#he looks like a vulture because hes supposed to be the vulture from the story of prometheus

[leox-un]

ok soul eater oc created surprise its jekyll and hyde :)

essentially he was having trouble as a weapon being partnered with others so he figured out a way to split his soul in half to wield himself, but its kind of. Killing Him because he doesn't have 2 souls, just 2 halves of 1 soul so hes on his way to Do Some Crimes Against Humanity

ill elaborate on them further eventually maybe but i basically made them to cope with the fact that theres like 5 crumbs of stein backstory so im Making It Myself

[graywaynewriter]

Bruce Wayne and daughter reader meets Damian for the first time

Brother ?

a/n: here I’ll just refer to daughter reader as daughter Wayne in case if anyone is looking for it in the tags

It was yet another late night, waiting on your father to come back from patrol. You weren’t too busy that night so you had to wait for him while you monitored some of the screens with Alfred. It wasn’t unusual for him to take longer than he said he would since so many unexpected twists, and turns can happen with an expanse of time. However, later on he pinged you letting you know, he was on his way home and to have the entrance of the Batcave, ready.

As the dark machine rolls into the Batcave, it’s engine comes to a halt as the latch opens, and Bruce steps out. However, this time he had company with him, he had a young boy who looked no older than 13 years old he thought to yourself that he probably brought home another robin so you stand up and approach them and say

“ Another robin?” You ask with a slight smile, however Bruce‘s face does not change. Instead of him answering the young boy answered instead.

“ more like the heir to Wayne Enterprises,” he crosses his arms as he scans your body up and down “who are you?”

“Hu-“ you were beyond confused because as far as you know, you were Bruce Wayne‘s only child.

“Damian is my son, Y/N….he’s your brother.” Bruce explains briefly “it’s a long story having to do with Talia. I’ll explain what happened later.

Is he still there processing the information Damien decides to start circling you like a vulture and observing your figure and trying to read you

“Hm, you don’t look like a fighter, but I suppose every family supposed to have a child who is just for show” he said, as he stopped and looked back to your face. And with a straight face, he says “ you’d be in much better shape if you actually worked out. Maybe one day you’ll even measure up to me”

All you do is stare at this random kid that just pulled up with your father as he criticize you in your skills. Sure you didn’t go on any patrol, but that was all by choice.

“…. So not only does he look like you, but he has to say everything that’s on his mind it seems” your eyebrows furrow as you look at your father trying to subconsciously ask him what in the hell is going on

“That’s enough Damian,” Bruce steps in and looks to Alfred “Alfred, could you please take Damien to the room that he will be staying in”

"Of course Master Bruce, this way Master Damian," you remain quiet as you watch the two exit the Batcave and you look back to your father.

"So....I have a brother huh?"

"It seems that way Y/N," Bruce said in his low gruff voice "this information is just as new to me as it is to you. I know Damian is....a handful, but we need to try. His life would be better here than with the league," he said resting a hand on your shoulder.

"I suppose so....you don't think he'll cause trouble do you?" you asked

"well....I hope he doesn't But I'll be sure to keep an eye on him,"

Next thing you know you were watching Damian shred up the garden shrubs with Alfred the next morning. You both jut sip on some tea Alfred had brewed up for you.

"So, why is he doing this?" you asked as he took the head off of the shrub in the shape of a bear

"Training, I was told at least," Alfred answers as Bruce walks into the kitchen ready to head into the office

"Well as long as he doesn't touch my-NOOOO!" with a quick slice the bush of hibiscus flowers was cut in half and you freak out "MY FLOWERS! DAD!"

Setting your cup down your rub out into the garden barefoot and start waving yours arms around. While Alfred and Bruce watch from the window as you scold Damian for the brutal damage to your favorite bush. Bruce lets out a sigh and Alfred adds,

"I will call the gardener and landscaper,"

"Thank you Alfred" Bruce sighs as he watches you both start to argue back and forth. He had to go and step in before anything got out of hand.

The following weeks were just the same. Start off pretty tame, and argument happens and you were bother bickering as most siblings do. He had even had his moments with your father and even Nightwing. To the point where Alfred had to stitch him up because of the fight they had gotten into while he was out on patrol.

He seen that almost anyone he ran into he pick a fight with. Whether that was verbal or physical or even both. However, sometimes you would see him sit on his own and just contemplate about things. You couldn’t exactly put your finger on what could be on his mind, but in a way it did make you sad. All he ever knew was the league of assassins, it was like he had no childhood no fun on top of that. He never really knew your father.

It’s like you got to enjoy Bruce without him being around and this is his first time being an actual child to a father. Even though he was so stubborn about it and insisted on being an adult at the ripe age of 14.

In the following weeks, you even try to get up at around the time that he did. Which was around five in the morning, which is absolutely insane, but you would try to wake up either way and make breakfast for him. It was a small star, but it was something to show him how different life could be.

Perhaps having your blood related, brother, suddenly appear, wouldn’t be such a burden as it once seemed. Although he may clash with you and almost everyone around him, you think he just may need some guidance. He definitely needs a lot of time to adjust. But there are times you would look at him and you would just see a smaller version of your father, especially when it came to training or bettering himself.

And even when you thought he would bring nothing but trouble you can see just a sliver of light in his eyes. And there was no doubt that he had gotten it from Bruce. Maybe having a brother wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

🦇Taglist:

[skzhocomments]

668 w/ Changbin pls pls 🥺🫶🏼🩷

General Masterlist

Request me a story

---

Writing Prompt 668 - “I will always protect you.” - Changbin

Word count: ~800 words

Wattpad | AO3

~

Decided to make it a Royal AU with a sprinkle of angst because why not?

~

“The castle is under siege!” One of your guards shouted loud enough for you to hear, even if you were locked up in the tower.

You expected this much. After all, your father confined you in this place earlier that day specifically because it’s the safest, the hardest to reach. Once he gave you this order, you knew that your Kingdom didn’t have much longer.

Enemies have been taking over your territory little by little for a while now; a battle lost here, a battle lost there, and your Kingdom was bound to fall into ruins.

The worst part of it all was that there was nothing you could do to prevent it. Not as a powerless princess, anyway. You vowed to yourself that you would rise in power and change everything as your father fell sick, but there you were, locked in the tower, sitting idly on the floor and hearing your soldiers’ last screams in what would be the final battle before everything would fall apart for good.

You wondered briefly if they reached your father’s chambers yet. He was even less powerful than you now, with the impending death hovering over him like a kettle of vultures awaiting their prey. You wondered if his sickness would get to him first, or if the attackers would land the final blow.

Your thoughts were cut short when the sound of a powerful explosion rang in your ears, and you immediately turned your head to the small window above.

You could see your castle, your precious home, fully engulfed by flames, and your heart began beating alarmingly fast in your chest.

How long until they would find you? And what would come of you once they got to the tower?

Would they kill you?

Would they keep you alive and turn you into a slave to mock you for the rest of your life?

Would they put their dirty hands all over you, force you into submission?

You didn’t enjoy this pointless waiting for the inevitable. You loathed being so powerless, and if these walls were supposed to offer you any protection, you found yourself suffocated by them instead.

You wanted to escape, but how? The door was locked, the window was too small and way too far up for you to reach it. There wasn’t even a blade for you to use to end this suffering of anticipating the inescapable.

The only thing you could do was wait for the attackers to find you, and oh, how funny this game of waiting was. You almost wanted to laugh.

“Your Highness!” You heard a familiar voice from the other side of the door, before it flew open, broken by one of your guards.

“Changbin! If you’re here, that means…” You stood up immediately, running directly towards him.

He took into a tight embrace before grabbing your face with his hands and looking you right in the eyes. His look was grave, indicating the worst.

“Yes. I’m afraid our King has fallen. We must haste, Your Highness.”

“Where are we going?” You asked breathless as he gripped your right hand and began running outside of the room into some underground tunnels under the Tower.

“We can’t stay here any longer. We will escape to the Eastern Kingdom through the sea. A ship should be waiting for us.” Changbin spoke hurriedly, guiding you further into the dark abyss.

“But Changbin… what about our home? What about our friends and families?” You frowned, worry plastered all over your face. You unfortunately knew the answer already, but still had a glimmer of hope inside your heart that maybe, just maybe, things could be different.

“Your Highness…” He spoke, shaking his head softly and trying to forget all about the once peaceful life you both shared.

“Then, why?” You suddenly stopped running, pulling him back to force him to face you. “Why did you come for me? You should’ve protected them…” You continued, feeling tears building up in the corners of your eyes.

“How could’ve I?” His voice fell. “How could’ve I run away with them and leave you behind?”

“Why would I matter more than them, then? I couldn’t even protect my own people…”

“And I’m no different. I couldn’t protect anyone… anyone but you, Your Highness. You are our only hope, and I swear on my life, I will always protect you.” Changbin spoke in a grave tone, and you knew he was serious, and that you could count on him to always be there for you.

“So will I.” You raised your head. “We will get out of here alive, and after we pull ourselves together, Changbin, I promise you that we will take back everything that rightfully belongs to us.”

Changbin took you in his embrace once again, and even though the whole world crumbled around you, you were truly thankful that you had him. A burning desire began rising in your chest, and you vowed to yourself that no matter what, you will take your revenge one day.

[ultra-raging-ghost]

oughhhhh rant under the cut about bads babies

Sorry im so ill about bad's kids tonight

I can imagine dapper obviously looks like him, but pomme looks like him, especially in her face.

I think the difference in dapper and pomme is Dapper follows in bad's current footsteps, self sacrificial and experimental but in a much different way than pomme. Dapper follows after bad in the way that he pays attention, and has been around long enough to listen to bad's stories and learn from them rather than having to experience them, but pomme's so little....

Being not only Bad's kid but etoiles and antoines..... A warrior with a strong moral compass, a seemingly passive immortal eldritch being, and another immortal being but not passive, with his own moral compass that differs from other people because of how long hes been around...

Etoiles is in his early years for lack of a better term, living what we can presume for now is a human lifespan, his morals as far as we can tell is based on those he loves, and maybe bad has that type of moral compass too, but theres such a strong difference when you've lived for as long as bad has.

As far as i know, Antoine doesnt talk as often about his lifespan, but Bad has actively and openly told his kids about people he's loved and lost, maybe not with the intentions of instilling any lessons in there but what else are we supposed to get from them??

Vesuvius, the unnamed lover from 500 years ago, hell even skeppy isnt around right now, although hes still alive.

I think theres a difference between them because Dapper, being bad's kid, was always under the expectation that he would outlive those he loved aside from bad and maybe foolish. We can see the extension of how bad treats foolish in how Dapper treats foolish, how they bond and how bad's wordlessly inflicted his "gift vs present" mindset that he had to explain to someone like Bagi, who made the mistake of telling bad she wanted to give someone a "gift" several times before realizing theres a difference and she had to specify she meant "present".

