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thebottomfromhell · 1 year ago

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hi I absolutely love your writing!!! may I request the upper moons walking in/hearing reader singing a love song that they're so sure is about them, along with their reactions?

not necessary to add, but it'd be funny if reader had that song playing in their head over and over due to how in love they are while in the middle of a meeting with muzan and him going "what the fuck, who is this for, you're pathetic"

thank you so much for your time!

My brain after reading this ask in bethesda game quest format: *skyrim quest initiation drums* Find a song that at least have love included that represents the Uppermoons.

I loved this concept, call me cringe or whatever but if you have never liked a musical song (movie songs included, don't you go on denial. If you liked disney the stfu) or appreciate a good Opera (the LUNGS these people have, try singing in a threater loud enough for everyone to hear you without a mic, I dare you), then you're missing something.

I'm very sorry for the wait, I hope you like this one too. Thank you for the request too, it's something different and I had fun with it.

Uppermoons and GN reader confessing over a song (Musical AU with modern music and spotify/music youtube)

Songs used: [vid with lyrics + translation if needed]

Gyutaro - Your love is my drug (Kesha)

Gyokko - Prisoner (Jeffree Star)

Sekido - Dark red (Steve Lacy)

Karaku - Perro fiel (Shakira ft. Nicky Jam)

Urogi - Balada (Gusttavo Lima)

Aizetsu - Name of love (Bebe Rexha and Martin Garrix)

Nakime - Boyfriend (Dove Cameron)

Akaza - Love story (Indila)

Douma - Shut up and listen (Nicholas Bonnin)

Kokushibou - Tsuki no curse (Reika Okina)

Warnings: My broken taste in music, sexual content mentioned (in song), sexual content implied, slight drug use mentioned (in song), Akaza sings in french and slight angst, yandere behavior (in song),

Gyutaro:

"Maybe I need some rehab. Or maybe just need some sleep. I got a sick obsession. I'm seein' it in my dreams." Holy SHIT you listen Kesha? He listens Kesha too! His sister was the one to introduce him to the artist and, he admits, the songs are very catchy. "What you got, boy, is hard to find! I think about all the time.I'm all strung out, my heart is fried. I just can't get you off my mind" "Your love is my drug" is not really his favorite from her, "blah blah blah" and "cannibal" take that prize by far (no, it's not because it's fun to sing as if he was high, he doesn't sing... at all... no, Daki, he just said he would not-)

"Because your love, your love! Your love is my drug! Your love, your love, your love!" Fuck. He really didn't mean to, he just... did it. You look at him surprised, you didn't even know he was around. Still you laugh a bit with him as he keeps singing as he forces you into his shoulder and back like he does with Daki. "I said your love, your love, your love is my drug! Your love, your love, your love!" He moves slightly, careful not to drop you, he just looks so active and joyful.

You are addicted to this side of him to, this one it barely shows, that side of him that is actually fun to be with, chaotic and messy the same way he is intimate and caring. This is your guy. "But left to my own devices I'm addicted, it's a crisis. My friends think I've gone crazy." He interrupts again. "OH! I like this part! My judgment's getting kinda hazy. My steeze is gonna be affected if I keep it up like a lovesick crackhead." You let him keep singing, until it gets to a part that is important to you, in ehich you get off Gyutaro to cup his face in your hands, making eye contact.

"I don't care what people say. The rush is worth the price I pay. I get so high when you're with me. But crash and crave you when you leave." There, you got it, you see his eyes glow a little as he keeps looking at you, face blushing. He gets it. He always gets it, even when he doesn't want to. "Wow. Ne, just... wow. This song is perfect for you, y'know?" You chuckle a little at that. "How about you? Do you also feel like that?" He looks at the other side a bit embarrased before nodding. "I do, ne. The song is good. Really good." Maybe that is why you spend the rest of the night singing it, along with other songs from Kesha. It was lovely (Also, he nails it at blah blah blah), you wilk repite it again.

Gyokko:

"I got no regrets. And I remember the day that we met. There was no way that I could forget you.So I followed you home. And I waited 'til you were alone." Ok, Gyokko doesn't even own a home, staying at the house of his victims for a week or so doesn't count, even if you have followed him to one or two of them. He was the one to invite you, the behaviors of this song is not yours. If it had to be someone's, it would be Gyokko's. "And I know this seems so wrong. But I'm just a lovesick criminal."

"Oh! I knew you had good taste, but this is amazing!" You never stfu faster than that, closing your mouth the second you heard Gyokko's voice. You turn around and he seems... cheerful. "You can arrest me, baby, I don't wanna leave. Lock me up, throw away the key. I don't care if I'm in trouble deep. I'm addicted to your love." He keeps singing it, moving with the beat. You knew the song was his taste, but you didn't expect this outcome. "I love that song. One of my favorites. And the fact that you love it too! It's magnificent!" Still, if he is aware of the main reason you like the song, he doesn't let it show.

"I'll be your prisoner. I'll be your prisoner tonight." You keep goin, not knowing if it's to pretend nothing happened or if you are just vibing with it, but you both keep going. "I, I, I, I'm under your spell. And I just can't get enough!" You don't talk about it until you finish the song, but... you will, you can sense it. But you can also see Gyokko smiling, enjoying the time with you. "I'm prepared for all the consequences." "Believe me, I have the worst intentions." "I'm prepared for all the consequences! Believe me, believe me!"

You will be fine.

Sekido:

Sekido is NOT going to apologize, he never even thought about it. Sure, he was rude to you and maybe crossed a line or two, but you made him angry first. You also crossed the line this time! He doesn't even remember what you said to each other, but he remember it was bad. Why would he apologize if he is wondering if he even should forgive you. "Something bad is 'bout to happen to me. I don't know it, but I feel it coming. Might be so sad, might leave my nose running. I just hope she don't wanna leave me." He stopped when he heard your voice.

Sekido was never the one to plead, he was never the one to even ask for things. He is by far the most prideful of the clones. But if you were actually to go, to leave- "Don't you give me up, please don't give up. Honey, I belong with you, and only you, baby. Only you, my girl, only you, babe. Only you, darling, only you, babe. Only you, my girl, only you, babe. Only you, darling, only you." Wouldn't he beg like this, so pitiful and needy, because even if he doesn't want to admit it... he loves you. "Y/N."

He interrupts you, making you just realize he is there. "Is this... how you feel. Or am I reading this wrong?" He gets close slowly, but you can't really answer. You also don't want to be the one to apologize first, to admit you need him as much as he needs you without knowing what he is feeling. After some seconds of silence Sekido looks away and starts singing what you just sand, but more like a murmur, if the lips separated less then it would onlu be a hum. "Don't you give me up, please don't give up. Honey, I belong with you, and only you, baby." It sounds sincere. It is.

None of you apologizes, you both just keep... singing and huming. Just staying together, not wanting to leave. At all.

Karaku:

"C'mon, what were you humming, hot-stuff? I heard you just now. I promise not to laugh even if it's a lame virging song." He is teasing you. Of course he is, but he won't leave you alone until you obey. "How about you sing it? Since the song is clearly stuck in your head." How did he actually convince you? Only Karaku knows, but in the end you do as he says. Maybe you wanted this, to take it out of your chest. He has no way you actually think about him everytime you hum this song. Is like conffesing without actually doing so. "Aquí estás. Ya no puedes detenerte. ¿Dónde vas? Si estoy loco por tenerte." He seems to recognize the song, raising an eyebrow while smirking. "¿Cómo lo iba a saber? Que te vería otra vez. Tú me confundes no sé qué hacer...." You stop.

This is embarrasing, you better leav- "Yo lo que quiero es pasarla bien. Yo tengo miedo de que me guste, y me haga enloquecer. Si eso pasa yo seguiré. Contigo aquí como un perro fiel." Oh.... oh. He likes the song, and you don't know why, but that alone raises your confidence. Specially when he grabs your hand to make you spin around, as if dancing, laughing cheerfuly and loudly when you follow the lead. "Yo tengo miedo de que me guste, y me haga enloquecer." "Like that! Keep it up." You do, sometimes he moves as if to dance, mostly keeping himself roamimg around you, interrupting to sing himself or cheer up at times.

"Dicen que tú eres peligrosa. No le hago caso a esas cosas. Dime qué está pasando. Me tienes como un loco, soy un loco enamorado, eh." "Crazy man in love", that parts come from your heart, because you are in love. He puts one hand behind your head and the other in your waist before going the next part. "Quiero saber cuánto me vas a insistir. Y hasta dónde llegarías por mí. Siento mucho la espera. Pero valdrá la pena cuando te esté besando." "When I kiss you", and he just finishes the verse by doing so. And damn if it isn't worth every damn second of yearning. He speaks again after pulling apart, only inches away from your face. "Best love confession ever, hot-stuff. Very nice to use a "romantic" language. Keep coming for me and I'll keep you as mine, got it?"

What else were you meant to do but nod? Damn, you don't have to be a genius to know where the night is going. And you are going to like it.

Urogi:

For context... You were singing, only to stop when Urogi appeared from the sky. Now he has been following you "C'mon, sing again. PLISS? I like that song, I promise. I just want to hear you sing it." It took less than an hour of whining and puppy-eyes to convince you.

"Eu já lavei o meu carro, regulei o som. Já 'tá tudo preparado, vem que o brega é bom. Menina fica a vontade, entre e faça a festa. Me liga mais tarde, vou adorar, vamos nessa" And Urogi interrupts, to your surprise, singing the next part as he flies around you, grabbing your hands in his, exagerating movements as if dancing. "Gata, me liga, mais tarde tem balada! Quero curtir com você na madrugada! Dançar, pular até o Sol raiar! C'MON, IT'S YOUR TURN Y/N!" You follow the song and repear that same fragment before Urogi steals the next part again.

"O tchê tcherere tchê tchê! Tcherere tchê tchê! Tchê, tchê, tchê!" The song barely says anything at all. It's barely has content, but... it fits Urogi. It's more a thing of vibe than of actual words. "Se você me olhar vou querer te pegar. E depois namorar, curtição. Que hoje vai rolar." Really, it's simple, the song could be sintesized in a "let's party and if I catch your eye let's stay together the whole night", but it's cheerful, full of joy, very light... very Urogi. Maybe that is why you like it.

You are unsure if Urogi gets what you are really feeling, but he gets completely the song. And he does want to stay with you and have fun the whole night. It's a win. You will be able to explain things to him later, but for now. "Gusttavo Lima!"

Aizetsu:

"If I told you this was only gonna hurt. If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn. Would you walk in? Would you let me do it first? Do it all in the name of love?" Just after you finish that part you feel a hand on your shoulder, you turn around to see Aizetsu. You blush at the realization he found you singing, though he is blushing too. "Would you mind if I sing with you?" He doesn't explain himself futher as he asks shyly, you can only nod as he takes a breath to continue the song.

"Would you let me lead you even when you're blind? In the darkness, in the middle of the night. In the silence, when there's no one by your side." He looks at you as if waiting you to join, smiling softly as he offers his hand. "Would you call in the name of love?" You take it. "In the name of love, name of love. In the name of love, name of love. In the name of." You basically also hum together the instrumental, in a softer version. You spare glances on each other, deep and adoring.

"When there's madness, when there's poison in your head." It's almost as if you were actually talking. "When the sadness leaves you broken in your bed." You sure get that Aizetsu means it. Every word of it, that is why he wanted to sing with you. "I will hold you in the depths of your despair." "And it's all in the name of love" And so. "I wanna testify." "Scream in the holy light." "You bring me back to life." And it's all in the name of love. That you look at each other, hold your hands, talk. Because you do talk once you both finish.

"I love you a lot. Do you.. it would make me sad if you were not singing for me like I was singing for you.... but I would unders-" you must interrupt him "I was singing for you too." He smiles softly at you. "Can.... can I kiss you? Please?" No, because you kiss him first. What a lovely song, lovely night, and lovely romance.

Nakime:

"I could be a better boyfriend than him, I could do the shit that he never did. Up all night, I won't quit." Not the type of melody Nakime is used to, the opposite, but it's a nice song. "Thinking I'm gonna steal you from him. I could be such a gentleman." You sing with the most care, because you know she is watching, she is hearing, even if you can't see her. This is her castle, after all.

You know what you are doing, the message that you are giving. Nakime loves music, what better way to confess than with a song. And this is a song which just... vibes with her. You have no idea if she has ever heard it before, but it seems it doesn't matter. "I don't need to tell you twice. All the ways he can't suffice. If I could give you some advice. I would leave with me tonight." It doesn't, because she is talented in her art. So she plays the biwa, making a beat for you to follow. "The universe must have divined this, mmm, mmm. Ladies first, baby, I insist."

"I could be a better boyfriend than him. I could do the shit that he never did. Up all night, I won't quit. Thinking I'm gonna steal you from him. I could be such a gentleman." She sings this part with you, using the biwa to also change the settings. It gets a bit dizzy, but you love the display. She is very proud of her power. "Plus all my clothes would fit." She sings that part alone once you are both in the same room.

You look at her, she smiles at you. Seeing you are not going to sing anymore, she speaks. "I liked your song. Let's do this again some time. It's a date." She says, just before leaving you in your home. A date... you are proud of yourself, that's it. The lesbian power of the song did it trick, like you knew it would. You. Won.

Akaza:

Akaza doesn't know why he hasn't shown himself, he just... got lost in the song. It's one he knows, the melody,, the lyrics, the meaning... "Il n'est pas fou. Il l'aime c'est tout. Il la voit partout. Il l'attend debout. Debout une rose à la main. Non, non plus rien ne le retient." It's a lovely song, he can't think other way to describe it that is not deppressing, to be honest, and he doesn't want to think this song as sad, even if his chest aches a bit with it. "Dans sa love story!" "It's a love story", as said before, he knows the lyrics, he knows the meaning, and Akaza likes it. You keep singing for a while before even realizing he is there, but one second you open your eyes and turn around, facing the golden eyes.

"Em... how long have you been standing there?" You ask embarrased, blushing as Akaza also has some red in his cheeks. He doesn't answer your question, just takes some steps forward to grab gently yet firm, somehow desesperate, your hands into his. "Can you please keep singing? Please?" He asks twice, looking away as he whispers the secon pleading. You decide to just keep singing. "Je serai riche. Et je t'offrirai tout mon or. Et si tu t'en fiches. Je t'attendrai sur le port. Et si tu m'ignores...." "And if you ignore me...."

You know, you have seen, that Akaza is mourning, yearning, or something. You don't know, he himself doesn't know, but that nostalgia and melancholy.... sometimes you feel it takes him away from you. That is why you didn't want him to listen you sing about him, to confess. Because you are unsure id he will "Je t'offrirai mon dernier souffle de vie." "Give you the las breath of my life" and yet he keeps singing for you without letting your hands go. "Dans ma love story!"

"Et il y a toi..." Akaza waits for you to continue, tender and adoring eyes, "Et il y a moi." Yes! There is you. There is! And you are hopeful Akaza is there, is here, too."Et personne n'y croit. Mais l'amour fait d'un fou un roi. Et si tu m'ignores.... J'me battrai encore et encore!" "C'est ta love story!" You take that as a confession, and it shows in your blushed face and adoring eyes, he seems to agree in it. "C'est ta love story!" And of course, you join. "C'est l'histoire d'une vie! Love story!" You just look at each other, not bothering with the world, and giving in to tentation. You both kiss.

(And actually have to talk things through AFTER, you know? This is not a musical, as romantic as it was.)

Douma:

"Shut up and listen. Look at my eyes, don't tell me lies. I need you to tell me truth." You started singing on your own, but Douma got in the room, looking curious. He doesn't move besides closing the door besides him, doesn't speak, just... stands ghere, watching you. But part of you feels like he is urging for more. It's hard to tell, because he always urging for more of everything. "You gotta be clear, tell me the details. I gotta know as much as it hurts. I need you to tell me the truth." More violence, food, attention, power, sensations, pain... it's unclear most of the times. It becomes really hard to tell if he actually likes you.

"Bet you like it when I show up in a gown. Let my body work it out, slow your grind. Don't tell me to stop it, just let me on top and. Baby, you want it, yeah." He sings after you repeat the same part, maybe he hust wanted to do that. If it's because he wants to share the song with you or if he is just messing around... Douma himself probably isn't 100% sure. "When you tie me, do it slow, forget the time. Move position, take me south, ease your mind. Don't tell me to stop it, just let me on top and. Baby, you want it, yeah." He goes to grab you, to press his body against you. He understands the lyrics, not being able to recognize emotions doesn't make him stupid or inmune to sex. This is probably how the night will end.

Maybe it's better that way. "Slow it down if you need to, oh. Show me how just to please you. Ooh, work it out in the sheets. Do me and see through, I want to you feel you." Staying safe, showing intimacy in a way Douma can actually understand it, instead of leaving him guessing and wondering how he should feel. How a normal human, even a normal demon, would feel. You wish these things could be explainede with words in a language Douma fully knows. But the language is not the problem, nor is Douma or you.

You spend the night together, limbs tangling both bodies. Douma is content, satified, you too. Even if you feel like there a lot more things to say, but there is hardly a moment or a way to do so....

Kokushibou:

"Tsuki no kaasu tsumetai yume no naka de....." If you ask Kokushibou, music that is not in japanese is not real music. He is stuck in his own ass, always too focused on tradition and hierarchy and how japan is the "raising sun" blah blah blah. Sometimes he gets very annoying like that, to the point loving him does feel like a curse. "Kotoba no nai sekai de. Bokura wa ai wo kataru. Itsuka kimi ni todoku made..." wait a sec- Kokushibou is behind you, isn't he? You turn around and yep, he is. "Kokushibou-san...."

He keeps quiet for a while, like always, until he finally thinks he has something worth saying. "I like that song. Can you keep singing for me?" You really wanted to say no, but you also wanted to sing for him. After all, this song is recorded in your mind just for him. "Tsuki no kaasu. Tsumetai yume no naka kara. Kimi wo tooku tsuresaritakute. Dokomade yukeru. Ai wo shinjite ii basho made." Maybe another person, demon or human, would have joined and singed with you. Kokushibou did not.

"Dokomade yukeru. Ai wo shinjite ii basho made. Yoru no mukou futari dake de." Ypu finished the song for him, barely getting any reaction. This song is really perfect for you both. "Thank you for singing for me." He barely understands, it's not a surprise for you to have to actually explain it. "I did it because that is how I feel about you." Silence again, you are more than used to it. Kokushibou is not a person of intimacy, of sharing feelings, he clearly doesn't know how to answer back, and part of you feels guilty for putting him in the situation of having to. "I see."

He leaves after that, and you know he will evade you for at least a week or two from know own. If you are lucky he will want to talk about it after that and tell you he feels the same. But until then... it's a "Moon's curse in this icy dream."

Bonus:

Muzan: And then Nakime is going to su-

*Song from above starts playing in the background*

Muzan: Excu- *looking around* ..... Who is playing....?

Akaza: Is something wrong, Muzan-sama?

Muzan: Am I the only one hearing this?

Gyutaro: ..... I don't hear anything.

Nakime: Sorry.

Kokushibou: Hmn?

. . .

Y/N humming with the song on their head: Mhmnhmnhmn mhn hmn hmn mhn.

Muzan: SHUT THE FUCK UP, IT'S BEEN 5 HOURS WITH THAT SAME SONG! AT LEAST PUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Pathetic creature, who is this even for?!

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kohakuarisaka · 4 years ago

Text

Untamed (chapter 3 of 5)

Takami Keigo x (fem!)Reader

[ SUMMARY ] Every year, without fail, Hawks went into a rut: when autumn began, and then again in early spring. He would honker down up north in a secluded cabin. For the first time, he brought you with him.

[ WARNINGS ] R18+ for graphic sexual content and language. Non-canon compliant: Hawks’ quirk does not work like this. Reader is a hero that works at Hawks agency. Pre-existing relationship. Reader is a female with female genitalia. Feral behavior. Rutting. Biting. Spanking. Slight BDSM. Consensual sex. Wing kink. Oral sex. Romantic relationship.

Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5

[ My BNHA Fanfic Masterlist ] ~ [ Also on my AO3 ]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Baby," a voice cooed at you while hands gently shook your shoulders, stirring you from sleep.

"Come on. Get up. The sun's gonna be rising soon," he continued, speaking to you softly.

You groaned like a wounded animal and tried to resist the pull to consciousness, hoping you could slip back away and he would cease this assault.

Of course, that didn't happen, and the murmuring and shaking didn't come to an end. You found yourself turning around and groggily taking in the sight of Hawks. He already looked wide awake, gold eyes beaming, skin glowing, handsome face as immaculate as ever.

It made you want to punch him.

"Get up," he said, more so telling than asking, albeit politely.

He had warned you last night that he intended to wake you early; but, that didn't stop you from groaning tiredly, rolling over, as if in protest, before complying with his request, removing the blanket slowly, afraid to expose yourself to the cold.

He had stoked the fireplace before waking you; that much was clear, seeing as it wasn't blistering cold when you wiggled out of bed. It was chilly, of course, but not enough to leave you trembling helplessly.

You realized that Hawks had already dressed himself, boots thumping quietly on the floor as he stepped around the bed. He had slipped on a grey T-shirt, and didn't seem to be feeling cold at all, judging by the lax way he rolled his shoulders, wings jutting out from his back gracefully.

He gave you a sideways glance, an almost untrusting look written across his face.

"I'm getting up!" you hissed at him.

Hawks wasn't expecting that sudden outburst and flinched a little, eyes widening slightly and feathers shuddering behind him. It was a comical sight, if you were being honest. It wasn't like him to be so high strung.

Before you could assume you had upset him, Hawks blew raspberries and turned away, heading for the stairs.

When he walked away, you most certainly did not admire the way his cargo pants hugged his ass, nor the way his shirt was pulled tight across the plains of his muscular back, nor how his crimson feathers looked so beautiful draped behind him.

Hawks didn't laugh when you met him downstairs; but, he sure looked like he wanted to. Here he was wearing some loose, comfortable clothes like it hadn't snowed all night, while you were dressed up in thick pants and a heavy coat with multiple layers underneath, ready to weather the elements.

As soon as you stepped downstairs, you were hit with the familiar smell of coffee lofting about the cabin. You recognized the aroma as his favorite, the one he stockpiled at the agency, that was almost always coming from his office.

He had taken the time to pour you some, as well, evident by the mug he was trying to hand to you with a suspiciously innocent look on his face.

