#i really really really hope i drop dead before age 23
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hoofpeet · 12 days ago
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skellymom · 4 months ago
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"Vagabonds" Chapter 24 & 25
"SEPARATION" & "THE NIGHTMARE"
Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC
Hunter meets a smuggler Nomaadi Star Woman with a powerful force sensitive teen who changes the trajectory of CF-99's lives...as they ALL try to escape from The Empire together.
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To read Chapter 23 - "RETREAT"
https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/763930279133970432/vagabonds-chapter-23?source=share
Word Count: 3.9K (Sorry so long. Wasn't sure WHERE to end this chapter, so I posted TWO CHAPTERS! I am hoping to wrap this series up by the end of this year!!!)
Background: What plans do The Empire have with LOVE? We meet several more NEW supporting characters. And Hunter has a helluva nightmare!
For anyone new to this series: "LOVE" is the nonbinary/genderfluid neurodivergent/nonverbal Force sensitive kid of the main OC of this series named Mad. Mad is an older single mother, close to almost 50 years of age (not many older female protaganists in stories, so I decided to make one.)
Warning: SW Canon violence, some blood, swearing, angst.
(Credit: Cool dividers by @4ngelic-Wh1spers, @plum98 @strangergraphics-archive Pinterest: Bad l3atch, f/StarWarsJediSurvivor)
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He stunned the little shit, but REALLY wanted to kill her outright.  He HATED this dog with every fiber of his being. 
CX swore as he carefully pulled off his ruined faceplate.  Blood poured from the toothmarks and sharp edges of the destroyed plastoid.  Then dropped it to the floor. 
An animal of that size SHOULD’NT be able to bite through his armor.  And she SOMEHOW managed to hide or cloak herself within the confines of his ship easily.  Her mastery of stealth, ferocity of attack, along with her bite strength might be beneficial to breed into a new class of working dogs for the Empire.  Dr Hemlock might be pleased to have such a specimen to experiment with. 
And, if the doctor didn’t feel the need to use her, he could destroy her himself. 
CX applied pressure to the facial wounds with his bacta bandaged left hand that had been mauled.  He hailed his contact with his still intact right hand. 
Governor Tarkin’s likeness popped up on holocomm. 
“Did you capture the Force sensitive?” Tarkin sniffed. 
“Yes.  Aboard my ship and restrained successfully.  We are enroute.”  
“Good.  With this asset our timetable for PROJECT STARDUST is AHEAD of schedule.” Tarkin seemed pleased.  “We will expect your arrival within one standard rotation.” 
The Governer's image immediately disappeared. 
CX would contact Dr Hemlock about the dog later.   
LOVE awoke both hands tethered together and a collar around their neck.  They cautiously glanced up where they lay on the floor. 
Tiggy lay prone and unconscious nearby.  One of her back legs dangled at an odd angle.  Clearly, she was injured.  LOVE reached out to her with the Force. 
Nothing. 
LOVE was unable to feel...anything.  They couldn’t levitate, either.  And, unable to Force Manipulate physical objects. 
The fisticuffs binding their hands, looked different from anything LOVE had seen before.   
The CX Trooper in the pilot’s seat faced away from love, busily dabbing bacta on his facial wounds. 
“You can TRY.  The restraints were specifically designed for a Force Sensitive such as yourself.” 
He didn’t glance up from his wound care. 
LOVE reached out again. 
NOTHING.  No Force powers at all. 
However, LOVE could still physically move their body. 
CX swung around in his chair.  He raised his left hand and motioned to his face. 
“Your...pet is responsible for this!” 
LOVE’s eyes widened with the realization Tiggy was the culprit...smiling deviously at the Trooper. 
He snarled back at LOVE and swung his chair back around to face the pilot’s console. 
“You think this is a JOKE?  If you resist in ANY way or refuse to do what I say, I will shoot your pet dead and blow her body out the airlock.” 
He calmly fitted a new glove carefully over his bandaged hand. 
LOVE laid their head down on the metal floor and whimpered pathetically. 
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It was quite the vision: Taavi’s Bar’ge Fix ‘N Go was an immense, rough looking, refurbished old barge freighter, including a multitude of modifications lit with neon.  Blocking out the stars as it slowly sailed past.  According to Sil, it served as a docking station, mechanical repair, hotel, cafeteria, bar... 
...and an illegal and VERY secretive “treat and street it” clinic. 
Uncle Taavi always came up with several streams of income.  His major one being a repair service for ships, droids, devices, and prosthetics.  He also rescued feral Tooka cats, spayed, neutered, providing them medical treatment and care.  
Taavi NEVER stopped fixing things.  Fixing things was HIS LIFE. 
The Marauder was able to pull the still barely operational Beldame from the hyperspace lane, then detach from its top.  Echo and Wrecker piloted the Havoc Marauder while Hunter and Sil slowly followed behind piloting the Dread Beldame.  Tech and Omega sat with Mad on the ‘Dame making sure she stayed medically stable.  Omega also kept her eyes glued on Hunter.  He INSISTED on helping pilot the Beldame...knife STILL buried in his thigh.  She twirled her fingers in Mad’s long mohawk tail with one hand and held Mad’s hand with the other. 
Omega ALSO worried about LOVE and Tiggy while listening to Mad’s ragged breaths. 
Mad didn’t know LOVE and Tig wasn’t with them.  She anticipated the fear and heartbreak a mother would experience when she found out... 
Tech did his best to TRY and distract her by infodumping...to no avail. 
With help of the Bar’ge ‘N Go’s tractor beam, it pulled in the hulking mass of the Dread Beldame into the landing bay of the barge.  The Batch marveled at the repair bay.  Taavi seemed to have EVERYTHING to fix ANY kind of ship, arranged neatly and cleanly.  True the equipment was much older but well-made and maintained expertly.  Odd looking, refurbished droids zoomed and whizzed back and forth inside it’s mechanical bay. 
After both ships landed.  Their respective crews emerged...to greet the man who owned this establishment: Mad’s Uncle Taavi. 
He was as tall as Echo with shaggy black hair, dark skinned, his face heavily tattooed with symbols and designs.  His eyes, pitch-black silver speckled irises, indicative of the OLD Nomaadi.  A subset of their people older than time...before the Long Purge of their numbers....and one of the reasons the Nomaadi were referred to as “The Star People.”  His patchworked but well-fitting clothing indicative of a Nomaadi with deep family ties...the pieces of snipped fabric from family and friends sewn as embellishment on his clothing.  A tapestry of memories and strength of family ties to accompany him on his Long Road: The Journey of Life.  Heavy and well-worn work boots completed the outfit. 
A small statured...child?  Walked next to Taavi with the confidence of an adult.  Her unmelanted hair braided into many long, tiny braids that trailed past her shoulders.  Her eyes: Either blue or ultraviolet, depending on the light.  Blue veins occasionally showing through her pale albino skin.   
Finally, a standard Astromech adorned in rose gold detailing, a yellow light on her dome.  She was a spiffy droid to behold.  Of course...she knew it...  Behind the astromech followed several tiny droids, and two Tooka kittens chasing after them. 
Taavi stopped.  His eyes wide in surprise. 
“Sil?  As I breathe the stale recirculated shitty air of this ship...never thought I’d see ya AGAIN!!!” 
He grabbed Sil up and hugged the teen.  Sil hugged Taavi back. 
When Taavi let go, he wiped a tear from his eye.  
Sil leaned out, grabbing Thoomie and pulling her into the hug as well.  She embraced Sil.  
Then Taavi caught sight of Mad being carried in Hunter’s arms.  She was covered in dirt and crusted blood from multiple wounds.  Her breathing loud, harsh, and labored.  She was barely conscious. 
“Ohhh FORCE NOOO!  We gotta get her into the bacta tank!  COME WITH ME!!!”  Taavi didn’t ask for introductions.  He ushered them through the ship and into a secret wing that contained a large medical lab. 
Taavi motioned to Hunter “Put ‘er in there.  We’ll clean her in that tub first, then put ‘er in the tank.” 
Hunter carefully placed Mad into the stainless steel tub.  Then stood over her and stared silently.  He seemed mentally far away... 
“Uncle...” Thoomie tapped Taavi on the arm.  “I think he’s in a state of shock.” 
Taavi did a double take at Hunter, pointing “Son...ya got a knife stickin’ out of ya there...” 
Hunter calmly glanced down at the knife and back at Taavi “Yes...” 
“Thoo, take...whatshisname...” Taavi nodded to Hunter. 
“Hunter” Hunter answered. 
“Hunter and that smart lookin’ fella...” Taavi nodded at Tech. 
“I’m Tech.” Tech added smugly. 
“With Tech and that droid guy” Taavi referred to Echo. 
Echo didn’t answer, just shook his head grimacing. 
Tech answered for Echo “Uh, that is Echo.” 
“Sure.” Taavi waved them on. “Have ‘em help you prep Hunter for surgery.  Can’t be walkin’ around MY ship with a knife stickin’ outta ya like nothin’s happenin.” Taavi shook his head.  “Mad sure can pick ‘em...” 
“Come with me” Thoomie took Hunter’s hand and led him, Tech, and Echo away. 
“Sil, stay with me.  You can catch me up while we work on your Auntie.” Then Taavi addressed Wrecker.   “Eh, big guy...Help me clean up Mad so we can plop ‘er in that bacta tank.” 
“Uh...ok.” Wrecker seemed confused about what was happening. 
Taavi recognized Wrecker’s confusion.  “You wanna get free care, ya gotta pitch in and help.  Droids will finish after we start, ok?  Besides, Mad will pitch a fit if we let them droids touch her.” 
Wrecker hesitated.   
Sil nodded to him and patted his back.  “You got this Wrecker.  Uncle Taavi will walk ya through it.” 
Wrecker nodded and did as he was told. 
CHAPTER 25 - "THE NIGHTMARE"
Thoomie handed Echo a surgical gown and bag for Hunter’s clothes.  She then handed a tub of Bacta wipes to Tech.  She instructed Hunter to sit down. 
She pulled a syringe out of a drawer, then a drug bottle from a wall unit, and began drawing up a dose.  Thoomie approached Hunter. 
Echo and Tech glanced alarmingly at each other.  Tech stepped in her way “Is it standard protocol on this ship to have CHILDREN give injectable medication?” 
Thoomie laughed.  “Forgot you’re new here.  I’m NOT a child.” 
Echo and Tech glanced at each other again...now in confusion. 
“I have a rare genetic disorder that inhibits my normal growth and development.  Will FOREVER look like a preteen or teenager...for the rest of my life.” 
Both clones stared at Thoomie stunned. 
“You’re defective???” Tech blurted out. 
Thoomie winced “Er...you COULD say that.  I prefer the term different...or unique.  PLEASE step aside and let me treat your batchmates' pain.  His condition is worsening, and I need to remove that knife as soon as possible.” 
Tech stepped back. 
“How did you know we’re clones?” Echo asked as Thoomie swabbed Hunter’s arm with a bacta wipe and injected into his vein.  Hunter winced slightly and came out of his glazed state to attempt to rub the area.  Thoomie handed him a square of sterile gauze and gently placed his hand over the area like a parent would a child.  Hunter kept quiet and held pressure on the injection site. 
“The timbre of your voices.  Subtle similarities in your facial features.  Other...tells in your mannerisms.  Hard to explain.”  She tossed the syringe in a sharp's container. 
“What would you require of us to assist you in helping Hunter.” Tech spoke up. 
“I’ll let you both undress him completely, throw the clothes in the bag, then wipe him down all over.  Don’t worry about his hair.  Put the gown on with the opening in the front.  Please drape several FRESH bacta wipe over his private parts for cleanliness and discretion.  Knock on the partition when you’re done.  I can then prep him for surgical removal of that vibroknife.”   
Then she handed a pair of medical scissors to Tech.  “Imagine you will need these to get his blacks off without further injury.  We have extra clothing on board if this is his only pair of pants.  Please be quick.  Thank you.”  She promptly left the room. 
Tech pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose “The Nomaadi NEVER cease to amaze me.” 
Echo put his hand on Hunter’s shoulder to get his attention.  He could tell the pain meds were starting to to work.  “Let’s get you ready, ok?” 
Hunter nodded sleepily...as he closed his eyes...drifting into the dark... 
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They had come for him and his brothers AGAIN. 
Hunter wedged himself under the small gap beneath his lower bunk, pressing his back against the wall of their barracks.  He managed to pull Crosshair halfway under.  Only little Hunter and his skinny younger brother could manage to fit. 
Crosshairs fear was palpable as he scrambled to squeeze in with Hunter.  Tech rigged the mechanics of their bunk room door so it could only open from the INSIDE.  He hid behind the already large Wrecker who stood tall and RAGEFULLY angry, fists clenched and ready for a good fight. 
They were ONLY children. 
The Kaminoan’s and their clinical assistants routinely carried out medical experiments on them.  They rebelled against the pain, shame, and inappropriately probing hands that explored their bodies. 
This was NOT the first time the Bad Batchers had resisted. 
The Kamino medical staff learned the hard way several times to bar access to ANY sharp objects or ANYTHING at all that could be used as a weapon.  This left the Batchers room barren of any toys or enrichment.  Only to be let out for training and mess hall meals.  When it was found the defective clones had smuggled in an occasional training weapon or a table utensil from the mess hall, they were routinely patted down, scanned, and accompanied by the staff themselves. 
As the Batchers anger and resentment peaked, along with their accelerated growth, strength, and strategy, fully trained teenage Reg clones were called in to perform this duty. 
Some of these Regs sustained severe injuries, thus creating MORE resentment already present among the “Defective” Clones and the Regs.  This rivalry came to a head when Hunter’s nose was broken during a particularly violent scuffle and Tech was knocked unconscious, almost compromising his advanced mental capacity.  Wrecker and Crosshair’s retaliation was immediate and SEVERE.  One of the Regs barely survived HIS injuries. 
From that time on the Kaminoan’s ONLY sent in the most hardened adult clone troopers in armor to retrieve them.  Lama Su considered “discontinuing” their squad due to the inconvenience.  But Nala Se convinced him this sharpened their skills and made them more “elite.” 
Clearly, the child Batchers were no match for these new adversaries. 
Wrecker didn’t give a damn.  As the door was finally breached and the clone troopers spilled in he rushed them.  His screams of rage sounded familiar to Hunter... 
...like an angry dog. 
Tech begged for leniency as he was dragged away, promising to be compliant from now on... 
Hunter held tight to Crosshair... 
...who was yanked from his grasp and pulled out from under the bunk. 
Hunter attempted to call out to his brother but could make NO sound. 
“OW!  LITTLE FUCKER BIT ME!!!” As Crosshair was dropped face down on the hard white glossy floor.  Blood splattered across the polished tiles from Cross’ split lip. 
Crosshair pulled his face from the floor, yelling Hunter’s name... 
...it wasn't Crosshair’s face, but Jebith Freed. 
A green armored CX trooper grabbed the boy’s leg, dragging him away while he trailed bloody purple rose petals in his wake...SCREAMING Hunter’s name over and over...as the bunk room melted into an alien forest... 
Lightning struck the ground.  Torrential rain fell in thick sheets. 
Hunter, terrified watched from under his bunk as the ground gave way swallowing both the boy and trooper up. 
The wall behind Hunter groaned, buckled...muddy water spilled through cracks.  He attempted to scrabble away, but the remaining wall of the bunk room collapsed around him.  A wave of muddy water and debris enveloped Hunter.... 
...dragging him down into the darkness... 
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Hunter awoke with a START. 
"You’re safe, Hunter.  I’m here.” Omega’s voice. 
Her face came into view. 
He felt fuzzy around the edges of his consciousness.  Hunter had gotten enough injuries in the past to recognize recovery from sedated anesthesia.   
“You’re not on Kamino anymore.  We’re on a Nomaadi sanctuary barge.” 
Omega held Hunter’s hand tightly as the realization set in.   
“How...did you know?”  
“I remember EVERYTHING you ALL went through on Kamino.”  Omega’s voice trembled “Until Shaak Ti found out and intervened...instead of the Reg troopers, they began sending ME to help gain your trust.”  Her face conveyed deep sadness.  “When you all finally complied, I was not allowed around your squad...again.” 
“How come I don’t remember?” Hunter rubbed his forehead. 
“It was traumatic.  You shut it out.  The memories are still in there...they come out in your dreams.” 
“...nightmare...definitely NOT a dream.”  Hunter swallowed.  He was overcome with emotion from the effects of the anesthesia.  His eyes welled up. 
“SO glad to have you ‘Mega.  I LOVE YOU.”  He choked.  Hunter felt this MANY times but never vocalized it. 
Omega threw herself onto Hunter, hugging his neck tightly.  “I LOVE YOU TOO HUNTER!  I was so scared of losing you!!!” 
“Take the whole galaxy to hold me back from you, ‘Mega.  Sorry I had to leave you on this mission...” He hitched as he inhaled.  A tear ran down his cheek. And Hunter squeezed his eyes shut tightly.  “If I hadn’t left you behind this time, probably never see you again...” 
He opened his eyes to see Wrecker and Echo approaching his bedside.  He could see the relief in their eyes. 
But Hunter’s post anesthetic daze wasn’t done... 
“I failed...” He mumbled to them.  “Lost LOVE, and somehow Tiggy...Jebith...this kid on that planet we ran into...” 
“Hunter...” Echo squeezed Hunters shoulder reassuringly.  “You couldn’t...” 
“NO...should have had you and Wrecker along with us...” 
Wrecker looked concerned over his brother’s uncharacteristically strong emotional outburst. 
“It was HORRIBLE!  Like losing Caleb Dume all over again!!!” Hunter worked himself up.  “I FAILED CROSSHAIR TOO!  HE WAS RIGHT...I’M NOT FIT TO LEAD...”  More tears.  “...NOT FIT TO BE A BROTHER...OR A FATHER...” 
“Now, now” Echo patted Hunter’s shoulder.  His normally gruff voice softer.  “That’s SOME kind of anesthesia he comin’ out of!” 
“Perfectly normal range of surgical recovery behavior” The old Med Droid, who had been washing Hunter’s muddy hair prior to him awakening, handed a tissue to Hunter. “Deeply held thoughts and feelings do tend to surface when the patient awakens.  Wipe your eyes, friend.  We must get some sustenance into you soon.  It will help you heal” 
“Thank you, Rusty” Omega took the tissue from the droid and dabbed at Hunter’s face.  “PLEASE don’t cry Hunter.  You did what you could.” 
Hunter sniffed and steadied his breathing. 
Wrecker leaned over and carefully hugged Hunter, then kissed him on the temple.  “Hey...let the Droid finish ‘yer hair.” 
“Yeah, you look like a wet mess.” Echo joked. 
Hunter took the tissue from Omega and blew his nose. “Yeah...a total mess...”  He started to come out of the anesthesia a bit more.  “Apologies” 
“None needed.” Echo smiled. 
Omega held Hunters hand, patting it. 
Rusty conditioned and rinsed his hair again, then dried it fully.  Hunter reached up to run his fingers through his hair.  SO SOFT!   
He mildly panicked at the absence of his bandana. 
“No worries, friend.  All of your clothing has been taken to the laundry.  We will return it to you soon, clean and pressed!” 
The droid wizzed around to Hunter’s bedside.  “Don’t YOU look HANDSOME!  Now your family will take you to see your lady.” 
Hunter attempted to pull back the blankets and get off the hover stretcher.   
“NO Hunter!” Echo pushed Hunter back down on the stretcher.  “Gotta lie still, or you’ll pull out your sutures.” 
Wrecker chuckled “And you’re only wearing that blanket.  Nothin’ else.” 
“Oh!” Hunter blushed and chuckled, now in better spirits but still feeling the effects of the drugs. 
“Relax and your family will take care of the rest.” Rusty waved goodbye as Echo wheeled Hunter down the corridor.  Omega and Wrecker waved back following behind. 
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They wheeled Hunter into an adjacent room containing several bacta tanks.  Sil leaned against the tank, waiting for Mad to awaken.  Omega ran to him, and they embraced each other.  Tech infodumped animatedly with a 2-1B med droid named “Bucket.”  But paused when he spotted Hunter. 
“You appear to be recovering quite well.” He smiled brightly.  “I am extremely pleased, Hunter.” 
“That’s...SO affectionate of you, Tech.” Hunter chuckled, then turned to Taavi and Thoomie. “How is Mad?  Are the babies...” 
Thoomie answered “She’s just recovering from anesthesia.  The babies are EXTREMELY healthy...and STILL growing!  Never seen anything like it!!!  I am concerned about Mad, though.  She’s been through A LOT physically.” 
“She’ll REQUIRE quite a lot of rest and nutrition.  The accelerated growth could take a negative toll on her health as the multiple fetuses she is carrying will literally leach the nutrients from her body.”  Tech added. 
“Eh, sounds like she’s got parasites.” Wrecker shivered. 
“Technically...unborn babies ARE commensal parasites” Tech adjusted his goggles. 
Echo grimaced “Pregnancy sounds...creepy...compared to clone Growth Jars.” 
“It’s beautiful.” Hunter mused, staring at the bacta tank Mad was currently floating in.  “Imagine giving up your body for another life.  Not just during pregnancy but devoting all your energy to raising that delicate being once it’s born, grows, becomes its own person.  Loving that little life so much it almost hurts...willing to sacrifice or even die for it...heck...some people do it for others who can’t experience that themselves...”  Hunter smiled and tears welled up in his eyes. 
Thoomie was impressed “That’s...pretty deep.” 
“Yep.  That’s Hunter.” Echo grinned.  “Usually, it’s all in his head.  We’re lucky to hear it out loud right now because of the surgery drugs.” 
“He does wax poetically when inebriated as well” Tech added “When sober Hunter tends to hold a HUGE amount of emotional weight in.” 
“That’s Tech’s way of sayin’ Hunters a BIG softie.” Wrecker whispered to Taavi. 
Taavi chuckled.  “Good thing to be.  The galaxy needs more empathy, no?” 
“My apologies for the interruption” Bucket interjected “Our patient is waking up.  Vitals are within normal ranges currently.” 
