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blindrapture · 2 months

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TUESDAY JULY 12TH, 2011 (Grimaldi's Mad Language)

1:30 AM Donnie wants to stop for sleep. Personally, I want to keep driving, so I suggested she try to get some sleep in the car. I think she meant for us to both rest in bed together, but. I just have to keep driving.

1:54 AM That road sign said Oak Ridge, TN. I realize that, aside from ‘north,’ I’m really not all that sure where I’m going. It was foolish of me, but at least it seems to be sending us through Tennessee. That's progress of a kind.

2:03 AM Car needs gas. Maybe I need a new map too.

2:10 AM Found a little gas station. Lights still on and everything!

2:12 AM Now how the hell do you refill a gas tank. You just plug it in, right?

2:16 AM Yeah, nothing’s happening. Okay, what might be wrong. Let’s see.

2:17 AM Yeah, no, it’s plugged in and everything. The lights at the gas station are on. ..oh, but the pump isn’t on. Duh. Right, how do you turn a pump on?

2:18 AM I was kinda half-expecting there to be some “ON” switch on it. But no. Okay, uh… maybe it’s inside the actual station?

2:20 AM Hello? Why’d I say that, nobody’s in here HELLO PERSON WHO MUST BE CORRELATED WITH MURPHY’S LAW Please put that gun down! I’m only passing through! I’m human! Yes, gun, down, please! I only have a guitar controller on me! Thank you. Hello.

2:35 AM The woman’s name was Maria. She’s seen her entire family and everyone she’s ever known dragged out of their beds, and she was surprised to find another human out here. After talking for a while, I figured out that the thing that took her loved ones was the Masked Massacrer. ..well, a Masked Massacrer. There seem to be multiple of the things, after all. So I told her about the two I’ve encountered. I promised her that these things are killable. I told her, in the end, everything will be okay. Rapture won’t come. ..not on my watch. So she asked me who I was. I said “I’m the one who’s gonna save the fucking world.” Then I grabbed a sausage roll and walked out of there. It would have been really badass had I turned the gas pump on before I left. Had to go back in and ask how to turn it on.

2:40 AM Okay, we’re back on the road. Map says I’m close to Kentucky, just gotta stay on the I-75. Gotcha.

3:32 AM …oh god I almost fell asleep at the wheel. That would be a sucky way to die in the middle of the apocalypse. Fuck it, I’m pulling over at the next town.

3:41 AM Newcomb. Map says I’m juuust south of the Kentucky border. Good enough for me.

3:43 AM I don’t want to tell Donnie to get up just to go to some sleazy motel to go to sleep again. But I don’t want to leave her in here, sleeping alone. …I’ll sleep in here with her. :3

1:29 PM ..woke up and Donnie’s gone. o___o;; Calm down, Jordan. She’s probably just taking a walk or looking for a bathroom or something. Right?

1:44 PM ..okay, I’ll.. take a little walk, myself. Not looking for her or anything. She’s not missing. I need to stretch my legs. Check out Newcomb.

1:50 PM This place is as “Typical American quiet town” as it gets. This town’s, like.. one long street with the occasional neighborhood off the side. The buildings are plain and built for the summer, and if I had to be blunt about it, this looks like the kind of town I’d expect to read about in a Stephen King novel. The protagonist would drive in, meet the people, and then be quietly killed. …probably not what I want to think about in these circumstances.

2:02 PM Donnie? Shit, what are you doing in this totally abandoned buildingwith those suited men hiding behind you deep inside this rabbit hole? a voice speaks to me...

2:0000008 PM 85 minutes later I just don’t understand. "An abusive son denying the damage he has caused to all he has loved." Now wait a minute, man! "Be afraid. You get what you deserve." But I don’t, I can’t. That’s not fair to say. "We musicians have to look out for each other." "The stream of thought lies in you still." "Or is it a deluge?" But I’ve moved on. "Put the stream to sleep." What are you trying to prove? "You are always a living contradiction of all you love." I’m my own person. "Take a trip."

2304:$0229 PM And then she snatched my neck with both hands and would not let go. "The mirror would not meet your eyes for a week." The only person who didn’t hate me

29330404jf593red49ed4d: 49e023ed-c t44ewd PM Please leave me be. "How much would you give?" I’d.. I’d throw myself into Rapture. "How much would you give to be loved?" I'd give myself to the Rapture. "If only that would solve our problems..." "Heh.""If only..."

234405983113444:4444444444444444444 PM Just make it quick. Kill me. Do something. "Kill you?" "So you can enjoy the feel of the wind on your grey matter under your skull?" "Feel the cold air..." "From musician to musician, are we really the enemy you despise?" "Are we really the target of your vocal artillery?" "The warfare is with the cause." "The correlation of fear begins with the red, free of mind." "And the correlation of gods belongs with the blue, free of heart." Please, just. What do you want? "You are on your hands and knees just from some words." "And some senses in your brain." You're not making sense… "You talk to us of sense? You do not know of sense." "After all, tell us your story. Tell it to the world. Tell it to every survivor who happens upon this journal years after your bones are dust." "Or tell it to those watching from beyond the topographic ocean, screaming at you from behind their glass windows. Tell it to them. Scream your music to the nomads of abstract reality." "It is all you do. You tell your story, you are going to tell your story, you are going to turn your experiences into a story. Where is the sense in that?" "We have been to corners of reality alien to those alien to you. We have served the ancients and created the future. We have found what is consistent, what is true. We know that will, and only will, is reality. Vibration is truth. Heat, movement, vision, electricity, mass, sound is vibration. It is not the contents of your speech, but that you speak, which manifests reality. What use is semantic but as a game of winners and losers? What is this preoccupation of yours with story?" "I wonder..." "We wonder!" "I do wonder…" "We, we are one. You and us. We are the musicians, you included, Rael." "It's something about character…" "..yes, Seppo. Character. Character is the flaw that his preoccupation with story brings. His character is laid bare, readable, exploitable." "It's something about…" "Seppo." "Right. Character is exploitable. Character is.. manipulable. Character is... writable." "You cannot outrun character. You cannot outrun its beating, slamming, hurting." "Romans in the coliseum." "Free admission to the greatest show known to man, to beast, to god." "To god and beyond." "To god and beyond!" "Muse of hatred shouts, free of the mountains, indeed." It never stops. "It never stops." "We never stop." "And you never stop, because you did not start. We started you, in a big bang of noise." "Do you want to see?"

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9:29 PM Donnie is shaking me. We're in the car. Still in the car. What did I do this time? She’s trying to wake me up. Of course, I was sleeping on the fucking job. I’m sorry, Donnie. No, it’s okay, it’s really my fault. I’m sorry. I’ll do better this time. I’ll get us out of here. Where were we going? Kentucky? Right.

11:49 PM Language of the mad.

(Attached: "Their existence as a pair had to be discovered. Before, they were given singular names, such as Ptah, Phanes, Seppo Ilmarinen, and Shamash, though now the two have each claimed these names. One is Ptah and the other is Phanes. One is Seppo and the other is Shamash. These are all, of course, names of gods. The rise in parlance and rumor of a 'Grimaldi,' now seen as a mere supernatural being, is flaky to trace, but this will have been where the pair got their current attire. And, of course, only one of the two is actually Grimaldi. I went to the birth of the Earth once, me and the Devil. I told that story already. Well, later I went further and witnessed the Big Bang. It was not an event like the birth of a King. The Big Bang happened to each and every one of us, and each and every one of us happened to the Big Bang. It's still happening right now, as you read these words. You are the echoes of that progenitive scalar, that constant creative fire expanding as space. Grimaldi was the one who spoke that scalar. I saw, with my unseeing eyes. He wasn't even a 'he' then, he had not settled on a universal form, he was the closest a Musician has come to standing outside the Totality of existence. There was just this.. decision. For time to proceed forward, in the positive direction on the W axis. And only forward, only towards that pole idealized as 'entropy.' But of course, entropy is an illusion, a lie-to-children, as you will see eventually. All that matters to my note here, all that matters to the log you just read, is that there was a force drifting between universes, scouting out a new refuge on the run from the Origin, whose very presence triggered the entropic march of time that we call Our Universe. And his name, as he settled into his new clothes of Mass and adjusted to the language of Cause-And-Effect, well, his name was Ericapeus long before he was Grimaldi. His story is not mine to observe. Heisenberg proved that. Grimaldi does not like to exist. He likes to not exist, but an equal and opposing force keeps bringing him back, and we call that force Ptah but he calls himself Seppo Ilmarinen. Following?")

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#ogtrib #oh god the rapture is burning #ogtrib act 2

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phoenixyfriend · 3 years

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Fake Sith TCW Trio

I have another fucked up time-travel AU! Who’s surprised? (Nobody.)

So like. Have you guys read that one fic where Luke and his students go back in time and pretend to be Sith Lords and are super hammy about it? (Sith Lord Swell by AMournfulHowlInTheNight)

This AU has contributions by @atagotiak, @the-lunar-system, @purronronner, @gelpenss, @creepingthroughthistidalwave, and @thisarenotarealblog.

I want TCW trio (plus Rex and Cody) to go back to several years pre-TPM and, since the Council DEFINITELY won't believe them about the Sith being back... they'll force the issue.

Anakin is weirdly excited about things and building up their backstory.

Anakin: Okay so I can definitely be a Maul type, with the unhinged ranting and manic laughter, Obi-Wan can be the whole Refined Rich Guy type like Dooku, where you can't even tell he's evil until he starts talking about getting out the eyeball scoops, maybe toss in a bit of mad science stuff? Ahsoka could play up like Ventress OR, oh oh, she can be the Light Side Child we need to PROTECT who's publicly begging us to return to the Light after our big dramatic Falls where we murdered like eighty people to save her, and-- Obi-Wan: Why are you never this enthusiastic about actual undercover missions. Ahsoka: Did you just have all this ready to go, or...? Anakin: WE COULD GET YELLOW CONTACT LENSES FOR ME.

Obi-Wan: How's my evil laugh?

Anakin going “Okay.. so if any of us need to murder someone to sell the bit it should be me, I think I could handle it the best. Why? No reason.”

Obi-Wan: I'm not sure a complete Fall could come from protecting Ahsoka, really-- Anakin: No, no, it could.

Obi-Wan: Surely you’d hold back because you realize neither of us want that for you. Anakin: Uh. Sure. Definitely.

Obi-Wan points out that none of them can channel the dark side to Prove they're Sith and Anakin just goes "Okay, give me like two seconds to stew in my negativity and--right, you can stop staring in horror, please."

Anakin rambles on that they can TOTALLY make the galaxy a better place while playing at being Sith! He's got a whole LIST of slave empires to "take over" and disassemble!

Anakin has a whole excited spiel about how EVIL soldiers and assistants are minions, in this case partly because Cody and Rex are too good at what they do to be mooks. Cody could pull off evil minion very well. Facial scar? Looks good in black? Quietly competent and sarcastic?

He also pushes for Obi-Wan to lounge in a fancy throne with a glass of wine while Anakin stalks the shadows and Ahsoka hangs out on the window ledge. The disaster lineage is dramatic, okay, Anakin’s just leaning into it, he’d appreciate it if everyone stopped looking at him like that.

Qui-Gon, surprisingly, ends up a skeptic about all of this. Everyone is freaking out about the Sith and he’s like “y’know I’m not even sure they’re darksiders.”

Some Jedi, possibly Qui-Gon for his conspiracy board, gets in a real risky situation and one of the Fake Sith saves them, but also panics and kinda drops character for a bit.

Jedi: You saved me! Why’d you do that? Anakin: I uh... just wanted the pleasure of killing you myself?

"You saved me. Why?" "Mmmm. Jedi." [walks away]

Qui-Gon: [trying to figure out what is up with these people semi-competently (from his perspective) pretending to be Sith] Dooku: [trying to protect Qui-Gon from Sith influence]

The gang is the most successful at pretending to be Sith to Dooku. Sure, they’re not gonna punish him for something he hasn’t done, but it’s not hard to act menacing and angry around him.

(They really do have so much fun irritating the heck out of Dooku. He hasn’t Fallen yet, but they want to keep an eye out.)

At some point, future Obi-Wan definitely drops that little tidbit of "What, you didn't think the Banites were the only Sith running around did you? You... didn't even know about the Banites. How... disappointing."

They REGULARLY use Ahsoka as an excuse to be marginally less terrible. They claim that if Ahsoka pouts, they stop. ‘Soka also uses them as an excuse for why she’s a lil feral. (To be fair, that one is accurate. She was already a lil feral before but it’s not like they did anything to stop it.) Ahsoka gets her "breaking into people's offices" jollies by bugging Nute Gunray's office.

The Jedi keep trying to Rescue Ahsoka.

Rex and Cody end up in real beskar, there's a whole Thing with Mandalore and Jango and Satine.

Obi-Wan is CONSISTENTLY worried about Anakin Falling for real, which... hey, at least he knows to be worried about Anakin Falling. Step up from canon, really.

Anakin is WAY too into killing the Hutts but like. It does... technically sell the bit.

Obi-Wan: Sure, I’m not sad that they’re dead, especially because we’re not connected to the Republic, so we don’t need to worry about starting a war and all that. But. Anakin is disturbingly cheerful about this. Rex: Wasn't he a Hutt slave? Obi-Wan: Well yes, but-- Rex: I'd kill Nala Se if I could get away with it.

Cody and Rex are very supportive of Anakin's murderous intentions.

Obi-Wan does understand anger, even killing someone in anger. Like Maul (the first time at least) and D’nar and a few others. All the same, like... y’know. The level of bloodthirst from the others is a little off-putting.

At one point, Anakin accidentally addresses young Obi-Wan by name, despite never having met before, and to cover it up, he... panic-flirts. He panics, and so he flirts, with young Obi-Wan.

(He will later blame this on old Obi-Wan, because he had to pick up the habit of flirting with the enemy from somewhere.)

Anakin vaguely implies that he's a wee bit obsessed with young Obi, and that the padawan should "get used to being the target of a dark-sider's interests," because he’s scrambling for Ominous Shit and, well, future Obi-Wan was pretty frequently a fixation point for darksiders, right?

The second he gets out, he just starts screaming into a bucket while Rex pats him on the back.

For the next however many terrible months, possibly years, he has to keep up the act while having an ongoing meltdown about how That's My Dad As A Twenty-Something.

(It doesn't help that young Obi-Wan reflexively flirted back.)

Old Obi-Wan, meanwhile, is just very "you dug this hole yourself, padawan."

There is an argument at the beginning about Obi-Wan’s outfit. If he’s gonna be a Sith, he can’t just go around in beige, but he’s like “I like this and it’s comfy.” Sure, he’s changed clothes for undercover stuff, but that’s always been temporary, y’know? He likes his beige.

We have a number of options.

My first instinct? Beige linen three piece suit, like a southern lawyer. "Now I may just be a simple Outer Rim force adept--"

And, of course, you can TOTALLY make the beige sinister: he’s impersonating a Jedi! Jedi impersonation would also explain why nobody has a red saber.

“Sure is good that the Jedi don’t seem to realize most of the galaxy doesn’t know red sabers are different and bad.” “Shhhh, stop poking holes in our story where a Jedi might overhear.”

Like.... if you do enough doublethink, it works! How would a Sith hide? In plain sight. Also, it’s a GREAT way (if they were actually assholes) to try to slander the Jedi name.

(Anakin and Ahsoka still think he could stand to put a little more effort in. Add a splash of color, for pity's sake!)

Though tbh part of me is like “What if Old Obi wore, like... a split skirt suit...” Victorian womenswear inspired because he misses his robes, but he has to look Professional, and like he's MOCKING Jedi instead of BEING one, so he wears a vintage-y split skirt thing over his leggings. Ends up looking a lot like what Ventress had for a while, but Beige. I also keep wanting to put him regency menswear.

Anyway. Obi-Wan’s wardrobe aside...

Anakin builds up his Tatoo accent again. It helps him with the (mostly true) "slavery helped me fall" backstory.

Either Cody or Rex offhandedly mentions being made to serve them (the Fake Sith) and now the Jedi are somewhat concerned about brainwashing. Are these Mandos the victims here?

“No like. Literally made for this. In a lab.” This is even more horrifying. So...

On the one hand good! The Jedi should be scared about Sith! On the other hand... it makes the Jedi more determined to stop them, specifically. They keep on getting in the way, just, all the time, and they’re not investigating the actual Sith problem, which is decidedly not great since the Team doesn’t actually know who’s a real Sith right now, except Maul, and who even knows where that guy is.

Obi-Wan, at some point: Do you think we've succeeded at this ruse... a little TOO well? Anakin: I don't follow. Obi-Wan, gesturing at the truly obnoxious amount of wealth they've collected, including "trophies" of their kills: Really? Because I'm a little worried! Anakin, planning out a battle to take on Nar Shadda: ...I'm not.

"How many people do we realistically we need to take over Hutt Space? Apparently... five."

(Mostly because Anakin is ridiculously op.)

ANAKIN AND YOUNG OBI GET KIDNAPPED BY PIRATES TOGETHER. It's tradition.

Anakin: Okay, so, I need to get really angry about something to pass as a Sith... time to think about my WIFE and how I'll NEVER SEE HER AGAIN.

Since Anakin’s life never goes as planned... this does not work. Instead of getting properly angry, he makes himself sad. There are tears. There is wailing. There’s a distraught rant or two. Young Obi ends up awkwardly trying to comfort him.

“Oh no, this… Sith?? Is crying on me. What do I do???”

Later on, when the Council wants intel: "So... one of the Sith cried on me about his wife. I think she's dead? He wasn't very clear about it but it, uh... it sounded like it might have contributed to his Fall. Also the relationship was a little unhealthy? He basically worshiped the ground she walked on and kept ranting about how he would have given her the galaxy on a platinum platter of she'd only asked, but that might be new and inspired by the Dark."

One of the random Jedi is REALLY good at detecting the truth Through The Force, and asks Anakin how he Fell...

Anakin just. Tells the Tuskens story.

They don't get pinged as lying, but oh boy does old Obi have a LOT of questions for Anakin once they're in private.

There are other things happening to help sell the ruse. Some of them are necessary! Some of them are... not.

Obi-Wan: What's the best way to show we're rich and kind of evil, but like... classy about it? Anakin, immediately: I sit on the floor next to the throne, leaning against it, and you call me pet names while stroking my hair, and then when you need something killed I get to do it for you and then I go back to the floor and you thank me for the directed violence, and then you go back to Negotiations with criminals while I’m sitting there covered in blood. Obi-Wan: ...is there something you want to TELL us, or...?

"You're all going to get a glimpse of something normally kept hidden about me." "Anakin, you don't have to do that." "No, I'm gonna."

(Anakin has decided hes going to peel his kink tomato to sell this ruse, and the others are slightly uncomfortable with that.)

Anakin: Okay, I cannot keep flirting with you. Young Obi: Wait, what? But that's the best part of any time we run into you! Anakin: You look WAY too much like my Master did when I met him. Obi: O...kay? If someone looked like my master when HE was young, I'd-- Anakin: My Sith Master half-raised me. He's basically my dad. Obi: ... Anakin: What's that look for? Obi: I mean, you spend a lot of time lounging at his feet, and, like, given how much you hate slavery, I... kind of assumed it was a kink thing? Anakin, brightly: Oh no, I just have a LOT of trauma. And neuroses. Snips says they’re neuroses.

Young Obi is a little upset because he was actually getting REALLY into Flirting With The Enemy and was hoping it would go somewhere. He mopes to Qui-Gon about it. Qui-Gon isn't sure whether to be proud about Obi breaking rules, or worried over Obi-Wan falling for a Fake Sith.

(As Tia put it: "You enjoy making young Obi-Wan have a completely unrequited crush on Anakin, don’t you?")

Fortunately, one of those attractive Young Mando boys very kindly helped him tape up his ribs this one time, and has thus caught his eye...

I feel like having Cody date Young Obi would court an entirely different kind of (internet) drama because clone ages, but whatever.

Also please imagine an element of "so I'm dating the genetic identical of my boss... who's dating the man I'm a genetic identical of..."

(It's probably not actually Jangobi but man would that be funny and also stupid.)

Somehow Young Obi figures out that the "Sith Master" is a future him before he realizes that they're not actually dark. In his defense, Anakin was pretty convincing. Especially with the wife rant. It makes HIM more obsessed with Anakin, in a reversal of the implied earlier dynamic, which is all kinds of weird. Less romantic but like. Still weird.

"Future Me Scares Me" with Extra stupid. "Future Me Annoys Me." "Future Me acts like grandmaster Dooku, but more sass." "Future Me raised a really hot evil guy that refuses to bang Present Me." "Future Me might be a Sith, but I'm getting more and more convinced he's just fucking with us all." "Future Me is really rocking that beard, and I can't BELIEVE we figured out a way around the babyface."

"I’m kinda concerned about the whole evil thing, but I’m also glad that I know I’ll stay hot as I get older."

Quinlan approves of the priorities.

Also a lot of interactions with older Obi are very Anakin: [does/says something deeply unhinged] Obi-Wan: So, do you want to…. Talk about that? Maybe? Anakin: What’s there to talk about?? I’m fine, everything’s fine! Anyways how about those plans for tracking down Maul?

Anakin later, like way after the ruse is lifted, just blankly tells everyone that he did Fall, once, and Older Obi made him get therapy about it after the truth came out between the two of them a few months into the Fake Sith thing.

Where'd they find a therapist? I'm sure there's one SOMEWHERE around. Denon and Herdessa are close enough, and they've done enough "your criminal empire now belongs to me" that they can pay well. They make sure to find one that takes confidentiality real seriously.

It's all very "we need some more time to unpack all that."

Therapy helps get Anakin to figure out Sheev’s whole deal. They don't necessarily figure out he’s a Sith from it, but they figure out he’s sketchy and they need to look into that more. Obi-Wan probably already thought he was sketchy, but the whole active gaslighting campaign was a little surprising. They realize that he kinda benefited a lot from a lot of Sith plots and they still probably don’t think he’s a Sith but Obi-Wan is definitely starting to think he’s working with one.

"Okay, we're already bugging Gunray, should we bug Palpatine just to be safe?"

They get away with a lot of slicing because Anakin is a technical genius from twenty years in the future.

The reasons they're so good at Taking Over Hutt Space: 1. They know parts of the future. 2. They have superpowers and FAR less reason to not use them, now that their actions aren't going to reflect on the Republic. 3. They have Cody and Rex, who are two of the greatest military minds in the galaxy, and know EXACTLY how to wage a war that covers a solid third of the galaxy, starting from a position of relative weakness. 4. Anakin's charisma is scary high, and his knowledge of slave culture means they gain a lot of trust from the people they free, and they just... keep acquiring volunteers for the army they didn't plan to have. Obi-Wan doesn't know what to do. He thinks they might have started a cult?

In his defense, Dooku sort of started a cult, and Komari got kidnapped by a cult, brainwashed into joining it properly, and then took it over as head figure of said cult. It's practically tradition!

Comics Vader is the central figure of like three different cults, it was really just inevitable.

Anakin: Aw, don't worry master, it's not a cult, it's a revolution! Ahsoka: They're worshiping him, though. Anakin: ...it's still a revolution! Just... with some misunderstandings.

Also, if they got wind of people trying to keep people from being able to leave and other culty stuff like that, they’d probably put a stop to it pretty damn quick.

Names! Time for names. As per usual, it's easiest to keep track of Obi-Wan's alternate Older Self by just calling him Ben.

Darth Ben.

Ahsoka: You should be Darth Boring. Obi-Wan: I can still make you run laps, you know.

Anakin: The Force is telling me to call myself Darth Vader. Obi-Wan: ...why? Anakin: I dunno, but it sounds cool, I'll run with it.

Someone: Ben has all the answers; we shouldn’t question him, ever. Ben: One time I lost a planet, and a five-year-old found it for me.

More options: Going with the "evil word with the prefix 'in' chopped off" that we get with Sidious and Vader: Darth Surrectus (as in insurrection) Just random Latin words: Darth Temporus (time) Darth Commenticius (fake)

Anyway, back to Nonsense:

Maul goes after young Obi early, because the Fake Sith are really invested in this one random Padawan (Sidious is saying he might be a cousin of the false Sith Master? They do look similar enough) so someone needs to investigate. Naturally, Anakin shows up with some wild screeching to fight Maul, and when someone questions why he got involved it gets very "Kenobi is MINE!" and like. Okay. So.

Anakin means it in a very Sith "to toy with" and "to torture" way, or the ‘my chosen opponent!’ way, just the same kind of Obsession as Maul had with Obi-Wan in the original timeline. Unfortunately, Anakin’s a weird-ass person who flirts with Young Obi against his own better judgement, so there's some awkward "Like... your boyfriend?" from young Obi. Anakin just screeches in SOME emotion that nobody wants to interpret, and couldn't even if they wanted to, and starts whacking away at Maul again.