I gotta wonder if Antoine didnt really instill the idea of immortality into his daughter, i mean like who would right?? But two immortal parents?? She has to come to terms with the idea eventually, but right now shes so small...

Bad's talked about how his presence has consistently brought bad luck - eruptions, mass plagues, falling of kingdoms and death of gods, etc. But most of the events he's talked about happened so long ago. Hundreds or thousands of years ago bad learned and relearned the message that people dont stick around, you gotta pick and choose who you really invest yourself in. And why wouldnt it be the eggs? Your kids are immortal, its probably safe to invest yourself in them!

Pomme is self sacrificial, and really caring. We can really see how Etoiles' hero heart definitely instilled itself on her, but theres gotta be a difference between that kind of moral compass when you live for that long and experience that much loss.

Dapper is a little older, and was initially raised a lot differently, and while we see him experiment on herself with the soul vultures, she doesnt talk about self sacrifice nearly as much as Pomme, previously one of the youngest eggs, and the self proclaimed sole target of the codes.

I rambled so fucking much there but just. Bad sees himself in both his kids, but the difference between them is so heavy and i feel so hard for Pomme... shes so tiny, she doesnt need that burden to shoulder, but how can bad help snap her out of it or learn to not do that when shes still so young, and hes fallen back into those habits himself??? I dont wanna say theres a maturity difference in how dapper and pomme go about throwing themselves to the lions but honestly there kinda is... i just dont know how to word it concisely

most of this is probably wrong im probably missing a lot of lore or some shit but its 4:30 am and i have a headache, just let me be ill kjbhyvjhbk

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Propaganda why Bella Swan is insufferable:

Feels like low hanging fruit, but characters that are supposed to be self inserts will always be bland boring bad ideas if you want to make a truly interesting character. Especially self inserts that go along with things like stalking and abuse from their love interests for the sake of continuing the story, because it kinda makes them seem like a mannequin who just there to be passed around like the punching bag in super smash bros, you know what I mean

complete bland character that all the boys somehow fall in love with. just gets pushed around by the plot. she's interesting as cardboard while everyone around her is more interesting.

She spends the entirety of three books looking down on others, being completely braindead, worrying that she's old at age 18 for an entire book, has a horror movie pregnancyand birth, and then becomes the most specialist vampire to ever vampire. And through all that her personality and thought processes that she had page 1 of Twilight she has on the last page of Breaking Dawn.

She has the personality of a rock, but for some reason everyone is obsessed with her.

Propaganda why Tony Stark is insufferable:

She’s a hypocrite who is ready to restrict the freedom of others when they make one mistake, but when he makes a mistake he figures he’s able to handle himself

Super long, sorry lol

Thinking about how in Homecoming when Peter accidentally caused that boat to get split in half because the Vulture’s gun exploded and Tony was acting like as if Peter was completely in the wrong for going there just because he did it without his permission. He was acting like as if Peter was out of line and “disobeyed him”, trying to act like his father. And then I remember how in CACW he’s the one who scouted Peter in the first place just because he saw he might be useful against a personal squabble between him and Captain America despite knowing that he was a kid and he’s just now acknowledging how dangerous it is because Peter “acted on his own”

Completely hijacking Peter’s superhero story and trying to control his every move (Training wheels protocol and baby monitor thing he put in the suit), acting like Peter should’ve known that Tony would send someone in despite the fact that he’d been ignoring him for 2 months since Civil War and not keeping him updated on anything!!

How the hell is peter supposed to know Tony is going to listen to him when he treats him like a kid instead of a superhero when it’s convenient for him? And when Tony loses his temper after Peter says he’s 15 not 14 like “the adult is talking” bitch he could literally flatten you without your suit!!!

I guess in a way he is acting like a father but like the absentee kind. He’s more like a sperm donor father trying to act like he has any rights over Peter’s life smh.

It’s not that reprimanding Peter for the situation is bad, but the way he makes it seem as if Peter is irredeemable as if Tony wasn't a literal weapons dealer lmfao. He could’ve said what was the truth about it without completely invalidating him saying shit like “no thanks to you” after Peter asked if everyone is okay when it’s literally thanks to Peter finding a lead on those guys in the first place that they were even noticed and it’s not like the FBI being there could’ve in no way caused a similar situation.

And then near the end of the movie when he’s getting crushed by the building rubble screaming and crying for someone to help him where the fuck is Tony?? That scene just proved that he never needed Tony’s suit in the first place to be Spider-Man since he had to use 100% his own strength to lift it off of him. I know he would’ve found the motivation even if Tony hadn’t been involved in the first place to give him the suit, take it away from him and have the words “if you’re nothing without the suit you shouldn’t have it“ echo in his head. Why did Tony even take the suit away? Like as if he expects Peter to stop being spoderman without it??? Holy fuck. This is why you don’t make it out of endgame /j /srs.

When Tony took this suit away from Peter he was like “God I sound like my dad“ shouldn’t that be a red flag to him? Wasn’t he literally just saying that he wished his dad was better than he was?? Lmfao

Tony is so annoying. When they first meet he straight up bullies Peter into fighting for his personal bullshit, insults and objectifies Aunt May in front of him, spits into his trashcan and is in general being pushy af. He blackmails Peter when he doesn’t wanna come to Germany with him AND HE DOESNT EVEN EXPLAIN WHY HE WANTS HIM TO COME. Uncomfortable vibes lol.

Tony being the one to tell peter “if Captain America wanted to hurt you he would’ve” when Peter was trying to state his case, yet HE’S also the one who put Peter in harms way when he didn’t even want to go with him???

Telling Peter that he should stick to being a “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” (stealing his thing once again) when that’s what Peter _was_ doing before Tony took him out of his zone and filled his head with grander things to be apart of��.bitch? Die. Ohh waaaait (jkjk) but yeah

There’s the usual “he’s a war criminal who only felt bad about it when he realized his weapons were killing white Americans as well as Arab people” reason, and also he’s just super annoying. You had to be there for the original Avengers shitty dialogue a la “we have a Hulk” that had Tumblr in a vicious chokehold. Also he was supposed to FINALLY go away after destroying all his suits in Iron Man 3 but he just… didn’t! Which is bullshit.

Portrayed as a hero because? He chose to no longer mass produce war weapons and bombs after suffering the consequences. Huge hypocrite. Doesn't care about anyone but himself. Will backstab people if they believe in human rights when it's inconvenient to him. Seen as a hero while he's the personification of privileged people saying they're not privileged

>Makes weapons

>Billionaire

>Made multiple AI Surveillance Robots

>Gaslight a child into fighting a super soldier in a foreign country for him

>His fans are annoying

[mynameis-noe-body]

A story where Hopper is jealous would be so amazing and🥵

Oh my dear — my first request! Thank you so much anon, I hope you'll love this. 🖤

"Nothing to say, hm?"

Chief Jim Hopper × you (F)

Rating: Explicit

Status: Complete (one shot)

No one was supposed to know about your relationship. You were too young — even though you had already been of age for several years, and perfectly aware of all your deepest desires — and he was too old, even though you had never seen a gray hair or a wrinkle on his face. Jim was… Jesus, he was damn sexy. His imposing presence, his strong body, his deep gaze. You wanted to feel his hands on you at all times. But obviously, he prevented you with all his moral hesitations. But then, with an excuse, he would find a way to get you in his car — to give you a ride home after doing the shopping, or to take you to your parents' house, or simply to visit you after taking El to Max — and he would fuck you hard in the backseat, having you sitting on him and holding you against his chest until you couldn't breathe, smelling only the scent of his masculine aftershave and his bitter cigarettes. You would never have escaped from those hands, wrapped around your hips or around your neck.

But then again, he told you he loved you and still didn't want go public. It was frustrating. Also because this allowed others to be too flattering towards you.

You had picked out a couple of movies at the video store, two silly romantic comedies to watch on lonely evenings, home alone. You didn't expect to meet Billy Hargrove when you left the store. You had to admit that his blue eyes were enchanting, that boy was truly beautiful. Too bad about his bad attitude, you thought. You grinned tensely, a small, circumstantial half-smile that you hoped you could escape with — but no, of course, he had to insist. Rolling your eyes, in your heart you knew you were giving him the freedom to come closer. After all, it was nice to get a little attention when the man you loved denied it, right? It wasn't the first time Billy had shown some interest.

He took a step closer… you were now between his chest and the door of the shop. Hargrove smiled fully satisfied. "Well, well. Look what I found."

You shook your head, failing as you tried to hide a vaguely embarrassed, but also amused laugh. “My God, will you ever give up?”

“Of course” he whispered, leaning closer to your ear. "Come home with me tonight. I swear I'll stop chasing you then, little bunny."

Bunny? Bah. "Oh, William. You are such a child... and I am no toy. I gotta go home now, if you will ���"

But he placed his hand on your hip, you felt his fingers caressing your back and a shiver ran over your skin. No. Only Jim could touch you like that. He insisted on taking you home, you told him again that no, it wasn't a good idea. You would have even pushed him if someone hadn't abruptly moved him away from you.

The Chief had a terrible look. He told Billy to move away, since you didn't want any of his attention. The boy withdrew... and you prepared yourself for yet another fight.

Jim opened the car door for you, but he secretly wanted to lift you onto his shoulders and throw you in the car, strapping you tightly to the passenger seat to keep you seated next to him. Christ, he couldn't leave you alone for half a day when the vultures were already swooping on you. Hungry pigs. At first, he said nothing. He drove in silence along the highway, toward his cabin in the woods, gripping the cigarette so tightly in his left hand that he crushed the white filter like a chewing gum, until it was so thin he could barely smoke. All his muscles were damn tense.

Then, finally, he growled. "Nothing to say, hm?"

His voice was filled with anger. You, however, huffed. "No, Jim. I have nothing to say."

Continuing to the woods, he abruptly parked the car. "Fucking nothing. Good. Very good."

Shaking your head and clutching your bag in your hand, you climbed out of your seat. "Now you play jealous? You're ridiculous" you hissed, before slamming the door.

Jim could have caught fire with anger. His eyes remained fixed on your figure, gripping the steering wheel with the irrepressible desire to detach it with his bare hands. But he looked at you hurring up the stairs to the cabin, and chased after you. "Hey. HEY!"

You didn't even turn around.

"Fucking — what the fuck do you expect, hm? Hargrove's being an asshole and I'm supposed to watch, right?"

You tossed your bag onto the couch. "Yes, Billy is a dick, but at least he doesn't pretend not to notice my existence, in public!"

