#his family is part of the founding families aka they own part of the city - high regards in power - think very old money

[dogsrotten]

"you know , if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes ."

[solar-wing]

⚣ Remember 🥷🏻

⚣🥷🏻A/N → This was a bit of a challenge for me for some reason. Maybe it's because we still don't know how exactly Jason died or what he was like when he was on the team so I had to go off what we know about Jason already. Plus, the fact that he doesn't have his memories really got my creative juices flowing. I did not proofread thus like the others cause I'm trying to focus on finishing my other fics. Also, here it is again for you @acoustickitten Anyways... WARNINGS: Emotion & Angst, Mentions of Death, NSFW warnings included on Patreon NSFW Version Here👈🏽

⚣🥷🏻Summary → When Jason died, your world fell apart. You and he had a special bond that you didn't share with anyone else on the team. So, when the chance to be reunited with him came as an invitation to Ra's Ah Ghul's island, you quickly took the chance to be with your old teammate, friend, and crush. Only you didn't expect to find him different than you remembered.

⚣🥷🏻Words → 4.2k

REBLOGS and replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 🥷🏻

You were so glad you hadn’t given up.

When your previous team appeared on Infinity Island to rescue their friends, the Red Hooded Ninja battled with Nightwing, your old leader and friend. Ra’s ordered you to stay out of sight, as he didn’t want your former teammates to know you were here yet. Your mission was too important for them and yourself. So, you watched from one of the windows as your friends fought with your League allies.

Back in 2013, you had been recruited to the team by the Justice League when they discovered you on the streets of your city fighting crime with your meta-abilities. You could see into and read people’s thoughts, much like Miss Martian. Except your powers seemed to be stronger, seeing that you had the ability to control and enter someone’s mind at will and manipulate their thoughts. Along with flight force-field manipulations, you were quite the adversary. So when Batman, Captain Marvel/Shazam, and Black Canary showed up one day to offer you the chance to use your powers in a team environment, you figured, why not?

You were alone, having lost your family at a young age, and your adoptive family wasn’t much better, seeing you and your abilities as freaky. They just wanted to get whatever money they could off of you. So you accepted their offer and took on the mantle of ‘Psicon.’ Besides, living in the Cave was awesome. The Team was way more welcoming, and you felt like a part of a family for the first time, growing a special relationship with one of the members, Jason Todd, aka Robin.

Both of you and Jason had similar backgrounds and connected from that. The team often joked that the saying was true opposites attracted because you two couldn’t be more different from each other. Strong in your own rights, you were reserved, while he was outgoing. You thought with a slow, calculative mind, and he was impulsive. You were no pushover, but you mostly kept your thoughts to yourself, whereas he was very outspoken.

But, you found joy in your differences with each other. You shared similar interests and grew a strong bond. Over time, your feelings became less platonic and more romantic, which your friends loved to tease you for. Dick, Kid Flash, aka Wally, and Artemis mainly, before the latter two left the team for college. 

You hadn’t known if Jason felt the same towards you, but Dick encouraged you since the two had a special relationship, both being Batman’s sidekicks and sharing the mantle of Robin. Not at the same time, of course. When Dick picked up the mantle of Nightwing, Jason had become the new Robin.

You were planning to confess your feelings to Jason but never got the chance. 

A mission you weren’t on had gone left, and though you never found out what had went wrong, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened when everyone had returned except for Jason. Dick tried to comfort you as he felt your pain, along with Batman, but it did little to help. You were heartbroken. 

Jason was the only one who knew your history, as you hadn’t told anyone else. He knew some of your deepest secrets and insecurities had helped you through dark moments, and now he was gone. And it wasn’t just for you, as your friends and teammates had noticed your impact on him.

Maybe that’s why some had joked about how Jason held a soft spot for you. He was always nice to you, of course. But, he always had a level of sass and bluntness he’d give others but never towards you. Your friends, even Bruce, had mentioned how they saw that you’d tapped into a more gentle side of Jason none of them ever could see or would be allowed to see, at least.

So, no. Dick couldn’t understand where your pain. No one could. 

After that, a distance grew between you and the team since everyone refused to tell you what had happened. Then, in 2015 a little over a year later, Batman recruited a new Robin, Tim Drake, and you had fucking lost it at that point.

Furious at Bruce and Dick for being so willing to replace Jason, you went off on them, feeling they had dishonored him. Your teammates tried to calm you down, but your fury had been on a different level none of them had seen before. Even Conner was unsettled at the rage spilling off you, being considered the literal definition of anger issues himself. It was safe to say you had no relationship with Tim. While you weren’t hostile or bitter towards him, you had no incentive or want to build a friendship.

At some point, you received a mysterious envelope. Where it came from, you didn’t know, but what was inside it had your attention immediately. It was a letter asking for your aid in an important matter. And whoever wrote it apparently had particular need of your ‘talents.’ You were prepared to ignore it until you saw another note inside, only it wasn’t a note at all. It was a picture, a recent one.

Jason.

He was alive. You could tell cause he looked a bit older than the last time you saw him. Though, just by looking at the picture, you could see something was off. That usual egotistic but confident spark you always noticed in his eyes wasn’t there. Both the corners of his mouth were straight instead of one side upturned up a bit, leaving him with his natural smirk. 

In truth, his blank gaze at the camera caused an unsettled chill to go through you. It was as if you were looking at a ghost of Jason instead of an alive one.

But it was him.

He was alive somewhere, and after so long of only feeling hollow and numb where your heart should be, you felt it stirring in your chest again.

You didn’t know if the others knew, and you weren’t planning on telling them. You’d contemplated leaving the team for some time, and Tim’s recent addition only made that decision easier for you. So the next day, when everyone was asleep, you packed your clothes and disappeared that night, not saying goodbye to anyone.

That’s how you ended up with the League of Shadows and the Al-Ghul family on their island. When you saw Jason for the first time, you wanted to run to him, hug him, and sob into his shoulder. Part of you didn’t believe he was alive, needing hard proof of living flesh in front of your eyes. Truly enough, even looking at him, your mind still couldn’t believe he was there. He still had that strange blank look on his face, though. When you first entered the room, he stared at you, which creeped you out even more now that it was in person.

You found out Ra’s and his family were the ones who recovered Jason’s body and had used the infamous Lazarus Pits to revive him, and while the pit’s healing and life-restoring abilities did that, there were consequences. He explained that the Pit tampered with Jason’s mind, sending him into a feral and almost animalistic state, and though they tamed him, his mind was scattered, and memories were gone.

That’s where you came in. Your telepathic abilities had been recognized exceptionally for their strength, surpassing M’Gann’s powers. With your ability to enter and manipulate minds, Ra’s suspected you could restore Jason’s memories, bringing him back to himself.

At first, you were unsure since you didn’t know the consequences that could come if you tampered with his thoughts. When you’d voiced these concerns, Jason had turned his head to you, a curious gaze replacing his blank expression. Ra’s and Talia observed, speechless as he made his way to you, head tilting in confusion as he stared into your eyes. You didn’t move, watching his hand come up to your face and one of his fingers slowly caressing down your cheek.

“Psi…con.”

It was your turn to be speechless. You felt tears come to your eyes and shut them, attempting to hold yourself together. It was too much. Clenching your fists at your side, you choked on a gasp as you forced yourself not to cry. Even Talia felt a bit emotional at the sight of your grief, though she didn’t show it, remaining poised as ever.

“Ah, it would seem your presence has already triggered a spark in his mind. You two must have had a significant connection for him to recall your name.” Ra’s pointed out, eyeing you with an intrigued look.

It didn’t take much convincing after that.

“I’ll do it.” You stated with no hesitation in your voice.

That same smile Ra’s held when you agreed was the same one on his face now in 2019 as you and Talia holding baby Damian had come out just in time to see the Bio-Ship flying off to hear Jason uttering “Gray…son” in a slow, and almost zombie-like speech.

You had begun to lose hope. Jason, now the Sensei’s Red-Hooded Ninja, was trained as a guard and protector. He was no longer of a feral and animalistic sense of mind but more of a living, mindless zombie, understanding and taking directions well. However, the sessions he had with you were not making much progress. 

Every time you’d gotten close to having a breakthrough or found what you thought was a crack in the haze around his mind when working, you got shut out. It was as if something was trying to keep you from getting to Jason’s inner mind and releasing his memories, and you didn’t think there would be much you could do anymore, as nothing seemed to be working.

So, expectedly, you felt your heart pause and your body still when you heard him. Barely feeling like you could move, tears had once again come to your eyes at hearing the first word in the four years you’d worked in healing Jason’s mind.

“Ah, your memory is finally returning. Excellent.” Ra’s said before he turned in your direction, nodding for you to come to his side. “Your work is starting to pay off. I’m aware of your frustrations in this quest, but tonight has proven your efforts are not in vain. I want you to continue your sessions more frequently. This could be the start of him fully regaining his mind.” You nodded your head before turning back to walk inside, Jason trailing behind you from Ra’s order.

He followed you to your room, where you went inside and rummaged through your drawers before finding the desired items. You turned to see him standing in the middle of the room, the red glow from his robotic eye mask bright in the moonlight from your window.

“Please, sit.” You asked.

In your sessions with him, you always spoke with a gentle tone. You didn’t want to command or order him around like the others. You communicated with Jason as you always had before, hoping it’d bring familiarity and comfort. Over time, it seemed to work. Jason notably sought you out whenever something distressed him. For whatever reason unbeknownst to you, this had pleased Ra’s.

Even if you were having little success restoring Jason’s mind, Ra’s had noted that while everyone else had Jason’s obedience, you held something more precious, his loyalty and trust.

Tonight, you hoped you’d found what you needed to achieve that first and ultimate objective. When your old teammates showed up, and you watched Nightwing and Jason battle, it reminded you of the old days before he had died. You three goofing around in the control room during sparring and training.

After hearing him utter Nightwing’s name and thinking back to the first time he uttered your old superhero name, it hit you like a ton of bricks. 

Those moments were all triggers for Jason. Things that evoked emotion and nostalgia from him, like when someone smells a dish their grandparent used to make when they were a kid or hearing a song that reminded them of a special moment. 

It made you remember a comment Jason once made about how when you talked, it calmed him. He said how he found your voice relaxing and that he could just listen to you speak about whatever, and it would bring him peace. Not really knowing what he meant by it, you remembered very well how it made you feel and how it still makes you to this day.

Thinking back to the night you came to the island, you realized Jason hearing your voice had been his first trigger, which helped him remember your retired name. Fighting with Dick brought back the nostalgic feeling of when he used to spar with him in the control room, helping him remember his name.

So, you intended to create more triggers. Whatever prevented you from fully accessing Jason’s mind and releasing his memories was obviously weak to emotional pulls. Those pulls could come from anything that held a feeling of significance or nostalgia in his memories.

Grabbing what you needed, you joined Jason on the ground, crossing your legs before placing everything in front of him. You had a small collection of Jason’s things he’d given you or stuff you had borrowed from him and forgotten to give back. You had some of his favorite books, old batarangs, and even one of his eye masks from his Robin costume.

He looked at everything on the ground, picking some things up and observing them before placing them back down.

You’d tried this tactic before, but with your discovery, you figured maybe there was something you needed to do or say to help spark something. Jason thumbed through some books and messed with the Batarang a little, but you had to be careful since you weren’t sure if it was one of the ones that could explode.

When he picked up the eye mask from the Robin costume, his head tilted while looking at it before turning to you and holding it between his hands, making you grin at his adorable confusion.

“It’s your old mask. It goes over your eyes. Here, I’ll show you.” You explained, holding your hand out, allowing him to place it in your hand.

You brought it up to your face and put it on before showing him, “See? Like the one you have on, it goes over your eyes.” You said.

Jason stared back at you before he looked down and pointed at the space next to you. Realizing what he was asking, you nodded, “Yeah, you can sit next to me.” You expressed, patting the spot next to you

He got up before moving to the spot and placed himself back down before turning to look at having to tilt his head down slightly. He pointed to the mask on your face, silently asking for it. When you took it off and handed it to him, he just looked down at it, turning it to study it from all different directions.

“Do you want me to help you put it on?” You offered.

He turned his head to you, that glowing robotic mask staring at you before you saw him slowly nod. Turning your body to face him a bit more, you reached your hands up slowly, “May I?” You asked, referring to his current eyewear.

He paused for a moment before nodding. Gently placing your hands on the sides of his head, you grabbed the mask and lifted it from his face, able to see his blue-green eyes, taking time to enjoy them since it was rare you ever got to see them. He rarely removed his mask, and only when you were doing intensive work with your telepathic powers on him did he sometimes remove it.

You were caught in his gaze as well as he was with yours. For a moment, it felt like you were back in 2013 before everything had gone wrong, and it was just you and Jason, staying up at night talking about anything and everything that came to your mind. The memories brought some tears to your eyes, and you were shocked to feel a finger come up to one of them. Jason was looking down at you, and though he mostly still held a blank expression, you could see underneath a bit of concern etched into his gaze.

“I’m okay.” You assured, or at least attempted to.

Wiping your eyes with the sleeves of your robes, you gave him a quick smile, which seemed to relax him. You hadn’t even noticed he was tense.

He turned back to look at the mask before slowly placing it on his face. A bit smaller now since he’s grown, it was like you were looking at him as the day you last saw him. You loved how his hair was still slightly curled over his forehead with the mask, not being able to notice it as much when he wore his ninja hood.

You raised your hand slowly to his face, pressing your palm against his ear. Whether or not he snuggled into your hand was totally not important and did not cause swooning in your gut.

Alright, you’re a liar. But you’ve been through a lot these past few years. You’re allowed to have this moment.

“Okay, Jason. We’re going to do what we do in every single session. But, this time. I’m going to project some of my memories into you. Is that okay?” You asked. Consent is key.

He nodded his head after a moment, training his eyes on you as you closed yours. He kept focusing on you while you channeled your memories into your hands to pass on to him. Eventually, he closed his eyes, welcoming your power into his head.

There were flashes of different moments from your past, all relating to you and him. Some were moments of you guys training together in the sparring room with Dick. There were times of you two together on missions, and one particular memory when Jason’s big mouth got you both into a less-than-desirable situation once again. But he managed to get you out of the sticky mess by using said big mouth again. That memory always brought a smile to your face. You remembered being so mad at him and then laughing at it like madmen when you returned to the Cave.

In each of these memories, Jason was wearing the mask. It was a part of his identity. Not just as Robin, Batman’s sidekick, but as Jason Todd. The boy who just wanted someone to care about him.

Suddenly, your head flooded with more memories, some you recognized as not your own. In your physical body, you could feel Jason tensing in front of you, shouting out in pain. It was working!

You managed to unlock part of Jason’s memories. Concentrating, you could see some of these moments from his past. And to your shock, they all seemed to involve—you. You saw the first day you’d met the team and Jason for the first time. You’d thought he was an obnoxious little twat, emphasis on the little since you were taller than him at that point, and you had voiced this thought as well. Over time, he caught up with you. And now, he’s got a few inches over you.

“Did this nobody just call me a little twat?”

That wasn’t your voice, nor was it your words. You did call Jason a twat that day, but you’d never call yourself a nobody.

You caught another memory of when you and he were with the team fighting against Dr. Ivo and Amazo. That fight left many bruises on your body since Ivo had decided to make some upgrades. When Amazo managed to get your powers and use them against you, it’d trapped you in your thoughts, torturing you with some of your worst memories. Jason pulled out of there while the others had managed to distract it long enough and eventually take it down. He’d overheard some of what you were crying out about and decided not to push.

When you had returned to the Cave, Jason followed you outside to get some air and think for a moment. You had warmed up to each other a little, and Jason had started telling you about his background and how he came to be Batman’s sidekick. After some contemplation, you told him about your past and how the Justice League found you. He had made a joke saying all you needed was the staircase and a letter from a white owl, and you could be the next Harry Potter.

You punched him in the arm for that joke,

“Hmm, kid’s not as bad as I thought he was. Packs a punch too.”

It took you a minute to realize, but you eventually got it.

These were Jason’s thoughts from those memories you were witnessing, his own inner dialogue. It was interesting to see some of the moments he found precious, things you had never even thought about before or remembered at the very least. And now, you were hearing it from his point of view. You used to always make a joke with him that you’d pay big money to know what he was thinking about sometimes.

“If he knew what I was thinking, I’m sure he’d either smack me or punch me, maybe both. Wouldn’t do anything except make him hotter.”

Pardon? Can we rewind that last part?

Did Jason call you hot? Like hot, as in attractive hot? Or, hot as in, ‘Ah! This bitch is burning. Get them away from me,’ hot?

Looking at Jason’s other memories with you, you could also feel some of his emotions from those precise moments. You felt annoyance from earlier thoughts, typically around the earlier parts of your relationship. Amusement at times when you and he would get into a silly argument. Or when you went on one of your excited rants about something. The further you got along in his mind, the more you felt his feelings change, becoming more intense. Curiosity turning into fondness. Admiration becomes the urge to protect.

A particular memory had caught your mental attention. One that you recognized was about a week before the mission that would ultimately lead to the end of Jason’s life. Dick and Jason were at their house, Wayne Manor, and they were talking while working in the Batcave.

“So, how’s everything between you and Zatanna?” Jason asked while practicing his kicks and punches on one of the training dummies.

“It’s good. She’s still a little upset over Nabu’s refusal to release her father’s body for no more than an hour, but she makes do with it.” Dick said, turning to face him from whatever he was doing on the Bat-Computer.

Things had gone quiet for a moment, Dick looking a little smug before he spoke up, “So, you and Y/N?” He smirked.

You felt a clench in your chest and didn’t know if that came from Jason or yourself.

“Shut up,” Jason said.

“I’m just saying, you two seemed to have gotten really close over the last few months. You’re actually considerate and somewhat respectful when you’re around him too.” Dick commented.

“Fuck you, and again. Shut up.” Jason responded.

Somehow, you could feel the small smile that formed on his face.

“You want my advice—”

“No.”

“Tell him how you feel and ask him out,” Dick continued, ignoring Jason. “And I’d do it soon. You didn’t hear this from me, but I’ve heard someone else on the team has eyes for Y/N too. So, if I were you, I’d hurry up and take my chances. You never know how long you have until it’s too late.”

An unpleasant toil in your stomach blossomed at that sentence, but you felt curiosity at the same time. You just didn't know if one or both feelings belonged to you or Jason. You did wonder who harbored feelings for you on the team though.

You couldn’t dwell on it any longer though when you were tackled to the ground, forced back to reality. Opening your eyes, you saw Jason on top of you, looking at you with another feral look, only it wasn’t the same as the one he had when you first arrived on the island. This one was wild but in an attractive way. His sea-like colored eyes staring back at you but with a darker look. It had you on edge but also ☀️feeling very hot with how he pinned your arms to the ground.

“I… l-lo– love … y-you.”

Your entire body froze as his head fell against your shoulder. Feeling his chest move against push against your back with his breathing, you could only turn your head slightly to stare at his before he turned to face you. The dark haze in his eyes was now gone, and his blue-green ears were staring back at you with the same adoration you’d always seen before whenever he looked your way.

He remembered you.

☀️ | DC Masterlist | ☀️

☀️ } Masterlists | ☀️

[auroralwriting]

illicit affairs

chapter one

biker!bucky barnes x stark!reader (turf war au)

miss stark begins to have doubts about her "family."

chapter two | series masterlist

warnings: violence, language, small age gap (6~ years), angst, arguing, drinking, overall crime and gang stuff, sort of enemies to lovers

Back before The Fallout, as many outsiders dubbed it, The Avengers were a tight knit group of friends in New York who were founded to change the look of "gangs," as some called them. However, not long after its beginning, its end came just as fast.