(Anakin hasn't explained the "you look exactly like my dad, sorry, it's just too weird" thing yet, and he is HAVING MANY REGRETS.)

There's definitely at least one instance where a person asks Anakin if he's planning on dating That One Jedi Twink, or at least banging out the tension. At that point in time, Anakin doesn't actually know who the fuck they're talking about, because "Obi-Wan + Twink = Does Not Compute" for dear, dense Ani, and instead he just ends up ranting about how he is LOYAL TO THE MEMORY OF HIS LATE WIFE, how DARE anyone so much as INSINUATE that he would TARNISH HER PERFECT MEMORY and UNWAVERING KINDNESS and WHOLESOME BEING, and the person who asked doesn't end up lightsabered but they do end up with a LOT to tell whoever they're reporting to.

Young Obi-Wan definitely hears Anakin mutter the phrase “something to discuss with my therapist later” a few times, and he’s a little bewildered because darksiders definitely don’t seem like the type of people to go to therapy. They’re the type of people to need therapy, sure, but not the type to go to therapy.

I think it would be very fun for Young Obi to continue sighing over Anakin (who's pretending to be fine with it and even flirting back because he's in too deep to stop and hasn't worked up the courage to explain the elephant in the room) while Anakin is covered in grease and infodumping while having a slightly manic hyperfocus on engine repairs while the two of them Somehow got stranded together in the middle of bumfuck nowhere (it's Plagueis's doing, he finds the interactions between THESE two in particular to be the most informative regarding the fake Sith).

Anakin, at some point while stranded with young Obi-Wan, and having actually started unpacking some stuff in therapy, though he’s def still got a ways to go: I’m pretty sure Ben cares about me. He acts like he cares, like he’ll do stuff like put extra blankets in my quarters in the spaceship because I get cold real easily or track down those droid parts I need for a project and he always has my back in a fight but y’know it’d be nice to hear him say he loves me once in a while. Especially because we kinda had a rough start and idk I don’t think he wanted me around at first.

And uh. Obi-Wan definitely relates to that a bit too much, y’know?

I want to say that Young Obi ends up mentioning All That to one of the clones or Ahsoka later, because they seem probably invested in Anakin's well-being, even if Ben is, well, a Sith, so Obi-Wan's a little worried the man's affection really is fake, but at least Ahsoka...

(Ironic, given what Anakin's actual eventual Sith would-be-Master was like.)

Young Obi mentions Anakin’s most recent rant to Ahsoka, and she just goes "Wait, is that why Skyguy likes to sit by the throne and get called pet names?" "Uh... I don't... know... but it sounds like all of you have a LOT to unpack there, Miss Apprentice."

Later on: "Master Kenobi, you need to tell Skyguy you love him 'cause apparently he's been having a lot of emotions about you not telling him you care and he's been talking to mini-you about it whenever they get stuck together and--"

Young Obi-Wan is just constantly the "Now we don't have time to unpack all of that" John Mulaney gif. Anakin in particular is a mess, and young Obi-Wan slowly goes from "I want to date that" to "I want to study that" about him.

Obi-Wan gets stuck somewhere with Ben, tries to small talk, gets on the topic of Vader, and spills the drama. He gets an awkward “Thank you for bringing that to my attention.”

It’s followed by a fairly frustrated “I try, but Anakin refuses to communicate his needs to me, and it feels like I’m always falling short.”

At least one member of the group is in therapy, probably all of them, but they’re still using young Obi as a sounding board for all this stuff. On the bright side, this is probably good for impressing the importance of good communication on Obi-Wan.

Good for Obi-Wan! And... whatever Padawan he eventually has.

As for baby Anakin, who is approximately age four, I want to go with "Anakin decides to be his own uncle, and Shmi just rolls with it because fuck it, she’s not a slave anymore, and a Fake Sith is a solid defense against anyone trying to re-enslave them."

[This is a backstory I've had them use before (see here and here).]

Seeing Big Ani and Little Ani in the same space might be what finally pings the "oh shit, that's future me" thing for Obi-Wan... you know, if he’s ever allowed close enough to see Little Ani in the first place.

Little Ani stays with the fake-Sith and is sorta jointly trained by all of them, and young Obi-Wan teaches little 'Soka at the Temple. Ani and 'Soka still end up friends somehow, but it is fairly different.

Every time little Ani addresses Old Obi as "Dad," it's just like ten kinds of awkward. The one time someone tried to explain that Ben wasn't his new dad, Shmi glared them down. She is of the opinion that, all the gods be damned, Ani deserves to refer to the most mature man in his life, who raised another him in another timeline already, as a father.

Ani doesn't NEED a father, Shmi herself is more than enough, but he does deserve to have this if he wants it.

An alternative conclusion to the time travel is uh. So the Mandalorians are genetically identical (give or take a hair gene) and really resemble Jango Fett, though whether anyone notices that is up in the air. Then the three ‘Sith’ (two fake Sith and their morality chain tag-along) have three younger, identical copies show up….

It could be really weird cloning shenanigans. Now, it makes no sense that they’d make clones, and stagger their production like that, and leave them as babies on various planets for Jedi to find. IDK what reasons Obi-Wan would come up with for that, but it’s a fun little detour before he gets to time travel.

There's a really painful moment (for the audience, who know about canon Vader) where someone tries to convince Ahsoka to leave the Sith and she's just like "no way, they'd never hurt me!” Then she clarifies that “someone has to keep them from doing stupid Sith shit whenever they get bored, you know?"

A bunch of Jedi probably think she’s delusional, but the few that have seen her get into trouble that is legitimately too much for her, which isn't often, have then seen Anakin show up like the devil himself to save her, and it's like. Oh. This is why she isn't scared of them hurting her.

We’ve discussed how Anakin does get concerningly in character with the fake Sith thing. However, Anakin and Ahsoka are, just once in a while, surprised by how Ben gets sometimes when playing the bad guy.

After all, he stabbed a dude with a fork and threatened to eat him during his time as Hardeen…

He has the same dramatic streak as all the rest of the lineage. He can be vindictive and creepy and scary as fuck.

HOWEVER:

Obi-Wan: I know I'm supposed to be playing at evil right now, but how do we feel about me making that evil a little... fruity? Ahsoka: Fruity, master? Anakin, who knows where this is going: [buries face in hands] Obi-Wan: You know, the... [limp wrist] Ahsoka: ... Obi-Wan: I mean, I'm already bisexual and well-groomed, I can play it up.

What’s the point of being evil if you can’t be flamboyant?

Anyway, I had to put in a lot of thought for what to do with Rex and Cody, because there's a solid place for them in terms of strategy, but it doesn't do much to give them independent narrative arcs, and 'young Obi-Wan has a crush' isn't much of an arc, you know?

So, basic info first: Cody, Rex, and Anakin all hold the rank of General in this AU because, like... who else is gonna. Ahsoka remains a commander because everyone declares her Baby, and also to keep up the "I'm a morality chain" ruse.

Cody maintains a very stern and unyielding public persona, but the second they're behind closed doors, he's roughhousing with his little brother.

Rex has some fun pretending to be a sadist whenever he and Anakin have to team up, because hamming it up as an evil bastard in front of Jedi is actually really fun... but usually, he's a competent fucking professional.

Because here's the thing: someone has to be.

They both kind of hate the army they've gotten, because these people don't even have proper trigger discipline, let alone any actual discipline.

This army? Tragic. They hate it. Give them the clones.

They have to be drill sergeants for months before they have anything worth sending onto the field.

I think that might be how/when they end up reaching out to Jango. Like, the first inroad is absolutely "we're your clones from the future and you were a Shit Dad so you owe us," but then they actually talk him around into letting the Fake Sith hire him. He brings along all the Mandalorians he can get to answer his calls, and on suggestion from Those Mando Twins, joins the army Ben doesn't even want.

Darth Boring doesn't want an army! Unfortunately, Cody thinks that's stupid as hell, and is overruling Ben so they can actually work on this 'cleaning up the galaxy of slavery' thing with actual resources.

Cody and Rex are super competent, and it shows in their horrified disdain for the state of their troops.

Rex: Fucking natborns. Anyone who isn't in the know: What's a natborn? Rex: [leaves without answering] People: WHAT'S A NATBORN???

(I'm assuming that the word smush is harder to parse in Basic.)

I think young Obi-Wan's new crush on Cody should also be unrequited. Cody's just like... bemused. Very "Okay, then, that sure is an Affection you've decided on."

Cody and Anakin both: Sorry, it’d just be too weird. Obi-Wan: Why would it be too weird? Cody and Anakin: Reasons.

Rex has to deal with the "whyyyyy" from both his brother and his (former?) General.

Young Obi-Wan just likes cute boys that fight good! Is that so wrong???

Ahsoka: So since we're not officially Jedi anymore-- Obi-Wan: We're still Je-- Ahsoka: Can we date? Can I date now? I want to date someone before we go back to the Code. It's a classic life experience for most teenage girls, and I want to Have That Experience before we're back at the Temple. Obi-Wan: You're not... you can date, Ahsoka, that's not actually banned by the Code. I mean, you'd have to keep it casual, but-- Ahsoka: I CAN DATE!!!

(Great priorities, Ahsoka.)

An idea I'm toying with is that one of the clones ends up Legally Engaged to Satine for political reasons, and young Obi-Wan is just like ???? because not only can he not date the hot boys, but one of said hot boys has become Mr. Steal Yo Girl.

Young Obi-Wan is suffering, and Quinlan is the worst friend ever because Quinlan is laughing at him.

There is obviously the question of

"How would Satine ever end up agreeing to that, given what their public personas are like and all that? She puts duty ahead of personal feelings but all indications are that it’s a terrible decision both ways." (as stated by Tia)

Which, yes, I forgot to actually say that I was imagining Jango had declared "those twins" his heirs after telling people they were his younger* cousins. Because reasons.

* Jango is about 27 when they land in the past, and I’m going to say the accelerated aging ended after hitting physically twenty because no, I don’t want to deal with that. As far as anyone knows, Cody and Rex are about five years younger than Jango. They’re less than year apart, which isn’t very visible, and most people assume they’re identical twins (except Rex’s hair), and that Cody just looks slightly older because of the scar.

Darth Boring had convinced Satine that the way to keeping Mandalore peaceful was to work with Jango (because Darth Boring, which is not his actual title but it is what Ahsoka insists on calling him in private, has a vested interest in keeping Mandalore and all interested parties calm), and he... maybe accidentally set up a political marriage between her and one of the clones.

It wasn't on purpose! Satine never married in his timeline, okay, he didn't expect her to ever get married here, either! He didn't even suggest it! This just happened!

(I want to say that Cody would be more competent at having a political marriage? But IDK.)

Do I do the Satine thing? It has potential, but also it's a bit of a cop-out. Do I have Cody be a diplomatic representative for their pseudo-Sith empire? He could be, but I think he'd hate it. Do I have Rex date one the Chaos Entities (Anakin or Ahsoka), or is that too repetitive with my other works? THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON.

Part of me wants Quinlan to get a crush on Cody, and the crush gets bigger specifically in response to the fact that Cody refuses to take him seriously and/or just doesn't give him the time of day.

Based on their one interaction in TCW, they probably let get along ok. Cody maybe likes him back, buuuuuuut internally he's just a little "you were tolerable at almost-forty; early twenties you is obnoxious."

Just imagine the absolutely puppyish attempts at gaining approval and Impressing The Hot Mando General. Quinlan keeps having vague daydreams of seducing someone to the side of the Light. He really leans into the bodice ripper fantasies of saving someone evil with the power of love! (And also the power of really good sex.)

Bant looks at Quin and Obi and wants to throw them both into the nearest pond because they're idiots, but on this topic they are the same flavor of idiot. She considers calling up Reeft and Garen to help her knock some sense into them.

Quinlan: Can I volunteer to go undercover to the Sith? The Council: No. Quinlan: ...what if I-- The Council: No.

Tholme tries to get Qui-Gon to commiserate over their Padawans getting obsessed with Hot Sith Boys, but Qui-Gon just finds the whole thing funny. He knows from the chats he has with Ben that Anakin feels so completely, utterly, incredibly awkward about all of this.

(Ben continues to hold to "Anakin brought this on himself.")

(Ben also “kidnaps” Qui-Gon a lot.)

Also, hey, at least Quinlan isn’t actually into hot Sith boys! He’s into hot Sith minions which is... probably a step up. At least Cody’s not a Sith himself!

It's a step in some direction but Tholme has no idea which one.

(Quinlan sees Cody in dress uniform once and just keeps the mental image for Ages. It’s in his dreams. Sometimes said dreams overflow to Tholme via Force Mind Magic and Quinlan wakes up to someone smacking his face with a pillow.)

Arguably, Quin's also a lot more romantic about his crush than Obi-Wan is, in this case. Quinlan: I want to save him... Obi-Wan: Hey, hey, cute boy. Look at me. Let’s bang.

Cody: There are currently two future Jedi generals having some form of absurd romantic fixation in my direction. I don't know how to feel about this. Rex: Bed them. Cody: ...I'm not saying that's not eventually an option, but one of them is the younger Kenobi, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Rex: Pat him on the head like a tooka and then bed his friend, it'll be funny.

I think the Quinlan thing and also general exasperation of leading an absolutely useless army can function pretty solidly as the basis for Cody, but I have another idea for Rex now.

Komari is currently brainwashed in a cult, yes? So.

I keep bouncing around back and forth on what to do with Rex, but part of me suddenly really likes the idea of, after Team Fake Sith finds and dissolves the cult (as one does), and takes Komari into custody (because she's dangerous and deeply unwell), Rex kind of ends up her touchstone to being a decent person. He’s not a morality chain, and it’s not really a redeemed-through-love thing, just This Is A Solid Dude who doesn't pity her or thinks she's irredeemable (however you choose to define such a thing), but actually relates to the kind of conditions living like that can involve, and just kind of...

I don’t know. I think Rex's arc in this AU could be very heavily grounded in something to the effect of "You're not the worst darksider I've met. You're not the only person who was in a cult. You're not even the only former Jedi I know that's committed awful, horrible crimes. My question is just this: What are you going to do moving forward?"

Later Anakin: Wait, who do we know that was in a cult? Rex: What did you think Kamino was?

(Rex isn't as chill as he'd like her to think, but he's trying, and she's fairly reliant on the Force to understand emotions, and is currently in nullifying cuffs, so he can bluff.)

Komari needs someone solid and dependable to rely on for at least conversation, and I think Rex needs to feel needed.

I’m not sure if it’d be romance or friendship, but I think there's a solid basis to work with, potentially.

Per Tia:

One thing about Rex and shipping is like. If you want to do Rexwalker again that's fine, but if you're worried about repetitiveness but still want to like. Ship him in a non-political-convenience way. Rexsoka here actually would be different than your other stuff.

I'm trying to figure out if I can make it work because Ahsoka thematically fits very much into a little sister shaped hole here? She feels younger than in other works, despite not actually being younger than she is in, say, Commander Buir. In those other fics, she has some time alone to function and prove herself independently of Anakin and Obi-Wan.

I usually pluck Ahsoka out at sixteen if I'm pulling her from TCW, so she's got most of her competence but hasn't gotten quite all the trauma yet. Commander Buir, in particular, also has baby-shaped Anakin for contrast.

That said, I can see a decent source of narrative conflict in her wanting to experiment with romance and all that, and Anakin trying to tell her she's too young.

A year into this whole time-travel mess, she wants to give the dating thing a shot, and it spirals into "You were only two years older than me when you got married!"

I think I could build a plot out of Ahsoka wanting to do these things, and Anakin as an audience insert not quite processing that she's old enough to make these decisions. If she's choosing to date Rex, whose age works out as being close to hers when one takes into account Kamino fuckery, and whom she trusts absolutely, it’s arguably extra weird for Anakin to be upset with it.

"Senator Amidala was five years older than you, and you married her when you were nineteen and had only really known her for a week! I can go on a date with a guy we both know is one of the most trustworthy people alive if I want, Skyguy!"

I can definitely see Ahsoka getting annoyed with Anakin being overbearing and controlling at some point before that unrelated to romance, too. It’s not exactly a new fault of his.

My god, just imagine someone snidely asking Anakin "where's your little shadow?" and Anakin, being Himself and also a Fake Sith, has an emotional breakdown about how Ahsoka yelled at him for micromanaging her and not trusting her to make her own decisions in life and so she got herself a multi-month solo mission from Ben that Anakin isn't allowed to know any details about, and--

It's another one of those "oh, you have PROBLEMS problems with your mental health" incidents for the Jedi to add to the file, because Anakin having emotionally charged rants about his issues at seemingly terrible times is how they get a lot of information.

Some of the rants are planned.

Many of them, actually.

They want the Jedi to know these things.

Just, well. Anakin.

He really is a little Like That.

On that note, I'm low-key imagining that Anakin gets put on mood stabilizers by the therapist in this context, and he's doing good! He's handling his issues! He's--been captured with Obi-Wan the Younger again and his medication was confiscated.

Anakin is... not great. He's a little out of practice managing his unmedicated self, and when adding withdrawal symptoms onto that... poor Anakin.

(Poor Obi-Wan.)

I think it would be best if Anakin makes a bunch of ominous blustery comments at their captors about how they won't like what's coming to them if they take his belongings (AKA the fanny pack that has his backup pills), and then Obi-Wan just gets to watch Anakin get more and more erratic, because like. Yes, Anakin is using the Force to compensate, but unfortunately he's mostly cut off, and the stress of the situation is pushing him away from depression and into the beginnings of a manic episode.

Anakin is aware of his issues to the point where he's mostly managing, and he keeps asking Obi-Wan "would it make sense for me to [slightly deranged, very impulsive action]," and Obi-Wan realizes he's being the morality sounding board for the Hot Sith because ??? reasons?????

Eventually, Anakin does flop back in bed and dramatically throws his arm over his eyes, and says he needs his meds back, he's absolutely going to lose it, and Obi-Wan tentatively asks what kind of medication. There are levels to worry about. Mild allergy medication is one thing, but heart medication that needs to be taken every four hours is another, you know? He wants to know how much panic is appropriate.

Anakin lets him know that it's Psychiatric In Nature. Obi-Wan suddenly realizes that he really, really, really doesn't want to know what a properly erratic, unmedicated Anakin is like.

(An unmedicated Anakin really isn't nearly as bad as Obi-Wan fears. Anakin's been dealing with this for a while, and knows what his issues are and some of how to deal with them. He'd need to be running on no sleep and higher levels of stress, or to have been drugged with something meant to increase his aggression, to really lose his shit and do something worthy of Vader. RotS levels of stress and sleep deprivation is required to pull RotS levels of manic paranoid delusion.)

Tia asked:

How long does it take the Jedi in general to catch on to how like. They have opportunities. But these Sith never seem to harm any Jedi. And it’s not just like, the past timeline parts of the disaster lineage. They probably get opportunities to hurt other Jedi. Ones that are less skilled at saber work. And more importantly ones that they don’t seem weirdly interested in."

I'm not sure, really. The Jedi don't spend as much time in the Outer Rim as they could, and that's where the Team operates, so actually running into them by accident is unlikely for anyone other than Shadows.

Fortunately, it's really easy to toy with Shadows with the excuse of "I want to see how long it takes before you Fall with us."

I do want like... okay. Here’s the mental image:

Qui-Gon calls them out on being Fake Sith pretty quickly, so Ben just sort of eyes him, dramatically, and orders out "Leave us" to all non-team people. The threat of torture is implied but not stated. He gestures with wine to keep in character. He definitely makes sure Young Obi-Wan is ushered out, so it's just five time travelers, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ahsoka's immortal force birb.

"...so, what's the reason for the farce, Obi-Wan?" "How in all the hells did you figure it out so quickly?"

(Qui-Gon cheated a bit. He could feel the broken training bond that was never properly severed due to Traumatic Death Of A Master on Ben's end)

Ben didn't realize he'd feel it! Young Obi-Wan can't feel his older self or a training bond with Anakin or Ahsoka, so why could Qui-Gon?

IDK if there would be anything on the level of crying and hugging it out, but I think it would be very funny if, every time young Obi and Anakin are getting captured by pirates or something, Ben and Qui-Gon are just having a nice afternoon tea and checking their watches to see if their respective walking bundles of neuroses are done with their adventure yet.

The Council is So Done, because Qui-Gon continues to insist that they're Not That Bad, but every time anyone other than Qui-Gon brings up the friendship, Ben laughs and makes a comment about how absolutely gullible Master Jinn is.

Obi-Wan is skeptical of his own experiences with Anakin, at least, if only because he's skeptical about Anakin's everything.

"I don't know if Vader is telling me the truth. I don't know if he's telling himself the truth. I don't think he's a great source of information even when he thinks he's being honest."

Anakin could tell Obi-Wan the full and complete truth, and Obi-Wan would worriedly put a hand to his forehead and start doing tests for hallucinations and paranoid delusions. In his defense, this is a very reasonable assumption to make with an individual like Anakin. It's just also not accurate, this time. I don’t know if Anakin hallucinates in canon without a weird inciting incident like Force Nonsense or getting drugged by the enemy, but paranoid delusion is pretty much all of RotS.

"I’m your time-traveling padawan who’s pretending to be a Sith to catch some other Sith who’re going to start a galactic civil war and those Mandalorians you like are from a clone army based on a template of Jango Fett made to serve the Jedi (because that’s totally something he’d sign up for), and one of the Sith is your grandmaster but he doesn’t seem to have fallen yet, it’s probably fine," is hard to believe.

Honestly, even if he seemed stable before saying that, which he doesn’t, it’s all real far fetched. There's a lot going on and Obi-Wan wouldn't even begin to believe it without evidence.

I've had it in my head that he and Bant and Quinlan have been gossiping about the mess for months if not years about these idiots, and at one point it became common knowledge that Ben was a Kenobi, and Bant convinced them (since the two were among the most likely in the entire Order to encounter the Fake Sith) to get a DNA sample, probably hair or blood since that's easiest so they can figure out HOW these two are related, if they are, and then there's a whole big thing.

Bant: No, no, this must be contaminated, it's coming up as Obi-Wan! Are you sure you didn't accidentally grab some of your own hairs? I know it's a little long for most of your hair, but the braid-- Quinlan: Wait, they keep claiming stuff about cloning, right? Maybe someone's a clone? Check for artificial telomeres! Bant: ...okay, so, there aren't any artificial telomeres, but the ones from apparently-Ben are... a lot shorter... um... I don't know what to do with this. It's like I have two samples from the same person, twenty years apart. Quinlan: Obi-Wan, what's that face? Why are you-- Obi-Wan: Vader told me he was a time-traveler. I thought it was the fever talking, but...

That’s how he finds out that Ben is future-him before finding out about how he’s not evil!

"Master Jinn... I think... I think the Sith controlling the Outer Rim is me from the future." "Oh, you finally figured it out?" "I AM HAVING A CRISIS HERE."

Obi-Wan, after a few hours of dazed realization, runs screaming to Quinlan and Bant like 'GUYS GUYS THIS EXPLAINS WHY VADER KEPT SAYING IT WAS WEIRD AND THAT I LOOK LIKE HIS MASTER AND THAT IT WOULD BE LIKE DATING HIS DAD.'

You know, the important stuff.

I think Qui-Gon tells him that Ben isn't evil because, like, That Sure Is A Crisis Obi-Wan's Having. He could hold off for shits and giggles, sure, but Obi-Wan’s on the edge of something Really Concerning, mentally. Best help calm him down on at least one or two things.

Obi-Wan’s maybe still a little skeptical until he confronts them over it. Because their Sith act was real good and also like. Maybe Qui-Gon just wants to believe the best of his Padawan, y’know?

Quinlan runs into Ben before Obi-Wan does, after this whole mess, and gets to observe as money changes hands and people act like sore winners about bets made for When Does Obi-Wan Figure It Out.

Anakin was saying 'soon' because he really didn't think the fever-fueled rant would be discounted as easily as it was.

Cody was of the opinion that it would take at least a few more years since they're actually pretty damn good at this whole schtick.

Quinlan: Wow, he's... going to be really disappointed that you have such a low opinion of his intelligence. Cody, gesturing at Ben: Experience. Darth Ben: ಠ_ಠ

Cody just rattles off some of the Extremely Stupid Shit that Ben's done in their time working together.

Rex cheerily offers up "You didn't even realize General Skywalker was married, sir! And they weren't subtle!" "I knew they were together, I just didn--" "Everyone knew they were together, sir. Everyone."

(Rex had the lowest opinion of their deductive capabilities. He claims it would have taken until Baby Ahsoka showed up at the Jedi Temple.)

-Once Obi-Wan accepts that they're decent people after all- Obi-Wan: Wow, Anakin, you're real good at acting unhinged! Anakin: Haha. Yeah. Thanks?

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haddonfieldproject · 3 years

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<<PREVIOUS⏺<<CONTENTS>>

WARREN COUNTY/CARPENTER COUNTY LINE, ILLINOIS

Twenty Seven Hours Later

“Oh god!” The Governor turned from the Mustang with a hand over her mouth, her face suddenly pale.

