#or they fell off during the fall and landed somewhere else

[chaotic-kitty]

THE BAD BATCH SPOILERS!!!!

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

[imhappierthanever]

💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

Your lipstick clung to her lips, and her cheek, and down her neck leaving a trail of your love down her body. It was Valentine’s Day, and you made plans. Of course you did. Somewhere sat in a restaurant were two glasses of champagne, two chairs at a table waiting for two lovers to come dine in. To share their love in a beautiful, public setting. But you didn’t make it there.

Not when she saw you wearing what you knew got to her the most. You didn’t do it too often, just during special times. But since tonight was special enough, you decided a red lip for Billie was the way to go. You never quite understood what it was that drove her so crazy when you wore it, but you loved what it did to her. The way she would always want to stay home and cancel everything and have you all to herself. But you never let her.

But tonight she would finally get her way. When her fingers danced along your barely there black lace dress, exploring as much of you as she could before letting it fall to the floor. Before she revealed your matching red strapless bra and panties. She could hardly contain herself.

“Get on the bed, Angel.” She growled in your ear. “You’re fucking killing me tonight. Need you so bad.” She said almost pushing you down, straddling your body. She discarded her own clothing along the way not even giving you a chance to comment on how incredible she happened to look.

The last article of her clothing made its way on the floor, leaving her completely opened to you as her body met yours yet again. Her warm skin collided with yours as her kisses begin their journey on your neck, down to the valley of your breasts, freeing some part of you but never taking your bra off completely. She let her tongue swirl around your sensitive nub, teeth grazing, sucking before releasing it with a pop. Her other hand rolled the other between the pads of her soft fingers. You moaned, pulling her head against you, melting from all the love she had been showing you.

“You don’t even know what you’re doing to me right now she said straddling your thigh as she pressed her own between your legs. Her bare clit was rubbing directly on your thigh, letting you feel exactly what you had been doing to her as she marveled at the sight of you coming undone beneath her.

“You’re so fucking beautiful. You don’t even know. Such a pretty girl. My girl.” Billie said running her fingers along your lacy red panties, brushing against you, collecting your wetness on her fingers before she invited herself in, pulling the fabric to the side.

Your hands danced along her skin, pulling her into you. You needed her just as badly. You couldn’t think of anything else. Just you and her and the moment you were in. The way her lips tasted so sweet, and how needy she was as she kissed you so passionately, letting your tongues dance. Her fingers trailing fire, her love beginning its way down your leg ever so slightly before she shifted her body, tangling her legs with yours and letting your pussies connect.

Immediately your hands landed on her hips, pushing her down further against you, wanting to feel it all. Everything she had to offer. Wanting to be even closer to her somehow, even if it wasn’t possible at this point.

You watched the way she moved as she hovered above you. So beautiful and focused on your bodies. So focused on pleasing you and being in the moment with you. You bit your lip as whimpers fell from hers. You just knew this was a sight you could never tire of. Her gorgeous hooded blue eyes staring deeply into yours, her plump pink bitten lips now swollen but looking even more kissable somehow. Her gorgeous skin being coated in a thin layer of sweat making her glisten, the way her breasts moved as she grinded on you. Everything was almost too much to handle. The sounds of the wetness between you and the way she was making you feel sent your mind into complete overdrive.

You closed your eyes for only one second before her thumb made its way to your clit, rubbing circles, forcing your eyes opened and back to hers.

“Every time you even think about putting that red lipstick on.. I want you to remember this. I want you to think about how I fuck you..” she said leaning down to whisper in your ear and connect your bodies. I want you to think about what it feels like to be with me. Only me.”

Billie continued to rock her body against yours, her wet hand moving up from her home to your neck, wrapping her hand around it.

“Only you.” You managed to choke out as you felt your body start to shake. “Billie. I’m-“ you began feeling that tight feeling inside you ready to snap at any given second. “Can I?”

“Do you think you’ve been a good girl?” She asked tightening her hand, increasing her pace making it even harder for you. “Mmm so good Bils. Only wanted to make you happy please. You feel s- so good. I can’t-“

“Go ahead, baby. Let go. Give me everything.” She said pulling you into her arms, letting your bodies be closer to feel it all. To feel bodies trembling and releasing, pussies throbbing and the what remained of your red lipstick fading finally. You released together, moaning and screaming, riding out the moment together before your back hit the bed again.

Billie fell onto your body, resting her head on your chest. “Fuck.” She breathed, kissing anywhere her lips landed. You chuckled letting your fingers trace her curves.

“Well Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, my love!” You said kissing her head, smiling. “I don’t think we’re going to make it to dinner tonight. I don’t even know if I can walk properly.” You joked

“Let’s just lay here for a little more. I just want to be close to you.” Billie said. Still coming down from her high. You smiled running your fingers through her now tangly hair, helping her come down.

“Well I can’t say no to that!” You said giving her a little squeeze before kissing her head. She laughed a little, snuggling herself further into your body. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. You’re everything.”

“And you’re even more my darling.” You said wiping one of your red lipstick stains off of her cheek, knowing you wouldn’t be leaving your room anytime soon.

[ginnsbaker]

All Of Your Pieces (11 - Nightmares)

Chapter Summary: “Trust me, I didn’t go easy on her,” Clint replied gruffly. “Her brother came to her rescue. I blinked, and they were both gone.” You frowned, not entirely sure if you could take Clint's word for it. You chastised yourself for not being more vigilant during the encounter. Next time you faced off against Wanda Maximoff, you promised yourself, it would end differently—she would be subdued at the very least. Her powers were admittedly terrifying, and you couldn't help but wonder how your seniors intended to handle her capture. 

Or if perhaps she posed such a threat that she would be better off dead.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader Chapter word count: 3.4k | Chapter Tags: None

A/N: Welcome to Part 2, To Build A Home, or basically the history of Y/N and Wanda before Westview, starting at the end of Ultron. Most of Part 2 will be told from Y/N's perspective. Part 3 will be Wanda's. Without further ado... // More author's notes here.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The place smelled like rust and copper—of blood. The warehouse was enormous and maze-like in its structure, and somewhere in the distance, metal groaned like a wounded animal. You had just put two of Ulysses Klaue's men down—clean shots and no hesitation. Their bodies lay cooling on the concrete as you readied yourself to confront anyone else who stood in your way.

You tapped your earpiece. “Nat, Clint, what's your position?”

Static replied, a white noise that filled your head like ocean waves crashing inside a seashell. 

You tapped the communicator, harder this time. 

“Do you copy?” More static.

And, weirdly enough, more silence. Just a minute ago, the area was crawling with hostiles. Now, you could hear your own muted steps. You were always light on your feet, just as you were trained to be.

You glanced over your shoulder. The two men you took out were gone. The floor where they fell was clean, no blood, no bodies. You blinked hard, but the scene didn't change.

“What the—” you muttered to yourself before you took a step and the ground beneath you suddenly felt like it was made of quicksand.

Before you could react, the floor gave way entirely. You plunged downward, swallowed by the very ground you stood on. The sensation was disorienting—a free fall through darkness that seemed to stretch on forever. Your stomach lurched as you tried to grasp at anything, but your fingers closed around empty air.

Then, as suddenly as the fall began, it ended. You landed softly, as if the air itself cushioned your descent. You found yourself standing in a bright corridor with white walls and sterile white lights—nothing that indicated a warehouse. The air smelled of antiseptic and faintly of lavender.

A distant cry erupted down the haul—a child's wail. The sound of it dug into your bones and you followed its source because you had to, because it was pulling you like a magnet draws steel.

You walked down the corridor, vaguely unaware that you had none of your weapons with you, the armor you donned replaced by a white hospital gown. Doors lined the walls, each identical, each a possible gateway to something you weren't sure you wanted to face. The cry came again, more urgent this time. It was coming from the last door on the left. 

Taking a deep breath, you turned the cold knob and pushed the door open.

Inside was a small hospital room bathed in harsh fluorescent light. On the bed lay a woman and  recognized her immediately. Your mother, but younger, frail and exhausted. Her eyes were closed, and her hands rested gently on her swollen belly.

A nurse glided quietly around, checking the beeping instruments, scribbling on a clipboard. She glanced up and looked directly at you, but it was as if she didn't see you at all.

Your mother stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “Is he okay?” she asked weakly.

The nurse smiled reassuringly. “You're doing fine. Just rest.”

Your heart thudded, the hairs on your arms rising without your consent. This was the day—you realized—the day everything changed. The day you were born, and your twin brother wasn’t.

A doctor entered the room, his expression serious. He whispered something to the nurse, and they both looked solemn. Your mother noticed. “What's wrong?” she demanded.

The doctor sighed. “I'm sorry, but one of them didn’t make it.”

Your mother’s face twisted in anguish. “No... no, that can't be.”

She looked down at her belly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Which one?”

“The boy,” the doctor replied softly.

A raw, wrenching sob broke from her. “It should have been her,” she cried bitterly. “I wanted a son. Not... this.”

Something inside you shattered into a million pieces. You wanted to reach out to her, to tell her you were sorry, to convince her it wasn’t your fault. But you couldn't move, rooted to the spot by an invisible force.

The room started to blur, its edges bleeding out like ink on damp paper. You blinked, and suddenly you found yourself in a darker corridor, its walls creeping closer with each heavy step you took. 

You heard footsteps behind you—a slow, deliberate pace that sent a chill down your spine. You quickened your stride, but the footsteps matched your speed. You broke into a run, your breath coming in ragged gasps.

Rounding a corner, you slammed into a figure. Stumbling backward, you looked up to see your twin—the shadowy figure that resembled you but wasn't you. Its eyes were hollow as if they had never fully formed.

“Why did you take everything?” It spoke.

“I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” you whispered.

It leaned closer to you.

“Yes, you did.”

Voices overlapped, a cacophony of accusations and doubts and things you believed in and kept running away from.

“You're just a thief.”

“A murderer before you were even born.”

“Who's the real villain here?”

You clapped your hands over your ears and screamed at the top of your lungs but no sound came out.

The ground shook, cracks racing across the floor, chunks tumbling into the dark below. You struggled to stay upright.

“It should’ve been her.”

“Sickly girl.”

“What a waste.”

“Y/N!”

A jolt ran through you as someone shook your shoulder. Instinct took over. Your hand flew to your sidearm, drawing it in one fluid motion as you spun around.

The shot rang out. 

“Whoa! It’s me!” Clint exclaimed, ducking just in time as your pistol aimed where his head had been a split second before, the bullet embedding itself in a stack of crates behind him.

Horror washed over you as you realized what you’d almost done. “Clint... I...”

He retrieved your pistol from the floor, hesitated, then handed it back to you butt-first. “It’s okay, kid. You weren’t the only one.”

—

“You didn’t even read the briefing, did you?” Clint smirked, handing you a bottle of water. You took a long gulp, wiping your lips with your thumb when you were done. No matter how much you drank, you still felt parched. Glancing around, you spotted Steve and Tony whispering. Judging from the look on their faces, you could tell that what happened to you also happened to them.

“What is she? Some kind of witch or something?” you groaned, massaging your temple. 

“Steve sent us the profiles on the Maximoff twins well before we boarded the Quinjet. It was all in there,” Clint added, sitting down beside you.

You kept quiet, avoiding his eyes. You rarely did your homework before a mission—why would this time be any different?

“That’s exactly why you walked into her trap,” he snapped, taking your silence as an answer. “Knowing your enemy is basic, whether you’ve got a god on your side or not.”

You nodded, taking the ribbing with good grace. 

“Maybe if you hadn't gone so easy on her,” you retorted, leaning back against the curved bulkhead of the jet. You briefly closed your eyes, only to snap them open immediately, not wanting to be haunted by the persistent vision. You wondered how long the after effects of the Maximoff witch would last.

Clint chuckled, shaking his head in a way that was unmistakably patronizing. You hated when he got like this. Hated how your random outbursts never affected him.

“Trust me, I didn’t go easy on her,” Clint replied gruffly. “Her brother came to her rescue. I blinked, and they were both gone.”

You frowned, not entirely sure if you could take Clint's word for it. You chastised yourself for not being more vigilant during the encounter. Next time you faced off against Wanda Maximoff, you promised yourself, it would end differently—she would be subdued at the very least. Her powers were admittedly terrifying, and you couldn't help but wonder how your seniors intended to handle her capture. 

Or if perhaps she posed such a threat that she would be better off dead.

“What did you see in there?” Clint suddenly asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You shrugged, not wanting to revisit that experience even in your mind. The mere thought of it sickened you. Only someone truly evil would subject another to such a nightmare for tactical advantage. Physical violation was one thing, but to invade the mind? That was a trick only a truly depraved person would consider. 

“Nothing,” you replied curtly.

“Talking can help, you know?” he offered gently, but he was already rising from his seat, giving you the room you seemed to need.

“Maybe that works for old-timers,” you tossed back. “Never worked for me.”

—

When Ultron ultimately went down, it felt far from victory. Survivors moved like ghosts, blank-faced and aimless in their direction, clutching what’s left of their former lives. You stood there, surrounded by twisted metal and smoldering ruins—another battle won, another piece of yourself lost. 

Your eyes landed on Wanda. She perched on a heap of debris, crimson energy fading from her fingertips like the last wisps of smoke. She stared into nothingness, eyes as clear as shore but with nothing there to find.

You knew that look. The emptiness when half of you is gone. Both of you were twins once. Now, both alone. You never got to know the boy you lived with for nine months because he never made it outside your mother’s womb. But just knowing he was there, that he existed, left a void that would never be suffused. You’d always feel incomplete, forever wondering if you truly deserved to be the one who lived.

You understood her pain, at least in an abstract, cataloged kind of way. But empathy was a luxury you couldn't afford, not with the bitterness festering inside you. Ever since she got into your head and forced your past to rear its ugly head, you haven’t been able to properly sleep for days on end. You fundamentally opposed Steve's choice to collaborate with the Maximoffs, believing they belonged in a containment cell, not on the field. You saw how Wanda fought off Ultron’s droids. She was extremely dangerous—maybe even more so when she felt so strongly.

The quinjet touched down at the Avengers facility, its engines winding down with a low whine. You disembarked with the other quietly, dirt and grime clinging to your skin and suits like mold. 

Steve called everyone to the landing pad. He looked over the team—bruised and battered, yet standing. Morale was low, but Steve saw this as an opportunity for growth. You preferred Tony's approach. When things went sideways, he'd hit the bottles and maybe blow off steam by blowing up a few empty depots. His way of coping suited you better than Captain America's endless supply of pep talks.

“Good work out there,” he said, though his voice lacked its usual conviction. “Get some rest. We'll debrief in the morning.”

He turned to you as the group began to disperse. “Could you show Wanda to her quarters? They're next to yours.”

You met his eyes and scowled. The nerve of him to ask that. Without a word, you turned on your heel and headed down the corridor toward your room.

“Hey!” Steve's voice followed you. “I'm talking to you!”

“Let it go,” Natasha murmured to him. You caught it, just barely, over the pounding in your ears.

“That's not acceptable,” Steve argued.

“She's been through hell,” Natasha interrupted. “We all have. Give her some space.”

Wanda stood where you'd left her, eyes fixed on the floor, as if she wished it would swallow her whole. She hadn't reacted to the exchange, lost in her own head.

Steve ran a hand over his face, the first signs of weariness lining his forehead. “Fine. Can you take Wanda to her room, then?”

Natasha nodded. “Come on, Wanda,” she said, tilting her head toward the direction they needed to go, the same one you disappeared into a moment ago. “Let's get you settled.”

Wanda allowed herself to be led away. Steve watched them go before his thoughts returned to you and he shook his head; there were battles worth fighting, and this wasn't one of them.

In your room, you slammed the door shut, making a sharp sound that hurt your own ears. It’s exactly as you left it—sterile, impersonal, a place where nothing bad had ever happened because nothing had ever happened at all. 

You paced the length of the room, muscles coiled tight, every nerve ending tingling with restless energy even though you were sure earlier that you had given it your all on the battlefield. Steve has sided with a known terrorist, and now he's brought her to the doorstep. This compound might never have felt like home, but still, it was your sanctuary—a place to let your guard down once in a while.

A few minutes later, after you had been sitting on your bed, staring at the blank wall, there was a soft knock at your door.

“Go away,” you muttered.

The door swung open abruptly, and you let yourself collapse onto your back near the foot of the bed with a sigh.

“Steve's worried about you,” Natasha stated, peering down at you as you gazed up at her upturned figure.

“Steve worries about everything.”

“He asked me to check in.”

“Consider me checked.”

She studied you for a moment. “She's not your enemy anymore, you know?”

“Tell that to Banner.”

“People change.”

You shrugged. “Not that much.”

Natasha crossed her arms and then sat beside you. There were a few beats of silence, a moment for both of you to gauge each other before you sat up and looked over at her.

“She gave you nightmares, too, right? Even if you never told me what they were, I doubt they were pretty.”

Natasha's face remained docile, not betraying any sign that she was merely keeping up appearances or that she secretly despised Wanda too. You envied her control over her emotions, how she concealed herself from the world while still managing to be a good friend without restraint.

“Worst I've had in years,” she admitted. “But she was on the other side then. Doing what she thought was right. Fighting for what she believed in.”

You scoffed. “That's supposed to make it okay?”

“No,” she said softly. “But maybe understandable.”

You didn’t have a comeback for that. You knew Natasha had a point. You’d do everything you could to neutralize an opponent, and the twins simply did the same thing.

“We can't fault her forever for surviving,” she continued. “For doing what she had to do.”

You didn't say anything. Admitting she was right—like she always seemed to be—felt too much like giving in. You've never won an argument with Natasha, and it was both infuriating and impressive. Each time you tried to best her, it ended the same way: with you respecting her even more for her relentless logic.

She glanced at you. “You don't have to forgive her. No one's asking you to. But dwelling on things that are over? That's a prison of your own making.”

“Easy for you to say,” you snapped. You knew you sounded juvenile, but you couldn't hold back. "Not all of us can just flip a switch and turn it off.”

She gave a small, mirthless laugh. “There's no switch. Just choices. Every damn day.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means you can distract yourself if you have to. Find something else to focus on. Just so you don't have to think about it all the time.”

“And if I don't want to forget?”

“Then don't,” she said softly. “But don't let it consume you either.”

She stood up, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from her suit. “Get some rest.”

As she made for the door, you couldn’t help but fire off one last parting shot. “You can bet I won’t forgive her. Not anytime soon, anyway.”

Natasha paused but didn't turn around.

“Thanks for the therapy session,” you said, laying down again and rolling onto your side with your back to her.

You expected her to leave after that, but instead, she lingered, sharing an unwarranted piece of information.

“Wanda's in the room next to yours.”

“I know,” you said, getting up to close the door after her.

—

The walls of the quarters were supposed to be fortress thick, but when you dragged yourself out of bed for a midnight raid on the fridge, the sliver of light bleeding from under Wanda's door was impossible to ignore. So, she was awake. You paused, your gaze fixed on the thin glow, suspicion worming its way through your thoughts. Was she plotting something in there, alone with her powers at this ungodly hour? You shook your head slightly, dismissing the creeping paranoia. If Wanda decided to turn on them, well, that was Steve's headache to deal with. With a shrug, you turned away, your mind settling back on the rumble in your stomach as you headed towards the kitchen.

You assembled the basics: bread, peanut butter, jelly. The ritual to your favorite snack was almost therapeutic—the smooth glide of the knife spreading peanut butter thick, jelly thin, just the way you liked it. You grabbed another knife to cut off the crusts, a habit you never quite outgrew.

As you began slicing the edges, a figure materialized through the wall beside you.

“Jesus!” you yelped, the knife slipping and nearly nicking your finger. Your heart leapt into your throat as you stumbled back.

“My apologies,” Vision said.

