#his daughter playing with very dangerous weapons and most surprisingly she is so small but already has superstrength because wow !!

[myderis]

mydei is a girl dad , no he is he the ultimate girl dad. i can fully imagine him wearing pink tutus and golden tiaras sitting on a small pink chair at the tea table surrounded by the other guests (plushies) as his princess puts make up on him. he has his arms crossed and a little frown on his face but seeing her smile makes it worth it. also he is getting scolded for not drinking more tea and talking with the guests.

[the-broken-truth]

Surprisingly, i really love your oc (Eliza Dimitrescu) Senior! Ahem- okay so, my question is could you do a headcanon for the dimitrescu daughters (including Eliza) reacting to their youngest sibling (the reader) die because of various ways such as illness or being killed and others?

I really want to see the bond of caring for their youngest sibling- and this idea has been stucked in my mind for a while, and That's why I drew Eliza's Death and Daniela visited her grave because she still cares about her little sister even though Eliza is already gone-

Oh i almost forgot, it's okay. It's not a canon. Maybe not yet- (hehe)

welp- thank you for ur time! remember, ur junior is always here to help and support u >:3

-Snowwy

Broken Truth: Anything for a friend, Snowwy. Now, let the words weave together!!

Warning - Very Dark, Involving Death [PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK]

- Bela Dimitrescu (Unaware) -

Bela was the Eldest of the Dimitrescu Daughters.

She was the most responsible one.

The one who was aware of anything going on with her sisters.

But in this case, she wasn't and it caused the House of Dimitrescu the loss of something precious - something that would not be returned.

And Bela was to blame.

She stood before the grand fireplace and looked upon the golden urn that sat upon the top of it.

Upon the surface of the glass was a golden plaque with the words: [Y/N] Dimitrescu - Gone But Never Forgotten.

Bela could feel the tears building up.

Her youngest sister was gone...and it was all her fault.

The 2 of them were in the library - Alcina had to attend a lord meeting, while Cassandra, Dani, and Eliza were in the village for some manner of business.

Leaving Bela with the youngest of the Dimitrescu Spawn - a little toddler named [Y/N].

She was young - small. Only 5 years old but could still get into trouble just like her sisters could.

She was mortal - too young for the Cadou Parasite; Mother Miranda wouldn't give it to her until she was at least 15 to make sure she would live through it.

Bela wanted to read something and gave the child a book to read, sitting her in a chair beside her with the stack of baby books with bright and colorful pictures, along with a doll that Eliza had made for the infant.

Bela sat in the chair next to her and the two of them began reading their books.

Hours had passed and it was silent - just as it would be if Bela was alone in the library and it was that silence that made her slip into her own little bubble.

That bubble made it impossible for her to noticed the child got out of her chair and began to walk around.

That bubble stopped Bela from looking up from her book to see her youngest sister climbing on a very unstable bookshelf.

But that bubble popped...when the bookshelf came crashing down...right on top of the girl's tiny book.

Bela's eyes widened as she threw her book away and ran over to the down bookshelf and pushed it off her sister but she could tell by the look on her face...

She was too late.

The toddler's neck was snapped clean half and the light in her eyes was fading fast.

Bela gathered the girl in her arms and tried to hold her head to make her breathe easier but it was no use - no air was coming from her lips...and her heart began to slow its pace...until it stopped completely.

She screamed.

The door burst open.

And the entire family came in.

Alcina shoved her eldest away and held her baby in her arms but seeing as there was no longer a heartbeat, she knew her baby was gone.

The mother cried out in agony as the daughters looked at their eldest sister and asked...

"What have you do?"

She couldn't give an answer.

There was a small service.

The Lords and Mother Miranda attended.

The body was burned and the ashes were placed in the urn and secured above the fireplace.

No one said a word to Bela who just stood there...with her little sister's doll clenched to her chest.

Never again did she enter the library.

Never again did she read a book.

Forever would remain aware - for the sake of her other sisters.

And in honor of the one she lost.

- Cassandra Dimitrescu (Reckless) -

Her mother always told her that she needed to make sure she closed the door to the cellar when she comes and goes from her experiments.

She always thought her mother was overreacting.

But it wasn't until she lost something precious.

Cassandra was bored and wanted to have some fun with the creatures in the cellar.

She took her key and went down there but she didn't notice that she didn't lock the door from the other side to keep anything from getting out.

She had her fun and played with her toys until she was bored again and went up the stairs to return to the castle, only noticing that the door was open and bloody footprints were leading out of the cellar.

Her eyes widened and her blood froze.

One of them got out...

Loud screaming made her jump in her robes - something was wrong! Someone was hurt!

She ran out of the room and slammed the door, making sure to lock it behind her before she followed the bloody footprints.

She began noticing that the footprints were more apart - showing that the creature was running.

No - it was hunting.

But what would it be able to hunt? Everyone in Castle Dimitrescu could take care of themselves.

Except...

Oh no...

Mother Miranda, no...

[Y/N]...

She ran after the footprints and rounded the corner when she saw something familiar on the ground - a bright yellow stuffed bunny.

Not just any bunny - that was [Y/N]'s Bunny, she's had it since she was a baby and she never left that bunny anywhere.

As she got closer - she noticed that the bunny wasn't so yellow anymore.

It was stained.

Stained red.

And the red stained recked of iron.

Blood

And it was still fresh.

Cassandra picked up the bunny and followed the bloodstains down the hall until she came to an open room - crying from the inside.

that was her mother crying.

She entered the room...and her heart sank...

In the room were her mother and sisters - her mother on her knees with her back as she held something in her arms.

On side of the room laid the missing creature that escaped from the basement - dead with his throat sliced open - and its mouth...fresh blood was dripping from its open jaws

Bela noticed Cassandra standing there with the bunny in her hand...and she marched over to her middle sister with fury in her eyes.

"What have you done?" Bela hissed.

"W...What?" Cassandra stuttered but that just made Bela even madder.

'"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!"

SMACK!

Cassandra's face hit the ground as her elder sister struck her - she opened her eyes and in her mother's lap...

She could see a small lifeless arm...dangling...

Her worse fears...were confirmed.

Her recklessness...killed her little sister.

- Daniela Dimitrescu (Accident) -

Dani loved danger.

It made her feel like more of a badass and she loved the feeling.

But it made her mother and her sisters uneasy and they constantly warned Dani that she if wasn't careful - there was gonna be an accident.

She didn't believe them.

She didn't listen.

But now...

She wished she did.

Daniela was in the weapons room - testing out a new bow that her Uncle gave her.

She was always told to lock the door to the room to make sure no one came in and was caught in her crosshairs.

But that day, she didn't lock the door - too excited to try her new weapon.

She gathered her arrows in their quiver and began firing them at random targets.

She loved the feeling of the bow in her hand.

She loved the sound of the arrows hitting the hearts of their targets.

She was so entrenched with the feeling that she didn't hear the door open.

When she turned to face the target at her 6, she saw a figure but it was covered in shadows - a new target.

She pointed the arrow at the shadows and released the arrow...

It went soaring...

And hit the heart of the shadow...

And the shadow...screamed in pain.

The rush began fading as the confusion rose and when everything began clear - she was horrified at what she saw.

The arrow did hit it target - the heart.

The heart of her youngest sister.

The girl was groaning in pain as the blood began leaking from the wound.

The girl opened her mouth to speak but it came short.

Dani threw the bow to the ground and rushed to her sister's side - gathering the girl in her arms, careful to miss the arrow in her chest and run out of the room to reach the doctor.

Her mother and sisters stood with her outside the doctor's office, waiting for the doctor to tell them she was able to save her sister.

"What were you thing?!" Eliza screamed at her, "Firing an arrow at an infant?!"

"It...It was an accident. I didn't hear her come in the room." Dani said.

"This is why you were told to lock your door! To make sure nothing like this would happen!" Bela screamed with tears in her eyes.

The doctor came out with her head down and Alcina asked the question.

"How is she?"

The doctor shook her head and said...

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Those were the words that shattered the Dimitrescu Family and all the time, all Dani could think was...

'It was an accident.'

- Eliza Dimitrescu (Killed) -

The day she became the youngest sister was the day that destroyed both her mind and her heart.

It was a normal day - she and her youngest sister was going shopping in the village for a new winter coat for her little one.

Everything was fine until they ran into her.

Eliza's Birth Mother.

She hissed at her.

Demanding money.

"I'm your mother, you have to do what I say!" Was her reason

But Eliza was a Dimitrescu and she owed her nothing and warned her never to approach her again.

But she didn't listen - it must have been a mental problem or maybe she was drunk...but that would cost them both deeply.

The stray woman lunged forward and grabbed the little girl by her wrist, yanking her away from Eliza and pulled her into her body before taking a few steps back.

Eliza was ready to tear out her throat but she saw the woman pull out a blade and hold it to the young girl's throat, making her shiver.

She told her she would give her money, she'd do whatever she asked but begged her to let the child go.

She was 5.

She was innocent.

She had nothing to do with this.

But the woman didn't see it that way...

She wanted to hurt Eliza for not doing what she said.

She wanted Eliza to hurt as much as she did when she lost her husband.

And most importantly...

She wanted to hurt Alcina Dimitrescu for saving Eliza and giving her a perfect life.

And she would do that.

She had to do that.

And she did...

By slicing the throat of the little girl.

Eliza screamed out as the blade went across her little sister's throat and her noble blood stained the ground and snow.

Eliza lunged with her claws and fangs out.

Tearing into the body of tainted flesh like a vengeful tigress.

Once she was done - she crawled over to the little girl's body and roared like a mournful dragon, causing her mother and sisters to come out.

No one blamed Eliza for not being able to save her.

No one thought it was her fault.

Eliza blamed herself.

Every time she went to the grave, she would tell her little sister's soul this...

"If I had killed her time the same day I killed her husband...you would still be with me."

[End]

Broken Truth: Thoughts, Snowwy? @snowflakestree

[cupcakemolotov]

Always Finding Trouble

And its small, but since I have been stuck for weeks, I’ll take it. Written for Klaroline AU Season. If you guys haven’t checked out the fun fic yet, you can find them over @klaroline-event.

Warnings: assassins, suggested smut, suggested murder, etc. nothing super graphic or blatant about this one though. no smut, but probably NSFW.

-

The bathtub was perfect. 

Caroline sank a little deeper into the warm water just this side too hot, and stretched her toes with a little sigh. Outside, the Mediterranean Sea splashed against the beach, the sun shining brightly. She could already hear the teasing if she was caught ��boiling herself’ on a tropical island, and her lips curved. But she also knew down to her bones that the home renovations he’s insisted on before they met up here would have included this very tub being added. 

Having a murderous, occasional softy for a husband had its perks. 

Especially since that softness was just for her. 

Still, it’d been three months since she’d seen him, an usual stretch of time as he disappeared into Croatia to deal with family business. She hadn’t taken offense that he’d gone without her. Well. Much offense. 

She knew this home, the finished reservations, were part of his play for forgiveness. He’d promised her a week of vacation for every month he’d been gone, and three weeks holed up in Greece with her husband would give him just enough time to earn her forgiveness. If he'd been smart enough to also snag her something sparkly or three.

Sometimes it was hard to believe she’d actually married the man. It’d taken him years to talk her into it, while he’d popped in and out of her life like a murderous jack-in-the-box. He’d courted her with murder and diamonds, an exceptionally good looking, aggravating man who tended to leave the bodies of her enemies behind him in his wake.

Wetwork, people who were good at it, was a field that was surprisingly thin on the ground. Her first meeting with Klaus Mikaelson had been explosive, literally, and the push and pull between them hadn’t slowed down since. It’d helped that his face made him hard to ignore, even if his arrogance could be choking. Ruffled curls and dimples for days, his preference for Henley’s and tangled necklaces was so unfairly tempting. 

The first time their gazes had tangled had been while he was listening to a woman wearing more diamonds than sense had droned on about something, and awareness had skated down at her spine. Caroline had recognized her own ilk, it’d been the look in his eyes, that hint of arrogance when you knew you were the most dangerous person in the room, and she had been determined to avoid him. She’d been in that city, at that party, for pleasure.

No need to make things messy, and business always made things messy.

She’d felt his eyes on her, on and off throughout the night. And later, when the party had been cut short with a well placed detonation and swarming FBI agents, she’d inexplicably found herself working with him to escape. 

He had been quick, brutal and startlingly efficient and she had minded less than she should have when he’d flirted with her over gunfire and the dead bodies, or the way he’d slipped a number into her pocket as they’d gone their separate ways. It’d been flattering, but she hadn’t called. Nothing good came from mixing business with pleasure. 

She had not expected him to show up when she was having a small, intimate dinner for one to celebrate her birthday with champagne and a coaxing smile, three states away from their original meeting. He hadn’t been even slightly bothered by her muttered threats, or the extremely sharp cutlery at her disposal, and somehow she let him linger. He’d been charming, not nearly as funny as he thought, and she’d grudgingly liked him enough to confirm her first name. 

He’d told her his name was Klaus. 

And he’d merely laughed when she swore at him. 

Wetwork paid well, and she liked the work, but letting a Mikaelson into her life was something else entirely. In the US, that family was considered ghosts. Rumors. Entirely Europe’s problem. 

Enzo, on the other hand, had started in London, and he had entirely different opinions about that family. And that Klaus of all of them was sitting in front of her, wheedling her into going dancing with him… 

She’d said no, the first time. On principle. 

Then Chicago happened. Los Angeles. Tulsa, where he’d been all dimples as they nearly collided on a rooftop. He’d admired her weapon choices, her guns mirroring what his own, she’d called him several pithy names. They'd almost missed the target when she’d hauled his smirking mouth down to hers to just shut him up. 

She’d almost not minded having to split that fee.

Almost. 

But it hadn’t been until New York, that she’d let him tumble her into his bed. Until she let herself admit that she liked the man more than she should. He’d smirked at her exasperated complaints, mouth tracing the curve of her abdomen while he made some asinine remark about having known, before moving lower. Much lower. Until she could forgive him his arrogance. 

And now they were here, a decade later. 

She’d erased her life in the States. Boxed it up and set what she didn’t want to keep on fire. Caroline Forbes, daughter of Sheriff Liz Forbes had died at seventeen, and it’d been long past the time to walk away from it. Enzo had disappeared down into South America with a promise to pop back into her life when he got bored, and Klaus. 

Klaus had kept his promises. All of them.

The door downstairs opened and closed quietly, and she smiled and rose from the tub, reaching for the robe she’d left there. Once loosely secure, she picked up her gun and opened the bathroom door. The bedroom was full of windows, bulletproof, she’d already checked, and Mediterranean sunshine. But the beauty around her was eclipsed by the man waiting for her, his curls burnished gold and touched with blonde from the sun. The glint of sunlight on his left hand that left her heart pounding with the familiar possessiveness.

Klaus’ smile curved along his lips in a private, delighted thing as his gaze trailed down her barely covered body, lingering on the gun easily in her hand. The blue of his eyes were smokey when they returned to hers, and his voice held the first hint of gravel when he spoke. “Hello, love. I see you’ve gotten comfortable.”

Instead of responding, Caroline dropped her robe. 

But not the gun.

[sirensmojo]

“Remember The Missing” - Ivar The Boneless x Reader x Ubbe

Summary: You're sent to Kattegat by your uncle for settling a deal with King Ragnar. No need to mention as soon as your feet touch the dry ground, it's the Ragnarsons' eyes you caught.

