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fr3sh-tragedies · 10 months ago

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Hurt What's Mine

[Shadow of the Tomb Raider] Lara Croft x Female Reader

Word Count: 8.05k

Proofread: No

Content Warnings: Language, mentions of blood, heavy descriptions of gore and death, hospitalization, brief mention of medication

Categories:

Angst Fluff Mix

One-Shot Preference Headcanon

[A/N]: Thank you for 170+ followers! I've got a couple of people who have requested things through my inbox, and I'm hoping I'll be able to answer them soon! I will be open to requests soon, but there are a few more characters I want to write for ahead of time so it's easier to get an idea of what fandoms I'm open to. If you sent in a request, thank you! Once I've posted for a bit longer, I'll upload the masterlist I've made as well as the rules for requesting, then I'll answer requests!

[A/N] #2: If you do have a request that you'd like me to write in the future, please let me know! I'll get to it eventually, things are just hectic right now. Thank you for reading!

Enjoy!

Amongst the loud snapping of twigs combined with the rustling of the leaves overhead, softened chatter could be heard throughout the entrance to the forest. The sky, which had been painted warm shades of red and orange mere moments before, had grown murky with hues of purple and black. Small stars illuminated the sky as it grew darker, bright pools of light poking through the inky atmosphere to aid the moon in flooding the landscape with a soft glow. In accompaniment with the darkness seemingly swallowing up the woodland area that Lara and [Y/N] wandered into, a harsh breeze rushed through the air.

As the two walked deeper into the forest, Lara made sure to reach over when coming across drywood and break it free from the ground, tucking it under her arm. After seeing her do this, [Y/N] mirrored her actions and began to gather wood as well. The two had decided they’d head into the nearby forest to gather kindling for the fire they planned to build back at camp. There, Jonah was waiting, sorting through his supply of herbs and a small flask of water he’d said he would use to stir up a broth of sorts that would help all three stay warm for the night. The only problem being there was no fuel for a fire nearby, so both women volunteered to scavenge for some together.

It had taken quite a while to make it to the woodland area safely, but the conversation they had struck up with each other managed to keep the journey bearable. Thankfully, Lara had remembered to snatch her makeshift machete before heading out. Using the sharpest part of the rusted blade, she sliced through the brush that obstructed their path, allowing them to meander forward with a partial trail behind them.

Soon enough, neither of them were able to carry more of the drywood they came across. With a huff, Lara spun on her heel and jutted her chin toward the path she had made. “We should head back. We can always come back later if we need to gather more.” [Y/N] nodded, trailing behind the brunette as she led the way. A few minutes passed in silence, both women focused on not tripping over the loose roots or pebbles that littered the dampened blades of grass. Ultimately, as they neared the halfway point of the path, [Y/N] decided to break the silence.

“God, I’m glad we haven’t had any run-ins with Trinity. Those guys are a huge pain in the ass,” she complained. At her words, the corners of Lara’s lips perked up into an amused smirk. “Yeah, they are. We still need to keep our guard up, though. There weren’t any traces of them following us here, but that’s been the case the last couple of times as well. They’ve got the wrong motives, but they’re clever, and they know how to handle stealth operations.”

A grimace painted [Y/N]’s features as she nodded in response. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Silence once again fell upon them, allowing their senses to return to the sound of their own footsteps beneath them as they staggered ahead. While they recalled the way they came from, they struck up another conversation with one another, trying to keep the mood light in the eeriness that made itself known between the towering trees. It seemed to work–both felt more at ease as they chatted away. Merely a moment seemed to pass, however, before a loud clamp echoed throughout the area, followed by a ticking and whirring noise nearby.

Before either had time to react and understand what had happened, Lara flew backward with a holler and collapsed onto the ground. She was yanked forward once she made contact with the soil. The whirring noise returned, louder this time, and she was soon dangling high in the air by her foot. She groaned, her ears ringing and vision blurry from the way her head had bashed against the floor. Her eyes were pinched tightly shut, though her hand instinctively reached for her belt to find her gun.

Squinting and blinking her eyes rapidly, Lara managed to clear her view. All at once, she could make out what had happened. Just a few feet away, [Y/N]’s leg had been caught in a similar trap, but she wasn’t conscious enough to try and escape. Lara’s arm whipped forward to take aim, watching with a newfound sense of terror as a horde of shielded soldiers, clad in black, swarmed forward to the two. Even as she struggled to steady the hand that she gripped the gun harshly with, Lara began to fire warning shots, striking several of the soldiers and watching them plummet to the ground in waves.

A few that hadn’t been shot dashed toward [Y/N] and took hold of her limp arms. They hollered at each other to get her down, using her as some sort of human shield to avoid being killed as well. Upon seeing them grab the unconscious girl, the blood pumping from adrenaline underneath Lara’s skin lit aflame with fury and a desire to defend. Her aim became far more accurate, more fatalities becoming visible as she fired away at them, a wolf’s snarl lacing her words as she bellowed at them to leave her alone.

She knew she just needed to get enough of them down so she could break free from the pulley that tightened the rope around her ankle to a painful degree. If she could do that, she could protect [Y/N] and help her flee. A false spark of hope flushed through her veins as she noticed she had cleared most of the squad, the lie of it evident as her clip ran empty and more men emerged from the distance. She cursed at herself, her hands unsteadily flying back up to her belt to find another magazine and reload. As she struggled with fiddling her pack open to search, she failed to register the sound of thundering footsteps nearing her from behind.

Finally, she pulled a clip free with a small huff of relief. She let her empty mag drop to the ground, flicked upward with the new one to reload, then cocked the hammer back before taking aim. A single bullet fired from the barrel, and everything went black.

Everything seemed to come back at once–every sense flowing forward and overwhelming Lara’s mind. A muffled groan slipped past her lips as she managed to lift her head. Entirely unaware of her bearings, her eyes flitted around in confusion, unable to see with her eyes wide open. She jerked her arms forward, hoping to grab hold of whatever fabric covered her face, only to feel cold steel dig harshly into the skin on her wrists. She hissed in pain, wriggling for a moment as she tried to understand what had happened.

Her focus returned to what she could feel. She had been chained to something, though it was hard to make out exactly what it was. Against her back, she could feel jagged wood scratching at her scarred skin each time she moved. Her arms encircled whatever it was she was pinned up on. Piecing things together, she figured she had been cuffed to a wooden beam somewhere. That didn’t explain where she was, though. Aside from the village she and the others had passed through once they arrived, there were no structures of any kind as far as she could tell. Had one of the villagers turned and taken her hostage?

She could feel the frigid grated steel beneath her, which confirmed she had to be somewhere else. The ground in the homes of the village had been purely dirt and tattered cloth.

Then where the hell was she?

What had happened before she blacked out?

“Oh, look who’s up from her nap,” a booming voice called out, pulling Lara from her thoughts. Her head shot up, a quick yelp of pain greeting her as her head throbbed from the sudden motion. “Who the hell are you? Where am I? Where’s [Y/N]?” She couldn’t recall what she had been through beforehand, though some part of her told her she needed to defend herself regardless. A deep chuckle rumbled nearby before the owner of the previous voice stepped closer. Lara braced herself for a hit, fighting back a flinch when gloved fingers gripped the top of what had been obstructing her view and tugged upward.

She squinted with a hiss as the overhead lights flashed their way into her eyes, effectively blinding her for a moment. As her vision cleared and adjusted, she jerked her head to the side to face whoever had granted her the ability to see again. A moment hardly passed before her face contorted with anger: her brows furrowed tightly together, practically knitting themselves as one, her jaw clenching as her teeth ground painfully against each other.

“Who the fuck are you?” She snapped. Quickly, her outrage completely replaced the feeling of distress, only worsening when her gaze flickered down to see Trinity’s emblem stitched into the man’s tactical vest. He laughed, tossing the woven bag that had been tied around her head to the side. “You don’t need to know who I am, but I certainly know who you are.” He grinned, then reached behind Lara to pick something up from behind the pillar. Briefly after, he leaned back again, dangling her tactical belt tauntingly in front of her, still fully equipped with all of her weapons.

Her eyes widened a fraction at the sight, instinctively flying down to find and confirm that she had indeed been stripped of her only means of defense in this position. Immediately, she knew she needed to free herself. With the methods she had been taught after tussling with offenders before, she knew she could easily wrestle this man to the ground and overpower him. With her arms restrained, however, she could only fight back at an infuriatingly close range.

He seemed to notice the stress that had returned to Lara’s mind, letting out another cackle at her misfortune. He stood, twisting his torso far enough to hurl the belt over the railing. As he made his way over to squat in front of her again, she took this opportunity to look around. She had been right: she was chained to a wooden support beam, and she was seated against steel. Through the holes in the grated plates, she could see she was far up off the ground, at least three or four stories high.

Looking up, she could see layers of other platforms above, towering to an ungodly height. Dropping her gaze back down, the platform she was on curved around a circular building just behind her, and ahead of her, a long metal bridge stretched out to connect to an identical structure. As her eyes focused in on a figure across the platform, her blood ran cold, wishing she hadn’t recognized what was happening.

Everything that had happened before she ended up here came flooding back. The forest, the traps, the soldiers, everything. Now separated, [Y/N] was similarly cuffed to a pillar. Her binds seemed tighter, red lines already formed on her wrists as though she had been struggling against them for a while. For the first time since making it to the town, Lara felt genuine fear. Had they already hurt [Y/N]? Had they forced her to give away where Jonah was?

“[Y/N]!”

“Ah, so you noticed,” the man voiced, bringing her attention back to him. Shakily, she lifted her head, She screamed at herself, willing her voice into intimidation. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” Internally, she cursed at the way her voice wavered and cracked.

The man grinned devilishly, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, do you? The moment you brought her here, you forced her to be a part of this. Like it or not, she has everything to do with this.” He leaned forward, blocking her view of [Y/N] and forcing her to look him in the eye. “It’s your fault.” Bringing his hand to his chin, he glanced up and mockingly pretended to think. “I suppose the saying, “like father like daughter,” is true after all. Wouldn’t you say so?”

At the mere mention of her father, a concoction of emotions bubbled beneath the surface of Lara’s skin. Even so, she forced her expression to remain stern. “Don’t you fucking talk about him.” Once again, she was met with a laugh.

A soldier that had been stationed nearby stepped closer to the two, concern laced in his tone. “Sir, shouldn’t we be careful? She’s taken out half of our men already, and most of it was entirely on her own.” The man in front of Lara rolled his eyes and stood, giving a small shrug. “Relax, I’m just having a bit of fun. There’s nothing she can do like this,” he gestured toward her. “With respect,” the soldier started, “she’s gotten out of tougher situations. Maybe we should–”

In an instant, the man, who Lara assumed was the captain at this point, whipped his gun from its holster on his hip and stood. He flicked his arm upward and pointed the barrel directly against the soldier’s forehead, prompting him to freeze. “I’ll fucking take care of it, you got it? All I’m gonna do is get her to tell me a few things, then we’ll blow both of their brains out, then be on our way. Stop me like that again, and the first round will go through your thick skull. Understand?”

