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aventurineswife · 2 days ago

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Time traveller reader, who can't seem to keep things linear. Always meeting out of order, sometimes knowing stuff that will happen and other times not knowing who they're with. (Kinda like River Song's backwards timeline from Doctor Who)

I'm sure everyone gets somewhat annoyed by it in some form...anyways, reader goes on to be all sappy saying something like "I'm glad you're a constant in my life" or something to that degree.

Semi-established relationships, with Boothill, Dr Ratio, Aventurine and who ever else might fit!

A Constant in My Chaos

Tags: Boothill x Reader, Aventurine x Reader, Ratio x Reader, Time Traveler!Reader, Non-linear Relationships , Emotional Moments, Fluff with a Hint of Angst, Slow Burn (Implied), Character Introspection, Found Family Dynamics (Implied).

Warnings: Mild angst, Themes of time travel confusion (non-linear narrative), Reader feeling lost or unsure of timelines, Ambiguity in relationship progression due to non-linearity.

The bright lights of a bustling spaceport flickered in the distance, casting an eerie glow on the cold, metallic surface of the docking bay. Boothill adjusted the brim of his hat, his teeth glinting as he smirked. He was waiting, but for who, he wasn’t sure.

“Boothill!” your voice called from behind, breathless but full of excitement.

He turned, his eyes narrowing, the in his pupils reflecting the dim light. You looked different—again. Time had a funny way of twisting you into knots.

“Now, ain’t that a sight for sore eyes,” Boothill drawled, though his posture tensed. “What year is it this time? You know me, or am I just another stranger to ya?”

Your face fell slightly, and he hated how it tugged at something deep in his mechanical chest. “I know you. Of course I do,” you said, stepping closer. “I don’t know what year it is for you, though. For me...you’ve always been there, somehow.”

Boothill’s smirk faltered, replaced by a rare moment of vulnerability. “Always? That’s a mighty big claim for someone who keeps poppin’ in and out of my life like a ghost.”

You reached out, placing a hand on the red scarf around his neck. “I’m sorry if it’s frustrating. I never know when—or where—I’ll end up. But no matter where I go, or when I meet you...you’re a constant in my life, Boothill. And that means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

For a moment, the cyborg cowboy was silent. Then, he tipped his hat slightly, his teeth flashing in a lopsided grin. “Guess I ain’t all bad if you keep comin’ back, huh?”

The sprawling halls of the Intelligentsia Guild glittered with intricate designs and cascading lights. Ratio sat at his desk, wavy hair falling over his face as he scribbled notes furiously. He didn’t hear you enter until you dropped into a seat across from him.

“Back already?” he asked without looking up, his eyes briefly flickering toward you. “Or should I say, forward?”

“Depends,” you replied, leaning your elbows on the desk. “Do you know me yet?”

Ratio finally set his pen down, his skin glowing faintly under the lights. “Oh, I know you,” he said smoothly. “You’re the one who comes and goes like the wind, spouting riddles and truths you aren’t even sure of yourself. Of course, it’s maddening.”

You smiled faintly. “That’s fair. I must be frustrating.”

“Unbearably so,” Ratio said, but his voice lacked venom. “Yet somehow, you always manage to pique my interest. I’ve yet to determine why.”

You leaned back, a soft sigh escaping your lips. “Because you’re one of the few people who doesn’t treat me like a puzzle to be solved. You let me just...be.”

Ratio’s sharp gaze softened, his fingers steepling under his chin. “Interesting hypothesis,” he murmured. “But why bother coming back here, to me, when there’s an entire timeline out there waiting for you?”

“Because,” you said quietly, meeting his eyes, “no matter where I end up, you’re my constant, Ratio. My anchor in all this chaos.”

For once, Ratio didn’t have a clever retort. He simply nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The luxurious casino shimmered with gold, a symphony of laughter and the clatter of dice filling the air. Aventurine lounged at a card table, his eyes lazily scanning the room. When he saw you approaching, his ever-present smile widened.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite little enigma,” he purred, gesturing for you to sit. “What brings you here this time? Or should I say, which version of you am I getting today?”

You slid into the chair across from him, your gaze flickering with uncertainty. “I think I’m late,” you admitted. “You already know me, don’t you?”

Aventurine chuckled, shuffling the deck in his hands with practiced ease. “Oh, darling, I know you better than most, but that’s not saying much, is it?” He dealt you a card. “How about you tell me what’s on your mind?”