Jim laughed. But it was a bitter, resentful laugh. "Ah, so you two go by first names now!"

“Fuck you, Jim!” you screamed. You couldn't stand any more of his madness. "You wanna know why Billy flirts with me? Because he doesn't know that I'm yours, nobody knows that I'm yours, because you won't let me tell anyone how fucking in love with you I am!"

A heavy silence fell on the room. Jim's eyes, so fiery, calmed down gently. His hard face turned a different color, lighter and clearer, at your declaration. Your eyes covered in a veil of crystalline tears broke his heart. He took off his hat, placed it on the chair, took off his shoes and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. Then, he took your face in the large, rough palms of his hands, wiped away your tears with his thumbs. “I'm sorry” he whispered, kissing your forehead, then the tip of your nose, making you smile. "You're beautiful, and I'm an asshole. But I still love you."

He kissed you. His mouth barely touched yours, a small seductive kiss before opening his lips on yours and deepening it, seeking your soft tongue with his. He tasted like burnt tobacco and beer — and it was damn delicious. His kiss was voracious, impossible to escape. And you just wanted to abandon yourself to him, give yourself body and soul. Every other touch on your skin was canceled by the two hands that now wrapped around your body, caressing your back up to your buttocks, lifting your skirt, creasing your shirt and continuing on the bare skin of your belly until they found the delicate lace of your bra .

“You'll be the death of me, sweetie” he murmured into the soft skin of your neck, and you smiled, unbuttoning his shirt.

His immensely broad chest and large bod pressed against you, you wanted all of his body against yours. “How about we take this to bed?”

He nodded, kissing you again. He got you on his shoulders and took you to the bedroom.

There, you undressed. Naked, on the bed, sweaty in that warm night, pressed against each other, you just wanted to belong. Jim pulled you against his chest: one arm around your shoulders, his left hand on your breast to play with your swollen, sensitive nipple, the other had slipped in front of your groin, between your legs. His fingers were wet and he slid them from your hard clit to the soft, wet lips of your sex, so ready for him.

You were barely breathing, moaning, enjoying the feeling of his warm skin and massive chest against your back.

"That's right, baby. Keep riding my fingers — god, can you feel it? So fucking wet" he growled. You moaned a little louder and he buried his face in your neck. "You like that, uh? You're so needy — so needy for my attention. What do you want, sweetheart?"

You pleaded. "Just — fuck me, please. Fuck my pussy."

He laughed, the bastard. "Your pussy? Nu-uh. It's mine, baby. All mine to fuck."

And his cock — so hard, and so thick — pushed all the way inside you, to the end, sliding perfectly into your wet intimacy. Jim had to stifle a moan against your shoulder, biting down hard. You were perfect, made for him in every way. Fuck what other people would think. He began thrusting into you with slow, but strong thrusts. So strong that it makes you gasp and beg his name like a prayer. He sucked on your skin. He would leave marks everywhere, you'd feel his lips on you forever.

"So tight, so fucking warm — God, you're perfect" he breathed. "And you're mine, only mine, all mine. No one will ever touch you again, I swear — ah, shit, so good — you're fucking delicious. My sweetheart, my perfect pussy." And slowly, with every word, your cunt contracted around his cock, desperately, begging until he too, so needy for your pleasure, came with you, breathing in your sweet scent, quenching your fiery orgasm with his seed.

In the end, tight in that embrace, you loved each other that night too. Jim didn't let go of you for several long minutes, leaving small kisses on your skin. He now knew that he would no longer bear seeing you close to anyone else. With a deep breath, he whispered. "How about dinner tomorrow? At Enzo's."

You tried to hide a happy smile, failing miserably. "Sounds perfect to me."

[maddieautobot273]

Silk & Cologne (52)

A Miguel O'hara x OC fanfic - link to AO3 (X)

Chapter 52: Lost - previous chapter (X)

Pairing: Miguel O'hara x Female Spidersona OC

Words: 3.5K+ words

Warnings: PG for mentions a panic and/or anxiety attack

Summary: The webslingers hatch a plan to rescue Kasey.

////////

“So Hugh Everett’s theory about other dimensions is legit?” Toya’s eyes were bug eyed wide, as well as Touga and Hannah after I had finished sharing my story. 

I told them everything. From when I got bitten by the spider, Miguel and Peter B. rescued me whilst introducing me to the Spider Society and ultimately joining them to control my new powers. The rest they had pretty much already knew to an extent, as far as me and Miguel dating goes. 

“Pretty much,” I innocently shrug my shoulders. “If there’s another universe that has Spider-Man in someway, shape, or form, it exists.”

“So like a spiderverse?” Touga asks, his fingers waving with a dramatic flare. 

“Spiderverse?” Miguel huffs, crossing his arms over his puffed chest. “The technical term is the arachno-humanoid poly-multiverse.”

Everyone gawks in Miguel’s direction, myself included. I clear my throat, offering him a playful smile as I nudge his side. “Soooo, the spiderverse?”

Miguel rolled his eyes, but gave me a ghost of a smirk. “In the simplest of terms I suppose, yes, a spiderverse, if you will,”

“So the characters, er, I guess, those people, everyone we saw was real?” Toya went on, stepping forward as the more he talked, the more calm and relaxed he appeared to be processing all of this. 

Hannah gulps suddenly. “Including the villains?” She shuddered, Touga wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. 

“Especially the villains.” I nodded firmly. 

“So, Chameleon, Vulture, Green Goblin. . .” Touga mumbled as his voice wandered before shaking his head, speaking up. “All of that was real.”

I nodded again.

“But they looked different from what we know of them,” Touga quickly realized, his mind racing thinking back to just mere minutes ago.

“Think of the Multiverse like a giant spider-web, with lots of interconnecting webs and nodes,” Miguel explained, his arm open wide as if mapping it out in his head. “I’d show you my own illustration but time is of the essence.”

“Why are they here?” Hannah asks, her voice a bit more calm with Touga’s presence. 

“They’re after me,” I swallowed, curling my fingers into a fist so tight I thought I’d puncture my skin with my finger nails. “The spider that bit me and gave me my powers came from dimension Earth-1997, home to Harry Osborne who orchestrated this attack.”

My friends eyes lit up with concern and worry, anxiously holding their breath as they waited for us to speak more. 

They’re here because of me. 

“I wanted to wait to tell you a theory of mine, but Spider-Doc’s research confirmed my suspicions,” Migue spoke up as his long fingers trailed down my arms to my fists, uncurling my fingers and intertwining our hands. “Better late than never. Harry was trying to recreate the venom that gave the Spider-Man of his dimension their powers. He made a modification that amplified the specific targets' natural talents and enhanced them. In Lisa’s case, it amplified her athleticism when it came to her dancing, and her voice.”

“Her voice?” Toya repeated with a confused glint in his eyes. 

“My webs glow when I sing, triggering various effects if I use them on someone,” I suddenly became nervous, rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand. It kind of sounds outrageous saying this all out loud here. “I can put my targets to sleep, issue commands, and I uh– triggered them to explode once?”

“Exploding webs?!” Toya exclaimed, eyes wide as Hannah jumped, Touga holding her protectively. 

“I didn’t kill anyone! I only used it against a giant rock monster!” I started, waving my hand reassuringly. 

“You fought rock monsters?” Touga gawked, his grip tightening on Hannah. 

Miguel coughs into the fist of his free hand, regaining everyone’s attention. “Can we stay focused, please? Trying to have an adult conversation, or at least something close to it.”

“Right, sorry, Spider-Man– Miguel, or  Mr. O’hara, er, sir!” Touga apologies before both he and his twin offer Miguel a salute, straightening their posture. 

Hannah glances between them, unsure whether to do the same. I cast her a reassuring glance, waving my hand down. “That’s not a thing in the Society, you don’t need to do that,”

“Please, just call me Miguel,” Miguel nods over to the boys, putting them at ease. “Mr. O’hara was my father. I am not him.” 

“. . . Doesn’t Pavitr call you Mr. O’hara?” I gently remind him, lowering my voice to a whisper. 

Miguel keeps his gaze on my friends, not breaking eye contact as he matches my tone. “I don’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. He’s a good kid, so he gets a pass.”

“So does Kasey’s disappearance have something to do with Harry going after you?” Hannah asks me. 

“Yes,” I sighed deeply, lowering my head. “They’ve. . . come after me before.”

“Wait, the attack at your apartment that one time was them?” Hannah’s voice dropped as she covered her mouth and I could see the exact moment when her heart dropped. 

I nodded. “Yes, and now they’re trying to get to me through those closest to me. That’s why they took Kasey and Chameleon disguised himself and took Kasey’s place so I wouldn’t notice.”

“But if you have spider-powers now, wouldn’t your spider-sense warn you if something was up?” Touga asked me, his voice a little hesitant. 

“Truthfully I’m still getting used to how it works exactly,” I shake my head with a grim expression. “I can sense danger right before it happens, but not in the long term it seems.”

But maybe if I could. . .  

I winced, hearing white noise in my ear. An image flashed in my head, but I couldn’t quite catch what it was as I vigorously shook my head. It had to be the stress of all that was happening, at least that’s what I told myself to keep calm. 

I didn’t miss the look Miguel gave me. Could he hear my thoughts through the mental bond he had connected with me? Before he had a chance to talk, Hannah’s voice spoke up and his eyes gazed upon her. 

“So. . . where is Kasey?” Hannah asked me nervously. 

My shoulders slacked as my head hung low. “I have no idea.”

Chameleon had mentioned that he disguised himself long enough for the plan to work. But how long was that even? The day before the show? A week ago? Or when we had that fight?

“Has anyone tried contacting her since you all got here?” Miguel’s eyes wandered between the group, looking at each of us. 

Everyone looked shocked, puzzled as to why they didn’t think to do that before. Myself included. We all whipped out our phones, trying to text, call, even facetime Kasey’s number. But it all went to voicemail. 

“She’s not answering.” Toya shook his head with a frustrated growl. 

“But it went straight to voicemail,” I quickly realized, whipping my gaze to Miguel. “Her phone is still on!”

Miguel nodded, the gears in his head turning as he was one step ahead of me. He pulled away from me, lifting a hand to his gizmo, typing in a command on the touch screen. “Lyla, can you track the signal to see where Kasey’s phone is?” A holographic map of my dimension’s New York appeared before us, my friends surprised gasps could be heard in the back. 

“Sure can!” Lyla beamed happily as her avatar took form on Miguel’s shoulder and the gasps returned, this time louder and more alarmed. “Oh, Lisa, these must be your friends!”

“Introductions later, Lyla, we really need your help.” I insisted. 

