#i need to google how to become a hand puppet

[cocotome]

Me, jealous of a hand puppet? I never thought I'd experience this in my life...

[satubby]

◇Yandere Concept◇

•○ 《Ryu Shi-Oh》 ○•

『This is just my own concept but not the general and true view of the character as a yandere, although canonically he may or may not present these... behaviors』

〔Warning ⚠️: This may or may not contain Spoilers for the show in question, please do not read it if you have not yet seen the mentioned K-Drama. In addition, somewhat sensitive topics such as child abuse, drugs, mentions of sex and among others will be included.〕 Postscript: There may or may not be spelling errors, misplaced character pronouns (I'm dyslexic) so I'm sorry for the inconvenience because this was written at night and I was sleepy, and I'm not a fan of English, so this might be bad.

A puppet of the Russian mafia, Ryu Shi-oh is ruthless and unscrupulous. Depending on how you have met him, he will treat you differently. He would most like a Darling who is as lively, positive and almost like the protagonist of the K-drama where he comes from.

》☆ Obsession:

Ryu Shi-oh will take quite a while to trust you, since he has the police and other enemies after his head. However, if you're the gentle type (if you go all in with this yandere, it would be best for both of you), he'll see you as his emotional refuge, the only source of light in his dark life, though that doesn't mean it won't take a little effort for him to be open to you. Despite his yandere tendencies, he feels a desperate need to protect that vulnerable part of himself by sometimes seeming distant (or perhaps he is at first).

Once he is aware of his feelings for you, then things will change (not much but at least he won't always be on guard with you). You will see him as shy, loving (in his own strange way). Of course, he will be somewhat slow in his feelings but VERY loyal once he is sure of them.

》☆ Obsessive Control:

Russian mafia upbringing has instilled in him either consciously or unconsciously, a need for absolute control and even to the point of violence. Ryu Shi-o monitors every move you make (that's only in his facet of having just met you), from his daily interactions to his friendships. Since if it's at the beginning of getting to know you, he wants to make sure there are no betrayals or double-crosses on your part.

On the other hand, if you've known each other for a while, then his vigilance will be more about getting to know you in depth since he is somewhat clumsy in interactions (other than about his work or murder). He will know everything about you, even things you may not even remember. What kind of flowers you like, X item you've been lusting after and so on.

》☆ Dark Gifts:

To express his love, Ryu Shi-oh tends to give you expensive and luxurious things (When he is getting to know you they are more like decoys) But then he gives you things that you might like, as I mentioned in the previous post, but often these carry a hint of double interactions (He stressed, Ryu Shi-oh doesn't trust people much, he has traumas.... Someone get this man some therapy for god's sake!!!).

》☆ Intense Jealousy:

The thought of losing you arouses a fierce rage in Ryu Shi-o. He can become possessive and jealous, going to extreme lengths to keep you tied to his side. His traumatic past contributes to his constant fear of being abandoned or betrayed, he horribly hates lies (This is Canon by the way, he said so himself).

Since he grew up in a precarious and horrible environment, his concepts of love are null to say the least.... he doesn't know anything about the real meaning beyond what is written in books or Google. So when his jealousy is present, he usually lashes out in anger because he doesn't understand or know how to handle his emotions well, that's why he is always stoic and avoids emotional contact with others.

He thinks at the beginning that these emotions are a weakness (because of his upbringing obviously) so you will understand his attitudes and actions at the beginning.

Back to the scenario (depending on whether you work for him or otherwise were Nam Soon's sister, so to speak). However it was, before and after he met you until he gained your trust, his jealousy is powerful and terrifying.

For example, if you deny him or are somewhat alien to his feelings (ahem! Nam soon) then Ryu Shi-oh may or may not threaten those you hold dear or end up killing the subject of his jealousy if provoked enough.

He may or may not send you videos of it, who knows, he's a fucking mafia-bred man.

》☆ Demonstrations of Power:

As CEO of Doogu, Ryu Shi-oh uses his influence and resources to protect you from his enemies, though also to investigate you, but often does so ruthlessly. He uses his position to eliminate any perceived threat (whether real or not, as in the case of being jealous), regardless of the consequences.

When it comes to, for example, demonstrating how happy you could be (excluding that he is a mobster and has a front business for the real thing, drugs) he can afford a whole restaurant for just the two of you or go on trips when he is not busy.

Also when it comes to dealing with you, depending on whether or not you agree to go out with him, he will use his resources. Either way you will end up with him (if you don't want innocent people hurt).

》☆ Hidden Insecurities:

Despite his confident facade, Ryu Shi-o harbors deep insecurities. Fearful that the reader will discover his dark side, he struggles not to show his vulnerability. This can manifest in moments of emotional self-isolation. More common when they are getting to know each other, refusing to accept their emotions more as a passing interest.

When he already falls for you, he refuses to see you leave him for someone else (Or when you don't want more than a friendship) He clings to the feeling you give him or your kindness/courtesy. He has never felt the comfort you give him, you treat him as human and not the tool the Russians used.

》☆ Future plans:

Although his methods are questionable, Ryu Shi-oh looks for love in you. He sees in that relationship an opportunity to find peace and redemption for the sins of his past, even if his actions may be morally ambiguous. He really is a yandere who would give everything for you, though of course after fulfilling his goals.

Since he has experimented on himself, his strength is inhuman and that may or may not lead to use on special occasions... special occasions. Going back to his plans with you,if you behave just by staying out of it, you will have a dream life.... On the other hand, if you are a treacherous liar like Nam Soon (Ryu's own words) Even if he loves and cherishes you, he won't go easy on you.

He will first take it out on your loved ones, then ruining your life until everyone forgets you even exist.... Only then he can stop being angry with you, he is cynical about it.

He will tell you: "But Honey! You did that to yourself... You shouldn't have betrayed me, I gave you everything, I trusted you with my secrets and you were a spoiled whore..... Accept the consequences, only then can we forgive each other."

》☆ Violence as a last resort:

Although he doesn't hesitate to resort to violence towards his subordinates (regarding the real drug business) He never uses it with you as he doesn't want you to see him as someone bad, he tries to keep it as a last resort (We already gave vast examples of which situations can lead him to that) The contradiction between his desire to protect and his ability to be brutal reflects the complexity of his character.

You will always see him as the suave and polite gentleman although distant in his interactions, but as you get to know him better he is just someone traumatized and hurt by his past (He doesn't justify his current actions but he explains why) He never touches a hair on your head if you treat him well (Ryu Shi-oh has the philosophy that his enemies he treats harshly and his allies worse or something similar, what do I know I am just a brat of 18 years old).

》☆ NSFW

》☆ This will be short, but having sex with Ryu Shi-oh is the most sensual thing you could imagine. I won't add much because I need to learn more about the character, well he likes to bite and scratch. He will be slow and very gentle with you when starting this, but when he gets excited like every man he loses his mind and you may or may not end up with whippings or broken bones given his superior strength (literally).

》☆ Ryu loves when you suck his cock or his neck, his favorite parts of your body are those where he can squeeze (female breasts or buttocks). He likes to suck your breasts and play with your neck. His cock is introduced slowly so when you are ready, he gives you everything he has.

》☆ In the end, you will end up tired but satisfied (Unless you have done wrong and Ryu is angry when making love, there it is not smooth and he could even take it out on you due to his jealousy) Afterwards, the care he gives you is soft and sensual, always apologizing for breaking some bones.

In general, having a yandere like him can be a double-edged sword. Ryu Shi-oh can be so kind or cruel depending on your reactions and treatment towards him. It's like swimming on nails, you have to watch where you're going or you'll end up getting hurt.

This is all independent of the K-drama "Nam soon Super Strong Girl" since it is merely my interpretation of this beautiful villain who, from my perspective, didn't deserve so much pain even though he brought it on himself in the end.

[For those anons who asked me for something, I promise that as soon as I get my ideas together I will start writing because I am a mess at this. I could barely do anything right with this yandere concept.]

[sicksweetcreamy]

Candy Witch Hand Puppet pattern from CoStume MODE Magazine Edition 9, 2011

The face (white) and body (black) should IDEALLY be fleece. I haven't tried using a different fabric type, but I believe it wouldn't look as good. Feel free to try if you plan on making a mock up, though.

Most everything else can also be substituted with fleece, EXCEPT for the teeth and mouth. You'll want to use the stiffest felt available.

The pattern said to use twill as the lining, but I didn't have that and used Symphony Broadcloth instead. It worked out fine.

INSTRUCTIONS UNFINISHED BECAUSE I'M LAZYYY IM SORRY MAYBE SOMEDAY ILL MUSTER UP THE STRENGTH TO RETURN TO IT

Google Translated Instructions with personal additions under the cut.

How to Make - unless otherwise instructed, either regular back stitch by hand/machine straight stitch will be used. *generally, sew with insides of fabric facing out (more commonly known as "right sides together"), and then turn inside out later.

Add Seam Allowance for the Face. Trace the face/front and face/inside pattern onto fabric, and draw on a 0.5 cm seam allowance all around.

2. Sew the Face Sew the darts on each piece. Sew together the Face/Front pieces, (at the edges). Sew together the Face/Inside pieces, (at the edges).

3. Make the Tongue and Mouth For the tongue, cut out 2 pieces of felt and sew them together, and turn them inside out. Iron on 2-3 pieces of fusible interfacing to the mouth to make it firm. Make a cut in the center and sew the tongue in between.

If you do not use fusible interfacing, it will lose shape when you play with it (true).

4-7. The part I had the most difficulty with. I need to make another mock up and write the instructions in tandem, but I'm really lazy so it might be months before I get around to it.

8. Create a Plump Body Sew the darts on the body, for the outer and lining. Then sew the outer and lining fabrics together. Make it into a cylinder (sew down the long edge) and [sew the ends temporarily?] *leave the part where you will stuff the cotton. 9. Sew up the Neck Turn it right side out and [baste around where the face will be?] (8 and 9. This is what the magazine instructions translated to. It didn't work out very well for me. There's a better way to do it I feel but I need to actually make it and then write out the way to do so in tandem.)

10. Combine Hand sew the face onto the body.

11. Make a Nose Sew the ends of the fan shape together to form a triangular pyramid shape (I turned it inside out, personally) and fill with cotton. The flower can be needle felted, or cut from regular felt and sewn to the tip.

12. Make (Wing) Decoration Cut out and glue together three pieces of the wing pattern. (You can sew them together instead, if you'd like) Make a blue and red wing.

13. Make Eyes You can print the eye pattern with your computer onto fabric transfer paper, then iron onto fabric and cut out; or make the eyes by layering colored felt.

14. Attach Parts Sew the nose and head decorations onto face, and sew on the cheeks.

15. Put Cotton Inside the Neck If you put a layer of cotton around the neck, [the eyes and cheeks will become 3D?] and the neck will sit and stabilize.

16. Add Pattern (spots) Cut out felt and glue onto the body in a pattern.

And it's complete!

[fantasyinvader]

There's something tragic about Hubert that got erased by the translation.

In his solo ending, it's mentioned that he became a person of blackness, in both dress and his heart, as he did whatever it took to support Edelgard. Now, a lot of Hubert's endings do mention the “whatever it takes” bit, but it's his solo ending that lays out what it does to him as a person. The phrase “black-hearted” is used to refer to someone who is malevolent, malignant or evil (Google translate instead uses wicked of heart, saying that his heart is evil or morally wrong).

But then we get him leaving behind a letter, giving away the location of TWSITD and urging Byleth to defeat them. In Verdant Wind, Claude says that Hubert was better than Claude thought he was. The Japanese says it's his tribute to Edelgard as well as Byleth's duty as the victor.

And what I was thinking of is that Edelgard never revealed TWSITD, even in her last moments. Sure, there's her comment to Seteth and Flayn in the translation, but that seems to be a thing with the translation as I keep getting different results in it, either her saying she won't allow Seteth and Flayn to take Fodlan back or that she'll come back if she is killed (so... Dedue dismembering her corpse is a good thing I guess). If that last one is correct, it would imply that she knows TWSITD can resurrect her and it serves as a hint to the fact that Nemesis and the Elites are hidden in Enbarr.

She knows TWSITD killed her siblings, made her father their puppet, experimented on her, turned people into monsters, was behind Duscur and Hopes says she's ignoring their influence on the Empire, yet she keeps silent and instead tells Byleth to kill her, saying it's the only way to stop the fighting, while activating her weapon. I do believe that she was trying to see if her words could give her the opening she needed to strike Byleth down, just look at the end of Azure Moon how she'll reject Dimitri's hand (which, going by Confucianism, would symbolize her rejecting benevolence with her final act), but it also implies that if she wasn't going to win... she'd let Fodlan burn. She would let the Agarthans go to try this again with the next Nemesis or Loog or Edelgard.

Yet Hubert, despite believing that Edelgard would win, took measures to make sure the Agarthans would be defeated should he not be able to conduct his shadow war.

I think what this all says is that while Hubert was evil, he needed to be in order to serve Edelgard's wishes. That in order for her to get what she wanted, he needed to becoming the Dracula-looking motherfucker we know him as, and that reflects more on her than it does on him. After all, the game does title the event where the Black Eagles and player join Edelgard as “Path of Thorns,” symbolically saying it was a path of sin, so what does it say about them?

And if you're like me and thing Papa Vestra was really a Slither due to his betrayal of Ionius, him selecting Edelgard out to be the one Hubert serves, and the Vestra family battalion being dressed in Slither robes despite Moon pointing out those are not standard in the Imperial army, there's probably another dimension we can add to this. That Hubert had revealed who his family was really serving, and how he was the one to push Edelgard into entering an Alliance with TWSITD. Hubert never fit with Edelgard's who spiel about not being tied to duties or responsibilities because of your birth, so Hubert faithfully serving her felt tone-deaf. But if Hubert was really supposed to serve Agartha, killed his father and instead devoted himself to Edelgard out of his love for her, it does feel more consistent. Plus it explains why he doesn't like to hear his father was a good man, because Hubert knew he wasn't as he was likely the one overseeing the experiments on Lysithea and Edelgard's families.

I really wish there was an option to capture Hubert and recruit him in SS to help fight the Slithers.

It's either Edelgard said she was going to conquer Fodlan and Hubert help her do so in the most evil ways possible, ignoring the blatant contradictions and red flags in Edelgard's tale and therefore pushed her down the path they wanted her to go down, or that Hubert was supposed to be an Agarthan pawn but worked to help Edelgard turn the tables on them while helping her accomplish her goals. Either way, it's not really moral but then again Hubert isn't supposed to be moral. His ending identifies him as being evil, much like how Edelgard's S support is supposed to reveal that rather than being a benevolent ruler she's instead ruled by force and violence.

If anything, their relationship is a toxic one akin to Mikazuki and Orga's in Gundam IBO. Hubert did everything he could so that Edelgard could succeed, whereas the direction Edelgard chose pushed Hubert down a dark path. Yet at the end, Edelgard laughs at Hubert when he confesses his love to her and she doesn't react to his death. It feels like their relationship is meant to be a warning to players.

[kadajsbitch]

Random thought but

Also, SPOILERS if you haven’t watched Ghost in The Shell 💀) But I just had a random thought.

So you know how some of us are curious to know whether Pinocchio feels human to the touch, or not? (not in the perverted sense. 🙁)

It got me thinking back to Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in The Shell and how she was created, skin wise mostly 💀

First, she started out like this. Her parts being assembled, and then she gets dumped in the green liquid, before she suddenly comes to the surface.

THEN judging by the following scenes, it seems that the green stuff is what made up her hair and skin cells, considering she was both bald and robotic looking when she got marinated in the green sauce 💀

FINALLY, comes out of the green stuff, and suddenly it starts to lift from her body, and it reveals she looks completely humanoid. No signs of her being robotic whatsoever. No her skin is a peachy pale, her lips are colored, and her hair is black. (Looks brown in the pic but I wasn’t quick enough to take a screenshot 🤡)

For one, Ive seen some theories on both here, and the Lies of P discord revolving around THIS dude possibly being either the Ghost of Geppetto’s original son that from what we know, Pinocchio in the original story, was made in his image.

(Also, this was the best picture I could find of him, I just took the first pic I googled 💀)

Cool right? We also see a dude who looks EERILY SIMILAR TO HIM, pop out when Pinocchio’s fighting, only thing is he’s glowing blue and white and his name is Spector…

Bro. Considering that this is a darker retelling of Pinocchio on top of being a Dark Souls game, I think all hands are on the table to theorize some macabre shit. 👀

Antonia did say something Along the lines of Geppetto being mad with guilt. Of course that could be could also be taken as her joking to Pinocchio about him, kind of like when your parent’s friends joke to you about how your parents were back in the day or something, but I find it kind of weird that Spector can pop up in fights when needed, as well as I find it weird that Pinocchio, from what we saw from both the trailer and now the demo, hear’s someone whisper “Wake up” and this causes his eyes to squint slightly as if he too is wondering if he just heard that shit himself. 💀

And then with it coming out that we can lie to Geppetto as well, i also find that weird since it seems from both the advertisement for the game and the little demo gameplay we have, it seems that we’re supposed to be helping Geppetto in a sense find out both the cause to why the robots have gone rogue, as well as protecting the innocent around him. Why would he need to lie to Geppetto if we’re on the same side?

And yeah we can say, “So he can feel like a real boy.” But part of me personally feels like Pinocchio (from what I personally understood from the demo) doesn’t really have that goal in mind.

Yet…

Right now, I feel like he’s just lying because it benefits him at the moment. I mean if he told the truth about being a puppet, he wouldn’t have been able to get into the hotel. Of course, there’s the other things he lies about that he might not need to necessarily lie about… but Geppetto made him with free will. Who’s to say the moment he lied and felt his gears turning, the next time he’s offered the choice, he just lies because he’s curious as to what he’s feeling? (Kind of like how Motoko was curious if the memories she had were artificial or not and this causes her to do things like go scuba diving for “relaxation” knowing if her system malfunctions, she’s fucked and even Bautou find it weird she’s willing to risk it)

Finally, jumping back to how I said I feel like his goal to becoming a real boy (if the game is going to keep that key element having to do with the fairytale the games based on) as well as why I brought up Ghost in the Shell in the first place.

What if Geppetto made Pinocchio using his son?

Again, if you’ve seen Ghost in the Shell, Motoko spent the film wondering if the memories she had were ones she made up to feel less artificial, and she questions had she ever been human considering her current brain (the grey thing in the first pictures of Motoko I added) was a now a cyber brain and that they had added what they refer to, as her “Ghost” to this artificial brain.

