the memories I do have with my mom but the kids I trained and beings I fought with…that was my family. I’m so excited to see what’s in store for us, you know. See what Ellis is going to do with his life.”

You smiled as you kissed their lips before you wince and lean away. 

“Ow. Little butthead is kicking my side.”

“Hey, kid.”, Eddie teases as he tilts towards your tummy. “Why don’t you stop hurting your mother and come help me make your torture technic of a crib.”

###############

8 months Pregnant

You, Steve, and Eddie walked into the house you three had been in so many times these last few months except now it was completely empty. All the furniture and everything was completely absent as you entered the living room full of people.

“Ellis?”

Everyone in the room moved out of the way to where Eddie’s mom was hugging her grandson to her chest as he sobbed. 

“I don wanna go!”

“You have to, baby. Your mommy and daddies need you now. They’ve been waiting so long to see you.”

“Mom?”, Eddie asked as he stepped towards her. “What’s going on?”

She softly smiled as she handed him to your father who spun him around as he chuckled but your son just buried his face further in his neck. 

“Come on, little guy. Your parents have made you an awesome bedroom and knowing my daughter she’s going to show you so many amazing things.”

The little boy shook his head as your dad kissed his temple before handing him to your mom. 

“Steven, remember, you once told me that everything would be ok and you were right. I’ve watched you both take care of my baby and I assure you, you both are going to be more than ok. You are going to be amazing parents.”

He beamed at him as he wrapped his arms around the demon and pulled him in for a hug. 

Your mother grinned as she reached out to touch your face as you started to cry. 

“I’m scared to do this without you.”, you whisper. 

Your parent’s smiles widen as she kisses her grandson and places him in your arms. 

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re always right here.”, she soothes as she points to Ellis’s forehead. “Right behind that door, honey.”

“I love you.”, you son coos as each grandparent reciprocates his affection. 

As both your demons come to your side, you look down to no longer see a toddler but a newborn baby wiggling in your arms. Steve gently pets his head as Eddie reaches for his tiny hand that immediately clings to his finger. 

All of your eyes shoot open but yours is followed by a grunt as you place your hands on your stomach. 

“Fuck! I think…”

They don’t waste any time as they collect you and your things before rushing towards the hospital. 

***

“How long are they going to keep him back there?”, Eddie growled as he held your hand.

“Calm down. Y/N said this was normal. They need to clean him, check his vitals, and all that.”

“Yeah, but Steven, what if something comes up in those vitals that frightens a human.”

The other demon’s eyes flash red in warning in his direction as a low rumble leaves his chest. 

“Maybe we should have had him in your realm.”, you respond groggily as your heavy eyes shift their way. 

“Baby, don’t let Edward scare you, ok? He’s fine. He’s got more human in him right now than anything. Dustin said he would grow into his demon parts.”

“He also said we’re the first couple ever to do this so…”

“Edward Munson, I swear—“, Steve’s anger was cut short when the door to your hospital room opened and a nurse casually sauntered in.

“Hey Munson-Harrington family.”, she smiles. “We have little Ellis here fast asleep and everything looks good. Mommy, how are you feeling?”

“Like I gave birth.” The nurse laughs at your joke as your demons roll their eyes. “I’m alright. A bit exhausted.”

“Yeah, that’s normal, sweetheart. Good news is your baby is in perfect health. Would you like to meet him?” Your eyes fully open as you sit up, smiling softly when she places him in your arms.  “I’ll come check on you three in a bit.”

Tears start to fall as you fully take him in. Right now, he seemed like a completely normal child with soft skin and just a sliver of brown hair poking out of his blue beanie. 

“Hey, honey. You’re so handsome. I’m your mommy.”, you coo in a whisper as you kiss his forehead. “Oh my god, he smells so good.”, you laugh as you look their way. 

Eddie was the first to step forward, sitting beside you on the bed as he caressed his son’s chubby little cheek with his finger. 

“Holy shit. He’s so soft.”, he breathes. “You’re perfect, kid.”

Steve finally takes a seat as well and reaches out to feel his tiny hand. 

“He’s warm to. Is that normal?” When you nod, he almost breathes a sigh of relief. “Ellis, we’re your daddies. You ARE perfect, oh my god.”

The baby squirms a bit in your hold giving them pause before pulling away. 

“I think that was his way of saying thank you.”, you smile. 

###########

3 Weeks Old

“Fascinating.”, Dustin muses as he rocks Ellis in his arms while swaying around the living room. “He really does look just like a little human with the soft skin and everything. Nothing has stood out?”

“Can you stop analyzing our baby and just enjoy him?”, Eddie snaps as he sighs. 

“No, nothing.”, you giggle, answering his question. “And so far he seems to eat but not as much as normal babies.”

“How so?”

“Babies are supposed to eat every two hours; we’ve been feeding him every six. I was worried at first but we just took him the doctor and she said he was healthy. When I tried to give him a bottle every two he would cry and push at my hands.”

“Interesting. That has to be hard, Y/N. Him not being able to verbally tell you things like that. I hated when my kids cried in general but you…you still have that whole trial and error thing going.”

Glancing towards your demons, Eddie had fallen asleep with his head nestled in Steve’s lap on the couch who was already napping when Dustin arrived. 

“It is. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us though and I know they do to. I’ve been keeping a record like you suggested should this ever happen for anyone else.”

“Good.” When he notices your gaze shift again, he takes a seat on the floor beside you and lays Ellis on the blanket between you both. “Everything ok with you three?”

“Yeah, I’m just a little worried. They were both already so protective over me and now that he’s here… Steve’s been having nightmares. He pretends he doesn’t but I hear him groaning in his sleep and feel him wake up. I asked him the other night if he still has access to my dreams and he said he can’t find the door anymore.”

A tear fell down your check as Dustin reached out to comfort you. 

“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Eddie’s attitude has been a lot shorter lately. He’s exhausted and worried about the three of us. He triple checks everything to the point that I find him asleep on the floor by Ellis’s crib because he’s too tired to make it back to our bed and would just rather be closer to his son just in case.”

“What about you? Besides the worry I mean.”

“I know I’m probably being paranoid but sometimes I feel like we’re being watched. It may just be because of our dynamic. I know not everyone is excepting like the new friends we’ve made but no one has said anything… I don’t know. Just…mom brain maybe.”

“Hm, maybe. Keep an eye on that. From what you’ve told me, you’re always pretty intuitive. Wouldn’t want to miss something you know?”

#########

5 Weeks Old

“Oh my god, Y/N, look at him.”, Lisa coos at Ellis as she holds him in her arms. 

“Are you alright, Steve? You look like you haven’t slept.”, Shawn chuckles. 

“Yeah, I’m doing alright. Just…little guy keeping me up.”, he forces a smile. 

Your friends were having a get together for veterans and their families and since Steve worked at the center you suggested you three should go and be seen. Truthfully, you thought it would be good for them both to get out of the house as well as having him specifically spend some time with his new veteran friends to talk about anything that may be weighing on his mind causing his nightmares.

As the night wore on you noticed their soft grins return to their faces as he and Eddie mingled with the people around them. They radiated warmth as they talked about their son and everything he had done with his short little life so far.

“Have you guys started baby proofing yet? I swear when my daughter started crawling it was like she knew which areas were the bad ones!”

“Oh no, not yet. He did smile at Y/N the other day. Ellis has a beautiful little grin.”, Steve boasts.

“At that age usually it’s just reflexive. They see you guys smiling so…”

“Isn’t that all babies though? Like that’s how they learn?”, Eddie genuinely asks as the dads around him laugh. 

“Yeah but who knows some babies are different! You may just have an extremely happy baby who couldn’t wait to show you guys how much he loves being here.”

Time passed and a few of the guests left, leaving the main few that you had really gotten to know. You all sat in the living room while Eddie patted his son’s back as Ellis slept soundly. Steve tenderly petted the baby’s head as you beamed at them from your place in the chair across from them. 

“So how has everything else been going?”, Thomas asks as he chugs back some of the beer in his bottle. 

“Everything has been good, man. Just focusing on them, ya know?”

“Yeah, I understand. When my son was born, that first night I checked on him every hour on the hour. Then for some reason I kept checking on my wife. I knew our son needed us both and I kept thinking ‘What if something happened to either of us?’”

“I can understand that. I, uh, before Y/N and Steve, I lost a lot of people I loved and there was nothing I could do. Now that Ellis is here…it would kill me if anything ever happened to him.”

“Do you have nightmares about it? About losing them?”

“I don’t but Stevie here does.”, Eddie answers causing Steve to toss a glare his way. 

“I do but it’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

“I had them to. Sometimes I would dream they were on the battlefield I fought in. I would run to them but I could never quite reach them.”, Thomas sighs at the memory. “What do you dream about?”

“It’s fine really.”

You’re not sure if anyone else heard but you and Eddie did as the demon’s voice fluctuated to his real one for a split second.

“Steven…”

“It’s ok, Y/N. Like I said, I get it. If you talk about it, it gives it validity right? You’d hate to manifest something like that into existence. Someone killing Y/N and your son.”

Steve’s eyes closed as his head ticked to the side. 

“Ok, Tom, I appreciate what you’re trying to do but I’m putting my foot down. You’re going to push him too far and he’s already got enough on his mind.”, Eddie defended rising to his feet and handing you the baby. 

“Ah, you’re the enabler I imagine. You allow him to shelter his feelings so he doesn’t have to deal with them.”

“You’re damn right I do. You humans have no idea what we’ve been through!”

“Interesting word choice. Is that how you separate people from your experiences?”

“Come on, guys, let’s head home.” As the long-haired demon grabbed his boyfriend’s arm, he remained frozen in place. Kneeling in front of him, he cupped his face in his hands. “Steven, it’s ok alright. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to. Let’s go home and get some sleep, huh?”

When the demon finally opened his eyes, Eddie’s widen in fear; he knew this look all too well. As subtly as he could, he got to his feet and towards the front door with you trailing after him. 

“Steven—”

Once the wind of the outside hit your faces, he expanded his wings, cutting you off as he vanished into the air.

***

“Edward, baby, are you ok?”

Eddie nodded from his place on the floor next Ellis who was sleeping soundly beside him. After laying down as well, he softly smiles your way as he continues caressing the baby’s open hand. 

“DO I enable him, Y/N?”

“Eddie…”

“I just…we went through so much… Every day I had to watch the man I love breakdown. Even when we were out, summoners never treated us with any kind of respect. They knew we wouldn’t be there for long. In our realm, he was hero and with one choice, he was banished and imprisoned…because of me.”

“No, Eddie. Everything you two went through was because of Henry. He killed Chrissy and framed you. Jason didn’t give Steve much of a choice. He was going to disobey orders and hurt you.”

“I always tried to make it up to him… I tried not to show my feelings, pretending I didn’t care we were trapped. Pretending I wasn’t scared and just as angry as he was. I’ve done that my whole life, Y/N. When my mom got sick, I did everything I could to make her laugh so she wouldn’t see how devastated I was. Every time my father came home upset, I acted like I was tough but I was fucking terrified, baby. I was so scared.”

A tear fell from his eye and your immediately wiped it away with your thumb.

“When he fled, I was afraid for my uncle. I didn’t even think twice when I signed up but I was positive I wouldn’t last a month out there on the battlefield. Steven and Robin helped me become a better fighter. With Chris I pretended to be more together than I was. She had enough on her plate at the time and I wanted her to feel safe.”

“It seems like that’s why you pretend, Eddie, so the people you love feel safe.”

Sitting up, he started to cry harder and you immediately crawled to him, curling up in his lap as you held him in your arms. 

The sound you recognized as a portal opening grabbed both your attention as you called Steve’s name.

“Hey, no, sorry. It’s just me. I have him here though.”, Robin answered as she came around the corner with the demon leaning half-conscious around her shoulders. “My girlfriend sent me a message saying he was there at the bar. He had been babbling about how human drinks aren’t strong enough and something about you two and Ellis.”

After leading her to the bedroom, she gently placed Steve onto the mattress. When Eddie entered the room, she smiled when she saw your son’s wide eyes looking back at her.