“Whoa, there!”  Uncle Taavi tapped the bacta tank to get Mad’s attention. 
Mad stirred and slowly started to realize where she was.  Inside of the bacta tank she was hooked up to an IV line, a feeding tube, respirator, bacta nebulizer, and endotracheal vacuum.  The lines swayed around her as she bobbed in the bacta solution.  Mad was only clad in a medical chest binder and med panties which helped secure the lines that carried her urination and defecation waste away.  The rest of her exposed body covered in a multitude of small lacerations from the shrapnel Uncle Taavi had surgically removed. 
He could see her anxiety ramping up. 
“She gonna RIP them out.  Bet ya.”  Taavi remarked to Thoomie and Tech. 
“While I understand your concerns restraints seemed too severe an option.” Tech remarked. 
Thoomie nodded “I agree with Tech.” 
“Ah, you never seen Mad lose her SHIT!  She’s got a phobia about all of this” Taavi motioned to the whole tank, then addressed the B1.  “Sorry Bucket, best to leave outta here for now 'fore she notices you.  Or gonna be hell to pay!” 
The B1 turned to Thoomie.  She nodded “It would be best for the patient.  You can return when she is sleeping.” 
Hunter commiserated “My apologies, Bucket.”.  
The droid silently turned to leave. 
Mad eyed the med droid suspiciously, then flashed an obscene hand gesture as it left the room. 
Hunter giggled. 
Mad attempted to laugh too but erupted into a violent coughing fit. 
She choked and gagged SOMETHING up.  One of the tubes attached to her life support face mask suctioned it out of her trachea. 
Her breathing sounded slightly better and less raspy. 
Hunter put his hand up to the glass, pressing his palm flat against it.   
Mad did the same on the interior of the tank.  Eventually, she glanced further out in the room, shocked to recognize Uncle Taavi and Thoomie.  She waved excitedly to them...and scanned the room again... 
Someone was missing...Mad signed in Basic with her other hand... 
LOVE?  Tiggy... 
Hunter TRIED his very best to keep a neutral face through his post-surgical haze.  He was at a loss for words.  
Mad glanced up at the faces of all the Batchers, Sil, Taavi, Thoomie... 
Varying expressions of sadness and guilt is all she saw.  Nobody spoke. 
She hitched and cried out loudly, then choked and gagged violently again.  In her grief, she reached for the tubes attached to her in what looked like an attempt to pull them out. 
Thoomie immediately punched the sedative button on her IV line. 
Mad went still within the tank, floating quietly while the endotracheal vacuum cleared her lungs. 
“Hate to say it...I told ya so...” Taavi whispered sadly. 
Hunter covered his face with both hands and quietly sobbed. 
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To read Chapter 26 - "LOVE AND HOPE"
https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/765645976136564736/vagabonds-chapter-26?source=share
Please let me know if you wanted to be added to my taglist or removed! Thanks so much for your support!!!
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prpfz · 7 months ago
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good day, everyone! i'm a 23 transmasc writer, looking for an 18+ partner to pair a F character against my M mafia enforcer guy! before you slam the like button expecting a stereotypical age gap smut plot, PLEASE read more about what i'm looking for! this plot is dead dove 🕊️ in some respects (i.e. gore, torture, potential abuse, etc.), and not in others.
the plot i have in mind is as follows: YC is in debt to the mob, either due to a desperate personal situation, or a family member's debts being passed onto them. regardless, she has a choice: pay back the money in full (which she doesn't have), or take on a part-time job within the family. she ends up forced into the role of a cleaner, scrubbing up the blood and viscera after people get on the wrong side of the family. MC (early 20s) is a particularly reliable enforcer, almost a right-hand man of the boss. he's a strong, silent type, with more blood on his hands than he cares to keep track of. he's forced to stay after his work is done to keep an eye on YC for the first two jobs, and they end up begrudgingly bonding. i'd love for this relationship to extend beyond just work! getting to know one another, YC helping MC out of his shell, MC helping to protect YC, etc. really allowing things to develop slowly and naturally between them. note that MC will take quite a while before warming up to anything too romantic, hence why i'm seeking to make this a slow-burn.
the vibes i'm hoping for here are a slow bonding, humanizing a 'monster,' adapting to terrible circumstances, bonding through mutual suffering, and finding some hope at the end of it all in one another. i would love a partner who's open to playing other characters on the side as needed, including friends, family, etc. a way to build the world out, really. being able to muse and discuss with me is a plus, as i work two jobs and can't get a reply out every single day. my response speed varies from once to three times per week, usually, though it may pick up a bit by the end of august. we'll see!
i write only on discord, and prefer advanced literate to novella plots (at LEAST one full discord message, but i can go upwards of five if given enough to work with). i love getting into the environment and how the characters are thinking and feeling. i do have a real life FC for him picked out that i won't be changing, nor will i be picking out one for you. YC is yours to decide! POC and trans F characters more than welcome. if you don't vibe with real life FCs, though, i'm more than willing to adapt and stick to descriptions only.
if this interests you (and you're going to contribute to plotting beyond just agreeing with everything i throw out), then please drop a like! i'll shoot you a message. when responding to it, please give me an idea about who you are as a writer and any potential ideas or questions you may have for me. thanks! 🖤
Leave a like, and anon will get back to you!
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cal-daisies-and-briars · 7 months ago
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🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 (I love this one, if it isn’t obvious!)
216 SENTENCES GOOD LORD. I am SO HAPPY you're loving it. So as to not post an entire chapter here at once, I will be posting chunks.
ANYONE READING THIS BEWARE OF SPOILERS. I will post particularly spoiler heavy chunks under the cut.
23 sentences:
---
“Do you want to see her?” Bobby asks. “She… She could use a friend, too.”
Buck’s impulse is to open his mouth and say no. This house is under quarantine. No more in or out until Chris comes home. Prevent the spread of anything that could fuck up their chances, like information or awareness. But clearly you tell Eddie to stay put and he’s creeping up in doorways, anyway.
“What do you want, Eddie?” Buck asks. 
“I’d like to see her, yeah.” Eddie says. “If that’s okay.”
Bobby smiles. “I’ll arrange something with Athena, then. All safe. All confidential. I promise.”
Buck exhales. 
He trusts him. It’s Bobby. Of course he trusts him.
Maybe he can finally act on that again. 
---
90 sentences:
---
Eddie confronts Buck not long after Bobby leaves.
He’s feeling tired. Exceptionally tired. Digesting a larger meal than he’s had in ages, and talking more than he has in just as long, is taking its toll on him. That plus the sunlight filtering through the windows, and Eddie needs a nap.
But he needs to talk to Buck first more. 
Sophia has come and gone, dropping off the errands she grabbed, and heading to an afternoon shift at the library. Not before threatening to kill Eddie if he left while she was working, though. Eddie has assured her he will be here when she returns. He’s glad for her brief absence, however. He needs to do the rest of this alone. 
“Can we talk for a minute?” Eddie asks, while Buck empties a hamper into the laundry machine. 
“Sure,” Buck nods. “What’s up?” 
As if it’s any other day. Buck has to know what’s up.
“You destroyed your life looking for me,” Eddie says. 
Buck freezes for a second. Then, he finishes loading the laundry, puts in the detergent, and starts the cycle. 
“Not so much,” he eventually says. “Just… Temporarily.”
“Still,” Eddie protests.
Buck turns his body to look at him. “What do you want me to say, Eddie?”
“I don’t know.” Eddie admits. “I’m worried for you.”
Buck’s jaw drops. “You’re worried for me?” 
“Yes,” Eddie frowns.
“Eddie, you fucked off to god knows where for over half a year and won’t say a word about it,” Buck reminds him. “I’m worried about you.” 
Yeah, well that’s a fair shout.
“Are the two mutually exclusive?” Eddie challenges.
Buck thinks. His expression softens a bit.
“I guess not.”
“I don’t want to hide things from you but it’s hard to talk about and I can’t remember all of it,” Eddie says. “And also I’m exhausted. Really, truly exhausted, Buck. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no… Eddie, I’m not mad.”
“You can be.” Eddie shakes his head. “You can be mad. I’d be mad.”
“I just missed you. I missed you and I was worried for you.” Buck says. “I didn’t know if you were dead.”
“I missed you, too, you know?” Eddie says. “You and Chris. I just kept thinking about getting myself back, and…”
And coming home to them.
“And what?” Buck whispers, hopeful.
“I wanted my family back,” Eddie says, just as quietly. “Before, I… I spent so much time thinking about what I lost, and what I was supposed to have. But I really lost everything, Buck. I died. I lost my whole life. My kid. My job. You. I had so much.”
“You still have me,” Buck says firmly. “And Chris will be home soon. We will figure out how to make it work so you don’t lose him over this again. I swear, Eddie.”
“Thank you,” Eddie says. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. And for Chris.”
“I’d do it all again, Eddie. I’d do it tenfold.” Buck’s eyes are glistening. “I’d do anything.”
Eddie remembers Buck’s lips a hair’s breadth away from his own. He remembers how it felt to be held by him. Touched by him. He craves it again. 
“Anything?” Eddie asks. 
“Yes.” 
“I have something,” Eddie blurts, feeling stupid. “Something else, on top of everything.”
“Name it,” Buck says. 
---
26 sentences:
---
“How much do we tell them?” Eddie asks on the drive. He’s in the passenger seat of the Jeep. Another missing home brought back to him.
“That’s up to you, Eddie.” Buck sighs. “Maybe we suss it out when we’re there?”
Eddie nods. “I want to trust people if I can. The people I trusted here, before.” 
Not his parents. Which means, they can’t tell Pepa either. Or Abuela. Or Adriana. That still weighs heavily on him. 
Lots of things weigh heavily on him. 
“I know you’re scared,” Eddie continues. 
“Yeah,” Buck admits. “I keep feeling like someone’s going to take you from me. Or I’ll wake up and have let something slip and suddenly Chris won’t be coming back.”
There’s a brutal honesty in his words that makes Eddie shudder. He’s glad though. Glad Buck is opening up more. They seemed to have crossed some sort of barrier with each other. 
“It’s not all on you,” Eddie says. 
He’s not sure Buck hears him.  
---
36 sentences:
---
“It’s stupid,” Eddie tells him. 
“Name it,” Buck repeats. 
“I’m tired,” Eddie says again. “And… And I don’t want to be alone anymore. I was alone for so long.” 
Buck’s eyes widen with understanding. He nods quickly. 
“I can do that. I can help.”
Eddie swallows thickly. 
“I’d get it… If you weren’t comfortable. With what I am. If you don’t want to-”
Buck steps forward, shaking his head, and raises a hand to cup Eddie’s cheek. The gesture is so strangely intimate that it takes Eddie’s breath away. 
“It’s just you.” He says. “I’ve always wanted to be close to you, Eddie.”
Eddie’s entire body feels so insubstantial, that if Buck took his hand away, he might just crumble to dust. He leans his cheek into Buck’s touch. He imagines if he were braver, and less tired, and more sure of himself, he would close the distance between them. That small sliver of distance that parted their lips last night. 
I love you, he wants to say. Strip away my whole life, everything that I am, and that love still burnt like a flame. 
Buck must notice Eddie’s hesitation. He steps forward and loops an arm around Eddie’s back, then guides him towards the bedroom. 
“Let’s go to sleep,” he says. “I didn’t really get much last night.”
“Careful. Next you’ll be accused of vampirism,” Eddie mumbles. 
Buck exhales a breath of laughter and squeezes Eddie a little.
“Eh, well. I’ve been accused of worse in the past twenty-four hours.”
There’s something regretful in his tone, but Eddie is too sleepy to latch onto it. Instead, he allows himself the comfort of being led into his bedroom, and collapsing onto the bed, and falling asleep with the sound of Buck’s heartbeat directly under his ear.
---
15 sentences:
---
Eddie feels more at ease than he’s felt in a long time driving with Buck to May’s apartment. Not that there’s a particular reason for it. Things aren’t good. He’s still facing all the same shit he was facing before. He still doesn’t have his kid. He still is facing being a social pariah and more or less a fugitive. He can’t exist, or they lose Chris. That’s all still a huge fucking problem. 
But he is well rested and well fed and he has Buck. Buck who slept next to him all yesterday afternoon. And then again overnight. Buck who has continued to hold him softly when he needs to be held. Buck, who still hasn’t kissed him the way he almost did, but who Eddie feels might. Eventually. If he’s honest about not caring about what Eddie is.
---
26 sentences:
---
Eddie actually helped Bobby and Athena move May’s stuff into her apartment when she first moved out of the house. As had Buck. So he’s a little surprised when the address Bobby sends them takes them somewhere else. Somewhere quieter, more out of the way. A little rough looking, but not too bad. 
“This doesn’t seem like the kind of place that would meet Athena’s stamp of approval,” Eddie observes. He remembers Bobby saying she’d driven May crazy with how picky she was about location and safety.
“Hmm,” Buck muses. “Some of these places have landlords that won’t ask questions. Neighbors going through the same shit. Plus, everywhere is dangerous for her these days.”
The, and for you, goes without saying. 
They park and climb a flight of stairs, knocking on the door to apartment 2E. 
He hears some shuffling on the other side of the door. Someone looking through a peephole. Fair enough. Then, the latch slides, the door opens, and none other than Sergeant Athena Grant is ushering them inside quickly. She’s dressed in plain street clothes; nondescript, like she’d hope not to be noticed if she stepped outside. Unfortunately, Eddie doesn’t really think Athena is the sort of woman you don’t notice. 
She doesn’t even really acknowledge them until the door is shut behind them again. Once it is, she exhales, and turns to Eddie. 
“God, it is good to see you,” she mutters, stepping forward to hug him. 
Eddie squeezes her gratefully. Every new person who doesn’t think he’s a monster comes as an immense relief.
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zukadiary · 1 year ago
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Flügel / A Kaleidoscope of Life ~ Moon 2023
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4.5-year awaited Grand Theater return on September 22 (before things) ft. my eyes dead from the unseasonable heat and yet another failed attempt to get my FLYING SAPA REFUND FROM 2020 THAT THEY STILL OWE ME.
This, unexpectedly, turned out to be the hands-down Takarazuka highlight of Tadaima ’23, and that’s… despite a play of extremely questionable content. Tsukigumi—Mugen Musou / Krung Thep—had the honor of being my last live Takarazuka before the shit hit the fan globally, and the troupe is such different vibes I felt like I stepped through a portal (not that Yukigumi isn’t, dear lord, but small theaters are always a little weird vibe-wise). I had a feeling this would be my first and last live top Tsukishiro Kanato, and she did indeed announce taidan days later. We have no shortage of 95th top stars, but, since I was a hardcore Yukigumi fan ten years ago, Reiko is the only one I’ve been closely following since her shinko days. She’s gotten so good, and every time I’ve watched her since the Romance Gekijou stream, I’ve seen in her movements and expressions that she's absolutely watched Komu on repeat in her moments of doubt. It makes my heart sing.
FLÜGEL SPOILERS (can’t believe I’m saying this again, but cw suicide, also nazis 🙄):
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Gee, you know whose take I’d love on the politics of a divided Germany? TAKARAZUKA’S,” well, maybe this show is for you! It’s the 1980s (although you wouldn’t know it till they bust a hole through the Wall… they really dropped the ball on costuming) and Jonas (Reiko) is a GDR officer who grew up thinking his mother (Shirayuki Sachika) was a nazi after she was arrested in his childhood for war crimes and they were separated on opposite sides of the partitioned country. After we open with a completely historically inaccurate scene from the Russian Afghan war (just SCREAMS Takarazuka, doesn’t it?), Jonas is put in charge of overseeing an East German concert featuring wildly popular West German idol Nadia (Umino Mitsuki), while other GDR officer Helmut (Houzuki An) is tasked with keeping an eye on them/preventing spying or something (idk, this plot doesn’t hold a ton of water to be honest). The general conflict is that Team Reiko is pro-unification, and Team Chinatsu is staunchly anti. Amidst a flurry of various activities that realistically would have gotten Jonas thrown in the gulag 1000 times over—including helping old war buddy?? Amashi Juri escape to West Germany via an underground route operated by Irodori Michiru and Haon Mika—Team Helmut attempts to dampen pro-unification sentiment by plotting a terrorist attack at the concert (in the form of an exploding microphone) and pinning it on a priest (Yumena Rune) and his band of peaceful student protestors. Thanks to Jonas and Luis Wagner (Kazama Yuno), who is Nadia’s manager and also secretly the best spy in the world or something, the mic is retrieved and the plan is thwarted. When Nadia returns to West Germany, she is moved to become a pro-unification activist thanks to the friends she made on the other side, and leads a protest that results in breaking the wall down. Helmut, unable to cope with the defeat of his ideology, takes his own life quite dramatically (so be aware of that). After travel is permitted between east and west, Jonas discovers that his mother (aging with dementia), while employed by the nazis, actually used her position to help Jews escape. Jonas and Nadia don’t fall in love, but they do look off into the sky together in hope and friendship.
I really did not care for this plot, yet somehow I also didn’t absolutely hate watching it. I think there were enough isolated highlights to make the experience worth it:
I! Love! Reiko! And I’m so happy I got to see her as top once! And her voice is fantastic lately!
Reiko and Chinatsu have an unexpectedly compelling chemistry
Chinatsu has an unexpected chemistry with me and my feelings
The final protest scene (set to a dramatic rendition of Ode to Joy) features Chinatsu repeatedly trying to hit Reiko, while Reiko just blocks all her punches and stares straight into her eyes. It’s a lot.
I had similar feelings watching Oda as I did watching Agachin; she wore those 4.5 years loud and proud. +1000 confidence, absolutely ready for her nibante era.
Nice little send off role for Ren Tsukasa, who is ABSOLUTELY BELOVED. People cheered the theater down for her, it was genuinely moving. No one in anything else I saw got that much applause except for maybe Kaiho Naoto.
KALEIDOSCOPE SPOILERS:
This, brainchild of Kurita-sensei making her revue debut, was the revue of the year, and probably the revue of all pandemic era for me. It was fresh, it had a theme, the music slapped, it actually called back a little to Ogita-sensei who I will miss in tkz until the end of time. LET WOMEN MAKE REVUES!!
The premise is a journey through different eras of Tokyo, triggered by the turn of a magic kaleidoscope. Each era’s scene is beautifully designed, and has a little self-contained plot. The transitions are seamless, and I loved the song choices (CITY! POP! CHUUZUME!). Tsukigumi as a whole is vocally outstanding right now, and the impact was awesome. Verbal descriptions don’t do it justice! If you’re tired of Fujii/Saitou/Nakamura B throwing all their old scenes into a tumble dyer and pulling them back out in a random order, watch Kaleidoscope, even if you aren’t a fan of Tsukigumi.
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novella-writers · 7 months ago
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good day, everyone! i'm a 23 transmasc writer, looking for an 18+ partner to pair a F character against my M mafia enforcer guy! before you slam the like button expecting a stereotypical age gap smut plot, PLEASE read more about what i'm looking for! this plot is dead dove 🕊️ in some respects (i.e. gore, torture, potential abuse, etc.), and not in others.
the plot i have in mind is as follows: YC is in debt to the mob, either due to a desperate personal situation, or a family member's debts being passed onto them. regardless, she has a choice: pay back the money in full (which she doesn't have), or take on a part-time job within the family. she ends up forced into the role of a cleaner, scrubbing up the blood and viscera after people get on the wrong side of the family. MC (early 20s) is a particularly reliable enforcer, almost a right-hand man of the boss. he's a strong, silent type, with more blood on his hands than he cares to keep track of. he's forced to stay after his work is done to keep an eye on YC for the first two jobs, and they end up begrudgingly bonding. i'd love for this relationship to extend beyond just work! getting to know one another, YC helping MC out of his shell, MC helping to protect YC, etc. really allowing things to develop slowly and naturally between them. note that MC will take quite a while before warming up to anything too romantic, hence why i'm seeking to make this a slow-burn.
the vibes i'm hoping for here are a slow bonding, humanizing a 'monster,' adapting to terrible circumstances, bonding through mutual suffering, and finding some hope at the end of it all in one another. i would love a partner who's open to playing other characters on the side as needed, including friends, family, etc. a way to build the world out, really. being able to muse and discuss with me is a plus, as i work two jobs and can't get a reply out every single day. my response speed varies from once to three times per week, usually, though it may pick up a bit by the end of august. we'll see!
i write only on discord, and prefer advanced literate to novella plots (at LEAST one full discord message, but i can go upwards of five if given enough to work with). i love getting into the environment and how the characters are thinking and feeling. i do have a real life FC for him picked out that i won't be changing, nor will i be picking out one for you. YC is yours to decide! POC and trans F characters more than welcome. if you don't vibe with real life FCs, though, i'm more than willing to adapt and stick to descriptions only.
if this interests you (and you're going to contribute to plotting beyond just agreeing with everything i throw out), then please drop a like! i'll shoot you a message. when responding to it, please give me an idea about who you are as a writer and any potential ideas or questions you may have for me. thanks! 🖤
Like if interested!
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masterofmunson · 4 years ago
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look after you (1)
TFATWS Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader
Summary: Sam asks you to join him and Bucky on a mission in Madripoor. When you get injured, Bucky feels the need to remind you more than once that he’s supposed to look after you now that Steve’s gone.
Warnings: tfatws spoilers, language, violence, blood, grief, angst, major pining
Word Count: 6k+ 
Author’s Note: Here she is!! I’m really excited to see what you guys think! This is my first Bucky fic in AGES! I decided to make this into a mini series since this fic is so long haha. Please let me know what you think. Comments, reblogs, and asks are highly encouraged and appreciated! Enjoy!
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You hadn’t seen Sam or Bucky in several weeks. You were still adjusting to life post-blip. It had been a long five years for you and just seconds for them. You were no longer the bright-eyed and bushy tailed recruit. You’d grown into your position amongst the established and experienced Avengers. Now, it meant nothing. 