"Seriously?" you laughed when you eyed the receptacle he was offering.

It was his merch, clearly. The mug was black with sparkly gold trim, the pattern matching the chest on his jumpsuit . It was covered in comic book style quotation marks containing, what you were guessing, was supposed to be his quotes.

Hawks watched you admire the cup, looking a little too smug for his own good, and returned to sipping from the very plain mug in his other hand.

"Do you really say these things?" you laughed, not expecting an answer because there was no way such nonsense flew from his mouth in the middle of a fight.

"Aheh. 'I am speed'," you read aloud with a scoff. "More like, 'I do speed'," you teased with a grin, catching the way he almost choked on his coffee, shoulders trembling with laughter.

"Who the hell approved these?" you added on.

"The hero commission, I think," Hawks replied, shrugging his shoulders a little.

The coffee, of course, tasted great. He bought the expensive, high-class stuff, after all. Hawks was the only person you knew who could sleep in the dirt with his visor skewed across his face, without a complaint to be had, but refused to drink anything but imported, specially grown coffee beans.

He was ushering you out the door the second you were finished with your coffee, pushing you out into the snowy forestscape, hands grabby and wings fluttering anxiously.

Before you could shudder and complain about the cold, Hawks scooped you up into his arms, kicked the door shut with the heel of his boot, and took to the sky.

You couldn't believe he was out here without a jacket on. Your fully covered arms clung to him for dear life, shivering and trembling in the cold. He wasn't flying particularly fast; but, the winds felt punishing, ice cold biting at your cheeks and seeping in through your clothes.

You were too cold to really appreciate the beauty of the forest covered in freshly poured snow. The glistening, white peaks sparkled like something out of a fairytale in the dimly lit morning light.

"Come on, babe," Hawks cooed, turning his head to blow hot air right on your ear.

Well, no wonder he wasn't cold. It seemed to make sense to you, then, why he went into his rut during these times of the year. He was generating enough heat to be a transportable furnace.

"If you keep clinging to me like that, you're gonna miss the view," Hawks uttered, so close that his lips moved against your skin as he spoke.

You peeled back from him, away from the warmth you were desperately trying to steal. He hadn't stopped flying yet, but slowed down a bit.

"O-oh..." you whispered, taking in the snowy wilderness.

A few miles past the cabin's backyard was a cliff that dipped down into rolling mountains. He had flown overhead, granting a wonderful view of the many acres of untouched wilderness, towering trees and lush forest landscape over rolling hills and mountains.

But, Hawks hadn't dragged you out here at the crack of dawn just to see the snowy landscape. He wanted you out here right at sunrise for a very specific reason.

He had made it just in time for the sun to peak out from the horizon line, like a giant glimpsing through the trees on the mountain top.

The sun was shining a mystical light across the mountains. The overcast clouds were dark purple gliding across crystal clear, blue skies. Rays of red sunlight glided through the trees while gold laid out across the piles of snow like a glistening blanket.

"See?" Hawks murmured, his flight coming to a halt.

He hovered, fairly high up, wings flapping gently, arms still wound tight around you, holding you close. There was a gentle breeze brushing through his hair, causing the feathery strands to tickle at your cheeks.

While you were looking at the landscape in awe, he was staring at you. The sunlight lit up your face and reflected heavily on your eyes, making them glow like crystal orbs. You had finally stopped shivering, too in awe at the sight to notice the chilling bite of the wind.

He didn't say it aloud; but, the most beautiful thing in the sunrise was you.

He liked to tell himself that the rut was making him mushy, emotional. Surely, powerful pro-hero Hawks couldn't be this soft? But, he knew his rut was only amplifying what he already felt so strongly.

His rut made him less inhibited, surfaced darker, feral desires that lay in waiting under layers of discipline he had spent most of his life building.

Even without his rut, you had a power over him he couldn't deny, the power to break him, to peel back the masks he wore, to melt away his self-control, until he was reduced to a desperate animal.

Oh, but the beauty of it all was that you loved that side of him. You had proved to him that you loved every side of him, even the parts that he tried so desperately hard to ensure would never see the light of day.

Even if he could blame his desires on his mutation, that didn't change that he was an assassin, for heroes, yes, but a murderer none the less.

You-

-you knew that, and yet, still, those soft hands held him as if he was untainted. You purred beneath his touch as if those weren't the same hands he had used to kill.

"Keigo?" you hummed.

Just like that, there you were again, freeing him from the torment of his own mind, a lifeline to free him from drowning in the ocean.

"Thank you for this," you uttered, turning your head to look at him.

God, he was beautiful. His gold irises were amplified by the sunlight, like shiny coins in a wishing well, taking in the sight of you shamelessly.

The bird-like curve of his eyelids already gave him a mystical appearance, now further illuminated by the rays of light shining down from above. The wind was blowing, tossing his already frazzled hair in a senseless dance.

The bright red plumes that made up the shape of his wings looked like something out of a dream. In the sunlight, the feathers glowed magnificent crimson, glowing in sharp contrast to the pale white, wintery landscape.

Your hands, that had been gripping his shoulders during the flight, wove up the back of his neck, fingertips touching the trimmed hairs there. You felt his hands tighten where they were holding you, his arms weaving tighter, as if he could get you closer.

"Do you like it here?" Hawks uttered softly.

His tone concerned you a little, as if he was sincerely worried that you were a prisoner here.

You smiled, replying, "it's the first time we've gotten to truly be alone. I'm enjoying myself more than you think."

His gaze softened at your words. A couple of your fingers played with the soft, short hairs at the top of his neck. He felt unbearably warm there, skin slightly damp with sweat. It was startling, considering how cold it was outside.

You felt the soft brush of his lips and let your eyes flutter shut. He was slow, careful, like he was tasting something new and delicious for the first time.

When he pulled back and tilted his head, you felt the faintest drag of his chin across your cheek, felt the fine hairs of his beard tickle your skin.

He hadn't shaved in a couple weeks, leaving you to see him in a mess than most didn't get the honor of. The normally neatly trimmed hairs he shaved down to a fine patch on his chin were now covering most of his jawline, the same beautiful, pale blonde as the hair on his head.

Tantalized, you leaned in, nuzzling your cheek against his jaw, before tilting your head back and feeling the drag of his soft beard against your skin. It felt good, maybe a little too good, and you failed to suppress a quiet gasp.

When you had pulled back far enough to catch his gaze, you immediately realized his eyes had changed. The calm was gone; now, something akin to a storm was brewing underneath.

It was a look you were very familiar with.

He let out a low exhale, as if he had been holding his breath. Your name fell from his lips, low and sultry, a warning, or a curse, and it made you shudder.

Hawks tilted back suddenly and started a sharp decent downward. Having flown together many times, you weren't afraid. The arms around his shoulders tightened and you let out a soft gasp, but more so out of surprise than fear.

His wings fanned out and took him sharply soaring through the trees at a speed much faster than he had brought you here. His grip on you was almost painfully tight, as if his fingers were trying to dig past the fabric of your clothes to get to your skin.

Excitement made you forget about the biting cold, the forest around you distorted almost violently. Suddenly, the cabin door was creaking and then being slammed shut. You hadn't even seen the cabin come into view. Everything felt like a daze.

He flew up to the loft and dropped you unceremoniously at the edge of the bed. The tumble had resulted in you facing away from him; but, you could feel his eyes burning through you.

"Take off your clothes," Hawks commanded, his voice oddly polite despite the nature of his request.

Just as soon as you started working your jacket off, he was kneeling to pull at the laces on your boots. He was strangely gentle when he pulled your shoes off, less so when he tossed them aside. As you worked your shirt off, he pulled your pants and underwear down in one fell swoop, leaving you mostly bare and cold.

You rotated around and leaned up on your elbows, catching his cold stare, indicating that you were not done yet. You peeled your socks off, feeling a rush of excitement at the look he was giving you.

Hawks usually wore a kind, harmless face, not that it was unnatural, for he truly was a good person. However, most could easily forget or be blind to how powerful he was.

Now, in his gold eyes, that was what you saw, the reality that he could take whatever he wanted, when he wanted. You didn't have to be reminded, for every sparring and training session did just that: you couldn't best him if your life depended on it.

Still, Hawks wasn't that kind of person. He was the kind of loved, often times so passionately that you feared you couldn't keep up.

Even now, when his hands took hold of your waist, his body language dominating, wings spread wide behind him, you felt loved.

An amused sound, like a hum, rumbled out of his chest as he carefully maneuvered you around.

You were compliant, letting him roll you around and push your chest down into the bed. The hand on your back was gentle, but commanding, fingers splayed wide in the space between your shoulder blades.

Instead of nudging your thighs with his hands, a boot-clad toe poked between your ankles, commanding you to spread your legs, which you did with a low moan. You leaned up on your toes, presenting to him like an animal.

The sight threatened to send him into a spiral, and you felt his clothed body fall over you, pushing you down into the bed.

His wings flapped once, sending a sharp gust of wind spiraling around the room. There was a painfully obvious contrast between the soft texture of his shirt and the rough texture of his pants.

He made it very clear, with a roll of his hips, that he was ready to take you. The feeling of his clothed erection against your sex, combined with the knowledge that he could just slip right in without preamble, had you mewling.

"You like this," Hawks observed, the words like thunder as they rolled off his tongue.

He retreated, suddenly reeling back and standing behind you, warmth leaving along with him.

"You like when I just take?" he asked, accentuating 'take' with a smack to the back of your thigh. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, but it did manage to startle a yelp out of you.

"Yeah," he uttered lowly, agreeing with his own observations. "You like being Hawks' little plaything," he continued, almost purring the words.

Your delirious brain didn't really know what to expect next. When you heard a thump, you had no idea what to make of it, until you felt breath on your skin and realized that was the sound of Hawks' falling onto his knees behind you.

He didn't waste any time diving in, lapping a heavy tongue across your slit, from top to bottom. His hands gripped your thighs, keeping you still while his tongue breached your entrance.

If his enthusiasm and lack of grace wasn't enough, the rumbling sound he made was enough to make it obvious he liked it.

You couldn't fathom that your taste could possibly be that good; however, you didn't dare comment, especially not when he was doing things with his tongue that shouldn't be humanly possible.

A rough smack to your behind startled you from a delirious daze of pleasure. You yelped quietly, but otherwise remained compliant. When he smacked you again, this time growling faintly into your sex, it was clear he wanted something that you weren't delivering; but, you didn't know what.

"K-Keigo, what-" you whined, breaking off into a howl when he smacked you again.

Normally, such a touch would have you instinctively shriveling away; however, his grip on you was tight, and it kept you still.

Hawks smacked you again, you helplessly cried out, again, and the sound faded into moans that you couldn't possibly contain with what he was doing. You started to wonder, when another smack was delivered, if he was just doing that for his own amusement.

Eventually, he stopped and leaned back, rising to his feet. His hand slid over yours, large palm practically swallowing yours, and guided it back to your sex. You rotated a little, angling your body to follow his movement.

"Feel that," he gently commanded. "How wet and warm you are for me."

You heard the floorboard creak as he leaned back, clearly to get a good view. You did as he requested, immediately driving two fingers into yourself. Sure enough, you were slippery, walls compliant and squishy, and unbelievably warm inside.

Being ready for him with little provocation wasn't exactly a new thing. You were both very busy heroes and keeping your relationship on the downlow. That meant quickies more often than proper time together.

Yet, Hawks sounded immensely pleased; with himself or with you, you couldn't quite tell.

He returned to the floor, hand brushing your knuckles to push your fingers in as deep as they could go.

"Keigo, what are you-" you began, cutting off when his tongue returned to your heat, right alongside your fingers.

"Finger yourself," he told you, sounding oddly blissful despite the fact that you hadn't touched him at all. His cock was still trapped inside his pants, throbbing against the rough material.

You complied with his request, lacking in any grace or proper friction considering the awkward angle. However, Hawks groaned in approval at the view before leaning back in.

His tongue dipped in right alongside your digits. Immediately, he forced the pace and you were desperate to try and keep up, fingers squelching in and out of your core alongside the slobbery mess of his tongue.

Your fingers couldn't compare, lacking in the length, thickness and dexterity of his digits. But, it seemed that Hawks was less focused on getting you off and more focused on playing with you; or, maybe, you had severely underestimated what the taste of your essence was doing to him.

At some point, he pulled back, grabbed your wrist to remove your fingers from your core, and sucked them into his own mouth. You weren't expecting the teeth, and let out a low hiss when his fangs threatened to pierce the skin, holding you firmly in place while his tongue sucked your fingers clean.

He didn't release your hand when he was done. You heard the floorboards creak as he stood up, felt him tug your hand down, until your knuckles brushed his clothed cock.

"You want that?" Hawks breathed.

His free hand gently spread over the space between your shoulder blades, pushing you down before you could dare think to lean up. Your cheek was resting against the sheets, hair spewed about in a mess. His hand wandered, pushing hair out of the way until your neck and shoulders were properly exposed.

From where you laid on the bed, you couldn't make out the sight of him; but, you could see one of his wings, stretched out, looming predatorily.

"Yes," you replied hoarsely.

His hand glided over the prominent bump where your first vertebrae jutted from the top of your spine, and lowered, setting between your shoulder blades once more, where he held you still.

"Then, take it," Hawks uttered, his other hand releasing your wrist.

You let out a low hiss, wanting to curse him for making such a ridiculous request. You couldn't see his face; but, you sure as hell could feel the smirk he was wearing as he stared at you, watching your handle fumble with his belt.

You doubted it was mercy; but, Hawks leaned in closer, the tops of his thighs sliding over the backs of yours, making it a little easier to undo his belt buckle.

The button on his pants followed, but not with ease, before you tugged his zipper down. You couldn't tug his pants down like this, leaving you to fumble around with his boxers, trying to fish his cock out.

"Keigo, you fucking ass-" you growled, not bothering to hide your frustration.

Hawks laughed softly, sounding a little more out of it than he did amused. "'m sorry," he cooed. "-like seein' you struggle."

The slur in his voice should have given it away, his patience had depleted; however, it still surprised you when he suddenly swatted your hand away. He hooked his thumb on the hem of his boxers and pulled them down just enough for his cock to bob free.

You felt the smooth tip nudge at your entrance, the faintest warning, before he pushed forward and entered your moist heat.

"Ohhhh fuck," Hawks howled.

He gave you no time to become accustomed to the sudden intrusion, immediately pistoning his hips back and forth, driving his cock in and out of you.

One hand pinned your torso, while his thighs pinned your legs, and his other hand gripped your hip for leverage. You shifted your feet, trying to lift up on your toes to better the angle, and bumped against his boots.

He was still fully clothed; and, really, that shouldn't have mattered so much. After all, how many times had he freed his cock from his jumpsuit to take you quick and hard before tucking it back in and immediately looking as if nothing nefarious had occurred. Yet, still, the realization had you feeling dizzy.

Before you could nudge a hand between your thighs, something beat you to it. You recognized that bizarre texture. It was soft, sure, but a tad bit pricklier than a normal feather, with an unnatural, firm touch. The little heathen knew exactly how you liked to be touched there, too.

The wet, lewd noises of your union, skin slapping together, was drowned out by the litany of moans pouring from his mouth. If he wasn't crying out in ecstasy, he was huffing and puffing like he had just ran a marathon.

If you were being honest, he was being just a little too rough, a little too fast, offering you no reprieve. You didn't doubt that he would stop if you asked him to; but, you sure as hell didn't want him to. The intensity of it all had you on a plain of existence you rarely got to experience, where pleasure became blinding and mind-numbing.

His hand slid off your back and onto the bed, grabbing a fistful of the sheets as he set a brutal pace, the kind that threatened to unravel your sanity.

"Fuck! You feel so fucking good," he growled, sounding so out of breath and lost. "Gonna fill you up. Yeah, I am. Want my seed dripping out of you all fucking week."

High off the pleasure, and maybe a little influenced by his own state, you moaned approvingly at the suggestion.

"Baby," he whined, suddenly sounding like he was in pain. The feather fluttering against your pearl intensified, practically vibrating against you with how fast it was moving.

"Need you come, need you to come," Hawks pleaded, the words hissing out from his lips between desperate pants.

You didn't think you could come in that moment. Everything felt so good, from his cock rearranging your insides to his feather flicking at your clit. The pleasure was tingling down your thighs and crawling up your spine. You could barely breathe, let along process a coherent thought beyond Keigo.

The hand that had been holding your hip let go and joined the other in gripping the bed. He arched over you, forehead meeting your back.

"Come for me, come for me," Hawks sobbed.

You realized then, as he trembled behind you, that he had reached his own completion, and he didn't slow down until his orgasm waned. You could feel his seed, like molten lava as it filled your insides.

Hawks was still panting when he growled, "again."

He flipped you over, winding your legs over his waist and somehow managing to keep his cock seated inside of you during the transition. Your arms flopped uselessly above your head. You felt weak, laying there like a doll while he turned you over. Still, it felt good: his cock, his hands, his warmth.

One of his arms looped beneath your lower back and tugged you properly onto the bed. He climbed onto the sheets and followed, dragging you beneath him.

He was prepared to continue thrusting into you wildly and blindly chase another orgasm when your eyes met and he froze up. You could practically see him blink away delirious arousal, the sight of your debauched face bringing him back to his senses.

"B-baby, do you need me to stop?" Hawks offered, the words falling from his lips so weakly.

You huffed out a weak breath and reached for him. He leaned down, letting you wind your arms across his shoulders. Your fingers dipped across his clothed back until you reached his wings.

Hawks literally shouted when your fingers dipped into the exposed seams on the shirt and touched the baby feathers growing fresh from his back. The sound rattled your bones and made you jerk from the startle.

He didn't have to be told twice, obviously, for Hawks continued his thrusting immediately. The slippery, wet sounds of his claim over your body was downright disgusting, and you loved it. Your legs clung desperately to his hips, heels digging into the backs of his thighs.

One of his feathers was still pressed against your clit, now trapped between your bodies. It had stopped moving; but, every time he thrust back into you, it created delicious friction.

Your assault on his wings rendered Hawks incapable of speech. The pleasured sounds he made was almost unnatural. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought he was in pain between the broken, blabbering moans and choked, sharp gasping.

His arms were still wound beneath you, holding onto you for leverage and clinging to you so closely, so tightly, it was almost crushing. His wings were arched up high, flapping occasionally as if to increase the momentum behind his thrusts.

His face fell into your throat, forcing your head back into the sheets. He was burning hot, practically oozing sweat. In the corner of your eye, you could see the red tint staining his ears. You could practically feel his frustration gnawing its way through his body and into yours.

Without warning, you felt what couldn't be mistaken for anything other than Hawks' teeth piercing the skin of your neck. Sure, he had bit you before, even left faint hickies on occasion; however, this was something else entirely, and forced a scream from your throat.

You had no doubt he had pierced the skin, judging by how it burned. He was growling into the skin, holding onto you with his teeth as if you were attempting to flee. You didn't dare release his wings, fingers woven through the fine plumes, caressing the sensitive skin of his shoulder blades, where crimson feathers grew.

The bite hurt, without a doubt, but there was no denying the electrical shocks of pleasure it sent through your body. If it wasn't that, then it was the growls vibrating from his mouth onto your skin.

Suddenly, your orgasm hit, and left you screaming and gasping with a sort of ferocity you didn't think you were capable of. Something that sounded almost like his name fell from your lips at some point. Your back arched and your legs trembled where they rested around his hips.

You failed to realize he was following closely behind you. Your grip on his feathers had gone limp and you didn't notice the way his wings arched up, the tips of the longest quills nearly touching the ceiling. He kept going and going, until he was spent and your cries of ecstasy came to a halt.

Hawks let go of your throat and leaned up, removing his arms from beneath you to set his palms on the sheets. He should have felt embarrassed or ashamed or something. But, looking down at the bleeding bite wound on your shoulder, watching the way your chest heaved with heavy breaths, seeing the tint of red along your cheeks and neck, he felt blissfully proud.

Hawks scooped you into an embrace and carefully rolled onto his side, bringing you in with him and cradling you against his chest. One of his wings fell over you, the plumes stretched wide to hide you from the outside world. All you could see was him, his handsome face, the crimson feathers of his wings.

You were acutely aware that he was still inside you, still somewhat hard; but, his temperature was lowering and his breathing was steadily returning to normal. Your fingers untangled from his plumes and came around to rest limply on his chest.

He lapped his tongue softly against the bite wound until it stopped bleeding before peppering it with kisses. It stung a little and you squirmed in his grasp.

"I'm not sorry about the bite," Hawks confessed lowly, leaning back to look at your face.

"Me either," you replied, offering him a weak smile.

He looked blissfully unaware until you leaned in and sucked some of the skin of his neck into your mouth. Hawks groaned approvingly, laying still until you were satisfied and let go, leaving behind a faint, purple bruise.

You stared at his handsome face, watching the vibrant, red blush slowly leave his features as he calmed down. Blonde locks were clinging to his sweat soaked forehead and everything between the two of you reeked of sex. Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to complain when he looked so damn happy.

Hawks leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against yours lips. Before he could retreat, you tilted your head and leaned in, not letting him escape. He hummed into the kiss, letting you lead until you were content and departed with a wet smack.

"Just a little bit longer," he promised, fingers gently digging into your back.

"Tell me what you're thinking," you requested, nuzzling your nose against his.

Something uncertain flickered in his gold eyes and his lids narrowed slightly.

"It's not sensical," he uttered lowly, and you felt one of his hands slide around to your front. His thumb lovingly brushed along the dip of your tummy, beneath your belly button. His gold eyes shifted down, staring at the expansion of your naval with dedication.

You both had implants. It wasn't going to happen. He knew that. Of course he did. But, he couldn't help but feel dedicated to commit to the effort, as if it would.

Your hand followed his, spreading over his fingers to press him down gently over your lower abdomen, as if this would be successful, as if there was a chance he would take. The encouragement to put him ease.

Hawks wanted to believe it was the rut talking. Some of it was, his body deliriously driven to mate, to the point that he overheated and arousal pained his core. But, his motivation wasn't purely biological. It was because it was you, whom he trusted with every fiber of his being.

But, he couldn't bring himself to tell you that. You loved being a hero, and he wasn't going to take that from you.

