#flashing ads (or flashing in general) with no warning is an act of violence

[atohii]

in yet another failure to care about people sensitive to flashing, the new Scream movie ad includes aggressive flashing within a second of the ad starting. It seems to just be in the usual format of an ad, not one that haunts the background, but if you see the below at the top of an ad

go ahead and either exit the app or close your eyes and scroll. I was not able to get a screenshot of how the whole ad starts as there is, again, less than a second before the flashing starts.

really loving how people stopped caring about flash sensitivities lmao

anyway you should reblog this to warn your followers as well, I'd rather as few people have this violent surprise as possible

[colonelarr0w]

Can you write one where Astarion realizes that Tav is acting strangely because it's actually Orin and the actual Tav is kidnapped by her?? Thank you so much and I love your work!!

A/N - Oh my god I absolutely adore the trope of kidnapped lover being rescued (the parasites in me crave the angst). I hope you like this, I had a lot of fun writing it! So thank you @fanficlov-3-r <3

I Know You

Preview - "And he knew that the others knew that little fact as well, considering that Shadowheart had already whispered to the others something along the lines of, '(Y/N) isn't amongst us.'"

Warning(s) - mature themes, foul language, canon BG3 violence

Word Count - 3.9k

Astarion prided himself on his ability to have memorized everything about you, from how your nose scrunched when you saw something you disliked to how your eyes sparkled when you noticed him staring at you from across the fire. It was those little things that simply made you … well … you. 

Which was why he found it very offputting when he noticed your excessive alcohol intake while attending a Tiefling party. Yes, you liked to indulge in a glass of wine or two while you chatted happily with Astarion or any of your other companions – but never had he seen you cradle an entire bottle of wine to yourself and drink it in its entirety. 

But that behavior was only one of multiple that he had noticed throughout the night; you were dancing with any Tiefling who offered their hand, you seemed to stray away from him and the others throughout the night, and the smile you wore did not reach your eyes in the slightest. It seemed fake, similar to the smiles that Astarion had once flashed at you to get your clothes off. 

“Is it just me or does (Y/N) seem a little … off?” Shadowheart comments, her eyebrow raising as she watches you indulge another Tiefling in a drunken dance. You stumble over both your feet and his own, a detail that both she and Astarion narrow their eyes at. 

For an oh-so-grateful leader, you were being careless tonight. 

Astarion’s eyes follow those of Shadowheart’s, landing on you just as you are finishing a dance with your fifth Tiefling of the night. He bows to you shakily, and in return, you curtsy – another move that Astarion had never thought he would see you perform. 

“I must say that I agree with Shadowheart. Excuse me for a moment,” Astarion abandons his half-empty wine glass, sliding it across the bar. The bartender raises a brow at Astarion, but says nothing. 

You chuckle heartily as a Tiefling female approaches you, in her hands a sparkling glass of champagne. You take it from her the moment it’s offered, just about to bring it to your lips before a pale hand clasps over your shoulder. 

“Ah-ah darling, I think that’s enough with the drinking for one night,” Astarion says with a fanged smile, angling himself so that he’s able to pluck the champagne glass from your hands quickly. You turn to him, eyebrows pinched together in an expression that mixes frustration and shock – as if you had been caught doing something that you shouldn’t. 

“Come off Astarion, I can indulge if I so choose,” you retort quickly, fingers extending towards your glass. Astarion lifts his arm, the glass just barely out of your reach. “You are indulging tonight, are you not?”

He chuckles, his chest rumbling against your shoulder as his scarlet eyes rake over your figure. Something was wrong, it wasn’t just your general composure – it was everything down to the very way that you stood on your own two feet. 

“While that is true, I am watching what I indulge in,” Astarion says, already glancing at Shadowheart, who nods knowingly. She mumbles something inaudibly then to Gale, and soon a secret message is relayed over all of your companions. 

The Tiefling female had long since left your side, only adding to your annoyance that Astarion had come to your side. You turn sharply to face him, eyes narrowing at him. 

“And just explain to me why you thought it necessary to disrupt my fun?” you snap, glaring daggers into the vampire who stands in front of you. Astarion merely sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. His eyes flicker over you again, and it is in that moment that he realizes something … you were most certainly not you. 

And he knew that the others knew that little fact as well, considering that Shadowheart had already whispered to the others something along the lines of, “(Y/N) isn’t amongst us.” 

“Because I know you (Y/N), and right now,” Astarion pauses only to yank you closer, lowering his lips to your ear. “You are not who you say that you are.”

You freeze in his arms, eyes flickering to look at him. The crease in your eyebrows vanishes, your expression of frustration replaced now by one of shock. “What are you on about?”

“Oh come on now, don’t play dumb with me,” Astarion growls, his grip over your wrist tightening, “I know (Y/N), and she would never indulge in such things of her own accord.”

You swallow the growing lump in your throat, not protesting as a very angered Astarion drags you out of the Tiefling party. He is quickly flanked by Shadowheart and the others, none of whom offer you looks of sympathy – if anything, they look just as angered as the vampire in front of you. 

The moment that your feet touch camp, your wrists and ankles are promptly tied by Karlach, who offers you no answers even as you demand to know what in the hells is going on. Astarion stands quietly at her side, his arms folded over his chest whilst his mind promptly races.

Where were you? Who was sitting in your place? Where the hells were you?

With a singular wave of his hand over your body, Gale reveals Orin to the others, then steps back and glares down his nose at her. In response, her lips only turn upward in a grin, one that sends a shiver down the spines of those that surround her. 

“Where is–”

“Oh please, save me the dramatics,” Orin says with a roll of her eyes, adjusting herself so that she sits comfortably. Her attention moves to Astarion, her smile widening at the sight of the expression that he wears. 

“You have five minutes to answer our questions before–”

Orin’s head tilts in Lae’zel’s direction, her eyes crinkling as her smile widens impossibly further. Her lips part, a delighted chuckle falling from her lips. “Before what? You kill me? If I die, (Y/N)’s location dies with me.”

In a flash of white and silver, the blade of a dagger is pressed against the skin of Orin’s neck, pressed down just hard enough to draw a thin line of blood. Astarion kneels in front of Orin, narrowed eyes glaring daggers into her as his lips pull back in an angered growl. 

“You will reveal (Y/N)’s location lest you want to end up a paled mess on the ground.” He was shocked by how much your disappearance had affected him – especially considering that he was supposed to be keeping his affection for you a secret from the others. 

There was a reason behind his secrecy, however, a reason that you had agreed with when he had first proposed the idea to you. It was for your safety, for your protection. But it seemed like even with that … he still couldn’t keep the one thing that kept him sane safe. 

Orin chuckles, leaning forward so that her nose just barely grazes his own. He can feel her breath as it fans over his face – it disgusts him. 

“Is that so?” Her head tilts, another delighted chuckle bubbling up her throat and spilling over her lips. Astarion pushes the blade further against her, ignoring the yells of warning delivered by the other members of the party. 

His eyes narrow, his eyebrows pinch together, and his expression hardens. Orin only chuckles again, sighing dreamily in a way that reminds Astarion of a hopelessly lovesick girl. Gods, what he would give to plunge the blade of his dagger into her neck. 

“Fine, but I hope you know I’m not yielding because of your … intimidation,” Orin murmurs, pouting childishly as Astarion pulls her to her feet, still glaring at her. He says nothing as he drags her past the others, not checking over his shoulder to see that the others have followed him.

< … >

Another chilled shiver runs up the length of your spine, using your vertebrae as a ladder. You turn uncomfortably onto your side, trying once again to tug your ankles from their shackles. All you’re met with is the sound of rattling metal. 

It had been a few hours … or perhaps even a few days since you last saw the others. You didn’t know – perhaps time worked differently when you were captured. 

The last you remembered, you were walking silently along a forest pathway with Astarion a few feet behind you. You were engrossed in the beauty of the willow trees that hung silently over you, their branches serving you the beautiful luxury of shade that covered you from the sun’s blaring rays. 

Just as you turned a corner in the forest, a cold hand that wasn’t Astarion’s clasped over your own, tugging you away into a forest patch. One good knock to the side of the head … and that was the last that you were able to clearly remember. 

When you awoke, your ankles were shackled to a wall and your wrists were bound with rope, rubbing uncomfortably against your skin and leaving behind angry red marks. 

Your body had been littered with marks; cuts, bruises, and gashes. At first, they hadn’t hurt you at all – but you blamed that entirely on your adrenaline. Now every cut burned, every bruise ached, and every gash felt as though it would never stop bleeding. 

Surely every vampiric creature within a 50-mile radius could smell your blood … especially considering how much of it lay in a disgusting puddle surrounding your body. 

A shaky breath escapes you, one that you surely hoped would be your last. Your teary eyes flicker around the cell that you’d been thrown into; the cell that lacked even so much as a window. You were completely disconnected from the outside world, and for a singular moment, you thought that maybe you had died. 

And maybe you were okay with that now … with dying. 

Even though for so long you had tried your hardest to protect everyone – practically throwing your life down on the line for the lives of your companions – being captured was making you realize something. 

Maybe they didn’t care about you nearly as much as you cared about them.

If they cared, they would be searching for you. If they cared, you wouldn’t be bleeding out in some dank old cell with no way to know what time of day it was. If they cared … they would prove it, wouldn’t they?

A choked sob claws its way up your throat, legs curling inward. You wrap your arms around them, hugging them against your chest as your body curls inward into a fetal position. 

They didn’t care. Not Gale, not Karlach, not Lae’zel, not Shadowheart. 

Not even Astarion.

Astarion …

After everything that you had done for him. You had spared him that morning while walking with Shadowheart. You had let him stay in your camp even though he spat venomous insults each time you interacted politely with him. Hells, you had even let the damn man feed on you. 

In exchange for your blood, he was letting you rot alone in a cell. 

So much for helping others, you think quietly to yourself, tears slipping down your cheeks as your lashes flutter shut. A gentle numbness spreads over you as if someone had draped a blanket over you. It felt nice. It felt safe. 

Your shoulders relax, your lips part. 

One gentle breath falls from your lips before all goes silent.

< … >

“Come on now, I’ve led you right to where she is! The least you can do is entertain a conversation,” Orin complains loudly, huffing childishly as Astarion continues shoving her forward. 

There was no lie to her words, she had led Astarion and the others to where she had thrown you – a dimly lit dungeon hallway that was only filled with the sounds of low groans and dripping water, but even those had become scarce the longer that they walked. 

“The only thing I’ll entertain is your demise,” Astarion bites out, though he desperately wishes that he had kept his mouth shut. Orin doesn’t fail to catch the tremble in his voice – the vulnerability that seeps from his words. 

Her lips curl, another delighted chuckle rumbling somewhere deep inside of her chest. Her eyes flicker to catch a glimpse of Astarion’s profile, her chuckle deepening as she notices the emotional turmoil sketched into his features. 

“I wonder what you will do to me when you realize that she’s–”

“Hush,” Astarion hisses, reaching down and yanking the bonds around Orin’s wrist. The rub of the rope against her skin is enough to silence her. “Not another word out of you, wench.”

Orin stifles the small whimper of pain that had threatened to fall from her lips, instead turning to the cell that they were nearing; your cell. 

At the sight of the metal bars and uneven stones, she giggles. Astarion passes her off to Shadowheart, ignoring the cleric’s protests as he approaches the cell. 

“Oh shit.”

The world seems to go completely silent at the sight that lies before Astarion’s eyes, a sight that he immediately wishes that he could forget. 

You lay on your side with your back facing the cell’s door, blood – your blood – surrounding you in a crimson puddle. The bits of skin that Astarion can see are littered with cuts and bruises, your legs covered in gashes that continue to drip with fresh blood. 

In any other situation, Astarion would have marveled at both the sight and smell of your blood … perhaps even allowed himself to indulge in it. 

But now?

Gods, he had never been more disgusted by any one sight or smell. 

“Astarion? What’s – oh my Gods,” Karlach raises a hand to her mouth, palm covering her lips as she gazes upon the same sight as Astarion. The others join her, and each of them falls silent. “You take … her … and get out of here.”

Shadowheart nods, shooting Orin a sharpened glare before tugging the shapeshifter back down the way that they had come, ignoring her yells of protests and the way that she struggles against the ropes that bind her wrists together. 

With one tug at the already worn-down metal, Karlach disconnects the bars of the cell. She steps inside, carefully approaching you before copying her previous actions and removing the shackles from around your ankles. 

“(Y/N)?” she murmurs down to you, lightly shaking your shoulder while simultaneously trying to be sure that she does not burn you – the last she wants is to add to your injuries. 

She’s pushed aside by Astarion, who kneels beside you and feels his breath hitch at the sight of your paled face. Your cheeks have lost their usual rosy color, replaced instead by a white that looked as though it could rival the color of his hair. 

“Shit,” is the only thing that he’s able to say properly before he scoops you into his arms. He shakes on his feet for a moment, the sudden weight in his arms debilitating his balance. He says nothing as he strides past the others, making a beeline for the exit.

< … >

The first thing that you feel is a dull ache, then followed by a wave of pain that has you shooting upright and promptly vomiting onto whatever surface happens to be beside you. The moment you’ve finished emptying your stomach, a piece of cloth is offered to you by a pale hand – a familiar one this time. 

Hesitantly, you take it, dabbing the cloth against your mouth before looking up to who had handed it to you. 

“Astarion?”

“That would be my name, yes darling,” Astarion responds, though his tone doesn’t hold his usual flirtatious lilt that you had grown so used to. No, he sounds exhausted … it made you wonder just how long he had sat at your bedside. 

Your eyes roam over him, taking note of the tiny, barely-there bags that rest beneath his eyes. For a man who cared so deeply about appearance, he surely looked as though he had let himself go … likely because of you.

As much as you wish to take him into your arms and comfort you, a fleeting thought passes through your mind — he had taken his sweet time in finding you. 

If the roles had been reversed, and it had been Astarion who was taken from you, you already knew that you would have searched Heaven and Earth trying to find him. No stone would have been left unturned, no witness left unspoken to … you would have stopped at nothing. 

But it felt as though Astarion hadn’t cared enough, if he had, you wouldn’t have been as badly wounded as you were. You wouldn’t have laid in that cell for as long as you have, not that you knew the length of time in which you had been missing anyway. 

Astarion’s head lifts at the sound of you rustling, body scooting back from him until your spine rests against the headboard of your bed. You lift your knees to your chest, hugging around them. 

“Darling?”

You remain silent, but you allow your eyes to raise to meet his awaiting gaze. He waits patiently, though you can’t help but feel as though he’s analyzing you.

“How long have I been gone?” you ask. Astarion pauses, scarlet eyes flickering away from you. He swallows, you can see the emotional turmoil that swims in his eyes. Answer me, you usher in your mind. 

“Orin wouldn’t tell us,” Astarion answers honestly, voice wavering as he recounts his angered questioning of the shapeshifter. She had only giggled in his presence and “answered” his question with another question of her own. 

You remain silent, nodding to yourself as you glance down at the bandages that adorn your arms and legs. It makes you wonder if Astarion had patched you himself … or perhaps he had made one of your other companions do it. 

You lift your head, noticing now that Astarion’s attention was focused elsewhere. His expression looks identical to your own — caught in his own mind. Guilt. 

Did he feel guilty?

“Does anything—“ he pauses to clear his throat, “—anything hurt you?”

”Just my arms and legs,” you answer. Astarion nods, inhaling deeply and shifting in his chair. For some twisted reason, you want him to stand up and leave. Maybe it was to further prove your point, or maybe you just wanted to be alone. 

You’d never really know the true answer. 

He hums, nodding to himself before he shifts again. For a fleeting moment, he debates on whether or not he should stand and exit — it was clear that you wanted your space anyway. 

Astarion knew you … and he knew that right now, you certainly didn’t want him around. Never were you short with him, but your tone insinuated that you wanted nothing to do with him. 

Not that he could honestly blame you. 

And so, he stands from his chair. You don’t lift your head to look at him again … telling. 

“Why did you take so long to come for me?”

He freezes, feeling as though someone had doused him in freezing water. His back stands rigid; you could see the way that his spine visibly tenses the moment that his mind processes what it was that you had asked him. 

You snap your jaw shut the moment that the words fall from your lips, regret filling your senses. Sheepishly, you look down, staring at your lap and screwing your eyes shut. 

You freeze at the feeling of arms wrapping over your shoulders, tugging you against a chest that you had spent many nights resting against. His skin felt cold against yours, a welcome contrast to the heat that was currently making you very uncomfortable. 

Astarion’s cheek rests against the side of your head, his hands squeezing at your waist while also being mindful of the injuries that you had sustained. He sighs shakily into your hair, feeling himself relax as he feels you reciprocate his embrace. 

“The moment that I realized that I was not interacting with you, I went out to find you,” Astarion confesses, holding you tighter as he recounts the fear in the moment when he realized that you were not you. 

You remain silent, simply soaking up the comfort that Astarion’s arms provides you with. Your head rests comfortably in the junction that connects his neck and his shoulder, nose buried into his neck. 

“You have … absolutely no idea how frightened I was,” he whispers, his voice so low that it even the rustle of the blankets overpowered his words. His arms shake where they rest around your waist, his fingernails just barely digging into the exposed skin of your waist. “The prospect of losing you–”

“Astarion.”

He pauses, feeling you shift in his arms. Without any word of protest, he releases you, settling onto his knees on the bed in front of you. You adjust yourself, then reach out to take his hands into your own. 

Astarion flinches. You pause, waiting for him to say something to you. He doesn’t, and so you take it as an okay to continue. Your fingers squeeze his own, the action directing his eyes to your own. 

You stay silent for a second or two, simply taking in the way that Astarion’s eyes soften at you. His usually sharp scarlet eyes are glazed over now with a new emotion – guilt. Guilt over not being there for you, guilt over not saving you sooner …

… guilt that you had gotten hurt. 

“Darling, if I had the chance to save you sooner, know that I would have taken it without a second of hesitation,” Astarion admits, shifting an inch closer to you. You feel the tears building along your waterline, your teeth catching your bottom lip as you attempt to suppress the sobs that begin to bubble up somewhere in your chest. 