“He woke up.”, the demon announced as Ellis yawned to emphasis his point. 

“You need to let your parents get some rest, booger.”, Robin coos as she pokes his nose making him smile. 

“Some of our friends said for human babies around this time smiles like that are a reflex.”

“Yeah but he’s not entirely human and that beautiful, drool filled grin didn’t seem reflexive.”, she responded. “It seems like he can handle the demon skin since he’s letting us touch him.”

“Yeah, I think that’s the potion.”, you nod as you reach out to tickle the baby’s chin. “Thank you for bringing Steve back, Robin.”

Softly smiling, she leans down to kiss your forehead.

“Seriously, you and Ellis are so soft—”

“Ay yi, ma’am. This human is ours.”, Eddie playfully scolds as he swats his hand in her direction. 

***

Loud banging and clinking echoes behind the door you’re looking at as smoke occasionally slips through the seams. Taking a long exhale, you reach for the handle but someone tapping your shoulder startles you as you turn and smack the person’s face. 

“Ow! Jesus woman. How many times are you going to pop me?!”, Eddie whines as he rubs his cheek. 

“Edward, how did you—”

“I don’t know. I’ve been looking for the door for months. Maybe you finally calmed me down enough to know what I’m looking for.” Nodding, you kiss his lips. “So what’s the plan?”

“I think…this is Steve’s door. I don’t know. I’ve been trying to access his dreams but I haven’t been able to.”

Holding your hand, he carefully turns the knob and you both step through. Glancing down at his attire, Eddie realizes he’s suddenly in his old battle armor and you both are on the battlefield they fought on all those centuries ago. 

“Why am I not in armor?”

“I mean, you weren’t there, baby.”

“What the fuck are you two doing here?!”, Steve’s father shrieks above you as he lands on his feet. “Leave. NOW. My son needs to learn his lesson.”

“YOU’VE been giving him his nightmares?”, you growl.

“Not exactly. He started having them on his own but I’ve been fueling them.”

Shifting your gaze behind him, you both watch as Steve slaughters enemy after enemy, panting as he slowly tires himself out.

“Steven! Do better! You think these fuckers are going to show mercy on your son?! You have to do what I taught you to get the truth!”

Eddie gripped Bill’s throat and angrily threw him to the ground. 

“You made your hell his hell, you fucking asshole. He told me all about you and everything you did to him. You ruined his life enough! Leave him be.”

“Please. He’s doing this to himself. He’s worried about you two peasants and that thing. I’m making him better. Stronger.”

Grabbing a sword from the ground, you lift the handle and point the other end towards his throat. 

“You heard him. Leave Steven alone or else I swear to God, Bill, I will find a way myself to keep you in hell.”

Growling under his breath, he tried to stand but you and Eddie forced him back down with your weapons. Huffing he suddenly disappeared as well as every other solider that had fallen around the other demon. 

“Ed-Edward?”, Steve panted heavily when you noticed you both there. “Y/N? What are you…? It doesn’t matter. We need to get to Ellis or else Henry’s going to kill him. We have to—”

“Baby, look at me.”, Eddie tried to soothe as he cupped his cheeks in his hands. “You’re dreaming ok? Henry is gone and Ellis is in his crib fast asleep.”

“N-No. No? I can hear him. I can hear him crying! Can’t you hear that?!”

“Steven—”

“NO!”, the demon growls loudly as he shoves the man he loves hard backwards. “Who are you?! You’re not Edward. Y-You’re…You’re trying to trick me. Are you Mirage? Did Henry and his dad hire you to stop me?!”

“Steven…”, Eddie cried with worry as he threw the sword he was holding to the ground and held up his hands. “Sweetheart, please, it’s me. I promise. I would never hurt you like that. I would never keep you from our son.”

As he tried to step forward, the other demon shoved him to the ground.

“I-I-I need to get to my son.”, Steve sobbed as his voice cracked. “I know you’re not Eddie. Tell me where he is.”

When he didn’t answer, he pulled back and pushed his weapon downward. 

The sound of your grunt filled their ears as your eyes met Steve’s wide glassy ones. When you both looked down, blood drenched his sword where it had pushed through your stomach and around your back. 

“Baby?”

Looking up at him again, you smiled through the pain as blood dripped from your lips. 

“Why…why does it hurt?”

The three of you opened your eyes at the same time as you sat up clutching your stomach. Lifting up your shirt, there was no wound but it felt so real. You could still feel the stinging pain lingering on your skin. 

Eddie’s head slowly turned meeting Steve’s still shocked expression as is mouth hung open in shock. 

“I—”

The long-haired demon’s growl cut him off as his eyes glowed bright red. 

“Take us to another realm that we can fucking damage NOW.” You didn’t say anything as Steve rose to his feet with his head hung preparing a portal for them to go through. “Stay here.”

Coming around the bed, he waited for the other demon to finish as you peeked into the world they’d be going to. It was completely baron with nothing but white as far as the eye can see. 

“Fitting.”, Eddie responded in anger as he and the other demon walked inside. 

As the portal began to close, you quickly got up and jumped through right as it disappeared. 

You knew Eddie may be mad but after what happened this wasn’t something you were going to let them handle alone. 

##############

@tlclick73 @tiannamortis @steeldaisies @goodhappyfriday @paleidiot @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes

@strangerthings64 @howlingco @eddiesguitarskills

@prettypeachsworld @nailbatanddungeon @notlempet

[yourmidnightlover]

timeless - ch. 3

pairing: bucky barnes x fem!reader

summary: in a flashback chapter, we see what it was like for reader and bucky before and during deployment, up until they were captured by what they didn’t know was hydra.

warnings: canon typical violence, talk of war, wounds, little knowledge of how deployment/war works on my end lol, affectionate/flirty bucky, if i missed anything PLEASE let me know!

w/c: 2.3k+

a/n: HIIII! another chapter that’s not two months out… who am i???? this chapter is definitely the last calm before the storm… expect either the next or the one after that to be very very angsty. i haven’t decided if i want to do the next chapter in current time/civil war time or a flashback as well, so if you have a preference please let me know!

<- chapter 2 ~ chapter 4 ->

two days before deployment

two weeks ago you found out you were being deployed as a nurse for the 107th with your best friend. your uniform came in a week ago. now, it was only two days until you would go to europe to try and ensure the safety of the men who were fighting for your freedom.

especially the man you called your best friend.

buky wasn’t nervous. well, not about himself, at least. he worked you twice as hard during your workouts, demanding longer runs and harder punches until he was satisfied with your progress. he pushed you to your limits and helped you cool off, running you hot baths and cooking you dinner when you were too sore to move.

although you loved having all of his attention and devotion, it had been a strenuous two weeks.

“the stark expo?” you questioned as he called out to you from the kitchen. you were in the shower, scrubbing away after another long workout as he was throwing together some sandwiches.

“yea!” you could hear his smile. “i’ll go in my uniform, you could even throw yours on. you know i would definitely love to see that,” you rolled your eyes at his comment, knowing he was merely joking around.

“maybe in your dreams.”

“you know it,” he knocked on the bathroom door to alert you of his presence. “i think it’ll be a nice last outing for steve and us. one last hoorah before… everything. one more good memory.”

“you say that as if it’ll be our last, jamie!” you turned the water off and wrapped a towel around your body before yanking the door open. “we’ll be back. between the two of us, we’re unstoppable, right?”

he turned to look at you, taking a deep breath before continuing, “i know, but it’ll be different, y’know?” he let his hand find your wet hair, laughing at your dripping wet state. “you should dry off, the food’s ready.”

“thank you, my chef,” you scampered into the guest room (your room, really) and quickly got dressed.

the truth is, bucky was scared shitless. sure, he was worried he wouldn’t be coming home once it’s all over. he was scared he would get whatever ptsd was. he was frightened about the possibility of him getting severely injured. but the thing that was debilitating him the most was the fact that he might not be able to protect you.

he’s always prided himself on being able to tell when you’re within a 3 mile radius of danger, guiding you out of harm's way as soon as he realises. with you literally going into a war zone, you will be surrounded by danger. gunshots, grenades, hand to hand combat, everything that could possibly harm you, you would encounter firsthand. that is what was the most frightening part of this whole deployment situation.

for you, you were simply scared to lose bucky. you couldn’t give two shits about what would happen to yourself. bucky had a family here, his best friend, he had so much. you just wanted to make sure that he would be able to make it back to all of it.

in a perfect world, the both of you would have made it back together.

-

“i knew you’d look amazing,” bucky cheered as you stood by your door, clad in your uniform and feeling tacky as ever.

“i dunno if i actually want to wear this out, jamie,” you pulled at the neckline, neglecting to look at him in return. “feels… weird.”

“c’mon, darlin’ you look great,” you felt his hands reach for yours, breaking your attention on yourself and diverting it to him.

boy, was he one to talk about you in your uniform when he looks so wonderful in his own. from his hat to the buttons adorning his cufflinks, he looked to die for. so much so, that your breath actually caught in your throat.

“woah there, y/n/n,” he smirked knowingly. “make sure to breathe for me. can't be leaving without you, darlin’.”

you rolled your eyes and shoved his shoulder, “so arrogant.”

but he’s not wrong… no matter how much you wish he was, he always seemed to truly know what made you tick, and he knew how to tease you from it, too.

he also knew how beautiful he was. there was no way he didn’t with how many girls constantly ogle him as he simply walks the sidewalks with you or steve. in school, you would always see how the girls gravitated towards bucky. you couldn’t blame them, either. he’s tall, dark, and handsome with pretty blue eyes that were like whirlpools, sucking you in and making you look stupid for trying to not get sucked in to the spiral.

truth be told, you were jealous when he would entertain these other girls. he would take them dancing or to fancy restaurants, sometimes telling you and steve all about it upon his return.

sure, you were often entertained by other guys back in school, but if you were honest with yourself, you knew they were just distractions. they never compared to bucky.

all bucky would ever do was complain about your poor choice of distractions. if you went on a date to the fair, your date never took you on enough rides. if you went dancing then your partner must’ve had two left feet in bucky’s eyes.

no matter what went on, bucky found a way to make it seem like you had terrible taste in men, so somewhere along the way, you’d kinda stopped trying. besides, it’s not like those dates ever truly meant anything to you anyway.

“you know you love it,” he traded your hands for your waist as he tugged you into his chest. “i still don’t like the idea of you goin’ in, even if you’ll be goin’ with me.”

“well,” you placed a hand on his shoulder, “we still can’t change anything about it. we’ll be alright, jamie. we’ll be alright.”

with that, you left to meet steve at the expo with another date bucky’s trying to set him up on. steve was pouting, as usual. apparently he had been denied entry into the army by yet another station. soon, all of this would catch up to him and by the time it does, the police would be right on his trail too.

“i can do it; they’re asking everyone to enlist, for everyone to help however they can, yet they won’t let me try!” steve went on about how frustrating his situation was.

bucky threw his arm over the smaller man, “they’re just lookin’ out for you, punk. you know that. now, you keep trying to enlist how you are, you’re gonna end up gettin’ in bigger trouble than usual.”

“doesn’t make it any less frustrating, jerk,” he elbowed bucky’s gut that he was positioned under.

“boys, boys,” you sighed as the two finally stopped shoivng at one another. “i would like to spend my last night here not talking about what we’re about to go into, please.”

it was extremely crowded, body’s shoulder to shoulder trying to see what howard’s newest mystical yet scientific creation would be.

as some douchebag that was nearly a foot taller than you manuevered to stand right in front of you, bucky bent down to your level, “wanna get on my shoulders?”

“jamie, you’re gonna drop me on my face!” you chuckled at his suggestion.

“ouch,” he threw his hand over his heart, clutching it intensely. “you wound me. have a little trust,” and with the smile he was sending your way, you couldn’t say no.

suddenly, his head was beneath your thighs, but not in the way you might’ve imagined a time or two when you were by yourself, lifting you to see above nearly everyone else in the vicinity. his hands were gripping your thighs tight, ensuring your security whilst also spreading a bit of warmth very close to where his head resided. your hands wandered to his shoulders, you didn’t want to mess up his uniform too much.

