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simp-ly-writes · 7 months ago

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To Be Someone To You

─────── · · How Could You Refuse? (pt.8)

Pairing: Jayce Talis x Shy!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: You started your new life, got a new job and making new friends yet it seemed no matter how hard you tried to forget about him- Jayce's presence always lingered in your life and it seems that even he himself is not ready or willing to be out of it- he begs you not to be stranger, we only want to be someone to you.

─ · · TAGS: female pronouns used, protective! jealous! grovelling! Jayce, some emotional angst but a LOAD of fluff (potentially cheesy) and mutual pining, kissing, teasing, sharing clothes, intoxication, a side-OC, reader is mentioned to have hair and is shorter than Jayce, not beta read.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | WORDCOUNT: 4,814

─ · · SERIES MASTERLIST

─ · · A/N: THEY ARE JUST SO UGH, I NEED IT- PLEASE 😩‼️

─────── · ·

─ · · The carriage continued down the road and into a neighbouring region. You were shocked to see various members of the local guard awaiting your presence and helping you out of the carriage before leading you towards their parliament buildings. To your equal shock people waved and smiled once seeing you, what the hell did Jayce do now? You ask yourself standing in front of the prime ministers desk. "We have been expecting your arrival Miss (last/name). Councillor Talis had informed us..." you zoned out for the rest of his speech nodding along until Ximena Talis squeezed your hand, bringing you back to reality, "...we have a few professors and scholars in the area that would love to work with you if you are interested Miss?"

You smile and nod, "I would love to take that opportunity, thank you." An assistant suddenly comes in running, "this way, ma'am," they lead out of the office and back out onto the street, pointing you in the direction of the university before the parliament doors shut behind you and seemingly on your old life.

─────── · ·

─ · · In the next coming days that turned into weeks you worked alongside Evren, a professor and active researcher at the local university as his new lab and teaching assistant. It felt great to meet new people, be back in the lab space, and to see all of Evren's students, you loved your new position getting to work with the next generation of scientists and develop their skills yet it always surprised you how excited they were to talk with and learn from you.

─ · · You could scoff remembering your first day sitting in Evrens' office as he walked you through the learning material and basic questions students commonly asked that you could filter for him. You were beyond anxious to mess something up or to have a hoard of students calling after you yet Evren only taught the upper years and from having such small classes he really only needed you to grade work and developing new material with him.

─ · · Evren always made sure you were comfortable and confident before leaving you with the students or in the lab when he had to take a step away. He even helped you to move in to your's and Xiema's new apartment and bought a wine bottle for you all to share while building furniture (class was cancelled that next morning as you all stayed up way too late laughing and sharing stories).

"Do you know I was married for a year?" he asks you, cheeks flushed red from the booze in his system as he fixed his glasses- an anxious tick. "No way, really?" you asked, leaning forwards in your seat with wide eyes as Xiema scoffed mentioning she was heading to bed as you two waved her goodbye for the night. "Yeah, high school sweetheart turned out not so... sweet. Stole all my work and designs I had yet to publish."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Evren," you say, giving him a pat on the shoulder as he shrugs, fixing his curly brown hair. "Well," he begins in a matter-of-factly tone, "I actually thanked her for doing so since I came up with a better idea the next week." You throw your head back laughing as his dry commentary, your heart racing remembering how Viktor used to talk to you like this. You face soon falls remembering the man Viktor connected himself to... Jayce.

"Hey, everything alright?" Evren's face falls, green eyes looking into yours with concern as you pull away and look distantly through the window. "Just... remembering past things," you try and move conversation, feeling anger, pain, and sadness starting to boil underneath your skin the more you think about it. "Favourite book?" Evren asks into the dead air as you look at him with relief for not asking any further questions- he seems to silently understand what you were going through internally and you were thankful for it.

"Asking all the hard questions aren't you now," you tease before burying yourself into the blankets on the couch as he throws you a pillow, "don't fall asleep on me now-" Evren begins to say seeing you ready to doze off. A wave of deja vu flashes over you and see Jayce's eyes looking into your own before blinking them away to see green again. Evren now looks exceptionally concerned, "I wasn't going to press earlier but I am worried about you, friend."

You smile at the term, something you both established at the beginning as many of the students "shipped" you two together. "I just hate that I miss him. Hate that I always check the death lists coming from Piltover- wait to see his name as they study corpse after corpse. I just feel disgusted with myself for..." you fail to continue your sentence, confused as to what to say next.

The thought of Jayce Talis made your heart race and equally ache, he made your blood boil and yet when you flipped through one of the few journals you packed, you broke down at the messages and jokes he wrote to you in the margins, you couldn't help but cry for everything you had lost. You swore to see him sometimes between the ailes of bookshelves in the library, at the market, or out of the corner of your eye. But when you would walk closer, you would either just walk right through the mist of him or just blink him away like another fleeting thought.

You were bitter towards that fact as you regretted your final moments together. You knew your feelings were in the right but looking back, you would have made the same choices that Jayce did. Trying to play into that fantasy future you both could have had for as long as possible... knowing the inevitable. Giving yourself that peace to enjoy every moment no matter how short as if nothing could come in between you both. It pained you with want just pleading with your past self to step back into that council room and just hold him, go against your pain and your anger and just have lived a little moment longer.

Evren holds out his hand and seeing that you don't take it he gently flicks the side of your head, "It's okay to be frustrated. You hate them because you loved them once, nothings wrong with working through emotions at our own pace."

"Thank you Evren... I really needed to hear that," you respond, closing your heavy eyes. "Goodnight, (name)," he whispers before you hear the door lock closed behind you for the night.

─────── · ·

─ · · Your daily schedule continued as it usually did yet today felt different and the title of todays paper only concerted that, 'councillors working together to build stronger cities'. Piltover and Zaun were combining resources to rebuild- your heart ached remembering this is what Viktor and Jayce worked so hard towards... and now they wouldn't be able to see their vision finally coming to life. Near the end of the newspaper it noted that the final list of the deceased would be out by the end of the week, and still not sights on the name Jayce Talis.

─ · · You stumbled into Evrens office later that day holding coffees for you both as you apologized for being late, the shock of the headlines still ringing through your head, "shit sorry I'm late, did you get a chance to read the news yet- its crazy I never thought this day would..." you slowly stop talking once not hearing Evren respond, hanging up your jacket over his as he stares at you, leaning against a windowsill with an apologetic look on his face before walking over and pulling you in for small hug.

You pat his back, "bad day already?" you mumble with a slight groan not looking forwards to it. You feel Evren shake his head before another voice clears their throat from behind you both. You feel as Evren jumps in your arms before he pulls away and grips your shoulders, forcing you not to look just yet. "I promise you that I had no idea, if I had I would have screened you first and this was not my choice and-"

You take a deep breath before looking over and your heart drops seeing... "Jayce?" sitting behind Evrens desk glaring at the other mans hold on you before catching your eyes and smiling anxiously. You can feel the world slow, your vision tunnelling to his smile and the shake in his hands he tries to hide by holding them together. Blinking away tears, as he slowly nods and stands, you hold out your hand, silently asking him to stay in his spot. "Am I seeing things, Ev?" you ask in a small voice, unsure.

Evren takes his time to respond, "that is Councillor Talis," he confirms before starting to move out of the room to give you both space yet you reach out and grip his hand for support. You look at Evren, "thank you, I'll be in lecture soon." He nods, giving your hand a squeeze and shuts the door softly behind himself.

"I know you must be confused but please allow me to explain-" Jayce begins before you cut him off with a heated glare. "No, Councillor Talis. You will fucking listen to me when I say you shouldn't be here after what you did to me. You said you were going to die, going to leave me, and yet you have the audacity to stand before me and plead?" You watch as Jayce's expression falls, his shoulders dropping as his head lowers apologetically, shuffling on the spot as if you kicked a puppy- your heart aches and you only become more frustrated.

"No Councillor you don't deserve to be moping around after the utter shit you pulled trying to play hero. I won't thank you, won't get on my knees and worship you- no. Do you understand how many nights I held myself sobbing to sleep, thought to see you- to hear you, desperate to feel you?" you are vibrating with anger, electricity flowing through your veins power by the passion in your heart.

"I do understand," Jayce's tone is firm, a warning to your heart for what is to come. You watch as he walks over and stands before you, his head tilting down and cocking to the side as he looks over your features distantly with dark eyes- you hate yourself for blushing.

"When I got stuck in the rune, I was forced to see your dead body before you consumed my every. waking. thought. It was your voice that called me back to you, that allowed me not to feel the pain in my leg, the ache in my ribs from starving. The thought of your touch against my body propelled by every step. I didn't stop- wouldn't stop until I knew you were safe... and you know what happened afterwards," Jayce allows a smirk to form across his features once seeing you subconsciously bite the inside of your cheek before taking a few steps back as you let out a breath you didn't know to be holding.

You walk after him as Jayce moves to leave against the desk. You stand in front of him before slapping him straight across the face. Jayce flexes his jaw, licking away the taste of iron building in his mouth. He looks back at you with wide, remorseful eyes and press lips- your blood boils, "I fucking hate your face."

"Mhmm?" Jayce hums, imploring you to continue getting your anger out. You take a step closer, standing in between his legs as you grip the lapels to his coat, knuckles turning white, "I hate that I'll always listen to everything you say and desire your touch. Hate that I still care about you, that I still want you. I hate myself! Hate my weak heart and yet I still let you have it- I fucking hate that I can't move on. Can't function a day without thinking to see you. I HATE YOU- hate that I love you, Jayce!" You punch and sob into his chest, utterly tried and longing for him to comfort you in a way no one else could as large warm palms hold you closely and tightly to his chest.

His beard tickles the top of your head, ruining your styled hair and yet you can't find it in yourself to care about anything. You feel sick with yourself for almost moaning when he kisses the side of your head and hums his apologies into your hear. You are embarrassed with yourself as you shake your face into the crook of his neck.

"I'll do anything for you to be mine again... and if you can't accept that just yet or even ever... I just want to be someone to you- just not strangers, never strangers... please," Jayce begs, squeeze your hips once feeling you starting to pull away but letting go once seeing your puffy eyes mirroring his own.

"I would say yes to everything now, Jayce. But I know that wouldn't be good for either of us knowing what happened last time," you explain as Jayce lowers his head into a nod, "I love you," he speaks softly.

"I know, I know," you respond, taking a deep breath before picking up your notes and learning material, "and thats why you are going to leave me alone for awhile... just so we both can sort though ourselves and come back with clearer minds." Jayce chuckles a little, "what part of me do you need a clearer image on, sweetheart?" he teases watching as you groan and huff your way to the door.

"Goodbye, Jayce," you twist open the doorknob only to feel a hand on your shoulder, holding your movements, "not goodbye- never again," Jayce says while looking into your eyes sternly. You raise your chin, "of course.... see you later then?" you try and say yet it comes out more like a question. Jayce smiles, your heart skips a beat, "better, see you later," he leans forwards to kiss you but ends up kiss air as you flee down the hallway smiling to yourself. Jayce sighs, watching as you turn down the hall and out of sight, back to square one.

─────── · ·

─ · · You feel bad that Evren paused the class as soon as you appeared, checking over your face and telling you to spin three times to ensure you were a-okay. The rest of the students fell into a hysteria and all you wanted was for his lesson to continue and for life to move on. "I'll beat of that councillor if you need me to miss!" "Would you ever consider going back?" "If he were ugly he wouldn't have gotten away with all of the shit he pulled!"

"Silence!" Evren ordered as everyone fell back into their seats and reopened their journals, you looked towards your friend with thanks, seating yourself beside him as you finished marking the papers before you, inputting the grades into your tables to help take your mind away. The class went by more quickly than you thought once zoning out, "how about a nice long lunch break this afternoon?" Evren asks, holding out your coat with a smile.

"Is coffee included?" you ask, offering a small smile watching as his grows, "of course it is."

─────── · ·

─ · · "So tell me, am I going to have to hire another assistant?" Evren asks, stirring the sugar in his coffee while watching your expression tick with annoyance. "I'm not jumping his bones as soon as I see him, at least not again after thinking him to be dead." Evren kicks his feet in laughter, the table jumping with the movement as you kick his shin, mumbling for your friend to, shut the hell up.

"I mean... I would jump his bones. Did you see that oxford shirt?" Evren groans, twirling his non-existent long hair as you roll your eyes. "And here I thought you had my back?"

"I do! I do, but after him threatening me... I think I questioned my sexuality-"

"WHAT?" it was your turn to yell as other cafe-goers looked between the two of you in question. You sunk down into your chair, embarrassed yet eyes demanding to know the answer as you took a sip of your coffee. Evren regretted his words not wanting to stress you out further but every time he would try and change conversation... you would only ask him again.

"Well... I think someone told him the wrong information about our relationship. I walked into my office not expecting anyone yet as I sorted through our schedule on the board and then next thing I knew a hand was being clamped down on my shoulder, the other on my hand in a tight shake..." Evren continued to recall the story of their interaction with Jayce who appeared to "size him up-" you scoffed.

"...and then he said to me," Evren lowers his tone watching as you shake your head at him, "...'I've killed gods and came back from the dead. If I hear that you've done anything against her- know that there isn't a place on this planet I won't be able to find you'."

"He said that?" you ask to confirm- Evren nods his head, chuckling, "He was so jealous saying it- I would have laughed if I wasn't so scared shitless."

"Oh god," you sigh out.

"Oh Jayce!" Evren mocks... whatever we're you going to do?

─────── · ·

─ · · It had been a few weeks since you had last seen Jayce. He had been sending flowers to your apartment with little notes attached that you kept in a box underneath your bed. Jayce also donated a very generous amount of money to your universities department and event sent service people to help fix your leaking sink and shower.

─ · · Jayce was very conscious about keeping physical space between the two of you just like you had asked. Even though it pained him listening to you talk in lecture as he stood at the back of the hall and when he stared down at the tattoo on his arm.

─ · · Everyday was a new challenge for you both not running to one another- it posed a new hurt that you both needed to feel mutually as you jotted down what you wanted out of your future the next time you both were to talk. Jayce on the other hand swirled your ring between his thumb and index finger, reminiscing on past dreams that if he waited just long enough could become his future.

─ · · Jayce always made sure to tell you when he was headed back to Piltover and for how long he would be gone since he was still needed at the Council as they rebuilt the cities and reestablished their trade routes and partners. As a parting gift, he offered you a shirt of his or left his jacket behind somewhere in your apartment when you were out a work and he visited his mother. Evren would also laugh when seeing you practically live out of the large jacket as you glared at him, daring him to say anything.

─ · · In one of his attached notes to a new pair of boots from the Zaun cobbler you liked he noted down Viktor's final words to you and worried for your letter back. You thankfully took the information well... or at least he couldn't see any tear stained pages or furiously written text, just thoughtfully exposed words in a mature understanding of the events. A part of you did wonder for a moment what a future with Viktor would have been like before realizing you both argued more than you agreed on things and the little moments you both shared were only possible because of meeting Jayce... Jayce, your heart heart longs for... and how could you refuse his affection when you wanted him just as much?

─────── · ·

─ · · A part of you was worried that your presence and relationship with Jayce was keeping him away from spending time with his mom but when you and Evren came back from the bar one night totally hammered, your drunken self was almost made sober by the shock of seeing Jayce open your front door for you once hearing you struggle with your keys.

"Had a good night there, sweetheart?" he asks in a loving and equally teasing tone as you fall into his chest, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Wow, you're really here! Hey handsome," you giggle, feeling as his back muscles flex as he holds you up in his arms. Evren mumbles something about heading into your kitchen but all your groggy mind can think about is pawing at Jayce.

You stand on your toes, trying to kiss him. Jayce remembers your words of wanting space and moves his head to the side, your soft lips fall upon his beard with a huff, "mean! I wanted to kisss you since I misss you~" you slur your words together, suddenly becoming interested in your glimmering heels in comparison to Jayce's dress shoes, "I love how much bigger you are to me, always so warm and huggable," you giggle, feeling giddy with yourself before stepping away and running after Evren, "Ev! you should really get a hug from Jayce! He gives the best hugs!"

Evren picks his head up, eyes squinting to the dim kitchen lights to look at you and Jayce who watches your every moment, hands extended and ready to catch you as you wobble on the tiled floors and towards the fridge in search of a snack, oooh apples!