Due to the fact her actual body had been in the process of dying, and in an effort to save her, they basically removed her brain in spinal cord and for a moment in time, placed it in a artificial child’s body (the death of her body happened when she was a child. Sounds suspiciously similar right? 👀 The only aspect of it being in the actual Pinocchio story, the puppet doesn’t become possessed with the spirit of Geppetto’s dead son.)

Like, what if part of the main storyline other than the crazy killer puppets, is Pinocchio questioning his creation? And what if “Spector” is the voice trying to drop hints to him about this? (Like what if his gears moving is Spectors way of telling him he’s going in the direction he’s trying to guide him to?)

Also, considering that the story takes place around the early 19th century, even with the crazy (modern for their time)yet old inventions, just how the fuck was Geppetto able to make Pinocchio appear so human? Like the hair on his head is not a wig, and while his skin is clearly blemish free and smooth, his skin appears to have obviously have pores on it. Like I feel like if he wanted to, he could facially emote so easily and I wouldn’t guess anything about him was robotic at all.

I sound batshit crazy, I know but I’m lowkey serious and curious if they took inspiration from it 😭 please let me know how you guys feel about this

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 9.5

“You’re more opinionated than you were for a lot of the Blue Heron stuff.  We should talk to the Others?  Get that help?”

I think this is a setting thing. Snowdrop was very out of her element in a practitioner school environment, where the assumption was that Other were secondary to the human students, not independent actors. Back in Kennet, Snowdrop not only has more agency, but also friends and a place in the world outside of the girls

On the top of the streetlight was a woman, hair white, back ramrod straight, head, neck, and arms the only skin that was visible with everything else she was wearing, her skin with all the colors of a sunset at the edge of becoming evening.

Crooked Rook! Eager to meet her, though "let's spy on the meeting" is maybe not the best first impression

“You need to tell us about these feelings, Ken,” Edith said. “I’m not the kind of guy who complains about every ache, pain, and strange sensation. Trust me, if I did, you’d never hear the end of it.”

not the time for the town of Kennet to try and be all toughguy!

The Monty security camera followed their movements, the lens replaced with a crimson eye that drooled blood from the gaps where it didn’t quite fit into the rectangular aperture.  A jagged, vein-draped leg raised and waved.

I like how a lot of their techniques are basically from a horror movie

“What’s this noise!?” a man shouted. The goblin on Verona’s shoulder ducked behind her hair.  Others didn’t try so hard to hide.

Is the plan just to hit him with Jabber so he won't remember them later? Hardly discreet, but at least it will cover identities. And I'm assuming the girls are wearing their masks.

And the people.  Which might include the Others.  Roughly sixteen officers smiled in strained ways and turned their heads to track Jabber. 

some quick googling says that for 5,000 people (Kennet population), Canada has around 10 cops. That data was from 2017, so maybe a couple more would have been added, but still. 16 in the precinct at one time, they are calling in heavy resources.

Verona wasn’t sure how she felt.  More and more, she was getting the impression she was naturally packing away all the emotion to digest for later  Or so she could have a surprise blow-up where it all came out at once, depending.

good to see Verona's recognized this about herself

“What the hell?” Verona asked.  “He’s not an Other anymore?”

possession of some kind?

But why the bridge of the nose, why hands, why wrist?  It was a weird assortment.

and also apparently the chest. My first thought was the key points diagrammed in 8.2 extra (brow and heart, ie awareness and health), but that wouldn't explain hands or wrists. Maybe a puppet thing? Metaphorical wires cutting up the wrists? Maybe the nose is an ingress point? Or egress.

“Malfaca, calfaca!” Jabber cheered, arms thrust over his head.

ok, the things Jabber is saying definitely have meaning. I had been wondering that from "Quororum" earlier. "Malfaca" is pretty close to malfacais (portugueuse), or from latin "mal facere", both meaning "to do bad". Don't know if calfaca is just riffing on the sound or if it has another meaning. Maybe from calo (to loosen) or calens (hot)? And quororum sounds like a twist on quorum

The entire feeling of the room changed as Jabber fell over. No more strained laughing, no more choked giggles.

well fuck. Hopefully if they get him going again quickly everyone will forget?

Her hands became normal as those scars joined the scribble-like mass.  It moved like an insect, darting across the floor on legs made of scars, slipping into a gap between computer and cubicle.

kinda reminds me of montague

Verona leaned further into the corner as two officers found their feet and walked by, talking. “Ughh. I’m too tired for this. What were we talking about?”

looks like aftereffects from Jabber keep them from questioning why they were laughing/falling over/pissing themselves.

The meaty red stuff inside that youth resembled Edith’s. Frankensteined together. The oldest person who’d been on that bench, with badly cut blond hair and sunglasses pushed up to the hairline. Verona could hear the parasite moving around the cubicle.  She put distance between herself and it. Two different kinds of Other.

That complex spirit did a good job of staying hidden

Backing right up into the clutches of the third.  A big cop who had her in a headlock.

HOW MANY OF THESE GUYS ARE THERE

Lucy fought and struggled where she could, but most of her focus was on alleviating the stress on her neck.

I hope this doesn't put strain on Lucy's choice not to carry more knives

There was a noise to Verona’s right.  She readied another chalk strike.  Except it was Biscuit, very interested in McKay now.

If this doppelganger works mainly through substance abuse problems, that's an overlap with Tod work. I wonder how he gets the drugs to begin with? Or if he's acquired his original's issues, he might be a fit for a Barney.

She threw a spell card instead. The flash illuminated the room, bright and blinding. Right in the woman’s face. And Avery was there, stepping out from a cubicle door, tackling the woman a few paces away from Jabber, black rope around her hand.

teamwork! The black rope is really useful for Avery to be a free roaming flanker, all the others have to do is disrupt vision and she can pop up our of nowhere as reinforcements

“It’s a collection of traits,” Verona said.  “Scars all across the hands, a fancy watch, something wrong with the nose, something at the upper chest.” “A tattoo,” Avery said. “I saw. It peeled away from her collarbone.”

oh that's neat. I wonder how someone like that gets started? Seems specific enough that I think it had a single person as an origin, rather than a pattern. Maybe starting out as a practitioner making a copy of themself to carry out a task, which fades after completing it but maintains enough self to keep these signifiers?

“Looking at her cleavage, Ave?” Verona asked, standing on the spot, slowly turning.

lol

Lucy hesitated, then pulled out the watch they’d taken from the Transient camp.  She slapped it onto her wrist.

coincidence, or was it meant as protection against this Other?

John had a bit of Alexander’s eyes, now, maybe.  He got something from everyone he killed.  Clear sight, even in conditions like that.  It made sense.

huh, I'd forgotten that

“I order you to be bound, then, my first declaration,” Lucy told him.  They were heavy words.  “I really wish you’d cooperated.”

I think this is the first time the girls have bound an Other.

“Intruder of this town, coward, you ran and hid because you knew you had no right to be here.  In the name of Kennet, as Kennet’s practitioner, for the third time, I order you bound.”

I do love the phrasing used in the practice

“Peyton.  Friend of Gabe.”

oh, the younger girl he had a weird thing about. Hope she's doing ok.

Juvenile file.  Incidents… every three days.  Same group of kids.  Same charges of loitering, causing a commotion, light vandalism…

Influence from the Carmine Beast? Or something more involved? The vandalism makes me think they could be trying diagrams

Peyton shook her head.  “I don’t remember.  How embarrassing is that?  It was a bit weird, that they wanted to hang out with someone young like me, but kinda cool too?  But we keep getting into trouble and I keep telling myself I should stop spending time with them.”

that's bad! Others trying to make her become Other? Or just feeding off her in some way. Reminds me a bit of what happened to Clem as a kid. McKay said "Body thieves, life thieves", which maps to the parasite and to the cop, but I don't know where the youth falls.

“There’s a reason they had Charles tell us what the barrier does,” Lucy said, watching.  “So he could leave stuff out.”

oooh. If she's waiting until Montague's hour to talk, I'm guessing surveillance? And if so is that new, because if there was surveillance from the beginning that makes me suspicious that we haven't heard about it picking up the Carmine Beast's murder.

“There are other functions. Not fully intact, but they can fix that or put power into that. Maybe Montague could make it happen. Shutting off the natural of spirits and things within Kennet. It would limit our practice pretty badly.”

or that. Being able to shut off the girls at any point is tricky. Especially because I don't think that would impact most Others.

“She- it was a woman, it might have been Edith, but Lis’s voice sounds like hers sometimes, and Maricica can be tricky, and I don’t know… She also said that they don’t need to worry about us in the long term,” Lucy said, watching the spectacle, while Avery ignored it and watched Lucy. She changed the tone of her voice, intoning, “Rough quote, we can’t keep them from living long, full lives, with the oaths we swore, but one way or another, if it takes the barrier or something else, we’ll either manage them or be rid of them, so be patient.”

welp. My money's on Edith or Maricica, Lis is too new to be an authority/expert figure in the group. And those two are the most suspicious to begin with.

“No.  Rook showed up, but I was keeping an ear out.  Nothing.  But that’s telling, isn’t it?  That nobody spoke up against it?”

wonder what John would have said, if he'd been there?

[queenpinesofdomino]

Thoughts on season 2 because I’m hurt and i want to talk about it

Ep 6

Fuck! into the abyss we go!

Things Aziraphale has in the bookshop because he has trauma from the fire.

fake candles with batteries

and 4 fire extinguishers

at Heaven

Crowley somehow knows Muriel’s division

Crowley is soooo gentle with Muriel I love it. I think that in season 3 Crowley will be helping Muriel adjust on earth. Maybe he wont be going back at the bookshop but he might be popping up here and there like he did with Aziraphale.

“throne or dominion and above.” *casually opens the files* QUESTIONS!?

Crowley is surprised when Saraqael addresses him with his demon name and again doesn’t remember them but I think he’s lying this time. I wonder if Saraquel and Crowley were on the same division.

Ok here’s the thing. On the trial all the high up angels see and talk with Metatron BUT later they don’t recognize him. Not even Aziraphale’s recognize him BUT Crowley does.. if Gabriel had his memories would he recognize him as well? Is that a hierarchy thing or is it because he fell? Did Crowley talk with him the same way Aziraphale did last season and then took the decision to fall?

Metatron said that Gabriel couldn’t fall cuz they could only allow one prince to fall and that clearly is a Lucifer thing right?

Beelzebub is so gentle with their flies ,so cute

When Gabriel and Beelzebub held hands Aziraphale put his hand on Crowley’s shoulder (yes im normal about this)

I can't with Crowley! he’s sending them to Alpha Centuri lol

Question. What are the consequences of letting an Archangel and a Duke of hell leave. Like Lucy and the other angels the first time left because there was no “bad side” and someone had to be it, so they fell and made hell, but now it's bc the want to? Like they are not becoming humans they are just peacing out. And they are the “leaders”!! If Aziraphale and Crowley left they would have being just replaced but you can’t replace a fucking Archangel and a Duke can you? They do put Shax and Aziraphale (allegedly) but can they actually replace them?

Shouldn’t there be a hierarchy requirement for that like… Aziraphale is a principality how low is he? Muriel is the lowest and Metatron is the highest. Then there is Gabriel the Archangel who is in charge but they say that he is higher than Michael for some reason even tho google says there are three Archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. So technically those three should be the same level no?

Then is Uriel and Saraquel.

If you don’t want to put Michael into Gabe’s position why not Saraquel?

I get the demon’s thing bc they are more chaotic and Shax is the smartest demon after Crowley and Beelzebub, but the angels confused the fuck out of me

And on that is God and Satan aware that this is happening? Are they just vibing with this whole situation? What the hell is happening?!

Im so here for the coffee theory

Metatron gives me the creeps

“Except the dim one” about Muriel. Interesting because so far they are the only angel dosed in light whenever they are on screen. Plus if we want to be literal she is the purest angel in that room all the other angels have “sinned” one way or another.

Insert coffee theory

Aziraphale is very cold at the beginning when talking to Metatron, then he drinks from the coffee and then when he listened to Metatron’s proposition he became warmer (but in the end he got manipulated into it)

“it’s very delicious”

“yes…I jolly hope so” that’s sus as fuck.. also he wanted to say damned but cant cuz he is the Metatron.

Aziraphale looks at Crowley for permission to walk with the Metatron and they give Crowley the MEANEST NASTIEST DEATH GLARE!!!

“we need a little US time” yes. please, fuck

Also I wonder what book Muriel was gonna take originally

“There’s only one candidate who makes the slightest bit of sense, you” WHY THO?!! You want a puppet. Someone to execute the plans that God and Satan have without asking questions or saying no. That’s why you let Crowley go and that’s why you fired Gabriel. Michael and Uriel are as powerhungry as angels can be but why not put Saraquel ?! Aziraphale is literally going against the status quo, albeit accidentally yes, since the Garden so why him?

(i have a theory on that)

Moving on

 “Oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever” WHO GAVE YOU THIS IDEA THO? You collect books. Yes you know that nothings lasts forever cuz you are an immortal being living among the mortal but that is a “new” mentality for an optimistic character. Again you collect books. Books that are made from organic matter. Books that almost got burned. Aziraphale didn’t stop having the bookshop after the fire, he took precaution so that it wont happen again. That’s not an “nothing lasts forever” mentality if you ask me. It was either from the coffee or he was meant to say something else.

I would like to point out that Crowley took his glasses off when he tried to speak first and put them back on after “nothing lasts forever”. Thank you im not ok

AZIRAPHALE WAS CRYING WHEN CROWLEY LEFT AND METATRON CAME IN

And he’s hesitating HAAAARD

Like he knows that’s the wrong choice. He even tries to change his mind, or change the terms of the agreement but decides not to.

AND HE KEEP STARING AND SEARCHING FOR CROWLEY OUT OF HIS FUCKING WINDOW. THE ONE CROWLEY KEEPS LOOKING AT HIM FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE ONE OVER HIS DESK.

I CANT WITH THIS SHOW.

I AM DECEASSED. And im going to bed..jesus   

[hectorthedoggo]

ok ok so i looke d at the song and I was confused on the meaning so like I'm sorry if I can't make connections in that regard :(

but but the symbols in here!!! The phone's transferring, basically (to my understanding) representing the transfer of data but it's all going to es in the end cause that's what we do :D I

THE BELLFLOWER. THE BELLFLOWER. (i went on a google search like purple flower that points down and kinda looks like a rose. i do not know flower names) BUT LIKE I DID SOME RESEARCH AND HOLY MACARONI. IT'S A LOW MAINTENANCE PLANT. it just needs full sun (depending on the climate). I love how the flowers are flowering but the stem isn't green like they're so resilient affsaoiewjl ( I may be looking too much into it.) anyways MORE on the bellflower: it's connected to the rapunzel myth. it's the other part of what Rapunzel's name was based off of and I oiafjalk. the website I found kept highlighting that they don't need much care and that's so BAD. also the fact that it symbolizes everlasting happiness and care you have killed me

anyways. continuing on. ANOTHER FLOWER (you did not expect me to come in with the flower symbolism but jokes on you I LOVE flower symbolism). "It is often seen as a symbol of faith and devotion, radiating positivity and hope." according to google. "they show how mighty a little faith can become." "It is often seen as a symbol of faith and devotion, radiating positivity and hope. " YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE. FAITH. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. THE FACT THAT ES IS FACING THE SAME WAY AS THE FLOWERS, SHOWING THAT THEY ROMANTICIZE AGHJFJDFSOI

the strings. puppet motifs. how they're all wrapped around the phone. oh you little-

I'm not sure what the red hands represent exactly. i searched it up and it was some sort of symbol about being a good leader in the 13th century so uh idk BUT I did use to play omori so if that's a reference to the red hands in omori always bringing them back to their central White Space and escapism then THAT'S ACUTALLY CRAZY.

nnow the subject of the painting itself. Es milgram. they got the strings all wrapped around them like a good puppet. including around the neck which is totally not disturbing at all ahahahahaha. they look so hopeless yet still somewhat hopeful. escapsim. also they look beautiful as always

or this could just be a silly little drawing but who knows

一生このまま尻尾の皮一枚で繋がれた奴隷か？

[fe-fictions]

Ah also do you remember the story with Saizo where he discovers a scar on Corrin ? Could you re upload or perhaps re write that one ? If you can't it's completely okay !!!

(I actually have an old prompt just like that! I never saved it to Google so I thought I lost it, but,,, here it is!! ;; U ;; )

Jakob never liked the Hoshidans. Even after they joined together, despite the warnings of your brothers and sisters from Nohr, you united with the Hoshidans to fight the greater threat in Valla. Jakob had to keep a wary eye on the strange new siblings, ever wary.

They were trying quite hard to relate to you, after all. They seemed to be trying to get as close as possible to you, so much so that it bothered your butler to no end.

But there was one in particular that had him more suspicious than all the others. The youngest prince, Takumi.

At first he hated him because he treated you so coldly. He hated Takumi more when he warmed up to you, and when he proposed? Jakob was seeing red.

But what he hated more than anything else was how he held your heart in his hand. And the moment tragedy struck, it was crushed.

Jakob watched silently from the corner of the window, your sobs ringing from inside. You were completely beside yourself, mourning the loss of your husband. He wasn’t dead, no...something far worse had become of him.

Takumi was possessed by Anankos.

There was a darkness inside Takumi, one you said you were helping him through. He had become a brighter person after your influence, but it wasn’t enough.

Takumi was caught vulnerable, and now, you were sobbing on the floor, collapsed against the bedside as you cried into your arms.

You blamed yourself, like a truly noble lover would. Jakob couldn’t stand it.

“Milady, I’ve prepared your morning tea.” Jakob announced softly as he entered the room, silent in the door’s opening and closing. “I feel that this may help ease your...burden.”

You stifled your sobs with the back of your hand, your head bowed to mask your tears.

“I-I don’t think tea can help w-with this…” You choked out, turning so that you looked at him from the floor. Your eyes were glassy and expression numb. “I-it was all my fault...t-this guilt, it’s...i-it’s eating me alive.”

“Lady Corrin, I can assure you, this was absolutely not your fault. You never could have guessed-”

“I-I was the one who led the group!! I was the one who brought him close to Anankos! If not for me, Takumi would be…!”

“You did what you thought was best. You could not have known what was going to happen. None of us could’ve guessed Prince Takumi would be weak to Anankos’ words. He didn’t seem the weak type, at least, to most. But you are a capable leader, milady. If anyone can fix this, and save that prince, it’s you.”

“I...I don’t know.” You shook your head, pulling away to properly recover yourself.

“You’ll find a way to rescue him, milady. You shouldn’t grieve over him, yet. The best thing we can do is by settling down and focusing.”