“Oh jesus fuck!”

She took off across the roadway, running has fast as her flats would carry her. One of those shiny black shoes slipped on the wet asphault causing her to teeter, but she did not fall. She reached the tall wet grass on the opposite side of the road, bent, and proceeded to vomit in the ditch there. Salazar hurried after her.

Meeker and McGrath gave each other a tired look, and then looked back to the wreck. They barely noticed the white truck pull up behind them and Fred Colbourne hop out. A siren wailed in front of them as another Carpenter County Fire Department vehicle joined the other one and ejected six or seven more fire fighters in full yellow and orange regalia.

McGrath pointed to the crumpled body which lay in the middle of the road, atop the white lines.

“That's definitely Lloyd Chumway there,” he said morosely, “And this one here in the drivers seat...that's Lee.”

Meeker spit. “Pretty well intact, considering.”

“Well, they were in a pretty nice truck.” McGrath said, glancing over to the Governor who had now dropped to her knees. Salazar held her gently by the shoulders. She was still wretching.

“It's Booger's truck,” Meeker replied softly.

“The cook from the diner? The one with his head in the..”

Meeker cut him off, “Yep.”

“What about the kids in the Mustang? Can you ID them?” McGrath asked, walking around to the other side of the orange sports-car.

“Well,” Meeker took a deep breath, “This is Brad Doyle's mustang. He's pretty well known by the police around here. Not a bad kid.” He spit again, “But not a very good one either.”

McGrath's eyes panned across the headless torso in the driver's seat clad in a blood soaked Code Orange shirt. Bits of blood, bone, and brain lay all over the steel bumper of the truck which had completley intruded upon the cab of the Mustang. Some of it belonged to Brad, some belonged to the mess of a carcass that lay in the center of the car beside him. There was nothing but a heap of blood, skin, bones, and some sort of leopard print clothing. Another crumpled body lay in the backseat. Young female, her head turned around the wrong way on her neck. She was missing her legs.

“Do you know these other two occupants?” McGrath asked.

“The one in the backseat is Kyndra Bailey. I'm guessing this one,” he gulped as he looked over the tattered remains, “this one is probably Zoey Gonland, her girlfriend. They liked to hang out with Brad.”

McGrath looked up from the other side of the car, “More trouble makers?”

“They were good kids. A little bit of the talk of the town, but good kids.”

McGrath shook his head, “I don't follow.”

“A high school lesbian couple in a small town like this. Everyone knows them.”

“Jesus God Almighty,” Fred Colbourne said as he stepped up to the wreck beside them.

Another man, this one tall and thin with short brown hair, a yellow polo shirt and khaki pants also appeared beside them. Meeker looked at him. The man extended his hand.

“I'm Shelton Ganoux, the Carpenter County Medical Examiner. They called for me as soon as they arrived.” The man said, nodding a head to the fire fighters who were laboring around the wreck of the semi-truck and ambulance.

“And we here in Warren County greatly appreciate your help,” Meeker said, shaking the young man's hand firmly. “We've had one hell of a night over here and our boys are a little tied up.”

Ganoux half-bowed his head, “So I've heard.”

“What the hell happened out here,” Colbourne asked.

The Governor and Salazar re-appeared next to them. The Governor pulled a kleenex from her pantsuit pocket and dabbed at her mouth.

“It appears we have two separate accidents, occurring within about an hour and a half of each other. The orange sports-car, the truck, and the tractor trailer incident occurred at around six o'clock this morning, while the ambulance seems to have collided with the tractor trailer at around seven thirty.”

“Makes sense,” Meeker mumbled.

“What?” Colbourne asked, “What makes sense.”

“It looks like Mustang was behind the tractor trailer and went to try and pass him when they struck the Chumway Brothers in the truck coming from the opposite direction.” McGrath said.

Meeker's phone began to vibrate in his pants. He pulled it out, hit the green button on the screen, and stuck it to his ear.

“Meeker!” He barked. The voice that answered was gruff.

“Hey Deputy, it's Lorne Appleby.”

“Who?”

“Appleby, from Protective Services.”

“Oh right. Well?”

“Nothing yet. I'm gonna head to the hotel room for some shut eye. Miss. Cromer should be back in a few hours. Just wanted to keep you abreast of the...”

“Mrs. who?”

“Cromer...Ellen Cromer...from DCF.”

Meeker rubbed his forehead. “Aww yeah..right right. I'm sorry Appleby, I got a million things going on right now.”

“I know, I know. Like I said, just wanted to keep you abreast of the situation.”

“Who do I got over there now?”

“Officer Chang just left, Officer Stanton just arrived, two other officers in a squad car just went on patrol an hour or so ago...forgive me, I don't remember their names.”

Meeker adjusted the phone from one ear to the other. “Oh right, that's Warner and Farnsworth I think.”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

Meeker ended the call.

“Who was that?” Fred asked.

“Guy from Protective Services about Maddie Keane.”

“Still haven't found her?” Colbourne asked.

Meeker shook his head and waved at the wreckage in front of him. “And if it wasn't for all this shit and everything else I'd have every god damn cop out there looking for her.”

Fred patted his friend's back. “I know Bengie. I know. You're doing the best you can.”

They were quiet for awhile and Ben took some deep breaths to gather his thoughts.

“You know what I'm wondering?” Colbourne asked after some time had passed.

“What's that?” Ben replied quietly.

“How in the world did no one around here hear a wreck like that?”

“Well the only ones out here are Reverend Taylor over there,” he pointed to his right, to a house on the top of a hill, “and Amos Yoder. Amos claims to have been woken up by the second accident, he's talking to the state troopers now.” he pointed to his left, toward a dirt road leading down to a quaint little farmhouse with a big red barn. An Amish man was indeed standing along side the curb next to his driveway talking to an Illinois State Trooper who was dictating his statement on a clipboard.

“Amos said he slept right through the first accident, and I've known Kevin Taylor for years, we had sleep overs together when we were kids. He has to sleep with some kind of noise. He always brought a sound machine to my house, annoying little shit.” Meeker continued, “He sleeps with a box-fan I think. He probably couldn't hear a frieght train coming through his living room.”

“Besides that it was still raining at six o'clock this morning,” Ganoux said, “the sound of the storm could have muffled much of the noise.”

“I just can't believe Gary Windorf didn't see the over-turned tractor trailer.” Colbourne said, gesturing to the ambulance. Gary Windorf had been the driver.

“We told him to haul ass,” Meeker sighed, “it was still dark and raining.”

“Plus he was coming up from over this hill,” McGrath added, waving at the rise in the road behind them.

The Governor cleared her throat. “So we have the Chumway brothers here...where the hell is Myers? Is he in the back of that ambulance where he belongs?”

“Who is Myers?” Ganoux asked.

“Objective number one,” Meeker replied, “Big guy, jumpsuit..”

“The guy with the mask, kinda toasty?”

“That'd be him,” McGrath nodded.

“He's over there.” Ganoux pointed. Three firefighters crouched beside a body near the tree line. The figure was face down in the mud only a few feet from the trailer of Gabriel Couture's truck. “It appears the patient was thrown from the ambulance.”

“But he's dead?” Meeker asked.

“Very much so. He hit a tree in mid air.” Ganoux replied.

“He was dead before he was even put in the ambulance,” Colbourne grunted.

“Well, I can't tell that. I'd need to do a full autopsy to do that.” Ganoux said.

“Forget that,” The Governor spat, “Get his ass in a body bag and let's get it back to the High School. Get all these bodies over there so we can...”

She was interrupted by the sound of approaching vehicles. The whole party turned as a black GMC Van pulled up behind the firetrucks. In the distance, it looked as if the van had been followed by a train of semi-trucks. The truck tractors where plain white with no lettering, while the trailers were gray, and also blank. The hiss of the parking brakes sounded off one at a time.

The doors of the GMC Van opened. Several almost identical looking Caucasian men in black suits stepped out. They seemed to be led by another man, who had climbed out of the passenger side of the van. He was older than the others, judging by the gray in his hair.

The older gentlemen stepped up and extended his hand to the Governor.

“Governor Harris?” He asked simply.

“I am,” The Governor replied, taking his hand.

“I'm Dick Spencer, Director of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team for Region Five.”

“How do you do?” The Governor asked with a forced smile. “This is Deputy McGrath of the---”

Spencer cut her off and pulled a piece of paper from the inside breast pocket of his coat, “Did you request Federal Response?”

“Yes sir, we've had a bad night in this town---” The Governor started but again, Spencer cut her off.

“And you are fully aware that in so doing, you have allowed the Department of Homeland Security to begin to conduct an investigation into the order, as to the reasons why such an order would be placed pursuant to Guideline 542, section B, article F?”

The Governor looked at Meeker and then to McGrath, who took the roll of papers from Agent Spencer. “Yes sir..I am aware of the...”

“Excellent then,” Spencer looked down at the papers and began to thumb through them, “I have two affidavits for your law enforcement officers here to fill out. They must be in precise detail as to the events that transpired over the night , and why you would need to place an order for a portable refrigeration unit for casualty victims.” He looked at McGrath, “You need to fill one out as does this local officer...Officer----???”

Meeker took one of the papers, “Deputy Sheriff Ben Meeker.”

“Meeker,” Spencer nodded, “I also have a battery of questions we need to go over, but first I have three questions.”

McGrath took the other paper, “Yeah, shoot.”

“Do you or do you not want to be a big pain in my ass today?” Spencer asked.

McGrath laughed in spite of himself. “What?”

“I'm not aware that I said anything amusing Agent?” Spencer replied, cutting a look to Meeker and then back at McGrath, “Do you want to be a big pain in my ass today?”

“No sir,” McGrath replied.

Spencer looked back at Meeker, “Do you want to be a big pain in my ass Deputy Sheriff?”

“No sir,” Meeker replied.

“Excellent,” Spencer said, “Now let's get something straight. I don't want to be here, okay?”

Meeker and McGrath nodded.

“You are aware that last night was Halloween?” Spencer asked.

Meeker and McGrath looked at one another, not sure how to answer. McGrath was brave enough to try. “Well—yes...”

“Do little girls and boys play dress up on Halloween?” Spencer asked.

The two men looked at each other again and then replied in unison: “Yes sir,”

“You know who else plays dress up?”

Meeker and McGrath looked at each other a third time and then back at Spencer and shook their heads.

“Russian mail order brides play dress up,” Spencer said matter-of-factly. “Just hours ago, I was playing dress up with my Russian mail order bride, and you can imagine what kind of activities proceed playing dress up and drinking Vodka and 7-Up all night. And you can imagine how doing these things would be very taxing for a man my age, couldn't you?”

“Yes sir,” the men replied.

“I would like nothing better than to be back in my bed, in my Chicago penthouse, with Katya on my ‪Saturday morning‬. But instead, I'm called out to this piss-ant little town in the Storm-of-the-fuckin'-century. You can imagine how that would put me in a bad mood, correct?”

“Yes sir,” the men agreed.

“If there is any thing between those two affidavits that doesn't match up, or if there is anything that has transpired in this town that isn't cherry, or if the two of you aren't one hundred percent crystal clear and straight with me and obedient to my will like two little golden retriever puppy dogs, I will have Washington DC on my ass, and I don't want ‪Washington DC‬ on my ass for anything, and that will turn you into a big pain in the ass for me, and we don't want that now do we?”

“No sir,” they responded.

“I want to get this over with so I can go back home and enjoy my weekend, got it?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good,” Spencer pointed to the trucks, “Second question,” he said, “Where is the mobile refrigeration unit going to be erected?”

McGrath stuttered and looked at Meeker.

Meeker swallowed and said, “Best place I guess would be the parking lot of the high school...we've already set up a field---.”

“You guess?” Spencer stammered.

“Yes sir,” The Governor cut in, “The parking lot of the High School is where we want it.”

“What high school? I need a name people! I need an address!” Spencer's volume level went up a notch.

“It's Haddonfield High School, on the corner of Belmont and Main Street,” Meeker said.

“Well is it Belmont or Main Street?!” Spencer nearly roared.

“‪248 Belmont Avenue‬,” Meeker responded calmly.

“Got it,” one of the accompanyng men in black suits said quietly, and then they all turned to walk toward the first truck.

“Third question,” Spencer said, his volume level returning to normal, “is there a police station in this god-forsaken town that we conduct business in, or do we rednecks like to stand out in the road and play with our dicks in front of a bunch of mangled car accident victims?”

“I have two of my boys setting up a big tent in the parking lot of the hospital. That's gonna be ground zero for now until that scene gets under control and we can shift everything to the high school.” Meeker replied.

“The tent we use for the exhibitions on fair days and stuff. The recruitment tent?” Colbourne asked.

“Exactly. Herman Beach and Chris Huber are grabbing it from the storage unit. They should be there any minute. We should probably get over there now, I think we're done here.”

“That sounds like a fantastic idea,” Spencer said, turning back toward his vehicle. “There better be coffee.”

The Governor piped up, “Don't you have a Mayor in this town somewhere? Someone is gonna have to talk to the press!”

Meeker winced.

NEXT>> (Coming Soon)

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thepurplebutterflythings · 5 years

Text

Kitty Cat & Tweety Bird (Part 12) - Jason Todd

Gif: Dxnninja on Tenor

Word Count: 2.6K

Paring: Jason Todd (Titans) x (f)Reader

Summary: Poor Jason has to suffer dress shopping with Y/N, Harley & Ivy. Y/N worries that she’s bothering Bruce.

Warnings: N/A

A/N: This is a little series I am doing about Jason Todd in Titans. I don’t know Comic!Jason very well so I’m taking all of this from the show, and at the moment he hasn’t been in very often, so please forgive any mischaracterisations.

Tagging: @bella-0104-123 @ninergirl1d @httpfandxms @rosybrock @attackonnat @reclusive-chicken-nugget @demoiselle-en-detresse00 @young-psychos @thesleepykaijuu @thescottpack @nightlygiggles @rougestorms @sinon36 @acvrosstheuniverse

_______________________________________________________________

“We’ve been in this fucking store for three hours,” Jason groaned to Y/N as they watched Harley and Ivy order the staff around. Turns out Bruce had shut the store down for the day so Y/N and Jason could have their outfits for the Gala selected without interruption. All remaining staff present signed papers not to spread the information and then were left at the mercy of Harley and Ivy.

Every dress and suit that the staff showed the women were either too dramatic (Plain white? She’s not getting married), not dramatic enough (Oh, so now she’s merely going to the Oscars?), too sparkly (what? Was Y/N a Vegas show-girl now?), too poufy (She’s not in a Disney movie, moron), not modest enough (hun, we’re all for wearing what you want, but this is a Gala, there are standards), or too modest (She’s a gorgeous young woman, not a fucking Nun). Harley and Ivy always had something to critique about the dresses, and don’t even get them started on the suits. The women had decided that Jason and Y/N must wear matching outfits, and because the dress hadn’t been picked yet, the suits were all met with an icy glare.

“Now, I’ll say this one more time for you, doll,” Harley smiled sweetly with a deathly glare in her eyes, clapping her hands and leaning into the worker’s face. He was a tall, bulging man, but cowered in fear at Harley, who was half his size and standing on a seat to make eye contact. “This ain’t any plain ole gala here, we need a show-fucking-stopper of a dress, not this cheap crap that you’re prancing around us, not the tacky shit, the best shit, the high-quality shit – you hear me?”

“Yes, Ms Quinn,” the man nodded furiously, “right away, Ms Quinn.”

“Good, now scamper and don’t come back till you got the best fucking dress for our girl, kay?”

“Yes, Ms Quinn, right away, Ms Quinn,” the man disappeared quickly.

“Now, darling, that was a little harsh, don’t you think,” Ivy scolded her partner lightly, tilting her head and pursing her lips with her arms folded as Harley climbed down from the chair, huffing and popping out her hip.

“Y/N deserves nothing but the best,” Harley said, sticking her chin up and strutting to look at shoes for Y/N.

“Give the dresses a chance,” Ivy rubbed her temples, “Y/N hasn’t even tried a single one on.”

“Yeah, Auntie Harley, they might look different on,” Y/N nodded.

“If I don’t like it, it ain’t going on your body, babes,” Harley cocked her eyebrows as she lifted one shoe up, a sleek black shoe with dagger heels.

“Good thing she likes me then,” Jason whispered into Y/N’s ear, causing her to burst into giggles and smack his chest.

“I heard that lover boy,” Harley lifted her eyes to glare at Jason.

“Am I wrong, though?” Jason flashed a classic grin at Harley, who rolled her eyes and chuckled before gliding past him to look at bags, ruffling his hair in the process. Jason frowned and tried to fix his hair quickly.

“Not completely, lover boy,” Harley said, studying a bag and showing it to Ivy, who squinted then nodded in approval, “but we can still take it all back. Remember that!”

“Yes, mam.”

_____--

Saying that the office of Bruce Wayne was grand was an understatement. Spectacular, extraordinary, antique, majestic, and so much more. It was the only room which Y/N hadn’t been in. Part of her felt as though she was intruding. She still felt a little like an imposter, really. It hadn’t even been a month, and Bruce had altered his will to say that Y/N was his main heir. Obviously, he left a little something for Alfred, who would still be employed for the Wayne Family, now that there was one. Dick Grayson had some money left for him, and a car, one which he loved as a young boy and first came to Wayne Manor. Jason, of course, also had a small inheritance lined up for him, and a position waiting at Wayne Enterprises. Selina was left something as well, but Y/N held to gain the most. CEO, a vast fortune, lord knows how many houses and cars and bottles of wine and anything else which wasn’t left to anyone else – it was all hers. When she was made public, Y/N would be one of the most envious people on the planet, part of the 1%. It was terrifying, to say the least. She was going to go from someone the world didn’t give two shits about, a daughter of a single mother who had a criminal record, to someone who would have people sharing everything about her to the world, the daughter of Bruce Wayne, future CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Bruce adored her. He looked at her with pride and joy. She was already the apple of his eye. When Bruce asked if Y/N wanted to see his office, she agreed. It was strange being in a room that was going to be hers one day, one which was her father’s, and her grandfather’s, and great-grandfathers.

“So… Dad…” Y/N said as she walked around the room, looking at everything. There were bookshelves which stretched up to the ceiling, all filled with leather-bound books. “What kinda work do you do in here?”

“Go over statistics, read reports, things like that,” Bruce explained, “we’ll go into more and more detail about this later. Right now, I just wanted to show you it. You don’t have to stress about the CEO stuff yet, I’ll talk you through everything and show you the ropes.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“It’s not a problem, my dear,” Bruce stroked his daughter’s hair. “So, wanna see the Batcave?”

“Hell yes, Dad!”

Bruce chuckled and grabbed a book off of the self and opening it to reveal it was hollow inside with a small remote. Grabbing the remote out, he moved Y/N to face the empty fireplace. There was a mischievous smile on the older man’s face and a twinkle in his eye as he pointed it and pressed the button. The fireplace pulled back inside itself, and a secret hole underneath it was revealed. Y/N stared and walked forward to see the descending staircase.

“Down we go!” Bruce said behind Y/N.

___-

“And this is where Alfred oversees everything when Jason and I are in the field,” Bruce showed Y/N the computer set-up. There were seven monitors in a mixture of on a desk and mounted on the wall, and three keyboards, but one mouse. All the screens as the Bat Symbol on the screen, slowly spinning around.

“This is a cool set-up, Dad” Y/N let out a low impressed whistle. “The most advanced thing I’ve got is my night-vision goggles.”

“Well, we can give you an upgrade if you want,” Bruce offered, appearing a little sheepish, wondering if he had crossed a line. Bruce was trying so hard to find the balance between fun and protective, worrying about being either too careless or too overbearing. Selina seemed to have it down perfectly, but she had 19 years to learn, Bruce had about 19 days as a father. It wasn’t something you could pick up in a YouTube video. Bruce had to learn it himself. He gave Alfred a lot of credit now as he realised the sudden lurch in the man’s life to care for another living creature, protect and love them. Bruce had no idea how Alfred managed.

“I’d love that, Dad,” Y/N turned to Bruce with a grin on her face, thrilled at the suggestion.

“Why do you keep saying that?” Bruce asked curiously, “calling me ‘Dad’?”

“Oh,” Y/N blushed and looked down as her face fell, “sorry, does it bother you? It’s just… I’ve spent near-on twenty years never being able to call someone ‘Dad’, and now I have you here… I guess… I just want to make up for lost time,” she confessed, “If it bothers you, I’ll stop.”

“No, no,” Bruce shook his head as he met Y/N’s eyes. “I like it,” he said, “it feels… right… hearing you say ‘Dad’. It’s nice.”

“I’m glad… Dad,” Y/N smiled as she hugged her father. “It’s nice to be able to say it finally.”

“It’s nice to hear it,” Bruce whispered into her hair before pressing a fatherly kiss on her forehead. “You’re a remarkable young woman, and I’m so proud to say you are my daughter.”

“I love you, Dad,” Y/N said quietly.

“I love you too, my dear,” Bruce assured her before wrapping her into his arms.

_--

Selina painted Y/N’s toenails while Y/N painted her own fingers. They had both decided on painting them a glittery red colour. As Selina slowly moved the brush over her nails, Y/N wiggled her toes with a giggle, earning a stern look from her mother.

“We don’t want these messed up now, do we, Kitten?” Selina tutted, but smiling afterwards with a small chuckle.

“Alright, alright, sorry,” Y/N laughed, “we should do your nails afterwards,” she said, “I’ve got a lovely shimmery black that would go amazing with your dress!”

“Not tonight though, kitten, we need to let your nails dry before even thinking about mine.”

“Fine,” Y/N nodded, “what about jewellery?” she asked, “what jewellery are you wearing?”

“Nothing dramatic,” Selina said, “gold chain necklace, earrings and maybe a bracelet. I just want it to be subtle, yet elegant.”

Y/N smiled. Subtle, yet elegant – that was Selina Kyle through and though. She never needed to wear giant jewellery or puffed up dresses to catch the attention of an entire room, no, all Selina had to do was smile faintly and hold her head up high, that was all it took for heads to turn and face Selina. She was enchanting, breath-taking, ethereal – Selina Kyle could rival Aphrodite herself as most beautiful. She was beautiful inside and out. She loved and cared about people. She was a good mother, a tender heart, regardless of criminal activities. Selina Kyle was a good person, and that was rare, not just in Gotham, but in the world.

“You’ll be the most beautiful person in attendance, Mama.”

“Thank you, Kitten,” Selina stroked Y/N’s hair, “that’s very kind of you. You will look marvellous as well, Baby, I’ve seen your dress. It’s breath-taking, like you.”

“What are you girls chatting about?” Jason asked leaning in the doorway with a cheeky grin, his eyes entirely on Y/N.

“The gala,” Selina said as she finished up Y/N’s nails and closed up the nail polish, putting it away, “our dresses and stuff like that.”

“Yeah, Y/N is going to look stunning,” Jason grinned.

“How’d you know?” Y/N chuckled as she blew on her nails. “Auntie Harley and Auntie Ivy won’t let you see my dress.”

“It’s like you’re getting married,” Selina teased, causing both Jason and Y/N to blush and look at each other.

“I know because you’re stunning even now,” Jason said. Y/N scoffed. Right now? Well, she was in giant sweatpants, with an equally large shirt that was old and worn out, even a few holes were visible. Her hair was soaking wet, and she had no make-up, showing the acne scars and blackheads on her skin. Y/N couldn’t help but feel insecure. Selina assured her that they could get the scars to fade with the right serum, which they had already found, in fact, they were less prominent than they were a few months ago. With a charcoal peel-off mask, the blackheads would lessen too, but Selina always told her daughter that she was a beautiful young woman, and she was, Y/N was aware of her looks. She was like her mother, but she was still only human, and even the most beautiful humans were insecure. “I mean it,” Jason told Y/N when seeing her facial expression, “you’re stunning.”

“He’s right,” Selina sang as she walked out the room, brushing by Jason, “remember, door open.”

“Yes, mum,” Y/N sighed as Selina waved and disappeared down the hallway.

“She really thinks we’d do that with them in the house?” Jason cocked an eyebrow.

“Considering that you make an innuendo in front of my aunties when we were dress shopping, I can’t blame her.”

“SHE KNOWS ABOUT THAT!?”

“The Sirens are like sisters, Tweety Bird, they tell each other everything.”

“Oh, God…”

“Just be glad she didn’t tell my father,” Y/N laughed at Jason’s already pale expression, which worsened at the thought of Bruce knowing what he said about being on Y/N’s body.

“He doesn’t know, right?”

“The Sirens aren’t stupid, Jace, they know that Bruce would lock me in a tower, Rapunzel-Style, if they told him that.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Jason groaned as he collapsed on Y/N’s bed, right by her feet.

“Hey, don’t ruin my nails with your floppy body!”