You turn around, fridge slamming behind you in search of a cutting board and blade. Jayce's heart drops as he wraps his arms from behind you, gently taking the knife from you and doing the job for you.

You lean your head back, smiling softly at the man before you- touching his clenched jaw with fascination, "you trimmed your beard, it looks good."

"Thank you," Jayce smiles before presenting you the plate. Removing himself from your touch as he looks around to hide the knife from you. "Are you sober enough to get home? Or should I put a fire on in the living room?" Evren points at himself as Jayce nods, "yes, you."

"I've been sober the whole time to watch over that one," Evren points over to you as you wave cheerfully back, snacking on your apple slices and offer one to him in which he accepts. "None for me?" Jayce teases as you shake your head, "No," you state coldly. Evren laughs, "You ready to get to bed?" he asks you.

You look between Evren and Jayce, "Get your mind out of the gutter," he shoves your shoulder as you laugh, pushing Evren on his back as he pretends to stumble over into the wall, "if you start shoving me, I may just have to report you to the dean," he teases as you narrow your eyes. Jayce crosses his arms watching as you two rile one another up. "You wouldn't dare!" you point your finger in his face.

Evren puts his palms up and shrugs, "Hey, I know that you're leaving by the end of the year anyways- what difference would a few months make?" He asks looking over at Jayce expectedly.

Your gaze also turns towards Jayce, eyes softening as you fall into his side. Jayce holds your upright, thumb gently rubbing the side of your arm. "Are you saying I can't hold a grudge?" you ask, feeling as Jayce fixes your hair our of your face.

"Well, I was trying not to say it like that-" you scoff as Evren treats you with a deadpan stare looking between you and Jayce expectantly. "This means nothing right now," you say, wrapping Jayces arm around your front and playing with his fingers. Jayce stiffens staring down at you yet you look forwards- having a silent conversation with Evren who sighs, "okay, goodnight you two. I can trust you to make sure she makes it to the couch, right?"

"Of course," Jayce says, squeezing you against him for a moment as you smile and wave goodbye to your friend, listening to the door close behind him before stepping out of his touch. "Did you... really mean that?" Jayce asks, not expecting a confident answer since you still appear under the influence.

"No, just had to stick it to him," Jayce chuckles before saying something he hopes you will not remember in the morning, "I miss you, so much... I just want you back but I'll wait... forever if I have to but I'll always live with hope." You look at Jayce for a long moment before heading towards your bedroom. Jayce stands there in the kitchen wondering if you even heard him before hearing your voice whisper-shout down the hall.

"I miss you too... I just want to make sure its more than that first."

─────── · ·

─ · · In the morning you her Xiema in the kitchen, the local news radio ringing through the apartment as you groan and place a pillow over your head, I really have to start saying no to nights out, I'm getting to old for this feeling...

─ · · You startle at the sound of a knock at your door, but Xiema's in the kitchen? Jayce sighs from behind the door, gently opening the door but not looking in as he calls to you, "Morning sweetheart, my mom told me to come and wake you up. Evren wrote in saying you both were..." Jayce contains a laugh, ""sick" this morning." You mumble something incoherent that Jayce only picks up the end of, "...come here."

─ · · Jayce opens your door fully before walking over to your bedside and crouching down to look at your face as you smile at him lazily. Pulling your hand from underneath the covers to hold his cheek, feeling as he nuzzles into your touch- closing his eyes as he drinks in the moment not knowing when the next time would come... if ever, he feels his heart drop as you watch his expression become pained. Guilt gnaws at your chest as you roll yourself over underneath the covers before patting at the empty spot.

Jayce opens his eyes, eyebrow raised as if to confirm. You nod your head and extend your hands to welcome his warmth to your side, intertwining your legs together as you rest your head on his arm and press a kiss to his chin, "I love you," your murmur, not confident enough to look at him in your soberness with the confession.

Jayce gently tips your head back in his direction, his other hand massages your thigh as you hum at the feeling while looking into his eyes filled with nothing short of pure adoration, "I love you too, princess."

You swat his chest before trying to crawl away, "no! you don't get to say that!" you yell into your pillow, holding it to your face once feeling his heavy arms wrap around your torso, touch calling you back to him. "Say what? princess?" he teases, purposefully using his groggy morning voice while taking away your pillow- you kick your feet. "Stop it," you huff, hair sticking up in all positions as you sit up and glare at him watching as his arm flexes from behind his head as he looks up at you, "I love watching your cheeks flush for me."

Your jaw drops as you are at a loss for words, "Jayce-" you warn feeling your heart rapidly beating in your chest. "I love hearing my name from between your lips." You throw yourself out of bed, "and I love you in my clothes."

"This is too much now, Jayce!" you plead for mercy (though you love it) as you run out down the hall and towards the kitchen as Jayce chases after you. "Morning Xiema!" you chime watching as she turns around to see Jayce hugging you form behind with a large smile that matches her own, "Good morning to you both, now who I made a few options..."

─ · · You all sit at the kitchen table together, passing food and the coffee pot. Jayce places an arm over the back of your chair, playing with your hair as you look apologetically towards his mom who just smiles brightly seeing you both together again.

─────── · ·

─ · · A/N: thinkin' 2 more chapters? 🤔 or... idk, I love these two together so much but I don't want to over do it! 😅

─ · · SERIES MASTERLIST

─ · · JAYCE TALIS TAGLIST: @sseleniaa @sunshiines-stuff @kiromiix @todorokishoe24 @w2momo @m-arj-1 @reid490 @kaminocasey @chickenlvr123

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unhingedpolycule · 20 days ago

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What would Krueger do if Nikto hypothetically died?

I answered a very similar ask here.

I assume that you mean Nikto dies in active service… The long and short of it is basically that Krueger would just… vanish. Stashing some things that remind him of Nikto with Blaustein, who would be understanding and keep them safe for him. He would stay with Blaustein for a bit and then just leave and live his nomadic life again. Visits, longer ones when he is feeling particularly attached. In my hc, he used to go to church with Nikto on the 6th of January (Orthodox Christmas), so he makes sure to be in Poloski/Nikto’s bunker around that time of the year, going to service. Not because either of them were religious towards the end but because it makes him think of Nikto. If he has a new lover at that point, he will not tell them where he is going or why.

The bunker is his now, but even though Nikto was attached to it, Krueger isn’t really. It still hurts him to see it fall into disrepair whenever he is there, but it is also his way of grieving. Each year, there is more mould, the air is worse and bit by bit, all the systems keeping the thing up and “running” start failing.

When it is bad enough that he can not step foot in there anymore, he quietly abandons the idea of sleeping there and brings a tent. He doesn’t sleep on top of it, but he migrates into the surrounding forests where they used to camp and hunt sometimes. The first year he does this is a hard one. I could see this event putting stress on whatever relationship(-s) he had built at that point, tbh.

But for the rest of the year… he just doesn’t show it. He thinks of Nikto plenty. When he wakes up in the middle of the night and takes an evening smoke. When he is in some far away part of the world and hears random bits of Russian. When he checks in with Nikodim once or twice a year. When he thinks of a joke Nikto would have loved but now there is no one sharing that particular brand of humor.

Between niktos partners, Nikodim is more emotional at first, but in the long run, he adjusts better, leaving it behind. Realistically, him and Nikto were never meant to last. It becomes this weird thing he did in his 20s, something that ended violently and abruptly and left him to stand on his own feet all of a sudden.

To sum it up, Krueger still functions and moves on. But he is way more lonely. He misses something that made him whole and I think it takes a long time until he ceases to compare everyone to Nikto and their relationship. Until he realizes (and internalizes) that “different” doesn’t necessarily mean “worse”.

All of this would be a tad different when Nikto dies of old age and Krueger survives him. There will be a lot more peace and acceptance, especially if Nikto dies at night and he wakes up next to him and can easily get in another snuggle and some peaceful goodbye. In this case, I see him actually maintaining the bunker. Nikto would probably get buried near it, illegally that is. He would pay a pastor to do the honors and keep it hush hush. Nikto would have thought of it as funny, so its fine with Krueger. If Nikto dies of old age, Krueger wouldn’t search for anyone new. What happens happens, but out there, chances are slim. He is unused to living alone since he never had his own place but it still feels like Nikto’s. Like he is just on a trip and soon to come back home.

Its kind of sad to think that if Krueger dies in that scenario, no one would find him. For a long time. He desnt have friends nearby and it would be some time until someone notices that he is missing since he sometimes just stops texting for a few weeks. Maybe no one finds him because he never told anyone about the location of the bunker. I think, it wouldn��t even bother him that much. What does it matter is he is buried?

Nikto is close anyways.

And that’s pretty much all that matters.

#call of duty #krueger cod #krueger x nikto #nikto cod #nikto x krueger #cod nikto #sebastian krueger #cod krueger #sebastian krueger x nikto #asks #niktokrueger

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elliesappetite · 1 month ago

Text

Doctor Williams is in the house (inspired by Grey's Anatomy) - Chapter Two

FREE PALESTINE

Rating: 18+ (Age Gap - Ellie is 38, Reader is 28)

Summary: you slept with Ellie Williams after a night out. You're a surgical intern, what could possibly go wrong? (Doctor AU)

Tags: Angst if you squint, Fluff, Tension, Age Gap

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

"They said it gets easier. They never said easier still hurts."

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

You don’t sleep.

Not after the code.

Not after Dr. Miller’s cold, clinical rebuke stripped you bare in front of the trauma team. Not after the adrenaline left your system like a sucked-out tide, leaving nausea in its wake. You barely made it to the back loading bay before you doubled over, retching onto the pavement, the cold rain soaking your scrubs and washing everything away—except the guilt.

You stood there for ten minutes, maybe twenty, staring at the floodlit ambulance bay, the puddles reflecting the sky like shattered glass. But nothing could reflect what you felt. Not the shame. Not the panic. And not the pain in your chest that had a name.

Ellie.

You see her face every time you blink. That look—devastating, unreadable, like she was looking through you. Like she was watching something fall and knew she couldn’t stop it.

The word she used—go—echoes louder than a shout. She didn’t yell. She didn’t have to. It was the way she said it, clipped and final, like she was cutting a wire between you with surgical precision.

And you obeyed.

You’re not sure if it was the professional command of an attending or something more intimate, more terrifying. Something like goodbye.

You walk the halls now like a wraith, barely touching the world around you. Nurses nod with perfunctory sympathy. Fellow residents look at you too long, like they’re afraid to ask but hungrier still for gossip. You haven’t spoken to anyone but patients in hours. And even then, your voice doesn’t feel like your own.

Katie’s name is still on your lips, though.

Katie, the seventeen-year-old high school soccer star. Katie, whose vitals you were supposed to be tracking. Katie, whose monitor flatlined in front of a dozen stunned medical professionals because you missed the early signs. Katie, who’s alive because Ellie stepped in, cracked her ribs, called the code, ran the room like a war general.

You stood frozen.

And now you sit frozen, in the dim stairwell somewhere between the third and fourth floor. This place is a kind of sanctuary—forgotten, cold, full of echoes and shadows. No one comes here unless they’re desperate to escape. Your pager, miraculously still, rests on your thigh. You haven’t even bothered to wipe the rain from your face. The streaks of water could be tears and you wouldn't know the difference anymore.

You don't expect anyone to find you here.

That’s why it shocks you when the door opens with a soft, reluctant creak.

You don’t look up. Not at first. You know that presence. You feel it. It’s a kind of gravity that makes your breath catch and your spine straighten, even when you want to fold in on yourself completely.

Ellie.

You close your eyes. For a moment, you want to pretend this is a dream. That she’s just a figment of your fraying subconscious, here to scold or comfort or both.

But the door closes with a solid thunk, and when she steps closer, her boots echo on the concrete. No dream is that clear.

“I figured I’d find you here,” she says, her voice low.

You tilt your head back against the wall, letting your eyes open slowly. You don’t want to see her. And you don’t want to not see her.

“I wasn’t hiding,” you manage.

“I know,” she replies, taking a few steps down and sitting two stairs above you, just close enough that her knees nearly brush your shoulder. “Just… avoiding.”

Her coat is damp. So is her hair. She must’ve just come from the same rain that soaked you earlier, and it makes her look a little less like a goddess of vengeance and a little more like a woman who hasn’t slept either.

The silence that falls isn’t uncomfortable. It’s worse than that—it’s charged. It’s intimate. It’s full of things neither of you wants to say out loud.

“I didn’t mean to come down on you so hard earlier,” she says after a long pause. Her voice is quieter now. Gentler. “I was angry...and scared.”

“You were right,” you say immediately. You don’t want her kindness. You want honesty, and you want punishment. “I should’ve paged Miller. I froze.”

Ellie shakes her head. “No. You made a call. A hard one. And you acted. You didn’t freeze—you responded. You stayed with her. You did what you thought was right.”

“She almost died.”

“She didn’t.”

You look at her then. Really look. Her face is tired, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion and something softer—concern, maybe. Or something more dangerous.

“It felt like luck,” you whisper.

Her gaze doesn’t waver. “It wasn’t.”

The silence that returns now is different. It stretches long and deep. Like standing on the edge of something high and knowing the wind could push you forward or back. But not knowing which would hurt more.

“This thing between us,” you say, your voice catching, “it’s a line we keep pretending doesn’t exist.”

Ellie’s eyes flicker. “I know.”

“Then why are you here?”

It’s not a challenge. It’s not even a plea. It’s raw confusion, laid bare in the dark.

Her voice breaks a little. “Because I can’t keep pretending.”

You swallow hard, feeling like the floor might fall out from under you.

“I told myself,” you murmur, “if we ignored it long enough, it’d just fade away.”

“Did it?” she asks.

You shake your head. “No.”

Her eyes are locked on yours now. You want to look away but you can’t.

“I kept thinking about your face in that room,” she says. “When Katie crashed. You looked like you’d lost someone.”

“I almost did.”

She flinches at that, and suddenly she’s leaning forward, closer, her voice fraying. “And I almost lost you. That scared me more than anything else tonight.”

It breaks something open in your chest.

You exhale, shaky, trying to anchor yourself. “I can’t do this. Not with you as my attending. Not with… the way things are. People talk. People assume. One mistake and they won’t even care about the medicine.”

“I know.”

“But if it were different…”

“If it were different,” Ellie whispers, her breath ghosting across your cheek, “I’d already be kissing you again.”

Something in you snaps. Or maybe unravels.

Because one second you’re looking at her, and the next you’re moving—both of you. Like magnets. Like inevitability.

Your hand fists in the lapel of her coat. Her fingers slide into your damp hair. And then you’re kissing her, and it’s like nothing else exists.

Not the hospital. Not Katie. Not the rules. Not even the guilt.

Just Ellie.

It’s not like the first time. That first kiss had been quiet, soft, full of fear and curiosity. It had happened on a different night in a different hallway, one full of uncertain glances and too-long silences.

This kiss is nothing like that.

This kiss is violent with longing. Her mouth crashes into yours like a wave, like something that had waited too long and couldn’t bear the distance anymore. You kiss her like she’s air, like she’s warmth, like she’s the only steady thing in a world full of breaking points.

She presses you back against the wall, and you let her. Your hands roam, not in lust but in need, memorizing the weight of her, the shape, the reality. She kisses you again and again like she’s making up for lost time. Like if she kisses you enough, maybe she can undo the space between you.

You break the kiss first. Just barely. Your foreheads touch. You’re both gasping.

“If you tell me to stop,” she says, eyes closed, “I will.”

You look at her. And for the first time all night, there’s no fear. Only truth.

“I don’t want you to stop.”

And so she doesn’t.

You kiss again. Slower. Deeper. Her mouth tastes like rain and cheap hospital coffee and something else you can’t name. Something sharp and dangerous and real.

You wonder if she tastes regret on your tongue.

But it doesn’t matter. Not tonight.

Tonight, she isn’t Dr. Williams.

And you aren’t the intern who almost failed.

Tonight, you're just two people reaching for each other in the dark, in a world where everything else hurts.

You pull her closer, and for a moment, the noise of the hospital vanishes. There’s only this stairwell. Only her breath. Only the thunder of your pulse echoing in your ears.

You don’t know what comes next. Morning will arrive. People will ask questions. There will be consequences. There always are.