“And I’m guessing your tea will help me do that?” You asked with a weak smile, accepting his hand as he helped you stand.

“But of course, milady. What else is tea good for?” He replied promptly, coaxing you to at least try and drink something.

The prince wasn’t dead, but he was a puppet to Anankos. You wanted nothing more than to rescue him, and there wasn’t much you could do to help.

That was what worried your butler. The options were limited, and the thought that your own life would be at risk was terrifying.

He hoped you weren’t planning to do anything brash.

It was days before you ever received word of Takumi. No one knew where he’d gone or what happened to him, after all. The prince disappeared after his initial transformation, off to do the will of Anankos.

-------------------------

Every passing day was another weight on your heart, and you could hardly stand it. You needed to find him. Save him. You had no idea how, but you had to.

Then Ryoma summoned you to the war council tent. It was urgent, Jakob told you, and there was a glimmer in his eye when he ushered you along.

“Corrin,” The prince greeted you when you hurried in, “We found him.”

Your heart leapt in your throat, eyes wide. “Y-you found Takumi?”

“He’s in Nohr. The capital.” Hinoka informed you grimly, but had that determined grin on her lips, nonetheless. “We can break through with Xander’s help and get Takumi back!”

“You really...is that really possible?” You looked to your older brother, whose blond curls bounced as he gave a firm nod.

“It won’t be easy, but there are several corridors that run beneath the castle. Niles can help lead us through, and from there, we’ll be able to get past Garon’s forces and go straight for Prince Takumi. You’ll bring him home.”

You wanted to cry, you were so relieved. You would be able to right your wrongs, and rescue your love.

“Y-you do know h-how to bring him back, right? Y-you can do it, can’t you?” Sakura asked hopefully, her hand held tight in Elise’s, who looked as bright and hopeful as ever.

However, her question renewed your previous doubts. “...Ah. I haven’t quite figured that out.”

“I don’t blame you.” Leo huffed, “The man was possessed by an evil dragon. Who among us knows how to exorcise demons, let alone the influence of our greatest enemy?”

“It’s a fair point, darling. But we’ll figure something out. I’m sure Lilith will have something to help, won’t she?” Camilla reassured you when she saw the crestfallen expression on your face.

You managed a small smile and nodded, sitting down amongst your siblings at the table. “I suppose so… If anything, we should at least make plans to capture him, and hold him here if we haven’t figured out how to rescue him by the time we find him.”

“You think that’s a possibility?” Xander asked, concerned. You pursed your lips, looking down at your hands.

“I know that Nohr’s a good distance from where we are now, and it may be another week or so before we finally get to him. B-but I’ve been trying to find ways to bring him back since we lost him, a-and so far…” You trailed off, and shook your head.

“It’s best to be prepared.” Ryoma echoed your sentiment, “We’ll do our best to have our forces ready to apprehend him if you can’t bring him back before then. We’re on your side, Corrin. Whatever you think we need to do to help, we’ll do it.”

The crowd of precious siblings around you chimed in agreement, bringing those pesky tears back to your eyes. You beamed at all of them, feeling the hope begin to return.

“Everyone...t-thank you. With you helping me, I know we’ll be able to bring him back.”

You knew you would. You may not have had the details worked out, but nothing was going to keep you from bringing him back.

Nothing.

-------------------------

The journey to Nohr’s castle was trial and tribulation enough, but when you actually made it up to the throne room, it seemed as if everything had fallen apart.

You and your siblings stared in awe at the ruins before you, your home nothing like it was only months ago.

“Our home…” Leo whispered beside you, his face contorted in silent grief. “This is what’s become of it. It’s a disgrace.”

“T-this is where we used to spend so much time playing, together...our whole lives, just...i-it’s in pieces.” Elise’s voice wobbled as she struggled to accept the scene before her. Xander moved to comfort his youngest sibling, but he didn’t quite make it.

The whiz of an arrow passed between his hand and her shoulder, a warning shot that snapped the group’s attention to the arrow’s bow.

There, amongst throngs of Faceless, stood Takumi. His back arched at an unnatural angle, his eyes alight with an evil glow. His voice was distorted in angry gasps, fingers trembling as he knocked another.

“I’ll kill you...I’ll kill all of you!!” He bellowed, and loosed the arrow.

The group scattered, separating into their respective groups to tackle the Faceless, and their possessed general. You, Jakob and Kaze formed your own little trio, laser-focused on the prince.

“Takumi!!” You shouted, your nerves steeled as you faced what was left of your husband. You looked to your retainers, “Cover my flanks! I’ll take him head on and try to get through to him!”

“Are you sure?!” Jakob called as he already slashed into a Faceless charging your left, to which you nodded.

“I can handle him! Just stay close!” You told them, giving nary another order before you charged towards Takumi.

The pair could only watch as you broke ahead, moving straight for him. They exchanged a glance before continuing their assault, protecting you from the Faceless who wanted to take you on rather than themselves.

You didn’t even notice the monsters looking at you, zeroed in on your husband. The incredible sadness you felt when you saw what he’d become was drowned by your desire to save him.

“Takumi!!” You cried his name again, receiving an arrow in reply. You were quick to swipe out of the way, dodging each shot as he volleyed one after the other. With every miss you inched closer and closer, agitating the prince.

“Get away...get away!! I’ll kill you!” He growled and snapped at you, jerking back a step with every one you took closer. You were moving faster than his marionetted form, able to close the distance faster than he could put distance between you.

“Takumi, it’s me! It’s Corrin!!” You pushed forward, almost within arm’s reach. You could see the fear in his eyes, the rage and guilt and hatred all bundled into one mess of emotions. His hands trembled, his movements strange and unnatural.

You weren’t sure if he was still in there.

“Get away, you traitor!!” He roared, swinging his bow into your side. You blocked with the Yato and parried his weapon away, before you countered with a strike of your own.

Takumi jerked his arms up, stopping your blade. The force you put into each hit was pushing him back. His eyes narrowed; he was being backed into the corner, and he knew it.

“Come on, Taku-- I know you’re in there! I know you can hear me! You’re not gone yet, I...I know it! You have to come back! You have to fight these feelings!!”

“Stop!!” He barked out, and shot out his leg to knock you off your footing. You leapt back, the demon prince taking his chance to shoot another arrow. Your heart twisted with every contortion his body took, clearly out of control of his actions.

You couldn’t give up on him.

“You’re not worthless! You’re not a terrible person, and you’re no less talented than any of our siblings! You’re important, Takumi! I know you’re more than all those things you say about yourself! You’re more than what Anankos is trying to tell you!”

Takumi shuddered at your words, his movements drawing to a halt. It lasted only a split second, but it was there. A flurry of hope washed over you, seeing his hesitation. He was in there.

He heard you.

“Takumi, we all love you! Even the princes from Nohr care about and respect you, just like they would their own family! You mean a lot to this army, and our families! You...you mean everything to me! I love you, you know? I-I know you can hear me! I know you know that much!!”

He growled and shuddered again, his limbs freezing up and his body twisting. His eyes grew wide, teeth clenched tight. He was fighting for you.

Cautiously, you took a step forward, and then another. He seemed too distracted by his internal conflict to notice you were closing in.

“Takumi, come on, now. It’s me, Corrin. Your wife. The woman who loves you. The sister of your brothers and sisters who love you, too. We all care about you, and appreciate you just how you are. You don’t have to feel like you don’t measure up. You do...more than enough.”

Takumi came to a standstill, his eyes trained on the floor as his body stopped its fighting. His eyes stared at nothing, still ablaze with Anankos’ influence.

You pursed your lips, drawing so close you could kiss him. Cautiously, you brought a hand to his cheek, slowly stopping to touch your husband.

Jakob and Kaze watched from the little distance they had afforded you, the Faceless thinning out after their master’s power seemed to be disrupted.

“I don’t like this,” Jakob murmured, eyes cold as he watched. The pair started moving forward slowly, ready to help you should anything happen.

You had faith in Takumi, however. You carefully drew his gaze up to yours, offering him the sweetest smile you could as you looked into his stolen eyes.

“I’m sorry that I let this happen. If I knew how you were feeling, I would have been there for you in an instant. I’m so sorry, my love. Please, come home to me. We’ll make this right, okay? Just the two of us. I promise.”

The red of Takumi’s eyes flickered. Your smile widened, tears glistening in your own.

“Please come home.”

Takumi’s hand slowly rose, hesitant and unbalanced, as if he weren’t sure what to do. He reached up to touch yours, closing his fingers around yours. You breathed a shaky sigh of relief, feeling the familiar warmth of his hand over yours. He was coming back.

“Taku-”

Suddenly his grip became like iron, and he tore yours from his face. The fire returned in an instant, an angry roar ripping from his throat as he flung you away from him. His boot met your stomach and he kicked you away.

It happened in an instant.

Jakob launched forward with a shout, bursting past you to engage the prince who knocked another arrow. Takumi’s body volted and jerked around Jakob’s knives, his eyes stuck on you as you fell.

You didn’t even have a chance to move out of the way. The arrow whistled through the air.

The last thing you remembered was the pain exploding from your side. Everything else became a black blur.

‘Takumi…’

“What have you done?!” Jakob nearly screamed at the prince, knife after knife being thrown into the prince’s path. “I’ll kill you, you-!!”

He didn’t get the chance to finish his threat. Without warning Takumi’s body suddenly collapsed, the Fujin Yumi clattering to the ground. Jakob stared down at him, a kunai in his grip ready to be driven through the prince’s neck.

“Jakob!!” Kaze’s voice drew him back, “Jakob, she needs help!!”

The butler gave Takumi a swift, violent kick to the side, ensuring he was truly down before he tore away. He fell to your side with Kaze, who held you up in his arms. The tainted arrow protruded from your side, armor around it having shattered as it pierced your skin.

“Hold on, milady--” Jakob struggled to take out his stave, “H-hold on, we’ll have you fixed up in no time! Kaze, get the princesses-- get the healers, get- get everyone!”

His frantic order was instantly met, Kaze lowering you to the floor once more so Jakob might tend to you. He exhausted all the magic he had in the stave, trying desperately to stop the bleeding and close the wound as he removed the arrow.

He wasn’t an expert, he wasn’t a specialist in healing, gods- he barely used the stave at all, so confident in his own abilities to protect you.

He should never have left you alone. He shouldn’t have left you to that foolish prince, and now…

“Jakob!” Xander’s voice drew his gaze up, finding the whole herd of Nohrian and Hoshidan royals rushing to his aid. Elise and Sakura broke through first, gasping at the sight of their sister.

“How did this happen?” Ryoma demanded, voice strained as he looked down at your pallid face. You were fading, and fast.

“That prince-- that brute, that evil little demon tried to kill her and h-he might have killed-”

“C-Corrin?”

The group froze at the sound of another voice. All eyes left your body to see Takumi, his body trembling and his eyes clear. His expression was a mixture of horror and shock, which worsened when he saw what became of you.

“Takumi?” Ryoma asked carefully, his hand already on the hilt of his blade. But Takumi’s possession was gone. The prince’s eyes widened, staring at you. At the arrow that laid beside you, the blood that seeped from your wound. He had seen it all.

“No...no, no…!!” Takumi stumbled forward, the Fujin Yumi clattering to the floor. He pushed past all his siblings and crashed down to your side, cupping your head. He struggled to lift you into his arms, ignoring the healers around the two of you. He couldn’t bring himself to look anywhere else.

“Corrin…!” He choked out a sob, “Oh, gods, Corrin-! I...I c-can’t… Forgive me!”

Hinoka gently took her brother’s shoulder and pulled him back, trying to give Sakura and Elise the space to heal you. Takumi couldn’t let you go, his body quaking around yours. Your eyes were barely open, staring up at the blurry figure who cried over you.

“T...Taku…?”

“We need to get him to the healers. They both need to go, or they’ll bleed out. His injuries are severe-- whatever Anankos did to him….”

You wanted to reach out and touch him, to see that it really was your husband. That he was back. But the unforgiving blackness overtook your vision, and everything faded.

-------------------------

It was days before you woke up. Feverish dreams had you slipping in and out of consciousness, sometimes looking into the faces of your retainers, other times your siblings. When you finally came to, you realized you were in the healing tent, the dreary light of a rainy morning drawing you from your stupor.

The first thing you felt was the pain prickling beneath bandages. You brought a hand to your middle, and looked around the room. Takumi in a cot left of yours was the first thing you saw.

“Takumi…” You whispered hoarsely, moving to get up. You struggled against your wrappings, determined not to hurt yourself worse than you had to. But you weren’t stopping until you got to him. With Herculean effort you rose, hobbling the short distance from your cot to his.

“Takumi…!” You came to his side, grasping his hand. He looked so peaceful, completely out. He looked normal, and relaxed, and nothing like he did, before.

You pressed a kiss to his fingers, grasping his hand tightly. You didn’t even realize the tears fell from your cheeks until you saw them drip onto his hand, your focus completely on the precious man before you.

Your precious, precious husband.

“I’m so glad….I-I’m so glad that you’re okay.” You murmured, reaching down to stroke his cheek while he slept. You brushed your fingers along his warm skin, contrasting to the cold possession he suffered. “W-when you wake up, I promise, I’m never gonna let you go.”

It wasn’t much longer before he did.

You had barely finished the sentence before he stirred, and you gasped softly as his eyes flickered open. He grunted, sounding pained as he tried to wake up.

“Takumi?” You whispered fiercely, your voice cracking when his eyes fluttered open. He blinked once, then again, trying to gather his bearings. He wasn’t in Nohr, anymore. He wasn’t staring at your broken form. His brow furrowed. You.

“C-Cor...Corrin…”

“I’m here.” Your voice trembled, and his eyes popped open. He looked to his side, finally seeing you. Your skin was pale, face gaunt and littered with scratches and bruises, but it was you. You were looking at him.

“Y-you’re alive-? I-I thought...I thought I-”

“I’m okay.” You gasped out, holding his hand to your chest. “I’m okay, a-and you’re okay, and we’re back together, and...and everything’s just fine…!”

Takumi’s mouth opened like he wanted to say more, but he couldn’t. He shook his head, pushing himself up and engulfed you in his embrace, practically dragging you onto the bed.

“Oh, Corrin…! I-I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry!” He whimpered into your hair, clutching you close. The embrace you hadn’t felt in weeks was so warm and so overpowering, you couldn’t stand it. You melted into his arms, holding him for all you were worth.

Your precious prince was free. You were together again, at last.

“D-don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. B-but everything’s okay now, right? We’re both safe, and we’re here, and we’ll be just fine.” You promised him, carding your fingers through his hair.

You held each other for a while afterwards, locked in each other’s embrace. You cried and whispered to each other, fervent kisses exchanged as you truly reunited.

You promised never to lose each other, again. 

[aphrostarot]

The Emperor Pick a Pile

If you feel like you need to set better boundaries, protect your energy, and fully embrace your boss energy then this pick a pile is for you.

Please remember that this is a general reading and some things may not apply to you. Don't force it to fit. I offer paid readings on my page if you would like a personal reading. Prices are listed there. Please message me or email me if you are interested!

Pile One:

What things are currently out of control in your life?

Death:

To me, it seems as if you are constantly trying to control everything in your life. Additionally, I believe that you may fear change on top of the control issues. Intuitively, you may know when big changes are coming, which provides you with a chance to delay them, but you do not seem to have been able to do that recently. Change keeps coming your way no matter what you do, which has been making you pretty stressed out. However, you are unaware that these changes are helping you to become a better version of yourself.

Passion Ignited:

A new beginning within your soul passions is the theme of this card. This suggests that your passions have undergone some major shifts. Maybe you've lost your job recently, or maybe you've just realized that what you once loved isn't what you want anymore. There may be people in your life who are putting pressure on you, trying to make you do things that you do not want to do, which has further contributed to your stress. It seems you have been struggling lately trying to figure out how to pursue what you really want while also making the people around you happy, regardless of the situation. You need to know that your own happiness is all that you need to focus on, not anyone else’s.

Heart Chakra:

Given your current situation, it makes sense that your heart chakra is currently out of balance. It's difficult to have parts of your life out of your control, especially when it comes to your chakras. During this time, you can begin to regain balance within this chakra by practicing more self-care.

What do you have control over in your life?

Seven of Cups:

Right now, you are unaware that regaining control over your passions is within your reach. All you need to do is realize this and take the necessary steps to regain control. The first step is to do what makes you happy and stop trying to make everyone else happy.

Trapped in Fear:

It seems that an unnecessary amount of worry plagues you. Since you are filled with so much worry you are unaware that these worries are actually preventing you from taking the steps necessary to regain control over the things you have lost along the way. Get out of your own head, stop letting your fears drive your life, and take control of your life again. Get back in the driver's seat.

What is outside of your power?

Two of Pentacles:

Your finances may have suffered as a result of your struggles with your passions. It may have been a long time since you were financially stable. At this point, this does not need your attention. Right now, your financial security is beyond your control. What you have control over is how to regain balance in what you want to pursue, not how much money you will make. Money worries are not necessary right now. You are focusing too much on the future when you should really be focusing on the present.

Patience:

During this time, you need to be patient with yourself and your journey. By exercising patience, you will not only regain control over parts of your journey that have gone off track, but you will also feel balanced within yourself, which may eventually allow you to let go of some of your worries.

Solar Plexus Chakra:

This chakra is associated with your psychic abilities and inner feelings. As I mentioned before, you may have a strong intuition, and this card seems to confirm it. Currently, it appears that this part of yourself is out of balance. You may want to try yoga or breathwork to help you restore your balance. Also, keep a close eye out for other people and energies surrounding you.

What should you be saying no to in your life?

Page of Cups:

It is possible that you are an extremely sensitive person. This can cause you to live with your head in the clouds, seeing the best in everything and everyone. As a result, you are often taken advantage of. Some people in your life may only keep you around for you to fulfill their needs. It is time that you begin to say no to the people who take advantage of you and your energy. Now is the time for you to focus on yourself and your journey.

Sacral Chakra:

It seems that most of your chakras are out of balance. The Sacral Chakra focuses on your emotions, desires, sexuality, and creativity. Because you are surrounded by some energy sharks in your life you have not been able to fully express yourself. Now is the time for you to do this. Try dancing, or meditation to help you find balance in this area. Also, it is important that you remember that you matter, regardless of what others tell you!

What is something you should keep in your life that needs maintenance?

Six of Cups:

For some, you may be in a soulmate relationship right now and debating on if this person is truly meant for you or not. This is a sign that they are meant for you, but that your relationship just needs a bit of work to maintain. For others, I am getting that an ex has recently come back into your life and you don’t know if you should take them back or not. This is a sign that you should be taking them back but that once you do, you will need to go about the relationship differently than how you did in the past.