“better up there, doll?”

“much,” you laughed as him and steve continued their way through the crowd to see better.

howard stark began his speech and presentation, everyone ‘ooo’-ing and ‘awe’-ing each minute. with so much talk of the future, it mostly reminded you of the fear you had of your own. would you mom ever come back from this war, herself? would she be lost in her work? what would life look like if things didn’t go well in the field?

it was almost as if bucky could tell you were in your head because within a few more minutes, he ushered the two of you out of the crowd before easing you off his shoulders with his award-winning smile.

“seems like steve ran off again,” bucky chuckled as he adjusted his cap. “what a surprise right?” his voice was dripping with sarcasm. you remained silent, stuck in your own head before bucky continued. “what’s one thing you want to do before you die.”

“woah!” your eyes widened. “way to be cheerful, jamie,” you scoffed at his question as you continued walking around, seemingly nowhere.

“hey,” he placed his hand on your shoulder, turning you towards him. “i’m serious. i know it’s scary, what we’re going into. i’m scared shitless. i’m terrified. but what i’m scared of most is losing you, doll,” he paused, letting his fingers take through the ends of your hair before he continued. “so, tell me, what’s one thing you want to do before you die.”

“i wanna see the northern lights,” you admitted quietly, almost embarrassed. “i mean, i’ve seen pictures of ‘em in the paper, but the way people write about them makes it seem like they’re so much better in person.”

“i know the feeling,” you met his gaze before you continued.

“what about you?” you nudged his shoulder with your own. “what do you wanna do before you die?”

“i don’t think there’s anything else i want in my life right now,” he kept playing with your hair before you continued walking around the park, his arm thrown around your shoulder and yours around his waist.

-

3 weeks after deployment

“heya, doll,” bucky’s voice rang through the tent as he made his way towards you.

currently, you were stitching up someone with a 5 inch laceration to their thigh, one inch to the right and it would’ve struck their major artery and he would’ve been a goner.

“james, i’m busy right now,” wiping off the wound once more, applying antibacterial ointment before wrapping his thigh in gauze. “be sure to come back before lights out, i’ll clean and redress the wound, try to stay off of it if you can,” you gave the man a worried grin.

“thank you, y/n,” the man pressed a kiss to your hairline before making his way to his bunk, you assume.

“just came to say hi to my best girl,” he wrapped his arms around your waist. “and i have a small wound i need you to tend to, please?”

you turned to face him, rolling your eyes when you saw the puppy dog eyes adorned on his adorable face, even covered in layers of dirt and grease.

“let me see it.”

he lifted his shirt - god those abs - to show you the many bruises and scratches littering his torso. you looked up at him with sad eyes. “i hate seeing you like this…”

he paused before snaking his finger under your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. “i’m okay. it’s just the price of war.”

“i hate that you’re the one paying for it, though,” you shrugged as you motioned for him to lift his arms so you could remove his shirt easier. “gosh, jamie,” it was worse the more you uncovered. “it’s like you’re rolling around on a knife out there.”

“sorry, doll,” he chuckled as you reached for more supplies. you took a washcloth and dipped it in a bucket of water, wringing the washcloth and wiping down his chest and arms. “you’re so gentle.” you continued your job with close concentration. “always loved that about you, y’know?” you ignored his comments. “and your lip does this thing when you’re so concentrated - i don’t even know how to describe it, it’s so adorable.”

you sighed, biting back a smile as you leaned back, “i’m starting to think you purposely get hurt just to see me, now.”

“caught on already?” he chuckled before wincing slightly. you leaned forward once more and started back on cleaning up his skin.

“luckily nothings too deep,” you commented. “you won’t need stitches, but with as many cuts as there are here, i’m gonna go ahead and disinfect and wrap you with some antibacterial to avoid infection.”

“i love it when you talk all doctor to me,” you rolled your eyes at his comment. he lowered his voice before continuing, “can i still sneak in with you tonight?”

“you always do,” you smiled as you dabbed rubbing alcohol on his wounds, trying to distract him as the sting began. “same time?”

“always,” he nodded before you began putting on the antibacterial ointment and then wrapping his torso. “thanks, doll.”

“anytime, jamie,” you nodded as he wrapped you in a warm embrace.

he came into your tent that night. you reapplied his ointment and rewarded him before he insisted you lay your head on his chest to go to sleep, claiming it was more comforting that way. he held you as he slept, not even realizing how tight his grip was.

you didn’t mind it, though. it was comforting. you felt safe and secure in his arms.

that’s how you’ve slept the past two weeks. the same routine, every day. at least, when he was at base. it was harder when he was off fighting. sometimes you had dreams that instead of him coming back to you, it was a letter of condolences, saying their apologies for his missing body.

other times you didn’t sleep at all, too busy worrying about if he was alright or safe at all. you would worry that he was wounded, crying for your help.

i’m a few months, your life would be turned upside down. you weren’t prepared for what was in store, neither was bucky or steve.

TAGS:

@cjand10

@coldheartedmar

@ordelixx

[frickinsleepdeprived]

Lemme get a fuckin uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh training hcs for reader n hashiras like if reader was a new hashira n they were bein trained

You fuckin uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh got it LOL hope you enjoy!

......

Muichiro:

The second you became his tsuguko, he's been nothing but hard on you when it came to hand to hand combat

Like, dude might be a kid but he knows his shit. How else did he become a hashira after two months of being a demon slayer?

Any who, he actually offers constructive criticism, albeit it might come off a little harsh

But you quickly learned that this:

"Hey, panini head, you're supposed to angle your attack like this. Not this."

Actually is the way that he talks... yes, I headcanon that Muichiro is a Gordon Ramsey incarnate when it comes to advice, no I won't elaborate-

He doesn't hold back, not even for you

Like have you seen the way he fights?

Ya boi doesn't hold any mercy for battle

Overall, very good person to train under but be prepared to have to translate everything he says. His training isn't for the feign of heart

...

Mitsuri:

Ol' girl is so fucking supportive, which makes sense since her trainer was Rengoku

She allows breaks when you need it, especially if you're particularly fatigued that day

However, like her other comrades, she won't hold back. Just to simulate what a real battle feels like

L o a d s of praise! But often gives constructive criticism when it's needed

"Wow! That was great, your form is perfect! But I have to say, you could probably focus on breathing just a tad more so that way you don't pass out in battle. Staying alive is important you know!"

Comes off like a big sister, definitely very uplifting and inspiring

Overall, if you become her tsuguko she will absolutely dote on you all the while giving you the skills to become a great hashira

...

Obanai:

He had to learn really quick how to be nice

But he's a good trainer nonetheless, his criticisms might come off a little harsh, like Muichiro

Only this time he means for it to come off as rude, unlike Muichiro who doesn't know he's doing it

"Oi, your form sucks. Do it this way instead."

Yeeeaaaahhhhhh he's had multiple talks from the other hashira even from Ubuyashiki about treating you right

"So what're you saying? Treat them like my significant other?"

"Yeah basically, just without all the romance" - Tengen

But you never really minded his harsh demeanor in the first place, it helps you practice your bearings

When you guys are training together, it's no holds bard, full on battle simulation.

As in you actually have to try and kill him until he taps out

"OKAY TIME TIME JESUS CHRIST (Y/N)-"

The amount of times you've been to the butterfly mansion with Obanai

Shinobu is livid

Overall, just know that when you're training with Obanai, you'll have lots of scars from training alone. And you better have a very good perception of his criticism because he will be rude no matter what, even in his praise.

...

Sanemi:

Mans can get bloodlusted very quickly, so you have to be careful what you challenge him to as his tsuguko

Like with Obanai, he will push you to the point where you might have to do some serious harm to satisfy him in training

"Really? That's all you got? Hit me with something stronger!"

His praise is a lot like Mitsuri's, but still a little critical with his suggestions

"Look, you're doing fantastic. However you might want to consider, oh I don't know, actually hitting your target next time? Ya know, like you're supposed to do."

Oftentimes you're the one that has to stop the training session because something is about to give out. Usually it's your legs from all the running and jumping

He's very brotherly though, usually he'd bring you tea or some food after training and discuss what you could do better or what you did well in

And those are moments that let you see his true colors, just a caring dude who puts up a tough front

Overall, very pushy and enthusiastic about your training, but you can't help but see him as a great friend and you couldn't be happier to be training under him

...

Gyomei:

Gyomei is the polar opposite of you

He's calm, you're not LOL

Oftentimes you guys aren't even training, you're meditating. Mainly to keep your hot head out of your thoughts and focused on the task at hand

Like the other hashira, he won't hold back. But he will definitely be gentler with you if you are considerably smaller than him in stature

His criticisms are very gentle, almost to the point of being passive. But the message gets across nonetheless

"You did amazing, however, your technique could use a little work... how about we focus on that tomorrow?"

Definitely the fatherly type, always checking in on you before and after training and bringing you whatever you need

He sees you has his responsibility since you're under his training

Overall, very good to train under, but just be prepared to work hard regardless

...

Shinobu:

Very gentle, but also a little terrifying

The only reason why is that although she's very motherly and doting, she's secretly very bloodlusted (Giyuu would know-)

However, that doesn't take away from her very very motherly nature. She always makes sure you're fit enough for battle or training

If you're injured, be prepared to be on bed rest for at least three days, even if it's a minor cut or scrape

"You're injured, you're not doing anything"

"But, Master Kocho I'm fine I promise-"

"No. Rest, now. Come back to training in three days."

Shinobu will provide all of the advice you need, be it for training or otherwise

She's definitely not going to hold back though, she'll try and kill you if it means getting the proper training in

"Great job (Y/N)! Though... you do look a little banged up, sorry!"

Yeah definitely gets carried away with it

But overall she does a great job and frankly there's no one else you'd trust to train you

...

Giyuu:

You're concerned

The water hashira obviously knows what he's doing, but he hasn't had anyone under his training

So he's a little intimidated by the fact that he has someone else under his training, but that doesn't necessarily stop him

He offers a lot of room for you to work after throwing the basics at you, always making sure to correct and give pointers where it's needed

"Here, this is what I mean... does that make it a little more clear?"

A little condecending like Muichro but very uplifting like Mitsuri

His cynicism can worry you sometimes but you quickly realized that's just the way he is

However he does open up a little more, just to encourage you to be open about yourself and what you need from him

He's a lot like an older brother, definitely will take care of you during training

But like all the other hashiras, he doesn't hold back, but he's not like Obanai or Shinobu when it comes to the intensity

Overall, great person to have under their wing

...

Rengoku:

So where do we start? Lol

Praise, and lots of it

"Excellent work (Y/N)!"

But will definitely point out what you need work on

"Your sword stance is perfect, but you do need to work on your aim a bit, nevertheless though you're still doing a fantastic job as always my tsuguko."

HEAD PATS FOR DAYS-

This man makes you feel appreciated and like your efforts are never in vain

He offers his council when you need it, allowing you to talk about anything and everything on your mind

More of a mentor if anything, he's always got something positive to say about almost any situation

Overall super cool to train with, Mitsuri would know, and now you will too!

...

Tengen:

Mans isn't really concerned about form and skill

He's concerned about your flashiness on the battlefield LMAO

Okay but in all honesty, he's a former shinobi ninja and a hashira now

Need I say more?

You're definitely in good hands, his wives would more than likely help out too

He will give you accessories for your uniform that are completely impractical but hey at least they look good

"Master Uzui do I really need to wear this?"

"Yes, because I refuse to let you go into battle looking so plain and boring."

Aside from all of this though, he's very very helpful and offers a lot of advice even when it's not needed

"Okay so a couple of things; sword form is great, technique is phenomenal, however you gotta breathe (Y/N). Can't have you dying out there."

Like his other hashira comrades, he won't hold back but he's considerably more gentle only because he's knows his strength

Oh yeah and he gives hugs, like lots and lots of hugs

He just wants to make sure you're okay after every training session, not to mention now that you're his tsugoku he cares about you like a lot

Overall, he'll dote on you like he does with his wives but be prepared to be worked to the bone

...