One of his hands releases yours, hesitantly laying against your face. He thumbs away the tears in your eyes, sighing as you crumple and reach for him again. Astarion doesn’t waste a single second, wrapping you in his arms and resting his chin against the top of your head. 

“I thought that,” you hiccup, “you and the others had forgotten about me.”

His arms tighten around you at that declaration, chest promptly collapsing it on itself as he realizes just how scared you had been. He doesn’t want to imagine what you must have been thinking in that cell, likely thinking about if you would ever be saved.

If he would ever come for you.

“Never,” he whispers into your hair, fingers stroking comforting circles into the small of your back. “I would never forget you, ever.”

“You are the first thing in my entire life that makes me feel … feel something. Something other than burning hatred. You make this wretched world worth living in.”

You squeeze at him, hands bunching up his shirt from behind. He doesn’t bring attention to it, letting you cling to him with as much force as you need. 

“And I’m not going to let you go. Not now, not ever,” he promises you. You close your eyes, sighing shakily through your nose. He can feel your nod against his chest, his cheek leaning further into your hair. 

And that night, when the glistening moon hung over your tent and signaled to your companions that it was time to rest, Astarion remained at your side – fulfilling his promise.

He wasn’t going to let you feel that scared again. Not now, not ever.

[quokkacore]

FRIGHT NIGHT [jeno & johnny] (m)

summary: your boyfriend has been acting weird. his new neighbor won't stop staring at you. you’ve started having dreams involving fangs and hands that aren’t your boyfriend’s. these three statements are unrelated. probably.

pairings: nerd!jeno x cheerleader!reader, vampire!johnny x human!reader

genre: horror, romance, based off of the 2011 version of fright night with a few things added in!

warnings: sexual content (minors DNI!), general violence, gore, explosions, wet dreams, misogyny, jaemin may or may not be an incel (i'm sorry king), evil aged up johnny (looks about late 30s-40s, is actually like 400 something), vampires, biting, blood, car sex, fingering, dubcon (i <3 the vampire mind control trope), breeding kink, dacryphilia, cucking kind of not really???, infidelity KIND OF NOT REALLY, blood kink, scent kink if you squint?, fear kink, cunnilingus, reader is a cheerleader but no specific body type is mentioned - though she’s described as being physically strong, connecticut

word count: unsure yet! maybe 15k? this current sneak peak below the cut is 518 words!

“Look,” Johnny grunted, eyes much less warm than they had been a second ago, “I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding. If I can just come in I’m sure we can work—”

“No.” Jeno’s voice was harsh, but from behind him you could tell he was moments away from shitting his pants. The hand holding yours was trembling. “No, you won’t come in.”

“Okay, I won’t come in.” Johnny threw his hands up in the air, before grinning. “Y/N?”

The tension was so thick you could practically feel it in the air as you started to step out from behind Jeno. Your boyfriend quickly followed, continuing to cover his body with yours. “You don’t get to talk to my girlfriend. You need to leave. Now.”

“Very controlling boyfriend, aren’t you? I was talking to her. Y/N. Sweet thing.”

That tone. That voice. Sweet thing. You turned rigid as your body threw itself into contradiction. So many sensations seemingly antithetical to each other bashed around in your skull, your body responding in turn. Every single hair on your body stood upright, but a warmth pooled in your stomach and upper chest. Your throat felt dry, but you swallowed down the lump in your throat anyway. You felt flushed, feverish. Tears burned in your eyes.

“Y-yes?”

Jeno turned to look at you, but froze when realizing your expression. You appeared to be in shock, catatonic, even; his stomach sank as one word came to his mind. A trance.

In your mind, every single of the strange dreams you’d had flashed through your mind. The man whose face you could never see, but whose voice was now unmistakeable. The hands all over your body with unnaturally long nails. The touches and scratches that should have frightened you, but you welcomed. Burning, metallic-tasting kisses starting on your lips before trailing down, down, down. Pain, pleasure, married together in a maiming claim to your body, starting in the side of your neck before spreading throughout. 

The same question the voice had asked you at the end of every single one of them, after he had taken you apart and promised you that you’d be together soon enough.

Would you let me in if I asked, sweet thing?

“Can I come in?”

A tear streaked down your cheek as you met Jeno’s eyes, shaking his head violently. You remembered the first two times you had denied him—tried your damnedest to conjure that version of yourself. Begged to god as Jeno’s chest heaved, watching your mouth move, no sound coming out. 

But she no longer existed. Instead, stood the girl who had replied the third and final time. 

“Yes.”

Johnny’s smile peeled back, dark eyes pooling into black. Two unnaturally sharp, ivory canines glittered in the light. He paused, before his hands grabbed the frame of the door.

A moment later, he crossed, without hesitation, across Jeno’s threshold. He scoffed as Jeno’s eyes widened in terror, and against your will, your body cried out for the older man. 

“You said I won’t,” The taller man pointed out, “You never said I can’t.”

PART I: BIND - OUT OCTOBER 17TH

PART II: BREED - OUT OCTOBER 30TH

a/n: blame colin farrell and my relationship becoming long distance for my comeback. pls comment and/or reblog to be tagged when the first part is updated!

[uriswhumpchamber]

Hello!

After a long time (read: approximately two weeks) of deliberation (read: procrastinating), I've made this blog. To contain anything whump-related and be able to be properly excited about the idea of torturing characters without filling my main with, well. Y'know.

On to the proper introduction: I am an adult (21+). I speak English as a second language and am not used to writing longer works on it, so you'll be much more likely to see me writing shorter snippets.

Aaand I'm adding a cut here, because oh god this got long.

For tropes I like/you may find in my writing/reblogs:

Multiple whumpees, specially with whumpee-turned-caretaker. Specially if they're not good at it.

Caretaker-less whump; hurt/no comfort; self-caretaking (if that is a trope at all). In a similar vein, carewhumpers. 10/10

Torture in general. A decade of it being a special interest has... Not paid off, but something similar.

Medical/lab-setting whump.

Supernatural/magic whump.

Any sort of deep meaningful platonic relationships in whump I am aro and starved of them in mainstream media.

Defiant/violent whumpees, strong and not.

I have very few squicks, to the point where I don't care to discuss them :P will comment on 'em if they ever come up. I can stomach most things.

I do not have a DNI: you can assume this blog is geared towards people older than 18, that there will be sensitive content, and act based on that. I try to add important trigger warnings to my work (blood, some kinds of violence, flashing and eyestrain if I'm posting something visual, any kind of bigotry), but I can't promise to tag for everything. Am always open to suggestions regarding what tags to add to one post, though.

I'm multiply disabled, autism included in that, and a lot of my characters share those aspects. As much as I don't mind discussing disability in whump, as it's a subject I care about, I will not be apologetic about depicting characters that represent this aspect of my personality, in any of the very common roles seen in this genre.

I tend to write mostly about my own characters. While most of the Deep Lore will not be necessary (and if it is I'll try to give a quick rundown), if y'all end up interested in finding out more about my homemade blorbos, you can find them in my art account under their own tags.

I don't think there's anything I'm missing, so this will do for an intro/pinned post. I hope.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group I Round 1: #I8 vs #I1

#I8: Magical girl club gets silly and depressing

In her everyday life, Yuuna Yuuki is a hero. As proof, she is in her middle school's Hero Club, where she does her best to help others and bring a smile to everyone's face.

But Yuuna, always up to any task, is about to become an even bigger hero. Mysterious destructive forces called Vertexes begin threatening the world she loves, and the Hero Club is called upon by a strange phone app to save it. Along with her best friend Mimori Tougou, as well as sisters Fuu and Itsuki Inubouzaki, they must transform into magical girls in order to battle the Vertexes.

#I1: The 86 are forced to fight someone else’s war.

According to the Republic of San Magnolia, their ongoing war against the Giadian Empire has no casualties—however, that is mere propaganda. While the silver-haired Alba of the Republic's eighty-five sectors live safely behind protective walls, those of different appearances are interned in a secret eighty-sixth faction. Known within the military as the Eighty-Six, they are forced to fight against the Empire's autonomous Legion under the command of the Republican "Handlers."

Vladilena Milizé is assigned to the Spearhead squadron to replace their previous Handler. Shunned by her peers for being a fellow Eighty-Six supporter, she continues to fight against their inhumane discrimination. Shinei Nouzen is the captain of the Spearhead squadron. Infamous for being the sole survivor of every squadron he's been in, he insists on shouldering the names and wishes of his fallen comrades.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#I8: Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero (Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru)

Propaganda:

I adored this show from the moment I watched it because throughout it all, it’s hopeful. These girls go through a lot. A LOT. A lot of horrible, horrible things, and yet they bounce back. These girls bounce back pretty much every single time and do anything to help their friends do the same. To me, that is insanely inspiring.

The cast of characters here are also insanely compelling. They feel like actual, real friends—doing things together, hanging out, comforting each other and laughing with them all the same. This point I feel helps that sense of hope this show has absolutely.

The character designs in general too are absolutely breathtaking, and are nothing like I’ve ever seen from any other magical girl anime. Also, one last thing: this show’s soundtrack is done by MONACA. MONACA is also known for doing the first two NieR games. Take that what you will :)

Trigger Warnings: Flashing Lights, Self-Harm, Suicide

#I1: 86 (Eighty-Six)

Propaganda:

The characterization and character development in this show is amazing. It also has a very good depiction of survivor’s guilt/mental health, which you don’t see a lot. The animation is great and the soundtrack is done by Hiroyuki Sawano, who’s amazing and it’s one of the best soundtracks for a show ever.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Racism, Suicide.

A main subject of the show is racism. Active war, lots of violence. Character acts without regard for their life, so suicide was included. Child abuse relates to the backstory of a character.

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

[clericofkelemvor]

Dateile got a lil makeover and i wrote a ficlet to go with it. Spoilers for dark urge stuff and act 1 + content warning for imagery of gore, explicit thoughts of harming companions, and general bloodlust-induced thoughts. now with ao3 link

Dateile woke with a start, gasping for air. Immediately she knew her fever had broken - she was covered in sweat, her clothes sticking uncomfortably to her body, but lucid, almost painfully so.

No one else was awake. Even Wyll, who had volunteered to take watch, was slumped over in a fitful sleep, sitting by the dying embers of the fire. Dateile shivered when she realized they barely gave off any warmth, reminded of the chill of the spiders' cavern.

She dragged herself into a standing position and ambled over to the fire, her joints stiff and painful. She added a log from the pile next to it and blew over the embers, making them glow a little hard, then poked them with her dagger to try and get a spark going. The red coals seemed to whisper to her, begging her to take them to Wyll's face and burn it off, but she gritted her teeth and ignored it.

She got a small flame going eventually, and the log started to crackle gently. She sat back, staring at it. Her body was itching with dried sweat and tingling with a desire for violence, for screams and entrails. She curled her hands in fists and sat on them, trying to remember her dream instead.

It came all too easily. The tall human woman - who seemed so strangely familiar - telling her she had stopped the ceremorphosis, that she needed her help, that her urges would doom them all. Dateile could still smell her, dried herbs and sweat, still feel her pulse beneath her fingers when she'd helped her up.

Surely it was only a vivid dream. Right? Yes, she had been in bad shape before the dream - and when Lae'zel had said it was the beginning of their transformation, so grimly sure, Dateile had known it was true. And yes, now here she was, unchanged and unharmed, as the woman in her dream had promised. But it could have been only a dream - a way for her subconcious to process the illness. Maybe it hadn't been ceremorphosis at all. After all, she'd dreamed of much worse, weirder things.

Ripped out tongues and peeled skin flashed in her mind, and her hands twitched violently. Dateile closed her eyes tight, trying to banish the images, but in their stead Alfira came to mind - sweet, gentle, trusting Alfira, who had played for her the first song she could remember, who she had murdered without even waking, whose corpse she had savaged with pleasure she could still feel upon waking up with bloody hands.

Dateile stood up and walked to the edge of camp, one foot in front of the other. She had to make it purposeful, because if she did not focus, if she did not put all of her willpower in every step, she knew she would run back to the fire, and her hands would find one of her companions, and would kill them. Terror was forming a scream at the back of her throat, but the rest of her body begged for savagery, bloodlust thrumming harder and harder in her veins with every heartbeat.

She made it to a stalagmite as tall as she was, surrounded by a smattering of smaller ones in a circle, and slumped over at its foot, pushing her back into it as if the slimy stickiness of it could keep her here. At least she didn't have her eyes on the camp and its occupants anymore; the images her mind tried to form became more vague, concepts of impersonal wounds and memories of blood rather than scenes of Shadowheart or Gale being beautifully, thoroughly gutted in the dark.

"Fuck this. Fuck this, fuck this, fuck this." Dateile hissed between her teeth. Her vision narrowed, clouded by a sanguine haze. She needed to hurt something, someone, or she would kill one of her friends again. But stones didn't bleed, and it would take much too long to chip at one. She buried her hands in her hair and pulled as hard as she could, but the pain barely helped. She shook her head violently, hoping to make herself too dizzy to think, but it did not work as well. Her long braid swung into view and them away again, the read threads barely visible in the lowlight almost reminding her of-

Blood. The thought was single-minded, frantic, and she gripped the braid and squeezed. It didn't hurt, and it did not bleed, but the way the hair gave way under her fingers, from a thick strand into a thousand fragile filaments, echoed in away that made her blood hum in satisfaction. Like a limb she had cut once, sliver by sliver, slow enough to enjoy the way the muscle fell apart.

She grabbed her dagger and applied it, just as slow, to the end of her braid. The blade was a little dulled by use, but it made it better - more resistance. It didn't bleed, but Dateile could trick herself in remembering the way she'd killed others instead - goblins and humans and gnolls recently, fresh in her mind, and combined with the sensation it was enough. She took the weapon to her hair again, just a little further up from where she'd cut, and applied strength, closing her eyes and conjuring images of warm, exposed flesh. It was easy, so easy, and she did it again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again

[90sloverwithinsomnia]

Warrior's Descendants - Chapter 4/6

This is one of many archived fanfics featuring 1st and 2nd generation K-pop acts that I've come across recently. It's all in good fun, and maybe a bit cringeworthy! Just to clarify, I don't post fanfics, so I hope to the people that post and read K-pop fanfics makes sense. Credits go out to the original creator AuspiciousAutumn. *Note: Nothing in their post will change (unless necessary), other than being posted here, and the (Link) will be provided to the page that i found it on.

This work is suitable for Mature and has a WARNING of Graphic Depictions Of Violence, and draws inspiration from the fandoms of H.O.T.

The story is enriched with themes of Thriller, Abduction, Mystery and has Minor Character Death and Major Character Injury.

Characters:

Ahn Chilhyun (Kangta), Moon Heejoon, An Seungho (Tony), Jang Woohyuk, Lee Jaewon (H.O.T.), Eun Jiwon, Kim Jaeduck, Jang Suwon, Lee Jaijin, Kwon Boa (BoA), Park Jungsoo (Leeteuk), Jung Yunho (DBSK)

Summary:

H.O.T are so close to becoming an active group again, but not everyone is keen with them doing it on their own terms.

Chapter 4 - I-YAH!:

 "Heejun!"

   The idol looked up when his name was called. The hospital's waiting room was eerily quiet at this time of night, so his friend's voice was rather jarring to hear. He saw Jiwon, Suwon, Jaijin, and their group's manager running towards him. H.O.T's leader got up, and collapsed into Sechkies's leader's outstretched arms.

   "I-I'm so sorry!" Heejun sobbed.

   Jiwon patted his back. "Hey, you did the best you could."

   It had happened in an instant. After he saw Tony go inside his building, he texted Jaeduk let him know, then he drove off. He almost made it onto the main road when he decided to turn back. Nothing felt off, he just wanted to make sure nobody was hanging around who shouldn't have been. However, when he was close to the Tony-Jaeduk residence, he saw something that would traumatize him for years: Jaeduk was being gunned down and Tony was being taken away in a car. He pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of the license plate, then got out and called for 911. He ran to Jaeduk and saw that he had been shot twice: once in the head and once in his chest. Heejun took off his jacket and pressed it to Jaeduk's head, as he answered the dispatcher's questions. He pressed other hand on the fallen idol's chest, as he waited for help to arrive.

    He didn't even notice that people were in the area at the time, until someone knelt down next to him and took out his handkerchief to press down on Jaeduk's chest. Another man dropped down helped him to apply pressure to Jaeduk's head. He looked up and saw more people on their phones, and while most of them were recording what was going on, some were also calling 119. Eventually emergency services and the media arrived, trying to get to Jaeduk and figure out what was going on. He was pulled away from the Sechskies member's unconscious body, while cameras and mics were thrust into his face. Heejun looked up at the people who gathered, eager to hear him speak, so they could spread his story for internet clout and ad clicks, or twist it for their own self-serving purpose. But after being an idol for so long, even though there were a lot of negatives to the media, they were also his best bet at getting help for his missing members. So, he stood up and got the crowd to follow him a bit of a distance away from the paramedics, so they could do their work in peace.

   "Tonight, Sechskies member, Jaeduk, and H.O.T member, Tony, were both attacked by what I believe to be part of larger plot. My group members Jaewon, Woohyuk, and now Tony are missing. Please help us."

   Cameras flashed and people shouted questions at him, but that didn't matter to him. He said what he needed to before something happened to him as well. People now know that something is seriously wrong.

   "Hey, did you hear that?"

   Heejun lifted his head to see Jiwon smiling. When had they sat down? When did the nurse get here and what did she just say? He was starting to worry about how he was having gaps in his memory. "Jaeduk's going to make it." H.O.T's leader broke down in tears. For the first time in hours, he finally had some good news.

    Jiwon patted his knee. "One shot was above his eye, and the other was above his heart. Thanks to your quick reaction, he didn't lose as much blood as he would have without you."

   Heejun looked down at his hands. "He wouldn't have been in that situation if I hadn't driven away in the first place."

   Jaijin kicked his foot. "Don't you dare start having a pity party. Nobody in Korea expects to get shot coming out of their apartment at around ten o'clock at night. People are still wandering around at that hour. Besides, you know damn well that Jaeduk would do anything for Tony."