Knight of Cups:

This person is very romantic and cares deeply for you and your feelings. You can count on them to be loyal and dedicated to you. They want what is best for you and are willing to provide you with a fairytale romance. Considering you have an out-of-balance heart chakra right now, it would make sense that you may be having questions about this relationship. The maintenance here is you regaining balance in your heart chakra so you are more willing to accept the love this person offers.

Hope:

For some, it feels to me that you had been lacking hope in your life for some time before this person came into your life. Having them here makes you feel things that you have not felt for so long, and that makes you worry that it won't last. You've rediscovered freedom through hope and this leaves you feeling nervous about the outcome because you are frightened that things won't work out, leaving you heartbroken.

Temptation:

There is a substantial amount of sexual desire between the two of you. If this is your ex then maybe this was one of the reasons why the two of you ended up breaking up in the past, as you didn't take the time to get to know each other and only focused on sex instead of developing an emotional relationship. If that is the case, your guides are telling you that you need to make sure you don't get lost in lust in this relationship, as you did the last time.

What is something that brings you joy that you should keep safe at all times?

Eight of Swords:

At some point in your life, you may have struggled to maintain happiness. Perhaps it wouldn’t stick around once it came, or maybe you didn't know what made you happy. Because of this, you need to protect your happiness at all costs. As well as keeping your mental health safe. Particularly from yourself.

Six of Swords:

Progress in your life is what makes you happy. When you start to see all your hard work paying off in your life, especially on things you have been struggling with, it gives you an extreme sense of pride in yourself. You are being told that at all costs you need to keep that feeling. Don’t let what other people have to say about you and your journey make you lose your happiness. Make sure you are doing things that make you happy, not things that make others happy.

Triumph:

The meaning of this card is essentially the same as that of the Six of Swords or The Chariot in Tarot. Your guides are telling you that you must make sure that your progress is protected at all costs. Don't let others dictate your life. The only person who can control what you do in life is you, so take back control. Let yourself be happy.

Channeled Messages:

Library:

You can see from the picture of this layout that this card depicts a woman who is essentially a puppet. Your life is in the hands of others, and they have the power to control your emotions, your actions, and who you are. This card warns you of that. Now is the time to take control of your own narrative. Don't let other people tell you how to live your life. Live your life for yourself and no one else.

5461:

I encourage you to look up this angel number as it can have many different meanings. Search Google for "angel number 5461 meaning" and see what your guides have to say.

Pile Two:

What things are currently out of control in your life?

Nine of Swords (reversed):

You have been plagued with nightmares recently. Traumas from your past that you were putting off have come back with greater intensity. They have become such a problem that you don’t know where to begin when it comes to healing. The good thing is that you are willing to find a way out, it's just that your mental state has become so out of control that you are feeling overwhelmed.

Three of Cups:

Your current state makes it difficult for you to celebrate all you have accomplished in life. You have been in such a funk and dark place and have not really experienced a second of joy as of lately. You may even feel that joy seems far away and unattainable right now.

Solar Plexus Chakra:

Solar Plexus Chakra is the center of self-esteem and confidence. Yours seems to be out of balance right now, which means that you may be experiencing some major self-doubt right now. You can get this back into balance by doing yoga or breathwork. Additionally, be aware of the people and energies that surround you. Energy sharks are the last thing you need in your life.

What do you have control over in your life?

The Emperor:

Considering I am doing the Emperor's reading, it is interesting to have it come through as something you are in complete control of at this time. It appears that you do not realize how much control you really have over your life. You already have all the power you need, you just need to realize it. Currently, your current inner turmoil has been affecting your view of yourself, but your guides are letting you know that there's nothing to fear at this moment, you have everything you need inside yourself to conquer your demons.

Balance:

You have complete control over invoking balance in your life. I know that right now it may not seem like it but you truly do have the power to take back your control over your mindset. Your anxieties no longer have to control your daily life. Making an appointment with a therapist can help you regain balance in your life. Remember that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. If therapy is out of the picture then try yoga, or doing something that helps alleviate some of your stress like drawing, or going to an art exhibit.

What is outside of your power?

Nine of Wands:

Currently, you are experiencing a great deal of inner conflict. Because of this inner turmoil, you feel as though there is no way out, which makes your stress levels even higher. You have been trying to get out of this situation with all your might, but you are trying too hard and not taking the proper actions. As your guides tell you, the way you are going about getting out of this is not the best way. By stressing so much, trying to escape, you are actually making your situation more difficult. I feel that some of you think that being in darkness is a sign of weakness, which is why you try so hard to get out. Right now your guides are telling you that your lesson is to allow yourself to feel something other than positive emotions.

Queen of Cups:

The Queen of Cups is extremely empathetic, someone who puts others ahead of herself and never fails to show compassion and understanding. When it comes to other people, you are quite good at this, but not when it comes to yourself. It is time for you to show yourself compassion. According to your guides, right now getting out of this situation is out of your control, which tells me you're meant to go through it. For some, I believe that you are going through your dark night of the soul right now. This is a necessary step in your transformation and self-discovery, one that should not be rushed. The best thing for you right now is to show yourself the same compassion and understanding you so easily exhibit toward others.

Sacral Chakra:

Your Sacral Chakra is the center of your creativity and sexuality. Right now, this seems out of balance for you. It has affected not only your motivation and creativity but also your sexuality. In recent months, you may have found it difficult to fully express yourself. Your guides are telling you that this is just a part of your current journey, and you should not worry about it right now. Since you've been stressed out about so many things recently, this has actually made your current situation worse. You should relax and give yourself the opportunity to take a break from constantly worrying about how you haven't been acting as you did in the past. You are undergoing a transformation as part of which you are changing. You should not worry about how you are acting differently than you used to.

What should you be saying no to in your life?

Six of Pentacles:

You are a very caring and understanding person. Even when you are trying to deal with your own issues, you are constantly there for people in your life. You have been putting a strain on your mental health by sharing too much, and now is the time to say no to the energy sharks who call themselves your friends. It is unhealthy for you to be around people who know you are going through something and expect you to be there for them constantly. It's time to begin saying no to them, let them figure it out on their own, and if they get upset at the idea of you taking care of yourself then they aren't meant to be in your life.

Three of Swords:

As you are going through a big transformation in your life, you feel very heartbroken and lost, and by constantly being there for the people in your life, you ignore yourself and your needs, which has been making your recovery much harder. It's time to put yourself first, stop thinking about others before yourself.

Throat Chakra:

Your Throat Chakra has been blocked for quite some time, and now is the time to begin speaking up for yourself. It is quite literally speaking up when you have something to say that will help you unblock this chakra. Quit silencing yourself to avoid rocking the boat.

What is something you should keep in your life that needs maintenance?

Two of Cups:

You are currently in a soulmate relationship, whether it is romantic or platonic. This relationship that you have been questioning recently is meant to stay in your life. Recently there have been problems with its harmony, which may have caused you to question it. These problems are not a reason to end it, there is just some upkeep and maintenance to be done.

Four of Wands:

Currently, this relationship may be lacking stability, so your guides are telling you to find stability as soon as possible. If you live with this person, you may want to try redecorating or rearranging your furniture to make it more comfortable for both of you. You could also try having a date night with this person at home in a comfortable environment that will help you two regain some stability.

Power:

You have the inner strength and willpower to get through your current situation, especially when it comes to this person. Due to all of your worrying, you may not realize this. Right now, you must remember just how strong you are to help you overcome your problems.

What is something that brings you joy that you should keep safe at all times?

The Hermit:

You may like to be alone, preferring your alone time over hanging out with a bunch of people. Even if you are in a relationship, you still prefer to have some alone time. This is something you should not change about yourself, according to your guides. Do not let other people change or judge this aspect of yourself. This is a part of your identity that should be protected and not changed.

The Chariot:

You prefer to move around and travel rather than staying in one place for a long period of time. For some, I’m getting that you want to move out of your home town but there are people in your life who are pressuring you to stay. You are being told by your guides to keep your free spirit intact, do not let other people's pressure and judgment change you.

Wisdom:

Your desire to learn is constant. You always want to broaden your perspective and knowledge, and your guides are telling you to keep this part of yourself safe. Never stop learning, it is what makes you so unique.

Emotional Loss:

It is possible for you to move on and heal from any emotional loss, whether you are aware of it or not. You may not think that is the case right now because you have been in darkness for so long, but your guides are telling you that you have the power to heal yourself and move forward and you need to keep this part of yourself protected.

Channeled Messages:

Red:

Right now, your guides are telling you to forgive. You should forgive those who have let you down in your life, forgive yourself for not allowing yourself to feel pain, and forgive yourself for being upset with your guides for making you have to go through this pain. For some, I believe you have been extremely angry with your guides during this time, believing they have abandoned you or that they do not have your best interests at heart. Your anger is 100% valid and you need to forgive yourself for hating them.

1211:

I encourage you to look up this angel number as it can have many different meanings. Search Google for "angel number 1211 meaning" and see what your guides have to say.

Pile Three:

What things are currently out of control in your life?

Two of Wands:

You may have just entered a partnership recently. In most cases, the Two of Wands describes a business partnership but based on the energy I am getting from this pile, I feel this could pertain to a romantic relationship for some. When this card comes out, it shows how well you and your partner work together and that you will go far together.

Page of Wands:

This person is an extremely friendly individual. They are very adventurous and fun-loving. Their charm and ability to communicate enable them to make friends easily. If this is a business relationship this is what has helped or will help the two of you get far.

Trapped in Fear:

This person's friendliness has been eating away at you for a long time. You are scared that this person’s friendliness will not make them committed to you. That they will leave you for something or someone better. Your fear has taken control over you and this relationship and it has gotten so bad that it is so far out of your control now.

Light:

You have let your fear control your life and your relationship, which has affected your happiness, especially in this relationship. Previously, you could fake happiness around this person, but now it has gotten so bad that you are unable to fake it.

What do you have control over in your life?

Two of Pentacles:

You may have struggled to maintain balance in your life in the past, but lately, that is not something that you struggle with anymore. Your life seems to be getting back to normal now that you have recently started regaining balance in areas where it had been missing for some time.

The Hierophant:

While it may not apply to everyone, I am seeing that you may have been unsure about marriage for some time now, which may be due to your lack of balance, but as of now, I am seeing that you may want to get married in the near future. A marriage, you feel, will give you a solid foundation in your life. For those who are already married, you may have felt that your marriage was one of the things lacking stability in your life, but now that you have regained a sense of balance in your life, it seems to be doing well.

Firm Foundation:

Following a period where you were lacking stability in your life, your guides are expressing to you that now you can create a foundation that is firm and lasting in your life. Whether it's marriage or finding stability and balance in your relationships, this is something to look forward to.

What is outside of your power?

The World:

You have a lot of anxieties when it comes to endings in your life, especially endings in your relationships whether romantic or platonic. Your guides are telling you that these endings are beyond your control. You cannot always keep people in your life, and that is okay. It is not possible to force people to stay or to put off endings. You need to let go of your fears in these situations.

Stand your Ground:

You have been allowing your fears and anxieties control your life for quite some time now and your guides are telling you that now is the time you stood your ground. You need to learn to control your anxieties.

What should you be saying no to in your life?

Seven of Cups:

You are being presented with a variety of options in your life, and most of these options are tempting you to veer off course. You are being told not to steer off course by your guides. Currently, you are on the right track and you do not need to change direction anytime soon. Say no to the people or things that tempt you to change.

Temptation:

We have established that you are being tempted by people and things in your life that seem much more fun than your current path. Stay on course; don't let these temptations lead you to change your direction. All the signs you get are urging you to stay on track.

What is something you should keep in your life that needs maintenance?

Seven of Wands (reversed):

It feels as though you have fought tooth and nail to get to the point where you currently are, and you are tempted to change your course of action because nothing is going your way. You feel pretty defeated right now in some areas of your life.

Justice:

In this situation, you should know that justice will be served to you. Your efforts will pay off, all you need to do is start believing that you are worthy of winning. That's what needs maintenance, your mindset.

Spiritual Union:

What we have been discussing might be a soulmate connection, be it romantic or platonic. When it comes to this relationship, it may seem as though things are not going your way, but your guides are telling you that this is not the case, you will soon be facing justice.

What is something that brings you joy that you should keep safe at all times?

The Empress:

The Empress represents growth and feminine energy. You embody The Empress' qualities. You have a strong sense of self-worth and exude a calming and nurturing energy. Your guides are telling you to hold onto this side of you at all costs. Don't let someone or something make you lose this part of yourself.

Ace of Wands:

Starting new passions is something that brings you great joy. You are constantly moving onto new passions because you love the excitement they bring. Your guides are telling you to never let this side of you go, keep it safe at all costs.

Emotional Loss:

In the past, you may have experienced a major heartbreak that caused you to want to change aspects of yourself in order to get this person back or to make more people like you. Taking this step is not a good idea. You are being told here that changing yourself for someone else is not the right way to go about your life journey and you should not let other people's pressure to change your personality damage yours.

Channeled Messages:

Sword:

You have been considering making a change recently, whether it is cutting your hair or starting a new hobby, and your guides are telling you to go for it here.

5849:

I encourage you to look up this angel number as it can have many different meanings. Search Google for "angel number 5849 meaning" and see what your guides have to say.

Pile Four:

What things are currently out of control in your life?

Three of Cups:

All things fun are associated with the Three of Cups. Previously, you may have been the party animal, the one everyone turned to for fun and to plan all of the get-togethers. Now, you have changed and it seems that people in your life still expect you to be that person, but you are no longer that person. It has become a conflicted situation since you feel that you have to fulfill that role in order for the peace to continue.

Harmony:

You are trying to be an old version of yourself in order to maintain harmony in your relationships at the moment, which is why it seems that harmony is lacking in them at the moment. You’ll be unhappy because you have to pretend to be someplace you’re not, so the harmony can't be maintained. It's hard to pretend to be happy when you're not.

What do you have control over in your life?

Eight of Pentacles:

At this time in your life, you have control over your mind. You know that you are not that old version of yourself, and you know that you do not want to be that person. Because you think the people in your life won't enjoy this new version of you, you pretend that you are still that person. Your guides are telling you with this card that you are in control of who you are and you know who you are. It shouldn't be necessary for you to pretend to be someone you aren't. People who do not like you for who you are aren't meant to be in your life.

Sacral Chakra:

In your Sacral Chakra, you find all of your feelings, desire, creativity, and sexuality. You may not realize you are in control of these things in your life because you're trying so hard to be someone you're not. By pretending to be an old version of yourself, your guides are telling you that you are causing this chakra to get out of balance. Stop trying to be someone you're not. It's unhealthy.

What is outside of your power?

Nine of Wands:

You will experience small setbacks in your journey with the nine of wands. Therefore, I am not surprised that you are experiencing some stress in your life due to setbacks. Every time you think you are getting closer to the finish line, something comes up that sets you back a few steps. Your guides are telling you that there really is nothing you can do to stop this from happening. Sometimes you will face setbacks, that’s just how life is.

Financial and Material Changes:

Money changes may be involved in these setbacks. It is possible that you are spending more than you are earning, causing you to struggle financially. Alternatively, you may be in a career such as running your own business where money doesn’t come as often as you’d like which pushes you back a few steps in your path. There's not much you can do about this at the moment, according to your guides.

What should you be saying no to in your life?

The Hanged Man:

In order to keep the peace, you have been making sacrifices in your life for quite some time now. One of the main sacrifices is you feeling the need to change yourself to make your friends happy. Your guides are telling you now is the time to stop feeling the need to change yourself for others.

The Star:

There is a small part of you that wishes you could one day feel happy while doing this. Your guides, however, say this is not the case. It is pointless to hope that one-day things will go well for you while you pretend to be someone you aren't.

Balance:

There is a lack of balance in your life right now because you are not fully expressing yourself. In order for you to regain balance in your life, your guides are telling you to stop thinking you have to be someone you are not in order for others to like you.

What is something you should keep in your life that needs maintenance?

The Devil:

For quite some time now, you've been lacking fun and happiness in your life. This is because you believe pretending to be someone other than yourself will allow you to have fun. Having fun within your true self is what your guides are telling you to do. Make a point of finding new things that make you happy and things that you enjoy doing. You can have fun while being yourself.

The World:

You need a completion in your life right now. A completion in you thinking that in order for you to be liked you need to be someone else. It is now time to start showing your true self instead of hiding it.

Deception and Envy:

You may be jealous of the people in your life who are more confident than you are and do not fear expressing themselves. Your guides are telling you that expressing your true self will help you overcome this jealousy.

What is something that brings you joy that you should keep safe at all times?

Six of Cups:

A soulmate relationship in your life is something you need to protect at all costs. Though I do believe that it is a platonic relationship, it could be either romantic or platonic. Your guides are telling you that this person brings you great joy and you shouldn't let them go.

Firm Foundation:

Possibly this person has been in your life for quite some time now, and you have a solid relationship with them. You two get along really well together and are extremely comfortable in each other's company. In front of this person, you might even be able to express yourself fully. According to your guides, you should keep this relationship safe at all costs. You shouldn't let your current situation affect your relationship with this person.

Channeled Messages:

Potion:

During this time, your guides encourage you to practice self-care and self-love. Since you've been hiding your true self for so long, you've forgotten to take care of yourself. At this time, make sure that you are putting yourself first.

Lioness:

You have come a long way in your life and have experienced so many things that have left you physically and emotionally scarred. Here, the message is not to hide. As a result of your life experiences, you have accumulated some scars, but you should not be ashamed of them. The time has come for you to fully embrace everything that makes you who you are.

1332:

I encourage you to look up this angel number as it can have many different meanings. Search Google for "angel number 1332 meaning" and see what your guides have to say.

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[harryspet]

obedience | bucky barnes

[Warnings] dark bucky barnes x named oc, murder, and violence, non/dubcon oral and vaginal, outdoor sex, kidnapping, p/e/t play elements, bad google translate, implied agegap, mater/pet, lots of buildup, Stockholm syndrome(?)

A/N: I’ve been writing a bunch of Peter and Harry and kind of wanted to take a little break! This pretty much post endgame bucky. Sorry for any story inaccuracies! TRIGGER CONTENT AHEAD SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

In which Bucky kills her family of former Hydra members before taking her home as his pet.

Like, reblog and let me know what you think!

word count: 4.4k

Sam wanted him to let things go. Move on and focus on something else, he said. Sam thought it would be impossible to find any of them since it had been years since they were active members. The snap had given them a big enough distraction to escape. Bucky didn’t think it was fair that they could just disappear, change their names, and get to live another day after the destruction they had caused. 

