#love you james/maria what would i do without you

[defensivelee]

i know like two people know what im talking about but i really do have to appreciate hazbin hotel for including my highly specific favorite trope, the "man who thinks he's hot shit routinely abuses a damn good looking italian"

[kiyokowastaken]

A Piece Of Heaven.

James Sunderland x Female Reader.

Minors Don't Interact!!!

CW: fingering, overstimulating, p in v (no protection), hair pulling/tugging, blowjob, babying a middle aged, miserable man, dirty talk, OOC James, porn with plot, age gap (reader is in her early twenties while James is in his mid-thirties), tit sucking, creampie, dom!James, oral (male and female receiving and giving, face f*cking, James has a breeding kink.

Summary: After partnering up with James and Maria, you could see the dynamic between them. A beautiful blonde vixen flirting with a miserable and pathetic man in search of his supposedly dead wife. Feeling a bit jealous of the interaction between them, you decided to climb the roof of the hotel to watch whatever of the sky that you can but you’re interrupted by someone.

This isn’t revised so excuse any misspelling or grammar mistakes! I was also inspired by another amazing James Sunderland x Reader writer named sundrlands so check them out!!

Enjoy loves ^^!

The fucking fog.

How come in some areas it’s dense as fuck but now when you need the fog to be dense, it’s not. You saw the blonde haired woman named, Maria latching onto James’s arms as if she couldn’t hold her own. You knew that the male was far too awkward to say anything about it, so he merely just let it be. You looked around the area, it seemed not as rundown and ruined as the other places that you guys have encountered, you caught a glimpse of a flower shop and your interest was piqued to say the least.

You jogged over to the small shop as James was looking down at the map trying to figure out where the hotel was as Maria was merely talking his ear off. You were pleasantly surprised when the flowers looked to be alive, they were still blooming in such a terrible condition. Your fingertips reached out and graced the soft petals of a Lily, the beautiful flower slightly moved by your touch before it got covered by a shadow.

You turned around to see James, which caused you to take a few steps back. His cologne was faint yet lingered around him, he smelled like clean laundry with a hint of a musky yet woody scent, the kinda smell that when you hugged someone you would try and take another whiff, “Uh..I figured out the way to the hotel, we would get there in a couple of more minutes..” The blonde haired man would mumble.

You couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh as you looked back at the blossomed flower, “You speak as if I’m going to snap back at you.” James merely flushed a bit at your comment as it took him a moment to think about his next choice of words. He always seemed to do that, instead of other people who just spoke their minds without considering what others might say.

James was the opposite, it’s like he handcrafted his response for you, yet he still fell short, “I didn’t want to disturb you, you looked peaceful over here in your own world.” He hummed out as he looked down at the flowers before he reached out and tried to stroke the flower but it seemed that he lacked a certain softness to his touch.

The very Lily that you once caressed so tenderly and gently, lost a petal once James touched it. James seemed a little disheartened as the sad look on his face that he always had seemed a bit more sadder, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have touched it, it seems like whenever I touch things they always end u-..” You stopped James’s sad monologue as with a bit of confidence, you grabbed his hand with your own and gently moved over to a flower, a budding bushel of Heathers.

You guide his hand and with a gentle brush of both hands, the bushel waves gently before you pulled your hand away with a small smile as you turned to look at the taller male, “Don’t always be pessimistic James, you have a gentleness to you. You just need to be patient, now come on, Maria is waiting for you.” You said with a slight bitter tone that James seemed to catch before his soft yet gruff voice said, “You mean, us, she’s waiting for us.” To which, you merely nodded before walking back with James.

A few minutes turned to a hour and the sweet moment between you and James had seemed to dissipate into thin air. Maria was once again walking side by side with James, their hands occasionally brushed against each other more than they should. At one point, Maria mentioned how cold she was which caused James to pause before he tugged off his military jacket and held it out for her which she graciously took and slipped on. You, in the meanwhile just scoffed, how unbelievable. James was merely being a gentleman and gave the women his jacket, so she wouldn’t freeze to death and here you were acting like it was the worst betrayal of your life. I mean, it stung a bit, you asked James to borrow his jacket during a moment of rest since the room you guys were in was cold to which he merely just got up and went through the hassle of finding a semi-clean blanket and handing it to you.

You merely just looked around at whatever you could in the surrounding scenery as the fog began to slowly disappear. You looked back to see the hotel, it was small but it was near an embankment of water which gave it a nice appeal. You guys got closer and before you guys knew it, you guys separated off into your own rooms. James got the room in the middle while you and Maria got the right and left rooms next to his.

Once, James got his jacket back from Maria, you all settled into your own rooms for the night. It was a delightful surprise when the water still ran through the pipes of this hotel, it was clean water as well. You stripped out of your clothes and turned the warm water on as once your body stepped into the warmth, it melted away any stress that you had away. You guys had battled all sorts of weird ass monsters coming to this hotel, so this was refreshing to say the least. You cleaned off the grim, sweat, and the blood off your body before getting out and changing back into your clothes.

They were a bit dirty but nothing too bad, you then debated into taking a nap or just roaming around the hotel. You guys could probably stock up on whatever you needed to finish this fucked up adventure so without a second thought, you grasped the handle of the door opened it before stepping outside into the fresh night breeze. Silent Hill looked less scary when it was night, the fog almost seemed lifted and the surroundings were now noticeable.

You turned towards James’s door to see him talking with Maria as they both leaned against the iron railing. You squinted a bit and you found yourself a bit shocked to see a small smile on his face, you had more than enough seeing the two of them together so you turned on your heel and walked to the opposite side. You looked through the few rooms that were accessible and grabbed some bandages and couple of food supplies before you found a latter up to the roof of the hotel.

You shrugged before you grabbed ahold of the latter and started to climb your way up to the room. Once on top of the roof, you let out a deep sigh as the air felt fresher up here. The cold wind stung your warm skin and blew through your slightly damp hair before you found yourself sitting on top of the roof. It was comfortable, the concrete of the roof was smooth enough to not be uncomfortable as you laid back and looked up at the sky and for once in Silent Hill, you felt at peace.

You closed your eyes for a moment as the wind blew small strands of your hair away from your face, you slowly reopened your eyes and the moon was bathing everything in its moonlight, including yourself. You looked serene, downright ethereal to James as he finally found you, he was getting worried once he searched your room and every other room that you already ransacked and didn’t find you.

He took a deep breath air before releasing it as he could now be calm. A few minutes ago, he was talking to Maria, the woman was good company. She was cocky, confident, and a downright temptress but he had enough of those types of women in his younger years. The attention was nice but you caught his eye, he really shouldn’t even be considering anyone when he’s looking for his wife, yet you graced him with patience, a loving and gentle touch, and the way your eyes always seem to shine a bit more brighter whenever he talked to you made him feel..good. Mary, they had their arguments and yet, they loved each other but somewhere along the way the glimmer in her eyes and the way she looked at James, it no longer felt like home. Yet, here he was searching for her after three years of her supposed death.

James saw you staring up at the sky and found himself also in awe at how beautiful the stars shined. He then cleared his throat as he saw you perk up as if he had frightened you, “Sorry..I didn’t mean to scare you, I just got worried when I didn’t find you in your room.” He said softly, as he walked a bit more closer before he found himself sitting down a bit away from you as he didn’t want to invade your space. “Are you okay..? I mean, obviously we aren’t since we are stuck in this hellhole but you seem to become a bit more reserved.” James said as his eyes glanced at you before looking elsewhere.

A silence followed afterwards and it seemed to eat at James, maybe he shouldn’t have said anything.

You let out a huff as you turned your body to fully look at James, “Are you something with Maria?” You rebutted with a question of your own. James was stunned at the question as he felt a red flush settle at the tips of his ears as he shook his head, “Me and Maria..we are just uh..good acquaintances. That’s all..” He stumbled out as your eyes hyper focused at his small movements and gestures.

“Then..why don’t you act the same way with me? You found Maria and me at the same place, we have been traveling together for a while now and yet, it seems like..you dislike me.” You muttered out before peeling your eyes away from James. James didn’t mean to make you feel that type of way, he didn’t mean to make you feel isolated from your small little group. This place was already isolating as it is.

“I-..I’m sorry, it’s just that..well I find myself feeling some kind of way whenever I’m near you and I don’t want that to affect us, it’s difficult to explain.” You could see James in the corner of your vision, he was rubbing the back of his neck. A bubble of confidence or maybe the way the moonlight reflected on James’s eyes made him seem all the more pathetic. You patted your lap as you looked at him for a split moment, “We have all the time in the world right now, explain this feeling to me, please.”

James looked at your lap that you patted before looking up at you, he felt like if he gave in to you, he would betray Mary. He did all of this for her. He reprimanded himself for feeling a warm feeling whenever you guys even locked eyes for a split moment. Yet, a part of him craved comfort, he wished to be adored again. He wished soft hands cradled his worn and tired face and pressed soft kisses against it. Mary once did that before the damned illness took her.

He moved closer to you and placed his head on your plush thighs and closed his eyes.

Warmth.

That’s what you gave off, the scent of a sweet yet citrus scent clung onto you and your clothes. He tensed up when he felt your hands on him. One on his chest and the other one scratched his scalp and he battled to hold back a soft groan. Sinful. This was utterly sinful. He was still married to Mary, he loved his wife, yet why did he turn around and push his face onto your stomach as one of his arms wrapped around your waist and pulled him close.

“J-..James..!” You stuttered out as the touch to you was foreign. You had have past lovers and loved every single one but none of them made you feel the way James did. The older man, he made a part of you want to baby him..protect him and care for him. He could provide for himself yet to your mind that didn’t matter.

“You make me feel warm, you make me forget about Mary. It feels so wrong. I’m here for her..and yet, your arms have felt more like home than hers ever did..and I feel guilty for such thought.”

Those words that James muttered out against your stomach made your face burn unlike any other. You didn’t know how to respond as you felt him take a deep inhale and then exhale, he felt more relaxed..guess that was eating at him for a while now. Your hand merely slid from his chest towards his back and rubbed his back as she sighed.

“You don’t have to feel guilty James..I also feel the same, I just didn’t know that you felt like I did. You always seemed reserved towards me, so I just thought I made you uncomfortable for something like that.” You felt James shift before you removed your hands from him as he sat up. He was fairly close now. You could smell him just like you did in the flower shop.

“..As I stated before, I’m not uncomfortable with you. I will feel terrible if you got mixed up with someone like me, (Y/N). You’re kind, sweet, warm, patient, and just everything that I’m not. I still have this whole Mary thing to resolve. We still need to get out of here and..I’m a bit older than you. You’re barely enjoying yourself, I’m already past my prime.” James said with a soft chuckle leaving his lips. God, that chuckle..it felt like a drug. You wanted more of that.

“You should stop putting yourself down, you’re terrible at even finding a good thing about yourself, James. You have this softness in you, I can see it. It’s just hidden by troubles, nothing that a little patience and talking can’t undo and about the whole age thing. Do you really think I care? We have gone against unexplained beings and you think an age gap is what’s gonna scare me off?” You rebutted with an eye roll as James raised an eyebrow.

“Do you like your men older?”

The silence that followed was all consuming, you cleared your throat as you puffed up your chest a bit as you nodded, “Well, yes but not senile old.” This seemed to make James laugh as he turned his face away from you as his body shook with his laughter.

“So, do I fit into your criteria?” James asked as his normally reserved and cold demeanor changed slightly. It had a hint of flirtatiousness and genuine curiosity. “I mean, yeah, you do.” You said as you couldn’t help but notice him moving closer.

A sudden change in the air happened, it was noticeable. He hummed as he looked at your eyes and then down to your lips, he wanted to kiss them so badly. It was almost downright painful how much he craved to brush his lips against yours. You could feel his eyes, you almost felt naked in his stare. It felt like he was undressing you.

“Jam-..”

“Can I kiss you?”

Did you fall asleep on the roof of the hotel and now your mind was conjuring up some wet dream about the male you have been lusting over? No, this felt real. He felt real. The warmth he radiated was real. You could only nod before he leaned in close and looked into your eyes with his beautiful, enchanting blue-grey eyes, “I need you to say yes or no.”

You felt your heart beating quickly, he was close, his slow exhale of breath. You could feel it against your lips before you opened your mouth, “Yes..please.”James let out a soft and quick breathy laugh before he placed one of his hands on your neck and pulled you into the kiss. His other hand was placed on your waist as he pulled you closer to him. You couldn’t hide the slip of a soft whine tumble out of your lips.

Heavenly. That’s what James felt right now. If Silent Hill was his own personal hell then you must be his personal heaven. The hand that held your neck slowly slipped upwards towards your jaw as he held it. His tongue flicked against your bottom lip as to ask for entrance.

James acted different. This wasn’t the same man that seemed to dislike small talk or any time of human connection if it didn’t regard Mary. You might’ve unleashed a animal, a hidden side of him that you only caught glimpses at whenever he swung that metal pipe and aimed at those twisted creatures before pulling the trigger without hesitation. You opened your mouth, a tad bit but that was enough for James to slip his wet tongue into your mouth. Your arms that were once by your side slipped upwards to grasp at his faded, forest green military jacket as a anchor. Your own tongue shyly met his in a heated and sultry dance. The kiss that was supposed to be somewhat sweet became needy and sloppy.

He tilted his head to the side as his hand that was on your waist slipped down and underneath your shirt as his calloused and rough hands grasped your body as if to reassure himself that you weren’t going to slip away. That you weren’t a figment of his imagination. You were real.

The two pulled away from the kiss as a line of saliva was the only evidence of the hot and heavy kiss. James’s hand that was on your jaw slid upwards and wiped your bottom lip as the string of saliva was no longer there. The air was charged with sexual tension, it was no longer awkwardness and stepping on eggshells. It was filled with lust, need, and want.

“I need you..I want you but we don’t have to continue if you don’t want too.” James said between small soft pants as he tried to regain his steady breathing. Your eyes were hazy, in your mind, you only wanted him. You craved him. You have held back for a while and now the man that you craved, he craved you back.

“I need you as well, James Sunderland.”

Those words sealed your fate. Now, here you were, your shirt and light jacket thrown on the floor of James’s hotel room. Soft moans and pants filled the room as James left dark purplish red marks on your neck and collarbone. How you were going to explain these marks to Maria tomorrow, well, that was a problem for tomorrow. James was set on marking your skin up, claim it as his. To claim you and mark you as his woman.

His tongue licked and traced from your collarbone down the valley of your breasts. He placed a couple of sloppy kisses there as his mouth traveled to your right breast as he attached his lips around your harden bud. His tongue swirled around it as he started to suckle on your breast. His hand ran up your body and groped your left breast, his thumb and middle finger pinched and tugged on your nipple as one of your hands grasped the bedsheets and the other hand tried to muffle your moans and gasps.