Tony’s gone. Steve’s dead, Natasha too. The Avengers had officially disbanded. You felt lost and confused, still blinded by your grief over losing them. You had nowhere to go, so you just floated from place to place as needed. 
You were laying low and a shell of the person you once were. You had no one to look towards anymore. Bucky went his separate ways and got some sort of footing in New York City with the pardon he was given by the government since his return to the states. You checked in every now and then with him, but you didn’t want to slow down his progress so you distanced yourself from him. 
You know he feels some sort of responsibility towards you. Steve did too, and you suppose now that he’s gone, Bucky feels the need to take his place. It doesn’t matter that you’re no longer the naive 23 year old he met in Berlin all those years ago. It doesn’t matter that there was something lingering between the two of you before he turned to ash. You’re a grown woman now and war and politics has hardened your soul. 
He needs to move on from you. The version he has of you in his head is gone, dead. He wants a fresh start, and you can’t give it to him. 
Sam checks in with you once in a while. He asks you how you’re doing and you respond the same each time. “Same shit, different day,” you laughed lightly. 
He knows better than to ask you to join him on his missions with the military. You’re not in the right headspace to return to the field, least of all if it meant that you were representing the US government wherever the fight was. 
Now that John Walker has the shield and has been branded the new Captain America, it gives you all the more reason to stay away. If he had so much as just breathed in your direction, you’d kill him and rip the shield from his grasp and return it to Sam. 
You ignored all emails and phone calls that had to do with John Walker. He wanted your blessing on live television, as if that meant anything. Yes, you were close with Steve, but you’re not an original Avenger. You just caught his eye during training one day and he took you under his wing. John Walker just wanted to create a bridge between the two of you since Sam and Bucky were obviously out of the question. 
You were the first person Sam called when he told you he was giving up the shield. You didn’t ask why. You knew he had his reasons and you respected him to accept that whatever the reasons were, they were good enough. 
So, when Sam called in the middle of the night, you picked up the phone without a second thought. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you sit up and fumble for the light on the nightstand beside you. 
“Sam? You do realize it’s three in the morning, right?” you asked, yawning into your phone. 
Sam curses in your ear and apologizes quietly. “Sorry. You would think with all this traveling, I’d remember time zones are a thing,” he laughed softly. 
“What is it, Sam?” 
“We’re in a bit of a tight spot. We could use your help.”
Your brows pinch together. “Who’s we, Sam?”
“Me and Barnes.”
Your heart jumps inside your throat. How the hell did Sam manage to rope Bucky into whatever he’s doing? The last you heard, Bucky wasn’t allowed to go on government missions until his therapist thought he made enough progress to do so. You know he’s nowhere near the progress he wants to be, so how is he with Sam? 
“Jesus, Sam. You know he’s not in the right headspace to go on missions!” There’s a heavy pause between the two of you before you relent. “Where am I meeting you?”
“Latvia. I’ll fill you in when you get here.”
You hang up quickly and hurry out of bed. After so many years of getting up at odd hours for emergency missions and the like, you’re not surprised that Sam asked you to meet him in the middle of the night. You grab your duffle bag and stuff all your belongings back inside. You travel lightly, and now it definitely seemed to work out in your favor. 
You’ve spent the last couple of weeks in a small town just outside of Helena, Montana. It’s nice and quiet and you’ve really taken the time to reflect on your life since things started going back to normal post-blip. The locals are nice and hospitable, and no one asks you about Steve, Tony, or what you thought of John Walker. You hope it had something to do with the fact that they didn’t know who you were. You certainly hoped that was the case. You’ve kept your head down and tried your best to blend in. 
You go hiking quite frequently and take drives through the mountains. It’s nice and relaxing, a far cry from what you’re used to. You’ll definitely miss it, and you have second thoughts about meeting up with Sam, but you push them away. Steve abandoned you both, and you wouldn’t do that to him. 
It takes you several hours to get to the closest international airport and by the time you arrive, the sun begins to rise in the distance. You hurry through the airport security and send Sam a quick update that you’re about to board your flight before you settle in your seat and fall back asleep.
....
You sleep through the entire flight. You blame it on your ability to sleep anywhere due to the number of missions you have under your belt. You’re wide awake when the plane lands and you’re quick to pull out your phone and send a message to Sam that you’ve made it safe and sound to Latvia. 
Your legs are stiff and sore when you stand up for the first time when it’s time to leave. You pull your duffle bag from the overhead compartment and slowly make your way to the front. It takes you nearly an hour to get through customs and now you’re just anxiously waiting to see Sam. 
When you see him waiting for you at the baggage claim area, you grin as your eyes meet. You hurry over to him and drop your duffle bag to the floor as he pulls you in for a hug. It’s warm and tight and it’s exactly what you need. Sam pulls away first and reaches for your bag, throwing an arm over your shoulder as you walk out of the airport to his car. 
You stop walking when you notice two figures near a very fancy yellow car as you and Sam near them. Sam keeps walking and you take slow, tentative steps. You know one of the figures has to be Bucky, but Sam never mentioned a third person. 
“Sam, I thought you said that it was just you and Bucky,” you said cautiously. 
Sam stops in his tracks and lets out a nervous chuckle and scratches the back of his head. It makes your heart race and you swallow the lump in your throat as they begin to come into focus as they near the two of you. “Y/n, before you get angry, I just need you to know that this wasn’t my idea. Believe me when I tell you that he is the last person we would ask for help,” Sam replied as his eyes went from you to the two people approaching.
“Who is he?” you asked through gritted teeth. 
“Ah! Y/n, good to know that your flight went rather smoothly. It is good to see you again.”
No. There’s no way. You must be dreaming. Hemlut Zemo is not standing right in front of you. He is in prison. He is behind bars for the crimes he committed. The two men that you're closest to wouldn’t jailbreak someone as atrocious as Zemo. There has to be an explanation. It doesn’t make sense. 
“What the fuck is Zemo doing out of prison?!” you hissed, looking between Bucky and Sam, demanding an explanation. 
“Y/n, honey, I can explain, just please get in the car,” Bucky pleaded, reaching out to touch your hand. 
You glare at him and take a step back. “Are you out of your mind, Bucky? You break him out of jail because you need him, is that it? Do you remember what he did to you, because I certainly do!”
Bucky frowns and lets out a deep and heavy sigh. He looks over at Sam. “Did you fill her in at all?”
“No!” you shouted. “I can speak for myself, James! Someone better start talking and tell me what the hell is going on!”
“We don’t really have time for this right now,” Zemo interrupts, “we really must be going. I’m sure Sam and James can fill you in in the car.”
You glare at the Sokovian terrorist and snap at him. “Shut your mouth, Zemo.”
He raises his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. Bucky towers over you and this time you let him take your hand. He squeezes it gently and pulls you into his chest, hugging you tightly. You’re tense and fuming as he holds you. 
His mouth finds the shell of your ear and despite the wave of anger flowing through your body, it sends a shiver down your spine. Bucky whispers, “I hate to say it, but Zemo’s right. We have to go. I’ll explain on the way, I promise.”
You huff childishly and turn your head away from him as he kisses your temple. “Fine. If he steps out of line, I’ll kill him.”
Bucky laughs and takes your hand and walks you to the car. “Get in line, honey. Sam and I have first dibs.”
You resist the urge to smile and Bucky opens the door for you as Sam tosses your bag in the trunk and climbs into the front seat. Bucky slides in beside you and he tells you everything.
He tells you about their first encounter with the Flag Smashers. He tells you about how the leader and a few of her followers have taken a newer version of the serum that runs through his veins. He tells you that she plans on giving the serum to more people to build an army and that you have to stop her. 
It makes your heart stop. You hadn’t really been keeping tabs on the Flag Smashers. Now, looking back, you probably should have. There’s still a lot of unknown variables to account for and it looks like the boys are taking it one step at a time, and apparently it starts with a trip to Madripoor. Zemo chimes in every now and then as he drives and it makes your blood boil that you’re forced to listen to what he has to say. You hate that he has the upper hand and is keeping valuable information hostage. You want to strangle him. 
After a while, Zemo pulls into a private airport. Bucky helps you out of the car and grabs your bag from the trunk as the four of you walk towards the jet just off the runway. You had no idea just how rich Zemo was. Now that he’s out of prison, for now at least, his arrogance returned back in full force in addition to his pompous attitude. 
You board the plane in silence, ignoring every word coming out of the Baron’s mouth. You settle in the back of the plane and ignore Bucky’s stares as you look out the window. You’re too angry to engage in conversation. You don’t care that Zemo insults Steve’s legacy. He’s gone, dead, what do you care? Yes, you wanted Steve to be happy, but he abandoned you. He abandoned Sam and Bucky. 
Zemo rambles on and on. “People like Steve become symbols, icons. Then we start to forget about their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought,” he turns to address Bucky directly. “You remember that, right? As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?”
Silence fills the space and for a moment, you feel a reprieve. That was until Zemo mentioned the Winter Soldier. 
 “We can’t go into Madripoor as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.”
You immediately stand up and protest, storming to the front of the plane. “No. Absolutely not. I won’t let you use Bucky, not again. There has to be another way.”
Zemo clicks his tongue at you and shakes his head. A smug graces his features and you lung at him, wrapping your hands around his throat. “I’ll fucking kill you!”
Bucky leaps to his feet and tears you off of Zemo, dragging you to the back of the plane behind the curtains to give the two of you an illusion of privacy. Your shoulders shake with rage and Bucky’s hands caress your face. 
“You can’t be him. He’s not you anymore. You don’t have to do this, Bucky. Please,” you begged, clinging to his hands. “I can’t let Zemo control you again.”
Bucky’s touched with how protective you are over him. He pulls you closer and hugs you tightly against him. Your fingers grip the back of his shirt and he presses a gentle kiss to the top of your head. 
“Honey,” he whispered. “I have to. I have to do this so we can stop the Flag Smashers from getting the serum. It’s for the mission.”
You huffed against his chest. Now you’re really regretting your decision to help Sam. You would’ve said no if you had known that it meant watching Bucky turn into the Winter Soldier again, even if it wasn’t real. 
You don’t know what to say. He won’t change his mind. Bucky’s just as stubborn as you are and he’ll do anything for the success of the mission, just like Steve did. 
You pull away and return back to your seat, crossing your arms over your chest as you stare into the back of Zemo’s plush leather seat. Bucky trails behind you and squeezes your shoulder. You shrug off his touch as he takes the empty seat next to yours. 
“And, I’m afraid that where we’re going doesn’t take too kindly to women who are…. how do I put this…. strong willed,” Zemo said. 
“What is that supposed to mean?” Bucky barked, jumping to your defense just moments after you did the same for him.
“Selby will see Y/n as competition. We can’t have that happen. She’ll have to stay behind.”
“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m just going to just sit here and do nothing,” you snapped. “I’m coming with. I don’t care if I have to pretend to be meek.”
Zemo turns to look at you. He’s challenging you. You both know it. He’s pushing your buttons and it’s working. He smirks and leans against the armchair. His eyebrows raise and he asks, “Even if it means pretending to be a prostitute?”
Your gaze doesn’t falter and you ignore both Sam’s and Bucky’s protests. It falls on deaf ears. You don’t care, as long as you’re with Sam and Bucky and they’re safe. “Yes,” you answered without a second thought. You’ve done worse things than pretend to be a sex worker. It would be a piece of cake. 
Zemo grins, letting out a soft laugh. “It looks like you’ll be joining us after all then, Y/n.”
You scoff at him and look out the window. Bucky drags you from your seat once more and pulls you behind the curtain. You look away from him and he reaches to squeeze your hand. 
“You don’t have to do this. You have nothing to prove,” he whispered, brushing the top of your palm with his warm and calloused fingers. 
“You don’t either,” you mumbled back. 
He smiles softly at your retort and pulls you into his arms. He holds you gently and cards his fingers through your hair. You hum quietly as he holds you. 
“Touché, honey.”
There’s a beat of silence between the two of you before you lean back to meet his gaze. His blue eyes pierce through yours and it makes your heart race. You pull away and rub your palms against your thighs. 
You disappear behind the curtain once more, leaving Bucky behind. 
When you arrive in Madripoor, you’re dressed in an outfit that leaves little to the imagination. The dress has a plunging neckline that settles just below your naval. Your chest is barely covered and your boobs threaten to slip over the fabric. You’re dressed for the part, that’s for sure. 
Zemo is the first one to look at you when you return from behind the curtain. He whistles at you and it makes your skin crawl. 
Bucky shoves Zemo harshly and grips his chest tightly, snarling in his face. “Watch your mouth,” Bucky hissed, shoving him into one of the chairs. 
He turns to look at you and you reach to squeeze his hand. You pull him away from Zemo and whisper softly, “It’s alright, Buck. Take a deep breath.”
He grits his teeth and shakes his head, and does what you ask. “I’ll kill him. If he does that again, I’ll kill him.”
You laugh softly and press a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I don’t doubt you will, Buck.”
The two of you trail behind Sam and Zemo as you leave the plane. A sleek black car is waiting just off the runway and you follow behind to the vehicle. When you settle into your spot in between Buck and Sam in the back, Zemo turns to look at the three of you. 
“It’s imperative that we don’t break character, no matter what. If you do, we’re good as dead, understand?” 
You scoff and roll your eyes as he looks towards you. “Crystal,” you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest. 
He turns to face the front of the vehicle and silence fills the car. 
Suddenly, a number of motorcycles surround the car as you drive into Low Town. you make sure to keep your eyes forward and Bucky reaches for the hand on your knee. He squeezes it tightly and you do the same. 
Reality is now just setting in for you. This is the first mission that you’ve been on since Steve went back to the 40s, and since Tony died. It had been three long months since Tony saved the world and brought everyone back that was taken five years earlier. You know that three months isn’t long, but it still makes you nervous. You haven’t been training to keep things from going rusty. You had no desire to. 
Bucky leans into you, his mouth near the shell of your ear. “You okay?” 
You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Yeah, just a bit nervous. I’m a little out of practice. This is my first mission since Steve left,” you mumbled back, squeezing his hand again to keep you grounded. He does the same in return. 
“It’s alright. I have your back. I’ll protect you, promise.”
A small smile finds its way onto your face and you shake your head at him. “You know better than anyone else than to promise something like that before a mission, Buck. It’s bad luck,” you teased. 
He laughs too and the car stops in what you guess is the downtown area of Low Town. You take a deep breath and Bucky does the same. You squeeze his hand one last time before his hand falls from your grasp. He opens the door and climbs out. You follow close behind and find your spot next to Sam. He gingerly wraps his arm around your waist as you walk into the Princess Bar. 
Electronic music blasts through the speakers and the bass vibrates through your chest. You press against Sam as you push through people to get to the bar. The smell of drugs and alcohol is suffocating as you walk and ignore the stares sent your way. They’re not staring at you, but Bucky, who walks just a step behind you like a looming shadow. 
“Ready to comply, Winter Soldier?” Zemo asked Bucky in Russian. 
It makes your blood boil and Sam squeezes your waist tightly, a reminder that you must not break character. You hate it. You hate that Bucky has to pretend to be the person he’s worked so hard to distance himself from. Bucky is not him. The Winter Soldier doesn’t exist anymore. That part of him is gone, dead. You only hope that Bucky reminds himself that the Winter Soldier isn’t him anymore as he pretends just feet behind you.
You stand in front of the bar counter as the bartender approaches. You keep your mouth shut as Zemo exchanges words with the man, briefly bringing Sam, the Smiling Tiger, into the conversation. Your eyes find Bucky’s and your heart jumps inside your throat. His eyes are cold and void of any emotion. He’s stoic and brooding. He’s fallen into character perfectly and it scares you to think that all the progress he’s made over the years has been destroyed in this moment. For his sake, you hope not.
You tear your eyes away from Bucky at the feeling of Sam’s hand on the curve of your ass. You watch him carefully as he takes a shot. The bartender moves on and you let out a careful breath. 
A man grasps at Zemo’s shoulder and sneers at him. He looks over at Bucky as Zemo asks to see Selby before he walks away. Another man approaches Zemo from behind and he speaks in Russian once more. “Winter Soldier, attack.” 
You hold your breath in anticipation as the unsuspecting man rests his hand on Zemo’s shoulder. You want to reach out and touch Bucky, tell him that he doesn’t have to, that the two of you still have time to make a run for it, but you don’t. You can’t. Zemo would probably try and kill you if you interfere and it’s the last thing you need. 
Bucky stalks over to him with two long strides, and rips the man’s hand from Zemo’s shoulder. He twists his wrist back and throws him to the ground. Another man swings at Bucky and he stops it with ease. He punches his back and kicks him against another crowny. As another man attempts to punch and kick at Bucky. He uses his metal arm and momentum to take each of them out.
“It doesn’t take much for him to fall back into form,” Zemo smirked, leaning over to look at you and Sam. 
“Shut your mouth,” you hissed between your teeth as you watched Bucky. 
Bucky grabs one of the men by the throat and slams him into the counter. Guns cock all around you as you look around the room. Your heart is inside your throat and there’s ringing in your ears. You reach to grab Bucky’s arm, but Sam beats you to it.
“Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us,” Zemo whispered. “Well done, soldier.”
Sam lets go of his arm and takes a step back, pulling you with him. He squeezes your hip tightly as you watch Bucky’s grip fall from the man’s throat.
“Selby will see you now,” the bartender said.
Zemo moves to follow him and you resist the urge to reach out and touch Bucky. Sam pulls you along and you walk in silence down a number of hallways. The music fades into the background and you’re squeezing Sam’s hand like your life depends on it. 
A number of men on Selby’s security detail whistle as you walk by. You bite your tongue and resist the urge to snap their necks. The four of you wait at the door at the end of the hall for several seconds before it opens. You walk inside and Zemo takes you from Sam’s side. Your jaw ticks as he guides you to the empty sofa. His hand settles on your thigh and you tense under his touch.
Zemo and Selby negotiate for information. All you need to know is who created the serum and where they are. That’s it. Zemo needs to stick to the plan. 
Zemo stands up from his spot next to you. “Tell us what you know about the super soldier serum, and I give you him…. along with the code words to control him,” Zemo stands behind Bucky, his hand resting on his shoulder. He’s silent and obedient, the perfect encapsulation of who he had been for the last 80 years. 
There wasn’t a discussion over what the offer would be when you were on the plane from Latvia. You just assumed Zemo would figure a way out of it, he was clever enough to do it before. You hadn’t thought that he would actually use the Winter Soldier to his benefit outside of protection. How naive of you. 
Bucky’s eyes are dark and he stares straight ahead as Zemo caresses his chin. He doesn’t flinch or react. He’s playing the Winter Soldier perfectly and you hate every second. You bite the inside of your cheek so hard that you start to taste blood. 
“He will do anything you want.”
Selby grins, leaning back in her spot on the couch opposite of you. She tells him what you need to know. She nears Sam and then the worst happens, his phone begins to ring. 
She tells him to answer it and your fingers squeeze into the leather couch. Your heart races and for the first time since you walked into the bar, Bucky’s eyes find yours. You know he can see your panic. 
Things are fine momentarily. Sam’s trying his best to stay in character and you know it’s not working as well as he’d like. You hold your breath and your panic settles in at the mention of Sam’s name coming from Sarah. 
“Kill them—” 
Your eyes widen in horror as a bullet pierces through the glass window in front of you and lodges into Selby’s throat, killing her instantly. The act is over. 
You leap to your feet and pull the tactical knife that you hid in your dress out from underneath you. You slice the knife across your attacker’s arm. Bucky kicks him into the wall and grabs you by the arm. 
You run as fast as you can out the bar and through the streets of Madripoor. You dodge bullets and fight off others that attack you with knives. 
You do well, all things considered with what you’re dressed in. You dig your heel into the boot of your attacker, throwing them off balance. You kick their leg out from underneath them and Sam knocks them unconscious. 
Bucky, of course, is doing just fine on his own. You run over to help. You disarm the man closer to you and use the butt of the gun to knock him out. 
You barely have time to register the man creeping up behind Bucky. His arm is outstretched with a gun in his hand. Bucky has no clue. 
“Bucky!” you screamed at the top of your lungs, running as fast as you can towards him. 
He turns to look at you as you use your whole body to shove him aside as the gun goes off. 
Time stands still. 
You fall to the ground in a daze as the bullet rips through your shoulder. Your eyes stare up into the night sky as it takes you a moment to realize that you’d just been shot. 
You try to sit up and get back on your feet. You don’t have time to worry about your wound. You need to get the hell out of Low Town. 
Bucky nearly drags you off the ground and you run. You run as fast as you can despite the bullet in your shoulder. 
“We need to get out of here!” Bucky shouted, inspecting your wound. 
A shadowy figure approaches and Bucky blocks you from view. The hood drops and you peer over Bucky’s shoulder. You don’t have time to be surprised that Sharon is the one standing in front of you. 
“Sharon? What are you doing here?” Sam asked. 
“We don’t have time for that!” Bucky snapped. “Sharon, please. You gotta help us. Y/n’s been shot.”
She nods and motions for you to follow her. She stops in front of a beautiful blue car and Bucky guides you into the car, pressing his metal hand against your shoulder to stop the bleeding. You ignore Sam and Bucky’s bickering as they yell at you for getting shot. You don’t have the energy to respond. 
Sharon races across town and pulls up to a very fancy building. Sharon jumps out and opens the door for Bucky. His arm holds your torso and your uninjured arm is thrown over his shoulder as you walk inside. You gather into the elevator as it takes you to the top floor. 
Your entire body goes numb and Bucky guides you to the kitchen counter. Sharon briefly disappears before returning with a heavy duty first aid kit. 
“Do you have tequila?” you asked her as Bucky rummaged through the bag for the correct supplies. Sharon laughs softly before grabbing a bottle of tequila from her liquor cabinet. You take a generous sip and the liquid burns your throat. 
Bucky inspects the bullet wound carefully. Thankfully it was a through and through. He doesn’t have to fish the bullet out. He works quickly and you grit your teeth as he stitches the wound close on both sides of your shoulder. 
The pain lessened to a dull throb now that he’s finished. He cleans the excess blood off your skin before gently placing your arm in a sling. 
