#i love the bishops so much i have GOT to draw them (and write them) more WAH!!!!!!!!!! WAUUGUAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pruszided · 2 years ago

Text

Uh oh, what is this?

It's an England AU, that's inspired by this version of Neru's Tokyo Teddy Bear. Oh, and I have a "sketch" picture as well.

The drawing with motives and the AU explained:

Basically, the music is about to change the situation the singer is in. It's not explained how though, we can think of several possibilities. The lyrics gave me this idea, the suffering, and the determined decide of end it all. Positive, right?

Okay, the motives, there are numerous of them. Let's start with the ground, from left to right. Yep, bloody tissues, some bandage, a math test (grade: 1/F), and poppy flowers in a broken vase. Poppy flowers' meaning is consolation, on the drawing the consolation is death. Then some cones broken apart. Cones' meaning is life, on the drawing it symbolizes the life's shattering, as the cones are broken apart.

The background has several items, the closer part to the ground. First, the rubbish, with bunch of crumpled papers. I do that, when I'm unsatisfied with something really bad. Then a cupboard, with chess figures, from down to up is pawn, knight, bishop, rook, king and finally queen. It symbolizes a hierarchy stuff. And why is queen upper than king? Well, king is a weak figure, I mean, the queen is much more cooler. England thinks so here, he's rebelling against the system we have (I mean, some people will still be the most precious ones, even when others do much more than them). Then, a drawer that's capsizes. The cones are falling from this drawer. On the top, is a knife, stabbed in the drawer.

Upper background is simple. There's a desk, what every kid has, England does as well. Upper is a telephone in a pocket of a writing that says "Bye". In the original clip, Rin types her farewell in her phone, so in the AU, England did it too. The right side has a poster of a human skull. It symbolizes death. A counting can be seen on the wall, it counts until 5, and a clock that shows 0:00.

The window part is actually easy too. A pine, where the cones are from, and the moon, that gives light in the night. From a physical view, the structure of the window is messed up, but I wanted to make it big, because the kid will jump out from it. Yeah.

And the main figure. He stands rigid, his expression doesn't represents his feelings. His gaze is more sarcastic, but he feels more uncertain about his life, unloved and unsatisfied sentiments are going in him. His clothing is sewed at some parts, the sewing's colour is red, like a scar that won't stop bleeding. He holds a scissor, refering the "I'll find some tougher scissors; And cut out my face" part. His legs are also having some wounds, those are patched.

He holds a Teddy Bear, that representates the singer, here it does it with England. The Teddy is bleeding too, and has sewings, but his head is like having a missing piece of brain, refering to the "Tell me I don't need anything but my brain" part of the song.

Explaining the base TTB England AU:

As I said, he is a kid, 13-14 years around. Arthur wasn't a compeletly normal kid, not then and now. He is a bit schizophrenic, I mean, he sees the flying mint bunny, and some dark shadows sometimes. Normally, he only senses his Teddy speaing to him.

His life was a bit tough. He has a brother, Scott (Scotland) and a sister, Diana (Nyo! Wales). His parents had a good relationship, until they divorced (refering to the falling of the British Empire). Arthur and his siblings started to got always switched between the parents.

The divorce was in the 7-8 years of Arthur, so he didn't really understood what happened. It was surely hard for him, because his grades started to be worse than expected. Then teachers and parents get unsatisfied, and tried to "motivate" Arthur to get better. This was the time when he started to feel unsatisfaction.

Until 13 years, he tried extremely hard. Everyone loved him because of the intelligence he had. He still felt unsatisfied though, so he worked more and more to be better, and being the best.

At 14 years old, he wanted to try something; If he's so intelligent and logical, as everyone told him, he should be able to solve a logical mathematical question, right? So he didn't learned and paid enough attention at mathematic class, so his test became a big 1/F. All the gazes with hatred, from the parents, the dissapontment in the eyes of teachers, the surprised look by his classmates. He managed to think that, because of these actions..That everyone lied to him. No one respected him really, they just passed responsibility on him. This is the time when he started to feel brutally unloved.

He needed to express himself, though he didn't wanted to do it. As early as he could, he found his Teddy bear from his childhood. A beautiful icebear without any damage from the outer world.. He saw his childhood himself in it. But he grew up, so the Teddy has to grow up as well. Arthur harmed himself through the Teddy, that was the first time when he heard the Teddy speaking to him. He stopped, just to listen what the Teddy says. Then, they got used to harm "each other" then talking about literally anything that came to mind.

Then Teddy once came up with the idea.. If no one respects Arthur.. Wouldn't it be easier for him to just end it all? Aand, that was before the drawing's happens.

Yeah. I have happy thoughts, right? But nah, if you have some better idea to the AU, please, tell me! I'm always all ears ^^

#aph england #arthur kirkland #aph england au #ttb au #ttb au england #tokyo teddy bear

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unsettlingcreature · 10 months ago

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5, 7, 9, 13, 25 for the oc ask for Perseus 🫡 💖

5) how far is your oc willing to go yo get what they want?

So Perseus tends to make impulsive decisions that have large consequences. Typically his first reaction is self-sacrifice (like his life or his soul That One Time) but it's always something that only he's giving up. While he would rather find options other than violence, killing or the sacrifice of someone other than himself, that's probably where he draws the line - at least in pursuit of a bigger cause or to help someone else. For his own ambitions, he won't go very far at all partially because he is a very unambitious character overall.

7) what's one way your oc has changed since you first came up with them?

Honestly so much addjdhsksjddd. When I first made him, he was actually pretty bare bones because I was nervous about the (new) group I'd be playing with and wasn't sure how much backstory to give. A lot of the stuff that's now core to his character were things that were discovered through playing him.

If I had to pick one thing, it'd probably be his love life/sex life LMAO. Originally, I had him envisioned as a disaster bisexual and yeah, he definitely was in the end LMAO but I kind of viewed him as the kind of person to just end up stalling when it came to romance or sex. He was definitely awkward when flirted with and he was going to just pine uselessly when he realised Oh No I Have Feelings For An Idiot. And yet? The PPZG threesome happened so easily?? Good for him. Was a ménage-à-trois a sexual awakening for Persy? Yeagh. Good for him.

9) do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your oc?

Lyrics are hard because I have a full playlist of songs that I think are Perseus coded and ordered according to his character arc/the campaign plot. Am I allowed to use a quote from my own writing?? Because I'm gonna. Also it's kind of long 😳

Once, he would have questioned where he fit in and what his value was. The templars would have made him a bishop. Caedis, a pawn. But Perseus knew who he was now, with his family - because that's what the Last Flame were - fighting alongside him. He was a Rook, one of the strongest pieces on the board and he’d stand between them and Unity for as long as he could.

13) if you met your oc, would the two of you get along?

I like to think so! Perseus is definitely one of my least abrasive characters despite his low Charisma and I think we could at least be on friendly terms if not become actual friends.

25) what is your favourite thing about your oc?

I think maybe his growth or just how through him, I've made some wonderful friends and created wonderful things with them. With Perseus, I got to meet all the players in the Last Flame and I think it helped me become good friends with Jojo (who played Aegis, Persy's brother, and is overall a really cool dude) and Rachel (who played Yesriel, aka the third honorary Rook sibling, and is really fun to play with at Empire) in particular. All of the players were awesome for that game tbh! Last Flame i miss u. Reunion tour when.

Not just that, but he really became a creative outlet for me - I drew and wrote so many things that I'm really proud of. I'll always throw Rook, Bishop, Pawn at people wanting to understand more about Perseus as a character because I think it's really well written (to toot my own horn) but having that fic be referenced in-game before the final fight was... it legit brought my to tears, I love my DM/brother so much sometimes.

It didn't even end once the campaign came to a close. Me and Lotus endlessly spawned AUs for that campaign, including the Velseus AU which we both loved so much (and that one day will definitely become more than scattered notes). There was the Modern/High School/Coffee Shop AU that became such a big point of collaboration between everyone and that is now the setting for my current big fic I'm working on!

I just ooouuurrgghhhhhhhhhh I love Perseus so much. He might be my roman empire.

#ch: perseus #ty for the asks beloved wife. i love talking about persy a lot o7

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ithebookhoarder · 3 years ago

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Hi! I was wondering if you could something where the reader is clint’s daughter and dating kate bishop? clint doesn’t know until kate takes him there to stay safe from the tracksuits. thanks!

Never meet your heroes (Kate Bishop x Barton!Reader)

A/N: Just so you know, I have changed the timeline a tiny bit for this episode (episode 2), so Kate doesn’t go back to the apartment straight away after the auction, but oh well… I'm sure you'll forgive me. ❤️ I loved writing this one so much!

Masterlist:

Y/N [8:45 PM]: Hey. So. Show was awful Calling it quits before 2nd act starts. Gonna grab dinner and head to yours after. Hope you have fun tonight… can’t wait to see you again. I’ll bring egg rolls!

Kate 🏹 [8:47 PM]: 😋 You’re amazing - did you know that? Have fun and wish me luck 🤞

Y/N [8:48 PM]: Good luck! And try not to start anything with Armaund. Not in the mood to bail you out tonight 😆

Kate 🏹 [8:49 PM]: … no promises …

Y/N [8:50 PM]: 🙄 You’re lucky you’re cute

Kate 🏹 [8:50 PM]: 😉

Y/N [10:14 PM]: Just got back - let myself in with the key. How’s party going? Hope you’re hungry btw. Brought wayyyy too many egg rolls, and some leftovers the owners gave us.

You stared at your phone as you watched the message send.

On one hand you knew it was probably pointless to text your girlfriend, given that she was due home any minute - or so the clock in the kitchen kept telling you. Still, part of you felt odd being in Kate’s apartment alone, with only leftover egg rolls for company. The place felt oddly empty without her in it, and sure… you were being sappy, but in all honesty you were missing her.

It was your last night together, until after the holidays were over and you were back at school together. You couldn’t wait to sit by the weird looking Christmas tree you’d insisted she erect and open the presents you’d both brought. It was a mini Christmas before you both separated to spend the actual day with your families.

Still, you couldn’t exactly be mad when you’d been the one to tell Kate to go to her mom’s company holiday party. You’d had plans of your own tonight, and were meant to be home later than you’d ended up being. It hadn’t made sense for Kate to simply sit around in the apartment waiting for you. Not when this party meant a lot to her mom - so you’d told her to go, that you could meet up after and spend the night together before you met up with your family in the morning.

After all, you knew things were strained between Kate and her mom and tonight would be a good gesture to help make things better between them. Then again, most parents would be pretty pissed if their child destroyed a historic college relic, in the pursuit of a bet… It was only natural that her mom was mad - hell your parents would have been too, if they’d found out your part in the whole scheme that resulted in the collapse of the bell tower.

Thankfully, Kate - the saint that she was - had insisted she take the fall for you and your other conspirators. As she put it: ‘she had enough money to get herself out of it’. Even if it was true it had felt a bit wrong to let her go ahead with her martyrdom, but that was your girlfriend; she was stubborn and loyal and there was no convincing her otherwise once she dug her heels in.

Ah, Kate Bishop… you’d never met anyone like her.

It had been a hectic whirlwind of a relationship since you’d met, back during your first few weeks at college.

In some ways, it had been fate drawing you two together, what with you both being the only two new students having signed up to the archery team’s trial day. It was rare enough that there were colleges that actually had the sport hosted, let alone that there would be new students as keen as you to try out… and that they’d be half as good too - and given the fact you’d been trained by Hawkeye himself, that was saying something.

Speaking of your dad, however, you knew Kate admired him - scratch that, idolised him. However, you were used to giving people a false last name out of habit; it was your parent’s way of keeping you safe and distanced from everything, especially after the whole HYDRA incident had seen most of SHIELD’s intelligence splashed across the internet for anyone to see. All it took was one click and some decent wifi for people to figure out that the name Barton tied you to an Avenger.

So, you couldn’t exactly be blamed for not being 100% honest with Kate about who you really were.

As she’d stuck her hand out that first day and introduced herself, you’d taken it, and replied with your own name.

“Y/N. Y/N L/N.”

So you’d used your Mom’s maiden name. It wasn’t a big deal at first, given that you were team mates, and then friends quickly after. But when you finally made the move into girlfriend territory… well, you’d be lying if you didn’t say you felt incredibly guilty.

You kept meaning to tell her, but the longer things went on the weirder and more awkward the idea became. How did one tell their girlfriend that they’d lied about their identity? And that their childhood hero - who they raved about on a daily basis - was the same man who potty trained you?

Like it or not, you’d dug yourself a hole - one you’d spent the last few weeks trying to plan a way out of.

You were still digging when Kate used the bell tower incident as an excuse to ask you to come spend a week or so with her at her place - away from dorm mates, angry parents, and all the other distractions that came with college life. Here, in this apartment, you were in a safe bubble.

At first, the idea of a week in New York seemed perfect given that your dad had talked about taking you and your siblings to the city for a couple days, so that you could finally use the tickets he’d been sent for the new broadway show - Rodgers: The Musical. You could meet up with them, see the show, and then fly home for the holidays as planned.

On the other hand, it also meant you had a chance to finally come clean to Kate - especially given how honest she’d been about everything in her life at the moment. Being alone together, for a week, meant you didn’t have an excuse… well, you said that yet here you were, the night before you were meant to fly home, looking for a strong bottle of tequila to down before Kate got home and you decided to drop that little nugget of information.

“Damn it.”

You sighed.