Your body was soft, warm, and inviting to James. He felt like he was tainting you with all of his sinfulness, he didn’t want to damn you but at the same time. He grasped onto you as if you were his salvation and maybe, you were. His angel, his pretty girl..he wanted to leave you a beautiful mess. His teeth softly teased your nipple that was on his mouth before he pulled away with a lewd ‘pop’. Your expression was his favorite thing, yet he disliked you hiding your face.

“Don’t hide your face sweetheart, I want to see you for who you are, please.” He said as he locked eyes with yours as his mouth wrapped around your left nipple as his right hand slid up your body to tug and pinch your spit ridden nipple. He gave the same treatment to your left nipple until he felt satisfied with himself. After that, he left a couple more love marks on your chest just to make sure as pulled away from your shivering body.

“May I?” He said as he eyed your pants as you nodded as your hands slid down to unbutton and unzip your pants so that he didn’t need to struggle as much. His hands then grabbed the hem on your pants and panties before he tugged them down in one fluid motions. The need to cover your intimate area was strong as your hand slipped between your thighs to cover your slicked cunt. James found that cute, he dropped your pants and panties on the ground before his attention returned to you.

He grasped your waist and pulled you to the edge of the bed as he made you sit up as he got on his knees. He wanted to taste you, badly. He looked up at you for a sign of hesitation before you nodded once again in consent as his hands prided your thighs open. He felt himself salivate when he saw your cunt dripping for him, “All for me, pretty girl~?” He cooed as he looked up once more to see your flustered face. He chuckled as he began with pressing soft kisses on your inner thighs as he teased you with small nips to your thighs. He suckled a few marks on your inner thighs before he was face to face with your cunt.

He closed his eyes as his tongue slipped out and a wet stripe licked your slit. You instant let out a whine as your thighs tensed up, he kept your thighs apart using his hands which were wrapped around them. He prodded his wet muscle into your cunt as his nuzzled his face into your wet heat. His nose occasionally bumped against your clit as his tongue lapped at your juices as he eagerly tasted you like if you were an expensive wine. His tongue prodded your clenching entrance before he nuzzled his face more into your cunt as his tongue slipped into your clenching and unclenching entrance.

His slurping became downright pornographic as your hands left the crumpled up bedsheets and slipped into his dirty blonde locks. Your head fell back as your lips were in a ‘o’ shape as moans and whines of pleasure left them. You began to grind your cunt against his mouth as the way he slurped you like he was a hungered man was all too addictive. The way his nose bumped against your clit would send shivers down your spine as goosebumps riddled your body, “J-..James~!” You moaned his name loudly.

This made James prideful, he pulled away from your slicked cunt as leaned his head against your thighs as you guys once again locked eyes as he panted heavily. He looked downright fucking sinful, his hair a tousled mess in your hands, his face flushed red, his eyes glazed over with pure lust and admiration, and his lips along with his chin were smeared with a combination of his spit and your juices. “Use me to get off, c’mon baby girl, I’m only here for you.” He panted out.

Those words made your eyes roll to the back of your head as his lips wrapped around your clit. Fucking hell. He was so fucking good, you felt the coil in your stomach come to life. One of his hands left your thighs as they slipped down to your cunt, his index and pointer finger slipped into your cunt without much resistance. He angled them upwards and curled them in a ‘come here’ motion, you soon began to grind your cunt on his face like if he was merely a tool for your pleasure.

The coil began to slowly unravel as he continued to suckle on your clit as his fingers quickened in pace as he felt you clenching non-stop on his fingers. You pushed his face against your cunt with your hands as his unused hand gripped your thighs in a bruising hold before he pulled away as he heard a disappointed and pitiful whine leave your pretty lips. He panted heavily as his chest rose and fell quickly as he tried to regain all the air he needed. He fell back on his ass as his other hand that was on your thigh wiped his face clean from your wetness. “Not yet, pretty girl, you aren’t going to cum that easily.”

He said as before he stood up, he then began to strip. Once he was naked, he had scratch marks and cuts on his body. They had long scarred which meant he probably got them long ago, your eyes mapped out his entire body before your eyes found his cock. He was trimmed, neat which surprised you. He was a good six and a half inches, he was more length than girth. He had a pretty pink tip, that was currently leaking pre-cum as it seemed that eating you out worked him up.

You looked up at him as he walked towards you, you licked your lips as he loomed over you. He grabbed your chin as his thumb ran across your lip, “Will you be a good little girl and suck me off, ‘hm?” He asked as you merely dumbly nodded, “Then, what’re you waiting for?” He let go on your chin before as he grabbed your hair into a ponytail as your mouth opened to let him slide into your mouth.

Your mouth wrapped around his tip as your tongue licked his slit that was leaking pre-cum. You swirled your tongue around his head before you slowly took more into your mouth, you had a bit of a gagging reflex so little by little did you take his cock into your mouth. You felt the tip of his cock press against the back your throat which caused you to gag, your hands held onto his muscular thighs as your nails dug onto them. He was fully in your mouth, he could see that you were tense so, he gave you a bit of advice, “Relax..breathe through your nose. You will cause yourself to gag more if you try to breathe through your mouth.” He said as he felt you take his advice.

He then started to bob your head up and down his cock as he felt drool mixed with pre-cum coat his cock. He also heard a bit of it fall onto the floor beneath the both of you, he let soft groans out as his head lolled back in pleasure as the hold that he had on your hair tighten, “That’s it darling, you’re taking my cock so well…” He mumbled out as he slowly began to buck his hips into your mouth. As when he looked down at you, he saw your pretty mouth around his cock as those tear filled eyes looked at him.

“Fuck..if you look at me like that, I might just cum early, doll face.” He muttered through gritted teeth as he felt you hollow your cheeks to create more suction. He felt you become more comfortable as he placed his other hand on your head as he began to lightly thrust into your mouth. The lewd noises and the occasional gagging sound around his cock made him shiver. He felt the knot in his stomach slowly appear.

He quickened his pace a bit more as he almost lost himself when he felt you swallow around his cock. The way your throat tighten around his cock, it was fucking heaven sent. You were a fucking miracle. He began to just fully thrust into your mouth as you slacked your jaw, letting him fully fuck your mouth as groans and..a whimper left his mouth. Oh, this was heavenly, he made such a pretty noise that made you bob your head with his thrusting as you felt his cock throbbing into your mouth more frequently.

It was you that pulled away from his grasp as you coughed, your lips were swollen from the kissing and the sucking you were just doing. He let out a frustrated groan leave his lips as he felt his cock throbbing as his orgasm was so close. You inhaled and exhaled deeply as your chest heaved, “If I couldn’t get my..orgasm, then you can’t either..” You panted out as James merely glared at you before he nodded, it was only fair. He edged you close to your orgasm and you did the same.

He pushed you down on the bed as he towered over you as you guys scooted upwards onto the bed a bit more. James placed a pillow underneath you and moved you close to him, you wrapped your legs around his hips as he looked at you, “Uh..I don’t have a condom, are you sure?” James asked as his hands were on your hips as his thumbs wrapped smoothing circles on your skin. You bit your lip as you thought for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, it’s okay..I want to feel all of you.” You mumbled.

James nodded as he positioned himself before he slowly slipped inside you. You winced a bit at the penetration as it had a been awhile since you slept with someone. James gritted his teeth as he swore that he wasn’t about to cum right then and there. You were fucking tight, he huffed as the grip on your waist tighten as he slowly sank more of his length into your cunt. You, in the other hand, you felt filled. He thrusted fully into you as your toes curled as he let you get used to him and his size.

A few seconds passed before you rolled your hips and a soft moan left your lips, you looked at him and gave him a reassuring nod as he bottomed out before thrusting back into you. Your hands wrapped around his neck as your nails dug into his board shoulder, “F-..fuck, James..feels so fucking good~!” You whined out as James settled for a slow yet deep pace.

Skin on skin slapping could be heard throughput the room, the scent of sex lingered and consumed the air in the room as the bed squeezed with every deep thrust that James gave you. Your moans mingled with his groans as his hands ran up your body and groped your breasts as bounced every time that he thrusted into your squelching cunt. Lips messily found each other as both of you locked lips in a sloppy and lustful kiss. Passion and..love was found between the two of you. You guys fucked each other like if you were in your own honeymoon.

You guys complete forgot about the outside world and the cruel reality. You guys were completely focused on each other, saliva slicked lips found bare and naked skin to mark as James pace became more quick. Your nails ran down his back creating red irritated marks as he groaned, one of his hands slipped away from your breasts and down to your clit. He rubbed quick and tight circles as he felt you clench around him like a vice, trying to milk him for everything that he had, “f-..fucking hell, c’mon doll face, take my cock. After we are..out of here, I will make you my pretty wife and fuck a baby into you, yeah~?” James said rolled his hips into your cunt.

You nodded as you were feeling so fucking good, he was fucking you so good. “y..yeah, I wanna be your pretty wife..fuck a baby into me right now, please baby~!” You whined against his ear as he nodded. Both of you too drunk out of each other’s presences as the coil in your stomach grew too tight as he quicken the pace into a more quick and deep pace as his kissed your g-spot so fucking precisely and him rubbing your bundle of nerves didn’t help as you came around his cock without warning. You clenched around him tightly as he felt your walls spasm around his cock.

“Good girl..coming on cock so prettily, gonna make you a mommy, mhm, you want that baby girl, ‘hm~?” James said as he wrapped his unused arm around your waist and pulled you close to cold sweat covered body. You nodded dumbly as you felt overstimulated, the way he kept fucking you like a mere ragdoll, chasing his own orgasm made you clench around him. You bit down on his shoulder he as he continued to thrust into you as he felt his cock twitching more frequently, “Close..I’m gonna breed you, my sweet girl. Make you mine fully, come on, cum with me. Let’s cum together….” He muttered as his breathing was ragged.

His chest heaved quickly as his thumb started to swipe against your clit as his thrusts became animalistic in pace as he pounded into you. He groaned loudly into your shoulder as came deep into you. Filling your womb to the brim with his seed as you cried out as you came hard. He stopped swiping on your clit as both his arms held you close to him. He could feel himself twitching inside you. Fuck..you both were tired. He slowly pulled out of you with a wince as you merely groaned, you felt his sticky, warm seed drip out of your abused cunt.

James pulled you down onto the bed with him as he would clean this mess up later but right now, he wanted to relish in the afterglow. He pressed a kiss to your forehead as his hands rubbed your back as you nuzzled into his chest, “I will do everything I can to get us out of Silent Hill..I promise.” He muttered against your hair as you merely nodded as you were fair too tired to form any sentences. He soon felt your body go limp as you feel into a deep slumber.

This wasn’t about Mary anymore, he had to move on from her..he loved Mary but you loved him even if he was a broken man. You chose to embrace him and give yourself to him regardless of the darkness within himself.

You were his saint, his angel, his goddess..his little piece of heaven.

[bethanydelleman]

So I asked a while ago about which of our main men would change the most/least of their novels if they went back to the start (and I really loved the answers)…

But how do you think it would work vice versa? If our leading ladies went back to the start who do you think would change the most of their respective novels?

I feel like Marianne and Emma would probably change the most… but most of them would change things quite a bit I think.

Except maybe Fanny not out of lack of want to change things but because she has so much difficulty speaking up. I’ve got to admit I’m swaying back and forth on Lady Susan and Anne though. Bc Lady Susan is just arrogant enough to think that if she knows when/how things are going to go wrong then she can prevent them even when it’s something out of her control or that she doesn’t know the actual cause of. And Anne is quite a lot like Fanny in that she has trouble speaking up and also bc up until Lyme Wentworth is still very angry with her and I’m not sure there’s anything that she could do to mitigate that before then…

Thoughts? 💜

This question is in reference to this question.

I think the person who would change the most is Elizabeth Bennet, she's the only one who has someone she absolutely needs to save. (And Jane Bennet if we are counting her as a heroine.) Fortunately, I think rescuing Lydia would be in their power. Elizabeth would actually flirt with Darcy and she could drop hints about Jane loving Bingley. I think they could prevent Bingley from leaving and through that, prevent Lydia's trip to Brighton (ie take her somewhere else exciting with their wealth, as they take over the care of Kitty in canon). Also, knowing his true nature, they'd likely start some sort of whisper campaign against Wickham.

If only Elinor time travels, she would hopefully be able to inform Colonel Brandon about Willoughby earlier and stop W's romance with Marianne, but I don't think she could stop W&M on her own because she doesn't have any evidence of Willoughby's wrongdoing. She'd at least be prepared for the Lucy reveal and she knows it will turn out okay. I think she'd be intelligent enough to just not touch that and let nature take it's course.

Marianne would go for Colonel Brandon and snub Willoughby, it'd be delightful!. Poor Willoughby would have an ego crisis losing to an "old" man.

Anne Elliot doesn't have trouble speaking up, in my opinion, she just knows it's useless. She's been living with her father and Elizabeth for long enough to know that they won't listen to her. However, she would know the future which would be comforting at least and maybe she could prevent the Lyme fall. I think Wentworth would still wake up to his true feelings even without the fall and Anne is selfless enough to risk it.

Catherine Morland would likely avoid Isabella and her best to keep James from entering into his engagement. She would eagerly look forward to each time she knows that Henry Tilney is coming and would not even accuse General Tilney of being a murderer, not even once!

Fanny Price is actually kind of cruel, because the future would horrify her but I don't think she could do anything to prevent it. Edmund is ineffective, Maria wouldn't listen, and I don't think Fanny would dare approach Sir Thomas. So she'd just be EVEN MORE of a Cassandra and in acute pain the whole time. The fact that she ends up with Edmund would only be a minor consolation, given her personality.

Lady Susan would try again with her better knowledge, she might even succeed 😬 the horror!

Lastly, Emma. She's a tricky one because I don't know what she would do. She knows Elton sucks, she knows Jane and Frank are engaged, she's ashamed of her behaviour... Does she encourage Harriet to accept the first proposal or do the same thing as last time so she can enjoy a year with a friend? I think she would refrain from encouraging Harriet about Elton, and therefore avoid that heartbreak. Could she wiggle out of Elton's proposal? I don't know. It's going to happen eventually. She may discover that without her flirting with Frank, Knightley doesn't discover his feelings, so she's got to stick as close as possible to her original actions to prevent disaster! However, she would avoid the Box Hill debacle and refrain from bringing up Mr. Dixon with Frank.

[bigboipyromaniac]

can you make a james sunderland x fem!reader? (Or gender neutral Idm) Maybe searching for her (dead) sister in her childhood town, Silent Hill, and stumbling upon James. Reader teams up with james (not rlly being scared of him since he looked pathetic) after realizing they have a similar goal, not leaving him a choice.

Anyway maybe they get separated after a few hours of their journey, and after finding each other they realize just how much they need the other. Maybe the town plays a part (since its kinda sentient) in pushing them together? Their similar goals, lonely life without their loved one, how they went to silent hill, etc, at the same time definitely not being a mere coincidence.