“Why did you do that, Y/n?” Bucky chastised you, shaking his head in disappointment. “I could’ve taken care of him.”
You scoff and roll your eyes at him. “I don’t even get a thank you for saving your ass? You were vulnerable, I did the right thing.”
He sighs and you look away. Your eyes find Sharon’s. “Can I borrow some clothes?”
She nods and disappears down the hall to her bedroom. Silence fills the room and Sam takes his turn to reprimand you. You ignore him entirely and take another large swig of tequila. 
Sharon returns moments later with a pair of clean clothes. You thank her quietly and she points you in the direction of one of the guest bedrooms. You hop off the counter and ignore Bucky’s protests and calls of your name. 
You huffed in frustration as you limped towards one of Sharon’s guest bedrooms. You had enough of Sam and Bucky yelling at you for your recklessness, especially Bucky. You’re exhausted and all you want to do is sleep. 
You did what you thought was right. You did what Steve would’ve done. You had Bucky’s back. Isn’t that what mattered? Sure, you got shot in the shoulder, but it isn’t something you haven’t done before. You have the scars to prove it. 
“Stop running away from me! We’re not done talking about this!” Bucky yelled after you, hot on your heels into the bedroom. “What were you thinking?”
You’re sick of Bucky questioning you. You’re not a child and you’re not the bright eyed recruit he thinks you still are. You did what was right in the heat of the moment. You don’t regret it. You’d do it all over again if it meant that he was safe. 
“Stop treating me like a child, James! I’m not Steve’s recruit anymore! I’m a grown woman,” you shouted back at him. Your shoulders shake and you glare at him. “I know you still think I’m that naive 25 year old, but that’s not me anymore. The last five years may have been five seconds to you, but they weren’t to me. Accept the fact that I did what I thought was right.”
“It was reckless!”
“Steve would’ve done it!” you bit back. 
“This isn’t about Steve!” he argued. 
You laugh bitterly and shake your head. He doesn’t see it. He doesn’t see what you see. You know he sees you as his responsibility now that Steve’s gone. He feels an obligation to look after you because Steve did. You have a part of Steve with you. Bucky’s clinging to any last remains of Steve, and that includes you. 
“Isn’t it though? You feel like you have a responsibility to protect me, to look after me. Why? It’s because Steve did and now that he’s gone, you feel like you have to replace him!”
The silence that fills the room suffocates you. Your heart races with anger. You want Bucky to leave you alone. You didn’t ask for this. Sam needed your help, and when you provided it, you got yelled at for it. Now you just want to go home. 
You turn your back to Bucky and pull the pants that Sharon gave you up your legs before discarding the dress in the corner of the room. You don’t care if Bucky sees all the scars that litter your backside. Maybe then he would understand that you’ve always done what’s best for the mission, even if that meant getting hurt. You throw the sweatshirt over your head and turn to look at Bucky again. 
“Do you have anything else to say to me? Are you going to try and deny it?”
Bucky sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You’re one of the only people I have left that have a connection to Steve.”
Another bitter laugh escapes your mouth. He doesn’t understand. “He abandoned me, James! He abandoned us. Steve’s gone. You can’t hold on to him anymore. You don’t have to do anything Steve did. You have nothing to prove to me, I promise. I don’t need you to replace Steve. I need you, Buck. You’re the one that’s here with me, not Steve.”
Tears threaten to spill over your cheeks and you look away from him. The silence is deafening and Bucky moves to take you in his arms. He holds you against his chest and cards his fingers through your hair. You cry against his chest and cling to his henley. He gently guides you to the bed and sits down with you in his lap.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he whispered, rubbing your back. “You’re right. It just scared me. I don’t think I can handle losing you too. I’m sorry.”
You pull away to look at him with your tear stained cheeks and he carefully wipes away your tears with the pad of his thumb. You blink away the remaining tears and lean into his touch. “It’s okay, Buck. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” 
You rest your forehead against his and breathe him in. His metal hand rubs circles against your back and it sends shivers down your spine. He holds you carefully and no words are exchanged. Your eyes flicker to his lips and your heart thunders against your chest. 
There’s a soft knock at the door and you pull your body off of Bucky’s. You sit beside him as Sam pokes his head inside the room. “Is everything okay?” he asked, looking between the two of you. 
You look over at Bucky and then back to Sam. You smile and nod slowly. “Everything’s perfect, Sam.”
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extremelyblackandwhite · 4 years ago
Text
ascendance - 08
PAIRING: mob!bucky barnes x reader
WARNINGS: abduction, age gap (reader is 23, bucky is 37), violence
A/N: i’m on a roll. i just really, really enjoy writing this particular piece so be prepared for me writing way too much. hope you enjoy lovelies and thank you for your lovely feedback so far xx
PREVIOUS CHAPTER - NEXT CHAPTER | MASTERLIST
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Y/N heard the water fall all the way from the bathroom followed by itching silence. She no longer liked the silence, not since last night. The ringing returned as she closed the book, the events of last night flashing like a kaleidoscope of memories from the dead man to Bucky being shot. She didn’t want to feel bad, she didn’t want to feel for any of these people yet she couldn’t help but feel responsible for Bucky being shot. If she had moved faster, he wouldn’t have gotten shot. Yet again, he was her jailer. 
He came out after a while, blue henley still on despite his hair being washed. The dressings she had wrapped around his arm last night were becoming loose and worn out; most likely due to the shower, yet he ignored them. She perked up, closing her book and dropping it on her lap, eyes following his figure who grabbed the bottle of whiskey he’d been nursing ever since she was thrown into this situation.
     - Buck? - she spoke, softly yet wavering. The brown haired man looked up from his drink. - Is that why you didn’t tell me your name? Because your name is Buck?
    - My name’s not Buck. - he replied dryly, taking a sip of his drink before setting it down on the marbled surface. - No one in their right mind would call someone Buck.
    - Then why do they call you Buck?
    - Childhood nickname.
    - So what’s your name? - her hands rested upon the top of the couch.
    - Nice try, dove. I’m not going to tell you. - she merely rolled her eyes at his reply before returning to her book.
Bucky watched her from his spot in the kitchen, her hair cascading down her shoulders contrasting with the stained white fabric as she was nose deep inside the book. She was a creative person in his eyes. A chorus girl, a dramatic singer, someone who’d easily slip in and out of personalities, he’d learned people like that enjoyed alternate realities. Some would enjoy movies, some TV shows and some, including Y/N, it appeared it was reading. He was almost sure she was devoured half his entire bookshelf in the time she’d been in that flat. He liked reading too but these days he didn’t have the time. At least not as much time as he used to have when he was younger. 
Part of him wanted to sit down and discuss the book she was reading; it was one of his favourites. However, memories from past times’ he’d gotten attached to John’s victims stopped him. She was a nice girl, way too nice for all of this to be happening to her and he would spare her his company. Instead, he sat on one of the chairs by the TV, paying mindless attention to whatever movie was playing on the screen. As he was about to fall asleep due to the boring nature, she moved from her spot in the couch to enter the bathroom. He did not expect her to come out so quickly, holding his first aid kit. Had the wounds in her hands opened up again? He hadn’t noticed, he hadn’t seen any open wounds when he looked at her. 
She put the first aid kit on the rest arms of his chair, opening the old box with all sort off supplies he’d collected over the years. He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what she was about to do until she pulled at the bandages around his arms which were wet and almost sliding by itself. The wound looked horrendous, whoever had stitched him up had little to no regard as to how it would look once it healed. It seemed as the doctor, if whoever had been in that bedroom was even a doctor, cared only he stopped bleeding. 
   - What are you doing? - he questioned, not really interrupting her. 
   - Changing your dressings. - she said, throwing the old bandages and cotton rounds onto an empty plastic bag. - You do realise that showering with your dressings on will only make you get an infection and lose an arm or something.
   - We don’t want that to happen. - he looked to his gloved hand, something she’d been meaning to ask but chose not to. He wasn’t the talking type, no matter how much she tried. She shrugged into herself, digging through all his first aid accessories to get some antiseptic liquid, bandages and band aids. She wasn’t the best first aider but she did know how to look after wounds, after all ballet training leaves you with quite battered feet. She proceeded to wipe the wound with one hand, the other mindlessly finding his hand to hold. - You don’t need to do that. 
   - Do what? - Y/N didn’t even look at him, too focused on bandaging his wound.
   - Never mind. - his thumb grazed her palm as she finished knotting the bandage around his arm which keep the cotton round in place. - Why didn’t you run away? 
   - I can’t. - she closed the first aid kit box, putting it on the ground to finally look up at him.
    - You had your shot. Why didn’t you go?
    - You were bleeding next to me. I couldn’t leave you and let you die. 
    - Why not?
    - You didn’t kill me when you had the chance to. 
    - So debt paid?
    - That’s not what I meant. - she interjected, taking a step back from him. Her normally gentle smile disappeared a she adopted a more conservative expression, grabbing her own arm as she starred at her bare feet.
    - You didn’t need to meant it. - he replied, getting up from his chair but she stood in front of him.
Bucky wanted to yell at himself. Why would he say that? He didn’t mean to say that, he didn’t mean to hurt her. Why would he hurt one of the only people who’d shown him a sliver of kindness in the last nineteen years? Then again, part of him yelled she was merely being selfish, not wanting his ledger to be stained with the colour of his blood or merely trying to build a relationship with him so she could escape. Yet, if she wanted to escape, why didn’t she? He couldn’t have run after her, the moment he’d moved in front of her and that bullet hit him, just as fast he hit the ground, his head was pounding and the pain was nauseating. He felt immobile and she could’ve run but she didn’t. She held his hand instead. So the question remained; was she selfish or just too naive? 
He moved to get the bag which was calling up her attention ever since Y/N laid her eyes on it, before handing it over to her. Like an unwilling person, she furrowed her eyebrows before shyly taking it up from him but not really looking into the bag.
   - Get changed, we’re going out. 
   - Out as in formal out? - she looked through the bag which was filled with various articles of clothing.
   - Out as in I have nothing in my fridge and we need to eat out. You can go into the bedroom if you want. 
   - Oh, okay.
She made her way into the bedroom, caution still in the back of her brain. She didn’t fear Bucky, he had never been anything but formal with her, a bit closed off and sometimes with a bad temper but he’d never really hurt her. Nevertheless, part of her wondered why she thought that. Y/N had no real indicator he wouldn’t hurt her, he’d hurt other people. Yet, what’s the use of wallowing in her own ears when she’s already suffocating with them. Walking into the room, the choice was clear as she saw a brown white polka dot dress and in all honesty, it didn’t matter. If one part of her wondered why she wasn’t being hurt by him, another part wondered if this was a trap and she was walking into a sweet death embrace. It didn’t matter, if she was walking up to death than she was meeting it with arms wide open. 
She stepped out of her bedroom like one stepped onto a funeral, head looking down, locks pushed away from her face with a brown scrunchie. She always wanted to escape this flat and now she was, she was escaping but with him. How come one half wanted to smile and the other wanted to cry? Yet, looking at him once again dressed in navy blue with a jacket on and leather gloves on, there it was that pesky feeling again; that feeling that he wouldn’t hurt her, not really. He opened the door like a gentleman and she wondered if in a past life he’d been one. The two walked down the stairs dead silent until they were outside. She expected him to grab her hand and keep a tight hold but instead he started walking up the street, hands in both pockets as if he were leaving her. Y/N quickened her step to catch up to him, not understanding if he wanted to chase her or to test her. Whatever the intent was, she continued walking by his side until they reached a restaurant named Izzy’s. 
Bucky took another step, once again opening the door for her. She held her hands against her. stomach as she stepped inside the small restaurant. It was nothing luxurious, not like the hotel she’d been in yet she still somehow felt safer in there despite not ever having been there. Heck, she didn’t even know what part of New York city she was in. Bucky, however, had been here before as he walked up to the counter and pulled a seat for her before sitting down himself. 
   - What do you want? - Bucky asked, handing her one of the laminated menus. 
   - I don’t know. What are you having? - she looked over her shoulder, a small smile on her lips. 
   - You can pick whatever you want. No need to be courteous.
   - But I’ve never been he ...
   - James? - an older man interrupted them. Y/N immediately shut up, afraid it was one of John’s men; however, Bucky beamed up at the man, something she hadn’t seen him do not even to Will. - Thought we did Izzys on Wednesdays. 
   - I’m here with someone else. - he playfully replied. This intrigued her, a smile and playful side to him she’d never seen. The man took a look at her before smiling and patting him on the arm.
   - Finally. I told you you needed a girlfriend. She’s pretty too. - Y/N couldn’t help but smile at the compliment, despite not being his girlfriend. - Am I interrupting your date?
   - Y/N does not know what she wants to eat. 
   - Whatever you eat, make sure you have mochi for dessert. They used to be my son’s favourite. 
Bucky’s expression changed, his muscles tightening on his face, forehead crinkled and brows almost meeting. She didn’t exactly know why or what overcame her but once again she held his hand, while thanking the man for the suggestion. She did adore mochi, after all. 
  - I’ll leave you to your date. - he patted Bucky on the shoulder, leaving the two alone once again. Bucky moved his hand away from her, placing it on the table and far from her. She’d be lying if she said that action hadn’t pained her. 
  - He’s nice. - she attempted to break the ice. - So, your name’s James?
  - Yes. - he replied, still focus on something, some memory, some part of his brain. 
  - How do you get Bucky from that? - she continued, ignoring his dry tone.
  - My middle name’s Buchanan. 
  - James Buchanan? Like the president? 
  - Yes, like the president.
  - When I was in primary school, there used to be this politician’s son with the same name. Girls in my grade were wild about him but I don’t really remember his face, I was more of a boyband fan myself. - Bucky looked at her at that mention, slightly surprised. 
  - How old are you?
  - Old enough for you to call me kid apparently. - she huffed, remembering how much she disliked that nickname. - I’ll tell you how old I am if you tell me how old you are. 
  - That’s not how questions work. 
  - Then I won’t tell you how old I am. - she shrugged and returned to her menu, searching for something to order. 
  - Are you old enough to drink?
  - Are you trying to get me drunk? - Bucky smirked at her answer, not really at the words but how she had said them so mindlessly. - I’m 23 if you must know.
  - You’re a kid. - he reaffirmed and she slapped his arm playfully. - I’m 37, dove. There’s a whole ass teenager in the middle of us. 
  - No respectable 37 year old uses the term “whole ass”.
  - No respectable 23 year old takes this long to decide on what to eat. 
The dinner went better than she had expected. Bucky was indeed a small talk person but he made an effort to talk, even if it were about small things in the television or about what he was eating. For any outsider, the two looked like they were having a pretty good date. Heck, Bucky even felt for a second the two of them were having a date and no matter how much he hated it, his heart skipped a bit when she laughed, covering her lips as if she didn’t have one of the prettiest smiles he’d ever seen. Yet again what if it was all play? She could act well, probably and maybe she was laughing and being nice only to save her own skin. 
The two walked side to side back to his flat. Her eyes would steal a glance at him every once in a while. Deep inside, she felt like she needed to know who he really was, know who the man behind the captor was. Yet, he was more of a jailor than a captor himself. What could she do but survive? There was nothing she could do but survive so what harm was it in getting to know him? After all, he was the reason she was even alive and she had to admit he was kind to her, in his own way. He opened the door to his flat and she stepped inside, smile still teasing her lips.
    - Don’t you look pretty? - she turned her head to the kitchen. Standing against the marble was John, looking at the two of them as if they were merely sheep.
Bucky stood in front of her, hand pushing her behind him as if his body would be enough to protect her from the man looking at the two of them. John chuckled, straightening his posture before he started to walk long yet slow strides, teasing the two of them. She could hear her heart drumming in her ears as John finally reached Bucky, his eyes lingering on her before setting on the man in front of him. 
    - I wonder where you two went. - he chuckled. - I thought you were supposed to keep my get out of jail card here. 
    - And here she is. 
    - I’ll deal with you later, soldat. Move. - he ordered but Bucky remained still in front of her. - Don’t make me repeat myself, I don’t wan ...
    - It’s my fault. - she spoke out, stepping around Bucky to stand by his side, eyes looking straight into the man who had stolen her freedom. - I ran away and he came after me. 
   - You ran away? - he cocked his head to the side, smile teasing his lips as he looked at Bucky and back at her. 
   - She ...
   - Now, don’t try to protect her, soldat. - he interrupted him. - I know how weak you are with helpless women. 
   - She’s a kid, she doesn’t know what she was doing. 
   - We’ll see that for ourselves. - he stood right in front of her, extending his hand towards her. - Shall we have a talk, my darling?
   - Y/N. - she corrected, taking his hand. After all, what was taking the devil’s hand when she had willingly taken death’s hand already. 
Bucky stood there, almost in fighting stance but her hand grazing his for a few seconds stopped him. His mind yelled how stupid she was, willingly walking into his bedroom with one of the worse men he’d ever met and part of him was ready to jump in, take the blame. She, however, had beat him to the punch, taking the blame herself. She was scared as she entered that room, hiding her shaking hands behind her back as John closed the door. If this was her end, then let it be. She’d dance with death until it finally took her. 
   - You have been quite a surprise. - he took her chin in between his thumb and indicator finger, raising it ever so slightly. - Here I thought you’d be a nuisance.
   - You made it pretty clear what would happen if I were a nuisance.
   - Yet you still ran. - he dropped her chin to put his hands on his hips, jacket sliding upwards slightly so she could see the gun by his waist. - Unless you have another story you’d like to tell me.
   - I don’t. 
   - You see, my darling, I am running a business here. I don’t expect you to understand but a business is like a clock, all clogs must run precisely and smoothly. - he took an envelope out of his pocket. - You’re disturbing my favourite toy and in all honesty, I was prepared to kill you at some point this week. However, things have changed. 
He handed her the envelope which had her name written in black calligraphy as if she were someone important. Turning it around, there was a red wax seal with a coat of arms she didn’t recognise. 
   - You seem to have made quite an impression on the Baron. - he chuckled silently. - He’s requested your appearance at the next soiree. 
TAGLIST + BEA’S MOOTS (sorry moots, it is I here to annoy you): @lookiamtrying @buckyswillow @blossomslibrary @juliesland @iloveshawnieboi​ @unmagically​ @red-head011 @poisonous00​ @boofy1998  @starbuckie​
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masterweaverx · 4 years ago
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RWBY Parents from Best to Worst
That’s right, everybody, I’m a-going to rank how terrible these people are to and for their kids! For the sake of covering as many parents as I can, I am defining ‘parent’ as either ‘legal guardian’ or ‘the one that gave birth to you’, and excluding relationships that are explicitly something else. That does mean that we’re going to miss out on some very important people, though, so before we begin, let’s have some Honorable Mentions!
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Yang Xiao Long and Winter Schnee: Professional Momsisters
“That’s why big sisters come first, to protect the ones that come after.” I don’t know who said that to these two, if anybody actually did, but it’s a quote that most definitely applies to them. Not only would they take a bullet (or a sword, or a fireball) for their younger siblings, they took the time out to give them affection and training that they needed when their own parents weren’t quite doing the job. If I absolutely had to rank one of them as the better momsister, I’d say Yang, but that’s really only because Yang had less to deal with overall; a depressed single dad not being able to pull himself together just doesn’t stack up with an abusive powermonger, a self-loathing drunkard, and all the institutional bigotry and pressure of Atlas. Plus, you know, Winter went into the military for a bit. Still, pretty good track record considering!
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Klein Sieben: Doing the work of seven good dads
Look, there is only one reason Klein wasn’t listed before the momsisters, and that reason is that he is technically the hired help (and could therefore become the fired help). He is, hands down, a better surrogate parent than Yang and Winter, providing guidance and care to all the Schneeblings and very effectively undoing the damage Jacques Gele (HE DOES NOT GET TO BE CALLED SCHNEE!) did to them. And he even helped out Willow! If he was allowed to do more, he would absolutely be My Real Dad of the year.
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Qrow Branwen: “The only one that gets to be sad in this house is me!”
Qrow has a lot of flaws. Like, so so many flaws. As Yang said in a noncanon spinoff, he’s cool but not exactly a role model. Thing is, you don’t have to be a role model to be a good parent--you just have to make sure your kids (or nieces in this case) get good advice and the opportunity to grow into the best versions of themselves they can be. And when Qrow’s not beating himself up or drowning his sorrows, he’s actually very good at helping Yang and Ruby. Honestly the only reason he’s not on the actual list is because he’s technically not a parent.
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Uncle Copper: Adopting a blind kid automatically makes you cool
So here we have a character that appeared in a single flashback in the novels, but from what we do know he was pretty likely to be a good guy. Like, raising a blind kid is hard enough; raising a blind kid in a desert after their actual parents got nommed by sand is so, so much more difficult. And yet, this guy said ‘If nobody else is going to adopt this kid I will!’ and by all measures he was a very caring and loving guy. Also, shout-out to the tribe, who took Fox in after Copper got killed by some maniac (and also killed said maniac). Fox has had a rough life, but it’s been filled with supportive people. Not everyone can say that.
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Starr Sanzang: She put up with Sun
Sure, she’s only had one scene in one novel, but Starr showed patience and caring and... probably did a lot to make sure Sun stays as aggressively cheery and patient as he is. Plus she’s got a dojo in Vacuo now... okay, I’ll be honest, I don’t know nearly enough about her to really assess her. Still, as far as cousins go, Sun Wukong could do a lot worse. And there are the implications of their motifs to factor in...
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Rhodes: If you’d done even just a little bit more--!
So, reasonably, what would you do when you see a little girl enslaved with a shock collar? Would you (A) get the girl out of there, (B) arrest the woman doing it, (C) try to get the girl therapy, or (D) all of the above? If you picked (E) secretly train the girl in swordplay so she can join a huntsman academy when she comes of age, then congratulations! You’ve given her hope! Good for you! And what if she snaps after five years of literal torture, kills her abuser, and then turns to you for comfort and/or approval? Welp, obviously she’s an irredeemable criminal and you have to bring her in, crushing all the faith she had in you and herself.