It felt special, being hidden with him like this, beneath his wing, whispering such depravities to one and other, that the rest of the world would never know. You felt safe, in a way that felt impossible. Here, as irrational as it sounded, you felt like Hawks could protect you from the world.

#takami keigo x reader #takami keigo smut #takami keigo x you #hawks x reader #hawks smut #takami keigo fanfiction

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bludgeon-alt · 3 years ago

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Durian — Post-Prison Arc Syndicate Fic

1357 Words

The day Techno came back with him, the members of the Syndicate, each to a varying degree, felt their blood run cold.

Niki spoke—rather—screamed first. "You!" she spat, voice a seething hiss. Although her tone was sharp, as she stood, she looked unsure of what to do. She seemed caught between the desire to both draw her weapon upon the menace and simultaneously get as far away from him as she possibly could. Unable to commit to either, she simply stood; tense, caught; eyes wide and frenzied like a deer in headlights.

Ranboo stood nervously behind her, very clearly uncomfortable and fidgeting with palpable unease. Almost entirely ignoring Niki, Dream's eyes were sharply trained upon the timid enderman. She moved further in front of him.

Dream's glare narrowed. "Hi, Niki," he said simply. "You don't seem too happy to see me. We used to be allies. What changed?"

"I did," she said icily. "I stopped being so consumed by my desire to blame somebody I realized my anger was misplaced." Her hands trembled. "You used the grief I felt for your own ends. You—"

"—You made your own decisions, Niki. Just because you didn't like the result doesn't mean you aren't responsible for them." Dream's tone was carefully contrived, almost indifferent—as if how she felt was so unimportant it wasn't even worth considering.

Fury overcame her. "How dare you—"

"How dare I?" Dream suddenly seethed. "You are a hypocrite, Nihachu, so boldly and openly—it makes me sick! You allied yourself with Wilbur, allied yourself with us"—he gestured to himself and Techno—"and now have the audacity to victimize yourself." His tone grew colder. "You've hurt people too, you know."

Niki's expression morphed into an enraged snarl, righteous anger in her eyes as she moved to draw her sword.

Techno hastily stepped between them. "Look, let's uh—I know we're all a bit high-strung right now—Dream, having just busted out of prison, and Niki having... Baggage. But let's not yell about it right now!" He sent a pointed look on either side of his shoulder. "Niki, you represent the Syndicate now. Dream? You don't need to go around making more enemies than you already have!"

"Techno, mate, can I talk to you for a second?" Phil, who had simply been observing in silence from a distance, suddenly came forward and subtly ushered Techno away. "Do you really think this is the best..." He trailed off. "Dream? I was hoping to talk to Techno alone. You don't mind, do you?"

Dream had followed them aside. The admin knew the question was rhetorical and simply a cue for him to mind his own, yet he responded pointedly anyway. "I don't. But I think if I stay over with her"—he motioned at Niki—"I'm inclined to find myself with a sword in the neck. This, obviously, isn't ideal."

Phil grimaced. "Right," he said, looking back at her. "Niki!" he called. "Would you be willing to go inside? I know—please don't give me that look. Just for a little while."

Niki hadn't moved. Then, after a moment of silent ire, she seemed to have acquiesced and began to reluctantly trudge her way through the snow back to the cottage. Ranboo, oddly enough, remained standing where he was.

Phil tilted his head. "Ranboo? Do you not want to go with her?"

Ranboo hesitated. "I—" He looked between Techno and Dream. "N-No. I-I think I'll stay. I don't want him to hurt either of you. Not that I'd be able to do much if he tried, but..." His nails were digging into his hands. "He scares me."

Phil's expression grew worried. "Are you alright?" he quietly asked.

"He doesn't remember me," Dream broke in, tone, inexplicably, almost something regretful. "We used to be really close before Doomsday. He couldn't write that down, of course, considering the circumstances and the company he kept at the time. Unfortunately, after my imprisonment, he forgot all our time together without me there to remind him. It's sad."

Phil looked to Ranboo. "Is that true?"

Ranboo's expression pinched together in confused uncertainty. "I... I'm not..." He trailed off, now grabbing at his head. "I-I don't know. That doesn't sound right but I—"

"—I could get you to remember, if you so like," Dream spoke up. "I was always very good at it."

"I—"

"Phil, if you want to talk to Techno, I wouldn't mind taking some time to catch up with my friend here."

Phil didn't immediately respond. He looked between Dream and Ranboo, once, then twice, then once more. He seemed pensive.

Techno sighed and placed a hand on Phil's shoulder. "We should just let them talk. Worst comes to worst Dream can't get Ranboo to remember. We'll go from there."

Phil sighed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. This won't be long anyway." He looked pointedly at Dream. "Dream, if you try anything—"

"—Why would I? Ranboo is my friend. I told you that."

"Right."

Techno pulled Phil away. "Stop it. Leave them be. What do you want to say?"

Phil huffed. "I don't trust Dream—don't say anything yet—let me finish. I don't trust him. I regret working with him for Doomsday. Ranboo is very openly—just—nothing short of terrified of the guy, Techno. That's not like him."

"Dream says Ranboo can't remember them being friends."

"You believe him?"

"I spent three months in prison with the man, Phil. He talked about Ranboo enough. Unless he was setting up lying about them being friends months in advance, I'm inclined to say he's telling the truth."

"I just don't have a good feeling," Phil finally admitted, fidgeting with his sleeve. "I'll stick with you whatever you decide, but I can't help but feel like we'll be making a mistake by taking him in. Niki may leave over this."

Techno frowned. He glanced back at Dream and Ranboo. Much to the piglin's surprise, Ranboo's posture seemed to have lost nearly all its tension. His hands which had been tightly curled together were now being used to make animated gestures as he spoke. He looked—dare it be said—at ease? His expression was happy, he even laughed. Observing it, from an outside perspective, you'd think you were looking upon two people who had known each other for as long as could be. Based upon Phil's unnerved expression, Techno knew he saw it too.

"That doesn't mean anything," Phil protested, but just from the tone of his voice, it was apparent his resolve had been shaken by the visible shift in demeanor.

Techno's expression slipped to something self-satisfied, almost smug. He began walking over to the pair. Phil followed behind him after a moment of some reluctance. "Hey, you two! How's catching up going?"

Dream responded first. "Wonderfully!" He was rising up and down on his toes, behaving in a manner that could be almost described as bubbly, of all things. "Ranboo's been helping me catch up on everything I missed while I was away." He turned to the enderman. "Isn't that right?"

Ranboo nodded. "I'm sorry again for not being able to get you out." He sounded genuinely distraught. "I did try, truly. I'll do better next time."

"There won't be a next time," Dream said coldly. His voice sharp, tinged with an undeniable promise of violence.

Phil felt his stomach drop.

Techno laughed. "Not if we have anything to say about it, right?" he quipped, elbowing Dream. "We'll leave nothing left of that prison."

Dream hummed. "The prison. Right." He suddenly bounced back to a lighthearted inflection. "You've adopted a lot of former L'manburgians into your—ah—organization?"

"Syndicate."

"Right."

"There's lots of ex-L'manburgians to adopt. We did blow up their country after all."

Dream laughed. "That's true, that's true..."

Phil stood back from the rest of the conversation. He stared at Dream out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but feel uneasy. Although Ranboo appeared to have remembered his friendship with Dream, despite that, the persistent thought of what happened to make him so terrified in the first place simply wouldn't leave his mind. It didn't sit right.

Dream looked at Phil, giving him a small wave.

It didn't sit right at all.

#dsmp #dream smp #dsmp fanfic #dreamsmp fanfic #techno mcyt #technoblade #ranboo #nihachu #philza #dream mcyt #my writing #I am going to sleep now goodnight!#If there are any questions about the fanfic or any lore theories feel free to shoot me an ask!

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raging-violets · 5 years ago

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Fictober 2019 // Day 4

Prompt Number 4: “I know you didn’t ask for this”

Fandom: Big Time Rush

Rating: E for Everyone

Warning: None

@dancerdramatic14

A/N: Can be seen as a deleted scene, or sorts, from Give Your Heart A Break

“I’m sorry.”

Kendall lifted his eyebrows, taking his gaze away from the cloudy sky to land on his sort-of, maybe girlfriend of the last half hour. Longer than the ‘half a date’ that he managed to do with Lucy. Riley sat on the front porch next to him, arms wrapped around her knees, eyebrows lowered into an intense expression as she watched Ronan fill the back of his car with her bags before taking her on, what she called, her ‘prison’.

A 72-hour hold seemed to be a prison, as far as what she’d told him about it.

“About what?” He asked gently, confused.

“About all this.” She gestured vaguely with her hand, then tipped her head toward the bandage on his cheek. “About that. “I know you didn’t ask for this.” The side of her mouth turned up. “Though, in my defense, I did warn you that I was a bit hard to handle, yeah?”

Kendall laughed to himself. Remembered it well. He’d been so…interested in what she meant after she’d said that with the smirk-smile she always wore that seemed to match the light in her eyes that made it look like she was always laughing at him. Didn’t take too long for him to realize she was playing up her public image persona, and that while she did have an adventurous streak, it wasn’t anything that would’ve worried people too much.

He never wondered if she were telling the truth, though didn’t know her to be a liar. Maybe he liked her enough to push it aside, maybe he didn’t want to put too much time into worrying what it really meant. He already worried, at that time, about how his band was moving forward, the more he got to know her, the easier it became to trust her, not finding many real friends in LA who knew what he and his friends were going through as they started their band.

There were times, here and there, where that crazy showed up. Where she and her siblings would have a different sense of ‘fun’ than others. Alluded to it but didn’t say much of it. He didn’t want to pry, but was now glad to know she trusted him enough to say it.

Riley gave a humorless chuckle. “I reckon you didn’t expect to fancy someone who’s actually crazy.”

“No, not really,” he said honestly. “But you’re not crazy.” He studied her profile, shrugging. “A little high-strung, maybe…” he laughed, when Riley shoved her shoulder against his. “You don’t have to apologize, Riles. It’s not like you could control this, or whatever.” He scratched at his forehead. “I don’t know, I guess I don’t really get it.” He lowered his tone. “I’m going to miss you, though.”

Riley lifted an eyebrow. Chuckled once more. “It’s only three days.”

“Three days too long,” he said honestly. Riley nodded. He didn’t have to add the other part. Three days too long to not talk to each other. The longest had been a few hours, even when there was over a 12 hour time difference between them, they’d find time to talk to each other. “Plus, you already said you were going to miss me, too. You can’t take that back.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Riley reached between them, where she’d taken one of the paper cranes he’d made for her and lifted it to her fingertips. She spun it a few times before handing it back to him. “I couldn’t take it back anyway, Hockey-Head,” she admitted, looking him in the eye. She smiled sweetly. “Knowing you’re waiting for me, I reckon is what’s keeping me going. Usually I’d find something like that incredibly corny, but with you…” she shrugged, her smile widening and growing softer at the same time. “I get it.”

She leaned in, pressing her face against his shoulder, giving him the opportunity to press a kiss to her forehead, before resting his head atop hers.

#ocappreciation #fictober19 #kiley #kendall knight #oc: riley jackson #btr #big time rush #prompt #by: riley

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theoneandonlyowengrady · 6 years ago

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We’ll Get Out of Here (2)

Description: (I feel like I should apologize for how long-awaited this sequel has been. Oops). A few months ago, you were kidnapped mid-battle from your friends The Guardians of the Galaxy. You never gave up hope that they would find you, but recently, prisoner in some strange lonely stretch of universe, you’ve been keen to give up.

Warnings: blood/gore, violence, fighting.

Word Count: 4,829

First Part

“Y/N!” Peter cried, sprinting so hard and fast that you could see the pain of his heart racing all over his face. He strained, reaching, screaming, grasping for you.

They pulled you back further still. They dropped you to the floor of their cold grey ship and the door began to close, Peter shooting the solid metal as you disappeared. You crawled forward, stretching, crawling, legs sore and tired.

“Peter...” You cried, banging your fist against the metal door as his shots rang out around you, echoing over the rumble of the engine.

You woke with a start, your eyes caked in dirt, sweat, and blood. Your jacket, a pillow beneath your head, was spread out beneath you now. Your hair rested in a matted bun atop your head, long and dirty. Your breathing was hard and labored, and your heart pained to be back in that dream, to see Peter again, to reach for him and maybe, just maybe, this time you would find his hand and he would pull you out. And then you could go back to Earth and stop waiting for the future to bring Earth back to you. You could live normal boring lives together in some desert or city, the events of the past far behind you.

“Oh-sixty-four, wake up,” a guard grunted, throwing some gross beige mush down next to you. “Rounds in thirty.”

You looked to your right and out the small porthole of your cell. The stars were far off in the blackness. Somewhere out there, you hoped the guardians were searching for you. You knew that they would find you. They would save you.

It’s not like you’d been pathetic and hadn’t tried saving yourself. You looked down to your wrist at the lightning-like scar that wiggled up your forearm, and then to the shackles on your ankles. There’s a tall price to pay for escaping in these parts, you knew that.

You took a forced bite of the breakfast mush and shoved it away. You had lot a lot of weight the last few months. You were weak and tired. So tired. You hoped they’d hurry and find you, because you weren’t sure how much longer you had the will to fight it all.

After a minute, you stood up, dizzy for a moment until you could get your bearings. You picked up your old leather jacket and wrapped it over yourself, shivering in the hard metallic cold of the ship.

You trudged through the halls with your guard at your side, his sickly green skin wet and slimy. The chains rattled against the floor. You wore an electric choker around your neck as well, and it left your head pointed up and stiff. They put it on every morning before you began your shift, just extra insurance against your escape.

“Don’t try anything dumb,” the guard said, shoving you forward and into a large, glass-domed room filled with dirt and other prisoners digging tirelessly.

“When I get out of here, you’ll be the first person I kill,” you spat, turning towards him angrily.

He chuckled. “If you last that long.”

He closed the gate on the big botanic room and you turned to the rest of the prisoners, watering and picking food from the bushes and digging in the dry dirt. The ship, you thought, was some kind of colony in the sky. You hadn’t seen the people that lived there often, but in the times you had they seemed naive, clean, and high-strung.

“Y/N,” one of the other prisoners said, slamming an old shovel into your gut, “you’re a digger today.”

You sighed and stared at the gate, and then turned your attention slowly to the dome.

“Peter,” you said, “I’m waiting.”

“Peter, I’m waiting,” Gamora snapped, steering the Milano through a gang of hostile aliens.

“Give me a damn second,” Peter yelled, “we have to wait for the right moment.”

“The right moment was five minutes go!” Gamora said, diving sharply down and around another enemy ship.

“Quill, I think I’m siding with the green one,” Rocket said, “I’m not in the mood to die a fiery death today.”

“Yes, I agree with the bunny rabbit,” Drax said, tensing.

“I am groot,” Groot said.

“Exactly!” Rocket agreed.

“Will you all shut up!” Peter shouted, aiming for the center of a large, black ship. “I need, like, two more seconds.”

Gamora rolled her eyes and continued flying forwards.

“Peter-” Rocket tried.

“We can’t kill them all! We still need to question them! These ships are the same mark as-”

“Peter,” Gamora said, her voice low. “We can’t help her if we’re dead.”

“We can’t help her if they’re dead,” he said after a moment.

After another second, Peter fired, the shot ringing through space and colliding with the center of the big black ship. An electric shock pulsed throughout the fleet and left the ships disabled all around them.

Gamora took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Rocket dropped his head to his hands.

“I am Groot.”

Peter sat back and smiled. “Yeah, now we’ve got a lead.”

The screen in front of them buzzed for a minute, and then a strange face clicked on and flickered before them.

“We’re the Guardians of the Galaxy,” Peter said, “prepare to be boarded.”

The Guardians boarded the main ship, guns drawn, Peter in the lead.

“And to what do we owe the pleasure?” The old, wrinkly alien said, lips perched as he watched the group approach.

“We have some questions about an attack a few months ago,” Gamora said, “it involved a ship just like one of your fleet, and they took one of ours hostage.”

The alien threw his head back and chuckled. “We have thousands of ships in our fleet like those, and everyday there are new people taken aboard. My guess is the prisoner died long ago. Not many survive.”

Peter clenched his jaw and took a step forward. Rocket shoved his claws into his leg and held him back.

“You don’t understand,” Gamora said, “we’re going to need you to look up some specifics.”

Drax tightened his grip on his gun and aimed it promptly at the aliens head. The mood of the room shifted and darkened.

“I’ll need a location.”

“A dwarf planet not too far from here. We landed on a gang of thugs like yourself. We were hired for the job.”

The alien man sighed, “then it does truly seem like these events should be in your job description.”

Peter stepped forward and punched him hard in the face.

The man rubbed his hand along his jaw and sighed, eyeing Quill.

“This must be a touchy subject for you, boy,” he said.

“Give us the information we need, or I blow up this entire fleet.”

The man thought for a moment, and then conceded. “There was a report of an attack on a shuttle by a small group on a nearby dwarf planet. A few casualties, one prisoner. But as far as I know, the ship encountered the Jitauri and blew up not one week after that event. There wasn’t a report of the prisoner being dropped off.”

Peter swallowed.

“Where would they drop the prisoner off?” Gamora asked.

“Anywhere from here to the other side of the universe. We’re everywhere.”

“Let me try again,” Gamora grunted, “where between the explosion and the planet could they have dropped the prisoner off?”

The man sighed. “They couldn’t have,” he said, “your friend is dead.”

Peter cried out and threw another punch at the man, tears welling in his eyes as Drax and Rocket reached to hold him back.

You dug all day. Hundred of little holes. So many new and strange plants growing from them. Sweat dripped from your forehead and you sighed, looking up to the sky.

“Still waiting for your friends?” Another prisoner asked. “If they’re gonna face this fleet, good luck to them.”

“They’ll be fine,” you said mindlessly, still staring at the stars above the glass dome. “Stronger then people expect.”

“I hope so,” the other prisoner said, “if they’re coming for you, maybe they can free all of us.”

You snapped back to reality and looked to the prisoner talking to you. It was a girl around your age, with long orange hair braided back and around her head. Her eyes were far apart and her skin was pale and freckly with an undertone of blue. She smiled sadly at you.

“Do you think they’re still looking?” She asked.

You looked at her and at the sky, and then back to her. She'd been here much longer than you.

A little bit of doubt began to creep into your mind. It had been months, and you knew you hadn’t gone that far. About two days travel on the ship that took you here. And this was a big place, and the stars had stayed in the same positioning the entire time. You hadn’t moved. So why hadn’t Peter found you yet?

You sat in the dirt, watching everybody work as you took a short break. You sang to yourself, your mouth dry and lips chapped. Your voice cracked and whispered.

“I’m not in love...”

You felt the tears rising under your arms and up into your eyes.

“So don’t forget it... It’s just a silly phase I’m going through...”

You tried to imagine Peter’s touch. That night, the night you were taken, he was sleeping next to you. When you woke up, he was flying the ship, and you were alone. You’d give anything to have woken up besides him that last day. You kept singing.

You let your head fall against the wall behind you.

“And just because... I call you up... Don’t get me wrong, don’t think you’ve got it made... I’m not in love...”

Peter rested his head against the window and watched the stars pass as they raced back towards the dwarf planet they left long ago. The song played on around him, floating through the air like an old promise.

Gamora sat next to him and placed a hand on his knee.

“Peter?”

He grunted, still staring out the window.

“Peter, are you okay?”

He didn’t answer.

“Peter, we’ll search the radius of the planet. After that, we can try and find the wreckage of the ship. But really, all we can find now is closure.”

He moved his eyes and found hers, glazed and sad. Empty.

“You believe him? That asshole? You think she’s dead?”

Gamora thought about her words carefully. “We’ve been looking for a long time, Peter... If that ship was destroyed that fast... And you know she would’ve fought back. What are the chances that-”

Peter tensed. “Well we’re here now, aren’t we? So the chances are pretty good that this would all happen. And I can’t give up.”

“I know, and that’s why we’re scanning, and searching, and why we’ll find the wreckage, whatever is left of it-”

“So you’re looking for a body now?” Peter asked. He shook his head, tears welling in his eyes.

I’m not in love.

Gamora stayed quiet. She lifted up a gentle hand and brushed away some of his fluffy curls. “I’m looking for closure.”

Peter turned his face gently back towards hers, closer now. A few seconds of silence passed before he fell forward, leaning gently in towards her. He kissed her, the tears falling from his closed eyes and down his cheeks as the universe danced in the window behind them.

I keep your picture... Upon the wall... It hides a nasty stain that's lying there...

He placed a hand on her neck, just below her jaw, more tears peaking through his squinted eyes.

I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me...

“Peter!” Rocket called, “the scanners picked something up! There’s a fleet base about two days south of the planet! They might’ve left her there!”

Peter pulled himself away from Gamora, his cheeks soaked in salty tears. She blinked for a moment, sad.

“Let’s go. Top speed.” Peter stood and walked away from Gamora, who turned her attention to the window at her left.

I'm not in love... So don't forget it... It's just a silly phase I'm going through...

The song echoed out around them as they sped off into the reaches of space.

The next week you awoke from a relatively sleepless night. The shackles on your ankles ached and stirred as you moved. You stared out the window when you couldn’t sleep, hoping to see the milano fly up, Peter just out of reach.

The same nightmare of the night they took you came again, and Peter’s face was blurry now. You tried to remember it, to remember his voice and his hands, but it was all so far off now. How far away were they? Had they given up?

You pressed a hand against the cool glass of the porthole and felt a tear fall form your eye, draining on the floor at your head. Your jacket served as a blanket tonight, shielding you from the stark cold.

There was a rumble that shook the ground. Other prisoners stood up in their cells and called out.

“Shut up!” The guard shouted, “shut up!”

You struggled weakly to your feet, wrapping your hands around the hard bars of your cell. White-knunckled, you pulled yourself up to your feet, your knees shaking.

“What’s going on?” You tried, your voice weak and scratchy.

“None of your business, oh-sixty-four,” the guard said, banging the bars and your fingers, “step back. Back!”

You cringed, pulling your fingers into your chest. The floor shook again, and more guards ran down the hall.

Across the hall, you found the eyes of the orange-haired girl sitting in front of the bars of her cell. She had dried dirt smeared down her cheek, covering her soft pale-blue lips.

You turned and scrambled for your porthole, pressing your hands flat against it as you tried to look around.

“Peter,” you tried, your voice breaking. “Peter.”

