#if he knew a fraction of what goes on in my head he wouldn't be able to comprehend it

[pidgefudge]

there's a certain beauty in the disconnect between me curled up crying silently on my bed and my father who refuses to leave my room nagging me every ten seconds to stop lying down and sit up for some bullshit reason that not even he understands

[surielstea]

Schools Out!

Based on this request.

Pairing: Azriel x Fem!Reader

Summary: Azriel and reader are in charge of picking Nyx up from school, but Az doesn’t like the way the teacher looks at his mate.

Warnings: innuendo of having kids

1.5k words

The final bell rang and children flooded from the brightly painted doors with wide grins on their faces as they lugged on their backpacks.

I stood beside a looming Azriel with a bright smile on my face as I waited for Nyx to exit the classroom. Feyre and Rhys had an emergency shipment at the art studio they needed to tend to and I was quick to jump at the opportunity to pick the young boy up from class.

Azriel— who has slowly become my personal shadow, goes wherever I go, so I wasn't surprised when he grabbed my wrist and led me to the front door without so much as a word.

A head of blue-black hair comes bounding out of the classroom. His sky-blue backpack hangs halfway off his shoulders as he talks to his teacher, looking up at the male as he clung to his hand.

Kids quickly found their parents but Nyx seemed too intrigued with his teacher to notice Azriel or I waiting.

People stared, perhaps it was Azriel's shadows swishing around us protectively or his large black wings, not many knew of the Illyrians and only about their reputations, I didn't blame them for staring, I wouldn't want the Illyrians near my kid's school either— but none of their eyes were on him, but rather on me.

Azriel's scarred hand snaked around my waist protectively and I smiled at the sentiment, my hand coming to his in an act to soothe him.

Nyx's eyes snag on us and his expression brightens. "Auntie! Uncle Az!" He rushes towards us, practically flying into my arms with a flap of his growing wings. "What are you doing here?" The boy asks excitedly. "Your parents are busy so we're here to pick you up," Azriel says, while I adjust him in my arms. "And, we might stop at the ice cream shop on our way home," I add, eyes flicking to Azriel with a mischievous grin, pinching my bottom lip between my teeth as Nyx's pupils practically morph into hearts.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," An unfamiliar voice sounds and my head whips up to see a tall male with a polite smile and finger-paint stains on his grey button-up. "Mr. Lockwood!" Nyx exclaims as if he hadn't just been with the teacher. "Hi Nyx," The male smiles at the boy, then looks back to me. "Nyx talks highly of you," A smirk curves his lips as his eyes linger all over me. Azriel's arm tightens protectively around me. "The both of you." The blonde corrects and I scoff a laugh, waving him off. "He does the same for you." I smile at him, setting Nyx down on his feet, his hand going into mine. "Always going on about Mr. Lockwood, you seem to make his day." I muse and Azriel's hand leaves my waist in order to pick a wanting Nyx up. "Please, call me Ezra." He presses a hand to his chest humbly and my brows raise a fraction.

I can practically feel Azriel tense beside me at the rushed familiarity. I bring my hand up to his bicep reassuringly as I continue my conversation with Nyx's favorite teacher.

"Right, Ezra," I smile politely at him, dragging my hand down Azriel's arm until reaching his hand where I intertwine our fingers. The teacher looks at our hands, at Azriel's scars I realize, watching as he swallows a lump in his throat. I bristle at the act, wondering what's so wrong with my mate's hands.

"Oh—" He catches the glare I'm subconsciously giving him and pulls a clipboard that was tucked beneath his arm.

"I just need you to sign here before you leave since you're not one of Nyx's biological parents." He holds the paper towards me. I skim through the fine details, the form essentially saying that Nyx's parents had consented to Az and me taking their child home.

I spotted the blank section at the bottom that I had to sign. "I'm sorry, I don't have a pen." I pad my pockets but find them empty.

Mr. Lockwood reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a red pen, but before I can take it, shadows appear before me, holding a blue pen. I looked to Mr. Lockwood who was staring down at the shadows anxiously, like the dark tendrils might eat him alive— and if my hand wasn't in Azriel's the spymaster might've let them.

I choose to take the blue pen, pulling it from the dark tendrils with a grateful smile and they happily whisk away, down towards the ground where they pooled at my heels. Mr. Lockwood puts his pen back in his breast pocket with a slight drag in his movements, as if in defeat. I sign the space with a big looping signature then hand the pen back to my mate. "Thanks, Az," I hum, he simply nods and takes it from my hold. I turned back to the teacher who was staring at the both of us like he was beyond confused as to why we were together.

It was no secret Azriel and I were pure opposites. One could tell just by looking at my pink gowns and white skirts compared to his black leathers— but it went deeper than just our clothes. I was typically the center of attention when it came to social events while Azriel preferred to observe me. I was always talking his ear off while he just nodded and chimed in every now and again. So when we met strangers it was always a shock to them when they found out we were mates.

"All done here?" I tilt my head, knocking the blonde from his stupor. "Uh— yes." He tucks the clipboard back under his arm. "Perfect," I take Nyx's backpack and sling it over my shoulder. "We'll be seeing you." I smile while Azriel pulls me away. "Bye, Mr. Lockwood!" Nyx waves with a bright smile from over Azriel's shoulder.

——

The walk to the Ice Cream parlor was brief, since Nyx's school was located in the Rainbow everything was only a short distance away, still, the entire way there Nyx raved on about his teacher. Much to Azriel's dismay.

"—And Mr. Lockwood gives us a cool sticker every time we get something right!" Nyx exclaims, skipping slightly as he tugs on my hand. "Would you rather have a sticker or ice cream?" Azriel says and I toss the jealous male a knowing glare. "Oh ice cream for sure," Nyx licks his lips excitedly. "That's what I thought." Azriel mumbles and I playfully smack his shoulder with my freehand.

"Can I please get a chocolate cone, Auntie?" Nyx asks, ignoring his snarky uncle. A smile pulls at my lips. "I don't see why not?" I hum and a grin showing all his teeth blessed his expression. "Maybe I'll get one too." I wink at the boy as we reach the shop, Azriel opening the door for the both of us. The worker behind the counter smiles at us in a greeting and I return it.

"What flavor are you gonna get?" I ask the kindergartner. "I can't see," He says, standing on his tiptoes and attempting to peer over the edge of the glass. Without a word, Azriel swoops him up and props the boy on his hip.

"Ooh, that one," Nyx exclaims, pointing to a brightly colored tub. "I remember I had that kind with Uncle Cass before and it was so good," Nyx licked his lips as if he could still taste it. I shake my head with a growing grin and approach the counter, the silver-haired fae smiling softly at the three of us.

I order for all of us, making sure to get a chocolate cone for Nyx, per his request. The woman repeats my order back and I nod. "Your total is nine gold marks," She hums, but before I can shuffle through my coin purse Azriel puts down the money due and I look up at him. I slip my hand into his in gratitude as the cashier scoops the ice cream into the cones.

When she hands Nyx the chocolate cone he nearly runs laps around the shop, but in fear of his cold treat melting he instead licks up the side, the scoop seeming as big as his head. "You three are such a lovely family," The female smiles as she hands me my cone. "Oh, he's not—" I begin. "Thank you." Azriel interrupts before tugging my hand towards the door. "Have a nice day!" I wave to the worker. "You too!" She mirrors my expression. "Bye!" Nyx waves carefully, cautious of his ice cream toppling over. She waves back before the door to the parlor opens and we exit, the bell chiming behind us as Azriel guides me down the sidewalk, Nyx still in his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his free one, suddenly overwhelmed by some type of baby-fever. Watching the feared shadow singer be so innocent with Nyx made me want a child of our own. How I'd kill for a kid that looks just like him, hoping our child has his eyes— or better yet, his smile. I push the thoughts away as a pink tinge comes to my cheeks, I lean against his bicep as we walk side by side, enjoying our ice cream on the hot day.

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[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||Horror book Chapter 5: Hacker kidnapping part 3||

*Waving* Hi dears, I'm back with another part to horror book chapter 5 so have a bonus that will be part 3. So, lets see what this chapter presents. If you wish to read the others so far, chapter list is down below.

~~Book chapters~~

Horror book one: Bloody game of Hide and seek

Horror book two: Darkness of one self

Horror book three: How to Be Evil: Scared Straight Beyond Prank Part 1

Horror book three: How to be Evil: Scared Straight Beyond Prank part 2

Horror book four: Hunting grounds

Horror book five: Hacker Kidnapping part 1 part 2

((Your reading horror book part 3/Final part))

||Warning||

~Will have disturbing flashbacks from both

~Blood may be mentioned in this

~Scary themes will be also seen as well

~Triggering moments will be present

~Dark themed is will be spoken of in this drabble

~~Drabble Summary~~

It's been a few days after Jellyfish and Mouse was rescued by their factions so all was so-so in New York. However, consequences was the result for the both of them. Now they try to recover but it's something both will never recover from. So after rest, Jellyfish had a visitor. Who could it be? Read to find out?

((Guests in this drabble))

Jellyfish belongs to my rp partner/friend @demon-blood-youths

Mouse belongs to me and a guest visit from BLT a NPC villain from a old thread will be showing up.

((Just a heads up: Grammar is not good and their will be heavy mistakes but this was written for fun so please enjoy. ))

"........"

It's been a few days after the rescue of Jellyfish (Fosh) and Mouse (Serena), the hackers from the DBT and the Cursed Vixens. Though to Fosh and Mouse, it felt like it just happened yesterday. Both were kidnapped, chased down by BLT and almost killed but thank god their fractions found them in time or who knows what would have happened.

Even if both were saved, the damage was already done. Thanks to it, even if Fosh tired to get back into action, he felt like it was too soon. Even after finding out he now suffers from flashbacks when seeing bloody wounds. If he saw just one or noticed it, he would get terrible flashbacks or nightmares if he takes a nap or sleeps. It gotten bad to the point that Ophelia had to give him sleeping medicine even if he would try to refuse or stay up a couple nights.

So, Ink told him he's on break till he's fully recovered but he knew he wouldn't fully recover after that night. Not ever.

Right now, he was on a recovery break after that night but he was looking at some tea that Ophelia made for him. He didn't have many bandages but some was still seen. He was looking ahead while feeling a calm breeze blow against him.

That's when his mind goes to another person. Mouse. He didn't know how she was doing after that day when her team took her home to rest up. Though, he didn't know how she was from this. He would call her but he didn't want to bother her at most. But, he hopes she's alright and resting up. As he was just sitting there looking ahead, a knock was heard to make him jump looking over seeing Ophelia.

"Fosh? Are you awake?" she takes a peek to see him awake but he was looking tired still while setting the tea down so he didn't drop it by mistake.

"..Y..Yeah, I'm awake. Is something w..wrong?" even hearing his tone was a worried sign from how exhausted he was. Ophelia shook her head gently but she looks to him.

"I wanted to check up on you and it seems your still recovering which is good. I was going to ask if you were hungry. Did you want to try eating something?" she asked but Fosh looks down at his lap but remembers the soup Jaron made. He didn't eat it because he was too scared to eat it. She sighed but looks to him.

"......I'm not really hungry right now. I can try to eat later on if that's fine." he said but Ophelia understood but she still would give him space and not push him into doing anything.

"Alright but you have to eat later on or soon. We don't want you to get sick okay?" she saw him nod to look down then she remembers. "Oh, also...you have a guest to see you." she sees him blink to look.

"A...guest?"

"Yes. She wanted to visit you and see how you are holding up. I'll go and get her so one moment." Ophelia goes to do just that as Fosh wonders who it was. In a bit, the door opens up to show Ophelia back and as she said, she had someone with her.

Orange red hair that was in a twist braid today, some knee high jeans with flats on but she looked just as tired. Their was still some bandages on her cheek and arms but he sees her look at him.

"..M..Mouse?"

"..H..Hey Jellyfish. Hope you don't mind a little visit." Mouse or Serena was there with some help with Ophelia. Behind her was Jinx who waves but it shows the Vixens were visit today since Mouse wanted some fresh air and to check on him. She walks in with some help before sitting down by him while the two looks at one another.

"Alright. If you both need anything, please call me or someone. We will come in case you need something." Ophelia said before she saw them nod. She turns to leave the room to let them talk alone with Jinx following her. Both Mouse and Jellyfish said nothing but she looks to relax or tries to.

"........It's good to see your awake and resting up Fosh." He heard Mouse said after a moment, leaning back a little but she still was stiff after a few days back.

"S...same for you too."

"So..how have you been? Have you been resting up?" she asked looking to him as Fosh said nothing but looks down while resting his hands on his lap feeling the blanket he got when he takes a nap.

"You could say that.....even after what happened I'm still a bit..jumpy. B..but I've been okay." He didn't look at her that Mouse looks to him.

".....Are you sure? You sound like you haven't had any sleep..." she said seeing Fosh look more quiet to sigh.

"...No, no I haven't. I've been having really bad nightmares so it's been hard to get some sleep or take a nap. I just can't take one....even after all that. I try to take one I end up...s...seeing..you know." He whispered the last part but Mouse knew even she grips her wrist trying not to remember.

"*Sighs* Thanks to that night, I been more scared that it's affected my sleep and me eating. I can't even keep anything down because I remember what happened and what we saw. Even being near food would or might make me throw it back up." He said remember when Jaron tried to help him eat something he suddenly threw it back up moments after crying. Mouse looks worried but saw Fosh looking ahead but she can see it in his eyes he really was tired.

"You know it's not good if you don't eat......but I understand.." she mutters softly but Fosh shook his head to think.

"But what about you? Have you been recovering?" he asked but it was her turn to be silent.

".......Not really. I'm having trouble sleeping at night myself. I just can't close my eyes and relax even with the peaceful silence. I've gotten a lot more jumpy that I accidentally shock my teammates. I think I even have panic attacks now which is not cool." she rubs her arm but Fosh looks to her hearing that.

She gets panic attacks now? That wasn't good. "Ever since we were saved, I thought I would be alright like it never happened but.." she looks down to feel her hand shaking. "I was so wrong. I can't sleep without seeing 'his' face. His sick smile and remembering him wanting to...do that to us. I can't even hack properly so my team gave me a break in order to be more stable." she remembers freaking out crying that it took a while for her to calm down.

"..Mouse.." he sees her look up but her eyes were hidden but he knew she was trying not to cry.

"..Even if my scars healed, somehow I still feel them stinging like theirs something under my skin. It's scary Fosh and I don't like it. I don't like this feeling..." she looks ahead but touches where she was stabbed by BLT. It showed a very light scaring thanks to her demon blood but she still felt it there.

"It's gotten bad to the point that I would cry or sob in my room or under the shower. Trying to wash his filthy hands off of me but..but they wouldn't come off. He still is....I can even still hear his laughter Fosh..." Fosh got worried but he sees her hands shaking as he saw her looking down. Right away, he reaches to take her hand as she quickly held it.

"Your safe though Mouse. Were both safe..h..he's gone.....I hope he's gone. B..but..were fine now." He said but Mouse looks silent but she only sniffles to breath but he looks to see her now crying. He didn't like when his friends were this upset but he was no better. Both were having lack of sleep, focus, and just trying to recover but that physically scared them.

"E...even so......we can relax now. Were fine Mouse. Were s..s....safe like everyone tells us." He said to assure that it's fine. She was still shaking even with her hands resting on her but he noticed her wrists and arms. It seems they were bandaged up but his eyes widen seeing small patches of.......

"B..b...blood..M..Mouse? D..did...what happened?" he asked in a silent tone.

"H..Huh? O..Oh..It was after I freaked out one time. I was having a panic attack thinking he was there and ended up clawing at my skin to cut my skin. It should be healing soon. I did that this morning...." she said but that's when she felt Fosh shaking. "F..Fosh?" she looks to him but he didn't look up at her.