Quickly, the soldier nodded and stepped back to his station. “Yes, sir.”

The captain then tucked his gun away. He turned and made a motion with his head to the group across the bridge. Lara glanced behind him to see what was happening, only to panic further as they crouched beside [Y/N], who flinched away at their touch. “Don’t touch her!” She screamed, thrashing violently against her restraints.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the captain teased, crouching down in front of her again to look her in the eye. “As long as you answer some questions, we won’t hurt her anymore.” Anymore. That word bounced through Lara’s head as she barely managed to notice that [Y/N]’s skin was littered with bruises and cuts. She swallowed hard, glaring at him. “What do you want? What questions?” He again acted as though he was deep in thought. “Well, for starters, you could tell me where the artifact you're looking for is.”

She scoffed. “So what? You can use it to wipe out humanity? Like you tried to do with the Divine Source?” The captain forced a smile. His hand lifted from his side and made a motion toward the group behind him. Lara watched, horrified, as one soldier used all his strength to kick [Y/N] in the stomach, another grabbing a fistful of her hair and slamming her head back against the pillar. She cried out in pain, desperately trying to free herself.

“Like I said, tell me what I want to know, and she won’t get hurt.”

Lara practically growled at him when she spoke. She ordered him to call the group back, threatening to make his death hell if he didn’t comply. “What do you think you can do? Can’t exactly kill me while you’re stuck here.” She scowled, her fingertips tapping at the chains in search of the padlock. Her arm shimmied a bit, allowing one of her hairpins to slip from the cuff of her sleeve and into her hand that she kept tucked away for situations exactly like this.

As she fiddled with trying to find the padlock, the captain continued to hound her with questions.

“Where’s your camp? I know you brought someone else here too.” She shuddered at the thought of Jonah being dragged into this as well. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where the hell I am, and you expect me to remember how to get back?” Another motion was made, prompting another harsh punishment to be given to [Y/N]. Lara shouted her name, begging her to hold on and promising she’ll get the two of them out.

The captain scoffed and crossed his arms. “Are you really not grasping what I’ve said? Answers for me means less pain for her.” Panicked, Lara thrashed again, her hands trembling as they continued their search. “I’m trying! But you aren’t giving me questions I can answer!” It was hard to mask her relief when her fingers finally found the padlock, though she instead focused on wriggling the bobby pin into the lock. “Well,” the captain huffed, standing again and slipping his gun from his belt. “I think I know something that might trigger your memory.”

At that, he turned and began walking toward [Y/N], wordlessly ordering the group of soldiers to back away. “No, don’t hurt her!” Lara was practically screaming at her hands to still, and with another brief moment, she finally managed to pick the lock, wrestling her arms free from the chains and stumbling as she stood. Without an ounce of hesitation, she lunged forward toward the captain, grabbing hold of him and trying to keep him away. He hollered in surprise, reaching back to claw at her and get a grasp. “Get off of me, you bitch!”

The team of soldiers that had been abusing [Y/N] only a mere moment before were now hurtling toward her. With a bit of a struggle, three of the soldiers managed to pry her off of him, throwing her back before forcefully pinning her against the pillar yet again. She fought against them, screaming for them to let her go. The captain ahead grumbled and stared her down for a moment, though he was quick to turn and walk toward [Y/N] again.

As Lara thrashed against the soldiers holding her down, the head of the team reached up toward a sheath against his hip, his gun having been smacked out of his hand and over the ledge from Lara’s outburst. Something felt as though it were burning in her mind, growing hotter and hotter as the captain closed the space between him and [Y/N]. She couldn’t let Trinity take another person she loved away from her. She wouldn’t allow it.

Hardly managing to remember her training, she turned and lunged her torso forward, using all of the momentum to headbut the soldier grasping her right arm in the face. He howled in pain, letting her go and falling backward. She then turned to the man holding her left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she whipped her arm in a circular motion, gripping his wrist and forcing his arm to twist until he let go. Just as quickly, she shuffled forward and kicked the third soldier square in the chest, effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Before she could stand, two more men sprinted forward and blocked her path, one of them managing to land a few rough kicks to her face and head. She hooked her arm beneath the back of his leg, jolting up to stand and flipping him backward. The second soldier struggled to free his rifle from the band on his back. By the time he managed to try and aim at her, her forearm flew sideways and struck his wrist, the impact catching him off guard and causing him to drop his weapon. Lara then leapt forward and gripped the straps of his tactical vest. She spun around to gain more force before driving him around again and launching him over the railing, not bothering to watch as he plummeted toward the ground countless meters below.

She turned, determined to get to the captain, but froze in place. Still so far away, he had freed [Y/N] of restraints, knowing she wouldn’t have been able to fight back. He pinned her against the platform, his knees planting themselves on either side of her hips as he drove his knife down into her stomach. Lara watched as [Y/N] tried to gasp for air, only to choke and let out a silent scream.

She felt everything grow heavy, ready to give into the temptation to drop to the ground. An inhumane level of fury coursed through her veins, and soon she found herself running forward at full speed, no longer in control of her body.

The neared the captain in only a few seconds, leaping from the ground and thrusting her arms forward. She tackled him off of [Y/N]’s writhing body and ripped the blade from his hand, dropping it and instead using her fists to beat any part of him she could see. Hit after hit, punch after punch, a new bruise formed on his skin, thinner sections splitting open into gashes. His blood seemed to all pool together beneath his head.

Lara let out a yell with each strike made against his skill. She lost count of the amount of times her knuckles made contact with the swollen form beneath her, not even noticing that her knuckles had begun to tear open and bleed from the sheer force alone. As his arms and legs fell limp against his sides, Lara’s punches came to a stop. Her bloodied hand reached over and grasped the handle of the knife, knuckles white from the tightness as she lifted the blade above her head.

Instantly, she plunged the knife down, listening with a sick joy as the thin metal ripped through layers of skin and organ, cracking through parts of his ribs. Mirroring what [Y/N] had done, the captain hopelessly tried to gasp for breath, instead wheezing and sputtering while his hands weakly scratched at her arms. Only for a moment, she kept the knife there. Before she could watch the life leave his eyes, she drew the blade out and immediately thrusted it down into his jugular with an equal force.

Her hands let go of the handle and dropped to land at her sides. She stared down, gleefully studying the way the captain clutched at his throat, a thick puddle of blood erupting from his mouth and trickling down his cheeks and jaw, disappearing into his hairline and accumulating with the crimson red under his trembling form. Glaring down at him with dull eyes, she lazily tugged the rifle from his back, forcing herself to stand and turn around.

She hadn’t heard the group of soldiers thundering up the stairs, but she had apparently sensed it. Effortlessly, she lifted the rifle and took aim, crouching down and firing away as the men made their way up one by one. By the time the team died out, she heard the gun click. Her gaze bored down at the rifle, realizing she had burned through the ammo. With a grunt of disapproval, she discarded the gun, then ripped another one away from a nearby lifeless body. She used that rifle to finish off the squad, blankly staring ahead after lowering the gun.

As her mind clouded over, taking in the scene before her, she tossed the gun to the side, straining to hear as it clattered against the steel platform. A bloodbath. That was the only way she could possibly describe it. Piles of bodies across such a small space, silver metal now stained red from blood and black from gunpowder. Lifeless eyes of the fallen seemed to watch her as she lifted her hands, taking in the way blood coated her skin. She wasn’t sure how much of it was hers and how much of it was the captain’s. She paid it no mind, instead rotating her hands to examine her knuckles. She had most definitely broken a few, if not all, of them,

Had she actually done all of this?

Nothing felt real.

The sudden sound of harsh coughing broke her out of her trance, forcing her attention toward the source. She scrambled over to [Y/N]’s side, holding her head up as she processed just how badly she had been hurt. Adding onto the gaping wound in her torso, countless bruises and cuts peppered every exposed inch of skin. The back of her head had been dripping blood from being hammered into the wooden beam. Lara gasped and frantically helped her prop her head up to prevent choking on her blood, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for something to help stop the bleeding. She grimaced when [Y/N] whimpered from the way she stretched over to grab a torn uniform.

Thinking on her feet, she slid to the wall of the base and leaned the wounded girl against it, apologizing tearfully each time she yelped in pain. After tearing the uniform into a thinner piece, she began stuffing part of the wound, earning more cries. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, finally using the rest of the cloth to ball it up. “This is going to hurt, but I need you to trust me.”

Before [Y/N] even opened her eyes, Lara forced her hand downward, applying an immense amount of both pressure and pain to the wound. At this, [Y/N] screamed in agony, her eyes beginning to roll back as her breaths quickened. Lara cupped her jaw and shifted forward. “[Y/N]? No, [Y/N], I need you to stay with me, okay? Keep your eyes open! Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. Stay with me,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“[Y/N], please, I can’t lose you. Not like this. Keep your eyes open–that’s all I need you to do!” Her words fell upon deaf ears, no matter how desperate they became. Before Lara could beg for her to listen again, [Y/N]’s head drooped down, her body now completely limp.

“[Y/N]?” Lara whimpered, shaking the unconscious girl’s head as a silent plea. When no response came from the motion, the Croft felt her tears beginning to spill, only being able to whisper “no” repeatedly. Her hand, the one that had been holding up the woman’s head, slid down to check for a pulse. She gasped softly when she found it, though realized she had to act quickly from how weak it was. “Shit,” she blurted, once again examining her surroundings. That bastard had thrown her radio over the railing with her weapons. There was no way she could contact Jonah without alerting any other potential Trinity bases of where they were. One look down at [Y/N], however, forced her to take that risk.

She stood and quickly rushed over to the nearby bodies, her calloused, bloodied hands desperately searching their equipment for a radio of sorts. She cursed with each failed search, though lit up only a fraction once she found one. Quickly, she ran to sit by [Y/N]’s side again, holding her up and pulling her close, keeping an eye on her as she sent out a message.

“Jonah? Jonah, are you there? Can you hear me? I need your help: [Y/N]’s bleeding out!”

She released the button, only earning static in response. Her eyes shot back to the woman beside her, her only shimmer of hope dimming immediately. Her finger clicked down again, lifting it closer to speak into it once more.

“Jonah, I need you here! Jonah, please, can you hear me?”

A choked sob erupted unwillingly from her throat. She felt like curling into herself and breaking right there. Now hunched over, she clutched the radio tightly against her chest, grasping a handful of her hair as she tried to come up with another plan. All she could bring herself to do for a moment was weep, terrified of losing the woman propped up by her side.

Her mind cleared for a brief second, and although she had no idea where they were, she knew they couldn’t stay there. More reinforcements were bound to show up sooner or later, and she was in no state to fight them all. She stood, peering out at the landscape in hopes of finding a landmark she had passed before. The lids of her eyes threatened to shut, heavy with fatigue from the loss of adrenaline and the salty tears that had fallen.