The ground shook again, sending you to the floor, dizzy and and weak.

The milano shook restlessly as Rocket steered straight for the giant ship. A big glass dome decorated the center of it, reflecting the light of the stars.

“What is this place?” Rocket asked, leaning forward.

“A colony,” Gamora said, “he probably didn’t mention it because there’s civilians. We need to find a safe way to do this.”

Peter watched Gamora. Gamora kept her eyes trained forward.

“We sneak in,” Peter said.

“Well we’re already being shot at,” Rocket said, the milano shaking.

“Then we fight,” Peter said.

Rocket began firing at the approaching ships, a few of them spiraling out in flames. They dodged and swung, speeding around the colony in a blaze.

Peter swallowed, watching Gamora and the huge ship, the dome of glass stretching out over the center.

“Peter, I’m gonna drop you guys real quick once I get an opening. Get in there, blend in, hide, and try and find her.” Rocket yelled over the firing, surging forwards towards and open bay on the big colony ship.

Rocket dove towards the bay, Peter, Gamora, and Drax standing at the opening door, clicking their masks on.

They jumped out, flying towards the opening fast. Peter took the lead, speeding down towards the ship. He landed with a thump, rolling forwards until he slammed into a wall at the opposite end of the bay. Gamora and Drax followed.

They entered the ship, their masks dissolving as they clicked them off. Peter glanced back and Gamora and pressed his lips together, letting out a deep breath.

“Y/n,” peter whispered, pushing forward.

Guards were still running passed your cell.

“Do you wanna get out?” You asked, looking at the orange-haired girl across from you. She thought for a moment, and then quickly jumped to her feet and nodded firmly.

“I’m gonna need your help,” you said, “I’ve got these chains.”

She nodded again, holding onto the bars with both hands.

As a guard sprinted by, you reached out a hand and snagged a set of keys, quickly rolling backwards into the darkness of your cell. You fiddled with them, your hands shaking from weakness.

“God, Peter, I hope this is you,” you muttered, reaching outside of your cell to try and unlock the door. “Tell me if anybody is coming,” you said to the girl.

“Okay,” she said, “be quick.”

You tried key after key, shaking and fighting against your own strain to unlock your cell. After a minute, the lock clicked and the door fell ajar. You grabbed your jacket and wrapped it around you, sliding out the door and closing it behind you. You glanced up and down the long hall of cells and took the keys to the orange girls cell.

“They’ll kill us,” she said frantically, “I’m afraid.”

You reached a gentle hand through the bars and grabbed her wrist. “It’s gonna be okay. No matter what happens, we’re getting off this ship.”

She nodded, watching your eyes with a sense of hopelessness. Her door clicked open, and she slid out beside you. You closed it silently.

“Hey!” Another prisoner yelled. “Hey! Us too!”

You looked down the hall at all the desperate hands, skinny and dirty and desperate. You slid the keys to the prisoner that cried out and grabbed the orange-haired girls hand, pulling her through the hall. Doors clicked and flew open behind you both as you sprinted, prisoners joining you in your race to freedom.

“We’ve got a code red just off bay three,” a voice said, garbled through a communicator, just passed a turn ahead of you. You held out an arm to stop the people behind you, slamming yourself against the wall. You put a finger over your lips.

“Three invaders, all of humanoid descent, one green-skinned with red hair, one grey-skinned, one wearing a long cloak-”

You reached around the corner and locked your arm around the neck of the guard. He reached up and grabbed at your arm, clawing at your skin. The orange-haired girl grabbed him and helped you pull him to the ground. After a moment of wrestling, you found your way on top of him, all of your weight down on your forearm just over his neck.

“Three invaders-” you said, exasperated, “who are they?”

You felt hope trickled back in. You glanced up at the other prisoners, watching intently.

The guard gurgled and choked, flailing against the floor. Spit and sweat dripped from your chin and onto his face, and after a second his body fell still. You clenched your jaw and took a few deep breaths, standing up quickly. You rolled your shoulders and cracked your neck, the chains at your feet rattling against the metal.

With the band of prisoners behind you, another guard rounded the corner. You sent your elbow up into their face, your chains hitting the floor.

A soldier slammed backwards into a wall as Peter pulled his elbow back from his head. He grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed his knee up into his chest. He collapsed to the ground.

“Peter, I thought we were blending in,” Gamora whispered.

Peter look down at the bloodied soldier and dragged him behind a corner. He wiped off his hands and turned forwards, and empty hall stretching out before him.

“We’ve got three invaders, all of humanoid descent, one green-skinned with red hair, one grey-skinned, one wearing a long cloak-”

Drax grabbed onto loose pipe in the ceiling and swung backwards, his legs stretching forwards just as a guard came around a bend. The guard flew back and slammed down on the cold ground, his communicator sliding across the hall.

A weak voice cut through the static, just barely audible.

“Who are they?”

Peter stopped, his ears twitching at the sound. His lips parted as he bent down to pick up the narrow watch, the voice breaking through the static.

“Peter?” Gamora asked, turning away from Drax as he pummeled the guard.

Peter stared down at the watch, waiting.

“Peter-” Gamora tried, “we need to go. Now.”

The static on the watch cut off and died. Peter looked up at Gamora, clenching his jaw and dropping the broken communicator to the ground with a clank.

The chains hit the ground.

You searched the guards on the ground for a key to set yourself free, but there was none.

“We need to keep moving,” you wheezed, pulling yourself around the turn.

“Y/n,” The orange-haired girl said, “if this is your friends-”

“It is,” you said, nodding, breathing frantically.

“They’ll find you. You’re in no shape to fight. They will find you. Come with us. We can get out.”

You looked over all of the other prisoners, all small and tired. They watched your every movement, every twitch and breath you took.

“If they’re on this ship, they’re in just as much danger as we are. I’ve never left them behind before-” You thought back to your dream, to the face Peter made as the doors shut in the shuttle and swept you away. You had left them then. That day, you didn’t fight hard enough, and you left them.

“You guys go,” you said after a moment of silence, “get to safety. Steal shuttles. Kick ass. Do whatever you can to get out and get home. I have to do this.”

The girl shook her head. “You don’t owe anybody anything, Y/n.”

You looked down, a drop of blood falling from your nose. You found her eyes. “I owe Peter.”

Blood dripped from Peter’s hand as another soldier fell to the ground.

The three rounded another corner and entered the big glass dome. A makeshift field of dirt and plants spread out before them, abandoned now and drenched in a red hue from the alarms they had set off.

A man lay in the dirt, his ankles in chains. there was a steal collar around his neck, as well as cuffs around his wrists. His eyes stared up into nothingness. Peter swallowed over the lump in his throat and pushed through the dirt.

“Peter, we need to find her fast,” Gamora said.

Peter ignored her and ripped up the plants, kicked the dirt up into the air. A smaller door on the other side of the dome opened, and a group of guards in all-black walked through, their boots crunching on the ground.

Peter reached under his cloak and pulled out his two guns, one for each hand.

You watched as the prisoners went in the opposite direction of you, towards the shuttles. There were so many of them, some of them carry rusty bars and others weapons from the guards. You knew you had done something right by them, setting them free. Nobody could stop them now.

You made your way towards the dome. Knowing how they all thought, you figured they would go for the most identifiable place. Your chains rattled as you limped through the hall, nose bleeding and head pounding.

“It’s just a silly phase I’m going through...” you sang to yourself, “and just because... I call you up... don’t get me wrong, don’t think you've got it made...”

There were shots ahead of you, behind the small door where the prisoners entered the big dome. You looked back one last time.

It was too late to join the others.

You kept singing, squeezing your tired eyes shut as you listened to the sound of shots firing.

Gamora ran up and wrapped her legs around the neck of a guard, throwing him to the ground. As she held him down, Peter sent a shot into his shoulder. He spun and shot a few more times, more guards and soldiers pouring in. Distantly, he could hear people screaming.

Dirt and plants exploded around him, fire erupting on the trees along the walls. The dome above was crystal clear, the stars around the ship shining bright and watching casually.

Drax pushed a small group soldiers into the wall over and over, leaving a giant dent in the metal.

“State your business!” a soldier screamed, shoving a gun into the back of Peter’s head.

The room began to fall quiet, the rest of the soldiers pinning their weapons on the three of them. Peter tucked his guns away at his side and put his hands up, his eyes finding Gamora’s.

“We’re looking for someone,” he said, brows furrowing.

The guard pressed the gun into his head.

Through the quiet, Gamora could just barely hear the sound of singing. She turned her head, listening carefully.

“I’m not in love...” You sang, more like a zombie now than anything else. The shots had died down. You limped still, chains dragging as you sang.

Peter could hear you now too. So could the rest of the guards.

As the door rose open, Peter saw you standing there, skinny and broken and chained, nose dripping blood. His lips parted and his breathing sped up. Gamora and Drax turned.

You found his eyes. He stood there with his hands in the air, guns pointed at him from ten different angles.

“It’s just a silly phase I’m going through.”

The soldiers and guards looked at you, perplexed.

Your usual guard turned to you, eyes deadly.

“Oh-sixty-four!” The guard shouted, huffing towards you in the doorway.

You pressed your lips together, Peter’s eyes finding yours. Your heart flooded, seeing his face. His hair, curled so gently. Scratchy beard, pink lips.

The guard reached out for you.

You mustered up all your strength and punched him in the face, his gun falling from his hands. In that moment, Peter ducked and turned, tackling the soldier behind him. Shots erupted once again.

You dove and slide across the dirt for the gun, wrapping your fingers around the cold handle. You turned and pointed it at your guard.

“I told you, you would be the first person I killed.” You pressed the trigger, the shot sending you falling backwards as the guard crumbled lifeless to the ground.

You lay there, looking up at the stars. You thought about that fateful day on the dwarf planet, when they took you. How badly Peter wanted to save you. You felt safe in that split-second memory.

But then there was a knife in your side, and you gaged suddenly, crying out.

“Y/N!” Peter called, ripping out his guns and shooting in every direction. Peter screaming, his fists blazing and shifting as he filled with rage.

He shouted, and every soldier and guard around him fell to the ground. Gamora tackled the soldier that stabbed you, sending a shot through his heart.

You looked up at the sky.

Peter stared down at his hands, the flames fading now. Drax watched him, confused.

You smiled, blood welling up behind your teeth.

“Y/n,” Gamora whispered, placing a hand in your hair.

“You- you- you found me-” you struggled, shaking. “Jeez, can you get me out of these chains?”

Gamora tried to smile, her lip quivering. She shot at the chains and they fell from your ankles, into the dirt.

“Y/n,” Peter said, falling to his knees at your side. Your heart surged with happiness.

“I knew you’d find me, Peter,” you said, finding his eyes. He was crying. You smiled.

You felt his arms wrap around you and lift you, the stars somewhat closer. The memory blurs after that- he was running, carrying you. He was warm. So warm. And you were cold, still.

“We’ll get out of here,” Peter whispered, placing a mask over your face. “Don’t worry, Y/n. We’ll get out of here. We’ll get- We’ll get out of here.”

You let your head roll back as the void of space confronted you with no walls to protect you.

You woke up the way you had fallen asleep, in Peter’s arms.

Your body was sore and tired. Your ankles burned from the freedom from the chains. There was stiff gauze wrapped around your midsection.

Peter was so warm, and he smelled like home. Even the lights of the milano seemed welcoming.

“Y/n,” Peter said, sitting up slightly to look into your eyes.

“Peter,” you said with a sigh.

“I thought you were dead. I thought I’d lost you.”

You smiled. “I thought you’d given up on me.”

Peter pressed his forehead to yours and closed his eyes. “I love you. I love you, Y/n.”

You pressed your lips to his. “You found me.”

He pulled you into his arms, gently tracing circles on the exposed skin of your stomach.

“When we get to Earth, I don’t want to live on a farm,” you whispered, your voice hoarse.

“That’s fine,” he said, “farms are overrated. All I need is a park and some birds to feed.”

You thought back to that fateful day one last time, and you smiled, sinking into Peter’s warmth.

“What a simple man.”

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fulcrumahsokaamidala · 6 years ago

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Saturday Spectacular #4

Happy Saturday!!! So this is me thanking awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and all the time they put into their fics. ♥️ I want to recommend spectacular fanfic stories I read this week! ♥️ They are posted in the order I read them. All posts will be tagged #saturday spectacular fic rec

This week I read the gifts from the @olicity-fanwork-exchange (OFAE). I will mark which fics are part of the exchange.

Ride or Die by @someonesaidcake | Arrow | WIP

Summary: They say that life is a series of events that we can neither predict nor control... And then there is him. He’s a bit of an enigma. ~*~*~*~Young CEO Felicity Smoak is just trying to make her mark on the world, yes she's a little high strung and stressed, but it was what is was... until he came along. With eyes a girl could lose herself in and shoulder-tapping hair made for hanging on to Oliver Queen was reckless and carefree. Also, he rode a bike. He was everything she wasn't and he was a sucker for those sinful red lips and everything that came with them.*main story complete, now snapshots*

Always by @icannotbelieveiamhere | Arrow | One-shot | OFAE

Summary: Felicity and Oliver talk after being rescued from below the bunker after Adrian Chase set off an EMP which disabled Felicity's chip.

Did I Forget to Mention That My Dad is a Supervillain? by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When Felicity told Oliver about her father, she wasn’t lying per se. She wasn’t completely honest either. It’s just that ‘my dad left us’ sounded better than the truth.

Or: A Series of one shots in which Felicity’s dad is a supervillain and we see how Oliver and the team finds out.

The Road Less Traveled by @oneofthosecrazygirls-fics | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Canon divergence/fix-it AU. Everything that happened in the series up through 4x11 happens as it did in the show and this fic diverges from there. Direct sequel to “Swear This One You’ll Save” and “Have Your Cake (And Eat It Too)” so make sure you read those first before reading this one. This fic is part of the What Should’ve Been ‘verse.

Broken Bones Lead Me to You by @spaztronautwriter | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: After an unfortunate incident involving a slippery slide and a toddler's snow boot ends in a visit to the ER for Oliver Queen, he's pretty sure he might be having the worst day of his life. Until he meets an intriguing blonde with a broken hand, that is.

Broken Bones and Porcelain Dolls by @tangled23works | Arrow | One-shot | OFAE

Summary: Felicity Smoak met Oliver Queen during a visit to the ER. Twenty years later, her brother's guilty conscience and a dislocated thumb lead Mia to a fateful meeting as well.

Home to You by @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl | Arrow | Completed

Summary: Oliver Queen has never done what his family expected of him. He took a gap year after high school instead of going to college right away. He quit his fraternity sophomore year to join the student newspaper, switching his major from business to journalism. He became a photojournalist for a wire service instead of taking a place at Queen Consolidated. He went missing after six months instead of coming home for his sister’s twenty-first birthday. He survived five years of captivity in a war zone when everyone thought he was dead. He came home. But home didn’t have a place for him in it anymore. His parents were both dead, casualties of their own mistakes and a city they had turned against them. His sister was all grown up, the CEO of Queen Consolidated with a fiancé and a dog and a life of her own. Oliver didn’t belong in his old life, but there was nowhere else for him to go. He was a man without a home, without any way of finding one, until he stopped by the IT department of his sister’s company to get files off an old, battered memory card, and found a woman with curly blonde hair and bright, intelligent eyes chewing on a bright red pen and swearing at a computer screen.

Airplanes, Coffee and Deadlines by @hope-for-olicity | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Felicity begins working at a national newspaper where she has always dreamed of working. On her first day, she meets a very interesting photojournalist. The two will eventually work together but sparks fly immediately.

The Microchip Chronicles by CSM | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Post 713. Follows the next nine months of Felicity’s pregnancy.

and we're somehow caught up in a web of lies by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | WIP

Summary: After their encounter with the Count and Moira's release from prison, Thanksgiving is upon the residents of Starling City but when an article arises in the gossip magazines that throws both Oliver and Felicity under scrutiny, the two of them somehow find themselves caught up in the most elaborate lie they've told. What was supposed to be a relaxing week at the Queen cabin in New Hampshire for Oliver and a week celebrating Hanukkah and Thanksgiving alone for Felicity turns into a week at the cabin of acting, the Queen women and bubbling not-so-platonic feelings.

The What If Harassment Alternative by portlandborn | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | WIP

Summary: What would have happened to Peraltiago And our intrepid detectives, if Amy had reported her mentor captains ugly behaviors?

Three Generations of Smoak by @spaztronautwriter | Arrow | One-shot | OFAE

Summary: A look inside the minds of the three Smoak women when they are each twenty years old.

Semper Fidelis by @oliversmuse | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Oliver Queen is a member of the Bravo Squad, a team that specializes in search and rescue, covert infantry and translating foreign documents. He is known as one of the best and even though he is one of the youngest recruits he advances quickly. While serving he meets Lance Corporal Felicity Smoak, a young woman with skills in hand to hand combat. Despite the fact they butt heads they fall in love and soon start to talk about a future together. However, when her plane disappears on a mission in China and she is presumed dead, Bravo Squad searches frantically for her, only to find her plane and her bloody dog tags. Five years later Oliver runs into "Megan" at a coffee shop near that gym he has been running with his friends. She has lost her memory from the plane accident but has had dreams of Oliver and the Bravo Squad. With the help of his friends and team mates, can he help her reclaim her past and fall for him once again?

Paging Dr. Smoak by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP

Summary: When Oliver Queen gets into a car accident, he meets Dr. Felicity Smoak. He had no idea how much a chance meeting would change his life.

Mint Chip by @smoaking-greenarrow | Arrow | One-shot

Summary: Three times Oliver comforted Felicity with ice cream, and one time she comforted him.

| ONE | (Oliver The Footballer) by @someonesaidcake | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Felicity Smoak had a plan; to save enough money to kick her monotonous job and start up the company of her dreams. She made good plans, solid plans, attainable plans. He was never part of her plan. His name was Oliver Queen, the reclusive Brazilian football star with a broken smile and a story to tell He'd never planned on her either.

Providence by @so-caffeinated | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Will Queen has struggled in silence in the year since he was shot. But when a shadowy crime lord known as Domino targets the only woman Will’s ever truly loved, fate forces him to confront his demons in ways he never could have imagined… Whether he wants to or not. Amelia Prescott has fought to take control of her life since learning two years ago that her personal and professional worlds were manipulated by others. But nothing can prepare her for just how hard she'll have to fight to set her own course, especially when her heart belongs to a damaged man and a crime lord threatens her every professional move... And her life. Destiny brings them together, but as chaos reigns and personal demons haunt Will and Amelia both, it may also threaten to tear them apart.

(i want to) save that light by @callistawolf | Arrow | WIP

Summary: What if one little thing changed in the history of Arrow? What if, instead of going to Laurel's apartment after discovering the extent of Merlyn's plans for the Glades, Oliver stayed at the foundry and talked to Felicity instead? This series of short vignettes explores some of the ripple-effect changes that could take place throughout the next season as a result of this one, fortuitous change.

"Time for a story" Drabble Series by @smkkbert | Arrow | WIP

Summary: This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. It started as a drabble series, but developed more and more into a full domestic AU. Although some chapters are still drabble-like, there are longer storylines by now.

Love and Little Cupcakes by @christinabeggs | Arrow | WIP

Summary: Felicity loved sweets so much that she paid no attention to her love life. Until Thea Queen came into her store wanting fabulous cupcakes for her sixteenth birthday.

#saturday spectacular fic rec #weekly fic recs

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unsaid-stardust · 7 years ago

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Some Things Can’t Be Closed

Chapter 1: Stranger Dreams

Word Count: 1911

Summary: Ten years after Eleven closes the gate, A friend of Holly Wheeler mysteriously disappears sending her on a mission to discover the truth about Hawkins, Indiana.

Shoutout: Special thanks to @hannahberrie for being amazing and helping me brainstorm the plot for this. Couldn’t have written it without ya, Hannah!!

Holly Wheeler stood in the middle of a dark hallway; Something was calling her- Something hungry for blood. Suddenly, lights flickered above her. Christmas lights. She looked up then and noticed that they were strung up and down the hallway ceiling. One by one, they flickered, creating a path of reds and blues and greens. A voice in the back of her head told her that she should stay put, but she ignored it, her curiosity getting the best of her, she followed the flickering lights.

They lead her to a bedroom where lights continued to flicker off and on. This time, they weren’t Christmas lights, but simple household lights. All different types of lamps flickering one by one in a circular fashion kind of like a merry-go-round. They spun faster and faster and faster until suddenly, they stopped and all was quiet. All except for a low growl coming from the walls.

Holly stood in front of the bare wall; her heart pounding a mile a minute. It began to bubble. The wall. Holly peered closer to it, a shape beginning to form. It moved like a hand-like creature, wiggling to escape. Holly felt the sudden urge to help it. She moved closer to it, the thing from the wall almost bursting the seems of the wallpaper. She held up her trembling hand to touch it, fingertips inches away when suddenly-

“Holly! You’re going to be late for school!” Holly groaned at the sound of her mother’s voice. It was all just a dream. An extremely real dream that seemed more like a memory. Holly sighed heavily. It couldn’t be just a dream. It felt too much like it’s happened before.

“Holly!” Karen cried again. Holly rolled her eyes and threw her covers off of her body.

“I’m up! I’m up!” She shouted back. She then forced herself to get out of her warm and cozy bed to get ready for her first day of cold and dreary prison a.k.a Hawkins High School.

Once she got dressed, Holly headed downstairs for breakfast. The smell of fresh eggs and bacon perfumed the house and she was thankful that her older brother Mike wasn’t there to drizzle her eggs in syrup. She shuddered at the thought. She made the mistake of eating it once and It was totally disgusting.

She reached the kitchen table where her mom already sat and had placed a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon for Holly.

“Good morning, Holly. Ready for your big day?” She greeted with a smile.

“If you mean, ‘ready to die in prison’ then yes, yes I am,” Holly answered sitting down in her seat.

“Come on, Holly, It won’t be that bad. Nancy and Mike got through it” She explained. Holly rolled her eyes. She hated when her mom mention how easy high school seemed for Nancy and Mike. She’s heard stories and things certainly weren’t easy.

Nancy had boy troubles and grievances, Mike faced bullies. What would Holly be confronted with? Monstrous teachers?

“Barely,” Holly mumbled under her breath. Karen sighed heavily.

