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avengerscompound · 4 years ago

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Until the End of the World - 12

Until the End of the World: A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Word Count: 1590

Rating: E

Warnings: pregnancy, light angst

Synopsis: Four years after Steve and Bucky got to the bottom of the HYDRA conspiracy that had led to you and your son being hunted for the first three years of his life, you, Bucky, and Steve have carved out a nice life together. Things are calm and you feel like a family unit. When Geo starts calling Bucky and Steve ‘dad’, a decision is made to try and add to your family.

Things aren’t as calm as they seem. When your pregnancy hits the papers, HYDRA rears its head once again, and Steve and Bucky need to track you down to protect the family they had created.

Chapter 12

It was with trepidation that you approached Geo with the idea of either Steve or Bucky adopting him. The feelings were a strange disconnect to what was actually happening in your life, but in a way that fit how things were going in your life. You felt more at home and at peace than ever, and yet your home was currently mid-construction and a complete shambles. You felt safe and yet you were basically being stalked by the paparazzi and you couldn’t go outside without fighting your fight or flight instinct.

Now here you were, having a child with two men not just willing, but exhilarated at the thought. Yet, when it came to them adopting the child you already had, it felt like you were losing something rather than gaining it.

Letting either of them adopt him, was letting go of the last link you had to John and John had given up everything for you and Geo.

Steve and Bucky were nervous too. You didn’t have to be a mind reader to tell that. They were scared that he’d reject them, and you knew how bad that would feel.

You decided to approach Geo after school, the three of you walking together to pick him up and then stopping in at a gelateria on the way home so there was something a little special about it. The paparazzi were out in force because the school pick-up was predictable and while all three of you had been out together since the pregnancy, it hadn’t been often, and usually, you drove first, so most of the time it wasn’t such a big deal. This time they were on you like a rash as the three of you walked up the street. Many trying to get Steve to comment on the pregnancy or the nature of your relationship.

“Are you sure you want to do this in public?” You asked.

“It’ll be fine,” Steve said. “We’ll sit inside up the back. They can’t follow us onto private property and take our pictures like that.”

You nodded and pushed your sunglasses up on your nose more. One of the things you hated most about the paparazzi since they had gotten so interested in your life, was it made it difficult to know if there was anyone else to worry about.

You arrived at Geo’s school to his surprise and on the walk back Steve and Bucky flanked you both in an attempt to keep you partially protected from the photographers. Ducking into the cool of the gelateria was a blessed relief and you took a table up the back while Steve went and bought ice cream for everyone.

“So Geo,” Steve said when you were all settled at the tiny red table with your deserts. “We had something we wanted to ask you about.”

Geo looked up, licking his ice cream cone and getting the mix of cookie dough and chocolate on his face. “What is it?”

“We’ve been talking, and we think it might be good if either me or Bucky adopted you,” Steve explained. “Make it official, you know?”

Geo looked from Steve to you a little startled. He furrowed his brow and his legs started to giggle under the table. “Mom?”

“It’s okay, bud,” you assured him. “Whatever you’re feeling is normal and valid.”

“Is it okay?” Geo asked.

A sick guilty feeling bubbled up in you. The fact that everyone had known that your reaction to this wouldn’t be positive made you feel terrible. Them wanting to officially be family should be a good thing and yet every single one of them, including your seven-year-old son, knew that you wouldn’t like the idea and you felt horrible that they’d been holding back because of you.

“Yeah, honey,” you said. “This is your choice.”

“But… my dad… my real dad…” he said, shifting nervously.

“Your dad loved you so much,” you said, tears pricking your eyes. “Even though he only got to meet you for such a short amount of time. You were the most important person to him in the whole world. He wanted you to grow up happy and safe more than anything else. If having Bucky or Steve adopt you will make you happy then he would want you to do it. It would definitely keep you safe if they do. It would mean no matter what else happened they’d be you dads officially.” Bucky handed you a napkin wordlessly and you used it to wipe your eyes. “But if you don’t want to, that’s okay too.”

Geo nodded and furrowed his brow as he began to lick his ice cream cone. He held out one sticky hand and looked at Steve. “Can I use your phone, please?”

“Uh, sure,” Steve said, getting out his phone as Bucky wiped Geo’s hand clean. “It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re feeling. You can talk to us.”

“I just wanna…” he said, taking Steve’s phone. Whatever he wanted, he never said. He looked down at the phone and his eyes started to flicker and electric green.

“Are you talking to FRIDAY?” You asked.

He nodded in response and you put your hand on Steve’s leg. “It’s okay. He just trusts her opinion.”

Steve seemed to relax a little and looked out of the window. There were still paparazzi out there but they seemed to be getting a little bored.

You kept your hand on Steve’s leg as you ate your gelato and waited for Geo to be ready to talk again. After a little while, he looked up at both Steve and Bucky. “Who’d be the one?”

“Well,” Steve said. “We haven’t decided that. We thought you should get a say.”

“But we’d both be really happy if you chose us,” Bucky said.

“You can’t both do it?” Geo asked.

“I can certainly petition to do it,” Steve asked. “Some places you can, but not many. And there was a case a while ago that was similar only it was two dads who were married to each other who had a baby with a friend. Both dads weren’t legally allowed to be guardians and this is even more tricky than that.”

You liked how Steve didn’t speak down to Geo and answered as honestly as he could even if Geo didn’t quite understand the finer points of why it wasn’t possible.

“This won’t change the fact we’re both your dad,” Bucky added. “It’s just that only one of us can adopt you.”

“Can you try?” Geo asked.

Steve nodded. “We can try. No promises that it will work.”

“Okay,” Geo said softly.

“So you want us to?” Bucky asked.

“Yes,” he said, quietly. “I want it.”

Steve smiled and rubbed Geo’s shoulder. “Come here, G.”

You took Geo’s ice cream from him and he hugged Steve and Bucky at the same time. The two men, wrapping their arms around the boy. Outside the paparazzi seemed to pick up their interest. Taking photos and you couldn’t even imagine what speculations would come out of those photos.

“If we both can’t,” Steve said, letting Geo go. “Do you have a preference?”

Geo shook his head quickly. “I don’t want to be the one to choose.”

“Okay,” Steve said, soothingly. “That’s okay. We can do something like flip a coin if you want? Does that sound fair?”

Geo nodded. “Yeah, that’s good.”

“You’ve made us really happy, bud,” Bucky said, smiling broadly.

“I’m happy too,” Geo said grinning. “Will I change my last name?”

Steve gave a half shake of his head as you felt tears threaten again. “If you really want to, I don’t think anyone will stop you. But I think - because of what your dad did for you - maybe it’s better if you keep yours because it was his last name. Bucky and I would be honored if you did take our name, but I think it might be nice if you didn’t for his sake.”

Geo frowned and nodded. “Yeah.” He looked over at you and patted your arm. “Are you okay, mommy?”

He hadn’t called you mommy since he was six and hearing it was almost like a time warp to when he was little. You hugged him and rested your chin on the top of his head. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

“I’ll keep my name for him,” Geo said, his voice a little muffled because of how you were holding him.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, honey,” you assured him. “You can do this for you.”

He nodded and looked up at you. “No, I want to keep it.”

You smiled and closed your eyes, holding him close until he pushed back. “Okay, mom.”

You laughed and wiped your eyes, handing him his ice cream back.

“Well, we’ll start the paperwork and petition to be allowed to adopt you together,” Steve said. “That might out us as polyamorous. Are we okay with that?”

“I’m okay with it,” you said and gestured out the window. “When they get answers, maybe they’ll get bored.”

“They’ll get worse before they get better,” Steve warned.

“I dunno though,” Bucky said. “I know we’re not hiding it, but it’ll be good just having us be a family and no one guessing anymore.”

You gave a small nod. He was right. This change was one of the ones that scared you the most, but in the end, it would be for the best. You were a family. It would be nice if it could become more official.

// NEXT

#steve rogers #bucky barnes #steve rogers x reader #bucky barnes x reader #stucky #steve rogers x bucky barnes #stucky x reader #steve rogers x reader x bucky barnes #captain america fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #reader insert #pregnancy #until the end of the world

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still-a-morosexual-help · 3 years ago

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OBEY ME! LESSON 50 DETAILED SUMMARY + THEORIES

One locked lesson. There’s also a chat between Mammon & Lucifer after they leave which is just Lucifer spamming him with texts that are all some variation of “don’t do anything stupid” and “be safe”, which Mammon never replies to and it reminds me intensely of my mom when I had school field trips.

In the morning Asmo says MC looks like they had a goodnight’s sleep ( ͡• ͜ʖ ͡• )and Satan says despite how much Lucifer denies it, it’s a fact that he spoils Mammon (AH HA!) and Asmo teases Satan about being jealous (AHH HAA!!!!). turns out they’re running late and Mammon’s still asleep, they can either wake him up gently (he blushes and asks if they came for round 2 before he realises what time it is), roll him outta bed (he screams, falls and gets pissed off) or yell his name in their best and highly accurate Lucifer imitation (He wakes up screaming and trying to convince Lucifer he didn’t do anything wrong before realising it’s MC). They end up having to skip breakfast and running to the station where they meet Luke who tells them the train’s about to leave. Mammon says that a kid like Luke wouldn’t understand the complicated adult process behind getting ready to leave on an overnight trip, Luke says that’s BS and they just overslept. The two of them start arguing and MC tells them to both shut the fuck up cause the train’s leaving. A red faced Luke starts screaming while they’re running cause Mammon picks him up and then he starts yelling at MC to stop laughing and help him. They never reveal who screamed the night before? Was it Levi realising Crowe was missing? Was it Lucifer trying to get Mammon to stop hugging him? Was it either Mammon or MC as they railed each other? Was it some poor brother who walked in on that? Was it for completely unrelated reasons? Can screams just be heard from outside the house at a semi-regular basis?

Mammon ends up tossing Luke on to the speeding train and when they’re all on it the two start arguing about being late/ the merits of throwing children on to trains. MC says people feel more comfortable to freely argue about things when they’re close. Mammon and Luke both instantly yell “We’re NOT close!”. Luke goes to keep him luggage, mumbling about being worried about spending time with Mammon and Mammon tells him he feels the same. MC and Mammon go to check out their room and MC coos about how big the bed is (it really is a comfy looking bed right under a large window) and Mammon says it could fit both of them and have room to spare before blushing and asking whether they’d actually share (and hey didn’t Lucifer book these rooms????????) Mammon remembers the train trip in S1 and blushes cause this time it’s just the two of them (did y’all forget Luke!?), MC says it’s like they’re on their honeymoon (GUYS SERIOUSLY DID YOU FORGET THE CHILD ALREADY!?), Mammon (while obviously blushing) says there’s other stuff that’ll have to happen first, like a “..um…p…proposal…and stuff”. Mammon then says it’s just the two of them and a bed right now and there’s only one thing they can do and they start going to make out before the door slams open and MC instantly pushes Mammon off and he falls of the bed. Luke completely oblivious and innocent asks what just happened and Mammon says they were practicing self-defence techniques and guys guys I’m crying why is this so funny, why does this seem like the scene from a dozen family comedy movies/sitcom shows where the kid walks in on the parents!???? Luke says he’s hungry and want to go get lunch.

Luke goes over their plan, Mammon grumbles out a whatever, Luke says he needs to listen and take it seriously, Mammon says he’s listening but totally not taking it seriously. He asks Luke why he’s so excited anyway, that he’s bouncing about. Luke’s embarrassed and tries to deny it and MC says Mammon had been bouncing around too. Mammon blushes and tells MC to shut it and Luke says it’s best to ignore Mammon cause he’s not worth it (I love Luke but sometimes…….) Luke ignores Mammon’s protests and shows MC the pamphlets. All the cars in the train are named after angels, with the first being Michael. Mammon says something about Luke going back to talking about his “precious Michael” and that no one cares that the cares are named after angels cause angels aren’t really all that great and he doesn’t see what’s special about them (AND NO GRUDGE HUH!????? Also this line gets a lot sadder when you remember angels killed his little sister). Luke starts telling himself to calm down, Mammon says he can hear everything Luke’s saying. Dessert arrives and Luke wants to share with MC and Mammon teases him about being excited about it before he realises it looks really good. Mammon asks for a bite, Luke refuses they start arguing (Just so you know ever since the “precious angels” line Mammon’s had this smile on his face no matter how much they argued and something about it reads as particularly nasty). Mammon suggests they flip a coin, either they each keep their own desserts or they switch (and pls don’t steal candy from a kid even I can’t defend no matter what issues you may have with the kid’s home/guardians). Luke refuses and Mammon taunts him about being afraid of losing and calls him ‘Luke the loser’ (really wish MC could smack him now and this is probably the most vicious we’ve seen Mammon throughout the 3seasons and we always take time to talk about everyone else’s issues but never Mammon’s, even in S2 when everyone was fighting each other they all got a chance to air their problems with each other and then MC helped them settle it and sure Mammon got a brief chance to yell at Lucifer about how he’s treated but they never got to resolve it, like Asmo said they ignored each other for a bit and then went back to their usual normal. Mammon’s long overdue a therapy session). Anyway Luke takes the bait and says he won’t lose cause he’s got Michael watching over him. Mammon says he should take the challenge then cause he’s got “whats-his-face” watching over him. Mammon wins and Luke accuses him of cheating and Mammon asks what the ‘doggy’s’ proof is. Mammon calls him a chihuahua and when Luke protests, Mammon says he’s Michael’s little puppy who sits on his lap and snuggles up to him all day (no grudge my ass). Luke flushes red, yells at Mammon to shut up and says he doesn’t understand why Michael still cares about the brothers before running away. Mammon loses his smile for a second before he laughs at Luke for running away without eating his dessert and he really does look like a chihuahua when he’s mad. He asks MC if they agree and they can either say Mammon in their Lucifer imitation (he freaks out but doesn’t seem to understand why MC’s pissed) or say “You know what? I hate this side of you, Mammon.” (which wow…He gets really upset about that, stuttering and saying he was just teasing and MC didn’t have to say they hated him)

MC goes to see Luke in his room, he only lets them in after making sure Mammon isn’t there. He apologizes for walking out and MC says it was understandable and that Mammon was in the wrong, Luke says he shouldn’t have let Mammon get to him, specially when he knew Mammon seeing him upset will make him happy. Luke says he’s been wondering about why Michael still cares about the brothers and that they may have been angels once but they did something awful enough that they were cast out and turned to demons (and he doesn’t know!!!!! Is it awful that I want MC to tell him about Lilith and the human she fell in love with?). He says if Michael loved them so much he should have just forgiven them without casting them away (also that’s a thing – were they cast away? Or did they run? We know they fought against the angels before they left and that the angels and presumably, they themselves were aiming to kill the other side, so at the height of all that anger, hurt, death and pain would Michael have just cast them away if they got captured, specially to the Devildom where he knew Lucifer had been meeting up with Diavolo? I always thought that after Lilith fell Lucifer just gathered up his remaining family and fled to the one outside ally they had. I also had a HC that maybe Simeon helped them escape and that’s why he got such a large demotion. They’ve never really cleared up what happened after Lilith was hit, but it would also make sense for the angels to say they were cast away specially if they’re not publicising the reasons behind the war/fight). Luke says he needs to stop and shouldn’t second guess Michael’s judgment and that sounds a lot like what Lucifer kept saying to himself about his Father’s judgment during the Devilgram where he first met Diavolo and the celestial realm is so shady guyyyyyssssss I love morally grey characters who see themselves as being wholly in the right. Luke asks MC as the person closest to the brothers if they think the brothers still love Michael cause he doesn’t want Michael’s love to be in vain. They say sometimes love is one-sided and Michael is still going to feel the way he does. Luke is upset and says he knows that Michael will still love them the way he always has. they ask if Luke hates the brothers (he turns red and said he used to but thanks to MC he can see some of the good in them and doesn’t dislike them as much anymore) and if he finds it hard to forgive them (he says it’s not his place to forgive them and his opinion won’t change Michael’s and that when it comes down to it he understands they aren’t a bad group). He thanks them for coming to check on him. In the corridor Mammon asks if Luke finally cried himself to sleep and calls him a baby (Mammon you cry over nature documentaries…). Mammon insists he didn’t come looking for Luke cause he was worried and was instead wondering where MC went cause they were taking long. He asks them to come back to the lounge for coffee which they missed cause of “Luke’s tantrum”

Back in the lounge Mammon says Simeon needs to teach Luke to relax cause he’s too uptight & that he can’t take a joke. MC asks him to stop making fun of Luke (he tells them to stop lecturing him like Lucifer) and asks if he hates him (he says it should be obvious he doesn’t). He says Luke lives in an extremely small world (which yeah) and he can’t help but to tease him and how once upon a time he was like that too (does…does Luke remind Mammon of himself…?) and MC asks how he ended up like he is now. He says that he ended up awesome, self-assured and sexy after being through both highs and lows. Mammon then gets all serious, saying Luke’s the lowest of the low ranking and yet he’s getting sent to the Devildom and Human Realm, meaning someone behind the scenes is pulling the strings cause they think he needs to see what the real world is like, hoping that he’ll learn that there’s more out there than the world of angels. He says that even after all this time Luke hasn’t learnt anything and that he still sees that the angels’ way of doing things is always right and that he doesn’t even want to imagine that sometimes they may be wrong. And Mammon says if he’s not gonna learn on his own then Mammon’s gonna have to show him by force that things don’t revolve around the celestial realm and the angels and that there’s more to the world. Then finally more light-hearted he says that sometimes someone’s gonna come along and scam you outta your dessert and that’s life. MC summarises it as Mammon trying to teach him that life’s not fair (I mean it’s a pretty mean lesson, specially for a 10yr old but I get that the circumstances are different and more complicated than in the real world/with an actual 10yr old and that “everything will always be okay because Michael will always look after me and Michael is always right” isn’t the best mindset to function on). Getting serious again Mammon says Simeon is making a mistake by standing back and letting Luke discover the world on his own specially when he still hasn’t figured things out at all even after so much exposure during the last few yrs. And that sometimes you gotta force them to see things whether they like it or not, and that he’s just being a mentor. MC asks “like Lucifer was to you?”. He agrees and says he’s not messing with Luke just for the fun of it THOUGH it is fun. So basically Mammon’s parenting style is just a tamer version of Lucifer’s.