She staggered closer to the rail, gripping onto it tightly as a way to ground herself as she searched further. Her heart felt like it was going to sink down into the pit of her stomach upon spotting a village in the distance. She turned to [Y/N], unsure if either of them could even make it that far. There was a chance it wasn’t the village she had been in either, on top of the fact there could be more traps hidden in the forest.

That only stopped her briefly. She knew they needed to leave, and she knew it was better to head out with the chance of finding Jonah than staying there to die.

Willing every ounce of strength she had left, she plucked the rifle she had thrown to the side back up, slinging it over her shoulder before wobbling back to [Y/N]. She huffed, sucking in a deep breath to ready herself, then bent down to pick her up, one arm tucking itself underneath her knees, and the other wrapping around her torso.

She turned, stumbled forward toward the stairs, and wrestled with the urge to look down at the unconscious form in her arms.

Each step down felt like a mile, Lara’s calves straining and aching, feeling as though they would give in and snap like twigs. By the time she managed to make it to the ground, it took everything in her not to collapse. She just kept telling herself they’ll be there soon. That was all she could do to keep moving forward. If she didn’t make it, not only would [Y/N] die, but she would as well. The marks from the beating she had taken had begun to finally sink in, adding to the difficulty.

She swayed every few steps. Her body threatened to fall over anytime she leaned too far.

She had no way of knowing she was going in the right direction, only able to rely on her instinct. There was no path, no landmark, no sign of nearing the village, which is why it was such a surprise when she could hear hollering up ahead. She strained her ears, hardly managing to make out that the unidentified voice was calling her name.

“Jonah?” She whispered hoarsely.

“Lara! [Y/N]! Are you two out there?”

“Jonah,” she weeped, unable to raise her voice any further.

Her feet continued to stumble toward the sound of his voice. The closer she got, the stronger the small spark of adrenaline she somehow still had grew. Finally, realizing he was only a few feet away, Lara managed to pick up her pace, lightly jogging forward. “Jonah, we’re here,” she cried out weakly. She moved ahead, breaking through the entrance of the forest to reveal the small patch of land they had originally tried to set up camp at. There, Jonah turned around and instantly ran over.

“Lara, you’re alright! I heard gunfire, but I didn’t know where you were, and–”

“Jonah, we need to get back to the plane right now. [Y/N]’s losing too much blood, and I don’t know how much longer she’s going to last,” although her tone was weak, there was no doubt she was terrified. Jonah finally looked down to the woman in Lara’s arms, his body tensing at the sight of all she had been through.

“Shit, what did–okay, but what about what you came here for? We can’t come back! Trinity’s going to–” Jonah knew that even mentioning the artifact in that moment was a mistake, but his mind was racing, preventing him from thinking logically.

“Forget the artifact, Jonah!” Lara snapped, her raspy voice finally reaching the volume she’d wanted to have when calling for him. “I don’t give a shit about that right now! I just want [Y/N] to survive! I’m the reason she’s in this state to begin with–I don’t want to be the reason she dies!”

At her sudden tone, Jonah could only nod and motion for Lara to hand [Y/N] to him to carry her there. Reluctantly, Lara did so, only after realizing she wouldn’t be able to make it to the plane in time if she were the one taking her. Without a moment to lose, Jonah began rushing up the path toward where they had landed, shouting behind him for the Croft to follow.

The ringing returned the closer they got, her vision blurring and growing dark. Everything was spinning, and she had to force herself to keep track of Jonah. By the time they had all made it into the plane, Lara’s body finally gave out.

“You know, I don’t think I had ever scared my father that badly before,” Lara murmured, a gentle chuckle escaping as she smiled fondly at the memory. With a sigh, she felt the pad of her thumb caress the tattered skin on the back of [Y/N]’s hands. For just a single moment, the ticking of the clock hanging above the door synced up with the beeping of the monitor beside the bed. Just as quickly, they fell out of rhythm again, and Lara waited for them to repeat it. Every few minutes, for the past several weeks, both would beat together for just a brief second, only to fall apart again.

It was the only thing she could look forward to anymore. It kept her distracted so she didn’t have to process everything just yet–so she didn’t have to look up at the woman deep in a coma in the bed she sat by. Jonah would come in here and there, reminding her to eat something small or to bring her a spare blanket for the night. Nurses would step inside to take vitals and update Lara on what was happening. And even though [Y/N] was there, whenever everyone else would leave, Lara still felt alone.

She could talk to her, but it was more like talking at her. She had no idea if the woman could hear anything she said, nor did she know when she was going to wake up. It had been seven weeks since they made it back from the expedition. Lara’s injuries were treated fairly easily, but [Y/N] had fallen into a medical coma from blood loss and excessive blunt force trauma. Her chances of survival in the beginning were slim, but things started to steadily improve as the days passed by.

Those days, however, felt like years to Lara. The woman she could once talk to and joke around with, the woman she could once hold and be held by, the woman she could once gaze into the eyes of, now lay before her, unmoving and silent. She was alive, but to Lara she seemed dead. She had been so lively before, and now she couldn’t even open her eyes.

To fill the never-ending silence that weighed heavy upon her shoulders, Lara would talk aloud, pretending as though she was sharing her thoughts with [Y/N] like she had done before everything went awry. Recently, after running out of small-talk she had murmured like it was scripted, she had resorted to retelling memories she had of her father back as a child. Somehow, even as [Y/N] stayed unconscious, Lara felt comfortable sharing her favorite times spent with her late father. Anyone else would’ve been waved off and told she wasn’t comfortable, but [Y/N] had always been the one person she could come to to speak of him freely.

Even seemingly dead, [Y/N] was still the only one she trusted. It was funny, in a way.

She huffed out a sigh, lifting the woman’s hand to her lips and pressing a featherlike kiss to her knuckles. Once her lips left the clammy skin, she brought her head down to lean it against the back of her hand. Her eyes closed, brows furrowed as she bit back a sob.

“I wish I had never brought you with me. If I hadn’t, you would still be comfortable at home, watching TV and sleeping in. You wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t… You wouldn’t be hurt, or strapped to this machine, or fighting for your life. You wouldn’t be in a coma.” She sniffled, squeezing the hand still against her forehead. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, [Y/N]. I would take it all back if I could.”

Some part of her waited, half-expecting a response. She whimpered, clearing her throat to prevent herself from bursting into tears again. With a hard swallow, she lifted her head, gaze trailing up to [Y/N]’s face. She smiled. “I have no idea how, but you still look so beautiful. Even when you’re out like this.”

Her free hand lifted far enough to caress the girl’s cheek, then pinch the bridge of her own nose, internally groaning at how heavy her eyes felt. Once her hand planted itself back on her thigh, she glanced over at the heart monitor, watching each movement on the screen intently for a moment, allowing herself to gather her thoughts. Finally, she faced [Y/N] again. Her hand squeezed her leg, unsure of what to say.

“I love you. So, so much. I should’ve said it more before… all of this, but I’m saying it now. I do love you, [Y/N], more than anything in this world.”

She huffed out a pained laugh.

“I don’t know why I’m so mad at you. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who dragged you into the expedition, and I’m the one who ended up getting you captured. I wish I hadn’t begged you to come with me. You deserve to be at home, not in this bed. I should’ve protected you, and I didn’t, and for that, I’m so sorry. You deserve someone better: someone who wouldn’t have gotten you into this mess.

“The worst part is: I don’t even know if you can hear me. I’m not sure if you’ve heard anything I’ve said this entire time. I’m not sure why knowing that you might not hear me hurts so badly, but it does.” Tears once again pricked the corners of her eyes. “God, I wish I could hear your voice again. I miss you so much. I know you’re right in front of me, and I know you’re still breathing and alive, but I’ve never felt so alone. It doesn’t feel like you’re really here. It feels like you’re not you.”

The tears stinging her eyes now blurred her vision and poured down in thick masses. Her free arm raised, allowing her to use the sleeve of her jacket to wipe them away. Once they dried, she looked up at her again, hands trembling harshly.

“Please wake up. I’m begging you.”

Grumbling was all Lara could do in her unconscious state. Any small sound she could hear had her grumbling louder: pages flipping, pens scribbling, pills rattling, doors opening, monitors beeping. Everything that she could hear seemed to be working against her, screaming at her to wake back up. It was late at night when she finally let herself drop her head onto the edge of the hospital bed to rest. Hand still clutching onto [Y/N]’s, she managed to drift off for the first time in days.

The sounds grew incessant, however, stirring her partially awake. Each little noise irritated her further, and she had to fight the urge to muffle the scream bubbling up in her throat with the sheets cushioning her head. To add onto her growing frustration, something squeezed softly at her hand, forcing her back to her senses.

“For fuck’s sake,” she mumbled, lifted her head, then looked down at her hand. Her brows pinched tightly together, she sat there, processing what she had just felt. Again, her hand was squeezed.

Her brain, although severely sleep deprived, finally managed to register what had happened. Immediately, she looked up from her hand, her eyes landing on [Y/N], who finally opened her eyes for the first time in months. She gazed back at Lara the way the brunette had been craving the entire time. Upon seeing that she was now awake, tears instantly trickled out from Lara’s eyes, a shaky sob accompanying them.

“[Y/N]?” She whispered, unsure if she was actually awake.

“Hey, Lara,” came her raspy reply, a tired grin gracing her cracked lips.

Right away, Lara sprung up from her seat by the bed and leaned forward, capturing [Y/N] in a tight embrace. “Oh my god, I don’t–” She sniffled. Her leg lifted up, allowing her to sit beside the woman now practically cradling her in return. “You’re awake. You’re finally awake. I don’t believe it.”

She leaned back from the hug, cupping [Y/N]’s face in her hands and studying every little feature she could see. Sob after sob wracked through her body as she pressed a kiss to the wounded woman’s lips, only shifting back to pepper the rest of her face in similar kisses. “I thought I lost you,” she whispered after calming down enough to speak. Her voice trembled and broke more with each passing word, rambling about what she had feared.

“God, I love you so much.”

Again, she captured [Y/N]’s lips in her own, pure relief washing through her senses when she felt her kissing back. Weakly, the bandaged girl chuckled. “I love you too,” she rasped out.

Lara instantly leaned back into the embrace, clutching desperately at the hospital gown she rested against. She swayed side to side, shivering as [Y/N] soothingly rubbed up and down her back. She couldn’t begin to explain how she felt at that moment. All she could say was she was so relieved to know that the woman she held closest to her heart was alive and breathing.

“Can I ask you something?” A soft voice whispered. She leaned away again to look her in the eye. “Of course. Anything at all.”

“What happened after I was stabbed?”