   Heejun nodded and looked at his phone. The battery was low, but there were hundreds of texts and missed calls he would have to get through in the near future. Jiwon seemed to know what he was thinking, and pulled his phone out of his hand. "I'll handle this, you just close your eyes for a while, okay?" Heejun felt like he had just blinked, and suddenly the sun was rising. How long had he been out? He turned to see Suwon, Jaijin, and Jiwon on quietly discussing something.

    Before Heejun could open his mouth, a cop walked in with a doctor and nodded at them. "Hello, again." H.O.T's leader didn't recognize either man, but he still nodded at them. "Any good news?"

    The doctor decided to speak up first. "Well, Mr. Kim made it through surgery with no complications and is in the ICU. However, we don't expect that he will have any long-term problems. He got lucky. If the person who shot him decided to use higher-calibre bullets, he wouldn't have made it."

    Heejun and the remaining Sechskies members breathed sighs of relief.

    The cop then cleared his throat. "As for the culprits, we looked at CCTV and we were able to confirm your story. However, we weren't able to get the license plate number and we're still trying to find the men involved."

   H.O.T's leader scrambled to open his phone. "I took a picture of the plate." He handed it to the cop who took it and looked at the blurry picture, nodded and pulled out a card. "Send that picture to this email. It's very blurry, but I can kind of tell what the numbers are." Heejun felt hope fill his chest. They had a chance at getting JTL back.

   After the doctor and the cop left, Heejun turned to Jiwon. "Has anyone contacted Kangta yet?"

   The other leader nodded, "Yeah, he's freaking out, but he's fine. He's staying put at his house until he hears anything from you."

   Heejun nodded, and leaned back in his seat. He breathed out, trying to think of what to do next. He felt a tap on his knee, and looked over to see Jiwon motioning for him to follow. He trailed behind the man, as Jaijin and Suwon resumed speaking to each other while looking at their phones. The leader of Sechskies led him to a bathroom, and checked that they were alone.

   "Okay, be honest with me. How are you holding up?"

   Heejun sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Not good. I feel like I'm about to have a mental breakdown. Three of my friends are missing, one has been shot, and I feel like I'm on borrowed time. Not to mention, I haven't been home since yesterday morning, so my wife is probably freaking out seeing the news."

   Jiwon nodded. "Fair enough. How can we help, besides not leave your side?"

   Heejun thought for a moment, then looked up at his former rival. "If...well, when something happens to me, can you take care of my wife and my daughter until they're able to get on their feet?"

   The other man stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Anything else?"

   The leader of H.O.T thought for a moment. "Yeah, when you find out whoever is doing this, give them hell for me, okay?"

   "Of course," Jiwon cracked a smile. "But what about you and Kangta?"

   Heejun shook his head. "I don't think there's anything you can do for us. We don't know why this is happening, we don't know who is behind this, we don't know where JTL is, and we don't even know what kind of physical condition our members are in."

   "You're just going to give up?" Jiwon scowled. "You're not going to try to go into hiding or confront them?"

   Heejun gave his friend a sad look. "I have three loves: my family, my music, and my members. I'm losing my members, and I'm terrified that my wife or my daughter will end up worse than Jaeduk if I don't separate myself from them."

   Jiwon nodded in understanding. He didn't like what he said, but couldn't disagree with it. He knew Heejun was just trying to make sure nobody else got hurt.

   "Now what?" That was the question. What could be done? Sure the police were involved now, and the general public was starting to be aware of their situation, but really, they just had to wait and keep checking on each other. Heejun pulled out his phone and dialed Kangta's number, but then a notification came up. Heejun opened the text.

Unknown Number: Come to Jamsil Stadium. Alone. No cops. Your cooperation will determine if anyone else will be harmed. You've got one hour.

   "Heejun?"

   H.O.T's leader put his phone up to his ear, and listened to his remaining member's panicked voice. "I'll see you soon, take care of yourself." Then, he ended the call and looked up at Jiwon, who gave him a puzzled look. "What's going on?" Heejun put his phone away. "Looks like my number has been called." Jiwon opened his mouth to argue, so Heejun typed in his pass code and handed him his phone. The other idol read the message, then nodded to Heejun and gave him his phone back.

   Jiwon handed him his car keys. "So, I guess I'll see you on the other side?"

   Heejun the hospital quickly, and made it to the site of the old Olympic Park with ten minutes to spare. He didn't bother taking the keys with him, just his phone. Then he sprinted to the entrance, expecting whoever had texted him to have left the doors unlocked. To his surprise, they wouldn't open. His pocket buzzed, another text message.

   Unknown Number: Go to the back entrance. I just heard that Sechskies got into a serious car accident because you told Jiwon where you were going. How sad. You've got five minutes.

   Heejun huffed, as he was slightly out of breath. A part of him knew that Sechskies were going to stay the hospital with Jaeduk. But the other part of him was panicking and feeling guilty, because there was a very real possibility they had tried to return to their homes to get some rest. He looked at the time: 10:05. Before he put his phone in his pocket, he noticed that his phone only had 15% battery left.

   The winded idol ran around the stadium until he got to the back entrance where idols tended to arrive at. He checked the door there. It was also locked. Frustrated, Heejun took out his phone and look at the time. It was 10:09. He waited for another text, but it didn't come immediately. While he waited, he checked his messages. After having looked at them, he noticed that there wasn't any cell reception in the area. But he wasn't supposed to move, right? His battery was now down to 10%.

    Feeling desperate, Heejun looked around for a clue about what to do next. There was nothing written on the door, or on the walls. He looked down and saw a piece of paper taped to the ground. He quickly stooped down to pick it up and turned it over.

   It was blank.

   Click.

   Heejun turned around, and saw the door behind him was opened a bit. He went in and held up his phone as a flashlight. As he looked for a light switch panel, he listened for the sound of anyone coming. He found a wall with light switches and tried to flip a couple, but none were working. He wandered around trying to open doors and turn on any lights he saw, but everything was locked and none of the lights would turn on.

   "Hello?"

   Suddenly, everything went dark. Heejun tried turning on his phone, but it was useless as his battery was dead.

   Click.

   It was faint, but it sounded like a door was unlocked down the hall. Heejun put his hand on the wall and used it to guide him down the long, dark corridor. It didn't matter that he had been here before. In the complete dark, he couldn't find his way. He started running, scared of what could be hiding while he was unable to see. Eventually he slammed into something hard, and backed up, clutching his nose. He could feel that it was wet, and something was dripping down his face. Great, now he potentially had a broken nose on top of everything else.

    Heejun reached down to grab the door handle, and thrust it open. He stepped inside, but didn't hear anything. His footsteps echoed as he walked. He reached out to touch something, but in the darkness, he struggled to find anything in front of him. Then, he felt pain in his foot, as he had kicked something. He got stooped down with his hand outreached, and realized it was a stair.

   Out of the blue, he could hear music above him. It took him a second, but he recognized it as "The Promise of H.O.T". With his hands stretched out in front of him, he carefully climbed up the steps in front of him. When he got to (what seemed to be) the top, he stood up and reached his arms out as he walked. He tried to think of where he could be. He hoped he could find some way to get to the part of the stadium that was open to the sky, so that he could have some light.

   One step.

   Two steps.

   Three steps.

   Four steps.

   His foot didn't touch the ground.

   One second.

   Two seconds.

   Three seconds.

   Four seconds.

   The lights came on, but Heejun wasn't conscious to see it. In the darkness he had gotten turned around, and fell off the staircase he had just climbed up.

   Click.

   A door opened and two men came out. One of them turned over the bloodied idol and fished around in his pockets. He pulled out Heejun's phone and saw that it wasn't on. He chuckled, "And here I had thought he was ignoring us." They both laughed and grabbed him by his legs, and pulled him through the door they had just come out of.

   Four down, one to go.

[lkuina]

tags Includes content warning tags- please read if you are photo sensitive or suffer from mental illnesses which require caution to content! Please read carefully and enjoy safely.

#homecooked - self translated

#storebought - not my translation

#raw - non-translated raws

dates - one for period the novel was released. next for date translated if i did it. (for personal reference)

numbers - videos are numbered as "video x" (x = number) so you can stay in order, or browse starts, or avoid spoilers as needed. for title screens, they will be tagged as #title screen , not as 0. #opener is used for opening movies. any potential animated segments will be considered a part of their respective "episode"

titles - title of novel is tagged

#Poll - polls asking questions to the followbase.

TBA?

----

Content warnings: (a -> z)

AACW - Automobile accident content warning Content warning for events or descriptions of automobile accidents. (Cars, trains, aircraft, etc.)

CDCW - Character death content warning. Human characters who die in any scene will be branded with this. Does not extend to passing mentions.

CPCW - common phobia content warning. Common phobias such as spiders, snakes, heights, distorted faces, paranoia encouraging unreality, etc. Mostly applied to CG/illustration, but may be applied to detailed writing or excessive mention. Feel free to request an addition if you feel it is common enough to be fair. (if it is uncommon, please do not request it to be included.)

ESCW - Eye strain content warning Eye strain. Bright or hard to make out colors.

EVCW - excessive violence content warning Heavy gore. This includes descriptions or threats in depth, excess or on especially painful subjects (eye trauma, nail trauma, etc) when in text and gore beyond simple blood in illustrations and illustrations including depictions of violence on especially painful subjects.

FLCW - flashing lights content warning Flashing lights

GVCW - general violence Content warning. this does not extend to simple violence that does not extensively injure in text (ex: descriptions of a fist fight that do not detail much), clean violence cgs (ex: someone is punched, there is no blood. comical violence) , or violence with tame audio effects (ex: stock punch swing)

PDCW - pet death content warning Death of a pet animal. All cats and dogs are included. Pet fish breeds but not all fish are included. This only extends to current events taking place, flashbacks or in depth descriptions. Will not be added to passing mentions. (ex: "i had a dog, but he passed away.")

PACW - painful audio Content warning Audio effects that are common triggers for sound-phobias such as chewing, squishing, sawing, etc. Acting or effects that are especially grotesque or distressing are also included (choking, vomiting, gasping, etc)

TCW - taboo content warning Contains generally taboo subjects or references. This is a catchall for general "problematic" subjects that are not physical assault / gore. Please filter if you cannot handle this. Includes non-consent and especially uncommon/strange fetishes. This contains the depictions of bigoted groups that are parallel to real world groups who are taboo to insert into media at all- but not loose fictional counterparts. For bigotry, see QDCW.

QDCW - Questionable Depiction Content Warning Depictions of people, cultures, mental illnesses, identity, disability, etc, that are questionably written, acted or drawn. Includes character bigotry both intended and non-intended.

TBA. If you believe there is a content warning I should add, please plead your case to me via the inbox feature. Please do not request niche warnings or excessively common warnings. Thank you! (EX: i will not take requests for warnings of specific hair colors, names, clothing styles, etc.) (I will also not take requests for content warnings of people's identities (race, sexual preference, gender or presentation, etc.) or specifications of content warnings already present.)

[hardynwa]

 Brigade commander orders troops to deal with troublemakers in Zamfara

The Commander, 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Sani Ahmed, has ordered troops to deal decisively troublemakers in Zamfara State. The order followed reports of possible disturbances in Gusau, the state capital, over the judgement of theGovernorship Election Petition Tribunal. Brigadier General Ahmed warned that those who intend to foment trouble over the tribunal’s judgement should leave the state or face the consequences of their actions. This was contained in a press statement issued to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital by the Acting Assistant Director, Captain Yahaya Ibrahim. “The Commander calls on the good people of the state to go about their legitimate endeavours as adequate security measures have been provided in all flash points, bad spots and strategic places in Gusau. “He urged the people to immediately report any suspicious gathering and act of violence in their respective places to the security agencies. “He assured the people that troops of 1 Brigade, Nigerian Air force, the Police, Department State Services and all other security agencies within the Area of responsibility taking part in the show of force are ready to protect lives and properties in the state, adding that the forces would protect everywhere including Gusau, the State capital,” the statement said. The Commander disclosed that similar shows of force would be carried out simultaneously in all the local government areas in the state to build the confidence of the populace and make the environment safe and secure before, during and after the tribunal’s judgement. Read the full article

[ghostlygossiper]

WELCOME !!

ghostlyGossiper here!! naranja-uva's resident paranormal investigator! i investigate any strange happenings around the paldea region, from student squabbles to unsolved cases!! im the one to go to if theres something you need investigating!

im using this blog to record my findings on the case of Cody Aster, and any more big cases i take from now on. however, im open to talking to my fellow rotomblr users, and im open to investigating anything that needs a good look at!!*

some things about me!!

-im 13 and use she/her pronouns! im also okay with they/them!

-im a big fan of ghosts types and spooky things!

-my team is my crocalor Fire (female), my mom's (shiny!l) lycanroc Becq (female) and my Azumarill Azzi (male)! i also have a rotom in my phone named Wire!

any tags related to my current case will be #the case of cody gaster , and my talking tag will be #ghostly gossip !!

*only in paldea region!!

OOC INFO UNDER CUT

hello! this is yet another pokemon irl blog, though its kind of a story and im open to interaction with non pokemon irl blogs too. general unreality warning, as this blog is set in the pokemon universe and thus we are acting like pokemon are real

despite being in the pokemon universe, this blog is a crossover blog with Homestuck. although gabi (the mun) is entirely from the pokemon universe, a homestuck troll (tarlah) shows up and she is very relevant. you do NOT have to have read homestuck to understand this blog or anything though!! you might be confused by tarlah though dont worry the mun is too it is somewhat the point

mod and mun are both minors. my name is Mars (he/they/it) and the muns name is Gabi Newport, though online she entirely goes by ghostlyGossiper, or GG. my main is @thatonegaybastard and therefore i like and follow from there

magic anons are on but i will reserve the right to just Not Do Them. im being very picky with them

content warnings!

this blogs story will contain depictions of

human death

missing children

mentions of child abuse

possibly violence (if there is any, the most violent i will get is about like mid-level homestuck-canon typical. no beheadings or shit but its still enough that i will tag it)

unreality (because pokemon irl roleplay blog)

more may be added in the future!!!

i tag things as #tw (trigger), for example #tw flashing lights or #tw gore

story-relevant blogs (list will grow at least a little bit)

@fidusfaller (run by me)

tags!

#pokemon irl - the pokemon irl roleplay tag i use

#ghostly gossip - any talking gabi does thats not relevant to her case

#ghostly whispers - any non-case related asks

#the case of cody asterr - relevant case things

#the weird pokemon i found - Tarlah Kateis stuff

[bbgem329]

If Only You Were Mine… Chapter Eight

Pairings—Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary

You’ve been in love with Bucky Barnes since the moment you laid eyes on him. That was five years ago, when your older sister brought him home for a Sunday lunch and introduced him as her boyfriend.

Warnings

MINORS DNI. 18++. Angst. Mentions of violence. Language. Readers family is shitty. Protective!Bucky. Nurse!Wanda. Pining!Bucky. Mentions of pregnancy.

Series Masterlist

—————

“You had one job. I understand why you did it, okay? I get that you were lost in the moment and you acted with your before you thought with your brain,” George huffed, hands tugging frustratingly on the end of his silver hair, “But this is our lives, James. You just put a bounty on all of our heads.” He threw his head back incredulously, eyes clenched as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “All of them.”

Bucky stopped his pacing in front of the window to cast an exasperated scowl in his father’s direction before he was walking again.

Five heavy strides to the left, turn, five more strides back, repeat.

He was only half listening, cerulean eyes trained on the metal gate at the end of the long driveway. He could deal with a scolding later, after Steve has delivered you safely to him. Although he really didn’t need one, he was well aware of the consequences of his actions tonight.

“Leave him be, darling.” Winnie Barnes whispered, passing her husband a tumbler filled to the rim with his favorite scotch. “He finally stuck it to them, something we should’ve done a long time ago.” She sank down beside him, fingers brushing soothingly along the tensed muscles of his back, a tender kiss pressed to his flushed cheek. “Whatever ramifications arise from this, we’ll get through together.”

“If I may,” Natasha piped up, kicking off the bookshelf before making her way around the leather settee. “We’ve already got the ball rolling on a case against the Y/L/N.” She plopped down beside Winnie, both hands wrapped around a warm mug of tea. “I’ve taken it on myself and with the help of Sam we’ve built quite the case. The contract was easily approved for a void,” She shot George a sideways glance, blue eyes narrowing slyly, “But I’m sure you knew it would be, Mr. Barnes.”

The silver haired man raised a brow, chuckling slowly, “Of course I did. The contract was a mess—nothing but bullshit.” He nodded, grin falling solemn as his eyes flickered to the roaring flames in the fireplace. “That’s not what concerns me.” He slumped back on the settee, gulping back a generous sip of the throat burning scotch. “They’ll come for us. Y/F/N isn’t the man I once knew. His business isn’t as pure as it used to be.” He scrubbed a hand down his face, nails scratching along his trimmed beard. “He has connections to some very bad men and his own hands are stained with blood.”

Bucky interest was piqued.

He shuffled closer, brows furrowed, lip trapped between his teeth, and arms crossed over his chest as he stood beside the couch, eyes flashing from his father’s defeated form to the front window.

“Then we dig.” Natasha declared, leaning forward to place her mug on the coffee table. She straightened up, lifting her chin defiantly. “I’m assuming you have dirt on him. Let’s dig up some more.” She glanced back at Bucky, apprehension crossing over her face and he gave a single stoic nod. “Things already don’t look good for him with the faulty contract—foraging Bucky’s signature and threatening all of you. We’re already a step ahead of them. We need to keep it that way.”

“I would also like to figure out why the fuck they treat Y/N like shit.” Bucky added quietly, perching himself on the arm of the settee. “Something must’ve happened or-” He shook his head, gnawing on his bottom lip as he combed his fingers through his hair. “You don’t just hate your own child without reason. She didn’t do anything so I want to know why.”

“Well, we don’t have much of a choice,” George huffed, throwing back the last sip from his tumbler, tongue darting out to lick the remnants from his lips, “But if we’re going to do this—go after them, we need to tread carefully. Winnie,” He turned back to his wife, intertwining their fingers before lifting it to his lips, pressing gentle kisses to her knuckles. “I think you should take Y/N and the girls north. As soon as possible.”