Seriously Rhodes, dropped the ball hard on that one. I’m only mentioning you because you had such a serious impact on Cinder’s development.
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Brother Gods: Creating and destroying entire species
Like, okay. Look. These are the two that made humanity, so an argument could be made that they’re humanity’s parents. But, by the strict and arbitrary rules I have selected, they aren’t parents. And even if they were, they would be just the worst sort of parents possible. Darkbro is bad enough, what with viewing only strength as valuable and creating the Grimm and, you know, annihilating humanity that one time, but he’s at least honest and honorable. Not like the cryptic Lightbro, who doesn’t bother making sure people understand him, who doesn’t even keep his own promises to his brother... I get that they’re basically overpowered children. Yeah, they are. Still... kinda terrible.
So, now that that’s all done, let’s get to the actual list! After the break, so you don’t get stuck scrolling a lot. RWBY parents, from best to worst, are as follows:
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23. Saphron and Terra Cotta-Arc: Two moms are better than none!
If I’m rating all the parents, and I am, then I have to acknowledge their flaws. And... these two don’t have any! Okay, fine, they used Adrian in a criminal scheme that one time (and that was literally just asking him to cry on command) and maybe Terra’s overworked and, to be fair, parenting a young kid is a lot different than parenting a teenager. But not only did they support their kid, they helped out all the kids that needed to room with them for a while! Saphron may also qualify as a momsister, depending on how well the Arcs managed their massive-numbered horde of kids. Look, the point is: Excellent parents. Bam.
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22. Yatsuhashi's Parents: Their slipups weren’t their fault
When your kid can wipe your memories and you don’t know about it, you’re bound to get a few mistakes down the line. Luckily for everyone, after the whole incident with Hiyoko Yatsu came clean, and his parents made absolutely sure that he understood (A) that having such an ability was a big responsibility and (B) that even though he really screwed up he was NOT evil. Given the man that Yatsuhashi is now, I’m pretty confident in calling them great parents--even if they only appeared in a book flashback.
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21. Coco's Dad: He exists!
That’s... honestly all I really know about him. He’s mentioned once in the books, and Coco has a few brothers. I’m kind of just assuming he’s a good parent from that, even if he didn’t figure out how to help Coco with her claustrophobia. So... yeah, shrug, Coco’s got a dad.
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20: Ghira and Kali Belladonna: Actually marvelous people
Loving. Caring. Mentoring, protective. You may be asking why these two aren’t lower on the list, given that they are absolutely great for Blake, and I’ll have to admit that they only really made one slipup--letting Adam talk with Blake.
And okay, look. The thing about people like Adam is that they don’t start out showing their true colors. It’s always a slow, gentle broil. Blake was young and stupid, Adam was cute and edgy, and these parents want their daughter to be happy. So not twigging on what Adam really was--or at least not being able to properly convince Blake--that’s entirely understandable. And they did instill her with a strong enough moral code to leave when enough was enough, and they absolutely welcomed her back with open arms. Frankly, if the lower-listing parents didn’t exist, I would happily say they are the best parents in the show.
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19. Pietro Polendina: He took Penny’s death flags
When you carve out part of your literal soul to bring your girl back from the dead, you get MAJOR parenting props. And even beyond that, Pietro is an absolutely caring and supportive father to everyone’s favorite bundle of sunshine. Even when she’s put in the rough position she was in, Pietro did his best to help her out. His one big flaw, though, is being overprotective and a bit presumptive. He does want Penny to live her best life, but he also can be just a touch too quick to say he knows what’s best for her. To his credit, when he’s called out on it, he does mend his ways. And he’s at least better then the GENERAL...
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18. Salem and Ozma: Good parents, surprisingly!
Sure, Salem decided that world conquest was a good idea and wanted to put down anybody that wasn’t directly from her bloodline. Sure, she psychologically manipulated her husband when he had doubts. And, being fair, it’s highly likely that her four daughters were killed in the crossfire of her and Ozma’s little tuff. But! That was likely an accident, she’s been shown to still clearly mourn their passing, and before that point she absolutely loved and adored the girls. Ozma gets points for being a generally good person who fell in love with her before she became unstable and, honestly, was just trying to help his girls escape... and hey, he blames himself for their deaths. As does Salem.
Just because they’re kind of directly responsible for a LOT of Remnant’s woes doesn’t mean they aren’t good parents!
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17. Will and Meg Scarlatina: Estranged but loving...
Yes, I know Rooster Teeth hasn’t officially confirmed that Bill is Will. I still believe though! Also it makes for a great picture, in any case.
Look, you can be the best and most loving parents ever--and from what we saw in the novels Will was definitely loving--but if you split up, your kid is going to get a little stressed. And hey, it’s not like these two were terrible people! Velvet’s just got a lot going on because of things entirely out of her control. Parents are people too, but sometimes the stress of one situation will leak out into another. Just... give people time to adapt.
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16. Nicholas Schnee: The man, the legend, the titan!
Nicholas Schnee is the rockstar success story of Remnant. Some guy from Mantle put in all the work to make the SDC, and honestly from what little we know about him he was probably a great guy! But if we’re registering parental goodness, well... he wasn’t quite smart enough to warn Willow away from abusive gold diggers, and he’s not present when the story starts. So, yeah, even if he was a good parent otherwise--and I think he would be--he kinda... didn’t put in the work to prevent Willow breaking later. Still. Not deliberately terrible!
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15. Li and An Ren: Don’t die in front of your kids, folks!
Seriously, it traumatizes them, especially if there’s a Grimm assault going on at the same time. Oh, double-especially if you reassure them that everything will be fine literally the second before the roof collapses on your head. And... well, okay, you couldn’t help your son and some random girl being the only survivors...
In all seriousness, that whole situation was absolutely out of their control. And before their deaths they were shown to be loving, wise, giving good advice to Lie Ren and helping him understand what the right thing to do was. Honestly, if they hadn’t died in front of him he’d be a lot better, mentally speaking. His trauma is not their fault. Plus Li went out distracting the big Grimm so Lie could run. No greater love hath man, indeed.
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14. Summer Rose: Loving mother, ticking trauma bomb
When she was around, Summer Rose was probably the best mom Yang and Ruby could ask for. Sure, everyone could be exaggerating a little on how great a person she was--fond memories and grief can do that--but even taking that into account, she was probably a great and wonderful woman to be raised by. And hey, it turns out the reason she vanished was to go confront basically the Devil Herself so her kids wouldn’t have to live in a world where she existed! I can totally get the logic behind that.
And to be fair, “I’m going to do this on my own so nobody else suffers” is a pretty common character flaw among the RWBY cast. There are entire arcs where each character learns to overcome it. Still, wandering off on your lonesome without telling anyone was not the smartest move, Summer. Especially if you expected to die--which, you know, Devil Herself, high probability. And you know, if you had died, that would be bad enough, but now Ruby’s practically certain to have to fight your grimmified self. At least she figured out what happened to you before Salem decided to hammer in the trauma button, so she’ll be a little more ready, but... seriously.
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13. The Arc Parents: Look, you try juggling eight kids!
To be fair, neither Arc parent has appeared on screen, but we can derive some of their traits from their kids. Jaune’s father said women like confident men. Jaune’s mother said strangers are friends you haven’t met yet. Jaune’s sister moved out of the house and (it’s implied) was happier for it. Jaune himself took his family’s ancestral weapon and ran off to Beacon to become a hero without any training whatsoever....
I get the impression that these two are not horrible parents, but they aren’t really stellar ones either. They slip up, don’t understand their children, give some really bad advice (as well as really good advice), and... look, it’s kind of middle of the road here. The Arcs could be wonderful people that just weren’t ready for the complexities of raising eight kids. I come from a big family myself, I know it can be stressful. And their kids turned out well anyway, so...
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12. The Mother of Pyrrha Nikos: You taught your girl too well
Hero complexes are funny things. And Pyrrha Nikos... in retrospect, she was really hiding a lot of insecurities under that facade. Laying it all at this woman’s feet is unfair, I’ll admit, a lot of that came from being The Mistral Champion. But... with stories and fairy tales of heroes, it’s not hard to imagine a genuinely loving mother making sure her daughter knew right from wrong, always knew to act with mercy and protect the weak, and made her hardline into being a hero at the cost of her own... sense of self. It wouldn’t even be something either of them noticed, really. Good people can make bad choices sometimes.
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11: Ilia's Parents: Oh god, can good people make bad choices...
So the idea of getting Ilia up to Atlas for a better life, that rocks (if you assume the propaganda to be true). And I’m certain her parents absolutely did what they did out of love. But what they did, you see, was tell Ilia to hide a very important part of herself from anybody who could find out, since it was likely she would be kicked out of the school she was in if people found out she was a faunus.
Which actually, did a lot of damage.
I mean look at Ilia now! She has trouble expressing herself until she explodes, she follows a crowd instead of her own morals, she broke down in tears when she finally did the right thing... Conceal Don’t Feel is never good advice, and these two went on and said ‘Honey, because of racism, you have to hide the fact you literally change color when you have emotions.’ Oh, and then they died offscreen--again, not their fault, but boy howdy did it give Ilia a complex.
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10. Taiyang Xiao Long: Slumped at just the wrong time
Honestly, Tai as he is now is a wonderful dad. Supportive of his daughters in their time of need, able to lift their mood with a tasteless joke or two, frankly if we were assessing just how they were in the moment... I’d still be a little critical of his refusal to talk about the girls’ mothers, but hey, that’s minor. Compared to, you know...
Okay, so this needs serious addressing. Taiyang cannot be blamed for falling into a depressive slump. People can hurt, and need time to heal. That said, his depressive slump is at the root of Yang’s many issues, and frankly if she hadn’t had to pull herself together for Ruby she would be a major mess. It’s a bad situation all round, even if it’s not his fault.
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9. Willow Schnee: “Kids, don’t wind up like me.”
Drowning her sorrows isn’t the best way to handle being stuck in an abusive marriage, but it was the best way Willow could think of. And, yeah, that really cut into her skills as a mom... but despite that, she did her darnedest to make sure her kids had what they needed to free themselves. Heck, once Jacques was out of the picture, she even pulled herself together and risked her life to save them! A broken women, to be sure, but not a shattered one.
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8. Neptune's Mother: She exists!
Being fair, there’s not a lot to go on here. We know Neptune’s mother is a lawyer (insert evil lawyer joke), that their family are famous swimmers, and that his brother caused his hydrophobia by tossing him into the water. It does paint a bit of a picture, though, of everyone having expectations for Neptune that he was not able to live up to. Pretty poor parenting, if it’s true.
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7. Nora Valkyrie's Mom: Come get your girl!
Literally the only factoid we have about Mama Valkyrie is that she abandoned her to the Grimm. We don’t know when this was, and it’s feasible it’s a case of ‘Oh No I Lost Track Of My Daughter In The Panic!’ But given we see young Nora scavenging for scraps of food... I’m not optimistic on her parenting skills.
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6. Raven Branwen: "I wasn’t part of your life, how could I ruin it?”
Raven is just not a good mom at all. And, surprisingly, she seems to know it. Or that’s one interpretation of her character. The thing about Raven is that she plays her cards close to chest. We still don’t know why she left her daughter, and we only have inklings about the reasoning behind her behavior once they reunited. In the end, though... she did concede to Yang, she did apologize for something, and there’s a very deliberate indication that a lot of her behavior is a mask to both others and herself. So, terrible mother, for the moment, but self-aware.
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5. Salem's Father: Explicitly noted as cruel
We get a bit more about Salem’s father from ‘Fairy Tales Of Remnant’, how he became possessive of the last remnant of his wife and locked her away in a tower. From what we know of him, that’s all he did--lock her away and not let her go. Still makes him a terrible dad. And with this, we transition firmly into the most definitively abusive parent figures. Everyone before this might have the excuse of not realizing what was going on or having their own damage, but now we’ve got parents actively deciding to make their kids’ lives worse.
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4. Jacques Gelé: HE DOES NOT GET TO BE CALLED SCHNEE!
His children are property, to be manipulated and traded for the benefit of the company he married into, and any defiance is to be quelled instantly. He is manipulative, scheming, abusive, and frankly the worst sort of scumbag to ever wear a white suit. He does have the single redeeming quality of only leaning into the punishment if it benefits him; nobody would ever accuse the man of being needlessly cruel. His name is Jacques, and you will hate him... especially on the rare occasions he actually has a point.
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3. The Marigolds: There’s no peppy tagline, they’re just mean
There’s not a picture of these jerks on the wiki, so you’ll have to make do with the woman that is no longer their daughter. See all that empty space around her? That’s about as close as they ever got. May spells out how much they hated her for having a heart, and how little they cared about her as a person, in one epic line. And even if they have other redeeming qualities (unlikely) we can tell they’d probably still be terrible parents because of how sleazy May’s cousin is. Honestly, for once I’m glad some characters don’t get pictures. They don’t deserve to be remembered. They aren’t even the cool kind of evil, they’re just... gross.
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2. Marcus Black: Look if you train your kid to be a killer...
...you’re going to have to expect them to kill you. I mean, you basically ripped apart Mercury’s legs, man. He had to get cyberlegs. Also, you used your semblance to steal his. Which, given that semblances come from aura, and that aura is a manifestation of the soul, is kinda... that’s a deeply personal and intimate violation. Sure, you got your assassin kid. And can we talk about the fact that Marcus was an assassin? It’s not a pretty job. I guess I can see all the abuse--physical and mental--as a good way to train up another assassin, but... geeze, if that’s your goal, why did you use your own kid?! Why not hire some angsty teenager?! Yeah, no, Markus Black stood high on my list of parental monsters... and was only toppled by the arrival of one other.
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1. Madame of the Glass Unicorn: She only appeared in one episode and she rocketed to the top of this list, that should tell you something
Let’s be clear here: What Madame did to Cinder is bad enough. It was literally slavery. Enforced by a shock collar. And because the collar looked like a necklace, she pulled it off in front of I don’t know how many clients. Granted, said clients were racists, why else would they be customers at a ‘We Do Not Serve Faunus’ hotel, but keeping her torture just out of the public eye very clearly shows both that she knew what she was doing was illegal and that she was clever enough to avoid detection.
Oh... and then there are her birth daughters.
With Cinder, she was abusive to a dangerous degree. With her daughters, she was permissive, not only allowing but encouraging them to bully their adoptive sister. The whole point of parenthood is to teach your children how to become the best version of themselves, but Madame didn’t even bother to instill a semblance of morality in these girls. She used them as extensions of her will, and they obliviously played along because that was all they knew.
You’d think the biggest monster on the show would be the Grimm woman, but no--it’s some random lady with a hotel.
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angst-fairygodmother · 3 years ago
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Girl Talk (The Song of Sway Lake Fic)
A/N: The moment has finally arrived! The first official collab/crossover between myself and @miss-kittys-magical-library​! I’m really excited for how this came out, and how much fun we had writing it together. 😊 Word Count: 3127 Rating: T - mild language, brief mention of blood, discussion of violence
~The Papermill bookstore, Sway Lake~
Selina burst through the door of the bookstore.  She almost doesn't wait for Jess to say hello or ask questions.  Selina is overcome with adrenaline, the exhilaration of what she did. A giant smile spread across her lips.  There's almost a dreamy look in her eyes.  
She's covered in blood: her hands, her jeans, the bottom of her shirt.  Selina held her hands like a surgeon so she didn't touch anything.  
Jess’s mouth hung open while she pointed nervously towards the upstairs.  Her friend knew where to find what she needed.
Selina comes out of the hot shower knowing Jess will be in the room waiting.  She found clean clothes but stopped to study herself in the mirror.  Somehow she felt like her body had changed somehow.  
Selina caught a picture of her and Jess and held it up.  How far they've come from the girls in the photo on her best friend’s dresser.
She glimpsed Jess in the mirror, a strange smirk on her face.  Selina knew something was up.  She handed the picture to her friend and spoke,
“Can you believe this was us?”
------
There had been a time in life where Selina and Jess had told each other everything, no matter what. And yet somehow this summer, one of the most eventful in recent history, Jess hadn’t told her best friend anything. Anyone who had spent any time on the lake knew about tensions between the Sways and...basically everyone, but especially Selina’s mother and her relatives. And more than that, it had been kind of nice to have a good secret all to herself for a little while. But she missed her friend, and would have loved her advice on what to do about the boy who was quickly becoming someone important, and a problem for her heart. 
She was just thinking about the other girl, wondering if she should call her after work, maybe suggest a bonfire or late night rowboat race like they used to have, when Selina burst through the door. Jess’s eyes fell to the blood first, and then rose quickly to Selina’s face and the expression that didn’t match the apparent situation at all. 
A thousand questions raced through her mind as she pointed her best friend toward her bathroom (not that Selina didn’t know where it was by now) and made quick work of closing the shop. She didn’t seem hurt, so everything else could wait. While Selina washed herself clean, Jess dug for any clothes left behind the last time she had come for a visit, and failing that, any old shorts and t-shirt. She left them on top of the dresser and poked her head into the bathroom to gather the discarded bloody garments and throw them into the wash. 
Selina was standing in the bedroom, studying herself in the mirror when Jess returned, and for a moment she wondered, again, if her friend was injured. 
“Can you believe this was us, what?”
Selina laughed, “These girls.  We’re just girls here trying to be grown women.  I sort of treated you like I did Sunny.” 
She waited for Jess to maybe bristle or tense up at his name. “I marched on to the beach, saw the first girl my age who had SOMETHING in common with me, and declared you mine.  We aren't little girls anymore.”  
There was a bittersweetness in her voice.  Selina didn't even care that she was naked. 
Jess laughed. She remembered that day, meeting Selina after escaping her siblings in search of a moment of peace and quiet, far from what actually found her instead. But they had got on so quickly she'd forgotten to be angry about it.  
"No, we really aren't," she agreed with a tinge of nostalgic sadness in her own voice.
She leaned back on her hands on the bed, watching her friend study the picture. "I never minded, you know. It was kind of nice to be claimed by somebody. You'll always be my first for that," she bit her lip, hoping the joke didn't come off as uncomfortable given the situation. 
Selina finally dressed and sat beside her friend on the bed.  Her knuckles caressed the other woman’s cheek before she swept the hair from her face. Without a thought, she leaned in and gently pressed her lips to Jess’s, tongue lingered a bit before she broke away.  
“That's from Sunny too.”  Selina laid on her side tucked under Jess’s arm.  “How is it that I was here for a few weeks, and youuuu have been tramping around Sway Lake with some chick?!  Have you gone FULL lesbian?” she dropped her voice low. 
Jess turned onto her side, propping a head on her arm to face Selina. 
"You two are so weird," she rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that." 
Her stomach flipped at the thought of Sunny, eyes cast to the ceiling as her thoughts wandered. She loved Ollie, but there was something raw about the idea of losing the other boy, even though he wasn't really hers anymore and hadn't been in quite some time. 
She quirked a teasing eyebrow as she returned to the present moment and the woman beside her.
"If I was going to do that, do you think it would be with anyone else than you? Whoever gave you your gossip needs glasses."
Selina’s mouth dropped open, “There's a guy around here with hair that long?!”  
She linked her arm through Jess’s and pulled her in for a hug.  The other woman now wrapped up in her embrace.  Selina let her chin rest on her friend’s head as she stroked her hair.  “You feel happier.  Content.  Like you're just drifting along.  I know you loved Sunny in your own way, but this is different.  It's the,” she ran a hand up and down Jess’s body without touching it, “this.  Papa would call it your aura.” 
Jess grinned. "I am. I'm really, really happy," she answered dreamily. "Ollie's a really sweet guy. But only here for the summer…"
She swallowed down the lingering bitter taste her argument with Ollie the previous morning had left in her mouth, not wanting to burden the conversation with her fears. Especially not when she still had so many questions of her own. 
"But don't think asking about my love life is going to get you out of explaining yourself, missy." She teased.
Selina sat up, “Oliver Sway?!  Jessica!  Come on.  Any other Tom, Dick or asshole at this stupid lake.  Sunny.  Sunny’s RIGHT THERE.  Just grab him by the ankle and bring him back to Earth.  He needs you.”
She took a breath, “That.. harpie will tear you apart because you aren't good breeding.  It's Sway Lake because that's what those upper crust cunts hold over this entire town.  Sway.  Lakes dont belong to one family, they should belong to EVERY person.  Are Sunny and I the only ones NOT under this family’s curse?  First Tom, then Nikolai and now you.”  
Selina’s voice was full of disappointment more than anger.  She looked at her hands.  Her palms, white and clean, were just caked brownish red not even an hour ago.  “It can't be the both of us.”
"Nikolai?!" Jess asked, staring for a moment before doubling over in laughter. "Oh god it all makes sense now."
She struggled to contain her laughter, gasping for air and wiping away the tears in her eyes from it. 
"Fuck Charlotte Sway, I couldn't care less what she thinks," she said, sobering and then sighing. "It's not like I planned on falling in love with Ollie. But I did, and it kinda scares me. I really really don't want to lose him. And he hates her and the whole legacy bullshit as much as anyone. Let it all rot or burn or whatever."
Jess was silent for a moment. It was hard to say Selina was her only or even oldest friend. But they were best friends, for certain, and they knew everything about each other. There were even times when they were younger that Selina and Sunny had talked about soulmates and Jess had wondered if she were hers. Which is why her stomach twisted with guilt as she realized just how unsettled Selina was, and pretending not to be. 
"But enough about me, it doesn't matter. Are you okay?"
Selina took Jess’s hand in hers.  She laced their fingers together and laid down again.  This time she and her friend were side by side.  She was certain no one in any spoken language had invented a word for what the two of them were.  
Selina knew it was why Leon and Johnny always ended phone calls and visits with long hugs and I love yous.  Why Honey and Klaus showered each other with intimacy and affection Honey showed Leon.  Friendships that made people question your sexual intentions.  It was probably something in the Kostas skin, like a pheromone. 
The 23 year old pushed the thought out of her mind that everyone around them was their friend because they didn't have a choice.  Instead she squeezed Jess’s hand.  