You took a deep breath, clutching your chest. “Could you not do that? Ever heard of using a door like a normal person?”

He tilted his head, considering your words. “You are correct. I should adhere to conventional modes of entry. I will take note of that next time.”

“Great,” you mumbled, turning back to your sandwich with a huff. Your hands trembled slightly as you resumed cutting. It was still strange to hear J.A.R.V.I.S’ voice coming out of this being’s mouth.

Vision stepped fully into the kitchen. “Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Vision.”

You eyed him warily. “I know who you are.”

“May I inquire about your culinary creation?” Vision asked.

“It's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

He stepped closer, examining it with keen interest. “The coloration is intriguing. I haven't encountered many purple foods in my lifetime.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You've been alive for, what, three days? Not exactly a lifetime.”

A subtle smile crossed his face. “An accurate assessment.”

You chuckled softly. “Grape jelly. A classic. You should try it sometime.”

“Not sure if I could,” he replied. “But perhaps I will.”

Vision hovered. The silence stretched just long enough to become awkward. You were too spaced out to bother breaking it. 

“Speaking of food,” he began, “Miss Maximoff hasn’t eaten. Nothing in over twelve hours.”

You were about to take your first bite, but the mention of Wanda left a bitter taste in your mouth. 

“And why is that my problem?”

“Given that her quarters are adjacent to yours, I thought you might be concerned,” Vision said.

“Concerned? About the person who messed with my head? Hard pass.”

Vision regarded you with those unblinking eyes. “Holding onto resentment can be detrimental to one's well-being.”

“Did you read that in a fortune cookie?”

He seemed unfazed. “I simply thought informing you would be appropriate. Miss Maximoff appears... isolated.”

“Not my issue,” you grumbled, but the image of Wanda alone flashed through your mind. Despite yourself, you felt a pang of sympathy.

Vision nodded slowly. “Very well. If you'll excuse me.” 

He turned to leave, this time opting for the doorway instead of phasing through the wall. You watched him go, a sour twist in your gut.

“Wait,” you called out before you could stop yourself.

He did, looking back at you expectantly.

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “Look, just... take her something to eat. Here.” You shoved the sandwich plate toward him.

He glanced down at the offering. “It might be more meaningful if you delivered it yourself.”

“Yeah, that's not happening.”

He accepted the plate. “I will relay the gesture.”

“Don’t,” you rushed out. “I mean, don’t tell her it’s from me.”

Vision appeared to hesitate, but acquiesced with a nod. 

“Great,” you said, already regretting the impulse. “Gotta run.” You grabbed your jacket from the back of the chair. 

“Are you going out at this hour?” Vision asked.

You shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Might as well own the night.”

“Do be careful,” he advised. “The city can be unpredictable after dark.”

You managed a faint smirk. “Unpredictable is where I thrive.”

You were due for a night out anyway.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Confessions of a SWAT Team

Pairing: David 'Deacon' Kay x fem!SWAT!reader

Summary: You and Deacon fell in love with each other, but didn't tell anyone. When officers closer to your age begin flirting with you, Deacon grows distant and won't tell you why.

Warnings: angst, fluff, age gap (not specific but I imagined ~15-20 years, so reader would be late 20s?), Deacon is protective, some arguing, mentions of insecurity, reader is somewhat shy, I used the term "suicide bomber" once in passing. Luca, Street, and Hondo meddle. I think that's all!

Word Count: 2.9k+ words

Requested Here!

Picture from Pinterest

Falling in love with Deacon Kay was easy. Telling anyone, including the man himself, is not so easy.

Deacon Kay never considered the idea of skydiving to be scary… until he found himself falling head over heels for you, the newest recruit. When you walked in on your first day, confident of your skills yet willing to learn your place in the team and receive feedback, he felt something new. You were quiet and reserved, willing to learn, and each time he complimented your skills or offered an idea to make something easier or for improvement, you opened up a bit more. More than attraction, there was a deep need to get to know you, to protect you, to stay close to you, and, later, to hide his biggest secret from you and everyone else. Deacon Kay was falling in love but knew it was wrong.

At the end of your probationary period, you and Deacon have a deep connection, secrets and all. His need to stay close and protect you has only strengthened with time, but every time he looks at you, sees your youth, and pictures the bright future you could have, he tries to silence his heart and listen to his mind. You’re too young and could do so much better, he thinks.

Two months into working with 20 David, you were trapped face-to-face with a suicide bomber. With no protection and no escape route, you maintained a brave act while hoping, praying, that your gear would keep you alive. With three seconds left on the detonator countdown, you feel someone wrap their arms around you as their shoulder blocks your face. The force of the explosion knocks you backward, twisting in your savior’s arms to land on top of Deacon. You feel the pressure build in your eyes as you yell at him never to do that again. He can never know, but his protectiveness scares you because it puts him directly in harm’s way.

After the bombing incident, Deacon gets closer. He puts himself between you and gunfire, taking several shots to his Kevlar while leading you to safety. During a raid with narcotics, a cartel leader jumps on top of you, and you struggle for the upper hand until Deacon hauls him off of you, finishing the fight on your behalf. After Deacon protects you, he always takes you back to the station, placing a gentle hand on the small of your back as he leads you somewhere private. He tends to your wounds and reminds you that he’s always there if you need to talk.

You want to talk to him more than anything, but Deacon is a Sergeant II, and he’s older than you, and, most importantly, he likely frowns upon inter-team relationships. So, you bottle everything up. Forever.

“You think he’ll ever tell her?” Street asks as Deacon walks out, close enough to you that your hands brush with every step.

“He hasn’t even told us,” Luca points out.

“Maybe we should do something.”

“Their relationship is theirs, guys,” Hondo interjects. “We shouldn’t interfere. Yet.”

Street and Luca smile at the thought of intervening in the future and seeing their teammates happy. They know Deacon is single-handedly responsible for breaking you out of your shell, but they’d like to see it go one step further.

✯✯✯✯✯

“She’s gorgeous,” someone says.

Deacon’s brow furrows as he hears voices grow louder. He tries to focus on the computer before him, looking for blueprints for an entry raid.

“Care for a friendly bet?” a second voice asks.

Several young officers dressed in street clothes stop beside the door where Deacon is working. He can see them, but they haven’t noticed him yet. His focus wavers when he thinks he hears your name.

“Of course, we’re still talking about her,” the first guy answers.

Deacon’s focus shifts completely, turning to face them. They’re close to your age and attractive, but what bothers him most is how easily they discuss their attraction to you.

“If you suggest a ‘first one to get a date with her’ bet, I’m out.”

“I was thinking more we see whose pickup line lands better, then we let her choose. She’s not a prize, she’s a person.”

Yet you’re planning to use her as an object in a bet, Deacon thinks.

“Were you at the range yesterday afternoon? She was there. I can’t believe how good she is. 20 David is lucky.”

“For more reasons than one.”

Deacon clenches his jaw as they walk away, still comparing what they've seen of your shooting and fighting skills. He watches you in awe, too, but they have a shot to get close to you.

“Focus,” he whispers to himself, facing the computer.

“Hey, Deac,” you call as you enter. “Hondo wanted to know if you found the property record? Although, I’m still arguing that this is a waste of your talents.”

You stop beside him, leaning against the desk and smiling at him.

“Uh, yeah,” Deacon answers, trying to look anywhere but at your beautiful eyes. “I got it.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m great. Let’s go.”

You nod slowly before following him out. Two men call your name, and you look over, tilting your head as they beckon you over.

“I’ll be right there, Deac,” you tell him, tapping his shoulder twice.

He nods, watching silently as you walk to them. They smile as they say something quiet enough that he can’t hear. There’s a small smile on your face, and Deacon thinks you’re introducing yourself.

Pointless, he thinks, they know more about you than they should. Not as much as me, though.

The thought catches Deacon off guard, and when he looks back up, the taller officer is openly flirting with you. You laugh and push a stray piece of hair behind your ear. Deacon missed his chance. He walks away while you continue smiling at them, seemingly enjoying their flirtations.

✯✯✯✯✯

You’re uncomfortable; these officers are 1) flirting with you while you’re still working and 2) way too young and immature for you. Forcing a laugh and moving your hand to your hair nervously, you glance over and only see Deacon’s back as he leaves.

“Well, I’ve got to go,” you blurt out, interrupting the worst pickup line you’ve ever heard, “but it was nice to meet you.”

“Oh, okay. We’ll see you around?” one asks.

“I’m sure we will, we work in the same building,” you answer before realizing that it sounds a little too much like an invitation to come talk to you again.

Rushing to follow Deacon, you enter an office behind him, and Hondo immediately starts talking. You stand by Deacon, but he doesn’t look over and roll his eyes at Hondo’s bad analogies like usual. Fiddling with your fingers, you try to focus but wonder what happened. He could have a lot on his mind, or maybe you did something wrong. You decide to give it some time and hope that it passes.

20 David spends the afternoon training, and when you get in the ring with Deacon, you expect it to go as usual. Typically, you throw a few punches and have to beg Deacon to fight back and make it fair. However, today, Deacon has no problem immediately giving you a full-force hit. You step back and catch yourself before returning the hit. You lose the sparring round, and Deacon climbs out without a glance in your direction.

When you see him later while preparing to go home for the night, you stay quiet. Part of you hopes he’ll yell at you or something - anything to acknowledge you, but nothing happens.

“Goodnight,” you say as Deacon leaves the locker room.

He nods without looking at you. Your heart feels like it’s in pieces on the locker room floor, and you take a deep breath before gathering your things to go home.

“Heading out?” Luca asks as he walks in. You nod, and he adds, “We’re going out for a little bit, want to come?”

“No thanks,” you say quietly, closing your locker gently. “See you tomorrow.”

Street opens the door from the other side and holds it, his smile falling as you duck your head and rush past him.

“What happened?” he asks Luca.

“Deacon,” he answers.

“Want to tell me why Deacon is slamming doors?” Hondo asks when Luca and Street exit.

“Is it just Deacon?” Luca asks knowingly.

“Should we do something now? That distance isn’t safe in the field and if she’s nervous around him…” Street trails off.

“We may have to. She’s not the only emotional one, though. Deac looked a little green on his way out,” Hondo responds.

“What now?”

“Let’s see how tomorrow goes. We have the gala tomorrow night, so something needs to happen. And soon.”

✯✯✯✯✯

 Sitting on your couch, you replay every event of the day. Obviously, you did something wrong, which is why Deacon is so eager for space between you. The only ‘bad’ thing that happened before he changed was the officers flirting with you, but you were still on time, so you didn’t do anything wrong.

If Deacon wants space, you’ll give it to him. It’s the least you can do.

The garment bag in your bathroom catches your attention, and you cross your fingers that the gala is enjoyable and not an evening spent avoiding and being avoided by the one man you’d like to dance with.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Hey, brother, you clean up nice,” Hondo taunts as Deacon approaches.

“You don’t look half bad yourself,” Deacon replies, a small smile tugging at his lips. He glances around but doesn’t find what, or who, he’s looking for.

“She’s not here yet,” Street says.

“What?”

Hondo shakes his head, and Street takes his cue, excusing himself to let Hondo and Deacon talk.

“What happened between you two?” he inquires.

“Me and Street?”

Hondo rolls his eyes before looking pointedly at Deacon. “You’re jealous.”

Deacon’s eyes stray from Hondo, locking on something behind him. Turning his head, Hondo laughs when he sees what is more worthy of his friend’s attention.

✯✯✯✯✯

Stepping into the large ballroom, you barely have time for a full breath before the officers from earlier sidle up to you and begin talking. You smile politely and nod, not listening to what they’re saying, as you scan the venue for Deacon. When you find him, he’s standing beside Hondo. Hondo steps away, and Deacon’s eyes lock on yours, his brown eyes wide as his jaw clenches. The eye contact doesn’t last long; Deacon turns his back to you and disappears into the crowd. Your heart and smile fall, so the men surrounding you switch tactics, openly complimenting you, though most of it doesn’t affect you in the slightest.

“Excuse me,” you mutter quietly, pushing between them to follow Deacon.

You deserve an explanation, and you’re going to get one. It takes a few minutes, but you find Deacon standing in front of a fireplace in what appears to be a private office off the back hallway.

“Deac?” you ask, wringing your fingers in front of your stomach.

Deacon doesn’t turn around, but he can see you in his mind (not that you ever leave), with your hair styled beautifully, an outfit that flatters you in every way, and glassy eyes and glossy lips. No matter what you’re wearing, street clothes, your uniform, or formal wear for a police gala, you always look perfect to Deacon. Tonight, though, you’re practically begging to be kissed breathless, to be adored, and if he looks at you, he won’t be able to restrain himself.

“What did I do?”

The question presents your insecurity and shyness, which take Deacon back to your first month when you could barely look him in the eye, and your answers had a five-word maximum. He rubs his hand down his face, hearing you shift behind him.

“Please tell me what I did to make you do this,” you plead.

“You didn’t do anything, I’m just working through some things,” he answers carefully, his back to you. “No big deal.”

“If it’s not a big deal then why am I losing you over it?” you snap, your growing anger overpowering your sadness and nervousness.

“You’re not losing me,” Deacon says, sighing.

“It sure feels like it, David.”

You never use his first name, and the moment Deacon hears it, he turns around. He sees you and loses some of his jealousy and anger but says what he needs to anyway.

“I just needed some space to think,” he replies. “Is that wrong?”

“Needing space to think and avoiding me are two different things.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you-“

“Then why did you leave? Why haven’t you said more than fifteen words to me in the last two days?”

“Why didn’t you talk to me at first?” he asks, his voice rising slightly. He regrets the question immediately but can’t apologize before you speak again.

“If this is what talking to you is going to be like from now on, maybe I never should have started,” you admit, dropping your head as tears gather at your waterline.

“You don’t mean that,” Deacon says quietly.

“Just tell me why. Tell me the truth.”

Deacon doesn’t say anything, and you bite your bottom lip as you think. Deacon wants nothing more than to grab your face, tug your lip free, and kiss you until you don’t talk to him, not because he created a rift between you but because he steals your breath. You’re all he’s ever wanted and more, but the idea still terrifies him. The rejection alone could kill him, but having to see you at work would be worse.

“If you want me to join another team or something, tell me,” you demand. “But I deserve to know why you decided I wasn’t worth the lack of space.”

Deacon’s eyes race to find yours. “This is not about your worth,” he answers, anger spilling through. Not at you, though; at himself, at the situation he put you in, and at those officers who have a chance at what he craves most.

“Then why are you acting like you hate being near me?”

“Because I cannot lose another person I love!” he yells.

You freeze, unable to form a reply. Deacon takes a deep breath when he realizes what he confessed. Your silence is worse than yelling at him.

“I’m sorry,” he begins.

“I love you too,” you whisper, a single tear breaking free when you smile. “I’m in love with you.”

Deacon steps forward, closing the physical and emotional gap. Taking your left hand, he raises his to wipe your tears. His hand lingers by your face as you smile up at him.

“I was jealous,” he explains. “Those cops were flirting with you yesterday and you looked happy. They’re closer to your age and you have more in common. It made sense for you to go for them, not me.”

“Deacon, I was uncomfortable, not happy. I turned around to find you and you were gone and then you just kept getting further away. I want you, Deacon Kay. No one else.”

“Care to dance with me?” he asks quietly.

“I’d love to. I’ve been wanting to all week,” you answer.

His smile grows, drawing your attention to his eyes as he leads you back to the ballroom. You don’t see any members of your team as you walk onto the dance floor. Deacon leads, letting you lean on him again, something you missed in the short time it was gone. The song ends, and you straighten, preparing to pull away.

“I want you too,” Deacon says. “But I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

“Then don’t,” you encourage, smiling as you tap his hand twice.

Deacon smiles and pulls his hands from yours, cupping your face and kissing you without hesitation. You slide your hands up his chest to rest under his lapel. Deacon feels your heart race, his thumb against the pulse point below your jaw, but his beats steadily below your hand. With each of Deacon’s movements, more of your breath, more of your life, more of you becomes his.

“Aye, Deac!” Luca yells from the crowd. “Way to go!”

“About time!” Street adds, leading a round of applause from the entire LAPD.

Deacon pulls back from you, smiling when you hide your face against his neck. He sees the flirty cops from earlier awkwardly clapping with the crowd. His hand rubs up and down your back, glad that everyone, you included, knows that you’re his and he is yours.

“Told you,” Hondo teases as he walks to Deacon’s side. “Green ain’t your color.”

“He only means figuratively, you look good in everything,” you mumble against his skin.

“Want to get out of here?” Deacon asks, his hands still on your back as he holds you against him.

“Please,” you reply, tapping his chest twice.

He leads you out, stopping you after you’re outside.

“Why do you tap me twice?” Deacon asks gently, his arm around your waist and his jacket over your shoulders.

“It’s the only way I could tell you without actually saying it,” you say with a shrug.

“Say what?”

“That I love you.”

Deacon smiles, tapping your waist twice as he moves you to stand closer to him.

His lips meet yours again, and when your hands reach his jaw, you’re not sure where you end or Deacon begins, and it’s perfect. Deacon Kay was easy to fall in love with, easy to be in love with, and he was absolutely worth the wait.

[eras-mus]

hi can i request jamil with a scarabia first year (platonic and male reader) who is his iago. like the reader is a beastman bird or just wears feathered accessories, is brutally honest as it is to be comical to others, knows jamil's true nature and is his partner in crime.

Birds Of A Feather

Jamil Viper x Platonic! Macaw! Male Reader

Summary: Y/n was one of the most extravagant students in Scarabia, from his beautiful multi-colored wings to his elegant outfits. Everyone knew him. How could you not? He was loud, funny, and left a trail of feathers. He seemed to be the opposite of his best friend, Jamil Viper.

★I love this idea so much!!!

★Takes place during the 4th book

-

No one would have ever guessed Y/ns true intentions.

It just goes to show how misleading appearances are in this world.

At least that's what Yuu told themself as they walked back to the Scarabia dorm, sand in their shoes, betrayal lingering in the air.

"You look so beautiful all dressed up." That was the first thing Yuu ever told Y/n "Why are you dressed up?"

"I feel the most like myself when I'm dressed like this"

That moment would be the beginning of a friendship that was more valued by Yuu than Y/n.

As the group continued on their long walk back to the Scarabia dorms conversation of missed signs began.

"Kalim, did Jamil ever seem unhappy in your company?"

"How long had Jamil been working for your family?"

"How much work did he do?"

Most of these questions were answered by a sobbing Kalim, who had to take multiple breaths in-between each word, but there were some that Azul was able to answer, thanks to his extensive knowledge of every student on the campus.

"What about Y/n?" Yuu piped up; voice slightly cracking "Did he ever seem off?"

"And then Azul overblotted, because that's just the luck I have in this world-" Yuu sighed, recapping the events of winter break to Y/n. "And, like always, I had to take care of it myself because Crowley is never any help."

"I wish I could say I was surprised by Azul." Y/ns wings twitched slightly, a couple feathers falling stray. "He always seemed rather fragile, similar to Kalim in that sense."

Y/n had brought up his house-warden multiple times to Yuu. He would tell them how reckless and childish Kalim was, like a baby everyone had to walk on eggshells around. Yuu never saw the same dark look in Y/ns eyes like when he was talking about Kalim.

"Anyway-" Y/n spoke, switching back to his typical demeanor, "-What do you think of my hair, I wanted to try a new style to show off my new earrings!"

"I don't know Yuu, he and you were close, so wouldn't you know if there was something off." Azul made eye contact with Yuu, letting his words sink in.

"I can't recall..." Yuu replied, lying through their teeth. "He was always so honest."

"Well apparently he wasn't."

The group fell silent after that, soon everyone returned to their thoughts and reflections about the recent events.

