#keeping the worst of it contained is draining me

[robinsnest2111]

hmm.

[pearl-kite]

Want to see some neat things about how irises grow?

Remember when I dug up and divided ALL of my irises at my parents' place a few years back? And how I ended up with 50 rhizomes, and I had bought 9 more just a bit before that?

Well, my mom wants to try to amend the soil because it's not great. Most of the irises have just been surviving, but not well enough to bloom, and everything else planted in the area struggles similarly. In order to amend the soil, though, I needed to dig them all up.

Again.

I dug up 44 rhizomes this time, which is honestly a bit better than I expected. I knew that not all of the ones I put in were going to survive, but I was still surprised by how many I just dug up today.

Anyway, the learning bit!

So irises aren't bulbs, they're rhizomes. Each year they put up leaves at one end, and over time they kind of end up migrating in that direction. If they do really well at gathering and storing energy, instead of just continuing forward, they'll fork, putting up leaves on two sides and a stalk with blooms in the center. The following year, the pattern continues, going forward from each side of that fork. If a rhizome does REALLY well, you'll end up with a bunch of forks spreading out.

The one on the left has survived, but not gone very far, and the white at the end shows that I accidentally broke some of the old rhizome off when I was digging it back up. It also happens to be a dwarf variety, so the rhizome is smaller to begin with; all my other photos are of intermediate and tall bearded irises with much larger rhizomes.

The one on the right has done well enough to grow forward for a few years, with the oldest of the rhizome at the bottom (still healthy and full of stored energy!) and the newest year's growth at the top. Looking at the rhizome itself, I'd guess that one is about 4 years (which makes sense, 'cause I think I did the splitting back in 2020).

The one on the left bloomed this year; you can see the flower stalk dried out in the center, and the new fork in the rhizome to the sides. Next year, they'll continue in those two directions, and it won't go forward from the stalk any longer.

The one on the right bloomed a few years back, and though it kept growing forward from there, it hasn't bloomed since. The other side of the fork also died off, and it's now only growing in one direction again.

Last but most certainly not least we have THIS beast. This one has bloomed the last two or three years in a row. I honestly can't tell if the guy at the bottom right is part of the same rhizome or another one I planted too close that got subsumed by this monster, because it took ten minutes to get most of the clay off and there was still more. I'll need to actually rinse it off with the hose to really see if it's all one plant or two.

But I'm 95% sure that this guy is going to bloom again next year because of those nubs down along the bottom. They were below the soil, and they're too thick to be new roots, so I'm guessing that's what future growth looks like. Honestly, this guy should probably be divided, but I also don't want to ruin the chance of it blooming next year, so I'm going to put him back in the dirt as is and maybe divide next year after blooming season.

Anyway, irises are my favorite, and I think it's intriguing how they work. I'm hoping that we can get the soil a bit more balanced and that they'll do better after replanting them, because even though I just dug up 44, we only had 4 or 5 bloom this year. They aren't thriving in the soil as-is, because for as long as they've been established we should have had more blooming than that. It was still the best year since dividing them, though.

I've brought a bunch of them over to my apartment and I'm going to try them out in containers, mostly the dwarf varieties I had. ONE of the dwarfs bloomed this year and it was gorgeous, but I'm hoping the rest will do better in new soil with some extra attention.

[merrinla]

Bloodbath cut content I guess. These lines are only in the localization file, so I had to assign speakers myself. The dialogue between Lucanis and Rook when they go after Zara.

Rook: Are we sure this information is good? Lucanis (Rook origin Crow): You know Viago. He checks everything twice. And then twice again. Rook (Crow): And then ten more times. I should've thought that question through. Lucanis (non Crow origin): If it came from anyone else, I'd worry, but Viago de Riva is the most cautious man in Thedas. Rook: Can a Crow be cautious? I thought that was against the rules. Lucanis: Good enough for me. Spite: (Inhales.) She's close. I smell her. Iron and meat. Rotting from the inside out. Lucanis: Zara is here. Rook: If you're sure she's here, I believe you. We'll find her. Rook: I thought Illario would be here. To… avenge Caterina and all. Lucanis: He doesn't know. I swore Viago to secrecy. Lucanis: Zara took a year of my life from me. She took Caterina. She's not getting anything else. Lucanis: And my cousin has always made careless mistakes. Rook: Fill me in. What can Zara do? Lucanis: She's a powerful blood mage. Moreso than most Venatori, even. Lucanis: She controls minds. Drains blood to restore her own youth and health. Lucanis: All that, in addition to the best—or maybe the worst—of Tevinter spellcraft. Don't let her get a word in. option: Let's not keep her waiting. Rook: Well, it'd be rude if we left Zara on her own. Shall we go say hello? option: We'll make her pay. Rook: This is our chance. This is for Caterina. Rook: For a year in that pit. Lucanis: Thanks, Rook. Spite: Zara is ours! Tell your Rook. No one. Gets Zara. But me. Lucanis: Let's get moving. And Rook… leave Zara to me. Lucanis: In a manner of speaking.

The text file also contains a short description of how Lucanis' quest was supposed to go.

The party gets into the boat. This is a Venice-style gondola with someone on the back using the single paddle to propel the boat. The player is standing on a quiet Treviso street. It's nighttime and a heavy fog obscures the surrounding building. The Chantry is a shrouded structure barely visible across the water. The player discovers that the bridge has been destroyed, so the party must find another way in. This ladder would be a line attached to a grappling hook, to better sell the idea that we're sneaking in. The player engages in light exploration and popcorn encounters. Chance to "level" up before the big fight. Player encounters the majority of the Venatori squatters. They're surprised by your presence, and are unprepared to fight. Lucanis must hack the magical door leading to the residences. Zara is bathing in a pool of blood. She's surprised by Lucanis' presence as she was unaware he had escaped the prison. Boss fight with Zara. She uses the pools of blood to buff herself Zara recognizes her defeat and tries to bargain for her life. Before she can surrender, however, Illario executes her!. Spite is angry that his revenge has been stolen, and attacks Illario. To everyone's surprise, Illario defeats Spite by controlling him with a magic ring. Lucanis and Spite feel betrayed that Illario would steal their prey. Spite freaks out, demonstrating the precarious and dangerous nature of a relationship with Lucanis.

And it seems Illario might not survive.

Zara and Illario are dead and dust.

I have no idea what this line means.

[ganondoodle]

(OC Lore and design time!)

(it got longer again ... sorry ... idk how to make things short, i just need to talk, but i guess if you can read the written stuff in the pic thats the barest bare bones of what i wrote here)

i was asked what new lore story stuff i had thought about that made me sad which i mentioned a bit ago, and while that is too hard to explain given all the missing context i thought i could at least talk about lore having to do with it :D

so, (Lord) Eadrya is one of my fav OCs (big blue lad, here a rough sketch in humanoid form) they are both one of if not THE most powerful demon alive and the most battle trained;

at the mid point of the story the demon world gets invaded by the celestials (the angel inspired things i talked about in the previous lore post with Xaror) and Shargon, as the king, should be their first and only frontline, but at this point his life is only being sustained by maschinery after being mortally wounded, he cannot fight (he realizes what is going on, rips himself off the maschinery to get at least his youngest child to safety, barely managing it before dying- the guardian, the demons god, takes over his body to attempt to fight against the celestials but cant keep itself alive long enough since its host is already dead) Eadrya takes the role of the frontline fighter (despite being very full of themselves and aggressive they care about their 'job' of protecting their own, also giving them the chance to show off just how strong they are); the fight was going well for them all things considered, but when the guardian activates it drains the power of all elemental lords (which Eadrya is one of, and since they have the most strength it also takes the most from them), so much so that they lose the fight and suffer deadly wounds (the worst being a spear through the chest made of a material that grows hard, root-like formations when in contact with demonic blood like a fungus but worse, also stopping any self healing processes) after the guardian falls apart it creates a huge shockwave of energy that stuns every living thing within a certain distance and possibly more-

Eadrya (in true demon form, so like a blue whale in size at least) was likely taken through an active gateway to the human world in a large tidal wave also created by the guardians fall; they wash up in the harbor of a small secluded village, the head of which is 'lady 13'; although never having seen a demon before and everyone being afraid (largely thinking its a strange hurt animal, only she suspected otherwise), they still gather all villagers to pull out the celestial spear, which is diffcult and brutal given that its already taken root, but the village lacked both knowledge and means to help any other way- doing so damaged their heart which is how they were able to collect samples of all three demonic blood types ('normal' -red like humans-, energy -essentially purely magic- and heartblood -highly concentrated energy only found within the heart of a demon and the only one to contain genetic material) (this is the start of Eadryas character arc, having to deal with the fact that their world is likely destroyed, them failing what they didnt think they could fail, having lost a battle so badly (even if not really their fault) for the first time and not knowing if literally anyone else has survived .. also being now stuck in the human world, which they dont like)