Winnie shifted nervously, spine straightening, lips pursed, and soft, blue eyes wide. “You really think that’s necessary? I don’t think we should be apart.”

“I do.” George mumbled with a frown, dropping her hand in favor of cupping her cheeks and placing a tender kiss to her forehead. “You have no idea what he’s capable of, the lengths he’d go.”

“Up north?” Bucky inquired, brows furrowed as he racked his brain for what that could possibly mean.

Upstate New York or further?

Would that mean being apart from you again? Because he would not stand for that.

“We have a cottage upstate.” Winnie replied, rising from her seat with George’s empty glass in hand. “We’ve kept the location discreet. A safe house of sorts.” She offered him the smallest of smiles as she refilled the tumbler halfway. This time she poured one for herself, needing something strong to take the edge off, ease the dubiety weighing heavy on her chest. “Just in case—for times such as these.”

“Why haven’t we gone there before?”

But before anyone got the chance to respond, headlights flashed through the windows and the sound of tires screeching to an abrupt stop resonated outside.

Bucky was on his feet and racing out the front door without another thought. He hurried down the front steps, eyeing a tousled, flush faced Steve as he hopped out of the driver's seat.

“She’s in the back.”

Bucky's brows furrowed further, the crease between them deepening with every step towards the SUV. He didn’t have time to question before Becca slipped from the passenger seat, tears spilling rapidly down her cheeks, gasping out choked sobs.

“What the fuck happened?” Sam hollered, rushing down the front path, meeting Becca halfway to guide her into the house. “Who did this to you?”

It was then he noticed the gash on the left side of her forehead, fresh blood trickling down her reddened cheek and temple, and he felt his heart lurch painfully in chest.

Fearing the worst, he broke into a sprint, rushing around the driver’s side to where his best friend was leaning through the opened door and into the back seat.

“Steve?”

“Buck, come help.” There was a frantic edge to his voice and it left Bucky’s gut churning and his mouth running dry.

“What’s goi-” His mouth fell open at the sight of you lying limp on the cold leather seat. Completely frozen as all too many feelings and emotions came rushing to the surface. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was shoving Steve out of the way and taking his place in the opened door.

“What the fuck? What the fuck happened? Who the fuck-” Bucky swallowed hard, inhaling sharply as he ran his fingers along your pliant body and up to your pale cheeks. It was then that he noticed the hand and fingerprints painted along your throat. “Oh my God.”

He lifted the back of your head, finding it almost impossible to breathe at the sight of you looking nearly dead. He’d think you were if it wasn’t for the way your chest heaved and lips parted with every stifled breath.

When he slipped one hand off the back of your head, intent on double checking your pulse, he found a layer of flesh blood coating his palm and fingers.

“Steve, what-” He growled out, anger swirling in his dark eyes as rage bubbled within his chest. “What happened?”

“We need to get her inside.” Steve urged, hands steady on Bucky’s trembling shoulders. “I’ll explain everything, okay? Let’s just get her inside.”

Bucky nodded, lip caught between his teeth as he ever so carefully lifted your body from the car, one arm beneath your knees and the other supporting the tops of your shoulders as your head lolled against his chest.

Wanda, Natasha, and Sam were gathered at the doorway, parting so that he could carry you in. He ignored their frantic gazes, words, and questions as he headed straight for the stairs. He didn’t think twice before turning in the direction of his old room, shouldering the door open, and setting you gently on the bed.

Wanda appeared beside him, already in nurse mode, and with a towel in hand. Bucky gently lifted your head, allowing her to press it to the gouge at the back of your head. He perched himself on the edge of the bed, taking your small, cold hand in his much larger one, and pressing kisses to your fingers as Wanda scurried out of the room murmuring something about ice.

He didn’t spare a glance at Steve when he entered the room, eyes trained solely on you, brushing his knuckles along your cheek. “What happened?” His voice was low and deep.

The underlying outrage was clear in Bucky's tone alone. Steve rarely saw this side of his best friend—only when it came to protecting the people that he loved. The very same he’d use on anyone who dared pick on Steve when they were still boys. Only now it was darker, much more menacing—a guarantee to bring whoever harmed even the slightest hair on your head, an grievous amount of pain.

Steve knew he had no other choice but to tell him, though he was afraid of how he might react. Not out of concern for Carly, she deserved whatever she got and then some, but for the sake of his very best friend.

Bucky would blame himself.

Spend today and the rest of his days, punishing himself for allowing this to happen to you.

All of this because he’d slipped up—had a moment of weakness, a quiver in his strong facade.

“It was Carly.” Steve admitted quietly, hands stuffed deep in his pockets as he rocked nervously on his heels. He witnessed the moment in processed in his brain, numerous emotions washing over his face.

Mostly anger in the tick in his jaw, an ounce of shock in the cock of his brows, and a whole lot of guilt swirling in his wide, blue eyes.

“She was on her when I got there.” Steve sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face, head tossed back to the sky as he fought to collect himself. A sight he never wanted to see again but would forever be engraved in the forefront of his memory. “I’ve never seen Carly like that. There was-” He took a deep breath, shaking his head, “There was no remorse, only hatred on her face. She was sitting on Y/N’s chest, almost bouncing on it, both hands wrapped around her throat.” He paused, carefully selecting his next words, “She kept screaming ‘You ruin everything… I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you’. Becca hit her head pretty hard, and was knocked out cold for a few minutes. She was still waking when I got there, just screaming at the top of her lungs.”

“What did you do?” Bucky inquired, voice cracking slightly as he ran his fingers over the inflamed marks on your neck. There would be bruises in a few days and the grooves from her nails would most likely scar. He cleared his throat, finally lifting his head to gaze at this friend, standing tensely across the room.

“I ripped Carly off her, tossed her back into the wall.” The blonde swallowed thickly, “Must’ve knocked her out because she didn’t stir. Not while I was getting them out.”

Bucky’s heart clenched for his friend. Steve was a great guy, the best he ever knew. He would never lay a hand on anyone, let alone a woman, unless he felt he had no choice. It was obvious it wasn’t sitting well with him.

Bucky was both sorry and thankful he’d done it for you.

Steve had saved you.

Bucky didn’t hesitate as he stood from his seat and barreled into his best friend, embracing him in a much needed, heartfelt hug.

“Thank you.” He whispered, patting and brushing his hand soothingly along the expanse of his back. “You saved her, Stevie. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for that. Thank you.”

Steve relaxed into him, arms wrapped securely around his friend's waist, grounding and steadying himself in the brunette's hold. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone but I couldn’t just let Carly kill her.” He sniffled softly, pressing his face into Bucky's shoulder, “She was going to kill her. I had to stop it.”

“You did the right thing, pal.” Bucky mumbled, tightening his hold. “Thank you for looking out for her. You didn’t have a choice and you did as I asked. She wouldn’t be alive if you hadn't.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.” Steve breathed out, shaking his head. “I didn’t know if I should take her to the hospital. I was afraid they’d come for her there if I did. And didn’t have my phone on me, I realized too late that I’d left it in Nat’s purse. I couldn’t call-”

“Hey, hey,” Bucky interjected when he picked up on the growing panic and distress in his friend's tone. He drew back, planting his palms on either side of his shoulders. “You did good.” He made sure to keep his face calm, expression sincere. “You did the right thing, okay?” He offered him a small, encouraging smile, giving his shoulders a light squeeze. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You did exactly what I asked and more.”

There was a commotion outside, pulling the two apart before Becca burst through the door. Her eyes were wild, frantically scanning the length of the room. A throw blanket hung over her trembling shoulders, her chest was rising and falling with panicked breaths, and a bandage taped over the wound on her head.

Wanda and Winnie appeared behind her in the doorway, attempting to coax her from the room.

“The doctor will be here soon, darling.” Winnie tried, slipping a hand down her arm, tugging her gently towards the door. “He’ll take care of both of you—clean your injuries and check you over.”

“Why don’t we change out of your dress? Hmm?” Wanda offered softly, rubbing a hand down her back, “Get into something a bit more comfortable?”

When she laid eyes on you, she made to move towards the bed but was hindered by Bucky as he pulled her into his chest.

“Let me go.” She hissed, wiggling in his tight hold. “Let me go. Let me see her.”

“Not until you calm down. What’s going on?” Bucky breathed out, cradling the back of her head as she began to cry again, “Y/N will be okay. The doctor will make sure of it.”

“You don’t get it.” She choked out, tears spilling down her cheeks. She stopped struggling in his embrace, falling limply against his chest, her tears soaking his dress shirt. “I should’ve known. I should’ve helped.”

“It’s not your fault, Becca.” Bucky assured her, combing his fingers through the ends of her hair.

Something he used to do to sooth her when she was little. During those times she’d wake him in the dead of the night because she couldn’t sleep. He’d allow her to slip in beside him in his twin size bed and play with her long dark hair until she fell back asleep.

“No one expected Carly to react like that. You couldn’t have known.”

“Y/N pushed me behind her.” Becca sobbed, body shaking furiously against his. “She… When Carly lunged it sent me flying back and I hit the head on the corner of Y/N’s desk.” She whimpered, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, gasping between each word. “If Steve—if he hadn’t come, she would’ve died because I didn’t have the chance to stop her. I couldn’t have stopped her. My head-”

“Shhh.” Bucky shushed her, rocking her from side to side in an attempt to sooth her. Her cries heightened when she talked, her side of the story could wait until she was calm. She was inconsolable right now. Far too wound up and the trauma too fresh. “You’re okay. You’re both safe now.”

“I was a coward and-” Becca froze, lifting her head from where it rested on his chest. Sentiments filled with horror as she gazed up at him. Her mouth opened and closed, the grip on his shirt faltering as what seemed to be a terrifying realization poured over her. “Oh my god.”

“What?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, dread pooling in his belly over such a sudden change in her demeanor. He’d never seen his sister act like this. The look she was giving him sent shivers racing up his spine and his blood running cold as a million possibilities raced vigorously through his mind. “What is it?”

“She was-” Becca gulped, face paling significantly, “Y/N hasn’t been feeling good.”

Bucky raised a brow, tongue darting out to lick anxiously along his lips. Waiting impatiently for her to continue.

“For a few weeks now.” She stuttered out, eyes wide as they flickered to your unconscious form on the bed. “Since you both, ya know.”

“Get to the point, Becca.” Bucky prompted, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn’t at all sure what Becca was getting at but if her reaction was any indication, it wasn’t good. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and anxiety building rapidly throughout the front of his chest and stomach. “What’s wrong?”

“I think-” Becca swallowed harshly, fresh tears springing in her swollen eyes, “I think Y/N is pregnant.”

Bucky stumbled back like he’d been slapped clean across the face. Face paling ever so slightly as the revelation reached his ears.

“What?” He managed out, bracing himself on the edge of his old dresser, hands pressed firmly to the dark wood, and head hung in defeat. He took shallow, shaky breaths willing his heart to steady and slow its rapid, quick thumping within the cavity in his chest.

“I think she’s pregnant.” Becca replied, louder and more sure this time.

And just like that Bucky’s whole world turned upside down and inside out.

—————

Bucky sat on the floor across from his bedroom door, back pressed against the painted gray wall. He’d been sitting there for over an hour, waiting patiently for the doctor to finish up his assessment. Glaring heavily at a piece of wood that separated him from you, because if he stared hard enough maybe it would splinter into two and show him you.

I think Y/N is pregnant.

He turned the words over in his head for what seemed like the millionth times. His mind was a muddled mess over the admission. Running through every possibility, whether it could be true.

Thinking back now, to that unforgettable night, he realized he hadn’t used protection nor had he bothered to ask before spilling his seed deep within you.

The cognizance left shame and guilt rising from deep within.

It was injudicious of him.

He should’ve asked. Should’ve made sure.

The lack of consideration and responsibility made him sick, stomach churning distressfully over the thought of unknowingly impregnating you and then leaving you as he had. The notion that he’d returned to Carly, fully intent on settling with her, even if it wasn’t by choice and was meant to keep you from harm's way, leaving you heartbroken and possibly pregnant, had a new-found self hatred rising to the forefront of his mind.

Bucky had fucked up, and he wasn’t at all sure what he could do to fix it.

He wouldn’t blame you if you hated him now, wanted absolutely nothing to do with, and were perfectly content with never seeing or speaking to him ever again.

But he would try.

He’d do whatever it takes to keep you.

Even if it takes days, months, years. He would wait and he would fight.

Because you are worth everything to him.

He’d risk it all just to make things right, to have you by his side for the rest of your lives.

I think Y/N is pregnant.

Bucky would be lying if he said he hadn’t hoped for this one day—You, the mother of as many children as you’d willingly give him.

But not now, never this soon.

It used to be a dream, forever out of his reach. Now that it was right in front of him—a probable chance to have exactly what he wanted in life, he wasn’t sure how to act or what to feel.

A baby.

A life made of half him, and half you.

It was just as terrifying as it was invigorating because this wasn’t the time, nor the place. In the midst of this chaos and trepidation, wasn’t what an innocent newborn should be brought into or raised within.

It wasn’t fair to either of you—his girl and an unborn child.

You both deserved better.

But if you’ll allow him, he would try his hardest to do you right and keep you safe.

Because the idea of losing you for good, allowing you to slip right between his fingers was a fate worse than death in his eyes.

And if you were really pregnant, carrying a child made purely from your earth-shattering love, he’d have all the more reason to pursue this fight against your family.

Now he had far too much to lose.

Bucky let his mind wander, indulging for just a moment in the idea of you being pregnant with his child.

Belly growing swollen and round, hips widening, breast heavy, and a natural glow glistening across your skin. He couldn’t help but crack the smallest of smiles at the fantasy painted in his head.

He could picture you now—a brilliant smile etched across your sleepy face as you rocked and soothed a tiny, pink, swaddled up newborn. Or a sleeping, drooling infant strapped to your chest as you moved fluidly around your kitchen, humming along with the soft music playing on low from the speaker of your phone. Or you chasing after a chubby, bright eyed, giggly toddler.

You would make a fantastic mother—from every kind bone in your body, to the purest of hearts, you were meant to be a mom someday.

And he’d be incredibly lucky to experience raising a family with you—considering it to be his greatest honor.

Bucky was pulled reluctantly from his thoughts as the bedroom door swung open.

He jumped to his feet, hand stuffed into his pockets as Becca slipped into the hallway, the door closing softly behind her.

A natural flush had returned to the apples of her cheeks, sentiments calm and at ease, and her eyes were no longer riddled with the fear and concern they’d held when he was guided from the room an hour and half earlier.

“She’s okay.” Becca whispered with a small smile running her hands soothingly along the tops of his arms.

Bucky breathed out a sigh of relief, head thumping as he relaxed back against the wall and the unbearable tension lifted from where it resided heavily on his soul.

“She’s awake and lucid.” She added quietly, bowing her head as she gnawed on her bottom lip, “But she isn’t ready to see you.”

His heart clenched at the declaration.

He wanted nothing more than to see you, talk to you, hold you. Make sure that you were okay with his very own two eyes and explain himself.

Bucky had a lot to expiate and mend, and he desperately needed to fix things immediately, but he understood your reasoning.

Although it hurt, he knew it was nothing in comparison to the pain he’d brought on to you. For the last few months and for however long before that, in the five years since he’d met you, he’d provided nothing but heartache and agony—countless let down after left down.

You needed time and at the moment he had plenty to give you. All the pain he’d inficilated and caused was far too new and fresh.

“Oh.” Bucky swallowed down his reluctance, nodding apprehensively, his own swollen lip caught between his teeth. “That’s-” He cleared his throat, “That’s okay, understandable.”

“She just needs time.” Becca assured him, and he found nothing but promise and certainty in her sentiments. “She’ll come around.”

He nodded solemnly, head bowed in shame.

“And is she…”

“Yeah.” Becca breathed out, struggling to suppress the grin tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah. She’s pregnant.” Her shoulder lifted in a lazy shrug. “Around nine weeks, give or take.”

She’s pregnant.

A turmoil of emotions and questions flashed swiftly through him.

Fear, worry, excitement, hope.

He didn’t know how he should feel, what to say, or what to do. Where they went from here or what this meant for the both of you.

But there was one thing he knew for certain, he’d take care of you.

Bucky had a lot to amend for but he’d do it.

Whatever you asked of him. Anything and everything to earn your forgiveness.

For you and his unborn child.

—————

Tag list

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[fics-n-stuff]

Deep Breaths

For @inquistitorebony, see request here

Pairing: Kaz Brekker × Reader

Summary: Y/N's anxiety gets the best of them on a job, but thankfully Kaz knows how to handle it.

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: Panic attacks, brief violence, fake blood, explosions

A/N: Ahh I'm so sorry this took me so long to write!! I had writer's block and I thought I was getting out of my slump but then it just got so much worse again. I had to try so hard to get this finished and I genuinely can't tell if it's good or not, so I really hope you enjoy it 🤞🏽❤

You knew the plan. At least, you thought you knew the plan. You could never be sure with Kaz. Regardless, you were in place where he’d told you to be, weapons concealed in your outfit and Jesper at your side.

“This is crazy. You realise this is crazy, right?” You said, peering around the corner of the alley to get a view of the bridge and the crowds of locals and tourists alike.

“Everything we do is crazy.” Jesper replied with a smirk. “That’s what makes it fun.”

Sometimes you had to wonder how you ended up here, working for Kaz Brekker of all people. The answer to that question was that Jesper had dragged you into it, but then came the question of how the hell you and Jesper had become friends in the first place. That answer was more complicated.

The university of Ketterdam was where your parents had sent you to keep you out of trouble, to get an education so that you could do something useful and conventional with your life. Unfortunately for them, you only succeeded in getting yourself into trouble. Jesper had been the root of that. He was the one who had encouraged you to join him and a group of students on that first night out in East Stave.

You’d managed to stay in university longer than him, but the pull of adventure that the Barrel offered eventually got the better of you. When Jesper fell in deep with the gambling halls and turned to Kaz and the Dregs, you had followed after him for no reason other than the thrill. Which was strange, considering the immense anxiety that you carried through life.