“Floppy?” Jason lifted his head, “I ain’t floppy, Kitty Cat, I’m a fucking Greek statue! Perfectly chiselled.”

“Well, there is one small unflattering thing about Greek statues, Jason…”

“You and I both know nothing about me is small,” Jason said, leaning over and kissing Y/N, cupping her face. Y//N leaned into the kiss, eyes closed and carefully placed her hand on his wrist, trying not to ruin her nails. Jason, through the kiss, knew this and chucking against her lips.

“Don’t make me get the spray bottle,” came a voice from the door, causing Jason and Y/N to pull apart quickly to see Ivy and Harley standing there, narrowing their eyes at Jason. Harley made an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture while Ivy folded her arms, tutting and shaking her head, “fucking bunny-rabbits you are.”

“Shouldn’t you be looking after Bud and Lou?” Y/N sighed as she shifted back from Jason.

“They’re at the groomers,” Harley shrugged.

“What groomer handles Hyenas?!” Jason frowned.

“One who has very high rates, trust me,” Ivy rolled her eyes and huffed.

“They look so cute,” Harley clapped her hands wildly, “they come out with matching bows, and they get given a little goodie bag.”

“We’re going to go pick them up now, so behave you two,” Ivy warned, pointing a sharp finger at them before she and Harley disappeared from sight.

“Well, that was embarrassing…”

“They’re gone now though,” Jason grinned.

“No chance are we picking up where we left off,” Y/N scolded, “anyway, Mum and Dad gave us rules, and we need to stick to them.”

“Fine, fine,” Jason chuckled as he stood up and pulled a small box from his pocket. “I’ll do what I originally came here to do then.”

“If you get down on one knee, Jason Todd, I might just faint.”

“Not yet, Kitty Cat, but one day,” he winked as he opened the box and handed it to Y/N. He presented to her the contents inside the box. A pair of earrings. They were silver, it seemed, and hanging off of the silver, like a precious mermaid tear, was matching white pearls that glistened in the light of her room.

“Oh, Jason, you didn’t,” Y/N gasped as she carefully took the box from his hands and looked at the pearl earrings. She looked from the earrings to Jason and then back to the earrings before looking at Jason again.

“I wanted to get you something for the Gala, and since I’m not allowed to see your dress yet, I’d go for something classic and beautiful, like you,” Jason said gently, stroking her wrist, so not to ruin her nails which her still drying.

“Jason…”

“No, don’t, I know what you’re going to say that it’s too much, but it isn’t, it really isn’t.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Y/N smiled.

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“Thank you, Tweety Bird,” Y/N kissed Jason’s cheek, “I love them. They’ll look really good with my dress.”

“And they’ll look gorgeous on you, Kitty Cat.”

“God, you’re such a charmer aren’t you,” she teased.

“Well, when I’ve got such a beautiful girl here, how can I resist?”

113 notes · View notes

godrics · 4 years

Text

NCT DREAM BEYOND LIVE CONCERT!RORY

gif made by x

NCT DREAM BEYOND LIVE CONCERT!RORY

UNDER READ MORE (bc it’s actually really long now that im on tumblr)

okay so the concert started with the vcr/video from the dream show ..

rory's little scene was her as a teacher !!! so cute

OOH and then the transition into her into her teacher clothes into a suit .. thats my girl

her hair is still like this. much more vibrant than it was because she redyed it oops

first song was GO!! change ur ways

she was wearing this [ black cargo pants, a black crop top, belt, along with chains lmao idk how to describe. oh and black boots ] for go, drippin', we go up, and stronger performances!

it was kind of awkward at first but then she saw nctzens' faces so she was happy

"to the world, this is the nct! we are nct dream”

she clapped excitedly, jumping up and down

"beyond the dream show~"

when haechan asked the time where the fans were, she read the comments, squinting funnily at the screen before gasping

"one of the czennies said it was 3am!"

the other boys gasped in shock before clapping slightly

"thank you for watching us even though it's 3am!" rory said to the fans. "but go to bed as soon as this is over~ or whenever you're feeling tired, that's okay too!"

"for our global fans, we prepared something special, right?" haechan said and rory nodded, smiling

"so we prepared our greeting in various languages"

rory's greeting was in french! fans went crazy bc she sounded SO good and her pronounciation was good too

after that she says, "renjun took english from me" in english and playfully glared at the older boy who laughed.

she turned to the fans and said, "but um, wendy-unnie taught me that so .. if it sounds bad it's all her fault." she claps as the other boys laugh

when they were talking about how they felt, rory said "i watched superm and wayv's concerts so i was excited because i knew we'd hear from the fans just like they were here with us in person. they were really loud, too" and laughs

when renjun told them to scream, she hit him lightly and said "yah, don't you remember what i just said? some fans it's 3am there!"

"oh dont scream then," renjun laughed, making her laugh before she went back to waving at the fans as they waved their lightsticks

when the fans appeared behind them, her eyes widened and she immediately ran to the screen, waving in all directions

she noticed when she got close to a fan's screen, they'd start waving their hand/lighstick even harder and it made her laugh

"rory, come back!" jaemin laughed, tugging her with him back to where the other 5 were

"wow, pretty grass" rory mocked mark as she stared at the lightsticks where the audience were supposed to be and on the screens

haechan had to hide a laugh

then there was we go up performance

woo fun

then stronger! she loves that song is2g

okay for the next vcr

she was in a school uniform standing in between jeno and jaemin

"you guys suck," rory laughed, watching the boys try to succeed

when renjun comes over and succeeds in under one minute and one hand, she gasped in shock lightly before watching him walk away coolly and put his head back down on the desk

jaemin nudged her as she laughed, "you guys are just losers!"

and then it ends on her walking over to renjun and bending down to face him and tapping him on the shoulder

he jumps from how close she is and she laughs, grinning at him, "that was cool" before going back over to the boys and he watches her

next video of the vcr oo

she gets hit in the head by the basketball(she's after chenle) and luckily saves it before it falls to the ground and throws it towards the basket, renjun jumping up to hit it in

why is she always getting hit in the head rip rory's head

next performance is dunk shot!!!

she hated the outfits tho jfc

she was wearing white loose shorts that ended midthigh and a pink button up over a white t-shirt

yeah super plain im so sorry rory that the stylists did you dirty like that

(to be fair the boys looked bad too like what was that matching .. there was NONE)

NEXT IS CHEWING GUM!!

AND THERE WERE HOVERBOARDS

SHE MISSED THE HOVERBOARDS SO MUCH

she hyped up jisung so loud during his solo dance

and had a huge ass smile on her face during it

she was in the middle of renjun and chenle at the bottom

AND THEY LEFT A SPACE FOR MARK IN BETWEEN JAEMIN AND JISUNG SHE ALMOST CRIED

"i think chenle changed the most" rory laughed, talking about the difference from now and almost four years ago when they debuted

"you changed a lot, too" chenle poked her and she huffed out a laugh, choosing not to respond to him and shook her head

when it was time for the interactions, she had to hide her wince because since she watched wayv and superm's, she was worried about how it would go because some fans' wifi connections were bad(so were sm's but anyways--)

oh luckily the first fan spoke korean !!

"hi!" she waved excitedly at the fan

when the fan said her name, she quietly repeated it to herself but it was still heard from the mic

"there's a song called 7 days in your album. what do you guys mean to each other?"

rory's mouth went dry at that question as she rubbed her hands together, looking at the boys silently as they ahhed and oohed

she smiled slightly as she saw how big their smiles got at the question

chenle said that the members were his family. they're literally siblings

she laughed at that

hyuck said that the members were apart of himself and that he grew up with all of them

jisung said bc they're older than him, they're like his younger siblings

rory had to look away in order to not laugh at his answer LMFAO

she couldnt contain how big her smile got when jaemin said that he couldn't live without them

she literally almost cried from tears of laughter from jeno's answer "onion"

renjun said that the members are youth to him

and him bringing up the stupid bottle to his face . i s2g she quickly yanked that from him so quick while laughing

and then finally it was her turn

"um, thank you for the question, siyoung!" she clapped slightly before continuing. "to me, the members are .. my childhood" she nodded slightly as she spoke. "we all grew up together so each of them have a piece of my childhood that i dont want to leave"

renjun pulls her into a side hug as jeno says "cute~"

wolfies(rory's stans) cried

when the fan said she'd stick with nct dream seven days a week, she laughed from the sudden overwhelming feeling at her words and bowed towards the fan, keeping her eyes to the ground so the camera wouldn't catch her teary eyes

too bad the camera did once she looked back up

"nct dream have 8 members--" when haechan said that, rory smiled big and nodded her head

"infinity" rory cheered, the members following behind

the next caller was up!

"ooh, poland" rory smiled

the fans question was "what are your biggest dreams" which she translated for them

rory's answer was "i have no doubt that nct dream will stay together forever so ... i my biggest dream is nctzens staying with us forever. even when we all grow up and have our own lives, i hope nctzens will some day think of nct dream and smile"

jaemin literally walked over and pinched her cheek, cooing at how cute she was

rory rolled her eyes playfully but let him

ah yes to this day he's still the only one she'll allow to give her skinship in public

rip other boys

she felt so sad when the third caller's connection was bad

"ah ... difficult technicalities"

she put a thumbs down

anyways next was don't need your love!!!

she LOVES this song so much guys its unreal

her place at the start is right in between renjun and jisung again lmao

shes leaning against chenle and jaemin

she loves hearing the boys' english btw

also in this version she has more lines but im not gonna tell which ones that's too much work

and next is we young!!

watching the part when they take a pic .. made me cry so it made rory very nostalgic

rory's wearing a professional suit but like . with a skirt i forgot what its called rip

she's standing in between hyuck and jeno

when jaemin laughs she laughs

she has that pic in her phone case btw

along with an ot8 pic

when they're talking abt the 50 years later OO im gonna . cry again

"so we can see how we change"

"um, we're gonna look older" rory laughed

btw grandma rory literally still looks good as hell sorry i dont make the rules

rory: "chenle would look like steve jobs but like .. chinese"

chenle was so offended bye

rory: "jisung if you grow a mustache i will never forgive you"

"wHY DOES IT MATTER?????"

"bc you'd look stupid i cant be seen with someone looking stupid"

the other pic where renjun jumps .. her face is literally so genuinely shocked in that pic LMAO she didnt expect that

NEXT IS BEST FRIENDS OH MY GODD I LOVED IT SO DID SHE

SHE JUST WISHED MARK WAS THERE .. AND HE KINDA WAS

btw she was wearing a black blazer but it was shorter .. and another black skirt with a white crop top underneath rip

OKAY HYERI MADE NCTZENS CRY SO HARD

so theyre uneven rn right?

so instead of her being a third wheel(not really)

when it's her part, she's backstage and as she's doing her part, she reached into an open closet and .. pulls out a cutout board of mark :((

yeah she cried too when she thought of it and luckily sm let her!!

at the end of her part towards the end of the song, she smiles and says, "right, mark-oppa?" and forms half a heart up to the camera

(taeyong later sends her a video of mark reacting to her parts and when she does the heart he puts half a heart up next to hers <3)

next is candle light! they dont really have a choreo to this one either

anyway candle light wouldnt have been her first choice bc she'd prefer to perform dear dream .. BUT ANYWAY

next is PUZZLE PIECE and 7 DAYS!!

the camera catches her and jisung doing their little handshake . so cute

she then hugs chenle so he wouldnt feel left out

end posing of puzzle piece, she's in between chenle and jisung AGAIN SLDJDJL

they form a heart with her doing the bottom and chenle and jisung doing the top/sides

when they read the comments after performing jeno reads one that says "rory is so talented, her vocals are so good"

and then hyuck read "rory's parts in best friends was so cute"

she blushes so cute

when they talk abt the album

rory says in english, "thank you for supporting us and we hope you guys enjoyed listening to the album as much as we enjoyed making it .. think of it as our gift to you for always loving us!!" cute baby. and then gives a little finger heart

special guest is mark, jungwoo, and doyoung!!

she expected mark but was surprised about jungwoo and doyoung

she couldnt stop smiling the whole time because literally all she had to do was see 127 and smile immediately like they dont even got to do anything

the technical difficulties .. rory said in english again "i think you need to get your wifi checked, mark"

"no mark-oppa?" he teased and she laughed

when they were complimenting them, jungwoo said that mark really enjoyed rory's parts in best friends and she full out giggled from nervousness, blushing from embarrassment

doyoung complimented her vocals and rap and shes never been so proud of herself

compliments from 127? her greatest achievement

jungwoo then said she was so cute wow more blushing

she found the challenge boring and wouldve preferred if 127 picked the damn challenge themselves bc then it wouldve been funnier and more fun but alas .. sm >:(

she picked puzzle piece tho

THE FUCKING NEXT VCR .. so emotional when she watched over it

she literally just watched her and her friends grow up in literal seconds

there's a clip of her from chewing gum on mark's back while he's riding the hoverboard

.. also somehow they got a clip of her hugging jaemin when he came back sigh

emotional manipulation!! she was kinda pissed that was in there bc it was supposed to be private but what can she do .. it's sm

there's a video of her chasing jeno during we young era while on the mv set

and another one of renjun literally dragging her on the ground because she wouldnt let go of his legs in mfal era

in mfal era she's seen running over chenle when he's out of their little cars

its funny he almost fell if jeno didnt catch him LMAO

but its ok dont fret he was in the grass

mfal era where hyuck tries to make a basket but fails and she steals the ball from him and makes it in .. he pouted FOREVER after that

the video of them in chewing gum era and then goes to ridin' era ..

her clip is her smiling shyly at the camera WITH HER CUTE PIGTAILS OH MYGODDD SO SOFT SO BABY

and then it goes to her in ridin' era with her leaning against the car and a lollipop in her mouth, staring dead straight at the camera somehow intimidatingly

n then ofc the music changes and the videos go more recent

theres clips of her behind the scenes in we young, go, dnyl, and boom

also some of her at that dream show concert

the ridin' stage was prerecorded but anyway she's wearing the same outfit she does in the mv

she saw a clip of the car cg and she yelled at the members jokingly saying it almost ran her over

wearing same outfit for quiet down which was live

they had one more song after :( she was really sad and she made sure nctzens knew that

"i wish we could perform more songs for you guys but .. only one more :(" and then sighed really loudly

"i wish you guys were here in person as well but your health is way more important and until then .. well, hopefully we can see each other again in the future! i miss seeing all your pretty faces" she then pouted as the other members oohed loudly and she laughed

after the other members continue she then reminds them all to "wash their hands and wear their masks over their noses if they have to go out"

when renjun says bonjour her eyes widen and she says "wow, so you stole my english and now my french?" she jokingly raises her hand to hit him but all he does is laughs and grabs her hand to 'stop her'

last is boom!

they shouldve performed dear dream or mfal but i guess booms good too not like they havent had to hear that song for 9 months

anyways

at the end she sneakily gives the camera a finger heart

22 notes · View notes

gretacheesefleet · 5 years

Text

Wild West G.D.

(Lil wild west au)

The thin mountain air was full of dust and the smell of horse manure. For a desolate town there was more people bustling around than you imagined.

Six months. It took you six months to travel here from New York. A few weeks by train to St. Louis and then the rest of the way by stagecoach. You traveled across rivers, plains, and marshes. Through cities, ghost towns, and new settlements. Only to end up in a small town between two mountain ranges in the Montana territory. The view was stunning though. Snow capped mountains with thousands of green conifers surrounded you.

You sigh and step off the stagecoach. Except the last step was farther down than you expected. Gasping as you stumble you close your eyes for the impact.

"Woah easy there Miss, don't want you to ruin your purdy dress." A pair of strong hands straighten you up. Slowly you open your eyes. It's like he's an angel sent to earth from the heavens. The man in front of you is even more breathtaking than the view surrounding the two of you. The cowboy hat sits perfectly atop his head, the suspenders and his tight shirt show the outline of his torso, a holster hangs on his hips from the weight of the pistol, and the trousers make his legs look everlasting. His chiseled jawline would put all the Roman sculptures to shame. Eyes a shade you've never seen before and a smile brighter than the sun.

"Um thank you Mr?" You start brushing of your dress to stop staring at him.

"Please just call me Grayson."

"Nice to meet you Grayson. I'm (y/n)," you hold out your hand. He firmly grips it. Your hand practically disappears in his huge one.

"You new here?" He asks letting go of your hand.

"I thought it was kinda of obvious when I fell of the stagecoach," you giggle grabbing your bags from the driver.

"Oh yeah," Grayson rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Well then what brings you out here to the Montana territory all by yourself?"

"My brother's here. He's been here for almost two years."

"Who is your brother?"

"Lukas (y/l/n). Do you know him?"

"No I sure don't," Grayson says quickly. "You might go see the Marshall he knows everyone."

"Where's his office?"

"Right over there," he points to a building that says Marshall's office in big letters. "I would love to go with you but I've got someone waiting for me so, I really hope I'll be seen you 'round?"

"I hope I see you around too." Grayson tips his hat and takes off. You wave slightly, then you pick up your bags and take off towards the Marshall's office.

It's a plain building built from logs and two glass panes on each side of the door. When you walk in you're met with a tall, old man with a thick gray mustache. "Ello deary. I'm Marshall Collins. How may I help you?"

"I'm (y/n) (y/l/n) and I'm looking for my brother Lukas (y/l/n)."

"Well I hate to tell you this Miss (y/n) but yer brother is dead."

The news struck you like a brick wall. Taking a step back you stared at the Marshall in disbelief.

"What do you mean Lukas is dead? I just got letter from him at St. Louis. He c-can't be dead!"

"I'm sorry but a week ago-"

"A week ago!" A week ago you were traveling through part of the rugged Rockies.

"He was jumped on his way to town. Shot in the back. Two brothers heard the shot and brought the body and the man who shot him into town." You stand there speechless. Your big brother is dead. What are you supposed to do? You can feel the tears start filling up your eyes.

"Where is the man who killed him?" You ask wiping your eyes.

"In the ground," he shrugs. "Hung him the day after. Admitted to the Judge he did it so no use in keeping him 'round."

"Good. Thank you for telling me sir," you nod and walk out. Now you were in deep trouble. You have no money. No place to live.

You look around the town in hope of some form of work. Only one spot catches your eye. A saloon with a big help wanted sign. You wipe your eyes, take a deep breath, pick up your bags, and head to the saloon.

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You started that evening just as all men who had been working came in to have a drink. The dress you are wearing is very revealing leaving nothing of your body to anyone's imagination. Your breasts are practically spilling out of the top and the corset is giving you that "perfect" hourglass shape men seem to love so much.

Everything is going just fine. You flirt with the men, even the ones who reek of an awful stench and with few teeth. Saying the perfect things to get maybe a few dollars in tips so you can afford to go back home to New York.

You are making your way back to the bar when an arm snakes around your waist. Startled you're pulled into a strangers lap. You turn your head to see a man with a thin, black mustache and cold eyes, smirking at you.

"Hey there pretty lady whatcha doin after you're done here?"

"Well I'll probably sleep." You start to stand up.

"All alone?" He pulls you back into his lap rubbing his thumbs in circles on your hips.

"Yes all alone. Please let me go," you struggle to get up.

"Aw nah pretty lady you're staying with me," he starts to nuzzle your neck. Panic starts to come over you. He's so much stronger than you.

"Please. I've got work to do."

"Well if do a little somethin for me I can be sure to treat you good." His hands move farther up your sides.

"No..."

"She said no Billy," a firm voice states.

"Oh go find your own Dolan this one's mine." You look up and see Grayson. He doesn't even look at you.

"Let her go now." He says through a clenched jaw as his hand slowly inches to the pistol resting on his hip. The man roughly pushes you off into the floor.

"Are you lookin for a fight Dolan?" Billy stands sizing Grayson up.

"No I'm not, but the next time I see you handling another lady like that again I will not hesitate to beat some sense into you."

"She ain't no lady," Billy scoffs. "No real lady wears clothes like that. She's just wantin to get a room with me so she can make a few extra dolla-"

He was cut off with a fist to the jaw. You gasp as Billy tackles Grayson. You quickly scoot back against a wall as brawl ensues in front of you. The whole saloon is a mess of flying chairs and bottles. You lose Grayson in the crowd till a hand clamps down on your shoulder. You look up to see him.

"Grayson!" He shakes his head and holds out his hand.

"I'm not Grayson," you look at him confused as he helps you onto your feet. "I'll explain outside."

This Grayson imposter practically drags you out of the saloon.

"DOLAN!" Billy roars throwing a bottle. It misses and hits the swinging doors. You flinch. The boy leading you doesn't flinch a muscle.

"Who are you?" You question. He doesn't answer so you stop walking. "I'm going anywhere until you tell me who you are."

He turns around and you finally get a good look at his face. His lip is busted and his nose is gushing blood.

"Oh my!" You gasp quietly.

"Ethan Dolan. I'm assuming you've met Grayson he's my twin. He said he met a beautiful lady this afternoon but you look a bit different than he described..." Ethan says looking down your body. You blush remembering what your wearing and at what Ethan said.

"I'm (y/n) (y/l/n)," Ethan's eyes go wide for a second. "Is something wrong?"

"No everything's fine."

"Ok well let's get you cleaned up." You started to pull him to a water pump.

"No we should leave before Billy comes out and shoots me." You gasp.

"Would he really do that?"

"He just needs time to cool off. Come on let's go." Ethan heads over to a pretty palomino horse tied to a hitching post. He unties the reins and looks at you.

"What? Never been on a horse before?"

"I've lived in New York City my entire life I've never had the need to ride a horse." You state matter of factly.

Ethan smirks and raises an eyebrow. He holds out his hand.

"Come on I'll help you up."

You hesitantly grab him.

"Okay put your left foot in the stirrup and then swing your right leg over the horse," Ethan instructs you.

You nod and do as he told you. But before you can get your right leg completely over you feel yourself start to fall back. You let out a gasp.

"Woah now!" Ethan catches you and pushes you onto the horse. After you're situated in the saddle he follows suit. Ethan is sitting behind you, arms on both sides of you holding onto the reins.

"Hold on tight to saddle Missy here is a bit of a free spirit."

"I'm not going to fall off am-"

"DOLAN!" Billy comes storming out of the saloon.

"That's our cue," Ethan snaps the reins and Missy takes off galloping. You let out a yell as Billy shouts curses after the two of you.

"And no I won't let you fall!" Ethan says over the loud thunder of hooves.

After you're far enough away from town Ethan slows Missy to a trot. In just a few minutes a small cabin comes into view.

"Gray!" Ethan yells as you approach the cabin. "Grayson!"

Grayson comes running out with out a shirt on. Your mouth drops without you realizing it. This man has truly been blessed. His torso is as toned as you imagined earlier and it's evident that he does this often due to the nice even tan he has.

"Ethan what's wrong? Has something happened? Are you h-" he stops midsentence as Ethan turns the horse a little to reveal you.

You move your gaze down to the ground. You shift nervously.

"(Y/n)?!"

"Hello Grayson."

"What are you doing here? Why are you wearing those clothes? Ethan what are you doing with her? What happened to your face?"

"Woah Gray calm down I'll explain," Ethan climbs off the horse. You swing your leg over and Ethan reaches up grabbing your hips. In one quick motion he lifts you off the horse setting you safely on the ground.

You look around you. It's a dark night but you can make put an outline of a barn in the distance. A slight breeze blows and you shiver.

"Here let's get you inside (y/n)," Grayson grabs onto your arm and steers you into the cabin. "We don't have any ladies clothes but I'm sure we could find something to last through the night."

"Oh thank you Grayson but there's no need-"

"Nonsense (y/n). Now do you mind telling me why you are wearing this saloon getup?"

You look down in embarrassment.

"Well turns out my brother, Lukas, was killed about a week ago. I spent all my money on the trip down here and with Lukas gone I need to go home. The only way I could figure on making money was the saloon." Grayson stays quiet as you explain your problem. When you finish Grayson sighs.

"You can stay here."

"Oh no I don't want to be a burden."

"(Y/n) don't be ridiculous. It's late and you don't have anywhere else to go. I'll go find you some clothes for tonight. Tomorrow we can go get your stuff from town."

You open your mouth to protest but he holds up his hand to silence you. He turns and heads into a room. You look around the small cabin.

You're standing in what appears to be the kitchen and living room. There's a small stove for cooking, a fireplace, a table and chairs, and two rifles on a rack above the front door. On the opposite wall there is another door and some shelves with a few things on it. One wall has two doors. Grayson walks out of one with clothes in his arms.

"Here are some of my clothes. They might be big but it should work for tonight." He hands you the clothes. "You can change in my room." He nods at the door he came from.

You nod and scurry into the room. It's very tiny. There's a belt with gun and holster on a small table in a corner, a bed with a ragged quilt and pillow in one, and a dresser in another.

Slowly you start to undress. You hear the front door shut. You slip on the button up shirt Grayson gave you (which falls to the top of your knees) and tiptoe to the door.