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, the pivotal members, just couldn't decide on how The Avengers should be ran. So, they split up almost equally into two groups, each taking a part of the city to call their own.

The Northside Stark Syndicates (aka Queens) was now made up of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Paul Bettany, who simply was nicknamed by everyone as "Vision," Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, and his little sister.

The Southside Avengers (Brooklyn), who kept the original name, included Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, and Bucky Barnes.

In the previous years, Tony had kept you out of the original Avengers due to your younger, more innocent age. Now, however, in your early twenties, Tony was quick to introduce you to the life you were somewhat protected from.

"I'm telling you," Clint whined, "they gave us a look."

Vision raised an eyebrow, "I highly doubt they gave us a look. I mean, were the biggest crime unit in the city." Oh, yeah, was it mentioned that nowadays the gangs were not made to change the look of gangs? "Plus, if they really gave us a look, we all would have seen it."

You sat on your chair, scrolling through you phone bored out of your mind. Honestly, who gives a shit if someone gives a look? You surely didn't care, and neither did Bruce.

"I really don'y think it matters anyways," Bruce commented. "If they do it again, we'll just beat their asses.

"I'm gonna check it out, it's worth it." Tony decided, clapping his hands. "And for the love of god, can we stop saying the bad words around the child?"

You rolled your eyes, "I'm not a kid, Tony. I take care of myself."

"Yeah, yeah," Tony waved you off. "I'm gonna go check it out. Let's go partying after."

Rhodey gave an obnoxiously loud sigh, "I don't want to party, I just want to chill and drink. We've been partying almost every night this week. Can't we just go to some bar, watch some tv, and drink?"

"All in vote of drinking at a bar?" Clint asked as everyone raised their hands. "It's settled then."

"You're all such losers," Tony moaned. "I need new friends, seriously, you're all so fuckin' lame." Tony grabbed his knife and shoved it in his pocket. "Happy told me about this new bar, Tito's. Let's try there."

Vision looked to Tony with a confused look, "Isn't that almost on the South?"

The room got tense as Tony stared blankly at Vision. "Almost. It's like, right in the middle. We'll be fine." Infamous last words.

"This place isn't so bad," Rhodey said as the group walked in. You felt eyes on you; that happened wherever you went. "It's casual, kind of relaxing."

The six of you got seats at the bar as you all ordered your drinks. "It's alright," Tony shrugged, "Not the same as a club, but not bad." His face was a little more blue than a couple of hours ago. It was clear he roughed up those guys from earlier.

"Oh my god, Tony, give up the clubbing idea." Clint grumbled.

You took a sip of your drink as the room became oddly silent. Your eyes fell to the door. Oh, shit. In walked The Avengers, whose eyes all fell on your group just as quick as it took for your friends to notice them as well. The stares were brutal as they made their way to a booth, Steve's eyes never left Tony's. Tony's never left Steve. It was an awkward tension. Soon, a quiet chatter, more quiet than before, fell upon the bar again.

"Maybe we should just leave," You muttered softly.

"I agree, I'm not liking this tension. Also, Romanoff won't stop staring at me." Clint sighed. The two of them used to be tight, almost tighter than any other duos in the old group. It was clear their tension was wild.

Tony shook his head, "No, we were here first." Your eyes fell back to the group. It only took a moment before Sam nudged Steve, who stared right back at you. The rest of the group followed suit as you felt yourself being turned around. "Stop that, don't look at them."

"But we were before," You protested.

"And that's not now, so stop." Tony replied as you gave a small sigh.

After a few minutes, it wasn't hard to hear mumbles from the table. The only words you could clearly understand were Tony, unsuitable, and fucker.

That was all it took for Tony to jump off his chair and make his way to the booth. You found Clint's eyes, who looked just as shocked as you. The rest of you scrambled to follow.

"Don't you dare talk about me," Tony sneered, grabbing hold of Steve's collar.

Steve only smirked, "Can't take the hits to your ego?"

Vision put his hand on Tony's arm, "Let's just go, man." It hadn't been long since Tony and Steve had it out last, and that left them both bloody and blue with new marks in their records. "Let's go clubbing."

"No, I want to know what this shit-face said about me." Tony snarled, "So tell me, what'd you say?"

"Let go of him, Stark." Sam warned. "We don't want any problems tonight."

Clint kept you almost hidden behind him. While you were more than capable of taking care of yourself, you were still young. The youngest of both groups, actually. You were freshly twenty-two, Wanda was only twenty-four, but she'd been in this business much longer than you had.

"Well we're gonna have some if Rogers doesn't open his mouth." Tony responded.

"You wanna add some more blue to that face of yours?" Bucky chimed in. That was enough to break the camels back. It was no secret that if there was anyone Tony hated more than Steve, it was his best bud, Bucky. Bucky used to be a part of the mafia out on the west coast. In some off handed way, he was the reason your parents got themselves killed. Even if it wasn't Bucky's hands, Tony saw it as such. Deep down, you knew that wasn't his intentions.

Tony's fist was nearly about to hit Steve's face as you jumped forward, letting it hit your palm. The pain that shot through your hand made you wince as you tried to push Tony's hand back. "Tony, stop it. We're leaving now." Tony gave one last dark look to Steve as he turned on his heel, walking away with Bruce and Rhodey close behind him.

"Stark," Clint muttered as he grabbed your hand. "Let's go wrap this up." Vision was quick to move your arm close to your chest as his arm wrapped around you, guiding you away from The Avengers.

As you three walked away, you turned your head to see them staring at you three. No, they were just staring at you.

Back at the table, Wanda's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you okay?" She asked Steve with concern.

"I'm fine," Steve muttered, unable to peel his eyes from you.

"What?" Sam asked, noticing his lingering stare as the three of you exited the bar.

Steve shook his head, "She just took a full blown punch," He muttered under his breath.

"Probably broke her hand doing so," Natasha chimed in. "Did you see the power in that punch? She had to have at least sprained it."

Wanda screwed her face, "And Tony didn't even care. Didn't even give her a second glance."

A low hum came from Steve, "Did anyone ever meet her?" A collective head shake came from the booth.

“Didn’t Stark keep her locked away like Rapunzel?” Natasha asked, her curiosity officially peaked. “I don’t even really remember him mentioning her, besides the fact that he had a sister and she was younger.”

“I think he said she lived with their parents at the time,” Sam thoughtfully answered. “Out on the west coast. She moved here after they died, I think.”

Bucky spoke up, “But why’d she do that? She had no reason to take a hit for Steve.”

“Maybe she’s the only level headed person there,” Sam chuckled.

“Not well enough to keep them out of the mafia’s eyes,” Steve replied. “Stark’s got their attention, at least for now.”

Nat clicked her tongue, “He probably wants their help to get rid of us.”

With a small nod, Steve chided, “Which he won’t succeed in.”

“Can you bend your fingers? Move your wrist?” Clint asked carefully as Vision finished wrapping your hand. It hurt like absolute hell. It had to be sprained, maybe even broken.

You gave a hesitant reply as you tried to bend your fingers. “It hurts too much,” You shook your head. “I’m just gonna let it rest for now. I’ll try again soon. Thanks,” You mused to Vision as he gave a small smile, walking away with the medical kit.

“We need to get them back.” Tony said as he entered the room. “Rogers can’t pull some shitty stunt like that.”

Clint sighed, “Why don’t we just drop it for now? I thought the plan was to get the Asgardian Mafia to help us run them out, not kill them.”

“Killing them sounds wonderful,” Tony almost sang as he sat down. After a moment, he eyed your hand. “Hey, how’s that hand?”

You rolled your eyes, “Not great, thanks to you”

Tony’s face fell, “Hey, you shouldn’t have blocked my punch!” Tony angrily responded.

“You shouldn’t have started a fight in the middle of some bar we’ve never been to!” You argued in response. “It was stupid and it was reckless.”

“I’m gonna get the Hydra boys to fuck with them a little,” Rhodey announced from his spot on the couch where he was silently observing. “Maybe let them fuck ‘em up a bit.”

The Hydra boys were no good around here. They weren’t necessarily a gang, nor mafia. Maybe at one point they were, but now they were now just asses who loved to put their noses where they didn’t belong. The south had their own, too, called Shield. They were known to be more tolerable, less willing to do whatever anyone wanted. You had to know them to get their help.

“Don’t involve Hydra. They’re no good, really. I think they do more than they say they do.” Vision called out from the bathroom where he was putting away the medical kit.

“Then I’ll call The Guardians,” Rhodey shrugged. “They’ll do anything for an extra buck.”

Tony shrugged, “Fine with me, Quill’ll fuck them up really good. Make sure they all bleed, and tell Quill to get it on photo.” You got nervous at his words. Sure, tensions had been high lately, but it had never been this bad before.

Tony’s words made you reconsider everything that had been happening. Things were getting too serious too fast. Even worse, Tony no longer listened to your warnings. He was getting angrier by the second. Deep down, you knew things needed to change, and that started with helping the other side to gain some trust.

[greenleaf4stuff]

I saw lot of posts about Hancock and The Ghoul/Cooper Howard meeting which is a cool scenario to think about for sure, but may I present you this:

Hancock and *Norm* meeting

Those two have a surprising amount of similarities in the character arcs/backstories.

[Spoilers for FO4 and the Fallout TV show up ahead!]

Like. They are both guys who knew that something *wrong* was going on around them; Hancock knew that McDonough’s campaign against the ghouls and how Diamond City exiled them was wrong, and later on he disliked how things were going in Goodneighbor before he became mayor. Norm knew there was something up with the ‚vaulties‘ from Vault 32 and later on knew that Vault 33 wouldn’t send out ppl to get his and Lucy’s father back, and that something was going on with vault 32 (or, actually, all the three vaults).

They both felt as if they were cowards when faced with great danger and injustice; Hancock didn’t oppose McDonough’s actions as much as he (felt he) could have and also felt like a coward when thugs beat up ppl in Goodneighbor. Norm felt like a coward for hiding during the attack of the raiders and didn’t follow Lucy into the wasteland, saying he is ‚too chicken‘ to do so.

And then? As a consequence to these injustices, to their own cowardice, they both decided to say ‚fuck that‘ and do the right thing, even in the face of massive opposition and everything stacked against them. Instead of backing down or being intimidated, they turned around and used their skills to try and make a change.

Hancock tried to help the exiled ghouls, and later on became a ghoul himself, got inspired by the historical John Hancock, found himself a group of people and took out the thugs in Goodneighbor. And then became mayor of the town – not quite turning it around 180 degrees, but still making the town a safe haven for all the ‚misfits‘ of the wasteland; fellow ghouls, assaultrons, ppl who didn’t think they belonged anywhere else. „Everybody ’s welcome“. An anti-thesis to what his brother stood for in Diamond City.

And Norm, he asks uncomfortable questions. He needles people for information. He finds a temporary ally in Chet, who despite his own cowardice promised to protect Norm for Lucy and helps him to get into vault 32. Norm puts clues together, hacks into terminals, reads, asks further questions – even causes some unrest, especially when it comes to dealing with the imprisoned raiders. He has managed to outsmart everyone around him and find out the secret of vault 31, an act that required courage especially considering Norm cannot just up and leave the vaults. Even if he makes it back to vault 33. He had to know that getting caught would have dire consequences one way or another, and still he persisted in his quest.

And (extra warning – heavy spoilers here!) they both can make some very horrible discoveries about their family members. John Hancock – originally John McDonough – can find out that his older brother, who exiled all the ghouls from Diamond City, has gotten replaced with a synth doppelganger. Probably even before he drove that hate campaign against the ghouls, making Hancock question whether he even hated the ‚right‘ person aka whether he had hated his brother for the wrong reasons all these years.

And Norm finds out that Hank Maclean has been alive before the bombs fell, and got thawed out of cryogenic slumber. That his own father lied to him and Lucy, is part of an ‚elite‘ class of people who manage vaults 32 and 33 while keeping their inhabitants in the dark about their true purpose – to be breeding stock in an attempt to create the perfect managers and re-populate America in their vision. The vision of Vault-Tec.

The person they saw as their family might have just been someone they didn’t truly know.

They share a lot of similiarities, and I think they would get on like a house on fire.

This is just headcanons from this point onwards, but I can see Hancock appreciating and valuing Norm’s perception and intelligence, as well as his subtle way of communicating that he knows more than he lets on. And I can see Norm understanding Hancock’s approach to his town and how he leads it, how he makes sure that his people are safe. (Remember, Norm made the suggestion to kill the captive raiders because they killed his fellow vault dwellers and kidnapped his father – his and Hancock’s brand of justice might not be that much different.)

I also think they could have epic verbal spats and very, very witty banter together.

If Norm had Hancock in the vault and voiced his suspicions to him, Hancock would have followed him and helped. No questions asked. He likely would have been pissed on Norm’s behalf too.

And if Norm had been there when Hancock planned to overthrow the mayor in Goodneighbor, Norm might not have taken up arms, but he would have used his skills to take care of turrets, terminals or locked doors/safes. And he wouldn’t be afraid to give Hancock a piece of his mind if he felt the mayor was too far up his own supply of chems.

Tl;dr – I think there are a bunch of parallels when it comes to Hancock and Norm Maclean and therefore them meeting could turn out incredibly interesting. Also I think both characters are really neat.

[thelarriefics]

FAKE RELATIONSHIP FIC REC, Part II: Below you will find more fics that have themes of fake/pretend relationships. (Part I)

📖 The Greatest Thing by @infinitelymint (163k)

“What’s that on your finger?” Louis asks, his voice higher than usual, slightly panicked as though he’s realised something that Harry hasn’t even begun to comprehend. Harry looks down on his right hand then, sees nothing and moves on to the left, and— Oh. A ring. Or, Harry and Louis haven’t spoken since the band broke up when a dangerous combination of Niall Horan, tequila, and an ordained Elvis impersonator means that the two of them have to embark on their biggest publicity stunt to date - together. (aka the semi-canon accidentally married in Vegas fic that has been seven years in the making)

📖 Lightning Strikes The Heart by @fournipplesau & @justalarryblog (130k)

Shrewsbury, 1814 Dearest reader, I present to you your new bulletin of news regarding Shrewsbury citizen's activities. My name is Lady Merriweather and I will be in charge of the updates. I will make sure you are to know all the important details of what is to happen this season. You must know that you do not know who I am and you never shall. But be forewarned; I certainly do know you. I advise you to be on your best behaviour, lest you want the whole town to be privy of your business. As expected every year, the Lockhart House hosts the season’s opening ball, and its invitation is the motive of the hustle in town, and every family hopes for the invitation. This year is no different, but this year everyone's attention is focused on the new Duke of Montgomery, His Grace Harry Edward Styles, and whether he will attend it. All the omegas will be in their best manner, behaviour and clothes as it is expected. And here, dear reader is where we will find out which young omega might succeed at securing a match, hoping to not become a spinster. Place your bets.

📖 Mistletoe's For Two by @ireallysawanangel (90k)

After an encounter in a coffee shop with the rudest man he's ever met, Louis hopes the city is just big enough that he'll never bump into him again. When he spots that man at a bar the following evening, a plan begins to form. They both need dates for their respective Christmas parties and decide to use each other for their own benefit. They'll help one another through the holidays and then 'break it off' on New Year's, then agree to never see each other again. Developing feelings was not part of the plan. Or, an enemies to lovers fake dating advent fic.

📖 this charade (was never going to last) by @scrunchyharry (68k)

On the surface, CitizenX, an international caritative nonprofit, looked like any other nonprofit, funding humanitarian missions worldwide and striving to make the world a better place, one donation at a time. At least, that was what Harry thought, until he was hired as a computer specialist for a spinoff agency called carish, whose true purpose was to reveal CitizenX’s tangled web of lies. As if the whole ‘industrial spy’ business was not stressful enough, Harry found himself in a hatred-at-first-sight relationship with one of his new coworkers, Louis, a man intent on detesting Harry. When the worst happened and Harry and Louis found themselves thrown together in hiding, with only each other to rely on, Harry never could have predicted the turn their relationship would take. Nor could he anticipate that it would all be taken away from him and he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to get Louis back.

📖 another dream but always you by @nobodymoves (60k)

Harry is a Dreamwalker; he has the ability to visit people in their dreams and help put them on the right path. He's assigned to Louis, who's struggling after the break-up of his band. It's an unusual assignment from the beginning; Harry has a crush on Louis, and Louis's subconscious immediately decides Harry is the love of his life. When Dreamers cast Harry as their love interest, he can usually redirect them, but Louis is insistent on being Harry's boyfriend, and despite knowing they have no future, Harry wants to keep up the charade.

📖 Glitter in the sky, glitter in our eyes by @softfonds (59k)

What happens when a Duke who will only marry for love and a courtesan who only sells it create a public ruse? Well, nothing boring for sure. An Edwardian AU.

📖 I Keep Looking For Magic by @lululawrence (36k)

Harry loves Christmas, but this year is special. After ten years of boyfriends all failing to ever meet Harry's family, Harry has a fiance to introduce and things are looking like they will be perfect. Until they break up. Harry cannot go home alone when he had promised to bring a significant other again. This leaves him with little choice but to find someone to pretend they are his fiance. Surely nothing could go wrong with this plan.

📖 Lies & Liability by @evilovesyou (34k)

Harry Styles has only three wishes when he leaves River Dane Manor to go to Town for his first season: that his sister has rented a townhouse that will provide him as many of the comforts of the country life he has grown accustomed to as possible, that he will not trip and fall when he is presented to Her Majesty the Queen, and that he will enter matrimony out of true love, no matter how favourable the match with any which alpha may be.

📖 Pray To God This Won't Be A Mess by @xogucciblue (28k)

When Louis is outed just weeks before his hotly anticipated second album is set to drop, Harry agrees to hold his hand in a few pictures to cool down the media hype. That's all it was supposed to be.

📖 Went Down In Flames by @itsnotreal (26k)

Louis was in an absolutely shit storm. He had let it go on for too long. Let it go too far. But he had a plan. And tonight, said plan was going down. He was going to tell the boys he was proposing this weekend. ‘Harry’ would turn him down, albeit gently, and Louis would play the heartbroken boyfriend. He’d gotten this far. All he had to do was lock himself in his bedroom and cry a little. He’d been in a few plays growing up. Piece of cake. Except. It didn’t go that way. Of course, it didn’t. Because the universe, the beautiful chaotic bitch that she was, just had to have an actual Harry Styles and he just had to be Niall’s best friend.

📖 And I’d Marry You Harry (Because You Forced Me) by @2tiedships2 (24k)

The Proposal AU featuring Harry as Sandra Bullock, Louis as Ryan Reynolds, and all the fun a fake relationship and forced engagement can bring.

📖 if it looks like, feels like, tastes like love...  by @tempolarriefix (16k)

the one where harry and louis hate each other but pretend to date to be able to live in university 'family housing', zayn and liam are their nosy next door neighbors, and niall is the friend who made it all happen.

📖 Wed’n Walk (Or, We Went to Amsterdam Together) by @hellolovers13 (11k)

When Harry had first started planning his honeymoon to Amsterdam, he had not envisioned ending up there with his best friend. Or getting fake-married to him for 24 hours.

📖 Not Another Lonely Christmas by @haztobegood (8k)

Harry should be more nervous that he’s bringing a literal stranger to meet his extended family, but he figures it can’t be much more awkward than Aunt Sharon’s Christmas parties usually are. Instead, he’s looking forward to having an extra person to buffer the conversation. A knock comes one minute after eleven. He lets out the breath and opens the door. “Hi there— Louis?!” Or, the one where the friend Niall sets up as Harry's fake boyfriend turns out to be Gemma's best friend Louis

📖 Christmas Pretenders by @larryatendoftheday (4k)

When Niall convinced Louis to come home with him for the holidays as his fake boyfriend, he never expected he'd run into the loveliest man he'd ever seen. Or, twist on the fake-dating for the holidays fic, where the real love interest is the fake-boyfriend's best friend.