By night they meet up with a red face Luke in the corridor. Mammon greets him as usual, calling him sleepyhead and then asking why he’s looking at Mammon like that with sweat beading on his forehead when Luke doesn’t reply. He asks if Luke’s realised how amazing Mammon looks/is and now can’t help staring. Luke, with a red face and looking to the side, apologises to Mammon about what happened/the things he said and Mammon says it’s good he said so and calls him a good doggy and Luke frowns. MC says it was Mammon’s fault to begin with. Mammon tells MC not to come at him with the truth with such a serious, scary look on their face but he flushes red, admits his fault and apologizes too. Then asks Luke if he’s hungry and if he wants to go get food, Luke, still red, says he isn’t. Mammon says whatever and goes to leave till MC starts silently glaring at him. He yelps but understands that MC wants him to fix Luke’s sad/subdued mood. So he asks Luke to come with him. When Luke’s shocked and starts to question him Mammon turns red, snaps at him to come along and then picks Luke up again and hoists him over his shoulder while Luke screams and protests. Mammon carries him all the way to the roof of the train, laughing and saying he might actually drop Luke by accident if he keeps squirming. Luke snaps and asks if Mammon is trying to kill him and Mammon says that Luke’s pamphlets said that the train would be travelling through a slower speed through this area which means it was a good chance to take in the view and stargaze at night and the sky behind them looks really pretty and this is so sweet and he really was listening to Luke the whole time and I have this image of Mammon dragging MC along with him as he stomps into the Angel’s Halo, kidnaps Luke by picking him up and carrying him over his shoulder as he yells at Simeon about the three of them going off to hunt some other rare creature or plant and I want this to be a regular routine for them pls. Luke says the pamphlet didn’t tell them to climb the roof but Mammon says it’s better this way, Luke tries to get MC to talk sense into Mammon but really he should know by now that MC’s always ready to go along with Mammon’s crazy plans so they just say that this is Mammon’s way of making it up to Luke and that there’s no harm in it and that it’s fun. Luke calls MC out, telling if they don’t put their foot down with Mammon he’ll take advantage and things like this will happen. Luke then says enough and asks Mammon to put him down before gasping. Mammon laughs and asks if Luke really wants to be put down when he’s clinging so hard to Mammon (from what I’m getting I think Mammon shifted Luke to his hip? And that’s what the gasp was for) and then he tells Luke to go ahead and look at the sky cause the stars really are beautiful. Mammon points out cygnus and Luke says it’s weird that he knows about constellations and Mammon asks why that would be weird. Luke says it’s weird cause they’re human world stars. And Mammon looks sad and says Michael taught him a long time ago and Luke is surprised (pretty sure before Lucifer took Mammon, Michael was his official guardian? I feel like they said that in one of the earlier S3 lessons) Mammon says that Michael likes that sort of thing and Luke said Michael taught him about the constellations too. Mammon guesses it was in the Celestial Realm observatory and that Michael heads there any chance he got. Luke is surprised that Mammon still remembers these kinda things about Michael. Mammon says that even if you want to you can’t forget a guy as weird as Michael and that he sticks in your memory. Luke says Mammon’s in no place to talk considering he’s pretty weird too. Mammon snaps at him but Luke ignores him saying he got his constellations mixed up and that he was pointing at orion not cygnus and just I love the idea that Michael loved the stars and the constellations and the stories behind them but he also didn’t know shit about identifying them so each set of young angels he showed and taught the human world constellations to have a completely different set of information and none of them are right. I also love how casual Mammon and Luke’s conversation is but the whole thing probably takes place while Mammon was still carrying Luke. And ugh I have such a pretty image in my head for this whole scene and I’d give anything to be able to draw rn

The next morning, Luke is cheerful about getting off the train and Mammon complains about him being too happy when Mammon’s still tired. Luke says he’s tired too cause the 3 of them played cards till dawn and dfnkjefjiwqeji this is so cute? Did Mammon teach Luke to play? Did they all fall asleep in bed together? I like to imagine Luke wasn’t able to fall asleep in his own room so he came to MC and Mammon’s room looking for MC only for it to be Mammon who opened up the door. When MC comes back to the room after washing up for the night and changing clothes the two of them are sitting cross legged in bed across from each other in their night clothes with Mammon trying to teach Luke a card game as they play it. MC and Mammon don’t get that alone time they were hoping for but neither of them mind because sometimes a family is a demon, a human and an angel playing cards during the witching hour on a night train heading towards an isolated lake and hidden fairies. Luke says he couldn’t win though cause SOMEONE kept cheating Mammon says lol yeah I cheated against you for the first two times but then I realised how much you sucked so I stopped after that I only cheated against MC :D MC gives him a look and he tries to placate them by saying he only cheated sometimes. Luke says it doesn’t matter cause they need to get going since they need to get through a forest to get to the lake. The forest, despite it being midday, is foggy and creep, and is rumoured to be them home of a vampire, a witch who eats children and a goblin who imprisons travellers. Mammon & Luke are both freaked out by the witch (…for two very different reasons) & MC dismisses them as just stories (YOU WERE KIDNAPPED AND TAKEN TO HELL???? Your closest friends/family are demons, angels and a sorcerer??? You’re out here looking for fairies????). The boys both get startled by a bird and cling onto MC, Luke then gives MC a blessing to protect them. It suddenly gets darker and it starts raining and Luke spots something.

They end up in front of the house of lamentation (and holy fuck I missed it so much?? It has character! The house in the human world is just sparkling clean, white and empty. The only rooms in it that have character are the bedrooms which are just portals to the house of lamentation.) The boys are both shocked and stuttering until Luke remembers the pamphlet mentioning an old manor hidden deep in the forest. MC remembers the story of the house in the human world about the servant apparently killed off the couple and 6 of their kids before killing himself, leaving only the oldest alive, though later there was evidence that the oldest was the killer but nothing came of it. He died of old age in the house but rumours spread that it was haunted and you were able to see people moving around inside and hear people arguing and screaming (and okay so if the brothers are the seven children and MC is the servant… are Diavolo and Barbatos the parents?). Mammon says it can’t be the HoL cause Lucifer had it disassembled and brought to the devildom (and do you think Lucifer was trying to make a statement? “Six people were killed by their oldest brother in this house, DO NOT test me.”) MC says maybe it’s an imitation, Luke agrees saying they may have built another one as a tourist attraction over where the first one stood. (I like to think that the massacre in the original HoL was so dreadful that it permanently bound the original with its land in the human realm and that when it was brought to the devildom the natural magic all around it strengthened that bond to the point that it encompassed the imitation HoL as well. So now even though the HoL in the human realm is just a tourist trap you can still see 7, occasionally 8, sometimes 10 shadows walking around, You can still hear people arguing and shouting and screaming. But these are not ghosts and are instead the shadows of the real lives that currently inhabit the original house of lamentation, being filtered through the bond up to the human world. Tourists will swear they hear voices yelling for Lucifer or Satan and other demonic names, screams of terror, hauntingly beautiful singing that continues for hours or monstrous growling but this is just Lucifer & Satan arguing about why Satan can’t adopt a pet cat, Mammon being strung up and hung from the chandelier, Asmo singing in the bathroom and Beel’s stomach growling). They all head in and Mammon says it doesn’t feel right, that they’ve all been in the actual HoL and are comfortable in it but that this place was eerie, Luke agrees (ironic that the real murder house is comfortable and homey while the tourist trap is spooky). Both the boys then suddenly disappear, not even answering when MC calls for them.

#obey me spoilers #my posts #my theories #obey me #obey me!#swd obey me #shall we date? obey me!#obey me shall we date

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simp-for-spencer-reid · 4 years ago

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Fluffy Flavor Shot

Babysitting the Godsons

Series Masterlist

Cate was just finishing a shift at The Empty Mug when Spencer walked in through the glass doors. They had made plans earlier in the day to go for a walk through the park before the weather got too cold. Cate’s face lit with a smile when she saw the young doctor. He waited in line to get a chance to speak with Cate, not wanting to disrupt her. The line moved fairly quickly and he was at the register in a matter of minutes.

“The usual?” Cate guessed as she grabbed a large hot cup.

“Yeah,” Spencer smiled and toyed with the brown leather strap of his messenger bag. “Also, I need a rain check for our walk tonight.” Some tension in his shoulders released. “JJ needed a last minute sitter for Henry and Michael and I said I’d help out.”

“Sounds like you’ll have your hands full.” Cate said over her shoulder as she prepared his order. She met him at the pickup side of the counter. “Mind if I tag along?” Cate grinned hopefully. Spencer raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised.

“Oh, sure!” he grabbed his coffee from Cate’s hands. “I could definitely use some help. Magic only entertains for so long.” he chuckled. With a final smile to Cate, Spencer took his favorite armchair in front of the chess board to pass the time while he waited for Cate.

After flipping the sign on the glass door, Marta took the job of sweeping the shop so Cate could leave a bit early to go with Spencer to JJ’s house. They stopped at Cate’s apartment so she could change out of her work clothes and feed Shrimp. The orange cat was getting more comfortable around Spencer. Whenever Spencer sat on the couch, Shrimp was likely to be found by his side, laying down or using his paw to get attention from the doctor.

Cate got her small backpack and filled it with some things she used to take babysitting when she was in high school: a book, some snacks, and her phone charger. She changed into some leggings and a t-shirt and some slip-on shoes, ready to hangout with some kids. Thinking about it made her miss her niece and nephew back at home. She made a mental note to call her sister soon. And her parents.

“Ready!” Cate called as she walked into her living room. Shrimp was lying on his back, letting Spencer rub his belly. “What the hell?” Cate scoffed. “He never lets me do that!” Spencer looked up, amused.

“Cats have sensitive hair follicles located on their stomach region, so maybe you just over stimulate him?” Spencer asked. When he stood up, Shrimp flipped back on his feet and hopped off the couch, and went to the kitchen. Cate shook her head, laughing.

The pair made it to JJ’s just in time. The blonde opened the door and was surprised to see Cate, Spencer hadn’t mentioned bringing her, but brought her in for a quick hug all the same as she did to Spencer.

“You guys are lifesavers!” JJ said as she led them to the kitchen. On the table was a handwritten list of notes about the boys and emergency contacts left for the previously planned babysitter. “They’re looking forward to dino nuggets for dinner, feel free to help yourselves to whatever is in the cabinets or the fridge.” Will popped his head in and greeted the two, before getting his shoes on. The boys filed into the kitchen shortly after, laughing and making dinosaur growls with figurines in their hands. “Thanks again, Spence!” JJ and Will were heading out the door as Spencer picked up the boys and greeted them.

“You brought a girl!” Henry stated, shyly glancing at Cate from behind Spencer’s leg as Spencer had Michael on his hip.

“I did.” Spencer carefully set Michael down, and squatted to meet the boy’s eye level. “This is my friend Cate.” He gestured to her. Michael eyed her up and down. Cate knelt down on JJ’s floor too, giving the boys a little wave.

“Do you like dinosaurs?” Henry asked, stepping away from Spencer and towards Cate.

“I love dinosaurs!” Cate said excitedly. “Do you have any more dinosaur toys?”

“Yes!” Michael shouted, running out of the kitchen to his room. His footsteps could be heard thumping up the stairs.

“Follow me!” Henry added, taking off after his brother. Cate laughed and followed them, Spencer trailing behind her.

“Okay and what is this one?” Henry quizzed Cate, holding up a figurine and looking at her intently. Cate glanced at Spencer sitting on the bed behind Henry’s shoulder. He mouthed the name of the dinosaur to her.

“Hmm, let me think.” Cate watched him mouth it again, trying to read his lips. “Uhh, Practo..saurus?” Cate cringed as it fell from her lips. She knew she was wrong. Henry and Michael let out belly laughs at her answer.

“No!” smiled Michael.

“Close,” said Henry.

A couple dinosaur figurines later and some horridly mispronounced names, Cate and the two boys were sitting cross legged on their bedroom floor, Michael in Cate’s lap. They were watching wide-eyed at Spencer while he captivated them with card trick after card trick. Cate tried her best to watch as intently as possible, but the slight of hand was too good and she had no clue how he was able to guess their cards, or pull cards from behind their ears. Spencer even made coins disappear right before their eyes.

It grew later, and the four were settled on JJ’s couch, watching a movie about an animated dinosaur. Cate and Spencer were sitting next to each other, Henry on the other side of Spencer and Cate had her arms around Michael, who was gently snoring. Spencer had an arm on the back of the couch, behind Cate’s head.

“Psst!” Cate quietly got Spencer’s attention. He pulled his eyes from the movie to look at her. His heart swelled at the sight of her cuddling his godson. “I have some candy in my backpack if you wanna share?” Cate whispered, not wanting to alert Henry, who was still awake. Spencer nodded, and reached around Henry to Cate’s small black backpack. He ruffled inside and pulled out some sour watermelon candies. Cate nodded, her eyes lighting up at the snack. “Want some?” she asked Spencer. He poured a little bit into his hand.

Cate opened her mouth and glanced pointedly at Spencer’s hand. He picked up two and dropped them into her mouth. Cate happily chewed the sour candies. Spencer picked another two up and put them in his mouth, his face scrunching at the sour taste. Cate’s giggles alerted Henry, who saw the candy wrapper in Spencer’s hands.

“My mom always shares her candy with me.” Henry said, eyeballing the sugary treat. Spencer glanced at Cate, who shrugged and nodded. Spencer poured a few watermelon shapes into Henry’s hands.

“I want some!” Michael said through a yawn, climbing on Cate’s lap to get to Spencer’s hands that held the candy. He passed a few shapes to Michael warily.

The decision to give the boys candy proved to be the wrong one as they zoomed through the house, chasing each other and laughing. JJ and Will returned to see the chaos ensue right before the boys’ bedtime. Taking off their coats, they sighed.

“You gave the boys sugar before bed?” JJ shook her head at Spencer, trying to hide her smile.

“She did it!” Spencer pointed to Cate, who was sitting near the boys’ play kitchen in the living room, holding a bowl of pretend cheerios with a chicken leg on top and a bottle of ketchup for a drink.

“No I did not!” Cate gaped, but had a smile on her face. Spencer was sitting at a small plastic table with crayons and scribbled paper strewn over it. Now that JJ and Will were home, Cate and Spencer stood up, stretching their legs and getting ready to head out. Cate gathered her backpack and her sweatshirt, and put on her shoes. Spencer and JJ were exchanging goodbyes and Will was trying to settle the boys. As Spencer and Cate approached the door, Michael ran to them.

“Cate!” Michael grabbed Cate’s hand, getting her to stop from leaving. “This is for you.” He pushed a slightly wrinkled, scribbly drawing of a green circle, a blue circle, a red circle, and a purple circle with arms and legs. Surrounding them were some rough interpretations of dinosaurs and some pink and green wedges, which Cate recognized as the watermelon candies.

“Is that a drawing of me?” Cate smiled at the child.

“It’s us!” Michael blushed. Cate brought a hand to her heart, kneeling to hug the little boy.

“I love it! Thank you!” Cate looked at the drawing once again.

Spencer smiled at the interaction, his heart filling with warmth. Seeing Cate get along so well with his godsons and how much they loved her was something Spencer could witness forever. He walked her to her apartment door that night and couldn’t wipe the goofy smile from his face.

Cate enjoyed herself just as much. She had such a good time that night, but it tugged at her heartstrings to think of her own niece and nephew living so far away. That night, Cate fell asleep fast and dreamt of a small brown haired boy with glasses too big for his face. He wore a miniature version of Spencer’s red cardigan and looked a bit like her dad and had Spencer’s smile.

#spencer reid #spencer reid x oc #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fluff #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #sugar with a side of coffee fanfic

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sliceofsky · 3 years ago

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introducing : cary o’hare

〔 scott foley, 49, cis male, he/him ) cary o'hare was seen listening to “ just haven’t met you yet ” by michael buble. cary is the town’s weatherman and known to be bubbly & insecure

𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚜

full name ~ cary michael o’hare birthday ~ OCTOBER / 15TH / 1971 job status ~ employed as a weatherman at the local news station relationship status ~ (currently) single orientation ~ gay (closeted)

𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚘

tws for : strained family relationships , homophobia , discussion of sex

cary o’hare was the first born child of the upper-middle class o’hare family, named after his mother’s favorite movie star. it was one of the rare concessions at the o’hare patriarch gave to his mother, and he’d never let her forget about it.

from a young age, cary was the picture of raw charisma. grocery store trips took forever, with his mother being halted at every aisle by enchanted older women who wanted to catch a glimpse of the adorable baby cary. his cuteness almost made up for how busy his mom was at all hours of the day, especially when his younger sister became cary’s irish twin, born a little over 9 months after cary was.

his younger sister becomes the bane of his existence as soon as they’re both conscious enough to get on each other’s nerves. they’re close enough in age that the competition is always there, fueled by the teachers, friends, and extracurriculars that they share. they found their niches soon enough: cary was good at sports, while his sister was good at dancing (which elementary-age cary would vehemently insist was the exact OPPOSITE of a sport). their father would go to cary’s games, but not his sister’s recitals, a fact that he accepted without much thought.

cary’s world, until middle school, was very small. the only people on his mind were him, his family, and his ever-shifting cast of close friends. there wasn’t much room in that world for insecurity or introspection, not when his biggest issue was the occasional fight he and his sister would get into over who’s turn it was on the remote. this all changed when cary was introduced to a fact about himself that made the world so much scarier: people were talking shit about him behind his back. it was the little things, of course- a comment about how stacy from english told someone who told someone who told someone that she thought he was short, or hearing a rumor about himself filter through the grapevine. it was startling, and cary reacted in kind, putting much more thought into his everything. he began to think about the way he dressed, and the way he smiled, and the way that when he answered questions in class, people would remember whether he got them wrong or right.

suddenly, nothing was more important than his image. he wanted to smell nice, but not too nice, or else his dad would make some mean spirited quip about his son being fruity. he also needed to date girls, but not too many girls, or else they’d think he was a jerk. it was a careful, obsessive balance that he kept, one that dictated everything about the way he acted.

against all odds, his mission was successful. he was generally well-liked. he had middling grades, and he wasn’t especially happy, but things were working. even the fact that his parents still picked his closest friends based on whether or not mr. o’hare liked their parents couldn’t break his stride. only one thing could truly break his stride, and that was the events of sleepaway camp, the summer before his sophomore year of high school.

sleepaway camp was fun. too fun. he was fast friends with jonah, who lived in a town four hours away from cary’s. over their three week stay at camp timber lake, cary and jonah ended up doing everything together. they shared secrets, snuck out of the cabin late at night to explore the woods, and on one memorable instance, went skinny dipping in the lake. near the end of their time at camp, things changed, suddenly and without warning- cary would blame the full moon. if you interrogated him, he’d insist that the only reason he kissed jonah was because the moon was full, it was the last night of camp, and they were alone in the woods in the dead of the night. he’d also insist that he didn’t mean anything by it, and that it didn’t mean he was gay. the truth, however? temporary insanity didn’t push cary to kiss jonah, and it wasn’t the reason that jonah pushed cary away with a horrified look on his face. much to cary’s relief, neither of them ever spoke about it. it became a secret just as soon as it became a memory, one that cary would agonize over for years after the fact.

cary walked into his sophomore year of high school with this secret heavy on his chest, paired with a desperate need to distract himself from it. he loaded his plate with all kinds of new activities, but the first one (aside from his regular slate of sports) to catch his fascination was learning to drive. he liked driving. he liked being the friend who knew how to do it, and he liked having jovial conversations with his dad about different types of vintage cars. he was the first of his friends to learn how to drive, and he used it to his social advantage.