This took so much brainpower now my head is mush lol but I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you want to see next!

[maddeningtrash]

not a question but ur mari3 is so cute, hope we get more content of them 🥹

is there any other stuff or headcanons or tidbits u can share abt them or list?

Thank you so much, sharing my Mari3 can be scary at times since the Splatoon fandom is so weird about rarepairs lol. Tumblr seems a lot more friendly in that regard tho!

Anyways some brainrot

-They’ve always been very competitive with each other ever since they met, when they were younger they could be deemed as full-on rivals even lol. The “I can do anything better than you!” Spark has died down since, especially since Anri can be sensitive about how their combat skills have been effected by losing an eye, but they’ll still have friendly competitions over small things.

-Marie’s singing habit effects Anri, sorta like how when one wolf starts howling the whole pack makes noise. When Marie starts singing Anri sorta just instinctively joins in lol

-Some background for Anri and Marie, when he first came back from the events of OE he was pretty traumatized since 1. Lost for a year in the metro 2. Lost his apartment 3. Lost all his possessions and pet birds 4. Lost all function in his right eye+nerve damage ….so he uh literally didn’t go outside for another year. After moving into a new place (Craig brought him a new apartment and furniture out of guilt) Anri became a total shut in, but Marie would come by every day to drop off food goodies in attempt to talk to him. There’s a whole doc behind their story that I probably shouldn’t info dump the entirety of here but lel

-Anri is Marie’s very first romantic interest! Marie assumed she was ace since she was always never interested in dating, turns out she’s demisexual with bisexual swag!

-Anri’s favorite song from the Squid Sisters is Marie’s solo, Tide Goes Out! Marie herself doesn’t know this

-They are both so dumb of ass holy shit

-Marie gets super flustered when Anri flirts with her in front of the new 3 (Sai), “we can’t hold hands in front of the new agent THATS INAPPROPRIATE”

-Marie’s Agent casual attire has it’s hat brim to the side because of Anri fucking with her, Anri’s Cap’n hat brim is to the side because of Marie getting her revenge on him

-Anri, Marie, n Sai sorta act like a family unit especially since Anri legally adopts Sai some point after the events of Splat 3 hero campaign (buncha oc lore maybe one day I will elaborate)

-The two are constantly near each other or touching in some capacity

[scribbleseas]

The Indignant Pawn, Chapter XIV: The Queen’s Guard Dog

Description: You are Y/n Y/l/n- formerly known as Princess Helena, the runaway princess.

You're an assassin for hire who only agrees to find the worst of London's criminals at the business end of your knife; until a mysterious woman hires you to end the likes of Ciel Phantomhive, the King of the Underworld. You find yourself trading your weapons for your abandoned family crest in order to infiltrate his home as none other than Princess Marie-Louise, your twin sister. What's to happen when you find that the young Earl is more than a callous businessman?

OVERALL STORY WARNINGS: sexual assault (once in the prologue), objectification, misogyny, death, detailed description of blood/gore, detailed description of murder, lying, impersonation, theft, weapons, detailed panic attacks, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, kissing

CHAPTER WARNINGS: plenty of combat, shooting, detailed description of violence, pain, and gore, nasty corpse described in detail, suicide briefly mentioned

Author’s Note: Happy Halloween, dear readers! I actually didn’t plan on a chapter coming out today, but things just worked out that way! Anyways, think of this chapter as the start of this fic’s “Act 2″ and just know I wrote most of this chapter to my Spotify playlist entitled “stop checking your phone, he didn’t text you.” So I took out the deep shit lol. 

Happy Reading!

- Dan

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MASTERLIST

. . .

APRIL 3RD, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

“There is nothing to make work, Your Highness.” Ciel’s blunt words, haunting you, refused to stop echoing in your head. They reminded you that from some corner of his twisted, dark, and somber mind, there was no remote possibility that you could be together, romantically or as you were.

You couldn’t live with him, making believe the night prior never took place, silently breathless while you fixated on his every word. Especially not while you were supposed to kill him. Even if you could channel all your rage and mortification into a bloodthirsty craving to commit murder, it wouldn’t be enough to force you to follow through. 

It was cowardly, but this was the only action you could take. Much like Elizabeth ending the engagement because it would cause the least harm to the three of you, you were stuffing your belongings into a small leather suitcase and leaving to cause the least amount of harm to yourself and Ciel. There were no palatable ways you could see the next several weeks playing out if you stayed; you couldn’t force the Earl to want you, and you wouldn’t. 

You never needed anyone besides yourself. Degrading yourself by chasing after an emotionless man would betray every skill Baxter left you. You’d sooner die than commit such a fallacy. 

The scent of smoke washed over you as you pulled the conman’s chestnut jacket over your arms. You dressed down for the sake of riding and returning to your life, sporting a plain beige petticoat with a navy bodice. Clumps of assorted necklaces and rings weighed the deep pockets, jingling at the slightest movements. Perhaps they were better packed into the suitcase, with your previously hidden weapons and few personal effects. 

Doña supplied everything else you brought, luxury gowns and all sorts that a princess would need with her. She purchased the jewelry, but you’d need it to pay your way to the States and food for the next several months. 

After all, once Princess Marie was declared missing, there would be a rigorous international search for her. You would need to stay in hiding for a long time, and the royal-free United States would be your best chance at anonymity. You didn’t have the liberty of disappearing as the unpopular German princess again. 

You pensively surveyed your quarters one last time as if you could commit every detail to memory, though the room was disheveled. You were keeping all of your belongings well hidden, and digging them up somewhat destroyed the room’s graceful ambiance. For instance, you had the final porcelain salt shaker jammed underneath the floorboard by your nightstand. Now, it sat in your petticoat while the floorboard leaned against the wall, pried away from its brethren. 

As you left the manor, you invested all your accumulated knowledge about its layout. The best route to avoid Ciel’s quarters was the servants’ rooms, whose minuscule parts of the wooden floor complained the loudest when you stepped over them. You refused to take any chance. After all, if someone saw you, it would be impossible to maintain your ruse. 

Most likely, you would need to kill them. 

You slipped through the servant entrance at the manor’s side, opposite Ciel’s room. The moment you shut the heavy door behind you, you took a grateful sigh, trudging along the side of the building until you found a decent cluster of bushes. 

Although thallium sulfate was a marvelous poison, it would be unwise to carry it onto a steamship. Though odorless, a trained officer knows the signs of disguised poison: indiscriminate containers, tasteless, carried by a suspicious character. A young woman traveling alone was bound to catch a few eyes in the first place. You were too tall to hide behind cargo boxes this time. 

Thus, you unscrewed the salt shaker’s cap, and after kicking a patch of dirt away with your heel, you poured the white substance. If it killed the plants, which you doubted it would, Sebastian would simply replace them. 

“Poisoning the plants seems rather cruel of you, wouldn’t you say so?” 

Speak of the devil. 

You paused, turning around so quickly you might’ve fallen over if you weren’t careful. Did you not check behind you? No, you did. You had to have. 

“I’m sorry?” You asked intelligently, staring down at the full salt shaker in your hands. You blinked slowly, perplexed. Seconds ago, you poured the thallium into the dirt, yet it was back in its casing. The white substance managed to stare at you.

“Surely you must know what happens to those who ingest large amounts of thallium sulfate,” Sebastian said. “Would it be fair of me to presume you intended this rather agonizing death for my master?” he asked, although he very well knew the answer. The butler smiled, but his eyes were venomous, almost glowing as they reflected the rising sun. 

Your head swam, looking for something to say, something to do, a way to escape, but you failed yourself. Sebastian was a man who could catch bullets and return them the same speed a gun initially launched them. It didn’t matter how experienced or clever you were, he could kill you. And by the murderous joy in his eyes, he would, given a chance.

The sharp inhale you meant to take in felt like a desperate gulp of air, as if you were sinking in an ocean, slowly letting the waves consume you before taking one final, parting breath. Was this how your sister felt? Or did Doña’s men have mercy and put a bullet between her eyes before capsizing the royal steamship?

“If you let me leave, I will never come here again. I won’t so much as remain in this country,” you couldn’t recognize your voice. It was ragged, pained, cornered like a lion in a cage, tamed by a whip. “Please, Sebastian. I have everything I need with me now. I will go.” This was how your voice sounded the morning Baxter died.

But you knew how that morning ended: four dead men, a mistreated girl, and a big crime scene to clean. 

Sebastian was a lot of things; eloquent, graceful, and intelligent. But he was not merciful in any sense of the word. 

“As much as I would enjoy that, my Lord has another way he wishes to…handle you,” the butler said as if he were referring to a common rat. “Please empty your pockets and allow me to take your bag.” It wasn’t the placid request he dictated it to be, and you knew better than to refuse.

So Ciel knew.

“Very good. Follow me.”

Complying would give you the best chance at survival. When you couldn’t use force, that merely meant you could rely on your mind. Surely some arrangement would allow you to leave free or even keep you alive long enough to find a way to escape on your merit. 

Mey-Rin and Baldroy waited at either side of the doors of Ciel’s study, exchanging a stiff nod with Sebastian.

Neither of them looked at you, and neither of them was visibly armed, of course not. Mey-Rin could hardly handle dressing you, and  you could work a furnace better than Baldroy. Still, you were outnumbered. 

“After you,” Sebastian allowed you to open the office doors yourself, revealing Ciel, well-dressed in navy. He set his angular jaw, glaring in the same look he sent when he glowered at his enemies, Frances, Finley, and Arthur Randall.

Now, it was your turn. Being the target of such a look was like enduring a bullet to the chest.

“Your Highness,” Lord Phantomhive spat your pretend title like a curse, like the lie it was; a far cry from his usual fond sarcasm. “You don’t understand, I know,” he said gravely, looking at you as if you’d committed a crime. All you did was allow your feelings to grow too deep. 

Now you understood; Ciel wasn’t referring to knowing your feelings. He was referring to the truth. From his shift in behavior, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, the supposed call from Scotland Yard informed him, no, led him to the truth. You would have understood if you hadn’t been such a fool, tangled by your useless feelings. And you would have let take his toast.

“Leave us, Sebastian,” Ciel ordered, ignoring Sebastian’s easy yes, my Lord, to fixate on you again. He only spoke once the door shut behind you. 

“Now, let me explain how we will proceed, Your-” he faltered before he could retain the curt look he was trying to emulate. “Or shall I refer to you as Y/n behind closed doors?”

“Y/n,” you responded, his attitude fueling a growing rage within you, your vulnerability hardening like a callus. 

“I would imagine at this stage of your life; you would prefer Y/n,” Ciel ignored you, “well, no matter what you choose to call yourself, we are to be married,” he said, pulling a velvet box out of his suit pocket. You might have thought he was joking if he hadn’t brandished the box like a weapon, you might have thought he was joking. He was torturing you before trying to slit your throat. 

You scoffed instinctively. “No. No, that simply will not stand. I know what you do to your enemies before you dispose of them. You hurt them so much that they wish they were dead! You intend to torture me before you kill me.”

Despite your own words, you knew he was serious. You could see it on his face. 

“I have to say, that's a rather short-sighted perspective. You have a competent mind; try to apply an inkling of logic here,” Ciel said, but you understood him well. He did intend to torture you by forcing you to live at his side for the rest of your life. As Marie for the rest of your life, a thought that now made you tempted to beg Sebastian for your thallium to drink yourself. While the idea seemed reasonable last night, it was when you thought you would have an understanding partner to be as you could manage.

“You are now Princess Marie of Schleswig-Holstein. The powers that be know what you did with your sister. How you disposed of her. Nevertheless, Her Majesty believes her living granddaughter is in my care. I cannot allow you to die or vanish under my watch,” he explained. “All the while…you can rot as the German princess for the rest of your life. It shall be your penance for your attempts on my life. Our union will ensure I enjoy the advantages of being a part of the royal family. Understand?”