His eyes were looking at the bandages but that's when flashbacks or images flashed before his eyes of that night, the blood, and BLT. He quickly lets go but held his head trying to breath.

"F..Fosh? Fosh what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked but she saw him shaking and whispering something.

"N..no...no no no no no no no no no..please god not again. Not again....." Wait, what did he mean? She saw him now shaking but tears were seen that worried Mouse.

"Fosh!? What's wrong??" she said.

"Not again...Not again! I don't want to remember again! I don't want to remember!!" He shuts his eyes gritting his teeth with tears still flowing. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to remember the teenagers that died that night. He started hearing BLT's laughter in his head to make him open his eyes wide breathing in and out loudly and deeply. He felt sick all of a sudden like he was going to pass out. However, that's when he quickly held his stomach and covers his mouth before vomiting on the floor coughing.

"Fosh!!" She got up to quickly get some water for him as he was crying but right away she got some to help him. "E..Easy Fosh Easy!" she was trying to calm him down but he was shaking holding his head before she heard him muttering.

"Please..Please I don't want to remember..I don't want to. Make it stop..please dear god make it stop..." he gasped shaking but Mouse was worried that she was careful.

"Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop! MAKE IT STOP-?!?" That's when she quickly held him not caring if she got something on her. She had to calm Fosh down. He didn't move tensing up but he felt Mouse shaking now. However, she carefully got some paper towels to help clean Fosh up after he got sick on himself a little.

".......M..Mouse?....."

"Shhhhhhhhh...please...please don't talk....It's alright. Were safe now. H..He's gone..." she whispered but the upper part of her face was hidden but he felt tears hitting his face as she was crying remembering. "W..Were safe now....*Hics* W..were....." that's when she begins sobbing as Fosh said nothing else to only slowly hug her back tightly.