Pairing: Ivar the Boneless x Reader x Ubbe (but All the Ragnarsons make an appearance)

Warnings: fluff, light smut, angst at the end

Word Count: 3,394

*Masterlist*

The brothers didn't have the same taste when it comes to women. Whenas Ivar and Sigurd fell for thralls, Hvitserk for simple woman, Ubbe for athletic shieldmaiden, when you dropped off the boat, their mouth surely dropped too. That's the first thing that caught your eyes, four tall men, dressed in fur, clean and braided hair with eyes as blue as the sky. Those piercing eyes were pointed right at you, although you were quite used to being stared at. From your tamed hair falling perfectly around your face shape, highlighting your complexion to your reddened cheeks from the cold that underlined Y/C eyes, making your pupils scintillate, every detail seemed to mesmerize them.

Once out of the boat, you readjusted your large and dark cloak that didn't allow the Vikings to check up on your body features but they'd bet their life everything about it was perfect. Your eyes sweep the areas without dawdling on things, as you found out what you looked for. You started to walk towards them, each of your step arousing their desire deep into their core, and stopped in front of them.

"King Ragnar, I surmise," your soothing voice purred in their ears like honey. You held your hand to the man and instead of shaking it, he pecks your fingers.  You slightly raised your brows but didn't make any comments.

You soon noticed the stares still on you and glanced at the men standing beside the King, tilting your head to the side in curiosity, the rumors were true. Men of the North were, indeed, handsome. Their features, the care accorded to their looks, even your nostrils betrayed you, as they curled up a little, their spicy wooded smell fondling your nose. "Here are my sons, from right to left: Ivar The Boneless, Hvitserk, Sigurd Snake In The Eye, and Ubbe." The bearded men spoke, lifting the veil on the identity of your seemingly new fans. You didn't miss how the four pairs of eyes have been devouring you but chose to ignore it for the sake of the alliance. Thus your clenched jaws indicated your displeasure.You had quite a temper, that was the exact reason why you were the one sent by your uncle. He tried many times to tame your ways... In vain. Although you promised him this time, you'll behave on behalf of everything he has done for you since the death of your late mother.

"I'm Y/n Of Stilfhel, pleasure is mine." You quickly bowed, gripping onto your dress for it not to meet the soil. The ragnarsons remained silent, not that you expected something else from them, seeing how focused they were to ogle you. You knew better. Everywhere you walked, people would stare at you, In your own kingdom it was because of your status, or so you'd like to believe. In foreign countries, you accepted it was because, for some reason, men found you pleasurable to look at. No need to mention that whenever you'd open your mouth, they would instantly lose interest in you, for you sounded nothing like a princess. When it wasn't you cursing, the problem was the topics on which you conversed. War, fights, battles, swords, economics, trading.

No men of your homeland needed or wanted a woman that had an opinion of everything.

But you were no princess, indeed, your uncle took you as his own daughter at the request of your mother back on her deathbed. This was her last wish, and your uncle being a good man led to you living in the palace without having the weight of duties on your shoulders. Maybe you grew too comfortable, thought your uncle at first, but he soon enough found out it was only you being you.

***

Once installed in the Great Hall, you take off your cloak and give it to the thrall waiting for it, exposing a beautiful azure dress made out of thick fabric. A single thin leather belt tightened it at your waist, revealing your curved hips and generous chest. Your sober dress didn't need any jewels or extravagance as your own body was already doing the job. An abnormal cut departing from your thighs down to your ankles betrayed your cover of "naive princess". If only they knew under that dress was hidden tones of small weapons, that thought making you smile. The man sat right in front of you did not miss any of your lips curling up as you brushed down your hands on the side of your dress, trying to hide the cut you made.

Traveling in that get-up was far from comfortable, you had to do something, right?

You thank the thrall with a small smile and finally sat down. "Is everything alright?" Asked Ragnar at the sight of your grimace. You forced a smile and nodded, "Yeah, of course. Everything's fine, my King" you succeed at answering. Glancing quickly around the table you slide your hands under your dress and straightens both your legs, trying to grab the hilt of your swords that buried itself into your ribs. When Hvitserk and Ivar abruptly turned their head towards you, both confused and satisfied, you firstly ignore them, but as your fingers finally grip onto your sword, their stare only grew more ravenous. At this exact instant, you understood what was happening, you were playing footsie with both of them. Your left foot caressing the inside thigh of Hvitserk whereas your right one got dangerously close of Ivar's core. A nervous rictus drew on your lips as you thought of something to get out this situation. You completely slump on the table to bridge the gap between your palm and the handle of your sword. Once you got it, you slowly push it out the piece of leather holding it and slide her against your bare skin before placing her on the ground. You fold your feet back to their initial position. Ivar was still looking at you, lips slightly parted with astonishment and desire twinkling in his eyes whereas Hvitserk's look was less shy in demonstration of what was going on in his mind.

"I've heard tones of stories about you Y/n," Ragnar let out as he motioned to a thrall to fill your cup with ale. Your eyes dawdled on the cup, as you kept your bottom lips in between your teeth. "Of me?" You faint not to know what he was talking about. "How so?" You added, your eyes still fixed on the liquid purring down in the container. If you start drinking now, you'll still be there in the morning, completely drunk but still wanting more ale. You will not be able to control yourself anymore, and the pretty princess will be gone."That you'd never been beaten by ale," The king continues with a defying tone. "Oh yeah? You're sure it's about me?" You raised a brow at him, glancing at the people around the table. You'd be ready to receive ugly stares by now, but they didn't come, to your surprise. Usually, as soon as someone used to put that subject on the table when with your uncle, grimaces could be seen on the surrounding faces while murmurs could be heard. 

Here, stares were fixed on you, but without any grimaces nor disgusted sounds. The men around the table were quite intrigued, maybe they didn't know what their father spoke about. You grabbed the cup hungrily, some of its content escaping the cup to drop on the oak table. You sipped a mouthful of liquor, squinting your eyes at the feelings of the liquid spreading into your body.

"Y/n Of Stilfhel, there's only one, isn't it?" Ragnar bantered as you finished your cup sooner said than done. You glanced at the thrall standing near the doors and motioned her to come. Once she presented herself before you, you carefully took off her hands the carafe and spill some more liquid into your cup. "So you heard about my superpower," you nonchalantly replied. "You must've traveled a lot to have found out. I've never put my feet on that ground before." You pointed the spot with your cup. "I have, but let's not dawdle on my idle stories, please tell us more about your presence here." "It is said, the agreement you share with my uncle must be sealed someway," Hearing your words, the heart of the men surrounding you fluttered. The first thing they thought about when hearing "sealing"  was marriage. Of course, it was. Why else letting a princess journey by herself to a foreign country?

They glanced at their father, then at you. Soon their eyes flickered from on to another's face. It was to who will seduce you first. You were a challenge atop of being a mystery. 

***

Ubbe leaned in your ear and murmured a joke about Sigurd, which make you choked on your drink. You glanced at the poor target of the man sitting beside you and shook your head both sides giggling. He instantly scowled at his brother, wondering what he could've said. Minutes passed before Hvitserk dared to approach you, he tried to be subtle but, hard luck for him, you weren't that naive. He fainted to join your side of the table to serve himself some more ale, glancing at you here and there. This whole scene made you laugh but you tried to muffle it, as you didn't want to lose all the fun. "Is the ale good?" He tried. "I don't know, you tell me," you raised your brows, as he neared his cups to his lips. He chuckled as he sips some of his drink. "How is that you're never drunk?" "Gods, believe me, I am, most of the time, but I can stand still, even play strategic games!" You heartedly let out as you leaned toward him. "Yeah? We should test that then, I'll wait right in my seat for you to come when you'll be very drunk," he winces at you as he got up from the chair beside you. "Count on it," you flirted back with a soft voice. You attentively followed his moves until some lips encountered your ear. Ubbe, this man really wasn't afraid of anything, his extreme proximity surprisingly warmed you up. Even if wasn't winter yet, the nights were cold, your skin being very sensitive did not help.

"I bet a night with you he'll be sleepy drunk in exactly 4 more cups," the man mutters in your neck, as a shiver spread from your back to your arms. Gods only know how, but he noticed it, looking down and grabbing your hands in his. "Bet held," you exhaled, trying to get away from his grip, but he didn't let go. Your eyes go to both his hands squeezing yours to his face. You didn't realize how close he was, only few inches away. If he turned his head to you at this precise moment, your lips would practically touch. The warmth emanating from his fondles spread to both your arm before dangerously nearing your guts, the center of your aroused desire. Now that he was so close, you noticed the straightness of his jaw, the plumpness of his lips, and how soft his skin seemed to be. When he turned his face, you managed to slip your hands out his grip and move your head backward, a nervous laugh escaping your gritted teeth. He was more than enticing, no doubt.

But you didn't come for that...

Speaking of your duty, your brows knitted as your eyes were searching the place for Ragnar. He wasn't there anymore. "Told you," Ubbe chuckled pointing out his little brother Hvitserk, face down to the table. "Yeah, he seems a bit dead, but I guess he's okay. At least, I hope," you grimaced, tilting your head. You needed to get some fresh air, some hours ago you were in a boat, almost alone, only with a few guards that your uncle forced you to bring and now you were surrendered by a bunch of handsome men. You excused yourself to Ubbe and walk perfectly fine to the doors. The man slid his head to the side, his mouth forming an "o", as he watched you walk away. He was more looking at your body than anything, your curves bouncing from a foot to the other. Once out, you exhaled deeply, closing your eyes a few seconds. "A bit overwhelmed?" you heard a voice, knocking you out the bubble you were in. "I'm not going to lie," you admitted, looking down. "I see you can stand as straight as if no ale oozed in your system. So it was what my father was talking about," "I know you can do better than that." You cut him off, making Ivar turns his head to yours, while you were looking faraway before you. "Huh?" He pondered, still gazing at you. "I love to talk about battles and war. Not about me being okay with drinking ten dozens of cups of ale," you confessed. "Than I wondered what you were talking about with my brother," he bluntly let out, shrugging. "He's got some move" you tried to convince him. He perfectly understood you were talking about Ubbe's ability to seduce women and riposted as soon as your words left your throat. He certainly knew what he was talking about. "Oh, I don't doubt that. I only thought you wouldn't let yourself be trapped in it," "I'm not," "So why you got out?" "I--I..." you stuttered, without being able to invent anything. Perhaps the ale was starting to get to your head.

"My name's Ivar, not 'I--I'," he mimicked your pout and voice. You hassled to chuckle and nudged him. "Stilfhel is an interesting name," Ivar let out, loudly breathing out. "As interesting as Y/n?" You gauge his reaction with a small smile at the corner of your lips. "See, you are flirty with me now,"

"Arrrgh, you're too quick for me," you faked being offended. "I bet you knew the way of sealing the alliance between both our lands have nothing to do with marriage." He nodded to himself, slowly understanding your games. "True, but I couldn't restrain myself to play a little with the minds of your brothers..." You paused, closely looking at the Viking. A genuine smile brightened your face, your eyes crinkled. "I'm glad it didn't get on you,"

"Sigurd didn't try anything,"

"Because he saw Hvisterk kind off failing," You tilted your head to him, only to encounter his eyes. They were as blue as your dress. You soon drown into them as he didn't move his stare. "Ivar The Boneless, right?" "Hmm," he agreed, clearing his throat. "I'll remember it," you mutter for yourself.

***

You tried to remember the words of the thrall when you asked her about the chamber of the Prince. You were drunk, the ale was deeply rooted in your system, but that doesn't stop you from walking through the corridors before you opened a door. "Y/n? Wha--t" "Shhh", you responded as you got closer the bed. You finally crawled into it, dangerously getting nearer the man. As you approached, Ubbe leaned his back on his pillows, intently watching your gestures. You finally got on top of him, leaning onto his chest, your lips dropping feverish kisses on his lower belly. His eyes didn't leave yours, he was concentrated in the twinkle in your eyes as if he looked away, you'll vanish in a cloud of smoke. You slowly started to kiss your way up to his neck, which you bite before playing with his skin in between your teeth. His silent groans directly reached your ears making your desire for him grew stronger each time his hoarse voice resonated in your head.  When you straddled him, after benching up your dress to your hips, he exhaled deeply, relieved the space between you has been filled. His hands ceased your hips, slowly sliding to your ass as he nuzzled his way to your face, making you look at him. Your mouth was open, your eyes getting lost together. "You're so beautiful," he slurred, incapable of letting go of your stare. "You're even more," you offered him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.  He swiftly crashed his lips on yours, making moan. He kneaded your skin with so much strength, you were sure to found bruises wherever he touched later.  You ground down on him, feeling his growing bump right in between your tighs, where you were already ready for him.

***

After you make out, Ubbe directly fell asleep, you didn't know if it was because of your little sport session or the alcohol. Whatever, you weren't asleep, unlike you. It wasn’t enough. You wanted more, you needed more than sex. You planned on going back to your room, but instead, you stopped before another door, his door. You remember the blue of his eyes, his expression when you were face to face around the table earlier, and the way he articulated your name: with such harmony and softness. You pushed open the door, entering a total black room, "Ivar?" you ask loudly, making sure the door was closed behind you before asking for him.  At first, you were welcomed by a silence, but as your eyes got used to the darkness, you could glimpse of two light sparkles turned right at you. "I--hum..." you couldn't find the right words, how did you find yourself so nervous when not even an hour ago you were entering Ubbe's chamber so confidently? "Can I stay with you?" your voice echoed in the room as if it was empty. Still no response. You moved forward the bed, aiming at the opposite side of where you glimpsed the scintillating eyes. "I take that as a yes," you continued to talk, even if he didn't want you or even talk to you, you couldn't help but feel the need to be in his company again. "I'm coming under the furs, alright? Welcome me there." you encouraged him. "You lied," he finally spoke. You were shifting your body inside of the shits, under the furs when you stopped in track. Did he recognize you? "Earlier you said you never put a foot down this soil, you lied," he finished, quite bluntly.

You wanted to speak but the saliva in your mouth was too thick, even making it hard to swallow. You gave-up your chance to give him an explanation. 

"I knew I already saw your face before, not too long ago actually. You left me waiting for something that would've never happened," his tone was firm but not angry. "Why?" His voice broke to silence. "I knew I wasn't staying for long, I didn't want you to wait for me. You were supposed to forget me, Ivar..." You murmured, without trying to justify yourself. "How could I forget what I gave you, what we shared?" "I don't know," you allowed."Me neither, but still you lied to me back then, about your name, your status, everything!"

"I didn't lie when I came sneaking close to your body every night. I didn't lie when we were meeting in secret in the woods to look at the sunsets and lying on our back watching the forms of the clouds," you lowly let out as you got closer to his chest. Your palm patted his torso before going up to his cheek. Now you're holding his face so his eyes stick with yours, unable to escape from your hold, just like you used to two years ago. "When my uncle asked for a messenger I volunteered," you started to be swoon. His ablaze stare would kill you right now if they could. Instead, Ivar lifted his rough and huge hand to your face, wiping away the few tears that have filled up your eyes. "I wanted to see you again, feel you again..." you added as he pulled your head toward his bare chest. Your eyes closed, and your mind eased in less than a minute, soothed by the rhythm of the Viking's heartbeats. 

"Don't leave," he managed to articulate despite the nervousness inhabiting him at this instant. His arms closed around your weak body as he held you tightly against him, to your greatest pleasure.

Ivar Permanent Tag: @youbloodymadgenius​

[rwby-nwbe]

Team NWBE: Part 2

And now, moving on to Teammate #2...!