Lady 13 (placeholder name? stands for experiment 13) is a human that was tricked by demon hunters to enroll into a series of experiments trying to create hybrids of demons and humans, which they hoped would be powerful and easily controllable tools for their endeavours, though the two are inherently not compatible, they tried grafting body parts of demons on humans to make them compatible- all experiments failed except for her, more or less, though she never got to see the hybrid she carried and was then told it had died too, they threw her out believing she wouldnt survive much longer either and all such experiments were cancelled due to the high cost of human life, research material (demons are still rare) and upkeep with no successful results Lady 13 survived though (perhaps even via the pirates picking her up?) and she ended up living in said small village far away, hiding her half demonic body, though most know there soemthing 'wrong' with her (her being this tall when it doesnt fit the rest for one), only few know the full extent; she enjoys the life she has now, perhaps on the more poor side but safer and more loved than ever before; she largely lead the efforts to try and help Eadrya when they ended up in the harbor, though there wasnt that much anyone could do it was still enough- they leave immediately after waking up, but return after really having nowhere to go and struggling to deal with everything that has happened; over time (probably years) they start to open up towards the people there (though not .. very much) enough to get rather close with Lady 13 too- she actually falls madly in love but after Eadrya (extremely aro/ace) rejects all her attempts quite clearly she respects their boundaries

However, after hearing news of potential demon sightings Eadrya decides to leave in hopes of not being the last demon left after all; Lady 13 then decides to reveal her secret to them (though hearing and seeing what lengths hunters would go to for their experiments makes them absolutely seething with rage- she insists on not being out for revenge) and asks if they would be willing to donate a small amount of heartblood; shes always wanted to be a mother but is now incompatible with humans too- through things she picked up back at the experiments facillity, hers and her doctors research she is sure that is all that is needed, she dares to ask since she does not know when, if ever, she will meet another demon, much less one she could actually trust enough for this though Eadrya hesitates (why would she want to go through the same thing again that didnt work and threatened her life, if it does work, do they want to be involved with any of this? what if hunters find out it worked after all?) but after her ensuring that they would have no part in it other than giving up a little blood and would not be considered a parent in any way, nor made responsible for anything that might happen to her, but considering it all in the end they agree to it

only for her to reveal shes had a small bottle of it already, along with multiple samples of the other types, which she collected when Eadrya was bleeding out into the harbor not knowing if they will survive, though not wanting to make use of it without their consent either way (they are actuallly rather touched by this)

alot later the main group returns here and it turns out to have worked (though she is unable to walk/bedridden for a long while bc it did alot of damage to her body, which can heal since its demons parts, but only really slowly bc she does not have a full functioning system and no demonic blood of her own -she uses the other samples for the healing process-) though its a little awkward to explain, especially considering that 13.1 took alot after Eadrya xD (their theory as to why it worked so "well" that time is that even though the sample was already taken, them giving their consent for it still made it less likely to be rejected; demons dont need partners to have offspring, and all can do it, they just have to decide to- so them agreeing to it, even though its long been outside their body, still had an effect on the blood sample)

[d0youc0py]

You had spent the night in your car. You hoped by now he had sobered up. Hell, he was probably still asleep. The sun was rising, not that you enjoyed its pale blue color. Your eyes throbbed. You had barely slept, and while you were awake you did nothing but cry.

You turned your car on.

You didn’t want to go back. He could still be drinking. He could be passed out in the living room. He could be out looking for you. He could not care at all. You didn’t believe that last one. You knew without a doubt Simon loved you more than anything. Last night was the first time he’d ever shown you something different. You hoped he was worried. Pacing the floor. Wondering what the hell he did last night. Buckling your seatbelt you headed back to your shared flat, with no clue what was in store for you- but you knew one thing: he was going to have to work hard to make it up to you.

•••••••••••••••••

You had barely opened the door before he was on you. His knees hitting the ground with a loud thump, two powerful arms gripping your waist. His hands clawed at the back of your shirt, pressing you suffocatingly close to him.

Your exterior was already faltering. You stopped your hands from digging in his hair, telling him you forgave him- but yell at him to never do it again. He was mumbling into your stomach. You maneuvered the both of you so you could get the door shut.

“Simon?” You questioned slowly. You couldn’t understand a word, or see his face. Your shirt began to feel wet. His whole body was quivering as he dug himself closer to you. He pulled his mouth away from your stomach, but you were still only able to catch every other word. You sighed and cupped his face in your hands forcing him to look at you.

You winced as a sharp pain stabbed you right in the heart.

He looked worse than you’d hope. You thought you’d take a little joy from it- seeing him feel bad. You were wrong.

His molten eyes were bright red and swollen. His pale face covered in red splotches from crying. He had rubbed his jaw completely raw, something he did when he was upset. You wiped a tear away from his eyes. They instantly closed craving any scrap of comfort you wanted to give him.

“Where’d you go?” You murmured, craning your neck down closer to him. He furrowed his brows at your question. He’d been here, getting shitfaced. Then it dawned on him. You meant Simon. After a year of dating he opened up to you a little more about his “alter ego”- Ghost. When Simon had been acting the way he was a part of you wondered if maybe you had been dealing with Ghost.

“You know I can’t tell you.” He choked.

“It had to be pretty bad for you to come home and treat me the way you did though.” You tried your best to keep your tone cold. He whimpered, but nodded his head agreeing with you. “Treating me like I didn’t even exist- then having the audacity to get drunk and yell at me. Do you know how scary that was for me? How would you like a 6’4, two hundred and fifty pound man- in an obviously bad headspace, drunk, yelling at you? You scared me Simon Riley and I don’t know how long it will take for me to trust you again.” You felt lighter getting that off your chest. The weight was quickly replaced by Simon curling himself around you. His sobs shook your whole body, and you fought against gravity to stay upright. You lost that battle, your body tumbling into his lap. He made quickly work of tangling both of you together, resting his cheek against the top of your head.

This was the most excruciating experience of his life. He didn’t sleep last night either, even in his drunken state he knew he’d messed up. After you left he stumbled off the couch and grabbed a few pieces of bread and shoved them down his throat. He grabbed any item containing alcohol and dumped it down the drain, throwing it straight in the trash. He tried calling you, you had left your phone on the counter. This was his worst nightmare. He had acted like his father.

He pleaded for your forgiveness against your head. He didn’t know how to make it better. All he could do was hope that you saw how truly sorry he was. How his heart was twisting so painfully in his chest that he’d had a grimace on his face for the past six hours. “How can I fix it.” He murmured. His sobs had calmed down after you caved and started rubbing his back.

“I don’t know Si.” You mumbled. His grip on you tightened. “I think you should figure that out.”

He did figure it out. It took about a month for the two of you to get back to normal. He made a point to never drink while he was home- only drinking one or two drinks after a mission if he really needed it. In the future when you two fought he made sure to control his volume and temper- stepping away from the argument if he felt he was going to scare you. More importantly though he started to see a therapist and became much more open with you about his life before you. He will always put in the work for you.

You could barely hear your name being shouted over the heartbeat in your ears. It wasn’t until a hand wrapped around your arm did you become aware of your surroundings.

“Fuck off.” You shouted tugging your arm away from Johnny.

“Bonnie please.” He begged, pulling you back towards him. He felt sick to him stomach. Your terrified voice ringing in his ears as he pressed the accelerator. The fat tears rolling down your cheeks, your chest heaving up and down. He’s had more than enough panic attacks to know one when he sees one. You gripped the wall for support your other hand pushing roughly at his chest. His heart clenched as he realized you wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. “Bonnie.” He tried again. Your breathing was so ragged he was surprised you were still conscious. “Sit down with me, please.” His voice was so soft, like he was trying to not scare off a deer. He sunk down slowly, his hands pulling you down with him. You put your legs between the two of you, resting your heated head on the cold brick of the building. You grabbed his wrists and threw his hands off of you.

He couldn’t hold back a tear any longer, his throat constricting so tight he knew it would be sore tomorrow. He quickly wiped it away. He didn’t deserve to feel sorry for himself. He’d put you- the most precious thing in his life- in danger. He deserved whatever punishment you had in mind for him.

