#lets. not even go into the ones he killed :') not out of choice ofc but because aleksey

[maybejj]

can we get any headcannons on how rafe protects reader and how the group protects/help eachother?

yes ofc!!!

cw: violence, guns, parental abuse, mentions killing/murder

ways rafe protects maybank!sister!reader

he always makes sure his sleeping bag is in between her and the door. he watches to make sure she eats at every meal. one time she passed out during her watch shift with him because she hadn’t been eating enough and he got so upset with her over it. called her reckless and selfish but his emotions were coming from a place of fear. he teaches her how to shoot a gun properly. guns were always jj’s thing so she’s not as comfortable with them as her brother and rafe helps her. ever since she went missing for those 6 days, he doesn’t let her go out alone. he wants to be the one with her everytime she leaves camp but it doesn’t always work out that way so he makes her promise to check in every 30 minutes through the walkie talkies they have. reader gets cold easily and with no heat during the winters, it gets damn near miserable so once everyone is asleep, rafe normally gives reader his blanket and he just bundles up in his multiple jackets for the night. reader usually wakes up pissed that he would let himself freeze all night but rafe just rolls his eyes and tells her to get use to it.

ways the pogues help each other

it’s kind of an unspoken rule but the pogues can sense when one of them is getting tired/exhausted/depressed and they all step up to give that person a break. they all have their own traumas they’ve been through since the start of the apocalypse and with ward running around, anything can happen. they take care of each other, even rafe. emotionally and physically. reader knows how to patch wounds up so she becomes the pogues’ “doctor”. her knowledge is limited, it’s just stuff she learned throughout the years with luke. it took a minute for them to get use to rafe but when sarah comes crawling back to camp, dragging her injured brother beside her, they don’t have a choice but to take him in. they really get a system down pretty fast so they can survive. ward is hunting them down and they’re trying to get by so they all have their own area of expertise and it all flows together pretty well. they helped buried what was left of john b’s dad so he could have a place to visit him. even when they found out ward nearly killed rafe, the pogues promised rafe they would make ward pay. jj, rafe, cleo, reader, & john b are usually the ones going on runs. occasionally pope will go if he’s looking something specific but for the most part, he stays guarding the camp when everyone else is gone. the apocalypse honestly brings them closer together so they help each other in every way they can because if they don’t, no one survives.

[alicentsgf]

shauna is a bad person because she was a good one and its fucking fascinating. "I didnt start out a bad person" is one of the Best lines in the show because it sums her up so succinctly and melanie lynskeys delivery is a gut punch

she naturally cares so much about people thats literally why shes like this. she was always flawed (impulsive, self-destructive, etc) but there were so many moments in season 1 where she went out of her way to be kind. its why she cant ever accept anythings her fault because deep down she feels so much of it is and if she ever acknowledges that even slightly its over. too much has happened and she cares too deeply for it to not totally fucking destroy her. she had to lie to herself to survive. its why her subconcious regularly revives the person she loved most just to say mean things to her. it is the worst punishment shauna can imagine and so thats exactly what her imagination delivers. at least then its someone else saying it. it means she can still hide from herself. pretend the punishment isnt self-inflicted. as an adult she creates her own demons. no one damaged the breaks or locked the fridge, it was always only her. she even kills the one person who helped her feel happy and free for the first time in 25 yrs just because he seemed too good to be true. ghost jackie warning her on the bridge that someone was going to get hurt was shaunas own mind creating a self-fufilling prophecy. it couldnt end well, shes not allowed to be happy (she had to make sure)

even the awful things we see shauna doing this season as a teenager, the person she's become, came about because of how much she cared. in keeping them all alive, she destroyed her entire sense of self. she emerges from it all convinced she's a terrible person now so she should just accept it. embody it. and shes so full of pain and rage that its so easy. someone needed to be okay with the worst parts of it, otherwise they didnt eat. otherwise they were vulnerable. she just cares too much. its the root of it all. it would be so easy to take extra rations (she doesn't). shes lost her child, imagined him ripped apart and eaten. (she'll cut into someone elses. rip him apart. they’re depending on her.) there's a purpose and fulfilment in the act. (she hates herself for feeling it but she needs to). shes lost everything and maybe she'd rather curl up in the snow by her babys grave and sleep. (they have to eat, she has to feed them.) they don't even thank her. she'll resent them for it later. (she still cares.) she hates them.

shauna may be be paranoid and vengeful but shes not a narcissist and shes not righteous. there's no wilderness god, no greater good, just reality. the place where they grew hungry enough to hunt each other. she wonders aloud why the hell melissa likes her, because shes aware shes unlikeable. it might not be a conscious choice but its deliberate. its a form of self-harm and its self-preservation. better to be feared and hated than pitied, at least then theres some power in what shes lost. (shes so desperate to feel powerful. she's earned it hasn't she?)

even when shes older and she tries to move on, always quick to blame others for her problems, deep down she will always feel responsible. its her fault jackie died so it has to mean something, her relationship with jeff has to be real. so she marries him out of guilt and has a child so she can continue to punish herself indefinitely. ofc it makes sense she can hug a confused old man because hes seeing his daughter instead, but she cant hold her own daughter the same way. cant love the way she wants to. (she could never let her go. she’d leave claw marks in her skin) she doesnt deserve her. cant let herself love callie like that. (she loves her anyway). because shes no good. because she knows what she could become (again) if she lost callie. she hurts people. shes a bad person and she deserves to be feel like this, to be blamed for everything, to freeze to death (because karma).

so yes shaunas a bad person. but shes not very good at it. and it wasn't pre-destined. she took on too big a burden, lost too much, and it broke her. that's what makes her tragic. most innately bad people dont spend their entire adult lives self-inflicting emotional torture.

[phas3d]

Fake Dating | Slytherin Boys

type :: fluff

tw/cw :: none

contains :: draco, tom, mattheo, theodore, lorenzo

notes :: fake dating is the FUEL TO MY LIFE AHHH slightly inspired by "please please please" by Sabrina Carpenter because ofc it is

DRACO MALFOY

He's bullied you for ages, literally making your high school years hell

But after his father and mother pressure him with questions about a girlfriend

He gets sick of it and wants to shut up for ONE NIGHT just one fucking night

So he gets you to pretend to be his partner, because you're the only girl willing to say yes (because ur scared of him)

Corners you and threatens you, "If you don't give me an Oscar worthy performance I will literally burn all of your uniforms and books"

Now you're at his house, eating expensive steak under 3 chandeliers

No one knows why he has 3 chandeliers,,, not even his parents

But instantly, his parents love you for your nerdiness and cuteness

They see you as a sweet and innocent little partner for Draco :)

But uh oh... you were TOO perfect for his parents

Now Draco is asking you to go with his parents to Germany for a "little trip"

Except their idea of a "little trip" is a week vacation in the most expensive hotel and meeting German celebrities

You can't speak German, but Draco can so he helps answer any questions asked towards you

But for some reason, he gets super agitated as you keep attending parties and people keep coming up to you

He gets so mad on the second-to-last-day of the week vacation to the point he grabs some random guys collar and shouts at him

You pull try to pull them apart but it's too late...

Draco gets his ass whooped... Badly... Embarrassingly bad...

You leave the party early, going back to the hotel alone as you patch his wounds

That's when you ask why he was so upset

But he refuses to answer, saying it's just that the guy was annoying

It's obvious that he's lying, so you keep pushing him and pushing him

So he angrily blurts out: "Because people keep fucking asking for your number!!! GOD!!! You're so dense!"

He says as he lightly flicks your forehead before staring deeply into your eyes: conveying everything he's been feeling for you for these past weeks of "fake dating"

TOM RIDDLE

Mattheo is Tom's worse enemy, despite being brothers

Yet again, Mattheo teases and mocks Tom for being a loser with zero "rizz" or whatever that means

He's sick of Mattheo's stupid ass slang, everyday he hears "you're a beta" "ur aura is so low" "zero rizz bruh"

He's literally going to kill him

But sadly he can't do that, so he comes up with a different solution

He chooses you, a random kid he did a project with once, to pretend to be his new partner

You were hesitant but he then threw in an extra bonus, he would do all your homework for two classes of your choice

So obviously you had to take it

He had to prepare you for the worse: Mattheo

Tom forced you to visit his dorm to study how to reply to Mattheo when you finally meet him

He also made you study how to act like a couple in public

Which he knew nothing about... He was technically right about hand holding and matching clothes

But his version of hand holding was very uncomfortable, the type where you don't interlock fingers

And the clothes he picked were ugly as hell, no way you'd ever wear that stuff

So you had to help him a lot with learning how to act natural in relationships

When he feels that you're finally prepared, he lets you meet Mattheo

Mattheo is super sus at first but is too dumb to question harshly

But now, you're stuck as pretending to be Tom's girlfriend for the rest of the year

He's painfully unaffectionate in public which makes you slightly embarrassed because he makes you look like a clingy girlfriend

But in private, when he's teaching you what to say and doing your homework: he's surprisingly sweet

He gets better at being a boyfriend over time and even takes you on full dates, not just fake photoshoots to post online

But he's still insisting to keep this relationship as just beneficial, no string attached

You can't help but start to fall for him, it's literally impossible to not

He gifts you everything you've ever wanted, takes you to fancy places, making him chuckle under his breathe feels more rewarding than any A+ ever, and those small private moments where you can feel a soul behind his eyes instead of the ice cold make you love him

So you cut it off with him, lying and saying you don't need the benefits and it's too hard to keep lying

He accepts this and lets you go

You end up being really popular once you're single

And that pisses him off ENDLESSLY

He found you first! He basically made you! You're still his, he can't let someone take all his hard work

And for some reason,,, he felt hollow after you left - as if he lost something dear to him

He's not sure how you brought out these emotions, but he wants it back ASAP

MATTHEO RIDDLE

Oh my god double trope: because Mattheo started dating you because he was dared to

You're seen as a kinda bitch in Hogwarts because a group of girls said so

But in reality, you're really chill and grounded, which surprised Mattheo when he went on your first date

You made him laugh a few times (a lot, he's too cocky to admit it)

And you also were really similar to Mattheo, you liked the same games and shows

As he kept pretending to date you, he started to actually like you and your presence

But he's still not too attached because he knows he needs to break up with you in about 2 months

As the weeks pass by, you accidentally read a message for Mattheo

It was from Theo, saying "Jesus dude, you two almost seem like a real couple. You should try acting haha"

You froze but started to plot your revenge on him

You kept acting like everything was fine and normal, and then broke up with HIM

Mattheo was shocked, because not only has he completely fallen for you but he's also never been broken up with

He unsure of what to do, but all he knows is he wants you back

THEODORE NOTT

Pulling girls has almost never been a problem for Theo his entire life

He even pulled grown women while being 14 years old (he's a victim...)

But his main problem is pulling a girl that would be approved by his parents

Theo surrounds himself with heavy drinkers, partiers, and dumb jocks: meaning there's not many partners that are "marriage material"

So he asks you, the Head Girl of your house, to pretend to be his girlfriend for family events

You agreed due to the large sum of money he was paying you, it's insane how rich he is

Every time Theo had a family event, he would just call you up and BOOM his family loves you

But as you keep coming to these family events, acting as a couple becomes less and less awkward for you both

You both agreed to not kiss each other due to this just being acting, plus kissing at family events is weird

But God, Theo really wants to break that rule when you and him are alone on the balcony at night while you ramble about the struggles of being Head Girl

He never thought he'd fall for the super nerdy, responsible, and awkward Head Girl - but he did, and he fell super hard

Theo wants to straight up ask you to be his real girlfriend, but he's so scared

He's scared of making you uncomfortable for catching feelings or making you think he planned this all along

LORENZO BERKSHIRE

Enzo's best friend is Blaise, almost everyone knows that

But what everyone also knows is that Blaise has the FATTEST crush on your best friend, Pansy Parkinson

And even more well known is that Pansy liked him back

There was literally no reason for these two to not get together, they were just too scared to confess

Which is odd since they're both so head-strong and confident, you guess it's just because they're scared of rejection

So Enzo reaches out to you, asking you to help come up with a plan to set them both up on a date

You two are complete strangers, only ever talking once or twice whilst in a group

So you both create a lie: that you and Enzo are going on a first date and need them to tag along to make it a "double date"

Obviously, this works on them because they're great friends

So now you and Enzo are on an awkward fake date while your best friends basically make out next to you

The original plan was just to tell Pansy and Blaise that there was no spark between you and Enzo

But due to you both spending an entire 12 hours together with Blaise and Pansy, you guys got comfortable with each others

He makes you laugh a ton and you do the same

You both love really niche topics and shows, even sharing the same favorite sports teams

Your bond only grows stronger after Blaise and Pansy ask for another double date

But you and Enzo take it slow, having the most sexual tension for months because you both were just claiming to be "friends only"

You finally broke that after about 4 months, thank God

[aviiarie]

found family with Giyuu and his tsuguko (platonic ofc). like, imagine eating together, or helping each other with little things (like brushing hair or sharpening swords for the other) or protecting each other in fights.

˚ ₊ ‧ ♡ EVERY BREATH; EVERY HEARTBEAT — platonic giyuu & reader !

synopsis. moments with giyuu and his tsuguko. warnings. kny-typical violence. manga spoilers. notes. PLATONIC. reader uses water breathing. gn!reader. headcanons. found family. 1.1k words. i'm so sorry for how late this request is. i went with a headcanon format, i hope you enjoy <33

Giyuu had high expectations of them. He made that very clear from the beginning; if they were to be the next water hashira, they needed to be strong, capable. They needed to be able to match him in skill—and eventually, exceed him.

It's lucky for him that his tsuguko was a quick learner.

“Don't slouch,” Giyuu's face remains expressionless, but there was a slight pinch between his eyebrows that betrayed a barely hidden frown. “Keep your back straight, and your feet shoulder-width apart. If your weight isn't evenly distributed, you'll be knocked over as soon as you swing your sword.”

They quickly adjust their stance, gripping the hilt of their sword tightly. Their feet shift, one pointed forward and the other angled outward, with their body positioned in a slight crouch.

“Better.” Giyuu nod. “In an actual fight, you won't have time to focus on keeping your posture correct. You need to be able to rely on muscle memory, to fall into a fighting stance without even thinking about it.”

“How do I do that?” They ask, still frozen in where they stood. Their arm was beginning to ache from holding up their sword for so long, so they lower it to their side.

“You will learn.” He says simply. “Don't put down the sword just yet. We're not quite done.”

He's patient with his student, but is still as strict on them as he has to be. The last thing he wants is to go too soft on them, because he knows just how dangerous their profession is.

When they're out on missions together, he's very protective. Of course, he lets them fight—they're a capable Demon Slayer, after all—but the second he sees that they're starting to struggle, he steps in and kills the demon before they can blink.