You reached into the cupboard to retrieve one of the two glasses that sat in Kate’s apartment, before making yourself comfy on the couch, your rapidly cooling egg rolls in hand. Pulling the cork from the top of the bottle, you helped yourself to a slightly generous shot of the only liquor you’d been able to find.

The familiar burn was comforting as you downed it.

“Could have used one of these earlier,” you muttered, reaching to pour another one. “Show seemed to last forever.”

It really had - who knew a musical about the Avengers could be so painful to sit through? Then again, you knew it wasn’t entirely down the cheesy lyrics or irritatingly catchy tunes. No. Your dad’s sudden deterioration at the entrance of the actress portraying Natasha was indicative of the sudden nausea you had also felt at seeing your aunt’s likeness singing and dancing about… your palms had gone sweaty, and it took all the strength you had to make your shaking legs co-operate as you’d risen from your seat and hurried after him.

To be honest, you’d been grateful to have an excuse to leave.

You shot your brothers and sister a look as you ushered them out of the theatre, and after your dad.

You didn’t even have to ask to know they weren’t ok… neither was your dad. After all, you felt the loss aching from within, and you’d known her a fraction of time compared to him. Hell, Aunt Nat had been family and there were some wounds time wouldn’t heal, or at least, not completely.

Until then, you had egg rolls, tequila, and a girlfriend to help fill the void inside.

Speaking of, your dad (and siblings) had naturally been curious about your relationship. They’d basically spent most of dinner badgering you about her, and even as you’d hailed a taxi to take you back to hers for the night.

Standing on the street, the icy night air nipping at you all, you’d thought you’d be safe from the interrogation even for a moment. The fact you dad had chosen to stand there, rather than back inside the warm restaurant, said he was more than intrigued - and still as protective as he’d always been. There was no way in hell he’d let you stand outside on your own, even if you were now 22.

“I’m just saying, if you don’t let us meet her soon, your brother and sisters are going to think she’s fake.”

“A fake girlfriend? Seriously?”

Your dad shrugged, mischief clear in his eyes. “Can you blame them? Even your mom and I are starting to think you’ve gone a little loopy, in that dorm room, all by yourself, imaging a girlfriend to keep you company - ”

“Dad!”

“What?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet you love me,” he grinned, knowing it was all too true.

Your smile gave it away, even if you were doing your best to look mock-angry at his line of questioning. At this rate, it was going to be a long couple of weeks.

“I’m only asking. When do I get to meet this ‘very real’ girlfriend of yours, huh?”

“Dad,” you whined, hating the fact that you were a fully grown adult that still blushed when her parents talked about your love life. “We’ve only been going out a little while and I don’t want to rush it, you know. Maybe next time? After Spring break?”

And after I tell her who you are, you added mentally.

“You said that before, honey,” he teased. “I just want to meet the girl you’ve spent your entire college experience raving about, that’s all. Shoot me. I’m your dad. It’s my job to be annoying and curious.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Besides, we both know eventually your mom will just end up finding her on Facebook or something and have the poor kid over for dinner anyway. You know what she’s like.”

“I’ll tell her you said that.”

“And after I brought you Chinese food?” He gasped theatrically, laughing as you rolled your eyes. “Such a traitor, jeez.”

It was then that a cab finally noticed your hand sticking out in the road, and pulled up at the kerb.

“Saved by the cab.”

“You can run but you can’t hide for long, child of mine,” he teased, pulling you in to one last hug. It didn’t matter how old you got, he still would always see you as his baby, and you were honestly ok with that - as long as you got his hugs. They were pretty special. “So, we’ll meet you tomorrow morning? At the hotel?”

“You got it.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead before reaching over to open the cab door. “Great. Love you.”

“Love you too,” you echoed as you slid in and closed the door behind you. You shot him a final wave as you gave the driver the address and pulled away into the steady flow of traffic.

And now you were here. Alone in Kate’s apartment. Waiting… watching the clock…

Y/N [11:25 PM]: What time did you say you’d be back again? xx Thought you said 10:30? Is everything ok?

Y/N [11:27 PM]: OK. KATE. SAW NEWS. WTF. YOU OK?

Y/N [11:27 PM]: Ninjas? Really? At a holiday party?! I can’t even with this city anymore

Y/N [11:28 PM]: Seriously Kate. You good? Call me, please. I’m worried about you.

It was probably an hour after your last text that you finally heard the door opening below. Worried sick, you’d curled yourself up in Kate’s bed, staring at your phone and waiting for some kind of signal that your girlfriend was alright.

It was safe to say the tequila was mostly gone, as were the egg rolls - stupid stress eating, a trait you’d inherited from your father, of all people.

Still, you had never felt relief like it before when you heard the door open and voices echoing up from below. It was probably why you were too busy to notice the fact that there were voices - plural - and not just Kate’s.

Instead, you were too busy tossing back the covers and running down the stairs to see for yourself whether she was in one piece or not.

“Oh thank god!”

“Y/N? That you?”

“Katherine Bishop! You asshole. You had me worried sick. I swear to god, the next time you go to a hijacked holiday party and don’t answer your god damned phone I’ll-”

However, you’d barely made it off the bottom step when you saw that she wasn’t alone.

Oh no.

Dressed in an outfit that was horrifyingly familiar, she had somehow managed to bring home two extra guests. One canine and the other the very last person you’d ever have expected to come through the door…

“Dad?”

The word was off your lips before you could fully understand what was happening, or who exactly it was standing in front of you in your girlfriend’s apartment.

How much tequila had you drunk again? You had to be hallucinating.

“Dad?” Kate repeated blankly, dropping her rucksack in surprise. “What-? Did you-? Dad?”

“Y/n?”

“Dad, what are you doing here?”

“That was about to be my question, young lady.”

“Oh my god.”

“I’m sorry. Can we circle back to the part where you just called him dad?”

The whole thing was a tangled chorus of questions and pointed fingers as you all stared back and forth between the four of you. Well, the dog didn’t so much point as whine and tilt his head, but the meaning was pretty much the same.

What was happening here?

“I’m at my girlfriend’s apartment - like I said I’d be,” you finally stammered, feeling oddly defensive. Then again, that was probably due to the fact you were wearing one of her oversized sweatshirts, and not much else. Thank god it came down to your knees. “This is Kate. Kate my girlfriend, so what the hell are you doing here? And where have you been?”

You skipped Kate’s shock, putting a pin in it for the more pressing matter at hand. Sure, you hurried over and pressed a hasty kiss against her cheek, relieved she was back and in one piece. However, there were bigger issues to handle first - including the dog who was currently licking at your hand.

That and the fact Kate was wearing your dad’s Ronin suit - something you never thought you’d see again.

“Wait. Kate? As in, your Kate?”

At that, Kate smirked, looking both amused and offended all at once. “Your Kate? Aw… that’s cute, but um, I’m me. Kate. My Kate. As in, me is Kate. I belong to myself.”

“Getting that, Tarzan.”

“Dad!” you groaned.

This night couldn’t get any more awkward.

How had it gone from Kate spending the evening at a company Christmas holiday party, to this?

No no no. This wasn’t happening. Not like this… You’d had this day planned out in your head. When you’d finally got around to introducing Kate to your parents you had pictured it involving dinner at your house, sunshine, beers, you wearing pants - and Kate already knowing the biggest secret you’d been keeping.

Fuck.

“Uh, ok. Wow. Can we just - rewind here,” Kate choked, a bewildered look on her face. “I - You - sorry. Y/N? You said your last name was L/N. Not Barton. As in Y/N L/N, not Y/N ‘my dad is an avenger Barton’.”

Double fuck.

“It’s uh… technically, it’s my my mom’s maiden name,” you stammered. “My legal name on paperwork at school is Barton, but I go by L/N most of the time so people don’t put two and two together, you know? It’s habit and I didn’t think anything of it when we first met but then things got complicated between us, and I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

“Bring it up? That your dad is an avenger? You didn’t think of slipping that in a conversation?”

“I didn’t want people to treat me differently.”

“So, Instead, you just let me ramble on and on like an idiot about how much I admired him and about my parents-“

“I know,” you whined, feeling yourself turning an ungodly shade of red. “I was going to tell you Kate, tonight in fact. I would have told you this week but things were just so great between us and I didn’t want to mess it up by telling you I’d lied to you.”

“Well, hate to break it to you, but the cat’s out of the bag now.”

“Dog, actually,” your dad chimed, as the puppy woofed loudly - as if on cue. He clearly objected to being excluded from the conversation. “And I’m sorry, but this little domestic drama you two have got going on here is going to have to wait until Miss Bishop gives me what I came for and explains what the hell happened back there tonight.”

So she was now Miss Bishop? Yikes. That sounded even more strange coming from his mouth than you’d expected, and that was saying something.

Why did you feel like a five year old who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar? You hadn’t technically done anything wrong here - not to your dad, that was. Kate was a whole other issue, as was the secret that you knew she would be grilling you over for the rest of the night, if she didn’t kick you out and break up with your first, that was.

Given how this was going so far, you couldn’t be sure that wouldn’t be the outcome.

“What? The suit?” Kate finally managed to ask, staring down at the ninja-like attire she was wearing. “Oh… sure… right. One second.”

She shot you a look before nodding.

“I’ll be right back…”

With that, she turned and began to disappear up the stairs, muttering all the while to herself about the fact Hawkeye was in her apartment. THE Hawkeye… and that you, her girlfriend, were Hawkeye’s daughter …

You were never going to live this down.

“Where did you get the suit?” your dad asked, somehow knowing it was best to break the ice and handle one issue at a time. The look he gave you was very much his ‘we’ll talk more about this later’ look. You knew it well from your more rebellious days a kid.

“From a black market auction.”

Kate’s answer stumped you. Screw your conversation with your dad, it seemed you and Kate had a lot to talk about later too. “Excuse me?”

“You bought it?”

“Nah, not exactly,” Kate continued.

“So what did you do in this suit?”

“I beat some guys up. Saved the dog. A little light B&E.”

Your dad groaned. “Jesus.”

At least that explained the dog. That didn’t explain how Kate had found a black market auction, or got herself into so much trouble in the span of six hours. Then again, this was Kate, she often had a way of surprising you and sniffing out trouble.

First the bell tower, now this… yeah, no wonder your dad looked rightly concerned by everything. “A 22 year old vigilante? Shouldn’t you be in school?”

You winced. “Funny you should ask…”

Thankfully, your dad didn’t hear you. Instead, he was distracted by Kate scurrying back down the stairs, suit in one hand, bow in the other. She also had snagged you a pair of sweats, which you gratefully took and slid on, ignoring the way your dad’s eyes hastily focused on Kate and away from you changing.

This felt like a conversation you needed pants for.

“So, now that I’ve answered all of your questions, I have so many for you - both of you - starting with, can you sign this?”

You laughed.

You couldn’t help it. Good lord. Of course she asked - no wonder you loved this goofball. After everything, this was what she chose to ask first. Not how you could keep this from her? Or how your dad happened to be in the city? Or what had happened tonight? But, could he sign her bow?

“We’re not done yet.”

“But when we are, can you sign my bow? You’re kind of my favourite avenger.”

Yep. She was adorable.

You noticed the way your dad’s eyebrow raised, as if trying to separate the fact this was your girlfriend from whatever was going on here. Otherwise, you knew he’d be weirdly flattered, and would count it as a point in her favour - even if he hated the whole Avengers thing most of the time.

“Are you ok, by the way?”

“That was about to be my next question,” you interjected, gesturing to the various cuts and bruises Kate seemed to be sporting on her face. “Jesus, Kate. You look like you went twenty rounds with a tiger. I know we have a first aid kit around here somewhere -”

“Oh god, I’m fine,” Kate smiled hastily. She was quick to flash a smirk in your direction as she bragged, “You should’ve seen the other guys.”

Your dad rolled his eyes. “I did. Tracksuit mafia.”

“That’s their name?”

“Yes, Y/N,” he sighed, clearly uncomfortable with this whole situation.

“That’s a little on the nose, don’t you think?”

“Do you think they’re the ones who killed my mom’s fiancé’s uncle?”

“I’m sorry, what?” you choked. It was your turn to be the party in the dark here. Shit, who knew holiday parties in New York were so dangerous? - something your dad seemed to also be thinking. That, and that rich people were seriously weird. Who named all their kids Armaund?

“Your mom’s fiancé’s uncle?”

“Yeah, Armaund III… of at least seven.”

“I… I do not know.” It looked like there was a lot he didn't know and he didn't have an idea how to start addressing it either.

God, your mom was going to milk this story for the entire winter break at this rate.

He sighed. “What I need to know is if anybody saw your face.”

“No. Kept the mask on like a pro.”

“Ok, cause the person who wore this suit had a whole lot of enemies.”

You felt your stomach drop. Whilst you didn’t know everything about the time during the snap, your parents had filled you in on enough. Enough that you knew to be careful and that there were still dangers out there for your family - hence your use of your mother’s maiden name.

“-the tracksuits were just one of them.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“You told nobody about this suit?”

“No, just you and now Y/N.”

“There’s no way you’re connected to this suit whatsoever?”

“No.”

“I need you to be sure.”

“I am.”

“Certain?”

“I am.”

“Really? Because you now have my daughter involved here too, Miss Bishop, and I don’t take my family’s safety lightly. Do you understand what I’m saying here?”

You gulped. “Jesus, Dad. The whole, you hurt my daughter, I hurt you speech? What am I? Twelve?”

It seemed to have got through to Kate, however, given the sudden palour of her face. “Yes, Hawkeye, I mean, yes sir. I mean, yes. I… I do.”