It was a bright sunny afternoon, Y/n and Ruggie had decided to skip clubs to hang out with Yuu, Grim was taking a nap somewhere unknown. They were sitting in the shade of a tree near the Ramshackle dorm, laughing until they couldn't breathe.

"So, I was thinking about getting a haircut" Yuu started "Something super short, what do you think?"

"Maybe..." Ruggie trailed off.

"Absolutely not, no, never let that thought go through your mind again." Yuu's jaw dropped, while Y/n kept a straight face.

Ruggie burst out laughing, falling back, head landing on Y/ns lap. That moment was perfect in Yuu's mind. No stress. No Chaos. Just sweet bliss.

"I miss him" Yuu whispered to themself.

"Who? Y/n?" Kalim responded, appearing right next to them.

Yuu looked around to make sure no one else was listening before responding. "Yeah, Y/n."

"I miss Jamil..." Kalim sighed. "Ya know, him and Y/n were close?"

"Yeah, Y/n would always go to Jamil for help with schoolwork" Y/n laughed. "I always thought it was weird because he was a mediocre student, but he always promised that he was some sort of genius."

"I thought Jamil was my best friend" Kalim sobbed.

Yuu hugged him.

"I know how you feel." That was all Yuu could mutter out before crying with him.

[chickren]

Which in-universe character do you think have an idea about Jaime’s feelings towards Brienne? It’s a bit interesting that this hasn’t come up yet in the books, given how quickly the threesome rumor and Jaime Catelyn and Brienne is circulating in-universe haha. I think Qyburn definitely suspects since he referred to Brienne as “your Maid of Tarth” to Jaime. Red Ronnet probably suspects something after the punch. I sort of wondered if Loras had any suspicion given how much Jaime spoke in defense of Brienne. Anyone else you could think of, and do you think this rumor would show up in the books?

We don’t talk a lot about how far spread Brienne and Jaime’s story is in-universe, but we should, so I’m gonna hijack this ask for a sec and do that.

These dummies are already legendary before we get to the good stuff. Obviously, kingslayer Jaime is (in)famous already—not going to go into the depth and breadth of his fame. But Renly(king)slayer Brienne is pretty infamous herself by Storm. The Renly story is apparently one of the first things Cleos tells Jaime about her. Then Loras very publicly confronts Brienne in King’s Landing about Renly’s death, so Jaime has her arrested (ostensibly on a murder charge.) This is before we get to Feast and find out even hedge knights have heard of Brienne’s supposed Renlyslaying.

More interesting than their individual infamy, however, is Jaime and Brienne’s new joint lore. Roose implies Brienne is even more infamous as a traitor to a second king for being part of the plot to free Jaime. We also get wind in Storm that the threesome rumors have spread far and wide in the Riverlands. But it is not until we get to Feast that we realize that the Bear Pit™ incident has also gone viral. Red Ronnet knows about the bear pit, and while at Harrenhal goes to see the pit itself specifically because of what he’s heard about the story. Then, of course, there is the fact that Jaime is believed to have simply run off somewhere with Brienne—which is an absolutely salacious final detail.

Considering the quasi-medieval world of ASoIaF and the amount of pretty important earth-shattering news about Westeros falling apart around their ears, it’s sort of hilarious that people find time to gossip enough about Jaime and Brienne’s story that word of it has traveled so far so fast.

But back to your question, as I feel you imply, it wouldn’t be difficult for people to believe Brienne fell in love with Jaime, but who might be in a position to suspect Jaime’s feelings for her?

It’s clear that the bear pit story is not enough to make people think Jaime has feelings for Brienne. Otherwise, Ronnet wouldn’t have been dumb enough to run his mouth in front of Jaime. However, one must wonder if people generally have started to suspect he has feelings after he leaves Pennytree with her in Dance. He saves her, then runs off with her? Sounds romantic.

Qyburn, as you mentioned, has spent time around the two of them. It’s possible he picked up a vibe. Beyond that, he’s witness to Jaime’s mini-freakout after he finds out what Vargo intends to do with Brienne, then he’s witness to his massive freakout after the weirwoood dream. However, Qyburn also spent the whole journey from Harrenhal to King’s Landing with them, and to hear Jaime tell it, he and Brienne were not at the top of their relationship game during this portion of their trip. So that might cool any suspicions Qyburn has about them. The only thing that could strongly counteract that is the fact that Qyburn knows Cersei sent the old “I love you” x3 letter to Jaime, which Jaime then ignored in favor of running off with Brienne.

Ronnet? I mean. If someone else had seen all that, they’d understand Jaime has serious feelings for her. But Ronnet’s emotional intelligence seems low. Obviously, he knows Jaime feels some sort of attachment to Brienne. I would question if he understands it’s romantic.

Loras is a self-centered heartbroken teenage superstar who is either embroiled in some elaborate conspiracy pretending to be injured at Dragonstone, or was actually gravely injured at Dragonstone, and his beloved sister has just been arrested for a capital offense. Even if he marginally had a whiff of suspicion about Jaime and Brienne, he’s not making room in his mind to contemplate anyone else’s love life. So no, I don’t think Loras knows.

If there’s a wildcard person who could possibly be in a position to have heard something incriminating from Jaime himself, I’d say it would be Ilyn Payne. Chatterbox Jaime’s been using the guy like a confessional box, so it’s within the realm of feasibility that George could create a scene in Winds where Ilyn Payne raises his eyebrows at the mention of Brienne in a way that would indicate to readers that he knows something. I think it’s unlikely, but it is floating in the ether of technical possibility. (Or lol, it might get a mention in the event of an Ilyn prologue pov.)

So, to answer your question, from the precise moment where we leave them in Dance, I don’t think there is a single person who could definitively raise their hand and go, “Oh, btw? Jaime’s in love with that lady.” This is likely to change fast in Winds, especially if someone like Hyle is witness to their interactions.

The circumstantial evidence for their relationship by the end of Dance, though? lmao. Damning. The blind items? Flying. The top comment: he’s hitting that.

tl;dr - Between the rampant threesome rumors, the viral bear pit story, and the tale of Jaime running off with Brienne, the general public is probably more suspicious of Jaime’s feelings for Brienne than the man himself.

[twilight-at-midnight]

How they would react to dating a ADHD reader

Edward Cullen:

• When he first met you, you were hard for him to read until he learned of you having ADHD

• Before the two of you started getting close, he would often find his gazing topaz eyes landing on you weather it may be in the school hallways or somewhere else

• It took a little courage for Edward to approach you to introduce himself properly, and when he does, he briefly apologizes for that as you have a few of the same classes together

• Edward is impressed to see that even though your mind works differently, knowing it can go a little faster than you can process sometimes, you have a strong determination of letting nothing stand in your way

• You enjoy learning new things everyday, one of the toughest challenges that come with having ADHD is how you can get distracted so easily

• Despite a racing mind, you do very well in school and your studies. When it came time for an important test, that’s where you get a little anxious because the whole class knows of your ADHD and found it amusing to mess with you during something like this

• You always managed to swing it and get a high grade, a higher one than most of, if not all the students that filled your classes

• You were one of the last few remaining to have yet complete a test. The boy sitting behind you swiped the stapler off the teacher’s desk and opened it like he was refilling it with a new package of staples

• You didn’t give it a second thought of it until you started getting hit with flying staples

• It was very upsetting to you, but lucky for you, this was also one of the few classes you shared with Edward and once he saw what was going on, he went to put a stop to it

• Right I’m the middle of that, the teacher had return from a short staff meeting and interfered before things got out of control

• The boy sitting behind you got in trouble and was sent to the principals office, he later comes out with a week’s worth of detention

• Because of that distraction, you didn’t get the chance to finish your test and it was the end of the school day. Thankfully, your teacher was kind enough to allow you to finish the test on the following day

• Edward took you home and because you were house sitting for your parents while they were out celebrating their anniversary with a big trip, you had the house to yourself and Edward spends the night

• He didn’t like leaving you alone

• For that time period, you put a movie on you wanted him to see. Though it was more than a movie, it was more like a documentary from Netflix based on a true story

• “What’s this called?” Edward asks, clearly missing the title of it

• “It’s that Last Breath documentary I keep telling you about.” You say excitedly

• “Can you tell me about it one more time?”

• “It’s about that commercial diver getting trapped on the bottom of the ocean without oxygen for over thirty minutes and survives.” You explain

• Edward doesn’t ask any more questions, instead, pulls you to his side as you both cuddle throughout the show. You were growing a little sleepy and kept dozing off, when you come to again, you briefly remember you fell back asleep at the part when the diver gets trapped and nearly left for dead

• You don’t remember falling asleep as you don’t wake up again until the following morning, still snuggled up to Edward’s side as he holds you close to him

• As strange as this may sound, Edward was the first to recognize this moment that you are his mate and he wouldn’t trade you for the world

• You don’t recognize it until he protects you from James

Benjamin:

• It took you a while, but after entering the second month of the new relationship with Benjamin, you inform him of having ADHD and he was quite surprised to say the least

• “Surprised” as in a good way, he could never think anything negative towards you, you are his mate after all and he wouldn’t trade you for the world

• There are times when you have moments of feeling insecure about what you have, but as soon as a bad thought crosses your mind, Benjamin always has something to say about it, he didn’t like you having those thoughts

• “Here’s what I want you to do, every time a bad thought of yourself comes to your head, tell it to go to back to hell where it came from.” With your mate saying exactly that, never failed to make you smile

• Benjamin becomes a little overly protective when it comes to certain things through ADHD such as knowing how you can get distracted so easily

• For example, you were best friends with Bella, and her birthday was coming so you wanted to do something special, you wanted to make her a homemade birthday cake and because you haven’t taken your medicine quite yet, you were a little over the edge

• Unfortunately for you, something had happened that made you forgetful about watching the time to check on the cake and of course you may have overreacted, but at the same time, you couldn’t help the way you feel

• What got you distracted was overhearing Rosalie and Bella in the living room nearby, Rosalie was getting rude towards Bella and you couldn’t take it

• You’ve tried to not think about it, trying to distract yourself with this homemade present but what Rosalie says next, set you off like a bomb

• “Happy birthday… human.” Rosalie says with slight venom in her voice

• You dropped the fork in hand and stomped to where the two were, coming out unglued to Rosalie, you may have sounded harsh, but there was a good reason for it

• “If you’re not going to drop whatever crap you have in mind, than I want you to leave my house!” You seethed

• Rosalie threw you a dirty look as Bella places her hand on your shoulder, right than Benjamin makes his appearance after hearing you yell at Rosalie and wanted to see what was going on

• “(Y/n)? Are you alright?” He asks

• “Just fine.”

•No one says anything until the smell of something burning from the kitchen fills the air as Benjamin asks what that was

• “Do you have something on in the kitchen?” He asks, than you remembered

• “Shit!” You growl, heading for the kitchen as everyone else follows behind

• You pull the cake out and set it down, seeing that it was as black as it could get, you got really upset and started blaming Rosalie for this to happen

• Your mind was racing, and it suddenly made you feel upset at everyone, not just Rosalie, you could fathom that this was really happening, out of all days why today?

• “What’s going on?” Benjamin asks fondly

• It took you a minute to compose yourself before giving an answer

• “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I don’t have a choice at this point. I was trying to make a birthday cake for Bella.”

• Bella couldn’t help but feel flattered that her best friend would go through all this trouble to do something special and nice for her. While at the same time, it hurt her to see you so upset and instantly had an idea in mind

• “I know doing this meant something to you, and I truly appreciate your effort you put into this, but I hate seeing you so upset.” Bella goes on

• You bring your hands to cover your face in case of tears decide to well up

• “Listen, how about all of us go out to celebrate?”

• “You mean that?”

• “Of course, I mean when is the next time we’ll all be together like this?”

• You smile as Benjamin wraps his arm around you, pulling you close to his side, leaning to whisper in your ear

• “It would be better than staying behind to mope around about this incident, (Y/n). Don’t you think?”

• “That sounds like a good idea.”

• “It’ll be my treat.” Rosalie says

• Benjamin’s purpose in all of this was to keep you from looking back on the incident as few hours earlier and he was more than successful of accomplishing that goal

• Now he represents it, all of you had gone out as suggested to Cheesecake Factory for Bella’s cake

• Throughout the evening, Benjamin held your hand hardly letting it go

• Being with Benjamin made you forget all the worries

• As his mate, Benjamin knew how to make you fall in love with him all over again. With your ADHD, he never considered judging you for it, and if anyone messes with your ability to focus on purpose, they had better watch it

• Messing with you meant messing with him as slight trouble begins to brew

• Benjamin couldn’t wait to love you for all eternity, you know, once he changes you into a vampire like you wanted

• You couldn’t wait to love him for all eternity, you look forward to what the future has in store for you both

• Nothing but happiness

***

@twilightlover2007

Please request!

Characters:

• Edward Cullen

• Emmett Cullen

• Jasper Cullen

• Carlisle Cullen

• Benjamin

• Riley Biers

• Jacob Black

•Aro Volturi

• Felix Volturi

• Caius Volturi

• Jane Volturi

• Alice Cullen

• Rosalie Hale

• Bella Swan

• Victoria

• Vladimir

[authoratmidnight]

A Spider Riders, idk, au?? idea?? that's been bouncing around my head.

I've been calling it "Oracle Touched"

So, like in canon, Hunter sees The Oracle as he falls into the Inner World. Obviously he has no idea who this woman is. She's a strange, beautiful woman with, what looks like spider legs(listen i have no idea what those things are that are waving around behind her back like spider limbs) floating around her.

He should be scared but something about her presence is comforting and he's not afraid. She never speaks but he still Understands. He reaches out to her as he falls, but everything is enveloped in light and he wakes up on the ground, as per canon.

Except, there's a strange, spider like mark upon the palm of his hand. The mark of someone's who is 'Oracle Touched'.

Shadow is the one who says this, having the heard the term before but he's not, really sure what that entails and frankly still thinks this is an Earthen trick.

Hunter ofc has no idea what this mark means, nor does he know who that lady was he saw. He does start to make the connection later when Corona brings up The Oracle but gets sort of brushed off b/c, why would The Oracle show herself to you, an Earthen??

Being Oracle touched means he does have a, different connection to her than anyone else (save for other Oracle Touched people).

For a while he doesn't understand it, or why he can sort of, FEEL her. He can sense and feel her presence more strongly, something he first notices when at the shrine at the Hill of Champions. That's when he REALLY realizes that yes he DID see The Oracle when he fell through. And OH these weird waves of emotion he sometimes feels are HERS. It's her sadness or joy or pain that sometimes flashes through him.

And this absolutely goes a long way in his drive as a Spider Rider, to stop the fighting. He's already a kind and deeply empathetic person so like, this only adds to it.

Aqune is the one to first explain to him what the mark is and what it means, as she too is Oracle Touched. Everyone who is Oracle Touched bears this spider like mark upon their body (Hunter's is on the palm of his hand, Aqune's is between her shoulder blades).

It's not until the whole, getting the first Oracle Key bit that it really sinks in what this connection means. He can feel her crying out as the shrine is broken into and they key removed.

Eventually, during the bit where he and Magma end up at that temple to the Oracle, Hunter learns more about being Oracle Touched. Everyone there is 'Touched' and bears the spider mark somewhere on their body (some hide it, some don't). Oracle touched are often more devoted to Spirit Oracle for, obvious reasons, though everyone's connections are different.

As might be obvious, Corona is also Oracle Touched being that she and Aqune are the Oracle's Handmaidens (her mark is on her upper arm and usually covered by those long sleeves of hers, which is why Hunter doesn't realize it for the longest time, coupled with Corona just, not telling him at first). Her and Hunter are definitely able to bond over this once Hunter realizes she's marked too and too a degree understands what he's feeling all the time. Cause that's GOT to be overwhelming as heck.

This also serves as an additional driving force for going to Nuuma.

Hunter going to the Invectid lands and meeting with Mantid is the first time since coming to the Inner World that he hasn't felt the Oracle's presence and it is so so disconcerting to him. He's grown so used to it at that point that it's like 'oh, oh something is missing and I do not like it'

Anyways ye. Oracle Touched Hunter Steele who has a somewhat more unique connection to the Oracle because of this fact.

[editorandchief]

Cosmic Cameo

Requested: Nah

Summary: Cara doesn't remember much of anything before that fall, but what she does remember might come in handy for what will happen next

OR

In which Cara Cassidy falls smack dab in the middle of the MCU and can't help but to get involved.

Warning: None

Blue, that's all there was. Blue of the sky, no blue of the water, the sound of it rushing into her ears, the cold all over her body.

'Why can't I move? Help, I need help. Someone help me! Please!' She screamed even with knowing no one would hear her.

She can't breath the pressure was too much she has to breath, there was no way the she would be able to swim to the surface and holding her breath was only delaying the inevitable.

'1....2....3.' Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath prepared for the liquid to fill lungs but, instead she is met with air. Her eyes snap open.

Blue, that's all there was not blue of the water the sky, the sound of the wind rushing past her head  pushing her hair forward, she was falling.

Stretching her arms forward in a useless attempt to grab something, anything, nothing. Once again knowing your going to die and not being able to do anything about it.

Its coming it had to be. The ground coming closer and closer. What would it feel like? Would it be instant? Better than drowning she figured.

screams of people watching helplessly from the ground grew closer and closer.

'1....2.....3.' Closing her eyes, preparing for the impact, the end.... Nothing.

Blue, That's what she saw, trying to get over the fact that she was seeing  anything at all. Blue eyes of a person standing above her, the sound of footsteps and monitors beeping around the room.

"Hello, ma'am?" The deep voice called. "Can you hear me?" It asked.

All she could do was blink, what else are you supposed to do when you're meant to be dead. Cara thought she should be floating face down in a river somewhere or laid out across the cement.

"Hello?" The voice called again. "Do you need anything? Are you hurt?" It asked.

"What do you mean is she hurt?" Another voice sounded from elsewhere in the room. "You should be asking that crater in the ground."

"Can you tell me your name." The voice called ignoring the previous statement.

"Where am I?" Was the first thing to come from Cara's mouth. Finally able to focus she looks to the man standing in above her.

"You're safe." He replied. " Can you tell me what happened?" He asked.

"When?" She asked confused.

"Before, during or after your fall from the sky." the other voice called.

"Tony." The first man chastised. "Do you feel hurt at all?" He continued.

"No, I'm fine." She replied taking a deep breath.

"My name is Steve Rogers. Can you tell me yours?" He asked.

Steve Rogers? Was this a joke or something? Did she land in the middle of Comic Con or a Cosplay contest or something?

"Funny." She scoffed.

"Ma'am?" He asked confused.

"I said your real fun-." Chris Evans, it was Chris Evans. "Where am I?" Cara asked again.

"Where do you think you are?" The other voice asked. That can't be... Looking over to the source of the noise, Oh My God! It's Robert Downey Jr. "Or Where did you come from? You can answer either." He said walking around behind her back.

"I came from..." Trailing off as her mind went blank. "I'm.... Where am I?" She reverts back to her initial question.

"You're in the the Avenger's Tower." Chris replied. "We found you and brought you here to make sure you were okay."

"That's a nice way of saying making sure she's not a threat." Tony interjected once again.

"Am I on the set?" Cara asked.

"What set?" Chris asked.

"Avengers." She answered.

"Yes, ma'am we are the Avengers," Chris confirmed. "Now we wanted to know if you could tell us how you fell." He asked staring intensely  into her eyes.

What was he talking about, did he think that she thought that the Avengers were real so he was trying to humor her, maybe he though she was crazy, but he brought up Steve Rogers first.

"What did you say your name was again." She asked thinking maybe she had heard wrong.

"Steve Rogers ma'am." He restated.

"And we're in New York aren't we?" She asked. "In the Avengers Tower." She continued.

"Yes." He confirmed.