Both hackers were now sobbing quietly in the room but even from now, they needed a moment. Even now, the others were worried but they didn't bother. However, Ophelia heard the noise when going to check on them. It broke her heart hearing her friends like this but it hurt Mouse even worse hearing Fosh break down like that. For now, she didn't bother them and goes to get something for later.

~~~2 Hours later~~~

Ophelia came back to check on the two but she gently knocks to wait for them to talk. Jaron was with her but he was worried while Melinda was holding some clean bandages.

"Do you think their alright?" Melinda asked but Jaron said nothing not sure.

"I don't know but I hope so.."

"W..well, we will see." Ophelia heard nothing but goes to knock again. "Fosh? Mouse? Are you both alright in there?" she opens the door slowly but takes a peek but her green eyes widen seeing. Jaron and Melinda blinks wondering what is going on but they take a peek to Melinda letting out a gasp covering her mouth and Jaron's eyes widen.

Both hackers were asleep but Mouse was holding Fosh in her arms but it seems both have been crying. Their was a odd smell but it seems Mouse cleaned up the throw up from before. He and her were twitching in their sleep but they were so tired they couldn't keep their eyes open.

"........"

"........"

"........"

"What happened?" Jaron said but Melinda was still worried.

"M..Mouse must have had a panic attack...and Fosh did too? They seem to have been crying...." she said but Ophelia checks to see. Her eyes looks and noticed some thing.

Their was some things broken near by but spots of blood was seen followed by some of Mouse's bandages being undone a little. The three didn't know what to say but Ophelia goes to check on them. The two didn't even wake up when the three came in. However, soft whimpers came from the two as they were either having nightmares or something worse.

"....Guys.." she was so worried of the two but Mouse and Fosh just remain asleep. Melinda and Jaron was more worried now not expecting this but the two only hope the hackers will get through this. BLT did a lot of damage to the two and he made sure it sticks with them. As many would say, true they will recover but this will stay with them forever.

'Please..please be alright....' Ophelia said in her thoughts like she was going to cry for them but Jaron was worried as Melinda was sad while looking at them.

Serena and Fosh knew from here on out, the memory remains as scars do. Even if they healed, the scar still remains with them.

~~End~~

[sorry-i-ship-drarry]

prompt: panick attack!Draco and harry to the rescue

Circles

Harry hurriedly cut the phone call he was on, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and fetching his keys, cursing at the quarters that fell out when he took out the keys.

He kicked open the door with a light kick because of his hands full and walked into towards the living room and dropping all his files and bag over the piled-up things already there on the table and thereafter finally decided to go into the bedroom only he hadn't expected to walk into what he actually walked into. He walked rapidly towards the bed and hugged the shaking man.

" shush- Draco- love, I'm here- I'm here now " Harry rubbed his back while Draco still kept shaking under his hold.

Harry kissed the top of his head as he heard his whimpers and reassured Draco over and over again that he was finally here and everything is alright. This was his 5th panic attack after Harry had returned from St. Mungo's after a month of being in the facility due to the coma he was in. It was understandable how Draco was scared each time Harry would leave and sometimes without telling him so Draco wouldn't worry but it pained Harry each time he walked into a shaking Draco. He wasn't always like this, nor did he ever have frequent attacks but ever since the last case Harry did and almost died at the scene if it wasn't for the rest of the team and his remote chances of surviving back then had taken a toll on Draco. He was told too many times that Harry's chances of waking up from the coma were very slim and his injuries were rather deadly but it only hit Draco more during the time Harry was having fits while waking up from it and Draco assumed that he was never going to see him again and that was the first attack. Ever since Harry had returned Draco had been so much better but with quitting his job and giving out new applications, Harry had to leave Draco alone sometimes, and someday's Draco goes absolutely fine without it but someday's like today Draco winds himself up in too many worries and the deadliest possibilities that he ends up having another attack and while normally Harry always comes just in time and reassures him, Harry still remains afraid and worried of Draco a lot. He worries a lot if this was what the rest of the coming years would look like.

" Draco" Harry calls him, cupping his face to force him to look at Harry " babe, listen- look at me- I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, alright" harry reassures. Draco tries to nod but he could still feel himself constricting too much.

" Look at me- just keep looking at me- I'm here and I'm never leaving you alright- ever, okay- Can you count for me, just till 5, can you do that ?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded and stuttered out the numbers yet Harry knew it didn't help.

" Love- okay Tell me your favorite colour" Harry asks again

" Emerald " Draco replied, his voice soothing by just a fraction.

" And where do you see them the most ?" Harry asks, his hands moving into intertwine with that of Draco to affirm him of a comforting physical touch.

" Your eyes" Draco replied. Harry felt it in his hands when Draco's shaking lessened little by little.

" You like my eyes ?" Harry asked

Draco nodded and Harry smiled " I love your eyes too- You know the clouds outside reminded me of your eyes today, then I thought about you and then I thought about how much I love you- do you know how much I love you? More stars love the moon, or the sun does the moon or more than infinity- I love you so much- much more than anything in the world, more than anything in the universe "

Draco tried to smile and Harry took it as a good sign and pressed his forehead against Draco's and with his intertwined fingers, he drew circles on his thighs to distract him.

" You like circles- right ?"

Harry could feel him nod.

" Draw circles with me," Harry asked, and then Draco too with his intertwined hands drew circles over his own thighs. A moment or two later, Harry's eyes danced over his exposed wrist and he pulled his sleeve getting an idea and exposed the tattoo he got of Draco's Patronus, a doe and with Draco's fingers and traced it and found instantly how his breathing turned normal moment by moment as they kept tracing the tattoo on his wrist and eventually with Harry's added assurances Draco's faltered breathing came to normal and Harry kissed his cheek when it did so.

" How do you feel now?"

"Better" Draco nodded but neither of them moved away, their foreheads still pressed together and hands still tracing over Harry's tattoo.

" I really love you Draco" Harry assured him once again.

" I know" Draco's voice broke as he said so and Harry immediately created space to look at Draco.

"I'm never leaving you alone" Harry confirmed

"I want you to- I can't spend the rest of my life having attacks every time you go out- I don't want you to be worried every single time you walk into the bedroom and find me like this- I wish you would stop worrying about me" Harry could see it in his face how hurt Draco was and it pained him to see Draco like this and he just wishes he could take his pain but he didn't know-how.

" But I worry about you, just like you do for me" Harry assured

"But you don't end up like me- I want to be fine-"

" You are fine, love, you are. You almost lost me and I would never know how it feels, okay- It's okay what you feel and how you feel and there's nothing wrong- stop worrying about how unnecessary you feel or how stupid it seems to you- If I had almost lost you- I can't even think of anything after that- I would've never been able to survive, but you did- You are so strong Draco- even when you think you're not, You are. You are strong, beautiful, and gorgeous and the fact that I put you through this hurts me so much but I can't take it back, I wish I could but I can't and I wish I could just do something to make it all go away but I can't except I can promise you that I will always love you, even in the afterlife " Harry painfully told him and it was true, Harry could never survive in a world without Draco, to even think of a life without Draco scared let alone see he almost dying, Harry would've lost his sanity but he knew it that there was nowhere he would ever rather be but with Draco.

Draco couldn't say anything even if he wanted to, he could have said so many things but nothing even made sense nor did he even know what to say except that he knew he was the luckiest man alive.

" I love you Harry- don't ever leave me" Draco pleaded.

Harry smiled at him and promised him " Never" and even if he worried someday's about Draco, he kept his promise.

This request is so old that I had even forgotten this existed. Nevertheless I hope you liked it 

REQUESTS OPEN/PREVIOUS FICS/MICROFICS

[chefdoeuvre]

Stubborn

Jay Halstead

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Fem!Reader

Description: Just because pain is a given doesn't mean you're weak.

Words: 756

Requested: yes by anonymous; Would you be willing to write something about Jay Halstead taking care of his stubborn chronically ill girlfriend?

Warnings: fluff, reader being stubborn, language.

A/N: I tried to be vague with what the illness is. Sorry for another short work, I've just been so busy. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.

—

You were currently lying in bed, barely able to pull yourself out of it to get ready. This was like any other bad day of yours so you were used to it by now. But this is not how you wanted to spend Jay's day off with him taking care of you. It's not like you had any power over your condition but sometimes, sometimes you wanted to have a sliver of a painless life. Then again you embraced it and wouldn't let it define your life. Now being stubborn was a large trait you had. Actually large is an understatement, it's basically what's kept you going and got you to where you are now. The saying that pain radiates was one you were incredibly familiar with. You could never figure out where it started just that everything hurt.

When you and Jay had woken up that morning you could immediately tell that all of today's plan had gone down the toilet. Just based on the scrunched-up look on your face Jay knew that you weren't feeling well already. He had pressed a featherlight kiss on your forehead before getting up to get breakfast ready for the both of you. It was practically routine at this point, but that didn't mean it wouldn't come with your stubborn ass arguing about how you were fine when you clearly were not fine. You laid on your back staring up at the ceiling blankly, letting out a pained groan when you shuffled and ending up moving the wrong way. With a reluctant sigh, you slowly pulled yourself up to a sitting position, your body aches becoming worse in the process. You scrunched your nose at the familiar feeling before slowly but surely getting up to head to the bathroom.

Painstakingly slow you finished up with what you were doing and dragged yourself out to the couch to sit down. You pulled the blanket over your legs before letting out a sigh of relief once you stopped moving. Jay turned around with the plated food in his hands only to stop abruptly after noticing your figure sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing?" He questioned with furrowed brows. How had he not noticed you coming in?

"Sitting. Isn't it obvious?" You scoffed playfully.

No matter how much pain you were in you always managed to be your usual sarcastic self.

"Well, what hurts?" Jay asked placing the food down on the coffee table, concern painting his features.

"It's the same answer to the same question every time, Jay." You rolled your eyes.

"Quit being a smartass." Jay shook his head.

"Sorry, can't do that." You raised your brows unapologetically.

"Do you want Tylenol or something?" Jay stood ready to turn on his heel and head back to the kitchen.

"No, you know it doesn't do anything. I'm fine, I swear." You pouted stubbornly.

Jay tilted his head, looking at you with crossed arms. In retaliation, you did the same and copied his movements. Jay did his best to suppress a smile at your antics but his efforts didn't work and in mere seconds a large grin spread over his face.

"Just quit being so stubborn." Jay chuckled.

"No, that's how our usual dance goes. You be a complete worried, softie, for me and I remain being my usual stubborn self. It's what we do." You explained with a wide smirk.

"Fair enough." Jay nodded before plopping himself down on the couch beside you.

"So what do you wanna watch?" You gestured to the television.

"I don't care as long as I'm here with you." Jay shrugged, wrapping his arm around your shoulders letting you lean into him.

"Wow, that was cheesy, Halstead." You laughed, settling into his arms.

"Eh, only for you." Jay flipped through the channels to find something to watch while you slowly ate the food he had made.

"Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" You let out a small laugh, looking at Jay with furrowed brows.

"Yeah, yeah. Real funny, Y/N." Jay hummed flatly.

"I know, I'm hilarious." You nodded with a sarcastic grin.

Jay shook his head with a laugh turning a fraction of his attention to the film playing on the television. Of course, the rest of it was on you, making sure you weren't in any more pain than you were. The rest of his day off was spent with you on the couch scrolling through the channels finding random movies to watch with each other.

[shit-spiced-chai-says]

Manners Maketh a Man

my first fictional piece of writing I've done in 2 years. I'm proud of it for what it is.

basically its kind of like a pre-relationship, enemies to lovers, nblm, and they're both vigilantes.

TW : mention of ped*phila, r*pists (but only in the context of they both should die), and lots of mentions of murder.

@absolutechaossystem

“I could.. legitimately.. kill you right now.” He panted out. Arm around his opponents throat, with his legs wrapped around theirs and a knife pressed dangerously close to between their ribs. Honestly he just wanted to go for a quick stroll before retiring for the evening. But apparently his self-proclaimed arch nemesis, Lana Devor, decided to ruin his favorite blue suit jacket by initiating a scuffle on the ground of a grimy alley.

“Then do it.” Sounding far too composed for someone pinned to the ground.

Groaning internally and rolling his eyes, he scoffed. “No.”

“And why is that Vincent?” They spoke in a mockingly sweet voice.

“Because you just told me to.”

“So??”

“I do not do things when people tell me to do them. It takes all the satisfaction out of it.” It's not worth the effort of having a successful kill when it wont bring you joy. There's not enough time in life to do things you don't want to do.

“Jesus Christ, you’re telling me that you, the person that has committed over 35 confirmed murders, 20 of those happening when you bombed the UN, isn’t going to kill me because it’s not going to make you happy?!”

They said it as if it’s an incredulous thought. “Firstly, you know all those world leaders were corrupt-”

“That doesn't make it right!”

“Please don't interrupt me, it's bad manners.” Vincent grunted out, having to tighten his hold on them as they gave a harsh full body jerk with their last sentence. They honestly have no composure, you'd think they were raised amongst wolves.

“You're talking to me about bad manners?! You literally kill people for a living!”

“I work outside the law, for the right reasons. Just because I take the lives of the dishonorable, instead of restraining them in what can only be described as ‘Kinky Dungeon Chic’, and leaving them for the police to collect. Furthermore, as the famous quote goes : ‘Manners Maketh a Man.’”

“Oh my fucking god, did you just quote The Kingsman?”

“Colin Firth is a DILF. Besides that though, as I was saying, all those world leaders were corrupt. And if the local law enforcement had any brains, they would realize that all my other kills have been of terrible people as well.”

“Nobody deserves to die.” Lana declared with the confidence of one who has seen God.

“Pedophiles and rapists do.” They wouldn't have heard the nearly whispered statement if they weren't precisely pinned under him.

He tensed and moved the knife slightly away as they squirmed around enough to turn their head and look him in the eye. They stayed that way for what could have been hours but what most likely minutes. Silently keeping eye contact, the air seemingly electrified by the compound emotions he was feeling. They stared as if they knew his most deep-rooted secrets now, as if they understood what experiences caused his toxic actions.

Looking down and letting a small breath out, they murmured, “I'm not gonna tell you that you're right Vinny.”

“But you know I am.” He spoke just as softly, bending his head down to urge their eyes to meet his again. Both of their breaths mixing with how close they were to each other.

He was trying to recreate the moment they just had. He was so confused by their seemingly unspoken understanding of his words. He wanted to know why. If they understood his pain, even just a fraction, he could help them. They could potentially resolve this harmful relationship. Maybe even turn it into a partnership. Gods he wanted that so much. He was tired of being alone.

Any hope of that was thoroughly ruined though when they both heard the piercing sound of police sirens in the distance.

Grunting as they elbowed and kicked him sharply in the ribs and thighs in a mad scramble to get to their feet. “Dear god, was your body chiseled out of stone? I’m going to bruise now, thanks to you.” They weren't paying attention to his grumbling though, as they got to their feet. Looking across the street to what appeared to be a woman screaming that someone had just stolen her purse. Two people were standing next to her, one attempting to calm her down while the other was on the phone. Most likely talking to the god damned police.

“Fuck, we gotta get out of here.” Leaning back down to grab him by his forearms and hoisting him upright, completely ignoring the pathetic squawk he let out.

Pulling off his, now filthy, suit jacket, he sighed. “Do you know how much I paid for this? This is a luxury brand! And I am not a contract killer, it took me time and effort to save up enough money for this jacket. I had to sell my espresso machine!”

Watching him gesture wildly around, they weren't sure if they felt annoyed or fond. On one had, its a fucking jacket, on the other hand, he's kind of cute when he's mad. But in a dumb way. Either way they needed to leave, now.

Shoving him out of the way, they broke into a quick jog down the alley. Turning around for only a moment to yell “Stop fucking around and start running you dumbass!”

Leaving him spluttering for a reply he yelled back the first thing that came to his mind “Cursing isn't proper!” He realized it was a foolish thing to say the instant it left his mouth. But in all fairness it seems this whole exchange has been a bit foolish.

He looked down the alley to see them still running, but this time they were holding their middle finger in the air. Clearly in reply to his words. He may have deserved it.

Still holding his soiled baby blue jacket in his hands, he just sighed and looked to the sky. The woman across the street was crying now. Honestly she should probably take a self defense class or two if she's going to continue walking in a neighborhood like this. Obviously it's only where wanted criminals go for strolls, and to tackle each other to the ground and have almost meaningful conversation.

Hearing the sirens get closer snaps him out of his thoughts. Folding his jacket in half and tossing it over his shoulder he quickly glanced around for the quickest exit that both didn't involve walking near the street, and did not involve following Lanas footsteps. He doesn't think he can emotionally deal with two confrontations in one night.

Unfortunately the only exit point available was a sewer pipe. Looking into it, even while holding his breath, made his eyes well up in tears. He looked down at himself, most of his clothes at this point had been ruined by rolling around on the ground. He let a few tears slide out while cursing whatever entity there was that made this his lot in life.

“Well, I always knew my life would come to shit.” He opens the hatch, and slides in.

[jamiemackenziefraser]

All That Was Fair

Chapter 16: Say Could That Lass Be I?

x

Summary: “Here lies the heart of James Fraser. He learned how to feel, to love, only to lose her before they even had a chance.”

Read on AO3

Read chapter 16 on tumblr below the cut

Previous, master list, next

A/n: The final chapter of arc I. Buckle up, my loves 🖤

Chapter 16: Say Could That Lass Be I?

***

Heartbreak. Jamie had always thought that expression figurative— that people simply referred to the loss of love and the emotional suffering that goes with it. But as he led Claire toward the distant hill with her wee hand clutched in his, ready to send the love of his life away, the pain in his chest was as real and physical as if his heart had truly been cleaved in two. His chest clenched in agony, and the only thing keeping him moving forward was sheer, monumental will. 