3 girlfriends, 2 state championships, and 1 prom king crown later, cary was a senior in high school, choosing between two football scholarships while desperately trying not to think about the gay thing. he would ask his parents for advice, if not for the fact that his dad would kick him out for even considering “the homosexual lifestyle” while his mom would tell him to “not think about it and move on”. he picks his college based on a coin flip, and keeps his mouth shut.

college is a new beast for cary, who’s suddenly thrust into a whole new world. the only time he’d lived somewhere other than the o’hare house (lovingly referred to as the o’house) was at sleepaway camp, but uni? that was a sleepaway camp where there were no rules. his major was undecided, and his time was mostly spent juggling gen eds, the football team, and the rowdy parties that he was invited to.

the thing that made him decide his major, funnily enough, was a pregnancy scare. he’d hooked up with a cheerleader, more because she was a cheerleader while he was a football player than for any other reason, and three weeks later, she called him in tears, talking about a late period. on the drive to the doctor’s office to check, they got to talking about how they landed in this position. she admitted that she slept with him because he “reminded her of a weatherman”, and his career path was set. once his former hookup was given the clean bill of “not pregnant”, cary felt free to go along his way, rocking every public speaking class and doing pretty-okay on his meteorology courses, his road in life officially planned.

cary didn’t realize that he was capital g Gay until he actually had sex with a man. the process itself was undignified, beginning with eye contact across a dance floor and ending in a stranger’s bed. he was in a strange city, telling all of his friends that he was sick in the hotel while they were out at a bachelor party. he was paranoid at the gay bar, until he let himself get swept up in the music, and consequently, the spirit of lighthearted experimentation. even if when it happened, he’d already graduated from college, it still counted, right? either way, the end product was the same: him, in a stranger’s bed, trying to catch his breath. the guy’s name was paul, and the sex was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. it was electricity, and nerves, and magnetism, and cary was left without a doubt over the fact that he was exactly what he feared.

the years after that encounter moved in a predictable pattern, a cycle that he couldn’t break. first, he’d find some success in his career. then, he’d find a nice girl and try to make it work. then, the relationship would crash and burn. finally, he’d break again, and allow himself a weekend of gay debauchery. sometimes the cycle would take a few weeks to complete, and other times it would take a few years. this cycle filled up years, and then it filled up two decades, until he was 42 years old and truly exhausted.

his parents wanted him to get married. more than anything, they wanted him to get married. it was one of the few things his mom and his dad agreed on, and in a way, they bonded over it. the whispers about why the local weatherman was a perennial bachelor certainly didn’t help his nerves, neither did the scores of posts from his high school and college friends announcing marriages and pregnancies.

the big break from his cycle came in the form of hazel robson, a fellow member of a book club that he joined (he wasn’t super into reading, but the flow of a book club was deeply calming to him). their relationship blossomed over the book club pick of “love in the time of cholera”, following an especially insightful note from hazel. he asked her out to coffee, wanting to learn more about her opinion. their initial coffee date was legendary, their conversation lasting through two cups of coffee and an extended walk in the park. cary loved seeing the world through hazel’s eyes- she talked about literature with such a vivid intelligence that it was practically contagious. cary left that first date invigorated, like he was scores more intelligent just from having been in her vicinity.

cary couldn’t put into words exactly why it worked so well with hazel, even though he didn’t like her that way. he knew, logically, that he was gay, and that he’d never wake up and love hazel the way she deserved to be loved. emotionally, however? he still kind of hoped that that day would come. their relationship continued to progress, without the dramatic endings that he’d gotten used to. what they had wasn’t going down in flames like his attempts at romance before- it was working. when he proposed, it was at the coffee shop where they had their first date, and he refused to let his guilt show on his face.

things were exactly how his parents wanted it: he was married to a lovely woman, his career was booming, and the for-fun football team that he was a part of kept him in shape. it should’ve been perfect, but cary couldn’t help but feel restless. incomplete. not even his pre-game catchphrase (”my name is cary o’hare, and we are gonna win this thing fair and square!”) could keep that itch of the unfulfilled at bay. it only got worse when he met the living embodiment of everything he couldn’t have: liam lexington.

his father joked that a wandering eye was a normal part of being a married man, but cary suspected that his dad didn’t mean it like this. liam was bold, attractive, and shameless- cary couldn’t quite tell if he wanted to be him or be with him. he decided on the former, after some meaningful eye contact/hand on knee action at an applebee’s post-game celebration. it escalated into a torrid affair, one that he pointedly refused to talk about with liam or anyone else.

it all fell apart on his 46th birthday. hazel walked into their house, ready to deliver his birthday surprise, only to walk in on liam delivering his birthday surprise. first there was the yelling, then there was the crying, until finally there were divorce papers. right after they both signed, there was a long stretch of silence, standing across from each other. then, cary broke the silence. “you know, hazel, i know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but i think one day, you and i are going to laugh about this. i know it’ll be far off in the future, and you hate me right now, but… one day, maybe when we’re old, we’ll be sitting on a porch, and we’ll be laughing about what happened.”

the official party line for the cause of the divorce was the question of kids, leaving cary right back at the start. he was a childless divorcee, and no longer his dad’s favorite. he’s gotten back into the routine of being single and publicly straight, something helped by his now-ex wife moving away. now that she’s back in town, and cary is finding less and less reasons to stay in the closet? it’s about to be a wild year for cary o’hare.

#sero.intro #CARY O'HARE º ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ #info : intro

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swanqueeneverafter · 4 years ago

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Sins of the Past Pt.5

Camelot. Past. Night. (An agitated Uther dines with Morgana.) Uther: “You seem troubled, Morgana. Is something wrong?” Morgana: “No, father. I’m sorry I’m not better company.” Uther: “I’m merely concerned for your welfare, that’s all.” Morgana: “Thank you, My Lord. All is well.” (Arthur enters.) Uther: “What news of the hunt for the Druid boy?” Arthur: “We have conducted an extensive search. The boy is nowhere to be found.” Uther: “You mean you failed to find him?” Arthur: “Perhaps he’s already left the city.” Uther: “You’re telling me that a wounded boy is able to evade the guards and escape the city? Nonsense, someone’s hiding him. I want him found.” Arthur: “He’s just a boy. What harm can he do?” Uther: “He is a Druid, and that makes him dangerous.” Morgana: “The Druids would see my father’s kingdom destroyed.” Uther: “Morgana is right. Double your efforts.” Arthur: “Yes, My Lord.” Uther: “Keep searching until you find him.” Morgana's Chambers. (With Mordred looking on, Morgana stands wearing Guinevere's clothes.) Morgana: (Sighs:) "It’ll have to do. (Turns to Mordred:) We’re going to get you out of Camelot. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise. (Guinevere enters the room:) Did you get the keys?" Guinevere: "Yes. (Holds them up:) The door is behind the shield at the far end of the armoury. I'll prepare you some food and water for the journey." Morgana: "Thank you. I feel I’ve put you in danger without ever stopping to ask how you feel about it. I’m sorry." Guinevere: "I know how it feels to face the threat of execution. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Just be careful."

Storybrooke. Present. The Dragon's Lair. (Henry stops by the former 'Roni's'.) Henry: (Leaning against the bar:) "Wow, I've never seen this place so busy." Robin: (Proudly:) "Yep, ever since we changed to a bar and restaurant - complete with theme nights - profits have been through the roof." Henry: "Maleficent must be thrilled." Robin: "Well you'd think so, but when Remy asked her to change the name to 'Le repaire du Dragon', the look she gave him..." Henry: "She's not a big fan of change, huh?" Robin: "No, but she can't argue with the results. I mean, no one was coming to this place when it was some sort of kinky sex dungeon anyway. Except your parents of course. (Henry winces:) Sorry." Henry: "Yeah. Can I get a refill please, I've got to get back out there." Robin: "Sure thing. (Takes Henry's coffee mug:) So, how was game night?" Henry: "Oh I told them I had to work. It just wouldn't have been the same without Ella there anyway." Robin: "Tell me about it. Between Emma and Regina, Snow and David and Robin Hood and my mom, I was kinda glad Mal wouldn't let me take the night off. I mean all that mushy love stuff can get a little..." Henry: "I know what you mean. (Taking his coffee:) Thanks, I'll see you later." Robin: "Cya." Dragon's Lair. Recent Past. 50's Night. (The bar has been turned into a retro 50's diner for the evening with the jukebox playing and people dancing. Sitting at the bar, Regina and Emma, dressed as 'Sandy and Danny' are in deep discussion.) Emma: "I don't know what to tell ya, we flipped a coin and I won." Regina: "But you're a natural blonde! It just makes more sense for you to be Sandy. Roni had just the right leather jacket for this." Emma: "Seriously, you want to talk to me about leather jackets? Besides, (Playing with 'Sandy's' scarf:) I kinda like you as a blonde." Regina: "Oh you do, do you?" Maleficent: (Standing behind the bar:) "Oh please." Emma: "Hey, can we get some shots?" Regina: "Shots? Are you trying to get me drunk?" Emma: "Haven't you seen the movie? It's my job to turn the good girl, bad." Maleficent: "Ugh. I'll be in my office." (Maleficent turns and walks down the hall and out of sight.) Emma: (Calling after her:) "What about our shots?" Regina: "Shh, I'll get them. (Regina stands and walks around the bar, picking up some glasses:) I did used to own the place after all."

Emma: "What's up with Maleficent?" Regina: "Oh don't worry about her, it's probably a full moon." Emma: "That's Werewolves, not Dragons." Regina: (Pouring the shots:) "Look who knows so much all of a sudden. (They clink glasses and knock the shots back. With a grimace:) So, in this movie Sandy meets up with this Danny person and he's a bad influence?" Emma: "Well yeah, sorta. I mean how bad can anyone who bursts into song every five minutes really be?" Regina: "Oh, well there goes that idea." Emma: "What idea?" Regina: "I was just thinking we could watch it sometime, but you know how I feel about musicals." Emma: (Watching Regina pour another shot:) "You know we could go home, put it on and then not watch it together." Regina: "What would be the point in- (Sees the look on Emma's face:) Ah, I understand. (Picks up her shot:) Well then take me home, Big Bird." Emma: "I think you mean T-Bird. (They down their shots. Slamming the glass down on the bar:) Let's go, Sandra Dee." Camelot. Past. Morgana’s Chambers. (Morgana prepares to take the boy to safety when she sees the look on Guinevere’s face.) Morgana: “What is it? What’s wrong?” Guinevere: “You’re risking so much for this boy. Let me take him out of the castle.” Morgana: “No. It’s too dangerous. I’ll do it. If you are caught, Uther will execute you. The boy’s my responsibility.” Guinevere: “You don’t know anything about him.” Morgana: “There’s a bond between us.” Guinevere: "Stronger than the bond you have with Uther?" Morgana: “It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Perhaps I was always meant to help him.” Guinevere: "How can that be?” Morgana: “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. (Guinevere sighs and shakes her head:) I must go." Guinevere: “Good luck.” (Guards march through the castle as Morgana peeks over the edge of the curved stairs and descends with Mordred. A serving girl sees them sneaking off through the corridor at the bottom of the spiral stairway. They sneak out through the door behind the shield in the armoury. Arthur enters the armoury with a guard.) Guard: “A servant saw someone entering. They had a boy with them.” (Arthur sees the revealed door and checks his key ring, but the key is missing.) Arthur: “Sound the warning bell.” Guinevere’s House. Night. (Guinevere looks out the window while the warning bells sound. Morgana and Mordred enter.) Guinevere: “There’s enough food for three days. Your horse is fed and watered. I’ll take you to it.” Morgana: “No. There’s no point in all of us risking our lives.” Guinevere: “What about you?” Morgana: “I’m the King’s daughter. I’ll take my chances.” Guinevere: “Morgana!” Morgana: “I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you. We must go.” Lower Town. (Morgana and Mordred try to run, but Arthur and the guards approach through their exit. Morgana and Mordred hide in a nearby building. Arthur enters.) Arthur: “Fan out. (Morgana and Mordred make a break for it, but they run across a guard and Arthur blocks the other side of the path. Arthur draws his sword and places it at Morgana’s back:) Halt, or I’ll run you through. Show yourself.” (Morgana turns around. Arthur is shocked.) Morgana: “Let him go. I beg you. He’s just a child.” (Arthur considers his options, looking at the guards around him.) Arthur: (To the guards:) “Restrain them.”

Wonderland. Present. (Ella and Will continue walking towards the Mad Hatter's house.) Ella: (Spotting it:) "Will. Over there! The Hatter's house. (Begins running:) Hurry!" Mad Hatter's House. (Ella opens the door and enters.) Ella: "Mother! (Dozens and dozens of hats are all that greet them:) I'm here!" Will: "Ella." Ella: "She must be here. It's too dark to tell, or maybe she's sleeping or something." Will: "Your Mother ain't here." Ella: "No, she must be here." Will: "Ella. (Ella starts looking through all the hats, desperately:) Ella. I'm sorry. But she's not. And as far as I can tell, she never was. If she were, wouldn't she have shown herself by now?" Ella: "But she was here, I can sense it." Will: (As Ella leaves the house:) "Ella." (Walking outside, Ella closes her eyes for a moment, dejected. Opening her eyes again, she feels something.) Ella: "Will, come quickly! (Will exits the house:) My necklace. The one my parents each kept a piece of, look!" Will: (Stares at the necklace:) "It's glowing." Ella: "It's a sign! We were meant to come here. My mother was here, I knew it!" Will: "But she's not anymore. You said it yourself, this was your best chance at finding a clue as to where she went and there's nothing here." Ella: (Smiling:) "This isn't the time to be stubborn, Will. Look!" (Ella holds up the still glowing necklace.) Will: (Gently pushes it away:) "I'm not being stubborn." Ella: "Yes, you are. If you want to leave, leave. But I'm staying." Will: "Because of a necklace?" Ella: "Because she's here." Will: "But you have no proof." Ella: "When you really love someone, you don't need proof. You can feel it. She's here. I'm gonna find her. Now the only question is, are you coming with me?" Will: "I was afraid you were going to ask me that." Ella: "Is that a 'yes'?" Will: (Smiles, despite himself:) "Bloody hell. Come on then." (Replacing the glowing necklace, Ella wipes away her tears as she and Will continue their search, together.) Kingdom of Valencia. Catrina's Guest Chambers. (Kneeling on the floor of her room with Jonas, Catrina enchants a necklace with her blood.) Catrina: "Ic nemne þá grædige, yfele, formolsnung. mé getryme. Nu meaht þú begalan. Nu meaht þú begalan. (To Jonas:) Dinner time." (She cackles.)

Gareth’s Chamber. (Gareth and Catrina have dinner together.) Catrina: “Isn’t this perfect? You and me together. A toast. A toast to us.” Gareth: “To us.” Catrina: “There’s something I want to give you. It belonged to my father, and his father before him.” Gareth: “Oh, My Lady, I couldn’t possibly…” Catrina: “No, no, no, I want you to have it. Perhaps when you look at it, it will remind you of me.” (She puts the enchanted necklace around Gareth’s neck.) Gareth: “I shall wear it always.” Catrina: “That is as well, for am I not beautiful, Gareth?” Gareth: “Oh, you are beautiful, My Lady.” Catrina: “Am I not your heart’s desire?” Gareth: “You are my heart’s desire.” Catrina: “Then seal it, Gareth. Seal it with a kiss.” Gareth: “Yes. A kiss.” (When they kiss, the enchantment is complete.) Camelot. Past. Council Chamber. (Morgana stands before Uther while Arthur watches on.) Uther: “All this time, you’ve been hiding the boy in my own palace. How could you betray me like this?” Morgana: “I would not see him executed. I did what I thought was right.” Uther: “You think it’s right to conspire with my enemies against me?” Morgana: “How can this child be your enemy? He’s just a boy.” Uther: “He is a Druid.” Morgana: “Is that such a crime?” Uther: “His kind would see me dead and this kingdom returned to anarchy and you would help them.” Morgana: “Then punish me… but spare the boy. I beg you.” Uther: (To Arthur:) “Make arrangements for the boy to be executed tomorrow morning.” Morgana: “No! Please. He’s done nothing.” Uther: “Let this be a lesson to you.” Morgana: “You don’t have to do this.” Uther: (To Arthur:) “Do you hear me? I want him executed at dawn.” Arthur: “Yes, My Lord.” Morgana: “What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?” (Morgana marches towards Uther and grabs his arm. Uther grabs her throat and presses her against a chair back.) Uther: “Enough! I will not hear another word! Do not speak to me until you are ready to apologise for what you’ve done.” (Uther leaves, Arthur follows him.)

That Night. Morgana’s Chambers. (A thunderstorm rages. Morgana stirs restlessly in her sleep and magically lights a candle by her bed.) Guinevere: (Entering the room:) “I brought you some extra blankets, I thought you might be cold… (Guinevere sees the lighted candle and blows it out, taking it over to the window. Morgana eyes flicker and magically she lights candle in her sleep again. Guinevere gasps, waking Morgana who’s eyes glow golden which causes the flame to burn higher, burning her curtains:) Morgana! Morgana, stop!” (Morgana screams, shattering the glass from her windows.) Storybrooke. Swan-Mills House. Present. (Regina sits reading in the living room when she hears Emma call out to her.) Emma: "Regina?" Regina: "In here. Did Maria go down okay?" Emma: "Of course, I'm the law in this town, so what Mama wants, Mama gets." (Glancing up from her book, Regina looks to see Emma stood leaning against the door frame. Wearing only a white bathrobe and with her hair done in a familiar fashion, Emma enjoys the smile that crosses her wife's face.) Regina: "Ooh, Mama like." Emma: (Smiles, walks further into the room:) "I thought a little role-reversal was called for. (Twirls the bathrobe tie in her hand:) So can Roni come out and play?" Regina: (Slamming the book closed:) "I think that can be arranged." Emma: (Winks:) "Then follow me." (Regina promptly stands and follows her wife. When Emma doesn't head for the stairs however, Regina stops.) Regina: "Where are you going?" Emma: (Continues walking:) "Well it's not quite Greased Lightning, but I think your Mercedes will be cosy enough. (Emma reaches the door to the garage across the hall. Looks over her shoulder:) Coming?"