“Well, the tracksuits must have followed you from the auction, where I found you. Did you stop anywhere before that?”

“No, I ran into you and we’ve come here. That’s it.”

You stopped.

Wait. If someone had been tracking her then, did that mean that they’d -

“Hey! Kate Bishop!”

A gruff shout from the street below told you everything you needed to know. Yes, was the answer. Yes, they had been followed, and yes, the mafia were here.

Kate paused. “Now is probably a bad time to mention that my name is also on the buzzer…”

“Shit.”

That was an understatement.

Somehow, it seemed that your fears had been answered - this night had indeed, got worse.

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sundayswiththeilluminati · 4 years ago

Note

I LOVE your meta on how essek was the perfect asset and want to ask the follow-up question in your tags: how do you think it went down? The agreement between Essek and the Assembly? And I think the fandom was convinced Essek would be disposed of after the peace talks — how do you see his future if there was no intervention by the Mighty Nein in 97?

ruvi-muffin asked:

What are your specific thoughts abt how ludinus recruited essek??👀👀 oh Person who knows a surprising amount of spy stuff 🙏🙏🙏👀👀👀

Anonymous asked:

PLEASE share your specific thoughts about how Essek was recruited, I'm so intrigued!

Anonymous asked:

Hello yes i am very interested in these very specific thoughts about how Essek got recruited? All these things about how actual intelligence works/uses their assets/how that ties to Essek and the M9 is really interesting :D

Thank you all so much for asking me the specific question I wanted someone to ask. I had to write and rewrite this post a half-dozen times because I kept going off on tangents about other Cold War spy stories so trust me there’s plenty more where this came from.

For reference, my original post on what made Essek an ideal recruitment target and why the M9 were the ideal counter to it.

First off, this is all based on real-world intelligence ops and is only as relevant to the campaign as Matt Mercer cares to make it. Having said that *slams notebook on table* BUCKLE UP, KIDDOS.

There are two ways Essek may have been recruited: he approached the Assembly or the Assembly approached him. I think the Assembly approached him. Not to be too hard on the guy, but Essek said it himself: he’s kind of a coward. I can’t see him mustering up the nerve to take that first step. Plus his espionage seems to have focused specifically on the beacons rather than dunamancy as a whole; that sounds like the Assembly to me. The beacons specifically offer the prospect of immortality and the Cerberus mages are arrogant enough to assume they can figure out dunamancy themselves if they have a beacon in hand. There’s no way the Assembly haven’t been trying to beg, borrow, or steal those beacons for centuries. Essek may not have even been their first try - just the first that worked.

Chronologically, Essek would have popped up on either the Assembly or the Augen Trust’s radar quite early as I assume they keep tabs on all powerful Dynasty mages. As they followed his career, the Assembly would have ID’d Essek as a perfect target for recruitment as a spy, and then further for ego-based recruitment. Recruitment for espionage is a slow process - even slower in a fantasy world where some races reasonably expect to live 500+ years. Many intelligence agencies will do a sort of light meet-and-greet just to start a file on various people who might years later be of interest. The Assembly would have cultivated Essek as an intelligence asset with the same degree of time and care - and using some of the same methods - that Trent used to turn the Blumenthal trio into assassins.

If they followed a modern playbook, they would have made contact with Essek anywhere from 2 to 10 years before the theft - nothing underhanded. A Cerberus mage approaches him at a negotiation or conference and strikes up a conversation. Then it’s increasing “chance” encounters to get Essek familiar with the handler, play the “we’re both mages, really we’re on the same side” angle to earn enough sympathy & trust to start talking regularly. Once the channel’s open, the handler and asset meet and/or talk routinely while the handler assesses the target’s motives, weaknesses, and the possibility that they’re a double agent.

Espionage proper then starts with small favors, acts Essek can rationalize as victimless or even helpful to the Dynasty. In this stage the handler is getting the asset comfortable with engaging in espionage. They reward the asset for what feels like minimal moral trespass. For Essek that would have been praising his research, encouraging avenues of investigation they knew the Dynasty had shut down. Having meetings with Ludinus plays right into the ego trip - the Head of the Assembly himself is taking the time to meet with him! The Assembly gets how important this work is! That keeps Essek isolated from Dynasty members who might convince him to take a step back and builds loyalty to the Assembly over the Dynasty.

Once an asset settles in, espionage becomes easier. Routines get established. Moral hurdles have been overcome. Now the asks get bigger and the rewards get sparser. The handler will suggest larger acts just to get the asset thinking about them, since the more they consider “just hypothetically” how to pull it off, the more likely it is they’ll do it. This is where the idea of stealing the beacons would get introduced (though of course it’s been the goal all along.) I’ll bet the Assembly hinted at all the study that could be done if they could just get to the beacons in person, constantly bemoaning the lack of access. By now Essek sees the Assembly as colleagues in arcane pursuits, kindred minds, unlike the boring, stuffy old mages of the Dynasty. Of course he could outwit the Dynasty’s security and get the beacons to the Assembly - he’s a prodigy, a genius, everyone says so. And it’s not like he was stealing all of them. The consecuted would be fine. Everyone would be fine.

None of this is intended to absolve Essek of personal responsibility. But it provides a context for his actions, and for why he might regret them so much even though he apparently did them willingly. Asset handlers are very, very good at drawing someone willing to commit minor transgressions into far greater crimes. Look at how Trent shaped Caleb, Astrid, and Eadwulf. He didn’t order them to execute their own parents on day one. He spent years coaxing, tempting, and coercing them into darker and darker crimes, letting them rationalize their own actions at each step, preying on the same vulnerabilities as Essek: isolation (separating the three from other students, telling them their work was secret), ambition (the promise of great arcane power, of shaping the Empire’s destiny), and ego (”we were going to keep the empire safe,” telling them they were gifted, they were chosen).

So how do IRL spies rationalize their actions? Those who spy for reasons of conscience or ideology have done the rationalizing ahead of time, but everyone else has to get there somehow. Some who spy for revenge tell themselves it’s what their superiors deserve, while others tell themselves everyone’s doing it. Some just need a lie to get started (most commonly about who they’re spying for), while others have to keep up the charade all along. Let’s look at a few cases similar to Essek’s that demonstrate just how slippery the slope can be.

Aldrich Ames, a long-term CIA officer slash double agent for the KGB, got suckered in by thinking he could control the situation and wasn’t really hurting anyone. Ames had chronic financial trouble related to excessive drinking & his wife’s lavish lifestyle and in 1985 came up with a plan: he would essentially con the KGB by selling them a minor amount of classified info that he deemed “virtually worthless.” In April he set up the exchange and the KGB paid him $50,000, enough to satisfy his immediate debts. But after actually doing it Ames said he felt he’d now crossed a line he couldn’t step back from, and continued to sell information to the Soviets. By the time he was caught he had, by his own admission, compromised “virtually all Soviet agents of the CIA.”

While some assets just need a lie to get started, others require a delicate dance of self-delusion. Col. George Trofimoff was an Army officer who ran the center where would-be Soviet defectors were assessed & questioned. Trofimoff, a Russian émigré at a young age, was chronically in debt. In 1969 he renewed his acquaintance with his stepbrother back in Russia, now a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church, and began to pass secrets in return for money - but he and his stepbrother never framed the transactions as such. Trofimoff described their meetings as, “very informal. ... First, it was just a conversation between the two of us. He would ask my opinion on this and that--then, he would maybe ask me, 'Well, what does your unit think about it?' Or, 'What does the American government think about it?’” His compensation was similarly informal: “I said I needed money. ... And he says, 'I tell you what, I'll loan it to you.' So he gave me, I think, 5,000 marks and then, it wasn't enough, because I needed more. ... Then he says, 'Well, you know, I'll tell you what. You don't owe me any money. And if you need some more, I can give you some more. Don't worry about it. You're going to have to have a few things, this and that.' And this is how it started.” Trofimoff could pretend to himself that he wasn’t really spying - just having a chat with his stepbrother - and wasn’t really getting paid for it - just borrowing a little money.

This got longer than I intended it to be and there’s still plenty to talk about, so I’ll save the rest for a second post. Next time: what happens long-term to espionage assets? And what happens if an asset regrets their actions and/or attempts to cut off contact with their handlers?

(This accidentally turned into a series on Essek & IRL espionage: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4)

#Critical Role #Essek Thelyss #tradecraft #mostly Cold-War-related tradecraft TBH #hot boi got ROLLED by the Assembly though #sounds like he didn't even get paid!#I do wonder at stealing TWO beacons though #why two? what was wrong with one?#maybe Essek was just showing off at that point #it's been a long pandemic

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katzkinder · 3 years ago

Text

Wrath Group and Jeanne D'arc

Wrath Fam Posting never ends, because I like them and thank you all so much for encouraging that 💕

idk what it is about this group that keeps drawing me back to them. Maybe it's because Norse mythology is one of my special interests, maybe it's because the story of Wrath arc moved me so much, maybe I'm just gay as hell. Who knows, who cares, they make me happy, and I'm glad I get to share that joy with all of you~

--Alright enough sappiness, down to business

As the title of the post says, this is going to focus on the ways Strike uses references to Jeanne D'arc as a character motif for the Wrath group, which I consider to consist of Freya, Gil, Ray, and of course, Iduna.

First up, Freya. This one's super easy. We all know Jeanne was executed under false charges of heresy, but the thing that did her in, the one accusation the English levied at her that somehow stuck was... Cross dressing. Now, Freya as we see her is a very feminine woman, but her battle outfit when paired with Iduna is undoubtedly a military uniform, and canon shows us that it was quite common for Freya to be wandering around battlefields, picking up subclass as she pleased.

The "men's clothing" Jeanne wore was armor, and her short haircut she had throughout her military career was for the sake of convenience, not because she was attempting to dress as a man. (@redlanternchild also makes note of this in her post here! Very reassuring that I am not, in fact, an insane person ww. I love her analysis in general so please give her blog a look through if you haven't already; It's super duper worth it!)

It's also a common misconception that Jeanne was executed as a witch, one that might be due to how she was depicted in Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1, where, spurred on by common English propaganda at the time of writing, she was portrayed as a witch and a promiscuous woman (This makes Freya's one-sided adoration for her baby brother rather... bitter, in a funny way). And, well... Gear went and rescued Freya from a witch trial, so. There ya go.

Second comes Freya's subclass, Gilberto Weasel and Rayscent Crazyrabbit, aka, Gil and Ray!

Using Italian pronunciation of Gil's name would make it sound closer to "Jill," while Ray, is, well, Ray! Put em together, and you've got something remarkably close to Jeanne's compatriot and the commander of the French army, Gilles de Rais!

Now for birthdays. Birthdays for characters in Servamp are NEVER chosen Just Because, and Freya's subclass are no exception.

Gil's birthday is February 12th, which also falls on the day the Battle of Herrings started, allll the way back in 1429. It's a really minor battle within the Hundred Years War, but, it was the date Jeanne met with Robert de Baudricourt and ended up, ahem, convinced to help her. It's actually really funny; she basically cornered the dude and then proceeded to publicly lecture everyone present until he relented. This is significant because Jeanne's encounter with Baudricourt is considered by historians to be her first major step towards her career and fame, much like Iduna's first meeting with Gil was what pushed her to really think about what she was creating, who for, and why.

Now, time for Ray! Ray's birthday is May 15th, which just so happens to coincide with the day Gilles de Rais kidnapped a cleric during a dispute at the Church of Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte. This ultimately prompted an investigation by the Bishop of Nantes, during which evidence of Rais's crimes as the infamous "Bluebeard" was uncovered. ... Basically he murdered and did Other Things to a bunch of kids but let's just move past that, ayup.

Finally, we have the Star (lol) of our show... Iduna! She's the most obvious of the bunch with her connections, to the point that I almost feel silly bringing it up? But I also realize that people genuinely might not realize some of these because it just never came up in their lives before.

First, Jeanne's nickname was the Maid of Orléans, and she wasn’t just a flag bearer who rallied the troops. She also carried a sword into battle, a fact that for whatever reason is often left out when discussing her accomplishments. Iduna's combo with Freya is literally named "Maid of Orléans (Draw your sword)", and its effect is to give Freya the weapon she is lacking to become a perfect bastion of offense and defense. I'd have to be a total idiot to miss that given that even FGO, which, as I mentioned in a different post about Freya, plays it VERY fast and loose with history, gets this right, and how popular Jeanne D’arc is as a person to take inspiration from for fictional characters.

(side note, but i wonder if the design of Freya's demon was inspired somewhat by Fate Extra CCC's Karna? Strike's definitely a Fate fan and has even drawn Ildio in Gilgamesh cosplay, so it's entirely possible considering she loves to sprinkle in homages to series she likes within character design)

Second, and I've mentioned it in a previous post, Iduna's birthday, May 30th, is also the day Jeanne died at the hands of the English.

Jeanne was also only 17 the day she first rode into battle, just like Iduna! She's also the patron saint of prisoners (of which C3 was keeping the subclass as, and they were freed and safely guided out of the collapse thanks to Iduna intervening with the battle between Shamrock and Shuuhei) and soldiers, especially female soldiers like Freya. However, she's much more well known for being the patron saint of France ww

Finally, there’s one of the charges leveled at Jeanne during her trial. While she was captured by the Burgundians, there was an incident where she jumped from a 21 meter(!!) tall tower, and she safely landed on the ground despite the height (but was quickly recaptured). Now the reason for this seems to have conflicting sources, and I… Do not speak French |D

Some say she was merely attempting to escape, others insist that she did so to save a nearby village. Point being, she leapt, survived, was captured, and maybe did so for not her own sake, but for others.