“Anyone got a phone charger she can borrow?” Lyla asked as she zipped over towards my friends, studying them. 

“Uh, h-here!” Touga turned back, walking over to the kitchen counter as he pulled a drawer back and pulled out a charger. 

“Thanks,” He handed the charge to me and I found a USB port on the side of my gizmo. 

After connecting the two devices, I dialed Kasey’s number again. My heart dropped deeper and deeper into the pit of my stomach the longer it rang. Loading icons appeared on Lyla’s eyes as she studied the holographic map carefully. Then suddenly she exclaimed before flying over to a part of the map and tapping it with her finger. 

The map zoomed in on the spot before the hologram reconstructed itself and took the shape of a very familiar small island, with a very familiar historical landmark. I cursed under my breath. My knees buckled as I took it all in. “She’s back there?”

The Statue of Liberty. 

“Specifically, here,” Lyla zoomed in on the hologram again, this time, directing it beneath the monument to a series of tunnels and passageways. “I tracked the signal underground.”

“She was beneath us this whole time?” Toya’s jaw dropped as he stepped closer to the holomap, studying the pathway. 

“Are you absolutely sure, Lyla?” Miguel asked the AI, hands on his hips. 

“That’s where the signal is coming from,” Lyla nodded before looking over at Miguel. “It’s not a bad place to keep a hostage.”

Miguel’s stance was collected, calm and his eyes narrowed seriously as he looked back towards me. “What do you want to do?”

My eyes trailed down to my phone, seeing the failed calls and texts to Kasey’s phone before looking back towards the holomap. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose and exhaled out of my mouth as I glared at the red dot indicating Kasey’s proximity location. “If there’s even the smallest chance, I have to go.”

“We will go,” Miguel corrected me, stepping to my side as he placed a steady hand to the small of my back. “I’ll call the others, and figure out a plan.”

Footsteps caught my attention as I looked up, seeing Hannah, Touga, and Toya approach the opposite end of the holomap, determined looks on their faces.

“How can we help?” Touga crossed his arms over his chest, offering me a smile. 

“What?” My eyes widened at his offer as I looked between them and Miguel just to check if they were joking. I narrowed my eyes cautiously. “I’m not asking you to put your lives–”

“Oh, we’re not asking, we’re telling,” Toya spoke up with a grin, cracking his knuckles. “We’re a team, remember? The Webslingers?”

I gawked at his words, feeling like I was going to cry right there and then. “Guys. . .”

“Kasey is our friend too, and we want to do everything we can to help.” Hannah stated, appearing a little more calm and confident in herself. 

I looked over towards Miguel. “Well?”

‘We could use the extra help?’ 

Miguel’s eyes narrowed before he sighed, shaking his head lightly as he glanced over to the floor. Hands still on his hips, he glances up to my friends. “It will be dangerous. If we go in there. . . there’s a chance we won't come back out.”

My body froze at that moment, my heart pounding so hard in my chest I thought it was going to burst as I watched my friends exchange looks with one another. The idea that more than Kasey’s life could be at risk, or worse. . . I didn’t want to think about it. The white noise and flickering came back briefly, and I shook my head again as my friends looked up towards Miguel. Determination still painted on their faces. 

“We understand the risks,” Touga spoke as Toya and Hannah nodded their heads. “We’re coming.”

“Then we got some work to do.” Miguel stated as he rose his gizmo to his face. “Spiders, rendezvous at my coordinates. All hands on deck.”

////////

Operation: Rescue Kasey and save Earth-1218 was a go. 

Avoiding the police and the checkpoints they set up on practically every block leading up to the harbour was a cakewalk, as we navigated across on the rooftops. After dropping down and getting by the patrols, we found the twin’s family yacht. Using cloaking technology on the S.S.Saki to avoid being seen by the Coast Guard, we sailed back to the island under the cover of darkness. 

There was an eerie silence as we sailed across the lake and into the port. To think only mere minutes ago, the place was covered with fire and explosions. I could still smell the ash and smoke from here. 

Not to mention that stupid portal was till glowing and hovering up in the sky like the biggest eyesore. As we navigated closer to the statue, I prayed to any God that would listen to me to not let another villain variant or anomaly pass through and cause more destruction to my home. As far as I could catch through the radio chatter on the police walkies as we snuck by, the villains never left the smaller island and attacked the mainland. 

It was the smallest of blessings, but I didn’t take it for granted. 

“Everyone in position?” Miguel spoke through the gizmo’s commlink. 

Miguel and I had snuck our way to the top of the Statue of liberty to catch a peek at the portal to check if any more villains would be coming through any time soon. Thankfully it didn’t appear so, but the place was crawling with Oscorp guards, the same ones that abducted me back when all of this first started. I had shuddered when I first caught a glimpse of their uniforms. 

“We’re ready to go in when you are, Miguel,” Noir responded. 

Noir would be leading Gwen, and my friends through a back door at the bottom of the statue that led into the underground maintenance facility where the network of tunnels started. Miguel and I would make our way down through the statue itself by the security entrance. Pav, Peter B., Jess, and Hobie were on standby for backup in case we needed it. 

“We go on my signal,” Miguel spoke before he glanced over at me, noticing how my eyes had yet to stray from looking at the portal. “I’ll call you back.”

He hung up the feed, approaching me softly as we stood within the crown of Lady Liberty. 

I had changed into my real, and very much cleaner and not tattered, spider-suit via my gizmo. The nano-technology fit me like a glove as I lowered my head down to look at my mask. My fingers curled tighter around it as a wave of shame and guilt coursed through my body. 

“Something has been eating at you,” Miguel spoke gently. “I can tell.”

“. . . This is all my fault, isn’t it?” My voice was barely a whisper. 

“Mona Lisa, none of this is your fault,” Miguel eagerly insisted, his voice still stern yet gentle as he squeezed my hand in his. 

“But what if it is?” I turned my head to look back at him with worry. “Even if my universe doesn’t actually have a canon like Lyla told you, I still can’t use my powers here. I tried to when I pushed Touga out of the way. I saved him, but I blacked out in that split second.”

Miguel’s eyes softened in sympathy, his fingers squeezing my hands tightly as his thumbs brushed against the fabric of my gloves. “Lisa. . .”

“I should have been more vocal with you with my worry about Harry coming here when you first told me the other week. I trusted you to handle it and I still do, but. . . without my powers, how can I rescue Kasey?” My voice trembled, my heart pounding so loudly in my ears. “How can I protect my home?”

I could see Miguel’s lips moving, but I couldn’t hear him. Everything seemed to blur as the white noise returned, erupting my ears. Spots flickered in my eyes as I began to see things, someone that wasn’t there. 

For a brief moment, someone else took Miguel’s place. First it was Hannah and my eyes widened in fear when it looked like she was beaten up, bloodied even. Then it was Toya, and Touga, then Kasey, and I recoiled, fearing the worst for her. 

“What if they get hurt because of me?” I choked. 

Miguel’s form flickered as he continued to try and talk to me, before I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I saw my mother. I nearly fell to my knees. As if he were shouting from a distance, I could hear Miguel’s muffled cry to me. 

“What if—!” The words were there but I couldn’t get them out as I shut my eyes again, shaking my head. 

But when I looked back, Miguel wasn’t there again. It was a woman, an elderly with snow white hair tied in a bun. She wore a visor with multiple red eyes staring at me, in a long red suit like gown as she sat on a black throne that was covered in webs. 

“What if you’re right? What if my universe won’t accept me as its Spider-Woman because of all of this?” I whimpered, my fingers clutching on to the sides of my head. 

The woman suddenly lunged for me, arms out. 

“Lisa, look at me!” 

But it wasn’t the woman’s voice that came out of her mouth as I shut my eyes feeling someone grabbing on to me, shaking me back into reality. I slowly opened my eyes to see Miguel kneeling before me, his hands on my shoulders as they trembled, as if fighting not to grab me too hard. His eyes poured into mine, his pupils flickering between his normal brown and his powerful red irises as if trying to keep himself calm through all of this. 

“Maybe. . . Maybe I’m wrong. I’ve seen what you can do with these powers and how you’ve used it to protect those around you, to protect me. But even if I am right, I will be there and help you every step of the way. I’ll work with Lyla and the Doc, research and study the spider-venom DNA for anything that can help you to use your powers here and reduce the pain that you’re feeling, because I’m so shocking proud of you, Lisa!”

Slowly the white noise whine down, and I started to hear music? Violins playing a soft, enchanting and also familiar melody. 

“Not done fightin' (no way), I don't fear I've lost

Am I dreamin', is there more like us?”

My lips trembled as I looked at him, eyes watering as something warm swelled in my chest. “Miguel. . .” The white noise and voices started to dissipate. 

“You’re amazing, you know that?” He panted, managing a smile as he laughed. 

I could see his fangs glisten in the moonlight, flashing that signature grin of his as his hands came up to cup my cheeks. He closed the distance between us, his lips crashing into mine in a confident, pulling my flush against him. I was worried that someone might see us, a patrolling guard or another anomaly sneaking through the portal, but when Miguel’s fingers dug into my hair at the back of my head, I melted into his touch completely. 

“Got me feeling (no way), like it's all too much

I feel beaten, but I can't give up”

His tongue slowly brushed against my bottom lip suddenly, testing the waters, silently asking for permission. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold myself closer, and I parted my lips. It was brief, only for a few seconds, but I felt his tongue slip into my mouth and massage itself against my own in slow, gentle strokes before Miguel pulled away completely. 

“Your best is enough.” he stated, his fingers brushing stray strands of my hair away from my face. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you save your dimension. You have my word, Lisa.”

There was a look in his eyes, as if he wanted to say more, but he held back, as I stared at him wide eyed. He reached down to the floor, gently plucking my mask that I had dropped during our kiss. Offering it to me with a soft smile, he spoke confidently, “Ready to get to work, Spider-Muse?”

“I'm still fighting, I don't fear I've lost

Am I dreamin', is there more like us?”

My gaze flickered between him and the mask as the surroundings around us became more clear to me. I couldn’t hear my heart pounding in my chest anymore as I reached for my mask, taking it from his large fingers. I didn’t hear the voices anymore as I tied my hair back before slipping the mask over my head and pulled my ponytail through the hair opening. 

“Got me feelin' (no way), like it's all too much

I feel beaten (no way), but I can't give up!”

The HUD of my mask came to life as vital signs and data measurements followed my UI menu and the eyelets of my mask glowed to life as I met Miguel’s stare. I reached my hand back out, grasping his and intertwined my fingers tightly with his. “Let’s go save the multiverse together.”

////////

Leave a like or comment if you want to be added to the tag list!