You began to feel lightheaded. You shut your eyes, focusing hard on calming your breathing down. People walked past you- assuming the two of you had gotten a little too plastered.

“How could you do that to me.” You whispered finally. You opened your eyes and took in the sight of him. He was trying his hardest not to break down. The veins in his neck becoming more prominent.

“I was mad. You laughed at that bastards joke and it hurt me. If someone was poking fun at you I wouldn’t laugh along with them.” He tried to reason.

“So you thought almost killing us was the right way to go about it?” You snapped. Another tear fell from his eye. Usually the sight would absolutely break you, but you were so mad at him you hardly noticed it.

He didn’t know how to respond.

“We wouldn’t have died.” He assured. He had no way of knowing that and the crack in his voice made it obvious he knew that too.“I’m sorry, Bonnie.” He rose his head to look at you. He shivered as you looked at him with cold eyes.

“You wanted to scare me Johnny. You wanted to get back at me for making you feel bad. I’m sorry I laughed at his jokes- I’ll admit that wasn’t a kind thing to do. It sure as hell doesn’t excuse what you did though. How am I ever suppose to trust you again?” This was the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. Now you were wondering if his impulse would kill you one day.

“Let me make it up to you.” He said quickly. “All I ask for is one more chance. I’ll do anything for you, sweetheart and I know it doesn’t feel like it right now but you’re the most important thing to me. Please let me fix this.” He pleaded to you. The sincerity so evident in his eyes chipped at your cold heart. You stared at him for a long moment waiting for any falter. To see if this was just some facade. As the silence grew his gaze became more panicked- more heartbroken.

“One more chance Johnny.” You agreed. You could feel the weight of worry leaving his body. He was about to throw his arms around you but stopped himself.

“I’ll make it up to you, Sweetheart. I promise.” He swore. He did in fact, keep his promise. He never let his temper get the best of him again and completely changed his communication style, making sure he was always open and honest with you about the way he was feeling.

If you asked anyone what Captain John Price was most proud of in his whole life, they knew without a doubt his answer would have something to do with you. He took such pride in you and his relationship with you. He lived off of the way you looked at him. The way he was able to keep that lovestruck glint in your eye no matter how long the two of you had been together. He reveled in the feelings he got when someone asked him how he was able to keep someone like you so infatuated with him. He couldn’t help but puff his chest when someone came to him for relationship advice, because there was one thing no one could ever deny:

John Price was a fantastic Husband.

He was a fantastic husband.

That night changed everything. He took the easy way out. Leaving an ‘I’m sorry’ note on the fridge before he left for three months. The first week he was away he had the chance to call you. Pour his heart out, beg you for forgiveness. Remind you how much he loves you. How he would kill and be killed for you in a heartbeat. Yet he just stood there. Staring at the small burner phone in his shaking palm.

He hated himself enough for the both of you.

Everyone quickly noticed the shift. The always present loveglow he had was completely gone. He was a ghostly color- besides the red the that never left his eyes. He was completely dead. Only speaking to bark something out. They didn’t know the pain he was in. His heart constantly constricting in his chest. He wasn’t able to sleep because all he could think about was the sobs that left your body that night. He could hear them all the way from the living room. The look of complete and utter heartbreak as you watch the love of your life beat you down with words. He had shattered your world completely. He knew the comfort you found in him. He was a natural protector and he scared you more than anyone ever had. It was the most torturous experience of his life. Yet all he did was sit there and let silent tears roll down his face.

He hated himself enough for the both of you.

He had become a menace on the field. If anyone had forget why the man was Captain- they had sure been reminded. Talks of a promotion lingered in the air but he could care less. He wasn’t John Price anymore.

Hence why no one argued with him when he demanded to be taken back to you. He had been shot. Three times. He stayed still enough to receive some treatment, but he couldn’t be away from you. Not now. He couldn’t die thinking you hated him. He couldn’t have shame be the last emotion he felt for you. He couldn’t have his name written proudly on a tombstone, because if you didn’t want his last name anymore- he didn’t want it either.

He managed to convince one of the new rookies to fly him to home base. He jumped into his truck and sped as fast as he could to you.

A familiar pair of headlights shining into the bedroom window woke you up.

It couldn’t be. He had only been gone for a little more than six weeks. The front door opened, followed by your name being shouted. You tore off the covers. The sight of him alone was enough to make you sob.

“John.” You whimpered. He tugged you against him. Your mind was spinning. He was here, covered head to toe in blood, sweat, and tears, pressing quick hard kisses anywhere he could reach.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He repeated over and over against your skin. He knew he would have to work hard to get back to where you two were. To get that same lovestruck glint back in your eye. He could do it. The way you pressed yourself closer to him gave him some hope. Hope that he could one day, become a fantastic husband again.

“Can we talk.” You we’re just about to fall asleep when the words struck through the air. You rubbed your sore eyes nodding. The living room light flickered on and you sat up. You decided it was best for you to sleep on the couch tonight. Give each of you time to think and cool down. Looks like Konig was done. The couch squeaked uncomfortably at the newly added weight. “I did some research and I realized that the way I acted towards you wasn’t normal.” He said softly. His eyes met yours and all doubt slipped from your mind. He knew it wasn’t right. And he was sorry.

To Konig the world was very black and white. You either fought or took flight- he was choosing to fight. He knew he needed to change. He would die if you ended up resenting him. He was going to fight for this relationship by changing the way his brain worked- and he prayed that you didn’t already choose flight.

You scooted closer to him, your hand resting on his shoulder. You could feel his tense muscles relax under your touch. He leaned into you. Before you knew it you were both laying on the couch, your body nuzzled into his wide chest.

“I’m sorry I acted like that, Schatz.” He ran a huge Hand up and down your back. “I’m still so new to this. I just want you all to myself.”

“I know Konnie.” You smiled, pressing a kiss against his lips. “There are times I want you all to myself too. It’s natural to want to be close to what you love. Just try to remember I love you more than anything.” His face flushed and you snickered at the wide smile spread across his face. “I’m sorry for what I said too, Konnie. That was uncalled for.”

“No you’re right. Its true I’m not the most popular person, but I’m happy with my friends at work and of course you. I don’t really need anything else.” He sighed. “Does this mean you’ll come to bed now?” He questioned. You nodded your head rapidly, already feeling a crick in your neck.

Part one here

I just want to thank everyone for the support on this little mini series! Some of you had asked for alternative endings and I’ll have those out soon! Thank you for your patience!

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Whumpuary Day 13-14

Prompt: Bruises

Pairing: Daryl Dixon & Fem!Reader (pre-relationship)

Warnings: Injuries

A/N: Sorry for the early post and just the short drabble. Just trying to push through until I feel better.

“Okay, we can stop here.” You leaned slightly so Daryl could slide his arm from your shoulders and recline against a downed tree. He grunted at the movement but otherwise made no complaint. Placing his crossbow on the ground by his feet, you crouched beside him. “Let’s see the damage.”

His face was a mess of lacerations and swollen flesh, but his torso was worse. Littered with scattered burns and cuts and mottled with deep bruising along his right ribs. 

“Jesus, Daryl. What did they do to you?”

“Lil’ bit’a everythin’. Weren’t very creative though.” He chuckled but it broke off into a groan, his hand flying to his side to brace the obviously broken ribs. You clicked your tongue at him, digging through your bag for some disinfectant and butterfly sutures. “Didn’t tell ‘em nothin’ though.”

“I know you didn’t.” You smiled gently, dabbing at the worst of the cuts on his forehead. “It’d take a lot more than that to break the great Daryl Dixon.” He hissed at the sting and, before you could think better of it, you leaned in to blow gently over his skin. When you realized what you were doing, you sat back on your heels and opened a pack of sutures. Your face was beet red. 

When you went back to work, he was smirking at you, his lip splitting enough for fresh blood to well up from the wound. 

“Shut up.” You frowned at him, pulling together the skin to apply the suture, a little more roughly than intended. The archer pulled away from you with a deep scowl. “Sorry.” You batted your lashes at him. He mumbled something that you were pretty sure contained the word sadist but you’d let it slide. “Alright, that’s the best I can do for now. Need to get you back so Denise can take a look at those ribs. You won’t be going on any runs for a while.” You pulled his shirt up again, relieved for the millionth time that he was comfortable enough with you for his scars not to matter. Nothing below the deep purple skin appeared to be shifted. 