Beyond rage and vile hatred, there was nothing in his face. He looked like a marble statue of a vengeful god, hauntingly handsome but brutally cruel. 

Your face felt hot as a result of your anger, making the room feel hot. It made your head pound, your heartbeat indignantly thumping in your chest. Doña was correct; the Lord Ciel Phantomhive was a malicious and sadistic man. You should have ridden the world of him weeks ago, seeing how easily the Queen’s Guard Dog eclipsed the man who bandaged your finger and read you philosophy to coax you to deep slumber. The man you could fall asleep next to.

“Your hand, if you will?” Ciel ordered, opening the box to reveal an engagement ring. The ring was annoyingly beautiful. And annoyingly you. It was a black diamond cut into a circle, the band ornate rose gold with accenting sapphire and emerald gemstones within the swirling gold patterns. Sapphire and emerald indicated the union between the royal line and the Phantomhives. 

“Y/n?” Ciel prompted, waiting for you to offer your hand a moment longer. At your refusal, he huffed impatiently, taking it upon himself to take your hand. The movement caused you to spring into action, wrapping the very hand he tried to grab around his palm. You put all your strength into squeezing Ciel’s hand, twisting it, so his thumb faced the outside of his body. 

“Damn it! Let me go!” he demanded, spitting each word into staccato notes. His face tightened with pain. You weren’t twisting his wrist enough to break it, but enough to cause immense discomfort. He was lucky; if his loyal servants weren’t waiting outside the door, you would take a pen from his desk and plunge it into his carotid artery. His free hand raised as if he wanted to slap you, but he thought better. 

With a glare, you obeyed, releasing him. “I can do it myself,” you snapped, picking the box up from the floor to slide the ring onto your left hand’s fourth finger. You wanted nothing more than to shove the ornate piece of jewelry down his throat, but for the time being, you could wait. 

You would wait. 

. . .

If you had the opportunity to take your supper in your room, you would have. 

Instead, you were sitting through a thinly veiled interrogation, your asparagus risotto tortuously sitting in front of you. Yesterday, you were Atlas, the world's weight your shoulders, when Lizzie gave you her blessing to be with her cousin. Today, you were Tantalus, starving in many ways, with everything you wanted just out of reach. 

“To be clear, you are the former Princess Helena-Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein,” Ciel confirmed as if he was still trying to come to terms with the fact that you had been lying to him for nearly four months. He had a pen and paper at the side of his plate, prepared to take notes. His bruising wrist sat on a sack of ice. 

Your eyebrows knit together as you gave Ciel a dubious look that said:   obviously. 

“Y/n Y/l/n fits this stage of my life,” you smarted, reciting Ciel’s words from earlier that day. Not that you were particularly regal during your time undercover, not having to be perfect and in character lifted somewhat of a burden. You rolled your eyes as he scribbled down your name in his loopy script. 

“How did you manage to get away? At ten. And live?”

“How do you manage to be so irksome? At eighteen. And not get murdered before I came along?” you shot back. 

You didn’t understand why any of this was necessary to discuss. It was so far behind you, you hardly remembered it. Sure, you recognized the general culmination of your early teenage years. It was winter in the city, conning the rich with Baxter, summers in Alfriston, working and enjoying the countryside. Learning was year-round. Baxter was not educated in the sense a noble would appreciate, but he was the best teacher you’d ever have. 

“Focus on the topic at hand, Y/n. I’m questioning you here.” Ciel said bitterly. “Who commissioned you to come here, then?”

Now, these were the sorts of questions you were expecting. The ones you’d prefer to answer. You would never sully the memory of your life with Baxter by telling Ciel about it. He was nothing if not similar to Baron Steven Wright. 

“I’m not sure,” you said, silencing the beginnings of Ciel’s protest with a look. “She never told me her name. All I know is that she and her servants speak Spanish, she only wears beige, and she has a baby. And she is young.” 

“I have never heard of such a person,” he mumbled, jotting down notes from your description. “Did she tell you why she wants me killed?”

“You killed her whole family. That is all she told me,” you explained before Ciel could pester you, “she never explained why, when or how.”

Clearly, the Earl didn’t believe you. If you were in his place, you doubted you would trust your words either. After all, you could very well be lying. But you weren’t that loyal to Doña. Not since she sent forces to the manor to attack you, intentionally putting you in harm’s way and calling it motivation. 

Ciel set his pen flat on the table, taking a slow inhale. “Y/n, if I must, I can certainly find ways to jog your memory. Surely you have better recollection than what you’ve been telling me. Must I motivate you?” he asked, fingers meaningfully grazing the butter knife on his place setting. 

You failed to fight the mocking smile that tugged at the corners of your mouth. He was threatening you and all you could think about was how easily you could end him. Ciel Phantomhive was a spoiled Earl with a butler to wait on him and he thought he could challenge you, an experienced killer and successfully jog your memory?

“You could try, yes. But more likely, you would require your butler to carry out such a task,” you took a leisurely spoonful out of your risotto, shaking your head. The man across from you had a boundless ego; that was certain. “And that’s presuming you live long enough to wail for him. You’re a weak excuse for an Earl.”

To his credit, Ciel’s composure remained steadfast, despite your purposeful jab. “Allow me to remind you: you couldn’t bring yourself to kill me. You were too weak to carry out your job, and that is how you ended up in this predicament. Don’t you dare presume to call me weak, Y/n.” 

“You are simply a pompous coward!” you exclaimed, his words igniting your veins as you rose from your chair. Ciel did the same, his fingers wrapping around the knife he was previously caressing. Your stomach twisted into embarrassed knots, manipulating you into feeling seasick. 

Of course, he would weaponize your affection for him. That’s what unfeeling, heartless men did when there was nothing more to fault about a person. A low, predictable blow. 

Yesterday, he held you close, leading you around the dance floor in graceful steps. Steps you taught him. Admittedly, under false pretenses but truly, Ciel knew it was still you, no matter what you lied about. And he was afraid of that. 

You’d show him a low blow. 

Before you could stop yourself, you drove the side of your hand, pinky first, into the bit of muscle neck to Ciel’s neck. He was taller, but not so much that your arm had difficulty reaching him when you pounced. You forced him to bend at the waist by taking your opposite hand and taking hold of his shirt. You used all of your body weight to pull him down in his pained haze, pinning him on the floor. His knife clattered to the floor. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ciel protested, breathless from the floor, knocking the wind out of his lungs. “You’re a bloody lunatic!” He thrashed under you, using his taller frame to shove you off. Against biological advantages, your training could only help you so much. Besides, floor combat was not your specialty. 

“And what will you do, Ciel Phantomhive? Call for your butler to save you?” You taunted, fingers clutching either opening of his jacket to try to force his head to crash into the floor. You failed. 

Instead, Ciel drove his kneecap into your stomach, causing a flare of pain to erupt in your abdomen. Despite his bad wrist, he managed to shove you away and take hold of his knife, which was close enough for him to reach without giving you time to recover. He used his taller frame to keep you pinned against the floor, pressing the butter knife’s rounded tip into your throat, right over your racing pulse. The silver instrument felt cold against your warm skin. 

“No; I can handle an imposing girl on my own,” Ciel growled, digging the point into your flesh threateningly. Your knees squirmed under his straddle, hindered by your heavy skirts. His non-dominant hand kept your arm in place with a steely grip that dug into your forearm, leaving your arm bent at the elbow, a 90-degree angle. 

For a moment too long, Ciel watched you uncertainly. He seemed undecided on where he wanted to train his gaze, the knife imprinting in your skin (yet to cause any bleeding) or your lips. The latter seemed to be winning, to your twisted amusement. At the end of the day, Ciel Phantomhive was a man, and it wasn’t like the fatal, magnetic attraction between the both of you could disintegrate in two days. 

But this was a matter of survival. 

“And I can handle a spoiled Earl!” you grunted, using the heel of your free hand to drive into his nose. Your revelation fueled the sudden burst of adrenaline you used to power your arm, using his confusion to twist your body and force his dead weight to the side. 

Ciel cursed, grumbling an unabashed host of unflattering names directed towards you. His hands instinctively flew to his bleeding nose, trying to figure if it was broken or not. “You are just out of your mind!” he exclaimed, “an unruly loon!” 

“No more so than you are,” you responded, rising to your feet with the help of a chair. Your stomach complained, pained by the sharp kick it took, but you ignored it. With the Earl distracted with his new injuries, you could make a reasonable shot at escape. “Now, seeing as you simply cannot handle this strong woman, I will be making my leave! Try and stop me if you still think yourself capable!”

Ciel’s yell for his servants sounded far away as you bounded down the corridor. 

What could they do? Mey-Rin could hardly handle your evening tea; Baldroy seemed to be most keen on playing with his flamethrower before all else, and Finny was about as innocent as a child. Your focus needed to be on evading Sebastian’s inhuman strength and agility.

“Stop this instant! You will pay dearly for your insolence!” Ciel’s footsteps followed you, but you ignored them. He was a distraction, and if you heeded his words, you would lose your lead. 

Thankfully, the Earl surrendered to his fragile constitution. Breathing heavily, he stopped chasing you, his asthma likely irritated by the initial brawl you started in the dining room and the sudden chase. Even your lungs burned, but you couldn’t afford to slow. Sebastian always pounced when you let your guard down. 

You pushed the servant’s entrance open, letting the heavy doors slam behind you. The sound echoed through the cellar, but at least you managed to get outside. The sky was clear, the sun beaming. 

It only took a few paces before you suffered from your mistake: looking up, rather than where you were going. Novice mistake, seeing as you only made it a few paces before slamming into someone. 

“Um, Your High-- Y/n, you really shouldn’t be out here,” Finny said, frowning anxiously. His white gardening gloves tugged at his work shirt, fiddling. The sun made his blond hair shine as if Rumplestiltskin wove it from pure gold. He looked guilty even though you were the one on the run. 

“Step aside,” you ordered, truly having no desire to harm an innocent man such as the Phantomhive estate gardener. “I have no grievances against you, Finny. Allow me to pass and I will let you live,” there was more confidence in your voice than you felt, Sebastian’s looming threat crawling up your back, turning your bones to lead. 

The gardener was unconvinced. “No, Miss, I’m sorry, but that just won’t do. My master said that you have to remain on estate grounds….”

You pulled your lips into a tight purse. There was no time for this debate.

Without wasting another moment, you pulled Finny’s skinny body close by his shoulders. Inspired by Ciel, you jammed your knee into his abdomen with all your strength; right under his ribcage on the right side of his stomach. You could hit someone in the liver blindfolded; you were lucky Ciel wasn’t as trained as you were. Such a blow was brutal. And dirty. 

“Ow!” The gardener cried out and crumbled to the ground, the impact against his ribs sending a shock through his body. It decreased his blood pressure to make him black out. 

Ow was correct. You surely bruised your knee with that blow, but you didn’t have time to care about that or the morality of hurting an innocent. While Finny wasn’t visibly armed and had a child’s disposition, you didn’t know the full extent of his capabilities. You weren’t a success in your field because you acted according to your initial estimations. 

You had warned him, after all. 

But just when you thought your exit to the forest line was free, a gunshot echoed throughout the vicinity. It was a gunshot, unmistakably, it came from behind you, but when you turned your head, no one was there. It wasn’t until you looked up that you realized where it came from. 

There was a single individual perched on the roof of the manor, difficult to spot in the light but unmistakably there. They sent another shot your way, but they narrowly missed; an incredible feat given the distance between you at ground level and the shooter at the peak of the building. You jumped, instincts forcing you to move to the side and give one last look in an attempt to discern who your next enemy was.

They had a feminine figure, clad in black and white. A…maid’s costume. 

Your blood ran cold. It couldn’t be. Mey-Rin? The silly maid who broke tea set after tea set?

She had no qualms about shooting again, this bullet piercing a hole through your petticoat, centimeters from your skin. The gunshot rang throughout the estate once more, cracking with the same power you heard when Doña sent those men. At least you weren’t the only undercover killer. You had to admit; it was clever of Ciel to keep a skilled sniper about his manor at all times. 