Anybody remember the end of chapter 106 and the entirety of chapter 107? Iduna, using a new invention, leaps from the window of the hospital (much to Gil and Ray’s distress lol) in order to more immediately tend to the injured Nicco, and her kindness is met with being taken hostage. I just thought this one was a funny little coincidence and probably not intentional, so take it as you like~

#servamp #kat's katerwauling #long post #servamp freya #gilberto weasel #rayscent crazyrabbit #iduna nobel

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mayans-sauce · 4 years ago

Text

Pills

Gif Credit: @shadesalvarez

Pairing: Coco Cruz x Female Reader

Word Count: 880

Warnings: angsty, drug use, cursing, sad Coco

Request from @louisianalady Can you please do one for Coco where the reader helps him with his pill problem. Thanks.

and

Request from anon I love your writing!!! I would love to request “ 1. I love you ! Is that what you wanted to hear ?” With either bishop or coco??

A/N: found a way to combine these two so I hope that’s alright! Thank you @chibsytelford for helping and also sending me THIS link about overcoming drug addiction. Hope you all enjoy this piece <3 !There are some mild spoilers for season 3 in this writing!

GROUP CHAT for updates!

•• Main Masterlist •• Coco Masterlist ••

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Ever since you found out about Coco’s pill usage, you had been all up in his ass about it to try and get him to stop.

The more you pressured him, the more he drew himself back from you, isolating himself almost entirely from you and Letty.

He got angrier, more frustrated the more you pushed him to stop. Fights would recur regularly from the two of you, and it would end up with one of you sleeping on the couch.

You hadn’t told the club about the pills, not yet, and you weren’t sure when you would. Coco had begged you not to tell them, almost pleading on his knees.

You were at a loss on how you could help Coco. Pressuring him only seemed to draw him closer to the drugs. So you had another idea in mind. Hopefully, it was one that gradually, over time, would help him.

“Hey, Coco,” you greeted him as you walked through the door after a hangout with some friends. He was sitting on the couch like he always did.

“Are you gonna fucking yell at me again?” Coco asked in an annoyed voice as he tried to light a cigarette.

“Nope,” you plopped yourself down, a little away from him, “I just wanted to say hi.”

A faint “hey” escaped his lips as he finally managed to light up the smoke.

This was your idea. To sit with him. You were trying slowly but surely to have a conversation with him. Not yell or argue. You just wanted to be close to him, so he knew he wasn’t alone. Hopefully, after some time, a few days or weeks, you could gently nudge him in the right direction so he could get some help.

“I ordered pizza on the way home that I thought we could share. It’s your favorite.” “Uh-huh.” That was all he had to say.

You watched as he took his gun to crush up a pill or two into a fine powder before he scrapped them into thin lines.

Coco didn’t hide it anymore with his use of pills. At first, he did but gradually, over time, he didn’t care.

It broke your heart when he took the rolled-up dollar bill and snorted up the powder. You tried your best not to grimace, and you successfully managed to keep your poker face.

“So should we watch a movie?” You asked as you picked up the remote, switching through the channels to find something interesting to watch.

It looked like Coco was out of it, but you kept talking to him no matter if he was paying attention or not. You thought that hopefully, subconsciously, your words would get in his brain that he was not alone, that you were here right beside him.

And like this, you would sit with him every single day. Just talking, talking about random stuff, telling him a funny joke, about your childhood or about your day in general, just keeping him company in this challenging situation.

At first, he didn’t care; he didn’t listen. He just kept snorting up his drug. But as time went on, he joined in on the conversation. He listened; he wanted to know more when you talked about stuff, especially your childhood memories. He even joined in on the conversation after some time, telling you about all the fun stuff that happened around the clubhouse.

Little by little, his usage became less over time. You managed somehow to bring him back into reality.

“Why are you here?” Coco asked one day as you were sitting together watching a movie. You turned your head to look at him, brows furrowed together as a big question mark was written on your face.

“What do you mean, Johnny?” His question confused you so much. Why did he ask that?

In an almost whisper, he asked, “why are you still here with me? When… when I’m like this?”

Now you moved closer to him. His face was in his hands now, and you put your hand on his back, trying to soothe him as best as you could. “Because Coco, I care about you. I always have, and I always will.”

He was lightly sobbing in his hands, his shoulders moving slightly up and down. “Do you still lo-“ he didn’t manage to finish his sentence. Too afraid of the answer you would give him if he asked.

“Hey, hey, come here.” You brought him to your chest, letting him cry it out against you while stroking his hair. “I love you. Johnny Coco Cruz, I love you. Is that what you wanted to hear?” His head moved in a nod. “Johnny, I love you so much. Don’t ever think I don’t.”

“I-I just don’t feel anything anymore. I feel so empty… so lost… so alone.” Your arms squeezed him for extra love and care at his confession. A few tears of your own falling down your cheeks.

“I know. I know, babe. I’m here for you. Letty is here for you. We will get you help. I promise. I promise with my entire soul. I’m not giving up on you, not ever…”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Thank you for reading❤️ Let me know what you think❤️

GENERAL TAGLIST: @everyhowlmarksthedead @-im-fantastic- @idorkish @megantelford @witching-hour @rosieposie0624 @jessprins13 @skyofficialxx @glamourglambert @jasminee97 @starrynite7114 @gemini0410 @rocketqueen @mack-jay @megapeacelovemusic-blog @weasleytwins-41 @achievement-hunters-blog54 @taurean-brat @multifandom.girlie @anythingandeverything97 @spookyboogyuniverse @armiehammersleftsock @sariche

MAYANS MC TAGLIST: @blessedboo @60shannon @bellisperennis0 @capnsaveahoe @diaryofkali @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @xvvalx @missswritings @theocatkov @pinguinstudiert @chibsytelford @encounterthepast @rawrlittlepanda-95 @beeroses @siriussnape07 @adaydreamaway08 @miss-nori85 @oldstuffnewstuff @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @jatriciaaa @browneyes912 @cole-winchester @blackksunflower12 @phoenixhalliwell @cant-decide-at-this-moment @love-mesome-me @holl2712 @jennisdirtyimagines @balladbloodwrites @lilacyennefer

#mayans mc #mayans mc x reader #mayans mc angst #mayans mc fandom #mayans mc fanfic #mayans mc fx #mayans x reader #mayans angst #mayans fandom #mayans fanfic #mayans fx #coco cruz #coco cruz x reader #coco cruz angst #coco cruz imagine #coco cruz fanfiction #johnny coco cruz #richard cabral #mayanssauce writes

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everyhowlmarksthedead · 4 years ago

Text

❛ A MIRACLE ❜

with Angel Reyes.

Warnings: none, just a lot of fluffiness.

Word count: about 1.5k

Aurora says: this writing hasn't been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I'm sorry about that!

Gif credits: to the author.

Masterlist.

You can subscribe to my broadcast list, to be notified whenever I post a writing!

“Where you at, mi dulce?”

“I'm with Pop”.

“He okay?”

“Kinda like. He called me because he wasn't feeling good. Stomach ache. But, don' worry. I prepared him a good dinner. Why don' you come with EZ?”

“Yeah, okay. We're on our way”.

Hanging up the call, you frown at Felipe, who is not paying attention to your indications, setting the table with some grunts. Rolling your eyes, you walk towards him to take the cutlery off from his hands.

“Pop, sit down, please”.

“I wanna help, mija”.

“You help me sitting down”. Chuckling, you continue the task, hearing him complaining in murmurs. “Your boys are coming too”.

“Good”.

Coming back to the kitchen, you take a spoon of soap to taste the salt in it. It's perfect and the smell is simply delicious. You couldn't imagine almost a year ago that you would be the connection between the three Reyes, after what Angel told you about his family. With your eyes fixed on Marisol's urn, you can't help but pucker your lips with a soft smile on them. She would be proud. And you would have liked to meet her. Your boyfriend always says that she would have loved you, and you can't agree more. Sometimes you find yourself talking to her about her family, about what they have done through the day, or even about you. You understand Felipe. You understand why he does it. Sometimes it helps, feeling like if she actually was listening to you.

Bringing the saucepan to the table, placing it over a wooden board, taking off the cover to put it aside. Felipe leans forward, getting a whiff from it with both eyes closed. The pleased humm in his throat makes you know that he is delighted.

“Smells good, mija”.

“Tastes better, you'll see”. Palming his shoulder, you turn to the window next to the main door.

The characteristic sound, which you are used to living with, is increasing as the motorcycles drive through the neighborhood until parking in front of the house. Going to the entrance, you wait for them resting your body against the frame. Getting off from their bikes, EZ smirks at you when he's able to hug you tightly, upstairs. Pecking your cheek, he comes inside to greet his grumpy father. In the meantime that your boyfriend embraces you closer, resting his forehead over your chest, curving a little his back.

“Been all day without seeing you”. He mutters, raising his face to reach your lips.

A softly and slow kiss caresses them, taking his time to enjoy your warmth, wrapping him with both arms.

“You missed me?”

“A lot, mi angelito”. You say with a honeyed tone of voice. “C'mon. Dinner is gonna get cold”.

“Yeah”. He nods.

His heavy steps go straight to his father, placing a kiss on top of his head.

“What's up, Pop?” Angel asks sitting at the table, by his left.

“Jezz, it smells so good, (Y/N)”. EZ says, waiting for you to serve the soup. “What's in it?”

“Rice and chicken. A classic”. You reply very proudly.

When the dinner is finished and the younger Reyes has taken charge of cleaning the kitchen, you share some beers in the living room watching a movie. Ezekiel is now lying on the recliner next to Pop's couch, while your boyfriend and you are sharing the sofa behind them. You actually aren't paying attention to the TV. Facing each other, with a leg over his, your arms are tangled on his neck and his on your waist. You love that sofa because, even if it's a little small for you two, that let you be so, so close. Traveling one of your hands to his right cheekbone, you caress it with your fingertips before touring his dense beard covering the line of his jaw. Angel has his eyes closed, peacefully breathing, but awake. Just enjoying your displays of love. Almost one year, and you keep falling for him every day a little more.

Bowing slightly, you press his cheek with your lips, leaving soft and shorts kisses not wanting to disturb his calm. But you kiss every single inch of his face; his temple, his forehead, the bridge of his nose, the tip of it, his chin. Until reaching his lips. At first, it's just an ephemeral taste. The beer on them gets mixed with your. He licks himself slowly, drawing a light smile on them waiting for another one. Touching his nose with yours, you kiss him again. His arms hold you a little closer, a little tightly, needing your proximity. You two look like two teens under EZ and Pop's eyes, who smile delighted looking at each other. And there's nothing sexual there. You could spend hours kissing him, just enjoying his tongue playing with yours and running out of air, to end up laughing. Your hand caresses his throat, while your lips continue dancing with his in a romantic and a measured improvisate choreography. You can feel his warm breathing, through his nose, colliding to your skin. With your leg around his waist, you push him so much closer until there's no distance between your chests.

You don't know how you have been living without him all your life. Angel either. Everybody says that you're like the light that illuminated his darkness, that he has changed since you met, to a small extent. Now he's more well-balanced. He thinks before acting. And he is mostly wearing a kind smile, good-humored. You know all his secrets, all his fears, all his insecurities; and for Angel is amazing how, knowing everything about him, you are still loving him without judging. Helping him to be his best version. Not only that, but helping him to have a close relationship with Felipe. That man is pig-headed to the limits, but he appreciates and loves you since the moment Angel introduces you. He is the first one who began to see the change in his son.

When your lips get separated in a clingy way, as if they were stuck, Angel is looking at you with a gaze full of love. Hiding his face on the gap of your neck, he takes a long deep breath of your scent, putting his lips there to kiss your skin so gently that gives you some nice chills. Your fingertips stroke his scalp, while he looks for some more calm.

“How I have been so lucky to find you?” You whisper into his ear, feeling his mouth curving in a fleeting smile. Just for a moment.

“I'm the lucky one, mi dulce”. He replies without hesitation, and a purr fixed in his throat. “Te amo”.

“Y yo a ti, mi angelito”.

Molding your body to his and resting your head over the cushion, you close your eyes. After a long day at the hospital, you are so tired that you don't care to fall asleep there. And it doesn't take you too much time, focused on Angel's breathing and his hands caressing your back. The only thing you feel after that, as if it was part of your dreams, is the brief weight of a blanket covering you two and a kiss on your forehead. Tightening your arms around your boyfriend by inertia, you continue immersed in your sleep.

Waking up bit by bit, hearing some noises inside the kitchen, you turn on the sofa. Angel isn't there anymore. Ezekiel and Felipe either. Getting up and stretching your back and arms, you walk barefoot following their voices.

“... and sometimes I find her talking to your mother”.

“How's tha'?” Angel whispers a little confused, having a sip from his mug.

“Yeah. When she's here, she talks to her. About you, about me, about your brother”. Felipe explains. “I really like her for you, mijo. She cares about you”.

“I know, Pop”.

“Good morning”.

Coming into the kitchen, after some seconds of silence, the three men turn at you to greet you.

“Buenos días, Marisol”. You mumble, slightly touching the urn, before continuing to kiss every man there.

Sitting on Angel's lap, you steal his coffee to drink it, hiding a delighted smile against the porcelain.

“You slept well?” He asks, placing a kiss on your shoulder. You just nod, putting an arm behind his neck. “Good… Plans fo' today?”