"You're Steve Rogers," She states before turning her head around finding Robert leaning in a table watching her from afar. "And you're Tony Stark." She pointed out.

"You know me, I'm flattered." Robert says putting his hand over his heart.

"She awake." A new voice emerged into the lab, Mark Ruffalo. "Has she said anything?" He asked.

"Let me guess." Cara replied before any of the other character could. "Dr. Bruce Banner."

"Have we met?" He asked confused as to how this unknown woman knew his name.

"No but its not hard to to figure out." She replied. "So what's going on here, are you guys like methods?" She asked. It was pretty clear either one of two things was happening right now.

1.) She had hit her head walking down the street and some how ended up being found by Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. in the middle of a rehearsal for the next Avengers movie.

But considering both Steve Roger and Tony Stark are very much unalive.

2.) She had been magically teleported into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now she was stuck until she figured out her purpose in order to return home.

But considering that was crazy.

"You know I have a question." Robert says coming closer. "How are you not dead?" He asked causing the woman to give him a confused look.

"Tony." Chris glared.

"No, she fell from the sky and left a her sized hole in the earth." He continued. "And yet here she is talking and breathing."

"Wow if I didn't know any better I'd think you wanted me dead." Cara sassed to the older man.

"Don't take it personally." He replied.

"Kinda hard not to." She rebutted.

"It's just it would be nice to know who or what you are before we unstrap you and sent you off into the world." He informed. Unstrapped? Looking down at her hands for the first time Cara realized she was indeed restrained.

"what the hell?" She muttered pulling in the metal cuffs that appeared to be attached to the chair she was sitting on. "I don't suppose you'd take these off if I asked nicely would you?" She asked smiling up at the smug looking man with the goatee.  

"No." He answered,

"I guess were going with option 2." Cara mumbled.

Oh My God! I could save them, I could save Natasha and Loki and Tony if she had time, she could stop the Avengers from breaking up, she could save Killmonger from dying, everyone from getting dusted. But she knew she couldn't do that from here.

"I think there are something we need to discuss before those can come off." Steve states being as calm and collected as he was portrayed in the movies.

"Things like what?" Cara demand growing frustrated with the lack of mobility. "Why you kidnapped me? Why your holding me against my will?" She asked rhetorically.

"Well no," Bruce chimed in fiddling with a pen nervously. "Our line of questioning was going in a different direction."

"North, East, South...?" Cara sassed.

"What are you?" Bruce asked ending the remainder of her sarcastic remark.

"What do you mean?" She asked taken aback by the sudden question.

"What are you?" Tony repeated. "Alien? Asgardian? Angel?"

"I'm human." She stated plainly as it seemed to be the most obvious answer.

"Right," Tony replied crouching down slightly to eye level with the young female. "And regular human appear out of a portal and fall hundreds of feet at a thousand miles per hour and walk away with out a scratch?"

Leaning in closer staring straight into the eyes of the smug looking billionaire.

"You did." She smirked refusing to be the first to look away. From what she had observed from her many rewatching of the MCU was that you never back down first, and while Tony Stark was nothing to scoff at due to his sarcastic nature and witty references he definitely wasn't the most intimidating person she could be in this position with.

"Good point." He sighed out quickly standing back to full height. "Tell you what Icarus, how about once the list of human who have done that extends past you and I, we'll talk about getting those restraints removed." He shrugged turning his back before beginning to tap on some sort of screen.

"Stark now is not the time for your childish games." The Asgardian prince slightly scolded before approaching the restrained young woman. "I am Thor, son of Odin, prince of Asgard and Midgard is under my protection state you business in this realm?"

"..."

"Please?" The god questioned taking of his mask of intimacy with a slightly hint of a smile.

Cara couldn't help but smile back, it was moments like these that she couldn't help but see Thor as a puppy or a child. A 6 foot 6 puppy.

"Thor, son of Odin, prince of Asgard and protector of Midgard. 'Wow that's a mouth full' I have as much business in this realm as the man taking his morning jog through the park or the bird that is probably flying over the city. I'm just trying to live." She pleaded hoping she was pulling off the innocent look she was going for.

"Welp I for one believe lady..." He trailed off into confusion upon realizing he didn't know the name of the young woman currently being held in the room.

"Cara." She assisted.

"Thank you." Thor stated before turning back to his fellow avengers. "Lady Cara."

"Cara huh." Tony questioned. "I would have guessed something more biblical like Castiel or Lucifer."

"I'm not an angel." Cara groaned out shutting her eyes and throwing her head back in frustration. "And even if I was, what's it to you?"

"I'm sorry?" Steve asked.

"What I mean is I haven't done anything wrong, I haven't broken any laws or hurt anyone. You have no right to keep me here." She clarified.

"Look you may not know this but the last time a portal opened up and something came through it spelt bad news for everyone." Natasha spoke for the first time from her place near the exit.

"I think everyone knows about that, what I don't know is what it has to do with me." Cara said through gritted teeth. "I mean no offense but don't you people have better thing to do than to keep me captive? I know I do."

"Things like what?" Clint interjected. "Enslaving the human race?"

"Oh my god!" Cara groaned.

How was she ever going to save everyone strapped to this chair being held captive by the people who she was trying to save.

She had much bigger thing to deal with like Bucky, Thanos, Wanda, Ultron... Oh god how was I gonna stop Ultron, there was no way I could convince Tony Stark that he was wrong about anything yet alone his master plan to save the world. Maybe keeping the scepter away from him altogether.

But no Ultron means no Vision ,and what would no Vision mean for Wanda? I can't even imagine.

"Is there someone else I can talk to?" Cara huffs. "Maybe someone with a better pair of listening ears and a basic value for human right and freedoms. Nick fury perhaps?"

"How do you know who Nick Fury is?" Natasha asked coming to stand closer in an attempt to intimidate.

"I know a lot of things." She shrugged.

"I doubt that. Cause if you knew anything you would know Fury is de-."

"Hiding out after faking his death, yeah I know that too. Natalia." Cara informed holding eye contact with the former Russian spy.

"Who are you." She asked making sure not to waver her gaze.

"I'm Cara." She stated firmly. "And as much as you people want to see me as a enemy I'm an trying to prove myself an ally."

Breaking her eye contact with the red head to meet the eyes of the remaining Avengers in the room, before returning to Natasha.

"And I can prove it if you would just let me out of these restrains." Nodding toward her restricted wrists.

"I'm sorry." Steve replied causing the 24 year old you grow her head back in frustration. "But we can't take that risk."

Cara didn't remember the Avengers being so annoying before, what ever happened to innocent until proven guilty. She needed them to trust her but had no idea how to make that happen , pretty sure the truth would land her in some max security mental hospital.

There has to be a way to blur the truth and she knew just how to do it. No matter what how she got here or what may be different because of it she knew more than anything that these people loved to be right she would just let them think they are.

Taking a deep breath Cara prepared for the worst before saying it.

"Not even for Loki's scepter?" She asked and was not surprised when everyone in the room shifted their full attention to her even Tony who seemed content with ignoring her pleas for release.

"What did you just say?" Clint asked wanting to find the scepter more than anyone after living through the effects of it. 

"I know where it is." She tells him before looking around the room. "Look your right. I'm not human or at least I don't know if I am." She sighed in fake sadness.

"What do you mean." Steve asked.

"I mean ever since I can remember I've had these visions. A man falling from a train, a rainbow bridge, a ballet studio, an old man in a cave in the desert." Cara listed significant events in the lives of the heroes standing before her. "I never knew if they were real or if I was just crazy. I swear I have no idea how I came through any portal and I sure a hell don't know how I'm still alive, but what I do know is that I would never try to hurt anyone." Cara finished allowing her eyes to slightly tear up.

There was a collective silence among the group as they all attempted to figure out how this stranger knew so much about them. 

"I got it." Tony said breaking the silence. "There is a whole museum dedicated to cap and his old war buddies." Tony explained away your first 'Vision'.

"Anyone can study Norse mythology, Widow over there released all of shields files and my kidnapping is public record at this point but nice try." Tony finished with an unimpressed look on his face. She could feel the other members also start to accept Tony's debunking of her story.

'Damn it, think of something no one else would know something, anything!' She screamed at herself. 

"I think that is enough games." Thor said seeming to have changed his previous vote for your innocence. "Your attempt to fool us have gone on long enou-." Stopping once Cara started speaking. 

"I've looked forward to this day for as long as you have, your my brother and my friend. Sometimes I am envious, but never doubt that I love you."

"What is that supposed to be?" Tony asked.

"Loki." Thor replied not taking his eyes of the young mortal girl. "Before my coronation on Asgard. My brother said those exact words to me."

"You can't read that in a book." Cara smiled gently, but you can watch it in a deleted scenes video. Honestly Cara was just glad that it actually happened in this world otherwise she would look even more crazy. "So what about letting me go?" She tried again.

"Sorry your gonna have to do better than that." Steve approached arms crossed.

"Loki's Scepter." Cara states. "I can help you find it." She offered.

"How?" Thor asked.

"I've already told you how." She replied. "But you have to promise after I do no more restrains and I'm free to go." She attempted negotiate.

"How about no more retrains and we'll see." Natasha offered.

"How about no more restrains and I'm free to go."

"How about you spend the rest of your life in a super max prison?" The red head countered.

"you know Drakov is still alive right?" Cara asked shock spreading across Natasha and Clint's face before they quickly mask it with a glare. "How about no more restrains and I'm free to go."

"Fine." Steve spoke before the petty argument could continue. "No more restrains and your free to go after we have the scepter?"

"Perfect." Cara smiled nodding towards her arms and legs.

"Tony." Steve states, nothing happened as the billionaire pretends to not have heard the request. "Tony come on."

"What if she's lying?" Tony asked. "We're just gonna let her roam around my lab touching things."

"There are six of us and one of her." Steve pointed out.

after a few moments tony let out a groan before pressing a button causing the straps to retract, stretching her arms and rubbing her wrist Cara takes this time to look around the high tech laboratory.

"So." Tony begins. "Where is it?" He asked raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Where's what?" Cara asked before Tony took a step towards her. "Okay, Okay fine." She chuckles slightly.

"Hey, I gave you a shot don't make me regret this." Steve reprimands.

"Okay, You would thing at this point in time you people could take a joke." Cara muttered looking towards the ceiling as if searching for something. "Jarvis?" She asked.

"Yes Ma'am?" The A.I. replied.

"Hey Hey you don't talk to Jarvis." Tony scolds. "How do you even know about Jarvis?" He asked.

"I'm not answering this question again." Cara deadpanned. "Jarvis can you bring me up a satellite image of Sovkia?" Cara asked.

"Right away ma'am." He answered projecting a holographic image of the small city inches from the her face causing her to back up a few paces.

"Good thanks now I need you to search the other perimeter of the city for heat signatures." She informs. "Anything moving in formation consistently." She added.

"Here you are ma'am," Javis responds. "This area has shown a consistent path of small heat signatures recorded footage from the satellite shows for about the last three months or so."

"And are there any significant power sources coming from the area near the or inside of the signatures path?" Cara continued.

"Yes, there is an abandoned factory building just inside of the heat signatures path though it is emitting a significant amount of power." Jarvis confirms.

Turning to face the group of super individuals Cara opened her arms up wide.

"Heat signatures are patrols, that building is where you'll find your scepter and a one Baron Strucker as well." Cara informed. "Any questions from the class?" She asked rhetorically, though that didn't stop Bruce from raising his hand.

"Yes, Dr. Banner." Cara called.

"These abilities you say you've had them all your life?" He asked. "And you had no idea about the increased durability of you body? Have you ever given blood? Has there ever been any unexplained anomalies in your D.N.A.? If its possible I'd like to run some tests on your blood and determine the limitations of you body." Bruce rambled on not really giving the girl a chance to answer any of his questions.

"Um....Yes, No, No, and maybe if you buy me dinner first." Cara replied. "But I kinda meant scepter related questions." She clarified. 

"So you saying that this building is where the scepter had been the whole time?" Natasha asked.

"Well not the whole time but it is there now." Cara replied. "So am I free to go?"

"After we get the scepter." Steve reminded. "But for now I think this is a pretty solid lead , so we'll hold off on the restrains for now but you can't leave this building. Am I clear?" Steve asked.

"Yes dad." Cara replied sarcastically receiving  a stern look in return. "Fine I will not leave this building."

"Thank you." He replied.

"We need to move on this now before H.Y.D.R.A. gets wind of this and moves locations." Clint says studying the hologram of the building. "Jarvis can you play back the perimeter movements for the last three months and let me know if anything has changed between now and then?" Clint asked.

"The movement seems consistent Agent Barton." He replied.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Natasha asked Clint looking away from the electronic display.

"Yep." He answered. "We land in far wood of the south side looks great." He continued.

"perfect, we shall leave immediately." Thor states walking towards the exit.

"Thor." Steve called stopping the god in his track. "Be need and plan of attack we can't just go in there guns blazing." Steve says.

"How would that be different from all the other times?" Tony asked.

"We can not wait any longer and risk loosing it again." Thor counted. "Lady Cara is an unlikely advantage that may not be around to assist again."

"He's right just because you miss the scepter doesn't mean I was wrong and doesn't mean you can keep me here." Cara agreed. "We have a deal." Cara was all for helping the Avenger but she was not going to be some sort of prisoner she had thing to do people to save just like them.

"I said once the scepter is in our hands." Steve clarified.

"It is in your hands and your letting it slip through your fingers." She rebutted.

"Hate to agree, like really hate to agree with E.T over here." Tony started. "But we have to move on this as soon as possible."

"Still not an alien." Cara added.

"Predator?" He asked.

"Fine," Steve caved. "Two day. And then we move, Is everyone okay with that?" He asked receiving nods all around.

"Great, better rest up Icarus." Tony called to Cara as he heads to the exit.

"For what exactly" Cara asked following him out of the lab and down the hall stopping and waiting at the elevator as who she assumed to be the other Avengers come to a stop behind her.

"For the mission," Tony said stepping into the elevator. "You coming?" He asked noticing no one was following. "This H.Y.D.R.A. base may be legit but you could still be leading us into a trap and if you are I'd like you to be as close to getting shot as possible." He smirked pushing on of the floor buttons.

"And if I'm not, cause I'm telling the truth." Cara insisted. "I'll be an unprepared civilian in an active war zone." Cara pointed out.

"Then you can wait in the jet." He shrugged as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened revealing the living quarters. "Besides I'm sure Widow wouldn't mind slipping in a quick lesson."

"Of course not." Natasha said walking past the curly headed girl patting her on the shoulder.

"yeah, I'd defiantly take you up on that if I was ready to die." Cara replied.

"That might actually be a good idea," Bruce stepped in. "it would be a great way to test your reflexes and pain tolerance."

"Or you could shoot me." Cara suggested. "Yeah I like that idea bet-.." She joked but was cut short as a flash of light flew across the room and hit her in the chest sending her hurdling into a wall.

heads snapped from the girl to the source of the attack only to spot Tony at the bar with the iron glove on one and and a drink in the other. Standing up from the floor Cara looks over her body, nothing seemed broken and nothing hurt.

"What the Hell?" She glared. "You could have killed me." She whispered mostly to herself checking running her hand over the back of her head before checking her palm for any sign of blood.

"Look at that not even a limp? Scratch?" Tony asked putting his glass down. "Is your shirt even slightly singed? Now that's what I call durability."

"I think we got the durability part Stark." Clint said walking over to the girl helping her to the sofa as she assured him she was fine. "She fell three thousand feet." He reminded.

"Just checking," He defended. "Never hurts to check, well it didn't hurt me or her." He pointed out.

"Your lucky I wanna keep you from dying." Cara muttered to herself.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Nothing." Cara sighed. "Nothing at all."

"Anyways," Tony said squinting his eyes. "Let's get you set up with a room and ready for that training." Tony said taking off down the hallway Cara rushing to follow.

"I'm still not doing that." Cara said slowing down as she falls into step with the older man.

Two days that was all, this was good right? It gives her a chance to get her plan together like how was she going to find  Bucky or maybe stop Scott from going into the quantum tunnel and missing five years of his daughter's life. However that was caused by the snap which won't happen if she could figure out how to stop Thanos.

"Here you go," Tony said stopping in front a door typing in a few numbers.

The door slides open revealing a quite luxurious bedroom with  various shades of grey covering the walls and floors.

"I hope this is up to you standards." Tony says following her in. "I mean it's not Asgard, but."

"I'm not from Asgard, Tony." Cara said rolling her eyes.

"Well, goodnight." Tony brushed off turning to leave.

"Goodnight?" Cara asked.

"Oh it's a term we use here on earth, before you go to sleep," Tony informed sarcastically. "and sleep is when us human close our eyes and our bodies recharge for the upcoming day." He finished.

"I know what sleep is." She counted.

"But we're still confused on the term goodnight." Tony pointed out.

"I just didn't realize it was night, I actually have no idea what time it is." Cara suddenly realized.

"The time is currently 11:46pm ma'am." Jarvis' voice flows through the room.

"thanks Jarvis." Tony answered before continuing on his way out. "Make sure to rest up cause there's no way that training with widow isn't happening." He called over his shoulder allowing the door to close behind him.

Looking around, Cara made her way over to the bed allowing her body to fall backwards and letting out a sigh.

'I'M SO SCREWED!" She shouts into the empty room. "when I chose M.C.U. New York over D.C. Gotham I didn't know this was going to happen."

All the things she had needed to do, the death she wanted to prevent. She couldn't even begin to think of a way to get into Wakanda to warn them of Killmonger, or maybe get to Killmonger and talk him out of trying to kill T'challa, Maybe stop King T'chaka from dying and the Avengers from falling apart.

There was no way she could remember all this and what if the changes she made weren't for the best... Would the T.V.A try to stop her?

Writing it down would be a disaster waiting to happen, if anyone found it Avenger or otherwise who knows what could happen.

"I need a shower." She muttered sitting up on the bed, running her hands over her face in frustration.

"I can get the shower prepared for you ma'am." Jarvis replied as running water sound from one of the closed doors in the room. "Do you have a preferred temperature?"

"Warm?" Cara asked.

"Warm water is typically between 110 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit." Jarvis informed.

"Ummm 100." Cara answered with a shrug, all these were problem she could solve tomorrow, for now the only thing on her mind was showering and getting to finally rest her mind.

[hqmillioncorn]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Poppette packed the very last things they needed into their bag and ran out the door to her room. Her dad was waiting to see her off at the front door. "Do you have everything?" He asked. There was a hint of nervousness to his voice. Poppette knew exactly why. It was probably because she was traveling so far away by herself There was probably the part where she was visiting the part of her family that had been purposely forgotten about because of the whole dragon blood thing. Regardless, Poppette assured him that everything would be fine and in turn her father agreed with her. "Besides dad I don't think the Warrior of Light has ever eaten anyone!"

Lalapril 4/2: Season i think its probably spring or something!

Cherrypit watched as a butterfly flew past and landed on a dandelion. It was a fairly windy day which threatened to blow the poor butterfly off the flower. Cherrypit crawled over to the flower and stared at the butterfly. “Hello! Butt fly!” He leaned in closer and stared.

The butterfly flapped its wings lightly. 

Cherrypit waved his hand at it, “Go way’!” he urged the butterfly. The butterfly refused to relinquish its spot for a few seconds before finally giving in. Cherrypit watched as it flew away, getting smaller and smaller. “Bye-bye!” The butterfly had already flown out of view by the time Cherrypit finished waving at it.

Then Cherrypit sat in silence for a few seconds, staring at the flower.

“Is anywa gonna ea tis?” He pointed at the flower and echoed a question that he had heard many times during dinner. Right before plucking the dandelion from the ground and sticking it in his mouth.

“Yummyy! Yummyy!!” Cherrypit chewed the flower in his mouth and looked around. His sister and this other strange person were still busy looking at the water behind him. 