Claire was oblivious. That morning, he had wrapped her up in a tartan blanket to keep her warm and simply herded her out to the car without more than a few words. She’d asked him where they were going, and he’d nearly broken down crying that moment. All he’d managed was a hoarse, “for a walk,” while his windpipe felt like it was being crushed. 

As he helped her out of the car, she took his hand— hers so wee and fitting perfectly into his— and smiled brightly up at him. 

God, he wanted to kiss her. 

His selfish, breaking heart wanted so badly to have that one memory to treasure for the rest of his life without Claire. He longed to draw her to him, press his mouth to hers, feel her soft lips on him, and then he would never ask for another thing from God. He spent nearly half the walk trying to talk himself out of it. 

He couldn’t do that to her. She was going home, never to see him again, and it wouldn't be fair. 

He turned back to her then, and she gave him the brightest smile that illuminated the dark chasm growing inside him. She was his sun, and looking at her— simply enjoying being with him and unaware of their parting in a few minutes— he felt dizzy. Being in the presence of such light only made the agony of losing her that much greater. 

The lump in his throat was so thick and stifling that he could barely breathe. It was all he could do to hold himself together and keep going. 

But he had to be strong, for her sake. He had to let her know it was okay to go. 

“Jamie, now will you—” 

She had begun to ask him for the tenth time what was going on when she suddenly stopped dead. He glanced back at her to see her eyes wide and fixed on the distance, all the blood drained from her face. 

Claire had caught sight of the hill. 

The heartbroken expression and the shake of her head as she looked at Jamie ruined him. 

“Listen, mo nighean donn, I—”

“Why are we here?” she asked in a dangerously low, even voice. 

He was regretting his plan instantly. Her expression wasn’t quite that of the devastation of betrayal, but it was something like broken trust, because she looked at him with a tiny glimmer of pleading in her eyes— begging him to tell her it wasn’t true. That look was eating him alive. 

“Sassenach, listen to me...” he started again, desperate. 

He tried to tug her onward in the direction of the hill, but she stayed planted firm. 

“I’ve found a way to bring ye home safely,” he finally blurted out. 

The reason he was able to drag her forward in that moment wasn’t because she was more willing than she had been a moment ago. Sheer surprise made her go unresistant and allowed Jamie to pull her back into motion. It seemed her feet were moving on their own accord, operating on instinct in response to him. 

“What?” she choked out. 

“Aye.” 

With a terrible rending in his chest, he explained everything to her. Geillis’ book. Travel between realms. The gemstones offering protection. 

She was silent the entire time, eyes wide as if that would allow her to see something intangible, trying desperately to wrap her head around everything he’d just laid on her. He didn’t even give her time to react; the words simply spewed from him in a heartbroken rush as he managed to drag her up the hill. 

They stood then in the shadows of the towering stones. To Jamie, the stones felt like grave markers— looming ominous and solemn. 

Here lies the heart of James Fraser. He learned how to feel, to love, only to lose her before they even had a chance. 

Claire’s face was white as a sheet. For once, her expression was unreadable to him. Perhaps it was because she was hiding it, or perhaps Jamie was simply blinded by the force of his own emotions and the all-encompassing longing for her to stay, but he couldn't tell what was going on in her brain. His only thought was that he knew she was terrified of the stones, and that only hurt him further. 

“Here is my father’s ring. It’ll ensure ye safe passage,” he found himself saying. 

He grabbed her hand and shoved the ring on her finger without ceremony. She studied it for a long moment, looking blank, and then turned her face back up to Jamie. It looked like she was about to speak, but he wasn’t sure he could bear to hear what she had to say. 

“There’s nothing for you on this side,” Jamie choked out, “nothing. Save a world ye dinna ken and people who arena yer own. Ye deserve tae go home.” 

He wasn’t sure if he was trying to help convince her or himself. 

While he was speaking, he had dropped her hand and was slowly moving backward. He had to harden himself if he’d ever be able to leave her. He had to turn off his feelings and let his breaking heart turn to ash before he did something selfish like fall to his knees and beg her to stay. 

The rushing in his ears was deafening. 

“There’s no use waiting,” he said in a low voice, “I hafta leave ye now.” 

He put more distance between them— Claire standing frozen in the spot where he’d put her as he stepped backward, her perfect lips parted just slightly. Every inch between them felt like another nail in his coffin, only a thousand times more agonizing because his heart was still beating. 

The voice that came from his closed throat was unrecognizable even to himself as he mustered a raspy, “goodbye, Sorcha.” 

He wanted to add a “I’ll never forget ye so long as I live,” or something— anything— that could possibly convey even a fraction of how much she meant to him, but his throat had closed so much that he couldn’t force it out. 

Claire just stood there, looking up at him with glassy eyes. Silent and swaying slightly. 

Before the tears could rush from his eyes, or worse, before she could say some goodbye that broke his resolve, he turned sharply and threw himself down the hill. If she called goodbye after him, it didn’t reach his ears. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t look back. He didn’t think he could go on, but his feet propelled him forward, away from the love of his life. 

She’s going home— he told himself as the first tears began to fall— back to her people. She’ll be happy. 

But he was suffocating on the lump in his throat and the world was feeling so terribly unfair; He couldn’t seem to get himself to believe his own arguments, caught up as he was in his grief. 

His whole body was shaking, to the point where his fingers went numb. He didn’t know grief could do that. He wished it could numb his heart and his mind. But his traitorous brain was slogging on, and it took everything inside him to repeat the mantra of “she’s going home.” She probably was home at this very moment, back with her people. 

Toward the bottom of the hill, his steps slowed from their frantic pace to a resigned shamble, heavy with the weight of what he’d done. 

Now that she was gone, there was no need to rush into a life of emptiness. He might as well take his time. 

When he reached the spot where the ground was flattening out, his feet stopped altogether. His legs felt like jell-o, and he wanted to fall to his knees and weep. He probably would have collapsed too, if not for the brittle feeling in his body that made him go stock still. Everything seemed almost distant as the tears gathering in his eyes overflowed to trickle down his cheeks. 

How could he possibly face a life without her? 

He found himself frozen under the weight of that terrible desolation. Jamie wasn’t sure he was strong enough to face it. 

Heartbreak. He knew now with visceral clarity how accurate that was. 

Then, in an instant— a second so fast Jamie was certain his mind had conjured it— something pulled him back from the yawning chasm of despair opening at his feet.

A sound from behind him that made every muscle in his body freeze. 

A shout of his name. 

It couldn’t be. 

He turned slowly, disbelievingly, and saw an image that would be burned into his mind forever. A figure— a familiar figure that couldn’t possibly be anyone but his beloved— was barrelling down the hill. Claire’s hair was billowing around her ethereally, giving her the most perfect aspect. The sun behind her illuminated her silhouette, as if nature itself was caressing her unreal perfection. As she ran, the tartan blanket around her shoulders came loose, and the moment was picturesque as it swirled up into the air behind her, forgotten. She simply ran faster, racing down the hill toward him. Rooted to the spot, a tear still tracking down his face, Jamie could only watch her in astonished disbelief. 

Suddenly, she was mere feet from him. 

“James Fraser, you fool.” 

And then she was flying into his arms. He barely had time to embrace her back before her mouth smashed against his and they were kissing.  

The world stopped. Truly, the planet must have frozen on its axis, and every person on it must have been halted in their tracks. Because she was kissing him— and he, her— with a fervor he’d never before experienced. 

As she kissed all the words from his mouth, the breath from his lungs, and the grief from his heart, a joy previously unimaginable rushed from his center to the very tips of his fingers. 

The kiss was everything he’d imagined and more. Her lips were so soft, so perfect, molded to fit his. Like coming home, there was an incredible feeling of rightness. It was a mix of scorching and tender, somehow perfectly his Sorcha.

His lungs constricted until he thought air would be obsolete in the reality of her. The electricity crackled, consuming them both in a cloud, leaving him dazed and stunned but somehow so amazingly alive. His nerve endings felt like they were on fire. He was aware of every part of his body, and every part of hers against his, but nothing so acutely as his lips caressing hers. 

Now that he was kissing her, he found he couldn’t stop. It must have been minutes, hours. He held her body flush to his, and he was shaking so hard with the strength of his emotions that his hand trembled where it cupped the back of her head. For her part, she had both arms wrapped around his neck and was holding as tightly as she could as he devoured her mouth. He was delirious with joy. 

Finally, when his lungs would surely burst, he parted from her lips just enough to gasp in air. 

“You said there was nothing on this side for me,” Claire panted breathlessly, lips barely brushing his as she spoke, “but there’s you. There’s you, you bloody fool. I love you.” 

The world was dropping out from under Jamie’s feet but at the same time he was more anchored than he ever had been— he was falling, but Claire was catching him. Giving him everything he’d ever dreamed of but had been too scared to risk. Here it all was at his feet— in his arms. How his life had changed in the matter of seconds. 

“I love you, mo nighean donn,” he told her, just as out of breath, “I’ve loved you all this time.” The words felt like a rush exploding from him, the truth of his heart suddenly bared for all to see. 

He brushed her wild hair behind her ear as a joyful tear escaped his eye. His fingers caressed her face for the first time without shame. Her lips were slightly puffy with the force of their feverish kisses, and her pupils were blown wide as she gazed at him with adoration. Indulging the desires he’d stamped down for days, he cradled her face with both hands and stroked his thumbs along her jaw as he spoke. 

“So ye’re stayin’ then?” he asked, a little shyly, barely able to contain the hope bursting from his chest. He could scarcely believe this wasn’t a dream, and he would have questioned his sanity if not for her very real body in his arms. 

“I’m staying,” she breathed reverently. 

And then they were kissing again. He held her tightly, clutching her wee body with greedy joy, and kissed her with utter abandon.

Lips desperate for connection and mouths fused, two hearts reached for each other to become whole.

***

a/n: Ahhh there it is! Arc I... mutual pining no more!!

Okay, I've been waiting to say this for like forever, but Jamie Fraser is often an unreliable narrator and a sweet, sweet dumbo!! He doesn't communicate with her well and often just assumes what is going on inside her head. Angst could have been avoided with some communication bbs!! So if you've been wanting to yell at Jamie at least a little during the course of the story, Claire's "James Fraser, you fool" is for you!! I have a lot more I would like to say about arc I, but in the interest of not making this note longer than it already is, I'm posting an arc I commentary on my tumblr. I'd love if you'd check it out! 

The story is far from over!! Arc II is coming along! I have like 12k written on it already, woohoo! Updates may be more like every Saturday ish but I’ll probably throw in a few weekdays to spice things up.

Next

[nightswithkookmin]

JIKOOK BE CONCEPT- EXTENDED ANALYSIS

ANON: Hey Goldy, so I want to ask, what makes you look at one moment and decide the tension in there is nothing but then in another moment you claim Jikook are having issues? I ask because of the conclusions you drew on the photoshoot video when you said they were fighting but in two other instances where we can all clearly see that the mood between Jikook is tense like Jimin's mood in the Be Concept Clip and the other interview you have said it's nothing. I don't mean this in a disrespectful way, I just want to understand your thought process if you can walk me through it. It's ok if you don't respond. I love your posts regardless. Keep it up.

Thanks for your question.

I think I try my best as much as possible to share my thought process on why I reach certain conclusions and in instances where I do not have much time to delve deeper into a conversation I state an NB indicating I would be talking further about that particular topic later on?

I think the first thing I can point out to you right off the bat in regards to your question is that we may most likely be having different understandings of tension as pertains to shipping simply because we ship Jikook in different ways.

Again, I do not mean to say my perspective is superior or that someone else's is inferior. I'm just saying we may be having different views on the topic based on the differences in our shipping styles.

To me tension is not just a sense or feeling or mood. It is one of the metrics I employ in assessing whether or not a ship is real- stay with me.

In my experience, while people may be good at hiding a relationship, they can never hide the intimacy of the relationship or the stress of keeping that relationship a secret. Secrets are stressful to keep and they leave stress trails in their wake. It's as simple as that. If any ship is real in BTS you will see its stress marks.

It's not easy standing there, watching your man's nipples being played with, or having another man grope your intimate partner for entertainment purposes while you stand there smiling for the cameras- you can smile, but it's going to be fake.

It's not easy hearing how your man sneaks into another man's shower to watch him bathe and compliment the size of his dick.

It's not easy hearing how you can't stand next to your man in a line up while another person takes that position even if it's just for work.

It's not easy pretending not to love your man, while watching everyone else love on him. It's not easy being told what you can do and not do with your partner much less by your own peers.

It's not easy hiding your love and affection for the person you love, holding yourself back from kissing them, or hugging them or doing any of the intimate stuff you are so used to doing with them- not when you have to be around them all the time.

It's not easy having cameras shoved in your face during your alone, private time with your man, when you are watching them on giant screens and they are right there next to you but you can't hold them- please listen to JK's demo Delcacomania which he released on his birthday last year and you will understand why he cried when JM flew from Paris to see him on his birthday. I cried too.

My point is, it's really not easy keeping a relationship a secret within the same work space as your partner. It's not as easy as other shippers make it seem. That shit is stressful and stress begets tensions and tensions begets conflicts- especially if there are other people attached to the parties in the relationship.

A secret gets heavy before it gets easy but you can never erase the stress that comes with hiding that secret especially not in a group as diverse in personalities as BTS. There are bound to be clashes, there are bound to be slip ups- moments where the fourth wall is breached and many others.

Stress is usually one of the first indicators of people keeping anything a secret. I've been called toxic for this, but I pay a lot of attention to conflicts and tensions within the group dynamics regardless of the degree of that tension because that conflict to me is a sign of stress.

I can tell you for a fact, any ship that is kumbaya in BTS is not real. Any ship whose existence doesn't stress out the group dynamics is a ship made in Disney heading for Never-land. Conflict and tension is a sign of stress and stress is a sign of keeping secrets.

That's not to say every single tension within the group, between Jikook or any other ship is as a result of them keeping that ship a secret. I think we can rule out all forms of contrived tensions at this point- you know which ones I'm talking about. Ain't no damn person up in there tryna steal nobody's man in BTS. The fuck?! Lmho.

Then there are those tensions that are as a result of mood swings, bad hair days, a call being delayed, a missed period- what? some of them have girlfriends, cough cough. Yea, Don't mind me.

Tension could be caused by anything really and so I think it's not enough to point out tensions but you have to try and ascertain the cause and effect of that tension to see if that tension is as a result of the stress that comes with keeping Jikook a secret or whether it is rather causing stress or going to cause a stress in their relationship dynamics-

C'mon, now y'all know if Jimin should thirst over another man that that is going cause a lot of stress not just for JK but the group as well because Jikook's mood affects them too.

Jimlous and Jeonlous are also signs of the stress that comes with keeping Jikook's relationship a secret. Let's be honest, if they were out all of those wouldn't be happening. People wouldn't cross their boundaries as much as they do.

From my perspective, both of Jikook are constantly reacting, poorly might I add, to their relationship being a secret. It seems to me they both hate what they have to do to keep eachother a secret within the group.

Jimin keeps JK a secret by acting as if he is available and JK keeps Jimin a secret by acting as if he doesn't want him- cold, nonchalant, and the way I see them I think it drives them both crazy. Lol.

Jimin doesn't want to come out but he doesn't want to be kept a secret either. He just wants to be in that glass closet whereas JK seems to want to be out or completely hidden- he is not about that middle ground life, I feel. But that doesn't mean he doesn't make compromises especially where Jm is concerned.

Jimin is very conscious and highly judgmental of himself and I think he projects a bit of that into their relationship dynamics. As such he is constantly worrying about feedback, about how their relationship is affecting the group's dynamics.

You see this in the way he runs to JK upon the least complaints by any member about JK. Like when Jin complained about JK not choosing his bag over JM's, or when RM complained about JK buying a birthday present for only JM and not the others.

Or when RM complained about JK showing a song he had written to JM first before showing it to him in a VLive- now they didn't mention who they were talking about exactly but I knew from the moment JM started reciting Jikook's go to response for whenever they are called out for constantly being together, the whole 'we just so happened to be together in that moment,' that they were talking about JK. I don't know, I could be wrong.

JM is constantly trying to mitigate Jungkook's tendencies for exclusivity in their relationship especially where it conflicts with the groups interest even though that exclusivity and preferential treatment feeds directly into his love language.

It's that kumbaya in him I keep talking about. He would sacrifice their happiness for the groups. In my opinion.

But JK aint about that life. His entire philosophy is to pursue personal happiness first. So often, you would see him weaponizing their relationship secret against JM- trying to out him and shit. which in turn, ends up causing their relationship a ton of stress.

The best illustration I can give for this is when JK posted Ending Scene in early parts of 2019 and people started speculating Jikook had broken up because it was a break up song. JM immediately responded to that post with two posts, one about the Calico cat or something and the other pointing out how that song was just a cover. Jimin hates it when JK does something to create the impression that they are not together especially when they are together.

But at the same time, he would take a step back from their relationship, ask for space to try and nurture his other relationships with friends and family when he feels JK coming on too strong on him- like Jimin what do you actually want! You drive me nuts!

What I'm trying to say is that when you point out that JM looks tensed, you should be able to explain why you think he looks tensed.

And if you think his tension goes to the root of their relationship, then you should be able to predict the consequences of that tension too. Lol.

For me, I filter their tensions through their established patterns of behavior, their personalities and the actions that arise from their personalities- listen, the Maknae line can be very melancholic for no reason sometimes. Not sure what goes on but boy can they brood!

You have to consider all these things.