"Where is she?" You hear Ethan ask.

"She's changing in my room."

"Oh. Is she going to sleep in there?"

"Yeah I'll sleep in your room with you."

"She's a real beauty isn't she?"

"Oh yeah she is," Grayson sighs.

What Ethan says next is so quiet you can't make out the words. When you open the door they're leaned over the table with their backs turned. They jump when you clear your throat. In sync their eyes widen when they notice how little you're wearing. Clearing your throat their eyes shoot back up.

"Um it's pretty late, I uh, I'm going to get some sleep. I'm sleeping in your room right Grayson?" You gesture to his room.

"Uh yeah. Yeah! See you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Night. Um I just want to say thank you," you smile at him. "Especially you Ethan. I don't know what I would have done if you wouldn't have intervened like that."

"Aw it was nothin'." Ethan says sheepishly.

Smiling you make the way back into the room. Blowing out the kerosene lamp you crawl into the bed.

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The smell of frying bacon wakes you in the morning. Looking around you noticed your clothes from yesterday are gone. They have been replaced with a shirt and pants. There's a pair of boots sitting beside the door. Quickly you get dressed. The pants are too long so you roll up the bottoms and you have to tuck in the button up. The boots are a bit to big so you stuff socks in the toe.

When you open the door your jaw drops. A bare back of one of the twins is the sight you're blessed with. Muscles ripple as he bends down to pick up the towel he just dropped. It's so tan and smooth. You want to run your hands all over it.

He starts to turn around and you shake your head to break the trance. The beautiful body belonged to Grayson. He's holding a pan full of bacon. A smile breaks out on his face.

"Good morning. You're just in time for breakfast. Bacon and biscuits. I hope the clothes aren't to big on you."

"Oh they're fine thank you. Breakfast looks delicious."

"Here," Grayson sits down the pan and pulls out a chair for you. When you sit down he gives you some bacon and a biscuit.

"Um thank you again for letting me stay here." You take a bite of bacon.

Grayson's back is to you again as he rummages through the cabinets.

"It's really no problem (y/n). Here. Blackberry jam. Homemade," he sits a jar full of black goo in front of you. He hands a knife to you.

Thinking back to yesterday you remember how he acted when you mentioned your brother.

"Are you sure you didn't know Lukas? I mean this is a really small town." You ask between bites. Graysons back visibly stiffens.

"Grayson? Did you know him? Please tell me."

"Yeah," he nods and turns to you. "Yes we knew Lukas. Actually we're the ones who found him."

87 notes · View notes

capcarolsdanver · 5 years

Text

Interruptions

Summary: I mean, what else can I say? You and Carol are together and trying to get a moment alone to do couple things but the rest of the Avengers make that incredibly difficult for you.

Pairing: Carol Danvers x Reader

A/N: Thanks again for all the feedback and love for my last fic, The Party. Hopefully this one reaches the same standard. This is a lot different to anything I’ve ever really written before so I’m pretty stressed about it tbh. Please send me feedback and let me know, it is greatly appreciated!! Enjoy! :)

It had been a pretty calm and relaxing day at Avengers HQ, and you found yourself lounging on one of the couches in the lounge room in front of the TV waiting for Carol to return from a mission.

Her, Steve and Thor had all headed out a few hours ago, and though you weren’t sure of the exact details of the mission, Carol had assured you it was nothing to worry about and that she would return soon.

Yours and Carol’s relationship had grown incredibly strong, the both of you practically inseparable. This had of course led to a great deal of teasing from the group, so for the most part the two of you found it easier to show each other affection when you were alone or whenever you could avoid everyone else’s comments.

You glance at Bruce, who is sprawled out across the couch opposite you. He’d been asleep for a solid 45 minutes at this point, the only sign of life being the odd snore here and there.

You suddenly feel a light touch to your shoulder and a smile instantly takes over your face when you look up and see Carol. She slowly traces her hand along your shoulders as she makes her way around the couch and the expression on her face reads as relief and relaxation, a common expression among any Avenger who returns from a hassle-free mission.

“Hey there,” Carol says with a playful tone to her voice. She’s already changed out of her suit and makes her way to you in a plain white shirt and dark denim jeans. She very smoothly sits down on the couch next to you. “How’s it going?”

She leans towards you to greet you with a kiss, which you eagerly return before breaking apart.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? The mission went well?” You ask and she’s wearing her smirk on her face before you can even finish talking.

“Of course it did. They had me.” You both chuckle and Carol brings a hand to your cheek and kisses you again, pulling you in closer as she deepens the kiss.

“Woah, ladies,” Steve booms out as he walks into the room. “PDA much? Have some respect for poor Banner over there.” You separate yourself from Carol and put some distance between you as she huffs and sends a hard glare to Steve.

“Come on Rogers. We all know once he’s out nothing can wake him up… except maybe Natasha.” Carol looks over her shoulder at Bruce to double check her claim before gesturing towards him. “See, he’s hardly moving a muscle.”

“Yeah Steve, he’s literally been in that exact position for almost an hour now. He’s not budging,” you add to the conversation. You feel yourself begin to blush as you glance at Steve and see the teasing expression on his face.

Thor saves you the trouble of attempting to defend yourself as he enters the room, looking around at you all before more or less collapsing on top of one of the recliner seats, his leg lazily swung over the armrest.

“Are you giving these ladies trouble again, Steve? They are causing no harm. I say give them a break!” He smiles widely at you and Carol and you feel yourself relaxing a little more. Carol must feel the same as she brings one of her hands to rest on your shoulder.

“Thank you, Thor,” you smile to him before switching your gaze to Steve with a playful glare. Thor nods at you in return before pulling himself up to sit a little straighter on the recliner.

“Of course. I mean, look at how cute they are!” He exclaims, holding his hand out in your’s and Carol’s direction as if to make his point clear to Steve. At this Steve bursts into laughter and you feel Carol huff again as she moves her hand off of your shoulder and crosses her arms.

“Okay, first of all, I hate the word ‘cute’,” she grumbles, a blush rising to her cheeks as she avoids eye contact. You laugh quietly at her as she pouts.

“Hey, it’s not his fault. You are pretty damn cute.” You lean over to her and kiss her cheek, hearing her grumble again as you and Steve continue laughing.

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Dinner with the Avengers is always incredibly entertaining, as one could imagine. If the whole group are there, it seems like endless chatter erupts and it’s almost impossible to think properly. There have been the occasional food fights, which are a war on their own, but thankfully tonight was fairly low-key in terms of Avengers dinners.

Everyone had finished eating and dispersed, some heading to their rooms for a relatively early night and some going elsewhere to hang out.

Steve insisted that he would take care of the dishes tonight, despite Tony’s insistence that one of his several AI’s could take care of it. By now you all knew that, especially after a mission, Steve liked to keep himself busy to avoiding overthinking things, so you all just let him do whatever he needed to do.

You start heading towards the kitchen to see if Steve needs any help when Carol shows up beside you, offering a sly smile and gently tugging on your hand, pulling you in the opposite direction towards a balcony.

“Hey, what are you doing? I was gonna go help Steve.” Carol scans the general area around you before she’s quickly opening the door to the balcony and pulling you to the side, as far away from any curious eyes as you both can get.

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be just fine on his own,” she replies before her hands grip your hips, pulling your body closer to her own. Her lips are on yours in an instant, an urgency to her movements that sends heat throughout your body. Your head is almost spinning and you put your hands to Carol’s chest to push her back slightly.

“Woah, woah. What’s the rush, Captain?” You say as you try to catch your breath. At your words, a flash of what looks a whole lot like lust enters her eyes before she also controls her breath, pulling you back towards her a little more.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we always kinda have to be in a rush here. We’re interrupted every time we stand near each other.”

You have time to quickly chuckle in response before Carol’s arms are sliding around your waist and she’s kissing you with so much passion that you can’t help but moan, which seems to set Carol off even more and she’s pulling you impossibly close, her hands beginning to roam your body.

You bring your own hands up, allowing one to rest on Carol’s waist while the other shoots up to her hair. You pull slightly and earn a breathy moan. Carol’s lips leave your own and make their way to your neck, kissing you hotly right along the spot she knows drives you crazy.

You whine as she runs her tongue along your skin and you can feel her smirk against your neck before you tug her hair and her lips are back on yours.

The sound of the balcony door being swung open suddenly makes you and Carol both pull back quickly. Her eyes meet your own as you hear Tony’s laughter from the open door. Carol drops her head to your shoulder with a sigh, her arms remaining around your waist.

“See? We can’t get a damn moment to ourselves around here,” she mutters. Luckily Carol had positioned you both away from prying eyes, so you had a moment to compose yourself and separate before Tony and Pepper walk out onto the balcony.

“Oh, hey Carol, (Y/N). You two come out here to look at the stars too?” Pepper cheerfully asks as she spots you. Tony’s eyes follow hers but he scans you both with a suspicious gaze. “The sky is really beautiful tonight!”

“Oh, yeah! That’s definitely why we came out here!” You reply, hoping your tone comes across as convincing. Pepper accepts your answer and Tony goes to say something before dismissing himself, bringing his arm around Pepper and pulling her into his side as they both share a smile and whisper among themselves.

Carol slings her arm around your shoulders and brings herself closer to you, resting her head against yours as you both actually look up to the stars for the first time that night.

“I guess we’ll have to finish this later then, hm?” You hear her whisper into your ear.

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

Shortly after returning from the balcony you had said goodnight to whoever you saw and made your way to your room for the night.

You’re not surprised when only a few minutes later you hear a light knock on the door and Carol appears. She shuts the door on her way in and locks it behind her, the familiar beeping of the door sounds in confirmation.

“Hey, babe,” Carol says gently, offering you a grin as she reaches you. Her hands come to rest on your cheeks and she kisses you softly. She lets out a satisfied sigh. “Thank God we can’t get interrupted this time,” she jokes as she leads you backwards towards the bed.

A loud crashing sound from outside your window springs you both apart, Carol instantly on high alert as she steps in front of you and scans the window for any movement. You can hear someone talking in a hushed tone and footsteps sound before you can make out some movement through the darkness.

Carol sees the movement too and instantly throws a hand up, a photon blast making your room glow for a moment as the beam goes straight through the window, sending glass flying in every direction.

There’s yelling coming from outside now, which dies down when Carol lowers her fist and you both wait with bated breath. After a few moments Bucky and Steve gingerly peer their heads through where you once had a window. Bucky offers a tentative smile when he sees you both.

“Uh, you know what. This is totally our bad for being out here so late. We’ll just be going now,” he says carefully as he turns to leave. Carol raises her eyebrow at Steve, who is still frozen in shock, and he shakes himself out of it before following Bucky’s lead.

“Right. Uh, yeah, what he said. Have a good night!” He exclaims as he quickly disappears in the same direction as Bucky.

“Well that could have been a disaster,” Carol chuckles as she turns to face you again.

“Yeah, well. Disaster strikes when least wanted and expected. That being said, what are you going to do about my window, seeing as you broke it?”

Carol looks over her shoulder at the mess she’s made before returning her gaze to you. She shrugs and smirks at you as she moves closer.

“I think that’s a problem for tomorrow.” You roll your eyes and then she’s pushing you down onto the bed, moving herself over your body and resting her weight on top of you slightly as she kisses you hungrily. You both immediately fall into each other, forgetting about the smashed window and everything else.

Your hand flies straight to her hair again and hers are exploring the skin beneath your shirt and you are both too carried away that you don’t register the distinctive beeping sound of your door being unlocked.

And as if on schedule at this point, Tony Stark bursts into your room holding a tablet in one hand and equipped with his Iron Man arm on the other, facing his palm towards any potential threats.

“I just got an alert for a security breach in here, what the hell’s going on?” He yelled roughly before taking in his surroundings. You and Carol were frozen on the bed, looking at Tony in shock as he now looked at you with a similar expression.

You vaguely notice Nat glancing over Tony’s shoulder and bursting into laughter in the background as Tony lowers his weaponised hand.

“Oh. Never mind, continue,” he quickly states as he turns to leave.

“Is this a Code Green?” You hear Bruce ask from somewhere outside your room as Tony closes the door and you hear the beep of your door locking again.

Carol groans, looking at you in disbelief.

“This is unbelievable. We have got to get our own place.” You chuckle at her before pulling her back down to you.

“Agreed. Now come here, Captain.”

#carol danvers x reader #carol danvers imagine #captain marvel x reader #captain marvel imagine #captain marvel #carol danvers #fic #mine #technically not in the same storyline as the party but if you wanna read it that way then it still works #interruptions

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fullmetalscullyy · 5 years

Note

Roy has a girlfriend and she and Riza dont get along very well, she gets jealous of how close Roy and Riza are and tells him to choose between them. Roy doesnt even need to think to answer.

(hey i’m back to answering asks i probably should’ve answered weeks ago whoops)

thank you for this ask anon!! it’s an idea i’ve kinda always wanted to tackle but kept forgetting about lmao also this has spiralled out of control and will be a multi-chapter fic i just finished the first one tonight and there will probably be three (maybe idk it might grow more arms and legs who knows at this point)

fic title: “closer” from a song by travis

rated: t | words: 3479

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

ao3 | ffnet

A knock sounded at the office door and Riza Hawkeye knewinstantly who it would be. Glancing at the clock confirmed her suspicions, andshe would have groaned if she wasn’t in such a professional environment. Plus,the Colonel was in earshot and she wouldn’t humiliate herself like that.

“Come in,” he called, not looking up from his paperwork.Apparently, he had no idea who it could be. Riza didn’t know why. Their visitorwas persistent and clingy. She arrived around this time every day, greeting himso they could both walk home together.

Riza was no stranger to jealousy, however the last time she’dexperienced it was when she was merely a child. She’d been jealous of Roybecause he’d gotten her father’s attention while she’d been left by thewayside, forgotten about once more. In hindsight, she was glad she’d been leftto her own devices. Her father was insufferable, holding her to an impossiblyhigh standard which made the fallout even worse when she inevitably fell short.Being unable to perform alchemy – his alchemy – was the last straw.After all the pressure, the tears, and the yelling, he gave up on her completely.A year later, the apprentices began to roll in, none lasting longer than a fewdays.

But Roy… He’d managed, somehow. Riza never asked because shedidn’t want to taint their conversations with the mentions of her father. RoyMustang had lit up her dark childhood with a spark of friendship and she wasloath to ruin it with her father’s darkness.

So yes, she’d been jealous once before. It wasn’t hard tosee why.

But this… They were co-workers. Sure, they’d spent most oftheir formative years together. He’d become her closest friend, her confidantin her time of need, and a great pillar of support for Riza.

Eventually, he’d become her lover.

But that all ended after Ishval. The reasons were mutual, buton nights when she felt loneliest, she would long for his touch, his deep voicewhispering in her ear, his lips on her.

It made things… difficult. Especially now.

So, it was natural to feel disheartened when his attentionwas being diverted away, she told herself, especially after they’d beentogether for so long.

And as Eve Nesbit walked through the door with her usual toosweet smile, Riza couldn’t help but feel that little niggle of jealousy in thepit of her stomach.

Only because Eve got to be with Roy in the way Riza sodesperately wanted to but couldn’t.

Damn her and her absurd emotions. If she could glare atherself for being ridiculous then she would. It was immature and none of herbusiness. He was her boss, for goodness sake. Nothing more. She was happy thathe’d met someone. She was.

Riza didn’t miss the glare Eve shot her way though, when sherealised the office was empty. The rest of the team had left for the day, Havocbeing the last one to go who left ten minutes ago. Apparently, Eve was jealousthat they worked and spent so much time together.

Riza genuinely couldn’t understand women like that.

She’d had her fair share of it. The glares and whispers shegotten from other women as she walked one step behind the Colonel.

“Why does he want to spend so much time with her?”

“What does he even see in her?”

“Maybe they don’t just work together, if you get what I mean,”followed by a catty laugh.

Jesus Christ, women, just let me live, Riza would oftenthink to herself with a roll of her eyes.

She’d heard it all. If anything, her skin was bulletproof.Of course, he was oblivious. He was the shining star who played up his part. Rizadidn’t blame him. It had all been part of their plan to keep up appearanceswhile they infiltrated the military from within, but even now after the PromisedDay, it still happened. He still had a part to play to get to the top, afterall. His work on the Promised Day put him in great standing, but that was onemilestone down. They still had a handful left to go.

“Roy,” Eve crooned in greeting, hurrying up to his desk.Riza almost frowned at the inappropriateness of it all. A civilian shouldn’t evenbe in the building anyway. However, knowing the Colonel, he’d probably charmed someoneinto getting his own way.

Or Eve had snappily asked to speak to some young officer’ssuperior for not letting her in right away.

Yeah, that was more likely.

“Hey, Eve,” he perked up, shooting her a quick grin. He rosefrom his chair and Riza had to force herself not to gag at the very obvious wayEve grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, kissing him more passionately thanwas necessary. They’d only been dating a few weeks. Even Roy was caught offguard, one hand flailing to the side at the unexpected attention. The woman wasclearly in the honeymoon period already.

Eve was a petite woman. Even in her massive and expensivebrand heels, she only just met Roy’s height. Her hair was cut short in a bob,catching the light perfectly. Every time she moved every hair fell back intoplace effortlessly. Her makeup was expertly done, not a line or an eyelash outof place. Her smart, black, suit jacket and skirt screamed wealth, the fabricshining in the fluorescent lights of the office. In fact, her whole demeanourand attitude exuded that fact that she thought she was better than everyone inthe room.

Riza wondered just how the Colonel was so blind to itall. It was truly baffling.

Men, her brain reminded her.

“Let’s go, honey,” she urged, tugging his hand to pull himout from behind his desk. “We have dinner reservations in an hour.”

“I would love to,” he began, glancing back to his desk. “ButI’ve got all this work to do still and –”

Resigning herself, Riza stood and cleared her throat, tryingto get their attention. Hesitantly, she stepped around her desk and approachedthem both. Eve narrowed her eyes at Riza. The blonde knew she hated her. It wasclear in her dismissive attitude of Riza and the sharp looks, but Riza didn’t bite.She just smiled at the woman and let her live in her petty little world. Killthem with kindness, was what Riza had drilled into herself at a young age.It wasn’t worth her time to rise to Eve’s childish challenge.

“Go, sir. I’ll take over here.”

“No, I couldn’t –”

“She just said you could, Roy,” Eve retorted, notgiving him a chance to dismiss Riza’s offer. Clearly, Eve was desperate to gethim out of the room and away from her. Riza felt amusement bubble in her chest.“So, let’s go!”

“Really?” he asked, speaking to her lowly. He sounded doubtful.Riza knew him. He felt bad about leaving her to do it all. It was clear in his concernedeyes. She ignored how it made her feel inside.

Riza nodded and smiled at them both. “Of course. Enjoy yournight. I’ve got some things to catch up on anyway and –”

“Oh, perfect,” Eve cried, grabbing Roy’s arm and attemptingto drag him out of the room there and then. He resisted, smiling at Eve, buthis gaze turned back to Riza’s.

“Are you sure?”

Yeah, go and enjoy your night. I’ll stay an extra hourand a half doing extra work – unpaid – so you can get your kicks.

Shaking those petulant thoughts, Riza nodded, plastering a convincingsmile on her face. “I’m sure, sir.”

“Let’s go then, Roy!” Eve squealed excitedly. “There is thislovely romantic restaurant on The Avenue that I’ve been dying to try. It’svery fancy, so we need to go home and get you changed. Or,” she giggled.“We could go home and get distracted if you’d prefer?”

Riza’s stomach tightened at the heavy implication that theywould be going home for sex. Not only due to her personal feelings, but it wasjust plain inappropriate. Roy seemed to think so too, because he frowned slightly,but he didn’t stop her from continuing her rambling that was no doubt a ploy totry and work up Riza.

Eve clearly suspected something was going on between the twoof them – the woman tried every minute they were together to put across themessage “He’s Mine” – but it couldn’t have been further from the truth. The hada history, sure, but who didn’t? Even the boys had begun to notice her behaviour,and it irritated them as well. At least Riza had them on her side. It made her feelsomewhat pleased that she wasn’t entirely alone in this Eve shit show of tryingto get a reaction out of her.

“Have you ever been to La Taverna, Riza?” Eve asked.If a five-foot two woman could look down her nose at the taller Riza Hawkeye,then that was what she was trying to do right now. Riza smiled pleasantly ather, having none of it. Riza had worked underneath a homunculus, for goodnesssake. There wasn’t much that could shake her nowadays, especially not thiswoman’s attempt to try and tear her down.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Hm. Shame,” she replied, tone implying that it wasn’t ashame at all.

Wow. Just… Wow.

“Let’s go, Roy! We need to go and get changed if we’re goingsomewhere that fancy,” she urged, that wicked grin on her face, eyes moving totry and catch Riza’s eye.

“All right, I’m coming,” he replied, hastily grabbing hisjacket and car keys from his desk. “See you tomorrow, Hawkeye.”

“Yeah, see you,” Eve stated. Well, at least she gave her ownfarewell. It was the most insincere thing in the world, but it was a farewell,nonetheless. Usually she just ignored Riza completely.

As Eve all but dragged the Colonel out the door, Riza sighedquietly and turned to approach the Colonel’s desk.

“Hawkeye?” she heard him call. She almost jumped in fright,not expecting him to still be in the room. A panicked thought raced through herhead as she hoped he hadn’t heard her sigh. The last thing she wanted was todisrupt things, not just for him, but for her as well. She was managing Eve. Itwas easy, in truth, but she didn’t want to let on just much Riza just didn’t likeher. Not because she was with Roy, but because of her attitude.

She was even rude to the boys.

Turning, she saw him leaning backwards, a hand gripping theedge of the doorframe to keep his balance as his eyes met hers. Her stomachfluttered as she took in the sight of him. That lopsided smile, the excitementdancing in his eyes, and his dishevelled hair was causing it to do acrobatsinside her. It was grossly unfair.

Only because thatsmile and that excitement isn’t directed at you.

Oh my god, shut upbrain.

“You’re the best,” headded gratefully.

“It’s not a problem, sir.”

“Come on, Roy,” Eve giggled and Riza’s gaze moved tothe hand that had materialised by his collar, gripping it tightly to urge him awayfrom the door and into the night they had planned.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” he called as Eveeventually pried him away from the door and Riza. “I owe you one!”

They left her alone in the office with only their laughterto echo back to her.

Riza’s shoulders slumped in defeat as she resigned herselfto her fate. Story of her life, at work, alone, to pick up the pieces whileeveryone left to enjoy their evening and a social life.

With one final sigh, she picked up the stack of papers,lugging them over to her desk. From the weight, this would take so much longerthan just an hour and a half. What had the Colonel been doing allafternoon to become this behind?

Her answer came in the form of a case file. Interest piquing,and forgetting about her current pathetic situation, Riza picked it up, openingthe file and skimming through it. It was for a robbery. It had ended in ashootout that incriminated one of the military’s own soldiers and it had fallenacross the Colonel’s desk today as a request to hear his thoughts on the case.On the paper next to it, there were doodles and scribbled notes covering it, linkingthe evidence in the case and notes together.

He’d been working on this, that’s why he was so behind.

Leaving the rest of the paperwork, Riza took the file overto her own desk. She could have sat in the Colonel’s chair, but that would havebeen some kind of self-torture that she wasn’t desperate enough to turn to yet.She didn’t need to feel so pathetic while his scent shrouded her entire being.No, she didn’t need that tonight.

Absentmindedly, she flicked through the file, adding her ownnotes to his, trying to make sense of everything. She should help, she toldherself. There was information on the bullets and firearms used which he’d puta large question mark next to. In a circle, were the words “ask Hawkeye”and it had been underlined twice – a reminder to himself to get her input on somethingthat most considered her speciality.

It made her stomach flutter again, a slow smile spreading acrossher face.

Goddammit.

An hour later – Riza could see why the Colonel had neglectedhis paperwork. This case was drawing her in, and she didn’t feel like stoppinganytime soon – a knock at the door broke her concentration. Looking up with afrown, she was confused as to who would be calling at the office at this hour. Theclock ticked on the wall, indicating it was half past six. She should havefinished an hour ago, but there was something about this case that kept herhere. Not to mention the fact that she still had all that paperwork to do aswell –

“General Grumman, sir,” she greeted, jumping to a sharp salute.

Grumman grinned widely at her, stepping into the office fullyrather than just having his head poking through the door. “Lieutenant Hawkeye.You’re a late one tonight.”

“Just catching up on the day, sir.”

“Mustang procrastinating again?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not at all, sir. He was distracted by the case you passedover his desk this afternoon and I offered to organise it for him while he lookedit over. Unfortunately, I was distracted by other tasks and couldn’t completeit in time.”

Old habits of boosting his image in the face of the upperechelon died hard.

Grumman just stared at her for a moment, before breaking outinto a laugh. “The way you defend and cover for him. It’s admirable.”