Tagged: @0eye0​, @sadgurlstar , @uhnanix​ , @r1dd1kulus​,    @kirablommuwu @kenacole​ @kuinnoa​,   @devotedlyatomicdeer  @hltendo , @r0sib3lleeditx @noahspector​​    @senicrile    @ahoeformyself

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

You know, what's another good reason why Miguel’s canon theory is faulty?

It’s because in his quest to save the multiverse and preserve the ‘canon’, Miguel and his Spider Society keep breaking the ‘canon’.

I rewatched the movie, and something occurred to me… Miguel and Jess broke the Canon in like the first 30 minutes!

Because of Miguel, Jess and Vulture actions indirectly caused the loss of a canonical event: The death of Gwen's father, George Stacy. And because of that, Gwen’s father is not only alive, but he quit the police force, so he’s not a police captain anymore.

Not to mention, there is a very real implication that the Spider-Society is inadvertently preventing Spider-People from realising their own heroic destinies in their own universes.

Because the more I thought about it, I realized that the five months that Gwen spends with the Spider Society are five long months that her own home is unprotected by Spider-Woman…

Think about how many other worlds are in danger because their Spider-Man/Spider-Woman wasn't/isn’t around to protect it because they were with the Spider Society or they might have died on some mission with the Society.

Okay, I don't remember if I answered this, so let me start with this:

Miguel and Jessica didn't technically interrupt any canon when they appeared in Gwen's universe. Gwen is suppose to lose her father due to a battle against her own arch-nemesis.

Fun fact, in the comics the Vulture is the first villain we see her take; but Gwen say it: this isn't her vulture. She doesn't know this man.

There is no canon to interrupt, because that event is suppose to happen with her own arch-nemesis. Is this exact reason why I say that Pavitr couldn't have a canon event, Spot wasn't his nemesis; so I need to keep that consistently.

That being said: yeah, Gwen being a few months away from home is bad, but-

As far as I know, nowhere in the movie it says that Gwen has been away for 5 months, but I could be wrong, so if you or someone else knows when that was mentioned, please say so.

Regardless- I did find strange the idea of Gwen staying in the Society; after all, she is suppose to deal with her own canon events.

I never went too hard on this, because is one of those plot holes that are there because the story works better for it.

What I mean by this is that Gwen having be at stake her safe place after running for home is much, much interesting; that let's say, Gwen needing to deal with the consequences of the fallout and now she doesn't have a reason to keep her loyalty.

If you want a similar plot hole; in ITSV Gwen comes a week early in the movie...and the entire logic falls apart because of this.

As far as we know, there is no reason why Gwen came early unlike the others; despite being a week in this universe, she doesn't seem to be glitching more or to look closer to disappearing than the rest. Speaking of which- how did she got there? Spider-sense is about sensing danger, not detecting a new spidey that has yet to be bitten. To not say, how she could just get a room, be part of classes, and not only no one noticing there is no paperwork of her existence, she doesn't glitch in public AT ALL, after being there for a week?

Now, chances are you weren't familiar with this last issue; because is not the point. Establishing Gwen's and Miles' connection earlier is more important than all of this; the movie never brings attention to fact, which means is not relevant.

The reason I go hard about Pavitr not living a canon event, is that it is shown in camera to us, which means we are suppose to pay close attention.

Now, I know a lot of people would insist that a perfect story has no plot holes, and I am not going to argue if you don't like when the story has these loose ends.

But in my personal opinion? If it makes the story more interesting, and you don't need to bring attention to it, sometimes bending the rules a bit good.

Though, if I am honest, if I am correct about my predictions...then there is an aspect of the movie that could be a plot hole that I have an issue with.

[whump-card]

Sunless Lives Part 13: I Can’t Give It Back

~1030 words

CW: dread :)

First, Previous, Next, Masterlist

~~~

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Matthew bellowed, “How could you let him do that?!”

He didn’t care that he was yelling at the Director of the entire VIU, or that the rest of his team and Harper’s team were watching him.

Well, not all of his team.

They all sat around a table, in a conference room with the blinds pulled down, while Matthew paced. He sported a black eye, and a cut open shirt that flashed fresh bandages underneath. None of them had been given time to change or recover before being pulled into the meeting room. NDA forms were scattered across the table, all signed except one.

“He volunteered,” Director Yarl said for the fifth time, “You heard him on the call, it was entirely his idea and I couldn’t have stopped him if I wanted to.”

“But you negotiated time and place!” Matthew accused, “You drove him there! You let him walk over to them!”

“What was I supposed to do,” Yarl finally snapped back, “Let them torture ten agents to death?”

“YES!” Matthew shouted, “Because that’s our job! We all signed up for this knowing the risks! We went in there knowing there was a chance we wouldn’t make it out, because that’s the job.”

“And Simon chose to use his position to rescue you, isn’t that part of his job? To look out for his team?” Yarl countered.

“Not like this!” Matthew insisted.

“Just sign the NDA, Beck, that’s all I need from you right now,” Yarl said, trying to get out of the looping argument.

“No, none of this would have happened if the VIU weren’t making deals with vampires. People need to know.”

“If you don’t sign, you’re fired.”

Matthew was pretty sure that was some kind of labor law violation, but he didn’t care.

“I quit,” he spat.

“Then if you don’t sign, you will be banned from the premises and will have no access to Simon’s living quarters. His belongings will be stored or discarded as the VIU sees fit, without your input.” Yarl knew it was a cruel move, but it was all he had.

Matthew glared at him a long moment before muttering, “Fine,” and signing his name, large and angry, on the final NDA.

Yarl watched him, not without sympathy.

“You can gather what you like from Simon’s apartment, barring furniture. Then I want you to clear out your locker and turn in your badge and gear, if you really are quitting.”

“You’re not even going to try and rescue him, are you?” Matthew asked.

“No,” Yarl admitted, “I’m sorry. He’s out of our reach now.”

Matthew looked at him, then at everyone else in the room.

“I expected better from all of you,” he spat, and stormed out.

He had to get to Simon’s apartment. Never mind that it was nearly midnight, he needed to make sure all of Simon’s most precious things were safe before any vultures arrived. His books. His CDs. All of it.

He heard quick footsteps catching up to him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Gina.

“I can’t believe you signed,” he started in on her, “You, of all people -”

“I didn’t sign,” Gina interrupted him, “I just wrote ‘no thanks’ in cursive.”

Matthew stopped in his tracks and stared at her. A laugh bubbled out of his throat, then a sob. Gina pulled him into a tight hug, neither of them caring about his stitches.

“My cousin’s a journalist,” she said, “I’m going to stay here and learn as much as I can, until they figure out I didn’t sign and find a way to fire me. Then… I don’t know, we’ll do something.”

“But what about Simon?”

“Maybe if we get the story out, that’ll motivate the VIU to rescue him.” She stepped back to look him in the eye. “I’ll talk to Isles too.”

Matthew groaned.

“I know, I know,” she said, “I don’t like him any more than you do, but he might have some ideas. He’s been here a long time, he knows how the bureaucracy side of things works.”

“Okay, I get it,” Matthew nodded, not feeling any better. “Help me box up his things?”

Gina nodded.

“Of course.”

~~~

After moving Simon’s personal belongings into Matthew’s apartment, Gina didn’t hear from Matthew for a week. Then he showed up unannounced at her apartment, bearing a lockbox, his black eye now a dark yellow shadow under his brow.

“Want to come in?” she offered after they exchanged greetings, but Matthew shook his head.

“I actually have… a really weird request,” he said.

“Oookay, spill.”

He held out the lockbox, and she hesitantly took it, hefting its weight in her hands.

“What is this?”

“It’s… What I need you to do is to keep it. Someplace really secure, that only you can access. Don’t tell me where. And no matter what I say, you can’t give it back to me until Simon is home safe.”

She squinted at him.

“Whaaat…”

“Please, just do this for me, Gina,” Matthew pleaded, “You’re the only person I trust with this.”

“Okay, but,” concern clouded her face, “What exactly are you planning on doing?”

Matthew smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it.”

~~~

A day later he was back, knocking rapidly on her door late in the evening.

“Hey,” he said as soon as she opened the door, “I need back the box that I gave you.”

“You said not to give it to you, no matter what you said.”

“Yeah, well… That was stupid of me. I thought it would motivate me to help Simon, but it was a mistake. Can I have it back?”

Gina folded her arms, studying him closely.

“No,” she finally said, “Not until Simon is home safe.”

He stared at her, his eyes pleading, desperate; but Gina didn’t budge. When he realized she wasn’t going to cave, his entire demeanor changed. He stood up straighter, his shoulders relaxed, and his expression dropped to neutral. He sighed.

“Oh well. See you soon, then.”

He turned around and left.

Gina knew better than to call after him.

His black eye was gone.

~~~

First, Previous, Next, Masterlist

Taglist: @flowersarefreetherapy @pigeonwhumps @sunshiline-writes @seasaltandcopper

[andaisq]

The Perfect Day

Imagine, right, that you're going about your business, one day, and then someone says to you - your brother's dead. House burned down, him and his wife and his kids are all gone. You're heartbroken. It's awful, it's the worst thing that could possibly happen. But you've got a framework for how to deal with it? You know that bad things happen. This is worse than anything you could've imagined happening, but it's in the space that could happen.

But then you're at his funeral, and you're dressed in black and everyone's crying - and it's a beautiful sunny day, and there's a rainbow in the sky. Birds are singing. There's a fat little bumblebee visiting the nearest flower, dusting pollen on everything it bumps into on the way. It's the perfect day. And your brother's dead.

And in that moment it seems like the world isn't working like it should work. It isn't supposed to be the perfect day, not when you're never going to see him again and you'll never see his kids grow up and you'll never get to win that fight you were having about whether Romeo and Juliet's a stupid story because he's dead, he's in Heaven or Hell or he's reincarnated into a snowshoe hare or whatever.

And the moment passes, and you try to get over it, try to remind yourself it's not personal, you know, it's not the universe thumbing its nose at you in particular, it's just a nice day. And... the sun rises the next day and there's a rainbow in the sky, and birds are singing. And you ask someone what the hell's up with this weather you've been having, to distract yourself from how miserable you are, and they look at you funny and ask what you're talking about, and you say it's so sunny and warm, and why are there rainbows anyway when I haven't seen a drop of rain, and they say it's overcast today. Really they wouldn't even say that, they'd think you were talking metaphorically - but it is cloudy, for them. You're the only one seeing the rainbow.

And it gets worse. Every day, the weather's more perfect, the rainbow a little bigger and brighter in the sky. The birds sing your brother's favorite songs. That damned bumblebee is everywhere you look, getting pollen over your rug or your desk or your cat.

You haven't seen the rain in weeks, or months, or years.