Tensions are obvious, obviously. Or maybe not. Most of them are quite easy to spot. Some not so much. They do go undetected if you are not hyper focused on them in certain moments when they happen or aren't aware of the context or subtext behind such moments.

Perspective is everything. We all don't have the same perspective. But no one holds the truth when it comes to Jikook. We can only speculate in a way that holds meaning to us.

Take for example Jimin and Jin's call during Jimin's VLive in March this year. There are a fraction of shippers who do not believe that that call was intercepted by JK at all simply because they do not see the subtext of that moment. Why would JK do that and not just reveal his identity, they ask. A valid point.

Then there are those who see JK interrupting that call as plausible because they believe they can differentiate between JK and Jin's call voice. Equally valid point.

Then there's me, who think yes that was JK's voice but goes further to try and anwer the questions raised by the first group as that, JK was pushing the boundaries both with JM and Bighit for barring him from doing a live with JM.

As such, I believe that call was an act of rebellion on his part to be allowed to Jikook with his man on the VApp. All that protest would then lead to a pivotal moment of him and JM having their VLive but under heavy surveillance. Lol.

Actions have consequences whether good or bad. Whether positive or negative. It's the cause and effect principle. Every effect has a predictable cause and every action has a specific and predictable effect.

If a moment of tension is created between them that is substantial, it is going to produce a subsequent substantial reaction. Law of Newton- I can't make this shit up. Lmho.

Another moment of this nature for me would be the VMin's unit interview filmed in February/March and released in June during Festa.

Now, if you were following the tensions between V and JK around that period, the context and subtext of that Interview would be easily apparent to you- V was just shading JK left right left. Bless him.

All that random flirting with Jimin- JM lost his Mochi cheeks, his pinky has grown were just code for JM is a grown ass man now so stop being possessive over him.

I have said Jikook have been asserting themselves against eachother this year following the lows of late 2019 and especially around that time period.

For Jimin, that self assertion takes the form of checking JK's over possessiveness over him as that is a huge cause of tensions within the group throughout the years and something that I feel really bothered JM in the later half of 2019 and early half of 2020.

Why does it bother him when he used to be the one enabling that shit in JK? The members, keep up. Lol but not just the members. Remember I said earlier how, Jikook had come under heavy scrutiny with May 2019 to June this year. JM I feel wanted to keep things really on the low but JK- sigh.

Believe it or not, JK dumb whipped ass exposes Jikook more than JM does in their relationship. In the very least his possessiveness and chest puffing when anyone breathes near JM is one of the biggest tells.

We all know Tae is one of the members that have openly pointed out his displeasure with JK keeping JM to himself, cutting him off from his friends and all. Now we all know also that Jimin's pinky is a huge deal to JK. The moment he saw VMin comparing pinkies that's when he began screwing with us for real! Lmho.

JK made a big deal about JM's pinky and also seemed to have a thing for JM's Mochi cheeks too, calling him his Mochi and shit right in front of Tae's salad. Listen, TAE KNOWS. He knows!

So I found it interesting, how those parts of JM were specifically the things that V felt had changed about Jimin- I mean go back and look at Tae's facial expressions and smirk when he started talking about that. Lmho.

Then Jimin clapped back with that whole pinky line from their song Friends, pointing out how contradictory Tae was being. Lol.

To me that has always been one aspect of Tae and JK's ship dynamics that I enjoy so much. Tae is constantly teasing and shading JK and it's so subtle yet passive aggressive sometimes. you might miss it if you don't understand the context of him saying certain things in certain moments.

He don't spare JM sometimes either. Chileee. You never know with this man. Lol.

I mean did y'all catch his jab at JK during Festa when JK brought up the rain fight and he said, yea but that was a long time ago though- give it a rest. When I tell you, this man knew JK was trying to one up him over the whole dumpling fight thingy he had with JM. Lmho.

Then in that dynamite MV reaction VLive when JK and JM tried to eye fuck through the viewfinder? Let's not look into the camera he says so eloquently then side eyes JK- I LOVE THIS MAN!!! Please stay on their necks for me. They play too much! Lmho.

JK's possessiveness over JM is one of the causes of tension within the group I feel and JK have said his hyungs try to teach him not to be so possessive. Tae, RM and Suga to me are those hyungs who keep him in check the most, most times.

All that being said, just because there is tension present between them in a given moment doesn't necessarily mean it's as a result of a conflict between them as I have explained in past posts.

The inverse of this is similarly true. Truth is we can never know these things for sure. We can only speculate.

And personally, as I keep pointing out I have my own metrics for assessing these kinds of things. I get it wrong sometimes and when I do, I simply adjust my metrics and keep it pushing.

It's my own customized metrics, the lens through which I filter their interactions and make sense of their moments and It works for me. Isn't that what having an opinion is about?

I find, some of their interactions or moments follow an established pattern of behavior from their past moments and so it's much easier to call those.

For instance, you don't need a six foot page analysis to identify Jimlous or Jeonlous when you see it. You don't need a crystal ball to tell you when JK nibbles on Jimin's ear that Jimin is nervous. They did that in 2018, they did that in 2019, they've done that in 2020- to me that's become a pattern and when I see JK anywhere near Jimin's ear depending on the setting I will conclude JM is nervous and JK is trying to comfort him.

All that would be left for me to determine then is why Jimin is nervous at all in that moment and if I find he has no reason to be nervous in that instant my next assumption then would be that Jeon Jungkook is horny. I'm not kidding. Jk scares me. Lol.

Don't mind me.

He could be horny or he could be touchy, or he could be just expressing his affections through skinship. All of that is valid so I would employ an elimination approach?

I would rule out Jikook sexual foreplay in instances like that based on whether or not JK's gesture was a mission given to him by the staff based on Jimin's reaction to that gesture- He seemed pretty disappointed when he learned that JK bopping his nose was just a mission.

At times too I test out theories.

Yes, Jimin is an extrovert but does he freeze out JK when he is being an extrovert? He doesn't. We have seen him grabbing the Jeon titties in behind the scenes photoshoot, we have seen JK shove his butt in JM's dick face, we have seen 50 shades of JK grab JM's neck and dip his hand down his neck into his chest region to warm himself up. We have seen Jikook at behind the scenes photo shoots countless times. They gravitate towards eachother.

So if he is being his extrovert self with every body but JK, and JK is orbiting him but not interacting with him as they have done in the past then honestly I don't need my crystal ball to assume something is up between them. Why? Because Jikook's interactions behind the scenes aren't susceptible to false conditionings as compared to the intentional, exaggerated versions of their interactions on camera which sometimes can be laced with fanservice.

Jikook is not fanservice. Most of their behind cameras are moments of them breaching the forth wall. Like JM walking into JK's room without noticing there were cameras in the room. Their mood in there was not a performance and wasn't intended for the cameras and yet they were still close. Them taking a picture at the back of the track was equally that- unintended for the cameras.

What I'm saying is, we have seen Jikook when they are working on camera and when they are not working on camera and that mood in that behind the scenes photoshoot video doesn't fit either description of Jikook in those settings to me regardless of whether I know them personally or not.

What that moment fits into for me is a pattern of behavior that has been consistent with Jikook over the years. And I know people box JM into this whole extrovert personality but as I've said I don't believe anyone is completely extroverted or introverted.

JM to me has a certain degree of introvertedness in him and I've talked about this. He seems to have a bit of an avoidant personality too where he recoils into himself or shut people out in certain moments like how he says he drinks alone and becomes much quieter when he feels stressed out.

He doesn't open up as much about his problems it seems, he bottles it all up untill it eats him up- I'm glad he says when gets like that JK notices his mood and often comes around to do something that makes him laugh. Jimin does same for JK when he is feeling anxious- Please, Jikook is real ok?

So stop telling lies. Lol.

I think this avoidant personality becomes more prominent in moments when he fights or argues with people.

In Manila it was that moment where he noticed JK staring at him and so be moved his seat back to avoid JK's gaze. In VMin dumpling fight, it was him going out to drink with Suga after the fight- classic avoidant behavior. In Yoonmin it was him asking Suga not to touch him when Suga put his hand on his back even though Suga was sat right next to him.

In 2017- was it the behind scenes photoshoot for the billiard pool games? We saw JM literally running away from JK. Lol. He literally side-eyed the fuck out of JK, yeeted himself away from JK the moment he finished posing for the cameras. In that OT7 footage where V was playing with JK's hair, again, he yeeted himself out of there real quick at the end of filming- dude literally said deuces bitches. Lol.

And in the Jin birthday VLive 2019, he pulled away instinctively when JK's knee touched his. In all these instances, JM was keeping up the facade. Smiling and interacting like his normal slytherin/ honorary hufflepuff self but his instinctual reactions is what gave him away. In my opinion.

To me that is a pattern of behavior on JM's part. When he is angry or mad st someone- he avoids them. And it's harder if he has to be within the same space with such person.... I'll circle back to this.

All the times since 2015 when he's been 'mad' at JK he's done just that- Akekeking with everyone else, amplifying his extrovertedness, latching on to his 'clutches' within the group, all the while keeping JK at bay while stealing glances at him to see his reaction at the same time.

And when he notices how that's affecting JK- he literally smirks in satisfaction. Meet evil chim everyone- And I say this with love, he is vindictive as fuck. I mean this is the same person who didnt hesitate to kill Army in a game just for disobeying him- allegedly. Same person who said he would whoop his bandmates except of course for JK and force them to bow at his feet if he was ruler. Did y'all see Tae turning to check JM's reaction when JK made fun of his singing in run? Did you see his passive aggressive reaction to JK after that clowning?

Listen, we all should be scared of Park Jimin. He is sweet and all but fuck with him... I dare you. PJMs are gonna revoke my PJM membership are they not? Oh God! Lol

JK is similar to JM in this regard. He avoids when he is angry or edgy. Try touching him in that state and he is pulling away. He did it with Tae in the Dynamite MV behind scenes where Tae tried to touch him and he pulled away and the whole not wanting to hold hands with Tae at the KBS interview thingy- it actually broke my heart watching that bit. JK. Sigh. Will post and delete the Taekook video I am talking about as soon as I post this- out of respect for their shippers.

JK does the same to JM too sometimes when JM irritates him. Manila and also around On promo when they had that Alex Almanto whatever unit shoot- they were all having fun, there's a cut and suddenly he is pulling away when JM holds him, does the lip thingy, and glares at JM. He turns away to look at Hobi, which I just think he was trying to hide his expression from the camera lol- JM almost burst out into laughter and I nearly peed myself watching that bit- JK can be very petty sometimes. Lmho

He did the same in this controversial photoshoot. He was mad at both JM and Namjoon which explains the part he was dragging his feet when he was walking away from JM. It wasn't because he was waiting for Jimin. He was avoiding Namjoon who was walking ahead of him. In my opinion. And the part he stood with Jin and RM- JM did something hilarious JK giggled a little but turned immediately to Namjoon and when he noticed RM laughing too he stopped laughing. Then he did that thing were he put the fear of God in RM when RM stood close to JM. JK was so angry he forgot his manners when he bumped into Jin in that moment and again, like always. He looked away to avoid the scenery.

Now I don't know what had gone on there but I'm still trying to reconstruct that moment to figure it out. All I know is something went on involving those three and may be Tae too as I have pointed out in previous posts.

JM was mad at JK, JK was mildly mad at JM but heavily mad at RM.

All these things I've mentioned are patterns of behavior that have repeated over the years from my delusional point of view of Jikook's interactions and of their interactions as against the group dynamics.

Circling back to the Be concept clip and JM's mood in there, I gotta ask. Do you think Jimin's mood was as a result of the stress of keeping their relationship a secret in that moment?

It wasn't to me. Even after looking away from JK he went back to looking at JK again. When their eyes met he smiled a little. Whatever was going on with him had nothing to do with JK or their relationship. If it did, he would have been much more hostile than that and frankly JK wouldn't be sat there cheesing the way he was doing in that instance. His butt would have been on fire.

JM seemed- serene and peaceful to me. I actually enjoy him most in his moments of quiet like these.

RM's reaction to that Jikook moment however is an indication of stress to me. He seemed excited, probably wanted to play with his Jiminie but when he noticed JM had looked away his instincts was to check JK's reaction. Not anybody else, JK.

When he noticed JK was smiling at JM he dropped his hands and seemed a bit deflated. That deflation right there is one of the signs of the stress I'm talking about.

RM isn't just the leader he is their friend. Like V his bond with JM suffers from time to time due to our elephant in the room. I am often fascinated by RM and JM's friendship dynamics and would definitely love to have conversation about their dynamics.

I hope this answers your question?

Please keep supporting Jikook. Jikool is real.

Signed,

GOLDY

[eradicatetehnormal]

Rambling About Sk8 Infinity 'Cause I Just Caught Up

So yeah, when I initially watched it, literally my first reaction was "aw man, it looks like this show will have no real consequences for any of the main characters' actions, that's the typical shonen formula I guess." Then, as if a direct frick you to me, there WERE consequences. It didn't come from the reckless skating or beefing with scary competitors, no, it came from the person who's kinda the hero of the series, Langa, being TOO good at fulfilling his role and leaving Reki to feel left behind and like he can't match up to the rest of his comrades. Now this is resolved rather quickly within the span of 3 episodes, but what I think made it stand out to me was the way it was resolved and the perspective that this conflict was seen from. You see I think Reki's little mini arc here goes to show you the shonen hero from the perspective of his weaker companion. We've had stuff like this before but I think it's special here because 1.It shows the perspective of the weaker comrade and STAYS there. 2. Even when these characters get frustrated at their lack of strength, there's usually a scene where the protag will say some pseudo-inspirational garbage at this character. This is never genuinely done by the writers to empower the weaker character. It's done to make the hero stand out even more for being a nice person ON TOP of being a badass shonen hero. (man, aren't we getting the whole package...>:/ ) and the way the resolve this, isn't by having same "manly" fight scene where the weaker character tries to prove their worth or some sh*t, no, Reki and Langa talk it out after Reki remembered why he skates. And why wouldn't they be able to do that? They're friends :) It's moments like these that kinda almost make the show feel more like a Shoujo than a Shounen to me. Good series is good series, 7.7/10 to bullet point the things I didn't like -Langa isn't really shown to have any flaws or insecurites, it is only season 1 though

-the character design is low-key kinda weak. There's a reason why I keep comparing them to Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Kingdom Hearts characters, it's because their designs are super generic that you mix them with character designs from other anime and anime-like media in your head. Even with the designs I do like, Reki and Miya's, I feel like their silhouettes aren't that interesting. You can black them out and put them next to any spiky haired character (with reki) and any character with cat ears (with Miya), and they'd blend in together with all the other character if it weren't for those skateboards -creepy villian. Man with bad touch... (seriously though, why is the default for making a villian scarier, making them rapey? they did it with Sephiroth in ff7 and Scar from the lion king if you saw that deleted song...It's weird) Alright now lets's talk about the important thing here. The real reason I kept watching, and it's not the skateboarding scenes (though those are well directed). It's, T H E Y. Not even because of the ship, but because their relationship is just really cute, healthy, and just like wholesome my dude....BUT NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SHIPPING ASPECT SHALL WE?

wow, there's so much gay in these two, they could rid the world of heterosexuality with a doom impending glitter gay bomb lol. Seriously though, I knew everyone shipped them so I expected them to be extremely close and maybe have a little bit of not-straight implications. Shounen tends to have moments between its male characters that are very intimate and can be seen as romantic, regaurdless if that was the intention or not, but I didn't expect the implications to be THIS blatant. I feel like even the "dude-bros" had a hard time trying to keep it straight. From the very beginning they get along almost immediately and never really went through any real rivalry phase. Even when Reki avoided Langa and quit skating, it wasn't because of any bitter feelings towards Langa, but because he was getting insecure and felt like he couldn't stand to him. For most of the series, they continue to inspire each other throughout the series and become each others main motivations for waking up happy and just skating. One of the biggest examples is the scene where Reki races with ADAM and another being when Langa races with Kojiro. Even when Reki gets, dang-near molested and the race track and loses courage, it's Langa's words that reminded him of what he was fighting for and gets his head back in the game, even if he does end up losing. With Langa, it wasn't until he saw Reki's face and heard his voice from the crowd, did he start to feel passionate about winning the race, as his hearts not in skating, if he can do it with the person who got him into it (he really asked Reki if they could skate for infinity ah *cries*) (It kind of makes me wonder if the original manga writer wrote a bunch of BL before writing Sk8 and is stuck in this awkard phase were they are literally incapable of writing to male main characters who AREN'T into each other or if they are just going to make Reki and Langa a couple. I'm gonna guess it's the first one, because let's be real, when companies see that people ship a gay pairing, they WILL pander to the fraction that ships it shamelessly and then will never go through with it in the end. I'd be happy to be wrong here though.)

Aw yes, one more thing before I go. I like to think that these two scenes were meant to parallel each other:

uhhh Okay, so you can barely tell but these pictures are basically Reki, Langa, and Adam tangoing with each other on skateboards. I like to interpret as Langa being able to turn what has been seen to be spirit breaking for Reki into something positive, if only for a brief moment. A more intellectual queer could put the relationship between these 3 through a queer theory lens and say that they represent being in vs being out of the closet, a metphor for grooming, or perhaps even trying to reclaim your youth, but to be frank, my a** is not fat enough, nor is my brain big enough to be this person.

[ari-shipping-stuff]

Freezerburn Week 2020

Day Six - Heart Attack

———

it was fluff yesterday. but now, i'm back to angst. so.. uh.. warning.

the first thing that came to mind when i saw the prompt was the song, not the actual thing. and i don't have experience or study or even research time, to check around seeing how to write a realistic heart attack death scene.

so take this instead.

———

Everyone was tired.