It's just instinct. He'll hang back to let them prove their skills, but when they're hit with a particularly painful blow, his body moves on its own accord. He can't risk losing someone else, not to another demon.

Rather than going to the butterfly house for every injury, Giyuu is most often the one to help patch them up after fights. He isn't as skilled in medical treatment, but he has enough knowledge and is twice as gentle as Shinobu is, so he's their first choice.

While he's cleaning and bandaging their cuts and scrapes, he lets them squeeze his arm as tightly as they need to. He doesn't even complain when their nails dig into his skin.

Afterwards, he'll cook meal for them both—their favourite, if he's able to make it. they eat together, in a comfortable quiet. He's never been much for talk during meals, but he enjoys the company greatly.

For their first few meals together, neither said anything at all. But after a while, after they started to become more comfortable with each other, soon their silence started to be filled with something more.

“Why did you become a Demon Slayer?” The question makes Giyuu falter for a moment. His chopsticks, still raised to his lips, were slowly lowered away from his face.

“Why did I become a Demon Slayer?” He echos the question, making sure he heard them correctly. They nodded, and he sighed. “For no happy reasons.”

They're quiet for a moment, staring down at their food. “...I guess I can say the same.”

“It's quite a popular answer, among Slayers.” Giyuu says bluntly, returning to eating.

Maybe one day, he'll be able to properly explain the story to them without breaking his impassive facade, but even the slight memory is enough to force cracks into his blank expression. He focuses on the food in front of him, inhaling the rich smell and pushing away the clouding thoughts in his mind.

“What would you do if you weren't a Demon Slayer?” The second question almost makes him choke on his mouthful of food.

“Does it matter?” He swallows, staring at them blankly.

“No,” They shrug, not meeting his eye. “Just curious, I guess.”

Conversations were tentative at first, but he slowly opens up to them. They talk about their lives, before and after becoming Demon Slayers. Soon they move to trivial matters as well, favourite colours and favourite foods, random memories and amusing stories.

Then, it's the small moments between fighting and training. Giyuu helps them by sharpening their sword, and they help him with cleaning his after a mission. It all becomes a routine, and they fit into his life like they were always there, as if they've been a part of his family all along.

While he only intended to take on a tsuguko to train a successor, he ends up growing very fond of them. It becomes harder for him to send them out on missions, even they've grown strong enough to be able to fight on their own.

It's during the final battle that his sudden protectiveness towards them is tested, as he is forced to watch them almost die in the fight against Upper Moon Three.

For a moment, Giyuu's heart stops beating. He watches, paralyzed, as the demon—Upper Moon Three, the fourth strongest demon in the world—turns his attention towards his tsuguko. Their sword is raised in defense, lips parted to spit out the words that he taught them.

“Third Form—” The cry is cut off, as a fist is slammed into their stomach with enough force to tear through their skin and leave a mess of blood in its wake.

“Giyuu!” Their scream feels as heavy as the wounds weighing Giyuu down, but he doesn't stop; not even for a moment. He lunges forward, swinging his blade.

“Second Form, Water Wheel!” Giyuu yells, slashing the sword across the demon's shoulder and slicing his arm clean off. The attack distracts him long enough for [Name] to stumble back and away, pressing against the wound on their stomach to staunch the bleeding.

If there was any reason to keep fighting, even when weariness claws at his lungs and presses tightly against his chest, it was to stop the demons from taking anyone else. Tanjiro is ready beside him, and the grip on his sword is tight.

“Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!”

The aftermath is heavy on them both, but they aren't alone. Together, they begin to rebuild their lives in the wreckage of the Demon Slayer Corps, forging a new future for themselves. And no matter where that future takes them, Giyuu will be there to support them.

They aren't alone. No matter how many people who have been lost, they aren't alone, and as long as he is still alive, he will make sure they never will be.

Family is a difficult subject for Giyuu, but in them, that is exactly what he finds.

🏷️ taglist: @mollzaj, @mitsvriii, @an-angstyteen

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai

[zepskies]

Outlander - Part 2

Pairing: Dean Winchester x OFC 

Summary: Dean Winchester has been stripped of his military rank, but he’s living happier with his new wife, trying to adjust to a new life in her tribe. What will it take for her people to accept him, especially when the battle for her heart might not be completely won? 

AN: Here we go! Diving deeper into Dean's (mis)adventures, plus a big Protective Dean moment...

Disclaimer: I first got inspired to write The Honorable Choice for @jacklesversebingo after a recent rewatch of Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron (with a tinge of Yellowstone in the mix). I’ve done a fair bit of research for this now ongoing series, both on the Native American Lakota tribe, and on American history during this time in the late 1800s; AKA: the Old West, during the American Indian Wars.

Jacklesverse Bingo24 Prompt: Western AU

Song Inspo: The Spirit Soundtrack

Word Count: 6.4K

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only. Mentions of attempted sexual assault (not graphic). Protective Dean, survival situations, derogatory name-calling, hunting (in the traditional sense), angst, blood and violence, hurt/comfort, and romantic fluff and spice.

🐎 Series Masterlist || Bingo Masterlist

Part 2: What is Home

No matter how Dean tries, somehow he never makes his mark with the arrow. His boot even slips on the tree branch he was perched on, and he falls straight into the mud from this morning’s rain shower.

The other six men wait for him on the ground, and they laugh at him. 

Otaktay is the ringleader today, as he is whenever Šóta isn’t here.

“Get up, wašíču. Watch close,” Otaktay says, in his limited English. He and Takoda smoke their long pipes leisurely and blow smoke rings up in the air.

Wašíču.

Fat taker. Greedy White. By now, Dean knows what that means, and it’s worse than Outlander. It makes his jaw clench and his temper spike.

Otaktay gives Takoda his pipe to hold, then reaches behind his back for his bow and an arrow from his quiver. Dean has noticed that the other men’s bows look a bit bigger than his, but Otaktay called it a “training bow.”

He notches his arrow, pulls it back and lets it fly. It hits up into the tree and spears an apple, pinning it to the trunk.

It’s an impressive move, but Dean just picks himself up and cleans most of the mud from his hands. He knows Mila will have something to say about making a mess of the clothes she made for him.

“All right, fine. I am what I am,” Dean says. He meets Otaktay’s gaze head-on. “But I’ve still been hunting all my life.”

Dean used to keep his knife on his belt, but now he wears the pants and tunics the other men wear, and they either strap their weapons in a leather holster around their thigh or to their ankles. Dean unsheathes the knife he keeps strapped to his thigh. 

And he throws it hard. It cuts straight through a branch and brings an entire bunch of apples to the ground by Takoda’s feet; he even has to jump to avoid them landing on his head. The others murmur to each other, begrudgingly impressed. 

Except for Otaktay. His face remains stoic. 

A whistle breaks the tension in the forest clearing. It’s Šóta, who joins them, coming through on his horse. 

“How is the hunt going?” he asks in English, raising a brow over at the wild boar that lies in the grass. Otaktay and the others killed it this morning, so he’s the one who speaks first. 

“The Outsider will bring a whole bunch of apples to feed his wife. How satisfying,” Otaktay says, with a dry edge of mocking. Dean’s jaw clenches, but he tries not to rise to the bait. 

“Maybe he satisfies her in other ways, brother,” Šóta says. “Maybe that’s why he has a wife, and you don’t.” 

His tone is teasing, but is there a reproaching edge there too? Dean’s lips tug upwards, slightly; he sees that Otaktay simmers at the dig, but he doesn’t dare say anything against Šóta.

“Hey!” Takoda calls out. He points at the boar they mean to take back to the village. A mountain lion slips closer down from a tree. He sinks his teeth into the boar’s thigh and begins to drag it away, farther into the forest.

The sight of the wild cat spooks the men’s horses grazing nearby. Even Baby scatters along with them, braying in distress. But the men hustle into action. Even with mud still clinging to his clothes and his skin, Dean grabs up his bow and arrow and runs to grab his fallen knife. He whistles to Baby and calms her down enough to climb up onto her back. 

The others have already done the same with their horses and are chasing the mountain lion into the woods. It zips up a tree, and Šóta, Otaktay, and the others aim their arrows high. They wait and listen. 

Otaktay releases his arrow first. The cat’s angry shriek fills the clearing from above.

“You got him,” Šóta says.

“Winged him. He’s not dead,” Otaktay says. His brows furrow as he listens closer. 

The cat jumps from the tree and takes Dean to the ground. Baby brays and stamps around, and Dean has to both avoid her hooves and try to keep the mountain lion from sinking his claws or his teeth into his neck. 

Šóta’s eyes widen, but he springs into action by whistling to the men and raising his bow. Before he can shoot, he has to stop short at what he sees. 

A moment later, Dean rolls over and heaves the lion’s dead body off of him. His knife comes out of the animal’s chest, slick and crimson with blood. It runs down his muddy shirt as he pants and heaves for breath.

Šóta gets down from his horse, running his disbelieving eyes over the scene.

Dean looks up and finds a hand offered to him. His gaze travels up further and meets Šóta’s. His eyes are an even darker brown than Mila’s. Dean takes his hand and accepts the help to his feet.

The other men hesitate, stunned into silence, but they get down from their horses and help Dean and Šóta heft the dead animal onto the latter’s horse. They will take it, along with the boar they retrieve from up in the tree, back to camp.

Mila returns to camp not long before the men. She meant to start prepping for supper, but she becomes sidetracked while playing Chase with the children. As one of the few young women still without children of her own, she tries her best to give the mothers a break in the afternoon, so they can finish washing, mending, cooking, or even just having a rest for themselves. 

Watching their joy, and even helping them up when they fall and cry, makes her wonder when she will finally be blessed with a child. She hopes they will have Dean’s eyes, so pretty and green.

When the men return, she raises her head breathlessly and smiles. It soon dims, however, as she catches sight of Dean. She gets to her feet and ushers the children back to their mothers before she goes to meet him. 

He gives her a sheepish look when he gets off his horse. Her mouth drops open at seeing him covered in mud and sweat and blood. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he says, trying to placate her with raised hands. She ignores that and touches his chest, her palms splaying down his stomach as she tries to find a wound. She finds more tears and scratches through his soiled clothes, but no real wounds. Still, she’s not satisfied yet.

“What happened?” she asks. 

“Just a little trial by fire, sweetheart,” Dean says. He grasps her arms to placate her. “Everything’s okay.”

Otaktay pointedly looks away from the scene and moves on along with the other men. Šóta notices, but he goes to his cousin.

“We encountered a thief,” he says, gesturing to the body of the mountain lion they brought back for tonight’s meal. “Dean Winchester not only caught the thief, but made an example of him.”

Mila raises her brows and looks to Dean, as if to say, Is this true? He offers a smile and a shrug. She smiles back.

Šóta rides on, but he glances back and sees how Mila dotes on her husband, touching a gentle hand to his cheek.

In return, Dean holds her by the waist and talks to her with a warmth in his eyes that he only has for her. Or at least, that’s what Šóta finally sees.  

Mila and Dean head back to their tipi, where she grabs a fresh change of clothing for him. 

“I could’ve gotten it,” he says. 

“You’ll track mud inside,” she points out wryly. She holds the bundle of clothes for him on their way to the river. “All you do is give me mending to do. You can’t keep clean, can’t keep from hurting yourself, can you?”

Dean knows her well enough now to realize her griping isn’t all that serious. She was just worried.

“I guess not,” he says, trying to hide his amusement.

She gives him a stern look, but with that cheeky look of his, she can’t stay upset for long. Her face softens into an exasperated smile, and she gestures towards the river. “Go. Wash yourself up. I will have supper ready soon.”

Dean grabs her hand and makes her drop the change of clothes in the grass. 

“Only if you come with me,” he says. He grabs her and aims to toss her over his shoulder, but she squeals in protest. 

“Dean Winchester! I’ll have nothing to wear if you drop me in the water!” 

Dean pauses, his lips tugging at a smirk. “You make a decent point, but I’m just wondering, do I really care if you’ve gotta walk back naked?” 

“Dean!” she giggles, hitting his shoulder. 

He chuckles and sets her down, but he still doesn’t let her leave. By now, she doesn’t want to. He starts helping her undress, followed by him peeling off his disgusting clothes. He hooks an arm around her waist and hauls her with him into the water. She laughs and tries to escape him by splashing water in his face, but he just spits it out. He chuckles and wipes the excess droplets.

He slips his arms around her waist, holds her tight and floats with her for a bit. He takes in a deep breath and finds peace here with her here in the sun-warmed water. She’s become his peace.

Mila takes his face in her hands and kisses him slowly. When she pulls away and their eyes meet again, she smiles.

“I am proud of you,” she says. “Not just for today, but for every day that you stand strong.”

Dean’s lips quirk with a reluctant smile. He doesn’t take praise very well, but her words make the weight on his shoulders feel a little bit lighter. Holding her flush against his chest, every soft, familiar curve is pressed against him. He leans in and captures her lips again.

That evening, the tribe gathers for a feast prepared by the Chief’s wives, Mila, and her mother Weaya to celebrate the warriors’ highly successful hunt.

Šóta watches his cousin with her Outlander husband. Dean follows her lead in divvying out portions of the meal, but still at times with a supportive hand on the small of her back. He even takes the large, hot bowl out of her hand to help serve her and her family—including Chatan, who accepts the offered bowl without a word.

Dean Winchester doesn’t sit until Mila does. They talk together with her mother and the others, though Dean mostly keeps to himself while the women chat. He occasionally responds to a direct question or comment, but overall, he seems content to listen. He’s starting to follow more bits of conversation in their language.

At the end of the meal, he stands with Mila and helps her collect bowls that will be washed. The man is confident, but not prideful. He’s hardworking, self-reliant, and has the makings of a warrior. 

However, Šóta is not the only one who watches his cousin and the Outlander.  

Šóta pulls Dean aside after breakfast the next morning. He takes Dean back to the forest, beyond where the horses are kept in their pen, and puts his own hunting bow in Dean’s hands.  

“Feel the weight of it,” Šóta says. “Does it seem like yours?”

Dean considers it, testing out the strength of the bowstring. “No. It feels heavier.”

“Because it is. We gave you a training bow for children,” Šóta says. He takes the bow from Dean and brings him the one he had tied to a satchel on his horse. “I will give you this one. It belonged to my half-brother, Takoda, before he made his own. I made it for him, and now I give it to you.”

Dean takes the bow. Šóta’s right, it’s taller and heavier than the first one they gave him. Of course they tried to trick him by giving him a kid’s bow. He tries not to be too annoyed about it, because it looks like Šóta’s warming up to him, at least enough to actually train him.

“Thanks,” Dean nods. He runs a hand over the bow and admires the craftsmanship of the wood, smooth and chestnut colored. He already has a quiver full of arrows he’s made himself, but first, Šóta corrects his stance and his posture.

“Your body knows the movements of hold, aim, and shoot, but you think too much,” he says. “How you shoot an arrow is not so different from a gun.”