And then you walk out your front door and the garden path leads up to the foot of the rainbow. And you think, maybe this can help me. And you walk up the rainbow, and as you walk along it you feel the colors bleeding through you, the birdsong filling your ears, the bumblebee circling like a vulture... and you die. You collapse on that rainbow bridge, the rainbow that was your evidence of how the world is wrong, and you fall through it and through the world. You fall straight through Hell, because Hell has no place for you, into the void. And you could dissolve there, you could be unmade - it'd be easy. But you're so angry, about the rainbow. There shouldn't be a bloody rainbow. Your brother's dead. What kind of world throws a rainbow at people whose brothers have died?

And you force your way back into the world. But you're not of the world anymore. You're Excrucian. You're more that rainbow than you are yourself, and the rainbows of the world see you and they see an impostor, a monster, something that must be destroyed. And they do destroy you. Again and again, you die, in ways more or less ambiguously rainbow-themed, and then you drag yourself back. Because the world is wrong. Because you're the only one who can do anything about it.

You are Cadwin Belitun. You are dying of the Perfect Day.

[themculibrary]

Peter & Bucky Mentor/Bond Masterlist

A Helping Hand or Two (ao3) - PinkAvidReader N/R, 3k

Summary: A still-on-the-run Bucky stumbles across an injured Spider-Man - AKA Peter Parker - and decides to help him escape the HYDRA agents that've got them surrounded on all sides in a dingy alley somewhere in New York.

OR

Spider-Man, the Winter Soldier, and a HYDRA squad walk into an alley. Only two come out.

atlas (the weight of the world on his shoulders) (ao3) - luminis_infinite T, 2k

Summary: So it’s Bucky, with his pistol to their leader’s head, that’s keeping them still. That and the stories that follow Bucky around like the ghost he used to be.

They know who he is. They know who he is and what he’s done. They know who he is and they are afraid.

---

“Anytime.” Then Bucky seems to think about what he’s saying, “Ah. Actually. No. I don’t want to be saving your ass all the time, Peter. You could get yourself killed.”

“I can’t not,” Peter mutters, to which Bucky snaps, “Of course you can. You got school, a girlfriend right? A whole life that doesn’t involve getting your head smashed in by members of a Mexican cartel!”

everything, all at once (ao3) - turtle_bean T, 2k

Summary: With a barely audible groan, Peter pulls the softest sweater he owns over his head and lets it swamp his skinny arms. It had been Ben’s, but Peter doesn’t need to think about that right now.  

Peter also doesn’t need to think about how goddamn bright the bathroom is and does Rufus four floors down always bark this loudly?

--

or, peter has a sensory overload. that's something bucky can help with.

gone and going (ao3) - lostintheclouds321 G, 6k

Summary: The Asset wakes up in a cold room. There’s a ringing in his ear. He doesn't know who Peter Parker is or why he keeps calling him Bucky but he doesn't exactly care to find out. All he knows is there is no escape from Hydra, he simply has to wait for his next mission.

If I Could Do It All Over, I’d Find You Sooner (ao3) - snarkymuch E, 131k (WIP)

Summary: Bucky escapes from Hydra briefly and meets Tony in a bar. Their one-night stand leaves Tony pregnant. Over a decade later, Steve enters the picture, still raw over the loss of his alpha Bucky. He and Tony fall for each other, but things get complicated when the Winter Soldier appears.

Peter Parker Meets The Avengers (ao3) - arabellagaleotti G, 9k

Summary: “Hey Mister Stark, so I’ve got some homework and I was hop-” I cut off abruptly. Sitting in the middle of the polished granite kitchen of Tony Stark is the runaway Avengers. Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, Clint Barton, and Sam Wilson. Strewn about, they look familiar with the space, but still slightly unused to it. I suppose months away does that. “You’re not Mister Stark?” I say, slightly awe-struck.

“No. We’re not.” Natasha says dryly, eyeing me up and down from her place perched on top of the counter.

OR,

Peter meets the Avengers, and they all love him, because how can you not?

shelter also gave their shade (ao3) - Mellaithwen steve/bucky T, 4k

Summary: Injured after his final battle with the Vulture, Peter Parker gets some unexpected help.

“As if anything would’a kept you away from that beach.” Captain America scoffs. “Brooklyn’s ours, Buck. Besides, we look after our own.”

Stalker (ao3) - MetalPhoenix G, 962

Summary: Bucky Barnes decides to "guard" Peter after Pete fixes his arm in the middle of the night.

Standing Steady (ao3) - YouAreTheBrightest234 (TransLucas) N/R, 15k

Summary: Peter just reminds Bucky so much of Steve and God knows how Steve turned out

Starbucks in Manhattan (fanfiction.net) - Introvertasaurus G, 35k

Summary: Who knew I would meet so many famous people while working with my friend at Starbucks? Takes place several months after CAWS. Bucky and Peter Parker will be included.

The Spider and the Wolf (ao3) - Doctorpants T, 22k (WIP)

Summary: Bucky and Peter are super soldiers that HYDRA has designed. When a prison break is successful among Hydra's top experiments, the two boys need to figure out how to stay on the run and find some place safe, and the only way to that is together.

the barnes-romanoff babysitting service (ao3) - tempestaurora T, 3k

Summary: Bucky volunteers to look after Peter for the weekend and Natasha just wants to hang out with her favourite spider.

Three times Peter Parker met Bucky Barnes (ao3) - orphan_account T, 2k

Summary: Peter Parker meets Bucky Barnes three times. Each three times, they have a connection.

Unexpected (ao3) - tiredRobin G, 948

Summary: Peter Parker meets James "Bucky" Barnes on accident.

What a Coincidence (ao3) - notyoursherlock G, 4k

Summary: Peter was having a relatively good day when it was announced to his AcaDec team that they were going on a field trip.

To Romania, of all places.

He could only hope that nothing would happen.

(Spoiler alert: something happens)

[ragnarssons]

so. incoherent train of thoughts on this episode, and the whole season in general so far.

- i guess i can now say that, given there’s only two episodes left, we can say how much of the season went. i know the two final episodes will supposedly tie to knot on the significance of this season buuuuut~

- first of all, i don’t want din djarin to become leader of mandalore. yknow, reflecting on satine’s role, on bo katan sitting on her throne all day and all, politicking (seems like a general thing, like look at padme on sw1 uuuugh b o r i n g), blah blah blah separatists and bowing down to people like ~~these people on this episode, i’m like NO THANKS. i don’t want that as the s4 mandalorian plot, no no no. din djarin deserves way better. so i’m okay with him embracing NONE of the symbolics of becoming the leader of mandalore, and truly walking through this season showing no sign whatsoever of wanting to seize or keep any power for himself. good on you din, you just know you want a good life for your son, so i’m actually okay with that.

- but then the other option is bo katan and??? NO???! i’m sorry, the mandalorian is co-written by DAVE FILONI yknow, the dude who wrote the clone war and rebels... ARE WE SUPPOSED TO IGNORE EVERYTHING HE WROTE ABOUT BO KATAN KRYZE ON THESE SHOWS? because if anything, these shows are like! “/!\ /!\ HELL NAH HELL NAH HELL NAH, don’t support bo katan kryze becoming the leader of mandalore!!! NOPE!!! /!\” so why is the mandalorian out there, expecting me to root for her? because she spent some off-screen time sulking about her fleet being gone? because she saved din djarin from a robot?? is that all it takes to “redeem” a character like bo katan kryze?? HUH? also, no mention of satine? of maul? of death watch literally WITH BO KATAN KRYZE leading some kind of coup against bo katan’s own sister, thus leading A SITH to seize power on mandalore???? HELLO? maul, whom OBI WAN defeated, and not even bo katan herself?? a dark saber that sabine wren won for bo katan and not bo katan herself??  and now you have din djarin winning the darksaber for her and being like “wELL TECHNICALLY-” because a robot attacked him by surprise and bo katan came to his rescue?? like i’m sorry, so then the darksaber should belong to grogu because without grogu, bo katan wouldn’t even have come like, mental gymnastic can lead you all kinds of places.

i’m sorry, i guess i could be like “okay bo katan might be able to do better” because it’s been years, she’s aged, she’s fought against the empire and all... but MAKE IT A BETTER STORY YKNOW?

because i’m sorry, but all the “awesome bo leading moments” were actually din leading or even more, the mandalorians acting TOGETHER, and somehow bo katan getting the credit for it. like, ALL the children of the watch decided to go chasing that dragon-vulture thing that snatched paz’s kid. ALL the children of the watch decided to go and help nevarro, and not because of bo katan but because of din djarin and paz vizsla. her seeing the mythosaur only happened because of din djarin. sooooooooooooo??? *shrugs* still not convinced in bo katan, especially since she didn’t even fight for the darksaber?? AGAIN???

so if the writing expects me to forget everything that came before and cheer and clap for bo katan, even tho she still does the bare minimum and yet again, never truly won ANY of her “leadership gold points” well... NO?! so i guess i’ll never be fullfilled on that one.

- but if the writing plans to go and see it as actually not bo katan really winning leadership points because there are glaring similarities between this supposed “new page” of her story, and her own past, then, maybe speed the process up?? because there are only two episodes left and so far it’s just “oh wow look at bo katan, how good of a leader she is!!!”... WE ALREADY KNOW SHE IS NOT. we’ve known since the two animated shows DAVE FILONI WROTE!! DAVE?? DO YOU REMEMBER?? DAVE??? WHERE ARE YOU???

(me capslocking is me being frustrated tbh)

- anyway. as for the rest of the show, each episode cements to me that this season will probably end on a cliffhanger, and since jon favreau even said that he was writing s4 while shooting s3, my guess is that somehow the two seasons are gonna work together to create this whole arc... which would be endearing if WE DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT 3 YEARS BETWEEN EACH SEASON. like i’m sorry, i know production, and at least the show looks pretty and all, buuuut, THREE YEARS, yknow. THREE YEARS for 9 EPISODES! it’ll make this season feel like a waste of time if they truly built a structure like that for s3 and s4, because then nothing will be solved on s3, while you know, we have unnecessary episodes, like 3 (maybe more) monsters of the week this season. it’s really weird this sensation that, yes, the episodes do serve the main storyline and all, but somehow, they also feel like a waste of time?? at least this one did for me. i’d say it’s misplaced in the season, should have been sooner, but then there is the mandalore thing that can’t be sooner but... TWO EPISODES LEFT YKNOW. idk. *shrugs* i’m at this place where i don’t know what to feel anymore.