Regina: (Smirks:) "Do you want me to fetch my leather jacket?" Emma: "Oh no, I don't think that'll be necessary. After all... (Emma unties her robe and lets it drop to the floor at her feet:) You're already wearing far too much." (Without another word, Emma opens the door and enters the garage. Not needing to be asked twice, Regina kicks off her shoes and follows Emma into the garage, discarding her clothes as quickly as possible.) Camelot. Past. Morgana's Chambers. (Guinevere sits with Morgana, rocking her in her arms.) Morgana: "I’m scared, Guin. I don’t understand anything anymore." Guinevere: "You can trust me, Morgana. You know you can." Morgana: "It's magic, Guin." Guinevere: "Shh. You need your rest." Morgana: "You think it's magic too. (Pulling away to look at her:) Please, Guin, I just need to hear you say it." Guinevere: (Strokes Morgana's face:) "I understand. I realise how frightening all this must be for you. Especially for you." Morgana: "Why especially for me?" Guinevere: "You’re the King’s daughter. You know his hatred of magic better than anyone." Morgana: "So you do think it was magic?" Guinevere: “I’m not saying that.” Morgana: “But it could be, couldn’t it?” Guinevere: “I really wouldn’t know, but there are people who do.” Morgana: “Who?” Guinevere: “What about the Druids? They help people like you.” Morgana: “None of their kind would dare show their face in Camelot.” Guinevere: “No. But I know where you can find them. You must go tonight with Arthur when he takes the druid boy out of the castle.” Morgana: “Arthur? He’s the one who turned me in.” Guinevere: “Yes and he regrets it. Arthur doesn’t wish to see the boy executed any more than we do.” Morgana: “And you trust him?” Guinevere: “Yes, I do.” Morgana: “But how would I leave the castle? My father-” Guinevere: “We must use what happened here tonight to our advantage. For the boy’s sake, and yours.” Labyrinth of Gedref. Present. (While Merida continues to navigate the labyrinth, Mulan meets Anhora.) Mulan: "You said Merida would face a test. And here you are, preparing a trap for her." Anhora: "The trap isn’t for Merida. It is for you. Gehæftan." (As a result of Anhora's spell, Mulan is wrapped in vines from the labyrinth walls.) Labyrinth of Gedref. Exit. (Merida runs through the labyrinth and finds the exit leading to the sea. Mulan is sitting at a table on the shore, Anhora standing nearby.) Merida: “Mulan?” Mulan: “I’m sorry.” Merida: “Let her go. I’ll take your test, but not till she’s released.” Anhora: “That is not possible. Mulan is part of the test. Please sit. (Merida doesn’t move:) If you refuse the test, you will have failed and Dun Broch will be destroyed.” Merida: (Sighs, taking a seat opposite Mulan:) “I thought I told you to stay away. (To Anhora:) Let’s get on with it.” Anhora: “There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet.” Merida: “What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?” Anhora: “What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted.” Mulan: “Let’s think about this. What if I drink from my goblet first?” Merida “If it’s poisoned, you’ll die.” Mulan: “And if it’s not, then you’ll have to drink from yours, and you’ll die. There must be a way around it.” Merida: “Well obviously one of us has to die. We have to find a way to determine which goblet has the poison. And then I’ll drink it.” Mulan: “I will be the one to drink it.” Merida: “This is my responsibility. I’m drinking it.” Mulan: “It is more important that you live. You’re the Queen.” Merida: “You’re already a hero, Mulan. There’s no need for you to be a martyr.” Mulan: (Sigh:) “What if I drink from mine first, and if that’s not poisoned, I will then drink yours?” Merida: “He said each of us is only allowed to drink from a single goblet. I had no idea you were so keen to die for me.” Mulan: “Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself.” Merida: (Snort:) “I’m glad you are here, Mulan.” Mulan: “I’ve got it. Right, we pour all the liquid into one goblet and then we can be sure it is poisoned. Then all the liquid can be drunk, and it will be from a single goblet.” Merida: “Brilliant. Look out!” (Merida points and Mulan looks. Merida takes the two goblets and pours all of the liquid into one of them, holding it to drink.) Mulan: “No! I will drink it!” Merida: “As if I’d let you.” Mulan: “You can’t die. This isn’t your destiny.” (Merida toasts Mulan then drinks it.) Mulan: “No! What have you done? (Merida falls off the chair, unconscious:) Merida! No! (Mulan tries to shake Merida awake:) Merida. Merida. Come on! Merida, come on. Come on. Come on! (Mulan turns to Anhora:) Please. Please! Just… let me take her place!” Anhora: “This was Merida’s test, not yours.” Mulan: “You’ve killed her!" Anhora: “She is not dead. She’s merely consumed a sleeping draught.” Mulan: “What?” Anhora: “I believe you have some experience with the poppy flower? (Mulan nods:) She will come round shortly.” Mulan: “I don’t understand?” Anhora: “A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Merida was willing to sacrifice her life to save yours. She has proven what is truly in her heart. The curse will be lifted.” (Mulan kneels down to check on Merida to find her breathing laboured. Concerned, Mulan picks up the goblet and inspects it.) Mulan: “This was not made with the poppy flower!” (Mulan reaches into the goblet and pulls out a petal.) Anhora: “That’s not possible, I poured the goblets myself earlier today.” Mulan: “Did you leave them unattended? (Anhora considers, then nods:) Then your test was sabotaged and that means that Merida really has been poisoned!”

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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rt8815 · 5 years ago

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OC Ask Game

I was tagged by the amazing @illegalcerebral

I put a Keep Reading link because this is looong.

1) Name (and why you chose it if you like) McKinley Campbell Durand. I named her after McKinley Morganfield, better known as Muddy Waters. However, the “in universe?” reason that will be given - which I haven’t written yet - is that McKinley and Campbell are family names from a few generations back.

Campbell comes from the Gaelic words for ‘crooked’ and ‘mouth.’ I just like the name. Here’s a post (that I had to rewrite because Tumblr’s a dick and wouldn’t let me edit the typos in the original. The rewrite had typos too! Blargh!) that discusses her first and last names. I thought it would be funny for her full name to consist solely of last names.

2) Fandom and how they fit into the story Criminal Minds. She works at a D.C. museum practically around the corner from the J. Edgar Hoover building (as indicated in “Let It Bleed”). That’s a tiny hint that it’s the National Museum of African American History & Culture, but I don’t think I’ll mention it very often, if for no other reason than I’ve never been to the NMAAHC and don’t want to describe it inaccurately.

The official story is that Spencer and McKinley met at the museum (again, in “Let It Bleed,” which is probably the least favorite thing of mine that I’ve written). However, they’d met once before, and texted a few times after that. Because my brain is all over the place, and because I’m telling the story in non-chronological order, I haven’t written their first meeting yet. The only details I’ve revealed thus far are that it was nighttime in a park, McKinley caught Spencer off guard and made him fall to the ground, and whatever they talked about set Spencer straight and lifted his spirits. Also, a swingset was involved. Beyond that, I’ve inserted McKinley into the plotlines and events of the show, with necessary alterations, and there’s a ton of domestic Spencer and off-duty team stuffs.

3) Do they have any family? Biological family: daughter Sophie and son Jason; her Mom (no name yet); maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins; and her estranged father (no name yet). Chosen/found family: husband Spencer; the BAU.

4) As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? When she was a toddler, McKinley wanted to be a pediatrician (a doctor just for kids?! Cool!) or an ophthalmologist (she’s worn glasses practically her whole life). As an older child she aspired to be an entomologist or herpetologist. In her teenage years she considered a career in forensic pathology or criminal psychology. While earning her BA in English, she discovered that Public History was her true calling.

5) Their greatest dream To be a good Mom. To inspire learning in others.

6) Their worst nightmare Losing her family; having to see her father again.

7) Strengths Empathy, insight/self awareness, forgiving nature but knowing when to cut her losses

8) Weaknesses McKinley struggles with imposter syndrome.

She can be very mean. I mean, downright nasty cruel, verbally. This is rare though because, and I’m paraphrasing a future bit of dialogue here, anyone whose behavior could arguably warrant such a response is beneath her notice and not worth the effort. She’s more likely to close the door on someone. When she’s removed a person from her life, she is done. They become literally nothing to her. McKinley will rightly claim that this is about self-preservation and boundaries, but she really takes it to the next level.

9) What would they chose between: morning and night, sweet and savoury, beaches or meadows, cities or countryside, winter or summer, Christmas or Halloween (sorry, Spencer!), movies or TV shows, action or rom-com, clowns or vampires, stars or the moon (both!), cocktails or pints [Neither. McKinley doesn’t care for cocktails or beer. Scotch, brandy, rum, and dry wines are her poisons. She’s been known to add Kahlúah to vanilla ice cream, Baileys Irish Cream to coffee (she wants to try Drambuie next), or make hot toddies when she has a cold (obviously not mixing any alcohol with any medicine)]

10) How do they relax? Reading, or having Spencer read to her; knitting; listening to her records or playing her guitar; exercising with Boogie so she’s exhausted enough to sleep that night; baking and cooking

11) What makes them angry? Injustice, apathy/indifference, ableism, willful ignorance

12) What makes them afraid? The awful things she’d possibly do under duress; her family getting hurt or worse; spiders and other bugs that bite and/or sting

13) What is a moment from their childhood that has shaped who they are? It’s not a single event, but growing up with an abusive parent has certainly had a lifelong impact on McKinley. You’ve heard the expression “once bitten, twice shy?” She’s “once bitten, there’s no twice because you no longer exist.” She’s working on that. It’s also cultivated empathy, though, and is part of the reason she volunteers in the hospital’s rehab wing.

14) Do they have a sense of humour? Intellectual humor, pop culture references, puns/Dad jokes, science jokes. Sometimes morbid.

15) What do they value in their friends/loved ones? Honesty and empathy

16) Do they have any pets? An Aussie Collie/Border Aussie named Boogie-Woogie. He’s her first child.

17) Worst memory? Probably the day Meadows shot her and she thought she’d never see Spencer and Penny again.

18) Best memory? The days Sophie and Jason were born. Minus, y’know, the agonizing pain of labor and delivery.

19) Do they have any tattoos? (If no would they get one?) Nope and nope

20) If you could write them into another fandom, which one would you choose? If I knew the MCU better, I’d love to write her in as a Stark Tower employee! She’d be an anthropologist and would study alien societies the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. have encountered. She’d naturally be drawn to Loki, initially in a professional capacity (they quickly discover they relate to each other on a personal level as well).

He’d first find her annoying: “Why are you pestering me, Mortal? Surely you’d rather interview my oaf of a brother?”

“No, not even remotely. He only ever wants to discuss battles he’s won. There’s so much more to Asgard and the other realms than that. I want - I need - to learn your literature, your science, your culture and history. You’re well versed in all of these subjects and you’re an excellent teacher.”

He stares at her impassively over his mug of tea, but his heart - that Judas of an organ - flutters slightly at the compliment. And how can he say no to a fellow scholar?

“I prefer your company to Thor’s too. You have this calming presence. Thor’s sweet but he’s also obnoxiously loud and brash and he always hugs me even though I keep telling him I don’t like it. And he’s constantly swinging his hammer around, which makes me think he’s overcompensating for something.”

Loki nearly chokes on his tea. Yes, this mortal is considerably more tolerable than others.

“Very well. Friday evenings at 6:00, my chambers. Arrive late and suffer my wrath.”

From that day forward, whenever Thor tries to hug her, he gets mildly electrocuted.

Did I accidentally sorta kinda write a drabble? Would anyone be interested in making this a collab? That’s what they’re called, right? (Can you tell I’ve given this some thought? Haha! I have even more details in my head.)

21) Do they like their job? (What else would they do if they could?) She loves it! Hmmm, what else…? A librarian maybe. Or animate and produce an educational cartoon series.

22) What is their sexuality? Demisexual

23) Do they believe in love at first sight? Soulmates? One true love? McKinley believes in “seeing the potential for a good relationship at first conversation.”

Yes, although she feels that term has become overused and poorly redefined.

People can find love again after it’s been lost.

24) What music do they listen to? Has that changed over time? I actually recently answered an ask about this. Yes, she grew up on what passed for country in the ‘90s. God help her, she had a boyband phase in junior high.

25) Can they cook? What food do they love? McKinley does pretty well in the kitchen. She loves a wide variety of food. She grew up in the south, so tons of carbs/comfort foods. She loves Thai, Japanese, and Indian food. She cooks up Middle Earth-inspired dishes (ha! nerd). She’s especially proud of a seed cake she bakes.

26) What are their hopes for the future? For her family to be healthy, safe and happy. To be debt free.

27) How do they react to being threatened? It’s a coin flip. McKinley might curl up like an armadillo and hope the predator gets bored and leaves, or she might kick the stool out from under them and cause their chin to slam into the bar and crack several teeth.

28) What is their love language? McKinley and Spencer both exhibit the Acts of Service love language, because just saying “I love you” isn’t enough. You ought to show it. She’ll randomly bake doughnuts for Spencer or play guitar for him in bed, and he’ll take care of laundry, dishes, and any other chores he sees need doing.

Quality Time is important for them too. Once a month, Luke and Penny babysit so Spencer and McKinley have a day alone together. It doesn’t really matter what they do. The point is it’s just them.

It caught McKinley by surprise how much she enjoys physical affection, given that she can be touch averse but holy moly she was more touch starved than she realized. She lives for snuggles and makeout sessions and playing with each others’ hair. When one of them doesn’t want to be touched, they hook their pinkies together.

29) What do they find most challenging in relationships? At work? In general? At work she struggles to gain her colleagues’ respect (think “Boy Genius” treatment except she has lady bits). In general, she struggles with trusting people.

30) What do you as a creator love best about writing this character? Giving her everything I wish I had but don’t.

Bonus: Include a link to your favourite work with this OC or write a small drabble.

October 12, 2021

Warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, gently rousing Spencer from a pleasant sleep. Just when he’d decided to get up, he felt the mattress dip behind him and his wife’s breath fanning over his ear.

“Who’s the birthday boy?” whispered McKinley.

Spencer smiled softly but feigned being asleep.

“Who’s the birthdaaay boooy?” she repeated, bouncing slightly.

“The good-looking guy to your left?”

“Happy Birthday!” she laughed, pressing kisses along his neck, suddenly shifting the mood from playful to sexy.

“Would the birthday boy like his birthday present?” she asked as she lifted the covers.

“Well, look at that - it’s already unwrapped!”

#oc appreciation #writing games #Criminal Minds #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x oc #oh god it's 03:15 why am i still awake?#why do i do this to myself #sleepy time for Rubes now

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iireallyhavenoideawhatimdoing · 5 years ago

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Equal rights?

Equal rights among race and gender is regrettably a flawed topic. We strive for equality but fail to see things stopping us from achieving it. In both cases, we often overlook people, and who they are. We look past the opposite side of the same coin. Double standards live in these topics. In race, we have races that can’t say anything remotely racist otherwise their life is basically ruined. On the flip side of that, you have races that can be openly racist in all aspects and walk away as if it’s a normal thing to do. With gender, people say they want equality, but they practice dominance and superiority instead. Why does society see these issues, and try to fix them, only to make them worse, but in an acceptable way? What if we were all equal? What if we were all just human?

Racism is something the world still struggles with today. It’s an issue I wish we could move on from. Realize we are all the same. Why can’t we evolve to a world that knows no race? Different hair colors aren’t considered different hair races. I may have brown hair, but I’m not ostracized for it. I think we can still be Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, African American, etc without it being a race thing; it’s still a culture. Such as you can have blonde, brown, red, blue, green, or even purple hair and it all still being hair none the less. Right now, there are a lot of cases of racism against white people, and I don’t bring this up to lessen racism against anyone else, but I bring it up as a double standard. In modern society, it’s okay to be racist towards white people. It shouldn’t be okay to be racist toward anyone. One of my good friends returned from a religious mission in El Salvador. He was the only white person in his mission. The only one from America as well. He was constantly bullied for being white, and for being from America. He was called out on it daily. Even from his fellow companions on the same religious mission. Sadly, no race is exempt from racism. There are still cases of people being extremely racist. There is what seems to be an epidemic of racism in cops. Racism is an issue we humans created. It’s one we should have been able to put to rest a very long time ago. People who are 100% blind and cannot see anything, they don’t understand racism. To them, everyone is the same. People are people. Tommy Edison, a man born blind, talked about racism in a video posted to Youtube on Aug 8, 2016. He says, “I have to be honest. I don’t really think about it.” He goes on to talk about how he doesn’t care about the color of someone’s skin, he cares about who they are, how they think, he cares that they are human.

I’d like to point to a recent Netflix show called Love Is Blind. It’s an experiment to find if love is blind, hence the name of the show. In it, they put 15 men and women in things called “pods”. They can’t see each other, but have to get to know one another, and then get engaged. They don’t see each other until they get engaged. The first couple to get engaged was a white man named Cameron, and an African American woman named Lauren. They didn’t know this about each other until they finally saw each other in person. As the show progresses so does their love, ending in, spoilers, their marriage. They were married in November of 2018, and now in April of 2020, they are still happily married. This really shows that race ultimately doesn’t need to matter, and that who we are is what matters at the end of the day. Modern racism is, unfortunately, a thing, and it has a double standard with it, but take away everyone’s sight for a moment, and what’s the difference between everyone? Now the difference is in who you are.

Equal gender rights have been a rising topic over the last few years. People calling for equal rights. Unfortunately, this subject is riddled with a double standard. People call for equal rights but want superiority. The loudest majority talk about women’s rights, pay, and opportunity, but when you bring up the draft as an example, their facade of equality begins to fade. Now, this is not every feminist. This is not everyone who wants equal rights. This is simply a very vocal part of the community, however small, they have a loud voice. The statistics for inequality among women are readily available and easy to find. The vast majority of articles about gender inequality specifically only mention women’s struggles. Unless you are seeking out information on male inequality, it’s buried to the point where it almost seems to not exist. When looking up “gender inequality” in a Google search, the front page brought up eight articles, not including ads. Each of these articles only talked about female issues and never once brought up any male issues, or even rebutted any of their own claims with anything about the opposing gender. Don’t get me wrong, women’s rights are important and something we need to make more of an effort with, but we also need to bring to light that there are issues with men as well.

In the case of sexual assault, it is hard for a man to be seen as a victim. There is such a strong stigma in society that men should be able to deal with it. That men can’t be raped or sexually assaulted. When looking at court cases, men don’t have much favor. Brian Banks was a promising football player when he was accused of rape in 2002. He was 16 years old at the time. He ended up serving 6 years in prison. In 2011 the accuser, Wanetta Gibson, admitted to fabricating the claim. He lost 6 years of his life and a promising career in football to a false claim. On the opposite side of a coin, when a male accuses a woman of sexual assault, it isn’t as “easy”. Their word isn’t taken as truth, whether it is the truth or not. Where in most cases of women accusing men, their word is taken as gospel. This has lead to many false accusations like Brian’s. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, up to 10% of claims end up being false. Not only do false claims hurt men and take away parts of their lives it also destroys women who have actually been sexually assaulted and have found the strength to speak up. They now get questioned if they are lying, and now others chose to stay quiet.

A big issue when it comes to gender rights is children and divorce. Men oftentimes are overlooked and given the short end of the stick for simply not being the mother. My Aunt and Uncle got a divorce a few years ago. She claimed he was abusing her and kicked him out of the house. Her claims of abuse were later proven to be false. When the inevitable divorce came, he lost almost everything. She got the house, the land, the kids. He only got the kids every other weekend even though it was obvious he was the more qualified parent. We would later find out that she had been cheating on him with their youngest child's kindergarten teacher. After the divorce, my aunt became a very distant mother. Their father used to drive them to the bus stop in the winter, which they lived a far way from. Without him around, the mother failed to do this, making her three kids walk the way to the bus. The bus driver eventually decided to drive all the way to their farmhouse each day. The majority of the money my Uncle would be making was taken for child support. Unfortunately, their youngest child, my cousin, had a stroke in the middle of the night and passed away in the same bed as her older sister. There was nothing anyone could have done. The older sister started to have severe issues from the trauma of waking to her dead sister. Instead of trying to help her daughter, her mother sent her to live with a relative in Utah, which only worsened things. Out of their three children, only one reminded with them, but with the mom absent so often, he spends most of his time with his dad. Even though she sent one kid to a different state, is barley around for one of them, and the other has passed away, my uncle still pays her child support for all three children, even though she hardly supports them. Men get robbed of their children in situations like this constantly, and it isn’t right. Gender rights aren’t only about women. They’re also about men. It’s about equal rights. Not one or the other.

While racism has changed from a couple centuries ago, it still remains to this day. It’s unfortunate that people can’t just see each other as that; people. Turn off the lights in a room full of different people around the world. How are they different? Accents? Anyone can have an accent. A white man can have an Asain accent. A woman from Ghana can have a British accent. For the sake of the experiment, let’s say they all have the same accent. How do you tell race? Can you? Is it now just about who they are? With gender equality, the issue seems to be why women are lesser than men and how to swap that. Articles are riddled with bias and refuse to show any arguments for men and any inequalities they suffer. Unfortunately, we do live in a world where this is an issue, and to really start solving it, to come to true equality, we need to acknowledge both sides of the same coin. There are plenty of issues such as these, that on paper should be easily solvable. Regrettably, these issues have been around for a long time before you and I and may even be here for a long time after. If everyone could see each other as equals, the world could be such a greater place. Just close your eyes, take away all bias, and focus on who a person is.