Riza felt herself blush slightly.

“I asked him to look it over with you in mind due to the confusionover the kind of firearms and bullets used, but naturally I expected it wouldtake all his focus. I just wanted to pop my head in to see how far he’d gottenwith it.”

“Quite far, sir. I hope you don’t mind, but I added my ownnotes to it.”

“Not at all, Lieutenant. That’s why it sent it over here inthe first place.”

“I’ve managed to pick out the exact firearm that would usethat specific bullet. It’s not military issue, so it would exonerate WarrantOfficer Turner. He did nothing wrong. His gun may have been fired, but it wasn’this bullet that killed the shop owner. Another sweep on the scene may revealthe actual bullet that was fired.” She offered Grumman her notes and he scannedit eagerly while Riza stood and waited for his response.

“This is… Brilliant. Simply brilliant, Lieutenant,” he commentedafter reading, meeting her gaze with wonder in his eyes. “But how do you know Turneris innocent?”

“The bullet used is made to look and test like militarybullets, but they’re not. I saw a lot of them out east,” Riza launched into herexplanation as Grumman perched on the end of her desk, his full attention onher. “I noticed their differences early on in Ishval.” She supressed the memoryof removing it from a dying man’s body and being asked by her CO to examine itand determine if the Ishvalans were using their own weaponry against them. “Someonewas manufacturing them as a tactic to instil fear into the Amestrian soldiers.What would do it better than thinking the Ishvalans had their hands on ourweapon and ammunition stash?”

“Very true,” he murmured, gaze dropping to her notes oncemore. “So, this same person, or group, has moved onto robberies?”

“Possibly, sir, but I don’t think that’s the case. I hypothesisethat these thieves got their hands on this tech from out east and are briningit back into play to cause chaos once more.”

“Terrorism?”

Riza nodded. “I think so, sir. Make the military think that itsown soldiers are turning against the state. Not to mention, ruin lives andrelationships in the process.”

“Very good, Hawkeye. Excellent work,” he complimented inawe, an impressed smile spreading across his face. Riza shifted uncomfortablyunder his gaze, unused to someone complimenting her work. The boys did, and sodid the Colonel, but this was different.

She couldn’t remember the last time a family member had praisedher so much either.

“I would like your help further on this case, if you’rewilling?” Grumman proposed, standing from the edge of the desk.

“I would be happy to help, sir.”

“Excellent,” he grinned. “Report to my office tomorrow morningat 0800 hours. I’ll pass on the message that you’ve been temporarily assigned undermy command for the foreseeable future to Mustang tomorrow, seeing as he leftyou to pick up his slack,” he winked as he turned to take his leave. “Let thepoor boy suffer for his self-centredness, shall we?”

“I don’t –” Riza began, cringing. She didn’t want to cause ascene.

Grumman chuckled. “Not to worry, my dear. I’ll make sure it’spassed on. Leave that leftover work and go home. Mustang can do it tomorrow. Itserves him right for leaving you to do it alone.”

“He didn’t –”

“Plus, you’ve done more than make up for him not completingit in time. However,” he added, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “I knowMustang well enough and I know you, Lieutenant. I know he was a lazy bumand didn’t finish his work on time, didn’t he? And you volunteered your free timeto stay late and finish it, didn’t you?”

Riza said nothing, but the uncomfortable look on her faceprobably gave her away. Grumman just laughed.

“I won’t tell, Riza, my dear. Now go home and get some rest.I look forward to finally getting stuck in with this case tomorrow,” hegrinned, leaving the office with a wave.

The silence wrapped round her as she processed what had justhappened.

Okay. New assignment. A thrill went through herstomach in anticipation of tomorrow. Not only would she get out of the officewhile the Colonel suffered with his paperwork, a small part of her was pleasedshe probably wouldn’t see Eve again for a few days. A blessing that she neededright now.

She just wanted some peace.

Glancing over to the Colonel’s desk, she eyed the paperworkthat was still untouched. Making her decision with confidence, Riza grabbed herpurse and packed up her belongings from her desk, leaving it tidy andpresentable as she wouldn’t be using it for a few days. Like Grumman implied,it served the Colonel right for being so lazy all day and leaving tasks to thelast minute, only for it to be pushed aside when something more interestingcaught his eye.

Riza tried hard not to tie that analogy to herself and Eve.Tried. But the heart is a fickle thing.

Maybe this was just what she needed. A break from him.

As she left the office, she walked with a purpose in herstep.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #ask #anon #writing prompts #fic request #emma writes #closer

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suncatchr · 5 years

Text

yes i love romance drama. what of it

I'm fourteen and Raleigh from science class tells me she'd love to go out with me if I was free on Friday. It's abrupt and kinda funny and strange and I don't have the words to tell her that she's cool and smart and funny and I like hanging with her on field trips and everything but she's not a boy. So I swallow the stupid thought and I offer to take her to Cold Stone Creamery this Friday and pay for everything so she has a great time. She kisses my cheek and it doesn't make me feel warm it makes me feel dizzy and confused but I wave goodbye when the bell rings and we head off to our different classes. I catch up with my buddy Arden and tell him about Raleigh. He elbows me in the ribs and tells me she's a great girl, they used to go to school together. I ask him if he's thinking about hitting on my girlfriend and he steps on my foot.

We go on the date and another one after that and when she holds my hand I want to tug away and I know that's not right. She invites me to the winter dance as her date and I show up in a black suit and powder-blue tie to match her dress and she spends the whole night with her friends. Something inside me cracks in my boredom so while we're waiting on her mom to pick us up I tell her I'm gay and I can't be with her anymore. She bites her lip, stares at the ground, flushes deep red. I guess she can't find anything to say to me. When her mother arrives she sits up front with her and I climb into the back and stare out the window the whole way home. When I arrive I throw my tie over the banister and pick up my baby sister off my sleeping mother's chest.

"T'es t'amusé?" she asks tiredly. I didn't really have any fun but tonight wasn't a bad night, so. I mean, not for me, anyway. I forgot to apologise to Raleigh. When I look down, Mama is dozing again. Not wanting to wake her for a stupid answer, I carry Maélie upstairs to our room and set her into her crib. I have a text from Raleigh when I open my phone.

What the hell is your problem? is the last text out of four. I set my phone aside and roll over to face the wall.

I'm fifteen and Casey from history class laughs at a joke I make about Quebec and maple syrup. The teacher doesn't find me so funny but it doesn’t matter. He assigns us to a project a few minutes later and Casey sits next to me. We get an A on our project and we hang out at the cafeteria table we'd worked at long after it's been turned in. One afternoon he touches my fingers in the cafeteria line and I hold his hand like it's reflex. He lets go to pay for his lunch.

We go outside and play at a picnic in the grass and he asks me if we're like, a thing now. I shrug and tell him sure. I like him well enough. I think he might like me more.

But as time wears on, I get used to him. I thought he talked a little loud and a little fast but I find that charming when he gets into a story that makes him flush. It bothered me that he wore the same shirt every other day but when I buy him another one he only wears that one and whenever he sees me looking at it he smiles. He wanted to race every time we finished lunch and it made my tummy hurt but one afternoon I beat him and collapse from the strain and he falls on top of me, laughing, and I like being so close.

"Why do we only do stuff when we're at my house?" he asks one afternoon while we're laying on my floor.

"Why do we only hang out if I asked you first?" he asks when he picks me up so we can walk to the river.

"I don't have fun when I'm hanging out with you," he tells me, the first time I end up calling him up first because I think it will make him happy. I make a mental note that maybe I should wake up a little when it comes to the people around me, but it's too late. Casey tells me not to bother coming over and he's not even sorry. Because I don't feel like sitting in my room with this feeling I go for the lunch I'd planned us alone and I stare out the window into the valley we used to wander through. I know I can be better than this. I should have been better for Casey. Somewhere along the line I stopped making him laugh.

I won't be sad. I'll just be better. I still smear the ink on the receipt with tears but I decide I'll be over it soon.

I'm sixteen and Casey's friend Destiny decides he likes me as though Casey recommended me over Yelp. Four stars, but be mindful that he won't call you first. Destiny is more my speed, though, I see it in his eyes. Destiny is a poet with sweet words on his tongue and I love the way he praises me for who I am so I rip a page from the journal I kept of Casey and I make sure to text Destiny when thoughts hit my mind and he responds in good time every time. It becomes easy after a while, I find that I just want to talk to him, because I like him, I love him, and I want his time and I'll do anything for it.

Destiny tells me he likes it when I kiss him so I smother him with every impulse that comes to my mind and every time I do he smiles. When I turn seventeen Destiny is still here holding my hand and I tell him I love him and he says he loves me too. I don't need to unify with Destiny because he's nothing like me but I think that just adds to the peace I feel with him. Rayon de soleil, he calls me when I show him my magic, and then he repeats it so much it becomes R'on'd's'leil, five syllables to three, and the loss of those syllables strikes me. I’ve made familiarity, repetition, a home in a boy named Destiny and a destiny in a boy that feels like home.

Destiny makes me smile and I make him smile too and I ask him if there's anything, anything, anything I can do to make him smile any harder. And he says no. He likes me as I am. And for the first time I'm not keeping a secret and he's not keeping one either and we're just us, plain us. Destiny has soft skin and gentle hands and a voice that makes me feel ready to settle down.

Then I'm eighteen and the university Destiny gets accepted to isn't in Quebec, it's in Ontario, and he has to go because the music program is everything he ever wanted and oh, I could understand, couldn't I? And I could, because of course Destiny wants to fill the world with music and speak his words as beautifully to the world as he always did to me. So even though my eyes fill with tears I tell him yes, of course, I'm so proud of him and I know he'll become everything he wants to be because he's amazing and he's got that power. We agree to go to prom together but he doesn't want to try long-distance with me after that because if the chance comes along to have someone who loves him who can really be there with him, he wants it. It stings but I understand. I really want him to stay with me but I know it isn't fair.

We close prom down dancing till we're sick and then some, and it's bittersweet because I want to push him away so I'm not still in love with him when we end. But he holds me, my head on his chest as we sway to the last song, and I don't want him to go.

I have English in the morning with Destiny, Casey, and Raleigh. Arden asks why Destiny isn't sitting with us this morning and I remember with a glance at Casey that I kept everything with Destiny to myself.

"We broke up. He doesn't want to date long-distance."

"Oh, Ness," he says quietly, laying a hand on my back. "I'm sorry."

His touch makes me warm. "It's not your fault."

I'm twenty and somehow Arden and I are making out on his couch and neither of us asked for this but we're doing it anyway and I kinda like it. I've seen a few sights with a few people in between him and Destiny but it was nothing big because I don't think I like anything big anymore.

And we're still just us, Ness and Arden, like we've been for years and years, but now when I get in from class my back's against the door and when Arden washes the dishes for once I reward him with my hands on his chest and my tongue in his mouth. He finishes a paper and I throw my legs around his hips and I perfect my portfolio and nearly ruin it dropping it to throw my arms around his neck.

"I can call you Sunbeam if you want me to," he murmurs into my ear, and I'm so over Destiny that I tell him that's what I want, that's always going to be what I want, I want to be his sunbeam and I want it to be forever.

But he doesn't want to go to restaurants with me, he just wants to order in. And he doesn't want to see a future with me, he wants to talk about tonight. He doesn't want kids or dogs or plants or anything after this apartment. He doesn't even like Meteora, even though she's my whole world. She's part of me and when he comes home he shoos her out of his way.

I tell him I have to find my own apartment. I tell him that actually, I do like when the person I'm with makes it something big, and he was supposed to mean more to me than a dinner date and a walk of shame but he's somehow become only half of that to me. He tells me in return that I need to tone it down, that if I want anyone to want me I can't be trying to do something all the time and I can't be looking for a future that hasn't come. Then I figure it's over but he tells me he's sick of my violin and I look stupid when I pretend I can skateboard and I tell him I get it but he keeps on with my voice is too soft and my friends are too weird and he thought he could hold this together but high school's been over for years and he only wanted me then.

So I say it's fine, I get it, not everything lasts. And if something were to last I'd want it to be with someone who made his own names for me and didn't yell at my cat. I tell him to find a new roommate to fuck silly because I'm moving home because I know my family would never hate me like he does. My voice is calm and quiet, weighted in a way that I'm not used to. This is a hurt I've never felt and I realise then what I did to Raleigh and Casey and I walk down the hallway and close my door softly. Meteora senses that something isn't right and threads herself under my arm and into my lap. I hug her to my chest but I don't cry. I know it's only Arden that's ever treated me like this or will again but I hate that so many of the people I've lost have gone because of me. Because of who I am.

I head home to my mother and father with all my stuff in my car and a whole speech on how I need them to help me find another place because I only have the weekend before I have to get back to campus. Then my mother answers the door and she's surprised to see me and my heart aches because no one will ever love me more than her. I could never be more thankful for such an undying love. I could never need anything more than people who would never leave me because I forget to call or my violin squeaks.

"Genesis?"

"Mama," I whine. "Can I stay here tonight?"

#long post #my writing #hey. i love him #my ocs #the clouds before the sun

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honeymoonjin · 5 years

Text

Chapter Three

Summary: When you hear that your recently deceased grandmother left you her property in her will, at first you think that a dinky old cottage in the middle of nowhere isn’t going to mean much for you. But after spending a night there, you discover something far more valuable than the house itself: a hidden door that leads to another time, the same place but over 200 years in the past. In the late 18th Century, there is a king who will die before his 21st birthday unless you can save him. Will you help him, even if it means leaving your own life behind?

A/N: A bonus update because I’m feeling generous! I might start releasing these a little quicker since I’ve got a bit of a backlog, I just can’t wait for you guys to read it!

You keep on your sneakers, glad they’re not visible beneath the dress, and follow him outside, marveling at the beauty of the landscape. Some things have remained; old, grand trees in your time are still growing fledglings here, and you can see the slope of a gentle hill in the distance where cattle graze. How would the villagers possibly be able to comprehend that in around two hundred and fifty years, a shopping mall has been erected in its place?

The village itself is already bustling. A gentle wash of chatter paints the landscape as people haggle for goods, make conversation and set up shop for the day. Yoongi is on the outskirts of the village, but not wholly removed, and he quickly guides you through the main street, instructing you to lift your skirt just enough that it doesn’t catch under your foot, and to not make eye contact with anyone.

Unlike Yoongi, most of the villagers you blur past are ragged and dirty, sporting clothing similar to yours, with ratty hair and grimy faces, but they seem happy. Although they look at you curiously, it’s nothing more than neutral interest. It seems these people have other things to worry about. In fact, Yoongi gets more looks than you, which you suppose is warranted. His silver hair and piercing look of determination command attention, and unlike the earthy tones around him, his clothes are pitch black; a tunic and leather pants underneath a heavy robe. On his hands are rings, made of bronze, wood and bone. He seems exactly the kind of intimidating presence you’d expect of a wizard. Shaman, you correct yourself.

“How far away is the King?” you ask curiously, having already reached the other side of the village. The path you two wandered now was a worn line of dirt and stone between a field, as you left the houses behind.

He fixes you with an unimpressed look, though you’re too captivated by the scenery to much care. “Take a wild guess, Y/n. What can you see directly in front of us?”

You look up towards the horizon, and sigh at your own stupidity. Ahead of you, nestled between two rocky mountains, is a grand palace. The palace itself is huge, with multiple storeys, wings, towers, the works. Around it is a sprawling plain, some parts closer to the front gates are lush with all breeds of colorful flowers, fountains, and intricately carved stone benches. It’s beautiful, ornate and luxurious, and you feel like an idiot for being too entranced with some sheep that you missed it. “Oh. So, what’s the plan, Yoongi? We just going to rock up to the front door and ask to see the King?”

Yoongi resumes walking. “Yes.”

You turn to him in shock at his perfectly calm response, stumbling to catch up to his brisk pace. “Yes? What, they don’t have security? They just let anyone play footsies with the royal family? No wonder this idiot dies.” You remember Namjoon’s comment from earlier. “How old is he anyway? Pretty young, right?”

“His Royal Majesty is twenty-one years old. He was seventeen when he ascended to the throne. And no, to answer your previous question, the palace does not let just anyone meet with the King. I’ll have you know that I am rather close with the King, and a trusted member of the courts in my role as Shaman. Many a time I have sought counsel from the spirits and given him advice that has improved his reign. It is only because you are with me that you will be able to get close to him.”

“So, that’s why you dress like the richest bitch in town?”

He glances at you sidelong. “Please refrain from using such language in the presence of His Royal Highness.” He clears his throat. “But yes.”

You walk in comfortable enough silence until finally two dudes in fancy brass buttoned uniforms open a set of heavy double doors for the two of you upon seeing Yoongi. The main foyer inside is so large that just the patter of your footsteps on the marble bounces off the high ceilings, and you’re taken aback by the complex arrangement of frescoes on the roof far above you. How did anyone manage to get up there? A butler inside escorts you up a curved stairway lit up by oil lamps embedded in the wall, but it’s clear Yoongi knows his way. He’s practically stepping on the butler’s heels with how impatient he is to get going.

“Yoongi,” you call out nervously, “I don’t really know what we’re going to do. Am I supposed to just hang around until something happens?”

He glances back at you, slowing down until you’re both ascending the same steps, side by side. “I thought you returned to your…home, to do some research? Did you not find sufficient information?”

You bite your lip at the butler in front of you two as you reach the top of the stairs and follow him down a wide, carpeted hallway. It’s clear with the tilt of his head that he’s listening in. “I know what, but I don’t know how.”

“Then, yes,” Yoongi answers simply, “you’ll just have to find something interesting enough to talk about that the King will let you stay for long enough.”

You sigh. “Yeah, fine, I can do that. So, what, you just told him we were coming by for dinner? When did you get time to come all the way here and back?”

“I didn’t, Y/n, I sent my apprentice ahead of me. I assume he’s informed the King; if not, he must have been killed along the way. These things happen.”

Your mouth drops open and you blink at the shaman with wide eyes.

“I’m joking, Y/n. These aren’t the Dark Ages, you know. We’re civilized enough.”

Suddenly, the butler comes to a stop, and you realize you’re directly in front of another set of doors, these ones with pearls and flecks of silver encrusted into the surface. He knocks, waits for a response, then falls back, turning to the two of you. “I’ll take my leave now, Sir, Madam.” He bows, and swiftly departs back the way he came.

Before you can question Yoongi about the plan again, muffled voices are heard beyond the door, and then with a rather loud groan, they’re swung open to reveal an extremely long room. It’s clearly the throne room; you may not be around here, but the literal throne kinda gives it away. Yoongi grips you tightly by the elbow and leads you forward, hissing, “make sure to bow,” in your ear as you go.

The figure occupying the tall, silver throne with purple velvet upholstery is pretty featureless from such a distance, but even if you wanted to squint at him for more details, Yoongi once again gives you a command, this time to bow your head and not make eye contact until he addresses you.

Heart racing, you focus on not tripping over your skirts, and keep your eyes on the veiny marble you walk across to get to him. The silence is unbearable, and it feels like the longest time until Yoongi finally tugs once on your elbow to stop you. He drops into a deep bow, from the waist, and you follow suit.

“Stand up,” a surprisingly clear voice calls out. You straighten up quickly, but keep your head dipped. “Great Shaman, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Yoongi lifts his head, but taps your shoulder in warning gently, so you remain staring at the floor. “Your Royal Highness, I’ve brought with me a cousin from a neighboring village, Mirefeld. She wishes to apprentice underneath your loyal healer, sir.”

You jerk your head to the side but hear Yoongi shush you ever so quietly. The King hums in interest. “Mirefeld? I was not aware they were training healers in Mirefeld.”

“They aren’t, Your Majesty. That’s why I kindly ask that you allow her to study with your best.”

“She’s unmarried?”

“Of course.” You’re starting to get a little sick of Yoongi and this King speaking about you like you’re not there, but you press your lips together and wait patiently. “Besides, with all due respect, sir, we could use some more healers in Norhaven. I’ve been getting more and more villagers seeking healing, and I fear I do not have time for them all. Norhaven is prospering under your reign, Your Majesty, so we may require more than we currently have.”

“I understand. Maiden, raise your head now. Let me get a good look at you.”

You do as the King commands and just about choke on air. Whatever you were expecting, it wasn’t this. The King is beautiful, more so than the man beside you, and his youthful complexion isn’t tainted by the look of authority and power in his expression. Those piercing eyes run over you languidly, and you can’t help but swallow stiffly.

“What is your name?”

“Y/n, Your Majesty,” you answer, clearing your throat when you hear the way your voice wobbles.

He quirks a smile, and your heart skips a beat at the boyish quality of it. “Do you have a last name?” You freeze, breaking his gaze to question Yoongi with your eyes.

Yoongi calmly reaches out an arm to wrap around your shoulder. “She is a Min like me, sir.”

The King runs his tongue over his lips and sits back, letting his white-clad legs tip open lazily. Rather than a super fancy crown, like you had sort of expected, atop his ink-black hair is a simple golden circlet with a few peaks around its circumference. It’s been delicately carved with patterns of vines and leaves from what you can see, and the hands that clasp the arms of the throne are heavy with gold and jewels, far more luxurious than what Yoongi is sporting.

“Of course,” he answers finally, bringing a hand up to rest his chin on. “Well, Min Y/n, you seem like a decent young girl. I would love nothing more than for you to be in my service.”

You don’t miss the double entendre, but you’re more concerned with eying him up, and looking around the room for anything sharp. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Suddenly, he stands, startling the guard beside him, who up until this point has stood so still and silent that you’ll admit you didn’t notice him until just now. He’s in black gear, so it’s hard to gain many details, but you can tell easily that he must be dangerous. His dark brown hair falls over one eye, leaving the other one narrowed as he keeps watch. The King turns to him once he stands, patting down his brass-buttoned jacket, and asks for his coat. The guard nods once, hurries calmly but swiftly to a coatrack near the side wall and returns with a large fur coat.

“I shall take you to my personal healer, Seokjin. To ensure my wellbeing, he remains near to the palace at all times. His dwellings is behind the north wing.” King Jeon holds his arms out wordlessly and the guard opens up the coat to slip on the arms. A flash of silver catches your attention and your eyes widen.

“No-!” But it’s too late. The coat slips on, and the king cries out and recoils, clutching his side. Alarmed, the guard opens up the coat to see a blade that has cut through the pocket to stick out on the inner edge of the coat. Spots of blood stain the light grey fur already, and the guard throws the coat far away before bending down over the collapsed king.

TAGLIST Message me or send an ask to be added to the taglist for Sovereign, and never miss a new chapter!

@sonyeonsideupsmile @sweetcheeksdna (I can’t seem to tag you!) @hoodiebangtan @mntchcchp

#bts fic #bts x reader #jungkook x reader #bts au #jimin fanfic

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benhardyisdaddy · 6 years

Text

Snowed In - Part 2

MASTERLIST

(SKSKS HELLO TO PT2 omg ok 1st off this gif is what i imagine his face to look like kinda when he gets jealous so MMM okay and secondly, im trying to come up with more ideas for this fic!! if u have anything u want added to it plz just lemme know ok ily BYEEEE)

Word Count: 1,900

“Hello, Ben.”

He picks up his suitcase, half smiles at you and looks to Joe.

“What? I don’t get a greeting like he did?” he asks, smirking.

You roll your eyes and turn to walk inside. Joe rolls in his suitcase and pushes it next your couch. Ben places his next to your kitchen island and wipes his hands on his jeans. The two boys look around in your home and Joe nods his head in appreciation.

“I really love this!” he says, looking at you and grinning. “So Eric cosigned?” he asked.

“Who’s Eric? You’re new man?” asks Ben, raising his eyebrows at you flirty. You make a disgusted face and hear as Joe holds back a laugh.

“My father.”

Ben purses his lips and stands up. His cheeks flash red and he clears his throat, not able to make eye contact with you.

“Oh…” is all he can say.

There’s an awkward moment of silence before you look around confused. You look over to Joe and furrow your brows.

“Hey, where’s everyone else?” you ask.

“Oh, they were running by the store real fast. Rami didn’t want you to feel like you had to feed us all.”

You laugh and walk to sit on your couch, followed by Joe plopping down next to you. Ben stands behind the kitchen counter, his eyes glued to you. You can feel his gaze burning into you, but you don’t dare look.

“I know Gwil is super excited to see you.” says Joe, teasingly. You hit his arm and act shocked.

“Joe! Don’t even start that.” you say laughing. You look up and Ben’s face has changed into an angry, tight lip look. You look away and suddenly stand up.

“Anyone want coffee?” you ask, walking towards Ben.

Joe calls out a yes as you open the cupboard and attempt to reach the top shelf for your mugs. The mugs you usually use are still in the dishwasher, so these were just the back up ones that you never use. You stand on your tippy toes and reach high up, your sweater slightly pulling up revealing a tiny portion of your hip. Ben stares at you closely and swallows hard at the slight exposure of you. You feel someone’s hand grab your hip, pausing your reaching. Ben’s long arm reaches out and grabs three mug handles and places them down in front of you, with his hand still on your hip. Your heart flutters at the contact and your breathing gets hitched in your throat.