Accept, they couldn’t stay hidden for long. It took months but Bucky finally tracked the small family to Manhattan. The German immigrants thought they could hide within the millions of citizens in the New York borough. They made several mistakes though only because they couldn’t get rid of the luxury they were used to. The daughter had a driver and bodyguard that took her to and from her private school. 

Bucky had cyberstalked her through her Instagram. The eighteen-year-old Senior posted a lot under the alias, Mina, that her parents had most likely given her. The Vogt family had turned into the Bradford’s of Manhattan’s elite class. The daughter didn’t go anywhere without her bodyguard, at least, that’s what her parents thought. Bucky noticed how she snuck out on Friday’s at the same time every week. 

How reckless could she be? Her parents are on the most wanted list in eight different countries. Teenage love was the only answer. Bucky saw the boy she met up with, a poor rockstar type, that gave her that rush of dopamine she desperately needed. 

Poor little rich girl.

Bucky purposely bumped into her while the couple was waiting for the subway, “Watch where you’re going, dude,” The boy spoke in a thick Queens accent. Her purse dropped and, because Bucky was dressed like a respectable man of society, the girl let him pick it up and hand it back to her. Their eyes met for a long moment and Bucky thought for a moment she was lost in his blue eyes. 

“Sorry about that, you two have a goodnight,” Bucky faked a smile as he walked away, tucking the girl’s apartment key into his coat. 

“Old creep, he was definitely checking you out,” Bucky heard as he walked away, a stoic look of determination on his face. 

+

Mina woke up frightened. She panted, looking around in the dark for the monster that was in her nightmare. Those striking blue eyes looked into the depths of her soul. Brandon had said the man was checking her out but he didn’t see what she saw. Hate. That man didn’t even know her and yet he hated her. 

Looking out the window across the room, Mina could clearly see the lights of the Manhattan Bridge. When they first moved here, her mother promised she would have an even better view than the master bedroom. They were still trying to get her to not be so upset about the move. Mina pulled back the fabric of her heavy duvet and decided she’d go downstairs to get some water. Her bare feet padded across the white carpet and she opened the doors that led into the hallway. 

As she walked down the hall, someone appeared around the corner, “What are you doing up so late, Miss Mina?” The maid asked, her hands full of towels that she was carrying to the linen closet. 

The maid looked over her, sweaty with tangled hair, clad in her polka-dotted robe and nightgown, “Just getting some water. I had a bad dream.”

The maid held out her hand, urging her to stop, “I can bring you some warm milk and cookies, you should go back to your room,” Something changed in the older woman’s eyes. If Mina wasn’t so tired, she might’ve thought the maid was warning her.

 “It’s okay,” Mina insisted, stepping forward, “You work too much-”

Before Mina could even step forward, the maid collapsed on her side. Blood splattered against the wall and Mina thought she saw pieces of her brain. A bullet had come from down the hall Mina was about to turn on to. Mina covered her mouth, backing away, as the man from the subway stepped around the corner. 

No mask. He didn’t plan on letting her leave alive.

Mina hurried backward, towards her room, but the man took off after her. As her fingers curled around the door handle, she felt metal wrap around her upper arm. She screamed loud, a piercing scream even louder than the gunshot, as she struggled against him. 

The man didn’t speak, just pressed the long tipped gun against the side of her head, “P-Please, please, don’t kill me,” She stuttered out, shutting her eyes shut tight, “Please!”

“Scream one more time and I’ll kill you,” The man jerked her away from the door. The man pulled her back towards the maid’s dead body and down the hall, he came from. Mina’s knees were so weak that she was struggling to walk beside him. She let out a whimper as she was forced to step over the maid’s body. 

“W-Why are you doing this?”

It couldn’t be because of the rude thing Brandon said, right? This was too insane for that. 

He had killed someone. Killed. 

The man dragged her into the room she knew as her father’s office. And despite the man’s order, Mina screamed again. Her mother was bleeding from her abdomen, laying flat on the old rug in front of his desk. The man let go of her arm and Mina ran to her. 

He killed her mother. 

As Mina touched her mother, she realized there was no life left in her. 

Her father was still alive, just bent over and handcuffed to his coffee table, “sie ist tot,” She heard her father say, his thick German accent coming through, “She’s dead. Thank the Winter Soldier for that.”

Mina looked up at the man standing over them, her face covered in tears, “Papa?” Her lips trembling, “W-What’s happening?”

Her father didn’t answer as he looked down, talking to himself, “Mashina. Belyy. Doroga. Svecha. Nebo …” He was spouting off random words in Russian and her anger and frustration only grew. 

The man stepped forward, slamming her father’s head into the table, “I’m not your puppet anymore, Vogt,” Her father laughed, blood dripping down his face. 

“I like your new haircut, Winter Soldier,” Her father teased which only resulted in a punch across the face, “It suits you.” 

“Papa!” She shouted to him, wanting him to stop antagonizing. His wife was dead and his daughter was at gunpoint yet he was teasing the man?  “Please stop hurting him!”

The man finally looked at her, “Your daughter is beautiful, Frank. Is that what you get when you make them in labs?”

Frank? That was not her father’s name. 

“What is it that you want? Money? Being Captain America’s best friend not pay much?”

+

Bucky tried not to show any emotion but becoming Bucky instead of Winter Soldier had its problems. He was still getting used to showing emotion. 

“I want you dead. For every single death that you cause. For the years of my life that you stole.”

Frank shook his head, “Don’t give me the bad guy/good guy spiel. Name your price, Barnes.”

Bucky scowled, tucking away his gun, “What if I said I wanted your daughter?” The girl's eyes widened, still holding onto her dead mother. 

“Papa?” Her father didn’t answer.

“I know what you think, Barnes, but I am not monster,” Frank spoke calmly. Too calmly, “I can give you my contacts, other members who escaped.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes at the man, “Give me an example, a name, and I’ll decide if it’s worth it.”

“... Viktor Vanzin,” Bucky grinned, pulling out his pocket knife. 

“You’re lying,” Bucky had killed that man himself. That meant Frank was truly out of the loop, “I want your daughter. A life for a life.”

“She’s innocent,” Frank continued. 

“So was I,” Bucky countered, waiting for a response. 

“Okay, Barnes. Life for a life,” As Frank finally nodded yes, Bucky thought the girl might faint. She went completely still, her heart completely broken. Bucky almost felt bad but he was really doing her a favor. 

“You evil fucking bastard,” Bucky cursed, moving behind the man and wrapping his arm around the man’s neck. Frank struggled as Bucky drove the knife several times into his stomach. He wanted him to slowly bleed out, to suffer. The man slumped back over the table, coughing up blood. 

He spoke his last words to her, “I-I’m s-sorry, schatz.”

Treasure.

She fainted. 

+

Mina awoke on a thin mattress in a cold room. She reached to clutch her robe but only found her thin, blue nightgown. She wrapped her arms around herself, the sound of her heart pounding flooding her ears, before quickly sitting up. She regretted it instantly, gaining a headache quickly. 

She looked around and found now windows. The walls were a boring beige and there were absolutely no decorations. Only one wooden chair in the corner. Bucky heard the commotion and walked into the room a few moments later. He found her standing, pacing around the locked room.

He expected her to be angry, to shout at him, but instead, he watched eyes well up with tears. He much rather she is angry then have to watch her cry, “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“You want to be in the afterlife with those evil people?”

“I-I’m evil too, remember?” She choked on her sobs. She remembered how her father was willing to give her over to this man in a trade for his life. She remembered how he died anyways and she was taken by this man too. 

“I haven’t decided that.”

“I know they must’ve done something bad to you but they … t-they were my parents,” She struggled to speak, “They loved me. Doesn’t that show some kind of humanity?”

Bucky leaned back against the door,  fingers brushing through his beard as he thought, “You truly don’t know who they really were?” She was silent, “They were top scientists for Hydra. They’re responsible for thousands of deaths and you … they lied to you.”

She shook her head, “No, they work in finances. They could never do that.”

“I think your father showed you his true colors in his final moments. If that doesn’t convince you then I don’t know what will.”

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

Bucky leaned forward, “So, even in death, they can look at you from the other side and feel no peace.”

“Please … please just kill me.”

“Where’s the fun in that, my little treasure?”

+

Mina hated her parents. 

She loved them because they were her parents and hated them because they were the reason this happened to her. She would never see them again, never see Manhattan or Brandon ever again. 

When Bucky walked into the small room later that day, he had a black box as well as a tray of food. Mina held her knees to her chest, staring at the wall, “Leave me alone.”

Bucky sighed, “I think you’re gonna need your strength,” Out of the corner of her eyes she could see his shirt was short-sleeved, his metal arm fully exposed. He set down the tray by her sad excuse of a bed. 

He waited but she didn’t move. Bucky gently placed down the box before moving towards her. She flinched away from him but he grabbed her leg, pulling her flat on her back, “No, don’t! Please don’t!” His metal arm wrapped around her throat and with a swift movement, he ripped off her nightgown. She was weeping again as he did the same with her bra and panties. She grabbed at his arm which was completely useless. 

When he was done, Bucky stood up, watching as she scrambled to cover up with her arms, “You’re sick!” 

Bucky tossed the remnant to the side, “Good girls get to wear clothes. Eat and I’ll think about getting you some clothes. I’m in control here, I won’t put up with your tantrums,” Mina stared at him and Bucky was relieved that she was scowling at him instead of crying, “Eat.”

Mina flinched at the sound of his voice but moved forward. It was heated up canned soup and a plastic cup of water. She was glad that he splurged on her. Sitting on her knees, she covered her breast with one hand and moved the plastic spoon with her other hand. 

It was lukewarm and not that appetizing but she ate most of it. Bucky had pulled the wooden chair closer and taken a seat, “C-Can I have clothes now?” Her face was completely red and, now, she found it hard to even look at him. 

“I’ll think about it in a few days,” Bucky answered simply, and, as it were even possible, her face fell even more, “Considering your reaction, it seems like a good punishment.”

“Why do you want to punish me?” Mina asked, her voice timid. Was not taking her from her family enough?

“Oh, doll,” Bucky’s face softened as he leaned forward in the chair, “I don’t want to punish you but you won’t be obedient otherwise.”

To Bucky, she was a prize. A product of all that he had done and all that he had overcome to get to this point. He had survived her parents and now he owned their lives as well as their daughters. He’d spit on their graves by making her loyal and obedient to him. 

“If I promise to behave, can I have some clothes?” Bucky grinned, thinking she was smarter than she looked. 

Bucky’s eyes went to the black box and he swiftly picked it up, “I have something else for you to wear. A temporary one until you graduate.”

“Graduate?”

“I’m thinking of calling it Bucky’s Reformatory School for Troubled Little Girls,” She couldn’t tell if he was joking but he seemed very proud of the name he came up with. He opened the box, pulling out a plain black collar with a single silver loop, “Crawl over here, pet. Let me put it on you.”

“Mr. Barnes, please-”

“Call me Master.”

+ 

It took Mina two months to even earn a pair of panties. And the panties he chose for her were skimpy, to say the least. 

Mina was used to being naked now and she was almost used to Bucky. He insisted on complete order in his house. They woke up at the same time every day, ate breakfast, Bucky went off probably to murder people and came back in the afternoon to torture her.

That morning, she sat at his feet, eating her breakfast from a plate on the floor. Apparently, she wasn’t allowed the luxury of eating at the table or even sleeping in an actual bed. It was her job to make the food, the way he taught her, and she wasn’t even allowed to enjoy it. 

She wasn’t sure exactly where this rustic house was and Bucky didn’t care to answer questions like that. It wasn’t like anywhere she had lived when she was growing up. Though it wasn’t the biggest it was quite homey and somewhere she probably would’ve liked if she weren’t stuck here. The place had a big porch and there were trees surrounding most of the property except for a pond she noticed one time. 

Bucky was going through his computer, looking at codes Mina couldn’t understand. It probably had something to do with whatever mission he had to go on today. 

Mina itched at her collar, a reminder that she was not yet perfect to Bucky. 

“Mina,” She looked up quickly. Every time she heard him say her name she hoped he’d say something along the lines of giving her freedom. It made her think about what would happen if she was free. Where would she even go? She didn’t have any more family and she’d be surprised if Brandon hadn’t forgotten all about her, “Dishes.”

She gave him a solemn look, standing up with her plate in her hand. She grabbed his too and she felt his eyes over her body. He seemed to resist his urges well. Mina knew he desired to touch her and it would be a matter of time before he violated her that way. 

She walked the dirty dishes over to the sink, still feeling his eyes on her as he sat at the kitchen table, “Do you want to do something fun today, pet?”

“What do you mean, Master?”

She heard his chair creak as he rose from his seat, “We’ll go into town. We’re in dire need of groceries.”

Bucky watched her carefully, wanting to see her reaction. This was all another test, of course, to see if he could trust her out in public. 

She turned her head and Mina almost smiled for the first time in a long time. He moved behind her and Mina focused back on the dishes, “Yes, yes, that would be very nice.” He smacked her hard on her bottom and Mina winced, “I mean yes, Master.”

She felt his body heat on her skin as she turned off the water, setting the dishes into a drying rack. As she turned around, Bucky grabbed her by her neck. Luckily for her, it wasn’t the metal one, “You’d be very grateful to me, right?”

Mina nodded as best as she could, forced to look into his eyes, “What would you do to thank me?”

Mina hesitated but not for long as she felt his hand tighten, “Whatever you want, Master.”

Bucky smirked, “Hmm, and if I wanted your lips around my cock? What would you say?”

He loved this, watching her squirm. She actually thought about it and she wasn’t strong enough to defy this. Throughout this whole process, she thought she’d be stronger than this. All she knew is she’d do anything to escape this house,  “I … I-If that’s what you wanted, Master.”

The accomplished look on his face told her enough, “Let’s get dressed then.”

+

The drive from the house in Bucky’s truck was shorter than she expected. That told her that she wasn't as far away from civilization as she originally thought. She watched all the road signs but she still couldn’t quite tell where she was. It looked to be maybe that they were in the South by the type of trees. 

It seemed to be a very small town with one main street and a few more buildings. 

She was wearing a pair of regular jeans that were a little too big for her and a black hoodie that only partially hid the collar. It was another reminder that she was not a regular person anymore. Perhaps she never was.

Bucky grabbed her hand as they walked into the practically empty Piggly Wiggly. He grabbed a cart with his other hand, greeting one of the old ladies behind the cash register. 

She was not to talk to anyone unless they addressed her and Bucky would kill anyone that she tried to ask for help. Violently, he made sure to add. 

She tried her best to enjoy what little freedom she had but her mind kept wandering back to what she had “promised” Bucky she’d do in return for this outing. 

“Can we get something to eat?” She blurted out, before whispering, “Master.”

Bucky thought for a moment, pointing out the brand of Milk he wanted, waiting for her to fetch it for him. 

“Want to spend even more time in my company?” She scowled on the inside but nodded anyway. 

Bucky chose a diner on the edge of town and they seemed to get stares from everyone inside as they walked in and chose their booth. Bucky looked around as if he wasn't used to being in places like this either. 

Bucky asked her what she wanted so he could order her, avoiding as much human contact as possible, “ … and a chocolate milkshake.”

“That might cost you extra later, Mina,” Her lips pressed down into a thin line. 

“Whatever you wish, Bucky,” It was brave, saying that when he couldn’t reprimand her. Bucky smirked, knowing what she was doing. 

Bucky proceeded to order for them, including the milkshake she wanted, “Can I use the bathroom?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, “Do you think I was born yesterday?” Quite the opposite, she thought. 

Mina slouched back in her seat. It was only recently that she looked at him and actually thought he was attractive. Maybe they would’ve worked together if he weren’t so cruel. 

“Maybe if I pee my pants, someone will notice and-”

“Mina,” He practically growled her name, “Don’t ruin this opportunity I’m giving you.”

As the waitress approached with their food, Mina slowly slid the knife on the table into her lap and then the pocket of her sweatshirt. Bucky actually smiled at the waitress and she seemed to swoon. 

Mina enjoyed her milkshake and the two sat quietly for most of the meal. Bucky watched as she devoured her food and felt a little bit better about rewarding her. It had been a long two months but she was coming along a few more months, and she wouldn’t have a single thought that didn’t involve making Bucky happy. 

He grabbed her hand as they both went up to pay the check, “You two are a lovely couple,” Mina didn’t even react and the woman only smiled awkwardly, “Have a good night.”

“What do you say?”

“Thank you, Master.”

Bucky could sense the tension between the two of them growing as they got into his car. As they traveled down the dirt road, a feeling swept over both of them. A feeling of knowing and worry. Bucky put the car in park, sighing, “You’re clever but not clever enough, Mina.”

Mina froze, “Give me the knife. I won’t ask again.” Bucky’s words were sharp, demanding. 

Mina reached into her pocket and gripped the knife. As quickly as she could and with as much force as she could muster, she shoved into him. It only entered a few centimeters into the right of his chest but the motion stunned him. Mina opened her door and jumped out. 

It was one last valiant effort at her freedom. Bucky’s chest rumbled with anger as he opened his own door, causing it to almost fall off its hinges. He chased her as she ran into the treeline. Bucky was unnaturally fast and she was only a few seconds ahead of him. 

She didn’t even make it thirty feet before a metal arm wrapped around her waist and through her small body over his shoulder. She fought with the last of the strength she had as he brought her back over to the truck. 

“You have no one,” he threw her body down, pinning her against the front side of the truck, “No one except for me. Do you understand that?”

She nodded, trying to ease his wrath. He was bleeding, she could see it seeping through the plaid of his shirt, “No one else who’s going to give a shit about whether you live or die.”

“I’m sorry,” She whimpered but it wasn’t enough. 

By her shoulder, he forced her down to the ground. She didn’t move as he began to undo his jeans. She closed her eyes but Bucky roughly grabbed her chin, “Look at me!” She did as his erection sprang from his underwear. It pressed against her closed lips, “Open.”

Whatever gentleness he was previously going to give her was gone. He shoved his erection inside her mouth, instantly making her gag with how deep it went.  

He groaned as he moved inside her with animalistic lust. Saliva dripped down her chin and her eyes filled with tears from the lack of oxygen. He even pinched her nose shut to torture her further.

She’d grab onto his thighs for some sort of balance and he’d simply push away her hands, using her mouth like a barbarian. 

Bucky didn’t want to finish in her mouth, he hadn’t waited this long for that. He pulled her up from her position on her knees only to pull the jacket over her head. Luckily, there was no one around to see what was happening in his driveway. 