Adasia "Aday" Wurk

Age: 17

Aday actually hails from Atlas, being the daughter of two Atlesian scientists. Of course, in spite of their busy work schedule, Aday's parents were surprisingly relaxed, and while they took good care to raise Aday right, they also allowed her to chose her path in life, instead of relegating her to the same job they had. This lead her to becoming a sensation in Remnant's competitive gaming scene, and would later lead to her decision to become a Huntress.

Species: Human

I forgot to do this for Rev's post, so I'll just do it here, too. Because I forgot the whole "RWBY Color Name" rule, I often went for wordplay to make up for it. For example, Rev's actual first name is the reversed form of vermilion (a happy coincidence, considering that means red). In Aday's case, her name is based on the word "workaday," which highlights the fact that she's supposed to be the "normal" one of the group. Of course, she's still far from that given her small set of quirks...

Weapon: R.P.G. AXE-C

The Atlas XEon Console (or AXE-C for short) is one of the most revolutionary and sought after gaming consoles in all of Remnant. Scrolls might already serve that purpose, but the XEon's own portability and priority for gaming made it a hit across the four kingdoms. Rev's got one when he has the time, but Aday's is truly a work of art. When she realized she wanted to be a Huntress, she wanted a weapon that could keep her occupied when she was running on downtime. Her scientist parents also worked heavily in engineering, so, grabbing a sketch book, some supplies, and her own AXE-C, she set off to the Forge to create the weapon dreams are made of...

The R.P.G. AXE-C's name stands for "Ready Player GUN Atlas XEon Console." Thanks to Aday's tinkering, it's still a fully functional gaming system. However, when there's Grimm involved, she closes her favorite gaming device, and promptly converts it into a very, VERY deadly axe that can cut through anything like a knife through hot butter. If that isn't enough to take down the Grimm, she can also utilize her weapon's pump shotgun form, which packs a wallop. It's like a PvE match!

Semblance: Pro Tag

Obvious protagonist pun is obvious. Aday's long history with games is actually beneficial when dealing with her Semblance. Aside from turning her eyes yellow and her hair green (a visual indicator), a set of decisions will appear before Aday in the form of blue buttons. These buttons are what decide the various "buffs" she'll get when she chooses them, and there are a lot of video game tropes and genres in the mix. "RPG" allows her to take control of the battle for her friends while slowing down the enemy (though neither can be interfered with from the outside). "Shooter" increases her gun prowess, both for the R.P.G. AXE-C and other weapons. "Hack-and-Slash" increases her proficiency with bladed weaponry. "Platformer" improves her mobility. Sometimes, status effects like "Null Fall Damage," "Static," and even "Toxic" allow her to alter the stakes of battle. Of course, her allies and enemies always have a view of how much Aura she has left in her Health Bar, and if that gets dropped to zero? Game Over for Pro Tag...

Likes: Video Games, Comfort, Challenges

Aday is sometimes referred to as "the Pyrrha Nikos of the Gaming World," and that's not just hyperbole. No matter the game, Aday is more than likely to conquer it within the span of a week or two at most. While she's won virtually every competitive event she's ever been in, she likes playing casual, too.

While Aday likes the occasional difficulty spike every now and then, she's more than capable of going with the flow and just enjoying life. She appreciates the mundane moreso than her teammates, and often encourages them to do the same from day to day. One of the few challenges she does have in life is teaching her teammates Rev and Jury to be normal, though Rev has a headstart due to his own casual video game streak.

Speaking of challenges, Aday LIVES for them. She always liked the notion of improving one's self, which is why she took up competitive gaming. Every day is a sort of new conquest for Aday, between Huntress training, school grind, and helping her friends take up less... dangerous hobbies. Any challenge is a good one, from brain teasers to tests of brawn. Aday's always learning to push past her limits, and if there's a finish line, she can't wait to push past that, too.

Of all the simple souls amongst RWBY, JNPR, and NWBE, Aday is arguably the simplest. She's the most "normal" out of the group, and usually the most approachable, acting as the voice of reason alongside Blake, Ren, and even her own teammate Sage.

She's also a high key strategist, born from her years of video game experience and her parents' limitless intellectual archives. When Rev isn't taking charge, she makes for a great second in command, keeping her team together amidst the chaos of hunstman duties... and everyday life.

Like Rev, Aday also greatly values friendship, though she never had many friends during her time in Atlas or even in the gaming world. She likes letting her friends know that they mean the world to her, and is often the first to drag their stubborn butts away in the sight of extreme danger. She's one heck of a tank, but playing support isn't so bad, either.

That's all for Aday! Don't forget to check out Rev, and the last two members of Team NWBE!

NWBE NWBE NWBE

-Mathewton, the RWBY Newbie (7 March 2020)

[takaraphoenix]

Okay, so how about for Iron Hawk Tony first learning that Clint is deaf and learning ASL for him. (hmmm. How about he does only to find out due to only partial deafness Clint has actually been using aids since he was a kid and lost hearing and never bothered to learn sign language himself?)

Tony was used to working alone in the workshop. Even now that all of the Avengers shared a living space. Usually when Tony really got lost in his work, the others would flee. Tony knew mostly they were down there to give him company. Most of the things they did down there could be done anywhere in the compound, but the true purpose was to spend time with Tony.

The compound that Tony had designed, where the Avengers had relocated after a Hydra agent had put horrifying images into the head of a scientist named Hank Pym, resulting in a dangerous killer robot named Ultron. The Avengers had taken it out and had arrested the two Hydra agents.

In the wake of it all, they had moved places. Had moved into the compound and were currently working on expanding the Avengers. The team of six that had started out, well, the world needed more heroes than a ragtag team of six people.

The first addition had been Rhodey, through Tony.

Then, with the fall of SHIELD, Sam Wilson joined them. Well, together with all left-over trustworthy SHIELD agents and Maria Hill, who coordinated the agents now.

The latest addition had been Hope van Dyne, daughter to Hank Pym. She had been the one to alert the Avengers early on – despite her father's hatred for the Starks (a reason why Ultron had been born, because the delusions the witch had put in Pym's mind had made him afraid of a world where Tony Stark and the Avengers turned on everyone, resulting in a very faulty security program).

Hope was not her father. Tony knew what it felt like to stand in the shadow of one's father. She was a brilliant woman who had opposed her father on many occasions. She used a suit that shrank and could fly, giving the Avengers additional aerial support.

They all integrated well into the team and the team tried to spend time with each other outside of missions and training, to bond, to form trust and to truly learn each other's ways. The others knew Tony was a busy man though, he had more than just the Avengers – he still had Stark Industries to work for and take care of and he took to upgrading most weapons and suits for the Avengers himself, trusting no one but his own capable hands to make sure his team was safe. So the other Avengers knew that bonding time with Tony was best achieved by joining him in the lab.

Sometimes, Steve would sit on the couch in the corner and draw.

Bruce was a regular down here, working with Tony on multiple projects.

The same went for Hope, who preferred to update her suit and stings herself.

What Natasha did – well, Tony wasn't entirely sure, but she was there occasionally too.

Even Sam spent quite some time down here, ever since Tony had upgraded Red Wing and installed a simplistic AI that gave the robot enough personality (enough to befriend Dum-E).

But once Tony really got into his work though, blasting his music at top volume, most would leave the lab and leave him to it. Tony wasn't sure if it was consideration because they didn't want to disturb him when he was truly concentrated, or if it really was the loud music.

There was only one person who always stayed. And while Tony appreciated that the others were considerate, he really enjoyed having someone who'd always stick around. And that person was Clint. He'd usually be down at the workshop to tinker with his arrows. He had a vast array of trick arrows and special arrows, most of which Clint had either designed or even built himself.

At one point, Tony started to suspect that maybe Clint simply shared his passion for AC/DC. He knew for a fact that it was that band in particular that chased Bruce away. Too aggressive and loud, not what the harborer of the Hulk needed. Which was fair enough. Steve too, not a fan, though he wasn't big on music anyway. Adn Natasha, she preferred classic music over modern. Sam liked them alright, though not at the volume Tony preferred. And Hope just generally didn't like music when she was at work because it was distracting to her.

Clint however, he would stay. Regardless of what music Tony blasted at what volume. In fact, when Tony would go really loud, Clint would always have a smile for him. And no, that was just a random bit of information, it had no significance. It didn't mean anything to Tony when Clint smiled at him in that teasing, crooked kind of way. Any fluttering in his heart was due to a malfunction of the arc reactor or something like that, nothing else.

/break\

Natasha had one eyebrow raised as she took a sip from her coffee. It was still quite early. Sam and Steve had just gotten back from their morning jog and they were currently bickering over what to make for breakfast. Natasha had already been awake for two hours, training. It was however rare for Clint to be up this early. Yet here he was, sitting opposite Nat and grinning into his mug.

"AC/CD? Is that Tony's mug?", asked Natasha with a frown.

Clint shook his head at her, a smug look on his face. "Mine. He gave it to me."

"You've been wearing an AC/DC shirt yesterday too", noted Sam curiously. "I thought you didn't like them. Don't tell me Tony converted you, huh?"

"Awful music", replied Clint casually. "But Tony's been giving me stuff? I'm not gonna decline it."

"You could buy your own clothes and then they would actually advertise what you like", offered Steve slightly bemused. "You shouldn't abuse Tony's generous nature like that."

"What? Abuse-", echoed Clint irritated. "I'm not-"

Natasha raised her eyebrows curiously at that. How very interesting. Clint was hoarding AC/DC merchandise not because he liked it but because he liked the person he got it from. Tony. She filed that information away for later usage, knowing fully well it was going to be very useful.

/break\

Hope smiled as she listened to Bruce's latest theory on their way to the workshop. Though she was only listening with one ear, if she was being honest. Her main focus was on what Natasha had told her. The two women had grown quite close. Partially through sparring with each other and partially due to being the only female team-members. That did forge a tight bond; they were fighting hard in a boys' world. And while they were both tough in nature, it wasn't easy that they were never allowed any weakness, to a far greater extend than the men.

Anyway, Natasha had cued her in on something very interesting. Apparently, Clint had a crush on Tony. Now, Hope was rather close to Tony. Surprisingly enough. Then again, Hope had always opposed her father and she knew what it was like to stand in her father's shadow so when meeting the Avengers, she had given Tony Stark the benefit of the doubt. He was as much Howard Stark as Hope was Hank Pym. The two scientists had hit it off pretty well from the get-go.

So while Natasha provided intel from Clint's side, Hope was supposed to poke around and see what Tony's opinion on it all was – and if Tony was even aware of what was happening around him.

"Tony, can we please turn down the music?", asked Bruce gently and a bit amused.

When Tony was really in the zone, he was in another plane of existence really. It was fascinating to watch and even quite charming. Hope remembered all the press coverage on Tony Stark throughout the year. The playboy, the drinker. No one ever showed Tony Stark, in a ratty tank-top with holes in it and grease in his hair, grinning like a maniac as he gently talked to his bots and invented things that threw them all decades ahead of their time. The narrative really mattered.

"Su—ure thing, Brucie-bear. Jay, you heard the man." Tony sighed forlorn as the music dimmed down. "Why can't you all appreciate a good AC/DC like Clint does?"

Hope raised her eyebrows and exchanged a look with Bruce. "You really don't know that he doesn't even like AC/DC, huh?"

"What? No. Of course he likes it. He's been wearing the shirt this morning!", argued Tony.

"The shirt you gave him", tagged Bruce on, a little amused.

"...So?", asked Tony confused and sat down on his bench.

Hope sighed and shook her head. "Tony, if you want to get your boyfriend clothes, get him clothes of a band he actually likes, because this... isn't one."

"But he always stays, regardless of how loud I play it?", asked Tony, not minding the boyfriend comment for now because he was still too confused. "He never complains about it."

"...But you do know that he's deaf, right?", asked Hope very slowly. "That he just turns off his hearing aids when he doesn't want to hear something. Mostly Cap's debriefings. And this."

The way Tony stared at her told Hope that Tony did in fact not know this. Bruce shook his head before he went to his work, giving Tony the time to digest this information.

/break\

Clint blinked a little confused when he found a glaring small genius blocking his way. It was hard to take pouting Tony seriously because he was just... so short? Glaring was more effective when glared down at someone, not up at someone. All Clint wanted to do was pet Tony's hair (it was very fluffy. Good for petting), but he had learned his lesson. Last time he did that when Tony was furious, no electronics in the entire place had worked for Clint. The toaster, the washing machine, the dryer, the remote, nothing at all, not even the damn internet connection. Never again.

"How did you never tell me you're deaf?", asked Tony, gesturing widely at Clint.

"I... generally don't advertise it?", countered Clint a bit confused.

"Well. Yes. I mean-", started Tony frustrated, gesturing even more now as he started pacing. "I'm Tony Stark. You're walking around with those... mediocre hearing aids and you never thought of telling me that you're deaf? I could have whipped you up something proper years ago!"

Tony moved on to poking Clint in an accusatory manner into the chest. This whole exchange was utterly confusing for the archer, so he decided to move on toward the kitchen, having the genius trail after him. Was Tony angry with him for not sharing this? That seemed... odd.

"Wait", grunted Clint as he realized, slowly turning around to look at Tony. "Are you angry because you think I... don't trust your tech, since I didn't ask you to build me something?"

Tony looked like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie-jar. "I... No? I just... As your team-mate, I think you should have the best of everything. That, of course, includes hearing aids."

Clint hummed and tilted his head. "Honestly, I just... never thought of it? I've had these hearing aids for years now, they've just been... a part of me, for me, mostly. I never really thought about Stark Tech upgrades of them. And, in my line of work, I've learned not to draw too much attention to them. When people hear I'm deaf, they like to conclude I'm not fit to be a spy, an Avenger."

Tony frowned at him. "I... get that. But I want to... help."

It made Clint smile a little. Oh, he loved this small genius so much. Every time Tony had a new idea how to improve Clint's arrows or armor, he'd be so excited – well, with everything of everyone. And even when Clint didn't understand half the things Tony said in explanation, it was so captivating to listen to him. It made Clint wonder for a moment why he had never told Tony.

"I lost my hearing when I was a teen. It was a crazy circus accident", explained Clint softly. "It was... hard, at first. But with the hearing aids, most of the time... I don't even think on it. Or, I try not to. Ever since I entered SHIELD, I had to work against people who thought I'd prove too much a risk on the field – what if the aids fail, what if no one can contact me anymore then. Not to mention a potential lack of communication in general then. Nat was the first person who learned ASL for me, specifically. Just so she could tell the agent who had voiced those doubts to fuck off in ASL. Because it's a language that exists, that people would just have to learn."

Clint paused and jumped onto the kitchen counter, grabbing an apple. "Kids at school, they're encouraged to learn Spanish or French or... or Latin, which is like dead, you know. And that's cool. Languages are cool. But no where are they encouraged to learn ASL, a language that's literally the only means of communication for many people in the US."

Chewing on his apple, Clint watched how Tony sat down, staring at Clint in curious wonder and just listening, which was somehow a nice change from the usual. "It was how Nat and I became a team, you know. After that, we went on a mission together and... ASL actually proves to be really handy for spies, what do you know. Not being required to talk, or be in hearing distance, to communicate can actually be really useful. Shesh."

With a small smile of his own did Tony tilt his head. "So, why do you always smile when I play AC/DC then, if you don't even like it and turn your hearing aids off?"

"Who snitched?", sputtered Clint. "Was it Nat? No, Nat loves me."