Dean raises a brow. He begs to fucking differ.

Reading the skeptical look on his face, Šóta smiles.

“My father once told me, ‘A weapon is a weapon is a weapon,’” Šóta continues. “The way you use it might be different, but your mind is the same. Think like the river. Calm and free, yes?”

He throws Dean a thumbs up—something Dean taught him a week ago. Šóta just hasn’t gotten it quite right yet. 

“A river ain’t always calm,” Dean points out. He should know. He almost died on the river in his journey here.

Šóta thinks for a second, tilting his head. “That is fair. Here, let me think of something better—”

“It’s okay, I think I get it. I just gotta relax a bit, is that it?”

“Yes, but stay focused.”

“I can focus. I just need you to back up a little.”

Šóta raises his hands in surrender. He takes a couple of steps back and gestures at a tree to use for target practice. Dean centers himself.

“Remember to breathe,” Šóta says.

Dean shoots him a glance. Again, Šóta holds up his hands, then crosses his arms, pressing his lips together. Dean shifts his gaze back to the target, and he lets out a deep breath. Then he lets the arrow fly. 

It hits just shy of the tree’s center. 

Šóta smiles, giving him another “thumbs up.” 

“Good. Now, again,” he says.

The morning slowly dips behind the clouds into a golden afternoon. Šóta helps Dean catch and roast a couple of fish by the river, which cuts through the forest. Its waters are choppy and shimmering with the light.

This forest used to run almost all the way to the Black Hills, before the U.S. government began its work on the railroad. The tribe has had to move their village more than once out of self-preservation, like they did when Dean came to them. 

He felt bad for it at the time, but he’s also grateful they made that precaution. The last thing he needs is to run into his old unit, let alone for the army to find out he’s still alive. And the last thing he wants is to endanger these people, especially his wife and her family.

He finishes off his second fish and glances over at Šóta.

“Look, I appreciate your help, but…I’ve gotta wonder why,” Dean says. “You don’t like that I’m here either.”

Šóta pauses in his chewing. He swallows before he answers, looking over at Dean in the eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if I like you,” he says. “You are the man who brought Kimmímila home alive. So, I help you.”

Dean nods. He can respect that. He looks down at the half-eaten meal, then at his hands, calloused and worn. They hold the weight of his past, his choices, and also the man he’s trying to be.

“I won’t hurt her,” he says.

The simple truth is that he’d give his life for hers. No hesitation.

“I know that, Dean Winchester. That is the other reason you are still alive,” Šóta says, with a slight smile. “You are brave. I will give you that.”

Dean smiles. “I guess there’s no winning over the others, is there?” 

At that, Šóta pauses. “You are doing better than you think. The others see you aren’t afraid. They see you work hard, and you try to respect our ways. You just don’t know them. They don’t know you.”

“I get it,” Dean says, nodding. “Like, uh, Otaktay. Right?”

“Ah,” Šóta rubs his clean-shaven chin. “You will have a harder time with him.”

Dean quirks a rueful smile. “What’s his deal?”

“His deal?” Šóta questions.

“His problem,” Dean elaborates, “with me.” 

Šóta sighs sharply. “Our men are warriors bred. Otaktay. His name means, ‘kills many.’”

Dean raises his brows. He slowly inclines his head.

“Riiiight. Of course.” 

“Names have power, Dean Winchester. Otaktay takes his name like a challenge he will win, but he does it to protect our tribe above all else,” Šóta says.

If that weren’t enough, the man levels Dean with a more serious look.

“But there is something else you should know.”

Dean doesn’t think he’s going to like whatever’s coming next. He nods, wordlessly urging Šóta to continue.

“Otaktay has always watched my cousin, admired her spirit and her beauty,” he says. “Mila has known this, and maybe she would have accepted him, had she known…but he planned to ask Chatan, my uncle, for Mila’s hand.”

Dean’s chest tightens, as does his frown. “What happened?”

“She disappeared,” Šóta replies. “When Mato was taken, she couldn’t accept it. She left the village to find him against my uncle’s command. Then she found you.” 

Dean isn’t exactly surprised by that. His wife is many things, defiant chief among them. Also, it makes a lot of things make even more sense. It explains her father’s tough outer shell, and clearly, it means he’ll have to keep a sharper eye on Otaktay.

She had been successfully avoiding him, until now.

Mila had just left the horses after helping Takoda feed and brush them, and she was planning to wash up before helping her mother and some of the other women cook for the entire tribe again this evening. Today is the last moon of the summer months, and so they’ve been preparing the wild game that the men had hunted for the past two days. Tonight, they will have an even greater feast.

She feels a shadow at her feet as she ventures through the village. They’re getting bigger as a tribe, harder to move when they need to, and it’s more mouths to feed, but it’s also a good thing. Despite all the challenges the past few decades have brought, their people are enduring. 

However, Mila pushes these thoughts to the back of her mind when she feels a prickling down the back of her neck. It’s followed shortly by the strong hand that closes on her wrist, and the man that calls her name. 

She gasps and whips around. He’s there, gently shushing her. She glares at him and tries to pull her hand out of his grip. 

“Ota,” she snaps. “What are you doing?”

“I just want to talk to you,” Otaktay says. His brown eyes are earnest, but he doesn’t let go of her hand. “You have been avoiding me.”

“I can’t be any more honest than I have been,” Mila says, and finally she manages to free herself from his grasp with a sharper tug. “Enough of this.”

She begins to walk away from him. The distance between the horses’ corral and the village is short, just over the gentle slope of a grassy hill and down below…but her cousin isn’t here. Her husband isn’t here. Otaktay believes this is his only chance—his chance to make her see reason. He stops her again, this time with his words.

“Do you think it will be that easy?” he says. “The Outlander will bring death upon us all.”

Mila stops short. She turns on her heel to meet him with a glare. 

“His people think he’s dead,” she says.

Otaktay approaches her with slow, measured steps. “And what if they find him here? Every day their iron caravans invade our lands. Every day their patrols come to take from us, to destroy us. How many of his own do you think he will kill for you?”

He raises a pointed finger. “And your children. Your children with that man will be cursed. Forever in the shadow of two worlds, forced into one, and hated by the other.”

His words pin Mila to the ground by her toes. Her body stills, because she’s shaken deep within. She doesn’t want to believe him, but she also won’t admit that these are the thoughts she’s tried to push from her mind. What she wants most of all is a family of her own. She wants it with her husband. 

But is it fair?

To them.

To him.

To her people.

She doesn’t know, and for that, her lips tremble. Her eyes burn with tears and she raises a trembling hand to her mouth. 

Otaktay draws closer and attempts to hold her hands, but her brows crunch in anger. You!

She pushes him in the dead center of his chest, so hard that it unbalances him. He’s surprised by her ire, and that satisfies her. She shoves him again, more forcefully this time, but he manages to hold his ground. 

“Kimmímila—”

She doesn’t give him the chance to try and placate her. With a cry of effort and frustration, she slaps at his face with all of her strength. It whips the man’s face to the side and even makes him stumble. He raises a hand to his cheek in disbelief. Already his tan skin is reddening, both from the mark of her anger, and from his own.

When she goes to shove him again, he grabs her by the arms to try and subdue her. Her tears are beginning to blind her, but she doesn’t care. The way he holds her tightly makes a flash of dread coil in her stomach.

In her distant mind, she knows Otaktay wouldn’t willingly hurt her. But his grip reminds her of Roman, the officer at Fort Laramie, who took advantage of the way she was tied to a post in their camp. She remembers his rough hands, the wood pressing into her spine. She remembers his hot breath and his chapped lips trying to claim her, his knee pressing between her legs.

Her own breaths come out in shallow gasps as that well of dread grows in her chest, rising into her throat to choke her. Mila punches wildly at Otaktay’s chest and rakes him with her nails. He finally grits his teeth and grabs her tightly by the hair. 

“Enough!” he shouts in her face. 

She matches him, her voice echoing in the clearing. “Let me go!” 

“Not until you calm down!”

He takes her face in his hands. Looking down into her tear-filled eyes, wild and devastated, he begins to feel remorse; but there too is desire and jealousy, deep and twisted together in the oily dark of his soul. Otaktay believes he’s only been selfish once in his life. Kimmímila is that one.

“Let go!” she shakily demands. She struggles against his hold and tries to run away from him, even though she used to run with him, ride with him through the forest on horseback and across the grassy plains instead of doing their chores. He tries to remind her of it now when he bows his head to kiss her. 

He finds himself ripped away—shoved hard enough to land stumbling into the sun-hot grass. 

“Dean!” Mila gasps. She reaches for her husband, even though the clenched set of his jaw and the tightness in his broad shoulders make her wary. She’s not afraid of him though. She just has a terrible feeling that she knows what’s coming next. 

Dean turns his attention to her first, a firm, but gentle grasp of her shoulder.

“You okay?” he asks gruffly. 

She nods, brushing away tears from her cheek. She holds onto his hand. “Yes.”

“Okay, stay back,” he says, releasing her.

She tries to stop him from advancing on Otaktay, but Šóta holds her shoulders with a grim look on his face. He guides her back and at his side. He and Dean have come on horseback. They jumped down to help her. She doesn’t know that they heard her and Otaktay shouting from several yards away, their voices carried on the wind.

Dean hadn’t been able to understand the words, but Šóta’s sense of urgency and the shrill, angry panic in Mila’s voice spurred him on, urging Baby to a full gallop down the hill. Seeing her tears was one thing, but while he saw Otaktay, in his mind, Dean also saw the night that Roman tried to force himself on her.

The rage that compels Dean now is different from the anger he had then. Back at the camp, he was just doing what he felt was right. Today, this is a protective call for blood. 

Otaktay had barely gotten back to his feet, but the upward swing of Dean’s fist cracks across his chin and sends him back down to the ground. He seethes, with blood in his teeth, but he angrily swipes Dean’s legs from underneath him. It becomes a grapple for leverage as the men tussle in the grass, trading swift punches. Otaktay kicks Dean hard in the stomach to gain some distance, rocking back onto his feet. Dean stumbles slightly, but he does the same.

“Stop!” Mila shouts in protest. Šóta holds her back. Despite her wildness before, she doesn’t want either of them dead. She fears more for her husband, but not because she doesn’t believe in him. She’s afraid of what will happen if Otaktay is killed. 

He plays dirty, spitting in Dean’s face. Dean matches by throwing an elbow into the other man’s throat, grabs his arm, then pivots and heaves him over his shoulder onto the ground. For a moment, Otaktay lies there winded on his back. Dean pins him there with his heavier weight bearing down on him. 

Otaktay sneaks a hand from the sheath strapped to his thigh and twists a knife into his hand. Šóta and Mila both see it, him with a tight frown and her with widening eyes.

She calls out in alarm, but Dean reacts fast. He strikes at Otaktay’s wrist and grabs his arm. A swift elbow and Otaktay’s knee in Dean’s gut forces him to the side, heaving a grunt. Otaktay gains the better position as he presses a knee right over Dean’s chest. He grunts at the impact; it threatens to break a rib. The knife becomes poised over Dean’s face in the struggle, nearing his neck. 

“Otaktay!” Mila calls out sharply, a warning and a plea all at once. 

He hears her. For just a second, he allows himself to glance up at her and see what lies in her eyes. He knows her fear is not for him. 

Still, anger overcomes his heart. He calls out a battle cry and puts his entire strength into bringing the knife down. Dean allows it with gritted teeth, but he positions his hands in just the right way to guide the man’s arm just to the right of his neck, slicing shallowly into his skin. The knife sinks into the earth.

Dean throws a punch that lands across the Lakota’s cheek, then another, and it allows him to kick the man in his ribs, sending him backwards with a heavy grunt. Dean grabs the knife out of the ground, and when he rolls onto his feet, he slashes at the other man’s chest. It isn’t deep enough to be fatal, but it’s enough to make him bleed red rivulets. 

Otaktay works harder than ever, trading blows and kicks that Dean can’t always dodge. But eventually, Dean hooks a boot behind the other man’s ankle and unbalances him enough to drive him to the ground. He shifts the position of the knife and brings it flush to Otaktay’s throat. 

His eyes widen; he never expected to be bested by the Outlander. The sharp edge of the blade bites into his skin, cutting a thin line of blood dripping down to his collarbone.

They’re both heaving for breath, sweaty, bloody, and bruised. It’s then that Dean realizes that they’ve attracted a small crowd. At the center of it is Chief Tahatan. He’s watching closely, his face unreadable, along with one of his wives. A few men stand beside him, namely Mila’s father, Chatan, Takoda, and some of the women too. Šóta whispers to them, explaining why the men are fighting.

Even Dean knows that by the customs of their tribe, he’s well within his rights to end this the way his hand in itching to—by sinking the blade into Otaktay’s jugular. Maybe it will finally earn him respect. Maybe it won’t. 

He glances up and finds Mila’s eyes. She stands frozen with her heart in her throat. All she sees is him. And she’s the only one Dean means to answer to. 

He raises the knife—and he brings it down into the earth beside Otaktay’s head.

The warrior inhales sharply, his brows furrowing in shock and confusion. He stares up at Dean, who looks down at him with the remnants of jaw-clenching anger. In that moment, they come to an understanding. 

Dean pulls back and straightens up, with just a small shake in his bowed legs. His gait steadies as he makes his way back to his wife. 

Šóta lets go of Mila so she can go to meet Dean. She runs her hands over his chest and arms, trying to find injuries she may not have seen before. Her fingers trace around places that are already becoming bruises, but Dean just holds her, taking pains to soften himself. His arms around her are secure, but not too strong. She’s just grateful that he isn’t hurt too badly.

“You okay?” he makes sure. 

Mila nods, despite the tears shining in her eyes. “Yes.”

Her parents watch them closely, even though the couple doesn’t realize it.

Behind them, Takoda shakes his head at his friend, but he dutifully helps Otaktay to his feet. Šóta crosses his arms and levels him with a cold look. 

“Take him to Eyota,” he says. 

“Yes,” Tahatan agrees, his voice deep and grave. “Tell her what her son has done here.”

The rest of Otaktay’s anger drains when he looks up at his chief. He says nothing, and can’t hold the older man’s gaze for long. He reluctantly leans on his friend to help him up and over the grassy hill, down to the village. The others gathered there wait to see what Tahatan will do next. He approaches Mila and Dean. 

“A good man protects his family above his own life. A warrior protects his tribe, even at the cost of blood,” Tahatan says. He looks directly at Dean. “But an honorable man knows when to show mercy.”

Dean’s heart begins to beat fast again. He hadn’t known that his choice was the right one, until now. He’s able to keep his head high without being arrogant. He just isn’t sure what he’s supposed to say. 

“Dean Winchester, you will be called Ikíphi,” Tahatan declares.