He turned her around swiftly before easily yanking down her pants and panties as well, He pressed her front into the hood of the car, positioning himself at her entrance. Mina’s body had betrayed her and Bucky could feel her wetness. 

“You’d enjoy this more if you weren’t so stubborn, pet.”

He entered her slowly and Mina cried out, the pressure incredibly intense. 

Bucky held her waist, dragging her body back onto him and then pushing it forward as he moved in and out. He grunted, noting how tight she was around him. It felt like they were perfectly matched together. 

Bucky sped up his pace, his hand reaching around to rub her sensitive bulb. She flinched from the touch but he could tell it was from the sudden pleasure. She was tightening around him and he could tell she was already coming. Bucky made a note about how sensitive she was. 

The first orgasm ripped through her, completing shattering her world in the process. How could she be turned on by this? Maybe what she felt had been wrong all along. She tried to hold in her moans but that proved futile quickly. 

Bucky wasn’t done with her yet, turning her back around to face him and lifting her leg so he could slide into her again. She looked tired from the first one, tears still staining her face. Bucky held her neck in his metal hand as he slammed into her a few more times. He finished inside her with his lips on hers. As he came, he removed his hand and he felt Mina return his kiss. They moved well together, his tongues brushing hers as it became sloppier. 

Mina was crying still, not because of the gagging but because she realized what Bucky said was true.

“I’m the only one you have,” He spoke, starting to kiss her chin and then her neck. She nodded vigorously in agreement. 

“I know, I-I know,” Her eyes didn’t leave his. 

Bucky pulled away, looking her over, loving how perfect she was, “Let’s get you in the bath, doll.”

+

Hope you enjoy this! I have another Sebastian fic called plaything and a bunch of dark Peter stuff. I’m currently trying to write a Bucky/Steve/Peter related Walking Dead AU so hopefully my idea for that works out lol. 

[crossbackpoke-check]

open ice: can't wait

@crossbackpoke-check ayo?

[xiyao-feels]

I'm so confused. can jgy reincarnate or be resurrected? I know fanfic can take liberties but I've read conflicting things. plus the untamed didn't show his body or explain anything and I believe the novel says something else entirely? 😔🥺😕

So "can JGY reincarnate or be resurrected" is not a question I can really properly answer. My understanding is that the answer is yes if he's not stuck in the coffin (and a friend of mine has read a bunch of Chinese fic, albeit through Google translate, where stuff like that does in fact happen), but I'm not confident I'd know it if the answer were no! So I'm afraid I can't really help you there, I'm sorry. This is normally where I'd link you stuff from people who know more than I do but while I know I've seen stuff on the subject apparently I didn't save it, and I couldn't find anything relevant searching, either. That'll teach me not to save my links...

But I can show you what happened to JGY in MDZS, and then contrast with CQL! Let's go.

So, end of ch. 108, JGY pushes LXC away from the coffin and NMJ (not, note, out of the temple, which isn't crumbling!) and then NMJ immediately drags him into the coffin and kills him:

Yet, just as the hand was an instant from grasping Lan XiChen’s neck, Jin GuangYao used the only hand he had left to strike Lan XiChen’s chest, pushing Lan XiChen away.

He, himself, on the other hand, was dragged into the coffin by Nie MingJue, then held up like holding a puppet. The scene was beyond frightening. Jin GuangYao used his one hand to peel away at Nie MingJue’s steel-like palm. He struggled ceaselessly from the pain, hair tangled, as heavy malice shot from his eyes. He cursed with all the energy he had left, “Fuck you, Nie MingJue! You think I’m really scared of you?! I…”

With much difficulty, he coughed up some blood. Everyone present heard a crack that was abnormally clear and brutal.

A whimper of a last breath left Jin GuangYao’s throat.

There's a last short couple of sentences about JL's reaction, and then at the beginning of 109 you immediately have:

Lan XiChen staggered a few steps back from the push. He hadn’t realized what happened yet. Meanwhile, Lan WangJi struck the back of the fair-featured Guanyin statue at the center of the temple. The statue vibrated as it flew towards the coffin. Nie MingJue was still inspecting the corpse in his hand, the head had already dipped. As the heavy statue hit him, he fell right back where he’d been.

Wei WuXian leaped over and stepped onto the Guanyin’s chest. The coffin lid had broken already. They could only use the Guanyin statue as a lid to seal away Nie MingJue and his rampage. Down below, Nie MingJue struck the statue again and again in attempt to break free, while Wei WuXian also shook again and again, reeling so much he was almost thrown off.

And then LWJ lifts the coffin up, seals it with seven quqin strings and lets it fall again to the ground.

Then for the rest of chapter 109 and the beginning of 110, LXC and then WWX ask NHS some questions, after which:

After a while of silence, Wei WuXian spoke, “Let’s stop standing around for nothing. Get a few people to go find assistance. Save a few to stand by here and watch the thing. The coffin and the guqin strings won’t be able to seal ChiFeng-Zun for long.”

As though to verify his judgement, loud noises echoed within the coffin again, along with a nameless fury. Nie HuaiSang shivered. Wei WuXian glanced at him, “You see? You have to switch to a firmer coffin right now, dig a deep ditch, and bury it once more. You won’t be able to open it in at least a hundred years. If you do, it’s guaranteed it’ll continue to haunt, resulting in endless consequences…”

Right after this, the crowd comes pouring in. Some of them do indeed work on strengthening the seal; we're also told that it requires careful handling (which is why it's a few of the sect leaders who volunteer to handle it), and WWX anticipates the near future of the coffin:

Soon, this coffin would be sealed within a larger, firmer coffin. It’d be secured with seventy-two mahogany nails and buried deep underground, sealed under some mountain with stone tablets of warning.

Then we see some sect leaders carrying it outside the temple, and later LQR watches it be hauled onto a cart.

The next we hear of it is in overheard rumour in ch 113, three months later:

Someone switched the subject, “Enough, enough. Why talk about these things? Eat up, eat up No matter how powerful that Jin GuangYao used to be, right now he could be stuck in a coffin brawling with Nie MingJue.”

“I don’t think so. They loathe each other to the core, after all. I bet his bones have already been torn apart by Nie MingJue.”

“Indeed! I went to the sealing ceremony. The resentful energy in that coffin was so strong that no life grew within five hundred feet of it. I’m doubting it, really—could the coffin really seal them for a hundred years?”

Overheard rumour is not the most reliable of things, especially in MDZS—for example, I would not be surprised if it wasn't really five hundred feet. But it gives any sense, and certainly—as WWX indicated above—the coffin is /meant/ to seal them for a hundred years. (Though I have my doubts on this actually working; see here.)

Now let's look at CQL:

After JGY breaks the seal on the coffin, the blood drops onto the Tiger Seal, and resentful energy emerges and the temple starts to crumple; pretty much everyone but wangxian and xiyao flee the temple. LXC lifts his hand to push JGY away, but can't bring himself to do it; JGY asks him to stay and die with him, and he agrees. JGY then pushed him away to save his life, and wangxian catch him and LWJ brings him out of the temple to make sure he actually leaves insead of e.g. running right back in to die with JGY. WWX stays and watches a little; we see JGY turn and confront the resentful energy: "Nie Mingjue. Do you think I will be afraid of you?" The temple continues to collapse, WWX flees, and JGY runs towards the coffin.

(I'm having a hard time with the blocking on this one, I watched it a few times and it looks like they are a) immediately over the coffin when JGY bleeds on it and then immediately after they're...not? Despite not moving??? But the above is what I think is supposed to be going on.)

They're then sitting around in the courtyard outside. They seem to have been sitting around for a while even before WWX's wound heals (not a feature in MDZS, because in MDZS MXY's revenge didn't include JGY); it seems likely that JGY died before that, I think, but that's at least an end point. After this the cultivators rush into the courtyard. Now we finally get people going into the temple again, but there doesn't seem to be any sign or mention of sealing. I thought I remembered mention if a ceremony of some sort, but I can't find it in the rest of the episode and a friend doesn't remember it at all so I think it's pretty likely I was just misremembering/crossing it with MDZS.

But basically: in MDZS, they seal them together /immediately/ after JGY dies, and they proceed very quickly to a stronger, more permanent seal. In CQL, there's no sign of any of this at all! It seems quite plausible that they're not buried together, never mind sealed together. And regardless, it couldn't have happened nearly as immediately; JGY's spirit could have time to flee the coop.

It's also worth remembering that in MDZS when they seal the coffin at the end, it's to immediately deal with /fierce corpse NMJ/, who otherwise would be an extremely powerful, extraordinarily dangerous fierce corpse, made even worse—as WWX notes in ch 107—by having killed JGY.* In CQL it looks like the problem is more the Tiger Seal, I think? And it's not like they need to immediately seal it into the coffin which JGY is also in? It's not even clear that JGY's body actually ends up in the coffin, from what I can see. As far as I can tell there's not really any reason to believe they're buried together. If I had to guess (though I didn't rewatch all relevant scenes, or even all the temple scenes, and I could easily be missing something) I'd say NMJ might be going back to Honourable Burial Nie Land, and JGY's corpse....

Hmmm. That's kind of interesting, come to think of it. If it hasn't mysteriously vanished I'm not sure what would happen to it; I'm inclined to say it wouldn't be treated well except LXC is right there and he might like. Stab someone, honestly. If it /has/ mysteriously vanished—I just might change my mind about CQL LXC killing himself.** In Which a Twin Jade obsessively searches the world for their loved one because there's the possibility they might not be dead, huh.

*"After he killed Jin GuangYao, his killing intent would definitely become stronger, and he’d be more difficult to subdue!"

**I don't think this is the impression CQL as a whole is trying to give us, to be clear, it's just what I think happened.

[lovelyasfcuk]

Voyager

A Mandalorian Story | Din Djarin x F!Reader

V: Sacrifice

Summary: Din starts to unravel the mysterious shroud you’re hiding under and the legend of the Jedi. In the hope of finding a lead and repairing the Razor Crest for the journey, you make a difficult decision in any possible chance for success.

Word Count: 2,120

Warnings: Mentions of death. Internal struggle. Protective Din.

A/N: Starting to post longer chapters because there is...a lot. 

The gentle hum of the atmosphere in the Crest crept into his consciousness, as he started regaining awareness of his extremities, slowly shifting his body about the small cot. He glanced at the monitor next to him, displaying various readings of within the ship. He sighed, realizing he had only slept for not more than four hours.

The truth was, he couldn’t remember the last time he fully rested; definitely not while the child had come into his life. It also didn’t help there was a stranger onboard. He listened harder, trying zero in on any foreign sound outside of his quarters, but the only sound that he found was the gentle coos of the foundling, deep in sleep. 

The vastness of space was insurmountable. How could any thing exist at all? It had been so long since you had seen the stars so clear. You sat in the pilot seat, legs pulled up into your chest and arms wrapped around them, gazing at the delicate swirl of colors against the harsh black. You had heard the clanking of his boots long before he had quietly cleared his throat in an attempt to make his presence known. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” You quietly asked.

“Had to make sure we were still on course.” He replied.

Realizing your potential faux pas, you dropped her feet to the ground and standing to leave the cockpit. Din watched you gather your cloak, pulling it up to your lips and clutching your text in hand.

“You said this might hold the next clue?” He asked pointedly.

You stilled at his question, watching him sit in the co-pilot’s chair. Slowly sitting back down yourself, you tried your best to read the air.  “I believe so. I believe there is someone in Black Spire that may be able to help me with…”

Hesitating, you glanced up at Din, who made no effort to interrupt your thought.

“How do you know of the Jedi?” You asked him.

“One of my creed told me about them. Some kind of…sorcerers…who can move objects with their mind. Enemies to Mandalore.” 

You chuckled quietly at his assessment and peered down at the text in your hand, gently swiping your thumb over its cover. “Long ago, the Jedi were peacekeepers in the galaxy, but they were deceived. Manipulated like puppets by the Republic. By the time it became clear, it was already too late. They had their faults, to be sure, but I believe they were just misunderstood by everyone on the outside.”

“You sound confident.”

You paused for only a moment, before opening the text to a page. Holding it up to Din, you pointed to the geometric drawing. “That…is the next clue – a Holocron. Said to hold vital information used by the Jedi. If I can find one, it may be able to tell us the location of any that remain. If any survived.”

“Survived?” Din gently prodded, his voice soft and thoughtful.

“Yes. They were all but executed and the few that remained abandoned their lives, going into hiding to protect themselves from the Empire. After that, it’s almost as if the utterance of the word “Jedi” put you in immediate danger. They became a legend. A myth.”

The air around you both seemed to grow heavy, as your voice became merely a whisper. You closed the text, laying it on your lap, becoming self conscious of the weight of the conversation.

You smiled bashfully and glanced up at Din. “…But you cannot kill the force. I believe your little one possesses the talents that would make a very strong Jedi. I have never seen anything like him.”

“Like you.” Din responded.

“No.” You chuckled, “No, I am of no importance.”

“You have the same power that he does. If the Jedi is where he belongs, then you must too. Is that why you have these texts?” Din asked, but received no answer. “Where is it that your people are from?”

“I hardly know anymore.” You responded, looking down at the text in her lap. “I am without a people”.

———

The Razor Crest touched down, landing within a dark hanger. The grinding groans of its mechanisms giving away the tell-tell signs of much needed repairs.

A young man approached the ship’s ramp, pulling his googles on his forehead and grease-stained gloves from his hands, watching as you made your way down alone. A smile broke across your face as you eagerly took his hand in yours. 

“Just where have you been, cuyan?” He asks you, his wide smile matching yours. 

“It’s been sometime, hasn’t it?” 

“…and still getting into trouble, no less.” His smile leaving his face, as his focus was stolen by the beskar clad Mandalorian making his way down the ramp. His eyes met yours again, filled with questions. 

“This is my friend Coltan. He’s the best mechanic I’ve ever come across, and he’s going to get the Razor Crest repaired so we can be off planet quickly.” You spoke to Din, but kept your eyes on Coltan’s, his own gaze still fixed on yours intently. 

“The faster, the better. And discretion…” The modulated voice directed.

“Let me just grab everything I need. If you wouldn’t mind just walking me through the problems? I’ll meet you inside.” Coltan interrupted Din, quickly turning and jogging off to retrieve his tools.

You turned to the man at your side, stepping closer and lowering your voice, though the hanger was empty except for the humming of the buildings generators. “You can trust him. I’ve known him for many years and he’s never once let me down. In the meantime, I’ll head out and see what I can find.”

You looked down at the child in the knapsack slung around Din’s chest, finding him peeking out from behind Din’s arm. You reached down, rubbing the pad of your thumb against his cheek. “I will be back.” You promised, your eyes meeting the wide stare of the child and returning to Din’s visor. 

“And if things go wrong?” He challenged.

“It won’t. There won’t be a Mandalorian with me to give me away.” You smiled. “And with Coltan working on the Crest, I’ll have to be quick.”

His helmet lingered in your direction after you spoke, left you wondering what expression shone through his eyes. He nodded once and made his way back into the Crest.

“What are you doing?” Coltan’s voice appeared from behind you, making you jump slightly while you watched Din disappear into the ship. You turned to him, meeting his inquisitive expression.

“I don’t know anymore.” You sighed.

“No. You don’t. Have you learned nothing? Do you know anything about him? Where he comes from? Who he belongs to? What if he is one of them?” Coltan lectured, his voice in hushed frustration.

“No, I don’t know any of it. But I do know is this - nothing will ever change unless someone takes a stand.” 

“And you’re the one that’s going to change all of that?” He asked skeptically.

You paused, your gaze falling to the ground. “When will it ever be enough? I’m…so tired, Colt.”

He reached a finger under your chin, lifting your gaze. “But are you ready for what this might bring?”

His words stung and you winced as your mind conjured up every possibility laden in his meaning. Before you could dwell on any one possibility, you began to feel a light bloom in your chest, melting any frayed edges of your doubt. 

“I believe he is different.” Confidence ringing in your tone. “I feel it.” You spoke quietly, bringing your hand to your chest, fingers splayed over your heart.

A slight smile played on Coltan’s lips, but failed to touch his eyes. He sighed and nodded, slinging a thick leather band of tools around his shoulder. You returned a single nod and patted his arm before heading out of the hanger into the dimming light of the afternoon.

———

The settlement was calm as the sun began to fall on the dark spires that pierced the orange and red sky, casting a fiery hue against the cylindrical structure in front of you. You took a deep breath and entered the doorway.

Dim lights filled the space below the vaulted ceiling. Various artifacts hanging from the long walls, filled every open space. Mounted heads of trophied kills, murky green water filled glass canisters of ancient creatures - the room was a menagerie of the disgraced and forgotten.

You looked around in awe, recognizing some and curiosity drawing with others. From behind the ornate metal counter within the room, an Ithorian appeared speaking his native tongue.

“I’m…sorry. I do not understand.” You smiled apologetically, approaching him.

The Ithorian continued to speak, deep gurgled sounds filling the room, and waving you closer to him. He waved his hand over the counter, encasing artifacts of higher value, and to the wall behind him. You reached into your knapsack, retrieved your text and laid it upon the counter. 

“I’m looking for one of these.” You said, pointing to the holocron. 

His eyes widened and blinked, as he made a deep grumbling sound from his chest. He disappeared behind the counter, gurgling and rustling items as we went. You reflexively looked over your shoulder but was immediately distracted when you heard the clank of an object set down in front of you. A holocron.

You reached out hesitantly, but was stopped by the Ithorian’s hand, his palm facing upwards. Reviewing your pockets in your mind, trying to conjure up any amount of credits to offer for the relic. Your face fell knowing there was no financial value to your name, until a thought flashed across your mind.

Taking a deep breath, you reached into your jacket and pulled out a delicate silver chain that hung against your chest. Slowly, you unclasped it from you neck.

You draped the chain around your fingers, holding it up for the Ithorian to survey - a long silver, diamond shaped pendant. Pointed at the top and bottom, its flat sides embraced a turquoise stone at its center.

It swayed heavily in the air between you. He squinted his eyes and, after a moment of consideration, nodded. You took the pendant in your hands and brushed your fingers against the stone.

You felt tears well in your eyes, quickly sniffing and straightening your shoulders, attempting composure. You brought the pendant to your lips, quickly kissing it and placed it in the the Ithorian’s palm.

———

“Everything should be running smoothly now. Quick fix.” Coltan called out, making his way off the loading ramp of the Crest, tools in hand. You had just returned to the hanger, meeting him at his work station.

“Too quick, I’d say.” You responded as lightly as you could.