Cherrypit would have happily joined them but the new person and Babycorn were talking about something that sounded kinda boring to him.

He would much rather run around and look at flowers and rocks and bugs and anything else that was fun to chase around. There was so much energy in him that had to go somewhere! He couldn’t just stand around talking! He had things to do!

Cherrypit finished eating his flower and crawled around the ground to look for any things that looked tasty. A Brina doll that had been following Cherrypit around since they had all arrived at their picnic spot walked carefully behind him. “Yip-yip-ho! Don’t wander off now!” She warned. 

The danger of Cherrypit running off was almost non-existent but it didn’t hurt to remind him to stay close once in a while. 

Cherrypit hunched over and sniffed a strange shaped looking rock. He lifted it up and revealed a wriggling worm that had been hiding away. “Womry!” Cherrypit yelled out and swiped at it. The worm burrowed itself underground to escape. 

“Bye-bye wormry!” Cherrypit gave the dirt a patpat and pushed himself up onto his feet. His clothes were pretty much caked in dirt now but that was okay because he knew that they would get clean later when he got home! 

Cherrypit decided he wanted to go and be with Babycorn again. 

But found himself surprised to discover that there was no one there. 

Before Cherrypit even had the chance to panic he heard the sound of splashing water. “Huah?” He ran over to get closer to the lake, with Brina trying her best to keep up with him. Once he reached the edge of the railing he knelt down to get a closer look at the water. 

Cherrypit grabbed onto one of the railings columns and the Brina doll grabbed onto his coat, making extra sure he didn’t fall in. He looked down to see the person he didn’t know very well standing in the water. 

“Oh! Hey Cherry!” She waved up at him. They were carrying Babycorn under one of their arms, just like someone would carry a popoto sack. Babycorn was soaked from head to toe. It was almost as if she had tripped and fallen straight into the lake. 

“Your sister just tripped and fell into the water! But don’t worry she’s fine! Just a little wet!” 

Babycorn crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks out. “I thought I saw something shiny in the water and I wanted to get a closer look!” She grabbed a wet leaf from her hair and dropped it back into the water. “Not my fault that some dumb fish jumped out of the water and pushed me in!” 

What had really happened was that while a fish really did come out of the water it didn’t push Babycorn into the water. Instead it had smacked Babycorn right in the face, causing her to lose balance and fall straight down into the lake. 

“Thanks for saving me Poppy!” Babycorn wiggled happily. She really was grateful. The lake was a scary place to be trapped in, especially because of all the different terrifying fish swimming around in it.

“Poppy?” Cherrypit didn’t recognize that name. He climbed up to the top of the railing and stood on it. The person he didn’t know was knee deep in the water, so they were really tall! Just like a lot of his other friends and if his tall friends were nice then maybe this person was nice too.

“Poppy? Poppy poppy poppy.” Cherrypit repeated to himself. 

Poppy giggled, as she started her walk back onto dry land. “Cherry we already met, remember? It’s me Poppette!” The Elezen plopped Babycorn back onto the dock and struck a pose.

She grabbed the brim of her sun hat and did a twirl around and despite her hat (and entire outfit really) being drenched in lake water, she was looking just as stylish as she had been on land. 

It was no surprise, since Poppette had made it herself.

Despite Poppette’s reassurance that they had met before, Cherrypit remained confused.

Poppette slouched, “ Aww…Do you really not remember me?” Their eyes started to water up. Had her first introduction really not made an impression on her new younger cousin? She had shown up early and everythiiing. 

Up on the dock Babycorn gave Poppette a reassuring pat on the back. “Don’t worry! Cherry probably doesn’t remember you cause he fell asleep a little bit after we got to your house!!”

Both cousins distinctly remembered the problems that Babycorn had run into getting to Ishgard. 

“I remember we had to help a knight with a monster attack. Then we had to help a little kid find a missing pair of earrings they lost. And then Cherrypit really wanted to make a snowman before we got there so we stopped and did that and then I ended up falling down into witchdrop again!” Babycorn laughed to herself. “It took me a long time to climb my way out of there!” 

“Woah!” Poppette was amazed, starstruck and even at a loss for words despite having way too many to say about this. “You climbed your way out of witchdrop all by yourself?! And you survived the fall?!” 

“Yeah! I’ve fallen in there lots of times!” 

“That’s incredible! No wonder you’re one of the Warriors of Light!!”

Cherrypit laid down on the railing, since he was small enough to. Something about Babycorn’s story sounded familiar. Especially the part about making a snowman and falling into witchdrop. Except he didn’t remember the part about Babycorn climbing out by herself. Instead he remembered calling Lunya by linkshell and asking her very nicely to help fish an unconscious Babycorn out of her precarious situation. 

He would have gladly gone down there himself but ever since they first re-visited Coerthas around seven years ago Babycorn had asked him to avoid using any of his powers there as much as he could. 

After that he remembered being really sleepy, since it was almost night. This didn’t used to happen. Ever since he woke up in that Old Sharlayan place, things had been just a little bit different. 

Cherrypit watched as Babycorn and Poppette ran back to where he was. Babycorn had shaken off most of the water off of her, though her clothes were still a little damp. It was a pretty hot day today so that was part of the reason Babycorn didn’t really mind all that much. 

Except that whoever’s turn it was to do laundry at the mansion was probably not going to be very happy with her. 

Babycorn walked up the Cherrypit and stretched her arms out. “Bebe!” Cherrypit jumped into Babycorn’s arms without even a moment's hesitation. “Can wa eat now?” He pointed at the picnic basket that had been carefully set near the patch of flowers.  

“Yeah! Of course we can!” Babycorn declared. Falling into the water had really made her hungry. Well, most of everything made her hungry but that’s neither here nor there. 

Poppette was so excited she skipped over to the basket ahead of Babycorn. She had made this lunch herself as a gift to the Starsinger siblings. In actuality it was a sort of apology gift to both of them for how her own family had treated them when they came to visit. 

That night Babycorn and Cherrypit had been yelled at and blamed for pretty much all of her family's problems. While it was true that they had fallen on some hard times ever since the end of the Dragonsong war, Poppette was adamant that most of those problems were not Babycorn’s fault, let alone Cherrypit’s.  

Poppette had herself, left the dinner in tears, running outside into the cold and convinced now more than ever that absolutely none of the heroes that she looked up to would ever want anything to do with her. 

Poppette carefully knelt down and opened the flap of the picnic basket she took out the picnic blanket she had made especially for today. It was orange in color and had patterns of all different types of mandragoras on it, one of Poppette’s favorites. 

In Poppette’s concentration and Babycorn staring absentmindedly at a dragonfly flying past her, neither of them noticed Cherrypit staring right at Poppette, his eyes starting to turn a slight shade of purple.

‘It was a cold scene. The wind was blowing colder than ever. The snow was almost up to Popette’s knees. A part of her blamed this all on Babycorn and Cherrypit. She knew she shouldn't but the snow was much too heavy. To blame all of this on them would make her no more right than her grandparents were.’

As Poppette began to unfold the picnic blanket she recalled more on what happened that night. 

Just as Poppette had given up hope, she turned around to see Babycorn calling out to her. She was carrying a sleeping Cherrypit on top of her head. By the time she caught up she was almost completely out of breath.

Babycorn tried to crack a joke about what had just happened but fumbled it so hard that the joke looped back around to making Poppette laugh about it. Poppette could barely bring herself to apologize for what happened. Especially since it was her who had invited the siblings here in the first place.

Poppette was sort of glad that Cherrypit didn’t seem to remember a majority of that visit. 

‘Why are you sorry!? You didn’t yell at me! Besides, I’m used to it! I’m just glad you and your dad are nice to us Poppy!’ 

Poppette decided then and there that maybe her visiting Babycorn would probably be the better move on both their parts and that was how this picnic plan came to fruition. Making sure to ask ahead of time what each sibling’s favorite food was a genius move on their part.

Poppette carefully knelt down, the phase of caring about her clothes was long past her, considering they were already covered in dirty lake water and mud anyway. 

“Do ya need any help?” Babycorn sat down and plucked a flower from the ground and took a bite of it. “Mpghh I’m realph good at picnics you know?” It wasn’t too long ago that she had put together a feast much like this for her friends at her own home. 

The only difference in this case was that Poppettes food was actually edible. 

Poppette’s eyes lit up. “I would love your help!” She dug into the basket and pulled out some cutlery she swiped from the kitchen of her home. It was the extra fancy kind. “Here! You can set these up! It’s easy I think!” 

Babycorn nodded, carefully taking the cutlery from Poppette’s hands. If there was anything in the hundreds of things she had learned over the years it was that plates tended to break very easily so you had to be careful. ‘Okay I got this!” Babycorn began to carefully walk her way over to the side. By taking the longest and slowest step known to man. 

“You don’t really need to be that careful!”

“I really do!” 

Lest she trip on another pebble and send an entire stack of plates careening towards the ground again just like last time she helped serve food at her friend's restaurant. 

“Surely you’re jesting!” 

“No, I'm serious!” 

Cherrypit blinked, his eyes were purple. 

‘The snow around Poppy began to melt as her father apparend next to her, assuring her that everything was going to be okay. The entire world felt just a little bit warmer. "That's right! If dad can change his mind then everyone else can too! I just have to believe!" Their family would be closer than ever after this!’

Suddenly Cherrypit’s concentration was broken by a familiar scent, the next time he blinked his eyes were back to their familiar white emptiness. “Woah!” He sniffed the air and recognized that smell immediately. “Choca!” There was no doubt about it! There was chocolate cake nearby!!

Cherrypit looked around. In front of him he could see Poppy with a plate in her hand and Babycorn lying flat on the ground. Clearly he had missed something because the chocolate cake he had sniffed out was now lying on the grass and surrounded by flowers. 

“I’m s-sorry…” Babycorn managed to muster out. She had tripped on her own foot and in turn had fallen backwards into Poppette, which caused her to drop the cake and then bump Babycorn forwards to falling on her face.

“Nooo! I apologize!! Forgive meeeeeeee!” 

Cherrypit didn’t know what was going on but he wasn’t wasting any time on eating his absolutely favorite food ever. “Choca! Choca!” He ran past Poppy and Babycorn with a high pitched squeal and used his tiny little hands to dig into the cake. He would have just bitten into it but he remembered Pancake telling him once that it was funner to eat using your hands. 

Babycorn sprang up from lying on the ground with a gasp. “Cherryyyyy!” Babycorn whined very loudly, “Save some for me too!” She ran ahead on all fours and used her own hands to start eating the cake. 

Poppette could do nothing but stare ahead at both siblings devouring the chocolate cake. “I’m pleased you’re enjoying it…?” She was happy they did but it was still a little surprising to see them eat it just like that. There was a warm breeze in the air and Poppette couldn’t help but giggle. 

“...You both are so funny.” 

Cherrypit heard Poppette laughing, turning to look at her he noticed the pretty hat on top of their head. He pointed his chocolate covered hat up at her and smiled, “Pre’yy haa! You have a pretty hat!!” Cherrypit moved his hands around his hair and imagined himself wearing a hat just like it. 

Poppette adjusted their sun hat. “You like it? I can make one for you when I come visit again!” 

Cherrypit smiled as wide as he physically could. “Yeah! Yeah!”

[ask-healthy-light]

With a quivering hoof, Boom struggled to cleanly write down the spell he wished to cast, and all he could think of, as he put the nigh unreadable note on the ground, was that his poor hoofwriting was clear enough to land him where he wanted to land; or at least, that it did not put him where he did not want to end up, tumbling into the Grand Volcano over the horizon, from whence smoke was rising.

From the paper lying on the ground before him, a portal opened, and Boom breathed a sigh of relief, as he found it was overlooking a cliff elsewhere in the area, with no sign of flowing magma nearby; but the strong smell of sulphur surprised him as he stepped onto the Great Volcano, and Boom had to hold his breath as the portal closed behind him, a moment before he realised where he was standing.

The scorching heat of the magma in the Volcano behind him was unbearable, and he flinched, and fell backwards, rolling down the Volcano's massive and steep cone, until he just managed to grab a small ledge; and he did not look down as he slowly pulled himself back up, biting through the pain of all his cuts and bruises he suffered during his fall until he laid flat on his back on the cooled lava.

While Boom waited for his wounds to heal, simultaneously searching for a place to hide, back in the Crystal Library in the Empire, Nox, Luna, and Celestia asked Amethyst for some of her time, since a friend had found a number of scrolls in a collapsed tunnel, in a cave in the Mountains; but as they were needed somewhere else, they asked them to look into the scrolls, so they went to her for help.

A smile grew upon Amethyst's face as she got up and asked the Princesses to follow her, as she knew they needed a place of privacy where they would not be bothered by anypony else; and as she led the Princesses further into the Library, asking them to gather some books she hoped would help on their way, she asked them what was so special about the scrolls, for she figured these were truly unique.

Around the Library, whither Amethyst pointed, books were gently grabbed off the shelves by Luna and Celestia, before they gathered these in a growing pile, as she quietly spoke about the scrolls with Nox; the Dragon-Pony told Amethyst that Light had travelled into the Mountains, following a path to the North, when they came across a cave, where they found piles of the damaged scrolls deep inside.

As a pile of books hovered behind them, Luna and Celestia were led into of a room far away from the area usually open to the public, which Amethyst reassured them was enchanted to be soundproof, just in case any students wanted a peaceful room to learn in; and both Amethyst and Nox closely followed the two Sisters, whereafter they shut the door, and laid the scrolls on the table to show Amethyst.

While the Sisters quietly argued over the right way to sort the books, the Librarian carefully took one of the scrolls, asking Nox in a lighthearted manner why her family was so adamant about sorting books, and, in a more serious tone, what the repeatedly written and hastily scribbled phrase meant, covering the scrolls, but, to her frustration, Nox could only answer her question about her family.

In turn, Amethyst spoke up and asked the Princesses to stop bickering like children, and to listen, for though she was not entirely certain what the repeated phrase meant, nor what the balance was of which the notes spoke, she recognised the manner of writing on some scrolls; but it would displease them to know by whom the scrolls were written, even if others would lift a weight off their chests.

Simultaneously, in the Royal Archives, Sunburst and Light, the latter of whom the Guards still kept an eye on, were searching for the oldest documents they could find, looking for anything that could help them translate the language the letter was written in; eventually, they found a book, in which was written a collection of correspondence between two Crystal Royals of Old, partially translated.

Even though the names were lost to time, they hoped it could help them…

(Thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed, please reblog! Thanks in advance!)

Send an ask or request! | Start at the beginning! | Next part!

Featuring: Nox Lunarwing from @nox-lunarwing Boomlord from @thedumbguywithaheart43

[skvaderarts]

Petrichor Chapter 61: Reprieve

Chapter 61: Reprieve

Note: Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and had a nice holiday! I am so sorry that this didn’t go up on Friday! I’m not going to lie, I was tired after doing chores all day so I went and took a shower and bundled up after I got out of the shower due to the cold weather and I 100% fell asleep for the night. My bad, everyone!

(-~-)

Outside, the world moved in a blur. The glass fogged from the heat within as rain battered every inch of the hull, slamming into it with such incredible speed that it appeared to both cover everything and be nothing more than a solid sheet of water all at once. It smeared down the metal and glass at unforgiving speeds as the locomotive hurried onward, unphased by its relentless assault, everyone within rendered blind to any details of the outside world.

But aside from a few passengers who made idle chitchat near the large picture windows to express their concern about the shift in weather with other travelers, most barely gave it a second thought, let alone a lingering look. They were focused on things such as their reading material or the pricy onboard meals that they’d been forced to pay for lest they go hungry while onboard the long trip.

Dante and Vergil were somewhere in the middle, just focused enough on the weather to notice it taking a continuous downward turn for the worst, but not paying enough attention to it to notice any of the finer details that hinted at just how bad the weather had the potential to become. Or, they weren’t discussing it at any length like some others were, at least. They’d been mostly quiet the entire trip, their minds on the task at hand a little else.

Maybe a little small talk could break the ice.

“You could drown in this rain, hu?” Dante said with a scoff. He was glad that they’d made it on board the train when they had. Just a little while after he’d overheard someone talking about potential cancelations for later that day. They were probably on one of the last trains willing to risk the journey in such inclement weather. And as if the universe itself had heard his very thoughts, only moments later the intercom crackled to life to make an announcement to the passengers onboard.

“Attention all passengers, please take your seats. If you are already seated, remain as you were. We will be decelerating in five minutes time due to potential track hazards. Standing is a potential falling hazard. I repeat, please take your seats. If you have any personal belongings or luggage that are unsecured, please secure them. If you require assistance, please notify a member of our staff immediately. Thank you. Have a nice day.”

Vergil looked up from his place in the corner of the back wall of the train next to the window, his eyes having long since drifted off towards the glass. He didn’t move an inch, but his eyes traveled upward in acknowledgment of the source of the sound before drifting back down and landing somewhere in the middle ground between his previous two locations. Dante shifted in his seat, not really expecting to receive a response, especially with an announcement going on. Everyone had gone quiet during it. Seemingly no one wanted to be the sucker who tried to talk through it only to be mentally murdered by everyone else in the car. But after another minute or two, perhaps to make sure that he didn’t start talking at the precise moment that the broadcast did a second run to make sure that everyone had heard them, Vergil moved ever so slightly, straightening his back so as to not develop a crick in it.

“Quite. We're headed right into a storm.” Vergil said almost too nonchalantly as the two of them watched most of the other passengers scramble to comply with the broadcast, nearly tripping over themselves to clean up food containers and move aside personal belongings in order to make room for everyone to sit. It was one of the most disorganized things that Vergil had seen in a good, long while. “... Why scrabble when a more orderly and methodical approach would be so much more efficient? Now everything is just in shambles.”

Dante couldn’t truthfully say he had the answers to that question. It was just one of those things that people did. The concept was mostly foreign to Vergil, but the devil hunter in red liked to imagine that his older twin had reacted in much the same way at least once in his lifetime. No one was as calm as Vergil was every second of every day. And he hoped that it was something his older twin could look back on and laugh about, at least. Even if only internally. He had enough negative memories to fill a museum exhibit on misery. There had to be a few good ones in there somewhere… 

“Couldn’t tell ya. Human nature, I guess.” Dante said with a shrug, adjusting his sitting position ever so slightly. The cushy seats they sat in were plenty comfortable, but when you did this much sitting back to back you started to get a bit stiff.

Vergil looked away, obviously dwelling on the task at hand more than anything else. And rightfully so. That was the whole reason they were on this train in the first place, after all. What else would even be capable of occupying his mind right now, such as it was? What else could be that important to him?  “Maybe so.”

Sensing that their current conversation wasn’t going anywhere, Dante decided to change the subject. There wasn’t much else to talk about anyway. And talking was just about the only thing either of them could do on this train. There wasn’t any music playing to listen to, and there were no complimentary reading materials anywhere. It was just dull.

“What are you so afraid she’s going to say?”

Vergil looked up at Dante as though he were going to ask him to reiterate what he’d just said before catching himself and seemingly reconsidering at the last moment. He then stared at his younger twin intently for what felt like an eternity before finally answering, letting out a long, tired sigh in the process. The anticipation was killing him.

“Everything I disserve to hear.”

His answer was so matter-of-fact. So certain. It was like a court sentence. He spoke with the resignation of a man who had just been handed the death penalty. It had occurred to Dante previously that his older brother was nervous and probably concerned as to how his former lady love might react to seeing him again after all this time, but now he understood something deeper. He was afraid she might hate him. He’d already decided that she was probably upset with him. And Dante couldn’t argue with that. Anyone probably would be. But there were a litany of simple words that when uttered from her lips specifically had the power to dismantle Vergil like a cheap piece of furniture. To utter destroy him. She was one of the few people in existence who’d opinion actually mattered to him, and he knew that she knew that.