(Lil info ab her sister: they were driving to silent hill 3 years ago to visit the cemetery for their parents, but reader and sis got into a fight about turning back and reader basically swerved the steering wheel to the side and caused them to crush. Reader, not knowing what to do since her older sis made all her decisions for her, just ran away and left her dead sis in the car. This wrecked her with guilt, causinf the town to punish her just like james. They could bond through their shared guilt and experiences and whatnot.)

Ive had this idea for a while so i’d love to see it written! Though if you dont wanna, its alright ^^

brother you are giving me so much juice for this story

THX BESTIEE

Btw maria won't show up cause idk where to place her here

Back where it all started

This letter... It can't be right. She was taken 3 years ago.

But, this was the same town we crashed in. Did she manage to survive? I kept looking at the letter, rereading the whole this, looking for imperfects in the writing.

'This has to be a prank, right? A sick prank..' i thought to myself. But everything about the letter, it seems too perfect for another person to write.

This has to be her.

Even if it wasn't, it was too late to go back now. I stood next to the entrance of the hospital, the memories of this place is all crashing on top of me. I've lost my family here.

It took a couple of minutes for me to built up the courage to walk back in. The doors creaked as I walked it.

It was quiet, and abandoned. The doctors and nurses who took care of your family were no longer here. Almost like time just stopped

Papers were all over the floor and desk, the room is started to fill itself with mold. I walked towards the elevator seeing if the power still worked.

Nothing...

Luckily the stairs weren't broken. As I walked up the stairs, I could see a drawing.

A bunny and a wolf? It looks like a kid drew it. Why would a kid be here? Monster were lurking, the poor kid could get hurt.

Entering the 2nd floor I could here someone closing a door. "Whos there?!" I yelled out while holding my pipe I found outside. The man seem startled, and placed his hands up in defense.

There light was shining in my eyes but I could see it was someone human! "Oh I'm sorry! Thought you were a monster." I said while lowering my pipe down.

The man looked at you, up and down, almost surprised to see another human being. "Hey it's okay!" He paused for a second. "My name is James."

"Y/N" You responded back.

"Y/N, I'm looking for someone, have you seen her?" He pulled out a picture of a woman, She was a beautiful lady with blonde hair.

I shook my head. "No sorry I just got here"

He looked a bit upset... "if you dont mind me asking, who is she?" you said trying not to make James feel too upset." she was... My late wife." James avoid looking at your eyes, almost like he was ashamed of himself.

"Your... Late wife?" you asked confused " that would man she's dead right?" you questioned this strange man, I mean who would come here looking for a dead person?

…

" Don't worry! I'm not going crazy! " James spoke up almost defensively. "Look I found this letter." He handed me a letter, it was different from my sisters letter, from the handwriting, to what is said on the letter itself.

I don't think one man could have done this...

I kept staring at the note, trying to find a flaw or a similarity between the note. James must have noticed the other letter and me comparing them. He placed his arm around my shoulder, almost trying to comfort, "Some else also sent you a letter?" My daze was broken from his voice. "Yea... my sister sent it to me, but 3 year ago, she was..."

There was a long pause, I couldn't finish my sentence, It still hurts to think about it. James rubbed my back, trying his best to comfort me, I could feel the awkwardness from him.

but it still felt nice that he cared about me, someone who he just met. "Hey.." he turned me to face him with both his hands on my shoulder. "How about you stay with me until you find your sister, do you know any place where she might be?"

I thought about it for a second...

"There was this hotel! its across the lake, I remember my sister and I playing with bugs in the garden area." James looked perplexed for a second "The Lakeview hotel?" I nodded " That was my wife and I special place.."

He looked at his map, maybe to find a way to head to the hotel. "Come on, lets head to Rosewater park, maybe we can find a boat there." before I could question him, he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the hospital.

(surely nothing would bad happens when he get to the hotel(clueless)

[mxltifangxrl]

You, Me, and the Sky Above

Pairing: old!Bucky x old!f!reader

Summary: R has been married to Bucky for several decades, the two old and grey together with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of their own. What happens when they pass away in the arms of the other?

Warnings: mentions of death, fluff, female pet names

As I laid in bed attempting to fall asleep, I could tell my time was approaching quickly. I knew for a while that I didn’t have much longer being 96 years old. My precious husband, Bucky, had always taken care of me but now I know he won’t have to worry his heart anymore about making sure I’m okay. I can finally rest knowing my life was filled to the brim with joy.

“You alright, doll?” Bucky asked softly as he entered our bedroom.

I opened my eyes to look at him, tears filling them as a smile formed on my face. “More than. I hope you know how much I love you, James.”

As we slept that night, he held me in his arms for what neither of us knew would be the last time. I dreamt of my life; all the memories I’ve made on my own and with my own family.

I opened my eyes to a beautiful scenery. Sunny, bright skies, lush green grass, vibrant colors. And him.

“There’s my beautiful wife…just you, me, and the sly above” Bucky said.

“My God…Look at you, handsome. You look just like you did when we met all those years ago.” I told him with a grin, walking over to him happily.

“I can say the same about you, my dear.” He said, pulling me into a loving kiss.

“What do we do now?” I asked softly, missing my children deeply.

“We wait to welcome our own miracles to this beautiful place. In the meantime, There’s some people you’ll be happy to see.” He told me, taking my hand and leading me toward a beautiful home.

“When did you pass, honey?” I asked, curious as to how long he had been here without me.

“Not long after we went to bed. At least you were in my arms.” He told me, caressing my face gently.

When the door opened, I was greeted by several familiar faces. In front of me stood Sam, Steve, Bruce, Natasha, Maria, Tony, Rhodey, Happy, Scott, Hope, Sarah, Nick, and Yelena.

“Oh my gosh… You’re all here..” Tears filled my eyes quickly as I went to them all, pulling them into hugs that have been missed for several years.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Years passed as Bucky and I made Heaven our home with all our closest friends. It was like getting to experience a whole new life together.

A knock sounded on our front door as we read together in the living room. Upon opening the door, we were greeted by our eldest daughter.

“Rebecca! Oh my goodness, my dear! Your father and I have missed you so much.” I said, hugging her tightly.

“I’m finally home, mommy..” She replied with tears and a smile.

“You, me, your father, and the sky above… forever and always.”

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: Netflix Avatar: the Last Airbender (Book 1)

(Thanks @knightsweeties for this cute GP)

Now I have AVOIDED looking at spoilers, and opinions of others until After I had made my own conclusions.

A lot of people are mixed on this series. With only one thing being consensus:

The last airbender movie < Netflix Avatar the last Airbender < Avatar the last Airbender

Aside from that, opinions have been all over the places. On how great or how bad the show is.

I will be going over my thoughts on it in the following categories.

The Action (fight scenes)

The Effects (from bending, CGI, and costumes)

The characters

The Plot

The changes

Does it capture the Spirit?

How does it stand on its own?

Conclusions.

(Spoilers below, but let’s get Right into it)

____________________________________________

The Action

So I’m going to say this. The action in this series is great. In my opinion it’s the strongest point in the series.

The battles from invasions, to simple one on one fights are very well done, some aspects even surpassing the original. Like the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe, you really feel the place is under attack.

And the bending battles are pretty gorgeous. It’s impressive to see the fight between Katara and Paku done serviceable well.

Though one flaw is the fact that sometimes showing the fight or attack actually took away from the impact of story beats done in the original. Seeing the attack on the Air Nomads actually took something away from it. Seeing Aang discover that horror is much less impactful.

And seeing Zuko fight in his Agni Kai against his Father also took a lot of bite from the scene. If Zuko never fought back it would have been so much more traumatic.

But they were still good fighting scenes.

Solid 9/10

____________________________________________

The Effects.

The Costumes in this are Gorgeous! Especially Kyoshi warriors. The characters mostly look as if taken straight from the cartoon. The Face stealer himself being ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING to look at in Live action. He is a sleep paralysis demon.

Appa and Momo both look great. The effects of the cities, and the blending are beautiful.

The bending also looks pretty clean. Though I admit the water bending was a bit lacking but the Fire looked ESPECIALLY fierce.

There is so much detail jam packed in this it’s amazing.

Though, I will say that it’s not flawless, some of the things do come off a touch goofy. But that could be more of uncanny valley with some of the bending.

8/10

___________________________________________

The Characters

And it wouldn’t be Avatar without the Characters in it.

And before we do anything, let me say, ALL of the characters look like the character they are playing. It’s like Netflix genetically modified them to Look like the character.

Dallas James Liu’s Portrayal of Zuko is PERFECT. Matching Season 1 Zuko’s personality to a T.

Zuko actually gets more development and his relationship with Iroh and the Crew are expanded upon more. That Funeral scene with him and Iroh broke my heart.

Maria Zhang’s Suki is also an incredible performance.

DANNY PUDI AS The Mechanist. (They cast Abed!) that was a fun surprise.

But now that we talked about what I loved about the characters… now to get to the negatives.

Aang feels so mopey. Yes Aang has his sad moments. But instead of being a hyper optimist with a penchant for fun, he is more like a depressed kid that has occasional bits of being a kid. I don’t blame the Actor, I just feel it’s more the writing

But if Aang got a downgrade in character, Katara was SHREDDED to practically nothing. The strong yet caring Katara was so… Passive. Even her big moment fighting Paku felt so… lack luster. It pained me to see this girl who was so strong come off so… passive.

Sokka did lose a chunk of character and development, but it wasn’t AS detrimental as one would believe. It’s still cruddy. But there was some stuff added that helped cushion the blow.

Appa and Momo were not as present because expenses (but at least they were fine)

King Bumi is dead. I don’t know WHAT was the plan behind Bumi, but this felt so… twisted and off. This isn’t the Bumi that taught Aang the lesson about how not everything is as it seemed. It hurt me to see such an accurate look be so inaccurate.

Azula and her friends felt like a down grade. I know what they were trying to go for. But I just didn’t feel that EDGE she had. It felt so.. pitiful.

On a positive

Jet and his team were still fun and a bit psychotic.

Ozai actually coming off as more competent.

And Admiral Zhao being incompetent yet super Egotistical was a change I welcome.

The bounty hunter Jun, flirting with Iroh was a change I wasn’t expecting but loved.

The Face Stealer may have looked more terrifying… but his actual action was mid… aside from the nightmares.

The rest of the character acting was a mix.

I gotta put this at… 5/10

When most of the main cast feels so bland it really takes away from the story.

____________________________________________

The Plot

So the season still follows the general plot of Book 1 of ATLA.

Katara and Sokka find the Avatar who got frozen for a long time. They go travel to help Aang find a Waterbending master so he can start learning to bend and save the world.

Now interestingly since it only has 8 episodes it sort of Blends together several plots into one episode. And this causes a lot of changes… and the effects of it are… well… a mixed bag at best and almost completely undefinable at worst.

Episode 4 being especially messy.

Now there are additions and changes from the original because of the constraints of Live Action.

Like not specifying that Aang has been gone 100 years, and actually changing certain story beats to references in order to save on time.

In some cases, it’s understandable. In facts being a one to one retelling would be boring.

The problem is that the story feels more like it’s pushing the characters rather than the characters pushing the story. Aang had agency, but now there is even more forced Agency.

I did like the changes that made the fire nation more competent. (I’ll discuss further in the next section)

But overall, I felt that the story was speed blitzed and super monologue heavy at its worse. It’s nothing incoherently awful. But it’s very lacking.

4/10

_________________________________________

The Changes

There were a Lot of changes done to this in comparison to the original series. So for this. I decided to make a new system.

I will list the change. If you see this Symbol (+) it’s a change I am fine with. If you see (-) it’s a change I didn’t like. And if you see (\) it means I’m indifferent to it.

-Fire Lord Sozin wiped out Air benders in person (/)

- Aang got lost in a storm by accident, not actively running away (-)

- Katara and Sokka lose the feminist development (-)

-No penguin sledding (- -)

-No Haru (-)

-Avatar Kyoshi take over (+)

-Zuko has a journal about the Avatars (+)

- Jet in Omashu (/)

-Teo and his father in Omashu (+)

-Bumi is jaded. (-)

-Secret tunnel early (-) (it’s weird that Sokka and Katara go in there, there is more I don’t like but I will just leave that out for now)

-The Funeral for Iroh’s son. (+++)

-The Agni Kai with Ozai was changed (-)

-The crew of Zuko is revealed to be the division that would have been sacrificed. (+)

-Aang never Water bends (-)

-Azula’s whole character alteration, and earning the blue flames (-)

-Less Serious Roku (-)

-Koh’e whole deal (-)

- Zhao’s death is different. (-)

-Yue having a bigger connection to Sokka (+)

-Fire nation demonstrates far more competence (+)

-

There are more but most of them I’m more understanding because of Time Constraints.

I will give credit that a lot of the changes I didn’t like but they did try something.

3/10

______________________________________

Does it capture the Spirit?

This is where I have to say Kind of.

When you see the references, Cameos, and the small details. You can tell there is some love for the original series. The attention to details and the bending choreography is gorgeous and Almost seamless.

It’s where we get to the core of the show that feels different.

For example. The Netflix version of One piece. There are a TON of differences, but the core of the characters felt the same. The spirit of the show was still clear. It was handled with love.

With this series, I can say there is a respect for ATLA, but the core seems to have a different focus.

So I put this at 5/10

As there are some things that you can see have reverence, but other things that don’t.

_________________________________________

Conclusion.

The stark defenders of the show say you shouldn’t compare it to the Original because it will seem worse. While also then comparing how much better it is compare to the live action movie.

Here’s the truth, if you watched ATLA, you are not going to expect this show to be better than the original.

If you didn’t watch the original show, you would probably be entertained, and since this show explains basically everything, you won’t need to know as much as the viewer going in… but there is also a lot going on.

If you were to go in and watch this show with 0 understanding of the show. I’d say 6 maybe 7 out of 10.

But if you are a fan that cares about the show. I have to put it at 5/10

And that’s where I put it.

5/10

It is watchable, but I’m not absolutely smitten with it.

I’m willing to give book 2 a chance… but I’m iffy. On it.

[skaruresonic]

Remake!James is such a prick, I hate him so fucking much.

In the In Water ending, his justification for driving his car into the lake isn't that he no longer has anything to live for without Mary, but that he can't forgive himself for what he's done.

That in and of itself wouldn't be so bad---a lack of self-forgiveness is also implied in the original version of In Water. But the real odiousness lies less in what James says and more in the implications underpinning his sentiments.

Bloober cut the original dialogue between Mary and James - the scene where he admits his mixed motives, that he both hated her for taking away his life and that he also wanted to end her suffering, and where Mary notes that he looks sad despite his shame - and instead has James monologue at Mary's corpse.