"Actually, it were Hope and Bruce. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?", asked Tony. "Because I think I get now why you didn't tell me you were deaf, but why would you take all of that AC/DC merch and let me blast my music if you don't even like it?"

"Well, those are two different questions", started Clint defensively. "I let you blast your music, because... it doesn't bother me. I can just turn off my hearing aids and let you have your fun. I know it makes you happy to listen to your music, so there's that."

The blush suited Tony. "...Okay. That's... nice. But, doesn't explain the AC/DC hoodie you are literally wearing right now, Barton."

"It's cozy?", shrugged Clint. "Besides, it's rude to decline a gift."

"...Sure", grunted Tony, not buying a word his friend was saying.

Clint's eyes widened when he saw Natasha poking her head around the corner of the kitchen with a deadly death-glare. She signed Tell him it's time before crossing her arms over her chest in a very definite gesture, just standing there in the doorway behind Tony. Steve, Hope and Sam stuck their heads out to peek in curiously too. Clint made a face at them, confusing Tony.

"Okay, so maybe I accept them because they're from you", grunted Clint with an edge of defensiveness. "It's... nice. A lot like, you know."

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking", huffed Tony a bit frustrated.

"Like wearing your boyfriend's clothes, that's what it is", whispered Hope.

"Because he lo—oves you", whispered Steve.

"He wants to date you, he wants to kiss you-", tagged Sam on in a sing-sang voice.

"Okay. Enough. You're like children", grunted Natasha unimpressed, ushering the Avengers off.

Tony stared startled at them before he turned back toward Clint. The archer was properly flustered by this, covering his face with one hand and muttering to himself about what he had done to deserve any of this. Sure, he had pranked Hope by putting pink dye in her shampoo last week and maybe he had painted over Steve's shield with hearts and perhaps there had been that one incident where he had replaced Sam's favorite vanilla pudding with mayonnaise, but still he did not deserve this.

"You like me? Why? How? When? What?", asked Tony stunned.

"Believe me, it was as much a shock for me as it is for you now", drawled Clint dryly. "But you're... you. Not the press you I was debriefed on. The real you. The cute, excitable genius with the heart of gold who does everything for everyone he cares about."

"So... you... want to go on a date?", asked Tony unsure. "I mean, is that-"

"Yes", interrupted Clint and nodded wildly. "Only if you-"

"If I may interrupt, Miss van Dyne has taken the liberty to booking a table at sir's favorite restaurant for today, 7PM. Doctor Banner assures you that if anything comes up, 'the Big Guy will take care of it' so you should not worry about anything", interrupted Jarvis.

"...When did they...", muttered Tony surprised.

"After your conversation last night", replied Jarvis.

/break\

Clint looked very pleased in his Iron Man hoodie, drinking out of his Iron Man mug. This was the perfect compromise. Instead of merchandise of things he wasn't interested in, Clint now got merchandise of something he was very interested in. His boyfriend. Okay, okay, some merch was also of the other Avengers, but most of Clint's things now were Iron Man themed.

"I finished them!", exclaimed Tony as he came running into the kitchen.

A bit startled, Clint looked up at the very excited looking genius before being handed... hearing aids. Smaller than his, less obvious. And with a Stark Tech logo on them. Clint blinked surprised.

"Wait, Tony. Did you seriously...", muttered Clint.

"Of course", huffed Tony nearly offended. "My boyfriend needs to have the best of the best. And I've been meaning on branching more out."

Clint took a moment to appreciate the effort and time that must have gone into this – was this the secret project that had Tony locked into his lab alone lately? Even without Clint. To make it a surprise? What a total dork. Grinning tentatively, Clint took his old hearing aids out before putting the new ones in. Tony tilted his head like a curious puppy, watching him eagerly.

"How is it? Does it work? Is it comfortable?", asked Tony anxiously.

"It's perfect. Like everything else you do, Tones", answered Clint fondly.

He got up and pulled Tony into a hug, kissing him softly. In the background, Sam made gagging noises that somehow, Clint could hear even clearer than with his old aids.

"Shove it, jealousy doesn't suit you, Wilson", signed Tony over Clint's shoulder.

The entire team had learned ASL in the past weeks, after Tony suggested it, echoing Clint's words about him and Natasha. Nat had taught them and while some had picked it up quickly – Tony and, surprisingly so, Steve – others, such as Sam, struggled more with it. Sam huffed at them.

"You don't have to be all cute in front of my breakfast though", grunted Sam.

Tony grinned broadly, hanging off Clint's neck. "Can't help it. I'm always cute."

"That you are", agreed Clint fondly, kissing Tony's cheek. "Thank you, Tones."

------

Read this here on FFNet & here on AO3!

[ruroy9i]

MI(SI)NGLE

Bart Reynolds is an average freshman at ‘Broadchurch High’, a nondescript boarding school in an uneventful small town. And by average, I mean that Bart is average at everything and precisely average. But despite being mean, he is not mean, perhaps his only redeeming quality and one he is quite proud of. Quite unambitious, he whiles away his time playing games with his best friends: Flynn and Abigail (exactly half of which he wins). He is frustratingly single, but he doesn’t mind, arguing that stochasticity guarantees he will end up with someone at some point of time. And he is plenty happy just to have a crush on the editor of the Broadchurch Newsletter, his classmate: June Green.

One day, over a game of ‘Zombie Dino Ultra Kill 8’, Bart and Abigail are arguing whether it is better to be friend-zoned or bro-zoned, while Flynn is off on a date with the Dean’s daughter: Zoey. They pose their arguments before Flynn when he returns, moping and sad. Turns out Zoey had only wanted Flynn to tutor her and nothing more. The duo stuff him full of cheesecake and ice-cream and decide that being tutor-zoned is definitely the worst. Flynn goes to sleep, still whining that Zoey had seemed interested in him just the previous day.

That night, someone breaks into Bart and Flynn’s dorm room. As Bart is jacking off in the bathroom, he picks up a baseball bat and rushes into the room. When he flicks on the switch, a man in a black tuxedo is at Flynn’s bedside, motioning Bart to be quiet. He has attached some strange instrument to Flynn’s chest. Upon finishing the measurement, he remarks that Flynn’s is a critical case. Bart bombards him with questions. The man in the tuxedo motions to join him on the terrace. He explains to a bewildered Bart that Flynn is a victim of a secret conspiracy to destroy unrequited love from the world. He claims to be a secret agent of the spy organization: MISingle. Bart jokingly asks that if he is a secret agent, why is he telling him this, will he wipe his memory with a deneuralyzer. The man in the tux solemnly says that he is here to recruit Bart into the agency, as he is their last hope in this race against time. Bart still jokes that it’s a great honour, but he must surely not be eligible for the job. The man asks whether Bart is single. Bart affirms it. “That is all the eligibility you need”, the man says as thunder strikes the dorm’s weathered electricity lines, plunging the school into a black-out.

Bart follows the man to his “ride”, which he expects to be an invisible jet or at least an invisible car. But he is stumped to find an average and rather unusual crop-duster. The man finally introduces himself as Agent Eager Beaver. Bart just rolls his eyes. They reach the headquarters of the spy cell, located intrepidly in a deserted motel. Bart remarks the ingenuity of hiding it so well, but Eager Beaver just quips that they didn’t have the budget to afford anything better. Bart is led to the debriefing room, where more suited men and women join in. As Beaver explains the situation and reports on Flynn’s condition, the top man of the organization: Agent Jilted Lover surmises that Flynn must have been poisoned with their enemy, Dr. Cupid’s newly devised ‘Repulsion dart’. Bart, concerned for Flynn demands an explanation about everything.

Cue epic exposition music. Agent Jilted Lover explains that since the dawn of time, there have been men and women who never found love or whom love never found. They have been called many names, viewed in different ways by society. And so, they evolved from hermits to oddballs to spinsters to singles. But sometime after the Industrial Revolution, with an increasing number of single working-class men and surprisingly women, it was deemed necessary to establish a global intelligence organization, to look out for the needs of this unfortunate but key demographic of society. Unfortunately, whoever enthusiastically sponsored the cause soon found love and had to direct their resources to that most conducive venture. Either way, the organization survived, strengthened in part due to the growing number of divorces in the twentieth century. Ironically, from a very ugly such divorce was born their most recent and fierce adversary: Dr. Cupid. A mad scientist and devilishly intelligent, Dr. Cupid plans to put an end to singledom everywhere. But the real concern arose when he was recruited by some murky evil organization who share his vision and have the means to realize it as well. And ever since, they’ve been at war with MI(SI)NGLE.

Bart is left with his mouth wide open, in staggering disbelief. He breaks the fourth wall to ask the audience if he is in a comedy movie. Agent Jilted Lover explains that Flynn is not the first person to be tutor-zoned in such a harsh way. There has been an alarming rise in such tutor-zonings of late, and they are quite certain this is the doing of Dr. Cupid. Eager Beaver breaks it to Bart with much sadness that he has measured Flynn’s heart to be 88% broken. If they do not find the cause of his tutor-zoning and reverse it, he will be a lost cause. Bart asks the audience if they know that a broken heart could be medically diagnosed. And so Eager Beaver concludes that Bart must now take up the mantle of a MI(SI)NGLE agent to save Flynn (should he choose to accept his mission.) Still talking to the audience, Bart admits that he can’t possibly turn it down now. Jilted Lover takes that as a yes.

Eager Beaver takes Bart to see the Quartermaster/Weapons and tech expert. On the way, Bart decides to address Eager Beaver as Mr. B in the future. They are welcomed by the incredibly sassy woman, Agent Heartbreak Kid. She expresses her doubt in Bart’s ability and starts an argument with Mr. B over the subject. Once done, she outfits Bart with his spy toolkit: a death metal T-shirt outlined with radio and satellite communicator, a Repulsor gun and an ugly sunglass, with a built-in scope and Love meter. As Bart is hyped up to use the Repulsor gun, remarking that its totally out of the Marvel movies, Mr. B explains that it is an actual ‘repulsor’, and not the fancy kind in movies. Bart doesn’t understand, so Heartbreak Kid points to an adorable little kitten that two interns in the lab are petting, and shoots it with the Repulsor. Nothing happens to the kitten, but the interns throw it away, calling it gross and ugly. ‘So, it turns things repulsive?”, Bart asks the audience again.

Mr.B just facepalms and reminds Heartbreak Kid that the kitten belongs to Agent Lonely Cat Lady and her fury will be upon them unless she fixes the cat. And then Bart’s training begins, once he puts the sunglasses on. He complains that they aren’t doing anything and might be broken. Heartbreak Kid replies that the glasses measure how much love people are getting and no one in the room is getting any.

Cue epic training montage with high voltage rock song.

Once Bart is done training, Mr.B and Heartbreak Kid show him the latest intel. They learn that tutor-zoning cases are at an all-time high and a large part of the world’s single population will reach the dreaded ‘Heartbreak point’ once the weekend is over. Agent ‘Hawas Ka Pujari’ has identified a VR goggles manufacturing unit in Bangalore to be a cover for the opposition. Jilted Lover asks them to set out immediately. Heartbreak Kid says that before leaving, Bart must be assigned his codename. Jilted Lover thinks it over and decides to confer upon him the codename Agent Nice Guy. Humbled and genuinely excited, Bart accepts and leaves with Mr. B.

Heartbreak Kid asks Jilted Lover whether he did the right thing, reusing the codename of a dead agent and that too, a legendary one.

Once again, Bart expects a jet, but has to settle for a trip on a commercial airline and that too in economic class.

Bangalore, India: Bart and Mr. B wait outside a multiplex for their correspondent to show up. But when he doesn’t, they go into the hall worried. But right in the ticket-counter, they find a man passed out and porn playing loudly on his phone. Mr. B wakes him up and introduces Bart to Agent Hawas ka Pujari. Bart just decides to call him Agent Perv. Perv takes them to scope out the building from where the VR goggles are manufactured. The three put on their ugly glasses and in front of Bart’s eyes, pops up a meter over every person in the city. They break into the unit and with amazing dexterity take out the guards (they just hit them with the Repulsor so that the guards start fighting among themselves). Once inside, they see that among the normal VR goggles are hidden special boxes marked with hearts, which are being transported to different locations. They open one such box and discover a normal VR goggle. They can’t find anything different with it at all. So they hit a dead-end and decide to head back.

Heartbreak Kid, whom Bart decides to call Miss Hearts fails to figure out what is wrong with the goggles. Frustrated, Jilted Lover becomes paranoid. Mr.B finds a lead that the addresses to which the goggles were being shipped ,all belong to most-wanted assassins or mercenaries. But considering the danger level of the mission, he goes on it alone and asks Bart to return to school for the time-being.

Back at school, Bart finds Flynn to be still moping and absolutely withdrawn. Abigail bombards him with questions, not believing a single thing he says. Bart finds himself no longer interested in his average school life. He toys around with the goggle which Ms Hearts gave him as a souvenir, when a thought strikes him. He asks Abigail to wear the goggles and come with him. He goes up to June Green, as she enters the cafeteria. Abigail remarks to the audience that her boy has finally manned up. Bart asks June to go out with him and is harshly rejected. To Abigail’s surprise, a meter pops up over Bart’s head which is full and a meter over June’s head which is empty. Bart is thrilled to hear this and immediately contacts Ms. Hearts.

Prague: Mr.B tracks down the courier service delivering the VR goggle to an assassin in Prague. He intercepts the man and threatens to make him so repulsive that his girlfriend will leave him and takes his clothes and the goggle. At the assassin’s doorstep, he hears a familiar voice. He hesitatingly knocks. The assassin opens up and welcomes him inside. He immediately puts the assassin in a choke-hold and asks who has hired him. From within the room Dr. Cupid emerges with another man. After a long and run of the mill dialogue between Mr. B and Dr. Cupid, Mr. B asks who his benefactor is. The other man steps up and Mr. B is absolutely shocked. In that moment, the assassin overpowers him and knocks him out.

This time Lonely Cat Lady escorts Bart to the HQ, which makes him curious about Mr. B. He excitedly explains to Ms. Hearts and Jilted Lover that the goggles are the exact opposite of the ugly sunglasses. Just like the glasses show how much love a person receives; the goggle shows how much love the person gives. So in effect, the goggles are a good way to measure unrequited love. Ms. Hearts joins the rest of the dots that the assassins are being supplied with these goggles so that they can eliminate anyone who is about to engage in a relationship where he shows unrequited love. Agent Perv remarks that tutor-zoning people is a good way to cut off their unrequited love. But how are they tutor-zoning people, Lonely cat Lady wonders. Bart asks about Mr.B, and just then a message from Dr. Cupid shows up on the screen. He mocks MI(SI)NGLE and lets them know that he has Mr. B captive, and will break his heart unless they back off. He laughs manically and says that Global Singledom will end very soon.

Perv and Bart leave immediately, promising to bring Mr. B back safely and save the world (not really, just the single people). Ms. Hearts stops them and says that they have both graduated from the tees to suits. Perv and Bart high-five at this.

Cue epic suiting up sequence and the main theme.

Tracking the communicator sewn into Mr. B’s suit, Perv and Bart reach a charity fund-raiser in London. They realize that Mr. B is being held captive somewhere in the basement. They infiltrate the party and swipe the key-cards by knocking out security personnel. Dr. Cupid watches this and deploys a secret weapon. Just as Bart and Perv are about to unlock the doors to the basement, two gorgeous ladies walk up to them and ask to buy them drinks. Forever single Bart and Perv can’t believe it and try to talk them off, but the ladies persist and almost drag them to the bar. Bart mumbles a protest that he is not yet 21, while Perv is already onto his third glass of wine. Back at the HQ, Jilted Lover curses that the biggest weakness of MI(SI)NGLE operatives have always been seduction. As Perv climbs into paradise, thoroughly seduced, Bart struggles to stay focussed. With great effort, he manages to shoot himself and Perv with the Repulsor. The ladies immediately let go of them and they escape. Once far away, Perv sobers up a little and breaks down about how he was compromised so easily. Bart consoles him and intones that they must hurry to save Mr. B. With great admiration, Perv confers upon Bart the title: ‘Sakht Launda’.