“Holly Wheeler stop being so negative. I promise you will make it through high school with flying colors. Now hurry up and finish your breakfast. You’re going to be late if you don’t leave soon”

After finishing her breakfast, Holly Wheeler grabbed her stupid bike out of the stupid garage and wheeled it out. She called her bike stupid because it used to be Mike’s and it’s completely old and rusted. She hated the thing with a burning passion, but it was much better than walking.

Not only was it better than walking, her two best friends had similar bikes as well. Rose Gallagher and Ben Stratford. If she didn’t ride her bike, she would be forced to trail behind them like a confused little duckling. Speaking of Rose.

“Still got Mike’s bike, Holls?” the brunette inquired, wheeling up her own bike to Holly’s driveway.

“Unfortunately, but not for long because I’ve been saving up!” Holly answered as the two of them began their route to Hawkins High School.

“You mean to say you’ve been ‘borrowing’ money from Nancy again” Rose stated.

“That too,” Holly replied. Not saying another word, Rose began to turn the corner onto Mirkwood and Holly suddenly felt something deep in her gut. Mike had always told her to stray away from Mirkwood when she could. He never explained why and though he was annoying as a brother could get, Holly would trust him more than anyone. Holly stopped pedaling.

“What’s up? Why did you stop?” Rose questioned as she pedaled towards Holly.

“This is Mirkwood,” Holly simply said. Rose raised an eyebrow signaling that she was clearly confused.

“Yeah, and?” She asked letting go of her handle bars.

“Well, it just that-Mike always told me to stay away from Mirkwood,” Holly explained reluctantly. She knew that Rose wouldn’t understand why. Holly didn’t even know why. She just had a feeling, one similar to how she felt in her dream, that really should listen to Mike and turn the other way.

“Well Mike’s not here, so he’ll never know that we used it to get to school,” Rose pointed out. She did have a point there. It’s not like Mike would ask her if she took Mirkwood to school. Plus, it was the fastest way to get to Hawkins High School and they were already running late.

“You’re right. We should probably get going anyway,” and with that, the two girls were on their way.

They made it to Hawkins High School with no trouble at all, much to Holly’s surprise. Maybe Mirkwood was just a road after all, she thought after parting ways with Rose. Unfortunately, their lockers were on opposite ends of the halls.

Reaching her locker in no time, Holly turned the dial on her lock and successfully opened her locker. Wasting no time, she reached down to grab her binders for her morning classes. Straightening her back to reach her pencil case on the top shelf, she noticed something moving in her locker mirror. She turned around then and what she saw was truly frightening.

“Ben! You idiot! You scared me,” Holly shouted as she hit him lightly in the chest. A gleam appeared in his green eyes as he let out a small chuckle.

“Well, hello to you too, Holls” Ben replied with a smirk on his lips. Holly rolled her eyes at him before turning back around to grab her pencil case.

“What’s got you so on edge today?” He asked her. She paused before closing her locker shut contemplating if she should tell him about her dream. He is her best friend after all, but the last time she told Ben about the dream, he just brushed it off as a simple nightmare and it was definitely much more than that.

“N-nothing just-I had that dream again and it’s kind of freaking me out. It just felt so…real,” Holly explained turning around to face him. Ben looked at her with sympathy and touched her shoulder gently.

“Look, Holls. I know that dreams can be scary and they can feel so real, but just remember that that’s all they are. Dreams. They can’t hurt you ” Ben said. Holly pursed her lips. She appreciated his effort in trying to comfort her, she really did, but she didn’t completely believe him.

“I guess. Thanks, Ben,” She simply responded.

“Anytime,” he answered with a smile. Though she wasn’t exactly comforted, she smiled back at him, and they probably looked a bit like idiots for staring just a bit too long, but then the bell rang telling them that they should get to class and broke their eye contact.

“We should get to class,” Holly said a little too quickly.

“Right. Off to our first class of hell. You ready?” Ben inquired. Holly shook her head.

“Not really, you?” She responded as they walked down the hallway, though she already knew the answer.

“Not in the slightest,” He stated immediatley. Holly smiled at the fact that her guess was right and that they thought so much alike. It really shouldn’t make her this happy anymore, they’ve been friends since they were small, but that didn’t seem to matter.

“Well, hey, at least my uncle is our teacher. That should make it a little less dull,” Holly reasoned as the two of them entered their first class of the day; biology.

“Let’s hope so,” Ben said taking a seat in the third row. Holly pursed her lips sliding into a seat in the row next to him when the bell rang and in walked a certain curly head teacher.

“Good morning, class! I’m Mr. Henderson and I’ll be your biology teacher this semester! Now who’s ready to cut open some frogs?” Holly looked around as she raised her hand confidently to find that only her and Ben were willing to dissect a frog. Other students had disgusted and confused looks on their faces.

“Well, I’m glad some people are ready. Always nice to see you, Holly,” Mr. Henderson states with a wide smile. Holly returned the action as she brought her hand down.

“You too Dustin-uh-Mr. Henderson,” she stuttered. Holly heard a couple soft laughs coming from throughout the room and her cheeks suddenly became warm. This was going to be a long year.

Holly was exhausted by the time school ended and all she wanted to do was go home and crawl onto the couch to take a nap. But, sadly, she couldn’t do that. No, because she had AV Club.

She wasn’t really into the stuff that happened during AV Club. Not particularly. But, her Uncle, Dustin Henderson, was the supervisor of the club and needed more members in order to keep it running. So, because she loved Dustin more than anything, Holly became a member of the AV Club alongside Ben Stratford.

Rose Gallagher had other obligations, she had claimed. Something about helping her older brother out with some photography project.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Rose? There’s still spots left,” Holly inquired as the three of them stood outside the door to the AV Club.

“I’d love to guys, but I promised i’d help Tyler after school. I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Rose waved goodbye then and Holly and Ben made their way into the classroom.

It was 8 O’clock at night when Holly heard the doorbell ring. She was working on her unnecessarily frustrating algebra homework and the doorbell only made her more frustrated.

“Holly, can you come down here, please!” Her mom shouted up the stairs. Holly let out a heavy sigh.

“Just a minute, mom!” She called back before standing up from her desk chair. As she made her way down the stairs, Holly wondered what her mother could possibly want from her, neither of her conclusions coming to the idea that two policemen would be standing at her front door, which was what she found when she stepped on the last stair.

“I could assure you that my daughter has nothing to do with this” Karen argued with the police. Holly made her way next to her reluctantly before her mom placed a protective arm around her.

“We understand why you might feel that way, Mrs. Wheeler, but we still need to take her down to the station for questioning,” one of the policemen responded.

A million questions began to swarm in Holly’s head. She hadn’t done anything that would require the police to come after her. Mike, maybe, but not the police.

“What’s going on. What do you need me for?” She managed to ask.

“It’s your neighbor, Rose Gallagher. We believe she’s missing,”

#bree writes #STCBC #stranger things #holly wheeler #mike wheeler #Nancy Wheeler #dustin henderson #fanfiction #future fic

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emocatkeith · 4 years ago

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every 2 months or so i am sucked right back into batman and this godforsaken gremlin man. so, i decided to expand more of my bm oc cast, and since i don’t think i’ve ever shown these dudes off, here they are now! Also, still deciding on the weapons they should use and what designs they should be, but I’m satisfied for what I have now.

check below to see their prototype-ish designs and some info about them! it’s valentine’s day and im going to indulge in my adoration for my ocs, god damn it!

All five of them work as “henchmen” under Jervis Tetch’s command. Of course, they’re still wacky and unique in their own right, so Jervis often gets a headache when trying to corral them back into doing what they’re supposed to do. Despite this, the Wonderland Gang (shut up this is their name for now as cheesy as it sounds) treat each other like family and are ride-or-die for one another.

[From Left to Right, starting at the top]

(TW: Transgender/Possibly ableist bullying, mind-control, violence, child abuse, & body horror/gore, jic!!)

- Baily Aubre “Deck O’ Kards” (usually shortened to just Kards) - 24 - Female (AMAB) - Baily was a gymnast-in-training during her school years, and hoped to go on into the Olympics. However, she lived in a more “traditional” town, and the boys often picked on Baily due to her feminine-acting ways. But when she discovered she was actually trans, she became a social outcast and general pariah, and had to both quit her gymnastic career dreams and to transition into home-schooling instead. Due to never being able to really trust others in social situations, Baily only really cared about her widowed mother, whom she depended a lot on. So, when she passed, Baily didn’t know what to do, and since her apprehension among groups of people didn’t motivate her to go to college, she soon went into shady businesses instead. She worked as a henchman for multiple rogues and soon set herself upon a criminal record, but she had grown fond of Jervis and his goals. But, as time went on, Baily realized she wanted to go onto bigger things in life and tried to convince Tetch to do the same. When that didn’t work, Baily attempted to walk out on him, but didn’t see him approach her, and just when she got a few feet away from him, Jervis knocked her out. Due to his obsessiveness and loneliness problems, he told himself that the only way to keep her around was to mess with her brain a bit, to make her more loyal to him. Baily is still witty and cautious on dangerous situations, but now she’s willing to sacrifice herself for Jervis. Though, her personality was mainly remained intact, her memories of her past was completely rewritten and changed to Tetch’s liking. It’s unknown if there is a way to undo the effects of his tampering, but a scar permanently remains wrapped around her head and hidden under her hair as a reminder of what he did.

- Jackie Summers “March Hare” - 20 - Male (AFAB) - Jackie was a major sweetheart back in his youth, but constantly hyperactive and excited. Unfortunately, he was very gullible and naive into being tricked or pranked by other kids, and often scolded by his teachers and parents for getting bad grades or not listening during class. Though, he still remained an optimist, hoping that one day someone will be a true friend to him. But the bullying and harsh attitude to him only got worse as time went on, even beyond his school days. In Gotham, he was a college student studying theatre and visited the local library many times during the month. One day, as he browsed through the fiction setting, he picked up a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland out of curiosity. He was spooked, however, when a man approached him and excitedly started talking to him. But, Jackie wasn’t adverse to conversation and soon became friends with the man he soon would learn was Jervis. But, since he hadn’t transitioned yet, he still had long blonde hair that his new friend would often fond over. While confused, Jackie didn’t question it and loved the newfound attention he got from Jervis. But, one day as the library started to close up and the secretary decided to hand the keys over to Jackie, Jervis strolled in with a new tea recipe he wanted Jackie’s opinion on. Being oblivious to his intent, he agreed and drank the tea, but soon would get knocked out and wake back up to find Jervis, dressed up in his Hatter assemble, trying to get Jackie to play the role as his Alice. Afraid and not knowing what to do (and hating the itchy dress Jervis put on him over his regular clothes), Jackie appealed to Jervis by instead exclaiming he would rather be the March Hare than Alice. While slightly disappointed at first, Jervis relented, but found Jackie to be a much better suit for that character in the first place due to his eccentric personality (a side-effect of being in drama classes too much, haha). Likewise, Jackie found himself becoming much more attracted to the March Hare character and wanted to continue helping out his new friend. So, when Batman tried to rescue him from Tetch, Jackie instead fought him (with Batman clearly winning) but as both were sent to Arkham, they decided to become partners-in-crime together.

- Eenah Lyle “Dormouse” - 19 - Nonbinary/Genderfluid (it fluctuates) - Eenah has always been the quiet type, preferring to listen rather than conversate. Even though they had bad narcolepsy, Eenah found themself to be a fantastic bodybuilder at a young age and strengthened themself up for wrestling competitions. Eenah soon went on a winning streak, and went towards becoming the ultimate wrestler in all of Gotham. But that came to a close when they won against another diva, who was furious that Eenah won. So, thanks to their narcolepsy, Eenah passed out and woke up right after their bus-ride back home left without them. But they were approached by a gang that were hired by the diva to “rough Eenah up”. While they fought as hard as they could, Eenah was outnumbered and brutally got beaten on, who left when their lower jaw broke. Eenah was left there until a random passersby stumbled upon their body and got them to a hospital. Despite being able to repair most of the damage that was done to them, their jaw would always be crooked from now on. This prevented them from going on into the championships and Eenah lost everything after that. Fueled by fury and revenge, Eenah went on a rampage one day, finding the gang and diva that ruined their life and murdering them without a hint of mercy. Afterwards, they went on the run, coming across Jackie who they attempted to mug for food money. Instead though, Eenah found kindness they hadn’t felt in a long time, and waringly, followed Jackie back to Jervis. They found that Jackie and Jervis was trustworthy enough to be around, and soon that trustworthiness evolved into a tight friendship. Now, while being more on stealth missions, is able to hold their own against Batman or anyone else who intends to mess with them or their friends.

- Karoline Hudson “Queen of Hearts” - 14 - Female - Raised in a high-class, European family, Karoline was a sweet girl and had a kind family that hoped for the best for her future. Everything was looking great for Karoline and her family, but that peace was soon disrupted by a large group of people who viciously murdered her family and was kidnapped by them among many of her prized possessions/wealth to be sold. After seeing how cruel people could be, Karoline’s pure demeanor was ripped to shreds, leaving only a shell that felt empty. But, as the group arrived to Gotham, they got into a fight with another group of people, allowing Karoline to sneak away from her prison and run off into the streets. Unfortunately, nobody knew of the Hudson family and thought she was just a beggar on the streets, rambling crazy talk, and left her out on the rain. Three years pass, and Karoline has become a scavenger and unwilling of other people’s help due to fear of hurting her or taking her back to those people. So, when Jackie and Eenah found Karoline shivering in the rain, they were surprised at how snappy and mean this little girl was. But, Eenah reached a hang out to her, and started to tell of their own story. While still being highly aware of any sudden or suspicious movements, she was surprised to find that they weren’t trying to trick her at all. Jervis, although also shocked at how sharp-tongued Karoline was, welcomed her with open arms. Karoline still remains to be cautious of anything they might do to hurt her in some form, she found a new family that were generous and nice towards her. She likes to take charge most of the time, but often relents to Jervis’ pleads to just let him do the blueprints for god’s sake. She also likes to pick on everyone, especially Kard, but would kill anybody who would say or do something that would harm them. Karoline also has a small plush rabbit, stitched heavily due to wear-and-tear, that has dirty yet white fur, kept from her young days before she was taken away.

Chester Bennett “Cheshire Cat” - 38 - Male - Chester was always a nice man, liking to help others out even at the cost of his own time or safety. But, he also grew up poor and scrounged around for any money that he could find. His kindness had a limit though, especially towards rich or stuck-up people that believe they’re better than everyone else. While hating getting into debt, Chester had no choice but to relent to one of the top mob-bosses in Gotham, Roman Sionis, just to live. Though, as his constant failures at regaining the money towards Sionis persisted, Chester knew he had made a horrible mistake into working for Sionis when he was strung up and, as punishment for disappointing the mob-boss too many times, went through excruciating pain as his skin was ripped off from his muscles. Thankfully, he called the police before he was dragged to the warehouse, but the GCPD was too late. Roman Sionis and his henchmen had left Chester there to bleed out, who was barely alive at that point. Through hospital care, he survived, but was told that his epidermis would never recover from this trauma and would have to wear bandages to avoid harmful outside influences or blood leakage. Time went on, yet Chester never got over the traumatizing event and could hardly keep a stable job more than a month. Out of all of Gotham, there was one place Chester would go whenever he felt emotional: Storybook Land. He snuck in at night through a hole in the fence and wandered into the Wonderland area, and just as he got to the Caterpillar room, he broke down and sobbed underneath a mushroom. He jumped however when a voice above him asked what was wrong. Somehow, Jervis, who promptly introduced himself to Chester, had snuck his way into Storybook Land that night too and wanted to know why Chester was crying. He didn’t know why he started to vent towards this random stranger, but since nobody listened to him and instead veered away due to his off-putting appearance, finally having someone who would listen to him. Jervis nodded along, sympathizing while not being patronizing, and the two of them soon went on a long chat. Chester hadn’t felt this happy for so long, and found a friend in Jervis. Both met up at Storybook Land during night just to talk about their day, until Jervis brung in the new and improved costume of the Cheshire Cat the theme park got and, since he noticed he always wanted to cover up, they could have fun together dressed up as the Mad Hatter and the titular cat. Chester agreed, and found the costume to be surprisingly flexible and comfortable, not actually wanting to take it off. While apprehensive and shocking at first when Jervis spilled the beans about his Rogue status, Chester continued wanting to be friends with him and be a part of his makeshift gang. The others hit off Chester fast, and before he knew it, the man found himself a new home in the form of, frankly, a bunch of crazy people. And, to his own shock, he liked the company.

hope you liked all that cheesy backstory stuff lmao. i was scared at first to post their backstories but i thought why the heck not. hope you guys like these misfits!

#i am NOT proud of jervis in the bg #bitch looking like a rat #still i hope you guys like these funny haha people #btw i really want to make one of those brandon rogers aiw videos but on this ocs now lol #also sorry if theres too much cheesiness or stuff you didn't like in their backstories! its hard to write engaging profiles on characters #when you forget the stuff you intend on putting in there lol #batman #dc #dc oc #batman oc #jervis tetch #mad hatter #*rubs my awful hands together* oc tag time babee #baily aubre #jackie summers #eenah lyle #karoline hudson #chester bennett #btw happy valentines day! love you guys!

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dazzledbyrob · 7 years ago

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NEW INTERVIEW WITH ESQUIRE UK

Robert Pattinson’s Darker Materials

Three years since he last met Esquire, Robert Pattinson remains dedicated to redefining himself as an expressive actor beyond the teen-hero hysteria of his early career. In his new film, gritty heist thriller Good Time, he finds redemption as a cold-hearted criminal and achieves the almost supernaturally impossible — walking around New York unrecognised

When he was shooting his latest movie, Good Time, in Queens last year, Robert Pattinson would start the day with a run. And he’d be recognised, as always. Such is life for the 31-year-old actor formerly known as Edward Cullen, the broody vampire in the Twilight movies. Over five years and five films, he inspired such a vast and hysterical following that more than any star of his generation he became a prisoner of his own celebrity. He was forced to sell his home in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, because of paparazzi at the gates. They trailed him everywhere, entailing all kinds of Jason Bourneism, like swapping clothes with friends and assistants in restaurant bathrooms, sending them off in decoy cars, up to five at a time. And if he failed, if just one tweet went out with his location, then armies of paps and Twi-hards, crazed and shrieking, would come galloping over the horizon like the Dothraki hordes.

But after each run, something extraordinary happened. He got into costume as his character in Good Time, Connie Nikas, a Greek-American criminal from Queens, and just like that, the staring stopped. He could walk down the street unmolested. This latest film is his best performance by some distance, an electric, adrenalin shot of a movie that will establish him as one of the most vital actors of the day, so there’s that. But this gift of anonymity may be equally precious. Good Time will put Pattinson’s name in lights while simultaneously helping him blend into the background. Shooting it gave him his life back. It’s handed the prisoner a set of keys, because as Nikas, Pattinson could move through the world again. He was free.

“It was amazing. Invisibility cloak,” he says. “I’ve always wondered what can you do, just a simple thing to your face so you can just… exist in the world. And now I know. Darken your beard and put on these acne scar things and people will look directly into your face, and not even a glimmer. It’s fascinating. Also earrings, there’s something about fake diamond earrings.”

He looks a bit Connie Nikas today, actually. We’re in a booth at a private member’s club in West Hollywood, and he’s wearing a sports jacket on top of a hoodie, never mind that this is the height of summer. The jacket’s Lacoste; very hipster I tell him. And he laughs.

“Is anyone not a hipster now? I think it’s just normal culture,” he says. “Anyway, I found this on eBay so, you know… I’d be cool if I had it from school, like, ‘I’ve had this for aaages. I still dress exactly like I did when I was 12.’ Ha ha ha!”

He looks happy, energised, garrulous. The hands move around, the Lacoste rustles, he’s chewing on a toothpick and tipping his head back to laugh and laugh. He looks like a guy who made a bet on himself and won, which he did. And this is what he’s here to tell us: chase what you want in life, take the risk, who cares what people think in the end. This is your life, not theirs.

The last time I saw Pattinson for Esquire, three years ago, he’d only just made that bet. He came over to my house for lunch, and we got the barbecue going, there were beers — things celebrities never do — and we talked about The Rover, a film he made with director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom). It was his first major step on the route away from Twilight and towards Good Time, a life that he actually wanted. He’d made a pact with himself to only pick roles that were unlike anything he’d done before, that would broaden him as an actor and human being, and to work only with film-makers he loved, with no compromise. So post-Twilight, his CV is just one auteur after the next, in a string of movies that don’t make money but are always compelling. Besides The Rover, there’s his second film with David Cronenberg, 2014’s Maps to the Stars; The Childhood of a Leader directed by his friend Brady Corbet; The Lost City of Z with the film-maker’s film-maker, James Gray, not to mention the Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, who made Good Time.

Back in 2014, he was living next to rap impresario Suge Knight in a gated community on Mulholland Drive, still in hiding from Twilight fans. It was a secluded life, with just an inflatable boat and an assistant for company. “Aww, I miss my assistant,” he says. “He’s now a real estate agent in Phoenix. Couldn’t take it any more. 'All you do is play video games!’” Most of Pattinson’s time was spent in one room, watching films and reading books, much as it is today.

“Probably my fondest memory from that house is watching the first three seasons of Game of Thrones over four days.” He laughs. “So lame that’s my fondest memory!”

He dreamed of escape. #Vanlife on Instagram became an obsession, posts celebrating the nouveau hippy world of attractive young surfer types living the free-spirit life in camper vans, free of all material possessions beyond a hammock, a book of poetry and a mobile phone to upload selfies to madden people in cubicle offices.

“I nearly did it,” Pattinson says. “I was 100 per cent going to live in a van, but not just any van — a stealth van! It’s a special niche, not like living in a trailer. Stealth vans looks like a normal Transit van, so you can park on the street, put signs on saying you’re a plumber or whatever and no one would notice.”

Van life promised anonymity, freedom, mobility: all the things he missed and wanted.

“It’s that thing, where you can just leave in the middle of the night and, like, drive to Nebraska,” he says. “And with solar power, you’re totally off the grid. I’d love that so much. And I was like, I’m still young, this is my chance…”

So he looked into it. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter looked tidy; it had a toilet and shower in the back. But no.

“The Sprinter’s too fancy. It draws attention. So I visited different companies to retro- fit Transit vans but it’s complicated,” he says. “Once you build [in] a toilet and shower yourself, you can’t get it insured and blah blah blah.”