You hesitated, fingers brushing against the edge of the card. “It’s...hard, sometimes. Not knowing when I’ll see you again. Or if you’ll even recognize me. But somehow, you always do.”

“Of course I do,” Aventurine said softly, his tone unusually sincere. “I never forget a gamble worth taking.”

You smiled, though your voice wavered. “You’re more than that to me. No matter where—or when—I end up, you’re a constant in my life, Aventurine. I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”

For a moment, Aventurine’s confident mask faltered, a flicker of genuine emotion crossing his face. Then, he grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Well, aren’t you sweet? But don’t worry, darling—I’ll always be here. After all, what’s life without a little chaos?”

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currently-hyper-fixating · 1 month ago

Text

Ben Linus (Lost) x Reader PART SIX

other parts are pinned :)

word count: 2675

summary: you're at the Dharma Initiative for an art residency in 1992 and develop feelings for Ben Linus. Twelve years later, you're back on the island as a survivor of Oceanic flight 815 with no memory of your time at the initiative, or Ben.

note: another long-ish update ahh- having a hard time not updating so much but this is the only one for the day and possibly for the next few days! gotta stop procrastinating, this is just so fun to write and update lol

tagging (let me know if you want to be added or want to be removed at any point) @darkwing-katy @spiltmiiilk @alienwithabox @wintersnails @storywriter12 @bootlmoth

Summer 1992

You had been thinking about what Ethan had come up to you and said yesterday, deciding that it was an act independent of Ben, which was even more interesting to you. Ben had continued to be more distant to you, and for the most part, you were fine- but you occasionally peaked out your curtain to see if he was walking by.

Maybe you did want to see him again, especially considering Ethan’s suggestion that he was concerned for you.

Self-preservation was important, but it wasn’t really like you could just leave the island whenever you wanted to, anyways. The sub only came and went every few months, and even in the case of medical emergencies, members of the Dharma Initiative generally did not leave the island until their work was considered done. It would be extremely difficult to leave at this point, which Ben should have known.

You were supposed to be there for 6 months, at least until the end of December. You figured lasting until then wouldn’t be an issue, and you weren’t thrilled about the prospect of what was waiting for you back home.

And then there was another component with talking to Ethan, the sweet teenager whose own parents had a significant role in the organization. Ethan had insinuated that he was of use to the ‘hostiles.’

Nobody had told you much about them anyways, so why would you be afraid of them? Some vague language around a truce wasn’t enough for you to write off an entire group of people. Was there really no way to cohabitate on this island?

When you left your house in uniform that morning, you made it a point to find Ethan. Just my luck, you thought, spotting him talking to Ben by his parent’s house. You made your way over, trying to avoid eye contact with Ben as you felt his stare on you.

“Can I talk to you, Ethan?” You asked, smiling his way.

“We’re actually about to go for a delivery together,” Ben told you curtly, clipboard in hand.

“Can I see that?” You asked, giving him a polite smile as well.

He handed it over to you with his lips flatlined, watching as you took out a pen and crossed his name off the sheet. “Looks like I’m actually going with Ethan, why don’t you enjoy your time off?”

You handed the papers back to Ben, grinning at him. He stood there shocked, briefly eyeing Ethan who was smiling back at you.

As he stood there, you turned your body fully towards Ethan, effectively ignoring Ben. “Are you ready?”

Ethan finished loading a crate of supplies for the Flame into the back of the van, and then joined you in the passenger’s seat. “That was pretty funny, y/n,” He looked over at you as you started driving, laughing.

You shrugged, “Well, I wanted a chance to talk to you more about what you said the other day.”

He nodded at you. “I just think it’s something to think about,” he said, as if your conversation from yesterday picked up and no time had passed at all. “I know you’re not really here to be involved in the initiative like that-” he paused, watching out the window as you drove down dirt paths slowly. “But if you like being here and want to stay here, dealing with the other people who live here is probably going to come up at some point.”

Ethan, unlike Ben, was not fully aware of the plan to gas the barracks. He knew that his life as he knew it would change- it already had, he had been spending years now following Ben into the ‘hostiles’ camp.

But he didn’t fully understand that many of his people would end up dying. He did, however, feel a deep connection to this island, and he wanted to help the ‘hostiles.’

He had watched as his father- albeit mostly through the direction of others above him- aided in plans to eradicate these people, to find out more about them through brainwashing and interrogation. Through this knowledge, it was easier for him to justify helping Ben kidnap a baby. It was easier to follow Charles Widmore’s orders.