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afewmarvelousthoughts · 6 years ago

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Truth Pt. 11

Truth Master List

Request:

What’s up sug! sorry you’re struggling right now but I’ve come to help you If you could bring this to light for me I’d absolutely love for YOU TO DO JT So basically Bucky X Enhanced reader who are fuckin enemies. Hate each other to every last fiber of their beings bc Bucky is rude and she calls him out on it. AnywHs, they get drunk, truth or dare (go crZy baby) and LOTS LF dirty talk if u wanna do smut but if u don’t then buck taking care of her while she’s drunk cause she admitted her feelings

Pairing: Bucky X Reader (Enhanced)

Summary: Since The Avengers gave you a home the only blight has been Bucky Barnes, a ghost from your past that you can’t seem to shake. It makes you hate him. The feeling, it seems, is mutual. But… a simple game reveals that maybe things aren’t quite so simple. (Post Winter Soldier AU)

Warnings: Feels, mentions of addiction, violence

A/N: HELLO MY DARLING PRECIOUS PATIENT PUMPKINS! Did you miss these two? I know I did. This starts off domestic and then veers into like two-three completely different territories. It’s a ride that’s for sure.

I hope y’all like it!

Tags are open!

@midnightdream83 @mywinterwolf @disagreetoagree @breezy1415 @peachthatdrinkslemonade @wonderlandmind4 @piensa-bonito @handplucked @buckysstar @sam-jae @marauderconvos –harder @for-the-love-of-the-fandom @meg-asaur @jewelofwinter @fairislesheets @animegirlgeeky @lydklein1 @katecolleen @siriuslycloudy2 @zannemes

He stills your hands with his. Your eyes meet his, tears sneaking down your cheeks. He wipes them away.

“You keep your memories displayed… I shove mine in a box under my bed…”

When you had pulled all of this out you were on the verge of completely melting down. Days without sleep, hardly eating, seeing that woman’s face over and over again, the flashbacks… You wanted to remember what you were before you became a monster.

It only served to remind you of everything you lost. That’s when you’d gone to the gym when Bucky found you… You’d forgotten your misguided attempt to keep yourself together until there it was spread on your unmade bed.

There wasn’t much. Your family hadn’t been big on photos, just a few posed pictures, school photos, some holidays. But you loved photos… A grotesque amount of polaroids of your friends… people whose names you forgot or who were possibly long gone… at shows, parties, on the street. Glazed eyes, leather jackets, cigarettes hanging between smudged lips are spread out.

Maybe the names alluded you for some but you could smell the sweat, the smoke, the whiskey. Faded flyers from underground shows at Safari Club and other D.C. and East Coast punk venues add pops of color to the mix. A few misbegotten AA coins peak out to remind you of wasted time.

You pick one up as he looks over at a photo of 15-year-old you standing stiffly between your parents in front of a Christmas tree. Your expression annoyed, kohl heavily lining your eyes, hair bleached within an inch of its life and huge.

“Is this you?!” A smile curls his lips and you almost laugh.

“Yeah, don’t judge me too much… it was the 80’s.” You flip the coin in the air and catch it. “Probably the last Christmas I spent sober.”

His brow knits and you sigh. “Hi, my name is Y/N, I’m a cocaine addict… and an alcoholic... and… you get the gist.” You toss the coin at him. He looks it over. “Nine months… as long as I ever got.” Picking up the photo of you and your parents you feel your chest tighten.

“She wanted me to be perfect. Her pride. Pushed me to be the best at everything. I was a nationally ranked athlete, excelled in everything from cross-country to martial arts, incredible at any art she threw at me, damn near a genius, graduated high school at 15, got into every Ivy League school…”

Setting it aside you pick up a photo of you and someone who’s name you do remember, Dana, your first girlfriend. “I was even excellent at being a drug addict, never OD’d, high tolerance… Others weren’t so lucky.” You toss the photo aside, not wanting to linger.

Bucky takes your hand, lacing his fingers through your own. “Who kept these for you? Family?”

“I don’t have any family.”

“But… anyone? I mean… you’re so young?”

You snort, “Is 47 young?” Jesus, you were almost 50… such a strange thought.

“Well,” he laughs a small empty sound, “in comparison.”

You nod conceding. “My Mom… she lost her family in the war… in the camps,” you can’t look at Bucky. “Dad was an only child. Fury kept them tucked away in a storage locker at S.H.I.E.L.D. after…”

He nods, “He knew your father didn’t he?”

“Yeah, they worked together…” You release his hand and push through photos to find your favorite of you and your Dad. It was from that nine-month stint of sobriety, he’d been so happy that you’d been doing well that on your 20th birthday he took you to Paris. His smile was so bright… your hand trembles a bit.

“You look happy here,” Bucky rests his cool left hand on your bouncing knee as he looks at you and your Dad, posed in typical cheesy tourist fashion in front of the Eiffel Tower.

“I was… we were…” Your voice cracks. “I never knew what he did… just thought he was some low-level diplomat, never questioned it… I don’t even know that Mom knew…”

“Was she here?”

“God no,” your eyes slide shut for a moment, remembering. “She was hardly speaking to me… I was a disappointment.”

“She didn’t…”

“Tell me that? Oh yes.” You hold up a hand as he opens his mouth, “I don’t know that she was wrong. I… I did everything I could to be the opposite of what she wanted me to be. I doused her American Dream in gasoline and set it on fire…”

“Still you’re not-”

You shrug, “Doesn’t matter. I… never got to prove otherwise.” Your eyes scan your memories, hazy and painful as most of them were.

“They killed her, ya know? Hydra…”

He gives your knee a gentle squeeze, “I assumed.”

“After my last go at rehab… I really thought… I was going to be better, I wanted to be better. Go to school, live my life, make her proud. They took that away… left her bloody on the kitchen floor.” Your skin tingles, energy pulsing through you.

“I… what about your Dad?” The look on his face is pained like he doesn’t want to ask but feels like he must.

“He killed himself.” You shake your head, “At least that’s what the official report says. “Makes sense though… wife dead, daughter missing, all because you were getting a little too close.” Glancing over at his smiling face a tear slides down your cheek, “Who could blame him?”

A small sob trips over your lips and Bucky pulls you into him. Surprising yourself still, you allow him to comfort you and allow yourself to feel this… to mourn them even a little.

Ever since being here you had tried to bury the guilt and the grief. Thinking about the void they left in you, the years you wasted, the final image of her… dead for days collapsed by the back door… It was too much. You couldn’t help but think that maybe if you’d been there, instead of in rehab, you could have saved her… even though you knew the ending would have been the same.

After a bit your sobs quiet. He’s leaned against the headboard, you’re curled into his arms, the steady beat of his heart soothing. When you look up at him his eyes are so soft, warm despite the cool color. The feeling of his fingers gently grazing your skin as he pushes stray strands of hair from your face sends shivers through you.

“Sorry…”

He smiles, “For what? Having feelings?” You shrug a little. “Well if you want to make it up to me,” he reaches across the bed a bit and grabs a picture of you sporting a particularly heinous head of Aquanet enforced hair looking like some combo of Cindy Lauper and a Clash groupie, “explain this.”

You can’t help but laugh and agree to explain your questionable fashion choices.

The rest of the day is spent intermittently cleaning your apartment and telling Bucky what you remember of who you once were. The good, the bad, and the ugly. He listens and most importantly doesn’t judge.

When you put on some music from your own youth he's not too pleased. It was safe to say that bands such as Bad Religion and Misfits were maybe not his speed. However, he’s much more in tune with Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and surprisingly The Runaways.

“I’d say you’ll pass inspection,” Bucky says as he puts your mop in the closet.

“Definitely.” You look around and feel oddly sad. His place really was so much warmer than yours. It felt like someone actually lived there, rather than just existing.

“What’s wrong?” Your face must be showing your disdain.

“Nothing,” you flash him a smile. “So… got any dinner plans?”

The smile that lights up his face takes your breath away, “None.” He grabs your waist and pulls you close to kiss you.

“How about I cook? Your place?”

“You cook?”

“I mean, I’m no Julia Child but I can promise it will be better than those packaged meals in your fridge.”

He laughs, “I’ll take your word for it.” You grab some things from your own kitchen and a change of clothes, which he doesn’t even question before you both head down to his place.

Five days later Bucky watches you slip into a pair of leggings as he sips his coffee.

“Are you sure you can’t even have some coffee?”

You roll your eyes, “I’m sure, 12 hours fasting for the tests.”

“You don’t have-” You cut him off with a glare. “Fine. But if you decide you want me there-”

“I’ll call. I promise.” You toss on a tee and a cardigan.

He looks away, chewing on his bottom lip. “Hey,” you pluck the coffee from his hands and set it on the nightstand, “I’ll be ok, Buck.” Cupping his face in your hands you place a kiss on his lips. He can feel his heart stutter just a touch, he wonders if it will ever go away. You release him and he buries his face in your chest, breathing in your now familiar scent.

When he lifts his head your smile makes his breath catch. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” Your soft lips press against his forehead. All he can do is nod.

As soon as the door closes he feels himself wilt a bit, anxiety rising with each passing moment. He wants to believe you but he knows they could accidentally trigger something in you. Be it a memory or a reaction with your power, either could have horrible consequences.

After almost an hour of running worst case scenarios, he can’t stay here anymore. He tosses on some gym clothes and texts Steve to see if he’s free to train. Bucky’s already to the gym when he gets a response of ‘No, sorry pal.’

Sighing he turns around and heads to the shooting range. Clint is already there, experimenting with some new arrows Tony whipped up for him. While Bucky usually prefers to be here alone, he doesn’t necessarily mind Clint. He’s a fellow sniper after all and doesn’t ever seem to want to force Bucky into conversations he’d rather not have.

The two men shoot in silence for a little more than an hour before Clint pipes up. “So, you and Y/N seem to have taken a turn for the better.” He’s taken up the spot next to Bucky under the pretense of changing his angle.

“What of it?” He may like Clint but the thought of sharing details of his private life isn’t high on his to-do list.

“Nothing. I think it’s great.”

“Yeah, you and Romanoff seemed to have an opinion the other day.” Bucky’s tone is gruff remembering Clint’s quip about her owing him.

He laughs, “Just a good-natured bet. I saw the chemistry between you two.” Bucky doesn’t respond. Some mix of anger and embarrassment blooming in his chest.

“Look, man,” Clint has stepped out of his booth and is leaning on the wall between them, “people like us should take any chance at love we can and run with it. It’s rare enough for civilians and most of them don’t spend their free time getting shot at.”

The tone in his voice drips with sincerity and Bucky can’t help but look back at him, the glare quickly melting off his face. “Who said anything about love?”

Clint shakes his head smiling, “You’ll be one lucky bastard if it ends up being that Barnes. Even if it doesn’t, friends are worth a whole hell of a lot too.” He claps a hand on Bucky’s metal shoulder, “As soldiers, it’s sometimes hard to allow ourselves to be happy. You deserve it. Promise.” Bucky says nothing for a minute and Clint nods, walking away.

“Thank you,” Bucky’s tone is low, sort of unsure. He does mean it though…

“You got-”

“Sargent Barnes and Agent Barton, you’re both needed in Mr. Stark’s lab immediately.” Jarvis’ voice cuts Clint off and Bucky feels the blood drain from his face. The two men hold one another’s gaze for a fraction of a second, a flood of emotion and information being exchanged in that one fleeting moment, before sprinting to the elevator.

When they burst out of the elevator they’re met by Steve and Natasha. Everything seems fine, nothing is on fire or blown to bits so that has to be a good sign. Still, as soon as he’s got eyes on you nothing could keep him back.

You’re sitting in a chair, wires stuck to you all over leading to a computer, tendrils of white light pulsing beneath your skin. “Y/N?!”

“Hey! I’m fine,” his hands are lightly grazing your body where the wires touch you, eyes frantically searching your own for any signs of distress. “Really, Bucky, I’m fine.”

You do seem ok. He wishes he was. His heart is thundering, muscles tense, ready and willing to do whatever he needed to keep you safe. Taking a shaky breath he rests his forehead on yours, trying to calm himself.

“Sorry if we scared you, Manchurian.” Tony quips from beside the computer as he pops a baby carrot in his mouth. Bucky shoots daggers at him.

“They were able to get a lock on the specific energy signature I emit pretty quick and scan for it. We found a match.” His eyes shoot back to you, unsure if you’re glad they found something or not.

“Well,” Bruce pipes up from another monitor, “near enough anyway. Too close to her unique signature to be a coincidence.”

“Another base?” Natasha asks from behind Bucky, who’s still kneeling in front of you, unable to move away.

“That’s what we were hoping you and Clint could clear up for us,” Tony flicks some images up so everyone can see the area they narrowed the signal down to.

Your eyes dart between the two and Bucky finally looks back. The map shows a spot just outside of Cleveland. Yet another nondescript building, nothing that says den of torture about it at all. Clint and Natasha exchange a look.

“Yeah,” she holds a finger to her lips for a minute thinking. “We may have something on this, didn’t seem like much so it’s low on the list.”

“Well, it’s top priority now.” Bucky doesn’t like the tone in Steve’s voice. It’s the one he gets when he’s going to do whatever bullheaded thing he has in mind no matter the consequences.

He sees you nod in his peripheral. “When’s the soonest we can head out?”

Bucky’s glare shoots back to you. “Absolutely not!”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Excuse me?”

“You’re not doing this.” His tone is just as stubborn as Steve’s, if not a bit more so.

You scoff, “Oh? I’m not?”

“No. You are not.”

“I hate to break it to you but you don’t get to tell me what I am and am not going to do, Bucky.” Your eyes darken just a touch as the air around you dips just a touch toward cool.

“After last time you really think this is a good idea, Y/N?!”

“No. But I’m the only one who can properly handle these assets if they attack. I’m the only one who understands even a little how this energy functions. I’m the only one-”

He can’t believe this. “So you’re just gonna throw yourself back into that?! After what almost… after… Y/N you’re being-”

“I’m doing what needs to be done. I cannot in good consciousness allow this to pass unchecked. Too many people are at risk if-”

“This isn’t a negotiation!” He bellows. “You’re my-”

“I don’t give a damn what I am to you or you to me.” It feels like you punched him in the chest. “You don’t give me orders, Barnes.”

When you look away from him to Natasha the dismissal is clear. “There’s some good surveillance footage of the area from local businesses security and traffic cams. Should be enough to establish patterns. After last time we know trying to scan is a lost cause.”

Bucky feels his rage prickle under his skin. You don’t look back to him when you’re done. Huffing he stands and stalks to the elevator, unable to be a part of this ill-begotten plan a moment longer.

“You know he’s coming right?” Natasha’s tone is light but she knows her words are heavy.

“Yeah.” You clip the stabilizer cuffs Tony made for you onto your belt. They were just a prototype and only to be used if you felt like you were about to lose it but they still felt strangely comforting to have. Nothing like the comfort you’d felt with Bucky… who you hadn’t seen in three days.

“Assuming you still haven’t spoken to him?”

“Not much to say.” You don’t want to have this conversation now.

“That’s bullshit.” She slips her Widow’s Bites on.

You shrug, “No. You heard how he spoke to me. In front of everyone. Like I was a fucking child like he could just say no and I’d say yessir.”

“He’s from a different time, Y/N.”

“I don’t give a fuck. It’s not 1945.” You slam your gear locker closed. “Plus, not like he’s spoken to me either.”

You barely catch a glimpse of him before he gets on the jet. Grinding your teeth you hang back for just a second.

“Need me to whoop his ass,” Sam says from behind you.

“That is not a fight I’d care to see.” You sigh, “But no. Just think we got ahead of ourselves is all.”

“Well,” he slings an arm over your shoulder, “you’ve still got me, kid.”

You laugh, “You do remember that I’m older than you right?”

“Psh, age is just a number. I got one of them old souls”

As usual Sam’s ridiculousness puts a smile on your face and by the time the two of you are boarding the jet you’re cackling. That all fades the moment you feel Bucky’s stare. Steeling yourself for the uncomfortable mission ahead you keep your eyes averted and your mind on the prize.

Things have gone smoothly for the most part. Some minor scuffles, every computer has been beyond destroyed, and no files that tell you a goddamn thing to be found but less than an hour into the mission and it seems this will be in and out. You’re not even sensing any of the telltale energy like you did last time.

You’ve all spread out a bit to try and wrap this up quickly since it all appears quiet. The area you’ve chosen is just about clear, or so you think. There’s the slightest whoosh in the air before you feel a blade nestle itself in your back.

“Fuck!” You scream as you stagger in pain and surprise. Just barely you can hear Bucky’s voice call out in the com as a foot crashes into your jaw.

It takes you a second but you get your bearings and land a blow to the asset’s abdomen. “I’m good!” No need for anyone to run to your aid when you don’t need it.

You focus a thin sliver of energy in your right hand and shoot it toward them like a tiny spear. They dodge and for a moment you think nothing of it, spinning despite the throbbing in your back from the knife wound, determined to take them out. A groan rings both in your com and from behind you followed by a thud.

Somehow you know before you even turn who’s going to be on the ground. You feel yourself somehow grow cold while also pulsing with energy, dread and rage and heartbreak crashing into you all at once. The asset forgotten, you rush to Bucky’s crumpled form on the floor.

“What the hell?!” His eyes are squeezed shut, teeth grinding in pain as he grasps the wound in his side, red sliding over his fingers.

“Heard you,” he grunts through clenched teeth. You can’t even feel the knife in your back at the moment.

“I said I was good!” You force his hands away and he groans. It’s bad, not as bad as it could be but still…

“Behind-” He doesn’t finish his statement. The asset grabs the knife and twists.

You scream, pain surging for an instant before it’s replaced with something else entirely. Thick cords of energy curl around you, pulsing in time with your suddenly steady heartbeat. There’s nothing in your mind for this moment, not even Bucky. One goal. Eliminate the target.

Pulling away the knife rips out of your back. It should feel like something. It’s just a tingle. Whirling you grab the asset by the neck. You could make this much faster than you do but… Pinning them against the wall you let your power trail down their body from your hold on their neck. They make a noise somewhere between a scream and a gurgle as superheated energy burns its way through them. It only takes a minute.

Once their eyes go dark you hurl them to the side. The sound of bones cracking. It’s then you come back to yourself, the monster sated. Bucky.

“Bucky is down. West sector cleared, I’m taking him up.”

“No, I-”

“Shut up,” you growl as you lift him.

Sam is stitching up Bucky when Nat and Steve declare the facility cleared. Nothing of value gained. They know you’re all looking for them, that’s clear enough by how quickly they abandoned this place.

The ride back is quiet. Sam takes care of the wound on your back and you can’t take your eyes off Bucky’s side. You could have killed him. If you had…

As soon as the door opens you’re bolting out. You think you’re going to run to your apartment but instead, you go to the range. Even so, all you manage to do is pace in the space anxiety thrumming through you, yet you’re unable to bring yourself to let loose the energy that almost killed him…

Before your brain knows what’s happening you’re riding the elevator up to not your apartment but Bucky’s. You know he’s in medical but he’s not hurt badly enough to stay there more than an hour or so. Pacing the hall, you wait.

The elevator doors slide open when you’re at the end of the corridor. Two voices, Steve’s and Bucky’s. You freeze.

“I’m good, promise,” you hear Bucky say.

“Alright. Call me if you need anything.” The doors slide closed and Steve is gone.

He hasn’t even opened his door before you’re on him. A small surprised noise comes from him as you turn him to face you. Logically you know he’s injured, need to be careful, but…

Your fingers tangle into his hair, pulling him to you. His kiss tastes like sweat and desperation. Tears burn your eyes as his tongue finds its way between your teeth, his arms winding around you, holding tight.