Yang knew what she signed up for when she enrolled at Beacon and Signal, but this?

Being a fully certified huntress was just a while other level. Exciting. Invigorating. She loved it.

She stretched her arms above her head, a grin on her face. She was tired, alright, but nothing could get in the way of her being happy today. Especially with what happened at the mission. Since this morning, she just couldn't stop smiling.

Yang was relaxed in the shower's waiting room. Despite the weird stares she was getting from the students around her (since she didn't even remove her jacket or bring shower equipment). She wasn't even going to shower. But she was waiting for someone to go out, alright.

Weiss opened her stall on the far end. The student on Yang's left went to take her place after Weiss walked out.

Her hair wasn't tied yet, and still damp. But she was fully clothed for bed already, despite it only being 4pm.

Yang leaned forward, her elbow on her knee and her chin on her palm. Her eyes followed Weiss until she was out of sight. She didn't move for a minute, deciding to give Weiss a headstart of sorts so she wouldn't look creepy. But the minute ended soon, and she walked off to the dorm.

She thought back to the mission they had today. The grin reappeared, and she giggled just because it made her feel so.. Giddy.

Weiss Schnee herself. Literally falling into Yang's arms after her aura depleted. Bridal style and all. It felt so bizarre to Yang. Like in some fairytale. As if the gods came back to Remnant to help them get together.

A stupid thought, sure. It was. It definitely was. But Yang couldn't help but feel lucky by that occurrence.

In retrospect though, that was actually dangerous, and the first thing Yang actually did was shriek and panic and almost die while asking Weiss if she was okay.

But she digressed.

She'd caught a bit of a crush on her since their Beacon days. Long, long ago. She probably admired her as much as Jaune did. Even if she wouldn't tell anyone but Ruby.

Her confident posture, level-headedness, and adorably sharp spirit drew Yang to her. And Yang thought it was a nice contrast. Hot and cold.

But when she realized she fell in love with her, her world just.. Turned upside down. It was ridiculous, which was frequent with Yang apparently. They haven't seen each other in months at the time, and barely had any time for real conversations. Everyone was asleep, and they'd woken up early and shared a coffee.

"He didn't!"

Weiss rolled her eyes amusedly. "Yeah, he did."

Yang huffed, miffed that someone, what's more her own brother, would do Weiss so dirty like that. If she were there, that Whitley would certainly never see the light of day after dealing with Yang.

Before Yang could say anything else about the situation however, Weiss spoke up, her smile quivering.

"I guess you could say I was in a—" she raised her steaming mug of coffee— "hot situation?"

Yang's heart skipped eight beats at once.

'Oh gods, I think I love her??'

And she did. Up until now. And she took great pleasure in seeing team JNR drench the greasy little weasel in punch.

Now that he'd been publicly humiliated, there was only one thing Yang had left to do.

The timing wasn't perfect, given that Salem was still active. But in a situation like this, when was the best time to tell her? It was now or maybe never. And if she goes with the latter.. It just didn't sit well with her.

She had a chance. Even if it was small, it was there.

When she reached the dorm, she hesitated. This was it. Now or never. And she was not taking never.

Tugging on her jacket with one hand, she knocked twice.

"Who is it?" Weiss called out.

"Just me, Weiss."

"Come in."

Gulp.

Yang opened the door and checked around the room. She saw Ruby in the shower room, and she wasn't sure about Blake. But they were alone, which fueled her courage.

"You haven't showered yet." Weiss commented. She was sitting on the bed, running her fingers through her hair. Even just the little (very unrelated) gesture wanted to make Yang jump up and down and laugh.

"Nope," she inhaled, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I need to.. Tell you something first."

For a fraction of a second, a look of panic washed over Weiss's face. Yang barely noticed, but brushed it off as nothing.

"Well, what is it?"

Yang clenched her fist, her gaze falling to her boots. A subtle warmth spread across her cheeks.

"Weiss.." she chewed on her lower lip, hesitating again. Every word that came out was a strangled 'I.. I.. I..'. But she stomped her foot, growing frustrated with herself. "Ugh. I love you!"

Weiss's pale face was alight with pink forest fire. Yang took this as a sign to keep talking.

"I mean, you're just so.. Cool—" she grinned at that— "and confident. And I've thought of you like this since Beacon! Whenever I'm with you, my heart beats like crazy.. And I might as well be having a heart attack, really. But, I swear—"

"Yang. Stop."

Something had Yang's heart in its grip, crushing it slowly in iron claws. She held her breath.

"Yang, I can't accept this."

She wrapped her arms around herself. One of her fingers picked at a crevice in her mechanical arm. The breath she'd been holding now burned in her throat, spreading down to her lungs. She wanted to be numb. Anything but this.

Weiss covered her face. Though Yang didn't know, Weiss felt like crying just as much. But she gave no other indication of it.

"What in the world would make you think I liked you that way?"

The coldness in her voice made Yang want to take off and run. She recoiled, stepping back. Oh, how she wished she went with never.

"I.. I dunno. I just thought—"

"Thought what..?"

Yang opened her mouth to reply. But she didn't have one. Her shoulders sagged and her eyes dimmed. Hilarious is what she thought of her situation. Pathetic. There she was, thinking Weiss could ever like her that way. And why? Because she was a fool that focused on glances and blushes instead of real facts. Just how.. Childish was she?

She was like Icarus. Took the leap. Didn't think straight. Flew into the sun. Then promptly burst into flames.

Yang sighed.

"Thought nothing," she murmured dejectedly, turning to leave. "Just.. Forget I said anything then."

Weiss uncovered her face, silently watching her leave. With her blotchy red face and tears of regret running down her face.

Only now that it was too late, did she realize just how wrong her move was.

She was just like Neptune now.

———

hc: neptune was pretty much brushed off in canon. even though he and jaune had a bro moment and could've been great friends. and even though he and weiss talked about it, but never really became an item. but i like to think he had a silent, but lasting effect on weiss's perception of crushing

y'know, just so i had a situation to relate to

anyways, thank you for reading. and i saved the best piece for last, ofc

— ari

[theangrypokemaniac]

Ma and Pa James's Second Biggest Fan (we plough a lonely furrow) continues to find Ma Jess's appeal mystifying, since everything about her is negative:

1. Signing up for Team Rocket suggests someone of a morally dubious character to start with, but the truth lies in the clothing, and she's in black!

Black!

It's code for her personality:

• Jessie wears white:

Pure, beautiful, innocent, sweet-natured, not really bad, dealt a severe hand in life but a fighter.

• Cassidy wears black:

EVIL!!! EVIL, EVIL, EEEEEEVUL!!! FOUL SIRENIC TEMPTRESS!!! EVIL HEARTLESS BITCH STEALING JAMES'S NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN WEEPINBELL!!!

Speaking of which:

2. She was Madame Boss's best agent.

You don't get there being kind.

To reach that standing requires hundreds of successful heists, and we aren't talking nicking gold bars. It's living things.

How many Pokémon do you imagine she stole with merciless efficiency?

How many children did she set upon, pinching every animal they had?

How many innocent lives did she ruin by depriving kids of the pets they loved, never to see them again, eaten away with the not-knowing and the false hope?

The glory of her reign ran on the fuel of blood and tears.

What fate do you envision awaited those Pokémon? It's not exchanging one master for another, it's entering slavery.

Jessie and James aren't the epitome of Team Rocket. They are minnows on the outskirts, despised and mocked by most of their fellow members. The actual group isn't particularly famous for prioritizing Pokémon welfare.

The preferable outcome is being handed out to agents to help catch other victims. Otherwise it's transformation into a war machine, forced to fight on and on to the point of exhaustion and death, no doubt tortured and tested on to boot.

What happens if they don't come up to scratch or are pushed for years until too aged and broken to be of any use? Are Team Rocket ready to pension them off to animal sanctuary?

As if. It's euthanasia or on to the streets to waste away, if not fed to the strongest first.

Ma Jess knew this and worse occurred thanks to her, yet paid it no mind, and felt not a single twinge of guilt in that time of service, then met her end trying to draw another Pokémon into imprisonment.

Some might say it was a case of what goes around, comes around. As her behaviour led to God knows how many Pokémon dying alone, leaving their loved ones to wonder and grieve, so in turn did she die alone in the snow, and Jessie had to carry on without her.

I'm not against Ma Jess, I neither feel like or dislike, but I don't understand how so many fans can happily overlook her murky past of inflicting pain, instead elevating her to a semi-divine tragic heroine, yet apparently Ma and Pa's heinous offences of not stealing and treating Pokémon well are beyond forgiveness.

3. It's the Red Ribbon Army! Save yourselves!

Jessie joined Team Rocket to follow in Ma's footsteps. James went with her. Both moved (upwardly in scale, downwardly in morals) from Sunny Town's gang of petty thief kids to a complex Mafia organisation stretching its wriggling tentacles around the world to crush the air from its lungs.

Why? Ma Jess's baleful influence led the two down that path.

Of course Jessie wants to copy Ma, how and where else can she feel close to her?

There's not even a grave to visit!

Rising in the ranks and Giovanni's favour is both to strike it rich and take her place, becoming Ma in essence. That would make her proud, which is all Jessie ever wanted.

What alternative is there? Stay with Chopper and Tyra forever, ekeing an existence pickpocketing and shoplifting, until mortality comes calling sooner than is welcome, or get loaded quickly and retire early?

James theoretically could've gone home at this point, but when it came to which angry redhead he preferred to beat him up, he chose Jessie.

He was henceforth obliged to go whenever she led, even if it meant following the ghost of her mother into the jaws of evil.

They have an excuse, but what was Ma's for getting involved?

However much they boast and revel in their wickedness, the motto proves the couple still believe themselves on a noble quest, despite everything to the contrary, and why?

Jessie isn't about to accept that Ma Jess, whom she's probably idolized as one of few people to love her and a role model of how a woman should be, was nasty or unpleasant. If she was in Team Rocket, it must be good, whatever the outer appearance.

Except Jessie and James are bad at being bad. They are not master criminals. All their plans fail, rendering them poor and starving in consequence. The inner circle of Team Rocket will always be barred to them because they lack the inner darkness it requires.

The joke is they flourish in any other occupation, whether that be Salon Rocquet, reporters, or flogging merchandise and food at the League. If employed elsewhere they'd be better off, but they have to stay because Jessie can't let go, or bear the thought she might be a disappointment to her mother's name. A different career looks unworthy by comparison.

What, so Ma and Pa have got no son because of Ma Jess? They just wanted him to be a gentleman!

If she hadn't set such a terrible example to her daughter she might have an increased quality of life, but then had she done so Ma wouldn't be dead in the first place.

4. Can't pick 'em can she?

What was it that first attracted Ma to Windy Miller? Does she go for the rustic charm, or the promise of a lifetime's supply of bread to feed the abundance of babies planned?

Don't do it, Ma! He's an alky!

Some birds are like that you see. It's the maternal instinct gone haywire. They find a local reprobate and somehow decide he's really a damaged soul crying out for love, the scapegoat of a cruel society.

He's not evil, he's just misunderstood!

This is why you get nutters wanting to marry the Yorkshire Ripper: they put his 'mischief' down to bad women mistreating his gentle heart, but they of course are devoted to his happiness. They can change him.

You don't know him like I do!

In their fantasy, under the influence of a 'proper' woman he'll transform in to a flower-picking hippie, but not too much, they still like him to be dangerously 'manly' (keeps 'em on their toes), then they can feel smugly superior and more truly female than the 'lesser' breed who failed to tame his sexy pashuns.

And if there's one thing Windy has in abundance, it's raw animal magnetism.

Stop it, Ma! You can't help those who don't want helping!

She put up with the boozing, the flour dust and his somewhat limited communication skills, but what really let him down was the company he kept.

Ever after she would insist Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub led him astray. That's firemen for yer.

Cuthbert? That name's died out.

Sure enough, some point after Ma Jess was stuffed up the spout, old Windy legged it back to Camberwick Green, like the rascal he is, and not a sweet penny piece did she receive in maintenance, the bastard.

At least Ma James got pregnant by a man who stood by her.

She wasn't married to Windy Miller!

Oh, you mean they were living over the brush? I see.

It's all in your head!

Do it my way, and we have Pa Jess. Do it yours, and we're back to a cavernous emptiness. Unless you can supply a picture of the 'real' (pffft) Pa Jess, this is the best available.

Anyway, 'Jessie Miller' just sounds right.

Coincidence? I think not.

5. She went to look for Mew dressed like this.

I could forgive it had she gone in her normal uniform, that's just whimsy, but to have made some effort emphasises that it's not enough!

Some part of her understood a mountain might be a bit parky out, but this was deemed sufficient coverage!

What happened?

She bloody died didn't she?!

6. Ma Boss points the way to doom.

Ma Jess was at least loyal to the mistress she served, but it was a wasted dedication. She squandered her life obeying a heartless virago who could cast aside apparently valued staff without a qualm, whatever thanks she owed them.

The millions Ma Jess accumulated for Madame are probably uncountable, yet she was so worthless that, when dispatched to the mountain, on her own, expected to catch a Legendary Pokémon, by herself, which many doubted even existed, and wasn't likely to come quietly, or put up with orders, but then didn't come back, Madame Boss allowed her only child to sink into poverty and the infamous 'care' of the State.

Everyone knows what goes on there. Entering a home has replaced the workhouse as the place of dread.

Jessie might have been killed or attacked and it didn't remotely concern Madame Boss, unwilling to spare a meagre fraction of her massive fortune to give the girl she made an orphan any comfort or security.

What did she matter? Her mother failed. Why reward that?

In her turn, Jessie became just as obsequious to an undeserving master, who went further than his mama and actively tried to murder her, and still she suffers to please him.

Team Rocket devoured her mother, and now it's swallowed her.

Oh, and Madame Boss got her way upon discovering Mew's fossil, so Ma Jess died for nothing.

7. This.

I'm not surprised Mew wouldn't go with Ma. She probably sensed the vivisection awaiting, and didn't give a toss about the avalanche in revenge.

Mew hasn't got where she is today falling for any old shallow promises from a stranger, thank you.

Suppose the mission had worked, with Mew caught and gift wrapped for Madame's delectation: what then?

Perhaps Mew's power, proving so impressive, would've pushed any cloning scheme aside, leaving Mewtwo unborn and Mew as the mightiest weapon. Or in greed Madame Boss demands more, and in arrogance the scientists promise the earth, the seas and the heavens.

Mew I could see subjected to some non-lethal form of dissection, just to understand how she ticked, that is if they could build the cage to hold her.

As they couldn't, and catching Mew was never a possibility, then Ma Jess's sacrificed herself on a fool's errand, which was obviously one from the outset. If Mew was easy to handle she'd have been captured long before now.

Either Ma dies, Mew's safe, but Madame Boss starts the cloning scheme anyway, or Ma's victorious, Mew is a tool of Team Rocket and the scientists have more sample to experiment upon. Mewtwo is still made, alongside short-lived creations and dozens of unseen freakish abominations preceding.

Now Mewtwo isn't what you call at peace with himself, nor has he received a particularly wholesome experience. One could think Ma indirectly caused that. Her branch of the project may have fizzled to cinders but she still played her role.

What would her legacy have been but to help bring forth the being that wiped out mankind? Where's the future for Jessie when there isn't one?

It's not her fault, but she died in the name of cloning a biological disaster, the creation of synthetic life leading to the destruction of it all.

8. Let's have a gander at Ma in the anime:

• Can afford rent.

• Can afford a tray.

• Can afford crockery.

• Can afford condiments to add flavour to food.

• Can't afford any actual food.

Something's wrong there.

I intended to include affording clothes too, but now I'm not so sure.

I never took Ma to be a brown-all-over kind of woman. At least she gave the fancy stuff to Jessie.

For years I've assumed she wore a brightly coloured jacket, but now I suspect it's a red one heavily patched up, because buying a replacement isn't an option.

Really old clothes are being mended with whatever can be salvaged from even more worn-out clobber.

Best agent Madame Boss has and she's practically living in her own filth.

Team Rocket takes care of its own, eh?

Oh no, let's not get a proper job, one that allows me to provide for my daughter and doesn't ask for my life. Let's stay in this one!

9. Look at Jessie's face!

By her own admission, being tricked into eating snow is the best thing that ever happened to her during an 'otherwise wretched childhood', to the extent she doesn't know it was wrong!

I don't hear Ma and Pa doing that. The only ice James got was an ice-cream sandwich.

What kind of infancy did Ma Jess give the girl for her to be nostalgic about almost dying of malnutrition?

If we say that's a foster mother as in the sub, it means Jessie's fondest memory is after Ma died, which is too brutal for me.

Yeah, thank goodness she's snuffed it.

You think Ma might have taught her not to eat snow! She left her so ill-prepared!

Consequently the sub version makes Ma Jess an awful creature, although I don't see why that Jessie would so desire to mimic a mom she apparently doesn't care about.

10. She's not even bloody here!

I have no picture to signify absence, therefore I must show whom she left behind.

Ma Jess is Pokémon's answer to Bobba Fett: background figure, barely involved, no information, dies early, yet became a fan favourite nevertheless.

If nothing really exists, what is there to like? Why are you contented weaving smoke?

When Rocketshippers put forward the manga as proof, the Anti-Ships used to insist that it 'didn't count' for being set in a 'separate universe'.

If that still goes, and only the contents of the anime apply to the anime, well then it's bye-bye to Ma Jess and Madame Boss, because they aren't real either.

I sometimes think that's true. However traumatic, would Jessie not have acknowledged her mother by now otherwise?

We grasp the characters all had two parents in a nebulous fashion, although not being real people means they don't 'technically' need them, but Ma Jess is the only one who vanished to be granted a face. Why is she then ignored?

She's briefly glimpsed in a passing scene of a single episode of the first series and is never seen or referenced again. The sub doesn't even have that. Where was the use in creating her if only to leave that thread of the tale billowing in the breeze?

We may decide her actions affect Jessie's but we're only imprinting assumptions. She might as well have remained unwritten for all that's made of her.

What we can glean doesn't bode well, irrespective of things left unmentioned.

Her one redeeming deed was dying, thus at least she didn't choose to abandon Jessie. We may presume she'd have stayed with her girl given the chance.

By my reckoning that puts her as Fifth-Best Mother Of Pokémon, behind Ma Brock, Ma James, Dame Ketchum and Ma Boss, in that order.

Then they're those who claim she never died, so she just pissed off like everyone else, rendering her devoid of a single positive quality.

This is the woman you sigh and agonise over for decades.

Ma and Pa are right there, man! Show 'em some love!

[another-sonic-blog]

The Dark Prince: Epilogue: Not The Dark Prince

"Today is the first Independence anniversary for the Acorn Kingdom! Not too long ago, the Acorn Kingdom was under the commands of their tyrant King. Everyone expected the Rebellion leader Princess Sally Acorn to take over the throne. However, informants declare that a secret member of the Rebellion, whose face had not been revealed yet, has been picked by the people of the Acorn Kingdom to take over the throne. He goes by the name of-"