Lara froze, now growing uncertain. “You don’t remember?” She sucked in a shaky breath when her only response was a shake of the head. Her gaze dropped down, unsure of where to start. She scratched the back of her neck anxiously, took another deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves, then cleared her throat. “Well, I’m not really…”

She turned to glance behind her, ensuring no one else was in the room before she spoke again. There was no shame in what she had done–not for her–but she’d be torn away instantly if someone overheard. [Y/N] had just woken back up, and she wasn’t going to risk losing her all over again. Although, that still might be a possibility, depending on how she took the news.

She explained herself, sparing no detail of what she had committed in her blind rage. From wrestling with the soldiers to stabbing the captain of the team in both the chest and the throat, she confessed every little atrocity that had been brought about by her hands alone. As she spoke, she averted her eyes, too afraid of being gazed at with disgust. She focused on the pattern stitched into the bedsheets bundled up atop [Y/N]’s legs.

Finally, she managed to tear her eyes away from the sheets and look back into [Y/N]’s. She swallowed, surprised to see that familiar glint of admiration in her eyes. There was no sign of repulsion or discomfort at the heinous things she had admitted to. “You’re not mad?” Was all she could ask. [Y/N] snickered and shook her head.

“Are you kidding? Those asswipes beat the shit out of me, and one tried to kill me. I don’t exactly have sympathy for them after that.” Relieved, Lara sighed and grinned. It was a breath of fresh air to see her laugh again, even though it was rather weak.

She turned to sit next to [Y/N], who she then pulled into her side. With a quick peck to the top of the head, she closed her eyes and yawned. “Tired?” “Mmhm.” “Yeah, same.” Lara laughed, looking down at her in confusion. “You were in a coma for nearly three months. Why are you tired?” [Y/N] smirked and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t willingly unconscious. Plus, my body just sucks,” she murmured, earning another chuckle.

“Well, I love your body,” Lara mumbled, tugging her closer. “Every bit of it.”

Waiting a moment, [Y/N] leaned against the brunette fully, her head dropping onto her shoulder as she closed her eyes. She grinned, listening to Lara yawn again before she shivered. “Move your legs for a second,” she whispered to the already half-asleep woman. “Hm?” “Move your legs.” “What? Why?” “So I can cover you up with the blankets.”

Lara seemed to take a moment to understand what she had said. Finally, though, she lifted her legs with a groan, letting [Y/N] slip the covers out from under her and essentially tuck her in beside her. Both sighed in relief: Lara from the warmth of the sheets and [Y/N] pressed against her, and [Y/N] from the feeling of Lara holding her close.

Lights had been turned off throughout the ward for a while, which both women were silently grateful for. As they shuffled to lie down more comfortably beneath the covers, everything seemed to settle down for the first time in months. Lara’s body finally relaxed, the lack of sleep from the past several weeks catching up to her at a rapid speed. She hummed softly as she turned onto her side, pulling [Y/N] into her chest.

“I’m never taking you on a trip like that again,” she slurred out. “At least, not until I know Trinity won’t be there.”

[Y/N] nodded as she listened, also partially asleep. She squirmed a bit, sliding closer while trying to mind her IV. As her head settled against Lara’s chest, she yawned. A moment passed before she spoke again.

“You do know the nurses are gonna come in any minute and realize I’m awake, right?” A groan sounded from Lara, prompting a snicker from [Y/N]. “I’m gonna crawl back into the bed again the second they leave. I just want you in my arms right now.”

“Well, either way, I want you to know that I could hear you for most of the time I was out. And I also want you to know that I plan on saying “I love you” as many times as you did before I woke up. I really do love you. I mean, you were right here the second I woke up, and I don’t know if you ever…” She thought for a moment, opening her eyes and looking up at Lara. “Did you ever leave the room?” Even as she fought to stay awake, Lara scratched her cheek nervously. “Only when I used the restroom. I was afraid I wouldn’t be here when you woke up.”

[Y/N] grinned. “Well, I’m glad you were here. I was worried you wouldn’t be here at all when I woke up. I figured you’d leave and head home, or maybe go back to the village we were at.” Gently yet reassuringly, Lara squeezed her closer. “I would never do that to you. You’re everything to me.”

“And you’re everything to me.”

Another yawn managed to escape the brunette’s lips. She pressed a small kiss to the top of [Y/N]’s head and sighed, already drifting off again. “I love you, so damn much. No one’s going to hurt what’s mine, never again.”

“I’m yours, huh?”

“Of course.”

A gentle smile graced [Y/N]’s features as she shuffled closer, pressing a kiss to Lara’s collarbone as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Of course I’m yours.”

#fluff #x reader #female reader #angst #tomb raider #rise of the tomb raider #shadow of the tomb raider #lara croft #lara croft x fem!reader #lara croft x reader #lara croft x female reader

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checkmatein3moves · 5 months ago

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noir // halloween?

"Just call me useless and inept and an idiot for doing this to myself. Please do it. I want to hear it from the mouth of someone smarter than me. I'll feel better."

"I may be smarter than you, but you're underestimating your own superior deprecation ability," Raven says, annoyingly.

Noir glares at him, mouth a hard line. "I am not. I would never. Thank you for acknowledging one of my few talents, though. Even if it's not what I asked for."

His assistant only looks up through his eyelashes, not moving his head while he types away at an email. "Insulting you is not what you're paying me for. The more miserable you are, the more abominable the vibes in this cage with you."

He does have a point. Noir's office is a single room on a busy floor in a building owned by the president, thus it is surrounded by hundreds of others who believe they can build their own empire.

It's not their fault. They buy what they're sold. And he'd be hypocritical to judge, he's buying into the same delusion to cope. Raven's intelligence and dedication are all but wasted on him but the difference between Noir and the rest of the ants in the nest is the salary he can afford to pay his help. A fancy office would be naught but a corporate tomb for someone like him, a pretty place to sink.

Really. The office is the least of his reasons to be miserable. He'd never share such a pitying sentiment with Raven, but keeping someone so clearly destined for better cooped up in here weighs on him more than any claustrophobia.

He chuckles. "So you're not going to call me an idiot? You'd rather hear me do it to myself? Over and over..."

"You're a clever idiot. You should know you're never going to win."

Noir sits up in his grey armchair, mouth open. "You just—"

"A useful idiot. Watching your love life founder like this is making me very happy about the non-existence of mine." Raven smirks, forefinger and thumb resizing something on the screen in front of him.

Noir gasps, all but delighted to hear the beratement. "I knew you liked me, after all. And not just because I pay you. Though I'd take what I can get, at this point."

"If that were true, you'd be swanning about that estate now, probably moaning about the streamers not being a dark enough shade of black," Raven points out in his same lifeless tone, though the shift from concentrating on their work to dividing his attention is perceptible; long hair is pushed back behind a stylishly protruding ear.

It's enough of a cue for Noir to stop being considerate about distracting him. He gets up out of his comfy chair, plopping down on the cushion on the plastic chair in front of his desk, meant for visitors but seeing little use.

This is enough to earn a sideye.

"You seem to be under the impression that we'd be...courting, if I was still with them. I'd be their date, but I certainly wouldn't get a say in the decorating. And I wouldn't dare complain about their choices if I did. Not until later, anyway, to some innocent person who had no say in the matter." He has a belated realisation that he is still invited and planning to go. He has no choice; not going, sitting in his apartment or at work with their face plaguing his thoughts, would be the only thing worse. "My word, Raven. Tonight's gonna be like stepping into a minefield. You have to watch me."

"I'll keep you alive, but I won't keep you from throwing up on yourself," Raven says with the first ripple of laughter in his voice. "I could suggest you keep a clear head and find an opening to approach them to apologise, but I could just as soon grow a flower garden out of concrete."

Noir rolls his eyes. "Apologise? It's far too late for that. I can hardly go back and beg them to take a coward back. No, they deserve better, Raven. They shouldn't have to deal with the added stress of trying to prop me up alongside the empire they're already managing."

There's a moment of silence in the conversation; Raven thinks. He doesn't try to mindlessly pacify. Noir has the realisation that he's actually talking about his feelings to somebody and curls in on himself, crossing one leg over the other and squeezing his own upper arm. He's been vulnerable since the day he was born, always feeling exposed and flayed, but he balked as soon as a potential protector actually expressed an interest in him.

Bedsheets softer than his own, draped over his lover's waist as the last breaths of summer air mingle with the cooling heat of bodies. Noir's fingers trace their shoulders, their spine. His lips get jealous and press a kiss between their shoulderblades, and in turn his fingers turn desperate and grip their arm instead. They gasp, but it sounds delighted, and he has to initiate a crushing kiss when he flips them over so he doesn't have to see their tired eyes sparkle. It's guilt. He's making every second last, leaving them with every bit of proof that his body wishes he could stay. But by morning he's gone, short note left detailing that he just can't keep distracting them anymore.

"You don't understand a whole lot about relationships, do you?" Raven chases away the ghost that haunts him, though it never goes very far. "Not that anybody could blame you, of course. But I don't think abandonment issues help much more than...well, what's the worst effect you have on them? Bad optics? Getting in the way of prospects that they don't really need?"

Here's where he can't go any further; he can't confess to anybody that a fear of his own dependency was slowly creeping up on him. He was craving them all the time, seeking comfort hiding behind their skirts, at risk of becoming even more useless.

He redirects. "Funny you should bring up my understanding of relationships. I'm curious about yours. It isn't a lack of wisdom stunting your ability to find love, then?"

"If you hadn't noticed, I spend most of my time sequestered in a tower analysing reports. Full time work, it tends to...kill off the desire," Raven responds dryly, not seeming surprised or offended by the question.

"What if you found someone who understood, though? Like...someone you had enough chemistry with that you'd actively enjoy taking it slowly with?"

Raven's eyes narrow suspiciously now. "It sounds like you're—"

"I met Vinteren's assistant, Sunny. Only the once, but—"

"You roll that sentence back right now—"

"What's wrong with—"

"No. No, no, no—"

"Raven!" Noir snaps exasperatedly, noticing that he's covered his ear back up.

"My boss is not trying to matchmake me. It's not happening. This is all a terrible misunderstanding."

Wondering if he's crossed a line, Noir hesitates. "I can point him out to you, tonight, if you want. But if you really don't..."

"Perhaps," he says tautly. "Perhaps. But I assure you, this is mere curiosity. Do not mistake my acquiesence for interest."

Noir smirks, feeling like he's hit the jackpot of things to distract him from his own anguish. There's no way Raven's actually worse at this than he is.

#noir #drabbles #felt like writing and had no idea what #but everyone seems to like him the most so....small tease for the future? i hope

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cypherscript · 2 years ago

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In Bad Taste Part 1

The Observants have both succeeded and failed in the most spectacular way; they've finally Ended the Phantom brat. They were ecstatic because now he could never become the king, minus one hiccup; he was now a full ghost and pissed. He could never go home now, never be with his family and so Phantom spent the following days hunting down every Observant before Ghostly Wailing their observatory out of existence.