But right now, in this sliver of borrowed time—

You choose each other.

Even if no one else ever can.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

taglist: @urmajestyalex @liasxeatt @bready101 @nattakasuperlesbian

#free palestine #free gaza #i stand with palestine 🇵🇸#the last of us #palestine #ellie williams x reader #greys anatomy au #ellie williams #the last of us part 2 #the last of us hbo

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amphitriteswife · 2 years ago

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Teacher (and subjects) head cannons!:

(I’m from the netherlands and the school here has a different grading system. Also collage and highschool are one thing. So highschool is 4,5 or 6 years depending on which grade you get on tests and stuff in elementary so please bear with me)

Poseidon:

You would think that he would teach biology but you would be wrong. He would teach Physics or some high level math.

The type to not let anyone in after the bell rings

Doesn’t care if you end up dead in the class you will not go to the bathroom during his lesson

Stands by the door to make sure you put it in those phone pockets thingy

Gives the most homework out of all the teachers

Wears formal clothes, always. Suits, blazer, slacks ect.

You will never catch him on a bad hair day

If he catches you cheating on a test, you can say goodbye to that grade because he will give you a zero.

He does sometimes turn a blind eye if you’re on the brink of not passing and don’t choose his subject. (You do need to be on the brink. So not like a 3 or sum)

Hates electronics so he just wants everyone to use a paper and the book. No laptops.

Only talkes to some teachers like Hades and Thor

Students think he’s either the worst or just eye candy

Has won the the contest of best man titties by students

People actually ended up crying in his class and he didn’t give a damn

Sends people out 2 minutes before the time and doesn’t care if they beg.

If you have him as a substitute you can start praying because you’ll miss your regular teacher

Types with one finger if he’s on his phone (rare sight)

Checks homework. As in not just looking but actually reading your calculations.

He sometimes even grades your homework or puts them for bonuses

He sometimes reads if it’s work time and he finishes his lecture

Got drunk one time during school dance and started breakdancing. Hades was supportive and filmed it.

Hades

Teaches history

Is well with his colleagues and is well liked by students

He’s not strict with phones but please don’t use them in his class

You sometimes do work. He mostly explains and writes notes on the white board for you to write down

Is very, very passionate about certain topics. His favorites would be the world wars and the greek/ roman empire.

Is that type of teacher that you could tell anything. School, home, hobbies. He won’t mind and he’s equally interested.

Has a mentor class every year and he helps them a lot.

His class is very popular and lots of people choose his subject, so popular that people who don’t take it sometimes ask if they can stay and also follow it for fun

Almost never gives homework

He makes planners, notes, power points. Anything that may help his students.

He even lets the class watch films so that they understand it better, he usually choses for oversimplified if he needs to explain the word wars

You can eat in his class as long as you keep it clean and don’t throw stuff

Smells like rituals. Flowers. Very addictive and good. Sniff

Is present at the school dance and school parties. He helps with carrying and making sure the students don’t do stupid stuff

He doesn’t even need to discuss about his students’ grades because all his students do good in his class

Is rated to have the biggest dick by the students.

Also wears formal clothes. So like a suit, but if he crosses his legs you can see that he wears funky socks. Like a bright purple with colorful cupcakes on it or a bright blue with yellow ducks on it.

Gives extra lessons if you don’t understand.

You know how when someone asks teachers about their life? If you do that he gets so happy and explains a lot

Shows pictures of Melinoe and Zagreus from when they were babies.

He brought a 4 year old melinoe with him one time and the class played with her. If she was not playing with the students she was probably in her father’s lap.

He also shows pictures of Persephone. Every time he talks about her you can hear the love in his voice. (I’m Persephone reincarnated)

Hermes

Teaches music ofcourse

You would think that music was easy but it really isn’t. You need to able to read music notes. You get 2 tests, playing and theory.

Helps well if you need assistance with your instruments

Gives surprise tests to see if you actually did the homework

He loves and i mean looooveeees gossip

He doesn’t say much but listens when a student says something about another teacher

Handles the school musical

You actually need to put effort if you want to pass

Doesn’t take away your phone if he sees you with it. Just stares from behind on it until you notice.

doesn’t sent people out of the class, just gives them extra homework

He never, ever stops smiling. The class is being too loud? He’ll sit in his chair and simply drink his tea while glaring with a smile.

Some students find him scary because of how polite he is, because they can feel that underlying anger.

Knows how to make a student’s life miserable if they make his class unbearable.

You threw paper at him and made the class disruptive? Boom 4 chapters done by the next lesson and all the texts should be 4 times written. In cursive

He is usually seen with the principal (Zeus)

Buddha

Geography teacher

Why? Because he often travels for different kind of reasons.

Eating is allowed, as well as chewing gun

Is great with the students and most people just choose his subject because he’s chill

Doesn’t prepare lessons. He just talks and the students get it

If he does have a powerpoint he promotes his insta, tiktok and his snap

Loves to know about different cultures

Had a diss battle in his class once and almost got into trouble

Called someone emo

If you eat in his class prepare to share.

Asks people if they can bring him coffee from the teachers’ room

You cannot tell me that dawg didn’t pull up in Jordans

Is also present at the school dance and actually bribes the dg for some songs

Doesn’t really care if you skip his class. He either doesn’t care or doesn’t notice.

He too has a mentor class. He has private talks and doesn’t mind if you tell him his problems and genuinely tries to help

Doesn’t give homework unless it’s necessary.

Beelzebub

Creepy Science teacher

Got called emo by Buddha

Doesn’t hesitate to threaten students

He never cares if you don’t show up, but he will rat you out because funny

Has been detected to smile when he does weird stuff. Like cutting things open

Is always in his lab and he’s the only one who can enter with a key

Someone made a sticker of his face and the whole school used it, again he doesn’t care

Had like those weird pots with stuff in it

Doesn’t allow anyone to touch them. He does demonstrate stuff if you ask nicely

Let’s you go early but it’s not in a nice way. He’ll only do it because he doesn’t want to teach anymore for the day

Doesn’t even go to lunch, he just remains in his lab

He only goes to halloween parties

Cyberbullies people. Teachers and students included

Runs the anti *insert school* accounts

Will not care if the school burns down. He hates everyone and everything. Except Hades, because he’s cool

Doesn’t care if you eat or drink. (He may or may not have put something in it for his experiments)

‘Students are like little monsters’ is his motto. He’ll treat them like it too

If you fail his tests he’ll sometimes give you one to retake

Thank ya’ll for reading :p

I’m gonna make a part 2. I think. Maybe some with the human fighters

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vintagegeekculture · 1 year ago

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RIP Tracy Tormé, Creator of the "Holodeck Malfunction Episode" and Sliders

Tracy Tormé’s most enduring legacy in popular culture is that, while a writer on TNG’s tempestuous first and second seasons, he created the entire concept of the Holodeck Malfunction Episode.

Yes, even people who suggest you skip TNG’s first couple seasons say that “The Big Goodbye” is one you don’t want to miss. And there was a very nice tribute to Tracy Torme in an episode of Picard, which had him as the author and creator of Dixon Hill… which he is, and deserves credit for this.

I suppose I should mention I had a personal encounter with Tracy Tormé at a convention. The main thing I remember was that he looked absolutely terrified when someone asked him about what happened with “The Royale,” far and away TNG’s worst episode except the clip show, about the crew getting trapped on a hotel they can’t leave from a badly written book. To his great credit, he took responsibility for the episode not working and did not pass on the problems to the production crew.

The most extraordinary thing about Tracy Torme is that he had a Forrest Gump like ability to appear in the background of scifi culture’s greatest moments.

Not only was he inside the TNG writers’ room in 1987-88, he was around during the production of Terminator with James Cameron. Tormé was the one who, hearing about the production of the film, squealed on it to Harlan Ellison, telling Ellison that it was based on his old Outer Limits episodes, with a visual based on his script for “Demon With a Glass Hand.” In other words, he was the Gavrilo Princip who got that entire conflict started, where two of the most proud personalities in scifi butted heads, James Cameron vs. Ellison. Cameron, to this day, insists that the film company gave Ellison money and a credit because it was easier to pay him off than to go through litigation (which rings true, frankly, for risk averse production companies), and to this day Cameron insists, with his absolutely expected big dick swagger, that Ellison is a “parasite” who received money for nothing, and if it had been up to him, he wouldn’t have given him a dime.

It’s also worth mentioning that Torme also created the TV series Sliders.

Has anyone else noticed that Sliders is an incredibly right wing show? Seriously, watch it again if you haven’t seen it in years. If you haven’t watched this show since the 90s and you were a kid and all that went over your head, it’s kind of amazing how Limbaugh/Newt Gingrich era right-wing Sliders actually was. It made 24 look like Doonesbury. The targets of Sliders were 90s New Right satire: health care systems, infuriating hippies, the nanny state disallowing the public smoking of cigars, California weirdness, the drug culture, the USSR. Torme’s right wing views were less John Millius-style “blood alone moves the wheel of history” stuff, but more like that of a slobby regular joe in the 90s, Dennis Leary’s character in Demolition Man for instance, who mostly just wants to smoke cigars, ogle girls, and eat hamburgers without getting scolded by his wife. He was less “Passion of the Christ” and more “Animal House.”

I am not saying this as a negative, but merely a description. Contrary to popular belief, right wingers driven by bizarre sexual pathology and weird grudges produce amazing art, as Millius and John Swartzwelder show. A lot of Steven Universe fans love to say things like “all good art is about empathy and kindness” and I reject that notion. Good art can also be about reflecting things in the human experience like fear, trauma, cruelty, and paranoia.

For that reason, it doesn’t surprise me that Tracy Torme’s best movie script was a horror film about a traumatic experience, Fire in the Sky. An ominous movie about a vanished ranch hand who was the victim of alien abduction, in the earned finale the film’s tension builds toward, our hero remembers the true cause of his missing time: an abduction by aliens, who’s motives are emotionless and incomprehensible, and who subject him to horrific vivisection that we see in excruciating detail. Travis Walton is treated not with sadism or cruelty, but with icy detachment, by alien superintellects that view him as no different than cattle, and are to him as we are to cattle. The most terrifying detail of the film is that the classic “gray alien” look turns out to be spacesuits, revealing a far more frightening appearance underneath.

#tracy torme #tng #sliders #terminator

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cyren-myadd · 1 year ago

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Can you write a snippet of Quaritch following through with his version of “an old school ass whipping”

Nothing too serious because I don’t think he’d abuse Spider but I do think he’d be the type of parent to resort to physical discipline if pushed enough.

In the exchange between him and Spider, Spider does not seemed alarmed with fear and is actually a little cheeky. I think he’s used to adults just letting him get away with things.

I think it’s be interesting to read Spider’s reaction to an adult/authority figure disciplining him (whether physical or some other punishment) for not following instructions rather than just checking to see if he has not been harmed.

It doesn’t have to relate to him running off which is where Quaritch uses the threat. It could be anything.

Okay, so I know you requested me to write about Quaritch disciplining Spider, but I’ve seen that explored a bunch of times before, and honestly, after what I wrote in Blood Is Thicker Than Water, I’ve kind of gotten a bad taste in my mouth for writing disciplinary scenes involving Quaritch. Idk why, but your ask gave me inspiration for a scene of Jake disciplining Spider instead, and it ended up taking a pretty different direction than your request. Sorry that this isn’t exactly what you requested, but I wanted to write something that I haven’t seen explored by other writers before, so I hope you still enjoy it!

Lucky Number Five (6k words)

One.

Two.

Three.

Jake counted the children in the marui, and then he counted them again. Tuk napped in the back corner of their home, nestled among her blankets. That was one. Lo’ak stood at the entrance of the marui, waving goodbye to Tsireya. That brought the count up to two. In the center, by the cookfire, Kiri helped Neytiri chop fish and vegetables for a stew. That made three.

It had been a week since the battle at Three Brothers Rock, but Jake still had to bite back the instinct to look for number four. His heart told him to count again; told him that if he checked just one more time he would see Neteyam tucking the blankets tighter around Tuk, or playfully teasing Lo’ak, or asking Neytiri if she needed any more help with dinner, but his mind knew better than his heart. No matter how many times he counted, there would never be a number four.

However, he was still missing a number. Jake didn’t know when exactly he started doing this, but at some point in his parenting career, he’d assigned a number to each of his children, and that number was the order in which he would always check on them based on the likelihood that they would need adult supervision. Maybe it was just his way of keeping track of so many kids, or maybe it was some leftover instinct to “sound off” from his Marine days. Whatever the case, the system worked for him. As the youngest and most delicate, Tuk was always the first child he checked on. Coming in second place was Lo’ak, the resident trouble-maker. Number three was Kiri, more responsible than Lo’ak, but still prone to making trouble of her own on occasion. Neteyam, as the oldest and most mature of the bunch, was number four, the last child he checked on because he was the least likely to be in trouble.

One, two, three, four. Jake had sounded off the mental count thousands of times over the years whenever he needed to make sure all of his children were accounted for. But the count didn’t always stop there. Sometimes, not most of the time, but sometimes there was a fifth child on the list, tacked onto the end more out of courtesy than anything.

Jake counted again just to be sure.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Number five was missing.

“Where’s Spider?” He asked the question so suddenly, that it startled everyone. Tuk peered out sleepily from her blankets, and Kiri and Neytiri gave him confused looks from across the cookfire.

“Huh?” Asked Lo’ak as he came to sit down next to Tuk.

“I asked where Spider is. I told all of you to be back home before sundown. It’s almost dark, so where is he?” He directed his question at Kiri, figuring she would be the most likely to know, but all she did was shrug.

“I haven’t seen him since this morning. I’ve been helping Mom and Ronal in the healing marui. I think he said he was going to help Lo’ak with his chores.” She said before turning her attention back to chopping vegetables.

The casual way she answered the question irritated Jake. If Spider wasn’t back by now, it either meant he was willingly disobeying Jake or he was in some kind of trouble. Why was Kiri acting like it was no big deal? His tail started to twitch in frustration as he rounded on Lo’ak. “Have you seen Spider?”

His question came out harsher than he intended it to, making Lo’ak jump slightly. “Uh… yeah, I hung out with him earlier, but he went off with Rotxo in the afternoon. I think he was gonna teach him to spearfish or something?”

“You think?” Jake repeated exasperatedly.

“I dunno, I wasn’t really paying attention.” Lo’ak said, sheepishly playing with the beads on the ends of his braids.

“Yeah, cause you were too busy looking at Tsireyaaa—“ Tuk giggled in a singsong voice.

Lo’ak threw a blanket at her. “I was not!”

An irritated huff left Jake’s lips as he got to his feet. “I’m going to go find him.”

“Ma Jake,” Neytiri’s voice stopped him in his tracks, “dinner is almost ready. Stay and eat with your family. I’m sure the boy is fine.”

“No, I told everyone to be back here before sundown. It’s sundown and he’s not here, so it’s not fine.” Before Neytiri could get another word in, he left the marui, tail lashing behind him with anxiety.

He rushed through the peaceful village, passing Reef Na’vi settling into their homes for the night. The setting sun painted the sky a deep orange, and a chorus of insects created a soothing symphony for the evening. Everything was so calm, surely nothing was really wrong, right? Despite what he tried to tell himself, images of Spider hurt or dead kept flashing through his mind. He was so consumed with his worries that he nearly ran right into Rotxo.

“Oh! Hi, Jake!” Rotxo greeted him cheerfully once he recovered from nearly losing his balance.

“Rotxo, sorry, didn’t see you there. Have you seen Spider?”

“Yeah, I was teaching him how to spearfish by the diving hole. I think he’s still there—“ Rotxo had barely finished pointing in the direction of the diving hole before Jake was off, making a beeline for it.

The longer it took to reach the hole, the faster he went, so he was practically sprinting by the time he reached it. Jake skidded to a stop on the rocky edge of the hole, startling a few small marine ikran into flight. He frantically looked around for any sign of Spider, but the whole place was deserted. The hole was dead still except for the steady undulations of bioluminescent seaweed dancing in the current, and the swaying of the mangrove branches up above. All he could hear was the gentle sound of waves lapping against rock and the occasional cry of a marine ikran. No sign of number five.