Jesper had questioned it at the time, and sometimes continued to question you on it, but you couldn’t explain it to him. The type of thrill that your exploits with the Dregs provided wasn’t the type that triggered your anxiety, generally speaking. Talking to people was your weak point, fighting or stealing from them was usually fine.

Kaz had been skeptical about you at first, but Jesper was adamant that he should bring you onboard. It wasn’t long before he came to see that you certainly had your uses and you worked in a team, especially with Jesper at your side. He never mentioned your anxiety, but nothing slipped past Kaz. He definitely knew even before he had witnessed the full effect of it, and you had noticed long ago how he tended to keep you off of jobs that might cause you to panic.

“I see the signal from Nina.” Jesper said, eyes on a flash of light coming from a window up the street. “Get ready.”

“Born ready.” You smirked.

“I’ve been rubbing off on you. I’m not sure I like what I’ve created.” He commented, and you rolled your eyes.

“Distraction time, Jes.” You said, bursting a capsule of fake blood between your teeth and slamming another one against you chest before stumbling out of the alleyway. Your nice, white shirt now had a fresh red stain, blood running down you chin, and you looked just like a well-to-do tourist who had run into the wrong crowd.

“Help!” You heard Jesper shout in Zemini right behind you, and eyes began to turn in your direction. “We’ve been attacked!”

“Somebody get help!” You followed up in a fake Zemini accent, which Jesper had earlier remarked upon as being scarily accurate. It was right then that the stadwatch patrol that you had been sent out to distract in the first place rounded the corner. “Guards! Help!”

The stadwatch turned to the source of the commotion, and rushed immediately over to you. That was something that they wouldn’t do if you were dressed in your regular Barrel attire.

“In Ghezen's name, what happened?” One of them exclaimed. Jesper began rambling in Zemini, doing a very good job of acting frantic with his hand on the tailored bruises around his eye and over his cheek. You caught a glimpse of Kaz emerging out of the next street down, completely unnoticed thanks to your distraction.

“Do you speak Kerch?” A guard asked you after being unable to get anything helpful out of Jesper.

“Yes, yes I speak Kerch.” You answered, straining your voice as if you were in pain. “They came out of nowhere, attacked us and stole our things.”

The guard reached out to move your shirt, and you let out a scream of pain to deter him. It worked and he jumped back, eyes wide and afraid.

“We need to get you to a medik.” He said quickly, and you nodded. You turned to Jesper and recited the Zemini sentence that you had practiced all morning, just incase an onlooker happened to actually be Zemini.

“Give me some help, I can't walk like this.” You said. He nodded, shaking his arm out of the grip of the other stadwatch guard and reaching out to pick you up. Practically effortless with all that farmer’s strength.

“Alright, follow us.” The guard said, but as he took the first step there was a deafening bang and a huge plume of smoke from the street around the corner.

Perfect timing, Wylan.

Panic overtook the street, the stadwatch guards turning their attention from you to the smoke rising over the buildings. They started shouting to the people around, trying to keep them calm.

Another blast sounded, and now people were running. Jesper set you down, and you patted over the pistol concealed in your jacket just in case.

“Let’s get moving.” Jesper said, as quietly as he could for you to still hear him over the commotion. You nodded, your heart beating fast as people stormed past you. You didn’t like big crowds, and there were more people here than it had initially appeared. There was a handkerchief in your pocket, and you took it out and wiped the fake blood off of your face.

The two of you began following the flow of the crowd, when suddenly there was a flash of light and a cloud of dust flew towards you as another blast went off up ahead.

That wasn’t part of the plan.

Your heart jumped and your breathing immediately quickened as the people who had been running that way now pressed back towards you. Jesper grabbed your arm, seeing the panic that was beginning to fill your eyes. The explosions weren’t creating any damage, just a loud bang and a lot of smoke, but these people didn’t know that and they wanted to get as far from them as possible as fast as possible.

“We’ll go around.” Jesper said, tugging on your arm to pull you after him as he made a beeline for the nearest alleyway.

Your heart was pounding in your ears as you let Jesper drag you through the alley onto the next street across, which was just as crowded with panicked people. He pulled you along behind him as he wove through the crowd towards the rendezvous point, your mind spinning and your chest tight. You didn’t even realise that you were there until he pushed you back against a wall and moved you to sit down on the ground.

“Hey, Y/N, look at me.” He said, a firm hand on your shoulder. “Deep breaths, okay?” He turned to look over his shoulder at Kaz and Wylan. “What happened? Why was there a third explosion?”

“Things didn’t go exactly according to plan.” Kaz replied. “We had to prolong the distraction to get away.”

“I always keep extra equipment on me; I gave it to Inej and told her to set it off further up from the bridge if we ran into trouble. It was the best option we had.” Wylan added.

“Right, well, tell that to Y/N's anxiety.” Jesper huffed.

“Jesper, you and Wylan have to keep going.” Kaz said.

“What? Look at Y/N, I’m not leaving-"

“Now, Jesper, or all of this has been for nothing.”

“But Y/N was supposed to come with us.” Wylan fretted.

“You’ll make it work. Now go, I’ll deal with Y/N.”

“This is my best friend, Kaz.” Jesper said, leaving your side to approach Kaz, practically squaring up to him. “This isn’t a problem you can solve with planning and scheming, this is a serious human issue and you don’t have a great record with those.”

“I have it handled, Jesper.” Kaz responded firmly.

“Go, Jesper.” You spoke up, elbows rested on drawn up knees, your chest rising and falling heavily. You nodded. “I’ll be fine.” He looked at you, concern on his face, but eventually sighed and nodded back.

“Alright.” He said, stepping back over and lightly patting your head comfortingly. “Come on, merchling.”

Jesper and Wylan moved on to the next step of the plan, leaving you and Kaz alone. He took a seat on the floor against the wall opposite you in the small space, his bad leg outstretched in front of him and his cane resting across his lap. You looked at him, the edges of your vision still blurry.

“I apologise for not warning you ahead of time.” He said after a moment. “I should have accounted for the fact that such a surprise would have a negative impact on you.”

Kaz was generally cold – unaffectionate and pragmatic – but you had a suspicion that he’d always secretly had a soft spot for you. He was considerate of your feelings; he was even almost nice to you when nobody else was around. You quite liked the Kaz that you got to see. It was different to the Kaz that Jesper always complained about.

“What could have possibly given the impression that I was impacted negatively?” You managed to joke, but you choked on your laugh as your body desperately tried to fill your lungs.

“Hey, look at me.” Kaz said before you could start hyperventilating again. “Put your knees down, open up your chest.” You complied, and your body thanked you for the action as some of the strain in your chest alleviated.

“Sometimes I wonder why the hell I put myself in these situations.” You panted.

“I did warn you against it, but you seemed determined to follow in Jesper's footsteps.” He replied. “You’ve made a pretty good go of it regardless. Hold your breath for a second, you’re still breathing too fast.”

You followed the instruction, drawing a deep breath and holding it in your chest for a few seconds, and when you let it out your breathing was slower.

“This is stupid.” You muttered. “I should be over this by now, it’s pathetic.”

“No it’s not.” Kaz said plainly. “It’s something you’ve experienced for a long time, it’s not just going to go away.”

“No one else let’s their problems get in the way on a job.”

“That’s not true, it just happens differently. You still have some fake blood on your face by the way.” It would be dry by now, no point trying to wipe it off with a handkerchief, so you simply shrugged.

“What does that mean, ‘it happens differently’?”

“If you pay close attention you’ll notice.” He answered vaguely. “Though, I know you’re very aware of the hurdle that the gambling halls pose to Jesper. That’s caused some trouble on jobs in the past.” You chuckled lightly, nodding in agreement.

You sat in silence for a while, focused on evening out your breathing. Kaz wasn’t good at dealing with emotions so you would expect that he wouldn’t be very good at dealing with your panic attacks, but actually his straightforward approach was pretty effective. Maybe his voice was just so commanding that even your anxiety couldn’t help but do what he said.

Generally, Kaz acted like the panic attack wasn’t happening. Just like today, other than to give you an instruction to calm you down he would just talk to you like he normally would. It was usually helpful, a good distraction or something like that.

There was one time, however, that Kaz had been more worried about you than you had thought was possible. It hadn’t been on a job, just a normal night at the Crow Club. You had been trying to drag Jesper away from the cards table when a fight had broken out. Being a member of the Dregs, and so technically a sort-of employee of the gambling hall, you had stepped in to try and break it up.

You weren’t intimidated by the fact that one of the men was at least twice your size, you had held your own against that before, and knowing that there was security that would step in soon had you assured that all would be fine. But when you placed a hand on one of the men’s shoulder – not the big guy, one of the other men in the fight – to try and stop him from going towards the man he had decided was his enemy, he had turned on you with such speed that you had no chance to defend yourself before his hand closed around your neck.

Your memory was a little spotty from that point on. You remembered being slammed against a wall, maybe even lifted off the ground. Jesper drew his gun, and you’re sure that if shooting customers wasn’t so frowned upon that he wouldn’t have hesitated to fire.

It didn’t last long. His outburst had effectively ended the fight that had been taking place and turned the attention of every assisting party to you. The man holding you had been taken down by a few swift hits from the hulking Dregs member that Kaz liked to have as security, and by that point Dirtyhands himself had been drawn out of his little office in the back by the commotion.

To hear Jesper tell it, it was like your body hadn’t realised that your airway was no longer being compressed and you just weren’t really breathing. Kaz had instructed Jesper and the security guard to get you up and into the back office before demanding an explanation from the person closest to him.

You didn’t see Kaz break the man’s hand with his cane, but you remember hearing the scream.

Once it was just you, Kaz and Jesper in the office, Kaz’s demeanor changed instantly. Not that you were really cognizant enough to notice right away, but Jesper wouldn’t shut up about it for a little while. What had seemed, while out on the floor of the gambling hall, just to be a Barrel boss squashing a disruption to his business and doling out payback on behalf of a friend turned into seething rage, which in turn became a constant look of concern as he intently watched Jesper coax you to start breathing properly.

Jesper had business to attend to later that night, so after a while it was just you and Kaz sat in the office. He fetched you a glass of water and sat with you until you were feeling better, never taking his eyes off of you. You had told him about your anxiety, but until then he had never seen it in full effect.

Since that day he had been more in tune with that part of you, learning how to tell when you were having a bad day and remembering what kinds if things made you panic. If he caught you when your anxiety was spiking he would stay and just talk to you. It was nice of him.

“Sit up straight.” Kaz said, and you were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt the tip of his cane pressing gently against your shoulder. You realised how far you had curled in on yourself and leaned back against the wall. Kaz had drilled it into your head that opening up your posture would help you breathe better, but sometimes you needed reminding anyway. “How are feeling?”

“Better.” You mumbled with a slight nod.

“How are the edges of your vision? Still fuzzy?”

“A tiny bit.” You answered, trying not to smile at the fact that he remembered how your vision went fuzzy when you had a panic attack. “If I ask you a question, will you answer me honestly?”

“Sure.”

“Why do you bother with me?” The question had been weighing on your mind for a long time, but in the past few weeks it had felt like it had been pressing for you to actually ask. You thought that Kaz liked you, but at the same you couldn’t think of a reason for that to be true.

“What do you mean by that?” Kaz asked, his head tilting a minuscule amount and his brow furrowing ever so slightly in curiosity.

“I mean, why do you keep me around? Why do you bring me on jobs? Why do you bother learning how to take care of me? Maybe at first it was for Jesper's sake but surely that can’t be the case now, so why?”

Kaz watched you for a moment, folded his hands in his lap and cleared his throat.

“You’re a valuable member of the team.” He answered matter-of-factly. “You work well with others, you’re a fast learner, you seem to genuinely enjoy being a member of the Dregs most of the time. As for why I’ve learned to take care of you, well, what kind of a leader would I be if I didn’t? You know me, I like to know everything that there possibly is to know when it comes to my business and my team.”

“Right.” You nodded. “That makes sense.”

“You don’t like that answer.”

“What?”

“I know you well enough to know what your face does when you’re unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy.”

“Don’t lie to me, Y/N. What is it that you wanted me to say?” His question made you feel suddenly quite embarrassed, and you averted you eyes with a shrug.

“I don’t know, I guess I just thought that maybe you actually liked me. You know, as a friend.” You mumbled. You glanced back at Kaz long enough to see the corner of his mouth twitch upwards.

“If I told you that I liked you, would it make you feel better?” He asked. He wasn’t being sarcastic or mocking you, but you still became even more embarrassed.

“Forget about it, it doesn’t matter. I’m feeling much better now so we should probably start moving-"

“Y/N.” Kaz interrupted, and you froze mid-motion of standing up. “I do like you, but I don’t have friends.”

He moved to stand up, and you finished getting to your feet. You watched him use his cane as leverage to get up off the floor, and if it had been anyone else but Kaz you would have offered a hand to help him up.

“You do too have friends.” You replied with a tiny smile. “You, Jesper and Inej are a trio of best friends if I’ve ever seen one.”

“I thought Jesper was your best friend.”

“People can have more than one best friend, Kaz.”

“The more friends you have, the more leverage your enemies have against you. That’s why I don’t have any.” He stated, taking the first step. You assumed that you would be heading to where he was supposed to meet Nina and Matthias. He was late – just how late you weren’t sure, the passage of time alluded you during panic attacks – but they probably weren’t all too worried.

“I think you just tell yourself that we’re not your friends so that you feel better about having a weak spot.” You said, teasing slightly. “Do you like me as much as you like Jesper?”

“I like you more than Jesper. You’re less of a thorn in my side.”

“Aw, Kaz! That’s so sweet.” You smiled. He scoffed.

“I take it you’re feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Good.”

“Can I ask you one more question?” You inquired, and Kaz sighed before humming an agreement. “Do you maybe like me for a different reason than that I’m less annoying than Jesper?”

There was a beat of silence, and Kaz inhaled.

“I enjoy having you around.” He answered vaguely, but you could see in his eyes in the sidelong look that he gave you that it was deeper than that. You smiled, satisfied and not needing to push.

“Good. Me too.” You muttered, and the two of you continued walking, side by side.

[beyondspaceandstars]

While You Sleep

Chapter 13

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: sad. this chapter is sad. Summary: Soulmate!AU - Throughout life, you’re given glimpses of your soulmate through dreams. As you sleep, memories flash in your mind showing you the life your soulmate has lived. Everyone around you raves about how their soulmate reads great books or volunteers in their spare time. But you can’t relate as your dreams end up being more like nightmares. Through initial images of death and violence, you come to learn your soulmate is the Winter Soldier.

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

You were sitting at a stool in the compound’s kitchen when a familiar face walked in. Bucky had eventually explained to you that this was a sort of “headquarters” for the team. You felt a bit foolish having realized you never kept up much with these mighty heroes but you were eager to learn now. So far, you hadn’t encountered anyone you didn’t personally know on this famed team. Even now your eyes landed on the welcoming yet worried face of Steve.

“Morning,” you said, waving your fork before stabbing some of your scrambled eggs. Bucky had insisted on cooking for you despite your assurance you were fine but his cooking skills were....subpar. Still, nothing was inedible and you needed your strength back.

Steve reciprocated the greeting, saying your name with much excitement. “How are you feeling?” He added while making his way to the coffee pot. You chewed your eggs borderline viciously as you debated on an answer. 

“I’m okay.” You gave a shrug, staring down at your plate. Part of you wanted to let more out but you ignored it.

Steve came back around to the counter, standing on the other side across from you. He held his coffee cup firmly, nervously almost. You could feel him watching you. That excitement he had said your name with felt like it was evaporating from the room slowly.

“That’s… good,” Steve said. “If you need someone to talk to we have plenty of resources and - and I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

You peaked a glance at him, confused. You placed your fork on the counter. “Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

“I worry I led them right to you,” he explained, “like you two were separated for a reason.”

You frowned. You hadn’t thought about this - heck, you hadn’t thought about blaming anyone other than the disgusted men with such joyous evil looks in their eyes.

“Steve, I don’t think there was any way anyone could’ve prevented this.” You pushed your plate of food away. “They had their sights set. They had a plan, an optimism. It may have just been the soulmate experience in this case,” you sighed. Steve mumbled your name, shaking his head, but you continued, “And that’s fine. Love doesn’t come easy, right?”

“Being kidnapped is not part of being in love.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have an ex-assassin for a soulmate.”

Steve’s jaw went slack. You were staring him down now, practically begging him to say one more thing. 

“It’s going to be okay,” Steve finally settled on. Ever the cool, calm, and collected star-spangled man. “You will recover and it’ll never happen again, we can promise you that.” His voice was serious as if every word ended with a period. You felt tears starting to well in your eyes. You wanted to say something, maybe ask for a hug or just… you didn’t know what, so you just sat there, slumped in your chair like a defeated puppy.

“Everything okay here?” A sudden voice made you jump. You and Steve turned towards the kitchen doorway where Bucky was standing, arms crossed, worry etched all over his face. It seemed to become his permanent expression now. Even when it was just you two, he always appeared on edge.

You nodded, turning back to collect your plate and take it to the sink. “We were just chatting.” You didn’t see the look you just knew Steve and Bucky were sharing.

When you turned back around to face the pair, Bucky had crossed the room, almost close enough to now be hovering over you. You flinched when he went to put a comforting hand on your shoulder. You didn’t know why as you clearly didn’t think he was a threat but hadn’t you seen how threatening he could be? You lowered your head, fighting off the thoughts. He wasn’t like that to you and he had proven it time and time again. Why was it suddenly different?

Before either of the men could comment on your sudden hesitation, you said, “I’m going to go take a shower.” They just nodded, letting you exit.

***

When you got out of the shower and back into the room the team had lent you and Bucky for the time being, Bucky was waiting patiently on the bed. You lingered around the space, picking out some pajamas to wear, acting as normal as you could. You took in the space, still amazed by it. It was fairly large with top-notch amenities, including a luscious bed, spacious dresser, and television from technology you weren’t sure existed for the general public. It even had access to your own grand bathroom, saving you some war flashbacks of the communal restrooms at college. 