His heart ached, or maybe now it was his core, he was exhausted beyond belief from using so much energy. (Even with the Zone charging him he was nearing empty.)

"Why?!" Phantom wept as space around him warped, curling in on himself until he felt nothing more.

***

Batman strode into the Watchtower's briefing room, "Thank you for meeting on such short notice. I've gotten intel that the League of Assassins have found something on a dig in Greenland.

Captain Marvel speaks up at this, "Is that the country that's nothing but snow or the one that's not snowy?"

Batman just gives him a stare, "Technically both have snow but I know what you are referring to. It's the one with a lot of snow."

"Ah, good. Just wondering."

Batman taps away at his seat's console and an image appears on the monitor, an orb of black and blue crystal sits on a dais with a cushion, "This is what the League found in a small tomb there. It measured about four inches across and was nonreactive to most chemicals. However my informant reported that once the orb was brought near a Lazarus pit the orb began to glow green and the Pit in the location dried up."

"Dried up," Wonder Woman asks, "Isn't that a good thing? If the pits are gone then they cannot resurrect their companions."

"It would be a good thing but we don't know what the orb is. However we do know what the Lazarus Pits do, they bring back the weak and dying. My guess is that the orb is using the Lazarus Pit to bring something back, either by acting as a relay to something else or as itself."

"Is there anything else," Superman asks as he looks over the pictures, "I's say it could be a form of kryptonite but I've never seen colors mixed like this before or of any being two colors at once."

"Yes, I've not been able to contact my informant for several days since he sent the pictures of the orb. Zatanna had volunteered to check the orb for magic but she's not reported in just yet."

[25-Zatanna to Watchtower.]

"Speaking of, there she is." Batman looks to the door as Zatanna enters looking ragged. "What's wrong?"

"Batman, it's worse than we thought. It's much bigger than you said, the League's base is a ghost town, bodies laying around the compound. The orbs at least four feet across now."

_________________________________________________

So I started writing on and off during work this morning, kept getting distracted, I'll have to write the rest of it later but there will be a part 2 and maybe even a part 3 if the muses are kind.

#danny phantom #justice league #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc #dc x dp #full ghost danny #the observants are totes dead #ghost king au #danny fenton #batman #superman #wonder woman #shazam #zatanna #dc

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fatedbutblinking · 11 days ago

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jason grace x egyptian daughter of isis story idea

when jason dies, his fate angers him more than it should. he died a hero's death, and can now live in peace forever, but he still feels like he never got a choice in the matter - like he never got the chance to live normally, fully, in a way extrinsic from the gods.

iris, egyptian goddess of magic and all sorts, resurrects him on one condition. that he help bring peace and strength to the egyptian spirits still occupying the pyramids - the ones who can't move on. he finds it an odd task, but he agrees.

suddenly, he is dropped in the desert. he walks and walks for hours, trying to find food or water or any sense of civilisation. he starts to think it's a game that the egyptian gods are playing on him - making a roman demigod die all over again just to laugh at him.

he gets knocked out cold. he wakes up in what looks like a tomb. standing around him are several of these egyptian spirits that iris was talking about, all laughing at him, throwing drink at him, making fun of how supple and pale his skin is - marks of roman privilege, they say. it is the first time that people have made him out to be inferior as a warrior.

then she walks in. she's different from the other spirits. the spirit labourers stop gallivanting around him and go silent as she enters. she is hauntingly beautiful: long, silky dark chocolate hair, almond-shaped black eyes, intricate gold jewels woven through her hair and her clothes. she's like cleopatra incarnate. except stunningly scary.

'what are you doing here, roman?' 'change of scenery.' 'funny.' 'thank you.' 'i don't like funny.' jason isn't sure whether he's allowed to say why he's there, especially if it's a matter of life or death for him. so he chooses the safe option: not to say anything. 'i left my camp.' 'and wandering around the desert was the second best option?' 'seemed it.' 'you have no loyalty.' 'i only have loyalty. just not to romans or greeks. not to the people who kill me everyday. i could to you, though.' 'how do you know i won't kill you either?' 'i don't. but if you do, i'll be one of them.' he nods his head to the spirits. 'not a bad fate.' 'you seriously want to join?' 'i do.' she thinks it over for a long while, watching him with intensity. he matches her. in the roman world, everybody thought he was the intense one. 'okay,' she says. the corner of jason's lip turns up slightly. one of the spirits pipes up: 'okay? okay? he's roman.' 'precisely. it's what cleopatra would have done.'

spirits and her all have dinner together. he's stuck with the labourer spirits because he has to build himself up the ranks. one of them reveals to him that she's the daughter of iris and a mortal. he says that's impossible. there's no such thing as demigods in the egyptian world - only partnerships, hosts, like sadie kane. they tell him that she's the only one. and that she's here to lead them in preserving the pyramids and the legacy of the egyptian gods. the whole of the egyptian world rests on her shoulders.

they steal jewels back from thieves lurking around the pyramids. they re-mummify and look after previous pharaohs. jason slowly but surely starts to gain the trust of the spirits around him. but with her? nothing. she gives him every dirty job, every job that doesn't require him to use any of his godly abilities. she does it on purpose, he thinks - to make him an example. to make him earn it, without using his jupiter name.

they have these little moments. he falls for her fast. he thinks he was always a little bit in love with her, but it comes crashing down onto him one night as she talks about her duty to her people, her culture. she starts to remind him so much of himself in that way. he can't but want the best for her - want her to embrace her human side and leave this place, where her duty to her culture surpasses her duty to herself. so he tells her:

'you're forgetting that you're human.' 'that's not worth remembering.' 'why not?' 'it's not useful to my duty to be human.' 'it's not a matter of duty. that's just what you are. isis is your mother, yes. but your father - do you not think about who he is?' she laughs shortly. 'my father. heritage like that is trivial. i forget how soft you romans are.' 'but your mother's heritage isn't trivial? it's so significant that it dictates everything you do for the rest of your life? that is something you're okay with.' 'yes.' 'every friend you've ever known is dead. a spirit. that is something you're okay with.' 'you are way out of line, jason grace.' 'you should want more.' 'no, i shouldn't. i wouldn't expect you to understand. you left your camp to come here. i put my duty above any selfish desires. this is it for me.' 'it wasn't for me. i found you.' 'you found me,' she scoffs. 'maybe i am selfish. but if i can afford to be selfish then so can you.' 'what does that mean?' 'come with me.' 'what?' 'to camp. to meet demigods like you. to meet real people - people like us - ' 'you are beyond out of line. hear my words, jason grace, because i won't repeat myself. this is my home. this is my family. duty is family. i would never leave it behind - especially not alongside some flippant blond jupiter boy. you wave the wind around, but you know nothing of real, honest work. and to speak of leaving? after we have accepted you, helped you? there is so much more that you have to learn here. it is not the other way around. and if you don't want to learn, then i will kill you. i will kill you so many times that you cannot return. the spirits that you don't believe are real people - i can make you smaller, emptier, more lifeless than them. but i don't have to. the way you act proves that you already are.'

then jason reveals it to her. that he died and came back because her mother resurrected him. that her mother made him promise to help the spirits move on. he asks her why isis would want him to make the spirits move on if her daughter was supposed to be here alone. he says that it is time for her to move on too. she smacks him and walks away.

at this point, jason hasn't made it explicity clear to her that he's in love with her. but the things he does show it - to an extreme degree. even when she's extremely annoyed with him and avoiding him. he watches her every move with such gentleness, to the point where the spirits are making jokes about it to her. usually she complains about the state of cleanliness of the statues of isis and other egyptian gods, but jason polishes them everyday without fail, even if she isn't going to pass that corridor or that room.

the spirits make comments about this to her, but she shrugs them off. it becomes harder and harder for her to ignore him. to watch him make the spirits laugh. to watch him fly to the top of two opposing pyramids and plant flags, encouraging the spirits to play some greek game of 'capture the flag.' at dinner, he speaks of his war stories, the times he spoke back to the roman and greek gods, the times he obeyed them. he speaks of those he loves and those he lost. he speaks of the bestfriend that he died before getting the chance to see again. they watch him intently. and all he does is watch her.

it would be impossible to ignore the way everyone is falling in love with him.

that's what makes it so difficult for her to agree with him - that it's best for them to all move on. everything seems so perfect the way it is. and to say goodbye to them, to pull jason away from them with her selfish thoughts of leaving, to avoid her duty to her home - the thoughts make her heart sink to her stomach.

he makes her heart sink to her stomach.

'you're distracting everyone. i caught a thief while everyone was playing that awful game.' 'a thief? or a tourist looking around?' 'same thing.' 'what are you protecting, y'n?' she stands there, her brow furrowing slightly at his words. his eyes, those familiar storm-grey eyes, seem to pierce through her, and for the briefest of moments, she feels as though she might be stripped bare of all her carefully constructed walls. 'artefacts,' she says shortly. 'artefacts,' he repeats slowly. she grits her teeth, already turning to storm off. 'you are insufferable, jason grace.' he pulls her back. 'i'm not the insufferable one. you're the one making everyone perform duties that don't have to be performed. they have people who preserve these pyramids, y'n. let down the mist and let them.' she turns back around viciously. 'you think this is performative. you think what we do here doesn't mean anything. but it is you that's done this - made it nothing. you came here and turned it all upside down. you make them question their duty. you let them - ' 'have fun?' 'you let them forget.' 'nobody will forget. they can remember, and move on.' 'you - you - it's always you with this moving on stuff. nobody wants to move on. i don't want to move on. i'm content. i'm happy.' 'sure seems like it.' 'the only time i'm not happy is when i'm around you. when your annoying lightningy roman little face is in front of me, trying to tell me what to do, acting all better than me. if you want to move on so badly, then go. leave. i won't even bother trying to kill you if you do - i don't want your body resting anywhere near my ancestors.' 'not without you.' 'why?' she shouts, exasperated. jason pulls her back by the elbow, forcing her to face him. 'because i care about you.'

he kisses her. she groans and pulls away, anger in her eyes. he lets go of her elbow and clenches his jaw, staring at her lips. he won't make another move. her lip quivers. she smashes her lips against his. all of her emotions are let out, and she gives in. she gives into him, into the idea of moving on, into the new dawn. tears fall down her cheeks as she kisses him. gently, he pulls back. he watches as she breaks down - years and years of walls falling to the ground. he pulls her into his chest, stroking her hair.

it's the start of a long road for them, but they're doing it.

jason's eyes soften at the sky. it never rains in the desert, but it does now.

he was going to see his best friend again. his family. and he was going to bring his favourite addition.