[bighairyballsharry]

"A downpayment for your love" - Rafayel x Reader

Here you can keep up with this fanfic: Part 2

*** This is a fanfiction based on the Love and Deepspace mobile game. The original story has been altered according to what I had in mind regarding a love scenario with Rafayel. In this, the MC (aka you, the reader, hi there) did not grow up with Zayne. I will try to write it gender neutral, but it will have more feminine takes on you as the MC of my story. ***

You were always poor. Especially after the wanderer attack 14 years ago, when you lost your family. You were left to fend for yourself. Sure, people from the community that knew your parents tried to help you while growing up, but it was never for free. Everybody had to pull in their weight one way or another. You had to either take care of their kids or their houses, make yourself useful in a way.

You learned at a very young age that everything has a price in this world. Even as a young tween, you would often dream about what life would have been if the attack never took place. Maybe your parents would have been the ones working their asses off in order to provide for you, like the other parents in the community are doing for their offsprings.

Growing up, you would look at the families you worked for, wishing sometimes that it was you in their children's place. You were happy to be able to work for your future and collect money, but something deep inside always yearned for the comfort of a family and financial support. It didn't matter anymore, you learned to hide that deep inside, hoping that one day your kids will never have to feel what you have been through. You were putting in all this hardwork for your future family.

You worked through your teenage years. You were always booked, therefore you hadn't had much time to spare for a higher education, or any education at all. Working various jobs, you managed to rent yourself a small studio flat at the ripe age of 18. This way you stopped depending on your parents' friends, finally starting to live on your own and start preparing for your future family.

After working in a few bakeries and trading goods, you decided to focus on just caretaking jobs that would include cleaning and cooking for the elderly, sometimes babysitting. You found out that this was an area that suited you best. After all, you were a very caring person with a big heart. You were longing to fill the void, even if you had to do it by taking care of other people's needs. At least you were getting paid for that and hell, you needed all the money you could get.

"Hey, (Y/N)! How's business?" One of your childhood friends asked. You were taking care of their family's bakery shop for the weekend.

"Depends, mine or yours? I'd say good since I managed to snatch a few clients from your regulars." You said winking jokingly. "Not a lot of people came by today. Maybe tomorrow. I will make sure to stock the bread properly so it doesn't go stale until your dad comes back. I still don't know how to bake properly, so I will sell the stock you've left for this weekend." You smiled at your friend.

"Don't worry about it too much. You are doing us a huge favour by keeping the bakery open for us while we are away." Your friend smiled as they brought in another basket of freshly baked goods. "This should be enough until sunday."

You gave a small nod, cleaning the counter. You were happy to be helpful, even if you worked for free this time. They did provide a shelter for you while growing up, you want to pay them back in your own way.

"Haven't gotten many gigs lately?" Your friend asked as they wiped their hands on a rag.

"I got one new gig, in Linkon. There is an old lady needing a caretaker. I am going on a trial on monday, her granddaughter said she will pay me for that day." You explained eagerly. Indeed, on your terms you were finally breaking through. You made it all the way to Linkon City! Sure, it's a 3 hours train trip, but you were finally able to work in the city, were opportunities to find rich clients were endless.

"Isn't that too little for the 3 hours trip? Your rate is not gonna be able to cover the cost." Your friend hummed, not sure if you made the right choice.

You eyes gleamed with pride. "It's in Linkon, and the payment is 5 times my rate!" For you it was a lot, but for a normal Linkon citizen it was quite a small price. But then again, you were working in a very unfortunate village to begin with, you were not aware that you could win more than that for the services you gave out.

"No way! We barely make that in 3 days, yet you make it in one day?!" Your friend was stunned.

You smiled happily. You were now sure that you finally made it. You felt it in your bones, your luck was about to change!

----------

It was monday morning. You left your village at 4 in the morning to get to Linkon City at 7 o'clock sharp. You were supposed to get to the client's house around 10:30 in the morning, so you wanted to make sure that you will find your way in time. You were hired by a young woman around your age. She is starting her career as a Deepspace Hunter and her grandmother is growing weak, so she wants someone to be by her side while she is away during the day. You were on trial for the dsy and if everything went well, you could be coming in almost everyday. You were excited. You were wearing your church clothes, in hopes to make a good first impression. With the money you were gonna get for the first day, you could buy material to make at least 2 new dresses. Your village is extremely cheap, so for you, today's payment was like a lottery win.

You were walking around and gawking. Everything looked like a dream. You could not believe your eyes the contrast between Linkon City and your village. Your village looked like a nuclear waste field compared to this city. You were starting to feel like you were out of place, as your clothes were really old and sewn together to last longer.

Finally, you arrived at your client's house. It was 10 o'clock. Better to be early than late. You approached the door and gave it a knock.

"Ah, coming!" You heard a woman's voice. Judging by the youthfull tone, you thought this might be the granddaughter that hired you. "Hello, this is-..." The door opened to reveal a thin girl with brown hair. She looked at you with a smile as she presented herself. You quickly bowed your head, straightening the material of your clothes.

"H-Hello, this is (Y/N)! You hired me to care for your grandmother." You explained a bit nervous. As you stood up, the girl smiled at you warmly.

"Perfect, you are early!" She chuckled a bit. Her remark made you feel flustered, maybe you should've waited 30 more minutes. "Come in. It's good you came early, I got a call from the Hunters Association, I have to go in earlier than normal. You coming earlier gives me a chance to also meet you before entrusting you with grandma." She smiled.

Her words were reassuring, her voice and antics making you feel welcomed. You walked inside, shy, folliwing her around the house. She took you to the living room where an old lady was sat in a green armchair.

"Grandma, this is (Y/N). She is here to look after you while I'm away." The girl walked next to her grandma and leaned forward to talk to her, while taking hold of her hand gently. The old lady looked at you, squinting her eyes before putting on her glasses. She smiled once she was able to finally make out your face.

"Oh, hi, dear." The old lady smiled gently. "I am Josephine, it is nice to meet you. My, but your blouse reminds me of how my daughter used to dress when she was around your age." She said genuinely excited. It took you by surprise, and it made you feel a bit self conscious, but you smiled politely.

You sat and chat for half an hour, before Josephine's granddaughter had to leave. Things seemed to workout properly, so you were excited for the actual work to finally start. Once it was only you and Josephine you got in the 'zone', started cleaning up around the house, made food for Josephine and made sure to prepare dinner so her granddaughter had something for when she came home later at night.

You chatted with the old lady and helped her walk around the neighbourhood. You listened to her as she would tell you stories from her youth and sharing wisdom. Of course, you also answered her questions as she tried to find out more about you and your life.

"Poor little thing." Josephine cooed as you helped her sit down on her armchair. You perked your head up, puzzled. "My granddaughter lost her parents too after that unfortunate day, 14 years ago... I took care of her as if she was my own." The old lady went on, her voice warm and comforting. "Even though you went through all that, you managed to keep yourself a clean soul." She smiled at you as she place a hand over yours, keeping you in place, next to her side. "Never taint your heart, my dear, not even for money. I'm sure one day, God will answer to all your prayers." Her words warmed up your heart, almost bringing you to tears. You were glad to have met such a kind person.

"Thank you, Josephine. Hope he will take care of all of us." You muttered in return quietly, holding in big emotions.

After that day, you were called in regularily. You would go there almost everyday, always finishing by 4 in the afternoon, making it in time for taking care of your other clients back in the village.

One day, as you were getting ready to leave Josephine's house for the day, her granddaughter came earlier than usual.

"Hi, (Y/N)!" She greeted you. She walked in followed by a man with light brown hair in a gray suit. Before you could greet her back, she started talking to the man. "I will bring it right away, I didn't even realise he hid it in my bag!" She exclaimed rushing upstairs.

"Artists, always temperamental, always causing ruckus." The man said with a sigh, folding his arms in front of him. "I am deeply sorry to bother you about it, but he threw a tantrum over it not being in his studio anymore." The man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't be there 24/7, I have to go and take care of the business part, make sure he sells and promotes the right charities."

You listened closely. Everything the man spoke about sonded so strange to you. 'Business' and 'charities' were words thrown in your favourite shows by rich people. You were curious to find more, but you were in no position to ask. You tended to Josephine until her granddaughter was free so you could bid her good night before leaving.

"Here you go." Josephine's granddaughter came back downstairs. She was holding on to a big toy-like charm that looked like a puffer fish. "Why'd he hide it in my bag?" She asked, her brows furrowed in annoyance.

"If I knew how his brain was wired, I'd break it open and rewire it properly." The man answered, exasperated. "I'm so grateful, you have no idea. He is starting to get worse, throwing tantrums over tantrums. The studio is always a mess and he never seems to eat properly. The man has access to ordering anything his heart desires, yet he acts as if it's a mystery to pick up the damn phone!" The man boomed, letting out his frustration. He took a sharp breath in and rubbed his eyes with his palm. "Again, I'm really sorry to dump all this on you, but I'm starting to get to my wit's end. It's like he needs a babysitter. Even this 'bodyguard' charade, it's just him acting out. Why does he need so much attention? Why is he getting worse?"

"I'm sorry, Thomas. I see that you care about him, it's okay to feel frustrated. You shouldn't feel bad. Maybe you should get him an actual babysitter." Josephine's granddaughter laughed as she said the last sentence, patting the man gently on the shoulder. "At least for the weekend, so you can finally rest."

"There's no person in this world capable to put up with his insufferable temper." The man named Thomas groaned.

You were growing a bit impatient, as it was starting to be a little over 4 o'clock and you were about to lose the train back. "Excuse me, miss-..." You started awkwardly, trying to sound polite.

"Oh, (Y/N)!" The young woman said your name, almost as if she forgot you were there, and smiled as she shook her head. "Oh, my god!" She clasped a hand on Thomas's shoulder excited, then turned back to look at you. "(Y/N), do you have experience with toddlers?" She asked, hopeful. Thomas looked at her confused. "(Y/N) takes care of my grandmother, she is amazing!" She explained.

"Are you sure you want her to still work for you? Don't send her my way or you might lose her after she spends one hour with him." The man pinched the bridge of his nose again, groaning. "He is capable to ruin everything when he puts his mind to it." He sighed.

You were a bit shocked, the man seemed to have issues with his father. You figured it must be his old father on the verge of dementia, causing a lot of trouble. You were experienced with such cases, especially with the ones that act out like todlers.

"I have worked with dementia patients before." You answered smiling, hoping to snatch another job. From the sound of it, you could make a lot of money if the job went well, they sounded rich. At least this Thomas fellow looked rich.

Josephine's granddaughter and Thomas remained frozen for a moment. The young woman started laughing, while Thomas huffed amused and shook his head.

"Sounds perfect. Thomas, would you like to give it a try?" She chuckled as she nudged the man.

"I didn't think this day would come. I mean, I knew it might happen, but not so soon." He said, defeated. "Are you free this weekend?"

*** Hi hello, leaving a little note. I will write this as a multiple part story. Not sure if it will get anyone's attention, but in case you made it this far, hope you enjoyed this. Thank you for giving this a chance and I will try my best to not disappoint.

I'm not sure if anyone is OOC, maybe Josephine, but hey, in my version, roles are a bit reversed and Josephine and the game's MC are normal people, while YOU, my MC, are special ☆

[chloecherrysip]

all the pain will change into a memory of when we were amazing (mario & luigi-centric post-movie fic, part 2!)

(Part one can be found here!)

(Thanks again to everyone who read the first part and was so sweet about it! Here's the continuation. This is a shorter interlude with Mario and Luigi's family before we get to the main "meat" of the story AKA Mario and Luigi talking on their own in the third part, coming soon. I hope you enjoy, and I appreciate any thoughts/feedback. I will get this uploaded on AO3 as soon as I can as well, if you'd prefer to read over there.)

+

“Hey-o!” 

Things had been so quiet on their long, long, long trek back home that the sudden noise made Mario stiffen as they shuffled through the door, every nerve on high alert for a breathless few seconds. Luigi, who had practically sleepwalked the last block with his head leaned against Mario’s head, using his brother's hat as a makeshift pillow, started too, mumbling a greeting that barely resembled the English language, waving at the front door before realizing he was turned around and swaying around to face the warm light of the dining room instead. It looked like dinner was already over, dishes and silverware being cleared away.

“Look who finally decided to show up! Brooklyn’s brand-new heroes!” Uncle Arthur raised a nearly empty glass of what looked like wine in laughing celebration. “What, you save the city from a bunch of weird turtle goons one time and you’re too good to share a meal with us regular bums?” 

“They were helping with the cleanup,” Aunt Marie hissed, swatting him hard enough to elicit a yelp. “Where were you out there, huh?” She smiled warmly at Mario and Luigi on her way to the kitchen. “Sorry we couldn’t wait any longer. Gramps and Mia needed to get to bed. But don’t worry, we saved plenty!”

“Probably too busy signing autographs for all the bella signore,” Uncle Tony guffawed. “Hard to blame ‘em! Better enjoy it before they figure out you’re plumbers with no money!”

“Heh, yeah. Caught us fair and square,” Mario said, managing a weak laugh. Luigi let loose a tiny, snorting chuckle too, although whether that was because he was backing Mario up or just blindly mimicking what he heard, too lost in his own sleepy little world, Mario wasn’t sure. They were still holding onto one another, which they’d maintained the entire walk back except in places where it was impossible to proceed in that way (ladders and the like). That way, a repeat of the stairs incident couldn’t happen, and Mario had known exactly when Luigi was getting shaky enough to need a break. He squeezed his brother’s hand as a way to check in. It took a few seconds, but Luigi squeezed back gently, which was a small relief.

“Is that the boys!?” Without any further warning, their mother barreled out of the kitchen like a runaway train. She grabbed them in both arms, her shaking grip tight enough that both brothers wheezed from a sudden lack of air. “Oddio, where have you been? You already vanished on us once! My old heart can’t take much more of this.” 

“You’re not that old, Ma,” Luigi murmured, patting her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Mario said as clearly as he could manage with his face smothered in her hair. “Didn’t mean to make ya worry. Just, uh, lost track of time, that’s all.”

“What happened?” That was Dad, moving slower to catch up with her, his brow creased deep. “Are you all right?”

“Never been better!” Luigi insisted, overly bright. The bone-crushing hug had woken him up a little, but now he was using his I’m definitely lying but maybe if I speak at a much higher volume, no one will be able to tell voice. “We were just, y’know, real busy making sure everyone on the block could still…flush their toilets! Everyone forgets how important that is. Can ya believe it?”

“And we had to make sure our friends got home safely too,” Mario jumped in, rubbing his mom’s back with his free hand as she continued to hold on for dear life. You get temporarily swallowed by a giant, man-eating plant in front of your parents one time… “But we’re definitely not going anywhere for the rest of the night, and Aunt Marie said something about leftover food, if you can forgive us…?”

“Of course, of course.” She finally stepped back, but not before one good, firm pinch of the cheek between her fingers for each of them. “You’ve worked so hard, my brave boys. You must be about ready to turn inside out from hunger already. Sit, sit, I’ll bring it to you—”

“Actually, Ma,” Mario interjected as gingerly as possible. “It’s been a really, really long day. Could we, uh, maybe take the food in our room? I know, I know, you don’t like that, but if anything gets messy, I’ll take care of it, promise—” 

“Ya can’t be serious!” Uncle Tony spoke up all of a sudden, his chair screeching against the floor as he jumped up. “You two still gotta give us the whole rundown of where ya been! Where did that angry, spikey dragon-turtle-guy even come from?”

“And the tiny kid who looked like a big ole mushroom with legs!” Uncle Arthur added.

“What about that giant monkey in the tie?” Aunt Marie piped up, half-laughing in sheer disbelief as she came back into the room. “He could talk! And not just little words, no — if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was hittin’ on me.”

“Look, I get it, I get it,” Mario insisted as good-naturedly as he could manage. He started to inch towards the hallway with Luigi in tow, who he could feel becoming jittery from all the new noise. All he needed was a few good, firm excuses, a clear escape route, and they were home-free. “It was pretty crazy stuff, right? But seriously, we’re dead on our feet as it is—” 

“Then sit down already and take a load off!” Uncle Tony insisted right back. “We’ll make coffee!” 

“Nooooo, no coffee for me. Now!? I-I think I might shake right out of my skin if, “Luigi started to joke, only to squeak when Uncle Tony grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to steer him around anyway.

“C’moooon! A story like this can’t wait,” Uncle Arthur groaned. “This is the wildest thing that’s happened since Gramps’ teeth were eaten by that dog on the subway! Have some pity for your elders and their boring lives.” 

“We’ll tell ya all about it tomorrow, I swear!” Mario said a little louder, desperately trying to sound casual even as the words scraped up his throat. It was too loud, too bright. A new wave of dizziness swam over him; everything was starting to seem more and more like a dream, his vision smearing at the edges. The only thing that still felt solid, real was his hold on Luigi. He stayed focused on it like a lifeline, even as they were jostled around. “And you’ll understand then why we need to sleep for a million years and then some, I swear, ‘cause we, we’ve really gone through the ringer here...”

“Don’t you think you’ll feel better if you just sit down for a minute?” Ma asked, smiling warmly. “Besides, I wanted to know a little more about that princess—”

“Ya gotta eat anyway!” Uncle Arthur downed what was left of his glass in one swig. “Don’t make us beg!” 

“Forget the coffee. We’ll break out the Sangiovese and that’ll loosen you up real good,” Uncle Tony snickered.

Their uncle grabbed at Luigi again, pulling him along harder this time — hard enough that he panicked, his flailing hand struggling for a better grip on Mario’s before they were ripped apart. And that reminded Mario’s fuzzy, exhausted brain of something. A feeling he didn’t know how to describe in words but that cut into him like a knife between his ribs just the same, bone-deep and blindsiding and instantly overwhelming. He thought of—

(pink clouds and faint swirling light and green pipes and weird wind tunnels he could practically swim through and black shadows like soot in the air and lava glowing and Luigi shouting his name, Luigi panicking as he tried to calm him down, Luigi’s hand warm and snug against his because nothing could hurt them if they were together and nothing was going to separate them as long as Mario was strong enough, steady enough to make it that way but then there was a sound like thunder and the pressure grew and grew and grew and grew and GREW AND)

His body acted on its own. With both hands, he wrenched Luigi back towards him a few stumbling steps, out of Uncle Tony’s hands. “No!” He yelled, a hoarse, guttural sound. 

Silence, save for car horns on the street outside.

Clarity came over Mario in a slow, creeping wave, quickly turning into a feeling of horror as he registered the way everyone had frozen in place around him, staring with wide, frightened eyes. Even their parents looked stricken. Luigi’s tired expression had flooded with worry too, but there was a glint of something warmer there as well — understanding. I felt it, his eyes said to Mario, as clear as day. I remembered too.

“I-I’m sorry, but we really, REALLY need to take a rain check, all right?” That was Luigi, breaking the silence, talking way more assertively than he usually ever did at home. Most of the time, the others drowned him out, but now, he had everyone’s undivided attention, insistently pointing with his one free hand that wasn’t still clinging to Mario’s. “We, me and Mario here, are a little loopy, all right? Not thinking straight in the least! It’s been a hard day — a hard couple of days! Three days, in fact! Maybe three days, or two! Heck, I don’t even know what day it is anymore! That’s how out of whack we are! Do ya get it already!?” 