When she spoke, Vergil listened. Even if he wasn’t ready to hear what she had to say. Even if he didn’t want to hear it. Because bother were better options than the reality where she never spoke to him again at all.

“Let’s hope so. Maybe she can talk some sense into you.” Dante said lightheartedly but with an air of kindhearted sincerity. He really wasn’t joking, if he was being honest. He genuinely did hope that they could find some semblance of closure over everything that had happened between them and maybe even start to rebuild some kind of meaningful dialogue once again. He didn’t know what shape their relationship was in any better than his brother did, but he was quietly sitting in the background rooting for them. He really hoped that they could work things out. He really did.

He suddenly found himself chuckling at the mental image of Vergil attempting to remain calm should he have been present for V’s birth. He knew with absolute, iron-clad certainty that Vergil would have demanded to be present for something that momentous, but he couldn’t help but almost choke back morbidly amused tears at the thought of how horrified Vergil probably would have been if he’d been there to see that. Quiet, but still horrified. True, they’d both seen more than their fair share of blood-soaked gore and viscera, but when it was your loved ones, it was different. It was personal. And the stakes would’ve been sky-high as well. High for everyone involved. What a ticking time bomb that entire scenario had the potential to devolve into… 

“What’s come over you all of a sudden?” Vergil inquired, noting the way that Dante had drifted off for a moment only to look as though he were on the verge of cracking up a mere instant later. There was obviously a story here, and with any luck, it might actually be interesting for a change. Even Dante had his moment.

“Nothing you’d find funny, that’s for sure.” Dante almost stopped there, clearing his throat as he spoke in an attempt to intake more air and speak more clearly for the time being, but when he saw Vergil raise an eyebrow ever so slightly he decided to double down. After all, Vergil couldn’t stab him on a train in front of all these witnesses, could he? “Just imagining what would’ve happened if you’d been there when she had V, that’s all. How you’d react to seeing that first hand.”

Vergil seemed almost confused by why that would be funny before the closest thing Dante had ever seen to nausea crossed Vergil’s face for a brief second before dissipating, indicating that he’d most certainly been onto something. This time he did laugh, albeit at a tempered volume, but nonetheless laugh he did. Vergil simply shot him a semi-horrified glare and rubbed his face with his hands. This was going to be a long train ride. Tomorrow morning couldn’t come any sooner.

“Just… Stop talking, Dante. I’ve heard enough.”

(-~-)

By all accounts, Gustave’s instructions had been spot on. When the pair of weary travelers had finally managed to make their way up the stairs to what seemed to be a reception wing of sorts, they had been greeted politely and shepherded off to another area within the structure via another tear of some sort, this time in the form of an archway similar to the one that their escort had departed through.

When they’d stepped through it, V had been surprised to learn that they were now at least a dozen floors higher up, specific doors and arches seemingly connecting to the appropriate location without needing to actually be on the same floor or side of the building as the physical location they’d been linked to. Something that earned an inquisitive nod of recognition from the young summoner. Now that was the sort of practical magic or sorcery or what have you that he could get behind. Very useful, indeed. Something to learn if that were at all possible, perhaps. He could think of many practical uses for such knowledge.

Shortly after they had been shown their temporary lodgings. It was a large room filled with natural light that shined through the almost stained glass-like arched windows on the far side of the room. Or perhaps “arched” was the wrong descriptor. They were round on the top, but their shape was more irregular than a standard arch; more pointed before becoming long slits with a conical shape that better aimed the light into the wall. And they were deep, well-like structures, almost as though they had been carved out of the mountain itself. Perhaps they had. The whole room was made out of a soft cream-colored stone. Different designs made up the walls and floors to offer variation, but this particular room and its adjoining balcony along with the coffered ceilings and their adjoining pillars were obviously made up from the same stone. Impressive. And very time-consuming. But in keeping with the rest of the structure, especially in regard to the giant vines that snaked through some of the windows and around some of the posts on the balcony.

The place was ancient. More so than V could properly quantify.

But as they’d spent the last few hours or so sitting in the room waiting to hear back on, well, anything at all, they'd both fallen silent. V couldn't say he was bothered by waiting, and Sirrus obviously needed time to collect himself after everything he'd been through that day, but as the duo approached their third hour, the young summoner was becoming concerned that maybe someone essential to their visit might have forgotten about them. But he wasn't willing to jump to any brash conclusions. After all, he had no way of knowing. He just found the situation strange as a whole.

“How long do you think we’ve been here?” V asked casually, his gaze following the flow of the mist that hung in the air outside. It seemed that all the water cascading off of the mountain that they were inside of created a mist as it traveled downward. And he was willing to bet it felt good. Too bad he didn't feel like going to check at the moment. His view from this side of the glass would have to suffice for now. Especially since the cool air in the room was indication enough that he was probably correct.

“You might be surprised to hear that the only thing that doesn’t fluctuate in this place is the time. It’s more or less the same here as it normally would be.” Sirrus said quietly, his tone similar to that of someone who was nursing a hangover. Soft, slightly hoarse, and filled with lingering regrets about whatever had landed him in this situation. He'd spent the last hour or so with his head back against the plush upholstered back of the couch they both sat on, his eyes slowly inching closer to being fully open as he stared at the ceiling in contemplation. Before that, V had filled him in on the rough details of what he'd been up to back in the forest like he’d asked. Sirrus had understandably fallen silent after that up until the moment he’d responded to V’s question. “That being said, you’d only find clocks in a handful of places here. Time isn’t something most of the denizens of this place care to acknowledge.”

V nodded in confirmation, more to his own benefit than anyone else. Sirrus could see him, but he wasn't looking directly at him at the moment. No, he was still looking at the ceiling, his mind in the process of recovery from the straight-up assassination attempt it had just survived earlier that day. “Is it fair to assume that spending this much time away from everything else in existence has that effect on them? Their perception of time has become skewed?”

Sirrus let out a faint chuckle before moaning in discomfort, clearly regretting his decision. It had been out of reflex more than anything, but that didn't soften the blow to his head in the slightest. He just got to deal with the lingering feeling that he really wished he hadn’t just done that, at least for the next minute or so. The feeling slowly began to dissipate and the throbbing subsided, allowing him to think enough to make an attempt at answering V’s inquiry.

“Yes, absolutely. When long-lived or immortal beings become focused on something with virtually no distractions, eons can pass before they once again acknowledge the flow of time.” Sirrus said softly, careful not to move his head in the slightest. The feeling of exhaustion and disorientation was finally starting to let up a bit, but it would still be a while. He would just continue to take it easy for now.

“I see…” V shifted in an effort to make himself more comfortable. He wasn't terribly fatigued from all the walking he'd done earlier that day, but he was getting there. It was creeping up on him slowly as he sat there, his muscles becoming more and more stiff by the hour. He was certain that if he sat here long enough they would fully atrophy. “Do phones work here?”

“No, unfortunately. They don't even have any here. No need for them.” Sirrus spared the energy required to peak at V, noticing the way that he was sitting. He looked genuinely out of sorts, but not in any way that he was used to seeing. No, his posture gave it away. He had a feeling he knew what the problem was.“You look cold.”

V chuckled softly. Sirrus wasn’t wrong, he was. The temperature in their current environment reminded him of a movie theater. Ever so slightly too cold for whatever you were wearing unless you were pouring sweat from being even a little overdressed. Those were your only two options. But he’d prefer to be cold as opposed to the latter whenever the decision presented itself. He could always warm up, after all. But you could only take off so much before it became a misdemeanor. Or worse.

“Remind me to actually fix your coat once we return,” Sirrus said, his focus squarely on something outside of V’s knowledge. His eyes were still partially closed, but he’d since he’d been recovering at a valiant speed since they’d made their way to their room several hours earlier, there was hope that would change in the near future. Perhaps it was the undisturbed peace and quiet. The sound and smell of rushing water were just far off enough to not be disruptive, and the ample plant life that infiltrated their dwelling from outside on the balcony were certainly soothing. Comforting, even. This was nice. Very nice. V almost wanted to take a nap. Well, that was incorrect. He did want to take one. But he had the feeling that the second he settled in to do so he would be interrupted by their meeting. And although showing up slightly tired might not be good form, showing up after having clearly just woken up was an even worse idea. He didn’t want to come off as disrespectful. Everything about this place as well as own his better judgement was ample proof of that.

But just as those thoughts entered his mind, there was a knock at the door. Sirrus gave them permission to enter and, to the slight surprise of the young summoner, it was a familiar face. It was Gustave. And if the look on his face was anything to go by, he had news. And V had no idea if it was good or bad. V hadn’t expected to see him again so soon. This was… a surprise. To be certain.

“I require a moment of your time,” he said as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. He paused for a moment, his attention on the door as the entire room fell silent. After an agonizing thirty or forty seconds or so, he turned around slowly, whatever he’d been waiting to have happen (or perhaps not happen) having occurred. He wore a look of absolute seriousness, his expression not so much bleak as it was grim. Whatever he was about to say was important. And he wanted to make that clear. 

“We need to talk. It’s of the utmost importance.”

(-~-)

Hi, everyone! I hope you liked the last two chapters! Let me know what you think in the comments, and I’ll see you next Friday on the 8th of December! Take care and I hope to see you again soon! Bye bye!

[knife-drawer-rp]

"Sounds like a plan to me," Although he's wandered around this planet for over a century, having a navigator is infinitely more reliable than trying to traverse between towns on this endless, shifting landscape by memory alone. With a "Hup!" And a quick heel tap onto the Tomas's side, the duo's journey continued. During the hours spent dipping over and under rolling dunes beneath the arid sky, conversation petered off into a more comfortable silence, cut into only by Rachael course correcting their travel. Vash had taken the time to put an earbud in from his Walkman-like device and quietly crank some tunes while keeping his other ear open to his travel buddy. Only a few breaks were taken along the way to rest their Tomas and to take some shelter from the harsh rays of the suns, but they were still on a time crunch! Eventually, they were led to what Rachael indicated was a marker of sorts (Vash had only been half listening, getting REAL into letting his mind wander off to the beat of whatever he was jammin' out to). The vague mention of it being the ruins of somewhere that failed to thrive got the outlaw's attention, however, "A town that failed t..." His voice trailed off and Rachael could see a glint of worried disbelief flash in the Typhoon's oceanic eyes. "No that can't be right..." Vash saw the map Rachael was showing her route on before, he didn't have to ask for her to hand it over as he urged the Tomas towards the town that... Did present itself as deteriorated ruins more so than the struggling, but earnestly attempting to survive town he remembered being in its place. It wasn't that long since he'd been back to visit. They had a Plant (even though it's silent now...). They had Tomas farms being established! They... They... They were all gone. A numbness fell over the man as his boots hit the sand with a muffled crunch. His brows furrowed behind his orange-tinted glasses as his footsteps carried him into the remnants of what used to be the town square. There were tattered remains of colorful textiles that were strung up between the cracked and dilapidated buildings. One of the townsfolk at the time of his first visit said it was their way of bringing some brightness to this dull, sandy world. His fingers easily broke through the weathered fabric at the bottom of one of such banners. It's not like he didn't know life out in No Man's Land was a losing game. That's why he's been on the move in the first place; To prevent excess human deaths and to help them create stability and build up from the ashes of the Fall. To help them survive the devastation that he and his brother caused over a century ago... But failure to thrive, the sheer, icy indifference of it sunk into the pit of his guts like he'd swallowed a mouthful of sand. Something in the sand caught his foot just a little bit as he'd carried out his despondent trek through the city, and when his gaze dropped to inspect it, he felt his heart sink even further. The memory of a little girl proudly showing him the dolly her mommy made from scrap clothing materials jumped to his mind as he bent down to pick up the dirty and slightly stained toy from where it had been left on the ground. That smiling face, missing both of her front teeth, loaded with more freckles than anyone could hope to count... Had been long gone from this place along with everyone else she never got to grow up with. Vash knew what house she lived in, where she would play with her friends and drag him into their little tea parties, where the kids' parents would gather to chat and catch up after a long day of work... At the very least, he would've hoped, if he ever found out the people here had moved on, that it'd have been of old age. Nearly 40 years have passed since that last visit, and the time spent away doing... His goddamn not-good-enough best... Weighed heavy on his aching soul. You must excuse him, Rachael, he's got a bit of sand in his eyes that he has to wipe away. It's almost like those glasses don't protect against grains tossed by strong gusts...

Rachael is met with a smile warm and bright enough to rival the radiance of the planet’s twin suns, “We can if you want to talk about how you said you acted so begrudging to huddle for warmth, but spent the whole night with your face in my chest!”  ... Girl you really did pout and shove your face into his pliddies (plant tiddies). “Anyways,” Vash starts, deciding that Rachael was probably too busy to pass the canteen, so he snatches it himself to give their feathery companion a good morning sip, “We should get a move on before it gets too hot out. Aaaand if we’re lucky, we might be able to find a Sand Worm or something to eat! Not exactly the best breakfast, but it’s better than starving.” With a few gentle strokes placed onto the Tomas’s neck after it finishes drinking, the outlaw begins the process of packing up the creature’s bags and putting the blanket and saddle back onto its back. He’s done this more than a few times and is rather efficient about doing so, staying remarkably calm whenever the creature started acting fussy. Once he was satisfied with prepping their steed, he offers a hand out to assist Rachael with getting onto its back for the continuing journey. He’d hop on after and take up the reigns once more. Adventure and that Plant in the next town over await with very little time to spare!

[brunchable]

Part II - All The Wrong Buttons || Doctor Stephen Strange x f!reader.

Word count: 3.6K

Genre: Enemies to Lovers. Adventure. Action. Young Adult.

Warning: References to Multiverse of Madness. Mild profanity.

Brief Chapter Summary: You experiment with your powers during a mystical monster attack. Stephen discovers a new hobby, which is to constantly push all of your wrong buttons.

Strictly do not: claim, repost, copy, translate my stories anywhere else

Dandelions - Part II: All The Wrong Buttons

•••

You ended up at the rooftop so that you’ll be able to see a bird’s eye view of what was happening down there. You could feel a strong extra-dimensional presence, even if you can’t see it, you don't know how but you could almost feel it's intentions. You spotted Strange landing in the middle of the street, a block away from your building.

You exhaled slowly to calm yourself while taking your heels off, your plan was to jump your way from building to building where it was safer as you figured out how to work your powers, for the third time.

“Okay, you can do this, just don’t look down.” You motivated yourself and rubbed your hands together. You sprinted towards the edge of the building to gather momentum; the dress was dragging you down a bit. But as soon as you approached the edge, you peered down and screamed, "Oh shit!" To avoid falling down, you flung your arms about and leaned backwards.

You honestly didn’t understand how that man managed to throw himself off the balcony without feeling scared.

“Oof—” You fell on your butt and decided to rip the dress shorter with your newfound strength, “Let’s try this again.” You stood up and ran back to your starting point, remembering what your mother always said to you when you felt anxious.

You began by closing your eyes and concentrating on the sensation of your heartbeat, which you continued to do until it was the only sound you could hear. Almost immediately after you were able to regain your composure, you grew conscious of your power source surrounding you. You felt the wind start to rotate clockwise around you, its rotational velocity increasing the more you allowed it in. It was as if a charge was filling you up from head to toe, causing your eyes to glow a bluish-white colour as you opened them and your hair to transform to white and danced in the air as your strength increased.

You sprinted as fast as you could while simultaneously bending your knees to leap high. Wind erupted out of your feet as you launched yourself ten metres into the air, creating a broken crater on the cement below you.

You crashed on the roof of the second building, and it's clear that you're still getting your bearings, "Ow." You grumbled under your breath as you pulled yourself to your feet and began your sprint to the next structure.

You sprinted until you reached the edge, then expelled energy from your hands and feet to propel yourself farther into the air in a twirl. You were able to feel the energy in the palms of your hands, and a little voice inside your head subconsciously instructed you to utilise that energy to conjure up air currents that were powerful enough to support your weight and elevate you.

•••

Stephen’s brows wrinkled together as he spotted a young woman who appeared to be fleeing from something he couldn't see. She was desperately looking for somewhere to hide. The young woman ended up boarding an empty bus, which immediately began to deform, and the windows shattered as it rose into the air, giving the impression that it was being lifted into the air by an unseen force.

Stephen opened the Eye of Agamotto by first crossing his hands in front of it to activate the opening ritual. He then flicked his wrist to perform the magic that revealed the creature that was hidden in plain sight. People screamed in terror as a gigantic one-eyed octopus monster was unveiled with its tentacles wrapped around the bus.

Strange was able to deconstruct the bus into bits with a simple motion of his hands, which allowed him to locate the girl who was clinging to a pole. After being startled by what Strange had done, the creature took a step back, but as soon as it saw the girl, one of its tentacles made a grab for her. In an effort to stop the monster from capturing the girl, Stephen slashed his palm across the monster's tentacles in a diagonal motion. As one of its limbs touched the ground, it let out a painful cry as the pupils in its eyes constricted. At the same time, the pole came undone, causing the kid to lose her grip and fall.

Stephen grunted as he threw his cloak towards her as hard as he could.

‘What the fuc-’, You saw the creature from a distance, and the kid was flailing her arms, screaming as she fell to the ground. You propelled yourself to fly at lightning speed, eyes glowing brighter, and caught her at the last possible moment, outrunning Stephen's cloak in the process.

You flew and dropped the kid off behind Stephen, who was using all of his might to put the bus back together, trap the monster's tentacle inside the bus, and then dump the heavy vehicle on top of it. Stephen’s cloak flew past you and reattached itself to his shoulders.

Stephen whipped his head around to face you and the kid, "Watch out!" She screamed as she watched the monster hurl the bus towards the three of you.

Stephen materialised a buzzsaw and directed it towards the bus, where it severed the vehicle in two, while you projected a whirlwind accidentally caused by fear to deflect the pieces of the objects away from you and the kid, both of you hiding behind Stephen.

Stephen spun around to face you with a perplexed expression on his face after seeing you, but now with hair as white as snow, your eyes fading back to their normal colour.

"What? You're not the only one with cool powers. " You gave a shrug and followed Stephen's lead by shifting your focus to the child at the same time.

"Do I know you?" He questioned the kid as memories of her appearing in his dream began to flash in his mind.

Both of you were so distracted that you didn't notice the tentacle coming in to swat you and Stephen out of the way. You were flung across the street and into a café, which is where Stephen was knocked unconscious.

You rolled on your back after you crashed on the tiled floor, you gritted your teeth in pain and stared at the ceiling, wondering why you had brought yourself into this mess in the first place, “What was I thinking?”

The cloak that belonged to Stephen swooped in and leaned close to your face, as if it were inspecting you, before it made the decision to smack Stephen across the face several times.

When you saw a piece of clothing slapping the Doctor, you blinked and felt a little disturbed. You could hear the child scream as the enormous octopus was enslaving another man while it pursued her mercilessly. You bolted out of the cafe in an instant and soared towards the girl who was doing her utmost best to escape being struck by the tentacles that were attempting to slam her.

“Hold on tight!” You yelled as you reach out for her hand, whisking her off the ground and carrying her towards the first tall building you could find while barely dodging the monster’s attacks.

The monster let out an angry shriek and tossed the motorcycle at you. Fortunately, you managed to get the girl down on the ledge in the nick of time, before the vehicle collided with your back, forcing you to lose your balance and fall onto the balcony of a complete stranger, where you were pinned by the bike.

•••

Gargantos crawled towards the building where the girl was, still carrying Wong around like a ragdoll. Stephen sprung out of the cafe and conjured a sword, which he then threw at the tentacle that was restraining Wong.

When Wong was finally freed, he sprang to his feet and elegantly straightened out his clothing. At that moment, Wong saw Strange approaching from behind him and said, "Did you know it's a tradition to bow in the presence of the Sorcerer Supreme?"