“Thank you.” you say, your voice coming out hoarse. You clear your throat.

Ben smirks and nods his head, stepping away from you.

“I just feel bad when short people can’t reach normal height things.”

You spin around and glare at him. You half laugh and put your hands on your hips.

“Short people? Ben, I’m only four inches shorter than you!”

He shrugs his shoulders and smiles.

“And yet I can reach the top cupboard.”

You fight back a smirk and shake your head. You turn back around and feel your face burn as you smile to yourself. You grab the mugs and begin pouring the warm liquid into each one when all of a sudden there’s a knock at the door. You turn your head to look at Joe and watch him skip across the room to it. He opens it and in walks Rami.

“It’s gotten even worse outside!” he says, shivering.

Lucy follows behind him and is holding her coat close to her body. She looks around and spots you. She smiles widely and rushes to you.

“Oh, y/n! It’s been so long!” she says as she wraps her arms around you.

“Too long!”

She steps back as Gwil walks up behind her. He towers over her and lifts his arm revealing a glass bottle with a dark liquid inside.

“I brought whisky!” he says cheerfully to you.

You grin widely and rush to hug him. Besides Joe, you were the closest to Gwil. The two of you could talk and joke about anything. That also involved fake flirting. Little comments here and there to make each others faces turn bright red.

“Look at you, good looking!” you say, cupping his face. “And you remembered my favorite drink.”

You playfully pinch his cheeks and he scrunches up his nose. He places the bottle down on the counter and smiles.

“Like I’d ever forget a pretty girl’s favorite drink.” he says, winking.

You dramatically put your hand over your heart and swoon. Ben stands back and lowers his head as he watches the two of you be handsy with one another.

“He might’ve brought the booze, but I got us snacks!” says Rami, flipping over the paper bags and emptying contents of chips, crackers and… condoms? He quickly snatches those up and slips them in his pocket. His face is bright red as he looks between you and Lucy, whose face is also flushed.

“Wow, Rami.” you say teasingly. “I guess you really did come prepared.”

Everyone around you snickers as he walks up and hugs you.

“Still as funny since the last time I’ve seen you.”

You squeeze his cheek and turn to grab the mugs of coffee. You walk to Ben and hand one out to him. His arms are crossed as he puts up a hand and shakes his head. Your face falls.

“I thought you wanted a cup!”

He looks at you almost ticked off.

“I changed my mind.”

You grip the coffee and exhale as you turn around and face Gwil.

“Here,” you say handing him the mug. “Coffee?”

He reaches for it and his face lights up.

“Oh, thank you babe! Coffee sounds amazing.” he says as he bends down to kiss your cheek. You smile back and turn to Ben. He’s glaring at Gwil and you can notice his jaw tensing. You turn back around and walk to Joe. He’s pushing everyone’s luggage inside and shuts the door. He stands up and catches his breath.

“So,” he says. “Sleeping arrangements.”

Your eyes open wide and you nod.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot.” You walk into the living room and face everyone.

“Alright, so this is what I was thinking,” you start. “Lucy and Rami, you two can have my bedroom.”

They look at each other and shake their heads fast.

“No, y/n. We can’t take your room.” says Rami.

You hold your hand up.

“No arguing. The bed is big and it’ll suit you better. Just don’t get it… dirty.”

Everyone holds back a snicker as their faces turn red again.

“As for the rest of you, there’s a spare bedroom with a single in it. And I have an attic that’s got a spare mattress in. Don’t worry, there’s heat.”

The three boys all look at each other and shrug.

“I’ll take the attic.” Joe says. You nod.

“Where will you be sleeping?” asks Gwil, genuinely worried.

“Oh, I’m just gonna take the couch. I have a blow up bed in the upstairs closet, so if someone wants to set that up here in the living room and sleep-”

“I will.” says Ben, fast. He looks to you as he stands up straight. Everyone looks at him, noticing his too quick of an answer.

“O-okay.” you say. “Okay, so Gwil, you get the spare bedroom.”

Gwil watches Ben for a moment and squints his eyes. He looks back to you and nods.

“Alright then, that’s settled! I know you all must be exhausted.” you say.

Lucy nods fast and slings her purse around her shoulder.

“I could kill for a shower right now.” she says.

“Yes! There’s a bathroom in my bedroom and the second one is this door right here.” you say, pointing to a door behind you. She smiles and walks up to you to hugs you once more before rushing upstairs. Rami follows behind her as Gwil carries some luggage to his room. Joe sips on his coffee for a moment before walking to you.

“Seriously, thank you so much for this.” he says, hugging you and kissing the top of your head. He grabs his suitcase and walks up stairs in search of the attic door. You look around and you’re left with Ben. He’s leaning against the counter as you stare at your feet. You look up and your eyes lock.

“Um, so,” you go to say.

“Where’s the blow up bed?” he asks.

You close your eyes and shake your head.

“Oh, right! It’s in my closet upstairs. I can go get it-”

“No,” he says standing up straight. “I think I know what a closet looks like.” He turns and walks away from you.

It’s like some kind of switch in him flips. He goes from being genuinely funny, to teasing with you, to just being plain cold. You didn’t understand him at all. He was nice to literally everyone else, but you. You take in a deep breath and turn to walk to the hallway closet. You pull out some blankets and begin making a little bed on the couch. You look up as Ben walks down the stairs, tugging on huge box with him. He sits it down and slides the folded up mattress out. He unfolds it and pulls out the appliances. You watch as he tries hooking everything up and failing. He looks irritated when he finally drops everything and raises his hands.

“This thing is absolutely idiotic!” he yells. You roll your eyes and walk up to him and sink to your knees.

“Here,” you say, putting everything together in a second. He watches you shocked.

“You make it look so easy.” he says, looking at you. You look back and smirk.

“Good thing us short people use our brains.” you say and wink at him. He looks back shocked and slowly laughs.

“Oh, wow.” he says.

You stand up and smile. See? The flip has switched again! You help Ben place sheets and a blanket on the bed. He gently lies down on it and puts his hands behind his head and exhales. You walk to the kitchen and turn the lights off. You sneak to the couch and slip under your covers. You lie in silence for a long while before Ben speaks up.

“Y/n?” he whispers. You turn your head slightly to hear him.

“Ben?”

He clears his throat.

“Whatever happened to Conner?” he asks quietly.

Your heart almost stops when he speaks his name. You close your eyes and take in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me. It’s none of my busine-”

“I caught him with my best friend.” you whisper back.

Another silence.

“I’m so sorry.” he says, sadly.

You shrug and turn to stare at the ceiling. Ben turned to stare at you.

“It is what it is.” you say, feeling tears sting your eyes.

“Well, he obviously doesn’t know he has something good, even if it were to slap him in the face.”

You’re shocked by his sweet words and you turn your head quickly to look at him. The glow of the fire illuminates his skin as his eyes lock with yours. You quickly smile and swallow hard.

“Goodnight, Ben.” you whisper, turning your back to him. He watches you for a moment, before turning his to yours.

“Goodnight, y/n.”

Tag List: @seven-seas-of-hi @ramimalekrp-roleplayerpage @mautand @beanut-putter @basics-andthesimplelife @bennnhardyyy @roger-taylors-drumsticks @shadycupcakefox @financialinstability @dashlilymark @starsoflovingness-wq @queen-darlin @that-fandom-sucks-tho

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #benhardy #benxreader #joe mazzello #gwilym lee #ramimalek #lucy boynton #snowed in #benhardyisdaddy #benhardyxreader #angst #part 2 #fic #series

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kbstories · 6 years

Text

Here’s the second part of the gift exchange, this time for wonderful @zieglider. They wished for birthday fluff with Jack!

Bound To Be Made

Tags: Charthur, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Birthday Fluff, Arthur and Charles Being Good Uncles, Soft AF

Inspired by this beautiful fanart by @themightynyunyi 💮

>>Read on AO3!

☕ Commission me on ko-fi!

Jack starts, “Uncle Arthur...”, and whatever will follow those two words, Arthur knows he won't be able to resist that hesitant-yet-hopeful tone of his. He glances down from the map he's studying to wide, almost-pleading brown eyes.

John's eyes, and God knows Arthur couldn't ever say no to those, either.

“What is it, Jack, hm? You doin' okay?”

The boy's reply of “Yeah, I'm okay” is a little too quick, a little too quiet to be genuine. The twist to Arthur's heart is familiar by now; these days, he barely has time to even dwell on the fact they're dragging a child along on this hellish ride, much less on a possible solution for it.

And yeah, Shady Belle is a step up from camping out in the wild. With the sunken bones of its previous occupiers and the hissing of alligators just a few yards away, it doesn't exactly make for a child-friendly environment by any definition of the word.

Pushing aside his musings for later, Arthur takes his hat and kneels, lips pulling into an automatic smile as Jack visibly perks up. A moment later and the kid laughs, reaching for the brim of Arthur's hat that threatens to slide down and over his face.

The worn and hole-ridden leather looks all the more rough against his short, unscarred fingers. Arthur tugs the hat into place.

“'fraid you'll have to grow into it some more, heh.”

Jack doesn't seem to mind one bit. “Can I keep it, Uncle Arthur, can I?” His excitement dims immediately after voicing his request – gaze dropping, he shuffles his feet. “Maybe until Dad comes back?”

Arthur fights to keep his expression open and friendly. Oh, Jack. “Wouldn't dream of takin' it away. Ya know what? I was 'bout to do some rounds, check the perimeter and such. Wanna tag along, partner?”

If Jack's eyes were wide before, they are positively huge now. He nods eagerly, “Okay”, and adds “partner” after a beat, trying out the word in Arthur's drawl.

Arthur chuckles and flicks the hat, drawing a protective “Hey!” from Jack.

It is perhaps no coincidence that they come by Abigail first. Her worried look turns to relief when she catches sight of them, and then to dutiful delight when Jack shows off his new hat proudly.

“Well, ain't you a proper cowboy now”, she says with some fondness, nodding at Arthur and mouthing a thank you. Arthur mimics a tip of his hat, the gesture feeling significantly less smooth without it.

“What are you boys up to, then?”

Arthur catches the subtle warning in her glance and shrugs, “Just takin' a lil stroll around camp with my new assistant here”, and returns Jack's grin with a wink. Abigail looks between them and sighs despite the smile on her lips, plain as day.

“Just be back before dark, 'kay?”

Jack beams. “Okay, Momma! See ya!”

Arthur huffs, “Aaand he's gone”, watching the boy run off towards the horses. “Don't ya worry, Abigail. I'll take good care'a him.”

The happy facade crumbles a little. Abigail's smile is tired, then, even if she reaches out to pat Arthur's arm. “Oh I know, Arthur, you always do. 's just–” A glance behind, beyond the flaps of a too-empty tent. “Well, John ain't back from that job yet, and Jack's been takin' it kinda hard. Don't know what Dutch is thinkin', workin' the boy's father today of all days...”

And again, it takes considerable effort to keep a grimace off his face. Shit. Arthur knew when he wrote down the date in his journal earlier that he was forgetting something – last year around this time, with John gone and Abigail struggling, he'd taken Jack on a ride out with Boudicea, both to give his mother a break and get the boy's mind off things.

Of course back then it'd been easier to wander about and enjoy nature. Now, they couldn't even take a gander out of camp without the law scenting the air like the bloodhounds they are.

But today shouldn't be about that: Jack deserves a day off from all this stress they've been putting him under lately, and maybe this time, the wait for his father will be worth it. Arthur's willing to believe in some miracles.

Taking Abigail's hand, he squeezes just long enough to stop her from worrying a hole right through her bottom lip. Abigail blinks at him, exhales, her shoulders losing some of their tension.

There's a whole 'nother conversation swirling in her eyes; Arthur nods, later, 'kay?, and she rolls her eyes and shoos him away, calling “Have fun now!” after him.

Jack is long gone by the time Arthur's made his way over to the horses – only Kieran is there, tending to one of their draft horses with the usual care and dedication, and he merely glimpses at Arthur's searching look before pointing further into camp. Arthur mutters a “Thanks, Duffy” that makes the other give him a grateful smile and yeah, maybe it's finally time Arthur stopped calling him O'Driscroll once and for all.

A sweet melody leads him to Javier, whose fingers don't pause in their dance over trembling guitar strings even when his lips pull into a knowing smile and he nods towards Pearson's wagon. There, he finds Hosea, buried up to his nose in the pages of The Shrew in the Fog but Arthur has barely breathed a word before he jabs his thumb over his shoulder with a good-natured, “keep up, Arthur, will ya?”

It's with some relief that he finally, finally makes out the familiar curve of his hat on an equally familiar mop of tousled brown hair; it swiftly turns to surprise at the sight of Charles right next to Jack, muscular arms crossed and eyebrows drawn together as he searches the horizon for–

“Ah, there you are”, Charles says in lieu of a greeting, voice vaguely amused at how out of breath Arthur is. “Your hat grew legs and ran off without you. Figured you wouldn't be far behind.”

“I could kiss ya right now”, Arthur replies with a hand on Charles's shoulder, wiping the sweat off his brow with the other. “Hey, Jack. Got started without me, huh?”

Happy as a clam, Jack waves from where he's sitting on the trunk of a tree, “Hey, Uncle Arthur!”, legs bouncing against the withered wood. There's a bunch of flowers on his lap, a colorful array of wildflowers by the looks of it.

“You've been busy. Can I see?”

The makeshift bouquet is held out to him – Arthur sits on his haunches to take a closer look, making out daisies and dandelions and popcorn flowers and even roses. He lets out an impressed whistle, “Quite a collection you got there”, and Jack beams under the praise.

“I wanted only the pretty ones. Uncle Charles helped me pick!”

“That so?”, Arthur asks quietly, catching Charles's startled blink... because of the nickname? The thought makes him smile, his chest warming with emotion. Kids aren't exactly Charles's strong suit – due to inexperience, not lack of talent, Arthur is sure – but it's clear he tries, for Jack.

“Did you tell Uncle Charles it's your special day today?”

That seems to jolt Charles out of it – he blinks at Arthur, then at Jack, hesitantly joining Arthur's side in their spontaneous little circle. “Happy birthday, Jack”, he says simply, tone a little less severe than usual, lips quirked in a small smile.

Despite the quick reply of “Thanks, Uncle Charles”, Jack's grin dims a little. Charles throws Arthur one of his looks that seems unaffected but is downright alarmed by his standards, and there's no time to explain the whole sordid tale with glances and gestures alone.

Arthur clears his throat to dispel the awkward silence looming above them. “So”, he prompts, giving the flowers back to Jack. “What do ya wanna make with 'em? Another necklace, or maybe one of them, uh... crown-like things?”

Here's the thing about Jack: somewhere along the way, he learned not to say the things he means, and to weigh his options carefully before expressing what he wants. Arthur can practically see the little gears in his head turning and there's one fleeting glance at Charles before the kid shrugs and mumbles, “I guess.”

Well, that won't do. “C'mon kid, ya know Charles an' I ain't the judgin' kind. And we can help. Owe ya a present anyways, ain't that right Charles?”

“Uh-huh”, Charles agrees without missing a beat and yeah, this is why Arthur loves the guy.

Considering the offer for a moment, Jack blinks up shyly through his lashes – a look that would give Cain a run for his money in the puppy eyes department any day. Finally he straightens his back and says with newly-found resolve: “Uncle Charles.”

Charles goes stiff as a board beside Arthur. “...Yes?”

“Can I put them in your hair?”

He's pointing at Charles; Arthur follows his line of sight to the long braid draped over his right shoulder and winces a little. The man is very particular with who gets to touch his hair (the list of those allowed beginning and ending with Arthur) but again, there's no hesitation before he hums his agreement and reaches up to undo the gracefully interlaced, sleek strands.

It takes a few minutes to get settled during which Jack critically checks and sorts every flower into different piles, asking for Arthur's advice here and there, and Charles combs through his loosened hair with his hands. Their eyes meet and Arthur can't help a teasing smile, going soft, old man, and gets a fond eye-roll in return.

Gone is the shy little boy once they get to it: There's a sort of determined concentration to Jack's gaze as he watches Arthur demonstrate how a simple braid works, Charles's hair gliding soft and easy between his fingers, and the random flower he puts in one of the folds by way of example is instantly picked out again.

Arthur raises his hands in surrender, “Okay, young man, I'll stop messin' with your plan”, and is promptly ignored by Jack, who places a single pink-colored rose in a sea of black with all the care in the world.

Charles is back to his ever-patient self as he sits cross-legged and relaxed, and after a while, Arthur decides to take a page out of his book and just... let the kid do his thing. Soon enough he finds himself leaning shoulder to shoulder against Charles, journal on his knees and pencil in constant motion: Jack's focused stare under Arthur's hat, dark strands balanced on the tip of childlike fingers, the delicate curl of a rose's petals–

“What do you think, Uncle Arthur?”

Looking up, Arthur chuckles at the overly skeptical expression on Jack's so very young face. He pats Charles's knee, just a little longer, before scooting over to Jack's side of things and... Oh.

“Well I'll be–” Arthur blinks, keeping his mouth from gaping with some effort. “Jack, this is really somethin'.”

There's an unexpected level of taste to the placement of the flowers, a gentle mixture of white and pink that contrasts quite nicely with the black of Charles's hair and the rough texture of his blue shirt. The man in question turns his head to glance curiously over his shoulder.

“How's it look?”

Beautiful, Arthur wants to say but he bites it back in time. “Wait, I'll show ya... You okay with me sketchin' this, Jack?”

“Sure!” Jack's voice is full of pride. Then, more confident than before, “Can I watch?”

Oh, he can feel Charles's attention snap to that question instantly, even if he doesn't move a muscle. Usually, it makes Arthur too self-conscious to have someone look over his shoulder while he draws but, well, it's Jack's birthday and there's no way in hell he'll ruin that happy look on his face.

“Okay then. Let's see...”

The sun is crawling towards the horizon when Arthur remembers his promise to Abigail and, with Jack sitting on his shoulders like a king on his royal steed, all three of them stroll back to camp just in time to hear the thundering of hooves in the distance.

“Sounds like Old Boy”, Charles says with something akin to satisfaction in his voice, and Arthur nods, smiling up at Jack.

“Look who's here, huh? C'mon, say hi to your dad.”

The moment he sets him down, Jack starts running towards his parents' tent – however, after a few steps he turns around and, before Arthur can ask what's wrong, Jack is hugging him tightly around the waist, “Thanks, Uncle Arthur”, and again, “Thanks, Uncle Charles”, as he does the same with Charles too.

Then, very reluctantly, he takes Arthur's hat and holds it out to him, comically large in his hands.

Even knowing the boy as long as he does, Arthur feels his heart turn to goo until it threatens to drip between his ribs. “Keep it for now, kid”, he mumbles, ruffling Jack's hair. “Just give it back tomorrow, hm?”

Jack nods happily and dashes away.

Arthur watches him go for a while before glancing at Charles, who looks miles away in his head. Carefully, he pushes a stray flick of hair behind Charles's ear, his fingers brushing the flowers still tangled in his braid.

“Want me to get these out for ya?”

Leaning into his palm, Charles's eyes are back in the present and locking with Arthur's.

“Mh, nah. I kinda like 'em.”

>>Read on AO3!

#charthur #arthur morgan #charles smith #jack marston #red dead redemption #rdr2 #rdr fanfiction #whoo i'm back babey!!!!#i'll be focusing on the comms after this but #they are all great ideas i'm super looking forward to it!#reblogs as always appreciated #also becka deserves all the fluff in the world this has been a psa #RDR #my stuff

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clownsgobeepbeep · 5 years

Note

❛❛ He/she escaped. ❜❜

This was originally going to be one whole thing but I realized how long I made it, so I’ll write another of the sections later uwu

@grotesquegabby Because some of yours are kinda here

After the first encounter with Maggie, Coraline had surprisingly just learned of a mob member known as Billy Blueblood, who she had come near some other previous night. Her brothers had initially mentioned the name after a meeting with another mob, the Blackwoods, and so her curiosity lead her to attend a party held by Blueblood himself.

The woman had dressed her best with the help of her children who always knew just what to suggest. Her eyes looked out the car being driven by Abraham, noticing the luxurious home Blueblood resided in which made her slightly turn her nose. Far too extravagant for her, but that was perhaps a tad bit hypocritical…

“Ready for this?” Abraham asked as he near the drop off location, Coraline turning to him with her usual, plain expression.

“The question is, are they ready for me?” she replied in a whisper, making Abraham chuckle to himself before stopping the car. “I’ll see you in a bit Abe.”

“See ya.” the man nodded as a butler helped Coraline out, nobody ever realizing that while she walked to the front entrance, that a pair of green eyes watched her figure gracefully walking by.

_____________

“Mother.Fucker. Mother effing fucker! This is why mom doesn’t love you!”

“Ey, ey, ey! Mom loves me very much, probably even more than she loves you asshole!”

“At least she loves me for who I am and not out of pity for your stupid brains!” Stellar yelled at his brother, taking hold of the steering wheel next to him as Roger now stood up and crawled to the back of their car, or a car they “borrowed” at least. “What the fuck are you doing now!?”

“Just shut up and drive, momma’s boy!” Roger shouted at him as he made sure not to fall from the moving convertible vehicle, reaching down to grab a gun that he soon shot. “These fuckers ain’t slowing down!”

“Well what the fuck do you expect after that stunt you pulled, dipshit!?” Stellar barked at the back while driving the car even faster than before, eventually making a turn where there was an alley.

“I think we lost them.”

“I think I lost them.”Stellar silently yelled at his brother as they attempted to keep quiet so that their location wasn’t exposed. “Come one, let’s get out of here.”

“I think Coral’s gonna kill us if we get killed.”

“She’ll kill us if we ruin these suits.”Stellar rolled his eyes before putting his sunglasses on, taking hold of his weapon after he and Roger hopped out of the car. “Hell, she’s gonna give it to us once she finds out the spy escaped.”

“We can just get a look alike, no?”

“That is one of the stupidest ideas of yours that I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard very many stupid things come o-”

“Stellar! He’s right there!” Roger interrupted his brother with a gunshot, Stellar whipping his head around to see that their missing spy was indeed in sight, and now making a quick run for it.

“Then go after him!” Stellar motioned before Roger rolled his eyes, running after the escapee before Stellar decided to go after him through a different alleyway. He cursed under his breath as he ran through some small puddles that managed to wet his shoots and his pant legs, but he ignored it and turned a corner where he heard some more running. Once again, he ran down the alley but slowed to a stop, holding his gun up before turning the corner, pointing his gun as another was pointed at him.

“D’Vitt?”

“Blackwood?” Stellar furrowed his eyebrows, barely lowering his gun while Vespers actually did so, not finding much of a threat.

“Well, good evening, Stellar.”Vespers sighed as he looked over the man. “Whatever did happen to your suit man?”

“Doesn’t matter. What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I asked first Blackwood.”

“That is true.”Vespers slightly nodded while looking around. “There was a hit on one of my men and I had to come down to do some…research. Now, how about you?”

“You found him!” a voice interrupted, making the men turn to the side as they pointed their guns in unison at who they could now tell was Roger. “Oh, I see not. Hello there Vespers. What a coincidence seeing you here.~”

“Good evening…Roger.” Vespers greeted once again, noticing that he too was dressed nicely, if you took away the marks from the bottoms of his pant legs and dried his shoes. “I see you two will be attending a party later, if not already did. Does this happen to be one hosted by Blueblood?”

“Yeah, you going to it?” Roger grinned, glancing at his brother who rolled his eyes before turning around.

“Yes, Maggie and I will be there.” Vespers turned to Stellar who was clearly not in the mood for this. “And how about you, Stellar?”

“If you’re going, I sure as hell am not.” Stellar began walking away as Vespers deeply frowned, now turning to Roger.

“The hell’s his problem?”

“He just loves you.~” Roger fluttered his eyelashes which made Stellar make a turn before taking hold of his brother, Vespers watching in surprise. “He loves you Vespy-Wespy! Goo-goo eyes here and-”

“Don’t you ever fucking shut up!?” Stellar angrily yelled as he dragged his brother away,Roger snickering as he told more teasing comments.

“What the fuck just happened?”

_____________

“He escaped.”

“Yeah, no fucking shit.”

“He fucking escaped.”

“I heard you the first time after I realized he fucking escaped.” Stellar angrily adjusted his loosened tie, both brothers walking out of their borrowed car as Roger slightly panicked.

“Coral’s gonna have our heads.”

“Oh shut the fuck up. It’s your fault for giving goo-goo eyes to that girl.”

“Ey! You were giving goo-goo eyes at Blackwood!”

“As-fucking-if!” Stellar scoffed, then being greeted by some butlers before they were allowed into the party area. “Coraline’s gonna have our heads…Carol is the one you should be fucking worried about, she’s gonna have our heads served on a platter for the family!”