“Easy there, Lu,” Mario whispered. There was so much frantic gesturing going on that Luigi was starting to throw himself off-balance, swaying dangerously. He still felt ashamed, raw inside from the outburst, but Luigi jumping in had lessened it to the point that he could breathe again, at least. His amazing brother really was full of surprises today, it seemed. “But he’s right. I…it’s just been a lot."

Some glances were shared around the table. Surprisingly, it was Uncle Tony who spoke up first. 

“Y’know what? You do look like you’d be shoo-ins for a zombie movie, no makeup needed.” He clapped them lightly on the shoulders one more time and then sat back down with a backwards wave of the hand. “Don’t worry about us. Go on, get out of here.”

“Get plenty of rest,” Aunt Marie said, her smile plainly apologetic. 

“Man, that just gave me deja-vu like nobody’s business,” Uncle Arthur laughed. “Remember when they were tiny, Tony? We couldn’t peel them off each other for anything in the world.” 

“Oh man, do I,” Tony snorted. “Not without them scratching and screeching like stray cats! Might as well have made you two — whaddya call it again? — conjoined twins and saved a couple steps.” 

“There was that one time we were babysitting at the park down the street—” 

Mario didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. “Come on,” a familiar, gruff voice said near his ear, followed by two large arms herding him and Luigi away, their mother following close behind. “Get yourselves into the kitchen already.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Mario couldn’t help but insist once they were there, heels squeaking on the faded linoleum. Several of his stern talking-to’s over the years had started out much like this in the past; speaking up right away and defending himself before the inevitable yelling happened was practically second nature. “I didn’t mean to yell, I swear, it was just—”

“Never mind that,” the older man cut him off. There was something soft in his tone, softer than Mario could remember hearing it before, and that was when he realized that he'd misread the situation entirely. His dad's eyes were dark with concern, not anger. "Now come on. Give me your gloves, and shoes too. Both of you."

Mario and Luigi glanced at each other and then down at themselves in confused unison, dimly registering that yes, they were still wearing all of that, having forgotten to take everything off at the door like they usually did. Some slow shuffling later, and it was gathered in a pile. Their dad plucked their hats off their heads as well (also missed), tucking everything in the sturdy crook of one arm. He used his free hand to ruffle their hair and pat their faces, one after the other.

"You did good out there," he said, "but what matters most is that you're all right. That's always gonna be what matters most to us. I just," he swallowed slowly, thickly, "I want to make sure you both know that."

For one very brittle moment, as his dad held his face in his big, warm palm, Mario genuinely didn't trust himself to not start either laughing or sobbing right then and there — maybe a crazy mixture of both. The feeling passed, thankfully, but he still managed a wobbly smile, a small nod.

“Now go and wash up. Ma will get the food ready.” Sure enough, their mother was already bustling around like a madwoman, plates clattering and half-empty pots simmering again on the stove. “Luigi, you first. Datti una mossa.” 

“Yessir!” Luigi looked back at Mario before going, a tired, reassuring, still slightly worried look that said I’ll see you in a couple of minutes, okay? Mario reflected it back, and their dad walked Luigi out of the room, towards the hallway.

“Just promise me you’ll tell us what happened tomorrow, all right?” Mario's attention returned to his mother, who was finishing stirring some reheated sauce with a little too much shaky speed before coming over to him, smushing his cheeks in both hands. “I don’t care how old you two get. You're still my babies, and babies shouldn't keep secrets from their poor mother."

“I promise, I promise! You’re gonna pop my teeth out, Ma!” Mario half-laughed, gently tugging at her wrists so he could talk more clearly. “Definitely tomorrow, okay? Right now, I…I don’t know if I could tell ya if I tried. It’s just a crazy blur, and I really gotta process it all myself, still. We just need a little time."

“I understand.” She drew him into another hug. Mario couldn’t help but sink into the familiar warmth, clinging to her. He’d been so worried about Luigi that he’d never even considered the idea that he might never see his parents again either. The realization hit harder than he’d anticipated. “Besides, I know I have nothing to worry about when you two are together. You do such a good job of looking after your brother.” 

(Or even worse, what if he’d been able to come home in the end — but alone? What if he’d had to sit his parents down and tell them that Luigi was…) 

There it was again — that sudden, sour feeling of wanting to cry, such a heavy wave inside him that he had to clench his teeth to the point of pain to hold back a gasp.

Stupid, he thought bitterly, almost angrily. What did he even have to be crying about? Once again, he weathered the rush, kept the walls intact by a hair. He closed his eyes and just let himself be held.

“Of course, Ma,” he croaked. “Always.” 

[universal-imagines]

💔 ﹝ weren’t meant to be ﹞

i. sano manjiro aka “mikey”

the feeling was not only unique but foreign to him as well, he didn’t get the “traditional” frenzy of butterflies in his stomach, he didn’t feel nervous around you and there was never an outward reaction to you, not a blush or even a twinkle in his eye that showed his growing attachment to you, no one could have known 

the only difference was his sudden possessiveness over you but everyone, even he himself, thought it was just part of his “you’re mine now. your pain, your suffering, it’s all mine” spiel, so he didn’t think it meant anything 

that is until you started talking about someone else... that dark cold energy inside of him threatened to come out every time you gushed about your crush

like a cornered animal it wanted to tear apart everything in its way, to destroy any of trace affection that wasn’t specifically for him

it took an unbelievable amount of self-control not to let that demon inside of him out, so he became distant and every time you sought him out he pulled further and further back until you put two and two together (at least you thought) and realized he didn’t want you around

he knew he’d messed up when he heard from the others that you and the other person had started dating and you were happy, happier than he could have ever made you

but it was for the best, he knew that, he really did... but then why did it hurt so much?

ii. ryuguji ken aka “draken”

as much as he wanted to tell himself this wasn’t his doing and that you just happened to fall for someone else, he knew he was lying to himself

again... he’d done the same mistake again

he’d kept the words to himself and he was beating himself up for it, if only he’d voiced his feelings just once. that’s all it would have taken for you to know, for you to consider him more than just a friend, to see him as a lifelong partner cause that’s how he saw you

he had already pictured what your future together would look like, he saw years of happiness with a nice home far from the city, a place that was warm and full of laughter, with a family to call his own

the images shattered when you introduced them to the group, one by one they disappeared leaving a void he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to fill. but your smile was so wide and your eyes lit up like fireworks every time you glanced their way that he couldn’t help but feel happy for you. he’d just have to keep his feelings a secret and support you

that didn’t mean he’d stop caring for you though, every year without fail he got you the perfect birthday and christmas gift, no one knew how he did it, but it was obvious he listened to you

iii. mitsuya takashi

maybe he had taken you for granted, but could anyone really blame him? you’d been a constant in his life for as long as he could remember. during those tough days spent taking care of his sisters while his mom worked you were the one who kept him company, who made those night bearable

you were also the one who gave him that extra push to become a delinquent, though you made sure to warn him that you weren’t going to be happy if he went too crazy and got hurt. he remembers laughing about it until he saw the serious look in your eyes, his laughter immediately died out and he nodded

but on top of it all you were the person he confided in about all his troubles and he knew you trusted him just the same, so it stung when he found out through someone else that you were dating

to be honest he wasn’t sure what hurt more, that you hadn’t picked him or that you hadn’t told him 

it’s okay if you were to call him an idiot for reading too much into it, but all those late nights on the phone, the kind that ended with both of you falling asleep while on call, and all the walks home together, plus all the sleepovers had to have meant something. even if it wasn’t love, which it painfully wasn’t, it was still some kind of affection 

so why hadn’t you told him about the person you liked? he would have been happy for you, he would have buried his feelings and cheered you on... but now he felt conflicted, like he had to fight for that spot

iv. baji keisuke

unfortunately it was a “right person, wrong time” kind of situation, from the moment the two of you met there was an undeniable attraction, particularly from his side

at the time you were in a relationship, so there was nothing he could do about it except admire you from afar buuuut he didn’t do a very good job at it. he always found himself in close vicinity to you, like a moth to a flame. oh how he would willingly burn to be the one beside you

your relationship didn’t last long though and you were single a couple months later, but he wasn’t about to just jump in and seem desperate, so he let some time go by... a little too much time

before long you were talking to someone else and he couldn’t blame them cause man you had a way of drawing people in, unintentionally too. it was the way you spoke, you were just so energetic when you talked about one of your favorite subjects and you were good at listening to others too. he knew burning cars wasn’t a good thing, but you didn’t reprimand him when he’d tell you about the latest one he’d totaled. you’d just laugh at him for almost getting caught

so it infuriated him how someone else butt in just like that, but he didn’t want to cause trouble for you, if you wanted them then he’d back off and he did. that’s when he joined valhalla, only to find out you hadn’t actually gotten with the other person and were looking for him, but he had to go through with his plans

if only he could have made it back to you

v. hanemiya kazutora

how can one person make so many mistakes? from the beginning he had you. it wasn’t an attainable wish he just needed to work towards or a maybe, you were dating and you were happy 

but then he made his first mistake that led him to juvie. it could have cost him everything, it could have cost him you, but you decided to wait. it was almost hard to believe that you’d stick with him but you did. you sent him letters so he didn’t feel alone and you keep him updated on everything. you were also the first person to greet him when he got out, before even baji

he should have known things were going to go downhill from there. you weren’t at all happy about his decision of joining valhalla, you tried talking him out of it, multiple times, telling him to talk things out but he didn’t listen. and yet, you still stayed by his side. it was probably to keep him grounded, you were the little conscience he had left, but it wasn’t enough...

the last straw was seeing him drive that knife into baji, his best friend and your childhood friend. it erased any progress you thought you’d done and made you realize he was a lost cause

it didn’t matter that he took responsibility, or that he promised to change, or that mikey decided to forgive him for his past actions. he’d betrayed you, when all you had wanted was for him to have his life back

this time you didn’t wait for him and by the time he got out you had a new life, far away from him and his destructive touch, but at least you were happy. he could live with that

vi. shiba hakkai

damn him and his goddamn fear, it’d taken him too long to get the courage to ask you out. the worst part about it was that he had been ready for a while he just didn’t want to bring you into the mess that was his family

he couldn’t imagine a fruitful relationship after you’d met his brother and he was afraid that taiju would do something to you. you weren’t exactly a member of toman but you still hung around them enough that other gangs knew of your existence and affiliation. he’d never be able to forgive himself if you got hurt because of him

so he waited. every day begging that you didn’t find out about his secret and think of him a disappointment, that would cause his whole world to come crumbling down. you and mitsuya were his safe haven, if either of you changed your views on him he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. he thought that was the worst thing that could happen

but then he saw you walking out of the cinema, hand in hand with someone else, and he felt the wind leave his chest. the pain that filled it was so intense that no punch from taiju could hurt this bad

he couldn’t help the warm tears stinging his eyes, if only he’d fought back sooner and stood his ground, he could have been the one next to you

[fluffysucker]

We paint the town blue

Bucky Barnes x Reader (AU)

Boxer/Biker! Bucky Barnes x Chef! Reader.

Part of the Miss Americana & The heartbreak Prince universe AKA Bucky and his princess.

ALL ONESHOTS COULD BE READ AS STAND-ALONE

Your first I love you.

Written in Third POV. No use of Y/N. However, the reader is referred to as a female. Likes, comments, reblogs are VERY VERY highly appreciated.

Main Masterlist

It was as cliche as movies. To say your first I love during your first fight.

It had been some time since your fantastic first date, and it had been wonderful ever since. You went on lots of other dates, and each one was more breathtaking than the previous. From beach days, picnics, fancy places, movies to staying over at the restaurant and midnight walks, everything was perfect. Bucky was perfect.

You found what people say about him, claiming him to be very bizarre. A big lie. He was the sweetest person.

He loved astrology and space. He loved the army's stories and knew everything about World War Two. He loved reading. He loved the 40th music. He loved to slow dance. He loved to take long walks around and outside the city. He loved to go to museums and exhibitions. He loved having deep conversations.

He was funny. He was caring. He was fiercely loyal. He was a family man. He was smart. He was passionate. He was compassionate. He was kind. He was good-hearted.

He was everything good. And he was yours. Your perfect boyfriend.

It didn't take him long to ask you to be his girl officially. Couple dates and he was attached. He couldn't imagine going another day where you weren't his girl.

After an amazing date, with his leather jacket draped over your shoulder, his hands wrapped around your waist, one of your hands around his neck and the other holding the flowers that he insisted to buy you mid-date, your lips connected in the most gentle loving kiss, he knew this was the moment. He wanted to stay like this forever. This was the heaven he read about and dreamt of

You broke away, your eyes never leaving each other, your sweet-tasting lipgloss lingering on his lips, your soft smile big on your face. Like everything with you, he let his heart take over. Words fell from him, unplanned.

"Please, be my girl"

Your smile got bigger, your eyes had a different shine, your heartbeats could be heard from afar, butterflies ran in your stomch, and your mind screamed one word over and over.

With your red cheeks, you stood on your highest tiptoe, kissing Bucky, your boyfriend.

And just like that, you were dating Bucky Barnes.

You understood a bit by bit why people thought that of him. He didn't show that side with anyone. The side he ofter let you saw was only for eyes.

When he would tell you about his day in more than three words. When he would respond to your childhood stories with little glimpses of his. When he would spend the night, his head resting on your chest, his body above yours without crushing you. When he would let you run your fingers through his hair. When he would listen to your talking for hours nonstop. When he would make you laugh and smile. When he would send you texts through the day, checking on you, despite being a wall apart most days. When he would walk you home every night. When he would wait for you at the restaurant's door so he would see your face first thing in the morning. When he would lay soft kisses on your hands when you served him and the guys whenever they stopped by.

All stuff that was reserved to you. All the efforts he put for you. Looking at you like you hung the moon and the stars. Treating you like a princess.

When your relationship became known to other people, especially those surrounding the gym and restaurant, people would warn you about how dangerous Bucky was, how he was to ruin your life, how bad he was for. You wanted to laugh out loud.

You had been on your own most of your life. You had known bad. You had seen bad. And Bucky was the farthest away from bad. The 6'1 "foot long muscular boxer made you feel safe. He made you feel loved and protected.

Yes, you were worlds different, but he had nothing to do with you. The sweet girl with colourful dresses next door. If he didn't want you, then he wouldn't be with you. So you didn't listen to people's words. You never let it affect.

You and Bucky were doing fine. So fine.

Until one day, you weren't.

You were storming to your apartment, Bucky following behind. You weren't going to have this conversation in front of anyone. You opened your apartment's door, throwing the keys aside.

"I'm still trying to understand why you're upset." Bucky was the first to start talking, closing the door.

You turned to him as you took off your shoes and cardigan, leaving you in your tank top and skirt.

"How would you feel if you saw a picture of me on social media with three men that you don't know at all, kissing my cheeks, when I told you I was at work."

You didn't expect the turn your day was taking when you decided to have a little break since business was slow today. You checked your phone and saw that Sam posted a story to his account. You pressed on it and regretted it immediately.

There was your boyfriend, surrounded by three very beautiful women, all laying kisses to his face. And he had a little smile on his face.

You could swear you heard the knife that went through your heart. Of course, you trusted Bucky. But this was too much. Too much for anyone. Too much for you.

"I was at work." Bucky tried to justify.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know your work as a boxer involved being showered with kisses by different women." Your voice almost broke. The anger and sadness running through your body mixed together.

You had no idea how to handle this. What to do?What to say? You were clueless. All you knew was that you hated how this picture made you feel.

"These are my friends. They were joking. They stopped by and stayed for a bit. They decided to joke around." Bucky didn't like the sight of you sad and angry. Because of him. He absolutely despised it.

"I swear to you, doll. There is nothing going on. They are just my friends." He added. When he saw that you still had doubts in your eyes, he walked towards you slowly.

"Okay, look." He said as he stayed a bit further from you than normal. He hated it so much, but he was trying to figure how to handle a situation when you were upset.

He brought his phone out, unlocking it and opening the story to see the picture. He had to admit the picture was questionable. If it was reserved, he would be very anrgy. He would've messed stuff up before trying to talk.

"This is Wanda. She is married to Vision. A nice British guy. This is Natasha. She had a sex only relationship with Steve until she met Bruce and fell in love with him. This is Yelena. She is asexual." Bucky explained to you as he pointed to each one in the picture.

"And they know I hate physical touch and affection. They thought it would be a funny way to mess me." You turned to look at Bucky as he talked.

"Except from you." He said quickly, pulling a small smile from you.

"It's all platonic. They are like sisters to me." Bucky let out a breath of relief when your face softened.

"I trust you, Bucky. But seeing this." You didn't know how to phrase your thoughts.

"I understand, doll. You had every right. I'm sorry." Bucky knew he was in the wrongs. Apologising seemed the right way to go.

Bucky was happy as he saw you nod your head as an acceptance of his apology. But his happiness was short lived as you spoke your next words.

"You know. All of this would have been avoided if you had introduced me to them."

"Not this again."

This was a topic you often found yourself disagreeing about. You felt you were going steady enough for you to meet the rest of his friends. You already met some of them. You got along very well with Sam and Steve. Along with the others who frequented the gym sometimes. How bad the rest could be? But Bucky turned the suggestion down immediately.

For Bucky, meeting the rest meant meeting the real him. The team knew him too well. They knew what he was capable of. What he could do. But they weren't so innocent either. They understood each other. That's what made them family.

You, on the other hand, didn't belong there. You were the sweet soul in his tortured world. You, who filled his days with your colours. You, who made him feel like a teenage boy with a crush. You, who guided him through the darkness. You, the sunshine of his life.

You had nothing to do near them. He was feeling guilty enough for being with you. You deserved better. But he chose to be selfish. He couldn't live without you. But that didn't mean tinting you more.

"Yes again and again. Until you tell me why you don't want me to meet them." You may be able to forgive the whole picture thing. But this, no. You needed answers.

"You have nothing in common. Why do you even want to meet them?" He knew why. Because you were so caring that you wanted to know everything about him. You wanted to be involved in the things he likes and loves. Because nobody cared about him like you.

"Because I should meet the people that my boyfriend spends most of his time with."

"And I said I don't want you to."

"Why? Are you ashamed of me or something?"

The question should have slowed things down, but it only made him more frustrated. You think he would be ashamed of you? Sometimes, he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. That you were really his girl.

You weren't always thinking like this. However, when your boyfriend refuses to let you meet the people, he calls family, every single time. Your mind wonders.

"My god, that's what you think? That I'm ashamed of you. "

"Are you?"

"Of course not. How do you even think of this?"

"Then why are you so insistent that I never even have a chance to meet them?"

"Because I love you."

Silence filled the room for seconds. Both of you looking at each other.

"You love me?" The whisper left you as moved back towards Bucky.

"Yes, I love you. I'm so in love with you that I can't believe it sometimes. I'm so in love with you that I would give up my life for you in heartbeat."

"Which is why I don't want you to meet the others. This means letting you see that side of me. The boxer who beats people with no mercy. Who spills blood without looking back. And I can't."

"Bucky..."

"You won't look at me again. You won't want to be in the same room with me. You will run away."

"Bucky.."

"And I can't let you go. God knows I tried. I couldn't. You are the best thing in my life. I can't handle you hating me."

"Bucky.."

"So let me have this. The time I have with you before you realise the big mistake you're making. Before you realise you deserve a better man. Before you leave me..."

The feeling of your lips smashing against his wasn't something Bucky expecting. You kissed him with force. With purpose.

"Would you stop talking, please?" You said, your hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to you.

"I love you, Bucky."

For this first time in his life, Bucky felt his heart drop from happiness. Nothing made him want to shed happy tear up to this moment.

"I love you so much that nothing can ever make me hate. Nothing you say or show me will change it. I love you."