“Nothing, actually. Got a day off. Maybe I'll go to see Bishop. He told me that he needs some help with one of Vicki's girls”.

“Hm”.

“Feeling better, Pop?” Turning to the old man, he smirks at you. “Not lying to make me leave?”

“Not lying, mija. Your soup was like a miracle”.

“She is a miracle, papa”. Angel replies, rolling his eyes as if it wasn't obvious.

“And more like a trouble when she gets drunk”. Ezekiel laughs loudly, probably referring to the last Mayan party where you drank too much and maybe you lost control a little.

“Shut up, prospect”. Hitting his shoulder, you end up laughing too. “Anyway, call me if you feel sick again, okay? Got nothing important to do today”.

“I will keep it in mind, mija”.

✨ Tag list:

@starrynite7114 @chibsytelford @dazzledamazon @mara-mpou @sammskellington @gemini0410 @1-800-imagines @briana-mishell24 @sassymox @aquamento @sadeyesgf @viviansafizada @samcrobae @jade770 @witchy-wish @rebel-without-cause-x @xx--day-dreamer--xx @spiced-reads @tita127 @ifoundmyhappythought @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @angelxshiba @destynelseclipsa @sheeshgivemeabreak @abbiesthings @knowles-morgan @lady-pswrld @minnicelli @marquelapage @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @jadesamhart @mycupoffanfiction @thesandbeneathmytoes @phoenixhalliwell @thewarriorprincessxo @sugary-x-sweet @multiyfandomgirl40 @imanerdychubbyqueen @iambabyharry @firebenderwolf @itsanofrommesir @noz4a2 @peaches007 @edonaspanca @irenne-stans @skyofficialxx @that-chick212

#mayans mc x reader #mayans mc imagine #mayans mc #mayans x reader #angel reyes x reader

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phcking-detective · 3 years ago

Note

1-49 for the ask meme. I'm tryna Speedrun some Arthur content

Do you have freckles?

Some! not really on my face, but definitely on my arms and shoulders

Do you drink tea or coffee? How do you take it?

I take my tea and coffee how I take dick (and sex in general): No. I'm allergic 🥰

What was the last song you listened to?

Crazy on You by Heart, I have a playlist that's called "Songs That Feel Electric Blue" and has 80s pop/rock, 00s pop that has the same vibe, the Weeknd, and remixed sea shanties :)

Do you sleep on your back, stomach or side?

Side! I can sleep a little on my back and not on my stomach at all

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

No, I need complete silence, darkness, a steady temperature, and nothing else touching me to sleep. No pillows, no partners, no stuffed animals

Do you prefer drawing or writing?

Writing!

What’s your ideal number of blankets to sleep with?

A regular sheet, a knitted blanket, and then on top of that I have a lightweight throw OR a slightly heavier fuzzy throw blanket, and I alternate between which of the two is my Third based on temp

What’s your favorite band/artist?

Apashe; favorite individual artist: Alec Benjamin

Next favorites: Valentino Khan, MISSIO, Glass Animals, Billie Eilish, and grandson; I almost always like Lorde, Bishop Briggs, Florence + the Machine, Two Feet, Imagine Dragons, K. Flay, and Dua Lipa

When is your birthday?

April 4th yeah I'm an Aries, fuck you read my horoscope first 😎

How tall are you?

5' 3" mayyybe 5'4"? got boots and sneakers with 3" lifts tho

What color are your eyes?

Grey-green, honestly more on the grey side

Who are five (or more) people you want to hug right now?

my friends! Elaina, Giq, Ruby, Marn, and Ameera <3

Fears?

water, what lives IN the water, that I'm the evil twin, being completely Alone after my mom dies, that I'll never pass as male

What’s your favorite color?

Red has canonically always been my favorite, but I'm trying to branch out more into pink and blue lol

What’s your favorite season?

Spring

Want any tattoos? What of?

yeah, I need to get a small tattoo of a heart on the inside of my right ankle to honor a promise made to my sister

Want any piercings? Where?

ehhh no not really

and this is where I'd put my dick piercing--IF I HAD ONE!!

Who is the last person you texted?

my mom, always, I don't even need to look that one up lol

Do you have a best friend? How long have you been friends?

uhh my online friends totally count for this right? all of u *kisseys*

What/who do you miss?

my sister (died), previous best friend (stole my money and married a cis man with my exact same name)

How was your day today?

I worked out for half an hour and was an Exhausted Lump for another two hours after that, but I'm about to have pizza delivered so the day has recovered nicely

How much sleep did you get last night?

I need 12 hours of sleep to feel even slightly OK and that is not an exaggeration

Do you believe in aliens?

do I believe? no. maybe. do I fucking hope so?? Yes.

When was the last time you cried? Why?

oh here's a really neat trick! instead of getting upset and crying about your own life, which makes you sad and accomplishes nothing, simply project your trauma onto fictional characters, deliberately read fics about this trauma that will trigger an intense emotional reaction, imagine fictional characters providing Comfort Character with love and support actually, and speedrun therapy within the comfort and safety of your own home!

What’s your favorite decade?

none of them, I'm still holding out for literally ANY DECADE AT ALL that doesn't suck and in which I have actual rights, thanks

What are some seemingly childish things you like?

overly long sleeves, blanket forts, uhh can't really think of much else

What’s your favorite book? Or just one you’ve read a few times?

gonna recommend these: All Systems Red by Martha Wells, Hunger Makes the Wolf by Alex Wells, The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

How are you, really?

yeah, thanks for asking!!

Does it take you a long time to make decisions?

I make Broad Decisions fairly quickly, ie: Yes I want to do [x]. I then spend two weeks researching every possible facet and detail of [x]

What are you looking forward to in the near future?

the fucking pizza getting here I am so fucking hungry oh my god

What are you looking forward to in the distant future?

probably have top surgery next year; giving myself a year to save up sick leave and not stress about hospitals and bills again after having a hysterectomy just a few months ago

If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go?

Rome. I've been twice and I love it so, so much!

Do you sleep with your door open or closed?

closed, nani the fuck??

What’s your favorite flower?

sunflowers! they remove radiation, they're a beautiful yellow, and my sister loved yellow flowers

Do you currently have a squish?

pretty much all of my coworkers at the library. I wish we hung out more outside of work or even just texted / talking

Do you like your middle name?

haha yeah I just got a name change to make it what I want

Do you prefer dogs or cats?

dogs, but only because of how much I love Chow Chows, which are basically the cats of dogs

Do you have any phobias?

cotton balls. HATE them

Do you stay up late?

I try to go to bed at 10, usually succeed at 11. I consider anything past that to be "late" and past 1 am to be Horrible

Do you like the beach? Do you prefer it sunny or cloudy?

yes, I love the beach but only if I can go swimming in the ocean! it needs to be warm

cloudy, actually. despite the above, I sunburn like a miserable little caucasian-to-lobster :(

What’s your favorite cartoon?

tom & jerry

Tag 5 of your favorite blogs

literally just my friends, yall know who you are

Do you have siblings? How many?

one, she died about four years ago

Who was the last person you said “I love you” to?

my mom

Is there anyone you would die for?

my mom

What do you need when you’re sad?

my mom

also, bread. and money.

Have you memorized your phone number?

as opposed to what??

Who’s someone you can trust with your life?

my mom!!

What does your last text say?

"Hi, I love you! Enjoy your supper <3" from my mom

#can you tell where I ran out of steam? lol #ask #answered #elaina-writes-things #long post

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4everflowercore · 4 years ago

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My dear comrades ❤️

While rewatching the series again as drawing research I noticed something in Valerys apartment. It’s pretty blurry and I’m not even sure if it is what I think it is but still:

There is this thing in the top left corner of the picture (it’s never visible completely in any of the scenes and I also asked the master researchers of our fandom but apparently there are no more set pictures we know of 😥)

Is that a cross?

It looks a lot like it. And even if it’s not it got me thinking about Valerys belives.

In the early years of the Soviet Union (*1922) religion was very much taken over by the government. They closed down (almost all) churches and banned every public display of any believe. In the first five years of Soviet power they even executed 28 Russian orthodox bishops and over 1200 priests where imprisoned or exiled.

The vast majority of people in the Russian Empire were, at the time of the revolution, religious believers, whereas the communists aimed to break the power of all religious institutions and eventually replace religious belief with atheism. "Science" was counterposed to "religious superstition" in the media and in academic writing. The main religions of pre-revolutionary Russia persisted throughout the entire Soviet period, but they were only tolerated within certain limits. Generally, this meant that believers were free to worship in private(...), but public displays of religion outside of such designations were prohibited. In addition, religious institutions were not allowed to express their views in any type of mass media, and many religious buildings were demolished or used for other purposes. In the long run, state atheism failed to convert many people. Religion strengthened underground and was revived to help fight the Second World War. (Wikipedia)

When looking for any sign of a religious beliefe in Valerys life I simply couldn’t find any (within the languages I understand) but then I found his daughter Inga.

She married a few years ago and had a orthodox ceremony. As far as I know you have to be baptised in that very believe in order to be able to be wedded there. Inga was born before 1961 (I couldn’t find the exact year). Soviet Union fell in Dezember 1991.

So they ether baptised Inga in secret in one of the still open churches at the time or later in her live. Ether way religion musst have had a place in their family.

Let me know what you guys think 😊🙌🏻 I always love to get new info from our investigative fandom.

Also sorry for the fucky quality of the pics. I took them of the screen of my iPad since Joyn doesn’t allow content theft 😂

@green-ann @litttlesilkworm @elenatria @alyeen1 @johnlockismyreligion @stardustweare88

#valery legasov #fangirl #chernobyl #chernobyl hbo #valoris #jared harris #stellan skarsgard #boris shcherbina #hbo

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sammysdewysensitiveeyes · 3 years ago

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Marauders and Kate’s (Lack of) Leadership:

One more salt post, partially inspired by this issue, but something I’ve been thinking about the series for awhile. Not bashing on Kate here, just feeling that Duggan is, to some extent, doing her dirty just like the rest of the group.

So, Kate is the Captain of the Marauder, but much like Bobby and Christian’s relationship, or Pyro’s reputation as the violent wildcard of the crew, it’s more an informed trait than something we actually see play out in the story. Duggan really isn’t giving Kate all that much to do as “team leader.”

I’d expect a team leader to be dealing with strategies and giving orders during battle, as well as dealing with conflicts and issues within the team itself. Except we see Kate do next to none of that. Most battles the group all seems to do their own thing. We see Kate jump in to rescue her people occasionally, especially in the fight with Donald Pierce and the racist anti-mutant group, where she pulls both Iceman and Pyro out of danger. But we don’t really see her stop and strategize mid-battle, like, “Okay, Pyro, you draw the Sentinel’s attention with fire creations, Bishop, cover him, while I phase the hostages free and Iceman freezes it’s feet.“ I think the King in Black Marauders is one of the few times where we really see Kate giving orders and making decisions during a battle. Most of the time, the battles just kinda happen, and either they’ve been strategized beforehand or someone else has the idea (Callisto in issue 19) or people just charge in and fight.

And to be fair, Kate certainly acts like a captain in terms of their general mission. She decides where they’ll go and what they’ll do, and she does give orders out at sea. But she doesn’t seem to make good use of her teams abilities during battles - mostly because Duggan doesn’t really want to write about anyone but Kate and Emma (and occasionally Callisto), so he lets the potential of the rest of the crew just sit there and rot. He’s too focused on Kate running around doing badass things to actually show her using her crew in an intelligent fashion and making proper use of everyone.

On the second matter - Kate doesn’t really have to deal with inter-team conflict because there isn’t any. At most, there’s some friction between Storm and Emma in the beginning, and they make up after Kate’s death. Kate’s crew just kind of automatically forms around her with no real effort on her part. Storm and Iceman are there specifically to protect her, Bishop has his own agenda, but he is willing to work with the Marauders to do so. Pyro is the only one who Kate would arguably have to win over as leader, and he’s been surprisingly well-behaved. He’s never challenged her leadership or even pushed back or argued that we’ve seen. I guess we can assume that Kate has earned his respect, or that he really enjoys the Marauders’ gig and is toeing the line so as not to get kicked off.

It makes a certain amount of sense, but the lack of friction also feels unrealistic. It’s hard to believe that former villain Pyro, even with his affably evil personality, will just settle right in with the crew and not clash with anyone beyond getting on Storm’s nerves. It’s hard to believe that Bishop, who has his own agenda to follow as a Captain of Krakoa, would never run into a situation where his mission and Kate’s mission clash and he has to walk away or disobey orders. (That was touched upon during King in Black, but then immediately fizzled out like so many other Duggan plotlines.) Hell, even Bobby and Storm, who are Kate’s friends and love her dearly, might disagree with a course of action at some point. But they never do. All is well aboard the Marauder, everyone is best friends or at least willing to tolerate each other, and they all follow Kate’s orders without question, and it feels very unearned.

But to my mind, the worst issue of Kate’s leadership is the lack of information passing down to certain members of the team. Marauders doesn’t feel like a tight-knit team, because most of the time, half the crew has no idea what the fuck is going on. So much of Duggan’s story is focused on Kate and Emma having adventures, making back-room deals and doing sneaky Hellfire stuff, and we’re expected to just accept that Bishop, Iceman and Pyro will be kept in the dark.