They break into the basement, but don’t find Mr. B. Upon thorough searching, they find the communicator strapped to a webcam, which activates. From the other end, Dr. Cupid chuckles and mocks them and asks them to send his regards to Jilted Lover. He asks them to enjoy a demonstration of his vision coming to fruition. Bart and Perv climb to the roof and see the assassins armed with sniper rifles pointed at various positions within the hall. They put on the goggles and realize that the targets of the snipers are couples on the dance-floor, but only those with one partner in love. As the snipers start firing small, almost invisible darts, the couples start having arguments and breaking up. Bart can’t help but marvel at it and tells the audience that Dr. Cupid might actually be doing the world a favour. Bart and Perv then start using their skills to take out the assassins. Once done, they analyse the ammo: small darts filled with some sort of poison. Ms. Hearts declares that the poison, one of Dr. Cupid’s formulations is precisely what is causing tutor-zoning and other kind of estrangement among potential lovers.

Bart and Perv are frustrated to hit another dead-end, but Ms. Hearts tells them that the darts are manufactured by a Swiss company. She immediately dispatches the “Friendzone Force” (the Special Ops Division of MI(SI)NGLE) to clear it out. From the Force’s raid, it becomes clear that Dr. Cupid’s lair is in the Swiss Alps and also that his benefactor is a company called: ‘We Heart It’, a manufacturer of cardiac stents and pacemakers.

Bart and Perv infiltrate Dr. Cupid’s lair, which turns out to be a factory of ‘We Heart It’. Eliminating the opposition, they finally manage to reach Mr. B and free him. Mr. B is overjoyed to see them and hear about their discovery. Then Mr. B informs them of his own discovery, that We Heart It is owned by former operatives of MI(SI)NGLE, who were presumed dead, led by the legendary Jim Baxter, the original Agent Nice Guy. And then Jim and Dr. Cupid show up with their large army and surround the trio. Bart can’t help but ask why Dr. Cupid wants to eliminate unrequited love and why Mr. Baxter is helping him. So they take them to see their crowning glory. Bart, Perv and Mr. B are taken up to a command centre, with a live feed from the major cities of the world. As Dr. Cupid presses a button, snipers positioned in the cities open fire. On a giant meter, Bart sees all the one-sided and unrequited love vanishing from the world. But Perv then shows him an adjacent monitor where another meter called mutual love starts filling up. And then it finally becomes clear to everyone. Baxter explains that one-sided love is one of the worst experiences in singlehood and being the definitive Nice Guy, he had become sick and tired of just giving love and never getting it back. MI(SI)NGLE was disillusioned and clung to a dying ideal. So he faked his own death and slowly started seeding the research of Dr. Cupid, which would transfer all the wasted unrequited love in the world to couples who were mutually in love. At this, Bart speaks up. He stresses that just because you can’t get back love doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show it. He points out that Baxter’s idea of always getting back the love he gives is impractical and selfish and a violation of the codename Agent Nice Guy. He cries on how Dr. Cupid has it all wrong and that even those who aren’t loved deserve to love. This melts Dr. Cupid’s heart and he reconsiders going through with his plan. Baxter pushes him away from the console. Amidst the scuffle, Mr.B frees himself and Perv. He then takes down the armed guards. Once freed, Bart tries to call off the snipers, but Mr. Baxter blocks his path. So ensues a fight between the two Nice Guys. Mr. B pulls Dr. Cupid back to his feet and Dr. Cupid calls off the attack. Baxter and Bart duel to the edge of the bridge, that dangles precipitously over a sharp drop. Baxter beats Bart back repeatedly, until Bart shoots himself with the dart. Repulsed, Baxter lets go and he falls (NO, not to his death jeez, he just falls to the next floor and breaks his arm).

And so the day is saved. Dr. Cupid reverses the effect of the dart, bringing everyone back to normal. So on Monday morning, a heartbroken Flynn wakes up to open the door and see an equally heartbroken Zoey, who asks if he would like to go to a concert with her. Dr. Cupid leaves, hoping not to cross paths with MI(SI)NGLE again.

Bart is lauded greatly by Mr. B and Perv. The three are conferred medals by Jilted Lover. And Bart’s speech is actually written down in the Great Book of MI(SI)NGLE quotes. Bart tells the audience that he could have easily gone down the same road as Baxter, had it not been for this experience. So he requests Jilted Lover to change his codename from Nice Guy to Sakht Launda (he has no idea what it means). He remarks that he is very gald to be single and looks forward to enjoying it for a long time. He returns to school, to the welcome arms of Abigail and Flynn. Abigail is shocked to learn everything. Bart smiles and says he has to go look for a new crush. Abigail decides to lend him a helping hand.

FINIS

PS: At the MI(SI)NGLE success party, Heartbreak kid asks Eager Beaver how he is doing and that she is really glad that he is back, safe and sound. Bart interrupts her to ask what is the policy on fraternizing among agents. She savagely replies that there is no policy, since all the agents are so repulsive that they can barely stand each other. She goes back to talking with Mr.B. Perv asks Bart why he asked such a strange question. Bart just hands him the goggles. Perv puts it on to see two filled meters over Ms. Hearts and Mr. B’s heads.

[dororoscutesmile]

Summer anime preliminary reviews

Short, sweet, and to the point. I watched the first episode every new series so that you (hopefully) don’t have to! I try to make my brief reviews as unbiased as possible. My top recommendations from a variety of genres first, then the rest under the readmore in the order I personally liked them. There are a LOT of good anime this season, and I definitely recommend more than the first five.

Kanata no astra

Sci-fi/action. In a future full of space travel, a group of high schoolers are suddenly and mysteriously transported over 5,000 light years away from their home planet; they now must survive and work together aboard an abandoned ship trying to get home. The first episode is long and cinematic, which suits it perfectly. This one seems to have everything; action, mystery, comedy, wonderful character dynamics, sad backstories -- and all done very well. It’s going to be one of the best of the season.

Araburu kisetsu no otome-domo yo

High school/drama/comedy. This one is all about sex -- but it’s not ecchi or fan servicey. Girls in a literature club who are ignorant about sex make it their goal to learn about it as they make their way toward adulthood. If you don’t mind high schoolers speaking frankly about sex and their desires for it, but NOT in a way that seems objectifying or unnecessarily “sexualizing,” then this is an engaging coming-of-age story. It’s certainly different, and I believe it handles the topic tactfully and realistically.

Machikado Mazoku

Comedy/magic. A high school girl wakes up from a dream that reveals she is a demon who must defeat a magical girl and restore her family’s honor. This one’s really funny! It’s a fun twist on the “magical girl” genre. The main character is ditzy in a cute way, and she and the aloof magical girl play off each other really well. I was expecting to be bored based on the synopsis, but I ended up liking this a lot. Whatever you think of the magical girl genre, this series looks great.

Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator

Supernatural/action. In a city full of espers, the previously strongest one is recovering in the hospital after being shot in the head and is now being hunted down by a group of thieves using a special weapon. The main character is the cool, aloof, angry type. Intelligent, cocky, overpowered, an appealing design, and a soft spot for a small child. This character, rather than the plot, is what really drives this anime, at least so far. If he’s your type of character, then this is your type of anime.

Given

Music/BL. A high schooler who has lost passion for his hobbies meets another boy with a guitar with broken strings. He repairs the strings, and the boy starts following him around asking him to teach him guitar. Not much really happens in the first episode, but there are hints of a romance between the boys, which is obviously expected from BL. The animation with the instruments is good, and the characters have potential. For fans of BL or even just the music genre, this one seems pretty solid.

Dr. Stone

Sci-fi/adventure. This takes place in a future where all humans have turned to stone. The protagonists are one that is plain but charming, and another who is an enjoyable smart-ass; together, they start trying to revive all the people who were turned to stone. The characters’ dynamic together isn’t particularly interesting, but each character is enjoyable in their own right. There’s science, primitive technology, and some mystery in this. It’s definitely worth a watch.

Okaa-san Online/Tsuujou Kougeki ga…

Fantasy/comedy. A strange government program sends a boy and his mother into an online game. Having a mother and son dynamic here along with their generational gap in video game knowledge certainly makes for an interesting premise. The mom has a great personality and is surprising in a number of ways, and you can expect family bonding in this as the son is reluctant to have any kind of adventure with his mother. It’s cute!

Bem

Supernatural/horror. Three good youkai fight against evil youkai, trying to save humans as well as become humans themselves. At the same time, there’s a female police officer who gets involved and is fighting against corruption in the city. Warning for some gore. The tone of this show is jazzy and gritty, taking place largely on dark city streets. The characters have yet to be fully fleshed out, but the gritty tone is unique this season.

UchiMusume/Uchi no musume/Uchi no ko...

Fantasy/found family. Also known as “If it’s for my daughter, I’d even defeat a demon lord.” A young man meets an orphaned demon girl and adopts her as his daughter. This is incredibly, incredibly sweet. The first episode is very good at setting up the father-daughter relationship and making you care a lot about the little girl. If you want a cute and pure found-family story, this is the one.

Nakanohito Genome

Gaming/comedy. A group of various gamers are suddenly placed in a real life game where they must play well enough to gather 100 million viewers during what turns out to be a livestream. Think “The Hunger Games” but with gamers. The characters are fun, and it’s an interesting premise worth giving a shot. Give it two episodes before making up your mind, I think.

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga

Historical/action. Based on the real historical figure Oda Nobunaga, starting from his teens and up through adulthood as a warlord. This was surprisingly engaging. The characters and the history are both interesting, and it does a good job of humanizing the historical figures. If you like historical anime, this one’s for you.

Yami shibai - Japanese ghost stories

Technically a returning series, not a new one, but it’s more of an anthology kind of series that doesn’t require previous viewing. Very short episodes, and exactly what it says on the tin. The animation is suitably creepy, and it’s great for a little scare.

Arifureta shokugyou de sekai saikyou

Harem/fantasy. A high school class was transported to a fantasy world where all but the main character gained powerful magical powers, whereas the main character only got a single common skill, and he is ostracized for it. Betrayed and dropped into a dungeon alone, he must fight his way out with newfound powers. The protagonist is engaging, and the action is alright, but the first episode doesn’t reveal much about the plot honestly. It could be worth giving a shot.

Enen no shouboutai

Sci-fi/action. In a not-too-distant future, humans have begun to spontaneously combust. Some have gained the ability to do this at will and retain their human form. A young man who can light his feet on fire at will joins a special task force of, essentially, firefighters who deal with the deadly combustions. This one’s got mystery, an engaging and well-designed misunderstood protagonist, and great action sequences.

Isekai cheat magician

Fantasy/adventure. Two high schoolers are transported into a magical world much like in an RPG. They join an adventurer’s guild where they learn they have unbelievably strong magical powers. The first episode merely sets up the premise, but the main characters’ friendship dynamic is nice, and it has good potential for an “another world” genre show, especially if you tend to like overpowered protagonists.

Vinland Saga

Action/historical. A viking boy, based on a historical Icelandic explorer, hones his skills to avenge his father. Solid animation, high quality in most aspects honestly, but a very slow start to the story. The first three episodes were released all at once, and it seems like they might together be a sort of prologue to the real story. If you don’t mind a slower pace and you enjoy vikings and/or historical shows, this does have a solid plot and solid character building.

Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e

Action/fantasy. The premise of this is somewhat similar to Fairy Gone. One side of a civil war turned to using magic in order to create monstrous super soldiers. They start to develop symptoms that make them too dangerous, and now in a time of peace, one of them makes it his duty to hunt the rest. If you like the action genre, this seems pretty solid. The first episode was just a setup for the premise, but the main character is interesting, and the action scenes are pretty good.

Dumbbell nan kilo moteru

Girls lifting weights! There’s what some may call fatshaming in this right from the start, so if that puts you off, you may want to avoid. Very fanservice-y. But If you’re into the “muscle girl” look, this probably won’t scratch that itch. The female body types actually seem pretty average for anime (even the “chubby” girl) despite the heavy focus on strength training. The main character has a cute personality, and the show is fun with some actual strength training tips.

Cop Craft

Sci-fi/buddy cop. In a city near a rift between Earth and other worlds, a male human police officer and a female alien team up to fight crime. There’s not much to say about this one, it’s exactly what you’d expect from the buddy cop genre with aliens mixed in. It’s good for what it is, and the character dynamic of the two protagonists being opposites is good, so if you like the buddy cop genre, you’ll like this.

Maou-sama, retry!

Fantasy/adventure. A man is transported into a video game that he manages, a world in which is powerful due to his administrative controls over the game and is seen as a “Demon Lord.” He befriends and protects a young disabled girl who joins him on his journey, and their dynamic is interesting. This is a pretty generic anime, but if the “normal guy is transported into a fantasy world” trope appeals to you, you’ll like it.

Sounan desu ka

Adventure/comedy. After a plane crash, a group of high school girls must survive on an isolated island. There’s plenty of “fan service” (things like upskirt shots) which may make some uncomfortable. If that doesn’t put you off, this is otherwise a cute show with an interesting survival aspect to it, where you might actually learn real survival tips.

HenSuki/Kawaikereba hentai demo suki ni natte kuremasu ka

Harem/comedy/light ecchi. The genre alone should tell you nearly as much as you need to know if this one’s for you. A high school boy who wants a girlfriend finds a love letter left for him, along with a pair of panties. He then tries to figure out which of the girls in his life left the letter. There’s not too much to say about it. A cast of mildly perverted girls, and exactly everything else you’d expect.

Joshikousei no mudazukai

Comedy/high school. A group of girls with very different personalities try to navigate their new high school lives, with the main character being obsessed with finding a boyfriend despite being at an all girls school. This is silly and cute, very light in substance, but a nice break from more serious anime.

Tejina-senpai

Comedy/ecchi. A high school boy looking to join a club stumbles upon a girl practicing magic tricks in a “magic club”; however, she makes mistakes during every trick, and he has to help her out when her tricks don’t come out as planned. Keep in mind that this is in the ecchi genre and therefore aimed at tantalizing straight male viewers. If that’s your thing, you’ll find this to be a very cute and funny show.

Granbelm

Fantasy/action. This is a sort of magical girl mecha anime, from what I can tell. A high school girl is temporarily transported into an “illusionary” world full of magic where she learns she’s a descendent of a mage. There’s a heavy focus on both lore building and action scenes. If you wanna see magical girls fight in big mecha suits, this is the place to do it.

Hakata mentai Pirikarako-chan

Slice of life/comedy. Very short episodes about a little girl named Pirikarako. It seems to be mainly for children, having talking fruits in it and being animated in an overly cute style. It’s hard to explain, but it’s very silly and cute.

Re:Stage! Dream Days

Idol/slice of life. A middle school transfer student stumbles upon her school’s “lyrical club,” the members of which want to become idols, only the new girl turns out to have been an idol in the past. The girls are cute, and the singing/dancing parts are fun.