"Oh, I’m aware of the customs.” Stephen responded, but he did not bow before Wong. At the same time, they conjured up a magical chain and used it to lasso Gargantos in an effort to draw the beast back, which didn’t work,“Whoa!” Stephen exclaimed as they got dragged up.

Gargantos seemed to be losing its patience and swatted the chains off, wrapping his tentacles around Stephen’s waist tightly, “Argh!” Stephen grimaced and struggled under Gargantos’ grasp. The cloak was able to slip out and cover the monster’s eyes.

Stephen extended his hands out in the direction of a street light, the cloak trying its best to conceal Gargantos' vision. The light was lifted off the ground by big purple hands that emerged from him. Stephen growled as he struggled to remove the lamp from the ground.

You were finally able to dismount the heavy motorcycle off of you and gained insight into what Stephen was attempting to accomplish. You pictured yourself creating blades out of the air that was spinning in your palm, and then you aimed them towards the cable attached to the lamp with the intention of severing it. As the cloak was thrown back, exposing the creature's eyes, Stephen launched the lamp in the direction of Gargantos, and stabbed it, using what was left of his strength to gouge its eyeballs out.

•••

You descended slowly and stealthily into an alleyway, hoping that Stephen would not see you since you didn't want anything to do with him or be discovered. You felt his curiousity or distrust when he saw you for the first time with your powers. You peered over the bend and saw that the girl was in a safe setting now that she was in the presence of the two sorcerers.

After having all of that adrenaline drained out of your system, you instantly felt the sting from your scrapes and grazes, and you told yourself, "Ugh, this is going to hurt even more tomorrow morning." You moaned while massaging your lower back as you decided to just casually stroll back to the party to get your car.

Stephen put his hand on Wong's shoulder to stop him from opening a portal, “Hang on a second, we’re missing someone else,” He searched for you while turning his head in both directions, but you weren't hard to locate since your naively walked around with your hair still white, “Actually, go ahead, we’ll meet you both at the cafe.”

“Who else are we waiting for?” Wong asked before entering the portal.

“Someone who probably has a grudge against me.” Stephen replied, as he eyed you.

"Okay, well, don’t take long. We have important things to discuss.” Wong took the kid with him and closed the portal.

Stephen secretly opened a portal behind you, and with one swift motion of his palm through the air, you walked through without knowing it.

Your gaze quickly shifted from left to right as you became aware of the changes taking place in your surroundings, "What the heck?" You muttered to yourself, confused about how your got there until you heard Stephen's voice.

"Going somewhere?" Stephen sang as he approached from behind you, cocking his head to the side.

After spinning around, you saw Stephen looking kind of smug in his red and blue sorcerer uniform, "Yes, I'm actually going home." You sent him an innocent grin and walked past him while purposely bumping him on the shoulder.

Stephen rolled his eyes and launched another portal towards you, which brought you right back to him. You wrinkled your nose as you realised that you were standing in the exact same place as if you hadn't moved at all.

Stephen turned around with an open body language, “I thought you said you were going home?”

"I am!" You let out a harrumph as you exclaimed, and then you stormed past him once again. You had the distinct impression that he was up to something, and it was starting to get on your nerves. You don't like being toyed with, particularly when there is a difficult way out of the situation.

Stephen bit his bottom lip, trying to keep a laugh from escaping as he sent another portal behind you. This time, he watched you step out of it with a passive-aggressive smile.

"Okay, you're taking the 'Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?' pick-up line way too seriously." Stephen laughed and shook his head in response to his own joke.

“A-ha-ha! Will you stop doing that?!” You faked a laugh and immediately dropped your smile. You sent him daggers with your eyes, the proud smile on his face was looking so punchable, “Don’t.” You firmly added with a hard tone as you began to walk.

Stephen shook his head to one side with a neutral smile, “Fine, I won’t-”

You walked past Stephen and bolted away from him, deluding yourself into believing that you could outrun the portal. You came to find that you were back where you began, standing in front of Stephen. You made an effort to control your temper by pinching the bridge of your nose and taking a deep breath.

“I won’t let you leave until you come with me, I can keep doing this to you for as long as I can. Trust me.” Stephen told you this as-a-matter-of-factly, referring to his time with his old friend, Dormammu.

You've finally found someone who is possibly more stubborn than you are, and it's given you a glimpse into how Eric must feel whenever you allow your own stubbornness to dominate you.

“Ugh. What do you want then?” You asked, feeling tired and frustrated because of his games.

“Information, it’s so obvious that you haven’t had your powers for that long considering the fact that you looked very lousy flying around.” Stephen paused and had the audacity to judge you, “I also need to know what masters you serve.”

"Well, for one, I’m not part of a cult.” You looked at him up and down, conveying the message that you were referring to him.

“I’m not part of a cult, (Y/N).” Stephen closed his eyes momentarily. For some reason, that word always triggered him.

You were surprised that he did remember you name but you hid that emotion to yourself.

“Then why do you dress like that?” You sneered at him.

Stephen scoffed and prodded the inside of his cheek with his tongue, his eyes slowly scanning your figure, just noticing that your feet were bare and the hem of your gown rested just above your knees, “I could ask you the same thing.”

You looked down at your attire, you completely forgot that you ripped your gown to make it shorter to make it easier for you to move, and you left your heels on some rooftop.

You felt heat creeping up your face. Feeling embarrassed, you pulled the dress down and snapped at him, "Quit staring you pervert!"

Stephen snorted, “Oh please, there’s nothing interesting to stare at,” That was a lie, “Just come with me.”

•••

You sat in a table of four with Stephen, his Asian master, and the kid from before, “I don’t understand why I’m here, I have nothing to do with her, I just met her today.” In a show of displeasure, you threw your hands up.

“I told you before, you need to give us information as well.” Stephen repeated himself.

America quietly chomps away her pizza and watches as you act like you’re being interrogated by the police, “You’re going to get a stomach ache.” Stephen turned his attention towards the kid.

“I’m from another universe, I know my stomach works the same as yours.” America spoke with her mouth full.

“I don’t, I don’t even know if you’re from another universe. Which is why I’m still sitting here waiting for you to enlighten us.” Stephen impatiently tapped his finger on the table as he and Wong waited for the kid to shed some light on the situation.

“Gotta say, of the two Doctor Stranges I’ve met so far, you’re not my favourite." When America spoke in Spanish, a squeek of laughter came out of you since you understood what she said.

Strange glanced at you and then at America, bemused, “Which means?”

America was taken aback and looked at Wong in disbelief. She continued to speak in Spanish, “He does not know Spanish?”

“I’m not sure he even enjoys speaking English.” Wong replied, and got a laugh out of America and you.

Stephen's face flushed a bright crimson as a result of his irritation, "Look, I left a very nice wedding to save a smart-ass kid from getting eaten by an octopus—”

“Who’s wedding?” Wong interrupted.

“Christine’s.” You butted in.

“You went?!” Wong leaned in, shocked to learn this information.

“Holy shit, you married Christine?” America straightened up from her seat.

"No, but he still has feelings?” You snorted.

“Yes I do, No I didn’t, YES.” Stephen answered everyone’s questions, starting with yours, and took a deep breath, “You need to explain to me what’s going on. Why was that octopus trying to eat you?”

“It wasn’t trying to eat her, it’s merely a pawn from someone who wants something from her.” You spoke up to correct Stephen.

“How do you know that? I thought you didn’t know her?” Strange leaned in, looking at you with suspicion.

“I don’t and I don’t know, I just felt it or …saw it.” You answered truthfully, your eyes fluttering as you questioned even yourself.

“So you're guessing? Is that one of your powers?” Stephen asked sarcastically.

You crinkled your nose, triggered by his tone, “What is your deal?”

“She’s right, it wasn’t trying to eat me, it was trying to kidnap me.” America backed you up, “Someone wants to take my powers for themselves.”

“What power?” Stephen asked, his tone dead serious.

“I can travel the multiverse.”

“What?”

“You can physically move from one universe to another?” Wong clarified with the kid.

“Mhm.”

“How?”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know how, I can’t control it. It only happens when I’m really, really, afraid. ” America looked down, clearly remembering something that made her feel sad.

Your head whipped up to look at the girl, knowing you can relate a little bit to her situation. It must be frustrating for her not being able to use her powers at will.

“Okay, and this other me? Did he know how to defeat these demons? ” Stephen nodded and asked further, his voice much gentler this time.

“Well, he said, there’s this book of pure good. He said that it could give the sorcerer anything they needed to defeat their enemies. ” America explained, Stephen’s face scrunching up again.

“The Book of Vishanti? That’s impossible, it doesn’t exist–”

"In fact, it does; I discovered it in the secret book—you'll see when you become Sorcerer Supreme." Wong nodded.

“You’re not the Sorcerer Supreme?” America furrowed her brows once more.

"No, I’m not.” Stephen said, in a quiet manner.

The Book of Vishanti? That name sounds so familiar to you, but you couldn’t pin down where you heard it before. You observed and listened to their conversation, now realising that they might have some useful answers to your own questions. You wanted to know why after all these years, your powers decide to manifest themselves now? You were getting lost in your own thoughts, and you weren’t aware that the subject had moved on back to you.

To get your attention and bring you back, Stephen waved his hand in front of your face. You gave a little shake of the head and swatted his hand with your own, “Tsk. Glad to have you back, Wong’s asking you something.”

“Sorry, I got lost in thought, what were you asking?” You raised your head and made eye contact with Wong.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Who taught you how to use divine elemental magic?” Wong asked, narrowing his eyes ever-so-slightly as he looked at you, his tone resonating with both interest and trepidation.

Stephen gave a little incline to his head since he very seldom encounters a conversation regarding magic of such kind.

Your eyes panned between the men and you shook your head, “No one, I just woke up one day and had them. I don’t know how or why—?” You spoke part of the truth. You can't tell them when and how exactly it appeared, you were afraid they might laugh at you.

Wong raised his brows at you, he wasn't convinced that you just woke up one day with those powers. He didn't buy it because of how your eye-contact with him wavered.

“Great. We have one who doesn’t know how to control her power and one who knows how to use it lousily. I don’t know which one is worse.” Stephen shook his head. He clearly felt stressed out that there were two of you with unknown powers.

You rolled your eyes, “It's probably your mouth.”

“We’re trying to help you here. You could benefit yourself by losing that attitude. ” A sardonic expression morphed on his face, and with his whole body now turned to face you, he was clearly prepared to argue.

You blew a raspberry and centred your attention exclusively on him at the same time. "Helping? You've done nothing except act condescending the whole time!" With the amount of tension that exists between your gaze and Stephen's, you might generate electric sparks.

“That’s enough.” Wong said calmly with authority and cleared his throat, “Ms.—”

“(Y/N) (L/N).”

"Ms. (L/N), I’m kindly insisting that you come visit us in Kamar-Taj after the kid proves to us that she is from another universe.” Wong insisted and referred to America with his hand.

You took a deep breath and looked up, jaw clenched, “Sure. Just let me get changed into proper clothing first.”

“That can be done. Where would you like me to open a portal to?” Wong asked and stood up while you did.

“The Plaza Hotel parking lot please, I need to get my cousin and my car.” You flashed him a tight-lipped smile. Wong acknowledged your request and opened the portal to the location you specified.

“See you later, Elsa.” Stephen purposefully waved at you in order to irritate you some more, and as the portal began to shut, you gave him the middle finger.

Wong gave Stephen an odd look since he was laughing softly to himself even after you flipped him off. It was unusual for Wong to find Stephen finding it amusing being blatantly disrespected, "Am I missing something?"

Stephen put an end to his laughter and shook his head as he said, "I told you, she has a grudge against me."

•••

Previous || Next

TAG LIST: @simp4fictional  @praetorrara  @poor-unfortunate-soul-85  @elicheel  @vintageroses10  @sherlux @hueanhdang  @graniairish  @lucywrites02 @stanny-uwu  @frostandflamesfanfic  @jamiethenerdymonster  @sokoviansorceress  @zdhunn  @captaincarmel164  @justsomecreaturewandering  @soiopathicdetectivekid  @fan-of-fic  @stephenscloaak  @gaitwae  @shit-post-things  @seasonofthenerd  @patbrdac  @evelynrosestuff @singhfae @jamiethenerdymonster @severuined @mischiefmanaged7 @farfromjustordinary @drstrangesgirl91 @spideyyhoe @lovecleastrange @jessepinkmanloml

[teddy06writes]

You Didn't Need Us Then, We Don't Need You Now

Requested by this anon: "Okay I thought of this idea during Fundy's stream. Quackity and reader were engaged to Karl and Sapnap, but they left because of Karl losing his memory and Sapnap paying more attention to him. Quackity and reader then created Las Navadas to try and cope with everything that's happened to them. They created a little wedding area where they planned to get married with Sap and Karl. Flash forward to a year or two later, Karl and Sap stumble across Las Navadas and their two former fiancees. And they see everything they've done, including the little wedding area. which is perfectly designed as to how they wanted their wedding together. That's is as far as I got to the imagine in my head. If you could make a fic out of it that would be cool. If not at least you have this cute imagine in your head! 😊"

{Okay, so- so man feels, so many ideas. I haven't seen all of the Los Nevadas streams yet because I've got a lot of school stuff going on, but, I think I have a pretty good idea of what's going on. [also Slime from The Ground my beloved]}

Quackity x reader; Past: Sapnap x Karl x Quackity x reader

trigger warnings: maybe some swearing, slight descriptions of a panic attack, slight drinking

premise: After L'manburg was destroyed, two of your fiancées seemed to disappear. With just Sapnap left, you had been scared, but he assured you that the right thing to do was split up to try and find Quackity and Karl. And, well, you found Quackity, but when He found Karl.... something else had taken over, and suddenly Kinoko Kingdom was more important than finding you and quackity again. But thats fine. You and Quackity had been together in the begining, so what did you need from the other two? Las Nevadas could fill the void they left,,, and it did, until they happened to come knocking, right as you were finally moving on.

{Also, parental unit for everyone in Las Nevadas, I love it, brain is going brr so hard}

{also also, purpled is the forgotten eldest child of the server and no the ufo does not get blown up}

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It's gone, (y/n) it's all gone," You said with disbelief, staring over the barren, ashy place that had once been L'manburg and El Rapids, "We couldn't stop him."

Sapnap took in a shaky breath, wrapping an arm around your shoulders, "We were never could have. Even if the supplies weren't destroyed."

The remaining people had already cleared out, but you had only now come to see the damage, having been forced away from the battle by your fiancées.

"I could have helped." You fell to your knees, still staring at the wreckage.

Sapnap could only sigh at the broken look on your face. You had lost the only home you'd ever known, but what had he lost? Well, for one thing, Karl.

Karl was still no where to be found, and now it seemed that Quackity had disappeared.

He fiddled with the purple band that circled one of his fingers, "Look- we- we need to find Quackity and Karl. Q looked pretty bad the last time I saw him, and Karl-"

Resolutely you nodded, dragging yourself to stand, "Karl is Karl. He'll be happy that his statue missed being blown up. I think its Q we should be worried about. This place- El Rapids- that was everything to him."

"Well- how about you go find Quackity, and I go find Karl. We're bound to find them eventually if we split up." He offered.

You studied the look on his face, "You're covering for him. What's going on?"

Sapnap only shook his head.

Crossing your arms you turned toward the hill, and what was left of the prime path, "Quackity has the deed to some land. North of Spawn. Meet us there once you kind K, alright?"

"Okay." He said softly, leaning over to press a soft kiss on your cheek.

"Be safe." You advised, already starting away.

~~

It didn't take you very long to track down your Fiancé, in all the time you'd known him (much longer than you'd known the others), he hadn't changed too much.

So, when you made your way through the twisted paths near Pogtopia, he was up on the ridge, sitting on the rock that had for so long, doubled as a bench.

"It's good to see you're safe." You hugged your arms to your body, trying to keep your voice from shaking.

As soon as you were sitting next to him, he was leaning on you, "He destroyed everything- all that work- El Rapids-"

"I know." You wrapped your arms around him, finally letting your own tears fall, "I know."

"What are we gonna do? I just wanted a place for us- I just- I wanted to make a place for us- all we asked for was recognition- and now the only place that saw was recognizing us is gone."

It had taken a while for Quackity to stop talking about everything that had been destroyed. Even then he kept asking, "But- Just wanted to make a place for you guys, how are we gonna do that now?"

"We can still make a place," You assured him, even as you yourself were unsure, "We'll make our own little country. So far out where no one will be able to blow it up."

He seemed to take to the idea quickly, and that night, as the two of you sat together in the camp that had been made within the caverns of Pogtopia, he talked feverently of the country you two would make.

He talked of buildings, of businesses, and of wedding venues. The plans he made up that night, they were almost enough to make you forget about what had happened to your home.

"What about that land north of spawn?" You suggested, letting your head rest back on his shoulder.

Quackity thought about it for a moment, "I mean- its just some desert, but I think we could make it work."

"Good, I told Sap to meet us there once he found Karl."

He nodded, "We'll head up there, and start getting everything ready, and then when they're ready they can come up."

~~ This was how three months came to pass, with the busyness of planning the new city, the beginning of construction, the meetings with Sam to plan for the new economic system that the new country would spread through the lands.

Yet you still felt off. It had been that long and Karl and Sapnap had never returned, something must have gone horribly, horribly wrong. It nagged at you, constantly, Drove you sick with anxiety somedays.

"(y/n)."

You looked up from the designs for the next casino you had been going over, "Sam! I didn't know you were visiting today! What can I do for you?"

"Uhhh, I wasn't planning on it, you better come out here- it's Quackity, we had been discussing- some things. I don't know what happened but when he passed back through-" The creeper hybrid trailed off.

You quickly stood, rushing passed him and through the hall to the courtyard where Sam had left him, gasping for breath and tugging at his hair.

In an instant you were kneeling beside him, "Breath baby, breath."

"They- he- George- Kinoko- Sap- left- on purpose-" He blubbered.

"Hey, Q," You took his hands as gently as you could, "look at me. Breath, breath with me. Come on, breath."

Slowly, he began to calm down, and by the time Sam was long gone he slowly began to explain what happened.

"I was heading back from talking with Sam, I saw George outside the prison. He kept talking about something- about- Kinoko Kingdom..." He sighed.

"Kinoko- what?" You asked, confused.

He let his head drop into his hands, "Karl and Sapnap.... started another country- called Kinoko Kingdom... they didn't even wait for us."

You felt your heart drop, if you hadn't been holding his hands yours would've been shaking, "What-"

Quackity could only nod shakily as he pulled you into his arms.

"I told him to come back here- I told- why didn't they-" You muttered absently.

The only noise in the courtyard was from the fountains, and the small sniffles from the two of you.

You were still in a state of semi-shock and sadness when you felt his arms tighten around you.

"We don't need them anyway. Las Nevada's can prosper without them."

~~ "Purpled? You want to get him in on this?" Quackity frowned.

You shrugged, "He's a mercenary, he could be of some help around here."

Your fiancé studied your face for a moment, "No, that's not it. Why do you really want him here?"

"Look, he's-" You sighed, "The kids been through a lot. He doesn't really have anything anymore, he needs somewhere, someone at least. We owe that too him at least."

After a moment, he nodded, "I haven't spoken to him since I paid him for his help with that egg mess. He- didn't seem to like me being around."

"I'll try to find him, he'd talk to me, I'm sure of it." You stood up from your seat at the table.

"You're going now?" He asked, following you across to the coat room.

You nodded, tugging on your boots, "If I want to make it through to the Greater SMP before it gets dark. I'll see if Eret will let me stay the night, then I'll head out again."

"Be careful." Quackity advised once you were ready.

You pecked at his lips, "I always am."