"You are all I have, Bucky. Nobody ever made me feel so happy, safe, and appreciated. For me, this is forever. I want you to be my forever. So, don't ever think there's a part of you that I wouldn't love."

This time, it was Bucky who leaned to kiss you. The kiss was deep. He was trying to pour all his love for you into it. To tell you how nobody mattered like you.

He moved his hands to your hips, lifting you to wrap your legs around his waist, still kissing you.

"I love you. I love you so much, princess." Bucky spoke quickly, still trying to catch his breath.

"I love you too, Bucky." You tightened your arms around his neck, nuzzling into his neck, wrapping yourself around him while he laid kisses on your hair

There was nothing like this

[thousandfourhundreddays]

In An Instant

Matty Healy x Reader

A/n hope you enjoy this sickly sweet depiction of my dream, aka eloping with the one and only Matty Healy. If anyone enjoys and wants part two of this then let me know because I’d love to write it!!

Masterlist

“Marry me”

The stillness of the bedroom was broken by Mattys hushed question, the words rolling from his tongue before he could process his own proposition. Your breath hitched in your throat when you heard his words, your heartbeat quickening with every passing second, the feeling of Matty holding you close being the only thing keeping you grounded.

Lifting your head up off of his chest, you tried to read his face, trying to decipher whether he was joking or not.

You and Matty had only been together for just over a year, but that year had felt like a lifetime, reminders of him now scattered through your everyday life, the single coffee cup that found its way into the sink but never quite cleaned, there were now two. The bathroom counter that used to hold only one toothbrush, now held his aswell. Alongside the tens of bottles of your own skincare and makeup, there was an addition of his, but only one or two. That empty, and once unused corner of your bedroom, was now home to Matty’s guitar, specifically the one you liked to fall asleep to the sound of.

Despite the darkness of the room, his eyes were bright and full of life, possibly longing if you looked close enough. His bottom lips was caught between his teeth, anxiety cursing through his veins whilst you could hear him hold his breath waiting for your reaction.

“W-what?” You stuttered, your words filtered through your lips with a confusfed laugh,

“Just me and you.” His voice remained low, his mind racing with the possibility of your reaction, the possibility of a ‘no’. He brought the arm that was wrapped around your shoulders to brush the stray hairs out of your face. “I don’t care about a big wedding” he continued when you didn’t speak, your eyes wide and firmly fixed to his, “I just want to marry you” the end of his sentence faded into a shy whisper. “Right now” It was a crazy idea, really, you were young, busy, possibly a bit naive, but in that moment, as you lay tangled together in the duvet, your bodies coated by the rays from the streetlights outside and a thin veil of sweat, a very telling reminder of the last few hours you’d spend together, you thought it was undoubtedly the best idea he’d ever had.

Slowly, you let a wide smile emerge across your face, the same smile that made Matty fall in love with you the first time he saw you and would fall insanely deeper in love with every time he saw it.

“Ok” you spoke definitely, moving to rest your chin on his chest, eyes not moving as you gazed up at him, taking him by surprise slightly although it was his idea, of course, there was a fragment of doubt floating in the back of his mind. The breath that was trapped within his lungs escaped as all the moments he’d once pictured whilst lay in bed at night, you in his arms, flashed through his mind, again. And suddenly, the big house, even bigger garden, just outside of the city, but still close enough for you to make your way out for your impromptu, messy, drunken nights out that ended with kissing against walls down dirty back ally’s, the dining table big enough for both your family and his and the Sunday dinners that he, but probably mostly you, would cook. And the as yet unknown number of kids running around the garden, grass stained knees and the sound of tears but always predominantly laughter, Matty felt one step closer to all of those moments.

“Ok?” You simply nodded. “Ok as in ‘yes’?” Another nod, your smile unmoving. “Ok as in ‘yes Matty I will marry you’?”

Tangled limbs came free as you moved against him, soft skin brushing against his own as you moved to straddle his hips, hands coming to cup his jaw as he watched you carefully.

“Yes, Matthew Healy” you kissed him slowly, “love of my life,” another kiss, “man of my dreams” he giggled, “I would marry you in an instant”

[dreamerdoesthewritething]

[Did anyone ask for Part 3, aka the sequel to this and this? No? Too bad, you're getting it, anyway.]

Leon has been staying with you for over a week now. It's nice having your best friend in your life every day again, nicer than you thought it would be. This isn't the first time he's lived with you. After his family was killed, your parents brought him home, where he stayed until he decided he wanted to go back to his house. He was a teen when he made that choice. Your parents had managed to gain ownership of the Kennedy house for that exact reason.

He had moved out of that house a couple of years ago, selling it with the help of your father so he could live somewhere smaller with less horrible memories. Turned out his nightmares were worse in the place where the murders happened than anywhere else. Made sense, but he didn't think about that when he chose to return. He wanted his own place, a kind of teenage dream. What teen didn't want a house free from rules? But it didn't work out in that nightmare colonial. He traded it for a little townhouse and put the rest of the money in savings for future use.

That townhouse was his new home, the only one for him...until now, when he found he couldn't go back.

You had returned to work just yesterday. Coworkers offered their condolences, having heard you suffered a terrible loss which led you to take a leave of absence for a month. Some asked who it was. They had their reasons. Prayers, curiosity, sympathy, etc. You managed to get away with, "I don't wanna talk about it," for now, but you had a feeling it wouldn't work for much longer.

The thing is...Leon asked you to keep him a secret. He doesn't want anyone to know he's around. Even if that means everyone still thinks he's dead, he has to remain hidden. It's quite the paranoid request, but he wouldn't make it for no reason. You made this promise. You intend to keep it, no matter what.

Your parents have stopped by once during this week to check up on you. Leon hid in the guest bedroom. That's where he stayed whenever you weren't home. Hell, sometimes he'd be there even when you were, just in case. Can't be seen, or at least has to try to be seen by as few people as possible.

His behavior was like a fugitive, a man on the run. But he's a cop. He committed zero crimes. It's his job to arrest the criminals, not be a criminal himself. You try to imagine Leon doing anything illegal. The worst you can see him doing is shoplifting a candy bar from a gas station, and even then only because he was holding it and forgot he hadn't paid for it yet.

So what is he hiding from?

Maybe it's the press. Surely everyone would want to know how he managed to escape from Raccoon City as one of a handful of survivors of both the viral outbreak and the nuke. He didn't need that shit. Not now, not ever. It reminds you of when reporters kept trying to bother him after the murders of his family. Your mother and father shielded him from that as best they could, eloquently but firmly telling the journalists to fuck off. Leon was a little boy, not a news story. He always told your parents how thankful he was for how much they took care of him then.

Now it's your turn to do the same.

You're unlocking your front door, coming back from work at the end of the day. You feel something hard press against your back as a hand suddenly covers your mouth to muffle any sound you might make. Struggling is instantly impossible. Someone else finishes opening the door and you're forced inside.

Next thing you know, you're tied up on the floor. There's strangers in your house with guns. You're still reeling from being assaulted in the first place, so the shock and fear of your situation hasn't quite caught up to you yet.

"Where's Leon?" one of the armed men demands.

"Leon? Who--?"

"Don't even think about it," the man growls, getting up in your face. "You know exactly who the fuck Leon is. We wouldn't be wasting our time with the likes of you if we didn't know that."

Your brow furrows. "I was gonna ask who the fuck you are, for your information. I'm not so fucking stupid as to try to play dumb with dickheads who attack me in my own goddamn home."

The man backs off, but not enough for you to feel even a little more comfortable. The fear still hasn't taken hold. You press on. "Now, I don't give two shits who or what you work for, but as an American, I have rights! Rights that have been violated the moment you put your damn hands on me! If you think this won't come back to bite you--"

"Your rights don't matter in this," the man says. The look in his eyes has you shutting up, because it's clear if you keep talking, he will hit you and he will take great pleasure in doing it. "Look, princess, I'll make it real simple for you. We need Leon. You tell us what we wanna know, we get outta your hair, and it'll be like this never happened. You get that? Cuz trust me, I don't wanna be here any more than you want us."

"What are you going to--?"

"None of your damn business."

You swallow hard, forcing yourself to be strong. This man is intimidating, but he's talking about your best friend. He's with other men and they're all armed and they want your best friend. If this guy knows anything about you, he should know you won't put Leon in danger just to save yourself. You'd never.

"Just kill me. I ain't telling you shit," you say.

It doesn't have the impact you want since your voice is shaking and you can feel tears stinging your eyes, but it's the truth. You won't talk. You won't give up Leon to them. They've disrespected you, threatened you. They're hunting Leon for some reason. You don't need to know the reason, you decide. You can die without knowing, as long as it means Leon is safe.

Before the scene can escalate, your hero swoops in for the rescue, bypassing all the other armed men to put himself between you and your immediate threat. You wish he hadn't. Now they'll take him away from you to do...whatever it is they wanted with him. If he just took this opportunity to escape...

"Mr. Kennedy," the man says. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

"Yeah, I know," Leon says in a tight voice. "But that's on me, not her. She's got nothing to do with this, alright? Leave her alone."

"You brought her into this. What have you told her?"

"Not a goddamn thing! She's just given me somewhere to stay! That's it! She doesn't know anything!"

It's true. He hasn't told you anything about Raccoon City or the month he was gone after that. He was protecting you by keeping that to himself. Now he's protecting you again. The desperation cuts right through to your heart. Just who are these guys that they've got Leon Scott Kennedy so scared for you?

"Even if I believe you, which is a fucking huge if...I have my orders. We're to take both of you in for questioning." The man shakes his head as the other guys grab Leon and pick you off the ground. "This wouldn't have had to happen if you'd just stayed on base, Kennedy. You have no one to blame but yourself."

You're pushed into an unmarked but clearly military vehicle, still tied up with an armed man on either side of you. Leon is likewise sandwiched in the seat across from yours, facing you. The leader of the squad and another guy take the front and passenger seats. Then you're off to...who knows where?

Leon is seething as he looks at you. It's not because of you, but rather what you've been subjected to by these people. The men are unbothered by his glare. They don't care about his feelings or yours. They'd rather not be here, anyway.

"Why?"

He's speaking through gritted teeth in a dangerous tone you haven't heard before. All the other people in the vehicle look at him.

"Why is she still restrained?" Leon demands. "There's no goddamn reason for it. We're literally fucking trapped in here with you. Untie her. Now."

Despite the odds being very much against him, Leon's unspoken threat is not ignored. The men at your sides undo the bindings around your arms, finally setting you free. Your arms are stiff and sore, but you'll get over it. Well, if you make it out of whatever this is alive you will.

Without warning or care about potential consequences, Leon takes your hands in his. His stare is still so intense.

"Did they hurt you?"

You shake your head. You don't want to talk, not after everything that's just happened, not with these strangers around. Besides, you get the feeling you're going to be doing a lot of talking in the near future, whether you want to or not. His hands give yours a reassuring squeeze and doesn't let go.

"I won't let them do anything to you, I swear."

It's a little late for that, you think. You suppose he simply forgot the word "else" after "anything" since he didn't see how these guys introduced themselves to you. He's also forgetting they have weapons while he doesn't. He's hardly in any position to be making promises to protect you or even himself.

You're both so fucked and the worst part is you have no idea why.

-_-_-_-_

You face hours and hours of questioning from government men, stuck in a tiny humid room with a single bottle of water and no food. They won't even let you out to use the restroom, forcing you to hold your bladder. They want to know anything and everything Leon has told you since he showed up at your doorstep. You tell them over and over. Your story never changes. It's never good enough, though.

What are you supposed to do when they refuse to listen to the truth?

You're tired. You have to piss more than you ever have in your life. You don't even know where these government agents have taken you. Any patience you had before is gone. Your tongue hurts from all the biting you've done to keep from crying. They don't deserve to see your tears. They're not worthy of that victory. You just want to go home. Why won't they let you?

You can't take it anymore. And you just scream. A guttural, screeching sound with no words. All your stress vocalized in one long, distressing noise. Your captors don't know how to react to this, so they just yell at you. Threaten you with physical harm if you don't stop. They're already harming you by keeping you here.

The shrieking is the last straw. Other people come rushing into the room, chewing out your captors for holding you in this shithole for so long. One of them, a woman, ushers you out to the nearest restroom, apologizing for not intervening sooner. She assures you that you'll be free to go and will be compensated for this. Ah, hush money. At least that's what it sounds like.

What about Leon?

She can't say. Or won't say. It's not her place. She isn't allowed. Another secret. You feel sick. You want to go home, but you don't want to go without knowing he's okay.

What she can tell you is they're not going to hurt him. He's a valuable asset to America in a new war and they're not about to do anything that might cost them his loyalty. You're pretty sure they already crossed that line when those men held you captive in your own home, but you keep that to yourself.

After your much-needed potty break, you're escorted into a much nicer room with air conditioning. You're provided with food and drink while they arrange for someone to take you back home. Should you be concerned about possible drugs in this stuff? Eh, fuck it. Hunger and thirst overrule paranoia right now.

When your way home is ready, Leon is there with your escort. Stoic, but his eyes burn with a harsh blue flame. If he could burn this place to the ground, that'd be the ignition. Some of that rage seeps into his expression when he looks at you. The redness around your eyes and your sniffling give it all away. They made you suffer. They made you suffer, because of him.

It's just you, Leon, and the driver. The car they're using is expensive, but it's also a boring black government-typical vehicle. You and Leon climb in the backseat. You haven't said a word to each other since your reunion. Frankly, you're done talking for the day if you can help it. You don't feel safe to do so, anyway. This car is probably wired to record anything and everything you do.

You're so, so tired. You can't keep your head up or your eyes open anymore. You fall over until your head meets Leon's shoulder, using it as a pillow. He lets you. You deserve this rest. You deserve so much. You deserve so much more than to have a friend like him, a friend who shows up when you're grieving his alleged death and pulls you into such a mess.

He doesn't bother waking you when the car pulls up to the house. Instead, he picks you up and carries you inside, laying your sleeping form on top of your bed. He takes off your shoes, then tucks you in more properly. It can't be comfortable sleeping in your work clothes, but he's not about to strip you or change your clothes while you're unconscious. Not without consent. You've been violated enough today...More than enough...Way, way more than enough.

Now that you're back where you belong, the weight of today starts taking its toll on Leon. He can't rest yet, however. He knows your home has been messed with and he'll be damned if he lets them keep their bugs and wiretaps and shit just because he's here. They know that. He told them as much when they confronted him for running away from the training camp. They've already forced his hand. They already used Sherry's safety against him. They're not getting to use his best friend, too.

Minding your peace, he scours every itch and crevice of your house for their devices, tearing the electronics out and stomping them under the heels of his boots. He checks everywhere twice, then a third time, just to be sure. It all ends up in a trashcan, which he tosses outside until he can dispose of this shit more permanently. It's the least he can do.

He returns to your room, taking a seat on the corner of the bed and looking at you. You're restless in your slumber. It's to be expected, he supposes. He lets out the heaviest sigh, closing his eyes. You shouldn't have had to go through any of the things those assholes put your through. He shouldn't have put you in this position. What kind of friend is he?

And when he thinks about that month...

He was beginning the training the government "asked" him to join, a task force for fighting B.O.W.s and other miscellaneous issues. Any connections to the rest of the world were prohibited. They wanted him to themselves, believing he had no one. He let them believe that, just like they let everyone who ever cared about him believe he perished with Raccoon City.

They let you believe he died.

A month of mourning.

For him, too.

He had to come to grips with the incident on his own. So many people met once and lost shortly thereafter. People he never got the chance to meet until after they were no longer human. The mysterious woman in red whose fate he wasn't sure of. Zombies. Monsters. Death. So much death. More than he ever thought he'd see in his lifetime.

You didn't have to see any of it. You didn't need to. You always had an active imagination. What horrible images had you tormented yourself with when you thought he was dead? How much did you cry for him? How many nights did you lose sleep? Just how did you grieve for him, the little boy you comforted during the worst times of his life turned into a man you thought became nothing but ash?

Just thinking about it churned his stomach. Neither of you asked for this. Neither of you wanted any of this. Neither of you deserved what you've been through since he decided to join the RPD.

Your eyelids flutter, then open halfway. He can't stop himself from gently cupping your face.

"Leon," you murmur.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No...You haven't slept."

A small smile. "That obvious?"

"Yeah...Look shittier than usual."

"Oh, you're one to talk."

You grab his arm and pull him down with you, his chest against yours. Your arms wrap around him. As if you're actually strong enough to keep him there if he didn't want to be. Your grip is rather lazy since you're only half-awake.

"Go to sleep."

"Is that an order, ma'am?"

"Mhm."

He shifts his position to get more comfortable. You're unconscious again already. He doubts he'll actually fall out as easily as you are right now, but he'll stay here regardless. Can't risk waking you up, after all. It'll be day soon and you certainly don't need to know that.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

[yoonkinii]

We Were Human

Pairing(s): Ascended!AstarionxReader

Part 2:

Synopsis: Astarion died as soon as he became something the world has never seen before. No one noticed the damage before it was too late and the Astarion everyone loved was lost to the new one. No one could notice when the turn was slow and silent. He slowly lost the playful glint in his eyes. Lost the love he gaze upon me with. Lost everything that made him the man I loved. Oh, how I would give anything to get him back. I would gladly give up my damned soul for him.

Aka you are transported back to the past in order to prevent ascended Astarion from losing himself the only problem? You don’t have a lot of time.

-

Masterlist

Warnings: Gore, blood, cruelty, cursing, death/murder, mentions of using oneself unwillingly, abuse. Its ascended astarion, prepare for the worse.

Note(s): For the sake of the plot- Astarion will not automatically be damned from the start. In this world, Astarion becomes lost to the ascension overtime until he becomes the ascended vampire we know him to be in the game. Another note that should be highlighted is that this story will be told from the first person perspective since it benefits the story more than any other perspective.

You will also notice various things being different from the game. For example, Karlach will be able to stay in the ‘human’ world and she fixed her heart. (I love my girl, I’m not sending her back), Szaars palace has a different layout cause the one in the game was stupid. There will be more that you will notice in the future so beware.

Thank You.

-

The water was warm against my skin, chasing away the chill that coated my flesh like second skin. After my whole breakdown with Astarion, he had to step out to assist Gale with Wyll. If I was remembering correctly, the city was being rebuilt by everyone still left alive and Wyll had taken on the position of Duke. Everyone in my little team ended up with a high ranking position, each controlling a certain decision when it came to rebuilding the city. Karlach was paired with Damon with rebuilding homes and stores. Shadowheart and Halsin took care of the injured. Lae’zel looked over people working so they don’t fall out of line. Jaheira and Minsc left the city looking for survivors that may have found misfortune. Gale was sort of Wylls advisor, using his vast amount of intellect when Wyll need it. And Astarion was the Lord of Szaars place, an already powerful figure just by title. Even more powerful when the very first ascended vampyre owned it.

Astarion left with Gale, muttering something alone the lines of ‘mortals can’t do anything’ but agreed to help regardless. It was a little strange to be back in the position of the hero of Baldurs Gate and not confined to one room. I can’t help but find myself waiting to wake up, to open my eyes and be greeted with the same dark ceiling. I wait and wait but I never wake up. None of it felt real and I was scared it wasn’t real; that I somehow died in my sleep and was just replaying my memories.

That was an absurd notion. He would never let me die. Not when my life was controlled by him in every aspect.

The door to the bathroom opened gently, a familiar face entering. She paused in front of the now closed door, eyes trained to the floor as she bowed slightly at the waist. Her green wide eyes glanced up at me nervously, orange hair pinned back with some clips.

“Lucinda.” I greeted her with a smile, singling her to come in with a nod.

Lucinda was one of the first servants we ever hired to serve in the palace. She lost her entire family in the final battle and was lost without a loved one or home. She was also the first spawn Astarion made- minus me.