Dean blinks in surprise, and also confusion when he notices the way Mila begins to weep silent tears. He tightens his arm around her waist in a wordless question, but she just smiles at him.

“Uh, what does that mean?” he whispers the question to her.

She opens her mouth to respond, but her father is the one who answers. Chatan rests a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.

“Worthy,” he says. 

He meets Dean’s gaze and holds it, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. Dean gives the gesture back to him in kind, and to Tahatan as well. Then Chatan takes his leave, walking back to camp with Weaya, Šóta, and the Chief. The others whisper Ikíphi, offering their nods of respect to Dean before they follow suit, until it’s only Mila and Dean left in the clearing.

She pulls out of his hold just to take his hand. She looks ahead rather than at him.

“Come,” she says. 

Something’s wrong. Dean knows it in his gut.

He and Mila bathe together in the river again, but even though she helps him by washing his back, she’s quiet and distracted. He asks her if she was hurt. She tells him she wasn’t. That’s the only time she looks him in the eyes. 

Later, they return home thoroughly exhausted. Dean starts up a small fire for the coals to help dry them off the rest of the way. 

“There is a feast tonight,” Mila reminds him while she sits on the bedding, brushing through her long, damp hair. Dean sits near the fireplace and uses his knife to shave. He glances her way and lets out a deep breath. 

“I don’t know if I’m up for a party,” he admits. 

She surprises him by agreeing. “I’m tired too. I think Tahatan will understand if we stay in.”

Dean quirks a brow. She loves it when the tribe comes together for mealtimes. For days, she’s been telling him about moon feasts—the music, the games, the antics her cousins get up to, performing stories for the children and whoever else indulges them. 

So Dean gets up and goes over to her. He swipes her hair aside and lays a kiss on her shoulder. She keeps brushing her hair, so he keeps up his path of kisses along her neck, nibbling her ear. She laughs a little and flinches at the ticklish feeling, making him smile. He wraps his arms around her from behind, and she sighs, succumbing to the feeling of him warm at her back. She settles against his chest. 

“You sure you’re okay?” he asks. 

Her smile fades, though he can’t see it. “I should ask you that.”

“I’m fine, baby,” he says, shaking his head. 

“Well, maybe you should not be fine,” she says in a smaller voice. 

Dean pauses, his brows furrowing. “What do you mean by that?”

Mila gently pushes his arms away from her. She stands up and creates distance between them. She crosses her arms to hold herself, not even daring to look back at him. 

“I mean that…maybe you should go home, back to your people,” she says. She manages to keep her voice steady, even though she’s breaking her own heart.  

Dean gets up to his feet, alarm and unease coiling in his stomach. He grasps her elbow and comes around to see her face, and when he does, he sees the truth. Tears shine in her eyes, slipping down with every blink. His furrowed brows ease somewhat, but he still needs answers. He holds her by her arms and stares into her soulful brown eyes.

“Mila, what’s going on? Your family, the Chief, even your dad—they’re all starting to accept me now. Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asks. “What happened today, it’s a one-off, okay? For damn sure, Otaktay’s not touching you again—”

“It’s not that,” Mila says with a sniffle. She holds herself tighter, trying not to let Dean’s concern, his touch, or the intensity of his green eyes affect her so much. 

“Today we have peace, but how long will that last?” she says. “And…and our children. Will they be accepted too? Or will they never find their place, caught between two worlds, but never belonging to either one.”

Mila succumbs to quiet, shuddering sobs. Her trembling hands try to cover her face from him.

Dean’s face gentles. He feels like he’s been kicked in the chest (again). He gathers her to his chest and holds her closely. In the entire month he’s been living here, he hasn’t thought too much about kids. Not in any real way…

Well, okay. Maybe he has, whenever he sees Mila caring for the children of the village for their mothers. Or when they run past him, laughing, playing imaginary games. He would smile, remembering how he and Sam used to drive their mom crazy tearing around the farm when they were little. 

In fact, the thought warms him now. Dean cradles the back of Mila’s head and runs his fingers through her hair. He imagines her holding a little boy who has her dark hair and eyes, and maybe Dean’s chin. He thinks she’d be a good mom.

I wish Mom could meet her, he thinks.

“Sweetheart, look at me,” he says. He pulls away so he can see Mila’s eyes again, honey-brown and shiny with tears. “I can’t go home. I’m already here.”

Mila can’t help but soften, her lower lip trembling. He caresses her cheek; a gentle thumb brushes away stray tears. 

“So it might get harder,” he says. “Maybe we are doomed to fail. Or just maybe, our kids are the ones who are gonna make the peace stick.” 

Mila’s fingers curl into his shirt. She holds onto him, and he can see that her reservations are finally breaking down. He squeezes her waist and earns her gaze on him. 

“All I know is, you’re my wife ‘til the day I die,” he says, more firmly. “I’m not going anywhere without you. You understand me?” 

Another watery path finds its way down Mila’s cheek, but she wipes it away. Her sweeter smile peaks through, along with the amused gleam in her eyes. 

“I understand,” she replies. Her voice is mostly steady; the small quake is no longer uncertainty, just heartfelt emotion. “You take your vows seriously.”

“That’s right,” Dean nods, his lips hinting at a smile. “And you promised me something too last night, remember?”

Her brows furrow as she considers the question. But then, it dawns on her. 

You will never be alone.

Her small smile returns, and she nods.

“Yes. I’m sorry…I should not let fear blind me to the truth.” She takes his hand from where it lies on her waist, and she guides it to rest over her heart. “You live here now, in my spirit.”

Dean has never heard the words I love you said quite like that before. It warms places inside him that he didn’t know were all that cold and dark. For her, he could try to put into words what that means to him, but words aren’t his strong suit. He’s never been that good at letter writing or giving speeches. That, he always left to Sam, or Benny. 

Above all, Dean is a man of action. 

He takes her face gently in his calloused hands, and he kisses her. He gives her everything in that all-consuming kiss, and he hopes she understands what he’s trying to say. 

I’m home.

AN: This might feel like the end, but we have two more parts left! As you can see, Dean's doing his best lol. Do you think he made the right choice with Otaktay? There might be more drama ahead, plus, a special guest finally joins the cast...

Next Time:

Her smile drops with a sharp inhale of breath. 

She hears hoof falls on the earth. A horse treads nearby. 

Slowly, she lowers the wet clothing back into the basin. She sees two reflections growing on the water: a horse and a man. The man gets down from his horse first. 

“Hey there, miss—”

Mila swiftly turns and unsheathes the knife she keeps strapped to her ankle. 

Pronunciation Guide:

Wašíču ("wash-ee-jew") Šóta ("sho-tah") Chatan ("chat-tan") Tahatan ("ta-hat-tann") Otaktay ("ogh-tac-tay") Weaya ("we-ayy-ya") Takoda ("ta-koda") Mato ("matt-toe") Misae ("mee-sah-eh")

▶️ Keep Reading: PART 3

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vocal rest

zayne x mc!reader

2.6k+ words(!!!)

a/n: smut…kinda? i like honestly was TORTURED by this one bc i find zayne so hard to write but this was so fun but also so challenging and i debated on finishing ANYWAYSSSS i hope you like it!!

blurb: you practicing fake moans and got a sore throat and ofc you have to see our favorite doctor!!!

warnings: mentions of adult videos (veeery brief though), fingering (afab receiving), this plot is fucking ridiculous, idk what i was on, maybe bad writing???, zayne is just being a helpful guy :^), proofread in very lackluster fashion, uhhh…that’s it?, hope you like it!!!

“Mmm, fuck yeah!”

Okay…Definitely not.

“Oh, yes, baby— it’s so deep!!”

No.

“Oh, God! I’m coming!”

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

Maybe you just needed to get your voice warm first. Practice makes perfect, right?

At least, that’s what you had thought before you spent about two and a half hours practicing moans in your bed the previous night. Nothing sounded…right. Not that it needed to be— you weren’t seeing anyone at all— buuuuut what if you did see someone? What if you saw someone and you let out some kind of unsexy moan that kills the mood, one that’s not like the moans the women in the adult videos you’ve seen a few times? It was so theatrical, and yours just seemed so terribly normal.

Whatever, just try again, you thought.

“Oh, yes! Yes!! I—“

You suddenly were quiet. Only moments ago your voice was reverberating on the walls, and now all that came out was a hoarse whisper. You tried a couple more times before the pain became too much to bear. You decided to try speaking regularly, which was a bit better, but a slight stinging was still present. Your voice was gone.

Shit.

For the next two days, you did just about every at-home remedy there was. You drank hot liquids, sucked on throat lozenges, and ate an unprecedented amount of ice cream, yet nothing made your voice come back completely. You even took sick time as to not have to explain the story to anyone just to move on and forget, but your last sick day was coming very soon, and your throat was still very sore.

Okay. Just breathe— think, think…

You could try drinking that one ginger tea instead of the echinacea one you’ve been guzzling.

Maybe.

Or you could try a new over the counter medicine because you’ve used every single thing in your medicine cabinet.

Maybe.

Or you could go to the doctor.

Yes, you should go to the doctor. But what if he’s there?

Zayne could always see through you when you felt unwell. He knew exactly what each symptom meant: a sniffle, a cough, a throbbing headache— it didn’t matter because he was a professional. But more importantly, he knew you. You just wish he knew you less professionally. However, you knew him less professionally (in your dreams).

Many a night you’d stare up at your ceiling, thinking about if he ever saw the little peeks you’d give up your hospital gown when you were in his office and if he ever got a rise out of it. You’d think about if his face would turn into a deliciously soft pink if he saw the under cusps of your ass and how his cheeks would morph into an intense, yet passionate red if he ever got a chance to be inside of you and to make you feel the way he knew you wanted to feel.

But, alas, you only ever saw him for your checkups, minus the times he’d take you out to eat after your blood sugar was low from those said checkups. Other than that, you guys never saw each other really because of work, which made it even crazier that he could read you so well.

But right now, you couldn’t let that happen. You’d rather die than tell him about what you were doing. There was no other choice.

                                  . . .

You look ridiculous right now.

Between the sunglasses that hid your entire face, the baggy hoodie you wore, and the fact that it was practically a million degrees outside, you look like you’re about to commit a crime.

You shuffle up to the front desk, smiling sheepishly at the receptionist’s puzzled expression.

“Hey, it’s me.” You croak out lowly, your voice still sore.

The receptionist raises an eyebrow. You realize how odd you must look as you lean up against the counter, so you peek from over your sunglasses to show your face. Her eyes light up in recognition and she nods.

“Oh, I see. Would you like for me to see if Dr. Zayne is—“

“No!” You shout as loud as you could with your frail voice. She furrows her brow and you immediately start to apologize.

“Nooooo…worries! It’s just that it’s a sore throat. Don’t want to be a bother—”

“Oh, you aren’t bother at all. Here, just hang tight. I’ll page him.”

You try to say something else, but your voice didn’t come out as she starts typing away, so like any sensible person avoiding their (suuuuper hot) doctor would, you run away.

You turn around, hearing the receptionist call after you, but you kept going. You speed through the corridor, pushing your sunglasses further up the bridge of your nose as your eyes dart to and fro.

Everything seemed fine, other than the widened eyes that ran over your very suspicious getup. The widened eyes came and went as they pass by you: brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes with a bit of hazel mixed in—

Oh, shit.

You try to swerve around him, but it was too late. Zayne stood firmly in front of you, his gaze unwavering. He looked you up and down, sending shivers down your spine.

“You’re here.” He sounded taken aback, yet the way he looked at you told you that he was trying to find a reason as to why you’d be here, especially looking like that.

“Yeah…” You said faintly, not trying to speak too much, but perceptive as ever, he knew. He pursed his lips as if he were thinking for a moment, digesting the fact that he found a possible symptom so he could diagnose you.

“Come.”

You shook your head, getting ready to protest, but you saw his jaw tighten.

“You’re already here. It would be pointless to not check for anything. Please, let me help.”

You heard the pleading undertone in his voice and your heart sank momentarily. Zayne was definitely more guarded with his emotions, but he always had a pattern of being concerned if anything happened to your health. He was a doctor, so you figured it was something he just did because of his title, but that wasn’t it. No, that wasn’t it at all.

You found yourself seated on the exam chair, the tissue paper crinkling underneath you as you settled. The sound of it was only amplified by your silence because your mind was running a blank. You couldn’t say anything. To hell with the sore throat, you would speak no matter how much it hurt just to avoid this terrible quiet you were plunged into. Then, he started typing. The click-clacking of Zayne’s fingers on the keyboard was only adding to your…what was it?

Fear of him about to scold you for not being so careful?

Relief from finally being able to get treatment?

Excitement from the fact that it’s him checking in on you?

He steps toward you, giving you a surveying look that sends chills through you. He froze when he got to your face. Unexpectedly, he gives a small smile.

“You look ridiculous. I’m surprised you didn’t have a heatstroke on your way over here.” He teased.

You wanted to retort, but you grumbled in response instead. He slipped his hands on either side of your head, his fingers steadying on the arms of your glasses.

“May I?” He asked, the slight tease in his voice still lingering.

You nod, giving him the go ahead.

The sunglasses come off and with that so did the last bit of your protection from his gaze. It’s as if you were encapsulated immediately, blinking over and over again as if you doing so would make this abysmal situation any less real.

“Is it just the sore throat or are your eyes irritated, too?”

“I’m fine—“

Immediately, he handed you his clipboard with a blank sheet of paper and a pen.

“Don’t speak. It’ll hurt more for you,” he instructed. “Write it down.”

You scribble onto the page for a moment.

Hi

His presence was almost overbearing as he leaned over your shoulder to read the words you wrote down, and when he spoke, it only got worse.

“Is that how you usually start conversations with friends you run away from?" You could hear the smirk in his voice, and you hated it. That added on to the way his breath tickled your ear, a heat began creeping into your body to somewhere that needed attention—his attention— rather than your embarrassingly sore throat.

Sorry :( I didn't want to bother you

He looks down at the notepad again before scoffing.

"It's not bothering me if it regards your health," he started as he walked over to the other side of the tiny room to get a thermometer. "Besides, if this is what you consider 'bothering,’ I only wish you bothered me a bit more…It gives me something to do."

He stood in front of you once again, holding the thermometer in front of your mouth.

"Open."

You were surprised at the sudden command despite doing this a million times before, but you were even more surprised that you complied so quickly and thoughtlessly.

"Good." He mused. Despite doing this a million times before, you never recalled him doing that. Or maybe he did, and you just couldn't remember because all you were thinking about was the way your thighs kept pressing together to give you some kind of relief from him.

Just get the diagnosis and go. Just get the diagnosis and fucking go.

A few more vitals were taken before he stood still for a moment, contemplating before he cleared his throat.

"Have you been shouting out orders while fighting Wanderers?" Zayne asked, keeping a bit of space between you two.