What was originally a dialogue between two parties - or, more figuratively, two sides of James making equally valid points - becomes, instead, a one-sided soliloquy where he prioritizes his wishes over those of his dead wife because "you're dead anyway, what do you care."

And no, I am not kidding. Bloober has removed most metaphorical and figurative exchanges in this game in favor of a more literal, "realistic" interpretation of events.

Here, James is quite literally talking to Mary's corpse in the back seat when he says:

...and everybody clapped because omg "'Mary's corpse was rotting in the back seat the whole time' theory confirmed, In Water must be the canon ending now." shoot me.

"I tried. I really did. But I can't... I just can't go on without you. I can't forgive myself for what I've done. I know this isn't what you'd want. But I guess it doesn't matter anymore. You... You're not here. Are you?"

So Mary's wishes would only matter to you if she were alive to protest, huh, James? You wouldn't abide by them out of honor for her memory or on general principle because you, idk, loved her?

You know for a fact that she wouldn't want you to kill yourself, so you're not even going to try? Your wish to die matters more than her wish to see you live? Because you didn't exactly give her a choice in the matter, either.

In fact, I'm sure Mary would be pretty angry to hear how you value life so little that you're just gonna throw away yours out of an inability to deal with your guilt. You should feel guilty, and you should have to live with that guilt and find a way to work through it, because you murdered her.

This would be a shitty thing for James to say even if Mary had died naturally, but the fact that he murdered her makes him saying "well you're not here anymore, so fuck it" a hell of a lot skeevier. He is not going to even attempt to own up to his guilt aside from a token "sowwy, I can't fowgive myself uwu"; he can't even admit the truth, that he might have done it at least partially out of resentment. The original's nuance is eroded in favor of making In Water seem more like a classically "bad" ending, when it reality it should only be one plausible ending among multiple.

There's a reason we don't just toss people into ditches once they kick the bucket because "they're not here anymore lol." Have some fucking decorum, James, you selfish bitch.

And if you, dear reader, are thinking I'm being inordinately vitriolic towards James, I'm really not, because he maintains a self-centered attitude to the various deaths he witnesses.

He has nothing to say, zip, about Maria's first death or Eddie's death. Can't even be bothered to drum up the basic decency to offer a perfunctory "Damn, that was fucked-up."

At least Original!James was horrified at the prospect of murdering a "human being" in Eddie, a horror which jostled him into wondering whether Mary truly died three years ago (hence why the letter's writing disappears from the inventory; his delusions are slowly fading away). At least when Maria died in Brookhaven, he lamented that he "couldn't do anything to help."

The way he speaks in the remake, on the other hand, centers everything around him. It's all about his image, his ego, his feelings, and rarely, if ever, about Mary, let alone others.

This is not the first time Remake!James flaunts his ego, but it is exemplative of his attitude throughout the game. Bloober characterize him as an egotistical jerk via his dialogue and general attitude, and sometimes in the things he chooses not to say even when he should. And I cannot figure out for the life of me whether that was intentional, to push some gender-essentialist Men Bad(tm) message, or if Bloober are so shit at writing that they don't realize they've made him 100x more unlikable than before.

[areyoudreaminof]

Dreams That Answer: A Feysand Playlist

Happy @officialfeysandweek2023! Day 1!

Would any of us be here were it not for Feysand? Would we be goofing around in this fandom if we didn’t love Feyre from the moment she took down the wolf? Would we be such simps if we hadn’t ever read, “Hello Feyre, darling.”? I love them. I love their journey and their growth. I love their blunders and mistakes. The very best kind of epic love story is the one that takes the most time and struggle, but defies all odds. Feyre and Rhys forever, baby! This is especially dedicated to the queen of all Feysand's @the-lonelybarricade.

If my initial character playlists for Feyre and Rhysand represent them as individuals before they meet each other, this playlist is when they come together. I wanted to show their strong bond and love for one another. So LISTEN HERE, and come on behind the cut for lyrics!

After Hours-The Weeknd

Thought I almost died in my dream again Fightin' for my life, I couldn't breathe again I'm fallin' in too deep Without you, I can't sleep 'Cause my heart belongs to you I'll risk it all for you I want you next to me This time, I'll never leave

Arabesque-Coldplay

I could be you, you could be me Two raindrops in the same sea You could be me, I could be you Two angles of the same view And we share the same blood

Holiest-Glass Animals & Tei Shi

Climb until you're getting high Be a part of the scene like you're living your dream Walk the room like you're on fire Like your chasing the truth, gripping tight to your youth

But you're the holiest thing I know Yes, you're the holiest thing, holiest thing I know

Eavesdrop-The Civil Wars

Let’s let the stars watch, let them stare Let the wind eavesdrop, I don’t care For all that we’ve got, don’t let go Just hold me I can’t pull you closer than this It’s just you and the moon on my skin Oh, who says it ever has to end?

Fade Into You-Mazzy Star

I wanna take the breath that's true I look to you and I see nothing I look to you to see the truth You live your life, you go in shadows You'll come apart and you'll go blind Some kind of night into your darkness Colored your eyes with what's not there

Night Terror-Laura Marling

If I look back and he is screaming I'd left him dreaming; a dangerous feat And I'll run back and shake him tightly And scream, "If they want him, oh, they're gonna have to fight me Oh, fight me"

Starry Eyed-Ellie Goulding

So we burst into colors, colors and carousels Fall head first like paper planes and playground games

Next thing, we're touching You look at me, it's like you hit me with lightning Oh, everybody's starry-eyed And everybody glows

Empire-Of Monsters and Men

I find comfort in the sound and the shape of the heart How it echoes through the chest from under the ground As the hills turn into holes, I fill them with gold Heavy stones fear no weather And from the rain Comes a river running wild that will create An empire for you Illuminate There's a river running wild that will create An empire for you

But You-Alexandra Savior

Speak soft, speak slight now, honey It feels a little empty in the night now, honey Drift back, drift right down on me I know that you can feel it 'Cause nobody else can heal it but you

Hold Back The River-James Bay

Lonely water, lonely water won't you let us wander? Let us hold each other Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes Hold back the river so I Can stop for a minute and be by your side Hold back the river, hold back

Only In My Dreams-The Maria's

Baby stay here The whispers in the trees Are getting near You're everything I need To bare this fear The demons in my bed They're always here It's only just a dream

Lips-Marian Hill

Overwhelmed, hazy eyes Staring at tinted skies And I like, what we do Running wild, just us two

Can't Deny My Love-Brandon Flowers

What's going on in your head now? Maybe something I said? I know that you've been living in the past

Locked up in your room is there any room for me? In the spoils of your mercy In the reverence of your bed In the cradle of the morning What was it that you said?

telepatia-Kali Uchis (please note, much of this song is in Spanish)

You know that I can see right through you I can read your mind, I can read your mind What you wanna do? It's written all over your face, times two 'Cause I can read your mind, I can read your mind I can hear your thoughts like a melody

Wild Green-Foals

Spring is on its way now, lilac April rain Mayfly spreads its wings at the end of a day Let me fold myself in the corner of a day Never leave, never leave, let me stay Let me lay my head down, let me while away Holding back the hours, I'll keep them all at bay Let me fold myself in the corner of a day Before the rain comes and washes us away

Sea of Love-Cat Power

Come with me, my love To the sea The sea of love I want to tell you How much I love you

Ultralife-Oh Wonder

Days passed slowly, lost and low You gave me hope and now there's only Blood running in my veins I've never been here before And I got love falling like the rain I never could've asked for more I got so much soul inside my bones Take a look at me now I'm young, forever in the sun

Cosmic Love-Florence + the Machine

I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map And knew that somehow I could find my way back Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too So I stayed in the darkness with you

taglist: @wilde-knight @c-e-d-dreamer @climb-the-mountian @damedechance @eyllweambassador @gaeleria @itsthedoodle @kataravimes-of-the-shire @krem-does-stuff @kingofsummer93 @lidiacervos @labellefleur-sauvage @lucienarcheron @octobers-veryown @popjunkie42-blog @reverie-tales @rosanna-writer @spell-cleavers @separatist-apologist @thesistersarcheron @ultadverb @asnowfern @ablogofsapphicpanic @vulpes-fennec @velidewrites @melting-houses-of-gold @wittyrejoinder @bagelfyre @xtaketwox @brieq @thelovelymadone

[areiton]

Current Fic Ideas:

Here's my current fic ideas--all of these are up for grabs to whoever wins my @marveltrumpshate auction. (Gonna do these in a few reblogs)

Fic Idea:

Steve and tony are outted by the press 6 months into a healthy happy relationship and it takes less than 2 months for them to fall apart due to the pressure and scrutiny. How they find their way back and manage leading the Avengers is a bit messier and takes longer.

Fic Idea:

Bucky has a one night stand before he goes to war. He goes missing in action and months later, Steve is sent his personal belongings. Including letters from an omega he's never heard of, named Tony, sending pictures of a pretty baby. Bucky's baby.

Steve finds Tony--if for no other reason, than to tell him about Bucky and to meet what amounts to his nephew. But he realizes how broke Tony is, alone and disowned and trying to finish school. Maybe Tony didnt mean much to Bucky--no one ever did--but he smells like home and safety, like everything Steve didn't know he wanted. And Peter fits, in his arms, a way nothing ever has. It's easy, to welcome them into his home, to help them. It's even easier to fall in love.

And then--Bucky comes home, and finds the pretty omega he barely remembers in his brother's clothes and home, and holding a baby.

Fic Idea:

Howard finds Steve in the early seventies. He marries Peggy but she's killed and he's left lost and angry and without any real purpose. Until Howard calls and asks for a favor. His son has been getting in trouble and could use a bodyguard.

Fic Idea:

After Endgame, Steve and Tony are together and life is good but there's the small matter of the cults that have sprung up worshiping them. Because Steve wielded the power of a god and Tony wielded the Gauntlet. And people are trying to process that so cults.

Fic Idea:

Today I'm thinking about that fic I started, in which Tony is an Omega in need of an Alpha chaperone at MIT and Rhodey takes the job. And then, when Howard & Maria die, Bonds with Tony so he can inherit SI and not be forced to Bond with Obie.

So for twenty odd years, it's very common knowledge that Tony Stark is Bonded to his college 'sweetheart' Rhodey, and then--Steve shows up and Tony falls head over heels for him and that's 100% mutual but TONY HAS AN ALPHA OH NOS!

And Tony can't figure out why Steve who is OBVIOUSLY into him won't make a move, even when he's in heat and throwing himself at Steve, until Steve explains, a little confused and a lot conflicted, that he's not gonna steal another Alpha's omega, and James deserves better.

And that's when Tony calls Rhodey from the other room and says, hey baby, do you mind if I break our Bond to get with Steve and he's like, FUCKING FINALLY, DUDE! And Steve finds out that it was only ever a platonic Bond because Rhodey would literally do anything for his bestie.

Fic Idea:

The PR agent responsible for Steve getting a Twitter is also responsible for every time he gets fighty online, which happens every time Tony is insulted. Tony is DELIGHTED he isn't PR's problem child anymore.

Fic Idea:

Tony watches WWII unfolding and knows that something is necessary to help win, so he sends a piece of himself to earth--the Tesseract. And when that's not enough, he falls, giving up his place with the stars, to help humanity.

And then he meets Steve, and uses his fading power--he's dying but he's not going to tell any of them that--to power Project Rebirth. I think probably too he's part of why Steve survives the ice, but I need to work on that.

Fic Idea:

Dragon rider SteveTony AU.

They're from different clans. But they're forced together because of blah blah reasons (oh maybe the dragons are mating?) And Tony loathes Steve who is a big damn hero his father won't shut up about. And maybe he's projecting a little--

He wasn't supposed to Bond with a dragon, he isn't supposed to even be here--but he's never going to live up to Cap's expectations, not the guy who rewrote the rules on dragon bonds and single handily turned the course of the war.

Steve meanwhile cant get a single word out because gosh Tony is pretty and smart and when he rides his dragon--🤯

Their dragons would Very Much Appreciate if the idiot humans would get their shit together.

Fic Idea:

Steve never had a soulmate. Never had a mark. But one night in late may, he wakes up to a burning on his arm and his name in almost illegible scrawl. Howard calls and tells him about the birth of his son the next day.

He goes to see the baby a week later and holds Tony and he can see it, his words too large on Tony's little chest, but he murmurs them anyway. It's terrifying and everything he wanted and Tony is a BABY so he puts the kid down and swears to himself to keep his distance.

But he has a half formed bond with Tony and he doesn't always stay away and then when Tony is two--he's brilliant but talks late--he says 'steeb' at a Christmas party. It's his first word and it completes the bond. Tony grows up with it. He never realizes that they're soulmates.

Because he was so tiny when they bonded and it's all he's ever known and Steve is convinced he can't be with Tony and Tony--wants nothing to do with the nameless faceless person responsible for his words, he just wants Steve.

Fic Idea:

Steve is a successful happy security contractor. He's kinda slutty but that's ok, he's not hurting anyone and he's always honest. And then one day he gets an email that he's pretty sure isnt for him but intrigues him anyway.

Tony is miserable. His company is on the verge of collapse, he hasn't talked to his best friends in years, and his husband is a distant asshole--and those are the good days. He emails a private investigator and somehow ends up contacting a security contractor instead.

isn't a working number, hell it doesn't even have enough numbers--they keep talking. And Steve maybe stops sleeping around because Tony, Tony is fascinating. Tony smiles more, even if sneaking around is dangerous.

And there are things that are…off. little bits of conversation that is just a little bit wrong. Not enough to concern them. Eventually they decide to meet, Tony's husband be damned. But when they go to the coffee shop they agree on--there's no one waiting.

And through the argument and hurt,they finally peace it together. They're in parallel universes.

More THOUGHTS: ok but when they realize this it spooks them both and they kinda retreat from each other. But. They both look, in their worlds. Tony find a Steve Rogers but he died as a little boy. He didn't have a best friend to protect and help him. Steve find Tony too.

He was killed by a buisness rival a few weeks after his father's death. Vanko is still in prison for it, but--Tony is still dead. It terrifies him, losing that Tony without ever knowing him, and it drives him back to his Tony, desperate to know he's safe.

It's heartbreaking because they're so close to each other, but they're universes apart, too, and Tony can't tolerate that. Won't. He's a genius, even if Ty's abuse broke him and made him small, and he's willing to try, if it means making his way to Steve.

[chelleztjs18]

The Monsters Within (N.R) Pt. 4

Dark!FemReader x Natasha Romanoff (Modern AU)

Summary: You like Natasha and you are keeping her to yourself. Natasha's true self slowly shows up.

Warning: This is Dark Fic, 18+. A lot of swearing words. Graphic and gore descriptions, kidnapping, mind manipulations / brainwashing, death, violence, bone crushing and stockholm syndrome, blood kink (if you squint). Let me know if I miss anything.