“And that kid is…wait…how could you ever doubt me?” He feigned shock at your assessment, before turning to see your expression. He recognized it immediately. “What happened?”

You shook your head, your eyebrows furrowed in concentration and trying for the best smile you could. “Nothing. Just…focused.”

Coltan grunted in disapproval. “You may be able to lie to him, but you won’t ever be able to fool me.”

You smiled at your old friend but found no other words to offer in your defense.

“You were right, you know - he’s not like them. But that doesn’t mean…just…be careful, please?” He quietly pleaded.

“I will. I have to help him. That child…he’s too precious.”

“Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk about a bounty hunter in town, but I had no idea it was that one. You sure know how to avoid trouble.”

“I’m starting to think that maybe I’m just destined for it.” You chuckled darkly. “How could I ever repay you?”

A smug look flashed across his face, “Well, he already did. Truthfully, I’m just honored that I got to see you again.”

You held steady your trembling lip as your eyes glossed over with fresh tears, threatening to pool. You tightly wrapped your arms around him, hiding your face to quickly clear the emotion that dared to break your visage. 

“If you ever need me, I’m never far away.” He said, holding you at arms length, his hand framing the side of your face.

You nodded, composed again. 

“Be strong, ner kote.” He said softly, before taking your hand in his, bowing his head, and placing a kiss upon it.

.........

Taglist: @babybelou​ @pascalsky​ @ayamenimthiriel​

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 71 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Fun fact: this rewrite is now the second-longest fic in the Drace Race RPF section of AO3. (Second only to the original story, lol.) So if you’re looking for a lot of content…we’ve got you. ;) Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Previously: Violet revealed her estranged relationship with her family to Sutan, and Courtney struggled to live up to Miss Fame’s demands.

This Chapter: Some uncharacteristic vulnerability from Violet, Met Gala meetings and morning television.

***

“Do you want more marshmallows?”

“I always want more marshmallows.”

Katya grinned as she got up from the kitchen table, grabbing Trixie’s mug to top them both up. They were decorating gingerbread men, Katya pulling them from the oven last night. Trixie was doing clothes, drawing in the lines and putting details on them, one of his favorite jobs.

It was a tradition of theirs, spending the Sunday before Christmas in their pajamas, preparing cookies and watching Home Alone, the leftover icing always ending up in the bedroom for some sticky afternoon fun.

***

“Aaaand release...”

“Oh god,” Sutan groaned, rolling onto his back and spreading out like a starfish. “I’m dead.”

When he had jokingly asked if he could join Violet for her yoga session, he hadn’t figured she’d say yes, and he definitely hadn’t expected that it’d be this hard, those last few breaths of extended child’s pose essentially torture where he could feel his bones bend and creak.

“Stop being so dramatic,” Violet grinned, his girlfriend sitting back on her knee, the leg with her cast spread out to the side. “We only did 40 minutes.”

“You’re not even sweating.” Sutan looked at her, Violet’s hair in a high ponytail, the Sunday look of one of his shirts and a sports bra quickly becoming a fave.

“Some of us remember to do more than weights and cardio, Mr. Amrull.”

“I’m texting my trainer right now,” Sutan reached over his head, grabbing his phone that he had left on the floor next to their mats, Violet giggling as she laid down next to him, putting her head on his shoulder.

“There,” Sutan pressed send, his trainer probably falling off of his chair when he read the message, Sutan always attempting to get away with the bare minimum when it came to exercise, but he refused to be humiliated by being unable to reach his toes.

He was just about to put his phone down, when Violet reached up and tapped the screen, his front camera opening up, both of them in frame as they were lying on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking a picture?” Violet smiled, her sarcastic tone never wavering. “To document the moment.”

Sutan looked at the screen. It was so incredibly tempting to say yes, to keep this moment in the private password protected collection that had steadily grown since Thanksgiving, Violet really and truly trying to let him take pictures, but he couldn’t say yes, not when he knew why she was so confident.

“And can I post it?”

“Post it?” Violet raised an eyebrow, sitting up on her elbows. “Why? Isn’t your hair...?”

“A mess?” Sutan didn’t want to smile, but it was impossible not to, Violet knowing him way too well if she had already figured out that he was sometimes embarrassingly vain about his hairstyle, the mess on his head looking like he had been fucking for an hour. “Yes, but I still want to post it.”

“I-” Violet had pulled away completely now, not a single trace of the sweetness left. “No.”

“Violet,” Sutan sat up as well, putting his phone down, “I know you hate social media, but you’re my girlfriend, and I don’t think what I ask for is unreasonable-”

“Sutan. Please” Violet grabbed her mat and rolled it together in an attempt to avoid him. “I said no.”

“And I’m pushing because I don’t understand.” Sutan could feel the annoyance build, the hurt and the rejection. It stung every single time Violet denied him, hurt every time she neglected what they had.

“I’m not saying we have to announce it with a workout selfie,” Sutan hated that they were fighting, but he couldn’t help himself, “but I want to tell the world that we’re together.”

“And I don’t-” Violet looked at him, her brown eyes filled with hurt. “If the world knows, they know, and I don’t want them to know where I am or what I’m doing.”

There it was. The they, the them, the family from Atlanta that was haunting his girlfriend's life like a shadow that had slowly started to creep into his too.

“Violet, I hate to be the one to tell you,” Sutan didn’t touch her, simply putting his hand down on the floor next to hers, telling her that he was there. “But the internet exists. If they have your name, they can find you, no matter what you do to hide.”

“Have you taken a moment to consider that they might not have that?”

Sutan paused, Violet’s words like a bomb.

“... What?”

Did her family not have her name? It was true that Violet Chachki barely got any hits on google, that it was Parson’s assignments and internships that popped up, the Galactica employee directory right at the top, but Sutan had never considered that possibility, had never even toyed with it.

“This wasn’t how I planned on telling you. Actually, I probably wasn’t counting on telling you at all, but I’m not…” Violet was fiddling with the tiniest hole in her yoga mat, her fingers tugging on the foam. “I wasn’t born Violet. Wasn’t even born a Chachki. Hasn’t it ever seemed weird to you that my last name literally means trinket?”

“It does?”

“Mmh,” Violet smiled, the same heavy sadness he had seen in the hospital in her eyes. “I needed to not be… Blair anymore.”

“Blair?”

“Yes,” Violet nodded. “Blair Dardo. It was my birth name. I never liked it, and I changed it the moment I turned 18, left it behind the second I could. That’s why I can’t,” Violet gestured vaguely to Sutan’s phone. “Changing it meant that they can’t, that they can’t find me, and I-”

Sutan didn’t know what to say, but it felt like he had just been given another puzzle piece in the mystery that was his girlfriend.

“I’m sorry.”

Violet’s head snapped to attention, her eyes widening in confusion. “...What?”

“I’m sorry.” Sutan said it again, making sure he put his genuine emotion behind the words. “I should have realized that you weren’t saying no to be difficult, and yet I kept pushing.”

“Sutan-” Violet still looked confused and a little suspicious, like she didn’t really understand what he was doing. “You don’t have to-”

“No but I do.” Sutan smiled. “I get it now, and I’m sorry, but next time you have a deep dark secret, maybe you could just tell me instead of this charade-”

Sutan was cut off as Violet threw herself in his arms, knocking him down on the floor and kissing him like her life depended on it, gratitude rolling off of her in waves.

***

“Raja?”

Alyssa held out the plate of croissants, Raja waving it away since she didn’t want one. The entire senior management team was gathered in the  conference room, Fame for some ungodly reason always insisting on a full breakfast spread for their Monday meetings, even though only a fraction of them ever actually ate any of it.

“So,” Fame looked around, a gold fountain pen in her hand, a black moleskin notebook open in front of her. “Any updates?”

The theme of today's meeting was the 2015 Met Gala, Raja barely hiding a groan when Courtney had sent out the meeting agenda.

It wasn’t that she disliked the Met Gala, the first Monday in May a spectacular party, but it was such a hassle getting there, the gala the fashion world's version of the Oscars.

“Yes,” Pearl smiled, turning around in her chair. She was weirdly chipper, her blonde hair collected in a clip, her signature leather jacket exchanged with a cropped black fur. “We have the final confirmation from Jessica Chastain’s team. She’s in.”

“Good,” Fame nodded, making a note in her moleskin, the fact that Fame was actually writing herself more than enough to cement the severity of the situation. Courtney was standing against the wall, Ivy sitting at the table with her computer open, typing away, but when it came to the Met, Fame left nothing up to chance.

“She’s looking forward to working with us, and she says she’s honored-”

“Yada yada yada,” Fame made a hand puppet, and Raja had to hide a smile, Pearl leaning back in her chair with a roll of her eyes, mouthing at everyone else that she’d send a follow up email.

It was Fame who had requested Jessica, in her own roundabout way, her friend casually mentioning to Raja that she had a good smile, which was more than enough for Raja to make Pearl offer her up as Galactica’s celebrity face.

It wasn’t every house who did it, but the big ones always had a celebrity at the gala, wearing their clothes and repping the brand.

“Does anyone know if they’ve moved away from the terrible theme yet?”

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Alaska offered up, the promotional material the Met had sent out at the start of the fall in the middle of the table thanks to Ivy’s forthsight. “It’s December, and since we haven’t heard anything, they’re sticking with China's influence on western fashion.”

“Good god, I was really hoping they had come to their senses.” Fame breathed out through her nose, and Raja had to agree with her. Sure, ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ made sense as an art exhibition, but there was really no way to convert it to fashion without being culturally insensitive at best and offensively appropriative at worst.

Besides, Galactica had never been a brand that sought inspiration from the east in their designs and aesthetics, which made the entire situation quite the predicament.

“I’m sure we can work with it,” Trixie gave a small smile, the stack of papers by his elbow indicating that he had probably already put his senior designers to work coming up with concepts.

“And how,” Fame turned, looking directly at Trixie. “Are we supposed to work with it? Raja’s the only one who could possibly get away with being theme appropriate.”

Usually, Fame and Raja were the ones who walked the carpet together with their celebrity, Fame a nervous wreck for weeks before the gala because of all the strangers, while Raja enjoyed it because of her modeling days, seeing old acquaintances without the stresses of fashion week, a delightful yearly treat.

“I’m Indonesian.” Raja knew Fame didn’t mean anything by it, and she wasn’t that concerned about being politically correct herself, but everyone knew what it could mean for a fashion house to misstep, Dolce and Gabbana somehow walking directly from one scandal and into another one. “Not Chinese.”

“See?” Fame sighed, leaning back in her chair. “It’s a controversial time bomb. Either, we stay on theme, which I refuse since I look terrible in Chinese red, ”

“So we’re going off theme?” Trixie had picked up his papers, sorting through them, and Raja felt a moment of gratitude for their head of design, Trixie of course coming prepared with off-theme suggestions as well.

“Unless they get a grip and change it? Yes. Yes we are.”

*

“There!” Everyone held their breath as Maxwell pointed at Violet’s screen, an email from Ivy just ticking in, the Met Gala meeting still in full swing.

“Open it, Chachki!” Blu was practically biting her nails, hopping from one foot to the other, her red hair in a braid over her shoulder.

“Alright, alright-“ Violet clicked on the email, Bob standing right behind her, his eyes flying over the screen before he called out.

“It’s Jessica!”

A collective sigh of relief went through the floor, a loud ‘yes’ coming from Kiara who was clapping her hands together, the group breaking up, chatter filling the air.

“Thank god,” Maxwell groaned, putting a hand on Violet’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “I knew having you here would be worth it Chachki.”

“Right.” Violet raised an eyebrow, looking up at him, clearly not understanding why no one had thought to simply ask Ivy for updates before, the suggestion just casually slipping from her during morning coffee, the entire department running with it instantly. “But I still don’t-“

“Get it?” They turned to look over at Jovan who was sitting at his own desk, the man one of the few who hadn’t gathered around Violet’s computer.

“Yes.” Violet nodded. “If you needed information all this time, you could have just asked-”

“Like we could have just asked you?” Bob said, cutting her off and Violet opened her mouth, only to close it again. “Exactly.” Bob grinned. “You would have told us to fuck off.”

“I see your point.” Violet tapped her fingers on her desk, a small smile on her lips since everyone knew she would have said those exact words directly to their faces when she had been in Fame’s front office. “But, why is it such a big deal if a celeb is confirmed or not? The gala isn’t until May, that’s 4 months away and it’s three outfits. A whole collection is usually done in that time.”

“A collection doesn’t have to be approved by the celebrity,” Maxwell counted on his fingers, “the celebrity’s stylist, Vogue and Anna Wintour personally on top of Trixie, Raja and Fame. Alexis usually starts producing concepts in October.”

“As soon as they reveal the theme girl!” Alexis yelled over her shoulder, already pulling her sketches from their shelf, the confirmation meaning that she’d be in a meeting with Trixie for the rest of the day, working out the details of the first round of negotiations with the celebrity.

“Huh…” Violet looked around, the puzzled expression still on her face. “And what about-“

“Fame and Raja?”

Violet nodded.

“You’d think Fame would be the difficult one-“ Maxwell smiled.

“But make something gorgeous and custom in ivory and she’s on board,” Jovan grinned, putting the pen he was using behind his ear as he turned around in his chair. “Every year, she pretends like she’ll follow the theme, and then never does.”

“Exactly.” Maxwell nodded. “Fame is demanding, but consistent. Trixie has an entire drawer of Fame-appropriate outfits that we all contribute to whenever we have an idea.”

“That makes a disturbing amount of sense,” Violet looked mildly impressed, and if any of the rumors Maxwell had heard about how she had managed Fame’s front office, that approach wasn’t too far off from how Violet herself had attempted to tame the beast.

“Rule one of surviving at Galactica: Never disappoint Miss Fame. For once, however, Fame isn’t the problem.” Maxwell sighed, taking a seat on the edge of Violet’s desk. “Raja is.”

“Raja?” Violet looked genuinely surprised. “Really?”

“Yes really.” Maxwell crossed his arms. “Every year, she tells us that she’s chill, that she’ll wear whatever goes with the spring collection or the theme-“

“And every single year, she changes her mind at least four times.” Bob chimed in, the drama loving smirks on his lip. “More if you’re lucky.”

“Which is why,” Maxwell nudged Bob’s side with his elbow. “We’ve unanimously decided that you have the honor of dressing Raja for this year's Met Gala.”

“Me?” Violet’s eyes widened. “What? Why?” Violet looked at them, confusion painted on her face. “I’m the most junior member of staff.”

“True, but you’re also sucking her brother's dick,” Maxwell grinned, “so we figured she can’t kill you during the process, unlike the rest of us mere mortals.”

***

It should have been one of the most exciting mornings since Courtney started at Galactica--Miss Fame and Raja were being interviewed on a talk show, and so she got to go to the famous 30 Rockefeller Plaza building, and be on the set of a real television show. Unfortunately, it was such a whirlwind of activity and Miss Fame was in such a demanding mood that she didn’t have a second to enjoy it.

She felt like a chicken with its head cut off, running around in a hectic scramble to meet every request. Today was the last day before their holiday break, and even though Courtney knew that spending her break with Bianca would be incredible, she also knew that she had about a billion things to do before that could even start. Today was supposed to be a half day, but with how packed the schedule was, she’d be lucky to leave by 5.

She entered Miss Fame’s green room, silently handing her the coffee she’d asked for and then leaning on the wall to catch her breath. Miss Fame took a sip and then immediately spit the coffee back out.

“What is this?” she asked, holding the cup out like it was a bag of dog shit.

“It’s your usual-”

“This is not my usual. This is weak, and not hot enough, and-did you just roll your eyes?”

“No, Miss!” Courtney insisted, praying that she was telling the truth. She was tired, having arrived at the office at 6 am to drop off her stuff for Bianca’s, and there was a teeny tiny chance that she may have (accidentally) rolled her eyes. “Would you like a new-”

“Let me tell you something, Courtney. This may be the last day before a vacation, but I expect you to be fully present and accounted for. We have too many important things going on and I will not accept anything less than your absolute very best. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Now. Please go find me some decent coffee before I get a migraine.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“And after you come back, I need you to go to the dry cleaners. I’ve decided to wear my ivory Valentino suit to meet the investors later.”

“Yes, Miss, will do.”

“That’s all,” Miss Fame said, waving her hand, and Courtney took off back down the labyrinthine hallways of 30 Rock to hunt down a coffee that would meet her standards.

***

“Good morning! Welcome back to Coast to Coast. I’m Nina West, and today we are positively blessed to have with us the icons of fashion, Miss Fame and Raja Gemini of Galactica, here to talk to us about dressing to impress in the new year, and their exciting new business ventures. Thank you so much for being here, ladies!”

“Thank you, we’re thrilled to be here,” Fame smiled, the lie easily falling out of her red painted lips.

Raja could see the way her hands were clenched in her lap, her wedding ring turned inward and digging into her palm, and knew that she was at her tensest.

Raja had long ago gotten used to giving live interviews. She had a laid-back attitude and while she always wanted to represent the company in the most flattering light, she tended to relax and let the conversation flow naturally.

Fame, however, had never quite gotten the hang of it in the same way. She was just so brand-conscious, almost to a debilitating degree, written interviews so much more her speed.

She always looked impeccable, very much the ice goddess she was so often called, but Fame had never gotten the same confidence in her speaking skills as Raja, who had been dragged through developing them in her modeling career.

Even though Fame hated being on live TV, they occasionally got an offer they couldn’t turn down, and between the makeup line being released in January and the overhaul of their website and online store, they had a lot to plug.

The whole thing was so stressful Fame had asked Raja four times to check her pits for sweat stains, her papers with facts from the makeup department and pointers from Pearl not leaving her hand until they literally had to go on.

Raja leaned forward, giving Fame’s shoulder a reassuring pat, and added, “This is our favorite show, we never miss it!”

“Aww, thank you!” said Nina, grinning. “Now, I’ve heard through the grapevine that you have an exciting announcement.”

“Yes, and we’re so happy to be able to share the news with your viewers first-”

“An exclusive!” Nina exclaimed, eyes comically wide and mouth open as if this was news to her.

“Yes, exactly. Early this year, we released a limited makeup line, and it’s been doing just wonderfully. So in 2015, we’re going to be rolling out a full line of makeup and skincare, with special edition palettes and colors all throughout the spring.”

“All natural, vegan, cruelty free...I always want the very best for my own skin and I wouldn’t offer our customers anything less,” Fame cut in, and Raja felt a surge of pride at how natural she sounded. All their rehearsing had clearly paid off.