But it wasn’t enough. She had a good shot because you were out in the open, nearing the treeline as you ran once more. Every bit of your body complained, feet aching from your heeled boots. Ciel pressed hard enough to draw blood, considering there was crimson blood dripping down your neck.

You used your anger to fuel each step, but after you passed the forest line, the bullets only grew more rapid, as if another marksman joined Mey-Rin. You refused to waste time and look back, but a lucky shot gave you no choice, grazing your side, the combined force and pain tripping you. 

Who could manage such a shot?

Nobody human, that was for sure. 

You fell to the ground panting and just as involuntarily as Finny did. Your trembling hands tried to cover the raw wound on your right side. Even your ankle throbbed, insinuating that you twisted it in your fall. Excessive dryness overwhelmed your mouth and tongue, the desire for cold water more consuming than the searing heat the bullet caused. All you could smell was a combination of blood and your own burnt flesh. 

“Whoa,” you hardly heard yourself, “ouch.” The destruction the grazed bullet left made your stomach turn, showing off red, turgid flesh. Rolling onto your back, you tried to guide your shaking hands back over the wound, but it only stung.

“Get up, Y/n,” Baxter urged from the back of your mind, but it was no use. How you wished you could tell him so. “You can do difficult things. Get up. Use what’s around you, girl. God put a brain in that skull for a reason.”

You used your non-dominant hand to touch a tree’s coarse bark and press against its sturdy trunk. By putting your weight against the sturdy trunk, you rose to your feet, but the second you tried to walk, you would have fallen back to the forest floor if a set of arms hadn’t caught you.

“This game of chase is quite a silly waste of time, wouldn’t you think so?” Sebastian’s shadow loomed over you since he caught you from behind. Ironically, like a childish trust exercise. “You were much easier to manage when all you preferred to do was read, if I may be so blunt,” he mused, quickly scooping you into his arms. 

“I hate you,” you seethed, only causing Sebastian to chuckle.

“I’m not so fond of you, either, Miss Y/n. You are alive because my master wishes for it. Mey-Rin could have easily shot a bullet through your heart, much like Finny could have crushed you like an insignificant ant. In the same way, I could snap your neck with my bare hands. You live per my Lord’s wishes; please do keep that in mind,” Sebastian said jovially, applying firm pressure to your wound. Your blood soiled his white gloves, formerly pristine. 

Sebastian’s eyes glowed in the sunlight as he walked you back to the estate’s clearing or because he wasn’t human. 

“What are you, Sebastian?” You drawled, ignoring the threatening overtones in his voice. “No one is this perfect.”

He didn’t seem taken aback by your question in the slightest. Instead, it only made his smile deepen. 

“Why, I’m simply one hell of a butler. There is no need for flattery when you so clearly detest me, Miss. I have no use for your compliments.”

. . .

“And she isn’t dead?” Your closed door muffled Ciel’s question. By the time he came to check on you, recovering from his own injuries, Sebastian had your side bandaged tightly. No stitches needed. A sack of ice sat on your ankle. At his demonic butler’s confirmation, he mumbled a nearly indiscernible good. 

“You look like hell,” you said upon Ciel’s entry, noting the bandage over his slightly swollen nose. There was some redness under his eyes, but you knew you didn’t hit him hard enough to break his nose. You regretted that, considering his maid of all people reduced you to this bedridden mess of a person. 

“And you are quite fortunate I instructed my servants to fight to deter, not to kill,” Ciel settled on the desk chair at your bedside. He held ice against his wrist, stare flitting to the dressed cut on your throat and your bored expression.

“You are fortunate I decided to fight to deter, not to kill. Otherwise, both you and your gardener would be dead at this very moment,” you sighed, briefly wondering how Finny was faring. Sebastian told you Baldroy, and Mey-Rin were tending to him as he roused from his unconsciousness-- tired but not permanently hurt. 

“Your pride will undo you, Y/n.

“You say as if you are the wiser,” you replied stubbornly. If he wouldn’t kill or release you, you intended to make him wish to. But as you watched him, his injured yet fully intact spirit, a question rose to your tongue: before you could stop it: “when did you learn the truth?”

After a long, reluctant look, Ciel’s resolve crumbled. “If you recall, it was the phone call I’d received from the Yard the morning before the wedding….”

APRIL 1ST, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

“Right, if it is a…dire matter, I shall tend to it. Of course,” Ciel ran his palms over his suit to wipe their perspiration, slowly forming from the exertion the waltz required, his mortification, and Princess Marie’s warmth. “Thank you, Your Highness. Sebastian, see to lunch preparations for after this call.”

After dipping his head to the flushed princess, Ciel quickly showed himself up the stairs, retreating slightly faster than the situation required. He couldn’t help himself; the butterflies in his stomach made him feel jittery. They made his face grow hot and red, like some fool who wore his heart on his sleeve. He wanted them gone. 

He was Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen’s Guard Dog, for heaven’s sake! He couldn’t have felt like this for anyone, yet the princess permanently ingrained herself in his mind. It was a repulsive set of impulses, wanting to be around the same person, craving the sight of their smile, studying their person-- every word that slipped their lips, every subtly in their comments. 

Ciel’s thoughts made him nauseous.

From the time he took to trudge up the stairs and slump at his desk, Ciel nearly forgot to pick up the phone. The Yard called again, and the ringing pulled him from his princess-induced stupor. 

“Lord Phantomhive!” Fred Abberline’s inquisitive voice sounded over the line. The background murmuring told Ciel that the detective was not in his office alone. A higher-up must have requested he make the call. “We are re-opening the Amelia Dyer case. Please come to the station as soon as you can manage.”

“What could you possibly mean you’re re-opening the Amelia Dyer case? We ruled it an accident for lack of physical evidence, did we not?” Ciel asked, his fingers rubbing at the forming wrinkles in his forehead. 

“We found her body, sir. It was floating in the Thames and preserved in the cold water all this time. She was murdered.”

“I will be on my way. I will be there within the hour,” Ciel said, wasting no time putting on a jacket and readying himself. He ordered Sebastian to watch over Her Highness and the estate; Ciel could handle himself in the city. 

Amelia Dyer’s body was blistered, and a sickly green color, but her injuries were apparent: the intentional severing of both popliteal arteries, judging by the location of each clever cut. From each gaping wound, Ciel saw layers of adipocere developing or wax that forms in a submerged fatty tissue during decomposition in freezing water.

“She was indeed murdered,” Ciel agreed. No one could easily reach such vital points, and an average person would opt for an easier suicide. No average prostitute from a train station would know how to make such precise and vengeful cuts. This murderer conducted their crime with revenge as a focal point, slowly letting the baby farmer bleed out by severing the backs of her knees. “Leave me be, Abberline. I have to think.”

Staring into Amelia Dyer’s dead gaze, Ciel reviewed what he knew:

The woman murdered unwanted infants. A case in point, she murdered the woman in the train station’s infant because the prostitute’s husband had no desire to raise a bastard child. Aghast and vengeful, the woman begged Princess Marie to kill Amelia Dyer and return her child to her. She mistook her for her sister, Y/n. 

Y/n was the former princess Helena-Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, confirmed by the Undertaker, the estate’s attackers, and there was no physical evidence supporting her death. It was presumed, after two weeks of searching. 

As indicated by the Undertaker, she was an active and heavily experienced contract killer. 

An experienced killer would know how to sever one’s popliteal arteries and do so vengefully, clearing believing they are serving justice. 

Amelia Dyer died the night the prostitute confronted Princess Marie at the train station. 

Princess Marie killed a man with a pen and knocked another unconscious. That could not be formal self-defense training. She could hardly stand upright on ice skates, a vital skill for a royal. Her dancing was laced with uncertainty. She never corresponded with her family. She first cared to ask about Ciel’s investigative endeavors after he observed the Dyer crime scene. 

Y/n killed countless victims in numerous ways, most subtle enough to keep Ciel, the bloody King of the Underworld, unsuspecting. 

Princess Marie was ill the day following Amelia Dyer’s death.

Now, Ciel was ill himself, sickened from his theory. He pushed past Abberline to return to his estate, needing to rifle through the dozens of German newspapers he possessed tucked away in his desk. Each headline mentioned Princess Marie in one way or another, and he needed to compare the most recent image to the girl imprinted in the front of his mind. 

Newspaper-Marie: no cheekbone scar, frown lines, innocent smile, bright eyes. 

Ciel’s Marie: cheekbone scar upon close inspection, deep scowl lines, caustic grin, observant eyes. 

Ciel’s eyes stung as he took an impossible breath in. His intense grip on the printed paper in his hands tore it. He put all of his rage into crumpling the paper into a tight ball, lobbing the ball across his study. 

The prostitute beseeched the correct twin. That was why Sebastian couldn’t locate Y/n. She was under their noses, posing as her sister. Making a fool of him. Teasing him. Lying to him…

On a mission. To kill him. He was Y/n’s next target.

“Sebastian!” Ciel all but screamed, salty tears forming in his eyes. The intensity, he stood up and knocked his office chair into the bay window behind him.

 It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t be. 

“Yes, my Lord,” Sebastian entered, closing the door behind him. He was entirely too calm in the face of his vexed master. “I see you’ve put the pieces together. Excellent, sir.”

“You knew?” Ciel asked, his hands slamming on his desk. The demon didn’t even flinch. Instead, he chuckled. 

“Not for certain, although I admit I had my suspicions.”

“And you said nothing?” Ciel shouted, fingers curling into a fist. Marie was Y/n, Marie was Y/n, Marie was Y/n, Marie was Y/n.

Someone hired her to kill him. Everything they’d experienced together in the past several weeks was a lie staged by one of his enemies, orchestrated like a polished symphony, predictable like a play. 

This was why he couldn’t find anyone who could threaten the crown: no one did. It was all fabricated to push Princess Marie into his care.

“It was not my place,” Sebastian said. “I am but a chess piece for you to move, my Lord. It has never been my position to accuse a princess of being an imposter. Certainly not as your lowly butler. That being said… how do you wish to proceed, my Lord?” 

Ciel blinked rapidly. He would not cry. He refused. All humans lied; there was nothing different about this deception. Once again, he caught the actual criminal, and in the end, he was correct: finding Y/n would solve the case. 

Ciel cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “We will proceed with the wedding as usual and make our move once it passes. The Midfords expect the princess to be present, and we shall not disappoint them. Our confrontation will have to take place the morning after. In the meantime, I need you to commission a specific ring….”

You cringed throughout Ciel’s recount of the day before the wedding. The call from the Yard, how he described Amelia Dyer’s body, and his thought process. How he seamlessly unraveled every one of your lies with this single clue. 

“You did well,” you admitted begrudgingly, speaking to the very glittering on your finger. “Not many people would have been able to come to this conclusion,” you sighed, “truly a brilliant job, Guard Dog.”

If it weren’t for that phone call, you could have been on your way to the States, preparing to start anew. 

You knew you should have allowed Dyer’s body to char with her cursed house.

. . .

Tags

[kirby-the-gorb]

reply roundup :)

I am so sleepy. also photo of my fancy phone case I was so excited about under the cut.

on [flap] @macro-microcosm​ said: HAPPY KIRBY FLAP HAPPY KIRBY FLAP HAPPY KIRBY FLAP- so glad I'm not the only one who thinks he does this. and I relate, things aren't great but at least there are cute things to be a comfort

he is my little projection orb, therefore he must flail his little nubs around in excitement as I do. (also I hope things have improved for you, I’ve still got another 2 1/2 weeks to wait but hopefully the news will be good -n- )

this is how the phone case turned out btw! it’s by CandyDulceDeco on [etsy] or at candydulcedeco.com, they were very patient with working out all the little details and everything :> (that little post in the top corner is for a little loop to put phone charms on, I repurposed a bracelet with rainbow gummy bears as a little phone strap sometime after taking this photo)

on [meds] @plushslug​ said: I have MCAS too. Sucks hard. Keep fighting the good fight out there and may your symptoms be manageable 🫡

same to you *salute emoji I can’t find rn* (love your icon btw)

on [milk] @graycoin​ said: Ah shit, that sounds rough. You can Get Through It, but I am sorry you gotta. :/

thanks, I appreciate both the vote of confidence and the sympathy -n- (and in your other comment as well. thank you in general to the folks leaving supportive comments even though I don’t post them all, I really do appreciate it.)