“Pft.” He huffed and groaned while you helped him to his feet. “Take more’an this to keep me down.” The color had drained from his face by the time you had him up and moving, albeit slowly. 

You shook your head with a warm smile. “I have no doubt.” 

[sosa2imagines]

3 a.m. wanderers!

Warnings- lots of fluff. ---------------------------

Rain lashed against the tower's windows, a rhythmic drumming that usually lulled you to sleep. But tonight, it seemed to be having the opposite effect on Steve.

Your eyes open slightly, as you feel someone gently brush the hair back from your face. You turn to see Steve sitting up in bed next to you, a slight frown on his lips. “Sorry to wake you,” he says softly. “But I can't sleep.”

You groan and roll onto your back, looking up at him through sleepy eyes. “What time is it?” you ask, propping yourself up on your elbows.

“Almost 3 a.m.,” Steve replies, running a hand through his messy hair. “I've been tossing and turning for hours.”

“Nightmare?” “Yeah,” Steve mumbles, rubbing a hand over his face. “I keep reliving some of the worst moments of my life. Can't seem to shake it off.”

You knew the feeling. The past, particularly the darkness Steve had fought so hard against, could be a persistent intruder. Sitting up, you offered him a sympathetic smile. “How about we…de-bug the night?”

His lips curved up in a soft smile. “De-bug?”

“Exactly. We chase away the bad thoughts with some good old-fashioned fun.”

Steve perks up slightly at your suggestion, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, let's do that.” He stands up from the bed, stretching his arms above his head before turning to offer you a hand.

You take his hand and let him help you out of bed, shivering slightly at the cooler air of the room. Steve pulls you closer to him, wrapping an arm around your waist as you pad silently toward the door. The two of you step into the dimly lit hallway, the silence of the night settling over you like a blanket. Steve leads the way down the corridor, his hand warm and secure around yours.

After a few moments, he pauses in front of a large window overlooking the city skyline. The lights of New York twinkle in the distance, casting a soft glow over the room. Steve wraps his other arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer against him.

“This is one of my favorite places in the tower,” he says quietly, his breath warm against your skin. “Sometimes I come here at night when I can't sleep. Something about the view calms me down.” You feel his body relax beside you, the tension slowly draining out of him.

You lean into him, resting your head on his chest as you watch the city lights flicker and dance below. “It's beautiful,” you say softly, your words barely above a whisper.

Steve hums in agreement, his thumb rubbing slow circles on your arm. The two of you stand there for a long moment, simply basking in each other's presence. After a while, he speaks up quietly, his voice barely audible. “Thank you for being here with me.”

“Of course,” you reply softly, tilting your head up to look at him. His eyes lock with yours, searching your face for a moment before he leans down and presses a gentle kiss to your forehead.

After a peaceful moment of gazing out over the city, you and Steve decide to check on Bucky. You make your way to his room, Steve's hand still firmly holding yours. As you approach his door, you can hear the sound of heavy breathing and muttering coming from inside.

As you crack open the door and peer inside, you can hardly contain your laughter. Bucky is sound asleep in his bed, a peaceful smile on his face, talking in his sleep. It seems he's dreaming about his favorite actress, and in the dream, he's introducing you to her.

“Hey, Aniston, meet my friends Steve and...” he mumbles incoherently “Oh, yeah, and... uh, Y/n my sweet doll!”

Steve chuckles quietly in the doorway, obviously also amused at the sight. You can't help but grin, shaking your head in disbelief at Bucky's vivid dreams.

After watching Bucky snore peacefully for a few more moments, you and Steve quietly back out of the room and head back down the hall. You can't help but giggle quietly as you walk, the image of Bucky's dreaming face still fresh in your mind.

“I didn't realize he had such vivid dreams,” Steve says, shaking his head. “Or that he was such a fan of Jennifer Aniston”

“Guess you learn something new about your best friend every day,” you reply with a laugh. “We'll have to tease him about it later.”

“Definitely,” Steve agrees, a sly grin spreading across his face. “I wonder if he's ever had dreams about us.”

You feel heat rise to your cheeks at the thought, but you quickly recover. “Oh, come on now,” you say with a laugh. “Let's not get carried away.”

Steve chuckles, slinging his arm around your shoulders again as you continue walking. “Just saying, if he's dreaming about celebrities, it's not a stretch to think he might dream about his friends too.”

“But speaking of dreams,” you say, a playful gleam in your eye. “Did you ever dream about your favorite actress?” Steve laughs, knowing he's been caught. “Guilty as charged,” he admits with a shrug. “She was a stunning woman, and I admit I had a bit of a crush on her back in the day.”

After walking for a while, the two of you decide to head to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

You raided the late-night stash, emerging with popcorn and a tub of ice cream that would make Natasha raise an eyebrow. Steve raised an eyebrow himself, but the playful glint in his eyes mirrored yours.

“Sugar rush de-bugging?”

“Desperate times!” you declared, scooping ice cream and handing him a spoon.

After grabbing a selection of treats, you and Steve make your way back through the quiet halls to your room. As you enter, you're greeted by the comfortable, familiar surroundings. You grab a blanket from the couch and settle into the soft cushions, patting the spot next to you. Steve hands you a drink and sits down beside you, draping the blanket over your laps.

He reaches for the remote and scrolls through a streaming service, eventually settling on a movie. As it begins to play, he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer, settling back against the couch.

As the movie progresses, you find yourself leaning into Steve's embrace, your head resting on his shoulder. The light from the TV screen casts a soft, flickering glow over the room, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Throughout the film, Steve's hand rubs gentle circles on your back, his touch warm and comforting. The two of you exchange soft whispers and occasional laughter as the plot unfolds.

“You know,” he said softly, “sometimes I forget what it's like to just…relax.” You squeezed his hand. “I'll remind you...”

His blue eyes met yours, a spark of something deeper igniting in their depths. Leaning closer, he brushed a kiss on the corner of your lips. The gesture sent a shiver down your spine.

As the movie plays on, the late hour begins to take its toll on you and Steve.

“Thank you...” he murmured, his voice husky. Exhaustion finally caught up, eyelids drooping. You, too, were feeling the weight of the night.

His heavy arm around your shoulders becomes your makeshift pillow, and his steady breathing becomes your lullaby. You fight to keep your eyes open, determined to finish the movie, but your eyelids grow heavy with exhaustion.

In the span of a few moments, you find yourself drifting off, snuggled into Steve's side, the warm weight of his arm draped over you.

“Sleep, Captain,” you whispered, wrapping an arm around him. He settled against you, the rain a soft melody against the window. You drifted off together, the weight of the world momentarily forgotten.

As you nod off, the sound of the movie fades into a soothing background noise, blending with the gentle rhythm of Steve's heartbeat and the soft rise and fall of his chest. The warmth of his body against yours acts, as a safety blanket to your subconscious, filling your last moments of wakefulness with a sense of contentment and security before you fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Taglist- @blackhawkfanatic @ordelix @sapphirebarnes @differenttyphoonwerewolf @vicmc624 @thezombieprostitute @lillyxlillian @nekoannie-chan @ashley202 @lovely-geek @redbloodedgurl

@whore-for-chris-evans @caplanreblogsfics

[nayziiz]

Witness | CL16

Summary: In the shadowy world of Monaco's elite, the Leclerc family reigns supreme. Charles Leclerc, the charming middle son, maintains their pristine public image—until one rainy night, during a fit of rage, Charles does the unthinkable. A young woman witnesses his actions, and her terrified eyes haunt him. Consumed by guilt and fear of exposure, Charles embarks on a desperate search to find her before she can destroy his family’s legacy. As he delves deeper into Monaco's underbelly, Charles must confront his own darkness and the lengths he will go to protect his family.

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x OC (Marie)

Warnings: Violence, blood, angst

Author's Note: Sorry for the delayed updates - life has been running circles around me this week. Hoping to get back into a stable routine again next week.

Masterlist

Charles desperately needed advice from Lorenzo on what to do, but he didn’t want to implicate his brother, with a baby on the way, nonetheless. It was his problem and he needed to clean up his mess. But more than that, he knew the person threatening him could do quite a bit of damage, because unlike Marie, this person had video footage. Worst of all, the video contained enough footage to clearly identify Marie, who would be seen as an accomplice to the murder since she didn’t report it.

Chapter 6

Just when Charles thought the damage control was done, he received word through one of his guards that someone else witnessed the murder. Not only did they see Charles kill a man in cold blood, but they saw Marie. They saw Marie run away and they saw that Charles did nothing to silence her permanently. They saw Charles take pity on her because he wanted to protect himself and his family.