A/N: Hello hello! I'm back with the last part of this series then next is the epilogue! Thank you Lou @honey-sweet-hiraeth for helping me n for the brilliant ideas for the ending. Also thank you for encourage me to step out of my comfort zone on writing it. Happy reading! and forgive me..

Series Masterlist || Main Masterlist

After you let Natasha go, the house feels empty. She left a hole in your heart. Just like her, you miss her immediately but you love her and you want her to be happy. You were sure that she would come back but you start to doubt it. It has been a month she hasn’t shown up to your door. You are mad and disappointed, not to her, but to yourself.

Missing her is already hard to deal with and all these other feelings are just making it harder for you. You have nobody else. This is just another “Wanda” all over again. You killed for her but just like Wanda, Natasha left you. All the special moments both of you had, did it mean something to her? What about the kiss? You asked the same question about it.

A similar internal fight happens to you. Part of you doubts her that she will come back and make your hope disintegrated. Another part of you still believes that she loves you and will come back.

All this leads you to your old coping mechanism even though you doubt that it will fully do its job but you still do it anyway. You are on a killing spree. Like the angel of death, you take souls more often than usual. Like a judge, you give death sentences to any random people you pick to feed the unending blood thirst monster in you.

Without any question, James helps you and he tries to keep up with you on getting rid of the soulless bodies. The loyal man stands by you every night you are dismembering your victim and passes him limb by limb so he can squeeze them into the bathtub before soaking them in the pool of acid.

You usually drown the whole body in the bath of acid but tearing them apart to pieces before that, helps you a little to let out your dismay and keeps your mind busy from thinking about Natasha.

The feeling when the big sharp steel knife forces its way through the skin, cutting through the muscle until it reaches the joints drags out your anger of you slowly but so relieving for you. It makes you feel that you gain back the control over your emotion.

The rusty blood scent spreads strongly when it flows out, shakes your senses and triggers the hemoglobin flow rapidly in yourself like it’s a shot of steroid that keeps your adrenaline rush going crazier. The slicing sounds of the cut tendon and that weird yet satisfying noise right when the joints are separated forcefully playing around through your ear releasing something indescribable in you.

Victims after victims and no matter how many limbs you cut, you still feel empty. None of them can tame the insatiable urge of killing nor the feeling of having Natasha around you.

_____

Natasha’s eyes are watching the T.V but not her mind. Her body is there sitting with Maria, watching the news but her thoughts are busy thinking about something else, or you, to be precise.

Her mind ponders the questions of how are you and what are you doing right now. She can’t lie to herself, she has the wanting feeling to know if you are okay after she left you for over a month. Her heart is barking orders at her to go back to you.

She is far lost in her thoughts. The sounds of the TV flew past over her head right away. Her eyes look empty, staring at one spot of the screen without even following what’s on it.

Maria’s voice that’s calling her name and a nudge on her arm drag her attention suddenly. Her gaze shifted to her friend next to her. “Huh? What is it? Sorry I didn’t hear what you said.”

“Are you okay? I was talking about the news. Look, they are talking about the number of missing people has been increasing in a little over a month.” said Maria in concern.

Her stomach turns into a knot and lungs are emptying on their own without her permission as soon as she hears Maria’s words. “Oh yeah, that’s horrible.” Natasha lets out her sympathy as her response.

“Do you remember our regular customer, Ms. Harkness?” Maria asks.

“Oh yeah. She is a cop, right? What about her?” the redhead returned a question back.

“Yeah, her. This is supposed to be classified but she told me that they might be all dead and the suspect might be a very smart serial killer because there’s no trace found until now.” more details flow out of Maria’s lips.

Natasha starts to feel unease from everything she hears as she swallows her nervousness down. Her brain connects all the lines of information straight to you. She knows that it was all your doing.

“Did–did they find any clue who it was?” The Russian stuttered in her question.

“Unfortunately they didn’t. Not yet. Why Nat? Do you want to tell me something? You haven’t told me about everything that happened to you while you were gone. Are you ready to tell me more?” Maria asks back to back, pushing Natasha to an edgy point.

“I–I–need more time to talk about it, Maria.”

“I know, Nat but the earlier we tell the police that you are back the sooner you get the help you need. I don’t want to get in trouble for letting you stay with me without reporting the cops that you have been back for over a month now. Did you see the face of your captor or what they did?” The more Maria asks, the more anxious Natasha gets.

“No, I didn’t. It was all dark, no window. All walls. I couldn’t see the face and the person didn’t say anything at all whenever she came to give me food or clean clothes.” she rambles whatever false answer she can give to her curious friend so she would stop asking immediately. Her heart wants to protect you. She internally doesn’t want you got caught.

“Wait..wait.. She? So it’s a woman? She gave you clean clothes? I thought you said that an old lady found you on the side of the road, gave you a lift and helped you clean up? So the suitcase you brought wasn’t hers? You also told me that the clothes are some of her daughter's. I’m confused now, Nat. Which one is the right story?” Confusion and suspicion gradually grows in Maria’s thoughts when she recalls some part of the story that Natasha told her doesn’t match at all.

Maria tries to look at her eyes but she avoids them and her face slowly turns white pale. Natasha knows that she is on thin ice right now. She realized that she told Maria false details. Small unmatch details with the previous one and that definitely digs her own graveyard. All she can do right now is to cover the lies with another lie. “I don’t know, Mar. Okay? I don’t know! Please don’t push me. I need more time, damn it!” her voice was raised against Maria.

"Okay.. okay.. Nat. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Without answering her bewildered friend, Natasha rushes to her room, locking her door and hoping that Maria won't demand the truth.

As silence dominates the whole bedroom, you easily come into her memories. Shortly, you are all she thinks about. She misses you, a lot. Internally, she is longing for you. As she is sitting on her bed while trying to calm herself from the pressure that Maria’s question gave her, her suitcase got caught in the corner of her eyes.

She remembers that you mentioned the burgundy envelope then opens it as soon as she finds it. There are some numbers that are indicated as the front gate and front door lock code of your house right after your address.

She proceeds to the lines of words you wrote.

“You can always come home to me whenever you want.”

Her heart wrenches yet warmth soothes inside her. She can’t deny her feelings any longer. She misses you and wants to be with you. Without any assurance whether Yelena is still alive or not, now you are all she has. To Natasha, you are her home now. Living with Maria won’t make her life easier if she wants to keep your secret safe. Sooner or later, Natasha will be trapped in the corner of truth.

Without a doubt, Natasha decides to run away from everything and come back home to you. She packs her only belongings in the suitcase you gave her and waits until the right time for her to leave.

She sneaks out in the middle of the night and takes a taxi ride to you. The closer she is to your residence, the more sure she is that she made the right decision. Her doubt and denial evaporate. She is leaving her past life behind to be with you willingly. Filled with thrills, Natasha can’t wait to be in your arms again.

As soon as she gets off her ride home, she quickens her steps towards your gates. The beeping sound as the gate automatically unlocked right after she pressed the numbers sending a dash of feelings that made her walk even faster to the front door.

She presses the other lock codes and she opens the door right away. She scurries to the living room but you are not there.

With a smile, she naturally led herself to your shared bedroom by passing the kitchen. Her heart wrenches yet warmth and joy bubbling inside. She can’t wait to see you, give you the hug that she actually craves.

As soon as Natasha's feet led her to the kitchen, her smile quickly dropped and turned into a frown. Her excitement and the joy in her shredded into pieces in a second and they are quickly replaced by anger. The warmth that bubbled in her is now turned into a hot boiling jealousy mess.

Her heart pounds and her face feels warm from how she is feeling right now. The redhead is furious right after her green eyes catch another woman in your house with you. A brunette who is slightly shorter than you is standing in front of you with her hands touching all over you and her lips catching yours in a kiss.

Her body feels like she just got hit by a huge wave that weakens her knees but her anger supports her to stand strong.

Both of you and the woman don't see that Natasha is in the kitchen and she takes advantage of it.

Natasha doesn’t make any sound no matter how much she wants to scream. As the silence shut her mouth, her mind and eyes were moving fast in a few seconds. Her brain is thinking what she is going to do as her eyes are spotting the kitchen knife that she knows where it is.

Natasha goes ballistic and marches furiously towards the brunette right after her right hand grabs the sharp huge kitchen knife. The redhead is livid and she quickly grabs the stranger that pisses her off so badly by the hair, dragging her away from you. The startled woman screams from the pain from the pull of her hair.

With all the energy she has, Natasha pins her to the wall then her left hand quickly chokes the woman in front of her as hard as she can.. She looks at her with so much jealousy and hatred while the woman gasps for air and speaks at the same time. “Let..me..go. Who are you?” as she tries to pull Natasha's grip of death.

Everything happens too fast. By the time you try to grab Natasha, she tilts her head and watches her gasp louder as she stabs her and pulls out the knife right away out of her abdomen. Blood flows out of her wound and drips off the sharp weapon that sliced through her. From where she stabbed her, you know it’s fatal and too late to save her.

Natasha watches the crimson fluid out of her mouth and overflow her hand as she loosen up her grip then throw her to the ground.

Natasha turns her head to you but she hears the dying voice call your name. “Y/n. h–help”. SHe hates her calling your name and it drives Natasha crazy into a whole nother level. She quickly turns and straddles on her bloody and wounded lower body while the woman tries to fight weakly.. With both of her hands Natasha raises the knife and stabs her once more and that's when she took the first life out of someone.

You watch Natasha stab her again..and again..and again. Burying the knife in any part of her body she can. She doesn't even care if it thrusts into the same wound.

The sound of every lunge mixed with her grunts sound so clear in your ear delivers an indescribable feeling in you.

Blood pools around the now lifeless body and splats around the cabinet doors. Natasha's hands are now drenched in deep red colors.

You are appalled yet proud of her that she finally releases and accepts the monster in her. You just didn't expect who would be the first person she killed.

After the 16th stabs, Natasha finally stopped. She is trying to catch her breath as she stands up and turns around to you. She tossed the bloody knife away and wiped the splattered blood off her face with her forearm only ended up leaving some more smudges on it.

"Fuck, that feels so good." She said it casually and in a relieved tone as her forest green eyes looked at you.

You always knew she would look a lot more attractive with someone’s blood on her skin. Your brain is stunned with not just how she looks and what she did but it is also thinking what to do next to the dead body on the floor. You can’t deny it, no matter how proud you are of her, you are still a little shocked.

You look at her and finally break your silence. “That was Wanda.”

As soon as she hears the name out of your lips, Natasha quickly looks at the dead body with wide eyes as she bites the inside of her cheeks shortly before she asks “Are you mad?”

“I probably should be.” you answered as you glanced at the body as well then looked back at Natasha.

Silence covers the atmosphere in the kitchen along with the rusty blood scents that slowly spread. None of you say anything. Natasha is waiting for what you will say next while you are thinking.

After a good few minutes of silence, you start laughing a little. Her lips slightly open in a pinch of surprise from your reaction. She sees you walk closer to her. “Let’s clean this up.” you suggest slightly before you kiss her lips and you can taste a little bit of Wanda’s blood off her lips then you walk to do what you have to do next.

Natasha smiles from the giddy feelings your kiss gives her.

_____

You could’ve dragged Wanda’s body to the basement by yourself but Natasha insisted on helping. “This bitch..She touched and KISSED you and now even when she’s dead, she’s still a pain in the ass to get rid of.” she complains in between grunts as she helps you on putting Wanda into the tub.

“Watch it, Natty. She’s Wanda. No matter what, she’s part of my life.” you look at her in a teasing smile but there’s still a pinch of seriousness in your words.

“What? It's true. She is a pain in the ass. She’s so tall and it’s hard for me to put her in this freaking bathtub.” another complains out of her pouty lips, complete with a frown on her face.

“How did she get here anyway?” she asks in a more irritated tone yet curious as she shoves Wanda’s hand into the bathtub.

“I saved her from her ex-boyfriend and she didn’t want to be alone.” you shrug your shoulders at the same time you give her your answer. “Vision? What did he do?” Natasha pitches back another question.

“Turns out he is abusive just like her father.” you explain as you gather a bunch of big jugs of acid next to the claw footed tub.

Natasha lets out a sarcastic chuckle. “Funny world. Anyway, did you kill him?”

“Unfortunately, no. We were in public.” you let out a disappointed sigh with your answer while you open each cap of the prepared jugs. Natasha can see and knows just from your sigh how much you wanted to kill him. A question popped up in her mind.

“Will you love me more if I kill him for you?” she questions as her eyes search for yours, waiting for your answer like a little puppy.

You can’t help yourself letting out a little laugh. “Cute.” It was the only word that you said.

“I’m serious. I will kill him for you, Y/n.”

“Oh believe me, darling. I know you will.” You give another quick kiss on her lips then you grab the acid.

A second before you pour it, Natasha stops you. “Wait! Allow me to pour it on my first victim.” Natasha expresses her bone chilling request in a disturbing playful proud tone along with a small giggle then takes it from your hands.

You smile and let go of your grips. She takes it as a yes from you. In silence and with gentle eyes, you look at her pouring the dangerous liquid. Amazement screamed so loud on her facial expression as her eyes rounded with thrills while watching the effect that the chemical substance gave on Wanda’s skin, slowly..inch.. by..inch.

Natasha even makes sure that she doesn’t miss any spot. A soft satisfied gasp crack the silence and flew straight to your ears as soon as she watches it burn the skin and forcefully rip its pores.

As soon as she thinks she is done with it, Natasha takes a delighted deep breath and exhales. She turns her head to you with a smile. “So, any other ex’s I need to take out?”

You laugh. “You are horrible.” and shake your head while you fill up the bathtub with more acid.

“I’m no worse than you.” she replied with a smile. And just like that, both of you casually talking and teasing each other as if nothing happened in front of Wanda's slowly dissolving dead body.

You smile at her with such adoration.

"Then we are just a couple of monsters aren't we, Natty?"

"Yes, we are." Natasha finally accepts the monsters within.

Epilogue

A/n: Welp, that's it for today! Let me know what you think. Feel free to come to my ask or message. Reblogs and comments are highly appreciated! Follow me for more and see you in the epilogue or my other works.

Cheerio!

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[im-akira]

Joel Miller x F!Reader | 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 | 🌿

Chapter 8 : Nightmares | Chapter 7 | Summary

Series Summary : Joel Miller is no longer the same man after losing his entire family, except his little brother. A few months later, after saving Ellie from the Fireflies. He now lives in a community of survivors with Ellie and her younger brother, Tommy.

He has only one goal, to ensure his own survival and that of those he loves. Until the day he crossed paths with a young woman and her son in the community. The young woman’s face was particularly familiar.

Are you and Joel strangers or are you a lot more than that ?

Warnings : Mature content angst, smut, romance, blood, violence...

Do not : Claim, Repost, Copy, or Translate my stories anywhere else.

Notes : The gif I chose will allow you to imagine the scene where Joel carries this look in the conversation between him and Ellie. ✨ Reference to certain scenes of the series and the game.