“Vespers is gonna give you he-”

Roger then received a smack on the head from Stellar who sure as hell didn’t want him finishing that sentence.

“Shut the hell up already, I see Coral.”

_____________

Scarlet lips were placed a clear glass containing pink champagne, slowly disappearing. Coraline soon lowered her glass as she walked around the crowd in Blueblood’s home, ignoring all the eyes lingering on her. Far too irritating it was no doubt.

“And why are you two late?”

“Ask Roger.” came Stellar’s voice as he approached his sister who stared down at him and their brother. “He did some stupid shit.”

“It’s not entirely my fault. You paused to make goo-goo-”

“Oh shut up with that already, will you?” Stellar turned to Roger who snickered to himself.

“You bumped into Blackwood?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t matter. What matters is…our spy…”

“And what of him?”

“He…he escaped…”

“What!?” Coraline whispered-shouted as a few eyes glanced at the trio, Coraline holding in her anger as her brothers looked somewhat ashamed, well, Stellar at least. “What do you mean, he escaped?”

“We were on our way to the docks to give him a few words before making him sleep with the fishes.”Stellar started as his sister leaned in, now having a threatening aura that intimidated even him. “One thing lead to another and before ya knew it, we were being chased by another mob.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”Coraline muttered to herself while Roger shook his head.

“Oh shit.” Stellar mumbled as his siblings now turned to him before he sneaked away. “Gotta go.”

“Sure, go away…pathetic.”Coraine shook her head, then noticing that Roger was still standing with her. “Go shove your face in a cake or something.”

“Aye aye, captain!”Roger grinned before leaving himself, leaving Coraline alone as she felt somebody tap her shoulder.

“Good evening Ms. D’Vitt.”a voice came, Coraline slightly gripping her glass as she shut her eyes and released a quiet sigh, then opening her eyes to turn to see a elegantly dressed man.

“Good evening Mr., what is your name?” Coraline turned to Abraham who now magically stood behind her. “Abe, do you remember this man?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, you do not remember me?”

“I am afraid not.”

“I’m the one who you talked business with, about joining our bars?” the man quietly chuckled as Coraline gave him a look, then having a moment of realization.

“Ah, you are the same man who was attacked by my children’s cat, yes?”

“Ah…yes, that…that is me.”

“Just as you are the same man that accused my children for that before cursing them out as little devils?” Coraline fluttered her eyelashes sweetly as the man grew flustered, and he walked away before she looked at Abraham, both laughing quietly to themselves.

“Hey Coraline, is it okay if I go eat something?”Abraham then asked before Coraline gave a nod.

“Of course. While you do that, I will take a stroll outside. See if I can find my feathered acquaintance somewhere.”

“Alright, I’ll be out once done.”

“Oh don’t bother, all those guards outside will keep me safe.”Coraline chuckled before she and Abraham parted ways. Soon enough, after avoiding and shaking off many others off her leg especially those who liked to forget about her children, she reached the outside of the lavish home. There were guards standing all around, keeping a close eye on all those who arrived or left. Coraline let out a deep breath as she focused on the sound of her heels walking along the path she followed until reaching a sort of garden. Nobody was around, yet it was still close to the party itself.

“Miss, I believe that guests are to stay indoors to avoid any danger.” a voice spoke which made Coraline shut her eyes once again, then opening them as she stared at a tree near her.

“It seems to peaceful out here for there to be any danger. I’m sure I’ll do just fine.”

“Well…we were told to keep everybody safe, so I would feel more comfortable if you could please go inside with the others.”

Coraline rolled her eyes before turning around to see who see guessed was a guard, and she was right when she saw a man stare right at her. He was surprisingly short, compared to the others she saw scattered around.

“If…if you’d like, I’d happily escort you back.” he cleared his throat while Coraline turned to him, looking over his figure.

“Or perhaps, you could let me stay here alone? I just need some peace and quiet right now.”

“Hm, well…I suppose I could.” the man nodded. “And if you’d like, I will be here if you need anything.”

“Great, you are such a gentleman.”Coraline commented before turning away to look back at the tree near her, the man then speaking again.

“And you are a beautiful woman.” Coraline whipped around to look at the man with a frown, and he noticed this. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Coraline shook her head while turning her whole body to face him. “I’m used to so many calling me that, but it’s to bed me if not take advantage of me. You seem like, a genuine nice man.”

“Oh…then you wouldn’t mind if I continued?”

“Continued?”

“Yes, because your eyes sparkle and shine brighter than the stars up above.” the man sure did continue, making Coraline’s eyes widen as her cheeks now matched her pink dress.

“Poetic, aren’t you?” Coraline breathed out. “May I have this poet’s name?”

“It’s, Lennie. Lennie Green at your service miss…”

“D’Vitt, Coraline D’Vitt.”

“You are the owner of the D’Vitt properties, yes?” Lennie asked before Coraline nodded. “I always did find it nice to see a woman in such business. It’s admirable, such as your very beautiful looks.”

“Mr. Green, do you not have any business to attend to?” Coraline gave him a small smile.

“Besides guarding, no, not really. “Lennie smiled back. “Besides, I did say I would be here at your service and I am guarding you so that no harm comes by.”

“If that is so, how about you sit next to me and we converse?”

Lennie grinned before seating himself next to Coraline, looking up at her long eyelashes that she fluttered down at him, sometimes hiding her lovely green eyes. Oh dear, she looked more beautiful up close.

“So, Ms. D’Vitt, what are you doing out here all alone?”

“Taking a break from the crowd. It gets too stuff sometimes and the conversations are either the same if not bland. I am so glad my children never come to these parties. They are always the brightness in my life.

“Ch…children? You have children?”

“Yes. Four of them.”

“How nice! What are their names?” Lennie beamed up at Coraline who gave him a surprised look.

“Liliosa, Dante, Robyn, and Rayden…One girl, three boys.”

“And, their father?”

“There is more than one father, but I only one. My ex-husband.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Do the children cope alright with it?” Lennie asked with some concern in his voice, and Coraline felt a twinge in her chest.

“They…they’re alright. He is only Liliosa’s father. The boys were adopted.”

“That sounds so wonderful, that you brought them into your life and gave them better ones. You sound like such a wonderful woman who I bet they love very much.” Lennie stated as he and Coraline stared at each other, and she gave a soft nod along with a blushing expression.

“Oh, Ms. D’Vitt.” Coraline practically heard a record scratch in her head before she turned to see another man standing by the pair, and she recognized this as being Vespers.

“Oh, Mr. Blackwood. Good evening.” Coraline nodded at the man who slightly dusted his expensive suit. “Is there, anything you needed?”

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Vespers glanced at Lennie who now stood up, standing straight like the guard he was for the night.

“No, not at all.”

“Well then, I was going to ask if your brothers came around tonight.” Vespers questioned before clearing his throat. “I ask because they dropped something and I wanted to return it.”

“Oh I could-…yes, they are inside. You should find Stellar at the dancefloor.” Coraline slyly smiled before Vespers thanked her and was on his way.

“Who was that?” Lennie watched Vespers walk away before Coraline gave a chuckle.

“A man so handsome,” she started before Lennie turned to her. “In my brother’s eyes. Hopefully, the two have a proper conversation.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, my brother…often, he escapes. Especially anything involving romance.”

“And…what of you, if you don’t mind me asking…”

“Me?” Coraline whispered as Lennie nodded. “Love hasn’t been on my mind for a few years now.”

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the-kittens-of-vol-tron · 7 years

Note

So I was informed that you wanted prompts (IDK if you've done this one yet) so: Lance wants to celebrate Christmas with his Space Family but none of them like Christmas/ don't listen to the suggestions he has about celebrating.

I was waiting for something like this

—

Lance had been counting down that days till Christmas as soon as Matt and Pidge developed a calendar that synced to Earth time. Every day he would draw an “X” over the past day and quickly count the number of days remaining. It was already the 22nd and the castle was still as bare as any other day.

Lance wondered around the halls, dragging his fingers along the walls as he hummed a festive tune in his head. He stopped and glanced in the common room, letting his eyes soak up the plain room before frowning slightly, we need to decorate. Lance tapped his chin a few times, thinking at everything he could use to decorate.

After creating a mental list of supplies Lance took off running down the hallway, he at least needed to ask Allura.

“ALLURA I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!” Lance bolted onto the bridge, skidding to a stop when he noticed Allura in a deep conversation with Coran and Shiro.

Allura pulled her attention away from the two men she was talking to and folded her hands in front of her, smiling at the new red palaidn. “Yes Lance? What is it?”

Lance smoothed down his hair and returned the smile. “Well you see back on Earth there is a holiday known as Chrtistmas, not everybody celebrates it depending on religion and personal views but I think that we should celebrate it in space. You know, bring something from Earth to space.” Lance wasn’t sure why his heart was racing but he found that he could no longer look Allura in the eye. Why am I so anxiouse? Maybe he was scared she would say no or tell him he needed to focus more.

Allura dropped her ears slightly in thought, her eye brows twisting together in confusion. “What is Chirstmas? I apologize for my lack of knowlegde in Earthlin holidays.”

Lance quickly gave a breif explaniation, discussing the presents, to the decorations, to the religious reasons, and how it’s a holiday for bring family and friends together.

The princess twitched her ears a few times, letting the new knowledge settle in her brain before parting her lips slightly. “You want to bring this to the castle?” Lance bobbed his head a few times, anticipating her response. She tapped her chin a few times and turned towards the other to males, Coran twisting his mustache between his fingers and Shiro keeping his face neutral. “I’m sorry Lance, maybe we can do something small but nothing major, we are planning on meeting up with the Blade to attack the Galra. This is one of the only times we will get this shot on them, but don’t fret, we will do what we can.”

Lance dropped his head slightly before planting a smile on his face, “it’s alright, a hero’s job is never done.”

She gave him a pained smile before gentle touching his shoulder and turning back towards Coran and Shiro, leaving Lance to sulk out of the room.

Lance began to pace around the castle, wondering the halls in complete boredom. If I have time to be bored, why can’t we decorate at least? He turned towards the kitchen, peaking his head in the door to look at Hunk, who was moving around the kitchen, an apron tied around his waist. “Hey buddy!” He entered the room, greeting Hunk with a small wave.

Hunk grinned at his friend and continued whatever he was doing, throwing things into a bowl and stirring it with a metal object. “What’s up Lance?”

“Oh you know, just wondering around, what about you?” Lance moved over to one of the various counters and jumped up on one, letting his legs swing freely

“Making a snack for Pidge, Matt, and I, we’ve spent the entire day trying to develop a new power source to use in case our lions ever shut down on us again.” He continued to stir the contents in the bowl and Lance lowered his head before stopping his legs.

After a few ticks of silence Lance’s eyes followed Hunk around the room as he place a few more things onto a plate, putting the mixture in the center. “Do you need any help?”

Hunk shrugged his shoulders, grabbing a few utensils before turning to face his friend. “Honestly no, I think we’re all good, but you’re more than welcomed to come chill with us.”

Lance nodded his head and jumped off the counter, “no I’m all good man, I think I’ll just go lie down for a little bit, I haven’t been sleeping well.” He started to make his way out of the kitchen before Hunk stopped him.

“Everything okay?” His voice held nothing but concern and Lance gave him a weak smile.

“yeah, you know Christmas is coming up right?”

Hunk lifted his head up slightly before widening his eyes, “you’re right! I can’t believe that we all forgot about it.” Hunk crossed his arms and frowned slightly, “if I wasn’t so busy with our project I would totally make some cookies.”

Lance patted his friends shoulder, “it’s all good, we are paladins after all, we have more important responsibilities.”

Hunk laughed in repsonse, mumbling something about losing sleep and Lance left the room, sluggishly making his way to his room.

He couldn’t sleep, he could only stare at the celling, letting his eyes memorize the smooth surface. He knew that he could simply decorate the castle all by himself but where was the fun in that? Lance turned onto his side and hugged his pillow, why did he feel so lonely? He could hang out with anyone if he wanted to but why did he hide himself in his room? He felt his eyes start to burn and soon familiar hot liquid started to fall down his face.

He quickly wiped his eyes, cursing himself for being so childish, come on, you’re seventeen, act like it. Don’t cry over a stupid holiday. He shook his head a few times as memories of his family began to fill his mind. Presents with his family, dinner with his grandparents, going to the beach with his family, he missed everything. “I just want to be home.” Lance closed his eyes, attempting to force himself to sleep until a small buzz filled his room and he leaned over and grabbed his transmitter that was vibrating quietly. who is calling me? He glanced at the ID and wiped his eyes again, Keith.

“Hello?” Lance’s voice cracked slightly and he slightly cursed at himself.

“Lance, can you do me a favor, I need to get a hold of Sh- are you alright?” Keith adjusted himself slightly on the other side of the transmitter and sat up a bit straighter.

Lance nodded his head, praying that the conversation would just go back to whatever Keith needed. “I’m fine, what do you need me to tell Shiro?”

Keith frowned, “no tell me what’s wrong, ha-have you been crying?” He sounded uncomfortable and Lance couldn’t blame him, he knew Keith wasn’t very good with emotions.

“Um kinda, you know Christmas is coming up and I guess I just miss my family right now. I asked Allura if we can do something but she said that we we’re to busy and Hunk, Matt and Pidge and working on a big project. You’re gone so I can’t even ask you if you wanted to do something because you’re with the Blade now.”

Keith nodded a few times, “I’ve never even celebrated Christmas before so I wouldn’t be much help anyways.”

Lance’s eyes widened at the new information and he sat up on the bed, clutching the transmitter tighter. “You haven’t? why not?”

Keith shrugged, “just never celebrated it I guess.”

“Well if you were here I would have dragged you round to help me decorate.” Both boys fell into a fit of laughter and Lance hugged his pillow a bit tighter.

Keith chuckled a few more times and look past the camera, listening to what someone else was saying before looking back at Lance. “Can’t you just decorate by yourself?”

“Not the same.”

“I understand I suppose, hey Lance I need to go.” Keith started to stand up and straighten up his suit.

“What did you want me to tell Shiro?”

“Nothing, not important. Bye Lance.”

“Bye mullet.” Lance put the transmitter down and flopped down on his bed. Screw it, I’m going to go decorate.

Lance spent nearly every waking and free moment of his days decorating various rooms around the castle. He started with the common room, then moved to the bridge, then the kitchen, then the halls ways. He used random things, borrowed fabric from Allura’s room and made snowflakes out of chunks of ice from Blue. It was nearly perfect, all he was missing was a tree and presents. The tree was the most difficult thing for Lance to find but he managed to sneak away in Blue to buy presents for all of his teammate, even getting Keith one, despite the fact he wasn’t really part of Voltron anymore.

Everyone watched him move around the castle, smiling at him and offering help whenever they had a few extra minuets to spare but Lance would tell them he was all good. He didn’t want to bother them with this. “Well Blue I think we’re all done.” Lance looked around the hanger and patted his lions paws.

“Lance, my boy, you have to come with me.” Coran waved at him from the door leading into the hanger and Lance jogged over to him.

“What’s up Coran?” He gave the older man a smile before Coran reached for his hand and started pulling him down the hallway.

“You must come here, I have something to show you.”

Lance giggled slightly and walked behind Coran, it was the 25th and around 9am but Lance didn’t feel like sleeping, despite how tired he was. It was Christmas after all. I wonder what my family is doing right now? Are they celebrating without me? No doubt they put my stocking up. He followed Coran into the common room, his eyes widening at what he saw.

Everyone was in the room, paper santa hats placed on their heads and Keith stood by a make shift tree, watching Hunk intently as he placed an ordiment on one of the branches.

“You didn’t”

“But we did my boy, we’re all sorry that we couldn’t help you out earlier and it’s not completely done but we finally got a break today and Hunk and i went to go this debenzus or what Hunk calls a tree.” Coran gesture to the tall plant like object in the room and Lance felt more tears fill his eyes.

“Thank you so much.” He wiped his eyes as he felt arms embrace him one by one. Lance hugged his teammates back, making sure everyone knew how much he appreciated them. It may not be his traditional christmas, but he could make it work.

—

Happy Ending!

Also I hope you like it! I don’t think it’s that good but this helped me actually write agin!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

#happy holidays #merry Christmas #christmas prompt #holiday prompt #langst #langst prompt #long post #my writing #bless #i hope you like it #thank you!#sorry it's so bad #i tried

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birdiethebibliophile · 6 years

Text

{fic} That Old Sweet Feeling (part 17)

Fandom: The Adventure Zone: Commitment Rating: M Chapter Warnings: None Relationship: Nadiya Jones/Mary Word Count: 1,471

Here on AO3. Read the rest: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Tagging @someone-called-f1nch, @voidfishkid, @mellowstarscape, and @jumpboy-rembrandt!

m o r e NPCs (my suburban kids)

Chapter Summary: Addison changes the channel. Irene broods. Kardala gives a pat on the back (metaphorically).

__________________

Jamie’s car pulled away almost before they closed the doors. Nadiya couldn’t really blame her; it was a cramped, tense ride, and Jamie drove exactly the speed limit. (Like Irene, Nadiya noted; apparently that’s what you do when you’re on the run. Action movies had lied to her.)

In front of them stood a small, slightly shabby house. Nadiya glanced from Remy to Kardala. “You think?”

Remy shrugged, walking up to the door and knocking. All three of them waited, then the door cracked open to reveal the terrified face of Addison.

“What do you want?” they said. “Get out of here. Tell Martine we aren’t –”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Remy said, holding his hands up nonthreateningly. “Why would we be from Martine?”

“I mean, not only were we the ones who fucked her up at the ‘Berg,” Nadiya pointed out, “but she’s locked up.”

Addison glanced down the street, then opened the door. “Come in,” they said warily. “If you were from Martine, you just would’ve blown the door open, probably.”

“Jamie brought us,” Nadiya said. Addison looked much like she remembered them: a person in their later thirties, a little soft around the middle, thinning hair. Open, friendly face that was currently tense with anxiety.

They relaxed slightly. “Oh. Well, that’s better, at least.”

“Addison?” a voice called from the next room.

“Coming,” Addison said, hurrying through the doorway. “You okay?”

The person on the couch – Flanagan, Nadiya recalled – shrugged jerkily. “Who is it?”

“Ahh, people from the Fellowship, escapees,” Addison said. “Nadiya Jones, Remy, uh, Kardala. Remember them?”

“Yeah.” Flanagan turned to look at them from the couch. Her thick, shoulder-length black hair was disheveled where it was hanging around her face, and she looked tired. She seemed a little younger than Addison – early thirties, maybe. “Hi. How’d you get here?”

“Cross-country road trip,” Remy said. “Hey, could you let us crash here for at least a night? We’re way tired.”

Addison glances at Flanagan, who nods. “Okay,” they said. “Yeah, sure. Just gotta stay on the DL, you know?”

“No, we know, we’re on the run too,” Remy said with a nod, and collapsed onto the couch, leaving some space between him and Flanagan.

“Nadiya? Kardala? You can sit,” Addison said, motioning vaguely around the space. “Sorry about the state of things.” They made a helpless gesture, then let their arms fall at their sides. “It’s… uh, a hell of a time finding a place in Cali with not much money. This was already furnished, so…”

“We slept in the sewers earlier today,” Remy mumbled from where he was rubbing his face into a pillow. “This place is great. Hey Nad, you aren’t going to yank us out of here again in half an hour, right? I could, like, fall asleep?”

“We’ll see,” Nadiya said grimly. “Do you two know where Mary Sage is?”

“What?” Addison said in confusion. “Why would we know?”

There was a thump as Kardala settled heavily onto the floor. “She ran away,” she said plainly.

“Yeah. And we don’t know where she is, and…” Remy trailed off. “We thought she might have come this way.”

Nadiya thought back to the tug she felt on the bus, towards Irene and Remy. If Mary had the same connection with Addison and Flanagan, she could very well be somewhere nearby.

Addison shook their head. “I’ll think about it,” they promised. “She’s been with you?” Nadiya nodded, and Addison let out a sigh of relief. “That’s, uh, that’s good. We were kinda worried about her after all the kerfuffle on the ‘Berg.”

“Mary Sage, of the robot angels, has been with us,” Kardala confirmed, leaning back against the couch. “Until today.”

“Addison,” Nadiya broke in, “why did you think we were with Martine? She’s in jail, we dropped her at the White House and everything.”

“Oh.” Addison chewed on their lip. “Oh. Right. About that.” They picked up a remote and turned the TV on, flipping through channels and back-logged episodes until they found what they were looking for. They fiddled with the remote for a minute, cursing mildly and hitting it against their hand, and then paused the screen.

It was C-Span, Nadiya could tell – she’d watched countless hours to fill up the times she was home alone, her father working somewhere else at whatever base they lived on. There were a crowd of people on-screen, all important-looking and wearing suits.

And one of them was Martine.

“Fuck,” Nadiya said quietly. “When was this?”

“Couple days ago,” Addison said. “The, uh… the day after everything went topsy-turvy at the Fellowship. She showed up at a press conference.” They turn to look at the three. “She’s not in jail, guys. She’s up and about, and probably looking for us.”

The room was quiet for a moment.

Oh, shit, Kardala heard Irene say.

“I thought she’d go to jail,” Remy said in a small voice.

Addison shook their head. “Too smart for that,” they said. Flanagan reached up and grabbed their wrist, and they took her hand, holding tightly. “No, whatever she’s up to, she’s not done.”

“Should’ve known,” Remy mumbled. “Should’ve… fuck. She was planning this for years. Of course she’d have a backup plan.”

“What is it, though?” Nadiya said. “The Fellowship’s gone. Most of the people are, too. Richard – Dick – he was in bad shape when last we saw him.”

Addison shook their head. “I have no idea,” they admitted. “We’ve just been trying to stay off her radar.”

“Maybe it has to do with the people in the Fellowship,” Nadiya said, finally giving in and sitting in a nearby armchair. “Me, because of my research, right? The stimplants. Remy because of his parents.”

Addison gave Remy a questioning look, but Remy shook his head. “Please don’t ask,” he said. “I don’t really… not right now.”

“So, background was probably one factor,” Nadiya continued. “And then… special abilities? Addison, Flanagan?”

Addison glanced at Flanagan. “We already worked really well together,” they offered. “We were, uh, friends before the Fellowship. Worked together, y’know, on some pretty cool energy tech. Guess that’s why our powers turned out the way they did.”

Nadiya nodded. “All right. And Jamie knew Parson…” She glanced at Kardala, then away. Kardala frowned. She couldn’t tell what Nadiya was thinking.

She’s wondering why I got chosen, Irene said softly.

That is surely obvious. Because of me.

They didn’t know about you, though, Irene said. Right? Her thoughts became more troubled. I don’t even know why they chose me.

Though she wasn’t communicating it to Kardala, Kardala could sense what Irene was thinking next, as if to herself: Why did they pick me? There’s no reason… they needed an HR person. I’m good at my job, but they could’ve gotten anyone for that. And then flashes of words: shortish, plain, upperish middle class, average personality, average grades.

Kardala realized that that was what Irene was thinking of herself: average.

Nothing special, she concluded, just as Irene thought it as well.

Irene’s thoughts stuttered to a halt at their sudden synchronicity.

Irene Baker?

Yeah?

You are… Kardala shifted uncomfortably on the thin rug, and Remy gave her a questioning look, which she ignored. You are not nothing special. You are special.

Because of you?

Kardala paused, trying to think that through. Yes. And no.

Please explain a little more, Kardala, I’m having trouble following.

You… are a prison, Kardala said hesitantly. You know this. I have stated it previously. But you are also a… vessel? She sighed to herself. And a person.

Thank you, I think?

Kardala shook her head slightly. This time both Nadiya and Remy glanced at her, but she waved them off. They were still discussing each member of the Fellowship. (Irene knew all of them.)

It is not just anyone who could stand up to a goddess, Kardala said finally. As you have stood up to me. You have a powerful will, Irene Baker, and… She searched for a way to say it. And the ability to see what others do not. You knew what Nadiya Jones was thinking, didn’t you?

I did. Irene subsides into silence. Thank you, Kardala, she said after a moment, and the voice is slightly less heavy. Sorry. I guess I had just let things get to me.

I do not mind. And Kardala found – to her surprise – that she didn’t, really.

In fact, the presence of Irene in the back of her mind, quiet and firm and guiding… was becoming almost a comfort. Not that she needed comforting.

For what it’s worth, I like you too, Irene said, and it sounded like she was laughing.

Kardala smiled in spite of herself. I am a goddess with powers beyond imagination. Who would not like me?

Sure, Kardala, Irene said, still with that amusement. Sure.

#taz #taz commitment #taz fanfiction #nadiya jones #irene baker #kardala #mary sage #space cadet #christopher rembrandt #remy #the adventure zone #the adventure zone commitment #taz: c #that old sweet feeling #tosf #mine

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