Still, he hasn’t ruled it out. One day, maybe. For now, though, instead of Nebraska, he moved five minutes down the road, to another secluded mansion in the hills. Only this time it’s not quite such a Spartan existence. He lives with “Twigs”, aka FKA Twigs, the British singer, and their little dog Solo. He won’t talk about her, though they may be engaged after three years together. And one can’t blame him; the Twi-hard fanbase has already subjected her to a torrent of racist abuse. Which is partly why they spend half their time in London, out east near Hackney Downs (hipster level: high). Pattinson gets hassled much less back home. “I go around on my bike,” he says, “so I’m basically a ghost.”

He was deep into #vanlife when he saw a still from the Safdie brothers’ movie of 2014, Heaven Knows What. It was just a close-up of the actress Arielle Holmes in a pink/blue light, her eyes sunken and strung out as if on heroin; she was playing a homeless junkie, a life she’d led until Josh Safdie approached her in a Manhattan subway and asked to make a film about her. The realism was palpable. And Pattinson was hooked at once: he had to work with these people.

“It was so cool, this photo, it had an amazing vibe, but also they’re American. Normally with an image like that, the director turns out to be Czech or something,” he says. “And my agents hadn’t heard of them either, so I knew I’d found something before anybody else.” This is what Pattinson loves more than anything — making discoveries.

Without even seeing the movie, he wrote the Safdies an email rich with compliments, a tried and tested ploy. “I basically say, 'Look, I’m not playing. I like very little and I like this thing you did, I think you’re good, and I just… know!’ And after that I call repeatedly.”

He’s done this with James Gray, with acclaimed French film director Claire Denis (who’s writing and directing his next film High Life). It’s a winning strategy. “I realised about four years ago, this is the best way to do it. I don’t even tell my agents.”

At first, Josh Safdie was hesitant. He was working on a movie about New York’s diamond district and Pattinson just wasn’t right for it. But they clicked, and once they met up, Josh saw something: “He has a wounded war veteran vibe to him, like there’s a major trauma in his life and he’s constantly trying to hover, trying not to be seen. I thought that was perfect for a guy on the run.” So the Safdies created a project for Pattinson, essentially writing him a movie.

“The thing about Josh and Benny,” Pattinson says, “is their energy and drive. It’s astonishing. And that’s how their movies feel, like there’s too much fuel in the car! I wanted that energy, something superkinetic. A lot of the stuff I’d done before was reactive, so I wanted to be forced into a situation. That’s their tone: runaway train. Their genre is literally panic. And that’s kind of who I am as well. So I said, 'Just push push push, be as audacious as possible.’”

The story centres around Connie, a sociopathic street criminal who can’t stand the thought of his mentally challenged brother Nick — played brilliantly by Benny Safdie — being institutionalised. So Connie takes him on a bank robbery, the first of several terrible decisions, each one cascading chaotically into the next. It’s a film that seizes you by the lapels and doesn’t let go for 100 minutes.

Unlike anything else he’s done, Pattinson was involved throughout the writing process. He was in the jungle in Colombia at the time, making The Lost City of Z, a gnarly experience by all accounts: he has stories of picking maggots out of his beard, and crew members being bitten by snakes. But at the day’s end, he’d find a volley of emails (there’s wi-fi in the Amazon, apparently) from the Safdies about Connie Nikas, about criminals, about the world of their movie.

They worked together painstakingly on Connie’s backstory, and Robert read all the books the brothers were inspired by, The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer and In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott. He watched the documentaries they sent over, notably One Year in a Life of Crime (1989) by John Alpert, and episodes of Cops, the Nineties reality TV that featured police chasing down and arresting a whole menagerie of street criminals. Josh calls it “America’s greatest TV series”. There would often be dialogue or behaviour that would be useful in building Connie Nikas. By the time Pattinson was ready to move to Queens, he was already halfway there.

Pattinson doesn’t do method; he’s more or less untrained, apart from a short stint in the Barnes Theatre Company aged 15. The Safdies introduced him to a new level of improvisation and research. They had Robert as Connie writing Nick letters as though from prison. Then they went on a tour of the Manhattan Detention Complex.

“Rob came as Connie, but he didn’t have the accent yet so he just looked around and kept to himself,” says Josh Safdie. They met people that Connie might be friends with. “My friends at Lucky’s Automotive Repair in Yonkers, basically. We started bringing Benny in as Nick then.” And from there, Rob and Benny took their characters out into the world, going to Dunkin’ Donuts, even working at a car wash together for a week.

“We had Nick drive the cars off after they went through,” says Benny. “But Nick has issues. He can’t do what Connie wants him to, so there was tension between them, it almost got violent. And that’s what we wanted. We wanted to give Rob a history of the emotions he would feel in certain moments.”

Critically, though, no one clocked Pattinson through all this. The car wash manager knew who he was, but no one else did, and they didn’t ask. It was a revelation. As Connie — with the clothing, hair and makeup — Pattinson could go unrecognised to such a degree that when they shot a scene toward the end in an apartment block, local residents didn’t even see him as an actor. They knew a movie star was in their midst but had heard it was Bradley Cooper.

“So, I was in this packed elevator and people were like, 'Yo, you like Bradley Cooper’s security guard?’ It was amazing,” Pattinson says. One of the joys of Good Time is remembering just how different Robert and his character Connie actually are. Pattinson is from south-west London, where he went to The Harrodian, a nice public school in Barnes. The son of a vintage-car salesman father and a model-booker mother, he grew up middle class and comfortable, an artistic type who set out after a music career (his band’s name: Bad Girls) before acting won out. He never came across characters like Connie Nikas in real life, so he imagined them; they were “fantasy figures”, as he calls them. And as such, no less influential.

“Growing up, you see Pacino and you want to be that,” he says, and then laughs. “I sound like a dick already, comparing myself to Pacino!”

But the point is sound; to Pattinson, Connie falls into the tradition of Pacino’s Sonny in Dog Day Afternoon, or Robert De Niro’s Johnny Boy in Mean Streets, the very characters who inspire people like Pattinson to become actors in the first place. Like all middle-class kids, he craved Connie’s authenticity.

“Everyone wants to say, 'I’ve gone through hardships’ or whatever. And some kids at school got so obsessed with looking tough that eventually they just were. They were mugging people. It’s like, 'Why are you mugging people? You live in Wimbledon!’ But you could see the progression,” he says. “It was born out of desire, not necessity. It’s fascinating.”

As for Pattinson, he just lied.

“I decided the best way to be real is to fake it! I used to lie all the time when I was younger. Like even though I had a London accent, I’d tell people I grew up on a farm in Yorkshire. That was about as gritty as I could pull off.”

His own life of crime was limited to stealing porn mags, aged 11, a story he told US shock jock Howard Stern. Eventually, he was caught, of course, the moment of humiliation seared into his memory as, in front of a line of old ladies collecting their pensions, the shop owner reached into his bag and pulled out one jazz mag after another.

“I turned on the tears and everything. I was desperate!” he says. “And when my mum heard, I totally threw one of my friends under the bus: 'Dan did it!’ It’s pretty terrifying when you’re backed against the wall. When people ask how would you behave in an emergency, now I know. I’m a wimp! I guess that’s pretty obvious!”

He says wimp, but there’s a quiet strength behind that self-effacing, affable front. Not everyone would confess to being a cowardly kid, or lying about their background, as insecure people don’t admit their flaws so freely. One of the reasons he was so drawn to the role of Connie, for instance, was the character’s lack of fear or shame. “I’m the opposite. Shame is the most crippling thing. I don’t even know what it is, it’s not connected to any other emotion. So I choose work to directly combat elements of my own personality.”

Josh Safdie spotted Pattinson’s ambition early on. “There’s a mania to him,” he says. “A manic desire to conquer the world. I was very happy to see it.”

And for all his self-deprecation, there’s a pride there in what he’s achieved post-Twilight. None of his subsequent film choices are obviously commercial, which suits him perfectly: low-budget indies, he says, have a lower bar to break even and with his international stardom, courtesy of Twilight in no small part, he can usually rest easy. Sometimes, his involvement is what makes these projects actually happen.

But artistically — and this is where he’s definitely not a wimp — every project is a risk, a test, a leap, yet another opportunity to fail and land very publicly on his arse. But that’s just how he likes it. The nerves, the threat of failure keep him interested.

“I like a big mountain to climb,” he says. “Some parts no one would think of me for, and I don’t blame them.”

Why go for those roles though, if they’re so against type? He shrugs.

“Probably just to prove I can, really.”

As the bill arrives for our meal, Pattinson chomps merrily through another round of toothpicks. It seems he’s been entirely sensible this time around. Not even one beer. “If I drink I’ll sound like a cock,” he says. “Actually, I probably sound like a cock already!” Anyway, he’s saving room for a cognac tasting later tonight with the Good Time producers. Not the kind of thing he does that often but these are heady times, what with the excitement around the movie, the critical acclaim. It’s such a buzz that even the press tour isn’t so painful. There’s room for some mischief at any rate.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he tried to make fun of Josh Safdie but it came out wrong. He told Kimmel that Safdie had asked him to jerk off a dog. “It got [animal charity] Peta angry… everyone. It was like a whole American uproar for a day-and-a-half,” Josh says. “He’s a little shit, I promise you. But I love that about him.”

For the most part, though, Pattinson leads a fairly quiet life. It’s just him, Twigs and Solo kicking around at home. When he’s not working, he says, he’s looking for work.

“I’m basically flicking through the pages of Loot every day. I live the life of an unemployed person.” And for him that means watching art house movies, trawling film-geek websites and — so long as Game of Thrones isn’t on — cold-calling directors.

In a couple of weeks, he’s off to Germany for cosmonaut training for the movie he’s making with Claire Denis. It’s about another ex-con, this time in space as part of a human reproduction experiment. He mentioned it in a Q&A session in LA after a screening of Good Time, and no one in the audience had heard of Denis. Such is Pattinson’s particular taste.

“I don’t think Claire has made a bad movie in, like, 20, but I don’t know if any have been commercially successful!” he laughs. “That’s what it’s like in France. There’s a market there for less conventionally commercial movies, and that’s the world I want to be a part of. I just want to do stuff that people are only making for themselves, because it ends up being, by definition, more singular.”

The project that has him excited comes at the end of the year: The Devil All the Time, by Antonio Campos, who made Christine last year, a brilliant drama about a depressive Seventies news anchor in Florida. (For the record, Pattinson cold-called him too.) “There’s this line in it — and sometimes that’s all you need. And it’s like, 'Ooh… that’s scary to say’. Because it’ll go down in posterity and I’ll be the one saying it. You literally cannot get darker. It’s fucking dark. This character is an evangelical preacher in the South in the Fifties, but he’s gleefully bad and kind of funny and charismatic too. I know, it’s irresistible.”

Like, sexually repulsive, violent?

“Mmm… yes, all that. But you know when actors say, 'I refuse to play someone who does something bad.’ I’m, like, why? That’s fucking crazy. You can’t do anything bad in your real life. I think if someone needs to play a hero all the time, it’s probably because they’re doing really gross stuff in their real life.”

So you’re telling me, this is the only chance you get to be bad?

He laughs, and gets up to put on his Lacoste jacket, his camouflage, and flips up the hoodie underneath. Now he’s safe to leave our meeting without causing an incident. But it’s impossible now not to see shades of Connie, the sociopath bank robber from Queens.

“Yeah,” he grins. “The rest of the time, I’m an angel!”

Good Time is out on 3 November

#robert pattinson #robertpattinson

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janeykath318 · 7 years ago

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The Friendly Merman 7/13

The last month and a half before Jim’s new pod left was spent in busy planning of what routes they'd take and getting strong for the journey. Pike was finally declared fit to travel and joined the others in their temporary home off the California coast. Jim found the elder’s advice very helpful, as he knew which areas had sufficient hunting and which were Siren territory and off-limits. Between the seven of them, they soon had a route planned out.

Bones was still trying to convince Jim he needed a mate and touting the virtues of Carol and Gaila, but Jim just smiled and slyly avoided her matchmaking attempts. Eventually, she settled for asking questions about mer bonds.

“What do the young mermen do to show interest in a prospective mate?” She asked one day.

“Noting that much different than human males at first,” Jim said, lounging on his back on the sandy shallow water. “We show off and try to outdo each other in our backflips when we breach the surface, we shine up our tails and try to look extra good. Then, if we're really serious, we start bringing gifts. If the maid accepts the first one, that means she's receptive to our suit. After a year, the families agree on a bonding date and that's that.”

“Do you have any ceremonies or celebrations for it? Humans like to spend ridiculous amounts of credits on day or weekend long wedding parties.”

“So I heard,” Jim acknowledged. “For Mers, there's only a simple recital of the bonding pledge in front of the elders and immediate clan members, the bond itself is precipitated by the, uh, private time afterwards.” His face grew a bit warm at this, but Bones got the idea.

“A week later, there's a huge party and the whole pod is invited. They feast and tell tales and give gifts, kind of like your reception, only ours happens after the sweetmoon, I think you called it.”

“Honeymoon, Jim,” she corrected him with a smile. “That's a much preferable order of events in my book. A lot of times, couples are so exhausted from the reception, the honeymoon ends up being recovery time, at least the first few days.”

“Ugh,” Jim wrinkled his nose. “There are drawbacks to being human, I see. Did that happen to you when you were bonded?”

“Nope. We had a smaller affair. Couldn't afford to go crazy on the spending for the reception. Now Let me see if I understand this correctly: Merman can't have casual flings because of the bonds? Sounds like that's what you're hinting at.”

Jim rolled over onto his belly and propped himself on his elbows. Leah kind of wanted to brush the wet sand off his back and push back the damp strands of blonde hair that stuck to his forehead.

“You're right” he continued. “We mate for life, similar to Spock's people and only with one person at a time. If you cheat on your mate, you can cause bondsickness or even kill your original mate due to suddenly breaking the first bond. Mers who do that usually get expelled from the pod or sentenced to confinement. Bond-breaking is a very serious offense in our culture. It's why there's a mandatory courtship period for prospective pairs so they can get to know each other and decide whether they really want to be with each other for life.”

“Wow, Jim, that's hardcore. Doesn't it get frustrating?” She asked him.

“Not really.” He shrugged. Mermen didn't have quite the same needs human men did until they were bonded. Not that Jim knew what that was like. He had yet to find his future mate.

He shook himself out of these pessimistic thoughts by imagining Bones’s ex getting thrown in mermaid prison and plotting the imaginary taunts he would hurl at him when she broke in again with another question.

“Now I’m picturing mermen locked up in some underwater dungeon. What kind of justice system do your people operate with? Are there mer police?”

“Each pod generally polices itself, but for interpod incidents and serious crimes we have magistrates and judges.”

Jim went on to outline the various groups of mer law enforcement and told of the caves where criminals were held. Leah listened fascinated as Jim told how they often used huge sunken ships for their jails.

Then Jim asked Leah more questions about earthbound life and shared his dreams about flying if he was a human.

“Don't know why you're so keen on getting on one of those death traps, kid,” she shuddered. “But everyone to his taste, I guess.”

“Bones,” Jim said slowly as Leah made a move to leave. “Would you be mad if…...I….told you you're prettier than all the mermaids I've met?”

His heart was pounding as he timidly admitted why her attempts to get him to flirt with mermaids hadn't worked.

“No,” Bones said slowly, “but I would question your eyesight. There's no comparing me to those stunning beings of your species.”

Jim squeaked in indignation and blabbered his outrage in Mermish before he caught himself.

“Sorry, Bones, but that's just not true. You are very lovely. There's no convincing me otherwise.”

He smiled cheekily at her and Leah couldn't help but falling a little bit for the adorable Merman. It wasn't smart and kind of hopeless, but Jim had charmed his way into her weary heart nonetheless.

The day the pod was to set off, Joanna insisted on being woken up early (even though it was Saturday) to say goodbye to Jim. April seemed like forever to her and she was trying not to cry as she hugged all the mers and made them promise to come back.

“Sweet child, don't fret,” Gaila soothed her. “Of course we’ll come back.

“Aye,” put in Scotty. “And I'll bring you back some lovely tropical shells!”

“Da! We will return when we say,” Chekov added. “Mer people keep their promises.”

Leah, meanwhile, had her arms full of clingy Jim, who'd begged for a hug goodbye. Damp as he was, she still couldn't refuse him and stroked one pointy ear gently.

“Please stay safe, Jim,” she murmured, rubbing his back. “I don't want the rest of them to come back and tell me you were torn to pieces by a shark again.”

“I'll try, Bones,” he said, enjoying the caresses. “We stay far away from the great whites generally. Take care of yourself. I'll think of you everyday.”

“There's no way I'll forget you either, Jim. Jo and I will be expecting you back next spring.”

Jim sighed and drew away a bit, producing a colorful object from his hand.

“I have a present for you,” he said shyly, holding up what proved to be a necklace of brightly colored seaglass, translucent pieces glittered in the sunlight.

“Jim,” Leah gasped. “Did you make this?”

“With a little help from Scotty,” he said, looking hopeful. “You like it?”

“It's beautiful!” The glass was various shades of blue, green, and clear strung in a lovely repeating pattern. Being tumbled by the sea, no piece was the exact same shape and gave it a beautiful natural look.

“Thank you, Jim,” she said and gave the Merman a kiss on the cheek. Jim flushed and looked pleased as she put the necklace on and admired it.

“Ready to go, Jim?” Pike asked, ending his chat with Spock and Uhura. “It's high time we set off.”

“Yeah,” Jim sighed. “I guess it's goodbye for real now, Bones. Goodbye, Miss Jo.”

“Bye, Mr. Jim.” Jo said. “Don't get into any fights, now. Mama won't be there to fix you up.”

“Which is a good reason to avoid them,” he said. “Farewell, Bones, or as we like to say, may the tides be ever in your favor.”

Jim kissed her hand before he levered himself back into the water and began heading out to sea with his group, colorful tails propelling them.

She and Joanna stood and waved until the last tail could no longer be seen. Not until they'd turned back to shore did Leah realize something.

“Oh, shoot. I think I just agreed to go steady with a merman.”

#my fics #mckirk #genderswap #mermen

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serviceforthenewarrivals-blog · 8 years ago

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#short story ask #little nightmares #six (little nightmares)#the runaway kid (little nightmares)

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gothchic6 · 5 years ago

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Silver’s Skater Girl 16: The Golden Adventure, Part 1

Disclaimer: gothchic6 does not own Pokémon!

Silver's Skater Girl Chapter 16: The Golden Adventure Part 1

I lie awake at night, thinking about all the people who care about me. It feels surreal. I went from having literally no one to count on to having an entire support group. Even people who I didn't know knew the truth were helping me out from behind the scenes.

I also think about all the elderly people I know who also hate Gran. Even before the article in Johto Journal was published. Apparently Gran used to be a famous prosecutor in the Goldenrod City Court. She was very well known for her corruption inside the Johto Judicial System. That made her a lot of powerful friends… along with some powerful enemies as well.

She has several friends within the JJS, including judges, attorneys, and other prosecutors. But thankfully, I have the Johto Police Department and most of Johto's media on my side. So I think it'll be interesting to see how this whole situation plays out.

The only problem I have is that the thought of Gran even near me at this point makes me want to vomit. How could I ever face her knowing that she knows what I did and that I turned her in, and how I feel about her? I think about the possibility of a court case… I guess I could stand being in the same room as her if it meant that she would get prison time. That would be my dream.

Speaking of dreams, I finally feel myself dozing off into what I hope is a good dream…

I wake up in the morning only to find Lyra's Marill bouncing up and down on my stomach. I giggle and scratch Marill behind the ears before she squeals adorably, jumping off the bed, and running out of the room.

"Marill? Marill, where are you," Lyra searches sleepily. She pokes her bed-head in the door, and mutters "Good Morning" to me before following the sounds of Marill's happy chatter to the kitchen.

I quietly chuckle at Lyra's obvious dislike of mornings. She was so chipper and high strung yesterday. Maybe she has to build up her peppiness over the day. It wouldn't surprise me. After all, she is just a human being like you and me.

It takes me ten minutes to get ready before I go out to the kitchen with a hungry Forest riding my left shoulder.

"Good morning, Calypso! I hope you're ready for breakfast," Lyra's grandma exclaims from in front of the stove.

Lyra's grandpa waves at us while he's setting the table, and he gestures Forest and I to sit down at the table, so we do.

"Marill, come on! Grandma made yummy breakfast, and you're too busy running all over the house to eat it," Lyra says from the hallway.

Marill squeals again, and finally comes waddling into the kitchen, an excited grin on her face. A fully dressed Lyra almost trips following her in, but like an automatic reflex, her grandma grabs her by the arm, and stops her from falling on her face.

"You are such a clumsy child," Lyra's grandma shakes her head, "Calypso, I hope you don't take after my granddaughter with her clumsiness. I don't know how she hasn't seriously injured herself while alone on her journey."

I sweat-drop a little bit, and respond rather sheepishly, "Unfortunately, I'll have to disappoint you on that one. I nearly killed myself twice yesterday tripping over dropped items in Ilex Forest."

"I think we found your twin, Lyra," Lyra's grandpa jokes as he dishes up bowls for all of us. Lyra finally slumps down in the seat next to me, looking slightly like a zombie. I look over to her in concern, but her grandma notices, and says,

"Don't worry about Lyra, dear. She's always a little slow-moving in the mornings. She'll be better after she eats. Anyway, I hope you enjoy breakfast. It's homemade grits sweetened with Combee honey."

Forest and I dig in, relishing the taste of the sweet honey. Between the two of us, we finish the whole bowl in under five minutes. We aren't the only ones to do so, however. Lyra and Marill are even faster than us, clearing their bowls in three minutes flat!

"Thanks for breakfast, Grandma," Lyra says as she washes our bowls and puts them in the drying rack, "I think I'm going to head out. See ya!"

She goes to leave before suddenly stopping, and running back. "Oh, I almost forgot! Here, this is my PokéGear number!"

We input our numbers into each other's PokéGears while Lyra's grandma sends us a mischievous little smirk from the kitchen. Lyra sees it and comments,

"Grandma! Don't you say anything. We are both Trainers, and we are supposed to exchange numbers. That's all."

Then she walks out the door with Marill following right behind her. I wave goodbye to her grandparents and thank them for letting me spend the night before I head out.