I apologize in advance but English is not my mother tongue. 💙

~*.♪。★*・゜・＊♪*.♪。★*・゜・＊♪*.♪°~

James got back with Jesse earlier than some groups. They were lucky because they had no danger on the road, which is why they were there much earlier. With the equipment in its place and the horses in the stables, James took a tour around town to find out which groups had already returned from patrol.

Y/N and Joel did not seem to have returned yet, their horses were not present in the stables and they had been gone for almost two days. James feared the worst, but remains confident that they will come back alive.

James is going to do his check in town before going to Maria and Tommy's. He wanted to see if everything was okay in town, that no one needed help, adult or child. This side, he had inherited it from Y/N for sure, Y/N had this softer side and attentive to everything that was happening around her. His mother always taught him to balance things, and especially to help those who needed it most, even if it was just a small gesture, it was better than doing nothing.

Even if the world was destroyed and could not be healed, for Y/N, that was no reason for her son to end up on the wrong side and Joel would agree with her. She had to fight every day to keep it with her in the light, but unfortunately sometimes things happen that we can't predict. What marks our mind and body forever. - After his walk, James went to his destination for the day. He knocked on the door several times, Maria answered him on the other side. « Between James, I finish something with Noah and I’m yours. »

Once James entered the house, he could hear a door closing, presumably Maria leaving to finish helping the inhabitant in question. James then walks through the living room of the house. Of course, he wasn't going to search the whole house. Already it was not in his habits and because he had been invited to enter.

James found himself face to face with a chalk board, there were several names with dates” Sarah, James, Y/N and Kevin.” It was a good number, but that’s not what surprised the young man the most. Before he can say anything, the front door opens quickly, which slightly surprises James, making him quickly turn to the noise in question. Maria arrives alone in the room and surprises James in front of the fireplace. It seems that she had just caught him red-handed.

- « Are you okay James? » Without asking any more questions, the young woman understood that the chalk board on the fireplace had something to do with her physical agitation. Tommy had spoken vaguely about the assumptions he and Joel had about the Green family.

Was it possible? Would James be the son of Joel and Y/N his wife?

James didn't want to lie to Maria that the names on the board intrigued him deeply inside. It's as if his body was pushing him to ask questions because he was close to missing out on something he might regret. He therefore waited to ask his questions, James wanted to observe Maria's behavior first. She was not blind and neither was he, this little altar had awakened things.

- « Yes, I am fine. And yes, I was looking for you. I would like to know if you know if my mother and Joel were back from patrol? Because I couldn't find their horses in the stables. » Through the questions he asked, James tried with some difficulty to relax his body, so that he appeared before Maria in a completely calm attitude.

- « No, they haven't returned yet, but as soon as Tommy or I see them, you will be promptly notified of their arrival. Does it suit you? » Maria started to put away a few things Tommy had left before leaving to help Thomas in town. Papers on the living room table and an empty whiskey glass. Seeing the empty glass, the young woman called out, « Do you want something to drink? »

- « Maria, her names, who do they belong to? » It's as if James' mind has control over his body and speaks for him. James knew the answer in advance, but he needed to hear the truth. Arms firmly crossed and lay against his chest. He prepares his body and mind to absorb what he was about to hear and the potential events that were to follow.

- Maria quietly went on with her housework, not caring too much about James's question. She knew he was going to ask her that question because her body said so clearly when she came in and found it next to the frame. « Well, Kevin was my child that I lost like many here. As for Sarah and James, they were Joel's children and Y/N was his wife. »

James gently passed his hand over his face. He wanted to cry, but he couldn’t. He laughed instead. For him, it’s like he got a big slap in the face. The truth sometimes hurts, and it hits James hard from the inside. Other feelings will be added later. Like anger, sadness, disgust...

It was the first time he felt so much in such a short time.

- « James? Does t- » Before Maria can ask her, the voice of one of her men is heard from across the room. « Maria! Y/N and Joel are back! I'll let Tommy know they're coming! » She then turned her head towards James, but he had already taken the exit.

James didn't say anything, so he walked out of the house quickly. He wanted… He had to face Joel, his father. Who would have told him that he could one day speak to his father again? Younger, very soon after he and his mother separated from Joel and Sarah. James often dreamed of his father and sister and how they would see each other someday.

Fate is what happens to us when we least expect it.

Those who must find each other, will find each other one day or another.

James ran without a word towards the two adults. He hasn't taken the time to hug his mother, James is out of control, his body and mind are drowned in anger and sadness. After getting close enough, he punches Joel hard in the face, pulling him back slightly. Y/N didn't believe what she had just seen. His body will come between the two men.

- « Oh hey! What's wrong with you James!? »

- « I forbid you to touch or approach my mother, do you understand me Joel?! »

Joel let himself be done, deep down, he had himself and Y/N also knew it. The truth had just hit him hard in the face. The hit didn't hurt him, what hurt him was being hit by his own son, his own child.

But he deserved it, and at no time did he regret the gesture James had just made to him despite the pain he felt in his heart.

- « Mom, Joel, this man, he's lying to you, he's been lying to us since we arrived. » James stays in front of his mother, he doesn't look away from Joel who is getting up. « Tell him Joel, the truth! I know you fully understand what I mean by truth! »

Y/N didn't have the words, a few minutes ago she and Joel promised each other to face the truth together and now it comes to the surface, and violently. Like Joel, Y/N felt pain, not physical but rather internal. Seeing her son, her baby, being in this state and she can't do anything to appease him because she is one of the reasons he is in this state, broke his heart.

Instead of responding to his son's request, Joel said nothing, he let the silence settle so that he could understand for himself that his mother was already aware of the whole truth.

- « I already know the truth, James. »

His mother's words echo in his head, it's like James hasn't seen it coming all this time. His father and mother played a dangerous game, for James there was a form of disappointment and anger towards them. How could they let this lie take hold and act like nothing was wrong when it was quite the opposite.

Disappointment doesn't kill it teaches.

James moved away from his mother, she could see in his green eyes that his look was very different said a few minutes ago. She knew that look and she didn't like it.

- Too many things went through James' mind, he didn't know what to say or even how to react. So he stopped thinking and let out words that would potentially hurt his mother. « It’s hurtful to be disappointed in the one person you never thought would hurt you. »

- « James please wait…»

He could have been even more pissed at them, hitting Joel as many times as it took to make him understand all the anger and sadness he felt. But James chooses to do nothing, to leave his words there and leave his parents alone with this truth. Violence doesn't solve anyway.

Y/N drops her trembling body, until today, she had managed to fight and withstand the trials of this lost world. But now it was unlike anything she had seen before, it was like someone had just taken her son away from her.

To take a child away from a mother is to take away more than we can give back.

- « Joel, what did we do… »

Joel promised her that they would face the truth together, but he didn’t expect it to be here so quickly. Especially so soon and with James. That would have been the first, of course, to know the truth.

Neither Y/N nor Joel would have imagined that this would happen with their son. But his behavior was understandable and fair. James hadall the reasons for being angry with his parents. Y/N and Joel were two, two adults who had to be responsible for their choices.

That morning, James was the most adult.

Joel already knew that feeling of losing a part of himself, his world, his child. Even though it was just a physical feeling, Joel fully understood the pain that Y/N was feeling.

The difference is that Joel lost Sarah, even though Tommy was there he knows felt alone. This time Joel wouldn't let his wife face it alone, he's by her side as she has her turn.

- Joel will kneel in front of Y/N. He could see his whole body shaking from James's words. It hurt her to see her like that, she didn't deserve it, no one deserved it. « Y/N raise your head, please, for me, look at me. » The young mother barely looks into Joel’s eyes, he gently puts his big hands on his cheeks and one of his fingers wipe tears from his face.

- « I know what you're saying, that you're a bad mother? That you failed? That James won't forgive us for the ones we've done? » Joel did not take his wife's gaze away for a moment. « You are a superb mother, the best you can dream of for your children. James has become the man he is partly thanks to you. This choice he made, not to choose violence towards me, is It's thanks to you because you taught him the right things to stay upright in the light. » Joel then puts his forehead against the young mother's, trying to bring his softness and comfort there as well.

- « You see the good in others, and when they don't see it, you create it. You made me want to come back, to be better. So if you doubt yourself for a moment… Look in my eyes and you’ll see. »

And Y/N listening to Joel’s request, she plunged her eyes filled with tears into her own. He stood before her with the greatest of looks.

If Joel had to stay with O/N all day in that position, he would. Because he loved her and he was gonna keep his promise to face this together. No matter if some people could judge what he was doing, his love for his wife was much stronger than others' eyes on his actions.

The young mother responded with a gentle, slow gesture. She placed her lips against his and let it travel through him. He loved her and she loved him to death.

A few hours later…

- « I see James hasn't taken the news very well. »

- « Tommy, please don't add a second layer. Now really isn't the time. » Joel was getting out of the shower a few minutes ago. He had put on clean clothes, he only had a large white towel on top of his head. She allowed him to hide his face to avoid meeting his brother's murderous gaze. Joel was sitting on the couch in the living room, staring straight ahead, his thoughts spinning in circles. « If you came to lecture me, move on. »

- Tommy has settled into silence on the sofa, directly across from Joel. He crosses his arms and observes his brother's behavior. « Are you really going to sit here and do nothing? »

- « Tommy, I'm not going to fight my son. I have to leave him alone, let him digest all this, he needs time like me and his mother. » Joel looked slightly at his brother, he only saw part of his face, the other was covered by the towel.

- « Joel, I told you before, you can stop fighting, but time doesn't wait, it keeps moving forward. I don’t want to see the only chance you have of reconnecting with James, passing you by. » Tommy rises from his position to stand right in front of Joel's gaze, he is determined to say what was on his mind. « Yes, James needs time to digest the truth he just learned. But despite everything, you and Y/N, don't let him face it alone. Even if we are adults, we remain human, we are not stronger than children. James needs you, his parents, by his side, do you know what I mean? »

Joel was particularly surprised by his brother's behavior and words. He wasn't expecting it at all, but what Joel hasn't figured out yet is that Maria and Tommy are going to have a baby. So obviously Tommy sees himself in Joel's situation if this happens with his child.

Tommy would have done exactly what Joel did, which is why he fights to make him understand that he shouldn't just sit there doing nothing.

- « You must be wondering why I'm telling you all this, why I reacted like this. » Tommy will take his place on the living room couch directly across from Joel. The atmosphere was heavy, and the two men could feel it just by looking at each other.

- Joel pulls the towel off his head to face his brother. He could feel that the atmosphere had just changed in an instant. The expression on Tommy's face said a lot but not enough for Joel to understand what was really going on inside. « What's going on, Tommy? You look concerned. »

The truth ? It's because Tommy is afraid of the reaction that Joel might have. But now that he was in the process of revealing things, he couldn't back down from his last words. So he set out to tell her the news.

- « Actually, Maria and I have great news for you. She's pregnant, Joel. We are going to have a baby. »

And to Tommy's surprise, his brother reacted in a whole different way.

- « Oh..., Tommy, that's... That's great. Congratulation. I'm really happy for you both. »

Joel is not someone who overreacts, but he was sincere in his words.

- « Really? Are you happy for us? »

- « Yes really. I know I don't often show my emotions, but this time it's different. I'm your brother, Tommy, and I care about you. This is important news, and I want you to know that I am sincerely happy for you and Maria. »

- « Thank you, Joel. It means a lot to me to hear that from you. But knowing that you share my joy is comforting. »

- « I know I'm not always the most demonstrative bro, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I want to be there for you, especially in the important moments of your life. You are going to be an amazing dad, Tommy. »

- « I really appreciate your words. I know you care about me, even if you show it differently. And I'm sure you'll be a great uncle. You have a big heart, even if you find it hard to show it. »

- « I'll be an uncle, huh? I'm sure Ellie will be very happy to hear the news as well. »

Joel and Tommy, two brothers who can sometimes be strangers, but when the bond is strong, they become pillars of trust and support in their lives.

A few hours later…

Joel had spent the morning looking for James, but without success. Maybe he had gone somewhere alone? To join friends? There were so many possibilities that Joel decided tostay calm.

What blocked him? It was fear, Joel knew that. He got scared several times with Ellie, and now it's back with James.

Night slowly settled in, shrouding the town of Jackson in a veil of soothing darkness. The sky was tinged with shades of purple and orange, testifying to the sunset that had passed moments earlier.

The air seemed cooler and calmer, imbued with a tranquility that invited relaxation. The noises of the day gradually dissipate, giving way to a subtle symphony of nocturnal sounds. The crickets sing their rhythmic melody, sometimes accompanied by a distant owl sounding its melancholy call.

In this enveloping atmosphere, Joel sat on his porch with his guitar by his side. He silently contemplated the changing landscape, lost in thought.

Joel gazed up at the starry sky, lost in the endless vastness above him. The stars seemed to be points of hope in the dark, silent guides on her inner journey. Thoughts raced, memories flooded. Moments spent with his family, moments of happiness and pain, all mixed up in his mind. The night offered a space to explore her emotions, to deal with her deepest feelings.

But something, or rather someone will suddenly interrupt his thoughts.

- « Joel! You are here?! Please open it's urgent! »

It was Y/N, he could hear through his voice and words that something had just happened. He then quickly withdrew from his position to join the young mother at the entrance to his house.

- « Y/N? Dear? What is going on? »

- « It's... It's.. » The young mother had difficulty breathing, too many words wanted to come out to answer Joel's questions.

- « Hey hey, slow down, take a minute to breathe before you answer me. » Joel gently takes Y/N's hand to pull her inside the house where they can talk quietly about what's going on.

- « It's James, when I got home there was a note on the kitchen table. He promised me in his letter that he would come back later. » Y/N's grip on Joel's hand intensifies further. « It's evening and he still hasn't come home. I feel like something happened to him, Joel. Something happened to our son. »

- Before Joel responds to his wife's concerns, he will lure her this time into the living room, so that she can sit down and manage to calm down and breathe properly. Joel stands right in front of her, his eyes never leaving her. « I know what we're going to do, we're going to go find him. If he left Jackson, he'll probably have borrowed a horse from the stables. Which means he has left a path behind him, nothing and still lost to find it. »

What Joel had forgotten was that he wasn't alone at home, Ellie had come home earlier than usual. The young teenager could not help but listen to the discussion. James had disappeared and it was out of the question for Ellie to stay there doing nothing, she didn't leave the choice to the two adults to accompany them.

- As the young mother is about to say something, Ellie comes out of her hiding place and surprises the two adults. She was already dressed to leave, the bag on her shoulders, her weapons and her jacket. « I accompany you. »

- « Ellie? No you don't- »

- « And that's non-negotiable, Joel, I'm coming. » Ellie looked at Joel then Y/N with wide eyes. She expected the young mother to understand her behavior, James was important to her even though they hadn't known each other for years.