“You know Honey, she holds grudges with a tight grip.  There's only two people she hates: Charlotte Sway and Reginald Hargreeves, and he's the one she really wants dead.  Charlie is lonely and miserable. That's punishment enough for Mama.  Papa always says she would make a great Mafia don. She DID like Tim Sway; 
cried when he killed himself.  He wasn't even Charlot-”  Selina cut herself off.  “Either way Ollie must take after him then.  I hope he does.  I think we played together when we were little?”   
She realized she was avoiding the question and wanted to deflect solely on Jess.  Sunny wasn't the only one who slept around up here, or had a weird effect.  Selina again panicked if maybe, somehow, what was in him was in her.  That the Russian on a canoe in the middle of the night would show up in the Village, screaming at her in the dead of night.  Some of the guys she fucked flopped around on top of Selina for a few minutes, got off while she stared at the ceiling.  Then they laid claim to her like any White guy who thought he owned someone else’s land.
“And don't laugh like that either!  I was doing my duty as a future nurse and helping someone who got hurt.”   
She watched Jess cross her arms, even on her back.  She was giving Selina THAT stare.  Selina threw her hands up. “Ohhh,” she whined, ”I was swimming, floating really.  Probably out further than I should be in the middle of the night, but that fucking moon.  And there he was on his way to get rid of those horrendous jet skis of Jimmy’s.  And he was flirtatious and made me groan, but also laugh?” 
Selina had pulled her knees up to her chest so she could hug them.  A far off look on her face.  “And he's very.. I didn't really pay attention to what he looked like.  WHO, right?  It was just this fire that went through me.  Like I knew him?  
“Mama always talks about the day I was born and speaking into existence this notion. That every version of her will be loved by and love Papa.  She thought it was blood loss creating insanity, but Sunny and I had designs on a love like theirs.”
“And the way Nikolai made me feel, and the way he knew my body?  We didn't even fuck; not like that.  I haven't cum that hard or much ever.  Even by myself.”
“Then he got hurt, and I made Sunny take me to him.  Ollie had saved him, right?  As we're stitching him back together, I see his face.  That face I grew up with three times over.  He's fashioned for me, Jess.  Maybe like Ollie is for you.  But Nikolai is Leon and Nicklaus and Klaus and he's made to be mine.” 
"No, no  I'm not laughing at that, or you," Jess promised. "Just...the first decent conversation Nikolai and I had, he mentioned meeting someone. Matching his description to you is what's funny. And the fact that you two are such opposites." Jess paused, smiling in fondness for both parties in question. "But it's safe to say he likes you, a lot." 
She felt silly now, not putting it together sooner. After all, there was no one else in the world she could think more aptly described as a siren made of the moon. And as funny as it was on paper, something about Selina and Nikolai made sense. 
 And, it made her heart beat giddily. Her faith in fate was complicated, but when it came to the Kostases, the concept was shockingly simple. And it seemed impossible that this was just coincidence, the four of them tied together like this. 
'Or maybe,' she silently scolded, 'it's wishful thinking so you can tell yourself you're not being completely crazy.' 
The rest of what Selina said registered belatedly and she blanched. "Wait. That was a lot of blood. Are you saying that it was all Nikolai's?"
“It was,” Selina replied softly.
"Jesus. What did he do, get in a knife fight?" Her voice was a mixture of concern and annoyance. 
She could see Nikolai doing something like that, to defend his own pride which he deflected onto Ollie, or for some other stubborn, idiotic thing. And now that there were two people she loved who would get hurt if something happened to him, she made a note to have a little chat with him about being so reckless. And to find Ollie later to check on both boys. 
"I know if he had you helping take care of him, I don't have to ask if he'll be alright." She nudged Selina teasingly with a shoulder, hoping to break up some of the heavy, contemplative air settling over them both.
“Knives don't cause QUITE as much damage as you think.  Unless you hit a vein.  Diego showed me how to do it effectively once.  Plus if he's like the others, Nikolai probably prefers fists to weapons.  Or the spider monkey sleeper-hold thing Klaus and Sunny do.  Although Papa stabbed Uncle Jonny once, it was just an artificial wound.” 
Selina suddenly scooped Jess up in her arms so they could go back to a cuddle.  She tangled her legs and arms around Jess to sort of dominate her personal space.  Her forehead pressed into her friend’s neck.
“He and Jimmy got into it, and they were on the boat dock.  Nik slipped and hit his head.  Ollie swam for like, the first time ever to get him up into a boat.  Had pressure on it.  I just stitched him with fishing wire.  They'll do better at the ER.”
Selina sighed, “If he's like them he wouldn't die anyways.  Klaus died like twice in a few days, also head injuries?  Either way, Nikolai would’ve been fine without me.”  
Then almost like an afterthought, “Did you say he talked to you about me?  Probably something about conquests and the Russian army.  But you!  YOU FELL IN LOVE this summer!  I got my pussy licked and think he's this mythical soulmate.  You're in actual, real love.”
Selina propped up on her elbow, “Have you slept together?  No I'm sorry,  YOU get to call it MAKING LOVE!!”  she burst into a fit of giggles around cheeks fired by jealousy.  “I am happy for you.  I promise.  I'm glad Sunny..  I'm just happy.”
"No, actually," Jess said, shifting around Selina so they tucked together more cleanly, like two matched puzzle pieces. This kind of closeness wasn't Jess's favorite thing, but Selina knew that, and Jess trusted that if she didn't need it, she wouldn't be initiating it. "It was surprisingly non-militant. And only one nautical reference."
Jess hesitated, remembering some of the incidents Selina had to deal with and one or two more from the summers that  Sunny, or Jess herself, had headed off before they got far enough to be a concern (or for Selina to even know). She wanted her friend to know just what Nikolai had said, and that he very much did not just see her as just some conquest. But the line between sweet and creepy was a hazy one at best. She brought one hand away from the tangle to fret the corner of her thumb between her teeth while she thought it over. 
"I'm not saying I'm jealous...but I thought it was romantic. And dramatic of course, look who we're talking about. But dramatic isn't always bad. I wish you'd stop dismissing yourself like that. Soulmate or no, you have some sort of feelings for him which seem serious; one might call it a crush at least. And he made you feel good. He made you happy. You're allowed that. You deserve it. And now, for the moment if not more, you have it, savor it." 
"As for Ollie and me..." 
She froze, frowning as she struggled to figure out just what to say. There was a part of her that feared a reputation of some kind (even though it was just Ollie that she'd been a first time for, and Sunny, but he didn't count). And another part that wanted to keep it to herself, even though most of her wanted to share. She bit again at her thumb, searching for words. 
"It's not that big of a deal?" 
Selina bit her lip before a yawn escaped her.  “One: a crush is a crush because you can get hurt.  Otherwise, it would be called a cushion.  I think that's what Papa said once.  Or was it Klaus?”  
Selina closed her eyes now. “Either way, it's a very big deal!  I can feel the difference in you.  I want you to be in love.  To maybe leave Sway Lake.  Come back to the city with me?  Close up this place for a few months.  You can live with me.  Or Oliver for a little while. Oh lovely little Oliver making my sweet Jessica come ‘round again.  All your sadness and little pieces everywhere.  I couldn't stitch you back together with fishing wire, could I?  I shouldn't have let Sunny break your heart.  I just didn't want being around me to remind you of him.  I'm sorry.  But Ollie.. he’ll..  Sorry, I think I'm a bit delirious from adrenaline?  Mind if I nap a bit?” 
But Selina was fast asleep before Jess could give permission.
Jess shook her head with a smile, carefully extricating herself and tucking her friend into the bed. Selina had given her a lot to think about.
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olivia-anderson-fanfic · 4 years ago
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Satisfied, Part 12
First
Previous
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I’m going to start answering comments at the bottom but before the taglist now so you guys can get straight into the chapter (unless it’s really important like taking a break or something)
Also I’ve decided to move all the Wayne kids closer together in age. Damian’s 18, Tim is 21, Jason is 23, Dick is 25
~~~
She didn’t go to the coffee shop the next day. Partially because she wasn’t getting her overpriced coffee paid for (at least not without a lot of whining), but mostly because she wanted to do some research where people couldn’t see her.
She sighed as she flipped between all fifty of her tabs, resting her head on her hand. She could hear Tikki trying, and failing, to make her something to eat in the kitchen.
Who could the bat family be? They had to have a lot of influence and/or money to get as much information as they did. She flipped through the most wealthy people in Gotham and its surrounding area, but where was the cutoff? How was she to know that they weren’t middle class people who saved for expensive things?
And then there was the tiny case of the near-slipup on the rooftops. Nightwing was about to call Robin something. He wouldn’t have been saying ‘friend’, he wouldn’t have had to pause like that. What had he been about to say? She hoped it wasn’t ‘boyfriend’, they had what seemed to be a 10 year age gap. Her best assumption was they were going to say ‘brother’, which implied at least most of the bat family was related.
Her eyes found their way to the tab with a picture of Bruce Wayne. He was standing alone, his kids never had pictures taken of them out of respect for their privacy, but everyone knew of his penchant for adopting kids with dark hair and blue eyes.
Great. She’ll never know, then. How was she, a designer, supposed to get close to the Bruce Wayne?
~
On a completely unrelated note, the next day she stood outside of a gate with Tim. Her eyes locked on the weird symbol on the gate, trying to place where she’d seen it before, but her brain couldn’t seem to find it. Oh well, it was probably just one of the rich people she’d researched yesterday.
Tim placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “You can not let my dad adopt you.”
She gave a small eyeroll, pushing his hands off and smoothing out her dress. It had taken forever to get a dresscode out of Tim, because he insisted that ‘you could wear a burlap sack and my family would love you, just relax’, but he eventually just told her formal. Not helpful. There’s levels of formal, Tim. She had settled for a plain red dress with a black belt.
“I don’t think my parents would be all that excited if I traded them out after a few days here.”
He nodded. “That’s good. Use that.”
“Use tha--?”
The gates swung open.
Tim took a deep breath as if to steel his nerves. “At least Damian isn’t here. You get to meet the nicest of the family first.”
“Why isn’t he here?”
“He got out of it,” he shrugged.
They stepped inside. She stared up at the high walls. She pulled out her phone and took a picture in case she messed up with Tim’s family so bad that she wasn’t allowed back.
The moment she walked in someone pulled her into a hug. “Thank you!” He cried.
Marinette blinked and gave him a short pat on the back. “You’re... welcome?”
He pulled away and held out a hand to shake. “Sorry, I was just so excited to meet the person who got him to take a day off. I’m Dick.”
“You’re... you’re what?” She said, her eyebrows shooting into her hair.
Dick rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, right, French. I’m Richard but, in America, that gets shortened to ‘Dick’.”
She blinked once, then just chose to accept it. “Nice to meet you, I’m Marinette.”
“How’d you do it?”
She gave a small shrug as they began walking to the dining room. “I don’t know. He just offered.”
Dick sent her a skeptical look, then looked at his brother as if to confirm.
“In my defense, she looked really stressed.”
“More stressed than you usually do?” Came a voice from above. She looked up to see yet another guy leaning over a railing to look at them.
Marinette raised her eyebrows. “I thought you guys were adopted, how do you all look exactly the same?”
The newest grinned. “Dad’s got a type.” He hopped the railing and landed next to them.
She narrowed her eyes slightly as she took a better look at all of them. Tim’s dodge could be put down as self-defense, but hopping a railing and landing without getting hurt?
She blinked as a hand was thrust in her face and gave a weak smile. “I’m Marinette, nice to meet you.”
“Jason.”
Her brain was blaring alarms, trying desperately to tell her something, but it all came out as ‘AHDKFSFHDLKSNDG’, which wasn’t all that useful.
She shook his hand.
It wasn’t until she walked into the dining room and her eyes landed on the Bruce Wayne that she finally figured everything out. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared at him in stunned silence.
Then she wheeled on Tim and pulled him down by the collar of his shirt. “You’ve been a Wayne this whole time? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He had the decency to look sheepish. “I didn’t want you to use me for my money.”
“Please, I knew you were rich from the get-go, it wouldn’t have mattered if you were ‘goes to Disney twice a year’ rich or ‘could buy Disney if you wanted’ rich. You should have at least warned me outside the gate!”
Bruce dropped something on the desk and Marinette squeaked quietly, letting go of her captive. It was a file of some sort. Crap, was this an interrogation or something? Was that a rich people thing? Do they do in-depth research on people that talk to their kids?
The man slid the file over and she opened it to see... adoption papers?
“Wow, you really weren’t kidding,” she mumbled as she flipped through them. She glanced up at Bruce. “How did you get these so fast?”
“I have them on me at all times at this point,” he explained.
She blinked a few times and then slowly closed the file. “I’m sorry, but I have parents already.”
Everyone (except Tim) seemed stunned. She heard Jason whisper: “Is that allowed?”
Despite the slight confusion, everyone took a seat at the table. There was quite a few seats, but she was amused to see all the kids opting to sit next to her.
Dick rested his head on his hands from his spot across the table. “So, what do you know about Ladybug?”
She did her best not to tense.
“Subtle,” said Jason sarcastically from her right. He turned back to her and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, ‘bout that. He’s been obsessed since she appeared, and most of his research has been a dead end. He’s grasping at straws.”
She forced a small laugh. “I’m too clutzy to ever be Ladybug, you can ask anyone.”
Dick groaned. “And I don’t suppose you know who it is?”
“Nope.”
Jason, apparently eager to change the subject every two seconds, asked: “How’d you two meet?”
She glanced at Tim, who was shaking his head so fast she thought it’d pop off, then turned back to his brothers and father. “We met at the coffee shop. He spilled coffee on me.”
She heard Tim’s head hit the table as he groaned.
Jason was cackling. “Awwww, Tim is in a coffeeshop AU!”
Dick grinned. “Next you’ll tell me he offered you free drinks for life or something.”
“Well, actually,--.”
She couldn’t even finish, Jason was laughing so hard.
Bruce seemed less amused. “I would hope that he did, and for the shirt. too.”
She smirked and looked at Tim, who seemed to sense what she was going to do before she did it. He sent her a short look, a ‘don’t you dare’, before she spoke: “Actually, he revoked my coffee privileges.”
The poor kid sighed and closed his eyes. His father was glaring daggers at him, so, after a few seconds of him struggling, he finally gave in. “Fine, I’ll pay for coffee again.”
She cheered and gave Jason a high five.
Dick rolled his eyes. “You’re children.”
“Like you’re so much better!” Complained Jason. “You’re only two years older than me!”
Marinette rolled her eyes and reached out to poke Tim’s face until he finally looked over at her.
“He lives!” She cheered softly and he shook his head and sat up some, a smile playing across his lips.
Bruce chuckled and leaned back in his chair. He’d been watching the four for a little while. They seemed like they’d get along...
“Tim, have you invited her yet?”
Tim went red.
“I’ll take that as a no. Do you want to do it or should I?”
The kid took a deep breath to steel himself, then gently poked her shoulder for her attention. The moment she looked at him, though, he froze and couldn’t seem to get any words out.
Marinette’s head tipped to the side. “Um...?”
Bruce rolled his eyes. “I’d like to, on behalf of my son, invite you to the Wayne Gala.”
To everyone’s surprise, the girl didn’t smile, or thank him, or really react positively at all.
Marinette released a quiet sound, like a balloon deflating, as she slumped into her seat and covered her face in her hands. Tim rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.
“What’s wrong?” Came Dick’s voice.
“Six!” She cried.
“You have something against musicals?” Said Jason.
She lowered her hands just enough to glare at him. “I have to make six outfits in four months.”
“You don’t have --,” began Tim.
“I have to! Make! Six outfits! In four months!”
~~~
When Marinette is done with the gala outfits will I show you what they look like?
I’ll do you one better. I’m showing them now because it took a longgggg time and I KNOW I will forget if I wait until then.
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I tried to match their personalities with their posture and clothes. I kinda forgot Penny’s character though lol so now she’s kinda like Nathalie.
Also that took forever. If ya’ll want that again you gotta pay me. Christ.
~
Why is she making an outfit for Adrien if they aren’t friends?
They aren’t on bad terms, they just grew apart due to a difference in ideology. But, beyond that, she has her reasons. You’ll find out when Adrien comes by.
~~~
Taglist
@thatonecroc @comet-kun @trippingovermyfeet​ @swiftie-miraculer13 @nickristus-dreamer @moongoddesskiana @i-am-ironic @indecisive-mess-named-me @thebooki3h​ @insane-fangirl-of-everything​ @deepestobservationwombat​ @theymakeupfairies​ @fatimaabbasrizvi​ @clumsy-owl-4178​ @fanofalittletoomuch​ @iamablinkmarvelarmy​ @nathleigh @lilkymilky @silvergold-swirl​ @dino-lovingreen-angel​ @thestressmademedoit​ @kissa-chan @ladybug-182 @alysrose-starchild @t1dwarrior-of-earth​​​
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bratzkoo · 4 years ago
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delivery! (i)
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 credits to @monvante​​ for making this beautiful banner (and divider!) Author: bratzkoo | navi Pairing: pizza delivery guy! jungkook x reader x seokjin Genre: fluff, comedy (i think?), semi-angst Rating: PG-15 Word count: 1.5k Warnings/note: underage drinking, obsession with pizza, swearing, there has been a huge misunderstanding with who the reader is in love with, seokjin is oblivious with the readers feelings, jungkook being the other half of the busan torture device, i made some changes with their ages, pls tell me if there’s more warning i need to put. it’s a highschool! au but there will be an eventual time skip. Summary: You planned a grand gesture to confess to your long time crush (or as you like to call him: “the love of my life”) and things turned out to be horrible on your part. One, you accidentally confessed to the wrong person. Two, he accepted your confession. Three, your crush accepted someone else’s confession! aka you confessed to your pizza delivery guy and now he thinks the both of you are dating. delivery! ii  | requests are open | masterlist
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“Hey, Chim.” You greeted your best friend and sat down next to him in the cafeteria. “Hello there--” Jimin stops when he sees how you look. “You look... how do I say this in the nicest way possible?” “Just say I look horrible, Chim.” You said as you put fries and chicken nuggets in your burger then taking a large bite, not caring if other people think it’s weird. “No, Y/N! You look, okay, you know what. You do look horrible, what happened to you?” Jimin held out his hand to feel your forehead, checking if you’re sick. “Stayed up all night planning my confession to Jin before he graduates and leaves me in this horrible hell hole with you.” “You’re my best friend in the whole wide world, too.” He sarcastically replies. “You think he’ll accept you if you confess to him looking like you got off from your role in the walking dead?” “Who’s confessing to who?” You smile when Sana--your recently new friend sits down in front of you. “Oh, Y/N is confessing to - mmh.” You shove fries in Jimin’s mouth to stop him from talking. He spits it out and glares at you. “You have someone you like, Y/N?” she asked. “Why didn’t I know that?” she puts her chin at the back of her hand, leaning in. “It’s Seokjin.” you said, you don’t notice how Sana stiffens and masks it with a bright smile. “That’s great, Y/N.” she says. She suddenly grabs your cheeks. “Why do you look so tired? You better get some rest.” “I will.” you say. she removes her hands to your face and starts to eat. “You’re too nice, Sana. I called her a zombie when I saw her.” Jimin says. “I personally th--” You shove chicken nuggets on his mouth to shut him up once again, instead of spitting it out he happily chewed it. You scan the whole cafeteria to check if he’s around, you know the love of your life Kim Seokjin. It’s easy to find him because he’s in the middle of everything, like the star that he is. His friends are bickering while he silently eats. He has always been calm when in public and prefers to let loose only with people that he’s comfortable with. Seokjin is your senior who has been your friend for a while now, he became close with you because of a competition the two of you joined for the school. You have grown close enough for you to have grown feelings for him. Seokjin suddenly met your eye, catching you staring at him (or ogling at him if you’re not Mr. Kim Oblivious Seokjin), he smiles and waves at you. You blush as you wave back. He tries to mouth something like “See you tonight.” You give him a thumbs up and then he goes back in eating his food. You sighed wondering why you fell in love with this dense guy in the first place. If he wasn’t even oblivious with your massive crush on him, you wouldn’t even plan this confession anyways. You stayed up all night preparing for this day to be perfect and you’ll be damned if your confession didn’t go as your plan. The confession will happen tonight. You hope he says yes and you don’t have to proceed to “plan: he doesn’t like me back” which is just eat 8 pints of ice cream while watching 27 dresses. Nevertheless, you hope for the best.
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What you didn’t hope was Seokjin cancelling your plans. You asked him to call you if he’s on his way and you did receive a call, except he calls to tell you he couldn’t make it. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I can’t make pizza night, my friend has an emergency.” He says over the phone. You began to feel down, you wished you pretend you had an emergency too so he would just come in but you felt guilty for his friend who probably is hurt. “I understand, you go do your thing.” You say. “I’m truly sorry, I’ll make it up to you. Bye.” He drops the call in a hurry.  Now you’re in an empty house (courtesy of your parents leaving you to go visit your sister studying in Europe) filled with decorations.  You hold onto your phone and call Pizzeria’s Haven-- the only pizza place you trust-- to order 2 cheese supreme so you can mope in peace while stuffing yourself later. You grab your mom’s margarita on the fridge and began pouring out for yourself in a mug, your mom didn’t mind because “As long as you do it in the house, you’re drinking responsibly, you promise not to vomit on the carpet, and most importantly not telling your dad that the bottles labeled ‘herbal supplement’ are margarita in disguise... you can drink to your heart’s content.” You take a sip from the mug as you skim through your netflix account to find Catching Fire, a movie that will make you feel better every time you see shirtless Finnick Odair. Your pizza arrives and you open the door to find Jungkook holding 2 boxes of pizza with a smile on his face.  “Delivery!” He greets when he sees your face. “Y/N!” “Hey, Jungkook!” You greet back and grab the pizza he’s holding and give him the money- with an extra for his tip. “Want to stay and eat this with me?” You guess you were too lonely and kinda tipsy that you impulsively ask if he wants to stay to eat pizza with you.  Jungkook grows flustered, “I- I can’t, I have to take calls and deliver pizza.” He declines, you raise your eyebrow. “What bullshit did Jimin say to get off work today?” You ask, knowing your friend tends to leave Jungkook to work by himself during weekend night shift. If he’s not the son of the owner he’s long fired from his job by now. “He’s actually busy serving dine-in customers, hectic night. I really gotta run.” He explains as he walks towards his motorcycle. “Good luck on that!” You say as you close your door. You put the pizza boxes on top of the coffee table, opening it to grab three slices then putting them together before you take a bite.  You planned everything to be perfect and it turn out this way. You might as well go crazy, get drunk, and purge yourself with pizza.