You dipped back into the bathroom and got changed. While your intimacy with Bucky hadn’t been on the shy side, you weren’t in that kind of mood right now. Rightfully so, you would say.

Emerging once more, you noticed Bucky had made a sort of resting area for you on the bed. Your side was surrounded by blankets upon blankets and soft pillows. He even had a movie queued up for you two to watch. He laid waiting, his eyes practically begging you to come to him. After giving your hair a final wring, you gave in and crawled into the soft bed, letting all of you just melt into it.

“How are y-,”

“Bucky,” you sighed, turning towards him. He was laying on his side, staring down at your curled-up form. “Please don’t ask how I am.”

He nodded. “I get it, doll. I’m just worried about you. You seemed alright yesterday but today…” Yeah. You’d taken a dive. Your whole mood had shifted. Heck, your views on the world had shifted. As dramatic as it seemed, you were having a hard time snapping back. You weren’t even gone for over two days and yet the smallest thing...

“I think it’s just all settling in,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe it was just shock yesterday or something but realizing what all happened… Gosh, this probably seems so foolish to you.”

Bucky began shaking his head profusely. As gently as he could, he took your hand in his. You welcomed the action as you shifted under the makeshift mountain of blankets. “Don’t do that, honey. Don’t try to dismiss it or think what you’re feeling is foolish. You went through something so terrifying. You’re allowed to react to it.” He took a deep breath. “When we talked yesterday, I think I thought maybe they hadn’t gotten to you. That nothing had happened that would leave you torn up but you saw… a lot.”

You knew he wasn’t talking about just being exposed to Hydra and their twisted selves. “I did,” you hesitantly agreed. “And I fear it’s going to take a lot to recover.” Your words felt like you were delivering punch after punch to Bucky but where were you going to get if you weren’t honest?

“Anything you need, sweetheart,” he mumbled, his thumb drawing soft patterns on the back of your hand, sending shivers through you. “I’ll do anything to make it better.”

You nodded, averting your gaze to where your hands were connected. Your hand was so tense but you hadn’t even realized you were squeezing his. You relaxed it slightly and Bucky’s motions stopped.

“Bucky,” you mumbled, “can I ask you something?”

He hummed in response.

“What do I offer you?”

You could feel Bucky’s eyes staring you down. No doubt a concerned frown was playing on his lips. “What are you getting at here, honey?”

You shifted uncomfortably. “When I was… you know… the - the older man said that he didn’t understand why we would be paired together. They were determined to figure out what I offer you. What makes me so special.” A beat. “I really don’t know the answer.”

Bucky sighed, shaking his head. You glanced up at him again, his eyes now holding a different kind of anger. You felt bad for doubting yourself but the insecurity from the words of some random guy settled into your brain. 

After a thoughtful moment, Bucky spoke, “I don’t think you’ll ever fully understand what you give, not just to me, honey, but the world. You’re so fearless. You’re incredibly understanding. Not to mention how compassionate and bright you are…” His voice cracked slightly, breaking your heart a little. “You force me to remember that I’m not alone and I don’t have to be. And I just really hope I do the same for you.”

You could feel your own tears forming as you shifted just a bit closer to your soulmate. You weren’t quite touching but you could still feel his presence. It was as comfortable as you could get right now and Bucky seemed to respect that. 

“I hope I’ll be okay,” you confessed. “Eventually.” 

It quite amazed you how fast stuff could change within yourself. You woke up from being rescued with the more extravagant hopes and overwhelming relief of just making it out alive. But then you remembered the price of you making it out alive. What you had to witness to get there. And then the thoughts of actually being back in that position rushed over you. Needless to say, it was weird. Simply weird. Unlike anything you had encountered before. 

Bucky soon nodded, encouragingly. You hated putting anything else on him but he had become part of the memories now. It was one thing to see him in dreams and another to watch it just feet away from you. 

With a choking sob, he said, “Me too, doll.”

[cassanovancats]

felicitate. one.

WARNING: JJK spoilers. canon-typical violence.

prologue < current > two

Nov. 2016

“Didja hear about the new transfer student starting today?” Panda asked, poking his head into your room. You push him out of the doorway and lead the way outside where you collect Inumaki and Maki to walk to class together.

You hummed slightly before answering, “Not really. Nii-chan said he wanted to surprise us with him.”

“He stuffed four - four, you guys! - of his classmates into a locker.”

“Killed them?” Maki asks, shifting her weapons case to sit higher on her shoulder. Inumaki leans over, interested.

“Nope! Only ‘severe’ injuries,” Panda explains, using his claws to make quotation marks around the word severe.

“I wonder what his lineage is. If he’s a transfer then he probably doesn’t have an inherited technique. Maybe we both can train together!” Your steps get a little lighter at the thought of adding to your harem. Maki glares at you as if she heard your thoughts and gives an audible hmph.

“If he’s cocky about being the strongest at some bumpkin junior high, I’ll rough him up.” Maki declares. “I bet you’re too tired to even train today, (y/n).”

“Salmon.”

You gasp dramatically. “Even you, Toge-kun? I can’t believe my favorite partner would do me like that. You both know it’s a Monday, I only did five kilometers this morning, thank you very much. And if you would actually join me sometime, you would understand that’s an easy distance.” You toss your hair and point your nose upward sarcastically.

Inumaki rolls his eyes, “Bonito flakes.”

“What he said,” Maki nods. “It's bad enough you convinced Gojo we have to run laps to warm-up before training.” You pout at such blatant rebuffs. Another failed attempt to get a workout buddy. Not that any of your classmates were weak, quite the opposite, they just kept training to what they saw as most essential - cursed techniques and fighting.

“You wouldn’t want them on your run anyways,” Panda says, trying to cheer you up, “You’d just leave them in the dust and end up alone on your trail anyways.” You chuckle at the annoyed noise Maki makes and move to enter the classroom first. As always, you claim the desk furthest from the door and closest to the window. Inumaki sits next to you, a habit from when you both met as children at clan meetings, Maki next to him, and Panda by the door.

You toss your jacket across the back of your chair and breathe in relief. The terrible things were so heavy and while it was great in the winter, November was still too hot to be covered in fabric. You smooth your skirt across your thighs to cover more skin and turn to ask Inumaki a question about the homework when Satoru slams the door of the classroom open. “Transfer student incoming! Let’s get this party -,” he trails off seeing the bored look on everyone’s face, “-started? (y/n), explain why you’re not totally pumped.”

You raise an eyebrow, “Are you asking as my brother or my teacher right now?”

“I heard he’s a punk. I have no interest in being nice to that kind of guy.” Maki interrupts.

“Salmon.”

Satoru pouts when you nod and Panda remains silent. “Whatever.” he turns and cups his hand around his mouth to yell at the closed door. “Come on in now!”

A deep sense of dread settles in your stomach when the door inches open. You and Inumaki share a look and he is already reaching to push up his sleeve and pull down his zipper. The boy who walks in is hunched in over himself and would be cute if not for the enormous curse hanging onto his back. The monster sneers with elongated teeth over his shoulder while he makes his introduction. Although neither makes an offensive move, every student makes one choreographed movement to circle around him in a defensive measure. Maki thrusts her blade into the blackboard behind Yuta Okkotsu. “Don’t you know you’re cursed?” She sneers at him down the staff, “We learn about curses here. It’s not a place for people who are cursed.”

Satoru doesn’t move an inch when he begins the spiel you’ve heard a million times: where curses originate, how sorcerers exorcise them, and how Jujutsu High trains each generation of sorcerers. It’s clear he didn’t explain this to Yuta, as the already pale boy becomes almost translucent. You take a step back, still hesitant about what must be a special-grade curse, but trusting that your brother would never endanger you. Well, at least not to the point of possible death. If he brought Yuta to your class, there must be a reason.

But then two giant arms emerge from the blackboard to grab Maki’s weapon from her hands. An ominous voice that makes you suddenly nauseous warns, “Don’t bully Yuta!” The arms swipe your friends onto their backs in one smooth movement. Panda thumps against the wall and Inumaki slides across the floor, hitting his head on an upturned desk. Maki stumbles backwards, shocked at the easy strength of the curse.

“Stop!” The technique you borrowed from Inumaki forces everyone in the room to freeze and you fall to your knees coughing, suddenly exhausted. Your brother breaks your hold and moves away from where he leaned against his desk when he first entered the room to offer you a hand. You stand on shaky legs as he explains how Yuta came to be cursed. Satoru allows you to clasp both hands onto the one still supporting you, allowing his technique to be borrowed and releasing the hold you had on your classmates.

You move to stand with them in solidarity as they gather to their feet. Maki takes the role of your pillar, allowing you to stand slightly behind her and grip the back of her jacket, while Inumaki hands you a cough drop from his pocket. You nod a thanks, still unable to speak. God, you need to train with his technique more. He can get at least three strong commands out before being incapacitated.

“They’re going through a rebellious phase, so let me introduce everyone. First is my precious lil sister, Gojo (y/n). She copies techniques by touch, so ignore how handsy she gets.” Satoru smiles and winks behind his blindfold, “Maki Zen’in. Cursed tool user; she uses special tools to exorcise curses. Cursed speech user Toge Inumaki, (y/n) copied his technique in that little show. His vocab is limited to rice ball ingredients. And Panda.” He points at each of you as he travels down the line. Yuta moves to join where the four of you had previously stood united against him. “Wow! Five first years! That's the biggest class in a while. Yaga must be so jealous the great Gojo-san can recruit so many talented young ones.” Satoru mimes wiping a tear from his blindfolded eyes and you roll your own at his self-praise. Yuta nervously (maybe curiously? nervous is the most common reaction) eyes Panda.

By now, you can mostly stand on your own, but gesture for another cough drop from Inumaki. He indulges you, though reluctantly. You make a mental note to buy a pack to refill both your own and his pocket stashes. But first, an afternoon practical where you’re paired with your brother. A pairing which means you two will just take the Gojo family card for a trip around whatever district you’ll be traveling to. Not that you’d ever complain about that. Inumaki and Panda are paired together, which leaves Maki and the new kid. Yuta moves to stand in front of Maki (and you, by default, since you’re still slightly hidden behind her) and says quietly, “I’m, uh, looking forward to working with you.” He manages a shaky smile.

Maki narrows her eyes. “You were bullied, right?” He visibly shakes but doesn’t respond. “Thought so. You’re totally bully-able. Probably because of the curse. You act like such a good person but it feels fake; it feels gross. You’re being protected, why act like a victim?” You elbow her side with a frown but she carries on. “I bet you’ve been passive your whole life. No goals. No aspirations. Jujutsu High ain’t that easy.”

Panda takes a step to stand firmly next to Yuta and places a giant paw on his shoulder. “That’s enough, Maki.” Inumaki agrees sternly.

“Fine. Whatever,” she scratches at her head, embarrassed at being reprimanded by each of her classmates. She is the first one to leave the room, not waiting for Gojo’s dismissal. Not like each of you don’t know the routine for missions.

The class begins to trickle out slowly and you hesitate before grabbing Yuta’s wrist to tug him gently back into the room. “I wanted to apologize. Maki isn’t always nice, but I promise she’s one of the kindest souls I know. I’m glad you joined our class, Yuta-san.” You smile in a way you hope reassures him. You walk away quickly, hoping to still have time to grab a pair of shorts from your dorm. You think you might just let a curse kill you if you have to fight in a skirt again after accidentally flashing your underwear at Panda last mission. Due to leaving so fast, you miss the sight of Yuta’s frozen body burning up in a deep blush.

The six of you arrive at an elementary school without any more fights in the car. Just a thick, awkward silence. Yuta seems sweaty and is constantly wiping his palms on his pants as the group approaches the building. Gojo-sensei gives the usual mission brief, explaining how children have recently started going missing and two curses are responsible. Team Panda will be responsible for one, Team Maki for the other. “And what will Team Gojo be doing?” Maki asks, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

“Keeping an eye on the perimeter, of course! (y/n), if you will.” You nod and begin the chant to create a curtain.

“W-what is that? it’s turning to night!” Yuta yells.

“That is a curtain. It’ll make you guys invisible to the outside world and reveal the curses inside.” Gojo-sensei pats Yuta reassuringly on the shoulder. You follow him to stand outside of the curtain. Before it closes your classmates in, Gojo adds, “Don’t go dying on us now.”

You snort and hit your brother's arm. “You shouldn’t scare him like that. Poor boy looked like he was going to faint. So, are we leaving or actually keeping an eye on them?”

“I’m curious about how Rika will react when Yuta is in actual danger. Let’s wait,” he replies. You nod and move to sit cross-legged on the hood of the car while Satoru leans against the side. “...This also gives time for your precious Nii-chan to catch up on gossip. Has sweet Toge caught onto your crush yet?”

You flush and cross your arms across your chest. Moving to angle your body away from him, you pout and petulantly say, “There’s no crush. We’re just good partners. He's the only one of my classmates I can actually take a technique from, so of course I spend time training with him!”

Satoru smiles and hums, “No need to be so defensive. You know I approve if there was a crush though, right?” You just nod, relieved he was letting it drop so easily. “Although, your poor brothers might get jealous if we get even less time with you. We’re your best partners ever, after all.”

“Of course, Nii-chan. You know Team Gojo is undefeatable,” you say. Suddenly, both of you startle and whip your heads towards a point behind the curtain. Even without copying Satoru’s six-eyes, you can see the sudden burst of cursed energy. The wave of power makes you so nauseous, you turn your head and gag slightly.

“Freaky,” Satoru chuckles. “So that's the true identity of special grade cursed spirit Rika Orimoto. Women sure are scary.”

“If he lost control of her, something must be wrong,” you hop up from your seat and step forward to dismiss the curtain.

Yuta steps through the curtain right as your hand reaches out to dash the veil away. The sight startles you. He's covered in the usual grime from missions but it’s how he collapses on top of two children he obviously carried out and the unconscious Maki draped over his back that scares you. You move to untangle the limbs and check Maki for injuries while Satoru steps forward, in teacher-mode again, and says, “Welcome back. You did it.”

You stick your hand out impatiently gesturing for the first aid kit kept in the car. When Gojo places it in your hands, you rush to tourniquet Maki’s leg where there’s an obvious gouge in the flesh. Gojo continues to talk with Yuta, likely a debrief, while you move onto the two children. Neither has any wounds that you can treat - they’re obviously cursed but that requires Auntie Shoko’s technique. You report all of this to your brother and he instructs the driver to be sure to take everyone back to school. He tells you to be sure to help ‘Ieiri-san’ with the children, and while you wrinkle your nose at the formality (Auntie Shoko has never separated her role in your personal life from her role in your training), you easily agree. With some effort and not much help from an exhausted Yuta, you manage to get all four into a car. You slide into the passenger seat and nod to signal the driver to start the car.

After copying her reversed healing cursed technique, the pair of you don’t take long to heal the children and Maki. Maki regained consciousness while you were working on her, nearly kicking you in the face. She gave you a short debrief of what had happened and, knowing she was now okay, you took great delight in teasing her for messing up her first chance to impress your new classmate. “Oh man, Toge-kun is going to love this. I can't believe Miss ‘I’ll rough him up’ got swallowed! You completely fucked up a first impression,” you cackled and dodged her kick. Shoko gave you an exasperated look from across one of the kid’s hospital beds.

“Leave my patients alone, (y/n). Go tell your idiot brother everyone is fine.”

taglist: @rowanthefox

[tallstars-rewrite]

Chapter 35

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The town was worse than Talltail could have ever imagined. 

He was bombarded on all sides by horrible loud screeches and rumbles and a cacophony of twoleg voices that seemed to bother Jake far less then they did him. It took all the willpower he had to not to flinch and cower at the roars of monsters that passed down nearby crisscrossing Thunderpaths. And I thought the one Thunderpath near the moor was bad!

  He could make out countless different smells, but he didn’t recognize any. It was all too tangled up. Occasionally he caught a whiff of rat, but it was always covered with the sour stench of twoleg rubbish and wet gravel.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Talltail hissed to Jake as they padded quickly down the hard flat twoleg paths, uncomfortably boxed in on either side by high house-like structures.

“I do, I’ve been this way before. It smells weird because humans throw trash down these alleyways, but they don’t walk down them very often. We’re going to ask some um...friends of mine the safest way to the park. I know the general area it’s in, but I've never tried to actually go there before, and I’d prefer to avoid crossing roads if we can.”

They turned down another alleyway and Talltail froze when he heard a sharp rattle as one of the twolegs bins was knocked across their path, clanging hard against the ground. An angry looking dark ginger molly leapt up on the bin, a growl rising in her throat. Talltail bristled as from behind her, three more cats stalked towards them with flattened ears. They were covered in deep scars from past scraps. Talltail was taller than all of them, but that didn’t make the odds much better.

“Hey, you! We told you not to show your stinking muzzle around here!” the ginger molly hissed. 

Jake flicked his tail in casual greeting and Talltail stared at him in shock. These cats looked like they were about to pounce!

“Hey guys! Been a while, huh? It’s really good to see old pals again.”

The smallest of the cats, scraggly brown tom, growled and stepped closer.

“Don’t call us pals dog-breath, we ‘aint your pals, and we warned you what would happen if you showed up again!”

Jake cocked his head “I thought it was something like you’d tell me to get lost? And I’d love to get lost, but I just need to ask a quick--”

“The warning was implied!” the tom spat.

Jake sniffed. “Well, it wasn’t implied very clearly,”

“Jake, for StarClan’s sake!” Talltail hissed.

“Aw, come on. I thought we got along well last time!” Jake went on, ignoring Talltail’s warning. 

The alley cats just snarled and their claws unsheathed, scraping threateningly on the stone. Talltail instinctively put a paw in front of Jake, a low warning growl rising in his throat in response.

“Who’s this string bean supposed to be?” the red molly scoffed. The fact that she had to look up at him didn’t seem to bother her much.

“He’s a real clan cat, you know. So um. I wouldn’t attack him. We’re both trained to fight,” Jake stuttered. “But really, I don’t think this needs to come to violence--”

“I knew it! I knew it was one of those forest freaks!” a muscular gray tom spat, “So you’re a traitor as well as a pest now, are you Jake?”