“Dammit!” Jake hissed under his breath. His ears flattened against his skull and his tail thrashed like an angry snake. Now he didn’t know what to do. None of the other children seemed to have any idea where Spider was and Rotxo was his last lead. Awa’atlu’s atoll was a massive area full of hiding places, and Spider was one little human. He could be anywhere.

Just before he made up his mind to start searching somewhere else, a soft sound drew his attention. Down the side of the hole directly to his left, a familiar dreadlocked head surfaced amongst the bioluminescent seaweed.

“Spider!” He called, sprinting across the rocks towards him.

At the sound of his name, Spider turned. Underneath the sheen of his mask, his face split into a wide grin and he started swimming to meet him, a child-sized Metkayina speargun in his hand. “Hey, Jake! What’s up?”

Jake knelt on the edge of sea rock and hauled Spider out of the water by the strap of his exopack as soon as he was in reach. He quickly checked Spider over for any sign of injury or damage to his equipment. As far as he could tell, there was none.

“You alright? Where the hell have you been?”

Spider’s grin faded as he took in the panic in Jake’s body language. “Yeah, I’m fine, I was just practicing the spearfishing stuff Rotxo taught me.”

Jake’s shoulders sagged and he let out a deep sigh as a surge of relief overwhelmed him. It lasted for a grand total of five seconds before it was replaced by a rush of anger. He hadn’t been this scared and angry since Lo’ak had gotten lost beyond the reef.

Jake seized Spider by the shoulders and shook him. His voice came out in a low snarl. “What the hell is the matter with you, boy? Have you just been fucking around out here this whole time?”

Spider’s eyes went wide and he tried to recoil, but Jake’s grip was too tight. “Jake, I— wait— did something happen?”

“You almost gave me a heart attack, that’s what happened!” Jake snapped as he got to his feet.

“Jeez, relax, I’m fine, see? Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Spider said as he gathered up his speargun and stood. Before Jake could get another word in, Spider turned on his heel and started walking away.

Jake’s ears went flat against his skull in a mix of shock and anger at the blatant disrespect. Not even Lo’ak in his most rebellious mood would dare to walk away from him when he was being scolded. It took a lot of effort to keep his voice level. “And where do you think you’re going, young man?”

Spider stopped and glanced back at Jake with a bewildered look on his face. “I’m getting back in so I can keep spearfishing?”

Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, are you now?”

“Yeah?”

“And what about dinner?”

“I’ll eat later.”

“And when were you planning to go to bed, huh?”

Spider shrugged. “I dunno. Whenever I guess.”

Without another word, he turned his back on Jake again and got ready to dive into the water. The sheer disrespect almost made Jake laugh. He ended up hissing through his teeth instead. “Get your ass back over here. Now.”

Before Spider had a chance to disobey him again, Jake crossed the distance he had put between them in a single step and seized him by the arm.

“Jake, what—“

“I don’t want to hear it.” Jake cut him off by roughly steering him in the direction of home with a firm hand on his shoulder. The action was familiar to him. He’d done it to Lo’ak a hundred times after his troublemaking escapades. In fact, he was already mentally planning the lecture and accompanying punishment for disobedience he’d give to Spider once they got home. It was going to be nearly identical to the one he’d given Lo’ak after he’d scared everyone by getting lost outside the reef. Maybe Spider’s attitude would improve after a day of being stuck inside the marui doing chores. “You’re gonna march your butt back to the marui and—“

His eyes widened in surprise when Spider jerked his shoulder out of his grip and twisted away from him.

“Get the hell off me!” Spider yelled. He backed away from Jake, one hand covering the shoulder he had grabbed.

For a moment, all Jake could do was stare at him in shock, mouth slightly ajar. Then he closed it, tightening it into a sharp, angry line. Never in all his years as a parent had one of his children dared to use such language at him, especially not when they were already in trouble. “What did you just say to me, boy?”

“I told you to get the hell off me.” Spider repeated boldly, heedless of the hole he was digging himself into.

“Alright, that’s it!” Jake stormed towards Spider with a snarl. “I was gonna go easy on you, but since you want to have an attitude, we can do this the hard way.”

Spider scurried back to stay out of reach, but his retreat wasn’t a sign of submissiveness. If anything, Spider puffed up just as angrily as Jake. He hopped up onto a nearby mangrove root so he could better look him in the eye. “Attitude? I’m just minding my own business and you’re all pissy at me for some reason!”

“Minding your own business?” Jake repeated with a scoff. Even when Lo’ak got in trouble he had the sense to own up to it instead of lying about it. He jabbed an accusatory finger towards Spider’s chest. “You know damn well what you’re doing. I don’t know why you think you get to stay out past curfew all of a sudden, but the rules haven’t changed just ‘cause we left the forest.”

Spider threw his hands up in frustration. “Bro, what are you talking about?”

“Playing dumb isn’t going to help you! You’re out past your curfew and there’s going to be consequences.”

“What fucking curfew?” Spider yelled so loudly that it made Jake recoil. His voice cracked hard mid-sentence, and Jake suddenly realized that the tone he’d mistaken for disrespectful was actually scared and confused.

Jake's first instinct was to yell right back, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. He put his hands up in a calming gesture, and when he finally spoke, he managed to keep his voice civil. “Spider, this morning I told you and Lo’ak and Kiri to come back before sundown, remember?”

Spider’s brows knit together in confusion. He was still on edge, but he relaxed slightly at seeing Jake calm down. “You told Lo’ak and Kiri to come back. You didn’t say it to me.”

“Spider,” Jake had to take another calming breath to keep from losing his cool again. He couldn’t tell if this was genuine confusion or some bizarre attempt to get out of trouble, but either way he figured more yelling wouldn’t solve the situation. “You were standing right between Lo’ak and Kiri when I said it. Why would you think I wasn’t saying it to you too?”

“Why would I think you were? I’m not one of your kids.”

“I— well— no, you’re not, but you still have to follow the rules. Back when you lived in Hell’s Gate with the McCoskers, could you just wander off whenever you felt like it?”

Spider squinted at him in confusion. “Uh… yeah, I could? I did that all the time.”

Now it was Jake’s turn to squint. “You didn’t have a curfew with the McCoskers?”

“I mean, maybe when I was like, really little, but not that I can remember, no. And besides, I haven’t lived with the McCoskers since the RDA came back, remember? It’s been almost two years since then.”

For a moment, Jake was almost stunned into silence, but he recovered from his surprise and changed tactics. “Okay, forget the McCoskers. Think about when we lived in High Camp. You had a curfew then.”

“No, your kids had a curfew, but I didn’t. Don’t you remember how Lo’ak was always jealous?”

“I—” Jake frowned. Now that Spider mentioned it, he vaguely remembered Lo’ak begging Jake to extend his curfew because of something to do with Spider. “But Norm and Max and everyone, they made sure you got home and ate dinner before dark, right?”

“Norm and Max were always super busy. It’s really hard to keep human life support running out there. They didn’t have time to babysit me; they had to keep the lights on.” Spider shrugged like it was no big deal. He must’ve noticed the shocked look on Jake’s face because he quickly added. “Jake, relax. I’m a tough kid, remember? I know how to get my own dinner and I know when to go to sleep. I was fine.”

“Oh, Eywa…” The realization finally hit Jake. Spider’s confusion was one hundred percent genuine; he really didn’t understand why Jake was angry at him for staying out at night. Jake pressed his hands to his lips and took another deep breath. He sat down on the mangrove root and patted the spot next to him. Spider still looked a little nervous, but he sat down next to Jake anyway. His legs were far too short to reach the sandy ground below, so they swung in the air halfway down Jake’s calves, making him look much younger than he was.

“Spider,” Jake began. He put a hand on Spider’s shoulder and turned him so they were face to face, “you’re not one of my kids, but while we stay in Awa’atlu, you’re living in our marui. That means I’m responsible for you just like I’m responsible for Lo’ak, Kiri, and Tuk. So you have to follow the rules— that includes the curfew.”

Spider made a face. “I really have to have a curfew now? But why?”

“The same reason Kiri and Lo’ak and Aonung and Rotxo and every other kid has a curfew. It’s to keep you safe. If you don’t come back at sundown, I won’t know where you are or if something bad happened to you.” Jake ruffled Spider’s hair the same way he did to Lo’ak all the time.

“Nothing bad’s gonna happen to me,” Spider shoved his hand off with a scoff. “I can take care of myself. I never had a curfew before. Why do I gotta have one now?”

Jake's patience started to wear thin again. His irritation started to leak into his voice. “Because I said so, that’s why.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“You do not speak that way to me, young man.” Jake scolded.

Spider shrunk under the reprimand, but still held his ground. “Well, it is…”

Jake threw his hands up in exasperation. “What is so important that you need to stay out at night anyway, huh?”

“Uh, food? You know, that thing I need to survive?” Spider drawled with so much venomous sarcasm that for a split second Jake felt like he was talking to his father instead. “Do you think I’m out here freezing my butt off for fun? I’m trying to catch some dinner. I know it’s been awhile since you were human, but remember that humans need to eat too.”

“Alright, first of all, lose the attitude, kid.” Jake snapped. “Second of all, what are you talking about? Food? We have food at home. Neytiri made dinner for everyone.”

An ugly sound that was half-scoff, half-laugh escaped Spider’s throat. “No. Ms. Sully made food for your family. Not for me.”

“Spider, is that what this is about?” Jake’s voice softened slightly with pity. “Neytiri? Listen, I know things are… complicated right now, but Neytiri doesn’t mind if you eat what she cooked.”

“Oh, I bet she’d love it if I ate some of her cooking,” Spider said bitterly. Seeing the confused look on Jake’s face, he added, “she never cooks things humans can eat. This morning Kiri warned me she was making pincer fish stew. Do you know how toxic pincer fish are to humans? If I ate it I’d probably puke my own brains out.”

Jake cringed. “Oh… I’m sorry, kiddo, I didn’t realize she was making something that would hurt you. Why didn’t you say something?”

“Why would I? It’s not the first time she’s cooked poisonous food when she knows I’m staying for dinner.”

“Don’t talk like that. Neytiri wouldn’t do that on purpose. She’s just been so distracted since… since everything. I promise it was just a mistake.”

“Yeah, a mistake.” Spider scoffed. “Maybe it was this time, but didn’t you ever notice that every time she heard me, Kiri, and Lo’ak were planning a sleepover that she’d make something I couldn’t eat? It’s not like she’s in the habit of making human-friendly food.”

“What— no, but that’s not—“ Jake spluttered as he tried to think of a rebuttal, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t. Since they’d gotten Spider back, all their meals were sympathy gifts from the Metkayina or were prepared by Jake. Neytiri had been too bereaved to cook, so Jake had picked up the slack. Tonight was the first night she’d cooked since the battle. Even thinking back further, back to when they lived in the forest, Jake couldn’t recall a time Spider had stayed over for dinner when Neytiri cooked. It was always when Jake cooked or when they ate a feast prepared by the clan.

Now that he was really thinking about it, he vaguely remembered an ugly argument between Kiri and Neytiri that had happened a long time ago: Kiri accused Neytiri of cooking food that was poisonous for humans on purpose so Spider couldn’t spend the night with them, and Neytiri argued back that it was too hard for her to modify every recipe she knew to make it human-friendly.

“Okay, maybe she did do that, but that was before. She always knew you could get food from somewhere else. Things are different now. Today really was just a mistake.” Jake tried to get Spider to look at him, but Spider stubbornly kept his head down and let his thick locs hide his face.

“Yeah, whatever. Can I go now? If I don’t catch a fish soon I’m gonna go hungry tonight.” Spider started to slide off the root they sat on.

Before he could slink out of reach, Jake grabbed him by the shoulders. He knelt on the hard sandy ground in front of him so they were face to face. “Haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve been saying? You’re coming home with me. Now. I’ll let breaking curfew slide just this once since you didn’t understand the rules, but this is the last time you’re going out by yourself at night. If I ever catch you breaking curfew again, you’re gonna be grounded, you read me?”

“What? But how am I supposed to feed myself?” Spider cried. There was so much genuine panic in his voice that it made Jake cringe with guilt. Did Spider seriously think he would let him starve? “During the day I have to help everyone out with the chores. I won’t have enough time to find food if—“

“Spider!” Jake cut him off with a gentle squeeze to his shoulders. Once he was sure he had Spider’s full attention, he continued in a slow, clear voice. “Look, here’s the deal, kid: as long as you live under my roof and follow my rules, I will make sure you have plenty of food. You don’t have to hunt for yourself after dark. From now on, you will come back home and eat dinner with us every night before sundown. How’s that sound?”

Spider stayed quiet for a long moment, a furrow in his brow. Jake gave him a reassuring, fatherly smile, the same smile that always seemed to help his children when they were scared. He hoped that Spider was finally getting it. After a long moment of hard thought, Spider shook his head and said, “no thank you.”

Jake stared at him incredulously. “What do you mean, no thank you?”

“I mean, I’m good.” Spider grabbed Jake’s oversized hands and carefully peeled them off his shoulders. “That whole deal thing you’re offering me? No thanks. I’d rather keep my freedom.”

He tried to slink away again, but Jake stopped him with a hand on his wrist. “Spider, the deal isn’t optional.”

“So you’re forcing me to follow this stupid curfew?” Spider tried to twist out of his grip, but Jake wasn’t budging. “What? Like a prisoner or something?”

“A prisoner? Jesus, Spider, I’m not imprisoning you, I’m taking care of you! Why can’t you just—” Jake cut himself off. He was going to ask Spider why he couldn’t just trust him, but considering everything they’d just talked about, it felt stupid to ask him to do that. With a deep sigh, he gently took both of Spider’s hands and lightly squeezed them.

“Okay, look at it this way. Lo’ak and Kiri have a curfew too. Why do you think they have a curfew?”

Spider stopped trying to squirm away from him, but he wouldn’t look him in the eyes either. He kept his gaze on the ground, where he nudged a small rock with his toe. His begrudging answer came after a moment, “so you know that they’re safe.”

“Yep, that’s right. We give our kids curfews because we love them.” Jake nodded. “A curfew isn’t a punishment. It’s just a rule to keep you kids safe.”

Spider kicked the rock, sending it flying into the diving hole with a small splash. He still wouldn’t look at Jake. “I’m not a kid. I’m older than Kiri and Lo’ak. I don’t need this stupid rule to stay safe.”

“Yes, you do. You’re sixteen. Sixteen-year-olds have curfews.”

Suddenly, Spider looked up at him, his dark eyes shining with an emotion Jake couldn’t identify. “So why didn’t I have a curfew when I was fifteen? Or fourteen? Or— hell, I don’t think I’ve had one since I was like ten. You say that kids need curfews, but I never had one. And it was fine. If it wasn’t fine, you and Norm and everybody wouldn’t have let it happen. So it was fine, right?”

Jake’s ears twitched downwards and it became a struggle to hold Spider’s gaze. The strange look in his eyes was almost pleading, silently begging Jake to confirm what he’d said; that it was perfectly fine that all the adults had let a teenager run around with no guardian looking after him. Jake licked his lips. It would be easy to agree with him; just tell him that the way he’d been treated was fine and come up with some bullshit excuse for why things had to change now. Spider had always gotten enough food and rest; it wasn’t like he was wasting away while the adults ignored him. Sure, he didn’t have anyone looking out for him the way Jake and Neytiri looked out for their children, but there was a war going on. They had bigger things to worry about. Spider wasn’t their problem.

It was fine, right?

“No.” When Jake finally answered, he couldn’t look Spider in the eyes. He kept his gaze trained on the stony ground beneath his knees. “No, Spider, it wasn’t fine. A kid’s not supposed to live like that. A kid’s supposed to have somebody making sure they come home and eat dinner and go to bed every night. You shouldn’t have had to look out for yourself like that.”

In the edges of his vision, he saw Spider’s dreadlocks sway as he shook his head. “No, it was fine. I was fine. I mean, I always knew I wasn’t treated the same as the other kids, but it wasn’t like it was bad or anything. Kiri and Lo’ak and Tuk are your responsibility, ‘cause you’re their parents. I don’t have parents, so I’m nobody’s responsibility. It wouldn’t be fair to make somebody else look after me when it wasn’t their fault I was stuck there.”

Hearing Spider frantically try to rationalize his treatment only made Jake feel worse. He shrunk into himself as Spider continued.