“If you use it, I’ll use it!” Nina said with a chuckle. “You both have the most gorgeous skin I’ve ever seen.”

“We expect the first batch to sell out quickly,” Raja said, “So go straight to our website, Galactica dot com, and sign up to be part of the mailing list to receive alerts on all new product launches and where they’ll show up in stores.”

“I’m doing that, the second we go to commercials,” Nina said. “But first, I heard that there’s more news about your spring line...”

***

Patrick reached for the remote, turning off the TV as Nina West rounded out the segment with Fame and Raja.

He was sitting in his office, wrapping up the last details before the firm could close down for the holiday break.

Fame had done a great job, the nerves he knew she had felt not showing on her beautiful face. Patrick picked up his phone, a smile on his lips as he started to type out a text.

Fame would probably not read it until she left work for the day, but he was proud of her, and he hoped that she was proud of herself too.

***

Fame collapsed onto her dressing room sofa, completely emotionally drained, the crystals she had stuffed in her bra digging against her skin.

Being on camera for live television always took up every drop of energy, and left her with nothing to spare. Unfortunately, she knew that she didn’t have much time to rest, since she was due at the Russian Tea Room to meet her potential investors in less than an hour. The makeup artist they’d hired was standing by for touch-ups, and her ivory Valentino suit hung in its dry cleaning bag on the clothing rack. But first, she knew that her blood sugar was dangerously low, so she needed…

She looked around. Where on earth was Courtney? Fame had never met someone with such a tendency to be underfoot at the worst times and completely MIA when her presence was required. She walked to the doorway, spotting Courtney having a casual chat with a girl in a headset, carefree as anything.

“Courtney!” she snapped, and Courtney looked up, surprised, even though she was literally here for the sole purpose of taking care of Fame’s needs. “Come!”

Fame turned and walked back into her dressing room, irritated, the rapid click of Courtney’s heels as she ran over grating on her nerves.

“Yes, Miss?”

“I need to eat.”

“Oh…” Courtney’s gaze shifted to the table, where a fruit basket sat amongst assorted pastries and other snack food.

“Not that sugary garbage,” Fame explained. “Violet always had- Don’t you have any protein bars?”

“Oh, of course!” Courtney exclaimed, rummaging through her purse.

Fame rolled her eyes, sighing. That girl truly was useless. What Bianca saw in her, Fame would never understand. She took one of the protein bars that Courtney had carefully lined up on the arm of the sofa beside her.

“I think you’d better head back to the office and prepare the conference room for the investor presentation.”

“Oh, but did you need anything el-”

“No, I’m much more concerned with the meeting,” Fame said. “Everything needs to be perfect. These people will be paying attention to every little detail.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Oh, and take this back with you…” Fame handed over a large manila envelope. “It’s some sketches I’ve been working on.”

“Sure.” Courtney began to put the envelope into her bag, and Fame’s eyes widened with alarm.

“Don’t bend them! For god’s sake…”

“Sorry Miss,” Courtney said, biting her lip, holding the envelope at her side. “Is there anything else you need before I-”

“No. That’s all.”

***

Courtney sat in the back of a cab, eyes squeezed tightly shut, using the time in traffic to center herself and go over her massive to do list. She had to make sure that all the presentations for the meeting were set up, work with IT to test it, messenger out the holiday gifts that Miss Fame added at the last minute, make sure the schedule for January was in order, set up her out of office reply…

Plus, the meeting with the investors wouldn’t begin until they were back from the restaurant, so the “half day” was looking more and more like a full day. At this point, settling in at Bianca’s felt like it was a million years away--and traffic crawling at a standstill didn’t help anything.

She pulled out her phone. Maybe she could set up some of the gift deliveries now, while she was stuck in the cab.

When they were finally in sight of the Galactica building, her phone started buzzing. She looked at the screen. Miss Fame. That couldn’t be anything good.

Courtney took a deep breath and answered, stomach tightening.

“Hello?”

“Courtney!” Miss Fame’s voice was sharp, sharper than usual. “Do you ever use your head? Or do you just go through life without a shred of critical thinking?”

It was fairly obvious that it was a rhetorical question, so Courtney kept her mouth shut, wondering what had gone wrong, what mess she’d have to clean up now.

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Hazy Horizons (Part Three)

Summary: In the wake of their lives being turned upside down and losing their son, Andy and Laurie Barber move to Maine, in search of starting over and starting a new family, by any means necessary

Features/Warnings: Dark!Fic; Dubcon/Noncon; Drugging; Manipulation; Smut; Breeding Kink; mentions of Lacatation Kink; Pregnancy Kink

Series Warnings: Dubcon/Noncon; Manipulation; Breeding Kink; Drugging

Pairing: Dark!Andy Barber/Reader/Dark!Laurie Barber

Notes: Reader is conflicted in this part and comes to some realizations about her situation. There is smut in this part. She’s trying so hard not to completely cave in to the will of the Barbers, but that’s proving harder than she thought.

This part features a lot of domesticity too. 

Please bear in mind that this is/will be a dark fic. You’re responsible for the content you choose to read.

Word Count: 3071

Laurie could barely contain her excitement. You were trying to contain the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. She was already talking about how the pair of you should tell Andy about the pregnancy. You were a permanent fixture in their bed since that night. After that first night, you had sworn you wouldn’t let them win. 

You’d tried to book an appointment for a Depo shot. But word got back to Andy and Laurie, the woman who booked the appointment confused because she’d heard you were going to be their surrogate. After that, you were no longer allowed to be unsupervised. In Laurie’s words, you weren’t to be trusted. Not right now. Not until you accepted your new norm. 

You knew they monitored your phone. There was no way around it that you could figure out. The same was true about your laptop. You’d learned that the hard way after Googling natural ways to prevent pregnancy. Most of it was bullshit anyway, but Andy and Laurie hadn’t taken kindly to it in the slightest. That indiscretion left you tied to the bed for the weekend, only allowed up to stretch every few hours and use the restroom. 

You’d had your debit and credit cards revoked after that stunt too. You may have had your numbers memorized, but they monitored your statements like hawks. Laurie kept your cards. She paid your bills for you. They had slowly whittled away at your freedoms until you felt more like a puppet on a string, an illusion of freedom given by your work and the trips to the store with Laurie or the weekend trips with the two of them. 

“I was thinking we could get a Patriots jersey, they sell cute ones at that boutique in Bangor,” Laurie said. You were still sat in shock, even though the pregnancy shouldn’t have surprised you that much. They had done their damndest to make sure you would get knocked up. 

“Sweetie? Are you okay? This is exciting! Our little family is growing!” Laurie said, sitting down beside you. You weighed your options. Lashing out, while it would feel good, could end with you in hot water. You didn’t want to think of what the consequences could be. But you weren’t excited. In another life, under different circumstances, maybe you would be. If they had asked you to surrogate like normal people. 

But this was more than that. They wanted more than that. Whispered words of being a family. It was another thing you couldn’t help but think about. That if they had gone about things differently, you would’ve been amenable. They were both attractive. You couldn’t deny that. But the fact was, they hadn’t. They had done everything against your will. 

“Yeah...yeah. I’m...it’s a lot to take in,” you said. She cupped your cheek in one of her hands when she moved to stand in front of you.

“I know it can be scary, but this is a beautiful thing. You’re going to be an incredible mommy. We’ll take care of you. I can’t wait to see the changes it’ll bring out in you,” she said before pulling you into a gentle kiss. 

It was moments like this that muddled your brain. It was wrong, so wrong. You were here against your will. Pregnant against your will. But they were never outright cruel to you, even when punishing you. And even that brought pleasure to a degree most times. You knew the longer this went on, the more warped your perception would become, especially when they weren’t cruel. If they hit you, verbally abused you, did anything that was outright mean and cruel, you thought you’d be able to compartmentalize better, remember that they weren’t good, they were keeping you against your will, forcing you into something you didn’t want.

But that was the thing. They treated you like a queen. You had stopped fighting them in bed. You knew it was inescapable at this point. Laurie would give you a massage at the end of a long day of work. Andy would fix your favorite dinner on bad days. They would both pick up little things for you when out and about. A book you’d mentioned. A snack you couldn’t find when shopping with Laurie for the week. It made it easy to forget the situation, if only for a moment. They were slowly whittling away at you, at your resolve to get out of the situation you found yourself in. 

You couldn’t help but to relax into her embrace, scolding yourself for doing so. When she pulled away, she smiled at you. Remember who she is. Remember what she’s done. Remember who she is. Remember what she’s done. You repeated the words in your head as she pulled you by the hand down the stairs and to her car. It was a Saturday morning. Andy had gone into the office to work on a case that had been keeping his office busy, leaving you and Laurie alone for most of the day. 

“I’ll call Dr. Schroder on Monday to make an appointment. Andy will want to be there too,” Laurie said. You nodded. What else could you do?

“What are you going to tell her?” you asked. There would be questions, surely. If you were their surrogate, you would’ve gone to Schroder’s office. Laurie looked at you for a moment before letting out a sigh as she pulled out of the drive. Snow covered the road still, never fully gone from the ground before the next snowfall. 

“Everyone knows that we have...a relationship. They talk. They may not understand it, but they know. Dr. Schroder won’t have any questions and if she does, it’s not like we have anything to hide. We love you,” Laurie said. You felt sick, and it wasn’t from the pregnancy. 

“I thought you told people I was your surrogate,” you said, panic rising. You saw the smile on her face.

“We did, at first. But there’s not hiding how we look at you, how you look at us,” she said. Your breath caught. How you looked at them? You refused to believe you ever looked at them with anything other than contempt, than anger, hatred. They had taken your life and turned it upside down. 

“What happens after?” you asked.

“After what?” she questioned.

“I have the baby. What happens after? Do I get to go back to my side of the house? Have my life back?” you asked, on the verge of tears. 

“Sweetheart, I know your hormones are all over the place right now. Andy and I aren’t going anywhere. We’ll be a family. Our children are going to be so loved. You’ll see. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said in an attempt to soothe you. It did anything but. You felt a spike of panic. Your breathing was getting shallow. Laurie noticed and pulled off to the side of the road, putting the car in park before rushing to your side of the car. Children. As in more than one. You realized in that moment, you were well and truly fucked. 

“Breathe with me honey, in, hold, out, hold, good girl,” Laurie said as she held your hands. It took ten minutes for you to calm down. You were tired, too tired to argue, to question what she had said earlier. 

Once at the boutique, it didn’t take long to find the baby sports jerseys. You couldn’t help but melt a bit at the clothes in the store. You always had a weakness when it came to seeing baby clothes. And you knew Laurie was going to capitalize on it. 

“That’s adorable. We should get it, it’s never too early,” she said. You nodded weakly. 

The two of you arrived home before Andy. Laurie placed the test in the gift bag with the jersey, just under it. It was one of those moments you’d always imagined having one day, under vastly different circumstances. One where you weren’t forced. Where you had a choice. Where you were with someone you loved. But that wasn’t your reality.

Running wasn’t an option when they had the control. When your money was monitored. When you were only alone at work with people who bought into the image the Barbers sold. You had too. Until they snared you in the web they had carefully weaved around you. 

“I’m thinking Mario’s for dinner, what do you think?” Laurie asked. You looked up at her and nodded. Mario’s was one of your favorite local places, the best Italian place you’d found in the area. 

“Sure,” you replied, as you heard Andy pull in the drive. Laurie greeted him at the door with a kiss. You could hear her ask him the same question. Andy entered the room and found you, leaning down to pull you into a kiss. It was oddly domestic.

“I talked to Isaac today. He said it should be no problem combining the deeds into one and getting the permits to alter the house,” Andy said, looking between you and Laurie.

“Combine the deeds?” you asked. Andy nodded.

“Of course. No need for us to be paying bills on two homes. We bought ours outright. We can bring the utilities under one name, all the maintenance too,” Andy explained. It made sense, if the whole situation was normal. But, you reminded yourself, it wasn’t normal. He already had the papers. You hesitated to sign them, but the look on his face had you reaching for the pen. 

“Good girl,” he murmured as he watched you sign away part of your life. You had a sinking feeling that if plural marriage was legal, there would’ve been a marriage license among those papers. 

“Food should be here in thirty. I ordered extra garlic knots,” Laurie said, looking at you. Your shoulders sagged. You had no energy to fight. Not tonight. 

“Did you sleep in today?” Andy asked, taking in your appearance.

“Yes,” you grumbled. It had become one of the rules put in place for you. Sleeping in on the weekends. Neither Barber liked how much you exerted yourself. Be it grading, lesson planning, or merely doing things for colleagues. 

“She didn’t get out of bed until ten. On the dot. No laptop or phone,” Laurie said. No laptop or phone because she made sure to take them when she woke up on weekends. You were given your phone back at breakfast, but your laptop, you wouldn’t see until after dinner on Sunday. 

Under normal circumstances, you’d consider both Barbers to be dominant, with a clear hierarchy. Under normal circumstances, you could imagine them negotiating with you, properly, about limits, about everything. But this wasn’t normal. It wasn’t healthy. And it was slowly wearing away at you, as they molded you into a perfect partner...though you used the term partner loosely. Partner implied equality and there was no equality in this mockery of a relationship. 

Andy went to set the table while you and Laurie sat in the living room. There was an odd sort of comfort in the routine. You knew what you could expect. Andy would set the table, regardless of if you or Laurie or the both of you had cooked. If Andy was cooking, you or Laurie would set the table. After dinner, cleaning the table was all three of you, washing the dishes with music in the background. You hated how comfortable you felt in those moments.

“Dinner’s here,” Andy said, bringing the bags to the dining table. You hadn’t even heard the doorbell ring, lost in your thoughts. 

“Smells good,” Laurie said as you sat down. Andy pulled out the various boxes and looked confused when he saw the dessert box.

“Are we celebrating something? Did I forget your birthday?” Andy asked looking toward you. You shook your head.

“Someone was craving something sweet today,” Laurie said offhanded. If Andy suspected anything, he didn’t let on.

Dinner was quiet. Andy talked about the latest news he could on his case. You tried to remember the situation you were in. Getting too comfortable would be your downfall. 

It was after dinner that the three of you settled in the living room. Laurie set about setting the couch up for movie night, turning it into what amounted to a bed. You had loved that couch, once upon a time, before this side of the Barbers emerged. Before turning on a movie, Laurie turned toward Andy. 

“We got you something today,” she said, handing you the bag to hand to Andy. He raised a brow. 

“Is that so?” he asked. You saw the shaking in your hands as you handed him the bag. He took out the jersey first, a small Patriots jersey. There was a knowing look on his face before he pulled out the test.

“You’re pregnant? For real? This isn’t a joke?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.

“It’s not a joke,” you said quietly. You weren’t expecting the kiss, or to be pulled onto his lap before he deepened it, one of his hands snaking under your shirt while the other held you steady. His thumb rubbed circles on your belly, though you were still too early in the pregnancy to be showing. Laurie moved behind you, gently pulling your shirt up and over your head. Andy pulled away from you for just a moment. 

Your bra disappeared next, and Andy’s hand travelled upward to your breasts. They had been sore the past few days and you tried to protest.

“This will feel good, baby. Promise,” Andy said, as he gently cupped one. One of the many things you had learned in the past month was the Barbers were both undoubtedly boob people. Both of them loved to play with your breasts. Andy never squandered an opportunity to touch yours or Laurie’s. 

“I can’t wait until these fill with milk. You know, when I was pregnant, Andy couldn’t keep his hands to himself,” Laurie said from where she knelt behind you, while groping your other breast. You tried to hold back a moan. You always did. But you always gave in when it came down to it. They had learned your body in the course of a month. 

“Maybe we should see if yours will too,” Andy suggested as he broke away from you, looking at his wife. You’d heard of that before. A woman who wasn’t pregnant inducing lactation. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious about that. Laurie crawled toward him as he captured her lips with his. You weren’t sure when she had stripped down. 

“Sweetheart why don’t you help Laurie finish undressing while I go grab some things,” Andy said. You hesitated as he stood, but Laurie took your hands in hers, guiding you to the waistband of her panties, the other clothing she still wore. 

“That’s it, good girl,” Laurie said as you dragged the panties down her legs. Those words. You couldn’t help the feeling their praise sent through you, no matter what your thoughts on your predicament were. 

She laid you back as she undid your jeans and pulled them off with your panties in one swoop, before pulling you into a deep kiss. She moved to your lap and ground down on your thigh. You could feel her wetness beginning to coat it as she slipped her tongue into your mouth. You heard Andy’s footsteps on the hardwood, but paid him no mind. 

“Scoot, on the towel,” Andy said. You were losing yourself in the haze of lust. Giving in was so much easier these days. 

You complied with his command, and Laurie took her spot back before Andy had her pull back. Laurie gently pulled at your leg, silently ordering you to open your legs. 

“Look at that, you’re soaked. Bet you don’t even need preparation to take him, hmm?” Laurie asked as she pressed a finger into your soaking pussy. You moved to meet her movements. She slipped as second and third in easily before pulling them out and holding them to your mouth. You hesitated, until she pressed more firmly. The taste of yourself  on her fingers was a familiar one. 

“I want you on your knees,” Andy said to you. Laurie dragged you into Andy’s desired position when you made no move to do so. It was the small moments of defiance that you held on to. You knew it. They knew it. You tried not to make a sound as Andy pressed into you from behind. 

“Fuck, still as good as the first time,” Andy gritted out as he bottomed out. Laurie laid in front of you. You knew what she wanted. But you were refusing.

“Be a good girl,” Andy said, pulling at your hair. You looked back toward him with a glare.

“Fuck...off,” you said, though it came out half as a moan. You hated the smirk on his face. 

“It’s almost like you want a punishment. This is a celebration, honey. Now, do as you’re told,” Andy said. He shoved you down and forward. 

You were slow with your movements as Andy’s pace increased. You pressed a finger into Laurie’s wet cunt, before adding another. You licked a strip from her hole to her clit as she arched into your touch. It wasn’t long before she was coming undone. As she came down from her climax, Andy pulled out, changing positions so you were facing him as you rode him. At first he was guiding your hips as you refused to. But you lost yourself in the feeling as he pulled you into a kiss, tasting Laurie on your lips. Laurie knelt behind you, a hand moving to your clit. It was just enough to drag you over the edge, dragging Andy with you.

He laid you down as he pulled out, taking a moment to catch his breath. You knew in that moment. You were well and truly screwed. The more you thought about it, the more you realized just how impossible getting out would be, especially with a child. Tears stung at your eyes as Andy moved to help you sit up and guide you to the bathroom, where Laurie had a bath running. A tub big enough for all three of you. And you, clinging to the hope that there was some way out.