Flashes of tangled limbs, Lucinda’s hair, and his dark gaze watching me flashed in my mind. I couldn’t help but grimace at the memory. I had walked into our shared room without a second thought only to be faced with him bedded with Lucinda. Even in the darkened room, I could see the love filled gaze Lucinda gaze into him while he watched me with a raised brow as if I was the one in the wrong. I sobbed my heart out that day- or my figurative heart out.

Lucinda tried to smile back at me but it looked strained- like her skin wasn’t used to moving like that. That was how she usually was. She was quiet but efficient and half the time she felt like a ghost, silently walking around the palace and doing what was expected of her without a single complaint.

Even as she got closer to me, I didn’t feel any hatred towards her. I knew she was one of his victims, knew that she fell for the false promises and loveless lyrics that danced on his tongue. I also fell for them.

Lucinda wordlessly assisted bathing me, gentle and nimble fingers making sure every part of my body was clean before offering me a towel to dry off. We were both silent even as she fit me into my gown for the evening. She tightened the bodice, pinned my hair up in a crown of braids, and dangled silver jewlery from my ears and neck. I stood before a mirror, eyes slightly widened as I looked back at my reflection. My reflection ws another privilege I had lost from him. It was so simple for him, taking things away from me without a second thought. He could give but he could also take. My throat tightened as I recalled how I was able to stand in the sun and now I could even see my reflection.

My eyes trailed over my gown and I had to admit that Lucinda picked something splendid for today. The maroon dress was made from rich, luxurious fabric that had a subtle sheen to it, adding a touch of opulence to the overall appearance. The bodice of the dress was tailored to perfection, creating a flattering and regal appearance for my body. Intricate silver thread adorned the neckline and cuffs, depicting carefully crafted whirls of life on the fabric.

The neckline of the dress was boat shaped, covering most of my chest but still exposing my collarbones. The sleeves were long and flowy, the cuffs of my sleeves almost creating maroon waves; swishing with every movement of my hands. The skirt of the dress was full and cascaded to the floor and even though it was long, I could still move freely. Just like the neckline and cuffs, the hem of the dress was adorned with the same intricate threading.

My lips were painted with color and my eyes lined with kohl to accentuate my features. Lucinda gingerly placed black heels before me- offering her hand to help me balance as I put on the heels. Once done, I looked at my reflection once, nodding with acceptance.

“Astarion is with Wyll still, correct?”

“Yes, My Lady.” Lucinda replied so softly that if there was any other sort of noise in the room, I would’ve missed her response. “Lord Astarion has not returned from the Dukes.”

“Thank you, Lucinda. I will be heading over there now.”

She nodded her head, bowing at the waist as I turned to leave the bathroom. Exiting the bathroom, I walked down the halls I had been locked away in. I noticed that some decorations were missing- we must have not gotten them yet. The palace was made up of two stories. Upon entering, a grand foyer awaits, featuring double sweeping staircases parallel from each other. The staircases were carpeted with a dark red runner leading to the second floor before continuing down the halls of the second floor. The walls were decorated with various tapestries purchased from various merchants. The double staircases create a sort of entryway to the reception room appointed with fine furniture and gilded fixtures.

After accessing the second floor via that staircase, it branches out left and right. The halls create a sort of square shape, if someone was to walk left and follow down the hall, they would end up at the opposite of the staircase they used to get up. The whole palace had dark wooden floors in every room and dark walls that constantly casted the palace in a permanent shadow, even with the windows open. The halls are lined with a series of private chambers and living quarters. The servants quarters take up most of the left side of the second floor, various rooms provided from them- even if Lucinda is the only current servant. Towards the second floor, in the middle of the two halls, lies Astarions study. An exquisite study with towering bookshelves and the same exquisite furniture that can be found around the house. The back wall of his study, across from the entrance to it, is made out of pure glass. Differing window panes were used to create a floor to ceiling window-wall that showcased the city below.

Our shared bedroom is down the hall from his office. If someone was to exit his study, take a left and walk down the hall until they turned the corner, the first door on the left would lead to our chambers. Upon entering, the canopied bed is pressed against the middle of the wall, black lace curtains offering privacy whenever needed. To the left of the bed, there were doors that lead to a private balcony that was large enough to adorn a small table and two chairs. I usually found Astarion reading there when he had enough free time. There wasn’t much in our room, other than the usual litter of Astarions book collection and a small work desk pressed against the corner of the wall next to the balcony doors. Astarion rarely ever used it, choosing to do his work in his studies. The walls were adorned with artwork but the most notable one was the portrait of not only Astarion and I but everyone in our small little team. All of us were wearing smiles on our faces, even Lae’zel who seemed to have a permanent frown etched onto her skin. That portrait hung above the work desk and there were a few times I had caught Astarion looking at it as he sat at that desk.

I finished climbing down the staircase, heels clicking against the wooden floor that was exposed from the lack of carpet covering it. I exited the palace and was greeted with the same scene I saw the first time I stepped out but less people were out. This wasn’t surprising since the sun was already starting to set. I followed the familiar path to where I knew Astarion would be, weaving and dodging people that were too busy to notice me passing by. A few did notice me, waving and calling out to me. I could only offer a small wave and smile back as I passed down various streets. The city looked almost unrecognizable with all the decimated buildings and death clinging to the air.

Finally reaching the building I was looking for, I opened the doors and was created with a long hallway with many doors lining the walls. It was somehow even busier inside than outside. People were walking to and from between rooms, carrying various things. Some were even running, expertly dodging those that weren’t in such a hurry. Voices merged, creating a muddle of echoes bouncing off the walls. I was only able to catch glimpses of conversation as I walked down the hall to the large wooden double doors at the end of the hall.

“No, no, we can’t use that material because…”

“What are we going to do about the limited space in the cemetery…”

“...funds are not being included when it should be you imbecile…”

Pushing the doors open, the hinges made no sound as I slipped through. Immediately, I was greeted with five males crowding around a large oval shaped table placed in the middle of the room. I only recognized three of them; Gale, Wyll, and Astarion. In my, I guess, other life, I had never stepped foot into this building when Astarion was called upon. I was too busy documenting expenses and checking who needed what in order to rebuild.

Wyll glanced up from where him and everyone else in the room was looking down at the parchment on the table. He smiled, tilting his head to the side- offering me to stand next to Astarion. Taking him up on his offer, I walked to where my husband stood, his back facing me. He didn’t bother looking behind himself to see who entered the room, he probably thought it was a servant coming in with new documents.

Gale spoke up from his position beside Wyll, his hand once again rubbing along his jaw in thought. His eyes flickered to me as I stood across from him next to Astarion. He nodded in regard before continuing with that was being discussed before I walked in,

“They have to be dealt with now before they are able to turn into something worse.”

A simple glance down at the table was all I needed to know what was going on. It was a map of Faerûn, several circles drawn indicating different camps strung out along where the shadow cursed lands were. Well, former shadow cursed lands were at since the land was cured because of Halsin and some of my help.

“What do you mean?” I ask, leaning slightly over the table to catch a batter look at the map. A hand trailed down the small of my back before resting on the right side of my waist. A soft kiss was pressed to my head as Astarion pressed his body against my left side of my own body- like being away from me was hard for him to do.

“Nothing too dreary. Just some Goblin camps that keep sprouting about the shadowed lands.” Astarion replied, sounding like there was nothing to worry about. I could hear the smile he wore on his face as he spoke. Rolling my eyes, a knowing smile took over my face as I crossed my arms, “Yes. Goblins congregating. Nothing serious.”

Wyll cleared his throat, “I know we have to deal with this situation soon but we don’t have any manpower to spare. Not with everything still in shambles. I am only suggesting to hold off until we have more able hands.”

“If we wait any longer, these damn things will already be in the city, wreaking havoc!” a deep and gruff voice cried out. I looked to the owner of the voice, his bright red hair contrasting against his olive toned skin. He was lithe and a little shorter than Astarion. His brown eyes almost feline like as he glared down at the table, his lips curled in a snarl. The manner and tone of his voice did not suit someone who appeared like him but then again, many things in this world didn’t suit it.

“Then what do you suggest, Doran?” Astarion replied, his voice laced with venom as he said Dorans name. Astarion eyed the younger male, raising a brow towards him mockingly.

Doran glowared, mumbling under his breath as he looked away from Astarion, fists clenching at his sides. A deep sigh resulted from the interaction, causing me to look at the final man in the room. He appeared older than the rest of us, graying beard lining his jaw, grayed hair sitting close to his skull, wrinkles from age sagging against his skin. He was shorter than all of us, his bear bell sticking out from under his clothes and thick arms massaged his temples in annoyance. I regarded him with a tilt to my head, wondering who he was and why he was here. I wondered the same thing about Doran but I knew they were meant to be here as well.

I cleared my throat, drawing everyone’s attention towards me. Licking my bottom lip, my gaze met Wylls, “They are right. These Goblins need to be handled immediately.”

Wyll opened his lips to retort but it died in his throat as I raised my hand to continue speaking, “I understand we don’t have the resources for this currently and that is why I am going to be handling this myself.” As I spoke, my mind flashed to what I knew from the future. I can only remember small glimpses of this situation and that’s because when it happened in my true life, I took no part in it.

The goblins were a problem, we didn’t have resources to deal with them and as a solution, Astarion went by himself to handle them. When he came back, he smiled less.

If I am here back in the past with a second chance, I was going to take advantage of it. If this is the first instance where Astarion took a step toward becoming him then I would do something I didn’t do in my time. I was going to go along with him.

“What?” Astarions voice rang out in the room, the hand on my waist tensing. “What do you mean?”

I looked up at him, brows pinching together in thought, “Well, it makes sense” I continued, “We don’t have enough people to spare to send out so why not spare me? I’m sure my skills are equivalent to at least ten soldiers.” I looked over at Wyll, brow raised in question. Wyll was in thought for a few moments, a breath being released from his pursed lips,

“Well-” He drawled, “It’s not a bad idea.”

I clasped my hands together in glee, before anyone could say anything else, “Then it’s settled!”

“Hold on. You must be a lunatic for thinking I am just going to let you go alone.” Astarion argued, his hand gone from my waist and now placed on his hip as he looked at me like I really was a lunatic.

I cooed, stepping closer to him so we were chest to chest, “And you are so cute for thinking I was going to go alone to begin with.” I pinched his cheek teasingly, nose wrinkly in delight, “You’re coming with me.” I said as I walked past him to the exit. A few seconds ticked by before he exploded in curses and whining about getting dirt under his nails.

-

“Darling, are you sure about this?”

Astarions voice questioned from across the room as he stood in front of a mirror hanging on the wall, fusing over his hair. The room was illuminated by several candles placed on wall mounted holders, the sun had gone an hour ago and casted the world in darkness.

I huffed out a small laugh, combing through my hair as I sat on the edge of the bed, “What do you mean? Of course I am sure. I thought you would jump for joy at the chance of leaving the city.”

Astarion eyes narrowed at me as he finally stepped away from the mirror and made his way towards me. “Me?” He placed his palm against his chest, “Be excited about leaving the city and all the comforts it has to offer. Oh, Yes, I am very excited.” His tone was filled with sarcasm as he sat beside me on the bed, my body bouncing slightly from his sudden weight being applied. He wordlessly grabbed the brush from my hand, gently running it through my locks and running his fingers through it every so often.

A slight pout formed on my lips, “What’s the big problem? You don’t want to spend quality time with me?”

He snorted, something only he would ever do with me, “Love, I would be chained to you if I was able. I just don’t find the whole ‘natures delight’ very appealing after being in it for so long.” I turned to face him, beaming at him with a smile,

“That’s what makes it fun! It will be just like old times, only this time you aren’t holding a knife to my throat.”

He gasped in mock shock, “How dare you bring that up? I needed help against an admirable foe and you told me to handle it myself. I was very hurt.” His chin lowered, accentuating the pout on his lips as he looked at me through his white lashes.

“It was a boar! Not an Illithid. You flat out lied to me.”

“Yes but that is beside the point. I needed help and you didn’t give it to me. I thought you were a kind soul.”

“I am a kind soul. I was just preoccupied with a whole worm in my skull.” I reasoned, refusing to look at him. I can’t lie, I may have come off a little rude when we first met. Sometimes even Shadowheart teases me for it since she just stood by and watched. My hair was pushed behind my shoulder, revealing the skin exposed from the new nightgown I had on. It was simply, just white satin that stopped mid thigh, the straps thin like most of my nightwear.

Soft lips pressed against my bare shoulder and my heart swelled. It was things like this that I missed most of all, the little things he would do to me. How he would reach over towards whenever I was near, the random kisses pressed softly against my skin like a butterflies touch, catching my gaze from across the room only to smile at me, to just be near me.

His lips were then pressed against my cheek before breaking away and going to his side of the bed. The sheets rustled under his movement as he peeled back the bedding and slipped under it. I moved to get under the sheets as well but froze as I turned. It somehow slipped my mind about his sleeping habits and how he used to sleep in only nightwear pants that hung low on his hips. His back was turned towards me as he reached over to place his shirt on a nightstand beside the table.

Silently getting other the covers and laying down, I couldn't help but reach over and have my fingertips graze over the abused flesh. He flinched like I hurt him and I flinched back in return.

“I’m sorry.” I blurted out, keeping my hands close to my chest.

He looked over his shoulder at me, ruby eyes dimly lit against the warm light. His features seemed warmer as well, he almost seemed to be kissed by the sun and not the pale vampire people are used to. I looked away from him, ashamed by my actions as I focused on watching the ceiling. My gaze snapped back to him as his fingers brushed against my cheekbone. He was now on his back, propped up by his forearms,

“It’s okay. You can touch it.”

That was all he said before he turned and exposed his back to me once more. I stared at his back wide eyed, not believing what was happening. Even in my true life, I had never dared to touch his scars. They told a story that I believe he would rather hide and ignore cause they serve as a reminder. Only a few people know about the scars and even then, they never bring it up so I didn’t either.

Shifting closer to him, I was meer inches away from his back as the tips of my fingers gently traced the part of a ritual carved onto his delicate skin. Mysterious word that I could not read regardless of knowing the purpose it served. A few minutes of silence passed as I traced his past with such a gentle touch. I was afraid that touching too hard would break him even when his tormentor was gone, he never really left. He lurked in the shadows of the halls, taunting Astarion. There were a handful of times I could remember Astarion breaking out into a cold sweat from seeing a figure in the corner of his eye, a scent that was too familiar, a phrase being said came from the mouth of a ghost. During those times, Astarion would lock himself away from the world and it was only once that I was able to enter the room and what I had found broke me into a million pieces.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the memory to fade away into the recesses of my mind. I sighed through my nose, pressing my forehead to his back as my hand draped around his waist. In an instant, his hand laid atop mine, squeezing it. Perhaps he was imagining a life without the freedom he has obtained, a life where he was never captured by the absolute, a life where he never pressed a knife to my throat, a life where none of this ever happened. Perhaps he imagined all that and squeezed my hand to remember that this was all real.

Perhaps I should’ve said something to him but I didn’t. Not as sleep dug its claws into my skin and pulled me under.

Word Count: 3966

[artemis-fowl-incident-report]

Welcome to my throwback day contribution!

So I did a post a while back talking about what I would have done with the Fowl Twins books, and a subsequent chapter by chapter breakdown for the second book. And thus, as my throwback, I'm gonna break down what I would have done for "Deny all Charges" aka the third one.

(Just to preface, I never finished the third book. I dont know what Eoin was doing there, but I wanted no part of it)

Chapter 1

The Twins have recently turned 14. Following the trend of his character development from my version of book 2, Beckett has really come into his own, doubling down on his talent for engineering and languages, and is actively working on writing his first children's book (since he found that, with all his passion for the "Alien Pooping Boy" books, he might as well try writing all his ideas for himself). Beckett also keeps bees now, since he can talk with them, and bees are one of the only creatures that consent to their domestication by humans. Myles is as snarky as ever, but is a bit less vicious about it, since he's begun realising how hurtful some of his statements can be.

The boys are in Italy with their parents, visiting their Uncle Foxy and his boyfriend, one Giovanni Zito (because I said so). They're just discussing when Artemis will be returning from Mars when the boys get a message. The Crown of Frond they saved from the last book has been stolen from the Section 8 archives. The trail leads to Venice, so the boys head over to investigate.

They tail behind the fairy thief who they believe stole the item as they twist and turn through the city until they come to a church. Just as they get there, however, the building blows up. No one is hurt, but they can only assume their target is dead.

Chapter 2

As they're preparing to head home, Myles keeps fretting about the explosion. He goes over the security footage over and over, until he remembers that many churches have catacombs under them. He keeps researching until he comes across footage of their thief being whisked away by a boat that looks like an ACRONYM vestal.

Cut to their fairy nervously pacing around a safe house, wondering if the money was worth it- BLAM! Beckett knocks down the door. Between the two of them (and Whistle Blower, who they keep threatening to feed the fairy to) their thief confesses that he stole the crown for one Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye. The only other information he has is that he's going to be attacking a fairy magical research lab on the Devon moors soon.

They leave him, wandering through the streets to where Lazuli parked the shuttle. Beckett wonders if Artemis will be back in time for this adventure, and how it would be fun for them to get to solve this problem together. Myles is less enthused, noting that Artemis would probably get himself killed with his lack of self preservation instincts.

Chapter 3

A few days later, Lazuli, Myles, and Beckett (with Whistle Blower in his backpack) scale the Devonshire Moors. Since the area is well known for its military training camps they deemed it best to go by foot.

Lazuli is doing rather well since the last book, discovering she was from a secret branch of the Frond royal family. She's practically been adopted by Lily Frond, since most of Lily's family isn't great and she always wanted a sister. They may only be distantly related, but its the only family Lazuli's ever had (my heart!)

The magical testing facility is disguised as a Tor (big piles of granite that jut from the moors surface). But its clearly been attacked recently, with chunks taken from the surface, revealing the buildings structure underneath.

They head inside, learning that all the scientists and engineers have been kidnapped, and one piece of tech stolen. A magic amplifier. It was originally being developed for No1, as a way for him to cast spells on mass like healing the Amazonian rainforests or large groups of people during emergencies.

As the Regrettables leave they find themselves surrounded by the British Army. They're about to be fired upon, when a bright light shines down upon them. A ship descends, and a familiar voice in their ear pieces telling them to cover their eyes. There's a brilliant flash of light, and the army men drop to the ground, dazed and mind wiped of the last hour.

The spaceship's pod descends and two people step out. Butler and Artemis.

Chapter 4

Everyone (except for Myles) is overjoyed to see Artemis. He and Butler are rushed down the Haven with the Regrettables, and tearfully reunite with their friends, before buckling down and getting to business. (yes, Artemis is most pleased to be back on earth because he gets to wear suits again. Go figure)

Myles does not appreciate being side-lined like this, being treated like a child as Artemis and the others take over the situation. (Beckett tries to point out that they are actually children, but it doesn't go well for him). Its actually Lily Frond who gives them the means to listen in on the situation, having the keys to the office connecting to the situation room.

Turns out the machine is missing one key element, a very rare crystal that draws in magical energy from its environment and stores it within itself. They decide to contact Minerva about it, but it will take a day or so, since she's still a smuggler in this story, but a more high quality smuggler (also, Artemis is Godfather to Minerva's daughter. Its so sweet). Myles convinces Beckett they need to go to Minerva themselves, for which they steal a pod and head for the surface. (They leave Lazuli behind since they want her to, you know, keep her job)

Not that Beckett doesn't like a good heist, but he's usually the impulsive of of the two. He doesn't understand where this grim determination has come from with his brother. When pressed on the subject, Myles simply points out they shouldn't be overlooked like this.