“That’s just how the world works. You know, like, if something ever happened to you and Neytiri, Lo’ak and Kiri would have to look out for themselves too, ‘cause it wouldn’t be fair to make somebody else have to look after them.”

“No! Eywa, no, Spider! That’s not how this works!” Jake cried. Just the thought of his children living like Spider —having no one waiting on them to come home at night, staying out late to get food for themselves because they couldn’t count on anyone else to feed them— was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. “It doesn’t matter if a kid doesn’t have parents. They still need somebody taking care of them. That’s why you had your foster parents.”

“Yeah, I guess I needed them when I was little, but I pretty much just slept in the same house as them by the time I was, like, ten or so. And they’re long gone by now. I was fine without anybody looking out for me for the past year and a half. You don’t need to start now.”

“Spider, I was…” Jake hesitated, struggling to find the right words. He forced himself to look Spider in the eyes. “I was wrong, okay. I was Olo’eyktan. When your foster family abandoned you, I should’ve done something— should’ve appointed somebody or— or I don’t know. I just shouldn’t have done nothing.”

“Jake, I was fine.” Spider protested weakly.

“No, you weren’t. Not if you think it’s normal to get food all by yourself at night.”

“It’s not?”

“No! Jesus, if something ever happened to me and Neytiri,” Jake’s voice cracked with emotion at the thought, “I would never want my kids to live like this— so it’s not right to let you live like this either.”

“Jake,” Spider seemed taken aback by the emotion in his voice. “It’s okay.”

“No, kiddo, it’s not. But I’m gonna make it okay now.” He got to his feet and held a hand out to Spider. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Instead of taking his hand, Spider backed away. His eyes darted between Jake’s hand and the spearfish he’d left lying near the edge of the diving hole. The wind picked up ever so slightly, and Jake caught a whiff of the human stench of fear coming off of Spider. He frowned. Did the thought of letting himself be dependent on Jake scare him that badly?

“Look, Jake, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think it’s better if things stay the same as they’ve always been.”

Jake’s frown deepened. “What? Do you want to be out here in the dark catching food by yourself?”

Spider grimaced. “Not really, but I just think it’s for the best. It’s really nice of you to offer to take care of me, but I know how the world works. You can make promises now, when things are peaceful, but they won’t stay peaceful forever. Once things get tough again, you’re going to put your family first. I’d rather keep taking care of myself so that when things do get tough again, I’ll already be used to it.”

Jake didn’t know what to say to that. The diving hole went silent save for the waves lapping at the rock below and the occasional hiss of his exopack. Alpha Centauri had long since sunk below the horizon, leaving them illuminated by the soft blue light of Polyphemus and his moons. Spider took his silence as an answer. He knelt and scooped up his child-size speargun before turning back towards the water.

“I’m sorry I scared you today, but just forget about the curfew thing, okay? I can take care of myself.”

The breeze picked up, sending another wave of human-fear towards Jake’s nose. Spider was doing a good job of hiding it, but he really was scared. It reminded him uncomfortably of people he’d known back on Earth— people who had been let down so many times that the thought of trusting someone else to care for them was terrifying. If you give someone the power to feed you, you give them the power to starve you, someone had told him when he decided to join the Marines. The Marine Corp kept him fed as long as he was an able-bodied soldier, but the minute that changed, they’d let him starve. Clearly, Spider thought he would end up starving too if he let Jake have the power to feed him. Jake had to prove to him that he meant what he said. Empty promises wouldn’t be enough.

“Spider, wait,” he called just before Spider could jump into the water. Spider looked back at him warily.

Slowly, telegraphing his movements so Spider could clearly see what he was doing, he unsheathed his knife and held it up to his dreads. Spider’s eyes widened as he carefully severed a lock of his hair.

“Jake, what are you doing? You don’t have to—”

“No. I wasn’t just making an empty promise. I’m going to take care of you from now on.” He approached Spider and knelt so they were on the same level again, and offered the lock of hair towards him. “I want to take you on as my mll’an’eveng.”

“Mll’an’eveng,” Spider echoed, staring at the hair in disbelief. It was rare a Na’vi custom done whenever a child ended up orphaned and was too old for parental tsaheylu with adoptive parents. To the Na’vi, if a child and adult never made the parental bond in infancy, then they could never truly be child and parent, but they had an exception for children who were orphaned later in life, after they’d already established a parental bond with their birth parents. Taking in a child as mll’an’eveng wasn’t the same as adoption, but it was more like a wardship or foster home, acknowledging that the child had already bonded with other parents and their new ones could never replace that bond. An adult would be bound to take care of a mll’an’eveng with steep consequences if they failed, just like there would be consequences for neglecting their own child.

“But I’m human—” Spider protested.

“I don’t care. We don’t need tsaheylu to make you my mll’an’eveng.”

“Neytiri won’t—”

“Let me worry about her.”

“Jake, I don’t know…” Spider put a hand to his own hair and wove his fingers through it anxiously.

“It’s your choice whether you want to do this or not,” Jake said, “but no matter what your answer is, I’m still going to watch out for you. I just want to prove to you that I mean it.”

Spider’s fingers knotted so tightly in his locks that it looked painful. The stench of fear was so strong that Jake didn’t need the breeze to smell it coming off of him. Jake was just about to take his lock of hair back when Spider suddenly moved. He slipped his own small knife from its sheath and sliced off a dreadlock. With slightly trembling fingers, he handed it to Jake.

The two locks of hair rested in his giant blue palm, one smooth, neat, and uniform black, the other uneven, unkempt and mottled in shades of bronze. With all the solemnity of any other Na’vi ritual, Jake took the two locks of hair and wound them around each other, joining them into one strand. Jake then used some stray string stowed away in his loincloth pouch to tie the strand around his wrist. As per the custom of the mll’an’eveng ritual, Jake would wear the hair on his wrist for the next four days as a visible declaration of wardship over Spider for all to see.

Spider let out a heavy breath as Jake finished tying the hair to his wrist, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His bottom lip trembled and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut to fight back tears.

“Hey, it’s okay, bud. C’mere.” Jake pulled Spider into a hug, letting him bury the smooth surface of his mask into the crook of Jake’s neck.

“I’m not crying.” Spider mumbled into his shoulder.

Jake tried not to laugh as he patted him on the back. “Of course not.” He gave Spider a minute to pull himself together before giving him one last squeeze and standing up.

“Alright. Are you ready to go home now?” He offered his hand.

Small, pale fingers slipped between large, blue ones. “Yeah, I am.”

Na'vi Vocab:

Mll’an: to accept

‘Eveng: a child

I combined these two words together to create “Mll’an’eveng” or “accepted child,” a Na’vi term for a child an adult is accepting as their responsibility, but not formally adopting, similar to a ward or a foster kid. This is not canon lore, just something I made up for this one-shot.

💙Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments and reblogs, and if you want to see more from me, feel free to send me a prompt in my ask box 💙

#cyren myadd writes #avatar the way of water #avatar the way of traumatizing spider #avatar spider #avatar #atwow #spider socorro #avatar jake sully #jake sully #spider soccoro sully

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imaginejamesandsirius · 9 months ago

Note

Regulus is younger than canon, and Sirius is finally promoted to run away from home after he comes home in 1975 and finds his brother covered in bruises and discovers their mother had used the cruciatus on him. He turns up at the Potter’s with no prior warning with a six year-old Regulus in tow.

Established James/Sirius, lots of hurt/comfort and angst, and Regulus is adorable and Sirius will do literally anything for his baby brother.

((A/N: Warning for non-specific child abuse in keeping with the prompt))

"Hey. How are things at the death house?"

Sirius snorts. "This isn't the death house, this is the grim house. Death house is over in Wales, I'm afraid."

"Ah, my mistake. It's easy to get confused when your father died so recently; you understand."

Sirius should maybe not find that funny, considering how recently that death was. But his father was a distant figure at best, and at most realistic, a weird hermit that sometimes showed up during the winter hols to state that Sirius was bigger than before. He laughs, then glances over his shoulder to make sure his mum didn't hear that-- all clear. He looks back to the mirror. "It's fine. Well," he corrects a moment later, "it's weird. Mum's been acting so strange, and I swear, it's as if Regulus doesn't even exist. He's six. I remember being noticeable at six, but I never see him running around or yelling or anything I did at that age."

"Maybe he's just a quiet child. I've heard they exist," James grins.

"We're Black's. Making a scene is in our blood."

"He's got time to learn. And it's only been a day. Maybe he's intimidated by you or something. How's your mum acting weird, anyway? Is it because you didn't go to the funeral?"

"I dunno." That would be a plausible explanation, but he's not sure that's it. She sent a Howler when he didn't show, and that's usually enough to get it out of her system. Sirius chews on his lip as he tries to think of an example. "Just off. Like when you tell a joke and they do laugh but there's a pause that shouldn't be there. It's not something you can put your finger on, but you can sense it."

"I think I know what you mean, but your mother is kind of always like that to me." His head turns, listening to something Sirius can't catch, then he's waving goodbye. "Mum's calling me, got to go. Remember to ask your mum when you can come spend the night. I miss you."

"I'll ask her first thing. Love you."

"Love you too." James presses a smacking kiss to the mirror that makes Sirius laugh, and then he's gone.

Sirius heads to his room and cleans up a bit. Merlin, did his mum tell Kreacher to not clean his room while he was at Hogwarts? He didn't pay it any mind last night because he was tired, but there's a layer of dust that shouldn't be here. Come to think of it, Kreacher didn't make dinner last night, either. Has he seen Kreacher at all since he's been back? There's no way he died; Mother would've been more upset about that than her husband, and he would've heard about it.

What probably happened is that she got pissed when Sirius told her where she could shove her plans for his future and told Kreacher to not do things for him. It would explain the room, and if he's not supposed to do things for Sirius, then avoiding him is the best route. Damn it. That does sound like something she'd do. Sirius sighs and settles in for a deeper clean than he planned, because who knows how long it's been?

His housekeeping spells are a bit shoddy but he does alright. He unpacks, switches out the photo in the picture frame by his bed. It goes from one photo of him and James to a different photo of him and James. The pictures look so similar, he notes. They took it at the same part of Hogwarts, but it hadn't been on purpose, so there's the same archway, flowers, even the same family of birds. The only thing that looks different about it is the signs of aging, losing just that more baby fat and getting taller. Their smiles are the same, though.

"Oh shit," he says after seeing the time. He almost missed dinner.

Or at least that's what he thought until he gets downstairs and doesn't see anyone. Nothing on the table, no one in the seats. "Mum? Regulus? Mum?" Nothing. "Kreacher?" Still nothing. He frowns. That's odd. "Mum?" he calls again, checking the sitting room. When he finds no one, he throws up his hands. Guess it's just him for dinner. He heads to the basement-- that's where the good stuff is. A nice cut of meat, a bottle of wine...

He opens the door, and there's the nearly imperceptible pop of a silencing charm being broken followed by screams. "What the-" Sirius races down the stairs, eyes widening in horror at what he sees. Between one breath and the next, his wand is in his hand and he stuns his mother. She collapses, the spell lifting off Regulus simultaneously. Regulus is gasping for breath, the effort interrupted too often with sobs and whines of pain. "It's okay, it's okay," Sirius promises, although he doesn't know how it's going to be okay since their mother seems to have lost her fucking mind and there's no one here for him to ask for help.

When Sirius picks him up, Regulus clings to him, small hands fisted in his robes with a strength he shouldn't have. He figures that out when he tries to put Regulus down so he can re-pack what he just unpacked and can't get him free. There's no time to find a better solution, so he shifts to holding him with one arm and has his wand in the other. It's a hack-job of packing, but his room is in his bag, and that's what's important. He goes to Regulus's room-- in a poor state of disrepair, really what happened to Kreacher?-- and does the same there.

Regulus's tears are silent now, but there's still the occasional gasp of pain as Sirius moves. This is more than the Cruciatus Curse at work. He needs a healer, but Sirius can hardly show up at St. Mungo's like this. He's not an adult, and Regulus is so young that they'd insist on calling Walburga in which would just make matters worse. He needs- James. Yes, that's true, he needs James. James is good at healing spells and knows more of them than Sirius does, and although he never planned on taking the Potter's up on their offer, they'd long since told Sirius that he was welcome there anytime.

He isn't looking forward to going through the floo holding someone, but he doesn't have a lot of options right now. Regulus is too shaken to use the floo on his own, and he won't let go of Sirius to try.

He grabs a handful of floo powder, steps inside... and then is ejected back into the room at Grimmauld Place. "Bugger," he mutters. Mum must've closed the floo. Why would she do that? It made no bloody sense- but then he can't expect her to make sense at all right now, since hurting Regulus is also senseless. Why would she...? Just why?

The floo isn't an option. He doesn't have money for the Knight Bus ever since Mum stopped giving him an allowance when he was thirteen. He doesn't know how to take a Muggle bus, much less if it could get him from Grimmauld Place to the Potter's house. That leaves flying, he realises with a grimace. There are brooms in the cupboard under the stairs and he grabs one. He's not fond of flying and he's never done it with a passenger before, but he has no other choice.

"We have to fly, and then we'll get you some help, okay?"

Regulus gives no response. Shit.

Sirius doesn't think about much as he flies. Mostly he's worried about Regulus falling off the broom if he suddenly decides to let go of Sirius's robes, and the rest of his thoughts are occupied with wondering if James will be happy to see him or just stressed out.

He doesn't give any thought to how it'll look to the Potter's when they open the door and see him holding a shaky six year old, asking for help, but then he's stood there, looking at them as they take in the sight he makes, and it occurs to him that calling James on the mirror wouldn't have gone amiss.

After a hundred different healing and diagnostic spells-- who knew Mrs. Potter trained to be a healer after Hogwarts?-- Regulus is doing better and is asleep. Of course, he's asleep on Sirius's lap, so even though all he wants is to curl up on top of James, he can't. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are in the other dining room, discussing what to do from here. Sirius thinks his mother must be under the influence of a spell, but he knows they don't believe that. Whether she is or not, she won't be able to take care of Regulus any time soon-- even if she could, there's no way Regulus would want to go back. And Sirius doesn't want to be in the house with her either.

"What are you thinking?" James asks. He keeps his voice down to not wake up Regulus. Sirius does the same when he responds.

"That this is fucked."

"Yeah. Bit of an understatement," James says with a grimace. "That stuff I said on the mirror-"

Sirius shakes his head, cutting him off. "You couldn't know. No one could've guessed my mum would turn barmy overnight." He glances towards the door to the dining room, hoping that something will slip through from the Potter's conversation and he'll know what they're thinking.

"What do you think will happen?" James asks, following the direction of his thoughts.

"I dunno," he replies, but it's a lie. Barely a second later, he adds, "Emancipation for me. Housing Regulus with the closest relative willing to take him in. Cygnus and Druella won't do it, they said they were done being around kids after me." And they meant it. "Bellatrix would, except she doesn't want any kids. Andromeda's next in line, and she'll say yes, unless Ted has some problem with it. So I guess I find somewhere to stay, and he goes off with Andromeda."

"If you're emancipated, couldn't you take him in?"

"Legally that would work, but we've still got Hogwarts."

"Stay here."

Sirius stares at him. He wants to and hopes more than anything that it's offered to him officially, but... "Your parents-"

"Would let you. Mum and Dad adore you. This is probably what they're talking about in there. C'mon, you know they wanted more than one kid. After tonight, they might have two more, and they’ll be bloody thrilled."

Several years later

"We're summoned to Hogwarts," Sirius says.

"Again?"

"Yep. What do you think he did this time?"

"Nothing worth us getting dragged up there," James groans. "We got up to all sorts when we were in school, and they only called our parents in once. Regulus isn't half as bad as we were."

"Yeah, well we didn't get caught."

James blinks, thinking that over. "I forgot that bit," he says candidly, making Sirius laugh. "He's in Slytherin, shouldn't he be better at sneaking around?"

"Yeah, I asked him about that, apparently it's a myth. Snape was not the best sample to base the rest on, he says. Or he's playing the long game and lying to me, but I really think they don't care as much as we thought."

"Huh." James looks like his entire worldview has changed. Sirius remembers having the same reaction when Regulus told him. It's made Sirius wonder why Slytherin has the terrible reputation because they largely don't break the rules, but Gryffindors are viewed as better when they broke the rules, often just to see if they can get away with it.