[astrawoven-blog]

GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Nata’li Kovak NICKNAMES: Nat, Little One,  AGE: 23 BIRTHDATE: October 27th GENDER: Female HOME PLANET: Waii T’aan   SPECIES: Meraqi SPOKEN LANGUAGE: Common OCCUPATION: ‘Attendant' // Information & Acquisitions Specialist FACTION: Praestrigiae CLASS: Witch / Alchemist

APPEARANCE

EYE COLOR: Black HAIR:  Orange/Red HEIGHT: 5′0 BUILD / BODY TYPE: Toned, curvy NOTICEABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: Bioluminescent freckles line Nata’li’s cheeks and brow, as well as along the curves of her chest, shoulders, hips, and along her legs and arms. She seems to shimmer in most light, making it difficult for her to hide away if she is not transformed into a different appearance. Her skin is rather soft to the touch, 

INTERESTS

LIKES:  

exploration && discovery

ruins && ancient cities

history && magic

waking up early

oceans && water

tropical/warm climates

being rewarded/praised

fruit && tart flavours

DISLIKES:

cold weather

being ignored

infants & babies

being alone

nausea && stomach aches

preaching

small winged creatures && most birds

sudden movement in her peripherals

PERSONALITY

INTELLIGENCE: High

ALIGNMENT:  Lawful Evil 

ABILITIES

hp.

     ▮▮▮▯▯ - 3 / 5

phy atk.

    ▮▮▮▯▯ - 3 / 5

phy def.

    ▮▮▮▯▯ - 3 / 5

mag atk.

    ▮▮▮▮▮ - 5 / 5

mag def.

   ▮▮▮▮▯ - 4 / 5

speed.

   ▮▮▮▯▯ - 3 / 5

SPECIAL NOTE: Physically, Nata’li is only average. Magically, however, she is a power-house, and thus usually fights from a distance, or from behind someone who can better take a hit. 

SPECIALTIES:  With nimble fingers and a silver tongue, Natalie specializes in information and theft -- and many brands of magic. Gifted in particular with light and water based magic, as well as her shapeshifting abilities. She uses these to her benefit more often outside of combat than within it. 

WEAKNESSES: Natalie is not overly useful in a physical fight, defensively, or offensively. Without her magic, she is not much better than the average person off the street. Her loyalty to Broghan is also easily taken advantage of, although it can be a double edged blade if handled carelessly. 

SKILLS && ABILITIES.

RACIAL TRAITS.

▶ Ocean’s Guard - with each hit taken from water-based magic, speed increases  ▶ Siren - persuasion attempts have a higher chance of success  ▶ Regeneration - once a day, use remaining strength to heal wounds  ▶ Nimble Fingers - pick locks and pockets with greater efficiency  ▶ Barrier - create a shield that protects one individual from magic damage  ▶ 

CLASS TRAITS.

▶ High Magic stat ( magic attack is +3 ) ▶ Able to wield any simple/small weapon ( staffs, pistols, knives, daggers ) ▶ Can cast spells with the cost of bodily energy ▶ Contract Specialist ( has either 4 small familiars or 2 large ones ) ▶ Deception / Intimidation ( ability to trick or scare others easier with the aid of magic ) ▶ Pressure ( ability to cause status effects via pressure pointing or poisoning )

FACTION TRAITS.

▶ False Identity ( ability to falsify identification documents and assume a persona )

EQUIPMENT

A staff or other magical aid of choice

Basic bag of materials ( including a ritual kit, dice and a few days worth of food )

A small craft ( can hold 1 - 2 people comfortably )

20 Crypto ( currency )

BACKSTORY

     Nata'li was very small when she last saw Waii T’aan. Brought to the surface city of J’ai-Qiita by her mother, she was small, curious, and enchanted by the newness around her. It was the first time she had seen the massive metropolis; and it was also the last. 

     She had stood out from her fellow meraqi even in the ocean’s depths, but on land, she shone like a gem. She was an obvious target; and worse, an unguarded one. Accompanied by an at best inattentive ‘guardian’, it was child’s play to snatch her up, and smuggle her off world. 

     Confused, afraid, and desperately homesick, Nata’li was shuttled to auction in the cargo hold of a slaver’s ship, learning from the other captives - some, having been slaves their whole lives - of what awaited her, when the ship landed. Their captors trained them, to try and break their spirits; and with Nata’li, their efforts could only be described as a success. She was alone. Her family was gone, and these people...       They were worse than any monster that she could ever have imagined. 

     She felt a terror so sharp it made her whole body numb, as she stood - trembling, and sobbing, upon the auction stage. Her tears did not dampen how she sparkled and glimmered; a true jewel of meraqi beauty, even at so young an age -- and quickly, sharp bells rang out, chiming with the promise of what could, perhaps, be even worse. 

     When it was all over, the young girl could scarcely walk, for how her legs were trembling. When she was presented to a tall man with fangs that jutted down toward his chin, she did so on her knees, dangling limp from the rough hands of the others who presented her. She had never seen a grarkbor before -- and he terrified her, at sight alone. 

     He was introduced to her as Broghan; and he was to be her new master. 

     Life as a slave had been presented to Nata’li as being very straightforward. Easy, to understand, both in concept and in practice. She would work, she would do as she was told; and if she did not, she would be punished. But, as Broghan returned to his home, taking her with him... things were not so simple. 

     Although Natalie did spend some of her time working, under the watchful eye of his more experienced workers, there were days... brief moments, where he seemed to treat her less as a slave, and more like a daughter. When she made him laugh, when she behaved well and met with him for strange dinners, as he sat and stared at her with a confusing expression upon his face. It wasn’t like what she had been told of - the hunger of older men, which she had even seen before, in her time on the slaver’s ship. It was... something different. Something... almost kind. 

     She wanted, desperately, to have a family again. Her own had been lost, as Broghan had explained to her. Her mother, and her father... they were dead. That was why she had been taken -- but he was taking care of her, now. They were... family.     If only she could behave. If only she could be good enough. 

     So, for Broghan -- for the benefits he promised, and for the love that she craved as much as she craved the air and the water itself -- Nata'li strove to be the best of all of Broghan’s ‘family’. She worked herself to the bone to accomplish any task that the older man set forth, so desperate was she for his approval. She even endeared herself toward the other slaves, starving for affection from nearly anyone who would offer it. From Broghan, however... she craved it, most of all. 

     Being small, unassuming, and more loyal than he could ever have expected, Nata’li was a surprisingly effective spy. It began when she was cleaning one of the many rooms of the house, wiggled into a vent to clean it out; unaware of her presence, a small group of potential business partners entered the room to wait for him. They spoke quietly, though openly, of their plans to double cross him. Furious, and horrified, at the idea of her guardian being hurt, Nata’li hastened to tell Broghan before they could do so. She remained in her hiding place until their meeting was over, and quickly slipped to his side once they had left. 

     From there, he took advantage of Nata’li’s sharp ears and eyes, using her to greet his associates, meet them by chance in his offices, or clean the rooms while they were there. She was able to uncover a wealth of information for him; people easily assumed she was naught but an uneducated slave, leaving documents out for her to read at her leisure, having conversations in languages she quickly picked up, and outright ignoring her presence as simply a slave. All of this only lifted her value, in Broghan’s eyes -- and as a result, earned her a room of her own. 

     When Broghan brought her to what came to be her quarters, for the rest of her life, he told her a story; of another daughter that he’d once loved, and who had been stolen away from him. It had been her room, before -- but it was Natal’i’s, now. The gesture sealed for Nat the vision she had of Broghan as a father; and ensured for Broghan her loyalty, for years to come. 

     One night, this loyalty saved his life. A woman slipped into the house, and was horrified to see Natalie in a room that had once belonged to Broghan’s daughter -- their daughter. Her name, she said, was Urza. She said that she had once been his wife, but that he had done terrible things. That Nata’li was in danger. She swore that she could help Nata’li... and, of a habit to manipulate and lie, Nata’li played along.       Urza said that she could not take Nata’li that night -- that her presence changed everything. She promised, though, that she would return for her. That she only needed to keep the secret for one more day, and then she would be free. Free meant nothing to Nata’li, though; she valued Broghan’s approval so much more. She waited naught more than an hour after Urza left to pad along the halls to Broghan’s room, and tell him the truth. 

     When Urza returned to ‘rescue’ Nata’li, the meraqi girl went with her; and lead her straight into a trap. Broghan was waiting for them. He mocked her - tormented her - and with Nata’li, he slaughtered her. 

     From that day on, Nata’li became Broghan’s right hand. The first he turned to, for many things. Nata’li became steadily more like family, true family, as the years went on. Admittedly, after a time... it went to her head. She got cocky, and forgot that she could be punished. 

     Broghan did not hesitate to remind her of the price of failure. Dragging her down to the surface of Gliskarbor, and even further beneath, he reminded her of her weakness, compared to him. In the heat and the pressure that made her collapse to her knees, gasping for air, and struggling to survive -- he made her beg him to spare her. It was by his mercy that she lived; she couldn’t forget that.     He refused to let her. 

    He wasn’t so bad, though -- or, so she told herself. He had cared for her, protected her, taught her, and in his own way, cherished her. She owes him her life... and so, she cannot leave. Cannot betray him. But, as time goes on, freedom...     It does have it’s own sort of allure, doesn’t it?

[takadasaiko]

Breathe Again Beneath the Flames: Chapter Twenty-Six

FFN II AO3

Summary: The Keens finally have a chance at Garvey.

Chapter Twenty-Six

They had him. It was still difficult to wrap her mind around, even as they piled out of the Halcyon SUV and Samar half dragged Garvey by the collar of his jacket. Liz felt an anger, a hated boil deep inside of her as she watched him stumble with a bag pulled down over his head. He had been silent during the drive and Liz had played that evening over and over again in her head. The blood, the pain, and the fear. The overwhelming fear. She could still see Garvey's part, even if her injury left blanks in other places. There was nothing missing about the way he had stooped over her husband and stabbed him again and again and again or about how his people had covered her face with plastic, ready to smother her on his order.

Now they had him and she found herself relieved that Cooper didn't appear to be in the location set up for them.

Liz didn't see Tom as she entered, but Solomon was standing there to escort them to the room set up for the interrogation. He fell into step with her so that he could speak lowly and Garvey wouldn't overhear. "Nez called. Mommy dearest and Reddington are on their way in."

She blinked and while his tone had been light, his expression was deadly serious. "This needs to happen fast."

"If you and Tom want to get what you need to even things out with Reddington it does," he murmured. "I'd offer my services, but I doubt either if you would let me take first swing."

Liz met his gaze. "We've got that handled." She watched his smile grow.

"You got depths, Keen. I underestimated you."

She snorted and strode past him into the main room where the Halcyon operatives were cuffing Garvey to a table. Samar was watching him carefully, her expression blank, and Ressler walked past. He paused next to her, everything in his posture screaming this was well outside of his comfort zone. He knew though. She knew he did. If she let herself she could still see him standing in the snow over his old partner.

What if it had been Tom?

It had been this time, and even if she had gotten him back the rage as still there. Garvey had stolen too much.

Ressler tried for a reassuring smile as he passed by and Samar wasn't far behind him. They were giving her space and she couldn't risk wasting any time.

Liz's boots echoed softly as she crossed the space between the hall and where Garvey sat with the bag still over his head. She circled around, ripping the bag from place as she did and watched him blink owlishly through skewed glasses before he tried to focus in on her. A low, mirthless chuckle left him. "Agent Keen. You've crossed some dangerous lines… kidnapping a federal agent. Not to mention taking Lilly. If anything happens to her-"

"Jennifer's safe for now," Liz said pointedly. "You should be more worried about yourself." Her gaze flickered behind him wet briefly as she saw Tom slip around the corner and approach from behind Garvey, his footsteps eerily silent on the hard floor and his gaze focused.

"You're in over your head, Agent Keen," Garvey said, his expression infuriatingly smug. "Just like your husband. Neither of you had a clue-"

He never knew what hit him as Tom approached from behind and, in one smooth motion, slammed Garvey's face against the table in front of him hard enough to break his glasses. The US Marshal didn't sit up immediately, dazed as Tom circled around to stand next to her. "Why don't you tell us what we don't know, Garvey?" he asked smoothly. The look in Liz's husband's eyes was dangerous. She had seen it before. It used to terrify her, but here and now she understood it. She felt it stir inside her.

Garvey pulled himself up slowly, his broken glasses slipping on his bloody nose and Tom gave a small smirk. "Remember me?"

Tom had knocked him hard enough that it was taking a moment to refocus and he looked up at them, though his eyes were trying to focus on Tom. Liz resisted the urge to step between them. He was secured and dazed while Tom was free and standing. And he needed this as much as she did.

"She said something about you," Garvey managed to chuckle. "I thought she was wrong. I'd heard you didn't make it, and my sources aren't usually wrong."

"They were wrong," Liz said sharply and finally Garvey's attention swiveled around to her. "And they won't help you now. The Nash Syndicate, the Cabal, they can't protect you."

"That little punk Solomon," Garvey grumbled and Tom snorted.

"Solomon's not your problem."

"So that's who you work for. Halcyon. Since when does Reddington hire them?"

"Why don't we talk about who you work for?" Liz suggested.

"I didn't do anything wrong. Why won't you people let me go?"

Nez glanced over irritably at the young woman that she had taken personal responsibility for when she had been caught up in the sting. She had been pacing the last twenty minutes, her agitation driving Nez crazy, but she had stopped now and had her surprisingly piercing gaze set on her. There was something there. Something more than the innocent, scared woman that they saw. Nez just didn't know what yet. "Until we finish with Garvey I'd rather know exactly where you are."

"What are you doing to Ian?"

"Questioning him."

"He didn't do the things you think he did."

"If you really think that, why did you go straight to him to ask why?" Nez watched the other woman shrink back just a little and she drew herself up to her full height. "You met Tom? That's my partner. The man's like a brother to me, and your buddy Ian killed him. He flatlined. Garvey shot Solomon and if we hadn't been there he would have died. His people nearly killed Liz Keen and the group he works for nearly killed Howard. I'll be damned if he hurts anyone else I care about, and if I have to personally babysit you to make sure you don't throw this op into chaos, fine." Nez was fuming by the time she had finished, anger boiling over at every name representing someone she had nearly lost because of Garvey.

"Are they going to hurt him?" Jennifer Reddington asked softly.

"I sure as hell hope so."

The office that they were held up in fell back into silence, Jennifer moving over to the couch under the rows of photos on the wall and sinking down. Nez perked as she heard voices coming up the stairs towards the office. She tensed, reaching for her weapon as the door opened in case anyone other than the people she was expecting walked through. She immediately released it as Susan Scott Hargrave strode through. Nez had to resist the urge to grab for it again as Reddington and Katarina Rostova followed. She hadn't expected them to come up to the office with Scottie.

From the couch Jennifer Reddington made a small sound, drawing attention over, but her eyes were locked on Reddington. Nez watched her watching him, and the Concierge of Crime tilted his head a little before turning to Nez. "You didn't mention that you had a guest."

There was something in his voice and after half a beat Nez realised that he didn't recognise her. No. He wouldn't, would he? She wasn't his daughter. He had taken on the dead man's name and identity for a reason that none of them - well, most of them, she thought as she glanced at Scottie and Katarina - knew.

Jennifer wasn't aware of that though. She had no way to know, but she did seem to recognise that the man in front of her - the man she thought was her father - didn't have a clue who she was. With each second that ticked became a little more clear. She didn't move though, didn't pull his attention back around to her. Instead she sat very still and watched, and he seemed to lose interest, and for just a moment Nez thought that they'd avoided at least one version of a blow up as he turned his full attention on her. "Scottie seems to be under the impression you're the women to speak to for the location that Garvey's being held at."