Charles knew that he needed to protect her, whether she liked it or not. So, he sent his men out to keep an eye out for her, to steer any potential threats away from her. Of course she picked up on it after a day, but she tried her best to ignore it. She assumed he wanted to remind her of her promise to not tell anyone. Charles needed to speak with her too, to explain why he had his men following her again, that he wasn’t threatened by her, but that he wanted to make sure she stayed safe.

Perhaps it wasn’t the smartest idea to approach her late at night after her shift as she walked home. She could hear his footsteps behind her. She knew his men would never let someone follow her so closely in the dark without making their presence known. She could only assume it was Charles himself who was walking a few metres behind her. She came to an abrupt halt and spun around before stalking towards Charles who she could now make out under the misty moonlight.

“Is there a reason you’re following me in the fucking dark, Mr Leclerc?” She snapped at him once she was face-to-face with him.

“I realise this may look suspicious,” he began, but she interrupted him.

“Is this how it ends? Will you be bludgeoning me to death as well or have you found some other way to dispose of me?” Marie countered, but once she saw the colour drain from his face and his small smile fade, she knew she had overstepped. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day and I’m tired. I didn’t think you’d be following me tonight.”

“You have every right to be mad at me, but please know that I will not be harming you at all, Ms Dupont. I assure you,” Charles insisted, his voice soft and tender as he spoke to her. “But, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t.”

“What do you mean?” Marie asked, confused.

“It has come to my attention that there was a third individual in the area that night who… witnessed the murder. They saw me. They saw you. And, now they are threatening me with video evidence if I don’t pay them quite a handsome amount of money. They are also painting you out to be an accomplice because there was no police report filed,” Charles explained.

“So, that’s why you have your men stationed around me?” Marie realised.

“It’s the least I can do after everything,” Charles replied. “You were an innocent witness, you shouldn’t have to be punished for something I did.”

Marie remained quiet for a moment as she contemplated his admission. She appreciated the fact that he was upfront about the blackmailer.

“How much do they want in exchange for their silence?” Marie wondered.

“5,000,000 Euros” Charles mumbled.

“Damn,” Marie muttered before scratching around in her purse. “I have 2 Euros to help you out, you know, since I’m an accomplice now. I’m sure you can handle the rest, no?”

It took Charles a few seconds to register her attempted joke before he chuckled at her making light of the situation.

“If I had my way, they wouldn’t get a cent, especially from you,” Charles informed her and attempted a half-hearted smile. Marie mirrored his weak smile and looked around, spotting several of Charles’s men nearby.

“Would you like to walk me home? We’re halfway there anyway,” she wondered.

“Of course,” Charles agreed before they started walking side-by-side in the direction of her apartment building.

She didn’t plan on drifting off to sleep, but there was something about the silence of the night and having someone in the apartment with her that made her mind relax for the first time in weeks. She may not have trusted Charles completely, but he had proven to her on several occasions that he was in fact not going to harm her.

He carried her to her bedroom and covered her with her blanket before retreating back into the living room area. He tried to tidy up a bit, but didn’t know where most of the things went, so he gave up and went to rinse out their coffee mugs. When he dried his hands, he turned around and surveyed the open plan apartment. The last time he was in such a humble home was when he was still a young boy before his parents made a name for themselves. He thought back to some fond memories of reading books with his mom and watching racing with his father in their first family home. He choked back his tears reminiscing of a life with no worry and pulled out his wallet. He left all the cash he had on him on the counter for Marie to find the following morning when she woke up. He also left a note with his phone number on it, just in case she needed to get hold of him for whatever reason.

He didn’t want to leave one of his men in her apartment, as much as he wanted to for her safety, but he respected her boundaries and privacy. Instead, he arranged with the building manager that one of his men disguise himself as a roaming security guard on her floor while a second guard remained stationed in the building lobby, observing the people coming and going and a third guard at the building’s back entrance for good measure. There was no way he was going to let her get hurt because of him.

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

Taglist: @headinthecloudssblog

[skyyguy]

13. "Can I touch you? Please, I want to help you." for the Eighteen Aches ask if it inspires you 🥰?

Prompt This took me a hot second, and you can blame @hogans-heroes for this.

He’d been warned, of course, Benny had told him, but he hadn’t expected it. Not to be so bad, anyways. Gale, drinking? Ya, sure, a bottle of beer, a glass of whiskey, maybe. He hadn’t expected to see the bottles lined up, long empty, the half finished, just opened bottle at the end of the line. John bit his lip, studying the kitchen, trying to keep himself contained. It wouldn’t do any good for him to break down, not when it was clear Gale was already doing that. They could only afford one break at a time.

Gale had run out the back door the moment John had walked in the front, and John had frozen in place when he’d entered the kitchen while trying to chase the blond. Marge had tried to warn him too, told him this was far beyond anything he was imagining, but John hadn’t listened. She hadn’t seen Gale in the Stalag, hadn’t seen him on the March, hadn’t seen the way his cheeks sunk in and his ribs burst out, the way the hope and light drained from him within the first 10 minutes of the day until it was never even there as they woke up.

John thought he’d already seen Gale through the worst days of their lives.

He was wrong.

Taking in a deep breath, John turned away from the whiskey bottles lining the counters, the table, pointedly ignored the empty Lucky Strike boxes crowding a corner around an unemptied trash can, and made his way out the back door, following Gale slowly, making sure his foot steps could be heard.

But Gale wasn’t on the back porch. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. A spike of panic ran through him— and he knew it wouldn’t be the only one— and he grabbed the handrail in an iron grip. Gale’s house backed up to a huge, wooded area, and he knew just how much of that the blond owned. He didn’t know, however, how much of that the blond knew. And that was more concerning. John had always been good at making do if he needed to, but he wasn’t exactly peak wilderness explorer, and the idea of stomping around the woods after Gale didn’t excite him any. Especially because if Gale didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, John forced himself to release the tension in his shoulders, letting them sag, as if under a tremendous weight. He would have to wait for Gale to come back on his own, and he could only hope that would be soon. John went back inside, looking more critically around the kitchen, finding it alarmingly bare of actual food. Maybe, in the wait, he would try to get some groceries… But he didn’t want to leave and risk Gale coming home, only for this to happen again. He considered an empty bottle for a long moment, weighing his options.

In the end, John himself was hungry, and he wasn’t sure that Gale would come back anytime soon. A quick run into town, to the supermarket, couldn’t hurt. He’d leave a note and hope that, if Gale was back, he’d be calm by then. Finding paper was another story, but once it was found, a note was hastily scrawled onto it, and the paper was tacked to the cabinets right inside the door, John grabbed his truck keys and shuffled his way out, a small list of essentials tucked into his breast pocket.

Gale wasn’t back when John carried the boxes of groceries in, and he sighed, worry clawing at his belly in painful, insistent strokes. It was nearly getting dark, and John had heard how cold it could get in the Wyoming mountains. While Gale’s house wasn’t quite in the mountains, they were a backdrop, and John figured that still applied. Trying not to worry, John started making something for dinner— though his culinary skills had taken a hit with the coma— humming to himself as he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until finally the front door opened. Shut. The sound of boots, hesitantly, crossing the mudroom, the living room, stopping in the kitchen doorway.

“Hi,” John started softly, blinking at Gale. Gale froze, eyes wide, staring back.

“No. No, no, no, I got rid of you. I stopped… You were gone,” Gale forced out through frozen lips, grabbing the door jamb for support.

“I ‘unno what you’re talking about Buck, but I’ve never been gone,” John replied slowly, getting to his feet. He wanted to close the distance, to wrap Gale in his arms and hold him close, hold him tight, as if by doing so he could fit all of Gale’s broken pieces back together again. The look on Gale’s face gave him a pretty good clue as to how that would be received. He wondered if maybe, this time, Gale was too broken for even him to fix. If maybe, this time, Gale wouldn’t let him try to fit the pieces back together.

“I left you,” Gale whispered, his voice cracking over the words, face falling, as he looked away from John. It felt like all the air was sucked out of the room in a moment. He didn’t need Gale to elaborate, he knew exactly what the other meant.

“You didn’t,” John whispered in reply, taking a half step towards Gale. Gale flinched and John froze.

“I did. I ran. You died,” Gale’s tone was horrified and he wrapped his arms around himself, looking small.

“You ran, because I told you to. I wanted you to, Buck…” John trailed off, watching Gale shake his head.