They floo over to Hogwarts, and Professor Dumbledore is there to greet them. "I hope this didn't interrupt anything important."

"It's fine," James says.

"Do you want to tell us what this is about before we get in there?" Sirius asks, loping his arm through James's as they walk. 'Disgustingly domestic' is what Regulus calls them, and Sirius is happy to keep proving him correct.

People say that Regulus is in his 'rebellious phase'; Sirius doesn't believe it. He's not rebelling and he's not acting out, he's having fun. Experimenting, even. Loosing five dozen roosters in the Great Hall sounds hilarious, and Sirius is sorry they didn't think of it when they were in school. And the hair dye thing? Completely harmless. Giving all the house elves twelve hours off made Sirius lose his composure laughing-- something he tried not to do while in the office being told about it-- but Regulus wanted to see what would happen to the running of the castle without them. Freeing the hippogriff in Care of Magical Creatures was an accident, so it hardly counts, even though he got detention for it.

There's a wide range of possibilities, and Sirius doesn't know which kind they're expecting today.

"I'm afraid it's a rather delicate matter. Mr. Black has asked that you not be told anything without him in the room, and given the nature of this... incident, I agreed."

James and Sirius share a worried look, and they're thinking the same thing: we're too young to be raising a teenager. Wasn't it just yesterday they were walking these halls themselves? That feels like the truth, but simultaneously, it was a lifetime ago. Sirius is only ten years older than Regulus, but shortly after graduating Hogwarts, Mr. and Mrs. Potter had died, leaving them alone with the responsibility of raising him. They asked for help from Andromeda where they could, but she had her own child to raise, and their schedules were never so aligned that they could ask for her assistance at the drop of a hat.

Sirius squeezes James's hand and gets a comforting squeeze in response. Right. They can handle this, like they handled everything else. Regulus threw them curveballs sometimes, but they always worked through it in the end.

#fanfic #prongsfoot #bambibelle #filled #james potter #sirius black #no voldemort au #established relationship #hogwarts time #post hogwarts #siriuslystarbucks

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britney-rosberg06 · 1 year ago

Note

💙 bearnelli ofc

hey artie!

💙-drunken kiss Ollie Bearman/Kimi Antonelli

Ollie honestly wasn’t even planning on going. He didn’t want to. It was a last minute decision that had him putting in a tux and calling a car to take him to Brackley for Kimi’s big night.

Now he and Kimi were commandeering the speaker system playing music after all the old sponsor people left turning it into a real party to celebrate Kimi’s eighteenth birthday and contract with Mercedes

He looked incredible like this, stress free and open. Before, when Toto intended for this to be a classy gala thing he looked like the tie he was wearing was choking him. Now with the lights darkened and the tables pushed away and his tie loose around his neck his looked…perfect

Which thoughts like that were probably a sign Ollie should be leaving soon. He was a few steps past drunk at this point and it was hella late. Late enough for it to be early to some people. But Kimi was here and he had his arm thrown over Ollie’s shoulder with a smile and was shouting across the room to their friends to get him and Ollie another drink and again he looked perfect. Ollie had no where more important to be than right here. As long as Kimi was near at least.

It was after Alex brought them their third round of shots and fifth time Doriane stole his phone to play Sweet Caroline that he looked over at Kimi and yelled “wanna get out of here?”

Kimi nodded enthusiastically and so they grabbed their discarded suit jackets, waved goodbye to their dwindling group of friends and walked out into the warm August air.

There was a car waiting to take Kimi back to his apartment in Brackley, but the two teens wanted to walk so they waved it on ahead, supporting each other as they moved through the quiet streets

“Ol?” Kimi asked “I’m really gonna miss you” he revealed, leaning his head on Ollie’s shoulder

Ollie placed his own head on Kimi’s fighting back the oncoming and unavoidable headache that would rear its ugly head tomorrow morning and sighed “I’m gonna miss you sooooooooo much. But at least we’re gonna be on the grid together”

Kimi’s voice was a little whiny when he spoke next “It’s not the same! I’m not gonna get to see you every day. Talk to you all the time or support you like I do. Too many rules. When we were teammates it didn’t matter but the year is almost done and we’re running out of time together” he said, sounding close to tears. Stopping on the sidewalk with his arms over his chest

Ollie stared at him, blankly, trying to make sense of what he was saying and guessing the odds on whether or not he imagined it. Instead of focusing on that though, he found himself staring at the Italian. The streetlight’s warm glow illuminated him like a halo. His hair was a mess and his tie was still loose around his throat. The moon shined on his eyes, emphasizing the potential tears

“You look really pretty” he told him

“What?”

“You’re really pretty. And I don’t wanna run out of time with you when you look so pretty all the time. And you’re so nice” he said, the alcohol in his system acting like a truth serum

“You’re pretty too” Kimi said softly, taking a step forward towards Ollie “really pretty”

“Pretty cause we’re drunk and not thinking?” Ollie asked hesitantly, a little bit of common sense remaining

“You’re always pretty to me” Kimi said, just a couple inches away

Without thinking Ollie grabbed Kimi’s tie, pulling him in close and pressing their lips together softly. His mouth tasted like whiskey and his lips were soft and full. It was so wrong. Months of friendship down the drain. But it felt perfect and right

Kimi pulled away for air “I’ve always wanted you to do that” he revealed. So Ollie kissed him again.

#f1 #ollie bearman #kimi antonelli #bearnelli #f2

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oddballwriter · 2 years ago

Text

Plus One to make a Sour One

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Summary: You and your old high school friends made a promise to go at each other's weddings, which you all keep. Regardless of the passing of time and what it brings. However, one out of place friend doesn't like that you've moved into find someone that you plan to have in your future.

Warnings: Female reader and is referred to using she/her. Mentions of jealousy and unrequited love (not between you and the boys). Mentions of marriage. Marc being called "second hand" by another person. Reference to Layla and Marc's divorce (she and the divorce are not an actual issue, she's just mentioned off handedly (I would never make her an issue <3)). There's a character in here who is a fucking dick and makes rude comments. This does take place after the show but there's no mentions of MoonKnight work. The boys are still a system but this is Marc centric. Jake does talk once though. "Y/N" is used four times. It is also mentioned that there is an age gap between you and Marc, with Marc barely in his 40's and reader being in their late 30's.

Author’s Snip: Don't know what this was or why I wrote it. I just had it in my mind and wanted to write it.

Notes: The girls in your friend group are supportive as hell about you and Marc. Also the character Ben has a mix of Ken and Allan energy but in an aggressive way because he's just... there... just for the plot.

Work count: 1730

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

In your high school years, which were admittedly a good way behind you, you made a promise to each other. To go to each other's weddings no matter what.

Kaylani was the first to make that promise be kept by getting married a few years back and like promised, everyone managed to make it. In your group there was, as mentioned, Kaylani, Susie, Sydney, Gabby, you, and the only boy in your group, Ben. Or Benny, as you all called him. It was nice to see each other again and catch up since it had been so long and you had done your own things after graduation. For example you had gone on to study and even traveled abroad to do so, which ended up having you meet your now boyfriends Marc, Steven, and Jake. Though you did think that it was just Marc at the time, but hey, no one ever complains about a three for the price of one deal.

However, at the time of Kay’s wedding you just started getting used to all of them. So when the topic of if everyone else had a certain someone already, you just answered that you were seeing someone. Unfortunately in a room full of people you knew since braces, they asked for more. To which all they got was the details of his name being Marc, he was older, and that you met while you were living in London for your studies. You knew that that wasn’t a whole lot and that they would want to hear more, but they didn’t want to pressure you into saying more than you wanted. Though they did like the mystery of this man that you had back home.

Now the time has gone by and the system has become a regular part of your life and now live together in a new place with a fresh new start close to where you're from. Which was perfect considering the call you just got done having.

“Congratulations again, Gabby! I can’t wait to see you!” you cheer into your phone before saying goodbye to your soon to me wedded friend. “What was all the squealing about?” Marc says as he walks into the living room where you are. “That was one of my friends, Gabby, from high school. She’s getting married in the Fall season.” you answer. “Oh, Miss Homecoming Candidate.” Marc commented as he sat down in his arm chair. “No. Kaylani’s Miss Homecoming Candidate. Gabby’s-” you correct, “The blonde one, right.” Marc says correcting himself in the middle of your sentence, that wasn’t it either. “No. No,” you giggle. “Sydney’s the blonde one. Gabby’s ginger. And also Gabby was the Captain of the Girl’s Tennis team.” you clarify. “Jeez. I really can’t remember anything about what you tell me.” Marc jokes. “How about Bridget? Wasn’t there a Bridget or is it another name with a B?” Marc tests.

“It’s Benny.” you answer. “He was the only boy in our group.” you admit. “Okay, get me a picture because I don’t remember any of these people.” Marc requested as he sat forward in his seat. “Because you never met them, dingus.” you chuckle as you go looking for any picture you had saved.

You spent a while showing Marc the various pictures of you and your friends while back in your teenage years, which looked as dated as you think they would, and pointing to who’s who. Of course it was easy to point out Ben since he was the only boy that would ever be in your friend group photos. At some point you get to prom pictures where you and Benny are seen in one of those prom couple photos.

“You two went to prom?” Marc spoke. “We all did. But we all were meant to be a posse and go as a group of friends.” you remark, “But all the other girls got dates and I was the only one who didn’t so Benny asked to be mine so that I wasn’t the only one without one.” you explain. “That was nice of him.” Marc replied before changing his attention to a nearby reflection and muttering “Shut up.” under his breath. You knew that meant one of the others said something so you asked who it was and what they said. “Jake’s saying that maybe Ben was trying to “get lucky” or something.” Marc answered. You laughed at the comment and denied it. You knew Ben wasn’t that kind of a guy. But you always had the sneaky suspicion that Ben did always like you.

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

Marc knew he’d be your plus one at the wedding as soon as you started telling him the difference between the girls and also letting it slip that you wanted him to be when he commented that Gabby had a metal mouth and you said “Don’t tell her that.”. He didn’t mind. Maybe he’d feel a bit out of place but he’s worked on handling foreign situations and had a balance with Steven and Jake, so they wouldn’t end up fronting during the wedding.

Gabby had her ceremony and reception at this little gallery in your home town that was actually really cute and fit everyone invited from both her invites and her now husband’s. As the bridesmaids, and bridesman, you all got to sit at the table closest to the newly weds during the dinner. To say that the girls were hyper fixated on Marc was a bit of an understatement. They asked all about him. What he did, how you met, what he was into. And anytime he said something about himself that would be considered attractive someone would sneak a look at you and wiggle their eyebrows. All the while Ben was silent.

After dinner was of course cocktail hour while the coordinators rearranged the room to be better fit for the actual party. Sydney and Kaylani, along with Ben, managed to steal you away to talk more, and Susie opted to talk to and learn more about Marc. You sort of knew what they were doing, when Gabby brought her then boyfriend, now husband, to Kay’s wedding you separated them to see if there was a future marriage on the way.

“So, Marc.” Sydney said as he took a sip of her cocktail, “Is it going anywhere with you two?” she spoke after finishing. You sighed. “We’re cohabitating right now.” you admit. “It’s not that he hates the idea of getting married. He’s just had a… strange and rocky path with it in the past and he’s taking his time getting over it.” you clarify before mouthing “He’s once divorced.”. The girls nod in understanding before Ben speaks up, “So he’s second hand?” is what comes out of him in an almost slightly negative tone that doesn’t even make it sound like he’s hesitant to say it. One of the girls flicks him on the arm and scolds him with a “Ben!”. You take a moment to gather yourself from hearing that.

“Let’s not put it that way. He’s not an object.” you nervously continue. “It’s not like he’s battered from it. I’ve met his ex wife and she’s a lovely woman. They just had their own issues and figured that it was best they figure it out alone.” you say. “And there’s no shame in that.” Kay speaks up, to which almost everyone nods. “How old is he again?” Ben asks, seemingly dropping the tone and changing the subject. “Well. He’s older, like I said. But if you need to know he’s barely in his forties.” you confess. “He’s more past me, sure, but I’m almost in my late thirties. So it’s not that much.” you justify, to which the group takes into acceptance. “You have always liked older men, I guess.” Ben replies.

Meanwhile with Susie and Marc, the talk has gone from him to something else. “Okay. So,” she manages to roll out of her mouth while spinning her now empty glass, “You might have noticed Benny.” she says. “I know of him, yes. He was at our table and I was told about him.” Marc verifies. “I’ll come clean with you, Marc. I think you and Y/N are great for each other. There’s clearly so much between you and if you asked the girls, you’d have all of our blessings to your relationship.” she stated. “Lemme guess. Not Benny’s, huh?” Marc chimed in. Susie gave him a firm head shake and said “No.”. Susie fixed her casual posture to a more serious one, which Marc knew meant that she was going to talk about some drama.

“Marc. I’ve seen a lot of men,” Susie claimed, “In general.” she added, “And I know that men can hold their hearts out for literally nothing if they think that something is there to take it or if there’s a glimmer of hope that something will.” she explains. “Ben is one of those men.” Susie confirms. “He’s been holding it out for Y/N since he became part of our group. He wasn’t an obvious sucker back then. But once she told us about her seeing someone back at Kaylani’s wedding,” she says while pointing at him when she said ‘someone’, “He was all sappy and sad. It was honestly pathetic”.

“So what? Is he going to try and win her over?” Marc scoffs. “Hell no!” Susie exclaims, “You got everything on Y/N’s checklist. You’re charming, aged, you have some ruggedness to you, and I’m willing to bet you have more." she lists off. “And Benny’s 100% butthurt about it.” Susie jokes at her friend’s expense. “And you’re telling me all of this…?” Marc questions as he looked at Susie to have her answer why. “In case you two have your own wedding party and you get looked at funny by Ben if he’d even show up at all.” Susie remarked. “I’m sure I can handle some dirty looks from a guy who my girlfriend went to the high school prom with as a means to not be the person without a date.” Marc chuckled. “I might dance with her all night just to rub it in his face a little.” Marc comments.

“Well, the song they danced to at prom just so happens to be on the playlist for tonight.” Susie mentions.

#moon knight #moonknight #moonknight x reader #moon knight x reader #marc spector #marc spector x reader

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judasrpc · 1 year ago

Text

LYRIC STARTERS BASED ON MY CURRENT "ON REPEAT" SONGS

aka, subtly exposing my music taste by slamming a bunch of songs onto one post, even if these probably exist as separate ones somewhere. the sections will be separated by the song titles & artists. this only includes my top 10, because we would be here forever if i included any more.

add context & change gendered language to your needs !! if multi, please specify which muse(s) !!