The journey to the Greater SMP went quickly, and after a nights stay in Eret's castle, you had made your way to the UFO, disappointed to find it seemingly abandoned.

"How the hell am I supposed to find him if the one place he ever seems to be is empty." You muttered, glancing around the base of the UFO.

You shrugged off your knapsack, dropping it to the side, followed by the sword that had been at your hip, and then you began to climb.

Even the inside of the UFO was completely empty, devoid of any chests, crafting tables, or furnaces.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

You jumped, turning to find Purpled, in full netherite, sword gripped tight in his hand.

"I- We've been looking for you." You fumbled for an explanation, holding up your hands in a sort of surrender.

He scoffed, "I already did a job for you people, I'm busy now."

"Not for a job Purpled!" You couldn't help but exclaim, "Some people actually try to find you for more than just that."

"Then what do you want?" He snapped.

"Did Q tell you about Nevadas?"

Purpled frowned, "Yeah, he mentioned it."

"Well, I think you should join. Come in on the project."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

You sighed, "Look, Purpled, you- everyone here, in this smp, they don't care, they don't bother to know you. You- you don't really have a place here-"

"You think I don't know that?" Purpled's grip on his sword tightened.

"So, If you come with us, join Las Nevadas, you can have a place- have people who care. You need people, Purpled."

"I don't Need anyone." He insisted.

You sighed, "Someday your going to have to see that that's not true. Please consider joining Las Nevadas, no one here cares, but we do."

"That's not true," He said bitterly, "You just need me to do another god damned job."

With a shake of your head you turned, preparing for the climb back down, "Purpled, this smp isn't kind to children, but I think it's been the most unfair to you. Out here your being forgotten, but you might not be if you join us."

~~

At the base of the UFO you were surprised to find a strange, slimly looking boy digging through your bag.

"Hey!" You yelled, "Don't touch that! It's not yours!"

He looked up and froze, realizing he'd been caught.

You snatched your things away from him, quickly unsheathing your sword, "Who are you?"

"Uhhhh, I'm a meat person- same as you!" He offered.

"You- you're- uh-" You sputtered for a moment confused, "Why were you touching my things?"

"Uhhhhh, Dap me up!" He said avoiding the question.

You stared at him for a moment, "I don't have time for this."

As you started back toward the prime path you heard him call, "Nice to meet you (y/n) from Las Nevadas!"

"How do you know my name?" You demanded, whirling around.

"Oh, I know a lot of things." He laughed, "I see lots 'a stuff."

You frowned, "Uh huh. I'm gonna- walk away now."

~~ A week had passed, and there was still no signs of Purpled, nor Fundy or Foolish, (both of whom Quackity had gone to speak to whilst you were away), coming to Las Nevadas.

You were sure that Purpled would come around eventually, but had no faith that anyone else would join Las Nevadas, until you had heard a strange noise in the night.

It had been a cross between a clang and a yell, and then almost like something being dragged.

You had been going over some of the contracts you had been preparing for if anyone ever did show up when you'd heard it, and your fiancé seem to be gone from his own office, and your bedroom even, so quickly you armed yourself with your sword before hurrying out after the noise.

The streets of Las Nevadas were still partially lit by street lamps as you hurried along, it didn't take you long to find your fiancé, just outside of city limits, pacing In front of a strange looking hole.

"What the hell are you doing?" You hissed.

"Hey! It's (y/n) from Las Nevadas!"

You jumped at the voice, turning to see that no, the hole wasn't green, that the same slime boy from before was sitting in it.

"You! What are you doing here?!" You exclaimed.

"Quackity from Las Nevadas put me in this hole!" He said cheerfully.

Quackity grabbed your shoulder, turning you away from Slime and the hole, "You know him?"

"He was trying to look through my stuff after I talked to Purpled," You explained, glancing back over at the hole, "Said he sees just about everything, uhh, as far as I can tell, he's like the hybrids- but- weirder."

"Nope! I'm just a totally goopless guy! I'm bones and stuff!" He called from the hole.

"Oh god we have crazy people here." Quackity muttered scrubbing a hand over his face.

You moved to crouch next to the hole, "What- uh- What are you doing here buddy?"

"Oh I'm just oozing around. Dap me up!"

Confused, you complied, nervously laughing as he grinned at the handshake.

"I found him spying in the restaurant." Quackity sighed.

"What's spying?" The boy in the hole asked, "I just listen."

"Yeah well tell me exactly what you heard or I'll ill you right now!" Quackity threatened, pulling out his sword.

He hummed, "Well, I saw you, and I saw (y/n) from Las Nevadas. And there was a green guy, and a purple guy. I know of a Red guy, dead guy but he's not dead anymore-"

Your breath hitched, "Dead guy?"

"Yeah, looked real ashy- maybe even ...sooty?..." He confirmed.

Quackity glanced back at you, "And he's not dead anymore?"

"No. He's weird now. Got gray hair instead of grey skin. Used to run a country- got blown up though."

"How much have you seen man?" You asked, incredulous.

He shrugged, "I mean, I move slow but I've seen a lot. Lately a lot of conversations about taking advantage of the ever so fragile human psyche through gambling."

"Holy shit." you muttered.

Quackity glared up into the night sky, almost looking for an answer.

Shifting closer too look at the boy you frowned, "What's all that green stuff?"

"Oh- those are just- my totally normal- human parts! I'm a person!" He grinned.

You sighed, "Uhh, look, what's your name? Like how I'm (y/n) from Las Nevadas, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm goop from the ground!" He smiled for a moment before realizing his mistake, "I mean- I'm a meat person!"

Quackity still seemed to be praying to the sky, not paying any attention.

"Goop from the ground," You muttered, slowly connecting the dots, "Well, uhh, goop, how bout I give you a regular person name?"

"A person name? Oh boy!" He laughed.

You thought for a moment longer, "How about- Charlie?"

Charlie grinned, somehow even wider than before, "Woah! I have a real human name! Like any other regular human meat person!"

"Yep, you do." You chuckled.

"And, to be clear, I definitely am one of those, and not a piece of goop, that's slowly come to the surface, hiding as a person!"

As you continued to talk with Charlie, Quackity seemed to come to a realization, "He's like an accidental spy!"

And, when you helped him out of the hole Quackity was quick to say, "Well, this- this- was- was uh a formal greeting! Yeah that's what we call them!"

"Wow!" Charlie mused.

The walk back to Las Nevadas was quiet, until Charlie turned to you, "(y/n) from Las Nevadas, if I'm Charlie- where- where?"

You smiled, "Do you want to be Charlie from Las Nevadas?"

~~

By the end of the same week, after having gotten Charlie fully on board, and slight agreement from Foolish, word finally came from Purpled.

You'd been working on the next phase of the whole Nevadas Project when Charlie rushed in, "(y/n) from Las Nevadas! There's someone here!"

You frowned, "Who?"

"Purpled from UFO!" He practically yelled.

Standing, you tucked your papers away, "That's perfect Charlie, thank you. Do you want to come with to help show him around?"

He nodded, following you out of your office.

Outside, you found Purpled, along with his dog, looking up at the casino in awe.

"Purpled! You came!" You called cheerfully.

The boy turned, a strange expression you couldn't read on his face, "What? No 'I told you so'? No 'I knew you'd come around eventually'?"

You shrugged, "I'm just glad you finally came."

He sighed, "It's not like they needed me anywhere else."

You put a hand on his shoulder, "That's alright, We need you here."

"They- I went to tell Ponk I was leaving," Purpled sounded too broken, too tired, "He said he was too busy to talk to me."

Before you could say anything, he continued, "I had a house, near L'Manhole. I- I uh blew it up, to see what would happen," His shoulders began to shake, ever so slightly, as he finished in a whisper, "No one even noticed."

In one quick move you wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a hug, "It's okay Kid, it'll be okay now."

That was how your fiancé found you, standing outside the main casino, a teen all but sobbing into your shirt, Charlie looking on confused.

~~

And so, the time passed, Las Nevadas grew, and you and your new little family did along with it.

Quackity found it funny, really, your ability to bring people onto your side be connecting with them emotionally, and as he put it, all but adopting them.

Charlie still took up a room in the apartments you and Quackity staid in above the offices. Purpled would come over when things around the country weren't so busy, and you'd talk for hours, Foolish joining in some of the time.

Fundy, on his first night in the city, had broken down to you, the same as Purpled, but you'd helped him put himself together. Though Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo didn't have official places in Las Nevadas, it seemed a chunk of their time was spent there.

Yep, that was your new strange family. You, Your fiancé and the kids but not really young enough to still be kids you accidently adopted.

Now, you reflected on this quietly, from the top of the needle.

"You okay?" Quackity asked softly, looking over at you.

You chuckled softly, "Can you believe that it's been two years?"

"No, can you?"

You shook your head, "You know, I've been thinking. A long time ago, you told me we were better off with out Karl and Sapnap."

He watched silently, as you pulled the other two rings that you had kept, holding them up by the chain they were strung on.

"Maybe- you were right- and maybe it's finally time to get married. Just us. We didn't need them to get here, we won't need them for anything else."

A small smile slipped onto Quackity's lips, "Would you marry me?"

"You already know the answer to that." You chuckled.

"So it's a yes?"

"Obviously." You scoffed.

"When should we have the ceremony then?" He asked.

"Right now," You mused, "We opened that wedding hall for a reason, right? We could get married proper, right now. It's already decorated the way Tubbo originally planed."

He laughed, "Let's do it tomorrow that way we have time to get like, notices out and shit."

You smiled, "Of course."

The sun had begun to set during this discussion, and you looked out over the peaceful landscape with a soft sigh, yes, this, this was home.

And even as you heard Charlie tripping and crashing his way up the stairs, the thought still filled your head.

"Quackity and (y/n) from Las Nevadas!" He exclaimed, "Purpled from Las Nevadas found some people by the border!"

In an instant, both you and Quackity were standing, "What were they doing?"

"Looking around, real weird like. Fundy From Las Nevadas said they might be here to attack us! I hope they aren't."

You followed Quackity past him and back down from the tower, drawing your sword as Charlie called out where he had left Purpled and the mystery people.

What you found was not what you expected.

Purpled stood, sword drawn and pointed at the men you least expected to see now.

Karl looked scared, tucked back behind Sapnap who was moving to draw his own sword.

Not another move!" You barked, moving to stand in line with Purpled.

Karl's face light up upon seeing you, "(y/n)! Quackity! I missed you!"

"Did you?" Quackity spit.

"Sapnap drop your sword." You commanded, not paying attention to the strange look on their faces, no one, and I mean no, pulled a sword on your family.

He frowned, "Wh- (y/n) don't be like that. I get it- but- why..."

"What are your intentions? Why have you come here?" You asked.

"We wanted to find you!" Karl said, "We missed you (y/n)."

"Uhh, that's (y/n) from Las Nevadas to you." Charlie said.

Quackity sighed, grabbing Charlie by the collar and pulling him back, "Sorry- he's been learning sass and sarcasm lately."

"Still, what are you doing here?" You pushed.

"We wanted to find you! You've been gone so long, we thought we'd go looking." Sapnap explained.

"We've been gone?" You scoffed, "You were the ones who disappeared."

Karl moved forward, grabbing your left hand, and Quackity's right, "We just wanted to come back, to finally get married."

You pulled away, slowly sheathing your sword, "You can't be serious?"

"What do you mean?" Karl asked, the smile just beginning to drip off his face.

"You fucking left us- We were just trying to make a place for the four of us to be safe and you left us! And now you want back? Out of the blue?" Your voice steadily grew louder, "You cannot show up here after abandoning us like that!"

Quackity gently took your hand, murmuring, "(y/n)..."

"No. They don't get to do this!" You turned to him, watching his face change upon seeing the mix of anger and sadness in your eyes.

"W- We'll talk about this tomorrow, away from the kids," He asserted, for once not earning any protest about age from Purpled or Fundy, "Charlie, you think you can take these guys on a tour of the place?"

He nodded eagerly, "This way this way!"

As Sapnap, Karl, Purpled and FUndy began to trudge after him, Quackity turned to you, "(y/n)?"

You just shook your head, pulling your hand out of his and starting away.

~~ Purpled had followed the tour party quietly, taking a page from Charlie's book and watching, observing everything.

He had seen the pain in your face at the suggestion of marriage, and the anger in Quackity's just upon seeing them.

So, he followed the men warily, watching the way Karl exclaimed about how he had built an Effile tower just like the one in the city in Manberg, and the way that Sapnap mentioned fondly how the décor at the wedding hall matched the ones you two had always spoken about.

Hearing it nearly drove him mad. Did they not realize that it had all been for them? That dreams of them arriving were the only thing that had ruled Your and Quackity's minds?

When Charlie had directed the group, which by now included some of the other tourists, past one of the bars, he stopped.

Inside, Quackity was slumped at the bar, a bottle of whiskey in hand.

"Drinking away your problems won't solve them." Purpled sighed, pulling the bottle away from him.

"We were doing so good without them. You know that Purp. But here they are, back and ready to fuck things up again. That's how it's always been." He muttered.

The boy shook his head, "They don't realize how destructive they are? Do they?"

"Never have." He sighed.

"Lets get you back home."

Quackity allowed himself to be manhandled into standing, and then led out of the bar, back toward the offices, and toward the apartment.

"(y/n) will figure it out. They always do." Purpled assured him, pulling open the apartment door and ushering him in.

"But they shouldn't have too," He sighed, running a hand through his hair, not bothered by the way his beanie fell to the floor, "They've dealt with so much without help. Yet they're always the ones to help us."

~~

Once he had wrangled Quackity into the bedroom, Purpled headed back out, finding Fundy at the base of the Needle, "They up there?"

"Yeah," The hybrid sighed, "Quackity?"

"Got drunk. He's- painfully coherent though." He winced.

Fundy ran a hand through his hair, "It's hard to believe one of the nicest people around is the one to fuck them up like this."

"Makes perfect sense to me," Purpled said as they began to make their way toward the stairs, "My first night here- I was having a hard time, because- the whole server acted like I didn't exist. (y/n) told me about how Sapnap and Karl had abandoned them."

"Did it seem this bad though?" Fundy asked.

"No- but that was before they turned up again talking about marriage."

By now they had reached the top of the tower, and Purpled could see where you sat by the ledge, feet dangling over. Quietly, they both sat down on either side of you.

"How's Q?" You asked quietly after a moment.

"Drunk, but back at your apartment, well supplied with water." Purpled reported.

You nodded, "And K and- Karl and Sapnap?"

"Waaay to blissfully ignorant." Fundy said.

Quiet held you three in silence for a moment, until at last Purpled sighed, asking, almost bitterly, "So- are you gonna marry them? You were going to once."

"Even if I did it wouldn't change anything here." You mumbled.

"Sapnap was talking about how cool it would be to come back and visit from Kinoko after the honeymoon." Fundy admitted.

Before you could say anything Purpled drew one of his knees to his chest, "I- don't- it feels like they'd be taking you away from us- I like it the way it is. Things are nice, and they're just fucking it up."

Fundy nodded, "As much as I hate to say it, he's right. If you people all get married nothing will be the same. I kind of liked having parental figures, I don't want them messing that up."

"They won't." You promised softly.

By god, if you hadn't already made up your mind, their words would've swayed you.

~~ After a while, you stood, "Let's go home."

They followed you tiredly, Charlie joining the mini procession at one intersection, telling you that Sapnap and Karl had gone to get a hotel room.

At the apartment, Quackity was sitting on the couch, already seeming more sober than Purpled had told you. When you sat next to him, his arms were quick to wrap around you, holding you like a lifeline.

Charlie took his place on the other side of the couch, Purpled curled up in the armchair, and Fundy dug around until he found one of the old projectors he'd left there, queuing up a movie.

"Hey, just like on Nightmare's days!" Charlie laughed, referring to the infamous 16th, where, just about every month it seemed you, Fundy, Quackity and sometime Purpled would have nightmares of the Manburg Pogtopia war, and everyone would congregate in the living room to watch one of Fundy's movies.

"Sure as hell feels like one." Quackity muttered.

And so you watched the movie, though your thoughts drifted, thinking of how you would deal with your reappearing ex-fiancés.

As you thought, you created a mini script in your head. Exactly what you would say came you.

"You didn't need us then, and we don't need you now."

Yes, you thought, leaning more into Quackity's side, thats what you'd say, after you talked about your new family.

(and the next day, you did just that)

[solrika]

Throwing this idea out into the ether for someone else to deal with, because I have too many kalluzeb AUs already:

Time magic/Force magic/fuckery sends Zeb back to Onderon.

He comes to in the aftermath of the explosion. Chokes on smoke, automatically charges his bo-rifle as he looks around. He's uninjured, though from the destruction around him, he shouldn't be able to stand.

The soldiers scattered around him aren't so lucky. Zeb already knew stormtrooper armor was banthashit; he doesn't need to see the guts spilling out of shattered plastoid. Further out, though, there are walking wounded calling to each other.

Zeb's just made up his mind to sneak off when the screaming starts.

There's another lasat, making his way through the downed soldiers as casually as if he was strolling through the spring market. Zeb watches the flash of the blaster, marks where each bolt land.

Gut shots.

And those are Imperials, sure, but no one deserves to die so cruelly.

With a muttered, "Karabast," Zeb raises his bo-rifle, yells, "Stand down!"

The other lasat looks at him, ears perking incredulously. "They're Imperials," he calls back, as if Zeb might have missed it.

"They're kids," Zeb growls back. "Leave them alone."

At some point during the stand-off, the squad's officer begins sneaking up behind the other lasat. Zeb hopes he has a blaster and a plan.

Turns out he has a vibroblade and no survival instinct instead.

Please join me in imagining young Alexsandr Kallus taking a running jump at a lasat twice his size, getting his legs around said lasat's neck in a sloppy chokehold, and going to town with his knife. He screams in terror-fueled rage the entire time.

"You don't have an officer, you have a rabid vornskr," Zeb tells the nearest stormtrooper, and goes to rescue the feral idiot from himself.

I don't know what happens to the other lasat. It's enough to know he's no longer a worry, however it happens.

There's nothing to be done for the men with gut wounds but to give them a cleaner death. The squad's pitiful medkit is enough to staunch the bleeding on those who can walk. Zeb, more experienced with field medicine and insufficient supplies, helps them fix up those in the middle as best he can.

Then it's him, one Imperial officer, and half a squad of stormtroopers, all re-realizing that they probably shouldn't be on the same side. Zeb sighs, mutters, "Look, I just patched you all up, I don't want to wreck you again. Truce?"

"Truce. And. Thank you," the officer says awkwardly, though the gratitude in his eyes is painfully earnest. "My name is Kallus."

"Karabast," mutters Zeb, running a hand down his face. Just his luck. "Now what?"

"The Empire will come for us," Kallus says.

The Empire doesn't.

Zeb wasn't really expecting anything else, but it still hurts to see the realization dawn on the soldier's faces as the sun sets the next day.

"I'm stealing us a ship. You need better medical attention," Zeb sighs, wondering when he decided that these Imps were his problem. "Okay?"

Those who can walk go with him, and they end up "liberating" an A-wing. It's cramped, meant for a crew of five instead of seven stormtroopers, one too-tall officer, and a lasat, but it flies.

Zeb's got a vague plan to get the squad medical attention, drop them somewhere safe, and then go find the Rebellion. At the medcenter, he sees the date, and realizes that this is pre-Fall of Lasan. The Rebellion can wait: he's got another chance to save his home, and he's going to take it.

Small problem: turns out that the Imps have imprinted on him like baby ducklings. Especially Kallus, who seems especially taken with him, as if Zeb is a dashing hero from some old holo. (I'm anything but, Zeb thinks, remembering how he'd failed his home and fell apart. He's not going to tell this Kallus that, though.)

Karabast.