Chapter 5

They turn up in New Orleans, and Minerva is very confused, but agrees to help when the situation is explained. Turns out, she has just the rock they are looking for, and a large chunk of it at that. The Twins buy it off her (because they got that Fowl money, you know what I mean?) and decide to take it to a secure location so Teddy cant get his hands on it.

Teddy gets his hands on it. He attacks the boys as they're transporting the crystal. During his big Villain monologue, he reveals he wants to be King of England, and he will use the fairy people to do so. He does, however, accidentally mention that a certain "she" will demand her share as well.

The twins are pushed from the pod, but not before Myles accidentally manages to get hold of a baby chunk of the crystal. They fall into the Atlantic Ocean, being picked up by a fairy rescue vestal.

Chapter 6

Back at Villa Eco, the twins get scolded by their parents and Artemis. Beckett kind of accepts it, but Myles refuses to. He runs away, reflecting on how all of this has been an absolute mess, that maybe they really should have left it to Artemis and the others.

When he catches up to him, Artemis and Myles have a heart to heart. Myles admits that he used to idolise Artemis, that he thought his big brother could do anything. But then he got himself killed at the end of the Last Guardian. Worse than that, he got killed from information Myles supplied him with after being possessed. He wants to be an equal to his brother, he wants to be close to him, but he felt his death stronger than anyone else. And then, when Artemis came back, he headed off to Mars like an Interstellar hipster on a gap year trying to "find himself".

Artemis apologises, explaining that he'd lived his first life for other people for so long, being the genius, the heir, Artemis Fowl II, that he didn't really know who Artemis was away from those things. He just wanted to keep his family safe, even though he had no idea how to be anything but a stranger in said family. That he should have reflected more on how him and Beckett were affected, that he does see them as his equals, and that he's sorry.

They hug it out. Myles is crying, Artemis is crying (I'm crying!)

Chapter 7

Much like the Death Star, it turns out this magical amplifier has a very specific (plot contrived) flaw. The crystal at its heart is not only rare, but its very fragile. If shot through with the right frequency, it will shatter and explode, all the magical energy contained inside it bursting out in one shot. However, they don't know what that frequency is, since they would have to run tests on some of that specific crystal vein.

Myles is happy to announce that he has one of said crystals, but will only hand it over to the LEP if they agree to let him and Beckett help. Their parents try and argue against it, but finally (finally) realise that nothing will stop their sons if theirs something they want to do and so elect to come along and help.

They fly across to Isle of Scilly to meet up with the rest of the team. Lord Teddy's manor is a virtual fortress, guarded by the fairy scientists and engineers he had kidnapped from Devon. They're clearly being mind controlled, and they have anti shield goggles on, so there's no way they could attack the house by air.

They had, however, contacted the Hortenut Seven, through Mulch, to dig them in. While they face off against Teddy, the dwarves will disable the guards, in exchange for Artemis backing their political interests (he has quite a bit of sway with the People since his resurrection, being viewed more like a Hero than the monster he used to be).

Artemis Sr and Angeline are actually surprisingly good help navigating the halls of Childblain House (turns out Angeline used to be a cat-burglar and Tim was, you know, a former crime lord so that helps). They reach the grand hall where the machine has been set up, the crystal humming away menacingly.

They each separate into one of three teams. Team A, Myles, Fowl Sr, and Butler (who between them are lugging a large box). They will be dug around the back of the hall by Mulch through the garden. Team B, Angeline, Juliet, and Beckett move to various positions around darkened hall out of sight ready to snatch the crown at the first opportunity. And Team C, Holly and Lazuli, who are shielded in the rafters with their guns ready if something goes wrong. Foaly is also there, in spirit, or rather on tech support, using his little bug drones from the Last Guardian to keep eyes on everyone.

Taking a breath Artemis, now wearing a gloop tie and glasses, steps into the hall.

Chapter 8

Artemis tries shooting at Teddy, but misses, being tackled and chained down by fairy guards for his trouble. When Teddy comes closer to inspect the intruder, he's told that this is "Myles" come back from the future to stop him. The maddened Lord wholeheartedly believes this, and takes it as a sign of his future victory. Since, if he hadn't won, there would be no need for "Myles" to have been sent back.

The crystal is changed up. Teddy is monologuing, strolling up have the crown on his head hooked up to the machine, regal in his throne

BLAM

He's shot in the chest.

Teddy looks over, betrayed, as Sister Jeronima, or rather her corps puppeteered around by Opal's ghost emerges.

All the fairies are suddenly released from the crowns spell and try to run, only to freeze back in place as Opal puts the crown on her own head.

Of course she has a villain speech, and of course she knows its Artemis. She talks about how he's always been small and pathetic, with a mind that could once rule the world but no resolve to do so.

She gets her guards to round up all the various Fowl's, Butler's and others. She hooks herself up to the machine, ordering Holly and Lazuli to take aim at their friends.

BOOM!

The crystal explodes, the machine Myles had set up vibrating at just the right frequency to release the magic trapped inside. There's chaos, Opal trying to order her fairy minions as the humans all rush forward to get the crown. Angeline is actually the one to get Opal, punching her in the face with a war cry of "that's for what you've done to my sons!" as Whistle Blower tears Opal/Jeronima's ankles to shreds.

But not before Lazuli goes to take a shot at Artemis, with Myles pushing him out the way.

Chapter 9

Between the two of them, Holly and Lazuli manage to heal Myles, where he wakes up in his big brothers arms.

It ends with them all sitting on the beach eating ice cream, waiting for the LEP to come sort out the mess and take Opal into custody.

They give the crown to Lazuli to look after, who resolves to hide it just as her ancestor Darach wanted.

Artemis tells his brothers how truly proud he is of them, and how he hopes this is the Fowl's legacy. He called an old man by Beckett, and a simpletoon by Myles.

The end

(I have been writing since 3am and now it is 7am. Why do I do this to myself? I have no idea)

[lavalais76]

Here is another Jonsa/Jon Snow meta I found. It seems our “RyanBarns13” has come back to reality and changed his views. 😂 Anyway, another very interesting read guys. Enjoy.

The Pact of Ice and Fire is the key to Jon's Parentage Part 1 

RyanBarns13

1yr ago

Spoilers Default

The key to everything in this series is two things, THE PACT OF ICE AND FIRE and Jon Snow, the only person who is not a Stark Daughter who can complete it. The outline was clear. Jon/Stark Daughter. The pact is clear, Targaryen/Stark. Under very specific criteria. Once you accept that, the rest of the mysteries fall into place. No, Rhaegar cannot complete it with Lyanna, neither could the ones during the Dance. There is exactly one character in the entire series who can. And as Martin said, the big mystery of the series is Who Is Jon Snow’s Parents. He already told us. Several times. And its not Lyanna, Ashara, Wylla, Fisherman’s Daughter. Those are all red herrings. Rhaegar and Elia are the parents exactly as Rhaegar said. Exactly as Dany had her vision of.

Jon is the Prince that was promised. To Winterfell, to marry the Stark heir. This is why he is the Blood of Winterfell. And only one other character is ever called that. His spouse set up from the very beginning, through ADWD, reinforced in Fire and Blood.

Martin wrote this series as his response to Tolkien. What was the mystery of The Lord of The Rings? Who is Aragorn, aka Strider. And just like Tolkien, the entire story, from start to finish becomes an epic. The Song of Ice and Fire. Just as in Tolkien’s writing, The Silmarillion, we see the songs.

It is an entire world, but what is the focus? There are stories upon stories based on each character. Bran has his own epic, Arya has hers, Tyrion, Dany. Same as Tolkien did, Frodo has his epic journey, Sam supported him. Boromir was a hero defending Gondor, but failed. Faramir was the unwanted son but fought lived. But the answer lies in the title: The Return of the King. As much as it was Frodo’s Sam’s, it is Aragorn and Awren’s story. The story of a king and queen and the reclaiming of a throne.

And as with all epics, the story of the deeds and romance is turned into a song. The Song of Ice and Fire, is the story of the completion of the pact of ice and fire. It’s what Tolkien did also throughout the Silmarillion. The story within a larger story. Beren and Luthien, The Fall of Gondolin, The Lays of Beleriand, The Children of Hurin. Each of these is a story within a larger story. They are also history of the times turned into song with the Elves. And just as with the Pact of Ice and Fire, The Lord of The Rings, The Silmarillion, there is a story of romance in between the battles and slaughter.

This is the song of a Targaryen Prince, and his Stark Bride. And the song of what happened. And there are two “Starks” who love songs. But look at the Simillarion:

Beren and Luthien: Beren had to gain a Silmarillion from Morgoth for Luthiens hand.

The Fall of Gondolin: Tuor and Idril is the tale of a doomed city and the love between a human and elf princess which birthed the savior of elves and men.

The Children of Hurin: Turin and his sister Nienor and their doomed love.

The fall of Numenor itself is the basis for the fall of Valyria. The Mighty Empire that collapsed, and one family escaped and established their kingdoms.

Even in the Lord of The Rings itself, what is Aragorn’s story? Yes, becoming King of both the lost Northern kingdom and the remnants of the Southern one. But that is the requirement he must fulfill to be given Elrond’s daughters hand in marriage. The daughter he grew up with in Elrond’s house. It is the same story told a different way. Yes there was a agreement on the marriage in The Lord Of The Rings, it’s just not front and center. Instead of demanding he be king of both as Tolkien did with Elrond, Martin has laid out the story with a Pact that was never fulfilled. Until Jon Snow.

If the accepted theories are correct, Martin should be writing evidence to support them, not writing evidence that contradict them. Instead Martin is actively writing a story that directly contradicts many of the most accepted theories. He does not believe in changing the story because people figured it out. He will not change the story from the butler did it to the maid did it just because we figured it out. Yet he continues to write a story that contradicts R+L from the very first chapter, all the way through ADWD, and Fire and Blood.

The truth about R+L=J is not that it is the hidden truth, but that it is Robert who won the war, so he sets the narrative. It is what Robert believes happened. It is not even what Eddard believes. He hasn’t thought of Rhaegar in years. If he is raising Rhaegar’s son, this makes no sense. No one ever thinks Rhaegar and Lyanna. This goes for every character in the series. Because there is one simple truth, Jon looks like the child of a Dornish person. Look at Catelyn, Eddards soldiers and maids, Cercei, Edric Dayne. The point is every single one of them believes or flat out says, Dornish mom. Yes, he can pass as a Stark, compared to his brothers. They look like Tully kids. He looks MORE LIKE A STARK THAN THE RED-BROWN HAIRED, BLUE EYED TULLY LOOKING FAMILY. That’s not hard to beat. Half the continent can claim that distinction. But as we see over and over, Eddard is asked about Dornish Women as Jon’s mother. Eddard himself names Wylla the wet nurse from Starfall to Robert. This only holds up if people can see the Dornish in him. And from the very first chapter, Bran 1 we see that Jon does have Dornish Traits. His eyes, and his skin tone.

R+L is the one theory that Martin has actively had all the main characters who were alive and lived through those times tell us repeatedly, over and over, no this was not how it was. No one but Robert actually believes Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna. No one even ever thinks of the possibility of Jon being Lyanna’s. Which should make the entire fandom rethink it. It should be the very first thing the characters assume. The Dornish looks of Jon is what prevents it.

Harrenhall and the events preceding and afterwards did not happen as we are led to believe. What happened was not in character for either Rhaegar or Lyanna. Even Eddard himself tells us, he does not think of Rhaegar very often at all, but that Rhaegar was not like Robert with the whoring… The timelines do not even remotely line up if you actually take the time to look into it. Closer to 9 months than a year or greater that would be needed. This is not Star Trek, Eddard cannot get to Lyanna giving birth at the TOJ, also down to Storm’s End to have the Reach surrender, and then travel across the continent all in the time frame that lines up with Martins stated words.

Part 1: The Missing Clues Are Hidden In Fire and Blood and The World of Ice And Fire

Most won’t consider the possibility, but Martin has been very clear in the BOOK WRITING exactly who Jon is the child of. From the first book, all the way to Fire and Blood where he gives us the final pieces of the mystery. Notable the Targaryen family tree, (Dark haired Targaryens, and which bloodlines do and do not give us what Jon looks like), To how the Targaryens hide the MALE heirs during wartimes. All the way to the different methods of counting years in the series, (how to hide several kids and keep track of their births easily), and the ultimate answer. Who can complete the Pact of Ice and Fire. (Thereby completing the SONG OF ICE AND FIRE). The Pact is laid out in perfect criteria as to how it must be completed. And only one single character in the entire saga can complete it. Jon Snow. Not Rhaegar Targaryen, not Aegon Targaryen the young man with Jon Connington, not Dany, Val, or any of the others. Only the Targaryen raised in Winterfell, with the future Mrs. Stark/Targaryen in the same castle.

Martins own wife has told us R+L is simple and Martin does not do simple. But can we actually find the answer already in the story? We can go all the way back to Bran 1 AGOT. Yes, our very first introduction to Jon gives us the answer to his birth. Martin has been giving us the answer from the very first look at Jon, through the HOTU visions, all during Jon’s time at the wall, through the beyond the wall storyline with the wildlings, and even with his time bonding with Stannis.

The Path to Becoming a Warrior:

When Rhaegar was young, he was not famous for being a warrior. He was famous for reading. Until one day he found something in old texts that made him become a warrior. The answer is giving in Fire and Blood.

First, the prophecy that caused Rhaegar to become a warrior:

For all these reasons, Lord Hammer (as he now styled himself) began to dream of crowns. “Why be a lord when you can be a king?” he told the men who began to gather round him. And talk was heard in camp of a prophecy of ancient days that said, “When the hammer shall fall upon the dragon, a new king shall arise, and none shall stand before him.” Whence came these words remains a mystery (not from Hammer himself, who could neither read nor write), but within a few days every man at Tumbleton had heard them.

Fire and Blood: The Dying of the Dragons, Rhaenyra Triumphant

Now what weapon was Robert famous for? A Hammer. And if a Targaryen was researching prophecy, dragon hatching information, whatever, as a Targaryen you would definitely read about the last time period the Targaryen’s successfully hatched dragons and the fall of the dragons. Rhaegar is a dragon. All Targaryens are known as Dragons. Just as all Starks are Wolves, Lannisters are Lions.

Rhaegar was big into prophecy. Now if he reads this thinking it would be him forced to fight, he would indeed become a warrior. And as Martin likes to do people that try to change or prevent prophecy, he ended up helping it come true. Just not as we assume.

But we are given more history to build up the level of animosity between Robert and the Crown. His father Stephon, who died while returning from trying to find Rhaegar a spouse. With both Robert and Stannis watching as their parents died. This is the beginning of Robert “dreaming of crowns”…. More on this later, as at Harrenhall we have even more points of Robert heart hardening against the Crown.

And yes, the Crown was not stupid, everyone could see the high lords of each region suddenly starting to branch out with marriage alliances, when before they married into their own kingdoms, rarely into other kingdoms. Suddenly you have 2/3 of the continent either entering or trying to enter into a grand interlocking alliance by marriages. Riverlands to North- Catylen to Brandon, North to Stormlands- Lyanna to Robert, Westerlands tried to arrange a marriage to Riverlands- Jaime to Lyssa, and North and Stormlands tied to the Vale through Fostering- Eddard and Robert fostering with Jon Arryn. This was done over years, not days. Even Joanna Lannister and The Princess of Dorne had plans to marry at least one of their kids to each other.

Why suddenly now? It’s because the dragons are gone, the Targaryen’s are suddenly weak, indeed almost all killed off at this point after Summerhall.

And if you study the time of Aegon 5 and his children, you see the seeds of the rebellion already being planted. Especially with three houses. The Stormlands, Riverlands, and the Reach. The Stormlands did get an alternate wedding but only after an uprising and trial by combat. Both the Riverlands and the Reach did not have the Royal weddings promised. The North at this point is still waiting on their wedding promised during the Dance.

Now look at both of regions actions during the war. The Riverland’s split down the middle, but the Tully’s married into the Vale and North. It was personal for old Hoster. Now look at the Reach, we should all know Olenna’s promised husband turned out gay, ran off and died. And the fact she still talks about it shows she hasn’t gotten over it. What we tend to forget is her actual husband also was promised a Targaryen princess. Shaera the future wife of her brother Jaehaery’s 2 instead. Is it any wonder that the Reach barely fought and surrendered first chance they had? Remember at this point, Dorne is still in a uprising for Viserys, he is being crowned on Dragonstone, and the Reach just dips their banners. Nor is it hard to understand their push to get Margaery on the throne.

Now the second main part is the Pact of Ice and Fire, of which Fire and Blood gives us the actual requirements, which as soon as you read them in Fire and Blood, negate Rhaegar and Lyanna no matter how it happened, no matter how many children they supposedly had. THEY CANNOT COMPLETE THE PACT.

The Pact itself:

This we do know: Cregan Stark and Jacaerys Velaryon reached an accord, and signed and sealed the agreement that Grand Maester Munkun calls “the Pact of Ice and Fire” in his True Telling***. Like many such pacts, it was to be sealed with a marriage.*** Lord Cregan’s son, Rickon, was a year old. Prince Jacaerys was as yet unmarried and childless, but it was assumed that he would sire children of his own once his mother sat the Iron Throne. Under the terms of the pact, the prince’s firstborn daughter would be sent north at the age of seven, to be fostered at Winterfell until such time as she was old enough to marry Lord Cregan’s heir.

Fire and Blood: The Dying of the Dragons, A Son for a Son

What are the terms exactly and why this tells us who Jon Snow will end the series with:

The pact is to be sealed with a marriage under very specific criteria. The child of the future Crown Prince. Not another Targaryen. Meaning, not Viserys, not Dany. Not any of Jacaerys Velaryon brothers or siblings, nieces, nephews. The child of the direct future king. In our current story, Crown Prince Rhaegar’s child. Not a run off and marry, nor a kidnapping and possible marriage. Nor can a hidden marriage under a heart tree count during the Dance**.**  It is the Stark heir marrying the Targaryen Prince’s Firstborn Daughter. The key point of this is the firstborn Targaryen Princess Rhaenys is DEAD. As is the Stark heir Robb. Both the firstborns. Who is next? Jon Snow which is the Targaryen male heir, so as prince/princess is interchangeable in Valyrian, it flips the roles. Meaning on the Stark side a female at this point. Sansa Stark as she is the oldest before Arya**.**  Strangely these are the only two children who were not raised by Eddard to be close siblings. Unlike every other sibling. And the one who we see in throughout the series who is only wanted for her claim to Winterfell. Of which Jon is the only one in the entire series who has turned down the chance to claim it because she is the heir. Layers upon layers of story tying in to the Pact.

And as some added facts, in the last books, when Jon answers Stannis over claiming Winterfell he says, Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa. Over and Over. She is missing and presumed dead by the whole continent. The only “known” surviving Stark is ARYA STARK. He should be saying Winterfell belongs to my sister Arya at this point. The second is the setup for the Jon/Sansa/Tyrion triangle. Jon Sansa meet, then later Tyrion wants his wife back. Like the outline originally had with Jon/Arya/Tyrion.

2. The Prince’s Firstborn Daughter would be sent North at the age of seven to be fostered at Winterfell until she was old enough to marry the Stark heir. This is a super important clue. For several reasons I’ll lay out. First is the obvious, they would indeed grow up in the same castle as their future spouse. Destroying any of the fandom’s calls of they see each other as siblings thinking, or not seeing each other that way because they grew up together**. They were always planned to grow up together in the same castle. Martin himself wrote it this way from the beginning, through the outline, through the changes between outline and books, and fully gives us the requirement in Fire and Blood, which tells us it is still being set up to happen.**

In the books we are shown 2 characters who desire to rebuild Winterfell, rebuild the family with children named their siblings names. And we have EXACTLY 2 WHO ARE REFERRED TO AS BLOOD OF WINTERFELL. Layers upon Layers. All based on the Pact of Ice and Fire.