Saving the island felt like a more worthy cause than whatever the Dharma Initiative he had grown up with had been vaguely telling him about for years.

And, he felt like that could be extended to you.

“Have you run into the other people who live here?” You asked Ethan, deciding you needed actual answers about these people to make any further decisions.

“Briefly,” he told you, somewhat lying. “All they care about is protecting the island.”

“Protecting it from…?”

Ethan gestured to the Flame station as you arrived, “From the work we’re doing here.” You made a face at him as you parked the van, turning your head to look at the farm animals in the front of the station.

“Honestly Ethan, I need a lot more to go off of than that.”

“They saved Ben’s life when he was a child,” Ethan said, getting out of the van as he said so. He raised his eyebrows at you, leaning against the door. “Does that give you more to go off of?”

Fall 2004

You woke up on a futon in a room almost similar in style to that of the bedroom in the hatch back at your camp. Your brain felt foggy and your head pounded as you sat yourself up and began to take in your surroundings.

You were in what seemed like another Dharma station, but the room you were in was much bigger. The fluorescent lights were still there, what a great staple, you thought sarcastically, but there was also a bed, what seemed to be a bathroom, and bookshelves lining the walls.

It was much cleaner than the hatch at your camp, and seemed like someone had put a decent amount of effort into the space.

You looked in front of you, realizing that on the coffee table there was a folded stack of clothing and a note:

Feel free to shower and change your clothes :)

You stared quizzically at the note, wondering who had written it for you. But you made your way over to the bathroom with the pile of clothes nonetheless, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to shower and actually use a bathroom on this island.

You noticed your bag was missing, but nothing else on your person was gone as you stripped down to shower. The bathroom looked very similar to the one in Locke’s hatch, further confirming to you that this must have been another Dharma station. There was a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo- you took your time showering and brushing your teeth, happy to have a clean pair of clothes and feel more comfortable.

After you had gotten changed you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your face looked strained from the stress of being here for a few months now, and bags had started to form under your eyes from not sleeping well here.

Who knew sleeping on the ground of a beach wouldn’t be great for you?

You had been given a dress- strange attire for the island, but it did feel nice to look cleaner and more relaxed for a change.

You hadn’t even begun to process how you ended up here before a knock came at the door, and a woman with blonde hair entered the room slowly and cautiously.

“Is it okay if I come in?”

You left the bathroom, looking at her by the door and nodding. “Did you write this note?”

She smiled at you, “I did. I’m Juliet.”

You shifted slightly and made your way back to sitting on the futon, where she had approached. “I’m y/n,” you introduced back, smiling politely.

“Are you comfortable?” She asked, looking genuinely concerned. “If you don’t want to wear a dress I have other clothes you can have, don’t feel like you have to wear that.”

You shook your head at her, “No it’s okay, I’m actually pretty comfortable.”

“Good,” she said gently, something about her presence calming.

“Some of your friends came here and are being held,” she said, some regret shining through in her voice through the sentence. “They’re okay, I just wanted to let you know.”

“Thank you,” you figured it was Michael, Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley- who else from your group would be coming? You hesitated, feeling a little bit silly as the words tumbled out- “Am I a prisoner?”

She laughed softly at you, “No- you’re not supposed to leave this room for now, but that should just be until your friends are more settled in here.”

“What do you do here?” You asked, feeling increasingly nervous about your situation as you spoke to her. You believed what she was telling you, but it didn’t stop you from feeling uneasy. Was she even in a position to be telling you all of this?

She looked at you for a minute in silence, as if considering what to tell you. “I’m a doctor. A fertility specialist.”

“Did you kidnap Claire?” You asked, more bluntly than accusatory.

She shook her head, “No, the person who took Claire wasn’t supposed to. He panicked because you all found out he wasn’t on the plane- he was trying to help her get medical attention, originally.”

“Why not just approach the group and explain that you have medical supplies and are able to help her?” You asked, raising your eyebrows at her slightly.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “That’s not the way Ben runs things.” The connection forming for you was startling- Ben was the leader here?

Your group had imprisoned the leader of the ‘others’ without even knowing it? He hadn’t alluded to this even slightly when you had briefly spent time with him.

Juliet seemed to notice your reaction and changed the subject promptly. “What do you do?”

You looked at her, realizing it was the first time in a while anybody had asked you anything about yourself. Your group on the island seemed too preoccupied to have this type of conversation most of the time, so you had mostly kept to yourself.