"Wait," Jennifer said quietly. "You're taking him to Ian? He'll kill him. I won't… I can't let him do that."

Reddington shot her an exasperated look. "Who is this?"

Nez resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She'd taken Jennifer Reddington away to keep her from being that wildcard, but she hadn't bet on Scottie bringing Raymond Reddington there, and when she had dared to hope that they might even slip by even this scenario, that was blown to hell with three simple words that seemed to be setting Jennifer's blood to boil. She stood and Nez fixed a glare on her. "Sit down," she ordered. Of course she had to pick that moment to be a nuisance.

Jennifer didn't take her seat, though. She didn't even seem to hear Nez. Instead her blue eyes were fixed on her would-be father, her expression an odd mix of anger and betrayal and hurt. "You don't even recognise me, do you?"

Reddington blinked, looking at her a little closer now and Scottie shot Nez a questioning look.

"You don't recognise your own daughter," Jennifer huffed and Reddington's expression shifted just a little. "The one you abandoned twenty-eight years ago?"

"Jennifer," Reddington breathed.

"You left us… left me. For what? Do you even think about us anymore? I went to bed that night and my world was perfect, but by morning… Most eight-year-olds wake up Christmas morning looking for presents, but I woke up to find my daddy - my good daddy - gone. No explanation. We didn't know what happened to you." She drew in a shaky breath, her gaze sharp. "You weren't good, were you? You're still not."

Reddington turned a sharp look on Nez and he looked almost rattled. "Why is she here?"

"I can't let him hurt Ian. I can't. Ian's protecting me from him and now it's my turn. I have to protect him."

"We don't have time to waste with this, Raymond," Katarina said quietly and her gaze flickered over to the woman, lingering only a moment and there was just a hint of something there. It wasn't quite guilt, not quite regret, but Nez thought it was close. She did wonder what these two had done in all of this.

Scottie offered the angry young woman a smile. "We're not going to let him hurt Garvey," she said in a voice so smooth that Nez almost believed her. "I need to borrow Nez for a bit. Is there anything you need while we're away?"

"I want to see Ian."

Scottie's smile didn't fade and her voice was sweeter than the words. "That's entirely up to him. He has to answer some questions first, and until we have those answers he can't see anyone. Once he has, I'll do what I can to arrange a meeting. You'll see that he's safe."

"And then what?"

"And then he has to answer for what he's done." She turned, motioning for Nez to follow her before Jennifer could argue again, and the two women moved past Reddington.

His gaze lingered on Jennifer just a moment and Nez heard her call out to him. "If you ever cared about me at all, you won't hurt him."

What Reddington said in return was lost to the distance that they had already put between them. Scottie moved very close. "Did they have what they need?"

"Not last I heard."

She risked the smallest of glances back. "We'll take the long way."

It was the best they could do to buy Tom and the others time.

They were running out of time. Reddington and Katarina were inbound and Garvey still hadn't given them anything to go on. Samar, Ressler, and Solomon had moved to a back room to go over footage of the interrogations that the Keens had conducted to see if any of them could uncover any small twitch, any stray word that might provide them with a new path. If it was there, they hadn't found it.

"There has to be a way to break him on the bones," Liz said softly and Tom looked over from where they were seated together, looking for the angle that they both knew was there but hadn't found yet.

He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as he spoke. "Why does he want them? That's gotta be the key."

"To control Reddington?"

"But has he? He hasn't released the information. He and Reddington have been at odds…. What does he want?" He sat up again and looked over to Liz, something clicking in his mind. "To protect her."

"What?"

"Jennifer."

He saw the same realization flash into place for Liz and she straightened in her own chair. "He didn't know Reddington wasn't Reddington until he got ahold of the bones."

"And there was nothing in that DNA test to explain why Red's posing as Raymond Reddington. Just because he's not her biological father doesn't mean he's not a threat."

"Maybe even a bigger one if she can shed light on everything."

"And we have her. We've had the leverage that we need the whole time." He stood, his chair scraping the floor as he did and Liz followed. They wouldn't hand Jennifer over to Reddington, but Garvey didn't know that. He didn't have any way to, and that would work to their advantage. They had to work this just right though.

Tom slammed to a stop, his wife nearly running into him from behind. "Let me go in on my own."

"Tom…"

"It's fine. It looks like I'm going behind your back, that things are getting desperate."

She sighed. "And desperate people are more likely to leverage innocent civilians."

"Yeah."

He could see the reluctant acceptance in her eyes. She held his gaze a moment and her fingers brushed his cheek. "Alright."

Tom flashed her a quick smile and turned to kiss the tips of her fingers before moving into the interrogation space, all signs of excitement washing away immediately as he crossed into Garvey's line of sight. The man was still chained to the table, still bloodied from their first encounter, and his glasses were broken and no longer sat straight on his nose. Tom felt the shift in himself, his expression darkening and Garvey saw it too as he looked up.

"Miss our little chat so soon?" Garvey asked smugly and Tom stopped on the other side of the table.

"The bones."

"What about them?"

"Where are they?"

Garvey's gaze slid past Tom to sweep across the otherwise empty room. "Wife decided not to join this time?" the marshal asked and Tom pushed a short breath out through his nose.

"Liz doesn't need to be here for this," he said clearly.

"If you're trying to pull a good cop bad cop routine on me, I'm not biting, Keen. I've been in law enforcement long enough to know, and just 'cause you're with the private sector doesn't make it any different at its core. You may take a swing at me that an agent can't get away with, but in the end, there's only so much you can get away with with them right over your shoulder."

"Here's the thing," Tom said as he held Garvey's gaze, tilting his head just a little. "You don't know anything about me. You thought you did. Pissant is what you called me? Then I worked for Reddington. Then Halcyon. In the end, you really don't know anything."

"I know you're not getting the location of those bones or anything else you want."

"I am, and you want to know why? Who I work for now doesn't matter. Not in the grand scheme of things. They're just employers. My training's something else though. That shows you what I'm capable of. Ever heard of the St Regis program?" He waited a beat, watching the smallest shift in the older man's expression. He knew exactly what that would mean. "Good. I don't have to explain it to you then." He held Garvey's eyes and he was making him nervous then. "I'm not going to threaten you anymore, Garvey. That's just running up against a brick wall. The girl though… she's something else entirely."

"Leave her out of this."

"I'd love to. I really would. My wife… Liz is a better person than me. We don't know what Reddington would do with someone that could ID him as a fake, but I'm more willing to find out than she is, and I won't lose a second's sleep over it. Jennifer Reddington will, I'd bet. You will, knowing that all you had to do was give up the location and we would have everything we need to keep Reddington at bay until this is over."

He waited, letting Garvey stew on that for a moment. He was presenting him with an out if he would take it. The bones wouldn't be in his possession, but what good did they do him now that he was in Halcyon's custody? They didn't. He had no access to them, no way to control Reddington and keep Jennifer safe. If that was his goal - and Tom was certain now it was - then something had to give.

"What assurances do I have that she'll be safe?" the fed asked at last.

"My word."

"That's not worth much."

"It's what you've got. You give me the bones and I'll make sure he stays away from her, but this has to happen now."

Garvey's gaze finally dropped. "Costa Rica," he said roughly, "with an old… friend."

"This friend have a name?" Garvey latched a glare on him and Tom set his jaw. "You gotta finish this, Garvey. You don't and she goes straight to Reddington."

"Ross. Sutton Ross. Goes by Max Birmingham."

"I don't have to tell you that if this is bad intel-"

"I know McCready's boys' reputation."

Tom smirked a little before turning, picking up his speed the moment he was out of sight. Liz met him halfway to the monitors. "Reddington's here."

"Okay," he breathed. They were cutting it close, but it wasn't impossible.

"You have a plan?"

"I have a plan," he promised, "but I need you to work with me. I need you to trust me."

"I trust you," she answered without pause and he believed her. They moved together down the way to the computer room where the others were already gathering.

"Tom, they're incoming. We got minutes, man," Dumont greeted.

"Yeah. How fast can you put some of the interrogation material on a loop to make it look like it's live?"

"Pretty fast. Whatcha thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I need Reddington to think I'm in that room and buy me time to get wheels up."

"You're going after the bones?"

Tom glanced over to Ressler and he nodded. "Yeah. And I'll need back up if you're game."

"I have your back," his wife's partner confirmed.

"Me too," Aram said as he stood, and Tom shot him a questioning look.

"This is a field op, Aram. It can go dangerous fast and we can't-"

"I know, but I'm field certified," he argued and his eyes darted away, his tone somehow both nervous and determined all at once. "I won't hold you back, and you may need tech support when you get there. I mean, there's no telling what kind of security that they'll have and what you'll need on the ground, and if you're trying to make it look like you're in the interrogation room, you can't exactly call in." He looked back up, trying for a smile that fell just a little short. "And it's, uh, also not exactly a secret that I have… trouble keeping things from Mr Reddington."

Samar raised an eyebrow. "That's true."

"Fine. Okay," Tom said quickly. He fished a burner out of his pocket and handed it to Ressler. "Third number saved is the pilot. Tell him to get the jet ready for a trip to Costa Rica. We have four and a half hours in the air to put the op into motion."

"What are you going to do?"

"Make sure Reddington sees my face. The man thinks he can read me. It'll buy us time. I'll be out at the car in ten." He turned back to Liz as Ressler and Aram moved into action, half expecting her to balk at the plan. Instead she offered him a struggling smile.

"Be safe."

"You too. I need you to convince him. He thinks he has a read on you too."

"Let's prove him wrong," Liz murmured and he grinned.

"Devious," he teased.

"You know it."

Voices sounded from down the way and Tom risked a glance over to the monitors to see that Dumont had taken them offline to start the reboot. As he looked back around Reddington was walking through the entrance into the little alcove, Katarina, Nez, and Scottie with him. His mother caught his gaze very briefly and he offered a strained smile. "How's Howard?"

"Better. Your daughter is keeping him in line."

The smile turned a little more real. "I knew she would."

"Elizabeth," Reddington greeted. "I hear you picked up Ian Garvey."

Liz shrugged. "Staying away from Garvey was never part of the deal."

"It wasn't, no. Tom, if I might have a moment?"

That didn't bode well. Tom schooled his expression and nodded, stepping to the side with the man that he'd once thought was his father-in-law. He watched Katarina move towards Liz, but he couldn't focus on that as Reddington spoke. "I understand the drive to go after Garvey, and as Elizabeth stated that was never a stipulation of our agreement-"

"There was no agreement. You're leveraging my health to get what you want."

Reddington bobbled his head a little at that. "If you'd kept to your own business it wouldn't be necessary, but that's neither here nor there. You know the stakes with the Cabal. You know Garvey's allegiances. Elizabeth and you did…. well bringing him in."

"Did that physically hurt to say? Kind of looked like it."

Reddington rolled his eyes at that. "Despite what you believe, I'm not your enemy in this. Perhaps not a friend, but not your enemy. What have you gotten from him?"

Tom's lips thinned as he pressed them together. "Not much. He's on lockdown about the Cabal. That's the real goal in getting to him."

"I agree. What has he said about the bones?"

"Nothing yet," Tom lied easily.

There was a beat of hesitation as Reddington tried to read him and Tom looked up to meet his eyes defiantly. Finally, Reddington loosed a breath. "The moment he does you're to report that information to me, do you understand?"

Tom barked a laugh, short and sarcastic. "Really? You think I work for you now?"

"I think you understand what's at stake, Tom. I believe, despite your tendency for recklessness that you truly do want to protect Elizabeth in all of this and that you'll do whatever you feel you need to to keep your family safe. You can't do that from the sidelines and I have the ability to put you there."

"So that's the way it is now, huh? Our… agreement doesn't mean a damn thing. You want something new and there it is."

"Don't be difficult, Tom."

He shook his head, a mirthless chuckle escaping. He met Reddington's eyes. "Just a foot to the northeast, right?"

Reddington blinked, but seemed to catch the reference. "I took no pleasure in what we all thought was your death."

"But it would have made your life a lot easier. You wouldn't have to deal with me, handle me, and it wouldn't have been your fault. Garvey would have done the job for you."

The older man's expression closed off. "The moment he gives you the information, Tom. Don't test me on this."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he growled and turned, starting out and patting Dumont on the shoulder as he passed by, taking a turn once he was out of view towards the exit rather than the interrogation room.

Notes: I cannot express to you how long I've waited for Tom to slam Garvey's face against the table like that. It's been a scene in my mind from pretty early on in writing this thing. Honestly, I just wanted to let the Keens pummel him, but that really would have been counter productive to the information they needed. Ah well. The story's not over, right? :P

I'm also rather thrilled with the way the Red and Tom conversation played out in this chapter. As much as I hate 5.08, there's a lot about it that I loved. Tom and Red's banter over the years has been some of my favourite in the show, and the comment about the bullet being just a foot to the northeast and Red popping him on the back of the head as he stitched his shoulder up was such a lovely moment the first time around. It took on a bit of a darker twist with the way the episode ended, but I couldn't wait to find a way to work it into this story. Red may not have been excited to see Liz in pain with what happened to Tom, but he benefited from it and it wasn't like he sent someone after Tom (like Zamani) or took the shot himself, so he couldn't be held directly responsible. It's something that's really bothered me in canon, and continues to irk me, so here we have it.

Next Time: Liz meets her mother while Tom reaches out to an old friend for help setting up the op in Costa Rica.

[bestfriendforhire]

Children of BFFH, Entry 99

 I sighed, bored with waiting to arrive.  The plane ride had been boring, since Father insisted that I needed to study the entire way.  He didn’t believe that I’d find time to study during my stay, which was possible.  Four probably didn’t need any more sleep than I did, so he might play games with me throughout the night.

 Glancing out the window, I happened to notice the driverless cab next to me, one of James’.  Father had recently made a deal with James for that cab company to be introduced throughout a few cities in Russia.  Europe had already embraced Best Friend for Hire’s transportation services after seeing the greatly reduced accident rate and improved transit times.  Ultimately, I still found the subject boring.

 Knowing that I needed to understand the workings of everything and actually studying it all were completely separate things in my mind.  I didn’t want all of my time spent guiding other people!  Maybe Alaric would give me a reprieve?

 I had tried picturing Alaric from the last time we met, but Four popped into my head, having been on that trip.  He was a couple years older than Alaric and me, and had brilliant violet eyes that I could stare into forever.  They were just that beautiful!  I wished that I had made a better impression on him when we met.  Sadly, I had attacked his little sister when she proved to be formidable.  Father understood why I had been investigating, but he reprimanded me for not trying to speak first.  That was when he pointed out that the Eternal Princess Aaliyah was far more dangerous than she appeared.

 All Slayer descendants worth mentioning knew that Aaliyah was brilliant, the notable ones also knew that she was the world’s only living assassin—she mercilessly kills anyone who tries to take her jobs, but only the strongest families know that Aaliyah is Death herself.  According to Father, Aaliyah has been around for all of time and is rumored to literally collect souls as people die.  He claimed that even a Slayer, such as Alaric, would be killed instantly with the slightest touch of Death’s scythe, and that weapon is said to destroy body and soul.  If not for the desperate seriousness in Father’s eyes when he had told me, I would have thought he was telling a tale.  Well, meeting Mariasha and Serenity did help to persuade me as well.