[spotaus]

You never know when it'll manifest 🙏

Yep! Fresh decidedly got a very, very young spirit! The Parasite can't speak, but it does send its emotions, wants, and needs to Fresh in magic pulses. Where did it come from? Wish I knew. What kind of spirit is it? Well... I'm thinking the brand of Parasite Fresh obtained is like the Vulture or Tasmanian Devil of the magical world. In that I mean, there is a LOT of excess magic, and so the Parasite kinda just slurps up the scraps. Only, it's too young right now, so all it does is eat. It' *supposed* to redistribute that magic back into the world. Hensel the whole 'nature spirits love it' thang.

Oh! And, Fresh does get stronger! He achieves his goal of being strong like his brothers, only.... y'know, thing in his skull :]

Yes!! Yes you've got it exactly with how heartbreaking it was for Fresh to arrive home late just to realize Error was GONE gone. And Error totally has heard Geno tell this story over and over again. Error is very aware of the stupid choices Fresh made when he was younger, and Geno encourages him to stay close and stay safe. Error, fully aware Geno has hunted down Fresh before, and that Fresh's job is to hunt things down? Clearly they decided he wasn't good enough and left him behind.

And yes! I think Fresh is still his blunt, goofy canon self personality-wise, but he knows better and actually cares about trying to not harm others. Ofc, when it's about Error tho, he'd risk everything. He's 100% still looking. Searching. Definitely for dust or his old scarf or something. Anything.

He definitely went searching! He was always an adventurous kid, as much as Geno tried to keep him careful and safe. He heard rumors of something out in the deep woods. So, what else would he do?

I like to think he found it at a lake's edge. Normally it leaps out of the water and tries to drown people by leading them back into the lake, but Fresh? Well, that's a skeleton, and the Parasite was able to accidentally just... crawl inside his skull when it tried to trick him into falling! So it buried in and made itself at home, bonding to his magic.

And to rehash the thing about him getting stronger, yes! Largely it's things that are indirectly connected to him (ex. Communing with the magical beasts) but it's also things like... a Danger Sense, he can feel threats around him even if he can't see them. He can move faster than most monsters as an instinctive reaction. He's strong physically. Like, obnoxiously so. All that sort of thing! His magic levels do also increase, but because his body wasn't meant to store so much he can only call on it briefly, and wildly, and dangerously. (I *really* like the idea that Fresh could infect other people with the Parasite intentionally. Like a part of it pops off and digs into a person's soul, leaving him to control his own body *and* theirs until the host either dies or he recalls the Parasite? But ofc he's unskilled now and unwilling to risk anyone's safety or lives to try and test it.) <- I just really find interactions like Fresh!Ink funny lol-

And ohhhh. That Geno scene. I'm gonna sob- No but fr. Like. Definitely that. So so much. And Geno trying to remove it? I think that by the time he finds Fresh it's already too late, but neither of them know just how bonded they are until Geno is at home trying to help him and like. Reaches into Fresh's skull to try and forcefully detatch the thing using a magical removal. And it just leaves Fresh in so much pain. He doesn't know where he is, or what's going on, or why he's screaming, and it's like getting a limb partially cut off. So Geno stops ofc, and it takes an age for Fresh to recover. After that Geno does proper research and finds that it probably bonded and that removing it would signal death for both of them. So. That's a no-go...

Ough and lil Error being so afraid for Fresh. He might not like much touch, but he tries to cling to Fresh and hug him as much as he can (that always makes him feel better-) but Fresh eventually starts letting him do it less and less. He says it's because he doesn't want to hurt Error, but he lets Geno hug him! And then Fresh starts leaving more often. Just... going away. He always brings Error treats and gifts and let's him pet the new beasts he found... but Fresh doesn't play with him anymore. He's convinced Fresh doesn't like him anymore. And Geno leaving is that last straw 🥺

Alright, thank u for letting me get that out of my system!

I think my brain should ruminate on the important characters but for some odd reason I'm staring at an unimportant side character and nodding in interest to myself. 😌

[panlight]

Another coven ask!

What about the Egyptian coven as a unit and each member individually? Do you imagine a specific persona for Keni and what does it look like? How do Kebi and Tia feel about each other? Do you think this coven is as nomadic as others or do you think it retains control over a territory but far from humans? And of course , what of their narrative role?

Ancient Egypt was my first obsession as a weird little girl (MUMMIES!) so I am more interested in Amun and Kebi (actual ancient Egyptians) than Benjamin and Tia (loved Benjamin in the movie because Rami Malek is great, but in the book I just got these "HEY LOOK ISN'T THIS CHARACTER COOL! LOOK HOW COOL HIS POWER IS! HE'S SO COOL!" vibes from SM's writing, like she LOVED this character and wanted everyone else to see how AWESOME she thought he was and it was a little off-putting to me. In the movie where it's more show and less tell it, IMO, worked better. Same vibes with Garrett).

It says they lived like gods and 'Amun' is the name of an actual god; originally a relatively minor one, but became basically the King of the Gods as the patron deity of the pharaohs in the Middle and New Kingdoms. His name means "The Hidden One" and the inner sanctum where his statue was housed in the great temple was constructed to be completely dark--no sunlight. 'Amun' is unusual as a stand-alone name; it's more typically combined with elements like the famous TutankhAMUN or his wife AnkhesenAMUN or the various AMENhoteps etc. So maybe Amun wasn't named after the god Amun, he WAS the god Amun.

In the mythology Amun's wife was usually with Amunet (basically just 'female Amun'), or Mut, a vulture goddess whose name means 'mother.' 'Kebi,' as a name, though, means 'honey' so it's possible that's a nickname and not her actual name which could be Amunet or Mut whatever! The idea that she was "chosen from Amun's slaves" is obviously gross on a lot of levels. Most slaves in Ancient Egypt were foreigners captured in war or indentured servants who had sold themselves or were sold by family to pay off a debt. But there's no need to bring slavery into this at all and it is weird that she did. It could work better if we interpret that to mean she was a maybe a low-level priestess in Amun's temple instead

I tend to think they are not very nomadic. I think there's a reference in the guide to Amun 'living' in an abandoned temple and keeping mostly secluded there other than to hunt, obviously. Kebi is written as very passive but we're really just getting Bella's impression of her so there's room from personal interpretation here. Tia is also quiet and passive, but Bella says when she does speak there's a lot of wisdom to her words, so she sounds like someone who waits and watches and then only chimes in when she has something important to say.

I don't think they REALLY have much of a narrative point; I think the point here was she thought up Benjamin's epic power and thought it was awesome and wanted to include it. I suppose the point of Amun is to have an 'ally' who isn't really committed to the cause, but it feels like the tension between Amun and Benjamin might be setting up for something in future books, although that may be giving SM too much credit. She has said thought that no one could die in BD because they have roles to play in future stories.

[ghostwise]

2022 Writing Summary 🖊️🗒️✨

This year was an interesting one for writing and I am so excited bc I tackled a few different projects in 2022!

- I worked on for suffering is such a part pretty much daily from December, finally finishing it in April with a total of 51,575 words!

- In April, feeling pretty burnt out on writing, I did some fluffy AU pieces (huapangos de arlathvhen) as well as aloe, elfroot, and the flood (which will probably be rewritten, but remains as an attempt to write a DAO-era Crestwood fic).

- In May I busied myself writing original fiction and firing off some submissions to literary magazines. I am still working on a way to bring original fiction to an audience, but for now I just don’t feel very comfortable sharing it here. Stay tuned, though!

- In June I got into Wayfarer and challenged myself to develop a character by writing 30 micro fics. This got me writing pretty consistently, and I collected all those pieces in lovesong of the buzzard.

- Closed the year with a fic I wrote for the Wayfarer Exchange, there’s a flame that burns out at sea, and also planning for Quinta de Talpa and other original projects.

I’m looking forward to what 2023 will bring. 💖

January

Zevran tried to picture Hamal’s face without any of the vallaslin, but found that he couldn’t. The blood writing was such an important part of his Warden. He knew that Hamal was fiercely proud of them. Now he knew why.

He smiled at Mathuin, feeling that they must have shared the story both for Cammen’s benefit as well as for his.

February

Every time he made a mistake it was like this: Somewhere in the deepest parts of his id existed a small thought that Hamal might not want him once he realized that he was broken in a way that was permanent; not transient like the Blight, not as easily defeated as an Archdemon. Sometimes the thought was loud. Right now, however, he was able to confront the thought, because the fact was, Hamal had married him.

March

“And how are you?”

Zevran raised a brow and looked at him.

“Zevran. In the past few days you fought a sylvan, fractured a bone, hiked through the forest, fell through a ceiling, got a concussion—and that’s just the stuff I know about. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

April

Loneliness was a sharp barb that worked its way under his skin. He’d never felt it so keenly; it was agony, it eclipsed everything, every thought, every feeling, every past, present, or future, even his name.

May

Everyone here is so busy. His cousins now have titles and jobs and families. Even Petra is married and has children now.

Fortunately he doesn’t have time to dwell on it. The ocean peeks over the rise of a verdant hill and suddenly they’re there. Arlathvhen.

June

“What if I do not wish to go back?” Hamal asked. “What if I ask you to leave?”

“Then I suppose it’s just a question of what I should tell the others.” Zevran looked away with a shrug. “But it’ll have to be good; both to ensure that no one comes looking for you, and to clear me of any suspicion.”

Hamal let out a hint of a laugh at that—short, bitter, but a laugh all the same. The sound surprised him as much as it did Zevran.

July

Perhaps because of his desert childhood, it delights him at first. Rain is transformative, a sign of good things to come: the cacti flowering, the buried animals emerging from the dry earth.

(He once believed them to be resurrected; believed the whole world was a dead thing coming alive.)

But the rain in Rona is different. There is no transformation, no resurrection here.

August

Alassar steel cuts through the darkness, flashing as Refugio cuts his vocal chords. Just as quickly, Yuribia clamps a hand over the other one’s mouth and smothers her wings around him tightly, muffling his scream as she snaps his neck.

She and Refugio stand there for a moment, breathing heavily in the dark.

September

It’s a bad pain day. It swoops upon him like a vulture and pecks his back apart vertebrae by vertebrae.

Refugio slouches in his seat, each bump and pebble on the road sending painful little shockwaves through his back. He’s known Yuribia long enough that he doesn’t bother hiding it. She’s known him long enough that she doesn’t bother commenting.

October

Kit’s long hair hangs like a curtain, her legs draped over the backrest of the couch she currently occupies. Anyone else might look absurd lounging in such a manner, but she pulls it off; she just has an air of grace about her, on and off the stage.

Refugio smiles appreciatively, his eyes trailing from her pretty curls to the script in her hands.

November

The Amell mansion is big enough to house a haunting.