“I left you. You got shot.”

“You did. I did. But that’s not on you, Buck.”

“Wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t ‘ve left,” Gale argued quietly, looking like he was collapsing in on himself. John bit the inside of his cheek, watching carefully. He wanted to run forward, to support Gale, to keep him from falling to his knees.

“You don’t know that,” John shot back, “goons couldda shot me any time they damn well pleased, with or without you.”

“They shot you because I ran, Bucky,” Gale snapped, though he immediately shrank back in on himself, shoulders raising towards his ears.

“I don’t care,” John replied before sucking in a breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, aware that might not actually be helpful. Gale screwed his eyes shut.

“I stopped drinking, stopped smoking, why are you here?” the blond asked, voice small and scared, and John felt his heart breaking beneath his ribs. Benny had told him Gale had been seeing things, Marge had told him that he was seeing John. He knew, it just didn’t make hearing it any easier.

“Buck…” John started, trying to take a step forward, hands up to try to pacify the other. Instead, Gale jerked back, backpedaling quickly, only to trip over himself after a few steps. John lurched forward, trying to catch Gale, but the blond had gained too much ground and he fell, his head whacking against the edge of a small table.

“Fuck. Buck.” John was by his side in an instant, terror on his face, “hey, Buck, hey, stop, hold on,” he said frantically as Gale tried to get up, “Can I touch you? Please, I want to help you."

“You’re not real,” Gale ground out, trying to shift away from John, grimacing at the pain that sparked through him. He touched the side of his head, his hand coming away bloody, his face paling at the sight.

“Gale,” John said firmly, making the blond flinch, his eyes fixing on John. His gaze was hazy and disoriented, and John was worried he’d hurt himself badly, but he could still see the sharp edge of panic under the haze, and he knew he had to move slow, couldn’t even think to suggest a hospital, would have to make Gale know he was okay before anything.

“John?” and it sounded like a question. John’s expression softened.

“Can I touch you?” he asked again. Gale hesitated but finally nodded— though he winced in pain immediately after. John reached out slowly, wrapping his arm around Gale’s shoulders and helping him sit up, unsure if the way Gale’s face crumpled and tears sprung to his eyes was good or not.

“You’re real,” Gale muttered against John’s shoulder, taking a deep breath in, the warm scent of cigarettes and John’s cologne expanding in his lungs.

“‘Course I am, dove, ‘course I am,” John comforted him, running a hand down his spine. He could feel, even through Gale’s coat and shirt, every vertebrae, every bump, and John grimaced to himself. The others had all told him Gale had never recovered his weight from before the Stalag, but he hadn’t understood just how literally they meant it. When he felt the hot damp of Gale’s tears against his shoulder, John bit his tongue, keeping his surprise to himself. Gale didn’t need that right now.

“I… I left you.”

“You saved yourself,” John argued, not really wanting to rehash it, but willing to if Gale needed it.

“I’m sorry,” Gale gasped out the apology, his voice cracking over a sob, the only indication other than the wetness on John’s shoulder that he was crying.

“Don’t be, dove, I wanted you to.”

“You’re real. You’re alive.”

“Yeah, baby doll. Yeah. I’m real. I’m alive. I’m right here.”

[creadigol]

*This one also contains and bit of a creepy villain. Mentions of stalking.

Detective knew they had made a wrong turn the moment the light overhead went out. 

There was something initially creepy about an alleyway in the middle of the night, but when the one and only light source burned out…that was another level. Perhaps they should call the city planners about having dark allies…not that they thought they would have the chance now. 

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” came the ice cold voice from behind them. “You’ve been annoyingly persistent my dear detective.” 

Detective knew that voice, it haunted the dreams of almost everyone in the city…but Supervillain wasn’t supposed to be here. Detective had only been following a small lead…an informant who said they had information about the drug ring. God, they should have known it was too easy; Police-Partner was going to be so mad when he heard about this!

“Supervillain,” Detective said it conversationally despite the fear in their soul. “What brings scum like you out on a beautiful night like this?” 

Detective tried to be discrete as they placed their hand on their holster and turned. 

Well, attempted to turn. 

Supervillian was on them in an instant. Not allowing them to turn all the way before a strong arm was cinched around their neck and a super powered hand was squeezing their wrist, making it impossible to control their hand as it went limp.

“Now, now, there’s no need for name calling; and after all the attention I’ve graced you will too.” Detective felt the air pulse with each word against their ear. 

“Attention?” they gasped, he had tried to sound strong, but with Supervillain holding them like this they knew their death could come at any second, they also knew Supervillain felt every fearful shake of their body. 

Supervillain practically purred into their hair. 

“Of course attention!” Supervillain spoke. “Afterall, I make a habit of keeping tabs on the smart ones. And you, my dear, are the most intelligent of them all. I must say, watching your day to day, everyday, has been most entertaining.” 

Detective felt themself drain of all color. Everyday? Oh god, had Supervillain been stalking them and they never knew?

“But alas, all good things must come to an end.” 

Detective jerked against Supervillain to no success. “What’s coming to an end?” They asked. Was Supervillain going to kill them? Here? Now? In a dark ally? Who would find their mutilated body? Some bum? An innocent bystander? Or worst of all…Police-Partner? 

“Why, your day to day routine. Not that I wish to cause Police-Partner worry, I know he’s the more responsible of the two of you; but detective, you personally have got a bit too close my dear. Can’t have you going back on the track you were on,” Supervillain squeezed Detective's wrist harder, earning a cry of pain. 

“So..” Detective hated how their voice shook. Honestly, it wasn’t death itself that they feared, it was death by Supervillain. They had seen what Supervillain does to someone they don’t like…it was…there wasn’t a word for the horror Supervillain produced when they decided to kill someone. 

“That’s it then?” Detective spoke. “I got too close so now I’m destined to be smeared across the bricks?” 

Supervillain chuckled. 

“Of course not Detective!” 

What? 

 “I already said you’re one of the smart ones. I can’t have my best form of entertainment die in such a pathetic way.” 

Supervillain let go of their neck just long enough to reach over and dispose of Detective's gun and cell phone. 

“You’ll love your new place. It’s beautiful. I set it all up just for you!”

What?!

“At least it will be beautiful as long as you answer my questions…if not…well I can convert your stay from five stars to hell in an instant.” 

“You’re…You’re..” Detective searched for the words as they were manhandled, arms wrenched behind their back, tied, and Supervillain’s arm wrapped around their torso. “You’re..Kidnapping me?” 

“An archaic term, but yes.” Supervillain picked up their own phone in their other hand and texted something. 

“You..” You what? Detective thought. What were they going to say? You can’t do that? How could you? Supervillain could essentially do whatever they wanted. That’s the whole reason Detective was so active in trying to stop them. “Hero will find out,” they blurted.

“Hah!” Supervillain seemed legitly amused at that. They started walking toward the entrance of the alleyway, taking Detective easily with them.

Curse their damn superpowers! And curse Detective’s lack of them!

“Hero’s too busy with Villain at the moment.” 

They arrived at the street and were waiting for a car, Detective assumed. 

“You could say that Police-Partner will find out, because that would be a more accurate statement,” Supervillain continued. 

Detective felt ice in their veins, “No! You leave him out of this! I didn’t tell him anything…” 

“Oh calm down!” Supervillain chuckled. “I already know. Your office has been bugged for months. Though, I must say your friendship is simply adorable. He knows what kind of food to order that coincides with your stomach problems, you remember that he likes putting pickles on his pizza, he knows the names of every one of your many cousins, and you remember that his mother likes those silly little ceramic cats…I could go on all night. Simply adorable. ” 

Detective felt like throwing up. 

“I’ll leave him alone of course,” Supervillain said. Detective felt a little lighter at those words. A long black car pulled up next to them on the empty street. 

“But if he proves an inconvenience in all of this, I will have to intervene.” Supervillain forced Detective into the back of the car. On the outside it would have appeared gentle if not for Supervillain’s bruising grip and exceptional strength. 

Supervillian reached over Detective and buckled the seatbelt. “He won’t prove to be an inconvenience will he?” Supervillain was so close Detective had to lean their head back to avoid knocking foreheads. It exposed their throat and left them feeling vulnerable. 

“Of course not. Who could ever prove to be an inconvenience to you?” 

Supervillain laughed and patted their cheek. 

“How right you are, Detective. See? I said you were the smart one.” 

Supervillain shut the door and walked to the other side of car. They got in next to Detective. 