Ever since Forest fought and won against Silver's Croconaw, he's really been putting a lot more effort into his training. He requested to be put at the front of the party, and I'm not telling him no. If he wants to train, I'll let him. Besides, Spirit and Dusk hate the daylight, while Cyndi and Zellie are still sleeping in for the rest of the morning.

Forest and I continue up the road that leads to Goldenrod City. There's a cop in uniform on my right side, but he's ignoring Forest and I for some reason. Hey, I'm not complaining.

There's one last Trainer on this route we need to beat in order to get to Goldenrod City. A Camper is watching the end of the route from the far right side near the grass. He's probably watching for trainers to battle. Well, why don't Forest and I give him what he wants?

We walk within his sight, and he shouts, "Hey, I see you're a Trainer! Battle me before you go to Goldenrod City!"

"You're on, kid," I yell back before walking up closer to him. He introduces himself as Camper Todd before releasing his only Pokémon, a Level 14 Psyduck.

"Psyduck, use your Scratch attack," Camper Todd starts it out.

Psyduck dashes towards Forest, the claws on his tiny paws sharp and ready to do damage. I call out to Forest,

"Forest, dodge it and use PoisonPowder!"

Psyduck is faster, and he scratches Forest on the underside of his circular mouth for a fourth of his HP in damage. Psyduck doesn't move quickly enough to get away from Forest's PoisonPowder, however. He starts to steadily lose HP due to the poison.

"Forest, use your Vine Whip attack!" Forest charges towards Psyduck, vines outstretched. Psyduck tries to run away, but Forest catches Psyduck's left leg with his right vine. With great strength, Forest picks him up and throws him. Psyduck loses all but a little HP from the attack.

"Psyduck," Camper Todd yells out in worry, "Use Disable so Bellsprout can't use Vine Whip on you."

Psyduck snaps his tiny little fingers, and suddenly Forest is unable to use his Vine Whip attack. No problem for us though.

Psyduck loses more HP from another turn with poison. He has 2 HP left, so I decide to have Forest end it.

"Forest, take Psyduck out with your Cut attack!"

Psyduck is literally a sitting duck as Forest delivers the final blow.

"Forest grows to Level 16," The Pokédex congratulates Forest.

Camper Todd recalls Psyduck. He gives me 224 in winnings before offering me his number. Apparently, he knows all about when sales happen at the Goldenrod City Department Store. I'm always willing to save a Poké or two, so I gave him my number in return.

The first sight of Goldenrod City is… odd. Very odd. I know this is where a lot of the events leading up to Gran kidnapping me happened. I've also been forced to come here and follow her around while she shopped and visited her JJS friends in the past. So while I have a lot of painful memories related to this city, I can't help but feel satisfied at the fact that I'm exploring the city on my own terms this time.

I think Forest notices my anticipation. He wraps his two lower vines around my arm tightly, helping me to have enough courage to go into the city.

The first step is the worst. I'm almost blinded by the light reflecting off the golden roofs of the buildings. I don't know if that's a bad omen or what, but I'll have to shake it off for now.

I convince Forest that he should have a round at the Pokémon Center for the injuries he got from Todd's Psyduck. We get him healed before heading next door to the Goldenrod Department Store.

We walk in, the cool breeze of fans greeting us. The greeter at the counter also welcomes us in. I take note of the people around me. An older man on the left, and a mom and young son on the right. No one suspicious.

The first floor is only the lobby, so with Forest riding on my shoulder, we head up the escalator.

We get up to the second floor where we walk up to the vendor on the right. I sell the X Attack that I tripped on in Ilex Forest for 250. Then I buy enough Potions that I have 15, and enough Super Potions so I have 10. I also make sure I have 5 each of Parlyz Heal, Antidote, and Awakening, and 2 each of Burn Heal and Ice Heal.

I go to the other vendor on the left, and buy 20 Repels from him. Just in case I need to make a quick escape.

There's no one who gives me creeps on the second floor, so Forest and I head up to the third floor. They're selling in-battle supplements there, so Forest and I continue up to the fourth floor. That's where they sell permanent stat boosting drugs, but they're 9800 for just one of them, so I'm not buying.

The fifth floor sells TMs, but they're either defensive moves that I'm not a fan of, or vastly overpriced. So I'm going to skip on this floor too.

Forest and I finally head up to the sixth floor. When we get off the escalator, the two ladies behind the counter tell us about a drawing that they're doing. Pay only 300 to try, and win awesome prizes! I go ahead to try, and end up winning their #2 Prize of the Day, a Net Ball! I'm pretty sure Net Balls are usually 1000, so I saved 700!

I thank them before going over to the left side of the floor to grab a drink from the vending machine. I end up buying a Fresh Water for Forest while I drink a Soda Pop. We sit down at the table on the left to drink our beverages and talk.

Forest and I are having light, amicable conversation before I notice a pair of eyes staring at us from the table northeast of us.

A heavy set older lady is glaring at us. She's wearing a pink dress with a grey trench coat over it. She's also wear grey kitten heels and a dark blue shawl tied over her grey hair. When she turns to look at me again, I see familiar dark brown eyes boring into mine hatefully.

Instantly realizing who's staring at me, I look over to my two options: The escalator, or the elevator. She's blocking my path to both, so I think about the pros/cons of each.

I'm not quite sure whether the escalator is good option or not. I don't know if Gran has the stamina to chase me down five escalators without also looking crazy. But there's also the chance that she'll decide to use the elevator to chase me down anyway.

If I manage to get to the elevator in time before she does, I will definitely get to the ground floor faster so I can escape. But if she catches me to the elevator, I'm screwed.

I decide to make a run for the elevator. "Hold on," I whisper to Forest before I power-sprint to the elevator.

I can see Gran out of the corner of my eye following behind me, so I pick up my pace, and smash the elevator button a few times. The elevator opens right before I feel her acrylic nails on the back of my neck.

I rush in, and smash the "Close Door" button multiple times, almost crushing her hand between the door in the process. Hey, what do I care? She probably wants to kill me. "You ungrateful bitch of a granddaughter!" is the last thing I hear before the door finally closes on her.

I press the button that will take me to the ground floor. Thankfully, the elevator doesn't stop to let anyone on from the lower floors. She must be busting her ass on the escalators. Good.

My heart is racing a million miles a minute and my breathing is so heavy I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself before Forest and I get to the lobby, where we have to make a run for it.

The elevators doors open, and there's no sign of Gran. I power-walk out the Department Store doors with Forest hanging on for dear life on my shoulder.

I power-walk up the road past the Pokémon Center, and I follow the path on the left-hand side between the Pokémon Center and the Game Corner. We jog past the house on the right, until we see an entrance for an underground tunnel.

"Goldenrod City Underpass Tunnel: Please do not ride your bike in the tunnel," The sign says on it. Hey, I figure the underpass is gonna be my best bet to hide out from Gran.

Forest and I duck into the underpass entrance, where we quickly run into another familiar face.

"Ahhhh," Lyra says as Forest and I nearly collide with her and Marill. We quickly brush ourselves off.

"You okay, Calypso," Lyra asks, "You seem like you're in quite a rush. What's going on?"

"I'm pretty sure I just saw Gran—I mean Ruth—on the top floor of the Department Store! She was staring at me while Forest and I were having drinks at a table up there, and she tried following me to the elevator, but I was too fast for her! So Forest and I ran here to get away!"

"You saw your crazy grandma? Calypso, you have to call the Johto Police Department right now! Maybe they'll be able to catch her," Lyra finishes.

I think about it for a sec. Why not call JP? I dial her number, and it rings a few times before the young Officer picks up the phone.

"Hello, Officer Jenny Paige speaking..."

"Hey, JP, it's Calypso. I wouldn't normally call you directly, but I just wanted to tell you that I spotted Gran in the Goldenrod City Department Store on the top floor. She tried to follow me downstairs, but I used the elevator and she used the escalators so I got out faster. Then I ran to the Goldenrod Underpass and called you."

"I'm glad you called, Calypso! Are you alone," JP asks.

"No, I'm with my friend, Lyra. We ran into each other in the Underpass."

"Okay, make sure you stay with your friend for a little bit. I'm going to call the Captain of the Goldenrod City Police Department and tell her what's going on. She'll send a party of officers to search the city. Once she tells me it's all clear, I'll call you back to let you know you're good," JP confirms with me.

"Okay, JP, thank you so much for helping me out with this. Seeing her since the incident was not something I was expecting, and I'm just glad I was able to get away," I sigh with relief.

"I'm glad too. I'll let you know when I find out what's going on," JP finishes before she hangs up.

"So we need to stick together until you get a call back from that Officer, right," Lyra asks after a second, "If you wanna battle the trainers down here, I'll heal your Pokémon afterward."

"Hey, why not. I need to train for the Goldenrod Gym Challenge anyway, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to do so," I say thoughtfully, "Thanks, Lyra."

Since we came from the bottom, the first trainer we come by is a Super Nerd. Super Nerd Eric has two Level 11 Grimers. I send out Dusk to take care of the Grimers, while Forest watches the battles from my shoulder. Dusk uses a combination of Confuse Ray and Psywave to take them out, with the second one actually making himself faint in confusion. He pays me 704.

Poké Maniac Issac sneaks up creepily on Lyra and I, inquiring for a battle. So Dusk and I give it to him and his Level 12 Lickitung.

Both of us try to use the same tactic,

"Dusk, use Confuse Ray!"

"Lickitung, use Supersonic!"

Dusk's attack is faster, and she confuses Lickitung. Lickitung's Supersonic misses because he's too confused to aim. He actually ends up hurting himself falling over for a fifth of his HP in damage.

"Come on, Lickitung, you got this! Use your Lick attack!"

"Dusk, use Psywave!"

Lickitung sees through his confusion, and he licks Dusk across the face for a third of her HP in damage. Thankfully, the super-effective attack doesn't paralyze her.

Dusk starts using us Psywave attack, the sonic wave hurting Poké Maniac Issac and his Lickitung's ears. It reduces Lickitung's HP to a little less than half. It also increases his level of confusion. He stumbles over again, hurting himself again in the process. It reduces his HP to a third.

"Lickitung, you've got to stay in it! Use Lick one more time!"

"Dusk, take it out with Psywave before he licks you!"

Dusk's Psywave is enough to knock Lickitung out before he can even get near her.

"Dusk grows to Level 18," The Pokédex announces.

Poké Maniac Issac recalls his Lickitung before paying me 768, and sauntering back into the darkness from which he came.

Lyra heals Dusk's HP before we walk further on. There are a couple of different shops down here, but only one of them is currently open. A young guy looking to be in his late teens or early twenties is occupying the middle storefront.

Lyra and I walk up to the storefront, and we finally realize what he's selling.

"Hi, I'm the younger of Haircut Brothers! I can spruce your Pokémon up for only 300! Do you want me to groom one of your Pokémon?"

I look to Forest and Dusk, who are both on my shoulders. "Do either of you guys need a haircut?"

Dusk says 'Nah', but Forest looks thoughtful.

'I have this extra leaf growing on the underside of my left vine from when it healed from Croconaw's Bite. It's so itchy and scratchy, and I've tried to remove it myself, but I can't rip it off without tearing open the scab from the wound. If he could just trim it, that would be amazing.'

I relay this to the younger Haircut Brother, who instantly understands, and gets to work. In about five minutes, the younger Haircut Brother completely trims off the leaf that's been bothering Forest so much. He looks so relieved.

"There, he's all done!" Forest climbs back over the counter as I pay him the 300+100 for tip.

Lyra and Marill are standing patiently behind us. I'm surprised she didn't want to get Marill groomed. But, hey, that's none of my business.

The next trainer we encounter is Super Nerd Teru. He has a whopping 4 Pokémon, the first being a Level 7 Magnemite.

Dusk isn't a good type match up, so I send out Cyndi to fry Teru's Magnemite with Ember, while Forest and Dusk cheer her on from my shoulders. Cyndi proceeds to KO his next two Pokémon, another Level 7 Magnemite, and then a Level 9 Magnemite.

His last Pokémon is a Level 11 Voltorb. I remember reading about Voltorb's Ability, Static, and how it paralyzes any Pokémon that comes into physical contact with it. So I'm hoping that a couple of Embers will take Voltorb out too.

"Cyndi, use your Ember attack, full strength!"

"Voltorb, dodge it and use Sonicboom!"

Cyndi quickly charges a fireball and shoots it at Voltorb, who is fast, but not fast enough to avoid Cyndi's Ember. It reduces his HP to a third.

Voltorb's Sonicboom hits Cyndi for a third of her HP in damage. Since Sonicboom does 20 HP of damage per attack, Cyndi can't withstand more than two Sonicbooms in one battle. We need to get this over with soon.

"Cyndi, use Ember again to get the job done!"

Cyndi is much faster than Voltorb, and she takes him out with her blue fireball. Super Nerd Teru looks like he's about to have a mental breakdown as he recalls Voltorb, and pays me 432.

Lyra heals Cyndi with a Potion before we head on further. There's a final trainer up ahead, but Lyra sees something to the right, and drags me by the wrist to go check it out.

There's a large space to the right, with a pink counter space against the far wall, and a space with a camera to take pictures with. Behind the counter, a large man dressed as a Hiker beckons us to him.

"Hello, ladies! I have created a space down here where you can dress up your Pokémon with accessories before taking an adorable picture with my camera! Would either of you like to try it? You need a Fashion Case to do so, however."

I shrug, "Well, I don't have a Fashion Case, so I'll have to say no—"

"Wait," Lyra interrupts me, "My mom bought one for me, but she actually grabbed two of them because they were on sale. She didn't need the other one, so I've been looking for someone to give it to. Here, it has the basic accessories that it came with."

Lyra hands me the extra Fashion Case, and I can't help but grin widely. "Hey, thanks! Now, who should I dress up…?"

Both Dusk and Forest are waving their heads, "No", so I'm guessing they're camera shy. Hmmm, who would be the most likely to want to get dressed up…?

I let out Zellie, whose been sleeping for the entire morning. She looks slightly disheveled, like she just woke up, but she still sends me a tiny grin when I let her out.

'What's going on,' she questions sleepily.

"Okay, so Lyra gave me this Fashion Case so I could dress up one of my Pokémon to take a picture. I thought you were the most likely to do it."

Zellie thinks about it for a second before quickly replying, "Hey, why not? It sounds fun.'

So Zellie and I go into the man's dress up room. I give Zellie a collar made of multicolored fluff, while also sticking a feather on each of her tails. Finally, I give her a pair of black sunglasses that I stole from Gran. She looks snazzy.

We come out from the dressing room, and the man asks me to pick a backdrop from my Fashion Case. I go to look at which ones the Fashion Case came with.

I find one labeled, "City at Night," and another labeled, "Outer Space." There's also one that's a striped Poké Ball pattern. I decide to go with the first one, the background fitting with Zellie's outfit.

"All right, if you've chosen your Accessories and your Backdrop, go ahead and stand in front of the camera," the Dress Up Man says.

Zellie walks up to stand against the backdrop, and proceeds to pose cooly.

"3, 2, 1, and… Shoot!" The Dress Up Man takes the picture. He then quickly prints it, to my surprise. Then he hands me a pen.

"Here, go ahead and name your picture, and I'll hang it up on the wall."

I think about it for a second before writing, "Snazzy Jazzy Zellie!"

I thank him and give him back the picture so he can put it on the wall. Zellie and Forest decide to go back into their Poké Balls so they can sleep some more.

I suddenly notice that Lyra and Marill are missing. They must be in the dressing room.

I decide to use my spare time defeating the last trainer, Poké Maniac Donald. He has two Pokémon, both Level 11 Slowpokes. Spirit, Dusk, and Forest all have type advantages, but the only one who hasn't battled today is Spirit. Plus, the Goldenrod Tunnel is very dimly lit, so Spirit shouldn't mind battling.

Spirit KOs both Slowpokes with her Faint Attack. She then joins Dusk by perching on my left shoulder (where Forest was) while Dusk floats by my right.

Poké Maniac Donald bitterly pays me 704.

We walk (float) back over to the Dress Up Area, where I see Lyra and Marill come out of the Dressing Room.

Marill is wearing a flower behind each ear, one yellow and the other red. She's also holding a leaf and a small pretty blue scale. The backdrop that they're using is a giant meadow.

"3, 2, 1, and… Shoot!"

Lyra signs her photo as "Epic Cuteness", and hands it back the the Dress Up Man.

"Okay, Marill and I are done! Did you want to go battle that last trainer now," she says as we walk away from the Dress Up Area.

"Actually, Spirit and I took care of him while you and Marill were dressing up. But you don't need to heal her or anything. That Poké Maniac wasn't even able to get a hit on Spirit," I comment dryly while we walk past Poké Maniac Donald, who glares at me.

"Wow, Calypso, you and your team are really getting stronger! Do you think you'll need anymore training before the Gym Battle," Lyra questions.

I go to answer her, but all of a sudden, my PokéGear rings. I look at it, and it's JP calling!

"Hey, JP, what's going on?"

"Hey, Calypso! Boy, do I have a juicy update for you," JP says excitedly.

"All right, JP, go ahead, I'm all ears."

"Okay, so the Goldenrod City Police Captain sent a party of officers to search the city. They searched the entire Department Store, and didn't find anything! But guess where they actually ended up finding her," she asks while giggling.

"Let me guess, the courthouse," I ask dryly.

"Actually, no, they found her in the Game Corner, playing Voltorb Flip! She was on level 7 before the Police Squad interrupted her. How crazy is that?!"

"Actually, that makes a lot of sense. I always suspected Gran of having a gambling problem. She would always come out to Goldenrod, and when she'd get back, she'd get drunk and accuse me of stealing money out of her wallet. It was actually her coming to the Game Corner and losing mass amounts of money gambling. Then, to lessen her guilt, she'd get drunk, and convince herself that I stole the money, instead of owning up to the fact that she has a problem. Several problems, actually."

"Well, and think about all the money she put down to get to Level 7, and then to lose all of that! She does have a serious problem," JP exclaims.

"Well, she's probably the biggest reason the Game Corner is still in business, anyway," I remark sarcastically, "But you said they caught her, right?"

"Yeah, they got her. She was so engrossed in Voltorb Flip, they arrested her before she could even take out any of her Pokémon. She's currently in the Goldenrod City Jail, but she should be transferred to the Indigo League Prison between Johto and Kanto sometime within the next few days."

"Yes! Yes! She's in jail! Arceus, yes," I cheer loudly.

JP and Lyra both congratulate me, but I notice that PokéManiac Donald is still glaring over here. What a sore loser. I stare back at him, giving him my death glare. He can't hold for as long as I can, and he breaks, looking away.

Silver would be proud… but why do I care about what Silver would think? Ugh. I gotta quit thinking about that Ginger Head Man…

"Yeah, and her bail is set for 75,000! That's a huge amount of money to pay down to be able to get out of jail," JP states.

"Yeah, and plus, I stole most of her life savings when I ran away, so she's only got what's in her bank account. And she just threw away a bunch of her money gambling! Ruth Marken isn't getting out of jail anytime soon!"

"And since she's locked up, you're free to travel Johto on your own, Calypso! I'm so happy for you. Now you can journey without having to worry about Ruth," Lyra adds.

"All right, I'm glad I had that good news to tell you. Call me if anything bad happens, okay? I'll also keep you updated on Ruth's status," JP finishes.

"Yay, thank you so much, JP! I'll let you know if anything happens. Bye!"

"See ya!"

I hang up the phone, and turn to Lyra. "Hey, thanks for hanging with me and healing my Pokémon while I was training. Especially since I was hiding from Gran at the time. You're a great friend."

Lyra blushes a tiny bit. "Hey, it's no problem. You're a great Pokémon trainer, Calypso. I'm glad we're friends. And I think you're going to do awesome at the Goldenrod Gym! Speaking of that, since your Gran is in jail, you can challenge the Gym! I have to do a project for Professor Elm in National Park, anyway. It was good hanging with you, Calypso. See ya!"

Lyra and Marill run through the exit for the tunnel.

When Spirit, Dusk and I walk up the stairs, the bright sunshine causes them to recoil. Dusk requests to be put back in her Poké Ball immediately, so I do so. Spirit gets used to the sunshine after a second, and she decides to chill on my shoulder as we explore the rest of Goldenrod City.

The Gym is directly to our right. Since Lyra healed all my Pokémon earlier, we're in tip top shape to challenge the Gym.

When Spirit and I get there, there's a Beauty guarding the door.

"Hi, we came to challenge the Goldenrod City Gym. Are you guys open?"

The Beauty rolls her eyes, and replies rudely, "Not for Pokémon stealing twerps like you. We know who you are, Calypso Aspen Primrose. You stole Jessica, a Misdreavus belonging to our sister, Monica Blodvek. You've been banned from entering this Gym by Gym Leader Whitney! Now leave before I call the Goldenrod Police Department!"

I flip her the bird before Spirit and I walk away bitterly. We'll find a way to sneak in there and challenge the Gym. Fuck Monica.

My skateboard recently developed a crack in it, so I haven't been riding as much. I know that my dad used to buy his skateboards from a skate shop in Goldenrod.

Spirit and I notice a path to the left, directly behind the Goldenrod Department Store. Spirit and I follow it, and to my delight, we find the skate shop!

When we walk through the door, a bell chimes above us. The shop clerk looks over to greet us, but his eyes bug out when he sees us.

"Dan?! Buddy?! But you died years ago! Ahhh! A ghost!"

My eyes also bug out at getting mistaken for my dead dad.

"Hey, wait, I'm not Dan! I'm his daughter, Calypso," I say frantically.

My voice finally snaps him out of his freak out. He slowly starts laughing, and he wipes his sweaty forehead with his right hand.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry. I've been thinking about Dan lately, and to see you come strolling through that door looking just like him… It messed with my head.

Anyway, it's awesome to finally meet you Calypso! I was an old friend of your dad's. I knew Dan's daughter would come strolling through these doors one day! So what can I do for ya?"

I pull my neon green skateboard from my bag, and show it to him. "This is one of dad's skateboards that I stole from Gran. I've been riding a lot, so it's started cracking! Ever since I first saw the crack, I stopped riding it so it wouldn't break in two. I was wondering whether you'd either be able to fix it, or sell me one for an affordable price."

"Yep, this is one of Dan's old boards that he bought from me back in the day," he comments as he looks over the damage, "This isn't looking good, Cal!