"Cream, stop watching that!", Amy turned off the TV of her leaving room.

"But they were going to reveal the name of the new King!" Cream said winning.

"You have been too obsessed with this new King, you don't even know his name nor his face...what's with this guy anyway?" Amy said as she looked at herself in the mirror, making sure that her hair looks decent for work.

"He is just so mysterious! The news is always talking about him and about the things he has done or the Acorn Kingdom...Weirdly enough, the Acorn Kingdom never let a single picture of him infiltrate...I wonder why?" Cream said thoughtfully.

"He is a secret Rebellion member, if his identity was revealed, then the Kingdom would probably go after his loved ones."

"Rouge?!"

Amy and Cream turned around to find Rouge drinking a cup of coffee. "What?"

"How long have you been there?"

"Half an hour", She said as she took a sip. "I used to be spy honey...I remember some old tricks."

"I forgot that just two years ago you used to work for G.U.N hehe... well at least you are doing good as a self-defense trainer." Cream said as she made room for her bat friend to sit with her on the sofa.

"And you are doing good as a Pre-K teacher yourself Cream.", Rouge took a seat next to her rabbit friend.

"I am really happy you are here Rouge but I am just leaving to work," Amy said as she opened the door, ready to leave.

"But we even haven't talked about the wedding yet!" Rouge said almost screaming as she saw Amy leave.

"We will talk about it as soon as I get back home!

And with that Amy left.

Rouge and Cream looked at each other, already knowing what they were going to do next.

They turned the TV and watched the breaking news.

The news reporter was shown quickly on the TV, still announcing the breaking news. "Who would have thought that the new King of the Acorn Kingdom will be no other than the re-owned worldwide superhero-"

Then, both Rouge and Cream yelled in unison...

"IT'S HIM!"

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It has been another busy day at Momo's Cafe, AKA Amy's cafe. Although she was thankful that her cafe had become more popular these days, she was still thankful that everything was working well.

She looked up at her phone, looking at it proudly, she was able to buy herself a smartphone. She received a text message from Sonic clearly saying: "Can't wait to see you!"

Amy smiled with the text, it has been two weeks since she last Sonic and she was super excited to him. She texted back: "I am cleaning up at the cafe, you can come if you want."

"Alright :)" He texted back.

She put her phone away and put on some music to start cleaning up. Her last employee left and since Amy was the owner, she made a thing that it must be her the first one to arrive and the last one to leave.

To leave

It has already been two years and still no signs of him. She really wonders if she is worth waiting for him this long. She wanted him to be there for the wedding, but it seems like she wasn't going to see him anytime soon.

Amy used a towel to clean the underpart of the cashier's table. As if she was under it, she heard the cafe's door open. Steps getting closer to her as they finally made a stop in front of the cashier, waiting to get service. Amy was having a bit of difficulty getting herself up from the underpart of the table, as she hit her head.

"Can I have a cup of black coffee?"

Amy heard a someone from the other side of the cashier say, as she stopped from touching her head, she quickly stood up to face her client.

"Sorry sir, we are closed-"

This must be a dream.

Amy must have hit her head too hard because the one standing right in front of her, asking her for a cup of black coffee was no other than Shadow the Hedgehog.

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This wasn't like in the books, where both protagonists end up kissing each other after a long time of not meeting.

Their feelings were never like that, and Shadow was aware of that. Before, Shadow would be worried about that fact. Now, it didn't matter, it was unique. It wasn't fictional....

their feelings were real.

And now they were here, alone, drinking coffee on the place where everything began. Quietly, their eyes crossed each other, not knowing where to star.

"So...how you have been?" Amy asked trying not to make eye contact. Shadow took a sip of his coffee before answering, keeping his cool.

"I've been alright"

That was it. Shadow couldn't get words out of his mouth. He really was trying to make any motion possible to show that he was happy to be here.

"What-um..what you?"

"What?"

"What about you?" Shadow finally was able to pronounce his words properly. He didn't know why he was getting so nervous for. It was just Amy, the girl who he had a crush on since forever, nothing to be worried about right?

"I've well since you left two years, I kept working on my cafe and now it's gotten more popular. Also that I've been busy planning a wedding." Amy said simply, still trying to fully realize that the Dark Prince was in front of her.

"Oh...A wedding?...things between you and Sonic must be pretty good then." Shadow sighed, what was he expecting? He clearly told Sonic to go after Amy, and for him to make her happy. It had been two years, so of course their relationship had developed. Of course Sonic would want to marry her, who wouldn't? At least Shadow would do it in a heartbeat.

So if he knew...why was there still a pain in his heart?

Oh, yes...because he had hoped that Amy would have waited for him. But he knew that it would be selfish of him to ask her to do so.

"Ummm, yes we are good but I am planning Rouge and Knuckles' wedding. They asked me to do it, so of course, I said yes. Don't get me wrong, I love planning but it can be stressing at times."

"Wait, so Sonic and you?"

"What about us?" Amy said a bit weird out by Shadow's question.

"You know..you both are...a thing?"

"No, we never dated. I couldn't bring myself to think about anyone else after what Sonic told me." Amy took a sip once again from her cup, already knowing where this was going.

"What did Sonic told you?"

Shadow was panicking. Sonic couldn't have told Amy about the letter...right?

"Mmm...where should I start?... I am not perfect, and I may have hurt you-"

"STOP!"

Shadow could feel his cheeks getting hotter by the second. He had never felt this flustered before. He hated himself as he realized that he had lost his cool.

"I am sorry...I won't talk about it again." Amy said smiling a bit, proud that she made Shadow get pink like that.

A few minutes passed again in silence as Shadow had gotten his composure back. "So...you waited for me? Although I told Sonic to be with you?"

"Sonic always put others before himself. He knew that you loved me so he stepped aside. He asked me if I was ok with it...you know...If I was ok with waiting..."

Amy sighed as she remembers the scene clearly from two years ago. Sonic showing her the letter Shadow had left. Reading Shadow's true feelings was what made Amy come up with an answer.

"And I said yes."

For a moment, Shadow couldn't' hear anything but his heartbeat. For a small fraction of a second, Shadow couldn't see anything but Amy. That 'Yes' stumble his ears again and again, almost like a melody.

It may be a simple word, but for him...it meant everything.

All of this time, he was scared that all previous feelings Amy had for him were gone. But now, seeing her eyes glow like that as if she was about to cry. Her lips trembling, and her body ready to jump into his arms.

"Are you still looking for an extra worker?" Shadow smiled, hoping that his words will resonate with her.

"Yes..." Amy took one second to stop her voice from cracking. " I can't promise you a good paycheck but...I promise you that I'll never fire you... Will the Dark Prince comply to these terms?"

Shadow couldn't wait to get Amy into his arms. After two long years of being part of the Rebellion and learning more about himself, he was ready to start living. Although he still had questions about love and how it should be treated, he knew that the only way to learn was to experience it.

And he wanted to experience everything with Amy. Their time was ending, the two lovers had no one to stop them from loving each other. It was the beginning of the end, but what a beautiful ending it was.

Sonic had finally arrived at Amy's Cafe but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt the beautiful moment the two were having. At last, his promise to Shadow had been fulfilled and there was nothing else to do but watch. He smiled out of happiness as he watched the two share a small kiss. He learned to watch from afar and appreciate the little things life brings him. He was truly happy for them both.

Shadow smiled and held hands with Amy. He closed his eyes and opened them slowly as to savor the moment, not wanting to let go, he sighed and answered her question...

"I am not the Dark Prince anymore...but if you want, call me the Dark King."

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The Dark Prince Epilogue: END

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Previous Chapter: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/185970145230/its-been-a-while-since-sonic-had-seen-shadow-he

The Dark Prince: Chapter Nine: A Confession

A/N: This story came out from a small idea, now it has become a complete story.

Personally, I think this is the best ShadAmy fan-fiction I've written. I want to thank everyone who has followed this story to the very end. Especially those who comment and inspired me to keep writing.

There's really not much to say, I will probably take a break from writing stories with multiple chapters. I'll like to get my ideas going by writing one-shot stories, so of course, if anyone has prompt ideas feel free to message me.

Thank you once again to everyone who read "The Dark Prince" I have loved writing this story and its sad to let it go.

But all things that start well, end well.

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[missyslittlepet]

Loki x Reader fic

**This fic contains endgame spoilers!**

(S/n) = sons name. (F/n) = First name.

Something like this might have already been done but it's just an idea that has been floating around my head since I saw the film.

((Summary - When Loki was killed you didn't know you were expecting. You are part of the group that goes to find Thanos.))

Your fingers slowly stroked your stomach. There was no bump yet but soon enough there would be. You looked out the window and held back your tears; there was no time for those now. You had a job to do.

You had found out shortly after the snap. Half of your allies had been turned to dust, Tony was who knows where and Thor was a mess. You had never seen him so full of anger. The news should have been joyous but after all that had been lost it only brought back memories you would rather forget.

You kept it to yourself for a few weeks. Carrying the pain that it brought you alone. Loki had died never knowing he was to be a father and that broke your heart. The knowledge of the baby brought horrible nightmares and you found yourself unable to shake the images of Loki thrashing around for air. His lifeless, blood shot eyes stared at you from the floor of the ship. You would wake up in cold sweats and find yourself unable to breathe. Just a small fraction of what he must have felt.

Thor found you one night crying on the bedroom floor. He had sat and cried with you when you finally told him you were pregnant. He held you close as the two of you mourned for the Asgardian trickster well into the early hours of the morning. Before he left Thor vowed to keep you and his nephew safe but you could see in his eyes that he didn't believe he could.

You and Thor were the first ones to volunteer when they found Thanos.

"Is this a good idea?" He had muttered quietly to you while the others readied themselves for the trip.

"I need to see him, Thor. If there is anyway we can get Loki back I have to be there." You sighed.

"What about the... you know... it isn't saf-" He kept his voice hushed knowing you didn't want others to know yet.

"I have to be there." You cut him off and walked towards the ship calmly.

Thor watched you leave. He had always known you were tough from the day he had met you. When he found out about you and Loki he couldn't stop grinning. He had teased his brother for weeks, loving how embarrassed and flustered he got when you were brought up. On a serious note, he knew you were good for his brother. You could talk him down, make him smile. Most importantly you loved him more than anyone else had. Thor could see it in the way you look at him. Complete adoration.

The trip to the Planet Thanos had retired to was quick. The jumps knocked you a little bit ill but you managed to keep yourself from throwing up.

Carol went ahead to scout the place out. You waited quietly for her to return. It seemed like hours before she approached the ship again.

"There's no security. No guards. He's alone." She said from outside the ship.

Everyone looked at each other with furrowed brows. This wasn't what you had expected.

"Then what are we waiting for?" You muttered.

The plan was fool proof. Attack him when he wasn't expecting it, remove the gauntlet and kill him if necessary. You were set to be one of the last people to join the struggle. You watched on as the others busted through his hut and waited for your signal. Soon enough you were called through along with Thor.

"Where are the stones?" Nat asked.

"Gone." Replied Thanos. "Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days ago!" Bruce's voice came from inside the Hulk Buster suit.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones and it nearly killed me. But, the work is done..." He locked eyes with you.

Thonos wasn't how you remembered him. He was burned badly, his hand was cut from his body but the emotions hit you all the same. The tears pricked your eyes.

"It always will be." And just like that all hope of getting Loki back was lost.

You knew he was talking to you in that moment. He remembered you from the ship. He remember how you had tried so hard to save Loki and the way you had screamed and sobbed over his dead body.

"Why?" You whispered as one tear slipped down your cheek. Everyone turned to look at you.

Thanos remained silent.

"You took everything from me." You said, dropping to your knees in front of him. "My people, my family... my husband..." Your voice broke.

He still refused to say anything.

"He didn't even know." You were crying now. "He was going to be a father. You killed him before he even found out. You destroyed my life. You've made it so my child will never know it's father. Why?"

Everyone stared at you, mouths wide in shock and sadness at what they had just discovered.

Thanos held your gaze.

"SAY SOMETHING!" You slapped him angrily across the face.

Thanos' eyes briefly looked at the floor before meeting yours once again.

"We've all lost people. You are no different."

You pressed your lips in a thin line and sniffed. You dried your tears and took a deep breath. Loki was gone. You stood once again and nodded at Thor. In an instant Thor's axe sliced clean through his neck and Thanos' head bounced across the floor.

Without another word you and Thor walked away from the hut.

*5 years later*

You watched as your son played with his toys on the floor. His messy black hair fell in front of his face and a cheeky smile tugged at his lips. He looked just like him. You always found yourself tearing up when you realised how alike they were. Everyone told you it would get easier, told you that the nightmares would stop. They were wrong. It never got easier.

A knocking at your door pulled you from your thoughts. Slowly you stood and walked towards your door. You opened it a crack and were met by Thor, Bruce and Rocket.

"(F/n), long time no see." Rocket said pushing past you. Thor followed behind the raccoon quietly. You could tell he had been drinking again.

"(F/n)." Bruce smiled warmly and pulled you into a hug. "How's (S/n)?"

"He's good. Come see him." You smiled.

You had heard Bruce had taken his hulk form. You were happy he had finally come to terms with the hulk part of himself.

Bruce and you walked towards the living room to join everyone. Thor and (S/n) were play wrestling while Rocket laughed. You chuckled a little at the sight and sat down next to Bruce.

"You've started getting powers, haven't you?" You smiled at your son. Thor looked over at you and grinned.

Thor was such a good uncle to him. He taught him how to play video games, told him funny story about the mischief his father used to create. (S/n) had always loved the one where his dad had pretended to be a snake. Without Thor's help you wouldn't have been able to cope.

"You will make a powerful God." Thor roared with a smile as he picked (s/n) up. "Your father would have been so proud." His face dropped slightly and so did yours.

"Anyway," You said to fill the silence. "What brings you all here? I doubt this is just a casual visit."

"We have an idea. To get the stones back and we would like your help." Bruce explained.

You were stunned. "They were destroyed. How?"

"Ever seen Back to the Future?" Rocket asked.

"No?" You said.

"Me neither, but I'm told it's about time travel and that's how we're going to do it."

"...time travel..." You sat back in your chair mulling over the information.

"It's going to be dangerous," Bruce nodded. "but we need all the people we can get."

Your son ran up to you in that moment and climbed up onto your lap. You hugged him close and kissed his raven hair.

"Dangerous how?" You asked.

"If things go wrong there's a chance you could get stuck in the past." Answered Rocket.

Your son looked up at you and smiled, his eyes lighting up just like his dads used to.

"...I... can't." You finally sighed. "I need to think about (S/n). Without me and Thor he has no family. I love Loki with all of my heart and if there is any other way I can help I will, but I can't risk getting stuck. I'm so sorry." You had tears in your eyes again. Your son hugged you tightly. He hated seeing his mother cry.

Bruce placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. "It was stupid of us to ask, we're sorry. Of course we'll find you something to help us with. (F/n) if there is any way we can bring your husband back we will."

"Thank you. Thank you so much." You cried.

You left (S/n) with Valkyrie while you travelled with Thor, Bruce and Rocket to the lab; promising him you would be back soon. You prayed that you could help them get the stones. So many people had lost so much and if there was anyway or fixing it you were damn sure you were going to try. The small flicker of hope was refreshing but you knew you had to prepare for the worst. You took a deep breath and watched as New Asgard faided into the distance.

[kunt-dracula]

Everybody Loves A Clown

Supernatural Rewrite.

OC, Sam, Dean

TW: Cursing...that's about it.🤣

I pull my leather jacket on as I bound down the staircase, denѕe boots thumping against the old wood. I call out to Sam—repeating his name when I receive no response. He must be out in the yard with his brother.

I make my way into the kitchen upon hearing clinking plates.

"Sam outside?"

Bobby doesn't look up from his aggressive scrubbing of a cast iron pan. "Nope. He and Dean left."

I raise my brows. Hm. Guess they caught wind of another case. Hey, if it means I don't have to drag them along with me on mine, I'm not complaining at all.

Without asking any further questions, I hoist my backpack further on my shoulder "Well, guess I'll see Ellen and Jo by myself."

"And while you're there tell those boys that the next time they eat here they gotta wash the dishes. At least then they wouldn't be completely freeloading."

I twist my body back to Bobby. "I thought you said they left?"

Bobby shuts off the faucet. "They did leave. They went to the Roadhouse."

"What!? Dammit, I told them to wait!"

Instantly becoming angry I spin on my heels and rush to the door, swinging it open. I hear Bobby yell something behind me, but I can't hear him over my feet stomping against the gravel in addition to my heavy breathing.

I yank the other strap of my backpack on the other arm, securing it. Since the case was in-state, I decided on riding my bike.

I throw my leg over the pillion of my 2005 Triumph Rocket III and drop my weight onto it. Keeping it up is pricey; hell the bike itself is expensive, but I managed to do both for free.

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How I got this piece was I took it from the leader of this werewolf biker gang. After I killed him and a few of his goons, I looted them for some things. They were too nice to go to waste. The dead gang members didn't have much honestly. There were three of them—with the exception of the leader— and I only got a little less than three hundred bucks. But the leader...oh man, a holy grail.

I couldn't boost the fairly nice house from him. But not only did I get this motorcycle off him, but I also got this badass 2005 Dodge Ram 1500—as well as some nice jewelry. I could tell it wasn't his, so I instantly concluded that he had done some stealing himself. Not being aware of who the owner was I pawned the jewelry off under a false alias and got a few stacks for it.

Shoving my right foot against the kick-start lever—undoubtedly using more than likely with more force than necessary—the bike roars to life. Fairly new motor purring loudly, vibrating vigorously between my thighs.

I snatch my helmet off the front of the bike—almost forgetting to put it on—pushing my head into it. I kick up the kickstand with the heel of my boot, and peel through the yard, leaving a trailing cloud of dust behind me.