- « Joel, I think you should let her come with us. I can see, and you too, that in his eyes there is great determination. » The young mother gently and delicately grasped Joel's hand to place small caresses with her fingers.

- Ellie gets closer to the two adults, always keeping the same look on them. « James, me, you and Y/N, we're family now aren't we? So I won't let anything happen to you, that's how it is. »

- « Kiddo… »

Joel could see that Ellie was tense, her body said a lot about her. The biggest thing in the house was fear. Fear happened to everyone, whether it was for an adult or a child, it was the same thing, the same feeling.

The fear of losing someone is proof that we have found something valuable.

This was the case for everyone present, even across this world they had managed to find something, someone precious. This fear shows how important this person is in our life.

Over time, Joel learned from Ellie what it was like to be afraid of losing someone so important to him. This makes him aware of the importance of Ellie's presence in his life.

After everything they had been through together, it was unthinkable for him to lose her again. He was happy to hear his offer to come and accompany them, since the last time they spoke was at the old store, a certain distance had then established between them.

But it was stronger than him, Joel couldn’t give him an answer.

Y/N could see the silence between Joel and Ellie. The young mother knew Joel better than anyone on this planet, after Tommy of course. Joel had things on his mind that he wanted to tell Ellie, but he was stuck.

- Y/N will release Joel's hand and rise from his position to join Ellie. She will stand by his side and now face Joel. « Honey, you trust him, don't you? So you have nothing to fear. » Y/N lets his gaze land on Ellie, the young teenager will do the same and let a smile appear on her face. « If you trust me and leave your fears behind, I promise you, Joel, you'll be fine. »

Joel had a bad intuition, and usually he's not wrong when that happens. However, watching Ellie and Y/N together, he wanted to laugh and smile. They were two of the most important people in his life, and seeing them together today almost melted his heart

After this great moment of silence and hesitation, Joel gave his answer.

- « I love you, both. »

Y/N smiled at her husband's statement, but conversely, Ellie never expected to hear Joel say his three words one day. Saying I love you with difficulty shows that our feelings overcome our fears and that our love is stronger than our reluctance.

Joel was fighting against himself, against his fears, against his own barriers.

Maybe something will happen, or maybe not. But Joel wanted no more regrets on his heart. So if this was the last hours he has with his family, he had to say his three words.

- « You're getting sentimental, Joel. You know? You are old, which means you will be older in the years to come. » Ellie had a smile on the corners of her lips but she was happy and grateful to have heard him say his words. Even though he didn't say yes, his three words mean just like.

To be sentimental is to embrace our vulnerability and let our tears be the messengers of our love and compassion. It is also to offer our sensitivity to the world, thus revealing our ability to feel the beauty and intensity of each moment.

Joel was amused by the situation, which is why he doesn't respond to Ellie and just rolls his eyes at her words.

A few hours later…

- « How are you James? Do you remember me ? Good old days? » The man wore a mask over his face, he had no weapon in his hand. « That scar must surely tell you something. To put your mind to it, you did it to me to get revenge for what I did to your mother. Do you remember? Because for me, it feels like yesterday. »

- James had his hands tied, he couldn't do anything. He looked around, but couldn't tell where he was. Worse still, the snow storm didn't help either. « No, I don't know who you are. »

- « Are you sure? » The man ordered one of his men to bring back an infected person tied by a chain. « I will help you pull yourself together. » The man picks up a knife from one of his men and approaches James. « Carlos? This means nothing to you? »

James' expression had changed in an instant, and the man, Carlos, had noticed.

- « Oh, I see you remember me, interesting. » Carlos slowly runs his knife over the skin of James' arm. « Tell me… How has your mother been since the last time? You know, ever since I got it- »

- James comes to butt Carlos' face. The man receives the blow violently. His men started moving, as well as the one holding the infected by a chain. They are waiting for one thing, an order, and James is a finished man. « You have no right to talk about my mother, son of a bitch! »

- Carlos smiles, amused by James' gesture, then wipes the blood from his face. « I see you haven't changed. » He recovers from his position to find himself face to face with James. « One thing you should know is that tonight your mother and your whole little town will be ruined. Tell me, how does it feel to know that and you can't be there to save everyone, hmm? »

James didn't answer, but his body was burning, he was burning inside.

- Carlos circled around James, playing with the knife he held in his hand at the same time. « We have been watching you for weeks, you are really comfortable, but tonight the dream comes to an end. »

- « You, on the other hand, have changed a lot, where has good old Carlos gone? The one who promised us a lot of things but did not respect anything in the end. The one who runs away whenever danger arises against our group? This one- » James didn't have time to finish his sentence when Carlos came over and punched him in the stomach.

- « You know, James, that attitude you have, always wanting to have the last word. It will kill you. But not tonight, you're lucky. Because you will be able to see from afar how your mother and this town will die. » Carlos gestures to the man who was still holding the infected by a chain to approach. Carlos sets up the infected close enough to James that he doesn't think of trying something stupid. « I'll leave our friend with you in case you want to run away. See you later. »

~*.♪。★*・゜・＊♪*.♪。★*・゜・＊♪*.♪°~ If you want to be marked on my future stories, let me know in the comments. Thank you again for reading ! 😊

[ao3-elle1991]

elle1991’s 2023 round-up!

Wow, it’s hard to believe the year is almost over. It’s been an exciting one, so let’s take a look back on what’s happened!

The stats…

In 2023:

I wrote 5 stories

I wrote 144,870 words

14,595 of you read my stories

The fics…

Here are the stories that I wrote in 2023:

Let Me Go (134,185 words) - A sequel to my Black Widow origin story Fearless. Coming to terms with death is difficult, particularly when that death is your own. When Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself on Vormir to help bring back half the Universe, she did not expect to survive. But whilst her physical body perished, her soul awakened in a place that different cultures have named the Soul World, the Afterlife, or Heaven. This is not the end of her story; it is a new beginning.

Kinktober 2023, Day 3: Hate Sex (3,533 words) - Harry hates Riddle with a passion. He hates his fake smiles. He hates his stupid perfect face. He hates his holier-than-thou, model student, sensible Prefect act. Because it’s all an act, Harry can tell. No one can possibly be such an insufferable goody-two-shoes. And he’s going to prove it. His plan is foolproof: use the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder’s Map to sneak out after curfew and follow the other boy around on his so-called “Prefect patrols”. Riddle is bound to do something suspicious - right? What could possibly go wrong?

Kinktober 2023, Day 13: Size Difference (2,698 words) - It is the 13th of June 1943. Sergeant James “Bucky” Barnes ships off in the morning, joining the war in Europe with the rest of the 107th Infantry Regiment. He wants to spend his last night at home making sure his tiny twink boyfriend Steve knows just how much he is loved. Steve wants to give his darling beefcake Bucky the night of his life.

Kinktober 2023, Day 20: Mind Control (3,070 words) - Auror Harry Potter had just entered his home after a long shift at work when he felt it: his instincts screaming that something was wrong, wrong, wrong. He drew his wand, but too late, his assailant already hitting him with a spell that made his thoughts and worries float far away. “Imperio!” Against his will, Harry’s panic melted away like smoke, a sense of calm that was not his own invading his mind and making him drop his wand with a clatter to the floor. “Don’t scream,” said a dark, honeyed voice from behind him. “Walk to the bedroom. And take off your clothes.”

Double The Fun (1,384 words) - “What is THAT?” said Natasha, staring between Maria’s legs. Maria shook her hips from side to side, making the silicone monstrosity strapped to her crotch jiggle and sway. “It’s a dildo,” smirked Maria. “Well, a double dildo, I guess. Double the fun.”

A special message for you…

And last but certainly not least, I cannot talk about 2023 without giving a huge hats-off to you guys, my readers! I love writing and would do it even without an audience, but the fact that there are thousands of you out there who read my fics makes it a million times more rewarding!

THANK YOU for your readership, your loyalty, your kudos, your comments, your love, your excitement and your enthusiasm for my stories. You make writing so much more fun, and knowing that you guys enjoy reading my works and that these stories touch your lives in some small way is such a humbling and wonderful experience.

I look forward to sharing more stories with you next year, and reading your thoughts in the comments section of AO3! And if you’ve been a silent lurker so far… come and say hi! I’m not scary, I promise, and I love to connect with readers ❤

All the best for 2024, folks. See you on the other side!

Lots of love,

elle1991

xxx

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough Ch 19

Catherine's greatest strength is also her greatest weakness: she thinks the best of people. In general, Catherine is a lot like Bingley, she is outgoing, happy, and looking for a good time, but I think in this trait she's more like Edmund Bertram. He is also unwilling to attribute bad motives to bad actions at times...

Catherine does have the best of intentions, she wants to help her brother, but she is unwilling to see that Isabella and Captain Tilney are doing this on purpose. She is unwilling to accept that a person who behaves like Isabella Thorpe is showing their true colours, not merely confused!

She wished, by a gentle remonstrance, to remind Isabella of her situation, and make her aware of this double unkindness; but for remonstrance, either opportunity or comprehension was always against her. If able to suggest a hint, Isabella could never understand it.

Baby girl... take a hint yourself!

Isabella could not be aware of the pain she was inflicting; but it was a degree of wilful thoughtlessness which Catherine could not but resent.

There is something very similar between Isabella's conduct here and Henry Crawford's during the play in Mansfield Park. The common thread between Catherine Morland and Fanny Price is their focus on the suffering caused by these flirtations, Fanny thinks of Rushworth and Julia, Catherine is focused on James. Unlike Fanny, Catherine becomes very focused on action, but then Catherine is coming from a much more secure position and she's far more among equals than poor Fanny. We will see though, there isn't a whole lot Catherine (or Henry) can do.

Now I haven't talked about Captain Tilney much yet, but he seems to be a very similar man to Henry Crawford from Mansfield Park. Catherine generously worries that Frederick will be harmed in the end, but I suspect as with Henry, he "did not mean to be in any danger!" It's a game, Isabella is pretty and Captain Tilney is bored. As with Maria Bertram, her engagement might make it all the more fun and easier for Frederick to get out of.

“Yes, and I like her the better for it. An engaged woman is always more agreeable than a disengaged. She is satisfied with herself. Her cares are over, and she feels that she may exert all her powers of pleasing without suspicion. All is safe with a lady engaged: no harm can be done.” - Mansfield Park (Henry Crawford)

Henry Tilney is very delicate in his responses to Catherine's requests about his brother. He must know that her heart is in the right place, he's trying to make it clear to her that this isn't her battle. I am curious about how the younger Tilney siblings feel about their older brother. I can't imagine that Henry or Eleanor likes what he is doing with Isabella!

Now obviously, much harm can be done, and while Isabella is not quite as careless as Maria Bertram, who basically dropped all her attention to Mr. Rushworth, Isabella's divided attention is too obvious not to be noticed. James is visibly hurt and jealous.

No man is offended by another man’s admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.

I love this quote so much, because it's so true. And what Henry says next is also true: if Isabella won't be faithful with James on her own, removing a single source of temptation will not save their relationship!

This line says a lot more about Henry than Isabella & John:

Their hearts are open to each other, as neither heart can be to you; they know exactly what is required and what can be borne; and you may be certain that one will never tease the other beyond what is known to be pleasant.

Henry Tilney knows when to tease and when to be serious. As he understands how distressed Catherine is about this situation, he gives her increasingly clear and serious answers (within reason).

Catherine would contend no longer against comfort. She had resisted its approaches during the whole length of a speech, but it now carried her captive. Henry Tilney must know best.

Dying of cuteness once again. But also, lovely phrasing. I don't understand people who say the prose is bad in Northanger Abbey! Comfort carried her captive ❤️

[hetagrammy]

Your fan kiddos are interesting :0 (maybe it's because I also like making fan children lmao)

I would love for you to elaborate more on them

Aw thank you! <3 Not sure what to elaborate on, so I'll elaborate a little more on their personalities and relationships with each other (feat. some relatively old art) under the cut. Warning for my word vomit haha

So first of all, there's the age differences. The kids are sort of grouped together in two halves with the oldest four and the younger three. Sebastiano and Caterina are twins, Felice is two years younger than them, and Una is a year younger than Felice. Saoirse is a little less than four years younger than Una, Brigid is three years younger than her, and Maria is three years younger than Brigid. Therefore, there's a roughly 14 year gap between the twins and Maria.

Sebastiano and Caterina were the first to really come into being, Sebastiano especially because he'd originally just been Seborga. Sebastiano being the only boy came from this ongoing joke about him sort of being the James Maguire of the family, and it got boosted by Lovino just sort of having girl dad energy. Sebastiano kind of got the best of both his parents: he got all of Molly's amiability and Lovino's charm, but neither of their tempers. He's a bit of a lady's man like his dad was, albeit a lot less subtle with how he goes about it. He 100% uses his younger sisters to get girls to like him because he's doing the bare minimum by taking care of his baby sister (don't be fooled though, he would do anything for Brigid and Maria):

He also tends to act with his heart before his head a lot of the time, so he doesn't come off as the sharpest tool in the shed.

Caterina got the brain cells Sebastiano didn't, and her personality tends to be a bit bigger. She's very blunt and exacting when she needs to be with people, but she's more patient than she seems. She'll get annoyed and she'll show it, but it takes a lot for her to blow up. She's the first to take charge, she has a strong sense of herself and her authority as an older sibling. She's a lot like Lovino in the sense that she cares a lot about the people she's close to, she just doesn't know how to express that in a typical way. She's also got an interest in things like the occult on the down low that a lot of people don't expect out of her, which can be kind of funny. She's superstitious like her Ma.

Felice is the quintessential middle child. She got Molly's mischievous streak and Lovino's penchant for dodging work, all of which comes from a sense of play. She jokes on people and roasts them, but it's rarely meanspirited, even if it can go too far sometimes. She and Caterina tend to snipe at each other, because Felice is really clownish while Cat is more reserved and responsible. At the end of the day they both have things they are jealous of and admire in the other (Cat's drive and Felice's sociability). Felice and Sebastiano on the other hand have a very ride-or-die attitude with each other and get up to shenanigans a lot.

Una is the most mellow of her siblings, but she's still got a lot to her. Though quiet, she's spacey and eccentric rather than shy. When she does speak, she doesn’t have a filter, so she tends to ask or state things that are socially inappropriate. She also often takes things literally and is slow to pick up on sarcasm. Only thing shielding her from being a target is that she roasts people without even meaning to. However, she’s also much smarter than people perceive her to be in an academic sense. She's also rarely judgmental of others even if she's blunt about them. Caterina is actually very close with her because Una ironically tends to misconstrue her the least.