“Traitor? That seems a bit excessive.”

“We’re sick of you so called clan bastards, why don’t you tell your other rat faced friends to go back to the woods before we rip your fur off?” the gray tom yowled.

“Friends?” Talltail narrowed his eyes. “Clan cats don’t come through here.”

‘Don’t play dumb!” the tiny tom hissed. “We know you been pestering Bess and them. You’re not getting them in the park either so don’t even bother! The duck pond is off limits and we’re guarding it now, so--”

“Shut up Roach!” snarled the molly, swatting the little brown tom on the head. “Just spill out everything, why don’t you!?”

“I have no idea what other clan cats you're talking about,” Talltail said. “I haven’t had any quarrel with Bess before. You must be mistaken.”

“The only thing we’re mistaken about,” the red molly sneered, “is having not ripped you apart yet. You’re outnumbered. One less clan rat sounds good as far as I’m concerned, and one less freeloading pest who fancies himself an adventurer at that!” she added to Jake.

“Try it,” Talltail arched his back and unsheathed his claws. “You outnumber me, but at least the first one to pounce will regret they were ever kitted.” 

The four rogues didn’t back down, but they didn’t advance either. Some looked between each other and shifted around. Talltail was counting on them not having coordinated team tactics like he’d been taught in WindClan, and none of them seemed sure how to go about deciding who would be the first to attack. But he wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to back up his threat when one of them eventually did. He tensed when he saw the molly and the big gray tom crouch.

“You don’t want to do this, Bel!” Jake said poking out from behind Talltail “I mean it, don’t you want to know the real reason I came here? You’ll regret it if anything happens to me!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The molly apparently called Bel hissed.

“You know I get around,” Jake suddenly sounded very serious, catching Talltail a bit off guard. “I know a lot of different cats around here, a lot of cats who would be very displeased if I suddenly turned up missing, and I know you don’t want trouble with them. I came to deliver a message that could be life or death for you.”

 Bel’s stance changed slightly as she shifted uncomfortably. “What message? What’s this about? You’re not working for the group on the other side of town or anything are you?”

Talltail was as caught off guard as Bel. Jake didn’t look at him, but he curled his tail briefly around Talltail’s back foot, and flicked it to the side. He was certainly trying to tell him something.

“You want to hear it?” Jake lowered his voice as the rogues were looking increasingly uncomfortable.

“I-I guess?” Roach whimpered.

The gray tom shoved his companion. “Don’t act like such a kit!”

As soon as the others briefly turned their attention to the small squabble, Jake rammed himself into the silver metal bin beside him, the cat on top of it yowled in shock as she was taken down with it. It bashed the gray tom on the head and clanged to the ground as the other cat toppled on top of Bel.

Jake turned on his heels and shoved Talltail along. “Time to go!” he yelped, and Talltail followed without a second thought, sprinting back down the alley.

The clutter behind them as the rogues tried to detangle themselves certainly offered a good head start, which they probably needed as Talltail quickly realized Jake wasn’t the fastest cat on his paws. The trained runner had to temper his pace a lot to not leave Jake in the dust, nevermind that he didn’t actually have any idea where he was going. Jake directed him down one pathway, then another, scattering some bewildered pigeons, and at last they broke out of the narrow passages and were running on hard flat stone. Talltail saw twolegs turn their heads and make noises at them, but they shot past too fast for them to do anything. Thank StarClan twolegs are slow! 

He thought surely the cats chasing them would stop when they left their alley, but to his dread, they were still coming.

“Where you goin’ clan cat!?” he heard the red molly yowl. “Not as tough out here, are you?”

Talltail gritted his teeth. Jake wasn’t going fast enough. “We’re not outrunning them,” he hissed between breaths. “We’ll have to try something else.” Jake didn’t have time to respond before they found themselves pinned in a dead end alley.

“Oops,” Jake gasped.

 Talltail didn’t bother stopping, instead shouting, “when they start this way, run back towards them!”

“What?”

“Just trust me!”

Talltail reached the back of the dead end-alley, hearing their pursuers triumphant yowl at seeing them cornered. Talltail didn’t pause, he wheeled around, leaped up the wall, and used it to springboard backward straight at the nearest rogue. Bel yowled in surprise at his speed and sudden turn as she was slammed to the ground, knocking her head hard on the pavement. Talltail leaped at the gray tom behind her without missing a beat and barreled him into a twoleg bin, knocking into the other molly as they stumbled into a stinking bag of rubbish, which promptly toppled onto them. Jake ran past, but there was another rogue left in his way. Talltail went to leap after Jake before they could touch him, but the molly he’d knocked down recovered and was lunging for his throat. He barely pulled his head away and heard her teeth snap shut hard a hairsbreadth where his neck had just been, and swiped a blow at her muzzle in return. The tom left in the rubbish pile leapt onto his back and struggled for his neck. These cats were shockingly eager about this fight.

 Luckily the gray tom’s grip was poor, the momentum from the jump making him lose his hold and slip off the other side with a frustrated snarl, leaving red lines in Talltail’s back as he did. What I wouldn’t give to have thicker fur! he thought with a muted hiss of pain as he kicked the tom in the face and took off.

Jake had run right into the last little rogue. For a moment, Talltail was panicked as the attacker reared up with claws flashing. But apparently they were caught off guard when their opponent didn’t rear up as well. Instead, Jake ran head first full speed into their belly, bowling right over them and kicking them in the muzzle with his hind paws as he scrambled to keep going, looking back to see Talltail catch up to him with ease.

“I know where to go!” Jake gasped. 

Talltail was unsure, but he was in no position to disagree. Jake turned sharply to the right down one last alleyway and Talltail reacted swiftly, following him through a small hole in a fence that blocked the way. Talltail had some trouble getting his shoulders through the hole, wincing as the fence scraped at his scratches. He felt teeth snap at the hairs on his tail as he pulled himself free. Jake leapt up and knocked over stack of boxes and crates that had been left in the alley outside a door. They clattered over the hole, and Talltail heard a hiss of pain as something heavy fell onto the head of a cat that had tried to crawl after them.

“Come on, that won’t hold long,” Jake said.

 Talltail couldn’t help but be impressed with his friend's confidence. He’d never imagined how Jake would react to danger, but he was certainly one brave kittypet. The side of the stone twoleg den that cornered them had a hard broken tube that led up to its roof hanging down. Jake clambered up it and Talltail followed, anxious that it wouldn’t hold their weight as it creaked. Midway up, Jake leapt over the next hard metal fence that was blocking the other end of the alley, landing heavily on the other side while Talltail landed softly beside him. They headed back down into a different, much more quiet alleyway, and Jake disappeared through a small opening into what smelled like an abandoned dusty twoleg den. At last they stopped.

“Alright, I think we lost them,” Jake panted. “I never smell any cats in this building, I don’t think they’ve found the opening.”

“I guess you really do know your way around here,” Talltail replied, giving his sore shoulders a brisk lick,  “I never would have found it either. Are you ok?”

“Are you?” Jake fretted padding around him, sniffing his scratches. “That was incredible how you took on two at once! I didn’t get any claws in me, luckily Roach is such a slow slug.” Jake hung his head, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, those guys are usually all bluff and no teeth. I didn’t think they’d react so badly! They normally don’t really like fighting at all unless they have to, it's why they always stay together and act all tough to scare cats away instead. But they've never actually attacked me before. I’m so sorry I put us in danger...” 

“I’ve had way worse,” Talltail assured him, and began licking the scratches. They weren’t bleeding much anymore, and stung less than his old wounds. “Those rogues weren’t right...They weren’t just territorial, they chased us so far and were going for our throats! Are all town cats so aggressive?”

Jake curled his tail around himself. “Maybe some cats, but not all of them. I don’t know... Something seems to have riled them up. They have even more battle scars than I remember.” To Talltail's surprise, he sounded sympathetic. “It’s hard for them where they live, even the housefolk tend to treat them poorly. I think they’re always scared they can’t trust anyone.”

“Or maybe they just really really don’t like clan cats.” Talltail flicked his tail. “That has me worried… I haven’t heard of clan cats coming up here. I have no idea why they would. We’re not supposed to mess with outsiders at all. And what's more, they know where the loners I'm looking for are. And...apparently want to protect them from clan cats?” That is going to be very inconvenient, Talltail thought, though he tried to keep his irritation subtle.

“Would other cats from your clan have a reason to search for them like you do?” Jake asked. 

Talltail shook his head. “I would have noticed if someone else left, and no other clans even knew about the visitors. Except ShadowClan I suppose but...I don’t know why they would feel the need to come after them once they had left. What would be the point?”

“I suppose we’ll figure it out when we find them!” Jake shrugged. “It’s a mystery. I’m a little intrigued now. It’s still a serious matter of course,” he added quickly. “But talking to Bel’s friends wasn’t a total waste. Those cats are apparently staying at the duck pond...I know that’s somewhere in or around the park, so we at least have a specific place to aim for. It might be harder to get in if they are being protected though. Hopefully Roach was just exaggerating.”

“We’ll have to cross that log when we come to it.” Talltail said.

“Thank you though,” Jake mewed sheepishly, “For trying to protect me with those guys. If they were really that mad, they probably would have attacked sooner no matter what I said if you weren’t there making them nervous.”

 “Well yeah, it’s--” part of him said protecting others is what the warrior code teaches us, but he trailed off. “It was the only natural thing to do. By the way...What was it you were threatening to say to them, about...what was it, knowing other cats in town? You were really bold considering how outnumbered we were.”

Jake chuckled. “Oh all that? I have no idea, I was bluffing!”

Talltail stared. “You looked so convincing, even I believed you! You were bluffing?”

“Completely, I was scared out of my mind. I have no idea what I was saying. I don’t know any cats on the other side of town, I just assumed they must have rivals based on how they act, and I know they don’t want to get into any big group fights. So...I just tried making up something that sounded threatening. I think it’s more about the confidence than how plausible the story is. I mean really, can you imagine me joining a rival alley gang?” He was purring in amusement, and a little bit in pride.

“Well.” Talltail found himself purring too. “Good improvising on your part, I suppose. You certainly caught them off guard.”

They settled down in the old building, and Jake passively groomed the cuts on Talltail’s back.

“You know,” Talltail said “I should really apologize to you.” “What for?” Jake stopped mid lick.

“I keep assuming you’re going to be...I don’t know, helpless or something because you're a kittypet. My clan says so many things about you, but you aren’t really like that. You’re capable, and so much more...I don’t know, just more.”

“Well, I have been told before that I can be ‘a lot.’ But I was barely more than a flea-brained kitten when you knew me before, getting stuck in bushes and whatnot. I don’t blame you for worrying about me. But...still, that means a lot coming from you. I don’t know if anyone’s ever thought of me as capable. More as a nuisance that gets into trouble.”

“You might get yourself into trouble, but you have always apparently gotten yourself out of it. That’s something.” Talltail pointed out.

 Jake seemed very pleased with himself and Talltail felt his chest rumble in a faint purr. He was surprised that crouching here in this dusty dark twoleg den, he felt more at ease then he had in awhile. 

***

The ease lasted until it started to get dark, which didn’t take long, and Talltail became more aware of unfamiliar sounds. Whenever he dared let his eyes droop, he kept hearing scratches and creaks and wondered if they were enemy cats, or worse. Who knows what creatures lurked in the strange towering noisy labyrinth of twoleg territory?

“I think it should be safe to go out now. They’ve surely given up,” Jake said. 

Talltail looked at him with a start. “Go out?”

“Well yeah,” Jake blinked at him. “You’re in a hurry right? It might be better to travel the town at night, there'll be less housefolk to run into at least, since I know how much you don’t like them.”

Talltail didn’t like the idea of going back out, but was he seriously about to let cowardice stop him now? Jake wasn’t scared at all!

 “R-right. No, you're right. Let’s go.” he stood up too quickly and Jake looked up at him curiously.

“You alright?”

“Yep! Why wouldn’t I be? Let's go wander about the town and find a...what did you call it?”

“Duck pond.”

“Duck pond. Yes.”

 Did Talltail know what a duck was? It’s...a bird? RiverClan has them. But I don’t think I've seen one in WindClan territory. I’m going to look so stupid if I don’t know what a duck is, i’m supposed to be a wild expert and--StarClan, I don’t want to go back out there! But I can’t just sit here forever and let him know what a coward I am either!

“Talltail?” Jake’s voice came from the small hole entrance they’d ducked through. “You coming?’

“Ok, yes. I’m coming. We are...going out now. Off we go.” Talltail walked stiffly over, shoved himself through the hole, and promptly jumped half a tail length in the air at the screech of a distant monster, its roar echoing off the cold stone walls closing in on him. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong?” Jake nudged him

“I really don’t want to bother you, Jake,” Talltail muttered, forcing his fur flat.

Jake chuckled. “But I want you to bother me! I get told at least once a day that I bother someone, so if anything, I deserve to be bothered right now. And you seem different.”

“What do you mean I seem different?”

“Well...I am used to you looking a bit anxious, especially when you talked about stuff troubling you in your clan, or about your dad. But you seem...I don’t know, more tense now. More serious. It feels odd for you. I know we’ve both changed, so it’s to be expected I don’t know you perfectly or anything but...I don’t know, I just want you to know you can talk to me! I may not be able to help with your whole quest or even understand what it is, but what's the harm in letting it out? I’ve got no cat to tell, and you’ll be rid of me again soon anyway, if you want to be,” he said quickly. 

Talltail gazed at him and found a small purr hung in his throat for a minute. Jake really was always watching him closer than he knew. He almost reminds me of Briarpaw with that...I bet they would get along. He pushed the thought down before homesickness could grip him again.

Talltail sighed. “I’m just tense because, well….it just feels so closed in here, it’s near impossible to run from anything without tripping over rubbish. I feel trapped, I can’t see far into the distance for everything blocking my way, and I don’t recognize a single scent! I suppose I'm not good with adjusting.” He hung his head. “All my training couldn’t have prepared me for this place. I feel like a stupid kit.”

Jake headbutted him gently. “You’re not a stupid kit, you’re just in a new place! I know how that feels, and that’s why I'm here. Just follow me, I’ve got an idea of where to go.”

Talltail was reminded of why he had visited the former barn cat so often in his youth. There was an ease he felt with Jake that he didn’t often get elsewhere. They walked down the passageway, and Jake seemed confident enough to put some of Talltail’s anxieties at ease. At dusk there were less twolegs around for them to dodge, but Talltail still flinched when monsters roared past on the nearby Thunderpath. Their terrible eyes were all the more blinding in the dim light.

“Since you’ve told me that much,” Jake began, “maybe you could tell me what exactly your mission is? I still don’t know why you left your clan. I know you're looking for those ‘visitors’ or whatever they called themselves but, for what exactly?”

Talltail still wasn’t sure he wanted to go into it, but Jake was doing so much for him. Surely he owed some explanation. “Things were hard at home. My um…” he took a breath “My father died almost the same time you left.”

Jake gasped. “Oh no! I’m so sorry! What a rotten time for me to leave, that’s awful... What happened?”

“Don’t feel bad, you didn’t even choose to leave. It was...a tunnel collapse.”

“But I thought he was a tunnel expert?”

“He is,” Talltail said quickly. “Or he was. It wasn’t his fault.” He felt a growl rising in his chest. “It was one of those rogues. He was snooping in the tunnels doing something he wasn’t supposed to, I know he was, but I still don’t know what. My father went in after him, and Sparrow came out, but my father didn’t.”

“That sounds...suspicious?” Jake guessed.

“Yes! Yes it does!” Talltail cried. “But they all insisted it was an accident, and my clan just let them go right after!”

“So it’s Sparrow you want to find, then.” 

“Yes, I need to…” Talltail growled in frustration. “I can’t stand that he just walked away without even admitting it. I want to know why it happened, someone needs to make him pay for it.”

Jake was eyeing him as they walked. “Are you going to hurt him?”

“I...don’t know,” Talltail said curtly. “But you’ll have gone home before that anyway.”

“Right…” Jake trailed off. 

Talltail felt himself bristling defensively, “You don’t know what it’s like to lose someone that meant so much to you. My father always told me to take action when things went wrong, and I can’t let him down again. At home...at home I wasn’t doing it. I just couldn’t be the warrior my clan deserved. So I left, and I have to do this now.”

“What do you mean you let your father down?”

“My...relationship with my father was complicated.”

“Did he want you to leave?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe. It’s impossible to know, that’s just the problem.” Talltail felt antsy frustration itching at his paws. “He wasn’t always a great cat, and he was hard to get along with. But he…cared. He was good at heart, if not on the outside. One of the best warriors in the clan. I know it’s difficult to understand--” he was cut off as a particularly loud and massive monster roared past, kicking up filthy water that splashed on his whiskers. Although they were several fox-lengths away on the hard side path, Talltail jumped, and immediately got even angrier that he had been so easily startled at all.

“These stupid StarClan forsaken monsters!” he yowled.

“Hey, Tall?” Jake pressed his nose briefly to Talltail’s shoulder “I have another idea, a path away from the sidewalk. Come on.” 

Talltail followed Jake with his head down, trying to calm his emotions. Why did he feel so angry and guilty trying to explain his mission to Jake? I shouldn’t feel guilty about this. Sparrow deserves to be punished. Jake wouldn’t understand that, and I don’t expect him to.

Talltail kept the fluffy ginger tail in sight while he was led up another broken metal tube that went up much higher than the last one they’d climbed to get over the fence, scaling up the side of the building.

“This is a bit tricky, just don’t look down,” Jake said. Talltail was content to oblige as he was already terribly worried the creaking pipe wouldn’t hold his weight. Luckily it did, and after carefully heaving himself over the ledge, he found himself on the top of the building. The noise of the town seemed much farther away out here. He felt a fresh breeze for the first time in what felt like ages.

“It’s so much more quiet up here,” Jake said, and looked sheepishly at Talltail. “To tell you the truth, I think I strained my paw while we were running earlier. It might be best to rest for a while, if that’s ok with you.”

“Yeah,” Talltail breathed, letting his fur lie flat now that they were out in more open air. “I suppose that will be alright.”