I also appreciate everyone who rushed to give baby his choccy milk or demanded he get it, with special mention to @justawanderingfan​ who went so far as to [add] the glass (and the resulting smile) themself :)

on [keyblade] @angeryspeedo​ said: look at him. he is just a little guy...

every time someone tags my kirb as “just a little guy” or “a bean” or something like this I become more powerful :) (I even made a post on my personal blog when I first saw this tag that it means I Win At Art. there are many ways to win at art and I win often. drawing something that makes me laugh, drawing something my wife thinks is pretty, drawing something, drawing something that makes a stranger add a funny tag, etc. these are all Art Victories of equal value. I think this is a good way to think of creative hobbies.)

also on [keyblade] @joekingv1 said: *wonders who was baby's favorite character*

I think of the playable characters in birth by sleep, ventus would be their favorite. (both because kirby probably relates to him most and because his combat is most amenable to just mashing regular attack and dodge the whole time (which is mostly what I did lol)) out of all of kingdom hearts I do think they’d vibe with sora. my dirtboys.

on [crochet] @duerme07​ said: this -feels- crochet in a way that few other images have conveyed

thanks! it’s because I hate making small gauge amigurumi and have bad eyesight so this is exactly what I looked like for approximately 3 hours immediately following this drawing :)

on [blanket] @ceylonsilvergirl​ said: life has its ups and downs, is never just one or the other. stick it out through the difficult times And I will find comfy blanket time again

comfy blanket time can be anytime. even or especially during the hard times. (I hope you’ve got a break coming down the line too.)

on [valentimes] @wishiwould​ said: I sent this to all my family and sent the creator money on ko-fi bc delightful

extremely sweet of you, thank you so much! I always love finding valentines like this to send to my wife so I’m so glad I could make something similar for someone else lol (yes I did send this drawing to my wife and my partner for valentines day :v )

on [vacant] @sagessmoke​ said: he's a static image right, when i scrolled onto him he blinked and i need to know if im okay

yep, he’s a static image. when you’re seeing stuff directly from me, I always tag any moving image with “gif” even if it’s a small amount of animation. (my eyes play tricks on me sometimes too.)

anonymous asked: Do you like META KNIGHTTTT METAKNIGHHHHHYYYTTT

yeah he’s pretty neat! significantly more Shapes required to draw him than a kirborb tho lol

[toastess-with-the-mostess]

Let's Rewind! Toast watches Voltron: Defender of The Universe (1984)

Season 1, Episode 8: The Stolen Lion

Training time for the princess! I'm not sure if it's canon or not, but I feel like Lance is the best flyer out of all of them, so it's nice to see that he's the one training Allura up there

Lance talking smack and still getting proved right when Allura can't hit him Why did a smack to blue's forehead send a jolt of electricity to Allura?? She's free-falling right now and that doesn't make sense

Someone else saved Allura this time! He was pretty snarky about it too when the boys finally got to her in that traction beam

Introducing Prince Bokar, I know his story, but it'll be nice to see how it plays out

He's looking for a bride and destiny led him to Allura apparently, but she's not buying it Now she does after he says he'd never hurt her

Lance being sassy again and starting his human lie-detector streak THIS MAN IS TRYING TO GET HIS ADRENALINE ANYWHERE, FLIPPING OFF THE TOP OF RED LION LIKE THAT

"You, up there, come down!" "Alright I'm down, your high and mighty majesty" GET HIM LANCE

Nanny said she wished two young men fought over her, this is probably where the Allurance started I'm an allurance shipper but not for this voltron show so right now I'm only reacting to nanny with heavy judgement

Pidge and Hunk being the only real ones who help Lance, but Keith is just staring down Bokar for being a piece of shit LMAO

Lance making good points about Bokar travelling by himself when a prince wouldn't do that, especially if he was in search for a bride

Apparently Lance knows how a space pirate fights, more angst material for meee

NANNY HAS NO CHILL MY GOD

Pidge learns not to insult the woman that gives him desserts, apparently he likes astrocakes which I like to think are just moonpies with a different name

R E V E N G E

And the reveal that Bokar really is evil His plan is to kidnap Allura and blue for Zarkon, fun Oh and apparently Koba is still watching on Arus and tormenting the mice while he's at it lol

Lance is still on his rampage about Bokar being evil, he's right of course, but man is he volatile

COBRAS IN THE VENT LANCE WAKE THE FUCK UP SINCE WHEN DID LANCE HAVE A KNIFE UNDER HIS MATTRESS

Lance's room number is R110, Keith's is R112, Hunk and Pidge came out of the same room which I assume would be either R111 or R113 I like to think Pidge and Hunk were having a sleep-over holy shit it keeps switching between r110 and r112 for Lance, jfc why does animation do this

MORE COBRAS suddenly the other boys have daggers, I guess they all have em

mmmm they want prince Bokar to pilot blue, obviously it's still early one as the princess agrees that she shouldn't be in blue unless in emergency but still GROSS they haven't tested his combat flight skills, I'm very much a stickler for the rules

This is where lance's sharp shooting skill probably started, he shot at bokars arm but only to hit the cobra under his sleeve which revealed that bokar was indeed the reason why the cobras were in the castle

I don't like that the princess just faints at the sight of a cobra, I know it's a very real fear for people but still that girl has seen nightmares come alive I think she can handle a danger noodle

Alfor ex machina returns again, is alfor part of voltrons spirit?

bokar tries to threaten her to fly blue but she refuses to but keith makes the weird ass call to follow his commands maybe it's to get them out of the water

AND THEN SHE FAINTS AGAIN WHEN SHE SEES HIS ACTUAL COBRA FORM ok this one i kind of understand but goddamn girl get a GRIP

out the open head hatch he goes apparently he can glide with those cobra wings of his

Voltron when we didn't even wake up Allura? I mean I guess she's awake now but maybe make that obvious to the audience guys

Prince bokar is technically listed as a robeast, but it's just his name, he weighs 3960 short tons in his giant form though

suddenly a real lion fades in and roars as voltron is slicing bokar in half? ok i guess

Lance calling Nanny out for being superficial lmao

Allura makes a weird comment about being watched, so she doesn't get taking in by a pretty face and then almost whispers "Unless I want it to happen" girly pop what uh,,, what are you implying here

Episode end! This was a fun one, it's always interesting when the villains stop trying to be obvious and start being smart by sending in spies to get to the team instead

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Random Facts About Minerva

Bayverse!Raphael x reader

All Children Joan Ragnar

A/N: A different type of middle child I guess, lol. Jokes aside, I adore this girl❤️

Warnings: Mentioning of childhood anxiety.

Following the theme of strong warriors, you and Raph decided to name your second born Minerva. Minerva being the Latin name for the Greek goddess of strategic war, Athena. But just like many of her cousins, she was often referred to by her nickname - Mini.

Mini had nothing against the name Minerva, it’s just that she sometimes forgot that that is her name. She’s so used to being called Mini, that she almost doesn’t notice when someone calls her Minerva. Each time she would suddenly sit up in realization with a; “oh shit, that’s me!”

Though named after a goddess of war, Minerva wasn’t that much of a feral fighter. Actually, she struggled a lot with anxiety throughout her childhood, especially separation anxiety. She shared a strong bond with her father, but sadly, for the first four years of Mini’s life, she was pretty much glued to Raph’s side, and would scream and cry like she was in danger, whenever Raph had to leave for patrol.

Mini did also suffer from frequent nightmares, all the way up to her late teens. As she grew older, she learned how to handle them, sharing them with you, Raph and her siblings in the morning. But as a toddler it was pretty bad. Mini would often come to you and Raph at night with tears in her eyes, having had yet another horrible nightmare, and only able feel safe in her father’s strong arms, with at least one of her small hands wrapped around your hand.

However, Mini would learn of ways to soothe herself and calm her anxiety, one of them being knitting. Just like Raph once took up knitting to calm his anger, Mini would start knitting in order to calm her anxiety. That had resulted in many blankets, along with new knitted gifts for the whole family.

At the age of 15, Mini was gifted a weapon from Master Splinter, or in Mini’s case - a pair of weapons. She was given two tanto knives, which she immediately took a liking to. Not only had it been her preferable weapon while training, but Splinter thought they suited her well. The nature of tanto knives would force Mini into close range combat, something he hoped would make her more confident.

Just like Mini looked up to Raph, she also looked up to her older sister. She was a bit timid when it came to punching a punching bag, but she did enjoy sitting around and watching Raph and Joan go at it. It wasn’t until her teen years that she decided to give it a try, with Raph and Joan understanding what emotional importance this moment had for Mini, encouraging and supporting her every step of the way.

Mini is very much a hugger. She likes hugging, and it is something she does, no matter if she was sad or happy. But she is very aware that some of her family members - siblings, cousins, uncles or aunts - weren't too happy about being hugged out of nowhere, so she will always ask first.

Mini eating cheese, drinking a milkshake, eating mac'n'cheese, or ice cream? No way. She’s incredibly lactose intolerant. Her cousin Marcello may have a minor intolerance to lactose, but Mini just can’t have any. Don’t even try to give her any, it WILL end badly, and she is very aware of it herself.

[straykits]

KAT!! i finally had the time to read evening star and let me just say i knew it!!!!!!! me and y/n are in the same wavelength when it comes to suspects and speaking of her, poor little thing. i like that you kept it realistic that she doesn't have a clue how to actually fight and do all those running away things on her on bc let's be honest is very very unlikely that any princess would and it's fun to watch her learn stuff as she goes, i would even go as far as saying it makes it more relatable (? no really the word but you know what i mean). now changing topics completely i have to say idk who i ship more 😭😭😭😭 i'm a bit biased (literally lol) with minho but THE SCENE WHERE CHAN IS ABOVE Y/N:&7;7;7;78; i literally had to hold my breath like!!! are they gonna kiss??? are we even supposed to WATCH THIS!???

and idk why but i was hoping minho would be much more inviting?? like from the beginning and all, but i think it make much more sense the way you did it, especially bc minho himself has that cold prince vibe to him. also it makes the scene with him and y/n on his garden very cute to me, like he's keeping that cold façade but it's like 2s alone with her and he becomes soft spoken KDKDKJDJ and also 2.0: i would be mad too if someone got to my house and insulted me like ?? bangchan gets a pass bc oh my the man has gone though it (and lets be honest he's quiet jealous lol) but in the words of the very wise taylor swift 'you need to come down' babe!

anyway you were great as always and i be honest reading it kinda makes me wanna write again 🫣 other than that i hope you doing well and thank you for writing it <3 can wait for whats next!!

*inhales* rIIIIINNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA omgomgkgkgkskxjisjdnd i woke up and saw the notif and i read it as 'soulseungmin' and i was like :0 wonder who that is, their un reminds me of rina BUT IM JUST CURRENTLY EYE-GLASS DEPRIVED AND IT WAS YOU !!

ahh yes! with the fighting thing !!! like YES she enjoys lesrning hoe to throw knives (is she good at it? we'll never know 🥴🥴) and YES she wants to be a hero but at the end of the day, she isnt trained in combat. one of the things that sometimes irks me (especially in anime, but i always let it slide) is how the protagonist suddenly knows how to fight when the time comes,,, but like. throw your average citizen into a fight and.. well.. do they really know how to /properly/ fight? like, beyond throwing a punch (which a lot of people dont actually know how to do effectively) and extending a leg to kick? BUT anyways thats me going off track.

re: chan scene. "are we even supposed to watch this" CACKLING IN BED SJNDSJNDND

YESS MINHOOOKDNDKSNXKSKXKSNDKDND i had a few reasons for writing minho the way i did at the beginning/when yn ans chan first meet him but i dont wanna say too much even if its not too spoilery HAHA but yeah afterwards, a lot of the interactions between chan and minho are kinda like. 'well he started it!!' so they just back and forth w their rude shit 💀💀 absolute CHILDREN smh but im!! glad u mentioned the garden scene hehe i really liked writing that scene but im not sure how i feel about it. like on one hand it feels forced/out of character (???? its literally your character kat how is it ooc) but on the other, like you mentioned, it reveals another side of him???

hm kind of side note bit o think of all the characters, minho is definitely the one that i have the best understanding of/is the most developed 💀💀 which maybe isnt smth i should admit as a writer but aaaaanywaaaays HAHHAHA hes a fun one to write, yet ive been struggling w him in part 3 RIP LMAO

anyways hehe i was hoping to get part 3 our before end of my break but its end of my break already 💀💀 but i'll try not to make it a year long wait again HSJSNDKSMSMSMD

[bondedtrauma]

send   👫  fo relationship headcanons mwah    /    accepting!