#jason grace x reader #percyjacksonxreader #jason grace headcanon #jason grace #x reader #leo valdez #jason grace x y/n #jason grace x you #heroes of olympus

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corvus--rex · 1 year ago

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This got a pretty "meh" response on the bird app. Let's see how it does here. This is parts 1 & 2 as of right now

~~~

pt 1

Ever think that the tight clothes, gloves, tiny jacket that does absolutely nothing are because Keith believes he doesn't deserve care, comfort, softness? Lance hadn't, until he really noticed Keith's body language for the first time after the Blade trials. The tightly crossed arms, how he kept himself separated from everyone else even when in the same room, how he always looked ready to bolt at the slightest whisper. He kept everyone at arm's length, reinforcing that distance with sharp-tongued jabs and insults.

It got so much worse after Shiro disappeared. Keith's normally prickly at best exterior had been dipped in venom and no one could stop him from disappearing for hours in Red, scouring space for any sign of his missing brother. Lance couldn't even begin to articulate the relief he felt when it came time to have Black pick a new paladin. He didn't want Keith to be forced into a role he was in no fit state to be in and had already decided that he wanted it to be himself instead. Keith may be an asshole, but Lance cared about that asshole.

Lance reluctantly sat in the pilot's seat, running reverent fingertips over the controls. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, the silence of the cockpit holding the weight of a tomb until he finally let out a shaky breath.

"Hey, Black. I-I know you probably don't want me, but it's only me and Keith left, and I know what Shiro said about him leading the team if anything happened, but…I don't think he can do it, and I know I'm not the best option, but I'd rather it be me than him. He needs time to come back from this. He needs to be taken care of for once, and if this is only way I can do that, if it means I have to lead the team, I'll do it. I know I'm not as smart as Pidge or Hunk, but I'm stubborn as fuck and I'll get there. Just, please, let me take this on so he doesn't have to."

If the silence had been heavy before, now it was oppressive. Slowly, the weight became pressure, a focused pressure in the back of his mind, silence growing into a whisper. A soft purr rolled through the cockpit as the controls flared to life, filling the space with an ultraviolet glow.

Lance released the breath he'd been holding all at once. "Thanks. I'll give it my best."

He tried to get up, but Black's mental presence pushed him back down, the projected image feeling more real than illusory. He recognized the mechanical angelic wings from when Shiro had last flown the lion, but then the image shifted, a fully formed Voltron taking up his field of vision with similar but much larger wings. The feeling he got from Black was one of reassurance and a hint of things to come. With another soft rumble, the mental pressure dissipated, and Lance stood, Blacks head lowering as he walked down the ramp to the collective shouts and cheers from the team.

Lance couldn't help but notice one voice missing. Keith stood leaning against the wall but instead of the closed-off posture he almost always adopted, his arms hung limply at his sides, the shock on his face overshadowed by the tears of pure relief threatening to spill over. Lance shot him a small smile, one that said 'it's ok, I got you'. Keith understood, shooting one back in thanks as he wiped the tears away and slipped out without anyone else noticing. Lance watched him go, a realization just as startling as Black accepting him as his paladin hitting with the force of that very lion.

'Oh,'

Lance thought,

'Oh shit.'

He could barely hear the rest of the team over his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

'I think I'm falling in love with him.'

-~-

pt 2

Lance tried to make the adjustment period as smooth as possible, but they were all dealing with Shiro's loss, all grieving in their own way, although none quite like Keith. He tried to accommodate him as much as possible - Lance knew too well the pain of losing family - but he still needed to run the team through drills, both on the training deck and in space, forming Voltron again and again until he was confident they could do it in the heat of battle, especially with Allura flying Blue.

Outside of training, Lance was having a harder time keeping his newly realized feelings in check. Keith was more closed off than he'd been in a while, so Lance kept an eye on him as best he could, inviting Keith to game and movie nights in the lounge, including him in more conversations during mealtimes, but never pushing, and always respecting the answers he got.

Keith had actually started to relax a bit, accepting invitations when he was up to it sitting alongside the team but not always participating in whatever they were doing that night, letting himself get drawn into conversations even if he wasn't actively adding anything, just listening. Lance was starting to think they were making progress, both as a team and with their healing process, until Thayserix.

They'd lost Lotor in the gas giant, and Lance had to watch as Red took off beyond the shortened range of Black's sensors. He knew Keith couldn't possibly hope to track Lotor through the gas, and landed on a nearby mineral structure to wait.

He couldn't contact the team, and there was nothing to see within visual range, so he was left with only his own thoughts. Lance thought about how he was handling leading the team - he was honestly a little surprised they'd accepted him as Black Paladin, but when Lance brought it up just after training one day Allura had said that Black chose him for a reason, just as all the lions had chosen their Paladins. Both Hunk and Pidge told him that they had been friends for a while, far longer than they'd been in space, he'd been their pilot back when they were a flight crew at the Garrison, and while he may have been a little unhinged, they trusted him then and they still did. Coran echoed all of their sentiments, adding that he understood how hard it was to push forward while so far from home and that he was genuinely proud of Lance for continuing on in spite of everything. Lance nearly broke down in front of the whole team, instead accepting one of Coran's patented Dad Hugs™.

What Keith had said surprised him. He'd gotten pulled into what became the group hug with Coran on Lance's other side, and when they broke apart, he'd said quietly, for Lance only, "Shiro trusted you. He'd be happy it was you to fly Black. I trust you too. Black picked you and I'm happy he did. You're a better leader than I could be."

The soft, /shy/ look on Keith's face made Lance's brain short-circuit. He scrambled to come up with something, anything, even remotely coherent as he watched Keith walk out with the rest of the team.

The only thought that came to mind was 'How dare he be that cute?' Lance froze. 'Oh I am so fucked.'

#my writing #threadfic import #keith kogane #lance mcclain #keith x lance #klance #preklance #Black Paladin Lance #s.2+ rewrite?? I guess??#idfk #vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender

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loveroftoomanyfandoms · 5 months ago

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Every Little Thing *He* Does is Magic, Chapter 1

Pairing: Platonic Steven Grant x Reader (for now)

Rating: T

Word count: ~1,250

Story Summary: The events of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, retold from Reader's perspective after the fact to her best friend.

Tags/Warnings: Companion fic, canon Divergent since Steven still works for the British Museum post-canon, No Jake Lockley, developing friendship, spoilers for ELTSDiM

A/N: Reader wanted to publicly lust over Steven. I don't make the rules. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Once I get this caught up to the present timeline in ELTSDiM, I will be posting the chapters concurrently (or as concurrent as possible, anyway).

Y/F/N Y/L/N sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment and walked inside.

She shut the door and hung her bag on the hook before setting her keys in the bowl on the side table in the hall. Thank goodness this place came furnished.

She had just walked into the kitchen when her phone rang with a FaceTime request.

Y/N grinned and swiped to answer. “Hey, Ames.”

“Tell me everything,” Amy, Y/N’s best friend since college, said in reply. “How was your first day as director of the British Museum?”

Y/N let out a light laugh. “It was interesting, to say the least. I just walked in the door, so give me a second to pour myself a glass of wine and I'll tell you all about it.”

She opened a cabinet and grabbed a wine glass before setting it on the counter. “I still can't believe I actually got the job.”

“I can,” Amy replied. “You single-handedly turned the university’s museum from a struggling, run-down relic into one of the most prestigious in the country in less than 5 years. You deserved this, girl.”

Y/N took a bottle of wine out of her refrigerator and poured herself a glass. “Thanks, Ames. That means a lot.”

She put the bottle back in the refrigerator then picked up her glass and moved to the sofa. “Okay, so… first thing I did when I got there was meet my assistant, Helen, who's this kinda older lady but seems pretty cool. Then I met the board of trustees, then I took a little break and was able to wander around the museum a bit.”

“You went straight to the Egyptian exhibit, didn't you?” Amy asked.

Y/N grinned. “How’d you guess?”

“Well let's see, you took every single Egyptology class you could in college, you were Dr. Reynolds’s only choice for T.A., and your doctoral thesis was on the excavation of King Tut’s tomb and whether or not it had been done ethically.”

Y/N laughed. “Okay, fair. Anyway, while I was in there, this guy came up to me and started talking --”

Amy gasped. “Wait, you met a guy? Why didn't you lead with that? Tell me more!”

Y/N shook her head with a grin. Amy, who had gone on to become a best-selling writer after college, was a hopeless romantic and had seemingly made it her life’s mission to ensure that Y/N was just as happy as she and her husband Blake were. “Okay, so there I was, looking at the statue of Mekhit, when this really attractive British guy comes up and tells me that the sign on it is wrong.”

“Was it?”

“Yeah, it actually was. The placard said it was Menhit, who is a completely different goddess. Anyway, so the guy starts explaining the difference between the two, but not in like, a mansplainy way or anything, and he was so adorably cute and excited about it that I just stood there and listened to him talk.”

“Did you get his number?”

Y/N shook her head.

“What? Why not?”

Y/N took a sip of her wine before answering. “So we're vibing, right? Then I make a joke about accidentally praying to the wrong god because of a spelling error when suddenly the guy says, ‘oh yeah, I've been trying to get my bosses to fix this one for months now. Took them ages to fix the banner depicting the Ennead’.”

Amy's face fell. “Oh, you're shitting me.”

Y/N shook her head. “Nope. I shit you not.”

“He works there?”

“Yep. His name is Steven and he works in the gift shop.”

“Hold up, he's not even a tour guide?”

“Nope, he’s just really knowledgeable about Egyptian history. Trust me, I was just as shocked when I figured that out.”

“So then what happened?”

“Then he asked me if he could show me his favorite exhibit and took me to see Hathor.”

Amy groaned. “Ugh, that would have been so romantic had he not been an employee.”

“I know.” Y/N shook her head. “Anyway, he was telling me about how cool Hathor is when we were interrupted by this woman who I figured must've been another employee, because as soon as Steven tried to make a break for it she started in on him about ‘not bothering the museum visitors’ and how he ‘wasn’t a bloody tour guide’ and how his job is to ‘sell rubbish to whiny brats and their caretakers’, then said that the new museum director was ‘some poncy American’ when Steven asked her who it was -- all while still within earshot of me, mind you.”

Amy made a face. “Ugh, she sounds like a real piece of work. Who the hell even does that?”

Y/N took another sip of wine. “I know, right?”

“Oh, honey, I'm sorry.”

Y/N shrugged. “It's just as well. Steven had no idea who I was at the time either, and honestly, now that I think about it I'm not even sure he even had been flirting with me.”

“Still, though, that sucks.”

“It actually turned out okay, because when I got back to my office I had Helen pull Steven’s employee information file and girl, he was SO overqualified to be working in a museum gift shop.” Y/N grinned. “You remember how I told you that the tours were boring and that the first thing I wanted to do was to try to update them but the position for the head of programming and tours was vacant?”