Yes, I am the smart one. Detective thought. But Police-Partner is the determined one and there’s no farce on heaven or earth that will protect you from them now that you’ve crossed the line. 

Supervillain never noticed that Detective had dropped a small silver disk in the alleyway.

[winniethewife]

I know I'll be living in vain (Poe Dameron x reader)

Warnings: Hurt/comfort, Angst to fluff, injury, Hospital scene,

Words:664

Poe was looking everywhere for her. The battle had been difficult, he had lost track of her in the fray, and he just kept hoping that she was fine, that everything was okay, that just this one time he wasn’t going to lose someone so important to him, and to loose her before he had a chance to tell her how much she meant to him. In his frantic search he hardly noticed Finn calling his name, it takes the other man grabbing him by the shoulders and forcing him to look at him to get Poe’s attention

“She’s in the infirmary.” Finn says with a steady voice as he looks at Poe. Poe feels the color drain from his face.

“No. No. No,no,no.” His mind starts to race, what happened? Will she be okay? How did he let this happen? He has to get there now, Finn knows that and after a soft squeeze he lets him go. Poe starts to sprint through the base with determination. When he made it to the infirmary he was met with his worst nightmare.  She lay in a bed unconscious, her midriff wrapped in bloodied bandages, Poe felt weak in the knees. He moved to her side taking her hand in his. And there he stayed, all night and every day, waiting for her to wake up. After several days at her bedside he was afraid to lose hope.

“Come on stardust, Give me something.” He softly pleaded, kissing her hand as he looked at her with tear stained eyes, and as he watched her eyes fluttered open.

“What is happening to me?” she groans as she starts to feel the pain from her injuries. Poe is so excited that shes awake he crawls into the bed with her, except only about half of him fits with her on the tiny bed, She laughed slightly as she moved slightly to let him have a little more room. Poe cuddled up close to her.

“Thank the maker you’re awake. I was so worried.” Poe muttered into her shoulder as he nuzzled her. She runs her fingers through his hair as She looked on him with adoration.

“Its going to take more than the first order to take me out.” She laughed quietly, she was pleasantly surprised to have him so close and affectionate. She had a feeling he wanted to tell her something, but she wasn’t going to push. They lay close together for a few peaceful moments. Poe looked up at her and realized he couldn’t wait another moment.

“I don't wanna fit wherever, I just want to be here with you, I…I got one thing stuck in my mind. You. You are the only thing on my mind” He looked at her, his eyes wet with tears. “When I got back to base and couldn’t find you…I thought lost the love of my life… I can’t spend another day with you not knowing how I feel about you.”  His confession warmed her heart she, leans in and gently kisses his fore head.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear that? How I just wanna keep calling your name? How many times I see you around in all these empty faces?  You mean…everything to me Poe.” As she said this Poe could hardly contain his excitement, forgetting for a moment where they are and what had lead to this moment he moves to have his body hovering over hers, He leans in and kisses her gently, but with every bit of passion he can give. He’s so soft, so real, she can’t help but kiss back, mustering the strength to reach up and hold his face. anything to be closer to him. after a long, beautiful kiss, they pull apart to catch their breath. Poe’s dark gaze taking in every inch of her face.

“I’m going to stay here by you side, all night and every day…Until you come back home… home to me.”

~

Series Masterlist

[adhdnursegoat]

Arkham Knight

cw: yandere reader, murderous threats.

note: i don't condone this but it was fun to write

word count: 828

"Will you calm down?" Edward chides, his arms firmly wrapped around your waist. Despite the ongoing struggle, you can hear and feel in your ear the way his warm breath huffs in an amused laugh. He’s pulling you back, muscles flexing as he attempts to contain your fury. You’re not making it easy, thrashing against his hold, desperate to get your claws on that pathetic excuse of a cocktail waitress who deigned to even breathe in his vicinity.

"Calm down?" you snarl, your voice dripping venom as you glare daggers at the woman. She's standing there, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing as if searching for words, but nothing comes out. She’s frozen, clutching her tray to her chest, probably realizing she made the worst mistake of her life by batting her lashes at your Eddie-kins.

You growl low in your throat and lunge forward, fingers outstretched like talons, but Edward’s grip tightens, his arms pressing into your waist. "I will end you!" you scream, your voice echoing loudly in the intimately lit lounge. "Keep your filthy, fucking acrylics off him, you slut!"

The waitress stumbles back, her face draining of color, but you don’t care. You see nothing but red, rage bubbling inside you like molten lava. Edward’s hold is the only thing keeping you from tearing her apart right here and now.

"You’re making a scene," he simpers in your ear, his voice low and calm, but you hear the amusement underneath. He’s enjoying this—your unhinged, violent passion for him. And it makes your blood boil even more.

"Let me go," you growl, nails digging into his forearms as you try to break free. "I’ll cut her eyelids off! See how she bats those fake ass lashes then, the fucking whore!" You bare your teeth in a feral snarl, eyes fixed on the target of your wrath.

"Now, now, my love," Edward purrs with a grunt, his grip turning into a vise around your ribs as he tugs you back. He shifts his weight, pulling you flush against his chest, the movement equal parts restrictive and sensual. "There’s no need for such theatrics. She’s hardly worth your time, is she?" His voice is smooth, like warm honey, as he mouths the words against your ear. You shiver as it feeds the blazing emotions brewing inside you.

"Not worth my time?" you echo, voice high-pitched and incredulous. "Not worth my time?!" You twist in his arms, eyes locking onto his, burning with intensity. "But she touched you, Eddie! Touched you! And for that, I should carve out her heart and make her eat it!" A light bulb blinks in your mind’s eye, and you look away from him, vision unfocused. Your lips curl into a twisted grin at the thought, the violent imagery of slicing at her soft skin and wriggling your fingers into her cracked chest dancing through your mind in vivid detail.

Edward watches you, his eyes gleaming with admiration and dark amusement. "Ah, my beautiful little psychopath," he coos, tightening his hold just enough to keep you on a leash. "So ferocious in your love for me."

The way he says it, with such pride, almost sends you into another fit of rage. But his arms around you, his voice crooning in your ear—it all sends a shiver of pleasure down your spine. His acknowledgment of your possessive nature only fuels the heat blossoming in your blood.

"Don’t patronize me," you hiss, though your body softens slightly against his. Your eyes dart back to the waitress, who is now practically cowering, her face a sickly shade of white. "She deserves it," you mutter through gritted teeth. "She deserves to suffer."

"And she will, love," Edward tuts, nuzzling his nose against your temple and you can feel him smile. "She’ll suffer in the knowledge that she will never, ever have me. Because I’m yours." His words send a thrill through you, and despite your fury, a possessive smile tugs at the corners of your mouth.

"Mine.” You growl possessively, your hands clutching into the front of his shirt. Then, you look back at him, gaze softening in a quite concerning display of labile emotions. You pout, giving a doe-eyed look and your brows knit in disappointment. "But, Eddie, I still want to see her bleed,” you whine.

"Oh, I know you do." Edward narrows his eyes in indulgent amusement. He then presses a kiss to the top of your head, his hold around your waist turning tender, as if he’s cradling a precious, volatile gem. "But not here, darling," he murmurs. "Not now. Let’s not spoil the evening with bloodshed, hmm?"

You let out a frustrated grumble, still trembling with the urge to strike, to make the woman pay for even daring to look at your Edward. But his voice, his touch, his attention—they’re always like chains around your fury, reining it in just enough to keep you from doing something – anything brash.

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Vampire Captures Vampire Hunter to Use as Bloodbag part 10

Warnings: kidnapped human, recovery whump/caretaking

But fresh blood was so much better than stale, pre-packaged blood... so maybe it would be worth the trouble.

He spent an hour pacing before the knock on the door came. Anisa had finally arrived. Alex swallowed hard before letting her in, coming face to face with an expression of furious rage.

"Where is he?" Anisa snapped without pleasantries or small talk. She had a large duffel bag slung over one shoulder, bulky with whatever was inside.

"This way," Alex sighed heavily, and Anisa stomped after him as he took her to the basement.

Halfway down the stairs, Anisa gasped, dropping her bag to rush the rest of the way down and kneel at Mallory's side. "What on earth did you do to him?" She barked.

Mallory flinched hard at the voice, his eyes fluttering open before widening to see another vampire leaning over him. He whimpered and shrank away when Anisa rested two cold fingers on his neck to check his pulse, but was too weak to move far.

"You didn't even give him a blanket?!" Anisa squawked. "It's probably freezing down here! He could get hypothermia, especially when you drained him of so much blood!"