He gave you an out. You nodded thoughtlessly so you could avoid having to divulge any details you didn't want to say. You gripped the pen in your hand, wondering if you should write something down to make the story truly ironclad. It's just a little white lie.

You started to write, but you felt firm and steady hands take the pen from you. His fingers brushed against yours, and you looked at him.

"Tara came through a few days ago. She said she hadn't heard from you, that she hadn't seen you at work." He looked at you expectantly as if he were waiting for an answer, despite you not being able to give one because he took away the pen. He just watched you begin to flounder, and he seemed to be enjoying it.

"I need you to be straight with me."

He gingerly placed the pen back in your hand. You stared at him, your eyes unable to tear themselves from him.

"I went to your apartment to check on you. I didn't hear anything. I rang your doorbell, left you text messages, and left you phone calls. Nothing."

You saw the look in his eyes, the way he peered at you through a half-lidded gaze.

"But," he said after a pause. "After a bit, I did hear you."

Your face dropped, and you began to frantically write on the paper. It took you several tries to write something without scribbling it out and all starting over again. You began to write, but he stopped your hand.

"It's incredibly unrealistic to expect sex to be like that."

So he already knew you were faking? The realization that he heard you moaning? Screeching? Like a banshee? You wanted to be anywhere else.

He reached out to touch your face, his thumb and index finger tilting your face up to him.

"You're familiar with heavy deadlines— correct?" The way he stared at you would've made you think he was staring through you, but he was staring into you, reading you and your desires, sensing your wants through that pleading look in your eyes. You nodded.

"They're stressful. Some things should just be, wouldn't you agree?"

You nod again, your hands basically limp in your lap. He chuckles.

"You've been rather adamant about that in regard to me. I'm not a professional on that, but I've learned that certain things should just happen; not everything can be controlled."

He looks over and leans into you.

"It seems you need a reminder— it seems we both do."

He places a hand on your thigh. While he's only touching you through your sweatpants, you felt the way goosebumps prickled up on your skin. You stared at his hand as he continued to caress you.

"How's this?" He whispered, his head tilted to the side as he looked up at you from over his glasses. You braced both your hands on the chair, bits of the already crinkled tissue paper you sat on being ripped by the tightness of your grip. You stared back at him as he inched his hands a bit higher. Soon, your sweatpants were around your ankles, your feet dangling from the chair still. His hands moved under your sweatshirt, the baggy nature of it giving him more than enough room to explore your body.

Your throat burned so good, and you couldn't tell whether or not it was from your sore throat or because you felt moans threatening to come up. Finally, he pulled one out of you as an abnormally cold fingertip grazed over your nipple. An almost devilish smirk spread on his face.

"Isn't your throat sore? You should refrain from speaking or…other things," he smiled as he leaned in close to your ear. "It's best you rest your voice for now."

His hand started to wander over the cloth of your panties, feeling the soaking desire you had already produced. You begin to squirm a bit underneath his touch, finally reaching out to grab on to him rather than something else. You pant as he expertly works at you, pressing yourself against his fingers, chasing after more and more and more.

"Just keep breathing— yes, just like that. I've got you."

He keeps going, and your ability to keep your mouth shut is killing you.

"Z-Zayne, please…I can't take it…" You lowly moan out, the sound gentle and soft, yet raw and beautifully unpracticed, unlike the ones you did days before. He looks you in your eyes before leaning in to press kisses on your jawline until he gets to your ear. Once he was there, he asks you a singular question.

"I have to know; was it genuine?" He cooed as he teased you. A distinct wave of pleasure came over you again as you felt him move your panties to the side, his fingers now slicked over because of you. You nodded, your eyes shut tight as you focus only on the way he was making you feel and the filthy things he was whispering in your ear. He pulled back and rested his forehead on yours.

"You can take it," he hums. "I wouldn't want you exhausting your voice for no reason. If you were going to use your voice for anything, this would be it. To show me how this feels; how this really feels…"

"Please, tell me…does it feel good?" He breathes, his fingers still tracing the shape of your bud. It's almost as if you can sense the uncertainty in his eyes, the uncertainty that you completely washed away as you gave him your answer, which was a mix between a whine and a groan that you couldn't control. Without hesitation, you tug him forward, your lips meeting for a moment before you slip your tongue in his mouth, earning a muffled moan from him. He pulls apart from you for a second, slowly taking off his glasses, the lenses fogged before those warm and darkly verdant eyes look at you again.

"…Okay, then I'll keep going for you."

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Tentative Timeline (Pt2c) - Unreliable Narrators, Armand & the Trial

Thanks for the response to Pt2b, @usuallydeepalpaca-blog! I really want people to talk to me about the IWTV timelines, cuz this show is SO confusing! 😩😭

"I think if you create the timeline with info the show doesn't provide, i.e. Armand was involved from the start, then you're bound to get it wrong."

Absolutely. I fully expect that I got some stuff wrong, which is why I said it's a TENTATIVE Timeline.

I've in no way said it's THEE CORRECT™ timeline, cuz chile IDKWTF is going on. 😅 I openly say what confuses me, questions I have, and how I come to the conclusions that I draw. I'm being as transparent as possible to let y'all know that I DON'T know. 🤷 The show doesn't provide EVERYthing, so I'm just piecing things together in a way that makes an iota of sense to me, following the logic of what the show HAS provided. The only solid details we have are diehard IRL dates, that gave us a time range when certain events can/can't happen. AFAIK I'm working with the same set of details everyone else has, until AMC gives us more info in S3+. And unfortunately, the 2 biggest unknown variables are Lestat & Armand, and to what extent they were/weren't involved in the Trial that got Claudia killed & Louis buried alive.

"saying Armand messed with Louis' memories re: the trial is also something not supported by the show."

The show obvs. wants us to assume that Armand made Louis hallucinate Sam guarding him in the theatre box (thus painting Armand as a "captive" along with Louis & Claudeleine).

Even if Armand didn't use the Mind Gift on Louis, he lied at least twice:

lies by omission: letting Louis think a hallucination of Sam was real

lies to Louis' (& Daniel's) face: going along with the premise that he was Sam's "captive" & Armand sat there the whole time thinking of a way to rescue Louis

And we KNOW this is a lie, cuz Daniel calls it out explicitly, asking how Sam can be "in two places at once," allegedly "guarding" Armand, but ALSO helping to torture Louis in the Wet Room.

Armand never denied or contradicted Louis saying Sam was in either place. Maybe Louis really did misremember Sam being in the wet room--the ONLY one who can corroborate all this is SAM--whom Armand ALSO lies on, throwing Sam, Daniel & the Talamasca all under the bus by saying the script with his handwriting all over it was forged! No honor amongst thieves I guess! 🤣

(Eff Lestat's POV in S3--when is SAM gonna give HIS POV of the Trial?!)

So I'm operating on patterns of behavior, and the logic that if he's deliberately lying about one thing (a VERY BIG THING, actually), then what else is he lying about? How are you "atoning" for anything, when you're just heaping lies on top of gaslighting on top of manipulation?

Armand has used Louis' obvious confusion to his advantage, just going along with whatever will make him look better & more sympathetic. Which ofc, is the exact same thing he does with the "Banishment" lie. "They gave me a choice...I could not prevent it" is the truth and a lie all rolled into one incredibly manipulative cocktail, cuz if it was just a simple matter of Armand selling Claudia out to save Louis, that would be one thing--but Armand KNEW the script planned LOUIS' death the whole time. The "seismic lie" about "Banishment" effs up Armand's whole defense.

Cuz Sam already wrote the script in April 1949 (and I said this is confusing, cuz if it's the WHOLE script, then this implies Lestat's half was written by then, too, and NOT in September after the Eiffel Tower crime--which means he was ALREADY in Paris & working with the coven; inc. Armand (which would also explain WHY Armand took Louis to the library so much--perhaps anticipating that Loustat would feel e/o's presence if Louis was around the theatre too much? But that doesn't explain Claudia)--omfg I'm confused). Wtvr--we KNOW that at some point b/t April & September 1949, Armand made his edits & directed the entire production--from Santiago to Lestat to Tuan's projections--ALL of it. And we know Tuan's projections started being made in June/July 1949.

Armand KNEW Daniel had been given the OLD script from the archives, WITHOUT Armand's edits & directions, and LET Daniel AND Louis think that was the truth--

--same way he went behind Louis' back and removed extra pages from Claudia's diaries that would reveal MORE of his shenanigans--

--and the same way he lied about Nicki (& Gabrielle) in 2x3.

The show ALSO provides us with quotes like this:

And this:

And this:

Which in retrospect make Armand look even more insidious, esp. when we wonder to what extend Louis' been "driven to form new conclusions about myself" when he doesn't even KNOW himself; let alone WHAT memories he has that are real or false.

It's so effed up, and it makes me side-eye all the insistence that LOUIS is the one mostly at fault, when he's got literal double-hypnosis Brain Scramblies from WWDITS. 😭🤦

Ofc there are unknown-unknowns when dealing with unreliable narration. But there are also known-unknowns, too, that also make Armand sus.

Sure, Loumand was away at the library in July (IF that memory's even real, Mr. "I Had A Hunch")--but how on earth would Armand have NOT known that the coven was working on the Trial right under his nose for MONTHS prior & after July--Luchenbaum sewing new barrister costumes & wigs; Tuan painting projections & testing new lens/film tech; and Sam writing a new script (when we already KNOW Sam can't multitask when his "head's in a hat")?

July is only ONE month in over HALF A YEAR of Trial prep. Louis was never around the coven to know what was going on--but ARMAND was; it's where HE lives.

Whose POV was it that showed the whole coven passing around Claudia's diaries? Whose POV was it that revealed Santiago being called Maitre in every scene that ARMAND was also in?

Armand was in the park with Tuan when Tuan called Santiago Maitre; and Armand was in the theatre with Sam when Sam called Santiago Maitre--so this is clearly either Armand's POV telling on himself; or it's AMC screwing with us.

It's TRUE that Turning Madeleine was the straw that broke the camel's back, as Armand was like I can't keep THAT a secret from the coven, too (and ofc he couldn't--they're VAMPIRES; they'd FEEL a new vamp in their territory). But Loumand's problems PREDATE Madeleine; the same way Loustat's problems predate Claudia. I blame Les for not dealing with Lou's BS, just like I blame Armand, cuz THEY are the Coven Masters, NOT Lou--esp. cuz Armand had 14 other vamps in his coven he SHOULD be prioritizing over Lou. The same way Loustat's guilty of being bad fathers (which they BOTH admitted to), Armand's guilty of being a bad coven leader (which HE admitted to).

IMO, all this makes any & all discussion about Armand's trustworthiness difficult, when his "seismic lie" throws EVERYTHING else he's done into question. Esp. since the show ALSO provides us with the FACT that Armand knew from DAY ONE that Claudia lied about "Bruce"/Lestat; and that Louis was a terrible liar & terrible with the Mind Gift; and that he'd ALREADY planned on killing Louis in 2x3! Armand knew from the get-go that he couldn't do EFF ALL to keep Louis & Claudia out of danger, and TOLD Louis so.

"It also ignores that Louis softens his participation in certain things because he can't live with the guilt of his full participation, e.g. Claudia's turning, which he continued to lie to Claudia about even during the trial and only accepted the extent of his involvement in Dubai"

The Trial Timeline's purpose is to pinpoint when the preparations took place, NOT to hash out how bad of a father Louis was to Claudia. 🤨

And it certainly isn't meant to provide a timeline for the events in S1 wrt Claudia's Turning--we already know the dates for all of that, that she was made in 1917. I focus on the 1940s in S2, and the European dates, NOT the NOLA dates. LOUIS did not participate in the Trial's preparations, ARMAND & LESTAT did. My timeline has ZERO bearings on Louis' guilt for not warning her, etc.

But on the subject of Louis & Claudia, I've cussed Louis out for not telling Claudia about Armand b4 (x x), I don't ignore it at all. I fully understand & even agree with Armand being fed up with dealing with Louis' BS. But HE CHOSE not to kill Louis when he had the chance, and it's obvs that whatever arrangement they made when they had sex in 2x3/2x4 allowed Louis to TRUST that Armand would keep "the secret" & keep Louis & Claudia SAFE from the coven. (Which is a BOGUS claim for him to make, when Santiago'd ALREADY peeped that they were lying about Lestat & being from NOLA, but wtvr). I've called Louis a naive idiot 1000x for overestimating Armand, putting his life in Armand's incapable hands--just like he would AGAIN by trusting him about "Banishment;" and AGAIN by asking Armand to wipe his memories in SanFran (and LIE by omission about Les saying "I love you, Louis").

"Louis remembers the trial, he remembers what was said and what Lestat showed him."

HOW can Lestat have showed Louis ANY memories during the Trial (inc. the Ep4 revisit), when Makers/Fledglings CANNOT read each other's minds???????

I love this show so much, but I effing hate this show--they don't even give us an answer, Daniel just moves right past it, like wtf are we supposed to do with that, AMC? There's plot threads, vs plot HOLES. Louis' TOO unreliable, Armand's a shysty liar, white savior Lestat to the rescue~~~! "BANishMEnT~!" As if Lestat's any less impartial?

Esp. when at least SOME parts of the Ep4 Revisit were OBVIOUSLY Scripted lines written by the coven to implicate Louis in breaking the Great Laws that Lestat allegedly taught him AND Claudia to follow?

Like, Louis HATES himself, and is quick to blame himself for things beyond his control (a la Paul, a la the Ordinances; "Can we be forgiven if we do not forgive others ourselves?"); so if one is determined to see him bad faith then of course one can easily pounce on him Florence DPDL style / Santiago style, and blame him.

(Esp. since in 1x4 we literally SEE Louis admit to begging & emotionally baby-trapping Lestat into turning Claudia--the revisit in 2x7 is more (melo)dramatic & extended, sure, but it does NOT contradict Louis' account in S1. So I get REAL confused when people say he lied about 1x4 or wtvr.)

Louis invalidates his perspective cuz he KNOWS he's an unreliable narrator--he spends 2x1 sobbing about wanting to remember & "get every detail right"--and ARMAND is there constantly tryna STOP the interview; having directly contributed to his already deteriorated (& inherited?) mental illness, by bending Lou's trauma into "a Lestat shaped-effigy" with all that "I will not harm you" bullcrap.

TL;DR: We won't know for sure what the Trial timeline actually looks like, unless S3+ revisits it with more context.

But as things stand at the end of S2, NO, I don't trust Armand as far as I can throw him, cuz there are waaaay too many instances where he's deliberately lied & obfuscated & omitted in ways to deliberately confuse the narrative surrounding the Trial--that go beyond Louis' already confirmed trauma, PTSD, mental illness, repressed/faulty memory, and guilty conscious.

If y'all want a timeline of S1 events, those have already been made by other people in the fandom (this one is goated).