INVISIBLE - DURAN DURAN

" Living without choice is a life without a voice. "

" Has the memory gone? Are you feeling numb? "

" Will you say my name? "

" Hindsight is falling on my face. "

" When you don't hear a word I say […] "

" But a voiceless crowd isn't backing down. "

"Can you say my name? "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

FLIGHT OF THE CROWS - JHARIAH

" I cannot help but think I've overstayed my welcome. "

" The company's quite nice on crimson nights like these. "

" Well, I think that I've gotta go, and I don't know why. "

" I need you to promise that you won't cry. "

" Let those old memories go. "

" Please understand that I will find a brand new life. "

" So just let me out of your mind. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

BLOOD UPON THE SNOW - HOZIER & BEAR MCCREARY

" Nature offers a violence. "

" The world that hardens as the harsher winter holds. "

" The ground walked here is a wonder. "

" And all things nature's given; she takes all things back from the living. "

" I've walked the earth, and there are so few here that know. "

" It's not my arms that will fail me. "

" This world takes more strength than it gave me. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

RISK, RISK, RISK - JHARIAH

" We would've never worked out together. "

" Wager all you've got, and run me all that shit. "

" I can't take another day! I need some change. "

" There's things you just can't see with such precautious eyes. "

" I don't think I need to tell you; you'll see me when I do. "

" Better bite your tongue! "

"I don't second-guess a vision. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

EAT YOUR YOUNG - HOZIER

" Let me wrap my teeth around the world. "

" I want to feel the edges start to burn. "

" If there's something to be gained, there's money to be made. "

" Throw enough rope until the legs have swung. "

" You can't buy this fineness. "

" If there's something still to take, there is ground to break. "

" Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CARELESS WHISPER - GEORGE MICHAEL

" I feel so unsure. "

" Something in your eyes calls to mind a silver screen, and all its sad goodbyes. "

" Though it's easy to pretend, I know you're not a fool. "

" To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind. "

" But there's no comfort in the truth, pain is all you'll find. "

" I wish that we could lose this crowd. "

" We could have been so good together. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

APOCALYPTICISM - MOON WALKER

" We fight fire with silence and pray somebody hears. "

" No one said the world can't change in just a couple nights. "

" We want a revolution, but only with condition. "

" He came baring the heart of a liar; wearing the face of an honest man. "

" Start feeding the dogs of war. "

" We're in your head and hiding in plain sight. "

" But I don't see any difference, they both look the same to me. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

DIGITAL SILENCE - PETER MCPOLAND

" I won't ask a question; I'll state the truth. "

" This is the way that it is. "

" Something you love turns to something you miss. "

" This is the way that I know. "

" I feel it inside me like a pulse; it's starting to slow and the meter dips. "

" This is the sound of the truth. "

" There is nothing you can do. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

KINGSLAYER - BRING ME THE HORIZON & BABYMETAL

" Are you looking for the other side? "

" I need to know where your loyalties lie. Tell me, are you gonna bark, or bite? "

" Wipe the system and back the fuck up. "

" You are modified. "

" You're a puppet! When they cut your strings off, don't come crawling back. "

" You're on your own. "

" I'll fight for you until I die. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I'M AFRAID I'LL GO TO HEAVEN - MOON WALKER

" I don't wanna live forever, 'cause I don't want what's coming next. "

" Don't think we stand taller together, 'cause half of us ain't got no spine. "

" My biggest fear ain't no red Devil, it's being near you people all the time. "

" I'll be fine as long as you go somewhere else. "

" They tell you truth is what you make it. "

" It's like we don't even gotta try no more. "

" I'm sure your god would love to keep it white, but I think that me and mine will be alright. "

#rp memes #rp meme #rp prompts #rp prompt #roleplay prompts #writing prompts #ask box meme #askbox meme #rph #rpc #judasrpc #// can i say as an aside: i love that these vastly different songs have similar thematic elements #// that when stripping the lyrics down. you get such similar messages?#// i'm sure that says smth about me BUT--

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yomawiththeboma · 1 year ago

Text

Wish You Were Never Mine

◈ NAMJOON X FEMALE READER

◈ SOULMATES AU

◈ CHAPTER 3: Better Chances (2k words)

◈ Find the story's masterlist HERE

After a long night full of crying and smoking weed, the sun decided to spread its rays indicating the start of a new day filled with new hopes for lucky and unlucky people. Both soulmates woke up feeling like they had been hit by a train.

Restlessness was easily seen in Y/N’s bloodshot eyes. She didn’t sleep much after meeting her soulmate, she can’t even remember his features clearly from the shock she was in. The lady shook her head not wanting to think about him now. Getting a cigarette from her back pocket she glanced at herself realizing that she had slept in the clothes she was in yesterday.

Getting up from the uncomfortable, old, and torn couch, Y/N went straight to the bed that was across the room. She looked at the young soul with pity in her eyes. Her sister slept peacefully on the uncomfortable mattress. Taking steps forward, the lady finally crouched next to Minjin on the floor, she carefully removed the blanket shaking the younger.

“Minjin-ah, wake up. It’s time for school.” the teenager tossed and turned a little before finally flattering her eyes open. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand whining at the smell of smoke in the early morning. “Sorry, baby.” she muttered before glancing at herself in the floor-length mirror that was perched beside the bathroom, her lips busted and her left eye too red for her liking. She looked at her white shirt that had dried blood before pulling it over her head and throwing it in the laundry basket. She was left in a black top and her black sweats.

While Minjin was getting ready, Y/N went to make the girl a small breakfast and prepare some sandwiches for her. How much she missed her mother’s presence in the house, the way she took care of them, the way her food tasted, and the way she made them feel loved and cared for. Her endless love for both of them. She didn’t want anything in return. Life was cruel and so was fate. She was matched with the worst man. He was a liar, a drunkard, and he was a cheater. He made love to strangers at night and worked in the morning to only spend his money on girls and beer. And in the end, he killed himself which caused the heartrending death of their loving mother. How much Y/N hated this soulmate system, it was pure bullshit. She couldn’t believe that something so fucked up tied your life with a stranger’s. They needed their mother back then, they were young, too young to face this cruel world alone.

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard the front door open revealing her friend who was ready in his blue sneakers and white shorts, ready to piss some teachers off at college. He entered the kitchen like he owned the house. Y/N continued her work as she placed a single plate on the counter that had an egg sandwich with a cup of milk beside it.

“There is no good morning for me?” Taehyung asked with a pout on his face. He sipped on the cold orange juice he had in his hand staring at the girl.

“No.” she rolled her eyes before Minjin joined the small gathering, “Come here and eat your breaky before heading to school.” she calmly said as she watched her sister sit on the chair and inhale her sandwich.

“That was the worst sandwich ever. Thank you very much and bye!” the rascal said before jumping from the chair and running to take her bag and leave with Taehyung.

Bidding their goodbyes, Taehyung took Minjin and left to go to school. Y/N looked at the door close before getting another cigarette and lighting it up.

Pulling on the very colorful shirt she stole from Taehyung over her black tank top she got ready to roam the dull streets of Seoul.

“So you didn’t get to talk to her?” Hoseok’s voice echoed in the empty house.

“Yes! She ran away! I can’t believe it, Hyung!” Namjoon yelled in frustration before coughing again for the millionth time, “And she has been smoking since yesterday till now! I can’t think straight and my lungs are squeezing like two balloons. I couldn’t sleep!!” he huffed, buttoning the white buttons of the sky blue shirt he wore.

“She really won’t stop, will she?” A long pause filled the place before Hoseok spoke again, “Don’t worry, we will find her soon, probably at the same place again.” Hoseok spoke again before shuffling was heard beside him, then a soft ‘good morning’ could be heard. That was their cue to end the call.

“We will talk after college, and send my greetings to Iseul Nonna.” Namjoon cut the call, brushing his brown locks he took his bag and left.

Namjoon’s mind was already filled with work and grades, and then Y/N’s sudden appearance didn’t make it any better. How much he wanted to run and hug her and hold her close and never let her go. He wants to give her all the love he has and more, he wants to treat her wounds and make sure she doesn’t get hurt. Take her out on the most beautiful dates and buy her all the things she wishes for. He just wants a simple life with a loving soulmate who would take care of him instead of the doctors he visited often ever since the tattoo appeared, someone who would call to just say ‘I love you’, someone who would cuddle till they fell asleep. But this unlucky man got a cold fighter who just ran away from him, didn’t give him a chance, and ruined his health.

He sighed as he noticed that he was already in front of the college’s building. Shaking his thoughts, he just entered the building and decided to think about this later, he has finals to study for.

“So you’re telling me that I will be paid more money for fighting and get a stable salary of seven million four hundred thousand won a month if I worked as a Cocktail Server in the morning in your Casino?” Y/N asked, not believing what she was hearing. She was getting ready to fight putting numbing cream on her face and hands when a gentleman clad in a black tuxedo walked to her with two bodyguards close behind him.

“I am a man of money and I see some potential in you. So, are you going to accept?” he asked, waiting for her to give him her final answer with a contract in hand waiting to be signed. “Keep in mind that your shift starts from nine till six in the morning.”

“Yeah, but I will need at least an hour break between my actual shift and before I start fighting.” she folded her arms to her chest staring intensely at the man, she needed to check on her sister between her shifts. She couldn’t just accept and show the man how desperate she was for this money.

“That’s no problem. You can have a break from twelve till one.” she nodded taking the contract and signing it.

“I will be there.” the man disappeared after.

Looking at the boy in front of her she cringed at how young he was. He was handsome and innocent. He seemed like he was in this position because of a stupid bet.

Getting in the position she heard the whistle before the boy was launching at her in a very childish way. A hit to the back of his knee kept him down till the whistle was heard. Hearing bullies she nodded to herself confirming her doubts.

The fifth round rolled and she was doing fairly well. No one hit her face yet or injured her. She drank some water before putting in more numbing cream. She knew from experience that even though she wasn’t injured yet anything could happen in the ring.

Just like she anticipated, a man double her size walked into the circle. Hearing the loud cheers disappear she took it upon herself to make them louder. People started betting siding with the male.

“Hey, are you sure of this one?” Taehyung whispered and she only nodded before getting up and getting into position.

Taehyung had an uneasy feeling about this. Something about the male standing in front of him made him feel uneasy and restless.

The loud whistle was heard and the man was quick to throw a punch but the girl swiftly moved to avoid it before a punch landed on her face. Shocked she looked at the male before landing a punch to the inside of his elbow making him furrow his eyebrows in pain and confusion.

They were almost seven minutes in and none of them were planning on losing. Y/N had a bleeding lip and a broken rib. She put her fists in front of her face as she inched closer to the male before dunking down and knocking him over. Hitting his inner arm and thighs she managed to keep him down for a minute before Taehyung was whistling indicating her win.

She got up limping to where Taehyung was waiting for her. Giving him a toothy smile full of blood he chuckled before his smile dropped and so did hers. Feeling her vision swim she heard loud shouting, everything around her was hazy, she felt like she was swimming underwater before her ears were whistling. She got up on her knees and hands looking at the nameless guy she was fighting minutes ago on top of her best friend beating the hell out of him.

She felt helpless, laying there on the street with her unstable vision and upset stomach. She felt that this was it, she was going to be beaten till death, but a faint memory of her getting beaten up until she couldn’t get up. Taehyung used to say just one thing, “Shin! Get the fuck up!”. With rewound determination, she sighed standing up again on her feet to face the gigantic man in front of her.

Looking at the chair she was once sitting on she got up taking it before swinging it on the male’s head. The male groaned, turning around and looking at her. He grabbed her by the shoulder, punching her shoulder before she was climbing on him, putting him in a headlock, and punching his face as she used to when she was training.

Blood trickled down her face as she got up, looking at the bloodied floor she backed down looking at the people cheering for her. She scoffed, getting a hold of her best friend who was whining at how he lost his left molar.

“Hey, it’s nothing.” she said looking at the teary-eyed Minjin.

She had wrapped her broken rib with an old shirt deciding that going to the doctor is gonna cost her a lot. A pack of ice on her face and another supporting her head. She had showered that day with nothing but blood going down her body.

That night was filled with nothing but comforting words from Minjin to Taehyung who had his left cheek swollen and to Y/n who was carefully bandaged almost looking like a mummy.

“Didn’t you stop these pills already?” Taehyung asked seeing her popping the illegal pill in her mouth with ease making him frown.

“I couldn’t handle feeling his emotions… especially after being beaten up like this. He… he just feels so fragile and depressing. I can’t stop feeling guilty for putting him in this situation. I really wish I was never his, nor he was ever mine. I believe he deserves better.” the atmosphere felt awkward as she said the words suffocating the two adults.

“I promise it will get better. Don’t worry.” with these simple words, Taehyung hugged Y/N in a comforting manner before drifting into slumber while cuddling each other with Minjin in the middle between the two friends.

PREVIOUS || NEXT

#bts #bts fanfic #bts fic #bts x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #jungkook x reader #namjoon x reader #jin x reader #bts ff #wish you were never mine update #taehyung x reader #yoongi x reader

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ask-robokasa-and-rui · 11 months ago

Text

Chapter 4: Prologue

And ever since then...I kept working and working...until she didn't need me anymore. She didn't set me free though. She kept me in a room because she knew I would tell someone. That was until Honarobo rescued me and we got out of that freakshow...

Oh...wait....but if you knew they we're killer robots...then why-

The blood was their own...

What-?!

They had human corpses inside them...I only thought they murdered Mafuyu and Ena but it seems they haven't stopped their plays...

T-then that means...Tsukasa...was a real person?

He is...or...was...but Robokasa is only based off of him. He was brought to life by code. Not a soul.

I see...are the other robots..?

Yes. Akito was one of our employees...Honami was our stage director. When Saki thinks you're no longer needed, you are needed for the robots. What's scummy is that our employees aren't known people. Not a lot of people know that they exist. So it's no crime for them to die and be replaced by robots.

I see...

What time is it, by the way?

It's uhh...six forty five! Why?

For safety...

Safety?

Mhm...and there!

Is he fixed?

Yep. Let me turn him on.

Kanade pushes the "on" button and Tsukasa slowly gets up.

Hm...Where?

Tsukasa! Oh thank goodness!!! Are you al-!! Right...?

When Rui looks at Tsukasa, he sees that one of his pupils is now a star symbol instead of a spiral

W-what's wrong with your pupil?

The star...that means..!

What? What does that mean?!

Rui? Are you alright?

I'm asking you that!!

I'm okay...no need to worry.

Hm...

I feel...weird though...

Weird?

Like...I feel...things...what's happening?

Kanade, do you know what's going on?

I think while fixing him, some of the old codes Saki made me write got into his system.

Is that a bad thing?

Yes and no. It's a no, because now Tsukasa will be able to feel emotions again. It's also a yes, because...

Because?

The real Tsukasa...may try and reach out to you...

The...real Tsukasa?

Real Tsukasa..? Am I fake...? Wait. Why am I saying that? Of course I'm fake! I'm a robot!

Woah! Tsukasa really changed. Is there a way to reverse this?

I can delete the codes if you want...

Please do that. I'm sorry but seeing him with emotions just feels wrong!

Alright...

WAIT NO!!!

Ah-?!

Ah...

I-I..I want to...

Tsukasa?

I want to...feel...emotions...I always...wanted to...feel them...!

I-Is he crying...?

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!

AAAAAH-!! Tsukasa!? He's crying out oil!!!

Hehe...Come on Tsukasa...it's alright...

Hic! I have emotion...! I'm so happy!! But-hic! Isn't crying a negative..?

It's natural.

Hic...Oh...

Okay Tsukasa...I suppose..how about this? If you ever feel uncomfortable about the emotions, tell us and we'll get that code out. Okay?

Sniff...mhm...

Now, we better get back home..WAIT!!! We don't have any cover for you!!!

Is that bad...?

Uhh yes!!

Darling!! Can you bring some clothes for Tsukasa? We need covers for him!!

Getting them!!!

After Minori gets Tsukasa covers. He wears a mask and turtle neck to hide his robotics parts. After Tsukasa wears them, Rui and Tsukasa say their goodbyes to Kanade and Honami before they leave with Minori.

Sigh! We got that problem fix!

So, Tsukasa. How does it feel to feel emotions?

Weird yet...comforting...but my emotions aren't like other people...

Everyone functions differently! That's what makes humans so great!

I see...

Don't worry! I'm sure you'll get used to it!

I hope so...

Maybe you'll work with us!

Oh yeah!! Tsukasa can be a maid! Ahaha!!

..hehe...ehehehe!

...! He...he laughed! He actually laughed! Hm...maybe this isn't so bad..but I shouldn't get sidetracked...Nene is missing. I have to find her...

Meanwhile...(A day later)

Bzzzt!! Ah!! Wha...where!? This place..I'm...I'm back here again?!

Nene was tied to a chair.

No no-!!

Don't try and struggle.

Huh!?

Mafuyu appears from the shadows.

Mafuyu...?!

Hello Nene-chan!!

Emu appears from tbe shadows.

Emu...

Now that you're here! I can finally start my plan!

What plan...what are you going to do to me?!

I'm not going to do anything to you! I'm not the type to kill~!

Yes you are. Don't think I'm dumb.

Hehehe...

Suddenly, Emu shuts off.

Huh-?

Emu?

Emu turns on

Ow...what the heck...Ah!? Nene-chan!? Why are you all tied up!?

What are you talking about?

Oh let me get you out of those!

Emu starts to untie Nene from the ropes. Nene was clearly confused and so was Mafuyu. Nene looks over to Mafuyu but her eye catches something else. A figure. A figure in Emu's shadow. It was a girl. A girl with short hair, looking back at Nene with wide, rage filled eyes. She looks at the clock. It's noon. What does that mean?

Chapter 4 Begins.