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You woke up with a very bad headache the following day, you apparently passed out in your living room with the empty bottle of your mom’s ‘herbal supplement’ laying on the floor with you. You checked your phone for the time but saw skeptic messages from an unknown number and from Jimin. Unknown number [2:00 am]: Y/N it’s me [2:02 am]: It’s yes... [2:03 am]: I’ll come see you at 2 pm Chimmy boy [2:10 am]: yow bitch, you’re dating jeon jungkook?! i thought you’re confessing to seokjin? [2:11 am]: you got some explaining to do What the hell? You groggily unlocked your phone to reply to Jimin and ignored the messages from the unknown number... for now. Y/N [11:12 am]: jwu what r u talking about? explain in detail, im vv hangover Chimmy boy [11:20 am]: bitch you’ve been drinking without me, how dare you. Y/N [11:23 am]: ugh shut up, come over so we can talk Chimmy boy [11:27 am]: i’ll come tonight, want to sleep more You drop your phone to the sofa and start to clean off your mess from last night when few of the memories did came back to you. “Hey, you. I like you...Fuck...I like you so much.”  “I invited you and If you could have seen the effort I made! I mean, I know you were busy but you could’ve gone here after you’re done?” “Instead of a grand gesture sort of confession, I’m confessing to you on the phone! On the phone!”  “You have my number... you can tell me your answer by then. Just say yes or no, I’ll be waiting.” Oh no, you confess to Seokjin when you were drunk. You regret not hiding your phone away from your stupid drunk self but it seems as he said yes. So what’s with Jimin telling me I’m dating Jungkook?  Seokjin said yes and he’s coming to your house at 2 pm. You scream in excitement and run towards your closet to find something cute when you open the door for him later. You could use a shower too, it feels like you sweated the alcohol you consumed last night. By the time it was 2:03 pm someone rang the doorbell, you shake in nervousness when you open the door that reveals Jungkook smiling and holding flowers. Your eyebrows furrow seeing him. He hands you the bouquet of flowers and cheerfully say, “Delivery!”
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everlarkficquestions · 4 years ago
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Sunday Stumped Day 35
It’s another Sunday Stumped Day!
Sometimes we straight out get stumped. So every few months we will pick a Sunday when we’ll post of a list of asks that we need your help on. 
In this round, we are focusing on asks for specific stories.   If your ask for a more general “type of” story is not included, it does not mean we are ignoring it, it just means we need more time to research and answer these asks. 
If  you know the answer to any of these asks please shoot us a message/  ask/  with the Post number and the fic details and we’ll add it and give you a shout out with our thanks.  Any links you can provide will also be super helpful.
Thanks!
Post 1 , Post 2 , Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12, Post 13, Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, Post 17, Post 18, Post 19, Post 20, Post 21, Post 22 , Post 23, Post 24, Post 25, Post 26,  Post 27, Post 28, Post 29 , Post 30, Post 31, Post 32, Post 33 and Post 34 can be found here - and there are still fics we need your help with.
576.  Anonymous said to everlarkficquestions:  Hi, I am searching everlarkfic that I read couple years ago in ff.net. Post mockingjay, Katniss and Peeta are getting married then when they’ll rebuild Peeta's family bakery, peeta got collapse and they find out that he was dying. In the end peeta died. Annie and Katniss's mother had to move Katniss to district 4 to taking care of her. In district 4, Katniss met with gale and they were slowly building relationships from there?
577. its-hopeless-romantic said to everlarkficquestions: Hey,I am looking for fic in which Peeta is Katniss's college professor (he is 10 years older than her) and they fall in love. He is teaching history of art and I remember he invited her to the opening of his galery. I remembre that he goes to Italy to teach for a few months and before that he introduces her to his family. I think it has 2 long chapters in second one there is his proposal. (It's called Lessons in Love or something like, but I can't find it)thanks 💕💕💕
578. alwayseverlark said to everlarkficquestions:Hi! Looking for a in Panem fic (I think no games) , where Peeta is working in the mines and an accident happens and Katniss is looking for him thinking he’s dead , but Gale thinks she wa s looking for him instead and when he realizes , he’s mad at Katniss.I am not sure if this is one fic... or if I’m mixing two different fics...Thansk!
579. stonyspideypool said to everlarkficquestions:I'm looking for a fanfic were I think katniss wants peeta to take control/be more dominant so she calls johanna and johanna tells her that peeta would never force himself on her and he has dealt with so much blue balls over the years that he's used to it or something (lmao) sorry that's all I remember 😅😅Love the page btw💙❤ literally its the only reason I'm on tumblr, thank you💕
580. amesielee said to everlarkficquestions:Hi I'm looking for a fanfic. It's either a one shot 2 shot or 3 shot and it's about Peeta and Katniss having sex. It's their first time and once it's over Peeta grabs a wash cloth for Katniss to help her out. She then gets mad and assumes he has done it before with Delly. I think Peeta didn't know it was her first time. And Peeta says maybe we are just good together. He then asks if she loves him. It's on Tumblr. I hope you can help xx
581. booksandeverlark said to everlarkficquestions:Hi there! Another story I remember reading but can’t think of the title. I know Leeta is older then Katniss. Peeta knew Katniss’ Parents and is their age. Katniss likes Peeta and Peeta keeps telling her he’s too old for her but she doesn’t care. They start to date and Katniss dad finds out before they can tell and eggs mad. I think Peeta also gets hurt protecting Katniss and how she reacts makes her dad see they are serious. Thanks so much for the help
582. everlark-always said to everlarkficquestions:Trying to find a fic...modern au where katniss is with her friends (Annie Johanna Finnick Gale madge....) at a party and they find her the next morning in bed with Peeta?
(582) This could be I Dare You (To Stay) by Thewritershae - thank you @allie-rose
583. justanotherrandomaccount9999 said to everlarkficquestions:Hi! Do you know of a fic where it the story is about each time peeta ruins a cake? I read it before but forgot the title. The last time was when he made Katniss a cake for her birthday but dropped it when she said she was pregnant. Thanks for everything you've done for this fandom btw :)
584. pleasantturtletheorist-blog said to everlarkficquestions:Hi! So this might be a tricky one (bc I don’t remember much of the plot lol) but basically in this fic Peeta was like “don’t deny me post-sex cuddles” or something along those lines hahah. And I remember the scene being really cute but I can’t remember much else about it. I know this is very vague but if you could help I’d really appreciate it!! 🥺🥺
(584) This is possibly Blowout by Annieoakley1. - Thanks to @sunsetsrmydreams
585. yeeyeejones73 said to everlarkficquestions:Hello:) I was wondering if y’all know the name of a fic where it’s canon post mockingjay and everlark is growing back together slowly. I remember peeta gets a boner while Katniss and him are sleeping. I also think Peeta accidentally sees Katniss in only her towel after a shower and it’s super cute and awkward. I hope y’all can help and also thanks for all y’all do!
586. superpineappleenthusiast said to everlarkficquestions:Hey, I'm looking for a fic where the tributes of 74th games escape the arena. Thanks!
587. anonymous-loner95 said to everlarkficquestions:What the fic where Peeta thinks he's about to sleep with some random girl, which I think is actually is Jo, but is tricked into a room with Katniss?
588. thatgirl56834 said to everlarkficquestions:Hi! First of all, I love this blog! You guys rock! I’ve been looking for a one shot I used to read all the time. It was where Katniss and Peeta were friends in middle school and kissed after their dance but then Katniss moved away. Years later they ended up being neighbors and getting together. Peeta lied about who he was at first but then Katniss figured it out. If you know what this fic is, I’d love to read it again! 💗
588 FOUND!  Wishes Old and New by Peetasbunmyoven. Thank you, @sunsetsrmydreams and @allie-rose
589. neonsnail said to everlarkficquestions:Hey I'm looking for a fic where peeta meets katniss and she has some kind of vision that if she gets pregnant prim dies and tries to stay away from peeta but she fails and then she sleeps with peeta to try to get pregnant and fails then disappears and they meet again a few years later and become a couple
589 FOUND! The story ha been identified as The Fool by Myusernamehere but unfortunately it has been deleted by the author.  Thank you @katnissdoesnotfollowback​
590. everlark-always said to everlarkficquestions: what’s the fic where Peeta cheats (post mockingjay) on Katniss and because of this she ends up with someone else?
591. everlark-always said to everlarkficquestions: Peeta and Katniss are in highschool and Peeta goes to prom with Madge and Katniss goes with Gale. She wears a burgundy dress and at the pre prom thing she meets an old friend from home named Josh.
592. tributeintraining said to everlarkficquestions:I'm looking for a specific fanfic I read years ago. It's a modern AU where Katniss and Gale are in a band together. Katniss is the guitarist and doesn't sing. Gale is married to Madge but was having an affair with Katniss. The public finds out and she leaves the band. She goes solo and starts a PR relationship with Peeta. Her first solo performance is singing "Shake it out". That's all I remember. Thank!
593. supreme-doritos said to everlarkficquestions:Hi! im looking for a fic where the rebellion happens early and the capitol gets overthrown before the 74th hunger games by a tribute (then victor) from district 7. At one point katniss and peeta (who lost his leg in the bombing) look after haymitch but he ends up killing himself so they don't starve during a really harsh winter. Before he dies he asks katniss to give chaff a naked lady mug/glass (i cant remember the name lol sorry) Thank you! I really appreciate you guys <3
593 FOUND!  The Avalanche And Little Pebbles by Dyce - thanks to @eggplant8
594. entwodreiquatrocinq-blog said to everlarkficquestions: So i'm looking for this fanfic I read once on FF.net. Peeta and Katniss are intimate in the catching fire arena, and later in district 13, she finds out that she pregnant. Peeta is either in a coma or captured and one of his brothers survived. I believe there is a fight between Katniss and the brother, and he says something like "just because you f'ed my brother in front of the entire country doesn't mean....."  That's all I remember, I hope it's specific enough. :)
(594) Possibly The Sharp Edge of Memory by Titania522 - thanks @eggplant8
595. lettrsto said to everlarkficquestions:hi guys!! i can't remember for shit the name of this one shot, i guess it was written for promptsinpanem, where katniss dates gale, but haymitch hates his guts so k&g make a deal w peeta so katniss fake dates peeta while she's actually dating gale behind haymitch's back. can you guys give some help, pretty please? does it ring any light? thank you!!!!
(595)  FOUND by the asker!  Yours And Mine by Andthisisthewonder
596. jonerys-everlark said to everlarkficquestions:I remember a fanfic where Katniss and Peeta were in the 74th games when Katniss learns that Peeta is with the Careers, she remembers him telling her something (I think) but I know that she then waits until they are gone, and says to the audience something to the effect of , “I have something to say... he has not betrayed me, he is protecting me, as to his confession in the interview, I’m still trying to decide how I feel about it” or something like that, basically, she knows he is on her side an
Do any of these fics ring a bell? Please let us know!
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the-lady-writes-what · 4 years ago
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23. Hitoshi Shinsou
          Theme: Haunted mirror, dark spirit
          Kinks: Mind control, fear play, bondage, non-con, cum play, fingering, possession 
All underaged characters are aged up. Hitoshi Shinsou is 18+, plus this is a demon AU so he's technically way older than that. Don’t come for me unless I send for you.
Warning: This contains very graphic and dark material including but not limited to non-con, unwilling bondage, and forced orgasms. Reader discretion is advised. Scary ending. 
Masterlist
Your friends noticed it first. The way your new mirror behaved strangely. Mirrors don’t misbehave; they’re mirrors. That didn’t stop your friends from talking about the weird vibes your mirror gave them. Images shifted or wavered in its reflection. Fog appeared out of nowhere. Handprints appeared when no one touched it; puffs of air clouded the surface. It was as if someone invisible lived on the other side of the mirror. Despite all their warnings and misgivings, the mirror stayed in your hallway.
“Okay, Y/N, that mirror has to go,” said Jiro.
You furrowed your brows. This wasn’t the first time Jiro, and others, suggested it. The massive antique mirror with its ornate frame continued to hang in your hall. You rolled your eyes a second later. 
“What did you see more handprints, or was it a ghost this time?” You asked half-joking.
“It was a whole-ass face is what I was looking at!” Said Jiro.
“A face, really?” Your brow shot upwards. “The next thing you’re going to tell me is that you saw a deadman in my rearview mirror.”
“Jiro’s right, Y/N. I saw it too,” said Momo.
Ochaco shuddered. “It was so creepy. Its eyes were staring into my soul.” 
“Not you too.” You sighed.  
“Get rid of that mirror!” All at once, your three friends shouted.  
“There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just a mirror, you guys. I’ve never seen anything weird. It’s just your imagination.”
Your friends didn’t appreciate you discounting their concerns. In truth, you didn’t see even half of what they claimed. The mirror was old, gathered a lot of dust, and was slightly warped. It was a unique piece that you got for a steal.
A steal alright. That should have been your first red flag, you remember Jiro a week after you purchased it. Why would anyone sell an antique mirror for so cheap?
You ignored her jab and polished it up. You ignored Jiro’s warnings now too. Your patience was growing thin with your friends because of their ghost stories and things appearing in the mirror. It was borderline ridiculous. The joke had lost its punchline a long time ago. 
“There’s somebody I know who can tell you we’re not crazy. If you don’t believe her, fine. Suit yourself. But if you’re wrong, you have to pitch it.”
You shrug your shoulders. While everybody else snuck past the mirror, you were the only one to stop and look at your reflection. Just out of curiosity, you stared at it and hoped to see an apparition like your friends said you would. There was only you in the mirror. No spooky handprints, no breath fogging up the other side of the mirror, no eyeballs piercing through your soul. It was just an old mirror. You rode in the car with your friends to a metaphysical shop on the other side of town.  
“Baba Yaga, this is the girl I was telling you about,” said Jiro as she gestured towards you. She was speaking with an elderly lady who wore a dark blue velvet dress and a floral shawl. “Tell her that she needs to get rid of her cursed mirror.”
She padded over to you, strolling with her knotted cane. The woman adjusted her glasses and squinted up at your face. Her eyes narrowed into sharp slits as she examined your pores. Suddenly, the woman grabbed your wrist and splayed your fingers outward. Wrinkled fingers caressed the palm of your hand, bent and examined your fingers. She shook her head from time to time and hummed to herself. 
Your fingers were curled back towards your palm. The older woman pressed both of her hands around you and held on. 
“You have a dark presence hovering over you, that’s for sure. It’s subtle, which makes it that much more evil. You can’t see the spirit in the mirror because it doesn’t want you to. You are in grave danger, young lady. Its power washes over you. The longer you keep that mirror, the more powerful it becomes.” You smiled politely. “I think I’ll be just fine, ma’am.”
“No, you won’t,” the old woman snapped. “You are in danger.” She repeated.
“You harbor a wicked spirit in your house. It will come to you on the night when Selene is covered by Zeus’ dark and stormy shroud. You must get rid of the mirror!” 
You snatched your hand away and spun on your heels. You didn’t wait for your friends. Instead of going to the car, you called for a cab. Your phone vibrated with the text messages they sent you, but you turned your phone on silent. You arrived home just as gray clouds settled across the sky. You didn’t think much of it until you heard rain on your windows and on your roof. You barely made it inside when the storm hit. 
It’s just a stupid coincidence, you told yourself. 
You walked into the hall to set your jacket and purse on the hanger placed in there. You couldn’t resist stopping by the mirror. You looked into it again. You stared into its depths until your eyes began to water. There was still no sign of the ghost your friends warned you about. 
You climbed up the stairs, took a bubble bath, and spent the rest of the night curled up in bed. You turned off the lights before slipping under the covers. Lighting peeled across the sky while thunder rolled. The rain helped you fall asleep, and you were warm underneath your blankets, safe and secure in the knowledge that nothing about the mirror could hurt you.
The sound of shattering glass woke you. You sat up in bed. Your hand instinctively reached for the lamp on your bedside table and tugged on the cord. Nothing. You pulled again, and your light refused to turn on. You checked your phone only to realize that your battery died despite still being plugged into a charger. You swore as you bolted out of bed. Testing the overhead light, you were again disappointed. 
You pulled your door open as quietly as possible and hoped your footsteps were light enough to avoid alarming the burglars. You grabbed an umbrella by your front door. It isn’t much, but the umbrella did have a pointy end. You crept softly, pushed forward by fear to know who was in your house. But as you tip-toed, something in the hallway sparkled and grabbed your attention by the throat. You stepped closer only to realize that they were mirror shards. Pieces of glass were shattered over your floor. The mirror’s frame was bent and split apart. It held together with only a couple bits of wire. 
Bile rose in your throat. You didn’t hear any footsteps or voices. You growled under your breath and glared at the mirror shards lying at your feet. No longer was it burglars you had to fear.
“That wasn’t funny, you guys!” You called out.
No one answered. You rushed back to the front door and reached for the lock, only to find that the lock was still set. Then you realized that nobody had a key to your house. Undoubtedly, your friends wouldn’t stoop so low as to break in just to smash your antique mirror. 
Floorboards creaked. It was in the living room. All your bravery sank like a stone. You dropped your makeshift weapon and scrambled for the stairs. All was cloying darkness. Your hands wrapped tight around the banister as you raced up the stairs. Once you were safe on the second floor, you ran to your room and slammed shut the door. Your fingers groped in the dark for the lock and twisted it. You pushed your desk in front of your door and slowly backed away. 
You walked backward to your bed then stopped dead in your tracks. You quit because you felt something tangible collide with your back. An arm like a redwood trunk snaked around your waist as a hand clapped across your mouth.
“Don’t scream just yet, little thing. Let me enjoy the smell of your fear first.” A voice husked against your ear. 
A tongue dragged along your earlobe. The deep chuckle following after laughed at your shudders as they ripped through your body. You clawed at hand on your mouth, but no amount of scratching could deter him. Whoever he was, he bent his head and pressed his nose where your shoulder and neck met. A hoarse grumble vibrated in his chest, which was bare. You felt his cold, clammy skin press against your back, solid as stone. You felt him through your nightshirt in all his muscled glory. Cold beads of sweat ran down the side of your face as you realized that there was no way you could fight him. 
“That’s a good girl. You know I’ve been watching you. All this time, I’ve been watching you. You must have really liked my mirror,” said he. 
Your brows furrowed into a deep V-shape. Thunder clapped overhead. The old woman’s words rang in your head like funeral bells. It will come to you on the night when Selene is covered by Zeus’ dark and stormy shroud. You felt your blood throb in every vein in your body. Your heart palpitated inside your chest.
“Ah, yes. There we go. I love more than just a little bit of fear. I want you to live in terror of me. You’ll taste that much better for me.”
An orange tongue of flame appeared out of nowhere. It hovered over your desk. Your eyes took a moment to get used to the sudden light. The arm at your waist loosened only for a pair of hands to grab your biceps and squeeze. You hissed as you felt bruises form on your skin.
The man spoke in your ear again.
“Go over there and fetch the light, but do not look back at me. You may only look at me by the light of that candle, do you understand?”
You didn’t. You only saw a tongue of flame flickering while it hovered over your desk. He released you. You padded over to the desk, which blocked your only exit. You reached out just below the tiny flame. In the blackness, your fingers grazed on some warm wax. Your fingers ran up and down along a long slender black candle that appeared in your hand. Your hand trembled as you took it up. 
“Good, good, you’re so wonderfully obedient. Now, slowly turn towards me and look upon the face of your new master.”
You didn’t want to, but your legs move of their own accord. You strained against the intangible threads pulling at your muscles and tendons. You felt the lower half of your body move separately from you, and you watched in horror as your feet turned to face him. You shut your eyes tight. 
“I said ‘look at me.” The man’s—no. The creature’s voice dropped several octaves, and it sounded as if multiple voices erupted from his throat. Your eyes snapped open against your will. Tears made their way down your face as your eyelids were peeled open so wide. Your pupils strained in the darkness briefly. By the lighten of the orange flame, you saw him. 
He was tall, muscled, and inhumanly pale. His skin was the color of moonlight on a grave. And his face gods his face. Belying his otherworldly, unearthly beauty lay the heart of a beast. Gray-purple crescents like grotesque dark circles hung under his eyes. Indigo eyes matched his hair, which he left in a mess. Like he just woke up from whatever hellscape he crawled out of. All of his muscles were taut and lean, further proving that you had no chance of fighting him off. Your feet padded across your bedroom floor towards him. An invisible hand held your chin high so that you met his gaze more clearly.
“My name is Hitoshi, and I was trapped in that mirror for four hundred years. I’ve been waiting for you. The incarnation of the witch who banished me there in the first place!” The creature spat. 
Your blood turned icy cold. 
“Please, please don’t kill me. I’m sorry. Let me, l-let me make it up to you. I promise I won’t hurt you ever again!” 
“My plan was never to kill you.” Hitoshi reached out with his stony hand, grabbed your waist, and pulled you flush against his body. “I plan to make you mine. Forever. Then you will know the horror of being trapped against your will.”
“What? NO!” 
The candle was snatched from your hand. Hitoshi turned and threw you unto the bed. The candle reappeared above your head and several other candles that melted into the bedroom’s shadows, cleaved through the air. Blidnign tongues of fire flickered above your bed. 