Suddenly you pull away, pushing against his chest. You punch him hard in his left pec. “You fucking idiot!” Your voice cracks.

“Yeah. I am.” A sardonic smile curls his lips. “Just for you though.”

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky #bucky barnes x reader #the winter soldier

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we-are-only-halfway-home93 · 5 years ago

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Beautiful Trauma 2- Love Me Again- [Billy Hargrove x OC]

Summary: Billy and Valerie talk but it doesn’t go well. Billy lashes out after school.

Characters: Billy Hargrove x OC, Steve Harrington x Nancy Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler x Jonathan Byers, Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Eleven, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper

Warnings: Child abuse, underage sex, underage drinking, implied cheating, step-sibling incest, step-sibling relationship, violence, language

Word Count: 3394

Ch. 1

“Love is giving someone the power to destroy you and trusting them not to.”

~ E. Lockhart

There were not enough words in the English Language to describe the kind of week that Valerie had had. First, they moved to some podunk town in the middle of nowhere. Then, she’s rudely ignored by the one person that she thought she could count on. Lastly, she had yet to make a genuine friend in Hawkins.

She thought she had something with Nancy but the girl had been hard to keep track of. They had three classes together and Nancy seemed to make an effort before class started but anytime they were in the hallway, Nancy seemed distracted. Either by her boyfriend or something else, Valerie wasn’t sure.

Billy had made it a point to pretty much ignore her outside of going to and from school and familial interaction around the house. Max was really her only saving grace and she was so damn angry. She was angry at their mom for marrying Neil, angry at Neil for moving them out there, angry at Billy for being a jackass. Just angry. It was hard to be around all that anger constantly.

Valerie looked up when she heard Billy’s music crank on. It was Thursday night and she wouldn’t be surprised if he already had plans.

Billy was attractive and she wasn’t blind. She knew how girls looked at him. Hell, that was how she first looked at him the first time she saw him in California. He truly was a specimen shaped by the clever hands of whatever deity pulled the strings of life. It was as if he’d been carefully crafted with the very thought in mind to draw the eye up his frame from bottom to top and back again. He was beautiful and she didn’t blame any girl, or guy, who thought so.

It would be easy for him to make friends and find a date, regardless of how she felt about it.

She released a long-suffering sigh and heaved herself off her bed and down the hall. His door was open and dense with smoke. She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand in front of her face, leaning against the door.

He saw her but didn’t say anything, turning to his mirror and fingering his curls. He met her eyes in the mirror and Valerie almost cried at the brief glimpse of sadness she saw before his mask fell back into place.

“What?” He snapped. She shrugged and shook her head. “Nothing. I heard your music and thought I’d come see what you were up to.” He flicked his eyes to hers and she could tell that he didn’t believe her. “You always were a bad liar, Val.” She stiffened at the familiar nickname but didn’t say anything.

“Yeah, well, we all have our weaknesses.” He snorted and straightened, turning his cologne bottle over onto his wrists.

She watched him work and knew, in the back of her mind, that this was what he did when he got ready for a date. The scent of his cologne was familiar and Billy was just pretty enough to know it and care.

She told herself to leave it alone, to not worry about it but, in the end, she just couldn’t help herself.

“Hot date?” It sounded weak to her own ears and she grimaced. Billy stopped and stood up slowly. She couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t bear to see the pity or anger, whatever it was, that was in his eyes.

She did it anyway.

His face was blank but his eyes were expressive. They always were. His poker face could make the pros jealous but his eyes gave him away. They were pools of emotion, whirling around like stormclouds over an ocean. Waves crashing violently against each other, fighting one over the other, higher and higher until the surface broke and chaos exploded against the horizon.

She closed her eyes against the raging storm and turned her face away.

“Don’t.” His whisper was harsh between them.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and straightened her spine.

She was Valerie fucking Mayfield. She knew Billy better than anyone and she knew how to deal with his moods.

She was the one who broke through the surface of his anger in California. She was the one who pushed back when he lashed out at her attempts to get closer to him. She was the one who made the first move. She was the one who patched him up when his dad got rough. She made the first move. She was the girl he loved, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. She would not be cowed by his insecurities and anger.

“What? All I asked was if you had a date.” She retorted. Her voice was just as sharp as Billy’s and he caught it.

He narrowed his eyes at her and jerked his closet open. “You know what, Mayfield. We discussed this months ago.” He tugged on his leather jacket and adjusted the collar. She felt a fire well up in her chest when he used her last name. They hadn’t done that since before they were dating.

“I know exactly what we discussed, Hargrove. All I asked was if you had a date. No where in there did I say anything about us having been an us nor did I make some snide remark about how hard up the girls in this town must be for some new dick if you already have a date after being in this backwater town for,” She looked mockingly down at her bare wrist as if she was checking the time. “Five fucking days. You sure do work fast, Hargrove.”

If steam could come out of his ears, it would.

She wasn’t wrong about his eyes displaying his emotions so easily. He was enraged. His eyes were ablaze with an anger she hadn’t seen since Neil had announced their move. Billy had gotten a bloody lip for his troubles that night.

“You know what, Mayfield.” He took slow measured steps towards her. “I do have a hot date. Her name’s Kimberly. She’s got dark hair, brown eyes and a tight little ass that you could bounce a quarter off.” He mimed flipping a coin, standing a hairsbreadth away from Valerie.

She could feel the heat rising up in her face and hot tears of frustration and anger and pain welling up in her eyes. Her hands were shaking and her chest was heaving as she took in great lungfuls of air.

“You’re a son of a bitch.” She couldn’t bring herself to speak any louder than a whisper but Billy heard her. She could by the tightening around his eyes and the clenching of his jaw.

She knew that he was trying to hurt her and she told herself not to let it get to her but she loved him. It was hard to not take what he said personally. It was hard to let it roll off her back. Everything he was doing, everything he was saying, was coming from a place of pain and sorrow but that didn’t give him the right to hurt her like he was.

“That may be, but you and I both know that I haven’t gotten laid in months so I’ve hit a bit of a dry spell.”

She always told herself she would never hit him. He got enough from his dad and he didn’t need it from her but now he was just being cruel.

She didn’t even think about it before it happened. It was over in less than a second and her hand tingled after.

Billy twisted his head back to the front, his cheek pink. He swiveled his jaw around and clicked his tongue. He glared at her from under his brow and sneered. “Get out.”

She couldn’t move fast enough.

She heard the door slam behind her as she fell onto her bed face first. She willed the tears back into her eyes and her throat was tight with the effort. She sniffed loudly and turned when she felt a body sit on the edge of the bed. It was Max.

Her little sister looked pensive and Valerie was sure she’d heard them arguing.

She sat up and tried to discreetly wipe underneath her eyes but she didn’t think she’d done a very good job.

She gave her sister a smile that felt forced and settled her hands in her lap. “What’s up, kid?” Max tried to smile but failed and instead turned to fully face Valerie.

“Are you okay?” Valerie shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant way. “I’m fine. Why wouldn't I be?” Her voice held a false sense of happiness that sounded hollow to her own ears.

She let Max scan her face for several seconds. “I heard you and Billy arguing. He sounded mad.” Valerie rolled her eyes and leaned back against her pillows.

Max was not aware of the inner workings of their family. She didn’t know the extent of Valerie and Billy’s relationship. She knew that the two of them knew each other before their parents got married but she was not aware of how deep their relationship went.

Max was also unaware that Neil liked to use Billy as a punching bag from time to time.

Valerie had known since they got together in California and she was fairly certain that she was the only person who knew. She took it upon herself early in their relationship to fix him up. She would clean up the blood on his face and hands and she would bandage the deeper cuts on his face. She iced his bruises and wrapped his knuckles.

After their parents got married, Valerie suspected that her mother knew about the abuse as well. She didn’t have proof but the way that Susan would eye the bruises on Billy’s face with equal looks of shame and pity made Valerie suspect that she knew that Neil hit his son. Once Valerie knew that her mother knew Billy was in pain, she developed a deep resentment towards her mother that really only got worse.

Not only did Susan know about the violence but she married the man. It was one thing to find out that your boyfriend abuses his son but then to accept his marriage proposal after the fact was a whole new level of desperation. Or maybe Susan was just lonely. Either way, Valerie lost all respect for her mother the moment she realized that Susan knew Billy was being abused.

Billy and Valerie had an unspoken agreement that Max would never know. She was too young and knowing about the abuse would shatter her perception of the world so they had made it a point after the wedding to keep Max away from the knowledge of Neil’s violence.

“He’s fine. I’m fine. Tell me about school today.” Max continued to look unsure but Valerie sat up and gently prodded her sister in speaking. Max finally relented and rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Science class was stupid. I guess we’re learning about the brain but we covered that first quarter in California so,” She shrugged and picked absently at the bedspread.

Valerie glanced up when she heard the front door slam. Max continued. “I don’t think this town gets new kids very often because there were four boys who spent all of recess spying on me.” Valerie smiled and nudged her little sister with her toes. “Maybe they think you’re cute.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Max laughed.

It always made Valerie feel good when she could make her sister laugh. “Ew! They don’t think I’m cute. I’m just interesting to figure out. I’m from California. They’ve probably never met anyone who’s not from this stupid town.” Max looked down at the ground between her feet, swinging her legs side to side.

Valerie sighed softly and pushed her sister's hair back behind her ear. “Hey,” Max looked up. “Do you want to get some ice cream and see what’s on TV? Maybe there’s a monster movie we can find.”

Max’s smile was hesitant but she nodded and hopped off the bed, leading Valerie out of the room and to the kitchen.

~*~

Valerie released a long breath and pressed her forehead against her locker. The final bell had just rung, releasing them for the weekend. Tina’s Halloween party was tonight and Valerie wasn’t sure if she was going to go. She knew Billy would be there and didn’t know if she wanted to deal with him.

He had come home late from his date last night and spent nearly an hour in the shower. Valerie had leaned against her door frame as soon as she heard the shower shut off. When he came out the pain that Valerie felt nearly bent her in half.

There were scratches all down his back and a decent sized hickey on his collarbone.

He turned to look at her and the emptiness she saw in his eyes had her tears spilling down her cheeks. He didn’t look sorry or angry or happy. He looked broken.

She had to close the door on him or else she’d collapse. She did just that as soon he was out of sight. She’d pressed her back against the door and slid down its surface, her hand held tight over her mouth to stifle her sobs. She heard his door close and lock and only then did she get up off the floor and bury herself beneath her blankets.

She cried herself to sleep and woke up with sore eyes and a headache.

School had been difficult but she’d made it through and now it was the weekend. She turned and pressed back against the locker, watching the nameless people pass her by, some looking at her with interest and most ignoring her. She saw Billy pass her with Tommy and Carol and their entourage. He trailed his eyes over her but didn’t say anything. She could see the turmoil and conflict raging in his eyes before he was pulled away by something Tommy said.

Valerie perked up when she saw Nancy walking dejectedly down the hall, Steve nowhere in sight. She stepped up beside her and tried to smile. Nancy didn’t seem to notice. Valerie tried anyway.

“Hey, Nancy, are you excited for Tina’s party tonight?” That seemed to break Nancy out of whatever state she was in and the other girl looked up at her. “Oh, hey, Valerie. Yeah, I guess.” Nancy turned away quickly and Valerie drew her eyebrows together.

Something was bothering Nancy or at least distracting her. “What are you going to dress up as?” Valerie tried again. Nancy didn’t take the bait this time. “Look, I’m sorry, Valerie, but can we talk later? I’m supposed to get ready at Steve’s.” Nancy dashed away through the crowd and Valerie felt disheartened.

She made her way to the parking lot and saw Billy leaning against the back of his car smoking a cigarette and watching her. She glared at him as she passed and missed the way his eyes followed her. He sighed and turned back to the front, tossing his cigarette. There was a tightness starting in his chest and a lump rose up in his throat. He sniffed loudly and turned his head when he heard Max’s skateboard.

He narrowed his eyes suddenly angry. “You’re late again.” He said. Max glanced up at Valerie standing by the front of the car but she didn’t look at her. “Yeah,” She looked over at Billy. “I had to get catch-up homework.” Max opened the door and pushed the passenger seat forward. Valerie turned to follow her in. Billy scoffed and pushed off the car. “Jesus, I don’t care. You’re late again and you’re skating home, do you hear me?”

Valerie glared at the side of Billy’s head as she nudged Max into the car. She pushed the seat back and buckled herself in, ignoring Billy’s poignant gaze across the center console. He gave a sharp huff before jerked the transmission and backing out.

He sped down the side street, his music blaring through the speakers. Max sat hunched in the back seat, her bag beside her and her skateboard at her feet. Valerie kept her gaze out the window and ignored Billy’s petty attempts to get her to look at him.

“God, this place is such a shithole.” He wasn’t very loud but Valerie heard him. She turned her head. “It’s not that bad.” Max piped from the back seat. Billy looked at her in the rearview mirror and his eyes narrowed. Valerie glanced back at her and felt the storm brewing.

“Yeah, Billy, it’s not that bad.” Valerie quipped. The smile on her face was sardonic and Billy could tell. “No.” He nodded and rolled down the window. Valerie jerked back as the wind caught her hair. “You smell that, Val.” Billy was mocking her, holding his nose closed as he hummed. “That’s actually shit. Cow shit.” He looked over at her and she rolled the window up.

“I don’t see any cows.” She replied. Billy snorted. “You’ve met the high school girls. Hell, I saw you talking to Nancy Wheeler today.” Billy’s voice was dripping with acid and Valerie forced herself to bite her tongue. He wanted a reaction from her and she wasn’t going to give him one.

Billy glared at her. “So what? You like it here now?” Valerie scoffed and shook her head but didn’t answer him. “So why are you defending it?” Billy was looking at her, expecting an answer.

Valerie wanted to be the bigger person. She didn’t want to give Billy a reason to release his anger.

She knew he was angry. She hadn’t talked to him all day and he hadn’t had time to expel his pent up emotions that had been raging inside him since last night.

“I’m not.” She said with scorn. Billy shrugged. “Sure sounds like it.”

Valerie turned to look at him. “Are the girls really such cows, Billy? I mean, they must not all suck after the night you had.”

So much for being the bigger person.

Billy snapped his eyes over to her. She saw his lip curl up in contempt and a low growl from deep in his chest.

He shifted gears with a sharp jerk and the car flew down the street. Valerie’s heart leaped in her chest and she gripped the dashboard.

They came over a hill and Valerie could see three boys riding their bikes down the street. “Billy, slow down,” Max called from the backseat. She was leaning forward with her head between the two of them. “Are these your new hick friends?” He asked maliciously.

Max shook her head, her red hair flying around them. “No, I don’t know them.” Billy cocked his head, staring straight at Valerie. “I guess you won’t care if I hit ‘em then, huh?” He asked.

He sped up again and the car grew closer to the boys.

She didn’t know what to do. Billy was doing it on purpose, trying to get a rise out of her. He wanted her to be anything but angry at him.

Well, he succeeded.

She was scared of him.

“I get bonus points if I get ‘em all in one go?” Billy adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, careening down the street. “No, Billy, stop. It’s not funny.” Valerie said. Billy looked at her, his eyes were dark and resentful. His face was blank as he pushed the car to go faster.

The boys turned and began to pedal faster. “Billy, come on! Stop it! It’s not funny!” Max screamed. Valerie snapped her eyes from the boys to Billy and back again. Billy smacked his hand against the steering wheel, his foot pressed to the floorboard of the car.

“Stop it!” Max screamed one last time. Valerie reached over and jerked the steering wheel to the left, swerving into the other lane and around the boys as they tumbled into the grassy shoulder. Max twisted around to watch the boys as they got to their feet.

Valerie pressed back against the door as Billy cackled, the car speeding down the road, music shaking the windows.

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x OC #nancy wheeler x jonathan byers #nancy wheeler x steve harrington #stranger things #eleven #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #will byers #lucas sinclair #joyce byers #jim hopper #max mayfield #step sibling relationship #beautiful trauma

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bigskydreaming · 6 years ago

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DC should bring back Shrike. He’s a great foil to Nightwing and their dynamic hits so many of the most popular tropes. He was a villain from the pre-Flashpoint Nightwing series, but his origin is from the Robin: Year One comic.

So in Robin: Y1, Batman and Robin went up against Two-Face, who captured them both when they were trying to rescue this judge. Two-Face then rigged things so he could kill either Batman or the Judge, and then told Dick he’d flip a coin to see which one died, and Dick had to choose heads or tails. Dick tried to trick Two-Face, but miscalculated as he didn’t understand yet that the only way to beat Two-Face is to just not play his games at all, because they’re always rigged. He picked saving the Judge, trusting Batman to get out on his own, but Two-Face just killed the judge another way as soon as Dick made his choice, before Bruce had time to get free. Then Two-Face beat Dick almost to death before Bruce got loose and got Dick out of there and to Leslie, in time to save him.

This is the story people reference about how Bruce benched Dick because of how badly Two-Face hurt him, only actually Bruce fired him in this comic. (Yup, Dick was actually fired as Robin twice, here and then when the Joker shot him when he was 16). Bruce of course was just freaking out about almost losing Dick, and Commissioner Gordon had warned him if anything happened to Robin, he was going to make sure Robin ended up in child protective services (like that had done Dick a lot of good the first time). Of course, Bruce didn’t actually say any of this to Dick, but instead flipped out on him, said he was done as Robin, and literally told Dick it was his fault a man was dead, because he didn’t listen to orders and followed Bruce to fight Two-Face instead of leaving.

So, as soon as he was healed, Dick ran away. Left a note saying he didn’t know what point there was in him being there anymore if he couldn’t be Batman’s partner, since Bruce didn’t need a son. He spent an indeterminate amount of time living on the streets and eventually took down Mister Freeze all on his own, handing him over to Gordon and then telling him don’t worry, Robin’s done now. And then at some point after that, he was found by a guy named Shrike and some of his men. Dick fought against them and did well enough to catch Shrike’s interest, and they abducted him and took him back to something the other boys there called “Vengeance Academy.”

Here, for several weeks, Dick and a bunch of other boys abducted off the streets were trained as assassins. Dick didn’t want anyone connecting him to Bruce (and he hadn’t been in the public eye much at that point before running away), so he said his name was Freddy Lloyd - Lloyd was his mom’s maiden name. Don’t remember if the Freddy had significance, but whatever. Anyway, Dick of course excelled here, and his chief rival was another kid named Boone. Shrike pitted them against each other, encouraged their rivalry. Like they were sent out on one mission, and Dick stopped Boone from killing a guard, which pissed him off, but when they got back, Shrike praised Dick for it, saying you should never kill anyone other than your intended target or something like that. Point was, Boone hated Dick, and especially hated how Shrike seemed to favor Dick.

Eventually Dick was able to sneak away long enough to slip a note into the Batcave, telling Bruce about the Academy and where to find it and hopefully bring it down, and then went back because of course then he was gonna try and do it on his own in case Bruce didn’t get the message or was busy with other missions. Except Shrike then sent Dick out on his first kill mission, and clearly knew more about Dick than he’d realized, because not so coincidentally, that contract was to kill Two-Face.

Dick and Boone and a couple others went on the mission together, with Dick supposed to take point, and it ended up with Dick about to shoot Two-Face, having him at his mercy and pointing a gun at him...before ultimately throwing the gun out the window because this wasn’t who Bruce had taught him to be.