As far as I know, Iceman and Pyro have no idea that Sebastian murdered Kate. And BIshop only knows because he did his own investigation and figured it out, then had it confirmed by Storm. I understand the need for secrecy since Emma is trying to smack Sebastian down without making it a Council matter, but surely the rest of the crew should know about this? Bishop is a Captain of Krakoa working with the Marauders, he should absolutely know that Sebastian is playing power games. I can understand keeping some things from Pyro, he’s a new team-mate and former villain who joined under suspiciously convenient circumstances (fell asleep on the boat? Really?). But surely Pyro should at least be warned that Sebastian is not their friend. Otherwise, what’s to stop Sebastian from inviting Pyro up for a poker night at Blackstone Keep, plying him with whiskey and cigars, and getting him to spill the beans about all the Marauders latest missions? As far as Pyro knows, Sebastian is part of the Hellfire Co, AND a Council member, he’s got no good reason to distrust him. Because he doesn’t know that Sebastian betrayed them.

But Bobby is the worst, I think. He’s Kate’s good friend (they even dated briefly, although it didn’t work out for....obvious reasons). They are supposed to be close. And Bobby straight up mutilated a guy who he thought was part of the group responsible for Kate’s death. (To be fair, no one knew at the time that they raided that ship). Bobby was both devastated and furious at Kate’s death, and they’re still keeping him in the dark? Imagine how Bobby will feel knowing that the man he maimed was....not innocent, exactly, but not guilty of what Bobby believed. How is Bobby going to feel knowing that it was Sebastian, and Kate herself kept it from him? Bobby deserves better than to be treated like an underling like Pyro.

Probably the worst example, though, was this latest issue of Marauders (24), where we find out that Emma Frost conned the Mercury away from a shady alien, and that alien has it in for her. (I don’t remember the dude’s name, so I’m calling him Fake Greedo.) Fake Greedo tries to kill both Emma and Kate, they get saved by Sebastian (?!), which is a nice moment for him. Sebastian suggests they solved the problem with money, and Fake Greedo accepts. Then the whole group assembles in the Mercury for dinner, and Fake Greedo double-crosses them and sends the entire group, including Sebastian, Iceman, Bishop and Pyro, out the airlock into space.

The problem here, is that as far as I can tell, Bishop, Iceman and Pyro had NO idea about the deal or Fake Greedo’s grudge with Emma. Pyro literally has a line when he’s handing payment over to Fake Greedo: “I dunno who you are, or what you did to get paid, but you happy?” In other words, Pyro doesn’t know a damn thing about the deal or the Mercury. And I don’t think that’s just a joke about Pyro being clueless. He, Iceman and Bishop were off doing their own thing during most of the issue. (What were they doing? Who knows, Duggan couldn’t be bothered to show it.) It seems like Emma and Kate just....didn’t bother to tell half the crew about what happened. So they ride back to Earth with an alien who has a serious grudge against Emma, and the three of them have NO idea what’s going on, and they get sucked out of the airlock to possibly die, with without knowing what’s happening or why. They deserve better than that. If nothing else, Bishop is a security guy, he should know what’s going on.

If this book was written by someone better than Duggan, I would expect some repercussions from this. I’d expect Bobby, Pyro and Bishop to be angry that they were killed (or almost killed) because of one of Emma’s backroom schemes that they didn’t even know about. I’d expect Bobby to be especially angry that his friend Kate keeps not telling him things. I’d expect maybe some kind of splintering of the group or at least conflict that isn’t resolved immediately, because secrets have been kept that they deserve to know. But what will probably happen is that next issue Emma will do something cool, and any dead Marauders will get resurrected, and everyone will be totally fine with everything.

Anyways, like I said, this is not meant to drag Kate as a character, this is me discussing how Duggan is really doing her dirty by not giving her a chance to be an actual team leader. Because he wants her to be “in charge,” but he also doesn’t really want to write a team book, he wants to write her running around in pirate cosplay having swashbuckling adventures, so she winds up looking like a negligent, unnecessarily secretive leader. And I know she can be much better than that.

#marauders salt #up on my soapbox #or rather saltbox

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ghstandpucks · 4 years ago

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Cutting Edge ~ Nathan MacKinnon Ch.10

Chapter 10!!! Oh wow, we’re here! I was excited about this chapter, as I am with the next one! I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think of the series this far! I only have a few chapters left in my head to write for it, so we are getting closer to the end!

I hope you are all healthy and safe, and Happy Holidays!!! Let me know if you would like to be tagged in the series! Enjoy!

Cutting Edge Master List

Returning to Denver after Christmas, you spent most of your time at the rink after practice working on polishing your own skating again. You had been informed that all skating coaches would be performing at the upcoming NHL All-Stars weekend, and every figure skater had been sent music to choreograph a routine to. Luckily for you, choreography was one of your strong points. You had always loved putting your own routines together, and this was no exception. You had been sent the song CHAMPION by Bishop Briggs and though you loved the song, you knew your routine had to be flawless to skate to it. You were the reigning Olympic champion after all. Nate would stay most of the time with you, trying his best to be helpful and give you his opinion when you asked for it. He admittedly did not know much about figure skating though and usually just told you everything looked great, even when you knew it probably wasn’t. You appreciated his support though none the less.

Two weeks before the All-Star break was set, you found yourself traveling to Dallas as the boys had a game against the Stars. Along with the Stars came the one figure skater you could live without ever dealing with again, Ashley Wagner. Beside Nate, no one knew the animosity that was between the two of you, and you were hoping to keep it that way. You didn’t need to worry the team with a petty feud between two rival figure skaters.

You were staring out the window of the plane when you felt someone sit down next to you. Turning, you saw Nate settling into the seat as he gave you a questioning look. “You okay?” he asked. He knew you weren’t looking forward seeing Ashley, and was not sure what this new environment would bring out. You smiled and nodded, opening your book again to distract you.

Nate was worried about you. He had been watching you stress yourself out over putting together a perfect routine for the All-Stars, not to mention helping Jeremy put his together over multiple facetimes. Apparently, you were the one to come to with routine questions. He thought it was amazing, how you could take a song and within two days have a mostly completed routine laid out, he would never be that creative. But between coaching, working on your skating, and running to dress fittings at a shop you found in Denver, he had never seen you look so worn out. Nate was worried that if Ashley pushed a button correctly, you would snap. Your smile may be able to fool everyone else, but Nate had been paying attention over the two months you had been together and was starting to be able to read you like a book. Though it was comforting to you that he knew how you were feeling without even saying it; it also put you on edge. You were used to concealing your feelings behind a smile, and with Nate you couldn’t anymore.

The team landed in Dallas the evening before their game, and you enjoyed dinner with them before heading to your hotel room. You were just crawling into bed with the cooking channel on when there was a knock at your door. Opening it, Nate stepped in quickly and shut the door behind him. “What are you doing here?” you asked. When you traveled, the two of you didn’t spend time in each other’s rooms unless someone else was around to prevent any suspicion.

“No one saw me, we’re fine,” he said, placing a soft kiss on you lips. He grabbed your hand and pulled you over to the bed, getting in on his side as you did the same. “I won’t stay long,” he said gently as you rested your head on his chest. His arm that was around you started drawing absent minded figures on your waist underneath your shirt, as his other hand held yours. “I’ll leave early before anyone should be up,” he said into your hair as you both drifted off.

Around 5am, you heard Nate’s alarm go off and felt him get out of bed. He chuckled as you mumbled incoherently and deftly reached for him. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered, placing a kiss on your forehead. You sleepily watched him walk to the door and peak his head out, giggling at his large figure trying to be sneaky as he made his way out.

~ ~ ~

This was not happening. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Who does interviews before anything happens! You absentmindedly grabbed the figure skate charm on your necklace and bit your lip. You had just been told that you would be doing a pre-game interview. That wasn’t what was bothering you though. What was bothering you was that you would be doing the interview with Ashley. You knew someone had happened across your not so friendly history and planned this because you have never done an interview with any of the other skating coaches.

You were ushered to the area and sat down in front of a microphone when you were announced. Ashley walked in after, smiling brightly at you. You returned it, quickly snapping into performance mode. At first the questions were fine; how did you like being with your team, how were things going, did you miss skating yourself. Then the question came of how do you think your team will do in the game tonight. Ashley, being asked first, put on a brilliant smile that made you want to role your eyes. God she was so fake. “I think we’ll do great! I know how Y/N skates and I have prepared them for it. The Stars are a great team so we shouldn’t have a problem.” You kept your smile light, trying your best not to roll your eyes at her. The same question was then directed to you.

“I believe that the team is prepared. Similar to what Ashley said, I know how she skates and it should be a good game,” you answered. You heard Ashley snicker quietly and you had to bite your tongue. This was not the time or place to lose your temper on her. After a few more questions, you were asked to take a picture together. You had been fiddling with your necklace and didn’t pay any attention to it until you realized Ashley was looking at it.

“That’s new. Why is there a 29 on it?” she asked. You froze, but quickly recovered and turned the charm back around.

“It’s the maker of the charm,” you tried to shrug off. As you walked out of the room of the interview, Ashley followed.

“I’ve never heard of them. Where can I order one?” she pestered.

“It’s this little boutique in Denver. They don’t have a website,” you said off the top of your head.

“Well that’s too bad. Maybe you can take me to this 29 store the next time we’re in Denver?”

“Of course.” You both faked a smile at each other as you got to the hallway leading to the locker rooms. Unfortunately for you, Nate had stepped outside to see where you were. The team had seen the interview and you were taking a little long to get back. He volunteered to make sure you weren’t lost. Ashley didn’t miss him.

“What a coincidence, 29 looks like he’s looking for you,” she smirked, leaving for the Stars locker room. You walked over to Nate and started to push him back into the locker room. To say he was slightly confused was an understatement.

It was late in the third period, the score tied 1-1. The game had been highly physical, and you couldn’t help but be on edge. You were standing on the bench when the final buzzard went off, and the game was pushed into overtime. The game became even more physical if that was even possible, and you jumped as Perry checked Cale into the boards in front of you. A time out was called by the Stars, and you glanced briefly over to their bench. As you did, you saw Ashley say something to Jamie Benn, and he smirked looking your way. You saw him then eye Nate, and you had a bad feeling about it. Watching as Benn skated over to Nate, you could tell he was saying something. Nate tried his best to ignore the left winger, and you wish you could hear what was being said. The puck dropped, and as quickly as it hit the ice, gloves were also falling. You watched as Nate and Benn went at it, wanting to hide behind your hands but also not being able to look away. Without notice, you grabbed onto Tyson’s arm as he was the player you were standing behind. The bench was yelling, the crowd was cheering, and you didn’t know what to do. Watching hockey fights on tv or from the stands was one thing; but watching from the bench as the player you were dating was duking it out with another had you frozen in place.

To your relief, you saw Benn hit the ice with Nate on top and the refs scrambled to separate them. What you weren’t prepared for though was seeing Nate with a cut at his eyebrow, blood gushing from it. You unintentionally squeezed Tyson’s arm, and he turned back to you. “He’s fine Y/N,” he spoke lightly, patting your hand with his glove. Looking at him, you nodded and tried to compose yourself. Your first instinct was to run to Nate and see if he was alright, but you knew you couldn’t do that. All you could do was watch as he was escorted off the ice, his penalty longer than the amount of time left in the game. Benn had a bloody nose, and what looked like a busted lip, but that didn’t stop him from smirking over at you. You watched as Ashley tried to hide a laugh, and you were thankful that the game was about to resume or else you may have yelled something you shouldn’t. Unfortunately, a man down with Nate off the ice, the Stars scored first, effectively winning the game.

You were waiting outside the medical room wanting to see Nate as the Avs started to spill out of the locker room and head for the bus. You were in your own head, blaming yourself for the loss when you heard someone walk up to you. Looking up, you saw Tyson with a concerned look on his face. “You know he’s fine right? They probably just have to stitch up his eyebrow if anything,” he said, trying to judge your reaction.

“I feel like it’s my fault,” you whispered, tears starting to blur your vison.

“What do you mean? None of this is your fault Coach,” Tyson responded, confused as to why you were blaming yourself.

“I think he got in the fight because of me; because stupid Ashley can’t keep her mouth shut. And then we lost because we were a man down and it’s all my fault,” you swiped at a pesky tear that had fallen. Tyson wasn’t sure what to do, not entirely understanding why you were taking the loss so personally. They had lost a few times before and he didn’t think you had been this effected by it.

“You’re losing me. Why would Nate’s fight be your fault?” As Tyson finished his question, you grabbed the charm on your necklace and flipped it over to show him. You saw the moment his confusion turned into realization at what the ‘29’ was referring to. “Wait you and Mac?” he whispered, eyes wide and smile threatening to show. You nodded. “I knew it! Since when?”

“Since the home opener. But we’re keeping it quiet so you need to calm down right now!”

“Does anyone else know?” he asked, trying and failing to compose his face.

“Only Gabe and Andre on the team. Mel knows, and my best friend Jeremy knows, plus our parents but that’s it.” You said, then remembered why you were having this conversation to begin with. “But now I think Ashley knows, at least she guessed when she saw my necklace which is why this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have been playing with it which drew her attention to it and it landed on the wrong side.” You wiped angrily at another tear that fell, annoyed. You had always been a crier when you were mad though; it was how you dealt best with the emotion. Tyson went to comfort you as the door behind him opened. You looked around him and saw Nate, with the outlines of an apparent black eye and medical tape over fresh stitches over his right eye on his eyebrow ridge. You rushed around Tyson and wrapped your arms around Nate’s sternum, hugging him not caring that he hadn’t showered yet. He held you with one arm, his stuff in the other as he looked at Tyson who was smiling like an idiot.