Amy nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, guess who's now the new Visitor Engagement Specialist?”

Amy shook her head with a light laugh. “Look at you, making lemonade out of lemons.”

“And not only that, but it turns out that the woman that had been rude to Steven was the gift shop manager, so after I talked to Steven again this afternoon and offered him the Visitor Engagement Specialist position I called her to my office for a little ‘chat’. Oh, Ames, you should've seen the look of sheer panic when she sauntered into my office, saw me standing there, and realized that she had both berated a subordinate and shit-talked me basically to my face.”

Amy nodded in approval. “Slay, queen, slay.”

Y/N shook her head. “Because it was my first day and I didn't want to have to fire someone right off the bat I reminded her of the museum’s policy on bullying and harassment and gave her a warning instead.”

“That's very diplomatic of you.”

“Anyway, I'm meeting with Steven on Friday to discuss his ideas for revamping the tours, and since we're getting some new artifacts in on Thursday I asked him to also sit in on my meeting with the curatorial staff while we discuss placement.”

Amy wiggled her eyebrows. “Hey, at least you'll have some eye candy.”

Y/N laughed and shook her head. “Not even gonna think about that since there's no point.”

“Ah well, at least you tried.” Amy glanced down at the corner of her screen. “I gotta run -- I have a Zoom meeting with my editor in 5 minutes.”

Y/N nodded. “Okay, I'll talk to you again soon. Give Blake my love.”

“Will do. Bye!”

Y/N tapped at her phone to end the call and smiled. Despite getting off on the wrong foot with Donna, all in all her first day as director of the British Museum had turned out pretty well. I think I'm going to like it there.

#lotmf writes #ELTHDiM Masterlist #steven grant x reader #steven grant x fem!reader #steven grant x female reader #steven grant x f!reader

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altschmerzes · 3 months ago

Note

You’re such an amazing writer, I love how well you weave long drawn out character thoughts or observations with dialogue it’s so seemless. I feel like when I try to do that it gets so clunky and hard to read

Do you have any training? Because your stuff reads like a professional

And tips or recommendations? Ie books you’ve learnt from etc etc

Thank you 🙏

ahhhh gosh thank you so much!! i'm so glad you think so. that's something i've really had to work on balancing tbh - the long introspective parts with the dialogue. i can get distracted with the narrative and forget that nobody's spoken in a while and have to go back and fix it lmao. i wouldn't say i have any training! i took a creative writing course in university but it was a very surface level 101 class for one term and we didn't really dig into much. i think it's just time, probably, time and effort doubling down on what i think works for me and what doesn't. i've been writing and posting fic online for... fourteen years? going on fifteen? i was very young when i started, lmao, i think i was twelve, and i'm about twenty-six and a half now, and i've made a lot of progress since then.

a lot of how i handle it now is considering context!! i skim a scene and my notes/draft for it and i try to see if it feels like it passes too quick, or if it misses the point i'm trying to drive home in the mind/heart of the character whose point of view i'm in. if it does, i go back over and try and beef up the narration/introspection. if it feels like it lingers too much or isn't getting to the point quick enough or it just feels like a boring section, i try and clip from dialogue to dialogue faster. if i want it to feel disorienting or detached, i'll keep the paragraphs shorter. if i want the pov character to feel like they're spacing out or dissociating or caught up in their own feelings even if they aren't expressing them, i'll spend longer in their head. if you feel like it's getting clunky, take a step back. look at the clunky piece and go why? does it feel clunky because it's repetitive? is the dialogue not anchored to the internal thought enough when it should be? is it moving too much from thought to thought without spending time on what those thoughts mean, how they feel? those kind of questions can help you get to what needs fixing!

ultimately, it's mostly practice, like most things with writing, i think. take notice of what you like and what you don't like, how you think it fits together. i think in terms of books i've read that made me want to write more, my most recent picks would be the last unicorn by peter s beagle and the locked tomb series by tamsin muir - though tlt is like... probably not what i'd go to for a standard balancing of dialogue and introspection. those books are very stylistic so if that is not the specific style you're going for, it could be difficult to take cues from. in terms of just flat out good, mesmerizing writing, though? yeah. hot damn. highly recommend. and the last unicorn is some of the just, straight up best writing i've ever read.

this is seriously so flattering thank you so much <3 i'm beyond thrilled to hear anyone might like my writing enough to ask for advice from me!

#gav gab #gav answers #wah.....#i hope any of that was helpful #writing liveblog #NICE TO MEEEEE #long post #augh.......#fic testimonials

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mcflymemes · 1 month ago

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ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001) PROMPTS * assorted dialogue from the film, adjust as necessary

it's been my experience when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up.

i sleep in the nude.

about time someone hit him. i'm sorry it wasn't me.

i didn't say it was the smart thing, but it is the right thing.

i came down the chimney. ho ho ho.

we've done a lot of things we're not proud of. robbing graves, plundering tombs, double parking... but nobody got hurt.

maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody we knew.

will you look at the size of this? it's gotta be half a mile high at least.

our lives are remembered by the gifts we leave our children.

you're so skinny, if you turned sideways and stuck out your tongue, you'd look like a zipper.

hey look, i made a bridge.

as far as me goes, i just like to blow things up.

come on. tell the kid the truth.

does it match my dress?

it was like a sign from god.

i got your four basic food groups: beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard.

you have disturbed the dirt.

what have you done?

if you give back every stolen artifact from a museum, you'd be left with an empty building.

i gotta admit, i'm disappointed.

you ask too many questions!

who are you? who sent you?

do not be such a crybaby.

now tell me your story, my little friend.

trust me on this one. you don't wanna know.

if you're looking for the pony rides, they're back there.

what else have you got in there?

forget your jammies, [name]?

you're gonna want a pair of these.

i think we've seen how effective my decisions have been.

have i left anything out?

you did set the camp on fire and drop us down that big hole.

i took this job when my dad retired.

you are a scholar, are you not?

who told you that?

let's go over it again, just so we got it straight.

we're all gonna die.

someone needs to talk to that girl.

for the good of the mission, i will go!

tonight's supper will be baked beans. musical program to follow.

hey, i had nothing to do with it.

i'll have to quit my job.

you didn't just drink that, did you?

don't move, don't breathe, don't do anything...

carrots? why it it always carrots?

with something like that, i would have white wine.

we can't let him do this!

okay, now you can go.

how was my accent?

we are not thriving.

where are you going?

don't take no for an answer.

look, i have some questions for you, and i'm not leaving this city until they're answered.

somebody's gonna have to suck out this poison.

i thought you said he only had guns!

mercenary? i prefer the term "adventure capitalist."

do you wanna do my job? be my guest.

i'm gonna need you to fill these up.

thank god i lost my sense of taste years ago.

why don't you translate, and i'll wave the gun around.

this was not part of the plan.

you do swim, do you not?

your heart has softened.

you would have slain them on sight.

what they have to teach us, we have already learned.

something wrong with your neck?

so i guess this is how it ends? fine. you win.

get back! i've got soap, and i'm not afraid to use it!

look at all those tattoos!

i've got a bone to pick with you.

any last words?

i really wish i had a better idea than this.

i know i'm forgetting something.

you're the one who got us here.

you must've read it a dozen times by now.

sometimes i get a little carried away.

all will be well. be not afraid.

i hate fishing. i hate fish. hate the taste, hate the smell, hate all them little bones.

you will not regret this!

hard to believe he's still single.

can you drive a truck?

no time like the present.

i love it when we win.

you pick now of all times to grow a conscience?

#rp meme #rp prompt #atlantis: the lost empire #mcflymemes #rp memes #roleplay memes #rp starters #roleplay prompt #ask memes #ask meme #roleplay meme #roleplay inbox prompts #rp inbox meme #inbox prompt #inbox meme #sentence starter prompt #sentence starter #sentence starters

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momomoon · 8 months ago

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"Oh man! I can't believe I got to have a gym battle with Ash Ketchum!"

Ash could swear he saw heart eyes in the challenger's eyes as he ran out with a badge and an autograph. He waved goodbye with a laugh, Pikachu on his shoulder.

"You go easy on another challenger? You're going to ruin my reputation."

Ash grinned as he turned around. "Paul! You're back!"

"Pikachu!"

Ash grazed his hand over the panel to lock the front doors of the gym. He jogged up to Paul with excitement.

"When did you get back?" He hugged him tightly.

Paul patted his back lightly as Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and onto Paul's before hopping to the ground. It ran off and called behind him.

Ash pecked Paul on the lips still grinning.

"I hear you've been giving away my badges again." Paul raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he was trying so hard you know?" Ash laughed.

Paul shook his head. "My gym is the most challenging in the region for a reason."

"Come on, Paul. We've gotta let some through!"

"And having just anyone think they can waltz in here and beat me? You must be joking." Paul scoffed and turned to make his way down the hall.

He held out his arm slightly and waited. Ash took the offer, lacing their fingers. "How was Reggie?"

"Fine. As always."

"What did he need help with?" Ash asked as the gym lights turned off behind them.

"It was more of a job for you, but I now have a spirit tomb."

"A spirit tomb? Why?" Ash asked as they made it to their yard. Ash waved as all their pokemon greeted them along with some client pokemon.

"That's why I said it was more of a job for you. The Spiritomb had been abandoned on a ranch for a few decades. It was so lonely that it attacked anything even remotely close to the ranch."

"Oh no!" Ash frowned. "Maybe Gengar can talk to it."

Paul removed a pokeball from his belt and tossed it. "There you go, oh Great Pokemon Whisperer."

Ash flushed and unlocked their hands. "Stop! You know I hate that."

Paul pulled Ash back to him and set a hand on his waist. He placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You mess with my reputation, and I run down yours."

Paul grinned and ruffled Ash's hair, knocking off his hat. Froslass placed it back on Ash's head appearing due to interests in the newly caught ghost pokemon.

"You're so annoying." Ash patted the dirt off his hat.

"That so?" Paul smirked.

"Yeah, it is." Ash shot back.

"Have you fed the pokemon yet?" Paul asked.

"No, I was gonna do it now." Ash muttered

"I'll help."

"Thanks, but you don't have to. You're tired, aren't you?"

"Have enough energy to help my boyfriend feed our pokemon."

Ash rubbed his nose in embarrassment and felt his face heat. It wasn't often that Paul laid claim to him with labels. It always made him giddy and excited.

"Okay!" Ash hooked their arms and led them to their storage unit. "We just got a new shipment of Brock's pokemon food!"

#shinsato #comashipping #staticshipping #ash ketchum #paul #shinji

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deeptrashwitch · 3 months ago

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A Haunting Past (part 13)

This is the last appearence of Aly (@alypink OC) and the WTF (@islandtarochips OCs) until the end of this serie! So thank you so much for letting me include your OCs here, queridas! They were so funny to write and made the story a lot more dinamic :3 LOVE YOU!!