I wanted to know what was going on in S2; so I used every single date and IRL reference possible, and put them in chronological order in a way that makes sense based on how I TENTATIVELY understand things currently; NOT how AMC has confirmed yet--if they ever will.

If anyone has more relevant in-show references & IRL sources we can cite, to help make better sense of S2 than I did, let us all know!

[randomidiocyncrazies]

tbhx ep 7

last episode i speculated that we're either going to get a Three or a Zero in the title to reflect YC's fixation on his Trust Value, and lo and behold this week's episode is called Three Seats (that are empty—3 increasing from 2 of last ep, but ultimately 0). what a perfect encapsulation of YC's arc—E-soul survives, but the person behind the mask is dead. The heart of courage and justice becomes one filled with regret and rage and, in the end, emptiness.

called boba uncle being sus from the start! (though not to this extent.) but yeah, i knew he had to be involved with the kidnapping because he's the only introduced character who has the contact info to the two kidnappers, and he deliberately put YC on their radar to get the shot of him 'interacting' with those two, which is then used to frame YC by Mighty Glory. it did bug me that it seemed to be pure luck that Shang Chao was the one who got killed, but maybe Rock figured he still has OG E-soul if YC did die, and if YC only got injured they could still spin the "old E-soul is a bad guy who has it out for new E-soul" angle? I also felt weird that YC's trust value was at 0 when Rock seemed to really look out for him, so the reveal this episode that YC's only a tool to him makes perfect sense in retrospect. he's someone who preys on those marginalized by society, and those he preyed on had no choice but to play along, ending with their own deaths (I do think YC is the E-soul who survived, but he's now only a puppet for Rock. guy dug two graves in his pursuit for revenge.)

seeing the memorial site at the e-soul fight makes me sick btw. hello let's have this battle that ends with one of them dead at a place where OG E-soul's sacrifices, courage and hard work is commemorated. I think OG is the E-soul who died, so Rock manipulated events where OG is killed by a child he once saved, on the anniversary of his hero career, at the location where the symbol of his dedication to saving people stands, with fans cheering on the new guy to take him down. that's a brutal way to go.

however, i do think OG E-soul's response to the media frenzy is odd—I think he refused to respond because, like before, he thought people would see the truth/know the true E-soul? but to not even have a comment addressing the allegations is WILD to me. like you're kind of being accused of murder my guy, you really want to just pretend it's not happening? after 34 years in the game he should know that conspiracies will keep snowballing if you just stay quiet. i think it's understandable that YC is spiraling when OG doesn't do anything to try to clear his name, though ofc he doesn't 'deserve' to die either.

like, i think it makes sense that the company never did too much to assert OG's innocence, because we know Rock wanted to push the fight to get rid of OG and Rock owns Mighty Glory, but I do wonder what's going on in OG's head leading up to the duel. does he know he was essentially set up to die? did he try to win back fans when he used his special move, or was there another motive to using that specific strike? why the hell didn't he say ANYTHING at all about the allegations or speak up about his team framing YC? did some part of him want to die? if so, why use his special move right in the end? why fight at all?

upon rewatching fight, maybe the point is that OG an old-timer who couldn't adapt to the change in how the hero business is run nowadays, while Rock is someone who knows how to manipulate the new business model to get what he wants. The fact that OG E-soul is fighting defensively until the last moment seems to indicate that he neither wants to die nor maim YC, which just makes his silence throughout the whole media circus more baffling. Bro you could've tried to stop this ages ago. C'mon man.

During the fight there's a lone comment going "they're not gonna fight to the death... are they?" but the rest are wrapped up in squeeing over New E-soul's cool armor. (There's like 1 or 2 comments cheering OG E-soul on, another comment that says "in the end E-soul will win" and two that says "you must win!" without specifying New or Old.) in the end E-soul did win, we just don't know which one.

(I personally think OG surviving would throw narrative and thematic coherence out the window, because YC being a puppet who lost everything outside of E-soul in the end makes for the most meaningful/thematically coherent story for me. I do like how ambiguous it is though, because it lets people in- and out-of-universe believe what they want to believe, thus maximizing E-soul's Trust Value.

I also think it's possible that both died and are revived as a merged identity of E-soul, though I strongly prefer YC being the one who survived to reinforce Rock's observation that people will never stray from the rules someone higher up has put in place—the marginalized are preyed upon by people with influence, and they destroy their own humanity in trying to succeed in the society that marginalized them in the first place.)

[realcube]

HAIKYUU!! BOYS VISITING YOU AT WORK HCS

characters ♡ tsukishima, nishinoya & kuroo

tws ♡ mentions of opoids & cursing

KEI TSUKISHIMA

♡ he would NOT come see you at work on purpose

♡ like he notices how exasperated and frustrated whenever you get off work so bro wants nothing to do with that

♡ plus, because you are always telling him horror stories about customer/co-worker interactions, he just assumes your workplace is a breeding ground for crazy people and wants to stay the hell away

♡ most boyfriends after you tell them about how rude customers are to you would come in to your place of work and give you flowers just to make your day, but not tsuki

♡ plus he hears the way you respond to your customers in these stories and he does NOT want to be a victim of your wrath

♡ on the brightside though, since he is a shithead himself, you might expect him to be the annoying type and play devil's advocate whenever you are telling him about terrible customers like:

♡ "customer is always right!" "it's your job to do [something completely unrealistic and overzealous]" "but what did you do to make the customer act like that?" "a tip is not a requirement!!!!!" "i think you're overreacting.."

♡ and he does try to be objective so he can be like that sometimes

♡ but keyword is try

♡ 99% of the time, as soon as you tell him the customer did something remotely inflammatory towards you, he goes into full Protective Tsukishima Mode™

♡ and since he is a cow himself, he is in full support of any cowish or "out of line" behaviour you may exhibit in retaliation to the rude customer

♡ you cussed them out? tsuki is like awesome, good job babe!

♡ you threw a drink at them? tsuki is like but great, hopefully you didn't strain your wrist with all power and vigour you used.

♡ you call them ugly? tsuki says that's offensive to kageyama and ugly people everywhere but you still ate that.

♡ and if you're manager has anything to say about it, tsuki says kill em

♡ anyway all that is to say he loves you but he won't be stepping FOOT near your establishment of employment 💜 willingly

♡ however, let's say you work at a drug store and tsuki has ran out of parcetemol and obviously he needs some more because of all the headaches his team is causing him

♡ and there aren't drug stores around every corner

♡ (even if there are, he's probably banned from at least a few for being a smartass)

♡ ("☝🤓 erm actually i think what you meant to say was oxytocin , oxycodone is an illegal opoid")

♡ (i'm jk ofc)

♡ (tsuki doesn't know the difference between oxytocin and oxycodone, he doesn't even know the difference between tanaka and that other buzzed guy from aoba johsai??) ( he gave them both dirty looks to make sure he covered all his bases)

♡ anyway under the circumstance that there was no other way he could source his medication and he needed it urgently, his only option was to sneak into your store and PRAY someone else served him besides you

♡ but of course you spotted him and called him over to your counter

♡ you'd go through the usual debrief of 'why tf are you here?' and him explaining that he literally had no other choice

♡ you're relieved because if he was becoming one of those corny boyfriends who visits you at work to tell you what a great job you're doing, you'd be afraid he was possessed by the spirit of daichi and you'd have to perform an excorcism at work which is toooo much effort

♡ thankfully he wasn't posessed though, just in pain

♡ you ring him up and the speed of light and then he leaves

♡ ...

♡ is what you WISH happened

♡ instead, once he finally realises the power he has in this situation, he takes the absolute piss

♡ he channels every terrible customer you've ever told him about and becomes the Avatar of Annoying Cunts: Stupid, impatient, loud and downright RUDE

♡ two of those things he's an expert at

♡ a scholar, if you will

♡ "good morning? it's the afternoon..." "why are you taking so long, it's only one item?" "cash or card, what does it look like?" "why are you in such a bad mood, calm down?" "you've overcharged me..."

♡ you could tell he was just joking around but the fire that raged inside you was very much real

♡ the thing about tsuki though is that he is easily embarassed so stops as soon as other people start looking his way or your manager tries to get involved

♡ the switch up is kinda insane because after hearing a customer call your attitude "foul" and "noxious" one of your co-workers chimes in and asks if there is a problem and he is like

♡ "no, no problem at all 😊 just amazing service here haha! 😗 the only problem is that i'm being served by an angel! 😇 shouldn't you be in heaven? 🤭"

♡ jk he wasn't actually that sweet he was more awkwardly like "we're good!" then shuffles off with his painkillers but he actually forced a smile when he said that so he may as well have have called you an angel and all that bologne

♡ when you see him next you both agree never to dicuss that incident again because it was just too awkward for either of you to bare

♡ and he's petty asf so if you do ever try to bring it up, he will seriously just pretend it never happened

♡ like at a restaurant tsuki is like "this stew i ordered is cold. i'm going to flag down the waiter to complain."

♡ "let me do it! we both know how ruthless you are when complaining about service workers."

♡ "huh?"

♡ "remember? when i rung you up at the drug store? you were so mouthy."

♡ "i don't know what you're talking about.. i've never been to your drug store.."

♡ "..."

♡ "it could be a front for an illicit drug cartel for all i know..."

♡ "..."

♡ "now that i think about it, probably is."

YŪ NISHINOYA

♡ okay .. so

♡ it all started when he invited you to come over to his house to play mortal kombat on his ps2 and you said yeah sure, but after you finished work

♡ you had a very complicated shift and NO energy to play video games but the last thing you wanted to do was disappoint nishinoya because that would only make you feel worse

♡ so you muster up the will power to head over to his house, sending a precursory text that you're on your way but warning him that you may not act like you're usual self because you've had a rough shift

♡ as soon as you step foot inside his home, he leaps at you and envelops you in a tight hug, asking you to recount in detail everything that happened today and what has upset you , if you're up for talking about it

♡ you're original plan was to be strong and tough it out, hoping that playing mortal kombat would help you take your mind off of it anyway, but as soon as he starts acting all sympathetic and being so kind, you immediately burst into tears and spill your guts

♡ you explain that there is a regular who comes in every friday that is always a bit bold and sassy but never anything too bad

♡ however, today you were the one that made this regular's order and when you gave it to them, they spat it out onto your shoes and claimed it was the worst thing they've ever tasted and demanded you give them a refund

♡ your manager hates giving refunds so you politely offered to remake their food instead but they continued to be uncooperative and scream all sorts of terrible things at you

♡ it all ended with them getting a refund and leaving but it still left you jarred

♡ he holds you, comforts you and tells you no one deseveres to be treated like that. eventually you are able to put it all into persepective and realise that what's done is done and it's not like you could relive the past and change what happened. no one was physically harmed and you didn't lose your job so there was no point dwelling on it

♡ he was the positive light that guided you through such a grim situation

♡ him, and the hope that they'll never come back after that interaction, and you tell him this

♡ which is about the time he recalls that you refered to them as a 'regular' and starts acting strange and asking a bunch of — what you deem to be — random questions

♡ "so.. what were they wearing?" "you said their hair was brown? what shade: poopy chestnut or sludge coffee?" "what shape were their eyebrows?" "on a scale of tsukishima to me, how defined was their jawline?" "when they flipped you off, did they use their right or left hand?"

♡ you answered most of his questions, assuming that he was giving you a platform to call them ugly or maybe he just wanted to create a very realistic and detailed image of the confrontation in his brain

♡ regardless, once he was done with his questions, that's the last you spoke of the situation for a while, and you prefer it that way

♡ ... that is, until next Friday rolled around

♡ there was no way nishinoya could let you go to work when there was the possibility that an abusive customer could come in and start berating you again; what kind of boyfriend would he be if he just let that happen?

♡ so, shortly after the store opened, he camped outside near the doors, in such a position that no one from inside could see him, even through the windows

♡ he stood there looking intimidating (as intimidating as a 5"3 boy can be), any family walking by would've thought he was some sort of McDonalds bouncer (a McBouncer, perhaps)

♡ during the morning, it was busy but not an awful not of people were coming inside, the majoirty were going through the drive-thru (but you mentioned the regular always comes inside so he knew he was guarding the right place)

♡ however, since there was no one coming and going, he felt as though he didn't need to pay much attention so he took a seat on one of the nearby dining benches and started playing games on his phone

♡ 40 levels and 0 adhd pills later; it's the afternoon, rush hour and there was a bunch of people entering and leaving the establishment

♡ he took guard by the enterance once again but when he peered inside, he was afraid he might be too late

♡ he couldn't see their face, but he could see you at the collection counter talking to someone with a disheartened expression. the person you were talking to was moving very sternly while talking to you, which he wasn't fond of

♡ he snuck inside without you noticing, which wasn't hard considering there were so many people and also you were currently engaged with a customer

♡ when he came in, his suspicions were only confirmed and the customer wasn't yelling at you but speaking in a loud voice and saying all sorts of nasty stuff like "this serivce is unacceptable! can't even make a damn whopper... let me speak to your manager!"

♡ when he heard this, it instantly activated some sort of reflex in noya that made him act on instinct: he spirited towards the customer, weaving through the crowd, and leaped onto them from behind, clinging to their back like a vicious koala bear while trying to pull them to the ground and biting them

♡ screaming stuff like "don't you ever talk to (y/n) like that you freak!! you have no idea how hard they work so you have no reason to be so mean all the time!! lay off the attitude and the burgers and maybe you'll be able to afford a HEART transplant !!!"

♡ eventually the customer lost balance and ended up on the floor while noya hopped on top of them to start punching them in the face, but before he swung he noticed the face of the person he was about to hit

♡ "if you don't like their burgers, taste this— !! oikawa??"

♡ once noya falters, you are able to react by jumping over the counter and explaining that oikawa isn't the one that chastised you last Friday; he just came in today and was a bit upset over his burger with no mayo , that had mayo on it and you were about to remake for him

♡ once noya realised this he helped oikawa to his feet

♡ oikawa muttered something about his bad knee and hating small people but after that he silently waited at the side for you to remake his burger

♡ you brought noya to the back and told him that you appreciate him coming to your work to protect you but you really didn't need him to and that you can fight your own battles

♡ he understood but insisted that he at least stay for the rest of this day in case that crazy regular from last week came in and harassed you again but your manager swiftly kicked noya out

♡ so now he is banned from his local McDonalds and also Aoba Johsai High but he says it's worth it for you

TETSURŌ KUROO

♡ suuuuch a hoe about it icl

♡ whenever he is going out to eat with friends, he will always bring them to where ever you work, especially if you work as a waiter or a host or some other occupation in which you deal with the customers directly

♡ and he will sit there and pretend like he doesn't know you and has never seen you before in his life

♡ and you just thought this was a funny little bit he does. y'know just to be jovial and fun lol like you genuinely didn't think much of it and thought he just pretended like he didn't know you for the shits n giggles so you played along

♡ HOWEVER the real reason he would bring his friends to this restaurant was to pretend like he has hella game by flirting with you (and obviously you'd playfully flirt back bc you're his s/o...) and impress his friends by successfully 'pulling' their waitress

♡ sometimes before going to the restaurant he'd be like "guys if i can get our waiter's number then you all owe me ¥1000 (approx £5/$6)"

♡ technically fraud but he'd make more in tips that night than you

♡ (💔)

♡ although this scheme would only work on each friend once and he couldn't even do it to his closer friends like kenma or bokuto because they know y'all are dating so they wouldn't fall for it

♡ he did it once while lev and yamamoto were at the table and they went CRAZY

♡ they genuinely asked him to teach them his ways

♡ not knowing it's all a lie....