You smiled at her, “I’m an artist. Or, I was at least. I was in a car accident years ago and haven’t really been able to make much since.”

She looked at you sympathetically, knowingly. Of course Juliet had known about you- everyone she had consulted about Ben’s behavior towards her had pointed to you as the start of his, well, possessiveness. He seemed to be trying to replicate some type of hold he had over you years ago with her, and it made her feel bad for you to see you end up right back here.

She found herself wondering why Ben had brought you back here, what was he trying to accomplish? All she had really been told about you being there was to keep Tom far away from you and not say anything about you having been on the island before.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she spoke after a while. “Can I ask why you can’t?”

“I guess there are a few reasons. My motor skills are damaged slightly so it’s technically harder, and I don’t really have any inspiration to make anything anymore. When I woke up from my accident I had been given a lot of money pretty quickly, so I didn’t really have to work at all. I’ve just been travelling and trying to find some kind of purpose for a while.”

You didn’t know why you trusted her with all this- maybe because she was the only person who had taken any interest in a while.

“I hope you find it,” she spoke earnestly, continuing to smile in the same gentle and sleepy fashion. “And if you ever want me to do a check up and see if we can work on strengthening your motor skills somehow, just let me know.”

You nodded, wondering why she had been so kind to you despite your suspiciousness towards her. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to head back, do you need anything before I leave?”

You shook your head at her, “No, I’m mostly just really tired.”

“You can rest here for as long as you need.”

After Juliet left you found yourself combing through some of the books on the shelves around you and wandering around the room. After surveying your surroundings, you realized you should have asked more specifically about where you were, but it didn’t seem like you were in danger here, and you could freely ask Juliet questions later.

You thought back to the dark rings around your eyes and the comfort of being on the futon earlier as opposed to sleeping on the ground for weeks, and made your way over to the bed in the room. You laid back, feeling relieved to have your back touch a mattress again. There was something about the comfort that enveloped you, and you quickly fell asleep as you lay there.

When you woke up, smoothing the dress you were still wearing, you looked up to see Ben sitting in a chair at the other end of the room.

He had cleaned himself up quickly, wearing a blue button down with its sleeves rolled up his arms. His face was shaven and his bruises had seemed to start fading in some places. He wore gold-rimmed reading glasses that looked as though they were starting to slide down his face as he poured over a book in front of him, looking up slightly as you stared at him.

“You’re awake,” he smiled, closing the book in front of him.

You looked at him, slightly confused, “Why are you in here?” you asked.

“In my bedroom?” He countered, smile fading and eyebrows raised at you in a very deadpan fashion.

A wave of embarrassment came over you as you sat up fully, getting out of bed. “I’m sorry I didn’t kn-”

He cut you off, holding a hand up slightly and smiling again, “It’s okay, I’m glad you were able to sleep.”

You noticed how much more calm and composed he seemed even a few hours later. It became clear that being here, leading the ‘others’ behind a desk of the sorts was more his style than going out himself- You thought back to him drenched in his own dried blood with wounds everywhere, and now to the man in front of you who appeared, mostly, fine.

“Why am I in your bedroom?”

“Just thought you’d be more comfortable here,” he shrugged, folding up his glasses and setting them on top of his book on the coffee table. He looked up at you, wide, blue eyes peering into you intensely even from across the room. “Are you hungry?”

You blinked at him, unsure of what to say or make of the situation. You had just recently realized he was the leader here, and had only now gotten proper sleep for the first time in weeks. The information was still a lot to process.

“Can you tell me where we are?” You asked, meeting his patient and inquisitive gaze.

He tilted his head as if he was thinking about it for a moment. “I think it would be easier to show you. Why don’t you come to dinner with me and I’ll show you around.” He smiled at you, watching as your confusion and- maybe fear- stayed plastered on your face.

Ben was persistent, you thought, wondering how he did as a leader of these people. “You can ask me some questions then, hmm?” He stood up, smiling still. It wasn't really a choice, you realized.

“You don’t want to just stay in this room the whole time, do you?” He raised his eyebrow at you, some degree of taunting and challenge in his voice.

“Okay,” you responded, brushing your hair with your fingers and readying yourself to follow him out the door.

Part Seven!

#ben linus x reader #ben linus #benjamin linus #juliet burke #benjamin linus x reader #reader insert #slow burn #non linear #lost #lost tv series #lost abc

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