Also, as usual, thanks and a shout out to my bestie @islandtarochips for being my beta reader. You're marvelous 💖💖

Taglist: @alypink @stuffireadandenjoy @snootlestheangel @islandtarochips @raresvtm

@piouswolf @midnight193 @mutantthedark @justasmolbard @welldonekhushi

@tapioca-milktea1978 @imagoddamnonionmason

Tw: This part has no triggers! So it's safe to read, enjoy it ^^

Alicia was sitting behind her desk, her mind once again going through all the possibilities about Artemis' death. With a long sigh she passed a hand down her face, bouncing her leg out of pure stress. As she leaned against her chair the silence became unbearable and again her thoughts went over and over everything. Especially William's cause of death.

Haloperidol. An antipsychotic used for many illnesses, two of them are schizophrenia and panic disorder. It only made her remember the last time she spoke with William, he told her about his diagnosis of severe panic disorder and it only made her wonder one thing. Who else knew? No matter how long she thought about it, there was no way William's wife or kids did that…then who?

Soon Wraith called her back to reality. It was time for the WTF, Aly and Lily to go back to their homes. In silence Alicia nodded and went to the yard with her sunglasses covering her tired eyes. She managed to smile a bit as she shook hands with Agnes, Nigel and Aelan, noticing that her team basically monopolized them to chat for a while before they headed towards the airport. Then she looked at Aly, Lily, Kanoa and Tiala as she tried to smile more when she noticed how they were already exchanging their goodbyes.

She hugged Aly first and poked Lily's cheek. "Thanks for everything, Aly. Come back whenever you have the chance to visit. My doors are always open for you and Lily."

"Maybe when everything is done, okay?" Aly said with a soft smile. "Take care, Licia, you're doing great."

"Thank you…"

After that the Humvee that came for Aly and Lily left Black Tomb. For a second she didn't move, then she went to speak with Tiala and Kanoa. She hugged Tiala tightly as she thanked her for coming to help.

"Don't thank me, that's part of our work." She said jokingly before leaning back as she gave the Captain a small and friendly smile. "Also, what are friends for? I'm happy we could help even for just a little bit."

Alicia smiled a bit. "You helped us more than you think. WAY more."

"Good to know, Licia. By the way, are you okay? You seem tired, more than usual."

"I'll be fine," Alicia said as she looked away, "don't worry, Tia, it's just…a memory."

Tiala looked at her worried. "I see. I hope you find some rest and peace soon."

"...I hope the same. I'll keep you informed if anything happens."

"Yeah, thanks. Take care, seriously."

Alicia nodded and then looked at Kanoa, who simply hugged her in silence. For a minute they stayed like that and Alicia didn't say anything as a tear ran down her face.

"Please, Licia…if anything happens…you can always call me or Tia." Kanoa said softly, tightening the hug.

"I will." She promised as she closed her eyes. "I just need time to sort this out but don't worry, I don't intend to give up on anything now."

"Lelei..."

Alicia scoffed and smiled sadly. "Sorry for worrying you, Noa."

"Don't say sorry. Just get well soon."

"I will, I promise."

Then they broke the hug and Alicia stared down as the two vehicles that transported the WTF also left the base. In silence, the smile on her face disappeared and her shoulders fell with tiredness. At the same time, Wraith impulsed herself off the wall she was leaning into and walked towards the tiring Captain.

"You can't keep doing this." Dominique said with a sigh.

"If it's for the clash of interests-"

"It's not that. I see how tired you are. Since Brazil you've been going on without rest and being stress of all of this. This isn't helping."

"So what? You'll send me to medical leave as the Marines did?" Alicia asked bitter and rudely. "Am I that discardable?"

"Alicia…"

Then she sighed and put a hand over her face. "I'm sorry, I…"

"...Take a rest, at least two or three days. Go home."

"I guess it's for the best, huh?"

"For your health."

Alicia nodded and simply looked at where her team was. "Luke, you're in charge while I'm gone."

"Alicia? Are you going somewhere?" Luke asked, surprised as he looked at his Captain.

"I'll go home for a few days. Please keep the base running, yeah?"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Thanks, boy."

And like that Alicia left Black Tomb that same night towards her parents' ranch. Once there, she put on a good face as she hugged her mom and helped her dad inside his workshop. Trying to keep up with the jokes as she was thankful that her siblings weren't there.

And once the night arrived. She found herself inside the same room she stayed in during that year she was out.

She left the bag over the bed and in the middle of the silence and the darkness, she sighed heavily as the thoughts started again. However, this time she wasn't wondering about anything. Now she simply started to laugh in silence as she felt her blood boil and as soon she saw the damn badge of that operation. Something snapped. A deadly anger crossed her face in a second.

With a rageful scream, she threw down everything over her desk and her breathing became shallow. In the middle of her anger, she kicked her chair and broke a leg of it before throwing the stupid badge against the wall. She calmed down after a while and she stared at the disaster inside that room, just to feel disgust.

It was like those days when she was back from Angola. It felt like she was that version of herself that she tried to hide. The remains of the Guardian she once was.

"Oh God…what am I doing?" She whispered as she let herself collapse on the floor.

In silence she hugged her knees while the silence took over again and the mess that was around her stayed still. She denied herself to break or even to admit what she really wanted. It wasn't the time and neither a good idea for her to do.

Days passed and Alicia received some little updates from Luke about Black Tomb but nothing big. She left her phone over her desk before going outside as she sat under a tree and closed her eyes with a long sigh. For a while she stayed like that before the sound of soft crunch on the grass caught her attention and it made her open her eyes. When she straightened up a bit, her eyes widened.

"Alejo?" She asked surprised.

He smiled sadly. "Hey amor. I hope I'm not late or arriving on a bad moment?"

"No, I…was just taking a break from work, that's all."

"Good to know."

He sat beside her and they didn't say a word for a moment.

"I assume you have an answer, right?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah."

"Y'know, I get it. I kinda know what you're gonna say and…I can't blame you. I'd leave too." Alicia said with her voice broken and almost on the verge of tears.

"I'm not leaving."

"What?"

"My answer is still the same as I gave you once." He said as he gave her a soft expression before cupping her face. "No matter what you did or what you have done. I'll stay."

Alicia shook her head as she closed her eyes and cried in silence. "You…you don't even know what's going on inside my head. The kind of thoughts I have."

"I will stay anyway."

"I might lose myself in all of this."

"I won't let you."

"There might be a point when I'll become a monster, y'know?"

Alejandro cleaned her tears gently. "You aren't a monster, I don't think you'll ever be. I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier…"

Alicia started to choke on a sob before hugging Alejandro as she rested her head against his chest. She started to cry. All the stress, the pain, the sadness and the fear she felt slowly started to bubble up as she cried. Meanwhile Alejandro just held her in silence, feeling impotence as he saw all the pain his lover had endured all this time. For a while they stayed in that position until Alicia ran out of tears and just looked at Alejandro with her red puffy eyes from crying.

"I'm quite curious about something." Alejandro asked cautiously.

Alicia sighed and smiled tiredly. "Is it about Firewall?"

"More or less, I just need to understand how you came to that point."

"Remember when we first broke up?"

"I do. You had an offer and I assume it was for the 267."

She nodded calmly as she stared at the landscape. "As I became a Sergeant, I was offered a place inside the 267. I was really happy about that."

"Yeah, I bet you were really excited."

"Almost as much as you when you were accepted into the Los Vaqueros too."

"True, we were both really excited. It…feels like a long time ago."

"It was a long time ago." Alicia said with a tired chuckle.

Alejandro smiled softly. "...How was the 267?"

"They…they were amazing. We were some of the best Marines across the US. At least in the continental US." She said with a sad tone of voice. "I arrived while Artemis was Captain and Deepwater was Lieutenant, they were good leaders."

"Artemis? Deepwater?" Alejandro asked confusingly. Since he never heard of those names before.

"William was Artemis, he got the nickname because of his aim. The bastard was a grumpy asshole and he made us train until we almost collapsed. He was…the one that encouraged me to volunteer for the Lanceros course, I mean, I had the idea but he gave me the last push, y'know?"

"He sounds like a good man."

"He was. And well, Oliver is Deepwater because of his apnea record. We met inside the 267 and we became friends soon enough. He has always been mysterious and cynical too, but always had a good joke or some snarky comment to make." Alicia said with a sad smile. "When he became Captain…he became a bit colder, but other than that, he was the same."

"Was? Like, in the past?"

Alicia sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her back against the tree. "After Operation Firewall and the case Broken Statue, he blamed me for letting my people die. And honestly? For a while I agreed, and he became colder and more resented against me by the day."

"I see."

"He still is cold because of what happened, maybe also because William died and I wasn't there to even say goodbye."

Alejandro nodded and sighed softly. "Alicia, I just want to know something more."

"Shoot."

"If you find out who betrayed you, what will you do?"

"Honestly……I have no idea." Alicia admitted with a sigh, "For so much time I thought I'd feel AFRAID of ever knowing, but…"

"But?"

"I'm ANGRY…to a point I think I might be able to kill that person if I ever learn who it was. And yet, at the same time I feel like it wouldn't be the right thing to do."

"Would you forgive them?"

"No, I'll never. But I don't think I'll kill them myself either. I have so much to lose."

Alejandro nodded in silence and simply hugged her gently, to which she just leaned against him with a sigh. Soon Andrea, Alicia's mom, poked her head outside of the house looking for Alicia.

"Oh, sorry if I interrupted." She said with a chuckle. "But your phone's ringing, Andina, seems urgent."

Alicia frowned slightly. "Uh, did you see if the number was private or had a name, mom?"

"It said Deepwater, does it ring a bell?”

“Actually, it does.” Alicia murmured confused, then looked at Alejandro. “Sorry cariño, you mind if I-?”

Alejandro nodded. “No worries, go ahead.”

Alicia smiled and kissed his forehead before heading inside. Once inside the house, she took her phone and frowned slightly at the number. She was quite confused seeing that it was Oliver, from all the people, who was calling her. Despite that, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Captain Marchant.” Oliver said, a bit irritated. “I assume you’re free right now?”

“Yes, sir.” She answered a bit tensely. “I’m on a little leave right now.”

“Good, I hope you have time to spare me and speak, Captain?”

Alicia was weirded out for the sudden request. “Sir…?”

Oliver sighed and his tone changed, to one that Alicia hadn’t heard in a long time. “Please, Alicia, we really need to speak. And this is as an old friend more than as your superior.”

“I’m not anywhere near Camp Lejeune.”

“That won’t be needed, I’m in Texas, in Arlington to be specific. Can we meet and get a drink?”

Alicia doubted for a second. “How long will you stay?”

“Two days more.”

“Let’s meet tomorrow.”

“Marvelous, we have a lot to discuss together. See you soon, Alicia, looking forward to it.” Oliver said kindly before hanging up the call.

When it finished, Alicia stayed there for a second with mixed feelings. On one hand, it was weird hearing Oliver being so civil and kind to her. But on the other hand, it just reminded her of the old days, the good ones. For a second she tried to understand what he would want to speak about, but…she really had no clue. She just needs to be patient and find out tomorrow.

#call of duty #ocs #cod oc #oc #cod mw2 #call of duty modern warfare #team charlie #cod mwii

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