♡ one day though kenma is in the changing room and makes a remark about kuroo being a loser virgin for taking his switch and lev and yamamoto SPRING to his defences

♡ "NAH you should've seen kuroo at that restaurant. he got the hot waiter's number and was hitting on them the whole night!"

♡ he knows you work as a waiter, and he asks them what restaurant they are talking about and when this whole interaction happened and they confirm his initial notion

♡ he then appears at your work immediately after school and says all ominiously "i have some information about your boyfriend i'd be willing to exchange for food"

♡ one long conversation and a portion of soba later, he confesses to you everything he knows and how he suspects kuroo only pretends your not his s/o to impress his friends

♡ you find it hilarious but you know you can't let that slide

♡ so the next time he comes in, you have your game face on

♡ instead of going to typical route and aknowledging kuroo, thus making it evident to the party that you both are acquainted, you opt for a more entertaining plan

♡ you go along with the premise that you and kuroo don't know each other and you are just a random server who happens to be attractive, waiting their table and also completely receptive to his advances

♡ until... you aren't!!!

♡ it begins as soon as they are start at their table, you and kuroo make flirtatious glances at each other from across the restaurant; his friends pick up on this and are utterly enthralled

♡ when they order their food, kuroo makes a comment "everything looking so delicious" while looking at you instead of the menu, and you blush

♡ even when you drop their food off at their table, you remark that it might be "too hot to handle" and that really gets them all going

♡ however, at the end of the meal, before you start taking the dishes away, you ask them if everything has been alright for them and he responds, "everything has been perfect, doll."

♡ and your face just DROPS into one of absolute horror and disgust, "Don't call me that!"

♡ Kuroo is caught quite off guard by that and you walk away while all his friends are still snickering, but he brushes it off as it being a pet name you're not fond of or something

♡ When you leave the cheque at their table, he blows you a kiss off his finger and you just give a dismayed look in response which all his friends pick up on and laugh at him for

♡ finally, when he had wrote up the cheque, he wrote his number where it said "tip" and you picked it up and read it while they were all still standing near the table, getting ready to leave

♡ as soon as you looked at the paper, you glared at him and yelled, "just give me a real tip, weirdo!" and all his friends opened their mouths with the intention of laughing but a involuntary gasp was pulled from all of them as they watched you bitch slap him right across the face

♡ ...

♡ yeah needless to say he had a tough time explaining to his friends why he didn't press charges and you a tough time explaining to your boss why you smacked a customer

[blueberry-ry]

hello I am really curious about ur thoughts on what makes Jaster a military dictator.

I'm ngl my knowledge of him is the very limited stuff we saw in the comics he was in and then a whole bunch of fanon so I'd love to hear ur thoughts 👀

To be honest I mostly meant it as a joke but—

Well, first we have to start from a simple fact about Jaster: we do not actually know what he truly stands for.

That is what's truly difficult in understanding Jaster, for me. The information we have about him is always too vague to actually figure out a proper moral or honor code for this guy, we could ask ourselves “would he believe this?” or “would he hate this?” and every answer would be pure speculation because we do not really have a base to understand what he would truly believe in. But let’s get into my thoughts:

What would make Jaster a military dictator?

He thinks Mandalorians should strive to be mercenaries/highly-paid soldiers.

This one is pretty simple in my opinion, ofc we do not know to what extent this belief goes, if he thinks that all all mandos should be paid soldiers and go fight in other people’s conflicts, or if he thinks only a certain class of mandos should.

But if we go with the first, the idea that all mandos should be forced to be soldiers, not warriors, not people who know how to fight, but soldiers, and so one of the many gears of a very organized machine of death, and they also get no choice in the matter- well it does not paint the prettiest of pictures now does it.

He has a whole paramilitary group that responds to him.

This one is probably the most “military dictatorship” coded of the points, and I don’t think I have to explain why what is basically a Head of State having a private army, that responds to him, only him and no other than him, is generally a very bad bad idea.

He has “reworked” the Resol’nare.

Now for this one we have to go into a phase of pure speculation, since we do not actually see how he reworked this Resol’nare.

He could have made it more modern, he could have used an even more ancient version of the one commonly known, he could have gave it a purely personal twist- but we don’t know.

But, if we look at what the common Resol’nare, it has a point saying “Rally to the cause of the Mand’alor” - which again, on paper it seems innocuous enough, but it could be very easily twisted into an “Obey your Mand’alor” kind of thing, which starts to smell a bit totalitarian (since it does not seem to give you a choice in the matter) and could easily be used as an excuse from the Leader to make the people do whatever he wants. So yeah, who knows, maybe he could have given the Resol’nare a more authoritarian twist.

He is described as honorable.

Which could mean, literally everything and absolutely nothing at the same time.

What does honor even mean? It’s a word whose meaning changes so much between cultures and individuals, you could be the best person alive and call yourself “honorable”, or be the worst motherfucker out there and still call yourself “honorable”, and in both cases who could really tell you which one is right and which one is wrong?

Hell, here in Italy not so long ago it was legal to kill your wife if she was cheating on you so that you could protect your “honor”.

Honor most often than not leads to very fucked up morales and ideals, so I do not see how the figure of Jaster would be safe from this.

He could even look a kid in the eyes and say “it is actually very honorable to get yourself blown up for your people, go out there and try it” while giving him a bomb, whatever it means for Jaster to be “honorable” is purely up to speculation, but it could mean he is the best guy alive or the worst motherfucker out there (but just a little step better than Tor).

He is described as pious.

Again this one is murky as fuck as a point to me. Pious is a very religious word which does not simply mean “faithful”, since you can be faithful to a lot of things, to a code, to a person, to law etc. while pious is specifically about religion, and mostly used in Catholicism.

So either this is the confirmation that the actual space-Catholics were the Mandalorians all along, or someone didn’t really think too much at the implications of giving a character such an adjective.

Jaster could be religious, and very devoted to this religion. But what is this religion even about? Is it the old Mandalorian religion of the Three Gods? A new Mandalorian religion he is helping in spreading around? Maybe a religion from Concord Dawn? A whole other religion from another culture he just so happened to be very passionate about? A whole other religion he invented to make himself appear more important than he actually was?

Who knows.

BUT- using faith to make yourself appear as the “Chosen One” or the “Rightful Heir” and to keep the people in check and too afraid to rebel against you is a pretty common trope after all (the monarchy, the Pope etc.) so he could just use the same trick for all we know.

Anyway, am I overthinking all this? Oh absolutely yes.

But I still think it would still be very cool to explore this instead of the “Jaster is the rightful ruler and is the best and all his morales and ideals are always the right kind and every single one of the good guys agrees with him because he is just so right about everything” I tend to often see especially in fics lol.

[yup-thats-me]

My heart goes out to all the (anime) fathers!

Men who will one day come to you while you’re chopping up some vegetables for the meal, men with the guts to stare at you straight in the eyes and say, “Y/n…let’s get a divorce. I found someone much better than you.”

He asks for a divorce. You have a knife in your hand.

Without thinking, you rush after him. “Who’s the other woman, goddamn it! I swear to god I’ll kill you then I’d kill myself!” what else was your husband expecting after you spent eight years of your life together, not to mention you even have a five-year-old daughter for heaven’s sake!

“Mama, stop!” your daughter called out, her little eyes filled with tears. “You cannot kill my husband!”

Did she say “My husband’’?

Oh so that’s what made your husband say that. Looking back at the man, you almost killed him off with that stare. He had no choice but to shrug, gesturing to your daughter.

“Baby, can I ask why Daddy is now called ‘my husband’?” The little girl stayed silent, looking at her ‘husband’ who was instantly by her side and picked her up.

“Woman, I cannot have you make my lovely bride-to-be cry!” He would say while smirking.

Sighing, you soothe your daughter. “Baby, see this ring? Daddy has one on his finger too,” The girl’s eyes almost popped out at the revelation.

“That means Mama and Daddy are married. You cannot marry Daddy, baby.”

Loud wails filled the house. It took an ice-cream and a cookie to make her stop. When she did, the terrifying news was brought up again.

“That’s why, Daddy can’t marry you.”

“…then will I get my own ring too?”

Her question made one of you giggle while it made the other’s vein pop on his forehead. “Of course! My little princess will find a lover who will get on one knee and give the ring to her.” The little girl was relieved.

“NO! I won’t let it happen!” Your husband cried, making the girl cry again. He received a smack on the head and the laundry for a week.

tr: mikey, shinichiro, baji, chifuyu, kokonoi; kny: sanemi, zenitsu, tengen; jjk: gojo, yuji, inumaki, sukuna; bsd: ranpo, dazai, nikolai; windbreaker (aged up, ofc): umemiya, kiryu, sakura + your favs!

Men who wakes you up with coffee on bed. It’s no special day today but it was decided that the family of three would go out for a picnic, and the weather could not have been any better.

Men who would not even bother to ask you to make preparation of food and other requirements for the picnic. They would get up at dawn when it is still dark outside and silently begin the preparations for the day.

They would make countless dishes, each one better than the next, and pack them up so beautifully. When done with cooking, they would pack the blankets, wine, and juice for the kid(s), and get your favorite book packed and of course, he cannot miss out on his camera! He has to take many pictures of his family on their day out.

Men who would choose a quiet flower field away from the bustling city; perfect for a quite yet enjoyable trip. They would even lay out the food and help feed them to you.

They would lay in your lap while you read your book and your son close by, doing something with flowers. Your son would run up to the two of you, a flower crown in his hand and ask for your husband to sit up.

The little boy placed the crown on his father’s head, giggling all the while. “Daddy looks so pretty!’’

“Yeah, doesn’t he?” you agree with the boy. “But what about mommy?”

“I’ll make mommy a flower bouquet! Wait your turn!” The boy ran away again, skipping in his track.

Your husband’s lips found yours; soft and sweet. “I love you,” they would say softly. “And our soon,” with a chuckle.

“And I love you two, too.”

tr: draken, mitsuya, inupi, kazutora; kny: tanjiro, rengoku, muzan; jjk: NANAMI, geto, yuta; bsd: chuuya, akutagawa, fukuzawa, poe, atsushi, sigma, fyodor, kunikida; windbreaker: hayato, togame, hiragi + your favs!

do not copy, steal, or translate my work on any other sites. all belong to yup-thats-me on tumblr

[11queensupreme11]

You answered Let’s goo!!!!

I love you Queen my pookie Wookiee bear!

I’m sorry that was weird..

Anyways!

What I was wondering was if Cu got so mad that Percy fell in love with a mortal that his dumbass cheated again! Out of spite! (This probably won’t come true but bear with me please 🙏) and when Percy found out to his horror she just shrugged him off explaining that she didn’t care what he did anymore, and expected him to not keep it in his pants. I can imagine her being a savage as well like -

Cu: I cheated on you why don’t you care!???

Percy: honestly Cu, you’ve already cheated on me once already, you have a history of cheating, I don’t love you anymore, if I could I would have divorced you already and taken the kids with me, if I chose between Anthonius and you I would choose Anthonius over you any day. You wanna know why? Because he wouldn’t let his ‘urges’ get the better of him and cheat on me. If there was a cheating club you would be right behind my uncle Zeus and I could care less.

Cu: 😨

🤣

Okay but the second ask was about when Percy was grieving.

WARNING: MENTION OF SUCIDE

what if because of Cu and how he didn’t care at first that he cheated on Percy and disregarded her feelings. AND in this case Percy caught him in the act. When Percy went away and she killed herself. And just to make it more traumatic. Her children are the ones that found that body and Cu who was banging the mistress heard their screams and when he saw what happened he realized what he’s done 😈

Percy’s dead and ITS ALL HIS FAULT!

😈😈😈

How would the the yanderes and the kids react to this situation? Especially CU!!!

Imagine loving someone so much but because of your beliefs she killer herself…Cu is such a dumbass I want him to suffer 😈😈😈

well, he'd do pretty much the same thing as the previous scenarios if she fell in love with a mortal: plunge all of midgard to chaos and chip away the man's sanity.

if he cheats again after that and percy doesn't care (let's be honest, she's probably still traumatized and numb), cú chulainn would literally just rape her 💀

like i am not kidding. this dude's a yandere, ofc he'd rape her. he'd force himself on her to MAKE her love him again. that is literally every yan's go-to if they feel their darling stray away: rape them and break them. or in cú chulainn's case, force your love onto them until they have no choice but to accept it. he'll do it to remind her of her place, to remind her of HIS LOVE and that she better love him back or else

(on the bright side tho! he won't cheat again since he's seen how heartbroken it made her 😅 a win's a win, i guess??????)

as for the suicide one, i think i might've gotten that ask, but it might be someone else so i'll answer it here

the yanderes would be DEVASTATED AND HORRIFIED. percy being dead is their number 1 fear. the literal love of their immortal lives is gone, and it's because she was so fucking depressed that she killed herself. hell, these yans have put her through the WRINGER for centuries, eons even, and she stayed strong but cú chulainn's infidelity was the last straw for her.

like.... percy is extremely fucking resilient. she stayed alive for her kids, held on for them, but she was pushed so much that she finally killed herself and left her children, WHO SHE LOVES VERY MUCH, behind.......... that says a LOT

this would completely break cú chulainn. like really, genuinely, 10000% break him. not even the impending war of the other pantheons raining down on him would snap him out of it, and he's a war god. his children are devastated at the loss of their mother, his eldest son is horrified and furious, and they're all desperately trying to get him to snap out of his misery because a bunch of pantheons were coming for them and they NEED their dad

percy's suicide would cause a lot of death. the celtic pantheon would be faced with many many pantheons against them, cú chulainn is enemy number 1, and his children are in danger too. if percy were to kill herself because of this, it'd lead to a lot of slaughter and her precious children wouldn't be spared either 💔💔💔

[dumbseee]

Request if your requests are open

Singer!Reader x (driver of your choice)

After their break up she seems fine, takes a 3-day break up off social media but otherwise she's the same as before, so people keep judging her for not being sad enough :(. cuz the driver seems sad and isn't doing well in races but she doesn't show anything and they attack her etc.(not a BIG hate campaign but ppl just make assumptions abt it)

Thanks in advance

Then BOOM she releases "hits different" (by taylor swift) and the fans connect the dots between her relationship and the song

happy face.

charles leclerc x singer!reader.

fc: madison beer.

note: thanks for the request! i really like your idea i hope you don’t mind that i used charles as the driver!

liked by selenagomez, kaiagerber, kyliejenner and 2 891 009 others.

y/n: mother is back.