Of course Boone is quick to turn on Dick then and with the other boys are able to knock him out and drag him back to Shrike, where he’s being tortured as a traitor/failure when Batman arrives and busts it up. Chaos ensues, Dick gets loose, Two-Face shows up having tracked Boone and the little punks who tried to kill him back to the Academy, and then at some point Two-Face shoots Shrike a bunch of times right before Shrike confronts Dick up on this catwalk near the ceiling...and Shrike falls and is impaled on his own sword, dying. Boone saw just enough to be convinced that Dick killed Shrike.

Dick goes home with Bruce, they patch things up, Bruce says he can be Robin again, he smooths things over with Gordon, blah blah blah, etc. At the end of the story though, Boone is shown being approached by Talia, with it being revealed that Shrike had been a member of the League of Shadows, and the Academy was meant to find the most promising young candidates to induct into the League.

Boone was trained by the League and then years later, as an adult, struck out on his own as a mercenary and he took the name Shrike in honor of the teacher he’d idolized. And then he showed up in Bludhaven targeting Nightwing, who he’d recognized as his old rival, thanks to his fighting style. (The Academy was where Dick supposedly learned to fight with his escrima sticks, which he only started using regularly as Nightwing).

But basically, Boone and Dick have a lot of the same dynamics that people like with him and Slade, or him and Jason, only Boone’s the same age as Dick and not part of his family, lol. They have significant history together as rivals who trained under the same teacher, Boone likes to call him Freddy to fuck with him because he knows its a reminder of a time Dick hates thinking about, and Boone knows his secret identity. None of them had worn masks at the Academy, so it wasn’t hard for Boone to later connect his old rival to the Dick Grayson he saw in the tabloids. BUT Boone has never told anyone Nightwing’s real name, not to protect him but rather because he doesn’t want to make it easier for anyone else to kill Dick, since that’s like....his main goal. He hates Dick because he blames him for the death of his teacher, the original Shrike, who Boone greatly looked up to even though he always seemed to favor Dick, with the latter being ungrateful and not caring that he had the approval Boone desperately wanted. And also, Boone is obsessed with proving once and for all that he’s better than Dick.

The last time Shrike showed up that I can think of pre-Flashpoint was when he joined the Secret Society of Supervillains or whatever the fuck that was called.....right around the time that Dick infiltrated it in his faked villain persona as Renegade. Unfortunately nobody ever really did anything with Shrike’s presence there as they instead focused on Slade, but there was a lot of missed potential there IMO.

But yeah, I have no idea how all that would work with the Rebirth continuity - mostly because I refuse to TRY and make sense of Rebirth continuity/origins, they make no sense, what are timelines and ages even - but would be great for a version of R:Y1 to be established again and Shrike brought back. He’s practically tailor made to be the perfect archnemesis for Dick.

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magicalgirlartist · 6 years ago

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This is Sprout, a character for the upcoming Sentinel Comics RPG! She exists entirely because of my tendency to say “aw beans” whenever anything goes wrong. (You can blame Brian from the Letters Page Discord for this.)

Character notes, lies about publishing history, character backstory, and game mechanics (?) under the cut, with deepest apologies to mobile users.

Character Notes

Sprout’s real name is Jacqueline Stock. She was originally created in the 1960′s as a child character for children, then disappeared from comics for a long time before being “rebooted” as a young adult for modern comics. Sprout has no innate powers of her own, but she does have a slew of magic beans which she uses to solve problems and (eventually) fight crime. Most of them just grew vines really fast (and as a kid that was all they did), which she uses to trip, tie up, or otherwise incapacitate bad guys. She can get creative with these, such as using the vines as a climbing rope or a bridge, and they’re the type of beans she uses the most. Other types of beans include explosive beans, smoke beans, slippery beans, and sticky beans.

As a child, Jacqueline’s identity was kept secret via Clark Kenting: Jacqueline had hair that hung straight down, whereas Sprout had pigtails. Sprout also always had a bright green bandage on her somewhere. As an adult, Jacqueline keeps her identity secret by virtue of not having any friends in Megalopolis that aren’t also superheroes.

Publishing History (lies)

Sprout was originally a character created by a different comic publishing company. During her original run, she was a nine-year-old child and her comics were aimed at young children. She mostly solved “mysteries” (such as Someone Has Stolen The Class Pet) and served as a PSA/morality character (with such stories as Nobody Is Going To Her Favourite Candy Store Anymore And They Might Have To Close Because There Is An Untrue Rumor Being Spread About The Owner And This Is Why You Should Not Spread Rumors Kids). Seeing as they were comics aimed at young children, the language and plots were fairly simple. They were generally well-liked and popular among kids of the era.

Eventually she went from grade three to grade four, but her stories stayed mostly the same. Once she hit grade 5 (ten real-world years after her original release), she started actually fighting crime. Most of it was either low-level street crime (purse snatchers, cat burglars, etc.) or the occasional costumed supervillain. Her most notable supervillain was the Ant King, notable mostly because he was the only one who showed up more than once. (He’s a whole other story.)

During this time, Jacqueline’s backstory was never explained. The most the audience got was “she reads a lot and is very smart and also has magic vine-growing beans.” Her home life was mostly glossed over, as her comics tended to focus more on problems at her school and in her (fairly generic) community.

Around the mid-seventies, the company that published Sprout’s comics was going out of business, and Sentinel Comics bought the rights to Sprout, her comics, and her supporting cast. They didn’t really do anything with her right away, and Sprout sort of faded from the public consciousness up until Vengeance. There was a background shot where a character that looked like a mid-teen Sprout, straw hat and sundress and all, throwing something vine-like at a guy wearing a terrible ant costume and a crown. The people who grew up with her freaked out, thinking Sprout was back.

She was not.

Sprout wasn’t really seen in Sentinel Comics again until OblivAeon, where she was part of the Really Big Group Shot of Every Hero Ever and even got a focus panel during a montage of minor and alt-universe heroes fighting Aeon Men. In this one, she was throwing beans that appeared to be exploding. Again, the people who grew up with her (and the huge comic buffs) wondered if this meant she was coming back for real, but they’d been wrong once before, so they weren’t expecting much.

This time, however, she did actually come back. When the Freedom Plaza book(s) were announced, the release discussed some of the characters that would be appearing in the book, and one was Sprout. There was an Issue 0 for the book she would appear in, giving a basic overview of each character’s backstory and where they sit in Sentinel Comics as a whole. As Sprout didn’t have a backstory before, this was the first place her backstory was ever published.

Character Backstory

Jacqueline’s backstory in her original run wasn’t talked about. She was a cool kid who solved problems and captured criminals with her smarts and her beans.

In her Issue 0, she was given a full, fleshed out backstory. It was something of a riff on the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, playing off her name and magic beans.

Jacqueline Sprout grew up on a farm with her mom and older brother Jackson. They lived in a fairly small town, the sort of place where everybody knew everybody else. Every Saturday, Jacqueline’s parents took her and her brother down to the farmer’s market. Jacqueline’s job was to put people’s purchases in bags, but when she was in third grade her parents started letting her handle transactions (with supervision, of course).

One week, Jacqueline was handling a customer by herself while her family was busy with other customers. He was an old man with a funny hat and a nice smile. When she told him his total, he looked sadly at the few coins in his hand and said “Ah, it seems I’m a little short. But I’ll tell you what.” He pulled a small pouch from a pocket of the long coat he was wearing. “In this pouch are some magic beans. I’ll give them to you in exchange for your fine produce.”

Jacqueline, being a fairly gullible child and having read the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, immediately accepted. By the time her parents realised what she had done, the old man was long gone and Jacqueline was gushing proudly about how she was going to climb to the sky and fight a giant. They flipped out, she was lectured for a very long time, and she wasn’t allowed to handle purchases by herself until she was sixteen.

When they got home that day, Jacqueline immediately planted the “magic beans” in a pot next to her bedroom window. By the next morning, they had already sprouted, and while she was disappointed that they hadn’t grown to the sky overnight like in the story, that was still incredibly fast. They were producing more kidney bean sized beans within a few days. Jacqueline started harvesting them, and accidentally dropped one on the ground. Upon impact, vines started to grow from it. She freaked out, but they stopped fairly quickly, and she destroyed the evidence before her family found out. She kept the harvested beans in jars under her bed. After a while, she started using them to solve problems at school and in her community under the secret identity of Sprout.

As she got older, Jacqueline started to wonder if there were other things she could do with the beans. She began to experiment with them. She did research into genetically modifying plants, and when that turned out to be not viable from home she turned to alchemy. She set up a basic, makeshift alchemist’s lab in her closet, keeping it locked when not in use. After a lot of trial and error (a lot of error) she managed to create several different types of beans with different abilities.

After graduating from high school, she moved to Megalopolis to attend university. She was going for her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Jacqueline said it was so she could take over the Stock family farm one day, but mostly it was to find new and interesting ways to improve her bean alchemy. Sprout used her beans to help fight against Aeon Men, and when she heard about the Sentinels of Freedom and Freedom Plaza, she jumped at the chance for more ways to learn about the beans she grows and how she can use them to help people.

Game Mechanics (?)

Since we don’t currently have access to full character creation rules, I’m just throwing things around based on what we do know about character creation. Full character sheet stuff will be put here once we have access to the rules.

Power Source: either Nature, Mystical, or Experimentation

Archetype: Alchemist

Personality: Cheerful

Background: Farmer?

Principle of the Alchemist: The first law of alchemy states that to gain something, something of equal value must be lost

Principle of the Green Thumb: You grew up taking care of plants to the point where you know almost everything there is to know about them.

#sentinels of the multiverse #art #fanart #traditional mediums

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madcapmyth · 7 years ago

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Tag Team

Content warning for violence, torture.

Creepypasta OCs - Razorback, Third Eye. Word count: ~5k

A male, somewhere in his thirties, awoke in an unfamiliar location, head pounding and his eyes not able to focus on anything for more than half a second. As his vision slid in and out of clarity, two figures detached themselves from the old walls of the room and walked towards him. Stopping in front of his slumped body, one stood tall while the other, wearing black and purple, crouched in front of him. The one in black wore a mask the covered their face, extinguishing any possibility of seeing their emotion. The other did not, their hood shadowing their face.

“Do you think he’s awake by now? I want to get on with this.” The hood-wearer asked their companion, voice giving away that they were female. She pulled her hood off, revealing surprisingly bright hair for someone in such a grungy location.

Her companion shrugged, making a clicking noise with their tongue.

“You know, for someone who’s supposed to ‘see the future’ you’re pretty bloody useless.” She sighed, rolling her head back as she shoved her hands in her pockets.

“You know that’s not what it is. I don’t even know what it is. I just know." The mask-wearer grumbled.

The now-hoodless female took two strides over to him and knelt, looking at him. She grabbed his chin roughly and pulled his head up to face her, making him freeze. She stood back up, and watched him for a few seconds, before suddenly kicking him in the ribs, eliciting a sharp yelp from him.

“He’s awake. Let’s get this going, Third Eye. How do you want to do this one? One after the other?”

The one in black, Third Eye as addressed by the other, stood up, pulling a coin from her pocket. She flipped it into the air and caught it, flashing it at the other.

“Oh, I am not making another fuckin’ bet with you. Not after last time.”

“C’mon, Razorback… Call it, heads or tails?”

“Fuck, fine. Heads.”

Third Eye flipped the coin high in the air, watching it glint in the small beams of moonlight that streamed through the boards nailed over the windows.

The coin slowed at it came to the top of its flight, before falling back into the outstretched fingers of Third Eye, who flipped it up once more and let it land on the back of her hand.

Tails.

“See, this is why I hate making bets with you, I always loose.” Razorback remarked, pulling the male to his feet roughly. His mind ran, trying to think why he was here, why this was happening to him.

Three days prior.

Kenley walked down the street, next to the park, keeping an eye on her surroundings. While it was broad daylight and she wasn’t carrying the weapons that were her namesake, she still carried plenty of paranoia. Especially because Third Eye wasn’t there to give a warning of someone coming. The children in the park frolicked and played with each other, parents on looking and discussing life.

She felt a tug on the wallet chain she wore in public, one she stole from Sebastian, as hers broke in a fight. Not like he’ll miss it, she thought. He has enough as it is.

Looking down, a young girl smiled at her brightly, missing a front tooth.

“Hey, hey misses, can I touch your hair?” She asked cheerfully. Now while Kenley was usually hesitant about such a matter, she cuts some slack for young children. After all, the reactions of small children to her hair is one of the reasons Ashley convinced her (or forced her) to dye it in the first place. Kenley forced a kind smile for the girl, kneeling down and bending her head forwards for the child, who ran a small hand over the fluffy spikes.

“It’s so rainbow, misses!” The girl’s eyes lit up, as she giggled. Kenley couldn’t help but give a true smile at the child’s response.

"My name’s Kelly, misses! Kelly Stewart! I’m six!” The girl, Kelly, held up eight fingers, four on each hand. “What’s your name, misses?” The child asked, hopping from foot to foot.

“I’m Kenley. Is your father named Jacob? I had a teacher in high school named Jacob Stewart, and I know he had a young girl. I remember him showing photos to the class. But I think he moved.” Kenley lied about how she knew the child’s father.

“Yeah! He told me we moved because he got a gooder job!” Kenley gave a small, half-smile at the information, as well as the child’s naïve nature. The punk looked up, spying a woman staring her down like a hawk. Kelly’s mother. She might prove a problem, she looks like she just knows. Mothers just know shit that's going on.

“You should probably run along now, I think your mom wants you.” Kenley patted Kelly’s head.

“Okay misses Kenley!” Kelly waved just as she ran off, Kenley straightened up, watching the small girl, before smirking to herself.

Walking away, she doubled-back across a street so she was on the opposite side of the park, watching Kelly play with a few other children. Hidden amongst the small green belt, an area of trees that surrounded the park, Kenley pulled out an old flip phone. The phone had a pre-paid SIM card in it, so once it was spent, she just needed a new one, which was soon. Dialing the one number she had in the phone, she held it to her ear, listening to barely half a ring before it was picked up, no one speaking on the other end.

“Yo, it’s your turn now. Jacob Stewart is here and near-by my location. Bring that guy in.”

The person on the other end clicked their tongue once, then twice, signaling that they acknowledged Kenley’s words and that they needed to go and go now. Third Eye was in a seedy back alley, in the suburb of town where no one dared go without some form of protection on them. She hung the payphone up, one that she and Kenley used for information transfer.

Kenley popped the back panel off the flip phone, pulling the battery out to get the SIM card underneath it. Pulling the nail-sized chip out, she replaced the battery and back panel. Slipping the phone back in her pocket, she snapped the chip in two, before dropping it on a rock and grinding it further.

Looks like I’m going to have to get a new one, and soon.

The evening prior.

Third Eye sat on a tree branch, leaning against the tree’s trunk and legs stretched out on the branch, while she examined the firearm in her hand. Her pistol has seen many a day and serves her well, but this is not what she needs for such a job. She returned the pistol to its holster under her hoodie, picking the small blowpipe up from her lap. She had taken the blowpipe from a family who had returned from an Amazon River cruise. She guessed it was bought as a silly little souvenir, as it included three blunted darts. A few minutes of carving the tips back to being sharp and it was functional as a weapon.

All she needed was a sedative, which was easily obtained from a hospital. Third Eye shook her head; the security was surprisingly lax at a particular hour. She picked up the vial, which contained barely two milliliters of a strong sedative. Looking at it, she twisted it around in her fingers, waiting for those lights on the main floor of the house to turn out, as well as the light in the upper right corner, the young child’s room.

Once that light went out, she pried the top off the vial, dipping the tip of first one dart, then two, which used all the liquid in the vial. While she only needed a single dart, she always had one extra prepared just in case.

It was a warm humid night; the family of the house was bound to open the windows. Sure enough, the father opened the window of the master bedroom, where he and his wife resided. After pulling the curtains back, he retired to his side of the bed; the side closest to the window. Third Eye had a clear view from her perch to the bedside. Why someone would plant a tree this close to their house was beyond her knowledge.

Perfect. I just need to bide my time. It will happen.

Sure enough, one hour and 38 minutes later, the young girl cried out sharply, her voice carrying out the open window to Third Eye’s ears. Lights flicked on in the house, as the girl’s mother rushed in to comfort her daughter from the nightmare.

Now.

Third Eye glanced around quickly, making sure no one could see her, before pushing her mask up to sit on the top of her head. She quickly brought the blow pipe up to her lips, sending a strong blast of air through the pipe. The dart shot out, almost without noise, zipping through the humid night air.

Third Eye pulled her mask back on by the time the dart entered through the window and buried itself in the husband’s neck. She clicked her tongue once, then twice, before she clambered forwards quickly, leaping into the room. She paused, kneeling on the floor, before pulling his now unconscious form to the window as quietly as possible. She looked out the window and sure enough, Razorback stood below, ready to catch.

“I hope you know this is gonna hurt.” The punk whispered, to which Third Eye shrugged, not exactly caring. Pausing for a moment, she could hear the mother gently comforting her daughter. There’s still enough time.

Hefting the body up, she pushed it out the open window, Razorback providing a soft landing for it.

Third Eye rapidly looked around the room, before settling on the top drawer of the bedside table. Sliding it open, she grabbed a smooth leather rectangle and closed the drawer once more, then climbed onto the window sill and back into the tree. She jumped from the branch to the ground, landing lightly as Razorback finally got the man off of her, pushing his unconscious body to the side. Third Eye’s chirp-like laugh sounded softly, making Razorback scowl.

“That wasn’t funny.” She hissed, to which Third Eye chuckled again. “At least help me get him over the freakin’ fence. How long until he wakes up?”

She received a shrug in return.

“Oh, that’s real helpful. Really, it is.”

Third Eye climbed the chain link fence that separated the house from the gently sloping hill in the back, the one that led to a ravine. Once she was on the other side, Razorback held the man’s arms aloft so her colleague could grasp them. Working quickly, they managed to eventually get him over the fence, letting his form drop to the ground before Razorback hopped the fence. Carrying him by his limbs, they fled into the ravine, Razorback cursing under her breath almost the entire way.

Once they were partway through the ravine, out of sight of the houses, wailing sirens arced over the area, flashing red and blue lights visible over the hilltop.

“I vote we move a little faster.”

“Agreed.”

The two picked up the pace, navigating the dark woods for onwards of three hours. Finally happening upon an old cabin, windows and doors boarded up, Razorback sighed, dropping the guy on the ground. She pried the boards off before pulling the door open. Picking him back up, the two shuffled in, putting him on the floor in what was most likely once a living room.

“Why... Why did we pick this location, this is ridiculous.”

“Because Walker told us to. Something to do with less chance of being found.”

“To hell with that, were you even listening?” Third Eye shook her head. “Yeah I wasn’t either. Besides, what exactly did this guy even do?”

“Something about a student wanting to raise their grade in his high school class and they said they would do anything. Apparently not the first time either. You know I don’t listen."

“If that’s implying what I think it is, shit, this guy is fucked up.”

"Who cares, it's a job." Third Eye shrugged. "Let's get it done."

"How long until he wakes up?"

"You got me."

"Fucking useless, you know that?" Razorback grumbled.

"Okay, who’s the one who warned you when the cops were coming and you were taking your sweet time with cutting that guy up?" Third Eye challenged.

"That was once." Razorback countered.

"That was way more than once and you know it."

"Fuck fine. Let me sleep dammit. Been up for too long." Razorback complained.