The split is on both sides of the board. To be honest, it would take a miracle to fix this, but I'll try. While I'm fixing it, I'll give you a loaner board so you can still get around.

Besides, you can advertise for me if people see you riding my skateboard. Your old one has the logo rubbed off from use anyway. I'll go ahead and do a paint job and some detail work on it. Bring it back to its former glory. "

"How much is all of this going to cost," I question anxiously.

He snaps his head back over at me incredulously. "You really think I'd charge Daniel Marken's daughter for skateboard work? Ha! You're out of your mind. Daniel always tried to pay too, that sly Growlithe, but I always insisted that it was on the house. I don't have too many friends who I allow to do this, and Dan was special. That makes you special too!"

"Are you sure? That's a lot of work there," I ask him again, but he shakes his head.

"Nah, just ride that loaner around for me for a while, and then I'll give you the Shop's phone number so I can tell you when your board is done," he says as we input our numbers into each other's PokéGear.

The new skateboard he gave me is a bright blood red with a black border. It kinda fits the vibe I've got going on today.

"All right, Calypso, I'll call you when I'm done with your board. Take care until then, okay?"

We shake hands, and I reply cordially, "Hey, you too."

I test out the new board, Spirit hanging onto my shoulder. It rides just as smooth as Dad's old one. I guess their quality hasn't changed in 13 years.

As we ride out the path onto the main road, I hear someone say something about winning a Radio Card for their PokéGear by acing a quiz at the Goldenrod Radio Tower. That's the only PokéGear Card I don't have. So I start skating towards the Radio Tower.

Spirit and I enter the Radio Tower, where the receptionist greets us warmly. We walk past her and another lady before reaching the last corner counter, labeled, "Radio Card Quiz Counter."

"Ugh, I can't believe I got it wrong again," a pink pigtailed girl groans from the left side of the Quiz Counter.

"Oh, it's all right, Whitney," the lady at the counter comforts her soothingly, "You'll get it soon. Anyway, why don't we let this girl have a try? You'll win a free Radio Card if you can answer our 5 Question Quiz correctly!"

"That's what I came here to do," I exclaim as I step up to the counter. The lady reads me five questions aloud, and to my surprise, they are easy! It takes me a minute or two to finish the quiz, and to my delight, I pass.

"Here's your Radio Card!" The lady hands me the card, and I input it into my PokéGear.

"Wow, you did it! I was sure that the answer to the third question was apricots! Oops, I've spent too much time here! I gotta get back to the Gym to prep for Monica's birthday party at 8!"

Whitney runs off to the Gym. I'm surprised that she didn't yell at me, considering that she banned me from her Gym. Maybe she didn't recognize me. That's a good sign though. It'll be easier for me to sneak into the Gym.

Plus, I could crash Monica's birthday party and ruin her night. That's what she gets for tattling to Whitney about me.

I decide to turn on the Radio to test it out for the first time. The first station we try is "The Pokémon Music Channel", but it's currently on Pokémon Lullaby, which Spirit complains about immediately.

I go ahead and change it to the next station, which turns out to be The Variety Channel, currently on a quiz show called Buena's Password. The show is interesting, so I start listening.

"Hello, everyone, it's Buena! Time for today's password! Today's password is… Bug Pokémon! Don't forget it! I'm looking forward to your visiting me at the Goldenrod City Radio Tower!"

We're already in the Radio Tower, so Spirit and I head up to the second floor, home to a cozy little cafe and Buena's studio.

We walk up to the studio area, where there are two women, one by the entrance, and one behind a desk. The one by the entrance addresses me,

"Hello, did you come to play Buena's Password? Here, your going to need this," she says as she hands me a pretty blue card, "This card is for gathering points. Every day, you can play Buena's Password once, and it counts for a point each time you get the password correct. Good luck!"

I thank her before walking up to the desk where the other woman is. I'm guessing this is Buena.

"Hey, I'm here to play Buena's Password! The name's Calypso," I introduce myself.

Buena smiles brightly, and replies, "Thanks for listening in! Do you remember today's password?"

"Yep," I answer with enthusiasm.

"Oh, wow! Thank you! What was your name again?"

I am about to answer again, but she finds the answer herself, "...Calypso! Come on, Calypso. Join the show."

Buena beckons me to come behind the desk with her, and she motions to the microphone.

"Everyone ready? I want to hear you shout out today's password for Calypso!"

She hands me a small list of three options: Bug Pokémon, Bird Pokémon, and Grass Pokémon. I know the first one is the answer.

"Bug Pokémon," I announce into the microphone.

A few seconds roll by before Buena erupts into a cheer, "Yippee, that's right! You did tune in! I'm so happy! You earned one point! Congratulations! Tune in to my show again tomorrow!"

I step out from behind the desk, and the lady at the entrance stamps my card for one point.

"The prize for having one point is a Poké Ball," she says as she hands me said Poké Ball, "Your next prize is a Full Restore at three points." I thank her again before Spirit and I head out.

It's around dinner time, and Spirit and I are so hungry that we head back to the Pokémon Center for some food. I buy a sandwich from their deli, while I feed everyone but Dusk Pokémon food.

So much has happened today that I'm feeling tired. I look at the time. 5:30pm. Whitney said that Monica's birthday party starts at 8pm, so I set an alarm on my PokéGear so I wake up at 7:30pm. That'll give me two hours to sleep, and thirty minutes to walk to Goldenrod Gym, and figure how to sneak in and crash her party.

I sleep in an empty booth in the Pokémon Center, Cyndi coming out of her Poké Ball to snooze next to me. She's so warm that lying next to her is like sleeping next to a super heated electric blanket. We quickly doze off…

*Third Person POV* (Time: 6:30pm)

Monica Blodvek squeals excitedly as she strolls down Goldenrod's Main Street, her hips swinging side to side in her tight white miniskirt. Today is her day; She turns twenty! She's not a teenager anymore!

Her glitter nails sparkle in the dying light of the soon coming sunset. She has just gotten them done at Goldenrod's Salon thirty minutes prior. She looks down to admire them, when she accidentally crashes into somebody. The impact makes her land on her ass roughly.

Brushing her newly dyed blonde hair aside, Monica looks up to find a stunned but agitated Poké Maniac also on the ground. Scowling, she spits out, "Watch where you're going next time, dweeb! You nearly ruined my nails that I just got done!"

"Like it's my problem if one of your precious nails breaks, sweetie," Poké Maniac Donald replies mockingly.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be. You wanna go, dweeb? I'll battle you right here, right now," Monica snarls back viciously.

"Oh, believe me, sweetheart, I'd give you the pleasure if my team wasn't just creamed by a cocky shaggy-haired bitch with a Murkrow and a Misdreavus."

Monica's perfect eyebrow twitches in response to Poké Maniac Donald's description of the trainer.

"Did you just say that you got beat by a shaggy haired girl with a Misdreavus? That's my Misdreavus, Jessica! That punk wannabe, Calypso, stole her from me five days ago! And the police refuse to do anything about it! Ugh, this makes me so pissed! And to know that she's in Goldenrod City already! She better not mess with my birthday party."

Poké Maniac Donald smiles warmly. "Happy Birthday," Donald starts out politely before shaking Monica's hand, "I'm Donald, and I think we can help each other out. What's your name?"

"I'm Monica," Monica pretends not to be disgusted at Donald's touch, "And how are you going to help me out? My birthday party is in an hour and a half! I don't have time to be plotting revenge with some random dweeb I don't know."

Donald grins mischievously, and replies, "Actually, I don't need your time to get back at her. You see, after Calypso beat me, I did some research on her. Apparently, she used to live with her abusive grandmother in Cianwood City before she ran away and her grandmother was put in jail."

"Yeah," Monica says snottily, "And how is that going to help us get back at her?"

"Well, it's pretty clear that Calypso hates her grandmother. I looked her up, and her name is Ruth Marken. She's known to be a very skilled Pokémon Trainer. Her bail is set at 75,000.

If we get her grandmother out of jail, and team up with her, I bet together, we could all take Calypso down. So what I need from you is not time, but money. I'm broke and from the looks of you, I'm guessing you're loaded," Donald finishes.

Monica thinks about this for a second before sealing the deal, "I take it back, you're not a dweeb, you're a nerd. Only a nerd would come up with a plan that would work so well. I'm in. I actually have over 250,000 with me, so I'll just give you the money now," Monica states as she hands the 75,000 to Donald.

He stares at it incredulously, replying, "I knew you were loaded, but damn!"

"And I can't believe I'm doing this, but here's my PokéGear number. Let me know when you get her grandma out of jail," Monica says as she inputs her number into his PokéGear.

"Sounds like a plan, beautiful. I'll talk to you after I get Ruth Marken out of jail."

*Calypso POV (First Person)*

My PokéGear ringing instantly rises Cyndi and I from our nap. I look down at the time. 7:15pm. Looking down, I see that JP is calling me. I yawn before answering the phone call.

"Hey, JP, what's going on?"

"Oh my Arceus, Calypso," JP starts out hysterically.

"JP, everything okay," I ask concernedly.

"So, I don't know how to tell you this, but… Someone paid your Gran's 75,000 bail. She was just released from the Goldenrod City Jail five minutes ago. There was nothing any of us could do, legally speaking. The Sergeant of the Goldenrod Police Department told me to warn you."

"Who the fuck paid to get Gran out of jail is what I want to know," I growl menacingly.

"There is a little good news," JP says after a minute, "As a safety measure, they've put a restraining order in place that she's not to be 100 yards of you at any time. So if she even comes near you, call the Police Department, and they'll arrest her again for violating her restraining order."

"So I have to be on the watch for Gran, again. That's great. I want to punch the fuck out of whoever paid her bail," I threaten.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Calypso. Anyways, let me know if you have any problems, okay? If you see her near you, make sure to call the nearest Police Department first. You can still call me, but make sure to get local help first. Sorry I had to tell you all of this in the first place."

"You're all good, JP, someone out there is just really a motherfucker. I'll call you if I have any problems. See ya," I say goodbye, which she returns before hanging up the phone.

I hear Cyndi make a noise, so I glance over to her, only to realize that her fire is blue in anger. She's growling lowly, and I can barely make out what she's saying,

'I want to set the old hag on fire. And set fire to the person who bailed her out.'

I barely let a small smile fly, but I also can't be encouraging this kind of behavior. So I say calmly,

"Me too, Cyndi, me too. But we don't do that because we don't want to go to prison where Gran belongs. So while we wish for revenge, we need to let karma work its magic."

Cyndi's flames return to her normal yellow/orange. I scratch her head a few times while thinking about this new development. She relaxes in response to being pet, and she begins purring. Definitely got her out of her bad mood.

It'll be a lot harder to sneak into the Goldenrod Gym now that Gran is on the loose again. Cyndi and I will have to be extra careful in order to do it without being caught. But I'm not one to be intimidated by a challenge.

Besides, Monica deserves to have her shit wrecked. According to Dusk, Monica repeatedly verbally abused her over a period of two years.

Apparently she was a gift from Monica's mother for her 18th birthday. The problem was that Monica had just gotten a job by becoming a Gym Trainer at the Goldenrod City Gym. And "Jessica", being a Ghost-Type, didn't fit in with the Normal Type Gym's aesthetics.

Not only that, but Monica nor any of the Gym trainers knew about the way that Misdreavus feed off of fear. So when she went scaring them and their Pokémon with pranks all the time, Monica flew off the handle.

So, no, I really don't feel sorry for what I'm about to do in 15 minutes. Monica is a shitty person, and if I have the chance to knock her down a few pegs, I will.

I recall Cyndi back into her Poké Ball, and let out both Spirit and Dusk, my night Pokémon. With them both being able to fly/float, they'll be the least distracting when we're trying to sneak in. Besides, I'm sure Dusk wants her own kind of revenge.

The three of us stroll out of the Pokémon Center, excited, but nervous about the evening adventure that awaits us.

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sorayahigashikata · 5 years ago

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Chapter 91: "The right kid's gonna die tonight! I think."

#Paula reads SBR #Chapter 91 #stupid Valentine fetching another stupid Dio #can this race please be over already?#Steel Ball Run spoilers #Part 7 spoilers

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jenmedsbookreviews · 7 years ago

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Work, work, work. That’s the story of my life these days. Well, apart from Monday afternoon. I took that as annual leave. But the rest of the week was boring, uneventful and painfully long … This was all I had to show from a full day’s graft on Thursday. CAn you tell what it is? Me either.

Ah well. Pays the bills.

Monday afternoon was a bit of fun though. Quick (?) trip down to the City to attend First Monday Crime at City University. Quite the session this time with Craig Robertson, Tammy Cohen, CJ Tudor and Chris Carter. It was a really entertaining session even if one of Chris Carter’s crime scene stories left everyone feeling a little revolted. If you ever get the chance to head to one of the First Monday sessions I would absolutely recommend them as they’re a great evening of bookish talk with some fabulous people. Yes, I didn’t get home until 01:45 Tuesday morning, but I was actually more awake than I have been in a very long time when it came to going into work that morning. About right!

As I was in the presence of such fabulous authors it would have been a crime not to pick up a couple of books and get some squiggles while I was there. So I did. Far be it for me to break the law 😉 Picked up The Photographer by Craig Robertson and The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor, who was comepletely shell shocked by the whole evening.

Arrived home to more fabulous book post too, this time The Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins. Thanks to Roz and publishers HQ for that. Love the dice that come with it. Also on Saturday I received a copy of Hold My Hand by MJ Ford from Avon, so a big thanks to Sabah Khan for that too.

Picked up a few books from Netgalley, again these were for blog tours so they’ll be gone in a few weeks. All Bookouture titles too. The Visitor by KL Slater; The Babysitter by Sheryl Browne and Cold Heart by Stephen Edger.

Amazon wise I may have purchased and/or preordered a few books. As you do.

The Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies; The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton; Come a Little Closer by Rachel Abbott and Perfect Silence by Helen Fields. Quite reserved for me.

Been quite productive from a reading point of view this week. Sort of. Nine books, well the best part of. Can’t complain at that. Two were Mr Men Dr Who books and one was a novella, but still – six regular books is still impressive.

Books I have Read

The Little Cottage on the Hill – Emma Davies

There’s blossom in the trees and daffodils as far as the eye can see. Maddie is looking forward to a fresh start in the countryside, but there’s just one little problem…

Following a scandal at her high-flying PR agency, twenty-six-year-old Maddie flees London to help promote what she thinks is going to be a luxurious holiday retreat in the countryside. Everything is riding on her making a success of this new job…

Yet when she arrives, Maddie is horrified to find a rundown old farm in a terrible state. The brooding and secretive owner, Seth, spent all his money on leasing the land when he fell in love with the beautiful, dishevelled farm cottages and the very romantic story behind them.

When Maddie discovers an old oil painting by the original owner’s wife, she unlocks the secret of the farm’s history and quickly realises she must start getting her hands dirty if this very special place is going to have any chance of survival. As she and Seth begin working together, the stunning view from the top of the hill is not the only thing that’s leaving her breathless…

After weeks of hard work the dream looks like it might become a reality, until a secret from Maddie’s past threatens to snatch it all away again. Can Maddie find a way to save the business and herself? Will she finally find a place to keep her heart within the crumbling walls of the little cottage on the hill?

Set in my native home county of Shropshire, when invited to take part in the blog tour, I couldn’t resist. A feel good romance and a cracking story as Maddie and Seth fight to save Seth’s home. You can preorder a copy here.

…

Come A Little Closer – Rachel Abbott

They will be coming soon. They come every night.

Snow is falling softly as a young woman takes her last breath.

Fifteen miles away, two women sit silently in a dark kitchen. They don’t speak, because there is nothing left to be said.

Another woman boards a plane to escape the man who is trying to steal her life. But she will have to return, sooner or later.

These strangers have one thing in common. They each made one bad choice – and now they have no choices left. Soon they won’t be strangers, they’ll be family…

When DCI Tom Douglas is called to the cold, lonely scene of a suspicious death, he is baffled. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she get there? How many more must die?

Who is controlling them, and how can they be stopped?

Continuing the Tom Douglas series this sees Tom and team investigating the mysterious death of a young woman found at a remote beauty spot. Intertwined is the story of another young woman trying hard to escape from an abusive boyfriend with the help of some friends. Love this series so I’m thrilled to be involved in the blog tour once again. You can preorder a copy here.

…

Mr Men Dr Who – Dr Fifth – Adam Hargreaves

The greatest mash-up in the Whoniverse continues.

Doctor Who meets Roger Hargreaves’ Mr Men in this series of fun and charming stories, written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves.

Join the fifth Doctor and friends, Nyssa, Adric and Tegan as they attempt to outwit the wily Master!

Who doesn’t love Mr Men/Dr Who mashups? Dr Fifth is a cracker of a book featuring my favourite Dr. Hard to review as my review will be longer than the book but you can order your own copy here.

…

Mr Men Dr Who – Dr Tenth – Adam Hargreaves

The greatest mash-up in the Whoniverse continues.

Doctor Who meets Roger Hargreaves’ Mr Men in this series of fun and charming stories, written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves.

The tenth Doctor is taking a well-earned holiday – until the Sontarans show up! Can he stop the mighty warriors from invading yet another peaceful planet?

Dr Tenth. David Tennant as a Mr Man. No comment really. Loved this little story and I can almost hear David Tennant’s exasperation as I read. You can order your own copy here

…

This Is How It Ends – Eva Dolan

This is how it begins.

With a near-empty building, the inhabitants forced out of their homes by property developers.

With two women: idealistic, impassioned blogger Ella and seasoned campaigner, Molly.

With a body hidden in a lift shaft.

But how will it end?

A road trip to London on Wednesday let me clear this from by TBR by way of the audio book. A break away from her Peterborough set hate crimes series, this stand alone book is riveting and really makes you think. Set in the world of the protest movement, this is centered around a group trying to slow down the gentrification of London and save the people being priced out of the city. I’ll be sharing my thoughts soon and you can order your own copy here.

…

No Comment – Graham Smith

When a single mother, Julie Simon, is found in her kitchen with a stab wound to her stomach, Cumbria’s Major Crimes Team are handed the case.

Under the supervision of DI Campbell and with advice from his former DI, Harry Evans, DC Amir Bhaki fights to discover who assaulted an innocent woman and left her with life-threatening injuries.

Nothing is as it first appears and when the team looks into Julie’s life they uncover a hidden sex-life that may just hold the key to the identity of her attacker.

This is a novella from the DI Harry Evan stable. My first Harry Evans book but not my last and packs quite the punch for such a short story. Preorder links will be available soon.

…

The Last Laugh – Tracy Bloom

‘I’ve googled it, how to die,’ Jenny says to Maureen. ‘It was full of climbing this mountain, swimming that sea, becoming a marathon runner and raising millions for charity.’

‘Sounds like bloody hard work. You can make it more fun than that surely?’

Jenny discovers her days are numbered at the same time she discovers her husband is having an affair…

Frankly, her life was tough enough already. Two tricky teenagers, her mother’s constant complaints, friends who aren’t up to the job and a career which has been spiralling downwards since she won ‘Sunseeker Tour Rep of the Season’ twenty years ago.

And now this: a cheating husband and a death sentence.

Enough is enough. Jenny vows to keep both catastrophes a secret. She takes her life – and death – into her own hands and decides to live as she did when she was happiest… in 1996. She plans a spectacular 1990s themed party in place of a wake that she herself will attend. But will she be able to keep her secrets for long enough to have the party of a lifetime?

Poignant and also funny, this is a great look at how the big ‘C’ diagnosis can impact upon our lives and the story of one woman’s reluctant acceptance of her fate. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the blog tour soon and in the meantime you can order yourselves a copy here.

…

Before I Let You Go – Kelly Rimmer

Your sister needs you. But her child needs you more… The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar-and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out-she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby-maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?

Both candid and compassionate, Before I Let You Go explores a hotly divisive topic and asks how far the ties of family love can be stretched before they finally break.

Kelly Rimmer’s books never fail to move me. Some are out and out tear jerkers, others, such as this one, are ones which will break your heart and make you grateful for family, while silently shedding a tear for all that is lost here. Such a great story. You can preorder a copy here.

…

The Pact – SE Lynes

You made a promise to your sister. It could destroy your daughter.

The Daughter 15-year-old Rosie lies in hospital fighting for her life. She’s trying to tell her mother what happened to her, and how she got there, but she can’t speak the words out loud.

The Mother Rosie’s mother Toni has a secret. She had a traumatic childhood, and she and her sister Bridget made each other a promise thirty years ago: that they could never speak the truth about what they went through as children, and that they would protect each other without asking for help from others, no matter what…

Rosie was Toni’s second chance to get things right: a happy, talented girl with her whole life ahead of her. Having lost her husband in a tragic accident, Toni has dedicated her life to keeping Rosie safe from harm.

But Rosie has plans that her mother doesn’t know about. She has dreams and ambitions – of love, of a career, of a life beyond the sheltered existence that her mother has created for her. But the secrets Rosie has been keeping have now put her life in danger.

The Pact In order to save Rosie, Toni may have to break her lifelong promise to her sister… and open doors to her past she hoped would remain closed forever.

Another blog tour review and another blinder from the Bookouture stable. This is the first book by author SE Lynes that I;ve read but won’t be the last. I’ll be sharing my thoughts in a couple of weeks but you can preorder your own copy of the book right here.

…

Long week, lots of books. Sorry about that. Busy ish week on the blog too with posts from Tuesday to Saturday. You can catch up on any you missed on the links below.

Review: Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

Review: Killed by Thomas Enger

Review: Perfect Prey by Helen Fields

Review: Blue Night by Simone Buchholz

Review: The Lying Kind by Alison James

For the week ahead I’m taking it a lot easier. Two blog tours, Perfect Death today and The Reunion tomorrow, then just a few reviews through to the weekend. Plenty more reading time for me then.

I’ve a pretty dull week ahead too. I’m doing a joint presentation to our Senior Management Team as this post goes out. Dangerous Goods. Very exciting. Not. Then pretty much tied up in paperwork for the rest of the week. Still. COuld be worse. Less than two weeks to Granite Noir now. Cannot wait.

Hope you all have a fabulously bookish week.

Jen

Rewind, recap: Weekly update w/e 11/02/18 Work, work, work. That's the story of my life these days. Well, apart from Monday afternoon. I took that as annual leave.

#Rewind Recap #Weekly Round UP

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