_

fan1: YEEESSSSSS

fan2: she broke up with charles after three years together and took just three days off social media? that girl is so weird…

fan3: right? while charles is miserable and all sad

fan4: omg y’all are so ANNOYING let my girl enjoy her single life

theweeknd: 🔥

fan5: even if she decided to come back after one minute, that’s her choice

fan6: y’all just love to hate on pretty girls

fan7: charles saw the gold digger in her and left lmao

fan8: gold digger where? homegirl was a billionaire before she was even born LMAO

fan9: don’t come for my girl

fan10: charles’s fans back at it again

fan11: at least she’ll be free from the vultures

fan12: i never liked her tbh

fan13: how can she party and smile like that after a break up?

fan14: i feel so bad for charles…

fan15: charles deserves so much more

view all comments.

liked by arianagrande, zendaya, zayn and 3 910 009 others.

y/n: ‘hits different’ is now out :) ps: reminder to be kind to people.

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y/n: thanks you so much for the love ‘hits different’ received! it is my most vulnerable piece of work and putting it out there was hard, but i knew i had to. break ups are never easy, no matter how happy someone can be on the outside, they may be battling their hardest battles inside. but i’ll get better, like they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

_

fan1: i’m crying while reading this because it hits so hard, i’m in the middle of a break up and it hurt so bad, thank you y/n.

liked by y/n.

fan2: with one song she managed to put the whole world on pause

fan3: this woman’s lyrics are INSANE they never miss

fan4: she wrote it with her heart it hits so hard

fan5: the way the internet bullied her because she wasn’t « sad enough » is insane to me like wtf??

fan6: you never know what someone is going through behind closed doors, let’s be nicer to each other guys

fan7: i’m sorry but these people are just dumb, she stayed with that guy for YEARS ofc she’s going to be sad

fan8: nah but she clearly confirmed that charles is the one who ended the relationship, so why isn’t he receiving hate?

fan9: i feel so bad for her

fan10: QUEEN

taylorswift: genius!

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taglist: @ferrariloverr

[icycoldninja]

I don't know if you do Cloud but ik you do Sephiroth and lately I've been seeing a lot of Cloud x Sephiroth and I've been thinking of a love triangle or like both Cloud and Sephiroth are very protective over reader.. so do you think you can write sum like that? (if you have the time ofc and if you wanna ^_^)

Well, I don't normally write for Cloud nor do I do love triangles, but I'll make an exception and a few adjustments in this case. Hope you enjoy!

Note: This is NOT polyamoury in any way, simply headcannons regarding how these characters would protect the Reader individually.

Protective!Sephiroth + Protective!Cloud x Reader headcannons

♡ Sephiroth ♡

-Sephiroth is extremely possessive over you, questioning and doubting nearly anything you do.

-It's borderline toxic, but at least he has the decency to be polite about it.

-Yes, he's very nosy about your activities, but he asks his questions nicely, even if his tone and choice of words could use some work.

-Gets very jealous over anyone that dares to lay their unworthy eyes upon his precious, and yes, that does go for children and small dogs.

-Eventually he gets fed up with other people "oogling" you and either locks you up in his home or moves in with you so as to be able to monitor you better.

-He'll keep you well away from any danger, too. You're crossing a busy street? Hold his hand, tightly, and stick close to his side, he'll use his wing to shield you from traffic. Going near a hot stove? He'll be standing at attention, ready to put out the fire that he's sure will arise.

-Won't even let you set foot outside the house when it's raining because he just knows a storm is approaching, and to have you outside is folly.

-Despite all his attempts to keep you safe, Sephiroth's the one most likely to kill you since he strangles you with hugs in his sleep.

○ Cloud ○

-Cloud's just an inch away from becoming a yandere; that's how obsessed he is with protecting you.

-Very, very mean to everyone you know, including your closest friends and family.

-He does this in the hopes of shooing them away so they don't pose any more threats to you.

-Likes to situate himself between you and any person you happen to be talking to. The dork thinks this will establish dominance but really it just makes him look like an upset kitten.

-While he does work hard to keep injuries, heartbreak, and illnesses at bay, Cloud can sometimes push you away, harshly.

-It's not that he's trying to be mean; the man's lost so many people close to him in his life, he doesn't want to lose another.

-With some work, you can get him to calm down and accept that he's stuck with you for life, but if you do, he'll just double his efforts to protect you.

-It's sweet, in a way, since he's just trying to show you how much he cares, but at the same time, it's annoying as hell, especially when he won't even let you open the front door without him being there.

[emberphoenixisgoingtolive]

the Nublar Six in the Hunger Games

Darius:

district 3 (my little nerd runt [affectionate]) ; age 13

cannot use a weapon but good at identifying plants and berries, and making plans

he and Sammy are the first two to make allies, followed by Brooklynn and Ben

is the leader because he’s the only one with a shred of hope they are going to make it out alive

his mama was a healer so he’s the group first aider

Brooklynn:

district 1 ; age 13

not good with weapons but she has extremely good crowd charisma and manages to get loaded with sponsor gifts (which she shares with the others ofc)

treats the games like she and her friends are the stars of a social media channel, and explains their plans as if talking to a camera

resourceful queen (think maysilee donner from sunrise on the reaping)

no one wants her on her team at first because they think she’s just a shallow rich girl

Darius is the first person to give her a chance, and she joins his, Sammy’s and Ben’s team

extremely empathetic. only person in the district 1 team who is at all nice to Kenji before he befriends the camp fam

accepts pretty early on that she’ll probably die, but wants to go down in style, hence all the crowd charisma (Darius argues that she wouldn’t honestly be doing it if she didn't think she stood a chance)

Yaz:

district 2 ; age 15

weapon of choice is a knife but her best skill is running

does Not Want Allies (she thinks they’re just going to slow her down)

injures her ankle on the first night while running from a fight, hides up a tree, Darius, Brooklynn and Sammy find her, and she reluctantly joins the group

does not want to kill. at all. she knows its unbecoming of her, being a career, but she can’t help it. every time she thinks about killing a tribute, she remembers they’re as human as her allies best friends family

starts to fall for Sammy when she protects her after she injured her ankle, realises she fell for her one morning when they wake up early and forage for food together, but doesn’t confess her feelings until after they get out of the games

postpones thinking about whether or not she is going to live until the tributes whittle down to the camp fam and maybe two other people and it starts to sink in that they can’t stay unified forever

she is about to split off from the group, when the scorpios rex attacks them and Sammy is poisoned, and Yaz sprints all the way to the cornucopia for the feast on a broken ankle. she is showered in sponsor gifts after and she’s too sick and horrified and tired and heartbroken to enjoy any of them

Sammy:

district ten (livestock district, obvs) ; age 14

weapon of choice is an axe

a lot of people are terrified of her because she’s buff af; Darius was terrified of her at first, but then she offered to teach him how to throw an axe (“you poor thing, seems like you can’t even lift ‘em— here, let me help you!”)

realises she’s fallen for Yaz in the games when Yaz is about to kill someone but spares them

actually knows really effective slaughter techniques (she grew up rearing livestock lbfr) but will do everything she can to avoid killing anyone

she kills one person and does not sleep a wink since. the guilt breaks her apart.

Kenji:

district 1 ; age 15

has zero fighting skills except crowd charisma (which is arguably useful in a reality show (which the hunger games is) but useless in the survival aspects of the arena)

discovers he is extremely good at climbing a few days in

his dad is head gamemaker and can’t technically donate directly to Kenji but he promises he’ll get loaded with sponsor gifts

but then Kenji gets absolutely nothing and Kenji is so angry his dad betrayed and mocked him, he storms off and tries to start a fight with the first person he comes across (the district 2 boy) and he almost gets taken out, but the camp fam find him and take him on

incredibly loyal and protective; regularly throws himself in front of the other campers if they’re in danger

the first time someone (Sammy) hugs him, he stands there in shock for a whole ten seconds before he hugs back

Ben:

district 12 ; age 12

goes in terrified and nervous, cries the moment his name is called

joins Darius’s group, but on the first night, pteranodon mutts attack their camp and when everyone flees, Ben gets separated

forced to survive in the wilderness and enters his Jungle Boy era in full force

befriends a mutt and names it Bumpy

finds the others a few days later, completely changed, and no one knows how his personality took such a drastic 180

weapon of choice is a spear

willingly eats the arena berries and bugs

stops other people from getting poisoned by the poisonous berries

OTHER LORE:

the arena is isla Nublar (ofc)

the dinosaurs are all mutts

the camp fam nickname themselves the camp fam because all Darius, Sammy and Ben have in terms of shelter is a tent they all have to squeeze into

Mae is an instructor in training at the survival stations

Roxie and Dave are the district 3 and 12 mentors respectively (who take the others under their wing because their other mentors are shit)

Kash is the in–universe Caesar Flickerman but instead of being somewhat nice he’s just an asshole

Mae, Roxie and Dave are secretly part of a rebel group who aim to rescue as many people as they can from these games (their instructions are: ‘just survive for six days’) because their rescue takes place on the night of the sixth day

HOWEVER, their rescue attempt fails, Roxie, Mae and Dave are captured (the camp fam figure out their plans) and they pretty soon make it down to the last twelve tributes and have to survive in the arena for much longer with the gamemakers actively trying to kill the group, and them being pushed into proximity of the other tributes

the camp fam make it to the final six and the gamemakers are throwing anything they can at them to get them to kill each other, but they make it clear theyre not going to. d*niel k*n starts sending messages to Kenji and he starts acting on his dad’s terrible advice (that is designed to lead them into horrific danger) and it comes to a point where he almost poisons the others and Kenji actually threatens to kill his dad once he’s out of the arena (which almost gets the group blown up because d*niel k*n is so pissed at his son

when the camp fam are finally broken out of the arena, one person is captured by the capitol (but who would it be...? tell me what you think!!)

[wings-of-ink]

Wanna eat your work that's how deliciously you write!!

Recently I saw super sad ask about MC breaking up with RO (gently). If you haven't done this before, could you give us ROs reaction?

BUT THERE'S A TWIST!

In the end ROs also find out that MC done this on purpose to keep ROs out of something dangerous. MC still loves them ofc but they hurt them to protect them,,,,, kinda poetic

So glad you find it tasty, Anon! I will continue to cook this stuff up and feed you even more (but you're gonna have to have a few veggies before dessert).

That is a super sad ask! But I like the twist. As the MC has some difficult things ahead, something like this may come up in the routes, but it's too far out for me to see quite yet. And it may just be MC sneaking off to "handle" something (that they really shouldn't be doing alone).

Oswin:  

He can't swallow for fear of choking and goes silent.

MC watches Oswin carefully, noticing that he's started to subtly shake.

"So…that's just it." His voice is breaking.

MC nods, trying their best to keep a straight face.

"You…you put up with me for all this time, I tell you everything, all…all that I've…" Oswin's voice cracks and tears start to roll down his eyes.

There's a ringing in their ears, MC can't stand this, but it's for the best. The world is better with Oswin in it, they have to do this to keep him safe.

"I can't…I can't bear this. It will kill me, MC…we planned a life together. I don't want to be apart." Oswin lands on MC's shoulder, releasing a painful sob.

MC feels their very soul begin to burn. They don't want this either, but it's the best way. They keep telling themselves that. It's for the best.

Zahn: 

Zahn takes the news with a cruel amount of stoicism. MC expected some sort of resistance, maybe even tears or a plea. Were they hoping for that even?

MC waits for a response for a while, but Zahn gives nothing away before simply turning around and leaving. MC stands in shock for several minutes before they snap from their daze and go out to find them.

They find Zahn sitting by the brook, watching the water churn by, still quiet and still.

MC sits next to them. "Zahn you need to say something…please."

"Why should I?" Their voice is straining but harsh.

"You let me say my part…it's only fair."

Zahn nods, and then chuckles, but the sound is cruel. "You just threw me away like everyone else did. So, no, I don't know what to say."

Duri:

"You forget how easily I can read you." Duri smirks, folding their arms and leaning against the wall.

MC stares at them. They knew it would be a challenge. Lying to a demigod is stupid at best - then again, so is romancing one. "My choice is still firm."

Duri shakes their head. "It's the choice that is the lie, MC."

"It's still mine to make."

They nod. "That's true."

MC expects more argument on the subject, spotting a peculiar shine to Duri's doleful eyes that's rare to see.

"I guess I will just have to convince you to pick me again then. I did it once before…somehow. Even if you don't want to love me now…you can still love me later."

MC's resolve nearly cracks, but they try to give nothing away.

A familiar smile splays on Duri's lips, but it lacks the mirth they usually have. "Besides, I have to find what you're hiding, and you know how good I am at that."

Rune:  

"No," Rune says.

MC shifts uncomfortably. It has to be now. They have to say goodbye now before it's too late. Losing themselves is one thing, but they can't lose Rune. "What do you mean no? It's the way it is, the way I want it."

Rune's eyes roll, the purple orbs practically glowing. "You're hiding something."

"I am not. I just…we are from very different worlds, this isn't the time - I can't…"

"You can't what?" They fold their arms and stare into MC.

"Be with you like this."

They begin to pace. "Did you learn how to lie from Oswin? Don't feed me lines like that when your voice holds no conviction. Make no mistake, Northbreaker, I know that I am no one's first choice in a lover."

MC barely stifles a rebuttal.

"No one puts up with my shit unless their feelings are genuine, MC. What hurts me the most is not your failure to convince me that you'd rather us go our separate ways - it's that you apparently do not trust me enough to help you shoulder your burdens."

The quiver of their lower lip betrays MC's feelings.

???:

"Would you like to try that again with a straight face?" He smiles. That stupid smug smile that you hate to love. It doesn't reach his eyes and it's the most condescending look he has in his arsenal.

"We can't do this anymore. I was infatuated, it's not-"

"Real?" he finishes. "Not real love?"

"Yes."

He tuts. "No, no, my dear. See, I opened all I am to you - that is a door you cannot close easily. Don't mistake the phrasing as a threat - if you truly wish to part from me, then do so. But, don't lie to yourself or to me."

"I'm not-"

"You are spectacularly bad at it." He affirms, his voice hard. "You knew you would not be able to, but you still tried."

MC stands there feeling like a scolded child. He always flips everything on its head.

He sighs. "I am sorry. I am hurt. I know you are hiding something, but I do not wish to imagine my world without you. Please, just let me help."

There you are Anon! May the angst nourish your wicked and lovely soul. ^_^