Third Eye walked away, choosing to sit on the back of the partly rotten couch. While the metal frame was, for the most part, intact, the cushions were far from it. Razorback decided to chance it in the chair, an old reclining Lazy-boy, the fabric riddled with holes from moths.

After about ten minutes, Razorback was out, her breathing slow and rhythmic. A somewhat cruel thought ran through Third Eye's mind, a prank of sorts. One that she had done before and childishly simple in nature, it would annoy Razorback nonetheless. All she had to do was make sure she was out of Razorback's reach when done. After all, with what happened last time, a repeat was not needed, let alone wanted.

But she chose to wait. At least, until a little later on.

Perhaps about thirty minutes, maybe forty-five.

He should be awake soon.

Getting off of the back of the couch, she stepped slowly on the wooden floor, taking care not to let them creak. After a few agonizingly long minutes, she had crossed the room and now stood just out of Razorback's strike range.

She remained motionless and silent for a minute longer, before laughing softly. The chirping sound gradually increased in volume, over the course of a couple minutes. Razorback stirred in her sleep, swatting away what she thought was annoying her.

Suddenly, Razorback's eyes snapped open as she was woken up by the sound. Sitting straight up, her arm shot out and grabbed for Third Eye's throat.

No dice; Third Eye remembered the last occasion and dodged, leaning back just in time. Razorback's fingers just brushed her colleague's hoodie, not able to grab hold.

"The fuck was that for?!" The punk snarled, now awake. She sat leaning forwards, her head in her hands.

"Soon." Was the single word she got in response.

"Soon? The hell is that supposed to mean? The sun will rise soon? We're all gonna die soon? I'm finally gonna win a damn bet with you soon? Start talkin' sense, Third Eye. Honestly."

"He should be awake soon."

"Give me a time frame."

A shrug, indicating that the only possible time frame was "soon."

"I fucking hate you..." Razorback spat.

"Love you too." She cooed, to which Razorback flipped her off.

The two of them leaned on the wall, on opposite sides of the doorway.

And now we wait. Thought Third Eye, looking at the poor soul who lay unconscious. This will be fun.

"So you won the coin flip, your call. What's it gonna be, we gonna tag team this shit?" Razorback asked, slightly annoyed over loosing yet another bet. One would think that by now, she knows better than to make a bet against Third Eye, but she has learned not to when money is involved.

Third Eye nodded, to which Razorback flicked out one of her straight razors, crouching next to male known as Jacob Stewart. She dragged the blade lightly over his skin, so it barely nicked the surface. Bring it up to his face, she tapped it, letting the edge bite into his flesh. He winced, a hand flying up to the small wound. Removing his fingers from it, a few drops of blood ran down on to his palm, before falling onto his shirt, staining the fabric.

"You better run, fucker. If you can stay alive till sunrise, you win. You get to live your life. That's only a few hours from now." Razorback sneered, her second straight razor in hand.

Jacob Stewart scrambled to stand up and run, which he was barely able to do.

"Just be aware that anything goes!" He heard yelled after him, as he ran out the front door.

Rounding the corner of the building, he screeched to a stop, falling and landing on the dirt-covered ground. In front of him stood Third Eye, balancing a small knife, by its point, on her finger.

He had never seen her exit the room, so there was no way she could get outside so quickly, or so commonly thought. But the best line of defense against Third Eye was to never under estimate her.

"How- how did you..?" He started, but didn't have time to finish. The knife was thrown at him, and he barely had time to throw himself out of harms way. Jacob Stewart skidded across the ground, then looked up at where the blade would be embedded in a tree. Instead, only a notch in the trunk marked that it was once there.

He whipped his head over to where its thrower stood; also gone.

He whimpered, before rising once more and dashing into the woods, smashing through the underbrush rather noisily, branches cracking and snapping.

A length of twine, hidden in the leaves that covered the forest floor, sprang taunt, just as he passed it. The twine caused Jacob Stewart to trip, as he fell much like a tree to the ground. A yelp escaped from his lips as he began to thrash about, and quickly became entangled in a make-shift net.

"Bigger they are, the harder they fall, ammiright?" Razorback remarked snidely, offering her open palm to Third Eye. Third smacked the open hand, a gesture of agreement.

"Shall we cut 'im loose and let him run, or drag him back, kicking and screaming? Or ya know, we could just end it all here." The last part was spoken with a rather sadistic grin, as Razorback stared him down like an eagle.

An eagle with mutil-colored head feathers, but an eagle nonetheless.

Third Eye pulled a pistol out, and primed it, ready to shoot.

"Running him some more, eh? I'm game." The punk commented, snapping out a straight razor. With a few clean strokes, the makeshift net fell away, freeing Jacob Stewart. He stood up, legs shaking.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" A half-smile appeared on Razorback's face, and she stepped back two paces.

"Get running."

Those two words were all Jacob Stewart needed to run. Sprinting like a scared rabbit, he skidded around a large boulder and turned right.

Right back into the clearing where that dilapidated cabin stood, at a slightly awkward angle. He jumped over the pile of boards on the broken porch, crashing into the door. Jerking it open, he dashed in and slammed the door shut behind him, hands frantically latching the deadbolts. He skidded past the doorframe of the kitchen, an old cast iron stove against the wall like a massive, cornered beast. The counters were broken and rotten, and cabinet doors hung at gravity-defying angles. He tore through the drawers, trying to find something, anything, that could be used as a weapon to protect himself.

Old, rusty metal utensils flew through the air, clattering on the floorboards that were riddled with termite holes. Finally, he found a meat cleaver in one drawer, the blade dull and chipped, and the handle cracked. Its better than nothing, I suppose... He thought, jumping at the sound of something crashing into the front door, one, then twice.

"Look I'm doing the best I can. Unless you got a better idea, this asshole is gonna live." Razorback complained, rubbing her now sore shoulder. She backed up once more, charging into the old wood of the door. She felt it start to give under her weight, and a crack began to form on the fourth hit.

"Let's double it up." Razorback said, receiving a nod from Third Eye. The two stood next to each other, before rushing into the door. It cracked loudly, splinters flying as the two came to a rapid halt in the front hall. Third Eye managed to grab hold of the doorframe just past the now-destroyed front door, the one to what was once a living room.

Razorback wasn't so lucky, instead coming to a halt from her face meeting the floor. Third Eye watched her companion carefully, who just groaned and rolled over onto her back. Cracking one eye open, Razorback looked at her mask-wearing friend.

"Ya know, help would have been nice. But hey, it would inconvenience you so why bother, hmm?" Sitting up, she touched one hand to her brow, wincing at a short, sharp pain from a light touch. Retracting her hand, she looked at the droplets of blood that raced down her fingers, dripping onto her jeans.

"Ah man, right next to my piercings too. That's gonna hurt like a bitch for days." She complained, standing up and wiping her hand on her jeans.

The two crept into the kitchen, which was quite the task as more than half of the old oak floor creaked with the smallest bit of pressure. By now, Jacob Stewart had taken to hiding inside the most intact cabinet, pulling its door over to block the view of his body as best it could. He heard a floorboard creak near the entrance of the kitchen, and a metal utensil skidded across the floor, kicked most likely.

Silence fell, and he swore he could hear his heartbeat pounding in the air around him. He tried to slow his breathing, to keep quite and not be found. He risked a glance at his watch, shifting so he could see its face.

2:41 AM, and another two and a half to sunrise. Jacob Stewart was not aware of how long he had already been there. He sighed softly, perhaps he had a chance.

Perhaps not.

The crooked cabinet door was jerked open, revealing a grinning Razorback.

"Well, hello there. Missed us? We missed you." She reached in to pull him out and his breathing faltered. He then remembered what he had found and brought the dull blade crashing down on her fingers.

"Motherfucker!" Razorback swore, pulling her hand back to look at it. The wound wasn't much, as the blade was in awful condition, but it startled her. "That's it, you piece of shit, get out of there." She snarled, first kicking him sharply before grabbing him with both hands and tossing him to the floor. He rolled with the short fall, coming to rest against the stove. The old meat cleaver was sent skittering across the floor, as it was kicked by an angered Razorback.

"Hey Third Eye. Pop one in the leg." Third Eye pulled her pistol and primed it, pointing at his foot. "No, no, the kneecaps. Go for his left." Third Eye altered her aim accordingly and let a round out of the barrel before anyone had time to blink. Jacob Stewart screamed, the pain sharp and short. He grasped his knee, hissing.

"Nah. Nah, girl. That's not what you do. You wanna bring the pain, you have to want to. Like this, see?" Razorback brought her foot up slammed it down on his right kneecap. A clean, sickening snap echoed in the room, as well as a screech.

"That is how you break the knee."

Third Eye rolled her head back, indicating annoyance with Razorback's actions. Since her mask hid her face, she's developed other forms of conveying what would normally be facial expressions. Pulling her knife out, she flipped it up in the air and caught it a few times, before grasping it in a proper grip. She grabbed Jacob Stewart by the shoulder and quickly sliced his old t-shirt open, exposing his torso.

"I'll get the alcohol~" Razorback hummed, dragging a cinderblock across the floor to boost her height. Reaching on the top shelf of the most intact cabinet, she pulled down a bottle of isopropyl alcohol. She tossed to Third Eye, who caught it without looking. A bag of rock salt, a pair of needle-nose pliers and a small container of carpet tacks followed suit, tracing an arc through the air. The final object to be thrown over was a ball of strong cord. Third Eye cut a length of rope, threading one end through an iron ring that had been screwed into the wall, and tying both end around the wrists of John Stewart tightly. The same was repeated with his ankles, instead looping the cord around the feet of the great cast iron stove.

Third Eye nodded to Razorback, who was standing to the side of the stove, slowly sharpening her straight razors on a barber's strap. A smile crept across her face as she crouched down next to John Stewart, tracing an X pattern over and over on his exposed torso with her blades. Third Eye stepped back, pulling a small tube out of her pocket. Popping the small cap off, she titled it up so two small ear plugs rolled out into her open hand. Capping the tube, she wiggled the ear plugs in, blocking out as much noise as possible. Her timing was impeccable, as that was just mere seconds before Razorback chose to rub rock salt into the open wounds. Another fifteen minutes, and Razorback had the man's left wrist cut open delicately, and was using the needle nose pliers to pull on the ligaments inside, chuckling as his fingers moved. She pulled one ligament up, before taking a straight razor and slicing through it, causing it to snap and fall limply inside his wrist. She repeated this process with the other ligaments, before pulling on the muscles fibres. Slowly but surely, she worked her way up his arm, flaying it open and dropping sections of skin and muscle to the side as she went.

Picking up the container of carpet tacks, Razorback tipped it, allowing a few to tumble down into her open palm. Picking up his right hand, she chose his index finger. He fought to keep his hand curled in a fist, a loosing battle. Prying the finger up, she poked at the tender area just under the nail, chuckling as he hissed at it. Once she found a good spot, Razorback suddenly pushed the tack all the way under his nail, and then pried it up slowly. A screech wrenched its way put of his throat, which was quickly silenced by Third Eye, her bare foot pressing down on his windpipe.

"The hell was that for?" Razorback snarled, her head up and glaring at Third Eye. The mask wearer shot a look at the sadistic punk, as if to say "you know damn well what that was for, fucker."

"Look, if you don't like it, just leeeaaavvvee." Razorback drew out the last word, making a shooing motion with her hands. Third Eye made a harrumph sort of noise, indicating that she had no intentions of leaving just yet, that she will complain if she so pleases, and that Razorback had absolutely no say in the matter.

Third Eye lifted her foot from Jacob Stewart's throat and he gasped for air, in a manner that was reminiscent of a fish on dry land. Razorback shifted her sitting position slightly, and continued to pry his nails off in a rather slow fashion. Once all his nails were sitting on the floor, she pulled the bottle of isopropyl alcohol over to her side. Razorback looked around, on the ground beside her, in the broken cabinets next to her, and elsewhere in the immediate vicinity, before scowling and standing up.

"I didn't think this through." She mumbled, searching through the kitchen for any sort of small dish.

"P... Please, please stop... Just kill me... Please..." Jacob Stewart begged and turned his head to the side, looking at Third Eye. He received a blank stare in return, that was soon blocked by the muzzle of a pistol.

"Wha- 'Ey, don't kill him yet!" Razorback snapped, looking at the scene. She had found a small bowl, and was pouring some of the strong-smelling liquid into it.

"C'mon, let me have my fun, then you can kill him. Deal?" Third Eye lowered the gun, so the barrel now pointed at the floor instead of Jacob Stewart's forehead, who whimpered worse than a kicked puppy.

He squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking and tracing a path down his face as he sobbed, his breathing unstable as he did so. His crying grew in volume, until Razorback grabbed the old meat cleaver, the one he had used as protection against her earlier, and smashed it into his chest, eliciting a scream. She pulled it out, a wet sucking noise filling everyones' ears, as did John Stewart's cries of pain and horror. Razorback slammed the old cleaver into his chest and pulled it out, speaking in between each action.

"That's such" slam "an annoying" squelch "fucking sound" slam "just shut" squelch "the fuck" slam "up!"

Blood splattered on everyone present, and as well on the cabinets around them, as Razorback ended his cries.

She left the cleaver in his chest with the final blow, the one that ended his life. Standing up, she looked at the carnage she had caused in such a short amount of time, and let out a low, sliding whistle.

"Well, I'd say that's a record for one of my sloppiest kills." Razorback remarked, prodding the cooling body with her foot.

"That's for damn sure..." Third Eye mumbled.

"Whatever. What do we do with the body?"

"Let the coyotes have him, just leave the front door open."

Razorback picked up her belongings, walking out the destroyed front door, which lay in large pieces on the floor.

"I think this is a permanent open door policy now, eh?" She smirked, pulling her hood up.

"You're one sick kid..."

#creepypasta #creepypasta OC #CPOC #OCs #original character #original story #short story #my stories #writing #razorback #third eye #my writing #writing posts

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ftb-writes · 4 years ago

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Wooo! Fic time!

"Bye, Sarah," he told his older sister, ushering her out the door. "Good luck at Uni, don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"What, like blow up a school toilet? Dad's still paying that off, by the way." Sarah shoves her bags into the trunk and looks back up to where he's standing at the top of the porch steps. "Remember, Mom and Dad's convention--"

"Ends on Wednesday," he finishes for Sarah, "but if I call and have a problem, they can be home as soon as they can get a flight. I know." He smiles. "It's just a few days, Sarah. I'll manage just fine. Be careful. Call when you get there."

Sarah sighs and climbs into the beat-up hatchback. "See you for Winter break, Toby! Don't mess with anything in my room!"

Toby, for that is the boy's name, rolls his eyes as Sarah pulls out of the drive. "Watch me," he snorts, and goes back inside.

Lancelot the teddy bear sits in his place of honor on the shelf besides Sarah's bed -- he's the only toy Sarah had ever kept from her childhood, and Merlin, the family dog, snuffs as Toby takes the bear down to brush away an invisible mote of dust. This bear is the only exception to Sarah's rule -- Toby is allowed to come in and get Lancelot whenever he pleases, but Toby does relish nudging a book slightly out of alignment.

"Take that Sarah," he whispers, and then actually reads the title of the book he's poked. It's small, with a red leather cover and gold lettering spelling out in smart letters, The Labyrinth.

Toby pauses. He remembers the old stories she used to tell him about Jareth, the Goblin King, stealing him away, of this innocuous little book coming to life, of her friends -- Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and his noble steed, Ambrosius.

Toby cautiously picks the book off the shelf, and when there is no sudden claps of thunder or bursts of lightning fortelling his doom, Toby brings it and Lancelot into his room.

Posters of rock stars and NES games line the walls, and the color scheme is, according to Sarah, 'painfully vampiric.'

"Red and black?" he can remember his mother clarifying when he'd asked to redecorate his room. "But Tobias, darling, those colors are so dark! And drab…"

"I'll close my door if it bothers you," he'd retorted, a can of paint in each hand. "But the black is the same stuff they use for blackboards, Mom, so I can draw on it, or use it to write out notes for classes; it'll be useful!"

His mother had sniffed, but relented. By that point, Toby had started seeing why his mother and half-sister didn't get along well.

He flops on the bed and sets Lancelot down, listening to Merlin pad over to his bed in the other room. Holding the book up to Lancelot's glass eyes he whispers, "Our little secret, eh?"

Lancelot does not answer, and Toby flips the book open and begins to read.

"Give me the child."

Toby jerks awake, the book falling off his face and onto the bed next to him. He shakes himself, looking around to see what had woken him. It's dark out, and Merlin snores in the other room.

"That must be him!" a shrill, reedy voice is whispering. "Look at that hair! And he has the bear!"

"Shush!" another voice hisses, "he'll hears us!"

"Well, it would be terrific if he did," the first voice grumbles.

"Shush," the second voice repeats, a low growl. "Sarah just wants us lookin' after him! There is no needs to be botherin' him!"

"But Toby friend," a third voice, deeper than the other two, chimes in.

"Sarah says he doesn't needs to know we're here," the second voice whisper-yells at the other two. "The more he knows is really reals, not just stories, the more risk of -- of Him findin' him!"

"But He's only a shell of His former self. I'm sure He'd be unable to find Toby." The first voice sounds reassuring, but the second voice is quick to shut them down.

"The only reason He's not at full strength is because He's trying to find Toby!"

"Awake," the third voice says, dreamily.

A ringing silence descends. Toby swallows and stands, clutching the book to his chest. "Hello?" he calls. "Is someone there?"

When there is no answer, Toby steps out into the hall, but he isn't surprised that nothing appears out of place.

"You're Sarah's friends from the Labyrinth, aren't you," Toby asks the empty air. "Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus?"

Still, there is no answer, and Toby shivers. "Please, I know you're here. Who is He? Why is He trying to find me?"

Slowly, a small man with bushy eyebrows and a belt adorned with costume jewelry and a leather coin purse steps into view, seemingly out of nowhere. "Now, you can't tell Sarah you knows," the small man says, defeated. "You can't tell nobody."

"Alright, Hoggle. Now, what's going on?"

Sir Didymus and Ludo sip cocoa across from Hoggle and Toby. Toby had offered Hoggle a drink as well, but he had declined, and Toby himself was drinking a soda. Sarah's copy of The Labyrinth sits on the table between them all.

"Jareth's been lookin' for you all this time," Hoggle is saying. "He wants to makes you a goblin, one who will be smart enough and strong enough to become the next Goblin King. He thinks you're meant to be the next King, 'cause you were rescued, but still knew 'bout him and the Labyrinth's existence, even just as stories. Jareth's… become a shade of hisself."

"A shade," Toby repeats in question.

Didymus swallows, sets down his mug. It's the smallest mug Toby and his family own, but it is comically big in Didymus's pause, well the biggest mug is tiny in Ludo's grip.

"He has sacrificed much of himself," Didymus explains. "For more time. The Goblin King is never meant to live so long as this. But the King cannot let his line end. No one quite remembers why anymore. Jareth never had any children survive the change to goblin-hood fully intact. You're his best chance. And as he is now, Jareth can't put in the energy to trick anyone else into sacrificing their child."

"So, he's going all in for me," Toby summarizes.

"You just has to outlast him. Only another year of your time at most," Hoggle assures. "It shouldn't be that hard with the three of us to help!" The dwarf beams up at Toby, and Ludo and Didymus chuckle and toast with their mugs. "Not to mention that we's not the only friends Sarah made in the Labyrinth!"

"I'm doomed," Toby sighed.

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