Renata has always suspected that she ought to have one of those, which is to say, the absence of one had been thus far conspicuous in her life; a thought in the back of her head all these many years, from Lothering to Kirkwall. Late at night in her family’s little farmhouse she’d think of it, paranoid of some specter that never was there. She just never had the time or the space for it.

December

“I imagine he wants what any man wants: His life, with a shred of hope, and a regular fuck. So he slit your throat! We are Crows! If we killed everyone who made an attempt on our life, we’d hunt ourselves to extinction.”

[rebrandedbard]

could I get 49 for the prompts pleaseeee? (:

*weeping* Em, I love you, defending my honour, giving me a way out. You’ve spared me my dignity.

49. “Well this is awkward ...”

WC:  2106

Tidings and Tarradiddles

Jaskier returns to Posada and his path crosses with Geralt’s once more after the unfortunate affair on The Mountain™

-

How was it? Truly, how was it that of all places on the great, wide Continent, Geralt should come to take a contract in Posada, at the farthest of reaches, after months and months of separation, on the one day Jaskier should be in town? And how was it that he’d come the only hour Jaskier had lingered for a drink? It was too great a coincidence, and Jaskier would not give Destiny the credit. She’d not earned the right to claim it. Jaskier scorned her and had stripped her of the right to interfere in any of his further adventures. After all, Geralt had blamed him for her follies—follies which, by rights, Geralt had brought upon himself in the first place.

Even so, he could feel Destiny’s audaciously long and twitchy nose poking about his business the moment Geralt walked through the tavern door. Jaskier huddled in his corner, hoping the shadows were darker than they had been the day he’d found Geralt hunched beneath them. He ought to have known better than to come in the first place. There had been a whole flock of magpies in the middle of the bridge leading into town—a tiding of magpies. Detestable harbinger of tidings, foul and fair. They’d startled at the sight of him and alighted once more on the tavern roof. But he’d ignored their superstitious warning.

Of course the shadows were of no use to him. The moment Geralt stepped inside, Jaskier saw him twitch, cocking an ear his direction. Probably heard the familiar grinding of his teeth: an annoying habit he so often complained of. Jaskier curled up against the wall, trying to make himself smaller to blend in with his surroundings.

For once, it was not so difficult. He’d grown out his hair, had even maintained a healthy bit of scruff on his face in keeping with the stylings of his fellow tavern-goers. He was tired and worn, but above all, he was plain. He no longer wore bright colors, standing out like a beacon in the dark of night. He wore his linen dyed a plain, sensible, muted green. The jerkin on his back was brown and of a practical fit. Altogether, it did not so much scream of sensibility as it mumbled. If he kept his head low enough, he might pass as just another local come in for a pint.

But he was not just another local.

Geralt stopped before his table, standing at Jaskier’s elbow. The click of metal upon the table made Jaskier look up from his drink. It was a coin, spinning round and round. It wobbled and fell on its face, the etching of a worn coat of arms before him.

“Will … will you sing for us, bard?” Geralt asked.

Jaskier stared at the coin. His ears began to fill with cotton, a faint ringing in them. A flash of hot blood coursed through him and he ground his teeth to a halt. He knew this was Geralt’s way of easing into things, working towards something, whether or not an apology was waiting at the end. He knew this was Geralt offering him an out. It was distant. Impersonal. But even in the depths of his rage, Geralt had called him by name. To call him bard and toss a coin to him like some stranger now … it flamed something red and barbaric to life under his skin. He was so deafened by the blood in his ears, he did not hear the approach of the figure standing at Geralt’s side.

“Well, this is awkward,” Jaskier sneered. He picked up the coin, twiddling it between his fingers. Putting up an impassive mask, he juggled the coin over his knuckles in his best impressive manner, as if it were nothing but a worthless toy. “You see,” he said, “I’m not a bard.”

Geralt was quiet a moment. Jaskier could feel his eyes roaming over him. It raised his hackles to know what Geralt must see: the dark circles under his eyes, the lines of age now more pronounced with exhaustion, crow’s feet so defined they might as well have been dug by the claws of vultures. And then, Geralt must have taken notice at last. Gone were the bold silhouettes and blinding colors, gone were the perfumes and oils—but there was one thing more important than all the rest that was missing.

“Your lute,” Geralt said.

There it was. “Gave it up this very afternoon,” Jaskier replied. He slapped the coin down on the table and leaned back, snatching up his half-empty mug. “I travelled a long way to return it home; Filavandrel has it now.”

He took a drink, still avoiding eyes contact. He continued, mumbling over the rim of his mug. “Had a visit. They’re doing better than they were when last we met. I helped them dig rocks from their crop fields for an hour or two. Figured as long as I was shovelling things, I might as well master the art. Use it productively.”

He was being petty. He knew he was, but by the gods, he’d earned it.

When at last he looked up, he did so because he saw a hint of blue beside the table. The potmaid had been wearing a blue dress, and he thought he now saw his escape. He slid his mug to the edge of the table and lifted his head to ask for it to be taken away when he saw a familiar pair of green eyes looking back at him.

“Cirilla?” he asked, surprised. He blinked at the princess, who looked down at the table as his eyes fell upon her. He remembered her as someone taller, regal head held high, smiling, her hair half up in decorative braids and twists. This was not a princess before him, but a girl: her hood casting shadows upon her hollow face. It seemed wrong. She had always been a girl, but a girl with a name. This creature before him stood as a reflection of himself, a thing wishing to hide away, nothing more than a shell.

She glanced up at him, then down once more. Slowly she raised her hand to the table and placed it over the coin. She pushed it towards him with a quiet slide, then dropped her hand once more. “He said you sing wonderful,” she muttered, as if she had not heard him singing in Cintra’s court nearly every midsummer since birth.

Jaskier’s voice stuck in his throat. The memory of a song sat heavy on his tongue. “I … I don’t sing anymore,” he grit out. He turned to look away again, staring at the crack between his bench and the wall. “Can’t sing without music anyway. Might as well be poetry.”

Having no music left him exposed. There was nothing to lift him up, nor anything to hide behind. He could sing among the crowd and raise his voice to join a drinking song, but there was something vulnerable about singing alone. Who sang among bar patrons without some barrier? Even the drunks had their drink to shield them.

He saw Geralt shift out of the corner of his eye. Something new slid across the table, stopping just short of his hand. He looked and saw one of his old notebooks.

“You write good poetry,” Geralt said.

Jaskier scoffed and picked up the notebook. “If there were anything in this worth keeping, I would have remembered to bring it with me when I went down the mountain.” He flipped through the pages, then let the notebook flop back on the table. “You obviously have poor taste,” he huffed.

Without warning, Geralt picked up the notebook and thwacked him on top of his head with the cover.

“Gah! Hey!” Jaskier shouted. He stood up and snatched the book back, smacking Geralt’s arm with it. “What in fuck’s name did you do that for, you brute!”

But he’d looked at Geralt, forgetting to snub him if only a moment. And Geralt plucked the book from his hand with an upward quirk of the lips. “It’s worth keeping,” he said. He handed the book to Ciri, who clutched it tight to her chest in agreement, but still, she looked at Geralt with a stern expression.

“That wasn’t what you were supposed to say,” she scolded.

Geralt’s eyes rolled back and he pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Not to me.”

Geralt opened his eyes. He looked at Jaskier, opening his mouth to speak once more. But the look on Jaskier’s face stopped him. Instead, he turned to the door, stalking quickly across the room, words aborted on his tongue.

Jaskier gaped.

“Geralt!” Ciri called. “Where are you going?”

“Just wait here.”

“Geralt!”

“Dinner. I’ll be back in the hour.”

Ciri threw up her hands and dropped onto the opposite bench. She slammed Jaskier’s notebook down on the table and crossed her arms over it. She groaned in frustration, then turned her head to look out at the tavern floor.

“Have you had dinner yet?” she grumbled.

Jaskier looked between her and the door, feeling quite at a loss. “No,” he replied.

“Then you can eat Geralt’s share.” She rummaged in her cloak and pushed a little drawstring bag into his hands. “Here, he left me his purse.”

“And left you from the look of things. Shall I charge him for babysitting?”

“Do. And order another drink.”

Jaskier snorted. “Trying to get me to stay?” He wasn’t so irresponsible as to leave a child alone, even with the threat of Geralt’s return. He didn’t need to be persuaded.

“No. Punishing him for running out; you get his drink into the bargain. Think of it as sending him to bed without supper.”

“I’ll drink to that. It’s the least of the punishments I could inflict.”

They both chuckled mildly at that. A bit of the dense atmosphere lifted and they shared a look. Jaskier cleared his throat and waved for the potmaid. He ordered fare for the two of them, a mug of ale for himself, and a cup of small beer for Ciri. Once they’d both had a bite, they began talking. They traded stories: how Ciri came to Geralt’s care, and what Jaskier had been doing since the separation. Though the conversation was tense, it felt … good … to have a bit of company. He’d been worried since word of the fall of Cintra had reached him. At least Destiny had brought Ciri to Geralt safely. He hoped Destiny would be kind to her where it had failed him.

Jaskier startled when Geralt returned. He’d crept up so silently. Jaskier had been listening to Ciri describe her most recent success in outdoor cooking and hadn’t noticed the movement beside him. Geralt set the lute on the table in front of Jaskier’s empty plate with a sudden thunk, not a word of explanation. He stood there silently, holding the lute upright by its neck.

No one spoke.

Jaskier simply stared at it, felt Geralt stare at him. But this time, he refused to look up. Slowly, Geralt lay the lute down on the table, then slipped away. A minute passed, everything still and quiet. Then, Jaskier peeked out of the corner of his eye and saw Geralt nudge Ciri, nodding his head toward the door.

Ciri looked at Jaskier, her brow anxious and furrowed. She clutched her cup, nearly finished, her plate barren. He could see her mind at work, trying to find an excuse to stay. But she set her cup down obediently. As she turned to stand, she left the notebook behind. Eyes downcast, she slumped to her feet. Geralt held out his hand for her, no longer looking at Jaskier. The moment Geralt’s back was turned, Jaskier felt a cold panic run through him.

“Wait!” he said, fumbling to his feet.

Geralt froze, turning his head back slightly to listen.

But for what? Jaskier reached out, hesitating. He picked up his lute, finding the coin beneath it. The noise made Geralt turn back and Jaskier met his eye. He’d never seen Geralt look so blank, completely unreadable.

Jaskier slung the strap of the lute over his head. He pushed the coin deliberately into his pocket and braced his hands on the strings. When he looked at Geralt again, there was the barest crack in his armour, and hope shined dimly through. Jaskier smiled. It was a timid thing, but he still remembered how it was done.

“You asked for a song,” he said.

-

Send me a drabble prompt!