Jake padded to the top of the slanted roof and curled up beside a stone structure sticking out of the top. Talltail settled beside him. He eyed the kittypet, with his bright orange fur turned a cool reddish tint in the fading light. Jake hadn’t been limping before, so far as he could tell.

“You don’t have to lie to protect my feelings,” Talltail sighed. “I’m sorry I got so worked up. It’s just...everything is so overwhelming here. It’s so loud and my nose and throat feel clogged.” He looked down miserably. “I’m used to knowing every paw-step I walk like it’s a part of my own body. Now I don’t even know what’s around the next corner.”

“A cat can get used to anything, and I'm sure that’s true for you too.” Jake said. “I figured you would like it up here. It’s not the tallest house, but you can see so much more of the town.”

It was true, the town was lit up with balls of pale gold light down every road and inside windows as well. 

“It’s so pretty at night,” Jake breathed. “Like stars on the ground. It’s one of the things I like about housefolk. Their lights make everything feel warmer to me.”

The lights went on a long way, and further still until they faded and Talltail could see the calm dark silhouettes of the forest he left behind. Just a little behind the trees would be the moor too, he was sure of it. Everyone he knew was beyond that treeline, too far away to see him. A pang of sadness struck him then. 

“Are you thinking of home?” Jake asked

“Are you inside my head?” Talltail asked with an amused twitch of his whiskers.

“No, but I know homesick when I see it. It sounds like you miss it.”

“There’s no need for me to be homesick. It’s not my home anymore.”

Jake hummed in thought as he looked up, and Talltail followed his gaze. ”So… Not that I want to push if you don’t want to talk about it, I mean, you can push me off the roof if I end up sticking my paw in my mouth…”

“I’m not upset at you. It’s just...been a lot.” Talltail sighed.

“Well, you must have loved your dad a lot to go through all of this for him.”

“Not as much as I should have.” Talltail wound his tail around his legs and stared at his paws. “It’s part of why I have to do this now. If I had a chance to do what he wanted back then, I’d do it. No matter what. Maybe I wouldn’t be such a mess now if I had.”

Jake rested his chin across Talltail’s back. His tail shifted restlessly as if he couldn’t quite figure out what to say to that. “Well...I never met him, but I’m sure he’d be proud of you just for caring so much. It takes a lot of courage to travel so far alone.”

Talltail almost laughed at that.

“What’s funny?” Jake asked.

“I wouldn’t call myself courageous. I never told anyone this...I was too ashamed. But I’m sure my father died hating me.”

Jake lifted his head up. “Why would he hate you? Why would any cat hate you?”

“Because I failed him. I was always…” Talltail shook his head. The words were caught in his throat the more he tried to remember. “I just wasn’t what I should have been. Maybe I could have tried to fix it if it weren’t for Sparrow. But now there’s no way I can. That’s why I had to leave and focus on this instead. It’s not much but it’s...something.”

“Well...maybe you can go back afterwards? I mean, what else would you do when your mission is done?”

Talltail didn’t reply for a long time. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “But whatever it is, it’s not going back to the moor. I made my choices.”

 It was hard to envision anything after. It was too hard to think of. He had only one goal ahead, and it demanded all his attention. Jake eventually accepted that he was not likely to get more about this out of Talltail tonight. 

“Don’t you believe that there are cats in the sky?” Jake asked instead, after another moment of silence.

“Not exactly. Just their spirits. It’s what happens when you die, or when clan cats die at least. The clans all share the stars, and up there every clan cat looks the same. All warriors who served their clan and earned a place in peace watching over their old home. It’s kind of nice how...the stars look the same here. Even though everything else is different.”

I don’t know if StarClan watches me here...but I'm glad they’re still there in some way.

“I think of that every time I look at them ever since you first told me about it,” Jake mused. “The idea that there’s another world up there, looking down while you look up.” 

“They’ve been there forever, never changing, and they’ll be there countless moons from now.” Talltail said quietly.

“Well whatever they are, they sure are pretty.”

With a big yawn, Jake lay his head down and Talltail lay his down beside him, quickly finding himself matching Jake’s quiet purr. He was more grateful than ever to have some cat beside him again, while the cold chilled his fur and his warm nest on the moor was so far away. But Jake was here and, apparently, happy to be bothered by him.

But I can’t stay with Jake, came a voice in the back of Talltail’s head. His purr petered out. That’s not why I’m here. This can only last so long.

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[writingbywatson]

Mine (Sukuna and F!Reader)

Summary: Sukuna never believed in reincarnations but maybe he needs to change that Warnings and Notes: Reincarnation AU, goreish theme, languang, violence (this is Sukuna were talking about). A/N: I don't even know why I wrote this, I don't even like Sukuna with that being said, yeah excuse grammars and spelling errors.

“Who would have thought that I’ll get to see you again,” Sukuna stated in a mocking tone, he squatted down to your level observing how your chest rose and fell. “Huh, you're smart aren’t you?” he mocked, grabbing both sides of your face forcefully. “You knew you wouldn’t survive my attack and you decided to pause your entire being moments before my attack,” he laughed after that. “You are still irritating just like back then, L/N.”

He first saw you back in the old times of Japan, you were picking flowers and with that action alone he found you irritating. “You're a sorcerer aren’t you?” Sukuna asked, appearing in front of you, your eyes widened for a second most probably due to surprise rather than fear, which was odd he didn’t smell fear coming from you. “I am but you don’t need to worry, my ability doesn’t allow me to kill,” she answered and went back to picking her flowers. There was a growing irritation inside Sukuna, ‘what kind of human was this ignorant?’ he wondered. He watched as she kneeled down and continued with what she was doing. “Oi,” he called out.

“Yes?” she answered and looked back at him, a sharp wind gust passed her.

“Oh you dodge that?” Sukuna mused in amusement.

A cut that was horizontally placed on her left cheek appeared, “that would have decapitated my head,” she answered with a laugh.

The irritation only grew, “I could do that right now you know.”

She smiled and Sukuna could only describe that smile as a peaceful smile. “You can’t,” she answered, clutching the flowers to her chest, with her free hand she dusted her dress. “Because today isn’t the day that I die,” she declared.

“Huh?” Sukuna mused.

She smiled again and bowed, “thank you for allowing me to pick flowers,” she replied with a bow. She stood up and turned her back towards him.

That wasn’t the last time that they saw each other.

The second time he saw her, she was kneeling down picking up flowers again and she was humming, it has been a few days after their first meeting.

“Do you really want to die?” he asked as he stood behind her.

“Today isn’t the day that I die Sukuna-san,” she answered humming.

“Oh how do you know that?” he asked.

She looked at him and smiled, “I just know.”

Sukuna raised his hand and two sharp gusts of wind passed by her side, she dodged again and Sukuna couldn’t help but to wonder what kind of ability she had. It was a rare occurrence that someone can dodge his attacks and very rarely does this happen twice. “Oh no, the flowers,” she mumbled. “You have no fear of death don’t you?” he asked, not even masking how pissed and annoyed he was. “I’m not scared of death, everyone goes there eventually well…” she looked back at him, “not everyone,” she added smiling. She stood up again, “I’ll be taking my leave now,” she bowed and turned her back on him. She hummed as she walked away.

The third time she visited, Sukuna decided to observe from afar. “How is it that a pesky little human like you is able to dodge my attacks?” he wondered out loud. Humans annoy him, they pretend to be the most superior out of every creature in the world, what annoys him more are humans that pretend to be brave at the face of death but their you were, ‘I’m not scared of death, everyone goes there eventually’ your words were on repeat on his mind. He could smell it, you weren’t scared of him and your words were true, to him it felt like you accepted death a long time ago. “An anomaly among humans,” he mumbled as he looked at your form standing up. He wondered if playing with you would be worthwhile.

“Oh, hello Sukuna-san,” she greeted him, her back facing his as she tended to the flowers.

“How did you know?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

She chuckled, “I have gotten used to your presence,” she answered. “No other aura screams murder anyway,” she continued with a laugh.

“What’s your ability?” he asked, ignoring her cheerful banter. “No one should be able to dodge my attacks the way you do.”

“Does that anger you?” she asked back.

“What do you think?” he asked back.

She stood up and smiled at him, “I think it does anger you,” she laughed. “Sadly, I cannot reveal my abilities because if I do, I know you're going to find a weakness and that won’t be too good considering I like the flowers here,” she continued.

“I want to kill you,” Sukuna answered.

She laughed, “I know you do.”

He glared at her but she didn’t seem scared. “Oh, you weren’t here the last time that I visited, were you busy?” she asked.

“You have the nerve to act friendly,” Sukuna spat out. “You annoy me, I want to kill you so badly.”

She laughed again, “am I high in your kill list? What an honor,” she commented.

Her smile was annoying, everything about this woman was annoying.

“But, don’t worry you won’t be able to kill me today because today isn’t the day that I die.”

‘Because today isn’t the day that I die,’ it wasn’t the first time that Sukuna has heard those words from her and he couldn’t help but to wonder, why she can say those words so surely. Today, he watched again from a distance, her face was at peace, a peace that one could only find in a cold corpse. “Uraume,” he called out and his monk companion showed up behind him. He noticed how his companion immediately noticed you, “shall I kill her?” he asked.

“No, find out who she is and what her ability is,” Sukuna instructed.

“Wouldn't it be easier to just kill her?” Uraume asked.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Those words alone would make any demon and human tremble.

“I apologize, I shall see what I can do,” Uraume answered with a bow and just as quickly as he came, he disappeared.

“Your friend came to visit,” she greeted him when she approached her. “It’s not very nice to send demons on people,” she added.

“Your death is scheduled in two weeks,” Sukuna stated. “So you're just a pathetic human who's making the best out of your limited time,” he added. “Pathetic.” He was irritated, Uraume didn't even told him what her ability was.

She laughed, “for a creature like you it might be but to me it's the greatest time to be alive. I can experience things that I couldn’t in the past.”

“Huh, then why are you wasting your time picking flowers?” Sukuna asked.

“I like flowers,” she answered. “And before I die I want to see what Sukuna-san is.”

“Pathetic human,” he spat out and turned around walking away. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, “I’m not going to waste time on you anymore,” he declared and continued walking away.

“I have additional information about the human,” Uraume stated, appearing behind Sukuna with a slight bow. “I’m not interested anymore,” Sukuna waved the younger looking demon away. “Her name is l/n f/n, the reason for execution is because she killed her entire clan,” Uraume proceeded, not minding the four limbed demon. Sukuna caught himself blinking after he heard. “Are you sure?” he asked remembering how she looked like a stupid human contented with picking up flowers for her counted days. “Yes, I heard she turned herself in as well,” Uraume answered.

Sukuna couldn’t help but to laugh out loud, he couldn’t believe that a mere human managed to hide their killing intent away from him. “Well, isn’t that interesting,” he mused after laughing. And all this time he thought that she was a stupid little girl. “You may leave,” he instructed. Uraume nodded but before leaving he said, “please be careful, I do not like whatever that girl has going on.”

After knowing what happened, Sukuna went to see her again, this time the amused smile on his face is very visible. “You little bitch,” he greeted. “So you have dirt on you, huh?” he asked. She looked at him for a second and a flash of realization came to her face, “so you find out…” she mumbled and went back to her flower picking. “It’s amusing really, someone like you able to kill an entire clan,” he egged. “What was the reason? huh? “ he continued. “Did you just wake up one day and decided to kill them? A revenge plan? A disagreement? Come on, tell me, you finally become amusing.”

She stood up slowly and looked at him, her eyes showed a hint of annoyance, “it was none of those,” she answered. “I…”she looked down, “...no, you won’t understand,” she continued shaking her head.

“Come on, tell me y/n, we’re both murders at this point,” he mocked.

“We are however our difference is that you kill for fun and I kill for a purpose,” she countered. “Huh?” Sukuna mused, “So are you saying you're the hero of this story?” he asked. “No, I’m saying that, I’m not like you,” she answered.

The gust of wind was sharp but it never touched her. “You are annoying,” Sukuna commented. “You and your ideals, maybe I should just kill you here.” “No, you won’t be able to because today is not the day that I die.”

Four days, that was the longest time that Sukuna didn’t see her. Sukuna didn’t mind, he found her annoying anyway. When the sun was about to set, she did arrive but there was a bruise on her left cheek. He raised a brow when he noticed it, a slap, that’s what it was and yet he wondered how someone who is able to dodge his attacks refused to dodge a simple slap.

“I will be quick with the flower picking today, the sun is about to set,” she stated kneeling down.

“Did you kill the person who slapped you?” he asked.

“No,” she answered instantly. “I don’t kill just because I can,” she continued, not meeting his gaze.

“So it was a human,” Sukuna concluded. “Probably not a sorcerer huh,” he continued.

“The general of the a- no, forget it. I feel an ominous aura,” she answered.

“Ominous? Do you think I’ll kill a bug for you?” he asked.

She looked up to him, “I don’t know and that’s what scares me the most.”

Sukuna didn’t exactly plan to kill that day, no-no, he just happened to pass by some humans but after the humans attacked him, he couldn’t resist the urge to commit murder. He was familiar with human custom and once he saw the seal that this man was carrying, he became intrigued.

“Ah, so you're the man who slapped her,” he mused, squatting down and the man in front of him couldn’t help but to cower in fear. “You look pretty ordinary, are you a sorcerer?”

“N-No!” he stuttered. “P-Please don’t k-k-kill me! I’ll g-g-give you anything!” he begged.

“Well, that’s pathetic,” Sukuna commented as he stood up, “I thought you would stand your ground, guess not,” Sukuna shrugged. “No wonder you choose to hit someone smaller than you, much less a female,” he continued. “Oh well, what’s another human’s death?”

No one should harm her, only I'm allowed to do that.

There was a growing feeling inside Sukuna, truth be told he got pissed when he saw her bruise and there was this feeling of wanting to see her cower in fear at the sight of him. The thought of being able to be the reason why she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night because she fears that she would be next gave Sukuna a thrill. He couldn’t remove one thought as well, the thought of using her in every possible way. “Ah,” he realized as he stopped tossing the head of one of the soldiers. “I want her.”

“Did you do it?” She asked him looking at him, the emotions on her eyes he can’t quite point out what they wanted to convey. Truth be told, Sukuna wasn’t listening but rather he was looking at her wondering, “if I say I did, what would you do?” he asked in a monotone voice. “Are you going to ask if I did it for you?” he continued.

He scuffed, “let me guess, you’ll be happy if you say no because that means your hands are dirty but if I say I did it for you, what will you do?”

“I-”

“I don’t even know why you're asking me this when I have important matters to attend too,” he saw the spark of curiosity in her orbs. “And that matter is whether or not making you my slave while you are alive or dead would matter?”

“Ah! There you are y/n,” he called out in the middle of the courtyard, hundreds- no, thousands of bodies lying there motionless. It was raining that day and the rain water washing away the blood towards the lowest part of town would make it look like a river of blood. He saw her expression, it wasn’t peaceful and he couldn’t quite pinpoint out what it was. “What’s the meaning of this?” she asked.

“I’m solving your problem, tomorrow is your execution day, right? And the day that you die is tomorrow, now… that won’t happen anymore because I killed everyone.”

“Why would you do this?” She asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? I want you and I want to be the reason why you die, not some pesky little humans,” Sukuna answered, walking towards her, he stopped in front of her and grabbed both sides of her cheeks forcefully with one hand. “I want to use you in every possible way, my plan was to originally kill you and bring you back to life as a demon like me but that won’t be fun won’t it? Because I know, you’ll lose all your memories if I do, so I let you live until I get tired of playing with you.”

“What if I say no?” She asked and even up to this point there wasn’t any fear on her.

“I’ll just drag you with me,” the demon answered with a smile as he squeezed her cheeks tighter. He wondered what would happen if he squeezed harder, would her head cave in? She slowly placed her hands on top of his, they were shaking and he wondered, was it because of fear?

She slowly pushed herself away from him, he tried to grab onto her tighter but to no avail, he was losing his strength, she freed herself from him and took a few steps back to catch her breath. No, he didn’t lose his strength. “Y-YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO?!” He screamed.

“I stopped you from moving,” she answered looking at him.

“That’s not possible!” He snarled at her.

“To me it is, afterall, I can control time,” she replied. “Everything leading up to this moment, I have foreseen when I placed my ability on my brain and eyes, I was able to dodge your attacks because I knew you would do them,” she explained.

Suddenly, humans wearing both black and white appeared on the scene. He knew what they were, they were sorceresses and judging by the aura of the courtyard they were powerful once.”You planned this,” he realized.

“I approached you because I wanted to take a glimpse of who you are hoping that somehow you can change,” she stated. “But you are too far gone,” she continued.

He laughed, “so you aren’t going to die tomorrow?”

“No, I am still to be executed but today isn’t the day that I die.”

He felt tremendous anger inside of him. “Then why help them?! What’s the point?! If you come with me, you can live!”

“Because I want a world where humans don’t fear, and you are that fear.”

She turned around, “it was nice knowing you Sukuna-san, I hope when we meet again, we are on the same side.”

The moment that he laid his eyes on her during the introduction, Sukuna was surprised by how similar they are. But he didn’t think much of it, humans are bound to look like another human at sometime. But when they were attacked by another demon and she was able to subdue it, his host asked what kind of ability it was. She smiled at him and said “I can control time!”. That was the moment that he took over and he was surprised because normally he wouldn’t be able to do it, but what was it that allowed this to happen? Anger? Revenge? Lust? Obsession? When he managed to end the demon in front of him, he realized what it was, and it was all of that.

“Oh! Itadori-kun, I didn’t know you were this strong,” she commented.

He couldn’t help but to chuckle, “don’t think it was that human who did this,” he replied as he spawn around. “Long time no see, y/n.”

“W-Who are you?”

Sukuna didn’t believe in reincarnations but judging by how she looks exactly like her and her ability although it was weaker compared to the past, he thought that maybe he should change that idea. He scuffed squeezing her face harder, “I could still kill you right now, I just have to wait for this stupid ability of yours to stop working. But where’s the fun in that?” He laughed. “I’ll make sure you’re mine in this lifetime, y/n, I’ll make you fall into your knees and beg me to just kill you.”