 Serenity had effortlessly broken Father’s arm, looking as if she had merely been playing, and her movements were so fast that I couldn’t even follow them.  Mariasha had created something around him that he told me was unbreakable.  The ability to create with a thought was startling, a power I hadn’t heard of until then.  Going by what Father had told me, Serenity was Death’s own granddaughter and Mariasha was Death’s daughter.  I needed to be careful around them.

 Save Alaric, I had gone my life without realizing there were children near my age who could compete with me on anything.  Finding out there were numerous was a bit frightening… and exciting.  I had played through my brief fight with Lucy time and time again in my head, and I wasn’t certain I could beat the smaller, younger girl even if I had given it my all.  She was at least as fast as me, strong enough to fully block my strikes, and she had enough skill to turn most strikes with minimal effort.  The more I thought about our brief fight, the more I believed that she had taken me lightly enough to have held back for the sake of her clothing.  Only when Father had arrived did she start getting serious.  I could only imagine what Four might be capable of.

 After dozens of little daydreams, some extra studying from the books with me, and a few stops to relieve my boredom, I finally passed the gates into Somerset Estate.  King James Michael Somerset III was the man who had bested Father with a single spell, shattering every last bone in Father’s body and forcing him to yield the fight.  According to Father, that was the single most excruciating experience of his entire life.  If not for the swift care of Alma, Father would have died.  Since then, stories of James’ talents had only grown, such as an account from James’ wedding where he had incapacitated Adelmar Slayer while Adelmar struggled with his dragon nature.  This man deserved every respect.

 From the immaculate yard covered in fancifully pruned bushes, picturesque trees, and perfectly trimmed grass to the enormous, lavishly constructed mansion, Somerset Estate was made to impress.  I doubted many had come here and left still feeling they had seen better.  With eyes as sharp as my own, I could always find something out of place, at least elsewhere.  James’ yard didn’t even have a stray twig visible from the front.

 “Greetings, Marisha.  Will you please follow me?” asked Mila, the first daughter of Death as I approached the door with my courtesy gift in hand.  Though artificially constructed, Mila’s place as Death’s daughter was made indisputable by the lack of people willing to argue with Death.  Despite her position, she looked perfectly humble as she waited for me to nod before leading me into the mansion.

 Past two sets of sturdy, wooden doors was a balcony that overlooked the entryway.  Twin staircases led up to the next floor.  Directly ahead was a  shut door, surprisingly not a hallway, though there was a hall to the right and to the left.  From the rails on the stairway to the ceiling high above, the wood was all tastefully engraved.  This was a very nice home.

 Mila led me to the right, turning left as the hallway split.  I caught sight of a very large kitchen, drawn by the smells of well-prepared food.  I resisted the urge to head in there, not wanting to offend my host.  I didn’t doubt Father was right that James would know.  What strange powers must a man have to keep Death herself as a servant along with Death’s daughter?  Would Mariasha join her sister here eventually, dressed as a maid?  The thought chilled me when I realized how easily James could have me bound here.  Father wouldn’t dare argue.

 As we walked, we passed many different people, all confidently walking the halls on the way to some business.  Many of the rooms seemed alive with activity, but I barely caught even a scent of the other children this way.  I certainly wasn’t hearing any of them that I recognized.  When we reached the end of the hall, I froze, a sudden panic rising within me.

 To my shame, Mila noticed, smiling compassionately and motioning for me to go onward.  “I apologize for your discomfort.  My daughter’s scent is heavy with dark energy when she uses her magic, and she’s allowed to use her magic quite often in our rooms.  The scent is nearly impossible to eradicate completely due to the lingering energy.” explained Mila as she continued up the stairs.

 I couldn’t keep from glancing back at the relatively ordinary-looking door that stood between me and Serenity, if she was in there.  Such a door wouldn’t keep me out if I attempted to break it, so I was very certain that the door couldn’t keep Serenity inside.  I hoped she wouldn’t notice me.

 “Yes, you’re smelling vampires here.  The entire wing on this floor is the dwelling of Cosette and Valeria Bourbon.  Please do remember Alaric’s edict not to exterminate vampires indiscriminately when you’re here.  Cosette would probably take offense, and the Master might not save you quickly if she did.” stated Mila offhandedly as we passed near a door on the second floor.

 “I wouldn’t dare.” I assured her.  Though Father had never talked with me about Cosette himself, I had read about her while preparing to come here.  Cosette was the daughter of King Louis XVI of France, a daughter who came about many years after he was presumed dead.  Despite being very young by vampire standards, her position here and personal ability had allowed her to rub elbows with the most powerful vampires in the world.  She was considered to be extremely dangerous and off limits to the family.

 After taking the stairs up another floor, we walked down a hallway with more… unique paintings than those below.  Where I could recognize the work of old masters on the first and second floor, the paintings here were unknown to me, some of them depicting landscapes that simply had to be pure fantasy.  Even some of the vases baffled me, made from materials I didn’t recognize, though they could have been creatively painted to make them look unknowable.  I reminded myself I was in the domain of someone beyond even Father.

 When Mila politely knocked on a door, there was a wait of several seconds before the door swung open without a sound.  My mouth dropped open as I was bombarded with scents I didn’t recognize and the sounds of creatures I didn’t know.  James appeared to be seated at a desk made from driftwood, but the desk sat on a beach.  Despite knowing he was in a very real room, my eyes couldn’t find the flaws in the illusion.

 “Go in.” encouraged Mila, though telling me what to do would have been frowned upon had she been any other servant.

 I did as instructed, still marveling at the surroundings as James seemed to type something out.

 “Welcome, Marisha!  Sorry if my husband’s decor is disturbing for you, but he has the room changed to fit his mood rather often.” apologized Alma, who I hadn’t even noticed.

 I curtsied to her and offered the package I was carrying to her.  “A small token from my family to yours.  My father wished me to convey his gratitude for allowing me this brief stay.” I told her, hoping Father had chosen well.

 Alma opened the carefully carved box, smiling as she said, “James, look what Maksim and Marisha made for us.”

 As James looked up and smiled at the marble carving of their family, I wondered how Alma knew I had helped.  After a few painful, panicked seconds of staring and thinking, worried I had made some sort of mistake, I realized that I had given her children the very outfits they had worn when I met them.  Father hadn’t seen them all.

 “Thank you, Marisha.  That is quite lovely.  We’ll be sure to display it soon.” promised James, standing and walking around to me.  He was a tall man who looked quite young for someone as intimidating as he was.  Of course, his wife really wasn’t any less intimidating and looked equally young, passable for a teenager.  “I do hope you enjoy your stay here, but try not to get your hopes up as far as Four is concerned.  You both have years of growing ahead of you, and I’ve noticed that Messy, that’s Mariasha if you don’t remember, is rather fond of my son as well.”

 I fought the sudden, irrational despair that loomed up within me, but I knew my mouth involuntarily frowned.  Of course, James and Alma would know why I was here.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Father had told them when he had contacted them, wanting to appear forthcoming.  If Mariasha was truly interested in Four, I would be a fool to oppose her.

 “You do realize that Aiden is your age, right?” questioned Alma, smiling warmly at me.  “Here, let me give you a little protection to help you see things more clearly while you’re here.”  Energy suddenly welled up out of her, and I couldn’t begin to follow the huge spell she formed with it before it settled on me.

 “Th-Thank you, your majesty.” I told her, quickly curtsying again while knowing Father could never have done whatever that was.  He had never claimed he could compete with her, only that he once made an attempt for her hand.

 “No need for any of that.” stated James sternly, though he looked amused.  “Just call us ‘James and Alma’ while you’re here, okay?” he asked.

 I nodded, feeling more than a little overwhelmed when I stayed on that strange beach long enough to join the two for some tea.  We chatted about home, the other children here, and the rules for some sort of battle game I’d be asked to join tomorrow.  By the end of that conversation, I was quite certain that no amount of preparation would have really prepared me for coming here.

[freegrain]

Fated : Hunted Ch3

{Freezerburn- Yang x Weiss}

The two Demon-Hunters, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long, are the greatest of their time. But when they're hired to hunt down a duo names 'Ladybug' their skills are put to the test.

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Part Two of the Fated Series.

Read on AO3 or FF.net.

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Yang let out a yawn, stretching her legs from side to side. God she ached. Last night had been… passionate to say the least. Sheets ruffled, entangled in the dark, lips all over each other. Weiss was as dominant as ever and while Yang loved it with her whole body, it did make her quite sore the morning after.

She was quite thankful they weren't starting the actual hunt until tomorrow because physical fighting was not something she was up for. Instead today they had headed to the Torchwick mansion to learn more about what exactly they were up against.

Weiss was standing next to her, tapping a hand impatiently against her arm. Her partner was itching to get looking at the damage and being told to wait in the hall was setting her off. She looked up, feeling her gaze and arched an eyebrow.

"Someone seems stiff," she commented, a sly grin appearing. "Care for a massage later?"

Yang rubbed her neck with a moan. "Don't rub it in, I'll be fine." She paused. "Or maybe I'll say yes to having your hands all over my body again." Weiss just smirked slightly.

The door ahead of them opened and Yang looked ahead to see the new head of the house walk out. She was small, even smaller than Weiss, with pink and brown hair. Her eyes matched this colour combo and she walked with a skip in her step. She was holding a cane Yang noticed.

"This is Lady Neo," the guard at her side said, dipping his head respectfully. "Lady, this is Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee, aka Freezerburn. The hunters hired to avenge Sir Roman."

Yang and Weiss both bowed slightly, though Yang keep her eyes on he. So this was the woman who'd hired them. Yang wasn't going to lie, she was quite interested in Neo.

Though it was rumoured that she and Roman had been intimate lovers, the official term on their relationship was partners. Not unlike how she and Weiss acted but the Torchwick's partnership was more business. There was some criticism that Roman had given her his estate in his will rather than perhaps a brother or other family member.

"Lady, hmm?" Yang commented out loud m. "Interesting."

"While the Torchwicks have no legal titles, out of respect we address each member of the estate as Lady or Sir," the guard said stiffly. "It's tradition."

Neo nodded and made some quick hand signs. Yang realised she was using sign language to talk to her guard. Yang herself unfortunately didn't know sign language. The guard nodded.

"Lady Neo would like to tell you that I will act as her voice for your time here," the guard said. "And that you are very welcome here."

"Thank you," Weiss nodded. "We are very sorry for your loss and grateful for the job." She tapped her sword. "Now, we're here to gather some information on the culprits from what happened here."

"Of course. I'd be happy to help, " Neo signed.

Weiss gave a curt nod. "I'd like to take a look at Sir Roman's body. Yang? Maybe you could look at the camera footage?"

Yang nodded in agreement. Already they'd spotted out about eight different camera monitoring the hallway they stood in. While Weiss would see up close what had happened to Roman, Yang would watch the whole fight commence. To study their targets in detail.

"Very well. Yang if you'd follow me, Weiss I'll have someone sent for you in a few minutes."

Yang nodded, scanning the small woman. She was slight, seeming unthreathening but there was this shine in her eyes that make her uneasy. There was a hidden strength beneath that small surface. Neo just turned on her heel and started to walk.

Yang exchanged a glance with her partner and padded after the lady of the house.

The camera room was at the back of the house, the door hidden by a large painting. While the security was inherently extra, with the things that the Torchwicks were involved in, Yang wasn't at all surprised they went to such an effort.

It only made her wonder what else they were hiding.

Neo sat down on the main chair after they entered and started to typing. The security on the computers was immense and detailed. At first Yang tried to follow what she was doing but the sheer speed at which she was typing made her have to stop.

"I'm assuming you want to see the time of attack?" The guard speaking for Neo made her jump instinctively. He was so silent, truly like the woman's shadow.

Yang leaned over beside Neo, frowning at the multiple screens in front of her. "Which outside cameras captured their descent past the walls? Angles to their landing points? Play all footage at once."

Neo arched an eyebrow but obliged to answer. And Yang watched intensely.

Yang didn't know how long she'd spent in the dark camera room but after what seemed like ages, they finally emerged, finished with their task. The light of the hallway was harsh against her eyes and looking out the window she saw that it was no longer morning.

She was satisfied she could recognise the demon and the daughter on sight. Also studying their fighting patterns and movement speeds, she reckoned she could guess their moves to a point. They worked as a team but everything was more instinct than familiarity. These were new fated, unexperience.

She'd learned a lot from it. It was quite rare they'd have such clear footage of their targets. For such a great hunt, they were very lucky.

"Did you get what you were looking for? "

Surprisingly, the head of the house has stayed with her the whole time, careful guiding her through the sequence even though she still flinched at the last part. At the end Yang always stopped just for her sake. Besides, Weiss would have enough information anyway.

Yang looked down at Neo. "That and plenty. It was certainly useful, thank you. You've done a lot for me."

Neo cocked her head to the side and signed another thing. But the guard made a stuttering noise, awkwardly clearing his throat. "Miss, I can't say that."

Neo rolled her eyes but seemed to change the course of her sentence. Her hand moved again. "Of course. I'll have you escorted to where your partner should be. Good luck with your hunt."

Yang bowed low and together with Neo's guard they left for Weiss. Her partner was on the other side of the house and they weaved their way through corridors. On the way, she couldn't help seeing the damage the Ladybug duo had done.

Cracks ran down the walls like spiderwebs and painting or furniture were shredded. Dark stains were left on the walls despite the obvious attempts to remove them. Even some of the maids were still scrubbing. The stains were going to be tough to remove and she grimaced in sympathy. For both the stainers and the cleaners.

The guard left Yang outside a room and indicated with a hand for her to go inside. So she entered the room to see Weiss kneeling down, her back facing her. She crossed the room, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Hey, how you doing, Snowflake?"

Weiss looked up, a smile on her face. "Quite well actually. Just look at this."

And Yang looked down to see the dead body of Roman Torchwick.

She let out a low whistle, crouching down next to her. "Damn… it's been a while since we've seen a consuming," she murmured.

Roman had always been a reasonably pale man but his skin had been drained off all colour. His jaw was locked open in a state of screaming and his eyes were wide and glassy. They stared upwards, unseeing but undeniably filled with terror.

Weiss was looking at the chest of the man. And there, like always, just at the base of his throat where the tip of his sternum began was coated in blood. Not a lot but enough. A tiny hold as an access point for the demon.

"Whoever this was, they are incredibly dangerous," Weiss mused. "Look at the size of that wound… Tiny… To be able to absorb the soul so accurately.., such strength shouldn't be underestimated..."

Yang didn't know that much about demonology but Weiss definitely did. Her partner was the kind that studied things intensely so she always came out on top. Yang, well... wasn't anything like that. She preferred finding loopholes and having dinner. Beside Weiss knew enough for the both of them.

"So what have you discovered?"

"The guards… were pretty roughed up. I've been watching the videos of them fighting and have learned a lot on how they fight. The demon fought with a scythe but didn't land with one, which is the most important part. Which means our prey is not only a souleater but a summoner."

Summoners were demons (or even the extremely rare human) capable of summoning objects from far places. Such objects varied from personal treasures to random pieces of food. Or in this case a weapon. Typically they'd need some personal connection with the object but still. It made her all the more powerful.

Yang nodded intently. "And skilled with that scythe says the mess they left. Though the daughter isn't one to be messed with either." She yawned. "Dammit. This is going to be tough." She grinned. "But exciting!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "You're so focused on the hunt you might explode." Her partner smiled. "But come on. We ought to start it." Weiss stood you, burshing out her skirt. "Get that bike of yours ready, we're going hunting in the morning."

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Read Ch2/Ch3/Ch4/Ch5/Ch6