"Sorry," Alex mumbled half-heartedly, closing his eyes to roll them so she wouldn't see. It was disgusting to watch her fawn and worry over the injured hunter. "He's a vampire hunter," he said gruffly, but Anisa's attitude didn't change, to his shock. She was such a pathetic soft-heart when it came to humans.

Anisa went and grabbed her duffel bag, ripping it open and pulling out a large fluffy blanket along with several containers of food in plastic containers. She gently slid a hand behind Mallory's back, sitting him up and propping him against the basement wall to keep him upright before wrapping the soft blanket around him, leaving only his arms and head free.

"How's that feel, dear?" She asked gently, cupping the side of the hunter's face.

Alex thought he might vomit at the sight.

"Mmm... better... t-thanks..." Mallory mumbled quietly with a weak cough.

Anisa popped the lid off a container and shoved a plastic spoon into a weird noodle dish, putting it in Mallory's clammy hands. "Think you can eat this?" She cooed sweetly.

Mallory was shivering hard, hands trembling, but he managed to hold the container on his own, slowly eating bite by bite until it was all gone. Anisa offered him a bottle of water, and he downed the entire thing in seconds with impressive speed.

Alex felt a slight twinge of guilt. Had Mallory been feeling like a starving vampire this whole time? He remembered one time he'd forgotten to order new blood, and he didn't have the energy to hunt. It had been the worst two days of his life not having anything to eat.

Anisa coaxed Mallory to eat another small meal before packing her duffel bag again, leaving only the blanket behind as she dragged Alex out of the basement.

Once the door was shut behind them, Anisa whirled on him. "You seriously tick me off sometimes," she scolded. Then she grabbed something from a pocket, shoving it roughly into his hand. It was a folded piece of paper.

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @i-don't-know-sal @togzy

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222 @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @whump-queen

@floral-comet-whump

[jadeacereigen]

what's the water container symbolism with reigen

CASS YOU COULD'VE JUST ASKED IN DISCORD DMS LAMAHAHAHDFN BUT THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN EXCUSE TO POST THIS

Okay uh. It's been a hot minute since I've seen the Separation Arc (it is really hard for me to watch) but I will attempt to do something coherent...

So Reigen used to work as a salesman for a water cooler company before he abruptly quit to start his own business. It's implied that he worked at the call center in particular, since this is what we see of it:

Call center jobs are notoriously draining and monotonous, but Reigen was probably pretty good at selling to other people considering his gift for the gab. Still, he quit because he wanted to be something more than just that. He'd always wanted to be recognized by others, and a call center is one of the worst places to achieve that goal. You don't get to talk to people face-to-face, and he probably dealt with a lot of rude people as well as annoyed people who didn't want to be sold anything. Every day, he was just a random voice through the telephone (among many random voices through the telephone).

And so, he quit this job despite the stable salary to make his own business. But even still, his past continues to haunt him, symbolized by the water cooler he keeps in his apartment. We see this a lot in the Separation Arc, with shots like these:

IIRC that first frame is when he got the idea to start a psychic business, a place where people would come to him to seek his help in particular. However, that water cooler continues to loom behind him during his lowest points, symbolizing the insignificant past he was so desperate to rise above. (But at what cost?)

It kinda reminds me of Icarus flying too close to the sun after escaping the Labyrinth, how he plunged to his death and drowned in the sea. Water is something everyone needs to live, and yet we can drown to death when there's too much.

I think this part of the Season 1 OP really highlights that, how his boring past where he felt insignificant and unrecognized threatens to drown him. He becomes to determined to become someone special that he loses sight of what he really needs (someone to see him for who he is and accept him). He becomes a public laughing stock, true, but I think what horrifies Reigen most of all is when he realizes he was holding Mob back and using him selfishly instead of helping him like he did when they first met.

Fortunately, I think he does eventually rise above that massive complex of his, thanks to Mob and the other people he meets and helps along the way (: He still has a ways to go, but he's getting there. As we see in the series finale, there are now many people who recognize Reigen for who he is, and it may not be the entire world but it's more than good enough for him.

Bonus Reigen Drinking Water From A Cup in the Season 1 ED:

[imagine-knb]

The chores ask was so much fun lmaooooo. How about minor household things that grates at gom+nijimura+kagami? Like leaving food uncovered in the fridge, not putting away slippers properly, etc. Mine is people not finishing up the tiny bit of food and leaving it for other people to deal with it because you technically didn't finish it 🙄

This really got me in my domestic feels for these bois 🥴 Admin Neon

Kuroko — leaving food scraps out

not only does it sometimes result in ants invading his home, but it's also very dangerous for his dog

the one time somebody left food scraps out on the table and Nigou got to it, it had cost him a very expensive vet bill just to make sure his dog wasn't poisoned; the person at fault paid, of course

Kagami — not wiping down the stove after cooking

he prides himself in having a rather clean kitchen, so when someone (Riko) comes over and makes a complete mess of his stovetop without thinking to clean it, he's livid

it's the one place he keeps pristine and spotless and he will ban anyone from his kitchen if they don't bother cleaning up

Kise — leaving opened packages/boxes around the house

his family gets a lot of mail, as such, there's always an empty, open box lying around somewhere for him to trip over

he complains about the towers of boxes constantly, saying they should be broken down for the recycling, but really, he's the worst offender for this behavior

Aomine — leaving hair on the shower wall/drain

his mom is guilty of this, Momoi (on the rare ocassions she sleeps over) is guilty of this, and he's pretty sure all long haired people are guilty of this

he finds it so gross, especially when the hair being pulled out of the drain has stuff clinging to it

Midorima — leaving food scraps in the sink

similar to his distaste for washing dishes, he hates when people leave food scraps, fruit/vegetable peels, or really anything organic in the sink

thinks cleaning the sink trap of all the mushy food and gunk is so disgusting; he always gags

Murasakibara — leaving snacks improperly sealed

he spends a lot of money on the treats he buys, so if he's willing to share with you, he expects you to properly take care of the container if you don't finish the snack

the worst feeling in the world for him is eating from an already open bag of chips and everything is stale

Akashi — not using a coaster

a lot of the furniture in his home was originally handpicked and bought for his mother, so they hold a lot of sentimental value for him

he will absolutely give you a dirty look if you set down a wet glass on the wooden table without using a coaster

Nijimura — leaving dirty dishes in the sink all day

he's the type of person to clean his dishes immediately after he's done using them, so he hates when he sees someone else's dishes sitting there

he will refuse to do anyone else's dishes if this happens, which only makes it worse because now it's sitting there longer

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Could you do #9 with Steve please Amber!

Thank you for the sleepy ask Mandy!

You were simply drained. Not the regular kind where you would get a few hours and then felt refreshed.

These were symptoms of your monthly aunt flow. It sucked all the energy out of you, leaving you feeling like you were barely hanging on at the moment. And it had been like this for the past several days. You were ashamed to find out on date night you had passed out on Steve's chest while watching a movie.

He had carried you to bed, sure to get you comfy and spoon behind you all night, his warmth keeping you relaxed in his arms.

Today was worst though and as you trudged to the kitchen to get some caffeine, your large super soldier who was a menace in your bed and the equivalent of a golden retriever dog the rest of the time blocked your path.

"Steve, I need the coffee." You sighed as you went to move around him but he was so warm and when his arms circled you, you didn't put up a fight, you just leaned into him.

"Doll, you need the bed." He muttered softly, scooping you easily into his arms. You let your face nuzzle into his neck, cuddling into his chest while you protested.

"I was gonna go back to bed. I don't have work. But I do have to do stuff."

He carried you back towards the bedroom, shaking his head gently. "No, you really don't. I took a look at your schedule baby and I already have someone taking care of it all."

"You do?" You asked incredulously while he eased you back into the soft bed.

"Trust me, I have it all handled," Steve assured you while easing down next to you. You smiled a bit, giving a relieved sigh as you reached up to cup his face, enjoying the feel of him in your hand.

"I wish you could stay."

"Well Sweetheart, as a matter of fact, I called in sick.  Now we can stay in bed and snuggle all day.” Steve said as he pulled you in against his side, allowing you to lean against his supportive body while he tugged the blankets over the both of you.

"Really?" You asked hopeful, unable to contain your question in your happiness to have the whole day with steve.

"Really Baby, I want to take care of you. I love you Y/N." He pressed a kiss to your lips while rubbing at your back, letting you really relax for the first time in days.

"I love you too Steve."