Your clothes were ripped off you, and the torn remains bound your hands together to the bedpost above your head. The same was done to your ankles. Hitoshi stood from the bed to admire his work. The black silken pants he wore slithered off his body, revealing his proud, jutting member and the bead of pre-cum on the blunt head. Hitoshi climbed on top of the bed. The bed dipped under his weight. You thrashed about in the vain hope to yank the knots undone. Hitoshi merely laughed at your efforts. 
“I suppose I’ll let you resist the first time. It’ll be more fun getting you to moan while I corrupt you.” His hands dragged upwards along your thigh. “From the inside out.”
You shook your head and cried aloud. No amount of protesting was getting you out of this. Hitoshi licked his lips and stroked his cock as he sat on his knees. He straddled your waist. He was fucking his hand right in front of you. You tried to look away, but a force held your head still, and your eyes peeled open. Hitoshi stroked long, fast, and hard. 
“I-I need…to get my scent all over you. To make sure anyone else who might cause me trouble…FUCK! Tries coming around. You smell…so good!” 
Hitoshi came and sprayed your face, chest, and neck with his cum. The substance was sticky and hot on your skin. He didn’t waste time smearing it all over your breasts, palming your chest, and teasing your nipples. Your body acted on instinct, not out of your desire, and bucked against him. 
“It’s working, isn’t it? Just having my cum on your flesh…makes you fucking wet for me!” He wore the triumphant grin of an incubus who just seduced the most stubborn prude in the land. 
“No, I’m not!” 
“Oh?” 
Hitoshi reached behind him and drove two fingers inside your pussy without warning. He stroked your clit before sliding between your folds and plunged as deep as his fingers could go. Your inner walls spasmed briefly against him.
“What’s this, then?” Hitoshi chuckled. 
“Stop!” 
Far from it, your command made him want to do it more. Hitoshi pushed a third finger inside of you and pumped faster. With his free hand, Hitoshi stroked his cock. Your eyes widened with horror at how quickly he could get it up again.
“Don’t be surprised, little thing. You can’t comprehend what I am and what I can do. Or more importantly, what I’m going to do to you.”
Hitoshi jerked off while sitting on top of you, his balls against your breasts. His fingers filled your cunt and stretched you open. 
“I’m putting in another. Then after you come on four of my fingers, you get the honor of taking this cock.” 
You tried shaking your head, but invisible hands grabbed your hair and pulled. They kept your head still and forced you to watch Hitoshi stroke his own cock and come all over your chest. Again. 
He gave you no warning and very little prep. Hitoshi added that fourth finger. One or two satisfied you, but your pleasure wasn’t on Hitoshi’s mind. He wanted you to come while he stretched you painfully wide. He thrust in deep, almost hitting your cervix. Your cheeks burned a dark bloom at the sound of the wet squelches that your pussy made. Hitoshi pumped faster inside you just while he used his cock as a brush to smear more come on your chest. 
Your hips bucked against him; your knees locked in pain. Hitoshi tied your legs so far apart that they burned, but that didn’t stop him from shoving his fingers all the way in. Your head crashed against the pillow while everything below your neck writhed and shuddered. Hitoshi watched your eyes roll into your skull as you gushed around his fingers.  He waited until your body stopped humping him before pulling his fingers out. Fluid leaked out of your cunt where his fingers had prevented it from staining your bedsheets. 
You whimpered and begged as Hitoshi shifted down your body. He nestled himself between your spread legs. He swiped his fingers across his tongue, put them into his mouth, and sucked them clean. His head rolled back. He groaned from deep in his throat. 
“You taste like ambrosia. I’m going to enjoy fucking sense and humanity out of you.” 
There was no warning. No pleasantries. Hitoshi did what he wanted. He stroked the head of his cock against your clit then aligned himself with your slit. It took one thrust to be buried deep inside of you. His hands grabbed your hips and pulled your lower body close to him. He sank on his knees and pulled his cock out, then plunged it back in. Your legs were stretched to the point of pain, muscles screaming. Hitoshi ignored your pleas.
You screamed and moaned as his cock pounded you. Your insides were being battered by some unearthly creature that escaped a cursed mirror. There was nothing you could do to stop this. His cock was long and hard and reached deep to kiss your cervix over and over. Your walls clenched around him. Hitoshi poured unwanted pleasure into your body and made it sink into your bones. Your hips thrust in time with his; your body writhed like a snake beneath him.
“Tell me you’re mine. Tell me who you belong to. Say it!” Hitoshi drove himself harder into your quivering body.
Your toes curled until they ached. Every limb of your body was shaking with effort. 
“Y-you,” you cried aloud. 
“What’s my name?” Hitoshi slammed his hips down, and your body violently shuddered with each of these movements. 
“H-H-Hitoshi!” 
“Who is your master?”
“You are. You’re my master. P-Please fuck me, sir!”
“Good girl. You’ll be my new favorite pet in no time.”
The room sweltered. How could someone whose body felt so cold make you pant and sweat? Your body writhed against him. You wanted to touch him, feel him, be able to look at his cock plunging inside your cunt. With his supernatural powers, Hitoshi kept your head forward and your eyes glued on him. You couldn’t watch his cock enter, retreat, and return deep inside your walls again. Your thighs were slick with sweat and cum. 
More, more, more.
You needed more. Hitoshi smirked down at you while you slowly lost your mind. Your eyes became blank spaces as his control over you seeped deep into your mind. His essence filled you, just like he was going to do with his cum in just a second. Your walls fluttered and spasmed at his provocation. A light flickered in your eyes. Somewhere in your subconsciousness, you must be screaming with rage. Your body no longer belonged to you and at this moment, neither did your mind. It was mere child’s play for Hitoshi to reach inside and flip the switch. Your dulled eyes rolled into your skull again while your mouth opened wide, and your tongue lulled out. Drool dribbled down the sides of your mouth. He commanded your body to climax around his hard length. You obeyed. 
You gushed, spilling everything you had. There was so much of it that it dripped to your bedsheets and on Hitoshi’s thighs. The tight clenching of your walls was enough to push him towards his own climax. Hitoshi groaned like an animal as he spilled his cum into your womb. Rope after rope warmed your lower belly until it was seeping out of your body. Hitoshi pulled out with little regard for how much it hurt. He remained on his knees to marvel at his handiwork. 
You were covered in him. His white semen staining your skin and made it glisten. The light slowly returned to your eyes. He watched madness creep in as you realized just what happened to you.
Jiro knocked on your door three days later. She stood shocked at the sight of you in the doorway, appearing as you were. You’d grown a bit pale since the last time she saw you. Your neck and shoulders were covered in purple kiss marks. Bruises formed at your wrist that looked suspiciously like handprints. Dark circles hung under your eyes. 
“Y/N, what happened to you?”
“Oh, I met someone recently. Let’s just say he’s really ‘fun.’” The words felt so unnatural coming out of your mouth—both to Jiro and yourself.
“Fun, you say?” Jiro looked at you up and down, unconvinced. 
Hitoshi appeared behind you. He wrapped his arm around your waist and kissed the side of your neck. 
“I’m sorry, but we’re awfully busy right now,” he said. Hitoshi began to close the door on your friend. “Call back some other time.”
Jiro stood on your porch, dumbfounded. 
It couldn’t be, could it? She thought.
She saw it with her own two eyes but didn’t want to believe it to be true. Those eyes which stared through the mirror were the same ones that looked at her with disdain just now. The thing in the mirror was loose.
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euphoniousgoob · 4 years ago
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"A well-fitted suit is like lingerie..."
- Jay Kingsley
My MC for @bodycountgame, I really enjoyed the demo and can't wait to see where the story goes next.
Name: Jay Kingsley
Age: 23
Height: 5'3.5, she insisted on the .5.
Job: assistant, gamer, influencer.
Birthday: 12th May
Star sign: Taurus. Disciplined and loyal (to a fault).
Reason for signing up: She'd say it's to boost her insta following but she actually really wants to fall in love.
Love interests: Arthur - look, he's posh, arrogant, and drop dead gorgeous, 100% her type. The moment she saw him, she got a little weak in the knee, guys like that are her kryptonite. She'll play hard to get, teasing as good as she gets, but she'll kiss that cocky bastard if it's the last thing she does. Imogen? - there's something about Imogen that intrigues her. The shy, meek demenour calling out to her. She's not sure if she wants to protect her or ruin her. Either way, she wants to get closer and see what secrets Imogen is hiding behind that timid smile.
BFF: Florrie - loud, colourful, extremely outgoing. Florrie reminds her of Maya in a way. Jay knows that the two of them are going to get along like a house on fire, exchanging fashion tips, debating the best dye to use on your hair, and gossiping about their fellow contestants.
She may look, and sometimes act, like your typical influencer, but Jay has a heart of gold, wrapped in a thick iron armor, protected by a tall wall of steel. All she really wants to do is fall in love, but she'd die before confessing that to anyone but her best friend. Born in Cambridgeshire, Jay relocated to London to study fashion design and development at the London college of fashion. Her family is rich, and her parents offered to support her while she studied, but Jay was determined to prove that she didn't need to rely on her parents money and decided to make her own way through life. A decision that she is starting to rethink.
She spends her time balancing streaming her favourite games and working full time (and overtime) as a fashion designer's assistant.
She hopes to one day run her own fashion company, but until then she has to make do with handling the Starbucks run.
Favourite colour: pink, or like a duck egg blue, or pink
Favourite snack: sweet chilli hummus (especially the one from asda) with either pitta or carrot sticks, and jumbo tubes dairylea dunkers.
Nervous habit: she tugs on her hair or nibbles on the tip of her thumb
Starbucks order: venti strawberries and cream frappuccino, 3 shots of raspberry, skim milk, extra whip or if its cold, grande peppermint hot chocolate, swap 1 shot of mocha for extra shot of vanilla, skim milk, extra whip, no drizzle.
Song currently on repeat: Cannonball by Little Mix (also happens to be one of her karaoke songs)
Skills: piano, drawing, singing, horse riding, and archery (her parents insisted on at least 2 sports of her choice)
Question she asked the producers off screen: Can I use screen grabs from the show on my insta?
Loot she'd drop if she was a video game character: loose change, various pastel scrunchies, pink earphones, and a pack of haribo happy cherries.
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Note: I am determinded to romance Arthur, even if I have to make them both on the Sims. 100% gonna make my MC on the Sims 4
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extremelyblackandwhite · 4 years ago
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ascendance - 02
PAIRING: mob!bucky barnes x reader
WARNINGS: violence, dark themes, murder, bleeding, kidnapping, age gap (reader is 23, bucky is 37)
A/N: i am gonna try using the commas as dialogue markers for this work as i’ve gotten a few complaints about my love of the -, so i’m giving it a trial run. don’t be alarmed by it. hope you enjoy it xx
> NEXT CHAPTER | MASTERLIST
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Her head was pounding and felt as if some unseen force was squeezing her skull, causing her head to hurt even further but she daren’t open her eyes. She could open them, she was conscious enough to know she could open then but she had them squeezed shut, afraid of what awaited her once she did so. From her senses, she knew she was laying against stone, cold stone and she could hear water drops falling onto the surface, still she daren’t open her eyes. This was all a nightmare, just a nightmare that she was going to wake up from in her very tiny, over expensive, way older New York flat in front of the weirdest scenery someone could have. 
The footsteps had her forcefully open her eyes as she scrambled backwards, back hitting a cold wall as her blurry eyes focused on the room. It was dark, almost like a basement yet she couldn’t exactly make it up. The beads of her dress had left marks on her skin yet somehow her wig was still in place. She didn’t know where she was and she hoped this was a really bad joke they played on newcomers. That’s it, a joke. It was just a joke, just hazing on the new kid. She’d gone through hazing a newcomer teasing in old companies, that’s just what it was. Don’t think of the worse, don’t of the worse. 
Along with the echoing water drops falling onto the stone floor underwear, echoes of sleeps from above the ceiling started to become the main sound. She curled into a ball, fingers digging into her own skin as she hoped to wake up from this nightmare-like situation she was in. Suddenly, voice and steps was all she could hear, the water drops being drown up by those sounds until the door slammed open.
“WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS BILLY, HUH” a thick bronx accent was now the only thing that filled the room and she daren’t  open her eyes, instead remaining scared on the floor. "DOES THIS FUCKING LOOK LIKE A 40 YEAR OLD WOMAN TO YOU?”
“I, I’m sorry, boss. She was in the dressing room and I thought it was her, I could see her face." she peaked her eyes open, still laying down on the floor, the same floor where four men stood looking down at her. She could barely make out all of their faces, probably a result of fear and adrenaline overpowering her brain yet she could make up one face. One face standing at the right end, with glossy eyes which appeared to be staring nowhere, was familiar to her. "It was a mistake, I’m sorry ... I ... I can go back.”
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, BILLY?” the man who had been yelling before hand, pulled his hand over his own face. “Soldat.”
“He’s a kid, John.” the man who she had spoken with before but whose name she still didn’t know said in a low, tired voice. 
"A kid? Well, what the fuck are we gonna do with THAT FUCKING KID THEN?” the John person pointed at her and she almost stumbled back but her body couldn’t move. She knew she could move her body but she seemed paralysed. Her mind was rushing miles and miles an hour but her body was frozen into place. "Tommy, I expected better from you.”
"I thought he had the right chick.” said the man who still hadn’t spoken, shrugging. 
The mood seemed to shift with that sentence alone, the carelessness of it turning the room bitter and colder than it already was. John’s jaw tightened, constricted muscles as he looked over to the only familiar man in the room with decisive eyes. The man was almost mechanical, grabbing the revolver stuck to his hip in his right hand before his eyes settled on her. Her heart seemed to stop beating, waves of cold shivers washing all over her as she prepared herself for the worse. However, his gaze darted to the side and hers follow and then ... bang. A thump onto the floor followed by silence and as she looked back to where her gaze had been stuck so, she saw Tommy laid on the ground, gunshot to the head, blood staining his dirty blonde hair, the same blood which had slightly splattered onto her face which merely seemed to further paralyse her.
“Get rid of her. Last thing I need is another loose thread.” John took a handkerchief from his pocket, cleaning whatever blood had splattered onto him as if it were merely water and not the substance which had kept the man who now lied dead on the ground alive. 
“She might be valuable.” he still held his gun in hand, seemingly unbothered by what had just happened. What kind of monster does that? “She might know people”
“What do you do?” John turned to her, talking down as if she were a child. She looked around, not entirely sure if she could even manage to make any words come out of her mouth. Her gaze once against settled on the familiar man who mouthed something to her. Lie.
"L-lyric soprano.” she wasn’t lying per say but she knew no chorus girl was valuable and if she wasn’t valuable, her faith was laying on the ground. If she survives, maybe someone can find her, maybe she can run away.
"It’s the New York Opera. The police are gonna be insane running after her and we can use her as a get out of jail free card. Almost like an expensive painting” 
John looked her up and down, biting the inside of his cheek and pondering his options but Y/N couldn’t stare or even look at him. Her eyes were instead focused on the gun still being held by the unnamed man, the same gun which had any time could go off and while her hopeful side was willing to survive and get out, the other part of her wondered if it would be a kinder faith. 
"Fucking clean this up, Billy.” John sighed before leaving the the room.
She curled up, body shivering as she could wear the body being pulled up the stairs before the door was closed, leaving her alone in the room. Time went by slowly or at least it felt slow to her yet she couldn’t do anything, all she could do is be trapped in her own panic as what once felt like a start became a dead end. Even once she could get up to try and find any creaks and cracks, anything which would translate into an escape option, a sudden wave of disappointment, betrayal and hopelessness would bring her back down and almost pin her to the now blood stained ground. All she could do was look at the ceiling, silent tears rushing down her face and she was back to being paralysed on the ground, the beads of her costume pinching and bruising her skin.
The door opened a few times in a time space which she couldn’t really pinpoint yet she didn’t look at the door, she merely looked at the ceiling trying to imagine that she was somewhere else. Trying she imagine she was anywhere else, anywhere but else in the dark, by her self with dried tears in the corner of her eyes and cheeks, mixing with the dried blood on her cheeks she didn’t have the strength to wipe away while it was fresh. The paralysis soon enough was replaced by numbness as her body shut down, preferring to be asleep than awake as if she was going to wake up in her flat.
Bucky closed the door for what felt like the fifth time, eyeing the untouched sandwich and glass of water which had been laying there for the past 7 hours just a few meters away from where she was laying. He thought about telling her to eat, ordering her even but he guessed she had seen enough and been through enough. Wiping his hand off the dust from the basement, he climbed up the stairs to the main floor. He knew that path like the back of his hand, he’d been there enough times to know how to get there blindfolded. After all, they didn’t call that the burner room for no reason. 
“Damn cops won’t get off my back.” John complained as he saw him. “This is what happens when we leave loose ends. Should’ve killed him when I had the fucking chance.”
“They don’t have any evidence.”
“I’m sure when they come into my fucking house and see I have Jenny Lind locked in my basement they’ll love it” he scoffed. “You need to take her out of here before they come snooping.”
“It’s not my mess to clean.” Bucky leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Ain’t Billy the one with that house in the Hamptons? Ask him, it’s his mess.”
“You think I’m going to trust Billy with my get outta jail card? Fucking idiot can’t even distinguish between a 40 year old and a 20 year old.” he snickered. “You keep her. You gotta flat in Brooklyn, don’t cha? No one’s gonna be looking at you.”
“And wait am I supposed to do with her hm? Handcuff her to my couch and hope she doesn’t scream until whenever?”
“Weren’t you the one who wanted to spare her? I thought you’d learned your lesson from the last time you questioned me.” Bucky looked down at the floor, jaw locked, forehead muscles tense. “Thought so.”
Y/N woke up in a different place and while it was as dark as the basement, she knew it was somewhere else. She could feel herself moving but she herself wasn’t moving. She looked around, trying to look around for any indicators of her she was until she moved her hands up which came into contact with some sort of metal covered by a weird velvet like fabric. Was she in the trunk of a car? Her hand tried to look for the sign light to punch it out just like she had heard in school assemblies so, so many times yet as she finally found it, the car came to a very harsh stop. She held her breathe in, her ears registering footsteps which became louder and louder until the trunk of the car was pulled open. The harsh light hurt her eyes which she squeezed shut only to open them again. The same man from the dressing room stood over the trunk. She curled up against herself but he grabbed her bicep, easily lifting her from the trunk and onto the floor yet maintaining the grip on her bicep. 
She was in what looked like a garage, with green blueish lighting and while she could see a big closed door at the end, his grip on her bicep was a silent reminder for her not to try anything. Not only did he tower over her but she was almost sure he probably had a gun with him and she thought not to try. He led her to a lift, making sure she entered before he did. As the doors closed, that feeling of dread in her stomach mixed with the other one she had felt the very first time she saw him yet she daren’t look him in the eye. In all honesty, everything was blurry to her even as she walked into a small flat, the sound of the door behind closed and locked behind her being the only thing she really registered. 
The man walked up to his kitchen which was open concept with the living room and grabbed a bottle with amber liquid from the counter, pouring himself what she guessed was whiskey yet she wasn’t the most alcohol knowledgeable person, most of the times she couldn’t even drink milk, much less alcohol.
“You hungry?” he asked in an nonchalant tone as if she were merely a guest in this flat. Y/N looked behind her back to the door. “I would follow you if you tried it.”
“I ... I am not gonna tell anyone.” 
“It’s not my choice to make. You try to run and you’re successful and someone will just kill you. Your best choice is to stay put. They don’t like loose ends.” he downed whatever liquid was in the glass, putting it back on the counter. She remained there, not moving from the space between the door and the place where the kitchen began. The man sighed, grabbing a peach from a glass bowl on the counter and placing it just at the end, where it was closest to her. “Eat something, will you?”
“I don’t want to. Thank you.”
“There’s food in the fridge. Suit yourself.”
He left the room to enter one of the other rooms, leaving Y/N all alone in the middle of that room. Escape! Her mind yelled at her and she immediately moved back to the door, trying to push at the handle so it would open but the latched was locked shut. She turned around, looking for anything to jab the lock until she noticed the windows. Her most careful side would have told her not to do it but she had to. She had to escape, she couldn’t stay put. She had been working her whole life for that opportunity, working low paid jobs to pay for tuition at Julliard, not drinking, not dating, not having any lactose so her voice would be good enough, she couldn’t ... she just couldn’t lose that opportunity after putting her whole teenage years at stake just so she could have this opportunity. 
Y/N made her way to the window which led to a fire escape but was also locked. She looked over her shoulder to check if he had left the room before she pulled her arm back and to the front, her fist hitting the glass which cracked. She continued punching the glass with all the force she could manage despite the glass burying and cutting her skin until she had broken the window enough too climb out into the fire escape. As she prepared to put her leg over the cracked hole, two arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her back. She whimpered and moved around in the embrace, trying to get free. If only she could get free for a moment she could climb out, she could run away, she could go back to the opera house. 
“Stop.” he flushed her tighter to his chest, walking away from the window, away from her possibility of escaping. 
It didn’t take long for him to notice she was hurt, her blood falling onto his jacket as he pulled her further and further away. He brought her to the front of the sink, gloved hand lifting the tap up, making a constant stream of cold water come up. Through her constant fighting to get free he managed to get her hand under the water, shards of glass coming out onto the red stained water which whirled onto the drain. 
“Let me go.” he elbowed him in the chest but he continuously held her against the side of the sink, fingers rubbing against the top of her palm to unlodge the shards of glass of her skin. “I have to go, please let me go.”
“Calm down.”
“Stop.” she tried to wriggle her wrist off his hold. “I have to go.”
“I promise you that you will go. You stay put, you don’t try to run and in no time you’ll be back doing petty chores for divas.”
“Why should I trust you?” she looked at the sink filled with little shards of glass. 
“It’s either that or you’ll end up dead. What other choice do you have?” he stopped forcing her against the sink, leaning against the opposite corner. “Last thing I want is to lock you in a room. So what’s it gonna be?”
“You promise you’ll let me go?”
“You have my word.”
TAGLIST: @lookiamtrying @buckyswillows @blossomslibrary @juliesland @iloveshawnieboi @unmagically​ @red-head011​ 
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