*12 MINUTES LATER*

Upon turning into the parking lot, I spot the beat-up, poorly maintained minivan I gave Sam the keys to earlier this morning. It was the only functioning car Bobby had. It was bad off, but I had fixed it up to where it'd get you where you needed to be.

Haphazardly parking my bike, I shut off the engine and remove my helmet—hanging it from the right handle. 

The wood groans under my weight as I ascend the few steps to the paint chipped door. I push it open, only a fraction surprised at what I see.

Jo was holding a rifle on Dean, who was holding his nose, and Ellen had a handgun pointed at Sam.

"See this is why I told you to wait." I couldn't help but sound 'matter-of-fact.' Hell I told them, but they didn't listen, and I knew how Ellen and Jo were with strangers showing up unannounced.

Four pairs of eyes instantly snap to me. "Hi Ellen," I nod "Jo."

"Hey sweetie, don't mind us, just some guys wandered in, looking to score probably." Ellen narrows her eyes at Sam who was looking back and forth between the 9mm pointed at his face and me, a pleading look in his eyes.

I shrug my bag off, setting it on the table. "They didn't come to steal. I know them. They're Sam and Dean, or dumb and dumber—which is quickly becoming a good replacement."

"Sam and Dean? Winchester?" Her face softens. I nod, confirming.

"Son of a bitch." She mutters.

"Mom, you know these guys?" Jo asks.

"Yeah, I think these are John Winchester's boys." She lets out a laugh, lowering the gun. Jo slowly does the same. "Hey, I'm Ellen. This is my daughter Jo." She gives Dean a smile.

"You're not gonna hit me again, are you?" Dean questions, nasally. She fills a hand towel with ice and offers it to Dean, without saying a word.

"Bobby called said you had a case for me. You needed help with something?"

"Yeah," she leans an elbow against the bar. "Demon. Heard he was closing in on it."

"He? He who?"

"John Winchester. I actually called you when he didn't return my calls."

"Ah. I see." Aware of where she kept files, I rounded the bar and slid the file cabinet drawer open. Flicking through the row of folders until I found what I needed. I open the Manila folder and frown. A lot of the writing from these newspaper articles are small. And I don't have my reading glasses. My vision is really good when pin pointing objects or when something's out of place but if it's words? Sometimes I catch hell. Glancing over at the drying rack an idea pops into my mind, and I lift a small shot glass from the rack.

"What, was there an article in the Demon Hunters Quarterly that I missed? I mean, who are you? How do you know about all this?" Dean demanded.

I slam the drawer closed with my hip. "The same way you do, genius. She's not new to the world of hunters." I circle my way back from behind the bar. I'm rewarded a dirty look from the man.

"I just run a saloon. But hunters have been known to pass through now and again. Including your dad, a long time ago. John was like family once." Her lips curl up into a small smile as she reminisces.

"Oh yeah? How come he never mentioned you before?" Dean questioned, skeptical. Ellen's response was a mere shrug. "So why exactly do we need your help?"

"What's with mister moody over there?" I glance up from the open folder in my hand to see Jo slinking to stand next to me. She mirrors my position of leaning back against the hard wood of the bar.

"Their dad got off'd by a demon a few days ago," I whisper back, my eyes falling back on the newspaper article. "I'm not sure they know it was a demon though. Dude reeked of sulfur, but I'm pretty sure I was the only one that could smell it." I run the glass, rim-down across the page, the words becoming magnified.

"Have you told them about your 'abilities'?"

"Hell no! I barely know them. The only reason I'm around them is that Bobby wants me to. The old geezer's suddenly scared something's gonna happen to me."

"Well, you are like his daughter Essie." God, I hated when she called me that. "From what you've told me, he doesn't have anyone except you." I huff. I'm getting lectures left and right.

"Ash!" Me and Jo can't help but jump at Ellen's abrupt shout. Ash, who was asleep on the pool table jerks up with a start. Honestly, I'm not surprised I didn't notice him before. I've been coming here for years, and I'm so accustomed to seeing him drunkenly sprawled out, I just consider him furniture. "What? It closing time?" He grumbles, looking around in a daze.

"That's Ash?" Sam questions in disbelief.

"Yep." I walk past him, plucking the thick folder from its spot on the table in front of him before he has time to react.

"He's a genius." Jo smiles, pushing off the bar and walking behind it. I snicker.

"No," I grab the glass of water from the bar and saunter over to where he was. "These guys and I need your help with some info." I slide the water to him, and he looks up at me, his lips spread in a lazy smile. Here it comes.

"Well for you I'll help any way I can, Darlin'." As always, his eyes almost instantaneously fall to my breast. He goes to lean an elbow on the table but, misses and begins to fall until I grab his forearm--steadying him. "See I'm fallin' for you." I can't help but break into a smile at his cheesy flirting.

"Stop flirtin' with Essence and read the damn notes." Ellen scolds, but it's obvious she's amused as well.

"You've gotta be kidding me, this guy's no genius. He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie." Dean states.

Ash smiled. "I like you."

"Don't doubt him." I did the same when I first met him, and he shocked the hell outta me. "Just give him a chance." I add.

"Alright. This is about a year's worth of our dad's work, so uh, let's see what you make of it." Dean watches as Ash opens the folder and skims through it.

"Come on, this crap ain't real. There ain't nobody that can track a demon like this." Ash scoffs.

"Apparently so, their dad seemed to be able to do it." I shrug.

"There are non-parametric, statistical overviews, prospects, and correlations, I mean, damn!" He wheezes.

"These are omens." A piece of paper catches my eye, I drag my fingers across the lines.

"Basically if you can track these, you won't have much of a problem tracking the demon behind it." I glance up at the boys to see a mixture of both impressed and confused expressions. 

"Yeah." Ash nods in agreement. "You know like, crop failures, electrical storms...You ever been struck by lightning? It ain't fun." he trails off, picking up another sheet.

"Can you track it or not?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, with this, I think so. But it's gonna take time, uh, give me," he ponders briefly. "Fifty-one hours." He stands to leave.

"Hey, man?" Dean stops him.

"Yeah." He turns to face us again.

"I, uh, dig the haircut."

"All business up front, party in the back." I chuckle as he flips his hair and shrugs before leaving the room.

"Hey, Ellen, what's that?" Ellen looks back at the space behind her before looking back at Sam.

"Well, that's Essie's police scanner she left here a year ago and never took it back." I scrunch my face.

"Hey now, first of all, I left it because I got a new one. Secondly, I left it so you could be more aware of what's going on and keep tabs on things."

With Ellen's folder still in my hand, I move over to the bar and slide on the stool next to Sam. "Hey, look at this, " I open the folder and place the first few pages of the article between us. I could see that in big red marker it had written on it:

COUPLE MURDERED

CHILD LEFT ALIVE

MEDFORD, WISC.

"Read over this again. I already did but, I don't have my reading glasses, so my vision is fucked up when It comes to words. You might see something I missed." He nods and grabs the sheets.

I fixate myself with something I have no problem seeing clearly. Photos of the victims, their information, etc.

The bar was all-around quiet. Except for Dean and Jo who were having an indistinct conversation on the farther side of the room, next to the windows.

"So uh," Sam starts. "How have you been. Its been what... five or six years since we last saw each other?" He asks with humor.

"Seven actually," I respond dryly, not lifting my eyes from the photos. "We were freshmen." I flip one and move to the next. "As for me, I've been fine. Grown accustomed to being alone." I murmur adding a shrug, more than likely to keep from visibly cringing at the statement I had unintentionally let slip from my lips. I could hope he hadn't heard me, but I already know he has by the way he's looking at me. Although I've still failed to make eye contact with the guy I can still feel his eyes staring at the side of my face.

"Dean," I call him over, not quite because I wanted too but, I needed to change the subject before it progressed any further. "Come take a look at this." At this statement, Sam leans closer to me, and Dean stands next to me, leaning his body against the bar. I frown at the uncomfortable closeness. "Too fucking close." I shake my head. They both mumble a 'sorry' and put some distance between them and me.

I roll my eyes. "A few murders not far from here Ellen caught wind of. And with my expertise, this damn sure looks like a hunt."

"Since when are you an 'expert' in hunting?" I turn my head towards the eldest and shoot him a harsh glare, before shifting my expression into one of smugness. "Since I saved your tight ass—not once but twice since we met less than a month ago." I slide off the stool and brush past him to the table I left my bag on, but not before gauging the look on his face. I can tell Dean's taken aback by my response at the way his brows furrow deeply. He clears his throat, crossing his arms. "So what's your point?"

"My point, Sweetcheeks, is that we're taking the case." I stuff the folder in my bag and pull out my Mossberg 500 12 Gauge Shotgun. Although I had intended on riding my bike to—what I thought was a nearby town in South Dakota but is actually a town in Wisconsin, I should go and swap out for my truck. Another good reason is the center of what's going on isn't really familiar to me at first mention, so who knows what and how many of it am I going to need to take it out.

"No, absolutely not." He protests. "You're not tagging along with us. Give me the folder." With my instincts, I hear his heavy feet approach me, and I turn, gun in hand. I grip the pump and flick my wrist harshly, gun clicking as it cocks. He immediately stops in his tracks.

"You really wanna try taking it from me?" I tilt my head. He's highly annoyed but shakes his head regardless. "Smart boy." I smile and the bag over my shoulder, shotgun still in my right clutch.

"Now come on," I pat his stubbled face with my hand and walk past him yet again. "Got a lot of work to do."

[wjforever]

Shatter me again. Chapter 66

Window.

I rush to the side, away from Warner. I need this to keep my sanity, so as not to fall for his tricks.

My hands grab the duffel bags stowed away in the armoire. We have two bags. I packed one. I've been preparing for an escape for a long time. I took only the essentials with me. Some clothes. The matches I found. Some fruit that I was given for breakfast. I've been updating the supplies from time to time. I wanted to be ready at any moment. And I really wanted to take the books with me, but I didn't do it and I won't do it. I will not take what he gave me unless there is an urgent need for it. I don't need anything from him.

When Adam brought me a bag and told me to pack my things, I hardly knew what to take with me. I don't really know what we might need. I don't understand at all where we are going to run, and what we are going to do next. But I didn't ask Adam, and he didn't tell me himself. He just brought his packed bag one day and hid it in my closet. Every day I prayed that people who come to clean up wouldn't notice these bags under a pile of clothes.

"He won't help us." I say and walk over to the window while Adam is looking at me. "So…"

"What? A window? Do you want to get out through a window?" Adam doesn't even try to hide his surprise.

"Why not?"

"But we're fifteen stories up"

Adam doesn't believe in this idea. He's not as crazy as I am right now. And I don't care.

"We will succeed. Do you remember what you told me, what you dreamed about?"

Warner's voice breaks into our conversation, cuts my soul into two halves. "Please don't tell me he's filled your head with romantic notions. Please don't tell me you fell for his false proclamations."

Another punch to Warner's stomach from Adam. This time with a fist. And I remember how I myself was lying on the floor at his feet. I remember how he demanded the soldiers to stop, how he forbade them to beat me, how he stroked my head like I was a dog. He did it when he was around, when his soldiers were next to him. Too arrogant. He just wanted me to believe him, to buy into his deceptions and assurances, to start trusting him. To make me understand that he has the power. He showed me ostentatious generosity. But I was never hit while I was at headquarters. I suffered, it's true, but no one beat me. On the contrary, I received consolation. And yet I'm not asking Adam to stop.

"If you've decided not to help us, at least stay quiet," Adam says angrily through gritted teeth.

For my part, I prefer to pretend that Warner is not in this room at all. This makes it easier for me to deal with all this.

"Adam, what other choice do we have if he won’t cooperate? There is no alarm. We've wasted too much time already."

"You're right."Adam looks at his watch. "We have very little time."

"So what do we do?"

He runs his hand through his hair, bites down on his bottom lip.

"Okay. Maybe you're right. We need to try. I have a rope. Not long enough to get to the ground. But I could jump off first and then catch you."

"Do you want her to fall to her death or get hurt?" Warner asks in a deadly voice.

Adam ignores him.

"Okay, let's try." I answer Adam.

"As soon as we break the window, a million alarms will immediately go off. Every fractions of seconds will count. But still, most of the staff is not in their place. They will need to understand exactly where the signal came from, to mobilize forces. With a limited people, it will take them a little longer, which gives us a slight advantage. But… we might not make it in time. And if we break our legs, we won't be able to run…

"I'm ready to try." I speak firmly and confidently.

"Juliette, if something happens, if something goes wrong, I want you to know. I love you."

Adam's eyes are serious, persistent. I nod at him, and then involuntarily glance in Warner's direction.

"You love her?" He shakes his head. Looks up somewhere, in disbelief. It's like he's a sophisticated critic watching some kind of mediocre performance. "This is just insane…"

Adam rushes to the bag, pulls out a coil of cord attached to a small clawlike anchor. I couldn't even imagine that Adam put something like that in his bag. Were we supposed to pack something like this? Well, Warner, for some reason, filled my closet not with climbing equipment, but with useless dresses and shoes.

"She won't be able to hold on to the rope!" Warner's loud voice cuts through the air again. "Her muscles are too weak after eight months of imprisonment. Are you crazy? If she falls, she'll for crissake die!" 

Warner wriggles in his plastic shackles, trying to free himself.

Fear shoots through me. Because I know that Warner is right. I'm not sure I can get down. I'm not even sure I'll be able to hold on to the rope at all. Moreover, I'm sure I won't. I have never did sports at school, so as not to accidentally touch other children. For almost a year I hardly moved at all. Even a simple walk around this building was difficult for me. I have no strength. And I've never rappelled down.

"It'll be all right, you'll make it." Adam calmly tells me with a semblance of a smile on his face.

"Words of encouragement won't make her muscles stronger!" Warner breaks in again.

"Yes, let's do it! Go, I'll follow you." I tell Adam, trying to sound as confident as possible. Trying to pretend I'm not terrified.

"Damn it…" Warner mutters to himself. He falls on his stomach, crawls, squirms, screams. He looks like a madman, frightening, intimidating. "Juliette, no, what are you doing, no, Juliette!"

We go to the window. Step by step. Like to the scaffold.

Adam shoots Warner a furious look full of contempt. But I know that Warner is right. It's painful, but true. I won’t survive this descent.

"Are you sure?" Adam asks, stopping at the window and turning to me.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure." I nod, even though I'm not sure at all.

Adam takes another look at Warner. 

"What are we going to do with him?" I raise my eyes to Adam, not quite understanding the gist of the question. And he clarifies. "Shall we kill him?"

"What?" Panic grips me. I don't want anyone to die. I don't want to be the cause of someone's death. Even if it's Warner. "No. No, let him be. We don't have much time, come on, we have to go."

Adam nods and doesn't even try to argue. And I'm glad of it.

He fastens the rope in the room, makes sure that he's got it firmly in place, wraps his fist in the bedsheet. Both of our bags end up on his back. He makes sure he's fully prepared, then looks at me.   "Ready?"

Once I nod, he breaks through the glass with one solid punch and at the same moment the sound of alarm is heard again. The room is rumbling under my feet. But I don't hear footsteps. They haven't come back yet, I understand. No one expects an alarm during a drill, no one is ready.

Adam acts quickly, he throws the end of the cord through the window, and without saying a word disappears from sight. We don't have time for words.

Now it's my turn. Adam makes it all look so simple. But I'm not deluding myself. I know it's not. Because I'm not a trained soldier, but a weak girl.

"You're going to die! No, please! You're going to die, Juliette!" Warner's heart-rending voice reaches me as he tries to shout over the siren.

I hear him almost crying. And that really scares me. I'm already thinking about staying, but it's too late. I can't turn back. It's better to fall to my death. But this desperate cry of a wounded animal deafens me more than the alarm.

"Pull out the rope!" He shouts. "Pull out the rope and put it on your shoulder."

I freeze in place and look at Warner.

"Please..." His voice suddenly softens a little, there is more pleading appears. "Do what I tell you. I'm begging you…"

I won't listen to him, I won't listen to him. He's playing for time. He's just playing for time. But the desperation in his voice, in his eyes, makes me listen. He's asking for my attention. 

And I give it to him.

"What?" I ask and approach him.

While I'm listening to him, Adam could already be caught, killed. But I'm standing here and listening to Warner.

"Pull out the rope."

"I don't have time for this."

He's already pulled himself together, realizing that I'm ready to listen to him. He speaks quickly, collectedly, clearly, as if commanding his soldiers, but still out of breath. Gives the instruction I need so much right now.

"I've sent the standby team away too. So you have some time. Pull out part of the rope. Pass it between the legs in front, wrap it around the right thigh, and then lift over the chest behind the left shoulder and lower over the back in the right hand. Hold the part that will be in front with your left hand. To stop the descent clamp the rope with your right hand. The rope will be cutting your hip and shoulder badly. Wrap something around yourself and put on my gloves so as not to rip the skin off. Descend pushing off the wall, without bending your legs. Just straighten them out." His words are a legible tongue twister that I'm trying to memorize.

I shouldn't believe him, he's just playing for time. But I do. I walk past him and grab his gloves that Adam thrown and some long clothe lying on the floor. I do not know what it is, I don't care.

But when I go back, Warner suddenly tries to grab my leg. I don't understand how this is possible. His hands were tied, but obviously not anymore. He somehow freed himself. Of course, it was all just a trick.

His failed attempt nearly trips me but I manage to stumble my way ahead. I glance back at the door and feel my heart racing through my bones. But I still don't hear footsteps.

"Juliette, please…"

I don't listen to him, and he makes a jerk, rushes forward and touches my leg. I gasp so loudly that I can almost hear it over the sirens destroying my eardrums. I won't look at him. I won't look at him. I won't look at him.

And yet, I'm very scared. That's why I listen to him. I'm doing as he said. I rush to the window and see Adam. He shouts, begs to hurry up, asks what happened, what's wrong. Everything is like in slow motion. Hundreds of events occur in one second. I pull out part of the rope and Adam yells over to me, asks what I'm doing. But I don't answer. I'm doing what Warner said. I put on gloves. They are big for me, so they slide easily and quickly on my hands. I wrap myself in a cloth, and then the rope, hoping that the dress and extra fabric will help at least a little protect my body and hands.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Warner trying to get to me. But Adam hit him hard several times, his legs are still tied, and he has to overcome the obstacles that I've scattered in his path.

His eyes are two shots of green punched through a pane of glasss. Cutting through me.

I take a deep breath, sit on the windowsill, swing my legs over and hope I won't die.

"Juliette!"

I disappear from his sight.

I take a deep breath and slowly begin my descent.

I take another deep breath and hope Warner doesn't realize what just happened.

I hope he doesn't know he just touched the bare skin of my leg.

And nothing happened.

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