“See you two lovebirds on the bus,” the younger man saluted and walked off. Nate stared after him confused for a second, but then seeing no one was around he bent down and planted a kiss on top of your head. You separated from him, looking up into his blue eyes.

“I’m so sorry if this is because of me,” you whispered, not bothering to stop another tear that had fallen.

“It’s fine baby. Does Josty know about us?” Nate asked, wiping a tear with the pad of his thumb. It was a risk, being this close in public. But he hadn’t seen you cry before, and he wanted to be near you after what Benn had said on the ice. You nodded and grabbed his hand, noticing he had also split one of his knuckles.

“I was freaking out because Ashley saw the 29 on my necklace and I think she figured it out and said something to Benn. I feel like it’s my fault we lost and I ended up telling Tyson.” You were looking down at your hands, then looked back up to him, your heart clenching at how concerned he looked when it should have been the other way around. “Why did you get in the fight?” you asked softly.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not your fault though. We’re a team Y/N, all of us. I screwed up and let what Benn said get to me. If it is anyone’s fault we lost, it’s mine,” Nate shook his head as you opened your mouth to protest. He really did not want to tell you what Benn had said as it had all been in regards to you. He had been vulgar, and Nate snapped. Giving your hand a slight squeeze, he continued. “I’m going to go change. Why don’t you get to the bus and I’ll see you in a bit okay?” You nodded, and Nate watched as you walked away. Though he was upset with himself for getting in a fight and subsequently losing the game, he would do it again for you in a heartbeat. And as you walked away from him toward the bus, he realized for the first time that he would do anything for you, and you were taking his heart with you piece by piece.

An hour later found you sitting against your headboard, giggling at Andre’s reaction to the Hallmark movie you had playing. He had complained about it at first, but your room your rules. He had surprisingly gotten into the plot, and was yelling at the man who mistakenly thought the main character was with someone else when he wanted to confess his feelings for her. After Chip Gate (what you loving dubbed Tyson and Cale’s chip debate after the first game), your room had become the place the team drifted to. Whether it was to conceal junk food that they shouldn’t be eating, an ear to listen to girl problems, or a comforting environment in terms of a loss on the road, you became the team’s go to person. Not to mention you had motherly tendencies and didn’t mind being there and fussing over everyone. It made you feel even more accepted as part of the team. This is why at the moment Andre was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed, Tyson had taken his usual spot laying across the foot of the bed, and Cale was sitting in the desk chair.

Before you could tell Andre to be quiet so you could hear what was being said, there was a knock at your door. Tyson got up and answered, Nate walking into the room behind him. His eye was swollen and bruising, but he seemed more relaxed as he walked over to the side of the bed and sat next to you. He put his arm around you, pulling you into his side and placing a kiss on your head. “Did I miss something?” you heard Cale speak up and you looked at Nate with wide eyes and a slight giggle.

“Dammit,” Nate mumbled. He forgot Cale didn’t know. This was the first time he thought he could be open with you, forgetting the young defenseman was still in the dark about your relationship.

“Coach and Nate are dating. Now shut up so we can see the guy stop being an idiot.” Tyson responded. “Also Coach, I hate you for making me so interested in this movie,” he complained over his shoulder.

“You know you love it,” you teased, snuggling into Nate’s side. Cale kept going between staring at you and Nate, then the tv, unsure of when this happened and how others knew. Luckily for him, the movie ended 20 minutes later and he started asking questions. You told him how you got together and asked him not say anything because you were keeping it quiet.

“Of course, but why do they know?” he asked.

“I was on the phone with Burky and Y/N sneezed in the background, and Josty just found out today because…why again?” Nate asked you.

“I was freaking out about you getting into a fight,” you answered.

“Does anyone else on the team know?” Cale questioned.

“Gabe, but that’s it. So you are now sworn to secrecy,” you said looking over at him. Cale nodded, and then turned back to the tv. After another hour the three of them left for their own rooms, leaving you and Nate alone. You turned the tv off and turned off all the lights beside one on the bedside table. Nate took his shirt off and climbed under the covers with you, the both of you on your sides facing each other. You ran your fingers gently over his swollen eye. “Do you want me to get you some ice for this, or anything?” you asked. Nate shook his head.

“No, I just want to lay here with you,” Nate grabbed your hand in his and kissed your knuckles.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, still feeling guilty over his fight, the team’s loss. Nate placed his arm over your waist and pulled you closer to him.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You were right, Ashley probably did figure it out. But I would fight anyone for you,” Nate said honestly, moving strands of hair out of your face.

“What did he say?” you asked. Nate shook his head again.

“He was being inappropriate to you. That’s why I took care of it,” he stated, and you didn’t ask any further questions. Nate was glad because he did not want to repeat the vulgar things Benn had said to him. He wishes he would have hit him a few more times just thinking about it. Nate was brought out of his thought by a soft giggle.

“You defended my honor?” you teased him. Nate chuckled and rolled his eyes at you. “My hero,” you whispered, pressing your lips to his. Nate returned your kiss, maneuvering himself so your back was flat on the bed with him hovering over you. The kiss became heated as Nate slipped one of his hands under your shirt.

“Any day,” he whispered before kissing your neck. After what became a heated make out session, you were laying with your back pressed into Nate’s chest, holding his hand that was slipped under your head as his other rested on your stomach, holding you close to him. And though you never wanted to be someone’s damsel in distress, with how protected you felt in Nate’s arms, he could defend you anytime.

Tags: @bqstqnbruin @avsfans95 @calesykar @comphybiscuit @andreiaafaria

#nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl x reader #nhl fic #nhl fanfiction #nathan mackinnon imagine #nate mackinnon imagine #nathan mackinnon x reader #nate mackinnon x reader #Cutting Edge

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babybirdling · 4 years ago

Note

can you write something about Lily and Sirius being good friends?

Thank you for the propmpt, love. I really had fun writing this and I hope you liked it!

She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t care so much for James.

That’s a complete lie.

Not that she’d admit it if she was being held at wand’s point, threatened over the Cruciatus Curse.

They’d never cared to notice each other enough years before, only exchanging a few quips over nonsensical things. The first time they’re forced to, tough, is when she finally starts to date James. If she didn’t know him, she’d be positive Sirius hated her down to her very bones.

She couldn’t say the same for him, but her feelings were hardly a hair’s width less.

He somehow knew to push the precisely and unnervingly correct buttons but, unlike James, didn’t seem to know where the line was drawn or rather didn’t seem to care if he did, which on several occasions nearly had him at the end of one of her infamous hexes.

It had continued on well into their seventh year and in her months of dating James, until one night bought upon a heart to heart wherein they discovered they perhaps had far more in common with each other than they could’ve ever imagined.

Secrets of disappointed parents, disapproving siblings, adoration of motorbikes’ existence and an uncanny love for Russian literature spilled over bottles of priceless wine on the highest rooftop of Hogwarts found them side by side overlooking the morning sun.

She’s never been more grateful for that night than now, when her husband is at a mission of the details which she isn’t privy to.

It’s nothing new.

But it’s somehow so much different from the other times.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that that morning, she was staring at the mirror which only showed one living being, and then the next second, it showed two—if anything the pregnancy test said was to be trusted.

Except, she’d tried several of them, and a variety of other magical potions.

They all said the exact same thing.

Somehow, an hour later after angonising over what to do, Lily finds herself knocking on the door to Sirius’ lavish London flat, heart hardly slowing down from the trip she’s taken and hand clutching her wand in her coat pocket.

There’s a click, and Sirius’ face appears a moment later through the crack of the door.

“Who did you catch me shagging in the broom closet at the beginning of seventh year?”

“Elena Williams. My favourite dish?”

“That’s a trick question. That’s got to be a trick question—“

“Answer it, Sirius.”

“—it’s either rare steak or pizza, there’s no telling with you.”

He lets her in and makes for the kitchen, shooting her a slanted smile as he rests his forearms on the kitchen island, waiting for her to seat herself on one of the stools.

“If you’ve come here to interrogate me over Prongs whereabouts, save it--”

“No, its not that. I know you guys. Marauders honour and all that.”

Sirius grins appreciatively at her, waiting for her to continue.

“Its just...something happened today morning. No, nothing like that,” she says hastily as Sirius’ brows start to draw together, “I’m just— I—“

She’s at a complete loss for words, wondering how to tell Sirius and looks up at him. He, by some utter miracle, seems to understand and turns to the cabinets, opening them to take the snacks out.

Her stomach drops at the sight of the glass bottle but she ignores it.

She can manage it.

Somehow.

Discretely.

***

“That’s impossible.”

“You’ve never been good at chess, you dolt.”

“That’s irrelevant. This has got to be an illegal move.”

“There’s no such thing as illegal moves.”

Lily looks down at her bishop for confirmation, finding the white piece nodding back at her solemnly.

She tries to hold back her laugh as Sirius whacks the piece off the board, and fails miserably.

***

He’s lounging on the sofa with his bum placed where his back is supposed to be and his back where his lap ought to be, holding the book high over his head.

“I’ve read this already.”

“You’ve read every single one of the Russian novels.”

Lily isn’t facing him, but she can already feel him scrunching his nose.

“There’s got to be something new.”

“Well, there isn’t.”

“Bloody fuck, that’s a way of asking you to get me one stubly.”

“I don’t have any.”

“You have loads in your house!”

“Then I’m not giving them to you when I know you’re never going to give them back.”

“Oi, that’s a blasphemous accusation—“

***

“I could lock you in four moves.”

“Sirius, you don’t tell the person you can do that.”

The knight on the chess board looks up, nodding at Sirius as if to prove Lily’s point.

“Knight to b7.”

“Bishop to c6.”

“Castle to d6”

“...damn.”

Lily grins at him, leaning back to rest her head on the couch, victory shining in her eyes as Sirius makes his next move.

“Mate at b4, my dear friend.”

“Fuck you and these judgemental bastards.”

“You’re the one that wanted another round.”

“Another winning round—“

***

“Lil?”

“Hmn?”

She’s turning on the stove, placing the kettle and turns around looking at him.

“Why’d you come here? This isn’t about James, is it?”

Panic courses through her veins, running wild and free. She wipes her hands on her pants, stalling.

She really shouldn’t tell him, but she needs to get it out—

“I’ve been sick for the past few days.”

“Mmhm.”

“I can’t drink any alcoholic beverages.”

“What does that have anything to do with—“

Lily sits down on the floor next to him, wrapping her arms around her legs, “Sirius, my period is late by three weeks.”

There’s silence, and she looks back at him, laughter slipping out between her lips at the look of incredulity on his face but faltering.

“Please tell me you’re just ratting out symptoms to numerous cases, mind you.”

“I took the test today morning. It’s positive.”

There’s a pause, and then,“I call dibs on godfather.”

“What?”

“It either has red or black hair and green eyes. A leather jacket would look great on them either way.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Maybe I could put in some spikes on the shoulders. There’s got to be a sunglass shop somewhere in London.”

“Are you trying to turn my baby into a mini you?”

Sirius scoffs, “Handsome as they may turn out to be, they can never begin to compete with their godfather.”

“Bit too assuming, don’t you think?”

“Hardly. It’s been declared the moment you married Prongso.”

She can hardly help it, the myriad of emotions raging within her when the tears burst forth. The kettle whistles away in the background, but they both ignore it.

He looks at her, alarmed, before squirming to the side and pulling her into a side hug.

“For Christ sake, I know you pregnant women are a tad bit unstable but if you do this for more than three times, I’ll move to France.”

Lily sniffles, laughing, “Better choose those three moments carefully, eh?”

He grins down at her, rubbing his fist gently on her head, “James will be really happy, I think I’ll have to kick him out. You know that right?”

“He can move in with me.”

“God, yes please.”

“Sirius?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He shakes his head fondly at her, hugging her even tighter as they sit together in comfortable silence.

#bb writes #prompts #sirius x lily #canonverse #ficlet #sirius black #lily evans potter #lily potter #pregnant lily #marauders era

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homeformyheart · 4 years ago

Text

simply be mine - adam du mortain x f!detective (twc)

author’s note: i needed to write a fluff piece after my last fic, “cottage by the sea,” and got inspiration while listening to a couple songs (see prompt line below) for a new years’ eve party fic. i hope you enjoy!

copyright: all characters, except my oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames. series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – adam du mortain x f!detective (regina bishop) rating/warnings: 14+; descriptions of drinking word count: 3.1k based on/prompt: “only girl in the world” by rihanna / “one and only” by adele summary: adam struggles to understand why anyone would care about human new years’ eve traditions, but when he finds out regina enjoys them, he finds himself intrigued.

simply be mine

when regina walked into the warehouse living room an hour before the agency’s new years’ eve party, she was pleasantly surprised to see unit bravo somewhat dressed up, even if they were standing around brooding like usual. she was both surprised and excited that she was invited to attend as well, without having to be someone’s plus one, even though she had been assured by both nate and farah that they would’ve invited her. she giggled internally at the memory of farah practically jumping off the walls of the warehouse living room in excitement, yelling what seemed like a hundred words per minute about going shopping and getting ready together.

she quickly learned that the rest of unit bravo hated attending agency work functions and avoided them as much as they could. however, everyone was “strongly encouraged” to attend the new years’ eve party, which she gathered from both morgan and adam that what the agency meant was “we better see you there or we’ll give you the worst cases next year.” she thought they were probably exaggerating a tiny bit, but let it slide.

perhaps to make up for the fact that they’d have to spend the night in a brightly lit and loud room for several hours with colleagues they didn’t care for, regina found that unit bravo had already started pregaming before she arrived, and they pregamed hard. she saw firsthand the sheer amount of alcohol they needed to consume just to feel a little buzzed.

another rare upside to being human, regina noted, a couple of shots of any brown liquor and she was good to go. of course, she only managed one shot of nate’s vintage prohibition-era whiskey before he snatched it away and started lecturing her on its rarity and history and had to settle for farah’s tequila.