Saoirse has some of the bigger age gaps within the siblings, and for a while people thought she was going to be the last child. As a result, she tends to act with so much youngest sibling energy even if she isn't. She's very dramatic and reactive, and she will snitch if pressured or incentivized because she is her father's daughter through and through. She's also good at measuring risk, and she is very attentive and loving and bubbly when she's in a good mood. She just has a lot of emotions and a lot of anxiety, and is still learning how to manage that. She starts to channel that into gardening when she gets older though, she and Lovino run that garden like it's the damn navy.

Brigid is perceptive and precocious, and very book smart. She's like Molly was at that age but if you replaced the mischief with sarcasm. She's the most introverted, and she's really content to stay out of the spotlight rather than compete with six other strong personalities for it. She likes to help Lovino cook, which she seems to have a talent for. She and Maria are two peas in a pod. Saoirse also loves Brigid, they had that deal where Saoirse hated the idea of a younger sibling until she was actually born and then was just sold. Asking to carry her around, dragging her everywhere, talking to her all the time. Brigid is used to it.

Maria is very much so the tagalong kid type. She looks up to Caterina so so much and they have a very Lilo and Nani sort of dynamic. Surefire way to tell them apart when I draw them as young children (aside from Maria's freckles) is that little Caterina wears two bows on either side, Maria wears one bow at the back of her head because she's trying to imitate Caterina (who started wearing that style as she got older). She's more sheltered and she's also very nosy, she wants to be in everyone's business. She's always underfoot with one of her siblings, if not one of her parents. They're all also very protective of her, but she's like Molly in the sense that she cares a lot about being self-sufficient and playing an active role in things. Essentially, she's the baby who's getting it figured out.

But yeah, that's the kids and how some of their dynamics are!

[trashywormeateroffics]

The right universe.

Summary: After Y/N's life turns upside down, she's full of grief. Somehow, one day, she manages to travel to the MCU, where she meets her favorite characters, including a certain god who seems willing to establish a friendship with her. Suddenly she's enwrapped in this new world, where everything she loved in a screen is now reality. How will she react? Will she be able to deal with the ghosts that haunt her? Or will she let them consume her? Will she be open to accept the love she is offered? Read to find out!

Read this on AO3!

Category: F/M.

Relationships: Loki/reader.

Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Sam Wilson (Marvel), James “Bucky” Barnes, Vision (Marvel), Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Stephen Strange, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Thor (Marvel), Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Peter Parker, other minor appearances of other characters but these are the main ones, Pepper Potts, Loki (Marvel).

Additional tags: Loki/reader - Freeform, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Fluffyfest, Slow Burn, Friends to lovers, Mutual Pining, Pining a lot because we love to suffer, Domestic Avengers, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is a parental figure, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Everyone is a good bro, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, y/n, After Infinity War but no one died and the purple bitch was defeated, Missions, Y/N is a universe traveler, Grief, Therapy, Protective Loki (Marvel), Loki in love.

MASTERLIST OF THE STORY

Chapter 53: Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“Fine, let’s do it.”

The three of them stood around the cauldron.

“Y/N, hang on to it.”

She did as told, remembering the first time she came here, when she found out about her powers. Then Strange got closer to it, as Natasha stood on his side.

Pouring both bottles of blood into the cauldron, he muttered the words he had muttered years ago.

“Ahenum mundi ostendit veritatem. We summon Freyja, goddess of knowledge, wisdom and courage. The völva’s children need guidance.”

A few minutes passed and nothing happened.

“Is this supposed to take so long?” Natasha asked the sorcerer. Then, suddenly, an explosion of colors came out of the Cauldron of the Cosmos. White, green, purple, gold. Then, a figure began forming out of all the colors, a woman. Long black hair and her eyes were completely black too.

“Astrid,” her voice boomed in the sanctum.

“Freyja,” Y/N said. “We need your help.”

“How wondrous to see you, my child. I see you have built a beautiful life here.”

“You… see me?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

“I see everything, my darling.”

“Did you see me before? In the other universe?” Freyja smiled.

“Yes, I did.”

“You didn't do anything.” Y/N told her, on the verge of getting angry.

“I could not. The prophecy-”

“The prophecy didn’t force you to abandon your child! That's on you.” She argued.

“My love, my dear Astrid, I have never felt more pain than when I had to part ways from you.” The floating woman said, voice laced with pain and sorrow. “My daughter, you have grown into a strong and beautiful woman.”

Y/N swallowed harshly and then pursed her lips.

“Freyja… mother, we need your help. It's about Sigyn.”

“Ah, I knew this day would come.”

“What does the prophecy say?”

“You know it, I told it to you.”

“The völva will leave a child on a foreign land, for them to be the communicator. I know but… what is the full prophecy?”

“My love, close your eyes.” Y/N did as told without arguing. “Try to remember. Listen to my voice and let it guide you.”

At first she couldn't see or hear anything, but then she heard it.

“Hello my baby, you are so beautiful.” A woman's voice rang out. Freyja. “My little Astrid. My goddess of strength and wisdom.” The woman sighed. “I am terribly sorry for leaving you, I hope one day you will be able to forgive me... Do not cry, your mother loves you. You will be a hero, my love. The prophecy must come true.”

She was about to open her eyes and protest but then something else appeared. Images passing as fast as the flash of a camera filled her mind: her on a throne, being named the next völva. Then a war with… Sigyn? Yes! It was her sister. Images of them fighting flooded her mind and when they got to be too much she opened her eyes.

“What-”

“Astrid… you are meant to be the next völva, you were always meant to be the next völva, but Sigyn, my poor daughter, could never accept it.” She told Y/N. “One day I caught your sister trying to curse you… she denied it but I knew. You were not safe, so I had to put you in another universe to protect you… from her.” Freyja shook her head. “Or at least until she inevitably found you. And then I had to banish her.”

“She didn't… find me. I came here.” Y/N frowned.

“No, my darling, you did not.”

Everything hit her at once. She had done it. Sigyn was the reason for every single bad thing that happened in her life. All along, it was her.

“So she… she hurt them, didn't she?” Y/N asked, eyes full of tears. Freyja gave one nod.

“You must not forget, her greed got the best of her. She was not born like this, no one is.”

She shook her head frantically.

“No, no, no, no.” She kept repeating.

“Y/N,” Strange held up his hands in front of him, trying to calm her down. “Try to breathe!”

“No!” She shouted at him. “No! I- I need to leave.”

Then she let go of the cauldron and ran away, with one place in mind.

————————————

“You killed them, didn't you? Say it!” Y/N said as she grabbed Sigyn by her shirt.

“Y/N, calm down!” Steve tried to push her away but she used her magic to make him fall backwards.

From the sanctum, she went directly to the compound, where she found a few of the avengers lounging around with Sigyn. At the sight of her, she immediately went to attack.

“You killed them, you two-faced bitch!” Y/N screeched into her face.

Everyone was on alert, not knowing what was happening. Tony, without Y/N noticing, used his smartwatch to call Loki.

Right after he clicked the “OK” button, shattering glass was heard. Y/N, with her magic, had thrown Sigyn out the window and into the garden. She then flew down to meet her on the grass.

“Y/N, I do not know what you are talking about!” The Asgardian said, looking terrified.

“Oh, save it! I talked to Freyja, I know everything.”

At that, Sigyn's terrified face transformed itself into a smirking one.

“It did take you a while.”

From the distance, a car could be heard. Natasha.

“Y/N! Don't do something you'll regret.”

Y/N didn't even look at the redhead before blasting her sister with her magic. The Asgardian did the same after getting up, sending Y/N flying away.

The rest of the avengers gathered in the garden, including Loki.

“Y/N,” Loki tried to call to her calmly but she was too far gone.

“I'm going to kill you. I swear to you, if it's the last thing I'll ever do, I will kill you.” She said, with so much sincerity it made Sigyns blood run cold. But she hid it perfectly behind a malicious laugh.

“I remember their screams,” she said, “as I appeared in the middle of the road.”

Y/N began trembling from so much anger and tears began staining her cheeks.

“I remember their scared faces,” she continued, “their pleas.”

“Stop it!” Y/N shouted at her and flew over to her.

“Couldn't kill your brother there, I had to go to the hospital and pull the plug.” She told her, pouting mockingly.

Y/N screamed and blasted her so far away she landed on the edge of the woods, her back hitting a tree and hissing in pain.

Tony tried to come up to her but she blasted him away. Then she created a barrier, so they wouldn't be able to pass.

Walking slowly towards her, all the magic she could muster on her fingertips, she prepared herself as the avengers watched helplessly. But before it hit her, she disappeared into thin air, making the blast hit the tree instead and cutting it in half as the remaining part burned in flames.

“No!” Y/N shouted. “No, no, no, no.” She repeated as she looked at the place where her sister was mere seconds ago. “No!” An agonizing sob wrack through her body and she fell to her knees.

Suddenly the barrier went down and Loki ran to her.

"Y/N!” He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“She killed them, Loki. She killed them.” She sobbed.

“Shh, my love. You are alright, you are alright.” He repeated as he casted a powerful spell to make her fall asleep.

——————————-

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. What was that sound? Where was she? Where was Sigyn?

“Sigyn!” She exclaimed, sitting up quickly on her bed. Loki was startled by the sudden noise. “I need to find her!”

“Darling,” he said. She looked at him with wide eyes. “Breathe.”

“Where is she? How long have I been sleeping?” She asked frantically.

“She escaped, and you have been sleeping less than a day.”

“Loki…” She suddenly told him, face twisting in a pained expression. He rapidly went to wrap his arms around her.

“I know, my love. I know.”

“She killed my family…” She sobbed on his chest. “I thought she… I thought she was my family. I thought-”

“I know you did darling, but it is not your fault. You simply always see the best in every person.”

“But how could I have been so stupid?” She pulled away to look at him with tear filled eyes. “I let her into my family, into my home… I shared secrets with her.” She sniffled as he wiped her tears with his thumbs. “She knew how much it hurt me what happened to my family.”

“Listen to me.” He said with a firm tone. “You are not stupid. You could never be stupid, least of all for trusting someone who claimed to care about you, who showed you no sign of lying. You are kind, the kindest, and you trusted the wrong person, but you trusted so many right people.”

She tilted her head to the side, frowning while she thought.

“I did. I did. Trusting you was the best thing I've ever done in my life.” She told him and he smiled softly, then she pursed her lips to stop them from quivering. “I just… It makes me sad.”

“I understand that.”

“Of course you do.” She chuckled breathily. “Loki just… whatever happens now… please stay with me. I hate saying this but I'm gonna need you more than ever.”

“My love, I'm not going anywhere. Ever.”

[themculibrary]

Outsider POV Masterlist 3

part one, part two, part four

Access Granted (ao3) - Suaine bucky/sam T, 22k

Summary: Redwing comes back to life with an upgraded AI and has opinions. Especially on Bucky.

A Quiet Morning (ao3) - iam93percentstardust bucky/tony G, 751

Summary: Natasha figures it out on a Saturday. She hasn't known up to this point what brought Bucky and Tony together but she figures it out on a quiet morning

As Subtle As Cognitive Recalibration (ao3) - petroltogo T, 8k

Summary: “Your sole job as Director of SHIELD is to keep track of global threats and you’ve narrowed down the whereabouts of the mad god with mind-control Jedi tricks to the planet Earth,” Tony summarizes flatly. “What’s the plan? We wait till he blows up another super secret facility whose mysteriously undocumented existence doesn’t make me suspicious at all?”

“Germany!” Rogers blurts out, interrupting Tony’s epic stare-down with Fury.

In which the surviving Post-Endgame Avengers find themselves back in 2012, trying to stop Loki from invading the Earth. Without tipping their not-in-the-know team members off. Things go— sideways.

At Home With Captain America (ao3) - WhiteRoseCottage sam/bucky G, 7k

Summary: “What can you tell me about how you got to know the Winter Soldier?”

Wilson chuckles. “The first time I met Buck—Sergeant Barnes—he ripped the steering wheel out of the car I was driving on the freeway. He got on the roof, punched through the windshield, pulled the steering wheel off. Just like that.” He mimes with his hands as he describes it.

This doesn’t sound like an auspicious beginning to me, but Wilson is laughing.

Avengers Ameliorated (ao3) - whitchry9 T, 25k

Summary: a·mel·io·rate (verb)- to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve

Miranda thought she was done with dealing with ridiculous patients after Sherlock Holmes died. But apparently word of her medical prowess has spread, even across the ocean. And when Fury shows up in her flat one night, basically telling her that she is going to New York to be the go-to medical person for The Avengers, she figures they can't be too much worse, right? Hint- she's wrong.

Captain America Finds His Fella (ao3) - PR Zed (przed) steve/bucky T, 5k

Summary: When she reached her eighties, Audrey though she was done with change. She thought things would continue as they always had.

Instead, Steve and his friends have brought her more change than she'd gone through in the twenty years before. She gets used to one routine, and then a new one crops up.

Or what happens when an elderly USO showgirl helps her super hero friend and his boyfriend.

darken your door (ao3) - chaosy steve/bucky G, 6k

Summary: A series of visitors to the door of Rebecca Barnes, over the years.

home for wayward (genius) youths (ao3) - ikarakie G, 1k

Summary: there is a kid on tony's couch. it is not peter, and rhodey is having a breakdown.

How do you solve a problem like Maria? (ao3) - orphan_account steve/bucky G, 26k

Summary: Maria knows that the Winter Soldier was a ghost story, and nothing more.

Papa Hawk's Collectibles (ao3) - anarchycox clint/phil G, 27k

Summary: Tommy likes the memorabilia shop that opened a few months ago and he really likes the grumpy owners who love to bicker with each other. Clint and Phil are such dorks. He just wonders how they have such cool Avengers collectibles in amid the baseballs and jerseys.

Reasonable Suspicion (ao3) - Laimelde clint/phil T, 8k

Summary: Clint's new neighbours are a friendly bunch, and enjoy having him and Phil over for drinks on occasion. But pretty soon they notice that Clint often comes home with bruises, and start to worry.

Sauced (ao3) - ABeckoningCat G, 742

Summary: Clint encounters three drunk girls in a hotel elevator.

The Practical Application of the Lives of Saints (ao3) - Sassaphrass G, 1k

Summary: James Barnes and Steve Rogers have just started going to the local Catholic school.

One of the nuns watches in amusement as their friendship forms.

The Public Perception Game (ao3) - Amerna background darcy/steve T, 2k

Summary: Bucky Barnes' return from the dead and the Winter Soldier revelation could have quickly unraveled into a PR disaster for the Avengers. But thankfully they have Darcy Lewis on their team to play press and public like a fiddle.

The Scoop (ao3) - hollimichele G, 5k

Summary: The week after I moved to New York City, aliens invaded. Which is pretty much typical.

User Since (ao3) - rageprufrock

Summary:

To: PC (loyaltothedream@hushmail.com) From: Buck (bucky1956@yahoo.com) Subject: Report! Date: May 10, 2012

Phil — where the hell are you, man? Let us know if you're all right, or if there's anything we can do to help. HQ's freaking the fuck out.