 @fckhacks​  asked  :     👫  do this for seki and leo and seki and milo i demand it thanks

     LEO AND SEKI  --

             ☆    you already knew this one, but they are SIBLINGS through and through. i really do think they always have been!! they have always irritated each other, but even then, they’ve always looked after one another. i’d like to think that when seki used to get into trouble in high school, leo would be looking out for her on the lowkey. whether that’s calling milo, carrying a drunk kiko home, or getting someone off of her back. i doubt he ever owns up to it tho lol.

            ☆    she really respects leo, his strength, especially. he’s someone she looks up to GREATLY, even if she wouldn’t ever tell him. while she doesn’t remember her older brother very well in her adult age, the image of yoshida has slowly turned more into leo. a projection that, while not healthy, makes sekiko much more willing to work things out with him. even if he wasn’t actually her brother in law, he would still be her brother. 

           ☆    i’d like to think that seki and leo used to spar! i imagine leo agreed for his own amusement, but she took it DEAD seriously. she has yet to win in a fight against him, so every instance she gets to see him in combat, she’s studying him. even if he never directly taught her any moves, she’s good at picking up and copying things like that. rotating the idea of seki using his own moves against him in my mind rn.

           ☆    seki and leo are haters to their core.    they are both snide and petty and i’d like to think that they get negative views of people they haven’t even met due to their gossiping. seki never cared to meet cameron in high school, but she has a very construed mental image of him due to the vile shit that leaves leo’s mouth about him LOL. the first time she spoke to him, she was already on guard.

    SEKI AND MILO  -- 

          ☆    milo is her god. in every instance of the word, really. she talks to anyone and everyone about who he is and how important he is to her, it often pops up in threads with my other moots lol. she doesn’t have a very healthy view of how love and romance is supposed to work, but she’s calmed down with her treatment of him over the years with the efforts of intensive therapy, and her own mental maturity. meeting milo made her rethink almost every aspect of her life, and left her constantly wanting to be better for him. he is divine in her eyes.

         ☆    she memorizes his work schedule. while he’s usually almost always working, sekiko makes SURE to be home when he’s home. she’s not much of a cook, but she tried a few times to have a dinner ready at two in the morning. typically, though, she just has take-out prepared on the table for him. she’s the type of wife that takes his coat at the door n shit <3 every moment he’s free at home, she’s at his side.

        ☆    she hides his pagers and phone.   those two objects are the bane of her existence -- the thing that takes milo from her each day. she has to often hold herself back from breaking them, irreparably. i know we’ve joked about her chucking them out windows and shit, but it’s VERY real. i imagine it was worse when she was younger and more clingy to him, but nowadays, she’ll just put his phone on do not disturb. it’s not like they need him there, or anything, haha..... this is also the case for our resident evil verse  :  except she just full on snaps phones. or hides car keys. anything to keep him home. i give her more of an excuse in that verse tho cus shes jsut so fucked up

        ☆    she eventually says yes to marriage. also something we talked about, but i wanted to go into more detail! marriage is something that has always scared sekiko, but after meeting milo, her opinion of it changed greatly. she doesn’t mind marriage, she just views it as unneeded. why would she need a piece of paper to prove that she loves him? while she loves to brag, don’t get her wrong, weddings just seem like a very expensive brag. they aren’t low on money, or anything, it just seems like a hassle. though, when they first got engaged, she DEFINITELY became obsessive over the idea of a wedding. perfect dress, specific flowers, seating, everything. 

[foxstens]

ok so im 17 hours into the game and Stuff Has Started Happening

i looked up people’s opinions on it and while a lot of people agree that it starts slow a lot consider it the best or just think that it has some of the best parts of the trilogy. so i decided to try changing my approach, and instead of focusing on the things i hate, i’ll try focusing on the things i do like

and you know what. the combat is one of those things. i am not playing these games for the combat but in this one i can fight groups of guards one after the other and be fine despite having barely any health and only 5 healing substances. whereas in ac2 i’d still get destroyed if i took on 5 guards in the late-game when i had a like 30 health and 15 healing substances. idk what it i about it but being able to kick people while fighting them really helps and i’ve figured out how to block and then one-shot kill them altho i’m still trying to learn how to disarm them. 

it also has this new feature where if you hit a guy multiple times and then push a directional key you’ll one-shot the guy you hit next in that direction. that’s why taking on bigger groups isn’t a problem even with barely any health. and the fact that you can lock onto targets from way further away is extremely helpful. EXTREMELY HELPFUL. SO REALLY FUCKING HELPFUL. I CAN JUST SNIPE EVERYONE FROM EVERYWHERE THIS IS MY FAVOURITE PLAYSTYLE. oh and have i mentioned you can buy a crossbow. at first i wasn’t so sure about it bc the pistol already exists and is even faster now but its a crossbow. ITS A FUCKING CROSSBOW. IF A GUY IS TRYING TO SHOOT ME WITH A COSSBOW I CAN JUST SHOOT HIM WITH A CROSSBOW. AND IT HAS MORE AMMO THAN THE PISTOL. throwing knives who lol. i barely used them in ac2 after i got the pistol since they don’t one-shot guards but the pistol and now the crossbow do. and seeing ezio actually shoot with it and then put it on his back is amazing. so fucking cool.

speaking of there’s still story-related stealth segments like i had to free caterina from this huge ass castle or whatever and it took so long like getting detected wasn’t a huge deal it just prevented full-sync so i tried my best not to get detected and it went really well i wasn’t 100% able to do it but i could. at some point. because i can snipe everyone from a distance. also you can still ledge-kill and kill from a hiding spot and basically all the coolest shit aaaaaaaaa it’s so cool

oh and now i can recruit assassins. which makes sense i guess like this isn’t called broterhood for nothing lol. but that’s so cool. and there’s like assassin towers and they can level up and you can also like call them to help you out i think??? idk it’s cool. and as much as i hate rome i kinda like rebuilding it like it’s helping the people and it’s really not their fault that everything sucks in their city u know lmao.  i guess story-wise the writing is fine so far like this game is basically about ezio trying to fix his mistake at the end of ac2 so that’s fine and makes sense. but holy fucking shit i can’t believe ezio is still so cool. i was like ‘why would i want to play as a 40 year old man” towards the end of ac2 but he’s so fucking cool. everything he does is just so cool even outside the cutscenes but especially during them. and every time i do a parkouring sequence i just marvel at how strong he is. the game really makes his climbing feel realistic and i can’t help it ahhh

so rn i’m a bit more open to doing some of the sidequests and trying to rebuild as much of rome as i can. bc otherwise i’ll drown in the money like heck i get so much money. im always so rich except for when i need to be. BUT ALSO HAVE I MENTIONED YOU CAN BUY BUILDINGS. as in you find a specific landmark like the pantheon and then you can pay like 40k to buy it. idk what that does but it’s a thing. a m a z i n g

still hate rome though. still not gonna bother with the feathers tho (seriously where the hek are they how have i gone 15 hours without seeing one of them WHAT THE HECK)

on another note tho i’ve figured out that i can in fact do that one move i thought i couldn’t during an assassin tomb. turns out im a fucking idiot and i was just mashing the wrong button. you don’t even have to mash you just gotta hit it once and ezio knows what to do. i feel like the parkouring is also a tiny bit better here. idk if i just figured out how to use the controls properly or if it’s actually better, but he’s less likely to fling himself in the opposite direction now which is nice. 

he does still keep running up walls when i can’t angle the camera fast enough and i hate it so much its the worst thing but. other than that it works mostly. except for when he’s committed to doing a combo with his weapon and he... falls off the building... when the enemy is already dead... i don’t know if that’s a bug or a feature and i can’t rmr if it was a thing in ac2. it’s funny tho :’)

[iceman-maverick]

behold, toby ziegler modern au

this man is timeless so he’s pretty much the same except the things that annoy him are different 

more modern au! 

okay let’s go

toby has a major superiority complex over josh and sam about social media. he thinks they’re mindless, millennial sheep (moment of silence for the fact they’re millennials) that are imprisoned by the chains of mark zuckerberg. that being said, he is compulsively, bodily and spiritually, obsessed with stalking the interns on linkedin. 

toby and donna have a 749 day long Words With Friends streak going on. he considers it to be the most stable relationship in his life. 

if you’ve read my previous modern post, you’d know that toby has been banned from the west wing spotify for war crimes. to combat this, he is now single-handedly trying to kickstart the Pandora Renaissance. 

toby has beef with john green, no he will not elaborate.

...but i will LOL he wrote a scathing review of the fault in our stars when the movie came out and now is perma-banned from vidcon (?? he wasn’t even invited in the first place?) 

instead of the insider trading issue from season one, toby’s NFT and bitcoin activity gets outed by a congressional hearing. josh almost has a heart attack over it. 

cj has a particularly tough day with the press compounded by her dad getting worse, so toby sets up one of those electronic picture frames in her office and loads it up with pictures of her family and the staff. it doesn’t fix everything, but it sure does make her smile :) 

toby ordered an uber on charlie’s phone one time but forgot to log out. that was over three years ago and charlie’s still charging toby’s card whenever josh and he order ubereats.

before joining the campaign, toby had a moderately successful blog where he would provide vicious, in-depth analysis of different mommy food bloggers. you know the ones where kathy tells you her life story before giving you the snickerdoodle recipie. he’d straight up be like “not only is this utterly irrelevant to the properties of cake flour, you’ve managed to use every form of your incorrectly in a single post about your great-grandpappy’s time in the war. great-grandpappy would be ashamed of you and what you’ve made of his bloodline.”

the entire west wing prefers to use google docs but toby’s hill to die on is that word is the better software (i mean he’s right but he doesn’t have to be so fucking annoying about it). he accidentally corrupts the final draft of the state of the union while trying to convert it over. donna saves the day, but he still blames sam. 

toby is aware of west wing fanfiction and he is not fucking happy about it. especially when he realizes how popular he is with +40 year old housewives. it unnerves him. josh likes to print out different y/n toby fics and tape them to his office door. 

no matter what their relationship status is, toby never kicks andy off of his netflix. he checks in from time to time to see if she’s still watching the real estate show they used to watch together. 

toby has literally never had a fully charged cellphone a day in his life. ginger walks around handing out portable chargers all day long and he still somehow is under 15% at all times

toby purposefully kicks over those food delivery robots whenever he has a chance. it makes donna cry. 

sam goes around his back and puts out a stronger message against school vouchers on the POTUS social accounts than toby wanted to, so he retaliates by switching all of sam’s devices to Bing.  

one night while drinking, josh and sam find toby’s pinterest account. they’re expecting super cringe, if not incriminating, shit but instead find extremely thoughtful boards put together of the different people toby writes for. it helps him get a better understanding of the person and lets him get more comfortable with their voice. 

josh almost cries when they find the board titled Lyman 20-?? 

and lastly,,,,toby loves minions, mostly because of how much cj hates them. he’s a particular fan of kevin. he finds little motivational minion quotes and sends them in the senior staff groupchat, but jed thinks they’re sincere so he’s just like “...thanks for that toby”