“regina, do a shot with me!” farah practically screamed, bounding over to her with a half-empty bottle of tequila and limes in one hand and a pinch of salt in the palm of her other hand.

“who taught you how to do a tequila shot?” she asked incredulously as farah poured a generous shot for them both and handed her a lime.

“i looked it up online!” she said with such a proud look on her face that regina could only smile fondly at the person who had become her best friend on the team.

they both knocked back the shots and cringed, the salt and limes providing little relief to the burn; regina could only assume it was maybe ten times worse for farah. but then farah drained whatever was left in the bottle and let out a loud whoop before wrapping regina up in a big hug.

“i am soooooooo glad we get to celebrate with youuu!! you are the best person on this teammmmmm, after me, of course,” farah shouted and regina couldn’t help but laugh.

adam raised an eyebrow. “you mean she’s the best human on the team, don’t you, farah?”

“nopeeeeeeeeeeee. regina’s the bestttttttttt of us and you can’t convince me otherwiseeeee,” she said in a singsong voice, much to everyone else’s annoyance.

“hey farah, why don’t you put on some pre-party music?” regina suggested. farah’s eyes lit up and she sped away and disappeared before regina could blink.

she felt adam’s large presence behind her, casting a figurative shadow over her in the living room. the room was softly lit by the chandelier farah herself had selected, much to morgan’s annoyance. regina let herself lean back slightly without actually touching adam’s chest, knowing it would tempt him to wrap his hands around her waist.

except he only kept one hand hovering near her hip as he said in a low murmur, “you really shouldn’t encourage her, you know.”

the corner of her lips twitched as though it wanted to break into a smile, but regina knew adam wouldn’t appreciate being teased about being a ‘stick in the mud’ considering each member of unit bravo took their turn throughout the day telling him to lighten up.

“you know she’s not going to stop, so just let her have her fun,” she winked as a familiar song started vibrating through the walls, followed by farah’s vocals. “we’ll be heading out soon anyway.”

morgan let out a sound that was a cross between a loud huff and a growl as she stomped outside, cigarettes in hand.

“i want you to love me, like a hot ride,” farah sang out as she appeared in the living room, twirling gracefully as she leaped over the table to land in front of regina. “be thinking of me, doing what you like.”

regina laughed as adam sighed loudly, intending obviously for them to hear, before he walked over to where nate was leaning against the bookshelf with a glass of wine. she immediately missed the warmth of his body behind her, or rather, the tingle she got in her spine from the prospect of his touch. she took a long sip of her whiskey, willing herself to actually enjoy tonight and not dwell on the lack of progress between her and adam.

“come on, regina, sing with me!” farah grabbed her hand and started twirling her around, whatever was left of the whiskey sloshing out of the glass and on to the floor.

“want you to make me feel, like i’m the only girl in the world,” regina belted alongside farah, throwing her head back. “like i’m the only one you’ll ever love; like i’m the only one who knows your heart.”

farah grabbed the wine bottle on the table by nate before he could intervene and put it to her mouth like a microphone. “only girl in the worlddddd,” she crooned, before collapsing into a giggling fit on the couch, bringing regina down with her.

despite wanting to roll his eyes at farah’s antics, even nate couldn’t help but smile at how cheerful his family was and how nice it was to celebrate the holidays together.

“we should get going soon,” he said, finishing his glass of wine.

“no, wait, regina’s not dressed!” farah said, immediately standing and pulling regina up with her.

“what are you talking about? i am dressed,” regina protested, motioning toward her tailored dress pants and blouse.

farah wrinkled her nose. “oh honey, no. this is a fancy party and you need to dress like it. come on!” before she could protest further, farah had dragged her back toward her room.

* * * * * “you know, regina might appreciate it if you partake in some new years’ traditions,” nate said quietly, glancing over at his longtime friend, who was staring out the window.

adam looked over at him with one eyebrow raised. “and what traditions would that be?”

nate smiled mischievously. “well, the one that seems to be really popular among humans is kissing someone at midnight.”

nate could feel adam’s shoulders tense a fraction of a second before he saw the physical movement itself. “that is an impractical and inane tradition. i would think the detective to be above such childish antics.”

now it was nate’s turn to raise an eyebrow at him. “and i think she’d appreciate the romantic gesture. it’s not childish to want to ring in the new year with someone you care for.”

before adam could retort, the sound of heels clacking along the hallway and the gentle swishing movement of fabric drew his attention toward the only thing that was capable of unraveling centuries of carefully architected walls with a single glance. regina appeared in the living room, farah’s arm looped in hers, dressed in a strapless black floor-length gown with a sweetheart neckline and slit that went all the way up to her mid-thigh.

adam’s eyes followed the length of the slit; the creamy complexion of her skin drawing him in. his gaze traced the way the fabric clung to her curves, dipping at the waist before cupping her chest. her hair was styled in soft waves to one side, leaving her collarbone and neck exposed. he didn’t realize his eyes were continuing to trace the delicate lines of her neck and jaw, before they landed on her red lips. they were lighter than blood and yet, just as, if not more, enticing to him.

he watched as the corner of those luscious lips quirked up into a smirk, which seemed to snap him out of his trance. his gaze shot upward to meet her teasing blue ones, not realizing that his feet seemed to move of their own accord until he was standing right in front of her.

“can i help you, commanding agent du mortain?” regina said, the low and sultry tone of her voice sending warmth south in an unfamiliar, but not wholly unpleasant way.

adam’s throat suddenly felt dry – an odd, human-like sensation that made him pause, until he realized that regina was suddenly very close. too close. he inwardly begged his legs to take a step back, but they wouldn’t budge, and he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to anyway.

“your… dress. it’s impractical. what if you were to get attacked?” he said slowly after clearing his throat, clasping his hands behind his back.

regina smiled and gazed up at him knowingly, a look that was both infuriating and intoxicating. as though she could read every piece of his soul back to him and love all of him anyway.

“don’t worry, i have my volt gun strapped to my thigh, see?” she reached for his hand, her touch sending a jolt up his arm that would worry him for medical reasons if he were human, but instead was stoking a deep primal urge within him as she moved it toward the back of her thigh.

the familiar rectangular gun was firm underneath his fingers and even though regina had let go of his hand, he held on, not quite allowing himself to graze her skin, but feeling her body heat at the tips of his fingertips all the same.

“besides, i know you all will be keeping an eye on me,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him. adam could hear the flutter of each lash against the air and found himself wondering how they’d feel against his skin as she kissed her way down his chest.

“of course, i— i mean, we, won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, moving his hand back behind him, flexing it once before resuming his stance.

“well, i only care that you are keeping an eye on me, commanding agent,” she said, giving him a flirty wink before putting on her coat and following farah out to the car.

adam let out an audible groan and rubbed his face with his hands. nate clasped a hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see his best friend was smirking at him.

“it’s okay. but if you’re going to pretend like there’s nothing between you all night, then you won’t mind if we all take turns dancing with her, right?” his smile only widened as adam’s mouth parted in stunned surprise. “come on or we’ll be late.”

* * * * * adam stood, tense and rigid, in a corner of the ballroom near the balcony doors with morgan, who ducked out every so often when the lights and sounds got to be too much, while nate and farah took turns dancing with regina. it baffled him how an entire room full of trained agents could let themselves potentially be compromised by partaking in such celebratory activities. even his own team, although he would admit only to himself that they needed the break.

farah loved the upbeat songs that allowed her to twirl regina around as fast as she could, and he wondered how regina could handle what must be incredibly dizzying and nauseating for a human. and then there was nate, who took advantage of the slow ballads and classic waltzing music sprinkled throughout the evening, to lead regina around in simple box steps. it was very unlike adam to care what his team did during events like this, as long as they behaved themselves, but something about how nate would lean in every once in a while to say something and make regina laugh made him want to crush every glass in sight.

he crossed his arms and glared at the back of nate’s head, knowing he was doing this to antagonize him, somehow. he felt his gaze unwillingly soften, however, whenever he felt regina’s eyes glance over at him. he quickly looked away when he realized she was walking toward him, surveying the room as though he was being vigilant.

“not fond of dancing?” she asked, the words coming out in soft gasps as she sought to catch her breath.

“i don’t see the point,” he said quickly, the defensiveness in his tone catching even him by surprise. surely, he didn’t need to explain himself.

“sometimes things don’t have to have a point to be enjoyable,” she offered, her voice pleasantly cutting through the din of the party. “and i really like dancing.”

regina let out a soft hum as nate arrived and handed her a drink. she drank it gratefully, giving nate a gentle smile that made adam grit his teeth. morgan appeared next to her and swiftly took regina’s drink, finishing it despite her half-hearted protest.

“so, regina, what is your favorite new years’ eve tradition?” nate asked, hiding his smile behind his glass of wine and ignoring adam’s pointed glare.

“oh well, i always like how excited everyone gets and parties like this are definitely fun,” regina answered, pausing for just a moment to look down at her glass hesitantly before continuing, “but the best one is of course getting to kiss someone at midnight.”

“it’ll be midnight soon, do you have anyone you plan to kiss yet?” morgan asked, slinging an arm around regina’s shoulders. “i’m free at midnight, if you’re interested.”

adam cleared his throat. “that would be unprofessional, agent.”

morgan brought another cigarette to her lips. nate stopped her hand with the lighter and motioned to the balcony. “let’s get some air, morgan, and leave these two alone.”

“sure, if you think that means he’ll actually kiss her before i do,” morgan snickered, too soft for regina to hear but it was obviously directed at adam.

a soft romantic melody started playing over the speakers; a love ballad that regina was familiar with, judging by the way she started humming along and swaying gently in place.

i don't know why i'm scared i've been here before every feeling, every word i've imagined it all you'll never know if you never try to forget your past and simply be mine

regina blinked at adam’s sudden appearance in front of her, his large figure towering over hers and blocking the chandelier from her sight.

“you like this song.” it technically wasn’t a question.

“um, i guess?” she asked, puzzled.

“you should dance,” he said, his hands itching to reach for hers.

regina tilted her head to the side and looked up at him searchingly, her blue eyes delicately framed by her long dark lashes. “are you asking me to dance?”

he pursed his lips into a thin, straight line. “you would need a partner, and seeing as no one else is around, i can… dance with you. if you’d like.”

her eyebrows shot up in surprise. she was not expecting adam du mortain to willingly admit to asking her to dance. she quickly looked around and noticed that most of the agents had gone out on the balcony to watch the fireworks.

she smiled and tucked her hand gently into his and led him to the dance floor. they settled into a swaying rhythm as regina wrapped her arms around his neck. adam hesitantly placed his hands on her waist, and a sweet heat bloomed throughout her body, making her feel flushed.

“i thought dancing was pointless?” she asked teasingly after encouraging him to shift his weight between his feet to match her movements.

adam lowered his head, as if he didn’t want anyone reading his lips or hearing what he was about to say. “with you… it doesn’t seem that way.”

regina shook her head fondly. “you continue to surprise me, commanding agent.”

i dare you to let me be your, your one and only i promise i'm worthy to hold in your arms so come on and give me the chance to prove i am the one who can walk that mile until the end starts

“i hope so,” he muttered quietly. “i have lived over nine centuries, yet every day with you seems new and uncertain.”

regina was afraid to ruin the moment by saying anything and decided to step closer and rest her head on his shoulder instead. she smiled when his hands tightened around her waist, bunching the fabric in a way that she was sure would leave wrinkles.

“10…9…8”

her head shot up at the sound of the crowd outside counting down the last few seconds to the new year. “i didn’t realize it was almost midnight, we should go join everyone.”

adam’s green eyes bore into hers and she was close enough that she could see little specks of gold reflected in them from the chandeliers and ornate décor throughout the room. “you… you want to kiss mor—ahem, someone at midnight.”

“7…6…5”

“oh, i didn’t mean anything by it,” she said quickly, giving him a reassuring smile. she tried taking a step back only to find that adam was holding her tightly in place.

“but it’s a tradition you enjoy.” it was a statement, but he was looking for confirmation while trying to maintain his composure despite his heart hammering so loudly in his chest he thought regina would be able to hear it.

“4…3…2”

she dropped her hands from his shoulders and let them rest on his chest, fiddling with the lapels of his jacket nervously. “oh well, i— i suppose with someone i care for, yes.”

the final second and cheers from the balcony faded into the background as adam leaned forward and touched his lips lightly to hers; they were softer than he imagined, even with the layer of faded lipstick between them.

regina’s body instinctively arched closer to his as she sought to deepen the kiss, her hands scrambling for some part of his shirt she could hold on to. she barely registered that it was over all too soon as adam pulled back, her head spinning from the kiss in a good way.

“happy new year, detective,” he whispered hoarsely, resting his forehead against hers briefly before stepping back and walking away.

regina touched her lips to savor the pleasant tingling feeling the kiss had left behind. happy new year indeed.

* * * * * mentions: @kelseaaa; @kat-tia801; @anotherbeingsworld; @crackerdumortain; @pearlsandsteel; @gloynporslen; @sosolenoo; @alyssalauren; @wayhavenots; @gingerbreton; @takemyopenheart; @writer-ish; @fhauvilles;

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