Tags: @aspenii @bobcross1010 @blankblyke @mizuribbons @mai-mai-mai @kusanagi-nene-official-mod @kiwi-does-stuff @scodscod @delartz @t4mar @saltghost

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rinwritesfics · 1 year ago

Text

Four Hours

Plot: You meet Hound while awaiting jury duty and hit it off.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1076

Author’s Note: Inspired by a four-hour wait for jury duty last year. @diviluscorner, I did it! Finally.

You sighed, shifting again in the uncomfortable chair in the hallway that was both dim and sharply lit by artificial lights. First, your entire week is upended by the call, and then they ask you to sit for most of the day to see if you’re even needed. Four hours to wait? The thought of it was exhausting, let alone the process.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, a massif with a brown harness and leash stopped to sniff, then sit at your feet. The creature’s tongue lolled out as it looked up at you as its handler caught up.

The Corrie Guard handling this reptilian creature turned to you and you froze. This one was different from the others with the fabric hanging from his helmet with sharp grey teeth painted on it. Were you about to get in trouble? Oh, stars, what did the massif think he smelled on you?

“Are you alright?” the Corrie Guard asked, his voice distorted partially by his modulator.

You chuckled nervously. “I’m fine. I just don’t relish the idea of waiting four hours to see if I’m needed or not for the jury.”

He tilted his head. “Four? That’s pretty unusual, even for this court.”

“Ugh, when one of you guys notices, that means it’s extra special,” you laughed in an attempt to seem calm. “If it wasn’t, I’m sure you wouldn’t tell me that.”

He laughed, too. “You’re right. I wouldn’t.”

You both fell into silence for a moment before he spoke again. “Got something you’d rather be doing?”

“Rather than waiting? Yeah. I’m not good at sitting on my hands and waiting. I like to be busy, and these chairs are very uncomfortable.”

“And what do you usually do?”

“I’m a mechanic, down at Grand Old Republic Motors.” You shrugged.

He laughed again. “You must see a lot of our faces down there, then.”

You grinned. “Yeah, I do actually.”

“I take it that’s why you’re not afraid of talking to me?”

You laughed. “Well, I’ll admit, I did think for a second you were going to confront me about something. Even my sighing.”

“Of course not. Just because it’s a right to be judged by peers, doesn’t mean the system jurors are chosen through doesn’t have its snags.”

“Sure does.”

“I’m Sergeant Hound, by the way.”

You smiled. “Y/N. I think Commander Fox has mentioned you a couple times. Something about a grizzly getting his teeth around a fuel injector?”

Sergeant Hound sighed. “I was scrubbing the floor for weeks after Grizzer got himself into that mess.”

“You, I take it?” you asked the massif in front of you in amusement. He was sitting at your feet and wagging his thick tail. His tongue lolled out again and he looked ready to play.

“He’s the group’s massif, and there are a couple of them but he only listens to me, so he kind of is mine.”

You grinned. “He seems like the goodest boy.”

The sergeant nodded. “He likes to think that, but he also has a chaotic streak in him.”

The two of you talked off and on, him coming back every so often to check on you during his patrol, but eventually you were called back in. By the time you found out you had been excused and were leaving, you saw no sign of Hound, which made you a little sad. You’d run into a few Corrie Guards, as well as other battalions at your employment, but something about Hound was special. You left the building, a little forlorn at missing saying goodbye.

A couple days later, you were almost hanging upside down underneath a customer’s small personal craft, working on replacing a new manifold.

“Y/N, you’ve got another visitor!” called your boss. Usually, the visitors were part of the clone battalion. Your boss was a little biased, but hid it pretty well – other than pushing them onto you on top of your other duties.

You groaned, wanting to shout about being busy.

“Am I always meeting you when you’re in distress?” asked a voice. It was definitely a clone voice, but not what you’d expect any of them to say.

You struggled out from under the craft with the manifold in-hand and your eyes met his. This one you didn’t recognize. His hair was a little longer than the others, so his curls were better formed, and he had a gray tattoo spanning both sides of his lower jaw like a row of sharp teeth. The only things that disrupted the tattoo were four long thin scars across his right cheek and a goatee.

“Uh, hi.” You stared at his tattoo, then realized – “Sergeant Hound. It’s nice to see you.”

He grinned. “Just Hound. How did you know?”

“Your jaw matches your helmet.”

He chuckled and said, “Guilty.”

“What can I do for you, ‘just Hound’?”

He laughed again. “I just wanted to come visit. I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye the other day. My shift was over and then I came in the next day and figured out you didn’t get put on a case. I guess I missed you, is all.”

You blushed. “Missed me, huh? You didn’t know me for long.”

“Actually, my brothers talk a lot about you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was one of the only ones who had never gotten the chance to meet you.”

“Well, I guess that means you’re not as rough on your speeder as they are.”

“I’m also one of the youngest, so give me time,” he chuckled.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck again. “Look, I don’t know if this is too sudden, but could I take you to dinner?”

You smile. “You came here to ask me on a date?”

“It’s fine if you say no -”

“Hound. I’d really like that.”

“Oh, thank the Maker. I know I told you Grizzer’s pretty specific as to who he likes, but even he was a little confused when we left and didn’t see you.”

“Oh, I see, you’re setting me up with your massif. Guess Grizzer will get the goodnight kiss.” You winked and his eyes widened.

“Wait, that’s not what I meant -”

You tossed your head back and laughed. “I’ll be done in four hours. Think you can wait that long?”

He grinned. “I think I can wait four hours with you.”

Taglist (open!): @trixie2023

Hound Concept Art:

#tcw hound #tcw sergeant hound #tcw hound x reader #rinwritesfics fic

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sl-newsie · 11 months ago

Text

Query: Q x 00 Agent- Ch. 23: What Comes Next?

“0011? 0011?”

Nomi keeps shaking my shoulder, trying to get me to talk. I hear her voice but have nothing to say.

“Levie, you need to see a doctor,” Moneypenny tries to coax me.

I did see a doctor. My left arm is in a sling. I’ve accounted for my physical injuries but haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s in my mind. It’s been three hours. Three hours since I watched Bond perish in that giant blaze. Only three hours and yet it feels like a lifetime. I already miss his constant complaining.

Turns out that Matilda really is Bond’s daughter. I knew it. She has his curiosity. And his eyes. Sadly I never get to say a formal goodbye to her and Dr. Swann because of my hospital visit. Now they’ve begun driving through Europe to Lord knows where. There’s no reason for them to stay because there’s no official funeral. No body, no funeral. No funeral for one of the best Goddamn 00 agents I’ve ever known. The only thing keeping me sane during these three hours is Q’s voice in my earpiece.

Q. I need to see Q. Need to bury myself in his arms and cry all that I have. Before my mind falls apart. My only comfort is clutching the chain with his ring around my neck.

“We’re home, Levie.”

That nickname only brings bittersweet memories. Bond gave me that nickname and it feels strange to hear it now.

“M, we’ve landed,” Nomi speaks over the phone. “We’ll be arriving at MI6 within the hour.”

I feel numb. My body goes through the motions of exiting the plane and getting into the car waiting for us. It’s nighttime. The lights from traffic blur past and the sky opens up to unleash a downpour of rain. How appropriate.

“Come on, Levie.” Moneypenny takes my good arm and leads me inside the headquarters.

Home. The last time I was here- No. I can’t think like that. Or else I’ll never be able to hold back my tears.

The doors slide open and I hope that’s Q I’m seeing instead of my mind playing tricks.

“Eleanor! Oh my God, darling- I was so worried!”

Q sprints over and frantically searches over my injuries. He looks at me expecting an explanation but I still can’t find the courage to speak.

“She’s still in shock. Hasn’t said a word,” Nomi says.

Him. I need him. Before I break apart and can never come back. I cling to Q and he tightens up in surprise. Please. I need you.

“We’ll give you some privacy,” I hear Moneypenny say and footsteps walk away.

I feel Q walk us into the building. Down the stairs. Into the lab. The lab where Bond used to- Stop it!

Q pulls up a chair and gently pushes me into it. It takes all my willpower not to keep holding onto him. His familiar scent of mint and rosemary calms my senses. He pulls up his own chair and reaches across to hold my face.

“Eleanor. Darling, please come back to me. You need to talk. Please.”

It’s not an order. It’s a plea. His soft voice is asking for me. Is there any part of the old me left? I need to pull through. If there’s anyone who can pull me through grief it’s him. This relationship is a two-party system and one cannot work without the other.

At this point I’m shaking. Through my blank stare I blink once and a single tear falls. “He’s dead.”

“I know. And I’m so sorry.”

“He’s dead, Q!” I shriek. “And I couldn’t save him! I keep running through everything in my head, keep wondering if there was anything different I could have done-!”

“You can’t do that, Eleanor,” Q murmurs and pulls me into a hug. “It’s not your fault. Bond knew what he was doing.”

I bury my face in his jacket. “He won’t even get a proper funeral…”

No other words are said. Q understands. I’m taught to never be attached, so this is very frustrating for a 00 agent. If this is going to be the rest of my life, being told to let go and never love, I want no part of it. Especially after this mission, the one that caused my dear friend’s death, was all because of the very government I’m fighting for.

How much time has passed? I’m still crying into Q’s shoulder but my sobs have subsided into shaking breaths. He’s been a complete saint the entire time, rubbing my back and not bothering with empty words of sympathy.

“Can we go home?” I finally whisper in a small voice.

“Absolutely.”

Q stands me up and my shock seems to have worn down. I stand tall and when we get up the stairs I ignore the strange looks people give when we pass by. Let them stare. Bond’s death has driven me to an awakening. They’ll be trapped here.

“How is she?”

Moneypenny’s back. Along with M. I can tell this has taken a toll on both of them as well.

“We’re meeting upstairs,” M offers softly. “One last goodbye, if you’re up for it.”

He knows my next move. I don’t need to say it.

“Thank you sir, but we’re-”

I interrupt Q. “That sounds nice, sir. We can stay.” I give Q a determined nod and he nods back.

M gestures to the elevator and we all climb in. One last goodbye. How have I been plunged into the last stage of grief? In M’s office a few others have gathered to pay respects. Nomi is here too. She walks to us and hands me a glass of whiskey. How appropriate.

“I know how much Bond meant to you. But I also know how much you meant to him. You were like a daughter to him, Levie. He wanted to protect you.”

Her words pick at fresh wounds, threatening to tear them open. I feel Q squeeze my hand.

“Bond wouldn’t want you to dwell on his death,” Nomi continues. “But I think you’ve already figured that out.”

I start to reply but M calls for us to listen. He leans against his desk holding his own glass.

“It’s very hard to know what to say, but I thought we should gather and remember. And I- I thought this was appropriate. A functioning man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time-”

Mallory’s words are drowned out by my own thoughts. Sometimes people get what they want. Life provides them with loving family, a warm home, and assuring comfort. Though it was said to be impossible for a 00 agent, I got what I wanted. Someone to love.

I will never forget Bond’s teachings. They’ve granted me with all I need to move forward, even if he’s not here. It’s time to stop dragging myself through sorrow and, as Bond would do, pick myself up.

“To James,” M toasts.

“James,” everyone echoes.

I’m the only one who’s stayed quiet. I feel eyes being turned on me and I lift my head up from staring at the floor.

“To James, the best mentor and partner I could ever ask for.”

The small crowd disappears and soon it’s just me, Q, M, and Moneypenny. I’m lucky to have had such colleagues. It’s time I moved on.

“Right. Back to work.” M’s words give the order for us to leave. “Oh, and do try to keep your new ring concealed.”

Q and I stop in our tracks but Moneypenny’s already caught on.

“What? You’re engaged?”

I look over to Q and his face is so pink it’s adorable. A sneaky smile makes its way onto my face as I hold up my chain. The secretary’s eyes light up immediately.

“I knew it! I told Bond it would happen!”

“Alright, alright. Just keep it between us, please?” Q begs.

“Who knew our Quartermaster would ever find himself a girl?” Moneypenny teases.

M rolls his eyes. “Back to work, Moneypenny. You too, Q. 0011, a word please.”

Here it comes.

Q gives one last squeeze of comfort and shuts the door, leaving M and I alone. He walks back to his desk and sits down, toying with a pen.

“You want to retire,” he says. Blunt and to the point. When I don’t decline right away M gets his answer. “Can’t say I blame you. Bond always said you were too young to be made a 00.”

“It’s been a real honor to serve my country, sir. But I’m afraid recent events have led me to believe this life isn’t the one I want to die from.”

M nods and pulls out a paper file. “Way back when you were first assigned to Bond, he looked into your paperwork. This says that because of your early promotion, you are able to resign before the proper retirement age. Call it his insurance for you in case you ever wanted out.”

Even after his death Bond is still looking out for me.

“That’s what he hoped would happen,” M continues. “That you’d find a stable life instead of the one he did.” He hands me the file. “It’s been a pleasure working with you, 0011. No doubt Q is waiting for you, so I’ll take this as your final report.”

I give a final salute. “I’ll keep in touch, M.”

This is it. I’ve trained for MI6 all my life. And now- Now what? I am no longer 0011. I have an idea but I don’t know if Q will follow.

M is right. Q’s waiting outside the door bouncing on his heels.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re home. Please, can we go now?”

He takes my hand and gestures to the stairs. “After you. I just need to get some things from the lab.”

Again? We were just there. Why would-?

“Right this way.” Q gets behind me and suddenly puts his hands over my eyes. “He did leave you something.”

Uh-oh. What did Bond-? Oh!

At the other end of the lab is a gleaming silver Ashton Martin. Not a scratch on it. Q must have fixed it up. One of his favorite models.

“He always knew I loved this bloody car,” I smile and shake my head as I approach the vehicle. “Want to take a spin? I hear Rome is nice this time of year. I think we’ve earned some time off.”

Q stops what he’s doing. By the way that comes out it doesn’t take a genius to guess what I’m suggesting.

“Wait- Are you- You’re saying…?”

I approach him slowly and look up into his dark eyes. “I’ve had a change of heart. That meeting with M was to arrange my resignation. Big surprise, Bond had already predicted it.” I take his hand and lean closer. “Call me old-fashioned, but an Italian wedding seems nice right about now. That is if you still wanted to-”

“Yes! Yes yes yes!”

In one big lift Q twirls me around the lab laughing like a madman! I guess he’s on the same page. Before I can catch my breath he swings me over to the gorgeous car, kissing up and down my neck like there’s no tomorrow. Oh my. Q’s rubbing my back, leaning me against the car’s cold metal. After the day I’ve had the massage might as well be melting my muscles. The lingering pain in my injured arm disappears.

I stifle a moan and lean into his touch. “You have no idea how nice that feels.”

Behind me Q chuckles. “Just wait ‘til I get you home tonight, darling. You’ll go numb in seconds.”

Oh my! “Q- Get in the car,” I muster through my rapid breathing.

“Why, darling?” he mumbles against my neck. “Feels good, hm?”

“Get in the car. Now.”

He hurries over to the passenger side and climbs in. I get in through my own door and at the twist of the key the engine purrs to life. Let’s go!

“Whoa!” Q exclaims as we speed out the door, falling back into his seat. The cool night air taunts me with a dose of adrenaline and new-found excitement.

I’m through waiting. We haven’t had a calm moment in, well, years. Between my coma and all this near-death global catastrophe it’s time we finally relaxed. And… other things.

“Eleanor, dear, I want to get home just as much as you. But I’d like to get there and be able to walk away!”

“Oh, relax.” I pull into the driveway and we come to a quick halt, sending Q forward. “What’s the matter? All talk and no demonstration?”

Q doesn’t say a word as he exits the car and storms over to my side, opening my door and all but pulling me out to lift me bridal-style.

“We leave for Italy in the morning,” he says and carries me to the front door. “Tonight… It’s just you, me, and the bedroom.”

I lean into his neck. “And the cats?”

“They can watch,” he answers simply and carries me inside.

“You know, the tradition is to wait until after the wedding,” I half-joke.

Q arches a brow at me. “Is that a rejection?”

I shake my head and press a soft kiss to his lips. “Work your magic, Quartermaster.”

Tomorrow my dream comes true. A trip to Italy, walking on the beach. And now I know who’s been the stranger in my dream all along.

Sometimes people get what they want. Other times we’re forced to wait for the unexpected.

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