At this point we need to verify that we are looking at Martin’s original intent to see if we are still on the same track, so let’s look at what he planned in the leaked outline. There is no Jon/Dany romance in the original outline. But it flat out calls for a JON/ARYA romance. With a JON/ARYA/Tyrion love triangle. With one key thing we ignore, yes, it is supposed to horrify the characters. The Starks just went all incest love is supposed to horrify the reader too.

UNTIL THE PARENTAGE REVEAL. MEANING THE PARENTAGE REVEAL MAKES IT NOW GOOD AND ALL IS WELL. Which flat out takes Ned and all possible parentage options with him off the table. They cannot be actual siblings. Now what do we also know? The story has indeed changed, but many aspects are still roughly the same but performed by different people. There is also still the setup for a Jon/Stark/Tyrion triangle. Martin changed the plan by having Tyrion end up married to the oldest Stark daughter instead of the really close sibling. And Jon repeatedly asked if he would get frisky with his sister. (Avoids answering). With hints from Melissandre that they might be a bit bigger in Jon’s heart than he likes to let on. Arya was split into Arya and the new version of Sansa. This is key, because both Jon and Arya still see themselves as SIBLINGS. Think back to the original outline once again. Is Sansa and Arya’s stories the same? Good god no. But what is roughly the same? The Jon/Stark Daughter/Tyrion set up. Leading into a Jon/Stark Daughter relationship with the parentage reveal.

Remember Ygritte asking Jon if he would bang his sister? Kinda what the hell, until the Pact comes into play. Yes, Jon will be banging a sister. And as we see, he is pretty down with it. Most people would just say no and move on, not try to find reasons he can…

She punched him. “That’s vile. Would you bed your sister?” “Longspear’s not your brother.” “He’s of my village. You know nothing, Jon Snow. A true man steals a woman from afar, t’ strengthen the clan. Women who bed brothers or fathers or clan kin offend the gods, and are cursed with weak and sickly children. Even monsters.”

“Craster weds his daughters,” Jon pointed out.

Jon just quit deflecting the question, would you bed your sister? Not, well Craster weds his daughters…. Guess if he does it then it’s good enough for Jon to get a sister or two…

Will Dany and Jon meet? Hell yes, the others basically ensure that. Both are heads of the Dragon. But both have different stories, that will converge based on the stories in Fire and Blood and the unavoidable confrontation set in the main series, but not as a romantic item. Look at Martin’s books. He has been setting Dany up with what we debate is either FAegon, or Aegon from the very beginning. Love or War, we will see. We will go over that later. But as we all know, there will be a second Dance.

3. Now for a detail most have missed. The age 7 that is the start of the official fostering. Martin has actually covered even this in Jon’s story as a bastard of Eddard Stark**. Jon was not born in 283.** He was born at the end of 281. He is Aegon Targaryen.  He was indeed handed over to Lord Stark at age 7. Exactly as the Pact required.

“By wing? We have no trained ravens. No, I knew your face. I’ve seen it before. Twice.” It made no sense at first, but as Jon turned it over in his mind, dawn broke. “When you were a brother of the Watch …” “Very good! Yes, that was the first time. You were just a boy, and I was all in black, one of a dozen riding escort to old Lord Commander Qorgyle when he came down to see your father at Winterfell. I was walking the wall around the yard when I came on you and your brother Robb. It had snowed the night before, and the two of you had built a great mountain above the gate and were waiting for someone likely to pass underneath.” “I remember,” said Jon with a startled laugh. A young black brother on the wallwalk, yes … “You swore not to tell.” “And kept my vow. That one, at least.”

I’ll explain more on that later. But the entire thing went down, and the prophecy is still being played out, even as characters try to change and influence it. But as Dalla said, prophecy is like a sword without a hilt, there is no safe way to grasp it. Basically its FATE. As we see, every time a character tries to change fate, they end up making it come true. But back to how Jon’s age is made to be after Robb’s.

But for this we must first turn to the very first pages of Fire and Blood. Throughout the story we have been told Bastards grow faster. Jon as a bastard grew faster according to Maester Luwin. And its utter horseshit. Until you realize, Jon is older than he is portrayed. And Maester Luwin is covering for Ned and protecting Jon. How can Eddard get away with it? Wouldn’t Catelyn know?

No, she would not. It’s made plain she didn’t really have much to do with Jon. First look at Bran’s description of Robb compared to Jon. And Jon’s complaints on Joffery. Jon and Robb are older, but Joffery is taller than both. Also, as Jon says when he was leaving Bran’s room to go to the wall, it was the first time she really looked at him, and the first time she called him by his name. Jon was raised by a wet nurse, Luwin, and Old Nan. By servants, and Ned Stark. Not by Catelyn. The story works because she was not involved.

He was at the door when she called out to him. “Jon,” she said*. He should have kept going,* but she had never called him by his name before. He turned to find her looking at his face, as if she were seeing it for the first time.

AGOT, Jon 2

As if she were seeing it for the first time. This is not a “mother” figure who has anything to do with this kid. And after she truly looks at Jon’s face? Still Ashara. Still the Dornish lady. Not Lyanna.

But back to Jon’s age. We all know Martin hates dates. But he has given us enough hard dates to figure out the births. And he has answered a question about the difference between Dany and Jon’s births. And it is key. Closer to 9 months than a year or greater separating Jon and Dany births. Meaning 9-10 months at the most between births. To have Jon born at the Tower of Joy, we are closer to 5-6 months.

We have the latest possible time frame of 2 weeks Rhaella could be impregnated by Aerys. The two weeks between the Trident and the Fall of King’s Landing. The very last time Rhaella and Aerys was in the same location. And the last weeks Aerys was alive. Either Dany is wrong about being born 9 months after her mother fled to Dragonstone, or Jon is not born months after this at the Tower of Joy with Ned somehow managing to arrive at exactly the right minute after travelling all over the continent, or BOTH births are WRONG. Meaning Dany is not Aerys child at all. Which would make sense as people only see Ashara and Rhaegar in her. As Rhaella is known to be pregnant in the timeframe for it to be considered Aerys child, there was indeed a child. But think Aegon Targaryen that is with Jon Connington. The one who while supposed to be between 18-19 in 300 AC, Tyrion thinks looks 15-16 in 300 AC. That’s a big difference. Especially as he has a set birthdate of at the end of 281. A Targaryen indeed, but of Aerys and Rhaella. Martin’s wife was right. Martin does not do simple.

But everyone wonders if Aegon is real or fake? If Dany is not the child of Rhaella? Who is? Why would Elia allow Varys to save her son, but leave her daughter to be killed? Historically Princess Rhaenys was the one Targaryen that should not have been in danger. She was female. She should have been kept as a hostage, or even married to the winners family to help prevent rebellions. Martin has expressly told us who Dany’s parents are already. Ashara and Rhaegar. Which means she is the child that was conceived around the time of Harrenhall or within a month afterwards. Which lines up perfectly with Jon’s birth if he is the true Aegon in the story, born pretty closely in the aftermath of Harrenhall right before the turning of the new year of 282. According to Barristan Dany has Ashara’s eyes. Unlike Robert, who cannot remember what Lyanna even looks like, Barristan can see Ashara perfectly. He was indeed in love with her. So much so that when he looks at Dany, it is like looking at Ashara’s daughter.

Even after all these years, Ser Barristan could still recall Ashara’s smile, the sound of her laughter. He had only to close his eyes to see her, with her long dark hair tumbling about her shoulders and those haunting purple eyes. Daenerys has the same eyes. Sometimes when the queen looked at him, he felt as if he were looking at Ashara’s daughter … But Ashara’s daughter had been stillborn, and his fair lady had thrown herself from a tower soon after, mad with grief for the child she had lost, and perhaps for the man who had dishonored her at Harrenhal as well.

ADWD The Kingbreaker

And over and over, we see that she has Rhaegar’s face.

[reposhillo]

Meet The Builders: The Rime Sisters

Just a little official biography for my two builder characters

Their official info under cut (super simplified as I want to explore their pasts through writing fics)

Name: Lilith Rime

Age: 26

Birthday: Summer 8th

Family: Reid (Father), Delilah (Mother), Oliver (Brother, deceased), Nemoria (Adopted Sister)

Workshop name: Crafty Creations

Potential budding Romance options: Logan, Heidi

Best Friends: Nemoria, Pen, Elsie, Arvio

Good Friends: Owen, Mi-an, Rocky, Mabel, Vivi, Hugo

Hobbies: Monster Hunting, Ruin diving, Sparring, Making weaponry

Favorite accessory: Silk scarf

Favorite gifts: Iron weapons, Monster parts, Braised BBQ Ribs, Scarves/Bandannas

Biography

Lilith Rime was born to Reid and Delilah Rime four years after her older brother Oliver. A rambunctious and energetic child, Lilith got into anything and everything she could, curiosity of the world fueling her. She looked up to her older brother, and often would copy the same interests and hobbies as him.

However as she grew older, she found herself wondering if she had any talents that were specific to her, as the hobbies she and her brother shared, she felt he was much better than her and she began to feel insecure about her talents, although she figured it was too much of a silly thing to bother anyone about. She was able to briefly lock her insecurities away when Nemoria was brought into the family, excited and thrilled at having a sister. She became quickly attached to her adopted sister, although her feelings of inadequacy resurfaced when Nemoria began opening up more and pursued her own interests and talents, proving quite skilled with a spear and connecting with her adopted father regarding farming and planting and caring for animals.

As a teenager, Lilith sought her own brand of validation through her friends, being a social butterfly and striking up conversation and friendships wherever she went. Both with the good kind of crowd, and unfortunately as well as the bad kind. At fourteen, a tragedy occurred as her family brought in a wild alpha yakmel bull with rare spiral horns. With pressure from her current friends group and wanting to impress them, Lilith snuck in to try and ride the bull, with the unfortunate help of her older brother who did not lock up the stables properly in his own hurry to attend a party he was invited to. Needless to say, things went south real fast. The bull was aggressive and territorial, and quickly bucked her off and began charging. With the screams of her friends alerting her brother, he sprinted back and dove in to save her. While he managed to get Lilith to safety, he unfortunately was gored in the process, and passed away on the way to the closest doctor.

The grief that surrounded the Rime family was heavy, and despite her immediate family not putting the blame on her (as they could have been paying attention, Oliver could have locked the gates ect), Lilith heavily blamed herself, and some ofnthe extended family also made comments that hinted they did blame her. Lilith isolated herself in her grief for months, before eventually opening up and seeking comfort in her adopted sister, who began an important source of support for Lilith. After six months, the Reid family decided to pack up and start fresh in a brand new city, for a new start.

After a full year of therapy to deal with the grief and guilt, Lilith dove into different kinds of studies, determined to find something that she was good at on her own, not wanting to sully her brother's memory by just doing nothing with her life. After finishing high school and then college with her sister by her side, the pair began looking for a proper career path (having worked part time jobs to save up). They eventually came across the ad that Sandrock was looking for Builders (and builders apparently specializing in more than building aka Ruin diving, Monster hunting, farming and gardening, ect.). The pair decided to pull their money together and purchased more acres to add on to the land left behind by Mason so they both could afford small homes within the land. Thus, Lilith and Nemoria departed for Sandrock After filling out the paperwork, securing their belongings, and saying goodbye to the family.

Name: Nemoria Valencia Rime

Age: 27

Birthday: Fall 5th

Family: Leonis (Bio father, deceased), Ellaria (Bio mother, deceased), Marisha (Aunt), Reid (Adoptive father), Delilah (Adoptive Mother), Oliver (Adoptive brother, deceased), Lilith (Adoptive sister)

Workshop name: Wyvern Crafts

Potential budding romance options: Unsuur♡, Amirah

Best friends: Lilith, Fang, Owen, Heidi, Qi

Good friends: Mi-an, Rocky, Arvio, Ernest, Grace

Hobbies: Monster taming, gardening, practicing piano, reading

Favorite accessory: Moon Pendant

Favorite gifts: ANYTHING related to the moon (rocks, books, fables, decorations, stories. Her special interest is Moon.) Fruits, Fall festive clothing

Biography

Nemoria was born as the sole daughter of Leonis and Ellaria, who adored her and did their best to provide a good and stable life for her. She was a quietly curious child, who enjoyed reading fantasy stories and listening to her mother and father's tales about the world, especially since her parents were very reluctant to let her wander outside their home for long.

Unfortunately the family was stuck in a very shady city, stuck between the borders of Duvos and Ethea. The only forms of work to be found that paid well were dangerous, such as mining and ruin diving which Leonis took up to provide for his family, as well as saving up to move somewhere far safer once they had the means. Ellaria worked as an apothecary, providing home made remedies to sell to those who couldn't afford proper medical care.

Tragedy eventually struck the Valencia family, as Ellaria's worst fear came to pass as a mining tunnel collapsed, killing several people and her husband, leaving her a single mother. Nemoria grieved the loss of her father heavily, being only a child of nine and having to come to terms with the fact that she wouldn't ever be able to see her father again. Her mother was also heartbroken and lost in grief, although she still tried to take care of Nemoria despite falling apart herself. Soon after however, her sister Marisha came to visit and stay under the guise of comforting and helping take care of Ellaria and her niece. She played the role of a loving aunt, love bombing Nemoria with small gifts and pet names, hugs and kisses while taking full advantage of her sister's grief and weakened mental health. Ellaria then suspiciously began to fall ill, getting sicker and sicker in the weeks, with Marisha 'caring' for her, even as she fell bed ridden. Nemoria watched her mother grow weaker and weaker, with her aunt spending less time being nice to her and more time with her mother behind closed doors.

Nemoria once more suffered the loss of a parent, as her mother passed just eight months after she had lost her father. And of course, her aunt's facade dropped as soon as her mother had passed. She had manipulated her sister into signing inheritance and property over to her under the guise that she would raise and take care of her niece if something would befall Ellaria, and as soon as Marisha got what she wanted and after the funeral arrangements were made and finished, Marisha dropped Nemoria off at the first orphanage she found.

The orphanage in question was short staffed, run down, and full of miserable children that were poorly treated and uncared for, and Nemoria could only handle a few months of it before she decided to take her chances and run away. Under the cover of night, Nemoria snuck out with only some clothes and a little bit of food she had stored away, and she ran. With no plan or destination in mind, she ran, ignoring any passerbys and avoiding people as she felt that adults could not be trusted, and only had the moon to serve as a guiding beacon. She would travel in the direction wherever the moon was fullest when night fell, and somehow managed to survive on her own for two months before she was found by the Rime family, half dead and severely malnourished.

With inquiries about missing persons in the area, phone calls, and eventual paperwork, the Rime family ended up adopting her and calling her their own. It took years of therapy before she began opening up, as she would barely speak. However, her persistent adoptive sister broke through her shell, along with her kind older adoptive brother, her quiet but gentle adoptive father, and her patient and caring adoptive mother. Nemoria found her voice once again, and began enjoying hobbies and spending time with people. Although she approaches any and all interactions with caution due to her past, and is slightly paranoid about overly friendly people.

Her life was followed alongside her sister, coping and grieving together when the Rime family lost Oliver, and pushing past her trauma and grief to support her sister. In a very sad way of thinking that she had already experienced loss several times over, while this was Lilith's first time losing a beloved family member, so she put Lilith's well being and need for comfort and support before her own.

In the years following, she shadowed after her sister, also at a loss as to what she truly wanted to do with her life. She finished high school and college with very good grades, but ultimately decided to follow after her sister when the two found an ad from Sandrock. Hence the pair spending their savings from part time jobs worked to travel down to Sandrock and buy land where the two could build separate housing.

[gemsofgreece]

Hello, could you tell us about Kalymnos and the history of weaving in Greece?

Hi! They are both broad topics, however I will do my best to summarize the most important and interesting information about them.

KALYMNOS

Kálymnos is an island which belongs in the Dodecanese, the southeasternmost islands of Greece. It is 26th in the list of the 50 largest Greek islands. It is the third most populous island of the Dodecanese.

Kalymnos was first inhabited by Carians and Phoenicians. By 1100 BC the island was inhabited by Dorian Greeks. Kalymnos participated in the Trojan War and Homer mentions it with the name Kalydnae. In the late Archaic period, Kalymnos was a democracy. For a time, it was captured by the Persians. When liberated again, Kalymnos remained an ally of Athens, however it did not meddle much with the Peloponnesian war. Like all the other regions of Greece, it fell under Roman rule and was a part of the Byzantine Empire in the middle ages. In the 13th and 14th centuries it came under the control of Venice and the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (Ιωαννίτες Ιππότες - Ioannites Ippotes in Greek) AKA the crusaders, just like most of the Dodecanese islands. The knights expanded and reinforced the original Byzantine fortress of the island which was there since the 10th century.

The ruins of the castle above the main town (Chora) of the island.

The Ottoman Turks attacked the island for about 80 years until they conquered it in 1522. Kalymnos was relatively privileged in the Ottoman Empire - islands were always more privileged compared to mainland Greek regions. In 1881, the Ottoman General Census found that the island had an overwhelming Greek majority (9,482 Greeks out of 9,716 overall population). In 1912, Italy conquered the island during the Italo-Turkish war and kept it until 1947, when, in the form of reparations after the Axis Occupation, Italy ceded the Dodecanese islands to Greece. The Dodecanese were the last region to get united with the Modern Greek state.

Kalymnos has a diverse, arid landscape. It is hilly and very rugged, while its coastline is very indented, forming numerous cliffs, caves and coves. This is why Kalymnos is an internationally popular rock climbing destination with more than 3,000 climbing routes. Kalymnos also has a small archipelagos of its own.

Kalymnos' economy is not based on agriculture, but rather tourism, traditional head scarf painting production and, most notably, sponge diving, which is the best known tradition of the island. Greece is the biggest exporter of natural sponges in the world, largely thanks to Kalymnian spongedivers and the island's seabed. Traditional sponge diving is extremely dangerous and potentially fatal and involves wearing a very heavy suit and holding your breath underwater for extended periods of time.

Artwork depicting the life of a Kalymnian spongediver © Francesco Zizola / NOOR

A folk song sang by Kalymnian sailors and divers has become popular around the world after French singer Dalida made a cover of it with romantic lyrics in 1970. The actual song however was sung by the ship's crew and it was meant to rouse a reaction from the spongediver so that if he struggled underwater, he would have the will to fight and manage to come to the water's surface. For example, the song makes references to the little joys of life, food, a comfortable sleep in a warm bed, sex, making a family, it mentions women (who could be real islanders the spongedivers were interested in), it mentions taking the City back (AKA Constantinople!), it mentions turning against the privileged lords of the island, it "threatens" the spongediver with unfairness ("you lads, I will give violets to you all, I will give two to each, but hey I am giving none to Yoryis (the spongediver)!"), it criticizes the spongediver's unresponsiveness (not pulling the rope) and implies his sister is with the crew, so anything that could potentially make a young man's blood flow and rouse a reaction from him and help him rise to the surface. I link the song below, performed by an actual crew from the island.

After the 60s a lot of Kalymnians emigrated to the USA and Australia, where they were usually employed in hard jobs, like constructing and painting bridges, used as they were in the demanding job of their island.

WEAVING IN GREECE

Weaving is a big, broad topic, especially because it was a well attested practice in Greece even in the Homeric Age. Therefore, and because the post is already long, I found some links that are very helpful and detailed and way more informative than whatever I would write here!

In this link here, there is a pdf about Byzantine weaving and textiles.